October 6-14, 2019
The Italian Veneto—not to mention nearby Venice—is a region of profound significance not only to Italy but to the world as the region that nurtured the architecture of Andrea Palladio (1508-1580), by some estimates the most significant architect of the western world.
Members of this tour will visit town palaces in Vicenza, churches in Venice, and countryside villas that constitute this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Veneto is not rich for its architecture alone. Over eight days, October 6-14, 2019 (with an optional Venice pre-tour, October 2-6), the tour will explore artistic and cultural sites of profound significance—classic Italian gardens, country villas dating to the mid-16th C, museums with repositories of the most notable of musical instruments and sculpture—and three amazing concerts by the Garth Newel Piano Quartet.
TOUR SUMMARY
Location – Vicenza, Italy
Dates – October 6-14, 2019
LODGING & MEALS
8 Nights’ Lodging at Hotel Campo Marzio
All Breakfasts, Three (3) Dinners, Six (6) Lunches, and One (1) Tasting Included
Airport transfers & land transportation Included
Entrance Fees & Gratuities Included
PRICING PER PERSON
Pre-Tour (Optional)
$2495 for double occupancy
$750 single supplement
In the Italian Veneto
$4795 for double occupancy
$900 single supplement
A Pre-Tour Introduction to Venice (Optional)
October 2-5, 2019
Whether as a first-time visit or a “refresher,” this four-day, gently curated visit in Venice balances special private excursions with free time to choose what you want to see.
Wednesday, October 2—Venice guests will meet in the morning for a group transfer from the airport to the 4-star Hotel Bonvecchiati, a 5-minute walk to the Piazza San Marco. A Venice Museum Pass will entitle you to visit a host of important sites like the Doge’s Palace or the Correr Museum and the Marciana Library on Piazza San Marco. A Welcome Dinner will cap the day at the Bonvecchiati’s La Terrazza Restaurant.
Thursday, October 3—Today we travel by private coach to Ravenna, where our expert guide, Anna Misseroli, will lead us through some eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the 5th and 6th centuries.
Friday, October 4—Today we will enjoy a morning touring several historical sites, including Venice’s famed opera house, La Fenice, and enjoying a morning coffee on the Piazza. The afternoon is free to explore the shops and the museums before our dinner together at Alla Madonna.
Saturday, October 5—Today a private boat will take us to the island of Burano famous for its history of fishing and lace-making industries. After lunch at Al Gatto Nero, specializing in seafood from the Venice laguna, we will island-hop to Murano, the center of Italian glass-making, to stroll along the quays, visit the Murano Glass Museum as well as glass artists’ studios. Evening dinner on your own.
Sunday, October 6—Guests and luggage will be transported from our Venice hotel to the Marco Polo Airport to join arriving tour members for our transfer to Vicenza.
The pre-tour includes ground and water transportation for group events, four nights’ lodging and breakfasts, two dinners, two lunches, a Venice Museum Pass, other entry fees, guides and gratuities.
In the Italian Veneto
October 6–14, 2019
Meeting at Marco Polo Airport (Venice) for transfer by private coach to Hotel Campo Marzio, in Vicenza, members of the tour will enjoy eight days exploring the Venetian mainland—its exceptional architecture, notable painting and sculpture, famed gardens, exceptional food, daytrips, and, of course, the Veneto’s most popular product—prosecco!
A varied selection of visits promises to make each day unique. Here’s an overview of what will make this Italian visit truly memorable:
Enjoy a privileged exposure to the work of one of the world’s most influential and celebrated architects—Andrea Palladio. With visits to a half dozen villas, built mainly for Venetian nobles in the countryside, you will see the underpinning of much of Europe’s and America’s classical architecture. Visits will include Palladio’s first villa commission, Villa Godi, as well as his last, Villa Barbaro. Others include Villa Emo, La Malcontenta, Villa Pisani, and, most notably, Villa Rotonda where Count Nicolo Valmarana will entertain us with a tour before what is sure to be an unforgettable lunch in the villa.
With the musicians of the Garth Newel Piano Quartet, you will visit the Museo del Violino, in Cremona, known worldwide as the home of the world’s most famous luthiers, including Amati, Stradiveri, and Guarnari. The museum holds a major collection of playable violins (several of which may be demonstrated if we are lucky).
Visit to Padua. Noted for introducing naturalism to the Italian painting tradition, Giotto (1266-1337) covered the chapel walls of the Scrovegni Chapel with a series of frescos that marked a turn in the early Renaissance. A carefully designed tour, time-controlled to protect the priceless frescos, will enable us to see this world renowned masterpiece. The day will also include a visit to the 17th c. Monumental Garden at Valsanzibio, designed to guide the spiritual awareness of the visitor.
Visit to Possagno. Birthplace of neo-classical sculptor Antonio Canova, Possagno’s Museo Canova holds a fascinating collection of Canova’s plaster models from which his sculptures in pure Carrera marble were carved. From his birth to his burial in the Tempio Canoviana, we will grasp the influence of his career which placed sculptures in royal collections and even in Washington DC. A lunch in the beautiful medieval hill town of Asolo, with its fine views of Monte Grappa, will fortify us for an afternoon villa visit.
A day in Venice will include visits to the churches of San Georgio Maggiore and Il Redentore, both mature works of Palladio that reflect his growing reputation in the region. They are unmistakable parts of Venice’s landscape.
Punctuating the week’s tour, the Garth Newel Piano Quartet will perform three concerts in unforgettable surroundings:
Count Jacopo Marcello will welcome us to Villa Marcello for a tour before our midday concert and lunch in this remarkable 18th c villa.
The GNPQ will make its debut performance in Venice’s Palazzo Labia on the Cannaregio Canal in the grand ballroom decorated with a series of frescos by 18th c. Old Master painter Gianbattista Tiepolo. A celebratory dinner at Ristorante al Forni will follow this concert.
To end our tour on a memorable note, Countess Carolina Valmarana will host a tour of the Villa Valmarana ai Nani, followed by drinks, the final concert of the GNPQ and a Farewell Dinner with Count and Countess Valmarana. The Villa Valmarana ai Nani is also decorated with frescos by the painter Gianbattista Tiepolo and his son Giandomenico.
The tour fee includes eight (8) nights’ lodging with breakfasts, airport transfers and all land transportation, three (3) dinners, six (6) lunches, one (1) tasting, entrance and guide fees, and gratuities.