In Transit: Overnight flight crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Arrivals the following day.

Arrive To: Arrival at Venice Airport. Transfer by coach to hotel in Padua.

Lunch: Lunch at Ristorante Zaramella, the restaurant in the hotel lobby. The restaurant has a 2 fork Michelin rating and is a favorite of local residents.

Afternoon: An informal gathering is followed by a neighborhood walk pointing out the location of ATMs, pharmacies, grocery stores, and nearby attractions.

Dinner: Dinner at Ristorante Zaramella.

Lodging: Hotel Europa Padova

Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner

Note: Stairs to climb at the historic university palazzo.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Your group leader introduces the lectures, excursions and trips on the program schedule in a morning orientation. After a short break a local expert gives a lecture on 'Padua and her University,' an irreverent look at one of Europe’s oldest institutions of higher learning (est. 1222), whose list of alumni includes illustrious names such as Galileo and Torquato Tasso.

Lunch: Lunch on your own.

Afternoon: Expert-led visit of a anatomical theater at the University of Padova. For three centuries the wooden spiral gallery was the venue for medical students to follow anatomy lessons.

Dinner: Enjoy a dinner featuring Venetian dishes.

Lodging: Hotel Europa Padova

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Note: Extended walking in the wide pedestrian area of the small city of Ravenna

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel restaurant.

Morning: Coach to Ravenna, a city that once Rome declined, became the capital of the Western Empire (402-VI.) It remained the capital through the Ostrogoth and Byzantine rule. The bus will stop in Classe, the old port for the Roman navy (you can see how much the land has silted in, the Adriatic is more than one mile away. There you can see the mosaics for the new church honoring S. Apollinare.

Lunch: Lunch at Ristorante Marchesini in the heart of Ravenna.

Afternoon: The visit continues with an expert led visit to the serene tomb of Galla Placidia, dated to 430. The vaulted ceiling in dark blue mosaics with stylized stars is intended to give the sense of the firmament. You may recognize the often reproduced image of doves around a water basin. In the basilica of S. Vitale you will see a mosaic depicting Emperor Justinian (5th C.) who is credited with re-codifying Roman law, the basis for our own civic laws. Late afternoon return to Padua.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant

Lodging: Hotel Europa Padova

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at hotel.

Morning: A brief presentation on the logistics of moving around in Venice followed by a lecture on the painter Giotto and his influence on the artists of the Italian Renaissance. The local expert then leads the visit to the Scrovegni Chapel where magnificent frescoes (1303-05.) adorn the walls. The small chapel was commissioned by Enrico Scrovegni as a way to expiate the guilt he felt from his family's money lending business. Giotto breaks away from the medieval Gothic style to depict emotions in the faces of the personages.

Lunch: Lunch at Al Fagiano, a characteristic restaurant in the heart of Padua.

Afternoon: A local guide and historian leads a visit to the 14th century Basilica of Saint Anthony, who is known as "il Santo." The visit continues to the adjacent Oratory, a local treasure built around the same time frame as the Basilica and completely adorned with frescoes by artist, Altichiero da Zevio. Just down the way, are the world famous botanical gardens of Padua, where there will be free time to explore the indigenous and exotic flora, stroll the grounds, or relax by the fountains.

Dinner: Dinner on your own.

Lodging: Hotel Europa Padova

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at hotel.

Morning: Transfer to Venice. The coach arrives at Piazzale Roma, the square at the end of the causeway connecting Venice to the mainland. Board the vaporetto and enjoy the ride down the Grand Canal to the Salute dock, just across the Grand Canal from St. Mark's square. At Piazzale Roma your luggage gets loaded onto a barge and will be delivered to your hotel room. You will receive a vaporetto (public boat) pass valid for the duration of your stay in Venice.

Lunch: Lunch at the hotel restaurant and settle into your room.

Afternoon: With the group leader, explore the Dorsoduro neighborhood, quiet home to artist workshops, designers and families. Late afternoon lecture on Marco Polo and the global trade that brought great wealth and power to Venice.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Lodging: Hotel Messner

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Extended periods of standing during guided visits in museums and monumental churches.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at hotel.

Morning: Vaporetto across the Grand Canal to visit St. Mark's Basilica, one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture. A local expert points out the gilded mosaics and the gem laden golden pall behind the altar.

