Florence was, in the Renaissance, a powerful and prosperous city and the capital of an independent city-state. During the preceding centureies, Florence was the seat of the Dominicans whose influence upon the city is evident in the churches of Santa Maria Novella and San Marco. The rival order, the Franciscans constructed the church of Santa Croce. Visits to these churches encourages students to analyze the relationship between images, theology, and spirituality. Visits also expose students to dramatic historical conflicts such as the rise of Savonarola and the influence of the Medicit. In the 15th century, Florence nurtured an extraordinary cluster of humanists and artists who defined the city as the new Athens and strove to incorporate the values of the ancient Greeks into a Christian world. We see the visual beauty that resulted from these efforts and learn that this beauty was much more than a means to material enjoyment. It was an ascent to divine, immaterial perfection. The paintings of the Uffizi demonstrate this. These paintings are by Italian artists including Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Fra Angelic, Gentile da Fabriano and Filippo Lippo, and by their predecessors including Giotto, Cimabue and Duccio. In the 16th century, Florence was the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. We visit museums, churches and houses to see Michelangelo's work. These contexts include the Accademia, Bargello, Duomo Museum, Casa Buonarroti, San Lorenzo, San Marco and Santa Croce. The full day focus on one artist allows us to discuss topics related to the development of an individual style, the relationship between an artist, his city and its rulers and his church and its popes. We leave Florence to visit Sienna to understand that no style, however much it is admired later, is universal in its day. Then, as now, people and artists had regional affiliations, issues and identities. The artists of Sienna defined an independent and impressive mode of expression