Bel Paese: The Ligurian Coast, , the & the Italian Lakes

31 AUG – 20 SEP 2016 Code: 21617

Tour Leaders David Henderson

Physical Ratings

Join David Henderson, a visual artist who has led over 30 tours to and , exploring the landscapes of the Ligurian Coast, Tuscany, the Veneto & the Italian Lakes.

Overview Tour Highlights

Join David Henderson, a visual artist who has led over 30 tours to Italy and France, exploring the landscapes of the Ligurian Coast, Tuscany, the Veneto & the Italian Lakes. Study the fine artistic traditions of , , , and . Take a ferry excursion to study the fascinating terraced mountainsides and picturesque fishing villages of the rugged . Visit the Abbey of San Gerolamo della Cervara, overlooking the Tigullio Gulf and containing the only surviving monumental Italian garden in . Visit the Etruscan city of Volterra, and Lucca with its 16th-century city walls and Romanesque churches. Attend a concert in the Church of San Giovanni, Lucca, which celebrates the work of Italian composer, Giacomo Puccini. Dine at two beautiful Tuscan villas and taste Tuscan specialties accompanied by Chianti Classico. Enjoy the genius of Andrea Palladio’s palaces and villas in the Veneto including Villa Barbaro, Maser and the Villa Capra ‘La Rotonda’ in . Explore , visiting San Vitale, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia and other richly decorated Byzantine churches. View ’s amphitheatre and sites associated with the protagonists of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Attend an evening drinks reception and private concert at the home of opera singer Rosemary Forbes-Butler in Venice. Visit some of the most beautiful villas and gardens of Northern Italy, especially in the Lake District around Lake and .

21 days in Italy

Overnight Genoa (4 nights) • Lucca (2 nights) • Siena (2 nights) • Florence (3 nights) • Venice (3 nights) • (2 nights) • Como (2 nights) • Stresa (2 nights).

Overview

Led by visual artist David Henderson, we begin in the great trading city of Genoa and visit the fascinating terraced mountainsides and picturesque fishing villages of the UNESCO heritage-listed Cinque Terre. We explore Liguria, Tuscany, the Veneto, , and the splendid villas and gardens of and Lake Maggiore, to understand how Italians have moulded their countryside through agriculture and gardening, and their genius for designing cities, palaces and villas. Genoa comprises a lower medieval port city with Gothic palaces and churches as well as one of the world’s greatest ensembles of Baroque palaces, lining grand streets with richly decorated façades, lustrous frescoed interiors and brilliant art collections. In Lucca, whose 16th-century city walls surround precious Romanesque churches, we attend a concert celebrating the work of native son Giacomo Puccini. Nearby we view Pisa’s magnificent complex of Romanesque Cathedral, bell-tower and Gothic baptistery, while in Siena and Volterra we explore the organic growth of Tuscan medieval cities across steep hilltops. We lunch at Villa di Geggiano, producer of some of the world’s best Chianti Classico, and visit the 17th-century Villa Gamberaia admired by novelist and garden designer Edith Wharton. In Florence’s monuments and museums we chart how the Renaissance changed world culture forever, while in Ravenna we examine the brilliantly lustrous Byzantine mosaics that influenced the glowing light of Venetian painting. The great lagoon city’s cathedral, Saint Mark’s, and Grand Canal palaces are bathed in Venice’s sparkling, water-reflected light. In the Veneto we witness a

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harmony of and nature at Andrea Palladio's fine villas including Villa Capra ‘La Rotonda’ (Vicenza) and Villa Barbaro (Maser). In Mantua we visit the Ducal Palace of the Gonzaga, setting of great art and courtly rituals, before finishing our tour with the visual delights of the Northern Lakes. At Stresa, Lake Maggiore and Lake Como we explore magnificent 17th- and 18th-century gardens, whose brilliant colours are reflected in deep blue lakes against a sublime backdrop of the snow-capped .

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Leaders David Henderson

Award winning artist & Royal Academy graduate who paints half the year in Italy, David brings an artist’s eye & profound knowledge of European art to ASA tours. Since joining ASA in 1995, David has lectured on or led over 30 tours to a variety of destinations in Europe.

After initial studies in architecture in Brisbane, David's interest in the visual arts and their history was given new impetus when he made his first trip to Italy at the age of 20. Soon after, he enrolled in a course in painting at London's Royal Academy Schools, graduating in 1985. During his time in London, the Royal Academy awarded him a prize for painting, and he was twice selected for their annual summer exhibition.

David has held many solo exhibitions of his work in Brisbane, Melbourne and London. He has exhibited in the Doug Moran Prize, Tattersalls and Rotary art exhibitions, and has been the recipient of several awards and commendations. He has also painted a number of commissioned portraits for private and institutional clients.

Until recently, David taught art part-time at various institutions, including the Queensland Art Gallery and the Brisbane Institute of Art. For many years, he lectured and ran courses in the history of art and design at the Queensland University of Technology.

David now paints full-time and divides his year between Australia and Italy. He believes Italy to be unique in its concentration of artistic treasures, architectural splendour and beauty of light and landscape. Italy provides him not just with a wealth of subject matter, but also the opportunity to develop his art through first-hand study of the classical, Mediterranean tradition: a synthesis of light, space and harmonious proportion.

Since joining ASA in 1995, David has lectured on or led over 30 tours to a variety of destinations for ASA. He is an enthusiastic advocate of ASA's philosophy of travel, and believes that cultural tourism should not mean that cities, landscapes or objects become mere illustrations to a specialized text, but rather themselves be 'read' from a multiplicity of contexts and engaged with all the senses. He brings a trained artist's eye to an analysis of painting, sculpture and architecture and takes great pleasure in sharing his encounters with some of world culture's most exciting moments with others.

See YouTube short commentary "Painting in Venice' by David Henderson www.youtube.com

See: Grand Tour: Artist Abroad brings home swag of sentimental works, Brisbane News August 26 – September 1 issue.

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Itinerary The following itinerary describes a range of museums, gardens and villas which we plan to visit. Many are accessible to the public, but others require special permission which may only be confirmed closer to the tour's departure in 2016. The daily activities described in this itinerary may change or be rotated and/or modified in order to accommodate alterations in opening hours, flight schedules and confirmation of private visits. Participants will receive a final itinerary together with their tour documents prior to departure. Meals included in the tour price and are indicated in the itinerary where: B=breakfast, L=Lunch and D =evening meal.

Genoa - 4 nights Day 1: Wednesday 31 August, Arrive Genoa Arrival Transfer for participants travelling on the ASA ‘designated’ flight Welcome Meeting Orientation Walk

On arrival at Milan’s Malpensa airport, those taking the ASA’designated’ flight will transfer by private coach to our hotel. Those making their own flight arrangements should meet the group in the late afternoon at the Best Western Hotel Metropoli Genoa.

