Archive for the 'architecture' Category

LIVING IN ROME, by Alysa Weinstein Gravina, AHA Correspondent

April 12th, 2012

Piazza del Popolo, Rome

They say all roads lead to Rome. In my case it is absolutely true.

No matter where I traveled or what caught my fascination, I always ended up back in Rome. The city does that to you, like it or not.

There are 10 ancient roads that go in every direction in and out of Rome. One of the most historically important roads is Via Flaminia, constructed around 220 BC. Technically, you could drive north about 5 hours, from the Piazza del Popolo, along the Via Flaminia, all the way to Rimini, arriving on the Adriatic coast of Italy, and the hometown of Federico Fellini. This is the street where I live. In 5 minutes, I can be at the Porta del Popolo standing in the piazza with thousands of other people marveling at the magic of the Egyptian Obelisk, or the beauty of the twin churches, Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto.

 

 

If I go in the other direction, in 10 minutes I will arrive at Ponte Milvio. This bridge, which was built in 206 BC, is pedestrian, and after an Italian film,

Lovers Locks, Rome

entitled “I Want You” (from 10 years ago), the lampposts are decorated with padlocks that young couples have left in honor of their love. But the tradition of “love” stretches much further back. It is said that Emperor Nero used to frequent the bridge with his lovers for certain debaucheries.

 

Being among these monuments and surrounded by a history that shapes us all, is an everyday occurrence for me, but now, being able to write about it, is giving me a chance to appreciate this gift, beyond just living it.

 

 

 

 

Part 1: ROMA – A Lifetime Is Not Enough

January 18th, 2012

Ghosts of the Caesars, Evening, Roman Forum

There is an Italian expression, “Roma, non basta una vita,” which means that for Rome, a lifetime is not enough life to really know her.

Not even close. But knowing Rome would be the destination and getting to know her, the journey. I never want my journey to end. I love this city with all my heart.

Why is it that of all of the wonderful places I have visited in my traveling life, Rome, above all others, gripped me, holds me, and haunts me?

I have wrestled with this question for twenty years. Friends do not understand why I keep returning when there is so much more “out there” to see. They ask if I will guide a trip to Greece or Hong Kong. I smile, as I think about those amazing places and say, “Maybe, someday.” But in my head I am saying, “I don’t want to. I want to go back to Rome.” There is still, after countless visits, so much of Rome that I long to understand, be familiar with, and appreciate.

Maybe it can be explained this way. When I buy a car, I think it through, wrangle, and weigh every aspect and option, and by the time my decision is made, I am in love with it and drive it for years. I’ve sort of sunk my teeth into it, very unlike the car buyer who enjoys flipping cars every couple of years. That is the kind of traveler that I have become as well. I am determined to catch the spirit of a place and sink my teeth in.  When I am not traveling I am reading, highlighting, margin noting, and learning more deeply about Rome.   A list of destinations to see in this world and tick off could not be more unappealing to me.

However, it hasn’t always been that way. In 1989, I was traveling around Europe with my list in hand, happily visiting Switzerland, Paris, Florence, all beautiful and stimulating, tick, tick, tick. Not sinking my teeth into any of them. But then we arrived in Rome, and everything changed. Only this time, I was blindsided as I felt Rome sink her teeth into me! How?

One thing I am sure of is that there is more than one answer to this question. In Part 2 of ROME: Life Is Not Long Enough To Know All Of Rome, I will

My Happy Place

discuss a few, and maybe you will feel your reaction to a special place being described.

As a guest with Art History Alive, my intense passion for Rome and its living history, will be my gift to you. Travelers will have three opportunities to visit and get to know Rome with AHA in 2012.

Musica in Tuscany: July 12 – 18, 2012, includes two days in Rome.

Rome and Tuscany: September 30 – October 8, 2012, includes four full days in Rome.

Roma Amor: Rome Is Love Spelled Backward: October 10 – 17, 2012, is a full week in Rome guided by Judith Testa, PhD, author of the book by the same name, and myself. A daring duo of like-minded pilgrims are we.

In Part Two of ROMA, I will also share news on a few of the fantastically characteristic boutique hotels that AHA now reserves for its guests—a converted cloister, quiet and tucked away, an 11th-century tower, with one room on each of its five floors, and a pretty guest house gem on a quiet street near the Tiber River—all unique, pristine, and located in the historic center of this amazing city. I have visited each and every one of these hotels, plus many others that did not make the AHA list of preferred properties. Only the best for AHA guests—that is my promise.

