Piazzale Michelangelo Florence

A famous scenic spot in Florence not to be missed

Piazzale Michelangelo is known to all as the place where you can take the best panoramic pictures of Florence: a destination not to be missed for all those who want to take home a souvenir photo of the Florence skyline.

Piazzale Michelangelo is a public place and therefore its access is totally free.

You will discover a landscape stretching from Forte Belvedere to the Basilica di Santa Croce passing by the Arno River and the various bridges of Florence, including Ponte Vecchio. You will also admire the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, the Bargello, the octagonal bell tower of the Badia Fiorentina, the facade of the Uffizi Gallery over the Arno River and, in front of you, the north hills of the city with Fiesole and Settignano.

Creation of Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence

The square was designed by the architect Giuseppe Poggi on a south hill of the historic centre, on the left bank of the Arno in 1869, when Florence was capital of Italy, and the whole city was renewed from the urban point of view: birth of the Arno embankments, boulevards and scenic streets.

Why Piazzale Michelangelo?

The square is named after the great Renaissance artist because in it there are copies of some famous works hosted in Florence, such as the David and the four allegories of the Medici Chapels of the Basilica di San Lorenzo. The copies are in bronze, while the originals are in white marble.

In the square it is also a loggia in a neoclassical style that now houses a rooftop restaurant, also designed by Giuseppe Poggi. In the wall of the balcony under the loggia there is indeed an epigraph that reminds him: Giuseppe Poggi Florentine architect turn yourselves around here is his monument MCMXI.

How to reach Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence

By car: along the tree-lined Viale Michelangelo.

On foot: walking up the monumental staircases named Rampe del Poggi from Piazza Poggi in the San Niccolò neighborhood, within walking distance from the city centre.

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