Piazzale Michelangelo

Giuseppe Poggi laid out the terrace in 1869 when Florence was briefly capital of Italy and the city was rebuilding its ring roads, and it was designed as a viewpoint from the start, with a bronze copy of Michelangelo's David and copies of the Medici Chapel figures at its centre. The view takes in the Arno and its bridges, the Palazzo Vecchio tower, Santa Croce, the Duomo with Brunelleschi's dome and Giotto's campanile, and the hills behind. Poggi intended a museum of Michelangelo works in the loggia behind; it never happened and the building is a restaurant.

History

The architect Giuseppe Poggi designed the square, built in 1869 on a hill south of the centre, when Florence was the capital of Italy and the city was being renewed in the works known as the Risanamento. It carries bronze copies of Michelangelo's David and of the four allegories of the times of day from the Medici Chapel, and Poggi's neoclassical loggia was first meant to house a museum of his works (Wikipedia, Piazzale Michelangelo).

What you'll find

• The panorama - the Arno, the bridges, the dome and the Palazzo Vecchio tower.
• The bronze David - a copy at the centre of the terrace.
• The Poggi layout - a belvedere designed as a viewpoint in 1869.
• The rose garden - a terraced garden on the walk up from the river.

When to go

Year-round; sunset is the classic time and the terrace fills an hour before. Early morning gives the same view almost empty. Winter light is clearer.

Good to know

Sunset is very crowded with buskers and vendors. The walk up is steep, and the bus is often full. There is a car park but it fills early.

Nearby

San Miniato al Monte is above; the Bardini garden lies below.

Key facts