SIENA Tuscany's Mediaeval Heart

5  days | Coming soon! | 10 - 14 March 2027

Tuscany’s Mediaeval Heart

Siena is the most proud and majestic of Italy’s great mediaeval cities. Its ornate Gothic churches and palaces are the perfect pendant to Renaissance Florence, and beyond its mighty city walls lies a countryside that is the very essence of Tuscany. According to myth founded by Senius and Aschius, sons of Remus, Siena experienced a golden age in the Ducento and Trecento, covering roughly one hundred years from the victory over the rival Florentines in 1260 to the disastrous outbreak of the Black Death in 1348. Siena was never to recover fully from the epidemic’s aftermath, though it submitted to Medicean Florence only in the middle of the 16th century — and thus sinking into relative oblivion. As a result, it has uniquely preserved its intact mediaeval cityscape, created by merchants and bankers whose wealth was founded on the flourishing wool trade. In the 14th century, they were among the richest in Europe, and the sophistication of their comparatively small city state was on a par even with Paris. This short Art Pursuits Abroad Study Tour is a treasure hunt across atmospheric squares and along narrow streets, up and down the city’s three hills, to explore richly endowed museums and sumptuous historic buildings, to discover the monumental marble masterworks of Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, and study the graceful paintings of Duccio, Simone Martini and the Lorenzetti.



Day to day Itinerary

Day 1
Fly from London to Pisa. Transfer by private coach to our hotel in Siena to store our luggage. Introductory walk and independent lunch before a visit to the Pinacoteca Nazionale, located in the handsome 14th-century Palazzo Buonsignori. Here, on the tour’s first visit, we will study the history of Sienese Gothic painting. Return to our hotel to check in and enjoy our first group meal together.

Day 2

First of two days exploring Siena on foot, starting with the enormous, scallop-shaped Piazza del Campo, venue of the Palio horse race, one of the greatest Italian festivals. The square is dominated by the Palazzo Pubblico, arguably the finest civic building of Italian Gothic, whose council halls were frescoed by the Lorenzetti, Simone Martini and others. In the afternoon, walk up to the super-sized cathedral, symbol of Siena’s aspirations during its heyday in the 13th and early 14th centuries, to study the murals in the recently discovered crypt, Giovanni Pisano’s intricate façade, and an elaborately carved pulpit by Nicola Pisano. The adjacent Piccolomini Library was frescoed by Pinturicchio, illustrating the life of Pope Pius II, Siena’s most famous son. In the substructure of the cathedral’s choir, the baptistery houses an early 15th-century font embellished with gilt bronze reliefs by Ghiberti and Donatello. The evening is at leisure.

Day 3

A day trip by coach to Orvieto, dramatically perched on a volcanic tufa cliff above the Umbrian plain. The visit begins at the breathtaking Cathedral, one of Italy’s supreme Gothic masterpieces, celebrated for its luminous façade encrusted with mosaics and sculpture, and for the powerful fresco cycle of the Last Judgement by Luca Signorelli within. Continue to the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, where sculptures, reliquaries and architectural fragments illuminate the history and artistic ambition of the cathedral and its city. After a group lunch we take a leisurely walk through the historic town centre, exploring quiet medieval streets, elegant palazzi and hidden piazzas that reveal Orvieto’s long Etruscan and medieval past. The walk concludes at San Domenico, a sober and atmospheric church associated with St Thomas Aquinas, whose simple interior offers a striking contrast to the splendour of the Duomo. Late afternoon coach return to Siena.

Hotel Athena

Hotel Athena offers a refined Tuscan stay in the historic heart of Siena, just a short walk from Piazza del Campo and the Duomo. Set in a peaceful, panoramic area within the ancient city walls, the hotel features bright, comfortable rooms with modern amenities. Guests can enjoy traditional Tuscan cuisine and seasonal dishes in the elegant restaurant, savour a drink on the panoramic terrace with sweeping views, and unwind in the bar after a day of exploring.

With Flights:   TBC

Join Direct:   TBC

Single Supp:  TBC

Deposit:  TBC

Departure Dates:

10 - 14 March 2027

Duration:

4 nights / 5 days

Your Holiday Includes:

• Scheduled return flights (Economy class) from London to Florence
• Four nights’ accommodation at the Hotel Athena
• Private coach transfers and excursions
• Two evening meals and one lunch
• Guided visits to the sites and monuments listed in the programme
• Services of the Tour Lecturer and a Tour Manager
• Detailed programme and study notes
• All entrance fees, taxes, and gratuities for coach drivers and serving staff
  

Tour Lecturers

Dr Sally Dormer

As Director of the Early Medieval Year Course at the V&A, Sally is an expert in medieval art and history. She completed her PhD at the Courtauld Institute, and was, until recently, Dean of European Studies, a study-abroad semester for undergraduates at the University of the South and Rhodes College, TN, USA. Sally also lectures for the Art Fund, the Arts Society, and Ciceroni.



Travel Information

The price does not include extras at the hotels or travel insurance.



Please note that Art Pursuits use hotels of character featuring a variety of rooms & styles.

Stamina

Please note that some of our tours can involve a fair amount of walking, sometimes across uneven ground. Please contact us if you would like more information.