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Day 1: Wednesday, May 14: Depart
USA
Meet tour escorts, Dr. and Mrs. Brooks Ranney, at
JFK
International
Airport
in
New York City
and depart on our overnight flight to
Milan,
Italy,
continuing on to our destination of
Catania,
Sicily.
[In Flight Meal Service]
Day 2: Thursday, May 15:
Syracuse, Sicily
Welcome to
Sicily,
the largest and most important island in the Mediterranean. It is a region of volcanoes – the highest being
Mt.
Etna.
The typical evergreen Mediterranean scrub vegetation is widespread and the imposing architectural remains of temples, theatres, and aqueducts still rise majestically over great ancient cities.
We meet our English speaking tour guide who will be with us throughout the tour. We board our luxury motor coach and journey to
Syracuse
(Siracusa) where we check into the newly opened Mercure Siracusa Prometeo hotel.
How you'll love Syracuse! It was founded by ancient Greek colonizers on the
island
of
Ortygia
and became the richest and politically most important city of Sicily. It was the site of many battles during the Peloponnesian war and was conquered by the Romans in 400 BC. Besieged by the Arabs in 877, it caused great concern to the Christian world. This city did not flourish again until the early 1900's.
Late afternoon visits –
• The Greek Theatre from five centuries BC
• A Roman Amphitheater from first century AD
• The Ear of Dionysius where the tyrant Dionysius eavesdropped on prisoners
• The remains of the
Temple
of
Apollo
(Artemis)
• Ancient Jewish “Miqwe” – a baptismal font hewn thirty feet into rock
Enjoy our welcome dinner at the hotel. [In-Flight Meal Service, D]
Day 3: Friday, May 16:
Syracuse
/
Landing
Beaches
/
Agrigento
We begin at Avola, the site of the British landing beaches in WWII, and travel through Ispica, Modica, Comiso and Vittoria, to Scoglitti (U.S.landing sites). Later we travel along the coastal road from
Gela
to Licata (
U.S.
landing beaches).
Our destination in the
Agrigento
area is the seaside Villa Romana Hotel of Port Empedocle. [B, D]
After completing the North African campaign, the Allies decided to invade
Sicily
to deprive the Axis of their many Air and Naval bases, and free the
Mediterranean Sea.
During the Sicilian invasion, there were a number of misunderstandings between the Navy and the Air Force, so that our own ships and troops were attacked by our own planes! Despite this and terrible weather, by the end of the first day the Seventh Army had established a beachhead two to four miles deep and 50 miles wide between Scoglitti-Gela and Licata. On the second day of the invasion, two Axis divisions attacked. A few German tanks actually broke through into
Gela,
but were repelled. The Allies’ line still held, but Patton called for 2000 additional paratroopers from his reserves in
Africa.
He warned the anti-aircraft gunners not to fire on his paratroopers. However in the wake of German air raids, nervous
US
troops shot down 23 and damaged 37 of 144 American transport planes!
Day 4: Saturday, May 17:
Agrigento
/
Palermo
Our first visit is to the Valley of the
Temples.
On a ridge in the valley at the foot of the hill, which is the site of present-day
Agrigento,
are the prestigious remains of the ancient city. One of the largest archaeological sites in the
Mediterranean,
you'll admire the remains of the Juno,
Concord
and Hercules Greek temples. Note the elegant and perfect proportions of the
Temple
of
Concord.
The
Temple
of
Hercules
is the oldest and the Juno stands on the highest point.
Travel on to Selinunte with a visit to the Acropolis. Remains of a temple are set amid rich vegetation and an area strewn with huge blocks of limestone…much as it looked in 409 BC, when terrible historic events led to the annihilation of the city.
