Piazza Santa Croce
Piazza Santa Croce
4.5
Admission tickets
from
$26.83
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Piazza Santa Croce
The area
Address
Neighborhood: Santa Croce
Stop and stare at the beauty and symmetry of the Basilica of Santa Croce any time day or night. Unraveling around it are a number of architectural and artistic masterpieces, from the Synagogue to the Central National Library. As a hub for young people, the area gets busy with people who want to have fun: a continuous flow of tourists and locals become animated by songs and dances.
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
2,673 within 3 miles
Attractions
883 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,160 reviews
Excellent
546
Very good
472
Average
124
Poor
16
Terrible
2
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.
silverbrook
London, Canada4,771 contributions
Sep 2019
Piazza Santa Croce is one of the main squares in Florence and gets its name from the famous Basilica di Santa Croce, one of the largest Franciscan churches in Italy. Interesting and beautiful buildings surround the square and right beside the basilica is a statue of Dante. A crazy competitive game, called Florentine Calcio Storico is still played in the square and is a combination of rugby, wrestling, boxing and football. If there is nothing officially happening in the square, you can still find some cafes and shops around or in the very near vicinity.
Written March 31, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Noraatc
Sudbury, MA40,001 contributions
Dec 2022 • Couples
This time I came to Piazza Santa Croce at Christmas time, so there was was a vibrant Christmas market going on full speed.
My goal was to visit the Basilica di Santa Croce for the second time its magnificent facade dominates the Piazza surrounded by old painted houses with beautiful frescoes.
Piazza Santa Croce is also the place with numerous leather shops, but I found them disappointing… certainly, the quality went downhill since our very first visit twenty years ago and even our previous visit in May 2018.
My goal was to visit the Basilica di Santa Croce for the second time its magnificent facade dominates the Piazza surrounded by old painted houses with beautiful frescoes.
Piazza Santa Croce is also the place with numerous leather shops, but I found them disappointing… certainly, the quality went downhill since our very first visit twenty years ago and even our previous visit in May 2018.
Written April 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brad
Hong Kong, China178,366 contributions
Feb 2024 • Family
This is a fairly large and open public square where you find the important Basilica di Santa Croce. The sides of the square are lined with cafes, bars, gelatarias, souvenir and other retail shops. You will find the historic Palazzo dell'Antella, a fairly Florentine Lily fountain and monument to Dante on the square as well. There are artists selling their works and park benches as well if you fancy taking a brief rest here before or after your visit to the basilica.
Written April 8, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Becky M
Crumpler, NC5 contributions
Oct 2021
I traveled to Florence in October 2021. Fortunately, I have a son who now lives there, so my itinerary was set by him. I stayed in a lovely Airbnb on the Piazza Santa Croce for eleven nights and was able to see the city by foot and on buses. Each morning I had a pastry and machiatto at the Cafe Marco before starting my day. Staying for so long, I visited many sites, but these included walking inside the Santa Croce basilica (which includes the tombs of Michaelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo, and many more) as well as visiting the fabulous leather school behind the cathedral. Santa Croce is convenient to major sites and fine restaurants. The wonderful thing about Florence is its "walkability." You can see so much just by strolling and looking up.
Written September 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dianne W
4 contributions
Oct 2024 • Family
The young woman who was our guide was very informative and professional even in the face of an unpleasant tourist. She gave us much more information than I could retain which is exactly what our group was looking for - information and historical context. She spoke better English than many fellow Americans I have dealt with and much better than my rudimentary but well intentioned Italian!
Written November 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Massimiliano P
Novara, Italy44,926 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
Strongly characterized by the façade of the basilica of the same name, Piazza Santa Croce is one of the largest and most famous squares in Florence. Surrounded entirely by historic buildings and embellished by the imposing monument dedicated to Dante Alighieri, this square is still today a place of historical re-enactments, including the popular Florentine historical football competitions. The entire area surrounding the square is usually quite lively and animated and ultimately pleasant to live in.
Written March 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steve C
Annapolis, MD640 contributions
May 2019
Our next stop was the Santa Croce Church, dating back to 1230, and which supposedly used to house a small piece of the cross upon which Jesus was crucified. The legends of the cross go back to Emperor Constantine’s mother who traveled to the Holy Land in search of the Jesus cross. She was, of course, sold some bogus chunks of wood by some shady Middle Eastern shysters. Thinking it was the real thing, she proudly took the wood home and then dispensed the holy offerings to churches all around Europe. As the circus showman P.T. Barnum once said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.“
For more travel tips, check out my travel blog.
For more travel tips, check out my travel blog.
Written January 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CraigH0901
Adelaide, Australia1,241 contributions
Sep 2022
It can be tiring to visit these Piazzas and maintain a level of enthusiasm. This is quite a large expanse but it is still circled by the same vendors just with different names. Clearly, the best attraction to this Piazza is the photo opportunity of the basilica and museum. Quite stunning.
Written September 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JEAN-CLAUDE G
Chalon-sur-Saone, France161,858 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
There are shops and restaurants all around this very large square. Perfect because it allows you to better see the facades of the houses. During my visit, I was able to see a street vendor and it's a shame because he is in front of the cathedral square, which is awkward for taking photos. You can also see street vendors there and remain convinced that they do not have a street vendor card. This bothers me a lot because people insist on selling the merchandise even though I clearly said no. I liked the presence of benches in this place.
Written September 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CabKings
Tampa, FL559 contributions
Mar 2023 • Family
Very large Piazza that is very nice. Church Sante Croce here with a statute of Dante in front. Stores are nice, great gelato in square and a very good breakfast, cappuccino, restaurant in square name Finisterre to left of church in square.
Written March 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yes. There's a Taxi stand just in front of the square. But it's only a five to seven minute walk.
Written April 10, 2017
Showing results 1-1 of 1
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing