Strabo Photo Tour Collection

Italy: A Photographic and Cultural Tour to Florence and Tuscany

Copyright Ron Rosenstock

This departure is limited to a maximum of twelve participants. It is intended for people of all levels of interest and accomplishment in film, or digital photography. While the emphasis will be on photography, this is also a cultural journey, which we believe will enhance your ability to capture the essence of Tuscany in your images. Your photography expert and leader, Ron Rosenstock, has been leading photo tours to Tuscany and Venice since 1985. Along with the local guides, Ron will take you to photo locations you could not access on your own, including monasteries, churches, and vineyards. In Florence, there will be quiet, pre-dawn photo walks led by Ron. He will take you to premier photographic locations to capture the Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi Corridor, and the Duomo. If you are participating in the Venice Extension, early morning shoots will take you along the Grand Canal where Ron has found the location from which Claude Monet painted his impressions of the Santa Maria della Salute Church. While we have specific itineraries, we have the flexibility to take advantage of photographic opportunities we find along the way.

Tuscany has perhaps produced more accomplishments in art and science than any other place in history. It is the birthplace of the Etruscan civilization, the Italian language, and the age that shaped modern history, the Renaissance. Imagine a small region that can claim Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante, and Botticelli as its native sons! The first part of our trip will center on Florence, the capital of Tuscany, the city where the Renaissance began. It is a living museum of art and culture. We will explore its streets, piazzas, and great works of art and architecture in the company of excellent guides.

A short drive from Florence transports us into the beautiful Tuscan countryside. We will stay in Chianti, among the best-preserved landscapes in Italy, some virtually unchanged since artists depicted them five hundred years ago. The region has large areas of woodlands, interspersed with vineyards and dotted with medieval towns high on hills and ridges. The quality of light here has inspired generations of artists. Our journey will explore this glorious land in depth. Everywhere there is something of compelling beauty, curiosity, and interest — brilliant architecture, classic Tuscan landscapes, the daily life of the people themselves, providing continuity between past and present.

We always welcome tour companions who are not photographers. There are interesting aspects of Italian life waiting to be explored in every location. In Florence, the countless museums, churches, markets, restaurants, and stores within walking distance of the hotel, make the city a desirable destination for any traveler. The quaint Tuscan villages offer wonderful landscapes, local markets, piazzas, and small shops to be enjoyed by all who might like to sketch, write, or simply appreciate the culture of Italy. The trip’s leisurely pace will provide ample opportunity to wander through medieval hill towns, and feast on the renowned regional foods and wines.

Itinerary

October 6: USA

Copyright Ron Rosenstock

We depart on our overnight flights to Florence. The group tour will begin tomorrow at the Torre Guelfa Hotel.

October 7: Arrival in Florence

We will meet at approximately 6PM for an orientation and Welcome Reception, providing our first taste of Florence’s exceptional food and wine. Overlooking the city, the hotel terrace sits atop a medieval tower. Afterwards, if you wish to explore, there are restaurants and snack bars nearby. Overnight Torre Guelfa (Evening Welcome Reception)

October 8 - October 10: The Magic of Florence

The next three days will be spent exploring Florence. After breakfast each day at the Torre Guelfa, the local guide will outline the daily activities. Prior to breakfast, a sunrise walk may be planned for those who want to walk through the deserted streets to photograph the city before it awakens.

Being in the heart of Florence, our hotel affords us a perfect location so that daily excursions can be done easily on foot. The famous Ponte Vecchio, the most popular and oldest bridge that spans the Arno River, is within fifty yards. Just beyond the bridge are the massive Pitti Palace, originally built in the fifteenth century, and the Boboli Gardens, a maze of gardens and sculptures that covers acres. If you are looking for a good view, take a brisk walk up the hill, or take a taxi to the terrace coffee shop or the ramparts of Forte Belvedere, located just behind the gardens.

We will take some time to photograph Florence’s Duomo, a magnificent cathedral whose massive dome was designed by Brunelleschi. The cathedral offers endless facets and details to explore. If you feel adventurous, climb to the dome’s cupola or to the top of the adjacent bell tower — the four hundred steps are truly breathtaking!

