Palazzo Vecchio: Power and Prestige

Cornelia has a PhD in art history from Columbia University and wrote her dissertation on Renaissance city planning. She is especially knowledgeable about Medici patronage. In addition to her research and teaching, Cornelia, a mother of a disabled child, runs an association dedicated to barrier-free travel in Florence and is author of "The Accessible Guide to Florence."

Elizabeth recently received her MA in Florentine Renaissance art from Syracuse University in Florence. Her interests include women's history and women artists, particularly by women in convents. In addition to leading walks, she also lectures at various universities and institutions in Florence.

Diane holds a PhD in interdisciplinary studies in architecture from the University of British Columbia and is a visiting scholar at the Faculty of Architecture at the Sapienza University of Rome. A former research fellow at the British School at Rome, she has been appointed as a heritage expert to numerous committees both in Italy and internationally on the conservation and restoration of architecture and urban heritage. One of her main research sites is Hadrian’s Villa, Tivoli, and the continued influence of the architecture of the Emperor Hadrian on Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Borromini, Bernini, and contemporary architects. Diane teaches architecture and urban history in Rome, including a specialized seminar on Michelangelo. Additionally, she was the founding curator of the international architectural collection of drawings, prints, and rare manuscripts for the Canadian Centre for Architecture. She was also an advisor to the Getty funded Architectural Drawings Advisory Committee (ADAG), at the Center for the Advanced Studies of the Visual Arts, Washington, D.C.