Tuesday                                         Pisa and Lucca

Climb the famous Torre Pendente (Leaning Tower) and explore the Duomo and Baptistery in the Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles).  Continue on to the charming town of Lucca for lunch and an afternoon of leisurely sightseeing in this medieval town built on Roman foundations.   

Wednesday                                      Cooking Class

The day of cooking starts with a visit to the local street market to select the day’s ingredients.  Your teacher will show you how to prepare a full traditional Italian meal, which will be eaten for dinner.

Thursday                                          Cinque Terre

Visit one of Italy's most beautiful areas--the Cinque Terre.  The Cinque Terre consists of five small towns at the southern end of the Italian Riviera.  Colorful buildings sit perched on rocky cliffs overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea.  Start at the southernmost town--Rio Maggiore.  After soaking in the sights, walk for 20 minutes on the Via dell' Amore to Manarola, a good spot to grab some lunch.  It's another 40 minutes to the train station just below Corniglia.  Tired feet can avoid the more strenuous hikes to the other towns by hopping on a bus up to Corniglia or a train to Vernazza (many visitors' favorite).  Eat dinner in the final town, Monterosso before heading back to the villa in the evening.

Friday                                   Medieval Italy—San Gimignano

Spend the morning in San Gimignano, a medieval stopover on the pilgrimage route to Rome.  Fourteen of the town’s original 76 towers survive and the Torre Grossa can be climbed for great views.  The Rocca (fort) dating from 1353 also offers stunning views over the Tuscan landscape.  Visit the Collegiata, a Romanesque church with a plain facade, but beautifully frescoed interior.  Explore San Gimignano’s other attractions, including civic, sacred art, Etruscan, torture and ornithological museums. 

Have lunch at a wonderful restaurant in the countryside, sampling different types of the proprietors' wines with each course.  Visit two vineyards, one large and one small.  Learn about wine making and taste the best products. 

Saturday                                    Renaissance Italy--Florence

Saturday morning move to Florence.  AST can reserve admission times to the Uffizi Gallery and the Galleria dell’Accademia, home of Michelangelo’s David and many other fine works from the Renaissance and Middle Ages.  Enjoy the sunset and the view over Florence from the Piazzale Michelangelo. 

Other possibilities for sight seeing include:

San Lorenzo, the Medici family’s parish church, including the Medici Chapel, which contains the family tombs, some of Michelangelo’s best work. 

Santa Maria Novella home of the newly restored frescoes of Masaccio, Ghirlandaio and Filippino Lippi. 

The Duomo--like its equivalent in Siena, Santa Maria del Fiore represents the work of a number of Italy’s greatest artists—Brunelleschi’s dome, Giotto’s campanile, and Ghiberti’s doors to the Baptistery.

The Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti, Mercato Centrale, the Bargello, Piazza Signoria, San Marco,  Orsanmichele, Fiesole for its views over Florence.

Sunday                                                Departure

Arrangements can be made for guests' plane, train or bus connections.