A Wine and Food Lovers Tour! The Wine, Chocolate, & History of Tuscany and Umbria 
 An 8 Day value added Tour with Air - Food, History and Wine Tours and a Chocolate excursion

Package #100

Starting at $1999 Per person Based on Double Occupancy

Experience Tuscany and Umbria. World famous culinary and cuisine capitals of the world!
Please note. When arriving in Gubbio, there is public parking in the city center. Park there, and call the Relais Ducale
for someone to pick you up. They will direct you to their own parking area, and bring you to the top of the old city in their van.
That is where the hotel is situated.

• RT Air from JFK to Florence. 

• Use of car for length of stay.

  • Tuscany

    • 3 nights Superior Villa Il Patriarca, Querce al Pino, near Chuisi, Sienna, 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

  • Gubbio

    • 3 nights Relais Ducale, Deluxe room, Gubbio, Perugia, Umbria

    • Buffet breakfast daily

    • 1 dinner at the Taverna del Lupo Restaurant ( beverages excluded ) 

    • Complimentary dish of Gelato 

    • Enjoy a 2 1/2 hour Guided tour of the ancient city of Gubbio including Palazzo and Torre Gabrielli Duomo (Cathedral) ( click here for more information on Gubbio History) including the Corsa dei Ceri, a spectacular run held every year on May 15

    • Wine tasting with Selection of Local Wines and Finger foods

    • 4 hour tour, with a private driver, to the Chocolate Factory of Perugina, 45 minutes away. 

During holiday times like Christmas, New Years and Easter, there may be special meals and/or GALA events that
are extra and mandatory. Ask your reservation agent for details

*optional Cooking Class at the Taverna del Lupo with Demonstration ( beverages included )  $159.00 p.p.

** Thursday flights into Rome, Saturday into Bologna both cases return from Rome. 

Villa Il Patriarca 
Welcome to Villa il Patriarca, located in the wonderful Etruscan land, a unique setting where hospitality and elegance are gracefully joined to a top level service. Situated on a hill and surrounded by pine and cypresses, with view on Tuscan hills, the Villa Il Patriarca Hotel Chuisi offers its guests the opportunity of a relaxed holiday with all modern comforts.

Location
The Villa Il Patriarca Hotel is located 4 kilometers from Chuisi, 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 center 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 colors 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 well-being, 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.

The Relais Ducale is situated in the historic center of Gubbio. The ancient stone and brick walls are incorporated in the design of many of the rooms. The position, architectural structure, and beautiful gardens make Relais Ducale a beautiful home. The delightful staff at the hotel will help you during your stay and make it enjoyable.

The 30 rooms and suites with their antique furnishings as well as the garden rich with flowers and colors, create an ideal atmosphere for resting as well as enjoying quiet luxury. The breakfast is served at the bar or during the summer months, outside on Piazza della Signora, from where you can enjoy wonderful view.

This old-style hotel occupies the central Palazzo Raffaelli, where in the past the old patrician family Bosone includes Dante Alighieri as a guest. The breakfast room is a delightful small room with frescoed ceilings. The restaurants Taverna del Lupo and Bosone Garden offer truffles and other delicious local dishes

The Relais Ducale is the annex of the Ducal Palace, where the Duke of Montefeltro used to welcome his owns guests. The rooms and suites with their antique furnishing, the verandas which can be enjoyed even in winter, the suspended garden rich of flowers and colors, the small rooms for reading and conversing, all of them create the ideal atmosphere for resting , enjoying a quiet luxury. The Relais Ducale, part of the chain Pregio Hotels, reflects the history and the fascination of the medieval town of Gubbio.

Taverna del Lupo.

St. Francis of Assisi is said to have domesticated the wolf of Gubbio, and as the legend tells, the same wolf used to come and have lunch at the Taverna del Lupo. It may just be people’s imagination, but the magical atmosphere of the past times is an integral part of the Taverna experience.

Rodolfo Mencarelli and his wife Lisetta believe in the regional cooking: the truffle is the main protagonist along with the best home made pasta and selected local meats.
The building dates back to the Middle Ages and is decorated with antiques and unique ceramic vases collected through the years by Mencarelli family. The wine cellar, updated by the Sommelier Gianluca Allegrucci, is open to the public and it’s possible to taste and buy wines and spirits.

The Taverna del Lupo is member of the “Piatto del Buon Ricordo” and “Chaine de Rootisseurs” Associations. In recognition of the unique fine dining experience the Taverna offers, and on top of several other awards, the restaurant won the prestigious 5 Star Diamond Award in 1998.

History of Gubbio from Wikipedia, "the free encyclopedia ":

The city's origins are very ancient: as Ikuvium, it was an important town of the ancient Umbrian people in pre-Roman times, and is famous for the discovery there of the Eugubine (or Iguvine) Tables, a set of bronze tablets that together constitute the largest surviving text in ancient Umbrian. After the Roman conquest in the 2nd century BC — it kept its name with only a slight change (Iguvium) — the city remained important, as attested by its Roman theater, the second-largest surviving in the world.

