”You will begin to wonder that human daring ever achieved anything so magnificent.”
John Ruskin, Mornings in Florence 1875
Our new program “Florence: The Art of Magnificence” is a great opportunity to visit Florence with Dr. Rocky Ruggiero without travelling! It provides a perfect mix of real-time virtual tours directly from Florence and live presentations through which we can observe Florence’s beautiful art and architecture in greater detail.
Description: Florence, Italy, was the cradle of the Renaissance and the birthplace of the modern world. From Dante to Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo, this central Italian town produced the greatest concentration of artistic genius in history. The legacy of this creative explosion is still very much present in the city. Whether it is Brunelleschi’s crowning dome above the titanic cathedral, Ghiberti’s stunning golden doors known as The Gates of Paradise, Botticelli’s beautiful painting of the Birth of Venus or Michelangelo’s unrivaled statue of David, beauty and inspiration are found in every corner of this open-air museum that is Florence. This week-long program will tell the story of Florence through its art, architecture and history – a story that is simply magnificent!
Location: LIVE INTERACTIVE ON-LINE PROGRAM
Format: Live tours directly from the streets of Florence and live presentations on Zoom platform.
Instructor: Dr. Rocky Ruggiero
ALL LECTURES WILL BE RECORDED AND AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING AT YOUR CONVENIENCE FOR THE DURATION OF THE COURSE.
DAY 1: MONDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 – FLORENCE IN REAL TIME!
11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. EST – LIVE Virtual Tour of Florence [directly from Florence]
We shall walk the streets of the great Renaissance city to admire its beauty, but also to see how the city is coming back to life after months of lockdown. Stroll across the Ponte Vecchio, admire the statues in Piazza della Signoria, wander down the Via Calzaiuoli past the grain-market-turned-church of Orsanmichele, and then marvel at the overwhelmingly beautiful Duomo of Florence. See and appreciate the beauty of Florence in REAL TIME!
LUNCH BREAK
2:30 – 4:00 p.m. EST – Visit to the Piazza Signoria
The Palazzo and Piazza della Signoria were the great political nerve centers of the medieval Republic of Florence. The architecture of the palace and the sculptures within the piazza each reflect the political history of Florence. We will examine the major aspects of the architecture and history within the great urban space, and also look at extraordinary sculptures. Each of the statues in the Piazza della Signoria has story behind it. From the glory days of the Republic, to the more decadent days of Medici monarchy, these statues literally tell the tale of Florence’s great history.
DAY 2: TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 – THE CATHEDRAL COMPLEX OF FLORENCE
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EST – Florence Cathedral and Florence Baptistery
The Baptistery is one of the oldest monuments in Florence and we will enjoy its breathtaking mosaic decorations and unique architecture. We shall then continue to the Cathedral of Florence, named Santa Maria del Fiore, which is the religious center of the great medieval city and for two centuries was the largest church in Christendom. We will explore the vast architecture of the Cathedral and analyze the engineering marvels that not only made this structure possible, but also Brunelleschi’s great crowning dome.
LUNCH BREAK
2:30 – 4:00 p.m. EST – The Cathedral Museum (Museo dell’Opera del Duomo)
The lecture will also include a visit to the Cathedral museum which contains one of the most important collections of sculptures in the city including Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise.
DAY 3: WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 – SANTA CROCE AND THE CHURCH OF ORSANMICHELE
with LIVE VIRTUAL TOUR of Piazza and exterior of Santa Croce
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EST – St. Francis of Assisi, Giotto, and the Celebrity Tombs of Santa Croce
Visit of the Basilica of, the largest Franciscan church in the world. The founder of this order, St. Francis of Assisi, changed the way people saw the world in the Middle Ages. His love and celebration of nature may have been the spark that ignited the Renaissance. This guy “went green” 700 years before “going green” existed. We will discuss his importance, but also look at the extraordinary art within this great church. Most famous for its celebrity tombs, including the likes of Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli, the Gothic church also contains one of the most important cycles of medieval frescoes by the great master Giotto.
LUNCH BREAK
2:30 – 4:00 p.m. EST – Visit to the Church of Orsanmichele
We will then continue to the medieval-grain-market-turned- church of Orsanmichele. The sculptures here were commissioned by the omnipotent guilds of Florence to artists such as Donatello and Ghiberti to express the individual guild’s status and wealth in the city.
DAY 4: THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 – MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE PAINTING IN FLORENCE
with LIVE VIRTUAL TOUR of courtyard of the Uffizi Gallery
11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m EST – Masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery Part I
The painting collection in the Uffizi Gallery is the most important collection of Italian medieval and Renaissance paintings in the world, and includes works by Giotto, Botticelli, Leonardo, and Michelangelo. This lecture will examine these works in depth and will trace the development of Italian painting from c. 1300 to c. 1500.
LUNCH BREAK
2:30 – 4:00 p.m. EST – Masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery Part II
DAY 5: FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2020 – MICHELANGELO AND THE MEDICI
11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. EST – Visit to the Accademia Gallery
This lecture will begin in the Accademia Gallery, the 19th-century museum built to house Michelangelo’s David, known in Florence as “Il Gigante.” This statue has been heralded as the greatest expression of sculpture of all time. While standing in its great shadow, we shall dissect all aspects of the David’s style and history.
2:30- 4:00 p.m. EST – Visit to the Medici Chapels
We will then continue our lecture inside Michelangelo’s New Sacristy within the Medici Chapels of the Basilica of San Lorenzo. Here we will encounter not only Michelangelo the sculptor, but also Michelangelo the architect. Working for the Medici Popes Leo X and Clement VII, Michelangelo designed one of the most innovative Renaissance interior spaces into which he incorporated his allegorical sculptures of the “Times of the Day.”
SEPTEMBER 14 – 18, 2020
Participant – $325.00/person
Additional Family Member / Friend – $160.00/person