2009 Tours:
Tour Description | What's Included | Itinerary | Itinerary - PDF Version
Join Denver Sister Cities for a unique tour across Southern Italy
May 23 - June 2, 2009 | Pricing starts at $2735 per person
Saturday, May 23: Arrival Brindisi to Otranto (3 nights)
Water so blue...so shimmering...you'll wonder if it ever ends. Stretches of coastline so powdery white you'll think you
were back in Greece. Welcome to one of Southern Italy's best
kept secrets. Welcome to the Adriatic port city of Otranto.
- Arrive Brindisi Airport
- Pickup at Brindisi Airport and transfer by private coach to Otranto
- 1 hour 20 minutes, 57 miles
- Settle into hotel
- Dinner at leisure
- Overnight Otranto
Sunday, May 24: Otranto
A visit to the City can begin with the seafront area, from which one can
enter the old town through a portal, and where it is possible to enjoy a
panoramic view over the bay.
You will come across the Cathedral (1080-1088) almost immediately,
which guards mosaic flooring (1163-1165) in its interior, depicting the
tree of life, a work by the a monk named Pantaleone.
Other jewels in Otranto are the Byzantine Church of Saint Peter, dating back to the 9th Century and which preserves precious frescoes.
A walk uphill will take visitors to the powerful Castle, built on the wishes
of Frederick II of Swabia in 1226 .
- Morning free to relax, explore, or shop
- Welcome lunch for group
- Afternoon and evening free to explore or relax
- Dinner at leisure
- Overnight Otranto
Monday, May 25: Lecce
If you are fortunate enough to visit this lovely city, you are likely to be impressed by the lavish decorations on its facades. The local sandstone, tinged a warm pink, is so easy to work with that it fostered the rise of a local style (barocco leccese) as ornate and intricate as any the world has seen. More than the architects, it was the local stone masons who
left their mark on this city, crowding its buildings with fanciful cherubs, monsters, flowers, fruits, beauties and beasts. Far, far off the beaten track for most of Italy's art-loving visitors, Lecce sits on the southeastern tip of
Italy's boot, waiting to stupefy us with its littleknown magnificence. Walk through the quiet streets of the old town, beneath delicate wrought-iron balustrades, curving whitewashed arches and soft amber street lamps, and you will find something to capture your fancy on almost every building.
- Morning departure for day trip to Lecce
- 45 minutes, 26 miles
- Guided 3 hour tour of Lecce
- Free time for lunch and exploring
- Return to Otranto for dinner at your leisure
- Overnight Otranto
Tuesday, May 26: Otranto to Matera (2 nights)
Alberobello is known for its pretty little "beehive" houses, called "trulli". There are at least 400 only in the little town of Alberobello itself. Many are still private residences, but there are dozens that you can visit, because they house souvenir shops or artisan workshops. There are a few "trulli tipici," which are recreations of what an inhabited one looks like. Mainly you come here to stroll the pristine cobblestone alleys and admire the immaculate structures. Be sure to look for the various hex signs (mysterious figures, whitewashed on the grey stone roofs, that were thought to ward off evil and protect the inhabitants) as well as the many different pinnacles that top the domes.
- Morning departure for Alberobello
- 2 hours 20 minutes, 101 miles
- Guided 2 hour tour of Alberobello
- Free time for lunch
- Depart for Matera
- 1 hour 15 minutes, 43 miles
- Settle into hotel
- Dinner at leisure
- Overnight Matera
Wednesday, May 27: Altamura
The area of Altamura was already populated in the Bronze Age as shown by archeological findings in La Croce settlement. The old name was Altilia, from Alter Ilium, meaning "other Troy", since according to the legend it was founded by a friend of Aeneas, Antellus. The city grew in importance under Emperor Frederick II. Altamura was ruled by a number of feudal families, such as the Orsini del Balzo and the Farnese. In 1748 Charles VII established a University.
The city is famous for its particular quality of bread, which is sold in numerous other Italian cities. Altamura's main landmark is the Romanesque Cathedral, begun in 1232 by Frederick II and restored in 1330 and 1521-1547. It is one of the four Palatine churches of Apulia.
- Morning departure for Altamura
- 30 minutes, 15 miles
- Possibility for a bread making experience of the traditional Altamura bread
- Light lunch with wine and olive oil tasting.
- Free time to explore Altamura
- Departure for Matera
- Dinner at leisure
- Overnight Matera
Thursday, May 28: Matera to Potenza
Matera is a unique example of a cultural tradition and civilization which stretches back to the Neolithic age. The old city was created out of a rocky ravine. The numerous natural caves in Matera were the first houses of the Neolithic inhabitants of the region, who transformed the natural landscape into new forms of architecture. Caves are carved out one above the other and arranged in a seemingly chaotic way until it is realized that the caves are really a labyrinth of houses.
