Discover Italy…...

The Gardens of Venice, Lake Como and Tuscany

May 10-23, 2014

La dolce vita (the sweet life) describes the intimate magic of

Italy. Join Illinois Master Gardener Coordinator Monica Da-vid and other garden enthusiasts as we experience “the

sweet life” by visiting glorious gardens in Venice, Verona, the Italian Lakes, Tuscany and Florence. We will visit en-

chanting villas and their gardens as well as the beautiful scenery of Lake Como, the romantic sites in Verona and the

outstanding gardens of Lucca and Tuscany. Travelers can enjoy historic sites as well as free time to visit charming

shops and the opportunity to sample the cuisine of Italy.

Travel will be coordinated by travel consultant Robyn Gul-strom. Robyn has worked in the travel business for 30 years

and specializes in trips with a garden theme.

Travelers will enjoy a well-planned, organized trip. Arrange-

ments for ground transportation in Italy, garden admis-sions, some meals and all hotel reservations will be made

for you.

Just grab some comfortable walking shoes, your camera and plenty of energy to see the best of the gardens of

Northern and Central Italy– we will be traveling during the height of spring flowering.

DAY 1—SATURDAY, MAY 10 Meet at Chicago O’Hare airport for our flight Venice. Meals

will be served on the plane.

May 10 Travel

May 11 Venice

May 12 Venice

May 13 Venice

May 14 Verona

May 15 Lake Como-

Bellagio

May 16 Lake Como

May 17 Bellagio

May 18 Bellagio-

Tuscany

May 19 Tuscany

May 20 Tuscany

May 21 Lucca– Florence

May 22 Florence

May 23 Travel

DAY 2– SUNDAY, MAY 11 On arrival in Venice we will take a private boat with a short orientation tour of the Grand Canal to our

hotel. Welcome dinner this evening.

Hotel: Belle Arti or similar http://www.hotelbelleartivenice.com

DAY 3– MONDAY, MAY 12

Breakfast at the hotel. We will have a morning

tour of Venice and it’s secret gardens. Venice is not famous for gardens, however, it actually has

over 500 large and smaller ones hidden behind high walls along the alleys and canals of the city.

This tour takes us to discover some of the most interesting and beautiful privately owned gar-

dens.

Afternoon at leisure to explore Venice.

Hotel: Belle Arti or similar

DAY 4– TUESDAY, MAY 13 Breakfast at the hotel.

Villa Barbarigo Pizzoni Ardemani is well-known as a remarkable Baroque gar-den, with statuary, amazing water works, a stepped rosary and even a Boxwood

labyrinth. Originally commissioned in 1669 by Zuane Francesco Barbarigo, the villa was once accessible by canal from Venice. The garden was a place for medical

and botanical research as well as mechanical and hydraulic innovations.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

Next up is a visit to Villa Emo– a beautiful garden

with not only a strong design structure but unusual to Italy—the garden is full of flowers. Hornbeam

tunnels, clipped hedges, avenues of evergreen magnolias, herbaceous borders and vibrant

rosebeds are all immaculately maintained. Built in 1588 and attributed to Vincenzo Scamozzi, a pupil

of Palladio, the villa was restored in 1966 by

Comtessa Emo and her daughter. The villa is now owned by the regional bank. Dinner at leisure.

Hotel: Belle Arti or similar

DAY 5 - WEDNESDAY MAY 14 After breakfast at our hotel, we travel the beautiful countryside to visit Verona, home of the star crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet.

We will visit Giardino Guisti in Verona. Set on

a steep hillside behind the Villa courtyard, the garden with its ale of cypresses leads through a

gateway to an underground grotto and a high

belvedere. Up top citrus and pomegranates grow on terraces, while below formal box hedg-

es, lemons in pots and fountains abound. There are unspoilt views to the Tyrol Alps and across

the Po to Mantua. Laid out in the 1570s this is one of northern Italy’s oldest gardens and is

much visited.

Lunch at leisure. Afternoon at leisure to explore the historic and romantic sites of Verona. Dinner included.

Hotel: Giulietta e Romeo or similar

http://www.giuliettaeromeo.it/index.cfm?lang=en

DAY 6– THURSDAY MAY 15 Breakfast at the hotel.

We head towards the Italian Lakes with a visit to

Villa Allegri Arvedi near Verona first. This gar-den is a 17th century Veneto garden which is al-

most intact. The villa is set upon a broad terrace at the foot of a wooded hillside. From the balcony

the panorama is overwhelming; swirling boxwood (original to the 17th century) with a central basin and clipped cypress. The es-

tate also boasts a lovely grotto and a Baroque chapel dedicated to San Carlo Borromeo.

Lunch on the Autostrada on our way to Lake Como where we

will visit Villa Carlotta. The house was built in 1745 by Mar-quis Clerci with a landing stage on Lake Como from which

steps and terrace ascend. A romantic landscape garden was

made by the Duke of Sachsen Meiningen in the 19th century and it has become a botanic garden with rhododendrons, azal-

eas, magnolias and tree ferns.

