Tuscany Art and Wine Special

Package # 136
From $1599 pp

• RT Air from JFK or Boston to Florence on Alitalia
  Chicago $60; Lax and San Fran $210

• 4 nights Cavour, Florence

• 3 nights Villa Il Patriarca, Chiusi in Tuscany

• Breakfast daily

• 1 dinner at La Taverna del Patriarca, typical Tuscan Osteria located in the old wine cellars of our villa (excluding beverage)

• English guided tour of an old wine cellar of Montepulciano, renaissance town famous world wide for its Nobile wine

• Special Wine Tasting

• Use of car for length of stay.

• ACCADEMY GALLERY + UFFIZI GALLERY Tours Every day except Monday
  A guided visit of Michelangelo's most famous work, David, and other important works of art such as ”I Prigioni” and ”San Matteo”. Also tour one of the most important art galleries in the world housing works of art by Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello, Giotto, Cimabue and Masaccio.

• Afternoon excursion to the Chianti area with wine tasting. Mon, Wed, Thur & Sat at 2.00 pm

Note: (Priced for Departures Tuesday - Thursday* Friday - Monday add $50 RT )

Optional Tours to increase your enjoyment:

• Discover Florence, walking tour $39 per person

• Upgrade Villa Il Patriarca to a Suite $119 per person per night

• FD tour to Siena and San Gimignano $69  per person

A journey through the Chianti countryside, one of the most suggestive areas of Tuscany famous the world over for its wine, to reach a magnificent Castle: a visit to the gardens and the splendid cellar with its the famous barrels of the Chianti Classico wine. Stop for snack and wine tasting, followed by a visit to one of the most beautiful Romanesque churches in the area.

The excursions take place in different areas of the Chianti region. Weather permitting, dinner will be served in the open. Please wear suitable clothing. Includes: transport, tour escort, snack and wine tasting, dinner and drinks.

xcursion through the delightful hills of the Chianti countryside, with an ever-changing scenery of vineyards and olive trees.

Upon arrival in Siena, you will enjoy a guided tour of the old city centre: walking along the small medieval streets, admiring the splendid palaces and ending up at the Cathedral where you can visit the splendid interior including the Libreria Piccolomini and the adjacent Museo dell'Opera Metropolitana. 

The guided tour will conclude in the Piazza del Campo, one of the most beautiful in the world, where you will find the Palazzo del Comune (exterior). Free time for lunch (not included).

Departure for San Gimignano a tiny city that has remained intact through the centuries; situated on a hilltop, it is famous for its numerous towers, frescoes and other art treasures; free time to discover this fascinating city. During the return journey, along the way visitors can admire the old mediaeval village of Monteriggioni enclosed by its famous walls, still intact.

The Grand Hotel Cavour is the ideal location in the historical heart of Florence Renaissance, situated between the Duomo and Piazza Signoria. The building structure narrates its origin since 1280 up to nowadays. Its 105 rooms symbolise Italian taste and style. Alchemy reaches perfection: Florentine charm and attention to the highest level of comfort guarantee a pleasant stay to all the guests selecting the Grand Hotel Cavour in Florence.

Totally restored ancient building with all rooms furnished with special attention to materials and colours and equipped with all comforts. The perfect harmony between classical and modern style make the Grand Hotel Cavour the ideal place for an unforgettable stay in the wonderful city of Florence.

Arthur Frommer says: "The Cavour is an address of some refinement in Dante's old neighborhood, and about as central as you can get. The plush chairs in the large vaulted lobby focus around an antique stone pillar, and the roof terrace has a positively spectacular view of the Duomo, the Palazzo Vecchio, and other Florentine landmarks. The rooms, carpeted and furnished with contemporary good taste, tend to be on the small side, though a few enjoy brick arches and other 10th-century holdovers. The bathrooms are new, and the firm beds are spread with patterned quilts. Accommodations along the front and side get a view of the towers sprouting from the Bargello and the Badia, but be warned: The double-glazed windows are no match for the clamorous buses that grumble down the busy street in front."

From Bologna:
80 kms. - Highway A1 - exit FIRENZE NORD - Direction "Centro"
Follow indications to "Centro - Viali Circonvallazione" towards the Arno river until Beccaria Public Square. On the square you will reach the "Nation" building (local newspaper editor) where at the traffic light you must turn right entering Via of the Agnolo. Follow the street to its end and turn right in Via Verdi, take the first narrow street on your left (via S. P. Maggiore) and continue straight in Borgo of the Albizi; at the end of the street you will find Via of the Proconsolo and welcome to the Grand Hotel Cavour l!!!

Villa Il Patriarca started its life as an 1800 prestigious patrician house. I t is now a wonderful example of a sensitive restoration into a first class small hotel. 

Situated on a hill and surrounded by pine and cypresses, with view on Tuscan hills, the Villa Il Patriarca Hotel Chiusi offers its guests the opportunity of a relaxed holiday with all modern comforts.

Location
The Villa Il Patriarca Hotel is located 4 kilometres from Chiusi, a wonderful Tuscan town with a relevant Etruscan heritage. The hotel's unique location gives the opportunity of visiting many historical and artistic towns situated in the centre of Italy.

Rooms
The hotel has 23 comfortable rooms and suites, all of which are pleasantly decorated and equipped with numerous in-room amenities.

Restaurant
The onsite restaurant offers a very creative cuisine in which traditional dishes are reinterpreted in original style and matched with a very wide selection of wines.

General
The Villa Il Patriarca Hotel also offers a spacious and elegant banqueting hall, which can host up to 350 people for ceremonies, wedding parties or meetings. During leisure, guests can take a refreshing plunge in the swimming pool, laze around the beautiful garden or explore the city and its surrounding attractions.

Located in the heart of Italy, midway between Rome and Florence in the part of Tuscany well known for its wonderful wines, Etruscan artifacts, excellent cuisine, olive oil and its history of exceptional art. Set in a park of large cypresses, the hotel has just 23 rooms, each uniquely and comfortably decorated. Eight of the rooms are in the Villa and others are in a recently restored wing with elegant and romantic furniture, bright colours and interesting themes.

There are several categories of rooms: standard, superior, junior suites and suites (two dedicated to Federico Fellini and his wife who were often guests at the hotel in the past). The Restaurant 'I Salotti' was awarded a Michelin Star in 2003 and 2004. Its Noble Tuscan Cuisine reflects the perfect balance between tradition and innovation, and made with the best local produce. A prestigious wine cellar with over 1000 labels adds to its attraction. A new Taverna offering local specialties has recently been opened in the antique cellar. There is a luxurious swimming pool in the garden, where light lunches can be served. The hotel staff can arrange wine-tasting in the local wineries, guided tours, and cooking classes. There are also special weekend events (La Dolce Vita - a romantic escape from routine, and "Grand Tour Gourmet, for food and wine lovers. The land of the Springs, for relaxation and wellbeing, in cooperation with local thermal centers of Chianciano Terme and Montepulciano.

In the Heart of the Tuscan wine country, find Montepulciano, is built along a narrow limestone ridge and, at 605 m (1,950 ft) above sea level. The town is encircled by walls and fortifications designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder in 1511 for Cosimo I. Inside the walls the streets are crammed with Renaissance-style palazzi and churches, but the town is chiefly known for its good local Vino Nobile wines. a long, winding street called the Corso climbs up into the main square, which crowns the summit of the hill. In July-August there is Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte, an arts festival created by the German composer Hans Werner Henze. In August there are two festivals: the Bruscello takes place on the 14th, 15th and 16th, when hordes of actors reenact scenes from the town's turbulent history. For the Bravio delle Botti, on the last Sunday in August, there is a parade through the streets followed by a barrel race and a banquet to end the day.

The main street of Montepulciano stretches for 11.5 kilometers from the Porta al Prato to the Piazza Grande at the top of the hill. The main landmarks include:

• The Communal Palace
• Palazzo Tarugi
• The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (late 16th century). It has a simple Mannerist façade with a three-arcade portico. The interior has a single nave, and houses a precious terracotta altar by Andrea della Robbia.
  
• The Sanctuary of the Madonna of St. Blaise, on the road to Chianciano outside the city. It is a typical 16th century Tuscan edifice, designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger on a pre-existing Pieve, between 1518 and 1545. It has a circular (central) plan with a large dome over a terrace and a squared tambour. The exterior, with two bell towers, is built in white travertine.

The Sanctuary of St. Blaise. The walls of the city were designed and built under the direction of Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici in 1511 by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder. Famous citizens Roberto Bellarmino, a Roman Catholic Saint, Cardinal, and Doctor of the Church was born here on October 4, 1542. He is one of the 33 Doctors of the Roman Catholic Church and was active in the Counter-Reformation. Agnes of Montepulciano, a Roman Catholic Saint.
The Florentine classical scholar and poet, as well as one of the revivers of Humanist Latin, Angelo Poliziano was born in Montepulciano on July 14, 1454.