Where do you run your walking seminars? We run walks in Rome, Paris, Florence, Venice, Naples, London, New York and Istanbul. There are over 170 scholars and specialists in our network. We have physical offices in Philadelphia, Rome, and Paris.
My family and I attended your context tour of the Cloisters today and were very happy to see that you have continued in NYC the high standards we found with Context in Italy. It is always a privilege to be in the presence of such scholars in their element.
Palazzo Strozzi continues its tradition of programming exhibitions that intrigue both visitors and locals alike. Their newest show “Americans in Florence: Sargent and the American Impressionists,” once again reflects the strong connections between the United States and Italy with a selection of works from artists such as John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt, Frederick Childe Hassam, and more. Just after the exhibition, which runs through July 15, a select group of our docents were lucky enough to have a private viewing of the show with curator Francesca Bardazzi. Here are some of their thoughts on what makes this show so special. Read more »
Context Travel is sensitive to the obstacles facing travelers with mobility limitations. Most of the cities we visit are very old, harking back centuries or even millennia, meaning one must grapple with layouts that can date back to Roman or Medieval times and are often dotted with potholes, cobblestones and various other pitfalls. Museums, churches, monuments and archaeological sites vary greatly in their degree of access, ranging from fully accessible to completely inaccessible. People who use wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, canes and crutches are likely to face a myriad of difficulties – ranging from uneven sidewalk surfaces, steep terrain and lack of curb ramps, to parked cars and motorcycles blocking the way, to tiny or malfunctioning museum elevators and inaccessible restrooms. Read more »
The cuisine one finds in Italy is as varied as the dialects spoken across the country. When pondering the different market walks we provide through our Italian cities, it struck us that their varied cuisine is a wonderful lens through which to view their unique cultures. A few quick exchanges with our culinary experts and voilà, some thoughts on market finds that exemplify the best of Florence, Rome, and Venice. Read more »
Last summer we had a client approach us with a new idea. She was spending nearly a month in Paris with her children and had heard about our Family Program of walks designed for kids and led by museum educators. We normally think of these as tours—one-off experiences that families enjoy during a visit. But what if, this client asked, she string together many of these—including a number of customized walks—into a kind of immersive, cultural summer camp. Wow, we thought, what a great idea. Read more »
While millions of visitors flock to tour the Uffizi Galleries or peer at Michelangelo’s David in the Accademia, Florence hosts a wealth of off-beat sites and museums. Whether for the repeat visitor who wants to try something new or a discerning newcomer looking to move away from the pack, here are our top five suggestions of off-beat sites and museums to visit in Florence. Read more »
At Context, our philosophy has always been about promoting and protecting the cultural heritage in each of the cities in which we operate. This heritage most familiarly comes in the form of monumental sites such as the Colosseum or iconic topics such Gothic architecture in Paris. But it also exists in smaller, sometimes more interesting, off the beaten path sites such as the Croton Aqueduct in New York or topics such as Thomas Jefferson’s time in Paris. Very often, however, these less well known aspects of a city’s heritage can be overlooked by enthusiastic visitors and busy locals.
One of the best things about being in Italy for the holidays, is soaking up all of the sights and smells. Italians love to decorate year-round, but really go all out during the holidays. Leave time for a passeggiata before or after dinner each night , the Christmas lights and nativity scenes are not to be missed! If you smell something delicious as you walk, stop to try it! Keep your eye out for chestnuts being roasted on street corners, mulled wine sold from kiosks, and wonderful cakes and pastries in the bakeries. Read more »
Sometimes it can be hard to convey the true passion of our docents and their love for leading travelers through their city. What better way to understand the beauty of Florence than through the words of those scholars who live and work in this magical city? Enjoy our video presentation on what makes Context Florence walking tours special and feel free to share your own thoughts with us below. A special thanks goes to our intern Anna Lillieholm, who worked hard on putting this footage together during her time with us in the Rome office.
Until January 22 visitors to Florence have the opportunity to view a stunning exhibition at the Palazzo Strozzi recounting the history and development of the European banking system and its relation to the Medici family. Co-curator and author of the well received book Medici Money, Tim Parks gives us insight into what makes the Medici family unique and how he arrived at his special interest in their history. Read more »
Continuing the search for Context City of Literature 2011, docent Kristin Stasiowski gives the arguments for Florence…
If it is true that you cannot have history until you have writing, than it is true that you cannot speak of writing without speaking of Florence.
In the 13th century, Florence welcomed the birth of her most erudite and inspired son: the poet Dante Alighieri. Written in the Tuscan vernacular, his Divina Commedia not only resurrected interest in great classical authors such as Virgil, it would serve as a model for generations of writers from Boccaccio, whose Decameron became the defining text of the Black Death, to T.S. Eliot, who would later say that: “Dante and Shakespeare divide the world between them, there is no third.”
Florence continued to inspire a veritable library of world-class writers including Francesco Petrarca whose Canzoniere, Secretum, and Triumphs earned him the title “Father of Humanism.” Renaissance humanism following Petrarca flourished as other artists, architects and thinkers committed their genius to vellum: Read more »
