The Sublime Secrets of Florence: Renaissance Beauty & Untold Stories.
This course and city experience form part of The Story of Art and the Cities that Helped Write It, an ambitious long-form programme exploring art history through the places where it was created, collected, transformed, and preserved. Through a combination of expert-led online learning and immersive city experiences, the programme places great works of art back into their original cultural context—revealing the people, power, ideas, and institutions that shaped them. Each individual course and city experience can be enjoyed on its own, while also contributing to a wider journey across the cities that defined the story of art.
Find our more about The Story of Art and the Cities that Helped Write It programme here
Overview
Get ready to step away from the well-trodden paths of Florence and be immersed in a journey through the city’s hidden masterpieces and secret stories. This exclusive three-day tour is designed for those who have already marvelled at Florence’s iconic landmarks but are eager to uncover its hidden gems. From the awe-inspiring sculptures of the Bargello and the quiet magnificence of Giotto’s Crucifix, to Michelangelo’s “secret” drawings and the private world of the Vasari Corridor, every moment reveals a side of Florence few ever experience. Follow in the footsteps of Renaissance masters, discover frescoes and artworks tucked away in unassuming chapels, and feel the intimacy of Florence’s artistic legacy in spaces untouched by the crowds. Perfect for seasoned travellers and art lovers, this tour promises a deeper, richer connection to the city’s history and culture. Florence as you’ve never seen it.
Dates
Online Course: 28 April, 5, 12 May 2027 Wednesdays, 4pm GMT
City Tour: 14 & 15 May 2027 Friday & Saturday, 9:30am-5pm
Fee
Online course (per city module) €380 - 3×1-hour lectures preparing each city (collectors, context, art history framework)
Florence experience only (2 days) €1950 - Lecturer-led immersive museum + collection-focused city experience
Online + Florence experience (combined package) €2,450 Full pre-study + guided on-site immersion for one city
Lecturer’s Biography
Aliki Braine
Born in Paris in 1976, Aliki Braine studied at The Ruskin School of Fine Art, Oxford, The Slade School of Fine Art, London, and The Courtauld Institute, where she was awarded a distinction for her master's in 17th-century painting. Aliki has been a regular lecturer at the National Gallery since 2001 and teaches at the Wallace Collection, Courtauld Gallery, and The Arts Society. She is an Associate Lecturer in the Department of Fine Art Photography at the University of the Arts London. Aliki is also a practicing artist who regularly exhibits her photographic work internationally.
Publications & Exhibitions
Books
Art; The Whole Story, Thames and Hudson (2010)
501 Artists, Barons Publishing (2007)
1001 Paintings to See Before You Die, New Burlington Books (2006)
Reviews
Robert Shore, Beg, Steal and Borrow; Artists Against Originality, Elephant Books (2017)
Pauline Martin, L’Évidence, le vide, la vie; La photographie face à ses lacunes, Ithaque Editions (2017)
Brady Wilks, Alternative Photographic Processes: Crafting Handmade Images, Focal Press (2015)
Robert Shore, Post-Photography: The Artist With a Camera, Laurence King Pub (2014)
Exhibitions
‘Veronica Bailey & Aliki Braine: Cross-Reference', dalla Rosa Gallery, London (2018)
‘Wilful Damage’, Galerie Raum Mit Licht, Vienna, Austria (2011)
‘Les Evidences du Réel; La photographie face à ses lacunes’, Musée d'art de Pully, Lausanne, Switzerland (2017)
‘Material Light’, Kulturni Centar, Belgrade, Serbia (2015)
