southern italy

Day 1 | Thursday 22 October
Arrive Rome - To Lecce
Meeting our tour leader at Rome’s Fiumicino airport, we take a group flight to Brindisi followed by the short coach transfer to Lecce. After checking into our hotel there is time to freshen up before a light dinner in the hotel restaurant. Overnight Lecce (D)

Day 2 | Friday 23 October
Lecce
After a talk in the hotel, we spend the morning exploring the delightful town of Lecce, the crown jewel of the Mezzogiorno. On our walking tour we discover Lecce’s Roman heritage as well as its vibrant 16th and 17th-century ‘Southern Baroque’ architecture, an expressive and highly decorative style that incorporates gargoyles, asparagus columns and cavorting gremlins. We’ll visit the Basilica of Santa Croce, a masterpiece of Baroque exuberance with an intricately sculpted façade, and the Lecce Cathedral, originally built in the 12th century and later transformed into a grand Baroque showpiece by architect Giuseppe Zimbalo. The afternoon is free to explore the town independently before we reconvene this evening for our welcome dinner at a fine local restaurant. Overnight Lecce
(B, D)

Day 3 | Saturday 24 October
Otranto
Our full day tour takes us down the Salentine Peninsula to the town of Otranto. Inside the massive defensive walls that still enclose the historic centre of this lovely coastal town, we discover a charming labyrinth of streets, shops and bars as well as the 12th-century cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. Inside, we view its spectacular “tree of life” mosaic pavement and sombre crypt holding the bones of over 800 martyrs who died during the Ottoman invasion of the city in 1480. We also visit the imposing late 15th-century Aragonese castle, which offers splendid views across the port and the old town from its outer walls. After a relaxing lunch in a local restaurant, we visit the Basilica of Santa Caterina in Galatina, a remarkable 14th-century church famed for its vivid fresco cycle rivaling those of Giotto, depicting biblical scenes in a style that blends Gothic and Byzantine influences. Returning to Lecce, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Lecce (B, L)

Day 4 | Sunday 25 October
Alberobello
Departing Lecce this morning, we travel north to the seaport city of Trani, stopping first in the city of Brindisi, once a bridging point for crusading knights. After exploring the old town, brimming with narrow streets and ancient monuments, we travel onwards to the town of Alberobello. We have a break for lunch on arrival, followed by time to explore this lovely town, home to steep, narrow streets filled with beautifully preserved, ancient trulli – whitewashed drystone huts with conical roofs, many still occupied by local residents. Continuing to Trani in the afternoon, we check-in and have time to relax before we gather for dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Trani (B, D)

Day 5 | Monday 26 October
Trani
The historic seaport of Trani enjoys a stunning waterfront location on the Adriatic coast with harmonious limestone architecture, a large Norman-Swabian fortress lining its two bays and a monumental Romanesque cathedral perched on the very edge of the sea. To truly experience its charm, we explore on foot – in the company of our local guide, we’ll spend the morning discovering its many attractions. The afternoon is free to explore Trani at your leisure and perhaps enjoy an al fresco meal on the waterfront. Overnight Trani (B)

Day 6 | Tuesday 27 October
Bari & Bitonto
Our coach tour today takes us to the nearby towns of Bari and Bitonto. In Puglia’s capital, Bari, we join a guided walking tour through the fascinating weave of streets in the old town to the city’s most important building: the Basilica di San Nicola. Built at the end of the 12th century to house the relics of San Nicola, the basilica offers a fine example of Romanesque architecture. After a break for lunch, we rejoin our coach and head to Bitonto. Though often overlooked by visitors to the region, the history of Bitonto dates back to ancient times and the town flourished through the Middle Ages. Our guided walking tour includes the fine Romanesque cathedral, the magnificent 14th-century Angevin circular tower and the elegant renaissance palazzi in the historic town centre. Returning to Trani, there is a talk in the hotel before an evening at leisure. Overnight Trani (B)

Day 7 | Wednesday 28 October
Barletta & Castel del Monte
Departing Trani today, our destination is Matera. We stop en-route at Barletta and the unique Castel del Monte. While today a busy agricultural centre, Barletta was once a Phoenician trading post and enjoys a rich history. Here we explore the narrow streets of the historic old town, built around an imposing Norman castle, and see the Colossus of Barletta, a large bronze statue of an Eastern Roman Emperor, nearly three times life size, discovered in 1231. We then continue onto Castel del Monte, a remarkable octagonal fortress built by the Emperor Frederick II and one of the most significant medieval buildings in southern Italy. The Castel was accorded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1996 due largely to its unique blending of architectural elements from a variety of historical sources and the mathematical and astronomical precision of its layout. We then continue on to Matera, where our accommodation is a unique and atmospheric rock-carved hotel whose therapeutic spa dates from Roman times. The evening is at leisure. Overnight Matera (B)

Day 8 | Thursday 29 October
Matera
The city of Matera was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993 in recognition of the importance of its Sassi, ancient excavations carved into the soft limestone either side of a ravine. Our walking tour this morning takes us through this fascinating district where we see frescoed rock-cut churches and chapels as well as the former dwellings of the poorest of the city’s residents, now occupied by hotels, restaurants and museums. With an optional visit to the cathedral, a rewarding climb to the highest point in the city, and the small archaeological museum, which holds an impressive collection of artefacts from the local region, the afternoon is free to explore the elegant ‘new’ town, with its pale limestone Baroque churches, palazzi, and broad piazzas which rise above the Sassi. Overnight Matera (B)

