A stone's throw from the Accademia: the botanical garden and cloisters of San Marco
Just steps from the Accademia, Florence hides a sixteenth-century botanical garden and the quiet cloisters of San Marco: two havens of calm.
Foto: Morten Diesen (CC BY 4.0) — Flickr
There are corners of Florence that stay off the usual routes by just a few metres. Between the station and the Accademia, where the crowd packs into the queue for the David, two very close-by places are systematically overlooked: the Giardino dei Semplici and the courtyards of the San Marco complex. You only have to stray a little to find yourself in an almost unreal silence, a quarter of an hour's walk from the Duomo.
The botanical garden
The Giardino dei Semplici was founded in 1545 at the wish of Cosimo I de' Medici as an academic garden, conceived for medical students who had to learn to recognise medicinal plants, the "simples". It is among the oldest botanical gardens in the world still on its original site. You walk between geometric beds, historic greenhouses and monumental trees planted centuries ago, with the noise of the city fading away behind the walls. Here you come to sit on a bench, not to snap a photo and leave.
The San Marco complex
A short distance away opens the San Marco complex. The Dominican convent was rebuilt between 1437 and 1443 by Michelozzo, once again commissioned by Cosimo de' Medici. The Cloister of Sant'Antonino, with its light porticoes and cross vaults, has a composure that invites you to lower your voice. Even when the museum welcomes visitors, the courtyards keep a calm that is rare in central Florence.
The beauty of these places lies precisely in their not being "unmissable" according to the quick guidebooks. They demand no fought-over tickets, no reservations months in advance. They ask only for time and attention, two things that mass tourism tends to strip away. Visiting them means giving the city back a more human rhythm, spreading the crowds away from the saturated hotspots.
When to go
A practical tip: come early in the morning in spring, when the garden is fragrant and the light slants across the cloisters. Bring a book, forget the clock and let Florence speak to you in a whisper.
Related guides: Tuscany away from the crowds: hidden villages beyond the classic destinations.
How to get there
The botanical garden and the cloisters of San Marco are in central Florence, just steps from Piazza San Marco and the Galleria dell'Accademia. They are easily reached on foot from Firenze Santa Maria Novella station; the area is also served by city buses. The reference airport is Florence-Peretola, connected to the centre by tram. Given the closeness to the major city sights, it's best to slot the visit into a walking itinerary, avoiding the car in the traffic-restricted centre.
Practical guides for Firenze
Practical info
When is the best time to visit A stone's throw from the Accademia?
The recommended time is April, May, September and October, when it is less crowded.
Is A stone's throw from the Accademia crowded?
A stone's throw from the Accademia is a very quiet destination compared with the more touristy ones.
Where is A stone's throw from the Accademia?
A stone's throw from the Accademia is located in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.
Inhabitants at each census (source ISTAT, historical series via Wikipedia).
How to get there
- 🚆 Nearest station: Firenze Statuto ~1 km as the crow flies
- ✈️ Nearest airport: Aeroporto Firenze Amerigo Vespucci FLR ~6 km as the crow flies
Nearest points as the crow flies (source OpenStreetMap): actual times depend on the roads, often mountain ones.