Come experience Rome as part of a small group of other intellectually curious travelers. We would love to have you.

 

 

TUSCANY: Like A Hollywood Backdrop

December 15th, 2011

Abbey and Monastery, Sant Antimo , Tuscany

Almost everywhere you look in Tuscany, the view is like a backdrop, and this time, we were the movie. Spending five days in September, wandering the quiet back alleys of Sorano, moved by Gregorian Chants in this ancient abbey, and sleeping each night in a castle, we did feel as though we were in a movie. For those five days, we really “lived” in Tuscany. We woke each morning and made our own lattes in the kitchen of our castle apartment. I can smell that hot espresso bubbling right now. Add to that the hot milk and some sugar, and it’s going to be another good day.

We drove up, down, and around those pretty hills, lunched in some great new finds, and visited La Foce, again. Jim and I have found that we cannot get near La Foce without stopping in to just be there. La Foce is a gracious villa that supported several farms in the heart of Tuscany, and ended up right in the center of the World War II fighting. If the walls could talk. The story of La Foce, and all that happened there, both sad and heroic, is in a slim book entitled, War in Val d’Orcia: An Italian War Diary, 1943-1944, by Iris Origo. Signore and Signora Origo owned and lived in the villa during this time—a first hand account, to be sure. Now, the villa has apartments to book and produces some delicious olive oil, which I have in my pantry. Seems sort of extravagant that we do our olive oil shopping in Italy, but we do.

Our anchor in Tuscany is Castello di Proceno. Such a precious place owned by a wonderful couple that we love. Built in the 11th century, acquired by the ancestors of the current owners in the 15th century, the castle is decorated not just with antiques but with Etruscan antiquities, unearthed on the property, dating back to 700 BC.

Up on a rocky spur, this castle fortress has defended the tiny town of Proceno for centuries. Located just up the hill from what for hundreds of years was the main road from Florence to Rome, and from the Catholic pilgrimage route from Germany to Rome, the Americans and Germans also occupied Castello di Proceno in turn, during World War II. The art and history in this place lives, which is why Jim and I return year after year, and this castle is the perfect place for Art History Alive guests to stay.

No trip to Tuscany would be complete without lunch at the outrageous Osteria Acquacheta in Montepulciano. No vegetarians allowed! This is a steakhouse, Italian style. The owner, who carries a rather bloody meat cleaver in his belt, draws a diagram of a steak on your paper tablecloth and asks (forcefully) if you want the whole (that would be the porterhouse cut) or a smaller piece, the NY. You point, and he clomps off to his huge butcher’s block placed in front of a roaring fireplace in the back. Whack, whack! A huge steak is slapped on a piece of butcher paper, weighed, and brought to your table for approval. Our steak was the size of a newborn, no kidding. If you like what you see, you nod, he calculates the cost, again on the handy paper tablecloth, you nod again, and off it goes to the fireplace. The rareness of the still-sizzling steak upon delivery to your table indicates that it has not spent much time on the grate, but WOW, is it delicious! This place is a must for meat eaters. It is loud, raucous, the staff is great, and you make friends with the people at the table 3” from yours. Really, really fun!

Orvieto, just 45 minutes from the castello, is such a big, beautiful hill town. I love everything about it, because it has everything. A fantastic cathedral with breathtaking art and history, winding streets with fun shopping, delicious hidden restaurants, and amazing people watching. The more I visit, the more I love it.

AHA  will be in Tuscany twice in 2012. July 12-18, we will share an Italian music festival at Castello di Proceno, with a very small group of guests, Musica in Tuscany, a Castle Courtyard Concert. And again, September 30 – October 8, with Rome and Tuscany, a Colosseum and a Castle. If you want to know Tuscany, these two itineraries were designed to accomplish just that. In fact, all of our itineraries are created with one thing in mind, getting to really know your destination.

After five leisurely days of just “being” in Tuscany, we are packing and girding ourselves for the upcoming five days in our very favorite, Rome! After Tuscany, it can be a shock to your system. But we will be there on a Sunday, so we are planning to gather with thousands in St. Peter’s Square to see and hear Pope Benedict. We have done this many times over the years, and there is something very special about it.

