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)

This morning we travel through the iconic Tuscan landscape of the Val d’Orcia to Villa La Foce for a guided visit of its luxuriant gardens – created by writer Iris Origo and landscape- architect Cecil Pinsent – which draw together the rational ideals of the Italian Renaissance with the romantic ethos of English gardens. Origo’s attachment to the Val d’Orcia is not only evident in her literary accounts of the area during the rise of Italian fascism and World War II but also in the enormous efforts she made to transform the land from barrenness to abundance. From there we make our way to the hill town of Montepulciano to visit the serene Renaissance chapel of San Biagio, the Duomo and some of the town’s magnificent palazzi. Our tour of the town concludes with a tasting of some of Montepulciano’s celebrated wines in the soaring underground vaulted ceilings of Cantina de’ Ricci, whose vintages are cellared in ancient Etruscan caves. We then return to Cortona, where the evening is at leisure. Overnight Cortona (B, WT)

Today’s travels see us return to the UNESCO-inscribed Val d’Orcia, with its hauntingly beautiful landscape of dune-like hills, unfurling down to the foot of the majestic Mount Amiata, which straddles 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. We first visit Pienza, known as ‘the ideal Renaissance town’ as it was laid out precisely according to the 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. Our visit will provide an apt prelude to our gala dinner and first performance this evening at the Trasimeno Music Festival (schedules permitting). Overnight Cortona (B, L, D)

Performance I
Venue: To be announced
Program: To be announced

We depart Cortona this morning for Umbria, beginning our day by exploring Lake Trasimeno – Italy’s fourth largest lake – by boat. Described by Lord Byron as a “silver veil”, Trasimeno’s clear, calm waters are girdled with olive groves, vineyards, historic villages and castles. Our tour takes us to the pretty islands of Isola Polvese, a nature-lover’s paradise, and Isola Maggiore, beloved by Saint Francis of Assisi because of its other-worldly serenity. Throughout the 13th and 14th centuries the islands were settled by Franciscans and Olivetans, and the evocative remains of former monasteries, medieval churches, castles create a sense of spiritual peace. The shores of the lake are dotted with charming restaurants and cafes, and we will have free time to enjoy a lakeside lunch, with a chance to sample the freshly-caught lake-fish from Isola Maggiore – the only inhabited island in the lake. We continue our scenic journey to Perugia, our base for the next week, and this evening we take in our second performance at the Festival (schedules permitting). Overnight Perugia (B)

Performance II
Venue: To be announced
Program: To be announced

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. We devote our day to this charming city, beginning with an introductory tour of the historical centre to visit sights such as the Romanesque pink-and-white marble Fontana Maggiore and the beautiful and austere Gothic Cathedral San Lorenzo. After free time for lunch we will also visit the impressive and architecturally striking 15th-century Gothic Palazzo dei Priori, which is home to the National Gallery of Umbrian Art, and the Arte del Cambio – the moneychangers’ guild – one of the most influential guilds in Perugia in the 15th century. There is free time in the afternoon to enjoy the sights and sounds of the city before reconvening in the evening to attend another fabulous Trasimeno Music Festival concert in a historic venue (schedules permitting). Overnight Perugia (B)

Performance III
Venue: To be announced
Program: To be announced

We begin our day with a leisurely, scenic city walk, with time to drink in some of the beautiful views that Perugia affords, notably from the Porta Sole – the ‘Sun Gate’. This stunning vantage point at the top of the city was the site of the ancient Etruscan acropolis and was evocatively described by Dante Alighieri in Il Paradiso. Here we will visit the 15th-century Chapel of San Severo, which houses frescoes by Perugino and Raphael. We will also have time to explore the characterful ‘rione’, or neighbourhood, of the Porta Sant’Angelo, with its crenelated medieval gate located at the end of Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, the main street of Perugia’s historic district, and the remarkable 5th-century Church of St Michael the Arcangelo. After lunch together in a local restaurant, we will then enjoy a private visit to the 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. There is free time in the afternoon before we reconvene in the evening for another Trasimeno Music Festival concert, bringing the day to a rhapsodic close (schedules permitting). Overnight Perugia (B, L)

Performance IV
Venue: To be announced
Program: To be announced

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 the late afternoon, with an evening at leisure. Overnight Perugia (B)

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 sights, 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. Returning to our hotel, the afternoon is at leisure before attending another Trasimeno Music Festival concert this evening (schedules permitting). Overnight Perugia (B)

Performance V
Venue: To be announced
Program: To be announced

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 in the early afternoon, leaving time to relax before our final evening concert and farewell gala dinner at the Trasimeno Music Festival. Overnight Perugia (B, L, D)

Performance VI
Venue: To be announced
Program: To be announced

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, has a reputation for being one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. Spello’s centuries of rich 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. Departing Perugia for Spoleto today, we stop in Spello en route. Our in depth tour will include the enchanting Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, which houses the 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. We then continue to our base for the last four nights of our tour, the ravishing and culturally rich town of Spoleto. After settling into our hotel, we enjoy an aperitivo to finish the day. Overnight Spoleto (B)

Like many of the hill towns in Umbria, Spoleto began as a city-state of the ancient Italic people known as the Umbri, but it was subsequently 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, originally built by the Umbri. Here we will encounter centuries of Roman remains, including the theatre, forum, the honorary arch of Drusus Minor and Germanicus, and the atmospheric and remarkably well-preserved Casa Romana – speculated to have been the home of Vespasia Polla, mother of the Emperor Vespasian. After free time for lunch, we visit the town’s glorious Duomo, home to Filippo Lippi’s masterpiece and final work, Life and Death of the Virgin, created in 1469. This evening we plan to attend our first performance (schedules permitting) at the ‘Festival of Two Worlds’, Spoleto’s main feature since 1958. Overnight Spoleto (B)

Performance VII
Venue: To be announced
Program: To be announced

Just east of Spoleto, we encounter the green hills of Valnerina – a mountain landscape crossed by the Nera River, boasting spectacular backdrops, from the Plain of Castelluccio di Norcia to the Marmore Waterfalls. Home to Saint Benedict, patron saint of Europe, the mix of forests, steep hillsides and harsh cliff-faces have long attracted hermits and monastic orders seeking solitude for prayer and meditation, and we begin the day with a visit to the medieval castle-village of Vallo di Nera. After time to enjoy this fairy-tale like village, we continue to the small hill town of Sant’Anatolia di Narco where we’ll sample a traditional Umbrian lunch together in a local trattoria. We return to our hotel in the late afternoon, with the evening at leisure. Overnight Spoleto (B, L)

We begin our final day in Spoleto with a visit to the top of the town to explore the impressive Castle Rocca Albornoz, which has dominated the cityscape since the 14th century. Here we visit the Museum of the Duchy of Spoleto, whose exhibitions bear witness to the town’s multi-layered history. We then have time to wander to the nearby 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’. Our day will include a concert at the ‘Festival of Two Worlds’ (schedule permitting), and a farewell dinner of Umbrian cuisine in one of Spoleto’s top restaurants. Overnight Spoleto (B, D)

Performance VIII
Venue: To be announced
Program: To be announced

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