The ISI Florence Guide | Listing the Best Picks of the Month to Explore the City at its Best.
DOMENICA AL MUSEO: FREE ENTRANCE TO MUSEUMS
When: Sunday, March 2 – all day
Take advantage of free entrance to a selection of museums:
Galleria degli Uffizi, Galleria dell’Accademia, Museo delle Cappelle Medicee, Palazzo Pitti, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Palazzo Davanzati, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Casa Martelli, Museo di Orsanmichele, Villa Medicea di Castello, Villa il Ventaglio, Villa Corsini, Villa Medicea della Petraia.
FRENCH MARKET IN SCANDICCI
Experience a taste of France at the French Market in Scandicci, just outside Florence! Enjoy freshly baked baguettes and croissants, over 80 types of cheese, fine wines, chocolates, and pastries. Explore handcrafted Provençal textiles, perfumes, and artisan jewelry. A little piece of France awaits!
Getting there: Take the T1 tram line in front of Florence SMN train station (direction: Villa Costanza) and get off at the stop called “Resistenza”, then walk to Piazza Matteotti (around 10 minutes).
When: From Friday, March 7 to Sunday, March 9
Where: Piazza Matteotti, Scandicci
FREE
VISARNO MARKET
The 18th edition of Visarno Market returns to Florence on March 8 and 9, 2025, at the Ippodromo del Visarno. Explore a curated selection of handmade, vintage, and sustainable items, including unique clothing, accessories, and home décor. Discover rare finds from passionate exhibitors focused on creativity and sustainability!
When: Saturday, March 8 & Sunday, March 9 – Open 11:00am – 7:00pm
Where: Ippodromo del Visarno
FREE
IL GUSTO TOSCANO
The 6th edition of Gusto Toscano returns for a weekend of fine wine, tastings, and artisanal Tuscan delights at Officina Creativa Lab (Conventino fuori le Mura). Over 30 producers—winemakers, distillers, and food artisans—will showcase high-quality local products. Visitors can enjoy guided tastings, masterclasses, and talks celebrating Tuscany’s culinary heritage.
When: Saturday, March 15 from 11am to 9pm and Sunday, March 16 from 11am to 8pm
Where: Officina Creativa Lab – Via Giano della Bella, 20
FREE
CANDLELIGHT CONCERT: COLDPLAY & IMAGINE DRAGONS
Candlelight concerts go beyond the traditional format: as the spectators enjoy the music, they are enveloped in the warm light of candles. The result is a breathtaking and utterly unique event.
When: Thursday, March 20 – 7:30pm
Where: Cattedrale dell’Immagine – Piazza di Santo Stefano
Tickets: starting at € 20.00
ONLY USATO SECOND-HAND MARKET
The Only Usato Market in Florence is a popular second-hand and vintage shopping event, featuring sustainable clothing, accessories, and home goods. Attendees can enjoy browsing unique vintage pieces while engaging in creative activities, all in a relaxed and eco-conscious atmosphere.
When: Sunday, March 23 from 12pm to 8pm
Where: Conventino Caffè Letterario – Via Giano della Bella, 20
FREE
FLORENCE KOREA FILM FESTIVAL
FKFF has come to its 23rd edition, showcasing interesting new movies and shorts from Korea. All movies are in Korean and feature both English and Italian subtitles.
When: Thursday, March 20 to Saturday, March 29
Where: Cinema La Compagnia, via Cavour 50/r
Pricing and screening times: https://koreafilmfest.com/en/programme/
FLORENTINE NEW YEAR
Although the Gregorian calendar set January 1 as the start of the year, Florence continued to celebrate March 25 as New Year’s Day until 1749. This tradition lives on today, with an annual historic procession featuring costumed figures, music, and flag bearers. The procession starts at the Palagio di Parte Guelfa and ends at the Basilica of SS. Annunziata.
When: Tuesday, March 25
Where: Florence’s city center, from Piazza di Parte Guelfa to Piazza SS. Annunziata
FREE
A.C. FIORENTINA – HOME GAMES
Where: Stadio Artemio Franchi, Viale Manfredo Fanti
When:
Sunday, March 2 – 3:00pm (Fiorentina vs Lecce)
Sunday, March 16 – 3:00pm – 3:00pm (Fiorentina vs Juventus)
Sunday, March 30 – 3:00pm (Fiorentina vs Atalanta)
Buy your tickets online at https://www.acffiorentina.com/en/ticketing or at the Fiorentina Store under the train station (show your ISI Florence card for a discount on Fiorentina merch!)
RETROSCENA
The fulcrum of the exhibition are the works of masters who lived through, suffered or opposed the policies of Fascism, eighty years after the liberation of Italy from Nazi-Fascism.
When: Open Mon to Sun (Closed Thu) 11:00am – 8:00pm
Where: Museo del Novecento, Piazza Santa Maria Novella
Tickets starting at: € 4.50
INSIDE KLIMT
Immerse yourself in the world of Gustav Klimt at the Cattedrale dell’Immagine’s new multimedia show. This experience brings you closer to the artist’s life and work.
When: Open Mon to Fri 10:00am – 7:00pm, Sat & Sun 10:00am – 7:30pm
Where: Cattedrale dell’Immagine – Piazza di Santo Stefano
Price: tickets starting at € 14.00
TRACEY EMIN – SEX AND SOLITUDE
This exhibition presents over 60 works, from paintings and drawings to sculptures and neon installations, exploring themes of sex and solitude. Emin’s deeply personal yet universal reflections on the body and desire make this her first major institutional show in Italy.
