Martin Randall Travel 2017: 2nd edition by Martin Randall Travel

Tel +44 (0)20 8742 3355 info@martinrandall.co.uk www.martinrandall.com

Telephone 1300 55 95 95 New Zealand 0800 877 622 Fax +61 (0)7 3371 8288 anz@martinrandall.com.au Canada Telephone (647) 382 1644 Fax (416) 925 2670 canada@martinrandall.ca USA Telephone (toll-free, to the London ofﬁce) 1 800 988 6168

Front cover: Niederbronn-les-Bains, Alsace, by Lucien Blumer c. 1930. Inner front and back cover: Milan, wood engraving c. 1880. Back cover: Lowther Castle, Westmorland, engraving 1708 by Johannes Kip after a drawing by Leonard Knyff.

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2017: 2nd edition

Martin Randall Australasia PO Box 1024 Indooroopilly QLD 4068, Australia

M A RT I N R A N D A L L T R AV E L

Martin Randall Travel Ltd Voysey House Barley Mow Passage London W4 4GF United Kingdom

M A RT I N R A N D A L L T R AV E L A RT • A R C H I T E C T U R E • G A S T R ONO M Y • A R C H A E OLO G Y • H I S TOR Y • M U S I C

2017 second edition

Martin Randall Travel Ltd Voysey House Barley Mow Passage London W4 4GF United Kingdom Tel +44 (0)20 8742 3355 info@martinrandall.co.uk www.martinrandall.com Martin Randall Australasia PO Box 1024 Indooroopilly QLD 4068, Australia Tel 1300 55 95 95 New Zealand 0800 877 622 Fax +61 (0)7 3371 8288 anz@martinrandall.com.au Canada Tel (647) 382 1644 Fax (416) 925 2670 canada@martinrandall.ca USA Tel 1 800 988 6168 (toll-free; connects to the London office)

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Contents About us................................................... 4–5 Tours by country..................................... 6–7 What is included?........................................7 Our lecturers......................................... 8–14 More about our tours Fitness requirements; Private groups; Amendments; Responsible tourism; Financial protection; Travel insurance... 15 British Isles..........................................16–46 Mainland Europe..............................47–181 Turkey....................................................... 182 Middle East......................................183–193 Asia....................................................194–218 The Americas...................................219–234 Booking details Making a booking Booking Conditions Booking form...................................236–238 Tours by date...................................239–242

M A RT I N R A N D A L L T R AV E L A RT • A R C H I T E C T U R E • G A S T R O N O M Y • A R C H A E O L O G Y • H I S T O R Y • M U S I C • L I T E R AT U R E

Voysey House, Barley Mow Passage, London, United Kingdom W4 4GF T +44 (0)20 8742 3355 F +44 (0)20 8742 7766 info@martinrandall.co.uk www.martinrandall.com Dear traveller, We compiled this brochure in confident mood. Confidence is something to uphold in these febrile times, confidence to stick with our long-term plans for steady growth, confidence to maintain the quality of what we offer and all that we do. Turbulent, challenging, fascinating times. Where to begin? Currency? MRT continues into 2017 with prices that were agreed before the June remain-or-leave referendum. For clients in Britain, this means protection from the drop in the value of the pound (22% against the US$, 17% against the €). For clients elsewhere, it means the tours are a lot cheaper. All-inclusive package holidays are not universally regarded as the most esteemed mode of travel, but at times like this there is huge benefit for the consumer. And we are also sticking with our promise not to surcharge. We have contracts in place for purchasing currency at rates fixed before June which will see us through for a few months. Thereafter we may take a hit, but our accumulated reserves and our habitual long-term view will see us through. We are not without exposure, and we are certainly not complacent, but we trust that if we continue to provide the best possible travel experience, the loyalty shown by our clients over the last 28 years will continue to sustain us. Continuing the practice started several years ago, we are issuing a second edition of the annual brochure of tours for small groups. This contains thirty departures not in the first, among them some completely new itineraries: The Wines of Bordeaux (page 89), Crown & Cromwell (page 37), Danish Castle & Gardens (page 68), The Romans in Mediterranean Spain (page 173), Savouring Lombardy (page 117), the Gstaad Menuhin Festival (page 181) and Art Historians at the Castle (page 42). Keep calm and keep creative is our motto. With best wishes for these interesting times,

Martin Randall Chief Executive

Fiona Urquhart Chief Operating Officer

Tours launched since the first edition of our 2017 brochure Crown & Cromwell 16–22 June 2017.............37 Art Historians at The Castle 17–19 February 2017.........................................42 Haydn in Eisenstadt 5–10 September 2017.........................................53 The Schubertiade 16–22 June & 27August–2 September 2017............................54 Prague Spring 12–18 May 2017.......................66 Danish Castles & Gardens 10–16 July 2017...................................................68 Music in Savonlinna 20–24 July 2017.............73 The Wines of Bordeaux 23–29 October 2017...........................................89 The Dresden Festspiele 20–26 May 2017.......99 Organs of Bach’s Time 30 August–4 September 2017.........................104

Handel in Halle 27 May–2 June 2017...........105 Baden Baden Whitsun Festival 31 May–6 June 2017.........................................106 Savouring Lombardy 30 October–5 November 2017........................117 Verona Opera 13–17 July & 17–21 August 2017...................124 Opera in Oslo 5–8 April 2017........................153 The Romans in Mediterranean Spain 23–29 October 2017.........................................173 The Lucerne Festival 20–25 August 2017.....180 Gstaad Menuhin Festival 15–22 July 2017.................................................181 The Arabian Gulf 24 November–6 December 2017....................183 The Arts in China 18–28 September 2017.....................................198

Indian Summer 13–24 March 2018...............201 Painted Palaces of Rajasthan 7–19 November 2017.......................................207 Assam by River 29 November–10 December 2017..................209 Sacred India 5–18 March 2018......................211 Japanese Gardens 8–20 November 2017......213 Myanmar: Ancient to Modern 26 October–6 November 2017........................216 Lands of the Maya 5–21 March 2018............219

Additional departures Walking Hadrian’s Wall 11–17 September 2017.......................................32 The Douro 13–20 October 2017....................155 St Petersburg 15–22 September 2017............159

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Directors: Martin Randall (Chief Executive), Fiona Urquhart (Chief Operating Officer), Sir Vernon Ellis (Chairman), Ian Hutchinson, Neil Taylor, William Burton Registered office: Voysey House, Barley Mow Passage, London W4 4GF. Registered Company no. 2314294 England. VAT no. 527758803

Britain’s leading provider of cultural tours Leaders in the field

Original itineraries, meticulously planned

At Martin Randall Travel we are committed to providing the best planned, the best led and altogether the most fulfilling and enjoyable cultural tours available.

Rooted in knowledge of the destination and of the subject matter of the tour, the outcome of assiduous research and reconnaissance, and underpinned by many years of thought and experience, our itineraries are second to none.

We offer an unequalled range of tours and events focusing on art, architecture, music, archaeology, history, gardens and gastronomy. Our mission is to deepen your understanding and enhance your appreciation of the achievements of civilizations around the world. For almost thirty years we have been the most influential organisation in the field of cultural travel. Pioneering and innovative, we have led the way with ideas and itineraries and by setting the benchmarks for customer service and administration. Martin Randall Travel is one of the most respected travel companies in the world, among both travellers and within the tourism community.

First-rate lecturers Expert speakers are a key ingredient in our tours and events. Academics, curators, writers, broadcasters and researchers, they are selected not only for their knowledge but also for their ability to communicate clearly and engagingly to a lay audience. Their brief is to enlighten and stimulate, not merely to inform – and they also have to be good travelling companions. We select our lecturers through reputation, interview and audition, and provide them with guidance and training. Nearly all of our tours are also accompanied by a trained tour manager who unobtrusively attends to administrative matters.

Illustrations. Above: Pont du Gard, southern France, engraving c. 1850; opposite: watercolour by Mortimer Menpes, publ. 1910. book online at www.martinrandall.com

They are original and imaginative, well-paced and carefully balanced. Meticulous attention to practical matters ensures a smooth-running as well as an enriching experience. Special arrangements feature on nearly all our tours – for admission to places not generally open to travellers, for access outside public hours, for private concerts and extraordinary events. In innumerable ways, large and small, we lift our clients’ experience far above standards which are regarded as normal for tourists.

Travelling in comfort We select our hotels with great care. Not only have nearly all been inspected by members of our staff, but we have stayed in most of them. Hundreds of others have been seen and rejected. Obviously, comfort ranks high among our criteria, together with good service and warmth of welcome. We also set high priority on charm and style, and location is an important consideration. Most of the hotels we use are rated as 4-star, with some 5-star and a few 3-star (one is 2-star, but pleases every time). We invest similar efforts in the selection of restaurants, menus and wines, aided by staff with a specialist knowledge of these areas. For flights and trains we try to choose the most convenient departure times. Rail journeys are usually in first-class seats. We can provide a holiday without international travel if you prefer, allowing you to make your own arrangements. It is also usually possible to make other variations to the package.

Small groups, and congenial company

Value for money, and no surcharges

Most of our tours run with between ten and twenty participants. We strictly limit numbers, specifying the applicable maximum in each tour description. The higher costs of smaller numbers are outweighed by the benefits of manoeuvrability, social cohesion and access to the lecturer.

The price includes nearly everything, not only the major ingredients such as hotel, transport and the costs of the lecturer and manager but also tips, drinks with meals and airport taxes.

The small-group principle is diluted when there are private concerts or several speakers exclusively for our clients. Not the least attractive aspect of travelling with MRT is that you are highly likely to find yourself in congenial company, self-selected by common interests and endorsement of the company’s ethos.

We do not levy surcharges for fuel price increases, exchange rate changes, additional taxes or for any other reason. The price published here is the price you pay. (Note that bookings paid for by credit card will have 2% added to cover processing charges. It does not apply to other forms of payment.)

Care for our clients We aim for faultless administration from your first encounter with us to the end of the holiday, and beyond. Personal service is a feature. We won Best Holiday Company for Customer Service at the 2015 and 2014 British Travel Awards. If anything does go wrong, we will put it right or compensate appropriately. We want you to come back again and again – as most of our clients do.

Travelling solo We welcome people travelling on their own, for whom our tours are ideal, as many of our clients testify. There are usually several solo travellers on tour. On evenings when dinner is not included there is always the option of dining with the tour manager. Hotels usually charge a supplement for single occupancy of a room, but we never add anything to this – indeed, most of the supplements we charge are subsidised by ourselves, sometimes by hundreds of pounds. Where we are able to, we assign those travelling on their own to rooms which are normally sold as doubles.

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Tours by country BRITISH ISLES

MAINLAND EUROPE

ENGLAND

ALBANIA

GERMANY

The Cathedrals of England...................................... 16 The Ryedale Festival................................................. 17 Mediaeval Kent......................................................... 18 Yorkshire Churches & Cathedrals......................... 19 The Age of Bede........................................................ 20 Tudor England.......................................................... 21 Great Houses of the North...................................... 22

Albania: Crossroads of Antiquity.......................... 47

Opera in Berlin......................................................... 96 The Ring in Berlin.................................................... 97 Frederick the Great .................................................. 98 The Dresden Festspiele............................................ 99 Berlin, Potsdam, Dresden..................................... 100 Strauss in Leipzig.................................................... 101 Mediaeval Alsace...................................................... 85 Mitteldeutschland................................................... 102 THE JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH JOURNEY................................................... 103 Organs of Bach’s Time........................................... 104 Handel in Halle....................................................... 105 Baden-Baden Whitsun Festival NEW................ 106 Opera in Munich.................................................... 107 King Ludwig II ....................................................... 108 Munich’s Masterpieces........................................... 109 Franconia................................................................. 110

ARMENIA Sacred Armenia........................................................ 48

AUSTRIA Opera in Vienna....................................................... 50 Connoisseur’s Vienna.............................................. 51 THE DANUBE FESTIVAL..................................... 52 Haydn in Eisenstadt................................................. 53 Mozart in Salzburg................................................... 53 The Schubertiade...................................................... 54 Habsburg Austria..................................................... 56

BELGIUM Flemish Painting....................................................... 57 Charlemagne to Charles V...................................... 58 Crécy, Agincourt & Waterloo................................. 59

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA, CROATIA The Western Balkans................................................ 60

CZECH REPUBLIC

Country Houses of Kent.......................................... 24 At Home at Weston Park......................................... 25 Walking to Cornish Houses.................................... 26 Walking in the Cotswolds....................................... 27 Walking to Derbyshire Houses............................... 28 Literature & Walking in the Lake District............ 29 Early Railways: The North...................................... 30 Walking Hadrian’s Wall........................................... 32 Walking a Royal River............................................. 33 Constable & Gainsborough.................................... 34 Oxford & Oxfordshire.............................................. 35 In Churchill’s Footsteps........................................... 36 Crown & Cromwell NEW....................................... 37 Connoisseur’s London............................................. 38 Ballet in Paris & London......................................... 78 LONDON DAYS.................................................39–40 MUSIC WEEKENDS: The Wihan Quartet; London Bridge Trio; The Vienna Piano Trio............................................. 41 SYMPOSIUM: Art Historians at The Castle.............................42–43 Blockbusters & Backwaters NEW.......................... 43

SCOTLAND At Home at Ardgowan............................................. 44

WALES Puccini in Cardiff..................................................... 45 Strauss in Cardiff...................................................... 46

tours by country 6

Illustrations. Above: from ‘The Foreign Tour of Messrs Brown, Jones & Robinson’ by Richard Doyle, Publ. 1854; opposite page: ‘In Theatre Street’, watercolour by Mortimer Menpes from ‘Japan: A Record in Colour’, publ. 1901. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Great Houses of the Czech Lands.......................... 62 Connoisseur’s Prague............................................... 63 Czech Modernism.................................................... 65 Prague Spring............................................................ 66

DENMARK Danish Art & Design................................................ 67 Danish Castles & Gardens NEW........................... 68 Vikings & Bog Bodies.............................................. 70

ESTONIA Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania.................................... 71

FINLAND Finland: Aalto & Others.......................................... 72 Music in Savonlinna................................................. 73 The Sibelius Festival................................................. 73

FRANCE Great French Gardens.............................................. 74 French Gothic............................................................ 76 Versailles: Seat of the Sun King.............................. 77 Paintings in Paris...................................................... 77 Ballet in Paris & London......................................... 78 Van Gogh’s Journey................................................ 151 Bartoli, Kožená, Netrebko, Villazón..................... 79 Poets & The Somme................................................. 80 Crécy, Agincourt & Waterloo................................. 59 Brittany....................................................................... 81 Le Corbusier.............................................................. 82 Mediaeval Burgundy................................................ 83 Beaune Music Festival............................................. 83 Anjou & the West...................................................... 84 Mediaeval Alsace...................................................... 85 Wine, Walks & Art in Alsace.................................. 86 Provence & Languedoc............................................ 87 THE RHÔNE: BACCHUS & ORPHEUS............ 88 The Wines of Bordeaux NEW................................ 89 Cave Art of France.................................................... 90 Gardens of the Riviera............................................. 91 Modern Art on the Côte d’Azur............................. 92

GEORGIA Georgia Uncovered................................................... 94

GREECE Spring in Crete........................................................ 111 Classical Greece...................................................... 112

ITALY Gastronomic Piedmont......................................... 114 Palaces of Piedmont............................................... 115 Gardens & Villas of the Italian Lakes.................. 116 Savouring Lombardy NEW.................................. 117 Gardens of the Veneto........................................... 118 Gastronomic Veneto.............................................. 119 VIVALDI IN VENICE........................................... 120 Art History of Venice............................................. 121 Monteverdi at La Fenice NEW............................. 121 Venetian Palaces..................................................... 122 The Printing Revolution........................................ 123 Verona Opera ......................................................... 124 Palladian Villas....................................................... 125 The Venetian Hills.................................................. 126 Friuli-Venezia Giulia.............................................. 127 Courts of Northern Italy....................................... 128 Verdi in Parma & Busseto..................................... 129 Gastronomic Emilia-Romagna............................ 129 Dark Age Brilliance................................................ 130 Ravenna & Urbino.................................................. 131 Florence & Venice................................................... 132 Florence: Cradle of the Renaissance.................... 132 Walking in the Footsteps of Leonardo & Michelangelo................................ 133 Incontri in Terra di Siena...................................... 134 Walking in Southern Tuscany.............................. 134 A FESTIVAL OF MUSIC IN FLORENCE......... 135 Southern Tuscany................................................... 136 The Heart of Italy.................................................... 137 Footpaths of Umbria.............................................. 138 Opera in Macerata & Pesaro................................. 138 Trasimeno Music Festival...................................... 138 Piero della Francesca............................................. 139 Villas & Gardens of Campagna Romana............ 140 Connoisseur’s Rome............................................... 141 Essential Rome........................................................ 142 Pompeii & Herculaneum....................................... 143 Essential Puglia....................................................... 144 Normans in the South............................................ 145 Civilizations of Sicily............................................. 146

MAINLAND EUROPE MALTA World Heritage Malta............................................ 148 Valletta Baroque Festival....................................... 149

THE NETHERLANDS Art in the Netherlands........................................... 150 Van Gogh’s Journey................................................ 151 Rijksmuseum & Mauritshuis................................ 152

NORWAY

TURKEY Imperial Istanbul.................................................... 182

MIDDLE EAST THE GULF STATES The Arabian Gulf NEW......................................... 183

IRAN Persia......................................................................... 185

Opera in Oslo NEW............................................... 153 Music in Bergen...................................................... 153

ISRAEL

POLAND

JORDAN

Israel & Palestine.................................................... 187

ASIA CHINA Essential China....................................................... 194 China’s Silk Road Cities......................................... 196 The Arts in China................................................... 198 Ceramics in China.................................................. 200

INDIA Indian Summer....................................................... 201 Bengal by River....................................................... 203 Kingdoms of the Deccan....................................... 205 Painted Palaces of Rajasthan................................ 207 Assam by River........................................................ 209 Sacred India............................................................. 211

Kraków & Silesia..................................................... 154

Essential Jordan...................................................... 189

PORTUGAL

OMAN

The Douro................................................................ 155 Lisbon Neighbourhoods........................................ 157

Oman........................................................................ 191

Japanese Gardens NEW........................................ 213 Art in Japan............................................................. 214

PALESTINE Israel & Palestine.................................................... 187 Palestine................................................................... 192

MYANMAR

ROMANIA Monasteries of Moldavia....................................... 158

RUSSIA

JAPAN

Myanmar: Ancient to Modern NEW.................. 216

UZBEKISTAN Samarkand & Silk Road Cities............................. 217

St Petersburg............................................................ 159

THE AMERICAS

SPAIN The Road to Santiago............................................. 160 Walking to Santiago............................................... 161 Castile & León......................................................... 163 The Pyrenees............................................................ 164 Aragón: Hidden Spain........................................... 165 Gastronomic Catalonia......................................... 167 Barcelona 1900........................................................ 168 Art in Madrid.......................................................... 169 The Heart of Spain.................................................. 170 TOLEDO: A FESTIVAL OF SPANISH MUSIC............................................ 170 Goya.......................................................................... 171 Gastronomic Valencia............................................ 172 The Romans in Mediterranean Spain NEW...... 173 Extremadura............................................................ 174 Granada & Córdoba............................................... 176 Essential Andalucía................................................ 177 Gastronomic Andalucía........................................ 178

GUATEMALA Lands of the Maya.................................................. 219

MEXICO Lands of the Maya.................................................. 219 Aztecs to Zapotecs.................................................. 221

PERU Peru: the Andean Heartland................................. 222

USA East Coast Galleries............................................... 224 Frank Lloyd Wright................................................ 226 Galleries of the American Midwest..................... 228 Art in Texas.............................................................. 230 New Orleans to Natchitoches............................... 232 Cliff Dwellings & Canyons.................................... 234

This brochure was produced in house. Much of the text was written originally by Martin Randall. Lecturers and Sean Newsome also contributed. All staff were involved in editing and proofing. It was designed by Jo Murray, and was sent to print on 24 October 2016.

SWITZERLAND The Lucerne Festival............................................... 180 Le Corbusier.............................................................. 82 Gstaad Menuhin Festival NEW........................... 181

What is included in the price? Hotel accommodation for the duration of the tour – hotel names are given under each tour description. All admissions to museums, galleries and sites included in the itinerary. If a music tour, good tickets to all of the performances listed on the itinerary (unless they are marked as optional).

Air travel or rail travel (return) between London and the destination, except for tours within the UK. Travel by private coach for all included excursions and, for tours with included flights, airport transfers. All breakfasts. Most lunches and dinners including wine or beer, water, soft drinks and tea or coffee.

All state and airport taxes. If a visa is required, this is sometimes also included in the price – unless it is not possible for us to obtain it on your behalf. If you would like to see more detailed list of components for any individual tour, please visit our website, www.martinrandall.com. Alternatively, please contact us and we will post or e-mail a copy to you.

Gratuities for waiters, porters, drivers, guides.

tours by country

The services of the lecturer; often also a tour manager and sometimes local guides.

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Our lecturers Tom Abbott. Specialist in architectural history from the Baroque to the 20th century with a particular interest in German and American modern. Studied Art History in the USA and Paris and has a wide knowledge of the performing arts. Since 1987 he has lived in Berlin.

Richard Bassett. Journalist and historian. He was a foreign correspondent for The Times throughout the 1980s and early 90s, covering central and eastern Europe. His books include Austrians: Tales from the Vienna Woods, Hitler’s Spy Chief: The Wilhelm Canaris Mystery, Balkan Hours and A History of the Habsburg Army (2014).

Professor James Allan. Expert in Islamic art and architecture. He read Arabic at Oxford, worked as a field archaeologist in Jerusalem and at Siraf, and spent most of his career in Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum, where he also lectured for the Faculty of Oriental Studies.

Lydia Bauman. Art historian, artist, and lecturer at the National Gallery. Lydia studied at Newcastle University and the Courtauld Institute, specialising in Matisse and 19th–20th century European and American art. She has lectured at the Tate, National Portrait Gallery, Museum of Fine Arts Boston and Arts Club of Chicago.

Charles Allen. British writer and historian born in India where several generations of his family served under the British Raj. He has published numerous books including Ashoka: The Search for India’s Lost Emperor, and in 2012 filmed a documentary for the National Geographic entitled Unearthing the Bones of the Buddha.

Hugh Belsey mbe. Art historian, curator and lecturer. For 23 years he curated Gainsborough’s House in Sudbury where he formed one of the largest collections of the artist’s work and in 2004 was awarded the MBE. He is currently writing a catalogue of Thomas Gainsborough’s works for Yale University Press. He studied at Manchester and Birmingham Universities.

Dr John Allison. Writer and music critic. He is Editor of Opera magazine, music critic for The Daily Telegraph and former critic for The Sunday Telegraph and The Times. He has written two books and has served on the juries of various international music competitions.

Gail Bent. Expert on British architectural history and historic interiors. She studied at Toronto and Leeds Universities, where she has also taught, and Edinburgh College of Art. She lectures for The Art Fund, The National Trust, NADFAS and at Christ Church, University of Oxford Summer Programme. She has acted as an expert on country houses for the BBC.

Dr Paul Atterbury. Lecturer, writer and broadcaster specialising in the art, architecture and design of the 19th and 20th centuries. He has published widely on pottery, porcelain, canals, railways, and the Thames. He curated the V&A exhibitions Pugin and Victorian Vision and is an expert on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow.

Dr David Beresford-Jones. Fellow of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge University. His research interests include the ancient south coast of Peru, the origins of agriculture, PreColombian textiles and the synthesis of archaeology and historical linguistics, particularly in the Andes.

Helena Attlee. Writer and lecturer with an expert knowledge of Italian gardens. Among her books are Italian Gardens: A Cultural History and most recently The Land Where Lemons Grow. She was Writer in Residence at the University of Worcester from 2009–2012 and is a Consultant Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund.

Raaja Bhasin. Author, historian and journalist. He has published several books on the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and its capital Shimla and is a recognised authority on both. He is the state Coconvenor of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.

Patrick Bade. Historian, writer and broadcaster. He studied at UCL and the Courtauld and was senior lecturer at Christies Education for many years. He has worked for the Art Fund, Royal Opera House, National Gallery, V&A. He has published on 19thand early 20th-century painting and on historical vocal recordings. His latest book is Music Wars: 1937–1945.

©LaFayette

our lecturers

Dr Paul Bahn. Archaeologist and Britain’s foremost specialist in prehistoric art. He led the team which discovered Britain’s only known Ice Age cave art at Creswell in 2003 and his books include Prehistoric Rock Art, Journey Through the Ice Age and Images of the Ice Age.

Dr Steven Blake. Historian and lecturer, specialising in the history of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and mediaeval architecture. He worked for 30 years at Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum and has served on many society councils in the West Country. He obtained his PhD from Reading University and is a Fellow of the Museums Association and Society of Antiquaries.

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Professor Tim Blanning. Emeritus Professor of Modern European History at the University of Cambridge, Fellow of Sidney Sussex College and Fellow of the British Academy. Among his books are The Culture of Power & the Power of Culture,

The Pursuit of Glory: Europe 1648–1815, and The Triumph of Music in the Modern World. His most recent is Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, awarded the British Academy Medal 2016. Dr Flavio Boggi. Art historian specialising in mediaeval and Renaissance Italian art. He trained both in Scotland and Italy and is now head of the department of Art History at University College Cork, Ireland. He has published on the artistic culture of Tuscany and has co-written two books on Lippo di Dalmasio. Monica Bohm-Duchen. Lecturer, writer and curator specialising in 20th-century art. She obtained her MA in Art History from the Courtauld and has lectured for the National Gallery, Tate, Royal Academy, Courtauld, Sotheby’s and Birkbeck College. Her latest book Art & the Second World War was published in 2013. Dr Zahira Bomford. Senior Conservator of Paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Completed her PhD at the Courtauld, where she has also lectured, in addition to Rice University, Houston, UCL and the V&A. She has worked in conservation at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Prado and the National Trust and has published extensively on Spanish art. Dr Xavier Bray. Art historian specialising in Spain. He is Chief Curator of Dulwich Picture Gallery where his recent exhibitions include Murillo & Justino de Neve: The Art of Friendship. He was formerly at the National Gallery, London, and recently returned to curate Goya: The Portraits. Dr Steven Brindle. Read History at Oxford and worked for English Heritage for 27 years. He was also involved in the post-fire restoration of Windsor Castle, 1993–7. Books include Brunel, the Man who built the World. His history of Windsor Castle for the Royal Collection is due to be published next year. Professor Dominic Brookshaw. Associate Professor of Persian Literature and Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University. He holds a DPhil in pre-modern Persian poetry and a BA in Arabic with Persian from Oxford. His latest book is Ruse & Wit: The Humorous in Arabic, Persian & Turkish Narrative. He has travelled widely in the Middle East and south west/central Asia. Professor John Bryan. Professor of Music at the University of Huddersfield, where he was also recently awarded a DMus (higher doctorate). A regular contributor to BBC Radio 3’s early music programmes and artistic adviser to York Early Music Festival. He is a member of the Rose Consort of Viols and Musica Antiqua of London.

Professor John Butt obe. Lecturer, writer and musician, specialising in historical performance. Professor of Music at Glasgow University, Director of the Dunedin Consort, Principal Artist with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and guest conductor for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Stavanger Symphony Orchestra. He was awarded the OBE in 2013. Dr Katie Campbell. Writer, garden historian and lecturer. She has taught at Birkbeck, Buckingham and Bristol Universities. Her books include British Gardens in Time (to accompany a BBC TV series), Icons of 20th-century Landscape Design and Paradise of Exiles: The Anglo-American Gardens of Florence.

Jon Cannon. Writer, lecturer and broadcaster, and specialist in historic religious architecture. He teaches at Bristol University and co-wrote and presented the BBC’s How to Build a Cathedral. He has also travelled extensively in China and has published on the country in the London Review of Books and in his The Secret Language of Sacred Spaces. Terry Charman. Leading authority on Churchill, the Battle of Britain, the Blitz and VE and VJ Days, and frequent lecturer and broadcaster. Former Senior Historian at the Imperial War Museum, historical advisor for TV and radio, cocommentator for the BBCs VE and VJ coverage, and member of the IWM Academic Advisory Panel for the 1939–1945 gallery. ©Bill Knight

Professor Harry Charrington. Architect and Head of Architecture at the University of Westminster. He studied at Cambridge and obtained his PhD from the LSE. His research focuses on modernism, and his books include the award-winning Alvar Aalto: the Mark of the Hand and contributions to Artek and the Aaltos: Creating a Modern World (Yale University Press, 2016).

Steven Desmond. Chartered Horticulturist specialising in the conservation of historic gardens, and architectural historian. He writes for Country Life and lectures for NADFAS. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, and a Professional Associate of the Royal Horticultural Society. His book Gardens of the Italian Lakes is published in 2016.

Dr John Clarke. Curator of Himalayan and South East Asian Art at the V&A Museum in London. He specialises in the arts of Tibet and of South East Asia, in particular of Burma and Thailand. He is the Lead Curator for the Robert H .N. Ho Family Foundation Buddhist Art Galleries that will open at the V&A in 2017. Felicity Cobbing. Executive and Curator of the Palestine Exploration Fund in London. She has excavated in Jordan with the British Museum and travelled throughout the Middle East. Widely published, she is coauthor of Beyond the River – Ottoman Transjordan in Original Photographs and Distant Views of the Holy Land. Dr R. T. Cobianchi. Art historian and lecturer. He completed his PhD at Warwick University, was a Rome Scholar at the British School in Rome and was fellow of both the Biblioteca Hertziana, Rome, and Villa I Tatti, Florence. His research includes iconography and patronage of the late Middle Ages to the Baroque. Dr Elizabeth Collingham. Food historian and writer. She obtained her PhD at Cambridge and is now an independent writer and Associate Fellow at Warwick University. Books include Imperial Bodies: the Physical Experience of the Raj. c. 1800–1947, Curry: A Tale of Cooks & Conquerors and Around India’s First Table: Dining & Entertaining at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Ian Colvin. Historian and Byzantinist specialising in Late Antiquity and the South Caucasus. Trained at Oxford, he is now a researcher at Cambridge. He has directed an ongoing archaeological expedition to ancient Archaeopolis in the South Caucasus since 2001. Peter Cormack. Art historian and curator. He is the Honorary Curator of William Morris’s Oxfordshire home, Kelmscott Manor, and was formerly Keeper of the William Morris Gallery, London. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and VicePresident and Honorary Fellow of the British Society of Master Glass-Painters. Major Gordon Corrigan mbe. Military historian and former officer of the Royal Gurkha Rifles. The latest of his numerous books is Waterloo – A New History of the Battle & its Armies. He is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society and a Member of the British Commission for Military History.

Misha Donat. Writer, lecturer and senior music producer for BBC Radio 3 for more than 25 years. He writes programme notes for Wigmore Hall and other venues, and CD booklets for many labels. Currently he is working on a new edition of the Beethoven piano sonatas being published by Bärenreiter. Dr Michael Douglas-Scott. Associate Lecturer in History of Art at Birkbeck College, specialising in 16th-century Italian art and architecture. He studied at the Courtauld and lived in Rome for several years. He has written articles for Arte Veneta, Burlington Magazine and the Journal of the Warburg & Courtauld Institutes. Dr Michael Downes. Director of Music at the University of St Andrews. He is a reviewer for the Times Literary Supplement and his publications include a study of British composer Jonathan Harvey. He has an interest in opera both as conductor and writer, and has lectured for companies including the Royal Opera and Glyndebourne. Professor Simon Esmonde Cleary. Archaeologist specialising in the Roman Empire, and Professor of Roman Archaeology at the University of Birmingham. Read archaeology at London University followed by a PhD at Oxford. Publications include books on Gaul and Spain in late antiquity as well as Roman Britain. Ben Evans. Editor of HALI magazine – the specialist publication in antique carpets and textiles. In 2005 he also launched COVER magazine to represent the contemporary market. With extensive travel experience and strong relations with scholars and curators, Ben has a comprehensive knowledge of world weavings. Professor Sir Richard J. Evans. Regius Professor of History and President of Wolfson College at the University of Cambridge. He is author of numerous books on Central European history including The Pursuit of Power: Europe 1815–1914, published September 2016. He is currently writing a biography of the historian Eric Hobsbawm. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Professor Dawn Chatty. Professor of Anthropology and Forced Migration at the University of Oxford. She has long been involved with the Middle East as a university teacher, development practitioner, and advocate for indigenous rights. She has carried out research among Bedouin sheep herders in Syria and Lebanon and camel nomads in Oman. She was made a Fellow of the British Academy in 2015.

©Bill Knight

Sophie Campbell. Travel writer for 25 years. She has written for The Telegraph, The Times, Guardian and Condé Nast Traveller among others. She also lectures on travel writing and is a London Blue Badge Tourist Guide. Her book on the traditional events of the summer, The Season: A Summer Whirl Through the English Social Season was published in 2013.

Dr Kevin Childs. Writer and lecturer on culture and the arts with a focus on the Italian Renaissance. He obtained his doctorate from the Courtauld and has been a Fellow of the Dutch Institute in Florence and the British School at Rome. He blogs for The Huffington Post and has published in The New Statesman.

Our lecturers continued Dr Karen Exell. Studied at Oxford University and St Andrews and obtained a PhD from Durham. She is Honorary Senior Research Associate at UCL Qatar, and a consultant at Qatar Museums. She has published several works on the cultural heritage of the Arabian Peninsula, including a monograph, Modernity & the Museum in the Arabian Peninsula, in 2016. Dr Andrew Farrington. Assistant Professor in Ancient History at the Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, in northern Greece. He also teaches for the Greek Open University and previously held academic posts in Australia and New Zealand. His specialism is the sporting life of the ancient Greeks, especially under the Roman empire. Dr Margrethe Floryan. Art historian and curator with a PhD in garden history. Studied at the University of Aarhus and the École du Louvre. Author of Great European Gardens: An Atlas of Historic Plans. She is editor of the Bulletin of the Danish Horticultural Society, and has published extensively on art, architecture and landscape design. Dr Frances Fowle. Senior Curator of French Art at the Scottish National Gallery where she has curated several international exhibitions including, in 2016, Inspiring Impressionism: Daubigny, Monet, Van Gogh. She is Reader in History of Art at the University of Edinburgh and her publications include Van Gogh’s Twin: The Scottish Art Dealer Alexander Reid. Lucia Gahlin. Lecturer in Egyptology at Exeter and Bristol Universities and Research Associate at UCL’s Institute of Archaeology. She is closely involved with the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology and has worked on excavations at Amarna in Egypt. Her publications include Egypt: Gods, Myths & Religion. Dr Jana Gajdosova. Art historian, and lecturer at the University of Cambridge and at Christie’s Education. She obtained her MA at the Courtauld Institute, and her PhD at Birkbeck College. Her research interests include late medieval art and architecture in Central Europe, England, Germany and Italy.

our lecturers

Dr Alexandra Gajewski. Architectural historian and lecturer specialising in the mediaeval. She obtained her PhD from the Courtauld and has lectured there and at Birkbeck College. She is currently in Madrid researching ‘The Roles of Women as Makers of Medieval Art and Architecture’. Dr Ffiona Gilmore Eaves. Read Archaeology at Cambridge and obtained her PhD from Nottingham. Her special interest is in the Adriatic and she is the co-author of Retrieving the Record: A Century of Archaeology at Porec. She has lectured extensively in adult education, especially for the WEA, and for various extra-mural departments.

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Dr Garth Gilmour. Biblical archaeologist based at Oxford University. Interests include eastern Mediterranean trade in the Late Bronze Age and the archaeology of religion in ancient Israel. He has excavated at the Philistine sites of Ekron and Ashkelon and is currently researching the Palestine Exploration Fund’s 1920s excavation in Jerusalem. David Gowan cmg. British Ambassador in Belgrade from 2003–6 and Minister and Deputy Head of Mission in Moscow from 2000–3. He was Kosovo War Crimes Co-ordinator in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1999 and has published papers on Serbia and Kosovo. Dr Mark Grahame. Archaeologist and lecturer, whose research interests focus on Roman Pompeii. He has taught courses on the archaeology and history of the Roman Empire including for Cambridge University’s Institute of Continuing Education. Dr Jamie Greenbaum. Historian specialising in Ming dynasty cultural history. He is a Visiting Fellow in the School of Culture, History & Language at the Australian National University and lectures at the Renmin University, Beijing. He has published books on the late-Ming literary world and the early 20th-century political figure Qu Qiubai. Dr David Griffiths. Specialist in Viking and early mediaeval archaeology. He is Reader and Associate Professor in Archaeology, University of Oxford, and Fellow of Kellogg College, Oxford. His book Vikings of the Irish Sea was published in 2010. He also has extensive experience of fieldwork in Scandinavia.

Gijs van Hensbergen. Art historian and author specialising in Spain and the USA. His books include Gaudí, In the Kitchens of Castile and Guernica. He studied Art History at the Courtauld and is a Fellow of the Cañada Blanch Centre for Contemporary Spanish Studies at the LSE. Dr Monika Hinkel. Lecturer and curator specialising in Japanese woodblock prints and Research Associate of the Japan Research Centre at SOAS. She studied at Bonn University, was curator for Japanese art at the Museum of East Asian Art in Cologne, and a researcher at Gakushuin University, Tokyo. She has lectured at Birkbeck, the V&A and Morley College. Dr Frank Høifødt. Art historian, lecturer and writer. Former Associate Professor at the University of Oslo and Director of the Vigeland Museum. He is an expert on the life and works of Munch and was for many years curator at the Munch Museum in Oslo. Caroline Holmes. Garden historian, author of 11 books and design consultant. She lectures for Cambridge University’s ICE and ISSP, NADFAS and the RHS. Her latest book is Water Lilies & Bory Latour Marliac, the Genius behind Monet’s Water Lilies. She is also a specialist contributor on TV and radio in the UK and France. Adam Hopkins. Journalist and author, now living in a mountain village in Spain. He studied at King’s College, Cambridge, and has contributed extensively to national newspapers in Britain on Spanish culture and travel. Among his many books: Spanish Journeys: A Portrait of Spain.

Sheila Hale. Writer and lecturer with a focus on the Italian Renaissance. Among her books are Titian: His Life & the Golden Age of Venice and Verona: An Architectural History. She has contributed to numerous newspapers in the UK and US including the New York Times and London Review of Books.

Michael Hall. Historian and writer on British architecture and design. He was architectural editor of Country Life and his books include The Victorian Country House, Waddesdon Manor: The Biography of a Rothschild House and, most recently, George Frederick Bodley & the Later Gothic Revival in Britain & America.

Professor Maurice Howard. Professor Emeritus of Art History at the University of Sussex. Books include The Building of Elizabethan & Jacobean England. He has worked for the V&A and the National Portrait Gallery, is President of the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain and former President of the Society of Antiquaries of London.

Professor John Irving. Musicologist, pianist and harpsichordist. He is Professor of Performance Practice at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance, and previously taught at the Universities of London and Bristol. He has written six books on Mozart, including the award-winning The Mozart Project, and has made numerous recordings.

Michael Ivory. After studying modern languages at Oxford, he qualified as a town planner and landscape architect. He taught these subjects at university level and now works as a writer and translator, specialising in Central Europe. His publications include guides to Prague and the Czech Republic, including the Berlitz Czech Republic. Luke Jennings. Author and the dance critic of The Observer. He trained at the Rambert School and worked for ten years as a dancer and choreographer before turning to writing. With Deborah Bull, he wrote The Faber Guide to Ballet and as a journalist he has written for Vanity Fair, the New Yorker and Time, and various British titles. Dr Nicola Jennings. Art historian with a particular interest in Renaissance Spain. She obtained her MA and PhD at the Courtauld, where she is currently a Visiting Lecturer. She is a Research and Curatorial Associate at Colnaghi, London, and Spanish art dealer Coll y Cortés, and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. James Johnstone. Organist specialising in the Renaissance and Baroque, and Professor of early keyboards at Guildhall School of Music & Drama and Trinity Laban. He has performed and recorded as a soloist and continuo player with all the major UKbased period instrument ensembles. Dr Philippa Joseph. For 20 years, Philippa published journals and books for learned societies in the humanities. She is now an independent lecturer and researcher, and reviews editor for History Today. Her research looks at societies in Andalucía and Sicily where Christian, Jewish, and Muslim cultures flourished, each building on a Classical past. Dr Shona Kallestrup. Art historian specialising in Scandinavia and Central and Eastern Europe. She obtained an MA from the Warburg Institute, and an MA and PhD from the University of St Andrews, where she now teaches. She has worked at the Universities of Copenhagen, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. Her most recent research focuses on artistic interaction between Scandinavia and Romania in the early 20th century.

Jonathan Keates. Author, journalist and teacher. His books include Purcell: A Biography and The Siege Of Venice, and fiction includes short story collections Allegro Postillions and Soon to be a Major Motion

Professor Hugh Kennedy. Professor of Arabic at SOAS. He studied at the Middle East Centre for Arab Studies in Beirut, and read Arabic and Persian at Cambridge. He is author of The Early Abbasid Caliphate, The Prophet & the Age of the Caliphates, Crusader Castles and Muslim Spain & Portugal. Sir Nicholas Kenyon. Managing Director of the Barbican Centre, former Controller of BBC Radio 3 and Director of the BBC Proms. He has been music critic for the New Yorker and Observer, music editor of The Listener and editor of Early Music. He is author of the Faber Pocket Guides to Bach and Mozart, and edited Authenticity & Early Music. Dr Rose Kerr. Honorary Associate of the Needham Research Institute in Cambridge, having retired as Keeper of the Far Eastern Department at the V&A. She graduated in Chinese studies and spent a year as a student in China during the last year of the Cultural Revolution, 1975–6. In 2014 she became an Honorary Citizen of Jingdezhen. Professor Helen King. Professor of Classical Studies at The Open University and Visiting Professor at the Peninsula Medical and Dental School (Exeter and Plymouth), and at the University of Vienna. Her publications include Greek & Roman Medicine and The One-Sex Body on Trial: The Classical & Early Modern Evidence. Caroline Knight. Architectural historian specialising in 16th- to 18th-century British architectural and social history. She studied History and History of Art at London University, and an MA at the Courtauld Institute. Former Director of the V&A’s High Renaissance-Baroque Year course, and author of many articles and of London’s Country Houses. Dr Konstanze Knittler. Art historian and lecturer specialising in 19thand 20th-century Chinese art and ceramics. She studied in Vienna and at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. She obtained her PhD at the University of Glasgow. She lectures at Sotheby’s Institute and has run short courses on Asian art. Dr Jarl Kremeier. Art historian specialising in 17th- to 19th-century architecture and decorative arts. He teaches Art History at the Berlin College of Acting and Berlin’s Freie Universität. He is a contributor to the Macmillan Dictionary of Art and author of Die Hofkirche der Würzburger Residenz. Anthony Lambert. Historian, journalist and travel writer. He has worked for the National Trust for almost 30 years. Author of Victorian & Edwardian Country House Life and writes regularly for the Historic Houses Association magazine. He has written numerous travel and guide books.

Dr Helen Langdon. Art historian and author. She studied at Cambridge and the Courtauld and was a Research Fellow at the Getty Institute, LA, and Visiting Fellow at Yale. Her books include Claude Lorrain, Caravaggio: A Life and Vision & Ecstasy: Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione’s St Francis. Professor Richard Langham Smith. Music historian, broadcaster and writer specialising in early music and 19th/20th-century French music. He is Research Professor at the Royal College of Music. In 1993 he was admitted as a Chevalier to the ‘Ordre des arts et des lettres’ for services to French Music, and was awarded an FRCM in 2016. His new edition of Bizet’s Carmen is currently much in demand. Dr Luca Leoncini. Art historian specialising in 15th-century Italian painting. His first degree and PhD were from Rome University followed by research at the Warburg Institute in London. He has contributed to the Macmillan Dictionary of Art and has written on Mantegna and Renaissance drawings. Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones. Chair of Ancient History at the University of Cardiff and specialist in the history and culture of ancient Iran, the Near East and Ancient Greece. Books include Ctesias’ History of Persia, Creating a Hellenistic World and King & Court in Ancient Persia. He has contributed to several TV documentaries and is a regular reviewer for The Times and Times Higher Education. Rowena Loverance. Byzantine art historian specialising in sculpture, mosaics and icons. She studied History and Archaeology at Oxford and was Head of e-learning at the British Museum and a Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College, London. Her publications include the illustrated history Byzantium and Christian Art. Dr Gerald Luckhurst. Landscape architect and garden historian involved in both historic restoration and contemporary garden design. He is an expert on sub-tropical and Mediterranean garden flora and his books include The Gardens of Madeira and Sintra: A Landscape with Villas. His doctoral thesis is focussed on the gardens of Monserrate in Sintra, near Lisbon. Dr Alexey Makhrov. Russian art historian and lecturer. He graduated from the St Petersburg Academy of Arts and obtained his PhD from the University of St Andrews followed by post-doctoral work as a Research Fellow at Exeter. He now lives in Switzerland where he teaches courses on Russian art. Andrew Martin. Journalist, novelist, historian and author of Underground Overground: A Passenger’s History of the Tube (2012). During the 1990s he was ‘Tube Talk’ columnist for the Evening Standard. His most recent novel is The Yellow Diamond. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

our lecturers

Yoko Kawaguchi. Writer and cultural historian specialising in the relationship between Japan and the West. She holds an MA from Kyoto University, and has undertaken postgraduate research at Newnham College, Cambridge. Books include Butterfly’s Sisters: The Geisha in Western Culture, Japanese Zen Gardens and Authentic Japanese Gardens.

Picture. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Trustee of the London Library and Chairman of Venice In Peril.

Our lecturers continued John McNeill. Architectural historian and a specialist in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. He lectures for Oxford University’s Department of Continuing Education and is Honorary Secretary of the British Archaeological Association, for whom he has edited collections of essays on mediaeval Anjou, King’s Lynn and the Fens, Cloisters, and Romanesque and the Mediterranean. Professor Charles Melville. Professor of Persian History at Cambridge. He studied Arabic and Persian at Cambridge and Islamic History at SOAS. His main area of expertise is the history of Iran in the Mongol and Safavid periods. He is also Director of the Cambridge Shahnama Project and has travelled extensively in Iran. Patrick Mercer obe. Military historian. He read History at Oxford and then spent 25 years in the army, achieving the rank of colonel, and subsequently worked for BBC Radio 4 as Defence Correspondent and as a journalist. He was MP for Newark from 2001 to 2014 and is the author of two books on the Battle of Inkerman. Dr Jeffrey Miller. Art historian specialising in architecture of the Middle Ages. He teaches at the University of Cambridge and The Bartlett School of Architecture (UCL). He holds an MA from the Courtauld and a PhD from Columbia University. His research will feature in the forthcoming Decorated Revisited: English Architectural Style in Context, 1250–1400 (Brepols). Barry Millington. Writer, lecturer and broadcaster specialising in Wagner. He is founder/editor of The Wagner Journal and author of eight books on Wagner including The Wagner Compendium and Richard Wagner: The Sorcerer of Bayreuth. He is Chief Critic for the Evening Standard. He has also acted as dramaturgical adviser at opera houses internationally. Marc Millon. Wine, food and travel writer. Born in Mexico, he was raised in the USA and then studied English Literature at the University of Exeter. He owns a business importing Italian wines from family estates and is author of The Wine and Food of Europe, The Wine Roads of Italy, The Food Lover’s Companion to Italy, and The Wine Roads of France.

our lecturers

Dr Anna-Maria Misra. Lecturer in Modern History at Oxford University and a specialist on Indian history and the British Empire. She has published widely including Vishnu’s Crowded Temple: India Since the Great Rebellion and she wrote and presented Channel 4 series An Indian Affair.

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David Mitchinson. Former Head of Collections and Exhibitions at the Henry Moore Foundation. He has curated exhibitions of, and written extensively on Moore’s life and work including Henry Moore: Unpublished Drawings, Celebrating Moore and most recently Henry Moore: Prints & Portfolios. Dr Andrew Moore. Writer and curator, and a specialist in the study of country houses and their art collections. He co-authored a reassessment of Sir Robert Walpole’s art collection at Houghton Hall in 2013. Formerly Keeper of Art at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery. Professor Louis Nelson. Specialist in American colonial architecture and the architectures and landscapes of the early modern Atlantic world. He is Professor of Architectural History at the University of Virginia. The majority of his work focuses on the early American South, the Greater Caribbean, and the Atlantic rim. Professor Fabrizio Nevola. Chair and Professor of Art History and Visual Culture at the University of Exeter. His research focuses on the urban and architectural history of early modern Italy and he has published widely including Siena: Constructing the Renaissance City. He obtained his PhD at the Courtauld. Christopher Newall. Art historian, lecturer and writer. A specialist in 19th-century British art he also has a deep interest in southern Italy, its architecture, politics and social history. He studied at the Courtauld and has curated various exhibitions including John Ruskin: Artist & Observer at the National Gallery of Canada and Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Dr Charles Nicholl. Honorary Professor of English at Sussex University and the author of several books of biography, history and travel. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and recipient of the Hawthornden prize, the James Tait Black prize for biography and the Crime Writers’ Association ‘Gold Dagger’ award for non-fiction. Professor Geoffrey Norris. Writer and broadcaster on BBC Radio 3. For many years he was Chief Music Critic of The Daily Telegraph, for which he still writes. He is Emeritus Professor at the Rachmaninoff Music Academy in Russia and his publications include Rachmaninoff and contributions to the New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians. Dr Cathy Oakes. Lecturer in History of Art at Oxford University with a focus on the mediaeval. She worked previously in the Education Department at the V&A and ran the art history programme for the Department for Continuing Education at Bristol. She has published on French and English Romanesque and on Marian iconography.

Alan Ogden. Travel writer and historian. Author of Fortresses of Faith: The Kirchenburgen of Transylvania and Revelations of Byzantium: The Monasteries & Painted Churches of N.E. Moldavia. He has written four histories of the Special Operations Executive covering Eastern Europe, Italy, Greece and the Far East. Dr Sophie Oosterwijk. Researcher and lecturer with degrees in Art History, Mediaeval Studies and English Literature. Her specialisms are the Middle Ages, Netherlandish and Dutch art. She has taught at the universities of Leicester, Manchester and St Andrews, and lectures at Cambridge. She is coeditor of the journal Church Monuments. Stephen Parkin. Curator at the British Library and specialist in early printing in Italy. He studied at Cambridge and UCL, and has a qualification in librarianship from the Vatican Library School in Rome. He has a particular interest in the history of bibliography and collecting and has published in these fields; he also works as a literary translator. Amanda Patton. Garden designer, writer, broadcaster and artist. She has won awards for her work at Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows, and has designed nearly 200 gardens. As well as lecturing, she has broadcast regularly for BBC Somerset. Her main interest is in 20th-century and contemporary garden design. Dr Sarah Pearson. Architectural historian, writer and lecturer specialising in Italy. Her MA focused on Andrea Palladio and her PhD investigated convent building in Northern Italy with particular reference to the Duchy of Urbino and the architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini. She currently lectures at Madingley Hall at the University of Cambridge. Dr Alan Peatfield. Archaeologist specialising in the Minoan Bronze Age Civilisation of Crete. He obtained his PhD from University College London. From 1984–90 he was Knossos Curator for the British School at Athens and has lectured at University College Dublin since 1991. He has excavated on Crete and he writes on Minoan religion and ancient Greek combat. Carolyn Perry. Lecturer and museum consultant. Taught Ancient History and Mythology in the Department of Mediterranean Studies at Queen Mary College, University of London and has excavated in Italy. Established the Arab World Education Programme at the British Museum. She is also Chair of The British Foundation for the Study of Arabia. Dr Richard Plant. Architectural historian and lecturer specialising in the Middle Ages with a strong interest in the modern. He studied at Cambridge, followed by the Courtauld, where he obtained his PhD. He was Deputy Academic Director at Christie’s Education and has published on English and German architecture.

Fred Plotkin. Writer specialising in Italian food, wine, culture and opera. Author of six books including Italy for the Gourmet Traveller. He has worked at La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera and has written programme notes for the Glyndebourne Festival among others. In 2015, he was awarded the Cavaliere della Stella d’Italia. Jane Pritchard mbe. Curator of Dance for the V&A and co-curator of the exhibition Diaghilev & the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes 1909–1929. She was Archivist for Rambert Dance Company and English National Ballet. Books include Anna Pavlova: TwentiethCentury Ballerina, and she has curated and written for BFI Southbank and the British Council. Asoka Pugal. Historian and lecturer. Born in Tamil Nadu, he graduated from the University of Madras followed by postgraduate studies at Madras Law College. He has worked in the tourist industry for many years and has produced TV documentaries. In 2001, he joined the Board of Studies in Ancient History and Archaeology at the University of Madras. Lesley Pullen. Art historian and lecturer, specialising in south-east Asian art. She was born in Sumatra and has lived in Asia for 25 years including latterly three years in India. She gained her Postgraduate Diploma and Masters at SOAS, where she is now researching for a PhD on the representation of textiles on Indonesian sculpture. Christopher Purvis cbe. Former investment banker once based in Tokyo. He organised Japan 2001, a cultural festival in the UK and has served as Chairman of the Japan Society. He was appointed CBE in 2002 for services to UK–Japan relations, and has received the Order of the Rising Sun from the Emperor of Japan.

Professor Owen Rees. Fellow and tutor at The Queen’s College, Oxford University and director of the ensemble Contrapunctus. He specialises in the music of Spain and Portugal from 15th–17th centuries.

Roderick Smith mw. Wine expert with specialist knowledge of Bordeaux. Has worked in senior roles for leading companies including Seagram and Mentzendorff, and was made a Master of Wine in 2006. He now lives on the Côte d’Azur where he runs a wine academy and judges wine competitions worldwide.

Mary Lynn Riley. Specialist in 19th- and 20th-century modern and contemporary art. She lives on the Côte d’Azur where she teaches art courses at the Musée Bonnard in Le Cannet and the Espace de l’Art Concret at Mouans-Sartoux. Previously she worked at the Smithsonian in Washington DC.

Jerry Spangler. Archaeologist, author and leading expert in the American West on the preservation of archaeological sites. He is the Executive Director of the Colorado Plateau Archaeological Alliance and is a frequent lecturer on archaeological preservation issues. He has published widely on prehistoric peoples of Utah, Colorado, and Arizona.

Em. Professor Antony Spawforth. Historian, broadcaster, lecturer and writer specialising in Greek and Roman antiquity and in rulers’ courts. Books include The Complete Greek Temples, Greece: An Oxford Archaeological Guide (with C. Mee), and Versailles: A Biography of a Palace. He is Emeritus Professor of Ancient History at Newcastle University.

Barnaby Rogerson. Writer and publisher with a particular interest in North Africa. Among his numerous works are North Africa, A Biography of the Prophet Muhammad and guide books to Morocco, Tunisia, Cyprus and Istanbul. He also runs Eland Books, home to over 100 great classic travel books of the world.

Dr Nigel Spivey. Senior Lecturer in Classical Art and Archaeology at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of Emmanuel College. Author of Understanding Greek Sculpture, Greek Art, Enduring Creation, The Ancient Olympics and Classical Civilization: A History in Ten Chapters among others. He presented the BBC2/PBS series How Art Made the World.

Sue Rollin. Archaeologist, interpreter and lecturer, widely travelled in the Middle East and India. Her linguistic repertoire includes three ancient Near-Eastern languages and several modern European ones. She has taught at UCL, SOAS and Cambridge, interprets for the EU and UN and is co-author of Blue Guide: Jordan and Istanbul: A Travellers’ Guide. Professor Timon Screech. Professor of History of Art at SOAS, University of London. He is an expert on the art and culture of the Edo period, including its international dimension, and has published widely on the subject. His books include Sex & the Floating World and Obtaining Images. Janet Sinclair. Art historian, curator and lecturer. She studied at the Courtauld and the Barber Institute, Birmingham. She has held senior management posts at several heritage sites and is currently Collections Manager at Petworth House, Sussex. She is a panel member of the Sustainable Communities Fund in the South Downs National Park. Dr Guus Sluiter. Art historian and Director of the Dutch Funeral Museum in Amsterdam. He has worked for the Mauritshuis in The Hague and the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. He has published widely and is a Research Fellow of the Dutch Institute for Art History in Florence.

Andrew Spooner. Military historian specialising in the Great War. He runs his own battlefield tours and specialist study days for colleges and museums throughout the country. He is a regular visiting lecturer at the Imperial War Museum Duxford and has appeared in documentaries for the BBC and Channel 4. Professor Gavin Stamp. Architectural historian with an interest in 19th- and 20thcentury British architecture. He has published on Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson, the Gilbert Scott dynasty and Sir Edwin Lutyens. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland and RIBA, and Honorary Professor at Glasgow and Cambridge Universities. Dr Susan Steer. Art historian and lecturer specialising in Venice. Her PhD focused on Venetian Renaissance altarpieces, followed by work as researcher and editor on the National Inventory of European Painting, the UK’s online catalogue. She has taught History of Art for university programmes in the UK and Italy. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

our lecturers

Professor Peter Wynne Rees cbe. City Planning Officer for the City of London 1985–2014 and a founder member and director of the British Council for Offices. He is Professor of Places and City Planning at UCL. He has an Honorary Fellowship from RIBA and Honorary doctorate from London SBU, and was awarded the CBE in 2015 for services to architecture and town planning.

Simon Rees. Simon writes programme articles and surtitles for many British opera companies, and reviews for Opera, Opera Now, Musical Opinion, Early Music Today, Bachtrack and a range of other publications. From 1989–2012 he was Dramaturg at Welsh National Opera.

©Bill Knight

Phillida Purvis mbe. Former diplomat who has spent the last 20 years working with the civil society sector in Japan. She studied Japanese at SOAS, University of London, and Japanese foreign policy at Tokyo University. She founded and runs Links Japan and is a trustee of several Japan-related and other international NGOs.

Professor Jan Smaczny. Emeritus Professor of Music at Queen’s University, Belfast, and authority on Czech music. Author of books on the Prague Provisional Theatre, Dvořák’s Cello Concerto, Music in 19th-century Ireland and Bach’s B-minor Mass. He studied at the University of Oxford and the Charles University, Prague.

He has broadcast on BBC Radio. Published studies include work on the Spanish composers Cristóbal de Morales and Francisco Guerrero.

Our lecturers continued Graeme Stobbs. Archaeologist with over 20 years experience in field archaeology and an expert on Hadrian’s Wall. He is Assistant Curator of Roman Collections of English Heritage’s Hadrian’s Wall Museums and until recently worked as Archaeological Project Officer for Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums. Professor Richard Stokes. Professor of Lieder at the Royal Academy of Music. His books include The Book of Lieder and The Penguin Book of English Song – Seven Centuries of Poetry from Chaucer to Auden. He has lectured at Edinburgh Festival, given masterclasses at Aldeburgh, and was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for services to German culture. Jane Streetly. Co-author of Blue Guide: Jordan and Istanbul: A Traveller’s Guide. She was born and raised in Trinidad, studied French and Spanish at university and now works as a conference interpreter and travel writer. She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society and has travelled widely in Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Tim Tatton-Brown. Former Consultant Archaeologist to Canterbury and Salisbury Cathedrals, Westminster Abbey, Lambeth Palace and St George’s Chapel, Windsor. He has been VicePresident of the Royal Archaeological Institute. Author of Great Cathedrals of Britain and Salisbury Cathedral, the making of a Medieval Masterpiece. Jane Taylor. Studied Mediaeval History and Moral Philosophy at the University of St Andrews. Her books include Testament to the Bushmen (with Laurens van der Post), Imperial Istanbul, Petra & the Lost Kingdom of the Nabataeans, Yemen: Land & People (with Sarah Searight), Jordan Images from the Air and Beyond the Jordan (with Isabelle Ruben). Dr Lars Tharp. Ceramics historian and frequent broadcaster, including 30 years on the BBC Antiques Roadshow and two notable films on Chinese ceramics. Also an authority on the life and works of William Hogarth; he is Hogarth Curator of the Foundling Museum and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.

our lecturers 14

Dr Giles Tillotson. Writer and lecturer on Indian architecture, art and history. His books include Taj Mahal, Jaipur Nama: Tales from the Pink City, and the novel, Return to Bhanupur. He is a Fellow, and the former Director, of the Royal Asiatic Society and was Chair of Art & Archaeology at SOAS. Dr Thomas-Leo True. Art historian specialising in Renaissance and Baroque architecture. He obtained his PhD at Cambridge University and studied at the British School at Rome where he is now Assistant Director. He has lived in Le Marche and is currently writing his first book on the Marchigian Cardinals of Pope Sixtus V. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Gail Turner. Art historian, lecturer and artist with a special interest in Spanish history and art. She read Modern History at Oxford and completed her MA at the Courtauld. She lectures for the National Trust and Art Fund, and teaches on courses at the V&A and the Courtauld Institute Summer School. Dr Geoffrey Tyack. Architectural historian with a particular interest in the 18th–20th centuries in Britain and Europe. He is Fellow of Kellogg College, Oxford, and author of John Nash: Architect of the Picturesque. He is Editor of the Georgian Group Journal. Dr David Vickers. Author, journalist, broadcaster and lecturer. He is co-editor of The Cambridge Handel Encyclopedia and is preparing new editions of several of Handel’s music dramas. He is a critic for Gramophone and BBC Radio 3 and an essayist for many record labels. He teaches at the Royal Northern College of Music. Dr Matthias Vollmer. Art historian specialising in the German Middle Ages and Renaissance. He read History of Art, Philosophy, and Orientalism at the Freie Universität Berlin; his PhD was on book illustration of the Middle Ages. He lectures at the Freie Universität Berlin, Courtauld Summer School and Berlin University of the Arts. Professor Emeritus Stephen Walsh. Music writer and broadcaster. He is the author of a major biography of Stravinsky, and, most recently Musorgsky & his Circle. Former deputy music critic for The Observer, he remains a contributor to other broadsheet newspapers. He is Professor Emeritus at Cardiff University’s School of Music. Giles Waterfield. Independent curator and writer, Director of Royal Collection Studies, and Associate Lecturer at the Courtauld. He has curated exhibitions for the Royal Academy and National Portrait Galleries (London and Edinburgh), among others. His publications include The Iron Necklace and The People’s Galleries. Dr Peter Webb. Arabist and historian, specialising in early and mediaeval Islam. He has travelled extensively in the Middle East and Central Asia and has taught at SOAS and the American University of Paris. He is now a Lecturer in Arabic at Leiden University. Dr Adam White. Art historian and museum curator. He has worked at the Leeds Museums and Galleries since 1983. Since 1994 he has been based at Lotherton Hall and Temple Newsam House. He is Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and has published widely on British art, particularly sculpture.

Dr Antonia Whitley. Art historian and lecturer specialising in the Italian Renaissance. She obtained her PhD from the Warburg Institute, University of London. She has lectured for the National Gallery and has taught in the War Studies department of King’s College, London. She organises adult education study sessions and has led many tours in Italy. Dr Betsy Wieseman. Curator of Dutch and Flemish Painting at The National Gallery. Most recently she curated Rembrandt: The Late Works. She has also contributed to numerous publications and exhibition catalogues. Prior to the National Gallery she was Curator of European Painting and Sculpture at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Richard Wigmore. Music writer, lecturer and broadcaster for BBC Radio 3. He writes for BBC Music Magazine and Gramophone and and has taught classes in Lieder history and intepretation at Guildhall, Trinity Laban and Birkbeck College. His publications include Schubert: The Complete Song Texts and Pocket Guide to Haydn. Professor Roger Wilson. Professor of the Archaeology of the Roman Empire and Director of the Centre for the Study of Ancient Sicily at the University of British Columbia. Former posts include Professor of Archaeology at the University of Nottingham. His publications include Piazza Armerina and Sicily under the Roman Empire. Dr Matthew Woodworth. Art historian with a focus on mediaeval architectural history. He obtained his MA from the Courtauld and completed his PhD on Beverley Minster at Duke University, North Carolina. He has published articles on English Gothic architecture, French Gothic sculpture, and the re-use of Gothic in the post-mediaeval period. Dr Neil Younger. Lecturer in History at the Open University, and has previously taught at the Universities of Birmingham, Durham, and Vanderbilt in the US. He specialises in Tudor politics, government and court culture and is author of War & Politics in the Elizabethan Counties. He is currently writing a biography of the Elizabethan courtier Sir Christopher Hatton. Heike Zeke. Senior curator of the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection of decorative art at the Victoria and Albert Museum. She gained her PhD at the Otto-Friedriech University in Bamberg and is currently heading a major study of the mosaics at St Paul’s Cathedral.

More about our tours Fitness Ours are active holidays. Walking, stair-climbing and standing around for lengthy periods are unavoidable aspects of every tour. They should not present problems for anyone of normal fitness but they are not suitable for those who are slow, need support or are low on stamina. On many tours there is a lot of walking on streets that may be steep or poorly paved. On others you may need to scramble over fallen masonry and very uneven ground. More usually it is just a case of moving from one place to another, and getting on and off coaches several times a day. The tours are also group events. The presence of even one person who is not fit enough to cope can spoil the experience for everyone else.

Bust of Hermes by Praxiteles (in the Olympia Museum), wood engraving c. 1890.

Tours for private groups A growing part of our activities is tours for private groups – for university alumni, supporters and friends of museums and for various associations and institutions. We welcome enquiries. With our knowledge of a wide range of destinations, our unparalleled skills at designing tours and our long experience of working with private clients, Martin Randall Travel is well qualified to be the partner for a travel venture. The manager of our private client business is Hannah Wrigley, who first joined MRT twelve years ago. Please get in touch with her if you would like to discuss a travel possibility: hannah.wrigley@ martinrandall.co.uk.

We therefore ask people wishing to join a tour to take the quick and simple self-assessment tests described here to ascertain whether they have an adequate level of fitness. By signing the booking form you are stating that you have passed these tests. (It is not necessary to take the tests to attend our chamber music weekends and symposia in the UK.) If during the tour it transpires you are not adequately fit, you may be asked to opt out of certain visits, or invited to leave the tour altogether. This would be at your own expense. Tours do vary. Please refer to the How strenuous? paragraph in each tour description.

2. Step test. Mark a wall at a height that is halfway between your knee and your hip bone. Raise each knee in turn to the mark at least sixty times in two minutes. 3. Agility test. Place an object 3 yards from the edge of a chair, sit, and record the time it takes to stand up, walk to the object and sit back down. You should be able to do this in under seven seconds. An additional indication of the fitness required, though we are not asking you to measure this, is that you should be able to walk unaided at a pace of three miles per hour for at least half an hour at a time, and to stand unsupported for at least fifteen minutes.

Walking tours Tours which are billed as walking tours, with hikes through hilly countryside of up to three hours, require a different scale of fitness and agility. Please attend to the descriptions of these tours carefully.

Travel insurance

There is an amendment fee for changes to the basic package, such as moving the dates of flights, organising flight upgrades, or booking additional hotel nights.

Experience tells us that free travel insurance offered by some credit card companies is not reliable in the event of a claim.

Many of our tours visit towns and villages off the beaten tourist trail, enabling you to experience local traditions and practices. We also strive to limit our impact on the environment. Our itineraries are designed to spend more time in places than on conventional tours; this often means there are days without travel.

The Association of Independent Tour Operators. Martin Randall Travel Ltd is a member of AITO, an association of specialist travel companies most of which are independent and owner-managed. Admission is selective, and members are subject to a code of practice which prescribes high standards of professionalism and customer care. To contact the Association visit www.aito.com or call 020 8744 9280. ABTA – The Travel Association. Martin Randall Travel Ltd is a Member of the Association of British Travel Agents (membership number Y6050). ABTA and ABTA members help holidaymakers to get the most from their travel and assist them when things do not go according to plan. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. For further information about ABTA, the Code of Conduct and the arbitration scheme available to you if you have a complaint, contact ABTA, 30 Park Street, London SE1 9EQ. www.abta.com.

ATOL. All of the flight-inclusive holidays in this brochure are financially protected by the ATOL (Air Transport Operators’ Licence) scheme. When you make your first payment you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please check it to know what is covered in your booking. For more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to www.caa.co.uk/ ATOLCertificate. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid us for an advance booking. See our booking conditions (page 236) for further details. Financial protection for holidays that do not include a flight is provided by a bond held with ABTA.

MORE ABOUT OUR TOURS

Financial security

Our policy is published on our website: www.martinrandall.com/responsible-tourism.

1. Chair stands. Sit in a dining chair, with arms folded and hands on opposite shoulders. Stand up and sit down at least eight times in thirty seconds.

Amendments

Responsible Tourism

Martin Randall Travel contributes to Beyond Carbon, a travel industry scheme that assists development projects that encourage carbon savings. We make a donation to offset all the carbon in flights every time a lecturer, tour manager or member of staff takes a flight for a tour or a prospecting trip. You can choose to donate too, when you book online or pay your final invoice.

A certain level of fitness is a requirement for participation on our tours. We ask that all participants take these quick and simple tests to ascertain whether they are fit enough.

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The Cathedrals of england ely, lincoln, durham, York, Coventry, gloucester, Bristol, Wells, Salisbury, Winchester eNglANd

from the Norman Conquest to the Reformation, equals that from the Reformation to the present day. There was huge variety in the building arts and historical circumstances during those 460 years. The one non-mediaeval cathedral on the itinerary is Coventry. Rebuilt after the Second World War, not only is it a treasure house of midtwentieth-century art but it is a moving monument to rebirth and reconciliation. There are many special arrangements to enable you to see more than most visitors. Organ recitals are organised for us at some cathedrals. There are also opportunities to hear some excellent choirs at Evensong. Cathedrals come with cities, and many of these were relatively little changed during the era of industrialisation and now rank among the loveliest in England. Much beautiful countryside is traversed as well. For centuries, British scholars and critics laboured under an inferiority complex, believing English Gothic to be a defective derivative of the thoroughbred French version, inferior according to the degree to which it departed from the soaring, clean-limbed and impeccably rational paradigms across the Channel. That cultural cringe has all but evaporated in the last couple of generations, not least because evidence has been piling up that masons and architects in England had entire confidence in their inventiveness and deliberately chose to shun French conventions in favour of England’s own distinctive and fascinating imaginative universe.

Itinerary

Durham Cathedral, Bishop’s Throne, wood engraving c. 1880.

BRITISH ISLES

19–27 April 2017 (md 244) 9 days • £2,610 Lecturer: Jon Cannon 18–26 October 2017 (me 604) 9 days • £2,610 Lecturer: Jon Cannon A study of ten of England’s greatest buildings – their history, architecture, sculpture, stained glass and current life. Built between the Norman Conquest and Henry VIII’s Reformation, with Coventry Cathedral a moving exception. Organ recitals exclusively for us, and many other special arrangements.

Five hotels and quite a lot of driving, but an uncrowded itinerary includes time for rest and independent exploration. book online at www.martinrandall.com

This is an architectural journey that would be hard to equal for intensity of aesthetic delight and as a way into the minds and lives of the people of the Middle Ages it would be difficult to surpass. Personalities of extraordinary capability and vision will be discovered, and the thought processes and techniques used by craftsmen of genius revealed and decoded. The tour ranges across England – north, south, east and west – to see some of the most glorious mediaeval architecture to be found anywhere. Connoisseurs may carp at the omissions, but logistics exclude only a couple of cathedrals of comparable beauty, magnificence and interest. With an average of little over one cathedral a day, there is plenty of time to really get to know, assimilate, appreciate and contemplate each one. All but one are mediaeval, Norman (as Romanesque is generally called in Britain) and Gothic. It is easy to underestimate the length of time the Middle Ages encompasses: the span from the earliest work we see on the tour to the latest,

Day 1: Ely. The coach leaves King’s Cross, London at 9.30am for Ely, a surprisingly remote and rural location for one of England’s greatest cathedrals. The mighty Norman nave and transepts (c. 1110–30), with their thick walls, tiers of arches and clusters of shafts, leads to the crossing and its unique 14th-century octagonal lantern, a work of genius. The detached Lady Chapel, also in the Decorated style, is the largest and perhaps the finest in the country; the Early English quire a ravishing setting for the lost shrine to St Etheldreda. Overnight Lincoln. Day 2: Lincoln. Also largely by-passed by modern urban development, Lincoln’s hilltop site above the broad Witham valley renders this enormous cathedral even more imposing. Largely rebuilt from 1192, it has always been revered as one of the finest of Gothic cathedrals, its fascinations enhanced by myriad minor inconsistencies and variations which reveal the struggle for solutions at the frontiers of artistic fashion and technological capability. The steep streets of the ancient town are a delight. First of three nights in York. Day 3: Durham. By train to Durham (40 mins), where the topography and riverside walk provide the most exciting approach to any English cathedral. Massive towers rise above the trees which cling to the steep embankment, a defensible bulwark in the frequently hostile North. Largely completed in the decades from 1093 and little altered since, the nave and quire with their great cylindrical pillars, distinguished by their engraved patterns, constitute one of the world’s greatest Romanesque churches. Overnight York.

Day 5: Coventry. Coventry Cathedral is perhaps internationally Britain’s best-known 20th-century building. Built to designs by Sir Basil Spence beside the ruins of its predecessor, destroyed in 1940, it is both a showcase for some of the best art of the time (Graham Sutherland, John Piper, Jacob Epstein). In the evening, a walk through Stratford-upon-Avon, which has retained many buildings Shakespeare would have known. Overnight Stratford. Day 6: Gloucester, Bristol. The procession of tall cylindrical pillars in Gloucester’s nave is unadulterated Norman, but, following the burial of Edward II in 1327, the eastern parts are exquisitely veiled in the first large-scale appearance of Perpendicular architecture. The east window, which retains its mediaeval stained glass, is one of the largest in Europe. Bristol cathedral is a muchoverlooked gem with fine work of every era, from the lavishly patterned walls of the Romanesque chapter house to G. E. Street’s great Victorian nave. But its highlight is the east end, among the most innovative and beautiful of early 14th-century buildings. First of two nights in Wells. Day 7: Wells. An exceptionally unspoilt little city, Wells has a fortified bishop’s palace, 14th-century houses of the Vicars Choral and much else of charm and interest. The cathedral was one of the first in England to be built entirely in Gothic style. Its screened west front, eastward march of the nave, sequence of experimental contrasted spaces of the Decorated east end, serene chapter house and Perpendicular cloisters all contribute to the cathedral’s exceptional allure. The strainer arches supporting the sagging tower are among the great creations of the Middle Ages. Overnight Wells.

Day 9: Winchester. Winchester Cathedral is one of Europe’s longest churches, reflecting the city’s status intermittently from the 9th to the 17th centuries as a seat of English government. The transepts are unembellished early Norman (1079), raw architecture of brute power, whereas the mighty nave was dressed 300 years later in suave Perpendicular garb. The profusion of chantry chapels constitutes an enchanting collection of Gothic micro-architecture. Wall paintings, floor tiles, the finest 12th-century Bible. Return to Tothill Street in central London by 4.00pm.

See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. Accommodation. The Castle Hotel, Lincoln (castlehotel.net): an historic building close to the cathedral. The Grange, York (grangehotel. co.uk): also in an historic building with a new wing, within walking distance of the city centre. The Stratford (Q Hotels), Stratfordupon-Avon (qhotels.co.uk): a modern hotel, located on the edge of the historic centre of the town. The Swan, Wells (swanhotelwells.co.uk): in a building of 15th-cent. origin in a narrow street close to the cathedral. The Wessex, Winchester (mercure.com): excellently located overlooking the cathedral in a 1960s building. Rooms at all the hotels, being city-centre historic properties, vary in size and outlook.

Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,610. Single occupancy: £2,930.

How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking on the tour. You ought to be able to walk at about three miles an hour for up to half an hour. There are also a lot of steps and uneven surfaces. Roof and tower visits are optional of course, but at Salisbury there are 332 stairs to climb. Two of the hotels do not have lifts. There are three days without any coach travel, but there is an average on the remaining five days of 73 miles.

Included meals: 1 lunch and 6 dinners with wine.

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

York Minster, watercolour by G. Home, publ. 1935.

Practicalities

The Ryedale Festival: Music in North Yorkshire July 2017 Details available in November 2016 Please contact us to register your interest

BRITISH ISLES

Day 8: Salisbury. One of the most uplifting experiences in English architecture, Salisbury is unique among the Gothic cathedrals in England in that it was built on a virgin site and largely in a single campaign, 1220–58. To homogeneity are added lucidity of design and perfection of detail. Completed a century later, the spire at 404 feet is the tallest mediaeval structure in Britain. The close is the finest in the country, and the town beyond has an extensive expanse of historic fabric. Overnight Winchester.

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Day 4: York. York Minster is the largest of English mediaeval cathedrals. Above ground it is all Gothic, from Early English to Perpendicular but predominantly 14th-century, demonstrating an exceptional knowledge of the latest French Rayonnant ideas. It is a treasure trove of original stained glass, and the polygonal chapter house is without peer. The city retains its mediaeval walls and an exceptional quantity of historic buildings. Overnight York.

‘We were in a cloud of beauty, art, healthy living, great views and good company.’ ‘The music was wonderful; varied and interesting, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.’ What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Rievaulx Abbey, aquatint 1820. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Mediaeval Kent Castles, cathedrals & churches eNglANd

Itinerary Day 1: Rochester, Sandwich. The coach leaves from Tothill Street, London (near St James Park underground station) at 11.00am for Rochester. Lunch is included, after which we shall visit Rochester Cathedral, whose extravagant late Romanesque nave and austere choir stand in perfect juxtaposition, followed by the mighty keep of Rochester Castle. Overnight Sandwich. Day 2: Sandwich, Dover. Leisurely morning in Sandwich, a famously well-preserved town and the perfect setting in which to explore the dispositions of a former mediaeval port. Afternoon drive to Dover, to concentrate on the amazing group of buildings enclosed within the castle – including a former Roman lighthouse, late Anglo-Saxon Minster and Henry II’s magnificent keep. Day 3: Hythe, Lydd, Rye, Brookland, New Romney. The perfect opportunity for a day on Romney Marsh beginning with its grandest monument – St Leonard’s Hythe – and moving on to All Saints at Lydd, a church that juxtaposes one of the most spectacular of Kent’s perpendicular west towers with elements of the Romano-British basilica that preceded it. After a break for lunch in Rye, the afternoon will bring us gently back across the northern half of the Marsh – past Brookland’s freestanding belfry and lead font to the breathtaking ambition of New Romney.

Canterbury Cathedral, Chapter House, steel engraving c. 1850 by W. Deeble.

26–30 June 2017 (md 333) 5 days • £1,360 Lecturer: John McNeill Well-balanced survey of the outstanding mediaeval monuments of Kent, with Romanesque particularly prominent. Based in one hotel throughout, in the lovely little town of Sandwich.

BRITISH ISLES 18

Beautiful drives through understated and varied landscapes. Tour led by a mediaeval architectural historian. The arrival of Augustine on the shores of Kent in 597 had far-reaching consequences for the geography of the Church in Britain. Not only did it establish Canterbury as the seat of an archbishop, later to become ‘Primate of All England’, but it ensured that Kent was the only county with two cathedrals, after Justin founded a second at Rochester in 604. The creation of an early infrastructure to support Augustine’s mission was important, and rather remarkably survives in part at Canterbury. However, it is the renewal of these churches after the Norman Conquest that is most striking from an architectural perspective. Kent boasts the richest collection of Romanesque churches – and castles – to survive in England. book online at www.martinrandall.com

These run from Gundulf’s great tower at Rochester – designed to control the Medway river crossing on Watling Street – to Henry II’s magnificent remodelling of Dover Castle, designed to dominate the northern end of the short sea crossing to France. The later phases of the post-Conquest reconstruction are wonderfully caught in Anselm’s crypt, in the nave of Rochester Cathedral, and in the parish churches of Sandwich, New Romney, and St Nicholas at Wade. The second of the tour’s themes is concerned with the type of architecture that developed from the second half of the twelft h century onwards. Following a catastrophic fire in the eastern parts of Canterbury cathedral in 1174 the opportunity presented itself for a dramatically new type of church interior – one that invested in architectural colour and combined slender supports, polished stone and stained glass. The impact of this new Anglo-French Gothic choir and shrine chapel was immense, the working out of which one can see at Rochester and Hythe. Indeed, English architecture was never the same again. Finally, there is one area where a significant amount of late Gothic building survives – Romney Marsh. What is remarkable here is that no one church looks like any other. In most regions the tendency is for churches to cluster in stylistic families. Romney Marsh is different, and a great feature of the mediaeval Kent itinerary.

Day 4: Canterbury, Wingham. Morning devoted to Canterbury Cathedral, starting with Lanfranc’s early Norman cathedral and Anselm’s ‘glorious choir’, and diversifying via the epoch-making early Gothic Choir and Trinity Chapel to the little-visited monastic precinct. The afternoon opens with St Augustine’s Abbey, a multi-church monastery originally founded by Augustine himself, before walking up to the tiny early AngloSaxon church of St Martin. Return to Sandwich via the splendid parish church at Wingham. Day 5: St Nicholas at Wade, Cobham. Morning visits to the lovely ragstone and flint church of St Nicholas at Wade and the stunning manorial church and college at Cobham – home to the most extensive set of in-situ mediaeval brasses to survive in England. After lunch in Cobham, the coach returns to Tothill Street by 4.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,360. Single occupancy: £1,480. Included meals: 2 lunches, 5 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. The Bell Hotel, Sandwich (bellhotelsandwich.co.uk): 19th-century building beside the quay, in the historic centre. Renovated in muted colours; excellent service. How strenuous? This tour involves quite a lot of getting on and off coaches and standing. There are steps in the castles and uneven surfaces. It should not be attempted by anyone who has difficulty with everyday walking and stair-climbing. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Walking to Derbyshire Houses, 3–8 July 2017 (page 28).

Yorkshire Churches & Cathedrals Abbeys, cathedrals & parish churches

Short but comprehensive survey of mediaeval ecclesiastical building in Yorkshire. Based in York throughout. Monastic ruins across the North Yorkshire Moors at Lastingham, Rievaulx and Byland. Famed for its Cistercian ruins and the quality and virtuosity of its fourteenth-century architecture, Yorkshire boasts the richest collection of mediaeval churches to survive in northern England. Unusually, it is also an area where one might pick out examples from every important phase of church building in mediaeval northern England – from the early Anglo-Saxon crypt surviving from Wilfrid’s Ripon to Marmaduke Huby’s magnificent early sixteenth-century tower at Fountains Abbey. That said, the tour develops around two overlapping themes. The first is monasticism, or at least the type of monasticism that was reestablished in northern England, at Lastingham and St Mary’s York, following the Norman Conquest. This monasticism took a dramatic turn in the twelft h century with the establishment of the great Cistercian houses of Yorkshire. We visit the three most significant abbeys, Rievaulx, Byland and Fountains. The second tour theme is aesthetic and concerned with the type of architecture that developed in the later Middle Ages. As with much of eastern England, Yorkshire experienced a large-scale rebuilding during the period c. 1290–c. 1420, the greatest evidence for which is to be found in the churches of York, Beverley, Howden and Selby. Distinctive approaches to the ‘Decorated’ interior are a great feature of Yorkshire churches, immeasurably enhanced by the survival of considerable quantities of stained glass. Good examples of glass are encountered in profusion at York Minster and survive in a number of the smaller parish churches. Time is allowed for indepth study of York Minster, and to visit other sites in the city.

Day 4: York. As befits a major mediaeval city, York played host to a plethora of monasteries and parish churches over and above its Minster.Three of these form the core of the day – St Mary’s Abbey, whose stunning chapterhouse vestibule and portal have been remounted in the Yorkshire Museum, along with the two most appealing, and revealing, of the city’s parish churches, Holy Trinity, Goodramgate and All Saints, North Street. Day 5: Beverley. Beverley Minster’s magnificent marble-enriched choir acts as a superb foil for the extravagances of the later Middle Ages, see the Percy Tomb, stalls and famously historicising nave. St Mary’s, Beverley, is an ambitious giant of a parish church – some free time in York. Day 6: Fountains Abbey. A morning to the west of York at Fountains Abbey, a monastery originally founded by a dissident community of monks from St Mary’s, York. By the Dissolution, it had grown to become the richest Cistercian house in Britain – quite simply the greatest of all English mediaeval ruins – the coach returns to York station by 3.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,530. Single occupancy: £1,760. Included meals: 3 dinners with wine.

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31 July–5 August 2017 (md 440) 6 days • £1,530 Lecturer: Dr Jana Gajdosova

Accommodation. The Grange Hotel, York (grangehotel.co.uk): 4-star hotel in York in a converted Regency townhouse a short walk from the Minster and just outside the mediaeval walls. Rooms are elegantly decorated, but some are not large, some rooms are noisy from passing traffic and there is no lift. Dinners are in the hotel restaurant or at good restaurants within walking distance. How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking on the tour. You ought to be able to walk at about three miles an hour for up to half an hour. There are also a lot of steps and uneven surfaces. Average distance by coach per day: 33 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Great Houses of the North, 7–16 August 2017 (page 22).

Itinerary BRITISH ISLES

Day 1: York. The coach leaves at 1.30pm from York railway station for the short drive to York Minster, the pre-eminent church of Yorkshire, and an obvious starting point for any serious tour. We concentrate on the work above ground, addressing the forms and rhythms of transepts, chapter house, nave and choir. Day 2: Lastingham, Rievaulx, Byland. Venture up into the North Yorkshire Moors to Lastingham, and an exquisitely sited small monastery with a tiny early Romanesque crypt. In Rievaulx, see the major Cistercian monastery whose choir still rises majestically above the River Rye. The second of the day’s Cistercian ruins, in Byland, has enthralling remnants of an early Gothic choir and west front. Day 3: Howden, Selby. Howden is an important late thirteenth-century collegiate church and Selby, a wonderfully rangy and ramshackle Benedictine abbey church. Free afternoon in York.

Byland Abbey, watercolour by Gordon Home, publ. 1908. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

The Age of Bede Anglo-Saxon Northumbria england

24–27 June 2017 (md 373) 4 days • £970 Lecturer: Imogen Corrigan 16–19 September 2017 (me 526) 4 days • £970 Lecturer: Imogen Corrigan Examines the remarkable efflorescence of culture and learning in Anglo-Saxon northern England. Jarrow, Monkwearmouth, Holy Island, Hexham and other Anglo-Saxon sites. Studies Durham Cathedral, perhaps the greatest Romanesque building in Europe, with private visits by special arrangement. Imogen Corrigan, a specialist in Anglo-Saxon and mediaeval history, leads the tour.

For a few decades around ad 700, a handful of monasteries in Northumbria became beacons of culture and learning in a Britain that was largely tribal, warlike and unstable. Within a century Viking raiders extinguished these fragile flickers of civilization, and destruction and division again ruled the land. England – as it can now be called – steadily recovered, and on the eve of the Norman Conquest had become one of the best-governed and most prosperous territories in Europe. The tour visits some of the most significant Anglo-Saxon remains in the area – Jarrow and Monkwearmouth, the two-campus monastery to which Bede was given as a child oblate and where he became a monk; church architecture at Escomb and Hexham; and sites of powerful resonance – the royal court at Yeavering and Lindisfarne, now known as Holy Island. The tour introduces a cast of remarkable men – Benedict Biscop, Aiden, Cuthbert, Wilfrid and Bede, characters of extraordinary tenacity, learning, piety and courage. One of the great intellectuals of the Middle Ages, the Venerable Bede (c. 673–735) wrote on science and the measurement of time and on languages and literature as well as compiling a work of inestimable value, The Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Durham Cathedral is the last resting place of Cuthbert and Bede. In the opinion of some the finest Romanesque church in Europe, its massive size and defensibility express the often tenuous hold on the region by institutions representing southern-based royal government.

Itinerary Day 1: Jarrow and Monkwearmouth. The tour begins with a lecture in the hotel in Newcastle (where all three nights are spent) at 1.30pm. The monasteries at Monkwearmouth and Jarrow, ten miles apart but one institution, were founded in 674 and 681 by Benedict Biscop, whose five journeys to Rome resulted in a unique network of international contacts and awareness of European artistry. Parts of the original chapels survive, with stained glass and stone carvings.

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Day 2: Yeavering, Holy Island. On the journey to Lindisfarne the tour visits Yeavering, evocative site of a royal settlement. The monastery on the little island of Lindisfarne (later ‘Holy Island’) was founded in ad 635 by an Irish monk from Iona, St. Aidan, and became an important centre for scholarship and missionary activity. A place of remarkable charm and tranquillity, there are Anglo-Saxon fragments, ruins of the Norman priory, and a castle, turned into a home by Edwin Lutyens. Day 3: Durham. All day is spent in and around Durham Cathedral, one of the greatest Romanesque churches in Europe and one of the most impressive of English cathedrals. Mighty towers rise above the encircling river Wear, while the interior cannot but move with its power and piety. The bulk of the building is little altered since the forty-year building campaign begun in 1093. There is the opportunity to attend Evensong or Evenprayer here.

Imogen Corrigan. Specialist in Anglo-Saxon and mediaeval history. She spent 20 years in the army, retiring in the rank of Major, then obtained a first-class degree in Medieval History from the University of Kent, and has been studying and lecturing ever since. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. Illustration: section from an Anglo-Saxon cross, from ‘Byzantine & Romanesque Architecture’, 1920.

‘The lecturer was very committed to her subject, endlessly informative and passionate. She was always open to questions, friendly and interested in communicating her rich knowledge. Entirely professional.’ Day 4: Escomb, Hexham. The tiny Saxon church at Escomb was built c. ad 675, a rare survival. A lovely market town on a bluff above the Tyne, Hexham grew around a monastery founded in 671 by St Wilfrid. The magnificent mediaeval church is post-Conquest except for the crypt, the largest surviving expanse of Anglo-Saxon architecture in England. The coach sets down at Newcastle Central Railway station by 3.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £970. Single occupancy: £1,080 Included meals: 2 dinners with wine. Accommodation. The Crowne Plaza, Newcastle (crowneplaza.com): a new, stylish and comfortable 4-star hotel overlooking Newcastle railway station. How strenuous? This tour would not be suitable for anyone who has difficulty with everyday walking and who cannot stand for long periods of time. Some of the terrain is cobbled and hilly. Average distance by coach per day: 64 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: In Churchill’s Footsteps, 21–24 September (page 36).

What else is included in the price? See page 7. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Tudor england Monarchs & subjects, bridging mediaeval & modern eNglANd

6–11 September 2017 (me 518) 6 days • £1,730 Lecturer: Professor Maurice Howard Tudor England studied through a variety of architecture, artefacts and artworks. Dynastic houses and rustic cottages, seats of learning and merchants’ mansions, artisan plasterwork and world-beating stained glass. Professor Maurice Howar is a leading Tudor specialist, historian and art historian. On the Monday prior to this tour, we also offer a London Day: The Tudors: visits to Westminster Abbey, the National Portrait Gallery and Hampton Court. Please contact us for details.

Itinerary Day 1: Hatfield. Leave London at 10.15am. Henry VIII’s three children spent much of their childhoods at Hatfield, and of the palace the great hall survives. A collection of Tudor portraits reveals the creation of a dynasty. First of three nights in Rutland. Day 2: Kirby Hall, Burghley House. In taste and ambition these great houses, owned by two of Elizabeth I’s closest and most powerful courtiers,

Cambridge, King’s College, lithograph 1814.

epitomise the standing achieved by the Queen’s favourites. Magnificent Burghley House, perhaps the finest Elizabethan house in England, was built by William Cecil in a palatial compound of mediaeval, classical and pseudo-classical styles. Kirby was completed with precocious classicism by Sir Christopher Hatton; though now partly ruined, it remains extraordinarily impressive. The handsome Cecil funerary monuments are in St Martin’s Church, Stamford. Overnight Rutland. Day 3: Gainsborough Old Hall, Ellys Manor. Dating from the mid-15th century, Gainsborough Old Hall played host to Richard III in 1483 before the owner, Sir Thomas Burgh, switched allegiance to Henry Tudor. Sources suggest that Henry VIII may also have spent a night here. In addition to the formal rooms a remarkably intact suite of service interiors has survived. Built by an international wool merchant in the late-15th century, Ellys Manor has continental influences throughout and exceptional 16th-century wall paintings, ‘a rare English interpretation of French verdure tapestries’ (Pevsner). Overnight Rutland.

Day 4: Cambridge. Though begun in 1446 by Henry VI, King’s College Chapel acquired its present form during the reign of Henry VIII. Combining the very best of Tudor era architecture, stained glass, sculpture and furnishings, this is one of the world’s greatest buildings. The three splendid gateways created in the 1550s–70s at Gonville & Caius College are remarkable for their Renaissance design and symbolism. Trinity was founded by Henry VIII in 1546; the university’s largest and wealthiest college was endowed with land from dissolved monasteries. (Visits on this day are subject to change as Cambridge colleges may close to the public at short notice). First of two nights in Lavenham. Day 5: Coggeshall, Paycocke’s House, Layer Marney. The village of Coggeshall, Essex, has many fine Tudor buildings of which Paycocke’s House (1509–10) is the most impressive; fine beam-work, panelling and other rare survivals. The abbey was granted to Sir Thomas Seymour, brother to Jane, by Henry VIII, and the 16thcentury manor house incorporates elements of Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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The defeat of Richard III by Henry Tudor in a Leicestershire field on August 22, 1485, heralded a glorious age over which the Tudor monarchs would preside for the next 118 years. Out of the turmoil of the Wars of the Roses a new social and economic order emerged: an age of discovery, trade and commerce, in which the old mediaeval aristocracy was joined by a prosperous new class of bureaucrats at court and a wealthy merchant class in towns and cities. This tour explores the legacy and interests of the Tudor gentry and nobility through the prism of some of their finest surviving monuments in the southeastern counties. Many of them owe their existence to the flourishing wool trade. Under Henry VIII vast estates of the monasteries passed into new hands; housebuilding was now dominant rather than lavish spending on churches. The ambition to demonstrate wealth through these buildings is clear from all levels of society down to even the lesser gentry. Gainsborough Old Hall is one of the largest and most complete brick and timberframed manor houses in England; Ellys Manor House contains rare survivals of sixteenth-century interior decoration; the immense gatehouse at Layer Marney has delicate Renaissance ornament in the form of its windows. The list goes on. The visual arts were complemented by a great flourishing of the musical and literary arts that have made some of the great works of the latesixteenth century stand out as the quintessential products of the Elizabethan age. The achievements of John Caius at Cambridge, manifest in a series of gateways to his college, mark the absorption of new approaches to classical learning into English education, while the great house at Burghley, completed by William Cecil, uses tradition and innovation in design and ornament fit for Elizabeth’s first minister and ready to receive the Queen herself.

Tudor england continued

great Houses of the North derbyshire, Yorkshire, Co. durham, Northumberland

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have been factors in the creation and maintenance of country house culture. Most of the houses on this tour have been in the same family for several generations. One feature of the English country house is that it usually resides in the country; on the Continent the town often presses around the forecourt. Some of the countryside through which this tour passes has a bleak and rugged beauty – the moorland of the Peak District and the uplands of Northumberland. But most is gently rolling farmland with green fields, ancient hedges, majestic trees and contented livestock, far from urban sprawl and seemingly remote in time. Many of the houses have brilliant gardens; space precludes mentioning them all below, but there is usually plenty of time for enjoying them. The leisurely pace of the tour is a distinctive feature. Time is allowed for relaxing and reflecting and exploring on ones own. Special arrangements comprise another significant feature, including out-of-hours opening and access to parts not normally seen by visitors.

Professor Maurice Howard. Professor emeritus of Art History at the University of Sussex. Books include The Building of Elizabethan & Jacobean England. He has worked for the V&A and the National Portrait gallery, is President of the Society of Architectural Historians of great Britain and former President of the Society of Antiquaries of london. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. the monastic complex. Had it been completed, Layer Marney would have rivalled Hampton Court in splendour. The spectacular Tudor gatehouse with its Italianate decoration is the tallest in England. Henry VIII and Elizabeth both visited. Overnight Lavenham. Day 6: Otley Hall. Beautiful, moated Otley Hall was the seat of Bartholomew Gosnold, who rallied support to plant an English colony in north Virginia; in 1602 he landed on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, named after his deceased daughter. Set in 10 acres of gardens, Otley’s exterior has splendid chimneys, brickwork and vine leaf pargetting. Inside, wall paintings commemorate a marriage of 1559, and the Great Hall and Linenfold Parlour are unequalled in Suffolk. The tour finishes at Ipswich Railway Station by 1.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,730. Single occupancy: £1,980. Included meals: 5 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Barnsdale Lodge Hotel, Rutland (barnsdalelodge.co.uk): housed in an extended old farmhouse close to Rutland Water. Public rooms and bedrooms are arranged around a courtyard and have a traditional, country décor. The Swan, Lavenham (theswanatlavenham. co.uk): dating from the 15th century, The Swan has been an inn since 1667; rooms have been recently renovated yet retain their historical character; excellent restaurant.

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How strenuous? Unavoidably, there is quite a lot of walking on this tour. Coaches can rarely park near the houses, many of the parks and gardens are extensive and the houses visited don’t have lifts. Average distance by coach per day: c. 77 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: The Age of Bede, 16–19 September 2017 (page 20).

22 book online at www.martinrandall.com

Haddon Hall, watercolour by Ernest W. Haslehurst, publ. 1910.

7–16 August 2017 (md 450) 10 days • £3,240 Lecturer: Gail Bent The finest country houses and gardens in northern England, from mediaeval to Victorian, with an emphasis on the eighteenth century. All aspects of the country house are studied – architecture, furniture, decoration, works of art; gardens and parks; historical context and daily life; conservation and custodianship. Unrushed: there is plenty of time to rest, relax and absorb. Only two hotel changes. Some of the most glorious countryside in England, plus a few items other than houses. Excellent hotels and good food. The country house is England’s most distinctive contribution to the world’s cultural heritage. Other countries have aristocratic residences of course, but none in such profusion, such variety, and in such a state of completion and preservation. A first-rate country house is more than a house. Clustering around are gardens, auxiliary buildings and a park, and beyond lie working farms and enterprises of all sorts. Inside, there are furnishings and works of art and gadgets and utensils and curios: in many of the houses on this tour these moveables are of a quality and a quantity which surpass the collections of all but a couple of dozen of England’s museums. Why is England the locus classicus of the country house? Wealth is a precondition of their erection in the first place, and by and large there was a sufficiency; geography has been kind in allowing agricultural prosperity, and Britain’s primacy in trade and industry fed into stately piles. Relative peace and absence of foreign occupation, preference for primogeniture, a reluctance to revolt, a fruitful balance between the power of the monarch and the rights of the nobles: all these

Itinerary Day 1: Kedleston (Derbys). The coach leaves Derby railway station at 1.45pm. One of the supreme monuments of Classical architecture and decoration in England, recreating the glories of Ancient Rome in the foothills of the Peak District, Kedleston Hall (1759–65) was the creation of Sir Nathaniel Curzon and, initially, three architects, of whom Robert Adam emerged the victor. The sequence of grand rooms for entertainment and show are homogeneous and complete (with furnishings designed by Adam), an impeccable manifestation of aristocratic wealth, education and taste. Spend the first of three nights near Chatsworth. Day 2: Chatsworth, Haddon (Derbys). The home of the Duke of Devonshire, Chatsworth House was rebuilt in the 1690s with the scale and sumptuousness of a palace and further augmented in the 1820s. The steady acquisition of fine furniture, sculpture and pictures created one of the finest private art collections in the world. ‘The most perfect English house to survive from the Middle Ages’, Haddon Hall evolved from c. 1370 to the 17th century after which nearly 300 years of disuse preserved it from alteration. The gardens are exceptionally lovely. Overnight near Chatsworth. Day 3: Hardwick, Bolsover (Derbys). Hardwick Hall (1590) is the finest of all Elizabethan great houses, a highpoint of the English Renaissance, the façade famously more glass than stone. The unaltered interiors are decorated with stucco reliefs and fi lled with contemporary textiles and furniture. Bolsover Castle is an elaborate Jacobean folly, a splendid late-Renaissance sequence of rooms in mediaeval fancy dress. Overnight near Chatsworth. Day 4: Harewood (W Yorks). Harewood House is one of the grandest and most beautiful of English country houses, architecture by John Carr (1772) and Charles Barry (1843), interiors by Adam, furniture by Chippendale and park by ‘Capability’ Brown. There are excellent paintings, Italian Renaissance to modern. First of three nights in York.

Day 6: Newby, York (N Yorks). A William-andMary house (1693), Newby Hall was subject for the next two centuries to refurbishment and extension of the highest quality, one set of rooms (by Adam) designed to house a collection of Roman sculpture. 25 acres of fine gardens. Some free time in York. Private dinner at Fairfax House in York, a Georgian town house. (To be confirmed in January 2017). Overnight York.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,240. Single occupancy: £3,630. National Trust: members (with cards) will be refunded c. £43. Included meals: 7 dinners with wine. Accommodation. The Cavendish Hotel, near Chatsworth (cavendish-hotel.net): located on the Chatsworth Estate it has been an inn for centuries. The Grange, York (grangehotel. co.uk): 10 minutes on foot from the Minster, it has been beautifully converted from a Georgian town house. Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle (jesmonddenehouse.co.uk): 19th-century mansion in a quiet wooded suburb.

How strenuous? Unavoidably there is quite a lot of walking on this tour and it would not be suitable for anyone with difficulties with everyday walking and stair-climbing. Coaches can rarely park near the houses, many of the parks and gardens are extensive, the houses visited don’t have lifts (nor do all the hotels). Average distance by coach per day: c. 60 miles.

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Day 5: Burton Agnes (E Yorks), Castle Howard (N Yorks). Burton Agnes Hall is a final flourish of the Elizabethan age, red brick and cream stone, topiary, marvellous carving and plasterwork, Impressionist and modern paintings: ‘the perfect English house’. Designed by John Vanbrugh in 1699, Castle Howard is one of the few major Baroque buildings in England and the most palatial house on the tour. Excellent works of art and park with famous temples and follies. Overnight York.

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Yorkshire Churches & Cathedrals, 31 July–5 August 2017 (page 19).

Day 7: Raby, Bowes Museum, Auckland (Co. Durham). Within the formidable 14th-century fortifications of Raby Castle are suites of rooms of the 18th and 19th centuries. There are good paintings, furniture and Meissen animals and a deer park. Excellent art collections in a vast building in the guise of a French château make the Bowes Museum one of the surprises of the north. Grandest of English episcopal palaces, Auckland Castle was refitted in Neo-Gothic style and contains 12 superb paintings by Zurbarán. First of three nights in Newcastle. Day 8: Belsay, Wallington (Nthumb). After Sir Charles Monck’s return from Greece in 1805 he built Belsay Hall in a severely Grecian style. Delightful woodland gardens lead to a mediaeval castle. Wallington Hall dates to 1688 but was refurbished in the mid-18th and mid-19th centuries, the latter resulting in an arcaded two-storey hall with scenes of Northumbrian history painted by William Bell Scott. Overnight Newcastle.

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Day 9: Seaton Delaval, Cragside (Nthumb). On a cliff-top site outside Newcastle, Seaton Delaval was the last of Vanbrugh’s magnificent mansions. Innovatory management has followed its acquisition by the National Trust in 2009. A wonderful sequence of late-Victorian taste and technology, Cragside is a romantic Tudor-style pile (1869–84) designed by Norman Shaw for William Armstrong, inventor and manufacturer. Overnight Newcastle. Day 10: Alnwick (Nthumb), Newcastle. Since 1309 the seat of the Percys, Dukes of Northumberland, Alnwick Castle externally remains a striking mediaeval fortress while the interiors are a lavish exercise in Victorian mediaevalism. There is a superb painting collection and a new 12-acre garden. The coach takes you to Newcastle railway station by 3.30pm.

