Varese – Meeting between nature and spirituality
4 days / 3 nights
Arrival at the hotel in the centre and meeting with the guide. We will start our Tour of the “Garden City” and its surroundings with a pleasant walk in the historical centre. Founded as a small trading town in the Middle Ages, Varese became a provincial capital at the beginning of the 20th century. The oldest evidence of its past is the Baptistery of St John the Baptist, which contains an extraordinary cycle of frescoes from the 14th century. The Baptistery stands in the shadow of the imposing 16th-century Basilica of San Vittore and its bell tower. Walking along the city streets we will meet not only monuments and important places such as Palazzo Estense, Piazza del Podestà and Piazza San Vittore, but also secret and hidden corners such as small cloisters and courtyards, turrets, windows and residential arches of the past.
Return to the hotel.
Dinner and overnight stay.
After breakfast and meeting with the guide, transfer by coach to Sacro Monte. We will visit one of the oldest places of worship and spirituality in Italy, Sacro Monte. A destination for tourists and pilgrims for over 500 years, in 2003 it became a UNESCO site. The fourteen chapels along the ascent represent the Mysteries of the Rosary. The last of the Mysteries is represented in the Chapel inside the village of Santa Maria del Monte, which houses the effigy of the Black Madonna. We also visit the Crypt with important frescoes from the 14th century.
Lunch in a restaurant.
After lunch we will see the fascinating and eclectic museum residence of architect Lodovico Pogliaghi. Author of the Milan Cathedral door, he lived and died in Varese in the house he designed. Inside the museum we will discover numerous works and antiquities from all over the world.
Return by coach to the hotel.
Dinner and overnight stay.
After breakfast and meeting with the guide, we travel by coach to Santa Caterina del Sasso. Our visit today begins with the wonderful Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso. Carved out of the rock overlooking Lake Maggiore, it remains one of the most evocative and spiritual places in Italy. Legend has it that it was founded by a merchant who survived a shipwreck through the intercession of Saint Catherine of Alexandria in the 12th century.
Transfer by coach to Angera.
Lunch in a farmhouse.
Transfer to the Rocca Borromeo. This fortress, which belonged to the Visconti family before passing to the Borromeo family, stands on a spur of limestone from which there is a breathtaking view of Lake Maggiore. The interior houses important frescoes such as those visible in the Hall of Justice.
Return by coach to the hotel.
Dinner and overnight stay.
After breakfast and meeting with the guide, we move on to Torba. We will conclude our tour by visiting the Monastery of Torba. It is a Benedictine monastery obtained from the reuse of the defensive outpost erected to protect the Olona Valley.
The tower became the monastery’s place of prayer and burial until the 15th century. The mysterious faces of the eight nuns, the church dedicated to Santa Maria, the portico with the large oven, are just some of the traces that tell of Torba’s troubled history and make it an evocative and interesting place.
Return by coach to the hotel.
END OF SERVICES.
409€ per person
up to 30 people
Single room supplement: euro 90,00
15% reduction 3rd bed 2-12 years
0-2 years free
MINIMUM 20 – MAXIMUM 30 participants
THE PRICE INCLUDES:
On-site transfers as per the itinerary;
Nr 3 HB in double room in Hotel***;
Tourist tax;
Guided tours as per the itinerary
1 lunch in a restaurant
1 lunch in a farmhouse;
Entrance fees as per programme;
Radio-guides;
Medical/Luggage Insurance.
THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
Transfers to and from the hotel;
Lunch on the first and last day;
Extras and everything not mentioned in “the fee includes”.
Entry fee 30€
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