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Florence - a range of guided tours in and around Palazzo Vecchio
You'll return home from Florence with enough photographs to fill several hard drives, and it's a pretty safe bet to assume that amongst them will be assorted shots of Florence's old town hall, the Palazzo Vecchio.
The Palazzo Vecchio sits in the heart of Florence, looking out onto Piazza Signoria with its copy of Michelangelo's David, as well as a gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi. As Town Halls go, it's pretty impressive, with it crenellated, fortress-like appearance. However, unlike, say, the Uffizi or the cathedral (Duomo), it tends to go unexplored. Photographed, yes ... entered, no. And that's a shame.
To remedy this then, our assorted tours of the Palazzo Vecchio, varied and interesting ways to get to know more of this fine building, its history and its treasure trove of art. See below for summaries and links to the tours.
The tours are not suitable for children under the age of 8, nor are they suitable for those in wheelchairs (although the building itself does have wheelchair access). You will need to arrive at the Palazzo Vecchio at least 15 minutes before the tour is due to start, but we'd recommend arriving as early as possible as all visitors are required to pass through a metal detector, and this inevitably takes some time.
Step back in time and admire some of the most recently restored (and previously closed to the public) rooms and passages of Florence's splendid town hall - details.
A tour that concentrates on the building's artistic heritage, a place where architecture, minor arts, sculpture, and painting all come together in a micro-cosmos, a place where art and history have been inextricably intertwined for more than seven centuries - details.
Take the tour of the Quartieri Monumentali (above) and add on a 'Q and A' encounter with a period-costume resident from times-gone-by! - details.
Very much a hands-on tour, this one. Design, execute and colour your very own fresco with the assistance of an experienced teacher, and then go on, armed with your new insights, to explore the magnificent frescoes of the Palazzo Vecchio - details.
Quick booking links:
Accademia (David) tickets : Uffizi tickets : Uffizi guided tours : Colosseum tickets : Florence guided tours : Vatican tickets : Vatican tours : Borghese tickets : Venice Museums : The Last Supper : Last Supper - tours : Verona Opera tickets : Pisa Tower tickets : Pompeii and Vesuvius area tickets
Florence tickets : Rome tickets : Venice tickets : Milan tickets : Verona Opera
