Palazzo Vecchio Palace

Address: Piazza della Signoria, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

Website: https://museicivicifiorentini.comune.fi.it/PalazzoVecchio

Hours: Tue-Sun 9:00am-7:00pm, closed Mondays (hours may vary seasonally)

Admission: Adult €12-€15 (museum ticket; reduced rates for EU citizens and children) - tower access often costs extra.

Palazzo Vecchio is Florence’s medieval town hall and a major civic palace on the Piazza della Signoria. Construction began at the end of the 13th century under the supervision of Arnolfo di Cambio and the building later became the seat of government for the Republic of Florence and, at times, the Medici family.

The palace houses the immense Salone dei Cinquecento with monumental frescos and sculpture, state rooms decorated by Renaissance masters and a tower that dominates the piazza. Many rooms are preserved as a museum showing civic art, decorative ceilings and historical furnishings, while other parts remain in municipal use.

Over the centuries the building was adapted and re-decorated by successive rulers, notably during the Medici era when artists such as Giorgio Vasari contributed to its interiors. It remains one of Florence’s central historical landmarks and a focal point for visitors exploring the historic centre.

Located in the historic heart of Florence, the palace stands beside the Uffizi and the Arno river and forms the principal architectural anchor of the Piazza della Signoria.

• Museum and municipal use: The palace functions as a civic museum and municipal building; parts are used for city administration and others are open to visitors with a single ticket covering many rooms.
• Tower access: Climbing the tower provides one of the best panoramas over Florence’s medieval centre and the Arno river; expect narrow stairways and ticketed access.

What to See#

• Salone dei Cinquecento: The Salone dei Cinquecento, a vast hall decorated with frescoes and sculptures where the Florentine government met and where later Medici ceremonies took place.
• Torre d’Arnolfo: Torre d’Arnolfo, the tower attached to the palace offering city views; historically a symbol of civic authority.
• Studiolo and private apartments: Smaller private chambers and the Studiolo of Francesco I containing Mannerist decorations, paintings and sculptural work from the Medici period.

Palazzo Vecchio sits in Piazza della Signoria in Florence’s historic center, a short walk from the Duomo and Uffizi Gallery. From Santa Maria Novella station, it is about a 20-25 minute walk or a short bus/taxi ride.

• Buy tickets online to skip the long lines during high season and to reserve timed entry to the Arnolfo Tower if available.
• Stand in the Hall of the Five Hundred (Salone dei Cinquecento) and look for the marks where scaffolds were once attached - the room wears its art history in its walls.
• Avoid the main courtyard at midday if the tour groups have just arrived; instead, climb the tower for a quieter panorama.