Welcome to the Italian Art & Cultural Excursion!

Welcome to our 4th Annual Italian Art & Cultural Excursion! This unique tour will allow you to experience Italy like never before. Italian-Canadian artist Christopher Webb leads the group from the eternal city of Roma, throughout Tuscany, Umbria and beyond. Experience these magical lands from an broader perspective. Amazing landscapes and locales. Unique dining. Exclusive tours. Italian living at it’s best. Not only will we explore the more famous galleries such as the Ufizzi and the Vatican Museum, but we will also be stopping by and visiting the studios of contemporary artists. Even with our busy schedule there will be lots of time to wander off and enjoy a bit of time on your own.

As you read below and find out more about this excursion, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Admissions to all galleries and museums are included
• Breakfast is included in the tour
• There one, very large, typical Italian meal included in this excursion. For all of the other lunches and dinners you will always be given ‘recommendations’ for restaurants, trattorias, pizzerias, etc. so you will never be left trying to find a good place to eat. Options will be given for all budgets

Day 1 – Friday, May 3rd: Travel – Depart North America / Roma

Depart North America for Roma - Leonardo DaVinci (Fiumicino) Airport

Day 2 – Saturday, May 4th: Roma / Tarqunia

Benvenuto a Roma! After touching down in Rome, make your way to the beautiful Etruscan town of Tarquinia and check into your private apartment located within the walls of this ancient town. Upon your arrival you may choose to explore the surrounding area or just rest. Join the group for an aperitivo tonight at our meet and greet at Trattoria L'AmbArAdAm.

Day 3 – Sunday, May 5th: Tarquinia

Buongiorno! Grab a quick cappuccino and fresh cornetto and we are off to explore the charming Etruscan town of Tarquinia. It is often forgotten that Italy had quite a significant civilization before the Roman times and this is the centre of the Etruscan civilization. We start our walking tour of this ancient walled city. Starting at the top of the town we meander our way down, stopping to take in the history, the beauty and a number of local artists’ studios including UK ex-pat Brian Mobbs and local artist Marco Ferri. After a good Italian pranzo (lunch) we visit the Museo Archeologico di Tarquinia. Tonight we head out for an Italian 4 course meal at a local hot spot where we will sample some typical fare from the region of Lazio.

Day 4 – Monday, May 6th: Tarquinia / Montepulciano / Greve in Chianti

It’s a traditional Italian breakfast then we leave behind the Etruscans and head towards the home of one of Italy’s most robust wines – the Vino Nobile. You may never have heard of Montepulciano, but after one sip of the town’s famous wine, which we will sample at the Poliziano cellars you will never forget it!

After passing through stunning Tuscan countryside we arrive at our new home for the next six nights – our Villa near Greve in Chianti. We will have enough time to settle in and explore our surroundings before make our way to the small village of Montefioralle. This tiny village offers gorgeous views of the Chianti landscape as well as ancient street scenes. We can walk just a few feet out of the original 4 gates to La Castellana, voted one of Tuscany’s best slow food restaurants.

Day 5 – Tuesday, May 7th: Casole d'Elsa / Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore

After a leisurely breakfast we set off to the medieval hilltop town of Casole d'Elsa where we will visit the Verrocchio Arts Centre. These are the studios of sculpture Nigel Konstam who owns and runs this sucessful centre where he practices and runs a variety of art courses taught by both himself and visiting tutors. After a tour of the studios we will have the opportunity to stroll through the streets of Casole d'Elsa whose history dates back to the 13th century.

After lunch we travel the short distance to visit the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore. Here we will be given a tour of this beautiful and fascinating abbey with its three, 15th century cloisters, impressive monastic library and the dispensary consisting of ceramic pharmaceutical jars dating back to the 17th century. You may then opt to attend the early evening Vespers, which moves both believers and non-believers alike, before we continue on to dinner.

Day 6 – Wednesday, May 8th: Tuscana : Firenze

It has been called the art capital of the world. It’s a full day for us in the Renaissance jewel of Firenze. In no time we travel from our secluded villa and arrive at the periphery of the city at the Piazzale Michelangelo. A quick photo-op and we head straight for one of Firenze’s most beautiful contemporary commercial galleries – the Galleria del Palazzo. Owner and curator, Massimo Martini, tells us about the state of contemporary art in Italy, particularly in Florence. From there we head across the Ponte Vecchio and begin our walking tour which will include the Piazza della Signonria, the Duomo and Baptistery and Santa Croce – the final resting place of : Michelangelo, Donatello, Galileo, Machiavelli, and Marconi. After lunch we take a guided tour of the world famous Galleria degli Uffizi, which houses an unbelievable treasure of Renaissance art. Numerous dinner options will be available. At the end of the day we meet by the Arno and head back to our villa.

Day 7– Thursday, May 9th: Tuscana : San Gimignano / Volterra

It’s an early morning departure as we start our day in the UNESCO world architectural town of San Gimignano: a town of beautiful towers and rich history, art and culture. We start our tour in the private studio of Cassandra Wainhouse where we find out more about what it is like to be an artist living and working in Italy. It is here where we being our guided tour of this famous town – remember the film, ‘Tea with Mussolini’?

