We curated this tour for those interested in getting to know Florence from a unique (and oftentimes overlooked) perspective. You will follow the flow of the Arno – the very river that divides Florence in two, and lends its name to the Hotel Lungarno  - as you uncover the rise of Florence from a military pensioner’s camp to the birthplace and epicenter of political, economic and artistic activity in Renaissance Europe.

We will guide you as you uncover various locations throughout the city whose destinies have been shaped by their vicinity to the Arno: by the opportunities it presented, and the dangers it posed.

This excursion begins with a walking tour of the neighborhoods located along the banks of the Arno as you make your way to the Basilica di Santa Croce, one of Florence’s four major basilicas and the burial place of historic figures such as Michelangelo and Galileo. During your visit, you you will enjoy a private guided tour of the basilica itself and its adjoining museum. The experience will continue with a visit of the Scuola del Cuoio, one of Florence’s most famed leather workshops and will conclude with a private visit of Master Goldsmith Paolo Penko’s workshop where you will learn how Florence’s success as a mercantile power affirmed its position as the financial capital of medieval and renaissance Europe.