to embark on a new adventure through the breathtaking landscapes of Veneto and Tuscany, before returning to the familiar warmth of Umbria.
This journey is more than just a tour—it’s a deeply immersive experience where history, culture, and the senses come alive. We’ll begin in Veneto, uncovering hidden gems in Asolo and Bassano del Grappa, where ancient traditions meet modern delights. From exquisite accommodations to hands-on experiences with local artisans and chefs, every moment is crafted to connect you with the soul of these enchanting regions.
After exploring Veneto’s wonders, we’ll continue to Tuscany before returning to Umbria, where you’ll feel the magic of friendships, both old and new, in the heart of Italy. Join me in rediscovering not just these incredible places, but yourself, in a journey that celebrates the art of living.
Antonella Nichinonni, your host, was born and raised in Casigliano di Strettura, a small hamlet on a hilltop just off the old Flaminia Way midway between Terni and Spoleto in Umbria, Italy’s green heart.
Her love affair with Umbria started from birth and even though she now shares her time between Australia and Italy, her passion and connection to Umbria and to its people remain strong. A university graduate with Honours and a former lecturer at Sydney University, she now runs her own school. Antonella has no greater pleasure than to be able to share her home, its passing traditions and seasons, retaining and renewing the friendships of generations past of her family and friends with her students.
Antonella personally hosts all her tours. She feels a strong necessity to respect the generosity of her hosts, family and friends and wishes that her activities will have only the lightest touch on their way of life.
As such these tours are by necessity very small in scale and frequency and available only to a select clientele.
Thirteen nights, from the Prosecco hills of the Veneto to the medieval stone of the Valnerina.
Before the tour officially begins on 14 June, we will gather in Venice on the evening of 13 June. The following morning a private transfer will carry us to Asolo in the heart of the Prosecco hills, where vines sweep across the landscape and ancient villages. We will taste its wines and discover why poets and artists have long found inspiration here - this is where the first chapter of our journey begins.
We have secured exquisite boutique accommodation in the heart of Asolo, at Albergo al Sole. Lovingly restored and run by the De Checchi family, and once the favoured dwelling of Eleonora Duse, the ‘City of a Hundred Horizons’ unfolds just beyond its terrace. A location that feels as if it were plucked straight from the pages of a Hemingway novel.
With Laura beside us, we will lose ourselves beneath Asolo’s graceful arcades and discover those who made this hill town a place of art and ideas. Caterina Cornaro established her Renaissance court here; Pietro Bembo set Gli Asolani within that world; Robert Browning captured the town in Asolando; and Eleonora Duse and Freya Stark made it a place of return. Henry James, Ernest Hemingway and Carducci, who called Asolo the City of a Hundred Horizons, were also drawn to its spell.
At the garden of Villa Freya sipping an aperitivo, an intimate literary interlude with Professor Zaccarello will bring Bembo, Cornaro and Gli Asolani to life. The following day, the five-generation Perenzin family will welcome us into their cheesemaking tradition, for us to work beside the master cheesemaker Carlo Piccoli. Later, Palladio’s architecture, Veronese’s frescoes and local wines await us at Villa Maser.
In Bassano del Grappa, we will experience the town through its living traditions. Following a tour of the historic town and a warm lunch at one of its oldest, family-run trattorias, we will meet the world-renowned Tassotti family. Their passion has reignited the historic Remondini tradition of decorative paper, a fine art dating back to 1657. No visit to the town would then be complete without a Grappa tasting, an experience that we will soak up at Italy’s oldest distillery, Grapperia Nardini, whilst enjoying views of the alps and the Ponte degli Alpini.
Our journey in the Veneto region and its Prosecco hills will also take us through to Antonio Canova’s world. At Possagno, we will encounter his striking Neoclassical temple designed by the master himself.
Our second base will be the enchanting city of Lucca, beautifully preserved within its Renaissance walls, where we have once again secured a boutique stay at The Tuscanian, in the heart of the old city. Here is where the story of Giacomo Puccini begins to unfold around us, as we lose ourselves meandering through the ancient streets, churches, squares, shops and cafes.
