Envelop yourself in the romance of Italy on this 13-day adventure through the unique landscapes, captivating cultures and unforgettable sights of one of the most popular tour destinations in the world. Starting off in fine style, we take time to explore the many bounties of Rome, 'The Eternal City', standing in awe in front of the majestic Colosseum, enjoying the serenity of fountain-lined plazas and savoring gelatos on cafe patios. Via traditional Italian towns and the multi-hued landscapes of Elbe - wherein we visit Napoleon Bonaparte's former residence - we make headway for Pisa, once a great sea-faring power and an area now famous the world around for its Leaning Tower. Hopping over to the mountainous French territory of Corsica, we find a land of charming villages and unique culture and then it's back onto Italian soil as we voyage to Sardinia to see the rugged coastlines of Cape Caccia and the medieval town of Alghero.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Rome
Today we arrive in Rome and transfer to our hotel. Few cities in the world are as beautiful as Rome, and few are as glamorous. The Eternal City's ancient monuments and spectacular galleries – over the centuries a major draw on the international tourism map – are looking more magnificent than ever after an extensive restoration program. Overnight in Rome. Dinner if required.
Day 2: Rome: City Tour
We begin our tour of Rome at the Campidoglio (Capitoline Hill), seat of the Roman Senate since the 12th century and the original citadel of the ancient city. This beautiful square was redesigned by Michelangelo in the 16th century. Next we take a guided tour of the Roman Forum and we will see the Curia, the Rostra, the Temple of Vesta, the Basilica of Constantine, and the Arch of Titus. We also have a guided tour of the 2,000 year old Colosseum, the symbol of Rome.
Built to seat 55,000 spectators, this arena staged Rome's most brutal gladiatorial combats. Our lunch break is spent at the nearby Piazza Navona, one of the most historic baroque squares in Rome, unspoiled by new buildings or traffic. Here, while eating in one of the outdoor cafes, we can admire three of Rome's many fountains. The most impressive is the Fountain of Four Rivers, with detailed figures representing the Nile, Ganges, Danube and Palata rivers. The balance of the day is free for independent exploration. Overnight in Rome. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 3: Rome - Portoferraio (Elba)
Traveling northward from Rome we pass through traditional Italian towns on our motor coach. We board our hour-long ferry to Portoferraio, the main port of Elba, an island that at one point was attached to the Italian mainland. Elba is the largest of the Tuscan Archipelago with an area of 225 sq km (87 sq miles).
Note: Ferry schedules can change without notice; some itinerary adjustments may be necessary at the discretion of your Tour Leader. Uncontrollable factors such as weather may result in delays; a flexible attitude will enhance the enjoyment of your adventure. Porters are generally not available at hotels or on ferries. You must (!!) be able to carry / wheel your baggage on and off ferries. Overnight in Portoferraio. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 4: Portoferraio: Tour - Pisa: Town Tour
Portoferraio is a fortified sixteenth century town built by the Medici Grand Duke Cosimo I. Pink and green are the predominant colours on this island of over 150 km (93 miles) of beaches: green because Elba is heavily forested; pink because of the granite mountains grouped around Monte Capanne. Today we visit the Palazzina Napoleonica dei Mulini, Napoleon's house, designed to reflect his simple taste. Inside the dwelling we can see Napoleon's books, other writings and the flag, embroidered with three golden bees, later bestowed to the Elbans. Later we will visit the quiet village of Marciana. In the afternoon we travel back to the mainland and onwards to Pisa.
