Florence and Pisa Tour

Departure from Leghorn by A/C deluxe coach  the journey takes approximately 1,5 hours through the Tuscany countryside. , which is bathed by a diaphanous , amber light . The low surrounding hills are clad with olive groves, vineyards and cypresses which appear to have been landscaped to please the human eye.

Meeting with  the local guide  and start the walking tour  to  Piazza del Duomo where stands the huge Cathedral dedicated to Santa Maria del Fiore which was built over the ruins of the old church of S. Reparata . This Gothic cathedral is an outstanding example of the Florentine variant of this style , with its sheer size, predominance of horizontal lines and taste  for polychrome decoration. To counteract the excessive thrust , Brunelleschi built two concentric domes which were linked by props. It is possible to go up to the inner gallery which offers an impressive view of the nave, and then on up to the top of the dome ( 464 steps) with its magnificent panorama of Florence.

Next to the dome there is the Giotto’s bell Tower and is the perfect complement to Brunelleschi’s dome . Its geometric decoration with its emphasis on horizontal lines is unusual. From the top there is a fine panorama of the cathedral and town.

Walk towards Piazza della Signoria , the political stage of Florence , with a wonderful backcloth formed by the Palazzo Vecchio , the Loggia della Signoria and in the wings the uffizi museum. The many statues make it virtually an open –air museum of sculpture.

Round the corner and a view on Ponte Vecchio, this Florence’s oldest bridge , which  crosses the Arno at its narrowest point , and has been rebuilt several times .it has a curious appearance with jewellers’ shops lining the roadway and above the Corridoio Vasariano.

The last visit will be inside the  Franciscans church of Santa Croce , which was designed for preaching and consists of a single spacious nave and slender apse with fine 15c stained glass window. The church is paved with 276 tombstones and along the walls are sumptuous tombs. The first chapel to the right of the altar contains moving frescoes by Giotto depicting the life of St.Francis .

Guests will then  enjoy lunch at a local Florentine restaurant and after this , if possible with the timing, some free time will be allowed for shopping and walking around. Reboard the coach and drive back to Leghorn without forgetting a stop at the  worldwide famous leaning tower in Pisa. Today it is a tourist city with the Leaning Tower on a lovely green lawn and the adjacent Cathedral and Baptistery. Scattered across a golf-course-green lawn are four large white buildings that make up  Pisa’s religious centre : the Cathedral , its bell tower ( the Leaning Tower ), Baptistery and Camposanto Cemetery. The four buildings share similar building materials, comparable decoration, and a tendency toward circular designs , giving the Campo a pleasant visual tour. Guests will have A SHORT GUIDED ORIENTATION TOUR AND THEN free time  to take pictures and visit this famous square on their own, before coming back to the bus parking to rejoin the coach and back to Leghorn.