2026 Adventure #1: Renaissance Italy
Adventures in Mind is an educational travel program for adults. It will appeal to life-long learners who are inquisitive, open-minded and looking beyond the usual tourist experience. It is open to free spirits of all ages: a level of physical and mental fitness is highly advisable; curiosity and a sense of community are essential!
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Location:
Florence, with day-trips to other cities
Dates (to be confirmed):
April 5 – May 1, 2026 (including days of travel to and from Florence)
Group Leaders:
John Black and Constance Kovalenka
The Renaissance Italy Adventure provides a stimulating interdisciplinary exploration of one of the most dynamic and significant periods in the history of European culture. The setting is perfect because of the immense contribution of Florence to the 14th-16th century blossoming of humanistic learning and artistic endeavour known as the Renaissance.
Our Adventure will cover art, architecture and literature through the works of such figures as Dante, Giotto, Donatello, Brunelleschi, Masaccio, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Gentileschi. Activities include lecture/presentations, seminar discussions and visits to museums, galleries and other sites, in Florence and elsewhere. Preparatory sessions will be available in Nanaimo and online in February/March.
Under expert guidance, a group of 8-15 participants will encounter the Italian Renaissance not only by hearing the thoughts of the group leaders but, more importantly, by sharing with others their own background knowledge and responses to what they are witnessing during the Adventure. There will be ample free time for independent activity.
Group Leaders
Professor Emeritus Dr. John Black taught in and coordinated the Liberal Studies Abroad credit program at Vancouver Island University from its inception in 1997 until his retirement in 2017. He has Master's degrees from Cambridge and Simon Fraser, and a PhD from UBC, all in Philosophy. A devotee of mediaeval and Renaissance music, he has travelled extensively in Europe, and has led many study groups there. He values Florence in particular because of the opportunity it gives him to encounter his favourite painters Giotto and Masaccio, and favourite sculptor Donatello.
Constance Kovalenka is a graduate of the Liberal Studies program at VIU, and herself studied the Renaissance in Florence in 1997. An artist in her own right, she has a special interest in Florentine visual art, modern as well as Renaissance, and is very knowledgeable about the city, its markets, its antiques and vintage shops, and its cats.
Tentative Itinerary
Day 0
Leave Canada
Day 1
Arrive Florence; settle into accommodation
Day 2
Orientation; Walk in the Historic Centre; Lunch
Day 3
Church of San Miniato al Monte; Piazzale Michelangelo; Gardens
Day 4
Baptistery; Cathedral Museum; (optional: Cathedral)
Day 5
Daytrip to Ravenna
Day 6
Seminar TBA; Church of Santa Maria Novella
Day 7
Free Day
Day 8
San Marco Monastery; Fiesole
Day 9
Seminar: Renaissance Music; Uffizi Art Gallery
Day 10
Brancacci Chapel
Day 11
Away Trip to Padua: Baptistery; Scrovegni Chapel
Day 12
Free Day in Venice
Day 13
Return to Florence; Free Afternoon
Day 14
Free Day
Day 15
Orsanmichele Museum
Day 16
Daytrip to Siena
Day 17
Bargello Sculpture Museum; Seminar on Poetry
Day 18
Church of San Lorenzo; Medici Chapels; Walk to Arcetri Day 19 Daytrip to Assisi
Day 20
Santa Trinità; Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens
Day 21
Free Day
Day 22
Daytrip to San Gimignano
Day 23
Church of Santa Croce; Final Dinner
Day 24
Free Day
Day 25
Leave Florence
Inclusive Packages
Package costs include program overheads, accommodation, all program-related travel within Italy, tourist guides, educational materials, and admissions to cultural sites and events. Participants must arrange their own air travel to Florence and travel insurance, including medical. Food is not included, but accommodation is in apartments which have kitchens, so that food costs are minimal.
Program Fee: $5,995 CAD
(Double Occupancy)
Shared Accommodation
(Apartment for 2-9 people, with wifi, living room, kitchen and bathroom(s); two people sharing a bedroom):included in program fee.
Single Supplement: $1,000
Private One-Bedroom Apartments (for one or two) may possibly be available: cost TBD