Florence on 1 November: What to Do
1 November is Tutti Santi, All Saints Day, a national public holiday in Italy. It falls with 2 November (Day of the Dead, not a public holiday but observed culturally) to create a long weekend that many Italians use for a short trip.
Florence draws a moderate increase in domestic Italian visitors over this weekend, which means it is busier than a typical late-October weekend but nowhere near the density of Easter or June. Understanding what is open, what is worth doing, and how to get the most from the long weekend makes the visit much more straightforward.
The November 1st weekend in Florence
The long weekend typically runs from Friday 30 October or Saturday 1 November through Sunday 2 November, with many Italians extending it to include the preceding or following weekend.
November 1st in Florence is not a major event in the way that Easter or San Giovanni is. There is no civic ceremony, no street parade, and no specific festivity. What it is, instead, is a pause in the normal rhythm of the city.
The temperature in late October to early November averages 8-16 degrees. Rain is possible. It is hat-and-jacket weather for outdoor activities and coat weather in the evening.
The autumn light is good at this time of year. The hills south of the Arno are often at their most colourful in the first days of November. A walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo or San Miniato al Monte on the afternoon of 1 November can be one of the most atmospheric things you do in Florence.
What is open on public holidays
Most major tourist sites and museums are open on 1 November. These operate on normal Sunday hours where they have different Sunday schedules:
Uffizi (open 8:15-18:30, last entry 17:30): Open on 1 November. Slightly busier than a typical autumn weekday but not at peak summer levels. Booking ahead is recommended.
Galleria dell’Accademia (open 8:15-18:50): Open on 1 November. As above.
Bargello (open 8:15-13:50): Open with morning hours only. Worth visiting early.
Palazzo Pitti (Galleria Palatina open 8:15-18:30): Open on 1 November.
Boboli Gardens (open 8:15-17:30, last entry 16:30 in November): Open.
Cappelle Medicee (open 9:00-14:00): Open with reduced hours.
Most churches are open for services on 1 November and typically close to tourists during mass (usually 9:00, 10:30, and 12:00). Check the door for visiting hours outside service times.
Many small shops and some restaurants close on 1 November. The main tourist restaurants in the centre stay open. Book ahead for dinner.
The monumental cemeteries: an unusual visit
1 and 2 November are the traditional days to visit cemeteries in Italy. Florentines bring flowers to the graves of relatives, and the cemeteries are open, active, and treated as public spaces during this period.
Cimitero delle Porte Sante (Via delle Porte Sante 28, next to San Miniato al Monte): This is Florence’s most architecturally significant cemetery. It was designed in the 19th century against the old city walls and the hill below San Miniato al Monte. It contains the graves of notable Florentines including the architect Giuseppe Poggi (who designed Piazzale Michelangelo). Entry is free and it is open daily.
On 1 November the cemetery is decorated with fresh flowers and is notably atmospheric. The combination of the Romanesque church of San Miniato above, the old city walls on one side, and the well-maintained Art Nouveau and neoclassical monuments within makes this one of the most unusual and beautiful visits in Florence.
Cimitero degli Allori (Via Senese 184): Further south of the centre, about 5 km from the Duomo. This is the historic Protestant and non-Catholic cemetery of Florence. It contains graves of English and American residents of Florence from the 19th and early 20th centuries, including the sculptor Lorenzo Bartolini. Less visited than Porte Sante but worth the trip if you have a car or are comfortable with bus line 36 or 37.
Museums and galleries without crowds
The museums in Florence are at their least crowded in November. The Uffizi and Accademia are still busy on and around 1 November due to the holiday weekend, but the smaller and mid-sized museums are genuinely calm.
Museo di San Marco (Piazza San Marco 3, entry 4 euros, open Tuesday-Friday 8:15-13:50, Saturday-Sunday 8:15-16:50): This is one of the most extraordinary collections of Fra Angelico’s work in the world. The 44 individual cell frescoes are unique. The museum is rarely crowded even on public holidays.
Museo dell’Opificio delle Pietre Dure (Via degli Alfani 78, entry 4 euros, open Monday-Saturday 8:15-14:00): Florence’s museum of intarsia, the art of stone inlay. Small, specialised, and consistently uncrowded. It explains a major Florentine craft tradition with genuine depth.
Museo Horne (Via dei Benci 6, entry 7 euros, open Monday-Saturday 9:00-13:00): A private collection in a Renaissance palace. It contains works by Giotto, Filippino Lippi, and Beccafumi among others. Rarely visited and a genuine alternative to the main circuit.
Galleria Palatina at Palazzo Pitti (entry 16 euros): Raphael, Titian, and Rubens in a setting that has not been reorganised since the 17th century. The paintings are stacked floor to ceiling in the original decorative scheme. It is a different experience from the Uffizi and worth including in a November visit.
Day trips for the long weekend
The November 1st long weekend is a good time for day trips from Florence. The main destinations in Tuscany are accessible by train or bus and have fewer visitors than at any other holiday period.
Siena: 90 km south, 90 minutes by bus (SENA/Flixbus from Santa Maria Novella bus station) or 1.5 hours by train (change at Empoli). The Piazza del Campo and the Duomo of Siena are both visually extraordinary. The Museo Civico (Piazza del Campo 1, entry 10 euros) and the Duomo complex (entry varies) are open on 1 November.
Arezzo: 80 km southeast, 45 minutes by train from Santa Maria Novella (direct, approximately 7-12 euros). The Basilica di San Francesco contains Piero della Francesca’s fresco cycle of the Legend of the True Cross (booking required, entry 12 euros). Arezzo itself is a pleasant mid-size city with fewer tourists than Florence.
Volterra: 80 km west, accessible by bus from Florence (approximately 2 hours, SITA). The Alabaster city on the hill, with Etruscan museum, medieval towers, and a good small-city atmosphere. Less visited in November than in summer.
Where to stay
The November 1st weekend sees some increase in accommodation demand in Florence, but it is manageable with reasonable advance notice. The Key is at Via Cittadella 22, a 5-minute walk from Santa Maria Novella station, which is also the departure point for buses to Siena and other Tuscan destinations.
