Serate Musicali - 10 days

Highlights

The Trevi Fountain • Colosseum • St. Peter’s Basilica • Sistine Chapel • Basilica Of St. Francis • The Leaning Tower • The Duomo • Accademia • St. Mark's Basilica • The Doge’s Palace • Cremona’s Famous Violin Collection • 3 Performance Opportunities

Overnights

Rome 3, Chianciano 1, Montecatini 2, Lake Garda/Lake Como 2

Itinerary

DAY 1: OVERNIGHT FLIGHT
Depart on your overnight flight to Italy. Dinner and breakfast served on board.

DAY 2: ROME

Arrive in Rome, meet your tour manager(s) and transfer to your Rome hotel. The rest of the day is free to acquaint yourself with the many wonders of “The Eternal City”.

DAY 3: ROME

Visit the vast collection of art that abounds in the Vatican museums. From the Rafaello rooms to the frescoes by Michelangelo that adorn the walls and ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, this morning’s tour will appeal to all! The afternoon is free to shop for souvenirs. After dinner, enjoy a walking tour of the historical center with your tour manager. Highlights include The Piazza Navona, The Piazza del Pantheon, The Spanish Steps and The Trevi Fountain…be sure to toss your three coins here! Your tour managers will show you the correct way to perform this tradition.

DAY 4: ROME

Morning panoramic city sightseeing of Rome with a local guide introduces you the Colosseum, The Roman Forum, The Circus Maximus, The Baths of Caracalla, The Monument of Vittorio Emanuele “Rome’s Wedding Cake monument,” and the Basilica of St. Peter, mother church of the Catholic faith. Travel outside the city walls this afternoon to present your first concert performance in the region of the prolific church composer, Palestrina.

DAY 5: CHIANCIANO

Depart Rome this morning and travel into nearby Umbria for a visit to the medieval hill town of Assisi. Here you will have time to stroll along the cobble-stoned streets marveling at the panoramic splendor of the lush rolling hills of the surrounding countryside. Be sure to visit the Basilica of St. Francis famous for the frescoes by Giotto depicting the life of St. Francis. After a break to find lunch, continue into the region of “A Room with a View,” Tuscany. This evening’s highlight is a visit to the cloistered Abbey of St. Antimo. Here at 7:00pm, six monks from a hidden retreat walk to the Romanesque church isolated in the Tuscan hills to sing evening vespers and Gregorian chant, for many an artistically and spiritually enriching experience. Leave this service as the sun sets in the hills of Tuscany. Enjoy dinner at a local trattoria in Montalcino before continuing to the spa town of nearby Chianciano for the overnight.

DAY 6: MONTECATINI

This morning see the charming town of Lucca, birthplace of the Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini. Travel to the city of Pisa where you will visit the attraction that literally put this small town on the map, the leaning tower! Also here in the Piazza of Miracles, visit the Baptistry. Perhaps you will be in time for a demonstration of the unique acoustics of this structure…be sure to ask the attendant! Continue to Montecatini for dinner and the overnight.

DAY 7: MONTECATINI

Travel to the Renaissance city of Florence for afternoon sightseeing with a local guide. This tour shows you the magnificent Duomo decorated in pink and green marble, the Baptistry doors of Ghiberti, that Michelangelo claimed were “The doors of Paradise”, and the Accademia, home to Michelangelo’s famous David. Walk along the Ponte Vecchio, which extends over the river Arno. Meet again for rehearsal before this evening’s performance in the heart of the city.

DAY 8: LAKE GARDA

Enjoy a full-day excursion to “The Queen of the Adriatic,” Venice. Transfer to St. Mark’s Square via boat as the Venetians themselves do daily. Your walking tour of this Byzantine wonder includes St. Mark’s Basilica and entrances to the Doge’s Palace. Here, you can walk through the famous “Bridge of Sighs” which connects the palace to the prison. Peer through the bridge’s tiny window, the last look at civilization for many unfortunate inmates. Enjoy the afternoon in this unique city. Throughout the year, Piazza San Marco abounds with activity and live music. Enjoy a refreshing drink and listen to the strains of local musicians overlapping with the sounds of distant Gondoliers’ songs! Return to Lake Garda/Lake Como for the overnight.

DAY 9: LAKE GARDA

Today’s agenda is packed full with all things musical! Begin the day by visiting the city of Cremona’s private collection of Stradivarius violins. Complement this visit with a tour of the workshops of local violin artisans. Present your final evening concert in this historically rich city. Your overnight this evening is in Lake Garda or Lake Como.