Itinerary
INTRODUCTION
The glory of Florence was shaped by great names such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Dante, Machiavelli and Galileo. In turn, these men were underpinned by the great wealth of the resident families, especially the Medicis and today the city stands as a monument to their passions for religion, for art, for music, for money, and most important, for power. Our tour in November, when Florence is quieter, is a pilgrimage celebrating the city’s great contributions to world culture through being the home of the Renaissance, the developers of the laws of artistic perspective and the birthplace of opera.
Day 1
We take our scheduled flight from London Heathrow to Bologna. On arrival we are met by our local guide who will be with us for all transfers and excursions and transfer by executive coach to the Hotel Brunelleschi. The hotel is positioned in the historic centre of Florence, overlooking the cathedral, and a mere five minute walk from the Uffizi Gallery. In the evening, we relax over a welcome dinner, either in the hotel or in a nearby restaurant.
Day 2
Our day begins with a lecture with Peter followed by a visit to the Capella Brancacci sited in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine. The Brancacci Chapel possesses the fresco cycle of scenes from the life of St Peter, mostly painted in collaboration with Masaccio ‘messy Tom’ and Masolino ‘delicate Tom’. It dates from 1425 to 1427 and is seen as one of the great moments in Renaissance art. However, our focus of the day is a visit to the Uffizi Gallery where we spend the remainder of the day. Built in 1560 by Cosimo I de’ Medici to house the administrative and judiciary offices of Florence (‘uffizi’ = offices), the Uffizi is now one of the world’s most important art galleries, possessing an unsurpassed collection of Renaissance art. Highlights include Primavera, Birth of Venus, Adoration of the Magi by Botticelli, Bacchus, Sacrifice of Isaac, Medusa by Caravaggio, Madonna of the Goldfinch by Raphael, and Venus of Urbino by Titian. The evening is at leisure.
Day 3
Following our morning lecture from Peter at the hotel, we make our way to the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze, founded in 1784 by Pietro Leopoldo, Grand Duke of Tuscany. In addition to housing the original statue of David by Michelangelo, as well as a fine range of Renaissance artwork, the Accademia is also home to the Grand Ducal collection of musical instruments, which include keyboards by Cristofori (inventor of the piano) and bowed strings by Stradivari and Amati. After time for lunch, we continue our musical connections by visiting the Palazzo Pitti, which is where the first surviving opera – Euridice by Jacopo Peri - was performed at the wedding celebrations of Maria de' Medici in 1600. Apart from being one of the finest Renaissance buildings in Florence, the large Palazzo Pitti houses five principal museums, with artifacts ranging from Russian icons and old masters, to jewellery and period costume. The evening is at leisure.
Day 4
After our morning lecture with Peter, we visit the Cathedral of Florence, built in the late 13th century to a design by Arnolfo di Cambio. The impressive Gothic structure was completed in 1436, leaving only Filippo Brunelleschi’s dome and Giotto’s bell tower to be added to the complex. We continue on to the 15th century Palazzo Medici Riccardi for a viewing of Benozzo Gozzoli’s frescoes in the Magi Chapel, finished around 1459. The famous frescoes are adorned with a wealth of anecdotal detail, with portraits of members of the Medici family and their allies, enacting the parts of the Magi and their retinue to Bethlehem. Our last port of call is the Basilica Santa Croce, burial place - among others - of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, and the opera composer, Rossini. Shaped in the form of a Tau cross, the building was begun in 1294, and is the largest Franciscan church in the world. The wealth of artwork in the building includes pieces by Giotto, Donatello, Taddeo Gaddi, and Giorgio Vasari. The evening is at leisure.
Day 5
Once check out has been completed at our hotel, we travel to Bologna where we meet our local guide. We visit the Pinacoteca Nazionale, one of the finest art galleries in Europe. The collection is housed inside the former St Ignatius Jesuit Novitiate, built in the second half of the 17th century and has paintings by Giotto, El Greco, Titian, and Tintoretto. At his stringed instrument workshop Bruno, the last of the traditional Bolognian makers dedicated to the construction of violins, violas and cellos, discusses aspects of instrument construction and the importance of Bologna as an instrument making centre. If time permits taking into account flight timings, we enjoy a lunch together before we make our way to the airport for our return flight to London.
Tour Features
Morning lectures by Peter
Local professional guide on all transfers & excursions
4* central Florence hotel
British Airways flights from London Heathrow to Bologna
All excursions, entrance fees & guided tours included
Welcome dinner included
Lunch on Day 5 included
Executive coach in Italy on Days 1 & 5
Listening headsets
Capella Brancacci in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine
Uffizi Gallery
Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze
Palazzo Pitti
Cathedral of Florence
Palazzo Medici Riccardi - Benozzo Gozzoli’s frescoes in the Magi Chapel
Basilica Santa Croce
Pinacoteca Nazionale in Bologna
Violin workshop Bologna
Hotel
We stay four nights at the 4* Hotel Brunelleschi (www.hotelbrunelleschi.it) in central Florence. Ideally situated, overlooking the cathedral, and a five minute walk from the Uffizi Gallery, the hotel has 2 restaurants and a bar and all rooms are en suite. We enjoy a welcome dinner on Day 1 and the remaining nights are on bed and breakfast basis.
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