The Legacy of the Etruscans: Latium, Umbria & Tuscany

B= Breakfast • L= Lunch • R= Reception • D= Dinner

Monday, October 14, 2024: Fly to Rome, Italy
Depart home today on flights to Rome.

Tuesday, October 15: Arrive in Rome | Private transfer to hotel | Welcome dinner
Upon arrival at Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport (FCO), you are met for a private transfer to our hotel. Take some time to relax after the flight and before an introductory meeting. Enjoy a welcome reception and dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the 4-star UNAHOTELS Trastevere Roma for two nights. (R,D)

Wednesday, October 16: Rome: AM at leisure, PM National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia
Gather for a lecture and then have time at leisure to relax or explore the city on your own. After an independent lunch we gather to visit the National Etruscan Museum, which has housed works from pre-Roman Italian antiquity—especially from the Etruscan civilization—since 1899, within the gorgeous setting of Villa Giulia. Return to our hotel, and enjoy dinner and the evening at leisure. (B)

Thursday, October 17: Vatican City: Gregorian Etruscan Museum | Veii | Florence
This morning we visit the Gregorian Etruscan Museum within Vatican City. The museum, founded by Pope Gregory XVI and inaugurated in 1837, was one of the first expressly dedicated to Etruscan antiquities. The museum focuses on artifacts unearthed at some of the most important cities of ancient Etruria, which was originally part of the territory of the Papal State. After lunch at a nearby restaurant we drive to the site of Veii, on a natural peak overlooking the valley. Veii was an important Etruscan town with a number of Etruscan tombs, and we will see the impressive, 6^th-century B.C. “Portonaccio Temple” just outside the town. Continue on to Florence, where we check-in to our hotel. Dinner and the evening are at leisure. Overnight at the 4-star Gallery Hotel Art for two nights. (B,L)

Friday, October 18: Florence: Walking tour, Florence National Archaeological Museum, Home-hosted dinner
We begin the day with a walking tour of Florence. In Piazza della Repubblica, discover the city’s beginnings as a Roman settlement. Wander through narrow streets, past the fortified houses and towers that marked the medieval town, and emerge onto the open Piazza della Signoria, the political center of the city since the Middle Ages. See the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio, and enjoy lunch at leisure in one of the many Tuscan trattorias. In the afternoon we visit the Florence National Archaeological Museum, whose collections include some important and iconic Etruscan works, especially in bronze. Take some time to freshen up before gathering for a dinner at the home of a Florentine family. (B,D)

Saturday, October 19: Volterra: Walking tour, Guarnacci Etruscan Museum, Etruscan acropolis, Roman amphitheater | Cortona
This morning we set out on a walking tour of Volterra, viewing the remarkable city walls that date back to Etruscan times as well as the historical and charming town center, including the Palazzo dei Priori and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. After lunch, explore the Guarnacci Etruscan Museum, Etruscan acropolis, and Roman amphitheater. We continue on to Cortona, where we check-in to our hotel. Dinner and the evening are at leisure. Overnight at the 4-star Hotel San Michele for three nights. (B,L)

Sunday, October 20: Cortona: Walking tour, Museum of the Etruscan Academy & the Town of Cortona | Sodo | Cortona
Among the many villages of the Val di Chiana, Cortona is particularly fascinating due to its preserved sites, including various palazzi, the cathedral, the Diocesan Museum, and the Church of Saint Francis. Enjoy a walking tour of its city center and discover the Museum of the Etruscan Academy and the Town of Cortona (MAEC) with its unique exhibits, including the renowned Etruscan bronze lamp. After an independent lunch and time to explore on your own, we drive a short way to explore the noble Etruscan tomb complex at Sodo. Return to Cortona and gather this evening for a group dinner featuring the local pici pasta dish. (B,D)

Monday, October 21: Perugia: Walking tour | Chiusi | Cortona
Over the centuries Perugia has been dominated by numerous populations. Evidence of this can be found in the area’s many archaeological remains, starting with those of the Etruscans who likely founded Perugia in the 6^th century B.C. Enjoy a walking orientation tour of the city, which includes the Etruscan Arch, the cathedral undergrounds, and the Etruscan water well. Break for a lunch featuring Umbrian specialties. On our return to Cortona we stop in Chiusi, famous for its splendid Etruscan remains. Numerous excavations have brought to light unique pieces and precious glimpses back in time that we will see in Chiusi’s National Archaeological Museum. Back in Cortona, dinner and the evening are at leisure. (B,L)

Tuesday, October 22: Orvieto | Winery lunch | Vulci | Tarquinia
This morning drive south toward Orvieto to visit its striking Etruscan acropolis. In the city center we step into the iconic Duomo, with its unparalleled façade and wondrous frescoes by Luca Signorelli. After lunch at a winery in the heart of town, we return to the Latium region to visit the important Etruscan city of Vulci. It features a remarkable National Archaeological Museum, housed in a former castle, as well as tombs containing original Etruscan inscriptions. Continue on to Tarquinia, where we check-in to our hotel and then gather for dinner. Overnight at the 4-star Hotel Valle del Marta (or similar) for three nights. (B,L,D)

Wednesday, October 23: Necropolises of Tarquinia & Monterozzi | Pitignano | Sovana | Tarquinia
The necropolises of Cerveteri (which we visit tomorrow) and Tarquinia, UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2004, constitute a unique and exceptional testimony of the ancient Etruscan civilization, the only urban civilization of the pre-Roman Age. The frescoes found inside the tombs—true-to-life reproductions of Etruscan homes—faithfully depict this disappeared culture’s daily life. These tumuli, or burial mounds, are the only examples remaining anywhere. Today we enjoy an extensive exploration of the necropolises of Tarquinia and Monterozzi as well as the Tarquinia National Archaeological Museum, and then delve into the magical fairy-tale village of Pitignano for lunch and a guided stroll in its center. We end the day at the necropolis of Sovana to visit the Tomba Ildebranda, one of the most important remaining monuments of the Etruscan civilization. Back in Tarquinia, dinner and the evening are at leisure. (B,L)

Thursday, October 24: Cerveteri | Tarquinia | Farewell dinner
This morning we explore the vast archaeological site of Cerveteri and the Cerveteri National Archaeological Museum. The necropolis’ tombs are laid out following an urban plan with streets, piazzas, and quarters (or neighborhoods) and reflect both the historical period in which they were built and the status of the family to whom they belonged. The most significant is the Tomb of Reliefs, completed in the 4^th century B.C. and accessed through a long stairway dug into the rock. It showcases a tomb typical of a well-off Etruscan family of the 4^th and 3^rd centuries B.C. We return to Tarquinia where the afternoon is at leisure to have lunch, relax, and pack before we gather this evening for a farewell dinner. (B,D)

Friday, October 25: Private transfer to Rome Airport | Fly home
You are met at the hotel for a private transfer to Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport (FCO) for your flights homeward. (B)