ITALY

See Italy — a country of incredibly diverse interests—in its entire splendor. In Rome, the Eternal City, see the Colosseum where gladiators fought to the death and Olympic games were regularly held. Visit Vatican City and the exquisite Sistine Chapel. Experience the waters of the Blue Grotto. Travel along the beautiful Amalfi Coast, with the sea on one side and mountains on the other. In Florence, see the many cathedrals along with Michelangelo's David. Then to Portofino to catch a first glimpse of the Italian Riviera in the glow of the late afternoon sun. Experience Venice, the sprawling archipelago of 117 islands separated by more than 150 canals. Finally, a stop in Milan, the fashion and financial capital of Italy, and a tour to the beautiful Italian Lake District with Lake Como.

From the characteristic architecture, the narrow alleys and sumptuous palaces, to the beautiful Italian countryside, join us on a journey to Italy, truly one of the world's brightest gems.

Our grand adventure begins. This afternoon we depart from Dallas on Delta Airlines for Rome via Atlanta to explore the wonders and beauties of Italy. BON VOYAGE!

This morning we arrive in Italy's Eternal City, Rome. We then meet our representative who will transfer us to our hotel, with the remainder of the day free to relax and get acquainted with our new surroundings. There is also a chance to meet our fellow tour members this evening as we enjoy a welcome dinner at our hotel.

Rising out of both banks of the Tiber, on the slopes of seven hills, Rome has remained for centuries a shrine for all those who come to look in awe upon its art and mighty ruins. It is the city of the Pope, of Caesars, of large piazzas, and lovely palaces and fountains wherever you look.

The highly fashionable Romans seem not to notice that their daily routines are performed against the most incredible backdrop of antiquities. Everywhere are amazing ruins of temples and classical columns. Today we will see the highlights of this incredible civilization.

Rome’s past and present come alive during our full day city sightseeing tour, as we see Piazza Navonna, Piazza Venezia, flanked by the enormous, alabaster-white marble monument to Victor Emmanuel II, the legendary Trevi Fountain, and the stupendous Roman Forum, one of Rome's most photographed landmarks. This afternoon we will enjoy lunch at Alfredo’s Restaurant, the birthplace of the legendary dish “fettuccine alfredo.”

After lunch, we visit the Vatican Museums, displaying treasures of the Holy Roman Empire that have been cultivated over centuries. We visit the Sistine Chapel, which features Michelangelo's beautiful ceiling fresco depicting the creation of man. We also enter into St. Peter's Basilica, the holiest of all churches to the world's one billion Catholics. Inside the very heart of Catholicism, take a moment to marvel at the magnificent gold altar and marble embellishments.

Another sightseeing tour of Rome has been arranged for us this morning. We will see the Spanish Steps, St. Peter's in Chains, and the Circus Maximus. We will also see the storied Colosseum (72-82 A.D.), which was the site of ferocious gladiatorial contests and ancient Olympic Games.

The afternoon is one of leisure—for resting, shopping, or strolling in this fashionable city. Dinner will be provided at our hotel this evening.

This morning we leave Rome and drive north to Siena, one of Italy’s most beautiful cities, situated in the heart of Tuscany between the Chianti area and Maremma, rich in history, art, and popular traditions. The Etruscans founded Siena, where old buildings and precious works of art bear witness to the magnificence and prosperity of Siena in the past centuries. Unlike Renaissance Florence, Siena is a Gothic city, practically unchanged since medieval times, a city of beauty and charm. A major point of interest on the tour is the Piazza del Campo, one of the finest piazzas in Italy, dominated by the Palazzo Pubblico, Siena’s Town Hall since the 1300s. Additionally, the Cathedral of Siena is one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in Italy. Its rich facade with multicolored marbles and painted decorations is a memorable sight.

Another unforgettable experience today follows as we enjoy our lunch at Villa Sciacciapensieri, situated atop one of the nearby Tuscan hills, with a breathtaking view of Siena and the surrounding Chianti countryside from its wisteria-clad outdoor dining terrace. We then drive to Florence, a city of cultural treasures that is located on the banks of the Arno. For fourteen years it was the home of poets Robert and Elizabeth Browning. Upon arrival, we check in at our hotel.

