DISCOVERING TUSCANY WITH LEGENDARY GAY ARTISTS
Accommodation in selected 4 stars gay friendly hotels
1° Day: FLORENCE
Transfer from airport to hotel
Free time
Overnight
2° Day: FLORENCE
Breakfast. Visit of Florence by your own or with a licensed tourist guide.
Florence, one of the most famous places of Italy, already in the fifteenth century was known throughout Europe for the liberal customs and for the widespread diffusion of homosexuality, to such an extent that in Germany to indicate a sodomite it was called "Florenzer”, a Florentine. This situation, of course, did not have the approval of the Catholic Church, which pressed on the civil authorities for a series of restrictive measures. In 1432 the Court of the Sodomites was created in Florence with a special body of guards, the "Night Officers" charged with dealing with crimes related to homosexual relationships.
On 13th August 1512 Florence was the scene of an uprising, the “Rivolta dei Compagnacci”, when thirty young aristocrats broke into Palazzo Vecchio to ask the “Maggior Consiglio” to cancel the law against sodomites, which provided for the exile and the loss of assets. In September, when the Medici family returned to Florence, they accepted all the requests and the homophobic laws were abolished.
Close to Palazzo Vecchio, in “Loggia dei Lanzi”, it is possible to admire Benvenuto Cellini’s sculptures. He was goldsmith (his most famous piece of art is the Salt Cellar), sculptor, draftsman, soldier, musician, and artist who also wrote a famous autobiography and poetry.
When you are in Florence you cannot miss a visit to Uffizzi museum, where you will admire masterpieces of several other gay artists: Michelangelo Buonarroti, Leonardo da Vinci, Giovanni Antonio Bazzi “Il Sodoma”, and Sandro Botticelli.
Next stop is “Galleria dell’Accademia”, where you can admire the fantastic David by Michelangelo, symbol of perfection and male beauty.
3° Day: FLORENCE – VINCI – ANCHIANO – CHIANTI
Breakfast. Departure to Vinci, birthplace of Leonardo. We can visit many picturesque little churches, the Leonardian library and the museum dedicated to the artist (tickets not included). Our journey will continue to Anchiano, where Leonardo’s home is based. Transfer to Chianti and overnight.
4° Day: CHIANTI
Breakfast. Day dedicated to the visit of the wonderful Chianti landscapes: a succession of hills, villages where time has stopped, forts and country houses. A magical place shaped by history, art and unique products. Overnight
5° Day: CHIANTI – CERTALDO – VOLTERRA – SAN GIMIGNANO – PISA
Breakfast. Departure to Certaldo, Boccaccio’s homeland. Boccaccio was the first one to write about homosexuality in a novel of his “Decameron”, considered one of the most important works of the European literature of the fourteenth century. After Certaldo we will proceed to Volterra, a haven of Etruscan, Roman, Medieval and Renaissance art. The city dominates the Cecina valley, affording a spectacular view as far as the sea.
The city still retains traces of its majestic past which gradually unfurls as you wander through the narrow streets and explore the Etruscan Museum, the Art Gallery and Museum of Sacred Art. And yet Volterra’s charm not only lies in its historical patrimony but in the undefiled surrounding countryside, a slow traditional way of life and its age-old tradition of alabaster carving. This elusive stronghold requires careful and patient attention for it takes time to absorb its timeless atmosphere, treasured secrets, unique ambience and culture.
Next stop San Gimignano, another medieval jewel in the Tuscan countryside, whose historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. “San Gimignano delle belle Torri” lies 56 km south of Florence. It served as an important relay point for pilgrims travelling to or from Rome on the Via Francigena. The patrician families who controlled the town built around 72 tower-houses (some as high as 50 m) as symbols of their wealth and power. Although only 14 have survived, San Gimignano has retained its feudal atmosphere and appearance. The town also has several masterpieces of 14th- and 15th-century Italian art.
In the late afternoon transfer to Pisa and overnight
6° Day: PISA
Breakfast. Visit of the world renowned Piazza dei Miracoli with the leaning tower. Pisa is not only this square, it is also a well preserved historic centre with narrow alleys, and the last public mural drawn by Keith Haring before his death from AIDS. In 1989 on the external wall of Sant’Antonio Church he painted “Tuttomondo”, in which thirty dynamic human figures, animals and technology are linked together to symbolize the peace and the harmony of the world, with in the centre of the painting the Pisan cross. At the level of the street a figure is walking, just to say “please take a minute to view my work and think!”
Typical Tuscan menu dinner in restaurant
Overnight
7° Day: PISA
Breakfast.
End of services
According to the number of participants, RainbowItaly can propose this itinerary in self-drive, minibus, GT bus, luxury car with private driver and everything can be personalized, starting from a basic package that includes:
- Tour leader/ Licensed speaking English Tourist guide
- accommodation in selected gay friendly 4 stars hotels
- Breakfast always included
- Entrance ticket to Uffizi Museum (Galleria degli Uffizi)
- Entrance ticket to Academy Museum (Museo dell’Accademia)
- Entrance ticket to Santa Croce Church
- one typical Tuscan dinner in restaurant