Florence is an absolute must to visit if you love Renaissance art and culture. It's a beautiful city full of history, world famous paintings and sculptures. We packed a lot into our two day trip there and I wish we had had more time to enjoy some of the beautiful sights Florence has to offer.
Here is part one of our accessible Florence guide...
Stay
When looking for a wheelchair accessible hotel in Florence on booking.com we decided to stay outside of the city as bed and breakfast accommodation was more within our budget. We stayed at the Hotel Golf which was a 10 minute walk from the Train Station and a 20 minute walk to the centre of Florence.
The hotel was more traditional than others we have stayed in in Italy. The room was very spacious however the bathroom was not adapted and did not have a shower seat, hand rails etc (correct as of June 2022). As we visited a couple of years ago I hope this has now been rectified.
The breakfast had a nice selection and was enough for us to start our day.
Transport
We didn't use any public transport within Florence and walked to all of the places we wanted to visit. As the centre of Florence is very old there are a lot of large, chunky paving slabs to negotiate so it is a bit of a bumpy experience by wheelchair! The pavements are also quite narrow and the centre of Florence is not pedestrianised so be careful if using the roads.
Visit
We had underestimated the number of places we wanted to visit in Florence, especially as we didn't know until we had arrived in Italy that entry into the museums and galleries were free for me and Adrian.
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore
The first place we visited was the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore which was accessible for us to see. The outside of the cathedral is beautiful, covered in white, green and pink marble. The cathedral is most famous for having the largest brick built dome in the world engineered by Brunelleschi.
Inside the cathedral it is a little plain compared to the many others in Italy. However the most impressive part is the fresco of The Last Judgement Day on the ceiling of the dome. It's a stunning fresco and definitely the highlight of the inside of the cathedral.
Outside of the cathedral is Giotto's Bell Tower which is decorated in the same red, green and white marble as the cathedral. Unfortunately this isn't accessible however if you are with someone who is able to climb the 414 steps it is worth them doing for the vast views across Florence.
There is also the Opera Duomo Museum to visit which is fully accessible. It houses an array of art, sculptures and artefacts which were originally from inside the Cathedral. Famous sculptures you can see include those by Michelangelo and Donatello. It also documents the construction of the cathedral which Adrian found very interesting as he is an engineer!
Piazza della Signoria
The Piazza della Signoria has been the political centre of Florence since the 14th century. The piazza has a number of dramatic statues including a replica of Michelangelo's David, the Neptune Fountain and the bronze statue of Cosimo Medici. In this area of the city you will also find the Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi Gallery.
Palazzo Vecchio
We got free entry into the palace for both myself and Adrian. The palace had a lift which was manned by staff members and not available for general use so we were able to see around the majority of the rooms.
The Palazzo Vecchio is a must see place to visit in Florence that will catapult you back into Renaissance times! The rooms, artwork and sculptures are all outstanding. Every room you enter is beautiful with the most ornate ceilings that will take your breath away.
Part Two of our trip to Florence can be found here!
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