I will post about our time in Rome in the New Year. It was FANTASTIC.

UGLY AMERICAN ALERT: After our lunch at Aquacheta and an afternoon ramble around picturesque Montepulciano, we were headed back to our car

Steak for two, Acquacheta

about 6PM. Our route took us past the now-closed Aquacheta. Standing in front, trying to peer in the windows, was a very American couple with a computer printout in hand. We were the only other
folks on the street so, in apparent desperation, they looked at us with frustration.

Jim says: “Great restaurant! Delicious! You’ll love it,” and keeps moving.
Woman: (In a whine) “Yes, we’ve heard about it, but it isn’t open.”
Jim: “No, it will open about 7:30 for dinner.”
Man: (Angrily) “If it is so good, why isn’t it open at dinnertime?!”

Cyndie: Walking away, a little ashamed and shaking head.

It was 6PM, he was hungry, and they walked away to find some place, any place that was open. I guess he thought he was still in the states where dinnertime is dinnertime.

TRAVEL TIP: In Italy, the only people in a restaurant having dinner before 8PM are either Americans or Canadians. By grabbing a piece of pizza or a gelato around 4PM, you’ll be hungry when the restaurants are hopping Italian-style.

New Friends, Estela and Gianni, Acquacheta

BACK FROM ITALY: VACATION, VOCATION, WHAT’S THE DIFF?

October 24th, 2011

Two Hidden Restaurants, Tuscany

After our last research trip to Italy, I wrote a post entitled, “Wonderful Discoveries and Dismal Disappointments.”  Not so this time—it was all good!

We planned this trip as a working vacation with concentration on three of our favorite spots in Italy. We stayed in each for five days, determined to stay long enough to unpack, settle in, and catch the spirit of the place, which is just what we did.
With five days on the edge of Lake Como, five more at Castello di Proceno in southern-most Tuscany, and five more in our favorite, Rome, we had a wonderful and relaxing time as we explored historic villas and their gardens, rediscovered beautiful hill towns, and visited favorite places that still  move us. We ate in dozens of delicious restaurants, and had tours of some of the most beautiful, historic, and hidden hotels ever.
Before I go any further, I must thank our researcher, Maggie McKenny-Harris, for the list of hotels and restaurants that she painstakingly compiled after, what must ave been, hours and hours of research and interviews. After trying just two of her suggestions, I knew that I was armed with something very, very valuable indeed. Maggie had us in places I would never have found on my own—quaint, characteristic, historic, family-owned, and always, always lovely. Our guests will be so very thrilled with the amazing hotels and incredible restaurants that have now been added to the AHA list. After a little bounce on the beds, I touch the sheets and pillows, I am all over the bathrooms, into the breakfast rooms, and up on the rooftops. After each new find, we toasted Maggie, and I can’t wait to return to these places myself.  Thank you, Maggie, for finding these beautiful little boutique, out-of-the-way spots that our guests will love.
I will post again soon on our lazy time on the edge of Lago di Como, and, for those who will travel there with us, what you have to look forward to. I will follow with a post on Tuscany, our castle, and the upcoming Music Festival trip July 12 – 18, 2012, and the Tuscany Rome trip September 30-October 8, 2012, and finish the series with a post on what is in store for our travelers to Rome, both in September and Rome, October 10-17, 2012.

If you are curious as to what we found by following the primitive signs in the photo above, it was no big deal, just lunch in an Etruscan cave, circa 700 BC! Everything tastes better in a place like this, and welcome to cultural immersion. Thank you, Maggie!

Until we are there again, it is nice to be home, but I can still feel those warm cobblestones under my feet.
Cynthia

Lunch in an Etruscan cave, circa 700 BC

 

Trip #4 – MUSICA IN TUSCANY: A Summer Festival

August 30th, 2011

 

Our Castle, Castello di Proceno

 

July 12 – 18, 2012 ~ 7 Days ~ Group Size: 6

Price: $3,300.00

A Castle Courtyard Concert, Hill Towns, and Rome.

In July of 2012, AHA will offer its first summer tour.  How could we pass up the opportunity to share with our guests The Annual Convivio in Musica, held in the courtyard of the castle that we have been sharing with you for fifteen years?  Well, we couldn’t!  So, in July, a very small group of six will travel with me to Tuscany and  Castello di Proceno, where we will check in a few days before the festival and get acclimated to our beautiful castle and surroundings.  We will stay for four days which happily, is long enough to unpack.

