Florence and Tuscany

This morning we have a guided walking tour to discover why Florence is indeed the ‘Pearl of the Renaissance’. No wonder this city has been such a highlight on the traveller’s itinerary since the days of the ‘Grand Tour’ – the sights are legendary and you’ll enjoy the best of them: the cathedral – or Duomo – which can house a congregation of thousands, and the Baptistry, one of the oldest buildings in the city. Explore the goldsmiths’ shops on the Ponte Vecchio, the landmark bridge over the Arno River and a symbol of the city itself.

In the afternoon you bypass the queues with a reserved visit to the Uffizi. Words alone hardly seem sufficient to capture the majesty of this phenomenal, awe-inspiring place. Built up over hundreds of years, this originally private collection belonging to the all-powerful Medici family was subsequently bequeathed to the people of Florence.

Botticelli’s Birth of Venus is just one of the countless masterpieces on display. There are equally breath-taking works by Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Caravaggio, Rembrandt and Van Dyck – you’ll find treasures in every room.

Florence will amaze you and there is so much to see yet being medieval it is also so compact. Today you are free to explore this wonderful city of the Renaissance.

There is the Accademia, the oldest art school in the world which houses Michelangelo’s David, one of the world’s finest sculptures; the Archaeological Museum containing an outstanding collection of exhibits from ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt; the Science Museum which contains many of Galileo’s telescopes together with the world’s first adding machine.

Situated in the medieval heart of the city is the magnificent cathedral, dominating the skyline, some of which dates from the 4th century. Built from white, green and pink marble it glows in the sunshine and the richness of the interior is remarkable with beautiful frescoes and an amazingly intricate marble pavement.

However, Florence is much more than a city caught in the past, it has an ambience you will love, packed with cosy restaurants and street cafés where you can simply watch the world go by, the very essence of Italy and the Mediterranean lifestyle.

After breakfast you leave for Lucca, birthplace of the great composer Puccini, a delightful city where you can wander amongst the medieval streets, tiny piazzas and along the ramparts circling the city. Its cathedral is outstanding and famous as one of the most intricate in Tuscany.

Then you take the short drive to Pisa where nothing can prepare the visitor for the almost shock-like impact of its bizarre leaning tower! Famous since the dawn of tourism, it has tilted since it was built over 600 years ago and today still remains one of the great must-see buildings on earth.

At the end of the day you drive to one of our carefully selected four star rated hotels in Tuscany for the next four nights with breakfast and dinner.

After breakfast, we explore rural Tuscany made famous by Renaissance paintings, literature, films, and travel posters – a truly extraordinary landscape of undulating hillsides, vineyards, ochre-coloured valleys, terracotta-tiled farmhouses and pencil pines.

Volterra, an imposing town with immense stone ramparts, is perched dramatically on a hill and affords panoramic views. The town’s small historic centre is a maze of narrow cobbled streets that emanate from the main Piazza dei Priori, one of the finest and best preserved in Tuscany. It’s truly atmospheric, especially during the evening when the locals meet for lively conversation. Enjoy the moment – sip a glass of wine and soak up the ambience as the evening sunbathes the town in its golden glow.

Founded by the Etruscans as long ago as 800 BC, Volterra grew prosperous in the Middle Ages from mining and carving alabaster. Many artefacts from this period still survive in churches and cathedrals throughout Tuscany and beyond. Even today, alabaster carving remains the traditional Volterran craft.

You’ll have the opportunity to visit some of the artisan outlets. The town also has outstanding museums housing priceless Etruscan and Roman treasures. A visit is guaranteed to heighten your appreciation of this impressive town.

We’ll also visit a family-owned farmhouse in a medieval village set amongst the hills, for lunch based on Tuscan recipes.

We then drive on through the countryside to San Gimignano, one of Italy’s most beautiful villages. The sight of a spectacular skyline with 14 medieval towers is one that will stay with you forever. There were originally 72 towers, all built by rival noble families during the 13th century as symbols of power and prestige. No other village in Tuscany captures the spirit of the age in quite the same way.

It’s lovely to just wander through its cobbled streets and squares, taking in the views and simply absorbing its delightfully rural atmosphere.

After breakfast we take the short drive to Siena, one of the finest medieval cities in the world which was, during the 12th and 13th century’s one of its richest and a similar size to Paris! An unrivalled period of building took place and the palaces, grandiose townhouses and spacious piazzas you see today, were created.

The main square, the Campo, is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s finest! Unusually formed in a half-moon shape, the square is surrounded by tall and centuries old buildings, all very different and yet also harmonious. With its abundance of pavement cafés, just enjoy a coffee and reflect on all the visitors who preceded you.

Perhaps the finest place to visit in Siena is its outstanding cathedral, one of Italy’s greatest. Built from black and white marble it has some of the most intricate carvings imaginable, some of which are by the great master himself, Michelangelo.

The floor is a revelation, laid with countless thousands of interlocking stones, creating a unique inlaid surface at which, one can only marvel at the sheer skill of its creators. Impressive as it is today, had a planned additional nave been completed during the 14th century, it would have created the largest church in Christendom.

The Black Death halted construction as two thirds of the population perished, and the city fell into rapid decline. Little else was built but fortunately even less demolished, thus accounting for Siena’s remarkable preservation.

We will have a guided tour of the city and during the afternoon you are free to explore as you wish.

Today we have a free day to explore as you wish. So what is it to be? A stroll around Siena, a coffee in the main square watching the world go by, a dip in the hotel pool or just catch up on some reading – the choice is yours.