A Tactile Guide to Florence for the Blind and Visually Impaired - Destinationflorence.com
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“FLORENCE IN RELIEF”: THE NEW TACTILE GUIDE FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED

An innovative tactile guide in Braille and other inclusivity initiatives transform the cradle of the Renaissance into a sensory experience.

Touching the Cathedral with your fingertips, exploring the Ponte Vecchio through touch, feeling the majesty of Palazzo Vecchio beneath your hands. This is not fantasy, but the new reality that Florence now offers blind and visually impaired visitors thanks to “Florence in Relief”, the innovative tactile publication presented at the international conference on low vision, “Low Vision 2025”. 

The project, a milestone in cultural accessibility, transforms the UNESCO World Heritage monuments of Florence’s historic center into three-dimensional plates accompanied by Braille texts, allowing those who cannot see to “read” with their hands the architectural beauty of the cradle of the Renaissance.

Created through the collaboration between the Municipality of Florence, the Department of Architecture of the University of Florence, the Destination Florence Foundation, and the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired, with the support of the Ministry of Tourism, the two-volume publication is much more than just a tourist guide: it is a democratic gateway to art and culture.

Each tactile plate is integrated with QR codes that link to the portal FeelFlorence.it, where visitors can find detailed descriptions of the monuments, practical information about schedules and accessibility, as well as guidance on dedicated tactile routes. The publication will be available soon (scheduled for September 2025) at the Florence Welcome Center or by request via email at: promozione.turistica@comune.fi.it