Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens

For most of the year, on the first Sunday of the month, admission to the state museums is free, including the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia, the Pitti Palace and gardens, as well as the Bargello. Free days are actually bad news — they attract even bigger crowds, especially at the Uffizi and the Accademia, and on free days it is impossible to reserve an entry time. Try to avoid these days. The Pitti Palace is a huge and imposing palace housing various galleries. You'll find it in the Oltrarno, a few steps from the Ponte Vecchio. Here you can admire a large collection of Renaissance paintings in the Palatine Gallery, visit the 14 rooms of the majestic Royal Apartments, or wander through the Costume Gallery or the Silver Museum.