Welcome to our guide to photographing Florence, and capturing some of the magic of the Tuscan capital in your camera.
The skyline of this great Renaissance city has barely changed in 500 years, with the great red dome of its Cathedral, its grand medieval palaces, marble church facades and ancient bridges spanning the shimmering river Arno.
Florence is endowed with an abundance of art and architecture, but the heart of the city, the centro storico, is surprisingly small and compact.
Most of the sights – and subjects – of Florence are within walking distance of each other, so covering the ground doesn’t take very long compared to other cities in Europe.
As for when to plan your visit, I’ve found that the shoulder seasons – March-April and September-October – have been very conducive to photographing Florence. It doesn’t get too hot or cold at these times of year, and it’s also one of the best places to stay in Tuscany if you’re planning to explore more of the region.
Tips For Photographing Florence
Everyone heads there, but with good reason – Piazzale Michelangelo commands the best view of Florence
Take a selection of lenses with you to the Piazzale – you get the big overall shot from there, but can also make several other compositions from there – sunset over the river, or focusing on individual features including the Duomo
You should climb the Duomo’s Campanile (belltower), dome or both – if you only have time for one, I suggest opting for the Campanile
You sometimes need to retrace your steps when photographing Florence – as different subjects in one place are lit at different times of day
The lights on the buildings are usually left on overnight until dawn, so if you don’t mind an early start, you can get some extra ‘night’ shoots under your belt
Piazzale Michelangelo And The View Of Florence
Piazzale Michelangelo is the place to go for the best views of Florence. This large square-come-coach-park is located high above Florence city centre, on the opposite bank of the Arno river (Oltrarno).
It’s a short bus ride or a 20-minute walk from the city, and is an absolute Florence must do.
The view of Florence from the top is spectacular, and has barely changed in 500 years. The old centre, the centro storico, is the same as ever, the Florence skyline dominated by the Duomo and the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio.
It’s the place from which most pictures of Florence you’ll have seen were shot.
Bring a selection of lenses with you, from standard to long zoom lenses – around 250-300mm focal length should give you ample coverage. The big overall shot is the easy one – be creative and look for other shots within the wide shot.
It’s from here that you also shoot the classic Florence sunset with the Ponte Vecchio, other bridges and river Arno, and you can also zoom in on the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio. I love photographing cities at night, and believe it’s when they look most alluring. The Piazzale is the perfect spot for this.
The most convenient way of getting there by bus is on the number 13. The Pecori Giraldi stop is close to the Ponte San Niccolo bridge, and 100 metres across the busy junction from the FH55 Grand Hotel Mediterraneo.
Duomo, Campanile and Baptistery
I’ve included all three parts of the Florence cathedral complex together as they’re hemmed in close together in a fairly small square and they can be combined in compositions, especially if you’re looking to create a powerful abstract effect.
The Duomo and adjacent Campanile (belltower) dominate the view, but the Baptistery is invisible from the hilltop viewpoint.
The Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiore (St Mary of the Flowers), the Campanile built by Giotto di Bondone and the Baptistery is one of the most magnificent ensembles of buildings in Europe.
The facades are all crafted from white marble, with a mixture of black, red and green shapes, patterns and stripes. After the overview from the Piazzale, this is where you should head to shoot your Florence images.
Giotto’s Campanile, in my view, is the best Florence viewpoint other than the Piazzale. It’s over 400 steps to the top, and watch out for some unusual views of the dome on the way up.
At the top, you’re rewarded with the stunning sight of the roof and dome of the Duomo, one of the most enduring images of Tuscany and Italy. If you’re physically up to it – over 400 steps – it’s an essential part of photographing Florence.
It’s also possible to climb Filippo Brunelleschi’s dome – something I haven’t done myself, despite visiting the city four times. It may be that your time photographing Florence is limited, so you may have to make a choice.
