Florence / Attractions guide / Palazzo Pitti & Boboli Gardens
Palace · Gardens
Palazzo Pitti & Boboli Gardens
The Medici's second, vastly larger palace across the river, with terraced hillside gardens behind it that shaped how formal European gardens would look for centuries.
- Price
- From about €10 (winter) to €22 (summer combined)
- Hours
- Tue–Sun 8:15am–6:30pm · closed Mondays
- Avg. visit
- 1.5 hours palace + 1.5 hours gardens
- Book ahead
- Recommended, not always essential
The core of the palace dates to 1457, built for the banker Luca Pitti to a design attributed to Brunelleschi, though only the central seven-window block survives from that original phase. In 1549 the Medici bought it, and Bartolomeo Ammannati added the grand courtyard and side wings — the palace kept growing for the next two centuries as successive Grand Dukes made it their primary residence across the river from the Uffizi and the seat of government.
The Palatine Gallery hangs paintings floor to ceiling in the old aristocratic manner rather than by school or period, with a remarkable concentration of Raphaels among works by Titian and Rubens. Behind the palace, the Boboli Gardens climb the hillside in geometric terraces of clipped hedges, grottoes and fountains, laid out from the mid-16th century onward as one of the earliest and most influential examples of the formal Italian garden.
Inside
What to see
- The Palatine Gallery and its dense, salon-style hang of Raphaels and Titians
- The Royal Apartments, furnished as the House of Savoy left them
- The Boboli Gardens' amphitheatre and the Neptune fountain terrace above it
- The Buontalenti Grotto, an artificial cave near the garden's Pitti-side entrance
Practical
Good to know
- Palace and gardens are ticketed separately or as a combined pass, and pricing shifts by season — summer rates run noticeably higher than winter.
- The gardens need comfortable shoes — steep gravel paths and real elevation change, not a flat stroll.
- A 50% discount applies to visitors who arrive before 9am and enter by 9:25am, year-round.
Timing
When it's busiest
- Right at opening
- Quiet
- Late morning
- Busy
- Early afternoon
- Moderate
- Last hour
- Quiet
Nearby
Combine your visit
5-minute walk
Ponte Vecchio
Straight down Via Guicciardini back across the river.
Visit →
10-minute walk across the bridge
Galleria degli Uffizi
Cross back over Ponte Vecchio for the Medici's other, larger gallery.
Visit →
20-minute walk
Piazzale Michelangelo
Continue east and uphill through the Oltrarno for the classic overlook.
Visit →
FAQ
Common questions
Do I need separate tickets for the palace and the gardens?
You can buy them separately, but a combined Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens ticket covers both plus the smaller Bardini Garden, and is usually the simpler choice if you plan to see everything.
Why do prices change through the year?
The Boboli Gardens and combined tickets run on a seasonal pricing structure, higher from March through October when the gardens are at their fullest and busiest.
Is it worth doing both the palace and the gardens in one visit?
If you have around three hours, yes — but if time is tight, the gardens are the more distinctive experience of the two and easier to enjoy without deep art-history context.
How much walking is involved in the gardens?
More than it looks from the entrance — the terraces climb a genuine hillside with gravel paths and some steep sections, so comfortable shoes matter more here than at most Florence sights.