Florence and the Accademia Gallery

Our coordinator will greet you at the port with a SHOREC sign.

We will begin the day with a visit to the Galleria Dell'Academia (entrance required), home to Michelangelo's famous David, the most famous sculpture in the world.

After the visit, we will head to the Piazza Del Duomo, from where we can admire the exterior of the magnificent religious buildings: the medieval Baptistery, the Bell Tower designed by Giotto, and the Cathedral (one of the largest in the world) with its dome by Filippo Brunelleschi, an architectural masterpiece that served as a model for Michelangelo's construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

From there, we will cross Via dei Calzaioli to reach Orsanmichele, a unique building: church, granary, and civil monument. An example of Florence, the capital of merchants and the gold florin, the "dollar" of the Middle Ages.

We will arrive at the Piazza della Signoria, a veritable "open-air museum" in the city, dominated by the Palazzo Vecchio, and rich in statues that remind us of the history of Florence and Europe. It was the site of medieval battles between Ghibellines, Guelphs, and Lorenzo the Magnificent, the Medici principality, and the resurgence of Italy, of which Florence was the capital between 1865 and 1870.

Nearby is the Paja Market and the bronze sculpture of the famous "pig," a mascot of many travelers over the centuries.

We will cross Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in the city and the only one intact since the 14th century, covered by small houses, goldsmiths' and jewelers' shops, artisans heirs to a centuries-old tradition.

Back at Palazzo Vecchio, we will stop in the courtyard of the Uffizi Gallery, one of the oldest and most popular art collections in the world.

We will continue towards Piazza San Firenze (from here, you can admire Palazzo del Bargello, former headquarters of the police chief and the medieval prison, which now houses the National Sculpture Museum).

We will pass through the ancient Borgo Dei Greci and arrive at Piazza Santa Croce, which, in addition to being a precious source of art treasures (Giotto, Donatello, Brunelleschi), is also a veritable "Pantheon" of Italian glories from many eras. There are several tombs to be found, including those of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo, Rossini, and other literary and scientific geniuses.

After a well-deserved break (free time), we'll return to our bus, still accompanied by our guide, and head to Piazzale Michelangelo to take photos of one of the most famous squares in the world.

Return to the port for boarding.