Trip to Florence for Art & Design Students

Europe’s first artistic academy and home to Michelangelo’s famous masterpieces. The academy features the famous marble David sculpture, created between 1501 and 1504. The Muscular Four Slaves can also be seen, and range from virtually finished to the barely blocked out. Also on offer is a superb range of Gothic and Renaissance paintings.

Italy’s greatest collection of Renaissance sculpture. Major collections within Florence’s first palace encompass Renaissance to Mannerist sculpture, including an array of majolica, tapestries, paintings and silverware. 

A beautiful collection of Tuscan paintings from 1784-1945. The gallery includes a superlative collection by the Macchiaioli group, often referred to as the Italian Impressionists.

One of the world’s finest art galleries which features all the great names of the Florentine Renaissance. Includes paintings by Piero della Francesca, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Giotto, Raphael, Titian and Caravaggio. There is a whole room dedicated to Michelangelo and the 16th century.

Ranking second only to Santa Croce in the list of great Florentine churches, and housing some important frescoes such as Masaccio’s Trinita (1428), this church stands proud in motifs and scrolls made out of green and white marble.

The Medici’s private chapels and mausoleum feature several of Michelangelo’s most outstanding pieces of Florentine funerary sculpture.

The original location of Michelangelo’s David. Sights include the Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi Gallery and an outdoor gallery sheltering several outstanding pieces of sculpture.

For spectacular panoramic views of Florence and the Arno Valley, a visit to Piazzale Michelangelo is a must. Designed in 1869 by Florentine architect Giuseppe Poggi, Piazzale Michelangelo is a popular spot with locals and tourists.

Dating back to the 14th century, the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) is a medieval bridge spanning the river Arno in Florence. It is one of the few remaining bridges with houses built upon. The Vasari corridor that runs over the houses connects the Uffizi with the Pitti Palace on the other side of the river. The unique Vecchio is one of the most photographed bridges in Europe.

The Boboli gardens are one of the greatest open-air museums in Florence.  With centuries-old oak trees, sculptures and fountains, the Boboli gardens are a must visit.

The freestanding bell tower of the cathedral in Pisa is world-famous for its unintended tilt. Construction of the tower started in 1173 and took over 200 years to complete - it began to lean almost from the outset! A must-see for any group and a great photo opportunity for your students.

Elegant architecture, exemplifying the roots of the Renaissance. The Baptistry building represents a direct link between the Golden Age and Rome. The bell tower, built by Giotto, is decorated with statues and reliefs. Other architects have picked up this theme from the campaniles, and doorways are magnificently Gothic-clad in green, red and white marble.

The Brancacci Chapel is a chapel in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence, central Italy. It is sometimes called the "Sistine Chapel of the early Renaissance" for its painting cycle, among the most famous and influential of the period.

Palazzo Vecchio is the hearth of Florence, the symbol of the city’s history. A history dating back to 1299, when it was built to host the government leaders of the medieval Florence, Palazzo Vecchio lived a golden age when the Medici family decided to move there and they turn it into a real Palace. 

This enormous palace is one of Florence's largest architectural monuments. The original palazzo was built for the Pitti family in 1457, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi and built by his pupil Luca Fancelli. In the separate Palazzina del Cavaliere on the upper slopes of the Boboli Gardens is the Porcelain Museum, while the Palazzina of the Meridiana contains the Costume Gallery, a showcase of the fashions of the past 300 years.