Scheduled flight departing from London to Pisa. We visit the medieval town including the cathedral and the baptistery, as well as having a view of the famous leaning tower. In the late afternoon we continue to the town of Poggibonsi, where we check into our hotel for a five-night stay. Dinner is in the hotel tonight.

The morning will be free to acclimatise. After lunch we set out for the walled town of San Gimigniano. There will be a short guided tour of the medieval town, visiting the cathedral church of Santa Maria during the course of the tour. There will be some time for browsing and shopping before returning to Poggibonsi, where dinner will be in the hotel.

After breakfast, drive to Florence, where we meet our guide for a tour of the cathedral and the outside of the baptistery with the ‘Gates of Paradise’, then passing the ‘home’ of Dante and the church where he first saw Beatrice, and finally to the Franciscan Church of Santa Croce, where apart from the tombs of the famous there are two chapels with frescos by Giotto and some lovely stained glass. Break for lunch. In the afternoon we visit the Museo San Marco (with pre-booked tickets), once a Dominican monastery, where both Savanorola and Fra Anigelico were both at one time Prior. It is still possible to see Savanorola’s cell, but of course, the most striking thing about San Marco is Fra Angelico’s personal interior decoration with the pièce de resistance being the ‘Annunciation’ greeting you at the top of the stairs. Return to our hotel in Poggibonsi for dinner.

After breakfast leave for Siena (25 mins). On arrival there will be a guided tour by a local guide to include the church of St Dominic (where St Catherine’s head is kept!), the patronal home of St Catherine as well as the cathedral and Piazza del Campo. Some time at leisure in the afternoon before we return to Poggibonsi.

This morning we visit the English Church of St Mark, for a celebration of the Eucharist. After time for lunch we visit the Uffizi Gallery, where we will have pre-booked tickets for a timed entry. Return to Poggibonsi for dinner in the hotel.

The morning we drive up to the town of Fiesole situated in the hills above Florence, once an Etruscan centre and more important than Florence. It became the summer retreat for Florentines, and provides a lovely contrast to the busy city below. The medieval cathedral is of interest as is the Roman theatre and museum. It may also be possible to stop on the way down at the church of San Domenico. This afternoon we transfer by coach to Cervia and check into our hotel, the Diplomatic. Dinner will be in our hotel.

It is astonishing that Ravenna survived the chaotic period of the post-Roman era, and the mosaics in the churches are therefore one of the few surviving records of the early Christian period. After time to attend Sunday Mass we visit the church of San Vitale, the most precious example of Byzantine art extant in western Europe. We will see the marbles, capitals and mosaics which include depictions of the retinues, of the Emperor Justinian and Theodora. Nearby, is the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, erected by the sister of the Emperor Honorius in the 5th century A.D., a small cruciform building which contains the earliest wall mosaics in Ravenna. After visiting the Mausoleum we walk to the Arian Baptistery, with fine mosaics of the Baptism of Christ in the dome. This afternoon, we visit the Basilica of Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo, originally the palatine church of the Emperor Theodoric. Its wall mosaics, including the ceremonial procession of martyrs and female saints, rank among the largest to have come down to us from antiquity. Dinner tonight will be in our hotel.

This morning we drive to Classe, the ancient port just to the east of Ravenna, now inland, to the splendid Basilica of Sant’ Apollinare in Classe with its magnificent mosaics. It was consecrated by Archbishop Maximillian in 549 A.D.We also visit the Mausoleum of Theodoric, begun by the great Ostrogoth himself. The afternoon will be free in Cervia, with dinner in our hotel.

Today we drive to the city of Urbino in the mountains of the Marche region, sometimes called the ‘ideal city of the Renaissance’, thanks to the work of one of its greatest lords, Frederico da Montefeltro, Piero della Francesco’s patron. Frederico was very much a prince of his times and was a student of the classics and the new humanities, the library that he assembled was one of the finest of his day. His intellectual interests led him to redesign much of his city and his palace, which is a triumph of the Renaissance and is a very fitting home for his art collection, which now forms part of the Galleria Nazionale della Marche. The star of this exhibition is Piero’s ‘Flagellation’ (1445) and there is also his ‘Maddonna of Senigallia’ (1470s). The authorship of the ‘Citta Ideale’ is not certain, it could be Piero or perhaps Laurana but what is not in doubt is its fascination and great interest as a testament to Renaissance thought. A guided walking tour will not only include this outstanding art collection but a tour of the beautiful palace and some of the other sites of this city. We return to Cervia where we will have dinner in our hotel.

The morning will be free to shop or browse in Carvia. Transfer to Bologna for our return flight to London.