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Florence Extension to the Lakes of Northern Italy Trip Sunday, September 14 – Friday, September 19, 2008 Sunday: You will leave Como in the morning with the rest of the group. drop them off at the Milan airport, and continue through the peaceful countryside of Lombardy to the lovely Tuscan city of Florence. Florence was founded as a colony of the Etruscan city of Fiesole in about 200 BC, later becoming the Roman Florentia, a garrison town controlling the Via Flaminia. In the early 12th century the city became a free comune and by 1138 it was ruled by 12 consuls, assisted by the Council of One Hundred, a group of rich merchants. In 1207, due to intractable problems with factions fighting one another, the council was replaced by a foreign (and thus allegedly unbiased) governor, the podestà. In the XIII century the pro-papal Guelphs and pro-imperial Ghibellines started a century-long bout of bickering, which wound up with the Guelphs forming their own government in the 1250s. By 1292 Florence had had enough of the obstreperous nobles, excluding them from government. The city became increasingly democratised, eventually becoming a commercial republic controlled by the Guelph-heavy merchant class. The great plague of 1348 cut the city's population by almost half and greatly demoralized the Florentine people. In the latter part of the XIV century the Medicis began consolidating power, eventually becoming bankers to the papacy. Cosimo Medici - patron of artists such as Donatello, Brunelleschi, Fra Angelico and Filippo Lippi - became ruler of Florence. Perhaps the most famous Medici was Lorenzo, grandson of Cosimo, who took power in 1469. His court fostered a great flowering of art, music and poetry, and Lorenzo sponsored philosophers and artists such as Botticelli, da Vinci and Michelangelo. The remarkable Duomo, with its pink, white and green marble façade and characteristic dome, dominates the city's skyline. The building took almost two centuries to build (and even then the façade wasn't completed until the 19th century), and is the fourth-largest cathedral in the world. The enormous dome was designed by Brunelleschi, and its interior features frescoes and stained-glass windows by some of the Renaissance-era's best: Vasari, Zuccari, Donatello, Uccello and Ghiberti. Take a deep breath and climb up to take a closer look, and you'll be rewarded by fantastic views of the city and an insight into how the dome was so cleverly constructed - without scaffolding (though there's plenty of that propping the dome up now!). The dome still defines the scale of the city, and no building in town is taller. Giotto designed the cathedral's Campanile, and Pisano and della Robbia contributed bas-reliefs. It too is clad in white, pink and green marble. The Baptistry is adjacent - it's one of the city's oldest buildings, and was originally a pagan temple. The building is most famous for its gilded bronze doors. Those on the south are by Pisano, but it is the doors facing east (and in the direction of the cathedral) that are most talked about. Created by Ghiberti, they are known as the Gates of Paradise (a moniker believed to have been dubbed by Michelangelo). Created between 1424 and 1452, their beauty and sophistication mark them as one of the first products of the Renaissance. The Baptistery’s ceilings feature gory 13th century mosaics of the Last Judgement. Behind the cathedral is the Duomo Museum, which features original panels taken from the doors of the Baptistery, Brunelleschi's death mask, equipment used to build the dome and an impressive sculpture collection, including pieces by Michelangelo. The Piazza del Duomo was at the hub of Florence's political life through the centuries, and is surrounded by some of the city's most celebrated buildings. With its famous group of sculptures, the loggia looks a lot like an outdoor sculpture gallery; Cellini's magnificent statue of Perseus and Giambologna's Rape of a Sabine are particularly striking. Guarding the Palazzo Vecchio, is a copy of Michelangelo's David. The palazzo has been Florence's town hall since 1322. Its characteristic tower is another of Florence's symbols, and the interior of the palazzo was lavishly redecorated by Vasari. An elevated corridor called Vasari's Corridor leads from the palazzo, through the Uffizi, across the Arno by way of the Ponte Vecchio, and all the way down to the Palazzo Pitti. The private walkway was used by the Medici family as a way of visiting their scattered palaces without having to mingle with the masses. The walkway is lined, as if merely by second thought, with works of art.
