Luxury Travel to Florence

Surrounded by rolling Tuscan hills, the beautiful city of Florence is one of Europe’s most enchanting and historically influential cities. If anywhere in the world can claim to have shaped modern Western consciousness, it is Florence’s grand piazzas and palazzos.

Florentine art and architecture flourished throughout the Late Medieval period. One powerful banking family, the Medicis, rose out of this time to become de facto rulers of the city and were central to ushering in the Renaissance proper. Keen to display their wealth, they were patrons to scholars who scoured the libraries of Europe for Greek and Arabic works of natural science, philosophy and mathematics, and commissioned pieces by locals such as Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Machiavelli.

Today, the marks of this great epoch cannot be missed in Florence. The world’s greatest Renaissance artworks and sculpture can be found at every turn in the historical centre, an area that can be traversed on foot in under an hour but would take infinitely longer to properly explore.

Centred around the Piazza della Signoria are the crenellated walls of the Palazzo Vecchio, the arches of Loggia dei Lanzi, under which one can find restored Roman sculptures and Cellini’s bronze Perseus, and the vast Palazzo degli Uffizi, home to the Medici’s collections.

Nearby is the Piazza del Duomo, flanked by the famous cathedral, Giotto’s towering Campanile, and the octagonal Florence Baptistery. The Bargello National Museum safeguards Italy‘s most comprehensive collection of Tuscan Renaissance sculpture, and to the north, the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze houses Michelangelo’s David. Cross the Ponte Vecchio to the quieter south bank of the Arno River to reach the Medici family palace and stroll through the sprawling Boboli Gardens. Pisa is also an easy day trip from the city, while the vineyards and villas surrounding are a destination in themselves.

Combined with a constant thrum of tourists, Florence can be overwhelming. Let our experts craft your time in this incredible city, with privately guided tours sculpted around your interests and passions, off the beaten track excursions and hand-picked hotels. We can also get you into our favourite restaurants, whether fine dining affairs with sweeping views or a hidden local gem tucked away from the crowds.