Credits: Art History and Graphic Design
Meeting times in Spring 2023 (subject to change):
Faculty leaders: TR 3:40-5:25 PM
OPEN PROGRAM

*All itinerary items subject to change*

The focus of this course is on the Arts and Culture of Florence, experienced and explored through many different lenses. Through The Arts and Culture of Florence we will explore cultural, social, scientific and political values in Florence and its surroundings from the Renaissance. Historical periods, artists, creative practices, and philosophies will be addressed through studying the artistic media of sculpture, architecture, painting, craft and design, as well as through the lens of science. Students will have hands-on experience in museums, academies, markets, streets and villages in and surrounding Florence.

Hopeful itinerary highlights:
In Florence:
- Visit the Uffizi Museum with world-famous works like Titian’s "Venus of Urbino" and Raphael’s "Goldfinch Madonna." Tour the Piazza della Signoria and stand where in 1497 the eccentric friar Savonarola inspired the “bonfire of the vanities”, burning thousands of objects such as cosmetics, art, and books in this public square.
- Overlook the enchanting city of Florence from one of the finest Romanesque structures in Tuscany, the basilica of San Miniato al Monte, standing atop one of the highest points in the city, experience vespers as the sun sets on the city.
- Climb the 463 steps in the dome of the Gothic Florence Cathedral-Santa Maria del Fiore for extraordinary views of Florence, climbing past Giorgio Vasari's frescoes of the Last Judgment up close.
- Visit the Accademia gallery, home to Michelangelo’s famous 17 ft marble David.
- Take a local bus to Fiesole, since the 14th century considered a scenic getaway, to paint and see an Etruscan Tomb and Temple.
- Tour the Galileo Museum, which owns one of the world's major collections of scientific instruments, evidence of the importance of science to the Renaissance in Florence.
- Do a street art tour and see the other side of Florentine art, including a meeting with Clet Abraham, famous for his doctored street signs – playful, funny and irreverent.
- Enter the vast Renaissance palace - Palazzo Pitti – and have a private tour of the Vasari Corridor, an elevated enclosed passageway and gallery connecting the Palazzo Vecchio with the Palazzo Pitti. Then enter the Boboli gardens to paint from nature.
- Cross the Medieval Ponte Vecchio bridge at night and enjoy “Love Duets Opera” in the intimate environment of St. Mark’s Church in Florence, an evening featuring masters such as Puccini, Verdi, Rossini.
- Tour the markets of Florence and learn the historical and cultural importance of food and wine, and end our trip with an Italian cooking class and bring home some tips to share with your family!

2 trips outside of Florence:
- Experience the beauty of San Gimignano, the Italian hill town in Tuscany, encircled by 13th-century walls and enjoy culinary delights in its market place.
- Enjoy Lucca, the great opera composer Puccini’s birthplace, with walls encircling its historic city center, cobblestone streets and tree-lined pathways along the tops of these massive 16th- and 17th-century ramparts.


WHY SHOULD A STUDENT JOIN THIS COURSE?
Because everyone should see Florence at least once in their life. You will be a different person when you return from this trip.

All Open Courses are available to all majors. The class and trip will be open to all students, as culture is central to our identity, understanding of others and sense of self.