Florence Tour: The Green Tour in San Giovanni Quarter, the City's Religious and Civic Heart

The ideal Florence Tour must start in the city's nerve center: the San Giovanni Quarter. This area concentrates the religious and civic history of Florence, featuring timeless masterpieces like the Duomo (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore), the Baptistery, and the celebrated Michelangelo's David housed in the Accademia Gallery. Our dedicated audio guide, available at www.cicerofirenze.com, accompanies you through these iconic locations, giving you the freedom to explore at your own pace, ensuring you miss no historical detail.

💚 The Green Tour: Our Florence Tour in the San Giovanni Quarter

The San Giovanni Quarter is tangible proof of how Florence's power was born and grew, from its Roman foundation to the peak of the Medici patronage. This Cicerofirenze itinerary immerses you in the stories of faith, power, and genius that shaped the city into an open-air museum.

Thanks to the integrated GPS navigation in the app, you will be intuitively guided through the 6 essential points of interest that make up this route.

The 6 Key Stages of Your Florence Tour

1. Duomo, Baptistery, and Piazza Duomo (The Center of the World)

This piazza is the ground zero of every Florence Tour. It is not just a place of worship, but a stage for daring engineering and artistic challenges, and it is still the beating heart of Florentine traditions today. Every year on Easter, the square hosts the ancient and spectacular rite of the Explosion of the Cart (Scoppio del Carro, or Brindellone), while for the Feast of St. John the Baptist (the city's patron saint), it hosts the draw for the famous Florentine Historical Football (Calcio Storico).

What you will see: The immense scale of Brunelleschi's Dome, the perfection of Giotto’s Bell Tower, and Ghiberti’s magnificent Gates of Paradise.

What you will hear with Cicero: You will listen to the construction secrets of the Dome, an engineering marvel still largely misunderstood, and the hidden stories behind the biblical scenes adorning the Baptistery, including the historical and superstitious significance of the Scoppio del Carro.

2. Piazza della Repubblica (The Modern Forum)

A piazza that somewhat departs from typical Renaissance Florentine canons, yet it has maintained its role as the pulsating center of the city's social and intellectual life. The site of the ancient Roman Forum, Piazza della Repubblica underwent radical transformations over the centuries.

What you will see: The imposing Triumphal Arch and the historic "Literary Cafes" like Le Giubbe Rosse and Paszkowski. Look closely at the center of the square: the only remaining trace of the city's ancient heart is the Column of Abundance, marking the intersection of the Cardo and Decumanus of Roman Florence.

What you will hear with Cicero: We will guide you through the history of the "Risanamento," the 19th-century urban intervention that demolished the old market, and reveal the secrets of the cafes that were the stage for the Italian literary avant-garde. We will tell you about the importance of the Column of Abundance and how it resisted change, keeping alive the memory of the exact spot where the Florence we know was born.

3. Piazza San Lorenzo (The Medici's Private Parlour)

This piazza is less ostentatious than Piazza Duomo, but for us Florentines, it holds an inestimable value: it was the family church and religious center of the Medici dynasty. Yet, San Lorenzo is not just the Basilica. In fact. When you walk through the neighborhood, you realize that its many alleys are rich in history and stories, sometimes forgotten monuments, ancient noble palaces, and many small churches that recount the life of the past and the present.

What you will see: The unfinished façade of the Basilica and the lively market. Nearby, you can discover Palazzo Benci in Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini, whose graffito facade testifies to the beauty of the minor Renaissance. Did you know that right next to the Basilica's entrance is the Laurentian Library? A true jewel that conceals an incredible work by Michelangelo.

What you will hear with Cicero: We will reveal the deep bond between the Medici and this place of worship. We will tell you about the birth of the Medici Chapels and Michelangelo's intense work, guiding you to discover the entrance of the Laurentian Library and its unexpected staircase. The real gem is the story of Palazzo Benci: its graffito facade was the winner of a competition held precisely on the Feast of St. John in 1575—a detail only those who live in Florence know and that we will let you listen to while you are there.

4. Medici Chapels (Michelangelo’s Grief)

Not just a monument, but the private mausoleum of history's most powerful family. A place of solemn silence, where you can breathe the air of genius and sorrow.

What you will see: The allegorical statues of Day and Night, Dusk and Dawn, created by Michelangelo. They are an architectural and sculptural masterpiece that testifies to his most mature and tormented art.

What you will hear with Cicero: We will analyze not only the technique but above all the master's anguish and artistic expression. We will tell you the symbolic meaning of the sculptures and why some of them remained "unfinished": a missed opportunity for historians, but a unique strength for art history.

Tappa 5: Galleria dell'Accademia (L'incontro che ti cambia)

Home to Michelangelo's David. It is not just a statue: it is the soul of Florence, the embodiment of the Renaissance ideal of beauty and civic strength.

What you will see: The David in all its majestic perfection, and at its feet, the Unfinished Slaves who seem to still be fighting to break free from the marble—a unique opportunity to understand Michelangelo's creative process.

What you will hear with Cicero: We will unveil stories the textbooks don't tell you: the political context for which it was commissioned, the sculpting techniques, and the almost 'legendary' reasons that determined its original placement in Piazza della Signoria, where it represented the Republic's freedom against tyrants.

6. Piazza Santissima Annunziata (The Birth of Charity)

One of Florence's most harmonious squares, thanks to Brunelleschi’s genius. It is a place of great social significance, often overlooked by rushed tours.

What you will see: The Hospital of the Innocents (Ospedale degli Innocenti), with its iconic terracotta tondi by Andrea della Robbia depicting children. Observe the perfect harmony of the arcades.

What you will hear with Cicero: We will let you listen to the touching and moving story of the Foundling Hospital, the "wheel" where abandoned children were left, and the important role this charitable institution played in Florentine society. We will also reveal the legend of the always-open window of the Hospital, and an unusual curiosity about the base of the equestrian statue of Ferdinando I: look closely, and you will notice a detail that will make you smile and understand how attentive the Medici were to symbols. It is an intimate perspective that will make you appreciate the city beyond its artworks.

Unlock Cicero and All 28 Points of Interest Immediately

The Green Tour has guided you through the vibrant heart and most intimate stories of the San Giovanni Quarter, but Cicero's value extends beyond a single route.

If you are in the San Giovanni Quarter, you already have the opportunity to unlock the complete experience.

The Benefits of the Cicero Pass:

The Full Cicero Content: Access to all 28 audio points of interest covering the entire city, also organized into four other thematic routes.

Total Freedom: The GPS guide follows you everywhere, allowing you to start, pause, or change routes at any time.

Local Perspective: Stories and curiosities that only those who live in Florence know.

Don't just see Florence, listen to its history with the voice of someone who loves it.

Buy your Cicero Pass today and unlock all 28 points of interest!

Go to www.cicerofirenze.com and start right now in the San Giovanni Quarter.