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Chatsworth House, wood engraving c. 1880. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Country Houses of Kent Mediaeval, Tudor, Stuart & more england

Day 3: Hever Castle, Penshurst Place. The castle where Henry VIII wooed Anne Boleyn had become a decrepit farm by the time William Waldorf Astor applied his fortune to its renovation. Now it has sumptuous interiors, outstanding tapestries, Tudor portraits and a mock-Tudor village for guests. For Nikolaus Pevsner, ‘there is no finer or more complete 14th-century manor house than Penshurst Place’. The ancestral home of the Sidney family has fine furniture, porcelain, needlework, armour and portraits. The garden was restored in the 1860s to its appearance around 1700. Day 4: Leeds Castle, Squerryes Court. One of Britain’s most idyllically sited houses was the strategic fortress of mediaeval queens, and palatial enough to host the Holy Roman Emperor. The Anglo-American heiress Olive, Lady Baillie, employed French designers to decorate the castle, introducing Flemish tapestries and Impressionist paintings. In the late afternoon we visit Squerryes Court, and stay for dinner. This fine brickwork William and Mary mansion contains artworks collected by the family since 1731. The estate produces wine, and there is a visit to the vineyard.

4–8 September 2017 (me 534) 5 days • £1,440 Lecturer: Anthony Lambert A wonderfully varied selection of country houses and their gardens in a single county. Inhabited mediaeval castles, Tudor palaces and Stuart manor houses, properties improved in the last great age of country house building. Among the special arrangements are two dinners and a lunch in houses visited. One hotel throughout, a characterful 17th-century country house in 22 acres of parkland. Led by country house writer Anthony Lambert.

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The county known for centuries as the ‘Garden of England’ for its orchards, hops and oast houses still boasts remarkably unspoilt landscapes and villages, despite its proximity to London and the transport links to south-east ports. That closeness to the metropolis lay behind the creation of most of them, being built by courtiers who needed to be within a day or two’s ride to the capital. Some played a part in affairs of state at the highest level: the woman indirectly responsible for the creation of the Church of England lived at Hever Castle, where Henry VIII’s frequently unannounced visits placed an almost insupportable burden on Anne Boleyn’s mother. Knole was decorated with the cast-offs from royal palaces as a perquisite of office, helping to fill its reputed 365 rooms. At the other end of the scale are the elegant but more modestly sized houses built and enlarged by men with the proceeds of merchant adventuring, finance or trade. Chilham Castle was built by Sir Dudley Digges who had early links with Virginia and Canada, and St Clere and Squerryes were owned by men who became Governors of the Bank of England. book online at www.martinrandall.com

The date of buildings ranges from twelfthcentury Leeds Castle to the twentieth century in the case of Astor’s enlargement of Hever, and the collections reflect both the acquisitions of families over many centuries and the application of great wealth to the quick assembly of items to populate an empty house. In this selection, there is an above average rate of properties rescued, restored and furnished by Americans both wealthy and discerning. Visits to the smaller houses benefit from private tours, allowing a fuller appreciation of the work required to maintain and sustain a country house in the twenty-first century.

Itinerary Day 1: St Clere. Leave central London by coach at 11.15am. St Clere, influenced by Inigo Jones, though with two rather anomalous Jacobean octagonal turrets, was built 1628–33 for the Parliamentarian Sir John Sedley. It has been in the current family since 1878 when acquired by the Governor of the Bank of England. We begin with lunch before a tour of the house and garden providing insight into the challenge of making a country house earn its keep. Dinner at the hotel. Day 2: Knole, Ightham Mote, Allington Castle. Knole sprawls around half-a-dozen courtyards. Built by an Archbishop of Canterbury, it was briefly one of Henry VIII’s palaces before being granted to the Sackville family who have lived here ever since. Restoration work means that only a few rooms are seen in 2017. One of England’s most picturesque moated mediaeval manor houses, the rooms of Ightham Mote range from the Great Hall with 16th-century stained glass to the drawing room with 18th-century Chinese wallpaper. Return to the hotel midafternoon for a couple of hours before setting off for dinner at Allington Castle, still moated and still largely mediaeval though restored for habitation in the early 20th century.

Day 5: Chilham Castle. The foundations of Chilham date from the 11th century, while the red-brick Jacobean house now on the site has the peculiar plan of five sides of a hexagon. The private tour visits the garden as well as the principal rooms. There is some free time in the highly attractive village before returning to central London by 4.30pm.

Practicalities Prices, per person. Two sharing: £1,440. Single occupancy: £1,670. Included meals: 3 dinners, 1 lunch, with wine. Accommodation. Chilston Park Hotel, Lenham (handpickedhotels.co.uk/chilstonpark): an extended 17th-century manor house set in 22 acres of parkland. Each bedroom is decorated in an individual style; public rooms have an elegant, country house ambiance. How strenuous? Unavoidably, there is quite a lot of walking on this tour. It would not be suitable for anyone who has difficulties with everyday walking and stair-climbing. Coaches can rarely park near the houses, many of the parks and gardens are extensive and the houses visited don’t have lifts. Average distance by coach per day: c. 80 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Walking in the Cotswolds, 11–18 September 2017 (page 27). Illustration: Knole House, wood engraving c. 1880.

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

At Home at Weston Park Historic houses in Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Shropshire

Stay in a 16th-century coaching inn and then as guests at Weston Park, a 17th-century house set in 1,000 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown landscape. Country houses, gardens and parks in four counties in the West of England. Important examples of a range of styles from the twelfth to twentieth centuries, many with fine pictures, furniture, silver and porcelain. Special arrangements and out-of-hours visits.

Day 3: Ragley Hall, Hanbury Hall. Of several great houses designed by the scientist and architect Robert Hooke, Ragley is the sole survivor, though it was not completed until long after his death with additions by James Gibbs and James Wyatt. There are good paintings, ceramics and furniture and a modern sculpture park. Described as ‘every Englishman’s idea of a substantial squire’s red brick home of the age of Wren’, Hanbury was built c. 1700 and decorated with wall- and ceilingpaintings by Sir James Thornhill. The garden and orangery were designed by George London. First of three nights at Weston Park. Day 4: Weston Park. Today is spent at Weston Park with its curator Gareth Williams. The basically 17th-cent. house has an excellent picture collection, outstanding furniture, including choice pieces by Chippendale, and good ceramics. An in-depth tour includes items not usually on display. There is time also to explore at leisure and walk in the ‘Capability’ Brown park. Overnight Weston Park. Day 5: Wightwick Manor, Shugborough. Wightwick Manor is one of the finest examples of the Victorian penchant for an ‘Old English’ amalgam of stone, brick, half-timbering and tile-hanging, but it is also distinguished by its collection of pre-Raphaelite paintings and William Morris furnishings. Shugborough has

all the elements of a substantial country estate: a magnificent Georgian house with a fine collection of paintings, silver and ceramics; Grade I-listed parkland peppered with classical monuments; a working model farm; and a lively family history. Overnight Weston Park. Day 6: Attingham Park. Set in parkland designed by Humphry Repton, Attingham has magnificent Regency interiors and one of the first picture galleries to be built in a country house. It is fi lled with the collection of Italian furniture, paintings and silver formed by the diplomatist 3rd Lord Berwick. The tour ends at Shrewsbury Railway Station by 3.20pm and at Wolverhampton Railway Station by 4.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,880. Single occupancy: £3,020. Included meals: 3 lunches, 4 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. The Lygon Arms, Broadway (thehotelcollection.co.uk): 16th-century coaching inn; some parts date back to the 14th century. Situated in the high street of Broadway. Weston Park, Weston-under- Lizard (weston-park.com): set in 1,000 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown parkland. A country house where one may stay, rather than a hotel, offering the experience of being a guest while the family is away. How strenuous? Unavoidably, quite a lot of walking. Coaches can rarely park near the houses, many of the parks and gardens are extensive and the houses visited don’t have lifts. Average distance by coach per day: c. 47 miles. Group size: between 12 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Walking Hadrian’s Wall, 8–14 May 2017 (page 32).

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Along the Welsh borders are some of the most enchanting landscapes in Britain, largely unspoilt thanks to being beyond the reach of metropolitan commuters. Its agriculture remains small in scale, family farms and artisan food producers maintaining earlier field systems with hedges and an abundance of trees. The houses visited illustrate the evolution of taste over many centuries. Hellens perfectly demonstrates the adaptation of a small monastery into one of Britain’s most atmospheric houses, deeply rural yet playing its part in national affairs. Ragley is the only surviving example of a country house designed by the polymath Robert Hooke, colleague of Sir Christopher Wren. Classicism shaped Hanbury, Shugborough and Attingham. Eastnor combines Norman and Gothic Revival elements while Madresfield’s many reconstructions have produced a house resembling a moated Elizabethan mansion but, like Wightwick, it is celebrated for its Arts & Crafts interiors. Important parks surround some of the houses: Weston Park has one of the few remaining ‘Capability’ Brown pleasure grounds, several are by Repton and the magnificent group of mostly Greek-inspired monuments in the park at Shugborough is a landmark in 18th-century architecture. A very special feature of this tour is that participants stay for three of the five nights in one of these houses. Weston is basically a late seventeenth-century mansion fi lled with fine paintings – Holbein, Van Dyck, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Stubbs – and furniture and other arts. Formerly the property of the Earls of Bradford, it belongs to a private charitable trust. It is not a hotel, but caters for high-end special events. Our group has exclusive access, and while there this great country house is your home. You are free to wander through the house and grounds at leisure.

lived in ever since by his descendants. Edward the Black Prince dined in the stone-flagged hall and the Tudor, Jacobean and Stuart additions contain paintings and heirlooms from the Civil War, fine 17th-century woodwork and Cordoba leather wall hangings. The novelist Evelyn Waugh was a frequent guest at Madresfield, where the oldest part is the 12th-cent. Great Hall. Rebuilt in the 16th, 19th and 20th cents., the house is famous for its Arts & Crafts chapel and library. Overnight Broadway.

Itinerary Day 1: Eastnor Castle. The coach leaves Gloucester Railway Station at 12.00noon. Spectacularly situated above a lake, early-19thcentury Eastnor is a splendid example of the Norman and Gothic revival, with a drawing room by Pugin. The sumptuous and beautifully restored interiors are hung with paintings by Van Dyck, Reynolds, Romney and Watts. First of two nights in Broadway. Day 2: Hellens, Madresfield Court. Transformed from a monastery into a fortress in 1292 by Mortimer, Earl of March, Hellens has been

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16–21 May 2017 (md 311) 6 days • £2,880 Lecturer: Anthony Lambert

Eastnor Castle, chromolithograph c. 1880. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Walking to Cornish Houses landscapes & history between Fowey & Padstow eNglANd

17–23 May 2017 (md 303) 7 days • £2,070 Lecturer: Dr Paul Atterbury 20–26 September 2017 (me 533) 7 days • £2,070 Lecturer: Dr Paul Atterbury Five walks of up to 6½ miles through Cornish countryside followed by visits to country houses. A mixture of grand and smaller country houses and gardens, many visited by special arrangement. Stay in Fowey and Padstow, among the most vibrant and picturesque Cornish seaside towns, with charming hotels and modern British food. ‘Cornwall is a land beyond England’, in Simon Jenkins’s happily ambiguous phrase. First, prosaically, it protrudes: with a coastal path of 300 miles and with no village more than 16 miles from the sea, the Cornish peninsula extends mainland England far to the south and west. Second, in some less definable way, it feels palpably distinct. Much of the landscape and streetscape is unmistakably and intensely English, but equally unmistakable is a pervasive all-enveloping Cornishness. The physical reality of slate and granite gave rise to tough economic realities; except at the height of the Industrial Revolution, Cornwall has usually been among the least prosperous parts of the country, mining and fishing and marginal farming providing hard ways to earn a living. Redolent of struggle and privation, the county provides a less luxuriant version of the traditional English scene – reminiscent in many ways of the England of a generation or two ago. There are moorland and coastal landscapes of rugged beauty, but also vistas of heart-stopping charm. There are dramatic cliffs, becalmed valleys with patchwork emerald fields, fecund gardens in sub-tropical microclimates, dour yet impossibly

Padstow, Place House, steel engraving 1832.

pretty fishing villages, architectural gems among country mansions, and proud little towns. The added charm of these walks is that at the end of each one is a country house or garden of distinction. We have chosen a selection based on their proximity to first-class countryside or coastal landscapes, but also to offer a variety of architectural periods and styles. Many are still privately owned and open to us by prior appointment or outside usual opening hours. The tour stays in Fowey and Padstow, both bustling holiday destinations in the summer months, but which exude a quieter charm and sense of purpose in the spring and autumn seasons. They are also both home to restaurants building their reputations on locally sourced and well-cooked British food.

Day 3: Caerhays Castle, Trewithen. Walk 3 miles across coastal cliffs and woodland to Caerhays Castle, with some steep ascents and descents, short stony sections and a long, stepped descent at the end (130 steps). There is a guided tour with the head gardener of this Grade II* listed estate. Return to Fowey for the afternoon to explore the port and town, whose literary associations include Daphne du Maurier.

Itinerary

Day 5: the Camel Trail, Pencarrow. Drive to begin walking a 4-mile section of the level Camel Trail. After lunch drive to Pencarrow, the home of the Molesworth-St Aubyn family for 500 years; the current house is Georgian, delightful inside and out and with fine gardens. Return to Padstow for some free time.

Day 1: St Germans, Port Eliot. The tour starts at Plymouth railway station at 1.00pm. Drive to the picturesque village of St Germans from where we begin a 1½-mile walk to Port Eliot, a Grade I listed house, substantially remodelled in the 18th-century, in part by Sir John Soane; the Round Room here is considered one of his masterpieces, now decorated with Robert Lenkiewicz’s mural The Condition of Man. Visit St German’s Priory, once the bishop’s seat for Cornwall. Continue to Fowey for the first of three nights. Day 2: Fowey, Lanhydrock. Topped and tailed with ferry crossings, this moderate to strenuous walk begins with the splendid cliffs of Lantic Bay and continues with undulating farmland, the soaring mediaeval parish church at Lanteglosby-Fowey, a secluded wooded river valley and views across the estuary to Fowey. 6½ miles. In the afternoon walk 1 mile through woodland to Lanhydrock House. A fine Jacobean mansion surrounded by gardens, park and landscape, the opulent interiors display the entire spectrum of life in a top-end Victorian household.

Day 4: Trerice to Padstow. Cross the peninsular towards the north coast, breaking the journey for a short walk and to visit Trerice, an Elizabethan manor house. In the afternoon there is a 5-mile coastal walk, before continuing to Padstow, a picturesque fishing port that has long attracted visitors, the allure recently enhanced by Rick Stein’s restaurants. First of three nights in Padstow.

Day 6: St Enodoc’s Church, Rock. Drive out to Polzeath before a 3-mile walk across Daymer Bay to Rock; John Betjeman is buried in the tiny church at Trebetherick. Return by passenger ferry from Rock to Padstow. Visit St Petroc’s Church and Prideaux Place, a gorgeous manor house, Elizabethan and Strawberry-Hill Gothic, still a private home (visit subject to confirmation). Day 7: Tremanton Castle. Set high on a hill, Tremanton Castle has spectacular views eastwards towards Plymouth. It dates back at least to the Domesday Book, and has been in the hands of the Duchy of Cornwall since the 14th century. The coach returns to Plymouth station by 3.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,070. Single occupancy: £2,460. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine.

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Accommodation. Fowey Hall (foweyhallhotel. co.uk): late Victorian mansion, set above the town centre with extensive estuary views from the grounds. Elegant public rooms compliment the comfortable bedrooms; rooms with a view are allocated on a first come, first-served basis. In Padstow we occupy the rooms above Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant (rickstein.com): rooms vary in size and outlook, but throughout decor is fresh and modern and the service is excellent. How strenuous? This tour should only be considered by those who are used to regular country walking, with some uphill content; some steep rises and falls are unavoidable, and walking sticks are recommended. Strong knees and ankles are essential, as are a pair of well-worn hiking boots with good ankle support. There are five walks of between 1 and 6½ miles. Average distance by coach per day: 43 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Walking Hadrian’s Wall, 8–14 May 2017 (page 32); Walking in the Cotswolds, 11–18 September 2017 (page 27).

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Walking in the Cotswolds Gardens, manor houses & fine parish churches eNglANd

11–18 September 2017 (me 527) 8 days • £2,440 Lecturer: Dr Steven Blake Six walks through some of the loveliest countryside in the world with stops to enjoy buildings and landscape features. A carefully selected itinerary which favours the lesser-visited and less accessible places over some of the more touristy ones. Several outstanding gardens are a feature, as are manor houses and a handful of the finest parish churches in the country. Stay in a former 17th-century coaching inn. Dr Steven Blake leads – a historian specialising in the history of Gloucestershire.

Itinerary Day 1: Coln Valley. The tour starts at Cheltenham Spa railway station at 2.00pm. Leaving luggage on the coach, walk for five miles following the path of the River Coln, past the picturesque villages of Coln St Dennis, Coln Rogers and Winson. Approach Bibury and the hotel on foot, passing Arlington Row, the renowned terrace of cottages that led William Morris to refer to Bibury as the most beautiful village in England.

‘A Cotswold sheep pasture’, watercolour by G.F. Nicholls, publ. 1908.

Day 2: north Cotswolds. A morning visit to the 4,000-year-old Neolithic burial chamber of Belas Knap, the finest long barrow in Gloucestershire, followed by a walk along the Cotswold Way (2 miles) to Sudeley Castle, famous for its honeyed stone and magnificent gardens. After a break for lunch there is another walk (3 miles), through the attractive town of Winchcombe to Hailes, to visit the ruins of a 13th-century Cistercian abbey and a Romanesque church with wall paintings. Day 3: the Eastleaches, Fairford, Kelmscott. Visit the churches of Eastleach Martin and Eastleach Turville. The magnificent Perpendicular St Mary at Fairford is Britain’s only parish church with a complete set of mediaeval stained glass windows, and of the highest quality too. In the afternoon visit Kelmscott Manor, the Tudor house acquired by William Morris, founder of the Arts and Crafts movement. Day 4: Stanway and Sezincote. Visit Stanway House, one of the Cotswolds’ loveliest manor houses. Walk from Stanway to Stanton (2 miles) and have lunch at a local pub. Drive to Sezincote, built in the Mogul style of Rajasthan and the inspiration for the Brighton Pavilion. Day 5: Painswick and Quenington. Visit the unfinished Victorian Woodchester Mansion and then Painswick for a walking tour. Return for a while to Bibury before driving to Quenington for a late afternoon exploration of the village, followed by dinner at a private manor house. Day 6: central Cotswolds. Beginning and ending in Sapperton, walk (5 miles) through undulating woodland and pasture, with periodic open vistas. Pass a number of buildings in the Arts and Crafts style. Cirencester is a flourishing market town with modern metropolitan businesses and streets with many 17th- and 18th-century delights. The soaring magnificence of St John the Baptist is of cathedral-like proportions, while the Corinium Museum houses a fine collection of RomanoBritish antiquities.

Day 7: Chipping Campden. Walk to Chipping Campden from Dover’s Hill (1 mile), enjoying spectacular views over the escarpment. Possibly the most beautiful of all Cotswold towns, it is a gilded masterpiece of limestone and craftsmanship and home to one of the very finest wool churches in the area. There is some free time here. Continue to Hidcote Manor Gardens, one of the most inventive and influential gardens of the 20th century, before visiting the gardens at Kiftsgate Court. Day 8: southern Cotswolds. A special visit to the gardens at Highgrove, the country house of the Prince of Wales (subject to confirmation). The coach returns to Cheltenham Spa railway station by 4.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,440. Single occupancy: £2,790. Included meals: 1 lunch and 5 dinners with wine. Accommodation: The Swan, Bibury (cotswoldinns-hotels.co.uk): 4-star hotel set in a former 17th-century coaching inn on the banks of the River Coln. Single rooms are doubles for sole use. How strenuous? This tour should only be considered by those who are used to regular country walking, with some uphill content. The paths are usually on grassy tracks or through woodland, combined with some paved road. Climbing and crossing stiles are a regular feature on these paths. Strong knees are essential, as are a pair of well-worn hiking boots with good ankle support. There are six walks of between 1 and 5 miles. Average distance by coach per day: 45 miles.

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The Cotswolds famously encompasses some of the loveliest countryside in England. Loveliness belongs not only to the countryside but also to the buildings that go with it – viscerally pretty villages, farmsteads, manor houses and market towns. An essential ingredient of the winning formula is the building stone, seemingly 80% honey and 20% lichen, extruded from the hills on which they stand and sculpted by generations of masons who honed their craft with instinctive good taste. The vernacular is timeless and utterly beguiling, though it incorporates some of the grandest and proudest town houses in England. Some could almost have been designed by Andrea Palladio himself – and some practically were, the designs transmitted to Gloucestershire artisans through the innumerable copycat pattern books which buoyed up English provincial building for a couple of centuries. Parish churches are a particular glory of the Cotswolds. Mostly mediaeval, they range from the diminutive, artless and additive – often blessedly under-restored and un-modernised – to the great churches in the larger villages and towns with soaring arcades, acres of glass, elaborately sculptured tombs and towers and spires to rival any in the country. Where did the money come from? Wool. Prized as the best in Europe by the Merchant of Prato in the fourteenth century, wool and cloth manufacturing was the basis for solid prosperity from the Middle Ages to the Industrial Revolution – when the water power of the hills and valleys pushed the region to the forefront before the advent of steam power knocked it back again. Thus the Cotswolds slumbered, ripe for discovery as a rural idyll by the bicycle-mounted aesthetes and romantics of the late Victorian era.

Group size: between 12 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with Oxford & Oxfordshire, 4–9 September 2017 (page 35); Walking to Cornish Houses, 20–26 September 2017 (page 26).

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Walking to derbyshire Houses Magnificent countryside & great country houses eNglANd

an extraordinarily pretty village, and the largely Jacobean Hall is a delight; Georgian interiors, family documents and terraced gardens. After lunch and time in the village there is a walk along an enchanting rural route to the village of Parwich (1 hour, elevation gain 50m). Day 4: Chatsworth House. Walk for half an hour from the hotel along the valley to Chatsworth House. Dating largely from around 1700 and the 1840s, Chatsworth is not only one of the grandest country houses in Britain but also an extraordinary treasure-house of art and furnishings, brilliantly presented as refurbishment continues. A tour in the morning is followed by about three hours of free time, to revisit the house and to explore the gardens. Leave for an afternoon walk (75 mins, elevation gain 105m) past an inhabited Elizabethan tower back to the hotel.

Dovedale, early-19th-century engraving.

3–8 July 2017 (md 384) 6 days • £2,130 Lecturer: Dr Paul Atterbury Daily walks over hills, dales and landscaped parks followed by visits to country houses. A mixture of grand stately homes and smaller mansions: Kedleston, Haddon, Tissington, Chatsworth, Sudbury and Hardwick. Stay throughout in a comfortable hotel on the Chatsworth Estate.

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One of the joys of a walk in the English countryside is glimpsing a great house in the distance. At first just dimly perceived chimneys and roofs, the rest screened by trees, but as the walk continues more is revealed, and beauty beckons. But after further progress along the path, foliage and land mass reassert themselves and the mansion passes from sight. Unless the house is the goal of the walk. Then it continues to grow in size, in detail, in magnificence, until one is examining it from the front lawn. Maybe next one mounts the steps and passes over the threshold; or peel away for refreshments or lunch – on this tour the more frequent course, given that arrival follows a country walk of an hour or two, or three. This tour includes some of the greatest houses in the country, outstanding representatives of their period, laden with treasures – Haddon, Hardwick, Chatsworth, Sudbury and Kedleston. Tissington also features, for contrast but also for its intrinsic delight. Famously, the Peak District offers wonderful walking country, and all but one of our walks are within the boundaries of this, the oldest National Park in Britain. Most consists of rumpled hills and their covering of little green fields, dry stone walls, deciduous trees and a dense population of cattle and sheep. There are only occasional hints of moorland.

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Landscaped parks are another feature, with their carefully composed arboreal clumps syncopated with grassy hillsides, serpentine lakes and grand avenues. River valleys provide another pleasure. Romantic poets delighted in Dovedale, for over two hundred years one of the most famous walks in the world. Wordsworth explored the valley as a young man and crystallised his recollections many years later in The Prelude: ‘In summer, making quest for works of art, / Or scenes renowned for beauty, I explored / That streamlet whose blue current works its way / Between romantic Dovedale’s spiry rocks’.

Itinerary Day 1: Derby, Kedleston Hall, Baslow. Leave Derby Station at 12.30pm for the 20-minute drive to Kedleston. Starting at the Doric gateway to the estate, walk through meadows, woodland and the ‘Capability’ Brown park to one of the supreme monuments of Classical architecture and decoration in England (40 minutes, cumulative elevation gain 15 metres). Inside and out Kedleston Hall has hardly changed since the 1760s. Continue to Baslow where all five nights are spent. Day 2: Bakewell, Haddon Hall. Drive to the lovely historic town of Bakewell. Walk out into fields and gradually up through farmland to the village of Over Haddon (c. 55/60 mins, elevation gain 125m). After refreshments, descend through fields, gently at first, with views of the hillsides beyond the Wye and Lathkill Valleys, with tantalising glimpses of Haddon Hall in the valley (60/70 mins). Late mediaeval and Tudor, and with exquisite terraced gardens, Haddon Hall is for some the most arrestingly beautiful and atmospheric house in England. Return to Baslow by coach. Day 3: Tissington, Parwich. Sir Richard FitzHerbert gives commentary during a walk through his estate (1½ hours, negligible elevation gain). The landscape is enchanting, quintessential Derbyshire, the hills gentle, trees plentiful, fields bounded by hedges or stone walls. Tissington is

Day 5: Dovedale, Sudbury Hall. The River Dove has carved a spectacular limestone gorge which has delighted walkers for generations. Our route leads up Hall Dale and out into the open countryside where livestock graze and the views stretch for miles across Ilam and the Manifold Valley. The three-hour (with stops) walk shows all the diversity of the White Peak (6.2 miles, elevation gain 170m). Rebuilt in the 17th century, Sudbury Hall features an English-made, richly decorated Great Staircase. It is now owned by the National Trust and houses the Museum of Childhood. Day 6: Hardwick Hall. The final walk is another which begins at the edge of an estate and winds through varied terrain to reach the house, which sits atop a high scarp. Features include two magnificent avenues and a woodland walk laid out by Lady Spencer, mother of Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire. (1½ hours, elevation gain 90m). Built in the 1590s by the richest woman in England, Hardwick Hall ranks among the greatest Elizabethan architecture and most memorable interiors in England. Return to Derby station by 5.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,130. Single occupancy: £2,310. Included meals: 2 lunches, 3 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. The Cavendish Hotel, near Chatsworth (cavendish-hotel.net): located on the Chatsworth Estate, it has been an inn for centuries. All bedrooms have good views and elegant décor with original artwork. How strenuous? This is a walking tour, with 8–10 (two could be omitted) country walks of 40 minutes–3 hours. Two are on fairly level terrain but some are moderately strenuous with cumulative elevation gain of up to 170 metres. Participants must be used to regular country walking with significant uphill element (see the itinerary for cumulative elevation gain). A feature of the Peak District are the squeeze stiles, gaps in drystone walls too narrow for livestock. Some step stiles require walkers to raise the foot as high as their knee. Participants require fitness, stamina and agility. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

literature & Walking in the lake district Following Wordsworth & Ruskin in spectacular countryside

Wordsworth, Ruskin and Beatrix Potter, their homes and surrounding countryside, combined with five country walks. Led by Ruskin specialist Christopher Newall. Stay in a hotel overlooking Lake Windermere.

Itinerary Day 1. The coach leaves Oxenholme Lake District Railway Station at 2.40pm (c. 2 hours 40 minutes from London on the West Coast line). Blackwell was designed by the Arts and Crafts architect, M. H. Baillie Scott, in 1898 as a holiday home for Manchester brewer, Sir Edward Holt. With spectacular views of Lake Windermere, it is a wonderful example of Arts and Crafts architecture. In 1999 it was saved by the Lakeland Arts Trust. Drive to Waterhead hotel where all four nights are spent. Day 2. A day in the footsteps of Wordsworth. Begin at Rydal Mount, the Wordsworth family home from 1813–50; this elegant house and fine gardens welcomed many literary visitors. Walk along the ‘Coffin Route’: coffin bearers used this path from Rydal to Grasmere before the main

road was built and heavy flattened stone slabs still intermittently line the path. Following a lecture at the Jerwood Centre from an expert speaker, visit Dove Cottage, the Wordsworths’ first Lakes home which subsequently belonged to Thomas de Quincey. Walk to the thriving town of Grasmere for independent exploration, rich with literary connections. Return to Rydal Mount along Loughrigg Terrace, a raised footpath which traverses the slope of Loughrigg Fell above Rydal Water. Total for both walks along footpaths and country lanes of 5½ miles, moderate– strenuous in places with some uneven ground and two short climbs. Day 3. Drive to the pier at Coniston for the passenger ferry across Lake Coniston, the setting for Arthur Ransome’s novel Swallows and Amazons, and the best way to arrive at John Ruskin’s home from 1872 to 1900. The house has an extensive literary history and a major collection of Ruskin’s drawings, paintings, and scientific collections; it also contains his original furniture and his boat and Brougham carriage are displayed in outhouses. An afternoon walk of 4 miles mostly level on footpaths and country tracks, easy underfoot, with a short ascent from Brantwood through Monks Coniston and the restored walled garden to Coniston. Day 4. Tarn Hows is a picturesque man-made lake built on land donated by Beatrix Potter. A moderate walk around the lake, with a refreshment break en route, before descending to Hawkshead. Visit Hill Top, Beatrix Potter’s 17th-century farmhouse, before driving to Hawkshead to see Wordsworth’s grammar school. There is also the opportunity to visit the Beatrix Potter gallery. Day 5. Set in 17 acres above Windermere, Holehird Gardens are some of the finest gardens

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For over two hundred years, tourism, agriculture and industry have enjoyed a synergy in the English Lakes thanks in part to its rich and diverse geology. The striking contrasts between fell and dale are apparent to all visitors, the result of glacial action during the last few thousand years, when the snow and ice melting around very hard rocks formed lakes in the valleys left below. This sheer natural splendour caught the attention of the wider world by two revolutions in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries; firstly artistic, as learned English gentlemen travelled to the Lake District to see the ‘picturesque’ landscapes of European masters like Poussin, Lorraine and Rosa, and secondly industrial. A network of roads was built to improve communications, and by 1768 a road north through Westmorland and Cumberland had been built, providing open road to privately-owned carriages. The idea of touring the Lakes for artistic purposes took hold – the poet Thomas Gray travelled between Keswick and Lancaster in late 1769, observing and commenting on the scenery. His account, published in 1775, was received to great acclaim and the region soon became a popular destination for the ‘touring’ classes, particularly as travelling to continental Europe was impossible. William and Dorothy Wordsworth returned to their childhood roots (he was born in Cockermouth and educated at Hawkshead) when they moved to Dove Cottage in Grasmere in 1799. From this modest two-storey house he spent many hours walking: to and from Rydal, to Ambleside and to Keswick, the home of Coleridge and Robert Southey. Dorothy recorded his many walks in her Journal; indeed the day that they first saw those daffodils on the shores of Ullswater Lake in April 1802 is immortalised with her diary entry: ‘I never saw daffodils so beautiful’. Wordsworth’s poetry and essays had a deep impact on other artists, notably John Ruskin. His long poem The Excursion, an essay on the virtues of mankind, and in particular Wordsworth’s social concern and eagerness to promote respect between humans and the rural landscape, chimed with Ruskin’s conservationist views. Ruskin had visited the Lakes many times before making his home at Brantwood on Coniston Water, from where he would observe the colour of the sky and bemoan changes to the rural idyll that he attributed to human intervention through the local quarrying industry. The arrival of the steam engine and the first railway into the Lakes in 1847 vexed both men, and as the tourist numbers accumulated year on year, they became increasingly vocal about manmade structures damaging and destroying what they considered the delicate balance between man

and nature that defined the Lake District. Beatrix Potter also championed traditional artisanship, and after settling in Hawkshead in the 1900s, used the proceeds from her books to buy properties and land to save them from development. A large part of her estate was left to the National Trust, which was co-founded by her friend H.D. Rawnsley in the 1880s. The Lake District became one of the UK’s first National Parks in 1951, after nearly a century of campaigning. Today its enduring beauty and rich history continue to attract many visitors, but the vast landscapes ensure there is space for reflection and rejuvenation for everyone. This short tour picks the region’s literary highlights and intersperses them with moderate walks, no more than four miles in distance, and with limited ascents, so that it can be enjoyed by everyone who is used to country walks of up to three hours.

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10–14 July 2017 (md 395) 5 days • £1,430 Lecturer: Christopher Newall

Dove Cottage (Wordsworth’s house), watercolour by Francis S. Walker, publ. 1907. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

literature & Walking in the lake district continued

early Railways: The North History, technology, architecture, landscapes

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Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,430. Single occupancy: £1,590. Included meals: 1 lunch and 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Waterhead, Ambleside (englishlakes.co.uk/hotels/): comfortable, modern 4-star hotel on the shore of Lake Windermere. How strenuous? This is a walking tour: it is essential for participants to be in good physical condition and to be used to country walking. There are some short but steep uphill sections and terrain can be uneven and slippery in wet weather. There are five walks (two on one day) of no more than 4 miles or 2½ hours in length. Average distance by coach per day: 21 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with Walking to Derbyshire Houses, 3–8 July 2017 (page 28).

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‘A well planned and balanced itinerary, a good mix of walks, guided tours and talks. Interesting and varied.’

What else is included in the price? See page 7. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Newcastle, Stephenson’s High Level Bridge, steel engraving c. 1850.

11–18 June 2017 (md 329) 8 days • £2,840 Lecturer: Dr Paul Atterbury 17–24 September 2017 (me 542) 8 days • £2,840 Lecturer: Anthony Lambert The pioneering periods of railway history– social, political and economic aspects, civil and mechanical engineering, architecture and art. Includes a high proportion of the world’s earliest surviving steam locomotives, rolling stock, stations, bridges and viaducts. Most journeys are by train, some through outstanding scenery, some on historic railways, some steam traction likely. Hotels in Newcastle and York beside stations. Led by lecturers already well known to MRT clients who are also prominent railway writers. It’s arguable whether any previous event had a more transformatory impact on the lives of inhabitants of this island than the coming of the railways. But whatever else could be suggested – the Norman Conquest, the Henrician Reformation – would be of merely local significance: the British invention of railways went on to change the lives of much of the population of the world. This tour examines the beginnings of this extraordinary development, of which there are surprisingly many physical remains, many visually stunning, many still in use. It is commonly but erroneously believed that railways were a Victorian phenomenon. The fact is that the first inter-city passenger service dates to the reign of William IV, the first public railway to use steam locomotives opened under George

IV, the first viable steam engines were built while George III was still king, the first major railway bridge opened during the reign of George I, the earliest stationery steam engines started pumping while a Stuart, Queen Anne, was still on the throne and the earliest documented wagonways in England take railway history back to a Tudor, Elizabeth I. Victoria’s reign saw massive extension of the the railways, but not its genesis. The scale of pre-twentieth-century railway engineering is almost inconceiveable, especially given the limited mechanical aids available. Digging, blasting, tunnelling, embanking, bridging; thousands of navvies and skilled artisans employed on each major project; carving up the countryside, thrusting cacophonously into towns and cities, absorbing great wealth, yielding even greater riches, creating a vast penumbra of supporting businesses. A couple of the railway companies were for a while the world’s biggest public companies (one of many world records which will pepper the lecturers’ commentaries). Railways transformed the world, transformed the way we live and think and imagine. And it all began in the North of England. Impelled by the need to transport coal and ore from mine to wharf, Tyneside and vicinity became the crucible in which the assorted ingredients of the modern railway were finally fused together. Connecting inland Manchester with coastal Liverpool was an incentive on the other side of the country; London, soon to be the world’s biggest city, was irrelvant to the story in these pioneering years. While plenty of twentieth-century developments are seen in passing, the focus is earlier. The most recent major item on the tour is the Forth Bridge, opened in 1890. Though engineering and technology are of course central to the tour, much of the input from the lecturers

Itinerary Day 1: Newcastle, Tanfield. Drive at 2.00pm from the hotel in Newcastle the few miles to the Tanfield Railway. With a claim to be the oldest working railway in the world, it opened in 1727 using gravity and horse power on wooden rails. Part of this extraordinary engineering enterprise was the Causey Arch, the world’s first railway bridge and the widest span in Britain for 30 years. Join a train at Andrews House Station and alight at Causey before returning. First of three nights in Newcastle. Day 2: Beamish, Shildon. By coach to Beamish, the North of England Open Air Museum, where the world’s finest collection of working replicas of early steam engines (Locomotion, Steam Elephant, Puffing Billy) plies the Pockerley Wagonway. The Shildon branch of the National Railway Museum is on the site of the engine works of the Stockton & Darlington Railway; among the many exhibits is Timothy Hackworth’s Sans Pareil, runner-up in the Rainhill Trials of 1829. To avoid rushhour road congestion, the last leg is by rail from Durham. Overnight Newcastle. Day 3: Edinburgh, Firth of Forth. By train to Edinburgh, a scenic route running beside the sea and crossing the viaduct at Berwick (Robert Stephenson 1849). Change at Waverley Station for the Forth Bridge (Fowler and Barlow 1882–90), of importance for engineering innovations and sheer size. Disembark at North Queensferry and examine the structure from underneath and the water’s edge. In Edinburgh, visit the National Museum of Scotland where a new wing (2016) gives prominence to Puffing Billy (Hedley and Hackworth 1814). Some free time. Overnight Newcastle.

Day 7: Settle-Carlisle Railway. ‘The most spectacular piece of railway engineering in Britain’, the Settle-Carlisle Railway (built 1869–75) traverses the moorland hills of the Yorkshire Dales. Twice last century it faced closure, but it survives as England’s most scenically exciting rail journey. Today’s itinerary: by train via Leeds to Settle, train to Ribblehead, walk around the viaduct and lunch, continue by rail to Kirkby Stephen, and then do the journey in reverse without stops except at Leeds. Overnight York. Day 8: York. The National Railway Museum at York is the world’s greatest such collection, possessing hundreds of engines, rolling stock and miscellaneous items – royal carriages, Mallard, a replica Rocket and many other fascinating treasures. The lecturer finishes his tour by the end of the morning. As you are only a few minutes from the hotel and York Station you leave when you want.

Dr Paul Atterbury. A writer, lecturer and expert on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, has had a life-long interest in railways and railway history. He has written over twenty books on railways and was for a while Britain’s best-selling railway author. He is associated with various heritage railways and is a judge for the National Railway Heritage Awards.

Anthony Lambert. A history graduate, has written or contributed to over twenty books on railway history and travel and was consultant editor to the nine-volume partwork The World of Trains. He is a trustee of two railway museums, one rebuilding and operating steam locomotives over the main line, and a judge for the National Railway Heritage Awards. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,840. Single occupancy: £3,260. Included meals: 4 lunches, 5 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Crowne Plaza, Newcastle (crowneplaza.com): a new hotel on the site of the Stephenson Works in Forth Street next to the station. The Royal York Hotel, York (hotelroyalyork.co.uk): built beside the station in 1878 by the North Eastern Railway, recently refurbished by the Principal Hayley group.

How strenuous? Days start between 8.40 and 9.30am and most finish at the hotel 5.30–6.30pm, so not a strenuous schedule. There is quite a lot of walking including steps and short hills, so not suitable for people unused to daily walking and stair climbing. The option for keen walkers of a two-mile moorland walk at Ribblehead requires stout footware. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Great Railway Termini, 9 June 2017 (please contact us for full details or visit www.martinrandall.com).

Stephenson’s ‘Rocket’.

BRITISH ISLES

Day 4: Newcastle, Darlington. Visually dramatic and historically important, the bridges spanning the Tyne includes R. Stephenson’s innovatory High Level Bridge for both road and rail (1845–9). There is some free time in Newcastle, which has the most impressive late Georgian architecture of any regional city, good Victorian buildings and art galleries. Drive to the Head of Steam Museum in Darlington whose prize exhibit is George Stephenson’s Locomotion which inaugurated the Stockton & Darlington in 1825. First of four nights in York.

oldest, survives. Castlefield has an extraordinary, Pirenesian conjunction of viaducts and canals, including the pioneering Bridgewater Canal (1761). A semi-rural afternoon near Marple outside Manchester along the towpath of the Peak Forest Canal to see the beautifully engineered flight of locks and astonishing 100 ft-high aqueduct (1800) across the River Goyt; the adjacent railway viaduct is even higher. Overnight York.

england

is about social and political context, financial and economic factors and architectural and artistic matters. A number of attractive towns and cities are visited, and there are some splendidly scenic rail journeys.

Day 5: North Yorkshire Moors Railway. By coach to the attractive market town of Pickering, the terminus for the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Planned by G. Stephenson and opened in 1846, it was a victim of the Beeching cuts but was brought back to life as a heritage railway using vintage rolling stock and engines. Travel for an hour (by steam maybe) through exceptionally lovely countryside to Grosmont. After lunch, return to Pickering for a little free time. Overnight York. Day 6: Manchester, Marple. By rail to Manchester. The Liverpool & Manchester Railway opened in 1830 and the original station, the world’s

31 Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Walking Hadrian’s Wall Roman civilization at the edge of an Empire england

8–14 May 2017 (md 265) 7 days • £1,860 Lecturer: Graeme Stobbs

crest of the faultline of dolerite crags, dipping and climbing. There are spectacular stretches, excellently preserved milecastles, staggering views: moorland, lakes, conifer forests to the north, richly variegated greens, plentiful livestock, distant vistas to the south (4½ miles, up to 3 hours). Pub lunch. Chesters, the most salubrious of the forts (lavish bath house), built for 500 Asturian cavalrymen, in enchanting river valley setting.

11–17 September 2017 (me 532) 7 days • £1,860 Lecturer: Graeme Stobbs The archaeology and history of the largest Roman construction in northern Europe.

Day 4: Vindolanda, Newcastle. The fort and town of Vindolanda is the site of ongoing excavations which are revealing everyday artefacts including, famously, the ‘postcard’ writing tablets which uniquely document details of everyday life. Drive to a couple of archaeological remains, the Mithraic temple at Brocolitia and the bridge abutments across the river from Chesters.

The most spectacular stretches accessible only on foot, this is also a walking tour through some of the most magnificent scenery in England. Excursions from coast to coast include all the major Roman sites and relevant museums. One hotel throughout, the best in the region. The lecturer is Graeme Stobbs, curator for the Hadrian’s Wall Museums.

BRITISH ISLES 32

Traversing England from the Tyne estuary to the Solway Firth, the Wall was conceived and ordered by Emperor Hadrian in ad 122 to mark and control the northernmost limit of the Roman Empire. The ambition was extraordinary, its fulfilment – far from the pool of skills and prosperity in the Mediterranean heartlands of the Empire – astonishing: a fifteen-foot-high wall 73 miles long through harsh, undulating terrain with 80 milecastles, 161 intermediate turrets and flanking earthwork ditches and ramparts. Fifteen or sixteen forts, many straddling the Wall, housed a garrison of 12–15,000 soldiers from radically different climes elsewhere in the Empire, including Syria, Libya, Dalmatia, Spain and Belgium. A populous penumbra of supply bases and civilian settlements grew up nearby. As a feat of organisation, engineering and will-power, Hadrian’s Wall ranks among the most extraordinary of all Roman achievements. Its story does not end with its completion within Hadrian’s reign because for the remaining three centuries of Roman control there were constant changes both to the fabric and to its administration and occupation. A study of the Wall leads to an examination of practically every aspect of Roman civilization, from senatorial politics in Rome to the mundanities of life for ordinary Romans – and Britons – who lived in its shadow. But the Wall itself remains the fascinating focus, and the subject of endless academic debate. For the modern-day visitor the Wall has the further, inestimable attraction of passing some of the most magnificent and unspoilt countryside in England. Happily, archaeological interest is greatest where the landscape is at its most thrilling, and it is in this central section, furthest from centres of population, that the tour concentrates. The principal excavated sites can be visited with no more exertion than on an average sightseeing outing, but to see the best surviving stretches of the Wall, and to appreciate the vastness of the Roman achievement, to view many of its details and to immerse fully in the scenic beauties, there is no substitute for leaving wheels behind and walking along its course. How strenuous are the walks? On each of the five full days there is a walk of between two and three hours, covering up to four miles. The slow book online at www.martinrandall.com

Bust of Hadrian, engraving c. 1840.

progress is in part due to stops to examine the archaeology and to take in the wonderful views. But also the terrain is often quite rough, and periodically there are rises and falls, sometimes quite steep, though rarely of more than 50 metres and often aided by rough-hewn stone steps recently made for the Hadrian’s Wall Path. It is not a tough trek but nevertheless it should only be attempted by people whose regular country walks include some uphill elements. A coach takes you to the start of each walk and meets you at the end, eliminating the need to retrace steps or carry much except water and waterproofs. Each day has been planned to provide a balanced mix of archaeology, more general sight-seeing and cross-country trekking, and for this reason the walks do not constitute a linear progression. On most days you return to the hotel by 5.00pm, allowing plenty of time to relax before dinner.

Itinerary Day 1: Housesteads. The coach leaves Newcastle Central Station at 2.15pm (or from the hotel, Matfen Hall, at 1.30pm) and takes you straight out to Housesteads. With standing remains of up to 10 feet, this is the best preserved of the Wall’s forts and evocatively reveals the usual panoply of perimeter walls and gateways, headquarters building, commander’s palatial residence, granaries, hospital, latrines. Remote and rugged, there are superb views. Day 2: walk Steel Rigg to Cawfields; Corbridge. The first walk is perhaps the most consistently rugged as it follows long, well-preserved stretches of the Wall through moorland above the cliffs of the Whinsill Crag; a thrilling walk (2¾ miles, over 2½ hours). Pub lunch. Corbridge began as a fort in the chain built in c. ad 85 but left to the south by Hadrian’s Wall it became a large civilian town. Day 3: walk Housesteads to Steel Rigg; Chesters. Again for much of the route the Wall rides the

Day 5: walk Gilsland to Birdoswald; Chesters, Brocolitia. Walk through low-lying and pretty farmland with streams and wild flowers. The only mile with both milecastles and turrets visible, and good lengths of Wall (2 miles, 1½ hours). In Newcastle, the Great North Museum has the best collection of objects excavated along the Wall. Day 6: walk Walltown to Cawfields; Carlisle, Bowness-on-Solway. The final walk is spectacularly varied, from rocky hilltops to lowland pasture (5 miles, 2½ hours). Great Chesters fort has good remains of gates and other structures, with lengths of the Wall up to two metres high. Drive to Carlisle to see the Wall collections in the Tullie House Museum, and continue to the evocative estuarial landscape of the Solway Firth. The Wall ended at the remote village of Bowness-on-Solway. Day 7: South Shields, Wallsend. At South Shields, Arbeia is a fine reconstruction of a fort gateway, as well as reconstructions of a soldier’s barrack block and an opulent house belonging to the Commanding Officer. At aptly named Wallsend and now engulfed in the Tyneside conurbation, Segedunum was the most easterly of the forts, the layout clearly seen from a viewing platform. The coach takes you to Newcastle railway station by 2.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,860. Single occupancy: £1,990. English Heritage members (with cards) will be refunded c. £20. Included meals: 3 lunches, 5 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Matfen Hall Hotel (matfenhall. com): a 19th-century Jacobean-style mansion, Matfen Hall is a fine country house hotel offering excellent service. How strenuous? Please read the last two paragraphs of the introduction. You should not consider this tour unless you possess a well-used pair of walking boots, are more than averagely fit, have good balance and a head for heights. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: At Home at Weston Park, 16–21 May 2017 (page 25); Walking to Cornish Houses, 17–23 May 2017 (page 26); Walking a Royal River, 4–10 September 2017 (see opposite); Oxford & Oxfordshire, 4–9 September 2017 (page 35).

Walking a Royal River Art, architecture & history from the source to Hampton Court eNglANd

4–10 September 2017 (me 521) 7 days • £2,440 Lecturer: Dr Paul Atterbury Walk between two and five miles a day from the source of the Thames to Hampton Court. Along the towpath and through the gentle hills which flank the valley. Visit villages, churches, country houses, gardens and palaces with regal connections from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Itinerary Day 1: Thames Head. Leave The Swan Hotel, Bibury, at 2.15pm or Kemble Railway Station at 3.00pm. The tour begins with the source of the Thames. A soaring rockface, a majestic spurt: an awesome spectacle. Actually, no. A damp patch, the trickle varying with yesterday’s weather, reached by walking across three fields. Total walk: 3½ miles on grassy, level paths. First of three nights in Bibury. Day 2: Inglesham, Lechlade, Great Coxwell. Begin the day with Inglesham church, a beautifully isolated church dating to Saxon times. Continue on foot and walk c. 3 miles along the river to

Windsor Castle from the Thames, watercolour by E. Haslehurst, publ. 1910.

Lechlade-on-Thames, a vibrant small town with a fine Gothic church and a handsome bridge. Visit the masterful mediaeval barn at Great Coxwell, which King John gave to the Cistercian monks in 1203 as part of the Manor of Faringdon. Return to Bibury with a 2½-mile walk along grassy paths and through woodland from Coln St Aldwyns.

tarmac or grass) to Cookham, life-long home of painter Stanley Spencer (1891–1959); there is a gallery of his work and a fine parish church. Visit Windsor Castle, founded by William I and occupied by every monarch since. The Queen spends most of her private weekends at the Castle, which is also used for State occasions.

Day 3. Buscot, Kelmscott. Begin the walk at Buscot, whose church has a Burne Jones window, and continue c. 2½ miles on a level, grassy path beside the Thames. Visit Kelmscott Manor, the Tudor house acquired by William Morris, founder of the Arts and Crafts movement. In the afternoon visit Buscot Park, a Palladian mansion with Burne Jones paintings and outstanding gardens.

Day 7: Hampton Court Palace, London. Hampton Court was begun by Cardinal Wolsey, enlarged by Henry VIII and 150 years later partly rebuilt by Christopher Wren for William III and Mary II. The most sumptuous of surviving Tudor palaces is joined to the most magnificent of 17th-century buildings in Britain; great interiors, fine works of art, beautiful gardens, a formal park. Drive to London, arriving by c. 3.00pm.

Day 4: Wittenham Clumps, Dorchester, Ewelme. Begin at the river at Shillingford and then walk up to Wittenham Clumps, a pair of hillocks with views over a particularly attractive stretch of the Thames Valley. Descend through woods and across farmland, passing an Iron Age fort, to Dorchesteron-Thames. Total walk: c. 4½ miles. Visit the abbey church here, one of the finest mediaeval buildings in Oxfordshire, where St Birinus baptised King Cynegils of Wessex in 635. Continue to Ewelme, site of a Saxon palace, and today a unique complex of 15th-century church, almshouses and school, all still functioning. First of three nights in Marlow. Day 5: Hardwick, Henley-on-Thames, Cliveden. Mapeldurham House is an Elizabethan stately home that has been in the same family for about five hundred years. It is open by special arrangement. See the River and Rowing Museum at Henley-on-Thames with its extensive collection of art, photographs and boats relating to river history. Cliveden’s magnificent formal gardens and woods beside the Thames have been admired for centuries. Cliveden was once the glittering hub of society, visited by virtually every British monarch since George I, home to Waldorf and Nancy Astor in the early 20th century and renowned for its parties and political gatherings. Day 6: Cookham, Windsor. Walk from the hotel beside the river (4½ miles on a level path along

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,440. Single occupancy: £2,740. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. The Swan, Bibury (cotswoldinns-hotels.co.uk): former 17th-century coaching inn in the heart of the village. The Compleat Angler, Marlow (macdonaldhotels.co.uk): very comfortable hotel, well-positioned beside the Thames with excellent views. How strenuous? There are 6 walks of between 2 and 5 miles, usually on flat and well-trodden grassy paths or tracks through woodland, combined with some paved roads and towpaths. Some walks include ascent and descent, climbing over stiles and on day 4, a climb of 230 feet up to Wittenham Clumps. You should be accustomed to countryside walking and prepared for the (sometimes inclement) British weather. Average distance by coach per day: 38 miles.

BRITISH ISLES

‘The Thames is no ordinary waterway. It is the golden thread of our nation’s history.’ It is not to disparage Churchill’s irresistibly orotund metaphor to assert nevertheless that, by comparison with the other great rivers of the world, the Thames is puny. But therein lies its enchantment. While in its lower reaches the river passed through what was for a couple of centuries the largest city in the world and host to its largest port, above the tidal limit at Teddington it was too narrow, too shallow and too meandering to contribute much to the industrial or commercial might of Britain in the early modern era. A vital channel of communication when oars and poles were the locomotive forces – not least to transport rulers and courtiers to their country retreats upstream of the capital – for much of its length the Thames is now a bucolic backwater. This tour selects some of the most attractive stretches of the river to walk along, but it does not follow a linear journey from one end to the other. While resorting regularly to the towpath (now a designated long-distance trail, the Thames Path), the itinerary also ranges through varied countryside and gentle hills, and includes a representative spread of the best of the buildings, artefacts and art in the region. As much as anything, this tour is an exploration of the English village. The numerous examples are as well-preserved as they are various. Parish churches and Iron Age forts, manor houses and major mansions, rapturous gardens and leafy churchyards, mediaeval, classical and railway-era bridges, associations with artists and writers, and of course quintessential riverine landscapes: these are chief among the attractions of the tour. It omits the larger towns, as a travel writer put it in 1910, ‘You cannot rusticate at Reading’. Even Oxford is by-passed; to cram the city into an afternoon would be cruel.

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Walking Hadrian’s Wall, 11–17 September 2017 (see opposite).

Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Constable & gainsborough Stour Valley landscapes & london galleries eNglANd

14–17 August 2017 (md 478) 4 days • £1,110 Lecturer: Hugh Belsey mbe Visit sites associated with both Constable and Gainsborough in London and the Stour Valley. Travel through beautiful unspoilt scenery that both artists would still recognise. Visits to major London collections which house the largest density of each artist’s œuvre. Stay in the charming village of Dedham. The idyllic pastoral landscape of the Stour Valley was the birthplace and inspiration for two of Britain’s best known and most influential artists: Thomas Gainsborough and John Constable. Tractors may have replaced peasant workers but

the gently undulating countryside checkered with hamlets and fields where livestock graze remains largely unchanged from the time both artists studied the area. Thomas Gainsborough, although primarily known as a portrait artist, was greatly moved by this scenery and its influence can be seen in the background of his most famous works. He always maintained that he preferred landscape painting and consequently produced numerous studies of the Suffolk countryside. Many of these are on display at Gainsborough House in his home town of Sudbury, which holds the largest collection of his works outside London. The majority of John Constable’s seminal works were studied and sketched along a three mile stretch of the river Stour where he lived and worked between 1816 and 1821. The works he produced here include The Hay Wain, one

of Britain’s most recognisable paintings. Little has changed in the small hamlets of Dedham, Flatford and East Bergholt since Constable lived there, allowing the viewer to explore the scenes immortalised in paint. The bucolic landscape plays a central role in the tour, sandwiched between visits to the major galleries in London to view and digest the great masterpieces of each artist’s oeuvre and then to explore the landscapes that inspired them.

Itinerary Day 1: London, Dedham. Meet in Central London at 10.00am and visit the National Gallery, the location of many of Constable’s and Gainsborough’s most famous works including The Hay Wain and Mr and Mrs William Hallett (‘The Morning Walk’). Continue to Tate Britain to view drawings not normally on display, as well as the permanent collection. Drive to ‘Constable Country’. Day 2: East Bergholt, Flatford, Dedham. A day exploring the three charming villages in which Constable lived and worked. St. Mary’s Church in East Bergholt has changed little since he painted The Church Porch, East Bergholt. The site of his family home and his studio are also here. The hamlet of Flatford, seat of the family business, provided a convenient location for Constable to study and is the inspiration for many of his most famous works. Walk a waymarked footpath, a level, grassy trail following the River Stour to Dedham (1½ miles). View Constable’s Ascension in Dedham Church. Day 3: Sudbury, Ipswich. Drive to Gainsborough House in Sudbury, the artist’s birthplace and family home, now a museum holding the largest collection of his works outside London, with particular focus on his Suffolk works. Images include: Mrs Mary Cobbold with her daughter Anne in a landscape with a lamb and ewe and Portrait of Harriet, Viscountess Tracy. Continue to Ipswich to visit the Wolsey Art Gallery, in a wing of Christchurch Mansion designed specifically to house the town’s collection of works by Constable and Gainsborough. Day 4: London. Return to London and visit the prints and drawings collection at the British Museum by special arrangement. The tour ends in central London by 3.00pm.

BRITISH ISLES

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,110. Single occupancy: £1,230. Included meals: 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Milsom Hotel, Dedham (milsomhotels.com): modern hotel; on the banks of the river Stour, overlooking Dedham Vale. How strenuous? This tour would not be suitable for anyone who has difficulty with everyday walking and who cannot stand for long periods of time. The tour includes a walk (1½ miles) along a river bank which requires a good level of fitness. Average distance by coach per day: 51 miles.

Steel engraving c. 1850 after John Constable’s ‘The Cornﬁeld’ (1826) depicting part of the Dedham Vale. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Oxford & Oxfordshire Art & architecture eNglANd

4–9 September 2017 (me 515) 6 days • £1,880 Lecturer: Dr Cathy Oakes Oxford, one of the world’s great historic cities: a dense accumulation of architecture in every style. A wide variety of architecture, interiors and gardens in glorious settings. Special arrangements and out-of-hours visits. One hotel throughout, a country inn in the historic market town of Burford. Led by Dr Cathy Oakes, architectural historian and Oxford resident.

Itinerary Day 1: Oxford, Burford. The coach leaves Oxford Railway Station at 1.30pm. The large number of late mediaeval merchants’ houses and ancient inns derive from Burford’s prosperity as a centre for the wool trade in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Continue to the Lamb Inn where all five nights are spent.

Oxford, Merton College, watercolour by George F. Carline, publ. 1922.

Day 2: Oxford. The Divinity School is a glorious 15th-century lecture hall surmounted by a library built for the manuscripts given to the university by the younger brother of Henry V, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester. Other libraries are the circular Radcliffe Camera (exterior) by James Gibbs and the mediaeval one at Merton College, which has the oldest collegiate buildings in the university. Christ Church was founded by Cardinal Wolsey but incorporated the Norman church of an Augustinian Priory, now a cathedral. Christopher Wren’s first major commission, the Sheldonian Theatre was designed to stage the university’s ceremonies. Day 3: Blenheim, Rousham. Blenheim Palace is the grandest house in Britain, and the country’s greatest Baroque building. It is the outcome of a huge sum of money given in 1705 by a grateful nation to John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough, and of John Vanbrugh’s genius. After a private visit to the state apartments there is time to enjoy the gardens and the ‘Capability’ Brown park. Rousham Park is an early exercise in the Picturesque, almost unchanged since it was laid out in the mid-18th century against the backdrop of a house designed by William Kent. Day 4: Oxford. New College was built on a lavish scale by William Wykeham in the 14th century, while 15th-century Magdalen College is set in its own deer park and has one of the most beautiful mediaeval towers in England. The 17th-century chapel in Trinity College is a perfect example of Carolean architecture and decoration; William Butterfield’s Keble College is one of the most strident and famous examples of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. Designed in the 1960s by Arne Jacobsen, St Catherine’s is Oxford’s tribute to the Modernist movement. The Ashmolean Museum is one of the most important art museums in the country. Day 5: Broughton, Bloxham, Chastleton. Broughton is a moated and fortified manor house still occupied by the Fiennes family who have lived there since the 15th century. In an attractive village which still retains much of its

mediaeval street plan, Bloxham church is one of the largest parish churches in the country; sculpted 14th-century Last Judgement, painted rood screen, wall-paintings. A fine late 16thcentury manor house, Chastleton was boldly designed and lavishly decorated within with wood carving and plaster work. Day 6: Iffley, Ewelme, Dorchester. The parish church in Iﬄey, on the banks of the Isis, is rich in Romanesque sculpture and has a window by John Piper. A monument to the patronage of Chaucer’s granddaughter, Alice, Duchess of Suffolk, the 15thcentury complex of school, almshouses and church at Ewelme is unique, and still functioning. The magnificent church of Dorchester Abbey survives with 14th-century stained glass windows with remarkable tracery, carved in the shape of a Jesse Tree. Return to Oxford Railway Station by 3.00pm. Some appointments cannot be confirmed until early 2017 and it may be that not all the visits mentioned will be possible.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,880. Single occupancy: £2,130. Included meals: 1 lunch and 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. The Lamb Inn, Burford (cotswold-inns-hotels.co.uk): 3-star hotel in a historic Cotswolds market town. Originally a 15th century weaver’s cottage, it is a comfortable country inn with 17 individually decorated bedrooms and a small garden. The hotel restaurant has been awarded two AA rosettes.

BRITISH ISLES

Gerard Manley Hopkins described it as ‘cuckoo-echoing, bell-swarmèd, lark-charmèd, rook-racked, river-rounded’, Chaucer set one of his most raucous tales there and Matthew Arnold’s Scholar Gypsy haunted its surrounding countryside. Oxford is a jewel in a magnificent setting which has stimulated countless intellects and imaginations over the centuries and which still bears the marks of well over a thousand years of history. It is as a university town, and one of the most ancient in Europe, that Oxford is renowned and most of its historic buildings are connected with this aspect of its heritage. Nevertheless we will be probing even deeper into its past as we visit Christ Church cathedral and Iﬄey parish church, both of which predate the university’s foundation in the late twelft h century. The university buildings on our list demonstrate the development of mediaeval collegiate life at foundations such as Merton, New and Magdalen and go on to represent the work of many of the most famous English architects from Wren, Hawksmoor and Gibbs to Butterfield and Cockerell; St Catherine’s College bears witness to the university as a patron of great architecture into the modern period. Oxfordshire provides a gentle foil to the intense historical and cultural experience which is Oxford. An undulating pastoral landscape dotted with golden limestone towns, villages and grand houses, is the heritage of an area which enjoyed enormous prosperity in the late mediaeval and early modern periods. The town of Burford with its huge parish church and handsome high street dropping steeply down to the River Windrush, the theatrical might of Vanbrugh’s Blenheim, the gardens at Rousham, a remarkable survival of the Picturesque, and Broughton Castle, which Pevsner describes as ‘the finest and most complete medieval house in the country’, are among the delights. Beyond Oxford itself our wanderings will take us to castles, churches and villages where hopefully, like the ‘Scholar Gypsy’ we will be able to enjoy ‘the live murmur of a summer’s day’.

How strenuous? A lot of walking and standing. Coaches cannot park near close to several properties. Paths are often uneven so surefootedness is essential. Quite a lot of time is spent on the coach on narrow, country roads. Average distance by coach per day: 45 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with Walking in the Cotswolds, 11–18 September 2017 (page 27). Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

In Churchill’s Footsteps Oxfordshire, london & Kent eNglANd Blenheim, aquatint 1793 after Joseph Farington (1747–1821).

21–24 September 2017 (me 552) 4 days • £2,060 Lecturer: Terry Charman Visit places key to Churchill’s life in the company of Churchill historian Terry Charman. Several special arrangements; out-of-hours visits. Two nights in a country house in Oxfordshire where Churchill regularly stayed and one night in central London. There is no single supplement.

BRITISH ISLES 36

‘Winston Churchill was the greatest Englishman and one of the greatest human beings of the twentieth century, indeed of all time.’ So Max Hastings began Finest Years: Churchill as Warlord (2010). Roy Jenkins concluded his 2001 biography with the verdict that Churchill was ‘the greatest human being ever to occupy 10 Downing Street’. These are the views of first rate historians, not of hagiographers or eccentrics, and are shared by millions around the globe. It has not always been thus. In 1932 a British delegation in Moscow was being questioned by Stalin about contemporary politics. ‘What about Churchill?’ he asked. ‘Oh,’ replied Nancy Astor with a scornful little laugh, ‘he’s finished.’ Detractors were legion for much of his political career, the years of his wartime premiership being no exception. A steady flow of revisionist historians have followed suit. Churchill was more right about more things than an average handful of statesmen put together. It is also true that his judgement was intermittently badly flawed, the consequence perhaps of the huge range of matters to which he turned his attention, his exceptionally long political career, his boundless energy, his boldness and his ambition. Anti-Churchill myths are strangely tenacious (no, he didn’t order troops against the strikers at Tonypandy), but on most of the major issues of his book online at www.martinrandall.com

time, not only was his judgement sound but it was frequently in defiance of prevailing wisdom, and often demonstrated almost preternatural foresight. The use of ‘human being’ in both the quoted encomia is striking: alternative substantives are inadequate for such a towering – and humane – personality. Compassion was the virtue he ranked highest, a belief in decency the bedrock of his political life, liberty his goal. Yes, he was possibly the greatest war leader the world has known; but for the quantity and impact of progressive social legislation he shepherded through Parliament he was probably unsurpassed by any other British politician of the twentieth century. He had a will of iron, colossal courage and the intellect of a genius, but he was lovable and approachable, easily moved to tears by the sight of suffering or forbearance. His famous wit was rarely acerbic and never cruel. This unique tour illuminates Churchill and his tumultuous times through visits to places which played a key role in his life.

Day 3: London. Designed by Barry and Pugin, the House of Commons is one of the most richly ornamented Victorian buildings. Walk around Whitehall passing key Churchill sites including the Admiralty, Downing Street, St Margaret’s and Westminster Abbey (for evensong). A private visit to the Churchill War Rooms with dinner in the Hamsworth Room. Overnight London.

Itinerary

Price, per person: £2,060 (no single supplement).

Day 1: London, Harrow. Meet in central London by 9.50am and visit the Churchill Museum in Whitehall, an excellent presentation of his life. Next visit Harrow School, where he spent five years with famously mixed fortunes. Churchill stayed at Ditchley Park in Oxfordshire for 15 weekends 1940–42 when the moon was high (Chequers being feared visible to the Luft waffe). Built in the 1720s, it is one of the finest country houses of its time. Two nights are spent here. Day 2: Blenheim, Bladon, Ditchley. Blenheim Palace, Churchill’s birthplace, is the grandest house in Britain. It was given by the nation in 1705 to John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough. We have a special out-of-hours visit to the WSC collection and state apartments followed by time to enjoy the gardens and the ‘Capability’ Brown park. Then visit the nearby church at Bladon where WSC was buried (1965). Second night at Ditchley.

Day 4: London, Chartwell. On the way to Kent, digress via Sidney Street of ‘Siege’ fame (1911). Then to Chartwell, his beloved family home in the country from 1924 to the end of his life. ‘I love the place – a day away from Chartwell is a day wasted.’ The house, studio, gardens and outhouses are maintained as during the Churchill occupancy with photographs, sound recordings and numerous memorabilia. Return to central London by 5.00pm.

Practicalities Included meals: 3 lunches, 3 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Ditchley Park, Oxfordshire (ditchley.co.uk): built in the 1720s by James Gibbs and William Kent, Ditchley Park is now used for discreet political conferences. Not a hotel, visitors are treated as house guests and are able to take advantage of several drawing rooms and extensive grounds. The Royal Horseguards, London (guoman.com): a 5-star hotel in the heart of Whitehall adjacent to the National Liberal Club. How strenuous? The tour involves quite a lot of walking and should not be attempted by anyone who would have difficulty with this and with stairclimbing. Average coach travel per day: 58 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Crécy, Agincourt & Waterloo, 13–17 September 2017 (page 59); The Age of Bede, 16–19 September 2017 (page 20).

Crown & Cromwell Battles of the English Civil War 1642–45

The most important contests of the first English Civil War Some of the most beautiful and least visited battlefields in the country. Three fine hotels in the heart of England. Led by a military historian whose background provides unparalleled insights into the politics and the fighting of the period. What makes this tour stand out is the way that past and present are startlingly linked. For, although it’s more than 350 years since Britain was plunged into the bitter chaos of civil war, the scars still remain: churches whose spires have been shot away or pulled down, earthworks and trenches, gun-damaged walls and ramparts, mass graves – all of these sites are still there to be seen if you know where to find them. These, of course, are only the physical signs of strife; the constitutional and emotional fault-lines still affect our daily lives. In England and Wales 85,000 men were killed in battle while another 127,000 people died of warrelated disease or starvation. Yet from slaughter and regicide came our Parliament, our democracy and the bastions of society – the monarchy, the church, the tenets of our law, our navy and our army. Less positively, though, the embers of hatred, which flare to this day in parts of Ireland, were fanned by the events that we’ll be examining. Three major battlefields of the First English Civil War are visited, Edgehill in Warwickshire, Marston Moor in Yorkshire and the Crown’s final defeat at Naseby in Northamptonshire. But we’ll see far more than these sites as we walk over sconces and redoubts, ravelins and lunettes in some of England’s most beautiful and bestkept secret countryside. We’ll see how York was ravaged, reveal Oakwell Hall’s Civil War connections, see Newark Castle, Lincoln Cathedral and the very ground where the New Model Army won its spurs, as well as a host of smaller battles and skirmishes – the anvils upon which modern Britain was forged.

Itinerary

Day 2: Battle of Adwalton Moor. In the morning we will focus on weaponry at Oakwell Hall, before commencing our investigation of the battlefield. In June 1643 the Earl of Newcastle marched a vast force of 10,000 Royalist troops towards the Parliamentarian stronghold of Bradford. In defence of the town, Lord Fairfax advanced with 3,500 men and the two armies met on Adwalton Moor. The overwhelming

Day 3: Battle of Marston Moor, the biggest battle ever to be fought in Britain. Having taken York on 1 July 1644, Prince Rupert sought to destroy Parliament’s much larger forces. He should have attacked earlier but was dissuaded and during the day both sides gathered their full strength on Marston Moor, west of York. The Scots Covenanters and Parliamentarians launched a surprise attack. After a melee lasting two hours, Cromwell’s troops drove Royalist cavalry from the field whilst Leven’s infantry wiped out what remained of Rupert’s infantry. Overnight Lincoln.

by the King against the main Parliamentary army. It ended inconclusively and condemned the country to four more years of strife. At Cropredy Bridge, things were more clear cut in June 1644. After several reversals earlier, Charles’s troops captured 11 guns from the Parliamentarians and crushed Waller’s forces. We’ll tread in the king’s footsteps and see how his cause was reinvigorated at this crucial point. Overnight Stratford-on-Avon. Day 7: Battle of Naseby. The last pitched battle of the war, Naseby proved to be Charles’s final throw of the dice, his first and last chance to shatter the recently created New Model Army. In June 1645 Charles and Rupert chose to stand and fight; initially things went well with Fairfax’s Parliamentarians falling back. But Cromwell turned the tide; his Dragoons manoeuvred brilliantly and Rupert’s own Bluecoat Regiment were depleted as they formed the rearguard for the Royalist army and for Charles’s last hope of victory. Coach to Northampton railway station arriving c. 1.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,760 Single occupancy: £1,990 Included meals: 2 lunches, 4 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. The Grange, York (grangehotel. co.uk): 10 minutes’ walk from the Minster, décor and furnishings combine period and modern in this converted Georgian town house. The Castle Hotel, Lincoln (castlehotel.net): luxury hotel in Lincoln’s historic quarter, close to the cathedral. The Arden Hotel, Stratford-uponAvon (theardenhotelstratford.com): comfortable waterside hotel situated opposite the RSC theatres.

Day 4: Battle of Winceby, Lincoln. In October 1643, Henderson, the Royalist Governor of Newark, took Horncastle from a detachment of Fairfax’s troops. Determined to reverse this, Parliamentary cavalry met their enemies in what became the almost entirely mounted battle of Winceby. Still early in his military career, Cromwell feigned a retreat, lured the Royalists onto flat ground and then charged home. We will see where Cromwell himself was unhorsed, where his troopers smashed the Royalist Horse and the bloody aftermath. In Lincoln Cathedral, examine its Civil War and other military monuments. Overnight Lincoln. Day 5: Sieges of Newark. The wonderful old market town of Newark was besieged three times in the Civil War. First, briefly, in 1643, after which it was dashingly relieved in 1644 by Rupert before becoming the scene of King Charles’s surrender in 1646. Spectacular earthworks still exist and we’ll visit the new National Civil War Centre, see the site of a mass grave and recreate the final months of the King’s reign in this atmospheric setting. Overnight Stratford-on-Avon. Day 6: Battles of Edgehill, Cropredy Bridge. The first pitched battle of the War, in October 1642, Edgehill was designed as a knock-out blow

How strenuous? A considerable amount of walking (up to 2 miles) each day (both Marston Moor and Naseby also include modest hills); quite a lot of standing – up to 60 minutes – in exposed spots. Average coach travel per day: 65 miles. Group size: between 12 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: The Age of Bede, 24–27 June 2017 (page 20); Mediaeval Kent, 26–30 June 2017 (page 18). Illustration: portrait of Oliver Cromwell, wood engraving c. 1880 after Sir P. Lely.

Patrick Mercer obe. Patrick is uniquely qualified to lead this tour, which he designed, having served in both the Army and Parliament. He read History at Oxford and then spent 25 years in the army, achieving the rank of colonel, and subsequently worked for BBC Radio 4 as Defence Correspondent and as a journalist. He was MP for Newark from 2001 to 2014 and is the author of two books on the Battle of Inkerman. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Day 1: Siege of York. The tour begins at 2.00pm at the hotel in York with a walk to see the sites of the siege and capture of the city. In April 1644 Scots and Parliamentary troops besieged the Royalist garrison until 1 July when the city was relieved by Prince Rupert of the Rhine. But Rupert was defeated the next day at the decisive Battle of Marston Moor, and the siege resumed until the city was surrendered with the ‘honours of war’ on 16 July. Overnight York.

number of Royalist pikemen eventually forced the Parliamentarians back, the Royalist cavalry completing the victory. This rout guaranteed the King control over most of northern England until the next year. Overnight York.

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16–22 June 2017 (md 340) 7 days • £1,760 Lecturer: Patrick Mercer obe

Connoisseur’s London Less accessible & lesser known treasures england

25–29 June 2017 (md 375) 5 days • £1,880 Lecturers & guides: various specialists Great art and architecture and places of interest off the beaten track, not generally accessible or simply overlooked amid London’s vast riches. Several different lecturers and specialist guides and many special arrangements. Most evenings are free. Participants are offered theatre or concert tickets or dinners. Very centrally located 5-star hotel. London’s riches of art and architecture are both multitudinous and widely dispersed. Has even the most assiduous of Londoners seen everything that merits a visit? Surely not, so the good news for visitors and short-term residents is that there are plenty of delights awaiting discovery. This tour is intended for those who have some familiarity with the main sights and museums but have seen fewer of the innumerable lesserknown or out-of-the-way treasures. One major item is included – St Paul’s Cathedral – but special arrangements lift the visit above the ordinary.

During planning, themes emerged, and many of the places visited turned out to be houses and homes, among them the wonderfully eccentric Soane Museum, the Palladian perfection of Chiswick House, Wellington’s Apsley House and the newly restored Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath. Most days are over between 4.30 and 5.30pm, giving opportunity to attend a concert or play. We will buy a few tickets for choice events as they come on sale and offer them to participants, subject to availability.

Itinerary Day 1: Chiswick, Kensington. Leave the hotel near Whitehall at 11.00am by coach. Chiswick House in west London is a key work in the history of English architecture, a jewel-like Palladian villa of the 1720s in gardens of comparable historical importance. Then visit the mansion Lord Leighton built for himself in Kensington which is of a lavishness surprising even for the leading establishment artist of his day. Day 2: The City. London’s Livery Halls constitute a unique group of secular buildings of splendour and interest, and we visit one of the grandest. The

Guildhall Art Gallery has a little-visited collection of largely 19th- and 20th-cent. paintings and, recently discovered below, evocative remains of the Roman amphitheatre. The visit to St Paul’s Cathedral, Sir Christopher Wren’s greatest work and one of the great classical buildings of the world, includes parts not generally open to visitors. There is opportunity to attend Choral Evensong or Evening Prayer at 5.00pm. Day 3: Holborn, Westminster. Sir John Soane’s Museum is one of the most extraordinary in the world: adjacent town houses adapted by the eponymous architect and filled with his eclectic art collections. At the Wallace Collection the holding of French 18th-cent. painting, furniture and porcelain is second only to the Louvre, and there are great works by Titian, Rembrandt, Velasquez and others. The Banqueting House in Whitehall, the first truly classical-style building in Britain, designed by Inigo Jones in 1619, the ceiling painted by Rubens in 1636. Day 4: Hampstead, Bloomsbury. Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath is a very fine 18th-cent. mansion by Robert Adam with a marvellous picture collection, re-opened in 2013 after restoration. Hampstead is perhaps the loveliest of London’s villages; visit 17th-cent. Fenton House and its collection of keyboard instruments before descending to the Georgian squares of Bloomsbury and the Foundling Museum. With Handel and Hogarth as benefactors, the art here is remarkable. Day 5: Whitehall, Hyde Park Corner. The day begins with a walk through parks and quiet streets from the hotel to Hyde Park Corner, viewing historic buildings and monuments along the way. Apsley House is the magnificent home of the Dukes of Wellington and possesses one of the finest art collections in England. There follows lunch at one of the grandest of London’s historic clubs as guests of a member. The tour ends at the Whitehall hotel at c. 3.00pm. Note that appointments for some visits cannot be confirmed until January 2017.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,880. Single occupancy: £2,280. Included meals: 2 lunches and 1 dinner with wine.

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Accommodation. The Royal Horseguards, London (guoman.com): 5-star hotel in the heart of Whitehall. The style is that of an international hotel and bedrooms are very comfortable with all mod cons. All have a bath and shower. How strenuous? Participants need to be good walkers and have stamina. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Left: Banqueting House, copper engraving c. 1750.

Ballet in Paris & London, 28 March–2 April 2017. See page 78.

38 book online at www.martinrandall.com

lONdON dAYS ‘dear, damn’d, distracting town’ – Alexander Pope eNglANd

Our London Days explore the art, architecture and history of the most varied and exciting city in the world. They are led by carefully chosen experts, who provide informative and enlightening commentary. Meticulously planned with special arrangements and privileged access being significant features. These are active days, often with a lot of walking and standing. Travel is mainly by Underground, sometimes taxi, occasionally by private coach or bus. If you would like to receive fortnightly e-mail updates on new London Days, please contact us on info@ martinrandall.co.uk The selection of London Days here was up to date on 20th October 2017. More will have been launched since publication. Please visit our website or contact us for the latest update.

The Genius of Titian National gallery & Wallace Collection Wednesday 7 December 2016 (ld 964) Tuesday 10 January 2017 (ld 112) Friday 10 March 2017 (ld 168) Lecturer: Sheila Hale Study a selection of the fifteen unquestioned Titians at the National Gallery. Perseus & Andromeda and tea at the Wallace Collection. Travel between both collections by taxi. Price: £195. Combine the December Day with: The Italian Renaissance, 8 December 2017. Combine the March Day with: The Poetic Landscape, 9 March 2017.

Wednesday 18 January 2017 (ld 121) Lecturer: Professor Antony Spawforth Art and artefacts from before the Classical period to Roman copies of Greek sculpture made centuries after the originals, viewed in four sequential sessions. Exclusive entry to the Bassae Room. Lunch and refreshments at the Great Court restaurant. Price: £195. Combine this Day with: The Italian Renaissance, 19 January 2017.

Please contact us for full details or visit www.martinrandall.com.

The Italian Renaissance In the National gallery

Chinese Ceramics & collecting in Britain

Thursday 19 January 2017 (ld 122) Lecturer: Dr Michael Douglas-Scott

Friday 24 February 2017 (ld 157) Lecturer: Dr Konstanze Knittler

Thursday 9 February 2017 (ld 141) Lecturer: Dr Antonia Whitley

Visits to V&A and British Museum to see some of the best collections of Chinese ceramics outside China. Gain an understanding of collecting history and how passionate connoisseurs have shaped the galleries collections. Lunch in the William Morris room at the V&A. Price: £195.

A full day studying the finest collection of Italian Renaissance art outside Italy. Time for sustenance and reflection during refreshments and lunch in the National Dining Rooms. Group size limited to twelve participants. Price: £195. Combine the January Day with: Ancient Greece, 18 January 2017.

Ancient Egypt at the British Museum | Belief & society Friday 10 February 2017 (ld 142) Friday 5 May 2017 (ld 271) Lecturer: Lucia Gahlin Explore the customs, beliefs and and daily lives of the Ancient Egyptians through the British Museum’s rich collection. Benefits from the Friday evening openings. Refreshments in the Great Court restaurant. Price: £185.

Islamic Art in London The V&A & British Museum Thursday 2 March 2017 (ld 163) Lecturer: Professor James Allan Art and design put into their Islamic cultural contexts. Techniques explored which enabled the different media to develop. Lunch in the William Morris room at the V&A. Price: £205.

Combine this Day with: Great Railway Termini, 22 February 2017.

Spanish Art in London At the V&A, Wallace Collection & National gallery Saturday 4 March 2017 (ld 176) Lecturer: Dr Xavier Bray Explore paintings by El Greco, Velázquez, Murillo and Goya and discover lesser-known paintings and sculptures by other Spanish artists. Visit arguably the best collections of Spanish paintings outside Spain across three London galleries. Saturday departure. Price: £205.

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Ancient Greece At the British Museum

Copper engraving 1787 by J. L. Delignon, after Titian’s ‘Perseus & Andromeda’ (‘The Genius of Titian’).

Arts of India | At the V&A & Royal Asiatic Society Friday 24 March 2017 (ld 191) Lecturer: Charles Allen Entry to the Royal Asiatic Society by special arrangement. An exploration of how orientalism shaped British collections of Indian art and artefacts. Studies the manifold variety of Indian art in the V&A. Price: £195. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

LONDON DAYS continued

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The Poetic Landscape From Claude to Turner Thursday 9 March 2017 (ld 167) Lecturer: Dr Helen Langdon Stimulating day studying some of the finest English landscape paintings. Masterpieces by Constable, Turner, Poussin and Claude. Group size limited to twelve participants. Price: £195.

Robert Adam’s Country Houses Kenwood, Osterley, Syon

Combine this Day with: The Genius of Titian, 10 March 2017.

Wednesday 12 July 2017 (ld 397) Lecturer: Dr Geoffrey Tyack

Sculpture in London | Art in streets, squares & parks

Focus on Adam’s neo-classical architecture at three grand houses in the vicinity of London. Explore Adam’s striking interiors and decorative schemes. Travel by coach throughout. Price: £205.

Thursday 11 May 2017 (ld 279) Lecturer: David Mitchinson Visit the former Time & Life building by special arrangement. An exploration of diverse public sculpture including works by Moore, Hepworth, Gill and Epstein. Travel by Underground, taxi and on foot. Price: £170.

Paintings of the Passion At the National Gallery Friday 3 March 2017 (ld 175) Thursday 13 April 2017 – Maundy Thursday (ld 209) Lecturer: Dr Antonia Whitley Departures during Lent and Holy Week. Study the diversity of artistic response to the Passion. Group size limited to twelve participants. Price: £195.

Seven Churches & a Synagogue | Some of London’s finest historic buildings Wednesday 15 March 2017 (ld 173) Lecturer: Professor Gavin Stamp

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See page 242 for a list of London Days by date.

‘Wren’ in the City Parish churches & St Paul’s Monday 20 March 2017 (ld 182) Tuesday 29 August 2017 (ld 507) Lecturer: Professor Gavin Stamp Visit the Great Model and St Paul’s triforium by special arrangement. Visit six of Wren’s parish churches. See how this innovative architect transformed the City of London after the Great Fire. Price: £205.

Great Railway Termini Paddington, King’s Cross & St Pancras Stations Wednesday 22 February 2017 (ld 153) Lecturer: Dr Steven Brindle Friday 9 June 2017 (ld 323) Lecturer: Professor Gavin Stamp An exploration of the architecture of the three magnificent Victorian stations. Special arrangements to visit Queen Victoria’s waiting room at Paddington, the old Granary building at King’s Cross and the Renaissance hotel, St Pancras. Morning refreshments and lunch in a station pub and tea in the Renaissance hotel. Price: £190.

Visit an eclectic selection of religious buildings in central London from mediaeval to Gothic Revival. Wren, Gibbs, Hawksmoor, Butterfield and Ninian Comper explored. A private organ recital in a West End church. Lunch at Middle Temple Hall and travel by coach throughout. Price: £205.

Combine the February Day with: Chinese Ceramics, 24 February 2017 or Impressionism in London 24 February 2017.

The Ever-Changing City Skyline | Wren’s Cathedral to Rees’s Towers

London’s Underground Railway | A History & Appreciation of the Tube

Tuesday 4 April 2017 (ld 202) Tuesday 4 July 2017 (ld 382) Lecturer: Professor Peter Rees cbe

Wednesday 25 January 2017 (ld 128) Wednesday 5 April 2017 (ld 207) Lecturer: Andrew Martin

A walk surveying the City with its charismatic former chief planning officer. Understand the square mile’s business development through its architecture, streetscapes and watering-holes. End the day drinking cocktails in the Walkie-Talkie’s Sky Garden. Price: £210.

An anecdotal and affectionate approach to studying the history, architecture and design of the Underground. Travel the network to stations as diverse as Arnos Grove and Canary Wharf. Visit London Transport’s historic headquarters at 55 Broadway, by special arrangement. Price: £205.

Combine the April Day with: London’s Underground Railway, 5 April 2017.

Combine the April day with: The Ever Changing City Skyline, 4 April 2017.

book online at www.martinrandall.com

The London Backstreet Walk From Hyde Park to The Tower Thursday 18 May 2017 (ld 297) Lecturer: Giles Waterfield Thursday 1 June 2017 (ld 321) Lecturer: Giles Waterfield Thursday 15 June 2017 (ld 344) Lecturer: Barnaby Rogerson Wednesday 5 July 2017 (ld 389) Lecturer: Professsor Gavin Stamp Traverse the capital through its parks, gardens and backstreets. Architecture, picturesque vistas and intriguing quiet corners with time for some visits. Champagne at the Savoy and lunch at Middle Temple Hall. Price: £205. Combine the May Day with: The South Bank Walk, 19 May 2017. Combine the 15 June Day with: London Gardens Walk, 13 June 2017.

The South Bank Walk Famous & Forgotten sites Friday 19 May 2017 (ld 299) Thursday 24 August 2017 (ld 503) Lecturer: Dr Jeffrey Miller Thursday 27 July 2017 (ld 438) Lecturer: Sophie Campbell Explore the area’s architecture from Georgian terraces and Victorian warehouses to cuttingedge contemporary buildings. Visit City Hall, Southwark Cathedral, The Rose Playhouse and The Shard. Lunch in a restaurant overlooking the hustle and bustle of Borough Market. Price: £220. Combine the May Day with: The London Backstreet Walk, 18 May 2017.

The London Squares Walk London’s greatest glory Saturday 13 May 2017 (ld 281) Lecturer: Martin Randall Almost entirely intact squares from Belgrave Square to Collingham Gardens. Saturday departure. Led by Martin Randall. Price: £190.

London Gardens Walk The City & its borders Tuesday 13 June 2017 (ld 339) Thursday 17 August 2017 (ld 483) Lecturer: Amanda Patton A walk exploring old and new gardens and public spaces. Contemporary landscaping and planting by Professor Nigel Dunnett and Piet Oudolf. Lunch at The Charterhouse and a tour of their private garden by special arrangement. Price: £215. Combine the June Day with: The London Backstreet Walk, 15 June 2017.

MUSIC WeeKeNdS Spring 2017 at The Castle Hotel in Taunton

A music weekend arranged by Martin Randall Music Management is a very special experience. There is the pleasure, first, of hearing music performed by artists of the highest calibre, and who are all among the very best in their fields. Second, the music is performed in an intimate setting, a small hall little bigger than a large drawing room – just the sort of size which composers used to have in mind for chamber music. The audience is rarely more than a hundred, and consists mainly of those who stay throughout the weekend and attend all concerts. Third, the weekends take place in excellent hotels. The Castle Hotel in Taunton is among the most agreeable and comfortable hotels in England. We often have exclusive use during these music weekends, and there is the added opportunity for artists and audience to mingle. While these events are undeniably indulgent and leisurely retreats, they are also intended to stimulate the mind and enchant the aesthetic sensibilities. Within an over-arching theme, the music is carefully chosen and programmed to provide an illuminating sequence – while each concert is satisfyingly self-sufficient. Pre-concert talks by a musicologist are included. In the case of all our spring 2017 weekends, these are provided by the broadcaster and lecturer Richard Wigmore. Prices also include accommodation, most meals, admittance to the concerts and talks, and much else besides.

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Prices: from £730 per person Please contact us for full details or visit www.martinrandall.com

The Castle Hotel, Taunton.

In January, the ever-popular Wihan Quartet are joined by additional players to present quintets and sextets by Dvořák, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms. We also hear Dvořák’s Cypresses for string quartet. March sees the London Bridge Trio and guests perform a weekend of music by Mendelssohn and Schumann. As with their highly successful Mozart weekend in 2015, the programme has been jointly curated by Richard Wigmore and Daniel Tong, pianist with the Trio.

The season finishes in April 2017 when the Vienna Piano Trio perform five concerts of complete Schubert trio works over the Easter weekend. Some of the composer’s duo works are also included, as are several works by other major composers. Individual concert tickets are also available (£24 for morning concerts, £25 for evenings, which includes access to the concert and pre-concert talk, and an interval drink). Please contact the Castle Hotel to purchase these on 01823 272 671, or visit www.the-castle-hotel.com/ticketing. We also hold music weekends at The Swan Hotel & Spa in Lavenham – the next one here will take place in the 2017–18 season.

london Bridge Trio

The Vienna Piano Trio

13–15 January 2017 (md 111) The Castle Hotel, Taunton Quintets, Sextets & Cypresses 3 days • Price: from £730 Speaker: Richard Wigmore

3–5 March 2017 (md 161) The Castle Hotel, Taunton A weekend of Schumann & Mendelssohn 3 days • Price: from £750 Speaker: Richard Wigmore

14–17 April 2017 (md 223) • Easter The Castle Hotel, Taunton Complete Schubert Trios 4 days • Price: from £960 Speaker: Richard Wigmore

The Wihan Quartet: Leoš Čepicky´ violin Jan Schulmeister violin Jakub Čepicky´ viola Aleš Kaspřík cello

The London Bridge Trio: Tamsin Waley-Cohen violin Kate Gould cello • Daniel Tong piano

The Vienna Piano Trio: David McCarroll violin Matthias Gredler cello Stefan Mendl piano

Guests: Josef Kluson viola Michal Kanka cello

Guests: Lucy Gould violin Gary Pomeroy viola Stephan Loges baritone

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The Wihan Quartet

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Art Historians at The Castle A weekend of talks & discussions in Taunton eNglANd

17–19 February 2017 (md 149) From £700 per person Fifteen thirty-minute talks, question and answer sessions and two panel discussions Eight art historians and diverse subjects from prehistoric rock art to Russian Constructivism. Based at the ever-welcoming Castle Hotel in Taunton, which has installed state-of-the art audio-visual equipment in its Music Room. We have run symposia with historians, biographers, travel writers and politicians but only once – in 2014 – with art historians. For this February 2017 weekend there will be eight of them, collectively giving fifteen half-hour talks. Subject matter varies hugely, from rock art to Winslow Homer, from the Siennese Renaissance to how to plan an exhibition, from mediaeval bridges to Islamic figural art.

Respected scholars all, renowned even, they also bring another quality. We believe it is no longer good enough for art historians to present a sequence of beautiful images on the screen with the talk being little more than spoken captions. We have chosen people who also provide trenchant analysis, inspired insight and genuine enthusiasm, who get across their ideas with punch and persuasiveness. The thirty-minute format is unusual, and requires of the speaker selectivity and focus. Each talk will be followed by a question and answer session, and there are also two discussions with several of the speakers on the platform debating contentious issues raised by themselves and by members the audience. The venue is the perennially charming, comfortable and ever welcoming Castle Hotel in Taunton. They have recently installed state-of-theart audio-visual facilities in their meeting room.

The Programme Friday, 17th February Afternoon session 3.00pm–6.15pm: Professor Joanna Woodall Pictures depicted: gallery paintings in Early Modern Europe Professor Fabrizio Nevola A city for art: Renaissance Siena Afternoon tea Dr Per Rumberg Van Dyck and Titian Dr Paul Bahn The shock of the old: discovering Ice Age art at Creswell Crags Drinks reception and dinner

Saturday 18th February Morning session, 9.30am–12.30pm: Dr Jana Gajdosova The power of micro-architecture Dr Michael Douglas-Scott Giorgione: three philosophers in search of a subject Coffee break Mary Lynn Riley The Russian Avant-Garde from 1905 to 1930 Professor Fabrizio Nevola Public Renaissance: what Italian piazzas were for Free time. Afternoon tea available from 3.30pm. Afternoon session, 4.30pm–6.15pm Professor James Allan Figural art and Islam Dr Per Rumberg Making exhibitions: triumphs and tears Plenary discussion Dinner

Sunday, 19th February Morning session, 9.30am–12.30pm

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Mary Lynn Riley Two American Realists: Winslow Homer and Thomas Eakins Dr Jana Gajdosova Mediaeval bridges in the Holy Roman Empire Coffee break Dr Michael Douglas-Scott The critique of Michelangelo’s ‘Last Judgement’ Professor Joanna Woodall When is a portrait a work of art? Buffet lunch Afternoon session, 1.30pm–2.45pm Dr Paul Bahn Australian rock art: the world’s longest unbroken art tradition

Panel discussion Lithograph c. 1850 after Raphael’s ‘Madonna della Seggiola’. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Finish c. 2.45pm

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Left to right: James Allan, Paul Bahn, Michael Douglas-Scott, Jana Gajdosova, Fabrizio Nevola, Mary Lynn Riley, Per Rumberg, Joanna Woodall.

Speakers Professor James Allan, specialist in Islamic art, formerly of the Ashmolean Museum and the Faculty of Oriental Studies in Oxford. Dr Paul Bahn, Britain’s foremost specialist in prehistoric art, author of Prehistoric Rock Art and Journey Through the Ice Age. Dr Michael Douglas-Scott, expert on the Italian Renaissance and one of MRT’s most frequently engaged tour leaders. Dr Jana Gajdosova, a mediaevalist originally from Slovakia, a lecturer at the University of Cambridge and Christie’s Education. Professor Fabrizio Nevola, Chair and Professor of Art History and Visual Culture at the University of Exeter, a Renaissance expert Mary Lynn Riley, an American resident in the south of France, a specialist in 19th- and 20thcentury modern and contemporary art. Dr Per Rumberg, curator at the Royal Academy, originally from Berlin and formerly in New York and at London’s National Gallery. Professor Joanna Woodall, a senior member of the teaching staff at the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London.

Practicalities Prices, per person. Two sharing: standard double or twin £700; garden room £760. Single occupancy: single room (single bed) £700. Depending upon availability, we may be able to oﬀer double rooms for sole use at around 10 weeks prior to the weekend at £750 – please let us know on your booking form if you would be interested in upgrading should the opportunity arise.

‘No dinners’ option: if you would prefer not to join the two evening meals, and make your own arrangements instead, there is a price reduction of £80 per person. (There are alternative options for dinner in Taunton, and while we are happy to advise you, we cannot book these on your behalf.) Accommodation. The Castle Hotel, Taunton (the-castle-hotel.com): The Castle Hotel is renowned for its excellent service, for comforts traditional and modern and for its superb catering. It has been owned and run by the Chapman family for over 60 years.

The hotel’s 44 bedrooms are individually and charmingly decorated and well equipped. The largest – the Garden Rooms – are in the remains of the 12th-century castle overlooking the garden, and are the equivalent of Junior Suites, with a sitting area and separate dressing room. Doubles and twins are mainly of a good size and vary in outlook. Single rooms, while comfortable, are small and generally less well appointed with single beds – for this reason we do not charge a single supplement for them. The majority of rooms have a bath with a shower fitment. The hotel has a lift, though some bedrooms do then involve some step access. There are no bedrooms on the ground floor. The Music Room is on a mezzanine level, which can only be reached via a flight of stairs from the lobby – there is provision for wheelchair users (if you think you will need this, please let us know in advance). How strenuous? These weekends are very leisurely affairs – everything takes place within the confines of the hotel. However please read the previous section if you use a wheelchair or have difficulties with negotiating stairs, and please contact us if you wish to discuss your access requirements in general. Group size: maximum 76 resident participants.

Talks only If you wish to participate in the talks only, without accommodation or meals, tickets are priced at £40 per session or £170 for all five sessions combined. As well as access to the talks, this price includes refreshments during breaks (where stated) and a programme. It does not include the lunch or dinners. Please contact us on 020 8742 3355 to book these tickets.

Blockbusters & Backwaters November 2017 • 4 days Details available in February 2017 Please contact us to register your interest

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Included: hotel accommodation for 2 nights; breakfasts; 2 afternoon teas; 1 buffet lunch and 2 dinners with wine, water and tea or coffee; admission to the talks; drinks reception; refreshments during coffee breaks; gratuities for hotel staff; a detailed programme booklet.

Taunton’s churches from the river, watercolour by A. Heaton Cooper, publ. 1927.

At least three major temporary art exhibitions in London, details of which have not yet been released. Half-a-dozen of London’s art galleries, world-class collections which are less visited because they are off the beaten track. Likely to be a long weekend, Thursday to Sunday, during November.

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At Home at Ardgowan A country house tour in the west of Scotland SCOTlANd

6–11 July 2017 (md 387) 6 days • £2,780 Lecturer: Caroline Knight Stay as guests at Ardgowan, a grand 18th-century country house which remains a private home, not a hotel nor a museum. Visit other country houses in the vicinity, some not generally open to the public, all by special arrangement or with privileged access. Pass through the wonderful coastal and Lowland landscapes of western Scotland. A country house party as much as a study tour, there is time for leisure around the house and garden of Ardgowan. Led by architectural historian Caroline Knight. There is no single supplement. The key feature of this tour is that the participants are not accommodated in a hotel. They are guests in a private home. A biggish home admittedly, an architecturally distinguished eighteenth-century country house with excellent pictures, exceptional furniture, and gardens which spread out to the coast overlooking the Firth of Clyde. Some negatives. You will find no minibar in your room, no laundry service, no television, let alone air-conditioning. Rugs may reveal generations of use, the bathroom may be a few yards down the corridor, the shower may be Edwardian and there is no Reception desk (although staff are on hand). If you are not put off so far, the compensations include bedrooms the size of an average sitting room laden with antiques and books, and the

opportunity to roam at leisure through the hall, conservatory, drawing room, library and dining room, and investigating the rich archive material. You are also free to wander in the adjoining gardens, woods and shoreline. Ardgowan is a superb mansion of the 1790s designed by a follower of Robert Adam. For this very special tour it is the base for excursions to other country houses in the vicinity, at nearly all of which special arrangements will have been made exclusively for this group. In journeying between them, you pass through some heart-stoppingly lovely landscapes – lochs and sea, lowland heath and mountains, rolling farmland and forests. As much country house party as study tour, there is plenty of time at leisure at Ardgowan. The house is a textbook case of the challenges facing current owners of historic properties of the first rank. Our hosts are Sir Ludovic Shaw Stewart and the Hon. Mrs Christopher Chetwode. The latter is an art historian and a prominent figure in the field of historic buildings in Scotland. The lecturer, Caroline Knight, an architectural historian with a speciality in the country houses, is her sister.

Itinerary Day 1: Ardgowan. The coach leaves Glasgow Railway Station at 2.15pm and leaves Glasgow Airport at 3.00pm. Continue west to the coast of the Firth of Clyde and reach Ardgowan in time for afternoon tea. After settling in to your rooms, there is a tour of the house and gardens followed by some free time, drinks and dinner. Day 2: Mount Stuart. Cross by ferry to the Isle of Bute. Magnificent in scale and in the lavishness of decoration and furnishing, Mount Stuart was built in the last two decades of the 19th century

by one of the richest men in the world, the third Marquess of Bute. The picture collection is superb. Beautifully maintained by the current Marquess, the house is surrounded by extensive gardens and noble woods. Day 3: Culzean, Dumfries House. A leisurely start allows time for independent exploration of Ardgowan. Then drive to the clifftop Culzean Castle, Robert Adam’s boldest creation, with oval stair hall and round drawing room with views out to sea. Also by Adam, Dumfries House, famously saved for the nation with the help of the Prince of Wales in 2007, is a perfect Palladian composition which retains unspoilt interiors and a unique set of Chippendale furniture. We have an after-hours tour followed by dinner in the house. Day 4: Ardgowan, Kelburn. The morning is spent at Ardgowan, entirely free or with the option of an in-depth tour to study some aspects of the house. In the afternoon visit Kelburn Castle, property of the Earl of Glasgow and in the same family for 800 years. Part remains a defensible tower house, and there is a lovely set of rooms of c. 1700. Day 5: Strachur, Inveraray. Take a ferry across the Firth of Clyde to the Cowal Peninsula and drive to Strachur House. The property of Sir Charles and Lady Maclean is a fascinating 18th-century mansion of middling size; its 20th-century history is entwined with the western Balkans. Inveraray Castle is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Argyll. Despite its four corner towers and Gothic windows, it is entirely 18th-century, and inside are some extraordinarily fine rooms and a very good art collection. Day 6: Glasgow. Holmwood House was designed by Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson and was built in 1857–8 for James Couper, a local businessman. From here the coach takes you to Glasgow Railway Station by 12.30pm and to Glasgow Airport by 1.00pm or 4.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person: £2,780 (no single supplement). Included meals: 3 lunches, 5 dinners, with wine.

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Accommodation. Ardgowan (ardgowan.co.uk): it cannot be emphasised enough that Ardgowan is a private house, not a hotel – keys to bedrooms are not provided. Please read again the first two paragraphs of this tour description. Bedrooms vary in size, furnishings and facilities. While each room has its own bathroom, in some cases this is a few yards along a corridor. All have baths, some have showers over the bath as well. Towels, bathrobes and toiletries are provided. There is a lift to the first floor. Single rooms have single beds in them. Closer to departure, doubles may be oﬀered for single occupancy at a supplement of £150. How strenuous? A fair amount of walking is unavoidable. Coaches can rarely park near the entrance to houses and grounds are often extensive. Most of the houses visited do not have lifts. However, the pace is relatively leisurely with more free time than is usual for a short tour. Average distance by coach per day: 56 miles.

Group size: 10 to 18 participants. Ardgowan, drawn and engraved by William Daniell, 1817. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Puccini in Cardiff La Bohème, Madama Butterﬂy, & Frank Martin’s Le Vin Herbé (conductor), Polly Graham (director), April Dalton (designer), Jurgita Adamonytė (Isolde). Day 3. Cardiff ’s civic centre is perhaps the grandest in regional Britain, with a number of magnificent Edwardian buildings around a rectangular park. Visit the City Hall and the National Museum of Wales which has an art collection outstanding for French Impressionists and British 20th-century painting. Some free time, lecture, dinner, opera: Madama Butterfly. Joachim Herz (director), Caroline Chaney (revival director), Reinhart Zimmermann (designer), Eleonore Kleiber (costume designer), John Waterhouse (lighting designer) Lawrence Foster (conductor), Linda Richardson, Paul Charles Clarke, David Kempster, Rebecca Afonwy-Jones.

