Italy in the Renaissance: A Story of Art, Wealth, and Influence

Without the Medicis and the Sforzas, there would be no Renaissance. Travel to Florence, Rome, and Milan and you can still see how these elite families left legacies of lasting cultural significance.

With properties in each city, and its support of the exhibition ‘Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael: Florence, c. 1504’ at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, Rocco Forte Hotels has created a special 1504 tour to help guests revisit the Renaissance through a series of unforgettable experiences.

The Medicis of Florence

Florence was at the heart of the Renaissance, where patrons like the Medici banking dynasty financed an artistic revolution. It was here too that Taddeo Taddei, the wool trade merchant, commissioned Michelangelo’s Taddei Tondo – one of the most beautiful pieces in the RA’s exhibition.

In Florence, guests of Hotel Savoy can enjoy a private view of one of Michelangelo’s less well-known works as part of our 1504 tour – a special viewing of his "River God" sculpture at the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno, created for the base of the Medici tombs.

To fully appreciate the role of the Medici family, visit their former residence of the Palazzo Medici Riccardi and admire the opulence they cultivated in a palace filled with frescoes, intricate tapestries, and precious sculptures.

Villa Farnesina in the Eternal City

As Florence set the stage, Rome soon became another Renaissance epicentre, thanks to wealthy patrons including bankers and the Catholic Church. Under the influence of popes like Julius II, art flourished, and some of the world’s most famous works came to life.

The Vatican Museums house one of the largest collections of Renaissance art, including Michelangelo’s ceiling in the Sistine Chapel – a breathtaking feat of imagination and skill.

For a more intimate experience Villa Farnesina, in the heart of Rome’s colourful Trastevere neighbourhood, can be explored on a private tour from each of our three properties in Rome – Hotel de Russie, Hotel de la Ville and Rocco Forte House – as part of our 1504 experience.

Once home to banker Agostino Chigi, Villa Farnesina showcases works by Raphael, whose Cupid and Psyche frescoes immortalise his patron’s second marriage. Chigi’s beautiful villa stands as testament to the wealth and taste of the most influential of Renaissance patrons.

The Sforza family in Milan

In Milan, the Renaissance takes on a distinctly intellectual dimension. Leonardo da Vinci, perhaps the most multi-talented Renaissance figure, left his mark on this city with the support of patrons like the Sforza family.

Visit Castello Sforzesco to see the home of this powerful dynasty who ruled Renaissance Milan. The castle's defences were designed by da Vinci himself whose famous masterpiece, the Last Supper resides in the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

From there it’s a 10-minute drive to the Biblioteca Ambrosiana where guests of Rocco Forte House Milan can access the library which houses Leonardo’s Codex Atlanticus, a fascinating collection of drawings and notes that illustrate da Vinci’s unquenchable curiosity and undeniable genius.

Step into the Renaissance with Rocco Forte Hotels’ 1504 Tour in Florence, Rome, and Milan.