 Itinerary:
Day 1 Departure from North America
Day 2 Arrival in Venice, free time to recover from jet
lag. Dinner and overnight in Venice.
Day 3. Guided tour of the most romantic water-town of
the world with visit to the St. Mark's Cathedral and square, the Ducal Palace, the most
sophisticated Italian public palace, with its magnificent fringe of archways; the Ponte
dei Sospiri bridge, etc. During your private gondola ride along the Grand Canal admire the
many palaces from diverse architectural periods, from "oriental" Gothic to
Renaissance. Afternoon free to discover the city of your own. Dinner in a typical Venetian
restaurant. Possibility for an evening concert. Overnight in Venice.
Day 4. Morning departure to Padua along the banks of
the Brenta Canal. Enjoy the view of some of the delightful Palladian Villas. Visit the
villa known as "La Rotonda", one of Palladio's renowned works, and some of the
most important works by the artist in Vicenza; the Basilica, the Olympic Theatre and the
Loggia del Capitanato. Dinner and overnight in Verona, this authentic Renaissance city
immortalised by Romeo and Juliet.
Day 5. City tour of Verona including the famous Roman
arena, and bridge, the Romanesque masterpieces of the Basilica of San Zeno, and San
Lorenzo, the Piazza Erbe with the many magnificent public buildings and palaces. Dinner
and overnight in medieval Mantua.
Day 6. Tour of the Ducal principality of Mantova
including Romano's Palazzo Ducale and Alberti's many churches. Continue on to Bologna.
Architectural tour of Bologna. Dinner and overnight in Bologna.
Day 7. Transfer to Ravenna, the important centre of
early Christian architecture that became the former capital of the Western Empire in 402
AD. Visit the Baptistery degli Ortodossi, the basilicas of S. Apollinare and S. Vitale and
the mausoleum of Galla Placida and Theodoric. Dinner and overnight in Ravenna.
Day 8. Transfer to Florence followed by a city tour
concentrating on the architectural marvels of this beautiful city. Visit Brunelleschi's
Duomo, the Baptistery, Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Veccio, etc. Dinner in a small
restaurant in the vicinity of Piazzale Michelangelo with a stunning view of Florence by
night. Overnight in Florence.
Day 9. Free time to discover the city on your own.
Suggestions include the Academia, the Museum of the Opera del Duomo, Uffice Gallery, etc.
Dinner and overnight in Florence.
Day 10. Excursion to Lucca with the Guinigi
tower-houses and many other medieval masterpieces, and to Pisa to admire the splendid and
aptly named Field of Miracles with the complex of the Cathedral and the Leaning Tower.
Dinner and overnight in Florence.
Day 11. Afternoon transfer San Gimignano, a perfectly
preserved Tuscan medieval hilltop town with 14 towers. Lunch in a typical Tuscan country
restaurant surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and sunflower fields. Evening arrival in
Siena. Although less powerful than Florence, this town has preserved its medieval
traditions, with the summer Palio being the most famous one, and its harmonious medieval
aspect. Gothic art had an extraordinary flourish here, with the prime examples of the
beautiful Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Palazzo Publico and the many other palaces that
make the narrow streets so fascinating. Dinner and overnight in Siena.
Day 12. Full day excursion to the wonderful landscape
of Chianti: undulating hills cultivated by vineyards, solitary houses built atop hills and
surrounded by cypress trees. Visit Castellina, Radda and Gaiole and their castles followed
by wine tasting in one of the great Chianti vineries. Lunch in a Chianti trattoria.
Overnight in a Chianti villa.
Day 13. Departure to the "Eternal City" of
Rome. First we'll take you to Ostia, the harbour of Ancient Rome which was however
abandoned due to silting. This helped to conserve the city in a remarkable state of
preservation with its houses, shops, streets, squares, public baths and temples virtually
intact. Here, in a "termopolium", one of the ancient taverns, you will be
greeted with a cup of wine scented with honey and spices according to ancient recipe.
Lunch will be served in a typical restaurant by waiters dressed in ancient Roman costume.
Dinner in a trattoria, overnight in Rome.
Day 14. Today will provide the opportunity to inspect
more closely ancient Roman building technology with its masterly use of bricks. We will
stroll through the Roman Forum to admire some of the most typical ancient monuments such
as the Senate, the House of Vestals which served as a model for later Christian convents,
the triumphal arches and the temples. Lunch in a restaurant overlooking the remains of the
Imperial Forum. In the afternoon we visit Trajan's Forum and his grave, the Ulpian
Basilica and the market, an earlier forerunner of the modern supermarkets. Evening free.
Overnight in Rome.
Day 15. Today we visit the famous Roman walls, the
ancient Appian Way lined with villas and mausoleums, the drainage network from the Porta
Maggiore to the Cloaxa Maxima built by Etruscan workers. In the afternoon we continue to
the Colosseum, the Ludus Magnus, one of the gladiators' training gymnasium, and the Circus
Maximus and the catacombs. Dinner in the ancient Jewish Quarter between the Theatre of
Marcelus and the Tiber river.
Day 16 Visit Castel Sant'Angelo and enjoy an aperitif
on the castle's panoramic terrace built originally as Emperor Hadrian's mausoleum.
Afternoon excursion to Carrera and Tivoli with Hadrian's villa and the Villa d'Este with
the fantastic patterns of water in its splendid fountains. Farewell dinner in a typical
restaurant. Overnight in Rome.
Day 17. Morning free, then transfer to the airport to
board our flight back to North America. (individual extensions can be arranged) |
