October 13–20, 2025
From the arch at Susa to the theater at Aosta, near the French border, ancient monuments of the Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta regions still proclaim imperial power on the western frontier of Roman Italy. Turin, the elegant royal seat of the Savoia kings, is an industrial, gastronomic, and cultural capital and famous for both its Egyptian Museum and its chocolate. Piedmont’s celebrated Langhe area has practically mythical status as the home of Barolo, Barbaresco, and Barbera wines and the white Alba truffle.
April 13–20, 2026
Ancient cities atop windswept hills that evoke the staunch resistance of the local Samnite population to a Rome not yet all-powerful … pristine medieval castles and churches against a splendid backdrop of snow-capped mountains … a hearty, sometimes spicy pastoral cuisine … full-bodied Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine …
Destinations include—among many others— the spectacular ancient sites of Amiternum, Peltuinum, Alba Fucens, and Saepinum and the gracious small cities of Chieti and Benevento.
October 12–19, 2026
This tour focuses on two fascinating and beautiful parts of the Campania region that are too often overshadowed by the powerhouse attractions around the Bay of Naples. Irpinia, the inland northern part of the region and whose main town is Avellino, is known for its Longobard heritage and superb wines, such as Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo. The coastal part of the region south of the Sorrento peninsula is the Cilento, whose beautiful landscape is recognized with a UNESCO designation and protected parkland. We’ll visit Paestum, Capua, and Velia, where Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans met indigenous Italic peoples.
April 5–12, 2027
There’s a good deal more to northeastern Italy than Venice. The stretch of the Friuli–Venezia Giulia and Veneto regions along the top of the Adriatic between La Serenissima and Croatia was and is a cultural crossroads with a unique archaeological legacy. Aquileia, enriched by Adriatic trade, boasts a magnificent late-antique basilica as well as the extensive remains of an important ancient port. At the eastern extreme, near the border of Slovenia, Trieste’s Austro- Hungarian heritage is evident in its ornate architecture, coffee culture, and baked ham, while the secret of charming, canal-lined Treviso is beginning to leak out—so there’s not a moment to lose.