How to visit and what to see at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence: schedules, prices

One of the essential visits in Florence is undoubtedly the Palazzo Vecchio, the large building that has historically housed the civil power from the capital of Toscana.

I tell you that you visit of the Palazzo Vecchio It will bring you great surprises, but, above all, you will see reflected the great boom that the city of Florence has had throughout history.

The great tower that rises on the roof of the Palazzo Vecchio becomes the great distinctive architectural element of this building, which was the headquarters of the government of the Republic of Florence, and which currently houses the town hall of the capital of the Toscana.

Curiosities from the history of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence

What to see when visiting the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence

Facing your visit of the Palazzo Vecchio, below we will tell you which are the main corners that you are going to see during it.

Michelozzo Courtyard

Your first stage of the visit should be Michelozzo Courtyard, the first of the courtyards you pass through as you enter the palace building from the Signoria square.

Designed in 1453 by MichelozzoIt is a simple patio, but due to the richness of its decoration, tourists usually gather around it to appreciate its great artistic beauty.

Square in shape, on your walk through the Michelozzo Courtyard in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence You will see the large columns that support the gallery that surrounds the patio, which present a great stucco decoration.

On the ceilings and walls of the gallery you should pay attention to the spectacular frescoes that decorate them, which were painted by Giorgio Vasari in 1565 for the wedding celebrations of Francis I de Medici.

The assembly Michelozzo courtyard is completed with a pretty source located in the center of it, which was installed in 1557 to replace an old well.

At the top of the fountain there is a small sculpture, known as the Angel with the Dolphin, which was made by Verrochio.

As a curiosity, I tell you that the sculpture that you can now see is a copy that in 1959 replaced the original, which is located on the second floor of the Palazzo Vecchio.

Great Hall of the Cinquecento

Undoubtedly, the Great Hall of the Cinquecento It is the room that best reflects the greatness of the Palazzo Vecchio and the Republic of Florence.

You should walk through this enormous room carefully given the large number of artworks that concentrates inside.

El Cinquecento Hall of the Palazzo Vecchio It began to be built in 1494 by order of Simone del Pollaiolo, after the restoration of the Republic of Florence once expelled Peter de Medici.

Subsequently the Great Hall of the Palazzo Vecchio was expanded by Giorgio Vasari.

With a length of 52 meters and a width of 23 meters, the Cinquecento Hall It configures a huge room of 1.200 square meters.

The purpose of the room was to be the meeting place of the Great advice, the institution that brought together all people with citizen rights in the Republic of Florence, which was made up of 500 members.

During the initial construction of the Cinquecento Hall two enormous frescoes were commissioned from Miguel Angel and Leonardo Da Vinci, in which scenes of two great victories of the Florentine republic were going to be captured.

But these works were not finished, leaving only some of the original sketches of Miguel Angel.

The decoration that you can now in the Cinquecento Hall, mannerist style, was made by Giorgio Vasari in the middle of the 16th century.

When you get to Cinquecento Hall, on your journey through the Palazzo Vecchio, initially you have to look at the huge roof 18 meters high, whose 1.200 square meters do not rest on any column.

In its 39 panels scenes from the life of Cosimo I, painted by Vasari.

On the large walls of the living room you will see enormous painted frescoes by himself Vasari with scenes of the different victories of the Republic of Florence against Pisa y Siena.

And on the sides of the room you can also see various sculptural groups, among which the Genius of Victory de Miguel Angel.

All the  best views of the Cinquecento Hall You will have it when, after climbing the beautiful Vasari Staircase, you reach the second floor and can look out onto the balcony located at the back of said large room.

From there you will have a different view and you will be able to appreciate the immensity of this large room.

Michael's Genius of Victory Angel in Palazzo Vecchio

This monumental sculpture was sculpted in marble by Miguel Angel between 1532 and 1534, within a great project that occupied several years of his life, the Tomb of Pope Julius II.

You must see this monumental tomb in the church of San Pietro and Vincoli, riding a Roma, since another of the great masterpieces of Miguel Angel, Moses.

