Renaissance Italy, story of five families

Odyssey offers easy, convenient, and relaxed escorted small group tours across Italy  and beyond. We explore Italy's fairy-tale natural beauty, and the Imperial heritage of the Renaissance, its World Heritage Sites, and world famous cities, all with some truly spectacular scenery along the way. This and more is all waiting to be explored on one of Odyssey’s small group tours of Italy, designed for the senior traveller, and led by experienced, and enthusiastic like minded people.

The Renaissance Italy small group history tour designed for mature or senior travellers. We welcome both couples or solo travellers who are looking to explore a road less travelled in Europe. In the 15^th and 16^th centuries the principalities that became Italy were alive with new ideas. The boundaries of art, architecture, music, science, politics, religion and literature were pushed. It was also riven by bitter rivalry and even open warfare between the numerous independent city states. Out of this chaos and upheaval emerged a number of significant families who drove the development in their individual cities. In a number of cases their quarrels also led to the destruction of much of what they had achieved. This tour concentrates on the story of five families. Five very important Italian renaissance families and the cities they helped to build.

• The Medici of Florence
• The Montefeltro of Urbino
• The Este of Ferrara
• The Gonzago of Mantua
• The Sforza of Milan

This story of five families is all that Hollywood seeks in a blockbuster. They intermarried, occasionally they were allies against the Pope, the king of Naples, the king of France and other states. Sometimes they fought pitched battles against each other. But all five families left an amazing legacy of buildings and art works which you can admire today on this small group that looks at the Renaissance of Italy the families that made it happen.

About this Renaissance Italy tour

In this Italian renaissance small group tour we take the time to explore these five independent cities. We learn through our local guides about the families who drove the development of each city. Florence in Tuscany is always part of the tourist trail. The other four cities are often over-looked due to more popular destinations, but each is Renaissance a gem. Everyone has heard of Milan though surprisingly it is not high on the average tourist’s list of “must see” cities. Urbino, Ferrara and Mantua are often ignored completely. This tour spends up to 5 nights in each city to explore these hidden gems and create a unique travel experience. You learn and see why each is so important to any study of Renaissance Italy. We will look particularly at the palaces, churches, civic buildings. Your tour also explores the frescoes, and other art works created for these families by some of the most significant artists of the period.

Florence

During the early period of Medici influence Florence was not a ducal state. The Medici family did not rule as hereditary monarchs. Florence was, in name at least, a republic until early in the 16^th century. But the Medici family had the wealth and the influence to run the state as they saw fit for much of the 15^th century. The renaissance period saw the rise of Cosimo d’Medici and his son Lorenzo the Magnificent. It was a period that witnessed the murder of Lorenzo’s brother, Giuliano. It saw the ascendancy of two Medici popes to the papal throne and the short rule of the religious reformer Savonarola. During this period the Medici family built a great many splendid palaces filled with amazing art works.

Urbino

Urbino is a small important city state ruled by the Montefeltro family during the Renaissance period. The city of Urbino also has Word Heritage status. It is a classic hill town with medieval walls, four gates, narrow streets and many steps. Frederico de Montefeltro ruled the city between 1414 and 1482. Montefeltro's stated aim was to make his city “comfortable, efficient and beautiful”. Frederico was an able warrior, a distinguished diplomat and an enthusiastic patron of all the arts. Here in Urbino, Piero della Francesca wrote on the science of perspective, Francesco di Giorgio Martini on architecture and Giovanni Santi, the father of Raphael, on the history of art.

Ferrara

Ferrara, another city listed as a site of World Heritage importance, was ruled by the Este family from the mid-13^th century until the death of the last heir in 1597. During this period the Este family created a city full of great art and architecture. The city developed particularly under the rule of Ercole d’Este in the late 15^th and early 16^th centuries. He had the city re-planned using the most modern of renaissance designs leaving it one of Italy’s best planned renaissance cities. Scandal, however, was never far from the Este family. The infamous Lucrecia Borgia married into the family. In the Corpus Domini Monastery, Borgia is buried with many other members of the Este family.

Mantua

Mantua, in the north of Italy, like Urbino and Ferrara, is also a World Heritage city. Surrounded on three sides by lakes, the city is little bigger than it was during the period of its greatness in the 15^th and 16^th centuries. The three lakes (a fourth lake has dried up) were built in the 12^th century to defend the city. The Gonzago family ruled Mantua from the early 14^th century until 1707. During that time the city was beautified with many palaces, churches and public buildings.

Nearby Sabbioneta was specifically planned for Vespasiono Gonzago to be the “perfect city” and, it too, has been given World Heritage status. The artist Mantegna and the architect Alberti spent many years in Mantua working for the Gonzagos.

Milan

This is the largest city on our tour. Famous for its Cathedral and Leonardo’s “Last Supper”. The Visconti family ruled Milan from 1277 until 1447 when the last Visconti died with no legitimate heir. After a brief period as a republic the city was taken by Francesco Sforza who was a renowned military leader and married to the illegitimate daughter of the last Visconti. Although their dynasty was not long lasting, under Sforza rule Milan became one of the leading cities of Renaissance Italy.

The Italian renaissance small group tour is a 21 day program, visiting 17 locations, with stories shared by many local guides. We visit some 48 locations to learn about Renaissance Italy and stay in each of the cities for up to 5 nights to spend a memorable vacation in the country. 

To prepare for the trip, check out our blog post listing 10 great books to read before travelling Italy!

To see Odyssey's list of some of the great galleries in Europe, click here!

You can learn more about Italy with Odyssey's country profile where all the other tour departures are listed as well. For more details, click the ‘Top 5’ or ‘Itinerary’ buttons above! If you’re keen to experience this tour, please call or send an email. Or, to book, simply fill in the form on the right hand side of this page.

• Art and Literature
• Level 2 - Moderate
• Specialised