VERDI FESTIVAL - ITALY 2025

Saturday, October 11. (D*). DEPART FROM HOME TO TURIN

Depart this evening aboard any airline of your choice to Turin, Italy. Dinner and light breakfast served on the plane.

Sunday, October 12. (B,D). TURIN

Upon arrival at Turin International Airport, take a taxi to the centrally located GRAND HOTEL SITEA, where you will stay three nights. Afternoon free. This evening we meet in the lobby of the hotel for a briefing and Gala Welcome dinner at a gourmet restaurant.

Monday, October 13. (B) TURIN

Morning sightseeing of this elegant and prosperous city, begins with a drive along the wide Via Roma Avenue, from Piazza San Carlo, exhibiting a graceful example of city layout planning of the 17th Century, with the churches of San Carlo and Santa Christina, symmetrically placed on the south end and the Cathedral placed at the north end. We will visit the Cathedral San Giovanni. Where behind the high alter is the Chapel of the much-contested Holy Shroud.

Turin is to Italy what Detroit is to the U.S.A. It is here that the Italian motor industry, represented by Fiat and Lancia, was born. The textile and leather industries are also highly developed here. Yet, the city center is lined with arcades, beneath which are attractive shops selling highly reputed articles made in Turin itself. The wines of the Piedmont are nearby and with the famous vermouths of Martini and Cinzano, accompanied by the good cooking of the region, give its people a certain sense of being connoisseurs.

Tuesday, October 14. (B). TURIN

Today is free to take in any of the many fine museums in the city, the Egyptian Museum or the Museum of Automobiles. Afternoon at leisure.

Wednesday, October 15. (B,L). TURIN – PIACENZA – PARMA

Morning departure for Piacenza It is a charming gastronomic gem in Emilia-Romagna, is the perfect lunch stop. Explore the Basilica di Santa Maria di Campagna, known for its stunning Renaissance frescoes, and the Duomo di Piacenza, a magnificent Romanesque cathedral with breathtaking art and panoramic views from its bell tower. Light lunch will be served in a traditional trattoria. Late afternoon arrival in Parma where we stay at the centrally located STENDHAL for five nights.

PARMA was founded by the Etruscans in 525 BC. It became a roman station on Via Emilia in 183 BC and flourished under the French Bourbon rulers in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today it is famous for its prosciutto (ham), cheese, architecture, music, and the surrounding countryside. The most famous person in the musical world we know of Arturo Toscanini was born here.

Thursday, October 16. (B,D). PARMA

This morning we do an orientation sightseeing tour by foot. Near our hotel are the magnificent Duomo with its Correggio cupola and the Baptistery by Benedetto Antelami, one of the most important Medieval monuments in Europe with a facade of pink Verona Marble and its beautifully painted ceiling. We will also visit the spectacular Teatro Farnese. This evening we will see the opera FALSTAFF by Verdi at Teatro Regio. During the interval we will serve you a light dinner at the Caffe del Teatro with wine.

Friday, October 17. (B). PARMA

This morning we are in for a very special treat – a private reception with appetizer at the Club Verdi dei 27. (Parma’s Verdi fan club extraordinaire) an amazing experience for Verdi Opera Lovers. Afternoon at leisure. This evening we will see the opera MACBETH at Teatro Verdi in Busseto.

Saturday October 18. (B,D). PARMA

This morning we drive west to see Verdi sites. Verdi’s birthhouse in Le Roncole, Casa Barezzi, the home of Verdi’s first sponsor Antonio Barezzi, Teatro Giuseppe Verdi and villa Verdi and Saint‘Agata where he built an elegant home with extensive ground and planted exotic trees. This evening we will attend MESSA DA REQUIEM at Teatro Regio including dinner.

Sunday, October 19. (B). PARMA

Today, morning is free. Your tour manager will be around for suggestion how to spend this morning. This evening we will see the opera OTELLO by Verdi at Teatro Regio

Monday, October 20. (B,L). PARMA – CREMONA – MILAN

Morning departure for Cremona where we will have a guided tour of the most evocative corners of the city, the Piazza del Comune, the real glory of the medieval and municipal city, which collects an extraordinary concentration of historic buildings such as the cathedral of Gothic layout with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque additions, the baptistery, octagonal in shape, certainly one of the most beautiful sacred monuments of Cremona, brought back to its former glory by a restoration that lasted over 30 years, the Torazzo, the tallest bell tower in Italy (111m) and symbol of the city, the Museo del violin, in which you can admire famous instruments by Antonio Stradivari, including “il cremonese violin” from 1715. Light lunch will be served in a traditional trattoria. Late afternoon arrival in Milan where we stay at the luxury hotel GRAND ET De MILAN for three nights.

Milan has its origin from Celtic Settlements, which were subdued by the romans in 222 B.C.. In 312 A.D. Emperor Constantine published the Edict of Milan making Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. On Christmas day , 800 A.D, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as the Holy Roman Emperor in the `Cathedral of Milan.

Tuesday, October 21. (B,D) MILAN

This morning we will visit the Milan Cathedral, an exemplary Gothic-floral architecture full of precious sculptures and gleaming stained-glass windows, is the symbolic monument of Milan which reflects six centuries of the city’s history, from the Visconti era to recent times. Continuation of the visit we will be walking through the sumptuous galleria Vittorio Emanuele until we reach the La Scala theater and the gardens of the Sforza castle. This evening we will have our gala farewell dinner at a gourmet restaurant.

Wednesday, October 22. (B) MILAN

Today we will do a general sightseeing in Milan by bus. First stop will be “Casa Verdi”. A visit to Casa Verdi is an unique experience. You immerse yourself in the memories of a residence that has a thousand lives to tell. Not only that of Giuseppe Verdi and his wife with their personal objects, furnishing, art collection and their respective tombs, but also those of the guests who have lived here in over a century of history. This evening we will see the opera RIGOLETTO by Verdi at the world’s renown opera house Teatro La Scala.

Thursday, October 23. (B) MILAN - BACK HOME

We will assist you with arranging your transport to Milan International airport for your flight back home. Arrivederci. See you soon on another HAT Tour.

* B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner (including wine)