NORTHERN ITALY:
ALL-VERDI
Friday, October 16th through Monday, October 26th
For the ninth consecutive year, our fall Northern Italy Tour will focus on the thrilling Parma Verdi Festival, which is committed to a complete survey of the Verdi canon. This year’s return to Parma will be highlighted by Verdi’s lyric melodrama Rigoletto in the tiny Teatro Verdi opera house of Busseto (where he was born) and his rousing ‘early period’ Il Corsaro in Parma’s infamous Teatro Regio where the local ‘cognoscenti’ insist on the highest performance standards. The town’s friendly cafés and restaurants all serve the world-famous ‘prosciutto di Parma’ and ‘Parmigiano Reggiano cheese’. In honor of Italy’s undisputed operatic giant, a visit is planned to Verdi’s gracious home of Villa Sant’Agata in his hometown of Busseto. We are fortunate to have confirmed reservations for three nights at everyone’s first choice in Parma, the Stendhal Hotel.
Prior to Parma, our program will begin with three nights in Milan and a pair of Italian masterworks at La Scala. We will attend performances of Donizetti’s ‘bel canto’ comedy L’Elisir d’Amore and Verdi’s sumptuously orchestrated final work for the stage, Falstaff. Our accommodations will be at the Hotel de la Ville, our preferred hotel in Milan by virtue of its ideal location a few minutes walk from La Scala.
Between Milan and Parma, we will enjoy three nights in Venice at a perfect time of the year after the crush of summer tourists. Our long overdue return to Venice will include Mozart’s peerless German singspiel Die Zauberflöte in the exquisite Teatro La Fenice; and an evening of Baroque orchestral concerti by the Interpreti Veneziani in the Church of San Vidal. Our hotel is the Bonvecchiati, about five minutes walk from San Marco, which proved unanimously popular on our last visit.
The weather in October should be ideal for leisurely walks in each city center. We will travel by comfortable private coach (Milan – Venice – Parma) rather than cope with the chaos of commuter flights within Italy. Our leisurely and balanced itinerary of three nights in each city will enable you to enjoy Italy’s unparalleled cultural centers. Most importantly, our musical program of three operas by Verdi, one each by Donizetti and Mozart, and an Italian Baroque concert is even more rewarding than our past few years.
Accommodations in Milan for three nights with a generous European buffet breakfast included at the Hotel de la Ville, a deluxe property centrally located on the Piazza Fontana only a short walk from La Scala and the exclusive shops of the via Montenapoleone. The stunning Gothic spires of the Duomo are viewed from the hotel’s higher floors, and dining facilities include the Visconeo Bar and a fashionable restaurant appropriately named L’Opera. The premises also offer a fitness club and solarium roof terrace. We have chosen the Hotel de la Ville because of its unbeatable location near La Scala and the city’s major sights and museums.
Accommodations in Venice for three nights with buffet breakfast included at the four-star Bonvecchiati Hotel. This four-star property is centrally located in the Calle Goldoni, a few minutes walk from the Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge, and within comfortable walking distance of La Fenice opera house. The traditional Venetian rooms are in a historic palazzo which is well-known for its Terrace Restaurant serving excellent Italian menus with a wide variety of local wines. Our rooms are confirmed in the hotel’s upgraded deluxe category. Our former travelers have been impressed by the friendly personal service of the front desk.
Accommodations in Parma for three nights with buffet breakfast included at the four-star Stendhal Hotel, named for the city’s illustrious classical author. Because of its location within easy walking distance of the Teatro Regio, the Piazza Duomo and the Palazzo della Pilota (now home to several museums), the relatively small Stendhal is always our first choice when we visit Parma. The 62 rooms are classically furnished, and the restaurant La Pilotta offers an excellent breakfast. We are fortunate to have secured our reservations during the sought-after Festival period, as there are only a few hotels near the historic centre.
Price Per Person (based on Double Occupancy): $5,980
Price Per Person (based on Single Occupancy): $6,960