Italy: Astronomy, Science, & La Dolce Vita

Depart for Rome, typically on an overnight flight.

On arrival transfer to your hotel. This afternoon gather for a tour of the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and the Piazza Navona, ending at a local trattoria for a welcome dinner with Roman specialties. (3 Nights)

Begin the day with a guided walking tour in a flourishing green oasis in the heart of Rome: the Vatican Gardens. After lunch, enjoy a private visit to The Tower of Winds. One of the most famous buildings in the Vatican, it was originally erected to create an astronomical observatory to study the Gregorian Calendar Reform. Continue with a specially permitted behind-the-scenes visit of the Vatican Library. Among its holdings are the extensive records of Galileo’s prosecution of heresy.

Guided tour of La Specola Vaticana — the Vatican Observatory, one of the oldest astronomical institutions in the world. The Observatory has a double-edged mission: scientific research into the knowledge of the universe, and the education of the public based upon the knowledge derived from that research. Lunch at a fabulous location overlooking the nearby Albano Lake. In the afternoon visit the extraordinary Copernican Museum, with fantastic views of Rome. The museum is dedicated to the history and technology of astronomy with a beautiful collection of ancient instruments illustrating the evolution of research in astronomy.

Depart for Florence by high-speed train and explore Casa Buonarroti with its amazing art collections and drawings of the maestro, Michelangelo. Enjoy lunch at leisure and then settle into your hotel room. Later on, enjoy a welcome home-hosted dinner with a Florentine family. (3 Nights)

Walking tour of the city’s historic center. In Piazza della Repubblica, discover the city’s beginnings as a Roman settlement. See the Duomo and the Basilica di Santa Croce, where Galileo is buried. Continue to Ponte Vecchio, and visit the Galileo Museum that has one of the most important collections of Renaissance scientific instruments and experimental equipment. In the afternoon, visit Villa Il Gioiello, where Galileo spent the last years of his life. A stone’s throw away from Galileo’s villa is the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, a public center for scientific research that is part of Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF). The day finishes with a stargazing session with a large historical telescope at the observatory (weather permitting).

Transfer to Pisa for a walking tour of the city where Galileo was born on February 15, 1564. Discover landmarks such as Galileo’s childhood home, Campo dei Miracoli, the Duomo and Baptistry, Camposanto Monumentale, and the Campanile, also known as the Leaning Tower where Galileo conducted his experiments on falling bodies. In the afternoon, pay a visit to Pisa University, one of the most ancient in Italy and Europe and where Galileo pursued his education. Cap off your day with a wine tasting at a historic winery.

After breakfast, board the high-speed train to Padua. Walking down the street, take a look at Galileo’s House and learn stories and secrets of his life. Have lunch at a typical trattoria in the city center. After lunch, continue to Palazzo Bo, the main office of the prestigious University of Padua, the second oldest university in Italy, and also the home of the renowned Anatomy Theater. Finally, pay a visit to La Specola, the place from which, according to legend, Galileo performed his extraordinary astronomical discoveries. (2 Nights)

Morning visit to the amazing Scrovegni Chapel to see the most complete series of frescoes executed by Giotto in his mature age. Next, travel to the town of Asiago to visit the largest operating optical telescope in Italy, located at the Astrophysical Observatory of Asiago run by the University of Padua. Enjoy a tour of the 1.82-meter Copernicus Telescope located in Cima Ekar on the Asiago plateau. After a farewell dinner in Asiago, return to the Asiago Observatory for a sky observation session, then return to Padua.

Breakfast is at the hotel. Private individual transfers to Venice Airport for flights back to the U.S., or transfers to Venice by water taxi for those continuing on a post-trip extension to Venice.

Take a grand tour of Rome including the Vatican City, Colosseum, and the Forum. (2 Nights)

Spend two nights in Venice seeing its highlights and private visits such as the Doge’s Palace, the Sansovinian Library, an after-hours visit to the Venice Clock Tower, and the boat building yard for gondola construction. (2 Nights)