I’ve climbed the Campanile twice, suspecting that it offered better views, and I’ll stick with that view for now. You would get an excellent view of the Campanile from there, and also looking down on the terracotta rooftops of the centro storico.
Although the piazza outside the Duomo is too small and the building for too large to capture with even an ultra-wide-angle lens, the area has opportunities for some wonderful Florence photography.
The first time I went there was in the late ‘90s with a 35 mm film camera and a Chinese 6×6 twin lens reflex so I just had to make do with what I had – and when I next visited with better equipment, the most satisfying images I produced were the ones I replicated from my first visit.
Walk around, revisit at different times of the day (late afternoon was best) and even at dusk.
See Also: 9 Stunning Churches in Florence To Visit
Ponte Vecchio
The ‘Old Bridge’ is another Florence icon, a street of shops built onto what has become one of the most famous and beautiful bridges in Europe.
It’s also one of the most recognisable landmarks in Italy, its jewellery and craft stores busy with shoppers most of the day. It looks better from a short distance, its distinctive yellow hue glowing in the early morning and late evening light.
It works well as a subject both in daylight and at twilight, when it is well lit and looks especially beautiful with its lights reflected in the Arno.
The Ponte Vecchio also looks wonderful from the Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset, so look to shoot it first when you’re up there, before moving onto the twilights of the rest of the city.
River Arno
The main shot of the Arno is from the Piazzale, looking down with the Ponte Vecchio featuring prominently. However, it’s also worth spending some time walking along the river. The handsome buildings either side look so much more evocative when they’re reflected in the still or slow-moving water of the river, so take a little time to check this out as well.
San Miniato al Monte
When you visit the Piazzale Michelangelo, it’s worth the short extra climb to the gorgeous Romanesque church of San Miniato al Monte. It has a striking, typical black-and-white Florentine façade not dissimilar to other churches we mention below, and it looks wonderful from the steps leading up to it.
The church, one of the oldest in Florence, is well worth a visit, and on your way out, pause for a moment.
There is a tiny cemetery outside the church, and one of the memorials is especially beautiful. It’s of a woman with her children standing below her, all reaching up to her. The statue just happens to line up with the distinctive dome of the Duomo behind.
The first time I visited, over 20 years ago, I couldn’t believe the serendipity of the shot. Hopefully the mother statue will have been cleaned since my last visit.
See Also: 15 Of The Best Tuscany Hidden Gems
Michelangelo’s David
Michelangelo’s David is one of the most famous statues in the world. The original can be seen in the Accademia, and there is a replica in Piazza della Signoria, near the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio.
It makes for an better photographic subject outside, where, for an hour or two early afternoon each day, a shaft of sunlight squeezes down Piazzale degli Uffizi, illuminating the side of the statue. This gives it more depth than a shot in flat indoor lighting.
Piazza della Signoria – Palazzo Vecchio and Neptune Fountain
The Piazza della Signoria is one of the most popular places to see in Florence. As well as David, there are plenty of other photos to be had here. The austere, imposing Palazzo Vecchio is one of the most prominent Florence landmarks, and up close, it’s a full-on medieval skyscraper.
It looks its best in late evening light, and to fit most of it in the frame, you’ll need to head back to the edge of the square.
Just below the Palazzo Vecchio , the Neptune Fountain is one of the most common images of Florence in guidebooks and brochures.
Surrounded by smaller mythical figures, the main white marble Neptune figure is the focal point, and there are two angles to go for when photographing it. One is looking north across the square with the towers of the Badia Fiorentina and Bargello Museum behind it.
The other is later in the day with the Palazzo Vecchio looming behind it. Michelangelo was not impressed by the statue, telling sculptor Bartolomeo Ammannati he had spoiled a beautiful piece of marble.
A little harsh, perhaps, but the Neptune statue in Bologna is more impressive.
Santa Croce
This splendid Gothic basilica is located slightly away from the centro storico, just outside the former city walls near the Arno river. The main exterior shot is of its black-and-white marble façade, which was added over the old brick one in the 19th century.
