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, July 6 – 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.
ALL YOU CAN EAT PIZZA
Every Wednesday at La Limonaia Strozzi in Florence, Sahara 76 hosts an All You Can Eat Pizza night. Enjoy unlimited pizzas ranging from classic Margherita to gourmet creations, accompanied by live music and entertainment. Non-pizza options are also available.
When: Wednesday, July 9 – 7:00pm
Where: Limonaia di Villa Strozzi – Via Pisana, 77
Info and bookings: +39 389 0387299
Price: €10.00 (drinks excluded)
FLO.RE FESTIVAL 2025
FLO.RE. Festival 2025 brings music, nature, and art to some of Florence’s most beautiful locations. Blending chamber music, visual arts, and environmental themes, the program includes concerts, masterclasses, talks, and guided tours across gardens, libraries, and historic sites.
When: June 25 to July 14
Where: Various locations
Full program here: https://www.floremusicfestival.it/
ALL STAR GAME
The eighth edition of the “All Star Game” will be held at Piazzale Michelangelo! During the week, teams representing the historic colors of Florence – Azzurri, Bianchi, Rossi, and Verdi – will compete in basketball and beach volley tournaments.
When: From July 7 to July 13 – 9:30pm
Where: Piazzale Michelangelo
FREE ENTRANCE
NON SOLO CINEMA IN MANIFATTURA
Non Solo Cinema in Manifattura turns the Cortile della Ciminiera into an open-air cinema every summer evening. Films are shown in their original language with subtitles, featuring Italian, European, and international titles. The event offers guest talks and a unique experience under the stars within the industrial setting of Manifattura Tabacchi.
When: From June 27 to August 27
Where: Manifattura Tabacchi – Via delle Cascine, 35
Price: Tickets starting at €5.00
Info and program: https://www.manifatturatabacchi.com/en/eventi/nonsolocinema/
CANDLELIGHT CONCERT – OPEN AIR TRIBUTE TO QUEEN AND BEATLES
Candlelight concerts go beyond the traditional concert 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: Sunday, July 13 – 8:15pm
Where: Limonaia di Villa Strozzi – Via Pisana, 77
Tickets starting at € 30.00
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: €15.00 (€12.00 under 30)
THOMAS J PRICE IN FLORENCE
The Thomas J. Price exhibition in Florence features powerful sculptures addressing themes of identity, race, and power. Some of his works are placed in iconic squares, such as Piazza della Signoria, blending classical forms with contemporary perspectives. The exhibition invites visitors to reflect on societal structures and human experience through art.
When: Open Mon to Sun (Closed Thu), 11:00am – 8:00pm
Where: Piazza della Signoria & Museo del Novecento – Piazza Santa Maria Novella, 10
Price: Tickets starting at €4.50
DA VINCI EXPERIENCE
Immerse yourself in the world of Leonardo da Vinci at the Cattedrale dell’Immagine’s new multimedia show. Through stunning visuals and sound, this immersive experience explores the life, art, and inventions of the Tuscan genius.
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 €12.00
CARAVAGGIO AND THE 20th CENTURY
A fascinating exhibition exploring the life and times of art historian Roberto Longhi and writer and translator Anna Banti, who “revolutionised” art history with the rediscovery of Caravaggio and Italian art of the 17th century.
When: Open Tue to Sun, 10:00am – 7:30pm
Where: Villa Bardini – Costa San Giorgio, 2
Price: Tickets €10.00
STIBBERT MUSEUM
The museum contains over 36,000 artifacts, including a vast collection of armour from Eastern and Western civilizations. The villa, which was once Stibbert’s home, has 57 rooms that exhibit all of his collections from around the world. Most of the walls are covered in leather and tapestries and the rooms are filled with artifacts.
Paintings are displayed throughout every room, including still lifes and portraits. There is also valuable furniture, porcelains, Tuscan crucifixes, Etruscan artifacts, and an outfit worn by Napoleon I of France.
Open Mon to Wed 10:00am – 2:00pm;
Fri to Sun 10:00am – 6:00pm
Via Federigo Stibbert, 26
Tickets: €10.00
STIBBERT MUSEUM
Open seven days a week, from 8.30 in the morning to the end of each night’s film, Giunti Odeon is the new and improved face of the old Odeon cinema. Built over 100 years ago, Odeon has been a meeting point for cinephiles for over a century. Today, it maintains its mission as a cinema, with the addition of a bookshop, where bookshelves occupy the entire ground floor. One screen guarantees night-time movie projections, while a LED wall ensures daytime entertainment in Italian and English.
Explore the beautiful architecture while browsing English and Italian books or stay until late and catch the latest movie in its original language with Italian subtitles.
RAZZA UMANA (PISA)
This is the first exhibition dedicated to one of Oliviero Toscani’s most iconic projects, opening in Italy just months after his passing. Razza Umana arrives at Palazzo Blu from April 17 to July 27, presenting a powerful gallery of faces that span time and speak to everyone. A socio-political, cultural, and anthropological study, the project explores human differences and similarities through portraits taken around the world, an archive of nearly 100,000 images. More than 500 of these, including some taken at Palazzo Blu in 2007–2008, are now on display, alongside Toscani’s most iconic images.
Where: Palazzo Blu, Lungarno Gambacorti 9 – Pisa
When: Open Tue to Sun, 10:00am – 7:30pm
Price: €12.00 (€ 10.00 under 25)
VIAREGGIO
By far the easiest seaside location to reach, Viareggio offers sandy beaches equipped with everything you might need but also long stretches of so-called “free beach” where you can sunbathe without paying for a sun umbrella and deck chairs. Along the seafront you can find restaurants and shops to have a quick bite for lunch.
