central Italy: ancient streetscapes crammed onto hilltops, exquisitely undulating countryside of olive, cypress and vine, and an abundance of wonderful art. Rarely can the spirit of the Middle Ages be so potently felt as in the hill towns of central Italy. That such small communities could have built dwelling so massively, raised churches and public buildings of such magnificence and created works of art of such monumentality, inspires awe bordering on disbelief among today’s visitors. Many of the most important and beautiful of Italy’s incomparable patrimony of paintings and frescoes are included on this program.