On the day of the festival, people from as far away as Florence, to the North, and Rome, to the South, will arrive, well dressed and anticipating the music about to be enjoyed.  The acoustics of the courtyard are perfect, as it is surrounded by tall stone walls, which double as a screen for the beautiful art that is projected upon them during the concert.  Immersed in the music and art of Italy, for an afternoon we will be transported to another time and place.

Following the concert, all of the guests gather to enjoy a buffet of Tuscan delights.  Beginning with

A Tuscan Salami Buffet

champagne, we will dine on country salami, sausage of boar, a variety of freshly prepared crostini, local cheeses and so much more.  Cecilia, owner of the castle, whose recipes we will enjoy is quite famous in the area for her cooking classes.  I have taken a few and the food was glorious.

During the balance of our four day stay at the castle, we will explore some hill towns, prepare a meal together and all around relax.  Our last two days we will be spent in gorgeous Rome, where during that time we will take a stroll that will lead you from The Spanish Steps, to the Trevi Fountain, in front of  The Pantheon, and into romantic Piazza Navona, with its gorgeous Fountain of The Four Rivers.  This is a stroll you will never forget.

Should any of you like to extend an extra day, it can be arranged.  With an additional day in Rome, we could include The Coliseum, The Forum, and St. Peter’s Basilica, and of course, several more great lingering meals.

Gelato in Rome: Grapefruit, Cantalope and Green Apple

TRIP #5 – GERMANY AND THE ROMANTIC ROAD, by Gillian Seely

August 30th, 2011

 

Beautiful Nurnburg, Germany

OCTOBER 1-8, 2012 ~ 8 DAYS ~ GROUP SIZE: 6-8

PRICE: $3,300.00

CASTLES, CATHEDRALS AND A CONCENTRATION CAMP

On this trip, we will stop at various points along the fabled Romantic Road of Germany.  We will begin at the northern end of the road, in the medieval city of Wurzburg, which is situated along the Main River and was once an important stop along the Spice Road.  In fact, the name Wurzburg means “Spice City”, and the influence of this mercantile history upon the region is felt in the quaint marketplaces and cobbled streets. We will visit the Wurzburg Residenz, a large and elaborate Rococo palace that is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its accompanying gardens.  We will enjoy a white wine tasting at the city’s stately wine cellar (northern Bavaria, known as Franconia, boasts some of the world’s best white wines). Still in Wurzburg, we will go to a medieval fortress on a hill that overlooks the city and explore its grounds and the nearby monastery, staying at the beautiful Hotel Maritim on the Main River through rolling vineyard country.

Wuerzburg Residenz

Moving south, we will enjoy some time in Rothenburg, a world-famous medieval fortress town in northern Bavaria, renowned for its city walls (which can be traversed, and from which you can see the rolling hills for miles around), and for its quaint central square, historical artisan shops, and restaurants—this is a great place for picking up Bavarian souvenirs skillfully made from wood and glass.

Later we will visit Nurnberg, seeing the beautiful central square of the city.  We will explore the Toy Museum (Nurnberg is known for its toy manufacturing,  particularly around Christmas time), and visiting the Dokumentationszentrum Reichsparteitagsgelände (Germans aren’t known for linguistic brevity), a somber, but enlightening World War II museum at the site of the Nazi Party’s rallying grounds.

Fairytale Castle, Neuschwanstein

Moving south from Nurnberg, we will visit Munich—site of the world-famous Hofbrauhaus, and the Marienplatz—home of the dancing glockenspiel.  There will be an optional excursion from Munich to the nearby site of the Dachau concentration camp. While this excursion isn’t for everybody, a trip to the site gives unparalleled insight into the lives and deaths of the millions of prisoners who fell victim to the Nazi mentality, and provides a good way to come to terms with the contrasts between the Germany of then and of now.

Leaving Munich, we will visit Neuschwanstein Castle—the “Cindarella Castle” that has come to be a symbol of Bavaria.  Nestled at the foot of the German Alps, a tour of this massive  and iconic castle lets you learn about “Mad King Ludwig” and soak up some regional history.