Arrive in
Palermo
and our hotel for the next two nights, the beautiful Politeama Hotel. A special dinner is included at a local restaurant. [B, D]
Eisenhower was appointed over-all commander and Sir Harold Alexander was commander of land forces. Under him, Bernard Montgomery commanded the British Eighth Army, which was to fight straight north along the coastal road. Patton's Seventh Army was to protect the 8th Army's left flank. However, the Germans provided such stiff resistance to the British Eighth Army that Alexander permitted Patton's Seventh Army to run a typical, cavalry, diversionary attack across
Sicily
to
Palermo.
Then he fought along the north roads and reached
Messina
just shortly before
Montgomery's
Eighth Army arrived there.
Day 5: Sunday, May 18:
Palermo
/ Monreale /
Palermo
The name
Palermo
is derived from a Greek word meaning "all port." The city was founded on an oblong rocky spur bounded by a spacious, natural harbor. In 1072
Palermo
was liberated by a Christian army led by the Hauteville brothers, Roger and Robert, and regained its ancient splendor. In 1130 it became the capital of the
Kingdom
of
Sicily.
On Christmas Day that same year, the first king, Roger II of Hauteville, was crowned in the Cathedral.
A full day of sightseeing is included in
Palermo
and the surrounding area, including:
•
Royal
Palace:
In 1130 King Roger II had the remains of an ancient building covered with earth to form a hill, on which he built his own
Royal
Palac.
Note the mosaics in King Roger's Room depicting hunting scenes and the mosaics in the Palatine Chapel depicting the Nativity and the Entry of Christ into
Jerusalem.
• Cathedral: See the Cathedral as it appears today after 1000 years of alterations and additions. All the sovereigns of
Sicily
were crowned here in magnificent ceremonies. The chapel of St. Rosalia is of particular beauty.
• The Capuchin Catacombs: Built in 1621 – the world-famous, macabre burial place of the mummified or embalmed bodies of some 8000 wealthy Palermitans. This custom continued until it was abolished in 1881.
• Teatro Massimo: The third largest opera house in the world – just one of many architectural masterpieces you may wish to photograph.
• Monreale: A small suburb of
Palermo
overlooking the
Oreto
River
– In 12th century BC, the king promoted the construction of this majestic architectural complex at Monreale and financed it by the Royal Treasury. It included the Duomo, a Benedictine Abbey, The Archbishop's Palace and a
Royal
Palace.
Its jurisdiction was loyal to the Crown, rather than to the Pope in
Rome.
Note the interior of the Cathedral is almost entirely covered with mosaics on a gilded background.
We drive back to our hotel in
Palermo.
Enjoy dinner on your own this evening at any of the local spots. [B]
Alexander removed Highway 124 from the Seventh Army and gave it to the Eighth Army to help them fight north. Then Gen. Patton received permission to digress toward
Palermo,
after which he fought eastward toward
Messina.
While Gen. Patton directed Gen. Truccott's division to provide a series of sequential amphibious "end-runs" around the enemy on the northern coastal road, Gen. Bradley's II Corps, containing Allen's First Division and Middleton's 45th division, split the island in two, reaching up to the southern and western slopes of Mt. Etna.
As Patton's Army captured most of
Sicily,
the Axis resistance was most severe at the villages of
Nicosia
, Troina, Cesaro and Randazzo. Heat and malaria caused many casualties. Mussolini's opponents ousted the dictator from power on July 25th. The Germans took over the fighting but planned an orderly evacuation from
Sicily
.
Day 6: Monday, May 19:
Palermo
/ Giardini di Naxos (
Taormina
area)
Travel along the northern border of
Sicily
to St. Stefano di Camastra, through Mistretta to
Nicosia
and Troina, and from Cesaro to Randazzo. Our troops traveled through these areas. Soon we get our first glimpse of
Mt.
Etna,
the highest and most active volcano in
Europe.
Over-looking the
Ionian Sea,
Mt.
Etna
can be covered with snow and fire at the same moment! Tonight we are at the Russott Hotel, right on the beach, in Giardini di Naxos, next door to
Taormina.
