Art of the Italian Hill Towns

Following the evolution of early Renaissance art and architecture against the backdrop of the timeless landscapes of Tuscany and Umbria, we will discover masterpieces of Italian art, both celebrated and surprising. From the beautiful medieval city of Siena, whose treasures include the spectacular Gothic cathedral and Duccio’s ‘Maesta’, there will be excursions to San Gimignano, Montepulciano and Pienza, planned as an ideal Renaissance town. We will be received for private lunches at a palazzo in Siena and a castle set in the unspoilt countryside of the Val d’Orcia.

Arezzo and Sansepolcro, with masterpieces by Piero della Francesca, are on the way to our second base, the Umbrian capital, Perugia, where a full day will be spent. A morning will be devoted to the hallowed town of Assisi, famous for the wonderful frescoes by Giotto and his contemporaries. We discover the exquisite images of Pinturicchio in tiny Spello, while the beauty of the Umbrian countryside is reflected in Benozzo Gozzoli’s frescoes in Montefalco.

There will be a day’s excursion to Urbino, with the Renaissance palace of the Dukes of Montefeltro. This memorable tour culminates in Orvieto, where Luca Signorelli, completing the work of Fra Angelico, introduces a new generation of Renaissance artists.

Day 1: Thursday, 19th April

London / Pisa / Siena

Depart London Gatwick on a morning British Airways flight to Pisa. Visit the Campo dei Miracoli, with the 12th century Baptistery and the great Pisan Romanesque cathedral. Transfer to the Hotel NH Excelsior in the heart of Siena, one of Italy’s richest medieval cities, where three nights are spent. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 2: Friday, 20th April

Siena / San Gimignano / Siena

Leave on foot to explore Siena, beginning with the Opera del Duomo with Duccio’s great altarpiece, the Maestà. Continue to the Cathedral, including the Library, with frescoes by Pinturicchio depicting the life of Pope Pius II and the Baptistery, where the font has bronze bas reliefs by Jacopo della Quercia, Lorenzo Ghiberti and Donatello. The morning ends in the extraordinary fan-shaped Piazza del Campo, focus of life in Siena. Visit the Palazzo Pubblico, with its treasures of fresco decoration by Simone Martini and the Lorenzetti brothers.

Light lunch at a private palace overlooking the Campo (subject to confirmation). In the afternoon drive to San Gimignano and admire the work of Benozzo Gozzoli in the church of Sant’Agostino and of Ghirlandaio in the Cappella Santa Fina of the Cathedral. Return to Siena. Dinner under own arrangements.

Day 3: Saturday, 21st April

Siena / Pienza / Montepulciano / Siena

Leave by coach for a drive through the distinctive landscape of the Crete Senesi to Pienza, birthplace of Pope Pius II, where we will visit the Cathedral, with the altarpieces he commissioned, as well as the early Renaissance palace. Continue to Montepulciano to see the noble palaces and 15th century Palazzo Comunale. Stop briefly to see the 16th century pilgrimage church of San Biagio, just outside the town.

Private lunch at a medieval castle near Pienza (subject to confirmation). Afterwards, return to Siena. Rest of the afternoon at leisure. Dinner under own arrangements.

Day 4: Sunday, 22ndApril

Arezzo / Monterchi / Sansepolcro / Cortona / Perugia

Leave by coach (with luggage) for Arezzo in the Val di Chiana. See Cimabue’s great crucifix in the church of San Domenico, continuing to visit the Duomo and the Romanesque Pieve di Santa Maria. See Arezzo’s picturesque Piazza Grande and, finally, visit the church of San Francesco, with Piero della Francesca’s remarkable frescoes depicting ‘The Legend of the True Cross’.

Lunch at a restaurant in Arezzo. In the afternoon, continue to Monterchi to see Piero della Francesco’s remarkable ‘Madonna del Parto’, to Sansepolcro where the Museum contains his ‘Resurrection’ and to the church of the Madonna del Calcinaio at Cortona, by Francesco di Giorgio Martini. Arrive in the evocative medieval city of Perugia, for a four night stay at the Hotel la Rosetta, a traditional hotel situated just off the famous Corso. Dinner in the hotel.

