🏛️ Palazzo Pitti in Florence: tickets and hours 2026

Palazzo Pitti is often skipped by tourists in favor of the Uffizi Gallery. That's a mistake. It's the largest palace in Florence, and five separate museums operate under its roof. Admission for one person starts at 16 € on the day of your visit (As of: 09/2026, Uffizi Galleries rates). From Santa Maria Novella station you can walk to Piazza Pitti in 15-20 minutes (see map).

The palace stands in the Oltrarno district, on the left bank of the Arno. Here you'll find the Palatine Gallery with Raphael and Titian, the Gallery of Modern Art, the Museum of Fashion and Costume, and the Treasury of the Grand Dukes. Below we'll cover what to see first, how much tickets cost, and how to avoid standing in line.

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What Palazzo Pitti is

💡 In short:

Palazzo Pitti brings together five museums: the Palatine Gallery, the Gallery of Modern Art, the Museum of Fashion and Costume, the Treasury of the Grand Dukes, and the Royal Apartments.
The palace is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 8:15 AM to 6:30 PM. Closed on Mondays.
Admission starts at 16 €, and a combined ticket for the palace and the Boboli Gardens starts at 22 € (As of: 09/2026).
Prices and opening hours: 09/2026, verified on the official Uffizi Galleries website.

Many people confuse the word "palazzo" with a square. In fact, palazzo means palace. You'll recognize Palazzo Pitti by its severe facade of rough stone: it's the largest palace in Florence.

Facade of Palazzo Pitti with arches at sunset

It was built for the banker Luca Pitti in the mid-15th century. Today it houses state museums rather than a residential palace. Allow at least three hours to see all the rooms, otherwise you'll only see half of it.

History of construction

Luca Pitti began construction of the palace in the mid-15th century. He was the wealthiest Florentine banker and rivaled Cosimo de' Medici himself in influence. At the same time, both politicians remained allies in city affairs (according to the Uffizi Galleries chronicle).

The design is attributed to Filippo Brunelleschi. Historians debate whether the architect personally managed to prepare the drawings, but his name is cited as the author of the concept (according to the museum chronicle). Construction was carried out under the supervision of his students.

A legend associated with the palace was first recorded by Vasari. Luca Pitti allegedly demanded that the windows of the new house be larger than the gates of the Medici palace, and that the inner courtyard be able to contain the rival's entire palace. There's no evidence for this story, but it says a lot about the client's character.

Construction dragged on for a long time and was interrupted. In 1473, Luca Pitti died and left Brunelleschi's project unfinished. By that time the palace had only three large entrances and a double row of seven windows on the facade (according to the history of the palace on the museum's website).

After the owner's death, the palace was abandoned for a time. The heirs couldn't keep the building in the family. Girolamo Savonarola came to power in Florence, condemning wealth and luxury. This ultimately undermined the Pitti family's finances.

In 1549, the palace was purchased by Eleanor of Toledo, wife of Duke Cosimo I de' Medici. She chose it as the ceremonial residence for the young duchy (according to the history of the palace's purchase). From that moment, a new life began for the palace.

The reconstruction was entrusted to Bartolomeo Ammannati, the duke's favorite architect. He expanded the front and rear parts of the building. Behind the palace, the Boboli Gardens were laid out, which soon became a model for palaces across Europe.

The palace served three dynasties for nearly four centuries. The Medici lived here, then the Habsburg-Lorraine family, and after them the House of Savoy. Each family added to and remodeled the residence to suit themselves.

Under the Habsburg-Lorraine family, the palace gained two front wings with porticoes and terraces, known as the "Rondò". After this work, the square in front of the palace tripled in size (according to the palace chronicle). It was then that the facade took on the look we know today.

In 1860, the palace passed to the Crown of Italy. When Florence was the country’s capital, from 1865 to 1871, King Victor Emmanuel II lived here. In 1919, Victor Emmanuel III transferred the palace, the square, and the gardens to the Italian state (according to the Uffizi Galleries history page).

Today Palazzo Pitti welcomes visitors from around the world. In 2026, the Fashion and Costume Museum’s display was rehung. We cover the palace rooms below in order, from oldest to newest.

