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Hotel
DAY 1: Check-in at Hotel Helvetia & Bristol Firenze and Welcome Dinner
DAY 2: Piazza Signoria, Bargello Museum, and Wine Tasting at Cantinetta Antinori
DAY 3: Cathedral, Exclusive Cathedral Terraces, Baptistery, Cathedral Museum, and Cooking Class
DAY 4: Food Market Tour and Church of Santa Croce
DAY 5: Uffizi Gallery, Editech Laboratory, and Thanksgiving Dinner
DAY 6: Accademia Gallery and Medici Chapels
DAY 7: Check-out of Hotel Helvetia & Bristol Firenze
“You will begin to wonder that human daring ever achieved anything so magnificent.”
John Ruskin, Mornings in Florence (1875)
Why Visit Florence over Thanksgiving?
The Thanksgiving-holiday week is a great opportunity to visit Florence!!! It provides the perfect vacation window for family members of all ages.
Join us for an authentic insider experience of Florence where participants will
Walking tours and on-site visits may entail uneven terrain such as cobblestones and city hills, as well as challenging environments with stairs without handrails and/or the absence of elevators).
DAY 1: SUNDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2025 – ARRIVAL IN FLORENCE
Arrival in Florence and check-in at the Hotel Helvetia & Bristol Firenze
7:00pm– Welcome Dinner
DAY 2: MONDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2025 – THE RISE OF THE CITY STATE AND SPEAKING STATUES:
9:30-10:45am – 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 is 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.
10:45am-12:00pm – Visit to Bargello Museum
The Bargello Museum is the National Sculpture Gallery of Florence and houses what is arguably the world’s greatest collection of Renaissance sculptures. We will examine the history of the 13th-century building that houses the collection, the Competition Panels by Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi, various sculptures by the great Donatello, including his magnificent bronze statue of “David” and Michelangelo’s “Bacchus.”
12:00pm-5:30pm– Free afternoon
5:30pm-7:00pm– Winetasting at the historic Cantinetta Antinori
The Antinori family is one of the oldest families in Florence and has been producing some of the world’s finest wine for more than half of a century. We shall have a private tasting provided for us in the 15th-century Palazzo Antinori, which has been their home for more than five centuries.
DAY 3: TUESDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2025 – THE FLORENCE CATHEDRAL COMPLEX:
10:00-11:00am – Visit of the Cathedral and Exclusive Visit of the Cathedral Terraces
The Cathedral of Florence, named Santa Maria del Fiore, is the religious center of the great medieval city. For two centuries, it was the largest church in Christendom. It is situated by one of the oldest and most important monuments in Florence – the Baptistery of San Giovanni. 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. This will include an exclusive visit of the Cathedral terraces. The terrace walk around the cathedral will instead allow a unique view of both the interior and exterior of the great church, as well as Brunelleschi’s dome.
11:00-11:45am – Private visit of the Baptistery
The Baptistery is one of the oldest monuments in Florence and we will enjoy its breathtaking mosaic decorations and unique architectural decoration.
11:45am-12:30pm – Visit to the 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.
12:30pm-5:00pm –Free time
5:00-8:30pm –Evening Cooking Class and Dine what you prepare
Cooking class will take place at a prestigious and local cooking school. You will prepare a four-course menu using the best seasonal products and also learn how to make fresh handmade pasta. Selected wines are also included. After the lesson you will be able to relax and enjoy the recipes you prepared.
This will be a hands-on private course with the school’s renowned chef.
DAY 4: WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 26, 2025 – FOOD MARKET TOUR AND SANTA CROCE BASILICA :
9:00am-12:00pm – Food ad Market Tour
This tasting walk of Florence’s tastiest food includes stops at the Mercato Centrale, historic bakeries, and gelato tastings… all in Florence’s top-notch historic shops.
In addition to learning about the quality of the foods, explanations of their history and preparation methods are given as you nibble on each delicious bite.
Wine will be served as well!! No need for lunch after this tour (but maybe a nap!)
4:00pm-5:30pm – St. Francis of Assisi, Giotto, and the Celebrity Tombs of Santa Croce)
Visit of the Basilica of Santa Croce, 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.
DAY 5: THURSDAY NOVEMBER 27, 2025 – MASTERPIECES OF THE UFFIZI GALLERY AND AUTHENTICATION OF WORKS OF ART:
10:00-11:30am– Visit to the Editech Laboratory
Editech Laboratory, the first company in Italy for diagnostics and authentication of works of art, was created in 1977 by Maurizio Seracini. Seracini pioneered the use of multi-spectral diagnostic imaging, analytical diagnostics and other advanced technologies to study art and architecture, combining engineering and art history. Seracini is well known for his research for the Leonardo da Vinci mural, The Battle of Anghiari in the Salone del Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio, Florence and for his scientific surveys on Leonardo’s Annunciation, Adoration of the Magi, Last Supper, and Botticelli’s Primavera.
2:30-5:00pm– Masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery
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.
6:00-9:00pm– HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
Exclusive Private Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings at the Helvetia & Bristol, in the Winter Garden!
DAY 6: FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2025 – THE DIVINE MICHELANGELO:
10:00-11:00am – 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.
11:00am-12:00pm– Visit to the Medici Chapels
We will then continue our lecture inside Michelangelo’s New Sacristy within the Medici Chapels. Here we will encounter not only Michelangelo as sculptor, but also Michelangelo as 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.”
12:30pm– Farewell lunch
2:00pm – Free afternoon & (Sadly) End of Program
DAY 7: SATURDAY NOVEMBER 29, 2025 – CHECK-OUT OF HOTEL HELVETIA & BRISTOL FIRENZE
All participants will be staying at the Hotel Helvetia & Bristol Firenze. A 5-Star hotel part of the Leading Hotels of the World.
