Why choose this tour?

Ideal for lovers of history and nature, this tour revolves around the Bisentina Island and nearby wonders, including a boat ride on the lake, a visit to the oldest medioeval quarter in Italy and a visit to a local winery.

DAY 1: Villa Lante and Vitorchiano

Arrival and transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon, departure for Bagnaia, for the guided tour of Villa Lante, a fine example of 16th-century architecture designed by Vignola.
The villa is embellished with graceful fountains, decorated pools, waterfalls, and water features that emerge from a triumph of geometry created by evergreen hedges and peperino statues.

Later in the afternoon, guided visit of Vitorchiano, a small village which has its roots in Etruscan times. Its history is full of disputes against Rome and Viterbo for its independence, until, spontaneously, in the Middle Ages, it swore a solemn submission to Rome.

In the evening, return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 2: Bisentina Island, winery and Bolsena

Breakfast and departure for Capodimonte a small village perched on the shores of Lake Bolsena. Here the group will enjoy a guided excursion of the Bisentina Island, reached by boat.

Inhabited by the Etruscans, it gained prestige thanks to the Farnese family. In 1431, Pope Eugene IV authorized the construction of a Franciscan monastery, whose friars built the seven small churches still present on the island. Erected in the image of the Seven Churches of Rome, the Via Crucis has been a pilgrimage destination for centuries. Later, Ranuccio Farnese had the church built that would become the family mausoleum, where the famous Giulia Farnese may be buried.
After various transfers of ownership and years of neglect, the island was redeveloped by the Rovati family and is now open to the public.

At the end of the tour, lunch in a local winery at the end of the visit to taste the famous EST! EST !! EST !!!, a mildly aromatic wine with apple notes and high acidity produced in the area around Montefiascone.

In the afternooon departure and guided tour of Bolsena, the picturesque village which gives its name to the lake it overlooks. Rich in palaces, squares, churches and restaurants (where delicious dishes based on the lake’s fish are served), this lovely village dates back to the 3rd century BC. Bolsena’s main monument is the Cathedral of S. Cristina, dedicated to an 11-year-old girl martyred during the reign of Roman emperor Diocletian. This cathedral was a stop for pilgrims on the route of the ancient Via Francigena to Rome.

In the evening, return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 3: Viterbo and Tuscania

In the morning, guided tour of Viterbo. The historical center of the town, named San Pellegrino, is one of the most characteristic and well preserved in Italy: a real example of a typical medieval town. The visit goes along picturesque alleys to reach the Palazzo Papale (Pope’s palace): built in medieval Gothic style, it is characterised by a loggia with seven arches. For centuries, it was the residence of the Pope.

Lunch in a restaurant of the area.

In the afternoon, guided visit of the charming village of Tuscania and its Belvedere. The population of this town dates back to the Bronze Age. Here each era has left its mark, “as the brush stroke of an artist in a painting”. Among the churches, remarkable is that of St. Peter’s, chosen by Zeffirelli in his “Romeo and Juliet.”

At the end of the visit, return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

We don’t want our guests to leave without a tasty souvenir of this trip: that is why a gastronomic lottery of typical Italian cold cuts will be offered during the last dinner together, as well as a parting gift: a bottle of high quality local extra virgin olive oil.

DAY 4: Civita di Bagnregio

Breakfast and departure for Civita di Bagnoregio for a guided tour of the village. Because the mountain where the village was built is endlessly eroding, it is also known as “The Dying Town”. Civita is now submerged in the fabulous setting of the “Calanchi”, an area which guards cultures, ancient traditions and the amazing landscape of the village.

In the afternoon, lunch based on local products in a restaurant of the area.

Return home.