FLORENCE & THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE

SEPTEMBER 22 – OCTOBER 5, 2018 TOUR LEADER: DR NICK GORDON

Overview The Renaissance in Italy is one of the most dynamic periods in European history, and Florence was its undisputed centre. The city’s unique amalgam of commercial enterprise, wise republican government, great families and individual virtuosity created a society like no other at the time. Enriched through banking, manufacturing and trade, independent from the constraints of the medieval church and infused with enthusiasm for the classical past, the citizens of Florence created distinctive political identities and visual worlds which still captivate. Today the visitor is rewarded with a host of great art, architecture and history, but most visitors to Florence stay only a few days and see only the main sites – enough time to admire the beauty, but insufficient to truly understand this great city. This 14-day residential-style tour offers time to unpack and fully appreciate the complex history, society and culture of Renaissance Florence under the expert guidance of tour leader, Dr Nick Gordon. A program of walking tours, museum and gallery visits in the city is complemented by excursions to important sites in Tuscany. Accommodation is in a perfectly located four-star hotel, and a number of lunches/dinners in selected local restaurants are included.

Your tour leader Dr Nick Gordon has a PhD in European history and a University Medal in history for his study of Florentine art, society and politics from the University of Sydney. He has taught European cultural and intellectual history at universities across Sydney for 10 years, lectures regularly for the University of Sydney’s Nicholson Museum, and has run courses on western art for adults since 2009. His knowledge and interest in art comes from both

his academic research and his practice as a painter. He has led tours for Academy Travel since 2007.

“Loved the itinerary – good mix of cultural sites and activities. Nick was an excellent tour leader who took care of our group. He shared his expertise and enthusiasm with us in a friendly and unassuming way, answering our questions and providing further information when asked.” Tour participant on Venice: City, Republic and Empire, 2015.

“Nick was an extremely knowledgeable guide; he organised us very well; he was calm and unflappable; and his lectures were excellent… The information he provided, the places he selected for us, and the art he revealed to us gave us a wonderful insight into Renaissance times.” Tour participant on Florence and the Italian Renaissance, 2016

FLORENCE & THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE

Tour dates: September 22 – October 5, 2018

Tour leader: Dr Nick Gordon

Tour Price: $7,390 per person, twin share

Single Supplement: $1,880 for sole use of double room

Booking deposit: $500 per person

Recommended airline: Emirates

Maximum places: 20

Itinerary: Florence (13 nights)

Date published: March 12, 2018

Enquiries and bookings

For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Jamal Fairbrother at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email jamal@academytravel.com.au

This tour is run in association with ADFAS Travel

Tour Highlights

RENAISSANCE FLORENCE Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, Dante, Giotto, Machiavelli and Botticelli are just a handful of the great Florentines who made the Renaissance, and Florence today is home to the largest collections of Renaissance Italian art. Explore the art and history of Renaissance Italy in detail, over two weeks, with expert guidance and from the convenience of our hotel in the historical centre.

SAN GIMIGNANO AND VOLTERRA Italy is famous for the beauty of its hill towns and San Gimignano and Volterra are among its most striking. Explore the medieval streets of these two towns, one dominated by its medieval towers and the other by its rich Etruscan and Roman heritage, visit their unique works of art and architecture, and enjoy the regional gastronomy at a superior country restaurant.

SIENA AND PISTOIA Although Florence came to dominate what is today Tuscany, there are many other cities that also developed their own unique styles of art and architecture. Enjoy a day trip to Siena, once richer and more powerful than Florence, to explore its beautiful Gothic art and architecture, and discover Pistoia – 2017’s Capital of Italian Culture – a little-visited Romanesque town at the foot of the Apennines.

EXCLUSIVE EXPERIENCES Enjoy a range of experiences, free from the crowds, including the panoramic views of Florence and the surrounding countryside on a private visit to the terraces of the cathedral; the matroneum of the baptistery where you can get up close to medieval mosaics without the crowds; wine tastings; and a luxurious lunch at the Villa San Michele, in the hills above Florence.

FLORENCE BEYOND THE RENAISSANCE Florence’s rich history and culture extends well beyond the Renaissance, from its renowned artisans and their pursuit of perfect craftsmanship, to contemporary artists displaying their works among the cobbled streets, to emergence of contemporary architecture, such as the spectacular Antinori winery in Chianti.

Detailed itinerary Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L and D.

