THE BEST OF ITALY & SICILY - 2010

16 days incl. travel, or 15 days from Rome to Rome (ZL)

Return to Italy Escorted Tours

Vacation Overview

This vacation is ideal for exploring mainland Italy, the Isle of Capri, and Sicily. In Rome, Florence, and Venice, guided sightseeing highlight St. Peter’s, the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, Michelangelo’s David, St. Mark’s Basilica, Doges’ Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs. Stop in Ravenna to see the mosaics at the Basilica of St. Apollinaris in Classe and admire St. Francis’ Basilica in Assisi. After visiting the excavation of Pompeii, board the overnight ferry to Sicily. Here, visit Palermo’s Palatine Chapel and the Norman Cathedral in Monreale, the spectacular Valley of Temples, and the 4th-century Roman Villa of Casale. Ferry across the Strait of Messina to Calabria, then head north for two nights in Sorrento. An included visit to the Isle of Capri features a boat ride across the Bay of Naples and funicular ride to Capri village.

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Extend Your Vacation in Sorrento (ZLE)

Things to see on your vacation: View Vacation Photo Slideshow

A Vacation Story La Piazza Della Signoria

"What’s the best vantage point to ponder the most illustrious town square in Florence, the Signoria? An outdoor table in the venerable Caffè Rivoire – preferably over a delicious, if not painfully expensive cioccolata con pane, a dark and mud-thick hot chocolate. Late at night, when the crowds have gone, you can search the long shadows and imagine that very little has changed here since the 1400s. The Signoria is the most elegant sculpture garden in Europe. Masterpieces include the splendid Neptune Fountain by Ammannati, Hercules and Cacus by Bandinelli and a precise copy of Michelangelo’s David, all strategically poised in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. This grand public space has been the centerpiece of Florence since the 15th Century, the golden age when the city was established as the most beautiful in Europe. Eminent merchants in their ostentatious finery met here to discuss business in the midst of Florence’s raucous daily life."