Florence, Italy Through the Eyes of the Artist

Florence: Capital of Artists

Fifteenth-century Florence produced Brunelleschi, Donatello, Masaccio and Botticelli, and then, as if that weren't enough for one city, Leonardo and Michelangelo. No other city has a century quite like it, and most of what they made is still here, often in the buildings it was made for.

On the agenda

• The Duomo (Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore), under the red-tiled dome Brunelleschi raised in the 1400s, and the Baptistry beside it
• Piazza della Signoria, with Ammannati's Neptune fountain, and the Palazzo Vecchio
• The Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in the city, teeming with goldsmiths' shops and foot traffic
• Galleria dell'Accademia, where Michelangelo's David stands
• The Uffizi, at least twice. Botticelli's Birth of Venus is here, along with Leonardo, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Rubens and Rembrandt. One visit isn't close to enough.
• Basilica di Santa Croce, where Michelangelo is buried
• Palazzo Pitti, the Medici residence, and the Boboli Gardens behind it
• Day trip to hilltop city of Siena. Once a powerhouse and on a level with Florence and Venice, this UNESCO World Heritage site is one of Italy's best-preserved medieval cities.

Our hotel sits in the old city, a short walk from nearly everything on the agenda. This is a walking trip. We'll add additional private group visits as we get closer. The goal is to keep our agenda's schedule is inspired and flexible—allowing for extraordinary, impromptu opportunities (so common in this magical city).

Bring a sketchbook

Rob's groups draw. Where and when depends on the day and on what each museum allows, but people who bring a sketchbook use it, and Rob is right there while you do. Drawing in front of a Michelangelo for an hour is a different experience from walking past it, and you don't need to be good at it for that to be true.

Before we go

About three weeks out, the group gets together so Rob can walk everyone through the plan, with a Zoom connection for travelers joining from other cities. It's a chance to meet the people you'll be spending the week with and to ask whatever you're wondering about.

Reserving your spot

Your Reserve-a-Spot Deposit Ticket is fully refundable through September 8, 2026.

• Deposit: $650
• Trip cost: $3,695
• Included: hotel nights*, museum entries, private group visits, etc.
• Not included: airfare, transfers, meals, etc.

Terms: Workshop Price is $3695.00, per person, including lodging for 7 nights (double occupancy), entrance fees to sights on the agenda, group transportation for two day trips by bus, and drawing instruction. Does not include round-trip airfare to Florence, Italy; transportation to/from the airport; personal items; phone calls; or art supplies.

Accommodations: Rooms have been reserved at the Hotel Rivoli Boutique Hotel located on Via della Scala, 33, in the heart of Florence. This four-star hotel is just a couple of blocks from the main piazza, part of Florence's designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also within walking distance of most sites on our agenda. *Double-occupancy lodging includes private bath and daily buffet breakfast. Single rooms (extremely limited) are available for an additional, one-time, $890 fee.

About Rob Liberace

Rob got his artistic start as a child with a battered copy of Hogarth's Dynamic Figure Drawing, and he's been drawing the figure ever since. Art scholarships from the Morris Louis Foundation, the National Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Knights of Columbus, plus a baseball scholarship, got him through his BFA and MFA at George Washington University. He works in drawing, watercolor, oil, and marble, and he knows the anatomy and art history behind it all.

In addition to his Living Master designation and the 2020 Grand Prize for his painting Spartan, Rob won the Portrait Society of America's International Portrait Competition in 2003 and now sits on their advisory board, where he teaches, demos, and helps judge the annual competition.

His work has been featured in The Artist's Magazine, American Artist, International Artist, and American Art Collector.

His portrait subjects include President George H. W. Bush, Ambassador Sol Linowitz, and National Portrait Gallery director Marc Pachter. Along with the marble reliefs at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, a life-sized marble Mother Teresa based on his design stands there, and a fifteen-foot crucifix of his hangs above the altar at Our Lady of Mercy in Potomac, Maryland.

He teaches regularly at The Art League in Alexandria, Virginia, and leads workshops and museum tours across the United States and Europe. He and his wife, the artist Lina Liberace, have two daughters, both artists.

About the organizer

The Art League is a nonprofit art school and gallery in Alexandria, Virginia, offering classes, workshops, and exhibitions to artists at every level. This trip is open to anyone, whether or not you've taken a class with us.

Questions?

Email Margaret Cerutti, Travel Workshop Coordinator, at margaretc@theartleague.org or call 703-549-5450. We're happy to talk it through before you commit.