podtour
From the Signoria to Santa Croce
You start in front of David and find out why the original needed a guard on its very first night.
Via de' Bardi and San Niccolò: audio walk in Florence
The other bank that hardly anyone walks: the street of a banking family ruined by a king, a hillside that swallowed houses, a pope who gave his blessing only while he was crossing, women walled in on a bridge, and the agent who hunted down stolen art.
What this walk is about
You start where the street was once called "Lousy", before it came to belong to the Bardi, bankers who lent money to a king of England and were never paid back. Beside the Uzzano palace you'll hear why one man refused to bring down Cosimo de' Medici, and in front of a marble plaque of 1565, how a boy was pulled alive from the rubble and grew up to be an architect at court. By the little church of Santa Lucia you relive the night the Bardi houses burned, and find out where the church's altarpiece ended up, now scattered across half the world. In Piazza de' Mozzi, a pope hands out kisses of peace and then excommunications, and an antiques dealer builds his palace out of bits of churches. On the Ponte alle Grazie, women lived walled in; in San Niccolò, a general heard his captains swear to defend the city he would hand over. You finish with the man who searched for the works the Nazis took, and in front of the one gate in the city walls that never had to be cut down.
- Start
- From a poor quarter to bankers' street
- Finish
- The gate that kept its height
- Who it is for
- For another visit, when you want to look beyond the familiar sights. For anyone who enjoys stories of rise, fall and refuge. Written for adults and 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
From a poor quarter to bankers' street
- 2
The man who wouldn't bring Cosimo down
- 3
The boy beneath the landslide
- 4
The night the Bardi went up in flames
- 5
An altarpiece scattered across the world
- 6
The pope who blessed the street in passing
- 7
The collector who built with fragments
- 8
The women enclosed beside the bridge
- 9
An ambassador under a glass roof
- 10
The oath of San Niccolò
- 11
Michelangelo, engineer and fugitive
- 12
The secret agent of art
- 13
The gate that kept its height
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
Oltrarno: from Pitti to the Carmine
You start on the slope of Piazza Pitti: Luca Pitti wanted the biggest palace in the city, lost, and the rival's house ended up being bought by Eleonora of Toledo; in 1944 the same palace sheltered thousands of Florentines.
Dante's Florence
Within a hundred metres of narrow streets lived the Portinari, the Donati, the Cerchi and the Alighieri.
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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A little welcome gift
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
Podtour manages your launch request with your consent. You can withdraw it and exercise your rights as explained in our privacy policy. Privacy details.
One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.