ITALIAN WOMEN ARTISTS:
milan, bologna, florence, rome

November 2026
Freya Middleton

*** Preliminary Itinerary ***

Discover Italy’s women artists, from historic works in the Brera and Uffizi to contemporary private collectors and world-class restoration projects in Florence and Rome

OVERVIEW

Italy’s women artists have long enjoyed respect from critics and viewers, but it’s only in the last fifty years that their legacy has been spotlighted in the country’s galleries and museums. This new 15-day itinerary surveys the life and work of great artists of the Renaissance and Baroque, from Fede Galizia and Sofonisba Anguissola in Milan, to Lavinia Fontana’s Bologna and Artemisia’s triumphs in Florence and Rome.

The tour commences with four nights in central Milan and a focus on women at the Sforza court. We admire Leonardo’s Last Supper and go behind the scenes at the Brera gallery, before travelling by high-speed train to Bologna. Bags are shipped separately in a same-day service.

With three nights in Bologna, we discover sculptor Properzia de’ Rossi and painter Lavinia Fontana and enjoy the fine gastronomic scene before continuing to Florence. Here we survey outstanding women’s art in the Uffizi and Pitti Palace, before meeting a private collector and taking a tour of contemporary artisan workshops.

The tour concludes in Rome, an opportunity to admire outstanding works in the Borghese Gallery, Galleria Spada and Palazzo Barberini, and a visit to a woman-led restoration studio. The experience is rounded out by the expertise of tour leader Freya Middleton, an Australian art historian and passionate communicator.

TOUR LEADER

Freya Middleton is an Australian art historian and licensed guide who has lived in Italy for more than twenty years. After graduating with a degree in art history, French and Italian Studies, Freya took up a prestigious internship at Venice’s Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

She has a Masters in Renaissance Studies from Warwick University, an acknowledged leader in the discipline, and is the founder and principal of Freya’s Florence, a travel agency that brings together a team of expert guides specialising in the art, history and culture of Florence and Tuscany.

Freya is known for her knowledge of and passion for all things Italian.

Highlights

  • Encounter the life and works of great historic artists, from Artemisia Gentileschi in Florence to Lavinia Fontana in Bologna and Rome

  • Understand what lies behind historic art, on walking tours exploring the lives of historic women in Milan, Florence and Rome

  • Go behind the scenes at Italy’s highly respected restoration workshops, at the Brera and in Rome’s historic centre

  • Visit a private collector of women’s art in Florence and meet the women artisans revitalising the city’s arts and crafts

  • Enjoy the independence of comfortable high-speed train travel between cities, with bags shipped separately in a same-day service

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