SOUNDS OF NORTHERN ITALY - 2008

Florence, Lucca, Ravenna, Bologna, Mantua, Padua, Venice, Verona, Bergamo and Milan

Enjoy listening to operas and concerts in Florence, Bologna and Milan. See medieval towns and culturally rich cities with their soaring cathedrals, the palaces and the beautiful villas. Stay at some of the finest hotels in Italy.

Opera performances:
In Florenze:
05 May - CARMEN by Bizet at the Teatro Comunale di Firenze
In Bologna:
08 May - NORMA by Bellini at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna
In Milan:
14 May - 1984 by Lorin Maazel at Teatro alla Scala

Departure from U.S.A.: 03 May 2008 – 13 Days. Return: 15 May 2008

LAND COST includes orchestra level seats in the theaters listed above:
Double occupancy: $4.950 per person - Single supplement: $850
Deposit: $500 per person - Balance due ten (10) weeks prior to departure.

Day 1. – May 3. (D)*. UNITED STATES – FLORENCE
Depart this evening aboard any airline of your choice from New York to Florence, Italy. Dinner and light breakfast served on the plane.

Day 2. – May 4. (B,D). FLORENCE
Independent arrival at the Florence International Airport. We meet you at the centrally located HOTEL ALBANI, where we stay three nights. Briefing and Gala Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant.

FLORENCE mingles art and life gracefully within its boundaries, surrounded by the hills of the Arno Valley. From the world-famous doors of the Baptistery facing the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Uffizi Museum housing invaluable paintings of the Old Masters, the imposing 15th century Pitti Palace, the Academy Gallery containing works by Michelangelo, to the Ponte Vecchio lined with jewelers’ shops, one discovers the characteristics of the Florentine: discretion, sophistication and artistic sense. The city became incredibly rich during medieval times under the Pitti, the Strozzi, the Pazzi and the Medici families.

Day 3. – May 5. (B). FLORENCE
Morning walking tour of this city to see the nearby architectural gems including the Baptistery with one of its famous doors sculpted by Michelangelo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio. This afternoon we visit the Uffizi Museum, one of the finest in the world, with its priceless collection of paintings and sculptures. This evening we see the opera CARMEN at the Teatro Comunale di Firenze.

Day 4. – May 6. (B). LUCCA – FLORENCE
Today we drive west through the beautiful Tuscany countryside to first visit the medieval town of Lucca, with its rich heritage of churches and squares. We will visit the Cathedral, which has the famous Holy Visage on a miraculous Crucifix, and the San Michele in Foro Church. Afternoon drive west to visit the Puccini Museum in Torre del Lago. Return to Florence.

Day 5. – May 7. (B,D). RAVENNA - BOLOGNA
Today we drive northeast to make a stop in Ravenna to see the famous Mausoleum of Galla Placida and the church of St. Vitalis with their beautiful  bright mosaics dating to the 5th century. We continue our drive to reach Bologna, where we stay two nights at the deluxe ROYAL HOTEL CARLTON.  Dinner at a local restaurant.

RAVENNA remained the capital of the Western Roman Empire until 455 A.D., when Rome again became the center, only to have the Western Empire come to an end under the invasion by the barbarians. However, the eastern Byzantium (now Istanbul) and Ravenna were recaptured by forces of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian. It was during this period that the famous churches were built here and they contain the finest surviving Byzantine mosaics in the world.

Day 6. – May 8. (B). BOLOGNA
Morning sightseeing of this city, built predominantly of red bricks, to include Piazza Major and Neptune’s Fountain, the Basilica of Saint Petronio and the two very tall towers rising high above the old buildings. We visit the University of Bologna to see the operation theater where medicine was first taught in the Western World. Afternoon at leisure. This evening we see the opera NORMA by Bellini at Teatro Comunale di Bologna.

BOLOGNA is one of Italy’s oldest cultural cities. It was settled by the Etruscans before the Romans got there in 189 B.C., followed by barbaric tribes, the Huns and the Lombards. Europe’s oldest university was founded here in 1088, and it had the honor of having the first woman as a professor. She was so beautiful that she lectured from behind a screen so as not to distract the students.

Day 7. – May 9. (B,D). PADUA
This morning we drive north to in the ancient roman town of Padua where we stay two nights at the elegant METHIS HOTEL. Among the sights to see are the Scrovegni Chapel, with its most beautiful frescoes painted by Giotto in the early 14th century, and the All Saints’ Basilica. Dinner at a local restaurant.

