Florence & Tuscany Guide / Piazzas / Piazzale Michelangelo

The Piazzale Michelangelo overlooks one of the most famous and magnificent city views in the world. From here you can see the whole of Florence at a glance - from Forte Belvedere to Santa Croce, the Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo, the Uffizi, Palazzo della Signoria and the Bargello, etc. Higher up, on the other side of Florence, you can see the hills to the north, with Fiesole and the tall belltower of its Cathedral (1213) standing out in their midst. The square takes its name from the great bronze group that Poggi placed in its centre, a real "pastiche" of the work of Michelangelo, composed of copies of his David (now in the Academy Museum) and the four allegorical figures

Pope Clement VII commissioned him to carry out for the Medici tombs in the New Sacristy in San Lorenzo (these were for the tombs of Lorenzo Duke of Urbino and Giuliano Duke of Nemours).

The walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo starts out from Porta a San Niccolò (Piazza Poggi), the only gate whose original high tower of defence (1324) is still complete. Two small neo-sixteenth century palaces, built by Poggi to close off Via San Niccolò, stand opposite it. The first part of the pedestrian ramp that leads up to Piazzale Michelangelo and then on to the church courtyard of San Miniato is situated in the centre.

Poggi also designed the Loggia which can be seen tucked into the hill behind the sculptures; his idea of using it as a museum to contain all the works of Michelangelo came to nothing; today it is just a coffee bar and restaurant.