Following a Welcome Meeting there will be a short orientation walk to locate restaurants in which you may wish to have your evening meal. (Overnight Genoa)

Day 2: Thursday 1 September, Genoa San Lorenzo Cathedral & Museo del Tesoro (Cathedral Museum) San Donato San Pietro in Banchi

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Porto Antico area (Old Harbour) Palazzo Spinola Museo Diocesiano Il Gesù San Matteo Welcome Meal at Restaurant Le Rune

Genoa’s history has been greatly influenced by two interlocking factors, its location on the northernmost coast of the Tyhrrenian Sea and its topography; it occupies a narrow coastal strip hemmed in by high mountains. The consequent paucity of arable land forced burgeoning medieval Genoa to become a trading power in order to feed its people. Medieval maritime commerce built on a tradition of Greek, Roman and Etruscan commercial interchange that would endure for nearly two millennia. In the 11th century Genoa and Pisa initially cooperated to sweep Muslims from the Tyrrhenian and Corsica, but soon came into conflict over trade and control of the island, Genoa’s first colony. Genoa had eclipsed Pisa by the 13th century and now competed with Venice. Ultimately, Venice’s victory at Chioggia (1380) led to a partial decline in Genoese trade, later hastened by Ottoman control of the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea and the westerly movement of trade when the Portuguese and Spaniards established their far eastern and American colonies. Although Genoa had become less important in maritime world trade by the 17th century, the city’s elite made a transition to banking at this time, especially as bankers to the Spanish monarchy. The Genoese became the major beneficiaries of ’s import of tobacco and silver from the Americas. The success of its banking families is amply demonstrated by the sumptuousness of their great palaces and art collections.

Trade and banking enriched families like the Doria, Spinola and Fieschi, whose perennial rivalry, along with interference by foreign powers like the Duchy of Milan, the French monarchy and the Habsburg Empire, shaped Genoese political life from the Renaissance to the Risorgimento.

This morning we shall take a walking tour through the city, visiting some of its most interesting and impressive churches. Genoa is home to many historic churches that fall chronologically into two groups. There are grand old Romanesque churches from the period when Genoa was building its trade empire, including the church of the powerful Doria family San Matteo (1125; façade 1278) and San Donato (1189). S. Pietro in Bianchi (1572) and the Church of Il Gesù (1589 – 1606), on the other hand, are from the period when Genoa was making its transition to banking, and when the great families were building their new palaces. San Lorenzo Cathedral is a Romanesque structure (1118) that was modified during the Renaissance. Of particular note is the ornate early 16th-century chapel of St John the Baptist, which has fine sculptures and a Virgin with St John the Baptist by the great painter, Andrea Sansovino.

After lunch at leisure in the Porto Antico area (Old Harbour), we shall visit the Palazzo Spinola, which was left to the State in 1958, along with its rich art collection. Of particular interest in this collection is the magnificent Ecce Homo by Antonello da Messina (1430 – 1479), who is believed to have been the first Italian to adopt the Northern medium of oils. His paintings have a wonderful luminosity and an almost liquid atmosphere surrounds his figures. Other masterpieces include paintings by the Northern artist, Joos Van Cleve, Van Dyck, and Guido Reni. There is also a rare sculpted figure of Justice by Giovanni Pisano that originally adorned the tomb of Margherita di Brabante (1276 – 1311), wife of the Emperor Henry IV.

We will then visit the Diocesan Museum, located in the Cloister of the Canons of San Lorenzo. This museum houses numerous works by artists who played an important role in the history of sacred art in Genoa.

Tonight we dine together at a local restaurant ‘Le Rune’. The cuisine of Genoa is based on traditional Mediterranean cooking – rich in ingredients and flavours, including mushrooms, pine nuts, walnuts, and a

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great variety of aromatic herbs. At the base of all recipes is Ligurian olive oil, delicately flavored and perfect for preparing tasty sauces. The most famous of these is pesto, a sauce made of basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. (Overnight Genoa) BD

Day 3: Friday 2 September, Genoa – Cinque Terre – Genoa World Heritage-listed Cinque Terre

Today we visit one of the most distinctive and beautiful regions of Italy, the World Heritage-listed Cinque Terre. From Genoa we shall take a train to , located at the northern end of this region of old terraced landscapes and villages set against the sparkling Mediterranean. From here, we explore the other four villages that make up the ‘five lands’ of the Cinque Terre – , , and Monterosso. You have this evening at leisure in Genoa. (Overnight Genoa) B

Day 4: Saturday 3 September, Genoa Patrician palaces on Corso Garibaldi Palazzo Lomellino Palazzo Bianco and its art gallery Palazzo Rosso and its art collection Afternoon at leisure

This morning we take a walk down the Renaissance Strada Nova, now Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, a broad, aristocratic street laid out in 1558 above the warren-like old port town. The Strada Nova was typical of city precincts established at this time by European elites as fitting locales for their palaces; one thinks, for example, of Florence’s Via Tornabuoni, which began to take its present form in the 15th century, and Paris’ Place des Vosges (1605-1612).

We will then explore Palazzo Lomellino and Palazzo Bianco (1565; enlarged 1711), named for the colour of its façade. Within the palace we view the magnificent art collection in this palace, given to the State by the Duchess of Galliera in 1884. It includes major works by late medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Italian masters, a particularly interesting corpus of German and Netherlandish paintings by artists such as Hugo van der Goes, and masterpieces by Spanish and Northern Baroque artists like Murillo and Van Dyck.

After a coffee break we shall visit Palazzo Rosso’s fine art collection. This palace-museum holds a number of particularly fine paintings by masters such as Pisanello, Albrecht Dürer, Caravaggio, Guido Reni, and Sir Anthony Van Dyck; over a period of six years Van Dyck resided a number of times in the city, painting portraits of the elite.

The afternoon is at leisure to allow you to explore the hidden treasures of the city. You may wish to visit the (Palazzo del Principe), a grand palace acquired and remodelled by Genoa’s most powerful and successful admiral, Andrea Doria (1466 –1560). In his time the Emperor Charles V was entertained here. The palace’s masterpiece is a fresco cycle by the great High Renaissance painter, (1501 – 1547). (Overnight Genoa) B

Lucca - 2 nights Day 5: Sunday 4 September, Genoa – La Cervara – Pisa – Lucca The Abbey of San Gerolamo della Cervara – (exclusive private visit)

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Campo Santo, Cathedral, Baptistery and Tower (exterior), Pisa Group Evening meal at Gli Orti di Via Elisa Restaurant

This morning we travel south from Genoa along the Italian Riviera. About nine kilometres south of Santa Margherita Ligure, along one of the most beautiful coastal roads, is the Abbey of San Gerolamo della Cervara. Located in a strategic position at the top of a rocky headland that overlooks the Tigullio Gulf, the building was founded as a Benedictine Monastery in 1364, and today contains the only surviving monumental Italian garden in Liguria.

Further south, we visit Pisa to explore the Campo Santo with its unique ensemble of Cathedral, Baptistery and Tower. Your group leader will trace the development of this majestic group of Romanesque buildings and relate it to the development of Pisan trade in the Mediterranean.

In the late afternoon we continue to Lucca, where we check into our hotel that occupies the recently restored and beautifully renovated stables of the Villa Bottini. In the evening we shall dine together at a local restaurant which serves traditional Tuscan dishes. (Overnight Lucca) BD

Day 6: Monday 5 September, Lucca Cathedral of San Martino San Michele (exterior) Piazza del Mercato San Frediano Optional Walking tour of Lucca’s City Walls Evening Puccini Concert, Church of San Giovanni

Lucca is one of the most beautiful of all Italian cities, with ramparts graced by great plantations of trees (which gave the French the idea for boulevards) and one of the finest sets of marble Romanesque churches in Italy. These particularly attracted John Ruskin, who lived for some time in the city.

