Is it worth visiting Boboli Gardens in Florence? I get asked this a lot.
First things first: it’s not free. Unless you visit on the first Sunday of the month (when state museums are free) – it costs 10 Euro to get in. Remember it’s vast (around 40 hectares), so you need at least 2-3 hours to visit it.
I used to skip school and go to this garden when it was still free for everybody, and tourists in Florence were more sparse. Although this was decades ago, I still have a special attachment to this place, that was once used as a garden to entertain nobles and VIPs, and I love its nostalgia-filled atmosphere.
But let’s get to the point… should you visit Boboli or skip it? I’ll give you my personal and honest opinion 🙂
And here it is: in brief, visit Boboli Gardens if you like the idea of the grottoes, bizarre statues, garden architecture and Florence’s historical places. It’s also a good place to find respite from the crowds (it’s a popular spot but thanks to its size it never feels overcrowded).
Don’t bother to visit Boboli if you’re expecting impeccably kept gardens filled with flowers and gorgeous trees. Certain parts of Boboli, including some fountains, are in need of maintenance and it shows. For me this gives the place a bit of charm, but If you think that sings of neglect are simply undesirable…. It might not be for you.
Should You Add Boboli Garden to Your Itinerary in Florence?
Don’t Visit Boboli Garden if…
If you have trouble walking, especially uphill, there’s a lot of pebbles, so walking isn’t always easy – or if you’re travelling with toddlers, it’s very hard to push a pushchair around Boboli!
If you expect a beautiful, perfectly manicured garden filled with flower beds and blooms. Boboli does not resemble an English-style garden. In Summer it’s very hot and dry, not at all lush, and in some part there’s not much shade either! So visiting in high summer isn’t advisable. You’ll find uneven gravel paths, rubble, potholes, overgrown hedges.
Not a place for picnics. Boboli Garden, like the official site explains, is not a place to bring blankets for picnics, or for sunbathing. It’s basically an open-air museum. All activities that you’d expect in a normal ‘park’ are not allowed: you can’t play with a ball, climb trees, or dive in the fountains.
Boboli is a monumental garden, an historical place that needs to be preserved. So if you’re looking for a place for the kids to run around, choose the Cascine Park along the Arno instead. It’s less scenic but you can happily use it as a park!
Looking for amazing views of Florence? Skip Boboli and go to Piazzale Michelangelo or Bardini Garden, a small historic garden with truly gorgeous views. Boboli has some nice views of the city, but nothing in comparison with these other two view points.
If you only have a couple of days to spend in the city, and it’s your first time, you should probably skip it. You might want to have a look at non touristy things to do in Florence or Florence’s unusual museums instead.
Visit Boboli Garden if…
If you’re interested in Florence’s history, and you like to see beautiful statues, fountains and mysterious places like the artificial grottoes – that were the trend in the Renaissance – then Boboli Garden is definitely your cup of tea.
I personally love the atmosphere, the details, the symbols hidden in the statues and weird-looking sculptures. You find ancient Gods, nymphs, grotesque figures, and even a dwarf riding a turtle!
It’s very much worth learning a bit before your visit. We suggest joining a Guided Tour with a local guide to get a better idea of how the garden developed throughout the centuries.
Boboli was first designed for – and financed by – the power couple Cosimo I de’ Medici (the ruler of Florence) and his wife Eleonora di Toledo. They bought Pitti Palace as a magnificent residence, and turned the annexed land into a vast garden to complete the picture, a garden to impress and entertain the powerful and head of states that came to visit them form all over Europe.
Higlights of Boboli Garden
This Italianate monumental garden has a long history and features from different eras. From the Renaissance statues representing the power of the Medici family, to contemporary addictions like the sculpture ‘Tindaro screpolato’ by Polish artist Igor Mitoraj.
The Grottoes with their complex esoteric symbolism – learn more about Boboli’s grottoes.
Fountains and ponds: Neptune’s Fountain, Isolotto.
The Amphiteatre, designed in the 16th century.
The rose garden and the Limonaia (in Spring).
Read more about the highlights of Boboli Garden. And all the info on the official site.
I wrote a brief article about Boboli history – a book that I found particularly interesting and detailed is ‘I Giardini di Boboli’ by Mariella Zoppi and ‘In the Boboli Garden’ by Marco Vichi.
TIPS for Visiting Boboli
If you’re in Florence in the Summer, plan your visit early in the morning – it opens at 8:15am, and closes at 7pm – so you’ll be done by Midday, when the sun is too hot to be walking around! There’s no a lot of shade, so bring sunscreen cream, hats and sun glasses.
Take water and some form of refreshments with you, as there’s no food or drink to be bought inside.
Wear comfortable shoes.
The main entrance is from Piazza Pitti, as the garden is behind Pitti Palace. But there are other 3 entrances: Via Romana, Porta Romana and Forte Belvedere. See all practical info, opening times and updates on the official site. On this site you can book tickets in advance. It’s not usually necessary, but if you’re travelling during peak season (May, June, September, October) it might be wise, to avoid queues. It’ll add 3 Euro to the ticket.
You can combine a visit to Boboli with the Pitti Palace and its art galleries, but keep in mind that both attractions are vast, and if you have limited time it might not be possible. Or you might need to rush a bit. There are guided tours that show you the highlights of Boboli & Pitti Palace, explaining the history and curiosities, and this might be a good option if your time is limited.
Author: Sabrina Nesi, born in Florence, founder of Lovefromtuscany.com, passionate about sharing the beauty of Tuscany and Italy with the world.
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