Cultural Tour Consultants 259 East Michigan Avenue, Suite 206A Kalamazoo, MI 49007 U.S.A. Telephone (866) 499-3799 (toll-free) (269) 343-5667 Facsimile (269) 432-0505 [email protected] Con Brio Choral Society Performance Tour to Italy May 28-June 10, 2020 (14 days/12 nights) 4/24/19 - Itinerary is subject to change Day 1 Thursday, May 28 Depart for Rome, Italy Afternoon Assemble at JFK and check in for your flight to Rome, Italy. Three hours later your flight departs. Dinner and overnight on board the airplane. Day 2 Friday, May 29 (D) Arrive in Rome, transfer to Orvieto (1 hour) and Todi (1 hour) Arrive in Rome and transfer to Orvieto for an independent lunch and sightseeing. Once an important Etruscan centre, Orvieto later became a papal stronghold. This attractive city with a wealth of historic buildings enjoys a stunning location perched on top of a platform of volcanic rock. The upper town, crossed by Corso Cavour, is a particularly pleasant place to sit and watch the world go by, maybe with a glass of the local Orvieto wine, renowned for its dry, fragrant aroma. Continue on to Todi and check into your hotel. A short rehearsal will take place in the hotel before dinner. This evening you’ll have a welcome dinner in Todi to start the tour. Occupying a pretty hillside location, this small Etruscan town in Umbria is surrounded by three ancient concentric walls. The inner one is Etruscan (with the Porta Marzia gate), the middle one is Roman and the outer one is medieval. Todi has also preserved many historic buildings, which testify to the town's vitality in the Middle Ages. NOTE: Today’s activities are pending airline scheduling. Fonte Cesia in Todi Day 3 Saturday, May 30 (B) (Concert) Todi, excursion to Perugia (1 hour) Breakfast at the hotel. Board your coach and transfer to Perugia. Meet your guide and begin a tour of Perugia. Perugia was one of the twelve Etruscan city-states known as lucumonies. The town has retained its massive Etruscan walls, which bears witness to its former status, as well as many medieval and Renaissance buildings. It was the birthplace of the Umbrian school of painting, which was renowned for its delicate lines and whose main representatives included Perugino (1445-1523) and Il Pinturicchio (1454-1518). Now an industrial and commercial center, Perugia is also a lively university town. This afternoon is at leisure in Perugia. Return to Todi to prepare for your concert this evening. Tonight you will perform a full concert in Todi or a nearby town. This may be a joint concert with a local choir. Fonte Cesia in Todi Day 4 Sunday, May 31 (B) (Worship service) Excursion to Assisi (1 hour), optional afternoon wine tasting and lunch Morning After breakfast at the hotel, board your coach for departure to Assisi. Participation in morning worship services in St. Francis Basilica will be requested. Assisi is a hill town in central Italy’s Umbria region. It was the birthplace of St. Francis (1181–1226), one of Italy’s patron saints. The Basilica of St. Francis is a massive, 2-level church, consecrated in 1253. Its 13th-century frescoes portraying the life of St. Francis have been attributed to Giotto and Cimabue, among others. The crypt houses the saint’s stone sarcophagus. You’ll have some free time to explore Assisi before returning to Todi. This afternoon an optional excursion is offered at an additional cost including a winery tour, wine and olive oil tasting and a late lunch. Return to Todi for the evening at leisure. Fonte Cesia in Todi Property of Cultural Tour Consultants – Con Brio Choral Society 2020 2 Day 5 Monday, June 1 (B) Todi to Gradara (2.5 hour) to Cesenatico (1 hour) Morning Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Cesenatico. In route, stop in Gradara for an independent lunch and exploration. This well-preserved medieval town, situated inland from the coast between Rimini and Pesaro in the Marche region, has retained its fortress, defensive walls and battlemented gateways. Continue on to your hotel in Cesenatico. Cesenatico is a port town with about 26,000 inhabitants on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is located in the province of Forlì-Cesena in the region of Emilia- Romagna, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Ravenna. Cesenatico's port canal was surveyed and drawn by Leonardo da Vinci at the request of Cesare Borgia, as part of his plans to fortify the nearby town of Cesena. Evening at leisure. Grand Hotel da Vinci in Cesenatico Day 6 Tuesday, June 2 (B) (Concert) Cesenatico, excursion to Rimini Morning Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to nearby Rimini. Begin your tour with Tempio Malatestiano. Sigismondo Malatesta commissioned Leon Battista Alberti to transform this church in 1447. He built an Antique-style temple to celebrate the glory of the dynasty and serve