Our last stop will be in Garmisch Partenkirchen, a stunning mountain town on the Austrian border, and at the end of the Romantic Road.  GAP, as it’s

Munich, Germany

known by locals, is a high-end ski resort in the winter, and a quaint place for hiking and Bavarian-style outdoor activities in the summer.  The views in GAP alone make it perhaps the most beautiful part of the trip.  The trip will end here, and direct trains to Munich run every hour from the GAP station, making airport access very convenient, or alternative transportation can easily be arranged.

This trip will give you an appreciation of the culture of Germany, and specifically of Bavaria.  We will eat delicious and hearty German cuisine, travel along the high-speed and world-famous autobahns, see the stunning countryside, and learn all about the culture of Germany in the middle ages, during the European Renaissance, and World War II…and, importantly, we will come to love and understand the Germany of today!

TRIP #6 – ROME AND TUSCANY: A COLOSSEUM AND A CASTLE

August 30th, 2011

 

Evening in the Roman Forum

ITALY – ROME AND TUSCANY: A Colosseum and a Castle
SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 8, 2012 ~ 9 DAYS ~ GROUP SIZE: 6 – 8
PRICE PER PERSON: $3,900.00

 

NOTE: Below is a good example of just what travel is like with ART HISTORY ALIVE. If you find that this post does not pique your interest, then you may not be a good fit for AHA, but if you begin reading and find yourself wanting to read and learn more, it is ten times better when we are there.  Cynthia

Eventually, all roads should lead to the awesome city of Rome at least once in a lifetime. Jim and I have traveled far and wide in this world, but since our discovery of Italy in 1987, we return every chance we get. And in all of that little boot, Rome has the strongest draw for us.  Cumulatively, we have spent over 4 months in that city, and still we keep going back. Of everywhere we have been, Rome holds for us the richest and most stimulating bounty of art, history, architecture (which is an art), and culture, hands down.  And the people . . . . . . . !

On this trip we will literally spend time in, under, and around Rome. Our tiny group of travelers will go down into a hidden, lesser-known catacomb under the bustling Roman streets on a guided tour where you can ask all the questions you need to fully understand. We will wander the Forum and Colosseum, explore St. Peter’s Basilica and experience the art of Michelangelo, Bernini, and Caravaggio. Along the way and over delicious meals, these questions and more will be answered:
  • Why did Michelangelo sign only one piece of art and which one was it?
  • Why is the almost 2000 year-old Pantheon in such perfect condition when buildings in the Forum of the same age are rubble?
  • Why is St. Peter’s Basilica the most popular church in Rome, and the world, when Rome’s St. John Lateran was the first Christian church to be built?
  • Where is the white travertine exterior that once covered the Colosseum walls?
  • Where are the gilded bronze tiles that once covered the roof of the Pantheon?
  • What did the terms Middle Ages and Dark Ages describe?

On warm evenings we will sit in outside cafés on cobblestone alleys and watch the most interesting people in the world stroll by. We will shop, rest and overall, catch the Spirit of Rome which, you will want to take home with you.

 

Next it is off to the hills of Tuscany in our spacious, panoramic-windowed van toward the tiny hill town of Proceno, in southern Tuscany. However, on our way, we will drive up a hill to soaring Orvieto for a delicious lunch and the first of many an awe inspiring wander. No one actually knows the age of Orvieto, however we do know that around 750 B.C. the Etruscans thrived here, inheriting it from their Iron and Bronze Age ancestors. How exciting it is to visit a city that has survived for thousands of years, with its bustle interrupted only once, in the 14th century, by the Black Plague.  We will meander at our own pace through Orvieto‘s crown jewel, her Cathedral, with its brightly colored mosaic facade. Built over a mere 300 years, it holds precious art that I love to visit and share.

Forty minutes deeper into beautiful Tuscany and we will arrive at Castello di Proceno. This castle/fortress was built in the 11th century and has been creatively redesigned into several beautiful apartments. This is my favorite landing spot in all of Tuscany.

WW II machine gun holes, Pienza

Once we check in and relax a bit, we will take a walk around town so that you can get your bearings. It isn’t difficult as it is tiny, but the views, in all directions are dreamlike, no, actually they are “calendarlike“. I will introduce you to Pucci and Giovanni, the owners of the castle, Roberto the grocer, where you can buy anything from locally made salami, to bedroom slippers, and Gianfranco, of Trattoria da Gianfranco. The castle will be our home for the next four days as we explore more picturesque hill towns and savor some of the most delicious food and wine you will have ever tasted.

