Florence on Canvas | Charterhouse School

In the heart of autumn, a small group of Carthusian artists set out on a trip to Italy that quietly unfolded into days of creativity and reflection. Selina, Second Year Specialist (Year 13), shares her experience of an unforgettable trip.

Early on Friday 17 October, our adventure began, heading to Gatwick Airport with excitement in the air. A short flight to Pisa, then a coach to Florence, sketchbooks already open as we passed through the Tuscan countryside.

Our first stop was a private tour of Christian Levett’s art collection in his beautifully curated home by the Arno, featuring works by female artists from the 1940s to today – an extraordinary start to the trip. The evening rounded off with the best pizza in the city, followed by sketching on the aptly named Hotel Panorama terrace as the sun set over the Duomo. A perfect first day.

The next morning, we were at the Bargello Museum by 8.15am, surrounded by Renaissance sculpture and intricate craftsmanship. The courtyard was peaceful, echoes of history surrounding us as we observed and sketched. After a visit to Pino’s for their famous Florentine sandwiches, and a browse through the markets, we spent the afternoon drawing near the Uffizi, and then visiting the gallery itself to see masterpieces by Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo. We walked across the Ponte Vecchio to the Boboli Gardens in time for the sunset, where some of us painted the skyline and others the monkey fountain.

On Sunday, we woke to the sound of church bells across the city, and the day began painting on the terrace, followed by a sketchbook showcase. We then walked to the Marino Marini Museum, housed in a former church, where powerful bronze sculptures of horse and rider explored balance, movement, and the relationship between human and animal form. Afterwards, we visited the lively Santo Spirito antique market, bursting with colour and character. In the afternoon, we explored the Fra Angelico exhibition at the Palazzo Strozzi, a display of luminous altarpieces, devotional panels, and fresco fragments revealing his mastery of light and colour. We finished at the Galleria dell’Accademia, where Michelangelo’s David left us speechless. Our farewell dinner at Borro Tuscan Bistro Firenze was full of laughter and reflections on an unforgettable few days.