 |
|
|
|
Walled Cities |
|
Ancient
Architecture
& Medieval Art in Central Italy
|
Staying in one
comfortable base in the countryside near the walled town of Montefalco in
Umbria, Italy
Visiting Spoleto,
Perugia, Gubbio, Assisi and Orvieto,
and an exploration of smaller towns and villages including Bevagna, Spello,
Amelia and the Roman ghost town of Carsulae |
Sunday 12 September to Sunday
26 September 2010
EURO
4200 AUD 7200
|
|
PDF Itinerary & Booking Form
Watch the video
 |
|
Umbria today is both a richly fascinating
example of man's fruitful collaboration with nature over the last
three thousand years and a living treatise on the history of
European architecture. Not only is it replete with traces of the
greatest builders of the ancient world - it sits astride the Roman
Via Flaminia of which there are substantial tracts remaining - but
it was also part of the heartland of the ancient Etruscans from whom
the Romans learned so much of their engineering. But its period of
greatest glory is the middle ages when European civilization comes
out of the dark ages and the foundations of the world in which we
still live were laid down. Here Romanesque architecture seems to
grow naturally out of the ground, but Gothic also makes its
appearance, culminating in the breathtaking cathedral of Orvieto,
and then there is the Renaissance with it's collection of fresco
cycles by masters like Filippo Lippi, Luca Signorelli, Pinturicchio
and Perugino which brings these centuries of creativity to a
brilliant close. The long period of poverty that then ensued may
have been hard on the Umbrians, but for us it's meant that the
region's extraordinary wealth of art and architecture has remained
substantially unspoilt, which together with it's beautiful landscape
of mountains and patterned fields make it one of Italy's most
satisfying tourist destinations.
|
 |
-
Unpack
once and enjoy exploring Umbria with local residents
-
Perugia's monumental
Etruscan gate from the 2nd century BC and other
treasures of this city with a history of 2500 years
- Carsulae a
Roman ghost town on the old Via Flaminia
- Spoleto with its Roman house and theatre, its impressive medieval
aqueduct and cathedral housing Filippo Lippi's last fresco, and the
nearby Basilica of San Salvatore, built in 390 AD and possibly Italy's
oldest purpose built church
-
Assisi with its
great fresco cycle on the life of St Francis in his basilica there
- The old
Etruscan city of Orvieto, proud possessor of one of
Italy's most magnificent cathedrals and the Apocalypse fresco cycle of
Luca Signorelli inside
- San Pietro in Valle, spiritual centre and mausoleum of the Lombard dukes
of Spoleto, and a gem of early Romanesque architecture nestling in the unspoilt beauty of the Nera river valley.
- Small hilltop castles that are a picturesque feature of the
landscape in the Valley of Umbria
|
 |
|
You will be staying on the
Fabrizi family
estate or
‘farmstay’ hotel located just outside the walls of the medieval
hilltown of Montefalco. The accommodation is ideally situated for
our visits to nearby towns and villages. The family have lived and worked
on the estate for over 400 years and have only recently converted the rural
residence into high quality accommodation, with air-conditioning and swimming
pool. There are twenty rooms all of which have their own bathroom and private
entrance. Meals are held in a pleasant dining room and there are lounge
areas in two of the buildings. There is a garden and terrace with
spectacular views often used as an outdoor eating area but is also a wonderful place
to read or just take in the sun. The region also produces some of the finest natural produce in Italy
and the estate is still a working farm producing its own wine and olive oil
which are used to prepare the delicious simple meals which are such a feature
of the tour. |
|
|
|
This is a preliminary itinerary. The program will be altered to accommodate
seasonal variations and activities. However the essential content of the
itinerary will remain the same and an updated version of the itinerary will
be presented on arrival. B L D means that breakfast, lunch and/or dinner
will be included that day.
