10 Things to Do in Florence in August

As the birthplace of the Renaissance and of artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Dante and Michelangelo, there is no doubt that all that Florence has to offer makes it a must-see for all art lovers and that every opportunity to travel there should be taken.

As everyone knows, August presents some inconveniences for those who travel to the city, starting with the large crowds and the usual heat. However, this month also offers the opportunity to enjoy Florentine nights full of dance, music, festivals and other events.

A trip to Siena from Florence is one of the best things to do if you're in the city in August, especially if you make it coincide with the Palio celebration. This festival attracts thousands of people every year. As you may already know, the highlight is the celebration of a horse race on a truly extraordinary track. A very curious experience, so don't hesitate to book an excursion to Siena if you have the chance.

The Palio of Assunta, the name given to the celebration in August due to its coincidence with the religious feast of the Assumption of Mary, sees the whole city decorated with medieval emblems, and on the afternoon of the 16th there is a large Medieval Parade in which some 600 people take part, representing the 17 districts of the city.

This parade runs from the cathedral to the Piazza del Campo, where the draw is held to determine the starting places for each rider. If you want to see it live you will have to try to find a place in the Piazza del Campo, either for free or by paying a ticket for the side boxes.

How to get to Siena from Florence

• Given the large number of people travelling to the city for the Palio, the best option is to book an excursion to Siena so you don't have to worry about it.
• If you prefer to go on your own and don't have a car, the train is the best option, as both cities are very well connected.
• The last option is to take a bus from the Busitalia Sita Nord Autostazione. Buses run every hour and the journey to Siena takes about an hour and fifteen minutes.

If you are in Florence on August 15th you will know the Ferragosto. All over the city you will find different activities to join in. During the week before and after this Roman holiday, many Florentines leave the city for the beach or the countryside. In fact, you will find many shops closed, although this does not affect the tourist services you may need most.

These dates are full of festivities and other activities. For starters, many of the city 's best museums offer some free passes to visit on 15 August, while the attractions inside Florence's cathedral are enhanced by a concert of sacred music. The city's swimming pools often host dances and competitions and many terraces also host celebrations.

Another popular plan is to head to Viareggio, just an hour from Florence and easily accessible by train. This seaside town organises a 3-day celebration of Ferragosto. Finally, it's also a great time to take a trip to Cinque Terre from Florence and take a dip in the beautiful waters of the beaches of Monterosso.

If you want to enjoy the evening in Florence, especially in a month like August when it only starts to cool down (a little) when the sun goes down, there is no better plan than going to the city' s terraces for an aperitif. Normally, Italians do this between 7pm and 9pm, a perfect time to relax while you eat and drink something.

After a day visiting places like the Duomo, you'll want to sit outside and listen to some relaxing music. If, in addition, you have good views, the plan becomes perfect. Here are a few options in case you fancy it:

• Flower al Piazzale: if you are looking for a terrace with unbeatable views of Florence (without having to buy tickets to the Dome of the Duomo), the Flower al Piazzale, located in Piazzale Michelangelo, is your best option. In addition to its gazebo, concerts and other events are held frequently during August, not to mention its great Tuscan menu.
• Flò Firenze: Nearby is the Flò, a terrace overlooking the city. The atmosphere is quite youthful and the aperitivo, accompanied by music, usually starts at 8pm.
• B-Green: the terrace of the Hotal Baglioni, in Piazza Dell'Unita, is another of the most recommendable in Florence. It is very close to Santa Maria Novella station and the views of the city are truly spectacular.
• Serre Torrigiani in piazzetta: in the piazzetta dei Tre Re, in the middle of the palaces of the historic centre, you will find this fantastic terrace that is worth a visit. The place gets lively in the evening and offers a varied menu.
• Terraces on Lungarno Colombo: An area that has become fashionable among Florentines is the right bank of the river Arno. On the Lungarno Colombo street, several summer terraces have been opened and are well worth a visit to end the day.

Between June and August there is an event that takes place on some of the city's terraces: Florence from Above. Six musical performances are held on some of the best Florentine terraces, from the one at the Museo degli Innocenti to one near Palazzo Vecchio.

Whether you are a dance lover or just want to see a show in an incomparable setting, the Florence Dance Festival is one of the most interesting activities you can attend at the beginning of August.

This festival, which starts in July, takes place in the cloister of one of the most beautiful Gothic churches in Florence, Santa Maria Novella. Various performances of all types of dance, from the most traditional to the most modern, take place there.

The best way to get there is to take an interesting walk after seeing the charms of the cathedral of Santa Maria dei Fiore, as it is located nearby. Another option is to use one of the tourist buses that travel around the city.

There really is no bad time to try delicious Italian ice cream in Florence, but the heat of August is a great excuse to visit some of the city's best ice cream parlours.

• Il Procopio: a few years ago it was the winner of the Florence Gelato Festival, so the quality of its products is guaranteed. Its gelatos are very creamy and it offers a wide range of flavours. In addition, the quantities are quite generous and the price is not very high.
• Gelateria dei Neri: if you are looking for this ice cream parlour, you only have to look for a queue waiting at the door. Its success is due, of course, to the excellence of its ice creams, with classic flavours and other more original ones.
• Rivanero Gelato: Rivanero's motto is "laboratorio di gelato italiano" and their philosophy is to offer the best quality products with fresh ingredients. Without a doubt, they more than achieve their goal.