On the list of must sees, in these first four days, are the cathedral of Sovana, that took so long to build that it actually spans two architectural periods. So, as we sit in the back of the church you will see that two of its three aisles are Romanesque and the third is Gothic. Amazing! The hill town hamlet of Pienza that was, luckily for us, caught in a time warp. During the first half of the 1400′s, Pope Pius II, responsible for the revitalization and redesigning of his beloved hometown, was called away to raise troops for a crusade to the Holy Land. He left a Papal Bull, in beautiful Latin, that stated nothing should be touched until his return. Unfortunately, in 1465 he died while away, and Pienza dutifully has left everything just as it was. Because of this, a visit to Pienza gives us a real time snapshot of Tuscan life in the 1400′s. Pienza was miraculously spared during World War II bombing raids, however the machine gun holes in the exterior side wall of the cathedral are a reminder of what happened here when both Germans and Americans took turns occupying Pienza and the surrounding towns. This is a fascinating area with lots to explore, learn and taste. Brunellos come from this region, as does a most delicious soft, not salty, pecorino cheese.

And who can be in this area and not visit the most haunting of all hill towns, Civita di Bagnoregio?

Civita di Bagnoregio
Civita di Bagnoregio

Not me! Civita sits a top a rock spur, built entirely of rock taken from the spur, it appears to be something organic that simply grew out of the mountain. However, because of earthquakes over the centuries much of the spur and city have dropped away, leaving Civita sitting like a diamond nestled in a round solitaire setting. There is one approach to the city, a walking bridge that spans the gorge that encircles Civita.

Often, in the morning, the city is engulfed in clouds or fog and it appears that the bridge leads to no where. Sometimes the fog fills just the gorge with Civita above as if floating in the sky. This is like nothing else you would have seen up to this point, and you will remember it always. Comfortable walking shoes, a camera, and a hefty appetite are a must for Civita da Bagnoregio.

Following our explorations of Tuscany we will say good bye to our castle and new friends, and head for Rome and flights home.

 

 

Physical Level: Moderate

Art History Alive will offer seven destinations in 2012! Great places to visit, more interesting things to learn, and very small groups. Over the next few weeks I will post a list of recommended reading and movies, destination specific, that will allow you to front load your travel experience.

You will notice that we have added an itinerary that includes my absolute favorite places in California.  If Europe is not on

California wild flowers

your radar screen for this year, consider touring the best that California has to offer.  I am a fifth generation Californian and would love to show you around.  I think that you will agree, this is wonderful line up and I sincerely hope that you will share it with your friends and family.

We are very happy to announce:

The NEW money saving opportunities are on the Specials and Discounts Page. These trips can fill up fast so early booking is important and saves you money.

All trips include: Hotels, all meals and house wines, (well, you don’t have to have wine with breakfast) ground transportation, museum admissions, and travel insurance.

 


TRIP #7 – ROMA AMOR – ROME IS LOVE SPELLED BACKWARD, By Judith Testa

August 26th, 2011

 

Judith Testa At Her Best

October 10 – 17, 2012 ~ 8 Days ~ Group Size: 6 – 8

Price: $4,100.00

We are so very fortunate to have Judith Testa, in person, bringing her book to life in her beloved Rome.  I will be among the lucky travelers that will make up this group, as we gather around this fun and funny font of knowledge, and become friends.

Following post by Judith Testa:

There’s a saying, “Roma, non basta una vita,” which means “Rome, a lifetime is not enough.” But even if you don’t have a lifetime to devote to exploring the Eternal City, you can see and experience an amazing amount in a well-organized week, and that’s what Art History Alive promises you.
We’ll take in the astounding sweep of Rome’s art and history, from the emperor Augustus in the first century BC to his 20th-century wannabe, Mussolini. But don’t worry– we won’t rush you around the city all day, every day, merely glancing at monuments before hurrying on to yet another site. Instead, by carefully choosing sites near to one another, we can visit some of Rome’s best-known treasures as well as a couple of its lesser-known gems, and still have time for delicious meals and some hours on your own.
On the day of your arrival, you’ll no doubt want some fresh air and something wonderful to look at, so we’ll ascend the Gianicolo–Rome’s Janiculum Hill– to admire the Acqua Paola, a gorgeous Baroque fountain that overlooks a fabulous panorama of the city.
On subsequent days, we’ll visit the Ara Pacis, the altar dedicated to peace by Rome’s first emperor, Augustus, and then walk around a corner to view a piazza designed for Mussolini. We’ll visit the Pantheon, one of the greatest buildings in the world, once a temple to all the Roman gods and now a church, and just a few streets way, the Baroque church of Sant’ Ignazio, with ceiling paintings that will truly blow you away.

