From Verona to Trieste – the wonders of the Veneto and beyond Friday 18 – Thursday 24 October 2019 6 nights Organised by The Oxford and Cambridge Club Highlights Verona: the Arena, Juliet’s balcony Mantua: the Basilica di Sant’Andrea di Mantova, Palazzo Ducale, the piazzas Vicenza: the genius of Palladio, the Teatro Olimpico, the Basilica Padua: Cappella degli Scrovegni, Basilica di Sant’ Antonio, Scuola del Santo Trieste: the port, Castello di Miramare, limestone cliffs, Slovenia: Ljubljana, Lake Bled Price per person: £1,695 Supplement for single use of double room: £499 A guided coach tour featuring some of Northern Italy’s least-known but breathtakingly beautiful cities and art treasures, staying in the best hotels of Verona and Trieste – with a day out into Slovenia visiting Ljubljana and Lake Bled. THE HOTELS VERONA: Hotel Due Torri ***** (3 nights from 18 October) Verona’s top hotel and one of Italy’s finest. A member of the Leading Hotels of the World, this is the oldest hotel in the city, parts dating back over 700 years. It is located in the heart of a pedestrianised area, close to Juliet’s balcony, the gothic church of Sant’Anastasia, the Scaglieri tombs, the magnificent spaces of the Piazza dei Signori and the Piazza delle Erbe, and the River Adige. The 89 spacious, air-conditioned bedrooms are decorated in traditional 19th century style, all with the usual five-star amenities. The panoramic rooftop terrace, grill and bar (hopefully still open in October) offer spectacular views of the city; downstairs is a gastronomic restaurant. Full buffet breakfast included daily. TRIESTE: Hotel Savoia Excelsior Palace ***** (3 nights from 21 October) And this is the best hotel in Trieste. Trieste has been of great historical importance since Roman times. Once the port of the Holy Roman/Austro-Hungarian Empires, the city has a proud heritage drawing on the diverse elements of its natural hinterland. Built in the grand style of the early 20th century, commanding a superb location overlooking the Porto Vecchio to the Gulf of Trieste (all our rooms have a sea view at no extra charge) and situated next to the monumentally impressive Piazza dell’Unita d’Italia, the Savoia Excelsior Palace is within a few minutes’ walk from the city’s fashionable shops, museums, restaurants and bars. 144 beautiful, air-conditioned bedrooms, spacious “Belle Epoque” public areas, bar and restaurant. Full buffet breakfast included daily. FLIGHTS AND TRANSFERS Flights are not included, but British Airways has a direct connection from London Gatwick departing at 07.35, arriving Verona at 10.40. (There is also a later flight at 19.25 if that suits you better). We shall include a coach transfer on arrival to meet the morning flight from Gatwick and to take you to your hotel. (For those arriving in the evening you will need to take a taxi). At the end of the tour we shall include a coach transfer to Venice airport for those departing on the 15.45 and 17.15 British Airways flights (recommended) back to Gatwick. Please note that members and guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements to Italy, plus their insurance, valid passports and (if required) visas. We recommend flying out to Verona with British Airways, back from Venice, although there is a Ryanair flight back to Stansted from Trieste if preferred (no transfer included). Note that all airlines now permit travellers to pre-book their hold luggage and - perhaps more importantly - their seats on board at the time of booking. ITINERARY Friday 18 October. Check in at the Hotel Due Torri, Verona; evening free (Christopher Kirker’s local Verona and Trieste restaurant guide will be sent to all participants before the tour). Verona, the River Adige Verona, Juliet’s balcony Verona, the Arena Saturday 19 October. Departure by coach to the town of Mantua, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, little changed since the 15th century. This is a city of water, located in the heart of the Po valley: a unique urban landscape. We shall include a walking tour of Mantua, stopping at the Palazzo Ducale – a palace of 500 rooms (including the Camera degli Sposi decorated by Mantegna) from which the Gonzaga family ruled from 1328 to 1707 until the Duke Ferdinand Karl was forced into exile. Also on the itinerary will be the Palazzo Te (perhaps best known for the Sala dei Giganti), built in 1524 by Giulio Romano, considered by many to be Raphael’s finest pupil. We shall stop for lunch (included), probably near the Piazza delle Erbe, before returning to Verona. In the afternoon, those who wish may join our walking tour of Verona - another UNESCO World Heritage Site - with an included visit to the famous arena. Evening free. Mantua, Palazzo Ducale from Largo Inferiore Mantua, Palazzo Te, Sala dei Giganti Sunday 20 October. Morning departure for a full day tour (lunch