On the edge of Florence’s historic city center sits a grand palace bordered by beautiful gardens. Pitti Palace is the largest of the Florentine palaces and the gardens are an oasis within the bustling city. As you stroll through the elegant halls, admire the amazing collection of art, and wander down the manicured garden paths, you’ll get a glimpse into the lavish lives of those who once resided here. We spent much of a day exploring both the gardens and palace, and it was one of our favorite activities in the city! We’ll provide some logistical details on visiting below.
Some History on Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens
Luca Pitti, a wealthy banker, commissioned the construction of Pitti Palace to be his grand residence. Building began in the mid-1400s, but Pitti died in 1473, so the palace sat unfinished. In 1549, the Medici family purchased it, intending to complete it and use it as a ceremonial residence. While the palace was being expanded and finished, the Boboli Gardens were created.
Three families would own and inhabit Pitti Palace over a few centuries, continuing making changes to the palace and gardens and accumulating a lot of beautiful art and furniture pieces. It also briefly served as a base for Napoleon in around the early 1800s.
The King of Italy resided here beginning in the 1860s when Florence was the capital of Italy. Pitti Palace was then donated to the Italian state in 1919. It became a museum and remains so today, housing many works of art and interesting pieces that reflect the history of the palace and Florence’s past.
Getting to Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens
Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens lie near the historic city center with many hotels, restaurants, and other attractions around. So, it is commonly reached on foot.
If taking public transport, the closest bus stops include the Pitti bus stop (served by line C3 and C4), Romana Boboli bus stop (served by line 11), and the Porta Romana bus stop (served by line 373). There are more in the area as well. Check the transport site for routes and timetables.
If driving your own vehicle, note that Pitti Palace doesn’t have its own parking and parking in the heart of the city is limited. A couple parking garages sit not too far from the palace – Garage Porta Romana and Garage Fosi. There is also some street parking as well as the small Parcheggio Oltrarno and Piazzale di Porta Romana paid lots near the Porta Romana.
There is one entrance to the palace through the Pitti Palace entrance. The gardens can be accessed via the palace, Annalena entrance, gates of Forte di Belvedere, and Porta Romana. See the map here.
Views of the surrounding city from inside the gardens
Tickets
- PassePartout: €40 – access to Uffizi Gallery, Pitti Palace, and Boboli Gardens over 5 consecutive days.
- Pitti Palace & Boboli combo ticket: €22 when purchased at the ticket office on the day of entry or €25 when purchased online or days in advance at the ticket office.
- Pitti Palace individual ticket: €16 when purchased at the ticket office on the day of entry or €19 when purchased online or days in advance at the ticket office.
- Boboli Gardens individual ticket: €10 when purchased at the ticket office on the day of entry or €13 when purchased online or days in advance at the ticket office.
There are other ticket combos and discounts for certain groups, so visit the website for more info or to buy your tickets in advance. While you can save some money buying your ticket when arriving for your visit, during busy times of year, you may want to consider buying them in advance to guarantee your entry and avoid having to wait in long ticket lines.
Hours & Regulations
Pitti Palace Hours
- Closed on Monday
- Open Tuesday through Sunday from 8:15am to 6:30pm with final entry at 5:30pm.
Boboli Garden Hours
- Open daily November through February from 8:15am to 4:30pm
- Open daily March and October from 8:15am to 5:30pm (standard time)
- Open daily March, April, May, September, & October from 8:15am to 6:30pm (daylight savings time)
- Open daily June through August from 8:15am to 7:10pm
- Closed the first and last day of each month
Note that hours may vary depending on holidays and events. Check the website for updates before your visit.
When entering the palace and gardens, visitors have to pass through a security check. Please don’t touch any of the works or artefacts in any of the exhibits. You can bring in a 1/2-litre bottle of water, but don’t eat or drink in the exhibition areas. Visitors can take photos in the exhibits (unless otherwise indicated), but flash and the use of tripods, selfie sticks, and drones are not permitted.
When exploring the gardens, please stay on the paths and do not pick any of the flowers or fruits. Keep noise to a minimum to maintain the peaceful atmosphere. As within the exhibits, don’t touch or lean on the sculptures in the gardens.
The Lemon House
Visiting Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens
Boboli Gardens
You can choose what order you visit the Boboli Gardens and Pitti Palace in. We visited the Boboli Gardens first because it was supposed to rain in Florence later that day. We also wanted to be in the gardens early to beat the crowds after we had spent the past week visiting very busy sites in Rome and Florence. It did turn out to be incredibly peaceful and pretty empty in the gardens around opening time on a February week day.
The gardens are massive and there are many beautiful sculptures, fountains, and other things to see. The website provides a map that marks the highlights. We really enjoyed strolling through the gardens and, even in February, they were quite green and there were flowers blooming!
Pitti Palace
After a morning in the Boboli Gardens, we grabbed lunch and headed back to Pitti Palace. The palace itself is gorgeous with frescoes and intricate details throughout. There are many works of art, sculptures, and historic items from the palace on display, as well as exhibits covering fashion, Russian icons, and more.
If you’re interested in a deeper look at the history, there are audio guides available for €6. Either way, there really is so much to see in here, so we recommend putting aside at least a couple hours of your day to walk through the palace.
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