Architecture and facade

The palace’s style is classified as Quattrocento. Its appearance combines the severe power of the Middle Ages with the spirit of the Early Renaissance. The facade is clad in rustication, that is, roughly dressed stone.

Rusticated facade of Palazzo Pitti and the square in front of it

The building has three floors, and each upper floor is lower than the one below it. The palace seems to rise in steps. The semicircular arches and pilasters were added under Eleanor of Toledo, but Ammannati followed Pitti’s original concept.

Luca Pitti wanted the house to look imposing. The rustication and massive blocks do exactly that. When you step out onto the square, the building seems taller than it actually is.

Palatine Gallery

The Palatine Gallery occupies the first floor and is worth a visit in its own right. The ceilings were painted by Pietro da Cortona, and some of the rooms are named after ancient gods. There are rooms of Venus, Apollo, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

The paintings were collected by the Medici and later by the Lorraine family. Palazzo Pitti holds one of the largest collections of Raphael. Nearby you will see works by Titian, Rubens, Van Dyck, and Caravaggio.

Go through the rooms clockwise so you don’t miss the corner rooms with city views. On weekends it gets crowded, so get a morning ticket.

Who it's for: those who came for High Renaissance painting, because these rooms are the main reason most people visit.
The catch: on weekends the entrance line is longer than on weekdays.

Gallery of Modern Art

This is a collection of 19th-century painting. Most of the canvases are done in the Macchiaioli technique, a Florentine style with large patches of color. Some researchers believe Impressionism grew out of Macchiaioli.

Gallery hall with chandelier and sculptures

The exhibition spans dozens of rooms, so it needs its own block of time. If time is limited, see the first rooms and then move on to the Palatine Gallery.

Treasury of the Grand Dukes

The museum’s second name is the Silver Museum. The exhibition spans dozens of rooms, and each successive one is richer than the last. The collection was also started by the Medici.

It houses silver tableware, the dynasty’s jewelry, coral and pearl pieces, cherry-pit miniatures, Byzantine vases, and Venetian jewelry art. Comparable collections exist only in the halls of the Louvre and the Hermitage.

Important: part of the exhibition is temporarily closed (according to the note on room closures). Before buying a ticket, check which rooms are open on the day of your visit.

Fashion and Costume Museum

This is the youngest of the five museums. It opened in the 1980s and quickly made it onto lists of the world’s best fashion museums (according to the fashion museum section).

Yellow museum building with green shutters

Most of the costumes are Italian. The collection includes works by Mariano Fortuny, Maria Galenga, and Elsa Schiaparelli. Their efforts shaped modern Italian fashion. There are also works by Coco Chanel and aristocratic attire from the 18th to 20th centuries.

Fabric fades in light, so all the costumes are kept under glass. The rooms are dim and cool, and the entire display is changed every two years (according to the fashion museum visiting rules). Photography is allowed, but without flash. Dress warmly: the rooms are cool even in summer, and the visit takes about an hour.

Royal and Imperial Apartments

The right wing of the palace houses the apartments of the Savoy dynasty. When Florence was the capital of Italy, King Victor Emmanuel II lived here with his family.

Green hall with chandelier in Palazzo Pitti

In the staterooms you'll see vintage furniture and art objects from the 16th to 19th centuries. The interiors were restored based on historical documents. Some of the halls are open by timed entry, so check the schedule at the entrance.

Opening hours and ticket prices

The palace is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 8:15 AM to 6:30 PM. It is closed on Mondays, January 1, and December 25. The ticket office closes one hour before the museum closes (as of 09/2026, Uffizi Galleries schedule).

Current prices and hours were checked on 09/14/2026 against the museum price list.

Ticket	Price	What's included
Combined, purchased day of visit	16 €	All five museums
Combined, in advance	19 €	All five museums, timed entry
Palace and Boboli Gardens, day of	22 €	Palace and gardens
Palace and Boboli Gardens, in advance	25 €	Timed entry
PassePartout, 5 days	40 €	Uffizi, Pitti, and Boboli Gardens
Reduced ticket	3 €	Based on age and status

An audio guide costs 6 € and is available until 3:30 PM. Children enter free under the museum's rules. The easiest way to book timed entry is online: you skip the ticket office and enter with an electronic voucher.

