As Florence opens its new northbound tramline, known as the T1 Leonardo line, we explore what cultural highlights the city’s north has to offer this summer and beyond.
1/ Tram stop: Fortezza Fiere e Congressi
Holding the fort
Famous as Florence’s fashion week venue, the Fortezza da Basso (also known as Forte San Giovanni) is riding the tramvia wave this summer with free guided tours. Check out the majestic Medici stronghold, from the ramparts to the underground walkways (open to the public for the first time), every Saturday morning in July, August and September at 9:30am, 10:30am and 11:30am. Booking required (055 2768224 / info@muse.comune.fi.it).
Viale Filippo Strozzi 1, Florence
2/ Tram stop: Leopoldo
Swords and shields
A favourite among families, the Stibbert Museum is a 15-minute walk from the new Leopoldo tram stop. Born in 1838 to an English father and Italian mother, Frederick Stibbert spent his life collecting objects ranging from armor to weapons to paintings to costumes, which are displayed in the impressive villa. Temples, grottos and fountains set the scene in the surrounding English gardens (free entrance).
Stibbert Museum: 10am-2pm Monday to Wednesday; 10am-6pm Friday to Sunday. Closed every Thursday, January 1, Easter Sunday, May 1, August 15, December 25.
Stibbert Gardens: open 8am-7pm, April to October; 8am-5pm, November to March. Closed every Thursday, January 1, Easter Sunday, May 1, August 15, December 25.
Via Federico Stibbert 26, Florence
3 / Tram stop: Dalmazia
Curtain’s up
In the winter, head to Teatro di Rifredi for an eclectic line-up of plays. This summer, the neighbourhood theatre is taking the tram (literally!) for an immersive and itinerant urban play in which the audience wearing special headphones. Written by three Belgians and translated into Italian, Walking Thérapie sees the first act at Teatro di Rifredi, the second act on the new tramline and the third in Scandicci. Performances run from July 23 to August 4 with a 9pm start (Sundays off), tickets cost 10 euro.
Via Vittorio Emanuele II 303, Florence
4 / Tram stop: Poggetto
Swimming + cinema
The summer’s turned to “on” as you step off the tram at Poggetto. Popular city hangout Auditorium Flog offers a packed “Cinema Under The Stars” programme, from dark comedy The Party on July 18 to Academy Award-winning The Shape of Water on July 24. All films are in Italian and start at 9.30pm. Full line-up here. Plus, there’s the recently renovated Poggetto pool of course, open daily 10am-7pm.
Via Michele Mercati 24B, Florence
5 / Tram stop: Careggi
Medici monuments
In the 1500s the Careggi hills were the chosen land for the Medici’s country villas. Ride the T1 tram to Careggi and view the Villa di Careggi from the outside (today it houses the hospital’s offices), admiring the place where Lorenzo the Magnificent was born and died and once home to the Neoplatonic Academy, an important cultural centre in the early Renaissance frequented by Brunelleschi, Politian and Donatello. A half-hour walk northwest brings us to Villa La Quiete, an outpost of the University of Florence, where free guided tours are available in July and August on Tuesday and Thursday evening at 6 and 8pm. Booking required (055 2756444 / edumsn@unifi.it). The Villa di Castello stands a further 20 minutes northwest on foot. Home to the Accademia della Crusca, the protectors of the Italian language, guided tours of the villa are available by booking (email incontralacrusca@crusca.fi.it), while the mesmerizing gardens are open in June and July 8.30am-6.30pm daily, July 17, 21, 23, 30 8.30am-1.30pm.
Villa di Careggi, viale Gaetano Pieraccini 17, Florence (not open to the public)
Villa La Quiete, Via di Boldrone 2, Florence
Villa di Castello, Via di Castello 47, Florence
