The towers of Florence, how to visit the defensive bulwarks of the city

From the 24th of June, the towers of Florence will be open to visitors again

On the feast of Saint John (24th of june), Patron Saint of Florence, will be open to the public some of the towers of Florence. The openings will continue throughout the summer until October.

Thanks to the initiative organized by the town of Florence and by the association MUS.E will be visited the Tower of San Niccolò, the Tower of Zecca (tower of the mint), Porta Romana (a city gate) and the Baluardo a San Giorgio (a bastion). The tower of San Niccolò will be open from 24 June until 30 September, while the others will be opne only in four dates, one per month, distributed between July and October.

The first three towers are part of the project by Arnolfo di Cambio, done between the 1284 and the 1333, that provided the city of Florence a massive wall, more than eight kilometers long, with many defensive towers and 15 big city gates.

Tower of San Niccolò

The tower of San Niccolò, built around the mid-14th century near the southern shore of the River Arno, is the only one between the towers of Florence ad aver that has preserved its original height. Thank to its height and its position the tower is an excellent point of view on the city centre.

Tower of the Zecca

Located on the opposite bank of the River Arno compared to the tower of San Niccolò, the tower of the Zecca marked with the other one the eastern limit of the city defences.
The name of the tower is linked to the place where the Florentine coins were minted; during the visit you will learn about the history of the Mint of Florence.

Porta Romana

Porta Romana is the southest city gate, once across to head to Rome. Built around 1330, was lowered during the ‘ 500 to make it less vulnerable to artillery.
The visti allow the visitors to take one of the few parts of the wall remained standing after the construction work of the ring roads.

Baluardo a San Giorgio

The Baluardo a San Giorgio was built around the 1552 by the will of Cosimo I during a city’s military enhancement. It is a trapezoid-shaped enclosure located near the South-western sector of the fourteenth-century walls.

Schedules

Tower of San Niccolò: june 24-august 31 17.00-20.00, settembre 16.00-19.00 (guided tours every 30 min.)
Tower of the Zecca: 15th of july 17.00-20.00; 19th of august 17.00-20.00; 16th of september 16.00-19.00; 14th of october 15.00-18.00 (guided tours every 30 min.)
Porta Romana: 22th of july 17.00-20.00, 26th of august 17.00-20.00, 23th of september 6.00-19.00, 21h of october 15.00-18.00 (guided tours every 30 min.)
Baluardo a San Giorgio: 8th of july 17.00-20.00, 12th of august 17.00-20.00, 9th of september 16.00-19.00, 7h of october 15.00-18.00 (guided tours every hour)