Art and Culture of Florence and Milan
The Italian Renaissance to the Contemporary
with Claire Chamberlain
Saturday 4 October – Friday 17 October 2025
This amazing tour will encompass: art, both historical and contemporary; architecture – including churches; palazzi and classical ruins; interior design; gardens and landscapes of Tuscany and Lombardy; regional food and drink; local people and places.
It includes several towns in addition to Florence and Milan: Siena, Sansepolcro, Monterchi, Arezzo, Fiesole and Bergamo.
Florence is incredibly rich in art and culture. Shifts in trade, politics and religion powered huge societal changes and led to the flowering of the Renaissance in this city. Artists from Giotto to Michelangelo worked here and their paintings and sculpture remain, often still in situ. So too, do works by the Mannerist artists who followed.
On this tour we will stay close to the heart of this wonderful city – within easy reach of the famed galleries, churches, palaces and museums (plus its fabulous bars, restaurants, markets and shopping).
The tour will visit the major art sites of Florence, such as the Uffizi Gallery and also give access to the less ‘touristy’ experiences which often go under the radar. Florence’s artistic riches are so great that the typical stay misses much.Even if you’ve ‘done’ Florence, it’s unlikely you’ve had the opportunity to experience the A to Z of the city – Alberti to Zuccone*
We will use Florence as a base from which to travel by private coach to Siena whose artists rivalled the Florentine Giotto in the 14th century and also to Arezzo and the towns of Sansepolcro and Monterchi – part of the famed Piero Trail where art aficionados follow the work of the influential Piero della Francesca.
Our tour finishes in Milan. The most populous and urban city in Italy, it is often overlooked as an art centre. People know it as a nexus of industry, of fashion and of design, but Milan is remaking itself and emphasising the wealth of its artistic treasures across the city.
We will enjoy a trip to the town of Bergamo, once an outpost of the Venetian Republic and now, like Milan, part of Lombardy. The historic upper town is beautiful and rich in art, both historic and contemporary.
Some ancillary themes will emerge, depictions of the Last Supper from Florence to the ‘biggie’ in Milan, the vision of Piero della Francesca and innovation in Italian art.
*‘Big marrow’ (figuratively ‘dimwit’): the nickname for Donatello’s Habakkuk in the Museo dell’Opera.
KEY INFO AT A GLANCE:
- When: Saturday 04 to Friday 17 October 2025 (13 nights)
- Where: Florence and Milan, with day trips to Siena, Arezzo, Sansepolcro, Monterchi and Bergamo
- How many people: Min 12 Max 16
- Claire Chamberlain as your Tour Guide
- A Tour Manager and local guides / assistance on the ground as necessary
- Early Estimated Cost: Per Person Twin share: $15999NZD
- Single Supplement: Up to $4000 NZD (Double room for single use)
- Deposit approx $3000 due on confirmation
- Full payment 3 months prior to departure
- Hotels are classed as Italian 4 star
- Meals and all inclusions as per the final itinerary
Artists you will encounter:
Piero Della Francesca, Jacopo Pontormo, Marino Marini, Fra Angelico, Donatello, Giotto
Ghiberti, Brunelleschi, Ghirlandaio, Botticelli, Massacio, Paolo Ucello, Plautilla Nelli,
Simone Martini, Lorenzetti, Benozzo Gozzoli, Andrea del Castagno, Andrea del Sarto, Anselm Kiefer, Nan Goldin, Man Ray, Giorgio Morandi,
Maurizio Cattelan and many more
Highlights in Florence include:
- Church of Santa Trinita
- Church of Santa Felicita
- Rucellai Chapel
- Museum Marino Marini
- Davanzati Palace Museum
- Palazzo Strozzi
- Bargello Museum
- Church of Santa Croce & the Pazzi Chapel
- Church of the Ognissanti
- Female Arts in Florence
- Brancacci Chapel
- Museo Novecento
- Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica
- Church of Santa Maria Novella
- Uffizi Gallery
- Palazzo Riccardi Medici
- Convent of San Marco
- Ospedale degli Innocenti Museum
- Church of San Salvi
- Fiesole
Milan Highlights
- Duomo Rooftop Terraces
- Palazzo Reale
- Ambrosiana Museum
- Pinacoteca Brera
- Villa Necchi Campiglio
- Bergamo Day Tour
About Claire
Claire Chamberlain (MA Art History with Hons, PGDipEd) currently teaches as part of the Art Today programme at Te Tuhi, one of New Zealand’s foremost contemporary art spaces. Prior to this, she was a secondary teacher of art history for over 20 years.
Claire is the co-head of New Zealand at Venice Biennale Patrons, a patron herself since 2017 and was an invigilator for Lisa Reihana’s Emissaries at the 57th Venice Biennale. A keen supporter of Aotearoa arts and artists, Claire is passionate about communicating her love of art and art history in an accessible and enjoyable way.
**All inclusions subject to change
Please click here to enquire about this tour