Lunch: Lunch on your own

Afternoon: Leave the crowds of San Marco for a truly quiet island in the lagoon where a local expert leads the visit of the monastery of San Lazzaro degli Armeni.

Dinner: Dinner at a pizzeria along the Zattere, or waterfront walk along the Canale della Giudecca in the Dorsoduro, the neighborhood of the hotel.

Lodging: Hotel Messner

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Note: Extended periods of standing during the guided visit in the Doges Palace.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at hotel.

Morning: Return to St. Mark's square for a guided visit of the Doge's Palace. This is the residence and offices of the Venetian ruler. See the great halls, richly decorated with paintings, frescos and sculptures. From the palace, you will have the best seats in the house to look over the Canal. Cross over the famous "Bridge of Sighs" and visit the dungeons called, "I Piombi." Enjoy a gondola ride through the back canals of Venice.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: In the late afternoon, a classroom session on Venice Through the Ages.

Dinner: Dinner at a restaurant in the Dorsoduro neighborhood.

Lodging: Hotel Messner

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Extended walking over bridges and through Venice streets and campos (squares).

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at hotel.

Morning: Expert-led visit of the Frari, the Franciscan church with masterpieces of the artists Titian and Bellini. Look for the magnificent marble monument to the sculptor Antonio Canova.

Lunch: Sample a variety of traditional Venetian dishes at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: A local art historian guides the visit to the art museum of Venetian painting, The Galleria dell'Accademia, established 1807. The guide offers insight into some important works of art displayed (Giorgione, Veronese, Tintoretto). Some free time to explore more of the vast collection at your own pace. A late afternoon informal session Shakespeare in Venice. The Bard set 5 plays in the Veneto region, Romeo and Juliette, Two Gentlemen from Verona, Taming of the Shrew, Othello and the Merchant of Venice. Our scholar illuminates Venice through English literature.

Dinner: Dinner on your own.

Lodging: Hotel Messner

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Note: Minimal walking in the small island of Murano.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at hotel.

Morning: Vaporetto ride to the island of Murano, noted for the numerous glass manufacturers and artisans located there. To prevent widespread fire from spreading on the main island of Venice, centuries ago all kilns were moved to Murano. A master-craftsmen demonstrates the art of glassblowing. Free time to explore Murano at your own pace.

Lunch: Lunch on your own.

Afternoon: Free afternoon. From Murano you can board another vaporetto to reach the island of Burano. The colorful houses and quiet streets are home to a burgeoning artistic community. You will find many shops where you can watch artisans create intricate lace handy-work. Easy vaporetto back to San Marco and La Salute.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Evening: Delight in an evening concert of classical Venetian musical traditions. Details of the venue and program will be announced on site.

Lodging: Hotel Messner

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Note: Extended walking over bridges and through Venice streets and campos. Steps to climb for the visit of La Fenice Theater.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at hotel.

Morning: A local musician gives insight into the musical traditions of the city. Rehearsal schedule permitting, enjoy a tour of the restored opera house La Fenice conducted by guides of the historic theater.

Lunch: Lunch at the hotel

Afternoon: Expert-led visit to the Ghetto, where the prosperous Jewish community was concentrated after the 1500s. Today it is a lively and thriving quarter, with its religious and administrative institutions, particularly two small synagogues, open for services.

Dinner: Dinner on your own.

Lodging: Hotel Messner

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Note: Extended walking through the busy market and over the many bridges in Venice, especially the Rialto Bridge whose high arches span the Grand Canal.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at hotel.

Morning: Explore the lively Rialto Market and famous bridge that spans the Grand Canal. The market has been the center for commerce and trade for centuries when merchants sold exotic imported goods just unloaded from ships. Today you can walk among the stalls of souvenirs of glass and lace or choose from a colorful range of fruit, vegetables and fish.

Lunch: Lunch at a restaurant near the market where you will enjoy small plates featuring the catch of the day.

Afternoon: Free Afternoon

Dinner: Farewell dinner at the hotel.

Lodging: Hotel Messner

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast in the hotel dining room; continental style for participants with early morning departures.

Morning: Departures from Venice airport

Meals Included: Breakfast