Arrive in Bologna on suggested flights and make your way to the hotel. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including travel insurance (a condition of travel), a private hotel transfer, accommodation before or after the tour and a room category upgrade.

At 18:00, join your tour leader Mairi Nicolson and fellow travellers for a welcome briefing at the hotel followed by dinner.

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This morning, embark on a walking tour of Bologna. See the iconic Two Towers, stroll beneath the magnificent UNESCO-listed porticoes and enter the Basilica di San Petronio, home to Europe’s oldest working organ, dating from 1470. Then, explore the Museo della Musica in Palazzo Sanguinetti, showcasing Rossini’s original manuscripts and Padre Martini’s extraordinary music library.

After lunch, depart Bologna and travel to the musical city of Parma. Check in to the hotel in the mid-afternoon and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.

(BL)

Begin the morning with a talk by Mairi on the coming days’ performances. Then, discover Parma on a walking tour including the Romanesque Duomo, famous for its early 16th-century frescoes painted by Antonio da Correggio, and the medieval Baptistery.

In the afternoon, travel in the footsteps of Verdi, beginning with his birthplace in the village of Le Roncole. Continue to nearby Busseto, where he spent much of his life, and visit Casa Barezzi, the home of Verdi’s father-in-law, who supported him and sponsored his early music career.

This evening, experience Franco Zeffirelli’s opulent production of Aida at the Teatro Giuseppe Verdi, featuring the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini under the baton of Giuseppe Mengoli, with soprano Federica Vitali making her debut in the title role.

(BD)

The morning is at leisure to relax or to explore Parma at your own pace.

This afternoon, step into the intimate world of legendary baritone Renato Bruson, one of Verdi’s greatest interpreters, at his Parma house-museum. View his treasured collection of paintings by Boldini and the Tuscan Macchiaoli, alongside stage costumes and personal memorabilia from a career spanning the Met, La Scala and the Vienna State Opera.

Tonight, attend a new production of Alzira, set in mid-16th-century Peru during the Spanish conquests, at the Teatro Regio di Parma. This rarely performed opera is directed by Manuel Renga and is conducted by American James Conlon, with soprano Marta Torbidoni as Alzira.

(BD)

After a talk by Mairi, discover the culinary specialities of the region with an excursion to Reggio Emilia, where the true traditional balsamic vinegar is carefully aged in wooden barrels for at least twelve years. Then, enjoy lunch in a rural setting before returning to Parma.

In the evening, return to the Teatro Regio for a performance of Nabucco. This new production, staged by Pier Luigi Pizzi, features the Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna under the baton of Francesco Lanzillotta, with acclaimed Mongolian baritone Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar as Nabucco, Russian soprano Lidia Fridman as the formidable Abigaille and bass Michele Pertusi as the prophet Zaccaria.

(BL)

In the morning, depart Parma for Cremona, world-renowned for its exceptional violin-making tradition. Gain a glimpse into the world of the most celebrated violin maker in history at Casa Stradivari, where Antonio Stradivari crafted his instruments from 1667. In a career spanning an incredible 71 years, the renowned luthier made more than 1,000 stringed instruments.

After lunch, continue to Milan, arriving in the late-afternoon. The evening is at leisure.

(BL)

This morning, visit the vast Ansaldo Workshops, where the stage sets for all the performances at La Scala are crafted and painted and where some 800 to 1,000 new costumes are sewn for each season.

The afternoon is at leisure to relax or further explore Milan at your own pace.

Tonight, enjoy an early dinner followed by the opening night of Gounod’s Faust at La Scala. Conductor Daniele Rustioni and director Johannes Erath unveil a stunning new production featuring tenor Vittorio Grigolo as Faust, acclaimed soprano Marina Rebeka as Marguerite and baritone Alex Esposito as Méphistophélès.

(BD)

In the morning, enjoy a private, backstage tour of the Teatro alla Scala. The world-famous opera house has an illustrious history with premieres of Italy’s foremost composers, and appearances of the world’s leading singers and conductors.

After lunch, the remainder of the afternoon and evening is at leisure.

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Depart Milan and travel to the picturesque city of Vicenza, shaped by the visionary 16th-century architect Andrea Palladio.

The afternoon is at leisure to rest or wander the intimate piazzas and Renaissance quarters of the UNESCO-listed city.

The Vicenza Opera Festival experience starts tonight with an exclusive gala dinner at the sumptuous Villa Valmarana ai Nani with special access to Maestro Iván Fischer. Then, enjoy a chamber music concert by musicians of the Budapest Festival Orchestra in this incredible setting, amidst 18th-century frescoes by Giambattista and Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo.

(BLD)

Today, set out for Verona. Discover the city’s layered history on a guided tour of the historic centre. Piazza delle Erbe, the city’s oldest square and bustling heart, features vibrant market stalls and frescoed Renaissance buildings framing the imposing Lamberti Tower. Nearby, the charming Piazza dei Signori provides a peaceful retreat from the crowds.

After lunch, visit the crown jewel of the city, the magnificent Arena di Verona, an amphitheatre dating to the 1st century AD when Verona was one of the great cities of Roman North Italy. Once the venue for gladiatorial battles, the arena now plays host to magnificent operas and concerts in the summer season.

Return to Vicenza in the late-afternoon and enjoy the evening at leisure.

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After a talk by Mairi, join Count Nicolò Valmarana, the current owner of Villa La Rotonda, for a private tour of Palladio’s most admired masterpiece. Completed in 1605, the UNESCO-listed villa showcases four identical porticoes beneath a soaring dome. Inside, elegant rooms adorned with frescoes culminate in an impressive rotunda bathed in light. This Renaissance icon inspired buildings worldwide, from the White House to neoclassical estates across Europe.

After lunch, the remainder of the afternoon is at leisure until this evening’s performance with the Budapest Festival Orchestra under the baton of maestro Iván Fischer at Palladio’s historic Teatro Olimpico.

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This morning, embark on a walking tour of Vicenza. Discover the majestic Basilica Palladiana dominating Piazza dei Signori, the elegant Loggia del Capitaniato and the refined Palazzo Chiericati.

Afterwards, celebrate the conclusion of the tour with a special farewell lunch with Mairi and fellow travellers.

Tonight, return to Teatro Olimpico for a performance of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, featuring the Budapest Festival Orchestra conducted by Iván Fischer.

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Tour arrangements conclude with an included morning group transfer to Venice Airport for flights departing from 15:00. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including any additional nights’ accommodation either before or after the tour and travel insurance (a condition of travel).

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