DAY 3 FLORENCE (BIRTH OF THE RENAISSANCE)
Our morning will
focus on the work of Masaccio, one of the most important artists of
the early Renaissance. We begin with a brief visit to the church of
Santa Maria Novella, one of Florence's most distinguished
churches, begun in 1278 for the Dominicans. The highlight of the
interior is Masaccio's masterpiece Trinità, a curious work
that has the architectural form of a Renaissance stage setting but
whose figures (in perfect perspective) are like actors in a Greek
tragedy. We continue across the Arno River with a visit to the
Church of Santa Maria del Carmine, highlighted by the
magnificent Cappella Brancacci, which contains
frescoes by Masacchio on the Life of St. Peter commissioned
around 1424. Our afternoon concludes with a stroll along the
Ponte Vecchio.
- Your first concert performance will be today
DAY 4 DAY TRIP TO LUCCA & PISA
This morning we journey through the beautiful Tuscan countryside
to Lucca, a city that flourished in the 14th century as a result
of the silk trade. Upon our arrival, we will take a Walking
Tour through the old town to view the Renaissance and Gothic
palaces, and the Piazza del Anfiteatro, where the
amphitheater once stood. Lucca’s prosperity resulted in the
building of several outstanding churches, and we will visit two
of the most spectacular. We begin with a visit to San
Martino, Lucca’s glorious cathedral with a magnificent green
and white marble façade and a Romanesque and Gothic interior.
Next we visit San Michele in Foro, with a rich mixture of
twisted marble columns and Cosmati work on the exuberant Pisan-Romanesque
façade. Built on the site of the ancient Roman forum, much of
the decoration is pagan, and the painting of Saints Helena,
Jerome, Sebastian and Roch by Filippino Lippi are not to be
missed. This afternoon we will journey to Pisa, where we will
view the breathtaking Piazza del Duomo. It is known in
Italian as the “Field of Miracles” for the beautiful ensemble of
the Cathedral, Baptistery and the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Despite its sinking foundations, the tower stands as
magnificently today as it did upon its completion in 1350. We
return to Florence this evening.
DAY 5 FLORENCE
We begin this morning
at the Piazza del Duomo, where the Cathedral, Tower and
Baptistery display the traditions of Florentine art from the Middle
Ages to the Renaissance. We will view the massive and detailed
façade of the Duomo, before viewing the Baptistery’s bronze doors by
Ghiberti, which Michelangelo commented were worthy to be the “Gates
of Paradise.”
After a visit
inside the Duomo, we will have the opportunity to do one of
the following: ascend the Bell Tower, climb the narrow steps
to the top of the Red Dome, or visit the spectacular
interior of the Baptistery (One admission included).
Our afternoon ends with the open-air museum of sculpture in the
Piazza della Signoria, which was the political stage of
Renaissance Florence.
- Your second concert performance will be today
DAY 6 FLORENCE AREA - SAN GIMIGNANO - SIENA - ROME (3
NIGHTS)
This morning we will travel in the Tuscan hillside en route to
San Gimignano, dominated by the abundance of tall
medieval towers that have made it the poster child for Italian
hill towns everywhere. We will have time to explore and shop in
the magnificently preserved medieval village of crumbling
towers, before we continue to Siena, one of Italy’s
best-preserved medieval cities, which is dominated by its unique
Duomo (Cathedral) and its striped Bell Tower. We will visit the
Duomo, including the beautiful Piccolomini Library,
designed to house the church’s collection of illuminated
manuscripts. The magnificent room features an unrivaled ceiling
and large frescoes depicting the important events in the life of
Pope Pius II. We continue with a walk through the narrow and
winding streets of Siena to the Piazza del Campo, a vast
and lively square in the heart of the city. We continue to
Rome, the Eternal City.
DAY 7 ROME (THE CITY OF THE CAESARS)
Today we will
explore Rome’s most spectacular remains from the powerful Roman
Empire, commencing with a specialist-guided tour of the
Colosseum, considered the symbol of Rome's eternity. Completed
under Titus in 80 AD, over 55,000 spectators could watch the
gladiatorial games. We continue with a walk through the ruins and
excavations of the Roman Forum, featuring the remains of
magnificent temples, basilicas and triumphal arches, which once
formed the heart of the Empire. Our tour concludes with a brief
visit to the Mamertine Prison, once reserved for those that
posed a threat to the security of Rome, before viewing Trajan’s
Column and Markets and the grandiose Vittorio Emmanuelle
Monument. Our afternoon commences in the Piazza Navona,
built on the foundations of Domitian's Circus. This magnificent
square, designed in the 17th century by Bernini, is full of life and
is highlighted by one of Rome’s most spectacular fountains, the
fountain of the Four Rivers. Our afternoon concludes with a
visit to the Pantheon, one of the grandest and the
best-preserved Roman monuments, which today houses the tombs of
Raphael, Vittorio Emmanuelle II, and Queen Margherita.
DAY 8 ROME (THE CITY OF THE POPES)
Today we
will explore the Vatican, the world’s smallest independent
nation, and the center of the Catholic world. Our day begins
with a specialist-guided tour of the Vatican Museums,
which house one of the most impressive collections of art in the
world. Our tour will include the map rooms, the tapestry rooms,
the magnificent Raphael Rooms, as well as the
spectacular Sistine Chapel, highlighted by
Michelangelo’s ceiling and his Last Judgment. We
continue with a visit to St. Peter's Basilica, the
largest church in the western world and the most important point
of pilgrimage in the Catholic world. Highlights of our visit
will include: The Pieta by Michelangelo, the tomb of St.
Peter and Bernini’s magnificent Baldacchino. After time
to explore St. Peter’s Square, we will continue with a walk to
the Spanish Steps, the stairway of the Church of Trinita
dei Monti, and “the sitting room” of the city. Our day
concludes at the spectacular Trevi Fountain, where it is
traditional to toss a coin into the fountain to ensure a return
to the Eternal City.
- Your third and final concert performance will be today
DAY 9 DEPARTURE FROM ROME
Our enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to an end as our tour
manager/guide accompanies us to the airport for the return flight
home.
