Women in Florence

A three-hour private walking tour dedicated to remarkable women, including a visit to Santa Maria Novella

While strolling around Florence, it’s undeniable that historical figures like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei and Machiavelli, have shaped the city’s history. However, what about women? Who are the female protagonists of the cradle of the Renaissance?

During this three-hour private walking tour, we will resurrect an almost forgotten story – that of women in Florence.

From the Renaissance to present day, you will be amazed to discover how many women have influenced and changed the destiny of this beautiful town.

Meet your private guide in Piazza Pitti and walk through the historic center to learn how women lived in the past. You will pass by buildings that were once homes to poetesses, princesses, brave ladies, muses and artists. 

Your expert guide will narrate their lives and reveal hidden gems of Florence. The special tour concludes with a visit to the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, where you can admire the largest Last Supper ever painted by a nun, the artist Plautilla Nelli.

Palazzo Pitti and the Medici ladies 

The Medici, the most popular and powerful family of Florence, gave rise to highly educated ladies who, in some cases, were real protagonists of the city’s artistic and intellectual life. The Pitti Palace served as their main residence, a shrine full of private stories of obedience and rebellion, devotion, and independence. It’s no surprise that the last Medici member was a woman, Anna Maria Luisa. Your guide will recount how she saved her family’s heritage and altered the history of her town.

The women of Santo Spirito

A few steps away from Piazza Pitti, the Santo Spirito district is filled with powerful female figures, such as the English poetess Elizabeth Barrett Browning or the fearless antifascist Anna Maria Ichino. During this walk, your guide won’t only delve into the past but also highlight modern businesswomen, including artisans and designers. If you’re a wine lover, a look at Palazzo Frescobaldi is a must. Your expert guide will explain how the ladies of this ancient family are the modern protagonists of winemaking, with a 700-year experience in the field.

The most beautiful woman of Florence: Simonetta Vespucci

Crossing the river, your private guide will lead you to a hidden gem of Florence: the Church of Ognissanti. Alongside precious works of art from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, this holy space is the burial place of a legendary beauty, Simonetta Vespucci. Your guide will recount how this young girl became the muse to the most famous painter of the 15th century, Sandro Botticelli, enchanting everyone with her grace and stunning elegance.

Plautilla Nelli, the painter nun

Leaving the Church of Ognissanti, the tour continues with a visit to one of Florence’s main religious buildings, the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella. Here, you’ll find the biggest painting ever created by a female artist – The Last Supper by Plautilla Nelli. Restored in 2019, thanks to the efforts of Advanced Women Artists, a non-profit organization, this painting sheds new light on the work and life of the painter nun. 

Our tour about the remarkable women of Florence concludes with the fascinating figure of Plautilla Nelli. Many forgotten women are yet to be discovered, but thanks to this special tour, your expert guide will bring back to life an unexplored piece of Florence.