Kristin Anderson

I hope that you are enjoying your trip planning and preparation. As promised, I’m sending a few ideas about using free time—and some additional information that I hope you will find helpful. First, some ideas for Florence and Rome, and then some helpful links that will give you some information about Italy’s historic art and architecture.

Florence

I’m not sure exactly what you will see on your guided tour in Florence, so it is possible that some of these links will direct you to sites that you will be seeing.

First, here’s a map of historic sites and museums in Florence. It might help you make plans for your free time.

It looks as though your city tour ends with a stop at the Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David. If you can stay after the tour has ended, you might enjoy a visit to the second floor of the museum. Check it out in this video.

Not far from the Accademia is the Museum of San Marco, located in the old monastery where Fra Angelico lived and worked—and famously decorated the monastery (including the monks’ cells) with his paintings. Here’s a video about the monastery and its most famous painting, Fra Angelico’s Annunciation.

One fabulous museum, The Bargello, houses a number of works that were made for outdoor settings and are now indoors. Like many of these Florentine museums, this building is itself an interesting historic space. Donatello’s St. George is one of many famous objects in this collection.

Based on its name, your hotel must be close to the Pitti Palace/Palazzo Pitti, which houses lots of famous art. Like the Uffizi, advance ticket purchases are recommended.

A couple of other favorite places: Santa Croce and San Lorenzo and the Medici Tombs

And then, of course, there is plenty of dining and shopping. Be sure to ask your tour guides about recommendations.

Rome

The schedule for your time in Rome looks very full, and there are plenty of things to do—like eating and shopping—that you might use for your free time. I have one suggestion: you should visit the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

Why take the time for this? First, it is an extremely important—and beautiful—early Christian church, built in the fifth century. Although the exterior has been changed over the centuries, the interior retains its famous early Christian mosaics and generally recalls the appearance of early Christian basilicas.

And second, it is just a few blocks from your hotel. It opens early in the day, perhaps before your other activities start, and you might be able to walk over to see it.

Here is a wonderful short video from Smarthistory about the basilica. At this page, you will also find other links to information about Santa Maria Maggiore.

In the text above, I have included a couple of links to a wonderful (and free) multimedia art history site, Smarthistory. I used it for my classes over many years as a helpful resource for students—and if I hadn’t retired, I would have switched over from the big and expensive art history texts to this excellent—and affordable—website. There is a lot to explore, and I would encourage you to have a look.

A good place to start is in the Basics of Art History / Europe, where you should click on the Timeline tab at the bottom left of the page. Once there, have a look at the Italy sections under each of the timelines. Keep clicking on the dropdown menus to get deeper into the time period, and eventually to articles and videos about specific sites. The screenshot below shows the location of a resource related to the Colosseum, for instance. (Beware: the image below is just a picture, so the “links” don’t work. You will have to use the real thing to get anywhere!)

Be sure to look at the sections that cover the era from 1000 B.C.E. through at least 1600-1700 in the common era. Each has an Italy link, with more links that are loaded with terrific pictures and information. Many of the sites you will visit and art you will see are highlighted throughout these sections.

You can also just try a search at the Smarthistory main page (Smarthistory.org) to go directly to a specific page.

Have a wonderful trip!