The ISI Florence Guide | Listing the Best Picks of the Month to Explore the City at its Best.
ENLIGHTENMENT
Art and technology come together in this spectacular 30-minute show that will fill the historic Cattedrale dell’Immagine with breathtaking music and visuals. As you listen to the enchanting melodies of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, specially reorchestrated for the occasion, mesmerizing visual projections will guide you on a captivating journey through spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
When: Starting May 10
Where: Cattedrale dell’Immagine – Piazza di Santo Stefano
RADIOHEAD TRIBUTE
Performed by a talented tribute band, this concert blends atmospheric lighting and emotional depth, bringing iconic songs like Karma Police, Creep, and No Surprises to the small stage of NOF, a beloved bar in the Oltrarno area.
When: Thursday, May 15 – 10:00pm
Where: NOF – Borgo San Frediano, 13
FREE
CREATIVE FACTORY
This independent design market celebrates handmade craftsmanship and limited-edition creations, with a special focus on sustainability. Artisans, designers, and illustrators showcase unique pieces, from jewelry to home decor, blending tradition with contemporary aesthetics.
When: Saturday & Sunday, May 17 & 18 – All day
Where: Piazza Santissima Annunziata
FREE
BEATS & BRUNCH
“Beats and Brunch” is an event that combines music and brunch, creating a culinary and musical experience. Essentially, it’s a brunch accompanied by music, often featuring DJ sets or other live performances.
When: Sunday, May 25 – 11:30am to 3:30pm
Where: The Social Hub – Viale Spartaco Lavagnini, 70-72
PICNIC AT VILLA BARDINI
Escape the city’s bustle and step into one of Florence’s most enchanting hidden gems. Overlooking sweeping views of the Florence skyline, the Bardini Gardens offer the perfect backdrop for a relaxed afternoon picnic.
When: Sunday, May 25 – All day
Where: Villa Bardini – Costa San Giorgio, 2
Fixed price of € 40.00 (drinks excluded)
Reservation required: https://laleggendadeifrati.it/picnic
QUIZ NIGHT AT YELLOWSQUARE
Quiz Night at YellowSquare Hostel in Florence offers a fun evening of friendly competition. Test your knowledge with a variety of questions, and compete for exciting prizes. The game is held in English, and it’s great way to spend the evening!
When: Thursday, May 29 – 9:00pm
Where: YellowSquare Hostel – Viale Redi, 19
FREE
A.C. FIORENTINA – HOME GAMES
Where: Stadio Artemio Franchi, Viale Manfredo Fanti
When: Sunday, May 18 – time TBD (Fiorentina vs Bologna)
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!)
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)
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: Around Florence & Museo del Novecento – Piazza Santa Maria Novella, 10
Price: tickets starting at €4.50
INSIDE MATISSE
Immerse yourself in the world of Henri Matisse 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
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
MADE IN ITALY, DESTINAZIONE AMERICA (LUCCA)
Where: Complesso monumentale di San Micheletto, Via San Micheletto, 3
When: Open Tue to Sun, 10:00am – 7:00pm
The exhibition explores postwar Italian design and creativity, focusing on 1945–1954, a key period for Italy’s international image revival, especially in the U.S.
It features paintings, sculptures, graphics, applied arts, design pieces, as well as documents and photos highlighting the collaboration between artists, artisans, and designers.
Price: tickets €8.00
RAZZA UMANA (PISA)
Where: Palazzo Blu, Lungarno Gambacorti 9
When: Open Mon to Fri, 10:00am – 7:00pm, weekend 10:00am – 8:00pm
This is the first exhibition dedicated to one of Oliviero Toscani’s most iconic projects, opening in Italy just a few months after his passing. Razza Umana is a socio-political, cultural, and anthropological study that portrays human morphology to observe its peculiarities and features, capturing both differences and similarities.
Price: tickets €12.00 (€ 10.00 under 25)
THE IRIS GARDEN
Where: Piazzale Michelangelo
When: Open until May 20
Tucked into the sheltered corner of Piazzale Michelangelo, the Iris Garden boasts more than 10,000 different varieties.
The secluded area is a relaxing escape, filled with only distant echoes of Florence. The Italian Iris Society, headquartered in Florence due to the city’s historical attachment to the flower, maintains the flowerbeds and sponsors an annual international iris competition.
FREE ENTRANCE
THE ROSE GARDEN
If you’ve already seen Boboli Garden, you can’t miss the Rose Garden, right below Piazzale Michelangelo. The garden has a great view of the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio and is ideal for a relaxing afternoon with friends or even a picnic! The park opens everyday at 9:00am and closes at sunset. As the garden closes, you can make your way back to the Piazzale and enjoy a beautiful sunset on the staircase to the left of the statue of David.
FREE ENTRANCE
ORTICOLTURA GARDEN
Just outside the historical city center, Orticoltura garden is a quiet spot where you can relax while admiring the Florence skyline. The park is open everyday from 8:30am to 8:00pm. The upper part of the garden (entrance on Via Trento, 11) offers a great view on the city, and is the perfect spot where to watch the sunset over Florence. If you enter from Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 4 you can see the huge 19th century greenhouse. This park is a fan favorite among families and friends, who meet here to relax, catch up and even do yoga!
FREE ENTRANCE
GIUNTI ODEON LIBRERIA E CINEMA
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.
SIENA
A historical rival of Florence, Siena is full of art and artisanal work, as well as being known world-wide for its Palio (horserace), that takes place in July and August. The city is divided into “contrade” to this day, each having a different symbol and colours. The city is charming and can be visited easily in a day.
Getting there: There are frequent regional trains from Florence SMN station to Siena throughout the day (about 1.5 hr ride + 1 mile by foot to the city center).