Day 5: Monday, 23rd April

Assisi / Spello / Montefalco / Todi / Perugia

Morning departure by coach for the world-famous pilgrimage town of Assisi. Walk through the historic centre, passing the convent of Santa Chiara, the Palazzo del Popolo and Santa Maria sopra Minerva on the way to the Basilica of San Francesco. Visit the Upper Church, with the famous frescoes of the Life of St Francis. Visit the Sacro Convento with the Museum of the Treasury and the Perkins bequest of medieval Italian art before continuing to the Lower Basilica, frescoed by Cimabue and followers of Giotto. Continue to Spello.

Lunch at Ristorante Il Molino. See the frescoes by Pinturicchio in the neighbouring church of Santa Maria Maggiore. Return to the hotel via Montefalco, where frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli reflect the beautiful Umbrian countryside, and the handsome church of Santa Maria della Consolazione outside Todi, often attributed to Bramante. Dinner in the hotel.

Day 6: Tuesday, 24th April

Perugia

Morning exploration of the heart of historic Perugia, including the Fontana Maggiore, designed and sculpted by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, the Cathedral and the National Gallery of Umbria in the Palazzo dei Priori. Adjacent is the Collegio del Cambio and Mercanzia, with fresco decoration by Pietro Perugino.

Lunch in the hotel. Afterwards, visit the church of San Bernardino. Remainder of the afternoon at leisure. Dinner under own arrangements

Day 7: Wednesday, 25th April

Perugia / Urbino / Gubbio / Perugia

A day’s excursion to the walled city of Urbino, once court of the Dukes of Montefeltro. Visit the exquisite Renaissance palace built by Francesco di Giorgio Martini and Luciano Laurana. It houses the National Gallery of the Marche, with masterpieces by Justus of Ghent, Paolo Uccello, Piero della Francesca and Raphael – and contains the Renaissance studiolo of Duke Federigo da Montefeltro.

Lunch at Ristorante Vecchia Urbino. Afterwards, drive to San Bernardino to see the tomb of Federigo da Montefeltro. Continue to Gubbio, a steep hill-town dominated by the palace of the Duke of Urbino. Return to Perugia. Farewell dinner in the hotel.

Day 8: Thursday, 26th April

Perugia / Orvieto / Rome / London

Leave by coach (with luggage) for Orvieto, which is crowned by the great Gothic Cathedral by Lorenzo Maitani. Our visit focuses on the Cappella di San Brizio with the famous and influential frescoes begun by Fra Angelico and completed by Luca Signorelli. Walk through the town to admire its palaces and public buildings.

Lunch at Hotel La Badia, in a historic abbey overlooking the city. Continue to Rome Fiumicino Airport. Check in for British Airways flight to London Gatwick, arriving in the evening.

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Contact our Experts on 020 7386 4646, or perhaps you'd like to Email Us for more information and reservations.

Ask the Experts

Contact our Experts on 020 7386 4646,
or perhaps you'd like to Email Us for more information and reservations.

Dates

19th - 26th April 2012

Tour Leader

Frances Roxburgh joined Specialtours in 1990. She had previously worked in guidebook publishing and the art world and led walking tours in Italy for The Alternative Travel Group. She has a degree in French, Italian and History of Art and has accompanied many tours for The Art Fund, as well as European and American garden and museum groups.

Guest Lecturer

Peter Lauritzen, an American historian, author and lecturer, has lived in Italy since leaving Princeton University with a Fulbright Grant for study in Florence in 1962. A resident of Venice for many years, he has written Venice: A Thousand Years of Culture & Civilization, Palaces of Venice, Villas of the Veneto and Venice Preserved as well as the official UNESCO report. He has lectured and led tours specialising in Byzantium, Flemish and Dutch art, Imperial Russia, the Iberian peninsula and the Holy Roman Empire as well as classical antiquity. He has accompanied royalty and VIPs on visits to Venice.