Italy

Departure from Montreal airport (P.E. Trudeau) on a flight to Milan.

Note: Arrival at the airport at least 3 hours before departure.

❖ Meals included: Dinner / Lodging: 3* hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

Arrival at Milan airport. Welcome and transfer to your hotel in Parma to settle in.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Lodging: 3* hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

Departure for a day of discovery:

AM :

• Drive to Reggio Emilia.
• Visit to a caseificioa cheese factory producing the famous Parmesan cheese Parmigiano Reggiano, a product exclusive to the region and dating back to the ^12th century. Discover the production process and taste the cheese.
• Visit an acetaiaa producer of Modena PDO (protected designation of origin) balsamic vinegar. Discover the aging and production processes of this veritable elixir.
• Return to Parma and dinner at leisure.

PM :

Guided tour of the city of Parma and the exteriors of its most important buildings:

• The Parma Cathedral(Duomo di Parma) is a fine example of Romanesque architecture. It is renowned for its dome, a true masterpiece decorated in the ^16th century, several centuries after its construction, with a fresco by Correggio, one of the great painters of the Italian Renaissance and a native of the region.
• The BaptisteryThe Baptistery, an octagonal building adjacent to the cathedral, is dedicated to the rite of baptism. Its reliefs and statues form sculpted ensembles that illustrate the transition between Romanesque and Gothic art.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Lodging: 3* hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

Departure to discover the city of Modena:

• Guided tour of the city, Modena Modena Cathedral and the campanile la Ghirlandinacampanile, one of Italy’s most beautiful bell towers, rising 90 meters above the Piazza Grande. This public square in the heart of Modena is the ideal place to take the pulse of the city. Both the Piazza Grande and the Ghirlandina are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• Free lunch in Modena and drive to Ravenna.
• Check-in at hotel.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Lodging: 3* hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

Departure to discover the city of mosaics:

• Guided tour of the Basilica of San Vitale, one of the most important monuments of Byzantine architecture and art in Western Europe (^6th century). The ceiling of the basilica’s apse chapel, in particular, is covered with mosaics recounting the origins of Christianity. It is said that their exceptional state of preservation gives us an accurate idea of the sumptuousness of the style that prevailed in the first period of Byzantine art, hence San Vitale’s renown. Ravenna was the capital of the Western Roman Empire from 402 to 751, making it a major center of Byzantine art production.
• Guided tour of the Mausoleum of Galia Placidia, a small cross-shaped building dating from the same period, which was once used as an oratory. It is richly decorated with magnificent mosaics.
• Lunch at leisure and on to the Ravenna Mosaic Studio. Visit the studio with a teacher from the school, a specialist who will show you the creative stages of this direct technique on cement mortar.
• Directed workshop giving you access to marbles, enamels and small ceramics, so you can create a small, simple design to take home as a souvenir.
• Drive to Rimini and check into hotel.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Lodging: 3* hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

AM: Guided tour of the historic center of Rimini, Italy’s most important seaside resort, with its many architectural treasures:

• The Temple of Malatestais the name given to Rimini’s cathedral, a building built by a wealthy lord with ideas of grandeur, to honor the Malatesta dynasty and house the tombs of his family members. The façade is by Leon Battista Alberti, and the interior features works by Giotto, Agostino di Duccio, Piero de la Francesca and Vasari, all major artists of the Renaissance period.
• L’Arch of AugustusThe Arch of Augustus, a monument to the emperor who reigned in the^1st century AD, is the oldest preserved triumphal arch in the world. At the time, it marked the entrance to the city and the departure point for all the major roads in the empire, all of which were restored during Augustus’ reign.
• L’Amphitheatreerected in the^2nd century to host gladiatorial shows, this building could accommodate up to 10,000 spectators.
• The Tiberius BridgeThe Tiberius Bridge, a 5-arch bridge spanning the Marecchia River, flows into the Adriatic Sea at Rimini. Made of Istrian stone, it bears witness to the genius of the Roman builders.
• Free dinner and drive to Santararcangelo di Romagna, a charming little town.

PM start :

• Free time in Santararcanggelo di Romagna or optional visit to the underground caves

Fin PM :

• Continue on to Sanarchangelo for a cooking workshopwhere you’ll learn how to prepare the traditional piadina romagnola. This is an unleavened flatbread baked on a griddle. Paidina romagnola is a local specialty that is eaten every day, and can be topped with cheese, ham or other fillings. At the end of the workshop, a piadina tasting session will be held, accompanied by salt and wine.
• Return to Rimini.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Lodging: 3* hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

• Free time to relax by the Adriatic Sea and explore the city at your own pace.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Accommodation: 3* hotel / Transport: Air-conditioned vehicle.

