On this tour we will explore the religious heart of the city of Florence which centers on two main squares, the Piazza San Giovanni and Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral). Both are theatres of secular beauty. 

As we walk by the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore,  the Baptistery and “Giotto’s” bell tower, we will speak of the historic moment when Florence was the richest city in Europe. We will go inside the Baptistery, enjoying its precious gold, mosaic ceiling. We will then visit the renovated Museum of the Duomo which houses such sculptural masterpieces as the Penitent Magdalene of Donatello, the Deposition of Michelangelo and the three original doors of the Baptistry, including the so-called Paradise of Lorenzo Ghiberti. You will also marvel at how Filippo Brunelleschi designed and built his famous dome - a feat of engineering - in the museum dedicated entirely to this absolute jewel in the history of art.

With the fifteenth century came a new mode of inquiry that placed man at the center of the universe, rather than gods. Florence was the product of this new philosophy known as Humanism. In practice, this meant a renewed prioritisation of the education of children, who were seen as future citizens who in time would drive the cultural direction and economy of their city. The Hospital of the Innocents was an institute dedicated to the care of orphans opened its doors in 1445. The museum of the hospital is a special place to visit, where you can practically hear the voices of the nurses and children who lived there via the trinkets on display. The institute now also houses various commissioned works of art that you will enjoy. We set off from Piazza Santissima Annunziata (The Holiest Annunciation Square), proceed to the Museum and then end our tour with a magnificent view of Florence as we enjoy a coffee at the roof terrace cafe of the Museum. 

The Churches of Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella tell the stories of the two most important religious Orders, the Franciscans and the Dominicans, through the paintings they are filled with. In a time when the majority of the population did not read or write, the fresco cycles acted as a wondrous visual Bible: a didactic tool that communicated the word of God powerfully to the population. Alongside the teaching frescos, we see the private chapels of the social elites decorated by great contemporary artists that they commissioned. Giotto, Massaccio and Ghirlandaio are just a few of the artists that we will meet on this fascinating journey. You will learn about the painting techniques for frescos and the background story of each commissioned artwork. To end, we will visit the convent to admire the rooms where the monks once lived.