Saturday 22 September Arrival

The Emirates flight arrives at Bologna in the early afternoon, where you will be met by your tour leader. We then join our coach and transfer directly to Florence, a trip of approximately 2 hours. After time to check in and freshen up, we meet for an orientation walk and dinner in a local restaurant near our hotel. (D)

Sunday 23 September Palaces and Paintings

Today we explore the art of Renaissance Florence in its context by looking at how art and architecture were used by those who commissioned them. After a talk in the hotel, we visit Palazzo Davanzati, a beautifully restored patrician palace, and Palazzo Strozzi, one of Florence’s grandest Renaissance palaces, which speak volumes about how the city’s elite impressed themselves on their neighbours and visitors. After a welcome lunch at an excellent local restaurant, we look at masterpieces in situ in Santa Maria Novella by Ghirlandaio, Filippino Lippi and Masaccio, who revolutionised western European art with their “vanishing point” perspective, careful depictions of Renaissance life and subtle storytelling. (B, L)

Monday 24 September Sculpting Public Image

From the 13th to 16th century, Florence was governed by its guilds – powerful professional bodies that regulated industry and commerce. The guilds were also responsible for overseeing (and paying for) many of Florence’s monuments, and were highly competitive in the lengths they would go to outdo one another. This morning we visit Orsanmichele, a church-come-granary whose Renaissance sculptures by masters including Donatello, Ghiberti and Verrocchio, Leonardo’s teacher, were commissioned by the guilds. After a break for lunch, we visit the recently renovated Museum of the Opera del Duomo, the institution that has overseen the building, decoration and maintenance of the cathedral for 700 years. It has accumulated an extraordinary collection of works, including a Pietà by Michelangelo, several key works by Donatello, and the original Doors of Paradise by Ghiberti. In the late afternoon we have a private visit to the terraces of the dome of Florence’s Cathedral, with its extraordinary views across the city and surrounding countryside. Evening at leisure. (B)

Tuesday 25 September San Gimignano and Volterra

Florence’s medieval towers, a symbol of the conflict between the city’s warring factions, were forcibly cut down by the government in the 13th century. The towers survive, however, in San Gimignano, a celebrated town that paints a vivid picture of

Above: Renaissance scholar Politian and the young Giovanni de’ Medici, future uncle of Francois I of France, by Ghirlandaio Below: Michelangelo’s Pietà in Florence’s renovated Museo dell’Opera del Duomo

Above: Masaccio’s Peter healing the sick with his shadow, in the Brancacci Chapel, is set on the streets of 15th-century Florence

Below: Donatello’s David, just one of the many treasures in the Bargello

medieval Tuscany and preserves beautiful frescoes by masters such as Benozzo Gozzoli. Our excursion today takes us to San Gimignano and then on to the town of Volterra, famous for its production of alabaster, which has a stark Romanesque beauty. Its regional museum contains the startling Deposition altarpiece by Rosso Fiorentino. Lunch today is in a simple country restaurant. Returning to Florence, the evening is at leisure. (B, L)

Wednesday 26 September Artisans

Florence’s wealth and fame are built on the skill of its artisans, many of whom we have come to regard as artists of the highest standing. This morning we tour the Oltrarno, home to a large population of humble artisans and immigrants in the Renaissance and now the district where many of Florence’s artisans have set up shop and practice crafts that are rapidly disappearing. After visiting the Brancacci Chapel for Masaccio and Masolino’s extraordinary depictions of episodes from the life of St Peter set in the poorer streets of Florence, our tour takes us to the workshops of local artisans. The afternoon and evening are at leisure. (B)

Thursday 27 September florence’s art treasures - Sculpture

The sculptors of Florence revolutionised the art in the first half of the 15th century, achieving feats that had not been done since the fall of the Roman Empire, and developing the highly realistic aesthetic that defines our idea of the Italian Renaissance. Today we trace the development of sculpture in the Etruscan and Roman periods in the Museum of Archaeology, through to the stunning Renaissance works of Donatello, Michelangelo and Giambologna in the Bargello. Our tour also takes us to the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, the headquarters of the city’s art restorers which has a fine museum of inlaid semi-precious stonework, a Florentine speciality. Evening at leisure. (B)

