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.
• Tour of a cheese factory—a cheese factory that produces the famous Parmigiano Reggiano, a product unique to the region whose production dates back to the^12th century. Learn about the production process and enjoy a tasting.
• Tour of an acetaia, a production facility for Modena PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) balsamic vinegar. Learn about the aging and production processes of this true elixir.
• Return to Parma and dinner at leisure.

PM :

Guided tour of the city of Parma and the exteriors of its major buildings:

• The Cathedral of Parma (Duomo di Parma) is a beautiful 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, who was a native of the region.
• The Baptistery, an octagonal building adjacent to the cathedral, is dedicated to the rite of baptism. Its reliefs and statues form sculptural ensembles that clearly illustrate the transition from Romanesque to 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 Cathedral, and the Ghirlandina bell tower—one of Italy’s most beautiful bell towers, rising 90 meters above the Piazza Grande. This public square, located in the heart of Modena, is the perfect place to get a feel for the city. Both Piazza Grande and the Ghirlandina are listed as 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 depicting the origins of Christianity. It is said that their exceptional state of preservation gives us an accurate idea of the splendor of the style that prevailed during the early period of Byzantine art, hence the fame of San Vitale. It is worth noting that Ravenna was the capital of the Western Roman Empire from 402 to 751 and, as such, a major center for the production of Byzantine art.
• Guided tour of the Mausoleum of Galia Placidia, a small cross-shaped building dating from the same period that was used as a chapel at the time. It is richly decorated with magnificent mosaics.
• Dinner on your own, followed by a trip to the Ravenna Mosaic Studio. Tour the workshop with a teacher from the school—an expert who will guide you through the steps involved in creating mosaics using this technique directly on cement mortar.
• A guided workshop where you’ll have access to marble, enamel, and small ceramic pieces, so you can create a simple, small 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, a major Italian seaside resort that is home to many architectural treasures:

• The Malatesta Temple is the name given to the cathedral of Rimini, a building commissioned by a wealthy lord with grand ambitions who wished to honor the Malatesta dynasty and house the tombs of his family members. The façade was designed by Leon Battista Alberti, and inside, one can find works by Giotto, Agostino di Duccio, Piero della Francesca, and Vasari—major artists of the Renaissance period.
• The Arch of Augustus, a monument erected in honor of this emperor who reigned in the^1st century A.D., is the oldest surviving triumphal arch in the world. At the time, it marked the entrance to the city and the starting point for all the major roads of the empire, all of which had been restored during Augustus’s reign.
• The Amphitheater, built in the^2nd century to host gladiatorial contests, could seat up to 10,000 spectators.
• The Tiberius Bridge , a five-arched bridge spanning the Marecchia River and flowing into the Adriatic Sea at Rimini. This structure, built with Istrian stone, testifies to the genius of 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 :

• Next, head to Sanarchangelo for a cooking workshop, where you’ll learn how to make the traditional piadina romagnola. It’s a flatbread—that is, unleavened—that’s cooked on a griddle. The piadina romagnola is a regional specialty eaten daily and can be topped with cheese, ham, or other ingredients. At the end of the workshop, there will be a tasting of piadina served with 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 / Lodging: 3* hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

Departure for Urbino, located in the neighboring Marche region.

• Guided tour of this iconic city of the Italian Renaissance, birthplace of [name] . Visit the historic center of Urbino, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Palazzo dei Dogi, a sumptuous palace built at the very dawn of the Renaissance for the family and administration of the region’s chief magistrate. This palace, where Machiavelli is said to have stayed, is believed to have inspired his work *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 Marino, said to be the oldest and smallest republic in the world, with a population of 33,000. Explore its historic center, its towers, its basilica, and its spectacular views of the surrounding hills.
• Free lunch.
• Drive to San Clemente and visit an extraordinary vineyard, where the vines grow to the sound of classical music. Stroll through the barrel storage area and admire the artwork on display. Taste the estate’s famous wine paired with cheeses and cold cuts.
• Return to Rimini.

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

Departure for the hills of the hinterland.

• Tour of San Leo, one of the most beautiful villages in the country. Explore its main landmarks: its parish church, built between the^7th and^9th centuries; and the Rocca, the fortress that served as the prison of Count Giuseppe Balsamo—a healer and Freemason who possessed certain alchemical and medicinal secrets and was renowned for his miraculous cures. This man, who traveled extensively and frequented courts throughout Europe, ended his days in the fortress’s dungeons, sentenced to life imprisonment for heresy by the papal authorities.
• Dinner with the group at a restaurant in San Leo, where you’ll dine at an traditional that showcases Romagna cuisine.
• We continue on to the farm of Luigi and Silvia, who raise cashmere goats in the peaceful countryside just outside San Leo. Tour of the barn and an explanation of the goats’ life cycle, the role of guard dogs and herding dogs, and a brief demonstration of combing the fleece and collecting the raw fiber. Transfer to the workshop and an explanation of the various steps involved in producing the yarn used to make their products. The experience concludes with a tasting of local products, including cheese, cured meats, seasonal fruits, water, and wine; vegetarian tasting options are also available. Hiking shoes are 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 a tour of its arcades. (38 km of arcades) Bologna actually holds the world record in this category.
• 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 (including baggage allowance of 23 kg per person, maximum)
• Shuttles to and from the airports
• Transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle with a 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.