We shall visit the Cathedral of San Martino, which holds a lovely tomb and a famous miracle-performing image of Christ. We then walk to the Church of San Michele with its spectacular façade made up of complex blind galleries with images of beasts that verge on caprice. This church was built in the ancient forum of the city, and it is, in fact, possible to trace the remains of the Roman city in the medieval street plan and architectural fabric of Lucca.

We shall visit the wonderful medieval precinct, now the oval Piazza del Mercato, which was built into the structure of Lucca’s ancient amphitheatre. Finally, there are more interesting churches to see, including San Frediano, which has a distinctive mosaic on its façade and a unique baptismal font which was once a medieval fountain.

The afternoon is at leisure. You may wish to walk a section of Lucca’s 17th-century city walls, the best preserved in Italy. The Lucchesi planted trees atop these walls to form a promenade enlivened by small gardens and lawns.

This evening we attend an evening concert with a selection from operas (e.g. La Bohème, Tosca, Madame Butterfly and Turandot) by Giacomo Puccini (1858 – 1924), a native of Lucca, in the Church of San Giovanni. (Overnight Lucca) B

Siena - 2 nights

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Day 7: Tuesday 6 September, Lucca – Volterra – Pianella – Siena Etruscan Walls, Theatre & City Gate, Volterra Art Gallery and Civic Museum, Volterra Villa di Geggiano, Pianella – including buffet lunch (exclusive private visit)

We depart Lucca this morning by private coach for a full day drive to Siena via Volterra and Villa di Geggiano. We spend the morning exploring Volterra, which is noted for its Etruscan walls, Roman theatre and city gate and the fact that in the it became one of the earliest independent Tuscan communes. It therefore has one of Tuscany’s oldest communal palaces. This bears an interesting spatial relationship to Volterra’s Romanesque cathedral, the second focus of the city’s early communal life.

We shall visit these monuments as well as Volterra’s Civic Museum and Art Gallery, which is housed in a 15th-century palace designed by Antonio Sangallo the Elder. This museum holds a wonderful collection of which the masterpiece is Rosso Fiorentino’s extraordinary Deposition from the Cross. Volterra is also known for its craftwork in alabaster, for which it has been famous for millennia. You will encounter small alabaster workshops in the streets of the city.

Midday we cross the Sienese hills to the enchanting Villa Geggiano. Here, centuries-old cypress, potted lemons and clipped box hedges adorn a garden boasting a unique ‘greenery theatre’, late Baroque sculptures, a kitchen garden with topiary art and a semi-circular fishpond that forms an elegant terrace overlooking Siena. The villa itself contains original 13th-century furnishings. A small chapel faces the garden. Lunch features crostini with porcini mushrooms and truffles, pasta, various locally cured meats and Pecorino cheeses, followed by plum jam tart, all washed down with Villa di Geggiano Chianti Classico, mineral water and coffee.

In the afternoon we continue to our hotel on the outskirts of Siena, a villa surrounded by gardens. We enjoy a light antipasto-style buffet supper at the hotel. (Overnight Siena) BLD

Day 8: Wednesday 7 September, Siena Orientation tour of Siena including: , Cathedral & Museum Time at leisure

Siena is the quintessential medieval city. We explore Lorenzetti’s fascinating paintings of Good and Bad Government in the Palazzo Pubblico and Duccio’s masterpiece, the Maestà in the Cathedral Museum. We examine Nicola and Giovanni Pisano’s great pulpit in . We also visit medieval quarters (contrade) dominated by palaces still occupied by the families who built them. The contrade compete in the famous palio horse race twice a year. Protected by the Virgin Mary, Siena is a city of Trinitarian symbolism. Built on three ridges, it has three major sectors (terzi) that each elected three members of the city council, and interpreted its very architectural fabric in such symbolic terms.

This afternoon will include some time at leisure to explore further Siena’s many monuments and museums. (Overnight Siena) B

Florence - 3 nights Day 9: Thursday 8 September, Siena – Pontassieve – Settignano – Florence Castello del Trebbio, Pontassieve – including buffet lunch (exclusive private visit)

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Villa Gamberaia, Settignano – including interiors of the villa

Today we drive from Siena to Florence via two famous Tuscan villas. First we visit the Castello del Trebbio, which was built as a fortress in the 12th century for the Pazzi family (arch enemies of the Medici who attempted to assassinate Lorenzo the Magnificent). In the 15th century ownership was transferred to the Medici family who converted it into a villa. The current owners purchased the property in 1968 and embarked on a historically accurate restoration project. The estate comprises 350 hectares of grapes, olive trees and native forest along with smaller plantings of figs, apples, kiwifruit, nuts, peaches and saffron. We will visit the imposing castello and take a tour of the estate with the castle’s owner – an expert in agriculture – before enjoying a buffet lunch of local produce.

After lunch we visit the Villa Gamberaia, Settignano, which has arguably the most famous garden among the Florentine villas. The Capponi family initiated the present garden in 1718. In 1896, Princess Ghika of Serbia created the main water parterres in front of the villa. The Marchi family has recently restored the garden. It features magnificent topiary, two fine grottoes, and wonderful old cypresses and pines. By special arrangement, we also tour the interiors of the villa which combines interesting architectural features of both an urban palazzo and suburban villa.

In the late afternoon we continue to Florence to check into our hotel, located between the banks of the Arno River and Santa Maria Novella Square in the heart of the old city. Here we will spend the next three nights. (Overnight Florence) BL

Day 10: Friday 9 September, Florence Piazza della Signoria Orsanmichele San Lorenzo: Medici Chapel & Laurentian Library Duomo Museo dell’Opera del Duomo Baptistery of San Giovanni Group Evening meal at Ristorante Benedicta

Today we trace the development of civic and religious art and architecture in the centre of Florence, visiting the Piazza della Signoria, Orsanmichele, San Lorenzo, the Duomo (and its museum), and the Baptistery. We will view the architecture and sculpture of artists such as Brunelleschi, Donatello and Ghiberti in order to investigate the development of the symbolic meaning of architecture and sculpture in the Renaissance city.

We begin in the Piazza della Signoria and trace the political and cultural development of the city whilst viewing this pivotal civic space, considering its orchestration of buildings and sculptures such as the Palazzo Vecchio, the Loggia dei Lanzi and the original site of Michelangelo’s David.

At Orsanmichele we study the architectural settings of sculptures like Donatello’s St George which heralded the transition to the Renaissance, and in the nearby Medici church, San Lorenzo, we visit Michelangelo’s Medici Chapel and his great staircase for the Laurentian Library.

After lunch we visit the Cathedral where we witness Brunelleschi’s innovation with spatial volumes in the dome which became the core symbol of the city. Time-permitting, we also visit the Museo dell’ Opera del Duomo. Here you will see sculptures for the original unfinished façade of the Cathedral by masters such as Donatello. This museum also holds numerous works by such sculptors as Arnolfo di Cambio, and the Florence Pietà, one of Michelangelo’s last works, as well as winches, blocks and other implements used in

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the construction of Brunelleschi’s great dome.

We will also visit the Baptistery, dedicated to Florence’s patron, St. John. The Florentines once believed this Romanesque building to have originally been a Roman temple because of its similarity to the Pantheon. Its great Ghibertian doors show the evolution of the style all’antica from the early 15th century, and its dome mosaic within the earlier dominance of Venetian modes of decoration.