Friday 28 September Florence’s art treasures - Painting

After a talk in the hotel, we spend the morning at the Uffizi galleries, taking in masterpieces by Giotto, Botticelli and Leonardo. Here we chart the genesis of Renaissance Italian art, from its origins in the Byzantine “darkness” of the Middle Ages to the exaggerated and emotional extremes of 16th-century Mannerism. The afternoon is at leisure, and you may wish to further explore the vast collections of the Uffizi, whose renovation over the past decade has doubled its exhibition space. (B)

Saturday 29 September Pistoia

Pistoia – the Capital of Italian Culture in 2017 – was one of medieval Florence’s rivals. Following its conquest by Florence the medieval city was well-protected and its late medieval and Renaissance gems have been very well preserved. This morning we travel the short distance to Pistoia, where our guided tour of

the city includes the beautiful Romanesque cathedral and baptistery, with sculpture, gold and silver- smithing and paintings by medieval and Renaissance masters. After a break for lunch, we visit the Medici’s Renaissance villa at Poggio a Caiano and Carmignano, in the hills outside of Florence, where we see the extraordinary Visitation by Pontormo and enjoy a wine tasting. Evening at leisure. (B)

Sunday 30 September Medicean Florence

The Medici are Florence’s most famous dynasty, growing in strength from medieval bankers with houses throughout Europe, to hereditary dukes of 16th-century Tuscany. Today, after a morning talk, we take the family as a case study for Florentine art patronage, seeing works they commissioned from Benozzo Gozzoli in the Chapel of the Magi in the Medici Palace. After a break for lunch in the area, we visit the Medici Chapels, designed by Michelangelo, and San Lorenzo, the Medici’s neighbourhood church, where Cosimo the Elder is buried beside the artist whose career he fostered, Donatello. Evening at leisure. (B)

Monday 1 October pantheons of Science and Letters

Florence’s achievements extend well beyond the visual arts and the city has played a similarly important role in other fields. This morning, we visit the Galileo Galilei Museum, the city’s science museum, dedicated to Galileo, who lived and worked in Florence under the protection of the Medici Dukes. We then visit Santa Croce, a large Franciscan basilica that conserves precious frescoes by Giotto and other late medieval masters. It became a pantheon for Florence, and later Italy’s great men, with Dante, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo and Rossini all honoured here. In its peaceful cloister is Brunelleschi’s Pazzi Chapel, a Renaissance triumph of carefully calculated and deceptively simple architecture. After a break for lunch, we visit the Stefano Bardini Museum. Bardini was one of Florence’s most important antiquarians in the 19th and early 20th century, and amassed an extraordinary collection of art. His contacts made him a mover and shaker in the art world, and he wasn’t beyond commissioning forgeries to meet the market’s demand. (B)

Tuesday 2 October Siena

Today we take a private coach to Siena. The city was Florence’s main rival and, before the devastation of the plague in 1348, even eclipsed it in power and glory. Siena’s strong economy, founded on its position as papal bankers, and distinctive form of government sponsored a flourishing culture and ushered in a new chivalric mode of painting. We will see Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s frescoes of Good and Bad Government and Simone Martini’s Madonna in Majesty, both in the Palazzo Pubblico. After a break for lunch, we visit the cathedral and its museum, with sculptures by the Pisano family and Duccio di

Above: A medieval laneway from Pistoia, 2017’s Capital of Italian Culture, a city with many medieval and Renaissance treasures of its own to see Below: Siena’s Palazzo Pubblico and the Torre del Mangia express the power and refinement of the rulers of Siena’s Golden Age

Buoninsegna’s monumental Maestà. On our way back to Florence, we stop for dinner at a country restaurant. (B, D)

Wednesday 3 october San Marco and Antinori

This morning we visit San Marco, a convent that encapsulates Florence’s history, from the private patronage of Cosimo de’ Medici to the turbulence of Savonarola, and the extraordinary art this society produced. The convent and its museum contain masterpieces by Fra Angelico, an artist whose subtle compositions and exquisite use of colour have inspired visitors for centuries. After a break for lunch we travel by private coach to the spectacular Antinori winery in the Chianti region. The contemporary building, partially enclosed by a hill, and surrounded by the Tuscan countryside, is a testament to the combination of innovation, respect for traditions and confidence that have made Italy what it is. After a tour of the winery, we taste the wines of one of Tuscany’s oldest wine producing families. Returning to Florence, the evening is at leisure. (B)

