Florence: Exploring the Heart

May We Suggest?
• We think simply soaking up Florence this afternoon is a great plan, but if you'd like to fill it up a bit more, consider:

—  Interested in checking out the leather market?
—  What about a climb of the Duomo? We can arrange visits, admissions and more for you in advance.
—  Consider a visit to the Basilica di Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross) is the principal Franciscan church in Florence and a minor Basilica of the Catholic Church. Many illustrious Italians are buried there including Michelangelo, Galileo, Rossini, Marconi, Machiavelli. Thus it is known as the Temple of the Italian Glories.

Optional Guided Experiences for your afternoon:
We usually schedule most of these at around 3PM if possible.

• Uffizi Gallery: Private Tour with Guide: $339 per person (3 Hours).
Guided our licensed guide with a PHD in Art History, as well as a publisjhed art books author, you will discover the unique artistic and cultural richness as the cradle of the Renaissance. The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most incredible art collections in the world of Italian and European Paintings. During the tour the guide will tell you the incredible stories of such masterpieces including those made by Giotto, Piero della Francesca, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Leonardo da Vinci and Caravaggio.

•  Uffizi Gallery: Small Group Guided Tour: $179 per person.
Enjoy the Gallery in a small group: The art history expert will guide you through the Uffizi Gallery and to the masterpieces contained within. During your tour, the guide will accompany you from hall to hall, taking you on a journey into art and its history as he or she illustrates the most beautiful works of art in the museum. Not only will you learn about the importance of each painting, but also the context in the times when they were made.

•  Uffizi Gallery: Admission Ticket Only: $49 per person.
Enjoy an admission ticket to the Gallery.

•  Climb the Duomo Ticket: $59 per person.
Enjoy a climb to the top of the cupola by climbing its 463 steps to get an extraordinary view of Florence.

• A private tour of the Pitti Palace in Florence Ticket: $339 per person, 2 guest minimum for this privately guided tour.
Italy, provides a personalized journey through this Renaissance marvel, led by an expert guide. Beginning with an introduction to the palace's rich history and Medici legacy, visitors delve into its opulent interior, admiring frescoes, stuccowork, and masterpieces by artists like Raphael and Caravaggio. The tour navigates grand halls, sumptuous apartments, and private chambers, culminating in exploration of the world-class art collections housed within. Following this, a leisurely stroll through the Boboli Gardens offers panoramic vistas and insights into Renaissance landscape architecture. With flexibility for customization, the experience caters to individual interests, ensuring an enriching encounter with Florence's cultural heritage amidst the palace's splendor.

• Admission only to Pitti Palace and/or Gardens.
Option 1: Pitti Palace only (not including gardens) - admission only (no guide): $32 per person
Option 2: Pitti Palace Gardens (Boboli Gardens) only (not including Palace) - admission only (no guide): $23 per person
Option 3: Pitti Palace & Boboli gardens combo; admission only (no guide): $45 per person

Cortona to Explore

Options for Today
Might we suggest:

• Cooking Class from Cortona
—  Just outside of Cortona, in the company of an expert chef, participants learn how to make several courses including a dessert. It is a different experience where the participants learn to prepare a multiple-course meal and then partake in the sampling of the prepared dishes while enjoying the olive oils and wines of the region! -Duration 3-5 hours. $280 per person.

•  Horseback Riding Adventure
—  Commences at 9:30/10:00am or 2:00/3:00pm. $99 per person for first 2 hours, $37 per hour for each additional hour. Front desk of hotel will arrange round-trip taxi for you at guest expense. Options available for beginner or experienced riders.

• Tour of Siena
—  Departs around 9:30am. $465 per person. The tour includes round-trip transfer from Cortona to Siena with a walking tour of Siena in the morning and some free time in the afternoon. Today's tour will walk you through the old Ghetto, the Tower District (Contrada della Torre), and through little alleys, and on to the Basilica dei Servi, from which point you can enjoy an amazing view of the old town. We will take in Orto dei Pecci; a pleasant and easily accessible garden, located just behind the main square: The serenity and tranquility of this green oasis, together with the view of the incredible Torre del Mangia will mesmerize you.

• Morning Tour of Siena with Cooking Class in Afternoon
— Departs around 9:30am. $599 per person. Enjoy the morning tour (see description above) and then a special cooking class in the afternoon. Our driver then whisks you to a nearby villa where you will enjoy a tour of the vines, immersion in all things Wine, Balsamic, and Olive Oil followed by a cooking lesson. And, yes, you then enjoy the fruits of your labor. Our chef is capable and entertaining as you enjoy learning more about Tuscan cooking. We then return to the hotel in Cortona for a free evening.

•  Cortona and the Franciscan Monastery Le Celle
—  $190 per person. A classic private walking tour of Cortona comprises the Garibaldi Square with its magnificent panoramic view over the Valdichiana, the Church of St. Dominic built for the Dominicans with its medieval architecture and paintings by Luca Signorelli e Lorenzo di Niccolò, via Nazionale, the Republic Square with the Town Hall, the Church of St. Francis with its collection of objects owned to St. Francis of Assisi, Piazza Signorelli with Palazzo Casali and the Duomo. Then the tour continues by car outside the city walls of Cortona to the Franciscan Monastery of Le Celle, immersed in a forest and a place of an extraordinary beauty, calm and Franciscan spirituality.

•  Cortona Ancient Walls, Fortresses, Convents and Churches
—  $190 per person. This is a walking tour on steep slopes in the oldest part of Cortona leading up to the very top of the hill. For this reason is suitable for guests who enjoy walking (hiking) on slopes. The prize at the end is a fantastic view of Cortona and the valley below and the beauty of this less frequented and untouched part of the town. Above the center, half-way up to the hill of Cortona, are the Church San Francesco and beyond a cypress-lined courtyard, is the 15th century Chiesa di San Niccolò. The 15th-century church has a small porch with slender columns and the interior houses paintings by Luca Signorelli: the two-sided panel-painting, Descent from the Cross and Madonna Enthroned, and a fresco, Madonna with Saints. Passing by the little church San Cristoforo and Porta Montanina we will stop on the top to visit the Sanctuary of Santa Margherita, the town's patron saint. Finally walking down through the old part of town through the narrow alleyways of the quarter called Poggio San Marco you will admire also the beautiful 12 Via Crucis Stations with mosaics by the Futurist artist Gino Severin, a native of Cortona.

•  Assisi Privately Guided Tour with round-trip transportation
—  $279 per person. Enjoy this special visit to the hometown of Saint Francis, peacefully set on the slopes of the Subasio Mountain. The Basilica of Saint Francis is one of Europe's most important church buildings and undoubtedly the cultural highlight of the entire region. Our guide will show you the most important monuments, the Roman remains, the charming intact medieval town, stunning views of the landscape and the town’s hidden treasures. During this guided tour you will see the Basilica of St. Francis*, Piazza del Comune (central square), Minerva temple and other sites.

About Cortona
Cortona is a small but fascinating hill town in the province of Arezzo, Tuscany. It is situated on a commanding hill that overlooks Lake Trasimeno, known for the infamous rout of the Romans by Hannibal and the Carthaginians. Its cyclopean walls, still preserved in great part, are said to be 3000 years old. It was one of the twelve cities of Etruria.

Soak in the morning: enjoy a walk through the vineyards, or a hike up to the castle or a leisurely stroll through the piazza and streets.