And if you want to delve even deeper into the culture of gelato and Italian gastronomy, you can book a pizza and gelato cooking class.

The big August festival in Florence takes place on the 10th, when San Lorenzo is celebrated. If you're lucky enough to be there, you can watch a historic parade in the morning, head to the lively Piazza San Lorenzo in the afternoon, attend a classical music concert in the evening and, at all hours of the day, sample some of the best traditional Italian food.

The saint has a basilica named after him in Florence, which was built in the 4th century as an episcopal see and later converted into a mausoleum by the Medici. This temple is part of some of the organised tours of Florence and is well worth a visit. In addition to the above activities, on the day of San Lorenzo there are a number of free guided tours that take you to places associated with the saint and explain the ancient Florentine traditions.

Finally, I recommend that when night falls you find a place where there is not too much light to try to see the star shower known as the Perseids or the tears of San Lorenzo in the sky.

With the August heat pressing on as you take the tour of the Duomo or leave the guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery, you often miss having a beach close at hand. If you feel like cooling off a bit, Florence offers you the opportunity to go to the River Urban Beach (Piazza Giuseppe Poggi), where the banks of the Arno River have been converted into an urban beach.

It's true that many people don't recommend swimming in the water due to the pollution that the river can sometimes have. However, the area is very well equipped and you will be able to relax on the sun loungers under the umbrellas.

If you prefer, this river beach also has a comfortable beach bar and, for the more sporty, a beach volleyball court.

The swimming pools, another option for cooling off

A few metres from the city centre you will find several swimming pools where you can escape the summer heat of Florence. One of the best (and easily reached by tram or bus) is Le Pavoniere (via della Catena 2), although the Costoli (piazza Berlinguer 2) and the Bellariva pool (Lungarno Aldo Moro 6) are not far behind in terms of facilities.

I can't say for sure that it's the best cinema in the world, but I'm sure it's among the most beautiful. It is the Uffizi square, the central gallery of the museum that you will have seen if you have booked a guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery. Between the end of June and mid-August, a screen is installed there and the Apriti Cinema!

. The screenings take place in the evening and admission is free. However, due to the large number of people, I recommend that you arrive well in advance, as there is a risk that all the seats will be taken. The other risk of attending this event is that the surrounding wonders will prevent you from concentrating on the film you are watching.

Most of the films shown are from the various Florentine festivals that have been held throughout the year and are usually shown in their original version.

The churches of Florence, apart from their artistic value, become during the month of August the setting for several musical performances that are sure to thrill you.

The Music in the Atriums festival (Musica sui Sagrati in Italian) organises concerts in the atriums of several churches from mid-July onwards. If you go to Santo Stefano al Ponte, Santa Croce and Santo Spiritu you will have the opportunity to attend these performances, which are not limited to religious music, but also cover genres such as folk, rock, jazz and classical music.

In addition to churches, this initiative also takes place in some historic buildings, such as the Misericordia del Duomo and the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi.

While Florence's best museums are not to be missed, there's no doubt that the August crowds will make the experience less comfortable than you'd like. To get away from the crowds, in addition to all the things to see and do in Florence, I suggest you go to some less visited but equally interesting places.

• The Vasari Corridor: More than a kilometre long, it links the Vecchio and Pitti palaces by crossing the Arno River over the Ponte Vecchio. The purpose of its construction was so that the Medici could move between the two places without having to mix with the people. Although you enter through the Uffizi Gallery, it is one of the least frequented parts of the Uffizi Gallery. It is necessary to get a ticket in advance.
• The Horne Museum and the Casa Vasari: Inside you can see the private collection of a Briton, Herbert Percy Horne, who fell in love with the art of the city. It contains works by Giotto, Lorenzetti and other great artists. The visit also includes the Palazzo Corsi and, if advance notice is given, a guided tour of the Casa Vasari.
• Cenacolo di Sant'Apollonia: Although the building does not look very attractive from the outside, the frescoes inside are truly magnificent. They depict the Last Supper, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection (executed by Andrea del Castagno in the mid-15th century).
• Giardino dei Semplici: just a few metres from the Convent of San Marco is this botanical garden, an oasis of freshness in the heart of the historic centre.
• Basilica of San Miniato al Monte: being somewhat far from the centre, a 15-minute walk from Piazza Michelangelo, explains why few people go to one of the best viewpoints in the city. The church is also considered one of the best examples of Romanesque art in the region.

August is a month when the heat can be oppressively hot in Florence. Average highs reach 32ºC, but it's not uncommon for days to exceed 35ºC or even reach 40ºC.

Lows are barely more bearable, with an average temperature of 18ºC. A good tip for a good night's sleep is to make sure your hotel has air conditioning.

However, it's always a good idea to check the weather forecast shortly before you travel to be on the safe side.

The influx of tourists in Florence during the month of August is really high. Sometimes it is even difficult to walk quietly through the narrow streets of the historic centre and you can be sure that there will be queues to enter the most important monuments.

In view of this, buying tickets in advance to avoid these queues is highly recommended. In this article on tickets for the Uffizi Gallery you can check the different types of tickets available, as well as this one on tickets for the Accademia Gallery.