Aug 31 - Sep 11, 2024
Italy
The Best of Italy: Rome, Florence and Venice
Program No. 18206RJ
Learn about three great Italian cities as you visit Rome’s preserved ruins, explore Renaissance architecture in Florence and discover the renowned cathedrals and cuisine of Venice.
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12 days
11 nights
21 meals
10B 5L 6D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
7
Duomo & Museum, Accademia
Florence
8
Renaissance Art, Uffizi
Florence
11
Rialto, Free Time
Venice
At a Glance
Experience the beauty of three historic capitals of Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance acclaim as local experts lead you through some of Italy's greatest cities. Follow the path of legendary artists, scientists, and philosophers from the classical remnants of Rome to the preserved treasures of Florence and Venice.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Walking up to six miles a day. Extended standing during site visits with limited or no public seating. Uneven terrain, limited public handrails, unavoidable stairs, marble and terracotta flooring, cobblestones, inclines, loose gravel, escalators. Elevator use is limited or restricted in historic sites. Venice's canal bridges have ramps or stairs with handrails. Expect crowded conditions in pedestrian centers and museums. Program-related travel and transfers will be via bus, high-speed train, vaporetto, and water taxi. Sheltered waiting areas may not be available at docks.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
What You'll Learn
- Trace history as you visit the Colosseum, Pantheon, and Galleria Borghese.
- Journey to Florence and Venice via a high-speed train, reaching speeds of over 190 mph.
- View the statue of "David" — and ride in a gondola through the canals of Venice.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Elaine Ruffolo
Elaine Ruffolo has been teaching art history in Florence since 1989. Her special interests include the history of art and patronage in Renaissance Florence. Elaine currently lectures for Syracuse University and Stanford University in Florence. She is also the resident director for the Smithsonian Associate’s programs in Italy, and has developed art history programs for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Yale University Alumni, College of William and Mary and the Patrons of the Vatican Museums.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Elaine Ruffolo
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Elaine Ruffolo has been teaching art history in Florence since 1989. Her special interests include the history of art and patronage in Renaissance Florence. Elaine currently lectures for Syracuse University and Stanford University in Florence. She is also the resident director for the Smithsonian Associate’s programs in Italy, and has developed art history programs for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Yale University Alumni, College of William and Mary and the Patrons of the Vatican Museums.
Paolo Alei
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Dr. Paolo Alei is an art historian specializing in and publishing works on Renaissance and Baroque art in Rome and Venice; however, he considers Classical art one of his passions. He earned his M.A. in art history and archaeology from Columbia University. Paolo teaches full-time at the University of California System Rome program and enjoys Italian cinema from the Neorealism period through the 1970s.
Rachel Potts
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Rachel Potts is a licensed excursion leader in Rome. She graduated from Manchester University with a bachelor's in Philosophy and French, and later studied garden design at the London Gardening School. Having grown up in Rome, she chose to return to Italy and share her knowledge and love of Rome and the surrounding areas.
Domenico Cuomo
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Domenico Cuomo nearly completed law school at the Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, but then fell in love with leading cultural travel groups. Mimmo has over twenty years of experience working on educational tours throughout Europe. He grew up and still resides in the Campi Flegrei, situated to the west of Naples. He loves working with Road Scholar participants as it offers him the opportunity for cultural exchange and sharing his knowledge of European cultures. Mimmo is fluent in English and Italian.
Rosanna Giannotti
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Rosanna Giannotti is a Senior Authorized Venice Guide Lecturer who has devoted her life to studying the art and history of her home city. She is fluent in English, French, and Spanish, and she has always had a penchant for traveling and cosmopolitanism, in order to expand her knowledge and connect Venetian history with the world context. Rosanna is a member of the most prestigious Italian and European Associations of Guide Lecturers and has cooperated with Road Scholar programs in Venice for over 30 years.
Giulietta Seme
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Julieta is a passionate student of history, specializing in the history and culture of her native city of Rome. She studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma with a concentration in painting before earning a degree in classical archaeology and art history from the Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza." Outside of history, Julieta enjoys hiking beautiful nature trails by the seaside or in the mountains of Italy.
