Volume IV: In the Footsteps of the Renaissance
Venice • Florence • Rome
Three cities. A few famous families. A lot of very good art.
When Italy Changed the World
Italy is one of those places where history is almost impossible to separate from the travel experience. You can be walking through Florence on your way to dinner and suddenly realize that the building beside you was part of the world of the Medici. In Rome, works by Michelangelo and Raphael are still in the places where people experienced them centuries ago. And in Venice, the palaces lining the Grand Canal are reminders of just how wealthy and powerful this small republic once was.
For this edition of Paul’s Picks, I am going back to the 14th through 16th centuries and the Italian Renaissance, a period that changed art, architecture, politics and culture throughout Europe.
There is obviously far more Renaissance Italy than I could cover in one trip, so I have chosen three cities that I think tell the story particularly well: Venice, Florence and Rome.
And as always with Paul’s Picks, this is not meant to be a history lesson. The history simply gives us a reason to look at these places a little differently when we visit them.
The Renaissance in 60 Seconds
The word Renaissance means rebirth, referring to a renewed interest in the art, philosophy and ideas of ancient Greece and Rome.
The movement began to emerge in Italy during the 1300s and reached its height during the 1400s and early 1500s. Wealthy families, merchants, bankers and popes became patrons of artists and architects, while new ideas about science, politics and the individual began spreading across Europe.
A few dates help put it all into perspective:
1401: Ghiberti and Brunelleschi compete to design new bronze doors for Florence’s Baptistery.
1434: Cosimo de’ Medici becomes the dominant political figure in Florence.
1436: Brunelleschi completes the enormous dome of Florence Cathedral, something many believed could not be done.
1469: Lorenzo de’ Medici, later known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, rises to power in Florence.
1501 to 1504: Michelangelo creates David.
1508 to 1512: Michelangelo paints the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
1527: The Sack of Rome is often considered one of the events marking the end of the High Renaissance.
That is several centuries of history condensed into about a minute.
A Few People to Know
You certainly do not need to memorize a list of Renaissance figures before going to Italy. But knowing a few names makes what you see much more interesting.
Lorenzo de’ Medici
Known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, he was a politician, power broker and major patron of the arts. The Medici were bankers rather than royalty, at least initially, but their money and influence made them one of the most powerful families in Europe.
Leonardo da Vinci
Painter, scientist, engineer, anatomist and inventor. Leonardo is probably the best example of what we mean when we call someone a “Renaissance man.” Apparently having one area of expertise was not enough.
Michelangelo
Sculptor, painter and architect. His work gives us a wonderful thread to follow from Florence to Rome, from David to the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica.
Sandro Botticelli
Closely associated with Medici Florence, Botticelli painted The Birth of Venus and Primavera, two of the most recognizable works of the Renaissance.
Raphael
One of the great artists of the High Renaissance. His frescoes in the Vatican are among the highlights of a visit to Rome.
Niccolò Machiavelli
Florence produced more than artists. Machiavelli was a diplomat, writer and political thinker whose The Prince examined how power actually worked, rather than how people thought it should work. Five hundred years later, we are still using his name as an adjective.
Venice gives us a slightly different beginning to our Renaissance journey.
For centuries, Venice was an independent republic governed by an elected Doge and a complicated system of councils and powerful families. Its location between Europe and the East helped make it one of the great trading powers of its time, and that wealth paid for the palaces, churches and art we still see today.
Start around Piazza San Marco, with St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace. The palace is particularly worth seeing because it tells you a great deal about how Venice was governed and just how seriously the Venetians took their position in the world.
But I would not spend the entire visit moving from one major sight to another.
Part of the fun of Venice is getting away from St. Mark’s, crossing bridges with no idea where they lead, finding quieter neighborhoods and stopping at a bacaro, a traditional Venetian wine bar, for cicchetti and a glass of wine. Tour the city with a local guide who will take you off the beaten path.
