HELP with FLORENCE!!!!
 

I'm haing some Florence trouble...is it worth going to the Medici Chapel and the Santa Croce church? Should I just visit the Pitti Palace or go inside?

Buy the Florence pass and then you won't have to decide whether a hefty fee is worth it or not. IMO all are worthy of going in but not musts - but with the pass, which may cover all not sure, the euro factor is no longer a factor and you can just take a quick look if not your bag.

I'm not sure what else you are seeing or what your interests are so it's hard to say. We enjoyed the Pitti and stayed about 2 hours seeing the art work. I love Michelangelo's works and thought Medici chapels were pretty good and didn't take long to see.

I'd say that the church of Santa Croce is a must see. Not only do you see the tombs of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo and the empty tomb of Dante, but behind the altar is the magnificent Bardi chapel with frescos by Giotto which are some of the first to human emotion in art. You can also see a cross by Cimbabue that was damaged in the terrible flood of 1966 and shop at the Leather School, attached to the back of the church.

We ate several meals at the Semidivino restaurant near the Accademie and the food was more than somewhat divine. Highly recommended.

I loved seeing the artwork in the Pitti Palace. However, if only to see one of these, I would agree with Grinisa and say, Santa Croce for the historical significance and beauty. I didn't see it until my third trip to Florence. We are taking friends to Italy soon (their first time in Florence) and Santa Croce is now on my "must see" list for them. It is only a few minutes walk from the Duomo. With even an extra hour or so, you can visit it and learn a lot about the history of Florence there.

Read about it. Read about the works of art in Pitti Palace, and then decide.

PQ - Can you provide a link for a Florence museum pass. I don't see it mentioned on the official museum web site.

I would put Santa Croce highest on my list, then the Medici Chapel, followed by the Pitti Palace. Santa Croce also has a wonderful garden/cloister/chapel area.

The sculpture in the Medici Chapel is worth seeing. The Bargello, however, has a lot of sculpture, and it too is great.

As for the Pitti Palace, don't even bother going there unless you are going inside. Or visiting the Boboli Gardens. The outside is massive, difficult to take in, and not exactly pleasing to the eye. Impressive in a massive way, but pleasing, no.

Florence is just a wonderland of art of architecture. There is so much to see and do. We have been several times, and more than once for an entire week. There are still places I've yet to see, and many that I would see again and again.

The Baptistry is well worth going inside. Many people don't, and it is just gorgeous. The idea of a ticket pass is a good one, but I've never done that. I might if I were to return.

Having just returned, we loved the Santa Croce church. Whether it is the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, etc... or the tombs of people you have never heard about, they are all quite lovely. One of my husband's favorites was in the courtyard there right next to that of Florence Nightengale. It was definitely worth the visit. We didn't visit the Pittie Palace inside, but I after seeing a lot of grand architecture and art in other places around Italy, something tells me it wasn't all that different. Maybe next time. However, we did have a good dinner close to there..> Mama Gina. Recommended by my friend's dad who is a reviewer for the Accademia Italiana della Cucina in Italy. One of the two best meals we had in ITaly.

This question is for PalenQ, what is a Florence pass and where can you get it?

Is this some type of museum pass like the Roma pass in Rome?
Can you provide websites for more information?

I didn't get to the Medici Chapel or Pitti Palace, but Santa Croce is certainly worth seeing. I also agree about the Baptistry. I do think this is a must-see. That dome covered with 13th Century Byzantine mosaics is amazing. Also, it's definitely a good place to get the audio guide. It's only a couple of Euro and excellent.

GoPlanB - It seems we are both waiting for PalQ's answer. The only "pass" I'm aware of is a year membership "Friends of the Uffizi" which gets you into multiple museums for 60E (single) or 100E (family). This does not get you into the churches - S. Croce, Duomo, etc., but I think it allows you to bypass lines.
http://www.amicidegliuffizi.it/soci_engl.html

If that's the only pass available, I doubt most tourists will manage to get 60 Euros worth of admissions in a typical visit to Florence.

I think Santa Croce was 4 Euros when I visited it in 2005. I can't remember what the Medici Chapel was, but it was not that much.

Hi M,

>.is it worth going to the Medici Chapel and the Santa Croce church?

Definite Yes

>Should I just visit the Pitti Palace or go inside?

Not as important as the two above.

You get a beautiful view of Florence from the top of the Boboli Gardens, but we didn't find the rest of the visit at all memorable.

((I))

For opening times and admission prices -http://www.firenzemusei.it/00_english/servizi/index.html

If you visit all on the list, it totals 60E, but most people don't visit all of them. The Friends of the Uffizi membership is good for a year, so it would be a bargain if you were visiting more than once.