Parco delle Cascine

Parco delle Cascine in Florence in the heart of the city: how it is and how to get there

The Parco delle Cascine is the biggest green park of Florence, a few steps from the centre: 130 hectares of surface parallel to the Arno river. You will find many species of birds and a rich vegetation with vast lawns, paths and driveways. You will notice a big effect trees in the square Vittorio Veneto (Atlas Cedar), in the square of Cascine (pines, plane trees and a spectacular Ginkgo Bilboa), on the Arno Margin (white aspens), in the meadow of Quercione (plane trees, oaks) and in the garden of  “Catena” (horse chestnut and cedars).

It is the ideal place for practicing sport, enjoying nature and the quiet of the area. The Parco delle Cascine also hosts facilities equipped for sports, the market on Tuesday morning and numerous fairs and cultural and sports events, including the Firenze Rocks Festival scheduled every year for June.

Download the map of the park (.pdf)

Download the information on the trekking route in the Park

In the square of the Cascine there is a visitor centre, a point of reception and orientation in which you can receive information on the overall tourist offer of the town.

It is open on Fridays from 10:00 to 16:00, on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00.

The sports facilities in the park are: the racecourse of Visarno, national rifle shooting, archery, skeet shooting, cycle track and fronton, tennis club, swimming pool Le Pavoniere, Florence equestrian centre, golf club Parco di Firenze, Tuscan equestrian centre, fishing camp, fencing club Raggetti and the recreational club rail.

The history of the Parco delle Cascine

The Parco delle Cascine existed for several centuries. The first nucleus of the Park was formed by the island Cascine estate, purchased by the Duke Alessandro I de’ Medici (1531-1537) and increased by Cosimo I (1537-1574) with the purchase of additional land, all used for hunting and an agriculture purpose.

Thanks to Peter Leopold of Lorraine there was the first opening to the public of the Cascine Granducali, although limited to occasions and exceptional events.

The first architectural work of great commitment is the construction of the royal house, in the yard of the Stables, built in 1785 by architect Giuseppe Manetti, to which we owe the Icebox in the form of a pyramid.

During the Napoleonic period Elisa Baciocchi, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, she transformed permanently the Cascine in a public park, demonstrating a rare modernity.

Giuseppe Poggi had the idea of the large square of access to the park now known as Piazzale Vittorio Veneto.

In the late ‘30s the architect Raffaello Fagnoni realized the air war school.

How to reach the Parco delle Cascine

The Parco delle Cascine is easily accessible by:
Bicycle
From the railway station of Firenze Santa Maria Novella the recommended route is : Piazza Santa Maria Novella – Piazza Goldoni – Lungarno Vespucci (bike path).
Journey time: about 15 minutes
We remind you that you can have a rental bike also from the Hotel Brunelleschi during your stay. For details and information on bicycle routes in Florence, please contact our concierge at concierge@hotelbrunelleschi.it

Tramway
From the railway station of Firenze Santa Maria Novella take the tramway direction Scandicci-Villa Costanza and get off at “Cascine”.
Journey time: 5 minutes.
From Scandicci take the tramway direction Firenze  – Alamanni Station and get off at the “Cascine”.

Bus
From the railway station of Firenze Santa Maria Novella take the line ATAF n.17C direction Cascine and get off at “Cascine”.
Average journey time: 15 minutes.

Train
The railway station of Santa Maria Novella is the main rail link to and from Florence where to catch the bus (ATAF n.17C) or the tramway destination “Cascine”.

Car
Take the exit “Firenze Nord” of the motorway A1, at the end of the road junction towards Florence, and as soon as you enter the city follow the signs for via Baracca. At the end of Via Baracca, arrived in Piazza Puccini, turn right and follow the signs to the “Parco delle Cascine”.
The visitor centre has a large parking lot.

Taxi
Average time about 7 minutes from the railway station of Santa Maria Novella