Prosciutto and Melon - A delicious work of art

We’ll also go inside the Colosseum, the huge arena where gladiators and wild animals once fought for the entertainment of the Roman populace. And rather than tramping through the Roman Forum, the seat of the ancient Roman government, we’ll view it from the summit of the Capitoline Hill– the latter re-designed by Michelangelo, and a superb example of High Renaissance city planning.
A visit to the small but interestingly decorated catacombs of St. Priscilla, a site few tourists succeed in finding, will acquaint you with the world of early Christianity as seen through a subterranean “city of the dead.” Medieval Rome will be right on our doorstep, in the form of the church of S. Maria in Trastevere, according to some, the earliest Christian site in Rome, and housing marvelous mosaics and other works of art from various periods.
No visit to Rome would be complete without seeing St. Peter’s, the epitome of High Renaissance grandeur and Baroque splendor. A visit to the Vatican Museums will end in the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings provide one of the most unforgettable experiences in a city full of peak experiences.

ITALY: Educators Delight Summertime

August 15th, 2011

Perfect Proceno Taken From the Castle Tower

Hello Everyone and a special hello to the Art History Alive fans that are educators, administrators and summer vacationers.  This post is all about YOU!  First, let me say THANK YOU  for all that you do, everyday, after school and weekends too.  I have watched my sister work very hard for thirty years.

AHA has quite a few followers that can only vacation in the summer, and they remind me of that fact rather often, as typically I do not plan trips for that time of year.  The trouble is I really don’t care for Europe in the summer for obvious reasons.  So, my attitude, when asked when I will plan a trip for summertime, has always been sort of yeah . . .  but no.

Then, this morning I had a brainstorm, just after receiving my invitation to the annual summer music festival at our castle in southern Tuscany, Castello di Proceno.  The music festival has always sounded wonderful to me, but being that it was in the summer . . . . . see where I am going with this???

But, I have changed my mind, because I can.  So, this is it.  Castle in Tuscany, in July, with a two day concert series performed in the courtyard of the 11th century castle, dressed to the nines, we will nibble on Tuscan treats, sip champagne, and gorgeous local  wines.  Guests come from all over the area to enjoy the beautiful music in this setting, and we will have our rooms in the same!  Anticipating that some of you will not have been to Italy before, and would want to see more than this “ultimate cultural immersion” music festival will provide, I will add to the mix, a few Tuscan hill towns and a day or two in Rome before flying home.

Rome!

This is just an FYI so that you can start planning.  Around September 1, 2011, I will post the entire line up of trips for 2012.  This is just one of the six or seven that we, at AHA, have been working on very hard.  The details of this trip will be posted then; dates, duration and price.  I can tell you now that the group size will be a maximum of 6.  I want to keep this pretty private.  Proceno is tiny,  in a time warp and I don’t want to infringe on that, so we will keep our foot print very small.  In fact, the precious time warp is why I chose this little hamlet in the first place.  Can you imagine the acoustics in this stone hill town?

And then we will go to ROME!

 

TRIP #3 – CAPTURING TUSCANY AND SORRENTO

January 25th, 2011

Our Home in Tuscany, Castello di Proceno

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CAPTURING TUSCANY AND SORRENTO

SEPTEMBER 26 – October 3, 2011 ~ 8 DAYS ~ GROUP SIZE: 6
PRICE PER PERSON: $3,800.00

This is an AHA first, combining two drastically different yet incredibly picturesque areas of Italy.  Your opportunity to get to know the rugged Amalfi Coast and the soft hills of Tuscany, their art, history and as part of a small group of just six.

Tuscany, the land of cobblestoned hill towns, delicious food and wine, and Etruscan history.  Our landing spot will be the tiny hill town of Proceno, in southern Tuscany, and our rooms at Castello di Proceno.