Today’s program concludes with a group evening meal in a local restaurant. (Overnight Florence) BD

Day 11: Saturday 10 September, Florence Santa Croce: Bardi & Peruzzi Chapels Bargello Uffizi

Today we shall walk to the church of Santa Croce, the Franciscan church of Florence that is also the Mausoleum of many of the city’s great humanists and civic functionaries. We shall view Giotto’s masterpieces in the Bardi and Peruzzi Chapels before continuing on to the Bargello Museum.

The Bargello, formerly the government palace of Florence, is now its sculpture museum. It contains such masterpieces as Donatello’s David, the competition reliefs for the Baptistery doors by Ghiberti and Brunelleschi, as well as Michelangelo’s early tondi, and his Bacchus and Brutus.

After lunch we shall visit the Uffizi to compare the altarpieces of Giotto, Cimabue and Duccio, and to study the development of Florentine painting from the Middle Ages through the 15th century (Botticelli, Verrochio, Filippo Lippi, Leonardo, etc) to Michelangelo and the High Renaissance. Today’s program will end in the Uffizi so that you may stay on to view more of its great collection. (Overnight Florence) B

Venice - 3 nights Day 12: Sunday 11 September, Florence – Ravenna – Venice Sant’Apollinare in Classe Sant’Apollinare Nuovo San Vitale Mausoleum of Galla Placidia

This morning we drive over the Apennines to the coastal plain of the Adriatic and thence to Ravenna. We shall spend the day in Ravenna visiting the church of San Vitale, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia and other richly decorated Byzantine churches.

Ravenna owes its importance to its role as the last capital of the in the West. After the abdication of the last Emperor, the boy Romulus Augustulus (476 AD), it became the capital of the Ostrogothic king, Theodoric. The Ostrogoths were ousted, however, by the forces of the Eastern Empire, which invaded the West during the 6th century. The magnificent centrally planned church of San Vitale is adorned with the greatest of all cycles of early Byzantine mosaics from the period of Emperor Justinian, its vivid green colouring contrasting to the strong blues of the late antique Mausoleum of Galla Placidia nearby.

We shall also visit the Arian and Byzantine churches of Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo and Sant’ Apollinare in

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Classe. The former has mosaics crafted during the reign of Theodoric, an Arian, which were altered by the Orthodox Byzantines.

In the late afternoon we drive to Venice where we stay for three nights. (Overnight Venice) B

Day 13: Monday 12 September, Venice Grand Canal Cruise Piazza San Marco: Torre dell’Orologio, Procuratie, Campanile, Loggetto, Mint, Doge’s Palace, Sansovino’s Library (exteriors) Basilica of S. Marco Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari Ca’ Rezzonico

Venice, founded in the watery environment of a lagoon at the head of the Adriatic, developed in the shadow of the Byzantine Empire. For centuries, the city kept a certain aloofness from the affairs of Italy and Western Europe and looked east to the trading empire it was building on the fringes of Byzantium. We shall explore the distinctive qualities of Venice’s heritage. For example, we shall see how in architecture and painting the Venetians were concerned with a lustrous play of light, in part inspired by the reflective qualities of their lagoon waters and in part influenced by the art of mosaic which they inherited from the east. Medieval and Renaissance visitors to Venice marvelled at its wealth and political stability. Whereas the great Renaissance palaces of Florence had strong defensive walls, Venetian houses (called casa, meaning house: Ca‘ rather than palazzo) were open, light and airy.

We commence our Venice program by exploring the evolution of the grand Venetian residence during a public ferry ride along the Grand Canal, which is lined with over two hundred houses built between the 12th and 19th centuries.

Following our canal cruise we shall spend the remainder of the morning in Piazza San Marco, studying the square and its remarkable buildings: Basilica San Marco, the Torre dell’Orologio, the Procuratie, the Campanile and Loggetta, Sansovino’s Library, the Mint and the Doges’ Palace. Our focus will be the development of the political core of the Republic, its institutions and aspirations, and their reflection in paintings and architecture, from the Byzantine style of San Marco to Renaissance Classicism and Sansovino’s vision for this most beautiful of all city squares.

This afternoon we visit the great Franciscan church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari which houses some of the most significant works of the Venetian masters from the 14th to the 17th century, including Titian’s Assumption and the Pesaro Altarpiece. We shall also visit the Ca’ Rezzonico, an 18th-century palace, lived in at one stage by Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, which now holds fine art and furniture collections. (Overnight Venice) B

Day 14: Tuesday 13 September, Venice Accademia Afternoon at leisure Evening Drinks Reception and Private Concert at the home of Rosemary Forbes-Butler (exclusive private visit)

This morning we visit the art gallery of Venice, the Accademia, which holds the most extensive collection of Venetian paintings. This corpus shows the continuity of Venetian art from medieval to Rococo through first-

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hand experience of major works by artists such as Veneziano, Bellini, Giorgione, Titian and Tiepolo. Masterpieces include Giorgione’s Tempesta, Titian’s Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, Tintoretto’s The Miracle of St. Mark Rescuing the Slave, and Veronese’s Feast in the House of Levi. The sumptuous richness of Venetian colore is a key to understanding Venetian painting.

The move to the Venetian terra firma and the construction of villas there heralded the invention of an important theme in Venetian pictorial art, the pastoral, or bucolic scene. Inspired by classical poetry, the idealisation of the countryside in this category of landscape painting was of incalculable significance to later aristocratic culture throughout Europe, as well as to the rise of landscape painting. We shall explore its genesis in the museum.

The afternoon will be at leisure to allow you to explore the city further or to take a ferry to the islands of Murano, Burano and/or Torcello.

This evening we visit Rosemary Forbes-Butler, who has arranged a private reception and concert for us in her Venetian palazzino. Our refreshments will include prosecco, (the local bubbly) and Italian canapés of the season – maybe a truffle cheese, or smoked ricotta, Parma ham, mortadella, served on bread or crackers, and mozzarella balls with baby tomatoes. Rosemary, a classically trained soprano who has recorded with both Pavarotti and Michael Jackson, mingles with us and will be delighted to answer questions regarding life in Venice and as a singer. Following the reception, we enjoy a 40-minute concert entitled Venetian Days. The program is drawn from music composed over the centuries by Venetians or those who either worked in or were inspired by their time in Venice. The songs are introduced in English and are sung in both local Venetian dialect and other languages. (Overnight Venice) B

Mantua - 2 nights Day 15: Wednesday 14 September, Venice – Maser – Vicenza – Mantua Villa Barbaro, Maser Villa Capra “La Rotonda” Teatro Olimpico Basilica Palladiana Palladian Palaces in Vicenza

We leave Venice in order to spend a day exploring the villas, palaces and civic buildings of Andrea Palladio (1508 – 1580) who is considered by many the most influential individual in the history of Western architecture.

As a young man Palladio had travelled to to study the architecture of antiquity. He was also deeply influenced by the writings of the Roman theorist Vitruvius. He did not, however, merely copy the proportions and decorative schemes of Roman buildings, but rather adapted these to a revolutionary spatial system that gave a new grandeur to traditional Venetian residential architecture. His designs for Venetian villas, published in his treatise The Four Books of Architecture, were emulated in myriad country houses from Europe to the Americas.

