K&L, S&J, N&I departing today — coordinate farewell at villa or Camucia station
S Arriving today — coordinate arrival time
Today's Schedule
7:30 AM
Depart villa. Option A (Drive): 1h35 to Piazzale Michelangelo via A1 north (Firenze Certosa exit). Allow 30+ min for traffic. Option B (Train — recommended): Camucia-Cortona station (10 min from villa) → Firenze SMN: ~1h15, ~€9–12 each way. Book at trenitalia.com. Walk to Duomo: 10 min; Uffizi: 15 min.
9:00–9:30 AM
Arrive Florence. Option A: Uffizi Gallery timed entry (ADVANCE BOOKING ESSENTIAL at uffizi.it — ~€20–22 + booking fee). Begin with Botticelli Rooms 10–14 ( Birth of Venus, Primavera, Pallas and the Centaur ), then Leonardo's Annunciation , Michelangelo's Doni Tondo , Raphael's portraits, Titian's Venus of Urbino , Caravaggio. Allow 3 hours minimum. Option B: Duomo Pass (~€30 at brunelleschi.it) — begin with the Baptistery and Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise (originals in the Museo dell'Opera).
10:00 AM(Option B)
Dome climb (Option B — timed entry, included in Duomo Pass): 463 steps to the lantern with the extraordinary view from the inner gallery looking up at Vasari's fresco. Allow 45–60 minutes. Then: Accademia Gallery (~€20, galleriaaccademia.it) — Michelangelo's David (original, 5.17m) and the four unfinished Prisoners. 1 hour. Then Santa Croce (~€8): tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli; Giotto's chapel frescoes. 45 minutes.
12:30 PM(Option A)
Option A post-Uffizi: Emerge onto Piazzale degli Uffizi. Walk to Piazza della Signoria — the outdoor sculpture gallery with Michelangelo's David (copy), Cellini's Perseus , Giambologna's Rape of the Sabines , and the Palazzo Vecchio. 20 minutes before lunch.
2:20 PM
Ponte Vecchio: the medieval bridge lined with gold jewellers (the Medici expelled other merchants in 1594). Free to walk — 15 minutes.
2:35 PM
Oltrarno: cross to the south bank. Artisan workshops (picture framers, bookbinders, leather workers, ceramicists) in the narrow streets. Piazza Santo Spirito for a coffee. 45 minutes.
3:20 PM
Piazzale Michelangelo (if driving): the panoramic terrace above the south bank with the most famous view of the Florence skyline. Free. 30 minutes. Or: Boboli Gardens entrance (~€10) — the Pitti Palace gardens with city views.
4:30 PM
Depart Florence. Return ~7:30–8:00 PM (drive) or 7:30 PM (train from Firenze SMN 18:00).
Logistics
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Parking
Take the train from Camucia-Cortona station (~25 min, ~€6 pp) — avoids all parking/ZTL hassle.
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ZTL
⚠️ Florence ZTL covers virtually the entire historic centre — train strongly recommended over driving.