MASTERPIECES OF FLORENCE AND ROME JANUARY 4-18, 2017 DR KATHLEEN OLIVE
Overview Italy’s staggering cultural heritage is nowhere more clear than in the key towns associated with the rise of the entire peninsula. From the glories of ancient Rome – the heart from which the empire grew, and the growing emporium where its wealth and knowledge was concentrated – to the emergence of medieval Florence as the hub of European trade and art, Italian city-states were the birthplace of some of the country’s greatest names and artistic treasures. In ancient Rome, and in the rise of Florence and Rome during the Renaissance, we see great families investing their resources in artists, architecture, literature and music, a heritage of cultural patronage that gave rise to geniuses such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Bernini and Caravaggio. Indeed, many Italians still consider such a history of patronage to be a key defining characteristic of the modern nation even after unification in 1861. Explore two of Italy’s premier art cities in depth with historian Dr Kathleen Olive. This 15-day residential-style tour offers time to fully appreciate the history and culture of Florence and Rome. See world-class galleries and museums, private villas, palaces and gardens, visit difficult-to-access sites like secret passageways of the Palazzo Vecchio and the Sistine Chapel with a private after-hours viewing, and enjoy the best of city touring, regional cuisine and the ease of superior, centrally located hotels.
Masterpieces of Florence and Rome Tour dates: January 4-18, 2017 Tour leader: Dr Kathleen olive Tour Price: $7,350 per person, twin share Single Supplement: $1,740 for sole use of double room Booking deposit: $500 per person Recommended airline: Emirates Maximum places: 20 Itinerary: Florence (7 nights), Rome (7 nights) Date published: March 31, 2016
Your tour leader Dr Kathleen Olive has more than 15 years’ experience leading tours to Italy. She has a PhD in Italian literature, regularly presents popular courses at Sydney University’s Centre for Continuing Education and at the WEA, Sydney, and speaks fluent Italian. Kathleen has a specific interest in Italian culture of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, from the connections between the literature of Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio and the painting of Giotto, through to the control of cultural life under Florence’s Medici family. Renaissance culture has also been the focus of Kathleen’s academic research, and in 2015 her critical edition of a key Italian text – the Codex Rustici, a commonplace book compiled and illustrated by a 15th-century Florentine goldsmith – was published by Olschki. Together with co-author Nerida Newbigin, Kathleen was in Florence when this publication was presented to Pope Francis I as an official gift on his first trip to the city, and it has subsequently been launched at the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, the Vatican Museums in Rome, the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale in Florence (Italy’s Library of Congress) – and even at the Custodia della Terra Santa in Jerusalem! “Kathleen was an outstanding tour leader. She was exceptionally knowledgeable and a gifted presenter. She went above and beyond, looking after group members’ individual needs and making sure everyone was happy. Her obvious passion for Italy was infectious. I would love to do a tour with her again.” Feedback from Academy Travel’s Grand Tour of Italy, April 2015
Enquiries and bookings For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Hannah Kleboe at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email hannah@academytravel.com. au
Mithraeum of Basilica San Clemente, Rome
the layers of rome
Dr Kathleen Olive on the layers of Rome Rome is often compared to a palimpsest, a text made up of older, “invisible” texts scraped off durable parchment so that it could be reused. Thanks to modern research techniques, the older writings underneath can now be deciphered, brought back to the surface – and this is often what has happened in the city of Rome too, when it comes to modern archaeology. As holes are dug for subway extensions, or landscape gardening is carried out in backyards – Michelangelo witnessed the rediscovery of the famous Laocoön sculpture in this way – layers of the ancient city resurface. This is a boon for researchers, a nightmare for conservators, and an inconvenience for present-day Romans. But the beauty of Rome is that you don’t have to muck around in a dusty archaeological site to see this synchronic history in action. In the 1860s an Irish Dominican resident at San Clemente, a church close to the Colosseum, decided to excavate below the glorious 12th-century basilica. Thus, after surveying the bright Byzantine apse mosaic, frescoes by Masolino (one of the fathers of the Florentine Renaissance), and the coloured swirls of the Cosmatesque pavement, you now descend a wide staircase to the lower levels. Father Mullooly’s works uncovered a 4th-century basilica, in constant use until the construction of the upper church. Popes convened 5th-century church councils here; rare Romanesque frescoes – of a quality usually seen only in northern Spain – are still on the walls; and there is a sense of walking amongst the neglected history of “Dark Age” Rome. One of the earliest examples of written Italian vernacular is still here: a frescoed pagan exhorts his servants to drag away a marble column, crying out: “Come on, you sons of bitches! Get behind it with your backs!” But there’s even more underneath the second basilica: a late 2nd-century mithraeum with benches and an altar, a meeting space and school used by devotees of Mithras. The complex initiation rites of this pagan cult rivalled early Christianity in popularity until the 4th century. There are 1st-century city streets to walk down here, and you can still hear the rushing of water through the Cloaca Maxima, the principal drain of ancient Rome. San Clemente was traditionally held to be founded over the remains of a 1st-century nobleman’s house, in which one of Rome’s early church groups met, and his house in its turn had been constructed over buildings destroyed in the Great Fire of 64. It’s hard to think of another vertical history like this one, fifteen centuries in one city layered out clearly before you – and it’s for this reason that, to modern Romans, San Clemente is known as the “lasagne church”.
