TRASIMENO MUSIC FESTIVAL

The tour starts at 2.00pm on Monday 23 June, at Rome Fiumicino Airport for our group transfer to Cortona.

The tour ends after breakfast on Monday 7 July, followed by a group transfer to Rome Fiumicino Airport.

Our tour commences at Rome Fiumicino airport in the early afternoon, before we make our way by coach to the beautiful hilltop town of Cortona in the heart of Tuscany. After time to check in, we meet for a welcome drink in the hotel before enjoying a dinner of traditional Tuscan cuisine in a local restaurant. Overnight Cortona (D)

Soaring above Valdichiana Aretina in the rural heart of Tuscany, with tantalizing glimpses of Lake Trasimeno on the horizon, it immediately becomes apparent why Audrey Wells selected Cortona for her movie, Under the Tuscan Sun. In the 8th-century BCE, it was one of the important cities of the Etruscan League, and we begin the day with a walking tour of the town’s historic centre, taking in the Duomo, which rises on Etruscan-Roman walls, and the church of San Francesco, said to contain a piece of the Holy Cross. Our tour will weave together the town’s turbulent history as it was subsequently fought over and claimed by Romans, Goths, Ghibellines, the Florentine Medici and the House of Lorraine, all of whom left their mark. We also visit the Diocesan Museum, viewing devotional works by Fra Angelico, Pietro Lorenzetti and Luca Signorelli. We then stop for lunch in a traditional Tuscan restaurant set in an elegant 16th-century dining room, before ending the day with an optional visit to the new Etruscan Academy Museum, housing a vast collection of Etruscan artifacts and artworks. Overnight Cortona (B, L)

Our day begins with a drive through the UNESCO-inscribed Val d’Orcia, a hauntingly beautiful landscape of dune-like hills that unfurl down to the magnetic sight Mount Amiata on the boundary between Tuscany and Lazio. Rising on the hill crests are several medieval hamlets and hill towns which create a harmonious dialogue between landscape and architecture. Our tour will begin at Villa La Foce whose luxuriant gardens – created by the writer Iris Origo and the landscape-architect Cecil Pinsent – draw together the rational ideals of the Italian Renaissance with the romantic ethos of English gardens. We’ll also sample some of the writings of Iris Origo, including her classic account of the impact that World War II had on this Tuscan utopia. We then move on to Pienza – known as ‘the ideal Renaissance town’, as it was laid out according to new Renaissance principles on the orders of its most famous son, Enea Silvio Piccolomini, Pope Pius II. We have some free time to enjoy the historic ambience of the town before our lunch in a 15th-century ex-convent beside the Palazzo Piccolomini, with spectacular views across Tuscany from the restaurant’s terrace. We continue on to the picturesque village of Castelmuzio to visit the workshop of Bruce Kennedy, whose world-famous harpsichords are prized for their extraordinary sound and have graced some of the most prestigious concert halls in the world. We then return to Cortona, where the evening is at leisure. Overnight Cortona (B, L)

After a leisurely morning, with time to relax or to enjoy the shops and cafés of Cortona, we’ll check out of Villa Marsili and transfer to our hotel in Perugia. Described by Henry James as ‘the little city of the infinite view’, Perugia is not only the capital, but also the heart of Umbria with a history stretching back to the ancient Etruscan period. This seraphically beautiful city rises and dips across hazy hills and valleys, with expansive panoramas across the plains and mountains of the region. On arrival, we’ll enjoy an introductory walking tour of the historical centre to see sites such as the Romanesque pink-and-white marble Fontana Maggiore and the Gothic Cathedral San Lorenzo. We reconvene in the early evening for the opening night of the festival. The setting is Perugia’s Basilica of San Pietro – a splendid and historic abbey, richly arrayed with frescoes and magnificent devotional art. We’ll enjoy a Gala Dinner in the abbey’s serenely beautiful cloisters, where we’ll also have the opportunity to meet pianist and Festival Director Angela Hewitt and socialise with other music lovers. After dinner, Angela will play Bach’s Goldberg Variations in the glowing acoustic of the basilica church. Overnight Perugia (B, D)

Rising up the slopes of Mount Ingino in northern Umbria, Gubbio, known as the “City of Stone”, is a gracious labyrinth of medieval alleys and narrow streets, with a history that spans the ages. Once the capital of Umbria, the town still holds a series of bronze tablets written in the language of the ancient Umbri, who named their settlement Ikuvium. The town’s multi-layered history is written in its architectural monuments: from the imposing Roman theatre and the towering medieval Palazzo dei Consoli, to the Renaissance Ducal Palace and the precious Baroque oratory of the Misericordia. As well as these sites, our tour today will explore Gubbio’s influential and distinctive tradition of making ceramics and the colourful and popular Festa dei Ceri, one of the oldest street festivals in Italy. On return to Perugia in the afternoon there will be free time to rest and refresh before we depart for Magione. Situated on the shores of Lake Trasimeno, here the Castle of the Knights of Malta is the setting for this evening’s festival events. Following a pre-concert talk with the artists, Angela Hewitt will be joined by fellow pianists William Bracken and Carter Johnson for a programme of piano duets, including works by Mozart, Fanny Mendelssohn and George Gershwin. Overnight Perugia (B)

