TENTATIVE ITINERARY EU Seminar and Literature and Culture : Study Abroad in Italy and Sicily December 26, 2017 - January 16, 2018 (22 days) Developed for: Dr. Lipani and Dr. Payerhin, Lynchburg College, USA Day 1 >> Tues. December 26: American Airlines #1533 from Washington, USA American Airlines #206 from Miami, USA CEPA Customized Educational Programs Abroad GmbH CEPA GmbH Im Schloss 74379 Ingersheim Germany Phone: +49 (0) 71 42 95 65 11 Fax: +49 (0) 71 42 95 65 44 E-mail: info@cepa-abroad.org www.cepa-abroad.org October 27, 2017 Day 2 >> Wed. December 27: (Milan - Catania - Taormina) 8:20 am Arrival at Milan Malpensa Airport Optional: Flight tickets from Milan to Catania can be arranged at additional costs Transportation by private bus from the airport in Catania to your hotel in Taormina 2 nights in twin rooms with private bathrooms incl. breakfast at the 3-star Hotel Isabella in Taormina (http://www.hotel-isabella.it/) 8:00 pm Welcome dinner at the Ristorante Il Ghiottone Raffinato to kick off your program (today or on December 28 instead - depending on your preference and arrival time) Day 3 >> Thurs. December 28: (Taormina - Catania) 10:00 am - 1:00 pm Guided walking tour of Taormina including admission to the Teatro Greco, which is built for the most part of brick, and is therefore probably of Roman date, though the plan and arrangement are in accordance with those of Greek, rather than Roman Transportation by private bus during the afternoon 3:00-5:00 pm Visit to the Community of Sant'Egidio to learn about their integration activities incl. a meeting with migrants that are involved in those activities Day 4 >> Fri. December 29: (Taormina - Giardini Naxos - Aci Trezza - Syracusa) Admission to the Archaeological Park of Naxos in the morning, where you can track the paths of the first Greek colony in Sicily founded, in the 8 th century BC, at the southern end of the bay of Naxos, in the peninsula originated by a spectacular river of lava that got down to the sea in prehistoric times Free time for lunch at your own expense in Aci Trezza. Off the coast of Aci Trezza are three tall, column-shaped islands. According to local legend, these great stones are the ones thrown at Odysseus in The Odyssey. The islands are referred to as the " Islands of the Cyclops by locals. 2 nights in twin rooms with private bathrooms incl. breakfast at the 3-star hotel Palazzo Giaraca in Syracusa (http://www.hotelpalazzogiaraca.com/33.html) Free evening to discover Syracusa on your own
Day 5 >> Sat. December 30: (Syracusa) Admission to the Archaeological Park of Neapolis in the morning, which is home to the pearly white 5 th century BC Teatro Greco Free afternoon to discover Syracusa further on your own Day 6 >> Sun. December 31: (Syracusa - Piazza Armerina - Agrigento) Admission at own expense to the Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina in the morning; excavations have revealed one of the richest, largest and varied collections of Roman mosaics in the world, for which the site has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The villa and artwork contained within date to the early 4 th century AD. 2 nights in twin rooms with private bathrooms incl. breakfast at the 3-star Hotel Montemare in Agrigento (http://www.montemare.agrigento.it/index.php/en/) Group dinner at the hotel or in Agrigento in the evening for New Year s celebrations Day 7 >> Mon. January 1: (Agrigento) - National holiday in Italy - New Year s Day 10:00 am - 1:30 pm Guided tour of the Valley of Temples, which encompasses the ruined ancient city of Akragas, highlighted by the stunningly well-preserved Tempio della Concordia (Temple of Concordia), one of several ridge-top temples that once served as beacons for homecoming sailors During the tour, you will also visit the Archaeological Museum of San Nicola (admission included), which displays over 5688 artefacts that, arranged both in a chronological and topographical order, illustrate the history of the Agrigentan territory from prehistoric times to the end of the Greek - Roman period. Day 8 >> Tues. January 2: (Agrigento - Selinunte - Palermo) Admission to the Archaeological Site of Selinunte in the late morning, one of the largest and most impressive archaeological sites in the Mediterranean. On a par with pretty much anything found in Greece itself, Selinunte has lain abandoned for over 2,000 years, its numerous temples, acropolis and agora in dignified ruins. 3 nights in twin rooms with private bathrooms incl. breakfast at the 3-star Hotel Posta in Palermo (http://www.hotelpostapalermo.it/en/) Day 9 >> Wed. January 3: (Palermo) 10:00 am - 12:30 pm Guided walking tour of Palermo, including admission to the Cappella Palatina, which combines harmoniously a variety of styles: the Norman architecture and door decor, the Arabic arches and script adorning the roof, the Byzantine dome and mosaics 3:00 pm Visit to the office Municipality of Palermo - Assessorato Attività Sociali (Immigration) Page 2
