Things to see in Florence near Piazza San Marco
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Around Piazza San Marco: art, university museums and much more

An itinerary to discover all the culture hidden in the streets surrounding Piazza San Marco in Florence.

It's time to discover more new things to see in Florence! Immerse yourself in the heart of Florence with an itinerary that takes you to find the lesser-known treasures and artistic and scientific wonders surrounding Piazza San Marco. This tour invites you to explore ancient fossil collections, hidden gardens, Renaissance frescoes, and historic buildings that tell the city's centuries-old history.

Museum of Geology and Paleontology & Botanical Garden

You can start from the Museum of Geology and Paleontology, part of the Museum System of the University of Florence, where you can observe fossils, rocks and skeletons of prehistoric creatures and admire the rare plants of the Botanical Garden, also known as the "Giardino dei Semplici", one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world, founded in 1545; a green oasis that has housed exotic specimens and monumental trees for centuries!

Basilica SS Annunziata, Museum of the Innocents & Archaeological Museum

About a 4-minute walk from the Botanical Garden, in Piazza Santissima Annunziata, you can admire sacred art in the Basilica della Santissima Annunziata, the main Marian sanctuary of Florence founded in 1250 by the "Seven Saints". The interior, mainly decorated in the Baroque era, contains numerous masterpieces, including the highly revered fourteenth-century image of the Annunciation, inside the small temple BY Michelozzo.

Remaining in the piazza, located inside the hospital designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, the Museo degli Innocenti tells the story of the ancient Florentine institution dedicated to abandoned children, with a significant art collection and many unmissable exhibitions. The National Archaeological Museum of Florence contains one of Italy's most important collections of antiquities, with Etruscan, Egyptian, and Roman finds.

Planetarium - Hard Stone Factory

A stone's throw from the square, you will find the Science and Technology Foundation for a fascinating experience dedicated to astronomy and science, with projections of stars and planets in the planetarium. The Opificio delle Pietre Dure (hard stones factory), the museum and laboratory dedicated to the art of restoration and processing of semi-precious stones. It is famous for its stone and mosaic works, which reflect Florentine mastery!

Museum and Convent of San Marco - Cloister of the Scalzo

Finally, it's time to return to Piazza San Marco to see its wonderful museum, famous for the magnificent frescoes by Beato Angelico, its convent and a vast Renaissance library. It is a fundamental site for understanding religious life in Florence in the 15th century. In the Chiostro dello Scalzo (cloister of the barefoot), a small Renaissance jewel frescoed by Andrea del Sarto features scenes from the life of Saint John the Baptist.

Happy exploring!


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Photo credits:

https://www.feelflorence.it/

https://www.sma.unifi.it/

https://www.scuolemestieridarte.it/