Sistine Chapel, Vatican City We will visit St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum, all of which are the most popular landmarks of Vatican City. We will pick out the museum’s principal treasures before entering the Sistine Chapel and admiring its spectacular paintings by Michelangelo.
Palazzo Farnese, Caprarola Palazzo Farnese is the most lavishly decorated palace of the sixteenth century. Filled with festive and intelligently designed frescoes, it is surrounded by an extensive garden which simulates the senses as it conveys messages about the Farnese dynasty and its worldly glory.
Sacro Bosco, Bomarzo The fantasy garden of Bomarzo captured the interest of Surrealists like Dalí, Breton and Cocteau—and for good reason! Set in a deep and verdant glen, the garden comes alive with a number strange and beguiling sculptures cut from the living rock.
Cooking Lesson in Cortona During our stay in the scenic hill town of Cortona, we take a cooking lesson and learn the secrets of Tuscan cuisine.
Vineyard Tour & Lunch On the outskirts of the Renaissance town of Pienza, we learn about Tuscan viniculture and enjoy a wine tasting and hearty lunch.
Abbey of Monte Oliveto Nestled in the Tuscan countryside is the historical abbey of Monte Oliveto, which still houses a community of Benedictine monks. Its attractions include a pharmacy, baroque church, frescoed cloister, and soothing wooded park.
Main Chapel, Church of San Francesco, Arezzo On a half-day visit to Arezzo, we explore the decorated mansion of artist and biographer Giorgio Vasari, and stop in the church of San Francesco to examine Piero della Francesca’s striking murals. These paintings were made during a burst of artistic innovation in the mid-fifteenth century, and exemplify…
Uffizi Museum, Florence Optional excursions are scheduled for afternoons. These include a visit to the Uffizi Museum, which holds Florence’s inestimable collection of Renaissance paintings.
Medici Chapel, Florence In Florence we take in the major historical sites and visit places associated with Michelangelo, including his private home, the Medici Palace where he spent his youth, and the Medici Chapel, in which he melded architecture and sculpture into a singular artistic expression.
Florence Cathedral Dome The Duomo is the main cathedral of Florence. With its famous cupola (dome) designed and engineered by Brunelleschi, fascade, baptistery and campanile, it is one of the most memorable landmarks in the world.