ITINERARY
Thursday, March 4
Air
Travel: leave Philadelphia Int’l Airport
at
6:00 PM, LH427
Friday, March 5
Air
Travel: leave Frankfurt at 9:55 AM, LH 3882
TO
MILANO, ITALY
Motor-coach
to Florence
Evening
free in Florence
Saturday, March 6
half-day
tour of Florence
half-day
at leisure in Florence
Sunday, March 7
day at leisure in Florence
Monday, March 8
Morning:
Corporate Visit
Afternoon:
Corporate Visit
Tuesday, March 9
Morning:
Corporate Visit
Afternoon:
Corporate Visit
Train-coach
to Milan
Wednesday, March 10
Morning:
Corporate Visit
Afternoon:
half-day open
Thursday, March 11
Morning:
Corporate Visit
Afternoon:
Corporate Visit
Motor-coach
to Venice
Friday, March 12
Travel
via Motoscafo
half-day
Corporate Visit
and
city cultural tour
Saturday,
March 13
Full
day at leisure in Venice
Evening
Farewell Dinner
Sunday, March 14
Air
travel: leave Venice at 10:25 AM, LH Flt. # 4085
Arrives
Frankfurt at 12:00 PM
Air
travel: leave Frankfurt at 1:10 PM, LH Flt. # 426
Arrives
Philadelphia Int’l Airport at 4:15 PM
FLORENCE:
In the VIII° century,
where today is the old bridge called "Ponte Vecchio", there was an
Etruscan establishment controlling the ford of the Arno river. In the year
59 BC the Roman colony of Florentia was founded. During the IV° century
Christianity began to spread and the first churches were built. With the
fall of the Roman Empire came the invasions of Ostrogoths (405), Byzantines
(539) and Goths (541). During the Carolingian period the feudal system began
and Florence became a county of the Sacred
Roman Empire.
The economic
development of this ancient city brought new classes to birth:
entrepreneurs, traders, and bankers who formed the "Major Arts"
which by the end of the century, were to determine the power of the Commons.
Although
Florence was founded in ancient times, it was of little importance before
the 11th century. By the second half of that century it was governed by a
council composed of nobles and learned men that nominally functioned in the
name of the people, thus making the city a republic.
Today it is recognized as one of the most
beautiful and historically rich cities in the world.
It is a crossroads of culture (numerous renowned museums),
artisanship (sort after craftsman) and classical business (a trade route),
and a city not to be missed by any inquiring mind.
MILAN:
The dynamo behind
Italy’s economic miracle, MILAN is
a city like no other in Italy. It
is a fast-paced business city in which consumerism and the work ethic rule.
It's a historic city, with enough churches and museums to keep you busy for
a week, much of the city a testament to the prestige-building of the
Visconti dynasty and their successors, the Sforzas, who ruled here in
Renaissance times; and the contemporary aspects of the place represent the
leading edge of Italy's fashion and design industry, not to mention a
nightlife scene which is perhaps Italy's most varied.
Historic Milan lies at
the center of a web of streets zeroing in on Piazza del Duomo, the city's main hub, a mostly pedestrianized
square that's home to the best of Milan's street life, and, on its eastern
side, the Duomo, the world's
largest Gothic cathedral, begun in 1386 and taking nearly five centuries to
complete. Close by, beneath the
presbytery, the Scurolo di San Carlo
is an octagonal crypt designed to house the remains of Saint Charles
Borromeo, a zealous sixteenth-century cardinal who was canonized for his
work among the poor of the city.
Milan is a mix of
architecture, history and business excitement.
VENICE:
Venice
is a city and
seaport in northeastern Italy, in Veneto Region, capital of Venice Province.
Venice is situated on 120 islands formed by 177 canals in the lagoon between
the mouths of the Po and Piave rivers, at the northern extremity of the
Adriatic Sea. Because of its historic role as a naval power and commercial
center, the city is known as the “Queen of the Adriatic.” A railroad and
highway causeway connect Venice with the mainland. Long sand bars, or
barrier beaches, on the outer side of the lagoon serve as protection against
the sea. The islands on which the city is built are connected by about 400
bridges. The Grand Canal, about 3 km (about 2 mi) long, winds through Venice
from northwest to southeast, dividing the city into two nearly equal
portions. No motor vehicles are permitted on the narrow, winding lanes
and streets that penetrate the old city, and the bridges are for pedestrians
only. For centuries the most common method of transportation was by gondola,
a flat-bottomed boat propelled by a single oar. Today, the gondolas are used
mainly by tourists; motor launches carry almost all the freight and
passenger traffic in Venice.
Modern Venice has
faced many challenges, including loss of population to other areas and
physical damage from flooding, sinking, air and age.
Flooding has occurred throughout the history of the city; it is
caused when high tides combine with storm winds, and has been combated with
experiments using mechanical barriers. The sinking of buildings and other
structures, caused by the drainage of underground aquifers, has been
addressed by limits on groundwater usage and the construction of an aqueduct
from the nearby Alps.
Today the city is a reminder of old Italy and a view to
the future. Investment and
people make it a vibrant stop on our Italian tour.