Backing
onto the loggia, and leading all the way down to the banks of the River Arno, is
the famed Uffizi Gallery. The gallery's wonderful collection is arranged
to illustrate the evolving story of Florentine art. Some of the most famous
pieces are in rooms 7-18; they include Botticelli's
Birth of If you make it out of the Uffizi with any energy and concentration left to spare, wander along the banks of the Arno towards the Ponte Vecchio. The famous 14th century bridge is lined with shops selling gold and silver jewellery, a step up from the butcher shops which previously lined the bridge before Cosimo I decided glitter was better than gore. The bridge was the only one in the city to escape destruction during the 2nd World War.
Your Accomodations: The Carolus Hotel has a privileged location in Florence, a few steps from the Museo dell'Accademia where the David of Milchelangelo is, from San Marco and the frescos of Fra' Angelico, and from the Basilica of San Lorenzo and the Medicean Chapels. The Duomo, the Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio, and the shopping district are just a few steps more.
The Carolus
Hotel is located inside a neo-classical XIX century Palazzo. A bright
entrance with glass doors gives access to the main hall with marble floors and
the reception desk. In the adjacent ground floor halls, with their high ceilings
and large windows, there are two welcoming sitting areas decorated with
comfortable sofas and armchairs, a bar, and a cosy breakfast room. A flight of
stairs or the elevator lead to the other three floors of the hotel with quiet
carpeted corridors. The Carolus Hotel, after the complete recent
restoration, offers to its clients an absolutely ideal location in Florence
for both the tourist and the business traveler.
Sunday Afternoon: After lunch in a neighborhood restaurant, we will have a half day walking tour of Florence, in order to get our bearings and see a bit of the city. Monday: Day trip in the Chianti region and a visit to Siena and San Gimignano. Professional escort full day . Minivan, Max 16 people. Professional local guide in Siena.We will travel through the breathtaking countryside, arriving at Monteriggioni, a Tuscan village, close to Siena to have lunch at “Il Piccolo Castello”. (A la carte lunch cost not included). After lunch (02.00pm) you will proceed to Siena, where a professional guide will show you the magnificent city. It is said that Siena is “the city of the blessed Virgins and the "Balzana"; always climbing and descending; clear and at the same time obscure; steep and narrow streets; the blinding red of the Piazza del Campo appearing suddenly. In the alleys, in the museums and oratories of the Contrada, the spiritual songs of the Palio evoke very ancient rituals as well as modern allegories. Siena is also the Cathedral and the extraordinary panorama from the Facciatone; the Sala del Pellegrinaio in Santa Maria della Scala, the Libreria Piccolomini and the prestigious Accademia Chigiana; the enormous Medicean fortress that on the inside, at the Enoteca Italiana, harbors the most precious wines of Siena, Tuscany and the peninsula; sweet-smelling trattorias, the sounds of the artisans and spouting fountains. And these are the reasons why "Siena opens up its heart more than any other place," as the famous inscription reads on the Porta di Camollia. Return to Florence, evening free. Tuesday: Florence - Free day - a chance to return to the places that have interested you most. Wednesday: Optional train trip to Pisa - The train station is within walking distance of our hotel and you may decide to take a short train ride to the famous town of Pisa to see, of course, the Leaning Tower and to explore the rest of the town. Return by train at your leisure. Thursday: Morning free in Florence to do any last minute shopping, then board our motor coach for the trip back to Milan and our hotel at the airport. The Cardano Hotel (Verese) is a fine hotel where we will spend our final night in Italy Friday: Enjoy a buffet breakfast at the Cardano Hotel in the morning, and take the free shuttle to the airport for your flight home. Cost (estimate only): $1400 per person (minimum 10 persons) Arrivederci, Italia! |
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