Two legendary productions of two of the best loved operas by Giacomo Puccini, La Bohème and Madama Butterfly. Also a rare opportunity to hear Frank Martin’s Le Vin Herbé, a 20th-century variant on the Tristan and Isolde legend. Stay in a 5-star hotel within walking distance of the opera house, and see some of the highlights of Cardiff ’s arts and heritage. Led by Simon Rees, writer, lecturer, and dramaturg of Welsh National Opera from 1989 to 2012.

Puccini, photograph 1900.

Itinerary Day 1. The tour begins at 4.00pm with a short walk from the hotel across the Cardiff Bay development to the Wales Millennium Centre (WMC) for a lecture and pre-opera dinner. Opera: La Bohème. Annabel Arden (original director), Stephen Brimson Lewis (designer), Manlio Benzi (conductor), Tim Mitchell (lighting designer), Nina Dunn (video designer), Philippe Giraudeau (choreographer), Marina Costa-Jackson, Dominick Chenes, Gary Griffiths, Lauren Fagan, Gareth Brynmor John. Day 2. By boat along the River Taff to the city centre. Cardiff Castle has some Roman and mediaeval masonry but it is celebrated for its extraordinary Victorian interiors, a creative collaboration by the Marquess of Bute and the architect William Burgess. Return to Cardiff Bay for some free time before a back-stage tour of the WMC, a lecture and the opera: Le Vin Herbé (Frank Martin 1941). Alexander Martin

Day 4. Begun in 1268, Caerphilly Castle was the first in Britain to adopt concentric defences, and is the second largest castle in the country. It remains immensely impressive and its moats are fi lled with water. Intended as an occasional summer retreat, Castell Coch is another Gothic fantasy confected by Burgess for Bute, reputedly the world’s richest man at the time. The coach stops at Cardiff Central Station by 3.00pm and at the hotel shortly after.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,080. Single occupancy: £1,270. Included meals: 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation: St David’s Hotel & Spa, Cardiff (thestdavidshotel.com): a striking new building on the waterfront at Cardiff Bay, 15 minutes on foot from the opera house. The AA gives it a 5-star rating, rooms are pleasingly contemporary in design and service is excellent. Single rooms are doubles for sole use. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Opera in Berlin, 23–27 February 2017 (page 96); Bartoli, Kožená, Netrebko, Villazón, 25 February–1 March 2017 (page 79).

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‘Fresh, open and heartfelt, Annabel Arden’s lovely new production of La Bohème is marked by a fi lmic fluidity and simplicity. Parisian landscapes and images of night skies and snowfalls are projected on to gauzy scrims, with minimal props and costuming suggesting the fin de siècle era…. There are no tricks, nothing seems faux or grafted… Arden’s unassertive direction makes the joy and disillusion of these young people real and their tragedy immediate.’ So wrote Rupert Christiansen in 2012, when the production was new and praised universally. Joachim Herz’s Madama Butterfly is another hugely successful Welsh National Opera (WNO) production; it has been repeatedly revived for nearly four decades. The staging is classic, traditional even, with each scene like a sepia photograph through which we glimpse a vanished world. ‘It now seems a model production… stylishly Japanese when required in the first act, cleverly westernising later as Cio-Cio San practises being Mrs Pinkerton. Reinhart Zimmermann’s delicate sliding screens are ideal as design and perfection as a practical, mobile setting… expressive of the culture clash which… is both the landscape and the cause of its tragedy.’ (John Walsh, 2013.) David Pountney, who has led WNO since 2011, programmes seasons which bring together thematically linked works, often with two familiar operas and one rarity. Frank Martin (1890–1974) is an unjustly neglected Swiss composer who composed Le Vin Herbé in 1941 to a libretto based on Joseph Bédier’s Roman de Tristan et Iseut from 1900. The result is an intimate, exquisite and elegant tragedy. In its programming and productions WNO strives to combine adventurousness with accessibility, and commitment to developing new audiences with musical and dramatic integrity. The company punches far above its weight and it is one of the most admired centres of operatic exellence in Europe. In 2004 WNO moved into their current home, the Wales Millennium Centre. The architectural brief was to build something ‘unmistakeably Welsh and internationally outstanding.’ The winning firm, Percy Thomas, came up with a monumental yet accessible structure of slate, glass, steel and timber built to withstand the lashings of the elements on its coastal location.

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15–18 February 2017 (md 148) 4 days • £1,080 (Including tickets to 3 performances) Lecturer: Simon Rees

Cardiff, National Museum of Wales, after a drawing by Joseph Pike, 1927. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Strauss in Cardiff Der Rosenkavalier by Richard & Die Fledermaus by Johann II wales

10–12 June 2017 (md 337) 3 days • £760 or 4 days • £1,040 (Including tickets to 2 performances) Lecturer: Simon Rees The Welsh National Opera in their home theatre, the acoustically and architecturally excellent Wales Millennium Centre. Opera and operetta, two contrasting but complementary productions. Stay in a 5-star hotel 15 minutes on foot from the opera house, and see some of the highlights of Cardiff ’s arts and heritage. The option of preceding the two-night weekend with an extra 24 hours to see more of Cardiff. Led by Simon Rees, writer, lecturer, and dramaturg of Welsh National Opera from 1989 to 2012. To have paired any other opera by Richard Strauss with any other operetta by Johann Strauss would have been a study of contrasts, of incompatibility even. Despite sharing a surname, few composers who have spoken the same language and whose lives overlapped for 35 years have created such different musical and theatrical worlds. But this partnering of Rosenkavalier with Fledermaus is genius. Ostensibly a comic opera, Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier (1911) has melancholic depths and is suffused with a sense of loss. It also has a cast of some of the most loved of all operatic characters and ‘a score of unsurpassed warmth and tenderness’ which make it is one of the most richly satisfying operas in the repertoire. This is a new production, directed by Olivia Fuchs and conducted by Tomáš Hanus, the WNO’s new Music Director. Rebecca Evans makes her much anticipated debut in the role of the Marschallin.

Johann Strauss worried that the popularity of Die Fledermaus might result in it being performed by opera companies, with consequent loss of lightness and humour. As one of the greatest of operettas, Fledermaus can out-froth all-comers. When this production of Die Fledermaus was new in 2011, Rupert Christiansen wrote that ‘in operetta-land all that matters ultimately is that the audience comes out smiling and humming the tunes. Which in Cardiff it does’. Where is the melancholy or sense of loss here? It was composed in the immediate aftermath of the 1873 financial crash in Austria-Hungary (when champagne consumption fell by 95%) and in its joy, silliness and pure escapism is a poignant marker in the inexorable decline of the empire.

Pre-tour extension, 9–10 June See ‘Practicalities’ for the price including this optional two-day extension. Day 1. Leave the hotel by coach at 1.45pm for the afternoon excursion. Begun in 1268, Caerphilly Castle is the second largest castle in Britain and the first to adopt concentric defences. With its water-filled moats and massive walls, it remains immensely impressive. Castell Coch was a summer retreat, a Gothic fantasy confected in the 1870s by William Burgess for the 3rd Marquess of Bute, the world’s richest man at the time. Day 2. St Fagans is an open-air museum of vernacular architecture, crafts and trades with many re-erected buildings from around Wales. Adjacent is an Elizabethan manor house with fine gardens, the interiors conserved as they were c. 1900. Return to the hotel by 12.45pm, independent lunch before the lecture at 2.30pm. Cardiff Castle, wood engraving from ‘Historic Houses of the United Kingdom’, 1892.

Itinerary, 10–12 June Day 1. The tour begins at 2.30pm at the hotel with a talk on Rosenkavalier. After a break to prepare for the evening, leave at 4.15pm for the short walk across the Cardiff Bay development to the Wales Millennium Centre (WMC) for an early pre-opera dinner. 6.00pm: Der Rosenkavalier (Richard Strauss), Olivia Fuchs (director), Tomáš Hanus (conductor), Rebecca Evans, Brindley Sherratt, Lucia Cervoni, Louise Alder, Adrian Clarke, Paul Charles Clarke, Madeleine Shaw. Day 2. Take the boat from Cardiff Bay to visit Cardiff Castle – a mediaeval keep, a Victorian recreation of the perimeter wall of the Roman Fort and a residence with wonderful Gothic Revival interiors created by Burgess for the Marquess of Bute. Return to the hotel, lecture, and at 4.00pm: Die Fledermaus (Johann Strauss II), John Copely (director), Tomáš Hanus (conductor), Mary Elizabeth Williams, Mark Stone, Ben McAteer, Rhian Lois, Justina Gringyte, Paul Charles Clarke. Day 3. Llandaff Cathedral is situated in a peaceful suburban setting, mediaeval, Victorian and post-war with sculpture by Epstein. Around Cathay Park is a splendid collection of Edwardian buildings including the National Museum of Wales. This has, among much else, one of the finest collections of Impressionist paintings in the UK. The tour finishes at Cardiff Central Station by 3.00pm and at the hotel shortly after that.

Practicalities Price for 3 days (10–12 June), per person. Two sharing: £760. Single occupancy: £880.

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Price for 4 days (9–12 June), per person. Two sharing: £1,040. Single occupancy: £1,100. Included meals: 2 dinners with wine (or 3 dinners with the pre-tour extension). Accommodation. St David’s Hotel & Spa, Cardiff (thestdavidshotel.com): a striking new building on the waterfront at Cardiff Bay, 15 minutes on foot from the opera house. The AA gives it a 5-star rating, rooms are pleasingly contemporary in design and service is excellent. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Opera in Berlin, 31 May–4 June 2017 (page 96); Strauss in Leipzig, 16–19 June 2017 (page 101).

46 book online at www.martinrandall.com

Albania: Crossroads of Antiquity Archaeology, history, art & landscape AlBANIA

26 April–5 May 2017 (md 226) 10 days • £2,570 Lecturer: Carolyn Perry 27 September–6 October 2017 (me 579) 10 days • £2,570 Lecturer: Carolyn Perry Discover a forgotten history of conflict, culture and economic power. Explore the remains of once-flourishing Greek, Roman and Ottoman cities. Stay in the unesco World Heritage towns of Berat and Gjirokastra. Led by archaeologist, Carolyn Perry.

Berat, lithograph 1851 by Edward Lear.

breakneck speed, and its bustle and optimism provide an upbeat end to the tour.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 5.00pm (British Airways) from London Gatwick to Tirana. Dinner and overnight in Tirana. Day 2: Durrës, Apollonia. Dürres was a key port for both the Greeks and the Romans, and a vital link on the route from Europe to Asia. We visit its amphitheatre, the largest in the Balkans, as well as the Roman forum, the ancient city walls and the archaeological museum. Then it’s time for Apollonia. Founded by colonists from Corinth around 600 bc, it was later home to a famous Academy, where Octavian was studying in 44 bc. Finds are displayed in the cloisters of a 13th-century Byzantine monastery. First of two nights in Berat. Day 3, Berat. A unesco world heritage site, Berat is one of Albania’s oldest and most attractive cities, with many Ottoman houses scattered across the hills above the river. A walking tour of the lower town includes the 15th-century mosque and the 18th-century Halvati Teqe. Meanwhile, the Byzantine citadel above shelters the Church of St Mary – home to the dazzling Onufri Icon Museum where 16th- and 17thcentury Christian art and a beautiful iconostasis are displayed. Overnight in Berat. Day 4: Byllis, Vlora. Once the largest city in southern Illyria, Byllis is a vast and atmospheric archaeological site, perched on a hilltop and commanding spectacular views. In Late Antiquity Byllis became an important Christian centre, and several basilicas were built. Vlora is the country’s second port; the first parliament convened here following the declaration of independence in 1912. Here, we see the Muradie Mosque; built in 1537 by the greatest of Ottoman architects, Mimar Sinan. Overnight in Vlora. Day 5: Himara, Saranda. The day is spent travelling through Llogara National Park and along the breathtaking Ionic coast. The journey is broken in the bay of Porto Palermo, a few kilometres from the small town of Himara, where

we visit a Venetian fort and castle. Arrive in Saranda for a panoramic view of the bay before continuing to the hotel for a one-night stay. Day 6: Butrint, Gjirokastra. Situated by a lake close to the Greek border, Butrint (Buthrotum) was settled by Greeks from nearby Corfu in the 6th century bc. It became an important Roman colony, declined in Late Antiquity and was abandoned in the Middle Ages. Lords Sainsbury and Rothschild set up the Butrint Foundation in 1991 to protect and examine the site. Excavation has revealed substantial elements of the late Roman and Byzantine town including a basilica, baptistery and a palace. First of two nights in Gjirokastra. Day 7: Gjirokastra, Labova e Kryqit. The steep cobbled streets and stone-roofed Ottoman houses of Gjirokastra are best appreciated from the castle. We visit the Old Bazaar, a traditional Ottoman house and the former home of dictator Enver Hoxha, now an ethnographic museum. In the afternoon, the remote village of Labova e Kryqit (Labova of the Cross) is our destination – to see one of the oldest Byzantine churches in Albania, dating back to the 6th century. Overnight in Gjirokastra. Day 8: Ardenica, Tirana. Drive north to the Monastery of Ardenica, built in 1282 by Byzantine Emperor, Andronikos II Palaiologos and famous as the site of the wedding in 1451 of Albania’s national hero, Skanderbeg. From here, we continue to the capital, Tirana. The afternoon is spent in the vast National Historical Museum where displays span from antiquity to the Communist regime of Enver Hoxha. First of two nights in Tirana. Day 9: Lezha, Kruja. Drive to Lezha to see the Skanderbeg memorial, built on the site of the ruined cathedral where the hero is buried. Next stop is Kruja, Albania’s medieval capital, clustered around its restored bazaar, above which sits a ruined citadel and castle. It is also home to an excellent Ethnographic Museum and a modern museum dedicated to the life of Gjergj Kastrioti (aka Skanderbeg). After some free time, we return to Tirana for the final night. Day 10. Tirana. A morning tour of Tirana includes some of the city’s grand central boulevards, lined Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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It may seem a backwater now. But Albania’s importance in the ancient world is writ large in the historical sources. Greek historian Thucydides describes how a dispute over the city of Epidamnus (modern Durrës) helped ignite the Peloponnesian War of 431–404 bc. Nearly 400 years later, much of Rome’s civil war between Caesar and Pompey was played out along the Albanian coast. And it was in the city of Apollonia that Octavian learned of the assassination of his great-uncle Caesar – and launched a bid for power that ultimately made him emperor. Why was Albania so important? One look at its geography will tell you. This is a country blessed with natural harbours, and a short sea crossing to the Italian port of Brindisi. It is also the start of the most direct overland route from the Adriatic to Istanbul, which in Roman times was traced by the Via Egnatia. A natural staging post between the eastern and western Mediterranean, Albania flourished under Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. It is this rich and forgotten history that forms the backbone of our tour. We visit ancient cities that once had glittering reputations, but have since falling into ruin and have only ever been partially excavated. Meanwhile, the unesco World Heritage towns of Berat and Gjirokastra shine a light onto the civilisation that developed under five centuries of Ottoman rule. Berat, known as ‘the town of a thousand windows’, is home to the museum of the sixteenth-century iconographer Onufri, while Gjirokastra, birthplace of the novelist Ismail Kadare, is believed to be the setting for his celebrated Chronicle in Stone. Not all the sites are easy to access: but that just adds to the sense of exploration and discovery. The drive to Labova e Kryqit (Labova of the Cross), for example, involves venturing off the beaten track, to be rewarded by an exquisite Byzantine church, complete with dazzling icons and execeptional frescoes. To reach Saranda, we travel through the pristine landscapes of the Llogara National Park and along the undeveloped Ionic coast. Last stop is the capital Tirana. Albania wriggled free of the Ottomans on 28 November 1912, but since then has endured occupation by the Austro-Hungarians, Italians and Germans, among others – as well as a repressive Communist regime that outlasted all others in Europe. Thankfully, the past two decades have seen great changes, and the country is now a candidate for entry to the European Union. Tirana is modernising at

Albania: Crossroads of Antiquity continued

Sacred Armenia Early Christian Monasteries & modern-day Yerevan

albania, armenia

Carolyn Perry. Lecturer and museum consultant. Taught Ancient History and Mythology in the Department of Mediterranean Studies at Queen Mary College, University of London and has excavated in Italy. Established the Arab World Education Programme at the British Museum. She is also Chair of The British Foundation for the Study of Arabia. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. with relics of its Ottoman, Italian and Communist past. There is also a visit to the National Art Gallery. We fly from Tirana, arriving at London Gatwick at c. 3.15pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,570 or £2,330 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,820 or £2,580 without flights. Included meals: 8 lunches, 8 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Kotoni, Tirana (hotelkotoni.com): boutique hotel in a restored government building located on a quiet sidestreet off the main boulevard. Hotel Mangalemi, Berat (mangalemihotel.com): small, traditional, family-run hotel in several converted Ottoman townhouses with a central courtyard and roof terrace. Room sizes and furnishings vary. Hotel Partner, Vlora (hotelpartner.al): large, modern hotel in a central location. Santa Quaranta, Saranda (santaquaranta.al): luxury resort hotel away from the main centre with sea-views. Hotel Kalemi, Gjirokastra (kalemihotels.com): converted Ottoman houses with traditonal features. Rooms vary in size.

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How strenuous? This is a fairly demanding tour and a good level of fitness is essential. Unless you enjoy entirely unimpaired mobility, cope with everyday walking and stair-climbing without difficulty and are reliably sure-footed, this tour is not for you. There are some long coach journeys, sometimes on uneven terrain. On one occasion a steep ascent by jeep is necessary to reach a site. There are several hotel changes. Average distance by coach per day: 59 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with Classical Greece, 16–25 September 2017 (page 112).

What else is included in the price? See page 7. book online at www.martinrandall.com

22–30 June 2017 (md 370) 9 days • £3,090 Lecturer: Ian Colvin Monasteries and other sacred buildings from as early as the seventh century. Outstanding mountainous landscape. Time to get to know Yerevan, with its squares, cafés and street-life. Comfortable hotels and surprisingly good food. Of all the lands straddling east and west, the nation of Armenia is perhaps least like a gateway and most like a frontier. ‘Unique’ is a lazy and unenlightening epithet with which to characterise distant lands, but Armenia, both ancient and new, both Asian and European, both a melting-pot and defiantly individual, is fully deserving of the description. Its long and tenacious history is one of frequent tragedy and renewal. At its apogee in the first century bc, Armenia stretched from the Mediterranean to the Caspian, and almost to the Black Sea. For the next three centuries, however,

it would suffer conquest and reconquest as the Romans and the Parthians traded blows in the southern Caucasus, with intermittent periods of self-rule keeping the flame of independence alive. It was in large part to keep themselves distinct from the two vast surrounding empires that the Armenians adopted the new religion of Christianity in ad 301, developing a new alphabet a hundred years after that. These two markers of Armenian identity survived domination by Byzantines, Arabs, Mongols, Turks and Russians, as did many spectacular religious buildings, which were built to withstand not just invasions but earthquakes too. Armenia’s sacred architecture was a greater influence on mediaeval Europe than is commonly assumed, after its round towers and cross-plans were noted by returning crusaders. Thick-walled, built from local tuff or basalt, and housing a particularly severe strain of eastern Christianity, there is a resplendent austerity about these churches which is only heightened by their frequently spectacular natural surroundings. Many of the finest, including the rock-hewn Geghard and the unesco world heritage site of Echmiadzin, are easily visited from the capital,

Armenian Genocide is all the more powerful for its simplicity. After lunch, drive to Echmiadzin, the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church, also a unesco world heritage site. The vast ruined cathedral at neighbouring Zvartnots tells of the extraordinary ambition of early architects. Overnight Yerevan.

armenia

Yerevan, copper engraving c. 1750.

Day 4: Amberd, Dzoraget. The ruins of Amberd Fortress, dramatically located on the southern slopes of Mount Ararat, date back to the 12th century, although it has been a stronghold since the seventh. In the afternoon, drive to Dzoraget. First of two nights here. Day 5: Akhtala, Alaverdi. The 13th-century frescoes in Akhtala are strongly influenced by Byzantium. The monasteries at Haghpat and Sanahin, both unesco-listed sites, are both fine examples of Armenian sacred architecture. Overnight Dzoraget. Day 6: Vanadzor, Dilijan, Lake Sevan. Visit a stone-carver who continues the tradition of cutting khachkars (cross-stones), characteristic of Medieval Christian Armenian art. Drive to Lake Sevan, and the peerlessly situated Sevanavank monastery that overlooks it. Overnight Yerevan. Day 7: Khor Virap, Noravank, Yerevan. Visit the Khor Virap monastery in the foothills of Mount Ararat, where St Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned. Hidden from view in a remote valley, Noravank, the masterwork of the architect and sculptor Momik, is perhaps the most beautiful of Armenia’s 13th-century monasteries. Overnight Yerevan. Day 8: Geghard, Garni. Much of the monastery at Geghard is carved out of the cliffside. There is a performance here of the Armenian Divine Lithurgy by the Garni Choir. The Hellenic temple at Garni is the last remaining pre-Christian building in Armenia. Day 9. The morning flight from Yerevan arrives Heathrow at c. 1.45pm.

See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. Yerevan. And while calling Yerevan the most sensitively-remodelled of all Soviet cities may sound like damnation with the faintest praise imaginable, today it is attractive and confident, its proliferation of cafés, galleries and public spaces making it a truly pleasant place to spend time. In the north of the country are two more unescolisted monasteries, at Sanahin and Haghpat; both tell the story of Armenian religion and cultural endurance.

Meanwhile Yerevanis live, work and socialise in the literal and metaphorical shadow of Ararat, still Armenia’s most emotive symbol despite now being on Turkish land. A few hundred yards from the border, the monastery of Khor Virap, which proudly boasts the dungeon where St Gregory the Illuminator was incarcerated, defiantly advertises the indomitable Armenian Christian tradition.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 9.50am from London Heathrow to Yerevan via Paris (Air France), where there is a 55 minute-stop, arriving c. 8.00pm. Transfer to the hotel in the heart of the city. Day 2: Yerevan. A leisurely start this morning. The day begins with a visit to the comprehensive and fascinating State Museum of Armenian History. At the National Art Gallery see collections from Armenia, Russia and Western Europe. Overnight Yerevan. Day 3: Echmiadzin, Yerevan. In the morning, visit the Matenadaran, a repository of 17,000 illuminated manuscripts. The Museum of the

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,090 or £2,520 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,490 or £2,920 without flights. Included meals: all lunches, all dinners with wine. Visas. Not required for British nationals. Other nationalities can obtain one on arrival (c. £5). Accommodation. The Armenia Marriott Hotel, Yerevan (marriottarmenia.am): recentlyrenovated, international 5-star hotel on the central square, impersonal but with excellent facilities. The Avan Dzoraget (tufenkianheritage.com): small and stylish hotel in a wonderful riverside location, equivalent to a 4-star. How strenuous? You will be on your feet for long periods. Many of the sites are reached by steep, uneven steps often without handrails. There are 220 steps to a monastery. There are 4 coach journeys of over 2 hours (average distance by coach per day: 72 miles).

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Ian Colvin. Historian and Byzantinist specialising in Late Antiquity and the South Caucasus. Trained at Oxford, he is now a researcher at Cambridge. He has directed an ongoing archaeological expedition to ancient Archaeopolis in the South Caucasus since 2001.

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with Georgia Uncovered, 1–10 July 2017 (page 94). Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

opera in Vienna Rossini, Gounod, Wagner, Strauss auSTRia

Barry Millington. Writer, lecturer and broadcaster specialising in Wagner. He is founder/editor of The Wagner Journal and author of eight books on Wagner including The Wagner Compendium and Richard Wagner: The Sorcerer of Bayreuth. He is Chief Critic for the Evening Standard. He has also acted as dramaturgical adviser at opera houses internationally. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. This finishes near the excellent Museum of Applied Arts, especially rewarding for Secessionist (Art Nouveau) furniture and design. Free time is followed by a talk, dinner and an evening at the Staatsoper: Tristan und Isolde (Wagner): Mikko Franck (conductor), David McVicar (director), Stephan Gould (Tristan), Kwangchul Youn (Marke, King of Cornwall), Petra Lang (Isolde), Matthias Goerne (Kurwenal), Sophie Koch (Brangäne).

Vienna, Schlosshof, etching after a 1760s painting by Canaletto (detail).

16–21 March 2017 (md 174) 6 days • £3,070 (including tickets to 4 performances) Lecturer: Barry Millington Three performances at the Staatsoper, one of the world’s greatest opera houses and one at the historic Theater an der Wien. Elisabetta, Regina d’Inghilterra (Rossini), Faust (Gounod), Tristan und Isolde (Wagner) and Arabella (Richard Strauss). Daily talks by a musicologist, and a programme of walks and visits in the city. Based at a venerable and very comfortable hotel perfectly located beside the Staatsoper.

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Not content with being the most important city in the history of western music, Vienna continues to nurture an exceptionally active cultural life of a high level of excellence. Music and opera are cherished (and paid for) by government and citizens perhaps more than anywhere else in the world. Vienna is notoriously wedded to tradition, and Staatsoper productions are generally not what could be called progressive by standards prevalent in the German-speaking world. But stagecraft, stage design and dramatic portrayal are of the highest order, and the house continues to attract the world’s finest singers and conductors. And of course it enjoys the supreme skills and sumptuous sound of the Vienna Philharmonic, the orchestra in residence. Highly sophisticated audiences and critics give no quarter to complacency or laziness; opera at the Staatsoper is a fairly safe bet. The Theater an der Wien was built by the impresario who first staged Mozart’s Magic Flute, Emanuel Schikenader, in 1801. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Each day there is a session of talks and discussions about the evening’s opera. There are also guided tours on foot to a choice selection of Vienna’s art and architecture and musical heritage, but also plenty of free time for rest, recuperation and preparation for the next performance.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c.2.45pm from London Heathrow to Vienna (British Airways). Arrive at the hotel in time to settle in before dinner. Day 2. A talk on the music is followed by a visit to the Hofburg, the sprawling Habsburg palace where we see inter alia the splendid library hall and imperial apartments. Evening opera at the Theater an der Wien: Elisabetta, Regina d’Inghilterra (Elizabeth, Queen of England, Rossini): JeanChristophe Spinosi (conductor), Amélie Niermeyer (director), Ensemble Matheus Orchestra, Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Alexandra Deshorties (Elizabeth I of England), Norman Reinhardt (Earl of Leicester), Ilse Eerens (Matilda), Natalia Kawalek (Henry), Barry Banks (Duke of Norfolk), Erik Årman (Captain of the Royal Guard). Day 3. A morning walk through the centre of the inner city includes the Stephansdom, the great Gothic cathedral, the Baroque church of St Peter and an apartment where Mozart lived. There is some free time before a late-aftenoon talk, an early dinner and an evening at the Staatsoper: Faust (Gounod): Simone Young (conductor), Stephane Roche (director), Jean-François (Borras (Doctor Faust), Luca Pisaroni (Méphistophélès), Orhan Yildiz (Valentin), Anita Hartig (Marguerite). Day 4. The morning walk studies monuments to composers – Beethoven, Schubert, Bruckner and Johann Strauss – and examines these images in the light of the subject’s posthumous reputations.

Day 5. The daily talk precedes a visit to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, one of the world’s greatest art galleries. Then walk through a series of gardens to a restaurant for lunch. Free time afterwards, or visit an apartment lived in by Beethoven. Evening performance at the Staatsoper: Arabella (R. Strauss), Peter Schneider (conductor), Sven-Eric Bechtolf (director), Wolfgang Bankl (Count Waldner), Camilla Nylund (Arabella), Chen Reiss (Zdenka), Bo Skovhus (Mandryka), Joseph Kaiser (Matteo). Day 6. Free morning before driving to the airport. The flight to Heathrow arrives at c. 3.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,070 or £2,890 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,370 or £3,190 without flights. Music tickets (first category) for 4 operas are included, costing c. £570. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Bristol (bristolvienna. com): 5-star hotel in a superb location on the Ringstrasse, traditionally furnished and decorated. How strenuous? Quite a lot of walking, mainly in the centre where vehicular access is limited. Average distance by coach per day: 5 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Venetian Palaces, 21–25 March 2017 (page 122); Van Gogh’s Journey, 22–25 March 2017 (page 151); Barcelona 1900, 23–30 March 2017 (page 168).

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Connoisseur’s Vienna art, architecture, music & private visits

Art, architecture, music: the main sites as well as lesser-known ones. Several special arrangements for out-of-hours visits or private buildings. Perfectly located heritage hotel. One included concert by the Vienna Piano Trio and Mark Padmore at the Wiener Konzerthaus, and one included performance at the world class Staatsoper: Elektra (Richard Strauss). With visits to the chief sights as well as lesser ones and little-visited treasures, with privileged access to places not normally accessible and two musical evenings, this tour provides an exceptionally rich and rounded cultural experience. Whether or not you have been to the city before, it will present Vienna in a truly memorable way. Grandiloquent palaces and labyrinthine mediaeval streets; broad boulevards and quiet courtyards; at times embattled on the frontier of Christendom, yet a treasury containing some of the greatest of European works of art; an imperial city without an empire: Vienna is a fascinating mix, a quintessentially Central European paradox. The seat of the Habsburgs, pre-eminent city of the Holy Roman Empire and capital of a vast multinational agglomeration of territories, Vienna is magnificently equipped with buildings which were created by imperial and aristocratic patronage. But the history of Vienna is shot through with diversity, difference and dissent, and some of the choicest items we see were created in defiance of mainstream orthodoxy.

A feature of this tour is the number of specially arranged visits to private palaces or institutions which are not generally open to the public or are off the beaten track. Because of the privileged nature of these visits we can only name a few of them here, but they include Baroque palaces, nineteenth-century halls, pioneers of modernism, churches and a synagogue. And then there is the music. As home for Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Mahler and countless other composers, Vienna is pre-eminent in the history of music. We have chosen to include a concert at the Wiener Konzerthaus and a performance at the Staatsoper.

Itinerary This is only a summary of the visits; there are many more which are not mentioned here. Day 1. Fly at c. 9.30am from London Heathrow to Vienna (Austrian Airlines). An afternoon walk in and around the Hofburg, the Habsburg winter palace, a vast agglomeration from six centuries of building activity. See the incomparable collection of precious regalia and objets d’art in the Treasury, and the glorious library hall by Fischer von Erlach. Day 2. Walk through the Roman and mediaeval core to see a cross-section of architecture including Gothic and Baroque churches and some of Vienna’s most enchanting streetscapes. Guided tour of the Synagogue (Josef Kornhäusel, 1824), followed by a visit to a private chapel. Another special arrangement to see a grand

18th-century hall. The Jesuit church was spectacularly refurbished c. 1700 by the master of illusionist painting, Andrea Pozzo. Evening at the Konzerthaus with the Vienna Piano Trio and Mark Padmore (tenor): Schubert, ‘Auf dem Strom’, D943; Larcher, a new work for tenor and piano trio; Beethoven, Piano Trio No.7 in B flat, Op.97.

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19–25 June 2017 (md 352) 7 days • £2,860 (including tickets to 2 performances) Lecturer: Dr Jarl Kremeier

Day 3. Drive to the outskirts to see buildings by Otto Wagner; the richly decorated apartment blocks in the Linke Wienzeile, the emperor’s personal railway station at Schönbrunn and the hospital church ‘Am Steinhof’, the finest manifestation of Viennese Secessionism. The Liechtenstein collection in the family’s great Baroque palace is perhaps the finest in private hands in Europe, currently not open to the public. Day 4. Drive around the Ringstrasse, the boulevard which encircles the old centre and is the locus classicus of historicist architecture. The magnificent Liechtenstein Palace was built at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries by the richest family in the Habsburg Empire and has magnificent Rococo interiors and original furnishings. Visit to and dinner at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, one of the world’s greatest art collections, particularly rich in Italian, Flemish and Dutch pictures. Day 5. Visit the palace and garden of Schloss Belvedere, built on sloping ground overlooking Vienna for Prince Eugene of Savoy, which constitutes one of the finest residential complexes of the 18th century. It now houses the Museum of Austrian Art with paintings by Klimt and Schiele. An evening at the Staatsoper: Elektra (R. Strauss) with Michael Boder (conductor), Waltraud Meier (Clytemnestra), Nina Stemme (Elektra), Regine Hangler (Chrysothemis), Herbert Lippert (Aegisthus), Alan Held (Oreste).

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Vienna, Secession Building, wood engraving 1898 (the year of its completion). Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Connoisseur’s Vienna continued

The Danube Festival Music from Vienna and the austro-Hungarian Empire

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Dr Jarl Kremeier. art historian specialising in 17th- to 19th-century architecture and decorative arts. He teaches art History at the Berlin College of acting and Berlin’s Freie universität. He is a contributor to the Macmillan Dictionary of Art and author of Die Hofkirche der Würzburger Residenz. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. Day 6. A tour of the Parliament building, a splendid example of enriched Neo-Classicism, and visit a late-19th-century town house on the Ringstrasse. Afternoon at the Museumsquartier, an art centre in the imperial stables. In the evening, eat at Michelin-starred Restaurant Bauer. Day 7. The Secession building, built in 1898 as an exhibition hall for avant-garde artists, contains Klimt’s Beethoven Frieze. Visit the great hall of the Academy of Art and the Church of St Charles, the Baroque masterpiece of Fischer von Erlach. The flight arrives at Heathrow at c. 6.30pm. Because the itinerary is dependent on a number of appointments with private owners, the order and even the content of the tour may vary.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,860 or £2,690 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,280 or £3,110 without flights. Music tickets (first category) to 2 performances are included, costing c. £195. Included meals: 2 lunches, 4 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Bristol (bristolvienna. com): 5-star hotel in a superb location on the Ringstrasse near the opera house, traditionally furnished and decorated. How strenuous? This tour involves a lot of walking in the town centre, and should not be attempted by anyone who has difficulty with everyday walking and stair-climbing. Public transport (metro or tram), is used on some occasions. Average distance covered by coach per day: 6 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

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Combine this tour with Great French Gardens, 28 June–7 July 2017 (page 74).

Vienna, Karlskirche, early-20th-century etching.

20–27 August 2017 (md 500) Please contact us for full details or visit www.martinrandall.com

Michael Collins and the Heath Quartet play in the tiny 1791 theatre at Grein: clarinet quintets by Mozart and Carl Maria von Weber, and Haydn’s String Quartet Op.33 No.1.

Ten private concerts in beautiful and appropriate historic buildings.

The Wiener Kammerchor (Vienna Chamber Choir) sing in the Baroque abbey church in Dürnstein: music by Bruckner, Brahms, Schubert and Schumann.

Music from the Austro-Hungarian Empire – Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms and Dvořák are among the composers featured. Musicians of the highest calibre from Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Britain. Three major pieces are performed in the places where they received their premières – two Beethoven symphonies and a Haydn Mass. Accommodation is on a comfortable modern ship which has been chartered exclusively for the festival audience. Daily talks by music expert Stephen Johnson and historian Professor Sir Richard J. Evans. Alternatively, stay in hotels and mix the concerts with country walks through the ravishing scenery of the Danube and its hinterland (20–26 August, led by music lecturer Richard Wigmore.

What else is included in the price? See page 7. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Opportunity to see some of the loveliest towns and cities in the region and to savour its art and architecture.

Beethoven’s Eroica and 7th symphony are performed by Orchester Wiener Akademie in the halls in Vienna where they were first heard. The Wihan Quartet from Prague perform Dvořák and Suk in Bratislava’s Primatial Palace. Cappella Savaria and Capella Cantorum perform Haydn’s spectacular Mass in Time of War in the church where it was first heard. Benjamin Appl and Graham Johnson perform Die Schöne Müllerin in a rural manor house. The English ensemble Zum Roten Igl present their unique version of a Brahms quintet. Daniela Lehner and Richard Egarr (fortepiano) with songs by Haydn, Mozart and Dussek in Linz. Chamber ensemble Collegium Viennense in the abbey of St Florian’s music room: Mozart’s Wind Serenade in B flat and Gran Partita.

Haydn in Eisenstadt Music festival in the composer’s home town auSTRia

5–10 September 2017 (me 547) 6 days • £2,460 (including tickets to 4 performances) Lecturer to be confirmed International festival in the small country town where Haydn was based for most of his career. The Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra under Nicolas Altstaedt appear, among others. Visits to other places associated with Haydn including the great summer palace in Hungary. Few small country towns have such an important place in the history of music as Eisenstadt; and few festivals other than the Haydntage offer the privilege of hearing music in the hall where it was first performed. Eisenstadt is now in the Burgenland, the small province comprising the plain south-east of Vienna which before 1919 was part of Hungary. Dominating the townscape is a vast mansion, the principal seat of the Esterházy, the richest and most powerful noble family in Habsburg Hungary. Successive princes, but especially Nicholas (1762–90), were lovers of music who maintained a choir, orchestra and Kapellmeister whose duty it was to conduct and compose. For over forty years their Kappellmeister was Joseph Haydn. The wooden floor that Haydn insisted be laid on the marble original to improve the acoustics is still in the Great Hall of Schloss Esterházy; here the orchestral concerts and operas of the festival take place. Further associations with the composer extend into the town of Eisenstadt and the countryside around.

Itinerary Day 1. Eisenstadt. Fly at c. 9.15am from London Heathrow to Vienna (Austrian Airlines). Drive to Eisenstadt.

Day 3. Eisenstadt. Free day with the option of joining a tour of 18th-century organs in Eisenstadt in the morning. Evening concert in the Haydnsaal with the Quartett van Kuijk, Vassiléna Sérafimova (percussion): Haydn, String Quartet Hob III:38 ‘Der Scherz’; Attahir, ‘Urauff ührung’; Janáček, String Quartet No.1 ‘Kreutzersonate’. Day 4. Eisenstadt, Sopron, Fertöd. Drive into Hungary to Sopron, to see the Gothic Goat Church, the 17th-century fire tower and the Storno collection of 19th century art and furniture in Sopron. Continue to Eszterházá, the estate housing the magnificent Rococo country house of the Esterházy princes, where Haydn spent many long summers. Visit the recently restored princely apartments and park. Evening concert with the

Vienna ORF Radio-symphony orchestra, Cornelius Meister (conductor), Andreas Ottensamer (clarinet): Hefti, ‘Moments Lucides’; Stamitz, Clarinet Concerto No.7 in E flat; Beethoven, Symphony No.3 in E flat, Op.55 ‘Eroica’.

Practicalities

Day 5. Eisenstadt, Vienna. En route to Vienna, stop at Rohrau to visit Haydn’s birthplace. Morning visits to the house in Gumpendorf, Vienna where Haydn spent the last twelve years of his life. Visit also the Figarohaus where Mozart resided between 1784–87. There is the option to join a guided walk. The afternoon is free, maybe to visit the excellent art collection at the Kunsthistoriches Museum, or to enjoy the streets, squares and churches in the historic centre.

Music tickets (top category) for 4 performances are included, costing c. £310. Tickets are confirmed in November 2016.

Day 6. Eisenstadt. Morning concert with the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra, Alexander Lonquich (conductor and piano): Schumann, overtures to ‘Hermann und Dorothea’, Op.136; Mozart, Piano Concerto in C, K.503; Haydn, Symphony No.92 in G, Hob I: 92 ‘Oxford Symphony’. After lunch drive to Vienna airport. Fly to Heathrow arriving c. 6.45pm.

Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,460 or £2,240 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,560 or £2,340 without flights.

Included meals: 2 lunches, 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Burgenland, Eisenstadt (hotelburgenland.at): functional but comfortable 4-star hotel, located in the heart of the old town, c. 10 minutes on foot from Schloss Esterházy. How strenuous? There is a reasonable amount of walking each day, including to and from the concert venue. Average distance by coach per day: 37 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Mozart in Salzburg MAINLAND EUROPE

Day 2. Eisenstadt. The historic centre of Eisenstadt has changed little since Haydn’s day. Visit the Haydn Museum in the house he bought after his release from service with the Esterházy family, and see the state apartments of the Baroque and Neo-Classical Schloss Esterházy. Evening concert at Schloss Esterházy, Haydnsaal with the AustroHungarian Haydn Philharmonic, Nicolas Altstaedt (conductor): Beethoven, Symphony No.1 in C, Op.21; Shostakovich, Cello Concerto No.1 in E flat, Op.107; Haydn, Symphony No.88 in G, Hob I:88.

Eisenstadt, 17th-century engraving.

28 January–2 February 2017 (md 105) This tour is currently full Please contact us for details or visit www.martinrandall.com Daily attendance at the Mozartwoche, the annual festival celebrating the composer’s work in the town of his birth. An outstanding programme, performed by leading orchestras, chamber groups and soloists. The best-preserved Baroque city in northern Europe in a wonderful alpine setting. Five-star hotel close to the Mozarteum. Led by Richard Wigmore, music writer, lecturer and broadcaster for BBC Radio 3.

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The Schubertiade Music & mountains in the Vorarlberg auSTRia

16–22 June 2017 (md 345) 7 days • £3,680 (including tickets to 10 performances) Lecturer: Misha Donat Ten performances; artists include Christiane Karg, Christoph Prégardien, Till Fellner, Matthias Goerne, Sir András Schiff, Sarah Connolly and Graham Johnson. Visits to towns and art galleries in Austria and Switzerland, while leaving plenty of free time. Led by Misha Donat, writer, lecturer and former senior music producer at BBC Radio 3. The combination of music-making of the highest quality with a pre-Alpine mountain setting is a heady mix. Devotees of the Schubertiade return year after year; addiction is a distinct possibility. Add a great art collection, guided walks in the hills and top up with relaxation among ravishing upland scenery and this begins to sound like the recipe for the perfect holiday. The annual Schubertiade in the Vorarlberg, the westernmost province of Austria, is one of the most prestigious and enjoyable music festivals in Europe. It attracts artists of the highest calibre, while the rural setting and the predominance of Schubertian music create an endearing informality and intimacy.

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Feldkirch, lithograph c. 1850. book online at www.martinrandall.com

But the festival’s success has not stifled a constant desire for change and experiment, as its periodic peregrinations demonstrate. Having started in the village of Hohenems, it migrated a few years later up the valley to the little town of Feldkirch, which in 2001 it abandoned in favour of mountain villages amidst the beautiful scenery of the Bregenzerwald. The hill village setting has been further refined by confining all the concerts to Schwarzenberg, described by Herder as ‘the prettiest village in Europe’. Our tour is based in the neighbouring village of Mellau, seven miles away.

network of alleys nestling beneath high limestone cliffs. A guided tour includes mediaeval defences, town hall and Gothic cathedral (altarpiece by Wolf Huber). Drive to Schwarzenberg for an afternoon recital at the Angelika-Kaufmann-Saal (where all the concerts are held) with Christiane Karg (soprano) and Andreas Staier (piano): selected Lieder by Schubert, Mozart, Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Haydn. Dinner in Schwarzenberg before an evening chamber concert with Quatuor Ebène: Mozart, String Quartet in D minor, K.421, Beethoven, String Quartet in F minor, Op.95; Ravel, String Quartet in F.

Itinerary

Day 3. Morning lecture before a chamber concert with the Pavel Haas Quartett and Sharon Kam (clarinet): Schubert, String Quartet in G, D887; Brahms, Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op.115. Lunch and some free time in Schwarzenberg. Afternoon piano recital with Paul Lewis: Bach, Partita in B flat, BWV825; Beethoven, Sonata in E flat, Op.7; Schubert, Allegretto in C minor, D915, Moment Musical in A flat, D780/6; Weber, Sonata in A flat, Op.39.

Day 1. Fly at c. 9.30am from London Heathrow to Zurich (British Airways). Stop at Winterthur (Switzerland) to see the Old Master and Impressionist paintings of the Oskar Reinhart Collection, beautifully displayed in the collector’s home in woods outside the city. Drive through Switzerland and into Austria, arriving early evening at Mellau in the lovely upland landscape of the Bregenzerwald. An introductory lecture is followed by dinner. Day 2. As on most days begin with a lecture before driving down the valley to Feldkirch, a little town built at a narrowing of the valley of the River Ill, with historic buildings, arcaded streets and a

Day 4. Morning lecture before driving to Schwarzenberg. Lieder recital with Sarah Connolly (mezzo-soprano) and Graham Johnson (piano): selected Lieder by Schubert, Brahms and Wolf. Lunch and some free time before a recital with Christina Landshamer (soprano), Maximilian

The Schubertiade The music festival with hill-walking

See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. Schmitt (tenor), Gerold Huber (piano): selected Lieder by Schubert. Dinner in Schwarzenberg before an evening Lieder recital with Christoph Prégardien (tenor) and Julius Drake (piano): selected Lieder by Schubert and Mahler. Day 5. Morning lecturebefore an excursion to Bregenz, the capital of the Vorarlberg on Lake Constance. Begin in the upper town, the picturesque older part, and then continue down to the lower town for a lakeside walk and visit to the local history museum. Return to Mellau in the early afternoon in time to refresh before driving to Schwarzenberg. Afternoon recital with Till Fellner (piano): Bach, excerpts from ‘The Well-Tempered Clavier’ book II; Schubert, Six Moments Musicaux, D780; Schumann, Fantasy in C, Op.17. Dinner in Schwarzenberg before an evening Lieder recital with Matthias Goerne (baritone) and Markus Hinterhäuser (piano): Lieder by Hanns Eisler, and Mahler’s ‘Der Abschied’. Day 6. Morning lecturebefore driving to Schwarzenberg for a chamber concert with Christoph Prégardien (tenor), Carolin Widmann (violin), Marie-Elisabeth Hecker (cello), Martin Helmchen (piano): Schubert, piano trio in E flat D897 ‘Notturno’ and in E flat, D929; Beethoven: Scottish, Welsh and Irish folk song. Dinner in Schwarzenberg before an evening Lieder recital with Anna Lucia Richter (soprano) and Sir András Schiff (piano): Lieder by Schubert. Day 7. Homeward journey. Fly from Zurich arriving at London Heathrow c. 4.30pm.

Practicalities

Music tickets (top category) to 10 performances are included, costing c. £650. Included meals: 2 lunches, 5 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Sonne, Mellau (sonnemellau.com): 4-star hotel, modern and functional with a pleasant atmosphere and very helpful staff. All rooms are doubles. There is a swimming pool and restaurant. How strenuous? There is some walking through towns and over uneven ground. Average distance by coach per day: 55 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: The London Backstreet Walk, 15 June 2017 (visit www.martinrandall. com); The Pyrenees, 6–15 June 2017 (page 164).

Nine performances; artists include Igor Levit, Emerson String Quartet, Michael Volle and Helmut Deutsch. Five country walks in the surrounding hills: two to three hours long, led by an experienced walking guide. Led by Richard Wigmore, music writer, lecturer and broadcaster for BBC Radio 3.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 9.30am from London Heathrow to Zurich (British Airways). Stop at Winterthur (Switzerland) to see the Old Master and Impressionist paintings of the Oskar Reinhart Collection, beautifully displayed in the collector’s home in woods outside the city. Drive through Switzerland and into Austria, arriving early evening at Mellau in the lovely upland landscape of the Bregenzerwald. An introductory lecture is followed by dinner. Day 2. Morning walk. An experienced local walking guide leads all five walks. Mid-afternoon lecturebefore driving to Schwarzenberg. Afternoon recital with the Emerson String Quartet: Beethoven, String Quartets No.12 in E flat, Op.127, No.16 in F, Op.135 and No.14 in C sharp minor, Op.131. Dinner in Schwarzenberg before an evening concert with Igor Levit (piano): Schubert, Piano Sonatas No.20 in A, D959 and No.21 in B flat, D960. Day 3. Morning walk. Mid-afternoon lecture before driving to Schwarzenberg. Afternoon concert with Andreas Ottensamer (clarinet), Marco Postinghel (bassoon), Alejandro Núñez (French horn), Baiba Skride (violin), Gergana Gergova (violin), Veronika Hagen (viola), Clemens Hagen (cello), Roberto Di Ronza (double bass): Dvorák, String Quintet in G, Op.77 and Schubert, Octet in F, D803. Dinner in Schwarzenberg. Evening Lieder recital with Violeta Urmana (mezzo-soprano) and Helmut Deutsch (piano): selected Lieder by Schubert, Mahler and Strauss. Day 4. Morning walk stopping for a picnic lunch before returning to Mellau for a free afternoon. Early evening lecturebefore driving to Schwarzenberg. Evening concert with the Emerson String Quartet: Beethoven, String Quartets No.15 in A minor, Op.132 ‘Heiliger Dankgesang’, No.13 in B flat, Op.130 ‘Lieb’ with ‘Grande Fugue’, Op.133. Day 5. Morning walk. Mid-afternoon lecture before driving to Schwarzenberg. Early afternoon recital with Valer Sabadus (countertenor) and Nuovo Aspetto: Arias and instrumental pieces by Johann Georg Reutter, Antonio Caldara und Francesco Bartolomeo Conti. Dinner in Schwarzenberg. Evening concert with Igor Levit: Bach, Goldberg Variations, BWV988. Day 6. Morning walk. Mid-afternoon lecture before driving to Schwarzenberg. Afternoon recital with Michael Volle (baritone) and Helmut Deutsch (piano): Selected Schubert Lieder. Dinner between performances. Evening chamber concert

with the Belcea Quartet: Schubert, String Quartet in D minor, D810 ‘Death and the Maiden’, Quintet in C, D956. Day 7. Homeward journey. Fly from Zurich arriving at London Heathrow c. 4.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,540 or £3,400 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,660 or £3,520 without flights. Music tickets (top category) to 9 performances are included, costing c. £605. Included meals: 1 lunch and 5 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Sonne, Mellau (sonnemellau.com): a 4-star hotel, modern and functional with a pleasant atmosphere and very helpful staff. There is a swimming pool and restaurant. All rooms are doubles. How strenuous? This is a walking tour: it is essential for participants to be in good physical condition and to be used to country walking which includes going up and down hills. Participants should have appropriate walking footwear. Average distance by coach per day: 55 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Poets & the Somme, 1–4 September 2017 (page 80); St Petersburg, 1–8 September 2017 (page 159); The Road to Santiago, 1–13 September 2017 (page 160). Illustration above: Franz Schubert, woodcut by Leopold Wächtler c. 1930.

What else is included in the price? See page 7. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,680 or £3,540 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,800 or £3,660 without flights.

27 August–2 September 2017 (md 508) 7 days • £3,540 (includes tickets to 9 performances) Lecturer: Richard Wigmore

austria

Habsburg austria Castles & churches, houses & palaces, town & country auSTRia

churches of architectural importance and a museum in the former Habsburg residence. The monastery church at Wilhering beside the Danube has the finest Rococo interior in Austria. The buildings of the great Augustinian monastery of St Florian span the Baroque era, beginning with the church by Carlo Carlone and culminating in the mighty Marble Hall by Jakob Prandtauer. Overnight Linz. Day 5: Linz, Bad Ischl, Innsbruck. Drive through ravishing landscapes to Bad Ischl, where Franz Joseph stayed every summer from 1854 to 1914, turning the little valley town into one of Europe’s most fashionable spas. Here visit the Kaiservilla (which is still in Habsburg ownership). After lunch drive to Innsbruck with a stop en route. First of two nights in Innsbruck.

Innsbruck, Schloss Ambras, lithograph c. 1850.

11–18 June 2017 (md 349) 8 days • £2,720 Lecturer: Richard Bassett

empire spawned a profusion of castles, country houses, town palaces and hunting lodges, and created art collections which today form the kernel of some of the best of their kind in the world.

Outstanding range of castles, abbeys, churches, houses and palaces.

Itinerary

Some excellent art collections.

Day 1: Vienna, Melk. Fly at c. 10.10am from London Heathrow to Vienna (British Airways). Drive to central Vienna. The Hofburg, the Habsburg Palace, is an agglomeration of buildings spanning six centuries with an incomparable collection of precious regalia in the treasury. Continue to Melk for the first of two nights.

Picturesque towns and villages, and consistently beautiful scenery. Led by Richard Bassett, historian specialising in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

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Habsburgs first came to Austria in 1273; their depar ture in 1919 terminated the longest innings of any dynasty in European history. The territory over which they ruled had meanwhile expanded into a vast multi-national empire which encompassed much of central and eastern Europe which is now split between ten different countries. There was, of course, a concomitant accumulation of titles including several kingships and, for much of their time in power, the most august title of them all: Holy Roman Emperor. This tour concentrates on the lands which are now more or less coterminous with modern Austria, a clutch of dukedoms and counties in largely mountainous terrain which were not particularly prosperous. However, proximity to the principal Habsburg seat, Vienna, meant that a high proportion of the artistic and architectural splendours of the Empire were concentrated in the Austrian lands. Only an afternoon is devoted to Vienna itself on this tour, which concentrates on the smaller towns and the architecture of the countryside. Prominent in this category are the abbeys, some of which can boast a continuity of spiritual life since the early Middle Ages, many of them rebuilt on a most lavish scale during the Baroque age. The ruling dynasty and the aristocracy of their book online at www.martinrandall.com

Day 2: Riegersburg, Altenburg, Dürnstein, Melk. Drive through idyllic hilly scenery north of the Danube to Schloss Riegersburg, an imposing 18thcentury mansion in private ownership. Nearby, the Benedictine abbey at Altenburg, distinguished by the library hall, monumental stairway and oval church, ranks with the finest of Baroque abbeys. Dürnstein is an enchanting little town on the Danube, backed by a hill with a ruined castle and fronted by a monastery church at the water’s edge. Overnight Melk. Day 3: Melk, Artstetten, Grein, Linz. Perched on a rock outcrop beside the Danube, the vast Benedictine Monastery at Melk is one of the greatest creations of the Baroque era. A sequence of state apartments includes a terrace with a magnificent view of the Danube valley and culminates in a church of dazzling splendour. Schloss Artstetten was rebuilt in the 16th century and again for Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose descendants still live here. Grein is a delightful little town on the Danube with a hilltop castle and an 18th-century theatre. First of two nights in Linz. Day 4: Linz, Wilhering, St Florian. The Danube city of Linz, capital of Upper Austria, has a very attractive historic centre with a town hall, several

Day 6: Innsbruck. Surrounded by mountains, Innsbruck has a spectacular natural setting with a joyously picturesque historic centre. Schloss Ambras just outside Innsbruck is a Habsburg palace of the 16th century; surviving here is a collection of curiosities which ranks as one of the first museums in the world. An afternoon walk around Innsbruck includes the astonishing tomb of Emperor Maximilian (d. 1519) with 28 larger-than-life bronze statues, the 18th-century Habsburg state apartments in the Hofburg and the Baroque cathedral. Overnight Innsbruck. Day 7: Innsbruck, Salzburg. The episcopal city-state of Salzburg once played a major role in European culture and politics, and the old town centre has scarcely changed since the days of its greatness two centuries ago. Among the places visited are the gardens and stair hall of Schloss Mirabell, churches by the greatest master of Austrian Baroque, Fischer von Erlach, the Late-Gothic Franciscan church and the mighty cathedral, the first major Baroque building north of the Alps. Overnight in Salzburg. Day 8. Drive to Munich and fly to London Heathrow, arriving at c. 5.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,720 or £2,550 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,990 or £2,820 without flights. Included meals: 2 lunches, 5 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Hotel zur Post, Melk (postmelk.at): family-run 4-star hotel in the centre of the little town with fine views of the abbey. Archotel Nike, Linz (arcotelhotels.com): functional 4-star hotel close to the Danube. Grand Hotel Europa, Innsbruck (grandhoteleuropa.at) the city’s only 5-star hotel, located ten minutes’ walk from the historic centre. Hotel Bristol, Salzburg (hotel.bristol-salzburg.at): 5-star familyrun hotel, excellently located two minutes’ walk from the Mozarteum and just across the river from the Festspielhaus. How strenuous? Quite a lot of walking is involved, some of it uphill and over roughly paved paths. There are also some long coach journeys. Average coach travel per day: 70 miles. Group size: between 12 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Mediaeval Burgundy, 3–10 June 2017 (page 83).

Flemish Painting From van Eyck to Rubens: Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels

Immersion in the highlights of Flemish painting in the beautiful, unspoilt cities in which they were created. The main centres of Flemish art: Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp and Brussels. Based in Ghent, which is equidistant to the other places on the itinerary. First-class train travel from London.

Day 3: Antwerp. The great port on the Scheldt has an abundance of historic buildings and museums and churches of the highest interest. Four of Rubens’s most powerful paintings are in the vast Gothic cathedral, joined for the first time for the first time since dispersal by the French in 1799. The house and studio Rubens built for himself are fascinating and well stocked with good pictures, and the Mayer van der Bergh Museum has a small but outstanding collection including works by Bruegel. Day 4: Bruges. Return to Bruges to see the mediaeval Hospital of St John, now a museum devoted to Hans Memling and contains many of his best paintings. See the market place with its soaring belfry, Gothic town hall and Basilica of the Holy Blood. Back in Ghent visit the Museum of Fine Arts, principally to see a work by Hieronymus Bosch. Day 5: Brussels. The Fine Arts Museum in Brussels is one of the best in Europe, and presents a comprehensive collection of Netherlandish painting as well as international works. Take the Eurostar from Brussels to London St Pancras, arriving c. 6.00pm.

Dr Betsy Wieseman. Curator of Dutch and Flemish Painting at The National Gallery. Most recently she curated Rembrandt: The Late Works. She has also contributed to numerous publications and exhibition catalogues. Prior to the National Gallery she was Curator of European Painting and Sculpture at the Cincinnati Art Museum. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,760 or £1,590 without Eurostar. Single occupancy: £1,990 or £1,820 without Eurostar. Included meals: 3 dinners with wine, and light meals and drinks on the Eurostar. Accommodation. Hotel NH Gent Belfort (nhhotels.com): comfortable 4-star hotel, excellently located beside the town hall. How strenuous? There is quite a lot of standing in museums and walking on this tour, often on cobbled or roughly paved streets. It should not be attempted by anyone who has difficulty with everyday walking and stair–climbing. You will need to be able to carry (wheel) your own luggage on and off the train and within stations. Some days involve a lot of driving. Average distance by coach per day: 55 miles. Group size: between 10 and 20 participants.

Illustration: ‘The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb’, 19th-century engraving after Hubert and Jan van Eyck.

Combine this tour with The Heart of Italy, 11–18 September 2017 (page 137).

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One might argue that Western art began in the southern Netherlands. In the context of 40,000 years of human artistic endeavour, painting which gives primacy to the naturalistic depiction of the visible world was an eccentric digression. Yet the illusionistic triad of solidity, space and texture first came together early in the fifteenth century in what is now Belgium, and dominated European art for the next five hundred years. The Flemish cities of Bruges and Ghent were among the most prosperous and progressive in mediaeval Europe. Brussels and Antwerp peaked later, the latter becoming Europe’s largest port in the sixteenth century. All retain tracts of unspoilt streetscape which place them among the most attractive destinations in northern Europe. Jan van Eyck and his brother Hubert stand at the head of the artistic revolution in the fifteenth century. Their consummate skill with the hitherto unexploited technique of oil painting resulted in pictures which have rarely been equalled for their jewel-like brilliance and breathtaking naturalism. The tradition of exquisite workmanship was continued with the same tranquillity of spirit by such masters as Hans Memling in Bruges and with greater emotionalism by Rogier van der Weyden in Brussels and Hugo van der Goes in Ghent, while Hieronymus Bosch was an individualist who specialised in the depiction of human sin and hellish retribution. The sixteenth century saw a greater focus on landscape and a shift towards mannerist displays of virtuoso skill and spiritual tension, although the outstanding painter of the century was another individualist, Pieter Bruegel. A magnificent culmination was reached in the seventeenth century with Peter Paul Rubens, the greatest painter of the Baroque age. His works are of an unsurpassed vigour and vitality, and are painted with a breadth and bravura which took the potential of oil painting to new heights. This tour presents one of the most glorious episodes in the history of art.

A major manufacturing and trading city in the Middle Ages, decline had already set in before the end of the 15th century. The Groeninge Museum has an excellent collection by Flemish masters including Jan van Eyck and the Church of Our Lady is home to Michelangelo’s marvellous marble Madonna and Child. St Salvator’s cathedral contains a triptych by Dirk Bouts.

belgium

6–10 September 2017 (me 516) 5 days • £1,760 Lecturer: Dr Betsy Wieseman

Itinerary Day 1: Ghent. Depart at c. 11.00am from London St Pancras by Eurostar for Lille, and from there drive to Ghent. Visit Ghent cathedral to see the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb polyptych by Hubert and Jan van Eyck, one of the greatest masterpieces of Netherlandish painting (undergoing restoration, not all panels are visible at once). Day 2: Ghent, Bruges. With its canals, melancholic hues and highly picturesque streetscape, Bruges is one of the loveliest cities in northern Europe.

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Charlemagne to Charles V The Southern Netherlands in the Middle Ages belgium

Diadem of Charlemagne, engraving from ‘The Arts in the Middle Ages’, 1878.

of France, the Netherlands and the Holy Roman Empire, and a mediaeval centre of metalwork production. There are fine buildings in the spacious centre: St Jacques is one of the most elaborate of Late Gothic churches; Eglise Ste-Croix is Belgium’s only hall church; in St Barthélemy, the bronze font rests on oxen by Renier de Huy (1118). There are good collections in the Museum of Religious Art and the Curtius Museum. Day 4: Mons, Nivelles, Mechelen. At Mons (Bergen) are the untrumpeted Late-Gothic splendours of the collegiate church of Ste-Waudru. Ste-Gertrude at Nivelles (Nijvel), with its spatial clarity, is one of the great buildings of early mediaeval Europe. Continue to Mechelen for the first of three nights.

4–10 July 2017 (md 385) 7 days • £2,280 Lecturer: Dr Jeffrey Miller Superb Carolingian, Romanesque and Gothic art and architecture. Places somewhat off the beaten track, now spread through three countries – Germany, Belgium and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Based in Maastricht and Mechelen, two wellpreserved historic towns. Led by Dr Jeffrey Miller, art historian and expert in the architecture of the Middle Ages.

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Jovial, approachable, and of immense physical strength and energy, Charlemagne epitomises the early mediaeval prince who ruled by force of personality. Confident of his grip on his sprawling empire, in later life he settled his court at Aachen. Though it would be hard to argue that the rise of the great trading cities of the Netherlands could be traced directly to the favour Charlemagne showed the area, the two occurrences are not without connection. The empire didn’t last, and little survives of the capital monuments from the eighth to the eleventh centuries. The palace chapel at Aachen is the most prominent survival, and well indicates the quality of what has been lost, as does the great collegiate church of Ste-Gertrude at Nivelles. The metalworking centres of the Meuse made a most significant contribution to the Romanesque era. Tournai cathedral is not only one of the seminal buildings of twelfth-century Europe, but also preserves one of the masterpieces of mediaeval reliquary art. But the touchstones of southern Netherlandish culture are to be found among the monuments of the later Middle Ages, in the prodigious energy generated by her urban and mercantile instincts, and in the range and quality of her artistic ambitions. This can be seen at a number of levels – in the unruffled calm of the Beguinhof at Mechelen, or the Late-Gothic invention of Ste-Waudru at Mons or St-Jacques at Liège; in book online at www.martinrandall.com

the brilliance and virtuosity of the town halls of Brussels and Ghent; and in the cool naturalism of the painting of Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden and Dirk Bouts. The arts of sculpture, metalwork and tapestry were no less important to a late-mediaeval audience, and in the museums and church treasuries of Brussels and Liège lie some of the finest collections of Late-Gothic and sixteenthcentury work in northern Europe. Emperor Charles V was born in Ghent in 1500, on the cusp of the modern world. During his reign Habsburg control of this area was consolidated, the once mighty and independent city states of the Netherlands subordinated within the largest empire in Europe since Charlemagne’s.

Itinerary Day 1: Brussels. Take the Eurostar at c. 11.00am from London St Pancras to Brussels. See the work of goldsmiths, sculptors and painters in the Low Countries throughout the mediaeval and Renaissance periods in the Musée Cinquantenaire, which has staggering collections of Carolingian ivories, Mosan and Rhenish metalwork, furniture, tapestries and retables. Continue to Maastricht for three nights. Day 2: Aachen (Germany), Maastricht (Netherlands). Cross into Germany to visit Aachen (Aix-en-Chapelle), Charlemagne’s favourite capital, where the Centre Charlemagne museum places his legacy in context. The cathedral has a remarkable rotonda based on San Vitale in Ravenna (for Charlemagne symbolically important as the last capital of the Roman Empire) and the Treasury has outstanding mediaeval works of art. Return to Maastricht, the pretty capital of Limburg to visit St Servaaskerk, a vast Romanesque edifice with crypt of c. 950, burial place of the last of the Carolingian Kings, and the Church of Our Lady, which has an ambulatory around the apse and a defensive west front. Day 3: Liège (Belgium). Spread along the valley of the Meuse, Liège was for over a thousand years the seat of a powerful bishopric at the junction

Day 5: Tournai. The nave and transepts of the cathedral of Notre-Dame at Tournai constitute one of the supreme statements of 12th-cent. architectural thinking to survive in the Low Countries (the exterior is undergoing renovation). Its Rayonnant choir, 13th-cent. wall paintings, 16th-century choir screen and Nicolas of Verdun’s superb shrine, constitute a most important ensemble of mediaeval work. Visit the late 12thcentury parish church of St-Quentin and the Musée des Beaux-Arts. Day 6: Mechelen, Ghent. Mechelen boasts one of the finest market squares to survive in Brabant, lined by 16th-century guild houses, the cathedral and the Stadhuis. See the west tower of Sint Romboutskathedraal, the founding statement of Netherlandish ‘Florid Gothic’. In Ghent, visit the restored shell of the Gravensteen, Flanders’s greatest feudal redoubt, and the luminous interiors of Sint Baafskathedraal, abode of Jan van Eyck’s Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (currently being restored, not all panels are visible at once). Day 7: Leuven, Brussels. By coach to Leuven (Louvain) where the church of St Peter contains a triptych within by Dirk Bouts. Continue to Brussels and the Grote Markt (Grand Place), the most ebullient town square in the Low Countries, and the cathedral of St Michel-et-Gudule with a recently rediscovered 10th-cent. church under the central space. The late afternoon Eurostar arrives at London St Pancras at c. 6.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,280 or £2,070 without Eurostar. Single occupancy: £2,570 or £2,360 without Eurostar. Included meals: 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Beaumont Hotel, Maastricht (beaumonthotel.nl): modern, elegant, 4-star hotel. Mercure Mechelen Vé (mercure.com): comfortable 4–star hotel, centrally located. How strenuous? There is a lot of walking and standing around. Coaches are often not able to access the historic centres. Average distance by coach per day: 77 miles. Group size: between 12 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: French Gothic, 26 June–2 July 2017 (page 76).

Crécy, agincourt & Waterloo History, context & battlefield exploration

A study of the most written-about battle in British history, and one of the best-preserved battlefields. Prefaced by visits to Crécy and Agincourt. Led by an outstanding military historian who has published on both periods.

Itinerary Day 1: Crécy. Take the Eurostar at 11.00am from St Pancras to Lille. Drive south through rolling countryside to the village of Crécy-en-Ponthieu. It was here in August 1346 that an English army commanded by Edward III and the Black Prince inflicted a crushing defeat on a numerically superior French and international force, victory of the longbow over knights in armour. The battlefield has changed little in topography and planting in 650 years. Overnight Montreuil.

Day 3: Quatre Bras, Ligny. The Wellington Museum is in the inn where the Duke spent the nights before and after the battle. During the day of 16th June some of the scattered allied contingents converged at Quatre Bras, but numerical inferiority led to a well fought defensive engagement and, on the 17th June, an orderly withdrawal admirably screened by cavalry. At the same time a much bigger battle was taking place 7 miles to the East at Ligny where the Prussians were badly defeated by Napoleon; this proved to be his last victory. Overnight Waterloo.

‘Gordon Corrigan’s site presentations of the conﬂicts were informative, descriptive, lively and involving, prompting interesting discussions with the guests.’ where he spent the night before the fateful battle. Return to London by Eurostar from Brussels arriving St Pancras c. 5.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,690 or £1,520 without Eurostar. Single occupancy: £1,890 or £1,720 without Eurostar. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine.

‘The Morning of Agincourt’, watercolour after Sir John Gilbert publ. 1920

Day 4: Waterloo. All day is spent walking the battlefield, with stops for talks at key positions. Among the highlights are the farmstead of Hougoumont, held by the Guards throughout the day during the fiercest fighting, and the sweep of terrain across which the British cavalry drove back the advance of the French but exhausted themselves in the process. Also visit the panoramic painting of the battle (1912) and climb the Lion Mound. Finish the day by walking the course taken by Napoleon’s Guards towards the allied lines before they turned and fled in the face of deadly fire and bayonet charges. Overnight Waterloo. Day 5: Plancenoit, Waterloo. Prussian troops entered the village of Plancenoit south of the battlefield and soaked up Napoleon’s reserves; the fighting was so fierce that little of the village survives. Visit the Napoleon museum in the house

Accommodation. Hotel Hermitage, Montreuilsur-Mer (hermitage-montreuil.com): 19th-century building in the centre of Montreuil converted into a 3-star hotel. Superior bedrooms are of a good size; modern décor. Martin’s Grand Hotel, Waterloo (martins-hotels.com): located close to the battlefield, this 4-star hotel is in a converted 19th-century sugar refinery. How strenuous? There is a lot of standing on exposed sites for extended periods of time. There is quite a lot of walking, the Waterloo day having about five miles on foot along country lanes, footpaths and fields. There is a long drive from Agincourt to Waterloo. Average distance by coach per day: 115 miles.

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The Battle of Waterloo in 1815 terminated twentythree years of fighting and ushered in ninety-nine years of relative peace and political equilibrium. Waterloo can also be seen as marking Great Britain’s coming of age as a superpower. The event became absolutely key for British self-identity, epitomising the championship of liberty over tyranny, victory of the weaker over the stronger, and the value of the virtues of courage, composure, discipline and perseverance. Despite its far-reaching consequences, Waterloo was far from being the biggest battle of the Napoleonic Wars, or the bloodiest, or even, in terms of imbalance of casualties, the most decisive. It was not even a particularly British victory – two-thirds of the allied army was German, Dutch and Belgian, and that is without including the Prussians, whose intervention late in the day ensured victory. Much of the enduring fascination of the battle – probably the most written-about in history – derives from these controversies and because it was ‘the nearest run thing you ever saw in your life’. Wellington’s ‘infamous army’, though of similar size to Napoleon’s, contained a high proportion of inexperienced troops and citizen militia, and some who only a year previously had been marching under the imperial eagle. But they stood their ground tenaciously and finished the day in triumph. This was Wellington’s ultimate test, his chance to measure his abilities against Napoleon, whom he had never met in battle before. His generalship proved to be the superior. Amazingly, fortuitously, all three battlefields are very well preserved. Crécy (1346) and Agincourt (1415) were also scenes of British victories over superior French forces and are major ingredients in the fading national myth. But it is not jingoism which brings these three battles together in this tour, but the contingency of geographical proximity – that and their fame. As a trio of events in British (pre-Victorian) history, their combined resonance is unsurpassed. A proper study of the battlefields leaves little room for partiality; ‘Nothing except a battle lost can be half so melancholy as a battle won.’

Day 2: Agincourt. Similarly remote and rural, the little-altered terrain helps explain how Henry V and his exhausted followers brought catastrophe to the much larger French army. However, the traditional national myth and Shakespearean spin veils a more complex and controversial reality. After a brief visit to the visitors’ centre, have lunch in the vicinity before driving across Flemish France and Walloon Belgium to Waterloo. First of three nights in Waterloo.

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13–17 September 2017 (me 523) 5 days • £1,690 Lecturer: Major Gordon Corrigan

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with Civilizations of Sicily, 18–30 September 2017 (page 146). Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

The Western Balkans Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina & Montenegro: history past and present BoSNia & HERzEGoViNa, CRoaTia

8–21 May 2017 (md 266) 14 days • £4,260 Lecturer: David Gowan cmg 2–15 October 2017 (me 591) 14 days • £4,260 Lecturer: David Gowan cmg A ground-breaking journey through one of the most politically complex and fissiparous yet fundamentally similar regions of Europe. A political and historical tour, led by a former British ambassador in Belgrade, David Gowan. Rural villages, little-visited towns, imposing capitals; magnificent mountainous landscapes; little tourism. Exquisite Byzantine wall paintings in the fortresslike monasteries of Southern Serbia, Ottoman mosques, Art Nouveau architecture. This journey takes us to borderlands where, for much of their history, the South Slavs have been divided by competing empires and cultures. In Serbia, the Nemanjić dynasty flourished from the twelft h until the fourteenth centuries and built monasteries that combined Byzantine and Romanesque influences. But from the early fifteenth century (following the defeat of Prince Lazar in 1389) until the mid-nineteenth century, the Ottoman Turks ruled Serbia, Bosnia and much of Slavonia. Meanwhile, the Habsburg Empire reached south into Croatia, and Venice dominated the cities of the Adriatic coast.

The modern politics and structure of the Western Balkans were defined by the Congress of Berlin in 1878; the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, which created the first Yugoslavia; the Second World War, which ravaged the region and gave birth to Tito’s Yugoslavia; and, most recently, the maelstrom of the 1990s and the emergence of the present seven independent states. What are the Western Balkans like now? There has been a major change in the past decade. The capitals and main cities that we shall visit are all lively and welcoming, but each retains a distinct character. Croatia is prosperous and joined the EU in the summer of 2013. Its historic links to Vienna and Budapest can be seen clearly in Zagreb and Osijek. Our other destinations are more complex and multi-layered. Belgrade is historically the extension of a strategic Ottoman citadel overlooking the Danube and Sava. It has fine and varied architecture (including some from the Art Nouveau period) and a cosmopolitan feel. Sarajevo combines mosques, Orthodox churches, squares and kafanas in a mountainous setting. Its troubled history is not far below the surface. The smaller Bosnian towns on our route (Višegrad, Mostar and Trebinje) have great charm. Kotor – in Montenegro – is a small fortified Venetian port city with a Romanesque cathedral on the shore of a fjord. Visits to the old capital, Cetinje, and the coast will offer insights into Montenegro’s history and strongly independent national character. One particular feature of this journey is that it takes in remote and functioning Serbian Orthodox

monasteries that are of exceptional architectural and artistic interest, and include unesco World Heritage sites. This tour is emphatically a journey, with some long days and much driving through hilly terrain. The late-spring and summer departures will show the magnificent countryside at its best.

Itinerary Day 1: Zagreb. Fly at c. 8.30am (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Zagreb. Lunch is served upon arrival followed by an orientation walk, including a visit to the State Archives. First of two nights in Zagreb (Croatia). Day 2: Zagreb. The westernmost place on this tour, the capital of Croatia ranks with the loveliest cities of Central Europe. The Meštrović Atelier displaying the works of the renowned Croatian sculptor, private viewing of the Golden Hall, the Gothic Cathedral of the Assumption. Walk to the upper town, the Kaptol district, via the bustling market. After lunch there is free time to visit the Modern Art Gallery and Museum of Arts and Crafts. Overnight Zagreb. Day 3: Zagreb, Osijek. Drive through Croatia’s rustic north-eastern region of Slavonia via lunch at a vineyard to Osijek. Located on the River Drava amid gently undulating countryside, Osijek is the administrative centre of Slavonia. There is a remarkably unspoilt 18th-century quarter built by the Austrians as their military and administrative headquarters when they pushed back the Turks, with cobbled alleys and fortress walls. Overnight Osijek (Croatia). Day 4: Ilok, Novi Sad. Pass through Vukovar, the Croatian town worst damaged by the 1991 war. Stop near Ilok, a picturesque fortified settlement on a bluff high above the Danube. Cross the river into Serbia and spend the afternoon in Novi Sad. This has a picturesque core with buildings from the 18th century. Onwards and, across the Danube, the massive fortress of Petrovaradin which was pivotal in Prince Eugene’s wars with the Turks. First of two nights in Belgrade (Serbia).

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Day 5: Belgrade. With its broad avenues and imposing public buildings, Belgrade is unmistakably a capital and instantly recognisable as a Balkan one. After Diocletian divided the Roman Empire in the late third century ad, it became the westernmost stronghold of the eastern portion. Its kernel is a citadel on a hill above the meeting of the Danube and Sava rivers, which holds the record for the number of times it has changed hands between hostile powers. Most of the city’s architecture dates from the late 19th century onwards. Liveliness is provided by the café culture typical of the Balkans. Final night in Belgrade.

Kotor, watercolour by William Tyndale, publ. 1925. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Day 6: Belgrade, Manasija. Free morning in Belgrade. Then begin three days visiting what Serbia does best, mediaeval Orthodox monasteries. Tucked in a wooded valley, Manasija is ringed by surely the highest and stoutest walls of any monastery anywhere, built in the early 15th century in expectation of the inevitable Turkish assault. Frescoes of the highest quality – a late flowering of Byzantine art – survive well. First of two nights in Kraljevo (Serbia).

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‘The itinerary was exceptional – very well planned and interesting.’ Day 10: Mostar. Driving over the mountains that encircle Sarajevo and following the Neretva river, we arrive in Mostar in the late morning. A thriving trading town since Herzegovina came under Ottoman rule in 1482, this is Bosnia-Herzegovina’s most picturesque town, an open-air museum with narrow cobbled streets and original Ottoman architecture. At its heart is the Old Bridge, shelled until it collapsed in 1993 and rebuilt in 2004. Overnight Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina). Day 11: Stolac, Trebinje, Kotor. This is wine country, and after a stop in the quiet Ottoman town of Stolac lunch is at a winery in Trebinje, the southernmost city of BosniaHerzegovina. Walk around the historic walled town and a country market. In the afternoon cross from Bosnia-Herzegovina to Montenegro and descend into the Bay of Kotor. First of three nights in Kotor (Montenegro).

Ilok

Day 13: Cetinje, Budva. A mountain drive to the Cetinje which until the end of the First World War was the capital of Montenegro, and still retains the echo of uniforms, a royal court and Balkan diplomacy. Visit the Palace of King Nikola, the Art and History Museum and former embassies. In the afternoon visit the historic old town of Budva on Montenegro’s Adriatic coast. Final night in Kotor.

Novi Sad Belgrade

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Serbia

Sarajevo

Višegrad

Adriatic Sea

Dubrovnik

M o n t e n e g ro

Trebinje Perast Cetinje

c. 100 km

Day 14: Kotor. Fly from Dubrovnik, arriving London Gatwick at approximately 1.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £4,260 or £4,070 without flights. Single occupancy: £4,680 or £4,490 without flights. Included meals: 9 lunches, 10 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. The Regent Esplanade Hotel, Zagreb (esplanade.hr): grand 5- star hotel within walking distance of the city centre. Hotel Osijek, Osijek (hotelosijek.hr/en): a modern and comfortable high-rise hotel on the bank of the river Drava. Hotel Moskva, Belgrade (hotelmoskva.rs): a well-located and comfortable hotel built in 1926 with a great deal of character, recently renovated. Hotel Crystal, Kraljevo (hotelcrystal.rs): simple but adequate and with welcoming service, the only acceptable hotel in a region with little tourism. Hotel Europe, Sarajevo (hoteleurope.ba): a centrally located 5-star hotel, the best in the city, built in the late 19th century but comprehensively renovated. Hotel Mepas, Mostar (mepas-hotel.ba/en) a modern business hotel just a short drive from the historic centre. Hotel Cattaro, Kotor (cattarohotel.com): located within the old city walls, this hotel provides an excellent base from which to explore.

Sopoćani

Kosovo

Kotor

I TA LY

Kraljevo Studenica

Mostar Stolac

Manasija

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M AC E D O N I A

David Gowan cmg. British Ambassador in Belgrade from 2003–6 and Minister and Deputy Head of Mission in Moscow from 2000–3. He was Kosovo War Crimes Co-ordinator in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1999 and has published papers on Serbia and Kosovo. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

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Day 12: Kotor, Perast. Kotor nestles at the foot of high hills, a harbour on a sheltered fjord off the Adriatic. This diminutive city retains its fearsome ramparts, much unspoilt streetscape and an astonishing Romanesque cathedral incorporating Roman columns. In the later afternoon drive around the fjord to Perast, perched between towering mountains and the water, with large mansions, mediaeval to Baroque. A short boat ride allows a visit to an island church, Our Lady of the Rock, before lunch on the water’s edge.

RO M A N I A Osijek

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Day 8: Višegrad, Sarajevo. Cross from Serbia to Bosnia-Herzegovina. Stop at the beautiful late 16th-century Višegrad bridge before continuing to the capital, Sarajevo. First of two nights here. Day 9: Sarajevo. Famously squeezed by high treeclad hills at the head of a river valley, Sarajevo was founded in the 15th century by the Ottoman Turks in the wake of their steady conquest of the Balkan Peninsula. The various assorted mosques, churches and synagogues highlight the pluralist nature of the city. It is possible to stand where Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand; in the adjacent museum it is strangely moving to see the trousers of the man who started the First World War. Final night in Sarajevo.

Virovitica

Zagreb

Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia

Day 7: Studenica, Sopoćani. This includes a drive through spectacular mountain scenery. We visit two more superb mediaeval monasteries, Studenica and Sopoćani. Both are located in remote and beautiful valleys, both have amongst the finest 13th-and 14th-century Byzantine frescoes to survive anywhere. We stop briefly near the Bosniak town of Novi Pazar in the Sandžak.

How strenuous? There is a lot of walking in the city centres, some of it on uneven ground and up and down steep flights of steps. Though the average distance by coach per day is 65 miles, many roads are slow and mountainous and some travelling days are long. Border crossings may entail minor delays. There are 6 hotel changes. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Right: Sarajevo, from ‘Balkan Sketches’, 1926.

What else is included in the price? See page 7. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Great Houses of the Czech Lands Country houses & town palaces in Bohemia & Moravia czech republic

landscaped style. Also partly of British inspiration was the Gothic Revival, and the nineteenth century produced a large number of mansions shaped by the spirit of Romanticism. Nearly all the houses retain first-rate furnishings and works of art. On the whole state custodianship has been adequately caring, but since the collapse of Communism a number of properties have been returned to their pre-1948 owners. Every year there are improvements to be seen as growing prosperity allows for restoration and more enlightened curatorship. Natural beauty is also a feature of the tour, with ravishing countryside and a deep rurality which has vanished from much of the rest of Europe.

Itinerary Day 1: Prague. Fly at c. 10.00am from London Heathrow to Prague and drive to Mělník. Situated on a bluff above the River Vltava and surrounded by vineyards, Zámek Mělník is a charming country house of several periods. The rooms with unrestored 18th-century decoration are outstanding. First of two nights at a country house hotel near Liblice. Day 2: Veltrusy, Nelahozeves. Veltrusy is a delightful 18th-century house on an unusual X–plan. Chinoiserie interiors, and one of the Continent’s earliest ‘English’ landscaped parks. The formidable and apparently defensible bulk of Nelahozeves melts in the courtyard into a graceful Italianate dwelling with classical arcades, revealing itself as one of the first monumental Renaissance buildings in the region. A property of the Lobkowitz family, there is a fine collection of pictures and furniture. Overnight Liblice.

Ceský Krumlov, 20th-century woodcut.

11–19 August 2017 (md 455) 9 days • £2,930 Lecturer: Dr Jarl Kremeier MAINLAND EUROPE

A selection from one of the densest collections of country houses and town palaces in Europe. Prosperous and progressive for most of their history, Bohemia and Moravia were favoured territories for aristocratic estates. Renaissance houses and decoration of the 16th century are a particular delight, Baroque is brilliantly represented, Neo-Classical and Gothic Revival not far behind. Combine this tour with The Danube Festival, 20–27 August 2017 – see page 52.

With an exceptional density of great houses, the Czech Republic, comprising the historic provinces of Bohemia and Moravia, is an essential destination for anyone who cares for country houses and town palaces. With variety also book online at www.martinrandall.com

being as much a feature as profusion, visitors are invariably surprised and delighted by the riches that are to be seen in the relatively undiscovered countryside beyond Prague. The Middle Ages had an impact on the appearance of some of the houses where incorporation of the masonry of a castellar predecessor affected the present plan or appearance. Reception of Italian Renaissance architecture was precocious, and there are arcaded courtyards of an elegance and scale which are unparalleled elsewhere in Europe. There is also some outstanding decoration of the sixteenth century. Around the turn of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, a period of renewal after a time of troubles, there was a veritable mania for building. Houses in rumbustious Baroque styles arose, sometimes sophisticated, often provincial, usually delightful, always impressive. The Age of Neo-Classicism is also handsomely represented. Many parks and gardens succumbed at this time to the fashion for the English

Day 3: Chlumec, Kačina. Karlova Koruna (‘Charles’s Crown’) at Chlumec nad Cidlinou is a fascinating design by the brilliant if eccentric Baroque architect Santini-Aichel. It was built for the the Kinsky family, to which it was restituted after the collapse of the communist regime. Dating to the early l9th century, Kačina is a fine synthesis of English Palladianism and Continental Neo-Classicism. Fine rooms, remarkable cylindrical library, landscaped park. First of three nights in Brno. Day 4: Valtice, Lednice. Adjoining the Austrian border are two great houses which were the property of the Liechtenstein family from the 13th century to 1945. The redoubtable residence at Valtice is largely of the 17th and 18th centuries, while the house at Lednice is a magnificent Gothic Revival building with outstanding woodwork interiors. Here also are monumental Baroque stables designed by Fischer von Erlach and an extensive park with large-scale follies and pavilions. Overnight Brno. Day 5: Bučovice, Kroměříž. Bučovice is a Renaissance treasure, with a splendid tripletiered arcaded courtyard and stucco interiors of a quality virtually without equal in northern Europe. Kroměříž is a lovely small town which was an episcopal seat. The Bishop’s Palace has a magnificent Rococo hall and other fine rooms as well as an outstanding art collection (Titian’s The Flaying of Marsyas). The 17th-century walled garden with pavilion and immense colonnade is an astounding survival. Overnight Brno.

Connoisseur’s Prague art, architecture & design, with privileged access CzECH REPuBliC

Day 6: Vranov, Jaroměřice. The great house at Vranov, perched above a ravine, was transformed in the 1690s by Fischer von Erlach, greatest of 18th-century Austrian architects. The oval Hall of Ancestors, with frescoes by Johann Rottmayr and views across hills, is one of the finest creations of the Baroque Age. Vast and rambling, the Baroque palace at Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou has some delightful untouched 18th-century interiors, an enormous chapel and fine gardens. Overnight Telč. Day 7: Telč, Jindřichův Hradec. The tiny town of Telč has the loveliest square in Central Europe. The aristocratic residence was rebuilt in phases in the 16th century with arcaded courtyards and a series of halls with richly carved ceilings and decoration which verge on the bizarre. More Renaissance arcades follow at the castle at Jindřichův Hradec; we limit our visit to the interiors of the beautiful garden rotonda. First of two nights in Hluboká nad Vltavou. Day 8: Český Krumlov, Kratochvíle. Built up around a bend in the River Vltava, Český Krumlov is an exceedingly picturesque and well-preserved town. The castle looms above –mediaeval in origin, in large part 16th-century, endowed in the 18th century with a hall painted with scenes of a masked ball and a theatre which has survived fully equipped with scenery and costumes. Secluded within a walled garden amid particularly lovely countryside, Kratochvíle is the finest Renaissance villa in the country. Overnight Hluboká. Day 9: Hluboká. Its white tower visible from afar, Hluboká had mediaeval and Baroque incarnations before the lavish Gothic Revival refurbishment inspired by visits to Britain. Splendid carved wood interiors and a profusion of furniture and works of art. Drive to Prague for the flight to London, arriving Heathrow c. 9.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,930 or £2,740 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,230 or £3,040 without flights. Included meals: 5 lunches, 6 dinners, with wine.

How strenuous? Quite a lot of walking on this tour, some of it up slopes or up steps. To be able to enjoy the tour it would be essential to manage daily walking and stair-climbing without any difficulties. There is also a fair amout of driving. Average distance by coach per day: 87 miles. Group size: between 10 and 20 participants. Combining this tour with The Danube Festival: please contact us for advice on travel and accommodation between tour and festival.

10–16 September 2017 (me 537) 7 days • £2,770 Lecturer: Michael Ivory Includes inaccessible and hidden glories as well as the main sights of this endlessly fascinating city. Special arrangements and private visits are major features. Also museum tours with curators. Museums and galleries have been transformed in recent years, and new ones added. Particular focus on art and architecture around the turn of the 19th century. The lecturer, Michael Ivory, has led many tours to the Czech Republic. Can be combined with Czech Modernism, 4–9 September 2017 – see overleaf. This is an experience of Prague like no other. The capital of Bohemia needs no introduction as the most beautiful city in Central Europe, with plenty to delight the cultural traveller for a week or more. Yet many a façade screens halls and rooms and works of art of the highest interest which can scarcely ever be seen except by insiders. Other fine places are open to visitors but hard to get to. Gaining access to the inaccessible is a major strand of this tour. Pursuing the private and straying off the beaten track will not be at the expense of the well-known sights, among which are some of the most fascinating buildings and artworks. But here participants are enabled to focus on the essentials and as far as possible to visit when crowds have subsided. Prague enjoys an unequalled density of great architecture, from Romanesque to modern, but it is the fabric of the city as a whole rather than individual masterpieces which makes it so special. The city has the advantage of a splendid site, a crescent of hills rising from one side of a majestic

bend in the River Vltava with gently inclined terrain on the other bank. A carapace of red roofs, green domes and gilded spires spreads across the slopes and levels, sheltering marvellously unspoilt streets and alleys and magically picturesque squares. Though the whole gamut of Czech art and architecture is viewed, the tour has an emphasis on the period from the 1870s to the 1920s. The spirit of national revival and the achievement of independence (in 1918) inspired a ferment of creativity among artists, writers and composers. A bewildering variety of styles drew on earlier Bohemian traditions, led Art Nouveau into highly innovatory directions and pioneered some radical and unique features at the dawn of modernism. Another high point in Prague’s history was the fourteenth century, when Kings of Bohemia were also Holy Roman Emperors and the city became one of the largest in the western world. The Gothic cathedral rising from within the precincts of the hilltop Royal Castle is one of the many monuments of that golden age, and the exquisite panel paintings from this era, now excellently displayed in the Convent of St Agnes, are among the chief glories of the city. Subordination within the Habsburg Empire from the sixteenth century curtailed Bohemia’s power but not its wealth or architectural achievements: some of the finest Renaissance buildings in Central Europe arose here. In the eighteenth century, some of the richest landowners of the Baroque age built palaces here. In the city where Mozart had his most enthusiastic audiences and where Smetana and Dvořák reached fulfi lment, there is still a rich musical life in a range of beautiful historic opera houses and concert halls. There will be the opportunity to attend performances. The itinerary given below does not list by any means all that you see. Nor does it indicate all the slots for free time, which is necessarily a feature of a tour of such richness and variety. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Accommodation. Hotel Château Liblice, Liblice (chateau-liblice.com): 4-star hotel and conference centre converted from an 18th-century country house. Grandezza Hotel, Brno (hotelgrandezza. cz): luxury boutique hotel located in the heart of Brno’s historic centre Green Market. Hotel U Hraběnky, Telč (hotel-uhrabenky.cz/en): the only usable hotel for many miles around, this 4-star is fairly old-fashioned, if adequately equipped. Hotel Stekl, Hluboká nad Vltavou (hotelstekl.cz): 4-star hotel converted from an auxiliary building belonging to the neighbouring mansion.

Prague, Charles Bridge, Lesser Town and Castle, lithograph c. 1860.

Connoisseur’s Prague continued

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Itinerary Day 1. Fly from London Heathrow to Prague at c. 9.45am (British Airways). After settling into the hotel, there is a first exploration of the ancient core of the city on the right bank of the Vltava. A dense maze of dazzlingly picturesque streets and alleys converges on Old Town Square, surely the prettiest urban space in Europe, with shimmeringly beautiful façades – mediaeval, Renaissance, Baroque and Art Nouveau. Then a special visit to the Obecní dům (‘Municipal House’) to see the glorious suite of assembly rooms created 1904–12, a unique and very Czech mélange of murals and ornament. Day 2. Continue the tour of the Old Town with the Gothic Týn church, at the heart not only of Prague but also of Czech history. There follows the 13thcentury Convent of St Agnes, where one of the world’s greatest collections of mediaeval painting is brilliantly installed. A walk in and around Wenceslas Square, threading through a succession of arcades, takes in some outstanding turn-ofthe-century architecture and decoration and early modernist masterpieces. Day 3. Drive up to Prague Castle for a first visit to this extensive and fascinating hilltop citadel, residence of Dukes and Kings of Bohemia from the 10th century and now of the President. The Old Royal Palace rises from Romanesque through Gothic to Renaissance, the chief glory being the largest stone hall in Europe and its extraordinary vaulting. There follows privileged access to a wonderful sequence of halls not open to the public, dating from the 1570s to the 1930s (state

occasions permitting). Walk through a sequence of delightful gardens on the south slope down to the Lesser Town.

the 1830s. A riverside country retreat, Villa Troja is a 17th-century Italianate mansion with a French formal garden.

Day 4. Begin with the Moorish style Jubilee Synagogue of 1908 and the rare Rondo-Cubist Legion’s Bank of the 1920s. The Veletržni (Trade Fair) Palace of 1928 now houses fascinating Czech art of the 19th and 20th centuries and a remarkable holding of modern French art. Return to the Castle District to see the delicately arcaded Belvedere in the Royal Gardens, the finest Renaissance building in Prague, and the cathedral of St Vitus, a pioneering monument of High Gothic, richly embellished with chapels, tombs, altarpieces and stained glass.

Day 7. Strahov Monastery has commanding views over Prague and two magnificent library halls, which by special arrangement we enter. Then walk down the hill, passing the formidable bulk of the Černín Palace and the delightful façade of the Loreto Church. The flight returns to London Heathrow at c. 2.45pm.

Day 5. The Klementinum is a vast Jesuit complex with library halls and chapels. See also in the Old Town the church of St James, a Gothic carcass encrusted with Baroque finery after a fire in 1689. Walk across 14th-century Charles Bridge, the greatest such structure in Europe, wonderfully adorned with sculptures. In the Lesser Town visit St Nicholas, one of the finest of Baroque churches in Central Europe. Free afternoon. Day 6. See the treasures south of the centre by coach, among them St John Nepomuk ‘on the Rock’, a little Baroque masterpiece (rarely accessible), the bizarre phenomenon of Cubist houses and the fortress of Vysehrad, rising high above the river and enclosing a cemetery with the graves of many great Czechs. There is a special tour of the National Theatre (1869–83) to which all the leading Czech artists of the time contributed, and a quick visit to the Prague City Museum to see the extraordinarily detailed model of the city made in

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Prague, Old Town Square, lithograph by Samuel Prout 1839. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,770 or £2,580 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,240 or £3,050 without flights. Included meals: 4 dinners with winer. Accommodation. Hotel Paris Prague (hotelparis.cz): 5-star hotel built in 1904 that retains the Art Nouveau theme throughout. Comfortable and elegant but not fussy with a good restaurant and café. Very well located in the Old Town close to Obecní dům (Municipal House). How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking, much of it on roughly paved streets, some on inclines. The tour would not be suitable for anyone with difficulties with everyday walking and stairclimbing. Fitness is essential. Group size: between 10 and 19 participants. Combine this tour with: Czech Modernism, 4–9 September 2017. We offer accommodation and a walking tour for the day between the two tours. See opposite (in ‘Practicalities’) for details.

Czech Modernism inter-war architecture in Prague, Brno, Hradec Králové & zlin Professor Harry Charrington. architect and Head of architecture at the university of Westminster. He studied at Cambridge and obtained his PhD from the lSE. His research focuses on modernism, and his books include the award-winning Alvar Aalto: the Mark of the Hand and contributions to Artek and the Aaltos: Creating a Modern World (2016).

Early twentieth-century architecture in the (then) new nation of Czechoslovakia, a highly creative crucible of modernism. See the transformation of Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau and some of the most handsome and original modernist designs in Europe. Much of the itinerary is far from the regular tourist trail.

See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

Can be combined with Connoisseur’s Prague, 10–16 September 2017 – see pages 63–64.

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Prague, by V.V. Stech, 1928.

Itinerary Day 1: Prague. Fly at c. 10.00am from London Heathrow to Prague. There is an afternoon walk in and around Wenceslas Square, where there are some choice early modernist buildings as well as Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau and historicist predecessors. Overnight Prague. Day 2: Prague. Visit Prague Castle to see Josip Plečnik’s restorations and additions in transforming the historic complex into the centre of government, wholly original and utterly beautiful. The Museum of Czech Cubism in the House of the Black Madonna by Josef Gočár well displays this idiosyncratic phenomenon. The Baba estate is a model colony of modernist villas planned by Pavel Janak and built 1928–40 with many architects contributing. Finally, visit the Villa Müller, the masterpiece of Adolf Loos and one of the best houses of the ear, excellently restored. Day 3: Prague. The Legions’ Bank is the outstanding example of that unique Czech style, Rondo-Cubism, here a national memorial enriched with sculpture. Josip Plečnik’s Church of the Sacred Heart in the suburb of Vinohrady is a quirky but serene masterpiece. Return to the centre to see the Mánes Building by Otakar Novotný and the Trade Fair Building (Veletržní Palác), a major piece of Modernism that now houses the modern art branch of the National Gallery. Overnight Prague. Day 4: Hradec Králové. An extensive new town spreads across the river from the historic kernel of Hradec Králové in eastern Bohemia, planned by Josef Gočár 1909–11. The Museum, one of the best buildings of its time, was designed by Jan Kotěra, father of Czech modernism. Rondo-Cubism is evident in the bank buildings in Masaryk Square, glass walls in the railway offices, red brick in the school and concrete in the austerely expressive Hussite church. Overnight Brno.

Day 5: Brno. The Czech Republic’s second city and capital of Moravia, Brno was a major player in Central European industry and design between the wars. A walk takes in some of the modernist buildings in the city centre. Depart mid-morning for Zlín, the ultimate company town, the creation of Tomáš Baťa, the shoe manufacturer. Despite post-War vicissitudes, many of the factories, offices, houses and civic amenities survive in good order and major restoration has recently been completed. Overnight Brno. Day 6: Brno. In the Exhibition Centre several buildings survive from the 1928 trade fair. Designed by Mies van der Rohe, Villa Tugendhat is one of the finest modernist family homes in Europe. Drive to Prague Airport and return to Heathrow c. 9.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,440 or £2,250 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,700 or £2,510 without flights. Included meals: 3 lunches, 4 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Hotel K + K Central Prague (kkhotels.com/en/prague/hotel-central): recently built 4-star hotel installed in a 1902 building excellently situated in a quiet street in the Old Town. Pleasingly understated décor and well-equipped rooms. A newly opened 4-star boutique hotel, the luxurious Grandezza Hotel (grandezzahotel.cz) is located in the heart of Brno’s historic centre, The Green Market. How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking, much of it on roughly paved, cobbled and steep streets, some on inclines. The tour would not be suitable for anyone with difficulties with everyday walking and stair-climbing. Fitness is essential. Music. It is usually possible to obtain tickets for concerts and opera. Details will be sent to participants as soon as they are available. Group size: between 10 and 20 participants. Price, if combining this tour with Connoisseur’s Prague. Two sharing: £2,510 or £2,370 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,820 or £2,490 without flights. This includes the extra night in Prague in between the two tours and a walking tour on the morning of the 10th September. Flights (if you are taking them) are charged with this tour, so you will pay the ‘without flights’ price for Connoisseur’s Prague. Please state on your booking form if you wish to take up this option. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Dismembered, occupied and marginalised for fift y years from 1938, and an oppressed province of Austria-Hungary before 1919; perhaps it is not surprising that Czechoslovakia’s brilliant contribution to the art and design of the twentieth century has tended to be overlooked. All branches of the visual arts and architecture flourished during the short period between the wars – the only period of political independence before 1990 – and during the twenty years before this, when the struggle for self-determination was rolling inexorably towards its climax. As much as in any European country and more than in most, the avant-garde was lively, creative and mainstream in the new, forward-looking country of Czechoslovakia. While in all disciplines practitioners were at the forefront of international movements and ideas, what is particularly exciting is that so much was original, idiosyncratic and distinctively Czech. Modernism had its roots in Art Nouveau, while some architects, by complete contrast, digressed into an unparalleled application of Cubism to buildings and furniture. This briefly morphed in the 1920s into Rondo-Cubism, a mix of richly sculpted surfaces and geometric forms. Meanwhile, Functionalism and International Modernism were becoming the orthodoxy, producing some distinguished and beautiful results, though idiosyncrasy continued in the imaginative variations of classicism practised by Josip Plečnik. Modernism and experimentation found such fruitful soil here because Czechoslovakia was highly developed industrially (80% of the Habsburg Empire’s industrial might had been concentrated in the Czech lands), society was meritocratic and liberal and politics left-leaning but robustly democratic (it was the only Central European nation not to succumb to totalitarianism before the War). Even in the Communist era there was much good design; since the Velvet Revolution of 1989 some excellent buildings by international as well as Czech architects have been added.

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4–9 September 2017 (me 514) 6 days • £2,440 Lecturer: Professor Harry Charrington

Prague Spring The international Music Festival in the capital of Bohemia CzECH REPuBliC

Professor Jan Smaczny. Emeritus Professor of Music at Queen’s university, Belfast, and authority on Czech music. author of books on the Prague Provisional Theatre, Dvorák’s Cello Concerto, Music in 19th-century ireland and Bach’s B-minor Mass. He studied at the university of oxford and the Charles university, Prague. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

altarpieces and stained glass. Evening concert at the Rudolfinum: Ensemble Inégal, Adam Viktora (conductor): Zelenka, Gesù al Calvario.

Prague, watercolour by B. Granville Baker, publ. 1923.

12–18 May 2017 (md 294) 7 days • £2,870 (including tickets to 5 performances) Lecturer: Professor Jan Smaczny A varied programme including performances by the Vienna Philharmonic and Daniel Barenboim, Ensemble Inégal, Diana Damrau, as well as two operas: Smetana’s The Bartered Bride, and Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel. Musicologist Jan Smaczny leads the tour and gives talks on the performances.

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The Bartered Bride in the magnificent National Theatre, once memorably described as the nation’s true ‘hearth and home’. Given that the festival is also a celebration of Czech nationhood, this tour is not only about attending concerts. You also have the opportunity to join guided walks and excursions through the beautiful city of Prague. There are daily talks and discussions with distinguished Czech musicologist, writer and broadcaster, Jan Smaczny. However, afternoons are left free for independent exploration – or for preserving your energies for the evening performances.

Visits and walks led by a local guide are arranged to fit around the performances.

Itinerary

Stay in the Hotel Paris, comfortable and very wellpositioned in the Old Town. Prague’s celebrated Spring Festival remains one of the most illustrious in Europe and has the added attraction of being set at a time of year when the city is at its loveliest.

Day 1. Fly at c. 1.30pm from London Heathrow to Prague (British Airways). Drive to the hotel in the Old Town in time for dinner.

