Private Michelangelo'S Florence
Michelanglo's Artwork - Private Tour
Michelangelo's relationship with the Medicis (the family that ruled Florence from 1434 to 1737) gave Florence its dynamic art and architecture.
After meeting your driver on the pier, you will drive through the countryside for your unforgettable Livorno excursion, approximately two hours away. The first stop will be Piazzale Michelangelo, a wide terrace from where it is possible to admire one of the most superb views of the city nestled in the Arno valley, surrounded by gently sloping hills. In the center of the square stands the Monument to Michelangelo (1875) with a bronze reproduction of the four statues depicting Day, Night, Dawn, and Dusk, dominated by the statue of David.
You will then continue into town, where your transportation will drive you as close to the center of town as possible on the narrow streets. Here, you will meet your professionally trained local guide and set off on a walking tour of the city center. Explore the Galleria dell'Accademia, which houses the masterpiece of Michelangelo: the Statue of David. Cathedral Works Committee (Opera Del Duomo) commissioned the statue in 1501. At the age of 26, Michelangelo was given a leftover block of marble that came from the mountains of Carrara that had previously been worked on by various other artists. During your visit to the Accademia, you will also see several of Michelangelo's works in progress.
Another must-see creation of Michelangelo's is the Medici Chapel, which you will visit on your tour. In 1520, the artist was commissioned to execute the chapel for two young Medici dukes. It contains two tombs, each with an image of the deceased and two allegorical (symbolic) figures: Day and Night on one tomb, and Dawn and Dusk on the other.
Although not designed by Michelangelo, the Florence Duomo is the highlight of the Florence skyline and an interior visit will be made to this masterpiece of Italian Gothic architecture. Arnolfo di Cambio (c. 1245-1302), one of the greatest architect-sculptors of his age, designed the present building and considerably enlarged the existing structure. This was finished around 1367 and was completely covered with colored marbles similar to the earlier Baptistery.
The Museo dell 'Opera del Duomo (Cathedral Museum) hosts one of the most famous sculptures of Michelangelo: the Pieta, carved by the artist in his old age and never completed. This is a sculpted group of figures, centered on the body of Christ brought down from the cross and his mother's grief. Michelangelo found fault with it, and he attacked it in an artistic tantrum. Jesus' leg is still missing, although a later sculptor repaired most of the damage and added a shiny Mary Magdalene in total contrast to the rough and unfinished faces of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. Michelangelo completed the fourth figure, Nicodemus, mainly because the aging artist designed it as a self-portrait for his own tomb.
A stop will then be made for free time so you can purchase a light meal or a Florentine lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit Piazza della Signoria, which has been the political heart of the city from the Middle Ages to the present day. The square, however, is not just the "civil" center of Florence; it is also a splendid open-air museum. The statues in the square deserve a chapter all to themselves. Apart from the great sculptures lined up in front of the facade of Palazzo Vecchio (among them the copy of David by Michelangelo), you will also see the Fountain of Neptune by Ammannati, and the equestrian statue of Cosimo I de Medici by Giambologna.
Close by the Piazza della Signoria you will visit the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge, which crosses the Arno at its widest point. It dates back to Roman times and has often been re-built. After the flooding of 1333, it was re-constructed with a double row of shops, passing from a defensive type of architecture to the actual public one. In 1565, the east-facing Vasariano Corridor above the shops was built and the back-shops were added in the 17th century, giving the bridge its actual structure.
During your Livorno excursion, visit the Square of Santa Croce (Holy Cross), one of Florence's largest squares, and traditionally one of the city's main arenas for ceremonies and festivities. Enter the Basilica of Santa Croce, one of the largest churches in the city, which is attributed to the genius of Arnolfo di Cambio, who seems to have begun work in 1294. The presence of a great many funeral monuments and tombstones (276 can still be seen on the floor alone) has led to the Basilica being thought of as the city Pantheon, or Temple of the Italian Glories. Here lie the tombs of Galileo, Machiavelli, Foscolo, Gentile, Rossini, Marconi, and Michelangelo himself. There may be some free time for browsing the leather shops and small stores around the square before meeting your driver for the approximately 1 hour 45 minute drive to Livorno.
Please Note: The Medici Chapel is closed on some Sundays and Mondays. The national museums of Italy, including the Accademia, are closed on Mondays. Guests booking this tour on a Sunday or Monday will tour alternative sites that have a connection to Michelangelo. Your guide will discuss this with you the day of the tour. Vehicles available for this tour accommodate groups of up to 2, 6, 8, 19, 25, 40, or 50 guests maximum. Please take this information into consideration when booking.
