Tuscany and Emilia Romagna Workation Package

Florence is often called the “Cradle of the Renaissance,” with images of the Enlightenment shown in the architectural designs, artwork, and literature scattered around the city. The banks of the Arno River divide the edges of the historic borders with the city center where cobblestone streets circle the iconic dome of the cathedral. When you arrive in Italy, your Workation representative will meet you and take you to your accommodations that have been pre-verified for all the amenities you need to enjoy your Workation experience. 

The city is small but can feel overwhelming with the number of marvels packed within a narrow circumference. Get your bearings by taking a walk, enjoying the smells of fresh espresso or bubbling cheese from the street-side pizzeria.In Via de Tornabuoni, you can walk past the window displays of luxury boutiques leading to medieval avenues.

Focus:
Visit the Church of San Miniato al Monte which overlooks Florence. Set your phone timer for 60 minutes. Do not look at your phone until the timer goes off. Close your eyes and listen. Pay attention to how the chants and the atmosphere of the church affect you.

Suggestion:
The view from Piazzale Michelangelo offers the best panorama of the city. It’s right next to the church giving you time to visit and enjoy your first sunset in Florence.

Your first full day in Florence gives you the opportunity to explore the city’s immense and beautiful history. Taking a tour with a guide will give you more information and insight into the masterpieces you may otherwise inadvertently overlook. 

The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore towers over Piazza del Duomo with a brick dome standing over 380 feet tall. Master architect Brunelleschi designed the unreinforced feature making it the largest of its kind in the world. Intricate inlaid marble decorates each side of the exterior punctuated by the colors of the stained glass. When you reach San Lorenzo, you can find another church designed by Brunelleschi and a chapel designed by Michelangelo to hold the tombs of the Medici family.

Focus:
Climb to the top of the cathedral’s dome. What do you see? What do you hear? How is it different from the sounds of the street?

Suggestion:
Don’t miss the Renaissance masters on display in the Church of San Lorenzo, which includes the likes of Lippi and Donatello.

With another full day to explore the fascinating history and beauty of Florence, you can spend time visiting the iconic museums, the Uffizi and the Accademia. By starting at the Uffizi, you have more time to explore the larger collection of galleries demonstrating the evolution of regional artwork between the 12th and 18th centuries. A guide can better inform you on the importance of the works displayed in the museum, especially as the perspective shifts from Byzantine images to life-like figures, including in Botticelli’s renowned Birth of Venus.

Reach the Accademia that hosts a priceless collection of musical instruments and Michelangelo’s David. The statue stands 14 feet tall but looks even larger when hosted on a pedestal for visitors to view from all angles. You can quickly and easily see the mastery of the artist in the detail he carved into the hair, the bulging muscles, and the stoic look on the warrior’s face as he looked to the battlefield. 

Focus:
Take your time with David. Set your timer for five minutes. Study every detail. What stands out to you? Close your eyes and rebuild the statue in your head. Open your eyes and see what details you captured and missed. 

Suggestion: 
You can take the Vasari Corridor in the Uffizi Gallery, a hidden tunnel that passes to the other side of the Arno River at the Pitti Palace. 

Today is your first day working during your Workation. Create a ritual that helps you focus on the tasks at hand making it easier to slide into work whenever you need and also slide back out into an explorer’s mentality. After you finish work for the day, you can take the quick and scenic train ride to Siena. 

Siena is the iconic image of a Tuscan medieval town, where the towers, walls, and cobblestone streets of the past crown a hilltop while surrounded by lush greenery, vineyards, and rolling ridges. The city once competed with Florence for regional power eventually succumbing to the Medici family. Take your time walking the winding streets and enjoying the typical Tuscan atmosphere. In Piazza del Campo, you can sit at a restaurant, order a glass of wine, and relax in one of the finest city squares in the country, celebrated for its curving facades and regal palace, and narrow tower. 

Focus:
Take a look at the rectangular fountain of Fonte Gaia in Piazza del Campo. What do you notice about the reliefs? Are they originals or reproductions?  

Suggestion:
Climb to the top of the tower for one of the best views in the city for a panorama of Tuscany.

Remember the ritual you set in place the previous day and get started on work at your pace. At the end of the day, include another ritual that will help you disconnect from the work day before you take the easy and scenic train ride to Pisa. 

The city is home to one of the largest and oldest universities in Italy.​​ The city center feels vivacious, with students often littering around the cafes and bars while surrounded by Romanesque and Gothic architecture. You can make your way through the lively streets to reach Piazza dei Miracoli, home to the opulent cathedral, baptistry, and Leaning Tower. One of Italy’s most iconic monuments, the tower was originally built in the 14th century and tilted with time resulting in a nearly four-degree lean. You can climb to the top for a great view coupled with the unique feeling of tilting while looking out at the surrounding city.

