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CHRISTMAS IN UMBRIA - Italy |
December 24/2009 · January 1/2010
This new tour captures the absolute best of Umbria: its
countryside,
its people,
its food & its ancient traditions.
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Christmas in
Assisi offers an
opportunity to celebrate the season amid the art, music, food, and
spirituality of Italy. Based in Assisi where Francis of Assisi
lived and worked, the tour includes full-day visits to nearby Umbrian
hill towns and helpful talks by experts in art, food, and
architecture.
In 1223, Francis of Assisi led local residents up the slopes of
Mount Lacerone to Greccio, a simple monastery formed from
interconnected caves. In one of these, Francis had gathered a donkey,
an ox and a dozen peasants to form a tableau of the first Christmas
the first living Nativity. The ritual of the Christmas creche
has been celebrated ever since.
Our Christmas in Assisi itinerary includes a stop at Greccio en
route from Rome and a visit to one of many living nativity tableaus in
the Assisi area. In addition, we will celebrate the season with a
traditional Christmas lunch (Pranzo di Natale) and welcome the
new year with a traditional New Year's Eve feast, (Cenone di
Capodanno) complete with fireworks.
The trip is designed to explore nearby hilltowns of Gubbio,
Orvieto, Perugia and Spoleto with knowledgeable,
English-speaking guides, allowing one full day in each city. This
in-depth exploration is complemented with presentations by experts on
the art and architecture of Umbria, Italy's culinary traditions, and
fresco painting.
You will stay in the comfortable
Hotel Sole in the medieval
center of Assisi, a small hotel with a restaurant, bar, and lecture room
in a 15th century renovated building. The pace of the trip is relaxed
to allow you ample time to explore the city during this quiet season
without crowds.
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ITINERARY
December 24,
Rome
Departure for Assisi from Rome airport at 10:00 a.m. If
you arrive earlier than the 24th, we can help arrange a pre-tour stay
in
Rome. Stop at Greccio en route for lunch and to visit the site of
the first creche. Hotel check-in with welcome reception and Christmas
Eve dinner, followed by midnight mass at one of Assisi's churches. Dinner
at Taverna dell'Arco restaurant.
December 25, Assisi
Morning free.
Pranzo di Natale, the traditional festive Umbrian Christmas lunch
celebrated at the Malvarina, followed by a visit to the living nativity
at Petrignano. Dinner on your own tonight.
December 26 Gubbio
Beautifully situated at
the foot of Mt. Ingino, Gubbio has managed to preserve its
medieval appearance. Every December the town creates the outline of a
Christmas tree several hundred feet tall on the slope of its mountain.
Our local guide will introduce the history and key sites of Gubbio
during a morning walking tour. As you wander the narrow, steep streets
of Gubbio, keep a look out for medieval houses with two doorways (the
lower one is known as the Door of the Dead where coffins were removed
from the house) and the various ways that the legend of Francis of
Assisi and the wolf (lupo) are preserved. Following lunch, we will
return to Assisi for a talk on the culinary traditions of Italy. Dinner
in Assisi "Da Erminio" restaurant.
December 27, Orvieto
Perched on a gigantic
square rock, Orvieto has a commanding position visible for miles. An
ideal site for a fort, it was first settled by the Etruscans. Some
evidence of this mysterious people remain, although most of the early
city was thoroughly destroyed by Roman invasion. Eventually the Papacy
took control and built some of Orvieto's most grand buildings the
magnificent Cathedral, Palace of the Popes, and Well of St.
Patrick. Splendid frescoes by Luca Signorelli and Fra
Angelico decorate cathedral walls. Following a morning walking tour
with our guide, we will enjoy lunch together at a local restaurant.
Historically, Orvieto is also known for its wine; our day will conclude
with a wine-tasting at one of the local vineyards. Dinner on your own tonight.
December 28, Free Day
This day at leisure
offers you the opportunity to explore Assisi more fully or, if desired,
we can also suggest optional excursions to nearby locations and make the
needed arrangements for you.
December 29, Perugia
Umbria's major city,
Perugia is a prosperous center of business with an impressive historic
core of architectural integrity and beauty. Our local guide will bring
this history to life during a morning walking tour of the city center.
Following lunch on your own, explore the museums, churches, and shops
before departing to visit the Lungarotti family wine museum in Torgiano.
Dinner at "Il Duomo" restaurant in Assisi.
December 30, Spoleto
Spoleto, famous for
its annual arts festival, is a remarkable outdoor museum and storehouse
of artistic treasures. With a local guide, we will first visit the Bridge of the Towers,
with a span 251 yards long and 266 feet high
that connects Spoleto's with the "Holy Mountain." The
remainder of the morning will explore this exquisite city's famous
churches, public buildings, art, and Roman ruins. Country lunch with
Gianni & Marina in Puntuia, a small village with six inhabitants. On the way back to Assisi stop at
Il Molino del Fattore olive oil mill for a taste of their superb olive oils.
Dinner on your own tonight.
December 31, Assisi
Morning visit of the basilica of San Francis
with a special tour guide. A breif walking tour of the city with a professional English speaking
guide through the highlight of the city will follow. Rest of the day at leisure in preparation for
the Cenone di
Capodanno New Year's Eve dinner celebration at the Malvarina.
Fireworks at the stroke of midnight.
January 1, Assisi and Rome
Day on your own
in Assisi with early farewell and New Year's Day lunch ("Da Magna e Dorme")
before departing to the Rome
airport. We are available to help arrange for overnight accommodations
at a hotel airport or for post-tour stay in Rome.
January 2,
Departure, return home or
continue to your next destination.
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PACKAGE
INCLUDES:
• 9 nights accommodations, double occupancy
• Buffet breakfast daily
• Welcome cocktail reception
• Christmas Eve traditional dinner
• Traditional Christmas Day dinner party at Malvarina
• New Year's Eve
dinner party
• Wine with the above dinner parties
• Meals as per
itinerary
• English speaking guides for the excursions as per
itinerary
• Tour manager
• Transportation throughout the tour as
per itinerary
• Transfer from/to Rome
PACKAGE PRICE: €2198.00 per person, based on double occupancy.
PLEASE NOTE: PRICE INDICATED IN EURO CURRENCY
USE THE CALCULATOR TO FIND THE EQUIVALENT IN USA
DOLLARS.
CURRENCY CONVERTER
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GROUP SIZE LIMITED TO 14
PARTICIPANTS, reservations will be taken
on a first-come-first-serve basis. NOT INCLUDED IN THE ABOVE PACKAGE: Wine with
meals (if not otherwise indicated), drinks, personal expenses, excess
baggage charges, entrance fees, when required, or anything not
specifically indicated in the "package includes section."
We reserve the right to
cancel any tour due to lack of participants or for circumstances beyond
our control. In this case, a full refund of all payments will be made.
Prices listed are based on tariffs and exchange rates at the time of
printing and are subject to change without notice. |
FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION PLEASE CALL: 1-888/287-8733 or email:
info@travelingtoitaly.com
Tour code
GT07
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