Santo Spirito
Florence, Italy
Palazzo Pitti, Florence
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Photo: Almaak, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Paid; combined passes with Boboli and the Uffizi
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Opening hours
- Tuesday–Sunday, closed Monday
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 2 h
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Highlights
- Raphael, Titian, the Royal Apartments
- Museums
- Palatine Gallery, modern art, treasury, costume
- Time needed
- Half a day with the Boboli Gardens
- Location
- Oltrarno, 5 minutes from the Ponte Vecchio
Key facts
1458begun for the banker Luca Pitti
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English Wikipedia1549Eleonora of Toledo, wife of Cosimo I, bought it
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English WikipediaMediciit became the grand dukes' main residence
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English Wikipedia1865–1871royal residence while Florence was Italy's capital
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English WikipediaRaphaelthe Palatine Gallery holds his Madonna della Seggiola
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English WikipediaA short history
The banker Luca Pitti, a rival of the Medici, began the palace in 1458, often to a design credited to Brunelleschi. He wanted a house grander than the Medici's but ran out of money before finishing. In 1549 it was bought by Eleonora of Toledo, wife of Duke Cosimo I de' Medici, and became the family's main residence.
The Medici enlarged it again and again, generation after generation, until the stone façade stretched nearly 200 m. After them came the Habsburg-Lorraine grand dukes and, in 1865–1871, while Florence was capital of united Italy, the kings of the House of Savoy. Today it's Florence's largest museum complex.
The Palatine Gallery
The palace's main museum, the Palatine Gallery, keeps its paintings hung as under the Medici and Lorraine — densely, in tiers, in sumptuous rooms with painted, gilded ceilings named after Venus, Apollo, Mars and Jupiter. It holds one of the finest Raphael collections, including the Madonna della Seggiola and La Velata, with Titian, Rubens, Andrea del Sarto and Caravaggio.
Next door, the Royal Apartments where the Medici, Lorraine and Savoy lived — bedrooms, a throne room and salons hung with silk, chandeliers and 19th-century furniture — offer a glimpse of court life. Downstairs, the Treasury of the Grand Dukes holds Lorenzo the Magnificent's hardstone vases, cameos, ivory, amber and jewels.
What to see
- Palatine Gallery — Raphael, Titian, Rubens.
- Royal Apartments — the throne room and suites.
- Gallery of Modern Art — 19th- and 20th-century painting.
- Treasury of the Grand Dukes — Medici jewels and curiosities.
- Museum of Costume and Fashion — dress from the 18th century.
- Ammannati courtyard — the way into the Boboli Gardens.
Courtyard and gardens
Behind the façade lies the 16th-century Ammannati courtyard with massive rusticated columns, once a setting for festivities and even water spectacles; a stair leads up into the Boboli Gardens, a vast park of fountains, grottoes, statues and city views. The sloping square in front is a favourite sunset perch, and from here the lanes of the Oltrarno, the artisans' quarter, begin.
How to get there
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Santo Spirito is about 4 min away on foot.
- Ponte Vecchio is about 6 min away on foot.
- Boboli Gardens is about 17 min away on foot.
More tips
- From the Ponte Vecchio, 5 minutes along Via Guicciardini.
- From the Uffizi, 10 minutes across the bridge.
- Behind the palace: the Boboli Gardens.
- Buses C3 and C4 stop by Piazza Pitti.
Is Palazzo Pitti worth it?
Yes, especially for Raphael lovers and anyone curious how the Medici and Italy's kings lived. It's usually much less crowded than the Uffizi yet just as impressive, and its rooms feel like a lived-in royal home. Combine it with the Boboli Gardens and a stroll through the Oltrarno; children especially enjoy the treasury, the historic costumes and the gardens.
Before you go
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Florence's palaces: compare and choose
Palaces and museums in Florence rated by YesGo. Click a column header to sort.
| Palazzo Vecchio | 52 | 1 h 30 min | Courtyard free, museum paid | 12 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palazzo Pittiyou are here | 48 | 2 h | Paid | — |
| Palazzo Medici Riccardi | 45 | 1 h | Paid | 21 min walk |
| Bargello | 40 | 1 h 15 min | Paid | 15 min walk |
| Palazzo Strozzi | 38 | 1 h 15 min | Courtyard free, exhibitions paid | 12 min walk |
From the Signoria to the Pitti
Piazza della Signoria, the Uffizi, the Vasari Corridor and Ponte Vecchio, then Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens.
- Piazza della Signoria40 min · Free
- 3 min walk from the previous stopUffizi Gallery3 h · Paid
- 3 min walk from the previous stopVasari Corridor1 h · Paid, timed entry
- 5 min walk from the previous stopPonte Vecchio20 min · Free
- 7 min walk from the previous stopPalazzo Pittiyou are here2 h · Paid
5 places · about 7 h 18 min with walks · 18 min on foot in total
Nearby and on the way
How to do it right
- Closed on Mondays.
- Combined ticket with Boboli.
- Raphael's Madonna della Seggiola.
- The Oltrarno is right here.
Questions
What is there to see in Palazzo Pitti?
The Palatine Gallery with Raphael and Titian, the Royal Apartments, the treasury and the Costume Museum.
When is Palazzo Pitti closed?
On Mondays.
Are the Boboli Gardens included?
Combined tickets cover the palace, the gardens and the Uffizi; check current terms on the official site.
How long do you need?
2–3 hours; half a day with the Boboli Gardens.
Who lived in Palazzo Pitti?
The Medici, then the Habsburg-Lorraine grand dukes and the kings of Italy.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- English Wikipedia, Palazzo Pitti
- Official site uffizi.it (Palazzo Pitti)
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