Chris Dobson

Art History from a Different Perspective

The Tours: Basics

Chris Dobson Art History Tours are exclusive tours of Florence and Tuscany, given in English (or Italian on request). They are accessible presentations given in an informal atmosphere, by a museum specialist, in conjunction with local tour guides. They can provide a general introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Florentine and Tuscan art, but Chris also focuses on certain artists, sculptors and architects in depth, and his particular speciality is the relationship between art and arms. All this is put into context by his extensive knowledge of Medieval and Renaisssance Italian history and culture, and by the detailed local knowledge of his working partners. Chris firmly believes that art and history are for everyone, and can be explained without in any way 'dumbing down' the subject. The history of Florence is both brilliant and dark, but never less than exciting.

Group sizes are kept small, from just one person up to a maximum of about twelve people, to ensure that all participants can speak directly with Chris and the local guides, and to enable you to ask as many questions as you like. In this way, each tour becomes an individual and very personal experience for the participants. Please be aware that there can be lot of walking involved, so they are more suitable for able-bodied people. If you are unsure as to whether a health problem or disability might make participating difficult, then please let us know, and we shall do our best to accommodate you.

Academic and Student Groups

Chris Dobson and his team regularly give tours and presentations for academic and student groups. They can be for ages 11-12 upwards, but older students and adults will get much more out of them.

What are the itineraries for the tours?

Well to a great extent, that's up to you: Chris's tours and events are based around his publications, but the whole point of booking Chris and his team is that you say how many people there will be in your group (from just one person upwards), how long you would like your tour to last (this can be from half a day, up to several days), and what you would like to see, both in Florence itself, and further afield in Tuscany. You can see an example of a full day tour by clicking on the link on the left, but if you would like (for example) to cover the developement of Renaissance painting in Florence, but don't know precisely what you would like to see, then we can suggest a suitable itinerary which includes the churches, monuments and galleries that would be most appropriate. Where necessary, private transport can be provided.

You can also book Chris for private presentations or lectures, either as part of a tour, or seperately. Typically, these will be using Powerpoint, and are given in a private part of the beautiful roof terrace of Hotel La Scaletta in Florence, in the evenings, but you can also book Chris to give a presentation to your group at a venue of your choice, either during the day or in the evening. For more details go to the Events 2012 page.

Chris Dobson
was born and brought up in England. His passion for art and history was ignited in his childhood by his father, who was always taking him to museums, castles and cathedrals. He encouraged Chris to travel with his school, and this culminated in a visit to the Mediterranean in 1979, when he saw Italy for the first time. In his professional life since then, Chris has worked for, in and around museums in the field of applied arts for over 20 years in the specialist field of arms and armour, both as a Master Craftsman and as an academic, and in 1995 he was appointed Master Armourer to the Royal Armouries. His specialist field is the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in Italy, and the relationship between art and arms. In 2001 he wrote the book: 'San Romano, The Art of War', about the great battle paintings by the Florentine artist Paolo Uccello. Since 2010 he has brought together this experience, both as an artisan, and as an academic and lecturer, to present art history tours and special events in Florence and Tuscany. He has lived in Florence, and he speaks Italian fluently. For Chris’s full professional biography, click on the picture on the left.

Maddalena Verzì
was born and grew up in Florence, where she also studied. She is an art historian and licensed guide for the city. Maddalena worked for ten years in organising and running art exhibitions in some of the most prestigious historic monuments in the city, including the Palazzo Vecchio, the Museo dell’Opera di Ssanta Croce, and the Palazzo Strozzi. More recently, she moved into working as an art history guide, which she has done for the past eight years, as she loves sharing her knowledge of her beautiful home city. She enjoys working with families, groups and students, which she does in collaboration with some of the best hotels in the city.

Dr Federica Olla
is a native of Siena. She studied languages in the liceo 'Monna Agnese', and speaks English, Spanish, French and German fluently. She has put these skills to good use working in the field of cultural heritage since 1994, and she is a licensed tourist guide for: Siena; the Val d’Orcia; the regions of Chianti, la Crete, Montagnola, and the Val d’Elsa, including San Gimignano. Federica likes to share her passion for the art, culture and traditions of her home city. She was born into the Contrada della Lupa, the ‘she-wolf’ and every year is caught up in the excitement of the great drama and theatre that takes place in the Campo: the Palio horse race. To go to Fedrica’s own website, click on the image on the left.
For more on Federica’s Contrada, click here: http://www.contradadellalupa.it/

Tour Prices

These will vary, depending on the length and content of your tour, but they are based on the the amount of time for which you book Chris and his team, rather than the number of people in your group. Obviously, the more people in your group (up to a maximum of about 12), the more economical it is for each participant, but the benefit for very small groups is the very personal nature of your tour. Prices for your individual itinerary are available on request. These tours and presentations are truly exclusive, because they are based around Chris Dobson's publications and research, and the guides in Chris's team cover this material only with Chris. Here are some general examples of the prices for walking tours:

Florence

Half-day city centre tours cost from approximately €75* per head for a group of 6 people, and €40* per head for a group of 12 people.

Full-day city centre tours cost from approximately €150* per head for a group of 6 people, and €75* per head for a group of 12 people.

Siena

Half-day city centre tours cost from approximately €65* per head for a group of 6 people, and €35 per head for a group of 12 people.

Full-day city centre tours cost from approximately €130* per head for a group of 6 people, and €65* per head for a group of 12 people.

*Please note: these prices do not include entry fees for museums and galleries, which vary according to the age and nationality of participants, and student concessions. For example, some European pensioners get free entry to certain museums. Lunches and private transport are not included in these examples.

For enquiries in person, please ask at reception at Hotel La Scaletta: Via Guicciardini 13, 50125 Florence.

Or call Hotel La Scaletta, Tel: 0039 055 283028