Forte di Belvedere
Built in 1590 on Cosimo I de' Medici's orders to defend — and surveil — the city, the star-shaped Forte di Belvedere sits just above the Boboli Gardens with 360-degree views that even most Florentines rarely take advantage of. When it opens for temporary exhibitions, its vast grassy ramparts become one of the most spectacular open-air gallery spaces in Europe.
The Architecture & Views
The fort's distinctive star-plan bastions were designed by Bernardo Buontalenti and enclose a small Medici palazzina — a private retreat connected by a secret corridor to the Palazzo Pitti below. The geometry of the walls, seen from above on Google Maps, is a Renaissance engineering marvel.
From the highest terrace, the view spans the full arc from the Apennine foothills in the north to the Val d'Arno stretching south — a wider, wilder panorama than Piazzale Michelangelo, with the added drama of the fort's own crenellated walls as foreground.
The grassy interior courtyard is enormous and largely empty outside exhibition periods — a rare, quiet place to sit on the grass inside a Medici fortress with a view of the Duomo. Bring a picnic.
Exhibitions & Access
The Forte hosts major temporary art and sculpture exhibitions in summer months (typically June–October), when international artists install large-scale works across the ramparts. Past shows have featured Antony Gormley and Marina Abramović.
Access is via Costa di San Giorgio, a steep cobbled lane that climbs from the Ponte Vecchio end of the Oltrarno — the same road passes the house where Galileo once lived (look for the plaque at No. 19). It is a 15-minute uphill walk from the river.
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