Day 1 – To Perugia: Fly from London
Heathrow to Rome with British Airways.
Arrive and transfer to the Sangallo Palace
Hotel in Perugia for 6 nights. Evening
welcome dinner. (D)
Day 2 – Perugia: Explore the architecture of Perugia, which has changed little in more
than 400 years. Highlights this morning
include the Roman fortress of Rocca Paolina,
the Maggiore Fountain and the gothic-style
Priori Palace. Spend the afternoon at the
National Gallery of Umbria, which contains
30 rooms of Italian artwork from the 13th to
17th centuries, including masterpieces by local
artists, Pinturicchio and Perugino. (B)
Day 3 – Assisi: Take a short drive to Assisi,
the spiritual home of Umbria. See the Church
of St Clare, where the crucifix that spoke to
St Francis is preserved, before walking to
the main square home to the Roman forum,
People’s Tower and Minerva temple. After
lunch, visit the 13th-century Church of St
Francis, the centre of the Franciscan Order
and home to some of the greatest collections
of medieval frescoes in Europe, including
the provocative Life of St Francis. Continue
back to Perugia, stopping at the San Pietro
Church, which features important canvases by
Vassilacchi. (B)
Day 4 – Spello, Bevagna & Montefalco: This morning, visit Spello, a former Roman colony where large parts of its fortifications
remain intact and whose Santa Maria
Maggiore church contains some magnificent
Pinturicchio frescoes. Continue to Bevagna,
another former Roman settlement whose
quiet streets are lined with local craft shops,
delicatessens and ‘trattorie’. After lunch, drive
to nearby Montefalco, the ‘balcony of Umbria’,
known for its panoramic views, fine wines and
Benozzo Gozzoli’s fresco cycle depicting the
life of St Francis of Assisi. (B)
Day 5 – San Sepolcro, Monterchi &
Arezzo: Begin today at San Sepolcro, the
birthplace of Early Renaissance painter Piero
della Francesca. Visit the Civic Museum,
which contains his most famous work, La
Resurrezione, before driving through the
Valtiberina hills to the village of Monterchi
where Francesca’s Madonna del Porto is housed.
This afternoon, visit Arezzo, where Francesca’s
masterpiece, the Legend of the True Cross is
found in the Basilica of San Francesco. (B, L)
Day 6 – Todi & Orvieto: Today’s sightseeing
begins in Todi at the Church of Santa
Maria della Consolazione, a fine example of
Renaissance architecture characterised by its
five elegant domes. Continue to Orvieto, where
the impressive gothic cathedral is covered by
Signorelli’s apocalyptic frescoes. Also see the
Pozzo di San Patrizio, a 16th-century well dug
in the volcanic rock to supply the city with
water in case of siege. Return to Perugia for a
farewell dinner. (B, D)
Day 7 – To London: Spend the morning at
leisure. Afternoon transfer to Rome for a
return flight to London Heathrow with British
Airways. (B)
Meal Basis: (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner, (N) = No Meals