Day 9 | Friday 30 October
Taranto
This morning we drive to Taranto, once a major centre of Magna Graecia and today a historic gem among Puglia’s towns and cities. Here we visit the National Archaeological Museum whose collection of Greek and Roman antiquities, including many found in the local area, is considered one of the most important in Italy. After a break for lunch we return to our hotel in Matera, with time to relax before we meet for dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Matera (B, D)

Day 10 | Saturday 31 October
Venosa & Melfi
Departing Matera this morning we travel west to Vietri sul Mare, gateway to the Amalfi Coast. En route we stop in the unassuming town of Venosa, once the thriving Roman colony of Venusia and today domincated by a massive 15th-century Aragonese castle. Here we visit the archaeological remains of the ancient colony before making our way to the ruins of the Benedictine Abbey complex of Santissima Trinità, which comprises the old church dating back to the 8th century, monastic buildings and a newer church, begun in the late 11th century but never completed. After a break for lunch in the historic town, we continue to Melfi to visit its National Archaeological Museum, which contains artefacts from all periods of settlement, including the Daunian, Samnite, Lucanian and Roman periods. Arriving in Vietri Sul Mare in the late afternoon, we check in to our hotel, meeting again this evening for dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Vietri sul Mare (B, D)

Day 11 | Sunday 1 November
Paestum
After a talk in our hotel this morning, we make our way towards the region once known as Magna Graecia, a cluster of Greek cities along the coast of Southern Italy. En route we stop at Tenuta Vannulo, an organic farm producing the region’s famous handmade buffalo milk mozzarella. After a guided tour of the estate, we enjoy a light lunch and the chance to sample this local delicacy. In the early afternoon we continue to the archaeological site of Paestum, the best-preserved of the ancient Greek settlements in the region. Here we explore the three magnificent Doric temples on site, before visiting the excellent museum containing many important examples of pre-Roman culture, including the famed ‘Tomb of the Diver’, dating back to around 500 BCE. Returning to our hotel, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Vietri sul Mare (B, L)

Day 12 | Monday 2 November
Herculaneum & Oplontis
Departing Vietri sul Mare today, we travel to Naples, stopping at the site of Herculaneum – the wealthy Roman coastal ‘resort’ town whose large seafront houses, baths, shops and public buildings were buried under volcanic ash and pumice during the catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius in 79CE. Less well-known than the nearby town of Pompeii, it is a wonderfully well-preserved site, with mosaics, paintings and even wooden architecture and furniture still to be found in situ. In the afternoon we continue to Oplontis where we have a break for lunch before making our way to the archaeological site for a guided visit of 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 was decorated with stunning frescoes, preserved by the volcanic ash which buried the villa during the eruption. Continuing on to Naples, we have time to check into our hotel and relax before strolling to a local restaurant for dinner. Overnight Naples (B, D)

Day 13 | Tuesday 3 November
Pompeii
The famous eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79CE buried the flourishing market town of Pompeii under a thick carpet of volcanic ash. The speed at which the town was buried, and the fact that it lay largely undisturbed until excavations began in the mid-18th century, has meant that the site offers the visitor an exceptional array of structures, frescoes and artefacts. We spend the day exploring the site where Estelle has spent decades undertaking field work, followed by free time for individual exploration. We conclude our visit with the superb frescoes at the Villa of the Mysteries. Returning to the hotel the evening is at leisure. Overnight Naples (B)

Day 14 | Wednesday 4 November
Naples
Following a morning talk in our hotel, we embark on a walking tour through the historic centre of Naples. Our tour begins along the Spaccanapoli – the narrow main straight street that still follows the line of the ancient Greek city. As we move through piazzas and past churches and palaces, we consider the continuity of urban life here from antiquity to the present. We also visit the Museo Cappella San Severo, home to Giuseppe Sanmartino’s Veiled Christ, and the Pio Monte della Misericordia, where we find Caravaggio’s compelling Seven Acts of Mercy. After lunch at leisure in the historic centre, we walk to the National Archaeological Museum, where we explore outstanding material from Pompeii, Herculaneum and the wider region, together with the celebrated Farnese Collection – an extraordinary assemblage of Roman sculpture. In the late afternoon we return to our hotel. Overnight Naples (B)

Day 15 | Thursday 5 November
Certosa di San Martino & Capodimonte
We begin today at the 14th-century Certosa di San Martino – a monastery complex attached to the fortified Castel Sant’Elmo, dramatically positioned above the city on the Vomero hill. Since the 19th century, this former Carthusian monastery has been home to the Museo Nazionale di San Martino, showcasing Neapolitan art and cultural history. After time to explore the museum and enjoy the view from the terraces – among Naples’ most spectacular – there is time to wander the surrounding neighbourhood and enjoy lunch at leisure. We continue to the Capodimonte Museum in the afternoon, housed in the former grand Bourbon palace overlooking the bay. Here we find one of the best collections of Italian art from the 16th and 17th century, including major works by Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian and Botticelli. We return to our hotel in the later afternoon, gathering again in the evening for a farewell dinner on the waterfront. Overnight Naples (B, D)

Day 16 | Friday 6 November
Depart Naples - To Rome
The tour ends after breakfast this morning. There is a coach transfer to Rome’s Fiumicino airport for those on late afternoon flights. (B)