Florence, Italy: Beautiful, Historic, Impressive, and Overpriced Like Everything in Florence

Palazzo Medici Riccardi
Via Camillo Cavour 3
50129 Firenze, Italy
Phone: +39 055 2760340
Website: palazzo-medici.it
Prices: $$$$

One of the most ancient and important palaces in Florence, Palazzo Medici Riccardi belonged to the infamous Medici family who started construction in 1445 under the direction of Michelozzo di Bartolomeo, completing the palace in about 10 years.

Courtyard and Statues

Palazzo Medici Riccardi sits prominently on the northwest corner of Via L. Gori just one block north of the Piazza del Duomo (take the street that heads north just between the Battistero di San Giovanni - aka Baptistry of Saint John - and Santa Maria del Fiore - aka "Duomo" or "Cathedral". Entrance is €7 for adults and includes the impressive Capella dei Magi di Benozzo Gozzoli (Chapel of the Magi by Benozzo Gozzoli), the Medici family chapel and the first thing you visit as you enter the apartments on the second (European first) floor. Not very large, the chapel's ornate frescoes, painted in the mid-Fifteenth Century by Gozzoli, tell the story of the journey of the three kings to Bethlehem interspersed with members of the powerful Medici family along the way.

Magi Chapel

The rest of the apartment has a few pieces of furniture, some statues, paintings and tapestries, but the most impressive thing is the palace itself, its beautiful courtyards, and the chapel of course. There are art exhibitions in three locations around the courtyard on the ground floor which are included in your admission.

Palace Interior

Definitely worth a visit, I am not sure it is worth €7 ($7.60) and would be a much better value in the €4 to €5 range. Florence would definitely benefit from a "reasonably priced" all inclusive museum day-ticket option other than the Firenze Card (€72 - good for 72 hours). The Amici degli Uffizi card (€60/adult and good from Jan 1 - Dec 31) used to allow free entry into most of the major museums and churches, including unlimited access to the Uffizi Gallery and Galleria L'academia (statue of David), but starting in June 2015 they limited entry only to the Uffizi, making it a much less attractive option.

Medici Family Portraits

CombatCritic Gives Palazzo Medici Riccardi 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Six Bombs Equates To:

"Good To Go"

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

TripAdvisor - Top Contributor

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

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Title: Florence, Italy: Beautiful, Historic, Impressive, and Overpriced Like Everything in Florence

Key Words: Palazzo Medici Riccardi, palazzo, Medici, riccardi, Florence, Firenze, Italy, Italia, magi, chapel, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, attraction, museum, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor

Translation for Civilians: 

Another FREE Florence (Italy) Attraction: The Elizabeth Barrett Browning Home - Casa Guidi

Casa Guidi

Piazza San Felice 8

50125 Florence, Italy

Near Palazzo Pitti

Phone: +39 055 354457

Prices: FREE

Casa Guidi, Elizabeth Barrett Browning's (EBB) former home and where she died, is in Florence ... and, unlike most everything else in the city, it is FREE to visit!

My wife is a huge fan of the Brönte sisters and EBW was a fan of Charlotte's. I also enjoy her poetry and have a First Edition of one of her works, so I was also interested in visiting her home.

Just down the street from Palazzo Piti on the Altrarno side of the river, Casa Guidi is located on the first floor (second floor to Americans) of a historic palazzo. There is an engraved stone marker above the massive door indicating where she lived and a brass nameplate above the buzzer outside with details about operating hours. There is also a single brass button below the rest that merely says "Elizabeth".

Living Room

The apartment consists of just three rooms that you can visit, but they are spectacular and contain furniture of hers and from the period as well as photos, paintings, busts, and other memorabilia. Her husband study is small, but has elaborate frescoes on the walls and ceilings. The dining room is large, but not extremely interesting. The living room, off of which are the bedrooms and kitchen (not open to the public, but apparently you can rent them for lodging). is massive and contains a large library of her works, more artwork, and some beautiful period furniture as well as some of her possessions.

Husband's Study

The visit is self-guided and FREE, but you must visit on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday (April to November) between 3PM and 6PM only. Just ring the buzzer for Casa Guidi, though the giant door and a gate, then go up one flight of stairs to her apartment on the left.

CombatCritic Gives Casa Guidi 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

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Title: Another FREE Florence (Italy) Attraction: The Elizabeth Barrett Browning Home - Casa Guidi

Key Words: FREE, Florence, Italy, Attraction, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Elizabeth, Barrett, Browning, Home, Casa Guidi, Firenze, review, museum, attraction, Yelp, TripAdvisor, travel, value