VENICE: CITY, REPUBLIC And EMPIRE - Academy Travel

VENICE: CITY,
REPUBLIC and EMPIRE
Venice, Ravenna, Padua and THE Villas
March 15- 29, 2013
Tour Leader: Robert Veel

The exuberant facade of San Marco (above) contrasted with
Palladio’s more restrained San Giorgio Maggiore (below)
Venice
City, republic and Empire
Overview
Venice is a city with a unique history, rich in art and local traditions. Most
visitors to the city stay only a few days and see only the main sites –
enough time to admire the beauty, but insufficient to truly understand
this great city. Much more time is required to unravel and fully appreciate
the complex history, society and culture of a city that ruled a
Mediterranean trade empire for more than 1,000 years.
This 15-day journey gives you the chance to explore Venice in a way
that few tourists do. Walking and boat tours each day explore Venice’s
development from the 6th to the 20th century, the city’s pivotal role as
economic and cultural link between Europe and the East, the
significance of shipping and the navy as well as the painting,
architecture and music that makes Venice a famous centre of culture.
Day trips to Ravenna, Padua and the Renaissance villas of Palladio
complete the picture, showing how the city’s culture extended to the
terrafirma.
Accommodation is in a carefully selected, four star hotel on Venice’s
Lido. While only a short ferry ride from St Mark’s Square the atmosphere
of the Lido is very different. Uncrowded and unhurried out of season, it
has a range of interesting restaurants, shops and basic services such as
laundries and supermarkets that are difficult to find in the tourist centre.
The Lido is home for many Venetians, and features some fine examples
of early 20th century ‘liberty’ style architecture, such as the magnificent
Grand Hotel des Bains.
The journey has been scheduled for late March 2013, after Venice’s
annual carnevale and before Easter, the traditional start of the European
tourist season. Temperatures are cool to mild and rainfall is generally
below average – idea conditions for cultural travel As well as structured
visits and background lectures, sufficient free time has been included in
the itinerary for individual sightseeing and relaxation. All participants will
have a monthly pass to the city’s transport system, allowing you to roam
at leisure.
This tour is a repeat of the highly successful tours we have offered each
year since 2006, all conducted in March-April.
Tour Leader
Robert Veel holds a Bachelor of Arts and Masters
of Education, from the University of Sydney. He led
his first tour to Italy in 1990 and since then has
designed and led tours to Italy, Turkey, Southeast
Asia and the United States, as well as travelling
through north Africa, the Middle East, Russia and
Canada. A fluent Italian speaker, Robert's special
interest is in Italian medieval and Renaissance
history, and he has taught numerous courses in this area at the
University of Sydney and elsewhere since 1990.

Tour Price
The tour price is $5,750 per person, twin share (land content only). The
supplement for a single room is $1,300 per person for single use of a
double room. A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is required to
secure a place on the tour.
Included in the tour price
� 14 nights’ accommodation in the boutique four-star Villa Laguna
hotel on the Lido
� All transfers and travel in Venice via water taxi and ferry
� All land excursions with private coach
� All entrance fees to sites included in itinerary
� All breakfasts
� Selected lunches and dinners in local restaurants as specified in
the itinerary
� Services of a tour leader throughout the tour
� Background talks, site notes and onsite guidance, including local
guides where required
NOT Included in the tour price
� Return international airfares to Venice (see below)
� Travel insurance
� Meals not specifically mentioned in this itinerary
� Personal expenses such as laundry, telephone etc
Air travel OPTIONS
The tour price quoted is for land content only and dates in this itinerary
are from arrival in and departure from Venice only. Please
incorporate days spent travelling into your planning for the tour. For
this tour we recommend Emirates Airlines which offers flights into and
out of Venice via Dubai from most Australian ports. Please contact us for
the best possible prices on Economy, Business or First class fares.
Airport - hotel transfers will coincide with the Emirates flight schedule into
and out of Venice at the beginning and end of the tour.
Enquiries and bookings
For further information or to secure a place on this
tour please contact Hannah Kleboe at Academy
Travel, on 02 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside
Sydney) or email hannah@academytravel.com.au
Above: Titian’s portrait of Venetian Doge Andrea Gritti
demonstrates his mastery of the newly discovered technique
of oil painting, which placed Venetian painting of the 16th
century at the forefront of European art
Physical fitness
for this tour
Although the itinerary for this tour is unhurried
and our tours attract many travellers in the 60-70
age bracket, a moderate level of physical fitness
will be required in order to participate in the tour
and enjoy everything that the itinerary has to
offer. Specifically you should be able to do the
following:
� Keep up with the group at all times
� Walk unassisted for up to three of four
hours with only short breaks– there are
walking tours on a number of days in the
itinerary
� Walk up and down slopes
� Get on and off coaches and ferries
unassisted
� Move around airports with hand luggage
unassisted
If you are concerned about your ability to meet
the requirements of the trip we urge you to
contact us for further information and to consult
your medical practitioner for an honest
assessment. The tour leaders may instruct you
to take time out of the tour program if they
consider that you will slow the group down or
are at risk of injury or illness.