Florence’s town square, the Piazza della Signoria, has been the heart of political life since the fourteenth century. The spacious Piazza and adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi contain numerous sculptures that hold an important place in Florentine art. Among them are the Bartolomeo Ammannati’s Fountain of Neptune that commemorates Tuscan naval victories, and Cellini’s Perseus. The Piazza also is home to the Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace), built in the thirteenth century, and the Uffizi Gallery, where many of the world’s great art treasures are housed.

We will also visit local markets and artisan shops, and spend time photographing sunsets from the hotel tower terrace or the streetlights lining the bridges across the Arno. Our last day in Florence you can choose to do additional photography with your photographic leader or perhaps wander on your own, visiting one of the city’s numerous museums, cathedrals, or attractions. Each day we will have lunch at one of the many restaurants, trattorias, or bars in the area. In the evening, you can go to a restaurant with the group, or go out on your own. Overnights Torre Guelfa (Breakfast daily)

October 11 - October 15: The Tuscan Countryside

The next five evenings will be spent at the Villa Rosa di Boscorotondo, located in the heart of Chianti, twenty-one miles south of Florence. The contrast between the city and the Tuscan countryside is striking. The narrow city streets are replaced with vineyards, woods, and rolling hills. The borders of the Chianti region are almost exactly those that were established in 1716 by the Grand Duke of Tuscany. For the first time in history, the boundaries of the Chianti wine production zone were limited by the Grand Duke’s edict. Today, more than sixty percent of Chianti remains forested, as there are strict limits on how much land can be cultivated.

Villa Rosa is situated at the base of a hill. The front looks out across the road to a forested hill and the back opens up to a hillside covered with vineyards, stone farmhouses, and olive groves. We will walk along the paths through the groves and follow a dirt road to the village of San Leolino. We will stop at a beautiful little church that has a commanding view of the town of Panzano and surrounding countryside. The hamlet of Monterenaldi is nearby on a quiet country road that winds through vineyards and farms. The area around Villa Rosa offers exceptional photographic opportunities of the Tuscan landscape. We will spend a morning here to photograph at leisure.

Day trips allow us to visit a number of Tuscany’s most picturesque towns. Radda in Chianti is a small village set high on a hill that retains its medieval town plan. Seven kilometers north we come across Volpaia, one of Chianti’s most beautiful fortified villages. Volpaia was built out of honey-colored stone and boasts a castle from the tenth century. Montefioralle is a fourteenth century hamlet, perched on a ridge that overlooks the town of Greve in Chianti. We may have time to walk the circular main street and the enticing alleyways, where you may see a few electric cables, reminding us that we are still in the twenty first century. A bit further south is Castellina in Chianti, a charming town, featuring a tunnel street that served as a soldiers’ walk back in the days when the town was a Florentine bastion. Another destination is Monteriggioni, one of the most perfectly preserved fortified villages in all of Italy. Dante mentioned its vantage points in the Inferno, as the circle of Titans guarding the lowest level of Hell.

About an hour away from Villa Rosa is San Gimignano, one of the most picturesque of the Italian hill towns. It is known as the “city of the beautiful towers”. Fourteen of the seventy original towers remain, giving the town a striking appearance. Historically, San Gimignano was very prosperous back in the Middle Ages when important pilgrim and trade routes passed through its center. It also was a strategic site in the political struggles of the region. San Gimignano’s narrow streets and alleyways, courtyards, churches, Duomo, and stunning artwork provide a wealth of opportunities for you to explore with your camera. Near Pienza, we may visit the Monastery of Sant’ Antimo, a splendid Romanesque abbey and church built around the year 1100, set in quiet, unspoiled surroundings. There we can explore the Monastery itself as well as the olive groves, vineyards, and natural areas that surround the ancient buildings. Overnights Villa Rosa (Breakfasts and dinners daily, one lunch is included at a local vineyard)

October 16: Florence – Onward Destinations

After breakfast you will depart for home, or your next destination. (Breakfast)