Smetana’s epic Má vlast (My Country) – six symphonic poems celebrating the history, mythology and glorious countryside of Bohemia – traditionally opens the Festival and is always a memorable and moving occasion; this year Daniel Barenboim and the Vienna Philharmonic bring their expertise to this majestic work. The delightful and superbly restored Karlín Theatre has long been home to distinguished productions in Prague and is an ideal venue for Humperdinck’s charming Hansel und Gretel. Admired by J.S. Bach, Jan Dismas Zelenka is the greatest Czech Baroque composer. This year his intensely beautiful passion oratorio Gesù al Calvario is performed by Prague’s premier early music group, Ensemble Inégal, in the lovely acoustic of the Rudolfinum’s Dvořák Hall. Returning to the Rudolfinum on day five, we have the opportunity of hearing Germany’s premiere coloratura soprano, Diana Damrau, in a dazzling series of operatic arias. The final performance is Smetana’s classic, heart-warming comedy book online at www.martinrandall.com

Day 2. Morning walk through the Old Town, a dense maze of streets and squares with buildings of all ages and an exceptionally lovely main square. A visit to the Obecní dům (‘Municipal House’) to see the glorious suite of assembly rooms created 1904–12. Evening concert at the Obecní dům: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim (conductor): Smetana, Má vlast. Day 3. A private guided tour of the Estates Theatre, where Don Giovanni had its première in 1786. Visit the Veletržni (Trade Fair) Palace of 1928 which now houses fascinating Czech art of the 19th and 20th centuries and a remarkable holding of modern French art. Evening opera at the Karlín Theatre: Hansel und Gretel (Humperdinck) – cast to be confirmed. Day 4. Drive up to Prague Castle, the extensive hilltop complex, long-time residence of the Dukes and Kings of Bohemia and now the home of the President. Visit the mediaeval Old Royal Palace, within it the largest stone hall in Europe with incredible late-Gothic vaulting, and the Cathedral of St Vitus, a pioneering monument of High Gothic, richly embellished with chapels, tombs,

Day 5. Walk across the 14th-century Charles Bridge, the greatest such structure in Europe, wonderfully adorned with sculptures. In the Lesser Town visit St Nicholas, one of the finest Baroque churches in Central Europe and the Czech Museum of Music, which houses an interesting collection of musical instruments. Evening concert at the Rudolfinum: Prague Philharmonia, Emmanuel Villaume (conductor), Diana Damrau (soprano): works by Meyerbeer, Thomas, Massent, Wagner, Ponchielli, Bellini. Day 6. A morning walk in and around Wenceslas Square, threading through a succession of arcades which takes in some outstanding turn-of-thecentury architecture, decoration and early modernist masterpieces. Free afternoon. Evening opera at the National Theatre: The Bartered Bride (Smetana) – cast to be confirmed. Day 7. Strahov Monastery has commanding views over Prague and two magnificent library halls, which by special arrangement we enter. Then walk down the hill, passing the formidable bulk of the Černín Palace and the delightful façade of the Loreto Church. The flight returns to London Heathrow at c. 1.40pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,870 or £2,690 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,260 or £3,080 without flights. Music tickets (top category) to 3 concerts and 2 operas are included, costing c. £350. Tickets are confirmed in January 2017. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Paris Prague (hotelparis.cz) is a 5-star hotel built in 1904 that retains the Art Nouveau theme throughout. Comfortable and elegant but not fussy with a good restaurant and café. Very well located in the Old Town close to Obecní dům (Municipal House). How strenuous? Quite a lot of walking, much of it on rough paving, some on inclines. The tour would not be suitable for anyone with difficulties with everyday walking and stair-climbing. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Sculpture in London, 11 May 2017 (contact us for details or visit www. martinrandall.com).

Danish Art & Design The Golden Age & the hygge of Danish cities, coast & countryside

A range of excellent art galleries, many with exciting new buildings or fine settings, showing international as well as Danish art. Focus on Danish painting of the 19th and early 20th centuries, especially the Golden Age. Historic and modern architecture, city and provinces, town and country. Aspects of design in everyday life.

Itinerary Day 1: Copenhagen. Fly at c. 10.00am from London Heathrow to Copenhagen. A walk along the waterfront and through Frederiksstaden, an 18th-century development, unfurls the postmediaeval history of the city. Pass the 1750s palaces of the Amalienborg, the finest such group outside France, the English church, Gefion Fountain, the Little Mermaid, the bastions of the Kastellet and (across the water) the amazing new opera house. First of three nights in Copenhagen.

Day 3: Copenhagen. Explore Slotsholmen, the original core of the city: Christiansborg Palace housing the Parliament, the Renaissance stock exchange, Thorvaldsen Museum dedicated to the eponymous Neo-Classical sculptor (1770–1844). The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, magnificent benefaction of a brewer, has collections of Mediterranean antiquities, particularly Roman portrait sculpture, Impressionists and PostImpressionists, Golden Age paintings and much else besides. Some free time: choices include the Viking section in the National Museum and shops selling classic Danish design in the pedestrianised Strøget. Overnight Copenhagen. Day 4: Copenhagen. The morning is spent at the Statens Museum for Kunst, the Danish National Gallery, which possesses an extensive collection of Danish art from the Golden Age to the present day and a fine holding of European Old Masters excellently displayed in a new wing overlooking a park. Christian IV’s private palace of Rosenborg, gradually augmented 1605–33, has excellently

Egeskov Castle, illustration by Andreas Friis in ‘Danmarks Store Øer’, publ. 1935.

Day 2: Copenhagen, Humlebæk. The Hirschsprungske Collection is perhaps the finest assembly of 19th-century Danish painting and retains its early 20th-century hang. North of the city in Humlebæk the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art has a permanent collection of international modern art and changing exhibitions in half-buried galleries in parkland beside the sea; a magical combination. Ordrupgaard Museum has French Impressionists and Danish art in a 19thcentury mansion and a bold extension by Zaha Hadid, surrounded by woodland and gardens. Grundtvig’s Church (Peter and Kaare Klint 1920– 40) is one of the finest brick Expressionist edifices of the 20th century. Overnight Copenhagen.

preserved and richly decorated rooms and the royal treasury in the cellars. Leave Copenhagen by coach and cross the straits between Zealand and Funen on the 12-mile Storebælt Bridge. First of three nights in Odense. Day 5: Fåborg, Egeskov. Drive to Fåborg on the south coast where there is an excellent museum, a private collection of recent art opened to the public in 1915, particularly strong on the Funen School. The charming old town centre is well preserved. Egeskov is a 17th-century moated mansion, well furnished, with park and gardens. Overnight Odense.

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Memorable museums, superb art of international and Danish provenance, historic architecture and modern design are features of this tour. While the visual arts are the focus, this is also an opportunity to gain an understanding of the wider history and culture of Denmark. Diversity is augmented by visiting a selection of attractive provincial towns, as well as the capital, and by glimpsing both countryside and coast to appreciate the landscapes that inspired Danish artists. A major theme is Danish painting of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Occasional exhibitions grant British gallery-goers a glimpse of this phenomenon, but its full glory can only be viewed in the land of its origin. Danish artists found their distinct expression with surprising suddenness during the Napoleonic wars, and the next thirty years are regarded as the Golden Age of Danish painting. Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg and Christen Købke are but two of a plethora of artists who produced perfectly delineated streetscapes, charmingly inconsequential landscapes and scenes of daily life radiant with contentment, stylistically distinguished by brilliant naturalism and an inimitable rendering of light – crisp and warm in Greek and Italian views (many artists travelled south) but pale, pellucid and unmistakably Scandinavian in scenes of their native land. Later in the 19th century the mood darkened under the impulses of social commitment (Brendekilde, Henningsen), the deification of Nature (Janus La Cour) or a deeper exploration of the human psyche (Hammershøi was a sort of post-Hegelian Vermeer). Towards the turn of the century Symbolism had its proponents but many artists again turned their gaze towards their native land. The painters of Skagen on northernmost Jutland, led by P. S. Krøyer and Michael Ancher, and those of the Funen School, principally Johannes Larsen and Fritz Syberg, celebrated the low-key beauties of Denmark’s shores and countryside drenched in ineffable light of the North. As is to be expected of a prosperous and outward looking nation, there is much high quality art from the rest of the world to be seen here. And as is to be expected of a country which is virtually synonymous with good design, recent museum buildings would merit a pilgrimage even if empty. Several are enhanced by a parkland or seaside setting. Curatorship – hanging and interpretation – is exemplary. Some attention is paid to architecture of earlier times – whitewashed brick Gothic churches, the flamboyant Renaissance of Christian IV’s

patronage, the handsome patrician streetscapes of the capital, the unassuming geometric perfection of Arne Jacobsen and his fellow modernists, the half-timbered vernacular of town and country. Low lying but rarely flat, the sensual topography of Denmark was laid down by glaciers at the end of the Ice Age. Now, as when depicted by the painters of the Golden Age, it is picturesquely clothed with patches of fertile farmland interspersed with hedges and clumps of trees.

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6–14 July 2017 (md 386) 9 days • £3,830 Lecturer: Shona Kallestrup

Danish Art & Design continued

Danish Castles & Gardens North Sealand & the Danish Riviera

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Day 6: Odense, Kerteminde. A walk around Odense, a delightful town where old and new blend well with little cobbled streets, rehabilitated industrial buildings, riverside park and a Gothic cathedral. The Funen Art Museum has a comprehensive collection of Danish painting, the best outside Copenhagen. Visit the Hans Christian Andersen birthplace museum before driving to the fishing village of Kerteminde, which was home to Johannes Larsen (1867–1961), leader of the Funen school. His house, studio and gardens are preserved with a new gallery building (Danish Museum of the Year 2007). Overnight Odense. Day 7: Mosegård, Århus. Drive in the morning to Mosegård. In a charming countryside setting, the state-of-the-art museum designed by Henning Larsen Architects opened in 2014. Continue to Århus, Denmark’s second city, crossing by bridge to Jutland. There is a choice between visiting the influential university campus, a prime example of Danish Modernism (1930s), or the Old Town Museum, 16th- to 19th-century buildings from all over Denmark reassembled to form an enchanting little town. First of two nights in Århus. Day 8: Århus. At the heart of the city a trafficclogged thoroughfare has been replaced by a river, long confined to a culvert, the embankments now burgeoning with café culture. Arne Jacobsen’s town hall (finished 1942) is one of Modernism’s icons, mathematically precise, perfectly poised, defiantly unmonumental. The ARoS Art Museum (2004) is a brick and glass cube with a curvaceous white interior housing historic Danish art, as well as some significant pieces of modern art. Some free time. Overnight Århus. Day 9: Copenhagen-Ishøj. Re-cross the Storebælt Straits and traverse Zealand again. Above a fine beach south of Copenhagen, the Arken Museum of Modern Art is outstanding for its striking architecture (nautical, angular), unexpected location and adventurous exhibitions. Fly from Copenhagen, returning to Heathrow c. 5.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,830 or £3,650 without flights. Single occupancy: £4,350 or £4,170 without flights. Included meals: 5 dinners, 2 lunches, with wine.

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Accommodation. 71 Nyhavn (71nyhavnhotel. com): traditional hotel in the Nyhavn district, close to some of the museums and the Amalienborg Palace. Rooms are small but comfortable. Radisson Blu H.C. Andersen Hotel, Odense (radissonblu.com/hotel-odense): modern 4-star hotel, a few minutes’ walk from the town centre, the best in town. Hotel Oasia Aarhus (hoteloasia. dk): boutique 3-star hotel, a 15-minute walk to the ARoS museum. Hotels in Denmark generally do not have air-conditioning. How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking and standing in museums. There are also some long coach journeys; average distance per day: 87 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Combine this tour with: Vikings & Bog Bodies, 18–25 July 2017 (see page 70).

book online at www.martinrandall.com

10–16 July 2017 (md 394) 7 days • £2,930 Lecturer: Dr Margrethe Floryan Privileged access to royal residences and gardens, some not generally open to the public. Based in Copenhagen and Elisnore (of Hamlet fame), with an excursion by ship to Sweden. Lectures by garden historian Dr Margrethe Floryan, curator at the Thorvaldsen Museum. This is an opportunity to appreciate North Sealand’s natural environment and its architectural highlights, in particular where the two artfully combine in a series of beautiful gardens. A special ingredient of the tour is the opportunity to meet some of those involved in their planning, planting and conservation. Stretching from Copenhagen to Elsinore, thirty-five miles to the westernmost shore of Øresund, the Danish Riviera is celebrated for the quality of its produce (it is also known as ‘Denmark’s kitchen garden’) as well as for its beaches, woodlands and attractive fishing harbours. The region is also home to the country’s greatest royal residences. Their interiors and art collections are as impressive and fascinating as the landscapes and gardens in which they are set. An outward looking attitude is traceable in both Danish architecture and horticulture. Dutch Renaissance, Italian Baroque and French Classicist styles are easily detectable influences in the properties visited. Kronborg, Frederiksborg and Rosenborg castles, built under the patronage of King Christian IV (r. 1588-1648), are cases in point. Scandinavia’s longest reigning monarch pushed through an extensive civic programme that reflected his cosmopolitan outlook and economic aspirations for Denmark, and included the foundation of new towns and ports and the enlargement of the royal shipyards as well as monumental residences for himself. Rosenborg Palace was begun in 1606 as a summer pavilion and stylistically is Dutch

in inspiration. A plan of 1649 shows how Renaissance principles also governed the design of the gardens, created both for pleasure and for provisioning the royal household with vegetables, fruit, fish and flowers. Large-scale conservation projects have recently been implemented here, and also at Frederiksborg and Fredensborg, respectively palace and hunting lodge built for Frederik IV (r. 1699–1730). Mile-long lime alleys have been renewed, parterres replanted with historically accurate specimens, fountains and pavilions restored and pathways returned to their original tracery. In contrast to these grandiose schemes, there are more modest and modern gardens too. Given to Copenhagen in 1983 by the shipping magnate A.P. Møller, Amaliehaven is on the site of a shipyard and faces the opera house across the water. Strandpark Hellerup is a public park laid out in 1912 to the pioneering design of G.N.Brandt, Denmark’s leading landscape architect and gardener of the time. Our lecturer, Margrethe Floryan, is curator of Copenhagen’s Thorvaldsen Museum, the creation of the Neoclassical sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844), and has written books on gardens and garden history.

Itinerary Day 1: Copenhagen. Fly at c. 10.00am from London Heathrow to Copenhagen (British Airways). Walk to Rosenborg Palace, royal residence from the early 17th to the late 18th century in the heart of Copenhagen. It is set in the King’s Garden and contains original furnishings as well as the Crown Jewels and the royal regalia. The garden features lime alleys, historic pavilions and a sunken rose garden. First of three nights in Copenhagen. Day 2: Copenhagen. Walk via Frederiksstaden, a waterfront district built by Frederick V in 1748 to commemorate the tercentenary of his family’s ascent to the throne. Home to many Danish monarchs since the 1760s, Amalienborg is an

Day 3: Copenhagen outskirts. Situated on the waterfront, the gardens at Hellerup are renowned for their roses and reflect the adoption of British planting schemes the early 20th century. Bernstorff Palace is an exquisite mid-18th-century Frenchinspired manor house, later acquired by the Royal family. Accompanied by the head gardener, we explore the extensive landscaped grounds, with orchards, vines and a historic rose garden, before lunching in the palace. Visit the Hermitage in Jægersborg Deer Park, recently restored to its 17thcentury glory, and still used by the Danish court. Overnight Copenhagen. Day 4: Elsinore. By train along the coast from Copenhagen to Elsinore. Visit the commanding Renaissance castle of Kronborg, long a symbol of Danish power due to its position on the narrow strait between Denmark and Sweden. The newly restored Baroque gardens at Fredensborg Palace (the present royal couple’s favourite) represent the summit of the French tradition in Denmark. The private garden, orangery and kitchen garden are at their peak in July, and we meet the head gardener. First of three nights in Elsinore.

Day 5: North Sealand. The Renaissance Frederiksborg Castle was restored after a fire in 1859 and now houses the National Museum of History (500 years of paintings, portraits and furniture). Italian and French influences lie behind the cascades and richly ornamented parterres of the gardens. The Marienlyst Palace and Garden trace their history to the 16th century. Optional visit to the famously beautiful Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk. Overnight Elsinore. Day 6: Sofiero (Sweden), North Sealand. Take the ferry between Elsinore and Helsingborg to visit Sofiero Palace, which for more than a century was one of the Swedish Royal family’s country mansions. The garden has more than 500 rhododendron varieties. Free afternoon in Elsinore, which became rich from taxes on shipping, as the medieval churches and convents testify. Opened in 2014, the shipyard has been transformed by Bjarke Ingels Group as a cultural complex including a Maritime Museum. Overnight Elsinore. Day 7: Copenhagen. The view from Frederiksberg Palace stretches over the sea. Italian Mannerist villas are the source of inspiration for the layout of this early 18th-century royal palace, but a century later the scheme also accommodated winding waters, meandering paths and Classical and Chinese garden pavilions, to which we have special access. Some free time, perhaps to explore the garden of the Royal Danish Horticultural Society. Return to Heathrow c. 7.30pm.

Dr Margrethe Floryan. art historian and curator with a PhD in garden history. Studied at the university of aarhus and the École du louvre. author of Great European Gardens: An Atlas of Historic Plans. She is editor of the Bulletin of the Danish Horticultural Society, and has published extensively on art, architecture and landscape design.

DENMaRK

exceptional complex of four matching Rococo palaces around a public square, the finest of its kind outside France. Christiansborg Palace, on the site of Copenhagen Castle, is seat of the Danish Parliament and is used today for Queen Margrethe’s public audiences and other state events. Overnight Copenhagen.

See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,930 or £2,740 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,320 or £3,130 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Phoenix Copenhagen (phoenixcopenhagen.dk): traditional 4-star hotel close to the Amalienborg Palace. Beach Hotel Marienlyst (marienlyst.dk/en): comfortable and contemporary 4-star hotel, rooms have a sea view. How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking and standing. Average coach travel per day: 21 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Vikings & Bog Bodies, 18–25 July 2017 (see page 70).

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Copenhagen, Rosenborg Palace, engraving c. 1850; above left: Hillerød, Frederiksborg Castle, wood engraving c. 1880. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Vikings & Bog Bodies ancient Denmark DENMaRK

Day 5: Ravning, Jelling, Silkeborg. There is a short walk to Ravning, the site of the Viking bridge built by Harold Bluetooth across the Vejle valley, 760 metres long and over five metres wide. The small eastern Jutland town of Jelling, now a World Heritage Site, preserves a vast stone ship-setting, two immense burial mounds and the rune-stones of Gorm and Harold which record the early history of their dynasty. These stand outside a stone church, emblematic of the rise of Christianity. In Silkeborg see the best-preserved Iron Age bog body known as Tollund Man. The final three nights are spent in Aarhus. Day 6: Moesgaard, Aarhus. In a charming countryside setting, the state-of-the-art museum at Moesgaard, designed by Henning Larsen Architects, opened in 2014. It houses exhibitions on prehistory, including Grauballe Man who was discovered in a peat bog in 1952 and dates to the 3rd century bc. Return to Aarhus for some free time.

Watercolour by A.R. Hope Moncrieff, publ. 1920.

18–25 July 2017 (md 400) 8 days • £3,340 Lecturer: Dr David Griffiths The most important Viking sites in Denmark including Roskilde, Copenhagen and Jelling. See some of the best-preserved ‘bog bodies’: Tollund Man and Grauballe Man. Stay in central Copenhagen, the charming mediaeval town of Ribe and the important regional city of Aarhus. Journey through idyllic countryside and visit the environmentally precious wilderness of the Wadden Sea. Led by Dr David Griffiths, a leading expert in Viking and early mediaeval archaeology.

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A country with a fierce and proud national history, but which today is renowned for its excellent food, world-class museums and high standards of art, architecture and design, Denmark is a pleasure to visit. Its archaeological treasures include the collections of the National Museum in Copenhagen, the Viking ships at Roskilde and the exceptionally well-preserved Iron Age ‘bog bodies’ known as Tollund Man and Grauballe Man. The peaceful and prosperous image of modern Denmark belies its roots as northern Europe’s first, and most aggressive, nation state. Between the eighth and the eleventh centuries ad, Danes attacked, conquered and colonised a wide swath of Europe. Bands of well-armed warriors spread out from its fjords and islands in ships of unrivalled quality and effectiveness. They travelled the northern seas, wreaking terror on indigenous populations and causing political chaos. Treaties and buy-offs, such as ‘Danegeld’ paid by the English under Æthelred ‘The Unready’, consolidated their power. The keys to understanding Denmark’s rise as a centralised state are its compact geography and the ease of communication across its waterways and gently contoured landscape. Emerging from warring Iron Age tribes, a succession of ambitious and successful rulers established national defences, roads, bridges, book online at www.martinrandall.com

canals and a network of towns. Trade and the new religion of Christianity prospered. The high-point of the Viking Age occurred under the Jelling dynasty, which began with the reign of Gorm the Old in the early decades of the tenth century. Gorm’s son Harold Bluetooth, his grandson Svein Forkbeard and his great-grandson Cnut the Great presided over a ‘golden age’ of Danish achievement, marked by the construction of spectacular dynastic monuments and accompanied by astonishing artistic endeavour. Under Cnut, Denmark’s conquests extended to parts of Norway, Sweden, Germany and, its greatest prize, the Kingdom of England.

Itinerary Day 1: Copenhagen. Fly at c. 9.00am (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Copenhagen. Much of the surviving artistic finery of Denmark’s Viking Age, in metal, wood, bone and semiprecious stone, can be found in the National Museum, Copenhagen. One of the great museums of the world, it hosted the first stage of the Vikings: Life and Legend exhibition, which subsequently went on to the British Museum and Berlin. The National Museum’s prehistoric exhibits are also exceptional, and it has played a key role in the history of European Archaeology. First of two nights in Copenhagen. Day 2: Roskilde. Excursion to the small historic city of Roskilde to see the extraordinary Viking Ship Museum, where several original vessels and many reconstructions can be viewed. There is an opportunity to be part of the crew and sail a reconstructed Viking long ship into the Roskilde Fjord. Day 3: Trelleborg, Ribe. The well-preserved circular military fortress at Trelleborg is part of a network of similar ‘command and control’ sites across Denmark. Picturesque mediaeval Ribe is Denmark’s oldest town, and one of the earliest in post-Roman Europe. First of two nights in Ribe. Day 4: Wadden Sea, Ribe. Spend the morning at the environmentally precious wilderness of the Wadden Sea. In the afternoon visit the excellent Viking Museum in Ribe. Some free time.

Day 7: Lindholm Høje, Aalborg, Fyrkat. Head north to Lindholm Høje, a major late-Viking burial site. Rare ship monuments (burial sites demarcated by stones in the shape of ships) are found as well as hundreds of burial sites marked with stones or mounds. Stop in the pleasant market town of Aalborg for lunch before visiting the Viking fortress of Fyrkat. Day 8: Ladby, Copenhagen. The only ship burial discovered in Denmark, the Ladby boat is a Viking chieftain’s burial vessel. The wood of the 22-metre ship has long since rotted away but left a perfect impression in the earth. Buried with 11 horses and many valuables and possessions, the skeletal remnants of the animals are all that remain of the contents. Fly from Copenhagen to London Heathrow, arriving at c. 6.20pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,340 or £3,170 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,700 or £3,530 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 5 dinners with wine. Accommodation. 71 Nyhavn, Copenhagen (71nyhavnhotel.com): traditional 4-star hotel in the Nyhavn district, close to some of the museums and the Amalienborg Palace. Rooms are small but comfortable. Hotel Dagmar, Ribe (hoteldagmar. dk): characterful 3-star hotel on the town square with views of the cathedral. Hotel Royal, Aarhus (hotelroyal.dk): 4-star in the centre of Aarhus, public rooms are opulent and luxurious while bedrooms are classic and comfortable. How strenuous? Walking is necessitated over the uneven terrain of Viking sites. There is quite a lot of standing in museums. There are two hotel changes. The optional boat trip in Roskilde involves manning the oars. Average distance by coach per day: 92 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Danish Art & Design, 6–14 July 2017 (page 67); Danish Castles & Gardens, 10–16 July 2017 (page 68).

Estonia, latvia & lithuania art, architecture & history of the Baltic States ESToNia

21 July–3 August 2017 (md 435) 14 days • £3,710 Lecturer: Dr Jeremy Howard Three countries with different languages, diverse histories and distinct cultural identities. An extensive legacy from eras under German, Polish, Swedish, Russian and Soviet rule. The focus of the tour is art, architecture and general culture, with due attention paid to the fascinating history of the region. Lecturer Dr Jeremy Howard is a leading expert on the art of the Baltic region.

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Tallinn, view from Castle Hill, 20th-century etching.

Itinerary Day 1: Tallinn (Estonia). Fly at c. 10.00am from Heathrow to Tallinn via Helsinki (Finnair, Flybe). First of three nights in Tallinn. Day 2: Tallinn (Estonia). Upper Tallinn has a striking situation on a steep-sided hill overlooking the Baltic Sea, and a fine set of historic buildings. These include the Gothic cathedral, 15th-century town hall and Toompea Palace (Parliament). Within the mediaeval walls of the Lower Town there is some highly picturesque streetscape with gabled houses and churches. Set in parkland, the Baroque Kadriorg Palace is home to the city’s foreign art collection. The KUMU Art Museum houses works by Estonian artists from the 19th century to the present. Overnight Tallinn. Day 3: Lahemaa National Park (Estonia). Drive east into an area now designated as a national park. The charming manor houses of Palmse and Sagadi have full 18th-century classical dress disguising the timber structure, and are fully furnished. Lunch is at an inn, with wooden buildings – a former postal service station on the road to St Petersburg. Day 4: Tartu (Estonia). Drive through a gently undulating mix of woodland and fertile fields, with traditional vernacular farmsteads. Tartu is in some ways the cultural capital of Estonia, the university having been founded in 1632. There are fine 18th- and 19th-century buildings, especially the town hall and university, and there is a visit to the restored Jaani church. First of two nights in Tartu.

Day 5: Lake Peipsi (Estonia). Drive to the shores of Lake Peipsi and visit Alatskivi, Raja, Kolkja and Varnja, all villages which provided refuge for the Old Believers, persecuted for their disaffection with the Orthodox Church. Overnight Tartu. Day 6: Cesis (Latvia). Drive from Estonia to Latvia through hilly landscape renowned for its beauty. Cesis is a well-preserved mediaeval town and former stronghold of the Livonian Order. Visit the impressive ruined castle, one of the key political, administrative and economic centres of the Teutonic Order. Destroyed in 1577, it was rebuilt following the Livonian War. Thirteenthcentury St John’s Parish Church is the largest mediaeval basilica outside the capital. First of three nights in Riga. Day 7: Riga (Latvia). Within the extensive Old Town there are mediaeval streets, Hanseatic warehouses, Gothic and Baroque churches and 19th-century civic buildings. Beyond the walls is a residential quarter laid out at the end of the 19th century with grand boulevards and classical, historicist and Art Nouveau façades. In the Esplanade Park, the recently renovated National Museum of Art houses a collection of paintings by the finest Latvian artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. Day 8: Riga (Latvia). The Museum of Decorative Arts and Design celebrates the wide-ranging Latvian traditions in applied arts. A visit to the fascinating outdoor ethnographic museum develops the theme with vernacular housing from Latvia’s four provinces. Free afternoon in Riga; possibilities include the Museum of the History of Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Though geographical proximity conventionally leads Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to be lumped together as a single entity, the degree of difference between these three Baltic countries is surprisingly great in terms of ethnicity, language, historical development, religion and culture. The Estonians are of Finno-Ugric origin and their language has nothing in common with their Latvian or Russian neighbours. Estonia and Latvia were early recipients of Protestantism, while Lithuanian history has for much of the postmediaeval era been yoked with Catholic Poland. Paganism, Russian Orthodoxy and Judaism have also played vital roles in the development of the cultures of the Baltic countries. Having variously been under Germanic, Polish and Swedish dominion until the Romanov victories that began in the seventeenth century, it was not until the early twentieth century that Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania emerged as independent states. That they were deprived of this status by the Soviet Union in the wake of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and the Second World War and only restored to independence in 1991 has meant that the three countries have woven into their modern ways of life a deep sense of struggle and identity. With strong traditions in the arts and crafts, from textile design to amberware, stained glass to porcelain manufacture, painting to sculpture, the Baltic countries have much to offer art lovers. The astute graphic work of Eduard Viiralt, decorated ceramics of Romans Suta and ‘musical’ paintings of Mikolajos Ciurlionis are but three, early twentieth-century, examples from the plethora of great artistic talents born and nurtured in the area. Furthermore, the remarkable architecture of the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian cities and countryside contains an intriguing wealth of stylistic variety from the Gothic to the Baroque, vernacular to urban eclectic, neo-classical to Art Nouveau, and neo-Byzantine to modernist. Their arts and architecture reveal intimate connections with central, east, west and nordic Europe and at the same time a very special local specificity. Surprise ranks high among the responses of the visitor now – surprise that there is so much of interest and beauty and surprise that the Iron Curtain was indeed so opaque a veil that it was possible for so long to remain largely ignorant of these countries and their heritage.

Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania continued

estonia, finland

Riga and Navigation, established in 1773, and Riga Bourse Art Museum, a collection of paintings, porcelain and silver collections. Day 9: Rundale (Latvia), Kaunas (Lithuania). Rundale was one of the most splendid palaces in the Russian Empire, built from 1736 by the architect Rastrelli for a favourite of Empress Anna. Lunch is in the palace restaurant. Lithuania is entered via the town of Bauska and there is a stop in Kedainiai to visit the regional museum. First of two nights in Kaunas. Day 10: Kaunas (Lithuania). A historically diverse town with a wealth of architecture. Near the central square are a number of churches and the Town Museum. The Ciurlionis Art

Tallinn

Lahemaa National Park

Baltic Sea La

Estonia

Day 13: Vilnius. Visit the Church Heritage Museum; Kazys Varnelis House Museum, an eclectic private collection of art and map;. and the Vilnius Picture Gallery. In the afternoon there is some free time; suggestions include the Vytautas Kasiulis Museum, or the Theatre and Music Museum. Day 14: Vilnius. Fly from Vilnius to London Heathrow via Helsinki, arriving c. 3.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,710 or £3,460 without flights. Single occupancy: £4,090 or £3,840 without flights. Included meals: 5 lunches, 8 dinners, with wine.

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Accommodation. Hotel Palace, Tallinn (tallinnhotels.ee/hotel-palace-tallinn): comfortable 4-star hotel on the edge of the old town, recently reopened after a smart refurbishment. London Hotel, Tartu (london.tartuhotels.ee): modern, centrally located 4-star hotel with a good restaurant; decor is quite bright. Radisson Blu

Tartu

Dr Jeremy Howard. Senior Lecturer in Art History at the University of St Andrews. He specialises in the art, architecture and design of central and eastern Europe, with a particular interest in the Baltic region. His books include Art Nouveau: International & National Styles in Europe and East European Art. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. Ridzene, Riga (radissonblu.com): 5-star hotel though more akin to a 4-star, well-located with views over the park. Hotel Daugirdas, Kaunas (daugirdas.lt): 19th-century mansion with modern features. Novotel Centre, Vilnius (novotel.com): plain but comfortable 4-star chain hotel in a good location on the edge of the old town. How strenuous? This is a long tour with four hotel changes and some long coach journeys. There is a lot of walking, some of it on cobbled or roughly paved ground. Average distance by coach per day: 56 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Cesis Riga

Latvia

Rundale

Lithuania Kaunas

Pazaislis Vilnius

c. 50 km

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Vilnius, wood engraving from ‘Russian Pictures’, 1889.

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Day 11: Pazaislis, Vilnius (Lithuania). At Pazaislis is a magnificent Baroque nunnery and pilgrimage church, one of the architectural gems of Eastern Europe. Continue to Vilnius which, far from the sea, has the feel of a Central European metropolis, with Baroque the predominant style. Afternoon walk to the bishop’s palace (now the Presidential Palace), the university and the Church of St John. First of three nights in Vilnius. Day 12: Vilnius. Walk to the ‘Gates of Dawn’ (sole surviving gate in the 16th-century defensive wall), the Carmelite church of St Theresa, the former Jewish ghetto, the cathedral and the exquisite little Late-Gothic church of St Anne. Visit the church of Saints Peter and Paul with outstanding stucco sculptural decoration, and the newly restored Grand Dukes’ Palace. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Finland: Aalto & Others 20th-century architecture & design 29 June–7 July 2017 (md 378) This tour is currently full Contact us for details or visit www.martinrandall.com Journey through Finland surveying the works of Alvar Aalto, ‘the poet of International Modernism’. See also major buildings by other twentiethcentury Finnish architects and look at other areas of design and art. Finland commemorates the centenary of its independence in 2017. A special programme of events nationwide will celebrate this anniversary. Led by Professor Harry Charrington who worked in Aalto’s office and is author of the award-winning Alvar Aalto: the Mark of the Hand.

Woodcut by Albert Edelfelt (1854–1905).

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Museum has works of Lithuania’s most famous composer and artist. Other afternoon visits include the Resurrection Church and the neoBaroque Synagogue.

Music in Savonlinna Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Rigoletto & Missa Solemnis

Productions at Savonlinna are musically and dramatically first-rate, in the incomparable setting of a mediaeval castle on an island. A pleasant, small town amidst the unassertive beauty of lakeland Finland. Simon Rees, dramaturg of Welsh National Opera from 1989 to 2012, leads the tour and gives talks on the performances. Three performances at the Savonlinna Opera Festival, including two operas and a special concert to celebrate the centenary of Finland’s independence: Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail; Verdi’s Rigoletto; Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis.

Day 1. Fly at c. 10.20am from London Heathrow to Helsinki (Finnair) and drive on to Savonlinna. Day 2. After a morning lecture, take a boat through beautiful lakeland scenery. Evening opera: Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart). Christoph Altstaedt (conductor), Katariina Lahti (director); soloists include Sebastian Wirnitzer (Selim), Mirella Bunoaica (Konstanze), Tuomas Katajala (Belmonte), Cosim Ifrim (Pedrillo). Day 3. The morning lecture is followed by a visit to the castle of St Olaf at Savonlinna. The afternoon is free to explore the attractive old part of the town beside the lake, with its art galleries and museums. Evening opera: Rigoletto (Verdi). Philippe Auguin (conductor), David McVicar (director); soloists include Rame Lahaj (Duke of Mantua), Kirill Manolov (Rigoletto), Tuuli Takala, Hanna Rantala (Gilda), Merja Mäkelä (Giovanna), Taras Shtonda (Sparafucile), Katarina Giotas (Maddalena), Juha Pikkarainen (Monterone), Mikko Järviluoto (Ceprano), Jussi Merikanto (Marullo), Juha Riihimäki (Borsa). Day 4. Visit the Punkaharju nature reserve and the Finnish Forest Museum. In the afternoon, drive to Kerimäki, the largest wooden church in the world (1840s). Evening anniversary concert: Missa Solemnis (Beethoven). Hannu Lintu (conductor); soloists include Mirella Bunoaica

(soprano), Niina Keitel (mezzo-soprano), Tuomas Katajala (tenor), Mika Kares (bass). Day 5. Drive from Savonlinna to Helsinki and fly to London, arriving at Heathrow at c. 6.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,560 or £2,400 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,910 or £2,750 without flights. Music tickets for 3 performances are included, costing c. £470. Included meals: 1 lunch and 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Sokos Hotel Seurahuone (sokoshotels.fi): located by the lake in Savonlinna, this functional hotel is the best in town. It is basic but adequately equipped and with modern facilities. All rooms (including rooms for single occupancy) have twin beds. How strenuous? Access to the castle and the forest walk would be difficult with impaired walking. Average distance by coach per day: 14 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Verona Opera, 13–17 July 2017 (page 124); The South Bank Walk, 27 July 2017 (contact us for full details or visit www. martinrandall.com).

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A massive structure of rough-hewn granite rising from a rocky islet, the castle at Savonlinna is the largest in Scandinavia. It was built in 1475 and frequently re-fortified during the next three centuries, for this was border country: Nordic occupancy alternated with Russian until modern times. Opera has been performed here in the courtyard since 1912, so it even pre-dates Verona as a festival in a spectacular historic setting. During the last couple of decades its artistic achievements have placed this festival among the best in the world, yet its unlikely and rather inaccessible location keeps the number of international visitors well below what it deserves. The courtyard is backed by a starkly beautiful wall of rough mediaeval masonry: its huge gateway and precipitous staircase make a wonderful setting for productions of operas. Musically, the acoustically-designed temporary roof allows both intimate scenes and vast choral ensembles to sound at their best. In all three performances, the Savonlinna Festival Orchestra and Choir – picked from among the best instrumentalists and singers in Scandinavia – will have the greatest opportunities to show their strength. The lake district of eastern Finland is an area of gently beguiling beauty. Thousands of interconnected lakes meet forests of birch and pine at an incredibly convoluted shoreline, the pattern varied with scattered patches of pasture and arable land neatly arranged around timber farmsteads. The scenery and pure air provide a restful and refreshing foil to nights at the opera. Visits include a guided tour of the castle at Savonlinna; a boat trip through beautiful lakeland scenery; a visit to the Punkaharju nature reserve and the Finnish Forest Museum; and the largest wooden church in the world (1840s) in Kerimäki.

Itinerary

FiNlaND

20–24 July 2017 (md 404) 5 days • £2,560 (including tickets to 3 performances) Lecturer: Simon Rees

The Sibelius Festival August 2017 Details available in January 2017 Please contact us to register your interest

Savonlinna, Castle of St Olav, 18th-century engraving. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Great French Gardens Historic & contemporary, among the world’s finest FRaNCE

28 June–7 July 2017 (md 379) 10 days • £3,490 Lecturer: Steven Desmond A selection of the finest gardens in northern France, from the Renaissance to the present day. Selected for visual impact, horticultural interest and historical importance. Led by Steven Desmond, landscape consultant and architectural historian, specialist in the conservation of historic parks and gardens. Unrushed: 16 gardens in 10 days. Four hotels, two of which are converted châteaux. This tour presents a selection of the finest and most famous gardens in France – which means some of the best in the world. Variety, visual impact, horticultural interest and historical importance are among the criteria for inclusion. They range from Renaissance to contemporary, and include flower gardens, woodland gardens, walled potagers, landscaped parks, arboreta and, of course, a French speciality, formal gardens. This last category, reaching a climax in the seventeenth century, is impressively expressive of Ancien Régime absolutism, symbolic of the royal

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Chateau de Versailles, copper engraving c. 1750. book online at www.martinrandall.com

and aristocratic dominance of both the body politic and of Nature. Avenues of lime and plane, hedges of yew and hornbeam, broderie parterres of box, vast expanses of water and the hydraulic wonders of cascades and fountains: they were intended to delight and overawe both subjects and foreign visitors, as indeed they still do. It is not all axiality and gigantism; there are subtleties and surprises and many breathtaking beauties. André Le Nôtre might have been the greatest and most influential of Baroque garden designers, but another hero of the tour is Achille Duchêne, who restored many of these gardens in the early years of the twentieth century. Reaction against overbearing formality set in during the eighteenth century; two of the most important manifestations of this are Marie Antoinette’s faux-rustic Hameau, and the park at Ermenonville, one of the most enchanting of all English-style landscaped parks on the continent. Renaissance gardens of the sixteenth century are also a very important part of France’s horticultural patrimony, even if most of them are recreations, as at Villandry and Chenonceau. But Renaissance ingredients – box-hedge compartments and broderie, fi lled with coloured gravel or flowers – are a recurrent ingredient of modern and contemporary gardens.

Modern informality, however, is beautifully done, with curvaceous beds and winding paths an inducement to find hidden dells and pleasing surprises. Le Jardin d’Atmosphère and Le Vasterival are among the most brilliant examples. For floral abundance, it would be hard to do better than among the poppies and water lilies at Monet’s garden at Giverny, at the exquisite Lutyens and Jekyll garden at Bois des Moutiers, at the contemporary Jardin Plume outside Rouen and at the Renaissance hybrid at Villandry.

Itinerary Day 1: Versailles. Leave London St Pancras by train for Paris at c. 10.30am. Drive to Versailles and settle into the hotel before visiting the Potager du Roi, the walled produce garden of the royal palace. Vast and with multiple divisions, it is still a working enterprise, and a staggering array of fruit and vegetables are grown here, many of them historical cultivars. First of four nights in Versailles. Day 2: Versailles. Intended to express the virtually divine status of Louis XIV (1638–1715), the sheer scale of both palace and garden is overwhelming. The park is the masterpiece of the most influential garden designer of the Baroque era, André Le

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Nôtre, with 1.5 km lakes, broad avenues, hidden groves and a multitude of sculptures. Marie Antoinette’s Hameau, a retreat from mainstream court life, has a faux-rustic farmstead, naturalistic landscaped park and a delightful little formal garden. Some free time – an opportunity for an independent visit to the state apartments of the main château. Day 3: Vaux-le-Vicomte, Courances. Vaux-leVicomte preceded Versailles; Louis XIV was so piqued by the magnificence of his finance minister’s residence that he imprisoned its patron and transferred its creators, who included Le Nôtre, into royal employment. Both house and garden rank as among the most influential creations of early modern Europe. Courances is even earlier; slabs of green – broad lawns, high box hedges, loft y plane trees, parterre de broderie – and great expanses of water; an extraordinarily lovely place, with a Japanese garden too. Day 4: Versailles, Chèvreloup, Saint-Jean-deBeauregard. Choose between a free morning (another opportunity to visit the state apartments) or an excursion to the Arboretum Chèvreloup. Converted from hunting forest to a scientific plantation in 1759, there are 2,500 species spread across 200 hectares. Domaine de Saint-Jeande-Beauregard is a privately owned potager, 2 ha within 17th-cent. walls, a lovingly tended profusion of fruit, vegetables and ornamental plants, reared for historical importance and gustatory value. First of two nights near Tours. Day 5: Villandry, Chenonceau. The 1530s Château de Villandry is equipped with one of the most spectacular gardens in the world, created in the early 20th cent. in accordance with 16th-cent. designs and principles. Tiers of terraces, brilliant planting, impeccable maintenance, and the startling visual effects and amorous symbolism of the vegetable parterres. Famously straddling the River Cher, the Château de Chenonceau was progressively enlarged and beautified during the 16th century for Diane de Poitiers and Cathérine de Medici. The plantings in the walled gardens are a modern interpretation of Renaissance design.

Day 7: Le Bois des Moutiers, Le Vasterival. Two gardens on the Normandy coast. Le Bois des Moutiers is a fine example of the English partnership of Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll, a sequence of ‘rooms’ with breathtakingly beautiful planting between walls of masonry or yew. Spread across a clutch of little valleys, the woodland garden of Le Vasterival was established by a Norwegian princess in 1955. Colour coordination of leaves, bark and blossom, and a unique system of ‘transparent’ pruning contribute to the extraordinary beauty of this garden.

Day 8: Auzouville-sur-Ry, Giverny. Starting work on Le Jardin Plume at Auzouville in 1996, Patrick and Sylvie Quibel have created one of the finest contemporary gardens in France, with a modern blend of grasses and wild-style perennials in a design rooted in the French traditions of formality, parterres and potagers. Claude Monet’s garden at Giverny is probably unique for its intersection of art history with horticultural achievement. The artist lived here from 1883 until his death in 1926, designing and tending his gardens which grew in size as his prosperity increased. Day 9: Rouen, Ermenonville. Free morning in Rouen, architecturally and scenically one of the finest cities in France, with a celebrated cathedral and an impressive group of Late-Gothic churches. The Château d’Ermenonville has an enchanting English-style landscape garden, created from 1762, the Enlightenment antithesis of French formality (Jean-Jacques Rousseau spent his last weeks here, 1778). ‘Natural’ hillocks, composed stands of trees, lakes and streams, symbolical buildings and monuments, Arcadian meadow, meandering paths. Overnight Ermenonville. Day 10: Paris. Founded in 1626, the Jardin des Plantes is the principal botanical garden in France, and occupies 28 hectares on the left bank of the Seine in the 5th arrondissement. There is a huge range of plants, European and exotic, and fine horticultural displays. Return to London St Pancras c. 5.30pm.

‘Steven Desmond has an encyclopedic grasp of his subject, is extremely interesting, good humoured and good company.’

Steven Desmond. Chartered Horticulturist specialising in the conservation of historic gardens, and architectural historian. He writes for Country Life and lectures for NaDFaS. He is a Fellow of the Chartered institute of Horticulture, and a Professional associate of the Royal Horticultural Society. His book Gardens of the Italian Lakes is published in 2016. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,490 or £3,350 without Eurostar. Single occupancy: £4,080 or £3,940 without Eurostar. Included meals: 2 lunches, 7 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Pullman Château de Versailles (pullmanhotels.com): modern 4-star hotel within walking distance of the Château. Château de Pray, Chargé (chateaudepray.fr): 4-star hotel in a converted château on the river Loire with an excellent restaurant. Mercure Rouen Centre Cathédrale (mercure.com): modern, functional 4-star hotel in the historic centre. Château d’Ermenonville (chateau-ermenonville.com): traditional 4-star hotel in a château with views over Parc Rousseau. How strenuous? Some of the gardens are very large so the tour is not suitable for people unable to walk a couple of miles at a time. Paths are often uneven and there are many steps and inclines, so sure-footedness and sturdy footwear are essential. You need to lift your luggage on and off the train and wheel it within stations. Some days involve a lot of driving. Average distance by coach per day: 85 miles.

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Day 6: Sassy, Saint Biez en Belin. Leave the Loire and drive north. Le Jardin d’Atmosphère du Petit Bordeaux is a wonderfully inventive modern garden, an informal and seductive succession of spaces with broad borders, irregular lawns, narrow paths, mature trees, clipped hedges and water – and 3,600 species and varietals. The second stop is at the 18th-cent. Château de Sassy: on a hillside site in a rural location, there is a 1920s version of a 17th-century garden by Achille Duchêne. Reach Normandy for the first of three nights in Rouen.

Château de Chenonceau, watercolour by A.H. Hallam Murray, publ. 1904.

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Combine this tour with: Literature & Walking in the Lake District, 10–14 July 2017 (page 29). Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

French Gothic The great cathedrals of northern France france

26 June–2 July 2017 (md 330) 7 days • £2,170 Lecturer: Dr Matthew Woodworth The cradle of Gothic, northern Europe’s most significant contribution to world architecture. Nearly all the most important buildings in the development of Early and High Gothic, with an entire day at Chartres. Unparalleled examples of stained glass, sculpture and metalwork. Gothic was the only architectural style which had its origins in northern Europe. It was in the north of France that the first Gothic buildings arose, it was here that the style attained its classic maturity, and it is here that its greatest manifestations still stand. From the middle of the twelfth century the region was the scene of unparalleled building activity, with dozens of cathedrals, churches and abbeys under construction. Architects stretched their imaginations and masons extended their skills to devise more daring ways of enclosing greater volumes of space, with increasingly slender structural supports, and larger areas of window.

But Gothic is not only an architectural phenomenon. Windows were filled with brilliant coloured glass. Sculpture, more life-like than for nearly a thousand years yet increasingly integrated with its architectural setting, was abundant. The art of metalwork thrived, and paint was everywhere. All the arts were coordinated to interpret and present elaborate theological programmes to congregations which included both the illiterate lay people and sophisticated clerics. Nearly all the most important buildings in the development of the Early and High phases of Gothic are included, and the order of visits even follows this development chronologically, as far as geography allows. A whole day is dedicated to the cathedral at Chartres, the premier site of the building arts of the mediaeval world.

Itinerary Day 1. Travel by Eurostar at c. 11.00am from St Pancras to Lille. Continue by coach to Laon and the hotel, in an attractive lakeside setting. First of three nights near Laon. Day 2: Noyon, Laon. One of the earliest Gothic cathedrals (c. 1150), Noyon’s four-storey internal elevation marks the transition from the thick-

Beauvais Cathedral, etching by A. Hugh Fisher c. 1910.

walled architecture of the Romanesque to the thinwalled verticality of Gothic. Laon is spectacularly sited on a rock outcrop. Begun c. 1160, the cathedral is the most complete of Early-Gothic churches and one of the most impressive, with five soaring towers. Day 3: Reims, Soissons. Reims Cathedral, the coronation church of the French monarchy, begun 1211, is a landmark in the development of High Gothic with the first appearance of bar tracery and classicising portal sculpture. At the church of St Rémi the heavy Romanesque nave contrasts with the light Early-Gothic choir. Soissons Cathedral is a fine example of the rapid changes which took place in architecture at the end of the 12th century. Day 4: St-Denis. On the outskirts of Paris, the burial place of French kings, St-Denis was an abbey of the highest significance in politics and in the history of architecture. In the 1140s the choir was rebuilt, and the pointed arches, rib vaulting and skeletal structure warrant the claim that this was the first Gothic building. 100 years later the new nave inaugurated the Rayonnant style of Gothic with windows occupying the maximum possible area. First of two nights in Chartres. Day 5: Chartres. The cathedral at Chartres, begun in 1145 and recommenced in 1195 after a fire, is the finest synthesis of Gothic art and architecture. Sculpture and stained glass are incorporated into an elaborate theological programme. The full day here provides time for unhurried exploration of the building and space to reflect and absorb. See also the church of St Pierre. Day 6: Mantes-la-Jolie, Beauvais, Amiens. Visit the 12th-century collegiate church at Mantes-laJolie. Beauvais Cathedral, begun 1225, was, with a vault height in the choir of 157 feet, the climax in France of upwardly aspiring Gothic architecture and the highest vault of mediaeval Europe. Overnight Amiens. Day 7: Amiens. The cathedral in Amiens is the classic High-Gothic structure, its thrilling verticality balanced by measured horizontal movement. Drive to Lille for the Eurostar to London St Pancras, arriving c. 7.15pm.

Practicalities

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Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,170 or £2,030 without Eurostar. Single occupancy: £2,380 or £2,240 without Eurostar. Included meals: 5 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hôtel du Golf de l’Ailette, Chamouille (ailette.fr): comfortable 3-star located a short drive from Laon in an attractive position by a lake. Hotel Le Grand Monarque, Chartres (legrandmonarque.com): centrally located 4-star hotel. Hotel Mercure Amiens (mercure.com): modern 3-star hotel near the cathedral. How strenuous? There is a fair amount of walking and standing around. Some long coach journeys. You should be able to lift your luggage on and off the train and wheel it within the station. Average distance by coach per day: 89 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Combine this tour with: Charlemagne to Charles V, 4–10 July 2017 (page 58). book online at www.martinrandall.com

Versailles: Seat of the Sun King The greatest palace & garden FRaNCE

14–17 June 2017 (md 327) 4 days • £1,680 Lecturer: Em. Professor Antony Spawforth Focused tour examining the most influential of European palaces and related buildings. A study not only of art, architecture and gardens but also of history and statecraft. Includes a concert of Vivaldi’s Stabat Mater and Nisi Domimus in the Château’s Chapelle Royale with Jean Christophe Spinosi and the Ensemble Matheus. Led by Professor Antony Spawforth, author of Versailles: A Biography of a Palace. Versailles was the grandest and most influential palace and garden complex in Europe, and arguably the most lavish and luxurious and most beautifully embellished too. It was much more than a building to house the monarch, his family and his court. It was conceived as the seat of government when France was at the apogee of her power, and as a structure to demonstrate and magnify the power of Louis XIV, to subdue his subjects and to overawe foreigners. A study of Versailles encompasses not only architectural history and garden history but also political science and the psychology of power. Built and altered by five French kings, Versailles is several palaces. Even during Louis XIV’s reign elements changed constantly, reflecting not only changes of taste but also political realities as they changed from decade to decade. Indeed, at its core remains a small-scale hunting lodge built by his father (surely meant to be demolished in due course), and apartments were refurbished and parts added right up until the Revolution. Enlarging the understanding of Versailles and to set it in context there are also visits to the château of Vaux-le-Vicomte, in many ways its inspiration, and to the grounds of Marly-le-Roi, a demolished palace constructed to allow the Sun King to retreat from the formality of Versailles. Attention is paid to the town of Versailles, first laid out by Louis XIV, as well as to the park and gardens at Versailles. The tour is timed to coincide with the occasional functioning of the fountains with musical accompaniment.

Itinerary

Day 2: Vaux le Vicomte. The greatest country house and garden complex of its time (1656–61), Vaux-le-Vicomte was built by Nicholas Fouquet, Louis XIV’s finance minister. It is in many ways the predecessor of Versailles, for Louis XIV, after arresting Fouquet for corruption, plundered the property and later employed its chief designers and craftsmen at Versailles. Day 3: Versailles. After circumnavigating the vast palace, spend the morning immersed in the grandeur, the beauty and the symbolism of the King’s and Queen’s apartments, which culminate

in the Hall of Mirrors. Explore the gardens, which remain largely as Le Nôtre created them, the parterres, basins and sculpture around the palace and the avenues and canal which seem to stretch to infinity. Then visit the family retreats of Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon and Domaine Marie Antoinette. Evening concert in the Royal Chapel of the Château: Stabat Mater and Nisi Dominus by Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) with Jean Christophe Spinosi (conductor), Ensemble Matheus, David DQ Lee (counter-tenor), David Hansen (counter-tenor). Day 4: Versailles, Marly-le-Roi, Paris. Return to the palace for a guided tour of apartments from the time of Louis XV, characterised by lightness and delicacy and frivolity. Drive to Marly-leRoi, Louis XIV’s retreat from the formality of Versailles, which became his favourite residence. No building survives, but the terraced park is evocative. Continue to Paris for the Eurostar arriving at St Pancras at c. 5.45pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,680 or £1,520 without Eurostar. Single occupancy: £1,890 or £1,730 without Eurostar. Included meals: 1 lunch and 2 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Pullman Château de Versailles (pullmanhotels.com): modern 4-star hotel within walking distance of the Château. How strenuous? There is a lot of walking and standing around. The gardens cover a large area and paths are often uneven so sure-footedness is essential. You need to lift your luggage on and off the train and wheel it within stations. There is very little time spent in the coach. Group size: between 10 to 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Strauss in Cardiff, 10–12 June 2017 (page 46).

Paintings in Paris

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Day 1: Versailles. Leave London St Pancras at c. 9.15am by Eurostar for Paris. Drive to Versailles where all four nights are spent. Afternoon walk to view grand approach to the palace and some of the palace’s dependencies in Versailles town.

Chateau de Versailles, Hall of Mirrors, wood engraving c. 1880.

Temporary exhibitions in autumn 2017 24–27 October 2017 Lecturer: Patrick Bade Please contact us for full details Balthus, Derain, Giacometti at the Musée de l’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris Gauguin the Alchemist at the Grand Palais Rubens, Princely Portraits at the Musée de Luxembourg François I and the Art of the Netherlands at the Louvre

Aquatint 1822 by George Cruikshank. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Ballet in Paris & london George Balanchine & alexander Ekman FRaNCE

performed by the Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris. Choreography by George Balanchine to music by Mendelssohn, with sopranos Pranvera Lehnert and Anne-Sophie Ducret. With the Orchestra and Choir of the Opéra National de Paris conducted by Simon Hewitt. Day 3. Paris. Morning visit to the Théâtre du Châtelet where Diaghilev launched his first Ballets Russes season in 1909, with Nijinsky and Karsavina. The season from which, arguably, almost all 20th-century ballet sprang. Free afternoon. Evening ballet at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées: A Swan Lake, performed by the Norwegian National Ballet. A radical version by choreographer Alexander Ekman, in which Tchaikovsky’s score has been substantially reworked by contemporary composer Mikael Karlsson. Day 4. Paris, London. Free morning: we buy advance tickets to the Louvre to minimise queuing time. Afternoon Eurostar to London. Evening lecture. First of two nights in London. Day 5. London. Opportunity in the morning to watch a company rehearsal by English National Ballet at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. Evening performance of Jewels by the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Choreography by Balanchine, to music by Fauré, Stravinsky, and Tchaikovsky. With the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House conducted by Pavel Sorokin.

Paris, Pont Marie, by Sidney Dark in ‘Paris’, publ. 1926.

28 March–2 April 2017 (md 194) 6 days • £2,790 (including tickets to 3 performances) Lecturer: Luke Jennings A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Opéra Bastille, choreographed by George Balanchine. A daring version of Swan Lake at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées by contemporary choreographer Alexander Ekman. Jewels at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, choreographed by Balanchine to music by Fauré, Stravinsky & Tchaikovsky. The tour is led by Luke Jennings, dance critic for The Observer.

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Ballet as a professional art form was born in seventeenth century Paris, and was reborn there, after the decline of the late nineteenth century, with the arrival of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. This was more than just a dance company; it was a creative movement which, from its inception, drew to itself the greatest musical, theatrical and artistic talents of the era. Today, Paris remains a world capital of classical dance, and its flagship company, The Paris Opera Ballet, is renowned for its grandscale productions and the supremely elegant finish of its dancers. Two of the ballets seen on this tour are works by the choreographer George Balanchine, who left Russia in 1924, aged twenty, to join Diaghilev’s company. We walk in the footsteps of the Ballets Russes, acquiring something of the flavour of those extraordinary days, with visits to several associated sites. The Théâtre du Châtelet, where it all began in 1909 and Nijinsky and Karsavina enjoyed their greatest triumphs. The fabulously book online at www.martinrandall.com

opulent Palais Garnier (Opéra de Paris), with its ceiling painted by Marc Chagall, on whose stage The Firebird and Schéhérazade had their premières. The Hotel Scribe, where Diaghilev often stayed, and where he gathered around him a brilliant côterie of dancers, designers and composers. Ballet and controversy are old bedfellows, and in his radical reworking of Swan Lake, Alexander Ekman explores the classic work from a dramatically new perspective. Ekman’s iconoclastic approach is one Diaghilev would have approved of, and there is resonance in the fact that the piece is being performed at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, where in 1913 Diaghilev presented The Rite of Spring, a ballet so foreign to the taste of its audience that it provoked a riot. Returning to London, a city with its own illustrious dancers and ballet history, we will attend a ballet class or rehearsal by the English National Ballet (schedules permitting) before immersing ourselves in Balanchine’s Jewels. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2017, this dazzling and multifaceted work has an intriguing subtext, and was inspired by the choreographer’s obsessive love for a woman many years his junior. The final movement, Diamonds, is one of ballet’s great set pieces, and offers a suitably exalted note on which to draw our tour to a close.

Itinerary

Day 6. London. Check out by 12.00 midday.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,790 or £2,680 without Eurostar on day 1. Single occupancy: £3,210 or £3,100 without Eurostar on day 1. Music tickets (top-category) to 3 performances are included, costing c. £250. At the time of going to print not all tickets were confirmed. Tickets for Jewels can not be confirmed until January 2017. Principal dancers for all performances are not yet confirmed. Included meals: 2 lunches, 4 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Édouard 7, Paris (hoteledouard7-paris.com): comfortable 4-star hotel, five minutes on foot from the Opéra Garnier. One Aldwych, London (onealdwych.com): 5-star hotel within walking distance of the opera house. How strenuous? One of the performances is reached on foot. Visits require a fair amount of walking and standing around. There are some late nights but starts are leisurely. You need to be able to lift your luggage on and off the train. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Van Gogh’s Journey, 22–25 March 2017 (page 151); Pompeii & Herculaneum, 3–8 April 2017 (page 143).

Day 1. Eurostar at c. 12.30pm from London St Pancras to Paris. Evening lecture before dinner. First of three nights in Paris. Day 2. Paris. Morning visit of the Palais Garnier and lunch at Hotel Scribe where Diaghilev and his community of dancers, composers and artists often stayed. Free afternoon. Evening ballet at the Opéra Bastille: A Midsummer Night’s Dream,

Van Gogh’s Journey, 22–25 March 2017. See page 151.

Bartoli, Kožená, Netrebko, Villazón operas & concerts in Versailles & Paris Paris, Opera Garnier, wood engraving c. 1880 (no performance here, but it is visited).

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25 February–1 March 2017 (md 156) 5 days • £2,455 (including tickets to 3 performances) Lecturer: Patrick Bade Cecilia Bartoli plays Angelina in Rossini’s La Cenerentola at the Opéra Royal at Versailles. Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov perform Italian arias at the Philharmonie de Paris, Jean Nouvel’s new concert hall. Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria featuring Magdalena Kožená & Rolando Villazón, at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, directed by Emmanuelle Haïm. Led by Patrick Bade, lecturer on the history of opera for Christie’s.

coated with gleaming aluminium has divided opinion and been likened by some to a crashed spaceship, while the harmonious interior of the auditorium with its excellent acoustic has been widely praised. Here we shall hear Anna Netrebko, perhaps the most acclaimed prima donna of our day in concert with the rising young Azerbaijani tenor Ysif Eyvazov whose golden open-throated voice will blend magnificently with the rich tones of Madame Netrebko.

Itinerary Day 1. Travel by Eurostar at c. 12.30pm from London St Pancras to Paris. Continue by coach to Versailles for an early evening lecture and dinner. First of two nights in Versailles. Day 2: Versailles. Take a guided tour of the opulent Château de Versailles including the Hall of Mirrors and the King’s and Queen’s apartments. Afternoon performance of La Cenerentola in the Opéra Royal: Monte Carlo Opera choir, Les Musiciens du Prince, Diego Fasolis, (conductor), Claudia Blersch, (director), Cecilia Bartoli (Angelina), Sen Guo (Clorinda) Liliana Nikiteanu (Tisbée), Carlos Chausson (Don Magnifico), Edgardo Rocha (Don Ramiro), Alessandro Corbelli (Dandini). Day 3: Paris. Morning lecture before driving to Paris. Architectural walk, led by the lecturer. See the area of the Grands Boulevards, including the Théâtre des Varietés where Offenbach premiered La Belle Hélène in 1864, and the Opéra Comique. Explore also the fascinating passages, early 19th-century arcades full of specialist collectors’ shops, and the area of galleries and antique shops around Paris’s most venerable auction house, the Hôtel Drouot. Some free time before dinner in the panoramic restaurant at the Philhamonie de Paris and the evening concert: Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov, Italian arias (exact programme to be confirmed) with the National Orchestra of Belgium conducted by Jader Bignamini. Day 4: Paris. Morning lecture followed by a visit with the lecturer to the Jacquemart André museum. This lavish residence, built in 1875 for the banker Edouard André, houses the collection

he made with his wife, Nélie Jacquemart, a painter. It contains a fine collection of 18th-cent. paintings, Dutch, Flemish and Italian masters. Free afternoon. Evening opera at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées: Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria, Le Concert d’Astrée, Emmanuelle Haïm (conductor), Mariame Clément (director), Rolando Villazón (Ulisse) Magdalena Kožená (Penelope), Katherine Watson (Giunone), Kresimir Spicer (Eumete), AnneCatherine Gillet (Amore/Minerva), Isabelle Druet (Fortuna/Melanto), Marteen Engeltjes (L’umana Fragilità/Pisandro), Ugo Guagliardo (Tempo/ Antinoo), Lothar Odinius (Giove/Anfinomo), Jean Teitgen (Nettuno), Mathias Vidal (Telemaco), Emiliano Gonzalez Toro (Eurimaco), Jörg Schneider (Iro), Elodie Méchain (Ericlea). Day 5: Paris. Morning visit of the sumptuous Palais Garnier opera house before the Eurostar to St Pancras arriving at c. 2.45pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,455 or £2,335 without Eurostar. Single occupancy: £2,795 or £2,675 without Eurostar. Music tickets (top-category) tickets to 2 performances and second-category tickets to 1 performance are included, costing c. £355. At the time of going to print, not all tickets were confirmed. Included meals: 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Trianon Palace, Versailles (pullmanhotels.com): 4-star Walforf Astoria hotel within walking distance of the Château. Hotel Édouard 7, Paris (hoteledouard7-paris.com): comfortable 4-star hotel, five minutes on foot from the Opéra Garnier. How strenuous? One of the performances is reached on foot. Visits require a fair amount of walking and standing around. There are some late nights but starts are leisurely. You need to be able to lift your luggage on and off the train.

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This tour features five of the world’s most talented and glamorous opera stars in three of Europe’s most spectacular venues. Currently unrivalled for her virtuosity in the coloratura roles of Rossini, Cecilia Bartoli appears as Cinderella in his comic masterpiece La Cenerentola. The performance will take place in the exquisite Neo-Classical court opera house at Versailles, designed for Louis XV by Jacques-Anges Gabriel and inaugurated in 1770 during the wedding celebrations of MarieAntoinette and the future Louis XVI. Originally lit by ten thousand candles, the ravishing interior of this theatre is decorated with faux marble columns, a trompe l’oeil ceiling painting representing airborne gods and goddesses and magnificent carved reliefs by Augustin Pajou. It was the setting for many historic occasions, including in 1784 a performance of Gluck’s Armide in honour of King Gustav III of Sweden, later assassinated in his own opera house and the subject of an opera by Verdi. Queen Elizabeth II attended a gala performance in 1957 to celebrate the restoration of the theatre. With its intimate size (accommodating an audience of 712) and the perfect acoustic (due to its wooden construction) the Versailles Opera will provide the perfect showcase for the talents of Cecilia Bartoli and for Rossini’s sparkling work. The sleek Art Deco elegance of Auguste Perret’s Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, with its pioneering reinforced concrete construction and its decoration by major modern artists such as the sculptor Antoine Bourdelle and the painters Maurice Denis and Eduard Vuillard, marked a startling contrast with the plush and gold historicism of earlier Parisian theatres. In the century since its completion this theatre has packed in a great deal of history including a notorious riot at the premiere of Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps in 1913 and its use by the German occupiers for broadcast concerts during World War II. In this theatre we shall hear the popular Mexican tenor Rolando Villazón and the Czech mezzo Magdalena Kožená (Lady Rattle) in one of the first operas to be performed before a public audience, Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria, dating from 1640. In between our visits to these great historic theatres we shall attend a concert in one of the world’s most recently completed and most intensely discussed concert halls, the Grande Salle at the Philarmonie de Paris. The crumpled exterior

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Puccini in Cardiff, 15–18 February 2017 (page 45); The London Bridge Trio & Friends, 3–5 March 2017 (page 41). Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Poets & The Somme Poetry of the Great War in battlefield context FRaNCE

1–4 September 2017 (me 538) 4 days • £1,430 Lecturer: Andrew Spooner First World War poetry in the context of the Battle of the Somme. A presentation of the poetry through a study of events, landscapes and the wartime lives of individual poets. An actor reads the poems. Led by military historian Andrew Spooner. Blending history and poetry, this tour reveals the true landscape of war: locations, topography, events, but also hope, fear, anger, pain and love, all viscerally manifest in the poetry of the First World War. The opening day of the Battle of the Somme, 1st July 1916, is taken as the starting point for the tour, with an exploration of the front line area and a study of the events of that day and subsequent weeks. A sprinkling of poetry from 1914 and 1915 adds to the modern contextual understanding of the enormous sense of loss. During 1917 and 1918, other war poets became embroiled in later battles and their poetry will be placed into context on ‘the old 1916 battlefield’. This leads on to a wider examination of the nature of trench warfare and of the course of the war as a whole. Much has survived: trenches, shell holes and mine craters. The tangible remains of warfare and the pattern of cemeteries are now woven into the fabric of the modern landscape. What sets this tour apart is the parallel exploration of the lives of those regular soldiers, volunteers and civilians who bequeathed to us the most emotionally potent body of poetry in English literature. This is not an exercise in literary analysis, however, but poems are placed in the

context of the battlefield and of the lives (and deaths) of the many and varied individuals who wrote them. Led by the military historian who devised the tour, Andrew Spooner, it is also accompanied by an actor who reads the poems – sometimes at the site where they were composed (often identifiable to within a few yards), sometimes at the scene of the poet’s grave, sometimes at the place of his death or disappearance. The tour is very much ‘in the field’ with a series of short walks on each day, averaging from a few hundred metres to a maximum distance 1.5 miles, and set to follow the events on particular sections of the front line. The fourteen miles of front line are neatly divided by the Roman road from Albert to Bapaume. Poets whose works are included are (in alphabetical order) Richard Aldington, Lawrence Binyon, Edmund Blunden, Vera Brittain, Eric Chilman, Eleanor Farjeon, Wilfrid Gibson, Sir Alan P. Herbert, William Noel Hodgson, Roland Leighton, Frederick Manning, Lucy Gertrude Moberley, Wilfred Owen, Margaret Postgate Cole, John Edgell Rickwood, Isaac Rosenberg, Siegfried Sassoon, Alan Seeger, Charles Sorley, Hugh Steward Smith, John William Streets, Edward Thomas, Alec Waugh, May Wedderburn Cannan.

Itinerary Day 1: Foncquevillers, Pozières. Travel by coach at 9.00am from central London to Folkestone for the 35 minute Eurotunnel crossing. Continue by coach, arriving in the field mid-afternoon. Drive the length of the front line for an initial orientation of the Somme battlefield, identifying the exact positions of the opposing trenches. The lecturer gives an introduction at the windmill site at Pozières, the highest part of the battlefield,

and the first poem is read; Alec Waugh’s Albert to Bapaume Road. Visit preserved trenches and a military cemetery. Continue to the hotel in Arras. Day 2: Serre, Mesnil, Thiepval. Explore to the north of the Albert to Bapaume Road. Start at the village of Serre, site of the left flank of the main attack on 1st July where many of the assault battalions were known as ‘pals’, reflecting their recruiting centres based in the large urban cities of the Midlands and the North. Move along the line through Auchonvillers, along the Ancre Valley, with Edmund Blunden, Wilfred Owen and A. P. Herbert. At Thiepval is the Memorial to the Missing, the most monumental of the many Great War memorials, which bears over 72,000 names. Today’s poems include A Soldier’s Funeral by John William Streets, read at his graveside, Binyon’s For the Fallen and, at Thiepval, Charles Sorley’s When they see the millions of the mouthless dead / Across your dreams in pale battalions go. Day 3: Péronne, Longueval, Mametz. Start at the ‘Historial de la Grande Guerre’ museum at Péronne, then to the area south of the Albert to Bapaume Road where some battalions were more successful and gained their objectives on the first day, before the arduous struggle of attrition moved into the ‘Horseshoe of Woods’. The site of Siegfried Sassoon’s HQ dugout is near the village of Fricourt, ‘while time ticks blank and busy on their wrists’. At Mametz, on William Noel Hodgson’s ‘familiar hill’, read Before Action: ‘Must say goodbye to all of this / By all delights that I shall miss, / Help me to die, O Lord.’ Day 4: Agny, Contay, Louvencourt. Stray behind the lines, visiting areas associated with the Casualty Clearing Stations. The village of Agny for Edward Thomas and Eleanor Farjeon, Louvencourt for Vera Brittain and Roland Leighton, and Contay as an appropriate location for the choice of women’s poetry, May Wedderburn Cannan and Margaret Postgate Cole. At La Boisselle, astride the Roman road, follow the fortunes of two battalions of the 34th Division. The poetry of Wilfred Owen, Edward Thomas and Alan Seeger features (I have a rendezvous with death). Final lunch before driving to Calais for the Eurotunnel journey home, arriving in central London at c. 7.30pm.

Practicalities MAINLAND EUROPE

Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,430. Single occupancy: £1,570. Included meals: all meals with wine. Accommodation. Hôtel de l’Univers, Arras (univers.najeti.fr): traditional 3-star hotel in Arras, in a 16th-century building; good restaurant. How strenuous? There is quite a lot of standing around and walking on this tour, most of it over rough ground. Some days involve a lot of driving. Average distance by coach per day: 127 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Country Houses of Kent, 4–8 September 2017 (page 24).

Wayside crosses, photograph 1916. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Crécy, agincourt & Waterloo. See page 59.

Brittany Megaliths to Monet FRaNCE

26 June–2 July 2017 (md 369) 7 days • £2,380 Lecturer: Caroline Holmes Brittany’s landscapes captured and cultivated: gardens, châteaux and historic towns. Beautiful Belle-Ile, with an optional coastal walk. The lecturer is Caroline Holmes, a garden historian with close family ties to Brittany. A local expert guides on some of the finest prehistoric sites in Europe. The inspiration for colonies of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists. The landscapes of Brittany are variously dramatic, fertile and rugged, framed by jagged coasts or broad sands. The granite bedrock can be seen carved into poignant sixteenthcentury churchyard calvaries and piled high in Quimper’s two spires. The wealth of stone tools that have been found confirm the early agricultural skills of prehistoric Bretons. Armorica stems from Ar Mor, literally land of the sea, to distinguish Brittany’s coasts from the forested interior, Ar Goat, that sheltered wolves, boar and deer as well as Druidic rites. Over the centuries the fruits of its sea, fields, orchards and gardens fed their bodies and souls with a robust simplicity. Large tracts remained remote from and almost untouched by metropolitan France. In the late nineteenth century avant-garde artists came to see Brittany as an inspirational rural idyll and flocked from Europe, America and Australia. It was already popular when in 1888 Paul Sérusier, Emile Bernard and Paul Gauguin formed the School of PontAven. Nearby, Monet painted the wild seas and rocks off Belle-Ile and met the critic who was to become his lifelong friend and biographer, Gustave Geff roy. Australian Impressionist John Peter Russell married Marianna Antoinetta Mattiocco, Rodin’s favourite model, and in 1889 built a house at Port Goulphar where they entertained Sisley, Matisse and numerous other artists. In 1894 Sarah Bernhardt took up summer residence in the Fort; her guest list was to include Edward VII. This tour presents a broad sweep of history, prehistory, art and landscape.

Itinerary

Day 2: Belle-Ile. Optional morning walk along the beautiful northern Côte Sauvage (c. 5 km), including a visit to the Musée Sarah Bernhardt and the fort that was her summer home at the Pointe des Poulains. Lunch in the small port of Sauzon. Afternoon walk in the footsteps of Monet to view the jagged Aiguilles de Port-Coton. Visit the contemporary Jardin la Boulaye that nestles in the sheltered heart of the island. Overnight Belle-Ile.

Day 3. Ile de Gavrinis, Locmariaquer. Return by ferry to mainland France. The 23 orthostats (upright stones) in the Cairn de l’Ile de Gavrinis have a wealth of symbolic patterns unmatched elsewhere. There are other stones at the Table des Marchands at nearby Locmariaquer. Overnight Carnac. Day 4: Carnac, Quimper. Morning guided tour of the extraordinary wealth of orthostats and menhirs (standing stones) dating to c. 4600 bc. Drive north to Quimper where visits include the Musée des Beaux Arts with an exceptional collection of French paintings and drawings with a special emphasis on Brittany, the Pont Aven School, Max Jacob and Breton landscape and domestic scenes. The Musée Départemental Breton in the old Bishop’s Palace has a fine selection of faïencerie, archaeological finds, Breton costumes, lacework and furniture. The cathedral of St Corentin is the finest example of Gothic architecture in Brittany, with a sumptuous modern high altar in gilded and enamelled bronze. Day 5: around Quimper. An excursion to three very different gardens. Those of the Parc Botanique de Cornouaille were started in 1983 by M. Gueguen, a plant collector who worked for Hilliers in England. The setting of indigenous oak and pine trees provides a backdrop to a global collection of trees and shrubs. The Parc de Boutiguéry extends to 15 hectares along the banks of the River Odet where the owner has hybridised and bred new rhododendrons with colours infused with ‘warmth’. At the Manoir de Kérazan sweet chestnuts grow alongside pines, palms and flowering shrubs. The house is a showcase of Breton workmanship: fine collections of the Quimper faïencerie, Bigouden furniture and paintings by local artists.

Day 6: Pont-Aven. Towards the end of the 19thcent. American artists discovered rural Pont-Aven. Walk in their footsteps from the Trémalo chapel that still harbours the 16th-cent. polychrome statue that inspired Gauguin’s Le Christ Jaune, through the Bois d’Amour to the town. The former Hotel Julia has been transformed into the Musée des Beaux Arts which encapsulates and displays the artistic journeys of the Pont-Aven school and its followers. Charles Filiger’s Paysage rocheux, Le Pouldu has inspired the Musée’s garden. Day 7: Daoulas. Drive to the Abbaye de Daoulas with a good Romanesque cloister and monastically inspired herb gardens. The flight from Quimper to London City Airport (British Airways) arrives at c. 3.45pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,380 or £2,200 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,620 or £2,440 without flights. Included meals: 5 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Castel Clara, BelleIle (castel-clara.com): 4-star spa hotel, with fine coastal views. Hotel Tumulus, Carnac (hoteltumulus.com): 3-star hotel with an excellent restaurant. Best Western Hôtel Kregenn, Quimper (hotel-kregenn.fr): functional 4-star hotel 5 minutes from the cathedral and museums. How strenuous? There is a lot of walking and standing. For some of the visits, vehicular access is restricted. Sure-footedness and walking shoes are essential for the (optional) walk along the coast over unevenly paved ground. Some days involve a lot of driving; average distance per day: 44 miles.

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Day 1. Fly at c. 10.30am from London City Airport to Nantes (Cityjet). Catch the late afternoon ferry to Belle-Ile. Two nights are spent on the island: the hotel is on the site of Australian painter John Russell’s house and retains the views which inspired him to live, paint and host here for twenty years.

Quimper Cathedral, watercolour by Mortimer Menpes, publ. 1905.

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Charlemagne to Charles V, 4–10 July 2017 (page 58). Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

le Corbusier Through France & Switzerland FRaNCE

14–22 October 2017 (me 614) 9 days • £3,480 Lecturer: Dr Richard Plant A wide survey of works by one of the greatest architects of all time. From Paris through the east of France and the Swiss Jura to Lyon and Marseille. The lecturer is Dr Richard Plant, mediaeval architectural historian with a keen interest in the modern. First-class rail travel by Eurostar and TGV. Le Corbusier has left later generations of architects a problem. It sometimes seems that whatever design solutions they may dream up, Corb arrived there before. And that is without conscious imitation of the master, though no architect has been more imitated. His energy, his gimlet intelligence and his ambition would have made him master of whatever profession he had chosen, but the fertility of his artistic genius and joy in creation turned him into one of the greatest architects of all time, and the most influential of the twentieth century. The exploration of the origins of the look of the modern world is a fascinating aspect of this tour, but it is likely that the dominant impression will be of the sheer beauty of Le Corbusier’s buildings. There is far more of subtlety, nuance, sophistication and variety than might be expected of someone often simplistically classed as one of the instigators of International Modernism. He was an individual, not merely a representative of

Itinerary Day 1: Paris. Travel by Eurostar at c. 11.00am from London St Pancras to Paris. Paris is the site of Corb’s purest statements and of his first large commissions. Visit Villa la Roche-Jeanneret which now houses the Fondation Le Corbusier, and the Immeuble Molitor (1934) in which Le Corbusier created the top floor apartment for himself. First of two nights in Paris. Day 2: Paris. On the western outskirts, at Poissy, is Le Corbusier’s lyrically beautiful Villa Savoye (1929), one of the icons of the 20th century. Back in central Paris see Jean Nouvel’s Institut du Monde Arabe, a remarkable building with splendid views of the city. Walk through the Quartier Masséna, home to the Bibliothèque National de France (Dominique Perrault, 1996) and a development that includes the Jardin des Grands-Moulins, created in 2011. Overnight Paris. Day 3: Paris, Besançon. At the Cité Universitaire, the Pavillon Suisse (hall of residence, 1930) became one of the most influential buildings of International Modernism. The Pavillon Brésilien (1959) attempts an expression of national style while the Atelier Ozenfant (1922, exterior) was the studio-residence of painter-critic and fellow purist. Take the TGV (high speed train) from Paris to Besançon. First of three nights in Besançon.

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a style or movement. His impact was felt not only through his buildings – which are scattered across four continents – but also through numerous unexecuted projects, voluminous writings, and lecture tours. This tour concentrates on the rich seam of his works to be quarried in Paris and in an arc out to the east of France, through the Swiss Jura and down through Lyon to Marseille – much of it passing fine natural scenery. It covers a considerable distance, but does give as complete a picture of Le Corbusier’s architecture as can be expected in a tour of this duration. Begin in Paris where Le Corbusier settled when he was thirty and emerged as a central figure in what became the intellectual capital of Europe in the inter-war years. End in Marseille where Le Corbusier finally realised his collectivist vision of the Mediterranean good life. Some buildings are in private hands and we see them from the outside, others are public and accessible and a few will be entered by special arrangement.

Day 4: La Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland). The son of a watchmaker, Le Corbusier’s home town for thirty years was La Chaux-de-Fonds, and here he built his first houses. See exteriors of The Villa Fallet (1908), a commission obtained by Le Corbusier when he was only 18, and the Villas Stotzer and Jacquemet when he was still under the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement and Ruskin. Classicism, rationalism and modern building techniques began to prevail in the Villas Jeanneret (1912, for his own family, enter by special arrangement) and Schwob (1916, exterior). See also Le Corbusier archive material in town library (by special arrangement). Ronchamp, Nôtre-Dame-du-Haut, photograph used under license from shutterstock.com. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Day 5: Ronchamp, Besançon. Drive into the countryside to the Benedictine monastery at Ronchamp, whose hill-top chapel, Nôtre-Dame-

du-Haut (1950), resulted in charges of treachery from hard-line modernists but has proved prophetic in embracing organic, sculptural values. Some free time in Besançon, a lovely hill town dominated by a massive citadel. Day 6: Arc et Senans, L’Arbresle. The route turns southwest, with a break at La Saline Royale, the remarkable industrial complex in romantic Neo-Classical style (1775) by Ledoux, one of Le Corbusier’s inspirations. His second monastic commission, the hillside Couvent de La Tourette at l’Arbresle, was obtained because his agnosticism was regarded as of less significance than the sacred values of his architecture. Continue south to Lyon. First of two nights in Lyon. Day 7: Lyon, Firminy-Vert. The new town at Firminy-Vert (1956–70) was one of the few pieces of Corbusian town planning actually executed with the master’s involvement and the site became the largest ensemble of his buildings outside Chandigarh. Also designed by Corbusier are the Maison de la Culture, with its dramatically canted side wall, the sports stadium, and the Unité d’Habitation. The astonishing church of St Pierre was finally completed in 2007, and there is a revelatory Le Corbusier museum. Free afternoon in Lyon to explore the historic centre or some of Lyon’s striking modern buildings (Tony Garnier, Renzo Piano) or the Jean Nouvel opera house. Day 8: Marseille. Travel south by TGV. All his life Corb had been concerned with issues of housing, urbanism and community, and the fruits of his thinking are to be found in the ‘Unité d’Habitation’ apartment blocks. The one at Marseille (1945–52), though dogged by opposition and delays, is the most monumental embodiment of these theories. Overnight in Marseille. Day 9: Marseille. Some free time in Marseille or join the lecturer for a walk through the old town. Return home by plane (British Airways), arriving at London Heathrow at c. 5.45pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,480 or £3,270 without international travel. Single occupancy: £3,860 or £3,650 without international travel. Included meals: 6 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel du Louvre, Paris (parishoteldulouvre.hyatt.com): 5-star hotel near the Louvre, recently renovated. Hotel de Paris, Besançon (besanconhoteldeparis.com): 3-star hotel in the historic centre. Hotel le Royal, Lyon (lyonhotel-leroyal.com): stylish 5-star hotel, wellsituated on the Presqu’île. Hotel la Résidence du Vieux-Port, Marseille (hotel-residence-marseille. com): 4-star hotel in a 1950s building overlooking the harbour. Bright, modernist décor. How strenuous? A tiring tour with a lot of travel and several hotel changes. There is quite a lot of walking. For train journeys you will need to be able to carry your luggage on and off the train and within the stations. Average distance by coach per day: 38 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Essential Andalucía, 23 October–2 November 2017 (page 177).

Mediaeval Burgundy abbeys & churches of the high Middle ages Auxerre, steel engraving c. 1840.

FRaNCE

3–10 June 2017 (md 326) 8 days • £2,680 Lecturer: John McNeill Superb collection of Romanesque and early Gothic buildings. Exceptionally well-preserved historic towns. Rural drives through beautiful landscapes. First-class rail travel.

Itinerary

Beaune Music Festival

Day 1. Take the Eurostar at c. 11.00am from London St Pancras to Paris and then onwards by TGV (high-speed train) to Dijon. Continue by coach to Tournus where two nights are spent.

July 2017 • Details available in January 2017 Please contact us to register your interest

Day 2: Cluny, Berzé-la-Ville, Tournus. Cluny is the site of the largest church and most powerful monastery in mediaeval France. Study the magnificent remains of the church and monastic buildings. The tiny chapel at Berzé-la-Ville was perhaps built as the abbot of Cluny’s private retreat, and is embellished with superb wall paintings of c. 1100. At Tournus see the striking and influential early 11th-century monastery.

Middle Ages, and has one of the most impressive of all 12th-century churches for both its architecture and its sculpture. First of two nights in Auxerre. Day 7: Auxerre. The morning includes the magnificent Carolingian crypt of St Germain and the cathedral, a pioneering 13th-century building with exceptional glass and sculpture. The afternoon is free.

Day 3: Beaune, Autun, Dijon. The 15thcentury Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune houses Rogier van der Weyden’s Last Judgement. The stalwart Romanesque church of Notre-Dame has fine tapestries. At Autun the cathedral of St Lazare is celebrated for its sublime sequence of Romanesque capitals and relief sculptures by Gislebertus. First of three nights in Dijon.

Day 8: Sens. The striking cathedral of Sens is among the earliest Gothic churches of Europe, housing important glass and an exquisitely carved 12th- and 13th-century west front. The diocesan museum also houses an extensive collection of Roman and mediaeval antiquities. Take the Eurostar from Paris arriving at London St Pancras c. 6.30pm.

Day 4: St Thibault, Semur-en-Auxois, Fontenay. The church of the market town of St Thibault has a 13th-cent. choir that is the most graceful Burgundian construction of the period. The fortified hill town of Semur-en-Auxois has a splendid Gothic collegiate church. The tranquil abbey of Fontenay is the earliest Cistercian church to survive and has an exceptionally well-preserved monastic precinct.

Practicalities

Day 5: Dijon. A day dedicated to Burgundy’s capital and one of the most attractive of French cities with many fine buildings from 11th to 18th centuries. St Bénigne has an ambitious early Romanesque crypt. Notre-Dame is a quite stunning early Gothic parish church. The palace of the Valois dukes now houses a museum with extensive collections of work from the period of their rule (1364–1477). Day 6: Saulieu, Avallon, Vézelay. Visit the Basilique St-Andoche in Saulieu, with carved capitals depicting flora, fauna and biblical stories. Drive north to Avallon, whose fine Romanesque church is spectacularly situated above the river Cousin. Vézelay, a picturesque hill town whose summit is occupied by the abbey of La Madeleine, was one of the great pilgrimage centres of the

Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,680 or £2,460 without Eurostar and TGV. Single occupancy: £3,040 or £2,820 without Eurostar and TGV. Included meals: 6 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hôtel Le Rempart, Tournus (lerempart.com): 4-star hotel formerly a 15thcentury guard house, located on the ramparts of the town. Hostellerie du Chapeau Rouge, Dijon (chapeau-rouge.fr): centrally located, comfortable 4-star hotel furnished to a high standard. Hôtel Le Parc des Maréchaux, Auxerre (leparcdesmarechaux.com): 4-star hotel in a delightful 18th-century hôtel particulier. There are no twin rooms at the Hôtel Le Parc des Maréchaux. Contact us for a quote if you would like two single rooms at this hotel (instead of sharing a double). How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking, some of it on steep hillsides, and standing around. There is plenty of coach travel and you stay in three hotels. You will need to be able to lift your luggage on and off the train and wheel it within stations. Average distance by coach per day: 72 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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The key to understanding mediaeval Burgundy is its situation, a cradle of wooded hills drained by three great river systems flowing, respectively, to the north, south and west. Not only did this lend the area the status of a lieu de passage, but it guaranteed its importance, ensuring that the mediaeval duchy was open to the forms and traditions of far-flung regions. Remarkably, much of Burgundy’s mediaeval infrastructure survives. Even extending back as far as the ninth century, for in the interlocking spaces of the lower church at St-Germain d’Auxerre one might catch a glimpse of western Carolingian architecture and painting, a glimpse that presents this most distant of periods at its most inventive and personal. It is equally the case that while the great early Romanesque basilicas which once studded the underbelly of the Ile-de-France are now reduced to a ghost of their former selves, what survives in Burgundy is sublimely impressive, as one might see in that great quartet of crypts at Dijon, Auxerre, Flavigny and Tournus. As elsewhere, the twelft h century is well represented, though the depth of exploratory work undertaken here cannot fail to impress. The fundamental Romanesque research was probably conducted to the south, at Cluny and in the Brionnais, but the take-up in central Burgundy was immediate, and in the naves of Vézelay and Autun one might see two of the most compelling essays on the interaction of sculpture and architecture twelft h-century Europe has produced. Nor were Cistercians slow to tailor Burgundian architecture to suit their needs, and though her great early monasteries have now perished at least Fontenay survives, ranking among the most breathtaking monastic sites of mediaeval France. Gothic also arrived early, and there began a second wave of experimentation, tentative at first but blossoming in the centre (where the new choir at Vézelay is the first intimation we have that Gothic architecture had a future outside northern France) into perhaps the most lucid of all architectural styles. It is thus no surprise that the thirteenth century saw the region at the cutting edge of Europe. At Auxerre a definitive account of space as illusion took shape, and at Semur-en-Auxois a theatre of stone clambered aboard the church. Moreover, the patrons invested heavily in glass. No thirteenth-century church was without it – and most have retained it, blazing the interior with a heady combination of light, meaning and colour. This sublime vigour even continued into the later middle ages, where under the Valois dukes of Burgundy Dijon became a major artistic centre, attracting artists of the calibre of Rogier van der Weyden and Claus Sluter.

Anjou & the West Angers, Poitiers, Saintes france

Poitiers, Cathedral and market place, etching c. 1890 by Joseph Pennell.

Notre-Dame-la-Grande with its superb show front overlooking the former market place. St-Hilaire was the resting place of a celebrated 4th-century bishop and is a major pilgrimage church. First of three nights in Poitiers. Day 6: Civaux, St-Savin-sur-Gartempe, Chauvigny. A day among the painted churches of the valleys of the Gartempe and Vienne. Civaux has a vast and enigmatic Merovingian cemetery and adjacent early medieval painted crypt. St-Savin-sur-Gartempe has the most extensive, most splendid cycle of Romanesque wall painting to survive in France. At Chauvigny see the dramatically situated seigneurial castle and collegiate church. Day 7: Poitiers. Spend the morning in the mediaeval town. See the cathedral, a majestic 12th- and 13th-century hall church. SteRadegonde demonstrates an engaging amalgam of Romanesque and Gothic themes. Free afternoon.

2–11 May 2017 (md 263) 10 days • £2,940 Lecturer: John McNeill Superb Romanesque and early Gothic buildings.

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valley as one of the great stamping grounds of early mediaeval architectural thinking, enough remains to gain a sense of the range and monumental achievements of eleventh-century design in the region.

Exceptionally well-preserved historic town centres.

Itinerary

Led by renowned architectural historian John McNeill.

Day 1. Take the Eurostar from London St Pancras at c. 9.30am to Paris. Continue by coach to Angers. First of four nights in Angers.

The ancient counties of Anjou and Poitou boast the richest and most diverse collection of twelfthcentury monuments in France. They also occupy a position of great importance for the fabric of later mediaeval Europe. Earlier, this region had been a pioneer in the development of feudalism, one of the effects of which was the growth of lay control over abbeys and collegiate churches. A consequence of this was that long established buildings were restored and new foundations established, and the region became a crucible of innovation in sculptural and architectural style. The frame of the western French church was subject to a series of changes of form and identity that were among the most dramatic of twelfth-century Europe. This development of mature twelfth- and thirteenth-century solutions forms the core of the expedition. The extravagantly carved screen façades of Poitou and the Saintonge will be something of a feature, and that late twelfthcentury predilection for aisleless or hall church designs, domed-up rib-vaulting and polychromed surfaces will be given corresponding prominence. Nor will painting be neglected, on both glass and plaster, for the high spaces of St-Savin-surGartempe and Asnières-sur-Vègre preserve two of the most beguiling and complex cycles of frescoes from Romanesque Europe, while the east windows of Poitiers cathedral frame some of its greatest late twelfth-century glass. And though that rich vein of Carolingian and early Romanesque building has been largely superseded, a vein that marked out the Loire book online at www.martinrandall.com

Day 2: Angers. See magnificent Romanesque sculpture in the Benedictine cloister of St-Aubin. The 13th-cent. royal castle now houses Louis d’Anjou’s remarkable Apocalypse tapestry, the earliest and perhaps the greatest of mediaeval tapestry series. The cathedral is the grandest of the ‘Angevin Gothic’ churches, while St-Serge has a fine Gothic choir. Henry Plantagenet founded the Hôpital St-Jean and the Ronceray abbesses financed the inventive parish church of La Trinité. Day 3: Cunault, Fontevraud, Chinon. Drive along the south bank of the Loire, stopping at the light and spacious priory church of Notre-Dame-deCunault. Fontevraud, a vast monastic city, houses four communities on the same site: Plantagenet royal mausoleum, octagonal kitchen, Renaissance cloister. Chinon is home to Henry Plantagenet’s ‘beloved castle in the middle of France’. Day 4: Le Mans, Pirmil, Asnières-sur-Vègre. The day is devoted to the Maine with the morning at Le Mans cathedral, whose nave juxtaposes 11th-century aisles with a 12th-century elevation, and whose choir stands as one of the supreme statements of Gothic architecture. Returning via the finest of the Mancelle parish churches and see the sculpture of Pirmil acting as a foil for the marvellous wall paintings at Asnières-sur-Vègre. Day 5: St-Jouin-de-Marnes, Poitiers. Slip south over the border with Poitou to St-Jouin-de-Marnes whose monastic church carries the earliest of the elaborately carved western French screen façades. The afternoon is spent in Poitiers. See

Day 8: Melle, Aulnay, Saintes. Drive along the camino, the pilgrimage road running south-west towards Santiago de Compostela. Visit three great Romanesque churches at Melle, St-Hilaire with majestic ‘Constantinian Rider’ fantastically perched above the north portal. Aulnay is home to a spellbinding pilgrimage church. Continue to Saintes, renowned Roman city extensively redeveloped during the 11th and 12th centuries, and the basilica of St-Eutrope. First of two nights in Saintes. Day 9: Perignac, Pons, Talmont-sur-Gironde. Morning drive to the Romanesque church at Perignac. At Pons the famous pilgrims’ hospice, in offering accommodation to either side of the road, bridges the camino. At Talmont the impressive church of St Radegonde is perched above the Gironde. Day 10. Drive to Niort for the TGV train to Paris Montparnasse. Transfer within Paris to the Gare du Nord for the Eurostar arriving at London St Pancras at c. 5.40pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,940 or £2,700 without Eurostar & TGV; supplement for superior room throughout: £135. Single occupancy: £3250 or £3,010 without Eurostar & TGV. Included meals: 1 lunch and 7 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Best Western Hotel d’Anjou, Angers (en.hoteldanjou.fr): 4-star hotel in the centre of town with a good restaurant. Mercure Centre, Poitiers (mercure.com): central, 4-star hotel in a former 19th-century Jesuit chapel. Citotel des Messageries, Saintes (hotel-desmessageries.com): 3-star hotel; traditional décor. How strenuous? A considerable amount of walking and standing around is involved. You will need to lift your own luggage on and off the train and wheel it within stations. Average distance by coach per day: 83 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with Provence & Languedoc, 20–29 April 2017 (page 87); Courts of Northern Italy, 14–21 May 2017 (page 128).

Mediaeval Alsace Both sides of the Rhine in France & Germany

Architecture, art and history around the Upper Rhine in France and Germany. Exceedingly lovely towns and villages, amid lush landscapes of vineyards, rolling farmland and wooded hills. Stay in one hotel throughout, a beautifully restored, 16th-century Alsatian Inn. It is one of the oddities of modern Europe that Alsace belongs to France. Historically, culturally and linguistically, the region has had more in common with its German neighbour to the east of the Rhine. Alsace is a hybrid. The Alsatians are descendants of the Teutonic tribes who settled here in the fifth century. In the Middle Ages most of the region, along with a chunk of Switzerland, formed part of the German duchy of Swabia, which owed allegiance to the Holy Roman Empire. Two of the imperial families, the Hohenstaufen and the Habsburgs, had their principal domains in the region, on both sides of the Rhine. The major cities – Strasbourg, Colmar and Freiburg – were among the greatest of the independent free cities of the Rhineland, the economic powerhouse of transalpine Europe. Only in relatively recent history has the Upper Rhine become a disputed border between antagonistic powers. In the Middle Ages and for long after the river was not a divisive factor but a unifying highway, the meeting place for goods, peoples and ideas from both sides. The acquisition by France in 1648 of the left bank – modern-day Alsace – paid no heed to linguistic, religious or cultural considerations. Indeed, it reverted to the German Empire for 47 years after the FrancoPrussian war of 1871. This tour ignores modern national boundaries. This way the immensely rich artistic and cultural heritage can be fully appreciated, and stylistic variations be seen as regional inflections rather than national differences. A leitmotif of the tour is the exceptionally rich collection of late mediaeval altarpieces. Alsace is also rich in mediaeval church architecture, both Romanesque and Gothic.

Day 1: London to Strasbourg. Leave London St Pancras by Eurostar at c. 9.30am for Paris, and continue by TGV (high-speed train) to Strasbourg. Arriving before 5.00pm, there is plenty of time to settle into the hotel, for an introductory talk and dinner. All seven nights are spent in Strasbourg. Day 2: Strasbourg. Since the High Middle Ages, Strasbourg has been one of the most important intellectual and cultural centres of Europe, and is now seat of the European parliament. The cathedral, constructed and adorned over several centuries, is one of the greatest monuments of Gothic art and architecture in Europe. Visit also the cathedral museum and the church of St Thomas (extravagant tomb of Maréchal de Saxe) and enjoy the picturesque streets and canals.

Strasbourg Cathedral, wood engraving c. 1880.

Day 4: Molsheim, Rosheim, Obernai. A day of small places. Molsheim has a Jesuit church and a Carthusian monastery. The chapel of St Ulrich in Avolsheim was built in the 10th century and contains 13th-century frescoes. In Obernai, visit the Romanesque church of St Pierre. Rosheim possesses a number unspoilt mediaeval houses and the 12th-century church of St Pierre et Paul. In the heart of wine-producing countryside, Obernai is partly surrounded by fine ramparts. Day 5: Kaysersberg, Murbach. Kaysersberg is a remarkably unchanged mediaeval village with delightful houses, castle, bridge, and a church with a very fine carved altarpiece. In the afternoon drive south through the lovely hill scenery of the Massif du Ballon d’Alsace. Nestling in wooded hills, the Romanesque abbey at Murbach was the most important in the region, and its Romanesque church is correspondingly magnificent. Day 6: Niederrotweil, Freiburg, Breisach. Cross the Rhine to Germany. The parish churches at Breisach and Niederrotweil each have a most beautiful late Gothic altarpiece carved by the socalled Master HL with an extraordinary swirling design. Freiburg im Breisgau is one of the best preserved old towns in Germany. At its centre is the minster, a magnificent Gothic construction with the tallest spire completed in the Middle Ages. The excellent city museum has recently reopened after major restoration. Day 7: Strasbourg. Free morning followed by a visit to the Palais Rohan and its museums of fine and decorative arts in the afternoon. Day 8. Leave Strasbourg at c. 10.45am by TGV for Paris and continue by Eurostar to London St Pancras, arriving c. 4.45pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,890 or £2,630 without Eurostar & TGV. Single occupancy: £3,450 or £3,190 without Eurostar & TGV.

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Itinerary

Day 3: Colmar. Colmar is an exceedingly attractive town with richly ornamented halftimbered and stone buildings lining the streets and canals. The Gothic church of St Martin contains the Virgin of the Rose Garden, an altarpiece by Schongauer (1473). The Musée d’Unterlinden has an outstanding collection of 15th- and 16thcentury pictures, chief of which is Grünewald’s Issenheim altarpiece, the most searing of all images of the Crucifixion.

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3–10 October 2017 (me 594) 8 days • £2,890 Lecturer: Dr Alexandra Gajewski

Included meals: 1 lunch and 5 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Cour du Corbeau, Strasbourg (cour-corbeau.com): beautifully restored 4-star hotel, close to the cathedral and the Palais Rohan. Rooms maintain many original features, though décor is contemporary. How strenuous? There is a fair amount of walking and standing around within the towns, many of which are only accessible on foot. Paving may be cobbled or uneven. You need to be able to lift your luggage on and off the train and wheel it within stations. Average coach travel per day: 55 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Combine this tour with: Modern Art on the Côte d’Azur, 11–17 October 2017 (page 92). Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Wine, Walks & art in alsace France’s prettiest wine region FRaNCE

22–27 September 2017 (me 525) 6 days • £2,780 Lecturer: Marc Millon Four walks of between 5 and 9 km in the lush landscapes of vineyards, rolling farmland and wooded hills. Stay in one hotel throughout, a charming listed building in the centre of Colmar. Marc Millon is a wine, food and travel writer, and author of The Wine & Food of Europe. First class rail travel from London to Strasbourg via Paris by Eurostar and TGV.

Alsace, arguably the prettiest wine region in France, is also one of the best to explore on foot. Footpaths lead across a carpet of vineyards that extends over the lower slopes of the Vosges mountains. Tall pointed steeples, often topped with storks’ nests, peek out from above the rolling slopes; visible markers connect villages fi lled with sandstone buildings and charming half-timbered mediaeval houses with window boxes overflowing with colourful geraniums. Undoubtedly the best time to visit is September, when there is a buzz of activity as the grapes are being brought in to wine cellars and the heady smell of pressed grape must, fermentation and new wine is in the air.

Wine producers take time off from their exertions to warmly welcome visitors, happy to explain the intricacies of their terroir, their style and range of wines, and to offer generous samples to taste. In historic towns and villages along the way, Winstubs offer further opportunities simply to enjoy the distinctive wines of Alsace, served in delicate green-stemmed goblets. And what wines! Alsace’s turbulent past – annexed by Germany after the Franco-Prussian war in 1871, retaken by the French after World War I, once again occupied by the Germans during World War II – has resulted in a range of varietal wines that reflect a mixed heritage. Teutonicsounding grapes such as Riesling, Sylvaner, Gewürztraminer and others are vinified in the Gallic style to result in a range of wines that are archetypically and undoubtedly French: classic (mainly) dry, forceful white wines that are meant to be enjoyed with meals. If the wines of Alsace reflect the region’s historic past, so does its renowned gastronomy. German sauerkraut here translates into choucroute; French culinary expertise raising the mundane to the sublime: the lightly fermented cabbage simmered with spices in Riesling wine to accompany a veritable mountain of outstanding sausages and cured meats of the region. Foie gras from the fattened livers of ducks and geese is a longstanding speciality here, while, in addition to charcuterie, magnificent picnic foods include tarte à l’oignon, local cheeses such as Munster, and, of course, delectable and colourful pâtisseries made from the abundance of local and seasonal fruits (many of these same fruits are distilled into clean and powerful eaux de vie). Restaurants range from the humble and simple to refined and famous temples of gastronomy. While the main focus of the tour is the wine and walking, there is also time to appreciate the immensely rich artistic and cultural heritage of Alsace. A leitmotif of the tour is the collection of late mediaeval altarpieces and mediaeval church architecture, both Romanesque and Gothic.

Itinerary

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Day 1: London to Colmar. Travel by Eurostar at c. 8.30am from London to Paris and onwards by TGV (high-speed train) to Strasbourg. By coach to Colmar, an exceedingly attractive town with richly ornamented half-timbered and stone buildings lining the streets and canals, Colmar’s position in the foothills of the Vosges makes an ideal base for walking tours. Introductory tasting at the Domaine Viticole de Colmar followed by dinner. All five nights are spent in Colmar.

Day 2: Rosheim, Obernai. A day of small places, beginning in Rosheim which possesses a number of unspoilt mediaeval houses and the 12th-century church of Saints Pierre et Paul. The morning walk (5 km, c. 1 hour 45 minutes) ascends to vineyards before levelling off over fields to Obernai which is partly surrounded by fine ramparts. Wine tasting at Robert Blanck and a tour of the Romanesque church of St Pierre before returning to Colmar.