After a relaxed start to the day, we’ll visit the impressive and architecturally striking 15th-century Gothic Palazzo dei Priori in Perugia – home to the National Gallery of Umbria where we can enjoy works by Fra Angelico, Piero della Francesca, Perugino and Il Pinturicchio. The Palazzo also houses the Arte del Cambio – the moneychangers’ guild – one of the most influential guilds in 15th-century Perugia, who commissioned Perugino to fresco their magnificent hall. The results are an exquisite Renaissance jewel box. In the early evening, we return to Magione and the Castle of the Knights of Malta, the setting for this evening’s concert of chamber music. The programme features the critically acclaimed Finnish string quartet Meta4 and will include Schumann’s yearningly beautiful Quartet No. 1 in A minor – a work which he dedicated to his friend Mendelssohn, whose youthful and passionate Quartet in A minor will conclude the programme. Overnight Perugia (B)

Founded by the ancient Umbri, the Italic people of ancient Italy whose history predates the Etruscan civilisation (and after whom the region is named), the medieval town of Todi is a ruggedly handsome example of an Umbrian hill town, with sweeping views of the Tiber valley and the majestic Martani and Sibillini Mountains. We spend today exploring the town of Todi, whose concentric rings of walls reveal the different stages of its flourishing. We begin with the Temple of St Mary of Consolation, a Renaissance sanctuary-church and pilgrimage site which houses a ‘miraculous’ image of the Virgin. Our tour will also include the radiant Gothic church of San Fortunato, the Duomo and the civic buildings of the Piazza del Popolo – one of the finest examples of medieval urban planning in all of Italy. We then enjoy a lunch of traditional Umbrian dishes before returning to Perugia with the evening at leisure. Overnight Perugia (B, L)

Francis of Assisi was an Italian mystic, poet and Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans, and his birthplace will take on particular importance in 2025, a Catholic Jubilee year when pilgrims from across the world will come to venerate the saint’s tomb in the Basilica of San Francesco. Today’s visit to the town of Assisi will examine the creation of this majestic architectural structure, a sublime fusion of Roman and Gothic styles, as well as its world renowned frescoes – notably, the celebrated Life of St Francis attributed to Giotto and his workshop. We will also enjoy a walking tour around the labyrinthine streets with the option to visit the basilica of Saint Clare – paradigm of Umbrian Romanesque architecture. We return in good time before our evening at the Castle of the Knights of Malta, which will begin with a pre-concert talk by the artists. Angela Hewitt will play both piano and fortepiano and she will be joined by soprano Arianna Vendittelli, harpsichordist Maxim Emalyanychev and the period ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro in a programme combing keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti and Haydn, a cantata by Handel and a concerto for harpsichord and fortepiano by CPE Bach. Overnight Perugia (B)

We begin our day in the characterful ‘rione’ of the Porta Sant’Angelo, with its crenelated medieval gate and walls located at the end of Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, the main street of Perugia’s historic district. There, we’ll take in the remarkable 5th-century church of St Michael the Archangel, raised on the hill just above the old gateway and built when Perugia was still a Roman city. We’ll then enjoy a private visit to the nearby Brozzetti Atelier, one of the last workshops in Italy which continues the tradition of hand-loomed fabrics, housed in a luminous 13th-century Franciscan convent. After a break for lunch, we’ll reconvene for the festival’s events which will take place in the sumptuous 18th-century Pavone Theatre, looking splendid after its recent restoration. In the afternoon, Angela Hewitt joins the internationally acclaimed British novelist and screenwriter Ian McEwan in an evocation, through words and music, of Bach’s 200km walk from Arnstadt to hear the renowned organist Dietrich Buxtehude play in Lübeck. In the evening, cellist-composer Giovanni Sollima directs the ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro in a programme devoted to the eclectic history of Venice, with Baroque works by Vivaldi and Tartini, traditional music from the Mediterranean, and new compositions or re-compositions in Sollima’s unique style. Overnight Perugia (B)

We depart in the late morning for a boat cruise exploring Lake Trasimeno – Italy’s fourth largest lake. Described by Lord Byron as a “silver veil”, Trasimeno’s clear, calm waters are girdled with olive groves, vineyards, historic villages and castles. Throughout the 13th and 14th centuries the islands across the lake were settled by Franciscans and Olivetans, and the evocative remains of former monasteries, medieval churches and castles create a sense of spiritual peace. Our tour takes us to the only inhabited island on the lake, Isola Maggiore, beloved by Saint Francis of Assisi for its otherworldly serenity. In the afternoon, we’ll return to Perugia to relax before we take in the final concert of the Trasimeno Music Festival in the evening. Taking place in the highly atmospheric setting of Perugia’s San Francesco al Prato, the program will include Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, K453 and his concert aria “Ch’io mi scordi di te?” as well as Bach’s G minor Keyboard Concerto, BWV1058 and his Concerto for two keyboards, BWV1062. Joining Angela Hewitt will be pianist Carter Johnson, soprano Arianna Vendittelli and the Perugia Chamber Orchestra. Afterwards, we’ll enjoy the closing Gala Dinner in the nearby gardens of the Oratorio San Francesco dei Nobili. Overnight Perugia (B, D)