At Maser we shall visit one of Palladio’s most important villas, the Villa Barbaro. Rises in grain prices during the 16th century encouraged Venetian aristocrats to build villas on Venice’s terra firma. Villas like that at Maser were therefore working farms, unlike many of their counterparts in other parts of Italy. This beautiful house was decorated by Paolo Veronese frescoes of theatre and pastoral scenes. Its central, residential, section echoes the style and proportions of a classical temple. Two wings that housed farm machinery and

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agricultural produce flank this grand central element. Two pavilions that held dovecotes in turn abut these wings, framing and thus unifying the whole façade.

On the outskirts of Vicenza we shall explore Palladio’s Villa Capra “La Rotonda”, built not as a functioning estate like his villa at Maser but as a retreat from the city in which theatrical entertainments took place. This strictly symmetrical villa is considered one of Palladio’s best-known legacies to the architectural world. Monumental, temple-like porticoes grace each of its four walls; these porticoes represent the four seasons, a favourite theme of Renaissance art, literature, music and architecture. The villa’s grand interior space rises to a majestic dome.

At the age of 16 Palladio, son of a Paduan stonemason, moved from Padua to the city of Vicenza where he would reside for most of his life. The majority of his villas are located in the province of Vicenza, while his palazzi (palaces) are concentrated in the city itself. We begin our visit to the city with Palladio’s famous theatre.

Palladio’s Teatro Olimpico (Olympic Theatre), constructed between 1580 and 1585, is the earliest surviving enclosed theatre in the world. Its trompe-l’œil stage scenery, designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi, gives the appearance of long streets receding to a distant horizon. It was installed in 1585 for the very first performance held in the theatre, and is the oldest surviving stage set still in existence.

The Basilica Palladiana’s most notable feature is its loggia. This loggia clothed an earlier, 15th century Gothic building known as the Palazzo della Ragione. It was the seat of government and also housed a number of shops on its ground floor. When part of the building collapsed in the 16th century, Vicenza’s Council of One Hundred commissioned many architects to submit designs and selected Palladio to reconstruct the building in April 1549. Palladio added a new outer marble shell in the classical style; his loggia and a portico blanket the building’s original Gothic core.

We shall also view a number of Palladio’s palace façades. Our time in Vicenza will, nevertheless, include free time to allow you further to explore its historic centre at leisure. In the late afternoon we drive to Mantua where we shall be based for two nights. (Overnight Mantua) B

Day 16: Thursday 15 September, Mantua – Cuzzano – Verona – Mantua Villa Allegri Arvedi, Cuzzano (exclusive private visit) Giardini Giusti, Verona Amphitheatre, Verona San Zeno, Verona

Early this morning we depart Mantua for Villa Allegri Arvedi located just north of Verona in the vicinity of Cuzanno. This small, uniquely intact 17th century garden uses perspective views across the terraced hillside upon which it stands to suggest visually that the surrounding countryside is part of its domain. As we walk up to the villa, we experience the spatial subtleties governing our progress and perception. The villa has a glorious panorama.

From Cuzzano we continue by coach to Verona, where we commence our tour with a visit to the Giardini Giusti, originally owned by the Giusti family who came to Verona from Tuscany in the 15th century. An archway leads into a courtyard and a large grilled gate sets off the garden beyond. An ancient cypress allée lines the path to this gate, leading across the shallow, level garden to the hill of San Zeno in Monte. The garden also features a maze and terraces which command sweeping views of the city, Tyrol Alps and Mantua in the distance.

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After lunch we visit the amphitheatre and sites associated with the protagonists of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Verona, which owed its prosperity during the ancient period to its position at the junction of major East-West and transalpine roads, has a number of very fine Romanesque churches.

San Zeno, a little to the west of the city centre, has a famous altarpiece by Andrea Mantegna. During the later Middle Ages Verona came under the thrall of the Scaglieri family, whose palace fortress dominates the city. The interior, now a museum, was transformed by the famous Venetian architect, Carlo Scarpa. In the late afternoon we return to our hotel in Mantua. (Overnight Mantua) B

Como - 2 nights Day 17: Friday 16 September, Mantua – Como Palazzo Ducale: Camera degli Sposi Sant’Andrea Palazzo del Te

This morning we shall visit the Palazzo Ducale of the Gonzaga family, petty tyrants who rose to Ducal status during the 15th century and made their palace the focus of a vital Renaissance culture. The Ducal Palace is a vast, rambling edifice whose major treasure is the Camera degli Sposi (Marriage Room) in which Mantegna painted his extraordinary scenes of the life of Marquis Ludovico and his wife Barbara of Brandenburg. These paintings give a rare vision of court life during the Renaissance.

We will then visit Leon Battista Alberti’s great church of Sant’ Andrea which prefigured the majesty of High Renaissance churches like Michelangelo’s St Peter’s.

After lunch at leisure we shall visit Palazzo del Te, a masterpiece of . Constructed 1524-1534 for Federico Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua, it was built as a pleasure palace or ‘Villa Suburbana’, on the site of the family’s stables at Isola del Te on the fringe of the marshes just outside Mantua’s city walls. We will then depart Mantua and travel approximately 225kms northwest to the lakeside town of Como. (Overnight Como) B

Day 18: Saturday 17 September, Como – Tremezzo – Bellagio – Como Villa Carlotta, Tremezzo Villa Melzi, Bellagio (optional) Villa del Balbianello, Bellagio

This morning we cruise across Lake Como to 18th-century Villa Carlotta, a garden with a huge botanical collection and a traditional Italian formal design, unlike most lake gardens that were heavily influenced by the more fluid layouts of English landscape gardening; it thus has a wide variety of architectural features – parterres, stairways, ponds, fountains, etc. In April and May Villa Carlotta offers a sea of multi-coloured azaleas shaped in high rounded cushions alongside the garden paths.

During the lunch break you will have some time at leisure to visit Villa Melzi (optional).

In the afternoon we visit Villa del Balbianello, an exquisite villa set in woods of pine, soaring cypress and oak with pollarded plane trees and manicured lawns and flowerbeds. Facing the promontory of Serbelloni, from the Lavedo point it boasts unparalleled views down the three branches of the lake. The first villa was built in 1540, but was later moved to a new site inland to protect it from flooding. Cardinal Durini erected a

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casino with a loggia in 1790, open to the sun and breezes; today it is trellised with Ficus pumila (creeping fig) and flanked by a library and music room. (Overnight Como) B

Stresa - 2 nights Day 19: Sunday 18 September, Como – Bisuschio – Casalzuigno – Stresa Villa Cicogna Mozzoni, Bisuschio Villa della Porta Bozzolo, Casalzuigno

Depart Como to visit Villa Cicogna Mozzoni, located on a steep hillside in the village of Bisuschio. Its garden looks out upon sweeping views, with a glimpse of Lake . Founded in the 15th century, the villa took its present form in the 16th century. The Cicogna family, who inherited it in 1580, still owns this lovely villa. The formal gardens rise on 7 narrow terraces and adjacent to them is a small sunken garden with formal box parterres and patches of lawn. We tour the villa residence that houses a fine antique collection. Above the villa is a great terrace with Renaissance grottoes offering shade in summer, and a magnificent water stair. Flowing water was an essential feature of Italian formal gardens, offering a cooling spectacle and a lively, burbling sound.

