This summer in Florence, when the temps are quite warm during the day, you can dedicate a part of your evening to culture and art! The Uffizi, Accademia, Bargello and Medici Chapels all are offering extended opening times on different days of the week to offer a chance to visit these popular museums outside of their normal opening times, allowing you to also spread out your day’s activities into later in the day.
UFFIZI LIVE – TUESDAYS
The Uffizi, every Tuesday evening until September 27th, will stay open until 10pm. “Uffizi Live“, the cultural festival taking place on these Tuesdays, offers visitors the chance to enjoy the works on exhibit accompanied with other forms of art, from music to theater to dance and other artistic performances. You can see more on the Uffizi Live calendar for August here.
ACCADEMIA – TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS
The Accademia Gallery is also offering extended opening hours on Tuesdays this summer, staying open until 10pm up until September 27. In addition, the museum is also open every Friday evening until 10pm (until September 30th), with an extra added on: free guided “art” tours. These tours focus on a specific work, artist or art movement each Friday, so you’ll have to see what is on schedule for any Friday you visit. See the schedule for August here.
BARGELLO – THURSDAYS & LONGER HOURS
Every Thursday this August, the Bargello will remain open until 8pm as part as a nation-wide ministerial initiative to keep museums open longer hours.
Also starting this week and up until November 1st, the Bargello is extending its normal opening times until 5pm. Taking advantage of these longer opening times, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday this August, visitors can join in on a guided tour (in Italian only) at 4pm of a part of the collection. You don’t need to book this tour, just show up at the meeting point near the ticket office a few minutes before 4pm to join in.
MEDICI CHAPELS – LONGER HOURS
The Medici Chapels is also extending its normal opening hours from now until November 1st, staying open until 5pm. The Medici Chapels is also offering short tours on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays this August, both in English and Italian, that will allow visitors to gain greater insight into either the technique of “pietre dure” within the Chapel of the Princes (August 4, 6, 12, 18, 20 and 26) or learn more about the New Sacristy and Michelangelo’s fine works (August 5, 11, 13, 19, 25 and 27). The tours in English are at 3pm, the tours in Italian at 4pm; meeting point is near the ticket office and groups of up to 25 will be formed.
ORSANMICHELE – MONDAYS THIS AUGUST
The Museum of Orsanmichele is open every Monday from 10am to 4.50pm by a group of volunteers from the Friends of the Florence Museums, with free entry. The museum has communicated that the volunteers will be available all throughout the month of August to keep the museum open every Monday, with full hours. Always check ahead of time whether some of the smaller museums will be open this August, as some will be closed.
About Lourdes Flores
An American living in Florence for over 10 years, Lourdes continues to explore and discover new places in Tuscany with the eyes of a tourist but with the experience of living in Italy. She shares her experiences on this blog and website, particularly offering lots of travel planning help on the Forum!
