Piazzale di Settignano
Perched on a hilltop east of Florence, this quiet piazza delivers a sweeping view over the Arno valley and the terracotta rooftops of the city without a selfie-stick in sight. It is the kind of lookout that locals keep to themselves.
The View Itself
On a clear morning the entire Florentine skyline fans out below you — Brunelleschi's dome, the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio, and the silver thread of the Arno all visible at once from a single stone balustrade.
The light is softest in the hour before sunset, when the hills turn amber and the cypress trees cast long shadows across the olive groves below. Photographers regularly make the 8-km drive from Florence just for this window of golden hour.
Getting There & Around
Bus 10 from Florence's Santa Maria Novella station climbs the hill in about 35 minutes and drops you right in the village centre, making a car unnecessary.
Once at the piazza you can pick up the Via delle Fontanelle footpath, a shaded lane that loops through private villa gardens and connects to the hamlet of Maiano in under an hour on foot.
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