© 2009 Intimate France
4 November 2009
Price is per person, double occupancy, and includes ground arrangements but not airfare
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Detailed Itinerary Day 1 – Sunday, May 16 Our tour begins at 9:30 a.m. in the lobby of our pre-tour hotel, the Cavalieri della Corona, near Malpensa Airport, Milano. By noon we've arrived in pretty Sirmione, on the banks of limpid Lake Garda, for sightseeing and lunch. Near day's end we come to Ravenna and check into our comfortable hotel, the Diana. Here, following a get-acquainted walking tour, we enjoy a WELCOME COCKTAIL followed by DINNER. OVERNIGHT – RAVENNA Day 2 – Monday, May 17 Not for nothing is Ravenna known as Italy's glittering capital of mosaics. We spend the entire day in town, visiting no fewer than eight buildings – tiny chapels, grandiose mausoleums and soaring sanctuaries – each crammed with marvelously detailed works of art dating from the 5th and 6th centuries. Ravenna, one-time capital of the western Byzantine Empire, contains Europe's finest Byzantine mosaics. It's also a lively commercial center. LUNCH today. OVERNIGHT – RAVENNA Day 3 – Tuesday, May 18 We leave Italy today – but only temporarily. On a day trip we visit the seaside resort of Rimini, then climb the flanks of Monte Titano to the ancient Republic of San Marino, one of two micro-states entirely surrounded by Italian territory (the other is Vatican City). Proud San Marino features picturesque alleys and spectacular medieval fortresses and walls. Late in the day it's back to Ravenna. OVERNIGHT – RAVENNA Day 4 – Wednesday, May 19 From Ravenna we head south a short distance to the enchanting hilltop village of Brisighella (lunch here). Another pretty hill village, Dozza, is on our agenda, as well as medieval Imola, before we arrive, late in the day, in grand Bologna, the most important town in Emilia Romagna. Here, after checking into our hotel, with rooms arranged around a tranquil courtyard, we have DINNER. OVERNIGHT – BOLOGNA Day 5 – Thursday, May 20 We spend all of today in Bologna, home to a vast treasury of art, architecture and culture. Among its sights are the adjoining squares of Piazza Maggiore and Piazza del Nettuno, which form a harmonious ensemble; the renaissance palaces of Comunale and Podestà; the elegant street Strada Maggiore, lined with mansions; several fine museums (paintings, archaeology and medieval life), and 23 miles of arcades. Bologna is also known as Italy's center of fine foods. The citizens are accustomed to enjoying only the best wines, cheese, produce and meats. Let's learn about the gastronomic possibilities at LUNCH today. OVERNIGHT – BOLOGNA Day 6 – Friday, May 21 On a day trip to Ferrara, we find out why this town is considered the height of renaissance elegance – and why it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Ferrara is a tranquil town filled with red-brick palaces and churches, and dotted with charming squares. A splendid cultural center during the renaissance, Ferrara today is a youthful, vibrant place. While here, let's visit the massive Castello Estense and the romanesque-gothic cathedral, dating from the 1100s. OVERNIGHT – BOLOGNA Day 7 – Saturday, May 22 Today we leave Bologna, headed for Modena. It's our chance to learn about prosperous Modena's most renowned product – true balsamic vinegar, known the world over. We visit an artisan producer of this elixir, and have a chance to taste and buy. Afterward, we visit pretty Modena itself, whose medieval center, grouped around an arcaded square, is the setting for the elegant duomo (cathedral), one of the most perfect romanesque buildings in Italy. Here, marvel at the architecture by Lanfranco and sculptures by Wiligelmo (12th century). Late in the day we arrive in the small town of Rubiera and check into our hotel-restaurant, Arnaldo Clinica Gastronomica. In the evening we enjoy DINNER in the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant. OVERNIGHT – RUBIERA Day 8 – Sunday, May 23 From Rubiera we visit Mantova (Mantua), just across the border in Lombardy. This prosperous town enjoyed its zenith during the rule of the Gonzaga family in the 15th and 16th centuries, becoming an important artistic and intellectual center. We have time to visit two of its most important monuments – the dazzling Ducal Palace, whose apartments are filled with renaissance frescoes and paintings, and the Palazzo Te, a country mansion containing celebrated frescoes by Montagna and Giulio Romano. We return to Rubiera late in the day. OVERNIGHT – RUBIERA Day 9 – Monday, May 24 Our first destination today is the attractive small town of Carpi to view its renaissance cathedral, pretty Piazza dei Martiri and the Castello dei Pio, an imposing building bristling with towers and featuring a courtyard by Bramante, whose chief claim to fame is as the designer of St. Peter's Basilica at Rome's Vatican City. Later we move toReggio Nell'Emilia, the co-center (with Modena) of production of Italy's justly famed balsamic vinegar. Near day's end we arrive in fabled Parma and check into our comfortable, city-center hotel. In Parma we enjoy DINNER. OVERNIGHT – PARMA. Day 10 – Tuesday, May 25 Parma is Ground Zero of the Emilia Romagna gourmet heartland, and we spend the early morning (optional) visiting a parmesan cheese-making facility. From the arrival of the milk to the emergence of the huge cheese from its vat, we see the entire process. Afterward we explore the exciting town, famed not only for its exquisite parmesan cheese but also for the aged ham known as prosciutto. Enjoy the sights, including the lively pedestrian zone, the sumptuously frescoed duomo (works by Corregio) and adjacent baptistry (some say it's Italy's most harmonious medieval monument). OVERNIGHT – PARMA Day 11 – Wednesday, May 26 This morning we head into nearby countryside to visit one of the most impressive of the many castles the region has to offer – Torrechiara. After lunch here, we trek north to pretty Sabbioneta, a "new" town from the 1500s whose hexagonal walls, star plan and monuments make it a jewel of the Italian renaissance. Later, returning to Parma, we enjoy DINNER. OVERNIGHT – PARMA Day 12 – Thursday, May 27 Today we leave Emilia Romagna, but there are a few adventures along our way before we reach our airport-area hotel near Malpensa Airport, Milano. First up is the exciting Thursday market at Fontallenato, which sets up in the shadow of the imposing, moated castle. Then it's off to Pavia and a visit to the magnificent Certosa di Pavia, the so-called Charterhouse of the Graces. Founded as a mausoleum in 1396, this ornately carved church, with its three-layer cloister, will amaze you. After an exceptionally fine ARRIVEDERCI LUNCH near the charterhouse, we make our way to our hotel near Milan's airport. OVERNIGHT – MALPENSA AIRPORT HOTEL Getaway day – Friday, May 28 This morning we say goodbye to Italy as we fly home from Milano's Malpensa airport. Notes MEALS – Tour includes breakfast every day, as well as eight other meals (lunches and dinners), as indicated in BOLD CAPS on the itinerary. OUR LODGINGS Hotel Diana, Ravenna Hotel Porta San Mamolo, Bologna Arnaldo Clinica Gastronomica, Rubiera Hotel Button, Parma Ramada Hotel Malpensa, Malpensa Airport (Milano) HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS – Subject to change according to availability. * TOUR PRICING – Price of $3,795 is an estimate only as fluctuations in foreign currency rates may make a surcharge necessary. Call us for details - (800) 676-1247. Price includes ground arrangements but not airfare. ITINERARY – Details of this preliminary itinerary could change. A final itinerary will be issued closer to trip departure. SIGHTSEEING – All sightseeing listed in itinerary is included as part of the tour. |
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