I also strongly recommend staying in Venice rather than treating it as a day trip. Early mornings and evenings give you a chance to experience the city after many of the day visitors have left.
Give Venice at least two nights. Three is even better.
If I had to choose one city for understanding the Renaissance, it would be Florence.
This is where the history really begins to connect.
The Medici accumulated enormous wealth through banking and used that wealth to gain political influence and support artists, architects and scholars. Brunelleschi built his dome. Botticelli painted for the Medici circle. Leonardo worked here. Michelangelo grew up under Medici patronage.
And much of it is within walking distance.
Start with the Duomo and Brunelleschi’s dome. Visit the Uffizi Gallery for Botticelli and other Renaissance masters. See Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia. Explore the Palazzo Vecchio and some of the places associated with the Medici family.
This is also one place where I would seriously consider hiring a good private guide. Florence has plenty to look at without one, but understanding who these people were, how they were connected and why they were constantly competing with one another makes the city much more interesting.
I also would not schedule every hour of the day. Florence is a city worth wandering. (hint, hint: SHOPPING!!!)
And Tuscany is right outside the door.
A day in the countryside provides a nice break from museums and churches. Visit a winery, have a long lunch, explore one of the hill towns and remember that vacation is not supposed to feel like a college course!
By the time our trip reaches Rome, the Renaissance story has changed.
Here the great patrons were often the popes, and they had both the money and ambition to transform Rome into a center of art, architecture and religious power.
This brings us to the Vatican Museums, Raphael Rooms, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica.
Michelangelo provides a particularly interesting connection between Florence and Rome. In Florence we see the young artist responsible for David. In Rome we encounter the older Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel and later contributing to the design of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Rome also gives us something the other two cities cannot.
You can experience several different periods of history almost on top of one another. Ancient Rome, Renaissance Rome, Baroque Rome and modern Rome all occupy the same city.
It is one of the reasons I find Rome so interesting. You can spend the morning with Michelangelo, walk past a 2,000-year-old Roman ruin in the afternoon and still have plenty of time for an Aperol Spritz before dinner.
Priorities.
Putting It All Together
There Is Only So Much Renaissance Art One Can Take Before Lunch
History may be the theme of this trip, but I am certainly not suggesting that we live on museums alone.
Fortunately, we are in Italy.
In Venice, try cicchetti, seafood and risotto, preferably with a glass of local wine.
In Florence, there is bistecca alla Fiorentina, ribollita, pappa al pomodoro and pecorino. And some of Italy’s great wine regions are just outside the city. You will not want to forget to stop by one their famous wine windows.
By the time we reach Rome, there is carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana and Roman-style artichokes to consider.
Paul's Tips
For a first Renaissance-focused trip, I would allow 9 to 10 nights.
Venice | 2 to 3 nights
Start with St. Mark’s, the Doge’s Palace and the history of the Venetian Republic but leave time to simply explore the city.
Florence | 3 nights
The Duomo, Uffizi, David, the Medici and Renaissance Florence.
Tuscany | Day trip or 1 night
Wine, countryside, hill towns and a change of pace.
Rome | 3 nights
Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s and Renaissance Rome, along with some ancient Rome because it would be rather difficult to ignore it while you are there.
Could you do this trip faster? Of course.
Walk in Their Footsteps
One of the things I like about traveling through history is that names and dates suddenly become real when you are standing in the places where they lived and worked.
Five hundred years later, we can still walk through Medici Florence, see Michelangelo’s work in the places it was created for and wander through the palaces of the Venetian Republic.
And this itinerary is only a starting point.
We could spend more time in Tuscany, add Milan, focus more heavily on food and wine, arrange private historical and art guides, choose smaller boutique hotels or turn this into a longer journey through Italy.
That is the point of Bespoke Crafted Travel. The history may give us the inspiration, but the trip should be built around you.
Ready to walk in the footsteps of the Renaissance?
Let me craft your Italy.
Bespoke Crafted Travel by Paul
Crafting Unique Adventures, One Detail at a Time