Itineraries
Art, taste and heart... My selected guided tours.
Emilia Romagna is a trendy destination offering many fanciful proposals but also dispersive to enjoy without a good acquaintance of local traffic, distances and opening hours. My chosen itineraries are for anyone, sundry and rich they lead you in major cities of art or villages especially chosen for culture, art, food or every day atmosphere. They offer an incredible vision of our territory. Walking time and resting time are well balanced.
Beyond Cities of art, you will find our Motors and food itineraries in the countryside and also a selection of visits and activities “Emotions” to present as a unique and unforgettable experience.
If you can’t find your tour, please contact me, I will be pleased to answer.
BOLOGNA
Surprising above all, both conservative and revolutionary, the most Italian city lines up its arcades and façades as in an operetta scenery where Piazza Maggiore is the stage. Bologna “The learned” is that vibrant city where the oldest university in the occidental world competes with Bologna “The fat” with narrow streets for gastronomy to attract visitors, where the colours of gothic mixes with renaissance relieves and dissolves in baroque arabesques. During the visit, interiors revels outstanding frescoes and trompe-l’oeil by the great Bolognese painting school.
MODENA
Not only the ancient seat of Este family duchy, Modena is also Enzo Ferrari’s and Luciano Pavarotti’s birth place, last but not least the home of Balsamic vinegar and Lambrusco wine. The historical center is very elegant with Piazza Grande formed by the romasque cathedral XI/XII and the Ghirlandina tower, put on the Heritage list by Unesco since 1997 and pictured in any artistic book. Two steps away the medieval town hall and the huge baroque ducal palace where a prestigious military academy is now set. The food market, the pleasant porticoed streets and the many bikes will enchante you as much as the amazing beauty of the countryside.
RAVENNA
Ravenna, city of mosaics, capital of the western Roman Empire during the early V Century, then kingdom of the goths and eventually exarchate of Byzantium until the VIII century. The town boasts a number of paleochristian monuments, decorated with mosaics, unique in the world. Eight among them are quite rightly listed on Heritage UNESCO list for the incredible good preservation and the quality of the mosaics, witness of techniques dating back 1500 years ago or so. Ravenna is also sheltering Dante Alighieri’s grave. Close to the sea shore, the beach and the excellent seafood restaurants are also tempting.
PARMA
Parma became very important under the dukedom of the Farnese family, but its complicated history saw many families mixing names and blood here : Farnese, Bourbon, Habsburg. The cathedral and the baptistry are among the very first witness of the lombard romanesque style in the region but many important buildings were commissioned under the Farnese dukes as per the huge Farnese wooden built theatre. Correggio and Parmigianino local painters marked up the town with some of their masterpieces. October each year, Parma celebrates Giuseppe Verdi with a Festival but not to forget Toscanini who was also right in the town. Nowadays, Parma is a charming, aristocratic town with a pleasant promenade along the Parma River.
FERRARA
First renaissance town in the world, still protected by its walls, Ferrara is on the World Heritage UNESCO list. Enriched thanks to the trade on the river Po and the extension of their dominions, the Este family turned Ferrara into one of the most important European renaissance courts. The medieval streets and the endless renaissance routes are bordered with historical private palaces and sober terra cotta and marble facades. Often chosen as a Set for Italian Cinema, this town has a special metaphysical atmosphere with its Palazzo dei Diamanti, its Castel Estense, the romanesque and gothic cathedral and the jewish getto.
FOOD & WINE
You are right in the historical cradle of best Italian food, Emilia Romagna. In each town or around in the countryside, We have special itineraries to live a unique food and wine experience.
In town, traditional shops, laboratories making fresh pasta, markets awake your senses while in the beautiful countryside you can discover the production of Balsamic vinegar, Hams, culatello, olive oil and wines. On request a lunch stop is possible and we select for you, unique places for the landscape the quality and the honest prices these trattorias practise. An unforgettable experience.
MOTOR VALLEY
Welcome to the Motor Valley where you can leave whole heartedly the world of prestigious vehicle made in Emilia Romagna! With us you can visit 2 museums dedicated to Ferrari, the factory and museum for Lamborghini, and Ducati, the production center for Pagani. Many private collections and gatherings happenings are to visit all year long and with your Motor guide, the day will be special!
EXPERIENCES
Would you like to create your own mosaic or artistic ceramic with a famous Maestro? Ride a Vespa up to the rolling hills? Have a drink on a top of a tower at sunset? Dine alone in a field with fireflies all around? Have a cooking class in private home and enjoy your lunch with your host? Organise with me your scavenger hunt, enter a private villa or theatre, have a segway tour or climb in a bell tower? Find the best place and surprise for a special declaration or anniversary. All this and more is possible on demand.