Sunday 12
September Rome to Montefalco
D
Meet at
Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci airport. Transfer to Montefalco by private
air-conditioned coach in time for lunch at the accommodation. The afternoon
is at leisure and dinner at the accommodation
Monday 13 Sept Montefalco
B L D
Introductory walk to Montefalco, and guided tour of the town with its
cobbled streets, tower gates and collage of medieval architecture. We finish
in the main piazza at the top of town where we have lunch and begin our
research into Montefalco's award winning wines. In the afternoon we visit Montefalco’s museum with Benozzo
Gozzoli’s beautiful fresco cycle. Some free time to explore further at your
own leisure then dinner at the accommodation.
Tuesday 14
Sept Spoleto
B L D
Departure
for Spoleto stopping at San Giacomo. We visit the medieval aqueduct, the
Duomo with frescoes by Filippo Lippi, and the old city walls that date back
to 350 BC. Lunch at our favourite garden restuarant followed by a visit to the
Roman bridge and the paleo-Christian church of
San
Salvatore.
.
Wednesday 15
Sept
Bevagna
B D
Departure
for the nearby town of Bevagna. We see the beautiful Romanesque churches in
its main piazza (restoration partly paid for by Prince Charles), and the
remains of the Roman baths and theatre. Free time for lunch. In the
afternoon an optional trip to Foligno for shopping and sightseeing. Dinner
at the accommodation.
Thursday 16 Sept Day at Leisure
B D
A free day to wander the streets of Montefalco or the countryside.
Friday 17
Sept Hilltown Villages
B L D
Today we visit a series of small hilltowns – fortified medieval
villages – that are such a feature of the Umbrian landscape. These include
Morcicchia, Giano dell’Umbria and Gualdo Cattaneo. Lunch at the
accommodation. In the afternoon we visit Neil and Carol’s house in another local
hilltown, and see the renovations of their 13th century tower home and a demonstration of etchings featuring the local
architecture. Dinner at the accommodation.
Saturday 18
Sept Spello &
Wine Tasting
B D
Departure for Spello, founded as a colony for Julius Caesar’s veterans and
home to a remarkable fresco cycle by Pinturicchio. Free time for lunch. In
the afternoon a wine tasting at a local winery.
Sunday 19
Sept Amelia and the Valnerina
B D
Departure
for the Valnerina where we visit the Abbey of San Pietro in Valle, burial
site of the Lombard dukes of Spoleto in the 8th Century. A
visit to Ferentillo and then on to Amelia.
Monday 20 Sept
Gubbio
B
D
Departure for Gubbio, fascinating hilltown in the north of Umbria with the
region’s best preserved medieval townscape. Guided visit of the town
including the Palazzo dei Priori. Free time for lunch and then a trip up to
the Monastery of Sant’Ubaldo to see the famous “ceri”, enormous carved
wooden posts that feature in the town's annual revocation of an original
medieval festival.
Tuesday 21
Sept Perugia
B D
Departure
for Perugia, Umbria’s largest town. In the morning a guided tour including a
walk through the medieval ghost town under Rocca Paolina, a stroke of genius
by the architect who was ordered to destroy the quarter of the city and
build a Palace. Instead it became a virtual underground city. Free
time for lunch, followed by a visit to an Etruscan well and the
extraordinary Etruscan gate from the 2nd century BC. Early dinner
at the accommodation, followed by a talk by Neil on Orvieto and the
Etruscans.
Wednesday 22
Sept Orvieto B D
Departure
for Orvieto, religious centre of the ancient Etruscans and home to one of
Italy’s most impressive cathedrals. We visit the Etruscan cemetery outside
the town and then the Duomo with it’s magnificent frescoes by Luca
Signorelli. Dinner at the accommodation
Thursday 23 Sept Carsulae
B L D
We travel to Carsulae, a Roman ghost town on the old Via Flaminia with
fascinating ruins. A picnic lunch amongst the ruins. Dinner at the accommodation
Friday 24
Sept Assisi
B D
Departure for Assisi, home of St Francis and the great basilica built in his
honour. We visit the medieval castle and the Roman forum that has been
excavated underneath the modern piazza. Free time for lunch, followed by a
guided tour of the Basilica, and a return to Montefalco via Santa Maria
degli Angeli. Dinner at the accommodation.
