Gourmet tour among art, tastes and wine

We will devote the day to the visit of the Roman Hills (The Castelli Romani). Today this is a protected Regional Park of about 10,000 hectares and represents a group of villages perched on the Alban Hills, which constitute one of the most popular tourist destinations in Lazio. These places are particularly appreciated by the Roman people, who especially on the weekend and during the holidays, pour onto these hills to spend a day outdoors or to stroll through the alleys of the many villages that rise among verdant woods. All this is further enriched by numerous accommodation facilities, restaurants and typical trattorias, where you can taste the traditional “Castellana” and “Romana” cuisine.

The visit will include the stop to Frascati, Grotteferrata, Nemi, Ariccia, Albano and Castelgandolfo and the visit to a winery farm.

The lunch will be in one of the typical “fraschetta”.

In the late afternoon in Castelgandolfo, seat of the summer residence of the Pope, we will have a wine taste and a special dinner at one the most famous and traditional restaurant of the area.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

We leave Rome early in the  morning to start an itinerary with the flavor of vines and olive trees through this enchanted land of wonders: The Chianti Villages. We cannot miss as first stop in Siena One of the most loved Italian cities. We will go straight to the heart of the city, towards the wonderful Piazza del Campo, one of the symbolic places of the city, unique and unmistakable: thanks to the particular shell shape and the brick color given by the terracotta flooring and the coating of the buildings that overlook it, positioning yourself in the center of the square, you feel almost wrapped in a warm embrace. Piazza del Campo hosts, twice a year, on July 2nd and August 16th, the famous Palio di Siena, the most awaited event by all the Sienese. In the square you can admire the Fonte Gaia, the largest city fountain decorated, in its original version, with sculptures by Jacopo della Quercia. The Source we see today is a copy, made of Carrara marble, Among the buildings overlooking Piazza del Campo you cannot miss the Palazzo Comunale and the Torre del Mangia. We will then see the Duomo, or the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, is one of the most remarkable examples of an Italian Romanesque-Gothic church. Imposing, almost dazzling for the extensive use of white marble, a real jewel. We will have lunch in Siena.

In the afternoon we will proceed to the north passing through the typical and famous villages of the Chianti: Castelnuovo di Berardenga, Gaiole, Radda, Castellina, Greve and in one of those we will have our wine Chianti taste.

Arrival in Florence in the afternoon. The dinner will be at the hotel.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

We will start the visit of the visit from with the visit of the magnificient complex of Santa Maria del Fiore with its huge Cathedral, the Bell Tower and the Baptistery, then walking through Piazza della Signoria up to the famous Pontevecchio, this last one of the symbols of the city and one of the most famous bridges in the world.

We cannot miss a visit to the famous market of San Lorenzo: opened air area with all handcraft boots (leather, ceramics, paper and any kind of souvenir) and the closed area completely devoted to the food. Here you can have your light lunch or snack tasting the real genuine “Panino with Lampredotto” (the abomasum of the slaughtered cattle, used as a low quality food, but very appreciated in the typical Florentine cuisine.

In the late afternoon we will join a home-made pasta cooking lesson followed by a rustic typical tuscan dinner

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner (cooking lesson)

After our breakfast we will move to Bologna, City of art, culture and commerce with an efficient trade fair structure and a renowned manufacturing and motoring tradition, Bologna is known for its almost 40 km of arcades, the longest in the world. Also called the “Dotta”, because of its ancient University, and the “Grassa” for its gastronomy, the city boasts the title “UNESCO Creative City of Music” and boasts one of the largest and best preserved medieval historic centers of Europe, teeming with clubs, taverns, theaters and shops. A first glimpse of the city can only be had from the beautiful Piazza Maggiore where medieval buildings, witnesses of the lively public life and intense economic activity, perfectly combine with modernity, retaining their ancient charm. An example is Palazzo D’Accursio, seat of the Municipality, inside which we find the modern Salaborsa multimedia library in liberty style and the Roman archaeological excavations visible from a modern glass floor. Among the symbols of Bologna are the Fountain of Neptune by Giambologna and the medieval towers. Among all, the two towers rise majestically, that of the Asinelli (98 meters) and his “twin” Garisenda (48 meters, mentioned in Dante’s Inferno).

For lunch we will leave you to choose your taste among the tasting menus of the kiosks and restaurants of FICO, the most exciting food park in the world. Finger food with glass, cheese tasting, fried Emilia cone, cold cuts and tigelle, salad, arancine with cake, piada with beer, vinegar tasting and much more. Free time at Fico Eatily.

