Florence Walking Tour: Renaissance Secrets and Scandals

Your tour begins in Florence's historic center by Piazza Davanzati. Following your knowledgeable guide, explore hidden side streets and hear stories of this illustrious city's shadowy past, when the world's oldest profession was the backbone of Florence's economy.

Learn how certain street addresses in Florence once distinguished lower-class from upper-class courtesans. Hear about how some of the city's most revered citizens were involved in some of the most sordid events of the Renaissance era. Find out what's behind the seemingly odd names of various streets in the historic center.

Along the way, you'll visit the Piazza del Duomo with its famous bapitstery and bell tower, the Piazza della Repubblica, a palace that was home to the ruling Medici family, and the Bargello. Today, the Bargello is an art museum, but its dark history is that it was once a jail.

You'll find out what strange concoctions Renaissance citizens believed had healing properties and see a well where they once dumped the deceased — a place locals still prefer to avoid!