With over 7,000 square metres of gold mosaics, St Mark’s
epitomises the importation of the luxurious Eastern style
The portrait of Theodora, wife of Emperor Justinian, is one of
the finest surviving Byzantine mosaics and hints at the
opulent life of this reformed entertainer
Venice
City, republic and Empire
Detailed Itinerary
All breakfasts included. Included lunches and dinners are indicated by
the letters (L) and (D).
Friday 15 March
Arrive Venice, orientation
Emirates flight arrives into Venice in the mid afternoon. A transfer to the
hotel by water taxi is available for those arriving with this flight. After
check-in there will be an orientation stroll around the Lido followed by an
early, light dinner in our hotel. (D)
Saturday 16 March
san marco and The trading empire
This morning we take a ferry to the Castello district where we visit the
church of San Giovanni in Bragora, with its two beautiful Vivarini
paintings and its echoes of Antonio Vivaldi, who was the music master
at the nearby Pietà. After a coffee break in the lovely Campo Bandiera e
Moro, we visit the historic Arsenal of Venice, tracking the growth of
Venice’s trading empire and in particular the shipping industry, which
developed to support the empire. After a break for lunch we have a
guided visit to St Mark’s Basilica, constructed between the 10th and
14th centuries. Our program includes the bejewelled Pala d’Oro (golden
altarpiece) and the loggia at the front of the church, where one can
admire the bronze horses brought from Constantinople. This evening we
meet for a talk providing an historical overview of Venice. (B, D)
Sunday 17 March
Venice and the lagoon
Today we gain a sense of the geography of the Venetian Lagoon and
the city’s appearance in its earliest days. We travel by ferry to the
peaceful lagoon islands of Burano and Torcello. On Torcello we view
the 6th-century basilica with its mosaics and Byzantine decorations as
well as the small museum of the Venetian lagoon. We then enjoy a
relaxed welcome lunch before returning to the Lido. In the evening we
meet for a talk on the history and mosaic art of Ravenna. (B, L)
Monday 18 March
Venice and the East
Today we travel to Ravenna, the Byzantine capital of Italy in the 5th-8th
centuries. It is in Ravenna, after the fall of the Roman Empire, that the
Byzantine visual style of gold-ground mosaics first developed. Here we
will view the UNESCO World-Heritage listed churches of Sant’Apollinare
in Classe, San Vitale, and Sant’Apollinare Nuovo. We will also examine
evidence of the Gothic kingdom in Italy in the late 5th and early 6th
century, including the Palace and Mausoleum of Theodoric and the
Neonian baptistery. (B, D)

