Travel program
Day 1 Pistoia
Arrival in Pistoia in the early afternoon for guided tour of the city. Capital of Culture in 2017, Pistoia never ceases to enchant the visitor with its elegance and refined beauty. Originating in the Roman period, the city’s importance developed through Medieval and Renaissance times, when the city was known as the City of the Pulpits, until today. Its history leads us through churches and cloisters, buildings and towers in winding streets and irregular-shaped squares.
Transfer to Montecatini for dinner in hotel and overnight stay.
Day 2: Florence
Breakfast in hotel.
Entire day dedicated to guided tour of Florence, renowned throughout the world for both the beauty of its squares and monuments and for the immense artistic patrimony conserved within its walls. Guided tour on foot through the historical city centre in the morning: Piazza Santa Croce with its church of the same name, containing the remains of Michelangelo and Galileo Galilei, and Piazza della Signoria with Palazzo Vecchio, former residence of the Medici family. There are numerous statues to be found in the squares: the most famous of which is the Davide of Michelangelo (a replica, the original being conserved in the Galleria dell’ Accademia ), Perseus of Benvenuto Cellini, the Rape of the Sabines by Giambologna. Free for lunch and afternoon activity.
Return to Montecatini for dinner and overnight stay in hotel.
Day 3 Siena – San Gimignano
Breakfast in hotel.
Guided tour of Siena with its Cattedrale dell’Assunta, a jewel of Gothic architecture containing famous works by Michelangelo, Donatello and Bernini. This fiercest rival of Florence still maintains its original Medieval appearance. Famous for Piazza del Campo where the ‘Palio’, the historic race between the different districts of the city, is held twice a year.
Transfer in the afternoon to San Gimignano, UNESCO cultural heritage site. San Gimignano was founded as a point in which travellers could rest in ancient times, as the devout made their way in pilgrimage along the Via Francigena. Our tour begins at Piazza della Cisterna and continues as far as the Chiesa della Collegiata, passing along the city walls.
Return to the hotel in late afternoon for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4 Lucca – Pisa
Breakfast in hotel.
Transfer to Lucca for guided tour. The walk begins on the city walls, conserved intact, enclosing the historical centre and constituting the symbol of the city, traditionally dubbed ‘ the city of one hundred churches’ for its great number of places of worship dating back to different eras.
Moving on to Pisa in the afternoon; the tour begins with a visit to the Piazza dei Miracoli and its monuments: in addition to the world famous leaning tower there is the cathedral, a masterpiece of Pisan Romanesque architecture, the Baptistry with its beautiful pulpit by Nicola Pisano and the monumental cemetery, rich in Medieval frescoes. The tour continues in the area of Santa Maria with the Piazza dei Cavalieri di Santo Stefano.
Day 5– Villa Medicea of Poggio a Caiano
Breakfast in hotel and check-out.
Transfer to Poggio a Caiano to visit the Villa Medicea, also called Villa Ambra.
Lorenzo il Magnifico commissioned the villa, situated between Florence, Prato and Pistoia. It is built high above a portico, open to the gardens and surrounding countryside on each side, reflecting the humanistic tendencies of this style of architecture, inspired by the past. Building started in around 1485 and was completed in the second half of the sixteenth century, after the death of Lorenzo il Magnifico, on the orders of his son, Leone X .
For a customized quote and futher information contact us
