This building in Piazza della Signoria is a cross between a castle and palace. It was constructed as the palace of the ruling Medici dynasty but is still used today as the town hall – the seat of government for Florence. Although there is a museum here, it was the building itself we fell in love with. The huge ballroom, the fascinating map room, and the private chapel are all part of a visit here. You get to see more of the building by taking a guided tour which allows you access to the roof walkway too for some terrific views of Florence. Palazzo Vecchio became less important to the Medici’s when the new Pitti Palace was built over the river. Look out on your tour for the wooden doors in the same room as the chapel which mark the entrance to the Vasari Corridor – a purpose built private walkway which linked the two palaces over the rooftops of Florence. This is an extract from our free Florence City Guide.
The beautiful painted chapel at Palazzo Vecchio
General admission at Palazzo Vecchio gives you entry and a self guided tour. However, we’d recommend taking one of the guided tours as you’ll get much more out of your visit and you get to go to places that are not on the self guided tour. Our tour guide was superb. Her knowledge of the the building was vast and she explained all the rooms we entered in a really accessible way. Her english was very good and one of the highlights for us was leaving the public areas and climbing to the roof terrace for some great views of central Florence.
The roof terrace around Palazzo Vecchio, Florence
The other guided tour we’ve heard great things about is the one that concentrates on secret passages and hidden rooms. There are also tours which concentrate on the frescoes at Palazzo Vecchio.
For basic admission to the town hall, buy your tickets from the main ticket office, but to experience one of the special tours, ask at the tours desk first. Most guided tours are the same price as general admission. Palazzo Vecchio is open daily from 9am to 7pm but closes early at 2pm on Thursdays. Adult admission is 6 Euros (2011 prices)
You cannot enter the Vasari Corridor from Palazzo Vecchio. Tours of the corridor are only available from the next door Uffizi Gallery and you have to be part of a specific tour to see it. This is one tour that offers private access Vasari Corridor Walking Tour.
View through an open window at Palazzo Vecchio, Florence
LOCATION & CONTACT
Address: Palazzo Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, Firenze, Italia
Tel. +39 055 2768325
MORE ON PALAZZO VECCHIO
Hotels near Palazzo Vecchio – Best price guarantee from Hotel.com
Palazzo Vecchio – Florence Museums official website
Palazzo Vecchio – Wikipedia
Vasari Corridor Access - Walking tour
More Florence Tours – From our Tours & Activities pages
Florence Guide Books – Amazon.co.uk (UK)
Florence Guide Books – Amazon.com (USA & Canada)
