My Afternoon Becoming a Renaissance Apprentice

I still remember the nervous excitement walking into that sunlit studio in Florence’s San Frediano district years ago. I was there to meet a legend—a fresco master whose work adorns the Vatican and whose knowledge of Michelangelo is unparalleled. I left three hours later not just with a freshly painted fresco, but with a friend for life. That’s the magic of this artist, and the magic of the living art form he so passionately teaches.

So, what is fresco? And why did Michelangelo, Raphael, and all the greats swear by it? In short, it’s painting on wet plaster. But that simple description belies its alchemy. You’re not painting on a surface; you’re binding pure, crushed minerals (malachite for green, lapis lazuli for blue) into the wall itself. As the plaster dries and cures, it crystallises around the pigment, locking the colour in for centuries. This is why the Sistine Chapel still takes your breath away—those aren’t just paints; they are stone and light fused by genius. It was the ultimate “high definition” of the Renaissance, creating a luminous, durable brilliance no other technique could match.

Walking into the studio is like stepping through a time portal. The scent of fresh lime mortar hangs in the air, and the light floods in just as it would have in a 16th-century bottega. But the real treasure is the maestro himself. Imagine learning chess from a grandmaster, but here, the game is light, colour, and history. My friend is a walking, talking encyclopedia—a scholar who has taught at the world's top universities, a sculptor, and a painter with a restaurateur’s eye for detail. Yet, he has the patient, generous spirit of a true teacher. He doesn’t just lecture; he guides your hand, shares hilarious anecdotes about the old masters, and makes 500-year-old techniques feel immediate and thrilling...

Here’s what your three hours as his apprentice looks like:

• You’ll handle real Renaissance pigments, feeling the silken texture of malachite green and the deep powder of lapis lazuli blue.

• You’ll learn the “pouncing” technique to transfer your sketch, just like they did for Florence’s great chapels.

• Then, with brushes identical to those used by Raphael’s workshop, you’ll sweep colour onto the damp, waiting plaster. There’s a moment of pure magic when you realise the plaster is drinking the colour in—this is it, the point of no return, the same decisive stroke every fresco master has felt for centuries. And he is right there, a steady presence, offering a tip, a historical fact, or just a nod of encouragement.

It’s not an art class; it’s an immersion. You’ll leave with your own lightweight fresco panel (a stunning personal masterpiece) and a carrying case for your new treasure. But more than that, you’ll leave with the dust of history on your hands and a profound connection to the heart of the Renaissance.

This experience is for anyone who has ever looked at a Renaissance masterpiece and wondered, “How on earth did they DO that?” It’s for curious travellers, art lovers, and creatives hungry to touch the past, not just observe it through glass.

I went there as a curious student and found a lifelong friend in the maestro. You might just discover a new passion, and carry a piece of Florence’s eternal beauty home with you. Book your spot in this exclusive fresco workshop here.

Here's my masterpiece ;)