Colmar, rue des Marchands, etching by Charles Pinet (1867–1932). book online at www.martinrandall.com

Day 3: Munster. Starting with steep climb from Munster Haut-Rhin, this is a moderately strenuous circular walk on country lanes, farm tracks and woodland paths, which passes through

Provence & languedoc art & architecture in the Midi

Day 4: Bergheim, Ribeauvillé, Colmar. Drive to Bergheim to begin a walk (5 km, c. 1 hour 20 minutes) walk along part of the Alsace wine route. The path is mostly level through fields and on grass through the vineyards, though there is little shade. On arrival in Ribeauvillé taste the wines of the Trimbach estate and after lunch drive to Rorschwihr for a further tasting at Rolly Gassmann. Back in Colmar there is a guided visit of two of the city’s splendid churches. Day 5: Kaysersberg. Drive to near Kaysersberg to begin a moderately strenuous walk (5.5 km, c. 3 hours 30 minutes) across the First World War battlegrounds east and south of the highly strategic Tête des Faux mountain peak, where French and German troops fought with heavy losses between the end of 1914 and the beginning of 1915. Starting at 940m we begin with a climb to reach 1,130m at the Roche du Corbeau in the woods before making our way back through pastures and farmlands. Lunch is in Kayserberg where there is a chance to see this remarkably unchanged mediaeval village with delightful houses, castle, bridge and a church with a very fine carved altarpiece. There is a tasting at the JB Adam winery in Ammerschwihr before returning to Colmar. Dinner is at a Michelinstarred restaurant in Colmar. Day 6. Return to Strasbourg for the TGV for Paris and continue by Eurostar to London St Pancras, arriving c. 4.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,780 or £2,470 without Eurostar and TGV. Single occupancy: £3,010 or £2,700 without Eurostar and TGV. Included meals: 3 lunches (including 2 picnics) and 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Maison des Têtes, Colmar (la-maison-des-tetes.com): a charming, independent 5-star hotel located in the historic centre of Colmar. Rooms are traditional in style.

Group size: between 10 and 18 participants. Combine this tour with: Walking in the Footsteps of Leonardo & Michelangelo, 29 September–6 October 2017 (page 133).

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

architecturally striking new museums for its year as European Capital of Culture in 2013.

Fine Roman remains that had a decisive impact on mediaeval architecture and sculpture.

Day 1. Fly at c. 1.00pm (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Marseille. Drive to Aix-enProvence for two nights.

Truly great secular buildings, including the papal palace at Avignon, and pre-eminent Romanesque churches. Superb modern art at the Musée Granet in Aix-en-Provence and at the Fine Arts Museum in Marseille. A natural setting of exceptional attractiveness. Dr Alexandra Gajewski specialises in mediaeval architecture and is a resident of the Languedoc. The picture of Mediterranean France as an exotic land subject to a wide range of foreign influences is borne out by a glance at the region’s complex history. This tour traces the wide-ranging influences on Provence and eastern Languedoc throughout the centuries. Provence was the first province established by the Romans outside Italy and impressive Roman work survives at Nîmes, St-Rémy and Arles. In Arles, as one moves into Late Antiquity, one is also witness to the most significant Early Christian city of Mediterranean Gaul. This Roman infrastructure is fundamental, and the pre-eminent Romanesque churches of Provence may come as something of a surprise. The sculpture is more skilfully and self-consciously antique than any outside central Italy, and is often organised in a manner designed to evoke either fourth-century sarcophagi or Roman theatres and triumphal arches. The Italian connection was strengthened when, for much of the fourteenth century, the papacy came to reside in Avignon, one of the loveliest cities in France. We spend five nights here. The complete circuit of walls is an impressive survival from this time, as is the Palais des Papes, perhaps the finest Palace to have survived from the Middle Ages, and several Gothic churches. Despite the upheavals of the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, when Provence lost its independence and the whole region was riven by religious wars, local patrons, such as the Duke of Uzès, began to employ artists capable of creating Italian Renaissance motifs. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, at Nîmes and Aix, Parisian Baroque architecture became the dominant model. The intensity of the light, the brightness of the colours and the raw beauty of the Midi purified palettes, dissolved form and changed the course of western art. Van Gogh and Gauguin sojourned in Arles in 1888, Cézanne returned to his birthplace, Aix-en-Provence, in 1886. Signac, Matisse, Derain, Marquet, Camoin, Dufy, Bonnard and Braque also set up in productive propinquity along the coast and their art has remained in the region’s collections. Time is spent in Aix, the attractive old capital of Provence and the new capital, Marseille, handsome and vibrant and at times gritty. Oscillating between small provincial town and big city, Marseille was propelled into the 21st century by Norman Foster, Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid who all contributed to the civic improvements and

Itinerary

Day 2: Aix-en-Provence. Morning walk through the old town, including the Cathedral of St Sauveur with 5th-cent. baptistry, cloisters and a 15th-cent. triptych of The Burning Bush by Nicolas Froment. The Musée Granet has a good permanent collection of French painting from the 16th-cent. onwards and a room dedicated to works

Aix-en-Provence, Cathedral of St Sauveur, watercolour by A.H. Hallam Murray, publ. 1904.

by Cézanne. Cézanne’s studio remains as he left it on his death in 1906, and a short drive away is a fine view of the Mont Sainte-Victoire, the most recognisable motif in modern art. Overnight Aixen-Provence. Day 3: Les Baux, St Rémy. Morning walk through the delightful mediaeval and Renaissance town of Les Baux, whose citadel sits on top of a rocky spur in the Alpilles. Continue to St Rémy, Glanum of old, and proud possessor of one of the truly great funerary memorials of the Roman world, the cenotaph erected by three Julii brothers in honour of their forebears. See also the former monastery where Van Gogh was hospitalised, including the Romanesque cloister and scenes that he painted. Continue to Avignon for the first of five nights. Day 4: Avignon. The Palais des Papes is the principal monument of the Avignon papacy, one-time site of the papal curia and by far the most significant 14th-cent. building to survive in southern France. The collections of late Gothic sculpture and painting in the Petit Palais act as a splendid foil to the work at the papal palace. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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How strenuous? This is a walking tour: it is essential for participants to be in good physical condition and to be used to hill-walking in the countryside. No walk is more than 9 km or 3½ hours. Average distance by coach per day: 22 miles.

20–29 April 2017 (md 245) 10 days • £3,380 Lecturer: Dr Alexandra Gajewski

FRaNCE

picturesque villages and farms (9 km, c. 3 hours 15 minutes). Lunch, to taste tarte flambée made with Munster cheese. Return to Colmar and the Musée d’Unterlinden, with an outstanding collection of 15th- and 16th-century pictures, chief of which is Grünewald’s Issenheim altarpiece, the most searing of all images of the Crucifi xion. Evening tasting of a range of eaux de vie.

Provence & Languedoc continued

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Day 5: Pernes-les-Fontaines, Vaison, Venasque. Gentle stroll through Pernes, a delightful fortified river town with an important Romanesque church and 13th-cent. frescoed tower. Continue over the Dentelles de Montmirail to the stunning early mediaeval baptistery at Venasque. Free afternoon in Avignon. Day 6: Nîmes, Uzès, Pont du Gard. Nîmes has two of the most famous of Roman monuments: the amphitheatre and the Maison Carrée, a perfectly preserved temple. The Jardin de la Fontaine is a beautiful 18th-cent. garden around the terminus of an aqueduct – the water brought here across the Pont du Gard, an astonishing feat of engineering over the River Gardon. The Romanesque tower of Uzès cathedral sits against a backdrop of picturesque mediaeval streets and baroque houses. Overnight Avignon. Day 7: Arles. The amphitheatre at Arles is a justly famous early 2nd-cent. structure of a type developed from the Colosseum. The Romanesque Cathedral of St-Trophime is home to one of the

greatest cloisters of 12th-cent. Europe. During his 15 months residing in Arles, Van Gogh created around 200 paintings and the Van Gogh Foundation, opened in April 2014, presents a small selection alongside works by contemporary artists (dependent on changing exhibitions). The Musée Départmental Arles Antique houses a quite spellbinding collection of classical and early Christian art. Overnight Avignon. Day 8: Villeneuve-lez-Avignon, Marseille. In the morning see Pope Innocent VI’s now ruined Charterhouse at Villeneuve-lez-Avignon and the Musée Pierre de Luxembourg, displaying works from the 14th–17th cents. in a former Cardinal’s palace. Continue to Marseille. Visit first the Basilique St Victor, which has a 5th-cent. crypt. First of two nights in Marseille. Day 9: Marseille. Morning walk through the Vieux Port and Panier districts, including the remains of the city’s ancient Greek then Roman port at the Jardin des Vestiges and La Vieille Charité, 17–18th cent. almshouses

Arles, cloister of St Trophime, after a drawing from ‘Agenda PLM’, 1926.

with a fine Baroque chapel. The Musée des Docks Romains illustrates the importance of Marseille in Mediterranean maritime trade. In the afternoon visit the Musée des Beaux Arts, where the highlight is a fine collection of 19thcent. French art. Day 10: Marseille. Free morning. Suggestions include the modern and contemporary collections of the Musée Cantini or the new Musée des Civilisations d’Europe et de la Méditerranée, containing collections previously at the former Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires in Paris. Fly from Marseille, arriving at London Heathrow at c. 5.45pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,380 or £3,240 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,880 or £3,740 without flights. Included meals: 7 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Grand Hotel Roi René, Aix-enProvence (mgallery.com): 4 star, centrally located. Hôtel d’Europe, Avignon (heurope.com): central 5-star hotel in a former 16th-cent. residence. Grand Hotel Beauvau, Marseille (mgallery.com): 4-star in the old port area with sea views. How strenuous? Quite a lot of walking is involved, particularly in the town centres. The tour is not suitable for anyone who has difficulties with everyday walking and stairclimbing. There are some long days and coach journeys. Average distance by coach per day: 32 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Anjou & the West, 2–11 May 2017 (page 84).

The Rhône: Bacchus & Orpheus 6–13 July 2017 (md 388) Please contact us for full details or visit www.martinrandall.com

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Seven private concerts in châteaux, churches and concert halls along the Rhône and Saône rivers. Musicians of the highest calibre including Véronique Gens, Paolo Pandolfo, Stile Antico, Ensemble Clément Janequin, Pierre Hantaï, Florilegium with Elin Manahan Thomas and Trio Dali. Talks on the music by artistic director Richard Langham Smith. Wine tastings at a number of renowned wine houses in the region and talks by wine expert Marc Millon. The audience lives on a comfortable river cruiser which sails as far south as Avignon and north to Mâcon. Admission to the concerts is exclusive to those who take a package which also includes travel, accommodation, all meals, talks and much else.

88 book online at www.martinrandall.com

The Wines of Bordeaux Châteaux & vineyards, tradition & innovation FRaNCE

23–29 October 2017 (me 638) 7 days • £3,040 Lecturer: Roderick Smith mw Tutored tastings and visits to eight châteaux from St Estèphe to Sauternes. Stay in a five-star hotel in Bordeaux. Accompanied throughout by a Master of Wine, expert in Bordeaux wines. Free time to visit the new museum of wine, la Cité du Vin.

Itinerary Day 1: London to Bordeaux. Fly at c. 7.30pm from London Gatwick to Bordeaux (British Airways). All six nights are spent in central Bordeaux. Day 2: Bordeaux. A morning introductory lecture and tutored tasting in Bordeaux of representative white and red wines. After lunch visit the contemporary Château les Carmes Haut-Brion designed by Philippe Starck and the architect Luc Arsène-Henry on the outskirts of the city.

Bordeaux, steel engraving c. 1850.

Day 3: Pessac-Léognan, Sauternes. Today’s journey south is to Pessac-Léognan to appreciate its white wines. The appellation was created in the 1980s largely by the revered André Lurton of Château la Louvière where we taste wines from the estate and elsewhere. The influence of the river Ciron, near the diminutive village of Sauternes is key to the development of noble rot. Château d’Yquem opens its doors to us for a tour of its spectacular cellars which culminates in a tasting. In order to enjoy more personal visits, the group is required by Château d’Yquem to divide in two today, and travels by minibus. Day 4: St Émilion, Pomerol. A Merlot day. Drive east to the charming, mediaeval town of St Émilion and visit the traditional Premier Grand Cru Clos Fourtet, acclaimed for its terroir. After some free time for an independent lunch and exploration in the town, it is a short journey to the smaller, but celebrated appellation of Pomerol and its opulent and velvety wines. The compact, modern Château Petit-Village is located at the highest point of the gravel plateau, neighbouring le Pin and Pétrus. Day 5: St Estèphe, Pauillac. Drive north through the expanse and beauty of the Haut-Médoc to reach St Estèphe and specifically the privatelyowned Cos d’Estournel. The extensive and exotic 19th-century exterior is mirrored in the ultramodern interior where we taste deep-coloured, long-lived wines. Returning south through Pauillac, Château Pichon Baron Longueville plays host in the 19th-century fairytale turrets, but makes its superb Cabernet-dominated wines in modern, neo-Egyptian cellars.

This gives a fair picture of the tour, but there may be substitutes for some places mentioned and the order of the visits will possibly differ.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,040 or £2,920 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,490 or £3,370 without flights. Included meals: 3 lunches, 3 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Intercontinental Le Grand Hôtel, Bordeaux (bordeaux.intercontinental.com): majestic, neo-classical 5-star hotel well-located opposite le Grand Théâtre in the centre. Rooms are ornate and traditional in style. Flights. We travel to and from Bordeaux direct with British Airways, but their two daily flights are either very early or late departures. Low-cost airlines have more convenient schedules, but currently it is not viable to make group bookings with them. How strenuous? There is a considerable amount of walking and standing in possibly muddy vineyards and cool cellars. There is an initial late night arrival and early departure on the final day. Average distance by coach per day: 39 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Savouring Lombardy, 30 October–1 November 2017 (page 117).

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Bordeaux stands proud on the banks of the Garonne, with its glorious eighteenth-century architecture testament to the golden age of trade with far-flung destinations, at one time only rivalled in Europe by its northern former-ruler, London. But Bordeaux is firmly situated in the south, its long hours of sunshine conducive to sitting at open-air cafés in grand squares, and drinking wine. For wine and its trade are at the heart of Bordeaux’s prosperity. The Gironde river north of the city is not only a positive influence on the temperature and soils of the nearby châteaux, but has been the conduit for their wines to be shipped to foreign markets for centuries. The vine was introduced to the region by the Romans in the first century ad, but it was the 1855 classification of the Médoc and Sauternes which firmly established its burgeoning worldwide reputation for quality. In spite of more recent international competition, the eyes of the world are still drawn to these top appellations for their expertise and complex wines. It is thrilling to travel by road between neat rows of vines punctuated by fairytale châteaux, their familiar names, such as Pichon Baron or d’Yquem discreetly inscribed over imposing gateways, so imposing as to discourage the casual visitor. But the facades belie the welcome and enterprise that await us behind the closed doors we are opening on this tour. Ancient, or occasionally starchitect, walls surround modern, shiny, squeaky-clean stainless-steel tanks, and vast temperature-controlled underground halls of newoak casks are designed to make these renowned wines consistently ‘précis’. It is said that to make a small fortune in the wine business, you need to start with a large one. Bordeaux is no exception, with many châteaux owned by large corporations, or more boutique wineries run as vanity projects for their individual proprietors. But all of the wonderful wines tasted on this tour are made by teams of people passionate about what they do, many of whom we shall meet, and who bring to life the story behind the science.

Day 6: Bordeaux, Margaux. Free morning for independent exploration of Bordeaux. In the afternoon return north to Château Rauzan-Ségla for a visit and tasting. Day 7. Fly from Bordeaux arriving at London Gatwick at c. 10.40am.

What else is included in the price? See page 7. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Cave art of France Prehistory in the Dordogne FRaNCE

29 June–6 July 2017 (md 331) 8 days • £2,730 Lecturer: Dr Paul Bahn Encompasses some of the most important Prehistoric caves in Europe including the new facsimile Lascaux IV, Pech Merle and Niaux. Great art, whatever its function or the ‘artist’s’ intention, in an area of outstanding natural beauty and charming villages. Led by Britain’s leading specialist in Prehistoric art, Dr Paul Bahn. Option to combine this tour with The Rhône: Bacchus & Orpheus, 6–13 July 2017 – page 88. Visiting the Ice Age decorated caves of Europe may be a pilgrimage, in homage to the region’s artists of 30,000–10,000 years ago, or it may simply be curiosity. But while one’s interest may have been triggered by books, television or lectures, there is simply no substitute for seeing the sites themselves, some of humankind’s greatest artistic achievements in their unusual, evocative and original settings. In addition, the caves of the Perigord and Quercy are in regions of outstanding beauty, famed for their wine and cuisine. Four nights are spent in the capital of Prehistory, Les Eyzies, a

village fi lled and surrounded by famous Ice Age dwellings, its spectacular limestone cliffs giving it one of the most beautiful and striking landscapes in the world. Whatever your motivation or interest, a visit to an Ice Age cave is a tremendous privilege. After more than a century of research, we still only know about 400 such sites in Eurasia, and only a small fraction of these are open to the public, because of difficulties of access or conservation concerns. As such, they constitute a very limited and finite resource, and yet visitors can approach these original masterpieces extremely closely, an experience unparalleled in major art galleries. Unlike a visit to the Louvre or the Prado, in entering a cave you are seeing the images precisely where they were created, you are standing or crouching just where the artists did. In many cases the journey to the cave entrance and the route through the chambers give your experience a sense of immediacy, purity and vividness. Entering a world far removed from one of commerce, of art-dealers and of critics enhances a feeling of connection with the artists. There is nothing like a stalactite dripping on your head to remind you that you are in a pristine and natural setting.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 7.45pm (British Airways), London Gatwick to Bordeaux. Overnight Bordeaux. Day 2: Bordeaux, Pair-non-Pair. The Musée d’Aquitaine provides a perfect introduction to the archaeology and art of the Ice Age in southwest France; a particular highlight is the ‘Venus of Laussel’ bas-relief carving. The cave of Pair-nonPair is small but fi lled with wonderfully deep engravings of animals – and with no electrical installations provides a more authentic experience. Continue into the Dordogne to Les Eyzies for the first of four nights.

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Day 3: Les Eyzies. The National Prehistory Museum, now housed in an ultra-modern building at the foot of the cliffs, has one of the world’s greatest collections of Ice Age material. The Abri Pataud is the best possible way to see what a major Ice Age excavation site looks like, while the small museum next door still has a carving on its ceiling. Font-de-Gaume is one of the greatest of all Ice Age decorated caves, with remarkable polychrome bison and other animals, skilfully placed to take full advantage of the rock shapes. Cap Blanc is the greatest sculpted frieze from the Ice Age that is open to the public.

Day 4: Lascaux. Two fascimiles are now the public’s only chance to see the wonders of Lascaux, the most famous and most beautiful of all decorated caves. Visit the new, enlarged and more complete replica, Lascaux IV, opening to the public in December 2016. Lascaux II was the world’s first cave facsimile, opened in 1983. The park at Le Thot contains many of the animal species which were familiar to Ice Age people: aurochs, bison, horses, deer and ibex, as well as a robotic mammoth.

In the Pyrenees, wood engraving c. 1880. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Day 5: Rouffignac, Cougnac. Rouffignac is a unique experience; a decorated tunnel-like cave so vast that one travels around it in a train. Its art is hugely dominated by drawings of mammoths. The Grotte de Cougnac is one of the most beautiful of all decorated caves, not only for its art, but

Dr Paul Bahn. archaeologist and Britain’s foremost specialist in prehistoric art. He led the team which discovered Britain’s only known ice age cave art at Creswell in 2003 and his books include Prehistoric Rock Art, Journey Through the Ice Age and Images of the Ice Age. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

also and especially for its natural formations of stalagmites and stalactites. Day 6: Pech Merle, Cahors, Toulouse. Pech Merle is among the greatest of the decorated caves. It is huge and has spectacular natural formations and a wide variety of artistic techniques, including the famous spotted horse panel. Some free time is spent in Cahors on route to Toulouse, where two nights are spent. Day 7: Niaux, Toulouse. The tour ends with Niaux, a fitting climax as the long walk into this Pyrenean mountain leads one to the ‘Salon Noir’ with its stunning drawings of bison, horses and ibex, and its extraordinary acoustics. The afternoon is free in Toulouse; suggestions include the Musée SaintRaymond and the cathedral. Day 8. Catch the late morning flight to London Heathrow, arriving c. 12.20pm. (Those combining this tour with The Rhône: Bacchus & Orpheus instead take the TGV – c. 4 hours – from Toulouse to Lyon where the festival begins.) Please note this tour departs from London Gatwick and returns to London Heathrow.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,730 or £2,510 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,100 or £2,880 without flights. Those combining this tour with ‘The Rhône: Bacchus & Orpheus’ pay a different price – please contact us for details. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Best Western Etche-Ona, Bordeaux (bordeaux-hotel.com): central 3-star hotel with renovated rooms. Hotel Le Centenaire, Les Eyzies (hotelducentenaire.fr): small, 3-star hotel in a good location. Grand Hotel de l’Opéra, Toulouse (grand-hotel-opera.com): central 4-star hotel in a converted 17th-century convent, set back from the Place du Capitole; good Brasserie. How strenuous? There is a fair amount of walking on uneven and sometimes steep and slippery ground and caves are not well lit. Sure footedness is essential. It can get very damp and cold inside the caves. This tour is not suitable for people who suffer from claustrophobia. Average distance by coach per day: 69 miles. Group size: between 10 and 18 participants. Combine this tour with: The Rhône: Bacchus & Orpheus, 6–13 July (page 88); The Age of Bede, 24–27 June 2017 (page 20).

Gardens of the Riviera in & around Menton & Nice FRaNCE

23–29 April 2017 (md 205) 7 days • £2,190 Lecturer: Caroline Holmes Inspiring historic gardens in spectacular settings, with exceptional growing conditions. Includes visits to some gardens not normally open to the public. Led by gardens historian Caroline Holmes. Based in Menton throughout.

Itinerary Some of these gardens can only be visited by special arrangement and are subject to confirmation. Day 1: Cagnes-sur-Mer, Menton. Fly at c. 11.30am from London Heathrow to Nice (British Airways). Renoir spent his last years in the farmhouse at Les Collettes near Cagnes-sur-Mer, painting and sculpting from the olive terraces around the garden. Transfer by coach to Menton where all six nights are spent.

Watercolour of the French Riviera (location not specified) by Donald Maxwell publ. 1932.

Day 2: Menton. Visit a private garden in Menton, not normally open to the public (details will be provided). The garden at Clos du Peyronnet is still owned by an Englishman who continues to develop it, blending plants from around the world in a setting of terraces, pools and pergolas. Day 3: Grasse. To the west of Grasse the gardens of the Villa Noailles were made during the postwar years in a distinctive style blending English, classical and other influences in a refreshing rural setting. Drawing on its inspiration, to the east lies La Mouissone, a former olive grove, where the terraces are being developed, rooted in the scents of Grasse’s history but planted with contemporary verve.

Caroline Holmes. Garden historian, author of 11 books and design consultant. She lectures for Cambridge university’s iCE and iSSP, NaDFaS and the RHS. Her latest book is Water Lilies & Bory Latour Marliac, the Genius behind Monet’s Water Lilies. She is also a specialist contributor on TV and radio in the uK and France. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

Day 4: Monaco, La Mortola (Italy). The astonishing outdoor collection of cacti and succulents at the Jardin Exotique in Monaco overlooks the Principality and the sea from its clifftop walks. The Hanbury Botanic Gardens at La Mortola have been famous since their establishment in the 19th century. An unparalleled collection of specimens festoon the steep site. Curtains of plumbago and bougainvillea, perfumed parterres, pergolas, exotic pavilions and citrus orchards adorn this garden paradise on a private headland.

detail has gone, a romantic atmosphere still pervades the dramatic layout. Opportunity for independent time in Menton; a chance to see the Musée Cocteau or his Salle des Mariages. Afternoon tour of Fontana Rosa whose tiled benches still evoke the ‘Writers’ Garden’ created in 1921 by Vicente Blasco Ibaňez, successful playwright and novelist of Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse fame. Literary threads are drawn in from across the world, the surviving rotunda decorated with 100 tiles illustrating Cervantes’s Don Quixote encapsulates the mood perfectly. Dinner is at 2-Michelin star restaurant, Mirazur.

Day 5: Menton. Lawrence Johnston’s great garden La Serre de la Madone was made between the wars, and though much of the

Day 6: St Paul de Vence, Menton. The Fondation Maeght near St-Paul provides a rare opportunity to view modernism in a garden context. Cap Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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When Tobias Smollett arrived on the Riviera in 1763, he found himself ‘enchanted’ by a landscape ‘all cultivated like a garden’. A century later Dr Bennett’s discovery of the miraculous winter climate at Menton established the town as a haven for prosperous foreigners in need of climatic therapy. By 1900 this narrow strip of land between the Maritime Alps and the Mediterranean had been transformed into a paradise of villas, palatial hotels, seafront promenades and exotic vegetation. The migratory nature of the moneyed population meant that the region developed a character quite separate from local cultural traditions. In a landscape of olive and lemon groves, the villa gardens seem an eclectic collection, disconcerting for those who look for patterns of continuity, but best viewed as separate incidents taking advantage of the exceptional growing conditions. The Hanbury family famously made the steep Italian cliffs of La Mortola a garden of beauty and experiment. Lawrence Johnston, the maker of Hidcote, established himself in the hills above Menton where his romantically sited garden at La Serre de la Madone provided a home for his huge collection of exotics. The gardens of the villas in Garavan continue to evince the private pleasures of past and present owners of many nationalities and design persuasions. The French have added their own distinctive contribution to this artificial enclave. Renoir found new inspiration, as well as some relief from pain, in his garden at Cagnes-sur-Mer. Marguerite and Aimé Maeght established a magnificent modern art collection in a garden setting at St-Paul-de-Vence. Art of a different character adorns the rooms of the Villa Ephrussi Rothschild at St Jean-Cap-Ferrat where the gardens take advantage of an incomparable setting, viewing the Mediterranean through a fi lter of pines, palms and cypresses. Charles, Vicomte de Noailles, made a garden drawing together a rich variety of cultural influences at the Villa Noailles, Grasse, providing inspiration for the most recent English horticultural creations at nearby La Mouissone.

Gardens of the Riviera continued

Modern Art on the Côte d’Azur Picasso, Matisse, Chagall & their contemporaries

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Ferrat remains a secluded haven for the fortunate. Perched on the hillside villa quarter of Garavan, Val Rahmeh is an early 20th-century villa surrounded by gardens of exceptional richness created by Maybud Campbell in the 1950s. Day 7: St Jean-Cap-Ferrat. Sited in an exceptional position the gardens at the Villa Ephrussi Rothschild, established by Beatrice de Rothschild, are rich and varied. Her Palazzo contains an eclectic, wealthy art collection. Transfer to Nice airport for the flight to London Heathrow, arriving at c. 4.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Rear-view room, two sharing: £2,190 or £2,080 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,460 or £2,350 without flights. Sea view room, two sharing £2,255 or £2,145 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,575 or £2,465 without flights. Included meals: 2 picnic lunches and 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Napoléon, Menton (napoleon-menton.com): modern, comfortable 4-star hotellocated near the border with Italy, looking back on Vieux Menton. Sea view rooms have balconies but suffer some noise from the busy coastal road. Rooms at the rear are quieter. How strenuous? A lot of walking and standing. Several gardens are on steep sites and paths are often slippery and uneven, without handrails. Sure-footedness is essential. Average distance by coach per day: 42 miles. Group size: between 10 to 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Villas & Gardens of Campagna Romana, 17–22 April 2017 (page 140).

‘Caroline’s confident, breezy manner, and general sense of humour, created the right sort of convivial atmosphere.’

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What else is included in the price? See page 7. book online at www.martinrandall.com

15–21 March 2017 (md 199) 7 days • £2,480 Lecturer: Mary Lynn Riley 11–17 October 2017 (me 600) 7 days • £2,480 Lecturer: Monica Bohm-Duchen Europe’s greatest concentration of classic modern art in the idyllic Mediterranean setting where it was created. Old and new collections, with outstanding work by Renoir, Bonnard, Braque, Léger, Miró, Giacometti, Cocteau, Chagall, Matisse, Picasso. The lecturers are experts on 19th- and 20thcentury art. Visits to the coastal towns and villages which inspired the artists.

arts and crafts have been revived by a modern genius, as in the monumental mosaic and glass designs of Léger which can be seen at Biot. There are also echoes of collecting habits of earlier eras in the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. The mixture of past and present and the juxtaposition of the Goût Rothschild with the beauty of its location are breathtaking. (Graham Sutherland drew exotic flowers and plants in the extraordinary gardens.) At Antibes the Picasso Museum is housed in the Château Grimaldi, lent to Picasso as studio space in 1946 where he produced lifeaffirming paintings. Old and new galleries abound, such as the Fondation Maeght, St-Paul-de-Vence, whose building (designed by José Luis Sert, 1963) makes it a work of outstanding sympathy to its natural surroundings, in gardens enlivened by Miró’s Labyrinthe and other sculptures.

Stay in Nice throughout.

Itinerary

Natural resources and climate have drawn invaders and visitors to Nice and its surroundings from the Greek colonists of classical times to the jet-set of today. But from the late nineteenth century a special category of visitor – and settler – has transformed the Côte d’Azur into the greatest concentration of modern art in Europe. Monet first visited Antibes in 1883; Signac bought a house in the fishing village of St-Tropez in 1892. Matisse’s first visit to the Midi in 1904 transformed his art, and from 1918 he spent more time on the Côte d’Azur than in Paris. Matisse, Chagall and Picasso are merely among the most illustrious of the artists who chose to live in the South of France. Many of their fellow modernisers followed suit: Braque, Bonnard, Dufy, Picabia. This tour is an extraordinary opportunity to see how modernity relates to the past as well as the present, and how gallery displays can be centred on the art, the location or the patron/collector. In Matisse’s Chapelle du Rosaire at Vence, traditional

Day 1: Nice. Fly at c. 11.40am from London Heathrow to Nice. There is an afternoon visit to the Musée des Beaux Arts Jules Cheret, concentrating on their 19th- and early 20th-century holdings. Day 2: Nice. The Musée Matisse unites a wide range of the artist’s work; sculpture, ceramics, stained glass as well as painting. In the afternoon, visit the Marc Chagall Museum which has the largest collection of the artist’s works, notably the seventeen canvases of the Biblical Message, set in a peaceful garden in a salubrious Nice suburb. Day 3: Antibes, Vallauris, Cagnes-sur-Mer. Most of the paintings Picasso produced in his studio in the Château Grimaldi in 1946 have been donated to the town of Antibes. Vallauris is a centre of contemporary pottery revived by Picasso, whose masterpiece War and Peace is here. Renoir’s house in Cagnes-sur-Mer is set amidst olive groves, a memorial to the only major Impressionist to settle in the south.

Day 5: Villefranche-sur-Mer, St Jean Cap Ferrat, Nice. In Villefranche is the small Chapelle St-Pierre, decorated by Cocteau. Continue to St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat to see the paintings, sculpture and furniture of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, a mansion set in attractive gardens. The afternoon is free in Nice or there is an optional visit to the Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain with its excellent collection of post-war art. Day 6: St-Paul-de-Vence, Vence. The Maeght Foundation at St-Paul-de-Vence is renowned for its collections (Picasso, Hepworth, Miró, Arp, Giacometti, but not all works are shown at once) and for its architecture and setting. In the afternoon visit Chapelle du Rosaire, a Dominican chapel by Matisse.

In recent years, renovation work has led to museum closures. At the moment all visits listed are possible but we cannot rule out the possibility of changes.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,480 or £2,330 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,770 or £2,620 without flights. Contact us for a price to upgrade to a room with a sea view. Included meals: 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel La Pérouse, Nice (leshotelsduroy.com): stylish 4-star hotel partially built into the cliff and overlooking the Promenade des Anglais. Rooms are furnished in modern Provençal style. Rooms are at the back of the hotel. How strenuous? There is a fair amount of walking and standing around in museums. Average distance by coach per day: 40 miles Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Van Gogh’s Journey, 22–25 March 2017 (page 151); Mediaeval Alsace, 3–10 October 2017 (page 85).

Day 7: Le Cannet. The first museum dedicated to the works of Bonnard opened in Le Cannet in 2011. Fly from Nice arriving at London Heathrow at c. 4.30pm.

Monica Bohm-Duchen. lecturer, writer and curator specialising in 20th-century art. She obtained her Ma in art History from the Courtauld and has lectured for the National Gallery, Tate, Royal academy, Courtauld, Sotheby’s and Birkbeck College. Her latest book Art & the Second World War was published in 2013.

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Day 4: St-Tropez, Biot. Drive west to St-Tropez, which has been popular with artists since Paul Signac settled here in 1892. The Musée de l’Annonciade is one of France’s finest collections of modern art (Signac, Maillol, Matisse, Bonnard, Vlaminck, Braque). Continue to Biot and visit the Musée National Fernand Léger, built to house the artist’s works bequeathed to his wife.

Mary Lynn Riley. Specialist in 19th- and 20th-century modern and contemporary art. She lives on the Côte d’azur where she teaches art courses at the Musée Bonnard in le Cannet and the Espace de l’art Concret at Mouans-Sartoux. Previously she worked at the Smithsonian in Washington DC. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

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Antibes, oiliograph c. 1870. Opposite page: Nice, Promenade des Anglais, wood engraving c. 1880. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Georgia uncovered Treasures of the southern Caucasus GEoRGia

1–10 July 2017 (md 383) 10 Days • £3,270 Lecturer: Ian Colvin Churches and monasteries dating from the sixth century and earlier. Exquisite jewellery and metalwork from the Bronze Age and Antiquity. Spectacular mountain landscapes. A delicious and varied regional cuisine in a land that is the cradle of wine. Led by Ian Colvin, historian and Byzantinist specialising in late antiquity and the south Caucasus. Georgia is a country that evokes many mythical and historical associations and yet, paradoxically, is little known in the West. This is partly

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Tblisi, wood engraving c. 1880. book online at www.martinrandall.com

geopolitical circumstance. For centuries Georgia was cut off from Europe, first by the Islamic caliphate and the Ottoman Turks, and then by Imperial Russia and the USSR. Opportunities for travel there were few. Set on the borders of Europe and Asia, a Christian country surrounded by Muslim neighbours, it is an heir to the civilizations of both continents, and at the same time preserves its own language and a rich cultural heritage that is peculiar to the South Caucasus. An ancient land, its past, like that of neighbouring Armenia, is deeply intertwined with the history of the empires and civilizations that surround it. Georgia appears in the stories of the earliest peoples of the Fertile Crescent and Anatolia. It is linked closely with the Iranian empires to the southeast. They fought the Greeks, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans to the west for hegemony in this borderland. And the Georgian kings, according to their inclination

and strategic necessity, backed one side or the other, and called in aid from the nomads to the north, or laboured to bar the mountain passes to them: Scythians, Sarmatians, Alans, Huns, Khazars, Turks, Mongols and Timurids – and finally their geographical heirs, the Russians. Even today, Russia, America, Turkey, Iran and the EU play a complex game in the South Caucasus, competing for political and economic influence in a region of vital oil wealth. Georgia has frequently found itself in the vanguard of global history. The metal ages came early in the South Caucasus, and the exquisite archaeological finds displayed in the gold rooms of the Tbilisi Museum confirm the reputation of its ancient smiths. Its kings adopted Christianity early in the fourth century ad; and its beautiful and unique alphabet was created in the early fift h century to help evangelize the people. Georgian and Armenian architects evolved a distinctive South Caucasian religious architecture in the sixth

Itinerary Day 1: London to Tbilisi. Fly at c. 12.00 midday from London Gatwick to Tbilisi via Istanbul. Arriving at c. 10.30pm. Transfer to hotel in the heart of the city. First of four nights in Tbilisi.

Day 3: Kakheti. Drive over the scenic Gomburi mountains to Tsinandali in fertile Kakheti, the country estate of the princely Chavchavadze family. Built by Alexandre (1786–1846) diplomat, poet and general, raised at the court of Catherine the Great – and one of the first to introduce enlightenment ideas and modern agricultural methods to Georgia – in 1854 the house was the scene of a notorious raid by the Imam Shamil’s Daghestani fighters. Today it is a small museum affording a glimpse of 19th-century Georgian noble life. Gremi the 16th-century capital of Kakheti, illustrates the trading wealth of this east Georgian kingdom.

See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

Day 4: Tbilisi. Tbilisi’s Ethnographic open air House Museum conserves and displays examples of the architecture and ethnographic traditions of Georgia’s 14 different regions in a hillside park above the city. The National History Museum preserves its archaeological treasures, while its subterranean treasury is a highlight, demonstrating the remarkable skill of its smiths from the Bronze Age through to Antiquity. There is free time to explore Tbilisi’s pleasures: the enamels and icons of the Fine Art Gallery, the modern paintings of the Art Gallery, or perhaps Prospero’s Books, Tbilisi’s English language bookstore. Day 5: Mtskheta, Gudauri. Just north of Tbilisi is the old capital, Mtskheta, scene of the country’s fourth-century conversion and still the religious heart of this strongly Christian country. Its spiritual landmarks include: the sixth-century Jvari (Holy Cross) Church, perched high above the town; the tiny fifth-century Antioch church; and the 11th-century Cathedral of Svetitskhoveli (the Living Column), symbol of Georgia’s Conversion. We follow the Georgian Military Highway, the route the Russians constructed at the turn of the 19th century to secure their hold on their Transcaucasian possessions. First of two nights at Gudauri in the high Caucasus Mountains. Day 6: Gudauri. Drive over the Jvari pass to Stepantsminda on the headwaters of the Terek. The 14th-century Gergeti Sameba Church on the slopes of volcanic Mount Kazbek is in perhaps the most dramatic setting of any in Georgia. Then to the Darial Gates, a natural gorge, where the Terek cuts a narrow passage beneath cliffs that tower nearly 1,000 metres above. Legend has it that Alexander the Great set iron gates here to protect the settled lands of the Near East from the rapacious nomads beyond. Day 7: Gori, Kutaisi. The cult of Joseph Stalin, Georgia’s most famous son, was officially abolished by Khrushchev in 1956, but at his birthplace in Gori the Stalin Museum continues to operate. Although Stalin is a source of embarrassment to many modern Georgians, this museum has been preserved as it was at the fall of the Soviet Union, a fascinating museum of the museum built by his henchman Beria. At Kutaisi we visit the world heritage sites of the 12th-century academy and monastery of Gelati, with its frescoed interiors, and the controversially restored 11th-century Bagrat Cathedral. Overnight Kutaisi. Day 8: Nokalakevi, Batumi. The imposing ruins at Nokalakevi are the remains of the ancient capital of the west Georgian kingdoms

of Colchis and Egrisi-Lazika, whose massive fortifications date to a period when the region was a focus of Byzantine-Sasanian rivalry (4th to 6th centuries ad), but the site overlooking the Colchian plain, the ‘Land of the Golden Fleece’, has a much longer history. Excavations have been on-going since the 1970s and have uncovered buried remains through the Hellenistic period to the Late Bronze Age. Since 2001 our lecturer Ian Colvin has led an international team in a joint project with the Georgian National Museum. First of two nights at Batumi. Day 9: Batumi. The Bathus Limen, or deep water port, of Greek settlers of the sixth-fifth centuries bc was a sleepy provincial backwater under the Ottomans, until the Russians annexed it in 1878. Subsequently international investment brought a railway and pipelines to bring Baku oil to an eager European market. While Nobels, Rothschilds and Mantashev’s invested in Batumi’s oil infrastructure, Stalin cut his teeth organizing their oil workers’ strikes. The elegant 19th-century seafront boulevard is undergoing an investment boom, but the architecture of the first great period of globalization pre-First World War remains, alongside the post-Soviet towers. The wellpreserved Roman playing-card fortress of Apsarus at Gonio, is a site of such continuous strategic importance that one can see concrete WWII machine gun embrasures cut into the masonry of the 2nd-century Roman, then Byzantine, Genoese and Ottoman refortifications. Day 10: Batumi to London. Fly at c. 10.30am from Batumi Airport to London, via Istanbul, arriving at Gatwick at c. 6.00pm (Turkish Airlines).

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,270 or £2,690 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,690 or £3,110 without flights. Included meals: 8 lunches, 8 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Marriott Tbilisi (marriott. co.uk): 5-star hotel behind a 19th-century façade, within walking distance of Tbilisi’s centre. Marco Polo Hotel, Gudauri (marcopolo.ge/en/): 4-star spa hotel with spectacular views of the mountains. Bagrati 1003, Kutaisi (bagrati1003.ge/en): modern hotel; adequately comfortable and the best available. Radisson Blu, Batumi (radissonblu. com/Batumi): large hotel with good amenities and views of the Black Sea. How strenuous? You will be on your feet for long periods. Many of the sites are reached by steep, uneven steps sometimes without handrails. The tour would not be suitable for anyone who has difficulties with everyday walking and stairclimbing. There are some long coach journeys (average distance by coach per day: 56 miles). Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

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Day 2: Tbilisi. The Asiatic Old Town set beneath the Narikala fortress remains a twisting maze of streets, caravanserais and ancient churches, adding contrast to the subsequent architecture erected by the tsars’ viceroys, by merchant princes, Bolsheviks and post-Soviet presidents’ favourite modern architects (the vast post-Soviet Sameba – Holy Trinity – Cathedral, rivals the ambition of the great cathedrals of the Middle Ages). Past the ancient bath district built on Tbilisi’s thermal springs, the church at Metekhi is set on cliffs above the Mtkvari River.

georgia

and seventh centuries, even as their churches fell out over Christological differences. In the eleventh and twelfth centuries the Bagratid kings unified Georgia and built a multiethnic empire that extended from the Caspian to the Black Sea, and from the Armenian highlands to the North Caucasus. It was demolished by the Mongols and Timurids and the country was again divided into a series of fractious principalities, preyed on by Ottoman Turks, Safavid Persians and Lezgi raiders from the north Caucasus. Georgians greeted the Russians as their Christian saviours on their first arrival at the end of the eighteenth century, but soon fell out with their colonial masters. The Tsars’ viceroys brought European fashions to Tbilisi, remodelling the city with a European quarter to stand alongside the Asiatic Old Town. At the beginning of the oil age, English, international and local investors, including Rothschilds, Nobels, Gulbenkians and Mantashevs built fortunes investing heavily in the Transcaucasus to bring Baku’s oil to world markets. The Art Nouveau palaces of this first age of globalisation still adorn Tbilisi and Batumi. In the same period, Stalin first impressed Lenin with his organising of the workers of Batumi, Tiflis and Baku and with the notorious Tiflis bank robbery of 1907. When war and the Bolsheviks brought the whole edifice crashing down, it was Stalin who built it up again at gargantuan human cost. Nationalism and a longing for ‘freedom’ brought the end of the Soviet Union. It brought civil war too, economic collapse and stagnation, finally ended in 2003 by the first of the ‘colour revolutions’ and a new oil boom. Georgia’s new confidence is conspicuous, its promise great, its challenges evident.

Combine this tour with: Sacred Armenia, 22–30 June 2017 (page 48).

What else is included in the price? See page 7. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

opera in Berlin art, architecture & music in the German capital GERMaNy

Berlin, Staatsoper, early-19th-century engraving.

23–27 February 2017 (md 155) 5 days • £2,310 (including tickets to 4 performances) Lecturers: Dr John Allison & Tom Abbott 31 May–4 June 2017 (md 315) 5 days • £2,430 (including tickets to 4 performances Lecturers: Dr Michael Downes & Tom Abbott*

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23–27 February 2017: two performances at the Deutsche Oper: Faust (Gounod) and Così fan tutte (Mozart), and two at the Staatsoper im Schillertheater: La Bohème (Puccini) with Piotr Beczala (Rodolfo) and Tannhäuser (Wagner) with René Pape (Hermann). 31 May–4 June 2017: Turandot (Puccini) and Billy Budd (Britten) at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and two performances at the Staatsoper im Schillertheater: La Damnation de Faust (Berlioz) with Sir Simon Rattle (conductor) and Florian Boesch (Méphistophélès), and Macbeth (Verdi) with Daniel Barenboim (conductor) and Plácido Domingo (Macbeth). Berlin possesses some of the finest art galleries and museums in the world and offers the highest standards of music and opera performance. It is endowed with a range of historic architecture and is the site of Europe’s greatest concentration of first-rate contemporary architecture. Once again a book online at www.martinrandall.com

national capital, it is also one of the most exciting cities on the Continent, recent and rapid changes pushing through a transformation without peacetime parallel. One of the grandest capitals in Europe for the first forty years of the last century, it then suffered appallingly from aerial bombardment and Soviet artillery. For the next forty years it was cruelly divided into two parts and became the focus of Cold War antagonism, a bizarre confrontation between an enclave of western libertarianism and hard-line Communism. Since the Wall was breached in 1989 the city has been transformed beyond recognition. From being a largely charmless urban expanse still bearing the scars of war, it has become a vibrant, liveable city, the very model of a modern major metropolis. The two halves have been knitted together and cleaning and repair have revealed the patrimony of historic architecture to be among the finest in Central Europe. The art collections, formerly split, dispersed and often housed in temporary premises, are now coming together in magnificently restored or newly-built galleries. Berlin possesses international art and antiquities of the highest importance, as well as incomparable collections of German art. The number and variety of museums and the quality of their holdings make Berlin among the world’s most desired destinations for art lovers. With three major opera houses and several orchestras, Berlin is a city where truly outstanding performances can be virtually guaranteed.

Itinerary – 23–27 February 2017 Day 1. Fly at c. 10.15am from London Heathrow to Berlin Tegel (British Airways). Take an orientation tour by coach: the New Embassy quarter, Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Pariser Platz and Unter den Linden. A lecture on the music and dinner before an evening at the Deutsche Oper: Faust (Gounod), Jacques Lacombe (conductor), Philipp Stölzl (director), Orchestra and Choir of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Abdellah Lasri (Faust), Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (Méphistophélès), Heidi Stober (Marguerite), John Chest (Valentin), Irene Roberts (Siebel), John Carpenter (Wagner), Ronnita Miller (Marthe). Day 2. Walk through the oldest part of the city to ‘Museums Island’, a group of major museum buildings. Visit the Neues Museum, the stunning new home to the Egyptian Museum, restored and recreated by British architect David Chipperfield and the Alte Nationalgalerie which superbly displays European painting of the 19th century including the finest collection of German Romantics. Some free time before an evening performance of La Bohème (Puccini) at the Staatsoper with Domingo Hindoyan (conductor), Lindy Hume (director), Staatskapelle Berlin, Staatsopernchor, Anita Hartig (Mimì), Anna Samuil (Musetta), Piotr Beczala (Rodolfo), Alfredo Daza (Marcello), Gyula Orendt (Schaunard), Dominic Barberi (Colline), Miloš Bulajić (Parpignol), Olaf Bär (Benoît/Alcindoro)

Day 4. Europe’s greatest building project in the 1990s, Potsdamer Platz showcases an international array of architects (Piano, Isozaki, Rogers, Moneo). Scattered around the nearby ‘Kulturforum’ are museums, the State Library and the Philharmonie concert hall (Hans Scharoun 1956–63). The Gemäldegalerie houses one of Europe’s major collections of Old Masters. Free afternoon, an opportunity to visit the Museum of Musical Instruments. Afternoon performance at the Staatsoper: Tannhäuser (Wagner), with Simone Young (conductor), Sasha Waltz (director), Staatskapelle Berlin and Staatsopernchor, Burkhard Fritz (Tannhäuser), Marina Prudenskaya (Venus), Anne Schwanewilms (Elisabeth), René Pape (Hermann), Wolfgang Koch (Wolfram von Eschenbach), Grigory Shkarupa (Biterolf), Miloš Bulajić (Heinrich von Zweter), Jan Martiník (Reinmar von Zweter). Day 5. Homeward journey. Return to London Heathrow from Berlin Tegel landing at c. 1.15pm.

Itinerary – 31 May–4 June 2017 *Note that Tom Abbott accompanies the tour for days 1–3 only. Day 1. Fly at c. 10.15am from London Heathrow to Berlin Tegel (British Airways). Take an orientation tour by coach: the New Embassy quarter, Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Pariser Platz and Unter den Linden. A lecture on the music and dinner before an evening at the Staatsoper: Macbeth (Verdi) with Daniel Barenboim (conductor), Peter Mussbach (director), Staatskapelle Berlin and Staatsopernchor, Plácido Domingo (Macbeth), René Pape (Banquo),Marina Prudenskaya (Lady Macbeth), Evelin Novak (lady-in-waiting, Gaston Rivero (Macduff ), Florian Hoff mann (Malcolm), Jan Martiník (assassin).

Day 3. Europe’s greatest building project in the 1990s, Potsdamer Platz showcases an international array of architects (Piano, Isozaki, Rogers, Moneo).

Berlin, Unter den Linden, watercolour by E. Harrison Compton, publ. 1912.

Scattered around the nearby ‘Kulturforum’ are museums, the State Library and the Philharmonie concert hall (Hans Scharoun 1956–63). The Gemäldegalerie houses one of Europe’s major collections of Old Masters. Free afternoon, an opportunity to visit the Museum of Musical Instruments. Evening performance at the Deutsche Oper: Billy Budd (Britten) with Moritz Gnann (conductor), Orchestra and Choir of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Burkhard Ulrich (Edward Fairfax Vere), John Chest (Billy Budd), Gidon Saks (John Claggart), Seth Carico (Mr. Redburn), Derek Welton (Mr. Flint), Tobias Kehrer (Lieutenant Ratcliffe), Clemens Bieber (Red Whiskers), Simon Pauly (Donald), Lenus Carlson (Dansker), Andrew Dickinson (The Novice), James Kryshak (Squeak), Ievgen Orlov (Bosun), Dong-Hwan Lee (First Mate), Noel Bouley (Second Mate), Thomas Lehman (The Novice’s friend, Paul Kaufmann (Maintop), Heiner Boßmeyer (Arthur Jones).

Practicalities

Day 4. Schloss Charlottenburg, the earliest major building in Berlin, is an outstanding Baroque and Rococo palace with splendid interiors. The Berggruen Collection of Picasso and classic modern art is also here. Evening performance at the Deutsche Oper: Turandot (Puccini), Alexander Vedernikov (conductor), Orchestra and Choir of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Catherine Foster (Turandot), Peter Maus (Altoum), Kamen Chanev (Calaf), Elena Tsallagova (Liù), Ievgen Orlov (Timur), John Carpenter (Ping), Gideon Poppe (Pang), Paul Kaufmann (Pong).

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Day 5. Homeward journey. Return to London Heathrow from Berlin Tegel landing at c. 1.15pm.

‘This tour was a joy from start to finish. The balance between art and opera was excellent.’

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Price, per person: 23–27 February 2017. Two sharing: £2,310 or £2,170 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,580 or £2,440 without flights. Price, per person: 31 May–4 June 2017. Two sharing: £2,430 or £2,290 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,700 or £2,560 without flights. Music tickets to 4 performances are included, costing c. £270 (February) and c. £390 (May/June). Included meals: 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. The Regent Berlin (theregentberlin.de): elegant 5-star hotel decorated in Regency style, close to Unter den Linden. Rooms are of a good size and excellent standard. How strenuous? There is a reasonable amount of walking and standing around in art galleries. Average distance by coach per day: 9 miles.

The Ring in Berlin 12–18 April 2017 (md 220) 31 March–10 April 2017 (md 200) Both tours are currently full Please contact us to register your interest in future departures Wagner’s monumental Ring of the Nibelung cycle anatomises the shortcomings of materialistic society – mankind’s greed, its lust for political power, its despoliation of the environment – and offers a powerful vision of a better future.

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Day 2. Walk through the oldest part of the city to ‘Museums Island’, a group of major museum buildings. Visit the Neues Museum, the stunning new home to the Egyptian Museum, restored and recreated by British architect David Chipperfield and the Alte Nationalgalerie which superbly displays European painting of the 19th century including the finest collection of German Romantics. Some free time before an evening performance of La Damnation de Faust (Berlioz) at the Staatsoper with Simon Rattle (conductor), Terry Gilliam (director), Staatskapelle Berlin and Staatsopernchor, Magdalena Kožená (Marguerite), Charles Castronovo (Faust), Florian Boesch (Méphistophélès), Jan Martiník (Brander).

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Day 3. Schloss Charlottenburg, the earliest major building in Berlin, is an outstanding Baroque and Rococo palace with splendid interiors. The Berggruen Collection of Picasso and classic modern art is also here. Evening at the Deutsche Oper: Così fan tutte (Mozart) with Daniel Cohe (conductor), Robert Borgmann (director), Orchestra and Choir of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Martina Welschenbach (Fiordiligi), Jana Kurucová (Dorabella), Thomas Lehman (Guglielmo), Matthew Newlin (Ferrando), Noel Bouley (Don Alfonso), Alexandra Hutton (Despina).

Visits on most days to study the art, architecture and history of Berlin, and those sites most relevant to Wagner. Both tours are accompanied by leading authorities on opera and Wagner, and also include walks and visits with an art historian. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Frederick the Great Controversial King of Prussia germany

14–18 August 2017 (md 470) 5 days • £1,870 Lecturer: Professor Tim Blanning A study of the life, achievements and artistic patronage of the most prominent and divisive king of the eighteenth century. Based in Berlin for all four nights with excursions to palaces at Rheinsberg, Charlottenburg and Potsdam. Led by one of the leading experts on eighteenthcentury Europe whose biography of Frederick (2015) won widespread praise. Frederick II of Prussia acquired the sobriquet ‘the Great’ within four years of the commencement of his 46-year reign. One of the sharpest minds ever to grace a European throne, he was impressively well read, passionately engaged as a connoisseur of music, art and architecture and a prolific writer of prose and verse. These are qualities which are unusual but not unknown among hereditary rulers; in Frederick, quite exceptionally, they were combined with fierce executive energy, indomitable will and ruthlessness of action in the service of both civil governance and military matters. To his contemporaries, Frederick was the most salient and divisive ruler of the eighteenth century, abhorred and adored in equal measure. Subsequent students of German history have also been divided, and controversy continues. Was he one of the greatest generals of all time, or merely the lucky beneficiary of an army he inherited?

(Blanning’s verdict: ‘he was an indifferent general but a brilliant warlord.’) Apostle and friend of Voltaire and insistent on equality before the law, he has been lauded as the Enlightenment enthroned; but he was also absolutist, capricious, vindictive and cruelly disdainful of the common people. What is beyond controversy is that he turned Brandenburg and Prussia from a third-rate power into one that was feared and respected throughout Europe. There is somewhat less wholehearted agreement that he began the process which, if not exactly lineal, led to a united Germany under Prussian leadership becoming the dominant power in continental Europe. That Frederick seems to be at the source of developments that led to the Third Reich still adds a frisson to the mention of his name. This is one of the many themes the tour will explore. Tim Blanning is the author of a biography of Frederick which has received accolades from all quarters. Formerly Professor of Modern European History at the University of Cambridge, and a renowned lecturer, he has spent a lifetime studying the eighteenth century and the German speaking lands. His depth of understanding of music and the visual arts adds a dimension which is not often provided by political historians. Any study of Frederick must begin with his monstrous bully of a father, Frederick William I, to whom his intellectual and aesthetic interests as well as his sexual preferences were an anathema (most biographers have drawn a discreet veil over the latter). The son attempted to exorcise the ghost of his uncouth, foul tempered and militaristic parent by exceeding him in agression, beginning

within weeks of becoming king by seizing Silesia, the Austrian monarchy’s richest province. For the twenty-first-century traveller, however, Frederick’s legacy consists most strikingly of a series of palaces – Rheinsberg, Charlottenburg, Sanssouci and the New Palace at Potsdam – which are exquisitely decorated and filled with furniture and works of art.

Itinerary Day 1: Berlin. Fly at c. 9.00am from London Heathrow to Berlin Tegel (British Airways). A walk along Unter den Linden passes buildings erected during Frederick’s reign – opera house, Catholic cathedral, library, Prince Henry’s palace – and the famous statue unveiled 1851. All four nights are spent in Berlin. Day 2: Rheinsberg, Ravensbrück. Frederick later said of his years at Schloss Rheinsberg, his court from 1736 until his accession, that they were the happiest of his life. It has been restored after subsequent vicissitudes. Visit the memorial and museum at the site of Ravensbrück concentration camp for discussion of the relationship between the Nazis and Prussian history. Day 3. Charlottenburg. The palace and gardens at Charlottenburg originated at the end of the 17th century, but Frederick added a wing with his favoured Rococo decoration and installed there his collection of paintings by Watteau and his followers. There is free time to visit the other museums at Charlottenburg including the collection of Berlin porcelain whose production Frederick encouraged. Day 4: Potsdam. Created by Frederick as a retreat from the affairs of state, the extensive, park of Sanssouci consists of gardens, parkland, palaces and pavilions. Visit his relatively modest single-storey palace atop terraces of fruit trees, the exquisite Chinese teahouse and the large and imposing Neues Palais. Drive through Potsdam town centre with its Dutch quarter and Nikoleikirche by Schinkel. Day 5: Berlin. The German Historical Museum is a fascinating and unflinching display of the sort which Germany does well. Some free time for the museums on Museums Island. Fly to Heathrow, arriving c. 6.00pm.

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Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,870 or £1,690 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,130 or £1,950 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Regent Hotel, Berlin (theregentberlin.de): elegant 5-star hotel decorated in Regency style; close to Unter den Linden. How strenuous? Quite a lot of walking is required and standing around is unavoidable. Average distance by coach per day: 42 miles (primarily on two days of the tour.) Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Illustration: statue of Frederick The Great (Christian Daniel Rauch) in Berlin, mid-19th-century engraving. book online at www.martinrandall.com

The Dresden Festspiele art & music in the electoral capital of Saxony Professor Jan Smaczny. Emeritus Professor of Music at Queen’s university, Belfast, and authority on Czech music. author of books on the Prague Provisional Theatre, Dvo�ák’s Cello Concerto, Music in 19th-century ireland and Bach’s B-minor Mass. He studied at the university of oxford and the Charles university, Prague.

Five performances in three venues including the Kulturpalast (re-opening in 2017) and Die Lustige Witwe (Lehár) at the Semperoper. Led by musicologist Professor Jan Smaczny with walks to see the fine 18th- & 19th-century architecture and outstanding art collections from an experienced local guide.

See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

Rebuilding, restoration and refurbishment has wrought wonders in this once shattered city. Excursions to the surrounding area.

Dresden, Hoftheater, by Paul Hey c. 1908.

The Dresdner Musikfestspiele is generally of an appropriate standing, but 2017 is again of high musical standards. The venues, too, are varied – a baroque palace, a magnificent nineteenth-century opera house and the city’s newly restored Bauhaus cultural complex (Kulturpalast) with its modern 1,800 capacity concert hall.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 10.45am from London Heathrow Airport (British Airways) to Berlin. An evening lecture is followed by dinner. Day 2: Dresden. Morning visit of the Residenzschloss to see the wonderful Green Vault and its content, one of the world’s finest princely treasuries, once again displayed in their original venue. Evening concert at the Semperoper with the Prague Philharmonia, Emmanuel Villaume (conductor) Diana Damrau (soprano), Nicolas Testé (bass-baritone): ‘Belcanto Drammatico’: Opera Arias by Meyerbeer, Massenet, Verdi and others. Day 3: Dresden. Visit the New Masters Gallery in the Albertinum, reopened in 2010 after extensive renovations following flood damage and home to the New Masters Gallery. Afternoon visit to the great domed Frauenkirche, whose restoration is now complete. Some free time before the evening opera at the Semperoper: Die Lustige Witwe (Franz Lehár); Saxon State Orchestra and Opera Choir. Day 4: Dresden. In the morning visit the Zwinger, a unique Baroque confection, a pleasure palace, arena for festivities and museum for cherished collections. See the Old Masters Gallery, one of the finest collections in Europe, particularly strong on Italian and Netherlandish painting. A free afternoon is followed by an evening concert at the Kulturpalast with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski (conductor), Steven Isserlis (cello): Mikhail Glinka, Waltz Fantasy in B minor; Prokofiev, Cello Concerto in E minor Op.58; Shostakovich, Symphony No.15.

Day 5: Meissen, Dresden. Drive downstream to Meissen, ancient capital of Dukes of Saxony and location of the discovery of hard-paste porcelain. The largely 15th-century hilltop castle overlooking the Elbe, the Albrechtsburg, is one of the first to be more residential than defensive, and within the complex is a fine Gothic cathedral. Evening concert at the Kulturpalast with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä (conductor), Peter Serkin (piano): Brahms, Piano Concerto No.1 in D minor, Op.15; Richard Strauss ‘Ein Heldenleben’, Op.40. Day 6: Pillnitz, Dresden. Travel by boat upstream to Pillnitz, a summer palace in Chinese Rococo style, with collections of decorative art and a riverside park. After lunch return to Dresden for some free time. Evening concert at the Palais im Großen Garten with the Schumann Quartet: Haydn, String Quartet in E, Hob.III:38; Mozart, String Quartet No.14 in G, K.387; Beethoven, String Quartet No.7 in F, Op.59 No.1. Day 7. Fly from Berlin to London Heathrow airport, arriving c. 3.45pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,820 or £2,620 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,080 or £2,880 without flights. Music tickets (top category) for 5 performances are included costing c. £380. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Gewandhaus Hotel, Dresden (gewandhaus-hotel.de): traditional 5-star hotel in a reconstructed Baroque building, tastefully decorated, with a friendly, personal atmosphere. Ten minutes on foot from the Kulturpalast. Rooms vary in size. How strenuous? Vehicular access is restricted in the city centre. Participants are expected to walk to the concert venues and there is a substantial amount of walking and standing around in art galleries and museums. Average distance by coach per day: 45 miles (predominantly on the first and last days of the tour).

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Dresden’s greatness as a city of the arts was very much the creation of two electors in the 18th century: Frederick Augustus I (‘the Strong’, 16941733) and his son Frederick Augustus II. (17331763). Though founded at the beginning of the thirteenth century, for its first five hundred years it was a minor city of little distinction. This despite having been selected as residence in 1485 by the branch of the dukes of Saxony that gained the electorate in 1547. Augustus the Strong’s pillaging of the state treasury to feed his reckless extravagance was both symbol and to some extent the cause of his dismal record in most areas of statecraft, but his achievements as builder, patron and collector rank him among the most munificent of European rulers. Great architecture, a picture collection of legendary richness, magnificent accumulations of precious metalwork and ceramics (porcelain was manufactured here for the first time in Europe) and a glorious musical life transformed Dresden into one of the most admired and visited cities in Europe and a major destination on the Grand Tour. If to a somewhat lesser degree, subsequent rulers of Saxony continued the tradition of cultural embellishment (and political ineptitude: they had a tiresome habit of joining the losing side). In the nineteenth century, ‘the Florence on the Elbe’ acquired buildings by Schinkel and Semper, and Weber and Wagner were directors of the opera house. In the twentieth century, Richard Strauss added to its illustrious musical history. Then in February 1945 a tragically propitious set of circumstances conspired to make the air raid on Dresden the most ‘successful’ of Allied bombing missions. Most of the art collections had been removed to safety but 80 percent of the old centre was destroyed. Under the Communist regime a few of the chief monuments were grudgingly restored, but since unification the painstaking process of rebuilding and restoration has accelerated. The great dome of the Protestant Cathedral, the Frauenkirche, again dominates the skyline, and the Green Vault in the royal palace again displays the unequalled magnificence of the treasury. Significantly, rank and fi le buildings are steadily being recreated; the glory of Dresden lay as much in the lesser buildings as in the major ones. Some striking new architecture is being added, notably the all-glass car factory in the historic centre and the Foster & Partners railway station.

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20–26 May 2017 (md 312) 7 days • £2,820 (including tickets to 5 performances) Lecturer: Professor Jan Smaczny

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with Prague Spring, 12–18 May 2017 (page 66).

What else is included in the price? See page 7. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Berlin, Potsdam, Dresden art & architecture in Brandenburg & Saxony GERMaNy

21–29 September 2017 (me 551) 9 days • £2,920 Lecturer: Dr Jarl Kremeier Chief cities of Brandenburg-Prussia and Saxony, rich in fine and decorative arts. Internationally important historic and contemporary architecture. Rebuilding and restoration continues to transform the cities. Led by Dr Jarl Kremeier, an art historian specialising in 17th- to 19th-century architecture and decorative arts.

Berlin is an upstart among European cities. Until the seventeenth century it was a small town of little importance, but by dint of ruthless and energetic rule, backed by the military prowess for which it became a byword, the hitherto unimportant state of Brandenburg-Prussia became one of the most powerful in Germany. By the middle of the eighteenth century, with Frederick the Great at the helm, it was successfully challenging the great powers of Europe. Ambitious campaigns were instituted to endow the capital with grandeur appropriate to its new status. Palaces, public buildings and new districts were planned and constructed. At nearby Potsdam, Frederick’s second capital, he created the park of Sanssouci, among the finest

ensembles of gardens, palaces and pavilions to be found anywhere. Early in the nineteenth century Berlin became of international importance architecturally when Karl Friedrich Schinkel, the greatest of Neo-Classical architects, designed several buildings there. Berlin has museums of art and antiquities of the highest importance. The Bode Museum and Gemäldegalerie are among the best of their kind and the recently opened Neues Museum, designed by David Chipperfield, provides an excellent setting for the Egyptian collection. The reunited city is now one of the most exciting in Europe. A huge amount of work has been done to knit together the two halves of the city and to rebuild and restore monuments which had been neglected for decades. Dresden was the capital of the Electorate of Saxony. Though it suffered terrible destruction during the War, rebuilding and restoration allow the visitor to appreciate once again something of its former beauty. The great domed Frauenkirche has now been triumphantly reconstructed. Moreover, the collections of fine and applied arts are magnificent. The Old Masters Gallery in Dresden is of legendary richness, the Green Vault is the finest surviving treasury of goldwork and objets d’art, and the Albertinum reopened in 2010 to display a fine collection of nineteenth- and twentieth-century art.

Itinerary Day 1: Dresden. Fly at c. 10.45am from London Heathrow to Berlin (British Airways) and drive to Dresden. Introductory lecture before dinner. First of four nights in Dresden. Day 2: Dresden. A morning walk around the old centre of Dresden. Visit the great domed Frauenkirche, the Protestant cathedral. The Zwinger is a unique Baroque confection, part pleasure palace, part arena for festivities and part museum for cherished collections. Visit the excellent porcelain museum and the fabulously rich Old Masters Gallery, particularly strong on Italian and Netherlandish painting.

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Day 3: Dresden. Start at the Hofk irche, the Catholic church commissioned by Frederick Augustus II, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, to counterbalance the building of the Frauenkirche. The Green Vault of the Residenzschloss displays one of the world’s finest princely treasuries. Some free time for independent exploration before an afternoon visit to the New Masters Gallery in the Albertinum.

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Day 4: Dresden, Pillnitz. Take a boat trip to Pillnitz, a summer palace in Chinese Rococo style, with park, gardens and collections of decorative art. Drive back to Dresden for an afternoon visit of the Palais im Großen Garten, the first major Baroque building in the city.

Dresden, entrance to the Zwinger Palace, lithograph c. 1850 after Samuel Prout. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Day 5: Dresden, Berlin. Stroll in DresdenNeustadt on the right bank of the Elbe, little damaged in the War, taking in amongst others the Baroque Quarter around Königsstrasse, a Japanese Palace and the Dresden Museum for Romanticism. After lunch travel to Berlin by coach. Survey the historic architecture along and around Unter den Linden: the Arsenal, Schinkel’s Guardhouse, Frederick the Great’s Opera House,

Strauss in Leipzig Arabella, Salome, Die Frau ohne Schatten

Day 6: Berlin. Spend the morning on ‘Museums Island’: the Altes Museum, a major Neo-Classical building by Schinkel, displays the collection of Classical antiquities; the Alte Nationalgalerie houses an excellent collection of 19th-century paintings and sculptures; the Neues Museum (elaborately restored under the direction of British architect David Chipperfield) is the new home of the Egyptian Museum (famous for the bust of Nefertiti); the Bode Museum houses a splendid, comprehensive collection of European sculpture, including works by Riemenschneider, as well as Byzantine art. Day 7: Potsdam. The enclosed park of Sanssouci was created as a retreat from the affairs of state by Frederick the Great. It consists of gardens, parkland, palaces, pavilions and auxiliary buildings. In the afternoon visit his relatively modest single-storey palace atop terraces of fruit trees, the exquisite Chinese teahouse and the large and imposing Neues Palais. Drive through Potsdam town centre with its Dutch quarter and cathedral by Schinkel. Day 8: Berlin. Drive to Schloss Charlottenburg, the earliest major building in Berlin, an outstanding summer palace built with a Baroque core and Rococo wings, fine interiors, paintings by Watteau, extensive gardens, pavilions and a mausoleum. The Berggruen Collection of Picasso and classic modern art is also here and has recently reopened after extensive renovation works. In the evening visit Norman Foster’s glass dome capping the Reichstag and have dinner in the roof-top restaurant. Day 9: Berlin. Europe’s greatest building project in the 1990s, Potsdamer Platz showcases an international array of architects (Piano, Isozaki, Rogers, Moneo). Scattered around the nearby ‘Kulturforum’ are museums, the State Library and the Philharmonie concert hall (Hans Scharoun 1956–63). The Gemäldegalerie houses one of Europe’s major collections of Old Masters. Choose between the Neue Nationalgalerie (changing exhibitions in a Mies van der Rohe building) or the Museum of Musical Instruments. Fly from Berlin to London Heathrow, arriving at c. 5.45pm.

Practicalities

Included meals: 2 lunches, 5 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Gewandhaus Hotel, Dresden (gewandhaus-hotel.de): traditional 5-star in a reconstructed Baroque building. Regent Hotel, Berlin (theregentberlin.de): elegant 5-star with Regency-style décor; close to Unter den Linden. How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking required and standing around in museums. Average distance by coach per day: 44 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Crécy, Agincourt & Waterloo, 13–17 September 2017 (page 59); The Heart of Italy, 11–18 September 2017 (page 137).

Three of Richard Strauss’s most opulent scores played by the legendary Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Guided walks in the magnificently restored city. Stay in the city’s best 5-star hotel. Talks on the operas by Barry Millington, chief music critic for London’s Evening Standard and editor of The Wagner Journal. The opportunity to experience three of Richard Strauss’s most opulent scores played by the legendary Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra – an ensemble Strauss himself regularly conducted in his earlier years – under the Strauss specialist Ulf Schirmer, is not one to be missed. The operas straddle various periods of Strauss’s life, enabling us to witness the stylistic progression from the expressionistic Salome (1906–8), through the symbolic complexity of Die Frau ohne Schatten (1914–18) to the good-humoured lyricism of Arabella (1930–32). Setting the text of Oscar Wilde’s notorious play about Herod’s daughter who, having danced for the king, demands of him the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter, Salome is a mesmerising study in obsession. But Wilde’s purple poetry draws a comparably glittering, kaleidoscopic score from Strauss, providing one of the great roles for his favourite soprano voice. The Swedish soprano Elisabet Strid, who takes the role of Salome, has been receiving much acclaim for her Strauss and Wagner roles in recent years. Die Frau ohne Schatten, to a text by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, has a reputation for inscrutable symbolism, but unfairly so: essentially it is a hymn to the sanctity of marriage, dealing with such issues as love, fidelity, childlessness and emotional fulfilment in gloriously passionate and lyrical music. This production has a particularly strong cast in the four major roles: Simone Schneider (Empress), Jennifer Wilson (Dyer’s Wife), Burkhard Fritz (Emperor) and Franz Grundheber (Barak).

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 10.45am from London Heathrow airport to Berlin. Drive to Leipzig. Dinner in the hotel. Evening opera at Leipzig Opera House: Arabella (Strauss) with Ulf Schirmer (conductor), Jan Schmidt-Garre (director), Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Leipzig Opera Choir, Jan-Hendrik Rootering (Graf Waldner), Gabriele Schnaut (Adelaide), Betsy Horne (Arabella), Olena Tokar (Zdenka), Tuomas Pursio (Mandryka), Markus Francke (Matteo), Jürgen Kurth (Graf Dominik), Sejong Chang (Graf Lamoral), Paul McNamara (Graf Elemer), Jasmina Sakr (Fiakermilli), Sandra Janke (Fortune Teller). Day 2. A guided walk around the city centre includes the Marketplace and Old City Hall, Stock Exchange and the churches of St Nicholas and St Thomas (where J.S. Bach was choir master). The tour ends at the Bach Museum. Free afternoon. A possible visit is the Fine Arts Museum, a good collection of European Old Masters in a striking new building. Evening opera at Leipzig Opera House: Salome (Strauss) with Ulf Schirmer (conductor), Aron Stiehl (director), Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Endrik Wottrich (Herodes), Karin Lovelius (Herodias), Elisabet Strid (Salome), Levente Molnár (Jochanaan), Sergey Pisarev (Narraboth), Sandra Maxheimer (The Page of Herodias), Rouwen Huther, Patrick Vogel, Keith Boldt, Matrin Petzold, Sejong Chang (The Five Jews), Sandra Janke (A slave). Day 3. A second walk concentrating on Leipzig’s musical heritage includes the Grassi Museum of Musical Instruments, one of the most important of its kind in the world, the little museum in the house where Mendelssohn lived and died, the Gewandhaus (concert hall), opera house and the Wagner memorial. Early evening opera at Leipzig Opera House: Die Frau ohne Schatten (Strauss) with Ulf Schirmer (conductor), Balász Kovalik (director) Gewandhaus Orchestra, Leipzig Opera Choir, Burkhard Fritz (The Emperor), Simone Schneider (The Empress), Karin Lovelius (The Nurse), Tuomas Pursio (The Messenger), Franz Grundheber (Barak, The Dyer), Jennifer Wilson Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,920 or £2,750 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,310 or £3,140 without flights.

16–19 June 2017 (md 335) 4 days • £1,810 (including tickets to 3 performances) Lecturer: Barry Millington

With Arabella, Hofmannsthal provided Strauss with a more straightforward love story involving ordinary human beings. The result is enchanting, while the heroine’s second-act love duet with Mandryka contains some of his most radiant music. The Californian soprano Betsy Horne sings Arabella, with the Finnish bass-baritone Tuomas Pursio as Mandryka. The musical history of Leipzig encompasses not only Strauss but also Wagner, J.S. Bach, Telemann, Robert and Clara Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Mahler. Morning walks and visits investigate this heritage, and also take in the art and architecture of the city. Leipzig is now, again, a handsome and lively city, following an almost miraculous transformation during the 1990s and beyond. Cleaning, restoration and rebuilding went hand in hand with the emergence of cafés, smart shops and good restaurants. There are excellent museums, including the Fine Arts Museum in spectacular new premises, the radically refurbished Museum of Musical Instruments and the Bach Museum.

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the Gendarmenmarkt with twin churches and concert hall. First of four nights in Berlin.

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Strauss in leipzig continued

Mitteldeutschland Weimar & the towns of Thuringia & Sachsen-anhalt

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Barry Millington. Writer, lecturer and broadcaster specialising in Wagner. He is founder/editor of The Wagner Journal and author of eight books on Wagner including The Wagner Compendium and Richard Wagner: The Sorcerer of Bayreuth. He is Chief Critic for the Evening Standard. He has also acted as dramaturgical adviser at opera houses internationally. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. (The Dyer’s Wife), Jonathan Michie (The One-Eyed Man), Sejong Chang (The One-Eyed Man), Dan Karlström (The Hunchback). Day 4. Fly from Berlin to London Heathrow airport, arriving c. 3.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,810 or £1,630 without flights. Single occupancy: £1,990 or £1,810 without flights. Music tickets (first category) to 3 operas are included, costing c. £215. Included meals: 1 lunch and 2 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Fürstenhof (hotelfuerstenhofleipzig.com): the finest hotel in the city, yet not large and with the feel of a discreet private club. A converted 19th-century building, it is furnished throughout with antique furniture. Situated just outside the mediaeval walls, the hotel is a 20 minute walk from the opera house. How strenuous? Vehicular access is restricted in the city centre and participants are expected to walk to the opera house. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

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Mediaeval alsace, 3–10 october 2017. See page 85. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Weimar, Goethe’s summer house, steel engraving 1836.

27 August–4 September 2017 (md 505) 9 days • £2,510 Lecturer: Dr Jarl Kremeier A trawl through little-known and largely unspoilt towns at the heart of Germany. Great mediaeval churches, Baroque and NeoClassical palaces, enchanting streetscape, fine art collections, beautiful countryside. The tour is led by Dr Jarl Kremeier, an art historian resident in Germany. Option to combine this tour with The Johann Sebastian Bach Journey, 4–10 September 2017 (see opposite page). Sachsen-Anhalt and Thuringia, the Länder in the middle of Germany, are predominantly rural, with rolling hills, deciduous woodland, compact red-roofed villages and ancient small-scale cities. Only patchily affected by the ravages of war and industrialisation, much of the historic architecture remained intact throughout the twentieth century. Forty years in the chill embrace of the East German state further impeded ‘progress’. The result is that at the heart of Europe’s richest and most modern nation is a region which feels strangely provincial and archaic. Thuringia was one of the five major states of early mediaeval Germany, but by the end of the Middle Ages it had fragmented into numerous little statelets and free cities. The history of Sachsen-Anhalt was similar: during the tenth century ‘Old’ Saxony was the most powerful of the German duchies and formed the kernel of the German nation, but loss of pre-eminence was followed by subdivision. From the sixteenth century both Länder consisted of innumerable principalities and independent cities, and were political and economic backwaters – though in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the Bach family dominated music making here.

And one small dukedom in particular made a quite exceptional contribution to art and thought. Weimar played host to J.S. Bach, Goethe, Schiller, Herder, Liszt, Nietzsche, Richard Strauss, Walter Gropius and many other great names. For those who knew East Germany before 1991, the subsequent changes appear little short of miraculous – major upgrading of the infrastructure, transformation of the built environment through cleaning, painting and wholesale restoration, recrudescence of commercial and social life. But those who come to the territory for the first time might be less enamoured. It is as if the region hasn’t fully awoken from a half-century sleep, a corrosive slumber which allowed much of the historic fabric of the towns and villages to slide into desuetude and dereliction. Yet in an odd sort of way the dilapidation contributes to a powerful sense of the past, and an air of authenticity which can be lost in places more thoroughly spruced up emanates from this fascinating, constantly surprising, frequently beautiful and richly-endowed region.

Itinerary Day 1: London to Hannover. Fly at c.6.00pm from London Heathrow to Hannover (British Airways). Drive to Quedlinburg. First of three nights in Quedlinburg. Day 2: Quedlinburg, Gernrode. Quedlinburg is a wonderfully preserved mediaeval town. The castle hill is crowned by the church of St Servatius, begun 1070, and contains one of Germany’s finest treasuries. See also the Gothic church of St Benedict in the market square and the Wipertikirche with its 10th-cent. crypt. At nearby Gernrode is one of the oldest churches in Germany, and one of the most beautiful, St Cyriakus, begun ad 961. Overnight Quedlinburg.

Day 4: Mühlhausen. Drive in the morning across the Harz mountains to Thuringia, passing forested vistas, half-timbered hamlets and patches of pasturage. Mühlhausen is astonishing, one of the most delightful and evocative towns in northern Europe, preserving its complete mediaeval wall, an abundance of half-timbered buildings and six Gothic churches. Walk along a section of the wall, visit the soaring, five-aisled church of St Mary, and St Blasius, the church where Bach was organist 1707–08. Overnight Mühlhausen. Day 5: Gotha, Arnstadt. A Residenzstadt within the principality of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Gotha is dominated by Schloss Friedenstein, which has fine interiors, a picture collection and a Baroque theatre. Walk down a processional way to the Hauptmarkt with its Renaissance town hall. Arnstadt, the oldest town in eastern Germany, has fine streetscape on a sloping site with the church where Bach was organist 1703–7; the Early Gothic Church of Our Lady and a palace which illustrates social hierarchy from the court’s perspective. First of four nights in Weimar. Day 6: Weimar. Two centuries of enlightened patronage by members of the ducal family enabled the little city-state of Weimar to be home to many great writers, philosophers, composers and artists. Today, visit the Stadtkirche, the main church with an altarpiece by Cranach, Goethe’s house, a beautifully preserved sequence of interiors and garden, the ducal Schloss, with Neo-Classical interiors and a fine art museum, and an Englishstyle landscaped park with Goethe’s summer house. Overnight Weimar.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,510 or £2,310 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,710 or £2,510 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 5 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Romantik Hotel am Brühl, Quedlinburg (hotelambruehl.de): restored 4-star hotel in a heritage building near the historical heart, comfortably furnished. Brauhaus “Zum

Löwen”, Mühlhausen (brauhaus-zum-loewen.de): 3-star converted brewery in the centre of the town; characterfully rustic dining area and bar, simple but spacious rooms. Dorint Am Goethepark, Weimar (hotel-weimar.dorint.com): modern 4-star hotel, situated by the park and on the edge of the town centre. How strenuous? This tour is fairly long and there is quite a lot of walking in the town centres where vehicular access is restricted. It should not be attempted by anyone who has difficulty with everyday walking and stairclimbing. There are long transfers between each hotel and the airports, otherwise coach travel is limited to short excursions. Average distance by coach per day: 56 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

The Johann Sebastian Bach Journey

Mühlhausen, lithograph c. 1830.

4–10 September 2017 (me 520) Please contact us for full details or visit www.martinrandall.com Ten private concerts in the places where Johann Sebastian Bach lived and worked. Both the St John and St Matthew Passions are performed, as well as the B-Minor Mass. International musicians of the highest calibre.

Day 8: Weimar. A walk includes Haus am Horn and Van de Velde’s School of Arts and Crafts from which the Bauhaus emerged. Free afternoon in this beautiful little city. Among the many other museums to choose from are the Bauhaus Museum, the 18th-century Wittumspalais and the Schiller House. An excursion to Buchenwald concentration camp can be arranged. Overnight Weimar.

Sir Nicholas Kenyon gives daily talks on the music.

Day 9: Naumburg. Architecturally, Naumburg Cathedral is an outstanding embodiment of the transition from Romanesque to Gothic, but its great importance lies in its 13th-century sculpture,

Journeying to the places where Johann Sebastian Bach lived and worked is an experience as near to pilgrimage as is offered by the history of music. Hearing his music in buildings which he

Four packages to suit different budgets with accommodation in 4- and 5-star hotels. Free time to explore Eisenach, Weimar, Leipzig and other historic towns. Suits independently-minded travellers as well as those who like the social aspect of these events.

frequented, or even where it was first performed, must rank among the highest delights available to music lovers. This unique biennial festival provides the opportunity. Ten concerts, ranging from a solo violin partita to the St Matthew Passion, from an organ recital to the Mass in B Minor, present a comprehensive range of Bach’s output. For this, the seventh Johann Sebastian Bach Journey, we have assembled artists and ensembles who are world leaders in performance of the repertoire. The distances travelled are quite small, but the event is emphatically a journey. It starts, as Bach did, in the little towns and cities of the principality of Thuringia and finishes, again like Bach, in the free city of Leipzig. The audience stays in hotels in three places, Eisenach, Weimar and Leipzig, and the concerts take place here and in four other towns. Admission to the concerts is exclusive to those who take a complete package which includes hotels, flights from the UK, coach travel, most dinners and lectures.

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Day 7: Erfurt. Capital of Thuringia, Erfurt well preserves its pre-20th-century appearance with a variety of streetscape and architecture from mediaeval to Jugendstil. Outstanding are the Krämerbrücke, a 14th-century bridge piled with houses and shops, and the cathedral, framing Germany’s largest set of mediaeval stained glass. See also the Severikirche, the friary of St Augustine where Luther was a monk, the Predigerkirche which retains its late mediaeval appearance intact, and the 17th-century hilltop citadel. Overnight Weimar.

including statues of the founders, among the most powerful and realistic of the Middle Ages. Fly from Berlin, arriving Heathrow at c. 8.00pm. (Those combining this tour with The Johann Sebastian Bach Journey instead travel by minibus from Naumburg to Eisenach, where the festival begins).

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Day 3: Blankenburg, Halberstadt. Blankenburg is an idyllic little spa town in the foothills of the Harz mountains with two Baroque palaces, the creation of a younger son of the Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel dynasty who made Blankenburg his capital. Halberstadt was a major city in the Middle Ages, and the cathedral is the largest French-style Gothic church in Germany after Cologne; the treasury is exceptional. Overnight Quedlinburg.

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Organs of Bach’s Time Silbermann & Baroque organs in Saxony & Thuringia germany

30 August–4 September 2017 (md 506) 6 days • £1,980 Lecturers: James Johnstone & Tom Abbott Recitals on the finest Baroque organs to survive, some of them instruments which Bach and Handel knew. Accompanied by organist James Johnstone, a Bach specialist, who gives recitals and demonstrations in association with the local organists, and by art historian, Tom Abbott. The organs are located in towns and villages off the beaten track. Spend two nights in Dresden, the capital of the state of Saxony, rich in fine and decorative arts. For a maximum of 32 participants, the format of this tour is a hybrid between our own-brand music festivals and our small group tours. The tour can be combined with The Johann Sebastian Bach Journey, 4–10 September 2017 – see page 103. With clocks, organs were the most complex of mechanical instruments developed before the Industrial Revolution. As such they were a source of awe and admiration far beyond musical cognoscenti and their makers often enjoyed a level of fame greater than the musicians who played them. Engraving from ‘The Magazine of Art’ 1883.

The greatest of the composers for the organ, Johann Sebastian Bach, had the good fortune to live at a time and in a place where organ-building reached a peak of excellence which perhaps has never been surpassed. This was not entirely coincidence: interaction between players and makers was an important element in refining the skills of both sides. The most famous of these organ builders was Gottfried Silbermann. He was born the son of a carpenter in the mountainous backwoods of Saxony in 1683, gained an almost monopolistic grip on keyboard manufacturing in the region and died a rich man in 1753. Nearly thirty of his fifty Saxon organs survive, some very nearly in original condition. They are famous – and always were – for their distinctive sounds, from the silver flutes to the strong and characterful 16’ Posaune in the pedal. Other organ builders whose work we see and hear on this tour include Zacharias Hildebrandt (1688–1757), an apprentice and later a rival of Silbermann, and Heinrich Gottfried Trost (c. 1680–1759). All had some sort of collaborative or critical relationship with J.S. Bach. This tour selects some of the finest instruments in a region exceptionally richly endowed with historic organs. Many are located in village churches far from cathedral or court, leading the visitor through terrain which is rural and remote. With the exception of Dresden, most of those included in this itinerary are located in villages and small towns with wonderfully picturesque historic centres. Some organs have hardly been altered since they were built. The tour is accompanied by organist James Johnstone, who performs regularly in Europe and America and who has won several prizes for his recordings. The twelve recitals are exclusive to this group and twenty to thirty minutes long, performed by James Johnstone or the local organist.

Itinerary Day 1: London to Merseburg. Fly at c. 11.00am from London Heathrow to Berlin (British Airways) and continue by coach (c. 2 hours) to Merseburg, a cathedral town on the river Saale; first of three nights here.

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Day 2: Pomßen, Naumburg. The village of Pomßen has a church with an organ of the 1660s, a delightful instrument which is more Renaissance than Baroque, set in a painted wood ensemble of gallery, chest and panelled ceiling. The church of St Wenceslas in Naumburg has a major Hildebrandt organ of 1748. There is also time for the cathedral with its exceptional 13th-century sculpture. Second of three nights Merseburg. Day 3: Zschortau, Störmthal, Rötha. Visit three small towns outside Leipzig with outstanding organs. The Scheibe organ in the church of St Nicholas, Zschortau was tested by J.S. Bach in 1746 who found it to be ‘efficiently and painstakingly well-built’. Störmthal has an organ by Hildebrandt which was inspected and approved by Bach in 1723 and is still in its original condition. In the fine mediaeval church of St George in Rötha there is a Silbermann organ tested in 1721 by Johann Kuhnau, Bach’s predecessor in Leipzig.

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Day 4: Altenburg, Ponitz, Dresden. Travel from Merseburg to Dresden via Altenburg and Ponitz. Gottfried Silbermann began building an organ for the Friedenskirche in Ponitz in 1734, before the construction of the church itself had ended. The court city of Altenburg is one of the rarely visited jewels of the former DDR, with a hilltop ducal residence featuring mediaeval fortifications, Baroque apartments and a quite remarkable collection of Italian Renaissance paintings. The chapel has a fine organ by Trost of 1739. After free time for lunch and independent exploration in Altenburg, travel on to Dresden. Before dinner, there is an opportunity to hear the Silbermann in the Catholic Hofkirche. First of two nights in Dresden. Day 5: Dresden, Helbigsdorf, Frauenstein, Freiberg. The morning is free in Dresden, with the option of joining a tour of some of Saxony’s greatest art treasures. In the afternoon drive out to Helbigsdorf, whose church is home to Silbermann’s smallest, double-manual instrument (1726–28). Freiberg cathedral is one of the most beautiful of Late Gothic buildings in Germany and has retained an exceptional panoply of furnishings. The organ by Silbermann (1711–1714) is one of the world’s finest instruments; three manuals, 44 stops, largely unaltered. Return to Dresden for dinner. Final night in Dresden. Day 6: Dresden to London. Drive to Berlin and fly to London Heathrow, arriving c. 3.40pm. (Those combining this tour with The Johann Sebastian Bach Journey instead take a high-speed train from Dresden to Eisenach, where the festival begins). Recitals are subject to confirmation from the churches visited. Itinerary changes are possible.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,980 or £1,870 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,130 or £2,020 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Radisson Blu, Merseburg (merseburg-radissonblu.com): situated in the historic centre of the town, within walking distance of the cathedral, this modern 4-star hotel is housed in the former Zech’sche Palace. Gewandhaus Hotel, Dresden (gewandhaus-hotel. de): traditional 5-star hotel in a reconstructed Baroque building, tastefully decorated, with a friendly, personal atmosphere. Rooms vary in size. How strenuous? There is a lot of coach travel with some long journeys. Average distance by coach per day: 95 miles. Group size: maximum 32 participants.

‘The itinerary was very well paced. The churches visited were also very well chosen... The music was sublime.’ What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Handel in Halle Music festival in the composer’s birthplace germany

27 May–2 June 2017 (md 317) 7 days • £2,580 (including tickets to 5 performances) Lecturer: Dr David Vickers Five performances, including one opera: Sosarme. Excursions to Leipzig, Merseburg, Wörlitz and Naumburg with its astounding thirteenthcentury cathedral. Led by lecturer, broadcaster and co-editor of The Cambridge Handel Encyclopedia, Dr David Vickers. Britain’s greatest composer was not, of course, born in Britain but in Saxony, in the city of Halle an der Saale. Its prosperity founded on salt and trade, the city reached its apogee in the sixteenth century. But the seeds of its international reputation were sown in the following century with the founding of the university and the birth of George Frideric Handel (or Georg Friedrich Händel), the son of a barber-surgeon, in 1685. While hearing music in the composer’s home town has a special frisson, a visit to the Handel Festival in Halle is justified by infinitely more than historical association. Now in its sixtieth season, it is in the forefront of Handelian endeavour, and no longer need defer to the slightly more senior and rival festival at Göttingen, which for much of the Halle festival’s history was across the border in West Germany. Since German unification, federal funding has been generous, the range of performers makes the festival truly international and their quality puts the festival on a par with some of the best in Europe. Equally striking is the rapidity with which the resident orchestra, from the Halle Opera House, has embraced period performing styles, switching to authentic instruments for the festival. As with all our music tours, there will be excursions to places of beauty or architectural interest in the vicinity, while allowing plenty of free time in Halle itself. The city survived the war without much damage, and the effects of pollution and neglect during the years of communism have been largely reversed.

Itinerary

Day 2: Halle. An introductory walk in Halle includes the 16th-century Marktkirche, an outstanding example of the very last phase of Gothic with coevil paintings and furnishings, and the Gothic and Baroque cathedral. Late morning concert in Halle cathedral with Concerto Romano and Alessandro Quarta (conductor): ‘A Lutheran in Rome’ a programme of works by (among others) Handel, P. Cannicciari, C. F. Cesarini, P. P. Bencini. Break for lunch and some free time before a late afternoon concert in the Ulrichskirche with Ann Hallenberg (mezzo-soprano), Il Pomo d’Oro and Maxim Emelyanychev (conductor): works by G.M. Orlandini and L.Leo.

Day 3: Merseburg, Halle, Bad Lauchstädt. Morning excursion to Merseburg, a small town with a citadel crowned with cathedral, episcopal palace and castle. In the afternoon drive the few miles to Bad Lauchstädt, a fashionable resort in the early 19th century with a delightful theatre built for the annual visit by Goethe and his troupe of actors from Weimar. Dinner before an evening opera (puppet theatre production) at the Goethe-Theater: Acis and Galatea with Collegium Marianum, Jana Semerádová (conductor) Marionettentheatercompany Buchty a Loutky (Prague) and soloists Hana Blažíková, Benedikt Kristjánsson (Aci), Václav Čížek, Tomáš Král. Day 4: Leipzig, Halle. Leipzig, the largest free city in Saxony and always a major centre of trade and industry, especially publishing. A guided walking tour includes the Markt, the large square with the arcaded town hall on one side, the maze of alleys and courtyards behind the streetfronts and the Thomaskirche, the mediaeval church where J. S. Bach was director of music for 26 years. Some free time, opportunity to visit the Bach Museum or the Museum of Fine Arts in its new premises, before returning to Halle mid afternoon. Evening opera at the Oper Halle: Sosarme with Händelfestspielorchester Halle, Bernhard Forck (conductor) and soloists. Day 5: Naumburg, Halle. Drive out to Naumburg, a well preserved town with a major Romanesque and Early Gothic cathedral which contains some of the finest of mediaeval sculptures including astounding pseudo-portraits of the founders. Return to Halle and visit the excellent Handel Museum in the historic centre, once believed to be

his birthplace but well furnished with Handeliana and furniture of the time. The remainder of the day and evening is free. Day 6: Halle. In the morning visit the Moritzburg, a once formidable but partly ruined 15th-century castle; a 19th-cent. range houses an excellent art gallery. The afternoon is free for independent exploration. Evening concert at the Marktkirche with Capella Cracoviensis and Jan Tomasz Adamus (conductor): Handel, Deborah, HWV 51. Day 7: Wörlitz. Visit the park of Schloss Wörlitz, one of the first and most successful of English-style landscaped gardens on the Continent, a delightful ensemble with artfully planned lake, Classical pavilions and Romantic follies. Fly from Berlin Tegel to Heathrow, arriving c. 5.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,580 or £2,390 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,870 or £2,680 without flights. Music tickets (top category) to 5 performances costing c. £250 are included. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine.

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Day 1: Halle. Fly at c. 10.50am from London Heathrow Airport to Berlin Tegel (British Airways). Drive to Halle (c. 3 hours), with a stop en route. The first of several lectures on the music is followed by dinner.

Halle, after a drawing of 1932.

Accommodation. Hotel Rotes Ross, Halle (dormero-hotel-rotes-ross.de): 4-star hotel in the centre, comfortable and furnished in a classic style. How strenuous? There is a lot of walking in town centres where vehicular access is restricted. Average distance by coach per day: 67 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Baden-Baden Whitsun Festival Music, art & palaces by the Black Forest GERMaNy

marvellously preserved retreat from the formality of court life. Evening concert with Diana Damrau (soprano), Nicolas Testé (bass-baritone), Prague Philharmonia, Emmanuel Villaume (conductor): arias, duets and instrumental music from operas by Verdi, Meyerbeer and Massenet. Day 4: Baden Baden. Apart from the daily lecture, today is free for independent exploration of BadenBaden or for relaxation before the evening opera. Das Rheingold (semi-staged): NDR Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Hengelbrock (conductor), Michael Volle (Wotan), Katarina Karnéus (Fricka), Johannes Martin Kränzle (Alberich), Daniel Behle (Loge), Gabriele Scherer (Freia), Lothar Odinius (Froh), Markus Eiche (Donner), Nadine Weissmann (Erda), Elmar Gilbertsson (Mime), Christof Fischesser (Fasolt), Lars Woldt (Fafner), Mirella Hagen (Woglinde), Julia Rutigliano (Wellgunde), Anna Lapkovskaja (Floßhilde).

Baden-Baden, after a watercolour 1910.

31 May–6 June 2017 (md 320) 7 days • £3,080 (including tickets to 6 performances) Lecturer: Professor Stephen Walsh Elegant, salubrious spa town with charming old centre and a ribbon of parks, host to one of Europe’s finest music festivals. Six concerts with music ranging from Bach on piano to Wagner’s Das Rheingold, from a Mozart string quartet to Massenet arias. Artists include András Schiff, Diana Damrau, Anne-Sophie Mutter and Daniil Trifonov. Led by distinguished musicologist, Professor Stephen Walsh.

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Baden-Baden is in many ways the typical German spa town, and it remains one of the most elegant and beautifully situated, on the fringes of the Black Forest and a few miles from the Rhine. The Romans, needless to say, made good use of its twenty-nine hot water springs, whose renewed popularity from the beginning of the nineteenth century transformed this by then unimportant little town into one of the most fashionable resorts in Europe. Because of its illustrious clientele, it became known as ‘Europe’s summer capital’. Queen Victoria and Wilhelm I of Prussia were patrons, as were members of the Russian imperial family. For the great Russian novelists, and upper-class Russians in general, it was archetypal. Turgenev set his novel Smoke here, and Dostoyevsky, a compulsive gambler, spent time (and alas money) at the casino here, though the Roulettenburg of his novella The Gambler is Wiesbaden. Baden-Baden’s connection with music is more respectable but no less diverse. Berlioz visited often, and Brahms made prolonged sojourns here (his apartment is now a museum). Nowadays its concert and operatic life, among the richest in Germany, revolves mainly around the great book online at www.martinrandall.com

Festspielhaus, a converted Imperial railway station, and reputedly the largest concert venue in the country, but there are also performances in the charming 1820s Kurhaus. The Whitsun Festival embodies something of this variety, from the intimacy of the Armida Quartet playing Mozart, Bach and Mendelssohn, to the epic grandeur of Wagner’s Das Rheingold, in concert performance, and with much else in between. The town stretches along the narrow valley of the River Oos, which is bordered by a succession of parks and gardens, luxury hotels, bath complexes and cultural institutions. The heart of the old town is a delightful net of Biedermeier and older streets winding up the hillside. Among its attractions are the recently opened Fabergé Museum, the State Art Gallery (Kunsthalle) and the Museum Frieder Burda, built by Richard Meier for one of Germany’s most extensive collections of modern art. Our programme includes excursions to a spectacular array of Baroque palaces and retreats in the vicinity.

Itinerary Day 1: London to Baden Baden. Fly at c. 3.30pm from London Heathrow to Stuttgart (British Airways) and drive to Baden-Baden. Dinner and first of six nights here. Day 2: Baden Baden. Walking tour of BadenBaden, pass the Kurhaus, the social centre and concert hall built in the 1820s, and visit the Brahms residence. Free afternoon and early dinner. Piano recital with Sir András Schiff: Bach, Capriccio in B flat BWV 992; Bartók, ‘Mikrokosmos’; J.S. Bach, Four Duets BWV 802–805; Bartók, Sonata 1926 BB 88; Janáček, ‘Im Nebel’; Schumann, Fantasy in C, Op.17. Day 3: Rastatt. Rastatt is a classic 18th-century court town built afresh to glorify its absolutist ruler, in this case, the Margrave of Baden. The city palace is of appropriate magnificence, while, on the outskirts, Schloss Favorite is a

Day 5: Bruchsal. Schloss Bruchsal is the splendid Baroque palace and garden of the Archibishops of Speyer, built over 26 years with frequent changes of architect and plan. At its core is the famous staircase designed by Balthasar Neumann. Free afternoon in Baden-Baden. Evening concert with Le Concert Spirituel, Hervé Niquet (conductor): Handel, ‘Water Music’, Suites I, II & III, HWV 348–350; Concerti Grossi, Op.3, HWV 312–317 and excerpts from Nos.4 and 5; ‘Music for the Royal Fireworks’, HWV 351. Day 6: Baden Baden. Morning concert with the Armida Quartet: Mozart, Adagio and Fugue, K.546; Bach, Nos.1, 4 & 11 from ‘The Art of Fugue’ BWV 1080; Mendelssohn, String Quartet No.6 in F minor, Op.80. In the afternoon there is a guided tour of Baden-Baden’s magnificent casino. Evening concert with Mutter’s Virtuosi, Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin), Daniil Trifonov (piano): Vivaldi, ‘The Four Seasons’; Schubert, Trio in E, D897 and ‘Trout’ Quintet, D667. Day 7: Stuttgart. Mon Repos is a hunting lodge beside a lake near Stuttgart, built 1760 and exhibiting both Rococo and Neo-Classical styles. The Stuttgart Staatsgalerie, a landmark building by James Stirling, has one of the better art collections in Germany. Fly from Stuttgart and return to Heathrow c. 7.45pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,080 or £2,940 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,220 or £3,080 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine. Music tickets (top category) for six performances are included costing c. £475. Accommodation. Radisson Blu Badischer Hof (hotel-badischerhof-badenbaden.com/en): 4-star spa hotel in a former monastery, 10 minutes’ walk from the Festspielhaus concert venue. How strenuous? Because of the city walks and excursions, there is quite a lot of walking. Average distance by coach per day: 34 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: The Dresden Festpiele, 20–26 May 2017 (page 99); Franconia, 20–27 May 2017 (page 110).

opera in Munich Weber, Shostakovich, Verdi, Rossini

Four operas at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich, one of the world’s most dependable houses: Oberon, König der Elfen (von Weber), Lady Macbeth von Mzensk (Shostakovich), La Forza del destino (Verdi) and Semiramide (Rossini). Two lecturers: musicologist Professor Jan Smaczny and art historian Tom Abbott. Munich is perhaps the most attractive of Germany’s cities, and has always been a major centre for opera. The Nationaltheater is at the moment enjoying a reputation as one of the finest houses in Europe: ‘La Scala may be grander…, Vienna more stately, the Metropolitan more prestigious… but for all-round excellence in pretty well every department, Munich’s Nationaltheater has the edge, both in matters of creature comforts and sheer dedication to the art’. Opera apart, Munich is widely considered to be the most agreeable city in Germany in which to live, and rivals Berlin for wealth of art and historic architecture. Munich is everyone’s favourite German city. The seat of the Wittelsbachs, who ruled Bavaria from 1255 until 1918 as Counts, Dukes, Electors and, from 1806, as Kings, Munich was a city which grew up around a court, not one spawned by trade or industry. Consequently, artistically and architecturally it is still one of the best-endowed centres in Europe.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 12.45pm from London Heathrow to Munich (British Airways). Tour the city by coach to see much of the best of Munich’s historic architecture: Neo-Classical Königsplatz, historicist Ludwigstrasse, Jugendstil houses and the modern Gasteig Arts Centre. Evening opera at the Nationaltheater: Oberon, König der Elfen (von Weber); Ivor Bolton (conductor), Julian Prégardien (Oberon), Annette Dasch (Rezia), Rachael Wilson (Fatime), Brenden Gunnell (Hüon von Bordeaux), Johannes Kammler (Scherasmin).