For dinner we will have a typical menu in Bologna tasting the famous ham, parmesan, tortellini and pork meat with vegetables, the traditional bologness cakes and obiously local wine.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

We leave Bologna to reach Vicenza, passing though Modena important city in the Po Valley. The food and wine tradition of Modena is known all over the world, thanks to the capabilities of an agri-food district capable of conserving and exporting the typical products of the local industry: Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, Lambrusco , Parmigiano Reggiano, Modena Ham and more generally the whole range of sausages (in particular Zampone and Cotechino, but also salami, coppa, mortadella, etc.) and canned food. We will have a typical lunch and visit the famous “Fini” which is one the most important Italian food farm.

We will reach Vicenza in the late afternoon and have free time until dinner at hotel.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

On this day we will have a panoramic tour of Vicenza one of the most beautiful and elegant cities in the Veneto region. We will see its historical center with Piazza Castello, Corso Palladio, Piazza dei Signori and the Palladian Basilica. It is precisely in Vicenza that Andrea Palladio, considered one of the most influential personalities in the history of western architecture, during his stay in the city gave the maximum expression of his architectural genius. Vicenza and the Palladian villas of Veneto are one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

After the lunch in a local restaurant we will  move to Bassano del Grappa and during the trip, with of couple of road detours, we will allow you to admire from outside some of the Palladian Villas. In Bassano, on the Brenta river, the characteristic Ponte degli Alpini known as Ponte Vecchio or Ponte di Bassano, considered one of the most characteristic bridges in Italy, being a covered wooden bridge (its reconstruction after a flood was thanks to the Palladio’s project) and the production of ceramics allow Bassano to be known internationally. In Bassano we will visit the Grappa Museum and distilleries with tasting. Back to the hotel in the late afternoon, ready for a typical Vicenza menu, where you cannot miss the white asparagus (seasonal) and the Asiago Cheese.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Today we move to Milan with 2 important stops, the 1st one at Sirmione.

The second one in the Franciacorta area, famous in the world for the production of wine.

Sirmione is a small village on Lake Garda, the largest Italian lake,  that enchants its visitors with the beauty of the breathtaking landscapes and architecture full of history, so much so that it has fully deserved to bear the title of “Pearl of Garda”. After a brief free time, we will have lunch here, tasting fish lake menu.

In the afternoon proceed to Franciacorta area enclosed between Brescia and the southern end of Lake Iseo, famous all over the world for the production of sparkling wine. It is an area full of itineraries between rows of vines with perfect geometries that cross small villages rich in history, traditions, farmhouses, cellars and signs of human activity, to discover Franciacorta in its most intimate side and contemplate pleasant panoramas. We will not venture into the hilly streets, but we will go directly to visit a winery and taste this wine, the only one to be produced exclusively with bottle refermentation.

After the visit proceed to Milan and dinner at hotel.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

The morning will be devoted to the visit of Milan. We will start from Castello Scorzesco to continue to Teatro della Scala, the square with the famous Duomo, the third largest church in the world and the renowned Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, defined by many as a station without rails, tracks and trains. In fact, the hustle and bustle of people is very similar to that of a railway station, with the substantial difference that shopping here definitely counts more than the mobility needs. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, in fact, is a real shopping center with boutiques of the major high fashion brands alongside historic cafes and fast food chains.

lunch at the famous Peck the temple of the Gastronomy.

Your afternoon will be completely devoted to the visit and you last shopping.

In Milan it is impossible not to shop. We have already seen it with the Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery but it is the so-called “Fashion Quadrilateral” (via Montenapoleone, via della Spiga, via Manzoni, via Sant’Andrea) the Milanese shopping temple. We will enjoy the Milanese aperitif puts everyone in agreement and leaves its mark. Tourists and Milanese themselves agree: the aperitif is the most genuine and economical way to discover a small part of Italian cuisine. You will find a wide range of foods (hot and cold table with pizza, grilled vegetables, meats, cheeses, pasta, sandwiches, potatoes, desserts and fruit in some cases) and drinks (mainly cocktails)

In the evening you will be delighted by a typical Milanese dinner in the Navigli district so called because it is defined by the two canals that enter Milan from the south: the Grande canal and the Pavese canal. The area is very popular with Milanese people and is one of the best known by tourists for the picturesque atmosphere of the canals overlooked by numerous restaurants, bars and pubs, for artisan shops and art galleries.

Overnight in Milan

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Proceed to the international airport of Malpensa to fly back to hometown with unforgettable memories.

Meals: breakfast