- Arts and Literature
About Shore Excursions Group
Shore Excursions Group was created with one goal in mind: to provide exceptional travel experiences to cruise passengers in the ports they visit around the world. To accomplish this, we have compiled an exceptional array of tours delivered by local experts with decades of experience serving travelers and delivering excellent tours. Our owners and management team are comprised of seasoned travel industry executives who leverage their considerable experience to deliver memories of a lifetime.
We are experts in providing exceptional shore excursions. We understand that in today's fast paced world, vacations have become an increasingly important way to relax, reconnect with family and friends, and experience new and interesting places. With this in mind, we provide the highest quality tours by performing extensive research, and detailed reviews. While other companies also offer excursions, we strongly believe our expertise and approach set us apart. The large cruise lines sell shore excursions - typically in very large groups visiting high traffic sites. We focus on smaller groups visiting more interesting and authentic locations using more personalized local operators. While the cruise lines are experts in delivering cruises, we are experts in delivering shore excursions.
Our Approach
We believe quality service is not only highly valued by customers, but ultimately leads to better experiences and higher satisfaction. Unlike the cruise lines and other tour companies that rely almost entirely on websites, we encourage customers to call us. We want to invest our time answering your questions, providing input, and selecting the excursions that best meet your needs.
Our Tours
Our goal is to provide customers a wide array of exciting, appealing, and enriching tours. For those customers who prefer to travel in smaller groups with more personalized service, we offer a wide variety of small group tours around the world. These tours generally range in size from 2-12 people compared to larger tours which can number up to 50 people. While exploring the destinations and ports on this website, feel free to search for these "Small Group Tours". For those customers interested in private tours, we offer many outstanding excursions that allow you to travel with your party alone and, in many cases, to fully customize your tour. Search for "Private Tours" if you are interested in this experience. Our "Scenic" tours provide up close and personal access to some of the most spectacular natural environments on Earth from majestic glaciers in Alaska to spectacular reefs in the Caribbean. Our "Cultural" tours allow customers to experience local customs, entertainment and culinary delights ranging from tribal dances in Alaska to an outstanding local meal in Santorini, Greece. Our "Active" tours offer a multitude of exciting and adventurous ways to experience our destinations. Our customers can kayak the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, hike to a spectacular waterfall in Hawaii, or bicycle through quaint villages in France. Our "City" tours allow travelers to see the highlights of great cities around the world with unique insights provided by our expert tour guides.
Our People
In our experience, exceptional travel experiences are almost always delivered by exceptional people. With that in mind, we utilize a comprehensive approach to select and employ the leading tour guides and tour providers around the globe. We hold our people to very high standards which we measure by our comprehensive Quality Control process and, most importantly, by our customer feedback, which we will actively seek from each of our customers.
Our Owners
Shore Excursions Group is owned by seasoned travel executives possessing extensive experience across many sectors within the travel industry.
Bradford J. Miller
Mr. Miller is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer for Abercrombie & Kent, the World's leading luxury travel company. In that role, Mr. Miller was responsible for contributing to Abercrombie & Kent's international growth through the development and acquisition of tour products and travel experiences around the world with a specific focus on cruising and land based experiences. Prior to joining Abercrombie & Kent, Mr. Miller held a variety of executive positions with Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises for more than a decade. These positions included Vice President of Guest Sales & Service, Vice President of Brand Development, and Vice President of Onboard Revenue (which included shore excursions). Mr. Miller also led Celebrity Expeditions, a collection of outstanding and unique tours around the World.
Michael Bonner
Mr. Bonner has over a decade of experience working in the cruise industry in a variety of roles for both Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Viking River Cruises. Most recently, Mr. Bonner was the Chief Operating Officer for The Scholar Ship, a Royal Caribbean program aimed at providing college students onboard educational programs in conjunction with enriching shore excursions around the world. Mr. Bonner also helped co-manage Viking River Cruises U.S. Operations, and he ran the corporate, strategic, and deployment planning functions at Royal Caribbean. While at Royal Caribbean, Mr. Bonner was responsible for forming Royal Celebrity Tours, Royal Caribbean's land-based tour operation in Alaska, which takes cruise passengers on multiple day tours through the interior of Alaska either before or after their cruises. Prior to working at Royal Caribbean, Mr. Bonner was a consultant for Booz Allen & Hamilton.
