Are you wondering what the Florence Free Sunday is all about? How can you make the most of the free access to some of the city’s top sights?

Join me as I run through the sites, monuments and museums that are included in this Italy-wide initiative.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Florence’s Free Sunday. The free first Sundays, also known as the Sunday at the Museum initiative, not only makes the city’s glorious cultural treasures more accessible, but it’s also a great opportunity to try something new.

And who doesn’t love finding a few free things to do in Florence?

Not every museum and site in Florence is part of the Free Sunday initiative so keep reading as I take you through everything you need to know.

Sunday at the Museum takes place on the first Sunday of the month. It’s an Italy-wide program that aims to make top cultural spots more accessible. This includes locations in Rome, Venice, Naples and more.

Free entrance on the first Sunday of the month is available to everyone and applies all year round.

So, whenever you’re visiting Florence, you’ll be able to save money on major attractions. The initiative covers many Florence state sites and monuments, including the Uffizi Gallery, Bargello Museum, and Accademia Gallery.

When you’re trying to take advantage of free entrance to Florence’s finest museums, you need to come prepared, especially if you’re visiting the city for the first time.

The state museums that participate in the First Sunday initiative are:

• The Uffizi Gallery, the Boboli Gardens and Palazzo Pitti
• The Accademia Gallery
• The Last Supper by Andrea del Sarto in the Church of San Salvi
• Florence National Archaeological Museum
• The Medici Chapels (but not the adjacent church of San Lorenzo)
• The Medici Villa of Cerreto Guidi and the Historical Museum of Hunting and the Territory via Ponti Medici
• Bargello National Museum
• The Garden of the Villa Medicea di Castello

All state museums participating in the Sunday at the Museum operate according to their regular opening hours. It’s a good idea to confirm on their website however if you’re on a specific schedule.

Only state museums participate in the Domenica al Museo initiative. It doesn’t include archaeological sites or civic museums that are run by private owners.

Also, not all state-run museums will offer free admission on Sundays. These include the Duomo Complex, Santa Maria Novella, and Palazzo Vecchio.

However, if you’re a Florence resident, you’ll will have access to the Palazzo Vecchio (be aware that the Arnolfo Tower closes at 5:00PM on Sundays), the Medici Riccardi Palace, the Museo Novecento, the Brancacci Chapel, the Stefano Bardini Museum and the complex of Santa Maria Novella.

You’ll need to show a valid identity document to take advantage of these free activities for residents.

If you want to spend any time at a sight in Florence, you’ll want to make sure you’ll be granted access. To do this, you’d usually book each site in advance and ensure you have all of your reservation information handy at the entrance.

On the Florence Free Sunday days however, you can’t book in advance and all sites operate on a first-come, first-served basis. You need to plan to get there early and be prepared to queue therefore.

What about the Firenze Pass?

The Firenze Card is the official museum pass for the city of Florence. It gives you access to an impressive number of museums and attractions across the city. This includes major attractions like Palazzo Pitti, the Uffizi Gallery, and Galleria dell’Accademia.

With the Firenze Card, you still need to book your time slot in advance for the Uffizi Gallery, the Galleria dell’Accademia and the Brancacci Chapel.

However, during free entry days, it is not possible to book in advance at all. So, you won’t be able to skip the line using your Firenze Card for the Florence Free Sunday.

You can certainly join a guided tour of Florence during the Free Sundays. However, you still won’t be eligible to skip any lines.

Normally most guided tours will give you priority access but on the free admission days, tour providers are subject to the same rules as everyone else.

This doesn’t mean that no tours will be running, but it might be more difficult to book one. This is because it is not very attractive for guides and tour companies to organise tours on the first Sunday of the month. The fact that their clients will have to wait in line and entrance is not guaranteed makes it difficult.

If you’re still interested, you’ll be best off booking a private or semi-private tour, where the guides don’t have to manage a large group of people.