8-Nights Tuscany, Cinque Terre & The Lake District Package

Florence

The creative explosion of the Italian Renaissance happened right here, leaving petite Florence more art treasures than most national capitals. View the masterworks of local heroes like Michelangelo and Botticelli, visit countless unforgettable basilicas, then climb up into Brunelleschi's soaring dome to watch the sun set among cypress-clad Tuscan hillsides.

Milan

Milan is a city that arouses extreme feelings, just like the city lifestyle. A frenetic, restless rhythm is part of both work and leisure, so much so that it is difficult to stay unmoved and not get overwhelmed by all the cultural and social stimulus. Maybe for this reason, Milan makes itself indispensable, because it is impossible to feel so alive and full of energy when you are away from the city. Milan is always one step ahead: a laboratory of artistic experiments and a building site for social behavior that is continuously changing. City full of contradictions, ancient and modern, trends and counter-trends, fashion and underground, middle class and working class, but always simply “cool”.

Stresa

This summer and winter holiday resort in the province of Novara is situated on the west side of Lake Maggiore on the slopes of Mount Mottarone, looking out over the Borromeo islands. The lakeside is very attractive, with a wide avenue of trees and flowerbeds, lined with hotels and villas set amongst trees. From here you have a panoramic view of the Borromeo islands. The avenue opens out on to Piazza Marconi, overlooked by the neoclassical church of Sant’Ambrogio, designed by Zanoia and built in 1790. It has a single nave and contains seventeenth century paintings by local artists and nineteenth century sculptures by Somaini. Beyond the piazza lies the Villa Ducale which was built within a beautiful park in 1770 and at one time belonged to the philosopher Antonio Rosmini who died there in 1855. It is now a study centre dedicated to Rosmini and contains mementoes and rare editions. Rosmini College, founded in 1852, is in Viale Marconi. The church has Rosmini’s tomb and a monument to him by Vela. Stresa also hosts national and international conferences and congresses which are held in the modern Palazzo dei Congressi.

Rapallo

Rapallo is well known in Europe as a main tourist resort area. Offering the typically idyllic Mediterranean climate, it is a perfect place to relax and soak up the essence of Italy.

Pistoia

Situated in a charming position at the foot of the Apennines, Pistoia is the administrative capital of its province and an important agricultural and industrial centre (Breda), rich of monuments bearing witness of its mediaeval flourishing-period. The Dome Square is on itself an incomparable artistic example of the XIIIth, XIVth and XVth century, with the Cathedral containing a very precious silver altar dedicated to S.Jacopo by various artists of the XIIth and XIVth century, the Campanile, and old longobard guard-tower, the Baptistry by Giovanni Pisano, the Townhall Palace (1294) and Palazzo Pretorio. Very interesting also the other manuments among which particularly worth seeing the churches of S.Giovanni Fuorcivitas (XII century) with pulpit by Frà Guglielmo (1270), a Visitation by Della Robbia and a holy-water font by Giovanni Piano, S.Pier Maggiore, S.Andrea (XII century) containing the famous pulpit by Giovanni Pisano (1301), S Bartolomeo in Pantano, important Romanesque monument with pulpy by Guido da Camo (1240). Very appreciable also the numerous antique, buildings, the museums the restored gothic frescoes of the Pistoia School in the Tau Church, the "Centro Documentazione Giovanni Michelucci" and "Fondazione Marino Marini". A tourist attraction of different character in the zoo "Città di Pistoia", very modern and situated in a lovely position at 4 km from the town, as well as the cultivation of ornamental plants, renowned all over the world.