I’ve put together a custom trip for a group of 4 intrepid travelers in June of 2023! 

We will see the red roofs of Bologna, the mosaics of Ravenna, the palazzos of Ferrara, and end the trip with a 2-day soak in the thermal waters of the Colli Euganei. 

Bologna

This trip begins with food and fun in Bologna. Home to the oldest university in Europe, the birthplace of modern Italian cuisine, and the set in a beautifully colonnaded medieval grid – Bologna is not to be overlooked.

After checking into our hotel (steps from the historical center)… we will spend two days being shown the city by the amazing Federico Marangoni, living history consultant and historical martial artist.

While in Bologna we will see the Piazza Maggiore, San Luca, Basilica of San Petronio, the Two Towers, and take a day trip to Dozza Castle.  

Did I mention Bologna is the food capital of Italy? 

RAVENNA

Next up is a train trip to the coastal town of Ravenna. Ravenna was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408-476. Then, it became the capital of the Ostrogothic Kingdom until 540 when it was conquered and became Westernmost pillar of Emperor Justinian’s dazzling Byzantine Empire. Ravenna is home to 8 buildings comprising the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ravenna is known for its 1,500 year old mosaics, as well as being the last home of Dante and a place Lord Byron lived. 

We will walk the steps of this ancient city and view spectacular mosaics in the Basilica di San Vitale, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, and the Neonian Baptistery.

FERRARA

Our next three days will be spent in Ferrara, a heavyweight Renaissance art city peppered with colossal palaces and still ringed by its intact medieval walls. Ferrara is the cradle of Humanism and the birthplace of medical humanism. The entire city is a UNESCO Heritage Site. The Este Family created an intellectual and artistic center that attracted the greatest minds of the 15th and 16th-centuries. The city itself was built from 1492 onwards according to principles of perspective and became the first modernly planned town.

Here we will learn about the family of Isabella d’Este by visiting their Castello and their pleasure palazzi around town. We will view the amazing frescoes that give us so much detail about 15th-century life here. One of my favorite palaces is Palazzo Schifanoia, meaning “avoid tedium” as it was a place for recreation for the Este family, the Ducal rulers of Ferrara. Palazzo Diamanté, Palazzo Ariosto, and the oldest continually operating Enoteca in Europe are all on our list of things to see and do.

MONTEGROTTO TERME

After visiting the amazing Palazzi of Ferrara, seeing the tomb of Lucrezia Borgia, touring a 14th-century Castle, and eating at Michelin star restaurants in the cradle of Humanism we will make our way to the train station and head for the thermal spa waters of Montegrotto Terme.

This will be a great break after all the walking we do in Romagna. Nestled in the hills of Colli Euganee (Euganean Hills) of volcanic origin these thermal springs are infused with mineral salts gathered during their trip from the Alps to resurface in Montegrotto Terme. It takes an average of 25-30 years for the water to travel from the Lessini Mountains deep underground before springing forth in the Eugenean thermal basin and increasing the therapeutic value of the water and mud there. We will take the waters here for two days. 

Nine days of sampling the beauty and delight that is Emilia-Romagna leads us to the end of our trip. From Montegrotto Terme all will head home with their hearts, bellies, and minds full of the splendor that is Italia.