PADUA underwent its greatest period of economic and cultural prosperity starting in 1222 AD when the second oldest university in Italy after Bologna was founded, attracting master painters like Giotto and Mantegna whose brilliant frescoes adorn various churches and the basilica in the city.

Day 8. – May 10. (B,D). VENICE  - PADUA
Today we take a short drive to visit Venice. Among the sights to see in this fascinating city between the sea and the sky, are the Basilica of St. Marks, the Doges’ Palace, Rialto Bridge and St. Mary of Salvation Church. Afternoon free to see the Academy of Fine Arts or to stroll along the Grand Canal. Dinner at one of the fine Venetian restaurants. Late this evening we return to our hotel in Padua. 

VENICE built on 117 islands has 15 canals and 400 bridges. The famous gondolas have been the traditional means of transport for centuries. Venice has a reputation for intrigue, politics and arts. Its school of paintings exemplified by Bellini, Lotto, Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto and Canaletto later influenced the Impressionists. Among its musicians was Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1743).

Day 9. – May 11. (B,D). MANTUA – VERONA
This morning we drive east to stop first in the prosperous town of Mantua to visit the Ducal Palace, to see the beautiful frescoes painted by Mantegna in the 11th century. It is here that the composer Monteverdi first conducted his operas in one of the Ducal Apartments. Nearby is the “House of Rigoletto.” We continue the drive to arrive in Verona, where we stay two nights at the centrally located HOTEL ACCADEMIA. Dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 10. – May 12. (B). VERONA
Morning sightseeing tour of this red- and ochre-colored city to include the Balcony of Romeo and Juliet, the lively Piazza delle Erbe with its open-air market, the Tomb of the Scaligers, the Old Castle, the St. Zeno Major Church and the Arena. Afternoon at leisure.

VERONA was the setting of the balls, the secret marriage and the balcony where Romeo and Juliet said their farewells around 1300, as immortalized by Shakespeare in his play. Enclosed in its 16th century fortifications, Verona is regarded as the key to Northern Italy. The nucleus of the old town includes pleasant squares connected by alleys and arcaded passageways. The St. Zeno Major Church is one of the finest Romanesque churches in Northern Italy. The 12th century doors under the entrance show scenes from the Old and the New Testaments in expressive ways. The Arena, which can accommodate 25,000 spectators, draws large crowds of opera lovers during the season.

Day 11. – May 13. (B). VERONA – BERGAMO – MILAN
Today we drive east to stop first in Bergamo to visit the home and museum of the composer Donizetti, the Colleoni Chapel and the church of St. Mary Major. We continue our drive to arrive in Milan where we stay two nights at the centrally located HOTEL DE LA VILLE. 

Day 12. – May 14. (B,D). MILAN
Morning sightseeing of this dynamic city. Among the sights to see are the beautiful Gothic Cathedral and Verdi’s house where he worked and died. This evening we will see the opera 1984 by Lorin Maazel at the newly renovated Teatro alla Scala. Gala Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant.

MILAN is just not very Italian. All the Milanese do is work, all they care about is money and they refuse to indulge in the myth of la-dolce-vita. The city has its origin from Celtic settlements, which were subdued by the Romans in 222 B.C. In 312 A.D., Emperor Constantine published the Edict of Milan making Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. In 1805, Napoleon placed the Iron Crown of the Kings of Lombardy on his own head to declare himself the Emperor. To the Milanese people, all that is past history.

Day 13. – May 15. (B). MILAN – UNITED STATES
Fly this morning from Milan back home arriving the same afternoon. Arrividerci. See you on another H.A.T. Tour.

*B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner (including wine)

Airfare is not included. Individuals make their own flight arrangements. Please make sure that your airline ticket reads: U.S.A. to Florence and Milan back to USA.  We urge you to check airline cancellation penalties before purchasing airline tickets since international departure times and flights can change. Tours also can be cancelled due to low enrolment. H.A.T. Tours does not accept liability for cancellation penalties related to domestic or international airline tickets purchased independently in conjunction with this tour. 

The group is limited to fifteen persons maximum. The Managing Director Grethe Arani and/or Aspee Arani will personally escort this tour. Local English-speaking guides are provided in each of the cities visited.

Please send your deposit to:
H.A.T. Tours
PO Box 46876, St. Petersburg, FL 33741
Phone toll free (800) 472-4448 or Fax (727) 360-8459
E-Mail: gnahat@EuropeanOperaTours.com 
Web site: www.EuropeanOperaTours.com