Depart From: USA

In Transit: Overnight flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Arrivals in Rome the following day.

Arrive To: Rome airport and clear customs, join others for transfer.

Morning: Transfer to hotel. Check-in time is afternoon. Your room might not be ready for occupancy if you arrive early morning, however, the staff at the reception desk will accept your luggage and place it in the deposit. After which you can explore the area around the hotel.

Lunch: At hotel.

Afternoon: Program overview and orientation, distribution of on-site materials. At the Welcome reception a chance to meet your fellow Road Scholars. A brief neighborhood walk to locate ATM's, banks, pharmacies, grocery stores, eateries. Stroll to Piazza della Repubblica to see the bronze Fountain of the Naiades. In front of the fountain is the church of S. Maria degli Angeli, transformed into a church out of the ruins of the Baths of Diocletian, the 3rd C. Emperor, who led an extensive persecution against Christians.

Dinner: At a local restaurant for a typical Roman dinner.

Lodging: Hotel Diana

Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner

Note: One mile down hill and back up hill walk to the near-by sites to see the mosaics.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Begin to unravel the multiple layers of Roman history through the sharp insight of an expert on Roman culture through the centuries. Expert-led visit to the Pantheon. Explore the elegant neighborhood of Piazza Navona.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Learn about Paleochristian art and early Christian churches on a guided walk along streets off the beaten path of the usual tourist itinerary in Rome to small churches with extraordinary examples of mosaics from centuries past.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: Suggested activity: subway ride from P. Repubblica to P. Barberini, exit, and walk around Bernini's statue fountain of the Triton. Walk along Via Sistina and you end up at Trinita' dei Monti, the top of the Spanish Steps, to enjoy a lovely sunset as the silhouette of the Cupola of S. Peter's becomes illuminated. A leisurely walk down the steps leads you to the entrance of the subway that will take you back to Piazza della Repubblica to your hotel.

Lodging: Hotel Diana

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Reserved entrance time diminishes wait in line. The museum requires negotiating some flights of steps, and the distance is about 1/2 mile. Can be crowded.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Urban Facelift lecture explores the designs of urban planners that transformed the city in the 16th and 17th century. Additional practical notes prepare for the visits to the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Transfer to the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica for an expert-led visit. The extraordinary collection of works of art will amaze you, notable are: Egyptian collections, Roman statuary: Laocoon, Belvedere Apollo, gilded bronze Hercules, Etruscan gold, Raphael's Stanze and of course Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. If security permits, your guide will lead you out a back way which puts you at the entrance of St. Peter's Basilica, where you will see Michelangelo's Pieta', Bernini's Baldacchino, made with bronze removed from the Pantheon and wonder at the enormity of this structure. After the visit, you have free time to explore the Borgo area around the Vatican.

Dinner: Dinner on your own.

Lodging: Hotel Diana

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Note: An elevator is available to reach top level of the Colosseum, others may want to take the steps. The walk around the Roman Forum is on uneven paths and original pavement of cobble stone.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Lecture on Ancient Rome and her political structure will help in understanding the next guided visit to the Colosseum and Forum. The Flavian Amphitheater or Colosseum was built in the 80 CE while the forum area dates back to the 7th century BCE. The forum was the religious and civic center of the city. You will see the Rostra where Mark Antony asked to borrow the Roman's ears, and the place where Julius was cremated.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Transfer to the Borghese Gallery, the private pleasure and reception palace of Cardinal Scipio Borghese, an avid art collector and patron of the young Bernini. On display in the Gallery are important paintings by Caravaggio, Raphael, Botticelli and Titian. However, most people go there to see the sculptures by Bernini: his Hades/Pluto and Persephone, Apollo and Daphne and his version of David are emotionally charged, a true evocation of the Baroque.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: After dinner elect visit the Trevi Fountain for the traditional coin toss.

Lodging: Hotel Diana

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Short walk from the hotel to the train station, comfortable ride on the train, short walk to hotel and city orientation in Florence.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Free time to explore Rome on your own and pack. Leave luggage at the hotel.

Lunch: Lunch on your own.

Afternoon: Meet back at the hotel at the designated time for the transfer to Florence by train. The trip should take about 95 minutes. Travel on the train with just your carry-on bag; your suitcase will be transferred from the hotel in Rome directly to the hotel in Florence. Check in and settle in. Late afternoon presentation on Florence, capital of art and culture.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: Evening walk to orient you to the location of ATM's, pharmacies, stores and shops. Florence is much smaller than Rome and can easily be traversed in 30 minutes. On the walk, you will see the Duomo, the main cathedral and Palazzo Vecchio, the 13th C. city hall, still in use.

Lodging: Hotel Rivoli

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Note: Leisurely walk to the museums.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: An presentation by an art historian examines the development of sculpture from antiquity through the Renaissance with special emphasis on the works of Ghiberti, Donatello and Michelangelo. Following the lecture, visit the Bargello Museum. Notable works include Donatello’s David and bronzes by Cellini and Giambologna. Free time to explore the Duomo cathedral on your own.

Lunch: Lunch at local restaurant.

Afternoon: Free afternoon to explore on your own. The area around the Church of San Lorenzo is known as the Market, here you will find merchants' carts displaying leather goods, decorated Florentine paper, souvenirs, and in the steel building, the fresh food market, selling local produce. There is another market, the Porcellino near Piazza della Signoria, called the Straw Market. Continue along that road to reach the famed Ponte Vecchio. At the end of the 16th century the Medici Duke decreed to remove the butcher stalls that lined the bridge. Today the shops are noted for elaborate displays of gold jewelry and fine souvenirs.

