Description
Meeting Point
Piazza di Santa Croce, 50122 Firenze FI
Gay Florence City Tour
40,00 €
A walk inside the history of homosexuality in Renaissance Florence
The history of homosexuality in Florence is ancient and is perhaps one of the most fascinating social aspects of the city. Documentary evidence reveals that the “sodomitical vice”, as it was known back then, was so common that a special Magistracy called the Office of the Night was set up to stop it. Despite the laws, however, the gay and lesbian community found many ways to get away with their “crime” and live their everyday life and passions. This relaxed attitude was well-known all over Europe and brought about a real “homosexual culture” that went on for centuries. The Germans, for example, used the word “florenzer” (“Florentine”) to describe a homosexual.
Our tour will take you to the old haunts of medieval sodomites, retracing the steps of the most notorious Florence gays and lesbians. You will find out how they lived, who their enemies were and how the local Signoria government tried to tackle the problem. We will also tell you what the Medici family, the rulers of Florence, thought about homosexuality and how famous artists publicly declared their sexual orientation through their amazing artworks.
What we will do together
- We will meet in Santa croce Square where our journey begins
- We will tour old gay city taverns and brothels
- We will tell you the individual stories of lesbian nuns and prostitutes
- We will show you the works of notorious Florentine gay artists
- We will discover the hidden map of homosexual Florence
Details
Includes: fully guided tour
Notes: no additional entrance fees
Meeting point: Santa Croce Square (Dante’s statue)
Tour timetable: 11:00, 18:00
Type: Walking Tour/Sightseeing
Duration: about 1,30 hrs
Fees: € 40,00 per person (free for children under 12). Please note that the minimum fee required to start the tour is 80,00 € (per tour NOT per person).
If you need a private tour, please use the contact form
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4 reviews for Gay Florence City Tour
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Martin –
I’d highly recommend Francesco’s gay tour of Florence. Informative, fun and eye opening with a brilliant guide!
Frank –
Excellent tour! Francesco was incredibly knowledgable and gave us a fantastic tour of historical Queer Florence. We learned so much about its queer history, art, culture and much more. Being art lovers the context he shared was truly delightful and brought Renaissance era Florence back to life. His tour was inclusive welcoming everyone to come along and learn more about classical Florence and it’s queer heritage. We were very, very pleased and hope to come back to do more tours with Queer Tuscany Tours.
Yvonne Wright –
We took Francesco’s Gay City Tour and it was, hands down, the highlight of our trip to Italy. If Florence is the cradle of the Renaissance (it is), then homosexuals are the ones who gave it birth. From history’s most famous gay man (Michelangelo), to history’s most forgotten LGBTQ members, Francesco brings them to life. It’s like taking a walk through the 15th and 16th centuries and meeting the men and women who created the center of Europe’s gay community.
The tour is so much more than how the LGBTQ community shaped Florence and much of our most valued art and literature. (Although you will learn that, too.)
Among the highlights:
-Why Michelangelo, who could have had any man in the world, couldn’t have the one love of his life.
-See the site of the gay bar where da Vinci was arrested, and hear how his lover’s promiscuity got him off.
-Find out how the “sins” of the “sodomites” helped fund the catholic church.
-See the site of a lesbian brothel and learn why so many straight women engaged in lesbian activities.
-Delve into Dante’s 9 circles of hell. Hear where gays land and how he saw their redemption.
-Learn why Plato thought same-sex love was the highest, purist form of love – and how a Florentine brought the philosophy back to life.
-Stand on the spot of the world’s very first gay pride parade (1498) and learn how a Catholic Friar revived the city’s gay movement.
Francesco is writing a book on the often forgotten gay community in Florence. He is a historian so committed to the work, he’s tracked down and read dozens of original documents that survived hundreds of years. As a lesbian, I am so grateful for his work. This magnificent city, that was once the center of gay culture, can now be shared with the world. And wouldn’t it be amazing if it could be revived? There were 40 – yes, FORTY – gay bars here in the 1500s. Surely we could bring some of them back!
Anna McNiel –
Insightful, interesting, and inclusive tour. Francesco is a welcoming and knowledgeable tour guide that took the group on a journey through the main Florence sights from Santa Croce to Piazza Signoria highlighting the impact that the queer community has had on centuries of history, art, politics, and law. Highly recommend!