Summer 2021 Seminar: Siena and the Jewels of Tuscany      September 5th, 2021 - September 13th, 2021 Tour Rates  |  Registration  |  Terms and Conditions     9 Days/8 nights       Sunday, September 5th  3:00 p.m.     Arrival and accommodation at Villa Scacciapensieri Address and contact information: Villa Scacciapensieri Strada di Scacciapensieri, 10 53100 Siena Ph: +39 0577 41441 email: info@villascacciapensieri.it Website: http://www.villascacciapensieri.it/en/   6:30 p.m     Introduction to the Seminar and refreshments 8:00 p.m.     Dinner at Villa Scacciapensieri   Monday, September 6th     Breakfast at Villa Scacciapensieri 9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.     Italian for Semi-beginners Fiorenza Quercioli, Lecturer Choose this session if you have not spoken Italian since you were a student at Stanford and if you can barely remember the basics (e.g.: greetings, asking for directions, ordering at a restaurant, etc.).   10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.     Intermediate Italian Fiorenza Quercioli, Lecturer Join this class if you have used Italian occasionally or studied it again over the years, feel confident about your speaking and listening skills, and are able to carry out with ease a basic conversation in Italian. Please note that you can self-place into one of the two or both levels (depending on your own assessment of your Italian language skills), and that you can always switch between levels. Fiorenza Quercioli, Language instructor at Stanford’s Breyer Center for Overseas Studies in Florence, will teach both of these intensive language sessions that will jog your memory, enable you to brush up on your Italian and speak with more confidence.   11:30 a.m.     Board bus and depart for Siena   12:00 p.m.     Walking tour of Siena with Camilla Baines Join Camilla Baines for an introductory walking tour of Siena where you will (re)discover the hidden treasures of this magnificent Medieval city. Camilla Baines grew up in London where she studied Art History at London University. She has lived in Italy for 16 years and has worked as a guide since 1988, traveling with small specialized groups, and working now as a private licensed guide in Florence and the surrounding areas. She is one of the most successful certified guides of Florence and its province.   1:30 p.m.     Lunch in Siena at the Vinattieri restaurant   3:00 p.m.     Board bus and return to Villa Scacciapensieri   4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.     Lecture: “Italian Neorealism”* Dr. Ermelinda M. Campani, Spogli Family Director, The Breyer Center for Overseas Studies in Florence *Please watch Rome Open City (Roberto Rossellini, 1945), prior to your arrival and read the following: http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=940CE7DE1239E23ABC4E51DFB466838D659EDE Ermelinda M. Campani, is the Spogli Family Director of Stanford’s Breyer Center for Overseas Studies in Florence. At the Program, she teaches one film course per quarter. She has authored three books on film and many articles   6:00 p.m.     Board bus and depart Villa di Geggiano   6:30 p.m.     Visit of Villa di Geggiano followed by drinks The Villa di Geggiano has been home to the Bianchi Bandinelli family and its winery since 1527. Today the family continues to manage the Villa and surrounding vineyards with the passion of those who thoroughly appreciate the beauty and richness of this land. The Villa and gardens, originally built in the 14th century and completely renovated around 1780, have been declared a National Heritage site. (http://www.villadigeggiano.com)   8:30 p.m.     Dinner at Villa Scacciapensieri     Tuesday, September 7th       Breakfast at Villa Sacciapensieri 9:30 a.m.     Board bus and depart Villa Scacciapensieri for Siena 10:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.     Guided visit of Siena with Camilla Baines 12:45 a.m.     Board bus and return to Villa Scacciapensieri 1:10 p.m.     Lunch at Villa Scacciapensieri 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.     Q&A with Professor Mammarella, Emeritus Director, Stanford in Florence, on Italian Politics 6:00 p.m.     Board bus and depart for Siena 6:30 p.m.     Guided visit with Donatella Grilli of one of Siena’s Contrade and talk on the Palio Donatella Grilli, though not Sienese by birth, couldn't be more passionate about Siena. She is able, far more than a native, to convey to visitors the spirit of her adoptive town. After years of wanderlust, she settled in Siena several decades ago, and has been working as a guide, sharing her love of art, history, and languages, since the seventies. Dinner on your own   Wednesday, September 8th       Breakfast at Villa Scacciapensieri 9:00 a.m.     Departure by bus for San Gimignano   10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.     Guided visit of San Gimignano Strategically placed about halfway between Florence and Siena, this tiny and enchanting hill town, with its one of a kind skyline of Medieval architecture and striking towers, is a source of joy and awe to all that visit it. A Unesco World Heritage Site sine 1990, San Gimignano, and its fourteen perfectly preserved towers (there were originally seventy two), is one of the most visually impressive towns in the region and a walk through it is not only a delightful experience but it is truly like traveling back in time   12:15 p.m.     Departure for Monteriggioni   1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.     