Sketching and Watercolor
Instruction in plein air perspective sketching
Instruction in plein air watercolor painting
Itineraries
One
PM Capitoline Hill [Presentation: Michelangelo Visualizing a Roman Forum for 16th C Republican Rome and the Mistaken Identity of Constantine at the Lateran].
Alternate/Addition: Temple of Optimus Maximus Jupiter and the Terminus of the Triumphal Procession, Arch of Titus, Mantegna, and Ephesians (triumph) and Second Peter (gifts).
Alternate/Addition: Way of the Pilgrims (and the Via Giulia) from the Ponte Sisto and the Papal Procession from the Ponte Sant’Angelo to the Capitoline Hill with Ignatius’s Church of Il Gesu.
Two
AM [Trastevere] Highway across Ponte Palatino to Forum Boarium [Presentation: why Rome is where and what it is], Palatine Hill [Presentation: Architecture of Julius, Augustus, and the Emperors], and Forum [Presentation: Center of Culture and Governance including two paintings by J-L David]. The Arch of Constantine and the Colossus of Nero. Palace and its Villa (replicated at the Vatican, Florence, and Paris).
PM Colosseum
Alternate/Addition: Early Christian church Sta Sabina on the Aventine Hill to Church of Santo Stefano Rotundo on the Celimontana Hill. Or, Santa Prassede [with Zeno chapel]. Or, San Clemente.
Three
AM Vatican Mus and St Peters and Borgo
PM late afternoon: Via dei Coronari, Piazza Navona, and Pantheon. Presentation: Ancient Roman street (with colonnades) grid; hippodrome becomes piazza and setting for Bernini; Pantheon in Antiquity, Middle Ages, and Inspiration for the Renaissance (eg, the Florentine duomo).
Via dei Coronari: best gelato and pork sandwich
Alternate/Addition (evening): Trastevere
Four
Alternate 1: Tivoli (Villa d’Este, Hadrian’s Villa, and/or Temple of Vesta and nearby restaurant Sibilla).
Alternate 2: Ostia Antica (and EUR?)
Five
AM San Carlino and S.Andrea al Quirinale [Presentation: Borromini, Architect, and Bernini, Architect and Sculptor]. Bernini and his Ignatian spiritual practice (Ecstasy of St Teresa at Church of S. Maria della Vittoria).
PM Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese Museum or Piazza del Popolo. [Presentation: Bernini and Caravaggio and French artists in Rome]
At city gate, Roman ritual of plowing furrow for wall: carry (porter) the plow at the portals. And advent.
Other
best coffee, Caffe San Eustachio; best quiet coffee, Bramante cloister at Sta Maria della Pace; best gelato and pork sandwich on Via dei Coronari; best fried take-away fish on the Largo de Librari off the Via dei Giubbonari; two great bakeries near Piazza Navona with its market; artichokes in the Jewish ghetto; and best Silician pastry, Nonna Vincenza, on street to Ponte Sisto; good banquet at Ristorante Sette Oche in Altalena in Trastevere. St Marks or St Pauls Within the Walls. San Cosimato market, Trastevere.
TRAVEL HELPS
Passes
NORTHERN ITALY
BERGAMO
Bergamo bus shuttle between Bergamo airport (BGY) and Bergamo.
MILAN
Fast Facts: Milan. Frommer in NY Times.
Cheap and Chic in Milan – Frugal Traveler Blog – NYTimes.com
VENETO
Biking Itinerary including Palladio’s villas at Maser and Fanzolo
Palladio’s Italian Villas-Home
Asolo
Hotel Asolo
B&B Asolo28
The Brenta
Maser
TripAdvisor Hotels and B&Bs in area
itinerary: Siena to Vicenza, then bus or bike to Maser and bike in that vicinity; then train from Vicenza to Piombino Dese; then onto Venice.
