TOUR PESARO CULTURE CAPITAL 2024 AND THE BRANDS

Departure by GT coach from Inzago.
Stops along the way.

Arrive in Gradara in time for lunch. 3-course menu including drinks.
Afternoon guided tour of Gradara. Gradara's fortunate location has made it a crossroads of trade and people since ancient times. During the Middle Ages the fortress was one of the main theaters of clashes between the Papacy and the Houses of Marche and Romagna. You can immerse yourself in the Medieval atmosphere as early as passing the imposing first city wall at the top of which the Ronda Walks run. The village, perfectly preserved at its core, is a jewel that the inhabitants take care of with pride and the knowledge that they are privileged to live in this little corner of Paradise. Flower-filled balconies, fragrant pergolas and green corners are the path that leads visitors to the second wall surrounding the fortress. They will visit Gradara Castle to discover the curiosities of the fortress, the Story of Paolo and Francesca, the intrigues, loves, and struggles that have characterized the thousand-year history of Gradara Castle.

At the end of the visit transfer by GT coach to Pesaro.
Accommodation in rooms at Hotel Imperial Sport 4*****, dinner at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel and departure by GT coach for a day-long itinerary that will touch on Recanati, Loreto and Conero.
Morning dedicated to visiting Loreto, one of the most important and ancient Marian pilgrimage sites in the Catholic world. Visit to the Basilica of the Holy House, a distinguished Renaissance architectural complex. Inside are the remains of the Holy House of Nazareth, where Jesus lived, transported by ship from Palestine on the initiative of the noble ruling Angeli family of Epirus.
Lunch in Loreto with 3-course menu including drinks.

Afternoon devoted to visiting Recanati, the quintessential Leopardi town. Here we will visit the home of the famous poet Giacomo Leopardi and then: the library, the reception halls, the garden, the poet's apartments and the Leopardi Museum.
On the return journey itinerary by GT coach to the Conero Riviera. Dinner at the hotel.

Breakfast at hotel.
Day dedicated to visiting Urbino. Adorned with sandstone buildings and surrounded by a long brick wall, Urbino is a city of immense historical and artistic richness. From being a simple village it became the "cradle of the Renaissance," and even today, walking through its historic center one can breathe in its 15th-century air. In 1998 Urbino earned the honor of being on UNESCO's World Heritage List for having been a point of attraction for the most distinguished Renaissance scholars and artists from all parts of Italy and the World, and for having influenced cultural progress in the rest of Europe, while managing to keep its exceptional urban complex almost intact.The historic center is just over a square kilometer in size and can be walked around in search of things to see and admire, including monuments and works of art. The majestic Ducal Palace is a masterpiece of Renaissance art that houses the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche and the Museo Archeologico Lapidario. A stone's throw away, in the same Piazza Duca Federico from which the Palazzo is accessed, stands the Urbino Cathedral, dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta and entirely rebuilt after the 1789 earthquake. Hidden beneath Urbino Cathedral is the Oratory of the Most Holy Crucifix of the Grotto, also known as the Oratory of the Grotto, consisting of four chapels erected between the 16th and 17th centuries. Inside the Chapel of the Resurrection is preserved the marble Pietà sculpted by Giovanni Bandini in 1597. Raphael's birthplace is home to the museum that houses paintings and panels by the artist and his father Giovanni Santi. Not far from Casa Santi is the Albornoz Fortress, built in the second half of the 14th century with a defensive function on the highest point of the city.

Lunch in Urbino . 3-course menu including drinks
Return by coach via the Furlo Gorge. The Furlo Gorge in the Marche is one of the most scenic and magical views and vistas in the entire Marche region.
Dinner at the hotel.

Breakfast at hotel.
Guided tour of Pesaro, Capital of Culture 2024. Pesaro is known as "the City of Music" because it was the birthplace of the famous composer Gioachino Rossini. Arriving in the central area of the shoreline, one comes upon Piazzale delle Libertà, a small green park with a distinctive metal sculpture in a circular shape. "La Sfera Grande" by artist Arnaldo Pomodoro dates back to 1998 and has become one of the city's icons symbolizing the union between man and nature. Not far away is the Villino Ruggeri, a well-known businessman in the area who had this Art Nouveau building constructed by Giuseppe Brega in 1902. We walk along Viale della Repubblica until we reach the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, a very old church made by the union of two others: one from the 4th century and the other from the 6th century, as denoted by the various mosaics placed on the floor. Rebuilt several times, first in Baroque and then Neoclassical style, it was enriched by gifts from the Malatesta and Sforza families. Taking an alley opposite the Cathedral we reach a small square and an important building, which catches our interest, the Moscow Palace. The residence of a wealthy 17th-century merchant family with strong political and cultural ties, it was home to many intellectuals and aristocrats of the time such as the writer Stendhal, Giacomo Casanova and even Napoleon Bonaparte stayed there in 1797. We continue on Via Rossini where we come across Gioachino Rossini's Birthplace, now a museum dedicated to the composer. Continuing on we come to Piazza del Popolo, the living heart of the city. A beautiful fountain, "La Pupilla di Pesaro," was built in the center of the square by Bernardino Baldi in 1593 at the behest of Francesco Maria II della Rovere. It features a Lily in Istrian stone and Veronese marble with red hues, embellished with four tritons, four dolphins and four sea horses. Overlooking the square are the Ducal Palace, the Bavarian or Municipal Palace and the Piaggeria.
Continuing along the course we reach two other important attractions in Pesaro: the Rossini Theater and the Rossini National Museum, dedicated to the composer.

Lunch in a trattoria drinks included.
Afternoon devoted to visiting the Imperial Villa. The Villa Imperiale stands a few kilometers from Pesaro, nestled in the landscape of the San Bartolo Hill Natural Park, which protects its original relationship with nature. The Imperial Villa in Pesaro is considered one of the most amazing works of the Italian Renaissance.
At the end of the visit return to the hotel and dinner.

Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
Guided tour of the Castle of Mondaino and the Porta di Sotto Fosse Mill. The guide in renaissance dress will welcome the group at the main entrance of Mondaino Castle (Porta Marina); a "madonna" or "messere" will be chosen from those present to dress in medieval clothes and parade with our guide along the streets of the village. After the welcome greeting, a stop will be made in Piazza Maggiore (the famous "Frying Pan") to admire the Rocca Malatestiana and the colonnade of Cosci, and then walk along the streets of the town and discover its history and traditions, until reaching the ancient Lower Gate Mill.

Tasting Buffet .
At the end of the tasting, departure by GT Coach for the return journey to Inzago. Stops along the way.