To the discovery of Lombardy

1st day: PLACE OF ORIGIN – MILAN. The group leaves early in the morning by bus GT for Milan. Arrival late in the Afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel.
2nd day: MILAN. In the morning guided visit of the city: the Duomo, one of the most famous cathedral in the world, the third biggest of the Christianity, the masterpiece of the late Gothic in Italy with its beautiful 15th – 16th century stained-glass windows. We go up to the terraces (by lift), whence we will admire a marvellous view of the city. The Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery, the “living room of Milan”; passing through the Gallery we reach Piazza della Scala (1776), dominated by the homonymous famous theatre and by the 16th century Palazzo Marino, which is the seat of the Town Hall. Lunch in a restaurant. Leisure time. Guided visit of the Ambrosiana Picture-gallery and Library, the second most important library after the Vaticana. The Palace, recently restored, keeps the famous “Atlantic Code” by Leonardo da Vinci” and many canvasses by Tiziano and Caravaggio. We move then to the Sforzesco Castle, with guided visit of the Armoury, the Trivulziana Library, the Rocchetta courtyard and the Picture-gallery, where one can admire the famous Michelangelo’s Pietà Rondanini. Dinner and overnight stay in the hotel.
3rd day: MILANO. In the morning we continue the guided visit: St. Ambrose, a splendid example of the Romanesque-Lombard style; we visit the Basilica which keeps the Golden Altar of Volvinio (835 a.C.) and mosaics of the 5th century. We then go to the Church of St. Mary of the Grace and visit the church, whose architecture was inspired by Bramante. We also visit the near Refectory of the Dominican, where we can admire the famous “Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci. Lunch in a restaurant. In the afternoon we continue our visits with the Braidense Picture-gallery. We will admire the famous masterpieces of Piero della Francesca, Andrea Mantegna and Raffaello. At the end leisure time for shopping in the famous four roads of fashion, Montenapoleone, Via Borgospesso, Via della Spiga and Via Sant’Andrea. In the evening we will taste a true typical dinner in a restaurant on the Navigli.
4th day: THE GREAT ABBEYS OF THE SOUTHERN LOMBARDY. We spend the whole day visiting the splendid Abbeys of the southern Lombardy. The first we will see is the Cistercian Abbey of Chiaravalle, in the Cistercian-Romanesque style, founded by St. Bernard of Clairvaux in 1135. Short visit of the abbey. Then we go to Vigevano: here we visit the Piazza Ducale, one of the most famous of the Renaissance (1494) and the 16th century Cathedral. Then we go to the Abbey of Morimondo, that was founded by the Cistercian too. Short visit of the church of St. Mary, in the Gothic-Burgundian style, with a hut-facade and a 18th century pronaos. Here it will be possible (extra charge) to visit the Natural Park of the river Ticino on an old carriage with a naturalistic guide. Lunch in a restaurant. In the afternoon we visit the Chartreuse of Pavia, one of the most elegant buildings in the Po Valley. Visit of the Church and of the Monastery. It is possible to buy the local products in the little shop of the monks that are now living in the Chartreuse. We then move to the near town of Pavia: guided visit of the Cathedral and of the Longobard Basilica of St. Michael. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel.
5th day: CREMONA - MANTOVA. The group leaves early in the morning for Cremona. Guided visit of the Piazza del Comune, the artistic centre of the city and one of the most beautiful Middle Ages squares in Italy; we can admire the Torrazzo, the Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Loggia dei Militi and the Palazzo del Comune. At the end of the visit we will have the time to buy some local typical products. Lunch in a restaurant. Leisure time till we start again for Mantova. Arrival and guided visit of the Church of St. Andrew (which projects on the Piazza delle Erbe, which is surrounded by many Gothic and Renaissance buildings). Then we walk to the Palazzo Ducale, where we will admire the “Chamber of the wedded couple” (“La camera degli Sposi”) by Mantegna. We will have also the time to stop and taste the famous Sbrisolona cake, a typical cake of Mantova. Leisure time. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel.
6th day: BRESCIA – VALCAMONICA - TIRANO. We leave early in the morning for Brescia. Arrival and guided visit of the city: Piazza della Loggia, the Broletto, the Rotonda, the Cathedral, a proof of the splendour of the city during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Lunch in a restaurant. In the afternoon we leave for the Valcamonica, where we will visit the National Park of the Engravings of Naquane: guided visit of the Park, which contains suggestive engravings of the Neolithic age. Late in the afternoon we go to Tirano. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel.
7th day: TIRANO – ST. MORITZ – SONDRIO. In the morning we take the Bernina Train from Tirano. The suggestive railway gives the opportunity of admiring beautifulviews; it borders the lake of Poschiavo and then climbs up to the bottom of the Bernina Glacier at 2.220 meters on sea level. It crosses suggestive villages and thick woods of firs and larches. Packed lunch. We reach St. Moritz, a famous winter and summer resort. Visit of the beautiful wooden houses of Saint Moritz. We go then to Sondrio. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel.
8th day: SONDRIO – navigation – TREMEZZO – COMO. We leave early in the morning for Colico. We embark on a hydrofoil for a tour on the Lake of Como, which is surrounded by the mountains of Valtellina and Val Chiavenna. We arrive in Tremezzo and visit the famous Villa Carlotta, one of the most beautiful Baroque buildings of the lake. Visit of the beautiful terraced gardens, where in April and May azaleas and rose-bays flower. Lunch in a restaurant. We then take the hydrofoil again and go to Como. Visit of the Cathedral (1396 – 1740), in the Gothic and Renaissance style, and of the Broletto, the former seat of the municipality. We walk along the bank of the Lake. Dinner and overnight stay in the hotel.
9th day: COMO – MONZA – PLACE OF ORIGIN. In the morning we go to Monza and visit of the Gothic Cathedral, the Chapel of Teodolinda (inside this chapel we can admire the famous Iron Crown which, according to tradition, was forged with one nail of the Cross of Jesus). We move then to the Royal Palace, that was erected in 1777 by the will of the archduke Ferdinand of Austria on the plan of Piermarini.