Bruna Baravelli
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Bruna Baravelli is from Forlì, on the northeastern coast of Italy. After graduating from Liceo Classico, she earned her Ph.D. in English literature at the Università di Bologna. Before retiring, Bruna taught English literature and held administrative positions in the local school district. She has dedicated her time to public service as a member of the Forlì city council and the National Council for Equal Opportunity. She is passionate about the merits of travel and has fostered educational exchanges in Europe and the United States.
Suzanne Myers
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Suzanne Myers originally hails from Lincoln, Nebraska and has been living in Florence since 2011. She has a BA in art history from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and an MA in art history from Syracuse University. She works as a lecturer for several study away programs in Florence and as a licensed group leader. Suzanne specializes in Italian Renaissance art, but also loves to lecture on a wide range of subjects from the Medici family to the Black Death to Florentine fashion.
Giuliana Rusca
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Giuliana Rusca has lived in Venice most of her life. She attended the University of Venice and graduated with a degree in Modern Foreign Languages and taught at the high school level for over twenty years. In 1990 she passed the comprehensive examination to become a licensed leader for Venice and has worked in this sector since then. She is passionate for the history and art of Venice.
Marco A. Ceccarani
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Marco Ceccarani, a native of Assisi, holds a PhD in humanities from the Università degli Studi di Perugia. His field of expertise includes medieval and Renaissance Italian civilization and literature. He has taught for several American universities in the United States and currently teaches in Florence for American university study away programs.
Monica Chojnacka
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Monica Chojnacka earned her PhD in European history from Stanford University and undergraduate degrees from Kalamazoo College and the London School of Economics and Political Science. From 1994-2007 she was a professor of history at the University of Georgia, where she authored numerous publications. She has published books relating to Venice on topics as diverse as women of the Renaissance, food and wine. Monica continues to teach in Venice, primarily for study away programs for American universities, as well as online courses.
Susan Steer
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Susan Steer is originally from England. She came to Venice 20 years ago as an art history undergraduate with an internship at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, later serving as a supervisor of the British pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Living and working in Venice changed her life, falling in love with its architecture, art, and lifestyle. She returned to study for an MA and a PhD in Venetian art. Susan married a Venetian. They and their son share their time between the UK and Venice.
Monica Shenouda
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Monica Shenouda, originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, now calls Florence home. She majored in French Literature at Swarthmore College, worked in New York City, and studied art history and architecture in Rome. She then went to the University of Virginia and earned a master’s in architectural history and a PhD in the art history and architecture. She did her research in Venice, the subject of her dissertation. Monica teaches for study abroad programs in Florence and Venice and works as a translator and editor.
Cristiana Filippini
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Cristiana Filippini was awarded her doctorate from Johns Hopkins University with a dissertation on 11th-century frescoes in Rome. She has also completed specialized study in archeology and art history from the Università degli Studi di Siena, Italy and has taught at the American University in Rome and at Trinity College’s Rome Campus.
Enzo Mangini
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Enzo Mangini was born and raised in Calabria in southern Italy. He moved to Perugia for college and graduated in political sciences with a major in history of the Mediterranean. He then moved to Rome to attend the LUISS School of Journalism. After 15 years as a professional journalist, Enzo decided to change careers and became an exploration leader. Enzo, his wife Federica, and daughter Frida live in a small town between Rome and Naples.
Emily Moloney
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Emily Moloney, who is originally from Buffalo, New York, first came to Italy over ten years ago. She holds a master's degree in Renaissance art history and is an officially licensed tour guide. In addition to working as a private guide, Emily lectures as a professor of art history and Italian culture at several study-abroad centers in Florence. In her free time, you can find Emily at the park with her growing family.
Suggested Reading List
(21 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
The Best of Italy: Rome, Florence and Venice
Program Number: 18206
Italy Map
A convenient laminated map of Italy at a scale of 1:800,000 with excellent topographic detail, an index and large maps of Sicily and Sardinia.