Tuesday 19 March
art and the Botteghe
After a brief morning talk we visit the Querini-Stampalia Museum, with a
fine collection of Pietro Longhi and Gabriele Bella paintings that show
us how Venetians lived from the Renaissance through to the Baroque. It
also preserves a wonderful painting from the Bellini workshop. We
break for lunch then head to the island of Murano, home to glassmaking
since the 10th century. The island’s glass workshops provide an
excellent living example of how Venice’s medieval artisans’ workshops
(botteghe) functioned. On Murano we also visit the museum of glass
and the ancient church of Santi Maria e Donato with its Byzantine-style
apse and floor mosaics. (B)
Wednesday 20 March
Merchants of venice
This morning we visit the Rialto Markets before making our way to the
fascinating Ghetto district of Venice, where our guided visit illustrates
the life and role of this important group in the Venetian economy. We
stroll around the quiet district of Cannaregio, once Tintoretto’s
neighbourhood and now home to the peaceful churches which contain
his works, such as the Madonna dell’Orto. We enjoy lunch together at
Osteria da Rioba, a typical Venetian trattoria, and then visit the Ca’
d’Oro. This fifteenth-century merchant’s house on the Grand Canal is
now an exquisite museum of medieval and Renaissance art, the
Collezione Giorgio Franchetti. (B, L)
Thursday 21 March
state sponsored art
This morning we have a guided tour of the Doge’s palace, whose layout
illustrates the structure of the Venetian government. The palace is
decorated with large canvases by Tintoretto and Veronese, among
others. Afterwards, we visit the Correr Museum, with its collection of
artefacts relating the history of Venice. It includes a number of
significant artworks by Bellini, Antonello da Messina and Canova, along
with interesting objects such as the famous Venetian zoccole, highheeled
shoes worn by women to keep their skirts out of the dirt and
mud! (B)
Friday 22 March
Padua
We spend the day exploring the nearby town of Padua, a prosperous
town since the Middle Ages whose university was the intellectual base
of Venetian society. Highlights of the day include the flourishing produce
markets, our guided visit to the anatomy theatre at the university, the
frescoed medieval Palazzo della Ragione and of course Giotto’s
extraordinary fresco cycle in the Scrovegni Chapel, undertaken in the
early 1300s. We meet in the early evening for a talk on Venetian
painting 1400-1800 and the confraternities. (B)
Above: the 15 th century Barovier Cup, in the collection of the
Murano Glass Museum, is an example of the superb
technique and detailed workmanship developed in the
botteghe of the glassmakers on Murano.
Above: the Palazzo Ducale, residence of the Venetian doge
and the heart of the city’s empire for 500 years
Below: A detail from Giotto’s exquisite fresco cycle in the
Scrovegni Chapel in Padua

Above: Outside Vicenza we visit Palladio’s Villa Capra (La
Rotonda) – a fine country residence so named because of its
completely symmetrical plan with a central circular hall
Below: an early depiction of the island of San Lazzaro degli
Armeni
Below: the view from the Piazzetta across to the island of
San Giorgio Maggiore, with its Palladian church
Venice
City, republic and Empire
Saturday 23 March
Venetian fine art
This morning we visit the church of San Zaccaria, containing paintings
by artists including Tintoretto, Giovanni Bellini and Tiepolo. We also
take in the Carpaccio cycle at the Scuola di San Giorgio degli
Schiavoni, the tombs of Venice’s doges at Santi Giovanni e Paolo, and
the beautiful Renaissance marbles of Santa Maria dei Miracoli. After a
break for lunch, we visit the church of the Frari and its outstanding
collection of paintings and sculptures, including Titian’s celebrated
Assumption of the Virgin altarpiece, painted in 1517. This evening we
meet for a talk on Palladio and the Renaissance in Venice. (B)
Sunday 24 March
Free day
The day is free to relax, explore the Lido, or undertake individual
sightseeing. Those interested in modern art may like to visit the
impressive Peggy Guggenheim Collection, located in one of the
heiress’s residences, the 18th century Palazzo Venier. The collection
includes outstanding works by Dali, Kandinsky, Pollock, Magritte,
Mondrian and Picasso. (B)
Monday 25 March
Palladio on the terrafirma
In the 16th century, amid declining trade, the Venetian aristocracy
sought to recreate the life of the ancients in the countryside. We travel
by coach to the mainland to enjoy a full day visiting some of Palladio’s
fine country villas, all elegant variations in the classical style. We begin
the day at the Villa Barbaro at Maser, where we will have an opportunity
to taste the wines and sample local produce. We then continue to
Vicenza, with its important civic buildings by Palladio, and the Villa
Capra or La Rotonda, Palladio’s celebrated centrally-planned pleasure
villa. (B, L)
Tuesday 26 March
Palladio in Venice
This morning we travel to the nearby island of San Lazzaro degli
Armeni, where we visit the convent of the Armenian monks, a centre of
learning and enlightenment for Venice for hundreds of years. Byron
worked alongside the monks here (on an English-Armenian dictionary),
and the monastery contains an eclectic collection of ceramics, liturgical
apparatus, icons and, surprisingly, Egyptian artefacts. After a lunch
break in the Zattere district, we visit the Palladian churches on
Giudecca, the Redentore and San Giorgio Maggiore, where we ascend
the belltower for a splendid panorama over the lagoon. (B)
Wednesday 27 March
The Accademia and the scuola GRANDE di
san rocco
This morning we have a booked visit to the Galleria dell’Accademia, the
main gallery of Venetian painting from the Middle Ages to the 18th

