Terraferma: The Golden Age of Art in the Venetian Land Empire

Morning flight at c. 8.45am with BA from London Heathrow to Venice. At Altino, only a short distance from the Venetian lagoon, we will visit the Museo Nazionale with important late Antique and early Christian archaeological remains from the Roman “Regio X Venetia et Histria”. We then continue by private coach to Vicenza where all five nights of the tour will be spent.

Vicenza was given its unmistakable look by the buildings designed by Andrea Palladio: the town hall, better known as ‘basilica’, and the Teatro Olimpico are joined by handsome classicising palazzi, one of which we will explore from roof to basement. But there is more to this lively and liveable city than Palladio: the 4th-century church of SS Felice e Fortunato with early Christian floor mosaics and marble carvings, altarpieces by Giovanni Bellini and Veronese in the recently restored church of S. Corona and the fine Museo Civico including paintings by Piazzetta and Tiepolo.

Full day excursion by coach in the Veneto Prealps. In the morning we visit Bassano del Grappa, where Palladio’s bridge dramatically spans the River Brenta between steeply rising embankments, making this busy Alpine market town a place of strategic importance. The town’s most prodigious artistic talents, Jacopo Bassano and his sons, are sometimes overlooked — unjustly so, as is borne out by the excellent collection of their work on display in the civic museum, while Palazzo Sturm houses an important collection of prints and ceramics. In the afternoon we will visit the enchanting hilltop borgo of Asolo has long been praised for its beautiful views: in c. 1500 Caterina Cornaro, exiled queen of Cyprus, held court here, making it a favourite destination for generations of poets in search of idylls, from Pietro Bembo to Robert Browning. Return via Castelfranco, a small walled outpost of Treviso against rival Padua. Tucked away in the cathedral is Giorgione’s groundbreaking Castelfranco Altarpiece.

In the morning we will travel by coach to Verona for a full day excursion. Neatly set into a loop of the Adige river, Verona boasts superb Roman monuments: the huge amphitheatre of the Arena and marble city gates attest to the city’s significance in Antiquity. Verona’s continued importance from the early Middle Ages to the rule of the della Scala clan in the 14th century is manifest in many outstanding works of art and architecture, from the historiated bronze doors of the basilica of San Zeno to the equestrian monument of Cangrande della Scala. Submitting to Venice in 1405, Verona continued to flourish; its churches and museums boasting works by Pisanello, Mantegna, Titian and Paolo Veronese, the city’s greatest native painter.

All day excursion by coach to Padua. Claiming to owe its origins to the Trojan Antenor, is home to one of Italy’s oldest universities. Classical roots and learning brought fame far superior to that of the mercantile upstart, Venice – at least according to many Renaissance Paduans. The long list of luminaries in the city includes Dante and Petrarch. We will explore great buildings, such as the town hall and baptistery, but above all we will enjoy an extended visit to the Scrovegni Chapel with Giotto’s unparalleled fresco cycle. In and around the pilgrimage church of Sant’Antonio we will explore works by Altichiero, Donatello, Mantegna and Titian.

After some free time in the morning, coach transfer to Venice Marco Polo for an early afternoon flight to London Heathrow.