Our cruise will have us in Florence on a Monday in July - we are so disappointed as the best Museums are all closed on Mondays! I have been to Florence once, but my travel companions have not. It is such a fabulous city! Anything special you can suggest we or do see in Florence? This may be their only chance. We are not sure if we should do a tour or just take the cruise bus in and wander around on our own. Any info will be helpful! Thanks.

Linda

If you are there on "correct" Monday (1st or 3rd Monday,) Bargello is open.
There are several other even-odd Monday closing places such as Medici Chapels or The Museum of San Marco.

Onces that are always open on Monday are Duomo (+ Museum,) Giotto's Tower, and Palazzo Vecchio and churches. The Mercato Centrale is open.

I was these on Monday: Duomo had a long waiting line during the day when tour groups were in town -- unfortunately it applies to you.

churches are an obvious choice in Florence when some of the major museums are closed. Many to choose from in addition to the Duomo--Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella, San Lorenzo

I would do a self-guided walking tour rather than a formal one. Florence is compact and easy to explore on foot

The Bargello and San Marco are both well worth visiting (to me two of the "best museums" in Florence) if you are there on a Monday they are open

You can go up to Piazza Michelangelo and San Miniato al Monte for a beautiful view of the city

Warn your travel companions that it's likely to be crowded with fellow tourists - and hot too!

The Pitti Palace and Boboli gardens.

http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/en.../palazzopitti/

http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/en...li/default.asp

Hop on the #7 bus and take the 20 min ride to Fiesole. Great views over the valley. Here is link to city web page, lots of very early ruins, musuem will need to see if open, nice places to eat something a little different.
http://www.fiesolelifeart.it/PagineW...Fiesole/Italy/

I love the little-discussed Museo dell'Opificio delle Pietre Dure located fairly near the Duomo. If you enjoy mosaics and the beautiful inlays in semi-precious stones so popular with the Medicis (and seen in the Medici Chapels), this small museum is open on Mondays from 8:15 a.m. to 1:50 p.m.

http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/i...ew-164087.html

Medici Chapels are open on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month:

http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/en...ppellemedicee/

Forget Florence from Livorno---too far anyway. Spend your time to see Lucca and Pisa. Have fun !

I think that visiting Santa Croce is an exceptionally
great experience. Visit: church, cloisters and church Museum.
Walking, stopping to eat or for a capuccino for instance in Cafe Gilli in Piazza de la Republica or Cafe Giubbe Rosse in the same plaza must not be set aside.
There are many church concerts but I do not know if there are concerts on Mondays. The Ospetale dei Innocenti is a fascinating place to visit I think it is opened on Monday.
A short ride by local bus takes you to Fiesole I believe that the Bandini Museum and the Roman Theater and Civic Museums open daily. Please check.
Then you have the markets too. San Lorenzo gets the lunch crowd ,stalls never close.
Possibly you should stop at the tourist office to double check the museums and churches time of opening. Sometimes they might close at lunch ....
I think the most important place to visit on Mondays would be the Palazzo Vecchio. Which I find fascinating. I believe it is opened MOndays, you see you will not have enough time MOnday or no MOnday. Have fun.

Wow, my hat is off to all of you! We are there on July 21st, which is the 3rd Monday, of course. I looked at all the suggested links/websites and am a little more excited now - there is a lot available to us. I have found this site to get more traffic/responses than the cruise sites. I'm sure with the suggested sites (and Gardens, one of my hobbies), we will do well and my companions will get the feel of this Renaissance City. I will try to report on this when we return. Again, many thanks!
Linda