Day 4. In the morning a second walking tour culminates in a visit to the Alte Pinakothek, one of the world’s greatest Old Master galleries. The afternoon is free, though a visit to Residenz with its exquisite Rococo Theatre by Cuvillies is recommended. Early evening opera at the Nationaltheater: Semiramide (Rossini), with Michele Mariotti (conductor), Joyce DiDonato (Semiramide), Alex Esposito (Assur), Daniela Barcellona (Arsace), Lawrence Brownlee (Idreno), Elsa Benoit (Azema), Christophoros Stamboglis (Oroe), Petr Nekoranec (Mitrane), Igor Tsarkov (L’ombra di Nino).

Day 2. In the morning there is a walk to see more of the city’s treasures, including the vast Gothic cathedral and the Asamkirche, a Baroque gem. Free time in the afternoon. Evening opera at the Nationaltheater: Lady Macbeth von Mzensk (Shostakovich); Kirill Petrenko (conductor), Anatoli Kotscherga (Boris Timofejewitsch Ismailow), Sergey Skorokhadov (Sinowij Borissowitsch Ismailow), Anja Kampe (Katerina Ismailowa), Misha Didyk (Sergej), Heike Grötzinger (Aksinja).

Day 5. Fly to London Heathrow, arriving at c. 2.00pm.

Day 3: Nymphenburg, Munich. Drive out to Nymphenburg, summer retreat of the ruling Wittelsbachs. Set in an extensive park there is a Baroque palace and several delightful garden pavilions, the apogee of Rococo. Afternoon opera at the Nationaltheater: La Forza del destino (Verdi); Asher Fisch (conductor), Vitalij Kowaljow (Il Marchese di Calatrava, Padre Guardiano), Anja Harteros (Donna Leonora), Simone Piazzola (Don Carlo di Vargas), Jonas Kaufmann (Don Alvaro), Nadia Krasteva (Preziosilla), Ambrogio Maestri (Fra Melitone).

Included meals: 1 lunch and 2 dinners with wine.

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21–25 July 2017 (md 424) 5 days • £2,890 (including tickets to 4 performances) Lecturers: Professor Jan Smaczny & Tom Abbott

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,890 or £2,740 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,250 or £3,100 without flights. Music tickets (first category) for 4 operas are included, costing c. £760. Accommodation. Platzl Hotel München (platzl. de): 4-star hotel located in the heart of the old city. Rooms are modern and comfortable. How strenuous? The tour involves a lot of walking in town centres where vehicular access is restricted. Average coach travel per day: 18 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

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Munich, lithograph c. 1850 after Samuel Prout. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

King Ludwig II and the Wittelsbach palaces of Bavaria germany

15–20 August 2017 (md 480) 6 days • £2,220 Lecturer: Tom Abbott Explore eight royal palaces and castles set against the breathtaking backdrop of Germany’s most beautiful state. Learn about the lives, loves and legacies of King Ludwig II and the House of Wittelsbach, rulers of Bavaria for over 700 years. Art and architecture from the Renaissance through to Late Romanticism, much of it opulent and theatrical. Led by Tom Abbott, specialist in architectural history from the Baroque to the 20th century with a wide knowledge of the performing arts. Can be combined with The Danube Festival, 20–27 August 2017 – see page 52.

Germany’s large and beautiful south-eastern state of Bavaria is an established destination for Martin Randall Travel, with a number of tours over the years dedicated to a variety of themes. This tour has a different focus, that of the legendary ‘Swan King’ Ludwig II and the House of Wittelsbach from which he hailed, and his extraordinary architectural and cultural legacy. Architecturally and artistically, the tour encompasses outstanding examples of Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Neo-Classical and Romantic styles as well as Ludwig’s fairytale follies. Historically it examines the eccentric world of one of Europe’s most controversial monarchs and the story of what, until German unification, counted as one of the continent’s most important little states. It is true that Ludwig II’s predilection for aesthetic absorption over political and legal leadership gained him fierce opposition and criticism, but this handsome young king and his Linderhof, wood engraving from ‘The Magazine of Art’ 1887.

elaborate castles are responsible for a considerable proportion of Bavaria’s appeal today. Ironically, the dream world into which the sovereign retreated in order to escape the responsibilities of state now benefits Ludwig’s former kingdom in a way it never did when he inhabited it. Was he, to quote one of his more defamatory labels, insane? Or simply weak, of solitary disposition, and therefore tragically unsuited to the role imposed upon him at a time of Bavaria’s considerable political fragility and conflict with Prussia, Austria and France? Once deposed in 1886, what was the cause of his untimely death? Was it suicide, or did it take place at the hand of murderous detractors? Or was it mere accident? Was he an impotent and irresponsible sybarite or a luminous benefactor of the arts?

Itinerary Day 1. Schleissheim, Munich. Fly at c. 9.00am from London Heathrow to Munich (British Airways). Between airport and city, the palace and garden at Schleissheim form a rare ensemble of Baroque taste from an early 17th-century retreat, through the 1684 Lustheim pavilion at the far end of a canal of absolutist straightness, to the magnificent Neues Schloss, begun 1701 but whose progress continued haltingly into the Rococo period. There is a gallery of Baroque art, sculpted stucco of exceptional quality in the state apartments, Hofgarten (Court Garden) and a collection of Meissen porcelain in Schloss Lustheim. First of two nights in Munich. Day 2. Munich. The Residenz in the centre of the city was the principal Wittelsbach palace and seat of government; a magnificent sprawl of buildings, courtyards, state apartments and museums of every period from Renaissance to the end of the 19th century. There are fine works of art and sumptuous interiors of the highest importance, especially the Rococo interiors and the Cuvilliés Theatre (subject to confirmation as the theatre can close for rehearsals at short notice). Free afternoon.

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Day 3. Nymphenburg, Linderhof, Murnau. Drive to the city’s outskirts and the palace and park of Nymphenburg, birthplace of Ludwig II. An extensive complex including bathhouses and the Rococo Amalienburg lodge. After lunch drive to Ettal, site of the only one of Ludwig II’s commissioned castles to have been completed. 1870s Linderhof was reputed to have been the King’s favourite castle; it draws, like Herrenchiemsee, on French influences, lavish interiors in Renaissance and Baroque styles, extravagant terrace gardens including grottos and Oriental adornments. First of three nights in Murnau am Staffelsee. Day 4. Hohenschwangau, Neuschwanstein. Drive south to Hohenschwangau castle, site of Ludwig II’s childhood, owned by his parents Maximilian II of Bavaria and Princess Marie of Prussia. Majestic lakeside Alpine location, frescoes featuring medieval Swan-Knight Lohengrin which led to Ludwig II’s obsession with Wagner. Then continue to Neuschwanstein, the famous fairytale turreted castle ordered by Ludwig II in homage to Wagner though never completed.

108 book online at www.martinrandall.com

Munich’s Masterpieces art & architecture in the capital of Bavaria GERMaNy

Tom Abbott. Specialist in architectural history from the Baroque to the 20th century with a particular interest in German and american modern. Studied art History in the uSa and Paris and has a wide knowledge of the performing arts. Since 1987 he has lived in Berlin. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. Day 5. Herrenchiemsee. In the countryside southeast of Munich and surrounded by a park, woodland and a great lake, Schloss Herrenchiemsee is a copy of Versailles. Ludwig II’s megalomaniac hymn of homage to the absolutism of Louis XIV, his final folly, brought the Bavarian state to the brink of bankruptcy. Day 6. Berg, Starnberg. Leave Murnau, drive to Berg and the mock Gothic castle to which Ludwig II retreated from his ministers, and where he was placed under house arrest after his forced abdication in 1886 on grounds of insanity. Lake Starnberg surrounds the castle and is the scene of Ludwig II’s death and that of his doctor, officially by drowning. Visit the Memorial Chapel and have lunch in Starnberg. Fly from Munich, returning to London Heathrow at c. 5.00pm. (Participants combining this tour with The Danube Festival travel to Munich Airport with the group in time to catch one of our coach transfers to Passau, where the festival begins.)

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,220 or £2,090 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,480 or £2,350 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Torbräu, Munich (torbraeu.de): well-located 4-star, traditional in style and décor. Hotel Alpenhof, Murnau (alpenhof-murnau.com): rambling 5-star hotel on the outskirts of Murnau with a country house feel.

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

‘Very well planned. A comprehensive overview of all Ludwig’s palaces.’

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

16–20 August 2017 (md 482) 5 days • £1,680 Lecturer: Patrick Bade A short, sharp study of the best of the art in the city – painting, sculpture and decorative arts. Also the key architectural monuments and characteristic streetscape. Led by Patrick Bade, art historian and writer. Can be combined with The Danube Festival, 20–27 August 2017 – see page 52. Munich is everyone’s favourite German city. Not only is it the most prosperous in the country, but the attractiveness of the cityscape, the abundance of cultural activity, the relatively relaxed lifestyle and generally amenable ambience make it the most sought-after place to live and work in Germany. The seat of the Wittelsbachs, who ruled Bavaria from 1255 until 1918 as Counts, Dukes, Electors and, from 1806, as Kings, Munich was a city which grew up around a court, not one spawned by trade or industry. Consequently, artistically and architecturally it is still one of the best-endowed centres in Europe. There are fine buildings of every period, and it is also a city of museums. The Alte Pinakothek has one of the finest collections of Old Masters in the world, and the Treasury in the Residenz and the classical sculpture in the Glyptothek are among the best collections of their kind. The accompanying lecturer, Patrick Bade, is an art historian with a wide range of knowledge and a deep understanding of contemporary Germany.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 9.00am from London Heathrow to Munich (British Airways). An afternoon walk passes through the core of the historic city. See the Marienplatz, dominated by the 19th-century city hall, and the little Baroque church of St John Nepomuk created by the Asam brothers. Day 2. By coach along some of the principal streets and boulevards of the city to see architecture of the 19th and 20th centuries. Disembark in the vicinity of the main art galleries and visit the Alte Pinakothek, one of the world’s greatest collections of Old Masters. After lunch

continue to Königsplatz, a noble assembly of Neoclassical museums, and visit the Glyptothek, an outstanding collection of Greek and Roman sculpture. The Lenbachhaus has an outstanding collection of German Expressionist paintings. Day 3. The morning is spent in the Residenz, rambling palace of the Wittelsbach dynasty, Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria, with sumptuous interiors of the highest art-historical importance from Renaissance to Romantic, and a marvellous Rococo theatre. After lunch visit the excellent collections of sculpture and decorative arts at the Bavarian National Museum. Day 4. On the edge of Munich, Nymphenburg is one of the finest palace complexes of the 17th and 18th centuries, with main palace, park, gardens and pavilions. The delightful Amalienburg represents the apogee of secular Rococo interiors, and the carriage museum has sleighs made for King Ludwig II. Return to the centre of Munich and visit the Neue Pinakothek, which houses paintings from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. Day 5. A morning walk includes the vast Gothic cathedral and the Town Museum which displays among many other artworks the famous Gothic Morris dancers, created by Erasmus Grasser for the festival hall of the Altes Rathaus. Some free time. After lunch a guided tour of the Villa Stuck, a museum and historic Art Nouveau house dedicated to the works of the Bavarian painter, Franz Stuck. Fly from Munich to London Heathrow arriving at c. 5.30pm. (Participants combining this tour with The Danube Festival travel by minibus from Munich to Passau, where the festival begins.)

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,680 or £1,540 without flights. Single occupancy: £1,960 or £1,820 without flights.

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How strenuous? This is a strenuous tour with long coach journeys and a lot of walking and standing around in the castles and gardens. Average distance by coach per day: 65 miles.

Munich, Königsplatz, watercolour by E.T. Compton, publ. 1912

Included meals: 1 lunch and 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Torbräu (torbraeu.de): a friendly, family-run, 4-star hotel in the city centre. How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking and standing around in galleries. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Franconia Little-known southern Germany germany

20–27 May 2017 (md 334) 8 days • £2,680 Lecturer: Dr Jarl Kremeier A neglected region of southern Germany which has an exceptional heritage of art and architecture, enchanting streetscape and natural beauty. Mediaeval art including Romanesque sculpture (the Bamberg Rider) and late mediaeval wood carving by Tilman Riemenschneider. Baroque and Rococo palaces, churches and paintings (including Tiepolo’s masterpiece). Once the very heart of the mediaeval German kingdom, Franconia possesses some of the loveliest towns and villages in Germany, beautiful countryside and a variety of art and architecture of the highest quality. Yet remarkably few Britons find their way here – or could even point to the region on a map. Würzburg, with its vine-clad riverbanks and Baroque palaces, is a delight. The tour stays here for two nights. One of the loveliest and least spoilt of German towns, Bamberg has fine streetscape, riverside walks and picturesque upper town around the Romanesque cathedral. Nuremberg, the home of Dürer, was one of the great cities of the Middle Ages, and its churches and museums are filled with outstanding sculpture and painting. Bayreuth was a centre of Rococo culture and a mecca for Wagnerians. The end of the Middle Ages was artistically one of the most creative in Franconia, with Tilman Riemenschneider and Veit Stoss, perhaps Germany’s greatest sculptors, evoking the fraught spirituality of the age in works of remarkable virtuosity. The Romanesque sculpture in Bamberg’s cathedral is also of the highest importance. The eighteenth century also bequeathed much artistic wealth. The Prince-Bishop’s palace in Würzburg and the pilgrimage church of Vierzehnheiligen (both designed by Balthasar

Neumann) are consummate achievements of Baroque and Rococo art and architecture. Moreover, the greatest achievement of eighteenthcentury Venetian painting is here: Tiepolo’s ceiling fresco in the Würzburg Residenz.

Itinerary Day 1: Würzburg. Fly at c. 9.30am from London Heathrow to Frankfurt (Lufthansa). Drive to Würzburg, and check in to the hotel. An afternoon walk around the largely post-war reconstruction of the old centre, with its vast and sombre Romanesque cathedral, delicate Gothic church and flamboyant Baroque churches. First of two nights in Würzburg. Day 2: Würzburg. The Residenz (Prince-Bishop’s Palace), designed partly by Balthasar Neumann and extended over time, is one of the finest 18thcentury palaces in Europe, with magnificent halls, state apartments, exquisite chapel and ceiling frescoes which are the masterpieces of the Venetian painter Tiepolo. In the afternoon walk across one of the oldest mediaeval bridges to survive and visit the Marienburg, the formidable fortress dominating the city from across the River Main. Visit the vast museum within, with its sizeable collection of Riemenschneider sculpture. Day 3: Creglingen, Rothenburg, Pommersfelden Bamberg. Drive through gently undulating countryside to the little pilgrimage church near Creglingen; here see The Assumption by Riemenschneider, his finest work. Rothenburgob-der-Tauber is an exceedingly picturesque little town scarcely changed in appearance for hundreds of years; the church of St James has Riemenschneider’s Last Supper. Visit Schloss Pommersfelden, an early 18th-century country house with one of the grandest of Baroque staircases. Continue through lovely landscape to Bamberg. First of four nights here.

Day 4: Bamberg. Morning walk taking in the riverside town. Visit the Gothic Church of our Lady with its Tintoretto altarpiece and the splendid Romanesque cathedral with some of Germany’s finest mediaeval sculpture, including the Bamberg Rider, a potent image of knightly values. The Diocesan Museum has outstanding mediaeval textiles. In the afternoon visit the Neue Residenz, palace of the Prince-Bishops. Day 5: Bayreuth. All-day excursion. Bayreuth developed as a minor court city in the 18th century, and a varietal of Rococo decoration evolved in the town palace and at the Hermitage, a complex of gardens, palaces and pavilions, under the patronage of the Markgraf. Visit Wagner’s Festspielhaus, built to the composer’s specifications on a hill outside the town. Day 6: Coburg, Vierzehnheiligen. At Coburg visit the formidable fortress above the city, now a museum with good paintings and furnishings. Schloss Ehrenburg, in the centre of town was the home of Prince Albert. Across the valley, the pilgrimage church of Vierzehnheiligen by Balthasar Neumann is perhaps the greatest of all Rococo churches. Day 7: Nuremberg. An immensely rich trading and manufacturing city in the Middle Ages, Nuremberg is girt by massive walls and possesses much art and architecture of the 15th and 16th centuries. A walk through the old town includes the church of St Sebaldus, which contains outstanding sculpture by Veit Stoss and others, and the Albrecht Dürer House. St Lorenz is the city’s other great church, and is likewise laden with major artworks including Veit Stoss’s Annunciation (1517/18). Day 8: Nuremberg. Visit German National Museum, home to the finest collection of German mediaeval and Renaissance art in the country. Fly from Munich, arriving Heathrow at c. 5.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,680 or £2,510 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,960 or £2,790 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch, 5 dinners with wine.

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Accommodation. Hotel Rebstock, Würzburg (rebstock.com): well-located, comfortable 4-star hotel. Hotel Villa Geyerswörth, Bamberg (villageyerswoerth.de): elegant, quiet 4-star hotel, conveniently located close to the old town. Le Méridien Grand Hotel, Nuremberg (lemeridiennuernberg.com): modern 4-star hotel in a late 19th-century building, a 10-minute walk from the centre. How strenuous? There is a fair amount of walking on this tour, as vehicular access in the town centres is restricted. It would not be suitable for anyone with difficulties with everyday walking and stair climbing. There are a few long drives: the average distance by coach per day: 55 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Opera in Berlin, 31 May–4 June 2017 (page 96).

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Würzburg, early-20th-century etching. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Spring in Crete Landscape, history & archaeology GREECE

21–30 April 2017 (md 235) 10 days • £2,880 Lecturer: Dr Alan Peatfield Concentrates on the extraordinary civilization of the Minoans, but also pays due attention to Classical and later cultures. Dr Alan Peatfield is an archaeologist specialising in the Minoan Bronze Age civilisation of Crete. Plenty of time for Knossos and the main sites and includes many remote and little-visited ones. Wonderful, contrasting landscapes at a beautiful time in the island’s calendar.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 12.15pm from London Heathrow to Heraklion via Athens (Aegean Airlines). Overnight Heraklion at the Lato Boutique Hotel. Day 2: Knossos Palace and Archaeological Museum. The capital of Minoan Bronze Age Crete, Knossos resonates in both myth and archaeology. At its peak it comprised a magnificent palace with courts, religious buildings and mansions.

Ladies of the Minoan court, after a painting by John Duncan, c. 1910.

Excavated by Sir Arthur Evans at the beginning of the 20th century, his reconstructions not only protect the excavated remains, they also illustrate the splendour of palatial civilization. A first visit to the Archaeological Museum, newly and richly reorganised, focuses on an overview of the treasures of Minoan art and culture. Overnight Heraklion. Day 3: Festos, Agia Triada, Gortyna. A day in the Mesara, the rich agricultural plain on the south coast. Phaistos is the second largest Minoan palace, dramatically located on a ridge overlooking the plain. The Agia Triadha Minoan villa is situated to appreciate the green and peaceful aspects of the Cretan landscape. Gortyn is the Greek city famous for its 5th century bc law-code, and which became the capital of Roman Crete. Overnight Heraklion. Day 4: Knossos. A second visit to the Archaeological Museum gives a more detailed appreciation of Minoan art and artefacts, and a chance also to see the unique Daidalic sculpture of Archaic Crete and the statues of the Classical and Roman periods. The Historical Museum completes the Cretan historical sweep with its Byzantine,

Venetian, and Ottoman resources, as well as records of Crete’s bitter World War II experience. Overnight Heraklion. Day 5: Mallia Palace, Elounda, Spinalonga Island. Set on a fertile coastal plain is the Minoan palace of Mallia. Further east is the beautiful Elounda Bay, with a spectacular view of the Gulf of Mirabello and the mountains of east Crete. The island of Spinalonga, site of the Venetian fortress that became a 20th-century leper colony is sheltered in the bay. Overnight Heraklion. Day 6: Knossos Villa Ariadne, Fourni, Anemospilia. The Villa Ariadne was Arthur Evans’ home while excavating Knossos. Our private guide tells a host of stories revealing the life of the Villa from Evans until modern times. Archanes Fourni cemetery, the most complete excavated Minoan cemetery, lies in the shadow of Jouktas, the mountain peak sanctuary that dominates central Crete. On the slopes of the mountain, lies Anemospilia, and its controversial evidence for Minoan human sacrifice. (Both sites are normally closed to the public, and our permission for access may be withdrawn). Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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The ‘garden of Eden of European civilization’: these words used by botanist David Bellamy, powerfully encapsulate the history, landscape, and vegetation of Crete. Mountainous, dramatic limestone crags contrast with the lush green of the fertile inland valleys, high upland plains, and densely cultivated coastal strips. Wherever they live, the people of Crete define themselves as a mountain people with traditions of genuine hospitality (philoxenia), and a fierce sense of freedom (eleftheria). These qualaties are celebrated in a distinctive and lively tradition of folk music and dance. This powerful sense of individuality has allowed the Cretans, at all times in their history, to filter and absorb the cultural influences arising from their geographical location, situated in the centre of the eastern Mediterranean, between Europe, Africa and the Near East. The purpose of this tour is to explore these various cultural layers, history, landscape and tradition. Crete’s beginnings lie in the Minoan Bronze Age, with its labyrinthine palaces and vivacious colourful art. Not only is this the beginning of prehistoric complex civilization in Europe, it also influenced the revolution in 20thcentury art. The ensuing Greco-Roman period contrasts the violent Greek period, the ‘Crete of the 100 cities’, with the long calm of the Roman peace. Byzantine and Venetian Crete is remarkable not just for its icons, but also its plethora of painted chapels. This was the tradition out of which El Greco made his contribution to Venetian and Spanish Renaissance painting. The modern Cretan spirit was forged in the suffering and rebellion that marked Ottoman Turkish rule. That sense of freedom has a contemporary resonance in the stillliving memory of Crete’s heroic resistance against Nazi occupation in the Second World War. As we encounter these disparate elements, they are bound together by one powerful constant: the landscape of Crete itself, its vivid beauty and unique energy.

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Spring in Crete continued

Classical Greece The Peloponnese, attica & athens

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Day 7: Arkadi Monastery, Armeni Cemetery, Rethymnon. Heading to Chania and the mountainous west of the island, Arkadi is one of the great fortified monasteries of Crete. Its active role in the 1866 revolt against Turkish rule make it a symbol of Cretan resistance. Armeni cemetery, with its many rock-cut chamber tombs, dates to the last phase of Minoan civilization. Rethymnon is the university town of Crete. Its old quarter beside the sea is the best preserved Venetian town on the island. Overnight Chania. Day 8: Aptera, Souda War Cemetary, Agia Triada Monastery. One of the most powerful GraecoRoman city states, Aptera is a huge site with Roman ruins, a theatre and a Turkish fort. See the British war cemetery at Souda Bay. Moni Agias Triadas on the Akrotiri peninsula above Hania was founded in 1630 by Venetian nobles and has some of the finest monastic architecture on the island. Overnight Chania. Day 9: Chania. A morning walking tour includes the Archaeological Museum, Minoan Kastelli, Old town, Harbour Mosque and Synagogue. The extensive Venetian town of Chania provides an opportunity to bring together all the threads of Cretan history. The walking tour takes in the Minoan and Classical archaeological finds in the Museum, within the Venetian Monastery of St Francis. The Minoan remains of Kastelli lie under the Venetian walls embedded with re-used Greek columns. Down by the harbor are both the Turkish Mosque and the Synagogue, as well as the Byzantine and Maritime Museums. Overnight Chania.

6–15 May 2017 (md 275) 10 days • £3,290 Lecturer: Professor Antony Spawforth 16–25 September 2017 (me 535) 10 days • £3,290 Lecturer: Dr Andrew Farrington A comprehensive survey of the principal Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic sites in mainland Greece. Highlights include Mycenae, Olympia, Delphi. The lecturers both have expert knowledge of ancient Greece. In Athens, a full day on the Acropolis and in the ancient Agora. The Ancient Greeks had far greater influence on western civilization than any other people or nation. For two and a half millennia, philosophy and ethics, the fundamentals of science and

mathematics, prevailing notions of government and citizenship, literature and the visual arts have derived their seeds, and a large amount of their substance, from the Greeks. In the words of H.D.F. Kitto ‘there gradually emerged a people not very numerous, not very powerful, not very well organized, who had a totally new conception of what human life was for, and showed for the first time what the human mind was for.’ Whatever the depth of our Classical education, there is a deep-seated knowledge in all of us that the places visited on this tour are of the greatest significance for our identity and way of life. A journey to Greece is like a journey to our homeland, a voyage in which a search for our roots is fulfi lled. In no field is the Greek contribution to the modern world more immediately evident than in architecture. The grip upon the imagination that the Greek temple has exerted is astonishing, and in one way or another – ranging from straightforward imitation of the

Day 10. Fly to London Heathrow via Athens, arriving c. 3.30pm. The opening of sites on Crete is arbitrary and can be influenced by the politics at the time of the tour. This may mean that at short notice not all sites listed can be visited.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,890 or £2,630 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,140 or £2,880 without flights. Included meals: 4 lunches, 5 dinners, with wine.

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Accommodation. Lato Boutique Hotel, Heraklion (lato.gr): family-run 3-star hotel with small but well-appointed rooms. Good location by the Venetian port. Kydon Hotel, Chania (kydonhotel.com): 4-star hotel well located close to the old town and port. How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking and scrambling over archaeological sites and this tour is not suitable for anyone who is not sure-footed. Average distance by coach per day: 56 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

What else is included in the price? See page 7. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Athens, Acropolis, watercolour by Jules Guérin, publ. 1913.

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whole to decorative use of distorted details – has dominated nearly all monumental or aspirational building ever since. A striking and salutary conclusion, however, which inevitably emerges from participation on this tour, is that the originals are unquestionably superior. This is also true of sculpture. This tour includes nearly all of the most important archaeological sites, architectural remains and museums of antiquities on mainland Greece. It presents a complete picture of ancient Greek civilization beginning with the Mycenaeans, the Greek Bronze Age, and continuing through Archaic, Classical and, to a lesser extent, Hellenistic and Roman Greece. It also provides a glimpse of the spiritual splendour of Byzantine art and architecture. It is a full itinerary, but the pace is manageable. Plenty of time is available on the sites and in the museums, allowing opportunity both for adequate exposition by the lecturer and time for further exploration on your own.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly late morning (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Athens. The little port of Nauplion is one of the most attractive towns in mainland Greece. Arrive here in time for dinner. First of three nights in Nauplion. Day 2: Nauplion, Tiryns, Mycenae. Today’s theme is the Mycenaean civilisation of the Argolid Plain, the Greece of Homer’s heroes (16th-13th centuries bc). Visit Tiryns, a citadel with massive Cyclopean walls of enormous blocks of masonry, and Mycenae, reputedly Agamemnon’s capital, with Treasury of Atreus (finest of beehive tombs) and Acropolis (Lion Gate). Day 3: Corinth, Epidauros. The site of Ancient Corinth has the earliest standing Doric temple on mainland Greece, and a fine museum with evidence of Greece’s first large-scale pottery industry. Epidauros, centre for the worship of Asclepios, god of medicine, where popular magical dream cures were dispensed, includes the bestpreserved of all Greek theatres.

Day 5: Olympia. Nestling in a verdant valley, Olympia is one of the most evocative of ancient sites; never a town, but the principal sanctuary of Zeus and site of the quadrennial pan-Hellenic athletics competitions. Many fascinating structures remain, including the temples of Hera and Zeus, the workshop of Phidias and the stadium. The museum contains fragments of pediment sculpture, among the most important survivals of Classical Greek art. First of two nights in Delphi. Day 6: Delphi. Clinging to the lower slopes of Mount Parnassos, Delphi is the most spectacularly

Day 7: Hosios Loukas, Athens. Visit the Byzantine monastery of Hosios Loukas in a beautiful setting in a remote valley, one of the finest buildings of mediaeval Greece with remarkable mosaics. The Acropolis is the foremost site of Classical Greece. The Parthenon (built 447– 438 bc) is indubitably the supreme achievement of Greek architecture. Other architectural masterpieces are the Propylaia (monumental gateway), Temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion. First of three nights in Athens. Day 8: Athens. At the Theatre of Dionysos plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides were first performed. The new Acropolis museum has superb Archaic and Classical sculpture, including some by Phidias and his assistants. The Agora (market place) was the centre of civic life in ancient Athens, with the small Doric Hephaisteion, the bestpreserved of Greek temples. Day 9: Athens. Kerameikos Cemetery was where Athenians were buried beyond the ancient city walls. The refurbished National Archaeological Museum has the finest collection of Greek art and artefacts to be found anywhere. The vast Corinthian Temple of Olympian Zeus was completed by Hadrian 700 years after its inception. Some free time. Day 10: Athens. Drive to the 5th-century Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, overlooking the sea at the southernmost tip of the Attic peninsula, visited by Byron in 1810. Fly from Athens, arriving Heathrow c. 4.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,290 or £3,110 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,620 or £3,440 without flights. Included meals: 2 lunches, 7 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. The hotel in Nauplion differs between the May and September departures. Hotel Amalia, Nauplion (May) (amaliahotelnafplio. gr): modern and spacious hotel in a neo-classical building situated just outside the town. Hotel Ippoliti, Nauplion (September) (ippoliti.gr): small, comfortable hotel in a converted 19th-century mansion situated close to the harbour. Best Western Hotel Europa, Olympia (bestwestern. com): a characterful hotel outside the town. Hotel Amalia, Delphi (amalia.gr/delphi-hotel): a modern hotel, a short coach ride from the archaeological site. Electra Palace Hotel, Athens (electrahotels. gr): smart hotel near the picturesque Plaka quarter. How strenuous? A long tour with three hotel changes and some long journeys. You will be on your feet for long stretches of time, in some cases on exposed sites and walking over rough terrain. Sure-footedness and agility are essential. Average distance by coach per day: 70 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with Art in Madrid, 16–20 May or 27 September–1 October 2017 (page 169); Gastronomic Veneto, 17–24 May 2017 (page 119).

Above: Delphi, engraving from ‘Greek Pictures’, 1890. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Day 4: Arcadia, Bassae. There are spectacular views of Nauplion from the 18th-century Venetian Fortress of Palamidi. Drive across the middle of the Peloponnese, through the beautiful plateau of Arcadia and past impressive mountain scenery. A stunning road leads to the innovatory and well-preserved 5th-century Temple of Apollo (in a tent for protection) on the mountain top at Bassae (3,700 feet) and through further breathtaking scenery to Olympia. Overnight Olympia.

evocative of ancient Greek sites. Of incalculable religious and political importance, the Delphic oracle attracted pilgrims from all over the Hellenic world. The Sanctuary of Pythian Apollo has a theatre and Athenian Treasury, and the Sanctuary of Athena has a circular temple. The museum is especially rich in Archaic sculpture. Some free time amidst the austere beauty of the valley.

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Gastronomic Piedmont Some of the ﬁnest food & wine in Italy ItALy

simulated) this morning in the woods around Piozzo, then a wine tasting and lunch at a small, family-run estate. Day 4: Bra or surrounding countryside, Asti. Choose from two options this morning: either a wine tasting in the Ascheri winery and visit to a traditional sausage maker, or take a guided walk through orchards, vineyards and hazelnut groves, for the entire morning (c. 3 hours). Reconvene for lunch and a cooking demonstration at an outstanding restaurant. In the afternoon visit the lovely little city of Asti, centre of another famous wine and food area, set amidst the gently undulating Monferrato hills. Day 5: Pollenzo, Serralunga d’Alba. Morning visit and wine tasting at the fascinating wine bank in nearby Pollenzo, which stores and ages wines from all over Italy in order to keep a historical record of the very best vintages. Lunch is at a restaurant in Serralunga d’Alba at a Michelin-starred restaurant. In the castle at Manta there are some marvellous mediaeval frescos. Continue to Cuneo where the last two nights are spent.

The Val Lucerne, Piedmont, steel engraving after William Brockedon (1787–1854).

21–27 October 2017 (me 634) 7 days • £2,870 Lecturer: Marc Millon One of the most celebrated gastronomic regions in Italy, centre of the ‘Slow Food’ revolution. Wine and food production studied at source, including visits to Alba, white truﬄe capital of the world, and a number of Barolo wineries. Superb restaurants, from simple trattorias to the Michelin starred. Beautiful landscapes: upland pasture, rolling hills, sloping vineyards and hazelnut woods. The lecturer is Marc Millon; wine, food and travel writer, and author of The Food Lover’s Companion to Italy.

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Gastronomically, Piedmont is undoubtedly one of Italy’s most interesting regions. Its wines are superb, the food produced there is varied and the delicious cooking ranges from traditional country fare to creatively modern cuisine. Moreover, the region is the centre of the ‘Slow Food’ revolution, which is transforming gastronomy in Italy and beyond. There is also another winning feature: many Piedmontese in the food and wine business have a desire to share their passion, and welcome interested visitors with generous amounts of their time and produce. In part this may be because visitors are relatively few, despite the high reputation which Piedmont enjoys. For this tour we have bypassed Turin in favour of spending time in the countryside, seeing the origins of the food and wine and meeting the producers. This bucolic exile is not at the expense of culinary excellence; you will find superb restaurants, from simple rustic trattorias where Granny’s recipes are still gospel, to Michelinstarred and innovative establishments, all serving some of Italy’s finest food. book online at www.martinrandall.com

The study and enjoyment of wines is a large part of the tour. Barolo is the dominant wine – noble, austere and complex; the Nebbiolo grape is used for the elegant, tarry Barbaresco, and various other DOCs. We meet makers, chosen as much for their charm and communicativeness as for their wines, in some cases study their vines and the wine-making process, and taste the results. Among the foods we investigate, truﬄes are significant – Alba is something of a truﬄe capital – but the mountain cheeses such as Tomino and Castelmagno make an equally powerful impression. Landscape is another of the great pleasures of the tour. As its name suggests, Piedmont reaches from high pastures to alluvial plains, and much of it is used for agriculture (or small family-run farms). The Langhe hills are among the most beautiful in Italy, the flanks almost entirely carpeted with vineyards, the summits sporting castles, little mediaeval towns or ancient farmsteads.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 9.15am from London Gatwick to Genoa (British Airways) and drive north to Bra, an attractive market town with some fine architecture, where the first four nights are spent. In the evening study the local wine-making process at the Ascheri winery adjacent to the hotel. Day 2: Alba, Grinzane Cavour. Drive to Alba, chief town of the Langhe, for a truﬄe seminar and lunch. In the afternoon there is a wine tasting in the Castle of Grinzane Cavour, a spectacularly situated unesco heritage site, home of the first regional enoteca to open in Piedmont, now almost 50 years old. Dinner is at a ‘Slow Food’ restaurant. Day 3: Piozzo, Monforte d’Alba. The landscape between Dogliani and Murazzano is a patchwork of vineyards and rumpled hills, woods and pasturage. There is a truﬄe hunt (real, not

Day 6: Castelmagno, Sampeyre. The steep-sided valley of the river Grana is the sole source of one of Italy’s finest cheeses, Castelmagno. Visit a farm to see aspects of its production. Drive to Sampeyre in the mountains for lunch and a cooking demonstration with one of Italy’s rising stars. Day 7: Rivoli. Drive to Castello di Rivoli, one of the palaces of the royal house of Savoy established in hunting grounds around Turin. Rebuilt in the 18th century, though never finished, a museum of contemporary art has been installed here. Lunch here at one of the best restaurants in Piedmont, Combal Zero. Fly from Turin, arriving London Gatwick at c. 5.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,870 or £2,730 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,070 or £2,930 without flights. Included meals: 6 lunches and 4 dinners with wine (with wine and food tastings in addition). Accommodation. Albergo Cantine Ascheri, Bra (ascherihotel.it): 4-star hotel refurbished in a very modern but enjoyable design using locally made materials as much as possible. Service is enthusiastic and rooms are comfortable. Hotel Palazzo Lovera, Cuneo (palazzolovera.com): excellently situated 4-star hotel just off the ancient arcaded Via Roma. Traditional and tasteful décor with dark wood and faux-Rococo wall paintings. How strenuous? There is a fair amount of walking involved. Participants need to be used to walking unaided on uneven terrain, and surefootedness is also essential for truﬄe hunting in the woods. Participants on the optional walk on Day 4 need to be used to hiking up and down hills. Average distance by coach per day: 65 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Walking in Southern Tuscany, 9–16 October 2017 (page 134).

Palaces of Piedmont Courtly splendour in & around turin

Based in Turin, a lively city developed on a grand scale in the 17th and 18th centuries. Magnificent castles and royal residences, with other treats such as Romanesque abbeys, Gothic frescoes and outstanding paintings. Led by Dr Luca Leoncini, art historian specialising in northern Italian paintings.

Day 3: Staﬀarda, Manta, Racconigi. Drive south to the Abbey of Staffarda which retains an impressive Romanesque church with cloister and chapter house. Continue to the castle of Manta which has an early 15th-cent. fresco cycle, an important and beautiful example of secular International Gothic painting. The Castello di Racconigi was one of the summer residences of the Savoys; the front overlooking the park is by Guarini (1676). Day 4: Superga, Turin. The basilica of Superga (1731), a votive church and burial place of the royal family with a magnificent hilltop location just outside the city, is Juvarra’s finest work. Though altered in the 18th cent., the Villa della Regina (1620) is a good example of an early Baroque residence. The afternoon is free; there is plenty to do and see in Turin, equally it is a good place in which to relax. Day 5: Agliè, Masino, Albugnano. The Castello di Agliè to the north of Turin was rebuilt as a ducal palace in 1646 and further refurbished in the 18th and early 19th cents. With a similarly long history of embellishment, but with the 18th cent. predominant, the Castello di Masino is one of the best-preserved royal residences in Piedmont.

Nestling in an isolated rural setting, the small Romanesque Abbey of Vezzolano is outstanding for its architecture, stone carvings and frescoes. Day 6: Stupinigi, Venaria. The Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi is a royal hunting lodge built to a fascinating ground plan by Filippo Juvarra in 1730. Lavish interiors, fine gardens. The Venaria Reale (Amedeo Castellamonte 1660, Juvarra 1714–28) is the largest of the suburban palaces, a magnificent complex which reopened in 2007 after comprehensive renovation. Drive from here the short distance to the airport; return to Gatwick at c. 5.45pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,210 or £1,990 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,510 or £2,290 without flights. Included meals: 3 lunches, 3 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Grand Hotel Sitea, Turin (grandhotelsitea.it): 4-star hotel, comfortable, elegantly furnished and very central. How strenuous? The tour involves a lot of walking in the town centres where vehicular access is restricted and standing in museums, and should not be attempted by anyone who has difficulty with everyday walking and stair-climbing. Average distance by coach per day: 20 miles Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Gardens of the Riviera, 23–29 April 2017 (page 91).

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First emerging as an independent territory in the eleventh century, Savoy from the middle of the sixteenth century to the middle of the nineteenth grew from a minor duchy to a prosperous and powerful little kingdom. Straddling Alpine territory in what is now France, Switzerland and Italy, and adding Sardinia in 1720, it became larger than modern Belgium and was a significant player in European affairs. The capital moved from Chambéry to Turin in 1563, enabling extensions to be built on relatively unencumbered terrain, planned in accordance with Renaissance and, later, Baroque principles. Italy has little else to match the grandeur and homogeneity of its sequence of squares, boulevards and palaces dating to this period. The city looks, and is, as much French and Central European as Italian, and has always impressed visitors with its orderliness, regularity and magnificence. The capital was not the only material manifestation of Baroque culture in Piedmont. The House of Savoy and their courtiers created a constellation of residences and hunting lodges, gardens and parks around their capital which constitute as fine a group as is to be found anywhere in Europe. The patrons were fortunate in their choice of architects, especially Guarino Guarini (1624–83) and Filippo Juvarra (1678–1736). Guarini was a priest, a mathematician and creator of the some of the most original and beguiling architectural forms of the Baroque era. Juvarra trained in Rome and developed an international practice but his best works are in Piedmont, perfecting the easeful magnificence characteristic of the dying decades of the Age of Absolutism. Despite its cultural and linguistic orientation towards its western and northern neighbours, Savoy became the vanguard of the unification of Italy and the expulsion of foreign rulers, providing the firepower and diplomatic clout which facilitated the success of the Risorgimento in 1861. It also provided the kings of a newly united Italy. Shorn of the territories west of the Alps, France’s reward for assistance, the Italian residue of Savoy came to constitute the region of Piedmont, one of Italy’s most progressive and prosperous but unaccountably neglected by tourists.

Guarini. Piazza Castello is splendid, the greatest of the buildings being Palazzo Madama by Filippo Juvarra (1721), now housing the art gallery. Palazzo Reale, the principal royal residence, is largely of the late 17th cent. but has interiors of the 18th and 19th cents. and the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, Guarini’s masterpiece (1694). Housed here are masterpieces from the Galleria Sabauda.

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2–7 May 2017 (md 268) 6 days • £2,210 Lecturer: Dr Luca Leoncini

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 1.30pm from London Gatwick to Turin (British Airways) and reach the hotel in time for dinner. All five nights are spent in Turin. Day 2: Turin. Begin with a walk through the beautiful, arcaded Piazza San Carlo. The Palazzo Carignano has a remarkable curvaceous facade by

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Turin, Palazzo Madama, wood engraving c. 1880. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Gardens & Villas of the Italian Lakes Como & Maggiore ItALy

20–26 April 2017 (md 232) 7 days • £3,040 Lecturer: Steven Desmond

21–27 September 2017 (me 550) 7 days • £3,040 Lecturer: Steven Desmond Among the loveliest and most romantic spots on earth – the summer retreat of the wealthy, aristocratic and intellectual since the time of Pliny. Some of the finest gardens in Europe, glorious in their design and range.

See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

Led by Steven Desmond, landscape consultant and architectural historian, specialist in the conservation of historic parks and gardens.

Day 5: the Borromean Islands. Isola Bella is one of the world’s great gardens (and correspondingly popular), a wedding cake of terraces and greenery floating improbably in Lake Maggiore. The sense of surrealism is enhanced by the symbolic statuary and the flock of white peacocks. Isola Madre is the ideal dessert to follow Isola Bella: a relaxed, informal landscape garden around a charmingly domestic villa. Visual entertainments include the marvellous plant collection, revitalized by Henry Cocker in the 1950s, the chapel garden, puppet theatre and ambulant aviary.

Sublime mountain scenery, the inspiration of Bellini and Stendhal. Historic lakeside hotels.

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The gardens of the Italian lakes fall into two categories: formal, terraced, parterred, allegoried and enclosed summer residences of native landowners, and the expansive, landscaped villa grounds of the rich and splendid. Some are small, others huge; some ostentatious, others retiring; some immaculate, others picturesquely mouldering. Many are the former homes of Austrian aristocrats, Napoleonic grandees, bel canto composers or British seasonal emigrants. All respond to the setting, gazing out across bays and peninsulas, or up to mountain scenery of heroic dimensions. The tour is divided between Lake Como and Lake Maggiore. Lake Como, the home of Pliny, is intensely romantic: Shelley, Bellini and Stendhal found inspiration here on the shores of a long and slender lake divided in three parts. The little town of Bellagio surveys all three from its glittering headland, and provides a convenient (and luxurious) base for visiting the lakeside villa gardens. Lake Maggiore is altogether broader and more open, extending northwards into Switzerland, with the air of an inland sea. The great western bay includes the famous Borromean Islands, among them the contrasting garden retreats of Isola Bella and Isola Madre. As early as 1686 Bishop Burnet gushed that these were ‘certainly the loveliest spots of ground in the World, there is nothing in all Italy that can be compared to them’. Our tours are scheduled at times of the year when there is the possibility of clear, brilliant sunshine. Each lake, each shore, each promontory and island, has its own character, but everywhere is pervaded by the abundance of light, perfume and natural beauty.

Itinerary Day 1: Bellagio. Fly at midday (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Milan. Drive to Bellagio on Lake Como. First of three nights in Bellagio.

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Day 2: Bellagio. The neoclassical Villa Melzi at Bellagio was built in 1810 for Francesco Melzi d’Eril, vice-president of Napoleon’s Italian Republic. It overlooks the lake in an undulating English landscape park, richly planted and book online at www.martinrandall.com

Lake Como, watercolour by E. du Cane, publ. 1905.

decorated with ornamental buildings. The Villa Serbelloni, probably built on the site of one of Pliny the Younger’s two villas on Lake Como, occupies the high ground above Bellagio. The woods offer magnificent views to all parts of the lake. The mediaeval remnants, 16th-century villa and later terraces are the setting for planting schemes in a backdrop described by Stendhal as ‘a sublime and enchanting spectacle’. Day 3: Lake Como. Villa Carlotta on the western shore of Lake Como, built as a summer residence for a Milanese aristocrat, combines dramatic terracing, parterre and grottoes with an extensive landscape park and arboretum. The house contains notable collections from the Napoleonic period. The Villa Balbianello occupies its own headland projecting into the middle of Lake Como. This glorious site is terraced to provide sites for lawns, trees, shrubs and a chorus of statuary. The villa stands among groves of oak and pine. Day 4: Renaissance villa gardens. At the Villa Cicogna Mozzoni at Bisuschio, north of Varese, the 16th-century house and garden are thoroughly intertwined; the courtyard of pools and parterres leads to a water staircase, grottoes and giochi d’acqua. Lunch is served at the villa. The Villa della Porta Bozzolo, tucked away in a mountain valley near Lake Maggiore, is a hidden treasure of a garden, shooting straight up a dramatic hillside from the village street of Casalzuigno. The beautiful 17th-century villa is unexpectedly set to one side to increase the visual drama. First of three nights in Pallanza.

Day 6: Pallanza, Stresa. The Villa Taranto at Pallanza is an extravagant piece of 20th-century kitsch created by Henry Cocker for his patron, the enigmatic Neil McEacharn. The alarmingly gauche design is superbly planted and maintained with loving zeal by the present staff. In the afternoon visit the zoological garden planted with rare exotic trees and bushes in the grounds of Villa Pallavicino. Day 7. Fly from Milan to London Heathrow, arriving at c. 2.15pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,040 or £2,870 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,360 or £3,190 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, Bellagio (villaserbelloni.com): excellently situated on the edge of the lake, a historic 5-star hotel with lavishly decorated public rooms and wellappointed bedrooms (they vary in size). Rooms with a lake view are available on request and for a supplement. Grand Hotel Majestic, Pallanza (grandhotelmajestic.it): recently renovated, privately owned 4-star Belle Epoque hotel with lakeside gardens; bedrooms vary in size and all have lake views. How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking as some of the gardens are extensive, and all have uneven ground. Participants need to be fit and sure-footed. Average distance by coach per day: 23 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Ravenna & Urbino, 26–30 April 2017 (page 131); Courts of Northern Italy, 10–17 September 2017 (page 128); Walking in the Footsteps of Leonardo & Michelangelo, 29 September–6 October 2017 (page 133).

Savouring Lombardy Opera, food, wine, art & architecture in Northern Italy

A spectacular range of geography – the Italian Alps, Lake Como, the city of Milan and the Po Valley – yields diverse, superb food and wine. Includes a top category ticket to Verdi’s Nabucco at the renowned Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the very theatre in which it was premièred in 1842. Visits to the charming cities of Bergamo and Cremona, as well as to the magnificent Certosa di Pavia and Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper in Milan. Lecturer Fred Plotkin is a world-famous Italy expert, author of Italy for the Gourmet Traveller and former director at the Teatro alla Scala.

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Day 1. Fly at c. 12.00 noon (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Milan Linate. Drive to Bellagio, among the loveliest and most romantic spots on earth. First of three nights in Bellagio. Day 2: Lake Como. Spend the day on land and water, travelling exclusively by boat. Visit Como and the city’s grand cathedral, and see two glorious lakeside villas. The Villa Balbianello occupies its own headland projecting into the middle of Lake Como. This glorious site is terraced to provide sites for lawns, trees, shrubs and a chorus of statuary. Day 3: The Valtellina. Just north of the lake is a the Valtellina, a valley that opens to Lombardy’s alps. Some of Italy’s top red wines come from here, and there is a tasting at one of the region’s best producers, as well as delicious local cheeses. This zone is famous for numerous local foods, among them pizzoccheri, a buckwheat pasta served with cheese, greens, potatoes and garlic – ideal paired with local red wine. Visit the Castello Grumello, situated overlooking the valley, with a wonderful view of the mountain scenery. Day 4: Bergamo. Leave Bellagio to travel to an exceptional family-run trattoria near Bergamo. With its own herb garden, vegetables and fruit, this restaurant is beloved for the freshness of its flavours and fidelity to local food traditions. Continue to Bergamo, birthplace of Gaetano Donizetti, and visit the Donizetti Museum, before some time to explore the ancient hill town that is the city’s heart. Travel on to Milan for the first of three nights. Day 5: Certosa di Pavia, Cremona. In the morning visit the Certosa di Pavia, perhaps the most richly endowed monastic foundation in Italy, before travelling on to Cremona. This glorious town

in the Po River Valley gave the world Claudio Monteverdi, the first great opera composer, as well as the Stradivari, Amati and other families of luthiers whose stringed instruments have been the world’s best for more than 300 years. Learn about the violin and Monteverdi in situ and then discover another Cremona speciality, torrone, the city’s famous nougat. Day 6: Milan. Morning lecture by Fred Plotkin on Verdi’s Nabucco and its unique role in the formation of the Republic of Italy in the mid19th century, followed by a backstage visit to the greatest Italian opera house (subject to change depending on rehearsal schedules) and to its remarkable museum. Some free time in Milan. Dinner at one of Milan’s temples of gastronomy, situated inside the opera house. Evening opera at the Teatro alla Scala: Nabucco (Verdi) with Nello Santi (conductor), Teatro alla Scala Chorus and Orchestra, Leo Nucci (Nabucco), Stefano La Colla (Ismaele), Mikhail Petrenko (Zaccaria), Martina Serafin or Anna Pirozzi (Abigaille). Day 7: Milan. Visit Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, one of the greatest achievements in the history of art. Fly from Milan Linate, arriving London Heathrow at c. 3.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,560 or £3,450 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,980 or £3,870 without flights. Music ticket (top category) for one opera performance is included, costing c. £350. Included meals: 4 lunches, 3 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, Bellagio (villaserbelloni.com): excellently situated

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Lombardy – Lombardia – is the region of Italian excellence, the place that sets modern standards for much of what Italy is admired for around the world. It is one of Italy’s most geographically diverse areas and with that comes a remarkable variety of food and wines that make its cucina among the most sophisticated in all of Italy. The region contains the famous Lake District, including Lake Como, the deep blue jewel that is the most beautiful of them all, as well as the nearby Valtellina, a glorious and undiscovered swath of the Italian Alps that produces the region’s best wines and rustic mountain food. Noble cities such as Milan, Cremona and Bergamo each have their own rich traditions, and in Lombardy one also finds hill towns and broad fertile plains. Its southern border is the Po, the largest river in Italy. Such geographic diversity provides a feast of ingredients to cook with, including wild mushrooms; berries; rice; corn for polenta; wheat for pasta and baking; fish from lakes and rivers; prized cattle; and more cow’s milk cheeses than any other region of Italy, including Parmesan, Stracchino, Taleggio, Bitto and Gorgonzola. Lombardy has known its share of geniuses. Leonardo da Vinci lived in Milan, the region’s capital, for twenty-five years and introduced engineering, design, canals and modern irrigation for agriculture. He also wrote his codexes, those precious volumes that reflect his restless imagination and contain his innovative inventions. And he painted, including the world-famous Last Supper in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Claudio Monteverdi, the first great opera composer, was born in Cremona, and Giuseppe Verdi, Italy’s titan of opera and the man who led the battle for national unification with his opera Nabucco, lived much of his life in Milan and made the Teatro alla Scala a temple of opera. Gaetano Donizetti, whose operas often depicted royals and nobles from the United Kingdom, was from Bergamo. This tour is a unique combination of the very best elements the region has to offer, whether musical, gastronomic or artistic. To savour Lombardy is to experience all the pleasures of life, gratifying the eye, ear, nose, palate and soul. It is the region of cultivated sensuality.

Itinerary

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30 October–5 November 2017 (me 636) 7 days • £3,560 Lecturer: Fred Plotkin

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Milan, La Scala, steel engraving c. 1850. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Gardens of the Veneto Renaissance to recent

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on the edge of the lake, a historic 5-star hotel with lavishly decorated public rooms and wellappointed bedrooms (they vary in size). Rooms with a lake view are available on request and for a supplement. Rosa Grand Hotel, Milan (starhotels. com/en/our-hotels/rosa-grand-milan): smart 4-star hotel excellently located directly behind the Duomo. Rooms are well appointed in a clean, modern style. How strenuous? Visits require a fair amount of walking and standing around. There is one late night after the opera but the start is leisurely the following day. Some days involve a lot of coach travel. Average distance by coach per day: 58 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Gastronomic Piedmont, 21–27 October 2017 (page 114), Courts of Northern Italy, 22–29 October 2017 (page 128), Vivaldi in Venice, 6–11 November 2017 (page 120); Connoisseur’s Rome, 7–12 November 2017 (page 141).

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What else is included in the price? See page 7. book online at www.martinrandall.com

2–8 May 2017 (md 269) 7 days • £2,610 Lecturer: Amanda Patton Carefully curated selection of the most interesting and beautiful gardens on Venice’s mainland. Variety a keynote – of surrounding landscape, of garden style, of architecture, of horticulture.

Venice was at the forefront of trade with the East, and along with precious commodities came new plants. To capitalise on this increase in knowledge and diversity, the Botanic Garden of Padua was founded in 1545 – the first of its kind – to study plants and herbs and their potential for medicinal use. This ethos of discovery and experiment is still the driving force for this unesco World Heritage Site, evidenced by the impressive new glasshouses.

Access to most of the gardens is by special arrangement.

Itinerary

No overlap with our Palladian Villas tour.

Day 1: Stra. Fly at c. 11.30am from London Gatwick to Venice (British Airways). Drive to the Villa Pisani at Stra, one of the most opulent of the Brenta villas, owned briefly by Napoleon. Within a bend in the Brenta canal, the garden was inspired by Le Notre’s long vistas at Versailles where Andrea Pisani Alvise had been ambassador to Louis XIV. First of three nights in an elegant villa on the Brenta Canal at Mira Porte.

The landscape of the Veneto is one of contrasts. The fertile plain on the immediate hinterland of Venice, criss-crossed by causeways and dykes, became the summer playground of rich Venetian patricians as their agricultural holdings became ever more burdened by luxurious villas. Many were accessed directly from the Grand Canal through a diversion of the Brenta river. Further inland and southwest from Padua, this flat landscape is transformed by the Euganean Hills, tree-clad conical eruptions of volcanic rock which have been quarried for stone for the calli and campi of Venice since the sixth century. In contrast, to the north, the snow-capped mountains of the southern limestone Alps form a jagged backdrop to the salvia-rich meadows which adorn roadsides and villages, while wisteria, roses and irises scramble through the gardens of the many villas peppered through the countryside. This varied topography defined the development of the villas and gardens that were created between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries with the enormous wealth generated by the Republic of Venice. In the plains, villas were elevated from the landscape in order to enlarge the impact of the building on the surrounding landscape and to provide viewing platforms, galleries and balconies to allow gardens to be seen from above. Windows, allées and strategically placed statues were artfully arranged to heighten the effect of perspective and lend a grandeur to the setting that the level landscape mitigated against. The gardens of the Veneto created during the Republic were made largely for enjoyment and entertainment. Mazes, loggias, carved gods, dwarfs and Arcadian figures along with theatres and water jokes were all part of the spirit of the time. It was not all pleasure-seeking, however.

Day 2: Vescovana, Rivella, Valsanzibio. Today we visit two flower-filled gardens. In contrast to Stra, the Villa Pisani at Vescovana is a more modest affair, with an English-inspired Romantic garden of the 19th century. The garden designed around the 16th-century Villa Emo at Rivella was created in the 1960s. Villa Barbarigo at Valsanzibio is a Baroque masterpiece complete with water jests, boxwood maze and extensive pools, designed as an allegory of man’s progress towards salvation. Overnight Mira Porte. Day 3: Padua. Spend the morning at the beautiful, fascinating and historic Botanic Garden at Padua. The oldest such establishment in the world, it was founded in 1545 by order of the Venetian government (shortly after, it was absorbed by the university). The oldest living plant dates to 1550. In the afternoon, there is a choice of spending time in this gem of a city or of returning to rest in the hotel and its gardens. Overnight Mira Porte. Day 4: Fracanzan Pievone, Frassanelle, Costozza. Three private gardens. Villa Fracanzan Pievone maintains a traditional orchard and kitchen garden, among the few left in the Veneto. The charming artificial caves excavated under the Villa Frassanelle in the 1880s by Count Alberto Papafava replicate the natural caves within his park, complete with secret passageways, stalactites and underground lakes. The final visit is to the Baroque gardens of the Villa da Schio at Costozza,

Gastronomic Veneto From the Adriatic to Lake Garda, the Po Valley to the Dolomites ItALy

where we also visit the winery and sample the wines of the estate. Drive to Vicenza for the first of three nights here. Day 5: Trissino, Castelgomberto. Through a series of terraces, walks and panoramic belvederes, the gardens of Trissino Marzotto link two villas set into a hillside dominating the Agno valley. The upper villa was converted from a medieval fortress, while the lower is now a romantic ruin. The private garden of Villa da Schio is a beautifully proportioned Italian garden set in the plain below Trissino. Free afternoon in Vicenza, the exceedingly handsome little city embellished by the architect Andrea Palladio and his followers. Overnight Vicenza. Day 6: Negrar, Verona. The Pojega Garden at Villa Rizzardi, commissioned in 1783, is one of the last remaining examples of an Italian-style garden created before the fashion for landscape gardens took hold. Incorporating three descending terraces, it takes full advantage of the steep hillside with formal gardens, hornbeam avenues and a green theatre. Visit the Verona Civic Library to view the original plans for the Pojega Garden, then walk across the river to the Giardino Giusti. Created in 1580, they are among the finest Renaissance gardens in Europe. Overnight Vicenza. Day 7: Grezzana. Visit Villa Arvedi, whose impressive parterre was designed to be viewed from above, followed by lunch in the Baroque grotto. Return to Venice airport for the flight to London Gatwick, arriving c. 7.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,610 or £2,390 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,910 or £2,690 without flights. Included meals: 2 lunches, 4 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Villa Franceschi, Mira Porte (villafranceschi.com): 5-star hotel in a 16thcentury villa in the centre of Mira Porte. Hotel Campo Marzio, Vicenza (hotelcampomarzio. com): just outside a city gate of Vicenza, this 4-star hotel is well located and comfortable, with decentsized rooms.

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Gardens of the Riviera, 23–29 April 2017 (page 91).

Illustration: Verona from the Giardino Giusti, engraving from ‘The Art Journal’ 1887.

17–24 May 2017 (md 298) 8 days • £3,270 Lecturers: Marc Millon & Dr R. T. Cobianchi One of Italy’s most varied regions, both gastronomically and geographically. Some of Italy’s greatest and best-known wines including Amarone and Prosecco, at their absolute best in historic wineries and Michelinstarred restaurants. Artistic riches are not ignored, with time spent in the dazzlingly picturesque Verona, architecturally spectacular Vicenza and charming smaller towns such as Bassano del Grappa and Asolo. Two lecturers: an expert art historian and a gastronomic specialist, author of The Food Lover’s Companion to Italy. While the opulence of the Doges and the abundant feasts depicted in the paintings of Veronese may be less evident today, Venice’s influence still extends over a vast region, from Padova, Vicenza and Verona, all the way to the banks of Lake Garda; and to the north, over vine-covered foothills leading up to the jagged peaks of the Dolomites. This region, known as the Veneto, later came under the influence of the Austro-Hungarians, who similarly left their mark on a cucina with middle-European accents and a coffee culture that rivals Vienna. La Serenissima’s enduring influence is evident in a love of fish and shellfish from the lagoon and the Adriatic, while, even though transport and refrigeration render the process unnecessary, baccalà – air-dried (not salted) cod – remains a favourite today. Mountain traditions, meanwhile, are steadfastly safeguarded through cheeses produced from fragrant alpine milk, smoked meats, and the art of distillation. Corn was first introduced into the Italian diet some five hundred years ago and polenta remains the staple. Vialone nano rice, cultivated near Verona, is the favoured variety for making deliciously soupy risotti. Fruits and vegetables

abound: asparagus from Bassano del Grappa, radicchio from Treviso and Castelfranco Veneto, cherries from Marostica, and tiny violet artichokes from Sant’Erasmo. Grapes grow almost everywhere, producing some of the country’s greatest wines, as well as more accessible if no less satisfying everyday ones. Our tour begins in Verona with visits to churches and Roman monuments, small producers and outstanding restaurants. We travel through the wine hills of Breganze to Asolo, striking out in search of outstanding mountain cheese, gorgeous sparkling wines, fiery grappa. And we end on the Venetian lagoon with lunch on a private island with its own vineyard.

Itinerary Day 1: Verona. Fly at c. 1.30pm (British Airways) from London Gatwick to Verona. Dinner at an historic restaurant. First of three nights in Verona. Day 2: Verona, Sant’Ambrogia di Valpolicella, Lake Garda. A major Roman settlement, Verona also flourished in the Middle Ages under the tyrannical rule of the Scaligeri dynasty. A sequence of interconnecting squares lie at the heart of the city, lined with magnificent mediaeval palazzi. Outside Verona, visit the atmospheric Villa di Serego Alighieri, surrounded by Valpolicella vineyards, for a private wine tasting and lunch. 21 generations after Dante Alighieri’s son bought the estate, the house and surrounding land still belong to his direct descendants, the Counts Serego Alighieri. Day 3: Isola della Scala, Verona. Drive south to the rice fields near Isola della Scala to visit the historic rice mill at Riseria Ferron, which dates to 1650. There is a cooking demonstration here of typical rice dishes, and lunch. In the afternoon visit an olive oil producer near Verona, which uses artisanal harvesting methods to create only the highest-quality oils, tasted during the visit. Day 4: Vicenza, Breganze. Leave Verona for the beautiful little city of Vicenza, architecturally the noblest and most homogenous in northern Italy, much of its fabric consisting of Renaissance Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking, much of it on rough, uneven ground in the gardens. Sometime sites require the coach to park c. 1 mile away. The tour would not be suitable for anyone who has difficulties with everyday walking and stair climbing. Average distance by coach per day: 69 miles

Lake Garda, watercolour by E. Harrison Compton, publ. 1908.

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palaces. Andrea Palladio spent most of his life here, and his buildings include the town hall (Basilica Palladiana) and an epoch-making theatre (Teatro Olimpico). Continue to the lovely hilltop town of Asolo where the next four nights are spent. Day 5: Valdobbiadene. Spend the morning at the renowned Bisol winery in the Cartizze hills, family-run for over 500 years. Visit the cellars and have a Prosecco tasting here, before a rustic lunch nearby overlooking the vineyards, each hill’s contours finely etched by parallel lines of vines. Some free time in Asolo before a wine tasting led by the lecturer. Day 6: Canove di Roana, Bassano del Grappa. Drive into the mountains to a cheese-maker on the Altopiano, a high Alpine plain on the northern edge of the Veneto, past brightly-coloured houses, pines and meadows. Taste Asiago cheese and see where it is produced. Return to the plain to visit the charming town of Bassano del Grappa for a lunch of the celebrated local asparagus. Grappa tasting in the most eminent distillery in town, overlooking the bridge designed by Palladio. Day 7: Treviso, Castelfranco Veneto. Once an important fortress city, Treviso has a fine historical centre with imposing public buildings and many painted façades. The cathedral has a Titian Annunciation, but the hero of the day is the 14thcentury painter Tommaso da Modena: his frescoes of learned monks in the chapter house of S. Nicolò are extraordinary. Return to Asolo. In the evening drive to Castelfranco Veneto for the final dinner of the tour (1-star Michelin).

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Verona, engraving from Picturesque Europe Vo.IV, 1872. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Day 8: Mazzorbo. Drive to the coast and cross the lagoon by motoscafo (water-taxi) to the island of Mazzorbo, with wide vistas of breathtaking stillness. Visit the beautiful orti (kitchen gardens) of the acclaimed Venissa restaurant (1-star Michelin), taste wine produced from grapes grown here, and lunch. Fly from Venice, returning to Gatwick at c. 7.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,270 or £3,130 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,650 or £3,510 without flights. Included meals: 6 lunches, 4 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Due Torri Hotel, Verona (hotelduetorri.duetorrihotels.com): luxurious 5-star, excellently located near Piazza delle Erbe. Hotel Al Sole, Asolo (albergoalsoleasolo.com): small 5-star hotel, full of charm, with wonderful views from the terrace and a good restaurant. How strenuous? The tour involves a lot of walking, sometimes uphill and over unevenly paved ground. The coach can rarely enter town centres. Fitness and sure-footedness are essential. Some days involve a lot of driving. Average distance by coach per day: 45 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Vivaldi in Venice 6–11 November 2017 Contact us for full details or visit www.martinrandall.com Two years after our hugely successful Monteverdi festival, our next Venice blockbuster will be devoted to the music of the Antonio Vivaldi. Vivaldi was born in Venice and lived there for most of his life. La Serenissima was the source of most of his employment and patronage, the place where most of his music was composed and first heard, the city which with its eﬀervescent, ineluctable beauty is the perfect match for Vivaldi’s sound world. There will be an intensive programme of private concerts in ballrooms, halls and churches – among the loveliest spaces in the city. These will display his brilliance across the whole range of his output – chamber and orchestral, oratorio and liturgical, vocal and operatic. Performers, being engaged as we go to print, will be among the leading specialists in Italian Baroque repertoire from across Europe.

Art History of Venice Painting, sculpture & architecture in the world’s most beautiful city The Circumcision’ (detail), engraving c. 1820 after Giovanni Bellini.

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13–19 November 2017 (me 695) 7 days • £2,630 Lecturer: Dr Susan Steer Wide-ranging survey of art and architecture with an emphasis on the Renaissance. Led by Dr Susan Steer, art historian specialising in Venice, with a PhD focused on Venetian Renaissance altarpieces. Includes a private, after-hours visit to the Basilica di San Marco to see the transcendental splendour of the Byzantine mosaics.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 12.30pm (British Airways) from London Gatwick to Venice. Cross the lagoon by motoscafo (water taxi) to the hotel. Day 2. The morning walk includes S. Zaccaria and S. Giovanni in Bragora, two churches with outstanding Renaissance altarpieces by Vivarini, Bellini and Cima. The Scuola di S. Giorgio degli Schiavoni has a wonderful cycle of painting by

Carpaccio. In the afternoon cross the bacino to Palladio’s beautiful island church of S. Giorgio Maggiore and then to the tranquil Giudecca to see his best church, Il Redentore. Day 3. Cross the Grand Canal to the San Polo district, location of the great Franciscan church of Sta. Maria Gloriosa dei Frari which has outstanding artworks including Titian’s Assumption, and the Scuola Grande di S. Rocco, with dramatic paintings by Tintoretto. In the afternoon see the incomparably beautiful Doge’s Palace with pink Gothic revetment and rich Renaissance interiors. Day 4. Cross the lagoon by motoscafo to the island of Torcello, once the rival of Venice but now scarcely inhabited. Virtually all that remains of the city is the magnificent Veneto-Byzantine cathedral with its 12th-century mosaics. Continue to the pretty glass-making island of Murano. Day 5. In the morning visit the vast Gothic church of SS. Giovanni e Paolo and the early Renaissance Sta. Maria dei Miracoli with its multicoloured stone veneer. Cross the Grand Canal to Dorsoduro, to visit the church of S. Sebastiano with decoration by Veronese. Day 6. The morning is free. Spend the afternoon in the Accademia, Venice’s major art gallery, where all the Venetian painters are well represented. In the evening there is a special after-hours private visit to the Basilica di S. Marco, an 11th-century Byzantine church enriched over the centuries with mosaics, sculpture and various precious objects. Day 7. The Ca’ Rezzonico is a magnificent palace on the Grand Canal, now a museum of 18thcentury art. Travel by motoscafo to Venice airport. Fly to London Gatwick, arriving c. 6.15pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,630 or £2,510 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,210 or £3,090 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Splendid, Venice (starhotels.com): delightful 4-star hotel situated half-way between Piazza San Marco and the Rialto bridge. Despite the central location the hotel is quiet. Rooms are attractively decorated in a light, contemporary style and overlook side canals or a central courtyard. There is a good restaurant. How strenuous? The nature of Venice means that the city is more often than not traversed on foot. Although part of her charm, there is a lot of walking along the flat and up and down bridges; standing around in museums and churches is also unavoidable. Group size: between 8 and 18 participants. Combine this tour with: Vivaldi in Venice, 6–11 November 2017 (opposite); Connoisseur’s Rome, 7–12 November 2017 (page 141).

Monteverdi at La Fenice 15–19 June 2017 Details available in December 2016 Please contact us to register your interest

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For the world’s most beautiful city, Venice had an inauspicious start. The site was once merely a collection of mudbanks, and the first settlers came as re co-author of Titian’s Venice, a multi-media project that accompanied the 2003 National Gallery Titian exhibition fugees fleeing the barbarian destroyers of the Roman Empire. They sought to escape to terrain so inhospitable that no foe would follow. The success of the community which arose on the site would have been beyond the wildest imaginings of the first Venetians. By the end of the Middle Ages Venice had become the leading maritime power in the Mediterranean and possibly the wealthiest city in Europe. The shallow waters of the lagoon had indeed kept her safe from malign incursions and she kept her independence until the end of the eighteenth century. ‘Once did she hold the gorgeous East in fee, and was the safeguard of the West, Venice, eldest child of liberty.’ Trade with the East was the source of that wealth and power, and the eastern connection has left its indelible stamp upon Venetian art and architecture. Western styles are here tempered by a richness of effect and delicacy of pattern which is redolent of oriental opulence. It is above all by its colour that Venetian painting is distinguished. And whether sonorous or poetic, from Bellini through Titian to Tiepolo, there remain echoes of the transcendental splendour of the Byzantine mosaics of St Mark’s. That Venice survives so comprehensively from the days of its greatness, so little ruﬄed by modern intrusions, would suffice to make it the goal of everyone who is curious about the man-made world. Thoroughfares being water and cars nonexistent, the imagination traverses the centuries with ease. And while picturesque qualities are all-pervasive – shimmering Istrian limestone, crumbling stucco, variegated brickwork, mournful vistas with exquisitely sculpted details – there are not half-a-dozen cities in the world which surpass Venice for the sheer number of major works of architecture, sculpture and painting.

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Venetian Palaces The greatest & best-preserved palaces of La Serenissima italy

Day 2. See the palazzi on the Grand Canal from the viewpoint of a gondola. The former Casino Venier (by special arrangement) is a uniquely Venetian establishment that was part private members’ bar, part literary salon, part brothel. Designed by Longhena (c. 1667) and Giorgio Massari (c. 1751), the Ca’ Rezzonico is perhaps the most magnificent of Grand Canal palaces, and contains frescoes by Tiepolo; it is now a museum of 18th-century art. Visit the grand ballroom of late 17th-century Palazzo Zenobio (by special arrangement). Day 3. Visit the Palazzo Ducale, supremely beautiful with its 14th-century pink and white revetment outside, late Renaissance gilded halls and paintings by Tintoretto and Veronese inside. The Palazzo Grimani at Santa Maria Formosa became in the mid-16th century the purpose-built site of the family collection of antiquities, which were then bequeathed to the Venetian Republic. There is an after-hours private visit to the Basilica San Marco, an 11th-century Byzantine-style church enriched over the centuries with mosaics, sculpture and various precious objects. Venice, Ca’ d’Oro, engraving from ‘Illustrations to Hope’s Essay on Architecture’, 1835.

21–25 March 2017 (md 185) 5 days • £2,410 Lecturer: Dr Michael Douglas-Scott 28 November–2 December 2017 (me 720) 5 days • £2,410 Lecturer: Dr Michael Douglas-Scott Explores many of the finest and best-preserved palaces, once homes to the wealthiest nobles and merchants in Venice. Access to many by special arrangement, including some which are still in private hands. Also a private after-hours visit to St Mark’s Basilica. Led by Dr Michael Douglas-Scott, specialist in 16th-century Italian art and architecture. Stays in a 4-star hotel on the Grand Canal.

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Just as Venice possesses but a single piazza among dozens of campi, it has only one building correctly called a ‘palazzo’. The singularity is important: the Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale), like the Piazza San Marco, was the locus of the Serenissima’s public identity and seat of her republican government. Unlike her rivals in Florence and Milan she had no ruling dynasties to dictate polity, by contrast developing a deep aversion to individual aggrandizement and over-concentrated power. While the person and Palazzo of the Doge embodied their municipal identity, it was in their private houses that Venice’s mercantile oligarchs expressed their own family wealth and status. These case (in Venetian parlance ca’) were built throughout the city. In the absence of primogeniture, many branches sprung from the two hundred-odd noble families, leading to several edifices of the same name – an obstacle for wouldbe visitors. These houses were unlike any other domestic buildings elsewhere in the world: erected over wooden piles driven into the mud flats of the lagoon, they remained remarkably uniform over book online at www.martinrandall.com

the centuries in their basic design, combining the functions of mercantile emporium (ground level) and magnificent residence (upper floors). They were however built in a fantastic variety of styles, Veneto-Byzantine, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo. Sometimes there is a touch of Islamic decoration. As new families bought their way into the aristocracy during the long period of the Republic’s economic and political decline, they had their residences refurbished in Rococo splendour by master artists such as Giambattista Tiepolo. Many of these palaces have survived the virtual extinction of the Venetian aristocracy and retain their original, if faded, glory. Palaces for nobles will be considered in conjunction with those for the non-noble cittadino (wealthy merchant) class and the housing projects for ordinary Venetian popolani, which rise cheek by jowl in the dense urban fabric. Some of the places visited are familiar and readily accessible to the public. Others are opened only by special arrangement with the owners, whether a charitable organisation, branch of local government, or descendants of the original occupants. Some of these cannot be confirmed until nearer the time. A private, after-hours visit to the Basilica San Marco, the mosaic interior illuminated for your benefit, is a highlight of this tour. As is an opportunity to see up close ‘the most beautiful street in the world’, the Grand Canal, from that most Venetian of vantage-points, a gondola.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 12.30pm (British Airways) from London Gatwick to Venice. Cross the lagoon by motoscafo (water taxi) and travel up the Grand Canal to the doors of the hotel. Luggage is transported separately to the hotel by porters. There is an evening visit to a privately-owned palace, the 16th-century Palazzo Corner Gheltoff Alverà (by special arrangement).

Day 4. With its elegant tracery and abundant ornamentation, the Ca’ d’Oro, also on the Grand Canal, is the most gorgeous of Venetian Gothic palaces; it now houses the Galleria Franchetti. The 13th-century Fondaco dei Turchi is a unique survival from the era; today it is the natural history museum. In the afternoon visit a privately-owned palace, the Palazzo Contarini dal Zaffo-Polignac (by special arrangement). Day 5. Visit the privately-owned 17th-century Palazzo Albrizzi which has some of the finest stucco decoration in Venice (by special arrangement). By motoscafo to Venice airport, and fly to London Gatwick, arriving c. 6.15pm. The tour is dependent on the kindness of many individuals and organisations, some of whom are reluctant to make arrangements far in advance. The order of visits outlined above may change and there may be substitutions for some palaces mentioned.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,410 or £2,300 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,750 or £2,640 without flights. Included meals: 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Palazzo Sant’Angelo, Venice (palazzosantangelo.com): 4-star hotel in an excellent location on the Grand Canal near Campo Sant’Angelo and the Rialto Bridge. How strenuous? The nature of Venice means that the city is more often than not traversed on foot. Although part of her charm, there is a lot of walking along the flat and up and down bridges; standing around in museums and palaces is also unavoidable. The tour should not be attempted by anyone who has difficulty with everyday walking and stair-climbing. Fitness is essential. Group size: between 8 and 18 participants.

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

the Printing Revolution Renaissance print culture in Rome & Venice ItALy

13–19 November 2017 (me 696) This tour is currently full Please contact us to register your interest in future departures The arrival and impact of printing in Renaissance Italy: manuscripts, printed books and the visual arts 1450–1600. Special displays of manuscripts and books and privileged access to spaces not usually seen by the public. Accompanied by two lecturers – a British Library curator and an art historian specialising in the Italian Renaissance. No more than 18 participants. This tour explores the culture of Renaissance Rome and Venice from a new and unusual perspective – the history of printing. The arrival of printing in Rome in the 1460s, followed by the exponential growth of publishing in Venice, had far-reaching and profound consequences. It was nothing less than an information revolution. Beginning in Rome and at the first site of printing in Italy, the Benedictine monastery at Subiaco, the tour introduces the new technology and what this entailed for the way books were made, bought, collected and read. It shows how the transition from manuscript to print took place, and presents the leading personalities involved in the advancement of printing – cardinals, aristocrats, scholars, printers and booksellers. Many of the great collections of manuscript codices and printed books which were built at the time survive intact today in splendidly decorated libraries. Foremost among them was the Pope’s own library, the ‘Biblioteca Apostolica’, buried within the great Vatican complex. The story continues in Venice, which in the sixteenth century became the European centre of the publishing and bookselling trades. The monumental libraries here, places of architectural beauty themselves, house some of the greatest collections of illustrated books and manuscripts. The focus of this tour leads not only an understanding of the role of printing in Renaissance culture but also to an enhanced appreciation of the art of the period, and an understanding of the place of the book in early modern history.

Day 1. Fly at c. 12.45pm from London Heathrow to Rome Fiumicino (British Airways). Evening lecture and first of four nights in Rome. Day 2: Subiaco. Drive to the Roman countryside to visit the Benedictine monasteries at Subiaco, the first site of printing in Italy. In the library of Sta. Scolastica there are copies of the first books printed there, including Lactantius’ De divinis institutionibus, printed in 1465. Day 3: Rome. Spend the morning in the Vatican, visiting the Pope’s own library, the ‘Biblioteca Apostolica’ (by special arrangement) and the Vatican Museums. In the afternoon there is an out-of-hours visit to Raphael’s frescoes in Villa La Farnesina, where there was once a printing press.

The Palazzo Farnese, now the French embassy, is the most magnificent Renaissance palace in Rome.

Day 7. Fly from Venice to London Heathrow, arriving at c. 2.00pm.

Day 4: Rome. The Biblioteca Casanatense belonged to the Dominicans, who were in charge of attempts to control printing by means of the Index of Prohibited Books. The Biblioteca Angelica was the first public library in Europe. In the afternoon there is a printing demonstration at the Istituto Nazionale per la Grafica in the Palazzo Poli, which abuts the Trevi fountain.

The tour is dependent on the kindness of many individuals and organisations, so although this gives a fair picture of the itinerary, there may be substitutes for some places mentioned.

Day 5: Rome, Venice. Travel from Rome to Venice by first class rail (c. 4 hours). After settling into the hotel, visit the beautiful Biblioteca Marciana in the Piazzetta. Begun in 1536 by Sansovino and finished by Scamozzi in 1591, among its collections are many sculptures, Fra Mauro’s 1459 world map and important manuscripts and books. Day 6: Venice. Andrea Palladio’s monastery of S. Giorgio Maggiore has a library, now part of the Fondazione Cini, which has one of the greatest collections of 16th-century illustrated books, broadsheets and pamphlets. The small monastic library attached to the church of S. Francesco della Vigna is the repository for all Franciscan libraries in northern Italy and houses the only copy of the first printed edition of the Koran (1537). The Museo Correr, the museum of the history of Venice, has a library containing many fine manuscripts and incunabula.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,480 or £3,290 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,870 or £3,680 without flights. Included meals: 2 lunches, 5 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Bernini Bristol, Rome (berninibristol.com): 5-star hotel excellently located on the Piazza Barberini. Hotel Splendid, Venice (starhotels.com): delightful, quiet 4-star hotel situated half-way between Piazza San Marco and the Rialto bridge. How strenuous? There is unavoidably a lot of walking in both cities: the historic area in Rome is vast and vehicular access is restricted, and in Venice there is a lot of walking along the flat and up and down bridges. Standing around in museums and churches in both cities is also unavoidable. The tour should not be attempted by anyone who has difficulty with everyday walking and stair-climbing. Group size: between 8 and 18 participants. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Itinerary

Rome, Vatican Library, wood engraving c. 1880.

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Verona Opera Lyric spectacle in the Veneto ItALy

Dr Michael Douglas-Scott. Associate Lecturer in History of Art at Birkbeck College, specialising in 16th-century Italian art and architecture. He studied at the Courtauld and lived in Rome for several years. He has written articles for Arte Veneta, Burlington Magazine and the Journal of the Warburg & Courtauld Institutes. Dr R. T. Cobianchi. Art historian and lecturer. He completed his PhD at Warwick University, was a Rome Scholar at the British School in Rome and was fellow of both the Biblioteca Hertziana, Rome, and Villa I tatti, Florence. His research includes iconography and patronage of the late Middle Ages to the Baroque.

Verona, the amphitheatre, steel engraving c. 1850.

13–17 July 2017 (md 396) 5 days • £2,540 Rigoletto, Nabucco, Aida Lecturer: Dr Michael Douglas-Scott 17–21 August 2017 (md 484) 5 days • £2,540 Nabucco, Madame Butterfly, Aida Lecturer: Dr R. T. Cobianchi Includes tickets to three operas, performed on consecutive evenings, in the setting of a Roman amphitheatre, the most famous of open-air opera festivals. Accommodation is a 5-star hotel in the historic centre, with an optional minibus to the operas. Both tours are accompanied by art historians who lead walks and visits during the day, rather than by a musicologist.

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The first magic moment comes well before the conductor raises his baton. Unless you have led a team onto the pitch at Wembley, or won the New Hampshire primaries, you are unlikely to have experienced anything quite like the wall of heady high spirits which hits you as you emerge from the entrance tunnel into the arena. Filling the vast ellipse of the almost twothousand-year-old Roman amphitheatre are fourteen thousand happy people, bubbling with joyous expectation of the spectacle which is to follow. Even the most dour of dusty-hearted opera purists cannot help but be uplifted. Then the floodlights go down, the chaotic chatter quietens to a reverential whisper, and the enveloping dusk is pierced only by flickering candle flames as uncountable as the stars above. Magic again; for these special moments the Verona Festival remains without rival. The list of unique assets continues. There is the inestimable advantage of the stage and auditorium, one of the largest of ancient amphitheatres which, though built for rather less refined spectacles (‘arena’ is Latin for sand, used in quantity after book online at www.martinrandall.com

the slaughter of animals and gladiators) provides miraculously sympathetic acoustics. The elliptical form also seems to instil a sense which can best be described as resembling an embrace, bonding the audience however distant or disparate the individual members might be. Then there is the benefit of being at the heart of one of the most beautiful of Italian cities. Verona is crammed with magnificent architecture and dazzlingly picturesque streets and squares. Surprisingly, the city seems scarcely deflected from a typically Italian dedication to living well and stylishly by the annual influx of festival visitors. Enough of the spectacle, what of the music? Most performances reach high standards, with patches of stunning singing. For the (largely Italian) casts, to perform at Verona is still a special event, and there remains as an incentive to excellence the typically Italian expression of audience disapproval, instant and merciless. Besides, the younger singers know that they will be judged by more agents, casting directors and peers in one performance than usually would see them in a season. Opinions vary concerning the best place to sit. All the seats we have booked are numbered and reserved (no queuing for hours and elbowing to seize the best of what remains), and a proportion are poltronissime gold, cushioned stalls seats, which we offer for a supplement. The rest are on the lowest tiers, the gradinate numerate, with clear sight lines, while plastic seating is mercifully interposed between you and the marble. Drawbacks are reduced leg room and distance from the stage.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 3.30pm from London Gatwick to Verona (British Airways). Overnight Verona where all four nights are spent. Day 2. Visit the church of Sant’Anastasia with its Pisanello frescoes, and the spectacular mediaeval tombs of the ruling della Scala family. Take an introductory walk in Verona, passing through the beautiful streets and squares at the heart of

the city, and visit the Romanesque church of San Fermo. Some free time; evening opera in the Arena (July: Rigoletto; August: Nabucco). Day 3. A walk leads to the Romanesque cathedral, then across the River Adige to the well-preserved Roman theatre. Alternatively, there are bus and train services offering the opportunity to see more of the region, perhaps Lake Garda or Venice. In the afternoon, visit the church of S. Zeno, a major Romanesque church with sculpted portal and a Mantegna altarpiece. Evening opera in the Arena (July: Nabucco; August: Madame Butterfly). Day 4. The morning walk includes the Castelvecchio, a graceful mediaeval castle and fortified bridge, now housing an art museum. Lunch is at a privately owned villa in the countryside (by special arrangement). There is some free time; evening opera in the Arena (Aida). Day 5. Fly from Verona, arriving London Gatwick at c. 1.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,540 or £2,360 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,810 or £2,630 without flights. Music tickets to 3 performances are included, costing c. £290. Supplement for poltronissime gold seats: £250. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Due Torri Hotel, Verona (hotelduetorri.duetorrihotels.com): luxurious 5-star hotel situated c. 20 minutes walk from the Arena (a shuttle is provided). How strenuous? To participate fully in the itinerary, a fair amount of walking is involved. It is often very hot in Italy at this time of year. Average distance by coach per day: 18 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: The Rhône: Bacchus & Orpheus, 6–13 July 2017 (page 88).

Palladian Villas the greatest house builder in history

3–8 October 2017 (me 599) 6 days • £2,070 Lecturer: Dr Sarah Pearson A survey of various surviving villas and palaces designed by Andrea Palladio (1508–80), the world’s most influential architect. Stay throughout in Vicenza, Palladio’s home town and site of many of his buildings. Led by expert art and architectural historians. With many special appointments, this itinerary would be impossible for independent travellers. Utility is the key to understanding Palladio’s villas. In sixteenth-century Italy a villa was a farm, and in the Veneto agriculture had become a serious business for the city-based mercantile aristocracy. As the Venetian maritime empire gradually crumbled before the advancing Ottoman Turks, Venetians compensated by investing in the terra firma of their hinterland. But beauty was equally the determinant of form, though beauty of a special kind. Palladio was designing buildings for a clientele who, whether princes of commerce, traditional soldieraristocrats or gentlemen of leisure, shared an intense admiration for ancient Rome. They were children of the High Renaissance and steeped in humanist learning. Palladio was the first architect regularly to apply the colonnaded temple fronts to secular buildings. But the beauty of his villas was not solely a matter of applied ornament. As can be seen particularly in his low-budget, pared-down villas and auxiliary buildings, there is a geometric order which arises from sophisticated systems of proportion and an unerring intuitive sense of design. It is little wonder that Andrea Palladio became the most influential architect the western world has ever known. Many of his finest surviving villas and palaces are included on this tour, as well as some of the lesser-known and less accessible ones.

Day 4. The hilltop ‘La Rotonda’, a 10-minute drive from Vicenza, is the most famous of Palladio’s buildings, domed and with four porticoes. In the foothills of the Dolomites, Villa Godi Malinverni is an austere cuboid design with lavish frescoes inside. Some free time in Vicenza. Day 5. At the lovely town of Bassano there is a wooden bridge designed by Palladio. The Villa Barbaro at Maser, built by Palladio for two highly cultivated Venetian brothers, has superb frescoes by Veronese, while the Villa Emo at Fanzolo typically and beautifully combines the utilitarian with the monumental. Day 6. Drive along a stretch of the canal between Padua and the Venetian Lagoon, which is lined with the summer retreats of Venetian patricians. The Villa Foscari, ‘La Malcontenta’, is one of Palladio’s best known and most enchanting creations. Explore one of Palladio’s most evolved, most beautiful and most influential buildings, the Villa Cornaro at Piombino Dese. Fly from Venice to London Gatwick, arriving c. 6.30pm. Many of the villas on this itinerary are privately owned and require special permission to visit. The selection and order may therefore vary a little from the description given in the Itinerary.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,070 or £1,910 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,350 or £2,190 without flights.

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4–9 April 2017 (md 204) 6 days • £2,070 Lecturer: Dr Michael Douglas-Scott

Included meals: 2 lunches, 3 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Campo Marzio, Vicenza (hotelcampomarzio.com): just outside a city gate of Vicenza, this 4-star hotel is well located and comfortable, with decent-sized rooms. How strenuous? The tour involves a lot of walking, sometimes uphill and over unevenly paved ground, as the coach can rarely get close to the villas or enter town centres. There is a lot of standing outside and inside villas. Fitness is essential. Some days involve a lot of driving. Average distance by coach per day: 58 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, 9–14 October 2017 (page 127); Dark Age Brilliance, 24 September–1 October 2017 (page 130); Walking in Southern Tuscany, 9–16 October 2017 (page 134).

The Villa Foscari ‘La Malcontenta’, from an 18th-century etching.

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Day 1. Fly at c. 2.00pm (British Airways) from London Gatwick to Venice. Drive to Vicenza where all five nights are spent. Day 2. See in Vicenza several palaces by Palladio including the Palazzo Thiene and the colonnaded Palazzo Chiericati. His chief civic works here are the Basilica – the mediaeval town hall nobly encased in classical guise – and the Teatro Olimpico, the earliest theatre of modern times. Day 3. The Villa Pisani at Bagnolo di Lonigo, small but of majestic proportions, is considered by many scholars to be Palladio’s first masterpiece. The Villa Poiana, another early work, has restrained but noble proportions. The Villa Badoer at Fratta Polesine, from the middle of his career, is a perfect example of Palladian hierarchy, a raised residence connected by curved colonnades to auxiliary buildings.

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The Venetian Hills Renaissance art in the foothills of the Dolomites italy

and Venetian-style palaces. Among the fine paintings is an exquisite Madonna & Child by Cima in the Museo Civico.

The Dolomites and the Cadore Valley, wood engraving 1893 after John McWhirter.

5–9 October 2017 (me 596) 5 days • £1,830 Lecturer: Dr Kevin Childs Ravishingly beautiful landscapes from vine-clad foothills to the peaks of the Dolomites. Altarpieces and frescoes by Venetian masters, mediaeval to Rococo. Some of the loveliest hill towns in Italy, including the birthplace of Titian. The lecturer is Dr Kevin Childs, an expert in Italian Renaissance art. Combine this tour with Friuli-Venezia Giulia, 9–14 October 2017 – see opposite.

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‘Hills’ and ‘Venice’ are not accustomed to finding themselves in the same sentence; sited on (and sometimes under) an estuarial lagoon, elevation above (or below) sea level in Venice is measured in centimetres. But on a clear day a range of hills can be seen rising to the north. On a very clear day the snowy peaks of the Dolomites come into view. Towards the end of the Middle Ages the proud little communities which populated these hills one by one submitted to the rule of La Serenissima, as did much of northern Italy. Political hegemony was followed by cultural influence, clearly manifested still in the disorientating sight of Venetian-style Renaissance palazzi set against precipitous pineclad hillsides. But the cultural forces did not flow only in one direction. As is often the case with an artistically flourishing metropolis, many of the creators were outsiders. Titian was born in the rugged Cadore mountains, Cima from the gentler hillside town of Conegliano, Marco Ricci from hilltop Belluno. These and many other artists enjoyed successful careers in Venice, but most kept in contact with their natal towns, accepting commissions for, or donating paintings to, their parish church. book online at www.martinrandall.com

These hill towns are among the loveliest in Italy, and they are set in ravishing landscapes which range from vine-clad foothills to soaring limestone peaks. Most of them are quite small, but the architectural ambitions of their inhabitants were otherwise: the historic centres are dense with fine buildings and arcaded streets which give protection from mountain downpours and summer sun. The ostensible theme of this tour is painting of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, but other aspects of the art and history of the region will not be ignored. The base is Follina, a tiny community which grew up around a monastery in the mountains.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 1.00pm (British Airways) from London Gatwick to Venice. Drive through the hills to Follina where all four nights are spent. Day 2: Vittorio Veneto, Conegliano. The tiny city of Serravalle (now joined with Cèneda to form Vittorio Veneto), occupying a gorge scoured by the River Meschio, has a fine group of mediaeval and Renaissance buildings, 15th-century frescoes in the chapel of S. Lorenzo and a Titian in the cathedral. In the church of Santa Maria in Cèneda there is an exquisite Annunciation by Previtali. Drive to the birthplace of Giambattista Cima del Conegliano, the lovely town from which the artist took his name, that spreads down a hillside below the remains of a castle. Visit Cima’s house and the cathedral to see one of his greatest works (1492). Day 3: Pieve di Cadore, Belluno. Titian was born in the little town of Pieve di Cadore; see here the family home and the parish church with paintings by Titian and family. In the afternoon drive north along the valley of the Piave into an ever more dramatic mountain landscape. Sitting athwart a promontory looped by the Piave, Belluno is a beautiful little city with a Renaissance cathedral

Day 4: Bassano, Feltre. Bassano del Grappa is a highly attractive town in the foothills of the Dolomites with a series of picturesque squares with painted façades. Home of the prolific Bassano family of painters, there are several of their works in the civic museum. Stacked up along the ridge of a hill, Feltre is another architectural outpost of Venice with striking buildings in various styles. See the Rizzarda collection of early 20th-century arts and crafts and the 1802 theatre in the town hall. Day 5: San Fior, Treviso. Descend to San Fior, a little town on the densely populated plain at the foot of the hills. Riven by canals and streams, San Fior has an altarpiece by Cima. Once an important fortress city, Treviso has a fine historic centre with imposing public buildings and many painted façades. Selective visits here include the extraordinary frescoes of learned monks in the chapter house of St Nicholas by 14th-cent. painter Tommaso da Modena. Fly from Venice airport, arriving at Gatwick c. 7.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,830 or £1,670 without flights. Single occupancy: £1,900 or £1,740 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel dei Chiostri (hoteldeichiostri.com): 4-star hotel in the hill town of Follina, installed in former abbey buildings. How strenuous? Quite a lot of walking, some of which is uphill or in the town centres where vehicular access is restricted. Streets are often cobbled, and the tour should not be attempted by anyone who has difficulty with everyday walking and stair-climbing. Agility, stamina and surefootedness are essential. Many of the historical buildings visited are sprawling and vast. Some days involve a lot of driving. Average distance by coach per day: 62 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, 9–14 October 2017 (opposite); Essential Puglia, 27 September–4 October 2017 (page 144); Walking in Southern Tuscany, 9–16 October 2017 (page 134).

Friuli-Venezia Giulia The border lands of northeast Italy

A wide variety of art and architecture: Roman, Byzantine, Gothic, Renaissance, Palladian. Tiepolo is a recurrent theme and the tour is based in Udine where he worked early in his career. The lecturer is Dr Kevin Childs, an expert in Italian Renaissance art. Combine this tour with The Venetian Hills, 5–9 October 2017 – see opposite.

Day 4: Trieste. Before 1919 Trieste was the principal seaport of the Habsburg Empire and the busiest port in the Mediterranean, and its broad straight streets and 19th-century buildings have a distinctly Viennese cast. After a troubled 20th century its fortunes have revived since 1989, demonstrated through grand seafront architecture. Towering above, the ancient Capitol has remains of the Roman forum, castle and the cathedral of S. Giusto, an agglomeration of buildings from the 5th century onwards with Byzantine mosaics. Also see ceramics dating from the middle ages to the nineteenth century in the Museo Sartorio, as well as the civic museum of history and art. Day 5: San Daniele, Spilimbergo, Pordenone. Three towns in the broad valley of the River Tagliamento. The Renaissance frescoes by Pellegrino di San Daniele in the church of Sant’Antonio at San Daniele are the finest in the region. Spilimbergo has a Gothic cathedral with 14th-century frescoes, and a castle courtyard with painted façades. Snaking through Pordenone an arcaded street widens towards the town hall and cathedral, which contains fine paintings including some by G.A. Sacchis, called Il Pordenone.

Day 6: Cividale. Cividale is in the hills bordering Slovenia. Founded by Julius Caesar and capital of the first Lombard duchy in Italy, the Tempietto Longobardo possesses the finest 8th-century sculpture to survive in Europe. Fly from Venice, arriving at London Gatwick at c. 6.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,730 or £1,570 without flights. Single occupancy: £1,850 or £1,690 without flights. Included meals: 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Astoria Hotel Italia, Udine (hotelastoria.udine.it): a well established 4-star hotel located on one of the principal squares in the centre of town. How strenuous: The tour involves quite a lot of walking, some of which is uphill and some of which is in the town centres where vehicular access is restricted. Streets are often cobbled, and the tour should not be attempted by anyone who has difficulty with everyday walking and stairclimbing. Some days involve a lot of driving. Average distance by coach per day: 53 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: The Venetian Hills, 5–9 October 2017 (opposite); Palladian Villas, 3–8 October 2017 (page 125); Art in the Netherlands, 15–21 October 2017 (page 150); Civilizations of Sicily, 16–28 October 2017 (page 146).

Cividale, by F. Hamilton Jackson 1906.

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Cumbersome by name, complex by history, the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia is tucked within the north-eastern borders of Italy and bound by Austria, Slovenia, the Veneto and the Adriatic. Much of the region was ceded to Italy by Austria only after the First World War; a border dispute with Yugoslavia rumbled into the 1970s. Understandably, it is marked by variety – ethnic, linguistic, cultural, gastronomic and topographical. The south and centre consist of a broad alluvial plain whose glistening fecundity is fed by rivers descending from the Julian Alps and the Dolomites. The mediating foothills produce some of the finest white wines in the world. Populous and prosperous, there are many towns with historic kernels where virtually every period of Italian art and architecture is represented, from Roman to modern. Some of the early mediaeval buildings are particularly striking and important – Aquileia, Grado and Cividale. There is much fine Renaissance painting and architecture: Palladianism was the dominant creed for a couple of centuries after Palladio’s death, and in addition to painters who established themselves in Venice there are several figures of talent who are not well known outside the region. Painting reached another climax in the eighteenth century as Tiepolo spent the years of his early maturity in Udine. Udine is the base for the tour. A lively city, it has an extensive historic centre with a succession of enchantingly picturesque streets and squares and a central piazza as fine as almost any in Italy. The other big city visited is Trieste, for centuries the principal Austro-Hungarian outlet to the sea and one of the most important ports in the Mediterranean.

Day 3: Aquileia, Grado. See two of Italy’s best early mediaeval churches, the Basilica at Aquileia, rebuilt in the 11th century but retaining a 4thcentury mosaic floor, and S. Eufemia at Grado with mosaics, pulpit and silver altar frontal. Aquileia was a major Roman city and seat of the patriarchate while Grado was its outer port.

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9–14 October 2017 (me 598) 6 days • £1,730 Lecturer: Dr Kevin Childs

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 2.00pm (British Airways) from London Gatwick to Venice. Drive to Udine where all five nights are spent. Day 2: Udine. Visit the main piazza with its Gothic and Renaissance loggias, and the cathedral, basically Gothic but much augmented later. The main theme is Tiepolo, the greatest painter of the 18th century, who created several major works in the cathedral, the Oratorio della Purità and the Archbishop’s Palace. A hillock at the centre is the site of the castle, an imposing 16th-century residence housing the art gallery, a fine collection of paintings by artists from the region. See also S. Maria di Castello, the oldest church in Udine, and S. Giacomo with its Renaissance façade.

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Courts of Northern Italy Princely art of the Renaissance ItALy

14–21 May 2017 (md 295) 8 days • £2,310 Lecturer: Dr Michael Douglas-Scott 10–17 September 2017 (me 519) 8 days • £2,310 Lecturer: Professor Fabrizio Nevola 22–29 October 2017 (me 635) 8 days • £2,310 Lecturer: Dr Michael Douglas-Scott Northern Italy’s independent city states: Mantua, Ferrara, Parma, Ravenna and Urbino. Some of the greatest Renaissance art and architecture, commissioned by the powerful ruling dynasties: Gonzaga, Este, Sforza, Farnese, Montefeltro and others. Led by Dr Michael Douglas-Scott, specialist in 16th-century Italian art and architecture, and Professor Fabrizio Nevola, specialist in the urban and architectural history of Early Modern Italy. Highlights include the most glorious concentration of Byzantine mosaics and important works by Alberti, Mantegna, Piero della Francesca and Correggio.

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After the collapse of the Roman Empire, Italy gradually fragmented into numerous little territories. The city states became fiercely independent and were governed with some degree of democracy. But a debilitating violence all too often ensued as the leading families fought with fellow citizens for dominance of the city council and the offices of state. A common outcome from the thirteenth century onwards was the imposition of autocratic rule by a single prince, and the suspension of democratic structures: but such tyranny was not infrequently welcomed with relief and gratitude by a war-weary citizenry. Their rule may have been tyrannical, and warfare their principal occupation, but the Montefeltro, Malatesta, d’Este and Gonzaga dynasties brought into being through their patronage some of the finest buildings and works of art of the Renaissance. Many of the leading artists in fifteenth- and sixteenth- century Italy worked in the service of princely courts. As for court art of earlier epochs, little survives, though a glimpse of the oriental splendour of the Byzantine court of Emperor Justinian can be had in the mosaic depiction of him, his wife and their retinue in the church of San Vitale in Ravenna. It is not until the fifteenth century, in Mantegna’s Camera degli Sposi at Mantua, that we are again allowed an unhindered gaze into court life.

Itinerary Day 1: Mantua. Fly at c. 8.15am (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Bologna. Drive to Mantua where the first four nights are spent. After a late lunch, visit the Ducal Palace, a vast rambling complex, the aggregate of 300 years of extravagant patronage by the Gonzaga dynasty (Mantegna’s frescoes in the Camera degli Sposi, Pisanello frescoes, Rubens altarpiece).

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Parma, theatre in the Ducal Palace, lithograph 1822.

Day 2: Mantua, Sabbioneta. In the morning visit Alberti’s highly influential Early Renaissance church of Sant’Andrea, the Romanesque Rotonda of S. Lorenzo and Giulio Romano’s uncharacteristically restrained cathedral. In the afternoon, drive to Sabbioneta, an ideal Renaissance city on an almost miniature scale, built for Vespasiano Gonzaga in the 1550s; visit the ducal palace, theatre, and one of the world’s first picture galleries. Day 3: Parma, Fontanellato. Parma is a beautiful city; the vast Palazzo della Pilotta houses an art gallery (Correggio, Parmigianino) and an important Renaissance theatre (first

proscenium arch). Visit the splendid Romanesque cathedral with illusionistic frescoes of a tumultuous heavenly host by Correggio. Also by Correggio is a sophisticated set of allegorical lunettes in grisaille surrounding a celebration of Diana as the goddess of chastity and the hunt in the Camera di S. Paolo. In the afternoon, visit the moated 13th-century castle in Fontanellato, seeing frescoes by Parmigianino. Day 4: Mantua. After a free morning, an afternoon walk takes in the exteriors of Alberti’s centrally planned church of S. Sebastiano, and the houses that court artists Mantegna and Giulio Romano built for themselves. Also visit Palazzo Te, the

Day 7: Urbino. Drive into the hills to Urbino, the beautiful little city of the Montefeltro dynasty. See the exquisite Gothic frescoes in the Oratorio di S. Giovanni. In the afternoon, visit the Palazzo Ducale, a masterpiece of architecture which grew over 30 years into the perfect Renaissance secular environment. See the beautiful studiolo of Federico of Montefeltro and excellent picture collection here (Piero, Raphael, Titian). Day 8: Cesena, Rimini. The Biblioteca Malatestiana in Cesena is a perfectly preserved Renaissance library established by Malatesta Novello, and contains over 300 valuable manuscripts. In Rimini visit the outstanding Tempio Malatestiano, designed by Leon Battista Alberti for the tyrant Sigismondo Malatesta, which contains superb decoration by Agostino di Duccio and particularly fine sculptural detail. Fly from Bologna, arriving at London Heathrow c. 8.15pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,310 or £2,140 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,570 or £2,400 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine. What else is included in the price? See page 7.

