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Many visitors to Florence are dazzled by its beautiful architecture and artwork. Wandering the halls of the Uffizi and gazing on Michelangelo’s ‘David’, it’s hard to imagine the scandal and violence that characterized Florence before the Renaissance. On this night walking tour we peel back the layers to uncover an older, darker side of the city, telling you the legends and mysteries that shed new light on some of the city’s most important sites.
Our tour reveals sordid tales of the true Florence of the Medieval Ages, when cutthroat business (sometimes literal) was the name of the game, and protecting your tower home from intruders meant keeping a cauldron of oil always on the boil. It was a time when streets deemed “too dark” were closed as a matter of public safety and traitors were burned, their bodies hung out in public as a warning to all. Hear about the series of events that led to the attempted assassination of the Medici heirs (in a church no less) and the love stories that set medieval Florentine tongues wagging.
For two hours your expert, English-speaking guide will lead you around the city of Florence, uncovering the history hidden behind stone walls. You’ll see Palazzo di Bianca Cappello, a palace built by the Grand Duke for his mistress, and discover the cause of their mysterious deaths, only recently brought to light through the use of modern technology. With Piazza Signoria and Ponte Vecchio on our route, you’ll see some of the most famous sites of Florence – although the stories you hear there and the details you notice will be a lot less well-known.
It’s not all treachery and treason though. We’ll end our tour on a sweet note with a stop at one of Florence’s best gelaterias, for a gelato of your choice.
Traveling in small groups of 25 people or less, your guide will be easy to interact with and your group small enough to navigate the streets and piazzas of Florence without disturbing the peace.
Join us on this original night walking tour and experience the city as you would never have seen it otherwise. Florence as it was before the Renaissance – a defensive city of tragic love stories, fatal pride and feuding families.
