Italy is charming, fascinating, gracious, individualistic, joyous, novel, riveting, sensuous and voluble. One could run through the alphabet and find phrases and descriptions - beginning with each of the 26 letters - that personify the wonderful country that is Italy.
In an effort to bring this specialness to the fore, we have a delightful itinerary that is wholly Italian. The Regioni of Italy is comparable to the states in the U. S. A. and we have chosen to explore three in depth: Toscana, Umbria and Abruzzo. Additionally, we make more than passing acquaintance with Marche, Emilia Romagna, and Lazio.
As with all Beach destinations, these offer tremendous terrain; scenery that truly does take the breath away and riding opportunities incomparable elsewhere. To take maximum advantage of all that central Italy offers, this itinerary features many double overnights. These allow exploration in-depth, or riding each and every road that strikes your fancy.
We begin with the heart of Italy - Tuscany (Toscana). All of Italy is beautiful, but this region surpasses all others in natural beauty. It is one of the most verdant areas with beech and fir woods, majestic and elegant cypress trees, and one hundred nature preserves. The rare scenic beauty is accompanied by a clear and unpolluted sea.
The Etruscans were among the earliest inhabitants of Europe. Tuscany has been the protagonist of both Etruscan and Italian architecture, art, history, and civilization. Tuscany was the birthplace of the Renaissance, and as such, is home to the amazing villages, towns, and cities that provided the linkage between medieval man and modern man.
Nowhere is that link more apparent than in Florence, where art, architecture, and history abound. Stroll on the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest surviving bridge across the Arno, and shop for antiques, jewelry, crafts, and leather goods. It’s just a short walk to the Uffizi Gallery, where you can view paintings by Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Titian that comprise the finest collection of Renaissance art in the world.
Touring Tuscany on a BMW motorcycle as modern men and women, we have the opportunity to ride, and ride we shall! Traffic in the cities and main roads are heavy and wearing. But away from the main valleys, dynamite little roads await the tires of your bike. These tiny roads take time and reward you, the explorer, with a glimpse of Italy that is unforgettable in its timelessness.
The roads of Tuscany and Umbria take you through olive groves, spectacular mountains, medieval villages, and quiet countryside – and oh, the vineyards. The character of Italy is as complex and ingenious as the products of the grape. Never mind the incomparable Verdicchios, Valpolicellas and Chianti Classics. If they can turn three ounces of Balsamic vinegar into a $200 item by aging it in oak barrels for several decades, what is impossible?
In Siena and Arezzo only the purest Italian is spoken. The clarity and beauty of the language is unequalled elsewhere and was spread throughout Italy, and Europe, and the world in the works of Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio, all inhabitants of Tuscany.
And then on to San Marino! Now, this is puzzlement. San Marino is in Italy, it is completely surrounded by Italy, but it is not Italian.
A sovereign territory for 1,500 years, situated southwest of Rimini near the Adriatic coast, San Marino is the tiniest republic in Europe - just 23 square miles! Only the Vatican, comprised of just 0.5 sq. km., is smaller.
Founded in 300 A.D. by Marinus of Dalmatia, legend has it that in 441 A.D. a hermitage was erected, and it was around this hermitage that the capital city of San Marino actually grew.
Mount Titano is composed of three peaks, each of which is the site of a castle. The Guaita was erected in the eleventh century; the Fratta, on the highest peak, and the Montale are both thirteenth century castles. The Fratta contains a museum and an interesting display of armor.
San Marino is more than a dot on the “been there” map. It is central to good riding, with both mountains and seacoast beckoning.
Next comes Umbria and specifically, the village of Spello for our overnights. Each small village is home to a castle, church, or museum that is indeed a “must stop and see” moment. Spello has Roman ruins, Baroque and Gothic churches and a renowned fresco cycle depicting New Testament scenes.
Umbria consists of 8,456 square miles, 53% of which is mountainous, 41% hilly and 6% flat (we have ways around that bit!). This region contains great lakes, fast-flowing rivers, and turbulent streams. Two deep valleys, the Umbria and Spoleto, are flat, serene, and olive-tree laden.
Situated in the exact geographical center of the Italian peninsula, Umbria was the crossroads for men, ideas, and cultures as well as the meeting place for the battling hordes from the north and south.
Dante was of the opinion that Umbria was the most violent place in all of Italy. In spite of the violence, or perhaps because of it, Umbria is also known as the land of saints – Francis, Clare, Benedict, Rita, and Valentine - to name but a few. Architecture and art have not been bypassed through the centuries.
Central Italy on a BMW motorcycle dip into Abruzzo takes us almost to the east coast of Italy. Abruzzo is sited in the highest and wildest portion of the Apennines. Three mighty mountain chains contain the highest peaks in the peninsula. The Gran Sasso range is the highest. Villages seem to cling to the cliffs for dear life. Farming is possible only in the valleys and seventy-four thousand acres are devoted to the Parco Natzionale d’Ambruzzo where brown bear, chamois, wolf, and the golden eagle are still to be found. Here our double overnight has been arranged specifically to benefit the riders, for roads in the Gran Sasso offer some of the best riding in the entire country!
Thus, each of the Regioni differs in great and grand detail from the others. You will again note these variations as we travel from the east coast across the entire peninsula to the west coast and the busy harbor town of Porto Santo Stefano; then north through a different part of Tuscany to Florence and the last days of our Italian Idyll.
As you will find, from the sun-drenched coasts to the snow clad peaks, Italy is a paradise for travelers. There is magic to be found in the antiquities: the magnificent museums, the art treasures, the architecture, the parks, gardens and streets, and food and wine that is nothing short of irresistible. And the people! Yes! In short, all of Italy is magical!
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Rider - $6600;
Passenger - $4430;
Single - $800.
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