How to spend 4 days in Florence?

Are you thinking about spending 4 days in Florence? What a great idea! In four days in Florence you can really get to know the city. You’ll have time to visit Florence’s most important museums while delving into the history of the Medici family, the dynasty that shaped this city.

Let’s discover the history of Florence together by visiting the monuments linked to the Medici family with this Florence 4 days itinerary.

4 days in Florence: complete itinerary and tips

Is 4 days in florence enough? There are a lot of things to do but 4 days in Florence can provide you with a well-rounded experience of this beautiful city, allowing you to explore its rich history, art, culture, and cuisine.

What to see in Florence in 4 days while learning about the history of the Medici? Here’s the Florence 4 days itinerary.

1. This Florence itinerary of 4 days will take you on a discovery of the San Lorenzo neighborhood, where the Medici built their first palace and where they invested in the rebuilding of Florence’s first cathedral, the Basilica of San Lorenzo.
2. The following day you’ll visit the convent of San Marco, rebuilt thanks to funds from Cosimo de’ Medici the Elder. You’ll visit the Accademia Gallery where Michelangelo’s famous David is housed. Finally, you’ll be able to visit Palazzo Vecchio, the ancient seat of the republican government that was transformed by the Medici into their first ducal palace.
3. The third day you’ll be ready to discover the riches of the Medici collection inside the Uffizi Gallery. In the afternoon you’ll visit the magnificent Pitti Palace with its monumental Boboli Gardens.
4. Rounding off the tour on the fourth day, you’ll visit the Medici collection housed in the Bargello Museum and see the precious antiquities exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Florence.

This itinerary to visit Florence in 4 days includes arrival in Florence on the morning of the first day and departure in the afternoon of the last day.

What to do on a 4 days visit to Florence?

Did you just arrive in Florence? After check-in at your hotel it’s time to grab a delicious coffee and a snack.

For a relaxing and gourmet break it’s worth heading to one of the historic cafes: Scudieri in Piazza Duomo, Gilli in Piazza della Repubblica or Rivoire in Piazza della Signoria.

After recharging your batteries you’ll be ready to start on your 4 days discovery of Florence!

I set up a good 4 days in Florence itinerary for you.

Day 1

Where to start your discovery of Florence through the history of the Medici Family? You should definitely begin your visit in the San Lorenzo neighborhood.

Here in the 1440s Cosimo the Elder began the construction of his magnificent private residence, Palazzo Medici.

Palazzo Medici Riccardi

The Medici originally came from Mugello, in the area of the Apennines north of Florence. As many other families, the Medici also quickly became wealthy after their arrival in the city. At the beginning of the fifteenth century they became the real protagonists of the economic and public life of the city.

At the time Florence was a republic, but families that were economically powerful were fighting for supremacy and influence over the city’s government. From 1434 on Cosimo de’ Medici the Elder eliminated his adversaries and became the absolute arbiter of the Florentine scene. He assumed full control of the republican government.

To achieve this political project, Cosimo wanted to build a grand palace for his family in the area of via Larga, where he already owned property. The work was entrusted to Florentine architect Michelozzo, who built the imposing palace  between 1444 and 1460. The new residence, like a Roman domus, develops around a central courtyard. The palace was built to resemble a magnificent yet understated fortress, which would show the Medici’s wealth without excess. This was the official residence of the family for about a century.

The most important structure to admire inside this palace is the private chapel. Its decoration with the representation of the procession of the Magi was commissioned in 1459. The frescoes on the walls were painted by Benozzo Gozzoli. They are striking in their colorfulness, with hunting scenes and lush landscapes in the distance. In the frescoes we see the Magi crossing the countryside. To our surprise we can also find the portraits of notable Florentines of the day walking alongside the kings in the procession.

San Lorenzo

After visiting the palazzo it’s time to explore the Basilica of San Lorenzo, the first cathedral of Florence and the Medici’s parish.

The early church of San Loreno was founded at the end of the fourth century. We don’t know what it looked like but it must have had serious structural problems. Fortunately the wealthy Medici parishioners were ready to demonstrate their generosity with economic support for the renovation of the church!

In 1418 Giovanni di Bicci, the progenitor of the Medici family, entrusted the construction of a funerary chapel for himself and his family, later called the Old Sacristy, to Filippo Brunelleschi. The architect followed architectural principles of the Florentine Renaissance which took inspiration from Roman architecture based on balance, proportion and harmony. Later Brunelleschi continued the works, redoing the entire church in the new style of the Renaissance, thanks to the continued support of Cosimo de’ Medici the Elder; therefore, it is not surprising that Cosimo the Elder was buried here in San Lorenzo. In 1464, the year of his death, San Lorenzo was the church that henceforth showed the people the important role of the family in the city. Cosimo’s body was buried in a crypt under a pillar located exactly below the high altar of the church.

With the burial of Cosimo the Elder inside the Basilica, the Mecici reinforced the idea of San Lorenzo as their mausoleum. To visit two other funerary chapels of the Medici, you need to exit the church and head towards the Medici Chapels.