Dinner: At hotel restaurant.

Evening: Stroll around the city and enjoy the pedestrian friendly historical center of Florence. On Via del Corso there is a free come-and-go organ recital in a church.

Lodging: Hotel Rivoli

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Narrow steep stair case to the womens' gallery. Leisurely walk to Palazzo Borghese.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Expert-led visit to the Accademia to see the newly restored David by Michelangelo. Once he was asked whether it was difficult to sculpt, he responded that all he did was to chip away the parts that don't look like him. Field trip continues to the Baptistery of the Duomo where you will have exclusive access to the 2nd floor gallery to experience up close the beautiful 13th C. mosaics depicting scenes from the Bible and the last judgment.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Free time to wander the San Lorenzo market or take in a church or museum not on our itinerary.

Dinner: Imagine yourself attending dinner with Napoleon and his sister Pauline Borghese, (you will remember her from Canova's statue in the Galleria Borghese.) Her house was decorated in Imperial style in anticipation of his visit (but he did not make it, something about a war with Prussia.) Now the palazzo hosts a gala Renaissance dinner, with madrigal singers and musicians, court jester and dancers--all make for a lively entertaining evening. Dress attire is not required.

Evening: Enjoy a stroll and perhaps a gelato in the heart of Florence.

Lodging: Hotel Rivoli

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: An elevator is available at the Uffizi, stairs can be tiring. Expect some crowding because of the popularity of the museum.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Morning lecture on medieval and Renaissance art in preparation for the visit to the Uffizi Gallery.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: A little free time, before our visit to the Uffizi, to wander around the Piazza della Signoria and notice the replicas of Donatello's Judith and Holofernes and the original placement of Michelangelo's David. Original works are the bronze Perseus and Medusa by Cellini and the Rape of the Sabine (this was not it's original title) by Giambologna, (you saw the plaster model in the Accademia.) Look for the marker on the pavement indicating where Savonarola was burned at the stake. Self guided visit of the Uffizi. We enter as a group, but you are free to spend as much time as you wish. This is the most extensive collection of art, tracing the development from Gothic to medieval to Renaissance to Mannerist paintings in the world. You will find many recognizable masterpieces, including DaVinci's Annunciation, Botticelli's Birth of Venus and the Primavera, some Titians, Michelangelo's Holy Family, and a few Caravaggios as well as Artemisia Gentileschi. There is a coffee bar at the end of the second corridor, on top of the Loggia, with a wonderful view of the watch tower and Duomo where you can get a refreshment and rest.

Dinner: Dinner on your own.

Lodging: Hotel Rivoli

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Note: Leisurely train ride to Venice, minimal walking around Venice.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Transfer to Venice by train, with reserved seating. Scheduled duration 2:40. Baggage assistance will be provided. Check into hotel. Venice's public transportation system operates boats, called Vaporetto. All participants will be given a pass valid for the duration of the stay.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Lecture on Venice Through the Ages. Venice's empire lasted longer than Rome's, so it went through a number of architectural styles. Venice's wealth, a result of her trade with the near East, allowed the city to grow into her present grandure. Neighborhood walk will indicate the location of ATM's, pharmacies, stores and shops.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Lodging: Hotel Principe

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Leisurely Vaporetto ride to S. Mark's Square. A narrow steep staircase leads up one flight to the Museum of S. Mark's. The Square is very often crowded. Walk through the Doge's Palace requires climbing a few flights of stairs.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Travel to Piazza S. Marco on the Vaporetto along Venice's famed Grand Canal. Notice the patrician palaces, with arches indicating near-Eastern influence. Some of the houses have names based on the prominent mosaic, e.g. Ca' d'Oro, the "Golden House." The ride lasts about 45 minutes. Guided visits to S. Mark's Cathedral, built during the 13 C., shows Byzantine influence. There are more than 45,000 sq. ft. of mosaics adorning the church, giving the impression of streets of gold. The Ducal Palace next door was the seat of civic and political power. Doges embellished the palace to demonstrate their wealth and importance. There are murals by Tintoretto and Veronese.

Lunch: Lunch on your own

Afternoon: Lecture in preparation for the self-guided Accademia visit. In this museum, the paintings are grouped according to period and school. It contains a great collection of art by such notables as Veronese, Veneziano, Bellini, Tintoretto and Giorgione.

Dinner: Dinner on your own.

Lodging: Hotel Principe

Meals Included: Breakfast

Note: Vaporetto ride to the Accademia, climb a few flights of stairs. Assistance is offered for boarding and disembarking the gondola.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Enter as a group and explore the Accademia museum at your own pace. Compare the size of the original painting with the image projected by the instructor. Not far from the Accademia is the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, during your free time you might stroll over there if you appreciate modern art.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Experience the city from a different point of view as you enjoy a gondola ride along the canals of Venice. Some free time before dinner.

Dinner: At local restaurant.

Lodging: Hotel Principe

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Enjoyable ride to the island, minimal effort to walk the quiet streets of Murano.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Vaporetto to the island of Murano for a glassblowing demonstration by master artisans. Some free time to stroll the narrow streets along the canals.

Lunch: Lunch on your own.

Afternoon: Free Afternoon t explore Murano or another neighborhood of Venice. With your vaporetto pass visit the island of Burano, whose leaning tower rivals that in Pisa. Here you can find Venetian lace and small shops where you can watch the crafters create their handiwork.

Dinner: Farewell dinner at local restaurant.

Lodging: Hotel Principe

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel; continental style for participants with early morning departures.

Morning: Departure transfer to Venice Airport.

Meals Included: Breakfast