The interior is fascinating, with a glorious Gothic chancel and the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo Galilei, not to mention the arch political schemer Niccolo Machiavelli.
Photographing church interiors and monuments is usually fraught with difficulty – it’s often banned outright, and if not, you tend to get very little time and have to shoot hand-held at very high ISO. Tripods are nearly always a no-no, so it’s not something to which I devote much time.
Santa Maria Novella Church
Santa Maria Novella is one of the finest churches in Florence, and the city’s main station, named Firenze SMN on timetables, is located just behind it and named after it.
The main shot of this handsome Florence church is the marble front, which, unusually, is at the east end of the church (as opposed to the usual west end) so it’s a morning rather than evening shot.
This former monastery church is filled with artistic treasures, including the frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio in the Cappella Tornabuoni.
Mercato Centrale and San Lorenzo Basilica
The Mercato Centrale – Florence Central Market – is a great place to photograph food stalls and just food. It’s one of the biggest in Italy and there are also several cafes and trattorie where you can tuck into some delicious food rather than photograph it.
The streets between the Mercato and the Basilica of San Lorenzo offer up some of the best opportunities for Florence street photography. One of the best photo spots in Florence is near the market entrance, looking down Via dell’Ariento towards the Basilica di San Lorenzo.
Also look out for the food shops in this area – the little place I’ve photographed here was on Via Sant’Antonino, within metres of the Central Market and Via dell’Ariento, but it looks like it has closed down in the last couple of years.
San Lorenzo is one of the most impressive churches in Florence. Photographically, its main feature is its red tiled dome, and inside the tombs of the Medici dynasty in the Cappelle Medicee are a must-see. There is ticketed entry to this part of the church, and don’t count on being able to photograph them. Sometimes just seeing it is the most you can do.
Photographing Florence – Final Words
I hope you have enjoyed my guide to photographing Florence, and that you have a chance to put some of my tips into practice soon.
Florence is an outstanding city to visit, somewhere you could easily spend a week or more. It’s one of the best places to stay in Tuscany – check out my guide for 8 alternative cities to base yourself around the region.
Florence is also close to some of the best Tuscany hidden gems. I’ve mentioned one – San Miniato al Monte – in this article. And there are several more within an hour’s drive of the city, including Vinci and the Mugello region.
If you intend travelling longer distances across Italy, Florence is easy to reach from all major Italian cities. If you’re planning to head north, check out my guide to the best things to do in Bologna, the fantastic food capital of Italy an hour up the tracks from Florence.
Travelling further north, I have written an extensive series of articles on Venice. If you’re keen on photographing Venice, then be sure to take a look at my guides to Sunrise in Venice and Sunset In Venice. And don’t miss my guide to the best things to do in Burano, the island village famous for its colourful fishermen’s houses.
I also suggest taking a look at my guide to the best churches in Venice, from St Mark’s Basilica to the hidden gems. And you can find other less-frequented places to visit in my Venice off the beaten path guide.
You may intend to head south from Florence, in which case take a look at my Rome to Pompeii day trip guide. If you’re in town at the right time of year, you may wish to catch the San Gennaro festival in Naples. It’s one of the most astonishing rituals (and perhaps miracles) anywhere in the Roman Catholic Church. See my guide to the Festa di San Gennaro Naples for more information.
If you’d like to read more general articles about Italy, then check out my Landmarks In Italy guide. And if you want to imagine yourself somewhere in Italy with a caffe and gelato, then take a look at my guide to the most beautiful squares in Italy.
David Angel is a British photographer, writer and historian. He is a European travel expert with over 30 years’ experience exploring Europe. He has a degree in History from Manchester University, and his work is regularly featured in global media including the BBC, Condé Nast Traveler, The Guardian, The Times, and The Sunday Times. David is fluent in French and Welsh, and can also converse in Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech and Polish.
Interested in photographing other European cities? Check out our other European city photography guides: