Day 1 - 07/10/2005 - Riccione / Firenze
Departure from Riccione in tour bus.
Arrival in Firenze. Tour of the city. Lunch, dinner and overnight stay in hotel.
Activities
09:30/10:00 am - participants meet in the hall of the Hotel Le Conchiglie, Riccione from where they will depart for Firenze.
Arrival in Firenze mid-morning. The following will be visited whilst in Firenze, art capital of the Toscana region: Piazza Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Galleria degli Uffizi, Palazzo Vecchio, Campanile di Giotto, Ponte Vecchio.
Lunch at the restaurant Certosa.
Return to the hotel late afternoon, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 2 - 08/10/05 - Chianti - The grape gardens
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure in tour bus to visit Greve in Chianti.
Trip to Castellina in Chianti and Colle Val d'Elsa. Lunch at the restaurant Colle Val d'Elsa.
Departure for Siena. Dinner and overnight stay.
Greve in Chianti - Castellina in Chianti - Colle Val d'Elsa - Siena
Activities
In the morning departure for Chianti. Famous for it's wine made from the following four types of grapes - Sangiovese, Black Canaiolo, Tuscan Trebbiano and Malvasia del Chianti.
Carefully placed amongst the other components that create this tenderly serene scene; the villa, the farmhouse, bushes, the village, the tower, the sloping hill, the twist in the road, the parish, the oak tree, the cypress and the olive bushes - are the vineyards, strategically positioned for maximum sunlight and soil texture.
Departure for Greve in Chianti with it's asymmetrical town square, porches and terraces. During the tour it will be possible to visit a wine cellar and taste some of the local produce (price not included).
You will also be able to visit Castellina in Chianti; ancient walled community.
From here the tour continues to Colle Val d'Elsa: agricultural and industrial town situated on the hillside, famous for art and glassworks, where one can buy bottles, glasses and other finely made glass articles. The tour includes visits to the following locations, Palazzo Campana, il Castello, il Palazzo Pretorio, il Museo Civico, il Museo Archeologico, il Duomo, il Palazzo dei Priori, la Chiesa di S. Agostino.
Lunch.
Return to the hotel in Siena in the afternoon for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 3 - 09/10/05 - Le Crete Senesi
Breakfast in the hotel.
Tour of the city of Siena; lunch in a restaurant in Siena. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel.
Activities
The morning will be entirely dedicated to visiting the city of Siena.
Surrounded by Chianti's forests on one side and by the clay hills on the other, the city seems to be part of the hillside rather than belonging to the underlying land which it has forever dominated.
The famous city of Palio fascinates visitors with it's multicoloured flags, it's narrow winding streets, it's perfect Gothic monuments and for the great number of local products that one can stop to taste here.
Visible from all of the surrounding areas is the tall Mangia Tower that overlooks the Piazza del Campo - the centre of the city from which the main streets lead us to the Duomo, San Domenico, Santa Caterina, Piazza Salimbeni, Via di Città, Porta Romana.
Stop for lunch at a restaurant.
Afternoon free for shopping etc ..
Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 4 - 10/10/05 - San Galgano / Montalcino/ S. Antimo/ Pienza
Breakfast at the hotel. Trip to San Galgano. Trip to Montalcino where we will stop for lunch.
Trip to S.Antimo. Trip to Pienza; dinner and night's stay in a hotel in Chianciano.
Activities
Early morning transfer to San Galagano, temple in which one can admire the real "Sword in the Stone". In December of 1180 a young knight named Chiusdino Galgano di Guidotto travelled to Civitella to meet his bride to be, where he underwent a mystic experience: the Archangel Michele blocked his path, took hold of his horse's reins and led him to Montesiepi where he convinced him to give up his arms and transform his life into one of contemplation and great faith. As a symbolic gesture to put an end to his combating, Galgano thrust his sword into the ground. For Medieval knights this particular gesture had a different spiritual meaning, the inverted sword reminded them of the Holy Cross. The hermitage of Montesiepi which over shadows the ruins of the abbey of San Galgano was turned into a mausoleum because it houses the tomb of Galgano, proclaimed Saint, and also preciously conserves the "Sword in the Stone".
Following on from here you will visit the beautiful city of Montalcino, situated on top of a hill overlooking the valleys of Orcia, Asso and Arbia.
The city spreads across the hillside, protected by the imposing fortress, dotted with antique churches and buildings. Almost obligatory a trip to one of the wineries that produce "Brunello", a fine wine renowned worldwide.
Lunch.
In the afternoon a trip to the abbey of S.Antimo, a fine example built in French/Roman style which seems to appear out of nowhere from behind a corner of a shaded woodland road. Built upon an upland plain and surrounded by hills, behind which are the stone quarries from which the alabaster used to create luminosity within the church' walls was mined.
From here the tour continues to Pienza, fine example of the Renaissance period.
"Created by a loving thought and a dream of beauty" (G.Pascoli), this city takes it's name from it's creator, Papa Pio II, who managed to build it in just four years, giving birth to this "jewel" without rivals - an example of beauty, harmony and architectural perfection.
There is no shortage of things to see in Pienza: apart from the numerous monuments, every angle of the city has something to offer - not to mention the poetic street names of this city - Lost Servants Street, Fortune Street, Love Street, Kiss Street. Numerous are the local products to suit all pallets that one can buy such as cheeses, wine, oil, herbs etc ..
Departure for Chiancino.
Arrival at the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 5 - 11/10/05 - Chiancino/ Montepulciano
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for the tour of Montepulciano. Lunch on a farm. Dinner and overnight stay in Chiancino.
Activities
Arrival mid-morning in Montepulciano.
Lunch on a farm. Afternoon spent visiting the town of Montepulciano, known as the pearl of the '500s for it's numerous architectural works of art dating back to this period. It is located at six hundred and five metres above sea level on a overhanging knoll (Val di Chiana) in an area previously inhabited by the Etruscans and the Romans. Montepulciano's fame is largely due to the production of a "noble" red wine, appreciated throughout history by the numerous consumers of this product. It is possible to visit one of the wine cellars where this wine is produced, generally they are situated beneath the aristocratic buildings of the town. On the outskirts is the majestic temple of San Biagio, surrounded by a beautiful green field full of yellow travertine which changes colour depending upon the season, the weather and the time of day. The inside of the temple is designed in such a way that sound travels from the centre to every corner of the church.
Return to Chiancino, dinner and night's stay at the hotel.

Day 6 - 12/10/05 - Roma, history & art
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Roma; arrival and short tour of the city. Lunch in a restaurant in Roma. Tour of Roma continues. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel in Roma or nearby.
Activities
Arrival in Roma and tour of the eternal city: from Castel Sant'Angelo, lavish construction chosen by Emperor Adriano as his tomb, the tour takes us towards San Pietro and the Vatican Museums with time at disposal for visiting them.
Lunch.
In the afternoon a trip is planned to the Baths of Caracalla, enormous thermal complex dating back to the third century, from here the tour takes us down the road that leads to Via Appia Antica, with the Catacombs of San Callisto, il Circo di Massenzio and Villa dei Quintili.
Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 7 - 13/10/05 - Roma
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning dedicated to visiting Roma; lunch in a restaurant. Afternoon free; dinner and night's stay in a hotel in Roma or nearby.
Activities
After breakfast departure for Piazza Venezia. Short visit of Palazzo Venezia. By crossing the famous stairway, Piazzale di Campidoglio, created by Michelangelo, can be reached and from here one can gain access to the Capitolini Museums. The Foro Romano and the Colosseum are a must.
Lunch.
Free time in the afternoon for individual visits and shopping ..
Back to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 8 - 14/10/05 - Roma / Milano (optional)
Breakfast in the hotel. Departure for Milano.
Activities
Meeting after breakfast and departure for those wishing to return to Milano. The cost of the return trip is 20 Euro.

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