Departing Perugia for Spoleto today, we stop en route at the enchanting medieval town of Spello. Set in a bucolic landscape at the southern foot of Mount Subasio and forged from Subasio’s pink-hued stone, Spello is simply one of the most beautiful towns in the entire region. Centuries of history and culture will unfold as we explore its ancient Roman gateways, Roman villas and mosaics, and its maze of flower-filled medieval streets, stone houses and noble palazzi. Our day will include a visit to the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. Here, we’ll take in the exquisite 16th-century Baglioni Chapel, entirely frescoed by the outstanding Umbrian artist Il Pinturicchio, whose Biblical scenes play out against a verdant Umbrian landscape. There will also be time to visit the Villa dei Mosaici, which boasts ten rooms of beautiful Roman mosaic floors, and remains one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the century. After Spello, we will continue to our base for the last four nights of our tour: the ravishing and culturally rich town of Spoleto. Once settled into our hotel, we’ll enjoy dinner together in a local restaurant. Overnight Spoleto (B, D)

Like many of the hill towns in Umbria, Spoleto began as a city-state of the ancient Umbri before being conquered by the Romans, who named it Spoletium. Its strategic importance – perched on a steep hill guarding the southern approach to the Vale of Umbria – has resulted in these rich layers being still visible in the ancient city walls. Here we will encounter centuries of Roman remains and the atmospheric Casa Romana – speculated to have been the home of Vespasia Polla, mother of the Emperor Vespasian. At midday, we’ll attend our first performance at the Festival of Two Worlds, Spoleto’s main feature since 1958. In the gorgeous spaces of the 17th-century Caio Melisso Theatre, baritone Benjamin Appl and pianist James Baillieu perform lieder by Brahms, Schubert, Clara Schumann and Wolf. Following the concert, we’ll then visit Spoleto’s majestic Duomo, home to Filippo Lippi’s masterpiece and final work, the Life and Death of the Virgin, created in 1469. In the evening, Spoleto’s ancient Roman theatre is the atmospheric setting for a performing arts ‘spettacolo’, which reflects the festival’s ethos in drawing together Old and New Worlds. Music inspired by Mahler, interpreted by the Tyrolean ensemble Franui, provides the soundtrack for a dazzling display of acrobatics by the Australian contemporary circus company Circa. Overnight Spoleto (B)

We begin our day with a convivial visit to the home of distinguished artist (and Academy Travel tour leader) Neil Moore. Since 1988, Neil has made his home and studio in the historic borgo of Colle del Marchese and today he’ll recount the story of restoring his medieval tower-house. Neil will then accompany us on an excursion to the fortified medieval town of Montefalco, whose panoramic views have led to its nickname as ‘the Balcony of Umbria.’ Our tour will include a visit to the Church of San Francesco to see the captivating fresco cycle by Benozzo Gozzoli. Neil will bring his professional insights to these works, making connections between them and the famous Magi frescoes in Palazzo Medici-Riccardi in Florence. After a traditional Umbrian lunch with local wines, we’ll return to Spoleto in the mid-afternoon in time to freshen up before tonight’s festival concert in the Caio Melisso Theatre. In a program of cantatas and sonatas, Italian countertenor Raffaele Pe and his period ensemble La Lira di Orfeo mark the tercentenary of the death of ‘the Italian Orpheus’: Alessandro Scarlatti. Overnight Spoleto (B, L)

After a late start to the morning, we’ll attend the final concert of the tour at midday in the Teatro Caio Melisso. Featuring mezzo-soprano Lea Desandre and lutenist Thomas Dunford, this intimate recital of love songs and instrumental dances spans over three centuries of music – from Robert de Visée (lutenist to Louis XIV) to Offenbach, Debussy and Satie – and promises to leave us with enduring memories. After the concert, we’ll walk up to the top of the town to explore the impressive Castle Rocca Albornoz, which has dominated the cityscape since the 14th century. Here we’ll visit the Museum of the Duchy of Spoleto and wander along the Ponte delle Torri bridge, created from an ancient Roman aqueduct. This soaring limestone structure spans a deep ravine, from whose flanks we can enjoy the very same view which inspired St Francis to declare: ‘Never did I see anything more joyous than my Spoleto valley’. The swansong of our tour will be a farewell dinner of Umbrian cuisine in one of Spoleto’s top restaurants. Overnight Spoleto (B, D)

Our tour ends after breakfast this morning, followed by a private transfer to Rome Fiumicino airport. (B)