Jewish Heritage in Italy
We are honored to offer this innovative ‘Jewish Heritage in Italy’ program highlighting the rich culture, extensive history and society, as well as magnificent art and architecture that speaks...
We are honored to offer this innovative ‘Jewish Heritage in Italy’ program highlighting the rich culture, extensive history and society, as well as magnificent art and architecture that speaks of the Jewish Heritage of Verona, Padua and Venice.
- Visit to the places of the ultimate romantic tragedy: Romeo and Juliet. Juliet’s House, an old tower house, wonderfully restored, dating back to c.1200-1300. Juliet’s beloved home, and the fair lover’s tomb, where the tragic denouncement of the lovers took place, and where, in a dark room of the crypt, among the tombstones of monks lies an empty red marble sarcophagus, known as the tomb of Juliet.
- Attend a classic Shakespeare play: “Romeo and Juliet” or “The Taming of the Shrew” or other equally entertaining Shakespeare classic. Romeo & Juliet is a show that encompasses both opera & theater: the original Shakespeare’s words meet the famous opera arias. A charming concert/play unique, that combines the art of the melodrama to the ideal of the eternal love in exclusive, original and charming locations: Cantina Shakespeare in Winter and/or Juliet’s Tomb in Summer. The Taming of the Shrew is a romantic commedy, set in Padua. Relive the escapes of Petruchio and Katherine, as he tries to tame her shrewish ways!
Shakespeare’s works will be performed, in the original language, in various cities in the Veneto Region, where they were set by the author: in the legendary cloister of Juliet’s Tomb in the romantic Verona; in noble, historical, outstanding Venetian Palazzi in Venice; in antique Villas in the ancient Republic of Venice territories and in a fairytale castle with a breath-taking panorama on Garda Lake. Sample venue and play:
VERONA: Romeo and Juliet
VENICE: Othello and The Merchant of Venice
PADUA – Legnaro: The Taming of the Shrew
LAKE GARDA – Torri del Benaco (Verona): The Gentlemen of Verona
- Visit world’s oldest ghetto of Venice, the four Synagogues, including the Italian Synagogue not open to the public.
- Visit the Francois Pinault Foundation, whose mission is “representing a time for learning and growing through the sharing of Knowledge, experience, ideas, and goals among museums and institutions throughout Europe”. Visits to Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana where important contemporary art exhibitions take place during the year. Palazzo Grassi and the scientific committee of Punta della Dogana present a series of gatherings to explore the works of various artists from the exhibitions presented in both museums.This is called the “Opera Parla”: a cycle of art talks offered to visitors and considered as a real platform for interdisciplinary exchange with docents of the three universities of Venice
- Visit Giorgio Franchetti Gallery, a precious art collection including masterpieces of the Renaissance sculpture. Absolute masterpieces and heart of the collection are the painting “San Sebastiano” by Andrea Mantegna, and the Jacopo Sansovino‘s bas-relief lunette, with his painting “Madonna col Bambino”.
- Visit The Jewish Heritage of Padua Museum. The Museum, opened in 2015, is a tribute to the most eminent personalities, the true wealth of the Jewish community in Padua over the centuries, by means of a projection mapped onto the wall. A 50-minute multimedia show called “Generation goes, generation comes” (directed by Denis Brotto in collaboration with the University of Padua), through which various actors play the part of the most illustrious of world Jewry that had a connection to the city of Padua including Don Itzhak Abravanel, exegete, philosopher, mystic born in Lisbon but buried in Padua, Yehuda Mintz, founder of the academy Talmudic of Padua in 1460 and many others.
- Learn about the hidden sites of Padua; “Cittadella Francescana”, “Caffe’ Pedrocchi”: Admire beautiful fresoes. Padua is, infact, known as the “city of frescoes”. It cherishes an incomparable heritage of “narrating walls” or long frescoed cycles that embellish sacred and profane buildings, public and private palaces;
- Visit the Botanic Garden of Padua, UNESCO World Heritage: The world’s first botanical garden created in Padua in 1545. It still preserves its original layout – a circular central plot, symbolizing the world, surrounded by a ring of water. It continues to serve its original purpose as a center for scientific research.
- Participate in a workshop on “Biodiversity” at the Botanic Garden of Padua: A workshop characterized by the study of the associations between living beings of various kingdoms and the importance of these “collaborations” for the equilibrium of the environment. This will help the participants to understand the vastness of biodiversity and the importance of protecting it, especially in view of the threats it is currently undergoing.
Dates and Price details
| Departure Dates | Price details |
|---|---|
| Available year around | Call us to get a quote |
Itinerary
- DAY 1 / DEPARTURE FROM USA
- Departure from USA
- DAY 2 / VERONA
- Arrival at Verona/Villafranca Airport and private transfer to your hotel. Enjoy a leisurely afternoon in enchanting Verona.
