JEWISH TOUR OF NORTHERN

ITALY (FROM MILAN TO MILAN)

Tour fully escorted by our experienced multilingual tour manager. Only three kosher meals are included in our quotation. All other days are on a bed and buffet breakfast basis.

Day 1 Milano - Ferrara

Arrival at one of the two Milanese's airports. Meeting with your tour leader and private coach and depart to Ferrara by private coach along the "Autostrada del sole". En route stop in Bologna a for short visit. Arrival in Ferrara in the late afternoon. Check in at hotel. Overnight accommodation.

BOLOGNA: Chief town of Emilia and Romagna. Monumental and picturesque, with medieval towers, porticos, long covered streets and famous churches. Etruscan, Roman, a free comune, today famed for its cuisine. Centre of cultural life. Home of Europe's oldest university. Art, good food, good living, important sights: Basilica S. Petronio, Torre degli Asinelli, Pinacoteca, S. Domenico, Fontana di Nettuno.

Jewish info: Community in Via De' Gombruti, 9 (telephone 051232066) near Asinelli Tower. Population 2300.

First Jewish settlement in 3rd or 4th century. Tempio Maggiore, museum, school of Talmudic studies, at the end of the visit continue to Ferrara and check in at the hotel.

FERRARA: Ancient capital of the domains of the Este family's Duchy. It is endowed with splendid buildings.

Important sights: Cathedral, Palazzo Schifanoia, Palazzo di Ludovico il Moro. Jewish info: Community in Via Mazzini 95, near the Estense Castle. Pop about 100. Jewish refuge in 15^th and 16th century, when the Este family gave shelter to the Jews expelled by the Papal State of the Church. In those times there were 10 synagogues and more than 2000 Jewish people. Old Ghetto, Scola Francese and German Scola and cemetery.

Day 2 Ferrara

Morning: half day tour of Ferrara with visit to the Synagogue and to the two Museums, the old ghetto area (Via delle Volte & Via Carlo Mayr), then a tour of the city with visit of the Palazzo dei Diamanti, the Este Castle an the Gardens of Finzi Contini.

Afternoon: departure to Ravenna for an half day tour.

RAVENNA: The ancient capital of the Western Roman Empire, link between the Roman and Byzantine world, a treasure house of unique monuments, it preserves the art produced in two eras.

Splendid Byzantine mosaics and capital of the barbaric kingdoms of Odoacer and Theodoric.

Vital city to understand Byzantine art Important sights: San Vitale, Mausoleo di Galla Placidia, Sant'Apollinare in Classe, Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Mausoleo di Teodorico, Tomba di Dante. Overnight accommodation.

Day 3 Ferrara - Trieste

Morning: departure to Trieste. En route stop in Padua and city tour. Arrival in Trieste and city tour. Check in at hotel.

Optional: PADUA: Agricultural and industrial city. Seat of a very important university. Centre of culture and art, with the famous Scrovegni Chapel (with world famous Giotto frescoes, painted in 1305) and the magnificent Basilica of Sant'Antonio. Important sights: Palazzo della Ragione, Battistero, Duomo, Church of Eremitani, Monument of Gattamelata, Civic Museum.

Jewish info: Community and synagogue in Via S. Martino and Solferino, 9 (telephone 0498751106 - 0498714999). Population about 1.125. No Kosher restaurant. First Jewish settlement in 11th century. During the 14th century the university of Padua was the only one in Europe to accept Jewish students. Two synagogues (Italian and Spanish rite). Jewish quarter and Ghetto. Jewish cemeteries in San Leonardo and Via Sorio (the newest).

TRIESTE: Important commercial and industrial city. The main port of the Adriatic. Beautiful Romanesque Basilica of St. Giusto, a recently discovered Roman theatre and the famous Castle of Miramare, erected on a promontory, with a beautiful park which contains an important historical museum. Important sights: Castle of Miramare, Gothic Church of St. Michele, Museum of History and Art (Greek and Egyptian antiquities).

Jewish info: Community and synagogue in Via San Francesco 19. Pop 1050 (including Gorizia). Kosher restaurant. First Jewish settlement in 11th century. Old Ghetto. Scola Vivante in Via del Monte.

Cemetery of Sant'Anna. Risiera of San Saba, tragic place of deportation during World War 11, in Via Martiri della Risiera. In 1933, many Jewish families fleeing from Nazi Germany sailed to Palestine from this harbour. They called it Port of Sion.

Overnight accommodation.