This castle/fortress was built in the 11th century, is perched high up on a rocky spur, and has been creatively redesigned into several beautiful apartments. This is my favorite place in all of Tuscany. Once we check in and relax a bit, we will take a walk around town so that you can get your bearings. The views, in all directions are dreamlike, no, actually they are “calendar-like”. I will introduce you to Pucci and Giovanni, the owners of the castle, Roberto the grocer, where you can buy anything from locally made salami, to bedroom slippers, and Gianfranco, of Trattoria da Gianfranco. The castle will be our home for the next four days.

Some of the must-sees in this area include, the cathedral of Sovana, that took so long to build, it actually spans two architectural periods, hundreds of years apart.  As we sit in the back of the church you will see that two of its three aisles are Romanesque and the third is Gothic. Amazing and totally unique.

WW II Bullet Holes, Cathedral, Pienza

Then there is the hill town hamlet of Pienza that was, luckily for us, caught in a time warp. During the first half of the 1400′s, Pope Pius II, responsible for the revitalization and redesigning of his beloved hometown, was called away to raise troops for a crusade to the Holy Land. He left a Papal Bull, in beautiful Latin, that stated nothing should be touched until his return. Unfortunately, in 1465 he died while away, and Pienza dutifully has left everything just as it was. Because of this, a visit to Pienza gives us a real time snapshot of Tuscan life in the 1400′s. Pienza was miraculously spared during World War II bombing raids, however the machine gun holes in the exterior side wall of the cathedral are a reminder of what happened here when both Germans and Americans took turns occupying Pienza and the surrounding towns. This is a fascinating area with lots to explore, learn, taste and photograph. Brunellos come from these hills, as does a most delicious soft, not salty, pecorino cheese.

Civita di Bagnoregio

And who can be in this area and not visit the most haunting of all hill towns, Civita di Bagnoregio? Not me! Civita sits a top a rock outcrop , built entirely of that same rock, it appears to be something organic that simply grew out of the mountain. However, because of earthquakes over the centuries much of the spur and city have dropped away, leaving Civita sitting like a diamond nestled in a round solitaire setting. There is one approach to the city, a walking bridge that spans the gorge that encircles Civita. Often, in the morning, the city is engulfed in clouds or fog and it appears that the bridge leads to no where. Sometimes the fog fills just the gorge with Civita above as if floating in the sky. This is like nothing else you would have seen up to this point, and you will remember it always. Comfortable walking shoes, your camera, and a hefty appetite are a must for Civita di Bagnoregio.

Saying our goodbyes to Tuscany we will hop the speedy Eurostar to Naples, and onto gorgeous Sorrento. We will stay in Sorrento, at the beautiful Hotel Antiche Mura.  Sorrento, is built high above the Mediterranean on a flat plateau, here you can walk to the edge and look straight

From The Top Of Capri

down the cliff into the warm, see-through water. Here, where centuries ago pirates marauded, we will wander the alleyways, visit Pompeii, and Capri, capturing its spirit.  With all of the fresh seafood, pastas, crispy white wines and frosty limoncello that you can take in, within a picturesque fishing village and with Mt. Vesuvius as a back drop to photograph, you will ask yourself, “Can it get any better than this?” Nope!

Which will be your favorite? Cobblestoned Tuscany, with its full o’flavor wines and where you met the locals and stayed in a castle, or the warm seafront terraces and fishing villages of the Amalfi Coast? These will be ongoing comparisons that may never have a definitive conclusion. As for me, after 20 years of loving these places, I could say it’s like comparing apples and oranges, but it’s not, it’s cobblestones and lemons.

Physical level: Moderate

In General:

AHA is great places to visit, more interesting things to learn, and very small groups. Over the next few weeks I will post a list of recommended reading and movies, destination specific, that will allow you to front load your travel experience.

You will notice that we have added two itineraries that include my absolute favorite places in California.  I hope that some of you will consider touring the best that California has to offer.  I am a fifth generation Californian and would love to show you around.

We are very happy to announce:

The NEW money saving opportunities are on the Specials and Discounts Page. These trips can fill up fast so early booking is important and saves you money.

All trips include: Hotels, all meals and house wines, (well, you don’t have to have wine with breakfast) ground transportation, and museum admissions.