14 Days Luxury Italian Opera Houses Tour Trip summary: Day 1 Departure for Milan Day 2 arrival in Milan, visit Duomo Cathedral, performance at La Scala Day 3 visit Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, The Last Supper painting Day 4 departure for Verona, visit Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore, performance at Arena di Verona. Day 5 departure for Venice, gondola ride in Venice. Day 6 visit Piazza San Marco and Basilica di San Marco, performance at Teatro La Fenice Day 7 departure for Parma, performance at Teatro Regio Day 8 visit the Duomo and Baptistery Day 9 departure for Florence, visit Ponte Vecchio, performance at Teatro Comunale Day 10 visit Duomo, Baptistery, Giotto s Bell Day 11 departure for Rome, visit Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and Parthenon, performance at Teatro dell Opera Day 12 visit Vatican Day 13 performance at Teatro San Carlo, Naples. Day 14 - return to Rome and depart for the US.
Detailed description: Day 2 arrival in Milan. Visit the Duomo Cathedral. Duomo is without doubt the most representative building of the capital of Lombardy. It is located in the square of Duomo, 11,700 square meters, two steps away from the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. Its majesty has allowed Duomo to get in the top-five list of the most impressive basilicas in Europe. Evening watch the performance of Rigoletto, by G. Verdi at teatro La Scala. Teatro alla Scala was inaugurated on 3 August 1778. It is the most famous opera house in the world, the temple of bel canto. Most of Italy's greatest operatic artists, and many of the finest singers from around the world, have appeared at La Scala during the past 200 years. Its acoustics are said to be perfect. Statues of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi preside over the neoclassical foyer. The auditorium holds some 2,000 people in four tiers of boxes and two balconies. The theatre is regarded as one of the leading opera and ballet theatres in the world and is home to the La Scala Theatre Chorus, Ballet and Orchestra. The theatre also has an associate school, known as the La Scala Theatre Academy, which offers professional training in music, dance, stage craft and stage management. The Scala Museum, one of the best of its kind, abounds in mementos of the theater's past: costumes, capes, masks, and photos belonging to many opera stars. Day 3 visit Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. The gallerie is one of the luxury shopping centers for the inhabitants of Milan. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele is a covered walkway that joins the Duomo to La Scala in a style typical for the architecture of the second half of nineteenth century. Within this gallery, a true gem at architectural level, there are many shops and famous cafes, in addition to the octagon, the real center of the attraction.
Afternoon visit the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. The magnificient church is a must-see point in your tour. "The Last Supper" by Leonardo Da Vinci, the work most ambiguous and most studied in the art history is located in the refectory of the Dominican convent. The church and "The last supper" were considered assets protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Day 4 departure for Verona. Afternoon visit Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore. This beautiful church dates back to the 4th century, although most of the current building was constructed between the 10th and 12th centuries. The bronze door shows 48 elaborately-carved panels of scenes from the Bible, dating back to the 11th century. Evening - watch the performance of Turandot by G. Puccini at Arena di Verona. Built in 30 A.D., Verona s arena originally served as a kind of Colosseum. Here was where gladiators fought to the death before the eyes of 30,000 spectators. From 1913, the arena has served a new purpose - as the stage for opera performances. Today, the Arena is one of the best places to see outdoor opera in the world. It is not only because it s distinctive. It s mainly because of the acoustics. The Arena has unique, excellent acoustics difficult to find in any other outdoor stage. Day 5 departure for Venice. Afternoon Gondola ride. The gondola has become, for millions of tourists, the symbol of Venice itself. Taking a gondola ride is a unique experience. The gondolier will take you to places where time seems to have stopped. You can also see the channels off the beaten path to savor the real Venice. Day 6 visit Piazza San Marco and Basilica di San Marco. Piazza San Marco It is considered the showcase of Venice and one of the architectural wonders in the world. Piazza San Marco is the result of the merger of the Byzantine art with Gothic and Renaissance styles. On the eastern side of the square stands in its entire splendor the Basilica of San Marco. Inside, you will have the opportunity to admire