Medici Chapels

The Medici Chapels house two funerary chapels that are located inside the San Lorenzo complex. The striking Chapel of the Princes was designed by Matteo Nigetti and built in 1589 upon request of the Grand Duke Ferdinand I de’ Medici.

The second room is the so-called New Sacristy, designed by Michelangelo for the Medici Popes, Leo X and Clement VII. Although it would be more correct to say that it was designed for two childhood friends of the artist, Giovanni de’ Medici, son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, and Giulio, son of Giuliano de’ Medici. In fact, as a teenager, Michelangelo started his artistic career under the protection of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Thanks to this bond he got to know the two boys, his peers, who were members of the illustrious family. Coming from a patrician family himself, he had no problems establishing a friendship with these young men. Giovanni became Pope in 1513, and Giulio ascended to the papal throne in 1523.

The idea of the funerary chapel inside the church of San Lorenzo originated under Pope Leo X after the death of the first two members of the family to have received the ducal title: Lorenzo de’ Medici Duke of Urbino and Giuliano de’ Medici Duke of Nemours.

Michelangelo designed the chapel with the two tombs reflecting the different characters of the two dukes in his sculptures. The pensive Lorenzo, influenced by Saturn, sits deep in thought. On his sarcophagus dawn is roused from sleep and twilight is about to fall asleep. On the other side the warrior Giuliano, the duke as the god of war Mars, is ready to get up to fight another fight. Under him you see Night and Day, each distinct like the duke himself.

With a visit to the New Sacristy you have concluded your first day learning about the Medici family in Florence.

Day 2

You can start your second day out of 4 days in Florence visiting the convent of San Marco, a Dominican convent that was renovated in the 1440s by Michelozzo thanks to the patronage of Cosimo de’ Medici the Elder.

San Marco

Just as with the Basilica of San Lorenzo, here too the Medici wanted to show their generosity and benevolence, making the building of the second Dominican convent in the city possible. After Santa Maria Novella, where the Domenicans had resided since 1221, the Observant Dominicans settled in San Marco.

The new convent was decorated by a Dominican painter, Fra Angelico. The artist left depictions of biblical scenes with saints venerated by the Dominicans in the friars’ cells. This particular decorative cycle served as  a manual for meditation and prayer for the members of the religious community.

To further reinforce his image as a cultured benefactor, Cosimo the Elder gifted his private collection of manuscripts to San Marco. Thus arose the first Renaissance library of Florence. Michelozzo designed the space for the great hall that was dedicated to the reading and conservation of the collection and remained accessible to scholars all over Europe.

The Accademia Gallery

After a visit to San Marco, it’s time to head to the nearby Accademia Gallery. Here you will find Michelangelo’s famous David.

What does David have to do with the Medici? Michelangelo created this work during a particular time in Florence. The sculpture was commissioned by the Opera del Duomo of Florence in 1501 to decorate one of the apsides of the cathedral; however, it was never placed in the spot for which it had been intended.

In 1504, when the artist revealed the masterpiece, Florence was enjoying reclaimed freedom and independence. The Medici family had been in exile since 1494 and the republican government was trying to increase its authority. In this specific context, the image of David, victorious over Goliath, became an allegory of their victory over the Medici family for the Florentines. For this reason David was placed in front of the Palace of the Priors as a symbol of the Republic of Florence.

Inside the Accademia Gallery you can also admire Michelangelo’s Prisoners. The four sculptures were intended for the tomb of Pope Giulio II but were never completed. After the artist’s death they were gifted to the Medici family. For many centuries they decorated Grotta Buontalenti inside the Boboli Gardens.

Palazzo Vecchio

After lunch you can visit the monumental Palazzo Vecchio, the ancient seat of the republican government that was transformed by the Medici family into their first ducal palace.

Palazzo Vecchio was built starting in 1299 as the seat of government led by the nine Priors. The Republic of Florence eventually fell in 1530 and the government passed into the hands of the Medici family.

Two years later, in 1532, Clement VII (Giulio de’ Medici) appointed Alessandro de’ Medici Duke of Florence. So began a new chapter for the city and also for the Medici, who were once patricians and now were dukes. In 1537 Duke Alessandro was assassinated and power passed into the hands of the seventeen year old Cosimo.

The first objective of the young duke was the strengthening of the state and the creation of a new image for the Medici dynasty.

To underline the fact that the republican government had ended, Cosimo I transformed the ancient Palace of the Priors into the ducal residence for his family. The palace was expanded and decorated by a team of artists led by Giorgio Vasari. The decoration of the palace became a glorification of the Duke Cosimo and his family. When visiting the palace you can admire the grand Salone dei Cinquecento and the private rooms of the Medici Dukes.

After visiting Palazzo Vecchio you can end your second day in Florence on the trail of the Medici family.

