Venice

Day 1 | Wednesday 21 October
Arrive Venice
Flights arrive in Venice in the mid-afternoon. A transfer to the hotel by private water taxi will be arranged by Academy Travel. After time to check in and freshen up, we take an orientation stroll of the district around our hotel followed by an early, light dinner in a local restaurant.
Overnight Venice (D)

Day 2 | Thursday 22 October
San Marco & the Trading Empire
Our time in this extraordinary city begins with a walking tour taking us to the Castello district via the church of San Zaccaria, where we view the beautiful altarpiece by Giovanni Bellini. Dominated by the historic Arsenale, once the centre of the shipping industry which supported Venice’s trading empire, the Castello district has been home to Venice’s Adriatic and Greek communities for centuries. These communities helped maintain Venice’s stranglehold on the Eastern Mediterranean, leaving important monuments to their status in the city, including the only cycle of Carpaccio paintings still in situ. At the icon museum of San Giorgio dei Greci, we admire the significant collection of works created by Venetian, Cretan and Cypriot artists. We then pass the serene 15th-century brick church of San Giovanni, which set the tone for a young Antonio Vivaldi who was baptised here, as we make our way to the Metropole Hotel. Today a stylish retreat, the hotel was once a former chapel where Vivaldi taught music to orphaned girls who performed in the adjacent Church of Santa Maria della Pietà. We conclude our tour at the Porta dei Leoni, the main entrance to Venice’s historic shipyard, the Arsenale. Built in 1460, it stands as one of the earliest examples of Renaissance architecture in Venice, inspired by ancient Roman triumphal arches. The remiander of the afternoon is then at leisure. Overnight Venice (B)

Day 3 | Friday 23 October
Venice & the Lagoon
To understand Venice is to understand the geography of the lagoon itself and how the region was shaped from its earliest days. This morning we take a local ferry to the peaceful island of Torcello. The most ancient settlement within the Venetian lagoon and once the main city of the region, Torcello was eclipsed by nearby Venice in the 13th century. Our visit here includes the ancient basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, founded in 639 and considered one of the most important sites of medieval Italy thanks to the extraordinary 12th-century mosaics which grace its interior. After lunch in a charming restaurant on the island, we cross to the colourful island of Burano, a vibrant working community supported by its fishing fleet and renowned for its lacemaking traditions. Returning to our hotel in the afternoon, there is time to relax before we gather again for an evening talk. Overnight Venice (B, L)

Day 4 | Saturday 24 October
Venice & The East
Today we travel to Ravenna, capital city of the Western Roman Empire following the sacking of Rome and then seat of the Byzantine government in Italy from the 5th to the 8th centuries. Here we can see Roman architectural forms blended with earlier examples of the extravagantly beautiful gold-ground Byzantine mosaics which will illuminate Venice’s San Marco centuries later. Joining our coach at Tronchetto we stop en route at the Abbey of Pomposa, an imposing Romanesque structure with a massive campanile and stunning frescoed interiors. Arriving in Ravenna we have a break for lunch before a full afternoon enjoying the city’s extraordinarily rich historic, architectural and artistic legacy including the UNESCO World-Heritage listed mausoleum of Galla Placidia and the churches of Sant’Apollinare in Classe, San Vitale, and Sant’Apollinare Nuovo. Returning to our hotel this evening, there is time to freshen up before we enjoy a light dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Venice (B, D)

Day 5 | Sunday 25 October
State-Sponsored Art | Private Tour of Saint Marks
After a relaxed start to the morning, we make our way to Santa Maria Formosa in the Castello district, the site of the first church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, built in the 7th century. We then continue to Santi Giovanni e Paolo where we visit the tombs of Venice’s doges and admire Verrocchio’s magnificent equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni. After a break for lunch we make our way to the Doge’s Palace for a guided tour. The palace, whose layout reflects the complex structure of the Venetian government itself, is decorated with large canvases by Tintoretto, Veronese and others. There is also the option of visiting the Museo Correr, whose collection reflects the culture, history and art of Venice and includes a number of significant works by Bellini, Antonello da Messina and Canova. This evening we enjoy what is undoubtedly a highlight of the tour, an exclusive after-hours private viewing of Saint Mark’s Basilica without the crowds. Here, the richness of the basilica’s gold-encrusted interior, an area of around 8,000 square metres of glittering mosaics, is spectacularly illuminated just for us. Overnight Venice (B)

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