Italy with Stefano – Food and Culture tour to Veneto

Day 1: ARRIVAL VENICE/CISON DI VALMARINO

Meet your Private English Speaking Assistant at Venice Mestre train station – The Assistant will be waiting for outside the train station with a sign saying VENETO TOUR WITH STEFANO DE PIERI to accompany you to your Minivans.

Enjoy 2 Minivans private transfer with English speaking drivers from Venice Mestre to your Villa in Cison di Valmarino (Approx Driving time: 1 hr)

Check into your Villa, your home for the next 7 nights.
Casa Casagrande lies in the heart of the charming village of Cison di Valmarino. The house is located at the foothills of the Prealpi Venete, not far from Venice, an area that was lovingly drawn by Durer and where both the musician Vivaldi and the painter Tiziano grew up. The property still belongs to a noble family and has been restored in such a way that it is a home away from home for those who wish to enjoy the best of what the Veneto has to offer. The house originated in the 15th century and, until very recently, was the administrative headquarters of the noble family’s feud. The family served, during the past millennium, the Venetian Republic and were in charge of protecting the Serenissima’s Northern borders, whilst Venice focused on commerce and naval supremacy. Casa Valamrino bears testimony to the family’s bellicose past. Giant battle swords, the family’s battle standard, armature and statues of the Gattamelata decorate the imposing entrance hall, part of the 18th century “casa nobile”. From there you access two ground floor living rooms, two dining halls, and two kitchens. The top floor has four stately bedrooms, a grand living room and a family TV room. The living areas are furnished with a mix of modern Italian design and items that have belonged to the family for hundreds of years, including family portraits and religious paintings. The 15th century part of the house has four additional double bedrooms and three bathrooms overlooking the stables and a huge 300 year old plane tree. The house can accommodate up to sixteen guests and full housekeeping support is provided. Of particular note in the Casa there are three entirely frescoed rooms which create a genteel atmosphere of aristocratic villa life in the Venetian countryside. The main kitchen opens up to a newly restored portico where you can eat whilst enjoying the sight of the rose garden. The large kitchen has all the modern conveniences and a traditional Venetian open fireplace called a “fogher”. Following a swim in the pool overlooking the Alps, you can enjoy lunch al fresco under the monumental chestnut tree in the main garden. The remaining empty buildings in the Casa cover a total 2,500 square meters and the garden spans two acres. The grounds feature a pool, an arboretum, a rose garden, horse stables and huge quaint granaries. Complete privacy is an integral element of the organization of the living space. The property lies on Cison’s beautiful main square of the village and is well secured from the outside world.

Welcome drink on arrival. Rest of the afternoon at leisure to enjoy the Villa and get to know fellow guests….

Welcome Dinner at the Villa by Stefano.

Day 2: THE BION CEMETERY/MONOFUMO/ASOLO

Enjoy Breakfast at Villa.

Meet our driver and depart for full day visiting The Brion Cemetery, Monfumo and the town of Asolo.

Our first stop will be the Brion Cemetery where Carlo Scarpa began designing the addition to an existing municipal cemetery in 1968. The enclosure is a private burial ground for the Brion family, commissioned by Onorina Tomasi Brion, widow of the founder of the Brionvega company. Scarpa is buried adjacent to the Brion sanctuary. Afterwards we will then continue on to the town of Monfumo for lunch at a local trattoria. After lunch, we will continue towards Asolo also known as, “The City of a Hundred Horizons” for its mountain settings. After our visit here, transfer back to the Villa.

Dinner at the Villa by villa staff.

Day 3: FOLLINA/VALDOBBIADENE

Enjoy Breakfast at Villa.

Head out with our driver to enjoy a day exploring one of Veneto’s most famous wine areas, Valdobbiaddene including a cheese making visit…

Our first stop of the day will be at Follina to visit the Abbey of Santa Maria. We will then continue our drive exploring the Valdobbiadene region, home of Prosecco.
Enjoy a day to remember with Stefano and friends, including cheese makers and top wine producers of the region.

Return back to villa in the late afternoon.

Dinner at the Villa by villa staff.

Day 4: TREVISO/CASTELFRANCO

Enjoy Breakfast at Villa.

Today we will enjoy Treviso & Castelfranco Veneto tour. This morning Stefano will show you around his hometown, Treviso and admire all it has to offer including the local fish markets and the church of San Nicolò….

Treviso is the capital of the province of Treviso and has 82,854 inhabitants The city is home to the headquarters of clothing retailer Benetton, Sisley, Stefanel Diadora and Lotto Sport Italia, appliance makers De’Longhi, and bicycle maker Pinarello. Treviso is also known for being the original production area of the Prosecco wine, and the town where the popular Italian dessert Tiramisu was created.
Our first stop is at the local fish market!