When: Open everyday, 10:00am – 8:00pm (Thu until 11:00pm)
Where: Palazzo Strozzi – Piazza Strozzi
Price: tickets € 16.00 (€ 13.00 under 30)
“ELLIOTT ERWITT. ICONS” in PISA
Pisa hosts a major retrospective dedicated to Elliott Erwitt, one of the greatest masters of contemporary photography. The exhibition features 80 iconic shots that capture 20th-century history with Erwitt’s signature irony and romanticism. Highlights include historic moments such as the Nixon-Khrushchev meeting, JFK’s funeral, and Grace Kelly’s engagement, along with famous portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Che Guevara, and Marlene Dietrich. The exhibition also showcases Erwitt’s playful side through his beloved dog photography and a unique series of self-portraits.
When: Open Wed to Fri, 10:00am – 1:00pm and 2:00pm – 7:00pm, Sat and Sun 10:00am – 7:00pm
Where: Arsenali Repubblicani – Via Bonanno Pisano, 2 (Pisa)
Tickets: starting at € 12.00
“DANIEL BUREN. MAKE, UNAMKE, REMAKE” in PISTOIA
From 8 March, Palazzo Buontalenti in Pistoia will host a major exhibition on Daniel Buren, a key figure in contemporary art. Through ten rooms and the courtyard, visitors will explore his signature approach to transforming spaces with form, color, and materials. The exhibition features early paintings, site-specific installations, and works revisited for Pistoia, emphasizing Buren’s strong ties to Italy and Tuscany. His iconic striped motif plays a central role in this immersive journey through decades of artistic evolution.
Getting there: There are frequent regional trains from Florence SMN station to Pistoia (35-50 minutes ride).
When: Open Wed to Sun, 10:00am – 7:00pm
Where: Palazzo Buontalenti – Via de’ Rossi, 7 (Pistoia)
Tickets: € 8.00 if bought before February 28
THE BIG EVENT
Give back to the city by helping clean public areas and gardens, removing garbage from streets and squares and stickers from street poles! Together with other American universities in Florence, ISI is taking part in the Big Event. We believe that doing good for the city in such a big and visible way can show Florentines that American students can make a difference and are far more than simple tourists. So, wear our Big Event t-shirt and help us keep this beautiful city clean!
When: Wednesday, March 19 from 3:00pm to 5:0pm
To SIGN UP find Serena in the Community Engagement Office (Palazzo Bargagli, 1st floor)
DANTEDì
Every year on March 25 the city of Florence dedicates a day to the “Supreme Poet”, Dante Alighieri. Based on Bloomsday in Dublin (which celebrates James Joyce’s Ulysses), you can find cultural initiatives all around the city, with people reading passages from the Divine Comedy aloud.
Walk around the city following important locations of Dante’s life, such as Museo Casa di Dante (Via Santa Margherita 1) or hop on a train and head to Ravenna! There you can visit Dante’s resting place as well as amazing Byzantine mosaics.
Museo Casa di Dante: € 8.00
Tue to Fri: 10am – 5pm
Sat & Sun: 10am – 6pm
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
Together with many countries in the world, on March 8, Italy celebrates International Women’s Day, which commemorates the ongoing fight for the rights of women worldwide.
Traditionally on Women’s Day, women in Italy are gifted a small branch of silver wattle (called mimosa) by partners, friends, and family as a way to celebrate the important role that women play in their life.
In the city center demonstrations are held by feminist groups such as Non Una Di Meno, usually in Piazza della Santissima Annunziata, where a series of pink fabric squares are affixed to a railing to remember Italian women killed at the hands of men.
LA SPECOLA
The Museum of Zoology and Natural History, best known as La Specola, is an eclectic natural history museum located next to the Pitti Palace in Florence. The museum has deep historical ties, with parts of its collection tracing back to the Medici family. It is particularly known for its collection of 18th-century wax anatomical models. Founded in 1771 by Grand Duke Peter Leopold, La Specola is the oldest scientific museum in Europe. It was established to publicly display the Medici family’s extensive collection of natural curiosities, including fossils, animals, minerals, and exotic plants. The museum spans 34 rooms and features not only zoological specimens—such as a stuffed hippopotamus that was once a 17th-century Medici pet living in the Boboli Gardens—but also an exceptional collection of anatomical wax models. This art form, developed in Florence in the 17th century, was used for teaching medicine. The collection is renowned worldwide for its extraordinary accuracy and realism, with details meticulously copied from human cadavers. The museum also houses historical medical and scientific instruments.
CATERINA DE’ MEDICI
Born in Florence, Caterina (1519 – 1589) was raised in a convent after her parents died. As a young girl, she moved to France and married the Duke of Orléans, who later became King Henry II. While living at the French court she collected a great number of objects, including tapestries, books, and paintings. She was a patron of the arts, and greatly enjoyed food and is credited with introducing many Italian and Tuscan recipes to France. Last but not least, she is credited as the person who popularized the use of what we now consider a common kitchen utensil: the fork! An “influencer” before the term even existed, Caterina was also the first to introduce perfume in France. When she moved there to get married she brought along her most trusted perfumer. The fragrances garnered great success in the country and Caterina was praised for her excellent tastes. Speaking of taste, she also imported the Tuscan “carabaccia”, which quickly became a French staple with the name “soupe à l’oignon” (onion soup), as well as many other delicious recipes.
CORTONA
Popularized by the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun”, Cortona is a charming small town near Arezzo. Cortona is rich with history: its roots are Etruscan, but the town has held importance during Roman times, throughout the Middle Ages and today is a popular spot to enjoy the Tuscan countryside.
Getting there: There are frequent regional trains from Florence SMN station to Camucia-Cortona, which is 2 miles from Cortona proper. To get to the town there are frequent busses from the train station.