Italy 1943–1945
Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria, Florence
Civic palace
The story
On 11 August 1944, as the Germans withdrew north of the city, the ringing of the Martinella bell in the Palazzo Vecchio tower signalled the rising of Florence's partisans and the Tuscan liberation committee. Fighting went on in the northern suburbs for weeks, with snipers, shelling and more than 600 civilians killed during the battle for the city.
What to look for
Look up at the tower whose bell called the rising, then walk three minutes to the river: for a week German rearguards and Allied troops faced each other across the Arno.
Plan your visit
Square always open; Palazzo Vecchio museum ticketed, hours vary by season — check before you go.
- Open
- Museum Fri–Wed 09:00–19:00, Thu 09:00–14:00; ticket sales end 1 hr before closing
- Price
- €18 non-residents; €12 ages 18–25 and university students; under-18s free; Arnolfo tower €20
- Booking
- Tickets online at bigliettimusei.comune.fi.it or tel. 055 0541450
Checked September 2026 from official sources: cultura.comune.fi.it. Things change, so check before you travel.
Nearby sites
- Ponte Vecchio and the demolished quarter, Florence · under 1 km
- Florence War Cemetery, Girone · 7 km
- Florence American Cemetery, Tavarnuzze · 9 km
- MuGot — Museo Gotica Toscana, Ponzalla · 30 km
- Brazilian Votive Monument, Pistoia · 32 km
- Il Giogo Pass and Monte Altuzzo · 33 km
All 96 sites in Italy 1943–1945 →
Into Europe: Italy 1943–1945
A free field guide for your phone: the route, the maps and the stories built in, even with no signal. The places of the Allied campaign in Italy, from the Sicily landings of July 1943 through Salerno, the Winter Line, Ortona, Cassino and Anzio, Rome, the Gothic Line and the final battles on the Senio and the Po in April 1945.
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