Gubbio became very powerful since the earliest Middle Age. The town sent 1000 knights to fight in the First Crusade under the lead of Count Girolamo Gabrielli, and according to an undocumented tradition, they were the first to penetrate into the Holy Sepulchre when the city was seized (1099).

The following centuries were quite turbulent and Gubbio was engaged in wars against the surrounding towns of Umbria. One of these wars saw the miraculous intervention of its bishop, Saint Ubaldo Baldassini, who secured Gubbio an overwhelming victory (1151) and a period of prosperity.

In 1350 Giovanni Gabrielli, count of Borgovalle, a member of the noblest family of Gubbio, seized the power and became lord of Gubbio. However his rule was short and he was forced to hand over the town to Cardinal Albornoz, representing the Church (1354).

A few years later, Gabriello Gabrielli, bishop of Gubbio proclaimed himself again lord of Gubbio (Signor d’Agobbio). Betrayed by a group of noblemen which included many a relative of his, the bishop was forced to leave the town and seek refuge at his home castle at Cantiano.

With the decay of the political prestige of the Gabrielli family, Gubbio was thereafter incorporated into the Montefeltro State, and eventually became part of the State of the Church when this family extinguished (1631).

In 1860, when the State of the Church collapsed, Gubbio entered the Kingdom of Italy.

Main sights
The historical center of Gubbio is of concentratedly medieval aspect: it is an austere-looking town of dark grey stone, narrow streets, and Gothic architecture.

A fair number of the houses in Gubbio date to the 14th and 15th centuries, and were originally the dwellings of wealthy merchants; they often have a second door fronting on the street, usually just a few inches from the main entrance, narrower, and a foot or so above the actual street level. This type of door is called a porta dei morti (door of the dead) because it is commonly stated that it was used only for removing the bodies of any who might have died inside the house. This is almost certainly false, but there is no firm agreement on the true purpose of the secondary doors. One of the most likely theories is that the door was used by the owners to protect themselves when opening to unknown persons, leaving them in a dominating position.

The main monuments of the city include:
the Roman Theater, built in the 1st century BC using square blocks of local limestone. The cavea had originalley a diameter of 70 meters. During summer it is used as a suggestive site of lectures of ancient poets and authors. Roman Mausoleum (sometimes said to be of Pomponius Graecinus, but on no satisfactory grounds)
 
Palazzo dei Consoli. The massive Palazzo dei Consoli (first half of the 14th century), housing the museum with the Eugubine Tables.

Palazzo and Torre Gabrielli Duomo (Cathedral), built in the late 12th century. Its most striking feature is the rose-window in the facade, with, at its sides, the symbols of the Evangelists: the eagle for St. John, the lion for St. Mark, the angel for St. Matthew and the ox for St. Luke. The interior has latine cross plan with a single nave. The most precious art piece is the wooden Christ over the altar, of Umbrian school.
The Palazzo Ducale, built from 1470 by Luciano Laurana or Francesco di Giorgio Martini for Federico da Montefeltro. Famous is the inner court, reminiscent of the Palazzo Ducale of Urbino. The ducal studiolo, with carved wooden panels, is now at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.|

The Church of S. Francesco (second half of the 13th century), the sole religious edifice in the city having a nave with two aisles. The vaults is supported by octagonal pilasters. The frescoes in the left side dates from the 15th century.
The Church of Santa Maria Nuova, a typical Cistercian edifice of the 13th century. In the interior is a 14th century fresco portraying the so-called Madonna del Belvedere (1413), by Ottaviano Nelli. It has also a work by Guido Palmerucci. Also from the Cistercians is the Convent of St. Augustine, with some frescoes by Nelli

The Basilica of Sant'Ubaldo, with a nave and four aisles, is a sanctuary outside the city. Noteworthy are the marble altar and the great windows with episodes of the life of St. Ubaldo, parton of Gubbio. The finely sculpted portals and the fragmentary frescoes give a hint of the magnificent 15th century decoration once boasted by the basilica.

The Museo Cante Gabrielli in the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo (once belonged to the Gabrielli).

Culture
Gubbio is best known for its palio, the Corsa dei Ceri, a spectacular run held every year on May 15, in which three teams, devoted to S. Ubaldo (the patron saint of Gubbio), S. Giorgio, and S. Antonio, run through throngs of cheering supporters (clad in the distinctive colours of yellow, blue and black, with white trousers and red belts and neckbands), up much of the mountain from the main square in front of the Palazzo dei Consoli to the basilica of S. Ubaldo, each team carrying a statue of their saint mounted on a wooden octagonal prism, similar to an hour-glass shape 4 meters tall and weighing about 280 kilograms.

The race has strong devotional, civic, and historical overtones and is one of the best-known folklore manifestations in Italy; the Ceri were chosen as the heraldic emblem on the coat of arms of Umbria as a modern administrative region.
A celebration like the Corsa dei Ceri is held also in Jessup, Pennsylvania. In this small town the people carry out the same festivities as the residents of Gubbio do by "racing" the three statues through the streets. This remains an important and sacred event in both towns.

Gubbio was also one of the centres of production of the Italian pottery (maiolica), during the Renaissance. The most important Italian potter of that period, Mastro Giorgio, was active in Gubbio during the first half of XVI century.