Extension

Venice Extension with Ron

Copyright Ron Rosenstock

Venice, legendary city of art and the capital of the Veneto region, encompasses approximately 180 square miles, 100 of which are water. The city is built on an archipelago of more than a 100 small islands separated by a dense network of 177 canals, and joined by 400 small bridges. The city is built on millions of wooden pilings driven into the sediment of the lagoon, and is protected from the Adriatic Sea by long strands of sand bars. Water is everywhere, shaping the life of the city, and reflecting its compelling beauty. The city is an exotic blend of Gothic, Byzantine and Renaissance styles, and appears today much as it did in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Venice is a wonderful city to explore on foot. As you wander the streets and alleys, you’ll see dark passageways that end in sunlit squares, palatial buildings lining the canals, ornate bridges spanning the waterways, and beautiful cathedrals in every quarter. If you look closely, you also may notice how the daily life of today’s Venetians resembles descriptions of their forebears. You do not have to go far to see gondolas moored under tiny stone bridges, neighbors gathering at medieval well heads, women hauling baskets of vegetables to their balconies, and laundry hung out house windows or across the alleys to dry.

Our tour will include a visit to the tiny island of Burano, scarcely more than a half-mile wide and a forty-minute boat ride across the lagoon. Burano is one of the most colorful and photogenic places anywhere. You can explore the island with other group members or wander on your own to photograph brightly painted houses of blue, red, green, and yellow that line the narrow canals.

October 16: Tuscany - Venice

After breakfast those staying on for the extension will board the coach or public train, arriving in Venice after lunch where our guide will assist us in getting to our hotel. After getting settled, we will meet our Venetian Guide, Laura, in the hotel lobby for an introductory tour of the city. Our first stop will be the Ducal Palace, one of the city’s most significant monuments. The palace is situated at one end of the Piazza San Marco along with its great Basilica and its towering Campanile or bell tower. The Piazza is flanked by arcades of shops and open-air cafés, and was built in 1340 to be the home of the Duke – the head of the Venetian State – and the seat of government. Here the ruling Duke forged the decisions that made Venice one of the most powerful states in the Mediterranean. The Ducal Palace is the most stunning civil building in the city. Nearby, the famous Bridge of Sighs arches over a narrow canal. Overnight Villa Igea (Breakfast, Dinner)

October 17: Venice

Given appropriate weather conditions, we will plan sunrise photo shoots along the Grand Canal and in other scenic locations. We will be back at our hotel in time for breakfast. After breakfast, Laura, a native Venetian, will begin acquainting us with this wonderful city. We will return to Piazza San Marco or St. Mark’s Square to continue our exploration of the area. We will spend time in what truly is the heart of Venice, the Basilica of San Marco. Built in the eleventh century, the Basilica is an intriguing mix of eastern mystery and western opulence. In its shadowy interior, filled with the plundered riches of Constantinople, candlelight flickers off the golden mosaic walls. We will continue our explorations in some of the less frequently visited streets and squares of the city after enjoying a Venetian lunch at a local restaurant. Overnight Villa Igea (Breakfast)

October 18: Venice - A City of Merchants and Churches

Today, Laura will take us to some of the less frequented, yet equally fascinating areas of the city. You will surely enjoy this off-the-beaten path, through narrow alleyways and across bridges to discover the beauty and structure of Venice. You will learn about the city’s origins, how its magnificent palaces were constructed “on water”, and aspects of present and past Venice. Cross the Grand Canal to reach the Rialto, once the commercial heart of the city. Now it is a colorful and bustling market with fresh fish, fruit and vegetable stalls. Follow Laura through a maze of alleyways that once defined the “red-light” district to reach the Church of San Polo. There you can admire Giandomenico Tiepolo’s Stations of the Cross, painted in 1747, showing all the figures depicted in eighteenth century costumes. Proceeding to the Frari Church, the most imposing example of religious Gothic architecture in Venice, you can admire Titian’s masterpiece, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

This evening you may want to stroll around the city on your own, it will be quieter, except for the occasional singing of a gondolier. Venice is full of magical places to explore with your camera. The evenings offer wonderful sunsets over the Santa Maria della Salute Church, lights reflecting in the canals, and buildings lit by the glow of lanterns. Overnight Villa Igea (Breakfast)

