Santa Croce with Your Family in Florence
Santa Croce is one of Florence’s most distinctive neighborhoods. It has the great Gothic basilica, a vast square where Florentines play calcio storico every year, and a web of medieval streets lined with artisan workshops and trattorias.
For families it is one of the most vibrant and authentic parts of the city. Less touristy than the area around the Duomo, and richer in local life.
The Santa Croce neighborhood with your family
The Santa Croce neighborhood stretches east of the historic center, around the basilica and square of the same name. It borders the Duomo to the west, the Bargello to the north, and the Lungarni to the south.
It is a family-friendly neighborhood: there are food shops, pharmacies, nearby public parks, and local restaurants with reasonable prices. Piazza di Santa Croce is one of the great open spaces in the historic center of Florence.
Young children can walk without difficulty: the streets are largely pedestrianized or low-traffic during the daytime.
The basilica to visit with children
The Basilica di Santa Croce is the largest Franciscan church in the world. It has a Gothic exterior with a white and green marble facade. The interior is vast: 115 meters long.
For children, the most interesting thing about it is that it contains the tombs of many famous figures: Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, Machiavelli, Ghiberti, Rossini. You can turn the visit into a game: how many famous names can they recognize?
There is also the Cenotaph of Dante Alighieri. Dante is buried in Ravenna, but Florence has this commemorative monument because the city came to regret having exiled him.
Cimabue’s Crucifix, famous for the damage it suffered in the 1966 flood, is kept in the Museo dell’Opera di Santa Croce, accessible from the cloister. For children aged 9-10 and over, the story of the flood and the subsequent restoration is genuinely gripping.
Entry ticket: about 8 euros for adults, free for under-11s. The ticket includes the basilica, the cloisters, and the museum.
Parks and gardens in the neighborhood
Santa Croce does not have a large park within its borders, but there are several green spaces nearby that are well suited to children.
Giardino delle Rose (Viale Giuseppe Poggi): on the Lungarno, about 15 minutes on foot from Piazza Santa Croce. A terraced garden with roses of every variety and views over the city. Free entry. There is no playground, but the lawn is accessible. Open from April to October.
Piazzale Michelangelo and Parco del Poggio Imperiale: about 20 minutes on foot toward the hills. Wide open spaces with panoramic views. No children’s play equipment, but plenty of room to run.
Parco delle Cascine: Florence’s main park, about 25 minutes on foot or 10 minutes by bike from Santa Croce. It has playgrounds, open space, cycle paths, and restaurants. The most complete destination for children.
Piazza di Santa Croce itself: not a park, but large enough for children who need to move around. Events, markets, and activities are often held there at weekends.
Family-friendly bars and restaurants
Trattoria Cibreo (Via dei Macci): modern Tuscan cooking. Refined but not stiff atmosphere. Average price about 30-40 euros per person. Suitable for families with children aged 6-7 and over.
Il Latini (Via dei Palchetti): a historic trattoria with shared tables and a fixed menu. No reservations: you queue outside. Hearty Florentine cooking. Suitable for families with children aged 5-6 and over.
Brac (Via dei Vagellai): a bookshop-restaurant serving vegetarian food. Creative menu with options for children. Relaxed atmosphere with books on the shelves. Curious children love exploring it.
Pizzerias (various addresses in the area): Santa Croce has several local pizzerias with reasonable prices. Look along Via dei Benci and Via delle Pinzochere.
Gelateria dei Neri (Via dei Neri): one of Florence’s historic gelato shops, in business for decades. Quality gelato with classic and seasonal flavors. A two-scoop cone costs about 3 euros.
How to get there
From the Duomo to Piazza Santa Croce is about a 10-minute walk. The main route goes along Via dei Calzaiuoli and then Via dei Benci.
From Santa Maria Novella station it takes about 20 minutes on foot. Alternatively you can take the bus: the C2 minibus (city center route) stops near Santa Croce.
By bike: Florence has a bike-sharing service (Mobike and Nextbike). The nearest stations to Santa Croce are in Piazza Ghiberti and Lungarno delle Grazie.
Where to stay
Charlotte is a bed and breakfast in the historic center of Florence, just a few minutes on foot from Piazza Santa Croce. The neighborhood is easy to reach on foot from any point in the center.
Charlotte is designed for families with children and offers comfortable rooms with everything you need for a well-organized stay.
Find out more about Charlotte and book your stay in Florence.
