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Siena
Half Day Excursion
More than any other town,
Siena can claim to be the most typically Tuscan. The
town is completely made of a reddish brown stone and all
the narrow streets and steep alleys lead to the Piazzo
del Campo - central square.
 Throughout
the town you will find shops, cafes, museums and of course some
great places to enjoy unique pizzas and gelato. Siena is as beautiful
as Florence, and the historical center is as old and large as
Florence’s, and while Florence’s immediate surroundings
consist mainly of suburbs, Siena is surrounded by the beautiful
Chianti countryside. Legend has it that Siena owes its name to
Senio, the son of Romulus. It is certain that the Etruscans had
a settlement on the site which then passed under the control of
Rome. Siena became an important city in the medieval period, and
by the 1100s had trading links with much of Europe. In the Middle
Ages (12th– 14th C) Siena became a
republic and flourished on trade and banking. But dissention reigned.
Siena fought with the Florentines, who in 1230 catapulted dead
donkeys and excrement over its walls to start a plague. Rivalry
between Siena and Florence was bitter and the two cities were
almost always at war until Siena was incorporated into the Grand
Duchy of Tuscany in 1559.
The historical
centre is an extremely important area for the people of Siena as
this is where the Palio – a competitive horse race and festival -
takes place in August. Jockeys wear the colours of their region and
ride their horses right around the Piazza del Campo with thousands
of people watching from the centre cheering them on.
You can get a great view of
the entire city by climbing the tower in the central
part of town - 463 steps up to the top along a narrow
winding staircase.
Village of San Gimignano & Abbey of San Galgano
Picnic
Full Day Excursion
Recognized universally as one of
Tuscany’s wonders, San Gimignano is a a place of pure architecture
and exciting art. The arch entrance to San Gimignano is
the 13th century Porta di San Giovanni, a monumental
stone gate topped with a lookout tower. As you walk through you will
see splendidly preserved medieval buildings that line the narrow
streets.
 The
fifteen towers that still rise above San Gimignano’s skyline are
only part of the 72 towers that existed in the 1300s and bear
witness to the fierce internal fights between Guelph and Ghibelline
city elders. The city developed according to a characteristic
star-shaped plan along the ancient Via Francigena, and is surmounted
by the Rocco, or fortress erected in the fifteenth century. The
fortress’ original pentagon layout was partially dismantled in
1558 by Cosimo I of the Medici family.
The village is
also known for its rows of Gothic and Romanesque-arched public
fountains built into the city walls around 1100 AD and buildings and
chapels which are covered with 15th century frescoes.
For those
interested in the history and implements of Torture used in the
medieval period in the region, there are two incredible museums
housed in San Gimignano which you can visit.
Later in the
afternoon we will visit the Abbey of San Galgano and enjoy a picnic
there. The winding roads that take us to San Galgano are lined with
fields covered by huge sunflowers and is so picturesque!
The
San Galgano Monastery Ruins and the chapel date back to the 12th
Century and were dedicated to Galgano who became a hermit and took
up residence in a cave in this region. Legend has it that a voice
told him to climb the hill (where the chapel is located today) and
renounce his worldly pleasures. Galgano stated that doing so would
be as easy as using his sword to split rocks. To prove his point, he
thrust his sword at a stone, fully expecting the blade to snap. It
penetrated to the hilt and stuck fast - and is still in the chapel
today. Galgano never left the hill again.
After his death it is said that his
scalp continued to grow blond curls, and so the miraculous head was
placed inside chapel. As a result the crowds of pilgrims that
visited the area were so numerous that the Cistercian monks were
authorized to build another monastery named after the Saint - in
doing so, they built one of the most beautiful Gothic buildings of
Italy which is the abbey you will visit.
Visit
to The Exotic manufacturers of Lamborghini & Pagani sports cars
Half Day Excursion
 North of Florence are some of the most
unique manufacturers of Italian car design - so we
take the opportunity to visit two locations and learn about the
history of their design and how these cars are made.
Day on Island of Capri
Full Day Excursion
 Only 5 km across
the sea from Sorrento is this beautiful island with its mountainous
landscape, fascinating geological formations, quaint medieval
villages, amazing beaches and numerous grottos. Capri was a favourite place for Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius where they
spent much of their time in magnificent imperial villas.
To get to Capri we will take a ferry
across and explore the island for the day! Upon our arrival we will
embark on a tour of the many grottos around the island including the
Blue Grotto - a sunken cavern 20 m. below sea level and because of
its position there is no source of direct sunlight except for an
opening under the sea. This penetrating sunlight creates unusual
light effects where everything reflected has turquoise and silvery
tones. The boat enters through an opening at sea level and goes
through winding passages and tunnels often full of stalactites, and
here we can also see remains of a small Roman quay. It is believed
that the area was once a complex subterranean system that connected
Roman buildings above. On this tour you will also visit the Faraglioni – a series of geological rock formations for which Capri
is known!
