Florence & Tuscany

The tour starts at 5.00pm on Thursday 22 May, at the Hotel Antica Torre Tornabuoni, Florence.

The tour ends at 11.30am on Friday 6 June, following a transfer to Florence Airport for onward flights.

Meeting at the hotel, we have an early evening orientation stroll followed by a welcome dinner of traditional Tuscan food and wines. Overnight Florence (D)

Setting the stage for the week ahead, we make our way up to the “Mons Regis”, one of the highest points in Florence, offering panoramic views across the city and surrounding countryside. We visit the church of San Miniato al Monte, a 1000-year-old showcase for local craftsmanship and a glorious introduction to the Florentine artisan guilds, whose members both patronized and crafted the city’s art and devotional works. After lunch in a local restaurant, we stroll through the historic centre of Florence and end our afternoon with a visit to the renowned restoration workshop of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. This inspiring atelier, devoted to the art of stone inlay, has been fundamental to Florence’s history since the 16th century. Overnight Florence (B, L)

Medici patronage encouraged some of the most glorious art and architecture of the Renaissance and today we trace the story of this extraordinary family from the early 15th century, when they first rose in prominence as bankers in the city-state of Florence, to the 18th century when the dynasty – by then Grand Dukes of Tuscany - died out. We begin with the Convent of San Marco, patronized by Cosimo the Elder de’Medici and exquisitely frescoed by Beato Angelico. We then move on to Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, whose private chapel is adorned with the vibrant Journey of the Magi by Benozzo Gozzoli. After a break for lunch, we visit the San Lorenzo complex which houses the impressive Medici chapels and tombs adorned with sculptures by Michelangelo. In the evening we’ll attend a concert or opera (schedule permitting). Overnight Florence (B)

Performance
Venue: To be advised
Program: To be advised

Today, we visit some of Florence’s historic palaces and gardens, beginning with Palazzo della Signoria, Arnolfo di Cambio’s fortress-like structure originally constructed to house the ‘Signoria’ – the governing council of the medieval city-state of Florence. In the 16th century, it was appropriated by the Medici and elaborately overhauled to become their ducal residence complete with magnificent audience halls. The afternoon is spent exploring Palazzo Pitti, home to the Grand Dukes of Tuscany and later the Italian royal family. The palace is filled with a extraordinary works of fine and decorative art from the Medici collections, including paintings by Caravaggio, Lippi, Raphael, Rubens and Titian. Our day ends with a leisurely stroll through the Boboli Gardens, created by the Medici in the 16th century as a harmonious fusion of greenery, statuary, lakes and fountains. Overnight Florence (B)

The gentle slopes of the hills just north of Florence are scattered with historic villas set amongst olive groves and vineyards. Today’s tour begins in the gracious hill-town of Fiesole where we’ll enjoy the gardens of Villa Medici – the 15th-century home of Lorenzo ‘the Magnificent’ which, in its setting and layout, exemplifies the ideals of the Italian Renaissance villa. We’ll then go on to explore the Etruscan and Roman roots of Fiesole with a visit to its archaeological site, where the evocative remnants of ancient temples and a well-preserved Roman theatre overlook scenographic hills. After lunch in a local restaurant, we’ll continue to the nearby village of Settignano to visit Villa Gamberaia whose luxuriant gardens are one of the finest examples of Italian landscape design. Overnight Florence (B, L)

Our focus today is the sacred heart of Florence and the remarkable works that adorn the Duomo complex. We’ll begin with the 11th-century Baptistery, with its exotic Byzantine mosaics, and the 14th-century bell tower, designed by the famous Giotto. Then, in the Duomo Museum, we will enjoy Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise, Donatello’s Penitent Magdalene, and Michelangelo’s poignant and unfinished Pietà, sculpted for his own tomb. After lunch together, we turn our focus to Florence’s iconic Duomo. We’ll descend to the archaeological remains of the original paleo-Christian cathedral, Santa Reparata, which lie underneath the later Duomo. We’ll then explore the interior of the building before a private visit to the glorious terraces that skirt its exterior. From here, we’ll enjoy privileged, close-up views of Brunelleschi’s celebrated dome and views across the entire city. Overnight Florence (B, L)

Today we visit the outstanding collections of the Uffizi Gallery. Here our in-depth tour traces the fascinating history of the building and examines works by artists including Cimabue, Giotto, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bronzino, Caravaggio, Artemisa Gentileschi, Titian and Rembrandt, setting them in their broader cultural, religious and social contexts. We also plan to visit the Vasari Corridor, subject to its reopening after restoration. This astonishing aerial walkway, some 800 metres long, was built by Giorgio Vasari in the 1560s to connect two of the Medici’s palazzi. Overnight Florence (B)

