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Art & Design Trips to Florence

The glory of Florence is rooted in its past.  Florence is rich with formidable galleries, treasure-crammed churches, sculptures, paintings and architecture, all of which attest to its artistic and cultural past.

The Medici dynasty sponsored philosophers and artists such as Botticelli, da Vinci and Michelangelo, making this compact city an ideal choice for school trips, especially for groups wanting to explore some of the great art treasures of the world.

 

Curriculum Topics Key Stage 4 & 5

  • Art, Craft and Design
  • Graphic Communication
  • Textile Design
  • Three Dimensional Design
  • Photography

Prices start from£559pp

Popular itinerary

Our sample itinerary provides you with an idea of the visits you can cover during your trip. We can tailor-make an itinerary to support your specific learning outcomes.

Morning Afternoon Evening
1 Depart UK airport for flight to Pisa Transfer to Florence with a stop at Leaning Tower on route Free time exploring the city and evening meal
2 Visit to Galleria dell’Academia Visit to the Uffizi Evening meal
3 Day trip by coach to Siena and San Gimignano Return to Florence for evening meal
4 Visit to Boboli Gardens Transfer to airport for return flight
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
Morning Depart UK airport for flight to Pisa
Afternoon Transfer to Florence with a stop at Leaning Tower on route
Evening Free time exploring the city and evening meal
Morning Visit to Galleria dell’Academia
Afternoon Visit to the Uffizi
Evening Evening meal
Morning Day trip by coach to Siena and San Gimignano
Afternoon
Evening Return to Florence for evening meal
Morning Visit to Boboli Gardens
Afternoon Transfer to airport for return flight
Evening

Price Shown includes

  • Return air travel
  • 3 nights B&B accommodation
  • Return airport transfers
  • Bespoke itinerary planning service
  • Free Place Ratios
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  • Online trip organiser & Travel App
  • 24/7 support whilst you are away

Places to Stay


Reasons to Visit

Galleria dell’ Accademia

The Accademia di Belle Arti was Europe's first school of drawing. The Academy Gallery houses works of Italian sculptors like Michelangelo (main gallery), including the original David.

The Palatine Gallery

An impressive collection of compromising works by Raphael, Titian, Correggio, Rubens, Pietro da Cortona and other Italian and European masters of the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

The Uffizi

The gallery's wonderful collection is arranged to illustrate the evolving story of Florentine art. Some of the most famous pieces are in rooms 7-18; they include Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Titian's Venus of Urbino, Michelangelo's Holy Family and Piero della Francesca's Duke & Duchess of Urbino.

Cappelle Medici

Cappelle Medici is a dome of coloured marble. Marble tombs of the Medici family anchored high on the hexagonal dome walls carry the Medici coat of arms. Decorative inlaid semiprecious stones are cut to such precision that seams are nearly invisible to the naked eye.

Palazzo Pitti Modern Art Museum

Situated on the top floor of the Pitti Palace , the museum consists of 30 rooms which were once royal apartments. The varied collection, comprises works which were donated by private collectors, once belonged to grand dukes and also paintings brought by the state, has everything from neo-classical to early 20th century art.

Palazzo Vecchio

Palazzo Vecchio, a monument of exceptional artistic and historic importance, has been the city’s political center over the centuries. The building was erected as the seat of the Priors of the Guilds, probably according to the plans of Arnolfo di Cambio (XIII-XIV centuries).

Boboli Gardens

When the Medici bought the Palazzo Pitti in 1549 they also acquired large pieces of land behind the Palace, some of it previously owned by the Bogoli family. Tribolo designed the garden in 1549, containing antique and Renaissance statues, fountains and other Mannerist embellishments.

San Marco Museum

Opened to the public in 1869, this museum houses the largest collection of sacred art in Florence including a sweeping fresco by Giovanni Antonio Sogliani and a superb collection of works by Mariotto Albertinelli.

