Mantua - Ossuary of Solferino - Sirmione - Lake Garda - Verona

Route: Bologna - Mantua - Ossuary of Solferino - Sirmione - Lake Garda - Verona - Bologna
Duration: 11 h
Our first stop we will make at Mantua where you discover the Gonzaga family's incredible legacy, where Shakespeare’s Romeo was banished, Verdi’s Rigoletto was set and Opera was born. Discover an amazing Unesco World Heritage Site and the reason why the greatest Italian Renaissance writer, Torquato Tasso, wrote “...Mantua is a magnificent town, worth a thousand mile travel to see it...” Mantua is a little breathtaking gem. The beauty of Mantua, however, is not only in its magnificent buildings but also in the beautiful squares and the charming alleys, lined with arcades and pretty houses. During the visit you will see Piazza Sordello, Piazza Broletto, Palazzo del Podestà, Arengario Arch and the civic tower, almost all buildings around the square were built in 13th century when Mantua was a commune, a free city. Continue the tour and visit Piazza Erbe in the heart of Mantua. Here Matilde of Canossa, according to the legend, ordered the building of the 11th century Romanesque church of San Lorenzo. On three sides the square is lined with porticoes and shops and dominated by the imposing Basilica of Sant’Andrea and the Palazzo della Ragione. One of the most important monuments in Mantua is the great Basilica of Sant’Andrea designed by Leon Battista Alberti in 1472. Next short stop will be at the Ossuary of Solferino . After the Battle of Solferino on June 24, 1859—a decisive battle of the Second War of Italian Unification that led to the founding of the Red Cross— both the French army under Napoleon III and the Austrian army under Franz Joseph withdrew. They left the battlefield, strewn with the bodies of tens of thousands of fallen soldiers, to the locals to clean up. The bones of around 7,000 dead soldiers were placed in the Church of San Pietro, where they remain today. The vast collection of bones are neatly stored according to type. Thousands of skulls line the walls behind the altar, stacked on row upon row of shelving. It may sound very gruesome, but the ossuary is a quiet and respectful place to reflect on the aftermath of war, and pay respects to the fallen soldiers. Next we will visit  the Sirmione which is famous for it’s thermal water with it’s healing properties and situated on the south bank of Lake Garda, in correspondence with a long and narrow peninsula that divides the gulfs of Desenzano and Peschiera. Remembered as "Mansio", after the fall of the Roman Empire, Sirmione became a part of the Longobard kingdom, and in the XII century, it had its own independent administration from Verona. During the Scaligera regime, in XIII century, a wall was built around it and also an impressive fortress, after that it passed to Venice in the XV century. Apart from hosting a Spa of international level, it also has a rich historical and artistic heritage, that includes the ruins of an ancient Roman Villa of the first imperial era, known as the Catullo Grottoes,the Scaligera Fortress and the church of "S. Pietro" in Mavino, that dates back to at least VIII century. The city centre is characterised by the narrow alleys with the walls of stone,  offering its visitors romantic and suggestive views. Next we will visit to Verona a UNESCO world heritage city and the home of Romeo and Juliet, a place of history, culture, music, architecture and high society where take a fascinating journey through various ages, architectural styles, stories and legends, from Roman remains until the early decades of '900s. During our visit  ofcourse  we can't see all sights  butwe will see the most important from that like the Venetian Gates by Michele Sanmicheli, the magnificent St. Zeno abbey, Castelvecchio, the Gavi Arch (1st century A.D.), St. George church, the Roman bridge and the Roman theater, St. Maria in Organo and St. Fermo, also we will walk through Verona streets and alleys, still the same that the Romans designed when they first arrived here more than two thousands years ago. Here layers after layers, buildings and monuments of various ages accumulated through the centuries: Romanesque churches, Gothic towers and castle, Renaissance palaces with their beautiful frescoed façades, squares and elegant courtyards. The guided walking tour will include the famous house of Romeo and the house of Juliet, the stunning Scala family tombs, masterpiece of gothic architecture, Signori square, Erbe square with the fountain of Madonna Verona, the Arena, the Roman amphitheatre, San Zeno, Santa Anastasia, il Duomo o Santa Maria Antica the Arena and much more. After we return to Bologna.
Price: per person