Afterwards we visit the impressive Church of San Nicolò. At the beginning of the 14th century the Chiesa di San Nicolò was built by Dominicans thanks to friar Niccolò Boccalino’s legacies, well-known as “Pope Benedetto XI”.

We will then have lunch together in a local restaurant before departing for Castelfranco. Castelfranco, originated from a castle built by the commune of Treviso. The older part of the town is square, surrounded by medieval walls and towers constructed by the people of Treviso in 1211. One of the main sights of this area is the Cathedral dated 1723 which contains works of Giorgione. One of his most famous is the Madonna with St. Francis and Liberalis dated 1504.

Dinner at the Villa by villa staff.

Day 5: CISON DI VALMARINO

Enjoy Breakfast at Villa.

Day at Leisure in your Villa. Enjoy a relaxed day at the villa cooking lunch and dinner with Stefano.

Day 6: VENICE

8.30am – Meet our driver and transfer from Villa to Porta Grande where we will depart for Venice and its Islands by boat.

Once we arrive at Porta Grande we will have a brief visit of the Altino museum before departing by boat to our first Island, Torcello, where we will enjoy a visit to the cathedral and its magnificent mosaics.

After lunch we head towards towards Venice mainland for free time to shop and wonder the streets of Venice. Own arrangements for dinner before meeting the group to attend a concert by Interpreti Veneziani.

9.00pm – Concert at San Vidal by Interpreti Veneziani.
This is how, in 1987, the Interpreti Veneziani made their debut, immediately gaining a reputation for the “…youthful exuberance and all-Italian brio characterising their performances”. A datum point in a worldwide musical panorama, the Interpreti Veneziani reached their XXIV Concert Season in Venice, which includes more than 60.000 viewers every year from all around the world. The great talent of the musicians that compose this group, permits them to interpret the Baroque, Classical and Modern repertory with virtuosity, involving emotionality and interpretive variety, the keys to success from the audience and the critics, obtained in every concert.

Afterwards we will return to Piazzale Roma to meet our drivers – 2 Minivans – and head back to the Villa.

Day 7: VENICE

8.30am – Meet our driver and transfer from Villa to Piazzale Roma where we will enjoy a water taxi transfer to Venice for a visit of Punta della Dogana & Frari church.

Strolling along the quaint alleyways of Venice we will make our way to our first stop of the day, the Frari Church. The Franciscans were granted land to build the church in 1250 but it was not completed until 1338. This imposing building is one of the city’s three most notable churches built in Italian gothic style and its’ campanile is the second tallest in the city after that of San Marco. Here will give us a wonderful introduction to the best masterpieces by Giovanni Bellini, Titian and many more famous artists. Our next stop will be Punta della Dogana which has a triangular plan that has remained unchanged over time. On top of its tower, a sculptural group depicting two Atlantes supports a gilded bronze terrestrial globe, on top of which stands the statue of Fortuna that indicates the direction in which the wind is blowing. At the end of the 1980s, the warehouse fell into a state of decay until 2007, when a tender was issued by the Municipality of Venice for the protection and recovery of this emblematic monument of the city. François Pinault participated and won with a redevelopment project signed by Tadao Ando.

After our visits we will meet our guide to begin our journey through the city, eating and drinking as the Venetians do!! – Duration 2.5 hours
We will begin our tour exploring the cafés, and cicchetti bars, delve into an authentic side of Venetian culture and of course, enjoy lots of tastings along the way. We will stroll through the area where the famous Rialto Market is held (mornings only) discovering the charming alleyways, “streets” named after the foods and other items that have been sold there for centuries. We will then head towards three of the most popular, local bars serving up cicchetti, Venice’s answer to Spain’s tapas! Enjoy cicchetti of crostini, fritti and Venetian panini alongside prosecco, and tastings of both red and white local wine. Once you’ve had your fill and snacked as the Venetians do, it’s time to finish your meal as the Italians do… with coffee! At a café, enjoy coffee and grappa, a local “digestive” liquor.

Afterwards we will return to Piazzale Roma to meet our drivers – 2 Minivans – and head back to the Villa.

Farewell Dinner at the Villa by villa staff.

Day 8: CISON DI VALMARINO/VENICE

Enjoy Breakfast at Villa.

Meet your Private English Speaking Assistant at the Villa – Enjoy a Private minibus transfer from your Villa to Venice airport. (Approx driving time: 1 hour)

Arrivederci e Buon viaggio!