Departure for Urbinoin the neighboring Marche region.

• Guided tour of this Italian Renaissance city-emblem, birthplace of Visit to Urbino’s historic centera UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Doge’s Palacea sumptuous palace built in the early Renaissance for the family and administration of the region’s chief magistrate. The palace is said to have been the inspiration for Machiavelli’s book The Prince.
• Free lunch, then departure for Pesaro.
• Afternoon free for shopping and strolling in this pleasant seaside town.
• Optional: visit the museum of the famous Italian composer Rossini.
• Return to Rimini.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Lodging: 3* hotel / Transportation: air-conditioned vehicle.

Departure for another day of discovery:

• Guided tour of San MarinoSan Marino, said to be the oldest and smallest republic in the world, with a population of 33,000. Discover its historic center, towers, basilica and spectacular views of the surrounding hills.
• Free lunch.
• Journey to San Clemente and visit to an extraordinary where the vines grow to the sound of classical music. Walk through barrel installations and works of art. Tasting of the famous house wine with cheese and cold meats.
• Return to Rimini.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Lodging: 3* hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

Departure for the hills of the hinterland.

• Visit San Leoone of the country’s most beautiful villages. Discover its main monuments: the parish church built between the ^7th and ^9th centuries, the Roccaa fortress that was once the prison of Count Giuseppe Balsamo, a healer and freemason, holder of a number of alchemical and medicinal secrets and renowned for his marvellous cures. This well-traveled man, who frequented courts all over Europe, ended his days in the fortress’ gaols, condemned to life imprisonment for heresy by the papal authorities.
• Dinner with the group at a restaurant in San Leo, where you will eat in an osteria featuring Romagna cuisine.
• Continue towards the farm of Luigi and Silvia, breeders of Cashmere goats in the peaceful countryside around San Leo. Visit the barn and learn about the goats’ life cycle, the role of guard dogs and sheepdogs, and a brief combing demonstration with collection of the raw fiber.Transfert to the laboratory and explanation of the various stages involved in obtaining the yarn with which their products are made. The experience concludes with a tasting oflocal products cheese, charcuterie, seasonal fruit, water and wine; tasting options for vegetarians also available. Walking shoes recommended.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Lodging: 3* hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

Departure for the city of Bologna, nicknamed “La Savante, la Rouge, la Grasse”. Savante, because it’s home to the oldest university in the West; grasse, in reference to its wealth and cuisine; and rouge, in reference to its rooftops and political history linked to communism.

• Guided tour of Bologna’s historic center and discover its arcades. (38 km of arcades) In fact, Bologna holds the world record for arcades.
• Dinner on your own. A unique opportunity to discover the gourmet specialties that have nurtured its reputation as a gastronomic city.
• Afternoon free for strolling and shopping of all kinds, including a few purchases in its gourmet specialty grocery stores.
• At the end of PM, check-in at the hotel.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Lodging: 3* hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

• Free day to relax and enjoy the rhythm and gentle pace of life in Emilia Romagna and its regional capital.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast / Transport: Air-conditioned vehicle and international flight.

• Departure for Milan airport and flight to Montreal.

• Parma : Hotel 3* HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS or equivalent
• Ravenna: 3* HOTEL MOSAICO or equivalent
• Rimini: 3* HOTEL AMICIZIA or equivalent
• Bologna: Hotel 3* HOLIDAY or equivalent

• International flights
• Shuttles to and from airports
• Transportation in air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver
• All accommodations (3 stars)
• 2 meals per day (except 3 meals on day #10)
• ¼ liter wine + ½ liter mineral water per person at each meal
• All activities and admissions to sites shown in red on the program and accompanied by a local guide
• Certified French-speaking local guide present with the group at all times, except during free time on days #7 and #12 in Rimini and Bologna
• Audiophones for the duration of the tour
• Admission to the Basilica of San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna
• Entrance fees to the Ducal Palace of Urbino
• Entrance fee to San Leo Fortress
• Guided tour of a Reggio Emilia parmesan cheese factory
• Guided tour of a Reggio Emilia balsamic vinegar factory
• Guided mosaic-making workshop in Ravenna
• Cooking workshop in Sanarchangelo
• Guided tour of a winery and vineyard in the San Clemente region
• Guided tour of a Kashmir goat farm in the San Leo region
• All taxes
• 24/7 support
• Organization from A to Z

• Visa (if required)
• Some meals
• Beverages
• Tips
• Personal expenses
• Optional activities

• Please note that the itinerary may change at any time for logistical reasons, but that the list of activities and visits on the program is always respected. Please also note that the version of the program appearing on our website takes precedence over any printed version.