FRIULI, THE DOMOLITES & THE VENETO SEPTEMBER 8-23, 2021 TOUR LEADER: DR NICK GORDON FRIULI, THE DOLOMITES Overview & THE VENETO From the Dolomites to the Palladian villas of the Veneto, north-eastern Tour dates: September 8-23, 2021 Italy has always had a different history as the land between the cool climes of the north and the seductive warmth of the Mediterranean. The Tour leader: Dr Nick Gordon region is both a crossroads, linking the Silk Road to Europe, and one of the most treasured landscapes of Italy, inspiring generations of artists and Tour Price: $9,870 per person, twin share gastronomes alike. But its location has also made it central to the history of Italy – the mountains have provided a natural border between Romans and Barbarians, Venice and the Habsburgs, and modern Italy and Austria. Single Supplement: $1,780 for sole use of double room Experience a different Italy on this new 16-day tour, and discover wonders from 5000-year-old Ötzi the Iceman to little-seen masterpieces by Titian, Booking deposit: $1,000 per person Tiepolo and Giorgione, and sophisticated cuisines in the land of prosciutto and prosecco. Recommended airline: Emirates and Qatar The tour begins in Udine, Friuli’s capital, from where we explore the so- called “Dark Ages” of the Lombards in Cividale and the unique port of Maximum places: 20 Trieste, the Habsburg empire’s gateway to the Mediterranean and the intellectual stomping ground of James Joyce and Italo Svevo. Itinerary: Udine (4 nights), Cortina d’Ampezzo (2 nights), Bolzano (3 nights), Follina (2 nights), Travelling into the heart of the Dolomites, we learn the tragic history of Padua (4 nights) Italy’s borderlands during World War I and discover how – amongst the dramatic mountains outside Cortina and Bolzano – recent archaeological Date published: May 22, 2020 discoveries are changing what we know of prehistoric Europe. Continuing through the mountains, to historic Trent and the fabulous museum of modern art in Rovereto, we arrive in the Veneto. Here we follow the “Strada del Prosecco” into the region’s UNESCO-listed hills, encountering the bravura of Renaissance architect Palladio on the Brenta Canal, and his successors in the villas and gardens of the Euganean Hills. During our stay in Padua, we admire the fierce intellectual independence of this medieval city, from Giotto’s innovations in the Scrovegni Chapel to Galileo at one of the world's first universities. The hotels have been chosen to take full advantage of the great beauty of north-eastern Italy’s hills and mountains, while their central location allows you to enjoy the everyday elegance of Italian life far from the tourist crush. Your tour leader Dr Nick Gordon holds a University Medal and PhD in history from the University of Sydney and taught university history courses for 10 years. A regular lecturer for Hazelhurst Regional Art Gallery, the Nicholson Museum, and for Academy Travel’s lecture programs in Enquiries Sydney and Melbourne, Nick is also an artist, and brings this deep knowledge to his tours. and bookings He has designed and led history, art and For further information and to culture tours for Academy Travel to Italy, secure a place on this tour Europe, Scandinavia and Australia, since please contact Lynsey 2007. Jenkins at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 “A thoroughly successful and enjoyable tour… Dr Nick Gordon was 699 (outside Sydney) or email an excellent and friendly tour leader with great knowledge of his [email protected] subject.” - Feedback on Nick’s Switzerland to Rome tour, 2018 Tour Highlights ART CITIES OF NORTH EAST ITALY The wealth and sophistication of the mighty Venetian Empire fostered the development of a significant regional artistic tradition. From Giotto’s introduction of the Tuscan style in Padua, to the rise of Titian and Giorgione in the small towns north-west of Venice and the rococo flourishes of Tiepolo, explore the emergence of Italy’s greatest masters and survey powerful works still in situ. MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN SCENERY The stunning World Heritage-listed peaks of Italy’s Dolomites, the site of bloody battles during World War I, have a dramatic appeal that is immediately apparent. But the vine-covered slopes of the pre-Alps in the Valdobbiadene and the fertile volcanic landscape of the Euganean Hills, near Padua, are similarly beautiful – and likewise far from the well-worn tourist tracks. ITALY’S UNDISCOVERED HISTORIES The crowds flock to Venice, but the borderlands north of the lagoon preserve some of Europe’s most fascinating and little-known history. From the mummified remains of Ötzi the Iceman in Bolzano, some 4,000 years old, to the staggering material culture of the Lombards in Cividale del Friuli and the tragedy of World War I in the Dolomites, explore the Veneto beyond Venice’s gondolas and canals. PALLADIO’S VILLAS & BEYOND The 16th-century Venetian nobles built