Gardens of Italy: The Italian Lakes, the Piedmont, Tuscany, Umbria & Rome

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Overview
Highlights
- Join John Patrick, horticulturalist, garden designer and presenter on ABC TV’s Gardening Australia, to tour the gardens of five distinct regions of Italy.
- Enjoy the magic of northern lakeside and island gardens including Villa Carlotta, Villa del Balbianello, Isola Bella and Isola Madre.
- Meet Paolo Pejrone, currently Italy’s leading garden designer, and view his own garden ‘Bramafam’, the estate of the Peyrani family and, by special appointment, the private Agnelli Gardens at Villar Perosa – one of Italy’s most splendid examples of garden design.
- Tour through the Piedmont exploring the great estates of the House of Savoy including the Castello di Masino.
- View the work of Russell Page with visits to the private gardens of San Liberato and Villa Silvio Pellico.
- Visit intimate urban gardens in Florence and Fiesole including Le Balze, designed by Cecil Pinsent, the secret gardens of Villa Capponi, and the Giardini Corsini al Prato.
- Ramble through the historical centres of lovely old cities like Turin, Lucca, Siena, Florence and Perugia.
- Encounter masterpieces of Italian art in major churches and museums.
- Enjoy delicious meals in the verdant surrounds of a number of private Tuscan and Umbrian villas including Villa di Geggiano, Villa Vignamaggio (featured in Kenneth Branagh’s film Much Ado About Nothing) and Villa Aureli.
- Explore the great Renaissance garden designs at Villa La Foce, home of Iris Origo, author of the famous Merchant of Prato, and Villa Gamberaia at Settignano, described by Edith Wharton in her book Italian Villas and Their Gardens (1904).
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Activities
Trip includes
- Accommodation in twin-share rooms with private facilities in 3 and 4-star hotels (5-star in Perugia)
- Breakfast daily, lunches and evening meals indicated in the tour itinerary, where: B=breakfast, L=lunch & D=evening meal
- Drinks at welcome and farewell meals. Other meals may not have drinks included.
- Transportation by air-conditioned coach; ferry/boat excursions in the Lakes District
- Airport-hotel transfers if travelling on the ASA ‘designated’ flights
- Porterage of one piece of luggage per person at hotels (not at airports)
- Lecture and site-visit program
- Tour notes
- Light refreshments as indicated in the itinerary
- Entrance fees
- Use of Audio headsets during site visits
- Tips for the coach driver, local guides and restaurants for included meals.
Itinerary

Meals: Dinner
Afternoon at Leisure
Introductory Meeting
Welcome Evening Meal
On arrival at Milan’s Malpensa airport, those taking the ASA ‘designated’ flight transfer by private coach to Moltrasio. If you are travelling independently, you s...
Meals: Breakfast
Villa Carlotta, Tremezzo
Villa Melzi, Bellagio (optional)
Villa del Balbianello, Bellagio
Morning cruise across Lake Como to 18th century Villa Carlotta, a garden with a huge botanical collection and a traditional Italian f...
Meals: Breakfast
Villa Cicogna Mozzoni, Bisuschio
Villa della Porta Bozzolo, Casalzuigno
Depart Moltrasio to visit Villa Cicogna Mozzoni, located on a steep hillside in the village of Bisuschio. Its garden looks out upon sweeping views, with a gli...
Meals: Breakfast
Isola Bella, Lake Maggiore
Isola Madre, Lake Maggiore
Orta San Giulio & Isola San Giulio, Lake Orta
We take the ferry across Lake Maggiore to Count Carlo Borromeo’s Isola Bella (1632), one of Italy’s most extraordinary ...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Castello di Masino including lunch and ‘The Cloud Garden’ by Paolo Pejrone, Caravino
We drive south from Stresa to the Castello di Masino to tour the castle and its monumental park. This great Savoyard property ‘sets the scene’ fo...
Meals: Breakfast
Orientation walk of Turin, including guided visits to the Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace) and Palazzo Madama
Afternoon and evening at leisure
This morning we will enjoy a guided orientation walk of the city’s centre with a local guid...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Villa Silvio Pellico – including lunch (exclusive private visit)
Private Garden Visit (to be confirmed)
Today we visit Villa Silvio Pellico, a fine Neo-Gothic mansion (1870) with a Russell Page garden, arguably one of his t...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Program hosted by Paolo Pejrone
Gardens of Casa Agnelli at Villar Perosa (exclusive private visit)
Bramafam, Paolo Pejrone’s Private Experimental Garden (exclusive private visit)
Private Garden of Silvana and Alberto...
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
The Abbey of San Girolamo al Monte di Portofino (La Cervara)
Group Evening meal at Gli Orti di Via Elisa Restaurant
We drive southeast along the grand Ligurian coast to the magnificent Abbey of San Girolamo al Monte di Por...
Meals: Breakfast
Orientation tour of Lucca incl. Cathedral of San Martino, San Michele, San Frediano and the Piazza del Mercato
Palazzo Pfanner
Afternoon at leisure: Optional Walk along Lucca’s City Walls
Evening Puccini Concert, Church of ...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Villa Torrigiani, Camigliano S. Gemma
Lunch at Fattoria Villa Maionchi, Capannori
Medici Castello del Trebbio, San Piero a Sieve (exclusive private visit to be confirmed in 2017)
During the Renaissance, the wealthy m...
Meals: Breakfast
Villa Medici in Fiesole
Villa Le Balze, Fiesole
Villa Capponi (exclusive private visit to be confirmed in 2017)
Unlike the grand villa gardens we have visited near Lucca, Florence and its vicinity have a number of small int...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Giardino Corsini al Prato (exclusive private visit to be confirmed in 2017)
Villa Vignamaggio, Greve in Chianti – including wine-tasting and lunch
We begin with a visit to the Giardini Corsini al Prato, a Florentine urban g...