Tour Highlights Private behind-the-scenes tour of the secret passageways of Palazzo Vecchio Private visit of Villa Gamberaia in Settignano to admire the impressive garden Before opening hours visit to the Accademia to see Michelangelo’s masterpieces, including David View the outstanding private collection of Palazzo Colonna, Rome Tour the apartment of artist Giorgio de Chirico at the Spanish Steps, which contains around 50 of the master’s superb paintings Private evening viewing of the Sistine Chapel – an unrivalled opportunity to see this masterpiece free from crowds
Above: the Sistine Chapel is a complex masterpiece that deserves quiet contemplation
Above: the gardens of Villa Gamberaia in the hills outside of Florence
Above: Michelangelo’s David in the Galleria dell'Accademia
Above: Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation, 1472–1475, housed in the Uffizi gallery
Detailed itinerary Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L and D. Wednesday January 4 Arrive Your tour leader, Dr Kathleen Olive, will meet the group at the hotel, and there will be a light dinner in a restaurant near our hotel this evening. Overnight Florence. (D) Thursday january 5 medieval to renaissance After a morning talk, we walk to the nearby Palazzo Davanzati, a museum of medieval domestic life. Our tour reveals how Florentines lived at the dawn of the Renaissance. At Santa Trinita, we track changes in painting, from medieval gloom to Renaissance polish, and continue on to our welcome lunch. In the afternoon, we have a booked visit of the Cappella Brancacci, a revolution in art with its “vanishing” perspective. Overnight Florence. (B, L) Friday January 6 epiphany in florence
Above: Masaccio’s depiction of St Peter Healing the sick with His Shadow, in the Brancacci Chapel (1426), is set on the streets of Renaissance Florence Below: Donatello's David is one of the many treasures in the Bargello Museum, an outstanding national sculpture collection
Today is one of Florence’s most important holidays, a celebration of the Wise Men’s procession – still acted out in full costume every year! We begin the day at the Museo del Bargello, with an outstanding collection of Renaissance sculpture by Donatello, Cellini and Michelangelo. A generous break in the middle of the day allows for shopping at the Epiphany sales or for observing the procession, with camels, horses and people in traditional dress making their way to the cathedral. In the afternoon, we meet to see Benozzo Gozzoli’s 15th-century Magi frescoes for the Cappella Medici. After a talk in the hotel, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Florence. (B) Saturday January 7 masterpieces of Florentine art We spend this morning at the Palazzo Vecchio, the political heart of the republic of Florence. We take a private tour of the Secret Corridors, going beyond the usual tourist route of the palace and traversing the private spaces of the later Medici dukes. After time for lunch, we have a visit of the famed Uffizi Gallery, taking in masterpieces by Giotto, Botticelli and Leonardo. Here we chart the genesis of Italian Renaissance art, from the Byzantine “darkness” of the Middle Ages to the exaggerated and emotional extremes of the 16th century. Overnight Florence. (B) sunday January 8 an elegant decline After a short walk to the Casa Martelli, we visit this fascinating, little-known house museum. The Martelli were
prominent aristocrats and accumulated an excellent collection. But when the family line was extinguished in the 1980s, the inheritance was left to the Florentine archbishopric and most of the outstanding pieces disappeared. The story reads like a chapter from The Leopard, and today the house is a faded but elegant indication of Florence’s 18th and 19th-century decline. In the early afternoon we take a short coach drive to Settignano, where the gardens of the Villa Gamberaia offer another window on the period. Edith Wharton said the Gamberaia was “the most perfect example of the art of producing a great effect on a small scale”, and in the 19th century the gardens were inventively renovated. Overnight Florence. (B) Monday January 9 a revolution in science We walk to the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo this morning, a newly renovated museum that charts the architectural and artistic development of Florence’s cathedral. After we consider sculpture by Donatello and Michelangelo, stunning silverwork for the Baptistery, and the innovative plans for the cathedral dome, we continue with a private visit of the cathedral terraces, a wonderful opportunity to survey Brunelleschi’s masterwork up close. After time for lunch, we visit the Galileo Galilei Science Museum, where a museum docent explains the genius of this Renaissance man’s career and