PALERMO & NAPLES ART, HISTORY AND CULTURE IN ITALY’S SOUTHERN CAPITALS JANUARY 9-22, 2018 TOUR LEADER: ROBERT VEEL

Overview For centuries Italy’s southern capitals, Palermo and Naples, have seduced travellers through their blend of ancient and modern cultures that is both sophisticated and exhilarating. From the inspiring ruins of ancient Greek temples to the blend of east and west in art and architecture and even in the sheer chaos of the traffic, one feels alive in the South. Our 14-day tour of Palermo, Naples and surrounding attractions will appeal to travellers looking for an in-depth treatment of Mediterranean history, art and architecture. Over 3,000 years of civilization is on offer, ranging from classical Greece to the Roman Empire, the complex interaction of Muslim and Christian rulers in the modern age and the ‘southern Renaissance’ of the 18th century, when the discovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum and the Grand Tour during the period of Bourbon rule made Naples a major European centre of culture. Through background talks and a carefully thought-out program of walking tours, archaeological site visits, museums and galleries, you will get to understand what Palermo and Naples have to offer in a meaningful and enjoyable way. The structured part of the tour is complemented by free time to relax, observe the everyday life of the locals and explore independently. Performances at major opera houses and some excellent dining round out the experience. Accommodation is in centrally-located four-star hotels, conveniently situated for both sightseeing and relaxation. The tour takes place in the low season, when the weather is mild but visitor numbers are low, ensuring easy access to all sites.

Your tour leader Robert Veel has 20 years’ experience designing and leading educational travel programs and is a director of Academy Travel. He has designed and led many tours to Italy, Turkey, the United States and Scandinavia, as well as travelling to Asia, North Africa, the Middle East, Russia and Canada. Robert's special interest is in Italian medieval and Renaissance history. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Education from the

University of Sydney, where he taught for many years. ‘Robert Veel was every traveller’s dream leader. Ever-present to be of assistance, energetic, enthusiastic and entertaining in his talks – a true professional.’ Feedback from Academy Travel’s New York: Music, Theatre, Art & Food tour, April 2016

PALERMO AND NAPLES ART, HISTORY AND CULTURE IN ITALY’S SOUTHERN CAPITALS

Tour dates: January 9-22, 2018

Tour leader: Robert Veel

Tour Price: $6,450 per person, twin share

Single Supplement: $1,150 for sole use of double room

Booking deposit: $500 per person

Recommended airline: Emirates

Maximum places: 20

Itinerary: Palermo (6 nights), Naples (6 nights)

Date published: September 12, 2017

Enquiries and bookings

For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Kathy Wardrop at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email kathy@academytravel.com.au

This tour is run in association with ADFAS Travel

Tour Highlights

ARCHAEOLOGICAL TREASURES The ancient Greeks had established a network of colonies and trading ports up and down the coast of southern Italy. Visit the key sites including Paestum, the best-preserved of these Greek settlements in the region and Herculaneum, smaller and less visited, but well preserved with mosaics, paintings and even wooden architecture and furniture still to be found in situ.

GLITTERING MONREALE Monreale's splendid cathedral and abbey are lavishly decorated with colourful mosaics depicting events from the Old and New Testaments. After the Norman conquest of Sicily, the new princes showcased their ambitions through monumental building projects. The result was a glorious fusion of Eastern and Western influences, widely regarded as the finest example of Norman architecture in Sicily.

CAPODIMONTE The grandiose 18th-century Neoclassical Bourbon royal palace, located in the hills above Naples, houses a remarkable collection of fine and decorative art. Once a royal hunting lodge, the palace is today a world-class art gallery, containing paintings by Raphael, Titian, El Greco and Botticelli, as well as fine examples of Neapolitan silver and majolica ceramics.

THE LEOPARD ‘Sicily is the key to Italy’, Goethe once wrote, and one novel is the key to Sicily: The Leopard, Prince Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's masterpiece that traces the rise and fall of Sicily’s aristocracy. Tour the authors home, an 18th century palazzo overlooking the seafront of Palermo. Meet the writer’s nephew and adopted son, Gioacchino Lanza Tomasi and his wife Nicoletta, the current Duchess of Palma.

NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM Italy’s most important archaeological museum is housed in a fine Bourbon building in the heart of Naples. Containing a wealth of paintings, mosaics, sculptures and everyday objects from Pompeii, Herculaneum and the Bay of Naples. It also houses the ‘Farnese collection’, Roman works assembled in the Renaissance by the aristocratic Farnese family and acquired through marriage by the Bourbons.

Detailed itinerary Included meals are shown with the letters B, L and D.

Tuesday January 9 Arrival

Passengers arriving or staying in Rome fly to Palermo on an afternoon domestic flight. Meet tour leader Robert Veel on arrival at Palermo airport to commence the tour. Transfer together by coach to the hotel in Palermo. After checking in and time to freshen up, take an orientation tour of our neighbourhood. There is a light dinner near the hotel tonight. Overnight at the Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa, Palermo (D)

Wednesday January 10 Sicily’s ancient heritage

As one of the most important sites of ancient Greek colonisation, the island preserves some of the best Greek art and architecture to be found. This morning we travel by coach to nearby Segesta, the home of the elusive Elymian people, who built a beautiful temple in the Greek style. The theatre here, oriented towards the sea, and the atmospheric ruins have inspired generations of travellers and artists. After a welcome lunch at a nearby baglio, one of the grand feudal estates that still dot Sicily, we return to Palermo. Overnight Palermo (B, L)

Thursday January 11 Norman brilliance

The Arab-Norman dynasty of Sicily, cousins of the Normans in England, were among the most sophisticated rulers of medieval Europe. In Palermo they created a tolerant and sophisticated society that was a marvel of Christendom and Islamic territories alike. Today we begin our survey of Palermo’s Norman sites at the La Martorana. Although this small church was subsequently redecorated in the Baroque style, some of its mosaics still show Roger II and donor George of Antioch, the king’s naval commander. At Palermo Cathedral we find the massive sarcophagi of a number of the Sicilian monarchs, their heavy porphyry mass a direct statement about imperial ambition. The power, knowledge and wealth of the kings are no more evident than at Roger II’s Palatine Chapel, a jewel of a structure inside the Norman Palace. Its Byzantine mosaics glitter amongst ceiling paintings and stone carvings that reflect the Arabic style of its Muslim craftsmen. After a coach transfer back to the hotel, we meet for an evening talk. Overnight Palermo (B)

Friday January 12 In William II’s Palermo

Roger II’s grandson, William II, grew up in the power struggles of the Norman dynasty. He created a visual metaphor for his power through the construction of Monreale’s massive cathedral, with its kilos and kilos of gold mosaics telling the story of his divine right to rule. The cathedral’s exquisite carved cloister is a masterpiece of Arab-Norman craftsmanship.

Above: the Doric temple of Segesta Below: the spectacular interior of the church of La Martorana, which is covered by a series of 12th century mosaics

Above: Christ the Pantocrator, both judge and compassionate ruler, is one of Roger’s most powerful commissions found in the Cathedral-Basilica of Cefalù; the beautiful harbour of Cefalù Below: Antonello da Messina’s exquisite Virgin Annunciate held at Palazzo Abatellis

Returning to Palermo, we visit La Zisa, the Norman’s summer palace, completed during the reign of William II. The palace has a thoroughly Moorish feel to it, and was surrounded by extensive gardens. It now holds a small but excellent Islamic museum. Overnight Palermo (B)

Saturday January 13 Cefalù

Today we take a day trip to Cefalù, visiting the cathedral and cloister built by Roger II to give thanks for a miraculous escape from shipwreck. But the cathedral is also a statement of Roger’s difficult relationship with Europe’s other rulers, who refused to acknowledge his ascendancy. The giant mosaic here of Christ the Pantocrator, both judge and compassionate ruler, is one of Roger’s most powerful commissions. After a visit to the Museo Mandralisca, a quirky museum that preserves an important portrait by Antonello da Messina, we have a group lunch in one of the town’s seaside restaurants. We return to Palermo via Bagheria’s Villa Palagonia. Now part of Palermo’s suburbs, Bagheria was once a peaceful retreat for the upper classes, and the frightening baroque sculptures at the villa were created for the Prince of Palagonia. This evening we attend an opera at the historic Teatro Massimo (schedule permitting). Overnight Palermo (B, L)