Dante, Petrach, Boccaccio, and Galileo contributed to the intellectual life of Florence, while Michelangelo, Giotto, Cimabue, Ghiberti, Donatello, Botticelli, and the Della Robbias left their aesthetic imprints.

Today we will enjoy the sights of Florence with our local guide. We will see the lovely Piazza del Duomo, Giotto’s Campanile, the magnificent Brunellschi Dome of the Cathedral, and the Baptistry’s incomparable bronze doors by Pisano and Ghiberti (said by Michelangelo to be worthy of the Gates of Paradise). We will also see the Piazza della Signoria, the city’s most handsome square, which is an outdoor museum of marvelous statuary and fountains; the Uffizi Gallery with what has been acclaimed as the best collection of paintings in the world, spanning the 13th to 17th centuries; the frequently photographed Ponte Vecchio, the 14th century double-decked bridge lined with a beehive of shops; Santa Croce Church; the Piazzale Michelangelo with its sweeping view of the River Arno; and the old English and Protestant Cemeteries, burial places of famous Victorians.

This evening we will enjoy dinner at our hotel.

Today we will be taken on a full day sightseeing excursion to Fano, to see the famous Guercino painting “The Guardian Angel,” which inspired Browning’s poem, and celebrate our newly earned membership in the prestigious Fano Club. We will be taken on a city sightseeing tour of this beautiful seaside resort. Fano is the most famous of a string of popular Adriatic resorts, stretching down Italy’s eastern coast. As in most of these resorts, the town is split in two, with Fano Lido, a modern town of hotels and restaurants fronting the broad beach; and Fano proper, an ancient pre-Roman town, which is slightly inland. Fortune has smiled on the town for centuries, in both the form of the Roman Temple to Fortuna, now gone, and in the guise of a fine bronze statue that decorates the 16th century fountain, the Fontana della Fortuna, in the main square.

We will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in Fano. Later in the afternoon, we return to Florence.

This morning we leave Florence and enjoy a leisurely trip via the ‘Autostrada’ over the Tuscan countryside to Pisa, the historic old university town situated on the River Arno. We will see one of the world’s most unique monuments, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, along with the Cathedral renowned for its pulpit; famous paintings and mosaics; and the Baptistery, with its organ-like echoes.

We will see glorious scenery as we drive to Portofino, catching our first glimpse of the Italian Riviera in the glow of the late afternoon sun. After checking in at our hotel, the rest of the day is free to explore this lovely resort town on our own. Dinner will be provided at our hotel.

Portofino has become a famous and exclusive resort, following the influx of rich and famous Italians buying villas on the town's wooded headland. The protected bay on the Ligurian Sea, surrounded by a charming little fishing village, is also popular with yachtsmen. The peninsula is a nature reserve with particularly interesting vegetation. Scenic coastal paths lead up to the lighthouse at the top of the headland—Punta del Capo —and up Monte di Portofino, from where there are superb views. The remains of an early medieval abbey are seen in the secluded seaside hamlet of San Fruttuoso, which is accessible from Portofino on foot or by boat.

This morning we leave Portofino and drive first to Parma, a prosperous city adorned with great churches and artwork. We will see its most famous building, the huge octagonal Baptistery, and experience its most renowned activity—apart from the making of ham and cheese—opera, which is performed at the Royal Theatre. The Romanesque Duomo has a dome decorated by the renaissance artist, Correggio. Nearby is the church of San Giovanni Evangelista, which also contains frescoes by Correggio.

We then continue our journey to Verona, a city second only to Venice for its classical buildings and medieval monuments. Verona was also the setting for several of Shakespeare's plays, including Romeo and Juliet. Here you will see the 13th century house of Juliet Capulet.

We will enjoy dinner at our hotel this evening.

Leaving Verona on our drive to Venice, we stop in Padua, with its illustrious cultural center. Not only is its university one of Italy's most celebrated, but there are also frescoes by Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel and much-restored Mantegna fragments in the church of the Eremitani. There is more art in the Municipal Gallery, with works by Bellini, Titian, and Veronese. The Botanical Garden is Europe's oldest. We then drive to Venice, Robert Browning’s favorite city, and one of the most fascinating cities in the world.

Upon arrival, we check in at our hotel. Dinner will be provided at the hotel.