Piombino Dese
Santo Stefano di Valdobbiadene
VICENZA
VENICE
transport
Alilaguna Lines (Marco Polo airport to Venice)
Castello
Alfredo’s Fresh Pasta to Go. Calle De La Casseleria, 5324 | Castello, 30122 Venice. TUESDAY – SUNDAY: 12.00-08.30pm. MONDAYS: CLOSED. (tripadvisor)
La Mela Verde. (tripadvisor) Fondamenta de L’osmarin-Castello, 30126 Venice
Bar 5000, Castello 5000, Campo San Severo; http://www.lunasentada.it
Osteria al Portego. Calle della Malvasia, Venice, Italy (Castello). (Tripadvisor)
Bar Mio. Just across from Il Nuovo Galeon is a small bar with a green awning that makes the best tramezzini(little sandwiches filled with crab, ham, cheeses) in the entire Castello, perhaps in all of Venice. It’s a perfect afternoon snack with a cold beer or an ombra, one of those tiny glasses of wine that Venetians drink all day long. Tramezzini and small plates, from $2. At 1820 Castello, Via Garibaldi; 39-041/521-1361.
Giardino. Among the only green spaces in Venice, the Castello’s Giardini are amazing. The part of the gardens that contains the national pavilions used during the biennales (closed when no exhibition is on) is a kind of survey of architecture from 1930 up to the eighties, with buildings by Alvar Aalto, Gerrit Rietveld and Carlo Scarpa. It’s obsolete—there’s no Chinese pavilion, no African pavilion—but it’s quite fascinating. And it’s very nice to continue walking through the public gardens down to the tip of the island, with views across to the Lido. Enter from Via Garibaldi or along the waterfront Viale dei Giardini.
Cip Ciap Pizza. Calle del Mondo Novo 5799/A, near Campo Santa Maria Formosa.
Cannareggio
Osteria al Bacco, Fondamenta Capuzine, 3054 Cannaregio; (39-041) 721-415.
Colonna Ristorante. Campiello del Pestrin; Cannaregio, 5329. www.lacolonnaristorante.com.
San Leonardo Market. Crossing over the Canal di Cannaregio on the Ponte delle Guglie (named after the obelisks on both ends), there’s a square that hosts an open-air greenmarket in the morning. It looks like a scene from a painting by Canaletto or Guardi. At Rio Terà San Leonardo.
Panificio Volpe. Not far from the Ponte delle Guglie is the Ghetto, Venice’s old Jewish quarter. After visiting the synagogues and museum, this kosher bakery is a required stop for almond cookies—very special. At 1143 Cannaregio, Calle del Ghetto Vecchio; 39-041/715-178.
Dorsoduro
Dittura. The red velvet slippers once worn by gondoliers and famous for their soles made of old bicycle tires can be found here in an infinity of colors. From $25. At 871 Dorsoduro, San Vio; 39-041/523-1163.
lodging
Istituto Canossiano Fondamenta de le Romite, 1323 Dorsoduro, 30123 Venezia
Tel: 0039 041 240 9711 Fax: 0039 041 240 9712 e-mail: cvenezia@fdcc.org
dining:
Arancino, 3255 Dorsoduro; (39-348) 875-1055.
Osteria al Squero, Dorsoduro 943/944, Fondamenta Nani; osteriaalsquero.wordpress.com
Cantinone Gia’ Schiavi. Dorsoduro 992, fondamenta Nani. Cichetti. Standing, outdoors. Tripadvisor and New York Times.
Taverna San Trovaso. Dorsoduro 1016. Near Accademia. Can handle group. Reservation recommended. [Instituto Canossiano recommended.]
Ae Oche. Dorsoduro 1414 Rafts. Pizzeria. Ae Oche on Tripadvisor. [Instituto Canossiano recommended.]
Casin dei Nobili. Dorsoduro 2765 San Barnaba. Casin dei Nobili on Google. [Instituto Canossiano recommended.]
Angelo Raffaele. Campo Anzolo Rafael, 1722 Dorsoduro.
Gelateria lo Squero. Angelina Jolie was spotted here last summer, but locals have long known the pleasure of Lo Squero’s delicious pistachio gelato. At 990 Dorsoduro, Fondamenta Nani.
Osteria ai 4 Feri. Always a bustling place, Ai 4 Feri has discovered a popular—and (in Venice, anyway) increasingly rare—formula: uncomplicated food at relatively gentle prices. Dinner, from $25. At 2754/A Dorsoduro, Calle Lunga San Barnaba; 39-041/ 520-6978.
markets:
Punto. Dorsoduro 3017, campo Santa Margherita
Billa. Dorsoduro 1491, Zattere. 8.30am-8pm Mon-Sat; 9am-8pm Sun.
churches
St.George’s Anglican Church Venice
Santa Croce
Astoria, 521/A Santa Croce; (39-041) 523-6051.Vecio Fritolin, 2262 Santa Croce; (39-041) 522-2881; www.veciofritolin.it, makes a wonderful seafood fritto misto — with plenty of moscardini, or miniature squid — that costs 22 euros at dinnertime, but only 10 euros as a takeout lunch.
