Day 1 – To Milan: Fly from London
Heathrow to Milan with British Airways.
Transfer to the Hotel De La Ville for 4 nights.
Evening welcome dinner. (D)
Day 2 – Milan: This morning, visit Milan’s
greatest treasure, the Duomo di Milano, the
monumental gothic cathedral that took nearly
six centuries to complete. Tour the vast interior
before visiting the rooftop for spectacular
views of the city. Continue to the Casa di
Riposo, the home for retired singers and
musicians commissioned and masterminded
by Verdi in his old age. Built in neo-gothic
style, the house became the final resting place
for Verdi and his wife Giuseppina Strepponi.
Proceed to the church and Dominican convent
of Santa Maria Delle Grazie, a Unesco world
heritage site, which houses the mural of
The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. This
afternoon, visit the Brera Art Gallery, which
contains a fine collection of Italian paintings
dating from the 14th century to the present
day. Return to the hotel before enjoying an
optional evening performance of Verdi’s Don
Carlos at the Teatro alla Scala. (B)
Day 3 – Busseto: Drive to the provincial town of
Busseto and the Casa Barezzi where Verdi lived
as a boy – and nearby Le Roncole where he was
born. Continue to Verdi’s estate at Sant’Agata,
which is still owned by lateral descendants of
the Verdi family, and where the composer lived
for the final decades of his life. Several rooms
are open for public viewing and contain historic
memorabilia, including such items as the Fritz
piano that Verdi used to compose many of his
operas from Rigoletto in 1851 to Aida in 1871.
Continue back to Busseto for lunch before an
afternoon visit to the magnificent Renaissancestyle
Villa Pallavicino, home to the recently
inaugurated National Verdi Museum. (B, L)
Day 4 – Milan: Today’s sightseeing begins
with a specially arranged tour of the entire
Teatro alla Scala complex, including not
only the recently restored auditorium, with
its celebrated boxes, but also (subject to
rehearsal schedules) a tour of the stage and
backstage area. Continue with a visit to the
Scala museum, which details the history of
opera through exhibitions of instruments,
costumes, set designs, ceramics and portraits of
celebrated composers, singers and conductors.
Afternoon at leisure before a lavish evening
performance at La Scala of Verdi’s Aida. (B)
Day 5 – Milan: This morning, make a private
visit to the Scala Workshops, located since
2001 in the former Ansaldo steel-making
district of Milan. Watch technicians and
designers at work on the latest set and
costume designs, as well as live practice
sessions and dress rehearsals. Continue
to the Castello Sforzesco, a 14th-century
citadel and former seat of the duchy of
Milan. The complex includes numerous civic
museums, most notably a Museum of Musical
Instruments and the Applied Arts Collection,
which houses a fine collection of ancient and
rare pieces. There is also an impressive art
collection with works by Michelangelo and
Leonardo da Vinci. In the afternoon, transfer
to the airport for fly to London Heathrow
with British Airways. (B, L)
Opera tickets: For performances at La Scala,
Cox & Kings only uses the highest class stalls
/ box tickets to ensure an uninterrupted view;
not guaranteed with lower ticket classes. Please
contact us for ticket prices for the optional
performance of Don Carlos.
Meal Basis: (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner, (N) = No Meals