After lunchtime at leisure we visit Villa della Porta Bozzolo, which is unusual for Lombardy because its measured stately design is laid out upon a steep slope. Parterres, terraces with stone balustrades and grand stairways flanking fountains rise to an octagonal clearing, or theatre, surrounded by a thick ring of cypresses and woods. The perspective rises further to the villa, set to one side in order not to interrupt the silvan view. We continue to our hotel located on the shores of Lake Maggiore. (Overnight Stresa) B

Day 20: Monday 19 September, Stresa – Lake Maggiore – Lake Orta – Stresa Isola Bella, Lake Maggiore Isola Madre, Lake Maggiore Orta San Giulio & Isola San Giulio, Lake Orta Farewell Evening Meal

We take the ferry across Lake Maggiore to Count Carlo Borromeo’s Isola Bella (1632), one of Italy’s most extraordinary Baroque gardens. Located on an island off Stresa, it appears to float like a palatial barge, with 10 terraces rising like a ship’s prow from the reflecting waters. It shares the island with the Borromeo palace and its adjacent village.

We also visit Isola Madre, with semi-tropical plantings amongst which white peacocks roam. In 1845, Flaubert wrote that ‘Isola Madre is the most sensual place that I have ever seen in the world’. It has a fine swamp cypress, citrus fruit trees, crape myrtle, hibiscus, leptospermum and acacias. The landscape woods have groves of native trees – aromatic cypress, bay and pine – interplanted with camphor, pepper trees and styrax. Its pathways are lined with magnolias, camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas.

In the afternoon we shall visit Lake Orta to the west of Lake Maggiore, a tiny jewel surrounded by hills and mountains acting as a great natural theatre enveloping local towns and villages. The most beautiful of these is Orta San Giulio, whose town hall has a frescoed façade. Its narrow streets are lined with Rococo houses. We take a ferry to San Giulio Island to visit the 12th century Romanesque church whose pulpit is one of the outstanding masterpieces of medieval sculpture in Northern Italy. In the evening we enjoy a farewell meal at a local restaurant offering breathtaking views over Lake Maggiore. (Overnight Stresa) BD

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Day 21: Tuesday 20 September, Stresa – Milan Malpensa Airport Airport transfer for participants departing on the ASA ‘designated’ flight

The tour ends in Stresa. Participants travelling on the ASA ‘designated’ flight will transfer to the Milan Malpensa airport to take their flight home to Australia. Alternatively you may wish to extend your stay in Italy. Please contact ASA if you require further assistance. Note: private transfers from the hotel to the airport can be arranged through the hotel’s concierge, please contact ASA for further information. B

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Accommodation 21 days in Northern Italy

ASA has selected 3 and 4-star hotels that are themselves historical buildings and/or are located in historical centres. All hotels provide rooms with private facilities. Single rooms may be requested – and are subject to availability and payment of the single supplement. Further information on hotels will be provided in the 'Tour Hotel List' given to tour members prior to their departure.

Genoa (4 nights): 3-star Best Western Metropoli - located in the heart of the historic centre, only a few steps from the Via Garibaldi - the ancient Via Aurea recently included on the UNESCO World Heritage list. www.hotelmetropoli.it Lucca (2 nights): 4-star Hotel Ilaria - located within the walls of the old city, close to the Cathedral. It is flanked by the centuries-old garden of the Villa Bottini - it occupies the villa's restored stables and the medieval city gate. www.hotelilaria.com Siena (2 nights): 4-star Hotel Garden - housed in a villa perched on a hill with vineyards and olive groves overlooking the city. It stands majestically at the end of a beautiful park of ilex trees, flower beds and shrubs. www.gardenhotel.it Florence (3 nights): 4-star Grand Hotel Adriatico - a modern hotel located between the Santa Maria Novella Square and the Arno River and within easy walking distance of all major monuments & museums. www.hoteladriatico.it Venice (3 nights): 4-star Hotel Giorgione - located in the Cannaregio district within easy walking distance of the Rialto, Ca' d'Oro and Piazza San Marco. www.hotelgiorgione.com Mantua (2 nights): 4-star Hotel Casa Poli - a design hotel set in a 19th century building, near the historical centre. www.hotelcasapoli.it Como (2 nights): 4-star Hotel Metropole Suisse - featuring a harbour-side location with views of Lake Como and the Alps, and on the main square in the centre of the village. www.hotelmetropolesuisse.com Stresa (2 nights): 4-star Hotel La Palma - enjoys picturesque views over Lake Maggiore in Stresa city centre. Located directly on the lakefront, it is surrounded by a garden. www.hlapalma.it

Note: Hotels are subject to change. In this instance a hotel of similar standard will be provided.

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Tour Map

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Tour Price & Inclusions AUD $9760.00 Land Content Only - Early-Bird Special: book before 30 Sep 2015

AUD $9960.00 Land Content Only

AUD $1780.00 Double (as single) Supplement

For competitive Economy, Business or First Class airfares and/or group airfares please contact ASA for further information.

Tour Price (Land Content Only) includes:

Accommodation in twin-share rooms with private facilities in 3 and 4-star hotels. Buffet breakfast daily, lunches & evening meals as indicated in the itineray where: B=breakfast, L =lunch & D=evening meal Drinks at welcome and farewell meals. Other meals may not have drinks included. Transportation by air-conditioned coach as outlined in the itinerary Train and ferry/boat excursions as outlined in the itinerary Airport-hotel transfers if travelling on ASA's 'designated' flights Porterage of one piece of luggage per person at hotels (not at airports) Lecture and site-visit program Entrance fees to museums and monuments Use of audio headsets during site visits Tour handbook Puccini concert in Lucca, private reception and concert in Venice Tips for the coach driver, local guides and restaurants for included meals.

Tour Price (Land Content Only) does not include:

International Airfare: Australia-Milan, Milan-Australia Personal spending money Airport-hotel transfers if not travelling on the ASA 'designated' flights Luggage in excess of 20 kg (44 lbs) Travel Insurance.

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Physical Endurance & Practical Information Physical Ratings

The number of flags is a guide to the degree of difficulty of ASA tours relative to each other (not to those of other tour companies). It is neither absolute nor literal. One flag is given to the least taxing tours, six to the most. Flags are allocated, above all, according to the amount of walking and standing each tour involves. Nevertheless all ASA tours require that participants have a good degree of fitness enabling 2-3 hours walking or 1-1.5 hours standing still on any given site visit or excursion. Many sites are accessed by climbing slopes or steps and have uneven terrain.

This 21-day tour involves:

Moderate walking and standing during site visits; walking tours may include steep slopes, flights of stairs, cobbled streets, visits to hill-top towns and uneven ground during garden visits Moderate travel by air-conditioned coach, including winding coastal and mountain roads The use of audio headsets which amplify the voice of your guide (despite noisy surroundings). This technology also allows you to move freely during site visits without missing any information. 3 to 4-star hotels with seven hotel changes You must be able to carry your own hand-luggage. Hotel porterage includes 1 piece of luggage per person. Excursions by ferry in the Northern Italian Lakes District and in the Cinque Terre National Park Day excursion from Genoa to by train

It is important to remember that ASA programs are group tours, and slow walkers affect everyone in the group. As the group must move at the speed of the slowest member, the amount of time spent at a site may be reduced if group members cannot maintain a moderate walking pace. ASA tours should not present any problem for active people who can manage day-to-day walking and stair-climbing. However, if you have any doubts about your ability to manage on a program, please ask your ASA travel consultant whether this is a suitable tour for you.

