We have two long holiday weekends coming up and you might be wondering what will be open or closed in Florence.
Most restaurants and shops do remain open, seeing as they are the perfect time when lots of people travel and sight-see it wouldn’t make sense to do otherwise. But sometimes, places of culture such as museums are another matter for which you have to plan.
April 25th and May 1st
Monday, April 25th is Liberation Day for Italy. It isn’t celebrated with grand fanfare but it is a national holiday. Expect banks, public offices and schools to be closed. Most museums maintain their normal hours for April 25th, depending on the day of the week it falls on.
May 1st is International Labor Day and, as such, it is a holiday for all workers. Of course, not everyone can really take the day off, essential services have to continue and eating is considered quite essential. You should be able to find places to eat: but if you’re really looking forward to eating at any one particular place, to call ahead and make reservations. Lots of people will be out and about and unless you book or get there early, you might arrive at a place and find no space available.
Art and Culture on Holidays
In Florence, both the Uffizi and Accademia Gallery which are normally closed on Mondays have announced special openings for April 25th and May 2nd (paid entrance, normal hours 8.15am-6.50pm). If you’re in town and wanting to visit either or both museums, now you know that you can visit these two on these upcoming Mondays.
Here’s a full list of what and when is open on April 25th:
– Uffizi – 8.15am-6.50pm
– Accademia – 8.15am-6.50pm
– Bargello – 8.15am-5pm
– Medici Chapels – 8.15am-5pm
– Palazzo Davanzati – 8.15am-4pm
– Orsanmichele – 10am-5pm
– Palazzo Vecchio – 9am-11pm
– Novecento Museum – 9am-7pm
– Santa Maria Novella – 9am-7pm
– Brancacci Chapel – 10am-5pm
– Bardini museum – 11am-5pm
– Bigallo museum – 9.30am-12.30pm
– Fondazione Salvatore Romano – 10am-5pm
– Palazzo Strozzi – 10am-8pm – Exhibit “From Kandinky to Pollock”
– Boboli Gardens – 8.15am-6.30pm
– Costume Gallery and Silver Museum at Palazzo Pitti – 8.15am-6.30pm
This year, May 1st also happens to be the first Sunday of the month so the few state museums that will be open will have free entrance!
Free entrance and special opening on May 1st for these:
– Bargello Museum – 8.15am-2pm
– Medici Chapels – 8.15am-2pm
– Palazzo Davanzati – 8.15am-2pm
For all three, last entrance is by 1:20pm.
Other museums open on May 1st (with paid entrance; civic museums free on this Sunday only to local residents):
– Palazzo Vecchio – 9am-11pm
– Novecento Museum – 9am-7pm
– Santa Maria Novella – 1pm-5.30pm
– Brancacci Chapel – 1-5pm
– Bigallo museum – 9.30am-12.30pm
– Palazzo Strozzi – 10am-8pm – Exhibit “From Kandinky to Pollock”
– Boboli Gardens – 8.15am-6.30pm * special opening *
– Last Supper Andrea del Sarto – 08:00-14:00
– Gardens at Villa a Castello – 13:30-18:30 (last entrance 18.00)
– Villa della Petraia – 13:30-18:30 (last entrance 17.30)
– Villa Corsini a Castello – 08:00-14:00 (last entrance 13.00)
– Archeaological National Museum di Firenze – 08:30-19:00 (last entrance 18,15)
– Garden of Villa il Ventaglio – 08:00-19:00
– Museum of San Marco – 08:15-13:50
Note that Accademia and Uffizi ARE CLOSED on MAY 1st but they will both have a special opening on Monday, May 2nd.
These museums will be open on May 2:
– Uffizi – 8.15am-6.50pm
– Accademia – 8.15am-6.50pm
– Boboli Gardens – 8.15am-6.30pm
– Costume Gallery and Silver Museum at Palazzo Pitti – 8.15am-6.30pm
Enjoy your time in Florence!
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!
