Rome and Classical Italy

Rome and Classical Italy

- Flights from London or Manchester to Rome
- All UK & Italian airport taxes & charges
- Return airport/hotel transfers
- 7 nights at the 4 star Hotel dei Duchi, Spoleto
- 7 breakfasts, 1 lunch & 6 dinners
- Day excursion to Orvieto, Citte Della Pieve & Castiglione on the shores of Lake Trasimeno
- Day excursion to Assisi and Perugia
- Half day excursion to Bevagna & Montefalco
- Full day excursion to Rome with guide

DAY 1 -
Flights depart from London or Manchester to Rome where you will be met by our local Pumpkin Tours representative for the transfer to Spoleto and your hotel

DAY 2 -
Breakfast followed by a day excursion to Assisi and Perugia.
Assisi is an exceptionally well-preserved medieval town, known primarily as the birthplace of St. Francis (1182-1226 AD), the town has been a sacred place since long before the Franciscan era. Little is known regarding the original founding of the town, one legend tells that the ancient town called Assisium, came into existence around a holy spring that was later venerated by the Etruscans (9th - 5th centuries BC) and, following them, by the Romans. Another legend tells that the town was begun by Dardanus 865 years before the founding of Rome (April 21, 753 BC). Sometime in the 1st century BC a temple of Minerva, the Roman goddess of art, handicrafts and the professions, was constructed at the sacred spring. During the early Christian era the sanctuary of Minerva was destroyed, a series of churches were erected at the site, and the sacred spring stopped flowing. Subject to the dukes of Spoleto in the early Middle Ages, the town of Assisi became an independent commune in the 12th century and was involved in disputes and battles with nearby Perugia before passing to the Papal states. It became part of the Italian kingdom in 1860.

Perugia dominates the Tiber Valley from a high, irregular and rough hill: the particular feature of the land has generated a wide variety of urbanistic situations, giving the town a very special aspect. The rich artistic and cultural patrimony and the natural environment make Perugia an unique city of major importance, and this from the beginning of its history.
Perugia lies on a hill inhabited ever since the prehistoric times; it was first a settlement of the Umbrians, then it passed under the rule of the Etruscans, becoming one of the most important cities in the High Tiber Valley.

DAY 3 -
The day is at leisure in Spoleto, an attractive destination all-year-round, a peaceful hilltown with a fine cathedral, interesting sights and pleasant walks. A good place to begin your tour of Spoleto is at the Tourist Information Office in Piazza della Liberta (either walk uphill, or take a bus from the station). Here you can pick up a town plan. The Duomo is one of Spoleto's finest sights. Begun in the twelfth century, the delicate-looking cathedral is set against a backdrop of hills and valleys. The Duomo is an amalgam of styles, and boasts an apse frescoed by Fra Filippo Lippi, whose tomb lies in the church. The town's Pinacoteca, or art museum, occupies part of the city hall, and contains works by Umbrian masters including Perugino. Spoleto's Roman ruins include a Roman theatre, just off Piazza della Liberta. An archeological museum next door houses statues and artefacts found locally. There are also two Roman arches visible, the Arco Romano and the Arco di Druso, and a Casa Romana or Roman house - an atmospheric spot with attractive mosaics. High above the town is the Rocca, a Papal fortress which was used as a prison until the 1980s. Guided tours (Italian and English) escort visitors around the fortress. The views are incredible, and the interiors are also interesting. There are some good surviving frescoes (sadly most were whitewashed out of existence during the prison era), including one that portrays Arthurian-type chivalric myth. As well as original and restored features, you can also see where the former cells were, if you fancy a twinge of horror (although, given the setting, the views and the local cuisine, this surely can't have been the worst prison in which to be incarcerated). By taking a left before you reach the Rocca, you find yourself on a panoramic walk which encircles the summit. The pastoral views are complemented by modern sculptures to make the stroll more varied. After a few minutes you reach a steep wooded gorge. A massive bridge spans the chasm, the Ponte delle Torri. Built in the fourteenth century, and defended by towers (hence the name), this functioned as both a bridge and aqueduct; apparently a route led directly up to the Rocca to allow for quick escapes over the gorge in times of siege. Continuing along the path, some benches and a bar allow for a refreshment break, before you arrive back where you started. Alternatively, some a couple of longer walks (signposted) start from the other side of the bridge.

