Empoli What to See: Day Trip from Florence
Empoli: A Day Trip from Florence
Empoli is a small city about 30 kilometres southwest of Florence in the lower Arno valley. Most people who know it associate it with its glass industry, which has been producing bottles and decorative glassware since the 19th century. But Empoli has an older and more layered history than its industrial reputation suggests.
A day trip from Florence gives you enough time to see the main attractions, have a proper lunch, and return comfortably in the afternoon.
Empoli: a day trip from Florence
Empoli is a working town without a large tourist infrastructure. This is partly what makes it interesting. You can spend a morning here among Florentine day-trippers and local shoppers rather than among organised tour groups.
The historic centre is compact and walkable. The main piazza, Piazza Farinata degli Uberti, is one of the most handsome squares in the lower Arno valley. The surrounding streets contain medieval and Renaissance buildings, including a collegiate church with an exceptional fresco collection.
The glass industry has shaped the modern town, which extends well beyond the historic centre, but the old core retains its distinct character. The market held weekly in the main piazza is a practical indicator of how the town functions as a real commercial centre rather than a heritage attraction.
How far it is and how to get there
Empoli is approximately 30 kilometres from Florence city centre. The drive takes about 35 to 40 minutes via the FI-PI-LI motorway (the main road connecting Florence, Pisa, and Livorno).
By train, direct regional services from Florence Santa Maria Novella run approximately every 30 minutes. Journey time is between 25 and 40 minutes depending on the service. The train station is about 600 metres from Piazza Farinata degli Uberti, a ten-minute walk.
The train option is practical and economical. A single ticket costs approximately 4.50 euros. There is no need to book in advance for regional trains; you can buy tickets at the station or on the Trenitalia website.
Empoli is also a hub for connections to other towns in the area. Trains from Empoli serve Siena, San Miniato (the town above Empoli), Castelfiorentino, and Certaldo. If you are combining Empoli with another town in the Valdelsa or Valdarno valleys, the local rail network makes routing straightforward.
The glass museum and the historic centre
The Museo del Vetro di Empoli (Glass Museum) is housed in the deconsecrated church of Sant’Andrea, on Via Ridolfi. Entry costs 4 euros. The museum traces the history of the Empolese glass industry, which grew rapidly from the 1870s onward and became one of the main suppliers of wine and food-grade bottles for the Italian market.
The collection includes examples of production from the earliest industrial period alongside the green glass objects (particularly the distinctive “fiasco” wine bottle in its straw wrapping) that made Empolese glass internationally recognisable. There is also a significant collection of art glass from the decorative tradition, including pieces commissioned from major Italian designers in the 20th century.
The historic centre is most conveniently explored on foot from the train station. Walking north along Via Giuseppe del Papa brings you to Piazza Farinata degli Uberti in about ten minutes.
The piazza takes its name from Farinata degli Uberti, the Ghibelline military leader whom Dante places in Hell in Inferno Canto X. Farinata was born in Empoli and is the town’s most famous historical figure, despite spending most of his career in exile from Florence.
The piazza is surrounded by historic buildings on all four sides. The northeast corner is occupied by the Palazzo Ghibellino, where the Ghibelline leaders held their council after the battle of Montaperti in 1260.
The collegiate church and medieval art
The Collegiata di Sant’Andrea stands on the north side of Piazza Farinata degli Uberti. The church was founded in the 5th century and rebuilt in its current Romanesque form in the 11th and 12th centuries. The facade is clad in white and green marble, in the same Florentine Romanesque style as San Miniato al Monte and the Baptistery.
The attached museum, the Museo della Collegiata di Sant’Andrea, is the main reason to visit Empoli from an art-historical perspective. The collection is one of the finest museum of medieval and Renaissance art in the Arno valley outside Florence.
The collection includes a Maesta by Agnolo Gaddi from the late 14th century, a Pieta by Filippo Lippi, and a large altarpiece by Lorenzo Monaco. The most important work is a large polychrome altarpiece by Masolino da Panicale, the same artist who began the Brancacci Chapel cycle in Florence. Masolino was born near Empoli, and the museum’s collection of his work is the most significant outside Florence.
Entry to the museum costs 5 euros. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 7 pm in summer, with shorter afternoon hours in winter.
The Palazzo Ghibellino on the east side of the piazza is occasionally open for guided visits. The building contains frescoes and decorative elements from the 13th and 14th centuries.
Where to have lunch in Empoli
Trattoria Il Guscio on Via Palestro, two blocks from Piazza Farinata, is a neighbourhood restaurant with no tourist menu. The daily specials change with the season and the market. A typical lunch consists of a primo of hand-made pasta, a secondo of grilled or braised meat, and a side dish. Without wine, expect to pay around 18-22 euros.
Osteria del Cinghiale on Via degli Oriali serves Tuscan classics including wild boar stew, ribollita, and grilled local sausages. It attracts a mixed crowd of local workers and day visitors. The kitchen is straightforward and reliable.
For a quicker lunch, the covered market near the train station has a section of alimentari and cooked-food counters. You can assemble a very good picnic from bread, cured meat, cheese, and olives for about 8-10 euros.
The local wine is Chianti from the surrounding area or Vernaccia di San Gimignano, available in most restaurants by the glass or the half-litre carafe.
Coffee after lunch: Bar Centrale on Piazza Farinata degli Uberti has been the town’s main meeting point for decades. An espresso costs 1.10 euros.
Where to stay
De’ Medici is a guesthouse in Oltrarno Florence, 30 kilometres from Empoli. You can take the morning train, spend the day in Empoli, and return to Florence in time for dinner in the neighbourhood.
