Italy’s Tuscany & Umbria: Art & Architecture Tour

Arrive in Florence, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the evening, enjoy a walking tour before heading out to our Welcome Dinner. Overnight for four nights at an elegant, centrally located hotel. (D)

Begin today in the heart of Florence with a visit to the famed Galleria degli Uffizi. This 16th-century palace once housed government offices but is now home to the world’s greatest collection of Renaissance art. Savor this opportunity to admire Botticelli’s ‘The Birth of Venus,’ Michelangelo’s ‘Holy Family,’ da Vinci’s ‘Adoration of the Magi,’ Raphael’s ‘Madonna and the Goldfinch,’ and many more.

Next, we peek at the Vasari Corridor, built on the order of Grand Duke Cosimo de’ Medici so that he could pass from the palace to his government offices without being exposed to the threat of the public.

Move on to Brunelleschi’s Ospedale degli Innocenti. More than an architectural milestone, within this structure, infants and children have been cared for for more than five centuries. This evening dinner is on our own. (B/L)

We continue our explorations of Florence today at the Piazza della Signoria with a visit to the Galleria dell’Accademia, where we take in Michelangelo’s David along with many other impressive Renaissance sculptures and paintings. Next, it’s on to the Basilica di Santa Croce. The largest Franciscan church in the world, it is also the burial place of many illustrious Italians including Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli. Next, examine the many historical layers of the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. Originally begun in the 13th century in the Gothic style of Arnolfo di Cambio, the structure was not completed until the 15th century with the placement of the dome engineered by Brunelleschi. The façade, however, was decorated during the Gothic revival of the 19th century. Also, view the Battistero di San Giovanni and the Campanile di Giotto. These three structures make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Continue to the Loggia del Bigallo a late Gothic structure built in the mid 14th century. We conclude the day at San Martino del Vescovo the parish church of the Alighieri and Donati families constructed in 986 AD. The walls are decorated with breathtaking frescos by Ghirlandaio. (B/L/D)

Today, we delve further into the ecclesiastic architectural wonders of Florence. Start at the Convent of San Marco, which now houses the Museo Nazionale di San Marco. With an entranceway frescoed by Bernardino Poccetti, this unique museum boasts a wide collection of the works of Fra Angelico, including ‘Deposition.’ There are also a great number of small frescos by the artist and his assistants in the monastic cells within the complex.

Next, we proceed to Sant’Apollonia. Once a Benedictine convent, the structure has been converted into an art museum. Here we view Andrea del Castagno’s breathtaking fresco, ‘The Last Supper.’  We continue to the Basilica della Santissima Annunziata. The interior is of Baroque design dating to the mid-17th century. Move on to Brunelleschi’s Ospedale degli Innocenti. More than an architectural milestone, within this structure, infants and children have been cared for for more than five centuries. Not far is the Gothic Basilica di Santa Maria Novella. The building of this Dominican church began around 1246 and was completed in the mid-14th century.

Next, we visit one of the first examples of Baroque architecture to penetrate this iconic Renaissance city, the Franciscan Chiesa di San Salvatore di Ognissanti. The neighboring Basilica di Santa Trinita is known for its Sassetti Chapel, which contains impressive frescos by Ghirlandaio, which date to the 15th century.

Continue to the Chiesa di Orsanmichele, the exterior of which presents fourteen external niches that house intricate sculptures, all produced by local guilds. Basilica di Santa Maria del Carmine, home to the Cappella Brancacci, has been pinpointed as the starting point of the new Renaissance style painting, evidenced by the frescos housed within. We also see the Basilica di Santo Spirito, designed by Brunelleschi and constructed by his followers after his death. This church displays a large fresco portraying the crucifixion over the Last Supper and is one of the rare examples of late Gothic art which can still be seen in Florence.

We conclude the day at the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte. San Miniato is recognized as the first Christian martyr of the city. He was an Armenian prince serving the Roman army. The Emperor ordered him thrown to the beasts; the panther, however, refused to devour him. He was subsequently beheaded and is said to have picked up his head, crossed the Arno, and walked up the hill to his hermitage. A shrine was constructed on this spot, followed by a chapel. Here, we listen to mesmerizing Gregorian Chants. Tonight, dinner is on our own. (B/L)