Day 4 Trieste - Venice

Morning: departure to Venice. En route stop in Risiera di San Saba. Afternoon: Arrival in Venice and check in at hotel.

Jewish info: Community in Cannareggio, 1118/A (telephone 041715012 and 716882. Population 1.310 (including Mestre). First Jewish settlement in Bth century. Jewish shops and kosher restaurants.

Spanish Scola, Levantine Scola, Luzzato Scola, Canton Scola, Great German Scola (the oldest). Cemetery of San Nicolo.

Three ghettos: Old Ghetto (founded in 1516), New Ghetto (1541) and Newest Ghetto (1603). They form the only Jewish quarter in Europe almost entirely preserved.

Overnight accommodation.

Day 5 Venice

After breakfast depart for a full day visit of Venice. In the morning we will visit the Old and the New Ghetto (the oldest ghetto in Europe. The word ghetto has a very interesting origin. The former area, where the Governor of Venice gave the Jews permission to live was a foundry and in the Venetian language it was called "il ghetto"!!).

The visit will, according to the time available, include the five Synagogues and one of them is on the third floor of a building with a very interesting Museum, important for the precious tissues that are preserved especially those in silk and damask-linen.

Lunch in a typical restaurant, eventually at the Kosher one of the "Casa di Riposo Campo Ghetto Nuovo" Club of the Jewish Community.

Afternoon visit of San Marco Square and Doge's Palace and a stroll through the romantic alleys and small streets, over the bridges, along the canals of the most intriguing town of the world. Return to the hotel, dinner. Overnight accommodation.

Day 6 Venice

Time at leisure. For relaxation or for optional visits, we suggest a half day tour to the islands of Murano and Burano.

Overnight accommodation.

Day 7 Venice - Parma

Morning: departure to Parma with en route stop in Sabbioneta. Arrival in Parma and short visit of city; check in at hotel.

SABBIONETA: She little Athens by the Po river. Gonzaga materialized his dream by building this town, an outstanding example of classical architecture. The idea of a humanist warrior prince that became reality. Overnight accommodation.

Jewish info: First Jewish settlement in 1436. Synagogue in Via Campi, and cemetery.

PARMA: The jewel of Emilia-Romagna. The capital city of an independent state from 1545 and 18u0, with the famous Romanesque Battistero newly restored, one of the most glorious architectural structures in Italy, built by Antelami.

Important sights: National Gallery, Camera di San Paolo, Palazzo della Pilota, San Giovanni Evangelista. Jewish info: in Vicolo Cervi (telephone 0521774823).

Pop. 65. First Jewish settlement in 14th or 15th century. Synagogue of Italian rite, built in 1800. Cemetery in Viale Villetta.

Day 8 Parma - Mantua - Milan

En route, stop and visit of Mantua, where we will visit one of the most interesting baroque Synagogue, Palazzo Gonzaga. Light lunch offered by the local Community.

In the afternoon: departure to Milan. Arrival and city tour.

Check in at hotel.

MANTUA:'A city rich in buildings and art treasures, especially of the 15th and 16th century.

Seat of the Gonzaga family, who held one of the most brilliant courts in Europe and turned Mantova into a Renaissance capital. Important sights: Palazzo Ducale S. Andrea, Palazzo Te, Loggia dei Gonzaga.

Jewish info: Community and synagogue in Via Govi 11 (telephone 0376321490). Poppulation 155. Rabbi's Palace in Via Bertani, cemetery in Via Legnano.

MILANO: One of the most important industrial cities in Europe with a great historical pact und a lively cultural life, with antique Gothic Duomo and its rectangular. Seat of the main opera

house in Italy, La Scala.

Important sights: Pinacoteca di Brera, Castello Sforzesco, S. Ambrogio, S. Maria delle Grazie (Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper). Jewish info: Community in Via Eupili 2 (telephone) 023452096/7/8). Population about 9850. International library in Via Eupili 8, the most important collection of documents and books about contemporary Jewish history.

Kosher restaurant and stores. Central temple, Scola Shapira (Italian rite) and Rabbi's office in Via Guastalla 19 (telephone 025512101).

Ten Oratoriums. Among them: Sefard Oratorium, Ashkenazi Oratorium, Sefard Persiano oratorium, Italian rite Oratorium.

The great complex in Via Sally Mayor, 4 includes schools, libraries, oratorium, fitness centre, restaurant, etc.

Day 9 Milan

End of the tour, our services end after breakfast with transfers to the airport or to the railway station.