Following on the heels of Venice’s decision to charge a daily people fee comes the news that Florence is banning golf carts and other atypical vehicles.
They are also banning loudspeakers and amplifiers.
And, key boxes used by short-term rentals.
Apparently, they had no choice.
7.8 million people visited Florence in the first nine months
of 2024.
Tourist use is concentrated in just 5 square kilos (2 square
miles.) And it is so crowded that people
can barely walk through the streets.
Luckily for us, when we visited in 1997 the only crowds were
the ones the bride and her bridal party attracted in the square.
Of course, there was a line for the Bargello – but who could resist the chance to check out Donatello’s David – a groundbreaking example of early Renaissance art.
Made of bronze in the 1440’s, it is the first freestanding nude male sculpture created since Greco-Roman times.
On the other hand, it was still quiet enough to catch moments like these.
Hopefully the new rules will make it fun to visit again.
Here are the previous Florence blogs…
https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2014/08/florence-italy.html
https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2016/12/florence-2.html
Enjoy!
PJ
© 2025 PJ Lehrer