The House of Medici, Its Rise and Fall
A well-written, entertaining history of the Medicis in Renaissance Florence. Great to read before going to Florence, where the influence of the Medicis and the artists they supported is still very much in evidence.
The Art of the Renaissance
A classic, illustrated survey of the world of the Renaissance and its art. With chapters on Florence and its artists, the Netherlands, early illustrated books and many individual artists.
The Colosseum
This engaging overview of the history of the Colosseum deconstructs Hollywood-perpetrated misconceptions of gladiator-eating lions, Nero fiddling and other myths.
Not Built in a Day, Exploring Rome and its Architecture
These 12 detailed walking tours celebrate Rome's buildings, fountains, piazzas, streets and archaeology with insight and enthusiasm.
Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling
King's colorful chronicle of the world's most famous ceiling paints a maniacal pope, a budding artist and a "who's who" of other 16th-century Italians (Raphael, Machiavelli, Leonardo da Vinci). Presented with flair and backed by a wealth of research.
An Artist in Venice
In this informative and charming memoir, Adam Van Doren, grandson of the Pulitzer-prize-winning poet Mark Van Doren, provides a personal and detailed account of his love affair with Venice. With 21 full-color drawings by the author, this is a must-have for anyone interested in Venice's rich aesthetic heritage.
Four Seasons in Rome
Doerr captures the romance and challenge of living abroad in this lyrical memoir, invitingly subtitled "On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World."
Ancient Rome: Art, Architecture, and History
This lively, illustrated survey of Ancient Rome's monuments, history and art is a terrific introduction.
Italian Venice, A History
An elegant history of Venice after the loss of its statehood in 1789 at the hands of Napoleon. Bosworth introduces Venice's political unrests since that time, how Venice has modernized and the mal-effects of Global Climate Change and "Disneylandification."
Venice: An Illustrated Miscellany
An illustrated literary stroll through the cultural heritage of Italy’s most romantic city that leads from Shakespeare through Henry James, Simone de Beauvoir and Antonio Vivaldi.
La Bella Figura, A Field Guide to the Italian Mind
Italians themselves love this guide to the Italian character, which addresses their never-ending passion for beauty, disorder and high emotion. The book opens with a snapshot of Malpensa Airport, then moves on to Tuscany, Rome, Naples and Sardinia.
Rome from the Ground Up
A wonderfully erudite, in-depth guide to the architecture and history of Rome. With 88 color and 34 black-and-white photographs and 20 maps.
Frommer's EasyGuide to Rome, Florence and Venice
EasyGuides are full of practical, easy-to-absorb information and emphasize authentic experiences. This lightweight guide highlights important attractions with expert advice on accommodations and meals.
La Bella Lingua
Inebriated with the sounds of Italian, lovesick for its phrases and enamored of its earthy idioms, Hales, "a sensible woman of sturdy Polish stock," dives into the Italian of the piazza, literature, movies and streets in this charming memoir.
Italy in Mind
A terrific collection of some of the best literary writing on Italy, including pieces by Melville, Lawrence, Henry James, Mary McCarthy and many others.
Brunelleschi's Dome
The story of the design and construction of the dome in the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, a tale rife with politics, cut-throat competition and mighty inspiration.
Eyewitness Guide Italy
Another gem in the Eyewitness series, this superb guide is handsome, convenient and up-to-date. Featuring color photography, dozens of excellent local maps and a region-by-region synopsis of the country's attractions.
The City of Florence, Historical Vistas and Personal Sightings
A vivid tour of the city and its riches by the fine biographer of Edith Wharton and Henry James. Lewis has written what he calls "a partial biography of Florence," beautifully interweaving the personal and the historical.
Venice from the Ground Up
A walking tour, history and celebration, this masterly, personal guide to Venice includes a short account of McGregor's favorite sites, 10 maps and suggested walks (and boat rides).
The World of Venice
Morris displays her talent for research, telling anecdote and well-wrought prose in this spirited portrait of a beloved city, its history and inhabitants. If you are going to read one book on Venice, we recommend this favorite.
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