FLORENCE - CRADLE OF THE RENAISSANCE

Itinerary

Art | Italy

Florence was where the Renaissance began; the dawning of a new age of glorious artistic creativity, made possible by the increasingly rich families of the northern Italian Courts who instinctively knew that patronage would increase their standing and give them more power

During your stay in Florence you will see the works of a whole litany of the greatest artists who worked in Italy and be able to put them and their achievements into context. We have selected dates when Florence will be less crowded and hence easier to explore and enjoy this fascinating and cultural city.

Day 1

Fly from London to Pisa and transfer to one of our favourite 4 star hotels, the Santa Maria Novella in the heart of the city, where we stay for five nights. On most days we will end our tour in the late afternoon, which will allow for some free time to explore independently.

Day 2

Your first visit will be to the Uffizi Gallery where we see paintings by every great Florentine artist as well as works by international artists. During the afternoon we visit Santa Maria Novella, the Dominican church with works by Ghirlandaio and Masaccio.

Day 3

Today is the turn of the Bargello where the great sculptures of Florence are displayed – Michelangelo, Donatello and many more are represented here. In the afternoon we visit the church used by the great Medici family, San Lorenzo, designed by Brunelleschi. We see the Medici family tombs and Michelangelo’s largest sculptural work.

Day 4

We visit the Accademia this morning where we see Michelangelo’s David and the frescoes by Fra Angelico in the Friary of St. Marco. Later we devote time to the eclectic Cathedral, topped by the very symbol of the Renaissance, Brunelleschi’s massive dome.

Day 5

We go to the Franciscan Church of Santa Croce this morning, its rich and ornate sculptures, altarpieces and frescoes indicating that this was the chosen burial place of the rich and famous. At the Palazzo Vecchio we see interiors designed by Vasari where works by Michelangelo, Donatello and Ghirlandaio are on display. Our tour will end with a visit to the Brancacci Chapel with its frescoes by Masaccio and to Santo Spirito, the last great building of Brunelleschi.

Day 6

We will drive to Pisa airport for the flight back to London.

Please note - This is a sample itinerary. Please ask us to create a holiday that is exactly right for you - that is our speciality!
Contact us to ask!