Aniko
Full Day Art & Culinary Tour Accademia & Uffizi
Florence was home to one of the oldest secret societies for artists:
La Società del Paiolo, aka the Company of the Cauldron. It was here that artists like Lippi, Sangallo, Rustici, Da Vinci & Michelangelo met to discuss art, culture and philosophy while enjoying a delightfully flamboyant potluck dinner. Taking the Cauldron as inspiration, we’ll concoct a tour that’s a perfect mix of Renaissance art, Medieval craft and Florentine architecture, sprinkled with local gossip and all the most tantalizing flavors of Tuscan cuisine! This tour will include a visit to the Galleria dell’Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David, and can also be extended into a full day with a tour of the Uffizi Gallery. One of the most-visited museums in the world, the Galleria degli Uffizi were actually the offices of Grand Duke Cosimo I de Medici, hence the museum’s name (uffizi is Florentine dialect for the Italian word for offices, uffici).
The last Medici heiress turned over the family art collection to the city in one final act of incredible patronage by Florence’s “first family,” giving us the chance to gape at some of the finest works by Da Vinci, Botticelli, Raphael, Titian and Michelangelo side-by-side. And that’s only the beginning! See all that Vasari’s famous architectural masterpiece has to offer by learning the in’s and out’s of this incredible museum. If I were to suggest one tour in Florence that ticked all the boxes for your family it’s this.
Full Day Oltrarno Artisans w/ Interactive workshops
In Florence, artisans were more than mere craftsmen; they were influencers who formed powerful guilds that sponsored some of the most renowned artistic projects in the city. There would be no Duomo if not for the wool makers, no Gates of Paradise if not for the cloth makers, and the informed visitor will find traces of these unique and meticulous traditions still tucked away in hidden workshops of Florentine leather workers, silversmiths, potters, shoemakers, frame decorators, paper-makers and mosaic craftsmen.
We’ll take you “Oltrarno” (to the other side of the river) to explore a virtual labyrinth of tiny side streets where you’ll meet and observe some of these skilled artisans at work, handcrafting unique and refined objects, using tools and techniques passed down through generations. Since you mentioned a hands-on experience, I can organize a private workshop (~1.5-2hrs) where each member of your group would create an object to take home with you to remember your trip!
Aniko Szabo your cultural guide.