This morning, venture into the Tuscan countryside to the small village of Sant’Andrea, a Percussina, to visit the picturesque Villa Machiavelli.  It is here that Machiavelli wrote his treatise ‘The Prince.’ In the Osteria of the Albergaccio, where Machiavelli spent much of his time, we enjoy a lunch of traditional Tuscan fare.  Continue on to San Gimignano. In the historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, visit the Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta. Here, we see fresco cycles, which include works by the Renaissance artists Ghirlandaio and Taddeo di Bartolo, amongst many others. Within the church, we find the Cappella di Santa Fina, an early Renaissance chapel built to enshrine the relics of Santa Fina, known for her devotion and curative powers. Proceed to the Chiesa di Sant’Agostino, a 13th-century building with a seventeen-panel fresco cycle painted by Benozzo Gozzoli on ‘The Life of Saint Augustine.’ We then head to Siena and overnight for three nights at the Hotel NH Siena. (B/L/D)

Today and tomorrow, we explore the architectural and cultural wealth of Siena. Begin at the Cattedrale Metropolitana di Santa Maria Assunta. The façade alone is one of the most inspiring in Italy, displaying French Gothic, Tuscan Romanesque, and Classical architectural styles. Also, see the Santuario di Santa Caterina, which honors Caterina Benincasa, the daughter of a local dyer, who is said to have had visions of Christ and received the stigmata. She is credited with convincing the Pope to leave Avignon and restore the seat of the papacy to Rome. Nearly a century after her death, she was canonized and was later named the patron saint of Italy. The sanctuary we visit is the house where she was born. The kitchen was converted into an oratory and ornately decorated with paintings by Il Pomarancio, Il Riccio, and Francesco Vanni. Dinner tonight is on our own. (B/L)

We continue our explorations of Siena today at the Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala, one of the first hospitals in Europe and one of the oldest still surviving. This structure holds great cultural importance, once an important hospital dedicated to caring for abandoned children, the poor, the sick, and pilgrims, it is now a museum. Another museum, the Pinocateca Nazionale di Siena, is home to an impressive collection of Medieval and Renaissance art from the Sienese school.

We also enjoy a visit to the Contrada Capitale di Onda museum and church, which is not open to the public. This contrada is one of the 17 contrade that compete in the Palio. Now serving a less administrative role, the contrada has become more of an event planning committee for the community and is held together by the sincere emotion and devotion of the people. (B/L/D)

On the road again, we head towards Assisi, stopping along the way in Montalcino to explore La Rocca, a ruined 14th-century castle.  Next, Spoleto awaits! Built in the 12th century after the destruction wreaked by Barbarossa’s troops, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta is Romanesque in essence. Although modifications have been made throughout the centuries, the cathedral maintains the original Cosmatesque floor of the central apse.

The nearby Basilica di San Salvatore was already a paleo-Christian place of worship in the fourth and fifth centuries, well before the Lombards heavily renovated the structure in the 8th century. Though the interior is now sparsely decorated, one can still appreciate the detailed Doric capitals and friezes. Next, we visit the unassuming Chiesa di Sant’Eufemia. The eye-catching alter has a marble antependium with Cosmatesque inlay work as well as bas reliefs. Continue on and overnight for two nights at the Hotel Giotto in Assisi. Dinner is on our own. (B/L)

As Assisi is where Saint Francis spent his life, today and tomorrow, we immerse ourselves in Franciscan lore. The Chiesa di San Damiano is, according to legend, where the icon of the crucified Jesus Christ came to life and said to Francis, “Go and repair my house.” The future Saint took the command literally and restored the small ruined church in the woods nearby. This tiny place of worship became a favorite place of prayer and reflection for the saint. It is here that the Franciscan movement is said to have been founded. This 9th-century church, which became known as La Porziuncola, is now situated inside the Mannerist Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli.

The true highlight of the day, however, is the incomparable Basilica Papale di San Francesco d’Assisi. The interior serves as a testament to the development of Italian art and is covered with brightly colored frescos done by artists from both the Roman and Tuscan schools, including Cimabue and Giotto. The architectural style itself is a synthesis of Renaissance and Gothic tendencies. (B/L/D)

We continue our explorations of Assisi at the Basilica di Santa Chiara d’Assisi, dedicated to Saint Claire, a follower of Saint Francis and founder of the Order of the Poor Ladies, and the Eremo delle Carceri, a small hermitage to which Saint Francis and his followers would retreat and dedicate themselves to prayer and meditation.

This afternoon, stop at the charming hilltop town of Todi on our way to Orvieto, where we overnight for one night at the Hotel Palazzo Piccolomini. We gather this evening for our Farewell Dinner. (B/L/D)

Rising above the town of Orvieto, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta displays design elements from the 14th to the 20th centuries. The building’s façade is done in the Tuscan Gothic style and presents an imposing rose window, glittering mosaics, and elephantine bronze doors. Enjoy some time this afternoon to wander the cobblestone streets before transferring back to Florence. Overnight at The Gate Hotel, conveniently located next to the airport. Dinner is on our own. (B/L)