The Writer’s Digest Writing Retreat in Tuscany strives to operate according to our published itinerary. However, in the event of unforeseen circumstances beyond our control or opportunities that would enhance the itinerary, adjustments may be necessary.
In preparation for these site visits, the editors of WD will offer suggested readings from writers who’ve written specifically about places and artworks that we’ll see. These readings will include poems, essays, memoirs, and novels spanning centuries.
Day 1, Thursday, September 26: Arrival
Tour members arrange their own transportation to Florence and to the Hotel Cellai in central Florence, where a reservation has been made for them.
We will gather for a welcome dinner this evening at the Hotel Cellai (included in tour price).
Day 2, Friday, September 27: City walk, Gli Uffizi, Corridoio Vasariano, Casa Guidi
Begin by enjoying a complimentary breakfast at the hotel. We’ll start our tour by walking through historic central Florence, past the awe-inspiring Duomo and through the Piazza della Signoria, to the Uffizi Gallery. Here, we’ll be guided through two floors of true Florentine treasures, some of which aren’t allowed to leave Italy: masterpieces by Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Filippo Lippi, Caravaggio, and more. We’ll see how these artists took inspiration from Greek and Roman myths to create their masterpieces and see works by artists who in turn inspired writers like Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
After touring the galleries, we’ll venture into the newly renovated Vasari Corridor (scheduled to reopen in May 2024). The tour begins behind an innocuous door in the Uffizi and winds its way above the street, across the Ponte Vecchio, and ends in a tucked away corner of the Boboli Gardens. Pause at the windows in the center of the Ponte Vecchio to look out at the Arno River and surrounding cityscape.
After lunch on your own, we’ll gather near the Palazzo Pitti and walk a short distance to Casa Guidi, the Florence residence of the poets Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning. Tour their rooms and look out the windows to see what inspired some of their most important works.
As a group, we’ll walk back to the central city with more of our guided tour, across the Ponte Vecchio where you can see the famous jewelry shops that line each side of the bridge.
At the end of the day, enjoy free time to wander the city and have dinner on your own. Listen to the street musicians or sip a glass of Chianti while jotting down notes about the day.
Day 3, Saturday, September 28: City Walk, Palazzo Pitti, Giardino di Boboli, Carro Matto Parade
After a complimentary breakfast at the hotel, our local guide will take us on an intentional walk through the city. We’ll pause to see inscriptions of Dante quotes on buildings as we make our way to the Arno River. We’ll cross by way of the Ponte Santa Trinita, which is flanked by four statues representing each season. Once on the Oltrarno, we’ll make a point of walking past Piazza Santo Spirito, a square that often hosts booths selling everything from jewelry and antiques to, of course, books.
We’ll visit the imposing Palazzo Pitti, specifically the Palatine gallery, whose rooms contain floor to ceiling artwork—literally—many of which portray key figures and events from mythology.
After lunch (on your own), we’ll gather at the traditional entry to the Boboli Gardens behind the Palazzo Pitti for a tour of the grounds that will delight your senses with both historic and contemporary statues, ponds, fountains, citrus groves and rose gardens. Spend additional time writing in the gardens if you’d like.
Before time on your own, we’ll cross the Arno back to the Piazza della Signoria for Carro Matto, a parade that happens each September celebrating the first bottles of Chianti brought from the countryside each fall. (Be sure to search for pictures of this unmissable event!)
At the end of the day, enjoy free time to wander the city and have dinner on your own. Stroll by the Arno or head to the Piazza della Repubblica to watch the carousel sparkle in the night.
Day 4, Sunday, September 29: City Walk, Palazzo Vecchio, Santa Croce Opera, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze
After a complimentary breakfast at the hotel, we’ve got another full day of sightseeing. First, we’ll walk through the heart of Florence, past the San Lorenzo cathedral and through the Piazza del Duomo to the Piazza della Signoria. After pausing to take note of significant spots in the square, we’ll tour the Palazzo Vecchio where we’ll see more stunning floor to ceiling paintings inspired by mythology and catch a glimpse of Dante Alighieri’s death mask.
Enjoy lunch on your own before we head to Santa Croce Opera. Before entering the cathedral, we’ll stop at the imposing statue of Dante Alighieri. Once inside, we’ll see the memorials to Galileo, Dante, Machiavelli, and more. We’ll tour the garden cloisters and learn of the continuing impacts of the November 1966 flood.
Finally, we’ll make a quick jaunt around the corner to the National Central Library of Florence—the largest library in Italy and one of the most important libraries in Europe.
Enjoy your final evening in Florence with dinner on your own and more time for passeggiata (leisurely strolling) or writing.
Day 5, Monday, September 30: Free time in Florence; travel to San Gimignano
Enjoy a complimentary breakfast at the hotel, followed by a morning of free time in Florence. The editors of WD will provide a list of additional literary shops and sights you might enjoy.
After lunch on your own, we’ll leave Florence and head to our writing retreat destination at the Hotel Casolare Le Terre Rosse outside the medieval Tuscan hill town of San Gimignano. After settling in, we’ll enjoy dinner together at the hotel restaurant (included in tour price).
Day 6, Tuesday, October 1: Writing Day at Hotel Casolare Le Terre Rosse
After a complimentary breakfast, you’ll make use of the inspiration from the previous four days of sightseeing with a full day of writing at our retreat center. Your WD team will be writing right along with you! While you’ll enjoy lunch on your own, we’ll gather for another dinner together in the hotel restaurant (included in tour price).
Day 7, Wednesday, October 2: Writing Day at Hotel Casolare Le Terre Rosse
Our final full day together. After a complimentary breakfast, spend another day dedicated to your writing. Explore the grounds, refer to your notes from Florence, or consider taking the hotel’s free shuttle to San Gimignano for more inspiration (plus, a refreshing glass of Vernaccia di San Gimignano or some of the world’s best gelato!)—whatever is most fulfilling to you. Again, your WD team will be writing there with you. Lunch will be on your own, but we’ll gather for our final group dinner together in the hotel restaurant (included in tour price).
Day 8, Thursday, October 3: Departure
As our retreat comes to a close, we hope you continue to find writing inspiration from our time together. Tour members can choose to return home or continue traveling on their own.