- DAY 3 / In the footsteps of William Shakespeare
- Informative lecture titled, “In the footsteps of William Shakespeare”. Visit to Juliet’s and Romeo’s houses, and Juliet’s Tomb. In the afternoon, attend Juliet and Romeo plays; following the performance, participants will enjoy a wine tasting along with local snacks. (Performance to be determined, based on schedule of arrival.)
- DAY 4 / PADUA
- Transfer to Verona/Porta Nuova Station, train from Verona to Padua, followed by a private transfer to your hotel.
- DAY 5 / JEWISH HERITAGE OF PADUA
- Morning visit to the Jewish Heritage of Padua. In the afternoon, visit to the Botanic Garden, UNESCO World Heritage Site, followed by a workshop on “Biodiversity”.
- DAY 6 / PADUA
- Visit to the hidden sites of Padua: “Cittadella Francescana”, the historical “Caffe’ Pedrocchi” whose piano nobile is decorated with impudent and ironic ecleticism to relive human civilization in a thoroughly personal interpretation of the various historical ages: Etruscan, Greek, Roman, Renaissance, Napoleonic, Egyptian, and the Moorish Ages. In the afternoon, visit to the Teatro Anatomico and the Universita’ di Padova.
- DAY 7 / VENICE
- Transfer to Padua/Centrale Train Station, train from Padua to Venice/S. Lucia Train Station, followed by a private water taxi transfer to your hotel in Venice. Late morning, visit to “Ca’ D’Oro Palace”, an ancient, patrician palace that dates back to the XVth century. It houses a precious art collection belonging to the Baron Giorgio Franchetti, who donated it to the Italian State in 1894. In the afternoon, visit “Scuola Grande di San Rocco” where art, culture and the sacred combine. Participants will be impressed by the dramatic effects in Tintoretto's works that cover all the ceilings and the walls of the confraternity. “Exhibition held at “Palazzo Grassi” followed by an “art talk” among the artist and the docents of the three universities of Venice. The above gathering is organized in collaboration with professors from the University Ca’ Foscari and the Accademia di Belle Arti.
- DAY 8 / JEWISH VENICE
- Guided walking tour of Jewish Venice. An itinerary through ten centuries of history and stories to learn more about one of the minorities that has made Venice a big cosmopolitan town. Visit to the “Banco Rosso”, one of the many pawn shops of the ghetto. The name Banco Rosso is derived from the color of the receipt (red), given to the customers of these pawn shops. In the afternoon, visit to the Jewish Museum and to the 4 Synagogues (including the Italian Synagogue not open to the public).
- DAY 9 / JEWISH CEMETERY
- Visit to the Jewish Cemetery at Lido di Venezia. In the afternoon, visit to “Ca’ Rezzonico Palace”, which boasts paintings, sculptures, frescoed ceilings and collection of the 18th century furnishings. Followed by The “Accademia’, with its very rich collection of Venetian paintings, from the Bizantine and Gothic 14th century to the artists of the Renaissance: Bellini, Tintoretto, Giorgione, Veronese, Tiziano until Tiepolo and the 18th century Longhi, Canaletto.
- DAY 10 / DEPARTURE TO USA
- Departure transfer, by private water taxi, from hotel in Venice to Venice/Marco Polo Airport.
Package Includes
- Arrival transfer, by private car and driver, from Verona Airport to hotel in Verona
- 2 night accommodation in Verona at Hotel Accademia or similar
- Expert lecture on Shakespeare and his work
- Attendance to a classic Shakespeare play with wine tasting and snack
- Transfer, by private car and driver, from hotel in Verona to Verona Train Station
- Comfort class train from Verona to Padua
- Arrival transfer, by private car and driver, from Padua Train Station to hotel Padua
- 3 night accommodationi in Padua at Hotel Europa or similar
- 2 full day tours in Padua, per daily itinerary
- Transfer by private car and driver, from hotel in Padua to Padua Train Station
- Comfort class train from Padua to Venice/S Lucia Train Station
- Transfer, by private water taxi, from Venice/S Lucia Train Station to hotel in Venice
- 3 night accommodation in Venice at Hotel All’Agelo or similar
- 2 half-day private tour in Venice, per daily itinerary
- 1 full day private tour in Venice, as per daily itinerary
- Departure transfer, by private car water taxi, from hotel in Venice to Venice/Marco Polo Airport
- Entrance fees as follows: CA’ D’ORO PALACE, SCUOLA GRANDE SAN ROCCO, PALAZZO GRASSI, CA’ REZZONICO PALACE, ACCADEMIA, JEWISH MUSEUM IN VENICE AND IN PADUA, TEATRO ANATOMICO PADUA, BOTANIC GARDEN PADUA
- Breakfast Daily
- Hotel taxes
Not Included
- Air ticket is available at additional cost from major US cities.
Map – Jewish Heritage in Italy
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