Art Tour to Italy – Cradle of the Renaissance

Florence is so deeply connected to the Renaissance movement in art and literature that it is often called the “Cradle of the Renaissance.” A walk through the peaceful piazzas reveals the architecture and sculpture that have made this beautiful city one of the world’s greatest artistic capitals.

Stop just outside Florence and explore the Piazzale Michelangelo. Offering a splendid panoramic view of the city's domes and towers, this is a great location to take photos and view some of the local artists at work.

Discover San Miniato al Monte, set high atop a hill with a gleaming white-and-green facade visible from the valley below. San Miniato is one of the few ancient churches of Florence to survive the centuries virtually intact. The current building began to take shape in 1013 under the auspices of the powerful Arte di Calimala guild, whose symbol, a bronze eagle clutching a bale of wool, perches atop the facade. With your back to the front of the church one can enjoy an impressive view of Florence - from the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio, to the last standing parts of the medieval walls that once surrounded Florence.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

See the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine, highlighted by the magnificent Cappella Brancacci, which contains frescoes by Masacchio on the Life of St. Peter.

Visit San Marco, a former medieval monastery converted into a new home for the Dominicans by Cosimo de’ Medici il Vecchio, grandfather of Lorenzo the Magnificent. The monastery’s most famous member was the early Renaissance painter Fra Angelico, who left behind many of his finest works. Our tour will include the Fra Angelico Gallery, full of altarpieces and painted panels; the Sala del Capitolo, frescoed by Fra Angelico and his assistants with a huge Crucifixion; the Sala del Cenacolo, with a long fresco of the Last Supper by Domenico Ghirlandaio; the Dormitorio of cells where the monks lived, featuring one of Fra Angelico’s masterpieces and perhaps his most famous cycle of frescoes; and the Biblioteca, which contains beautifully illuminated choir books.

Tour San Lorenzo. Founded in the 4th century, this is the city’s second most important church. At one point in its long history, San Lorenzo became the church of the Medicis. Our visit will include the Medici Chapels. Michelangelo built the New Sacristy between 1520 and 1533 as a monument to Lorenzo the Magnificent and his generation of peaceful Medicis. We will also visit the Biblioteca Laurenziana, one of the world’s most important collections of Italian manuscripts.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

Visit the Accademia Gallery, where we will view Michelangelo’s statuary masterpiece, David, and Boticelli’s Madonna and Child.

Enjoy the Piazza del Duomo, where the cathedral, tower, and baptistery exhibit the traditions of Florentine art from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. We will observe the massive and detailed facade of the Duomo before viewing the baptistery’s bronze doors, designed by Ghiberti and which Michelangelo commented were worthy to be the “Gates of Paradise.” After a brief visit inside the Duomo, we will have the opportunity to ascend the Bell Tower; climb the narrow steps to the top of the Red Dome and visit the spectacular interior of the Baptistery.

Spend time in the Piazza della Signoria, the political stage of Renaissance Florence and an open-air museum of sculpture.

Experience the Uffizi Museum, one of Italy’s finest art museums, containing one of the most famous collections of paintings and sculptures in the world. Exhibitions include works by most of the acclaimed Italian artists, as well as German, Dutch, and Flemish masters. Of particular note are European paintings from the 13th to 18th centuries, which include works by da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Rembrandt, and Rubens.

Stroll along the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest of Florence’s six bridges and one of the best-loved sites of Florence. Lined with numerous shops, visitors often do not realize they are on a bridge until they reach the center arches that look out over the Arno.

Stop for a brief visit to the Church of Santa Croce, featuring the impressive tombs of many of Florence’s most influential figures, including Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Dante, and Galileo.

Bring your appetite with you and cook up a traditional Florentine meal. With our chef as our guide, we will prepare some traditional Italian dishes and learn about Italian culture through the art of cooking.

