You’ll notice many of Florence’s most popular sites are closed if you plan to visit the city on Monday while you are traveling through Italy. The Uffizi and the Accademia both close on Mondays. The Palazzo Pitti is also closed on Mondays.
We offer some incredible tours in Florence. But we want you to enjoy every moment of your holiday. Here’s our guide to the top sites that are open Mondays in Florence.
The Duomo is a must-see and the beautiful Baptistery is a must-see
The Duomo, Florence’s most well-known church, is also the most visited stop. If you are here on Monday, the Duomo is still open from 10 am until 5pm. Do you feel like a hike? The dome has 463 steps and the belltower, built by Giotto in the 14th century, is open for climbing (414 steps). The dome is open from 8:30 am to 7:30 pm.
Don’t forget the Baptistery. It’s possible to stop by at any time to see the Gates of Paradise outside, which is an early 15th-century rendering of some of the Bible’s most dramatic scenes. But if you want to actually enter the Baptistery–Florence’s oldest building, and resplendent with shimmering ceiling mosaics from the 13th century–then you’re good to go on Mondays. You can visit it from 12:15 to 7 pm.
Click here for more information on the Duomo and Baptistery. The Duomo costs EUR8, climbing the dome is free, climbing the campanile is EUR6, no reductions and climbing the Baptistery is EUR4, there are no reductions.
Museo dell’Opera del Duomo and Michelangelo’s (other) Pieta
Some museums in Florence are open on Mondays, but not all. The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo is still open, and it’s open from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. It is also Florence’s second largest museum. This vast collection of Renaissance masterpieces can be accessed easily. Donatello’s statues of the Duomo campanile, Donatello’s elaborate choir-lofts by Donatello, Luca della Robbia and Brunelleschi’s final mask and Ghiberti’s original bronze panels to the Baptistery are just a few. Michelangelo’s Pieta is not included. It’s not the Pieta he was making when he was nearly 80 years old, and which he had in mind for his tomb. It will send chills down your spine.
The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo is located at Piazza del Duomo 9. All tickets are EUR 6.
The Bargello is Florence’s largest museum and the home of the “first” David.
The Bargello, Florence’s largest museum, may be open depending on when you are in town. It’s closed on the first, third, and fifth Mondays of each month, as well as the second and fourth Sundays of every month. You’ll find it quieter than the bustling Accademia or Uffizi if you happen to be there on Mondays. This 13th-century palazzo is filled with gems. Don’t miss Michelangelo’s first major piece, the Bacchus, which he carved when he was 22 years old. Giambologna’s Mercury is also worth a look. Donatello’s David is the sculpture of David that existed before Michelangelo.
Via del Proconsolo 4 is where you will find the Bargello. It costs EUR4 for adults and EUR2 for E.U. It is available to citizens aged 18-25 and is free to E.U. citizens aged 18 to 65.
The Brancacci Chapel is one of Florence’s most treasured art pieces.
The Cappella Brancacci of Santa Maria del Carmine is open Monday to Friday from 10am-5pm. Masaccio, who was the “father” of Renaissance frescoing, began in 1424… but died shortly thereafter. Filippino Lippi completed the work 66 years later. This means that the frescoes not only look stunning but also show two distinct moments in Renaissance art.
Piazza del Carmine is the location of the church. Adults pay EUR4; over 65 persons, EUR3; 4-17-year-olds pay EUR1.50. A family of 2 adults and 2 children will be charged EUR9.50. 2 adults and 2 children are charged EUR11.
The Museo Galileo is a fun and kid-friendly look at Renaissance science.
The Renaissance was not all about architecture and art, even in Florence. Florence’s Museo Galileo is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 am to 6 pm. This museum is a great choice for children as it gives a glimpse into the scientific advances of the Renaissance era. It contains everything, including Galileo’s original instruments, which include the lens he used for finding the four moons of Jupiter, and a mechanical calculator dating from 1664. The most shocking part is the middle finger of Galileo’s right hand that was taken during his reinterred in Santa Croce following the posthumous decision to not have his heliocentric view merit an Inquisition indictment.
The Museo Galileo is located near the Uffizi at Piazza dei Giudici 1. Adult tickets cost EUR8 and children aged 7-18 years or older, respectively, while children 6 and below are free. For 2 adults and 2 children, the family ticket is EUR20.
The Museo Archeologico
One of the many treasures at the National Archaeological Museum is an Etruscan sarcophagus dating from the 2nd Century B.C.
Do you want to get away from the Renaissance? You can then delve even deeper into the past of Italy. The archaeological museum of the city is open every Monday from 2 pm-7 pm. It contains many masterpieces such as this Etruscan tomb (above), which dates back to the 4th century B.C. It still features its famous Chimera de Arezzo, a bronze lion resembling a human, as well as scenes depicting battling Amazons. Ask for help if the upstairs section is locked.