shows us how a number of his discoveries work. After a talk in the hotel, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Florence. (B) tuesday January 10 Michelangelo to modern This morning we have an early private visit to the Accademia gallery, where we contemplate Michelangelo’s David and Slaves in a peaceful context, far from the usual bustling throng that crowds this museum. Later in the morning, we travel by private coach to the Chianti countryside, where the storied wine dynasty of the Antinori recently spent millions of Euro on a stunning contemporary vineyard and cellar. After our private tour of the complex, we enjoy a traditional Tuscan lunch – with matching Antinori wines, of course – in the restaurant, overlooking the stark beauty of wintry vines on rolling hills. Overnight Florence. (B, L) wednesday January 11 in siena We depart Florence this morning, travelling by private coach to nearby Siena, where a local guide shows us the highlights of the historic centre. Siena was an important centre of trade, banking, art and pilgrimage in the Middle Ages, but the Black Death killed a third of the population in 1348 and the city never recovered. It is now frozen beautifully in time, but a large student population lends a vitality to the elegant streets. In the afternoon, we continue to Rome, where we
Above: Antonio Santucci’s Armillary Sphere, 1588-1593, housed in the Galileo Galilei Science Museum; and the spectacular staircase at the Antinori winery in the Chianti region Below: Siena's beautiful Gothic cathedral
check in to our hotel and enjoy dinner in a nearby restaurant. Overnight Rome. (B, D) thursday January 12 layers of roman history We meet our local guide this morning to visit the church of San Clemente. This little-known jewel is Rome’s “lasagne church”, for layered beneath the mosaics, marbles and Renaissance fresco of the upper basilica are an early Romanesque church with well-preserved wall paintings, a Roman mithraeum for ancient cult worship, and even Late Antique streets and drains. We continue to the Colosseum, where Rome’s ancient past meets modern preservation in the newly restored structure. After time for lunch on the Capitoline Hill, we ascend in elevators to the top of the Vittoriano, the best place for a panoramic view of Rome. There is a talk in the hotel this evening. Overnight Rome. (B) friday January 13 the splendour of the baroque Rome’s renovation in the 17th century is encapsulated in the Baroque architecture that made such a mark on the city. We begin the morning at Bernini and Borromini’s churches on the Quirinal Hill, the site of their fierce artistic competition. We then move on to the Spanish Steps, where we have a special visit to the House and Studio of Giorgio de Chirico, 20th-century Italy’s finest surrealist painter. His rooms overlooking the Spanish Steps contain an excellent collection, giving a sense of Italy’s modern culture of art patronage. There is an optional stroll to the Trevi Fountain after lunch for those who wish. Overnight Rome. (B) saturday January 14 caravaggio’s rome The career of Caravaggio is another way to explore the splendour of 17th and 18th-century Rome. He moved here in the 1590s and this morning we take a walking tour of the most significant sites associated with him, from the private collection at the Palazzo Colonna, which still contains littleseen key works by his rivals, to the Pantheon and the artist’s neighbourhood around Piazza Navona, where Caravaggio’s beautiful St Matthew cycle and Pilgrims’ Madonna are still in local churches. After a late lunch we visit the nearby Palazzo Doria-Pamphilj, an aristocratic palace with a treasure trove of works by Velazquez, Caravaggio and Lorrain. Overnight Rome. (B) Sunday January 15 A personal collections We begin this morning with a coach transfer to the Borghese Gallery, where we survey fine works of ancient sculpture, masterpieces by Bernini, and Italy’s largest selection of Caravaggio’s paintings. There is free time this afternoon, to visit other sites in central Rome or perhaps to catch up on some shopping. Overnight Rome. (B)
monday January 16 popes and bankers in rome We begin this morning at the nearby Villa Farnesina, a sumptuous 16th-century love nest built for papal banker Agostino Chigi. Today, it is known for Raphael’s beautiful frescoes, which depict the colourful flings of the gods. We then explore Trastevere, including the medieval mosaics at Santa Maria in Trastevere. After an afternoon at leisure, we have a guided private evening visit of the Sistine Chapel this evening. Overnight Rome. (B) tuesday January 17 villas and gardens in tivoli Today we make our way to Tivoli, spending the morning at the extensive ruins of Hadrian’s Villa. These reflect the emperor’s love of luxury, extensive travel and refined taste. After a farewell lunch overlooking an ancient temple at Ristorante Sibilla, we continue to the 16th-century gardens at the Villa d’Este. Thwarted papal candidate Ippolito d’Este retired in style here, commissioning Rome’s greatest antiquarian to create a pagan fantasy world of grottoes, fountains and gardens. In the late afternoon we return to Rome, where the evening is at leisure to prepare for onward travel. Overnight Rome. (B, L) wednesday January 18 departure The tour ends after breakfast. Departing group members transfer to Rome airport for outgoing flights. (B)