Lunch and visit of Monteriggioni Often referred to as the “gateway to the Middle Ages”, Monteriggioni is one of the finest examples of a Medieval walled city. Its 13th century castle, still impeccably preserved, gives us a true feel for what it must have been like to live during a time where strategically placed defense walls and a solid fortress were synonymous with survival. You will have the chance to wander around and explore the castle, the walls, and the fourteen towers along which guards would watch over the Franca or Romea Gate (facing Rome) and the Florentine Gate (leading to Florence), all the while taking in a positively awe-inspiring landscape.   4:00 p.m.     Departure by bus from Monteriggioni 4:30 p.m.     Return to Villa Scacciapensieri 5:00 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.     Italian for Semi-beginners Fiorenza Quercioli, Lecturer 6:00 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.     Intermediate Italian Fiorenza Quercioli, Lecturer 8:00 p.m.     Dinner at Villa Scacciapensieri Thursday, September 9th       Breakfast at Villa Scacciapensieri 9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.     Italian for Semi-beginners Fiorenza Quercioli, Lecturer 10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.     Intermediate Italian Fiorenza Quercioli, Lecturer 12:00p.m.- 1:00p.m.     Q&A with Professor Mammarella on Italy and the EU 1:00 p.m.     Lunch at Villa Scacciapensieri 3:00p.m.- 4:00p.m.     Lecture: “Tuscany in the Cinema” * Dr. Ermelinda M. Campani **Please watch The Night of the Shooting Stars (Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, 1982) and Life is Beautiful (Roberto Benigni, 1997) prior to your arrival and please read the following: https://www.nytimes.com/1982/09/29/movies/night-of-shooting-stars-from-italy.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/wpsrv/style/movies/reviews/lifeisbeautifulosullivan.htm 8:00 p.m.     Dinner at Villa Scacciapensieri Friday, September 10th       Breakfast at Villa Scacciapensieri 8:30 a.m.     Departure by bus for Arezzo 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.     Guided visit of Arezzo Renowned for its wealth of artistic treasures, as well as its goldsmiths and antiques, Arezzo is also the birthplace of Giorgio Vasari and Petrarch. Today will be dedicated to a discovery of this gem of a town and to a study of the rich legacy left behind by artists such as Piero della Francesca, Masaccio, and the Della Robbia family. We will go to the Basilica of Saint Francis to see Piero della Francesca’s glorious fresco cycle, The Legend of the True Cross, and will explore the downtown area, stopping in the Piazza Grande where the medieval Saracen Joust is played every year. 12:30 p.m.     Departure by bus for Cortona 1:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.     Lunch and visit of Cortona Situated in southern Tuscany, in the Valdichiana, quite close to Arezzo, Cortona is one of the area’s most beloved, charming and characteristic hill towns. Perched high upon a peak, the city offers breathtaking views of the surrounding valley and, on a clear day, one can even see Umbria’s Lake Trasimeno. One of the most defining features of the town is that it is surrounded by impressive stone walls dating back to the Etruscan and Roman times. While it is small, Cortona has some extraordinary artistic treasures, especially those produced by two of its most important and famous native sons, Luca Signorelli and Pietro da Cortona. 4:30 p.m.     Departure by bus for Siena 5:30 p.m.     Arrival at Villa Scacciapensieri   8:00 p.m.     Dinner at Villa Scacciapensieri   Saturday, September 11th       Breakfast at Villa Scacciapensieri 8:30 a.m.     Board bus and depart for Florence 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.     Guided visit of the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo with Timothy Verdon Timothy Verdon, a world-renowned Art Historian, teaches Art History at the Breyer Center for Overseas Studies in Florence, and is the Director of Florence’s Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. Free time in Florence   3:30 p.m.     Guided visit of Palazzo Capponi alle Rovinate and Introduction to the Stanford in Florence Program today. We will visit to Palazzo Capponi alle Rovinate, home to the Stanford in Florence Program and one of the finest and most well-preserved examples of Renaissance architecture. Located in the Oltrarno, across the river from the Uffizi Museum, Palazzo Capponi was built between 1406-1411 and its Renaissance courtyard, the first known example of its kind, has been attributed to Filippo Brunelleschi. After a guided visit, the Florence Program Director, Dr. Ermelinda Campani, will provide an introductory session on the Stanford in Florence Program today.   4:30 p.m.     Depart for Siena   6:00 p.m.     Arrival in Siena   8:00 p.m.   Dinner at Villa Scacciapensieri     Sunday, September 12th       Breakfast at Villa Scacciapensieri 8:00 a.m.     Departure for Lucca   10:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.     Guided visit of Lucca with Lucia Montruschi   1:00 p.m.     Lunch in Lucca at Ristorante Buca di S. Antonio Lucca captivates every visitor that sets foot in its charming piazzas and ambles through its picturesque, winding streets and along the paths surrounded by the old city walls. Enjoy a guided visit of this true jewel of a town and then spend free time in the afternoon exploring its famous villas on your own. 3:30 p.m.     Board bus and depart for Villa Scacciapensieri   5:00 p.m.     Arrival at Villa Scacciapensieri   7:30 p.m.     Cocktails and closing dinner at Villa Scacciapensieri Monday, September 13th     Breakfast at Villa Scacciapensieri End of the Seminar and individual departures

 

	RATES
	EUR 3.250 per person for double occupancy in twin bedded room EUR 3.250 per person for double occupancy in a European queen size bedroom EUR 3.990 per person for single occupancy in single room

Registration  |  Terms and Conditions