The Glory of Florence
Music, art & architecture
Peter Medhurst with Tom Abbott
26 November – 1 December 2025 / 6 days from £3,149
Introduction
“Florence is the loveliest city I ever saw. But perhaps I said that before – I say it all day long!” So wrote Mrs Piozzi (Hester Thrale) when she was on her honeymoon in Florence, in 1785. However, if the Welsh writer and socialite had had time to reflect beyond her initial enchantment, then she would have realised that the glory of Florence is all about its past, when the city was shaped by great names such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Dante, Machiavelli and Galileo. In turn, these men were underpinned by the great wealth of the resident families, especially the Medicis and today the city stands as a monument to their passions for religion, for art, for music, for money, and most important, for power. Our tour in early November, when Florence is quieter, is a pilgrimage celebrating the city’s great contributions to world culture through being the home of the Renaissance, the developers of the laws of artistic perspective, the birthplace of opera, the originators of the modern Italian language, and – through its famous son, Amerigo Vespucci – the namers of a particularly important continent.
Day 1
We take our EasyJet flight (which includes speedy boarding and pre-allocated seats) from London Gatwick to Pisa and transfer by executive coach to the Hotel Brunelleschi, positioned in the historic centre of Florence. The hotel is ideally situated, overlooking the cathedral, and a mere five minute walk from the Uffizi Gallery. In the evening, we relax over a welcome dinner, either in the hotel or in a nearby restaurant.
Day 2
Our day begins with a visit to the Capella Brancacci sited in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine. The Brancacci Chapel is home to the fresco cycle of scenes from the life of St Peter, mostly painted in collaboration with Masaccio ‘messy Tom’ and Masolino ‘delicate Tom’. It dates from 1425 to 1427 and is seen as one of the great moments in Renaissance art. However, our focus of the day is a visit to the Uffizi Gallery where we spend the remainder of the morning, the whole of the afternoon, and where a lunch has been organised for us as well. Built in 1560 by Cosimo I de’ Medici to house the administrative and judiciary offices of Florence (‘uffizi’ = offices), the Uffizi is now one of the world’s most important art galleries, possessing an unsurpassed collection of Renaissance art. Highlights include Primavera, Birth of Venus, Adoration of the Magi by Botticelli, Bacchus, Sacrifice of Isaac, Medusa by Caravaggio, Madonna of the Goldfinch by Raphael, and Venus of Urbino by Titian. The evening is at leisure.
Day 3
Following our morning lecture at the hotel, we make our way to the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze, founded in 1784 by Pietro Leopoldo, Grand Duke of Tuscany. In addition to housing the original statue of David by Michelangelo, as well as a fine range of Renaissance artwork, the Accademia is also home to the Grand Ducal collection of musical instruments, which include keyboards by Cristofori (inventor of the piano) and bowed strings by Stradivari and Amati. After lunch, we continue our musical connections by visiting the Palazzo Pitti, which is where the first surviving opera – Euridice by Jacopo Peri – was performed at the wedding celebrations of Maria de’ Medici in 1600. Apart from being one of the finest Renaissance buildings in Florence, the large Palazzo Pitti houses five principal museums, with artifacts ranging from Russian icons and old masters, to jewellery and period costume. This evening there is an optional concert or opera performance.
Day 4
Today we spend time away from Florence with an excursion to Lucca, the birthplace of the opera composer, Giacomo Puccini. After our 70 minutes coach journey, we visit the Puccini Museum, located in the house where the composer was born in 1858. Looking today much as it did in Puccini’s childhood, the museum preserves not only his Steinway piano – on which he composed Turandot – but also autograph scores of youthful compositions, letters, photographs, and other Puccini memorabilia. After lunch in Lucca we visit the Duomo, where five generations of Puccinis directed the music and played the organ. In the latter part of the day en route back to Florence, we have dinner at Fattoria il Poggio, a privately owned vineyard, and where we are also are treated to a guided tour of the farm, followed by an olive oil or wine tasting.
Day 5
After our morning lecture, we visit the Cathedral of Florence, built in the late 13th century to a design by Arnolfo di Cambio. The impressive Gothic structure was completed in 1436, leaving only Filippo Brunelleschi’s dome and Giotto’s bell tower to be added to the complex. We continue on to the 15th century Palazzo Medici Riccardi for a viewing of Benozzo Gozzoli’s frescoes in the Magi Chapel, finished around 1459. The famous frescoes are adorned with a wealth of anecdotal detail, with portraits of members of the Medici family and their allies, enacting the parts of the Magi and their retinue to Bethlehem. Lunch will be in a nearby restaurant. Our last port of call is the Basilica Santa Croce, burial place – among others – of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, and the opera composer, Rossini. Shaped in the form of a Tau cross, the building was begun in 1294, and is the largest Franciscan church in the world. The wealth of artwork in the building includes pieces by Giotto, Donatello, Taddeo Gaddi, and Giorgio Vasari. In the evening, we come together for our farewell dinner.
Day 6
Once check out has been completed at our hotel, we make our way to the Ospedale degli Innocenti, famous for being the first orphanage in Europe. It was built to a design by Brunelleschi and since the structure was completed in 1419, it can be considered the oldest example of Renaissance architecture. If time permits taking into account flight timings, we enjoy a final lunch together before we make our way to the airport at Pisa for our return flight to London.
Accommodation
We stay five nights at the 4* Hotel Brunelleschi (www.hotelbrunelleschi.it) in central Florence. Ideally situated, overlooking the cathedral, and a five minute walk from the Uffizi Gallery, the hotel has 2 restaurants and a bar and all rooms are en suite. We enjoy a welcome and farewell dinner on Days 1 and 5 and dinner at Fattoria il Poggio on Day 4. The remaining nights are on bed and breakfast basis.
Features
Tour limited to 24 passengers
Lectures by Peter on Days 3 & 5
Tom Abbott – professional tour manager & art historian
Central Florence 4* hotel
All excursions, entrance fees & guided tours included
Optional concert or opera performance on Day 3
Three dinners included
Light lunches on Days 2 to 6
Direct scheduled flights from London Gatwick to Pisa
Executive coach on days outside of Florence
Gratuities for hotel & restaurant staff included
Local accommodation taxes included
Highlights
Capella Brancacci in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine
Uffizi Gallery
Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze
Palazzo Pitti
Puccini Museum
Lucca Duomo
Fattoria il Poggio – guided tour, olive oil or
wine tasting & dinner
Cathedral of Florence
Palazzo Medici Riccardi – Benozzo Gozzoli’s frescoes in the Magi Chapel
Basilica Santa Croce
Ospedale degli Innocenti
Extras to the tour
Insurance (including Covid cover) £84
Double room for sole use supplement £299
Optional concert or opera visit on Day 3
26 November – 1 December 2025 / 6 days from £3,149
To book, either download the brochure from here or talk to Sandy Cornish at Tailored Travel on 01227 830624 (Monday to Wednesday 0800-1600, and mornings on Thursday to Friday 0800-1145)
or Telephone Tailored Travel on 020 7064 4970. Email: info@tailored-travel.co.uk
Download brochure HERE
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