Sunday January 14 La Kalsa: Palermo’s Arabic heart

Palermo’s Al-Khalesa (“the Chosen”) quarter was the Sicilian emirate’s administrative centre from 831 to the Norman conquest in 1072. Earthquakes and World War II bombing mean that ruins still dot this quarter, but it is also home to some of the best-preserved medieval palaces in the city. We start our visit at Palazzo Abatellis, a wonderful regional museum that preserves Antonello da Messina’s exquisite Virgin Annunciate, along with Renaissance sculptures and a large fresco that shows the Grim Reaper’s Triumph of Death over the unsuspecting. We stroll through the neighbourhood, visiting Santa Maria dello Spasimo, an evocative 16th-century church that was damaged by an earthquake and never rebuilt; the nearby Magione was built ca 1190 by Matthew Aiello, William II’s powerful chancellor, and housed a Teutonic order of knights. After a break for lunch at the Antica Focacceria di San Francesco, established in 1834, there is free time for shopping or leisure. In the evening there is an optional visit to a traditional Sicilian puppet show (the opra dei pupi), schedules permitting. Overnight Palermo (B)

Monday January 15 The Leopard in Palermo

This morning we trace the life of Prince Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. He is the key chronicler of the rise and fall of Sicily’s aristocracy, most particularly in his celebrated The Leopard – both celebration of and elegy to Sicily’s feudal past. His last home in Palermo was in Via Butera, overlooking the port. We visit the palace today to meet with the writer’s nephew and adopted son, Gioacchino Lanza Tomasi (reputedly the

inspiration for The Leopard’s Tancredi) and his wife Nicoletta, the current Duchess of Palma. The family home conserves an important collection of Tomasi di Lampedusa memorabilia, including manuscripts of his works – most of which were only published posthumously. Our next stop is the lively Vucciria market, celebrated by Peter Robb in his book, Midnight in Sicily. We depart Palermo by ferry this evening for an overnight voyage to Naples, with a light dinner onboard. Overnight Ferry to Naples (B, D)

Tuesday January 16 Naples’ ancient roots

Upon arrival to Naples we head to the hotel to drop our luggage and have breakfast. We then spend the morning in Naples’s magnificent National Archaeological Museum, a treasure trove of staggering artefacts, such as wall-paintings, mosaics, statuary and everyday household objects dug up at various ancient sites on the Bay of Naples. After our guided visit, we walk down through central Naples to enjoy a traditional pizza lunch in the heart of the city. In the afternoon, we visit the Naples Cathedral and treasury, still the repository of many precious objects (and much local lore) connected with the miraculous life of 4th-century bishop Januarius. The annual liquefaction of his blood is still an important ritual for Neapolitans. At Napoli Sotterranea, we go underground and come face to face with the ancient city. There is a talk this evening. Overnight at the Hotel Palazzo Alabardieri, Naples (B, L)

Wednesday January 17 The Greeks in Italy

We leave Naples early this morning for a day trip to Paestum and the Amalfi Coast. Paestum was an important colony for the Greeks in southern Italy (or Magna Graecia, “Greater Greece”), and its temples are better preserved than those in mainland Greece. But the local Lucanians and the Roman settlers also made an impact here and the site’s Archaeological Museum has a wonderful collection of paintings, jewellery and sarcophagi. The celebrated Tomb of the Diver may be our only surviving example of Greek fresco painting, and it is a wonderful meditation on the possibility of life beyond death. After a visit to a local farm to sample mozzarella di bufala, the buffalo-milk mozzarella that is a regional specialty, we continue on to the Amalfi Coast. The spectacular limestone cliffs here meet a crystal-clear sea, providing an unforgettable experience. We return to Naples in the evening. Overnight Naples (B, L)

Thursday January 18 The Angevin Renaissance

Naples’ strategic importance for the Italian peninsula and the Mediterranean Sea made it a constant target for invaders. The Anjou rulers, originally from France, based themselves in Naples after they were forced out of Sicily in the Sicilian Vespers uprising of 1282. A number of Angevin monarchs left a strong mark on the city and encouraged a cultural flourishing:

Boccaccio and Giotto both worked here, for example. We visit San Giovanni a Carbonara, an Augustinian church built just outside the city walls in the 14th-century. Its medieval chapels preserve wonderful Gothic sculpture. We continue to San Martino, a spectacularly sited Carthusian monastery, now a museum. After time for lunch, we stroll around the grandiose complex, with its eccentric collection of objects – from Bourbon carriages to a fine collection of presepi, traditional Nativity scenes. We take the funicular back down to the centre, where we visit San Domenico Maggiore, the intellectual heart of the Angevin Renaissance. There is an option of continuing to the Maschio Angioino an imposing medieval fortress. Its grim exterior is now relieved by an elaborate Renaissance portal. Overnight Naples (B)

Friday January 19 Rediscovering the ancient cities

During the Enlightenment, Naples was ruled by the Bourbon dynasty, who also became rulers of Spain. They were deeply interested in the antiquities that surrounded them, hiring architects and engineers to excavate significant sites, and encouraging the collecting impulse of intellectuals and aesthetes such as Sir William Hamilton. We begin with a brief stop at the Royal Palace at Portici, built particularly to display the archaeological finds from Pompeii and Herculaneum. At Herculaneum, our local guide takes us on a tour of the well-preserved houses, shops and public buildings, many of them with their wall-paintings and even wooden elements intact. With its replanted gardens and contained layout Herculaneum is in many ways a more attractive site than world-famous Pompeii, and visited by far fewer people. This afternoon, we take our coach to Mount Vesuvius and – weather-permitting – climb to the summit for wonderful views over the Bay of Naples and into the crater. This evening we hope to attend an opera at the magnificent Teatro San Carlo (schedule permitting). Overnight Naples (B)

Saturday January 20 Painting in Naples, 1200-1700

We spend this morning at Capodimonte, located in the vast former hunting lodge of the Bourbon King Charles VII. Capodimonte now houses Naples’ most important fine arts museum, with masterpieces by Tuscans Simone Martini, Masaccio and Botticelli, alongside works by Mantegna, Bellini, Titian and Raphael. The strongly Hispano-Flemish taste of the Spanish viceroys is also reflected in works by Caravaggio, De Ribera (known in Naples as the “Spagnoletto”) and El Greco. There is ample time to wander in the extensive park – with a beautiful view over Naples – visit the lavish royal apartments, or spend more time in the magnificent art collection. Overnight Naples (B)

Images clockwise from top left: the lively Vucciria market, celebrated by Peter Robb in his book Midnight in Sicily; view of Mount Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples; shops and houses of all kinds once opened onto the bustling streets of Herculaneum; the stunning Teatro San Carlo; the striking limestone cliffs of the Amalfi coastline; the power of sites like Herculaneum lies in the window they provide on people just like us, living in the ancient world

Sunday January 21 In Spaccanapoli with Caravaggio

We continue our examination of Naples’ fine art culture with a day dedicated to Caravaggio and his milieu. The “bad boy” of the High Renaissance fled here after legal run-ins in Rome and Genoa. His upper-class patrons respected the dramatic impact of his finely polished paintings as much as they fretted over his friendships with criminals and prostitutes! At the Pio Monte della Misericordia, we admire Caravaggio’s The Seven Works of Mercy, one of his most complex and powerful works. It is still displayed alongside the works commissioned at the same time, giving us an insight into his reception by Neapolitan contemporaries. The nearby Quadreria dei Girolamini also focuses on the 17th-century, with many works by the city’s tightly-knit artists’ clique, including paintings by the Cavalier d’Arpino, Jusepe de Ribera and the Caravaggesque Battistello Caracciolo. After a break for lunch we visit the Cappella Sansevero, which preserves Giuseppe Sanmartino’s awe-inspiring Veiled Christ, a tour-de-force of the tactile possibilities of hard marble, and the majolica cloister of Santa Chiara. Our final stop is the Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano, where the highlight is one of Caravaggio’s last works, The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula. We meet for our farewell dinner in the small port of Santa Lucia. Overnight Naples (B, D)

