April 28 - May 4, 2012
Day 1
Arrival in Venice
We'll await you in the garden of our home for the week, an elegantly restored palazzo hotel in the San Marco quarter, in the afternoon.
Settle in to your room, and if time allows, we'll enjoy an introductory walk in "our" neighborhood - with views nearly unchanged from Turner and Canaletto canvases of the 17th and 18th centuries. before an early evening string quartet concert at the exquisite Palazetto Bru Zane.
Dinner this evening at an atmospheric Venetian restaurant (included) - our introduction to the cuisine of this ancient seaside republic.
Day 2
Breakfast (aIl breakfasts are included)
Get acquainted stroll in the morning, then we'll view the expansive Grand Canal views from atop the tower of the Palladian Church of San Giorgio Maggiore
After an abundant lunch-with-a-view on the Giudeca Canal (included), take time to relax or explore on your own .
In the evening we'll enjoy a concert featuring the works of Faure, Gounod, and more in the richly decorated space of one of Venice's oldest religious confraternities, the Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista.
Day 3
Today we'll explore the lagoon islands, stopping in the colorful islet of Burano - a photo-op at every turn - and calm green Torcello, a now nearly uninhabited island that was the earliest center of civilization in the Venetian lagoon.
Dinner (included) this evening is at a warm and welcoming trattoria , a favorite of locals and travelers alike
Day 4
A day with Palladio - today we'll visit three of the villas designed by Renaissance Architect Andrea Palladio: Villa Foscari (also known as La Malcontenta) beside the Brenta Canal, Villa Cornaro/Gable, said to be the first model Jefferson used for Monticello, and Villa Barbaro, with its exquisite Veronese frescoes.
We'll stop in the enchanting hilltop village of Asolo for lunch in a local restaurant where we will enjoy delicious regional cuisine and local wines.
We'll return in time for a pre-concert dinner (included), then Interpreti Veneziani will entertain us with the music of Venice's own Vivaldi in the vaulted nave of Chiesa San Vidal, resplendent with centuries-old art, including a vivid Carpaccio over the altar.
Day 5
We'll spend this morning in the Gallerie dell'Accademia, with its unsurpassed collection of Venetian Renaissance art, then stop for lunch (included) at a renowned trattoria in the Dorsoduro district.
I n the early evening, we'll depart for the Palazzetto Bru Zane, gliding through the canals to arrive at the Palazzetto's water gate in time for a private tour before an evening concert of cello and piano works, after which we'll enjoy dinner (included)
Day 6
Today we'll share some of our favorite hidden corners of Venice, stopping to visit artisans who continue to pass on the ancient crafts of the city, and enjoying lunch at a typically Venetian bistro.
We'll toast " La Serenissima" together at our final dinner (included)
Day 7
Breakfast, then arrivederci to new-found friends before departing on your journey homeward.
*Schedule to be determined sixty days prior to tour
The concerts in Venice are presented at various venues of great historical importance, enabling festivalgoers to appreciate the interiors and the acoustics of some of the most precious and evocative buildings in this splendid city. As well as the intimate salon of the Palazzetto Bru Zane, the Teatro La Fenice, the Scuola Grande di San Rocco and Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista, the Conservatorio di musica Benedetto Marcello and the Basilica dei Frari will all serve as venues for festival events.
costs and what's included?