Art Pursuits - Siena and Southern Tuscany

Art Pursuits Study Tour Programme

Siena
and Southern Tuscany

19 – 25 May 2008

Day 1	Early afternoon flight from London Gatwick to Pisa. Transfer by private coach to your 3-star hotel in Siena where all six nights of the tour will be spent. Dinner in a nearby restaurant.
Day 2	First of two days exploring mediaeval Siena on foot: the Piazza del Campo, dominated by the grand Palazzo Pubblico with frescoes by the Lorenzetti and Simone Martini. In the afternoon, walk to the spectacular Cathedral and Baptistery to see works by Nicola Pisano, Donatello and Pinturicchio. Independent dinner.
Day 3	All-day coach excursion: In the morning visit the small town of Corsignano, renamed Pienza by Pius II and remodelled by Bernardo Rossellino in the 1460s. In the afternoon, continue to Villa La Foce, home of the Anglo-American writer Iris Origo, with its neo-Renaissance garden designed by Cecil Pinsent. Dinner in Siena (included).
Day 4	All-day coach excursion: Morning visit to the village of San Quirico d’Orcia with its Romanesque parish church and the Renaissance Horti Leonini. Lunch in a local restaurant (included). In the afternoon, discover the abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, with frescoes by Signorelli and Il Sodoma, and the Romanesque abbey of Sant’Antimo. Return to Siena and independent dinner
Day 5	Second day in Siena: study the history of Sienese painting in the the Pinacoteca, and the Opera del Duomo with Duccio’s great altarpiece of the Maestà. After lunch explore the complex of the Ospedale di S.Maria della Scala with its Renaissance frescoes. Some free time and independent dinner
Day 6	After a free morning, coach excursion to villas and gardens in the vicinity of Siena: Villa Cetinale, built in the 17th century for Cardinal Flavio Chigi, until recently owned by Lord Lambton, and the Castello di Celsa with a stunning view of the Tuscan countryside. Return to Siena for our final dinner (included).
Day 7	In the morning, visit Villa Vignamaggio, reputed home of Leonardo’s Mona Lisa, with enchanting gardens all’italiana, for a wine tasting, before continuing to the charming town of Greve, capital of the Gallo Nero Chianti wine. Enjoy a Tuscan lunch (included) before driving to Pisa airport for our late afternoon flight to London Gatwick, arriving at 18:25.