Later we will take a cable car up to the
central square of Capri - “piazzetta”, and give you time to hike
around the island, shop, visit the ancient ruins and of course enjoy
the beaches and incredible scenery!
Naples (Napoli) & Hike up Mount Vesuvius
Full Day Excursion
 Our coach will take us to the base of
Mount Vesuvius but we will hike up the last 500m so bring good
walking shoes and lots of water. The winding trail up to the summit
will take about 1 hour. Once you arrive you will be able to walk
around the rim and peer into the empty hole of the volcano. Before
the massive eruption in 79 A.D. the area was a basin covered with
dense growth of vegetation and was used as a camp for rebel slaves
led by Spartacus in 73 BC – until thousands of Roman soldiers
attacked! As you look deep into the crater you begin to understand
the sheer force of the volcano that blew the basin and caused the
destruction of the ancient city Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 A.D. Steam still
escapes from the volcano today, although it is presently dormant!
After our morning
hike we will head to Naples and give you time to enjoy the city and
a great traditional lunch such as the Napolitano Pizza made with
tomatoes, garlic, basil and anchovies – you can hold the anchovies
if you wish!
Naples is situated in the Bay of Naples,
and is overshadowed by the imposing sight of Mount Vesuvius. Originally occupied by the Ancient Greeks and
called Palaepolis (old city), Neapolis (new city) later developed in
the surrounding areas. Naples’s early character was, as a result,
influenced by its Greek roots as well as by the Romans who later
settled there - evidence of which can still be found today. After
centuries of conquests and occupations, it finally became part of
Italy in 1860 and now is a major trading port.
Hadrian’s
Villa/Tivoli
Half Day Excursion
 One
of the most beautiful imperial villas built, Hadrian’s Villa,
in the 2nd century A.D, is situated outside of Rome in Tivoli
and was the holiday home of the Emperor Hadrian. The sheer size
of this villa is impressive! Hadrian loved to travel and much
of what you will see in this villa is based on monuments and buildings
he explored around the world. The Pantheon in Rome, which you
will have seen by the time we head out on this excursion, was
rebuilt by this very same emperor in this region. You will also
have the opportunity to explore Tivoli, the Baths of Tivoli and
Villa d’Este – a villa from the Renaissance, housed with
numerous fountains and Italian gardens.
Paestum
Half Day Excursion
Our
journey will take us along the coast from Sorrento to our first
destination- Paestum - , a site with 3 incredibly preserved Greek
Doric temples from the 7th century B.C. The city itself originally
called Poseidonia, in honour of the god of the sea, was famous all
over the Greek world and was often cited in Greek mythology.The city
became known as Paestum once it was taken over by the Romans in the
3rd century B.C.
 Paestum
served a very important strategic and commercial role for many
centuries due to its geographical position near waterways and
fertile lands enabling a culutally and artistically rich society to
develop. Its temples were models for many of the subsequent temples
built in other parts of the world.
Between the 13th and 16th centuries little was mentioned or known
about Paestum. Its "rediscovery" can be attributed to poets and
writers of the 16th and 17th centuries who referred to the "lost"
site in many of their works. These references lead may well known
artists and writers of the 18th century to visit Paestum and
experience its incredible history and beauty while on their Grand
Tour of Europe.
We
continue our journey south to the area of Palinuro passing
significant towns along the way which where once key trading ports.
We will board a boat for a tour of the Tyrrhenian coast line, an
area known for its natural caves at sea level, inside which light is
relfected in beautiful blue hues. And of course you will have time
to relax on the white sandy beaches and and swim in the clear water
bays along the Tyrrhenian coast for which this region is famous.
Saturnia Hot Springs
Half Day Excursion
The
village of Saturnia has been known for its natural hot water
springs and Roman Baths for centuries. In fact, the the
Etruscans documented this area in their tales approximately 2800
years ago. The region of Tuscany is well known for such springs
resulting from intense volcanic activity and you will have the
chance to soak in one!
The
Saturnia springs' flowing waters have created gorges and ravines
which meander across the country side and through towns.
The warm waters which flow from the springs in Saturnia end in a
beautiful waterfall with pools of water cascading down crater
like formations. Steam rises to the surface at the bottom
of the pools of the waterfall making the area seem mystical. We
take the afternoon to visit the town and experience the
warm waters in an area once enjoyed by the Ancient Romans -
don't forget your bathing suits!
Our programs are enhanced by
additional excursions which go beyond the focus of the course
and give students the option to explore areas outside of the
region in which our programs are located, in a supervised
environment with private coaches and guides. Schedules and costs of these excursions are
provided to students in March.
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