more than 4200 square meters of mosaics, carried out over 600 years ago. Those appear to be the most beautiful are certainly the oldest. Evening - watch the performance of La Traviata by G. Verdi at Teatro La Fenice. The Theater, one of the largest in Italy, was built in 1790. In the course of the nineteenth century, it was home to many first performances of operas of famous authors as Rossini, Bellini and Verdi. Day 7 departure for Parma. Afternoon at leisure. Evening - watch the performance of Aida by G. Verdi at Teatro Regio. Located in the heart of Parma, the Teatro Regio is one of the most prestigious lyric theatres in Italy. The theatre gained royal status because it was commissioned by the daughter of the Emperor of Austria and second wife of Napoleon I, Marie Louise Habsburg. In 1816, the Congress of Vienna granted her the grand duchy of Parma. The Duchess fell in love with Parma and the construction of the opera house helped transform it into one of Europe s leading cities. Day 8 visit the Duomo and Battistero. The Duomo is an attractive cathedral, in the Lombard-Romanesque style. The dome is filled with a famous sixteenth-century fresco by local artist known as Correggio, whose work will become a feature of any visit to Parma. Other highlights of the interior include a marble relief of the Deposition, and some lovely fifteenthcentury frescoes in the left-hand side-chapels. Battistero is a striking and memorable building; an octagon constructed with pink Verona marble and decorated with fine medieval carvings. It is worth walking around the exterior to admire the sculptures around the building's four portals. Inside, colorful frescoes decorate the domed interior.
Day 9 departure for Florence. Afternoon visit Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge). The most beautiful bridge in Florence is one of the most photographed bridges in the world, but it has not always been a place chic. Even today, there are the workshops of goldsmiths to attract millions of tourists, while until 1565 there had been the workshops of farmers and butchers to dominate the bridge. This is the place to shop expensive, high-brand goods. Evening - watch the performance of Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti at Teatro Comunale. The Teatro Comunale di Firenze was originally built as the open-air amphitheatre, inaugurated in 1862 which seated 6,000 people. It became the focus on cultural life in the city. After being rebuilt, in 1961 the theatre re-opened with 2,000 seats shaped an auditorium consisting of a large orchestra section, one tier of boxes, and two wide semicircular galleries. Day 10 visit Duomo, Baptistery, Giotto s Bell. The Battistero is one of the oldest buildings in Florence and it has been there since the IV century with its marvelous doors and a true Bible for images. The Duomo, with its facade in white and green marble, captures the gaze of many people. In no other part of the world is there a complex of buildings so extraordinary. You are in the heart of Florence, in front of Santa Maria del Fiore the so called Duomo. Day 11 departure for Rome. Visit Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and Panthenon.
Evening - watch the performance of Tosca by Puccini at Teatro dell Opera. Originally opened in 1880 as the 2,212 seat Costanzi Theatre, it has undergone several changes of name as well modifications and improvements. The present house seats 1,600. Day 12 visit Vatican. The most majestic architectural monument of the Renaissance is the indisputable cathedral of St. Peter, unrivalled to itself not only in size, but in the beauty of its art decoration as well. Having been built for more than two centuries, it incorporates the genius, talent and skills of bright renaissance personalities. Vatican Museums are one of the most visited European destinations and must be included in any trip to Europe. The Vatican Museums are home to the largest collection of antiquities in the world. They are arranged along 7km of galleries and 11,000 rooms. Day 13 day at leisure. Evening - watch the performance of Norma by Bellini at Teatro San Carlo in Naples. It is one of the oldest continuously active venues for public opera in the world, opening in 1737. The opera has 1,414 seats. Given its size, structure and antiquity was the model for the following theatres in Europe. Day 14 return to Rome and depart for the US. You will receive description of the hotels and sites to help you make the right choice. The hotels are 5*, breakfast included. Lunches and dinners could be arranged in restaurants at your choice. Transportation is rental car or private car with a driver. For each country more useful travel information is enclosed in the package: emergency phones and addresses, weather, time difference, communications, money, electricity, travel phrases and much more. All itineraries are fully customized matching your requirements, preferences and interests.