MUSEO DEL COSTUME

In Florence the class will also visit the Museo del Costume in the magnificent Palazzo Pitti. The Costume Gallery is the only Italian fashion state museum and is housed in the small building of the Meridiana of the Pitti Palace, which was begun under Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo in 1776 and ended in 1840 and chosen as residence by the families that ruled Tuscany and by the Savoy house until 1946. The Lorraine/Savoy rooms display the exhibitions of the collections of historical clothes and accessoires, which had previously been stored in the palace´s warehouses. The collections cover the period between the 18th century and the present-day. The recent restoration of the funeral garments of Grand Duke Cosimo de´ Medici, of Eleonora of Toledo and of her son Don Garzia has further enriched the museum with some rare examples from the 16th century.

MUSEO FERRAGAMO

Another important visit will take place visiting Museo Ferragamo in the most elegant Via Tornabuoni. Situated in Florence, on the basement of Palazzo Spini Feroni, Via Tornabuoni n. 2, the museum was opened to the public in 1995 by the Ferragamo family, in an effort to illustrate Ferragamo’s artistic qualities and the important role he played in the history of shoe design and international fashion. Besides photographs, patents, sketches, books, magazines and wooden lasts of various famous feet, the museum boasts a collection of draws 10,000 models designed by Ferragamo from the end of the 1920’s until 1960, the year of his death. The shoes, displayed on a biennial rotation, are chosen each time according to specific themes that deal with new issues and allow for new fields of inquiry. The shoes, all works of refined craftsmanship, their design and materials, unveil the mind of an artist who was always in touch with the cultural mood of the time. Salvatore often searched for and found ideas, inspiration and collaboration from the leading artists of his day. Similarly, the museum arranges exhibitions of its own historical collection with the participation of contemporary artists, and promotes and hosts exhibitions and events linked to art and culture.

PALAZZO VECCHIO MUSEUM

Palazzo della Signoria, better known as Palazzo Vecchio, has been the symbol of the civic power of Florence for over seven centuries. Built between the end of the thirteenth century and the beginning of the fourteenth to house the city’s supreme governing body, the Priori delle Arti and the Gonfalonier of Justice, over time it has been subject to a series of extensions and transformations.

OFFICINA PROFUMO-FARMACEUTICA DI SANTA MARIA NOVELLA

In Florence one of most special places on the planet: The Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. On your next luxury trip to Florence, you must, must, must visit this under-the-radar attraction. It’s one of the world’s oldest pharmacies, which once made treatments for the Black Death. Today, the Florentine company makes award-winning, botanically inspired beauty products that inspire a cult following. The Officina di Santa Maria Novella is an off-the-grid beauty secret that inspires much excitement among globetrotters.

GALA DINNER AT B-ROOF

Up on the 5th floor of the fabulous Grand Hotel Baglioni you find a fantastic rooftop restaurant and bar called B-Roof. Located in the heart of the city, this multi level terrace offers spectacular panoramic views over the Florence skyline. At B-Roof you can choose between indoor dining seating, or wander out on the green and cozy terrace, that has both dining tables and lounge sofas. The food served is simple and traditional Tuscany cuisine, but with fantastic flavours and aromas made by expert chefs. To go with the food there are some great Italian wines.

INSIDE MAGRITTE

Fifty-minute-long ‘immersive experience’ “Inside Magritte” presents flowed and animated works scaled to room size using twenty-nine Canon XEED laser projectors which, with the support of Matrix XDimension® System is capable of transmitting over 40 million pixels on the installation surfaces. And Virtual Reality transports visitors inside each painting thanks to an app developed for Samsung Gear VR headsets. But the experience of scale, clarity and motion seeks not to get just under the skin of Magritte but offers a 360º viewpoint that also exposes his technical skill as a painter.

BASILICA DI SANTA CROCE

The Basilica di Santa Croce is the principal Franciscan church in Florence, Italy, and a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church. It is situated on the Piazza di Santa Croce, about 800 meters south-east of the Duomo. The site, when first chosen, was in marshland outside the city walls. It is the burial place of some of the most illustrious Italians, such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, the poet Foscolo, the philosopher Gentile and the composer Rossini, thus it is known also as the Temple of the Italian Glories.

BASILICA DI SANTA MARIA NOVELLA

Santa Maria Novella is a church in Florence, Italy, situated opposite, and lending its name to, the city’s main railway station. Chronologically, it is the first great basilica in Florence, and is the city’s principal Dominican church. The church, the adjoining cloister, and chapter house contain a multiplicity of art treasures and funerary monuments. Especially famous are frescoes by masters of Gothic and early Renaissance. They were financed by the most important Florentine families, who ensured themselves funerary chapels on consecrated ground.

GUCCI GARDEN

The Gucci Museum in Florence was inaugurated in 2011 on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the eponymous fashion house. It tells the story of the Italian fashion and leather goods manufacturer, from its early start in the city of Florence to the global biggest-selling Italian brand that it is today. The museum is located in the historic Palazzo della Mercanzia (Palace of the Merchandise) in Piazza della Signoria. The Palazzo della Mercanzia was built in 1359 and restored in 1905. It once housed the Court that served to resolve disputes between merchants and members of various Arts guilds in Florence, as evidenced by the presence of coats of arms of major and minor guilds on the palace’s facade. The Gucci Museum’s grand opening celebration was held in none other than the Hall of the Five Hundred, as indicated by Dan Brown in his novel Inferno. The Gucci museum contains a permanent exhibition of the iconic pieces of the brand, such as bags, clothes, and accessories, among many others. In addition to a series of contemporary art installations, it contains a library, a cafeteria. Legendary pieces of the history of the fashion house comprise the horsebit loafer, the handbag with a bamboo handle, and the jackie handbag.

UFFIZI GALLERY

The Uffizi Gallery, Italy’s Top Visited Museum, is like a very precious treasure chest. It is a prominent art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums and the most visited, it is also one of the largest and best known in the world and holds a collection of priceless works, particularly from the period of the Italian Renaissance.
After the ruling house of Medici died out, their art collections were gifted to the city of Florence under the famous Patto di famiglia negotiated by Anna Maria Luisa, the last Medici heiress. The Uffizi is one of the first modern museums. The gallery had been open to visitors by request since the sixteenth century, and in 1765 it was officially opened to the public, formally becoming a museum in 1865. Today, the Uffizi is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Florence and one of the most visited art museums in the world.

PIAZZALE MICHELANGELO

Florence seen from above is a singular experience. Not just a perfect photo opportunity, but a moment of wonder. You are looking at the city that gave birth to incredible artists, amazing scientists and an enthralling history of discovery and power that has filled novels and movie theaters. No matter what time of day, you will find that Piazzale Michelangelo truly offers a stupendous lookout over Florence. Don’t be surprised if you also see it written as Piazzale Michelangiolo, this is from the archaic Florentine pronunciation and most definitely the one you see on street signs or the brown and white signs that indicate historic landmarks. In any case, however you spell it, it is one site that should not be missed. It may be a classic tourist stop, but it never fails to capture the heart and imagination of those who follow the path to the very top.

ARMANI SILOS

Armani/Silos is Giorgio Armani’s brand fashion art museum. It is based in Milan and fully dedicated to the Armani style. The exhibition space was opened in 2015 and located at Via Bergognone 40, is in what was originally the granary of a major international company. Following the renovation, the building, constructed in 1950, measures around 4,500 square metres on four levels. The designer conceived and oversaw the renovation project himself.