Wonders Of Emilia Romagna

DAY 1 - BOLOGNA
Arrival at the airport of Bologna. Meet with your Tour Manager that will assist you for the whole journey. A private transfer will take us to our Hotel in the centre of Bologna Before dinner, we will be delighted by a traditional Italian aperitif. Overnight stay.

DAY 2 - BOLOGNA
After breakfast, we will discover the history of Bologna: In the Middle Ages it was an important Free Commune city which opposed Frederick Barbarossa until, thanks to the peace of Constance in 1183, it lived its moment of splendour accompanied by a significant building expansion and the birth of the so-called “Case Torri” (Tower Houses). The flourishing economy favoured an increase in population so that Bologna Italy became the fifth most populous city in Europe. Old prints show Bologna as a forest of towers (they numbered more than a hundred!). The Garisenda and the Asinelli Tower, the best known of the 17 surviving ones, are the symbol of the city and have stood firm since the 12th century, in spite of their characteristic inclination. The Asinelli Tower, the highest leaning tower in Italy, reaches 90 metres, but it is the Garisenda which leans more; incomplete and 48 metres high (before the top was removed it measured 60 metres), it was so well known that even Dante Alighieri mentioned it in his Divine Comedy. The other celebrated feature of the city is its porticos: about 38 kilometres under cover which make a picture-frame for all the old town centre. They were created in the late Middle Ages, when the city had expanded and a way was needed to widen the spaces for housing without taking up the street area. Back to the Hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 3 - PARMA
After breakfast, we will reach the city centre of Parma for a guided tour: we visit the religious centre of Parma, unusual in that it is one of the few
remaining discrete groupings of religious buildings in Italian cities. The piazza mirrors the temple layout from Roman times, and contains the duomo, with its fabulous frescoed cupola by local artist Correggio, and the octagonal baptistery as well as a monastery and religious administration buildings. The afternoon is free for you to explore the sophisticated shopping streets of the city or perhaps wander along the river and through the Parco Ducale. In the afternoon back to the Hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 4 - TORRECHIARA AND PARMA
After breakfast, we drive towards the Castle of Torrechiara through the agricultural Landscape: that is the heartland of Parma ham and Parmesan cheese. The castle was built as a love nest rather than a defensive structure and is set in an exquisitely beautiful landscape among rolling hills. We will reach the Parmesan Museum and at the end of the visit, an amazing lunch with ham and parmesan will delight us. In the afternoon we visit the magnificent Palazzo Pilotta, a ducal palace and administrative centre that now houses an art gallery and archaeological displays as well as the Teatro Farnese, a fascinating wooden theatre that was originally built in 1618. Back to the Hotel.Overnight stay.

DAY 5 - MODENA
After breakfast, we drive to Modena. The first stop will be the visit of a balsamic vinegar producer with a particular tasting. We continue our journey and we reach the town of Modena: Its medieval city center is among the most lovely in Italy, and its 12th-century duomo, or cathedral, is one of Italy’s best Romanesque churches. The cathedral, its Gothic bell tower called Torre della Ghirlandina, and Piazza Grande, the main square where these monuments are found make up a UNESCO World Heritage site. Modena is the hometown of the late tenor Luciano Pavarotti and legendary carmaker Enzo Ferrari. The area is also known around the world for its balsamic vinegar and cheese production. Typical lunch in a fancy trattoria. Back to the Hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 6 - FERRARA
After breakfast, we move towards Ferrara, home of the notorious d’Este family. We’ll visit the moated castle, explore the dungeons, call in to the Palazzo Schifanoia to see its frescoed murals and wander through the medieval centre of the city. In the afternoon, before going back to our Hotel, we will stop to a local farm for a cheese tasting. handmade salami and good wine. The farmer will lead us to discover how a healthy and genuine cheese is born from the grass of the fields to the cheese making. Overnight stay.

DAY 7 - RAVENNA
After breakfast, we drive towards the town of Ravenna. Ravenna is an elegant town in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy; not far from the Adriatic coast. It is most famous for its fabulous early Christian and Byzantine mosaics, which date back to the time when Ravenna was the capital of the Western Empire, then under Ostrogoth and Byzantine rule. The town’s greatest mosaics have been given UNESCO World Heritage status. Ravenna became a fertile art studio for skilled craftsmen, who covered the city’s terracotta brick churches in heart-rendingly beautiful mosaics. In the late afternoon back to the Hotel Farewell dinner. Overnight stay.

DAY 8 - DEPARTURE
After breakfast, we will reach the airport in Bologna. Departure and end of all services.