As to Genius of Victory, 2,65 meters high, shows two figures fighting, one of which appears as the winner.

The sculpture would be integrated into the aforementioned papal tomb that is in Rome, but finally Miguel Angel had to develop another project of the same and the Genius of Victory It remained in the artist's studio until his death.

After said death, the sculpture was acquired to be installed in the Palazzo Vecchio, where you can now see it on the south side of the main (and huge...) room of said palace, the aforementioned Cinquecento Hall.

Monumental Rooms of the Palazzo Vecchio

Most of your visit of the Palazzo Vecchio will concentrate on the walk through the so-called Monumental RoomsSeveral lounges and rooms where you will be surprised by its majestic decoration.

Room of Pope Leo X in Palazzo Vecchio

Among them is the Pope Leo X Room, dedicated to whoever was the son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, one of the most prominent members of the dynasty of the doctors (15th century).

Currently, this room is used as a representation room for the Florence Town Hall.

On the roof of the Leon X Room You can see large rectangular panels with allegorical paintings of his life, while the walls are occupied by large paintings.

Hall of Clement VII in Palazzo Vecchio

Another of the outstanding rooms of the Monumental Rooms is  Hall of Clement VII, another pope of the dynasty doctors, also decorated with large paintings.

But in addition to this group of rooms on the first floor, in your visit of the Palazzo Vecchio You can also visit other lavishly decorated rooms on the second floor.

Vasari Staircase in Palazzo Vecchio

To get to them you must climb through another of the most spectacular corners of this great palace, the monumental Vasari Staircase, where you should look at the lavish paintings on the ceiling.

In this second floor of the Palazzo Vecchio, the most spectacularly decorated rooms are, possibly, the Hall of Lilies and the Audience.

Halls of the Lilies and the Audience

El Hall of Lilies It has this name for fleur-de-lys French, which is represented continuously in its coffered ceiling.

You can also see some frescoes of Domenico Ghirlandaio that spectacularly decorate one of its walls, as well as one of the masterpieces of Donatello, Judith and Holofernes.

And in the Courtroom, in addition to the great decoration of the walls, you will be able to see its vaulted ceiling covered in pure gold.

In short, the Palazzo Vecchio must be a essential visit in your travel plan to Florence, and during it you will enjoy corners of incredible beauty, a reflection of the boom that this Tuscan city had in the past.

How to visit the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence

For plan your visit to Palazzo Vecchio, then I give you some tips which will surely be useful to you.

Visiting hours of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence

Contrary to what is usually common in museums and monuments in Europe, in the Palazzo Vecchio you find a extensive visiting hours.

In particular, the Palazzo Vecchio visiting hours They are throughout the year, from Monday to Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 19 p.m., except on Thursdays, when the visit ends at 14 p.m.

Last access is one hour before closing time.

Ticket prices for Palazzo Vecchio in Florence

The ticket prices to visit the Palazzo Vecchio They are 12,50 euros for adults, with a reduced entrance fee of 10 euros for young people from 18 to 25 years old and university students.

Admission is free for children and young people up to 18 years old.

Guided tours of Palazzo Vecchio in Florence

Without a doubt, the best way to visit the Palazzo Vecchio de Florence is to sign up for one tour, which will allow you to deepen your knowledge of this lavish monument in Tuscany.

Here you have an option with a duration of two hours or with a tourist guide in Spanish, in which you will avoid waiting in line for the entrance and will tour the main halls of the palace.

Here you have more details about these guided tours of the Palazzo Vecchio in Spanish, for which Mondays are a very ideal day since the rest of the museums in Florence are closed.

Secret Itineraries of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence

You also have the option to sign up for Secret Itineraries Tour, which with a duration of an hour and a quarter, you can do en español and takes you to small and sumptuous rooms of the Palazzo Vecchio, such as the Hall of Maps, which can only be seen this way.

Furthermore, in this guided tour you have an interesting introduction that allows you to know the history of the Republic of Florence and the Palazzo Vecchio itself.