Renaissance tour in Florence: the preciousness of Medicis’marble

Among the treasures kept in Florence, you can miss neither any masterpieces by Michelangelo nor the art of manufacturing marbles and precious stones. This way of exploiting the colors and the characteristics of such natural elements is really something you can appreciate: from their original technique to the finished work of art.
Discover Renaissance Italian art and some Tuscan masterpieces!

You will meet your  private licensed tour guide in Florence for a monographic tour focused on Renaissance art  and on the importance of a material used for lots of works of art, from architecture to sculpture and from jewelry to furniture craftsmanship.
The first stop will be at the octagonal Chapel of the Princes surmounted by a 59 meter high dome, at St. Laurence’s, built with the purpose of celebrating the Medici family, patrons of the church and Grand Dukes of Tuscany. The Grand Ducal Hardstone Workshop, the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, was established for the execution of its astonishing revetment of inlaid marbles with some others colored and with semi-precious stones. The art of commessi, as it was called in Florence, used to assemble jigsaw fragments of specimen stones to form the plans of the revetment that covered the whole walls.

Close to this impressive space, you will enter the intimate Medici Chapels in the Sagrestia Nuova (“New Sacristy”), which was designed by Michelangelo as a mausoleum or a mortuary chapel, where you will appreciate some of his masterpieces carved in white marble. After a short walk, you will visit a less-known museum next to the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, at present one of the most important and modern center specialized in restoration. Here you will see the artistic manufacture characterized by the working of hard stones, which was officially founded by the duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici in 1588. The precious collection includes specimens of great suggestion and refinement and allows you to outline a historical path of ancient marbles and the manufacturing of semi-precious stones over three centuries.

BOOK NOW YOUR PRIVATE EXPERIENCE!

HIGHLIGHTS

  • A special visit to the less-know Opificio delle Pietre Dure Museum
  • A private licensed tour guide at disposal
  • Michelangelo’s masterpieces
  • The art of marbles and precious stones

SERVICES

  • The rate includes: a private licensed tour guide (3 hours’ length), entrance tickets to the museums, earphones rental
  • The rate does not include: lunch

AVAILABILITY

  • Tour always available (except on Sundays and Mondays)

NOTES

Comfortable clothes and shoes (sneakers) are recommended

Meeting point: the meeting point with the tourist guide or the private driver will usually take place in the lobby of the Client’s hotel if it is in THE HISTORICAL CENTRE OF THE CITY WHERE THE TOUR STARTS. Please, let us know the name of your hotel.

In case the Client’s accommodation is distant from the historical centers or if you come from other departure places, different meeting points will be communicated after the confirmation of the tour.

On demand: transfer to-from other cities by car/minivan; different number of participants (from 1 to 10 or more); special services for disabled tourists.

 

 

CANCELLATION POLICY

In case of cancellation of the reservation made by the buyer on the site, Travel-Lab/BookYourItaly will apply the following terms:

• Up to 21 working days prior to the start of the activity: full refund of the service paid by the buyer;
• From 20 to 10 working days prior to the start of the activity: 50% refund of the price paid;
• From 9 to 0 days prior to the beginning of the activity or non-use by the buyer of the service: no refund.

For counting the days the following rules apply:
• The day of the activity is not counted;
• The days begin at 00.00 and end at 24.00 hours in the time zone in force in Italy (GMT +1).

The reimbursement by Travel-Lab/BookYourItaly will be made within 30 working days by crediting the credit card used.
Moreover information about terms and conditions