View of Florence from Ficino's villa

Introduction to the Itineraries

'"Like being there" is a cliché often used but very rarely so deserved.' Jeff Cotton, Fictional Cities.

Many are drawn to visit Italy and, in particular, Florence, but once they get there they are overwhelmed by the amount to see, and if it is not in some kind of context, it just becomes bewildering. Part of the aim of my novels was to give the context and, as such, they serve as guides to sites still existing, many of which are now museums.

The plan of the novels falls more or less into three categories: A Tabernacle for the Sun - Florence, Pallas and the Centaur - Tuscany, The Rebirth of Venus - Italy and beyond. It's not so neat, of course, and there's some crossover, but you can presume each itinerary refers to one of the novels unless stated otherwise. For all three novels, I visited all locations with the exception of Rome and Naples.

Most of the pictures used are my own, and you are free to grab them, but I'd be grateful if would you state their source and link back to this site.

Where to stay

The hotels in Florence are very expensive. I would recommend staying just outside the city and travelling in each day by bus. If you can afford it, however, staying within the city is best. There are few seats in Florence and you can sometimes find yourself on your feet for hours on end. The proximity to a bed and bath are worth the expense! The districts in Florence closest to the sites are San Lorenzo, Santa Maria Novella and San Marco.

The Itineraries for Tuscany and Italy will follow shortly.