Siena
With coach transfers included we fly direct from Gatwick to stay five nights at the four-star Grand Hotel Tettuccio in Montecatini Terme. Facilities at the hotel include a restaurant and a bar. All rooms are en suite and feature television, hair dryer and minibar. A three-course dinner without drinks is included in our hotel every evening.
We travel by executive coach in Italy, accompanied by a tour manager throughout, to visit these places of interest:
• Lucca
• Montecatini Terme
• Siena and its Duomo – guided tour
• Florence – guided tour
• Museo Villa Puccini, Torre del Lago – guided tour
• Fattoria il Poggio – guided tour, wine tasting with lunch included
• Pisa – guided tour
Itinerary
Day 1 We meet at our designated pick-up points and transfer by private coach to Gatwick Airport for our direct scheduled flight to either Pisa or Bologna. On arrival we meet our tour manager who will accompany us throughout our tour. We transfer by executive coach to the four-star Tettuccio hotel in Montecatini Terme for a five-night stay on a half-board basis.
Day 2 We spend some time at leisure in Lucca today, the birthplace of Puccini. Lucca’s regular grid of streets still follows the pattern of the former Roman colony founded in 180BC. On an individual basis you may choose to visit the 11th century Duomo of San Martino. Lucca’s extraordinary cathedral, dedicated to St Martin, was built subsequent to the campanile, hence the facade’s cramped and asymmetric appearance. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure in Montecatini Terme and on an individual basis you may choose to take the cable car to Montecatini Alto.
Day 3 This morning we travel to Siena and an included guided tour on arrival takes in the Campo where the Palio horse race is run. During our tour we visit the Duomo, built between 1136 and 1382 and one of Italy’s greatest cathedrals, and the Piccolomini Library. Among the Duomo’s treasures are sculptural masterpieces by Nicola Pisano, Donatello and Michelangelo, a fine inlaid pavement, and a magnificent fresco cycle by Pinturicchio. The afternoon is at leisure in Sienna and on an individual basis you may choose to visit the Museo Civico, located inside the Pallazzo Pubblico. Founded in the 1930s, the Museo Civico contains some of the finest paintings, sculptures and frescoes of the renowned Sienese School.
Day 4 Today we visit Florence, the Renaissance art capital of the world. A guided tour on arrival takes in sights such as the Ponte Vecchio, the magnificent Duomo, Santa Croce Church, Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens. The rest of the day is at leisure in Florence and on an individual basis you may choose to visit the Uffizi Gallery, one of the world’s finest art galleries, housing Renaissance art from the 14th to 18th century and originally established by the Medici family.
Day 5 We travel to Torre del Lago for a guided tour at the Museo Villa Puccini. The museum depicts the life and times of Giacomo Puccini, who moved to Torre del Lago in 1891 and composed most of his operas here. We continue to Fattoria il Poggio where our guided tour of the farm is followed by an olive oil or wine tasting and an included lunch. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure in Montecatini Terme.
Day 6 An included guided tour of Pisa takes in sights such as the Duomo, the Baptistery and the Leaning Tower. Begun in 1173 on sandy silt subsoil, the Leaning Tower (Torre Pandente) started to tilt even before the third storey was finished in 1274. We continue to our allocated airport for our direct scheduled flight to Gatwick and onwards by coach back to our original pick-up points.
Cost
£1,299 plus £79 insurance (including Covid cover). Single room supplement £99.
To book
Contact organiser Ianthe Cox: email ianthecox72@gmail.com or telephone 01737 843105.