Access to Florentine Treasures for Families

 

Villa La Petraia, on the outskirts of Florence, is one of the sites that can be visited for free thanks to the initiative

Until Sept. 30:  FREE ENTRANCE AND GUIDED VISITS AT FLORENCE MUSEUMS & GARDENS.

The CRF Foundation invites Florentines– both natives and residents — to discover the city’s most beautiful museums and historic gardens for free.  As the city continues to open, this initiative provides the opportunity for Florentines, as well as residents of the neighboring municipalities of Scandicci, Fiesole, Calenzano, Signa, Lastra a Signa, Sesto Fiorentino, Bagni a Ripoli, Campi Bisenzio and Pontassieve, to enjoy the treasures of their city.

The 12 sites in the cycle of free guided tours for a minimum of one adult and children and up to five members of the same family include the Accademia Gallery, the Botanical Gardens, Boboli Gardens, the Uffizi, the Bargello Museum, Palazzo Vecchio, the Medici Chapels and Bardini Garden.  The itineraries, especially tailored to families with children, include free guided tours with language and content suitable for ages 6-12.  Authorized tourist guides with specialties in art history and the history of Florence provide insights into the secrets and curiosities of the city.

One visit entitled ‘Activate the Senses at the Botanical Garden of Florence,’ a multisensory journey to get to know rare and precious plants cultivated and loved by the Medici family, even features plants that are carnivores.  Another itinerary, ‘Workshop Life: Michelangelo’s Florence,’ accompanies visitors to the Accademia Gallery discovering early sixteenth century Florence and its shops which were home to artists, students and great masters. Next to the David, children can have fun identifying the four prisoners and learn about the process Michelangelo used to create them.

With ‘Hunting for Myths and Symbols at the Uffizi Galleries,’ participants can embark on a fantastic journey to discover myths, fables and symbols hidden in the greatest masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance and guarded by one of the most important museums in the world.  Secrets and legends will fascinate the little ones who, with simple and clear language, can be directly involved in the observation of the works of the greatest artists of the past, from Botticelli to Leonardo da Vinci, from Michelangelo to Raphael.

Visiting the Museum of the Opera del Duomo and the Baptistery of Santa Maria del Fiore, in the tour ‘Florence (Almost) All In One Museum,’ visitors view the Duomo anew as the religious and beating heart of our city, a laboratory for many artists who have loved and sometimes competed to embellish Santa Maria del Fiore since ancient times. The guide will involve the children in the discovery of the history of the entire complex with a visit to the beautiful Museum of the Opera del Duomo and then visit the Baptistery and its amazing 13th-century mosaics.

The guided visits, ongoing through September 30, are free upon reservation and exclusively for families and children resident in the Municipality of Florence.  For as many families as possible to participate in the initiative, each person and/or family group can book a maximum of one itinerary.  Itineraries provide for compliance with all anti-COVID19 safety standards including limiting the number of participants from five to 15, thus making the experience truly unique and extraordinary.  (rita kungel)

The complete calendar of the visits and telephone number for mandatory reservations can be found at the website:  www.fondazionecrfirenze.it/passeggiate-fiorentine