Dinner is at our hotel. [B, D]
Day 7: Tuesday, May 20:
Taormina
The
Taormina
area is proclaimed the "Jewel of Italy," one of the most renowned tourist resorts in the world. Enjoy glorious panoramic views of the sea, the smoking summit of
Mt.
Etna,
and the coastline dotted by a succession of rocky promontories, charming bays, small golden beaches and marine caves.
In
Taormina,
we visit the largest Graeco-Roman Theatre. Surpassed only by the Greek theatre we visited in
Syracuse,
it was begun by Greek colonists in the 3rd century BC. In Roman times this theatre was only used for gladiatorial and venationes shows. It still has excellent acoustics. There
is time for shopping along the winding streets, visiting gardens, and lunch at a quaint restaurant of your choosing.
And this is what you've been waiting for…your trip on
Mt.
Etna!
You can walk among the layers of solidified lava, walk around extinct volcanoes, and see the orphanage that barely escaped the lava flows. There is plenty of time for pictures and a cup of cappuccino near the top. Wow! What an excursion this is! Do bring a warm jacket.
After we return to our hotel, enjoy dinner on your own at any of the restaurants/night spots. [B]
Day 8: Wednesday, May 21:
Taormina,
Sicily /
Salerno,
Italy
There is an early morning departure for the Straits of Messina, where we ferry across to the "toe of the boot" of
Italy.
Enter the region of
Calabria
and enjoy the sights as we make our way to
Salerno.
Enjoy the Calabrian spine of the
Apennines
Mountains
with beautiful Mediterranean views out the left side of our coach and little farms on the right.
After a beautiful day, we arrive at our
Salerno
hotel, the
Mediterranean.
We've requested rooms with a view of the sea. Dinner is at our hotel tonight. [B, D]
The British Eighth Army crossed at
Messina
and fought its way gradually up the
peninsula
of
Italy
to
Salerno,
and extended east to capture the airfields at
Foggia.
However, Gen. Clark's Fifth Army landed on the narrow beaches of
Salerno.
He fought stiff battles with the Germans. Two successive nights he radioed Gen. Ridgeway to have 1000 paratroopers fly into
Salerno
as reinforcements.
Day 9: Thursday, May 22:
Salerno,
Italy
Today is the most scenic day of all as we drive along the Amalfi coast. Leaving
Salerno
we drive past Vietri and Maiori. Soon we come to Positano, and wonder if the scenery can get any prettier…it does! Lunch break is in
Sorrento.
Next we visit the excavated city of
Pompeii,
destroyed in 79 AD when
Mt.
Vesuvius
erupted. See the remains of the houses, temples, plumbing, amphitheater, and more. You may be surprised to see chariot tracks still remaining on the streets and plaster molds of the people buried under the ash. Actually, these people died of the gases that filled the air before the burning lava reached the city.
Dinner is on your own in
Salerno
at any of the quaint restaurants you find. [B]
Vietri and Maiori is where the Rangers landed during the invasion. We visit the landing beaches where the first American troops, including the 36th Division, set foot on the continent of Europe on September 9, 1943.
The battle of
Salerno
finally ended on September 20. By the end of the month, Fifth Army had broken the German resistance and entered
Naples.
Fifth Army fought slowly up the peninsula toward Monte
Cassino,
always impeded by German counter attacks. This went on all winter. An "end-run" was planned at
Anzio
but the initially surprised Germans surrounded the beachhead and almost drove the Americans back into the Sea.
Day 10: Friday, May 23:
Salerno
/
Cassino
Leaving
Salerno,
we journey into
Naples
for a city orientation. We drive to
Caserta
and at
Capua
we follow the
Volturno
River,
seeking the crossing site of the 34th Division in Oct., 1943. Passing through Alife and Venafro, at San Pietro we stop to visit the ruins of the old town. We continue on to the
Italian
Military
Museum
at the nearby Mignano Gap, where you can tour its display of artillery, tanks and other WWII military artifacts.
Our destination for tonight is
Cassino.
