Please join us for a fabulous day in the Tuscany wine country. 21 spots available, please RSVP When: Friday, September 25th Where: Castello di Verrazzano & Podere Ema Winery Pickup: 9:30 am Return: 4:00 pm Cost: $240-250 per person **Please pay $100 per person at sign up and Venmo to Betina Lee (@BetinaDK). Cost covers driver, tour of Verrazzano and lunch with wine, plus tour and tasting at Podere Ema Winery.
Medici Chapels (located in the Basilica di San Lorenzo) (closed Monday) Funerary chapels of the powerful Medici Family, architecture and sculptures by Michaelangelo, mid-1500’s Tickets at the door, or “time slot” tickets can be purchased online.
Florence Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore) One of the largest cathedrals in Christianity, mostly built in the early 1300’s, generally admired from the outside, a Gothic design replaced by Roman style. The dome was added by Brunelleschi in the 1500’s and you can buy tickets to climb the 463 steps inside the dome for up-close look at the dome ceiling frescoes and great outside views of Florence. (Online tix to avoid lines) Adjacent - Baptistery of St. John and the iconic Bell Tower
A walk down Florence’s busy walking street, Via del Calzaiuoli There are lots of great eateries down the side streets
Basically, an open air museum featuring the “Fountain of Neptune”, a copy of Michelangelo’s “David”, copy of Donatello’s “Judith and Holofernes”, and a covered area featuring a bronze of “Perseus” and other marble statuary.
A medieval fortress which became a Renaissance palace and town hall, it became the seat of power in the 1300’s, and was occupied by the Medici family as a personal residence in the 1500’s with artworks by Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Donatello. (Closes at 2pm on Thurs) Stunning hallways of Renaissance art, iconic sculptures, and Medici history. Online “time slot” tickets are recommended, to avoid long lines, but tix can be purchased at the kiosk same day. (Generally OK to show up late for time slot)
Iconic shopping bridge over the Arno River
Iconic art museum
These are so fun and scattered around the city - Via Santo Spirito 21 (Babae), Via delle Belle Donne 16 (Osteria), Via dei Palchetti 6 (Il Latini), Piazza degli Strozzi 2 (Odeon), Via della Scala 10 (Matteoni), Piazza dei Peruzzi 5 (Brache). Just knock on the little door, server will open & ask you what wine you would like.
Michelangelo’s 17 foot tall marble “David”
Fabulous palatial 1500’s Medici residence with frescoed hallways and paintings of the most important Italian artists, a Treasury and Royal Apartments.
"Other side of the Arno”, calm neighborhood where locals live, work & eat
Gormet Food Hall