Thursday 4 october San Miniato Al Monte and Villas

Florence is surrounded by villas, green spaces and places offering panoramas over the city and the surrounding countryside. These locations have often been highly sought after, and their gardens have helped define what an Italian garden should look like and how one ought to live. We begin our tour this morning with a visit to San Miniato al Monte, a tranquil monastery-church above the city with exquisite views. We continue our tour by private coach to Fiesole to visit the Villa Medici, a 15th-century villa built according to the principles of Roman authors. After our farewell lunch at the exclusive Villa San Michele, with its excellent views over Florence, we visit the magnificent gardens of Villa Gamberaia. Nestled in the hills outside of Florence, the gardens have had an enduring influence on garden design and are lovingly restored and conserved today. Evening at leisure. (B, L)

Friday 5 october Departure

There is an early morning coach transfer to Bologna Airport to meet the departing Emirates flight. (B)

Hotel

Hotel Berchielli (13 nights)

The 4-star Berchielli is a modern luxury hotel overlooking the Ponte Vecchio on the banks of the Arno. The hotel’s central location makes it the perfect base for our extended stay with many museums, restaurants and shops an easy walk away. Rooms are well-sized and elegantly furnished with all modern inclusions including air conditioning, satellite TV, minibar, internet access and a safe. www.berchielli.it/eng

Above: The rolling hills of Tuscany, justifiably loved as much for their wines as their beauty Below: The carefully restored gardens at Villa Gamberaia, which command wonderful views across Florence and the valley from the hills above

Tour Price The tour price is $7,390 per person, twin share (land content only). The supplement for a single room is $1,880 per person. A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is required to secure a place on the tour.

Tour Inclusions Included in the tour price

13 nights’ accommodation at the four-star Hotel Berchielli

All breakfasts, two wine tastings and five lunches and dinners in hotels and local restaurants as indicated in the itinerary by (L) and(D).

Land travel in Italy by air-conditioned coach Services of an Australian tour leader throughout the tour Extensive tour notes All entrance fees to sites mentioned on itinerary Services of a local guide at selected sites Porterage of one piece of luggage at the hotel Tips to local guides and drivers

Not included

International air fares, taxes and surcharges (see below) Travel insurance Meals not mentioned in itinerary Expenses of a personal nature

Air travel OPTIONS The tour price quoted is for land content only. As there are no direct international flights into Florence, we instead recommend flights into and out of Bologna with Emirates.. Please contact us for further information on competitive Economy, Business and First Class airfares. Transfers between airport and hotel are included for all passengers booking their flights through Academy Travel. These may be group or individual transfers.

Enquiries & bookings For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Jamal Fairbrother at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email jamal@academytravel.com.au

Weather on Tour September is a pleasant time to travel in Italy, the summer heat and crowds have passed and the early autumn harvests have begun. Expect average maximum temperatures of 20º – 25ºC during the day, and minimums of 12º - 15ºC at night. It is reasonable to expect passing showers on a few days, but not heavy rain.

Fitness Requirements of THIS tour

GRADE TWO

It is important both for you and for your fellow travellers that you are fit enough to be able to enjoy all the activities on this tour. To give you an indication of the level of physical fitness required to participate on our tours, we have given them a star grading. Academy Travel’s tours tend to feature extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater fitness than coach touring. We ask you to carefully consider your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour.

Participation criteria for this tour

This Grade Two tour is designed for people who lead active lives and can comfortably participate in up to five hours of physical activity per day on most days, including longer walking tours, challenging archaeological sites, climbing stairs, embarking and disembarking trains and/or boats, and a more demanding tour schedule with one night stops or several internal flights. You should be able to: keep up with the group at all times walk for 4-5 kilometres at a moderate pace with only

short breaks stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and

museums tolerate uncomfortable climatic conditions such as cold,

humidity and heat walk up and down slopes negotiate steps and slopes on archaeological sites,

which are often uneven and unstable get on and off a large coach with steep stairs, train or

boat unassisted, possibly with luggage move your luggage a short distance if required

A note for older travellers

If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, it is highly likely that you will find this itinerary challenging. You will have to miss several activities and will not get the full value of the tour. Your booking will not be accepted until after you have contacted Academy Travel to discuss your situation and the exact physical requirements of this tour. While we will do our best to reasonably accommodate the physical needs of all group members, we reserve the right to refuse bookings if we feel that the requirements of the tour are too demanding for you and/or if local conditions mean we cannot reasonably accommodate your condition.