Biblioteca delle Oblate

A great place for a drink! You get a great view of the basilica — I read online that this is a «must do» for a day in Florence and I understand why. I had a good glass of Chianti for only € 2.50 and had a table by the window. It was calm, yet had enough people around. I had a nice time here and would certainly recommend it.

great spot to study with a very cheap caffe!

If you’re looking for a nice coffee and a great view this is your spot! Make sure you’re going all the way up. Also a nice place to study, read some newspapers etc.

It makes me sad to give this library only two stars, when it has so much potential.
As far as a library goes, honestly I would only give it one star, but it’s location, chill outdoor seating area and the fact that it stays open late I had to give it an extra star. An old convent turned library, this place is really beautiful. Centrally located easy to get to and the inner courtyard is so peaceful to sit around, specially in the morning and evening hours. If I could just rate the ambient of the library I would definitely give it 4 stars, the only thing bringing it down would be all the loud teenagers that come after school to smoke and make out on patio. Ewww. Double ewwww. Yeah they kind of kill the peaceful vibe this place has going on, but they are usually out of there by dinner time ;) Anyway as a library this place sucks, I mean is practically useless. Wifi is too slow or doesn’t work at all. WAnt to print something, good luck getting a computer that works or waiting in line in the unventilated computer room which smells like the bog of eternal stench (specially in the summer time) … smelly people … really smelly people. God how I miss my old Santa Monica Library; (The selection of books is pretty sad and other than one specific employee, no one here has any clue what’s going on. It’s just really sad coming here when you need to study or get something done. My recommendation is to go to Sesto Library which is pretty decent. Just not very convenient if you are in downtown FI.; (

Biblioteca delle Oblate occupies what was once a convent. The internal courtyard still retains a rarefied feel, even when high school and college kids are milling around. On the ground floor there is a study space and a conference room. On the first floor you can find the main library and media center, which in itself can be a bit confusing to get around because of the library’s labyrinth structure. After registering, you may check books, periodicals, and DVDs. And since it is part of the network of public libraries, your registration here is valid at the other Biblioteche Comunali in Florence. The second floor holds the children’s library (which I highly recommend, it’s so cute), the covered outdoor terrace, and the Caffetteria dell’Oblate. I used to study in the terrace, and the key is to get there early if you want one of the few electrical outlets for your laptop. When you register, you can also request WiFi access. You have a three hour daily WiFi allowance on your laptop, and if you use one of the library’s computer terminals it is limited to an hour. The Caffetteria holds concerts, readings, and the like. You could also simply stop by for an espresso or a pastry, with the Duomo as your backdrop. It’s a beautiful place, and it still surprises me how few people know about it.
It is open until 7 pm, and during the summer they hold later opening hours.