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Pre- and Post-Congress ToursA visit to Florence is a unique experience – offering a wide range of exciting opportunities waiting to be discovered. All tours will depart and return from/to the Congress venue ( Palazzo dei Congressi ) Tours will operate with a minimum of 15 participants per tour,. PRE-CONGRESS TOURSHDT1 – HALF DAY FLORENCE, UFFIZI GALLERY- WALKING TOUR The tour begins with a short walk through the historical streets (of Florence) to reach Piazza della Signoria, an open-air sculpture museum. Here you can admire the imposing Palazzo Vecchio (exterior) and the beautiful Loggia del Lanzi, before continuing on a guided visit to the famous Uffizi Galllery where the superb paintings of Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello, Giotto, Cimabue and Masaccio can be seen. After the visit to the museum, and just a few steps away, you can enjoy the view from the Ponte Vecchio - the “Jewelers’ bridge”, one of the symbols of Florence. Here the tour ends with a walk back to the Congress Venue. HDT2 – HALF DAY FLORENCE, ACCADEMIA GALLERY- WALKING TOUR The tour begins with a short walk through the historical streets (of Florence) to reach Piazza della Signoria, an open-air sculpture museum, where you can admire the imposing Palazzo Vecchio (exterior) and the beautiful Loggia del Lanzi. Just a short walk through the historical streets of the heart of Florence brings you to the renowned Galleria dell’Accademia, where you can admire the famous statue David by Michelangelo and other works by the great artist. Here the tour ends with a walk back to the Congress Venue. FDT1 – FULL DAY EXCURSION TO SIENA AND SAN GIMIGNANO This tour begins with a beautiful excursion through the delightful hills of the Chianti countryside, with the ever-changing scenery of vineyards and olive trees.
POST-CONGRESS TOURSHDT3 – HALF DAY FLORENCE WALKING TOUR WITH WINE TASTING The tour starts from the peculiar Central market zone, characterized by its workshops and multicolored stalls, where the Medicean Chapels, and Basilica di S. Lorenzo, the church of Medici’s Family, are located. Just a short walk away is the Piazza del Duomo, where you can admire the Cathedral (inside visit) with its dome by Brunelleschi, the bell-tower by Giotto, and Saint John Baptistery with its Paradise Door. The tour continues with a visit to the medieval quarters where Dante Alighieri and Beatrice lived. Next is a stop in a winery to taste the delicious wines. Not too faraway, is the Piazza della Signoria, a great “open-air sculpture museum”, overlooked by the imposing Palazzo Vecchio. From here you proceed to the picturesque Mercato della Paglia (Straw market), where the famous Piggy Fountain is located. A walk along the street leads to Ponte Vecchio, the “Jewelers’ bridge”, then the tour continues with a stop in another winery. HDT4 – HALF DAY FLORENCE SANTA CROCE AND DUOMO COMPLEX Drive along the romantic Viale dei Colli up to Piazzale Michelangelo: a beautiful place to stop and admire the wonderful panorama of the city, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in the world. The tour continues to the old city centre for a visit to the Franciscan church of Santa Croce (interior) where the tombs of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo and Rossini, among others, can be found. The tour will proceed with an outdoor guided tour of the Duomo complex: Giotto’s bell tower, the Baptistery with its bronze doors including the famous Porta del Paradiso and a visit to the interior of the Cathedral with the magnificent Cupola del Brunelleschi. FDT2 – FULL DAY EXCURSION TO MONTALCINO AND PIENZA The tour departs from the Congress Venue to Montalcino. The first stop is at a local farm, owned by the family who introduced Brunello to the world more than a century ago, for wine-tasting and a visit to the wine cellars. After the wine tasting, the tour continues to Montalcino, the birth-place of one of the most excellent wines in Tuscany, before continuing to Sant’ Antimo for a visit to the magnificent Abbey. The Abbey is set in a large open valley and is a famous example of Romanesque style. After lunch in a local farm the tour continues to Pienza. Here you can find a rare example of Renaissance town planning, defined as the ideal or utopia town. After a tour of the city, the tour ends with a transfer back to Florence.
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