Colby Culture & Cuisine

CULTURE & CUISINE FINE FOOD & FR E SCOE S I N PI E DMON T & T H E SOU T H OF F R A NC E

M A Y 3 0 t o J U N E 7, 2 016

Dear Colby Alumni and Friends,

Discover the best of Southern France and Italy’s Piedmont region during a journey that will be a feast for the senses. Accompanied by Véronique Plesch, Professor of Art History at Colby College, who teaches a seminar entitled “Food in Art, Food as Art,” wander through medieval towns, admire stunning frescoes, and sample local specialties and fine wine on the French Riviera and in Italy’s Piedmont region.

An Italian city until 1866, Nice has a charm all its own, as well as museums in which the works of great 20th-century masters—Matisse, Picasso, and Chagall—can be seen. Our trip begins in this elegant Mediterranean city, where we spend three nights at the centrally located Hôtel Ellington. In the charming village of Villeneuve-Loubet, tour the museum dedicated to influential French chef Auguste Escoffier. Drive to Vence to see the Matisse Chapel, discover the Maeght Foundation’s impressive modern art collection, and stroll in the picturesque village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence.

On the way to the Piedmont region of northwest Italy, stop to admire the treasures found in French villages churches, including a restored 19th-century organ in spectacularly situated Saorge. Near the mountain village of La Brigue, visit Notre-Dame des Fontaines, which Véronique Plesch studied in her book Painter and Priest. Continue accross the Italian border for a two-night stay at Fossano’s historic Palazzo Righini. Nearby, discover the Castle of La Manta, Baroque trompe-l'oeil frescoes in Mondovì, and Taggia’s Dominican monastery. Return to Nice to spend a morning on Cap Ferrat, and see Cocteau’s dramatic frescoes at St. Peter’s Chapel in Villefranche-sur-Mer.

TRAVELING

WITH

YOU

VERONIQUE PLESCH, Professor of Art History at Colby College, was born in Argentina and raised in Switzerland.

She holds advanced degrees in Art History and Medieval French Literature from the University of Geneva, and from Princeton University, where she received her Ph.D. in Art History in 1994, the year she joined Colby faculty. Plesch is the author of works including Painter and Priest: Giovanni Canavesio’s Visual Rhetoric and the Passion Cycle at La Brigue (University of Notre Dame Press, 2006), which received a College Art Association’s Millard Meiss Publication Fund award. In addition to these books, she has published over 40 articles in Europe and the United States in English, French, and Italian on subjects ranging from late medieval and Renaissance iconography to Alpine art, and from Passion plays to early modern graffiti, with forays into contemporary art, and she has curated several exhibitions on topics such as medieval liturgical objects and Grand Tour souvenirs. Professor Plesch is the current President of the International Association of Word and Image Studies and the recipient of Colby College’s Charles W. Bassett Faculty Award for 2015. n

Throughout this extraordinary trip, we will savor traditional foods and local wines. For example, in Barolo, an area famous for its vineyards and white truffles, highlights include a wine tasting and dinner of local Piemontese specialties.

We hope you can join Professor Plesch in June to experience the art treasures and culinary specialties of Southern France and northwest Italy.

Sincerely,

Carolyn Gray Kimberlin

Director of Engagement

and Annual Philanthropy

CULTURE & CUISINE FINE FOOD & FRESCOES IN PIEDMONT & THE SOUTH OF FRANCE MAY 30 TO JUNE 7, 2016 VENCE, FRANCE 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

Thursday, June 2 Drive to Vence to see the Matisse Chapel, which the artist regarded as his masterpiece. Then discover the Maeght Foundation’s impressive modern art collection and Joan Miró sculpture garden. Enjoy a wine and cheese tasting before a lunch of local specialties. There will be time to walk in medieval Saint-Paul-de-Vence. You may wish to pay respects at the grave of Marc Chagall, who made the village his home for almost 20 years. Return to Nice in the late afternoon.

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Matisse chapel

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Monday, May 30 Depart the United States on an overnight flight to Nice.

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Tuesday, May 31 Arrive in Nice on the French Riviera, where the light and landscapes have inspired artists, writers, and musicians for centuries. Transfer to the classic Hôtel Ellington. Lunch is at leisure in this city known for gastronomic delights, including fresh seafood. Enjoy an optional afternoon walking tour from Nice’s Old Town to the Cours Saleya, where we will stroll in the flower markets (time permitting). Gather in the early evening for a lecture by Véronique Plesch, followed by our welcome dinner.