Gelateria Alaska. Calle Larga dei Bari, 1159 | Santa Croce. Gelateria Alaska on Tripadvisor.
La Zucca. Calle del Tintor (near near San Giacomo square), Sestiere Santa Croce. TripAdvisor. [favorite place to eat; you must make reservations]
San Polo
Ca’ Arco Antico, 1451 San Polo; (39-041) 241-1227;www.arcoanticovenice.com; low-season doubles from 60 euros, breakfast included.
Basegò, San Polo 2863, Calle del Scaleter; 011-39-041-850-0299.
Cantino Do Spade, San Polo 859, Calle do Spade; cantinadospade.com
Osteria Bancogiro, San Polo 122, Campo San Giacometto; http://www.osteriabancogiro.it
All’Arco, San Polo 436, Calle de l’Ochialer; 011-39-041-520-5666.
Pasticceria Rizzardini. Almost unchanged since its 1742 debut, this standing-room-only café has some of Venice’s best pastries and cakes, sugared delights made on the premises each morning. Breakfast here should be a cappuccino and the almond cakes called lingua di suocera—literally “mother-in-law’s tongue.” At 1415 San Polo; 39-41/522-3835.
San Giovanni Elemosinario. Tucked among unassuming office buildings, this rarely visited 11th-century church, one of the city’s oldest, contains the tombs of merchants who once worked in the nearby Rialto market. It also has an absolutely excellent Titian painting of St. John the Almsgiver. At Ruga Vecchia San Giovanni, Rialto.
Pronto Pesce. Pronto The three-year-old offshoot of the wildly successful Castello restaurant Alle Testiere, this spot was conceived as a sort of delicatessen for San Polo locals. It has a few tables for a quick lunch, and the risotto al pesce, made on Saturdays, is outstanding. A dinner menu was recently added for Wednesdays through Fridays. Lunch, $15; dinner, $25. At 319 San Polo, Calle della Beccaria; 39-41/822-0298.
Rialto Fish Market. It’s best to arrive early (vendors open at 7 a.m.) and by traghetto, the public gondola that crosses the Grand Canal from Santa Sofia. The observant will notice not only the variety of Venice-specific sea creatures but also the capitals atop the columns that depict many of those very same beasts. At Campo della Pescaria.
Ostaria dai Zemei, 1045 San Polo; (39-041) 520-8596.
San Marco
Colussi bakery. 4579 San Marco on Calle San Luca. [Departures Appollonio Colussi opened this bakery in 1840, and six generations later the family-run business is still one of the city’s best for baked goods. There are 40-plus types of bread, including Colussi’s signature focaccia: light, fluffy and topped with crunchy sugar and whole almonds. During Carnevale the bakery serves traditional frittelle, a sort of fried donut.]
Murano
Acquastanca, Fondamenta Manin 48, Murano, Venice; (39-041) 319-5125. An average meal for two, without drinks or tip, is about 30 euros (about $39, at $1.29 to the euro).
Art and Architecture of Venice
Palladio / Geographic Index / Venice
Palladio. RIBA Library, Drawings, and Photos.
Departures’ Travel Guide to Venice
Art and Architecture of Venice
Venice Museums (official site)
Boat tours in Venice,gran canal tour and the islands
Venice Italy Venice Hotels in Venice Apartments cheap Venice accommodation
Ca’ Arco Antico – Reviews and Ratings of Hotels in Venice – New York Times Travel
Frugal Venice, Family Style – Frugal Traveler Blog – NYTimes.com
Pensione La Calcina -home- Ruskin’s House | Hotel in Venice | Charme, Relax, Nice View to lagoon.
BOLOGNA
Albergo delle Drapperie Bologna – Hotel
LUCCA
Trattoria da “Leo” Via Tegrimi 1.
Il Seminario B&B
VILLAS
FLORENCE
San Miniato al Monte vespers [very highly recommended]
museums
Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana
Figure, Memorie, Spazio at the Uffizi
transport
SITA bus from Florence to Siena
lodging
Casa Santo Nome di Gèsu, Florence. [recommended]
The Apartments at St. Mark’s English Church
Hotel Santa Maria. Oltrarno.