Upon arrival in Pisa we make our way to the Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles), where we visit the Duomo church and Baptistery. Situated near the mouth of the Arno River, Pisa was a great sea-faring power from the ninth until the thirteenth century. The magnificent cathedral the Pisans commissioned took nearly two centuries to build. The marble pulpit, completed in the early fourteenth century, is considered a masterpiece of Italian Gothic sculpture. It was from the famous "Leaning Tower" that Galileo carried out his experiments into the speeds of falling objects. We will take ample time to view and photograph the tower from the outside (to climb the tower requires advance reservations and a considerable amount of time to queue for entry; time constraints make this impractical for our tour). Overnight in Pisa. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 5: Pisa - Livorno, Italy - Bastia, Corsica, France – Ajaccio
We continue our journey to Livorno where we catch our ferry to Bastia, Corsica, arriving four hours later. On arrival we proceed by road to Ajaccio. Corsica comprises two Departementes Metropolitan du France, and is an integral part of that country. Over 160 km (100 miles) in length, much of Corsica is mountainous, covered with a tangle of scrubby 'Maquis' undergrowth whose fragrance carries far out to sea. Napoleon is said to have declared, "I would recognize Corsica blindfolded, by her scent alone." This aromatic vegetation mantle consists of holmoak, juniper, gorse, cistus, lentisk, buckthorn, rosemary, privet, laurel, heather, blackberry, lavender and myrtle. Maquis is accompanied by a host of other scented herbs and ground plants used by villagers for cooking and curative purposes. Overnight in Ajaccio. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 6: Ajaccio: City Tour
Corsica's history is a succession of colonizations, occupations, and foreign military intervention. First there was Phoenicia, then came Carthage and Rome, followed by the Vandals, the Lombards, Byzantium, and later Pisa and Genoa, who held portions of the island for over 300 years despite periodic uprisings led by local patriots such as Pasquale Paoli and Sampiero Corso. Corsica was ceded to France in 1768, but with the help of the British, Paoli expelled the French in 1793 and, in 1794, Corsica voted for union with the British Crown.
The French recovered Corsica in 1796 and French possession was guaranteed by the Congress of Vienna in 1815. More recently, Corsica was occupied by Italian and German troops during WWII. In late 1943 the Corsicans revolted and the island was liberated on 04 October 1943. Our Ajaccio sightseeing today includes the Musee Napoleonien which contains portraits of the Bonaparte family. In the Maison Bonaparte we see the couch on which Napoleon was born. Our local guide today is able to give us an in-depth narration of the life and times of France's most famous son. We also visit the Musee Fische. Overnight in Ajaccio. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 7: Ajaccio - Sartene – Bonifacio
Today we travel from Ajaccio into the Corsican countryside, or Compagne. We will travel into the mountainous area of the island with its charming villages. Corsica consists of heaths, forests, granite, snow, sand beaches and orange trees. En route we stop in Sartene. We walk up to main square, visit the Church and walk again through the narrow streets of the fortified old town. This is a fascinating little place where a Procession of Christ that takes place every year. The cross and photos can be seen inside the church off the main square. The square itself is a relaxing place for a coffee; the narrow streets around the square make for great exploring and photo opportunities.
We continue to spectacular Bonifacio and have a leisurely walking tour upon arrival. We explore the haute ville from the inside, head up montee Rastello, the steep, wide staircase halfway down the port, which gives excellent views of the harsh cliffs stretching east from Bonifacio. We continue up to the lookout at Porte de Genes, constructed with a drawbridge in 1588 to be the town's only entrance. Eager to overthrow the colonizing Italians, Corsican nationals joined forces with King Henri II to besiege the town. After successfully destroying the Genoese fortress, the triumphant rebels rebuilt a more elaborate one on the ruins of the original. The Porte de Genes and the Bastion de L'Etendard next door are built in French military style rather than that of the hated Genoese – the first hint of Corsica's future encroachers.
After soaking up all this history, we head left to pl. du Marche for the best views of Bonifacio's cliffs and limestone formation, Grain de Sable. The little mound just out of reach is Sardinia, 12km away. We turn right on rue Cardinal and then left on rue du Sacrement to reach the Eglise Ste-Mairie-Majeure, Bonifacio's oldest building. This 12th-century church guards one of the town's most important objects: a morsel of the true cross, stripped from a shipwreck. Overnight in Bonifacio. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 8: Bonifacio, Corisca (France) - Castelsardo, Sardinia (Italy)
Today we travel by ferry to Sardinia, the second largest of Italy's islands. If there is one characteristic that dominates the history and geography of Sardinia--its isolation. In fact Sardinia is closer to North Africa than mainland Italy, and has hence developed its own unique culture which dates back before Roman times. The low scrub vegetation we pass is called "garriga" and the forests are confined to elevations above 800 m (2,625 feet). Above all, Sardinia is a land of shepherds: their flocks, constantly on the move, are visible almost everywhere.
