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Mediterranean Music Cruise: A Voyage from Venice to Seville with Classical Music Performances at Historic Sites
This Mediterranean Music Cruise combines a handcrafted Mediterranean itinerary with sublime classical music. This combination is undoubtedly one of the most beguiling travel experiences. We are honored to have aboard with us a group of superb musicians led by the legendary Sir James Galway. The concerts will be held aboard ship as well as ashore at places of special interest, including palaces and churches, only accessible to travelers on this voyage. The small size of the audience and the accessibility of the artists offers a truly unparalleled experience. This itinerary, from Venice to Seville, consists of many important and attractive places in the Mediterranean. From romantic Venice we set sail for the charming medieval town of Macerata, set on a hill embraced by the Chienti and Potenza rivers, with gorgeous Renaissance buildings that have inspired opera festivals. We’ll cruise among the idyllic Croatian archipelago for Split, Dubrovnik, and Kotor, see the dazzling Byzantine- Norman-Arabic mosaics of Palermo, and tour the ancient ruins of Carthage. Wandering among the architectural fantasies of Gaudí in Barcelona, the medieval alleyways of Valencia, and the majestic Andalusian monuments of Seville, we’ll see that – true to Goethe’s words, “architecture is frozen music.”
Itinerary
Day 1 • USA
Day 2 • VENICE, Italy | EMBARK
Day 3 • ANCONA | MACERATA | ANCONA
Day 4 • SPLIT, Croatia
Day 5 • DUBROVNIK, Croatia | KOTOR, Montenegro
Day 6 • AT SEA
Day 7 • PALERMO, Sicily, Italy
Day 8 • TUNIS | CARTHAGE | TUNIS, Tunisia
Day 9 • AT SEA
Day 10 • BARCELONA, Spain
Day 11 • VALENCIA
Day 12 • AT SEA
Day 13 • SEVILLE
Day 14 • SEVILLE | DISEMBARK | USA
View Detailed Itinerary
SPECIAL GUEST ARTIST
Sir James Galway, “the man with the golden flute,” is perhaps the most famous flautist ever to take a breath. Since 1975, when he launched his solo career, he has set the standard in classical music for the flute, including definitive treatments of masterworks by Bach, Vivaldi, and Mozart. Galway’s artistic engagement across musical boundaries has found him sharing the stage with an amazing array of entertainers including Stevie Wonder, Elton John, the Chieftains, Ray Charles, Joni Mitchell, Jessye Norman, Cleo Laine and Andrea Bocelli.
Sir James’s awards and honors are truly too many to number. Among the most prestigious: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of England honored him in 2001 with a Knighthood for services to music. In 2004, Sir James was given the President’s Merit Award from the Recording Academy at the Grammy’s 8th Annual “Salute to Classical Music.” Through his extensive touring, over 30 million albums sold, and frequent international television appearances, Sir James has endeared himself to millions worldwide, and has proven himself a tireless promoter of the arts.
Day 1
USA
Fly from the U.S. to Venice, Italy.
Day 2
VENICE, Italy | EMBARK
Arrive in Venice and board Corinthian II. Quite possibly the world’s most unusual and romantic city, lovely canalled Venice is a feast for the senses. At the height of its prosperity, this incomparable city of water and light possessed an empire that stretched throughout the eastern Mediterranean. Overnight docked aboard ship.
Day 3
ANCONA | MACERATA | ANCONA
From the port of Ancona, drive inland to Macerata, a quaint medieval town set high atop a hill. Explore the town and its historic buildings, including the 16th-century Loggia dei Mercanti and the 17th-century Palazzo del Comune, with its splendid atrium decorated with sculptures, and visit the City Museum, housed in an old Jesuit college, and the Palazzo Ricci Gallery, with its excellent collection of works by modern Italian artists.
Day 4
SPLIT, Croatia
Arrive in Split, an ancient city centered around the formidable Palace of Diocletian, built in A.D. 295. An extensive structure, much of which is well preserved, the palace contains within its walls Split’s old town, making it the only palace that has been continuously inhabited since Roman times. After a tour of the Palace, reboard Corinthian II and spend the afternoon at sea.
Day 5
DUBROVNIK, Croatia | KOTOR, Montenegro
For hundreds of years, Dubrovnik (the “Pearl of the Adriatic”) was an independent city-state set in competition with Venice for Constantinople’s trade routes. Visit the Franciscan Monastery, Dominican Monastery, and the Baroque Cathedral, containing works by Titian and Andrea del Sarto. Also view the wonderful courtyard of the Rector’s Palace and the Cathedral of Our Lady, known for its rich treasury. In the afternoon, Corinthian II navigates the deep, fjord-like Bay of Kotor to reach the port town of the same name, located at the head of the bay beneath towering mountains. One of the most quaint and best-preserved medieval towns along the Dalmatian coast, Kotor is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town’s fortifications and most of its monuments, which we will visit on a walking tour, date from the time of Venetian rule.
Day 6
AT SEA
Day 7
PALERMO, Sicily, Italy
Arrive in Palermo, one of the Mediterranean’s most enchanting cities. Founded by the Phoenicians in 827 B.C. and conquered by the Saracens in the 9th century, Palermo became one of Europe’s greatest cities by the 12th century, when the Normans took control. Seek out the Cappella Palatina, the royal chapel built by Roger II between 1132 and 1143. A wonder of Byzantine-Arab-Norman artistry, the chapel features dazzling mosaics, an exquisitely carved wooden ceiling, and magnificent inlaid marble floors and walls. Then drive to Monreale to visit its famed Norman cathedral. In the afternoon, tour the private Palazzo Raffadali, a Gothic palace with 17th-century interiors.
Day 8
TUNIS | CARTHAGE | TUNIS, Tunisia
From Tunis, travel to storied Carthage, founded by Phoenicians in the 9th century B.C. The site includes several Phoenician remains, such as Tophet, the sanctuary of the gods Tanit and Baal, as well as many monuments from the Roman period. Also tour the Bardo Museum, world-renowned for its spectacular collection of Roman mosaics, and enjoy time at leisure visiting the Medina and its souks.
Day 9
AT SEA
Day 10
BARCELONA, Spain
The exuberant capital of Catalonia, Barcelona is rich in extraordinary works of art and architecture. Tour the narrow alleyways of the Barrio Gotico, the original site of the Carthaginian city, and the extraordinary Templo de la Sagrada Familia, begun in the 19th century by the architect Antonio Gaudí and still unfinished. Also visit the 14th-century cathedral, La Seu, and tour the Picasso Museum.
Day 11
VALENCIA
Founded by the Greeks in the 2nd century B.C. and later occupied by Romans, Visigoths, and Moors, Valencia prospered during the 15th century, as attested to by its palaces, churches, and mansions. Explore the Old Town and its maze of narrow streets, visiting the 13th-century Cathedral, with paintings by Goya and other treasures in its museum; the 13th-century Church of St. John, with its fine murals; and the Generalitat Palace, dating from the 15th century. In the afternoon, visit the remarkable City of Arts and Sciences, a cultural complex of four futuristic buildings designed by native architect Santiago Calatrava.
Day 12
AT SEA
Day 13
SEVILLE
Occupied by the Romans, conquered by the Moors, and ruled by a succession of Catholic monarchs, Seville is one of Europe’s most important and affluent maritime cites. Visit the Alcazar, with its charming Murillo Gardens, and the Gothic Cathedral.
Day 14
SEVILLE | DISEMBARK | USA
Disembark and transfer to the airport for return flights to the U.S.
