Art History of the Renaissance

Day One

Arrival at Chiusi station is between 2pm and 4pm from where you will transferred to the house, met with welcome drinks and a chance to settle into your room and become acquainted with the house and the studio - 5pm to 6pm will be a ‘Brief Introduction to the Renaissance’  accompanied by Prosecco and snacks before dinner at 7.30 at the house.

Day Two  

Breakfast is taken at 8.30 at the house followed by a day trip to Siena, departing at 9.30. This trip is to begin to understand the Pre-Renaissance and will include a visit to the magnificent Cathedral, the Museo dell Opera dell Duomo, the Pinacoteca Nazionale, and of course the Campo. Lunch will be at La Loggetta in the heart of this Medieval city, and dinner will be at the house. 

Day Three

Breakfast as usual at the house and then we depart for Florence to study the Early Renaissance, with guided visits to the churches of Santa Maria Novella and San Lorenzo, followed by the crowning achievement of the Renaissance - the Duomo, and sculpture at the Bargello museum.  Lunch will be in the charming square of Santo Spirito and, following an evening stroll through the heart of the city, we will have dinner together and a night at a boutique hotel in Florence. 

Day Four

Breakfast at the hotel before meeting up to begin our study of the High Renaissance with the centrepiece being Michelangelo’s David. We will leave Florence late morning and head South towards the house, stopping at Arezzo to have lunch at a traditional trattoria and to see the Piero della Francesca frescoes in the basilica of San Lorenzo. We get back to the house late afternoonand have dinner there.

Day Five 

Breakfast at the house, followed by an easy local trip, just a few minutes away from the house to Citta della Pieve ( a nearby Umbrian hilltop town) and a chance to see a bit of the ‘local’ renaissance of the painter Perugino, followed by lunch in Chiusi ( a nearby Tuscan hilltop town) and departure between 2pm and 4pm.

Course participants can expect to pay £1195 (sterling) for a week long course, and £1595 for the 10 day art workshops. The new express courses are priced at £650, and the 5 day Art History of the Renaissance course in priced at £950, which includes one night at a boutique hotel in Florence.

Non-participating companions on our week long practical courses can expect to pay £850 (sterling), and £1150 for the 10 day workshops, and are always welcome to join us on trips and excursions.

Our prices include all tuition, art materials, accommodation, breakfast, lunch (excluding trip days) and dinner with wine and soft drinks , transport to and from painting locations, excursions during the week, and dinner at a local restaurant at the end of the course.

We are able to offer 3 large airy double/twin rooms and just one single room. (our prices are per person, based on two people sharing a twin room. Should a single person wish to occupy a double room, there is a supplement of £300 for the week and £400 for the 10 day courses).

All these rooms have a private entrance and an en-suite bath/shower room.

We are situated halfway between Rome and Florence, so getting to us is relatively simple; you can fly into Rome, Florence, or even Pisa or Perugia airports. We can arrange for a private taxi firm (which we have used for years) to pick you up if you prefer (we will individually quote for fares) or Julian is happy to pick you up himself from our local mainline station Chiusi Chianciano Terme. This station is easy to reach from Roma Termini, or Florence Santa Maria Novella and is just 10 minutes from the house. Remember to fill in your information form about your travel plans and we can coordinate nearer the course date. 

Rome is perhaps the easiest option - a quick shuttle train (30 minutes) takes you direct to Roma termini, and there are fast and direct trains about every hour from there which stop at Chiusi Chianciano Terme.

Some people choose to hire a car, which is absolutely fine, particularly if you are travelling as a group or have a non-painting partner who would like to explore the area.

However I do all the driving, and so a car isn't required to enjoy the course. If you do intend to get to us by car, please let us know and we'll send you directions.

Group bookings and Extensions

We also offer a discount for groups booking together (between 6 and 8 people) and, should you wish to extend your trip, extra days may be available, with full access to the studio facilities.

Please CONTACT US for details.