ROME TO RENAISSANCE FLORENCE

  OVERVIEW

 Rome to Renaissance Florence is perhaps our most compelling day trip from Rome. It captures the period when Florentine artists and architects influenced the highest echelons of European society.

 We set off early on the bullet train from Rome and conclude in the late evening, after a thrilling day of guided tours and adventure activities that pour scorn on any bucket list.

 The Accademia and Uffizi need no introduction, they are two of the most renowned collections of art and antiquities in the world. Your tours will be led by an expert Renaissance art historian guide.

 Two bell towers, one dome, and is it true that climbing is forbidden when it rains? Three climbs may seem alot but we know how beautiful Florence is from above, therefore we took steps (about 1,200) to ensure that every possible vantage point over the UNESCO World Heritage historic centre is reached.

 Sightseeing in Florence involves significantly less walking (activity level: easy / moderate) than in Rome, and the trusted inclusion of multiple ascents doesn't change that fact.

 As included on Florence Highlights by Bullet Train, Santa Reparata is visited. Catch sight of the ancient peacock that protects funerary tombstones today as 1,500 years ago.

 Palazzo Vecchio is a landmark building in Italy, as iconic in Florence as the Colosseum is in Rome. What can be found therein? Wander through halls adorned with monumental frescoes depicting frenzied battle scenes, wonder if the unfinished story of the Hall of the Five Hundred will ever find its own ending, and behold Vasari's works in the first and third courtyards.

 "The Battle of Anghiari" is thought to be a lost major work of art by Leonardo Da Vinci, but did it even exist? What lies behind Vasari's mural and why did he paint "Cerca trova" (seek and you shall find) beneath a tiny cavity in his own work? These questions are already a perpetual page turner, despite the best efforts of dogged art historian deniers to close the chapter.

 The second floor houses the Apartments of the Elements, Priori, and Eleonora of Toledo. Enter ornamental rooms and explore secret chambers.

 The Bargello and Volognana Tower (we don't climb this one) are some of the oldest municipal buildings in Florence (1255). The Bargello was a military barracks, then a prison and execution site for over 200 years.

 Since 1865, the Bargello National Museum has accommodated exhibitions of Renaissance Tuscan sculpture, Italian majolicas and French ivories.

 Its open courtyard has not changed, and the three levels of halls that surround it house rare Gothic and Renaissance sculptures. The museum reminds one of The Wallace Collection in London, and the Borghese Gallery in Rome. Indeed, a marble statue bust by Bernini and masterpieces by Michelangelo can be found within the walls.

 Cross the River Arno at iconic Ponte Santa Trinita for perfect views of Ponte Vecchio, or dare to cross at Ponte Vecchio itself en route to one of the grandest palaces in Europe. Pitti Palace is vast, a treasure chest of art, paintings, jewellry and luxury since the Medici dynasty, through the Grand Dukes of Tuscany, to the brief tenure of Napoleon Bonaparte. Priceless works by Raphael, Titian and Rubens make Pitti a must-see.

 Behind the palace lie Boboli Gardens, established by the Medici in a style that would define many future European courts. Ancient and Renaissance statues interrupt the green with shades of grey, as do blue fountains and deep grottoes. This is where you will rest and reflect before crossing the river one last time to return to Rome.

  INCLUSIONS

 I
 ROME - FLORENCE - ROME BY BULLET TRAIN
 II
 UFFIZI GALLERY TOUR
 III
 ACCADEMIA GALLERY TOUR
 IV
 BRUNELLESCHI'S DOME CLIMB
 V
 GIOTTO'S BELL TOWER CLIMB
 VI
 BAPTISTERY OF SAN GIOVANNI
 VII
 CRYPT OF SANTA REPARATA
 VIII
 PALAZZO VECCHIO
 IX
 ARNOLFO'S TOWER CLIMB
 X
 BARGELLO MUSEUM
 XI
 PITTI PALACE
 XII
 BOBOLI GARDENS

  WHAT TO EXPECT

 Rated 5 / 5 by Daniel S on May 11th, 2022  Exhausting. Exhilarating. A magnificent experience. You must do this day! The itinerary and schedule was perfect for our group of six and after the fact we realized it was absolutely superb value too. Never before had any of us seen so much beauty in art and architecture, it was sensory overload in a good way. Before we booked, we'd baulked at the three dome and tower climbs, but they too were incredible. A majestic full day tour that we can only recommend very highly. Thank you!

  €549 OR LESS

 Send your booking request to WhatsApp +48 788 55 1101 or info@eternaltoursrome.com with travel date, how many travellers (must include ages if -18 years) and any special requests. We will send you an invoice (€50 deposit) to reserve your booking. Invoice for final balance will follow within seven days.