Participants arrive at Florence Santa Maria Novella station, a strategic hub served by high-speed rail and easily reached from Italy's main cities. After meeting the tour leader, transfer to Marina di Pietrasanta and check-in at the selected hotel.

In the afternoon, departure for a guided visit of Pietrasanta, a city that is a symbol of international sculpture and a privileged meeting point for artists, craftsmen and masters of marble and bronze.

The route begins with a walk through the International Park of Contemporary Sculpture, a true open-air museum where monumental works by leading contemporary artists dialogue with the city's squares, alleys and historic corners. Marble, bronze and steel accompany the visitor on an evocative itinerary between artistic tradition and contemporary languages.

The visit continues with the Church and Cloister of Sant'Agostino, an ancient complex now transformed into a prestigious cultural and exhibition space, where historic architecture and contemporary art coexist in a unique balance. We then reach the Cathedral of San Martino, the religious and artistic heart of the city, and the Church of the Misericordia (San Biagio), which houses two large frescoes painted in 1993 by Fernando Botero, testimony to the Colombian artist's deep bond with Pietrasanta.

Next, a visit to one of the area's historic artistic bronze foundries, craft excellences that have made Pietrasanta famous worldwide. An opportunity to discover at first hand the ancient lost-wax casting techniques and the work of the master founders who collaborate with some of the most important international artists.

Dinner at a selected restaurant. Return to the hotel and overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel. Meeting with the guide and driver and transfer to Lucca, the birthplace of Giacomo Puccini.

A pleasant walk along Lucca's Renaissance Walls, an outstanding and perfectly preserved example of military architecture, and among the treasures of its charming historic centre. The route leads to the Romanesque Basilica of San Frediano and the spectacular Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, built on the remains of the ancient Roman arena and one of the city's most characteristic sights. The visit ends at the majestic Cathedral of San Martino, home to the famous Volto Santo and important works of art, including Tintoretto's "Last Supper" and the magnificent white marble funerary monument of Ilaria del Carretto, a masterpiece by Jacopo della Quercia.

We then visit Palazzo Pfanner. Its scenic garden, attributed to the genius of Filippo Juvarra (1678-1736) who designed it in the early 18th century, is a fine example of an Italian Baroque garden nestled between the city walls and the dense street network of medieval Lucca. The garden stretches between the Palace's monumental staircase, the elegant lemon house to the north and the two historic bamboo groves that for centuries have framed a green space adorned with a great variety of ornamental plants, palms and centuries-old pines.

Lunch at a selected restaurant in the centre of Lucca.

After lunch, transfer by coach to visit Villa Torrigiani. The Renaissance villa with its "kitchen-garden", built for the Buonvisi Marquises, was transformed into today's sumptuous Palace with the Garden-Theatre of Flora by Marquis Nicolao Santini, ambassador of the Republic of Lucca to the court of the Sun King (Louis XIV). Acquired in 1636, he decided to make it "his own Versailles", advised by André Le Nôtre for the great fountains and building the "Borgo Parigi". An imposing avenue of cypresses enhances the arrival and, in the park, ancient camellias and rare botanical species have grown to remarkable sizes, giving the garden a more romantic appearance.

A place of culture and encounters, it has hosted, among others, the French Presidents Georges Pompidou and Giscard d'Estaing, the Queen Mother of England Elizabeth, who planted a tree, and the Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, on a private visit during the G8 in Genoa. Maria Malibran once sang in the little theatre and, more recently, Cecilia Bartoli, on a private visit.

The Villa was opened to visitors by Princess Simonetta Colonna di Stigliano, born Marchioness Torrigiani, while still being lived in by the family.

Afterwards, return to Marina di Pietrasanta for some relaxation.

In the afternoon, transfer to Torre del Lago Puccini. Dinner by the lake at sunset.

At 9.00 pm, performance at the Puccini Festival: "Madama Butterfly", staged in the open air in the wonderful Giacomo Puccini Grand Theatre, immersed in the nature of the San Rossore Park.

Return to the hotel for the overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel. Meeting with the guide and driver and departure for Carrara, to discover the extraordinary world of white marble and the spectacular quarries of the Apuan Alps.

The visit crosses Carrara's main marble basins, including Colonnata, Fantiscritti and Ravaccione, iconic places where one of the world's most precious and sought-after materials has been quarried for centuries.

The experience continues with a 4x4 Jeep excursion into the most spectacular basin of the Apuan Alps, among imposing open-air quarries and striking tunnels carved into the mountain. A fascinating route to learn about the history of Carrara marble extraction, the ancient techniques of the quarrymen and the constant dialogue between man and mountain, from which come materials destined for great works of art and famous architecture all over the world.

Lunch/tasting at a traditional larderia in Colonnata, with a panoramic view over the quarries, to savour one of the area's most representative gastronomic excellences.

In the afternoon, a visit to the Museum of Marble and the Quarryman, dedicated to the history of quarrying and the life of the quarrymen, with accounts, tools and stories that help us understand the deep bond between Carrara and its marble.

Next, a walk through Carrara's historic centre, an elegant city deeply linked to its artistic and sculptural tradition. You can admire the Cathedral of Sant'Andrea, a precious example of Romanesque-Gothic architecture dating back to the 11th century, the main squares, the exterior of the Malaspina Castle and the places connected with Michelangelo, who stayed in Carrara to personally select the marble for his works.

The day ends with a visit to a traditional sculpture studio, where you can observe at close hand the work of the craftsmen and sculptors who still shape marble by hand today, keeping alive techniques handed down over the centuries.

At the end of the visits, return to Marina di Pietrasanta. Dinner at leisure and overnight stay at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. Meeting with the driver and guide and departure with luggage towards the Pistoia area for a guided visit of the characteristic village of Buggiano Castello, also known as the "Village of Citrus": a chance to discover enchanting private gardens within the medieval village, which bear witness to the typical Valdinievole tradition of the kitchen-garden and renew the ancient customs of hospitality and welcome of the small community of Buggiano Castello.

Lunch included at a traditional trattoria.

Afterwards, transfer to Florence Santa Maria Novella station. Departure of participants and end of services.