Florence is the ultimate Renaissance city, the city where the Renaissance was born and where it still lives everywhere you turn in the city to this very day. From art, to architecture, to historical monuments, it is hard to forget the period that made the city truly great. If you're visiting Florence, you also probably have some Renaissance must-sees pencilled into your itinerary such as the artworks of the Uffizi, sculptures of the Piazza della Signoria and churches like the Duomo. However, in addition to these classic sights, you might want to consider something a little more off the beaten track that helps make your experience of the Renaissance fuller, that helps bring it to life and take it out of dusty history books. If so, you should consider the Renaissance Court Banquet experience. Just find a villa with internet in Florence and take a break from contemporary life to live it up like a Medici prince for an evening!
The evening officially begins by meeting with the organisers near Piazza Santa Croce in central Florence before heading to a Florentine palace. However, the fun starts earlier as you get out your best clothes and dress up and anticipate the evening. When you arrive, you'll be brought to a lavish banquet hall and given a 4-course meal complemented by Chianti wine. While you savour each traditional Tuscan dish, classical musicians playing harps and flutes, a soprano and dancers dressed in Renaissance costume will perform popular choreography from the period. You can even join in and learn the dances, if you wish.
A sample menu for the evening consists of cured beef with arugula (rocket leaves), cherry tomatoes, pine nuts and mozzarella for the first course, risotto with asparagus, ricotta and spinach ravioli with tomato and basil sauce for the second, a choice of beef with roast potatoes, breaded sirloin of cinta senese with roast potatoes or fillet of sea bream with scalloped potatoes and a mussel sauce for the third course and tiramisu and Bavarian cream for dessert. Beginning in the evening around 8, the event lasts an hour and a half and promises an evening of unique fun quite unlike anything you will have experienced before.
If you're visiting Florence, the Renaissance city, then this is a great way to spend an evening, getting a sense of how life was (for the wealthy) in the era that made it great.
If you're visiting Florence, the Renaissance city, then this is a great way to spend an evening, getting a sense of how life was (for the wealthy) in the era that made it great.