Day 3

You can start your third day in Florence with a visit at the Uffizi Gallery. Here you will admire Botticelli’s Primavera and the Birth of Venus, Leonardo’s unfinished Adoration of the Magi, the Tondo Doni by Michelangelo and the masterpieces by Titian and Caravaggio.

The Uffizi Gallery

A part of the valuable art collections, once owned by the Medici family, is on exhibit today in the Uffizi Gallery.

The buildings that host this important museum today were built by Giorgio Vasari by order of Duke Cosimo I as a seat for the magistrature of the Duchy of Tuscany.

Over time the Medici family started gathering a part of their collection inside the Uffizi. During your visit you’ll be able to admire a small room, called the Tribune, built by Francesco I de’ Medici to house his extensive collection of curiosities from the natural world (i naturalia) as well as various artistic treasures (gli artificialia).

It was, however, the Lorraines, who changed the Uffizi into a public museum, open to the public from 1769.

A visit to the Uffizi will take about three hours. After your visit you can have a well deserved lunch break.

Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens

In the afternoon you can continue your adventure with the Medici family visiting the Pitti Palace, their magnificent residence in the Oltrarno.

The palace, and the gardens opposite, were purchased in 1550 at the behest of the Duchess Eleonora of Toledo. The original ducal residence was much smaller than today’s complex. Over the centuries the Medici expanded the palace many times. With time even the fruit and vegetable garden, initially arranged to be a small farm by the Duchess Eleonora, was later transformed into a magnificent formal garden, worthy of the residence of the Grand Duke.

Today you can learn about the Medici family with a guided tour of the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens.

For centuries Pitti Palace was used for representation, welcoming sovereigns and ambassadors. The palace also quickly filled up with collections of antique and modern art, confirming the prestige and importance of the grand ducal family. Today we can admire the richness of this collection by visiting the Palatine Gallery which houses masterpieces by Raphael, Andrea del Sarto, Bronzino, Titian, Caravaggio and many others. On the second floor of the complex you’ll find the extensive collection of modern art with works by Giovanni Fattori,  Giuseppe Bezzuoli, Telemaco Signorini and others.

Day 4

How to end your tour dedicated to the Medici family in Florence? You can spend the last morning visiting two other museums that hold a part of the artistic treasures that belonged to the family: the Bargello and the Archaeological Museum of Florence.

Bargello

At the Bargello you will find a rich collection of sculptures; you can’t miss Donatello’s bronze David. This work was commissioned in the 1440s by Cosimo de’ Medici the Elder as a decoration for the central courtyard of the Medici Palace. Since David’s victory over Goliath symbolized for the Florentines their efforts to maintain the independence of the state, with this sculpture Cosimo the Elder wanted to be represented as the protector of republican freedoms.

Precisely because of its political value, the statue was stolen from the Florentines during the looting of the Medici Palace, which took place after the expulsion of the family from Florence in 1494. Donatello’s David was placed in the courtyard of Palazzo Vecchio as the guardian of liberty of the Florentine Republic.

At the Bargello you will find some of Michelangelo’s most important works, such as Bacchus and Tondo Pitti. Don’t miss the second floor with a room dedicated to sculptured busts of the fifteenth century.

Among them you will find a bust of Piero de’ Medici, also known as Piero the Gouty, Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brother Giuliano de’ Medici, killed in the Pazzi conspiracy of 1478.

Archaeological Museum

Your tour discovering the history of the Medici family can end with a visit to the Archaeological Museum. Today this important museum houses a treasure trove of ancient sculptures that once belonged to the Medici. Here you will find the Chimera, a masterpiece of Etruscan sculpture, excavated in Arezzo in 1553. After its discovery the Chimera was immediately added to the collection of Duke Cosimo I, becoming a personal symbol of his power over ancient Etruscan lands.

You can also see here an important collection of antique gems from the Medici collection. This treasure is displayed in the corridor that connected Palazzo della Crocetta with the Basilica of Santissima Annunziata and allowed the disabled Mary Magdalene de’ Medici, sister to Duke Cosimo II, to move between the convent where she was segregated and the Basilica of Santissima Annunziata, where she attended Holy Mass.

After a visit to the Archaeological Museum, you have finished your 4 days in Florence.

What to see in Florence and in the surroundings in 4 days?

Florence offers many possibilities to spend quality time, among its museums, gardens, artisans’ workshops and many wonderful restaurants.

During your 4 days stay in Florence you can relax in between museum visits in one of many green spaces, discovering the Rose Garden, Boboli Gardens or the Bardini Gardens. In your free time you can go shopping in one of the many artisan shops.

Photography lovers will appreciate the panoramic spots such as Piazzale Michelangelo, the Bellosguardo hill or Fiesole, overlooking the city to the north.

Florentine restaurants will delight you with local delicacies: the Florentine T-bone steak, la pappa al pomodoro, or crostini with chicken liver paté.

Also, don’t miss the best ice cream shops in town, serving homemade gelato such as Gelateria della Passera, Perché no? or Rivareno!

Florence: 4 days with a complete itinerary and a map

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