DAY 4 -
Breakfast followed by a day excursion to Orvieto, Citte Della Pieve and Castiglione on the shores of Lake Trasimeno
Orvieto - Umbria's grand hill town, while no secret, is worth a good half-day of sightseeing with three popular claims to fame (cathedral, Classico wine, and ceramics). The town sits majestically on a big hill made of volcanic tufa rock. Streets are lined with exhaust-stained buildings again made from the volcanic rock. Orvieto's Duomo (cathedral) has one of Italy's liveliest facade (from 1330), thanks to architect Lorenzo Maitani and many others, a gleaming mass of mosaics, stained glass, and sculpture. Such a miraculous relic required a magnificent church, to the right of the altar, the Chapel of St. Brizio features Luca Signorelli's brilliantly-lit frescoes of the Apocalypse (1499-1502). Step into the room and you're surrounded by vivid scenes of damnation and salvation, Orvieto's artistic must-see sight, only 25 people are allowed in the chapel at a time.

Citte Della Pieve - A splendid medieval town, in the shape of an eagle. This is Città della Pieve, just a few kilometers from Perugia, and inhabited since the time of the Etruscans. In the center of the town, great part of which is enclosed within a thick defence wall, lies the cathedral dedicated to Saints Gervasio and Protasio. This is the church or "Pieve" after which the town was named. It is inside Citta della Pieve's various houses of worship that the works of two great local artists can be seen - artists known by the names of Perugino and Pomarancio. In the oratory of Santa Maria dei Bianchi there is a splendid fresco by Perugino, completed in 1504, in which the Adoration of the Magi is depicted, complete with backdrop of what, at that time, was a decidedly contemporary Città della Pieve. The 14th century Castle is situated just a few steps away from the Church of San Francesco, now known as the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Fatima, in which to admire a stunning Pentecost by Pomerancio. Not to be missed: the 38meter high Torre del Pubblico, and the Churches of Santa Maria delle Mercede and of Sant'Agostino.

Lake Trasimeno & Castiglione del Lago - The lake and its surrounding lands were once part of the Etruscan domains. Remains of this civilisation are still visible today, particularly in the area around Castiglione del Lago. The area was later colonised by the Romans, who had a profound influence on the lake. With their extraordinary engineering skills, the Romans in fact built the first regulated outlet from the lake to control the water level and avoid flooding. But the clearest traces of past civilisations that remain to us today are from the Middle Ages, when a series of castles and fortified towns sprang up in the surrounding hills. Passignano, Monte del Lago and Castiglione del Lago have all remained virtually intact through the centuries. The remains of two castles survive on the Polvese and Maggiore islands. The manor of Castiglione del Lago is in better condition and is connected via a long covered walkway to the ducal palace of Ascanio della Cornia.

DAY 5 -
After breakfast you'll enjoy a full day excursion into Rome including a morning city tour taking in all of the major sights and attractions including; the Pantheon, Colosseum, Capitoline Hill, Piazza Navona, Victor Emanuel Monument, Trevi Fountain, Forum of Julius Caesar, Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. The afternoon is then at leisure before our transfer back to Spoleto in time to relax and freshen up before dinner.

DAY 6 -
The day is at leisure in Spoleto

DAY 7 -
Breakfast followed by a half day excursion to Bevagna & Montefalco with a visit to a local Olive Estate with tour and tasting
Bevagna - a charming and picturesque walled town and one of the most attractive towns in central Umbria and unusually it is not a hilltown, sitting in a shallow basin at the foot of the northern end of the Colli Martani, the mountainous backbone of the region. Bevagna is loaded with interesting and beautiful sights including Roman mosaics, the remains of a Roman theatre and of two Roman temples, and half a dozen good churches, most of them medieval, among which the frescoed Sant' Agostino, S. Domenico, S. Margherita; and above all, the great Romanesque churches of S. Michele and S. Silvestro that face each other across the square.

Montefalco - Often referred to as the "la ringhiera dell'Umbria" which is translated to mean "the balcony of Umbria". Montefalco is a majestic hilltown in central Umbria, which can be found on the eastern side of the Colli Martani around 7 km southeast of Bevagna, 11 km southwest of Foligno, and 9 km northwest of Trevi. To find your way up the hill to this ancient town you must first pass through a modern town located at the base of the hill. Once you arrive, you will step through the ancient walls of a very unique and charming countryside town that will take you back in time and have you walking around the village in the same footfalls of at least eight saints that called Montefalco their birthplace. The street of Montefalco slants up the hill about 50 meters and then opens up into the center of town, which is known as the Piazza del Comune or della Repubblica that translates to crowns the hill.

DAY 8 -
We depart Spoleto today and transfer to Rome Airport for return flights back to London & Manchester

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Rome and Classical Italy