QUINTESSENTIAL TOUR OF ITALY – WITH AUTENTICO HOTELS

Arrive to Milan and meet up with your tour leader and group for a welcome drink and dinner. Roam the streets of the world’s fashion capital with a guide. Admire the intricate stonework of the Gothic Duomo cathedral. Look up for glass-vaulted arcades in the mall of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy’s oldest active shopping mall. People-watch at Piazza della Scala and marvel at the austere Sforca castle, former home of many rulers. Sip a cocktail at an iconic bar and spend the rest of the day at leisure. Next day venture out to the resplendent Lake Como and admire its shores dotted with illustrious mansions and quaint villages. Explore the medieval heart of the namesake town and take a boat to the romantic town of Bellagio, where cobbled stairways lead to some of the best lake views. Visit Villa Carlotta to wander its botanical park and galleries replete with art masterpieces.

Visit the capital of Emilia-Romagna, Bologna, marveling at its terracotta medieval buildings, enjoying the buzzy vibe of this home of the world’s oldest university and visit a local restaurant for a taste of Bologna’s most famous invention, the bolognaise sauce (have it with tagliatelle or tortellini). Travel back to the Renaissance in Florence, where famous art and architectural masterpieces wow you at every corner. Master the finest recipes of Tuscan cuisine in an exclusive cooking class with the acclaimed chef Silvia Baracchi in her 17^th-century family home, now a Relais II Falconiere hotel, and enjoy the pairing with Falconiere wines. Work it all off touring Cortona, the town built upon Etruscan foundations, where many Renaissance and Baroque artists, like Luca Signorelli or Pietro di Cortona, came to seek inspiration.

On the way to Rome, stop in the town of Orvieto, founded upon volcanic tufa stone by the Etruscans 2700 years ago. See one of Italy’s most astonishing Gothic churches, the cathedral nestled in its medieval center. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, then continue on to the Eternal City. Join a guided tour to delve into the opulence of the world’s smallest state, the Vatican: explore the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Cathedral. Finish the day with dinner at a typical restaurant in Trastevere, one of Rome’s characteristic neighborhoods.    Explore the highlights of ancient Rome, such as the Colosseum, where gladiators used to fight for life, and the Imperial Fora, a string of open squares which were the hearth of public life. Enjoy an afternoon on your own, roaming the Baroque sights of Rome: toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain or climb the iconic Spanish Steps.