| Italian Influence on Western Civilization Itinerary |
| Sunday, June 8 | Overnight flight from U.S. to London. |
| Monday, June 9 | Arrive London. Transfer to hotel in London. |
| Tuesday, June 10 | Orientation meeting and introduction to the program at Richmond University’s London Kensington campus. Afternoon sightseeing tour of central London including a visit to the National Gallery (focus on Italian Art). Group welcome dinner Italian style. Overnight in London. |
| Wednesday, June 11 | Transfer to London airport for flight to Rome. Transfer to hotel in Rome. Brief walking tour of Rome. |
| Thursday, June 12 | Morning visit to the Colosseum and Forum Romanum, Palatine and Capitoline Hills, as examples of Early, Republican and Imperial Rome. Afternoon lecture. Introduction: Rome and Italy through the Ages. A historical outline focusing on Rome, Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Overnight in Rome. |
| Friday, June 13 | Visit to the Vatican City to view Saint Peter’s, the Sistine Chapel and Raphael’s Rooms. Emphasis on the Papal State and Christian art and architecture. Afternoon free. Overnight in Rome. |
| Saturday, June 14 | Morning visit to the Galleria Borghese. Afternoon lecture on Church, State and People. 2000 years of Religion and Politics in Italy, from Renaissance to Modern Italy. Overnight in Rome. |
| Sunday, June 15 | Free day. Overnight in Rome. |
| Monday, June 16 | Transfer to Pompeii by private bus for a guided tour of the ruins of Pompeii, which was engulfed by 23 feet of volcanic ash from Vesuvius in 79 AD, leaving students with an impression of life as it was nearly 2,000 years ago. Transfer to Sorrento for night in hotel. |
| Tuesday, June 17 | Day trip to the island of Capri, “the island of dreams,” with the services of a professional guide. Return to Sorrento. Overnight in Sorrento. |
| Wednesday, June 18 | Full day trip to Amalfi via Positano: entrances to Cathedral S. Andrea in Amalfi. Overnight in Sorrento. |
| Thursday, June 19 | Free morning. Afternoon lecture on Naples and the Italian South. From the Magna Graecia to the Bourbon Kings to modern times. Overnight in Sorrento. |
| Friday, June 20 | Transfer to Naples. Morning sightseeing tour of the city center: Maschio Angioino, Castel dell’Ovo, San Martino, Piazza del Plebiscito. Afternoon visit to the National Archaeological Museum with the services of a professional guide: ancient Roman sculpture and painting. Transfer to Siena for overnight. |
| Saturday, June 21 | Walking tour of Siena, a beautiful Tuscan city where the famous Palio horse race takes place. Overnight in Siena. |
| Sunday, June 22 | Morning transfer to Florence. Afternoon walking tour of Florence with a professional guide, to include sights such as the Ponte Vecchio and Duomo. Overnight in Florence. |
| Monday, June 23 | Morning lecture on Florence and Tuscany, from the Etruscans to the Middle Ages. Free afternoon. Overnight in Florence. |
| Tuesday, June 24 | Morning visit to the Uffizi Gallery with the services of a professional English-speaking guide. Afternoon lecture on Political Thought in Renaissance Italy. Overnight in Florence. |
| Wednesday, June 25 | Morning lecture on Renaissance Art in Italy and the Quattrocento in Florence. Visit to the Accademia to view Michelangelo’s David. Overnight in Florence. |
| Thursday, June 26 | Free day in Florence. Overnight in Florence. |
| Friday, June 27 | Optional excursion to Fiesole. Overnight in Florence. |
| Saturday, June 28 | Transfer by private bus to Venice, stopping en route to visit the beautiful mosaics in Ravenna. Overnight in Venice. |
| Sunday, June 29 | Morning visit to the Doge’s Palace and Piazza San Marco and St. Mark’s Cathedral, with the services of a professional guide. Afternoon lecture on The History of Venice and the Italian Marine Republics. Overnight in Venice. |
| Monday, June 30 | Free day. Overnight in Venice. |
| Tuesday, July 1 | Visit the Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art. Afternoon lecture: Group discussion on impressions of Italian culture. Overnight in Venice. |
| Wednesday, July 2 | Free morning. Afternoon lecture on Italy in the world and global influences. Overnight in Venice. |
| Thursday, July 3 | Transfer by private bus to Milan, via visit to Palladio’s Villa Rotonda. Overnight in Milan. |
| Friday, July 4 | Morning lecture on Milan and Northern Italy, the Gallia Cisalpina, the Lombard Cities and Modern Times. Afternoon guided tour of the city center including the Duomo Cathedral and Castello Sforzesco, with the services of a professional guide and visit to Santa Maria delle Grazie, to see Leonardo’s masterpiece, “The Last Supper”. Overnight in Milan. |
| Saturday, July 5 | Morning lecture: Resume: The Italian Influence on Western Civilization. Afternoon free. Farewell dinner for group. Overnight in Milan. |
| Sunday, July 6 | Return flight home from Milan to the U.S. |
| AIFS reserves the right to modify the itinerary. |