many mainland villas and gardens, from which to oversee agricultural activity and pursue a refined contemplative life. Survey Palladio’s perfectly conceived Villa Emo and the extraordinary villas of the Brenta Canal. In the Euganean Hills, explore the baroque symbolism of the Villa Barbarigo Valsanzibio and the splendour of Italy’s pursuit of leisure. THE GASTRONOMY OF NORTHERN ITALY Northern Italy has introduced us to some of our most loved Italian gastronomies. Varying terrain ensures a diverse production of local food and wine, and Italian and European law now safeguards these regional delicacies. From San Daniele prosciutto to Asiago cheese and the Valdobbiadene’s prosecco, sample the work of passionate providores and restauranteurs in beautiful country surrounds. Detailed itinerary Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L and D. Tour start & finish time The tour begins on Wednesday 8 September, with an early afternoon group transfer from Venice airport to our hotel in Udine. The tour concludes after breakfast in our hotel in Padua, on Thursday 23 September. Wednesday 8 September Arrival, RENAISSANCE PALMANOVA We gather in the early afternoon at Venice airport, in time to meet recommended flights, and board our private coach for a group transfer to our hotel in Udine. On the way, we have a brief stop in the extraordinary town of Palmanova. Rebuilt in the 16th century by the Venetians, it is an iconic example of Renaissance planned towns and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2017. We continue on to Udine and check in to our hotel. There are welcome drinks this evening, followed Above: World Heritage-listed Palmanova, a last bastion of the Venetian republic’s mainland defences by a light dinner in our hotel. Overnight Udine (D) Thursday 9 September Tiepolo in Udine, prosciutto in San Daniele Below: Santa Maria in Valle, Cividale del Friuli’s glorious 8th-century “tempietto”, a singular example of Lombard fusion, from Roman After a morning talk in our hotel, we depart for a walking tour of matrons to Byzantine saints central Udine. The town came to prominence as the second largest city of the Venetian state, and central Piazza Libertà has been called the prettiest Venetian square on the terraferma. We survey the elegant buildings of the historic centre, including those redesigned by Andrea Palladio, and encounter the exuberance of Tiepolo, whose masterpieces here are considered among his most important. We then meet our coach and travel out to the San Daniele area for a welcome lunch, followed by a tasting of one of the region’s most celebrated products: prosciutto! Returning to our hotel, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Udine (B, L, prosciutto-tasting) Friday 10 September the Longobards in Cividale Italy’s north-eastern border has long been contested, from the arrival of ‘barbarians’ in the late Roman Empire to the fierce fighting of the Austro-Italian front in World War I. This morning we have a guided tour of Cividale del Friuli, a beautifully preserved city on the hill guarding the mountain passes into Italy, which became the first duchy of the Longobards. There is still much to learn about this mysterious group of Dark Age power players, and we survey their oldest surviving art and architecture at Santa Maria in Valle and the National Archaeological Museum. On return to our hotel, the later afternoon and evening are at leisure. Overnight Udine (B) Saturday 11 September Trieste and miramare This morning we meet our private coach for an excursion to Trieste. This city only became part of Italy after World War I; before this it had been the main Adriatic port of the Austro- Hungarian Empire. It retains its ‘Austria by the sea’ feel, although the fusion of Germanic and Italian cultures is equally present. With our guide, we explore the lingering sense of Trieste as an international city, influencing generations of authors, from James Joyce to Jan Morris. Returning to Udine, we stop to visit Miramare Castle, where we learn the personal and sometimes tragic histories of Trieste’s Habsburgs. The evening is at leisure after a talk. Overnight Udine (B) Sunday 12 September Into the heart of the Dolomites This morning we check out of our hotel in Udine and travel into the Dolomites. Along the way, we call in at Spilimbergo. This town has long been in the orbit of more significant regional centres and the extraordinary frescoes in its 13th-century cathedral are testament to this history. Painted in the middle of Above: Miramare Castle, the 19th-century folly of Archduke Ferdinand. In 1859 he sailed from Trieste to become Mexico’s first, the 14th century, they show key episodes from the Old and New ill-fated emperor Testaments. After lunch at leisure, we continue our journey into the mountains, with a scenic stop to admire the extraordinary The scenery of the Dolomites has inspired generations, from Titian in Tre Cime di Lavaredo.