HOTEL:
Built in 1894 in the heart of Florence’s historical center, this magnificent townhouse is perfectly located for a visit to the city’s main attractions and a stone’s throw from Via de’ Tornabuoni, the city’s most exclusive shopping street. Its elegant rooms and suites offer breathtaking views of the city and while the hotel is equipped with the latest modern comforts, its superb renovation has preserved its architectural splendor and the atmosphere of an aristocratic Florentine residence. Wherever you look you feel the charm of an era: the extraordinary original Art Deco interior, the marble, the 17th-century paintings, the artworks and the splendid original salons. The Hostaria Bibendum, the hotel’s restaurant, serves outstanding Tuscan cuisine and Bar Bibendum is the perfect place to relax and enjoy a signature Bubble Chianti cocktail.
LOCATION:
Hotel Helvetia & Bristol – 5 Star
Via dei Pescioni, 2
50123 Firenze
Italy
+39 055 26 651
https://www.starhotelscollezione.com/en/our-hotels/helvetia-and-bristol-florence/
ACCOMMODATIONS:
NOVEMBER 23 – 29, 2025
Single Occupancy – $9,390.00/person
Double Occupancy – $7,950.00/person
Includes:
– 6-night accommodations in Superior Double rooms at the historic and luxurious 5-star Hotel Helvetia & Bristol in Florence (includes breakfast)
– All lectures with Rocky
– All admissions
– Welcome dinner
– Thanksgiving Dinner with all the trimmings at a local restaurant
– Winetasting
– Cooking class
– Market tour
Not included:
Airfare to Florence
Payment:
A deposit of 30% of the program fee is required to reserve a space on a program. All payments may be made by credit card or check. Deposits are applied to final payment of the program price.
A second deposit of 30% of the program fee is required 6 months after the first payment, unless otherwise noted.
The balance is due 60 days prior to the first day of the program, unless otherwise noted. If full payment is not received by the final payment due date, your place cannot be guaranteed on the program.
Wait List:
If the program of your choice is fully subscribed, you may choose to be placed on a waitlist by contacting us at info@rockyruggiero.com or by phone. Individuals on the wait list will be contacted if space becomes available and can inquire about program status by contacting us. If you choose to withdraw from a wait list, please notify us.
Cancellation and Refund Policy:
Following enrollment, a participant’s withdrawal from the program for any reason, including, but not limited to, illness, injury, family engagements, work-related issues, geopolitical concerns, or airline delays and/or cancellations, etc., will be deemed a cancellation. Please understand that there will be no exceptions to our cancellation policy.
Per person cancellation fees are based on date of written notice to Rocky Ruggiero. We will refund on the following basis:
– Cancellations within 10 days of booking: Full Refund
– Cancellations after 10 days of booking: Full Deposit Retained
– Cancellations made within final payment date, 60 days before departure: No Refund
– Cancellation by Rocky Ruggiero: Full Refund or Credit
– Non transferable to other travel programs, tours and online and in-person events.
Travel Protection Plan:
Purchase Travel Insurance to Protect your Vacation
Special Travel Arrangements:
Participants may wish to extend their stay in the group hotel either before or after the tour. We will work with you on these arrangements, dependent upon space availability.
Should you decide not to participate in certain parts of the program, no refunds will be made for those unused parts of the program.
READ CAREFULLY: RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT AND LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
Neither Rocky Ruggiero nor faculty shall be held liable for personal injury, death, property damage or accident, delay or irregularity arising out of any act or omission of these suppliers. Rocky Ruggiero and other faculty reserve the right, without penalty, to make changes in the published itinerary whenever, in their judgment, conditions warrant, or if they deem it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of tour participants.
Rocky Ruggiero and designated faculty also reserve the right, without penalty, to withdraw the program announced, to decline to accept any person as a participant in a program, or to require any participant to withdraw from the program at any time (including, but not limited for inappropriate, or offensive behavior) when such action is determined by program staff to be in the best interests of the health, safety or general welfare of the program group or the individual participant.
Dates, schedules, tour details, and costs, although provided in good faith based on information available at the time of publication on the website, are subject to change and revision.
AS A CONDITION OF ACCEPTANCE OF ANY APPLICATION, EACH APPLICANT MUST AGREE TO THE STATEMENT SET FORTH BELOW:
The undersigned has read carefully the Responsibility Statement and Liability Disclaimer set forth above, the schedule of activities for this program, as well as the terms and conditions of application and participation as set forth in the program materials and recognizes and accepts any risk associated with the program and the conditions, including the refund policy, set forth in the program materials. The undersigned further acknowledges that there are many risks and uncertainties inherent in any travel program, including but not limited to the hazards of various modes of transportation, forces of nature, acts or omissions of foreign governments, terrorism, war or insurrection, theft, illness, and damage to person or property due to the negligent acts or omissions of program staff or others. In consideration of, and as part payment for, the right to participate in the program, the undersigned, on behalf of himself, his dependents, heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, agrees to release Rocky Ruggiero, its Regents, officers, employees, representatives or agents, the United States, from liability for personal injury, death, property damage or loss suffered by any person in connection with this tour, even if caused by the negligence (but not the reckless, willful, or fraudulent conduct) of program staff or other related persons or entities. In addition, by registering for this program, the applicant certifies that he or she is mentally and physically capable of full participation in this tour. By registering for a “Rocky Ruggiero Program in Italy”, the participant agrees to the Responsibility Statement and Liability Disclaimer and the Terms and Conditions herein.