Salvatore Ferragamo Museum

The museum was established in 1995 and located in Palazzo Ferroni. Together with famous fabrics collections and drawings, it is possible to see a collection of 10,000 pairs of shoes designed by this famous Italian stylist from 1920- 1960.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

The freestanding bell tower of the cathedral in Pisa is world-famous for its unintended tilt. Construction of the tower started in 1173 and took over 200 years to complete - it began to lean almost from the outset! This is a must see landmark for any visitor to Tuscany and creates a great photo opportunity for your students.

Duomo

The remarkable Duomo, of Santa Maria del Fiore, with its pink, white and green marble façade and characteristic dome, dominates the city's skyline. The building took almost two centuries to build (and even then the façade wasn't completed until the 19th century), and is the fourth-largest cathedral in the world. It also houses the crypt of Santa Reparata.

Bargello National Museum

The National Museum has its setting in one of the oldest buildings in Florence and one of the most beautiful in Italy. Initially the headquarters of the Capitano del Popolo and later of the Podestà, in the sixteenth century it became the residence of the Bargello or head of police spies from which it took its name. The building is the setting mainly for works of sculpture and many examples of the decorative arts.

Ponte Vecchio

The most famous bridge in Florence and also the oldest, this structure with three stone arches replaced a wooden bridge which had crossed the Arno River at this spot since Roman times. The upper side of the bridge, known as the Vasariano corridor, was designed by Vasari to link the Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi Gallery to the Pitti Palace; today it is an art gallery. The bridge is inhabited. Originally the sides held food shops but by the end of the 15th century the shops were assigned to goldsmiths and silversmiths. An opening midway across the bridge offers views of the river and shore.

Day Trip to Lucca & Pisa

Pisa is best known for its leaning tower and is a real must see for any trip to Tuscany, but the city also has Romanesque buildings, Gothic churches, Renaissance piazzas and a lively street life making it the ideal stop. Nearby Lucca with its famous walls shields one of Italy's finest mediaeval treasures, an unspoilt site sprinkled with palazzi, towers and countless splendid churches. The surrounding hills produce some excellent wines and arguably, the finest olive oil in the entire world.

Day Trip to Assisi

Known primarily as the birthplace of St. Francis (1182-1226 AD), Assisi has been a sacred town since long before the Franciscan era. Visitors can enjoy stunning architecture, well know artistic works and medieval and Renaissance culture.

Guided Tour of Florence

A sightseeing tour of Florence on foot will offer the opportunity to see all its main attractions including the Piazza della Signoria, the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio. An experienced guide will give information on the history of the city and will be able to answer any questions you have on the city and its buildings.

Orsanmichele

This gothic looking church was built in 1337. The extraordinary structure testifies to the historic evolution of the city, which once served as a granary in the gardens of the Sisters of San Michele during Florence's mercantile period.

Day Trip to San Gimignano & Siena

Take a trip to discover Tuscany’s medieval past. San Gimignano, is a small walled village famous for its fascinating medieval architecture and 14 towers that rise above all the other buildings offering an impressive views of the city and surrounding valley. Siena is likely Italy's loveliest medieval city. Built around the Piazza del Campo, it was devised as a work of art that blends into the surrounding landscape.

Grotta del Vento

Situated in the centre of the Apuan Alps' Natural Park, this is one of the most complete European caves. Following illuminated and easy-going trails, you can admire the many wonders of the underground world: from shining stalactites and stalagmites to polychrome flowstone, alabaster draperies, crystal-brimmed lakes, underground water-courses and bizarre forms of erosion.

Day Trip to Venice

Take a sightseeing tour around this fabulous city. Occupying 117 islands in the azure waters of the Adriatic, this lagoon city is a watery maze of grand canals, 177 smaller canals, over 400 bridges and the world's most famous sandbar, the Lido. Though thoroughly walkable, getting around Venice is a mesmerizing experience aboard the city's variety of public transport boats, the vaporetti or smaller (and more expensive) motoscafi.

Day Trip to Volterra

The “magic and mysterious” city of Volterra has its roots in three thousand years of history. It is possible to find evidence and traces from every historical period, which gives the artistic city a unique aspect. Explore the 12th century city walls, narrow streets, palaces, tower houses and churches.


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