EXCURSIONS IN THE LAND OF THE RENAISSANCE Cerreto Guidi, Medici lands GUIDED TOUR An itinerary in the town of Cerreto Guidi to discover the favourite places of the Medici family. From the Medici Complex, built by Cosimo de’ Medici in the second half of the 16th Century, with its imposing double ramp, and the Medici Villa which houses the Museum of the History of Hunting and the Territory, to the church of St Leonard, with is splendid baptismal font in polychrome terracotta made by Giovanni della Robbia. Two hours. Art and history in Empoli GUIDED TOUR The city of Empoli has an old quarter of great artistic interest, rich in places to visit. This guided itinerary starts in the central Piazza della Vittoria where we visit the house of Ferruccio Busoni, the well-known musician. From there we go to the oldest part of the town, up to Piazza Farinata degli Uberti, surrounded by the most important buildings in town: the Collegiate Church of St Andrew and the Sacred Art Museum Annex. Two hours. Leonardo in Vinci GUIDED TOUR We follow the steps of Leonardo in his native town. A guided itinerary in the old town to see the buildings that belonged to Leonardo and his family and the recent monuments made in his memory. We visit the Church of the Holy Cross where he was baptized and also the Leonardo Museum, where we can see one of the most varied and original collections of machines and models imagined by Leonardo, in many different fields of study. Two hours. Master potters GUIDED TOUR This itinerary starts at the Pottery Museum documenting the history of pottery making in Montelupo Fiorentino. Its production achieved its greatest artistic splendour in the 15th and 16th centuries and made this small town famous in large parts of the Mediterranean shores and in northern Europe. There are hundreds of exhibits, going all the way from the Medieaeval and Renaissance times to the present. The itinerary continues with a visit to an old pre-industrial kiln with a demonstration by a local craftsman and finishes in the centre of Montelupo, where there are many pottery workshops. Two hours.
Walking the paths of the Montalbano GUIDED TOUR In the hills of Montalbano, amid the valley or the terraced vineyards, and the olive trees higher up, we shall visit many evocative places, either archaeological or natural, such as the remains of the 16th century Wall of the Reale Mediceo, a large area reserved for hunting and the age old ilex grove of Pietramarina. An easy walk, in the company of an expert naturalist allows us to discover this natural oasis. Approximately three hours.
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