as their mausoleum. In addition to exquisitely allegorical decoration by Agostino di Duccio, it is home to other striking works, such as a superb painting by Piero della Francesca depicting Sigismondo before his patron saint and a crucifix by Giotto. You’ll also see the Arch of Augustus and Place Cavour among other sites. Return to Cesenatico to prepare for your concert this evening. This may be a joint concert with a local choir. Grand Hotel da Vinci in Cesenatico Property of Cultural Tour Consultants – Con Brio Choral Society 2020 3 Day 7 Wednesday, June 3 (B) Cesenatico, excursion to Ravenna (1 hour) Morning Board your coach and transfer to Ravenna. Ravenna is best known for eight ancient sites that have mosaics so superb that they rival those in Istanbul. The city has such exquisite Arian and Byzantine mosaics that it has earned the distinguished designation of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You’ll tour the Archiepiscopal Museum (Chapel of Sant’Andrea and the Ivory Throne), Neonian Baptistery, Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Basilica of San Vitale, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. The remainder of the afternoon is free to explore the mosaics of Ravenna. Return to Cesenatico for overnight. Grand Hotel da Vinci in Cesenatico Day 8 Thursday, June 4 (B) Cesenatico to Bologna (1.5 hours) to Cremona Breakfast at the hotel. Board your coach and transfer to Bologna where you’ll tour the city, including its Piazza Maggiore, a sprawling plaza lined with arched colonnades, cafes and medieval and Renaissance structures such as City Hall, the Fountain of Neptune and the Basilica di San Petronio. Bologna, traditionally depicted as scholarly and opulent, is by vocation an aristocratic and fraternal town. "Bologna the wise" by virtue of its prestigious university, one of the oldest of Europe and "Bologna the opulent" by virtue of its fertile agricultural countryside and rich culinary traditions, making it the temple of Italian cuisine. It is also known as "Bologna the Red", a name with political connotations which originally referred to the red brick of its buildings, towers and 42km of arcades. Late afternoon depart for Cremona and check into your hotel. Hotel Delle Arti in Cremona Property of Cultural Tour Consultants – Con Brio Choral Society 2020 4 Day 9 Friday, June 5 (B,L) Cremona, Parma city tour, food and wine excursion Morning Breakfast at the hotel. Today is a food and wine excursion. You’ll start in Parma with a tour of the city. You’ll learn about the production and sample the local specialties including balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese, parma ham and local Lambrusco. The final stop is a local agriturismo for a farmer’s lunch. Just as the name Parma fills readers of Stendhal and Proust with nostalgia, that of Parmesan will make gourmets drool and Mannerist art lovers swoon. On the border of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna, this city combines art, literature, music and good food. Parma, ruled by the Farnese family for 200 years, was the birthplace and home of countless artists (including conductor Arturo Toscanini), provides a unique blend of elegant architecture and a genteel art de vivre. You’ll have free time in Parma this afternoon. Return to Cremona and have the evening at leisure. Hotel Delle Arti in Cremona Day 10 Saturday, June 6 (B)(Concert) Cremona Board your coach and depart for Cremona. Meet your local guide and tour the city of Cremona including the Violin Museum and luthier’s studio. Cremona is the birthplace of composer Claudio Monteverdi, and is also famous for its stringed- instrument makers, such as Andrea Amati, Andrea Guarneri and Antonio Stradivarius, who gained a reputation for their violins and cellos as early as the 16C. The tradition is still alive in the town today. Cremona, is home to one of the most beautiful medieval squares in Italy Tonight you may perform a full concert in Cremona. Hotel Delle Arti in Cremona Property of Cultural Tour Consultants – Con Brio Choral Society 2020 5 Day 11 Sunday, June 7 (B) (Worship service) Cremona to Bergamo (2 hours) Morning Breakfast at the hotel. This morning you may take part in morning worship services in Cremona. After an independent lunch, board your coach and depart for Franciacorta to discover some of the finest sparkling wine in the world! In 1995 Franciacorta, Italy received a DOCG classification. Franciacorta was the 1st Italian sparkling wine to receive such an honor! The Franciacorta wine region sits just east of Milan in the foothills of the Alps. The region is dotted with medieval castles and Roman ruins. Most of Franciacorta’s cantine are small to medium-sized operations that produce wine exclusively from estate-grown fruit. Continue on to Bergamo and check into your hotel.