Odys-say

YOUR TRAVEL DOCENT

Travel deeper into Florence, through its human stories.

At each place,

  • Drama and backstory
  • History & ideas behind them
  • Insight that’s only yours
Get Odys‑say

BEHIND EVERY PLACE

The people the plaques leave out.

A plaque gives you a date and a name. Here, you get the person, and the ideas that shaped Florence come with the story.

Florence Duomo - Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

Florence Duomo - Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

  • The goldsmith who solved the dome
Michelangelo's David

Michelangelo's David

  • The abandoned Giant
  • The republic’s wounded defender
Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio

  • Butchers forced off the bridge
  • A wedding murder divides Florence
Piazza della Signoria

Piazza della Signoria

  • The fire no one entered
  • The Medici answer David
Piazzale Michelangelo

Piazzale Michelangelo

  • Two months to remake Florence

17 more places in Florence

Uffizi Gallery · Pitti Palace · Boboli Gardens · Giotto's Bell Tower · Basilica of Santa Maria Novella · Basilica of Santa Croce · Baptistery of St. John · National Museum of Bargello · Dante's House · Opera del Duomo Museum · Palazzo Medici Riccardi · Medici Chapels · Palazzo Vecchio · Basilica of San Lorenzo · Basilica of San Miniato al Monte · Basilica of Santo Spirito · Church of Orsanmichele

HOW IT WORKS

Walk near a place.
The story finds you.

Get a notification when you’re near a story place. Tap to listen.

Florence Duomo - Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

now

Just steps away.
Tap to hear the drama.

INSIDE EACH PLACE

From drama,
to idea,
to insight.

Michelangelo's David

For example: the Michelangelo's David.

1. Hear the drama behind the place.

Michelangelo's David

Michelangelo's David

  • The abandoned Giant
  • The republic’s wounded defender

In this story, you’ll discover

Disegno — The Florentine Art of LineHumanism

Chapter 1

The Giant Two Sculptors Left Behind

Decades before Michelangelo received the job, Florence's cathedral workshop ordered a huge block of marble for a prophet that would stand high on the church. The stone was so large that Florentines called it simply the Giant.

A reflection for you

Two sculptors quit on this block. It sat in the yard for decades, flawed and half-carved, until a twenty-six-year-old said yes to the thing nobody wanted. So what would you take on, knowing it had already defeated others? Maybe that is where your size shows.

2. Learn the ideas inside the story.

Michelangelo's David

Michelangelo's David

  • The abandoned Giant
  • The republic’s wounded defender

In this story, you’ll discover

Disegno — The Florentine Art of LineHumanism

Chapter 1

The Giant Two Sculptors Left Behind

Decades before Michelangelo received the job, Florence's cathedral workshop ordered a huge block of marble for a prophet that would stand high on the church. The stone was so large that Florentines called it simply the Giant.

A reflection for you

Two sculptors quit on this block. It sat in the yard for decades, flawed and half-carved, until a twenty-six-year-old said yes to the thing nobody wanted. So what would you take on, knowing it had already defeated others? Maybe that is where your size shows.

3. Keep an insight that’s only yours.

Michelangelo's David

Michelangelo's David

  • The abandoned Giant
  • The republic’s wounded defender

In this story, you’ll discover

Disegno — The Florentine Art of LineHumanism

Chapter 1

The Giant Two Sculptors Left Behind

Decades before Michelangelo received the job, Florence's cathedral workshop ordered a huge block of marble for a prophet that would stand high on the church. The stone was so large that Florentines called it simply the Giant.

A reflection for you

Two sculptors quit on this block. It sat in the yard for decades, flawed and half-carved, until a twenty-six-year-old said yes to the thing nobody wanted. So what would you take on, knowing it had already defeated others? Maybe that is where your size shows.

BEFORE YOU GO

FAQ

An audio guide gives you the facts: dates, names, what it was built for. Odys‑say tells you the drama: the people behind the place, what they wanted, and what it cost them. The ideas behind the city come with the story, and it ends with an insight that’s only yours.

The story first: who was here, what they were up against, and what they chose. Then, inside that story, one or two ideas that help you understand the city more deeply, from history and politics to art, religion, and philosophy.

Explore the city as you normally would. When you’re near one of Odys‑say’s story places, your phone can let you know. Tap the notification, and the story is ready to hear right where you are.

The drama stays the same. What changes is what comes at the end. Based on what you chose to reflect on, Odys‑say connects something from the story to a question or insight that feels relevant to you.

Your first story is included. If you want to keep exploring, you can unlock the whole city for $9.99. It’s a one-time purchase, not a subscription.

A deeper way
to travel
Florence

Human stories at every place,
and what they leave with you.

Get Odys‑say

No subscription.
One-time city purchase.