Dinner included.

Hotel: Lenno or similar http://albergolenno.com

DAY 7– FRIDAY MAY 16 Breakfast at the hotel. Full day trip by local ferry to-day. Our first stop is Villa Monastero. Situated on

the junction of lakes Lecco and Como this villa was built in the 13th century as a convent. In the 16th

century it was converted to a residence and the subse-quent owners embellished the gardens. The garden is

know for its Mediterranean and tropical vegetation as

well as fountains, pavilions and statuary and other or-namentation.

Ferry to Bellagio. Lunch at leisure in Bellagio.

Next we will visit Villa Melzi, a charming lakeside

garden on the shores of Lake Como which is planted with both natives trees and shrubs and exotics. Camel-

lias, rhododendrons, giant redwoods, Japanese maples and outstanding sculpture all grace this lovely bit of

paradise.

Dinner at Isola Comacino (included).

Hotel: Lenno or similar

DAY 8– SATURDAY MAY 17 Breakfast at the hotel. Two hour cruise around Lake Como. Afternoon at leisure.

Why not visit Villa Balbianello or take the local trombetta train to Menaggio or visit the town of Lake Como to shop.

Dinner at leisure.

Hotel: Lenno or similar

DAY 9– SUNDAY MAY 18 Breakfast at the hotel. Full day of driving through the glorious Italian countryside to

Tuscany. Stop on the Autostrada for morning tea

and lunch.

Dinner on arrival.

Hotel: Villa Pitiana or similar http://www.villapitiana.com/it/index.php

DAY 10– MONDAY MAY 19 After breakfast, we head out to visit two gardens– one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Villa Gamberaia

is one of the most celebrated Italian villas and the gar-den has been considered a masterpiece by leading land-

scape architects and garden historians from around the world. The garden has gone through multiple changes

including adding fountains, box hedges, topiary shapes,

pools, and yew pillars.

Lunch included.

Our second garden is Villa Le Balze. Internationally recognized as Georgetown's Study Center in Florence, the villa provides eligible college students the opportuni-

ty to study abroad for a semester, year, or summer. Designed by Pinsent in 1912 the main garden has four compartments and includes a grotto designed to resem-

ble a Renaissance garden. Eye catchers such as urns, statutes and niches attract the eye in this garden and encourage exploration.

Dinner included.

Hotel: Villa Pitiana or similar DAY 11– TUESDAY MAY 20 Breakfast at the hotel.

Our first stop is a charming country home surround-

ed by red poppies in season- Villa Chigi Cetinale. The villa, expanded in the 17th century to become a

symbol of power and prestige of the famous banking Chigi family, has with its gardens been immaculately

restored and enriched by Lord Lambton and Mrs. Ward over the last 20 years. The garden is arranged

along a straight axis defined by cypress and passes through a monumental gateway to the villa.

A visit to Castello Brolio will be one of the highlights of the trip. The impressive

castle dominates the southern Chianti Classico countryside and has done so for over ten centuries. Located on top of an isolated hill the castle has Lombardi ori-

gins and has been property of the Ricasoli family since 1141. The castle has a

small museum and lovely gardens but today is most popular for its winery and wine tasting. Barone Ricasoli Winery is the oldest winery in Italy and is believed to

be the second oldest in the world. In 1872 Baron Bettino Ricasoli, known as the "Iron Baron", wrote the formula for Chianti Classico wine which he developed after

more than 30 years of research.

Hotel: Villa Pitiana or similar

DAY 12-WEDNESDAY MAY 21 Today after breakfast we journey to the charming town of Lucca. We will have a guide escort us on a walking tour of Lucca. Lunch included in Lucca.

This afternoon we will visit Villa Reale Marlia, con-

sidered one of the most beautiful Baroque gardens in Italy. The Villa built in 1651 was originally called Vil-

la Marilla and was later owned by Napoleon Bona-

parte’s sister. The arrival of the British in 1814 as-sured that the 17th century gardens survived. The

garden is showcased by a green amphitheater of yew and box; a huge semicircular fountain with stat-

utes of the Greek Gods; the Grotto of Pan and a topiary stage.

Dinner at leisure.

Hotel: Adler Cavialieri or similar

http://www.hoteladlercavalieri.com/

DAY 13– THURSDAY MAY 22 Breakfast at the hotel. Morning walking tour of Florence with the afternoon at leisure to explore

the sites of Florence. Perhaps you might visit the cathedral, the museums, other historic sites or

stroll the city to shop.

Farewell dinner included.

Hotel: Adler Cavialieri or similar

DAY 14– FRIDAY MAY 23 Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for the airport and our flight back to the US.

THE DETAILS Price per person is $3979 in a twin share. Single supplement is $800. The trip is limited to 25.

To place a deposit or for information contact Robyn Gulstrom at 269-629-9248 or rgulstrom@comcast.net

Your University of Illinois tour host is Monica David. 217-265-5256 or modavid@illinois.edu

If a garden visit or other planned activity is not available, a suitable alternative will be provided.