Free Things to do in Florence

Anyone wanting to check out free sites and attractions, check out the places below.

Florence is one of the most popular travel cities in Italy and holds many free sights and attractions for the tourist. One of the best things to do in Florence is just walk around and admire the beautiful squares and buildings. Florence is a good city for walking. Walk around the historic center or pick your favorite neighborhood and take a stroll.

Florence's most famous square, Piazza della Signoria, is the heart of the historic center and a free open-air sculpture exhibit. The Loggia della Signoria holds important statues including a copy of Michelangelo's David. The piazza has been Florence's political center since the middle ages and Florence's town hall, the medieval Palazzo Vecchio, sits on the piazza. You'll also want to admire the fountain in the square.

Piazza del Duomo - Cathedral Square

Florence's most popular site is its Duomo (cathedral), the Cattedrale de Santa Maria del Fiore. The huge Gothic cathedral has an exterior made of green, pink, and white marble with elaborate doors and interesting statues. You can go into the church itself for free. The Baptistery dates from the 11th century making it one of Florence's oldest buildings. Its exterior is made of green and white marble and has three sets of amazing bronze doors (reproductions - the originals are in the Duomo Museum). Also in Piazza del Duomo, the square in front of the cathedral, is the impressive bell tower.

Ponte Vecchio - Old Bridge

Ponte Vecchio, old bridge, was built in 1345 and was Florence's first bridge across the Arno River. It's the only surviving bridge from Florence's medieval days (others were destroyed in World War II). Following a flood in 1345, the bridge was reconstructed and changed from defensive to public, adding rows of shops to the bridge. More shops were added later, and Ponte Vecchio became a top place for gold and silver shopping in Renaissance Florence. It's still lined with shops selling gold and silver jewelry today, a good place for window shopping.

San Lorenzo Market - Florence's Central Market

San Lorenzo Mercato Centrale, San Lorenzo Central Market, is an interesting place to wander around. You may see foods you've never seen in a market before, like several kinds of cow stomachs and intestines at the Tripperia. There are stands selling all kinds of fowl, meats, and fish. You'll see shops with displays of local Tuscan products including wine, biscotti, cheeses, and salami. To get inside the market, walk through Piazza dell Mercato and the stalls outside selling leather goods, clothing, and souvenirs to the door in the big building. Open mornings only.

Tip: There are inexpensive eating places inside the mercato or you can buy goods for a picnic here.

Piazzale Michelangelo - Panoramic Views of Florence

Piazzale Michelangelo is a large square atop a hill with panoramic views of Florence. It's above Piazza Poggi, on the south side of the Arno River and east of the historic center. Steps lead to the top of the hill from Piazza Poggi. In the piazzale, a large panoramic terrace designed in 1869 by Giuseppe Poggi, are a replica of Michelangelo's David, a cafe, parking lot, and vendors selling drinks and tourist items. If you don't want to walk, you can take bus 12 or 13 from the center (but that makes it not free).

Source: http://goitaly.about.com/od/florenceitaly/tp/florence-free.htm