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John Osaki's Blog
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 April 17 - 24, 2012 Plan your arrival in Florence for April 16 Plan your departure from Venice for April 25 Printable version of itinerary  |
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| Join award-winning art educator Amy Osaki for an exploration of the art treasures of Italy in April 2012. Immerse yourself in the Medieval and Renaissance splendor of Florence and Venice, the gem cities of Tuscany and the Veneto. Explore the renowned hill town of Siena. Experience the art of Donatello, Giotto, Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Fra Angelico, Titian, Rubens, Raphael, and Piero della Francesca. Savor the great art repositories of the Uffizi, Bargello, Pitti Palace, and the Accademia. And throughout the trip, revel in the joys of being in Italy in the springtime. In addition to an unforgettable immersion into the art of Italy, images of the Ponte Vecchio reflected in the waters of the Arno River and gondolas on the canals of Venice add sparkle to this art adventure. | |||||||||
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  The dome
of Santa Maria del Fiore. |
Day 1 Overnight in Florence Dinner included Begin your art feast at the symbol of Florence, the cathedral (“Duomo”) with its dome designed by Brunelleschi. Located in the centro storico ("historic center") the cathedral (officially the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore) is the core of Renaissance and Medieval Florence. Climb up the stairs of the bell tower, visit the dome, and go inside the Baptistery (featuring Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise) and the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo (containing Donatello’s Mary Magdalene). This afternoon, continue exploring the art masterpieces of Florence. In the area of Florence’s central market, contemplate Michaelangelo’s mannerist Medici Chapel at Brunelleschi’s early Renaissance church of San Lorenzo. Succumb to the lure of Florence and find your favorite Italian ice cream (gelato), and shop on the Via de’ Tornabuoni. |
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Day 2 Overnight in Florence Breakfast included You have an early-morning appointment at the Galleria degli Uffizi which contains the most celebrated collection of Florentine Renaissance art. Commisioned by Cosimo de Medici, the Duke of Florence, the Uffizi was built in 1560 to house the offices (uffizi) of the magistrates and guilds that governed the city. Linger in the newly renovated galleries and contemplate the masterpieces by Giotto, Raphael, Uccello, Cimabue, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Titian. Continue on to the Galleria dell’ Accademia to pay your respects to (and admire) Michelangelo’s great statue of David. Then continue through the gallery to view the other masterpieces on exhibit. |
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Day 3 Overnight in Florence Breakfast & lunch included Study the works of Donatello and Michelangelo at Museo del Bargello, and recapture the spirit of the early Renaissance. Experience Florence’s most striking square, the Piazza della Signoria, where the famous “bonfire of the vanities” took place, and view the Palazzo Vecchio, an imposing fortress-palace. Continue on to the Franciscan church of Santa Croce with its frescoes by Giotto. Day 4 Overnight in Florence Breakfast included Take a day-trip into the countryside, and visit the famous hilltown of Siena. One of the loveliest and most perfectly preserved medieval towns in Tuscany, Siena retains its medieval architecture, including walls and gates that surround the city, the cathedral, and the Piazza del Campo, considered by many to be the finest public square in Italy. Explore in depth Siena’s fabulous Duomo and Battistero, featuring Donatello’s Feast of Herod, and the Pinacoteca Nazionale, housing a rich collection of Sienese painting dating from the twelfth to the seventeenth centuries. This is a walking town, and it is a joy to wander through Sienna's narrow city streets which have changed very little since the Middle Ages. |
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Day 5 Overnight in Florence Breakfast & dinner included Walk across the Ponte Vecchio and the Arno River to the colli (“hills”) of Florence. Enjoy the Italian gift for landscaping in the Giardino di Boboli (famous for its fountains and grottoes), and find a treasure trove of paintings (by Titian, Rubens, and Raphael) in the Pitti Palace. Home to the grand-dukes of Tuscany (i.e. the Medici family) and later the King of Italy, the Pitti Palace houses important collections of paintings and sculpture in the Palatine Gallery. The paintings, largely from the Medici family collections, are exhibited in the style of a seventeenth century picture gallery with sumptuous frames hung in a suite of richly decorated rooms. Explore the Royal Apartments—a collection of fourteen magnificent rooms which were the home of the Medici and Lorraine grand-ducal families, and from 1865, the king of Italy. Day 6 Overnight in Venice Breakfast included Depart Florence and travel to Venice. Arrive in Venice and settle into your hotel. Stroll with Amy on a walking tour through St. Mark’s square viewing the Basilica di San Marco (begun in 829 AD), the Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. Then explore the narrow streets, bridges and canals of Venice perhaps sampling gelato as you go along. Watch the play of light on the buildings as sun sets across the lagoon between Venice and the Adriactic Sea.
Day 7 |
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Day 8 Overnight in Venice Breakfast & dinner included Enjoy a day on your own. Consider a visit to one of the islands in the lagoon—Murano famous for crystal and glass, or Burano known for its lace and painted houses. Alternatively, explore the buildings created for wealthy patrons by the Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. Published in 1571, Palladio's The Four Books of Architecture, drew upon his meticulous studies of classical Greek and Roman buildings. Two centuries later it became the foundation for Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. In Venice, Palladio's designs include the Chiesa del Redentore, San Giorgio Maggiore, and the Convento della Carita. Enjoy a farewell dinner this evening. Your overnight accommodations in Venice and breakfast tomorrow morning are included in the trip price.. |
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Details about this Trip Trip Dates: April 17 - 24, 2012 Trip Leader: Amy Boyce Osaki Price: $3,495 Single room for the entire trip: $800 additional Meeting Point: The trip begins at the hotel in Florence early on the morning of April 17. Departure Point: The trip concludes after dinner on April 24. However, your overnight lodging in Venice this evening and breakfast the following morning are included in the trip price. Included in the trip price: Exclusive access to museums and attractions, admissions to all sites, thirteen meals, eight nights lodging, all local transportation, expert insights into art provided by your trip leader and local experts. Not included in the trip price: Airfare, excess baggage charges, personal insurance, meals not mentioned in the itinerary, and all items of a personal nature such as drinks, laundry, telephone, and internet access. |
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| Customize your trip to Italy! Come early or stay longer by adding extra nights at the hotel. Take advantage of all the museum visits included in the itinerary, or pick and choose, as you desire. Opt out of some of the museum visits in favor of more time relaxing, or set off to explore other museums not on the schedule. Consider spending a few days after the trip exploring the Roman Coliseum and the Vatican in Rome, and perhaps seeing Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Ostia Antica which are all spectacular Roman ruins. | |||||||||
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Resources for Further
Learning Read
the article, "Virtuoso of the Villa" for a look at master
architect Andrea Palladio. By Gully Wells in the March 2009 issue of Conde Nast
Traveler. From
January to April 2009, the Royal Academy of Arts in London hosted an
exhibition entitled, "Andrea Palladio: His Life and Legacy" in honor of the
architect's 500th birthday. Though the exhibition has closed, you can still
visit the exhibition's website to access information about Andrea
Palladio's life and works. |
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Softly Adventures, Inc., PO Box 86250, Portland, OR 97286 |
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