CAMPANIA TO CALABRIA

Day 1 | Friday 2 October
Arrive
We meet at Rome airport in the late morning before joining our coach for the group transfer to Naples. We’ll enjoy glimpses of the spectacular coastline as we travel before stopping in the coastal hill town of Sperlonga, a popular summer destination for weekending Romans and Neapolitans. Here we explore the vestiges of the villa ostensibly built for the emperor Tiberius and visit the nearby grotto where an impressive collection of ancient sculptures, now on display in the excellent archaeological museum, were discovered in 1957. Arriving at our hotel there is time to relax before our welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Naples (D)

Day 2 | Saturday 3 October
Naples
Accompanied by our local guide this morning we enjoy a panoramic coach tour along the scenic Via Posillipo and to the nearby port city of Pozzuoli, whose archaeological treasures reflect its importance as a Greek settlement and then as one of the largest ports in the Roman Empire. Returning to Naples our walking tour takes us through the historic centre of this fascinating city, whose many churches are repositories for magnificent artworks including Giuseppe Sanmartino’s exceptional Veiled Christ, and Caravaggio’s complex and powerful masterpiece, The Seven Acts of Mercy. In the afternoon we head to the former royal hunting lodge of Capodimonte in the hills behind the city. The residence is now a world-class museum whose collection contains paintings by Raphael, Titian, El Greco and Botticelli, as well as fine examples of Neapolitan silver and majolica. Our day ends with a visit to the Catacombs of San Gennaro, a subterranean paleo-Christian burial site decorated with frescoes and mosaics. Dinner tonight is at a local restaurant. Overnight Naples (B, D)

Day 3 | Sunday 4 October
Archaeology & Art
The history of Naples has many complex layers and after a talk in our hotel this morning we join Napoli Sotteranea, an immersive tour into many thousands of years of local history through a network of underground streets and squares built under the centre of the city. The tour reveals the remains of an ancient Graeco-Roman aqueduct and Roman theatre as well as WWII bomb shelters. After a break for lunch we continue to the National Archaeological Museum, housed in a splendid building which saw service first as a cavalry barracks and then as the seat of the University of Naples. The museum’s outstanding collection comprises antiquities from Pompeii, Herculaneum and other sites around the Bay of Naples as well as magnificent works from Graeco-Roman antiquity assembled by the aristocratic Farnese family during the Renaissance for display in their various residences. Returning to the hotel the evening is at leisure. Overnight Naples (B)

Day 4 | Monday 5 October
Herculaneum & Oplontis
Herculaneum was a wealthy Roman coastal ‘resort’ town whose large seafront houses, baths, shops and public buildings were buried, along with many of the town’s inhabitants, under volcanic ash and pumice during the same catastrophic eruption which buried Pompeii. Though less well-known than its neighbour it is a wonderfully well-preserved site, with mosaics, paintings and even wooden architecture and furniture still to be found in situ. After our morning visit here we continue to Oplontis where we have a break for lunch before making our way to the archaeological site where our guided visit includes the ‘Villa of Poppea’. Believed to have belonged to the Emperor Nero and used by his second wife Poppea Sabina, the luxurious and imposing villa is decorated with stunning frescoes. Returning to Naples, dinner is at a local restaurant. Overnight Naples (B, D)

Day 5 | Tuesday 6 October
Pompeii
Nestled on the Bay of Naples in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii was a flourishing market town before the massive volcanic eruption of 79 CE buried it under a thick carpet of volcanic ash. Largely undisturbed until excavations began in the mid-18th century the site offers visitors an exceptional array of structures, frescoes and artefacts and a unique look into the past. We spend the day here, accompanied by a local guide and enjoying Dr Estelle Lazer’s academic expertise and extensive experience on site. A light sandwich lunch maximises free time for individual exploration. Returning to Naples, we gather for a talk in the hotel and then the evening is at leisure. Overnight Naples (B, L)

Day 6 | Wednesday 7 October
Paestum
Departing Naples this morning, we head south to Calabria stopping enroute in the lovely coastal town of Amalfi where we enjoy a stroll, time for morning tea and a chance to appreciate the magnificent coastal views. We then continue to Paestum, the best preserved of the ancient Greek settlements in the region. Here we have time for lunch before visiting the archaeological site where we see the magnificent Doric temples, the remains of the town walls and amphitheatre and visit the excellent museum, which contains many important examples of pre-Roman culture including the beautifully frescoed ‘Tomb of the Diver’, dating to around 500 BCE. Arriving in Rossano in the early evening, we check into our hotel before dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Rossano (B, D) 