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possesses the world’s most glorious concentration of Early Christian and Byzantine mosaics. Visit the Basilica of S. Apollinare Nuovo with its mosaic Procession of Martyrs. Drive to Classe, Ravenna’s port, which was once one of the largest in the Roman world; virtually all that is left is the great Basilica di S. Apollinare. In the evening, there is a private visit to the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, lined with 5th-century mosaics, and the splendid centrally planned church of S. Vitale with 6th-century mosaics of Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora.

Professor Fabrizio Nevola. Chair and Professor of Art History and Visual Culture at the University of Exeter. His research focuses on the urban and architectural history of early modern Italy and he has published widely including Siena: Constructing the Renaissance City. He obtained his PhD at the Courtauld. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. Accommodation. Hotel Casa Poli, Mantua (hotelcasapoli.it): 4-star hotel a short walk from the historic centre. Hotel Palazzo Bezzi, Ravenna (palazzobezzi.it): a new 4-star superior hotel, located on the edge of the historic centre. How strenuous? There is a lot of walking, much of it on steep and roughly paved streets: agility, stamina and sure-footedness are essential. Coaches are not allowed into the historic centres. Many of the historical buildings visited are sprawling and vast. Some days involve a lot of driving. Average distance by coach per day: 88 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Verdi in Parma & Busseto

Gonzaga summer residence and the major monument of Italian Mannerism, with lavish frescoes by Giulio Romano. Day 5: Ferrara was the centre of the city-state ruled by the d’Este dynasty, whose court was one of the most lavish and cultured in Renaissance Italy. Pass the Castello Estense, a moated 15th-century stronghold, and the cathedral. The Palazzo Schifanoia is an Este retreat with elaborate astrological frescoes. First of three nights in Ravenna. Day 6: Ravenna, Classe. The last capital of the western Roman Empire and subsequently capital of Ostrogothic and Byzantine Italy, Ravenna

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October 2017 Details available in March 2017 Please contact us to register your interest

Gastronomic Emilia-Romagna 22–28 April 2017 (md 248) This tour is currently full Please contact us for details or visit www.martinrandall.com A food-lover’s paradise: source of the best ham, cheese, vinegar, fresh pasta. See how they are made and meet their producers. Lunch in Modena at the Osteria Francescana, which ranked number one in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016, with three Michelin stars.

Parma, cathedral and baptistery, watercolour by W.W. Collins, publ. 1911. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Dark Age Brilliance Late Antique & Pre-Romanesque ItALy

24 September–1 October 2017 (me 570) 8 days • £2,230 Lecturer: Dr Ffiona Gilmore Eaves

Day 5: Cividale. Although founded as Forum Julii in the 1st century bc, Cividale is best known to historians as the site of the earliest Longobard settlement in northern Italy, and most celebrated by art historians for the astonishing quality and quantity of the 8th-century work which has survived here. See the superb ‘Tempietto’ of Sta. Maria in Valle, Longobardic work in the cathedral museum and spectacular early mediaeval collections in the archaeological museum. The afternoon is free in Cividale.

A journey through north-east Italy to Croatia, via Ravenna, Torcello and Cividale. Private evening visit to San Vitale, Ravenna’s finest church, and the adjacent Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, to see the magnificent mosaics. Includes some of the finest art and architecture of the Early Middle Ages to be found anywhere.

Day 6: Poreč (Croatia). Drive south, cross Slovenia and enter the part of Croatia formerly known as Istria. The sole object of the excursion is to visit Poreč (Parenzo), a longish journey justified by the existence of an unusually complete 6th-century cathedral complex: basilican church, baptistery and bishop’s palace. The church proper was built above an earlier basilica c. 540 by Bishop Euphrasius, whose complete episcopal throne is set within an apse which, for once, has retained its full complement of furnishings and fittings.

Byzantine heritage of unique range and richness, with exceptional mosaics.

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It is now commonplace to believe, contrary to the assumptions of centuries, that the Dark Ages which succeeded the glories of the Roman Empire were not so dark, and that the later history of the Empire was not so glorious. A concomitant reappraisal has led to the acceptance of Early Christian and Byzantine art not as a regression to primitivism – an aspect of the decline and fall – but as one of the most brilliant chapters in the history of Western art. But it remains true that in the territories of the Western Empire from the fift h to the ninth century there was little in the way of monumental building or large-scale artistic production. Only in a few dispersed pockets was the flame of ambitious artistic and intellectual endeavour kept alive. A string of such pockets gathered around the northern end of the Adriatic and northeast Italy, the last redoubt of the Empire in the West. Born of an Umbrian past and raised in Imperial retreat, Ravenna remains anchored in the Adriatic marshes, humbled by the rise of her great neighbours, Bologna and Venice, and unhindered by later political commerce. The effect of this marginal status has been to spare her Early Christian buildings and leave a Byzantine heritage of unique range and richness. Given the intensity with which Ravenna developed between 402, when Honorius chose it as his capital, and 751, when the last of the Exarchs returned to Constantinople, it makes a fitting introduction to Early Christian and early mediaeval culture in north-eastern Italy. Arising from the need to cater for the spiritual requirements of newly emancipated Christianity, the clarity and humanism of the classical tradition were superseded by images and decoration designed to instil a kind of sacred dread, and to intimate the glories of the world to come. Mosaic was the key element in creating church interiors of awesome splendour and intense spirituality. Early Christian forms were endorsed throughout the whole of the Adriatic seaboard, and the second half of the tour embraces Aquileia, Grado, Poreč (Parenzo) in Croatia and Concordia Sagittaria. The theme is rounded off with the astonishing little eighth-century church in Cividale in the foothills of the Julian Alps which preserves the earliest monumental sculpture of the Middle Ages.

What else is included in the price? See page 7. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Ravenna, S. Apollinare Nuovo, watercolour by W.W. Collins, publ. 1911.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 3.00pm (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Bologna. Drive to Ravenna for the first of three nights. Day 2: Ravenna. Begin with an exploration of the 5th-century forms at the cathedral and Orthodox Baptistery, and the superlative 6thcentury ivory throne of Maximian in the Museo Arcivescovile. In the afternoon study Arian Ravenna at the Arian Baptistery and Theodoric’s great Palatine church of S. Apollinare Nuovo. Investigate the 5th-century basilica design which provided Theodoric’s court with its most immediate models, and Galla Placidia’s splendid ex-voto basilica of S. Giovanni Evangelista. Day 3: Ravenna, Classe. In the morning see the outstanding National Museum, with excellent Byzantine ivory carvings. Travel by coach to Theodoric’s superb Mausoleum and to the ancient port of Classe for the great 6th-century basilica of S. Apollinare. Private evening visit to the church of S. Vitale, the greatest 6th-century building of the West; the invention with which form, colour, space and narrative meaning are combined is breathtaking. The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is the earliest Christian structure in Europe to retain its mosaic decoration in its entirety. Day 4: Pomposa, Concordia Sagittaria. Drive north to the Po delta. Pomposa is an important 8th-century Benedictine abbey, richly extended by Abbot Guido’s magnificent 11th-century porch and campanile. Lunch in Chioggia. The Roman road station at Concordia Sagittaria, whose modest mediaeval cathedral was built alongside a 4th-century basilica and martyrium, is splendidly revealed through archaeological excavation. Stay four nights in Cividale.

Day 7: Aquileia, Grado. Aquileia was a major Roman city whose influential cathedral was complete by 319. Sections of walls and mosaic pavements were preserved within the present 11thcentury cathedral, a rather wonderful survival. The Longobard sack of 568 resulted in the removal of the see to the more defensible position on the coast at Grado, whose two great 6th-century churches, Sta. Maria della Grazie and the cathedral, also have outstanding floor mosaics. Day 8: Torcello. Drive to the Adriatic and take a water taxi to the island of Torcello in the Venetian lagoon, a major city while Venice was little more than a fishing village. Visit the largely 11th-century cathedral of Sta. Maria Assunta and adjacent Greek-cross reliquary church of Sta. Fosca. Continue to Venice Airport and fly to London Gatwick, arriving at c. 7.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,230 or £2,020 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,440 or £2,230 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 5 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Palazzo Bezzi, Ravenna (palazzobezzi.it): new 4-star superior hotel, located on the edge of the historic centre. Hotel Roma, Cividale (hotelroma-cividale.it): simple, functional and friendly 3-star, located in the centre of town. How strenuous? The tour involves a lot of walking in town centres where vehicular access is restricted and a lot of standing in museums and churches. It should not be attempted by anyone who has difficulty with everyday walking and stair-climbing. Some days involve a lot of driving. Average distance by coach per day: 76 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Art in the Netherlands, 2–8 October 2016 (page 150); Civilizations of Sicily, 17–29 October 2016 (page 146); World Heritage Malta, 2–8 October 2017 (page 148); Palladian Villas, 3–8 October 2017 (page 125); Mediaeval Alsace, 3–10 October 2017 (page 85); Aragón: Hidden Spain, 3–11 October 2017 (page 165).

Ravenna & Urbino Byzantine capital, Renaissance court

11–15 October 2017 (me 597) 5 days • £1,490 Lecturer: Dr Luca Leoncini A study in contrasts: one a city with origins as a major Roman seaport, the other an enchanting little Renaissance settlement high in the hills. In Ravenna, some of the greatest buildings of late antiquity with the finest Byzantine mosaics. In Urbino the Ducal Palace, the greatest secular building of the Early Renaissance. Private evening visit to San Vitale, Ravenna’s finest church, and the adjacent Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, to see the magnificent mosaics. Led by art historian Dr Luca Leoncini. Why combine them? Both are somewhat out of the way, yet near to each other. First run almost 30 years ago and still a firm favourite.

Day 3: Ravenna. The Cathedral Museum possesses fine objects, including an ivory throne. Visit the Cooperativa Mosaicista, a laboratory for the restoration of mosaics (by appointment only and subject to confirmation) and the Mausoleum of Theodoric. The afternoon is free. Day 4: Urbino. The Palazzo Ducale grew during 30 years of Montefeltro patronage into the perfect Early Renaissance secular environment, of the highest importance for both architecture and architectural sculpture. The picture collection in the palace includes works by Piero della Francesca, Raphael and Titian. There are exquisite International Gothic frescoes by Salimbeni in the Oratory of St John. Day 5: Classe, Rimini. Drive to Classe, Ravenna’s port, which was one of the largest in the Roman Empire. Virtually all that is left is the great basilica of S. Apollinare. Continue to Rimini and visit the Tempio Malatestiano, church and mausoleum of the Renaissance tyrant Sigismondo Malatesta (designed by Alberti, fresco by Piero della Francesca, sculpture by Agostino Duccio). Drive on to Bologna airport for a late-afternoon flight arriving at Heathrow at c. 8.15pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,490 or £1,310 without flights. Single occupancy: £1,660 or £1,480 without flights. Included meals: 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Palazzo Bezzi, Ravenna (palazzobezzi.it): new 4-star superior hotel, located on the edge of the historic centre of town. How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking and standing. Some walking is uphill or over cobbles. The coach cannot be used within the town centres. Average distance by coach per day: 65 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Dr Luca Leoncini. Art historian specialising in 15th-century Italian painting. His degree and PhD were from Rome University followed by research at the Warburg Institute in London. He has contributed to the Macmillan Dictionary of Art and has written on Mantegna and Renaissance drawings. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

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Ravenna was once one of the most important cities in the western world. The last capital of the Roman Empire in the West, she subsequently became capital of the Gothic kingdoms of Italy and of Byzantine Italy. Then history passed her by. Marooned in obscurity, some of the greatest buildings and decorative schemes of the late antique and early mediaeval era were allowed to survive unmolested until the modern age recognised in them not the onset of decadence and the barbarity of the Dark Ages but an art of the highest aesthetic and spiritual power. The Early Christian and Byzantine mosaics at Ravenna are the finest in the world. Urbino, by contrast, is a compact hilltop stronghold with a very different history and an influence on Renaissance culture out of all proportion to her size. The Ducal Palace, built by the Montefeltro dynasty over several decades, is perhaps the finest secular building of its period. Piero della Francesca, Raphael and Baldassare Castiglione were among those who passed through its exquisite halls. The justification for joining in one short tour these two centres of diverse artistic traditions is simple. They are places to which every art lover wants to go but which are relatively inaccessible from the main art-historical centres of Italy, yet are close to each other. For many years this has been one of our most popular tours.

6th-century mosaics of Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora.

Itinerary Day 1: Ravenna. Fly at c. 3.00pm (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Bologna. Drive to Ravenna, where all four nights are spent. Day 2: Ravenna. In the morning see the outstanding National Museum, with excellent Byzantine ivory carvings. The Orthodox baptistry has superlative Early Christian mosaics and S. Apollinare Nuovo has a mosaic procession of martyrs marching along the nave. In the evening, there is a private visit to the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, lined with 5th-century mosaics, and the splendid centrally planned church of S. Vitale with

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26–30 April 2017 (md 255) 5 days • £1,490 Lecturer: Dr Luca Leoncini

Rimini, arch of Augustus, wood engraving c. 1885 after a drawing by Joseph Pennell. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Florence & Venice the ﬁnest & best-known art & architecture in the Western world ItALy

19–26 March 2017 (md 166) 8 days • £2,840 Lecturer: Dr Kevin Childs Wide-ranging survey with Renaissance emphasis. Includes a private, after-hours visit to the Basilica di San Marco to see the transcendental splendour of the Byzantine mosaics. Led by Dr Kevin Childs, writer and lecturer with a focus on the Italian Renaissance Oﬀ-peak dates, smaller group than usual (maximum 18 participants). Can be combined with A Festival of Music in Florence, 13–18 March 2017 – see page 135. To achieve a proper appreciation of Italian art and civilization, there can be no better way than immersion in the incomparable cities of Venice and Florence. There are similarities between the two city-states: the simultaneity of their periods of greatness (with consequent rivalry); the extraordinary wealth generated by pioneering commercial and manufacturing enterprise; republican and democratic political systems; and, above all, the brilliance of their material culture, both bequeathing a corpus of painting, sculpture and architecture of incomparable quantity, quality and influence.

And there are differences. Florence, an inland city, is largely built of local rough-hewn pietra forte, a tough brown stone, with columns and arches of pietra serena, grey and severe. Venice, the greatest maritime power of its time, imported coloured marbles and white limestone from around the Mediterranean and brick from its hinterland. Florentine art is tough, linear and monumental, while in Venice primacy is given to colour, gorgeous and evanescent. Venice’s lagoon location and its myriad canals is beyond different, it is unique. Florence was, of course, the cradle of the Renaissance. Giotto, Brunelleschi, Donatello, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo are some of the great names studied on this tour. Today Florence is a vibrant, contemporary city, but the past is omnipresent: from the mediaeval city walls and distant vistas of olive groves to the narrow alleyways, expansive piazzas and imposing palazzi, all reminders of the vast banking wealth which drove its artistic preeminence. Trade with the East was the source of Venice’s wealth, and the eastern connection has left its indelible stamp, with western styles tempered by a richness of effect and delicacy of pattern redolent of oriental opulence. Seeing the highlights of these two cities in succession, with enough time in each to enable some depth of experience, provides one of the great aesthetic journeys the world has to offer.

generations of Renaissance artists. The afternoon is devoted to the Uffizi, Italy’s most important art gallery, which has masterpieces by every major Florentine painter as well as international Old Masters.

Itinerary

Day 8: Venice. Free morning. Cross the lagoon by motoscafo (water taxi) to the airport. Fly from Venice to London Heathrow, arriving c. 7.15pm.

Day 1: Florence. Fly at c. 11.00am (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Pisa. Transfer to Florence in time for a late afternoon visit to the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi chapel which has exquisite frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli. First of four nights in Florence.

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Day 2: Florence. In the morning visit Piazza della Signoria, civic centre of Florence with masterpieces of public sculpture, then continue to the church-cum-granary of Orsanmichele, adorned with important Renaissance statuary. Visit the Bargello, a mediaeval palazzo housing Florence’s finest sculpture collection with works by Donatello, Verrocchio and Michelangelo. The cluster of cathedral buildings occupies the afternoon; the baptistry with its Byzantine mosaics and Renaissance sculpture, the polychromatic marble Duomo itself, capped by Brunelleschi’s massive dome, and the excellent collections in the cathedral museum.

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Day 3: Florence. A Medici morning includes S. Lorenzo, the family parish church designed by Brunelleschi, their burial chapel in the contiguous New Sacristy with Michelangelo’s largest sculptural ensemble, and Michelangelo’s Laurentian Library. See Michelangelo’s David and the ‘Slaves’ in the Accademia. Visit the vast Franciscan church of Sta. Croce, favoured burial place for leading Florentines and abundantly furnished with sculpted tombs, altarpieces and frescoes.

Florence, Campanile, watercolour by W.W. Collins, publ. 1911. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Day 4: Florence. In the morning visit S. Maria Novella, the Dominican church with many works of art (Masaccio’s Trinità, Ghirlandaio’s frescoed sanctuary). See the Masaccio/Masolino fresco cycle in the Brancacci Chapel, a highly influential work of art which influenced all subsequent

Day 5: Florence, Venice. By rail to Venice (1st class) for the first of three nights. An introductory walk in the Piazza S. Marco, and visit of the incomparably beautiful Doge’s Palace with pink Gothic revetment and rich Renaissance interiors. Day 6: Venice. The Accademia is Venice’s major art gallery, where all the Venetian painters are represented. In the afternoon cross the bacino to Palladio’s beautiful island church of S. Giorgio Maggiore and then to the tranquil Giudecca to see his best church, Il Redentore. In the evening there is a private after-hours visit to the Basilica of S. Marco, an 11th-century Byzantine church enriched over the centuries with mosaics, sculpture and precious objects. Day 7: Venice. Visit the vast gothic church of SS. Giovanni e Paolo and the early Renaissance Sta. Maria dei Miracoli with its multicoloured stone veneer. In the afternoon cross the Grand Canal to the San Polo district, location of the great Franciscan church of Sta. Maria Gloriosa dei Frari which has outstanding artworks including Titian’s Assumption, and the Scuola Grande di S. Rocco, with dramatic paintings by Tintoretto.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,840 or £2,720 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,210 or £3,090 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Santa Maria Novella, Florence (hotelsantamarianovella. it): delightful 4-star hotel in a very central location. Westin Europa & Regina, Venice (westineuropareginavenice.com): elegant and historic 5-star hotel on the Grand Canal, opposite the Salute. How strenuous? The nature of both Florence and Venice means that the cities are more often than not traversed on foot. Although part of their charm, there is a lot of walking along the flat (and up and down bridges in Venice); standing around in museums and churches is also unavoidable. Group size: between 8 and 18 participants. Combine this tour with: A Festival of Music in Florence, 13–18 March 2017 (page 135).

Florence: Cradle of the Renaissance 6–12 March 2017 (md 164) This tour is currently full Please contact us for details or visit www.martinrandall.com

Walking in the Footsteps of Leonardo & Michelangelo Countryside, gardens, villas & sculpture in northern tuscany ItALy

29 September–6 October 2017 (me 585) 8 days • £2,890 Lecturer: Dr Antonia Whitley Countryside, gardens, villas & sculpture in northern Tuscany. Five country walks amid the beautiful scenery around Fiesole and Lucca (3–7 kilometres each). Special arrangements to visit villas and gardens, some with proprietors or gardeners. Visits to places of artistic and gastronomic interest, and to picturesque towns and villages. Led by Dr Antonia Whitley, art historian and lecturer specialising in the Italian Renaissance.

Itinerary Day 1: Villa La Pietra, Fiesole. Fly at c. 8.45am from London Heathrow to Pisa (British Airways). Villa La Pietra was built in the 15th century by Francesco Sassetti, manager of the Medici Bank, and owned and embellished last century by aesthete and historian Sir Harold Acton. Tour the magnificent garden and visit the villa’s interior. Drive to Fiesole for the first of three nights.

Pistoia, baptistery, reproduction of an 1830s copper engraving.

Day 2: Fiesole, San Domenico. Visit Fiesole’s cathedral and then walk through the town to Monte Ceceri on small roads and woodland paths, passing stone quarries where Leonardo launched his flying machines (4.5 km, steeply uphill at the beginning of the walk). Visit Villa Medici, built in the 15th century and subsequently home to Sibyl Cutting and Iris Origo, and Villa Le Balze, where Cecil Pinsent designed a series of green ‘rooms’ which cling to a steep slope. Walk the old road to the convent of San Domenico where Fra’ Angelico first worked, and see his altarpiece there.

Day 5: Lucca, Matraia, Villa Oliva Buonvisi. San Martino is a Romanesque cathedral with the exquisite Gothic effigy of Ilaria del Carretto. Drive mid-morning to Matraia to begin a walk through the olive groves, a route beside some of the finest of Lucca’s summer retreats. Lunch and olive-oil tasting at a farm overlooking the hillside. Continue walking downhill to Marlia on country paths and lanes (total 5 km; a steep downhill section at the start, walking poles are essential for this part of the walk). Visit the 15th-century Villa Oliva, once owned by the powerful Buonvisi family.

Day 3: Settignano, Pian de’ Giullari. Morning walk to Settignano on farm tracks and chalky paths through olive groves and woodland (easy to moderate, undulating, c. 5.5 km). Villa Gamberaia is one of the most perfect examples of garden art, 18th- and late 19th-century with a formal water garden and high hedges. Drive to Pian de’ Giullari for lunch and a visit to Villa Capponi, to which Cecil Pinsent contributed. Overlooking Florence, San Miniato al Monte is a splendid Romanesque basilica with a superb Early Renaissance Chapel.

Day 6: Compitese villages, Pietrasanta. A walk on footpaths and country roads through the villages of Sant’Andrea di Compito and San Giusto di Compito (c. 3.5 km, moderate to easy terrain). Pietrasanta is famous for its skilled marble workers; visit a workshop where classical and contemporary works are produced using methods unchanged since the Middle Ages.

Day 4: Pistoia, Lucca. The exceptionally attractive town of Pistoia has important sculpture including the pulpit in Sant’Andrea by Giovanni Pisano, one of the finest Gothic ensembles south of the Alps, and a silver altarpiece in the cathedral, the product of 150 years’ workmanship. Arriving in Lucca, there is time for a climb up the Guinigi Tower to admire the panoramic view of this exceptionally well-preserved city. First of four nights in Lucca.

Day 7: Camigliano, Villa Torrigiani. Drive to Camigliano to begin a 7 km country walk on grassy paths and lanes to Sant’Andrea in Caprile (of which 3.5 km is steadily uphill). Picnic lunch before visiting Villa Torrigiani and its garden. Dating back to the 16th century when it was owned by the Buonvisi family, the garden was transformed in the late 17th century by Niccolao Santini, the Lucchese ambassador to Louis XIV. Return to Lucca for an optional cooking demonstration; a wine tasting is followed by dinner. Day 8. Fly from Pisa to London Heathrow, arriving at c. 2.30pm. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Pleasing views, cooling breezes, the cultivation of vine and olive, light and space: these were key in encouraging wealthy merchants in Florence and Lucca to build villas in the surrounding countryside as their summer residences. But just as the town houses were constructed to demonstrate the accomplishments of the patron and the skills of his architect, their country villas did the same, with the added benefit of a garden. In these less-visited corners of Tuscany (we deliberately avoid crowded spots), there is an extraordinary number of villas and gardens. This tour includes some of the best, linking them by geographical proximity – and in some cases the feasibility of walking between them – and for the purposes of aesthetic and architectural comparison. There is something about discovering these villas and gardens on foot which enables one better to understand their genius loci and their merits. As gardens were considered extensions of the villa, they were designed to display artworks of the horticultural variety as well as sculpture of stone and bronze. The shapes of the topiary, the patterns of parterres and the delight of the vistas combine with the beauties of Renaissance and Baroque sculpture carefully positioned to best effect. Traditional sculpture is still practised in Tuscany; in the gracious town of Pietrasanta, there are dozens of small workshops where the fivehundred-year long tradition of delicately shaping a block of marble into art is still very much alive. Beyond the gardens, the Tuscan climate lends itself to producing a number of well-structured red wines based on Sangiovese and refined white wines, as well as excellent olive oil. The combination of care for provenance of ingredient and excellent cooking means that the meals should be of a high order. Matching local wines with food is an increasingly popular craft, and this tour offers an opportunity to experience this first hand.

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Walking in the Footsteps of Leonardo & Michelangelo continued

Walking in Southern tuscany Art, architecture & landscapes in Val d’Orcia & Chianti

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Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,890 or £2,690 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,240 or £3,040 without flights. Included meals: 4 lunches (including 1 picnic) and 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Villa Fiesole (villafiesole. it): an excellent 4-star hotel just outside Fiesole, balancing Italian charm and modern comforts, with beautiful views of Florence. Hotel Ilaria, Lucca (hotelilaria.com): an excellently situated 4-star, within the city walls, with friendly staff. How strenuous? Walking fitness. This tour should only be considered by those who are used to regular country walking, with some uphill content. There are five walks of between 3.5 and 8 km, that are described as easy to moderate walks, and on terrain that includes footpaths, country lanes and woodland paths. We particularly recommend walking poles for this tour – two of the walks involve steep, uneven, downhill sections, which can be particularly slippery, especially in wet weather.

9–16 October 2017 (me 601) 8 days • £2,560 Lecturer: Dr Antonia Whitley Five walks of between 5 and 8 kilometres through exquisite landscape of soaring cypress, olives and vines.

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Terrain. We cover a variety of terrain which is generally quite robust with short ascents and longer descents. Paths are often not well tended and can be rubbly and slippery underfoot, particularly after rain. They require surefootedness and strong knees.

Based in two tiny towns in topographically diverse areas of Tuscany.

Walking as a group. This is a group tour and it is expected that most walking is done as a group.

Led by Dr Antonia Whitley, expert art historian and lecturer specialising in the Italian Renaissance.

Non-walkers. Safety and comfort are our main concern and the walks included in the tour are optional. However, we do not organise alternative excursions for those who do not wish to walk, and would not recommend this tour to non-walkers. Average distance by coach per day: 32 miles.

Three wine tastings, in Montalcino, Chianti and Badia a Coltibuono.

Group size: between 8 and 18 participants. Combine this tour with Walking in Southern Tuscany, 9–16 October 2017 (page 134).

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Montepulciano, aquatint c. 1830.

July 2017 Details available in February 2017 Please contact us to register your interest book online at www.martinrandall.com

Art history away from the tourist throngs – mediaeval fortress towns, Romanesque churches, Renaissance palazzi, Sienese painting.

To walk through quintessentially Tuscan landscapes, along chalky tracks lined with soaring cypress trees and flanked by neat rows of vines and well-kept olive trees, must surely be one of life’s great pleasures. The walks selected here pass through farmland and woodland, where primrose, violet and cyclamen nestle below chestnut, holm oak and beech. Pine trees grace the higher terrain. Walking is conducive to observing at close quarters the variations of plant, animal and birdlife in this enchanting countryside. But if seeing the artistic and architectural delights in these parts of Tuscany is your aim, this tour also offers opportunity to do so. We avoid the tourist throngs in the larger towns and cities and concentrate on the smaller and less-visited places. Mediaeval fortress towns, Romanesque

churches, Renaissance palazzi and paintings of the Sienese school are particularly in evidence here. Sometimes these are seen at the beginning or the end of a morning’s walk, sometimes during a half day spent in leisurely exploration of one of the enchanting little cities or settlements. All are seen in the enlightening company of an art historian. And while the walks are taxing enough to ensure that hearty evening meals are fully deserved, they are not so strenuous as to detract from enjoying the ever-changing views and natural, agricultural and constructed sights. We take trouble to ensure that much of what you eat is produced from fine local ingredients, including Pecorino cheese (whose pungent flavour is due to the herbs grazed by ewes on the unique clay soils south of Siena) and the prized salami of the cinta senese pigs. The food is often perfectly complemented by a glass of one of the world’s finest red wines. As this tour is based for three nights in Radda in Chianti, today still the nucleus of Tuscan viticulture and where the noble Sangiovese vine is most prevalent, opportunity is allowed for tastings of these robust reds. We also visit a producer of some of the finest Chianti Classico, in a former monastery where thirsty monks made a wine similar to the sophisticated Chianti produced today.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 8.45am from London Heathrow to Pisa (British Airways). Drive to Pienza, a gem of Renaissance architecture created by Pope Pius II as a tribute to his place of birth, which is the base for four nights.

Day 6: Gaiole in Chianti, Badia a Coltibuono. From Gaiole, walk a pleasantly varied route through Chianti countryside with woodland, vineyards and breath-taking vistas (c. 10 km). Badia a Coltibuono, a former abbey founded by Vallombrosan monks, has an important history of viticulture. Lunch and wine tasting at the estate restaurant before a visit to the abbey’s 16th-century frescoed refectory, gardens and wine cellars. Day 7: Badiaccia Montemuro, Volpaia. An optional morning walk through variegated woods including oak and silver birch (c. 6km mostly downhill on tracks with some rough patches) to the well-preserved hamlet of Volpaia. The village is dedicated to the arts and winemaking, ensuring its original architectural features remain intact. A further optional walk in the afternoon goes down through the estate’s impressively maintained vineyards to the valley floor before a climb to Radda (c. 4.5 km mostly downhill on grassy tracks and through vineyards). Day 2: San Quirico, Pienza. Drive to the little walled town of San Quirico d’Orcia. Visit the Collegiata with its splendid portals and the Horti Leonini, public gardens dating to the 17th century. Walk back to Pienza (c. 6 km) through rolling, open farmland of rare beauty, visiting the Romanesque church of Corsignano before the steady climb to Pienza. In the afternoon, explore this little city where at the centre the cathedral, episcopal palace and Pius’s own palazzo form a harmonious group.

Day 4: Monticchiello, Montepulciano. The mediaeval hamlet of Monticchiello, with views across Val d’Orcia, is the starting point for a morning walk through a valley, before continuing uphill to Pienza (c. 6 km). Montepulciano is one of the most picturesque of Tuscan hill towns, with grey stone palaces piled up towards the main square at the apex. The cathedral here is rich in Renaissance works of art, while outside the walls is a centrally planned church, a Renaissance masterpiece.

Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,560 or £2,450 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,890 or £2,780 without flights. Included meals: 2 lunches (both including wine tastings) and 5 dinners wine. Accommodation. Relais Il Chiostro, Pienza (anghelhotels.it): 4-star former friary dating to the 15th century close to the main square; bedrooms vary in size and are simply decorated and furnished; the gardens and terrace have an impressive view and the restaurant serves good Tuscan cooking. Relais Vignale, Radda in Chianti (vignale.it): 4-star 17th-century manor house with historical links to Chianti wine production; several lounges, terrace with valley view, restaurant and outdoor pool; rooms vary in size. How strenuous? This tour should only be considered by those who are used to regular country walking, with some uphill content. Strong knees and ankles are essential, as are a pair of wellworn hiking boots with good ankle support. Walks have been carefully selected but some steep rises are unavoidable and terrain can be loose under foot, particularly in wet weather, and if you are used to using them, may find walking poles useful. There are five walks of between 3 and 6 miles. Average distance by coach per day: 44 miles Group size: between 10 and 18 participants. Combine this tour with: Palladian Villas, 3–8 October 2017 (page 125); The Venetian Hills, 5–9 October 2017 (page 126); Civilizations of Sicily, 16–28 October 2017 (page 146).

A Festival of Music in Florence 13–18 March 2017 (md 165) Please contact us for full details or visit www.martinrandall.com Universally known as the crucible of change in the field of the visual arts, Florence also occupies a pivotal place in the history of music. From the late Middle Ages to the end of the Age of Baroque, Florence’s cultural and political prestige attracted first-rate musical talent from all over Europe, and the connoisseurship of the Tuscan aristocracy and intelligentsia spurred singers, players and composers to adventurous new heights. The concerts: Modo Antiquo perform 14thcentury devotional songs at Palazzo Davanzati • Sollazzo Ensemble celebrate Florence with Dufay’s motet written for the dedication of the cathedral, in Santi Apostoli (the ‘Old Cathedral’) • Euridice – the world’s earliest surviving opera, with music from the versions by both Jacopo Peri and Giulio Caccini – with Modo Antiquo in a Baroque private palace • I Fagiolini and Liz Kenny present Renaissance madrigals and explore the origins of Bel Canto at the Medici villa at Artimino • Four centuries of organ music with Gabriele Giacomelli, the organist of San Lorenzo • G.F. Handel’s Rodrigo with La Nuova Musica in the theatre in which it was first performed, the Teatro Niccolini.

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Day 3: Sant’Antimo, Montalcino. Walk down from near Montalcino through a pretty valley, part vineyard, partially wooded, punctuated by farmsteads, and arrive at the remote and serene monastery of Sant’Antimo (c. 5 km). This most beautiful of Romanesque churches is in part constructed of luminous alabaster. Once an impregnable fortress and now centre of Brunello wines, Montalcino is a hilltop community with magnificent views and a collection of Sienese paintings in the civic museum. There is a wine tasting here. Return by coach to Pienza.

Day 8. Fly from Pisa, arriving London Heathrow at c. 2.30pm.

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Day 5: Monte Oliveto Maggiore, Asciano. The monastery of Monte Oliveto Maggiore is a fine complex of Early Renaissance art and architecture, the cloister having 36 frescoes by Signorelli (1497–1499) and Sodoma (1505–1508). Break the journey in Asciano, a delightful town sitting in the heart of the Crete Senesi, a name referring to the clay crags typical of this area. Radda in Chianti, once the capital of the Chianti League established in 1250, is one of the most attractive of the region’s settlements. Stay three nights in Radda.

Florence, watercolour publ. 1904.

The Mass that would be King – Striggio’s Missa Ecco sì beato giorno, the most ambitious piece of music of its time – with I Fagiolini in Brunelleschi’s Basilica of San Lorenzo. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Southern tuscany the Sienese Contado & the Val d’Orcia ItALy

impregnable fortress and now centre of Brunello wines, Montalcino is a walled hilltop village with magnificent views and a collection of Sienese painting in the museum. Bagni Vignoni has a central square occupied by an arcaded Renaissance piscina. Villa La Foce, former home of Iris Origo, has a garden designed by Cecil Pinsent. Day 4: San Leonardo al Lago, Montesiepi, Cetinale, San Galgano. In the parish churches of San Leonardo al Lago and Montesiepi are two remarkable Sienese paintings of the Annunciation, respectively by Lippo Vanni and Ambrogio Lorenzetti. Villa Cetinale is a fine 17th-century garden excellently restored by the late owner Lord Lambton. At San Galgano are the impressive Gothic ruins of what in the 13th century had been one of the richest Cistercian abbeys in Italy. Day 5: Siena. Siena, City of the Virgin, is the most beautiful of Italian hill towns. You can opt to join the lecturer for her personal selection of some of the choicest items or go your own way (the itinerary assumes that you will be familiar with the main places of interest). Palazzo Piccolomini (1460s) contains the archives and a museum displaying beautifully painted covers of civic records. Visit the art collection of the Palazzo Chigi Saracini. The imposing cathedral, a Romanesque and Gothic construction of white and green marble, offers an outstanding array of sculpture and painting. Especially deserving of close attention are the crypt and Pinturicchio’s frescoes in the Piccolomini Library. Siena Cathedral, lithograph c. 1850.

1–7 May 2017 (md 262) 7 days • £2,190 Lecturer: Dr Fabrizio Nevola Hilltop towns and villages, spectacular countryside. Based throughout in the charming Renaissance town of Pienza. The lecturer is Dr Fabrizio Nevola, a specialist in architectural history. A good mix of architecture and art with a day spent in Siena.

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This tour is representative of a type in which there is a shift of emphasis away from the major masterpieces of a region towards the lesser delights, from a concentrated diet of cultural achievement familiar from text books towards a mélange of landscape, less accessible art and a sense of the continuity of life and community amidst ancient masonry. All six nights of the tour are based in the small hill town of Pienza. Formerly called Corsignano, it was the birthplace of Pope Pius II, humanist, historian, traveller, autobiographer and patron of architecture. Between his election in 1458 and his death in 1464, he commenced the rebuilding of his home town and provided it with a cathedral, bishop’s palace, town hall, a palace for himself and a new name. Consequently Pienza entered the annals of architectural history as the earliest example of Renaissance town planning. book online at www.martinrandall.com

If you delight in places which lie off the beaten track, in tiny hill towns where vineyards clamber up to the fourteenth-century walls, in majestic landscapes of storm-tossed hills punctuated by cypresses, in the discovery of great architecture and exquisite paintings in unexpected places, in tracing a maze of alleys scarcely changed for 500 years, this tour is likely to please.

Itinerary Day 1: Pienza. Fly at c. 12 noon from London Gatwick to Pisa (British Airways). From there drive to Pienza, a gem of Renaissance architecture set in some of the best of Tuscan landscape. Time to settle in before dinner. Day 2: Pienza, Monte Oliveto Maggiore. In the morning, a leisurely exploration of Pienza, the tiny hill town rebuilt 1459–64 by Pope Pius II in accordance with Renaissance ideals. The cathedral and palaces grouped around the main piazza were designed by Bernardo Rossellino in collaboration with his papal patron. Visit the Palazzo Piccolomini, and the cathedral. In the afternoon visit the monastery of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, an exquisite complex of Early Renaissance art and architecture, the main cloister having 36 frescoes by Signorelli and Sodoma (1505–8). Day 3: Sant’Antimo, Montalcino, Bagni Vignoni, La Foce. Located in a remote valley, the partly ruinous monastery of Sant’Antimo has a strikingly beautiful Romanesque church, in part constructed of luminous alabaster. Once an

Day 6: Montepulciano, Pienza. The main thoroughfare of Montepulciano, lined with grand palaces, winds circuitously through this once important city, with the Piazza Grande at the summit. The cathedral here is rich in Renaissance works of art. Outside the town, the centrally planned church of San Biagio by Antonio da Sangallo is one of the masterpieces of the Renaissance. Return mid-afternoon to Pienza and visit the diocesan museum in the restored Palazzo Borgia. Day 7: Pienza. Fly from Pisa to London Gatwick, arriving c. 2.15pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,190 or £2,060 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,470 or £2,340 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine. Accomodation: Relais Il Chiostro, Pienza (anghelhotels.it): 4-star hotel in a former friary building dating to the 15th century. Rooms vary in size and are simply furnished. The gardens and terrace have an impressive view and the restaurant serves good Tuscan cooking. How strenuous? There is a lot of walking on this tour, much of it on the steep and roughly paved streets of the hill towns. Average distance by coach per day: 76 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Ravenna & Urbino, 26–30 April 2017 (page 131).

the Heart of Italy Umbria’s ﬁnest art & architecture

An excellent survey of the art and architecture of Umbria, heartland of the Renaissance. Based throughout in the hilltop town of Spello, amidst ageless undulating countryside. Led by Dr Michael Douglas-Scott, specialist in 16th-century Italian art and architecture. Perugia, Spoleto, Assisi and significant smaller towns away from the main tourist centres. Also known as the ‘green heart of Italy’, Umbria contains a vast and varied array of what visitors most love about central Italy: ancient streetscapes crammed onto hilltops, exquisitely undulating countryside of olive, cypress and vine, and an abundance of wonderful art. Rarely can the spirit of the Middle Ages be so potently felt as in the hill towns of central Italy. That such small communities could have built each dwelling so massively, raised churches and public buildings of such magnificence and created works of art of such monumentality inspires awe bordering on disbelief among today’s visitors. This is also the heartland of the Renaissance, and several of the leading artists of the era were natives who worked here before being inveigled to the great metropolises of Florence and Rome. Many of the most important and beautiful of Italy’s incomparable patrimony of paintings and frescoes are included on this tour. The great Giottesque cycle at Assisi stands at the beginning of the modern era of art, and the Last Judgement frescoes by Signorelli in Orvieto are on the cusp of the High Renaissance. While in the field of architecture Romanesque and Gothic predominate, there are many major Renaissance buildings, including the centrally planned church at Todi. The man-made environment melds with the natural in a picturesque union of intense beauty. It is a landscape of rumpled hills, sometimes rugged and forested, sometimes tamed in the struggle to cultivate, always speckled with ancient farmsteads, fortified villages and isolated churches. Even from the central piazze of many of these towns there are views of countryside which seems scarcely to have changed for centuries.

ideas. Walk through the town, seeing the cathedral and the church of S. Fortunato, with its richly decorated central doorway and frescoes by Masolino. Return in the afternoon to the small hilltop town of Spello, which has fine Roman remains and richly coloured Renaissance frescoes by Pinturicchio in the church of Sta. Maria Maggiore. Day 4: Perugia, capital of Umbria, is one of the largest and loveliest of Italian hill towns and has both major works of art and architecture and the authentic, age-old liveliness of a prosperous market town. Morning visits include the Palazzo dei Priori, the mediaeval town hall now housing the National Gallery of Umbria, and a merchants’ hall. An afternoon walk includes an impressive Etruscan city gateway, the mediaeval walls and the richly carved façade of the Renaissance church of S. Bernardino. Day 5: Foligno, Montefalco. Known to the Romans as Fulginium, Foligno lies on the banks of the river Topino. It offers a range of exceptional attractions and yet is little known to tourists. See the restored palace of the Trinci family, lords of Foligno, and home to extensive frescoes now known to be the work of the greatest Italian master of International Gothic, Gentile da Fabriano. Continue to Montefalco, a delightful hilltop community with magnificent views of the valley below and hills around. In the deconsecrated church of S. Francesco are frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli. Return to Spello for some free time. Day 6: Gubbio. Spilling down a hillside and offering sensational views across Umbrian countryside, Gubbio is one of the most beautiful and well preserved ancient towns in Italy. The Palazzo dei Consoli is an austerely magnificent mediaeval town hall located beside a square with one side open to the view; it houses the

art gallery of the Museo Civico. Higher up, the Palazzo Ducale was built by warlord Federico da Montefeltro, one of the greatest patrons of the arts in the Early Renaissance. Day 7: Orvieto. Spend the day in this entrancing hilltop town, with its glistening marble Gothic cathedral. Among its treasures are the low relief sculptures by Maitani and the apocalyptic Last Judgement frescoes by Signorelli (1505). Visit also the cathedral museum, richly endowed with art, sculpture and religious artefacts. Day 8. Spoleto. A morning walk in Spoleto includes the Ponte delle Torri, a mediaeval aqueduct famously painted by Turner, and finishes at the cathedral square. One of the most imposing in Italy, it slopes like an auditorium towards the cathedral façade with its mosaics and rose windows; inside there are frescoes by Pinturicchio and Filippo Lippi. Drive to Rome Fiumicino airport for an evening flight arriving at Heathrow at c. 8.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,370 or £2,170 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,460 or £2,260 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel La Bastiglia, Spello (labastiglia.com): well-appointed 4-star hotel at the apex of Spello; wonderful views from the terrace. How strenuous? Many visits take place in hill towns, with very steep, uneven inclines leading from the coach park. Agility and sure-footedness are particularly essential. There is a lot of coach travel. Average distance by coach per day: 72 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

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Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 10.45am (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Rome Fiumicino. Drive to Spello, the small, quiet town which is the base for this tour. Day 2: Assisi. Drive the short distance to Assisi and spend much of the morning at S. Francesco, mother church of the Franciscan Order. Here is one of the greatest assemblages of mediaeval fresco painting, including the controversial cycle of the Life of St Francis. In the afternoon, walk through the austere mediaeval streets and visit the church of Sta. Chiara and the Romanesque cathedral. Day 3: Todi, Spello. Visit Sta. Maria della Consolazione in Todi, a centrally planned Renaissance church influenced by Bramante’s

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11–18 September 2017 (me 531) 8 days • £2,370 Lecturer: Dr Michael Douglas-Scott

Orvieto, bas-reliefs from the cathedral façade, wood engraving from ‘The Magazine of Art’, 1882. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Footpaths of Umbria Walks, art & wine between Arezzo & Assisi ItALy

15–22 May 2017 (md 267) 8 days • £2,570 Lecturer: Dr Antonia Whitley

Day 6: Assisi. A 6 km walk on strada bianca (rough farm tracks), minor roads and woodland paths to Assisi. The path predominantly descends, although the last section is uphill through the Bosco Francescano. The walk ends through the city gate which leads directly to the Basilica. Here we see one of the greatest assemblages of mediaeval fresco painting, including the cycle of the Life of St Francis which some attribute to Giotto. There is time to walk through the austere mediaeval streets and visit the church of Sta. Chiara.

Six walks of between 5 and 7.5 km between Arezzo and Assisi through the inimitable Umbrian countryside. Enjoy the art of Piero della Francesca, Luca Signorelli and Giotto. Visit isolated hermitages, churches and cathedrals associated with St Francis.

Day 7: Bevagna, Montefalco. Known as the ‘Balcony of Umbria’, Montefalco’s mediaeval church houses 15th-century frescoes of the Florentine and Umbrian school; the town is also well known for its inky and full-bodied Sagrantino wines. Walk (5 km) downhill from Montefalco on country trails and lanes. Drive to Bevagna, the Roman Mevania, home to one of Italy’s most harmonious squares.

Led by Dr Antonia Whitley – art historian and lecturer specialising in the Italian Renaissance.

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Umbria brings together art and architecture of the highest importance, unspoilt countryside of breath-taking beauty and pockets of rare tranquillity. Land-locked, and located more or less in the centre of the peninsula, the region is crisscrossed by ancient paths, used for millennia by myriad travellers, traders, pilgrims and preachers. Two itinerant denizens in particular are encountered time and again on this tour, St Francis of Assisi and Piero della Francesca. Stimulated by the movement of people, goods and ideas along the Via Flaminia, the main route from Rome to Ravenna, the economic and artistic life of Umbria began to flourish in the Middle Ages. Ideas absorbed from Byzantium were encountered and transformed by stylistic novelties from Rome, Florence and Siena. In the early thirteenth century, the son of a rich cloth merchant in Assisi, one Francis, came to prominence in the region; he shunned the material excess and increasing secularization around him and embraced humility, simplicity and harmony with nature as an alternative Christian approach. Perambulating throughout Umbria and central Italy he preached with fervour, touched the hearts of thousands and attracted devoted disciples. Out of this movement the Franciscan Order grew. Building work on the Basilica di San Francesco began two years after Francis’s death in Assisi in 1226; the fresco cycles here are some of the most art historically important in Italy. Cimabue, Giotto, Cavallini, Pietro Lorenzetti and Simone Martini are all thought to have been involved in the work and, despite varying degrees of restoration and preservation, they constitute one of the great achievements of western civilization. The early Renaissance painter Piero della Francesca is also associated with the region. Born c. 1412 in Sansepolcro, which lies just over the border in Tuscany, like all artists of his time he led a peripatetic existence, travelling wherever work took him. In many ways, he stands like a lone star, one who did not leave an obvious trail in terms of followers, but one so bright as still to shine today. Our Piero trail also includes The Resurrection, dubbed by Aldous Huxley ‘the best picture’, and the quiet power and subtle beauty of The Legend of the True Cross in Arezzo’s Basilica di San Francesco.

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Day 1: Citta di Castello. Fly at c. 8.45am (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Bologna. Spend the first of four nights in Città di Castello. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Day 8. Drive to Rome with a break in Montegiove en route. Fly from Rome Fiumicino to Heathrow, arriving c. 8.20pm. Assisi, St Francis, watercolour by Frank Fox c. 1900.

Day 2: Montecasale, Sansepolcro. St Francis passed through the Convent of Montecasale in 1213 on his journey to the Adriatic and Jerusalem, and a small community of friars have continued to provide pilgrim accommodation since then. Walk 7.5 km to La Montagna, a highlevel walk on paths, tracks and exposed ground, and through woodland. Lunch in Sansepolcro, then visit the museum in the former town hall, where Piero della Francesca’s early masterpiece, Madonna della Misericordia and the marvellous Resurrection fresco are housed. (At the time of going to print, the Resurrection fresco was only partially visible due to restoration work, but should be visible by February 2017). Day 3: Arezzo, Monterchi. Drive to Arezzo to see Piero della Francesca’s great fresco cycle, The Legend of the True Cross, painted for the Franciscan order and executed over a 20-year period. After lunch a 5.5 km afternoon walk to Monterchi on gently undulating farm tracks and country roads. Piero della Francesca’s beautiful Madonna del Parto has its own museum in the village. Day 4: Le Celle, Cortona. Begin the morning’s walk from the immaculately kept Eremo Le Celle, which Francis visited in 1226. Starting gently downhill from the Eremo, this walk (5 km) begins on woodland tracks outside Cortona before joining a cobbled Roman path that leads uphill to the town centre. Cortona is highly attractive and has a good art gallery, notable for paintings by Fra Angelico and Signorelli. Day 5: Collepino, Spello. Drive to Collepino, a restored mediaeval borgo with views of Monte Subasio and, on a fine day, the Monti Sibillini. Walk 6 km downhill and on a level track to Spello, through olive groves running alongside the Roman aqueduct built to supply the ‘splendissima colonia Julia’. Time to enjoy Spello’s harmonious architecture and the richly coloured Renaissance frescoes by Pinturicchio in the church of Sta. Maria Maggiore. First of three nights in Spello.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,570 or £2,380 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,770 or £2,580 without flights. Included meals: 5 lunches, 4 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Tiferno, Città di Castello (hoteltiferno.it): central, 4-star hotel, renovated respecting the original architecture. Hotel La Bastiglia, Spello (labastiglia.com): a wellappointed 4-star hotel at the apex of Spello, with wonderful views from the terrace. How strenuous? This tour should only be considered by those who are used to regular country walking, with some uphill content. There are six moderate to strenuous walks of between 5 and 7.5 km. Strong knees and ankles are essential, as are a pair of well-worn hiking boots with good ankle support. If you are used to them you may find walking poles useful. Walks have been carefully selected but some steep paths are unavoidable (uphill and downhill) and terrain can be loose underfoot, particularly in wet weather. Average distance by coach per day: c. 60 miles. Group size: between 10 and 18 participants.

Opera in Macerata & Pesaro August 2017 Details available in March 2017 Please contact us to register your interest

trasimeno Music Festival July 2017 Details available in January 2017 Please contact us to register your interest

Piero della Francesca From Umbria to Milan

A journey to nearly every surviving work in Italy by the Early Renaissance master. The lecturer is Dr Antonia Whitley – art historian and lecturer specialising in the Italian Renaissance. An extended itinerary with more time in Milan and Florence, and a visit to Rimini. Big cities and tiny country towns – Urbino, Monterchi, Arezzo, Sansepolcro and Perugia. This tour is an exhilarating study of one of the best-loved and most intriguing artists of the fifteenth century. It also takes you to a select handful of some of Italy’s loveliest places and beststocked galleries, and through some of her most enchanting countryside. Though the theme is a specialised one, the tour is by no means intended only for serious students of the subject. Few art lovers are untouched by the serenity and beauty of the high-key palette of Piero’s works; even fewer would be unmoved by seeing most of his surviving works in the towns and landscapes in which he created them. Born about 1412 in the small town of Sansepolcro on the periphery of Florentine territory, Piero spent little of his life in the Tuscan capital to which most provincial artists flocked. Though he was not without influence, he had no ‘school’ or direct successors. A mathematician, his images beguile with their perfect perspective, architectonic form and monumentality. There is little documentation for his life, and he seems to have been a slow worker. Few works survive, despite the fact that he lived until the age of eighty.

As one of the most enlightened and creative courts of the Renaissance, it has an importance in the history of art out of all proportion to its small size. Piero possibly contributed to the design of the beautiful Ducal Palace, which houses his exquisite Flagellation of Christ and the Madonna di Senigallia. Visit S. Bernardino, where Federigo da Montefeltro was buried. In the afternoon visit Monterchi to see Piero’s beautiful fresco The Madonna del Parto. Day 4: Arezzo, Florence. See Piero’s great fresco cycle, The Legend of the True Cross, executed over a 20-year period, at S. Francesco, Arezzo. In the cathedral see his fresco of Mary Magdalene. Continue to Florence where one night is spent. In the late afternoon visit the Uffizi, which contains portrait panels of Federigo da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, and his wife Battista Sforza. Day 5: Florence. Some free time in Florence. In the afternoon, travel by first class rail to Milan for the first of two nights. Day 6: Milan. The Poldi-Pezzoli Museum and Pinacoteca di Brera contain paintings by Piero. Visit the Renaissance church of S. Maria delle Grazie which houses Leonardo’s Last Supper. Day 7: Milan. The morning is free. Fly from Milan Linate to London Heathrow, arriving at c. 4.45pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,460 or £2,320 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,790 or £2,650 without flights.

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17–23 February 2017 (md 150) 7 days • £2,460 Lecturer: Dr Antonia Whitley

Included meals: 5 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Tiferno, Città di Castello (hoteltiferno.it): central 4-star hotel, sensitivelyrenovated. Helpful staff. Hotel Santa Maria Novella, Florence (hotelsantamarianovella.it): delightful 4-star hotel in a very central location. Rosa Grand Hotel, Milan (starhotels.com): smart 4-star hotel located behind the Duomo. Rooms are well appointed in a clean, modern style. How strenuous? The tour involves a lot of walking in town centres where vehicular access is restricted. There is a lot of walking over uneven paving. Fitness is essential. Some days involve a lot of driving; average distance per day: 62 miles. Train travel. We travel by train, Florence to Milan, because it is less harmful to the environment, quicker and more comfortable than a coach. However, trains can be crowded and there is often little room for luggage; buffet cars can run out of food. You will need to be able to lift your own luggage and wheel it yourself. Some stations do not have escalators or lifts. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 8.45am (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Bologna. Drive to Rimini to visit the outstanding Tempio Malatestiano, designed by Leon Battista Alberti for the tyrant Sigismondo Malatesta. See Piero’s fresco of St. Sigismund and Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta. Continue on to the hotel in Città di Castello for the first of three nights.

Day 3: Urbino, Monterchi. Drive through mountains to the hilltop town of Urbino.

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Day 2: Perugia, Sansepolcro. Perugia, the capital of Umbria, is one of Italy’s most beautiful towns. The National Gallery of Umbria in the mediaeval town hall has a polyptych with The Annunciation by Piero. There is a wealth of other monuments, including a fine merchants’ hall with frescoes by Perugino. In the afternoon visit Borgo Sansepolcro, Piero’s birthplace and home town. Visit the museum in the former town hall, where Piero’s early masterpiece, Madonna della Misericordia, a panel of St Julian, and the marvellous Resurrection fresco are housed. (At the time of going to print, the Resurrection fresco is only partially visible due to restoration work, but should be visible by February 2017). Walk around the town centre, passing Piero’s house and the Romanesque Gothic cathedral.

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Perugia cathedral, lithograph by V. Faini c. 1930. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Villas & Gardens of Campagna Romana From formal to frivolous in spectacular settings ItALy

17–22 April 2017 (md 240) 6 days • £2,330 Lecturer: Amanda Patton Renaissance villas and gardens, many accessible only by special arrangement. Lecturer Amanda Patton is a garden designer and writer. Beguiling scenery of tufa hills and ‘classical’ compositions. The countryside around Rome has long been the playground of the privileged, but it was in the sixteenth century that the region of Lazio took the lead in garden design. The wealthy families of popes and cardinals such as the Farnese and Este commissioned villas and gardens in the campagna romana to escape from the noise and worldly cares of the capital to places of tranquillity and repose. Vasari wrote of Caprarola in the sixteenth century that it was ‘marvellously situated for one who wishes to withdraw from the worries and tumult of the city’.

But Renaissance gardens developed to offer more than a haven of peace and a chance for contemplation; they also provided the patron with the opportunity to vaunt his knowledge of the antique world. Garden design and ornamentation were steeped in references to classical mythology. Gardens also became places of entertainment, whether formal or frivolous. The use of water tricks or giochi d’acqua – allowing the owner to ‘drown’ an unsuspecting visitor at the pull of a hidden lever – is a prime example of the latter. The towns, villas and gardens to the north of Rome are set against a backdrop of an almost fantasy, surreal landscape: villages perch high on volcanic outcrops, villas and gardens are carved out of purple tufa. To the west and south of Rome this often extraordinary scenery gives way to more classically pastoral scenes, offering glimpses of Claude Lorrain’s inspiration for many of his depictions of the campagna romana, which in turn became the foundation of the landscape style of gardens in eighteenth-century England. Some of the gardens can only be visited by special arrangement and it is possible that the order of visits will change from that listed here.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 10.45am (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Rome Fiumicino. Drive to the countryside near Viterbo where the first two nights are spent. Day 2: Bagnaia, Caprarola. The Villa Lante at Bagnaia, designed by Vignola, has been universally admired since its creation: the twin casinos are subordinate to the design of the delightful terraced gardens with restored giochi d’acqua and fountain by Giambologna. On a hilltop at Caprarola, Cardinal Alessandro Farnese had an imposing pentagonal villa built by Vignola, with an extensive park adorned with fountains, walled gardens and a casino. Day 3: Bomarzo, Vignanello. Vicino Orsini created a Renaissance ‘theme park’ at Bomarzo of extraordinary grotesque animals and statues based on figures from Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso. Visit the Renaissance Castello Ruspoli and its enchanting gardens (by special arrangement). First of three nights in Grottaferrata, near Frascati. Day 4: Tivoli. Spend the morning at Hadrian’s Villa, designed entirely by him and inspired by sites he visited during his travels in the Empire, undoubtedly the richest building project in the Roman Empire. Lunch is in a good restaurant with astonishing views. The vast garden at Villa d’Este became one of the classic visits on the Grand Tour. Day 5: Ninfa, La Landriana. Drive to Ninfa, one of the most famous and best-loved English gardens abroad, where the ruined buildings of a mediaeval town have been transformed into a place so extraordinarily beautiful that it has long been a place of pilgrimage for gardeners. Continue to La Landriana where Lavinia Taverna worked with Russell Page to create one of the most important modern Italian gardens of its day. Day 6: Castel Gandolfo. Visit the Pope’s gardens, overlooking the lake of Castel Gandolfo and only recently opened to the public (by special arrangement). Fly from Rome, arriving at London Heathrow at c. 5.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,330 or £2,140 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,570 or £2,380 without flights.

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Included meals: 3 lunches, 4 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Alla Corte delle Terme, near Viterbo (allacortedelleterme.it): comfortable 4-star in the countryside outside of Viterbo; all rooms are suites. Park Hotel Villa Grazioli, Grottaferrata (villagrazioli.com): outstanding 4-star hotel overlooking Frascati and Rome, a 16th-century villa containing frescoes by Ciampelli, Carracci and Pannini. How strenuous? Quite a lot of walking, much of it on rough, uneven ground. The tour would not be suitable for anyone who has difficulties with everyday walking and stair climbing. Average distance by coach per day: 60 miles Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

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Villa d’Este, after a watercolour by Walter Tyndale c. 1910. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Combine this tour with: Gardens of the Riviera, 23–29 April 2017 (page 91).

Connoisseur’s Rome With private visits including the Sistine Chapel ItALy

28 February–5 March 2017 (md 159) 6 days • £2,810 Lecturer: Dr Michael Douglas-Scott 7–12 November 2017 (me 679) 6 days • £2,810 Lecturer: Dr Kevin Childs Artistic riches which are diﬃcult to access or are rarely open to the public, including an out-ofhours visit to the Sistine Chapel. Highlights of the Renaissance and Baroque. Led by Dr Michael Douglas-Scott and Dr Kevin Childs, both specialists in Renaissance Italian art. As appealing for those new to the city as for frequent visitors. Many of Rome’s artistic riches are not easily accessible to the visitor. The emphasis of this tour is on places which are difficult of access or are rarely open to the public – on treasures which lie beyond normally impenetrable portals. Privileged access also takes the form of visits to places outside their normal opening hours. Instead of sharing the Sistine Chapel with hundreds of others, around forty Martin Randall Travel clients, from two tours which do not otherwise meet, will have the place to themselves for a couple of hours. The two tours overlap so that the high cost of private admission to the Vatican museums is spread between the two. What we manage to include varies each time we run the tour. Though it is likely that most of the places mentioned in the itinerary given below will be visited, arrangements depend on the generosity of owners and institutions and are occasionally subject to cancellation, but our network of contacts and know-how would enable us to arrange alternatives. Some better-known and generally accessible places are included in the itinerary as well, so the tour should appeal both to those who are unfamiliar with the city as well as to those who have been many times before.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 12.45pm (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Rome Fiumicino.

Day 3. In the morning visit the stunning collection of sculpture and painting in the Villa Borghese. Continue to the Villa Ludovisi, which houses Caravaggio’s early ceiling painting Jupiter, Neptune & Pluto. In the evening there is a private visit to the Vatican to see the Sistine Chapel and the adjacent Stanze. With Michelangelo’s ceiling fresco, his Last Judgement on the end wall and the quattrocento wall frescoes, together with Raphael’s

frescoes in the Stanze, this is the most precious assemblage of painting in the western world. Day 4. Visit the 16th-century Villa Medici, now the seat of the French Academy. Palazzo della Cancelleria, begun in 1485 by Cardinal Raffaele Riario, is a masterpiece of Early Renaissance secular architecture and has frescoes by Vasari of the life of Pope Paul III. The delightful Villa La Farnesina has frescoes by Raphael. Day 5. Palazzo Colonna is an agglomeration of building and decoration of many centuries, and has a collection which includes works by Bronzino, Titian, Veronese and Guercino. The 17th-century Great Hall is surely one of the most magnificent secular rooms in Europe. Palazzo Doria Pamphilj holds a famous picture collection (Caravaggio, Velasquez), and S. Ignazio has an illusionistic ceiling painting by Andrea del Pozzo. Day 6. Some free time. Fly from Rome Fiumicino, arriving at London Heathrow at c. 7.00pm. This gives a fair picture of the tour, but there may be substitutes for some places mentioned and the order of visits will probably diﬀer.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,810 or £2,620 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,220 or £3,030 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Bernini Bristol (berninibristol.com): 5-star hotel excellently located on the Piazza Barberini. How strenuous? Unavoidably, there is a lot of walking on this tour. The historic area is vast, and vehicular access is increasingly restricted. Minibuses are used on some occasions but otherwise the city is traversed on foot. The tour should not be attempted by anyone who has difficulty with everyday walking and stairclimbing. Fitness is essential. Average distance by coach per day: 9 miles

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Day 2. See Bernini’s oval church of S. Andrea, and in the attached monastery the rooms of St Stanislav Kostka with sculpture by Pierre Legros. The ceiling fresco by Guido Reni in the Casino dell’Aurora in the garden of the Palazzo Pallavicini Rospigliosi is one of the greatest works of 17th-century classicism. In the afternoon visit the Sancta Sanctorum, adjacent to St John Lateran, part of the mediaeval papal residence and decorated with Cosmati mosaics dating to 1278.

Michelangelo’s ‘The Last Judgement’ in the Sistine Chapel, wood engraving c. 1880.

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Art History of Venice, 13–19 November 2017 (page 121).

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Essential Rome the complete spectrum of art, architecture & antiquities ItALy

Dr Thomas-Leo True. Art historian specialising in Renaissance and Baroque architecture. He obtained his PhD at Cambridge University and studied at the British School at Rome where he is now Assistant Director. He has lived in Le Marche and is currently writing his ﬁrst book on the Marchigian Cardinals of Pope Sixtus V. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. Sistine Chapel in peace, together with Raphael’s frescoes in the adjacent Stanze. Day 4. The morning includes the superb sculpture of the Altar of Peace (Ara Pacis) erected by Augustus, paintings by Pinturicchio and Caravaggio in Sta. Maria del Popolo, and a walk in the Pincio Gardens (good views across Rome) to the Spanish Steps. The Palazzo Barberini is a great palace which became Rome’s National Gallery, with paintings by most of the Italian Old Masters. The Galleria Borghese is Rome’s finest collection of painting and sculpture.

Rome, Pantheon, wood engraving c. 1890.

28 February–6 March 2017 (md 158) 7 days • £2,780 Lecturer: Dr Thomas-Leo True Major buildings, monuments and works of art, a representative selection of all periods from Ancient Rome onwards. Led by Dr Thomas-Leo True, an art historian specialising in Renaissance and Baroque architecture in Rome, and Assistant Director of the British School at Rome. Private visit to the Sistine Chapel, shared with participants travelling on Connoisseur’s Rome.

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Rome presents three major challenges to the cultural traveller. First, it is big. Items of major importance – many of which on their own would make any town in the world worth visiting – are generously strewn through an area that is approximately four miles in diameter. The second problem is that there are hundreds of such places in the city. The third is that these items are from such a wide span of time, well over two millennia, for much of which Rome was the pre-eminent city in its sphere – as capital of the Roman Republic and Empire, as centre of western Christianity, a role regained with consequent splendour with the triumph of the Catholic Reformation and finally, from 1871, as capital of a united Italy. Over the years MRT has devised many tours to Rome, but apart from at Christmas hitherto they have all attempted only a single episode or theme – Ancient, Mediaeval, Baroque; Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Raphael, music. This is our only tour that selects from the whole range of Rome’s heritage. The key has been generally to give preference to geography over chronology, proximity over theme. Meandering walks explore a particular district, book online at www.martinrandall.com

picking out the most significant buildings and works of art, enjoying alluring vistas as they arise, glimpsing major and minor treasures – whatever period they belong to. It is fair to say that the itinerary includes most of the most important places and works of art in Rome. There is a lot of walking, though regular use is made of minibuses and taxis (rarely of cumbersome coaches, which are highly restricted in the city centre). Not every place seen is mentioned in the description below, and the order may differ. There is, incidentally, almost no overlap with Connoisseurs’ Rome except for the private visit to the Sistine Chapel.

Day 5. Drive in the morning to three contrasting churches largely or partly dating to the early Middle Ages: the 6th-century circular Mausoleum of Sta. Costanza, the historically complex but exceptionally beautiful Basilica of S. Clemente, and St John Lateran, the cathedral of Rome. The afternoon is free.

Itinerary

Day 6. The day is largely devoted to Ancient Rome, beginning with the Colosseum, largest of all amphitheatres, completed ad 80. The Forum has evocative remains of the key temples and civic buildings at the heart of the Roman Empire. The present appearance of the Capitol, first centre of ancient Rome, was designed by Michelangelo, and the surrounding palazzi are museums with outstanding ancient sculpture and a collection of paintings.

Day 1. Fly at c. 9.30am (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Rome. The tour starts with the glorious Byzantine mosaics in the churches of Sta. Maria Maggiore and Sta. Prassede.

Day 7. Before departing for the airport, visit two churches to see paintings by Caravaggio, S. Agostino (Loreto Madonna) and S. Luigi dei Francesi (St Matthew series). Return to London Heathrow at c. 4.00pm.

Day 2. Among today’s highlights are the Pantheon, the best preserved of Roman monuments (whose span was only twice exceeded in the next 1,750 years); the lively and wonderfully adorned Piazza Navona, which retains the shape of the Roman hippodrome on which it was built; and the 5thcentury church of Sta. Sabina, as perfect an Early Christian basilica as survives anywhere. See also S. Ivo, a masterpiece of Baroque architecture with a cupola designed by Borromini, and two Roman temples, of Vesta and Fortuna Virile. Day 3. The Basilica of St Peter in the Vatican was the outcome of the greatest architects of several generations – Bramante, Raphael, Sangallo, Michelangelo – and contains major sculpture. Originally Emperor Hadrian’s mausoleum, Castel S. Angelo became a fortress in the Middle Ages and a residence in the Renaissance. After some free time, return to the Vatican in the evening for a private visit to see Michelangelo’s frescoes in the

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,780 or £2,590 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,190 or £3,000 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Bernini Bristol (berninibristol.com): 5-star hotel excellently located on the Piazza Barberini. How strenuous? Unavoidably a lot of walking. The historic area is vast, and vehicular access is increasingly restricted. Minibuses are used on some occasions but otherwise the city is traversed on foot. The tour should not be attempted by anyone who has difficulty with everyday walking and stair-climbing. Fitness is essential. Average distance by coach per day: 9 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Pompeii & Herculaneum Antiquities of the Bay of Naples

25–30 September 2017 (me 571) 6 days • £2,140 Lecturer: Nigel Spivey One of the most exciting tours possible dealing with Roman archaeology. A unique insight into everyday life in the Roman Empire. Two principal sites, both buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in ad 79 and preserved with unparalleled completeness. Led by experts on the ancient world. Important early Greek settlements, including Paestum, Cumae and Pozzuoli. Campania’s favourable climate, fertile soils and natural harbours were attractive to the Greeks looking to trade and for places to settle. They founded their earliest colony at Cumae and others soon followed with Naples and Paestum (Posidonia) among them. The prosperity enjoyed by the Greek colonies is best seen at Paestum

where three of the most complete Doric temples anywhere still stand. After falling under Roman dominion, Campania continued to prosper with wealth generated by agriculture and trade. Towns like Pompeii and Herculaneum thrived and wealthy Romans seeking to escape from the summer heat of Rome built villas along its coast. Campania became an imperial playground with the emperor among the most famous and notorious of all villa owners on the Bay of Naples. However, life on the Bay of Naples was struck by tragedy when Mount Vesuvius erupted in ad 79 and buried Pompeii and Herculaneum with volcanic ash. Paradoxically, this sudden obliteration preserved the towns with a level of completeness which has no parallel with any other archaeological site in the world. Excavation has revealed them almost in their entirety, providing a unique insight into everyday life in the Roman Empire. Even the smallest and most fragile objects of daily use have survived, along with wall paintings, floor mosaics, precious jewellery and household utensils. The immediacy and vividness with which the imagination is able to grasp a past civilization is startling and unique.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 3.00pm from London Gatwick to Naples (British Airways). Drive to the hotel in the hamlet of Seiano, above the town of Vico Equense, where all five nights are spent.

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3–8 April 2017 (md 203) 6 days • £2,140 Lecturer: Dr Mark Grahame

Day 2: Paestum. Paestum was a major Greek settlement and is one of the most interesting archaeological sites in Italy. Three outstanding Greek Doric temples stand in a remarkable state of preservation. Visit also the excellent museum which contains a very rare ancient Greek painted tomb and fascinating sculptured panels (metopes) of the 6th century bc, among the earliest anywhere. Day 3: Cumae, Baia, Pozzuoli. Spend the day around the Bay of Naples at some little-visited but exciting sites. Cumae was the first Greek settlement on mainland Italy, and material from here and other sites visited during the tour can be seen in the archaeological museum of the Phlegraean fields in the spectacularly-situated castle at Baia. The port of Pozzuoli has a wellpreserved amphitheatre and market. Day 4: Pompeii. Since its first exploration during the 18th century, ancient Pompeii has been

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Pompeii, etching after W. Lockhart 1882. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Pompeii & Herculaneum continued

Essential Puglia Art & architecture in the heel of Italy

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one of the world’s most famous archaeological excavations. The fascination of the site lies not only in the major public buildings such as the theatre, temples and the forum but also in the numerous domestic dwellings, from cramped apartments to luxurious houses with their mosaic pavements and gaudily frescoed walls. Day 5: Herculaneum, Oplontis. At Herculaneum, engulfed by mud rather than ash, timber and other fragile artefacts that normally do not survive have been preserved by the unique conditions of burial. Less than a quarter of this town has been excavated, and in the part preserved the emphasis is on private dwellings and their decoration. Visit the lavish villa at Torre Annunziata (ancient Oplontis), which may have been the home of Poppaea, wife of Nero. It is one of the loveliest of ancient sites, with rich wall paintings, a replanted garden and a swimming pool. Day 6: Naples. The Archaeological Museum in Naples has one of the finest collections in the world, and is the principal repository for both the small finds and the best-preserved mosaics and frescoes discovered at Pompeii and Herculaneum. Fly from Naples to Gatwick, arriving at c. 9.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,140 or £1,940 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,380 or £2,180 without flights. Included meals: 3 lunches (2 of these are picnic lunches) and 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Grand Hotel Angiolieri (grandhotelangiolieri.it): modern 5-star hotel on the hill-top above the town of Vico Equense. Rooms with a sea view are available on request and for a supplement. How strenuous? There is a lot of walking, some of it over rough ground on archaeological sites and there is a lot of standing in museums and on archaeological sites. Sure-footedness is essential. The day spent in Pompeii can be tiring. Average distance by coach per day: 70 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

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‘Very well-conceived itinerary. Excellent coverage of the period from early Greek settlement to Roman Empire,’

What else is included in the price? See page 7. book online at www.martinrandall.com

27 September–4 October 2017 (me 581) 8 days • £2,410 Lecturer: Dr Richard Plant Fascinating architecture, especially Norman and Baroque. Exceptionally attractive streetscapes in hilltop towns and coastal cities. Distinctive, dramatic limestone landscapes. The heel and spur of boot-shaped Italy, Puglia is now returning to the limelight after being ignored or disparaged for centuries. While the sobriquet ‘the new Tuscany’ is a lazy cliché and dangerously misleading (with its raw limestone landscape Puglia looks and feels like a different country), it is the case that only in the last couple of decades have Italophiles and discerning travellers been taking the region seriously. The region’s strategic position meant that it was repeatedly invaded and conquered, and each dynasty left its mark. Roman remains are frequent but tend to have been all but eradicated by later prosperity – or warfare. The many magnificent Romanesque cathedrals bear witness to the Norman conquest of southern Italy, one of the most notable episodes in mediaeval history. Churches and castles from the subsequent Hohenstaufen and Angevin eras abound and exhibit French, Lombard, Byzantine and Saracenic influences. Much later there was another artistic outburst, appropriately international but characteristically idiosyncratic, a highly elaborate version of Baroque architecture and decoration. Lecce is a glorious example: churches and palaces with intricately embellished façades carved from the local stone line the streets and squares of this lively town, the regional capital of the Salento.

Trani, cathedral, from ‘The Shores of the Adriatic: The Italian Side’ 1906.

A journey from the north to the south of Puglia, this tour takes in the most important mediaeval and Baroque sites and well as the noteworthy items from other eras. Particularly memorable are the unspoilt centres of ancient cities and villages built up around narrow twisting alleys, some tumbling down hillsides, most whitewashed, all full of picturesque incident. Waterfronts with ancient harbours are another feature. There is scenic variety from rolling hills to open plains, in parts enlivened by trulli, conical stone houses which are a unique vernacular phenomenon. In the autumnal light and cooler temperatures Puglia’s charms can now be enjoyed with comfort and ease. While including many of the major items visited on our nine-day Normans in the South tour, this itinerary differs by lessening the focus on that era and encompassing a wider range of architecture, art and history.

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Itinerary Day 1: Bitonto. Fly at c. 9.00am from London City to Bari via Milan Linate (Alitalia). Drive to Bitonto, which has one of the finest of Romanesque cathedrals in the region, with good sculpture and an Early Christian lower church. Continue to Trani, where the first three nights are spent. Day 2: Trani, Castel del Monte. A walk along the harbour of the small city of Trani includes the 12th-century church of Ognissanti and the magically beautiful Romanesque cathedral perched on the waterfront. In the afternoon drive out to Castel del Monte. Situated on an isolated peak, Frederick II’s extraordinary octagonal hunting lodge of c. 1240 is one of the most intriguing secular buildings of the Middle Ages. Day 3: Monte Sant’Angelo, Santa Maria di Siponto. High on the southern slopes of Monte Gargano sits Monte Sant’Angelo, where the apparition of the Archangel Michael in the 5th century has made the grotto sanctuary a popular destination for pilgrims. The massive castle was started by the Normans and extended by the Swabians, Aragonese and Bourbons. The Tomba di Rotari is a baptistery with 12th-century decorations and a domed roof. Seemingly of Tuscan Romanesque influence is the isolated church of Santa Maria di Siponto. Day 4: Bari. Capital of Puglia, Bari has a wonderful walled mediaeval quarter beside the sea, extensive and unspoilt. The Basilica of San Nicola, begun in 1087, is not only the first but also the greatest of Puglian Romanesque churches; the episcopal throne here is remarkable. Also visit the cathedral (1170) and the later mediaeval Angevin castle. There is a good art gallery. Continue through the Itria Valley, an area peppered with conical stone trulli, to Martina Franca, a beautiful hill town of winding streets, sudden vistas and Baroque and Rococo houses and churches. Overnight near Martina Franca.

Day 6: Lecce, Galatina. Lecce is distinguished by an elaborate style of Baroque and Rococo decoration wrought in the soft, honey-coloured tufa of the region. The outstanding examples are the cathedral and the church of Santa Croce. See also the well preserved Roman theatre. Drive out in the afternoon to the pretty little town of Galatina to see the remarkable frescoes from the first half of the 15th century in the Franciscan church of St Catherine. There is some free time in Lecce.

‘Very well put-together. Wide ranging over historical time periods.’

Dr Richard Plant. Architectural historian and lecturer specialising in the Middle Ages with a strong interest in the modern. He studied at Cambridge, followed by the Courtauld, where he obtained his PhD. He was Deputy Academic Director at Christie’s Education and has published on English and German architecture.

Day 7: Casarano, Gallipoli, Otranto. Explore the Salentine Peninsula, the southernmost tip of the heel of Italy. Gallipoli was the centre of Byzantine Italy until conquered by the Normans in 1071. The highly picturesque old town is on an off-shore island protruding into the Ionian Sea. The ancient city of Otranto, the easternmost in Italy, has a Norman cathedral with outstanding 12th-century floor mosaics.

Normans in the South

Day 8: Ostuni. Ostuni is another delightful whitewashed hilltop town with bemusingly winding streets. At its centre is a late Gothic cathedral with three fine rose windows. Fly from Bari via Milan Linate, arriving at London Heathrow at c. 8.45pm.

21–29 March 2017 (md 198) This tour is currently full Please contact us for details or visit www.martinrandall.com

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,410 or £2,170 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,660 or £2,420 without flights. Included meals: 5 dinners with wine. Accomodation. Hotel San Paolo al Convento, Trani (hotelsanpaoloalconvento.it): charming 4-star hotel converted from a 15th-century convent, although service and maintenance are not always quite up to standard. Relais Villa San Martino, Near Martina Franca (relaisvillasanmartino.it): converted villa 3 km outside the town. Rooms are tastefully and individually decorated but vary in size. Patria Palace Hotel, Lecce (patriapalacelecce.com): stylish 5-star hotel in an excellent location near the church of Santa Croce. Rooms are spacious and elegantly furnished.

See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

An architectural tour of one of the most sophisticated kingdoms in mediaeval Europe. Splendid Norman legacy of Romanesque, with churches of unprecedented size and grandeur. Led by John McNeill, a mediaevalist who has become an expert on the region. Later architecture of equal magnificence, in particular an elaborate flowering of Baroque. Attractive, well-preserved town centres and a dramatic landscape of raw limestone.

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Day 5: Martina Franca, Brindisi. Before leaving Martina Franca, see the 17th-century Palazzo Ducale with its fine Baroque façade and the cathedral of San Martino. Possessing the safest natural harbour on the Adriatic, Brindisi has been of intermittent strategic importance for over twenty-four centuries. Visit the Romanesque church of Santa Maria del Casale, which has Byzantine frescoes and a polychrome façade, and San Giovanni al Sepolcro with a splendid portal decorated with reliefs. Drive to Lecce where the final three nights are spent.

Brindisi, steel engraving c. 1850.

How strenuous? Quite a lot of walking, some of it uphill as the coach cannot enter the historic town centres. Some days involve a lot of driving. Average distance by coach per day: 70 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

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Civilizations of Sicily Mediterranean crossroads: Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, Norman, Spanish & Italian ItALy

20 March–1 April 2017 (md 183) 13 days • £4,360 Lecturer: Dr Philippa Joseph 17–29 April 2017 (md 225) 13 days • £4,360 Lecturer: Christopher Newall 18–30 September 2017 (me 530) 13 days • £4,360 Lecturer: Dr Luca Leoncini 16–28 October 2017 (me 618) 13 days • £4,360 Lecturer: John McNeill Covers all the island, showcasing the main sights and many lesser-known ones. The whole gamut – Ancient Greek, Roman, mediaeval (particularly Norman), Renaissance, Baroque and nineteenth-century. A full tour but carefully paced. Hotel changes kept to a minimum – only three hotels during the entire tour. Combine the March departure with A Festival of Music in Florence, 12–18 March 2017 – page 135. By virtue of both size and location, Sicily is the pre-eminent island in the Mediterranean. It is the largest, and it is also close to the sea’s centre, a stepping stone between Europe and Africa and a refuge between the Levant and the Atlantic.

The result is that throughout history Sicily has been viewed as a fortuitous landfall by migrating peoples and a prized possession by ambitious adventurers and expansionist princes. And as the Mediterranean has been catalyst and disseminator of a greater variety of civilizations than any other of the world’s seas, the island has acquired an exceptionally rich encrustation of art, architecture and archaeological remains. For the Phoenicians, Sicily was an irresistible objective in the extension of their trading empire in the central Mediterranean, and from the eighth century bc exchanges of population took place between bases in the western and northern part of the island and Carthage. From about the same period Greeks from various points of origin in the Hellenic world established themselves in the east of the island and along the south coast. Competition for territory and trading rights between Phoenicians and Greeks, as well as cultural and commercial exchanges, took place for centuries until finally the Romans drove the Phoenicians off the island in the course of the Punic Wars in the late third century bc. The remnants of remarkable Doric temples, as well as military fortifications, built by the Greek colonists survive in Selinunte, Agrigento and Syracuse, including in the two last places buildings which are extraordinarily intact. Great wealth accrued under Roman rule when the island was clothed in fields of corn, and endless oak forests and abundant fauna provided sport for grandees and emperors. One of them has bequeathed to us on the floor of his luxurious villa the most splendid Roman mosaics to have

survived. Overrun by Germanic barbarians in the fift h century, Sicily was wrested back for the twilight of classical civilization by the Byzantines, but at the cost of military campaigns which devastated the island. Byzantine rule was in turn supplanted from the ninth century by Muslim Arabs, and a period of prosperity and advanced civilization ensued. Two hundred years later Arab rule was swept aside by conquering Normans, who, by succumbing to the luxuriant sophistication of their predecessors, distanced themselves as far as is imaginable from their rugged northern roots. The unique artistic blend of this golden age survives in the Romanesque churches with details of Norman, Saracenic, Levantine and classical origin. Byzantine mosaicists were much employed. The wealth and power of Sicily began to wane again from the later Middle Ages as a succession of German, French and Spanish dynasties exploited the island with colonial disregard for long-term interests, but pockets of wealth and creativity remained as Gothic and Renaissance masterpieces demonstrate. Artistically, however, a final flourish was reached in the Age of Baroque which saw the erection of churches and palaces as splendid and exuberant as anywhere in Europe. The raw beauty of the landscape changes continually across the island. The Sicilians can be as welcoming as Italians anywhere, but the island continues to retain its enigmas, and differences with the mainland sometimes seem profound.

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Paestum, copper engraving by T. Major, 1768. book online at www.martinrandall.com

LAtVIA, LItHUANIA: Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania, 21 July–3 August 2017. See page 71.

Dr Philippa Joseph. For twenty years, Philippa published journals and books for learned societies in the humanities. She is now an independent lecturer and researcher, and reviews editor for History Today. Her research looks at societies in Andalucía and Sicily where Christian, Jewish, and Muslim cultures ﬂourished, each building on a Classical past.

Day 1: Palermo. In March: fly at c. 7.30am from London Heathrow, via Milan or Rome, to Palermo (Alitalia). In April, September and October: fly at c. 2.45pm from London Gatwick to Catania, and drive across the island to Palermo (British Airways). The largest and by far the most interesting city on the island, Palermo has been capital of Sicily from the period of Saracenic occupation in the 9th century. It reached a peak under the Normans and again during the Age of Baroque. First of six nights in Palermo. Day 2: Palermo. Morning walk through the old centre includes a visit to several oratories and outstanding Norman buildings including La Martorana with fine mosaics. Drinks at a private palace, by special arrangement. In the afternoon see the collection of pictures in the 15th-century Palazzo Abatellis. Day 3: Monreale, Cefalù. Monreale dominates a verdant valley southwest of Palermo, and its cathedral is one of the finest Norman churches with the largest scheme of mosaic decoration to survive from the Middle Ages. Cefalù, a charming coastal town, has a massive Norman cathedral with outstanding mosaics and an art gallery with a painting by Antonello da Messina. Day 4: Segesta, Selinunte. With its magnificently sited temple and theatre, Segesta is one of the most evocative of Greek sites. Selinunte, founded c. 650 bc, is a vast archaeological site, renowned for its picturesque temples and acropolis. Day 5: Agrigento. A full day in Agrigento to see the ‘Valley of the Temples’, one of the finest of all ancient Greek sites with the virtually complete Temple of Concord, other ruins and a good museum. Day 6: Palermo. S. Giovanni degli Eremiti is a Norman church with five cupolas and a charming garden. The cathedral, a building of many periods, has grand royal and imperial tombs. Free afternoon. Private visit to the Palatine Chapel, in the 12th-century Palace of the Normans.

Day 8: Taormina. Visit the famed Roman theatre, with spectacular views over the sea to Calabria and inland to Mount Etna, an active volcano. The rest of the day free: one of the earliest and still one of the most attractive of Mediterranean resorts, Taormina has an area of secluded beaches joined by cable car to the delightful hilltop town. Day 9: Messina, Reggio di Calabria. Drive north to Messina to see the art gallery with paintings by Caravaggio and Antonello da Messina. Cross by ferry to Reggio di Calabria on the mainland of Italy, and see the Riace Bronzes – over-life-size male nudes associated with Phidias and Polyclitus, among the finest Greek sculpture to survive.

Day 10: Catania. Catania, along the coast from Taormina, has a fine Baroque centre. Here there are special visits to a private palazzo and a Byzantine chapel, where there is a light lunch. See also the cathedral and the Roman Theatre, where Alkibiades addressed the men of Catania to incite them to win the cause of Athens. Day 11: Syracuse. Founded as a Greek colony in 733 bc, Syracuse became the most important city of Magna Græcia. Afternoon walk on the island of Ortygia, the picturesque and densely built original centre of Syracuse, and see the Caravaggio painting in the church of Sta. Lucia alla Badia. First of two nights in Syracuse. Day 12: Noto, Syracuse. Rebuilt after an earthquake in 1693, Noto is one of the loveliest and most homogenous Baroque towns in Italy. Visit the 5th-century bc Greek theatre in Syracuse, the largest of its type to survive, as well as the stone quarries and the Roman amphitheatre. There is also time to visit the excellent museum of antiquities in Syracuse. Day 13. In March: fly via Milan or Rome, arriving London Heathrow at c. 7.15pm. In April, September and October: fly from Catania, arriving London Gatwick at c. 11.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £4,360 or £4,150 without flights. Single occupancy: £4,950 or £4,740 without flights. Included meals: 5 lunches (including one picnic) and 7 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa, Palermo (piazzaborsa.it): centrally located 4-star hotel housed in an assortment of historical buildings. Hotel Villa Belvedere, Taormina (villabelvedere.it): charming 4-star family-run hotel in the old town, with its own garden (rooms vary in size and outlook). Des Etrangers Hotel, Syracuse (desetrangers.com): elegant 5-star hotel on the island of Ortygia. All rooms have sea views.

Christopher Newall. Art historian, lecturer and writer. A specialist in 19th-century British art he also has a deep interest in southern Italy, its architecture, politics and social history. He studied at the Courtauld and has curated various exhibitions including John Ruskin: Artist & Observer at the National Gallery of Canada and Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Dr Luca Leoncini. Art historian specialising in 15th-century Italian painting. His degree and PhD were from Rome University followed by research at the Warburg Institute in London. He has contributed to the Macmillan Dictionary of Art and has written on Mantegna and Renaissance drawings. John McNeill. Architectural historian and a specialist in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. He lectures for Oxford University’s Department of Continuing Education and is Honorary Secretary of the British Archaeological Association, for whom he has edited collections of essays on mediaeval Anjou, King’s Lynn and the Fens, Cloisters, and Romanesque and the Mediterranean. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. How strenuous? This tour involves a lot of walking, some of it over rough ground at archaeological sites and cobbled or uneven paving in town centres. Fitness and sure-footedness are essential. There are also some long coach journeys. Average distance by coach per day: 73 miles. Flights. We opt to travel to and from Sicily with Alitalia in March because the only direct flights to the island in this period are with low-cost airlines, with whom it is not currently viable for us to make a group booking. British Airways only flies directly from London Gatwick to Catania from April to October (these flights are also subject to confirmation).

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Day 7: Palermo, Piazza Armerina. In Palermo visit Castello della Zisa, an Arab-Norman Palace. Drive through the interior of Sicily. At Piazza Armerina are the remains of one of the most sumptuous villas of the late-Roman Empire, whose floor mosaics comprise the most vital and colourful manifestation of Roman figurative art in Europe. Continue across the island for the first of four nights in Taormina.

Palermo, Palatine Chapel, watercolour by F. Fox, publ. 1913.

ItALy, LAtVIA, LItHUANIA

Itinerary

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

What else is included in the price? See page 7. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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World Heritage Malta From Neolithic to now MALtA

2–8 October 2017 (me 592) 7 days • £2,570 Lecturer: Juliet Rix A wonderful exploration of this fascinating, diverse island. A visit to some of the world’s earliest stone temples, amongst a concentration of other astonishing major historic sites. Led by award winning journalist Juliet Rix, author of the definitive guide to Malta (Bradt Guide: Malta & Gozo) and expert on the area. Visit the rural and picturesque Gozo Island, with stunning natural features. Malta has an extraordinary 7000-year history beginning with the arrival of a little-known people from Sicily who became the creators of Malta’s unique Neolithic temples. Older than the Great Pyramids and the famous standing stones at Stonehenge, Malta’s temples were built between 3600 and 2500 bc – they are megalithic architecture constructed a millennium before Mycenae. All the temples are unesco World Heritage Sites, as is the unique Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, the extraordinary triple-layered tomb complex cut from solid rock where the ‘Temple People’ buried their dead (a restoration project is due to be completed by mid-2016).

And this is just the start of the story. Malta, with its perfect natural harbours, was desired by every trading or invading nation in the Mediterranean from the Phoenicians and Romans to both sides in the Second World War. Each occupier has left its mark from Roman-Byzantine catacombs to British red letter boxes. The Knights of St John Hospitaller, commonly referred to as ‘The Knights of Malta’ have, of course, left the greatest impression. Ousted from Jerusalem and then Rhodes, this order of maritime warrior monks arrived in Malta in 1530 and ruled until 1798. After nearly losing the country to the Ottoman Turks in The Great Siege of 1565, the Knights built a near-impregnable new city on a rocky peninsula between two harbours: Malta’s delightful diminutive capital, Valletta. Despite the ravages of the Second World War, Valletta remains fundamentally the Knights’ city although one area has just received a very twenty–first century makeover. Badly bombed and minimally restored, the City Gate area has been redesigned by the architect of the Pompidou Centre and the London Shard, Renzo Piano.

Itinerary Day 1: Valletta. Fly at c. 11.00am from London Heathrow to Malta. Drive to Valletta, a peninsula flanked by fine natural harbours and once the most strongly fortified city in Christendom. Here, survey the massive fortifications protecting the landward approach and view the Grand Harbour from the ramparts.

Day 2: Hagar Qim, Mnajdra, Ghar Lapsi. Drive through attractive countryside to the prehistoric temples overlooking the sea, Hagar Qim and Mnajdra. In the afternoon, see the ancient trackworks, Clapham Junction cart ruts. Day 3: Valletta. The morning is spent in the National Museum of Archaeology, home of the unique ‘Fat Ladies of Malta’ and other original carvings from the Neolithic Temples. Visit the charming Manoel Theatre, a rare survival of the early 18th century and the Co-Cathedral of St John, one of the most interesting of Baroque buildings, which has lavish carved wall decoration, ceiling paintings by Mattia Preti, magnificently carved tombs and two paintings by Caravaggio. Finally, a private visit of the Casa Rocca Piccola, providing unique historical evidence into the customs and traditions of the Maltese nobility over the last 400 years. Day 4: Paola, Valletta. In Paola, the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum is a unesco World Heritage Site and the only prehistoric underground temple in the world. The Tarxien Temple site is the most complex in Malta and would have been the most decorative. The afternoon is free in Valletta. Day 5: Gozo. A 30-minute ferry crossing to the island of Gozo, which is more rural and less populated than Malta. See the temple of Ggantija, one of the oldest of Malta’s prehistoric monuments. The chief town is Victoria, which has a cathedral, museum and Sicilo-Norman houses. Fungus Rock, Gharb and Ramla Bay are all of geological, historical and mythical interest respectively. Day 6: Mdina, Rabat, Mosta. Mdina, Malta’s ancient capital, is an unspoilt citadel of great beauty, centre of the indigenous aristocracy, with mediaeval walls, grand palazzos and Baroque cathedral. Spreading below is the town of Rabat, with Early Christian catacombs. Afternoon drive to Mosta with the third largest dome in Europe. Day 7: Vittoriosa. Cross the Grand Harbour by boat, to see churches, forts, and the Second World War museum in Vittoriosa. Fly to London Heathrow arriving at 7.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,570 or £2,440 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,030 or £2,900 without flights.

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Included meals: 2 lunches, 3 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Phoenicia, Valletta (phoeniciamalta.com): 5-star hotel in Valletta, furnished with style and character, the best in Valletta and just outside the city gates. How strenuous? Quite a lot of walking, some of it over rough ground at sites. Valletta is relatively hilly so you will need to be comfortable with everyday walking and stair climbing. Average distance by coach per day: 15 miles. Group size: between 10 and 20 participants. Combine this tour with: Art in Madrid, 27 September–1 October 2017 (page 169).

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Part of th prehistoric complex at Hagar Qim, wood engraving from ‘The Illustrated London News’, 1868. book online at www.martinrandall.com

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Valletta Baroque Festival Music & art in the heart of the Mediterranean MALtA, MONtENEGRO

17–24 January 2017 (md 120) 8 days • £2,690 (including tickets to 5 performances) Lecturer: Juliet Rix Baroque music in one of the most complete and compact of Baroque cities. Performances by world-class musicians including The Sixteen and Tenebrae. Guided tours of Malta’s principal archaeological and architectural treasures. Malta is a highly apposite setting for the performance of Baroque music. During the Baroque period the island was ruled by the Knights of Malta or Knights Hospitaller, Valletta was completely rebuilt and the knights themselves were vigorous patrons of the arts, including music and architecture. One of Europe’s oldest working theatres is the Teatru Manoel, built in 1731 at the behest of the Grand Master of the order, Fra António Manoel de Vilhena. With only 600 seats, the theatre is a masterpiece of carpentry, with three tiers of wooden boxes, gilded and painted, and a trompel’oeil ceiling. Opera companies visited Malta regularly, performing works by Hasse, Piccini and Galuppi. Other buildings hosting concerts include the President’s (formerly Grandmaster’s) Palace; St John’s Co-Cathedral, begun in 1573 and gradually embellished to become a great ensemble of Baroque art; and the Church of St Catherine d’Italie (1713). Valletta’s beautiful position on one of the world’s greatest natural harbours, and the fine buildings which still dominate the city, make it a splendid location in which to hear the music of Bach, Vivaldi and their contemporaries.

Itinerary Day 1: Valletta. Fly at c. 11.30am (Air Malta) from London Heathrow to Malta. Drive to Valletta, a peninsula flanked by fine natural harbours and once the most strongly fortified city in Christendom.

Day 3: Hagar Qim, Mnajdra, Marsaxlokk, Valletta. Drive through attractive countryside to the prehistoric temples overlooking the sea, Hagar Qim and Mnajdra (the Hypogeum is closed for renovation). Return to Valletta after lunch in the picturesque fishing village of Marsaxlokk. Evening concert: ‘Stradivarius to Bach’ performed by the prize-winning violinist Nicolas Dautricourt. Day 4: Gozo. A 30-minute ferry crossing to the island of Gozo which is more rural and less populated than Malta. See the temple of Ggantija, amongst the oldest of Malta’s prehistoric

monuments. The chief town is Victoria, which has a citadel, cathedral and Sicilo-Norman houses. Stop for lunch in the citadel to try homemade Gozitan food. Evening concert with The Sixteen: Lotti, Melgas, Scarlatti, Rebelo, and Caldara. Day 5: Paola, Tarxien. Visit the Ghar Dalam Cave, the earliest evidence of human settlement in Malta; also the Tarxien Temples, rediscovered by local farmers in 1913–14 and the source of outstanding carved reliefs and statues. Early evening concert: ‘Le Banquet Celeste’ (Messiaen) performed by Tenebrae. Day 6: Mdina, Rabat. Mdina, Malta’s ancient capital and centre of the indigenous aristocracy, is an unspoilt citadel of great beauty, with mediaeval walls, grand palazzos and Baroque cathedral. Visit Palazzo Falson, a 13th-century private residence and the second oldest building in Mdina. Spreading below is the town of Rabat, with Early Christian catacombs. Late afternoon concert: ‘La Music Notturna Nelle Strade di Madrid’, String Quintet by Boccherini, with Accademia Ottoboni. Day 7: Valletta. Guided tours of the Manoel Theatre and the Co-Cathedral of St John, which has lavish carved wall decoration, ceiling paintings, magnificent tombs and two paintings by Caravaggio. A private tour of the Casa Rocca Piccola, a 16th-century palazzo owned by the Marquis de Piro.

Juliet Rix. Writer and broadcaster with a particular interest in the history of Malta. She studied History of Art at Cambridge and is the author of the Bradt Guide: Malta & Gozo. Her career in journalism has involved working for the BBC and writing for British national newspapers, magazines and online media. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. Included meals: 3 lunches, 6 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Phoenicia, Valletta (phoenicianamalta.com): deluxe 5-star furnished with style and character; the best in Valletta and just outside the city gates. How strenuous? Quite a lot of walking, some of it over rough ground at sites. Valletta is relatively hilly so you will need to be comfortable with everyday walking and stair climbing. Average distance by coach per day: 12 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: The Wihan Quartet & Friends, 13–15 January 2017 (page 41).

Day 8: Vittoriosa. Cross the Grand Harbour by boat (weather permitting) to see churches, forts, and the Second World War museum in Vittoriosa. Fly to London Heathrow, arriving c. 7.30pm.

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Day 2: Valletta. Survey the massive fortifications protecting the landward approach and view the Grand Harbour from the ramparts. Visit the National Museum of Archaeology, home of the unique ‘Fat Ladies of Malta’ and other carvings from the Neolithic Temples. Some free time followed by dinner and an evening concert: ‘The Rival Queens’, arias and duets by Handel performed by Vivica Genaux and Simone Kermes with The Basel Chamber Orchestra.

Valetta, steel engraving c. 1850.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,690 or £2,520 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,970 or £2,800 without flights. Music tickets (first category) costing c. £250 are included in the price.

MONtENEGRO: the Western Balkans, departures in October & May 2017. See page 60. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Art in the Netherlands Rembrandt, Vermeer, Van Gogh tHE NEtHERLANDS

15–21 October 2017 (me 615) 7 days • £2,660 Lecturer: Dr Guus Sluiter A study of Dutch art in some of the finest museums of the Netherlands. Features artists of the seventeenth-century Golden Age (Hals, Rembrandt, Vermeer), Van Gogh and other major figures. The lecturer, Dr Guus Sluiter, is an art historian resident in the Netherlands. Also architecture and design from mediaeval to modern, and several highly picturesque historic town centres.

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, one of the world’s great museums, closed for major refurbishment for over ten years. It reopened in 2013 allowing us to offer comprehensive art history tours to the Netherlands once again. In the last few years the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art have also re-opened to great acclaim after periods of closure. The seventeenth century was the Golden Age in the history and art history of the northern Netherlands. (Much of this activity was concentrated in Holland, though that was but one of seven provinces which constituted the United Provinces, now the Kingdom of the Netherlands.) This was the time of Frans Hals, Rembrandt, Vermeer and innumerable other great masters.

The Dutch School is of universal appeal, with its mix of realism, painterliness and potency, though it is best appreciated in the excellent art galleries of their native country – and against the background of the well preserved and wonderfully picturesque towns and cities. With their canals, cobbled alleys and gabled mansions, many have changed little in three hundred years. There is also focus on Vincent Van Gogh, the bulk of whose output is in the Netherlands. Painters of the Hague School of the nineteenth century have a presence, as do pioneers of modernism in painting and architecture, the architects Van der Velde and Gerrit Rietveld for example, and the abstract painter Piet Mondriaan. More recent art and architecture also features. The base for the tour is a five-star hotel in Utrecht, whose central location means relatively short journeys to all places visited.

Itinerary Day 1: Haarlem. Fly at midday (British Airways) from London Heathrow Airport to Amsterdam Schiphol. Haarlem was the chief artistic centre in the northern Netherlands in the 16th century and home of the first of the great masters of the Golden Age, Frans Hals, whose finest works are in the excellent museum here. Drive to Utrecht, where all six nights are spent. Timing is tight on this day, and the visit may have to be cut short if the flight is delayed. Day 2: Amsterdam. With its rings of canals lined with merchants’ mansions, Amsterdam is one of the loveliest capitals in the world. Our visit to the brilliantly refurbished Rijksmuseum concentrates on the major works in its unrivalled collection of 17th-century paintings, Rembrandt’s Night Watch and four Vermeers among them. The house where Rembrandt lived and worked for nearly 20 years is well restored and has a display of prints. Also newly extended, the Van Gogh Museum houses the biggest holding (over 200) of the artist’s works, largely from his brother Theo’s collection. Day 3: Utrecht. One of the best-preserved historic cities in the Netherlands, Utrecht features canals flanked by unbroken stretches of Golden Age houses. The excellent art museum has a major collection of paintings of the 17th-century Utrecht School. See also the Rietveld House (1924), a landmark of 20th-century architecture.

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Day 4: Otterlo. Located in gardens and surrounded by an extensive heath, the KröllerMüller Museum has the second great collection of works by Van Gogh as well as an eclectic holding of paintings, furniture and sculpture. A leisurely visit here allows time to explore the 75-acre park with its outdoor sculptures.

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Day 5: The Hague. The Mauritshuis at Den Haag contains a superb collection of paintings including masterpieces by Rembrandt and Vermeer. Exhibited in the Gemeentemuseum are 19thcentury Hague School paintings, the realist milieu from which Van Gogh emerged, and works by the pioneer abstractionist Mondriaan. Visit also the illusionistic Mesdag panorama and the centre of the city, seat of the court and parliament. Utrecht, lithograph c. 1830 after Samuel Prout. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Day 6: Amsterdam. Return to Amsterdam. The Hermitage Museum, which celebrates

Van Gogh’s Journey Visions of nature

Itinerary Day 1: Amsterdam, Utrecht. Fly from London Heathrow to Amsterdam (British Airways) at c. 11.00am. With its rings of canals lined with merchants’ houses, Amsterdam is one of the loveliest capitals in the world. It is also home to the newly extended Van Gogh Museum that houses the biggest holding of the artist’s works, largely from his brother Theo’s collection. After the visit, drive to Utrecht for the first of two nights.

See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

the historical ties between Amsterdam and St Petersburg, has an exhibition devoted to Dutch Masters from Russian collections. Free afternoon: revisit the Rijksmuseum (there is much to see other than the Golden Age paintings), the Van Gogh Museum, or the Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art. Day 7: Rotterdam is a thriving city and a centre of contemporary architecture. The Boijmans van Beuningen Museum is the second largest art gallery in the Netherlands and has many important Dutch paintings and good decorative arts. Fly from Amsterdam to London Heathrow, arriving at c. 4.30pm. We sometimes change the visits on this itinerary to take advantage of temporary exhibitions.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,660 or £2,520 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,040 or £2,900 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. The Grand Hotel Karel V, Utrecht (karelv.nl): 5-star hotel converted from a 19th-century hospital in a quiet location within the city walls. How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking and standing around, and the tour would not be suitable for anyone with difficulties with everyday walking and stair-climbing. Average distance by coach per day: 70 miles. Group size: between 10 and 20 participants. Combine this tour with Friuli-Venezia Giulia, 9–14 October 2017 (page 127); Courts of Northern Italy, 22–29 October 2017 (page 128).