October 19: The Lagoon Trip: Burano - Murano - Torcello

Today we will spend the day exploring several islands in the lagoon. Our excursion by public motor launch will take us across the northern lagoon where we find the islands of Burano and Torcello. The boat ride gives a unique vantage point from which you can enjoy the beauty of Venice’s lagoon, an extensive waterway dotted with small islands and sandbars. Burano is a quiet island of winding streets and canals lined with fishing boats. What makes it especially picturesque are the tiny houses washed in bright colors, resembling something from the pages of a storybook. You will find Torcello Island to be quite the opposite; it is practically deserted with a population of only sixty people. Despite its low census, the island houses the beautiful Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, Venice's first cathedral. Those interested in glassware may stop at the island of Murano, famous for its unique and colorful selections.

If time permits, we may organize a group outing to San Michele, the island cemetery of Venice. Studded with dark cypresses and enclosed within high terracotta walls, the island is worth a visit. The cemetery itself rambles over most of the island; with its carved tombstone and chapels it has a curious fascination. Overnight Villa Igea (Breakfast)

October 20: Venice

We will have the day at leisure, to explore the city, go for a gondola ride, do some shopping, or visit the museums. The great masters of the Venetian High Renaissance, including Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese, are well represented in the city’s museums. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection features twentieth century works, displayed in her lavish apartments. We may take a boat across the waters of the lagoon to the domes and bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore, a Benedictine Monastery that has been in operation since the tenth century. It will offer great views from which to photograph the busy waterfront. Set off on its own little island, surrounded by boats and vessels of every description, this scene has come to represent Venice in the eyes of many artists and travelers. Ron invites you to join him at one of his favorite restaurants for your last dinner in Venice. Overnight Villa Igea (Breakfast)

October 21: Venice - Home

This morning we leave Venice, arriving in the U.S. later the same day.

Accommodations

The accommodations we have chosen combine simple elegance with excellent location. In Florence, we will stay at the Torre Guelfa Hotel, one of the city’s best-kept secrets. This small, family-run hotel is in an ideal location, just a block from the Arno River and the Ponte Vecchio. The hotel offers us a special treat, from which it takes its name; it contains the tallest privately owned tower (torre) in Florence. It is worth the climb to the tower’s terrace to enjoy the stunning panorama of the city. This is a feature that we will take advantage of, especially at sunset. In the Tuscan countryside, we will stay at the Torre Guelfa’s sister hotel, the Villa Rosa di Boscorotondo, a meticulously restored country villa. Situated in the famous Chianti region, Villa Rosa is set among rolling hills that are dotted with vineyards, forests, olive groves, quaint villages, and stone farmhouses. It provides an absolutely perfect location for country walks and day trips to Tuscan hill towns and villages. We will have a light breakfast before departing for the day and return to a traditional Tuscan meal in the evening.

Guides

Please contact us for more details.

Food & Drink

Lunches will be informal, taken in one of the many shops that sell delicious sandwiches, pizza, pastry, and other delights. This will allow maximum flexibility, the cost can be reasonable at $15 or up to $25-30 depending what is ordered. Dinners will be slightly higher or ranging from $15, cafeteria style or sit down restaurants can be $30 or $35. Venice can be 10-20% higher. Your guide will give you ideas where to eat if you wish to dine on your own, or you can go with your guide to a local restaurant s/he chooses.

Notes

See printed brochure for additional notes.

Pricing Info

Tour land cost: $3,895 US Dollars based upon minimum of 9 paying participants. There is a small group surcharge of $400 if 5-8 paying participants. All our program prices are based on double occupancy unless noted in exceptions.

Single room supplement: $725; single rooms are subject to availability and are not guaranteed. We try to accommodate travelers who request single accommodations, as well as travelers who are looking for a roommate. If a single room is requested, or if we are unable to find a suitable roommate, you will be required to pay the supplement.

Extension land cost: $2,195 based upon minimum of 7 paying participants. There is a small group surcharge of $200 if 5-6 paying participants.

Single room supplement: $695; single rooms are subject to availability and are not guaranteed.

Note: The land costs on international tours is based upon current exchange rates. Although the rate has been relatively stable, should it change, there may need to be an adjustment in the land cost.

General Tour Info (includes, excludes and other details)