The roof of one house may appear as a road, a stairway, a garden or as the floor of yet another house. Walking through the old city, many chimneys sprout out of the road, and you find yourself walking on the roofs of other houses. Distinguishing the natural rock formations and the architecture created by the ancient inhabitants is often impossible. Matera was the setting of Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of Christ.
- Morning guided tour of Matera
- Departure for Potenza
- 1 hour 30 minutes, 52 miles
- Sister City meeting/activities
- Possibility for Sister City dinner (Arranged by Sister Cities/Potenza)
- Overnight Potenza
- Possibility for Home Stay (Arranged by
Sister Cities/Potenza)
Friday, May 29: Potenza, St. Gerard Festival
Located at 2,684 ft (819 m) above sea level in the Apennines, the Roman city Potentia was founded in the 2nd century BC and became an important road junction and flourishing community. In medieval times it had a succession of feudal overlords. In 1860 it was the first town in southern Italy to expel the Bourbon rulers of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
In Potenza, on May 29, the day before the festival of St. Gerard, the patron of the city, takes place the Sfilata dei Turchi (Procession of the Turks). Even though it is based on legend, we can define it as an historic celebration. It is said that on a night in May, while the inhabitants of Potenza were sleeping, a band of Saracen pirates navigated their boats upstream against the current of the Basenta and attacked the city. Taken by surprise, the inhabitants found themselves defenseless. Suddenly the sky lit up and a row of angels appeared, surprising the Saracens and giving the citizens time to organize their defense. Once the invaders were sent away, the people attributed the miracle to S. Gerardo who, during his life, had been the bishop of Potenza. The procession honors him by reenacting the events of the legend.
- Sister City meetings/activities
- Possibility for Sister Cities Lunch (Arranged by Sister Cities/Potenza)
- San Gerardo Festival Parade
- Overnight Potenza
Saturday, May 30: Potenza to Maratea (2 nights)
Maratea is a small Basilicatan town (pop. 5,600) perched
high on the Tyrrhenian coastline in the Gulf of Policastro. In
recent years Maratea has become the center for the off the
beaten track alternative to the Amalfi Coast. The old town
has been carefully restored and has two main piazzas and a
maze of narrow streets and alley ways. These days they
contain good restaurants, interesting shops and pleasant
open air cafes where one can sip a cappuccino and watch
the world go by.
- Morning departure for Maratea
- Settle into hotel
- Free time to enjoy the sea, relax, explore Maratea
- Lunch and Dinner at leisure
- Overnight Maratea
Sunday, May 31: Maratea
The heart of Maratea is the area's old town, known as Maratea Superiore, built into the mountainside (over 2,000 feet above sea level) in order to afford protection from medieval invaders. This pristine village boasts a staggering 44 churches (all of Maratea has only 5,000 inhabitants). Its maze of steep, cobblestone streets reveal well-kept piazzas and charming shops and restaurants.
- Free time to enjoy the sea, relax, explore Maratea
- Lunch at leisure
- Free time to explore, and pack things for departure.
- Farewell Dinner
- Overnight Maratea
Monday, June 1: Maratea to Naples
At the time of its destruction, Pompeii was a thriving commercial port at the mouth of the Sarno River in southwestern Italy. While the first occupations at Pompeii date to the 6th century BC, the city grew slowly over the centuries, blossoming with the Roman occupation beginning in 81 BC. Pompeii's known buildings--and there are many that were preserved under the mud and ash fall--include a Roman basilica, built ca 130-120 BC, and an amphitheatre built circa 80 BC. The forum contained several temples; the
streets included hotels and eating places and gardens within the city walls. But probably of most fascination to those of us today are the details of the private homes, the eerie negative images of people caught in the eruption, the utter humanness of the tragedy seen at Pompeii.
- Morning departure for Pompeii
- 2 hours 45 minutes, 114 miles
- Optional 3 hour guided tour of Pompeii, transportation to hotel provided
- Those not visiting Pompeii will be taken to the hotel for free time
- Depart for Naples
- Settle into hotel
- Free time for dinner at leisure
- Overnight Naples
Tuesday, June 2: Departure/ Naples
- Morning transfer to Naples Airport
- 30 minutes, 10 miles
- Tour Ends
Buon Viaggio!
2009 Tours:
Tour Description | What's Included | Itinerary | Itinerary - PDF Version