Day 10 >> Thurs. January 4: (Palermo - Segesta) Visit to the Salesian community Santa Chiara in the morning, to learn about the House and their activities with migrants, teenagers and young people Transportation by private bus during the afternoon Admission to the Archaeological Site of Segesta in the afternoon, which was originally founded by the Elymian people, one of the native people of Sicily. They later integrated with the Greeks, making Segesta an important Classical town. Day 11 >> Fri. January 5: (Palermo - Naples) Free day to discover Palermo further on your own Transportation by private bus to the port in Palermo in the late afternoon 8:00 pm overnight ferry from Palermo to Naples Day 12 >> Sat. January 6: (Naples - Pompeii - Herculaneum - Sorrento) National holiday in Italy - Epiphany Breakfast at the ferry on your own 6:00 am Arrival at the port of Naples Free time in Naples before for some explorations of the city on your own 10:00 am - 12:30 pm Guided tour of Pompeii, a ruined and partially buried Roman city. It was destroyed and completely buried during a catastrophic eruption of the Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 and rediscovered in 1748 2:00-4:00 pm Guided tour of Herculaneum, which was a wealthier town than Pompeii, possessing an extraordinary density of fine houses with, for example, far more lavish use of colored marble cladding 1 night in twin rooms with private bathrooms incl. breakfast at the Ulisse Deluxe Hostel in Sorrento (https://www.ulissedeluxe.com/) Day 13 >> Sun. January 7: (Sorrento - San Gimignano - Florence) Transportation by private bus to Florence incl. stop-over at a rest stop for lunch at your own expense Stop-over in San Gimignano for dinner at the Caffe delle Erbe (to be confirmed) 4 nights in twin rooms with private bathrooms incl. breakfast at the youth hostel PLUS Florence in Florence (https://www.plushostels.com/en/plusflorence) 6:00 pm Group dinner at the Ristorante da Garibardi in Florence needs to be cancelled or postponed in case we include the dinner at the Caffe delle Erbe Page 3
Day 14 >> Mon. January 8: (Florence) 10:30 am - 12:30 pm Guided walking tour of Florence, to see the old historical center town and all the famous places and monuments, which made Florence recognized all over the world, such as the Ponte Vecchio Admission to the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo) in the afternoon, which is the main church of Florence and includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile Day 15 >> Tues. January 9: (Florence) 10:00 am - 12:30 pm Guided tour of the Galleria degli Uffizi, one of the most famous museums of paintings and sculptures in the world. Its collection of primitive and renaissance paintings comprises several universally acclaimed masterpieces of all time, including works by Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Michelangelo 2:00-4:00 pm Guided tour of the Palazzo Medici Riccardi, which was designed by Michelozzo di Bartolomeo for Cosimo de' Medici, head of the Medici banking family, and was built between 1444 and 1484 Day 16 >> Wed. January 10: (Florence) 10:00 am Admission to Boboli Gardens, a park which is home to a collection of sculptures dating from the 16 th through the 18 th centuries, with some Roman antiquities 3:00 pm Admission to the Galleria dell Accademia Day 17 >> Thurs. January 11: (Florence - Rome) Transportation by private bus to the train station in Florence 9:38-11:10 am Train tickets from Florence to Rome Walk from the train station in Rome to your hotel (approx. 5-15 minutes) 5 nights in twin rooms with private bathrooms incl. breakfast at the 4-star Best Western Hotel Universo in Rome (http://www.hoteluniverso.com/en/home-page.aspx) Public transportation pass for the duration of the entire stay in Rome 2:00-4:30 pm Guided walking tour of Rome, to see among others the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Piazza Navona Day 18 >> Fri. January 12: (Rome) Visit to the Ministry of the Interior in the morning to learn about Italy s approach to the current migration/refugee program 3:00 pm Visit to an Identification and Expulsion Center in e.g. Ponte Galleria, to learn and witness some challenges and if possible, speak to some personnel and / or refugees name, date of birth and passport number of all participants needed to reconfirm the visit Page 4
Day 19 >> Sat. January 13: (Rome) 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Guided tour of the Galleria Borghese, which houses a substantial part of the Borghese collection of paintings, sculpture and antiquities, begun by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the nephew of Pope Paul V 3:30 pm Admission to Trajan s Forum, which present a living model of life in the Roman capital and a glimpse at the restoration in the city, which reveals new treasures and insights about Ancient Roman architecture Day 20 >> Sun. January 14: (Rome) 10:30 am - 12:30 pm Guided tour of the Coliseum, an elliptical amphitheater, which was the first permanent amphitheater to be built in Rome 12:00-1:30 pm Admission to the Palatine and Roman Forum to discover those sites at your own pace 3:00 pm Visit to the Capitoline Museums at your own expense; the history of the museums can be traced to 1471, when Pope Sixtus IV donated a collection of important ancient bronzes to the people of Rome and located them on the Capitoline Hill. Since then, the museums' collection has grown to include a large number of ancient Roman statues, inscriptions, and other artifacts; a collection of medieval and Renaissance art; and collections of jewels, coins, and other items. Day 21 >> Mon. January 15: (Vatican - Rome) 10:00 am - 1:00 pm Guided tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter s Basilica, which are the public art and sculpture museums in the Vatican City, and display works from the extensive collection of the Roman Catholic Church Free afternoon for final discussions and last minute sightseeing 7:30 pm Farewell dinner at the Ristorante Strega in Rome to wrap up your program Day 22 >> Tues. January 16: (Rome) 7:30 am Transportation by private bus to Rome Fiumicino Airport 11:35 am American Airlines #719 to Philadelphia, USA 5:42 pm American Airlines #4516 to Washington, USA Also included: On-site coordinator to accompany your group during all planned visits and excursions while in Italy and Sicily (Paolo Bongarzoni) Public transportation pass for your stay in Rome Page 5