Florence, with its centuries old history, still tries to keep up with the times, inventing something new every year. Recently a few attractions have been added to the calendar and the list of things to do in 2024.
Want to see Florence from a different perspective? Ride the panoramic wheel that will be open until June 2024. Continue with the unusual points of view, visiting the Museum of Illusions. Culture buffs this year have plenty reasons to rejoice: a magnificent bookstore-cinema inside the GiuntiOdeon, a new acquisition for the Bargello Museum, and the Medici museum inside Brunelleschi’s Rotonda.
=> Unmissable Museums in Florence
=> Best Things to do in Florence in 2024
What’s new in Florence in 2024 – Fun, Culture & Art
This year Florence Eye, the great Panoramic Wheel at the Cascine Park, will stay until 10th June 2024. In the past it was open only during Christmas holidays, but in 2024 there’s more time to enjoy the experience and get an upgraded panoramic view of Florence. It’s the tallest wheel in Italy! => Where to find it: Piazza Vittorio Veneto. You can reach it with the tramvia Linea 1, stop Cascine.
Museo delle Illusioni – Museum of Illusions is becoming very popular with locals and tourists alike. An historic building hosts this relatively new museum (it opened its doors a year ago), which is fun, wicked and original. Optical illusions, scientific principles and puzzling artworks create a world where illusion goes hand in hand with reality. Interactive and inspiring, a 600 square meter space where you can learn, have fun, and experience life in the upside down.
Take an iconic Florentine building, an historic cinema, and a love of books, and you have the newly reopened Odeon Cinema-Bookstore – now GiuntiOdeon . The popular cinema in Florence – that started its life as a theatre in 1922 – has recently reopen, giving new life to this iconic venue. Today it’s an elegant-looking bookstore, a venue for cultural events and original language cinema with 200 seats and a led wall for projections. What’s more, you can freely sit at one of the little tables up on the balcony or in the cinema seating area, for studying or get some creative inspiration. Uniquely beautiful venue for anyone who loves cultural entertainment in a stylish setting.
=> My Secret Florence: hidden gems in the city of the Renaissance
In 2024 there’s a new reason to pay a visit to the Bargello Museum in Florence. A treasure trove for anyone who loves sculptures, the Bargello has recently acquired a terracotta relief by Donatello, one for the Florentine artists who started the Renaissance. His Madonna was originally placed on a facade of a Florentine building, and has been finally brought to the museum that has many of Donatello’s significant works. It shows the skills of the master, who together with Brunelleschi was studying ancient art to bring a new sensitivity to his creations.
This one is for all fans of the Medici family. Last October the small Medici Museum has been moved to the Rotonda Brunelleschi – in itself an iconic example of Renaissance architecture that is now open to the public. “Brunelleschi built the rotonda following the model of the Roman pantheon, and now we’re turning it into a temple dedicated to the women and men of the Medici family, who’ve shaped Florence and made it immortal“, said the director of the Museum. So if you know about the Medici and would like to see some of their artefacts, portraits and curiosities, visit this friendly museum and get an insight into the Medici legacy.
=> For Medici’s fans check out our Medici Palaces itinerary, meet the Medici in their residences.
The Specola Museum of Zoology and Natural History, one of Europe’s oldest scientific museum – with a vast and best-known wax anatomical collection – reopens in February 2024 after a complete makeover.
Art lover? Check out the Top Art Exhibits in Florence in 2024
Restaurants and Bars to Try This Year
The historic Giacosa cocktail bar has recently reopened after being shut a few years ago. The history of Giacosa – on the corner between Via Tornabuoni and Via della Spada – is strictly linked to the Negroni cocktail. It’s here that the famous drink was born, and now, 200 years after its first opening, comes back with a new management and a modern touch.
Gunè Next Door cocktail bar opens next to the Gunè restaurant, in San Frediano, neighbourhood which is justly famous for its nightlife. Curated cocktails, old and new, in an intimate atmosphere. 18 seats. It’s in Via del Drago d’Oro 5/red.
If you like your cocktail served with a pizza, try Tiratissima pizza lounge & cocktails (in viale G. Amendola). Innovative pizza, vintage decor, and a fun atmosphere.
=> Florence for Foodies: 12 Amazing Experiences for Food Lovers
=>Most Beautiful Squares in Florence
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