One of the finest sculptors of all time, Michelangelo is perhaps best known for his painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. He also designed several significant buildings, and wrote poetry that was not as stunning as his other creations. He is the first known sculptor to leave some of his works deliberately unfinished.
ACCOMMODATION - Lucca -
The Florentine novelist, Guido Piovene, maintained that Lucca was “the only Italian city which is totally enclosed, ringed about by the high bulwark which it built in the 16th and 17th centuries, and which still hides it from the eyes of anyone arriving from the surrounding plain.” By the early nineteenth-century the starkly forbidding appearance of the walls had been softened by the ring of trees planted atop the massive walls leading poet Gabriele D’Annunzio to celebrate Lucca as “the city of the wooded circle.” These walls aka Le Mura, encircle the city for 5 km/2.5 miles and offer a wonderful promenade/bike ride overlooking the city. When Napoleonic forces invaded Italy, the new Principality of Lucca was placed in the hands of Napoleon’s sister, Elisa, who was married to Felice Baciocchi. They took an avid interest in the city and sought to beautify and conserve it refurbishing Renaissance palaces.
ITINERARY
Day 1. Arrival in Lucca - Hotel Ilaria and welcome dinner at Da Francesco
Day 2. Morning visit to the marble quarries of Carrara where Michelangelo, monumental sculptor of the Renaissance, selected the blocks of marble for his masterpieces - the Danesi’s Museum and the world renowned marble laboratory of the Nicoli Family for 7 generations. Lunch in Pietrasanta - city where Michelangelo sojourned. Afternoon free to sight-see and shop in Lucca. Dinner free
Day 3. Day excursion in Florence where the arts flourished between the 13th and 16th centuries. The guided morning tour of the city includes a booked visit to the Galleria dell’Accademia, home to Michelangelo’s David and 4 “prisoners”. This Academy was founded in 1563, as the first school in Europe to teach drawing, painting and sculpture. Lunch at Nuti’s. Afternoon free to explore the cultural treasures and landmarks of this splendid city which is indeed a “living museum”.Late afternoon return to Lucca. Dinner free
Day 4. Day on the Mediterranean Sea - Cinque Terre Villages , 5 picture-book fishing villages located between the sapphire blue waters of the Mediterranean and the steep coastal mountains. It is possible to hike from one village to another or take a ferry boat or the local train. You are at your leisure to spend the day exploring these magical and ever-so-charming 5 villages. Lunch free. Late afternoon return to Lucca. Dinner at La Buca di Sant’ Antonio
Day 5. Departure
TOUR INCLUDES 4 nights with buffet breakfast 2 dinners 2 lunches 3 full day excursions by private coach and guide Insurance (assistance, medical expenses reimbursement, baggage and personal effects)
EXTRA Transfer From /To airports and railroad stations are available upon request