The Archaeological Museum is located at Via Della Colonna 36. It costs EUR4 for adults and EUR2 for E.U. Citizens between 18 and 25 years old are eligible for free. citizens aged 18 to 65 or older.
Amazing frescoes at Palazzo Vecchio and Machiavelli’s office
The Palazzo Vecchio is an impressive, medieval fortress that was once the capital of the Florentine Republic. Why not visit the Palazzo Vecchio to see what’s inside? Open from 9 am-7 pm on Mondays, the Palazzo Vecchio includes the sumptuously-decorated rooms of the Medici family; Machiavelli’s office; Donatello’s Judith and Holofernes; and the famed Salone dei Cinquecento, where Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were meant to have a fresco face-off–but where Vasari painted over their attempts. The original frescoes of the masters are still being hidden behind Vasari’s, but there is much debate about this!
The Palazzo Vecchio is priced at EUR6 for adults, EUR4.50 if you are aged 18-25 or over 65, and EUR2 for children 4-17. A family ticket costs EUR14 for 2 adults and 2 children, or EUR16 for 2 adults and 3 children.
Orsanmichele is a museum that is only open on Mondays
It’s possible to visit Florence on Mondays, which is the only day that the museum is open. The Church of Orsanmichele’s facade is well-known for having statues that were created by different Florentine guilds between 1340-1602. Ghiberti and Donatello were just a few of the best artists in the city, as were Pisano and Giambologna. These statues are being moved into the museum, one by one. Guess what? The museum and the church are both free.
Via Arte Della Lana is where you will find the church and the museum of Orsanmichele. The museum is open Monday through Friday, 10 am-5pm on weekdays, and the church is 10 am-5 pm on weekends.
Santa Maria Novella Museum and Santa Maria Novella Church
Santa Maria Novella, one of Florence’s most stunning churches, is a Gothic masterpiece. Both the museum and it are open Monday through Friday. The real treasures of this church are all Renaissance: a Masaccio fresco and a Giotto crucifix are just a few examples. The stunning frescoes of Filippino Lippi are located in the Strozzi Chapel. After you are done, visit the Museo di Santa Maria Novella which is open Monday through Friday from 9 am-5:30 pm. You will find hidden, intricately-frescoed Cloisters, the Spanish Chapel, with its 14th-century frescos, as well as an exhibit of liturgical treasures and glittering vestments.
Piazza Santa Maria Novella is home to the museum and Santa Maria Novella church. The museum entrance is EUR2.70, church entrance is EUR3.50.
Boboli Gardens
Do you need a break from the hustle and bustle of city life? You might be in luck. The Boboli Gardens, the huge, formal gardens at the Palazzo Pitti are open every Monday, except the first and last Mondays of each month. The garden is filled with stunning landscaping and the Grotta di Buontalenti, an odd Mannerist grotto filled with sculptures.
The Boboli Gardens are open from 8:15 am to close at 4:30 pm Nov.-Feb. at 5:30 pm March and October when DST ends. They also close at 6:30 pm in April, May, and Sept., and Oct. at 7:30 pm. Entry costs EUR7 and includes entry to the Silver Museum. Costume Gallery, Porcelain Museum, and Bardini Gardens. EUR3.50 for E.U. Citizens between the ages of 18 and 25.
San Lorenzo’s church, library, and Medici chapels
You must visit San Lorenzo if you are a fan of Michelangelo. The exterior of the church, which is supposed to be Michelangelo’s masterpiece, was left unfinished. It has a sad and rough look. You can still visit the church from 10 am to 5 pm Mondays for a treat: Donatello’s bronze pulpits, which are the last works of the artist who had such an impact on Michelangelo.
The Biblioteca Laurenziana is one of San Lorenzo’s most unique offerings. It is open Mondays between 9:30 am and 1:30 pm. This library, designed by Michelangelo in 1524 for the Medicis, is an architectural delight. It features a staircase that seems to be spilling over and columns that sink into walls. The Medici Chapels are open every Monday from 8:15 am to 5 pm. They serve as the final resting place of some of the most prominent members of the Medici families… as well as some of Michelangelo’s most important sculptures that he made as tombs for his wealthy patrons.
Piazza San Lorenzo is home to the library and the basilica. The Basilica of San Lorenzo ticket costs EUR3.50, while the library costs EUR3 and EUR2.50. The Medici Chapels, located at Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini, cost EUR6 for adults, and EUR4 for E.U. Citizens between the ages of 18 and 25 are eligible for free admission to the E.U. citizens aged 18 to 65.