Day 7 | Thursday 8 October
Corigliano & Rossano
Our coach tour this morning takes us to the nearby town of Corigliano, rising up the side of a hill offering panoramic views across the Ionian Sea. Liquorice production in the region can be dated back to the 11th century and we begin our visit at Amarelli Liquorice Museum before making our way up the cobbled streets of the old town to the Ducale Castle. First built as a fortress the palace has undergone a series of transformations through its history and now is a well-preserved national monument. Returning to Rossano we have a relaxed walking tour of the town, visiting the Byzantine style Oratory of San Marco and the Codex Museum, which holds a small but impressive collection of ancient artworks and artefacts including the opulent Rossano Gospels, one of the oldest surviving illuminated manuscripts of the New Testament. Dinner tonight is in a local restaurant. Overnight Rossano (B, D)

Day 8 | Friday 9 October
Altomonte
Today our coach tour takes us up into the southern Apennines and the imposing landscapes of the Pollino National Park, home to the highest peaks in southern Italy. We visit the town of Civita, founded by Albanian refugees in the 15th century and designated one of Italy’s most beautiful villages, before continuing on to the equally charming town of Altomonte, sitting high on a hill and offering spectacular views over olive groves and vineyards. Here we have a break for lunch with time to explore the town which has preserved its medieval setting, dominated by the church of Santa Maria della Consolazione, a rare example of Gothic-Angevin architecture. Returning to Rossano we meet for a talk in the hotel then the evening is at leisure. Overnight Rossano (B)

Day 9 | Saturday 10 October
To Catanzaro
Departing Rossano this morning we head south down the coast to Catanzaro, the capital of the region of Calabria. En route we stop in the port city of Crotone, a flourishing city of Magna Graecia where Greek mathematician Pythagoras established his school around 530 BCE. Here we visit the National Archaeological Museum whose collection includes significant artifacts from the archaeological site of Capo Colonna, which is our next destination. One the most important sanctuaries of Magna Grecia, Capo Colonna is now an archaeological park, and we tour the ruins of the Temple of Juno Lacinia at its heart. We then visit Le Castella, a fairytale Aragonese castle which shows earlier Norman, Swabian, Byzantine and Angevin influences, connected to the mainland by a thin strip of land, before continuing on to Catanzaro, arriving in the late afternoon. After checking in to our hotel there is time to relax before we dine together this evening. Overnight Catanzaro (B, D)

Day 10 | Sunday 11 October
Capital of Calabria
Catanzaro is known as ‘the city between two seas’ for its position at Italy’s narrowest point, separating the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas. Thought to trace its origins back to the ancient Greek colony that became Scolacium the city was firmly established by the Byzantines while they had control of the region in the 10th century before falling to the Normans in 1059. This morning we travel to the nearby Scolacium Archaeological Park, set amongst olive groves and established in 1982 to preserve a site on which we can see Roman, Byzantine and Norman ruins. Returning to Catanzaro there is free time for lunch before our walking tour of the historic heart of the city. The later afternoon and evening are at leisure. Overnight Catanzaro (B) 

Day 11 | Monday 12 October
Stilo
We join our coach this morning for a full day excursion to the beautiful medieval town of Stilo. Dominated by the ruins of what was once an imposing Norman castle, the town is laid out in tiers on the slopes of Mount Consolino overlooking the Ionian Sea. Stilo was one of the most important Byzantine cities in Calabria in the 10th century and as we stroll through the village we see remnants of the old medieval city walls, the evocative Fountain of the Dolphins, which reflects an Arab influence on the art of the region, and a number of beautiful Byzantine churches. The most important of these is the tiny Cattolica, where we see vestiges of the frescoes which once covered the interior and enjoy splendid views across the valley. Returning to Catanzaro the evening is at leisure. Overnight Catanzaro (B)

