The most fascinating stories and legends of Florence

By retracing the many legends of Florence, we discover stories and facts linked to specific locations in the city.

These are ancient tales, passed down from generation to generation and thus evolved over the years with the addition of ever-new details, designed to captivate the public’s attention.

These authentic Florentine myths are lost among alleys and streets, squares and monuments, offering tourists the opportunity to take a true tour of the heart of the city to discover what they have read or heard.

One of the most captivating stories is that of Palazzo Budini Gattai, located in Piazza SS Annunziata. Also known as Palazzo Grifoni, it is the only one built with terracotta bricks.

The peculiarity of this building lies in the small shutter on one of the building’s shutters, which is always open, every day of the year.

According to legend, the half-open window is linked to a young woman perpetually awaiting her husband’s return from war.

We move to the heart of the city, to Piazza della Signoria, to learn the legend surrounding the ghost of Baldo di Piero Bruni.

Also known as Baldaccio d’Anghiari, he was a war hero mentioned by Niccolò Machiavelli. In 1441, he was tricked by Bartolomeo Orlandini, who lured him to Palazzo Vecchio and stabbed him to death. He was subsequently thrown from one of the building’s windows and beheaded. According to legend, Palazzo Vecchio is still haunted by the ghost of Baldaccio d’Anghiari.

Legends Associated with Historic Monuments

Secret Florence is also linked to famous monuments that hold completely unknown and unique stories.

One such legend is that of Michelangelo’s portrait on the façade of Palazzo Vecchio: before the corner with Via della Ninna, on the right side of the entrance to the palace, we can see an engraving on the lower stones, forming the profile of a face. Two legends surround this figure: one claims it is a self-portrait of Michelangelo Buonarroti; another links the face to a character who bothered Michelangelo daily and whom the artist himself decided to imprint on the stone.

Another legend linked to a famous monument is that of the statue of Ferdinando I de’ Medici, depicted by Giambologna with his head turned to the right, not forward. The reason for this was his reputation as a great lover: in that statue, Ferdinando is looking toward a window, checking for the presence of a young girl.

Let’s move on to the Ponte di Santa Trinita, one of the city’s most important bridges, built between 1567 and 1571. Destroyed by the Germans during World War II, it was rebuilt in the 1950s using the original design and materials.

Today, the bridge features two white rams’ heads overlooking the Arno River, which, according to legend, were placed there to protect the city from floods and sea raids.

Let’s talk about the lions of Florence, the Marzocco statues, which appear in statue form, painted, or in bas-relief, usually seated, protecting the Florentine lily.

This animal has been a symbol of the city since the Middle Ages.

Let’s move on to the Baptistery to admire this masterpiece in white Carrara marble and green Prato marble, but also to observe some of its details. On the façade facing Via Roma, there is a bas-relief depicting a naval battle, a completely different element from the religious depictions decorating the structure. According to legend, it is a Roman sarcophagus, placed there to commemorate the city’s Roman origins.

Another anecdote concerns the porphyry columns flanking the Gates of Paradise overlooking the Basilica. Legend has it that these columns were donated by the city of Pisa after Florence’s assistance in the battles against Lucca and the Saracens. However, before delivering the gifts, the Pisans decided to burn them to ruin them. The reason was that Pisa did not favor Florence in any case.

Mysterious tales in the squares and alleys of Florence

The city, cradle of the Renaissance, also holds some decidedly disturbing facts. One of Florence’s mysterious stories is linked to the Pazzi Conspiracy, which took place on April 26, 1478. After a failed attempt to overthrow the House of Medici, the architects of this coup were hanged from the windows of Palazzo Vecchio to discourage further attempts. Some conspirators managed to escape but were immediately tracked down, captured, tortured, and then killed. It is said that some of the bodies were dragged naked through the streets of Florence and then thrown into the Arno River.

From Piazza della Signoria, we move toward the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore: here, a disturbing figure emerges from the church wall, a stone head protruding from the wall. Legend links this face to the story of a woman who appeared at the church window at the moment a man, accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death, was dragged to Piazza Santa Croce to be killed. The woman allegedly shouted at the man not to give her anything to drink, and in his rage, he turned her to stone.

Next, we head to the Ponte Vecchio. Here, in July 2005, an event linked to the supernatural occurred. An American tourist decided to take some photos of the bridge at sunset. Upon returning home, he discovered that the images depicted a translucent figure of an elderly man with a white beard staring at him from a window.

Another mysterious legend is linked to Ginevra degli Almieri, a woman who, according to legend, lived in Florence during the 14th century. She was in love with Antonio Rondinelli but was forced by her family to marry Francesco Agolanti.

After the wedding, the city was struck by the plague, and Ginevra was declared dead. Her funeral was held at Santa Maria del Fiore, and her body was displayed until the following morning. During the night, the girl awoke and ran to her husband, who threw her out of the house because he thought she was a ghost.

Ginevra then went to Antonio, who happily welcomed her.

The ecclesiastical authorities believed it was a miracle and consented to Ginevra’s marriage to Antonio Rondinelli.

Interesting facts about Florence you may not know

Among the many interesting facts about Florence is the one related to the Fontana del Porcellino (Porcellino Fountain) in Piazza del Mercato Nuovo. It is perhaps the city’s most famous folk legend: rub its nose and put a coin in its mouth. If it falls through the grate where the water flows, then we’ll be lucky.

The Porcellino represents a wild boar wounded while hunting. The original marble version is kept at the Uffizi Gallery.

Another interesting fact is the Zodiac of San Miniato al Monte. Inside the Basilica, in fact, there is an ancient marble zodiac made in 1207, modeled after the one in the Baptistery of San Giovanni. Long considered a purely ornamental element, it was restored to its original function after 800 years and is today the oldest functioning monumental solstitial sundial in Europe.

Fun fact and play with Giambologna’s Statue of Ferdinand in Piazza SS Annunziata: one of the challenges that fascinates Florentines is counting the bees on the equestrian monument without pointing or touching them.

Another interesting fact is linked to Palazzo Pitti: its imposing façade holds a detail that often goes unnoticed. It is one of the stones that define the wall, significantly longer than the others. It is located on the ground floor, between the second and third openings to the left of the main entrance. Legend has it that Luca Pitti himself wanted this stone placed there as a symbol of his superiority over the other bankers of Florence.