It’s a relaxed morning start, bowing briefly to jetlag for our first day. Set off mid-morning from our hillside base at Villa Cora, and meander down the Florentine hills with Tim Jepson and Elaine Ruffolo as our trusty guides.  Stroll via the Medici's Boboli Gardens to admire its pagan statues, manicured borders and a collection of Roman antiquities. Created in the 16th century, the Boboli gardens were expanded to their modern-day size of 11 acres in a century later.  Stop in at the fourth-century church of Santa Felicita at the Barbadori Chapel to view Pontormo’s Deposition, considered one of the greatest works of the late Renaissance.

Mosey on over to see Brunelleschi’s masterpiece, Santo Spirito, arguably one of the most important Renaissance buildings in Florence.  Inside, we’ll admire works by Filippo Lippi, Michelangelo and of course Brunelleschi’s sublime architecture. 

Take a break with lunch together at one of Dana’s favorite tiny trattorias, where the menu is short but the handmade pasta is perfetto.  

This afternoon, we continue our “urban hike” and wander through a little-known neighborhood just south of the Arno River to discover the true character of Florence in the artisanal district of the Oltrarno. Though it preserves some signs of its ancient history, today this Florentine neighborhood is full of antique shops and artisan studios as well as several important monuments. As we weave in and out of shops, we’ll be meeting artisans and observing their skill in producing the crafts that make Florence famous, among them hand-marbled papermakers, bookbinders, silversmiths, shoemakers and contemporary leather designers. 

What could be better than ending at Dana's favorite gelato shop right on the Arno – you’ve earned it!  The city is yours to explore this evening at your own pace.

VILLA CORA (Breakfast, Lunch)