About Shore Excursions Group
Shore Excursions Group was created with one goal in mind: to provide exceptional travel experiences to cruise passengers in the ports they visit around the world. To accomplish this, we have compiled an exceptional array of tours delivered by local experts with decades of experience serving travelers and delivering excellent tours. Our owners and management team are comprised of seasoned travel industry executives who leverage their considerable experience to deliver memories of a lifetime.
We are experts in providing exceptional shore excursions. We understand that in today's fast paced world, vacations have become an increasingly important way to relax, reconnect with family and friends, and experience new and interesting places. With this in mind, we provide the highest quality tours by performing extensive research, and detailed reviews. While other companies also offer excursions, we strongly believe our expertise and approach set us apart. The large cruise lines sell shore excursions - typically in very large groups visiting high traffic sites. We focus on smaller groups visiting more interesting and authentic locations using more personalized local operators. While the cruise lines are experts in delivering cruises, we are experts in delivering shore excursions.
Our Approach
We believe quality service is not only highly valued by customers, but ultimately leads to better experiences and higher satisfaction. Unlike the cruise lines and other tour companies that rely almost entirely on websites, we encourage customers to call us. We want to invest our time answering your questions, providing input, and selecting the excursions that best meet your needs.
Our Tours
Our goal is to provide customers a wide array of exciting, appealing, and enriching tours. For those customers who prefer to travel in smaller groups with more personalized service, we offer a wide variety of small group tours around the world. These tours generally range in size from 2-12 people compared to larger tours which can number up to 50 people. While exploring the destinations and ports on this website, feel free to search for these "Small Group Tours". For those customers interested in private tours, we offer many outstanding excursions that allow you to travel with your party alone and, in many cases, to fully customize your tour. Search for "Private Tours" if you are interested in this experience. Our "Scenic" tours provide up close and personal access to some of the most spectacular natural environments on Earth from majestic glaciers in Alaska to spectacular reefs in the Caribbean. Our "Cultural" tours allow customers to experience local customs, entertainment and culinary delights ranging from tribal dances in Alaska to an outstanding local meal in Santorini, Greece. Our "Active" tours offer a multitude of exciting and adventurous ways to experience our destinations. Our customers can kayak the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, hike to a spectacular waterfall in Hawaii, or bicycle through quaint villages in France. Our "City" tours allow travelers to see the highlights of great cities around the world with unique insights provided by our expert tour guides.
Our People
In our experience, exceptional travel experiences are almost always delivered by exceptional people. With that in mind, we utilize a comprehensive approach to select and employ the leading tour guides and tour providers around the globe. We hold our people to very high standards which we measure by our comprehensive Quality Control process and, most importantly, by our customer feedback, which we will actively seek from each of our customers.
Our Owners
Shore Excursions Group is owned by seasoned travel executives possessing extensive experience across many sectors within the travel industry.
Bradford J. Miller
Mr. Miller is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer for Abercrombie & Kent, the World's leading luxury travel company. In that role, Mr. Miller was responsible for contributing to Abercrombie & Kent's international growth through the development and acquisition of tour products and travel experiences around the world with a specific focus on cruising and land based experiences. Prior to joining Abercrombie & Kent, Mr. Miller held a variety of executive positions with Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises for more than a decade. These positions included Vice President of Guest Sales & Service, Vice President of Brand Development, and Vice President of Onboard Revenue (which included shore excursions). Mr. Miller also led Celebrity Expeditions, a collection of outstanding and unique tours around the World.
Michael Bonner
Mr. Bonner has over a decade of experience working in the cruise industry in a variety of roles for both Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Viking River Cruises. Most recently, Mr. Bonner was the Chief Operating Officer for The Scholar Ship, a Royal Caribbean program aimed at providing college students onboard educational programs in conjunction with enriching shore excursions around the world. Mr. Bonner also helped co-manage Viking River Cruises U.S. Operations, and he ran the corporate, strategic, and deployment planning functions at Royal Caribbean. While at Royal Caribbean, Mr. Bonner was responsible for forming Royal Celebrity Tours, Royal Caribbean's land-based tour operation in Alaska, which takes cruise passengers on multiple day tours through the interior of Alaska either before or after their cruises. Prior to working at Royal Caribbean, Mr. Bonner was a consultant for Booz Allen & Hamilton.
