10+ Hidden Gems and Secret Spots in Florence

Last Updated on 22nd August 2024 by Sophie Nadeau

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If you’re anything like me, then searching for hidden gems and offbeat locations is one of the most fun aspects of travelling. And in a city like Firenze where it can sometimes feel like no stone has been left unturned, this can sometimes feel impossible. However, if you know where to look, then little-known gems can still be found. Here’s your ultimate guide to the best secret spots in Florence.

Florence is the capital of the Tuscany region of Italy and is best-known for its strong ties to the Renaissance art and architectural movements.

Today, this cultural hub boasts countless museums, beautiful architecture, and history around every turn. If you’re only able to visit for a short while, then be sure to check out our suggestions for spending one day in Florence and how to spend 3 days in Florence.

If you’re visiting during high season, then do be sure to book top attractions in advance. Otherwise, read on for some of the best hidden gems in Firenze…

Best secret spots in Florence

Florence wine windows

Though certainly less of a secret than even just a few years ago, the Florence wine windows date back to at least the 17th-century, when Florentines wanted to avoid contact with one another due to the Bubonic plague.

They also proved to be useful to wealthy citizens of Florence, who wanted to sell their wine directly to the public without having to open up a shopfront (private selling was exempt from taxes, whereas selling from a store front was taxes by the city).

An ingenious invention by bar staff which allowed them to keep serving food and drink without having to come into contact face to face with customers, the wine window was born. Today, there are around 150 wine windows which still survive, though only around half a dozen or so are still in use.

If you want to try out a wine window for yourself, then I highly recommend heading to CANTINA DE’ PUCCI BAR (WINE WINDOW). Once you arrive at the location (and spy the wine window), you’ll have to ring a bell.

You can then order wine by the glass, before it will be passed through the window and you can pay. All in all, it’s a pretty fun experience to share with your friends and will certainly lead to an evening to remember!

Second Cloister of Santa Croce

While Santa Croce one of the most beautiful churches in Florence, is by no means a hidden gem, many visitors make the mistake of visiting just the first set of cloisters and then leaving.

However, if you look hard enough then you’ll spy a small entrance way which leads to a second set of cloisters, just a few metres away from the first set. And while this set isn’t as impressive as the larger cloisters, they are most certainly more quiet, with fewer people around.

Cappella di San Luca 

One of my favourite aspects of Florence is that strolling through the city can sometimes feel akin to wandering through an open air museum. As such, you can end up in spots which you never even knew existed.

This happened to me recently when I stumbled upon Cappella di San Luca, which is known as the Chapel of Saint Luke in English. Free to visit, this ornate chapel and its accompanying cloister is actually part of the larger church of Santissima Annunziata in Florence.

The chapel was designed to serve as a chapel for the brotherhood of San Luca and was constructed in the middle of the 16th-century. The great cloister to access the chapel is equally as impressive as the frescoes inside and is filled with ornate stone carvings and statues.

The Crowning of the Lantern

Nestled in the heart of the Medici Chapel, one of the more unusual attractions within this famous resting places of the Medicis is the Crowning of the Lantern of the New Sacristy, which is a work that has seldom been seen by scholars, let alone the public.

The work was created by Michelangelo who chose to create a polyhedron (formed of 60 triangular segments) as opposed to the more traditionally used sphere. The work was created in 1525 and can now be seen in an adjacent room to the illustrious Medici chapel.

Lamb relief on Mercato Nuovo square

Located on the Mercato Nuovo square, directly opposite the famous bronze Porcellino fountain, there’s a lesser-known gem that’s also worth checking out. Located on the side of the Merci building, a structure that is thought to be constructed atop of the remains of Roman baths, there’s the relief of a lamb.

On the site, there also previously stood medieval houses, and the remains of the Porta di Santa Maria. Unfortunately, all of the previous things on site were destroyed during the nights of 3 and 4 August 1944 by a retreating German army. Today, the only vestiges of history remain a tabernacle by Giovanni Colacicchi’s and a relief by Quinto Martini.

Museo Galileo (Science Museum)

One of the more unusual things to see in Florence is the middle finger of Galileo, which can be found in the Museo di Fisica e Storia Naturale. Surrounded by historical scientific instruments, the bony middle finger of Galileo’s right hand is encased in an egg shaped glass.

Rather curiously, the finger was only removed from Galileo’s body 95 years after the astronomer’s death by Anton Francesco Gori. The finger was then passed around by various individuals and institutions for several hundred years before it was acquired by the Florence History of Science Museum.

Foto Automatica Booths 

If you’re looking for a fun photo souvenir from your trip, then it’s worth noting that vintage photo booths can be found all around Firenze. Some of the more iconic locations of the photo booths include Stazione di Santa Maria Novella, on Via dell’Agnolo, and on Via del Proconsolo.

Original Baptistery Doors

When admiring the beautiful duomo’s baptistery, you would never guess that the ornate golden doors are not actually the originals! Indeed, the Gates of Paradise (known as Porta del Paradiso in Italian) were created by Florentine goldsmith and sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti between 1425 and 1452 and depict scenes from the Old Testament.

They have been admired for generations and even featured in the Dan Brown novel, Inferno. In order to protect these historic doors, they were replaced by a copy in 1990. The original doors can still be admired if you head inside the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo.

Vineyard in the Boboli Gardens 

Of course everyone has heard of Boboli Gardens. Located on the other side of the River Arno from the Duomo and historic city centre, these illustrious gardens are filled with fountains, sculptures, and boast beautiful views over Florence.

But what many visitors to the vineyards don’t know is that there is actually a speck of a vineyard located in the southeastern portion of the park. The vines line just a few rows but the view from the top of them is just gorgeous.

Forte di Belvedere 

I am surprised that I have not seen this talked about more online, but we particularly loved the view from Forte di Belvedere and were surprised to find that it is actually free to visit!

As well as the chance to walk across the top of the historic fort, the building at the top of the site boasts a rooftop bar where you can enjoy a drink overlooking the rest of the city.

Hospital of the Innocents 

This small museum is sometimes referred to in old Tuscan dialect as the Spedale degli Innocenti and is located within the Piazza della SS. Annunziata (one of my favourite piazzas in Florence).

Designed by Filippo Brunelleschi (who is often said to be the founding father of Renaissance architecture), the building was once used as a children’s orphanage.

Today, the former orphanage functions as a museum showcasing the history and welfare of children during Renaissance Florence. One of the best aspects of this museum is that it’s much less visited than many of its more popular counterparts, making it a great place to escape the crowds.

Bardini Gardens

Though most people opt to visit the Boboli Gardens, it’s not as known that you can actually visit the Bardini Gardens with the same entrance ticket. This set of gardens has actually only recently opened to the public and actually date all the way back to Medieval times.

 I personally preferred this green space to the Boboli Gardens as there were more interesting architectural features to see including terraces, statues, and fountains.

In the late spring (typically in May), there’s even a gorgeous wisteria walk that offers views onto Florence, including the Duomo. If you’re looking for a coffee or light snack with a view, then there’s also a garden café within the Bardini Gardens.

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