This public square marks the original location of Florence’s Roman forum although everything you see here is much more modern than that! The Column of Abundance (Colonna dell’Abbondanza) in the middle of the piazza marks the traditional centre of the city and dates back to 1431. There are two striking features of the square today, firstly the huge arch called “Arcone” with its porticos each side and secondly the traditional carousel which gives children gleeful faces whenever it operates. British oscar-winning actor Colin Firth is a regular in the square as it’s the location of his favourite restaurant in Florence and he has a house nearby. This is an extract from our free Florence City Guide.
The Carousel in Piazza della Republica, Florence
The most dominating structure in the square, the Arcone was built in 1895 as part of the re-development of old Florence and when translated, the inscription on the arch talks about the values of progress in the sweeping away of the old to be replaced by the new. Somehow it feels much older than it actually is – perhaps because it’s surrounded by older alleyways. A little more information on the carousel now. It’s actually an antique and operates from around 10am to 8pm each day in the summer months. There are a number of organised tours that call into Piazza della Rebubblica, most popular of which is the Best of Florence Walking Tour which consistently gets good reviews from tourists who’ve been on it. Click here for latest prices in US Dollars.
LOCATION
Piazza della Repubblica can be accessed from Via Roma, Via Calimala, or from under the Arcone arch on Via Degli Strozzi. It is a 2 minute walk from the Duomo.
MORE ON PIAZZA DELLA REPUBBLICA
Hotels near Piazza della Repubblica – Best price guarantee from Hotel.com
Piazza della Rebubblica – Wikipedia
Best of Florence Walking Tour - Highly rated tour which calls in at the Piazza
Florence Sunset Bike Tour – Calls in at Piazza della Rebibblica
More Florence Tours – From our Tours & Activities pages
Florence Guide Books – Amazon.co.uk (UK)
Florence Guide Books – Amazon.com (USA & Canada)