This morning we visit the captivating ‘City in the Sea,’ Venice. The ‘Queen of the Adriatic’ is considered by many to be the most unusual city in the world. Built for defense on a group of tiny islands, it is a labyrinth of 150 canals and is graced by hundreds of bridges and abounding with narrow alleys and canyon-like footpaths. The vast S-shaped Grand Canal flows serenely under the Rialto Bridge and past more than 200 palaces lining its two and a half mile course. Much of the architectural splendor of Venice is of Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance marble.

During our walking tour, we will visit the 11th/16th century Byzantine St. Mark's Cathedral to see the Pala d'Oro, a magnificent jewel-encrusted altar piece, which originated in 1105. Mark the Evangelist is buried under the main altar. We will also visit the Doge's Palace, adjacent to the Grand Lagoon, which strikingly beautiful. It contains works of the great Venetian masters: Tintoretto, Bellini, Tiepolo, Veronese, Titian (Tiziano), and Carpaccio. We then visit the Bridge of Sighs, over which so many unfortunates had their last view of the outside world. It was built in the 16th century and leads from the Doge's Palace to the prison. We then walk around St. Mark's Square and see the Clock Tower, whose two huge bronze Moors parade and strike the time every quarter hour. Completing the tour is the Campanile, rising above the Square, and Rialto Bridge.

The afternoon is free to explore Venice on your own. Tonight we will enjoy dinner at a typical Venetian restaurant.

Today we will be taken on a full-day sightseeing excursion to Asolo, a town filled with Robert Browning associations. Asolo, a small town of great character, is set on a ridge in the cypress-clad foothills of the Dolomites. Robert Browning loved the town so much that he devoted an entire volume of poetry—Asolando (1889)—to its sweet charms. In more recent times, the late Freya Stark made it her home after a lifetime of writing and adventurous traveling. Eleanora Duse, the famous Italian actress, is buried in the city cemetery.

Before we return to Venice, we will enjoy lunch at Villa Cipriani in Asolo.

This morning we leave Venice and drive to the fashionable city of Milan. Upon arrival, we will be taken on a half-day sightseeing tour of Milan. The second largest city and the capital of northern Italy, Milan is enveloped by intrigue. Prominent among the artifacts of Milan is the Duomo, located in the center of the city, a magnificent building that, to date, has taken more than five centuries to complete. With its 135 spires and gilt statue of the Madonna, it is the traditional symbol of Milan. It is also home to the world's fourth-largest church and to historic La Scala, the holiest shrine of the opera world. Finally, Milan is where you will find the Vinciano Refectory, the site of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. Milan is a thriving commercial city and one of Italy’s best shopping centers; it is the site of what is reputed to have the world's most beautiful shopping mall: the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

After our sightseeing tour of Milan, we check in at our hotel, where we will enjoy dinner.

Today we will be taken on an exciting full-day sightseeing excursion to Lake Como and the Italian Lakes. Take a deep breath and lose yourself in the dreamy vista of one of Italy’s most scenic spots. We drive into the region of Lombardy, with its brilliant green foothills, mountain peaks, and mirrored lakes. Our first stop is Como, the center of Italy's silk industry. Magnificently situated at the southern tip of Lake Como, it is the focus for trips that can be taken by the lakeside road or by steamer and hydrofoil. In Como, we will visit the magnificent Duomo and the 11th century church of Sant'Abbondio. We will also visit the famous Villa d’Este in Cernobbio.

From Como, we then board a hydrofoil for Bellagio. Elegant Bellagio is one of the principal towns on Lake Como and is idyllically situated at the head of a promontory that juts into the lake so that the town feels as if it were surrounded by water. Cafes line the lakeside promenades. In Bellagio, we will visit the park at the Villa Serbelloni and the Villa Melzi-d’Eryl, noted for its antique and neo-classical garden sculptures. After our visits, we return to Como by hydrofoil.

After our excursion, our waiting motorcoach will take us back to Milan. Tonight we will be treated to a nostalgic farewell dinner in Milan.

“Arrivederci!” This morning we reluctantly bid farewell to Milan as our motorcoach transports us to the airport to board our Delta Airlines jet for the flight home. We arrive in Dallas via Atlanta this evening, thereby ending our wonderful tour of Italy filled with memories of ancient times and antiquities and inspired by its civilization and culture.

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