What to do in autumn in Florence

Tips, exhibitions, restaurants and everything you mustn't miss this fascinating season

If you're wondering what to do in Florence in autumn, you've come to the right place. During this season, the city lights up with warm colours and romantic atmospheres, with shades of green, yellow and orange transforming streets, parks and hills into a living painting. October and November are the perfect months to experience Florence in an authentic way: art exhibitions, great theatre shows, food and wine events and tastings in Tuscan wineries.

Food & Wine: the flavours of autumn between Florence and Tuscany

Autumn is the season of harvest and intense aromas. It is the time for wine, new oil, chestnuts, mushrooms and truffles, the absolute stars of Tuscan cuisine. Many restaurants in the city offer dishes based on fresh porcini mushrooms: to be enjoyed in carpaccio, risotto or with homemade pasta. A classic not to be missed for those who love seasonal cuisine.

If you are looking for an experience outside the city, the wineries of Tuscany open their doors with tours, picnics among the vineyards and lunches immersed in the autumn landscape. From Val d'Orcia to Chianti Classico, each area offers unique itineraries for those who want to discover the magic of the grape harvest up close and taste fine wines accompanied by local products.

Art: exhibitions not to be missed in Florence

Autumn in Florence is also synonymous with new exhibitions and major cultural events. Here are the main exhibitions currently on display:

Beato Angelico (until 25 Jenuary 2026): an extraordinary exhibition celebrates Beato Angelico, the undisputed master of the 15th century and a central figure in Italian art, with a display that winds its way between Palazzo Strozzi and the Museum of San Marco.
Toulouse-Lautrec. Un tuffo nella Parigi della Belle Époque al Museo degli Innocenti (until 22 february 2026): a major exhibition dedicated to Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the undisputed master of the Belle Époque and symbol of late 19th-century Paris.
Firenze e l’Europa. Arti del Settecento agli Uffizi (until 28 november): the exhibition presents 150 works, including paintings, sculptures, furnishings and porcelain, many of which have never been seen before. Among the masterpieces are works by Goya, Tiepolo, Canaletto, Subleyras and the Cabinet of Erotic Antiquities.

Theatre: the new season at the Pergola

The spotlight is back on the stages of Florence. The Teatro della Pergola inaugurates the Teatro della Toscana season with a programme that combines classical and contemporary authors, big names from the Italian scene and texts with a strong poetic impact.

Shows scheduled:

L'altro sguardo di Antonio Neiwiller with Toni Servillo (13 october)
Donald with Stefano Massini (4-16 november)
Ma a che serve la luce with Virgilio Sieni (26-27 november)
Perfetti sconosciuti with Paolo Genovesi (from 27 dicember to 4 jenuary)

Opera: the new season of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino opera season has also restarted with a programme full of new features. On 12 October, with three further performances on 14, 17 and 19 October, an important Verdi title after Aida, Verdi's Macbeth, conducted by Alexander Soddy and directed by Mario Martone, who returns to the Maggio after an absence of almost twenty years. The opera's sets are designed by Mimmo Paladino. The cast includes Luca Salsi, Antonio Di Matteo, Vanessa Goikoetxea and Antonio Poli.

On 9 November (repeats: 11, 14, 16 November) Lucrezia Borgia by Donizetti, conducted by Francesco Ivan Ciampa and directed by Andrea Bernard; with Mirco Palazzi, Jessica Pratt, René Barbera, and Laura Verrecchia in the leading roles. On 4 December, with repeat performances on 6 and 7 December, Johann Sebastian Bach's Matthäus Passion will be staged in a unique setting, with the audience seated on bleachers built on the stage of the Sala Grande, conducted by Kent Nagano and directed by Romeo Castellucci, both making their debut at the Maggio; the role of the Evangelist is played by tenor Ian Bostridge.