From here we drive the short distance to the Etruscan city of Volterra. This gorgeous, rich and vibrant walled city sits high above the Tuscan landscape, stretching out from the old city gates to the Piazza dei Priori. You can take your time to roam around this compact and very walkable city, where you will pass famous sites such as the Porta all’Arco – an enormous gate built from huge volcanic stones in the fourth century B.C. to the Palazzo dei Priori – Volterra's impressive city hall built in 1209 which claims to be the oldest city hall in any existing Tuscan city state. Volterra will not fail to enliven your senses with its vast array of galleries, museums and historical sites…and not forgetting of course the obligatory stop for Cappuccino and Dolce in one of the many outdoor cafes!

Day 8– Friday, May 10th: Tuscana : Siena

Today we make the short drive to visit the studio of Giulliano Ghelli, one of Italy's most celebrated artists. From here when we have managed to pull ourselves away from this magnificent artist and his studio we will head South towads one of the finest examples of a medieval town located in the heart of Tuscany. Siena, built on three hills and surrounded by well preserved walls is filled with great examples of Gothic architecture and has one of the world's most unique piazzas. Il Campo is a round square that is home to the world-famous horse race, the Palio. We start our tour by taking a visit to the Duomo. Lunch options are given and then it’s off to enjoy our special afternoon in this beautiful city. You’ll discover why the colour, ‘Burnt Siena’ got it’s name. After an afternoon of walking, we make our way back to the Piazza del Campo and find an outdoor café and celebrate our day. Perhaps some spuntini (Italian bruscetta style snacks) and an aperitivo or two? As dusk starts to settle we drive back towards the small village Greve in Chianti. This tiny village with it's unique "triangle" square offers us a number of wonderful places to eat and a huge selection of any Chianti you could hope to ever try.

Day 9– Saturday, May 11th: Tuscana : Firenze

It would have been difficult to have left Firenze a few days prior had we not known we were coming back! Our early morning, fuelled by cappuccino, gets us right into the centre of Firenze. Here we visit a number of working studios of local artists and discuss their art practice and outlook. By the end of the morning you are unleashed on one of Europe’s best small cities with nothing but free time and your imagination. Options may include: visiting the Accademia (David); taking in the Market District; strolling across the Ponte Vecchia; visiting the former home of Italian Fashion the Pitti Palace; taking a closer look at the Duomo / Baptistery; or you could always shop. I’ve heard that Florence has a few good designers and their shops may be worth visiting. Dinner options are given or perhaps you might go out and explore for yourself. We meet back near a café on the Arno and make the trip back to our villa.

Day 10 – Sunday, May 12th : Tuscana / Roma : The Eternal City

We leave our home away from home with the excitement of experiencing Roma. By noon we check in and have lunch near our hotel. Then it is off to one of Rome’s best kept secrets: A guided tour of Galleria Borghese – home to some of works by Correggio, Titian, Bernini, Raphael, Canova, Lorenzo Lotto, and Caravaggio. After a quick break for a gelato we take a guided tour of Roma which will end in the heart of the city. That evening we head into the centre of Roma and eat a local restaurant/trattoria. After dinner you will have the option of getting a drive back to the hotel, or you can opt to walk back. You could also make alternate arrangement and just enjoy Rome late into the evening.

Day 11 – Monday, May 13th: Roma : Vatican Museum or Ancient Roma

Our last full day together and what better city to enjoy than the eternal city. Here there is as choice to either head out early to our reserved tour of the Vatican Museums – which includes the Sistine Chapel. This is a full morning. There is so much greatness stuffed into to every part of these museums, but our guide will do his or her best to get us through it OR you may wish to choose to take a guided tour of the Coliseum and then walk over to the Roman Forum and Circus Maximus. Either way, lunch will be well deserved . After lunch we make our way to the Ponte Sant’Angello and enter the Castello Sant’Angello. As the day ends we take a bit of free time and then make our way back to our hotel. Tonight we head out to celebrate our experiences and adventures. We will laugh, we will eat, we will sample any and all wines we happened to miss, and most of all we will celebrate our Excursion. Buonasera Tutti! Ci vediamo presto!

Day 12 – Tuesday, May 14th: Roma / Travel to North America

Arrivederci Roma. Depart from Italy to North America.

This Itinerary includes :

• At least 3 Artist Studio Visits
• An abundance of Art Gallery / Church tours and visits including the Uffizi and the Vatican Museum
• 1 wonderfully typical Italian meal (in Tarquinia) featuring – antipasti, primo piatti, secondi, dolce,and wine.
• Ground Transportation (except to and from airport)
• Admissions to all galleries / churches
• Guided Tours

Not included:

• Airfare to and from Italy
• Transport to and from Leonardo DaVinci Airport (Fiumicino) to Hotel in Rome
• Meals: Lunch and dinners. Meal options for low medium and high budgets will always be provided.

NOTES :
Total cost of tour is $2,950.00 CDN plus tax. Single Rooms are available but will be subject to a supplemental fee. Every effort will be made to visit the artists stated in the itinerary, but we are subject to the life and schedule of the artists. Because the excursion is limited to 18 participants, you are encouraged to register as soon as possible. Prices are subject to change based on exchange rates and fuel costs. A $800 deposit is required to reserve space. Final payment is due by January 31st, 2013.