Everyday Life at Cosimo's Court

Today Palazzo Vecchio is a museum, but in the past its richly decorated rooms used to house the magnificent dwelling place of Duke Cosimo I de' Medici, his wife, Eleonora di Toledo and their eleven children. In a constant comparison with modern day life, the young visitors are welcomed by the wet nurse of the small princes and princesses who accompanies them through the rooms of the Palazzo discovering the daily life of this unusual family, the ducal family, and especially of the Dukes' children.

After admiring the splendour and magnificence of the rooms of the museum with its pictures and statues, as well as its curiosities, the visit ends with a meeting with the Duchess Eleonora di Toledo who appears like a fairytale princess to all her young visitors. During the encounter with Eleonora the children will see some of the toys her children used to play with, and the clothes the young princes and princesses wore, all of which can be touched and also tried on by the braver, allowing the Duchess to answer all the questions of her young visitors

General information

The main entrance to the museum is in via dei Gondi . For security reasons, at both entrances, visitors are asked to pass through metal detectors and eventually be checked by the municipal policemen. Security controls can slow the access to the museum, so it is highly recommended to arrive some time before the planned schedule.

All activities for children require the presence of an adult.

The tours of the Secret passages are not accessible for visitors with wheelchair disabilities.

All the guided tour in Palazzo Vecchio need to be reserved. If you want see the palace by your own can enter through the side door, in via dei Gondi without reservations, but at the ticket office you have to respect the line.

Occasionally tours are cancelled as the Palazzo Vecchio is still a functioning civic government building. In case of tours cancelled you will be notified.

The Palazzo Vecchio tours are not wheelchair accessible, though the building itself is wheelchair accessible. The entrance for people with disabilities is the side door in Via dei Gondi.

Additional information: You must be at the museum 15 minutes before your scheduled entrance time to redeem your tickets.

May purchase Reduced/Half Ticket ^*:

• People between 18 and 25 years old (valid identity document needed at the entrance)
• People over 65 years old
• For children from 3 to 17 age: € 2,00 without extra fee. Tickets can be purchased directly at ticket office of the Museum.

Timetable Museum of Palazzo Vecchio

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 9 am h/7 pm h
Wednesday and week-day holiday (6th January, Monday of Easter, 25 april, 2th june, 24 june,
1° November, 8 December, 26 December) 9 am h /2 am h
Closed 1° january, Easter, 1° may, 15 August, 25 December

Timetable of activities

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 09 am h /05 pm h 30
Saturday and Sunday 09 am h/06 pm h
Wednesday 09 am h /12 pm h 30
feste infrasettimanali 10 am h / 01 pm h
Saturday and Sunday 10 am h/6 pm h