Siena is located in Tuscany, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town's tranquil, laid back lifestyle allows students to leisurely stroll the winding cobblestone streets, explore the Renaissance cathedral, and relax in the beautiful town square, Piazza del Campo. Siena retains a ward-centric culture from medieval times. Each ward (contrada) is represented by an animal or mascot. Ward rivalries are most rampant during the traditional medieval horse race (Palio) held on July 2 and August 16 in Piazza del Campo each year.

Visit the Duomo, highlighted by distinctive striped marble columns. Our visit will include the beautiful Piccolomini Library, designed to house the cathedral’s collection of illuminated manuscripts. The magnificent room features an unrivaled ceiling and large frescoes depicting important events in the life of Pope Pius II.

Stroll through the narrow and winding streets of Siena to the Piazza del Campo, a vast and lively square in the heart of the city.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

Today we will travel to Padua. En route, visit Verona. Verona is the typical Italian city full of beautiful squares, cobbled streets and historic monuments such as Piazza delle Erbe, a beautiful square in the heart of the city, great for people watching. Roman ruins, medieval vestiges, Venetian and Austrian traces can be seen all across the city, as well as antique palaces, squares, bridges and wonderful churches.

Take a guided Walking Tour, highlighting the city’s most important landmarks and monuments, including the Casa di Giulietta, where we will see the balcony rumored to be that of Juliet, from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Also along our walk we will view the picturesque Erbe and Lord’s Squares, the Tombs of the Scaligers, Castelvecchio, and Scaligers Bridge.

Tour Verona’s Roman Amphitheater, the third largest in the world. Completed in 30 AD, this arena has been the site of executions, fairs, bullfights, opera and theater productions, and, of course, gladiatorial combat.

The old university town of Padua in northern Italy is rich in history, art, and architecture. Its picturesque streets and piazzas charm visitors at every turn.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

Visit Cappella degli Scrovegni. It was built in 1303 by Enrico Scrovegni, who hoped to spare his dead father, a usurer, from the eternal damnation described by Dante in his Inferno. The interior of the chapel is entirely covered with beautiful frescoes of scenes from the life of Christ painted by Giotto between 1303 and 1305.

St. Anthony is one of the most beloved saints in the world and thousands of pilgrims visit his tomb to ask his prayerful support of their special intentions.

Venice is one of the few cities in the world that can truly be described as unique. It was known as the gateway to the Orient, and during the Middle Ages became one of the most powerful city-states in the Mediterranean. Built on a series of islands connected by bridges and canals, Venice has survived all odds to become the intriguing and iconic city it is today.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

See the Rialto Bridge, the oldest and most famous of the bridges that span the Grand Canal.

Stroll through the Piazza San Marco which is the largest square in the city and has been the location of important government buildings for centuries such as the Doge's Palace. The centerpiece of the piazza is the elaborate St. Mark's Basilica which is a beautiful church that mixes western and eastern architectural styles.

Enjoy a visit to the Doge's’ Palace, residence of the rulers of the Serenissima Republic. We will explore the ornate and grandiose rooms of the palace, including a walk across the famous Bridge of Sighs to the cells, where Casanova was once imprisoned, as well as the Grand Council chamber, featuring Tintoretto's Paradise, said to be the world's largest oil painting.

Take a Gondola Ride along the canals of Venice for a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

See the church of Santa Maria della Salute, a proud Venetian landmark that represents the pinnacle of the Baroque movement in Venice. It was built in the 17th century as an offering to The Virgin Mother for delivering the city from the plague. The octagonal basilica houses a small art gallery in its sacristy, which includes magnificent ceiling paintings by Titian, and one of Tintoretto’s most important works, The Wedding at Cana.

Take a guided tour of the Accademia, where the glory of Venice lives on in a remarkable collection of paintings from the 13th to the 18th centuries. The hallmark of the Venetian school was color, and works by its most famous members, such as Giorgione, Veronese, Titian, and Tintoretto, are all featured prominently in this spectacular gallery.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.