This morning, we visit the Accademia Gallery, home to Michelangelo’s incomparable David and his epic-scaled, unfinished ‘Prisoners’, still captive in marble. Later, we leave Florence for the ‘sweet hills’ of Chianti, stopping en route at the Badia di Passignano - a Vallombrosan Abbey of 11th-century origin surrounded by a picturesque village overlooking the famous Antinori vineyards. Our guided visit of the monastery includes the cloisters, gardens, and refectory where Domenico Ghirlandaio frescoed a beautiful ‘Last Supper’ in the late 1470s. We’ll enjoy a traditional lunch at a local trattoria before setting off for our winery-hotel, which is immersed in the Chianti hills and vineyards. Overnight Chianti (B, L)

The pink-hued city of Siena was built to reflect the concept that an earthly city should be a mirror of the heavenly city of Jerusalem. Our visit here will explore the philosophical and religious ideas of the ‘civitas terrena’ and the ‘civitas Dei’, which informed the creation of Siena’s civic and sacred buildings. We’ll visit the Duomo, Crypt and Baptistery and the majestic Piazza del Campo. After an afternoon break, we meet again at the hotel’s restaurant for dinner with matching wines from the estate. Overnight Chianti (B, D)

We begin today’s exploration of Chianti at the Castello di Meleto - a turreted castle and winery of medieval origins which was later turned into a Rococo villa complete with decorative frescoes and a charming little 18th-century theatre. We’ll visit the castle, cantinas and gardens and sample some of Meleto’s wines. Following our visit, we’ll drive through classic Chianti scenery to the Badia a Coltibuono. Founded in the 11th century as a Vallombrosan abbey, in the 19th century it was transformed into a private home and has been in the hands of the same family ever since. From its elevated position, it offers incomparable views over the Arno Valley.  After lunch on the panoramic terrace of Coltibuono’s fine restaurant, we’ll visit the abbey’s Renaissance-style gardens and its historic wine cellars. Overnight Chianti (B, L)

After a leisurely morning, we’ll spend the afternoon visiting San Gimignano as we trace the town’s history and the political factions that gave rise to its imposing towers. Thanks to its natural resources and strategic location on the Via Francigena pilgrim route, the castle that formed the original nucleus of the settlement was transformed into a ‘medieval Manhattan’ whose soaring towers still dominate the skyline. We’ll visit the Duomo, lavishly frescoed by Gozzoli, Ghirlandaio and others, and the medieval city hall. Finally, we’ll climb the ‘Torre Grossa’, the great civic tower affording spectacular views across the countryside. Tonight we enjoy dinner together back at our estate. Overnight Chianti (B, D)

Departing Chianti today we travel to Lucca, via the medieval walled fortress of Monteriggioni, built to defend Siena from Florence and unforgettably described by Dante in The Divine Comedy. Our tour continues to the story-book medieval town of Certaldo, a feast of red-brick tower-houses, churches and palazzi. It was the birthplace of the 14th-century writer Giovanni Boccaccio who used his hometown as the inspiration for some of his short stories in The Decameron. After lunch at a local restaurant, we continue to the beautiful walled city of Lucca – rising from the green plains of the Serchio Valley. Overnight Lucca (B, L)

Thanks to its strategic position on the Via Francigena, Lucca grew into one of the most prosperous and magnificent of all of Tuscany’s medieval towns. It remains a jewel of a place, girdled by over 4km of Renaissance walls. On our walking tour, we’ll learn about the city’s growth from an ancient Roman castrum to a vital centre of pilgrimage and trade in the Middle Ages. We’ll visit the Palazzo Pfanner (subject to restorations being complete) or the historic Palazzo Mansi, one of the most splendid noble residences in the city, hosting tapestries and art collections. After free time in the afternoon, we’ll enjoy dinner together in a local restaurant specialising in traditional Tuscan cuisine. Overnight Lucca (B, D)

Lying near the Ligurian Sea on the mouth of the River Arno, Pisa grew in importance and splendour from the 11th century when it became one of Italy’s four great maritime republics. Today we visit the aptly named ‘Piazza of Miracles’ whose remarkable sacred complex – the Duomo, Baptistery, the leaning campanile and the monumental Campo Santo cemetery – makes it one of the most breathtaking piazzas in Italy. After the tour, there’ll be free time for lunch and the chance to take a stroll through the city. Overnight Lucca (B)

We begin today with an illustrated lecture exploring the life and music of the celebrated opera composer Giacomo Puccini, who was born in Lucca in 1858.  After free time to enjoy Lucca’s lovely shops and cafés, we head to the sleepy town of Torre del Lago on the shores of Lake Massacciucoli. Here, Puccini built a lakeside villa where he lived and wrote his most beloved operas, including La Bohème, Tosca and Madama Butterfly. Puccini described the place as ‘paradise, Eden’, and the light and natural beauty of the area inspired a group of artists from the Macchiaioli school of painters, who befriended the composer. We trace Puccini’s Bohemian circle at the composer’s villa - now a house museum furnished much as it was when he lived there - and we visit the mausoleum where the maestro and his family are buried. This evening we enjoy a farewell dinner at a chalet-restaurant overlooking the water. Overnight Lucca (B, D)

Our tour concludes after breakfast with a transfer to Florence Airport, arriving in the late morning. Please check individual travel plans for onward transfer arrangements. (B)