Sardinia has a unique, wild, barren landscape. DH Lawrence summed it up in Sea and Sardinia: "A savage, dark-bushed, sky-exposed land, forsaken to the sea and the sun... with no life in sight, even no ships on the pale blue sea." Our destination today is Castelsardo, located on the height of a narrow promontory. Renowned across the island for its beauty, the town was once described by a Sardinian poet as a "flower of light that smiles from the top of a sharp promontory upon the glimmering sea." A large, well-preserved, and well-situated castle crowns the village. Overnight in Castelsardo. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 9: Castelsardo - Sassari – Alghero
We depart Castelsardo and travel to Alghero via Sassari, Sardinia's second largest city. In Sassari we visit the Museo Giovanni Antonio Sanna which has a lovely rose garden in front and houses nuraghi models, Sardinian paintings, skulls with holes drilled into them, and petrified tree stumps. We will also see the Sassari's duomo, Cattedrale di San Nicolo. This 15th-century Gothic Catalan-style structure has a Baroque facade. Renovations have uncovered early frescoes. We continue to Alghero. Overnight in Alghero. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 10: Alghero - Cape Caccia – Alghero
The Cape Caccia region around Alghero is beautiful as it is rugged. We visit the Nuraghedi di Palmavera, one of the 7,000 cone-shaped buildings thought to have served as fortresses throughout Sardinia. The main nuraghe is constructed of stone stacked without the aid of mortar and sits in the center of the site. This nuraghe, and the site in general, is interesting because it exhibits two distinct building styles and is thought, therefore, to have been rebuilt around 880 BC, toward the end of the nuraghe civilization (1500-500 BC).
The coastline southwards to Bosa is stunning with rugged cliffs falling down to isolated beaches; this is one of the last habitats of the griffin vulture. We stop at Bosa and walk into town and along the main street for a break for lunch and a chance to explore the labyrinth of streets and the citadel for fabulous views of the town. Odd that a town with a 12th-century castle perched atop a hill overlooking the sea could remain largely untouristed - but sleepy Bosa remains refreshingly untouched. We return to Alghero. Overnight in Alghero. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 11: Alghero: Day at Leisure
Today you are free to enjoy this Medieval town with its towering walls and narrow cobblestone streets. An optional possibility is a three hour boat excursion boat visit to Grotto Neptune, an underwater cavern. A leisurely walk through Alghero's centro storico reveals tiny alleyways, half-hidden churches, and the ancient town walls. Don't leave without seeing Alghero's Chiesa di San Francesco. From P. Sulis, take V. Carlo Alberto to the intersection with V. Machin. The heavy, 14th-century Neoclassical facade of this church conceals a graceful Gothic presbytery. Alghero's duomo, on V. Roma, was begun in 1552 and took 178 years to construct, resulting in a motley Gothic-Catalan-Renaissance facade. Rebuilt in the 19th century, the cathedral has Gothic choirs and a mosaic of John the Baptist. Your Tour Leader can help you plan your day. Overnight in Alghero. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 12: Alghero - Cagliari – Rome
Today we travel by road to Cagliari from where we fly to Rome. The remainder of the day is free in the Eternal City.
Note: Your Tour Leader will not accompany you to Rome. S/he will continue to Sicily with travelers on a longer tour option (code IL2). Your arrival in Rome, dinner, and transfer to the airport tomorrow (if applicable) will be managed by a local agent. Overnight in Rome. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 13: Departure from Rome. Breakfast. Viaggio Buono!
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- Breakfast and dinner (mostly local restaurants) daily
- All accommodation, transport, sightseeing and entrance fees for sites noted as 'visited' in the detailed itinerary
- Gratuities for local guides, drivers, restaurant staff, porters
- Airport transfers for land / air customers arriving / departing on tour dates.
Price Excludes:
- Tour Leader gratuities, lunches, drinks, personal items (phone, laundry, etc), air taxes (if applicable), and excursions referenced as 'optional'
- Airport transfers for early / late arrivals / departures or Land Only customers
- Our post-reservation trip notes offer further guidance on optional meal costs and shopping.
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