Small Group. Active Journeys.


THE HEART OF ITALY: VENEZIA, FIRENZE & ROMA


OFF THE BEATEN PATH... Venice is around the corner, over the bridge, another island... hidden places that most visitors miss... Like secluded vineyards outside Florence or the rare skill of classical art restoration... maze-like medieval streets in Rome’s Trastevere... learning the secrets of local cuisine... Exploring the new, and seeing the old, in a whole new light.


1. ARRIVE VENICE Tour begins: 3:30 PM, BAUERS L’Hotel. A transfer from Marco Polo Airport (or the Santa Lucia Train Station) brings you to your five-star hotel just off the Grand Canal, steps from San Marco Square; a popular spot in Venice, it’s eclectic – a 1940s façade in a Baroque square, with an Art Deco interior! First up is a visit to St. Mark’s Basilica, followed by a gondola ride, the perfect entrée to Venice. A welcome reception at your chic hotel precedes dinner tonight at a local restaurant. Meals D


2. THE GLASS ART OF MURANO The little island of Murano in the Lagoon was once the premier glassmaker in all of Europe, its exquisite productions so prized that its artisans were forbidden by law to leave the city or share their secrets. Today, one of the island’s world-renowned artists shares his skills with you at his studio, where you may even be invited to lend a hand in binding, elongating, slicing or shaping semi-liquid glass into dazzling objects of light and color. Next up in your off-the-beaten-path day is the bohemian neighborhood of San Polo, where a church known as the Frari harbors a breathtaking altarpiece by Titian, The Assumption of The Virgin. How about a little lunch with a contessa at her palazzo before returning to the hotel for a lesson in basic Italiano. Meals BL


40 3. THE


RENAISSANCE BY WAY OF


PADUA Discover the spectacular villas along the Brenta Canal, like the Villa Pisani, designed to rival Versailles. Marvel at the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, built by a penitent banker as his ticket out of Purgatory, graced by Giotto’s passionate frescoes on the life of Christ – a revolution in western art. Hop a train to Florence and your luxury hotel in the heart of the city. Meals BLD


Florence TOSCANA ITALY VENETO


Brenta Canal Padua


Venice


Rome LAZIO


4. THE UFFIZI & THE FORTRESS OF WINE Immerse yourself in Renaissance masterpieces at the Uffizi Gallery, and explore the art of everyday Florentine life on your own. Then


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