Arrive to Marco Polo Airport and transfer to the Hotel Splendid by water taxi. 
    
3:30pm Get off the beaten track and explore the backstreets of Venice visiting the campi e chiese of the Castello neighborhood, including San Zaccaria with its magical altarpiece by Giovanni Bellini, Carpaccio’s Saint George cycle at the Scuola of the Dalmati and the Campo of San Giovanni and Paolo.

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6:00 pm Gather with fellow travelers for a welcome aperitivo and dinner at the Hotel Splendid. 

(Reception, Dinner)

8:30am Explore the fascinating lagoon on this unusual day, which focuses on history, science, and artisans. Join marine scientist Luca Zaggia who will explain Venice’s ecosystem, environmental issues and history. Our day will include visits to some of the smaller islands and places that are inaccessible except by private boat, including the Arsenale, once the ship building plant of the Venetian Republic. Travel through the salt marshes of the Bacan area before heading north to the enchanting island of Torcello. Explore its 11th-century church and travel back in time to the beginnings of the formation of Venice.

1:00pm Enjoy lunch at Ponte del Diavolo, a local restaurant specializing in Venetian lagoon delicacies.

In the afternoon, visit the little-known island of San Francesco del Deserto, where Franciscan friars will lead us on a tour of the peaceful monastery and its enchanting gardens. Lastly, stop at the lovely fishing village of Burano, one of the most photogenic places in all of Italy. Return to Venice in the late afternoon around 6:00 pm. Free for dinner on your own

(Breakfast, Reception, and Lunch)

 8:45am Depart the Hotel Splendid by boat and transfer to a private coach to Vicenza. Visit the world-famous Villa Capra Valmarana, better known as “La Rotonda,” which epitomizes Palladio’s architectural style and is the most famous of his villas. Count Niccoló Valmarana will welcome and lead us on an exclusive visit of one of the most influential buildings in history. 

11:30am Walk through a wooded path up to the Villa ai Nani (villa of the dwarves), a 17th–century villa filled with masterpieces by Giambattista Tiepolo.

1:00pm Enjoy a festive lunch hosted by Countess Carolina Valmarana.

3:30pm This afternoon transfer to Vicenza and visit the major monuments by Andrea Palladio, including La Basilica and Teatro Olimpico. 

6:00 pm Arrive in romantic Verona and check into the Hotel Due Torri, in the heart of Verona

Free for dinner on your own

(Breakfast, Reception, Lunch)

8:15am Travel to Padova, a centuries-old university town in 

the heart of the Veneto. The main event will be a 

special visit to the Scrovegni Chapel, decorated by the father of Renaissance painting, Giotto. Following the visit stroll to the center of Padua and explore the streets and lively piazzas of the town.

12:30pm Enjoy a lunch of local specialties at historic Caffè Pedrocchi. 

2:45pm Depart Padova and return to Verona 

7:00pm Enjoy a farewell aperitivo in the lobby of the elegant Due Torri Hotel.

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(Breakfast, Lunch, and Reception)

Kellin Nelson first came to Florence in 2002 as an undergraduate with New York University where she fell in love with Italy, its culture, and its art. In 2007, thanks to a fellowship from Syracuse University, she returned and completed her Masters in Renaissance Art History. After working for several museums in the Los Angeles area, in 2012 she moved back to Florence with her husband, fellow Syracuse graduate Professor Sean Nelson. 

8:45am Walk across the Rialto Bridge to the neighborhood of San Polo for an in-depth visit to the Basilica of Santa Maria Glorioso dei Frari, which boasts masterpieces by Titian, Bellini and Donatello. Segue to San Rocco, an unforgettable complex decorated as an act of piety by Jacopo Tintoretto. By special appointment, we will visit the Archivio dello Stato (the State Archives of Venice), where you will see historic manuscripts of the Serenissima Republic. 

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1:00pm Group lunch in a typical Venetian trattoria

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7:45pm Private Visit to San Marco - Enjoy a private, after-hours visit inside St. Mark’s Basilica. You will have the opportunity to wander slowly through this vast treasure chest of Byzantine and Western art. 

Free for dinner on your own.

(Breakfast and Lunch)
 

9:00am Visit the extraordinary painting collection at the Accademia Galleries to view works by Titian, Bellini, Giorgione, Veronese and Tintoretto. In the late morning enjoy a unique experience of exploring a squero, a gondola atelier, and learn about the art of gondola making.

Free afternoon  

6:30pm This evening depart by motor launch along the Grand Canal to the Palazzo Tiepolo Passi and enjoy a private dinner hosted by the Contessa Lelia Passi.

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(Breakfast, Reception, Dinner)

9:30am Wonderfully romantic, as you would expect of Romeo and Juliet's city, Verona is a fantasy land of noble palaces, quiet cloisters and ancient streets. Stroll through two of the city's most animated squares, Piazza dei Signori and Piazza delle Erbe; and Casa di Giulietta, the legendary home of Juliet. Finish the morning with a visit to Verona's famous Arena, the third largest in the world. 

Free for lunch on your own.

3:00pm Visit 12th-century, northern Italy’s most ornate Romanesque church – a true masterpiece of the Middle Ages. Afterwards travel by private coach out into the Valpolicella for wine tasting and dinner at the Serego-Aligheri vineyards, which boasts magnificent wines and is owned by descendants of Dante Alighieri.

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(Breakfast, Wine-Tasting, Dinner)

Private coach will transfer you to Venice airport for departures. 

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Arrivederci!

Elaine Ruffolo has been teaching art history in Florence, Italy since 1989 and is a popular instructor for students and adults alike. Her special interests include the history of art and patronage Renaissance Florence. Elaine firmly supports that the best way to understand a work of art is by exploring the context in which it was made.  What makes art history interesting and relevant today is study of the political situation, economic conditions, patronage, and the artist's personality which is reflected in the work of art.