Piero della Francesca

25 Oct — 1 Nov 2021 | Tour Director: Lucrezia Walker

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Description

• Discover the abundance of paintings and sites relating to the great artist Piero della Francesca situated along the eponymous trail stretching through Tuscany, Umbria and the Marches

• Trace the artist’s beginnings in his birthplace of Sansepolcro, and explore his mature work in Arezzo and Urbino, including the Legend of the True Cross and Flagellation of Christ

• Learn about other artists who have lived in the region, with visits to Raphael’s House in Urbino and the Burri Foundation in Città di Castello

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Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. We cannot guarantee the availability of all artworks mentioned. Historical sites in Italy can sometimes be closed at short notice for restoration works, which may affect our itinerary.

The Piero della Francesca trail offers visitors to Italy glimpses of rural villages and medieval walled towns that have changed little since the 15th century.

Our tour will follow in the footsteps of Piero as we see his work in situ in the region’s palaces, churches, chapels and museums. We will trace Piero’s development from his artistic beginnings at Sansepolcro, through the important commissions he carried out at Arezzo, to the final flowering of his art at the enlightened court of Urbino.

We will enjoy a whole day excursion to Urbino, where the beautiful Ducal Palace is graced with one of the most sublime courtyards in Renaissance Italy. The palazzo’s rich collection of paintings includes works by Uccello, Raphael and Titian as well as Piero’s iconic and enigmatic Flagellation of Christ.

In Arezzo’s 14th century Church of San Francesco we will view one of the most outstanding of all Renaissance fresco cycles: Piero’s Legend of the True Cross. The medieval walled town of Sansepolcro hosts the Madonna della Misericordia polyptych and the Resurrection of Christ, “the best painting in the world”, according to writer and philosopher Aldous Huxley.

The hamlet of Monterchi in the Tiber Valley is home to Piero’s Madonna del Parto, one of the earliest depictions of a pregnant Madonna. In the ancient hill town of Cortona, we will discover the enchanting art collection in the Museo Diocesano, which includes Fra Angelico’s Annunciation.

We will stay throughout at the four-star Hotel Tiferno, a converted palazzo situated in the heart of Città di Castello near Perugia.

This tour will be led by Lucrezia Walker, BA, MA, an author and art historian who has studied in Venice and Perugia, and has lived and worked in Rome. Lucrezia is a lecturer at the National Gallery, and has 20 years’ experience of leading cultural tours in major European cities. Lucrezia was previously Galleries Correspondent for The Tablet and Lay Canon (Visual Arts) at St Paul’s Cathedral, where she continues to serve on the Visual Arts Committee. Lucrezia looks forward to introducing another ACE group to the Piero della Francesca trail in 2021.

Tour Director

Lucrezia Walker,

BA, MA

Art historian and National Gallery lecturer.

full biography and other tours

Itinerary

Day

1

Flight from London to Pisa. Transfer to Città di Castello for seven nights at Hotel Tiferno.

Day

2

Morning excursion to Sansepolcro: Piero della Francesca’s house, Romanesque-Gothic Duomo and Civic Museum. Afternoon: hamlet of Monterchi and Museo della Madonna del Parto. Evening lecture.

Day

3

Whole day excursion to Perugia: Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria, Collegio del Cambio, Merchants’ Guild, Sala dei Notari and some free time.

Day

4

Città di Castello: San Francesco, Duomo, Palazzo Communale, San Domenico, Palazzo Vitelli alla Cannoniera, Burri Foundation (devoted to the 20th century artist Alberto Burri). Evening lecture.

Day

5

Whole day excursion through Apennine Mountains to Urbino for Ducal Palace (inspiration for Castiglione’s Book of the Courtier): ducal apartments and Galleria Nazionale. Afternoon: Raphael’s House.

Day

6

Whole day excursion to Cortona: guided walking tour and visit to Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca. Afternoon: Museo Diocesano and some free time.

Day

7

Whole day excursion to Arezzo: walking tour including 14th century Town Hall and Piazza Grande, Vasari’s Palazzo delle Logge, San Francesco and San Donato. Evening lecture.

Day

8

Flight from Pisa to London.

Tour Dates

25 Oct — 1 Nov 2021

Days

8 Cost

£2195

Tour Code

PIER-21

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Printable tour notes

Gallery

our photos

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Testimonial

“Thoroughly enjoyable and informative”

“A wonderful input from Lucrezia… who went out of her way to inform us fully”

ACE customers on a previous Piero della Francesca tour with Lucrezia Walker

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES

This tour requires a high level of fitness, as most days involve visits to hilltop towns, which are steep and have many cobbled roads. It is necessary for the coach to park in designated coach parks at the bottom of these towns, and although Perugia and Urbino have lifts/escalators to assist in reaching the top, once in these towns, participants will be required to navigate hilly and steep streets. Arezzo and Cortona must be accessed on foot and there are steep climbs.

FLIGHTS

For customers who wish to make their own travel arrangements, ACE is pleased to be able to offer a flight reduction of £170.

Cost of £2195 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, dinner with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £130.