- This course has passed.
Palaces, Islands, and Masterpieces of Northern Italy (Milan, Turin and The Borromean Islands)
21 March 2023 - 25 March 2023
If you would like to join us please contact Mary Bromley
at [email protected] or 0770 288 7383.
Description
Boasting a world‐class collection of Italian art, the chic city of Milan is a must for lovers of the Gothic and Renaissance. With alpine views, its rival, Turin, is much more than an industrial centre. Elegant streets and a beautifully‐preserved historic centre, make it the perfect place to trace the legacy of the Savoia royal family. Farther afield, the Borromean islands on Lake Maggiore are the stunning setting for an elaborate palace and lush botanical gardens.
Pricing
Based on 15 participants and strictly limited
£2,755.00 per person sharing a twin/double room
£750.00 deposit is needed to confirm your place
Supplements
£300.00 single room supplement
The price includes:
- Lecturing by Nicole Mezey
- Return scheduled flights British Airways between London Heathrow/Milan and Turin/Gatwick
- All airport taxes, security charges and local taxes
- 2 nights’ bed & breakfast accommodation at Sina Hotel de la Ville, 4* Milan (2 nights)
- 2 nights’ bed & breakfast accommodation at Grand Hotel Sitea (4*), Turin
- City Tax throughout
- Local guides throughout
- 3 Lunches
- 1 Dinner
- Boat transfer Stresa/Isola Bella
- Boat transfer Isola Bella/Isola dei Pescatori
- Boat transfer Isola dei Pescatori/Stresa
- All local coach transfers in Italy as per itinerary
- All entrance charges and fees to visits as per the itinerary
- VOX audio guides
The price does not include:
- Dinners (Days 2, 3, 4, 5)
- Lunches (Days 1 and 4)
- Teas or coffees during any mid morning / mid afternoon breaks
- Refreshments
- Any incidental and personal expenditure (laundry, telephone, etc)
- Taxis or other transport not specified
- Personal insurance
Your lecturer: Nicole Mezey
Nicole studied at the Universities of Sussex, York and Paris before becoming Senior Lecturer at Queen’s University, Belfast. There she established and directed the Department of Art History and worked extensively with adult students on Part-Time degree and Open Learning programmes, as well as conducting international study tours. Now working as a freelance lecturer, she has undertaken many study programmes at THE COURSE. Her publications focus on adult education and the arts. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and of the Higher Education Academy.
Your Hotels:
Sina de la Ville, 4* Milan (2 nights)
Via Heopli, 6
20121
Milan
Set in the heart of Milan, the Sina De La Ville is located close to Via Montenapoleone and between the Duomo and Teatro della Scala. Enviably located, the exclusive fashion district and art collections are all within strolling distance.
Grand Hotel Sitea (4*) 2 nights
Via Carlo Alberto, 35
10123
Turin
Located in the heart of Risorgimento Turin, just off via Roma and Piazza San Carlo, and Piazza Castello, the Grand Hotel Sitea was built in the early 1900s and offers every modern luxury.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1 / TUESDAY 21 MARCH 2023
London – Milan
British Airways from London Heathrow
Arrival in Milan Linate, met by local guide and transfer to Pinacoteca di Brera.
Independent arrangements for lunch in Pinacoteca di Brera.
Visit to Pinacoteca di Brera
Explore this world‐class collection of paintings. Amongst its magnificent highlights are works by Bellini, Mantegna, Tintoretto, Titian, Veronese, the Futurists, Hayez, and Modigliani.
Check in to Sina de la Ville Hotel
Welcome Dinner in hotel restaurant
Day 2 / WEDNESDAY 22 MARCH 2023
Milan
Transfer by minibus for visit to Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie for Leonardo’s iconic masterpiece, “The Last Supper” (This visit is subject to availability as tickets are only obtainable in limited time slots)
Transfer by coach for visit to Pinacoteca Ambrosiana
Established in April 1618, when Cardinal Federico Borromeo donated his collection of paintings, drawings and statues to the library he’d founded.
Lunch local restaurant
Walk to Castello Sforzesco
A vast, C15th monument to the power of the ruling dynasty, the castle’s treasures include rooms frescoed by Leonardo, paintings by Titian, Mantegna and Bellini and Michelangelo’s powerful and poignant unfinished last work, the Rondanini Pietà.
Transfer by minibus for visit to Duomo
With its 3,400 statues, 55 stained glass windows, beautiful altars, paintings, and rooftop view of the city, the legendary cathedral is the most important example of Gothic style in Northern Italy.
Evening Independent arrangements for dinner
Day 3 / 23 MARCH 2023
The Borromean Islands
Check out of the hotel and travel by private coach to Stresa
Arrive in Piazza Marconi for boat transfer to Isola Bella
Visit to Borromeo Palace
Described as a baroque chest of wonders floating on the water. Walk through its beautifully furnished halls and see paintings, precious furniture, marbles, neo‐classical stuccos, Flemish silk and gold thread tapestries, and incredible views of the lake. Also visit the palace’s gardens, arranged over a series of terraces, with exotic wonders such as a two‐hundred‐year‐old camphor tree.
Transfer by boat to Isola dei Pescatori
Lunch local restaurant
Transfer by boat to Stresa
Transfer by private coach to Turin
Check in to Check in to Grand Hotel Sitea
Evening Independent arrangements for dinner
Day 4 / FRIDAY 24 MARCH 2023
Turin
Transfer by coach for visit to Palazzo Reale (including the Chapel of the Holy Shroud)
A historic palace of the House of Savoy which includes the Scala delle Forbici, a staircase by Filippo Juvarra; the Chapel of the Holy Shroud; and an impressive armory and gallery.
Visit to Palazzo Madama
A ducal residence since 1637 when the Regent Marie‐Christine of France wanted a grand court. It comprises a museum with antique stonework, Gothic and Renaissance sculpture and painting, baroque and rococo works and decorative arts.
Lunch Independent arrangements for lunch
Private Coach to Lingotto
Visit to Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli
Art by Tiepolo, Canaletto, Bellotto, Canova, Matisse, Renoir, and Picasso, and a view to the building’s famous roof-top Fiat test track.
Evening Independent arrangements for dinner
Day 5 / SATURDAY 25 MARCH 2023
Turin - London
Check out of the hotel after breakfast
By coach for visit to La Venaria Reale
Spend the morning exploring the Reggia’s collections, including its permanent Theatre of History and Magnificence, the history and art of the House of Savoy, including its seventeenth century Hall of Diana; the refined apartments of the nobility; masterpieces by Reni, Albani, Cignani, Van Dyck, Brueghel and other Flemish and Dutch masters, as well as its gardens.
Lunch local restaurant
Transfer by private coach to Turin airport
Check in for British Airways to London Gatwick
Booking Information
For further information:
Contact: Mary Bromley
Telephone: 0770 288 7383
Email: [email protected]
Write: The Course, 105 William Court, 6 Hall Road, London NW8 9PB
This tour is organised by Heritage Group Travel who are responsible for all the arrangements. Please refer to Heritage Group Travel Booking Terms and Conditions which can be sent upon request. The Company holds ATOL number 3707 and ABTOT licence number 5060 for your protection. This itinerary is subject to change should local conditions or unexpected restrictions occur. As the tour is arranged many months in advance visits may be subject to amendment.