Hotels Hotels have been selected principally for their central location. Both hotels are excellent 4-star properties that are within renovated palazzi. Florence, Hotel Berchielli (7 nights) www.berchielli.it/eng Rome, Hotel Ponte Sisito (7 nights) www.hotelpontesisto.it
Clockwise from top left: the view over Rome from the top of the Vittoriano; flesh in marble, convincingly rendered by Bernini in The Rape of Persephone, Borghese Gallery; the water organ at Villa d’Este; the Palazzo Doria-Pamphilj; and Caravaggio’s The Calling of St Matthew in San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome
Tour Inclusions Included in the tour price All accommodation in selected 4-star hotels All breakfasts and selected lunches and dinners in local restaurants as indicated in the itinerary Land travel in Italy by air-conditioned coach Extensive tour notes Services of an Australian tour leader throughout the tour All entrance fees to sites mentioned in itinerary Local guides for cities and sites Porterage of one piece of luggage at all hotels Tips to local guides and drivers Not included in the tour price
International airfares, taxes and surcharges (see below) Airport transfers if not coordinating with Emirates flights Travel insurance Meals not stated as included in this itinerary Items of a personal nature such as laundry, phone calls or internet use
Air travel The tour price quoted is for land content only. For this tour we recommend Emirates which offers flights into Bologna and out of Rome from most Australian cities. Please contact us for the best possible prices on economy, business or first class fares. Transfers between airport and hotel are included for all passengers booking their flights through Academy Travel. These may be group or individual transfers.
Enquiries and bookings For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Hannah Kleboe at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email hannah@academytravel.com.au
Weather on Tour January is a great time for ‘cultural travel’ to Italy. There are few tourists and religious pilgrims around, and rarely queues for major monuments. Temperatures are cool in the morning (around 3-6 degrees), usually warming up to 12-15 degrees in the day. Rainfall is not heavy – it is reasonable to expect light rain on 3-4 days only.
Fitness Requirements of THIS tour Grade one It is important both for you and for your fellow travellers that you are fit enough to be able to enjoy all the activities on this tour. To give you an indication of the level of physical fitness required to participate on our tours, we have given them a star grading. Academy Travel’s tours tend to feature extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater fitness than coach touring. We ask you instead to consider carefully your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour. Participation criteria for this tour This Grade One tour is appropriate for travellers in good health with good mobility. You should be able to comfortably participating in up to three hours of physical activity per day on most days, including walking at an easy pace, sometimes on uneven terrain, climbing stairs and standing in galleries. You should be able to: keep up with the group at all times walk for 2-3 kilometres at a moderate to slow pace with only short breaks stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and museums negotiate stairs and escalators get on and off a coach with steep stairs unassisted move your luggage a short distance if required A note for older travellers If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, it is likely that you will find this itinerary challenging. You may have to miss certain activities and may not get the full value of the tour. Before submitting your booking form, please contact Academy Travel to discuss your situation and the exact physical requirements of this tour. While we will do our best to reasonably accommodate the physical needs of all group members, we reserve the right to refuse bookings if we feel that the requirements of the tour are too demanding for you and/or if local conditions mean we cannot reasonably accommodate your condition.