Monuments aren’t the only reason to visit Florence, there is also a great and ever-changing selection of temporary exhibits taking place across the city at major museums, private museums, and galleries that complement the base and monumental amount of works spread across the city. Often, it is the best way to see contemporary artists and works, an interplay between past and present.
As you plan your time in Florence over the upcoming months, make sure to check out and add a visit to museums to also get a chance to see these exhibits, many of which offer a more modern, contemporary air to the city.
OTTONE ROSAI. POET ABOVE ALL
Where: Museo Novecento
When: from March 7 to October 4, 2026
Hours:
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
- Thursday: Closed
Cost: €13 full, €9 reduced, kids under 18 free
More info: museonovecento.it
The exhibition “Ottone Rosai. Poeta innanzitutto” at the Museo Novecento offers a deep dive into the life and work of Ottone Rosai, one of Florence’s most distinctive 20th-century artists. Bringing together works from the Rosai legacy and the Alberto Della Ragione collection for the first time, the show explores his close relationship with the city and its intellectual circles.
Through around 70 works, along with archival materials and letters, the exhibition highlights two central themes in Rosai’s art: intimate portraits of friends and fellow thinkers, and evocative views of Florence’s streets and landscapes - depicted not just as real places, but as emotional, almost poetic inner worlds. The result is a powerful portrait of an artist who transformed everyday life into something deeply human and reflective.
ROTHKO IN FLORENCE
Where: Palazzo Strozzi, Museo di San Marco, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana
When: from March 14 to August 23, 2026
Hours: 10am-8pm daily and every Thursday until 11pm
Cost: €15 full, €12 reduced, €5 kids 6-18, family tickets available
More info: palazzostrozzi.org
A major exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi celebrates Mark Rothko, one of the leading figures of modern art, from March 14 to August 23, 2026. Curated by Christopher Rothko and Elena Geuna, the show explores Rothko’s deep connection with Florence and its artistic heritage.
The exhibition traces Rothko’s entire career, from his early figurative works influenced by Expressionism and Surrealism to his iconic abstract paintings of the 1950s and 60s, known for their luminous fields of color and emotional intensity. Featuring over 70 works - many never before shown in Italy - loans come from major international institutions such as Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Tate, and Centre Pompidou.
The project extends beyond Palazzo Strozzi to include special installations at Museo di San Marco - where Rothko’s works are displayed in dialogue with frescoes by Fra Angelico - and at the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, where his paintings interact with the architectural space designed by Michelangelo.
BASELITZ. AVANTI!
Where: Museo Novecento
When: from March 25 to September 13, 2026
Hours:
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
- Thursday: Closed
Cost: €13 full, €9 reduced, kids under 18 free
More info: museonovecento.it
The exhibition “Baselitz. AVANTI!” at Museo Novecento is a major retrospective dedicated to Georg Baselitz, one of the most influential figures in contemporary art. Created in collaboration with the artist’s studio, the show focuses in particular on his printmaking - an essential but often less-explored aspect of his work.
Spanning all three floors of the museum, the exhibition brings together around 170 works, including prints, paintings, and sculptures, offering a comprehensive look at over six decades of Baselitz’s radical artistic practice. Known for his provocative approach, most famously his upside-down figures, Baselitz challenges traditional visual conventions, emphasizing art as a process of disruption, transformation, and reinvention.
The exhibition also highlights Baselitz’s strong connection to Florence, where he spent time in the 1960s and later years, drawing inspiration from Mannerist masters such as Rosso Fiorentino, Domenico Beccafumi, and Jacopo da Pontormo.
TOULOUSE-LAUTREC. PARIS 1881–1901
Where: Museo degli Innocenti
When: September 27, 2025 – June 7, 2026
A fascinating exhibition dedicated to Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec that transports visitors to Belle Époque Paris. Through posters, lithographs, and iconic works, the show captures the vibrant nightlife, cabarets, and energy of a rapidly changing modern city. A great alternative (or complement) to Florence’s Renaissance art scene.
FIRENZE DÉCO. ATMOSPHERES FROM THE TWENTIES
Where: Palazzo Medici Riccardi
When: April 2 – August 25, 2026
Hours:
- Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays: 9am-7pm
- Wednesdays: Chiuso
Cost: €15 full, €10 reduced, free for kids under 18
Info: palazzomediciriccardi.it
The exhibition “Firenze Déco. Atmosfere degli anni Venti” celebrates Florence’s role as one of the most vibrant and innovative hubs of Italian artistic culture and design during the 1920s. The exhibition highlights how the city served as a true creative laboratory, capable of engaging in dialogue with major international capitals - most notably Paris during the famous 1925 Exposition. Through a wide selection of works, including ceramics, furniture, jewelry, textiles, and advertising posters, the exhibition reconstructs the buzzing cultural climate of the post-WWI era, a period when the applied arts were valued both as an aesthetic expression and a vital economic resource.
The exhibition layout is divided into several thematic sections that explore the manufacturing excellence of the era. A significant portion is dedicated to the masks of the Commedia dell'Arte, an iconic subject in Déco visual culture, followed by a major focus on ceramic production. In this field, masterpieces from Richard-Ginori stand out, which were profoundly modernized by the touch of Gio Ponti, alongside creations from other important local names like Cantagalli and Galileo Chini’s Fornaci San Lorenzo. The exhibition also documents the crucial role of the Monza Biennale of Decorative Arts, which served as a fundamental milestone for defining the modern language of applied arts in Italy.
The final part of the exhibition explores visual communication and the world of luxury, highlighting the impact of avant-garde movements and the birth of high Florentine fashion. On one hand, it analyzes the advertising sector, where the influence of Futurism guided poster artists like Lucio Venna toward revolutionary forms of communication. On the other hand, the exhibition celebrates fine craftsmanship and the origins of modern fashion, showcasing the early steps in Florence of global giants like Salvatore Ferragamo and Gucci, the exquisite silks admired by D'Annunzio, and the iconic, universal "tuta" or jumpsuit designed by the multi-talented artist Thayaht in 1920.
Combine the fabulous art of Florence with a program of events and activities that will help introduce you to this wonderful city, click the month below to stay updated on the latest news.
Author's Note: This article was last updated on May 25, 2026 and is often updated; check back to see what is on as we keep adding new exhibitions as they open.