Monday January 22 Departure

After a morning check-out, there is a coach transfer to Fiumicino airport for those on late afternoon or early evening flights. Depending on participants’ onward travel plans, the coach may continue into central Rome. (B)

Hotels Hotels have been selected principally for their central location. Both hotels are excellent 4-star properties that are renovated palazzi. Palermo, Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa (6 nights)

Set in central Palermo, just 400 metres from the Baroque square of Quattro Canti. The hotel features an ancient cloister that is used as a venue for concerts and other events. www.piazzaborsa.it

Naples, Hotel Palazzo Alabardieri (6 nights) Located in the heart of Naples, in the fashionable Chiaia neighbourhood, the hotel is a short walk from the Basilica di San Francesco and the Royal Palace. www.palazzoalabardieri.it

Images right: Caravaggio’s powerful The Flagellation of Christ; Giuseppe Sanmartino’s awe-inspiring Veiled Christ; view of Mount Vesuvius from the

small port of Santa Lucia near the ramparts of Castel dell'Ovo in Naples

Tour Price The tour price is $6,450 per person, twin share (land content only). The supplement for a single room is $1,150 per person. A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is required to secure a place on the tour.

Tour Inclusions Included in the tour price

12 nights’ accommodation in carefully selected four-star hotels

Breakfasts daily, plus lunches and dinners as noted in the itinerary

One-way economy class airfare Rome to Palermo One-way overnight ferry Palermo to Naples Land travel by air-conditioned coach Extensive background notes Background talks Services of an Australian tour leader throughout tour All entrance fees to sites mentioned on itinerary Qualified local guides where appropriate Porterage of one piece of luggage at all hotels Tips for all services included in the itinerary

Not included

International air fares, taxes and surcharges (see below) Travel insurance Meals not mentioned in itinerary Expenses of a personal nature

Air travel OPTIONS The tour price quoted is for land content only. For this tour we recommend Emirates which offers flights to Rome from most Australian cities. Please contact us for further information on competitive Economy, Business and First Class airfares. Transfers between airport and hotel are included for all passengers booking their flights through Academy Travel. These may be group or individual transfers.

Enquiries & bookings For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Kathy Wardrop at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email kathy@academytravel.com.au

Weather on Tour January is a great time for cultural travel to Southern Italy. There are few tourists and positively no sun seekers around, with very few queues for major monuments. Temperatures are cool in the morning (around 3-6 degrees), usually warming up to 12-18 degrees in the day. Rainfall is not heavy – it is reasonable to expect light rain on 3-4 days only.

Fitness Requirements of THIS tour

GRADE TWO

It is important both for you and for your fellow travellers that you are fit enough to be able to enjoy all the activities on this tour. To give you an indication of the level of physical fitness required to participate on our tours, we have given them a star grading. Academy Travel’s tours tend to feature extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater fitness than coach touring. We ask you to carefully consider your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour.

Participation criteria for this tour

This Grade Two tour is designed for people who lead active lives and can comfortably participate in up to five hours of physical activity per day on most days, including longer walking tours, challenging archaeological sites, climbing stairs, embarking and disembarking trains and/or boats, and a more demanding tour schedule with one night stops or several internal flights. You should be able to: keep up with the group at all times walk for 4-5 kilometres at a moderate pace with only

short breaks stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and

museums tolerate uncomfortable climatic conditions such as cold,

humidity and heat walk up and down slopes negotiate steps and slopes on archaeological sites,

which are often uneven and unstable get on and off a large coach with steep stairs, train or

boat unassisted, possibly with luggage move your luggage a short distance if required

A note for older travellers

If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, it is highly likely that you will find this itinerary challenging. You will have to miss several activities and will not get the full value of the tour. Your booking will not be accepted until after you have contacted Academy Travel to discuss your situation and the exact physical requirements of this tour. While we will do our best to reasonably accommodate the physical needs of all group members, we reserve the right to refuse bookings if we feel that the requirements of the tour are too demanding for you and/or if local conditions mean we cannot reasonably accommodate your condition.