Saturday 25 Sept
Day at Leisure
B
D
A day to catch up on your wandering at Montefalco, explore the linen shops
and relax in the piazza.
Farewell drinks followed by the final dinner.
Sunday 26 Sept
Departure B
You depart at 8am by coach for Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Airport at
Fiumicino where you arrive at approximately 11am. The tour officially ends
here. |
 |
|
The cost of
the tour is EURO 4200 /AUD 7200 per person in twin share.
Book through National Trust Members for the
discounted price of AUD 6950. A deposit
of EURO 600 / AUD 1050 per person is required to reserve a place on
the tour. This deposit is non-refundable unless the tour cancelled. A
limited number of single supplements is available at an additional cost of
EURO 300 / AUD 550 in a single room, or EURO 600 / AUD 1050
in a double room (DUS). The full balance is due 60 days before
departure. The tour is costed on a minimum of twelve (12) people travelling
and is limited to twenty-four (24) places. Subject to final tour numbers and
exchange rates the price may vary slightly.
You will be notified immediately of any change. |
 |
- Transfers from and to Rome's Fiumicino Airport
- All land travel within Italy by air-conditioned coach
- Accommodation and half board for fourteen nights
- Excellent meals of fresh local produce every day at the
accommodation
- Additional restaurant meals in Montefalco and Spoleto
- Guided visits to Spoleto, Bevagna, Spello, Orvieto, Assisi, Perugia and Gubbio
- Additional visits to Carsulae,
Amelia and local villages
- Admission to all galleries, museums and historical sites included
in the itinerary
- Onsite discussions on the architecture and history of Umbria
- The services of the tour leader throughout the tour
|
 |
- Airfares
- Travel insurance (this is highly recommended)
- Entry fees to places other than those specifically mentioned in the
itinerary
- Meals on excursions except where specifically mentioned in the itinerary
- An optional excursion may be offered which is not included in the
tour price
- Personal transport costs, phone calls or tips
- Drinks outside normal meal times, or additional wine in restaurants
- Laundry: the staff at the accommodation will do your washing and ironing
for you
|
 |
What kinds of people go on Living Italy tours?
The
single feature which distinguishes the Living Italy groups is their desire
to understand and appreciate in depth the places they visit. The interests
of the group are usually wide-ranging - history, fine arts, music, architecture,
food, reading etc. The age of group members varies greatly, but most would
be more than forty years old and have travelled. With a maximum of 24
places on the tour the group is large enough for you to find like-minded
friends, but small enough for us to get to know you all.
What
will the weather be like? Late summer is a delightful time to visit central
Italy. Daytime temperatures can be warm with a range from 15 to 25 degrees
and the evenings are cool to mild. You will need a warm jumper or jacket
and a scarf for the evenings, and it is reasonable to expect rain on a few
days.
How fit do you have to be? In order to visit and enjoy
the natural attractions of the countryside and the historical centres of
towns it is necessary to be able to walk well, as bus and car access can
be difficult. While there are no medical restrictions on who may book a
place on the tour, you should be fit enough to stroll for periods of up
to an hour (with short breaks) and you should specially note that the towns
are not called 'hilltowns' for nothing!. Wherever possible we break up walking
tours with coffee stops and extended lunches and we have tried to mix busy
and relaxed days in the itinerary. Remember that it is always possible to
take time off from the program whenever you like. |
 |
|
Neil Moore divides his time between his artistic
work (www.neilmoore.it) and operating the Living Italy program. Neil’s extensive knowledge and love of the history,
art and society of Umbria will become evident during his walks with you
through the towns.
Father and son Piero and Giuseppe Fabrizi who
own and run the excellent accommodation are excellent hosts in the true
Italian style and you will also be accompanied
throughout the tour by a local team including Cristina, Giacomo or Katrin who will travel with you most days and Analita
our official Umbrian tour guide. The team has collaborated now for over
fifteen years. |
|
|