century, displaying important works by Bellini, Carpaccio, Giorgione,
Titian, Tintoretto, Tiepolo and others. Afterwards, we see Tintoretto’s
virtuoso performance in his oil paintings for the Scuola Grande di San
Rocco. The late afternoon is at leisure, with a visit to the startlingly
modern Punta della Dogana museum highly recommended. In the
evening we meet for a talk on Venice in the 18th century. (B)
Thursday 28 March
The glorious 18th century
Venetian society in the 18th century was famous throughout Europe for
its beauty, splendour and decadence. We visit the Ca’ Rezzonico, a
palace of the period that has recently been restored and converted to a
museum. In the afternoon we will visit the Palazzo Mocinego, which
houses a museum of textiles and costume. In the evening we gather for
a farewell dinner in an excellent Venetian restaurant. (B, D)
Friday 29 March
DEPARTURE
Today we depart Venice. A group transfer by private launch to Venice's
Marco Polo airport is available for those meeting the Emirates flight
back to Australia via Dubai.
Opera and concert performances
at La Fenice
Venice's historic opera house, La Fenice (The Phoenix), has well
and truly risen from the ashes after the disastrous 1996 fire and the
opportunity to enjoy a performance here is one not to be missed.
Once the 2013 season program has been released we hope to be
able to secure tickets to a performance one afternoon or evening
during your stay in Venice.
Pulcinella, by 18th-century Venetian artist Giandomenico
Tiepolo. Tiepolo’s light and airy depictions of Venice adorned
the finest homes in the city, including the Ca’ Rezzonico. The
palace is today a museum of the 18th century

The Hotel Villa Laguna offers spectacular views across the
lagoon to St Mark’s Square and comfortable, spacious
rooms
HOTEL ACCOMMODATION
THE VILLA LAGUNA
An elegantly restored Hapsburg villa, the four star Hotel Villa Laguna is
located on the Lido in Venice with views onto the lagoon and across to
St Mark’s Square.
The rooms (all suites) are comfortable and bright and decorated in
traditional Venetian style. The hotel has a restaurant and lounge bar -
the ideal venue for an aperitif while watching the sun set across the
lagoon.
The Lido is home for many Venetians, and features some fine examples
of early 20th-century ‘liberty’ style architecture, such as the magnificent
Grand Hotel des Bains. Uncrowded and unhurried out of season, it has
a range of interesting restaurants, shops and basic services such as
laundries and supermarkets that are difficult to find in the tourist centre.
There are also several ATM terminals near the hotel.
The hotel website is www.hotelvillalaguna.it
Weather on tour
We can expect cool to mild weather throughout the trip, with plenty of
sunshine and little rain. Daytime maximum temperatures will average
around 15 degrees, dropping to five or six degrees at night. While a
coat and scarf are recommended, it will not be unpleasantly cold.
Additional travel AND
stopovers
We are more than happy to arrange additional travel either before
or after the tour dates. Stopovers on the outbound or return flight
are also possible for those wishing to break their journey. Please
contact Hannah Kleboe on 02 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699
(outside Sydney) or email hannah@academytravel.com.au