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Please note: it is a condition of travel that all participants agree to accept ASA's directions in relation to their suitability to participate in activities undertaken on the tour, and that ASA retains the sole discretion to direct a tour participant to refrain from a particular activity on part of the tour. For further information please refer to the ASA Reservation Application Form.

Practical Information

Prior to departure, tour members will receive practical notes which include information on visa requirements, health, photography, weather, clothing and what to pack, custom regulations, bank hours, currency regulations, electrical appliances and food. The Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade website has advice for travellers see: www.smartraveller.gov.au

Booking Conditions Make a Reservation

ASA RESERVATION APPLICATION FORM

Please complete the ASA RESERVATION APPLICATION and send it to Australians Studying Abroad together with your non-refundable deposit of AUD $500.00 per person payable to Australians Studying Abroad.

Passport Details

All participants must provide no later than 75 days prior to the commencement of the program a photocopy of the front page of their current passport.

Double (as single) Supplement

Payment of this supplement will ensure accommodation in a double room for single use throughout the tour. The number of rooms available for single use is extremely limited. People wishing to take this supplement are therefore advised to book well in advance.

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Reservation Application

TOUR NAME TOUR DATES

Please complete one application, per person in block letters and sign. Parental signature is required for participants under 18 years of age. Please mail this form with the appropriate deposit to: P.O. Box 8285, ARMADALE, VICTORIA, 3143. On receipt of this Reservation Application and deposit, ASA will process your booking and if approved, send you a tour confirmation.

Applicant Details (as in passport) TITLE Mr Mrs Ms Miss Dr Other FIRST NAME Preferred FIRST NAME MIDDLE NAME SURNAME POSTAL ADDRESS CITY STATE COUNTRY POSTCODE

TEL. (AH) ( ) TEL. (BH) ( ) Mobile Tel: EMAIL address Date of birth / / GENDER Male Female

Passport Number Expiry date / / Nationality I have enclosed a colour copy of my current valid passport ASA has a colour copy of my current passport

Travel Plans I wish ASA to book my airfare, please contact me to discuss my options. Business Class Economy Class I plan to leave Australia before the tour commences. Planned departure date / / I will be arranging my airfare independently and taking the Land Content Only option.

Frequent Flyer Name of Airline Airline Seat preference Membership # (please note request only)

Tour Accommodation (rooming preferences) I/we would like: a twin-bedded room a double-bedded room a room for sole occupancy I am travelling: on my own with a friend/family member Travel Companion

Meals Please X the box if you CAN NOT eat any of the following: I do not have any specific dietary requests fish poultry red meat dairy products eggs pork nuts Allergies: Refer to the Medical Information Other

Correspondence Your preferred method of correspondence Postal Mail Email Address

Emergency Contact Details Note: this person MUST be available by telephone and be present in Australia for the duration of your tour with ASA Name Relationship to Traveller Address TEL. (AH) ( ) TEL. (BH) ( ) Mobile Tel: EMAIL address

Medical Information

The purpose of seeking this information is to assist ASA to determine, Mobility and Fitness where necessary, whether ASA is able to make reasonable adjustments As many of ASA’s international sites do not provide access to wheelchairs or similar to accommodate your specific needs and whether your health and safety mobility aids, we regret that ASA tours are not suitable for people who require the (or that of your fellow travellers) is likely to be compromised given your use of a walking frame, wheeled walker, wheelchair or motorised scooter. choice of tour. It will also assist you and ASA if you fall ill or have an accident whilst travelling. YES NO 1. Do you suffer from any medical conditions that may compromise • ASA reserves the right to decline your Reservation Application if this your mobility and/or fitness to participate on this program? Medical Information section is not completed properly and may reject If yes, please specify or cancel your reservation, or terminate your participation on any tour, if ASA subsequently learns that you have failed to make full and proper disclosure. If yes, how will you manage this on tour? • ASA is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal information. ASA’s privacy policy is available for viewing at www.asatours.com.au • If ASA has any concerns about the information you have provided, it will contact you to request clarification before considering your Application. Allergies and/or Food Intolerances ASA will make reasonable endeavours to organise meals to suit you, provided • ASA requires you to consider carefully your limitations in light of ASA’s that you give ASA adequate notice of your specific dietary requirements or Physical Endurance Star Rating System in ASA’s Brochure and allergies. You may be required to research dietary alternatives, as not all Itinerary when choosing your tour. destinations may be able to offer suitable food substitutes. • If you are not likely to satisfy ASA’s Participation Criteria (see below), YES NO ASA, in its sole discretion, may reject your Reservation Application. 1. Do you have any food allergies or intolerances? • It is a condition of your tour that you agree to accept the directions If yes, please specify of ASA’s Tour Leaders in relation to your suitability to participate in activities planned on tour. • ASA reserves the right to cancel your participation on a tour if your behaviour is in ASA’s opinion causing undue distress or damage to any person or their property. 2. Have you ever had an anaphylactic reaction to anything? If yes, please specify • If your participation is discontinued during a tour, ASA will assist by arranging your onward travel (if required) at your own cost, but you will not be refunded for forfeited parts of the tour. • ASA tour groups are not accompanied by a medical practitioner. ASA recommends that you see your doctor for advice about Do you carry an epipen? your specific needs while overseas. You may also wish to contact a travel and vaccination clinic for advice. www.traveldoctor.com.au 3. Do you have any other allergies or reactions to anything, tel:1300 658 444; www.travelvax.com.au tel: 1300 360 164. including medical drugs? If yes, please specify • Travel insurers require you to declare all existing medical conditions. • Please carry a complete list of medications with you during the ASA tour. Include generic names of each medication (consult your local pharmacy for information). Existing Medical Conditions You alone are responsible for managing any existing medical conditions, your Please mark X in the YES or NO box to every question below and medication and any medical equipment that you may need when on your tour. provide details where necessary: Please plan for contingencies and take extra medication, dietary supplements and/or fully charged batteries for medical equipment if your health and safety Participation Criteria depends on these. You should take into consideration that power sources at To participate in an ASA tour, you must be reasonably fit, in good some destinations may be unavailable, inadequate, inconvenient or unreliable. health and able to participate in all activities without assistance from YES NO 1. Have you any significant medical conditions that may Tour Leaders or other tour members. If you require assistance, a fit impact your capacity to complete this tour? and able travel companion must undertake to accompany and assist If yes, please specify you with all tasks for the duration of the whole tour. The responsibility of the Tour Leader is to ensure that the larger group enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to If yes, how will you manage this on tour? provide ongoing individual assistance to any one guest. YES NO 1. Can you walk and stand unassisted for at least 2-3 hours 2. Do you require some form of powered medical aid, a day in hot, humid conditions? such as a CPAP machine? 2. Can you walk unassisted on and over uneven surfaces? These machines may not be operable on certain international flights, modes of transport, in remote or other areas with inadequate or unreliable power 3. Can you climb at least 3 flights of stairs and/or walk up and sources without a fully charged independent long life battery or batteries. do wn steep slopes unassisted? 4. Can you walk at a steady pace and no less than 1km every Diabetics: You may be travelling and sightseeing for many hours at a time. 15 - 20 minutes unassisted? Insulin dependent diabetics must carry extra supplies of insulin (as this medication cannot be obtained in some destinations), regulators, 5. Can you organise, manage and carry your own luggage? applicators, storage and refrigeration equipment, as well as any necessary supplements. Accommodation may not provide refrigerators in rooms. 6. Can you follow and remember tour instructions and meet punctually at designated times and places? 3. Are you diabetic?

