podtour
Legends of Florence
Florence tells a great many stories, and here you find out how long it's been telling them.
The Duomo and the Baptistery: audio walk in Florence
The cathedral square, face to face: a prank out of a novella of the time, a contest with a catch, a dome nobody knew how to close, a lightning bolt that brought down the golden ball, and a murder in the middle of Mass.
See the walkFree route
What this walk is about
You start where Dante was baptised and walk round the Baptistery: the carpenter who, according to a novella of the time, was talked into believing he was another man; the elm that, tradition says, flowered in January; and the 1401 contest that every contender told his own way. Then the confraternity that has been carrying the sick for eight centuries, and its hooded men in black; a façade tried out at full size in front of the public; Brunelleschi's egg; the stone where tradition sits Dante; and the marble disc that, they say, marks where the ball from the lantern fell. You finish beside the cathedral, where the Pazzi conspiracy attacked the Medici in the middle of Mass. Every legend is told as a legend, and you can hear it all from the square.
- Start
- Dante's beloved San Giovanni
- Finish
- Murder during High Mass
- Who it is for
- A good starting point for your first visit. For anyone who wants to tell legend from fact. A choice for families with teenagers. You don’t need any prior knowledge.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
Dante's beloved San Giovanni
- 2
The carpenter who was told he was someone else
- 3
The column and the January elm
- 4
A competition with a trick
- 5
How the city organised its charity
- 6
The square's men in black
- 7
The façade the people judged
- 8
Brunelleschi and the egg
- 9
Dante's stone
- 10
The ball that fell from the dome
- 11
Murder during High Mass
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Florence, before you go
Florence fits into short walks that grow longer as you keep looking. The centre is compact; crossing the Arno changes the perspective without changing the city.
More walks nearby
Dante's Florence
Within a hundred metres of narrow streets lived the Portinari, the Donati, the Cerchi and the Alighieri.
The Medici in San Lorenzo and San Marco
You start at the Mercato Centrale, the great iron-and-glass market that Florence began building in the few years when it was the capital of Italy, and walk on to the bare façade of San Lorenzo, the one Michelangelo never clad in marble.
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
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Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
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One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.