Despite its huge role in world history, Florence is actually a rather compact city, which makes it easily navigable with a group of students. And there is so much to see and do here, that you may find it difficult to decide what to include on your itinerary (but don’t worry – we’re here to help you decide which visits to include to meet your specific learning objectives).
Firstly, for foreign language groups, there really is no better destination. Florence is the birthplace of the Italian language itself. When Italy was unified into one kingdom in the 19th century, it was a country of numerous languages. When it was decided a national language was needed, it was the literary language that had evolved from the Florentine dialect that was adopted as the national language.
This is the language of Dante, the 14th century Tuscan writer, and was the obvious choice for the national language as it was the only one that was widely understood throughout the Italian peninsula, thanks to the popularity of his works.
And if you want to give your students a taste of the Italian culture, there really is no better place to visit than Florence. The city is renowned for its contribution to Italian art, literature and music, so whatever your group’s interests they’ll be plenty to explore here.
For artists too, Florence is an amazing destination. This is the city of Cimabue, Giotto, Brunelleschi, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. And you can see their masterpieces in Florence’s many art museums, some of which, such as the Uffizi Gallery and Palazzo Pitti, are among some of the most famous in the world.
One of the reasons that this city is so packed full of important works of art is that it was the birthplace of the Renaissance. Florence in the 14th century was one of the wealthiest cities in the world. It was ruled by the Medici family, who bankrolled much of the art and architecture produced in the city during the Renaissance.
And it wasn’t just art that was inspired by this cultural movement. Science and maths made great leaps during this time, thanks to the likes of Galileo Galilei and Leonardo da Vinci. A trip to Florence offers your students to be inspired by the beauty of maths.
They’ll be able to see some of the incredible instruments which belonged to the Medici family. They can learn about how maths helped Brunelleschi to construct the seemingly impossible dome atop the city’s cathedral. And they can see for themselves the many wonderful machines created by Leonarda da Vinci so many centuries ago.
Florence is a city in which knowledge and learning has always been hugely important. And that’s why it makes for a wonderful, unforgettable school trip.
Interested in arranging a trip to Florence? Contact us today for further information.