7. Can you administer your own medication? Are you insulin dependent?

8. Do you have impaired vision or hearing which may impact 4. Do you suffer from travel sickness? your capacity to participate on this tour? Remember to use an appropriate medication while on tour.

Declaration, Liability and Booking Conditions

Declaration I declare that: I have read and understood the ASA Tour Itinerary, Reservation Application and Booking Conditions. I am aware of ASA’s terms as relating to refunds, cancellations, responsibility and liability. I understand that ASA relies upon this declaration when considering this Application. I accept that there are inherent dangers and risks that may occur during any tour. I have made full and complete disclosure and have not knowingly withheld any medical information about myself from ASA. I have completed this Reservation Application honestly and accurately. I warrant that l am able to participate independently in all activities described by ASA in the itinerary without assistance from any person. I will advise ASA in writing if any aspect of my fitness and or health conditions change materially at any time before my departure date. I understand and accept that the itinerary, accommodation and lecturers scheduled for this tour may change. I agree and consent that ASA may give my personal information in this Reservation Application to tour service providers and relevant authorities as required by law, but for the purpose of making bookings with and engaging services provided for the tour. I understand that if l do not consent to the use of my personal information for this purpose, ASA will decline my Reservation Application. In consideration of ASA’s acceptance of my Reservation Application, I irrevocably release and indemnify ASA from all claims that I, or any other party, may have against ASA its employees, invitees, agents and contractors, however arising in respect of any loss, damage, injury, death or expense incurred in the course of travelling to, on and from any tour. I understand and acknowledge that this Release and Indemnity applies with respect to: 1. Every general risk to which I or my personal belongings may be exposed in the course of travelling to, on or from any ASA tour 2. Every special risk, in particular medical risks, to which I may be exposed in the course of travelling to, on or from any ASA tour arising from, including, but not limited to: a. intermittent power cycles and/or the temporary or permanent loss of power (beware CPAP or any other medical machine users); b. dietary, food or other allergies (ASA cannot guarantee that traces of items to which you are allergic are not present in food or drink you are served, medication you are administered or other substances with which you may come into contact); c. any event or situation that may compromise the administration of necessary medication or my health, safety and wellbeing generally. 3. All claims arising as a result of my or ASA’s cancellation or termination of my continued participation on a tour for whatever reason (refund conditions in ASA’s Booking Conditions excepted). Limitation of Liability ASA is not a carrier, event or tourist attraction host, accommodation or dining service provider. All bookings made and tickets or coupons issued by ASA for transport, event, accommodation, dining and the like are issued as an agent for various service providers and are subject to the terms and conditions and limitations of liability imposed by each service provider. ASA is not responsible for their products or services. If a service provider does not deliver the product or service for which you have contracted, your remedy lies with the service provider, not ASA. ASA will not be liable for any claim (eg. sickness, injury, death, damage or loss) arising from any change, delay, detention, breakdown, cancellation, failure, accident, act, omission or negligence of any such service provider however caused (contingencies). You must take out adequate travel insurance against such contingencies. ASA’s liability in respect of any tour will be limited to the refund of amounts received from you less all non-refundable costs and charges and the costs of any substituted event or alternate services provided. The terms and conditions of the relevant service provider from time to time comprise the sole agreement between you and that service provider. ASA reserves the sole discretion to cancel any tour or to modify itineraries in any way it considers appropriate. Tour costs may be revised, subject to unexpected price increases or exchange rate fluctuations. Booking Conditions DEPOSITS UNUSED PORTIONS OF THE TOUR A deposit of $500.00 AUD per person is required to reserve a We regret that refunds will not be given for any unused portions of the tour, such as place on an ASA tour. meals, entry fees, accommodation, flights or transfers.

CANCELLATION FEES WILL THE TOUR PRICE OR ITINERARY CHANGE? If you decide to cancel your booking the following charges apply: If the number of participants on a tour is significantly less than budgeted, or if there is a significant change in exchange rates ASA reserves the right to amend the advertised price. More than 75 days before departure: $500* We shall, however, do all in our power to maintain the published price. If an ASA tour is 75-46 days prior 25% of total amount due forced to cancel you will get a full refund of all tour monies paid. Occasionally 45-31 days prior 50% of total amount due circumstances beyond the control of ASA make it necessary to change airline, hotel or to make amendments to daily itineraries. We will inform you of any changes in due course. 30-15 days prior 75% of total amount due 14-0 days prior 100% of total amount due TRAVEL INSURANCE *This amount may be credited to another ASA tour departing ASA requires all participants to obtain comprehensive travel insurance. A copy of your within 12 months of the original tour you booked. We regret, travel insurance certificate and the reverse charge emergency contact phone number in this case early-bird discounts will not apply. must be received by ASA no later than 75 days prior to the commencement of the tour. We take the day on which you cancel as being that on which FINAL PAYMENT we receive written confirmation of cancellation. The balance of the tour price will be due 75 days prior to the tour commencement date.

PLEASE READ THE ABOVE CAREFULLY, PRINT AND SIGN BELOW

I accept the conditions on this booking form I have read the information about the physical requirements of the tour in the detailed itinerary and confirm that I am able to meet these requirements

Applicant’s Signature

Print Full Name Dated

Deposit Payment

Tour / Course Name

I have enclosed a non refundable deposit of $ (including CC or bank fee if applicable) for this tour

By Cheque Credit Card Payment Please make cheques payable to Australians Studying Abroad Credit card fees apply: Mastercard, American Express & Visa 1.95% Please debit my: Mastercard American Express Visa Direct Deposit or Internet Banking You will need to: I authorise ASA to debit my credit card for the amount due plus 1. Provide your bank with ASA’s bank details (see below) and the applicable fee as above the amount you wish to transfer OR make a direct deposit Credit Card Number through any ANZ branch 2. Include any fees levied by the banks Expiry Date Security Code (CVC) 3. Provide a reference number (Mobile or last name recommended). Bank the Card is linked to (eg. NAB or ANZ) 4. Complete section below, including confirmation no. (given when transaction completed). Cardholders Name

Australians Studying Abroad bank details Cardholders Billing Address Bank ANZ Branch 420 St Kilda Road, Melbourne Vic Swift Code ANZBAU3M State Postcode BSB 013-423 Country Account No 3472-32759 Phone Bank confirmation No. Email Reference used: Mobile or last name recommended Cardholders Signature

Date Money Transferred

AUSTRALIANS STUDYING ABROAD Office 6, Level 1, 1087-1095 High St ( Box 8285) Armadale VIC Australia 3143 www.asatours.com.au Phone +61 3 9822 6899 Freecall 1800 645 755 (outside metro Melbourne area only) Email [email protected] License No. 31248 ABN 27 006 589 242

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