About Academy Travel
Academy Travel
Each year Academy Travel organizes
around 30 journeys to Europe, the
Mediterranean, Asia and the Americas,
each focusing on a distinctive historical,
artistic or cultural theme. There is a
maximum of 20 participants on our
tours. The aim of every Academy Travel
journey is to combine the pleasures of
independent travel with the benefits and
shared enjoyment of a group. Expert tour
leaders, carefully selected accommodation
and carefully paced itineraries are the key
ingredients of our planning.
Our activities includes our open-age tour
program, international summer schools
for the University of Sydney, the Australian
National University and other tertiary
institutions, tours for the Association of
Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Societies
(ADFAS) and specialist tours for senior
secondary school history students.
Academy Travel is an Australian-owned
travel company, founded in 2004. The
company’s staff includes both academic
experts with knowledge of history,
archaeology, art and architecture and
travel professionals with over two decades’
industry experience. Our Australian office
is based in a heritage-listed building in the
Sydney CBD. We also have our own office
in Rome which organises all our programs
in Western Europe. This means we have
direct control over the selection of hotels,
restaurants, coaches and local guides,
guaranteeing superior quality.
Clockwise from above:
Greek temple at Segesta, Sicily.
Sharing lunch in a Renaissance villa outside
Florence.
Private viewing at the Museum of Modern Art,
New York.
Sicily.
What makes our
tours different?
> Outstanding tour leaders. All our leaders
possess extensive knowledge of the
places visited on a journey, skills in
communicating this knowledge to an
interested audience and practical skills
in managing a group journey. Most of all
our leaders have a love and enthusiasm
for the places you visit!
> Itineraries planned around carefully
thought-out historical and cultural
themes, rather than superficial
‘panoramic’ tours. You have time to
build up an in-depth understanding and
appreciation of what you see, not just a
check-list of famous sites.
> Extended stays in most destinations,
rather than one- or two-night hops.
This allows you the chance to get to
know the places you visit, time to
pursue individual sightseeing and the
opportunity to simply relax and watch
the world go by. It also means you can
attend to practical matters, such as
laundry and emails, with ease.
> Background talks before you visit sites,
museums and galleries. This leaves you
free to spend your time actually looking at
the things you’ve travelled to see, rather
than straining to listen to a local tour
guide. Through the background talks you’ll
also build up a coherent understanding
of the country you’re visiting, not just a
fragmented set of facts.
> Extensive tour notes, reading lists and
pre-departure notes. For every tour
we provide detailed tour notes on the
specific sites we visit, a general historical
and social background of the countries
you visit and practical information about
travel arrangements.
Who participates
in our tours?
Academy Travel’s tours are open to
everyone, but they are not for everyone.
They appeal to those who want to move
beyond mass tourism, either because they
have considerable travel experience or have
a strong interest in a particular place or
period. Very often participants are regular
independent travellers, but have chosen
to join the group because of the special
attraction of the itinerary or the expertise of
the group leader. The opportunity to travel
with like-minded people is one of the main
appeals of our program.
There is no minimum or maximum age
limit for tour members. All we ask for is
a reasonable level of fitness, interest
and enthusiasm.
Expert tour leaders Maximum 20 in a group Carefully-planned itineraries

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DEPOSITS
A deposit of $500 per person is required to confirm your booking on a tour. Final payment
of the tour fee, insurance and any additional travel will be due 60 days before departure.
CANCELLATION FEES
If you decide to cancel your booking the following charges apply:
More than 60 days before departure: $500*
60-45 days before tour start: 25% of total amount due
44-15 days before tour start: 50 % of total amount due
14 days or less before departure: 100% of total amount due
*This amount may be credited to another Academy Travel tour within 12 months of the
original tour you booked.
UNUSED PORTIONS OF THE TOUR
We regret that refunds will not be given for any unused portions of the tour, such as meals,
entry fees, accommodation, flights or transfers.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Academy Travel requires all participants to obtain comprehensive travel insurance. We offer
a comprehensive policy with a reputable insurer if required.
PASSPORT AND VISA
A valid passport is required for all international travel. If you do not hold an Australian passport
you may require a re-entry permit. Some countries require a visa to be issued before you
depart Australia. We will advise you of all passport and visa requirements, but it is your
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WILL THE TOUR PRICE CHANGE?
If the number of participants in a tour is significantly less than budgeted, or if there is a significant
change in exchange rates Academy Travel reserves the right to amend the advertised price.
If this occurs you will be given the option of canceling your booking and obtaining a full refund.
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WILL THE ITINERARY OR AIRLINE CHANGE?
Occasionally circumstances beyond the control of Academy Travel make it necessary to
change airline, hotel or to make slight amendments to daily itineraries. We will inform you
of any changes as soon as they occur.
FINAL PAYMENT
Full and final payment for the tour, airfare travel, insurance and any additional travel you
book is due 60 days before departure. Payment may be made by bank deposit, cheque,
cash or credit card. Please note there is a surcharge for payments made by credit card.
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