Sun 04 Jan                Rome to Montefalco
You will be met at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Airport at Fiumicino at 12 noon. Coach transfer to Montefalco in Umbria. Afternoon at leisure. Early dinner at the accommodation. (D)

Mon 05               Montefalco artisans and Museum
Neil Moore will introduce you to Montefalco while describing the local history and art. In Montefalco’s main piazza the Welcome lunch includes a feast of regional specialties and the award winning local wine. We visit traditional weaving outlets and Montefalco's beautifully presented Museum with fresco cycle by Benozzo Gozzoli and work by Perugino. The evening meal is at the accommodation every night unless described otherwise.  (B L D)

Tue 06                     Cooking class and Festival in Marcellano                            (B L D)
This morning we travel to a private home for a yet another blazing fire, robust home made wine and a cooking cooking class using home grown produce. An abundant lunch is included. ASfternoon at leisure. In the evening the small town of marcellano in the Umbrian hills becomes transformed as if by a filmaker into the recreation of the ancient Christian scene of stable, virgin, baby and wise men, fully accompanied by animals, straw and manger. After we have passed the census taker we are treated to a falling star - literally plunging on a rope from the village steeple over our heads to arrive with appropriate timing at the manger scene.

 Wed 07          Wine tasting & Befana (Epifany)                       (B D)
In the morning we visit a selection of wine cellars in the countryside around Montefalco where you will taste the award winning Sagrantino wine. Tonight the star on a string converts to a witch on a rope swinging down from a spire into the piazza. In most towns and villages across Umbria a witch will appear miraculously on a broomstick and distribute gifts to the wrapped up children escorted from the warm indoors by their parents who have previously colluded with the witch and delegated the carefully labelled gifts. For the children, this is a bigger event than Christmas and often bears the most expensive gifts. If they have behaved badly during the previous year they receive only charcoal ( appropriately sweetened and edible however - no punishment in Italy should be too harsh).

Spoleto
A town rich in Roman and medieval history. The guided town visit begins by crossing the magnificent medieval aqueduct and includes the church of San Pietro Fuori Le Mura with its outstanding Romanesque façade as well as an exploration of the ancient Roman centre with the Duomo and Filippo Lippi's final fresco cycle. Lunch is in our favourite garden restaurant. On our way home we visit the paleo-Christian basilica of San Salvatore.  (B L D)

Thur 08         SpelloDay at leisure.
We explore the hilltown of Spello and visit the Baglioni Chapel with frescoes by Pintoricchio.   (B D)

Bevagna

A treasure house of Roman and medieval antiquity with very fine small piazza. Visit two beautiful Romanesque churches, Roman baths with mosaic floors and the vaults of a Roman theatre below medieval houses. Dinner is followed by a talk preparing you for tomorrow's excursion.

Fri 09                  Assisi
The home of St Francis, Italy's favourite saint. We visit the medieval castle overlooking the town, the Roman remains under the still-standing temple of Minerva and the Basilica of San Francesco decorated with frescoes by Cimabue, Giotto, Pietro Lorenzetti and Simone Martini. (B D)

Sat 10                Todi and evening Concert                                             (B D)
Morning visit to Todi. In the evening we travel to a concert in one of Umbria’s evocative hilltown venues.

Sun 11                An artist’s home                                                             (B L D)
Morning at leisure and lunch at the accommodation. Your visit to a studio home is followed by visits to some of the small mountain villages which dot the Umbrian landscape on the road to Montefalco. 

Mon 12        

Tue 13               Deruta Ceramics                                                             (B L D)
Deruta with more than three hundred ceramics outlets has been a major ceramics centre since Roman times. We visit a workshop and a selection of shops in the old centre, then travel to Torgiano for a characteristic Umbrian meal and visit the Lungarotti private wine museum. After dinner there is a talk with slides on the apocalyptic fresco cycle by Luca Signorelli.

Wed 14              Orvieto                                                                            (B L D)
Perched on a cliff looking over a plain covered in vineyards. The Duomo is among the greatest of all Italy’s cathedrals and contains the dramatic work of Luca Signorelli. At lunch you experience one of Italy’s most famous white wines, the Orvieto ‘classico’. 

Thur 15              Truffle hunt                                                                    (B L D)
We are accompanied into the forest by a professional truffle hunter and his trained dogs and afterwards join the family for a simple meal of wine, bruschetta, pasta and truffles at the truffle hunter's home. Late afternoon at leisure. After dinner a talk with slides on the fresco cycles by Giotto and Simone Martini in the Basilica at Assisi.   

Fri 16                Perugia                                                                                (B D)
We drive to Perugia, an important city since Etruscan times. Our itinerary includes the medieval ghost town under the Renaissance Rocca Paolina, the Etruscan Gate and the National Gallery with works by Perugino and other great artists of the Renaissance. Free time for shopping. 

Sat 17              Day at leisure.
Wander through the town of Montefalco or simply enjoy the countryside. An optional excursion will be offered. This evening we say farewell with cocktails in the garden and a ‘last supper’. (B D)

Sun 18 Jan 2009    Departure     
Morning coach transfer to Rome airport where you arrive at approximately 12 noon. (B)