History and development of the town of Florence
A guided walking with an expert architect.
Chianti, Florence, Tuscany, Cultural tours, 2 - 6 people
The program:
- 10:00 You meet your guide, an expert architect, passionate about her town, at your hotel reception
- The city as a palimpsest
Piazza della Repubblica: from the Roman forum and capitolium to the Jewish ghetto and to the modern centre; the Futurists’café: Le Giubbe Rosse
Merchants and bankers
Palazzo Strozzi (the largest private palace of its time, built by bankers): the “panca di via” as a public/private structure
Palazzo Davanzati (a merchant’s palace): visit to the Museum of the Ancient Florentine House
Loggia del Mercato Nuovo: a covered piazza
Le Arti (The Guilds)
Some headquarters: the palace of the Arte della Lana (The Wool guild) and the Arte dei Beccai (The Butchers Guild)
Orsanmichele: an ancient loggia, used as covered market and granary, later transformed into the church of the Arts
The major public space
Piazza della Signoria: from the democracy piazza with the public palace and the public loggia to the Medici’s piazza - 13:00 pm Lunch break in a typical Florentine restaurant with a local menu and wine
The river Arno
The river banks from a working space (mills, fulling mills, laundries…) to the modern promenades (the Lungarni)
The Ponte Vecchio, the Vasari’s corridor and an ancient tower
The Oltrarno
A neighbourhood with palaces, row houses and artisans: e.g. from via Guicciardini (examples of the post-war reconstruction) to piazza della Passera and streets around - 17:00 End of the program
The price of the program includes: an expert English-speaking guide, entrance tickets and a Tuscan lunch with a Tuscan menu and wine.
Carl and Diana, USAI want to thank you and your team for what my wife just described as “a perfect day”. Transport from our hotel and back was seamless. Your choice of wineries, historical sites and restaurant could not have been better, and the people we came in contact with made us feel like we were guests visiting and not just tourists.