Florence Bingo: Spot 30 Typically Florence Things
Walk the marble streets, tick off the card, snap a photo of every typically Florence thing you can find. From a David replica posed for a selfie to the red dome of the Duomo, this is a 30-item Florence bingo that turns any walk into a treasure hunt. No fixed route. Just keep your eyes open.
Challenges (30)
Spot a David replica
Find Michelangelo's David (a replica in Piazza della Signoria, the original in the Accademia or a souvenir-shop apron). The marble man is everywhere. Photograph him.
Spot a Florence gelato cone
Find a gelato cone with at least two flavours at a Florence gelateria (Vivoli, Gelateria dei Neri, Perché No, Carapina). Photograph the cone.
Spot a bistecca alla fiorentina
Find a bistecca alla fiorentina (giant T-bone steak) on a restaurant menu or table. Photograph the slab.
Spot a Chianti wine bottle
Find a Chianti bottle (with the black rooster Gallo Nero seal for Chianti Classico) in a shop or restaurant. Photograph the rooster.
Spot a Florence cobblestone
Find a Florence pietra serena cobblestone street. Photograph a stretch of the stone leading toward a landmark.
Spot a Tuscan-flag yellow lily
Find the Florence symbol (a red fleur-de-lis / giglio on white) on a flag, plaque, manhole cover or souvenir. Photograph the lily.
Spot a pecorino cheese wheel
Find a Tuscan pecorino cheese wheel in a cheese-shop window or market stall. Photograph the wax-rimmed wheel.
Spot a leather shop
Find a Florence leather shop with jackets, bags or wallets in the window (the San Lorenzo market and the Oltrarno have dozens). Photograph the leather.
Spot a panino (Tuscan sandwich)
Find a Tuscan panino (often porchetta, prosciutto and pecorino on a soft schiacciata bread) at a shop like All'Antico Vinaio. Photograph the sandwich.
Spot an Italian flag in Florence
Find an Italian tricolor flag (green-white-red) flying on a Florence building. Photograph it.
Spot the Duomo dome
Find a view of Brunelleschi's red-tile dome on the Duomo from any vantage point. Photograph the dome with the lantern on top.
Spot Giotto's Bell Tower
Find the Campanile di Giotto on Piazza del Duomo, the marble bell tower next to the cathedral. Photograph the patterned facade.
Spot the Baptistry doors (Gates of Paradise)
Find the gilded bronze doors of the Baptistry (Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise replica). Photograph the panels.
Spot the Ponte Vecchio
Walk to the Ponte Vecchio over the Arno and find the row of jewellery shops on the bridge. Photograph the bridge from upstream or downstream.
Spot a Ponte Vecchio jewellery window
On the Ponte Vecchio find a jewellery-shop window with gold rings, brooches or Florentine cameo work. Photograph the window.
Spot Piazza della Signoria statues
Walk to Piazza della Signoria and find one of the statues (Neptune Fountain, the David replica, the Loggia dei Lanzi figures). Photograph one.
Spot Palazzo Vecchio crenellations
Find the Palazzo Vecchio facade and its battlement crenellations on top of the Arnolfo Tower. Photograph the tower against the sky.
Spot the Boboli Gardens or Pitti
Walk across the Arno to Palazzo Pitti and find the rustic stone facade or the Boboli garden entrance. Photograph the facade or gardens.
Spot a Florence Uffizi line
Walk to the Uffizi Gallery and photograph the queue at the entrance or the colonnade itself. Even from outside, the colonnade between the Arno and the Palazzo Vecchio is iconic.
Spot the Porcellino bronze boar
Walk to Mercato Nuovo (the Straw Market) and find Il Porcellino, the bronze boar fountain. Rub his nose for luck. Photograph the polished snout.
Spot a Renaissance fresco facade
Find a building with painted Renaissance frescoes on the exterior facade (Borgo Albizi has examples). Photograph the painting.
Spot a Florence terracotta-tile roof view
Climb to Piazzale Michelangelo or any high vantage point and photograph the sea of terracotta-tile roofs with the Duomo and Campanile poking out.
Spot a Vespa parked on a Florentine street
Find a Vespa parked on a cobblestone street in the centro storico. Photograph the scooter.
Spot the San Lorenzo Market stall
Walk into the Mercato Centrale di San Lorenzo and find a stall with prosciutto, pecorino or olive oil. Photograph the stall.
Spot a Florence street artist easel
In Piazza degli Uffizi find a street artist sketching tourists or selling watercolours. Photograph the easel.
Spot a wine window (buchette del vino)
Find a wine window (small medieval shutter in a wall, once used to serve wine directly to passers-by). Photograph the small wooden door.
Spot a Florence carriage (carrozza)
Find a horse-drawn carrozza waiting near the Duomo or Piazza della Repubblica. Photograph the carriage.
Spot a Florentine pasta dish
Find a Tuscan pasta dish (pappardelle al cinghiale with wild boar, pici cacio e pepe, ribollita as a starter) on a trattoria table. Photograph the plate.
Spot a Florence street lantern
Find a wrought-iron Florentine street lantern hanging from a stone wall in the centro storico. Photograph the lantern against the stone.
Spot the Calcio Storico jersey
Find a souvenir or jersey of Calcio Storico Fiorentino (the historic Florentine football, played in costume on Piazza Santa Croce). Photograph the medieval jersey.
Frequently asked questions
The duration is up to the organizer when they set up the adventure. As a guideline, a focused day across the historic centre (Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio) ticks off most of the easy items, and stretching across a weekend (with the Oltrarno and Piazzale Michelangelo) lets a determined group complete all 30.
Each of the 30 items is a camera challenge. When you spot the thing, take a photo and submit it; the bingo card tracks progress. Play solo, with friends or split into teams and race to tick off the most items.
Some items (a leather shop in action, a specific gelateria) need targeted wandering. Sweep the centro storico for the easy items, the Oltrarno for artisans, San Lorenzo for the market, Piazzale Michelangelo for the panorama.
The centro storico (Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio) hits the most items in a small walking loop. Add the Oltrarno (across the river) for the artisan workshops and Piazzale Michelangelo for the panorama photo.
Yes. Kids love spotting the David, gelato, the Duomo dome and the bronze boar; adults enjoy hunting Chianti, leather goods and Renaissance statues. No alcohol stops are required.