Focus:
Visitors often miss the cathedral. Stop inside. Give yourself at least five minutes to look around the significant space and bronze doors etched with scenes from the lives of Mary and Jesus. Take in the incredible detail. What stands out to you? 

Suggestion:
If you want to visit the top of the Leaning Tower, let your Workation package planner know ahead of time to reserve your spot at the top of the 251 stairs. 

The high-speed train from Florence to Bologna takes fewer than 40 minutes. You can choose to spend part of your day at your accommodations in Florence or travel early to Bologna and settle into the comforts of your accommodation pre-vetted for the amenities you want and need. While Florence can feel like an open-air museum, Bologna feels like a lived-in historic city. 

Arcades line medieval streets but contemporary interiors reflect a high-tech city home to the country’s oldest university. Restaurants and theaters demonstrate the locals’ tastes for finer things making the city the gastronomic capital of Italy. After work, get to know the city with a walking food tour. Follow a local guide to the best eats after passing iconic city sites like San Petronio, a massive 14th-century church with a Gothic perspective. With so many options to try, you can melt into the city’s culture with your first taste of tortellini al brodo and lasagna Bolognese.

Focus:
Focus on the atoms of the food. How do they make you feel? Do they have a sound that sizzles or pops? Does it make your mouth water? Pay attention to how the food makes your body react.  

Suggestion:
Don’t forget to try passatelli, a typical rustic pasta often combined with breadcrumbs, eggs, and parmesan. 

After work, you can take the easy trip to Modena for new ideas on where history and modernity meet. The 13th-century cathedral has a fantastic rose window with marble lions and reliefs decorating the facade. The Ghrlandina Tower shapes the skyline and looms large over the surrounding piazza. 

At a family-owned villa, you can learn about the art of making balsamic vinegar, its similarity to crafting delicious wines, and how the ages can affect flavor, texture, and smell. Taste the different levels that demonstrate how age can affect the process, making it more or less stringent. 

Focus:
Look for the fruity and tart flavor elements and explore how deep the flavor can run. Does it make your mouth water? Does it coat your tongue? What elements do you find most enjoyable? Vocalize what you like.  

Suggestion:
Balsamic is a strong flavor but it can be easily drizzled over ingredients for a fresher, cleaner, and more robust taste, including melon or strawberries.

After work, you can make your way to Parma for another combination of flavor and enlightenment. The historic city center is colorful, especially around Piazza Garibaldi where the 18th-century palace facade supports an astronomical clock. Cafes set up tables outside where locals enjoy the view and the atmosphere. 

Walk around the city and enjoy the charming streets, as well as the interior of Teatro Regio, one of the finest theaters in the country. Opera lovers travel from around the world to hear the acoustics, especially when performing works by local Verdi. Outside of the city, you can visit a family-run estate known for producing delicious prosciutto. The typical cured meat can take on the elements in which it’s produced making the location in which it’s processed super important. You can sample a slice at the end of your tour to find a salty and slightly sweet flavor. 

Focus:
Prosciutto can be aged just like wine. What flavors do you find that you like most?

Suggestion:
Don’t miss the Shrine of Santa Maria delle Steccata in Parma. 

You can spend more time in Modena with a full day exploring the Ferrari Museum, which turns both car fans and those indifferent about cars into believers of the sleek, elegant, and artistry of the Ferrari. 

Trace the history of the race car and learn how and why engineers turn into artists. Step into the semi-professional simulator for a taste of an F1 race as you tackle some of the most challenging tracks listening to the engine roar and body shift along the turns. With more time to explore the beauty of the car and its history, you can visit the factory in Maranello, with a bus that can take you between the two museums. 

Focus:
Listen to the engines and feel the power. What details stand out to you? When in the simulation, do you feel like you are really on a track? 

Suggestion:
You can also test drive a Ferrari on an actual track.

With so much food to enjoy in Bologna, you can practically wake up to a bakery at your window to enjoy your final morning in Italy. Take your time by visiting a family business and sampling shortbreads stuffed with custard or flaky croissants as you sip a morning espresso to start your day. When you are ready, your Workation representative will meet you at your accommodation and take you to the airport. Why not spend more time in Italy by extending your Workation package and visiting Rome, Venice, or Sicily. 

Focus:
Emilia Romagna is known for creating the best food in Italy. What dish stood out the most to you? How did it affect your Workation? How will you remember it when you return home? 

Suggestion:
Bologna has its own international airport but you will most likely need a transfer depending on where you are flying from.