Here, my dear friend Luca - founder of Drive the Vintage, a concert pianist and graduate of Lucca’s Conservatorio Luigi Boccherini - will introduce us to Puccini’s landscape from the passenger seats of chauffeur-driven vintage Fiat 500s. We will travel together towards the rolling hills and countryside views that formed the world of his music, experiencing them from a unique perspective.
Before our Tuscan journey draws to a close, we will briefly venture to the Liguria region, to experience the charming Cinque Terre from the sea. From our private boat, vineyards, terraces and villages will rise in colour from the cliff, whilst one of the most iconic coastal villages will welcome us for lunch. The experience will tell the story of where the land and water meet, and how these landscapes have shaped the lives of its people. Rounding out the trip with a return to port, we will once again return to the city for an evening to soak up its atmosphere at one’s leisure.
One full day will then be ours to enjoy Lucca freely by foot or bicycle, before our final evening of Puccini’s music, as his native city becomes a stage once more.
Our final chapter brings us to Umbria, my birthplace, the land of my ancestors, and the Italy I carry most deeply within me. Arriving here is always a homecoming, one you will experience as I lead you to Casigliano di Strettura, my ancestral village, made especially meaningful by the places, family and friends who have shaped my life. We will be met with a warm embrace from our old friends and hosts at Borgo della Marmotta, a rustic retreat nestled in the mystical countryside of Spoleto, and at Torre del Nera in medieval Scheggino.
Under the wing of my dear friend and colleague Daniela, we will revisit familiar territories and venture into unexplored ones. At the nearby Le Casaline, Benedetto and his family will welcome us into their world. With a hands-on cooking experience, a language class, and tales of the family’s heart and history, we will share in the gestures, flavours and traditions of Umbrian cooking before taking a seat at their table. An experience which is so central to families across the country.
We will also travel into the Valnerina and the mountain landscapes of Norcia and Castelluccio, where, weather and season permitting, we will be able to witness the Fioritura di Castelluccio; a breathtaking annual, natural event seeing wildflowers spread across the high plateau in an extraordinary explosion of colour.
Back in Spoleto, literature will help us read the landscape. The Fonti del Clitunno inspired Virgil, Goethe admired Spoleto’s great aqueduct, and later, Gian Carlo Menotti chose the city as the natural stage for his Festival dei Due Mondi. Arriving in perfect time, we will be attending the opening of the 70th edition as Spoleto comes alive with music, theatre, dance and art.
No visit to Umbria would be complete without our dear friend Professor Rodney Lokaj, a distinguished medieval philologist, who will once again delight us with a literary interlude created especially for the group. We will sip aperitivos on the terrace of his home, a renovated 14th-century watchtower overlooking the Spoleto valley, surrounded by picture-perfect views and old friends.
This is not an Italy we will observe from a distance.
‘Open my heart and you will seeRobert Browning
Graved inside of it, Italy’
I invite you to join me on this journey and rediscover yourself, to reimagine your life in the warm embrace and magic of friendships, both renewed and anew in the heart of my Italy.
Small groups. For this offering 8–10 participants.
Full comprehensive personal travel and trip-cancellation insurance is mandatory and should be obtained when purchasing the package.
A non-refundable deposit of 30% of the tour price is required at the time of booking. Full payment is due by Thursday 15 April 2027, 60 days before the tour begins.
Subject to currency surcharges prior to final payment.
Our accommodations in Asolo, Lucca, Poreta and Scheggino are boutique offerings in historic centres and the countryside.
This tour is suitable for couples or singles who purchase the full package. At booking, each participant must complete the Booking Form, accept the Tour Terms and Conditions and Disclaimer, and provide evidence of the required insurance.
An Italian Affair Pty Ltd reserves the right to cancel the tour and refund all fees paid, including deposits, if the minimum of eight participants is not met, not less than 60 days before the scheduled tour.
Places are limited to eight to ten travellers. Antonella would be delighted to hear from you.
Enquire about 2027
