Florence is full of museums, and churches, and gardens… and visiting all of them can be expensive. But you can also explore and enjoy the beauty of Florence without spending money, but only time. For example, a place that doesn’t require a fee is Piazzale Michelangelo which is a panoramic viewpoint of the city. You can take pictures of the city from above, or you can just admire the incredible view. A special moment is when the sun comes down… beside the colors of the city it’s really amazing to see how lot of people, in our century, clap their hands like they want to thank the sun for those moments. You’ll be rewarded if you take the long walk up from San Niccolo to the top where because, in this way, you’ll see the city and its surrounding areas at different levels.

Close to Piazzale Michelangelo, you will find San Miniato Church (Basilica di San Miniato al Monte) settled on a hill. This point of view is even higher than Piazzale Michelangelo. The church is one of the finest examples of Florentine Romanesque style and it’s free to enter. Built between the eleventh and the thirteenth century, San Miniato Church contains works of great value as the Chapel of the Cardinal of Portugal, and the sacristy when you can admire the splendid frescoes by Spinello Aretino, depicting the stories of St. Benedict.

You can also take a walk on the old narrow streets of Florence. Each street has its story. For example you can take a walk on Costa San Giorgio which is known because there had lived Galileo Galilei and Giovanni Duprè. Galileo address was Costa San Giorgio 19, but he lived there only for short periods.

Then, of course, you have the squares: Piazza della Signoria, Piazza del Duomo (you can also visit the Cathedral – The Duomo, Santa Maria del Fiore - the church is free, you have to pay to visit the Cupola, Campanile di Giotto, Battistero di San Giovanni, S. Reparata), the area Oltrarno with Piazza Santo Spirito e San Frediano, Piazza Santa Croce, San Lorenzo Market and the last, but not the least, Ponte Vecchio.

This is Florence for free!