Friday, June 3 Depart Nice for the Roya Valley near the Italian border. Stop en route to admire the many treasures found in the local village churches, including a restored 19th-century organ in Saorge. This lovely town, located on a steep mountainside overlooking the valley, is known as one of the “perched villages” of Provence. Arrive in La Brigue in time for lunch and afternoon touring. Walk through the village and visit Notre-Dame des Fontaines, the pilgrimage sanctuary Véronique Plesch wrote about in her engaging book Painter and Priest. We hope to join the Mayor of La Brigue for a cocktail reception before continuing accross the Italian border for our stay in historic Palazzo Righini in Fossano. Dominated by a 14th-century castle, this medieval town is the perfect place to explore the Piedmont region, known for excellent food and wines.

VILLENEUVE-LOUBET 1 NICE, FRANCE Wednesday, June 1 This morning, depart for the charming village of Villeneuve-Loubet, birthplace of Auguste Escoffier, France’s preeminent chef in the early 20th-century. His recipes and techniques remain highly influential. Visit the museum dedicated to Escoffier in the house where he grew up, and explore the town's medieval fortress and narrow streets. Following lunch, return to Nice for a visit to the Musée Masséna, housed in an architectural jewel on the Promenade des Anglais, and afternoon tea at the legendary Hôtel Negresco. The evening is at leisure.

Photo by Konrad Jagodziński

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Barolo vineyards

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Monday, June 6 Spend the morning on Cap Ferrat, where we will visit Santo Sospir, a small private villa with interiors decorated

by Jean Cocteau, a longtime guest of the former owner. Then stop in Villefranche-sur-Mer to visit St. Peter’s Chapel, where Cocteau’s dramatic frescoes depict the saint and local fishermen.

Lunch and the afternoon are at leisure in Nice. You may wish to walk along the Promenade des Anglais, tour the Musée des Beaux-Arts, or explore the Old Town. Celebrate our trip with a festive farewell dinner this evening.

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Promenade des Anglais, Nice

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Tuesday, June 7 Depart for the Nice airport and the return flight home. n

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Saturday, June 4 Enjoy a morning drive through the picturesque Province of Cuneo to explore the Castle of La Manta. This medieval complex is noted for its secular-themed cycle of frescoes in the Late Gothic style of northern Italy. Lunch is at leisure today in La Manta. Continue to Barolo, an area famous for its vineyards and white truffles, for a wine tasting and dinner of local Piemontese specialties. Return to Fossano in the evening.

SAVONA 1 TAGGIA, ITALY 1 NICE Sunday, June 5 Depart the hotel for Savona, stopping in Mondovì, where we will view Andrea Pozzo’s spectacular 17th-century Baroque trompe-l’oeil frescoes in the Church of San Francesco Saverio. After lunch, drive along the Italian Riviera to Taggia to admire the collection of altarpieces and church frescoes at the Dominican monastery. Return to Nice and the Hôtel Ellington in the early evening.

Photo by Stefano Candito

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Santo Sospir, photo By Lapady

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For more information, please contact Academic Arrangements Abroad Telephone: 212.514.8921 or 800.221.1944 | Fax: 212.344.7493 | E-mail: trips@arrangementsabroad.com

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TERMS & CONDITIONS PROGRAM RATE PER PERSON $4,995 SINGLE SUPPLEMENT $730 R AT E I N C L U D E S n

Seven nights hotel accommodations as per itinerary

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Breakfast daily, four lunches, and three dinners; local wine with dinners

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Escorted sightseeing by private motorcoach; entrance

fees for all included visits

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Enrichment program of lectures and special events

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Taxes, service, and porterage fees for one suitcase

per person.

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Gratuities to local guides and drivers

Not Included in Rate Airfare; passport fees; meals not specified;

alcoholic beverages other than local wine at included dinners; personal items and expenses; airport transfers for those not on suggested group flights; baggage in excess of one suitcase; trip insurance; any other items not specifically mentioned as included.

AIRFARE Academic Arrangements Abroad (AAA) will be pleased to assist with air travel arrangements for this program, including specially negotiated group airfare when available, suggested group flights or your own individual requests for a processing fee of $40 per person. Complete details will be provided in your confirmation mailing.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE $1,500 per person, payable to Academic Arrangements Abroad of which $350 is non-refundable for administrative fees, is required with the reservation application. Balance due by check 120 days prior to departure.

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Wine and cheese tasting, Vence. Photo by Alexander Francis (top); St. Peter’s Chapel, Villefranche-sur-Mer. Photo courtesey of ohbythewayblog (above).

California Seller of Travel #2059789-40

Cover: Church of San Francesco Saverio, Mondovì. Photo courtesy of Web Gallery of Art.