TREASURES OF FLORENCE

These are two of the “must-see” of highlights in Florence: the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery. You can combine a walking tour with a visit to one or both.
The Uffizi Gallery boasts a priceless collection of Renaissance paintings: “The Birth of Venus”, and the “Primavera” by Botticelli; “The Baptism of Christ” and the “Annunciation” by Leonardo Da Vinci; the “Doni Tondo” by Michelangelo and paintings by famous artists such as Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio,  Piero Della Francesca and Filippo Lippi. At the Accademia Gallery, you can admire the original David and also other extraordinary sculptures by Michelangelo.

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An in-depth visit of the religious center of Florence: we start with the ancient Baptistery of St. John the Baptist with the outstanding ceiling covered with mosaics; the Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and the underlying Cathedral of Santa Reparata with its crypt, testimony of the city’s early Christian roots; then a visit to the recently renovated Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, hosting the famous “Doors of Paradise” by Lorenzo Ghiberti, Michelangelo’s “Pietà”, Donatello’s “Mary Magdalene” and many other stunning works that made the Cathedral a monument to the city’s wealth and its talented artists. Please notice that for the Cathedral there’s no priority entrance which makes the line quite long in high season.
With the same ticket, you can also climb the Giotto’s Belltower and the stunning Brunelleschi’s Dome and enjoy the best views of the city. A journey throughout the centuries that will captivate you!

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This tour will lead you to get acquainted with the most famous Basilicas of Florence where art is both the manifestation of spirituality and the desire for social promotion of the prominent families of the city. The visit can be extended and tailored as a “Pilgrim tour” for those who wish to explore the sacred Florence in depth. As an alternative you can combine a visit to one of these beautiful churches with a walking tour of the town.

The Basilica of Santa Croce

The Basilica of Santa Croce with works by Giotto – the forerunner of the Renaissance – Donatello, Giorgio Vasari, Bronzino, and many other masters of the 15th and 16th centuries make this gothic church one of the wonders of the city. Also known as the Pantheon of Eminent Italians, you can visit the tombs, amongst others, of Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, Niccolò Machiavelli, and Gioacchino Rossini. In the cloister, the beautiful unfinished Pazzi Chapel by Filippo Brunelleschi.

The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella

The mother church of the Dominican order has one of the most elegant and impressive facades of the city. Inside the the sober gothic building you’ll find works by Giotto, where one of his most moving Crucifixes is displayed, the “Trinità” by Masaccio, considered to be the first fresco painting of the Renaissance to use perspective, the Tornabuoni Chapel decorated by Domenico Ghirlandaio, perfect example of how the wealthy families used art as a way to promote themselves: an accurate portrait of Florentine society of the 15th century.

The Basilica of Santa Trinita

Dating back to the 11th century, the church is the testament to the many renovations that the building underwent during the centuries. Inside this dark and enchanting basilica, amongst many fascinating altarpieces and sculptures, you’ll find the Sassetti Chapel, belonging to one of the prominent families of the Renaissance, entirely decorated by Domenico Ghirlandaio, Michelangelo’s only teacher.

The Basilica of Santo Spirito

Crossing the river Arno, you’ll find yourselves immersed in the Oltrarno, full of workshops, little cafés, and great places to eat or have a drink. Here you’ll discover Filippo Brunelleschi’s last masterpiece: the Basilica of Santo Spirito. Inside this luminous Renaissance church, you’ll see, amongst the 38 chapels owned by the Florentine noble families, the altarpieces in their original settings. In the sacristy, you can admire the wooden Crucifix sculpted by a 16-year-old Michelangelo.

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Hosted inside this imposing medieval castle, is the most important Renaissance sculpture collection of the city. On the ground floor, you’ll admire some of Michelangelo’s early works as well as some of the great masterpieces of the 16th century. In the upper levels, you’ll find some of the greatest sculptors of the 15th century, such as Donatello with his bronze David, Andrea del Verrocchio, Leonardo da Vinci’s teacher. Besides the sculpture collections, there are rooms dedicated to enameled ceramics, ivories, small bronze statues from all over Europe. Inside you’ll also find an array of glazed ceramics by the Della Robbia family.

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Near Gallery of the Accademia stands the convent of San Marco, where you can immerse yourself in the peace of the quiet cloister and admire the works of the Beato Angelico. On the upper floor, you’ll find the cells where the monks lived, decorated by the beautiful frescoes of Beato Angelico. At the same level, you can visit the Library, an example of the sobriety of the Florentine 15th century architecture and as well as objects belonging to the much-discussed Dominican friar, Girolamo Savonarola.

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It’s called the “Greenway” the walk that takes us through two beautiful gardens: Boboli, the most famous Italian garden in the world and the Bardini, with an amazing view over the city.
Boboli represents one of the most famous examples of an Italian Renaissance garden: its rigorous geometrical order full of nested statues, fountains, and monuments turn it into an open-air museum. We’ll visit the Grotta del Buontalenti, the Ocean Fountain by Giambologna, the Egyptian Obelisk, the Statue of Abundance, the Amphitheatre, and the Giardino del Cavaliere where you’ll enjoy a view of the surrounding hills of Florence.
The path takes us further along the defensive walls built by Michelangelo during the siege of 1529 towards the entrance of the suggestive Giardino Bardini. Its history is closely related to the families that have owned it. It reopened recently following the wishes of its last owner, Stefano Bardini who lived there at the beginning of the XXth century. We’ll admire the baroque stairway with statues and flowers along the sides, the waterworks in the Chinese garden, the lush English garden, and a terrace with a stunning view of Florence and the river Arno.

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