This afternoon, we visit the rebuilt Abbey of Monte Cassino, which was destroyed by the US Air Force in WWII. This visit gives us an understanding of the advantage the Germans had from the Abbey over the Rapido and
Liri
River
Valleys,
and helps you to visualize the favorable position the German forces had in the defense of their winter "Gustav Line."
Overnight accommodations are at the only four-star hotel, the
Forum
Palace,
where we enjoy dinner. [B, D]
In November and December, 1943, some of the bloodiest fighting in
Italy
took place in the San Pietro Valley.
The Fifth Army fought its way up the peninsula, past Monte
Cassino
, out the
Anzio
beachhead, and into
Rome
. The fall of
Rome
on
June 4, 1944
happened just two days before the landings at
Normandy
on
June 6, 1944.
Day 11: Saturday, May 24:
Cassino
/ Minturno /
Anzio
/
Rome
We leave
Cassino,
cross the
Rapido
River,
travel up the
Liri
Valley
and take a short drive into the mountains to Caira. We also visit Minturno where there is a cemetery and a bridge over the
Garigliano
River
that still shows much of the battle damage from 1943-44. In
Anzio,
we visit the US War Cemetery and the
Beachhead
War
Museum.
Leaving here, we make our way to Nettuno, Lanuvio, Velletri and
Rome.
The next two nights we are at the Nord Nuova Hotel located near the famous Trevi Fountain in
Rome.
Dinner is at our hotel tonight. [B, D]
The 34th Division crossed the
Rapido
River
on the night of
January 24, 1944
, and began the advance up the
Liri
Valley.
Caira was the headquarters for units fighting on the mountains above. From here troops of the 34th and 36th began their nighttime climb up the torturous paths – some of which are still discernible – to deadly Snakeshead Ridge, Hill 593, and Mt. Castellone. So steep are the paths that mules could not be used, requiring that all supplies had to be carried up, and the dead and wounded carried down, by troops alone. Our men engaged the determined German paratroopers in some of the worst fighting of the entire Italian campaign.
Nettuno, Lanuvio and Velletri were captured by the 34th & 36th Divisions in May, 1944, which aided measurably in the capture of
Rome.
General Clark drove Fifth Army through
Rome
and beyond, but Gen. Kesselring devised a series of blockades, giving up small bits of land reluctantly, so that fighting extended into the winter of 1944-45. It was April 1945 before the Allies fought their way into the
Po
River valley. Then both Fifth and Eighth armies had their headquarters in
Bologna.
Clark's Fifth Army raced to dominate the passes through the
Alps
into
Switzerland.
Day 12: Sunday, May 25:
Rome
Today is a full day of sightseeing in the ancient city of
Rome
. The architecture is dazzling!
Visits include –
• The Coliseum: noted for its cruel Gladiator games
• The Forum: once the seat of the Roman government
• A drive past Palatine Hill, Circus Maximus, the Victor Emanuel Monument, Trevi Fountain, Castel St. Angelo, and more
• The
Vatican
Museum: a treasure trove of paintings, tapestries and sculptures
• The Sistine Chapel: see the room where the Pope is elected and observe Michelangelo's magnificent ceilings
• St. Peter's Cathedral: Christianity's largest church, housing the world famous Pieta, Bernini's seven-story bronze canopy above the main altar. Marvel at the many pictures made of mosaics – they are not paintings!
• The Pantheon: the best preserved of all Roman buildings.
This evening we have a special highlight dinner in this magnificent old city. [B, D]
Day 13: Monda
y, May 26:
Rome
/
Siena
/
Florence
Leaving
Rome,
we drive along the
Tyrhennian
Sea
to Orbetello,
Grosseto,
Roccastrada, and into
Siena
.
Siena
is surrounded by olive groves and is the home of the Chianti vineyards. We enjoy a walk into this unique city with a local
Siena
guide. The famous Palio horse races take place here each summer in the heart of town on the Piazzo del Campo! There is free time for lunch.
15 Day DeluxeTour 