included) to see the spectacular cities of Vicenza and Padua. Vicenza (yes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is the cradle of Palladio (the world’s finest architect); our walking tour here will pass by the Basilica and the Loggia del Capitaniato, with an included visit to the Teatro Olimpico, with its original sets by Palladio still in place. Lunch in a typical trattoria, then on to Padua for a guided afternoon tour, visiting one of the most important masterpieces of western art: the Capella degli Scrovegni. Here, in the early 1300s, Giotto painted his most complete series of breath-taking frescoes. On to “Il Santo”, the eight-domed, oriental-looking Basilica di San Antonio, with its spectacularly decorated interior containing works by Donatello, Altichiero’s “Legend of St James” frescos and the much visited and richly decorated shrine chapel of the church’s patron saint. Then around the corner to the intimate Scuola del Santo, containing, amongst other things, three frescoes by Titian, considered to be his first significant independent works. Return to Verona; evening free. Padua, ‘il Santo’ Padua, Scrovegni Chapel Vicenza, Teatro Olimpico Vicenza, the market Monday 21 October. Morning departure by coach to Trieste, travelling through the Veneto and the vineyard region of Friuli. A visit to a winery, with lunch, is included en route. Afternoon arrival and check into our hotel by the sea in Trieste. Evening free. Tuesday 22 October. A morning walking tour of Trieste – the capital city of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in northeast Italy. A port city, it occupies a thin strip of land between the Adriatic coast and Slovenia’s border on the limestone-dominated Karst Plateau. Italian, Austro-Hungarian and Slovenian influences are all evident in its layout, which encompasses a medieval old city and a neoclassical Austrian quarter. For Trieste, Habsburg since 1382, the 20th century was a period of great instability; as the century opened it was administered by Austria-Hungary, then by Kingdom of Italy, then Nazi Germany, followed by Yugoslav partisans (seven weeks), then the Allied forces (from 1947 nominally as a UN Free Territory), and finally, from 1954, (because the four allied powers could not agree on a candidate for the Governorship) by the Italian Republic. The consequence is a glorious jumble of architectural and ethnic influences. At its heart is the Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia, an enormous square open on one side to the sea, clearly modelled on Venice’s San Marco (but arguably more impressive). The morning will conclude with a visit to Trieste’s Cittavechia. Situated on the hill of San Giusto, this area, with its castle-cathedral complex, has been fortified from prehistoric times and contains the remains of the Roman forum. The cathedral is partially built on the remains of a Roman temple. The castle offers particularly fine views over the city and the gulf. Lunch is again included today, as is an afternoon visit to the Castello Miramare. Built on a headland between 1855 and 1860 for Archduke Maximilian of Austria (Emperor Franz Joseph’s brother and from 1864 Emperor of Mexico), the castle is a temple to his vanity, bristling with castellations, over-the-top furnishings and a huge Throne Room. The throne is said to never have been used because in 1867 the Mexicans shot their Emperor. Evening free. Trieste, Castello di Miramare Trieste, view from Castello di San Giusto Wednesday 23 October. A full day by coach across the border into Slovenia, one of the most forested countries in Europe. Here we shall visit Ljubljana, designated European Green Capital in 2016. The city is quite enchanting - a delightful confection of Baroque and Habsburg inspired- architecture, richly painted churches, abundant greenery and engaging riverside cafes. The old town is sandwiched between a neat castle-topped hill and the Ljubljanica river, its willow-fringed banks dotted with relaxed restaurants, cafes and bars. It is an attractive lattice of cobbled streets, arched alleys and fine cultural monuments, many of which were bequeathed to the city by Jože Plečnik (1872–1957), Slovenia’s most celebrated urban planner. From the brilliantly conceived and much-photographed Triple bridge (he contributed the two angled footbridges in the 1930s), to the graceful market colonnade, Ljubljana is a delight. After a typical Slovenian lunch (included) we shall continue to Lake Bled. This cobalt-blue lake, with its warm waters and impossibly lovely island at its heart, must be one of the most beautiful sights in Eastern Europe. On the island (which we shall visit) is the Church of the Assumption with its 14th-century fresco remains and its baroque, gold altar. Ring the Wishing Bell in the 15th-century church belfry and your wish will be granted. Return to Trieste; evening free.