Collector’s Tour
Living History through Antiquarian Arts
In Florence, collecting is a cottage industry.
For centuries, Florentines have curated eclectic collections of art and curiosities from various ages and cultures around the world. The treasures they collected and conserved ultimately formed a priceless resource that has inspired and nourished the creation of art and beauty for centuries.
Through The Collector’s Tour: living history through Antiquarian Arts you will take a deep dive into this vibrant, nuanced, but oftentimes overlooked aspect of local Florentine culture.
Italy is world-renowned for its rich culture of artistic expression that has for centuries inspired the visual vocabulary and the aesthetic trends of cultures throughout the world. While at first glance, this might appear to be a spontaneous phenomenon, it is in reality the fruit of a deeply engrained – even if oftentimes overlooked – cultural sensibility that Italians have harbored and cultivated for centuries: their passion for collecting. Whether collections of works of art from remote eras and distant cultures, or more contemporary works of memorabilia, painting, or sculpture, Italians collect it all.
The Collector’s Tour: living history through antiquarian arts is an immersive exploration of Italian collecting over time. It offers a glimpse beyond the portoni of Tuscany’s villas and palazzi to reveal the methods of collection and conservation employed by great collectors of the past and present. Through an exploration of the far-reaching treasures you will encounter, this tour invites you to reconnect with and celebrate the richness and diversity of our world: a world that is far larger and more nuanced than that which the tech-driven, virtual realm might otherwise project.
Offered as either a full-day excursion, or in a more extended retreat format lasting several days, this tour offers immersive insight into all aspects of collecting through the ages. In addition to visiting museums, you will also visit some of Florence’s most notable antique dealers and skilled conservationists who ply their crafts to sourcing and preserving echoes of the past that have withstood time in the form of collectable material goods. You will also visit one of our Artisan Partners, Master Goldsmith Paolo Penko, with whom – in keeping with the Renaissance tradition of repackaging classical antiques in contemporary designs - we craft custom works of artisanal jewelry and accessories that breathe new life into ancient artifacts.
Full-day Excursions
What’s included:
From 7 – 8 hours
Private tour guide
Walking tour of the city center
Private guided visit of a private collection-turned-museum
Private guided visit of the workshops of two of our Artisan Partners:
- Scarpelli Mosaici, all days except for Tuesday
- Paolo Penko, all days except for Monday
Private visit of a local antique gallery and an antique conservator’s studio
Seated midmorning snack; lunch at a traditional Tuscan trattoria.
Extended Retreat
What’s included:
3.5 days
Includes accommodation in the center of Florence (first three nights), and at a 13th Century fortified village in the Tuscany countryside (final night)
Each morning, guests will tour museums, artisan and art conservator workshops and antique galleries in the city centers of Florence and Arezzo. Afternoons will be spent in the countryside where guests will punctuate their full-immersion in the world of collecting with wine tastings at characteristic Tuscan vineyards.
Exclusive access for guided tours in iconic locations such as the Basilica of Santa Croce complex, and Giorgio Vasari’s personal homehome.
Private driver to destinations outside of the city center.
Breakfast, lunch and snacks included.
Dinner and airfare, not included
Notes:
Minimum booking: 2 people; maximum: 8 people
Experiences must be booked at least 1 month in advance.
To book a full-day Collector’s tour, an extended Collector’s Retreat, or to schedule a consultation to personalize this tour option, please fill out the consultation form below.