Meals: Breakfast
San Lorenzo: Medici Chapel
Palazzo Medici Riccardi: The Chapel of the Magi
Afternoon at leisure
On a visit to San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapel we explore Michelangelo’s Medici tombs, masterpieces of 16th-century sculpture ...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Villa Gamberaia, Settignano – including interiors of the villa
Villa di Geggiano, Pianella – including buffet lunch (exclusive private visit)
Optional evening excursion to Siena’s town centre
We drive to Siena via tw...
Meals: Breakfast
Orientation tour of Siena including: Palazzo Pubblico, Cathedral & Museum
Afternoon at leisure
Siena is the quintessential medieval city. We explore Lorenzetti’s fascinating paintings of Good and Bad Government in the Palazzo ...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Villa La Foce, Chianciano Terme (by special appointment to be confirmed in 2017)
Private gardens of Villa Aureli, Castel del Piano Umbro – including lunch (exclusive private visit to be confirmed in 2017)
Perugia Orientatio...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria
Villa Lante, Bagnaia
We begin by viewing masterpieces, including works by Perugino, in the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria before departing Perugia to visit two great villas and their g...
Meals: Breakfast
Castello Ruspoli, Vignanello – including lunch
Gardens of Paolo Portoghesi at Calcata (exclusive private visit to be confirmed in 2017)
Castello Ruspoli occupies the site of a mid-9th century Benedictine convent later converted to...
This afternoon we visit the gardens of distinguished architect and scholar Paolo Portoghesi. The gardens re...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Villa d’Este, Tivoli
Lunch at Ristorante Sibilla, Tivoli
Time at leisure in Rome
Set among the hanging cliffs of the Valle Gaudente, the Villa d’Este and its surrounding gardens and waterworks has undergone a series ...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Giardini di Ninfa
Lunch at Ristorante Simposio al Corso, Sermoneta
Private Gardens of Torrecchia Vecchia (exclusive private visit to be confirmed in 2017)
We depart early this morning (approx. 7.30am) for the Giardin...
Meals: Breakfast
Palazzo Patrizi, Castel Giuliano (exclusive private visit to be confirmed in 2017)
Visit to the village of Bracciano, overlooking Lake Bracciano
San Liberato Giardini Botanici, Bracciano (exclusive private visit to be confirmed in...
Meals: Breakfast
Airport transfer for participants departing on the ASA ‘designated’ flight
The tour ends in Rome. Participants travelling on the ASA ‘designated’ flight will transfer to the airport to take their flight home to Australia. Alternatively, you may wish to extend your stay in Italy. Please contact ASA if you require further assistance.
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Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with ASA Cultural Tours.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Logistics
What's excluded
- Airfare: Australia-Milan, Rome-Australia
- Personal spending money
- Airport-hotel transfers if not travelling on the ASA ‘designated’ flights
- Luggage in excess of 20 kg (44 lbs)
- Travel insurance
Accommodation
23 days in Italy
All hotels are rated 3, 4 or 5-star locally and are comfortable and conveniently situated. All rooms have shower or bath and W.C. Several hotels have swimming pools. Single rooms may be requested – and are subject to availability and payment of the single supplement. Further information on hotels will be provided in the ‘Tour Hotel List’ given to tour members prior to their departure.
Moltrasio (2 nights): 4-star Grand Hotel Imperiale – a charming hotel built in the late Art Nouveau style overlooking Lake Como and surrounded by private gardens. www.hotel-lago-como-imperiale.com
Stresa (2 nights): 4-star Regina Palace Hotel – a charming hotel with a grand history, in the Stresa town centre close to many shops, restaurants, cafés. Regina Palace is situated directly across the road from the lake and enjoys magnificent views over Lake Maggiore. www.reginapalace.it/en
Turin (4 nights): 4-star Townhouse 70 Hotel – a modern boutique hotel located in the heart of the historic centre. www.townhouse.it/th70/
Lucca (2 nights): 4-star Hotel Ilaria – located within the walls of the old city, close to the cathedral. It is flanked by the centuries-old garden of the Villa Bottini – it occupies the villa’s restored stables – and the medieval city gate, Porta San Gervasio. www.hotelilaria.com
Florence (4 nights): 4-star Grand Hotel Adriatico – a modern hotel located between the Santa Maria Novella Square and the Arno River and within easy walking distance of all major monuments & museums. www.hoteladriatico.it
Siena (2 nights): 4-star Hotel Garden – housed in a villa perched on a hill with vineyards and olive groves overlooking Siena. It stands majestically at the end of a beautiful park of ilex trees, flower beds and shrubs. www.gardenhotel.it
Perugia (1 night): 5-star Hotel Brufani Palace – located on a hilltop within the historical centre of Perugia and walking distance from the main historical sites. www.brufanipalace.com
Viterbo (1 night): 4-star Alla Corte delle Terme Exclusive Resort – a charming resort hotel located in the countryside out of Viterbo. www.allacortedelleterme.it
Rome (4 nights): 3-star Albergo Santa Chiara – a charming hotel chosen for its location close to the Pantheon in the historic centre of Rome. www.albergosantachiara.com
Note: hotels are subject to change, in which case a hotel of similar standard will be provided.
Cancellation Fees
If you decide to cancel your booking the following charges apply:
More than 75 days before departure: $500.00**
75-46 days prior 25% of total amount due
45-31 days prior 50% of total amount due
30-15 days prior 75% of total amount due
14-0 days prior 100% of total amount due
**This amount may be credited to another ASA tour departing within 12 months of the original tour you booked. We regret, in this case early-bird discounts will not apply.
22 Breakfasts, 9 Lunches and 3 Dinners
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