Boboli Gardens by ingroar on Flickr
Time to wake up, everyone! By now you’ve had a good nap since your all-night Notte Bianca bender and breakfast with Matteo Renzi, but the festivities are far from over. Today – May 1 – is a bona fide public holiday in Italy, when the country celebrates Labor Day. That means explorers should be prepared for closings (mostly banks and offices) but can expect historic parades, random concerts, and free entrance to some of the city’s best museums. Here’s what’s open and gratis today, thanks to The Florentine:
- Giardino di Boboli 08:15 – 18:30
- Museo Nazionale del Bargello 08:15 – 17:00
- Museo della Casa Fiorentina Antica – Palazzo Davanzati 08:15 – 13:50
- Cenacolo di Andrea del Sarto 08:15 – 13:50
- Giardino della Villa Medicea di Castello 08:15 – 18:30
- Villa Medicea della Petraia 08:15 – 18:30
- Villa Medicea di Cerreto Guidi 08:15 – 19:00
- Villa Medicea di Poggio a Caiano 08:15 – 18:30
There are some gems here that aren’t usually included on our free museum lists, including my personal favorite museum, the Bargello (a former prison that now houses the most impressive sculpture collection in Florence? Yes please!). So wipe the sleep from your eyes and press on! If you’re still finding it hard to stay awake, find a sunny knoll in the Boboli Gardens to take a nap on – there will be few other days when it’s so free and easy to do so.
We’ll catch up with you again later in the week (after you’ve fully recovered) with your May calendar of free things to do in Florence. Now get out there and make us proud!
Hannah
Meg
Emily
Florence for Free 