Day 12 | Tuesday 13 October
Tropea
Departing Catanzaro this morning we’ll make our way to the seaside town of Tropea on Calabria’s west coast, renowned for its crystal-clear turquoise waters and the aristocratic palaces that line its clifftops, looking out towards the volcanic island of Stromboli. But first we head south, visiting the archaeological site of Locri Epizefiri and the nearby town of Gerace. The ancient city of Locri Epizefiri on the Ionian Coast was an important and culturally dazzling Greek settlement before falling to the Romans as they expanded into southern Italy and the archaeological site holds a wealth of magnificent ruins including defensive walls, sanctuaries, temples and a massive theatre as well as a small museum displaying recent finds. As Locri Epizefiri was abandoned following repeated Saracen raids in the 10th century, the town of Gerace grew thanks to its more easily defensible position on a hilltop 10km inland and today we visit its well-preserved medieval centre and imposing Norman cathedral. Continuing to Tropea in the early afternoon there is time to relax in our hotel before dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Tropea (B, D) 

Day 13 | Wednesday 14 October
Pizzo Calabro
Today we visit nearby Pizzo Calabro, stopping first at the Chiesetta di Piedigrotta. Carved into the rocks overlooking the beach, this unique site was a simple fishermen’s chapel before local shopkeeper Angelo Barone restored and enlarged it at the turn of the 19th century, carving stone figures of Christ and the saints into the tufa. Subsequent family members have added further features to the interior, including sculpted medallions of Pope John Paul XXII and JFK. Continuing to Pizzo Calabro we have time for lunch and a relaxed exploration of this charming village including a visit to the small Castello Murat, built as a fort in the late 14th century before being renamed for Joachim Murat, brother-in-law of Napoleon Bonaparte and sometime King of Naples, who met a sad end in the castello in 1815. Returning to Tropea the evening is at leisure. Overnight Tropea (B) 

Day 14 | Thursday 15 October
Scilla
Departing Tropea this morning we head for the vibrant city of Reggio, stopping first in the town of Scilla, a small coastal village whose charm defies its associations with the monster of Greek mythology who, together with Charybdis, guarded the Straits of Messina and terrorized Ulysses. We’ll stroll through the town, visiting the Castello Ruffo on the rocky promontory above the town, before making our way to the nearby district of Chianalea where we have lunch in a delightful restaurant on the waterfront. There is time to explore this lovely area, known as the Venice of the South due to the narrow streets that separate the houses and then dive straight into the sea, before rejoining our coach and continuing to Reggio. Evening at leisure. Overnight Reggio (B, L)

Day 15 | Friday 16 October
Reggio
After a talk in our hotel this morning we meet our local guide for a walking tour of historic Reggio. One of the great cities of Magna Graecia and an important maritime and commercial city through classical antiquity, early Rhegium was a valuable ally of Rome but by the Middle Ages had been invaded by Vandals, Lombards, Goths, Byzantines and Arabs, followed by the Normans, Angevins and Aragonese. A massive earthquake in 1908 and heavy bombing in WWII took a further toll but today we’ll follow the pedestrianised Corso Garibaldi visiting the Aragonese castle, the Romanesque revival cathedral, the lovely Teatro Francesco Cilea and the lungomare – the picturesque waterfront which, on a clear day, offers views across the straits of Messina to Sicily. We end our tour at the excellent archaeological museum which houses prehistoric and protohistoric period objects including the magnificent Riace Bronzes - full sized Greek bronze statues of naked warriors dating to around 450BCE, found in the sea near the town of Riace. The afternoon is at leisure. Overnight Reggio (B) 

Day 16 | Saturday 17 October
Pentedattilo & Bova
This morning we make our way to Bova, a lovely mountain village on the slopes of the Aspromonte Massif whose ancient Greek heritage is continued in the Griko dialect still spoken by many of the villagers and in many of the local culinary traditions. We’ve time to explore the town, including a break for lunch, before continuing to the village of Pentedattilo on the slopes of Monte Calvario, whose resemblance to five fingers gave it its original Greek name - from pente (five) and daktylos (fingers).  Extensively damaged by an earthquake in the 18th century the town’s population gradually dwindled and today it’s a virtual ghost town except for a few weeks in summer when it hosts a film festival. Our walking tour will reveal the village’s fascinating history. Returning to our hotel there is time to relax before our farewell dinner in a local restaurant this evening. Overnight Reggio (B, D) 

Day 17 | Sunday 18 October
Depart
After breakfast, we take a mid-afternoon flight to Rome, arriving in time for evening departures. (B)