Friday, September 20, 2013

Incantato Tours Welcomes You to Florence

Located in Tuscany, the city of Florence is one of the greatest artistic capitals in the world. It is a monument to the Renaissance and the artistic and cultural reawakening of the 15th century. 
The city began as a Roman colony in 59 BC and grew to a trading hub and independent city. In time, power passed to leading noble families of the city, the most influential of which were the Medici, a hugely wealthy banking dynasty. Both Florence and Tuscany remained under the family's rule for three centuries until 1737, and the mark they left can be seen throughout the city even today. It was during this time that Florence was at the cultural and intellectual heart of Europe. 

There are so many sights to see in one of Italy's most visited cities, that it is impossible to present them all here. Therefore, just a few highlights are mentioned, and the rest is left to own exploration. 
The historic part of Florence is a compact area, and the river Arno bisects the city. The oldest surviving bridge in the city that crosses the Arno is the Ponte Vecchio, built in 1345. It is almost exclusively jewelers and goldsmiths that offer items for sale in the shops that line the bridge, a tradition that started back in the 16th century. The Ponte Vecchio is also the only bridge in the city that escaped any destruction during World War II. 

Perhaps the most famous of Florence's landmarks and historical buildings is the richly decorated Duomo, the Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore with its orange-tiled dome. The city's geographical and historical focus, the Duomo rises above the heart of Florence and to this day remains the city's tallest building. It has become Florence's most famous symbol and the cathedral is Europe's fourth largest church. The dome was finished by Brunelleschi in 1463 and was the largest of its time to be built without scaffolding. 

The Academy of Fine Arts, the Galleria dell'Accademia, was established in 1563. It was the first school in Europe specifically to teach the techniques of drawing, painting, and sculpture. The art collection displayed here today was formed in 1784. Its most famous work is Michelangelo's David, a colossal nude of the biblical hero who killed the giant Goliath. Created in 1504, it established Michelangelo as the foremost sculptor of his time at the age of 29. Another one of Michelangelo's masterpieces found here is the Quattro Prigioni, the Four Prisoners, a sculpture created between 1521 and 1523 and intended to adorn the tomb of Pope Julius II. 

Built from 1560 to 1580 to house offices, the Uffizi are now one of Italy's leading art galleries. Originally, the upper story was used as a gallery to display the Medici art treasures. Today, it houses the world's greatest collection of Italian Renaissance art and a priceless collection of paintings, including the Birth of Venues, painted by Botticelli in 1485. 
Across the river Arno, the vast Pitti Palace is second only to the Uffizi in its art collection. It was constructed in 1457 and in 1550, it became the main residence of the Medici family and subsequently all rulers of the city of Florence lived here. The Palace's richly decorated rooms exhibit countless treasures from the Medici collections and contain galleries with works by great Renaissance artists including Raphael and Titian. 

Thursday, September 19, 2013

The Phoenix Girls Chorus Tour Materials


Dear PGC Travelers,

Your most important tour information can be found in your tour brochure. In order to sign up for the tour, you must fill out and submit the original registration form to Incantato Tours (our mailing address is located on your registration form).

If you would like to download any of the tour materials, we have made both of these available to you as PDFs from our Dropbox account:

Please click here for the 2014 PGC Registration Form

Your Incantato Tours Team

Friday, September 13, 2013

Incantato Insider: Gaeta and Sperlunga

The region of Lazio today features a varied landscape of volcanic lakes, mountains, ravines, and olive groves. The area was inhabited at least 60,000 years go, although the first signs of a significant civilization date back to the 10th century BC. Aside from Rome, the YPAS travelers will also be visiting other towns in the Lazio region, including two in the south: Sperlunga and Gaeta.

A seaside town surrounded by sandy beaches, the old town of Sperlunga is marked by whitewashed buildings and narrow alleyways. The modern part of town lies down on the seafront. 
In ancient times, this area was a favorite retreat for the Romans during the hot summer months, which is why there were villas built along the coast. Archaeologists found a luxury villa complex on the outskirts of town, along with some amazing 2nd century BC Hellenistic sculptures in a large cave open to the sea.

The historic center of Gaeta is dominated by a mighty Aragonese castle. However, the town's most outstanding feature is the Duomo's elegant late Romanesque bell tower with its lofty summit topped by a roof of colored ceramic tiles. 


Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Incantato Introduces Siena

322 meters above sea level, Siena (in English sometimes spelled Sienna) is right in the heart of Tuscany, Italy. It is also the capital of the province of Siena. But the true origin of this magnificent city is still uncertain. A number of historians refer to an ancient Etruscan settlement known as Sena, which stood on the borders between the lands governed by Volterra, Arezzo and Chiusi. When this settlement was conquered by the Romans under Augustus, it took on the name of Sena Iulia.