Getting there: Viareggio is easy to reach with frequent regional trains from Firenze S.M.N.
CASTIGLIONCELLO
Castiglioncello is beloved both by Tuscans and tourists, it is easy to reach and offers beautiful beaches and a lively atmosphere. This seaside town has everything you need for a lovely day or weekend trip.
Getting there: Castiglioncello is easy to reach from Firenze S.M.N.: book the train on Trenitalia and with just one train change in Pisa you’ll be there in no time!
ELBA ISLAND
Nestled in the picturesque Tuscan Archipelago, the island offers an unforgettable experience. While the journey from Florence is a little longer than the other locations, it is well worth it as Elba offers some of the most beautiful sights in Tuscany, with clear water and white rocky beaches.
Getting there: Getting to Elba is not the easiest as you will need to get the train from Firenze S.M.N. to Piombino Marittima and then get the ferry, which will take you to the island.
There are many beautiful beaches all over the island that can be reached by bus. We recommend: Spiaggia delle Ghiaie, Spiaggia di Padulella, Spiaggia di Sansone, Marina di Campo, Spiaggia di Cavoli, Fetovaia, and Procchio.
Summers in Florence can get very hot. That’s why we always suggest cooling off in one of Florence’s many public swimming pool. If the sea is not for you, you can find everything you need to relax and sunbathe right in the city.
PISCINA IL POGGETTO – Via Michele Mercati, 24
Open everyday 10:00am – 7:00pm
Daily ticket: €9.00 on weekdays and €12.00 on weekends. Swimming cap required.
PISCINA LE PAVONIERE – Viale della Catena, 2
Open Mon to Fri 9:30am – 7:30pm; Sat & Sun 9:00am – 7:30pm
Daily ticket: €9.00 on weekdays and €12.00 on weekends. Swimming cap required.
PISCINA COSTOLI – Piazzale Berlinguer, 2
Open Mon 2:00pm – 6:00pm (reduced price); Tue to Fri 10:00am – 6:00pm; Sat & Sun 10:00am – 7:00pm
Daily ticket: €8.00 on weekdays and €9.00 on weekends. Swimming cap required.
HIDRON WATER PARK – Via di Gramignano (Campi Bisenzio)
Small waterpark in the neighboring town of Campi Bisenzio. You can get there by taking bus 30 from Via delle Porte Nuove.
Open everyday 9:30am – 8:00pm
Daily ticket: €15.50 Swimming cap required.
ASMANA WELLNESS CENTER – Via Salvator Allende, 10 (Campi Bisenzio)
Enjoy a relaxing day in a spa with thermal water and sauna! You can book massages and treatments. Open Mon 9:00am – midnight, Tue-Thu 10:00am – midnight, Fri 10:00am – 1:00am,
Sat & Sun 9:00am – 1:00am.
Daily ticket: €44.00 on weekdays and €50.00 on weekends.
Many locals enjoy summer evenings along the river, eating and meeting with friends for a drink in one of the many restaurants, bars and food trucks that open their doors from the end of May to September. Just remember to bring your bug repellent as there are a great number of hungry mosquitoes near to the water!
IL MOLO FIRENZE – Via dell’Albereta, 8
Open everyday 5:00pm – 1:00am; Fri & Sat 5:00pm – 2:00am
ATOLLO – Lungarno Aldo Moro
Open everyday 6:00pm – midnight; Fri & Sat 6:00pm – 1:00am
LOVE ORTICULTURA – Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 4
Open everyday 9:00am – midnight
SANTAROSA BISTROT – Lungarno di Santa Rosa
Open Mon to Fri 8:00am – midnight; Sat & Sun 10:00am – midnight
HABANA 500 & FIORINO SULL’ARNO – Lungarno Pecori Giraldi
Open everyday 12:30pm – midnight
PANZANELLA
Panzanella is a salad of stale bread and vegetables, a traditional Tuscan dish particularly suitable for summer.
Recipe: 200 g stale white Tuscan bread (unsalted) – 1 cucumber 200 g coppery tomatoes – 1 Tropea onion 1 liter water – 40 g apple vinegar – Olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper.
To prepare the Panzanella, cut the bread into coarse pieces and place in a large bowl. Add water (some recipes also add vinegar at this stage), just enough to wet it and leave it to soak for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, peel the vegetables and cut the onion into slices, the cucumber and the tomato into chunks. Then, squeeze the bread well with your hands, it should not be too wet. Combine the tomatoes, cucumber and onion in a large salad bowl. Add the pieces of bread and the basil leaves, chopped with your hands. Season with plenty of oil, vinegar, salt and a sprinkle of pepper. Mix well and let the panzanella rest for a couple of hours before serving.
PAPPA AL POMODORO
One of the symbolic recipes of Tuscan cuisine, made with leftover Tuscan “stale” bread and beautiful red and ripe tomatoes. A first course that can be enjoyed both hot and at room temperature.
Recipe: 150 g stale white Tuscan bread (unsalted) – 1 garlic clove 250 g ripe tomatoes – 1 Tropea onion – ½ liter vegetable broth – Olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper.
To prepare the Pappa al Pomodoro, peel the tomatoes and chop them coarsely. In a saucepan heat the extra virgin olive oil with a clove of garlic over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Remove the garlic and add the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, cook for a few minutes and cover with a lid. Meanwhile, cut the bread into chunks and put in a bowl, cover with boiling broth until the crust has softened. Add the bread in the saucepan with the tomato, stir constantly, until the bread is completely undone. If the Pappa gets too dry, add some broth a little at a time. Season with salt and pepper and add the fresh basil leaves. Let the Pappa al Pomodoro rest and garnish it with fresh basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.