Italyguide – Ostello 7 Santi – Firenze
Villa Rucellai di Canneto – a Prato, Italy Hotel – Karen Brown Travel
food
I Due Fratellini. Via dei Cimatori, 38/r. Open Monday – Sunday from 9 AM until 8 PM.
“Cheap and Traditional” The Florentine.
Osteria Santo Spirito. Piazza Santo Spirito 16r.
Trattoria Cibreo (tripadvisor). Via de’ Macci 122r, Florence. [Rodrigo Bollat]
Il Pizzauolo (tripadvisor). Via de’ Macci 113/r, Florence. [Rodrigo Bollat]
The Oil Shoppe. via S.Egidio 22/R, 50123 Florence. Sandwiches to order. M-F 10-6.
Vestri Cioccolateria. Borgo degli Albizi 11/R, Florence. Gelato.
Gelateria dei Neri. Via dei Neri 26, Florence. Gelato.
churches
Saint Mark’s English Church. Via Maggio, 16 (Oltrarno)
art studios
Charles H. Cecil Studios. Borgo San Frediano, 68.
Jason Arkles, Sculptor of Monuments in Marble and Bronze.
music
PIENZA AND VAL D’ORCIA
MONTEPULCIANO
MONTALCINO
SIENA
Musei Comunale, Palazzo Pubblico
ROME
Church Services
All Saints Church Via del Babuino, 153.
St. Andrews Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
St Pauls Within the Walls, Rome.
Fiumicino airport (FCO)
Where to meet at FCO (Fiumicino or Leonardo da Vinci airport, Rome).
Fiumicino airport – Roma Termini timetable (Fiumicino or Leonardo da Vinci airport, Rome).
How do I Get to FCO? (Fiumicino or Leonardo da Vinci airport, Rome).
The Train Station at FCO. (Fiumicino or Leonardo da Vinci airport, Rome). This is Ron in Rome’s blogpage that documents the transition from the airport to the Rome-bound train. Very useful.
Termini Rome’s main rail terminal
Lodging in Monasteries
Casa di Santa Francesca Romana (current favorite among monastic accommodations in Rome for a student group)
Fraterna Domus. Vicolo del Leonetto 16, 00186 Rome, Italy.
Istituto Nostra Signora di Lourdes, Via Sistina, 113. Rome (tripadvisor; reservations).
Hotels and Hostels
Coming to Rome / Santa Susanna: home of the American Catholic Church in Rome
ReidsGuides.com’s favorite Hotels in Rome, Italy
Hotel Mimosa Rome hotels – Official Site � one 1 star hotel Rome Italy
Hotel Minerva. Near the Pantheon at sunset–fabulous! Bring your camera or better still your travel paints and dash off a masterpiece while enjoying the spectacular roofscape of Rome.
Apartments
Idealista.it
Porta Portese for apartment rentals.
Wanted in Rome.
Eating
Rivendita Libri Cioccolata e Vino (12 Vicolo de Cinque) in Trestevere.
Enoteca Antica. 76 Via della Croce. This is near the Spanish steps worth the trip we went twice has anti-pasta and nice atmosphere.
Made in Sud. Via di San Giovanni in Laterano 46 , 00184 Rome. Calzone.
Dar Filettaro a Santa Barbara. Largo dei Librari, 88, Rome.
churches, ancient
Basilica of Saints Cosmos and Damian, Forum
Academic centers
Museums
Ron in Rome’s blogsite instructions for visiting the Galleria Borghese
Colosseo, Foro Romano, and Palatino ticket organization website
National Museum of Rome at the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme
Guides, Etc.
Other
36 Hours in Rome – NYTimes.com
Airport Fiumicino In Rome With Map, Transportation Details
Sant’Andrea al Quirinale – Rome, Italy
AMALFI COAST
Traveling to the Amalfi Coast and TripAdvisor to area.
Itinerary: train to Naples, Pompeii, or Salerno; then drive along coast to Positano; then drive through Amalfi to Ravello and then return. Best city is Positano.
On public transportation: from Naples train station, take the Circumvesuviano rail to Sorrento, and from there take bus to towns along the Amalfi Coast.
Amalfi Coast:
- C’Era Una Volta
- Ristorante Max
- Palazzo Murat [Annalee]