The origin of the name Siena is probably Etruscan and could derive from the name of a family, the Saina. It was quite common for patrician families to take on the name of their place of origin. A number of references to the name Saena appear in Latin texts, ass

Some legends trace the founding of the city back to a young Roman named Senius, one of the children of Rhemus who was forced to flee the rage of his uncle Romulus along with another of his siblings, Ascanius. These two brothers are believed to have left Rome with a statue of the she-wolf and, after finding refuge on a hill above the river Tressa, built a fortress known as Castel Senio, or Castelvecchio – reputed to be the first nucleus around which the city developed over the millennia. This is the reason why the emblem of Siena remains to this day the she-wolf of Rome.
The diocese of Siena probably dates back to the reigns of Gratian and Theodosius, following the conversion of the area by Ansanus, a young martyr who is the city’s main patron saint.

The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008.

The city is also famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the Palio, a horse race held twice a year. 

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Incantato Welcomes You to Bella Italia



Italy has been, since antiquity, the centre of history, culture and art. The museums, collections and archaeological sites reveal countless tokens of the past and the many civilizations that have passed across this country, evidence of which is still inextricably woven into the present day landscape.

Artistic wonders can be found everywhere, and every corner of the country holds countless and wonderful surprises. The artistic and cultural heritage is one of the most valuable in the world. Italy has more cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country. Rome, Florence, Assisi, Venice, Siena, Pisa, and Naples are its most renowned cities of art, but the whole country can boast towns of breathtaking beauty, as these numbers demonstrate: 95,000 monumental churches, 40,000 forts and castles, 30,000 historical residences with 4,000 gardens, 36,000 archives and libraries, 20,000 historical cities and towns, 5,600 museums and archaeological sites, and 1,500 convents.


Tourists can explore and discover the private residences of ancient and noble families; visit world famous museums such as the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the Capitoline Museums in Rome, or the Brera Art Gallery in Milan; explore impressive archaeological sites, such as Pompeii and Herculaneum, to immerse themselves in an exciting, grandiose past. That is by no means all - there are numerous cultural, artistic, and musical events that animate Italian life.

Italy offers a rich combination of masterpieces from different areas, blending landscape and culture, history and art, architecture and city planning - it offers an exciting journey through time, from the Ancient Greeks and Romans to the present day, which is also filled by a wealth of art and culture.


Information courtesy of http://www.italia.it/

Friday, September 6, 2013

Welcome to the Vatican with Incantato Tours

Vatican City, officially the State of the Vatican City, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, the capital city of Italy. It has an area of approximately 44 hectares, and a population of just over 800.

Vatican City is a city-state that came into existence in 1929. It is distinct from the Holy See, which dates back to early Christianity and is the main Episcopal see of 1.147 billion Latin and Eastern Catholic adherents around the globe.

Ordinances of Vatican City are published in Italian; official documents of the Holy See are issued mainly in Latin. The two entities even have distinct passports: the Holy See, not being a country, only issues diplomatic and service passports; the state of Vatican City issues normal passports. In both cases the passports issued are very few.

Vatican City is an ecclesiastical or sacerdotal-monarchical state, ruled by the bishop of Rome - the Pope. The highest state functionaries are all Catholic clergymen of various nationalities. It is the sovereign territory of the Holy See (Sancta Sedes) and the location of the Pope's residence, referred to as the Apostolic Palace. The Popes have resided in the area, that in 1929 became Vatican City, since the return from Avignon in 1377.


Thursday, September 5, 2013

Discover Assisi with Incantato Tours


There are many reasons why Assisi is one of Incantato's favorite destinations in Italy. A fairly small city of 30,000 inhabitants, Assisi sits perched on a hilltop surround by the stunning Umbrian landscape. 

When visiting, you feel like you have stepped back in time, finding yourself in what seems like a village from the Middle Ages with its old gates and main street, the Via de San Francesco. You can also visit the two 14th century forts Rocca Maggiore and Rocca Minore (large and small fort) and enjoy the gorgeous views. However, the most important sight is the Basilica of Saint Francis, named a UNESCO world heritage site. There are also many traces of Roman times around the city, including remains of the city walls or the Piazza del Comune, the main square of Assisi. Here you can find the Temple of Minerva. With six Corinthian columns, it was erected in the 1st Century BC. The square is also a nice meeting point where almost all streets converge. In the streets surrounding the main square there are many shops offering small handicrafts and local specialties. You can also just sit down and relax, knowing that beneath your feet lies an ancient Roman Forum where people used to meet 2,000 years ago.