Tours and tickets in Palazzo Pitti

Guided tours, skip-the-line tickets and activities — most offers can be cancelled free of charge.

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Where it is and how to get there

The palace address is Piazza de' Pitti, Florence. It stands on the left bank of the Arno, in the Oltrarno district. From Santa Maria Novella station, walk across the Ponte Vecchio: it's about 1.5 km and 20 minutes (on the map).

City buses run to Piazza Pitti; check the ATAF app for current routes. The entrance from the square has a slope, and there is a separate path for strollers.

The palace is in the historic center, and you'll pass by it anyway. Combine your visit with a walk through the Boboli Gardens: the entrance is nearby, and a combined palace and gardens ticket is available.

What else to see in Florence

If you have a day left, there are several more strong museums nearby. In high season, it's better to buy tickets in advance: entry lines are long, and you can lose an hour in them.

The main treasure trove of the Italian Renaissance: the Uffizi Gallery. Open-time tickets save time at the entrance, and with a guide you'll cover the main halls: priority entry to the Uffizi.

The original David by Michelangelo stands in the Galleria dell'Accademia. Timed entry to David will save you from the line. People climb the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore for the city view: a Duomo ticket with dome climb includes the museum and baptistery.

Palazzo Vecchio houses the Hall of the Five Hundred. An entrance ticket and audio guide will help you make sense of the frescoes. Many people skip the Basilica of San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapels for no good reason: a ticket to the Basilica of San Lorenzo costs less than admission to the Uffizi.

For a quick introduction to the city, a Hop-on Hop-off bus ticket works well.

If you're traveling with kids, you'll enjoy the Leonardo da Vinci Museum: entrance ticket. If you want something out of the ordinary, book a hot air balloon flight over Tuscany.

Palazzo Pitti on the map

The palace stands on Piazza Pitti, across from the Ponte Vecchio. Coordinates and the entrance are marked on the map below.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

How much does a ticket to Palazzo Pitti cost?

A combined ticket to all five museums costs €16 when purchased on the day of your visit and €19 with a reserved entry time (as of 09/2026, current museum rates). A combined ticket for the palace and the Boboli Gardens costs €22 or €25.

What days is the palace closed?

Palazzo Pitti is closed on Mondays, as well as on January 1 and December 25. On other days it is open from 8:15 AM to 6:30 PM, but the ticket office closes one hour before the museum does. Plan your visit so you can buy a ticket before 5:30 PM.

How much time do you need to see the palace?

Allow at least three hours for all five museums. The Palatine Gallery, with its Raphael paintings and Pietro da Cortona ceilings, takes the most time. If you only have an hour, get the combined ticket and see just the Palatine Gallery and the Royal Apartments.

What does the combined ticket include?

The combined ticket gives you access to the Palatine Gallery, the Gallery of Modern Art, the Museum of Fashion and Costume, the Treasury of the Grand Dukes, and the Royal Apartments. The Boboli Gardens are not included. You pay extra for them separately or get a combined ticket for the palace and gardens.

Do I need to book a ticket in advance?

Yes, especially in high season. A reservation costs €3 more, but you skip the ticket office and enter at your assigned time. Timed entry is available on the official galleries website. In summer, lines at Piazza Pitti are long from early morning.

In short: what to book

Palazzo Pitti works for either half a day or a full day. Get the combined ticket if you want to cover all five museums. If you're short on time, get the combined ticket for the palace and the Boboli Gardens and start with the Palatine Gallery.

If you have two days in Florence: add the Uffizi Gallery with timed entry. If you're with kids: check out the Museum of Fashion and Costume and the Leonardo da Vinci Museum. If you want a view of the city: climb the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore. If you love painting: get the 5-day PassePartout and don't count your visits.

Check prices and hours on the official galleries website before your trip, and it's easier to buy tickets online in advance.

Palazzo Pitti: what to see in five museums and how to buy a ticket without queue