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 In
addition to the splendid days and nights at the villa, we will
take three excursions by motorcoach. Our first stop will be
Florence, capital of Tuscany
and seat of the Renaissance. On a walking tour of Florence we
will see the famous Ponte Vecchio, Pitti Palace and Santa Maria
del Fiore, the Duomo of Florence with Brunelleschi's dome and
Giotto's tower. We will also visit the medieval city of Siena.
Florence
We will spend a morning at the Uffizi Gallery where
we will be guided through the most important rooms and taught
about the progression of Italian art from the 12th century to
the 16th century. After a leisurely lunch at any of Florence's
great restaurants we are free to explore the great shopping
treasures of this wonderful city, which include leather goods,
jewelry and clothing found nowhere else in the world. In the
afternoon we may visit the Bargello, national sculpture museum,
or the Davanzati Palace, a perfectly preserved nobleman's home
from the 15th century.
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Siena
Siena is a perfect medieval city, centered around the famous
Piazza del Campo, where the Palio is run twice a year.
A medieval parade in full costume precedes the race. Seventeen
contradas compete to have their horse and jockey run a treacherous
three-minute race around the ancient square. Each contrada has
a special identity, colors, flag, and song. Children and adults
proudly support their contrada all year long in anticipation
of this exciting event.
Siena is an elegant town, from which the names burnt siena and raw siena are clearly derived. She has a long history of artistic rivalry with Florence. Siena boasts a magnificent Duomo which took over three hundred years to complete and is famous for its black and white striated marble. An artist's dream,
Siena is at once enchanted and romantic. We will take a walking
tour of Siena, (comfortable shoes and ability to navigate hills
a must) and sample her delicious specialties, panforte, ricciarelli
and outstanding rustic cuisine.
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