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Amsterdam, watercolour publ. 1904.

22–25 March 2017 (md 186) 4 days • £1,720 Lecturer: Dr Frances Fowle Led by Dr Frances Fowle, Senior Curator of French Art at the Scottish National Gallery. Van Gogh’s work in the context of the art and landscapes of his home country. The world’s two finest collections of Van Gogh’s work: The Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam and the delightful Kröller-Müller Museum at Otterlo. Signifcant works by Van Gogh, Impressionists and Post-Impressionists at the Musée d’Orsay. Centrally located hotel in the picturesque town of Utrecht and a comfortable 4-star hotel in Paris. Vincent van Gogh (1853–90) was among the greatest painters and draughtsmen who have ever lived. Since his early death in 1890, his work and tragic life have exerted an ever-growing fascination on a global public. This itinerary offers the opportunity to visit the world’s two finest collections of his work: The Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, and the delightful Kröller-Müller Museum at Otterlo near Utrecht in the central Netherlands. In addition, there will be a chance to see more fine Van Goghs at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, which is also enormously rich in paintings by his associates and contemporaries including Paul Gauguin and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Paris was Van Gogh’s home for two crucial years, 1887–8, during which he shared a flat with his brother in Montmartre, discovered Impressionism and developed from a painter of sombre browns and greys into an exponent of radiant colour. The journey ends where Vincent’s own life did, at the northern French village of Auvers-sur-Oise, the location of his last, frenetically productive two months, during which he produced an astonishing quantity of masterpieces. There, it is still possible to see many of the places Van Gogh painted – including the parish church – and visit the austere

Day 2: Otterlo. Located in gardens and surrounded by an extensive heath, the beautiful Kröller-Müller Museum at Otterlo has the second great collection of works by Van Gogh, as well as an eclectic holding of paintings, furniture and sculpture. Visit the ‘Early Van Gogh’ exhibition. Return to Utrecht, where there is free time to explore one of the best-preserved cities in the Netherlands, with canals flanked by unbroken stretches of Golden Age houses. Day 3: Paris. Travel by train from Amsterdam to Paris (c. 3 hours 20 minutes) for an afternoon visit to the Musée d’Orsay to see several iconic works, including Van Gogh’s The Church in Auvers-sur-Oise. The museum houses not only the world’s finest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works but also masterpieces by important precursors such as Courbet and Millet. Overnight Paris. Day 4: Auvers-sur-Oise. Auvers-sur-Oise was a popular artists’ colony, frequented by Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. Van Gogh spent the last few weeks of his life here at the Auberge Ravoux. Visit Église Notre Dame, a 12th-century Gothic church that was the subject of Van Gogh’s painting. From here, it is a short walk to the cemetery, the final resting place of both the artist and his brother. Return by Eurostar to London St Pancras at c. 6.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,720 or £1,500 without flight and Eurostar. Single occupancy: £1,960 or £1,740 without flight and Eurostar. Included meals: 1 lunch and 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. The Grand Hotel Karel V, Utrecht (karelv.nl): 5-star hotel converted from a 19th-century hospital in a quiet location. Hotel Westminster, Paris (warwickwestminsteropera. com): comfortable 4-star hotel near the Opéra Garnier with traditional décor.

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‘Wonderful! I was delighted to have the opportunity to visit and revisit so many towns in the Netherlands where art and architecture are sublime.’

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room in which he stayed at the Auberge Ravoux. The final destination is the graveyard where both Vincent and Theo, his younger brother and indispensable supporter, both lie buried. It is sited – fittingly – among the cornfields that provided one of the last and most memorable subjects of Van Gogh’s art.

Dr Guus Sluiter. Art historian and Director of the Dutch Funeral Museum in Amsterdam. He has worked for the Mauritshuis in the Hague and the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. He has published widely and is a Research Fellow of the Dutch Institute for Art History in Florence.

How strenuous? There is a fair amount of walking and standing around in museums. Average distance by coach per day: 49 miles. Group size: between 10 and 20 participants. Combine this tour with Modern Art on the Côte d’Azur, 15–21 March 2017 (page 92); Goya, 27 March–6 April 2017 (page 171). Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Rijksmuseum & Mauritshuis Art in Amsterdam, Haarlem & the Hague tHE NEtHERLANDS ‘The Five Syndics’ (which hangs in the Rijksmuseum) (detail), wood engraving c. 1880 after Rembrandt.

4–7 June 2017 (md 332) 4 days • £1,840 Lecturer: Dr Sophie Oosterwijk Painting of the Dutch Golden Age – Frans Hals, Rembrandt, Vermeer and contemporaries – as well as art of other eras. Plenty of time for the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam which reopened in 2013 as Europe’s best-displayed national gallery. The Mauritshuis in The Hague also reopened in 2014 after complete refurbishment and ‘looks set to become northern Europe’s most alluring small museum’ (Financial Times).

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The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is one of the world’s great museums, but it was largely closed for ten years until 2013. Planned extension and refurbishment hit a number of unexpected snags, but the new Rijksmuseum has been greeted with universal praise. Much extra space has been quarried from within the footprint of the 1885 building, and while some of the original decoration has been revealed and restored, the latest museum technology has been adopted and the artworks are beautifully lit. Paintings, sculpture, drawings, tapestries, ceramics, gold and silver – the whole gamut of fine and decorative arts are on display, often in meaningful juxtaposition. Though the gallery has the finest collection by far of the Dutch Golden Age (the seventeenth century, the age of Rembrandt and Vermeer), it has much else besides, including significant international collections. There are two visits to the museum, and visits to a number of Amsterdam’s other main galleries and historic buildings, as book online at www.martinrandall.com

well as city centre walks through the enchanting streetscape and along the canals. To enlarge upon the theme, two key galleries in other towns are also visited. The Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem, housed in the almshouse where the eponymous artist spent his last years, provides a perfect introduction to Golden Age art, while the paintings in the Mauritshuis, also benefiting from brilliant re-display, form one of the richest small collections anywhere.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 12.00 midday (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Amsterdam. Haarlem was the chief artistic centre in the northern Netherlands in the 16th century and home of the first of the great masters of the Golden Age, Frans Hals, whose finest works are in the excellent small museum here. Drive to Amsterdam, where all three nights are spent. Day 2. With its concentric rings of canals and 17th-century merchants’ mansions, Amsterdam is one of the loveliest capitals in the world. Our first visit to the brilliantly refurbished Rijksmuseum concentrates on Rembrandt, Vermeer and their contemporaries. In the afternoon walk to Museum Van Loon, a private residence built in 1672, and to the house where Rembrandt lived and worked for nearly 20 years. Walk back to the hotel through some of Amsterdam’s most attractive streets. Day 3. Visit the Hermitage, followed by the Royal Palace, formerly the town hall, decorated by the leading Dutch painters of the 17th century (subject to closure for royal functions). Return to the Rijksmuseum for a second visit. There is some free time to visit two other major art museums nearby

which have also recently been refurbished and extended, the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum of modern and contemporary art. Day 4. Opened in June 2014 after long closure for refurbishment, the Mauritshuis at The Hague ‘looks set to become northern Europe’s most alluring small museum’ (Jackie Wullschlager, Financial Times). The superb collection of paintings includes masterpieces by Rembrandt and Vermeer. The Gemeentemuseum has 19thcentury Hague School paintings, the realist milieu from which Van Gogh emerged, and works by the pioneer abstractionist Mondriaan. Fly from Amsterdam to Heathrow, arriving at c. 6.00pm. We sometimes change the visits on this itinerary to take advantage of temporary exhibitions.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,840 or £1,660 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,140 or £1,960 without flights. Included meals: 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Estheréa, Amsterdam (estherea.nl): centrally located 4-star hotel in a historic building; colourful, comfortable rooms. How strenuous? Quite a lot of walking and standing. The tour would not be suitable for anyone with difficulties with everyday walking. Average distance by coach per day: 23 miles. Group size: between 10 and 20 participants. Combine this tour with: Kraków & Silesia, 9–16 June 2017 (page 154).

Opera in Oslo Fidelio & Pelléas et Mélisande NORWAy

5–8 April 2017 (md 208) 4 days • £2,070 Lecturer: Dr Michael Downes Two performances at Oslo’s dazzling new Opera House: Fidelio (Beethoven) and Pelléas et Mélisande (Debussy). Talks by Dr Michael Downes, director of music at the University of St Andrews. See the city’s art and architecture with Oslo-based art historian Dr Frank Høifødt. Norway’s capital has long been one of Europe’s most civilized and elegant cities. Recently it has also come to be regarded as one of the most exciting for new architecture and cultural activity. Snøhetta’s astonishing Opera House, completed in 2008, led the way for a programme of regeneration that has transformed the former industrial waterfront into a sequence of popular public spaces. These twenty-first-century additions are well balanced by the wide streets and spacious squares of the Oslo of Ibsen and Munch, with their excellent galleries and museums, theatres and cafés. Norwegian National Opera have achieved great things in the splendour of their new home. On consecutive evenings we see their concert version of Beethoven’s Fidelio followed by a fully-staged performance of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande. Two lecturers attend the tour: Dr Michael Downes, Director of Music at the University of St Andrews, introduces the performances, while Dr Frank Høifødt, an Oslo-based art historian and expert on Munch, joins us for the architectural walks and museum visits.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 10.30am from London Heathrow to Oslo (SAS). Transfer by coach to the hotel. A late-afternoon walk takes in the Royal Palace, University, Parliament and the new waterfront developments of the Aker Brygge, among them Renzo Piano’s contemporary art gallery.

Day 3. Morning lecture. Return to the opera house, a glacial construction of marble and glass dominating the Oslo Fjord, for a private tour.

Practicalities

Day 4. Visit the Viking Ship Museum on Bygdøy (Museum Island) before driving to the airport. Fly to London Heathrow, arriving at c. 4.30pm.

How strenuous? You should be able to cope with everyday walking and stairclimbing. Average distance by coach per day: 19 miles (largely on days 1 and 4).

Illustration above: Oslo, lithograph c. 1890 after a drawing by Gotorbe.

Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,070 or £1,900 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,290 or £2,120 without flights. Music tickets (top category) for 2 performances are included. Included meals: 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Continental (hotelcontinental.no): family-run 5-star in the heart of the city, a short walk from the main sights.

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Music in Bergen May 2017 Details available in January 2017 Please contact us to register your interest

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Day 2. A lecture on this evening’s performance precedes a walk to the National Gallery, a fine collection of Norwegian art including a room dedicated to Edvard Munch. The afternoon is free; possible independent visits include the Ibsen Museum, National Museum of Architecture, Astrup Fearnley Museum and Royal Palace. Dinner at the opera house before the 7.00pm performance: Fidelio (Beethoven) (concert version): Karl-Heinz Steﬀens (conductor), Henrik Engelsviken (Florestan), Ludvig Lindström (Don Fernando), Elisabeth Teige (Leonore), Vera Talerko (Marzelline), Jens-Erik Aasbø (Rocco), Ole Jørgen Kristiansen (Don Pizzarro), Thorbjørn Gulbrandsøy (Jaquion), Orchestra of Den Norske Opera. Beethoven’s only opera is a homage to freedom, justice and the greatness inherent in the smallness of the individual. Notoriously difficult to stage, its emotional power and musical glories are perhaps best appreciated in concert versions.

The afternoon is free. 6.00pm opera: Pelléas et Mélisande (Debussy), Karl-Heinz Steﬀens (conductor), Simon Stone (director), Espen Langvik (Pelléas), Paul Gay (Golaud), Ingeborg Gillebo (Mélisande), Anders Lorentzson (Arkel), Randi Stene (Genoveva), Orchestra of Den Norske Opera. This new production takes us into a closed, tightlycontrolled world of dark family secrets, deep chasms, and light, young love. Simon Stone is a young Australian theatre director whose work has enjoyed acclaim in several European cities. Dinner follows the performance.

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Kraków & Silesia Art, architecture & history in southern poland poLANd

9–16 June 2017 (md 338) 8 days • £2,630 Lecturer: to be confirmed Wrocław and Kraków, two of the most impressive and fascinating historic cities in Central Europe. Passed between Bohemia, Prussia and Poland, the multi-layered region of Silesia is of outstanding interest, historically and architecturally. Wrocław and Silesia are surprisingly little visited. Wrocław is the capital of Silesia, in the early modern period one of the wealthiest regions of Central Europe. Prosperity has returned to Wrocław (it has the fastest growing economy of any Polish city), but otherwise contrasts outweigh similarities with Kraków. The mediaeval origins of Silesia were Polish, but under Bohemian, Austrian and Prussian rule, and as an integral part of a united Germany until 1945, German culture came to dominate (Wrocław was known as Breslau). When Silesia was added to Poland after World War II the German-speaking population was replaced by Polish settlers – many of them displaced from territory lost in the east. There ensued ambivalence about its status: much was made of Wrocław’s Polish origins, but a veil was drawn over its later history. It is only since the end of Communism that Wrocław has really come to terms with its multilayered past and the glories of its artistic heritage, now painstakingly restored: the imposing Gothic churches, magnificent Baroque sculpture and pioneering modernist architecture. The impressive old town centre is one of the grandest in Central Europe – evidence of the city’s status as a great

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Krakow, University, lithograph c. 1820. book online at www.martinrandall.com

metropolis in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It was to remain an important place of cultural interchange between the German west and the Slavic east, and between the Protestant north and the Catholic south. Kraków is one of the treasures of Europe, an unspoilt cityscape of the highest architectural importance. Famed for its royal castle, university, great churches and art collections, it was for centuries Poland’s capital, at a time when the country was one of the major kingdoms of Europe. After the dismemberment of Poland at the end of the eighteenth century, the city was subsumed within the Austrian Habsburg Empire and reduced to provincial impotence. Its independent spirit and intellectual life continued undimmed, however. After the revival of Poland as an independent nation in 1918, and during the tribulations it sustained during much of the twentieth century, Kraków acquired the status of cultural capital, and its literary and artistic life continues to thrive. Miraculously, it largely escaped war-time destruction, but its fabric suffered neglect under Communism. In recent years it has undergone another transformation, restored, cleaned, and once again prosperous. Cafés, shops, restaurants and enterprises of all sorts now fi ll the historic centre, and it has become a popular city-break destination.

Itinerary Day 1: London to Wrocław. Fly at c. 10.00am from London Heathrow to Kraków (British Airways). Drive to Wrocław and settle in at the hotel before an introductory lecture and dinner. First of four nights in Wrocław.

Day 2: Wrocław. Slav by origin, for centuries Wrocław was predominently German (Breslau). The main square is dominated by the elaborate Gothic town hall and lined by a colourful assortment of Renaissance and Baroque mansions. In the academic quarter, and inside the 171m-long Collegium Maximum, the Aula Leopoldina is an ornate Baroque hall with illusionistic ceiling frescoes. Cross the Piaskowy Bridge to Cathedral Island. Among the highlights of the National Museum are Matejko’s Vows of King Jan Kazimierz Waza and an important collection of mediaeval sculpture. Overnight Wrocław. Day 3: Brzeg, Małujowice, Kamieniec Ząbkowicki. A second excursion into the Silesian countryside. The Renaissance castle at Brzeg has a remarkable sculptured entrance gateway, and there are extensive 15th-century wall paintings in the nearby village church of Małujowice. Kamieniec Ząbkowicki, a huge neo-Gothic country residence, was the last major project by the Prussian architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1838). Overnight in Wrocław. Day 4: Kzreszów, Świdnica. The magnificent Baroque abbey at Krzeszów, with imposing interiors, sculpture and paintings, is remarkably well preserved. Polish nuns expelled from Ukraine settled here after the War. The huge ‘Peace Church’ at Świdnica is an extraordinary building, constructed of timber and brilliantly exploiting the tight constraints of the terms under which Lutherans were permitted to build three churches in Catholic Silesia after the 1648 Treaty of Munster. Final night in Wrocław.

the douro From porto to pinhão poLANd, portugAL

Day 5: Wrocław, Kraków. Before departing for Kraków visit the Racławice Panorama, an enormous cycloramic painting (120m x 15m) commemorating the centenary of the defeat of the Russian army in 1794 during the Kościuszko Insurrection. Upon arrival in Kraków lunch is followed by an introductory walk. In the heart of the old town, the enormous mediaeval market square (the largest in Europe) has fine façades of many styles. The soaring Gothic church of St Mary contains the greatest of all late-mediaeval German sculpted altarpieces, by Veit Stoss. First of three nights in Kraków. Day 6: Kraków. A walking tour of the Old Town includes the St Florian Gate and the Furrier’s Tower above it, constructed (1300–07) as part of the city’s fortifications. See also the 15thcentury university complex including the cloister, Collegium Maius and St Anne’s Church, a major work of Polish Baroque. In the afternoon visit the City History Museum. Overnight in Kraków. Day 7: Kraków. Wawel Castle was rebuilt by Italian designers in the 16th century to become one of the earliest and greatest of Renaissance palaces north of the Alps, with arcaded courtyard and splendid interiors. Works of art include an excellent tapestry collection and Leonardo’s Lady with an Ermine. The cathedral is also situated on Wawel Hill; essentially a Gothic structure, it is a Polish pantheon, with tombs of 41 monarchs and national heroes. Adjacent to Kraków but across a branch of the Vistula, Kazimierz was an independent town until the 19th century. Here the Jewish population was concentrated, but there are fine churches as well as synagogues and the former ghetto. It is a place of beauty as well as poignancy. Final night in Kraków. Day 8: Kraków to London. Before departure visit the Cloth Hall, still a covered market below and with a gallery of magnificent 19th-century Polish art above. Fly to London Heathrow, arriving at c. 3.45pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,630 or £2,510 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,050 or £2,930 without flights. Included meals: 2 lunches, 5 dinners, with wine.

How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking, much of it on roughly paved streets. There are long drives on four of the days. Average distance by coach per day: 109 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

12–19 May 2017 (md 308) This tour is currently full 13–20 October 2017 (me 612) 8 days • £2,410 Lecturer: Dr Gerald Luckhurst One of the most remote and picturesque corners of Europe. Variety of visits including major museums, mediaeval and Baroque architecture, gardens, Paleolithic art and wine tastings at private estates. Journeys of immense beauty by rail and boat. Gerald Luckhurst is a landscape architect and garden historian based in Lisbon. One of our more leisurely tours. The upper reaches of the Douro in Portugal present a landscape of extraordinary beauty and tranquillity. The banks rise steeply into the surrounding hills which are clothed with terraced vineyards, patches of woodland, little villages and quintas. Until recently one of the remotest clefts in western Europe, the region remains remarkably unspoilt and diﬃcult of access. It is best approached by train; a journey into mountains that begins at the mouth of the river in Porto (Oporto). The capital of northern Portugal, Porto is synonymous with the port wine trade, which since time immemorial has been dominated by the British. Hence an architectural peculiarity of Porto: the serene Neo-Palladianism of buildings by John Carr of York and his imitators cheek-by-jowl with the highly wrought, startlingly pigmented and lavishly gilded Baroque style of churches and public buildings. Baroque was virtually introduced by another foreigner, the Tuscan painter-architect Nicolau Nasoni who had a hand in the design of many churches and houses in the city and along the Douro.

Porto is also relatively unspoilt, retaining a jumble of historic architecture on its undulating even precipitous site, but it is also a city of parks and gardens and the occasional flash of ultramodern architecture. This is not a tour in pursuit of masterpieces, rather an exploration of delicious scenery and ancient townscapes in a most beautiful but often overlooked corner of Europe. The port wine industry is a subsidiary theme, along with the excellent red wines now produced here. The pace on this tour is slower than on many.

Itinerary Day 1: Porto. Fly at c. 11.50am from London Gatwick to Porto (TAP Portugal). Introductory talk and time for a stroll along the river front before dinner. First of three nights in Porto. Day 2: Porto. Porto is dense with historic architecture and falls steeply down to the River Douro. The cathedral is basically 13th-century with later embellishments, many by the painter-architect Nicolau Nasoni. The Clerigos Church with its wonderful Baroque tower is also by Nasoni, the church of the Misericordia has good Flemish paintings and São Francisco has an amazingly rich carved and gilded interior. Also see the magnificent decorative tiles, azulejos, in the railway station and visit the Factory House (by special arrangement), a club of British port wine traders founded in the 18th century. Overnight Porto. Day 3: Porto. See the façade of the Hospital de São António designed by John Carr of York (1770). The Soares dos Reis was Portugal’s first national museum and has collections of Portuguese fine and decorative arts, and the nearby Museu Romântico in the Quinta da Macieirinha has a garden and 19th-century furnishings. Álvaro Siza’s Fundação de Serralves is set in an attractive park and houses contemporary art. Cross the Douro Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Accommodation. Stary Hotel, Krakow (stary. hotel.com.pl/): boutique 5-star hotel in a 14thcentury towhouse located close to the mediaeval main square. Sofitel, Wroclaw (sofitel.com): comfortable 5-star hotel in the old town.

Porto, wood engraving c. 1880.

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the douro continued

portugAL The Douro, lithograph 1813.

for a tasting at a port lodge and study the scene of Wellington’s impulsive and brilliant 1809 river crossing which enabled him to finish Marshal Soult’s still-warm lunch. Day 4: Porto, Douro Valley, Pinhão. Free morning in Porto. Early afternoon train journey up the Douro Valley which becomes increasingly rural, unspoilt and beautiful, with vineyards, patches of woodland and quintas clinging to the hills. Pinhão is a tiny town with a hotel in a former port lodge overlooking the Douro. First of four nights in Pinhão.

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Day 5: São João de Tarouca, Lamego. At the village of São João de Tarouca, there are paintings by Grão Vasco (1506–42) and Gaspar Vaz (1490–1569) in the church beside which are the ruins of the first Cistercian abbey in Portugal (1169). Continue to the busy little town of Lamego, replete with Baroque mansions and dominated by the pilgrimage church of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios atop a ceremonial stairway. The town museum in the former episcopal palace contains a series of panels by Grão Vasco. See also the cathedral, largely Renaissance behind a Romanesque belfry and has a Gothic west front. Day 6: Vale do Côa. Up the Douro is the small town of Vila Nova Foz Côa with church with Manueline doorway. Close to the border with Spain the River Côa valley holds one of the greatest archaeological finds of recent years, an extensive book online at www.martinrandall.com

array of outdoor Paleolithic art, the largest in Europe. There are well-preserved engravings of auroch, horse, deer and goat along a long stretch of steeply slate-banked river. Visit one of the key sites by 4WD, then continue on foot. Return to Pinhão on the train beside the Douro. Day 7: the Douro by train and boat. A leisurely day in the heart of the wine-making area. Travel by rail downstream to the Quinta do Vallado; visit and lunch here. Sail back to Pinhão on a private rabelo boat. Day 8: Vila Real. The Palácio de Mateus at Vila Real, a Nasoni design made familiar by the rosé wine label, is a fine 18th-century manor house, well furnished and with gardens including a box tree avenue. Continue to Porto airport for the flight to London Gatwick, arriving c. 9.30pm.

‘Very well planned, with a pleasing balance between art, architecture and sightseeing.’

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,410 or £2,240 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,860 or £2,690 without flights. Included meals: 2 lunches, 5 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Pestana Vintage, Porto (pestana.com): excellently situated 4-star hotel in the historic centre, on the right bank of the river Douro. Vintage House, Pinhão (csvintagehouse. com): delightful hotel surrounded by vineyards; gardens and terrace overlooking the river. How strenuous? Visits in Porto are on foot and uphill (via some flights of steps). The archaeological park requires sure-footedness. Travel is by coach, train and boat. Average distance by coach per day: 37 miles. Group size: between 12 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Courts of Northern Italy, 22–29 October 2017 (page 128); Essential Andalucía, 23 October–2 November 2017 (page 177).

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Lisbon Neighbourhoods Art, architecture & gardens in & around the capital portugal

6–11 May 2017 (md 290) 6 days • £1,970 Lecturer: Dr Gerald Luckhurst Superb and varied collections of decorative and fine arts as well as some of the best examples of Portuguese ceramic tiles. Palaces and gardens are well represented including the National Palace at Sintra and the Royal Palace at Queluz. Led by Dr Gerald Luckhurst, landscape architect and garden historian based in Lisbon. Rejuvenation in the last decade has transformed Lisbon into a vibrant and attractive city. Each of Lisbon’s neighbourhoods has its own atmosphere and its own treasures – and the same is emphatically true of the nearby hill – or mountain – of Sintra, with palaces and gardens, and a tendency for mist to hang romantically about its peak. Despite the nation’s money troubles (now easing somewhat) and the city’s pockets of poverty, Lisbon itself remains one of the most romantic capitals of Europe. The Alfama neighbourhood rises high to east of centre, its castle synonymous with the fortunes of early Lisbon and with fine views of the bellying Tagus below. The centre itself – the ‘Baixa’, at river level – was built on a grid plan by the dictator Pombal in the eighteenth century, one of the great successes of early town planning. Above to the west rises the ever more lively – and stylish – Bairro Alto or High District and far beyond, where the Tagus reaches out towards the Atlantic, comes Belém. King Manuel the Fortunate, his coffers heaving with the riches of India, envisaged a new Bethlehem for a new Christian mission to the East. The result: two of Portugal’s great buildings: the Belém tower, feet washed by the river, and the gorgeous Jerónimos Monastery, itself once standing on the foreshore. Add to these museums and galleries with fine and applied arts of the highest level, swelling hills and the constant presence of the river, glimpsed when least expected, not to mention the world’s finest grilled sardines.

Itinerary

Day 2: Belém, Alfama. Drive out to the Jerónimos Monastery at Belém, an outstanding example of the exuberant Manueline style with fine carving and vaulting. On the banks of the Tagus are the monument to the ‘Explorers’ and the Torre de Belém (a stylish fortress) – also Manueline with Moorish decoration. Continue to the Castelo de São Jorge – Arab castle conquered by the Christians in 1147, embellished over centuries by Portugal’s kings, destroyed and now restored. Descend with views of the labyrinthine Alfama to the Romanesque cathedral. Once fortified, later on much remodelled, it has a fascinating and important archeological site in its cloister. End the day at the Museu Nacional do Azulejo (ceramic tiles), a superb collection of one of Portugal’s great art forms with pieces from the 15th century to the present day.

Day 4: Queluz, Sintra. Drive to the royal palace and gardens at Queluz, built for the Infante Dom Pedro, a version of Versailles tempered by a Rococo elegance and a more intimate scale. Continue to the beautifully situated town of Sintra, the favoured summer residence of the kings of Portugal for six centuries, and much praised in poetry and prose. Visit the Palácio Nacional with its curious oast-house-like conical towers and remarkable 16th- and 17th-century azulejos. Lunch in the elegant 18th-century Palácio de Seteais, now a hotel. Visit the gardens of Quinta da Monserrate, laid out in 1856 for Sir Francis Cook, first Visconde de Monserrate, and his curious Mughal style mansion with restoration nearing completion. Day 5: Benfica. Free morning. In the afternoon drive to Benfica and visit by arrangement the Palácio dos Marqueses de Fronteira. The tile work is excellent, particularly the Battle Room depicting the War of Independence against Spain 1640–1668. Drive back to the centre to visit the Medeiros e Almeida Foundation, an excellent and varied collection of decorative and fine arts, assembled by the Medeiros family in the 20th century and housed in the family home. Highlights include the French and Chinese collections, and an impressive British thunder box. Day 6: Lisbon. The morning is spent at the Gulbenkian Museum, an outstanding private art collection given to the city of Lisbon and beautifully displayed in a modern building. Continue to the airport for the flight to Heathrow, arriving c. 6.45pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,970 or £1,810 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,260 or £2,100 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Avenida Palace, Lisbon (hotelavenidapalace.pt): comfortable hotel of generous proportions with an air of faded grandeur and old-world charm. Adjacent to Rossio Square. Comparable to 4-star. Single rooms are double for sole use although many have twin beds. How strenuous? This is a short but busy itinerary with a lot of walking and standing around. Terrain is often uneven and steep and cobbled tiles can be slippery when wet. Average distance by coach per day: 12 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Dr Gerald Luckhurst. Landscape architect and garden historian involved in both historic restoration and contemporary garden design. He is an expert on sub-tropical and Mediterranean garden flora and his books include The Gardens of Madeira and Sintra: A Landscape with Villas. His doctoral thesis is focussed on the gardens of Monserrate in Sintra, near Lisbon. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. Illustration: Lisbon, Práca de Dom Pedro, wood engraving c. 1890.

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Day 1: Lisbon. Fly at c. 1.30pm (TAP Portugal) from London Heathrow to Lisbon. Drive to the hotel and settle in. Introductory talk before dinner.

Day 3: Lapa, Bairro Alto. Drive to Lapa to the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga with 15th- and 16th-century Portuguese works of art – displayed in a handsome palace. Back in the centre of Lisbon, walk around the Bairro Alto, a now fashionable hub of theatres, boutiques, cafés and restaurants. Visit the highly ornate church of São Roque and the ruined Convento do Carmo and its archaeological museum.

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Monasteries of Moldavia painted churches in the foothills of the Carpathians roMANiA

10–16 June 2017 (md 324) 7 days • £2,090 Lecturer: Alan Ogden Fortified 15th and 16th-century Orthodox monasteries. Exquisite authentic frescoes, a unique phenomenon in Byzantine art. Long coach journeys through scenically enchanting Southern Bucovina. Led by Alan Ogden – travel writer and historian specialising in Romania. During the second Millennium, Romanian history was defined by its geographical juxtaposition to expansionist states. Resistance to foreign domination from the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries led to the gradual establishment of independent principalities – Wallachia (c.1310), Moldavia (1359) and Transylvania (1541). Four years after the fall of Constantinople (1453), Stefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great) became Prince of Moldavia and for the next fift y years led a spirited defence against constant Turkish invasions, safeguarding much of Western Europe in the process. It was against this backdrop that Stefan and his son, Petru Rares, established almost thirty fortified monasteries and churches deep in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains in Southern Bucovina, the north-western region of the present-day Romanian province of Moldavia. Keeping church and state intact was key to their survival as one of the last Christian states in south-eastern Europe. Peasant armies would gather for battle inside the monasteries’ walls, and to educate and entertain the illiterate soldiers and campfollowers the exteriors of the churches were

adorned with paintings of biblical stories and other Christian themes, including a number of anti-Ottoman messages. Byzantine in style as befits their Orthodox congregation, the frescoes have remarkable finesse of draughtsmanship and chromatic refinement. Although the north-facing walls have been damaged by centuries of rain and wind, the images on the other walls have astonishingly retained their original vivacity, including the remarkable intensity of colour – from the greens of Suceviţa, to the pinks of Humor and the famous blue at Voronet. Annexed by the Habsburg Empire in 1775, Southern Bucovina remained under Austrian control until 1918 when it was ceded to Romania. During this period of Catholic rule, many of the monasteries had to close and thus fell into disrepair; others continued to function but with greatly reduced roles. Persecuted by the Communist regime from 1948 onwards, it is only since 1990 that the monastic communities have become active again. The Bucovina landscape is one of gently rolling hills, dense woods, broad rivers and villages with pastel painted houses and riotous flower beds. Horses are still to be found in harness, ploughing the fields and transporting produce to markets. The welcome you will receive in Romania is sure to be warm and the hospitality generous.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 2.50pm from London Heathrow to Bucharest (Tarom Airlines). Overnight Bucharest. Day 2. Bucharest. Visit the National Art Museum with its comprehensive collection of 14th- to 20th-century Romanian art, Stavropoleos Church (1724), a harmonious blend of Renaissance and Baroque features, and the world famous Peasants

Museum and its outdoor collection of village houses. Internal flight from Bucharest to Suceava. Drive to Gura Humorului. First of four nights in Gura Humorului. Day 3. Humor, Răsca, Voronet. The interior frescoes at the church at Humor (1530) are unsurpassed. Răsca (1540), located in a remote valley, is a charming working monastery and boasts a Ladder of St John on its South wall. Voronet Monastery (1488), considered by many to be the most splendid in Bucovina, offers a magnificent Last Judgement. Overnight Gura Humorului. Day 4. Arbore, Suceviţa, Moldovitsa. Arbore’s (1501) superbly executed frescoes on the western wall, with a notably green cast, contain scenes from the Lives of St Nicholas, St George and St Paraskeva. In bucolic surroundings, Suceviţa (1595) with its beautifully preserved frescoes is the last of the great painted monasteries in Bucovina. Moldovitsa’s (1532) remote position and fortifications have protected its frescoes from invaders and marauders alike. Overnight Gura Humorului. Day 5. Dragomirna, Putna. Dragomirna, now a community of nuns, was founded in 1608 by Anastasie Crimca whose legacy of writing and illumination can be seen in the museum. Putna, built between 1466 and 1481, is where Stefan the Great is buried; it still houses an active community of monks and its museum displays many priceless treasures including superb 16th-century embroideries and intricate ecclesiastical treasures. Overnight Gura Humorului. Day 6: Iași. Drive through Bucovina to explore Iași, the capital of the former Principality of Moldavia. The Church of the Three Hierarchs built by Basil the Wolf in the 17th century and its Cathedral which hosts the relics of St Paraskeva. Overnight Iași. Day 7. Fly early morning from Iași to Heathrow via Bucharest, arriving at c. 2.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,090 or £1,910 without international flights. Single occupancy: £2,250 or £2,070 without international flights. Included meals: 5 lunches, 6 dinners, with wine.

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Accommodation. Athenée Palace Hilton, Bucharest (hiltonbucharest.com): centrally located 5-star hotel with excellent service and facilities. Best Western Bucovina, Gura Humorului (bestwesternbucovina.ro): modern 3-star hotel 37km south-west of Suceava, ideally located for exploring the area. Bathrooms have showers, not baths. The standards of comfort, equipment and service are quite acceptable and commensurate with its category. Hotel International, Iași (hotelinternationaliasi.ro/acasa/): modern 4-star hotel in the historic centre. In Gura only, single rooms have single beds.

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How strenuous? You must be reasonably fit as you will be on your feet for long periods. Some long coach journeys and two internal flights. Average distance by coach per day: 64 miles. Sucevita, lithograph by Oskar Laske (1874–1951). book online at www.martinrandall.com

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

St petersburg pictures & palaces ruSSiA

5–12 May 2017 (md 270) 8 days • £2,930 Lecturer: Dr Alexey Makhrov 1–8 September 2017 (me 511) This tour is currently full 15–22 September 2017 (me 541) 8 days • £2,930 Lecturer: Dr Alexey Makhrov St Petersburg is perhaps the grandest city in Europe, and one of the most beautiful. Magnificent architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries, especially the palaces of the Romanovs, nobility and merchants. Outstanding art collections, the Hermitage being the largest art museum in the world. Led by Dr Alexey Makhrov, a Russian Art Historian and graduate of the St Petersburg Academy of Arts.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 9.15am from London Heathrow to St Petersburg (British Airways; time in the air: c. 3 hours 15 minutes). There is time to settle in before a short walk in the vicinity of hotel and dinner.

Day 2. Explore the north bank of the Neva and Vasilyevsky Island which, as the original intended site of the city, has some of St Petersburg’s earliest buildings including the Twelve Colleges and the Peter-Paul Fortress. Visit the Menshikov Palace, an early 18th-century residence with impressive Petrine decoration. In the afternoon, visit the Russian Museum in the imposing Mikhailovsky Palace, which houses Russian painting from mediaeval icons to the vast canvases of the Romantics and Realists of the 19th century. Day 3. Walk to the remarkable Neo-Classical buildings of the Synod, Senate and Admiralty. Continue by coach taking in the sumptuous Marble Palace (exterior), designed by Rinaldi in Baroque and Neo-Classical style and the wonderful group of Smolny Convent and Cathedral, also by Rastrelli. The first of two visits to the Hermitage, one of the world’s greatest art collections, housed in Rastrelli’s Winter Palace and contiguous buildings; walk around to understand the layout and to see the magnificent interiors. Day 4. A full-day excursion to two of the summer palaces about 20 miles from St Petersburg, both set in extensive landscaped parks with lakes and pavilions. At Tsarskoye Selo, formerly Pushkin, the main building is the outsized Rococo Catherine Palace by Rastrelli, its richly ornamented interiors painstakingly restored after war damage. At Pavlovsk, also well restored, the graceful NeoClassical Great Palace with encircling wings was in part built by Scotsman Charles Cameron. Day 5. A morning excursion to Peterhof (hydrofoil, weather permitting), the magnificent palace on the Gulf of Finland with cascades and fountains. Some free time for independent exploration. Day 6. Drive through the city. The Baroque Cathedral of St Nicholas, with its gilded domes, is a memorial to Russian navy sailors who perished at sea. Visit the late 19th-century Yusupov Palace, one of the finest in the city and scene of Rasputin’s murder. A second visit to the Hermitage to concentrate on specific aspects of the collections and to pursue individual passions.

Day 7. Visit to the world’s largest collection of Fabergé works, displayed in the Shuvalov Palace. In the afternoon, drive via the Kazan Cathedral with colonnaded forecourt to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, an extensive Baroque layout and cemetery with graves of many famous Russians. Day 8. A free morning; perhaps the Hermitage again, or places not yet visited such as the Dostoyevsky Museum, Academy of Arts, or Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood. Fly to London Heathrow, arriving at c. 5.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,930 or £2,630 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,240 or £2,940 without flights. Included meals: 5 dinners with wine. Music: details of opera and ballet performances will be sent to participants about one month before the tour and tickets can be requested. Visas. Most nationalities must obtain a tourist visa. The current cost for UK nationals is c. £90. This is not included in the price of the tour because you must apply for it yourself, online, in the two month period before departure. You must also submit your passport. UK residents of all nationalities must also attend one of two application centres (London or Edinburgh) in order to submit biometric data (fingerprints). Visa issuing times vary from country to country but UK residents should expect to be without their passport for approximately one week. Accommodation. Hotel Angleterre (angleterrehotel.com): excellently located 5-star hotel in the city centre, within easy walking distance of the Hermitage. How strenuous? There is a fair amount of standing in galleries and walking on this tour. Traﬃc congestion means coach journeys can be long and frustrating. Average coach travel per day: 13 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Founded by Peter the Great in 1703, the city of St Petersburg was intended to demonstrate to the world not only that Russia was a European rather than an Asian nation, but also that it was an immensely powerful one. This ‘window on the West’ became the capital of the Russian Empire until the government moved back to Moscow in 1918. Peter’s wish was amply fulfi lled: with the assistance of Dutch, Italian and French architects – Russians were to take over later in the century once they had mastered the mysteries of Western art and architecture – St Petersburg was laid out as the grandest city in Europe, with buildings on a monumental scale. The palaces of the imperial family and of the fabulously wealthy magnates vied with each other, and with the military establishments and government institutions to dominate the river front, the broad avenues and the vast squares. Although one of the newest of Europe’s great cities, St Petersburg is the one least affected by 20th-century building. Despite the well-publicised economic and political troubles Russia has undergone in recent years, there has been a surge of cleaning and restoration which has accentuated the beauty of the city. As impressive as the architecture of St Petersburg are the contents of the museums and art galleries. The Hermitage is one of the world’s greatest art museums, with an immensely rich collection of paintings, sculpture, antiquities and decorative arts fi lling the enormous Winter Palace of the Romanovs. The Russian Museum comes as a revelation to most visitors, for apart from icons (and there is a wonderful collection) the great achievements of Russian painters, particularly during the 19th century, are scarcely known outside the country.

St Petersburg, Palace Square, lithograph c. 1850.

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the road to Santiago the pilgrimage route through northern Spain SErBiA, SpAiN

1–13 September 2017 (me 512) 13 days • £3,610 Lecturer: John McNeill One of the great historic journeys of the world. Includes all the major sites and deviates to many lesser-known ones. An architectural pilgrimage by coach – not a spiritual one on foot – for lovers of Romanesque and Gothic. Led by architectural historian John McNeill. ‘By land it is the greatest journey an Englishman may go.’ So wrote Andrew Boorde, physician and former bishop of Chichester in his 1542 First Book of the Introduction of Knowledge. The road to Santiago has rarely been without plaudits, from Godescalc, bishop of Le Puy in 950, to Paula Gerson, scholar and sceptic in 1993. What was claimed to be the tomb of St James was discovered in 813 in the wilds of Galicia and soon began to attract pilgrims. Roads and bridges were built along the approaches which soon coalesced into a standard route. Hospices and monasteries were founded and secondary shrines became established. Variously described as the Camino Francés, the Milky Way and the Road Beneath the Stars, the route exerted a pull which was pre-Christian, but the discovery of an Apostolic tomb and the renewal of the

infrastructure conspired to make Santiago the most celebrated of all mediaeval journeys – a byword for Chaucer’s pilgrims, a destination to vie with Jerusalem and Rome. The funds poured into such an enterprise were immense, resulting in an incomparable range of mediaeval – particularly Romanesque – and Renaissance monuments. With cathedrals such as Burgos, León and Santiago, monasteries of the calibre of San Millán de la Cogolla, Silos and Leyre, the paintings of Jaca and Miraflores, the metalwork of San Isidoro, the textiles of Las Huelgas, the road to Santiago does not want for masterpieces. But equally impressive is the landscape, a memorial backdrop through which all must pass – the limestone cliffs and tumbling watercourses of Aragón and Navarra, the forests of chestnut, oak and acacia of the Rioja, the vast wheat fields of Castile and the green, slate-divided fields of Galicia. We have two itineraries in 2017: The Road to Santiago – travelling by coach – and Walking to Santiago. They are markedly different in focus; the former is very much an architectural tour, and the latter a walking tour. But both are journeys in which you are conscious always of participating in a thousand-year-old flow of humankind which constitutes one of the most powerfully felt shared experiences in the spiritual and aesthetic history of Europe.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 4.00pm (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Bilbao. Drive to Argómaniz (80 km), arriving at c. 9.15pm. Overnight Argómaniz. Day 2: Pamplona, Roncesvalles. The day is spent in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Reflecting its proximity to France, Pamplona cathedral has a cloister which constitutes perhaps the finest achievement of High Gothic in Spain. Roncesvalles Pass was scene of the famed rearguard action of Charlemagne’s paladin Roland, and has a renowned pilgrims’ church and hospice. Drive through the spectacular gorge of the Urrobi river. First of two nights in Sos del Rey Católico. Day 3: Sos del Rey Católico, Sangüesa, Leyre, Jaca. Stroll through the picturesque town of Sos to the church of San Esteban. Sta María la Real in the little town of Sangüesa has superb architectural sculpture, including some by a craftsman from Burgundy. The monastery of San Salvador de Leyre maintains Gregorian oﬃces in a fascinating church with a good crypt and western portal. Jaca, below the Somport pass, has a Romanesque cathedral with a magnificent collection of mediaeval wall paintings. Day 4: Eunate, Puente la Reina, Estella. At Eunate a mysterious round chapel with encircling arcade rises from the midst of a cornfield. Puente la Reina is the point where pilgrim roads from France converged, and is equipped with hospices, churches and an amazing bridge. Estella, once a largely French-speaking, new town with an important collection of churches including the magnificent San Miguel. Overnight Sto Domingo de la Calzada. Day 5: Nájera, Sto Domingo de la Calzada, Burgos. See the Royal tombs at Santa María la Real in Nájera. Sto Domingo cathedral has Renaissance and Baroque accretions, and a cockerel still crows over the shrine of the saint. Arrive at Burgos, which grew up at the foot of the fortress of the Kings of Castile. The magnificent cathedral combines French and German styles; remarkable vaults, 16th-cent. choir stalls and a wealth of sculpture. Two nights in Burgos.

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Day 6: Burgos, Quintanilla de las Viñas, Sto Domingo de Silos. Free morning in Burgos. In the afternoon drive to the Visigothic chapel at Quintanilla de las Viñas. Sto Domingo de Silos is the largest and finest Romanesque monastery in Spain, and has an epoch-making 12th-cent. cloister with magnificent sculpture.

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Day 7: Burgos, San Miguel de la Escalada. The Carthusian monastery and royal mausoleum of Miraflores has superb 15th-cent. sculpture by Gil de Siloé. Just outside Burgos is the Early Gothic convent of Las Huelgas Reales, a place of royal burial. Pressing westwards, we stop at San Miguel de la Escalada, an elegant Mozarabic gem. First of two nights in León.

SErBiA: the Western Balkans, departures in october & May 2017. See page 60. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Burgos, copper engraving c. 1700.

Day 8: León. Former capital of the ancient kingdom of León, the city has many outstanding mediaeval buildings. The royal pantheon of San Isidoro is one of the first, and finest, Romanesque buildings in Spain, with important sculptures. The cathedral is truly superb: Rayonnant Gothic,

Walking to Santiago on foot for selected sections of the pilgrims’ way

Day 9: Lena, Orbigo, Villafranca del Bierzo. Drive through the Puerto de Pájares (mountain pass) to Sta Cristina de Lena, an exquisite 9thcentury church. Puente de Orbigo is a 13thcentury bridge which carried pilgrims over the River Orbigo. Villafranca del Bierzo was an ancient haunt of hermits and anchorites and subsequently studded with churches and hospices. Overnight Villafranca del Bierzo. Day 10: Villafranca to Santiago. Three churches punctuate the final stretch of the journey: O Cebreiro, site of a great Eucharistic miracle, Portomarín, a Templar foundation guarding the bridge over the Miño and Vilar de Donas, decayed and evocative knights’ church. Finally: Santiago de Compostela, goal of the pilgrimage. Three nights in Santiago.

6–17 June 2017 (md 328) 12 days • £3,420 – flights not included Lecturer: Dr Alexandra Gajewski 5–16 September 2017 (me 517) 12 days • £3,420 – flights not included Lecturer: Dr Alexandra Gajewski The last great pilgrimage route in Christendom which still attracts walkers; scenically wonderful with much fine architecture. Selected sections from the Pyrenees through northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela. Walking in comfort: good hotels; luggage transferred separately. The lecturer is Alexandra Gajewski, architectural historian specialising in the Mediaeval.

Still one of the most splendid walking routes in Europe, the Camino de Santiago runs almost 500 miles across northern Spain to the supposed tomb of St James, Sant Iago. Normally, the journey takes a month on foot. We are setting out to walk the highlights in twelve days, taking in the most historically charged and beautiful sections. For earlier pilgrims, the lure was a reduction of the soul’s time in Purgatory; now the motives are more usually historical and cultural, and sometimes also deeply personal. Religious commitment is less in evidence. But for many who undertake the magnificent walk there is also a spiritual dimension. Asceticism is not a necessary ingredient. Instead of staying in bunk beds in pilgrim hostels we repose in hotels, ranging from workaday to some of Spain’s finest. Instead of carrying huge packs with all our necessities, we carry only our

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with impressive stained glass. The monastery of San Marcos (our hotel) has a splendidly exuberant Plateresque façade.

Day 11: Santiago de Compostela. The morning is dedicated to the great pilgrimage church, the shrine of St James, one of the most impressive of all Romanesque churches; also outstanding treasuries. Explore the university quarter and the narrow picturesque streets and visit Sta María del Sar, where walls splayed and buttressed support a charming Romanesque church against its cloister. Day 12: Santiago de Compostela. Free day. Day 13: Santiago de Compostela. Drive around midday to La Coruña. The flight (Vueling) arrives in London Heathrow at c. 7.20pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,610 or £3,370 without flights. Single occupancy: £4,040 or £3,800 without flights. Included meals: 2 lunches, 9 dinners, with wine.

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Accommodation. Parador de Argómaniz (parador.es): 4-star hotel; simple rooms. Parador de Sos del Rey Católico (parador.es): 4-star parador with views of surrounding countryside. Parador de Sto Domingo de la Calzada (parador. es): 4-star parador in the heart of town. NH Palacio de Burgos (nh-hotels.com): 4-star hotel in the centre of town. Parador de León (parador. es): 5-star parador in grandiose Plateresque pilgrim hostel. Parador de Villafranca del Bierzo (parador.es): 4-star parador in a contemporary building. Parador de Santiago de Compostela (parador.es): 5-star parador, for centuries the abode of the grander pilgrims. How strenuous? We stress that this is a long tour with a lot of coach travel, seven hotels and a lot of walking, often on uneven ground. The tour would not be suitable for anyone who has diﬃculties with everyday walking and stair climbing. Average distance by coach per day: 85 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Wine, Walks & Art in Alsace, 15–20 September 2017 (page 86); Classical Greece, 16–25 September 2017 (page 112).

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Santiago Cathedral, Porta de la Gloria, wood engraving c. 1890. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Walking to Santiago continued

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own day sacks while the luggage moves by road. Our coach intersects with walkers every two or three hours, allowing respite to anyone who needs to ride. We eat well, often picnicking in deep country, and try some of the fine wines grown along the route. But as with all pilgrimages this is a linear walk, involving a new hotel each night except on two rest days. We are like pilgrims, rather than tourists, visiting monuments along the route and what time and tiredness allow at the end of the day’s walking. There will be interpretative commentary by the lecturer and an introduction to the major buildings. But the experience of walking the camino is what is essentially on offer, along a route which has for centuries compelled the imagination.

to Monte del Gozo. Here pilgrims once fell to their knees at the first view of the cathedral spires of Santiago (harder to see now through eucalyptus). Walk a further 5 km through suburbs into increasingly ancient city centre and right into the Parador, another important and beautiful historic building. First of two nights in Santiago de Compostela.

Itinerary

Practicalities

Day 1: Biarritz to Roncesvalles. Leave from Biarritz Airport following the arrival of the flight from London Stansted (Ryanair, currently 2.05pm) (flights are not included – see ‘Practicalities’). Drive to Roncesvalles for the night.

Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,420. Single occupancy: £3,770.

Day 2: Roncesvalles to Lintzoaín/Erro, total walk 14.7 km. Weather permitting, we start at the summit of the pass and drop down on foot to Roncesvalles, traditional starting point of the pilgrimage in Spain. It has a fine collegiate church preserving memories of Sancho the Strong of Navarre. From here, walk downward through rustic, gentle sub-Pyrenean landscape and stately stone-built villages. After a picnic lunch, drive to Haro. Overnight Haro. Day 3: Nájera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada, total walk 21 km. Drive to Nájera, another of the burial places of the royal house of Navarre. Climb through red sandstone with vines in rocky corners, through varied irrigated crops and out into rolling wheat country with mountains lying north and south - this is a good day for striding out. Lunch is in a village café. Afternoon walkers continue to Santo Domingo de la Calzada where there is time to visit the cathedral. Overnight Sto Domingo.

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Day 4: Villafranca Montes de Oca to Agés, total walk 15.8 km. Begin with an hour’s walk uphill into mildly mountainous country, passing a disturbing monument to victims of Civil War assassination. Cross a plateau and continue through pine and oak forest to a beautiful valley enclosing the monastery of San Juan de Ortega (fine Gothic church). Picnic in the woods. Afternoon walkers continue to the village of Agés. Drive to Burgos for the first of two nights. Day 5: Burgos, rest day. Rest, nurse feet and loiter in this Castilian city rich in memories of El Cid and mediaeval pilgrimage, Wellington and Franco. There is time to see the magnificent cathedral, the charterhouse of Miraflores (superb sculpture by Gil de Siloé), and the monastery of Las Huelgas (fine architecture and images relevant to the camino). Overnight Burgos. Day 6: Rabé de las Calzadas to Hontanas, total walk 18.8 km. A fine if strenuous walk, swinging through hills with an upland feel, plenty of skylarks, wide views, scant shade and stone built villages. There are three manageable climbs, each one shorter than the last. Drive to nearby book online at www.martinrandall.com

Day 11: Santiago. The cathedral is a Romanesque masterpiece with a magnificent carved portal. Guided tour of the cathedral roof and those who wish may attend Pilgrim’s mass at midday. The rest of the day is free. Day 12. Drive to Santiago Airport in time for the flight to London Gatwick (Easyjet, currently departing at 10.15am).

Included meals: 8 lunches (3 are picnics) and 8 dinners with wine.

Procession in Santiago cathedral, drawing by Muirhead Bone from ‘Days in Old Spain’, 1938.

Castrojeriz for lunch and then to León with its fine Gothic cathedral and Spain’s finest stained glass. The Parador of S. Marcos, our hotel, is one of the major historic buildings of the pilgrim route. Overnight León. Day 7: Hospital de Orbigo to Astorga, total walk 16.4 km. About one hour into the walk, we make a modest ascent and suddenly the plains are over. There are two or three small climbs this morning through remote-feeling countryside and wheat fields ending in shady corners under small oaks. We picnic with views down to the cathedral of Astorga. Stalwarts continue the walk into town. Here, the bishop’s palace was designed by Gaudí and there is a charming town hall. Overnight Astorga. Day 8: Foncebadón to Acebo, total walk 11 km. From the charming village of Foncebadón with its reticulated slate roofs and crooked balconies, climb to the highest point of the Camino, with spectacular views. Lunch in a pilgrim’s restaurant in Acebo. Drive from here to Villafranca del Bierzo for the night. Day 9: Triacastela to Sarriá, total walk 18.5 km. Drive to Triacastela via O Cebreiro, first port of call in Galicia for pilgrims, with Celtic buildings and an ancient church. The walk starts low and climbs through Galician-green valley and into country of tiny hamlets where cows chew the cud in dark mediaeval sheds. Sunken tracks, ferns and ivy abound and there is later a fine upland feel. After lunch in a bar en route we begin a slow descent to Sarriá. Overnight Sarriá. Day 10. Phase 1: Sarriá to Ferreiros. Phase 2: Monte del Gozo to Santiago de Compostela. Total walk 18.2 km. Walk 13.2 km from Sarriá to Ferreiros and have lunch in a bar before driving on

Flights are not included in the cost of the tour as the most convenient are with Ryanair and Easyjet and we cannot make a booking without knowing the passenger name. We can book flights on your behalf, quoting the fare at the time of booking, or you can make the bookings yourself. Suggested flight details are provided with your Confirmation of Booking, but please contact us if you require details sooner. Accommodation. Hotel Roncesvalles (hotelroncesvalles.com): 3-star hotel in an 18th-cent. building. Hotel Los Agustinos, Haro (hotellosagustinos.com): 4-star in a converted convent. Parador de Sto Domingo la Calzada (parador.es): 4-star parador, former mediaeval pilgrim hospital. NH Palacio de la Merced, Burgos (nh-hotels.com): 4-star hotel in a converted palace. Parador de León (parador. es): 5-star parador in grandiose Plateresque pilgrim hostel. Hotel Spa Ciudad de Astorga (hotelciudaddeastorga.com): modern 3-star hotel in the centre. Parador de Villafranca del Bierzo (parador.es): 4-star parador in a contemporary building. Hotel Alfonso IX, Sarriá (alfonsoix. com): modern hotel near the river. Parador de Santiago de Compostela (parador.es): 5-star parador in the former pilgrims’ hospital. How strenuous? We cover up to 77 miles of the full 500-mile route with an average of 10–12 miles of walking per day. Participants should be used to walking cross-country, uphill and down, and be able to walk pleasurably for several hours at a time. Fitness is essential. Please do not book this tour in order to get fit. Safety and comfort are our main concern and there are opportunities to retire but the coach is intended as back-up rather than an alternative means of transport. Group size: between 8 and 18 participants. Combine this tour with Imperial Istanbul, 18–24 September 2017 (page 182).

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Castile & León Ancient kingdoms in the heart of Spain

Led by Gijs van Hensbergen, art historian and author specialising in Spain. Architectural magnificence throughout including the cathedrals of Burgos and León. Much fine sculpture as well. Walled villages, grand monasteries, hilltop castles and a backdrop of vast, undulating landscape. Includes the 16th-century Palace of El Escorial. Good food: suckling pig, slow-roast lamb and kid; good wine of the Ribera de Duero. Since their fusion under one crown in the eleventh century, the ancient kingdoms of Castile and León have been responsible for some of the most emblematic periods of Spanish history. These former rival territories established themselves as the heart of Spain and exerted great influence over language, religion and culture far across the mediaeval map. Innumerable castles were built here (hence ‘Castile’) for this was the principal battleground of the Reconquista, the five-hundredyear war of attrition against the Moors which reclaimed Spain for Christendom. The region occupies much of the Meseta, the vast and austere plateau in the centre of the Iberian peninsula. Here are many of Spain’s finest cities, buildings and works of art. Lovers of Romanesque will feel particularly satisfied for there are many excellent examples of the style. Great Gothic churches are another magnificent feature, the cathedrals at León, Burgos, Segovia and Salamanca among them. French, German and English influences are to be found, though the end result is always unmistakably Spanish. Another striking aspect of the tour is the wealth of brilliant sculpture, especially of the late-mediaeval and Renaissance periods. Castles, of course, abound, and some of the defensive curtain of frontier cities such as Ávila are remarkably well preserved. As well as the prominent cities, we include a number of lesser-known places, all strikingly attractive, many with outstanding buildings or works of art, all barely visited by tourists.

and original lecture halls. The Convento de las Dueñas has a Plateresque portal and an irregular, two-tiered cloister. Day 3: Zamora, León. On the Roman road that connected Astorga to Mérida, Zamora rose to importance during the Reconquista as a bastion on the Duero front. Much of its Romanesque architecture survives, including the cathedral of Byzantine influence. Drive to León, former capital of the ancient kingdom and visit the monastery of San Marcos (our hotel) with an exuberant Plateresque façade, magnificent late-Gothic church, Renaissance chapels and fine choir-stalls. First of two nights in León. Day 4: León. A morning walk to some of the outstanding mediaeval buildings of the city. The royal pantheon of San Isidoro is one of the first, and finest, Romanesque buildings in Spain, with important sculptures. The cathedral is truly superb Rayonnant Gothic with impressive stained glass. The afternoon is free to visit the archaeological or contemporary art museums. Day 5: San Miguel de Escalada, Lerma, Santo Domingo de Silos. The beautiful, remote church at San Miguel de Escalada displays a fusion of Visigothic and Islamic building traditions. The village of Lerma has a wealth of buildings from the early 17th century including an arcaded main square with ducal palace and the Collegiate church of San Pedro. Drive in the late afternoon to Santo Domingo de Silos, which has the finest Romanesque monastery in Spain, outstanding for the sculpture of the 12th-century cloister. First of two nights in Lerma.

Day 6: Burgos, Quintanilla de las Viñas, Covarrubias. Drive to Burgos, the early capital of Castile, whose cathedral combines French and German Gothic styles and has remarkable vaults and 16th-century choir stalls. On the outskirts is the convent of Las Huelgas Reales with its important early Gothic church. Visit the Visigothic chapel at Quintanilla de las Viñas. Covarrubias is an attractive walled village with a mediaeval Colegiata containing fine tombs. Day 7: El Burgo de Osma, San Esteban de Gormaz, Segovia. El Burgo de Osma is a walled town with arcaded streets and one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in Spain. At San Esteban de Gormaz see the 12th-century churches of San Miguel and Del Rivero with exterior galleries. Built on a steep-sided hill, Segovia is one of the loveliest cities in Spain and architecturally one of the most richly endowed. First of three nights here. Day 8: Segovia. Straddling the town, the remarkable Roman aqueduct is one of the biggest in Europe. See the outstanding Romanesque exteriors of San Martín, San Millán and San Esteban and the circular Templar church of La Vera Cruz. An afternoon walk includes the cathedral, a soaring Gothic structure, and the restored Alcázar (castle), dramatically perched at the prow of the hill. Day 9: Segovia, La Granja. Free morning; suggestions include the contemporary art museum of Esteban Vicente and the Museum of Segovia. Drive to La Granja de San Ildefonso, the palace constructed for Philip V in the early 18th century, with magnificent formal gardens.

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Itinerary Day 1: Ávila, Salamanca. Fly at c. 9.15am, London Heathrow to Madrid (Iberia Airlines). Drive to Ávila: a fortress town built during the Reconquista, it retains its entire circuit of 11th-century walls complete with battlements and 88 turrets. The 12th-century Basilica of San Vicente has fine sculpture. First of two nights in Salamanca. Day 2: Salamanca. Distinguished by the honeycoloured hue of its stone, Salamanca is one of the most attractive cities in Spain and home to its most prestigious university. See the magnificent 16th-century Gothic ‘New Cathedral’ and austere Romanesque ‘Old Cathedral’, the 18th-century Plaza Mayor and superb, elaborate Plateresque sculpture on the façades of the university and church of San Esteban. The University has 15thand 16th-century quadrangles, arcaded courtyards

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13–22 October 2017 (me 617) 10 days • £2,770 Lecturer: Gijs van Hensbergen

Segovia, the Roman aqueduct, from ‘A Book of Bridges’ by Frank Brangwyn RA, publ. 1915. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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the pyrenees Catalonia, rousillon & the Comte de Foix

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Gijs van Hensbergen. Art historian and author specialising in Spain and the uSA. His books include Gaudí, In the Kitchens of Castile and Guernica. He studied Art History at the Courtauld and is a Fellow of the Cañada Blanch Centre for Contemporary Spanish Studies at the LSE. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

Day 10: El Escorial. This vast retreat-cum-palacecum-monastery-cum-pantheon was built from 1563 to 1584 for Philip II, successfully embodying his instructions for ‘nobility without arrogance, majesty without ostentation, severity in the whole’. Fly from Madrid, arriving Heathrow at c. 6.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,770 or £2,640 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,130 or £3,000 without flights. Included meals: 7 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hospes Palacio de San Esteban, Salamanca (hospes.com): centrally located 5-star hotel in a converted 16th century convent. Parador de León (parador.es): 5-star parador in grandiose Plateresque building; public areas are impressive. Parador de Lerma (parador.es): 4-star parador in the Ducal Palace. Eurostars Convento Capuchinos, Segovia (eurostarsconventocapuchinos.com): 5-star hotel set in a converted 17th century church and monastery complex. How strenuous? A long tour with a lot of walking, some of it on cobbled streets and uphill. It should not be undertaken by anyone who has diﬃculty with everyday walking and stairclimbing. Average distance by coach per day: 73 miles. Dinners tend to be at 8.30 or 9.00pm in Spain, so you might get to bed later than you would usually. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Aragón: Hidden Spain, 3–11 October 2017 (page 165).

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‘How good to experience a tour with a lecturer who loves and understands the country.’

What else is included in the price? See page 7. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Girona, etching c. 1920s (detail).

6–15 June 2017 (md 325) 10 days • £3,030 Lecturer: Dr Richard Plant Thorough survey of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. Delves deep into the Pyrenees but also takes in low-lying and coastal Catalonia. Led by architectural historian Dr Richard Plant. Scenically and architecturally stunning. During the Middle Ages the Pyrenees supported two very distinct ways of life: the fundamentally urban civilisation of the coastal reaches, mercantile in ambition and Mediterranean in outlook, and that unsung, tireless village culture which flourished in the high places and valleys inland. Here in the remote mountains a rural and essentially feudal Christianity emerged, consecrated in innumerable small Romanesque churches and largely immune to news from elsewhere. The mediator was monasticism, introduced uncertainly at first but becoming in fact a vehicle of political will under the mighty Oliba of Cerdagne. Oliba’s early foundations, at Ripoll and Cuxa embody this ambition and are among the seminal essays of Romanesque architecture in Europe. They found a reflection in the parish churches of the High Pyrenees and, moderated by the vernacular of Catalonia, resulted in some of the most serene and beautiful buildings of twelft hcentury Europe. Even more remarkably, these churches were largely spared the calamities of the post–Renaissance period, leaving their glorious marble sculpture intact and preserving, albeit often in museums, the finest of their paintings. These early achievements were enhanced by the arrival of the Cistercians, invited by Count Ramón Berenguer to fi ll the void left by the expulsion of the Moors from south–western Catalonia, and their monasteries at Poblet and Santes Creus

remain even more complete than Fontenay or Fossanova. Neither were the cities neglected: ever more responsive to distant developments, Girona, Barcelona and Lérida were provided with cathedrals of the first rank. Shortly after came that extraordinary flowering of late mediaeval mercantile culture which transformed the previously neglected market towns of the north, St-Girons, Foix and St-Bertrand-de-Comminges.

Itinerary Day 1: Barcelona, Vic. Fly at c. 11.15am (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Barcelona. Visit the Museum of Catalan Art; a superb collection of mediaeval painting and sculpture from many of the churches to be visited on the tour. Continue to Vic for the night. Day 2: Ripoll, San Juan de Las Abadesas, Arlessur-Tech, Collioure. Oliba’s astonishing monastery of Sta Maria at Ripoll has one of the greatest libraries of early mediaeval Europe. San Juan de las Abadesas is a Romanesque church founded in 887 by Count Wilfred the Hairy as a Benedictine nunnery. Cross into France to Arles-sur-Tech, famed for its tranquil cloister and 12th-cent. sculpture. Continue to the pretty seaside town of Collioure for the first of four nights. Day 3: Serrabonne, Villefranche-de-Conflent, St Michel de Cuxa. Drive in the morning into the foothills of the Canigou Massif. Serrabonne abbey church has a magnificent 12th-cent. carved choral tribune in pink marble. St Jacques at Villefranchede-Conflent has a fine 12th-cent. portal while St Michel de Cuxa, an important early mediaeval foundation, was gloriously refurbished by Abbot Oliba during the early 11th cent. Day 4: Girona, St Pedro de Roda. Back into Spain to visit Girona. The Gothic Cathedral, perhaps the finest in Catalonia, houses important illuminated manuscripts and tapestries in the chapterhouse. The early Romanesque abbey of San Pedro de Roda has wonderful views of the coast.

Aragón: Hidden Spain teruel, zaragoza, Sos

Day 6: Montségur, Foix. Drive in the morning beneath the northern flank of the Pyrenees to Montségur, the great Cathar redoubt and scene of the virtual obliteration of the Albigensian cause. There is an arresting three-towered feudal castle at Foix. Overnight St Girons. Day 7: St Lizier, St Bertrand de Comminges, Arties, Vielha. The Cathedral of St Lizier has a Romanesque cloister and a 14th-cent. brick tower. St Bertrand de Comminges is aisleless and majestic and perhaps the most accomplished late mediaeval building in the High Pyrenees. Drive via the secluded Aran Valley to Arties. Walk over the bridge to the 12th-cent. Sta Maria with a fine sculpted north door and baptismal font. Overnight in nearby Vielha.

3–11 October 2017 (me 595) 9 days • £2,570 Lecturer: Adam Hopkins One of the least-visited regions of Spain, and yet one of the richest in history, architecture and landscapes. Adam Hopkins is a journalist and author, specialist in Spanish history and culture. As diverse a tour as we oﬀer with Paleolithic and Neolithic cave painting, Roman remains, Moorish palaces, Spain’s finest examples of Mudéjar architecture, Romanesque castles and churches. Themes of military history: El Cid, Peninsular War, Civil War. Visit Goya’s birthplace and see his Horrors of War.

You cannot know Spain unless you know Aragón, that former kingdom rich in fine landscape, history and architecture, including Arab works and the Arab-Christian style known as Mudéjar, here at its most extravagant and surprising. It is the swift ly-flowing River Aragón, running down from the High Pyrenees, which gave its name to one of the most dynamic mini-kingdoms of early mediaeval Europe. Soon Aragón advanced to meet the Moorish occupiers of the Ebro basin and wrested Zaragoza (Roman Caesar Augusta) from them. From there, it was on to smaller Teruel and the rugged sierras which flank it, to establish, in the end, a shield-shaped territory. With Catalunya, Aragón came to rule Sicily, southern Italy and most of Greece, truly a power in the Mediterranean. Later, in the fifteenth century, it became a partner for Castile in forging the identity

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Day 5: St Martin de Fenollar, Elne. The Romanesque chapel at Fenollar has tiny spaces that carry the most complete cycle of mediaeval wall paintings to have survived in French Catalonia. See also the fortified cathedral at Elne and fine Pyrenean marble sculpture at St Genis des Fontaines. Free time in Collioure.

Day 8: Vielha, Taull, Val de Boí. See remote Romanesque churches of the high mountains. Vielha is abundant with Romanesque sculpture. Taull has a superb pair of 12th-cent. churches: San Climent, with columnar nave and slender belltower and Sta Maria has a bell-tower to outdo even that of its great neighbour. San Joan de Boí has a small and beautifully proportioned single-apsed church. First of two nights in Lérida. Day 9: Lérida, Poblet, Santes Creus. Lérida Cathedral is a sprawling complex of Gothic architecture, painting and sculpture. Poblet has a breathtaking Cistercian church containing tombs of the mediaeval monarchs of Aragón and a magnificent group of conventual buildings. Santes Creus has a slightly later Cistercian abbey with a superbly sculpted cloister and chapter house. Day 10: Terrassa, Barcelona. Drive to Barcelona via Terrassa, a stunning and largely early medieval precinct arranged around three churches. The mid afternoon flight from Barcelona arrives at Heathrow at c. 4.30pm.

Practicalities

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Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,030 or £2,810 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,340 or £3,120 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 7 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Parador de Vic (parador.es): excellent 4-star parador. Relais des trois Mas, Collioure (relaisdestroismas.com): a comfortable 4-star hotel overlooking the bay. Hotel Eychenne, St Girons (hoteleychenne.com): splendid 3-star French coaching house with good restaurant. Parador de Vielha (parador.es): a 4-star parador in the Arán Valley. NH Pirineos, Lérida (nh-hoteles. es): centrally located 4-star hotel, member of a reliable Spanish chain. How strenuous? A fairly full tour with a lot of driving, at times on minor roads, and walking, some of it over steep terrain. Several hotel changes. Average distance by coach per day: 96 miles. Group size: between 12 and 22 participants.

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Zaragoza, wood engraving c. 1880. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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experience. At Fuendetodos, in equally bleak country, Goya’s birthplace has been well-restored. The Museum of Etching contains the Caprichos, Disparates, and Horrors of War. Free afternoon in Zaragoza. Overnight Zaragoza. Day 6: Huesca, Loarre, Sos del Rey Católico. Huesca, second ‘capital’ of infant Aragón, has a cathedral with a dramatic altarpiece. Follow the river Gállego as it flows past the extraordinary rock formations of Riglos de los Mallos. Emerge from the sierras to encounter the Castle of Loarre, arguably the finest Romanesque military building in Spain. Drive to the picturesque town of Sos for three nights. Day 7: Sos del Rey Católico, Leyre. In remote hill country, Sos del Rey Católico is one of the chief sites of the mediaeval kingdom: Ferdinand of Aragón was born here in 1452 and the town retains much of its mediaeval atmosphere. The monastery of San Salvador de Leyre maintains Gregorian oﬃces in a fascinating church with a good crypt and western portal. Overnight Sos.

Zaragoza, wood engraving c. 1880.

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for what we know today as Spain. But since then it has been side-lined in the political structure, enabling it, through misfortune, to retain and still convey a sense of its early origins. The landscape is as dramatic as the history. The peaks and summer pastures of the highest Pyrenees fall almost entirely within Aragón. Dropping south, the Ebro valley is like a winding oasis between deeply eroded, dry clay banks. South again lies steppe country, sometimes desert-like, turning finally to a territory of cliff and gorge. Here Neolithic man left paintings in rock shelters. The architectural legacy is outstanding. The early stonemasons and architects of Aragón, in tandem with French craftsmen on the Pilgrims’ Way to Santiago, produced some of the most charming Romanesque buildings in Spain, marked by particularly engaging stone carving. The castle of Loarre is arguably Spain’s finest Romanesque military construction. This is matched in beauty and surprise-value by the Arabesques and interlocking arches of the (Arab) Aljaferia Palace in Zaragoza. The four Mudéjar towers of Teruel are among the wonders of Spain. Military history gives us El Cid Campeador. Though touted as a Christian hero, he worked for years as a mercenary general for the Moorish rulers of Zaragoza. During the Peninsular War – known in Spain as the War of Independence – Zaragoza endured two exceptionally bitter sieges. During the civil war of 1936–39, Belchite, close to Zaragoza, was furiously contested – and left in ruins as a warning for the future. The three-month battle for Teruel, fought in sub-zero temperatures from December 1937, was one of the most cruel of defeats for the Spanish Republic. Add to all of this four different wine regions, each with its own denominación de origen; pottery still made in the Arabic tradition; intriguing country towns; and robust, big-city Zaragoza, studded with major monuments.

What else is included in the price? See page 7. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 9.15am (Iberia) from London Heathrow to Madrid. Drive to Teruel with a stop en route (c. 190 miles) arriving at the hotel at about 6.30pm. First of two nights in Teruel. Day 2: Teruel, Albarracín. Albarracín is a gorgeringed hill town founded by Arabs and long ruled by its Christian reconquerors. The defensive wall high on the ‘landward’ side, mediaeval streets and narrow site make it a remarkable spot. Close by lies a tract of well-wooded country above red sandstone cliffs. Here Palaeolithic and Neolithic communities painted animals and humans in rock shelters. Here we walk to see some of the most revealing paintings, mostly in woods, but also visiting a magnificent cliff top with wide views. Back in Teruel, see the little city’s famous Mudéjar towers and the cathedral’s painted ceiling. Overnight Teruel. Day 3: Teruel, Daroca, Zaragoza. Spend the morning in Teruel and visit the mausoleum of the famous Lovers of Teruel who perished for love of one another, and the fine Provincial Museum housed in an Aragonese mansion. Drive north to Daroca, a well-preserved mediaeval town of great beauty and curiosity. Continue to Zaragoza, capital of Aragón. First of three nights in Zaragoza. Day 4: Zaragoza. Visit the mediaeval/Renaissance cathedral with Mudéjar work and the Lonja, fine Gothic/Renaissance exchange. In the newer part of town, see the Fine Arts Museum and the adjacent monument to the Napoleonic sieges of the city. The Aljaferia is an Arab palace incorporating brilliant additions by Ferdinand and Isabella. The Basilica of El Pilar is the 18thcentury site of modern pilgrimage built around the pillar on which the Virgin Mary appeared to St James. Ceiling paintings include works by Goya. Overnight Zaragoza. Day 5: Belchite, Fuendetodos, Zaragoza. Belchite was the site of fierce fighting in 1937 which left the town completely ruined. In open and semi-desert country, the visit is an eerie

Day 8: San Juan de la Peña, Santa Cruz de la Serós, Jaca. The monastery of San Juan de la Peña, dramatically sited under a bulging rock face, is the burial place of the kings and queens of early Aragón and key to understanding Aragón’s religious sentiment and history. See the magnificently carved mini-cloister. The 11thcent. church at Santa Cruz de la Serós is a fine example of Aragonese Romanesque. Continue to the cathedral of Jaca with fine stone carvings. Overnight Sos. Day 9. 7.00am start for the drive north out of Aragón to Bilbao (143 miles) for the midday flight arriving at London Heathrow at c. 1.15pm (British Airways).

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,570 or £2,360 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,820 or £2,610 without flights. Included meals: 4 lunches, 6 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Gran Hotel Botánicos, Teruel (granhotelbotanicos.com): modern, centrallylocated 4-star hotel with well equipped rooms. Hotel Catalonia el Pilar, Zaragoza (hotelescatalonia.com): modern 4-star hotel in an attractive turn-of-the-century building in the historic centre. Parador de Sos del Rey Católico, Sos (parador.es): 4-star parador with views of surrounding countryside. How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking in town centres and there are some long coach journeys on this tour, particularly on the first and last days. It would not be suitable for anyone who has diﬃculties with everyday walking and stair-climbing. The optional, more strenuous walk on day 2 requires you to be a practised country walker, used to some up and down. It should not be undertaken by anyone who is not sure-footed or who has diﬃculty with gradients. Average distance by coach per day: 98 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Castile & León, 13–22 October 2017 (page 163).

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4–10 September 2017 (me 536) 7 days • £2,990 Lecturer: Gijs van Hensbergen Eat well, drink well: Michelin-starred meals, award-winning chefs and quality wine producers. Sightseeing ranges from mediaeval to Modernist art and architecture. Led by Gijs van Hensbergen, author of books on Spanish art and food. Also includes the lesser-visited city of Girona, and a day in the northernmost reaches of the region, crossing into France.

Barcelona Cathedral, lithograph c. 1840.

However, there is far more to Catalonia than Barcelona, and historically the region extends into France. There are the fishing ports and the countryside, the Pyrenees and the Vallées Orientales, and the wines: Priorato, rich and tannin-steeped; Cavas which demonstrate brilliance and clarity; sweet Moscatel, peasant foil for the great Gewürztraminer experiments of the last decade; Penedès reds, as good with meat as slightly chilled with fish. Catalan wine is enjoying an extraordinary renaissance.

Itinerary Day 1: Barcelona. Fly at c. 11.15am from London Heathrow to Barcelona, capital of Catalonia and cosmopolitan market place. Take an afternoon walk and visit a chocolate emporium. Dinner has a 1900s theme with recipes from the gent de

bé – Barcelona’s legendary good families – at the neo-Baroque Casa Calvet designed by Gaudí. First of three nights in Barcelona. Day 2: Barcelona. Spend the morning in the Art Nouveau Boquería with its extraordinary displays of fresh produce. The Barri Gòtic is the most complete surviving Gothic quarter in Europe is still the location of some of the finest eating establishments and food suppliers in Catalonia. A wine tasting includes rarities from the Priorato and Penedès. In the afternoon visit the Palau de la Música, the highly ornate concert hall designed by Domenech i Montaner and Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia, the vast, still unfinished church which is one of the best-known buildings in the world. Dinner takes the form of a tapas walk. Day 3: Barcelona. On the slopes of Montjuïc are the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, which Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Food is at the very core of Catalan existence, and the glorious variety of Catalan gastronomy reflects both the universal passion for food and the diverse cultural history of Catalonia. Food culture, husbandry and interest in medical and dietary matters reach back to the period when the Greeks first settled at Empúries to worship the healing image of Asklepios. The Carthaginians followed, bringing lentils, chickpeas and fava beans; the Romans introduced the vine and olive. Four centuries of Moorish domination brought a passion for sweetmeats, spices and aubergine. The Catalan larder expanded further in the late Middle Ages when control over Mediterranean trade routes brought pasta from Naples and the discovery of the Americas introduced the key ingredients for the Provençal and Catalan table: tomato, potato and paprika. The Barcelona food markets are among the most beautiful and enticing in the world. Set out in cartwheels under ceilings of Art Nouveau stained glass, the stalls fan out from their fresh fish hub. Marble sinks soak the milky salt cod; cornucopia of fruit and vegetables are displayed with the subtlety of a still-life; butchers offer specialities and recipes upon request; the mushroom man has thirty varieties, fresh and dried. At the outer edges are the dealers in nuts and artisan cheeses that never find their way out of Catalonia. In the city of the exuberance and riotous colour of Antoni Gaudí’s architectural confections, it is but a little way to the tour de force of a zarzuela fish stew, shot through with a firework display of saff ron, bright red peppers and the creamy smooth burnt allioli sauce. The mar i muntanya dishes – the original surf and turf – marry together a remarkable blend of game, fowl or rabbit with langouste, enriched with a subtle chocolate sauce. The pioneering Nouvelle Catalan cuisine offers new tastes and complex techniques which find their echo deep into France, even to the Lycée Palace. The chefs that create them are some of the most talked about in and outside Barcelona. Sergi Arola is the former assistant of Ferrán Adriá and a proponent of authentic Catalan cuisine. Jordi Cruz mixes tradition and creativity at his 2-Michelin-starred restaurant ABaC in Barcelona, voted the best in Catalonia in 2011. Michelinstarred chef Nandu Jubany grows his own fruit and vegetables to serve in his restaurant, a converted farmhouse near Vic. Disciples of Ferran Adrià, chef Xavier Sagristà and maitre d’ Toni Gerez have been working together for over 30 years. Now in Peralada, they continue to create a contemporary vision of Empordà cuisine.

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houses the greatest collection of Romanesque frescoes in the world, plus fine Gothic and modern collections, and the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion. Lunch is in the rooftop restaurant of the stylish 5-star Hotel Arts where Sergi Arola has added yet another twist to contemporary Catalan cooking. In the afternoon visit Gaudí’s La Pedrera building of 1906–10. Day 4: Barcelona, Peralada. Morning walk in Gaudí’s Parc Güell before sampling Jordi Cruz’s 2-Michelin-starred, avant garde cuisine at ABaC. Drive up the coast to the outskirts of Figueres. First of three nights in Peralada. Day 5: Girona, Vic. Girona has a compact mediaeval Jewish quarter and Gothic cathedral towering over the river. Important illuminated manuscripts and tapestries are displayed in the chapterhouse. Lunch is at Michelin-starred Can Jubany. A light dinner takes the form of cheese and olive oil tasting in Figueres at the restaurant of Artur Sagues, who designed and constructed El Bulli’s cheese trolley for more than a decade. Day 6: Collioure (France), La Selva de Mar. Drive into France to the pretty port of Collioure, a favoured retreat for Matisse and the Fauves. Light lunch of anchovies, a key local industry. Return to Spain, and the coastal town of La Selva de Mar to visit the vineyard of one of the Empordà’s finer producers. Dinner in Restaurante Aires, our hotel restaurant, where Xavier Sagrista makes his mark on Catalan classics. Day 7: Figueres. Free time in Figueres to visit the Dalí museum. Drive south to Barcelona for the flight to Heathrow, arriving c. 5.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,990 or £2,780 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,340 or £3,130 without flights. Included meals: 5 lunches and 5 dinners (including 3 light ones) with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Condes de Barcelona (condesdebarcelona.com): 4-star hotel very well placed for buildings by Gaudí. Hotel Golf Peralada (hotelperalada.com): 5-star spa and golf hotel situated in the Albera mountains with an excellent restaurant.

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How strenuous? The tour involves a lot of walking in Barcelona - some of it over uneven paving where vehicular access is restricted, and should not be attempted by anyone who has diﬃculty with everyday walking and stair–climbing. Meals can be long and large and so expect some late nights. Average distance by coach per day: 52 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with The Heart of Italy, 11–18 September 2017 (page 137).

What else is included in the price? See page 7. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Barcelona, Sagrada Familia.

23–30 March 2017 (md 190) 8 days • £2,860 Lecturer: Gijs van Hensbergen A short and sharp immersion in the art and architecture of the capital of Catalonia. Contrasting the mediaeval treasures of the Gothic quarter with the flamboyant Modernista buildings of Gaudí and his contemporaries. Led by Gaudí biographer, Gijs van Hensbergen. From formal palace to factory floor, no design detail was too insignificant for the architectdesigners of the Modernista age. Architects such as Antoni Gaudí, Domènech i Muntaner and Puig i Cadafalch vied for the patronage of the new urban élite as they transformed the teachings of Ruskin and Morris into a seductive reality of stained glass, marble, tortoise-shell, elaborately carved stone and daring use of iron and brick. Turn-of-the-century Barcelona provided a haven for social and artistic experimentation. Style wars raged over the pre-eminence of Gaudí’s religious vision or of that of the Bohemian world of Picasso and the legendary Quatre Gats café. Outside the city, industrial colonies sat side by side with Utopian garden design and other experiments in social engineering. The many Modernista showcases of the latest thinking in architectural theory and design include Muntaner’s outrageously flamboyant Palau opera house, private mansions, cast-iron markets, pharmacies, patisseries and hospitals. We dine in houses designed by Gaudí and Rubió i Bellver as well as Domènech’s Hotel España, submerged in a marine world of frescoed mermaids, angel fish and slippery squid. Outside the city we visit the mountain-top shrine of Montserrat, Catalonia’s spiritual home, and Gaudí’s first edifice in Mataró, built for a textile workers union and his only building not to be funded by the bourgeoisie or the Catholic church. No single building can better explain the apparent paradoxes of the Quatre Gats and

Modernista style than Rusinyol’s rock-ledge haven, the Cau Ferrat, with its views across the Mediterranean. Side by side, sketches by Picasso, tiles, cartoons by the great draughtsman Ramon Casas, all fight for space against their shared heritage of mediaeval ironwork, Gothic carving and two masterpieces by El Greco.

Itinerary Day 1: Barcelona. Fly at 11.15am from London Heathrow to Barcelona (British Airways). The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya houses the world’s finest collection of Romanesque murals, a constant source of inspiration for the generation of 1900. Day 2: Barcelona. A morning walk includes Domènech’s exuberant Palau de la Música and the Cathedral. Continue in the afternoon to Gaudí’s sumptuous Palau Güell, Boqueria market, finishing with a drink at the bohemian Quatre Gats (café). Dinner in Gaudí’s award-winning Casa Calvet. Day 3: Barcelona. A morning walk through the Ciutadella park, with sculpture by Tapíes, to Santa María del Mar, the finest Gothic church in Catalonia. End at the Picasso museum, spread through five adjacent palaces in the Gothic Quarter, it is the world’s most comprehensive display of the artist’s artistic development. Lunch in Domènech’s Hotel España. Afternoon walk to see the exteriors of Sert’s Tuberculosis Clinic, the Secessionist Casa Heribert Pons and Domènech’s landmark Editorial Muntanyer i Simon (now the Fundaciò Antoni Tàpies) to the Manzana de la Discordia, the square of discord, where Gaudí’s Casa Batlló fights it out with Puig’s Casa Amatller, which we enter. Day 4: Mataró, Barcelona. Enter the city’s council building, the Ajuntament, to see the paintings by Josep Maria Sert. Drive north of Barcelona to Mataró, home to Gaudí’s first building, now a contemporary art museum. Return to the city to visit Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia,

Art in Madrid the great galleries

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 9.15am (Iberia Airlines) from London Heathrow to Madrid. Begin at the recently renovated Archaeological Museum, good on ancient Iberian civilization and Roman Spain. Settle into the hotel before dinner.

See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

Day 2. Start with a first visit to the Prado Museum, which is among the world’s greatest art galleries, concentrating on the Spanish school. Continue to the arcaded, balconied Plaza Mayor, centrepiece of Habsburg town planning. In the afternoon visit the Lázaro Galdiano Museum with works by El Greco, Goya and Murillo and then the Sorolla Museum, in the charming house of the eponymous Impressionist painter.

the vast, still unfinished church which is one of the best-known buildings in the world, and Montaner’s Hospital de Sant Pau. Day 5: Barcelona. Drive to Gaudí’s neo-gothic house, Bellesguard with fine gardens and Parc Güell, the incomplete ‘garden suburb’ with sinuous ceramic-clad structures. Lunch in Rubió i Bellver’s Asador de Aranda, one of Barcelona’s great restaurants. Back in the city centre, walk through the district of Gràcia, passing Gaudí’s Casa Vicens, to his La Pedrera building of 1906–10. Day 6: Montserrat, Sitges. The gallery at Montserrat contains works by Dalí and Picasso. Continue to Sitges, one of the most fashionable of costa towns and home to Rusinyol’s collection at the Cau Ferrat. See also the adjoining Museu Maricel with its frescoes by Sert. Day 7: Barcelona. Free morning. In the afternoon journey by Metro to Montjuic hill and the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion (1929), a small masterpiece of International Modernism. The Miró Foundation (Joan Miró was born in Barcelona) has a large and important collection donated by the artist. Day 8: Barcelona. Drive out of Barcelona to Gaudí’s crypt at the Colonia Güell, arguably his greatest work, set amongst the pine trees in an industrial paradise. The flight from Barcelona arrives at Heathrow at c. 6.15pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,860 or £2,620 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,280 or £3,040 without flights. Included meals: 2 lunches, 3 dinners, with wine.

How strenuous? The tour involves a lot of walking in Barcelona, some of it over uneven paving and where vehicular access is restricted. We also use the Metro. Average coach travel per day: 25 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with Opera in Vienna, 16–21 March 2017 (page 50).

Diego Velázquez, engraving c. 1830.

16–20 May 2017 (md 309) 5 days • £1,810 Lecturer: Dr Zahira Bomford 27 September–1 October 2017 (me 580) 5 days • £1,810 Lecturer: Gail Turner Two visits to the Prado plus the ThyssenBornemisza Collection and the Reina Sofía, home to Picasso’s Guernica.

Day 3. Visit the Royal Tapestry Factory, founded 1721 by Phillip V with designs by Goya, many of which are still reproduced today. Continue to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, housing works by Goya, Zurbarán, Ribera and Murillo. An afternoon at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, housed in the 18th-century Palacio de Villahermosa until its purchase by the Spanish state in 1993 one of the world’s largest private art collections. Day 4. Travel by coach to the church of San Antonio de la Florida, with fine Goya frescoes, before returning to the Prado, this time primarily to see the Italian and Netherlandish schools. The afternoon is free to allow for temporary exhibitions (details nearer the time) or a visit to the 18th-century Royal Palace.

Combine the May departure with Toledo: A Festival of Spanish Music, 20–25 May – page 170.

Day 5. Walk via Herzog & de Meuron’s Caixaforum to the Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, one of the greatest modern art museums and home to Picasso’s Guernica plus works by Miró, Dalí and Tàpies. Fly to London Heathrow, arriving at c. 6.00pm. (Those combining the May departure with Toledo: A Festival of Spanish Music are taken by coach to join the festival.)

The lecturers Gail Turner and Dr Zahira Bomford are art historians specialising in Spain.

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Lesser-known places include the Sorolla Museum, Archaeological Museum and Goya frescoes at San Antonio de la Florida.

While the Museo del Prado alone might justify a visit to Madrid – and this tour has two sessions there – the city has other excellent collections which reinforce its reputation as one of the great art centres of Europe. This city of Velázquez and Goya has been enormously enhanced over the years by the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection and the Reina Sofía Museum. Both these and the Prado boast superb facilities and exhibiting spaces thanks to the work of architects Jean Nouvel (Reina Sofía), Manuel Baquero and Francesc Plá (Thyssen) and Rafael Moneo (Prado) converting them into worldclass galleries. Our stints at the ‘big three’ are interspersed with less-visited collections. The great Spanish painters – including El Greco, Murillo, Velázquez, Goya and Picasso – are of course magnificently represented on the tour, but the collecting mania of the Habsburgs and Bourbons and their subjects has resulted in a wide

Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,810 or £1,530 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,130 or £1,850 without flights. Those combining this tour with ‘Toledo: A Festival of Spanish Music’ pay a different price – please contact us for details. Included meals: 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation. NH Palacio de Tepa, Madrid (nh-hoteles.com): small, excellently located 5-star hotel. Comfortable rooms; décor is contemporary. How strenuous? The tour involves a lot of walking and standing around in museums (which can be more tiring than moving around). Participants need to be able to cope with everyday walking and stair-climbing without diﬃculty.

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Accommodation. Hotel Condes de Barcelona (condesdebarcelona.com): 4-star hotel, very well placed for buildings by Gaudí; rooms are modern and comfortable.

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range of artistic riches which will surprise and delight. There is a large number of outstanding paintings by Titian and Rubens, for example, and the Prado has by far the largest holding of the bizarre creations of Hieronymus Bosch.

Group size: between 9 and 19 participants. Combine this tour with: Aragón: Hidden Spain, 3–11 October 2017 (page 165). Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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the Heart of Spain Ancient kingdoms of Castile SpAiN

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,070 or £1,910 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,330 or £2,170 without flights. Those combining this tour with ‘Toledo: A Festival of Spanish Music’ pay a different price – please contact us for details. Included meals: 5 dinners with wine. Accommodation. NH Palacio de Castellanos (nh-hotels.com): attractive 4-star hotel in a converted palace, close to the Cathedrals and other key sites. NH Palacio de la Merced, Burgos (nh-hotels.com): 4-star hotel in a converted palace. Eurostars Convento Capuchinos, Segovia (eurostarsconventocapuchinos.com): 5-star hotel set in a converted 17th century church and monastery complex.

Segovia, La Granja de San Ildefonso, watercolour by Mima Nixon, publ. 1916.

14–20 May 2017 (md 306) 7 days • £2,070 Lecturer: Dr Nicola Jennings A shorter tour of the Castile & León region, this version is designed to precede Toledo: A Festival of Spanish Music, 20–25 May 2017 (although it is open to all). Stay in Salamanca, Burgos & Segovia, some of Spain’s most beautiful cities. Led by Nicola Jennings, art historian with a particular interest in Renaissance Spain.

Itinerary Day 1: Salamanca. Fly at c. 10.50am from London Gatwick to Madrid (Iberia Airlines). Continue by coach for the first of two nights in Salamanca.

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Day 2: Salamanca. Distinguished by the honeycoloured hue of its stone, Salamanca is one of the most attractive cities in Spain and home to its most prestigious university. See the magnificent 16th-century Gothic ‘New Cathedral’ and austere Romanesque ‘Old Cathedral’, the 18th-century Plaza Mayor and superb, elaborate Plateresque sculpture on the façades of the university and church of San Esteban. The University has 15thand 16th-century quadrangles, arcaded courtyards and original lecture halls. The Convento de las Dueñas has a Plateresque portal and an irregular, two-tiered cloister. Day 3: Tordesillas, Valladolid, Burgos. The convent of Tordesillas, spectacular combinations of Islamic and Netherlandish artistic traditions, was once the palace of Pedro the Cruel and his lover, Maria de Padilla. The Colegio de San Gregorio, now the National Museum of Sculpture, with Gil de Siloé’s intricately carved stone portal houses works by all the great Renaissance masters including Berruguete. Continue to Burgos for the first of two nights. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Day 4. Burgos. Burgos was the early capital of Castile, whose cathedral combines French and German Gothic styles and has remarkable vaults and 16th-century choir stalls. On the outskirts is the convent of Las Huelgas Reales with its important early Gothic church while the charterhouse of Miraflores has superb sculpture by Gil de Siloé. Day 5: Lerma, Santo Domingo de Silos, Segovia. The village of Lerma has a wealth of buildings from the early 17th century including an arcaded main square with ducal palace and the Collegiate church of San Pedro. Santo Domingo de Silos has the finest Romanesque monastery in Spain, outstanding for the sculpture of the 12th-century cloister. Segovia is one of the loveliest cities in Spain and architecturally one of the most richly endowed. First of two nights in Segovia. Day 6: Segovia. An morning walk includes the remarkable Roman aqueduct, one of the biggest in Europe the Monasterio de El Parral, with Gothic nave and splendid carvings, the cathedral, a soaring Gothic structure, and the restored Alcázar (castle), dramatically perched at the prow of the hill. Afternoon excursion to La Granja de San Ildefonso, the palace constructed for Philip V in the early 18th century, with magnificent formal gardens. Return to the city via the Monastery of San Antonio el Real, with fine wooden Mudéjar coffering. Day 7: El Escorial. This vast retreat-cum-palacecum-monastery-cum-pantheon was built from 1563 to 1584 for Philip II, successfully embodying his instructions for ‘nobility without arrogance, majesty without ostentation, severity in the whole’. Continue to Madrid airport for the flight to London Gatwick, arriving c. 7.30pm. (Those combining with Toledo: A Festival of Spanish Music continue by coach to join the festival.)

How strenuous? This tour involves walking in town centres, some of it on cobbled streets and uphill. It should not be undertaken by anyone who has diﬃculty with everyday walking and stairclimbing. Average distance by coach per day: 77 miles. Dinners tend to be at 8.30 or 9.00pm in Spain, so you might get to bed later than you would usually. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

toledo: A Festival of Spanish Music 20–25 May 2017 (md 310) Please contact us for full details or visit www.martinrandall.com Seven private concerts of music associated with the historic city of Toledo performed in beautiful and appropriate buildings. Wide ranging programme: Sephardic, Moorish, Christian as well as music from Latin America and 20th-century Spain. Musicians of the highest calibre from Britain and Spain, including The Tallis Scholars, Ex Cathedra, Orphénica Lyra, Musica Antigua, and soloists Carlos Bonell, Soledad Cardoso and Clara Mouriz. Professor Owen Rees and Professor Richard Langham Smith give lectures on the music, Dr Xavier Bray and Gijs van Hensbergen about art and history. Suits independent-minded travellers as well as those who like the social aspect of these events. Time to explore Toledo, optional guided visits to key buildings, excursion to the Palacio de Aranjuez.

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

goya zaragoza & Madrid

Balances Madrid’s great collections with Zaragoza, monumental capital of Aragón and home to a number of works by the artist. Visit areas of the palace at El Escorial that are not open to the public, and a private art collection in Madrid. Led by Dr Xavier Bray, curator of the 2015/6 National Gallery exhibition Goya: the Portraits. The eighteenth century was an uneventful chapter in the history of Spanish painting. Foreigners dominated, and the prettiness of Rococo vitiated the traditional strengths of naturalism and expressionistic intensity. The arrival of Francisco de Goya y Lucientes into this enervated world had an explosive effect. Goya’s early years were spent in unpropitious circumstances having been born in a remote village on the Aragonese plain. He learnt his craft in the equally unpromising location of Zaragoza before escaping to Madrid. At first he made little headway in this more competitive environment, but after a couple of years in Italy his fortunes began to change. Upon returning to Madrid, he was employed in making cartoons for the Royal Tapestry Factory. His astonishingly candid portraits were no barrier to his rapid rise to success, and in due course he became Principal Painter to the King and Director of the San Fernando Academy. However, the experience of the Napoleonic occupation and the War of Independence, and an illness which led to deafness, stimulated some of the most nightmarish images in the history of art.

San Fernando holds paintings and etchings by the artist. In the afternoon visit the Royal Palace to see works created while Goya was painter to Charles III in the 1780s. Evening visit to the privately-owned Palacio de San Bernardino with a collection of art by Vicente Lopez, Madrazo, Sorolla and of course Goya. Day 6: Madrid. The ceiling of the church of San Antonio de la Florida is fi lled with impressionistic works by Goya and the artist is buried here. The Basilica of San Francisco el Grande has a large altarpiece by Goya, painted in the early stages of his career, while the church of Escuelas Pías San Antón was home to one of his last, great altarpieces. Fly from Madrid to London Heathrow, arriving c. 6.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,110 or £1,970 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,400 or £2,260 without flights.

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27 March–1 April 2017 (md 219) 6 days • £2,110 Lecturer: Dr Xavier Bray

Included meals: 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Catalonia el Pilar, Zaragoza (hoteles-catalonia.com): modern 4-star hotel; comfortable. NH Palacio de Tepa, Madrid (nh-hotels.com): small hotel, rated locally as 5-star; walking distance from the major museums. How strenuous? Quite a lot of walking on this tour, and a lot of standing in museums. One long coach journey and one journey by train. Average distance by coach per day: 62 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 10.40 am from London Heathrow to Madrid (Iberia Airlines) and continue by coach to Zaragoza (c. 4 hours including stops). An evening walk includes the basilica of El Pilar with ceiling paintings by the youthful Goya. First of two nights in Zaragoza.

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Day 2: Zaragoza. The Fine Arts Museum has an extensive collection of works by Goya while a savings bank displays his works in its Plateresque patio. Outside the city, the monastery of Aula Dei has Goya frescoes in its church. Day 3: Muel, Fuendetodos, Madrid. See Goya’s ceiling paintings at the hermitage in Muel. Continue to Fuendetodos, where Goya’s childhood home survives and the Museum of Etching contains his complete works. Take the high speed AVE train from Zaragoza to Madrid with lunch on board. On arrival visit the Prado to study Goya’s cartoons. First of three nights in Madrid. Day 4: Madrid. The Lázaro Galdiano museum has an early Goya and two of his famous witchcraft scenes. Continue to the Royal Tapestry Factory where Goya worked as a designer for 20 years. At the Royal Palace at El Escorial see Goya tapestries that are not on public display. Day 5: Madrid. A second visit to the Prado includes Goya’s Black Paintings. The Academy of

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El Escorial, 19th-century engraving. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Gastronomic Valencia Food & art in south-east Spain spain

Valencia, Quart Towers, wood engraving 1875 after a drawing by Samuel Read

Gulf of Valencia. Taste this authentic rice dish, cooked over a wood fire, before a sunset cruise on a traditional fishing boat. Dinner is in La Sucursal (1-star Michelin) housed in the Veles e Vents building on the Marina. Day 4: Fontanars dels Alforins, Cocentaina. Leave Valencia and drive south, stopping at Fontanars dels Alforins for a wine tasting at the prestigious Casa los Frailes. Continue to Cocentaina, located between the Sierra de Mariola and Serpis river, for lunch at the family-run L’escalata restaurant (1-star Michelin). Drive to the coast for the first of four nights in Dénia. Day 5: Gandia. Dating from the 14th century and home to the Borgias, the Palacio Ducal de Gandia displays Gothic architecture, with Renaissance and Baroque additions. Gandia is also where the dish fideuà originated, a noodle dish usually cooked with seafood. Return to Dénia in time for the arrival of the fishing boats and exclusive access to the fish auction.

12–19 May 2017 (md 307) 8 days • £3,290 Lecturer: Gijs van Hensbergen From the sea to the mountains of south-east Spain, a conspectus of Valencian cuisine. Myriad historical influences (Phoenician, Arab, Jewish) as well as current cutting-edge chefs, such as 3-star Michelin chef Quique Dacosta, make this an incredibly rich gastronomic region to explore. Led by Gijs van Hensbergen, art historian and author of books on Spanish art and food. Based in the handsome, vibrant city of Valencia, excellent for its variety of art and architecture, and in the smaller charming seaside town of Dénia. Opt to combine this tour with Toledo: A Festival of Spanish Music, 20–25 May 2017 – see page 170.

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From market to plate there is nothing fresher or more vibrant than Valencian cuisine. The legendary huertas – market gardens, orange groves, paddy fields and Mediterranean orchards – are the city’s larder. Valencian markets are some of the most beautiful in the world; the Gothic silk market is a World Heritage Site. The tour includes experiences such as market shopping with a Michelin-starred chef, exclusive backroom access to the fish auction at La Lonja in Dénia, and tasting unctuous goat’s milk cheeses dribbled with thyme honey in the mountains. There is hospitality at great bodegas like Casa los Frailes, source of wines served to visiting heads of state at Madrid’s Palacio Real. There are also lowkey everyday experiences – a refreshing horchata, a tiger nut milk pick-you-up; an Aqua de Valencia, a fresh orange-based cocktail; and rifling the wine cellar, feasting on organic potatoes and nibbling at a perfectly burnt brandade at Casa Montaña, arguably the best bar in the world. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Valencian cuisine is both ancient and new. Wind-dried octopus prepared to a 3,000-year-old Phoenician recipe is a revelation, as are the sweet luxury of almond biscuits accompanied by an ice cold Moscatel. The Moors held the Levante for 400 years and the phantom flavours live on. We feel the weight of Borgia rule and the Naples connection, and taste history with alioli-steeped fideuà – Europe’s first pasta dish? There are Baroque splendours, shimmering Valencian tiles and the hedonistic sun-drenched canvases of Joaquín Sorolla. There are back streets and museums and hideaway cafés to be explored: the Jewish call, the Almohad Arab walls, the twelfth-century Christian settlement. Dénia’s museum contains artefacts from the Romans and the Iberians, who were pressing wine 5,000 years ago. The final lunch is provided by 3-star Michelin chef Quique Dacosta, a whirlwind of inventive brilliance, theatre and caprice.

Itinerary Day 1: Valencia. Fly at c. 11.45am from London Gatwick to Valencia, (British Airways). First of three nights in Valencia. Day 2: Valencia. Peruse the produce in the fine modernista-style Mercado Central with a Michelin-starred chef, to learn his zero-kilometre philosophy. Mercado Colón is home to the Ricard Camarena cooking laboratory, where there is a cooking demonstration followed by lunch. Evening brings a private visit to the IVAM (Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno) with its superb collection of cubist sculpture by Julio González. Day 3: Valencia. Visit the Museum of Fine Arts, one of the best in Spain, with works by Valencian, Spanish and Flemish masters; and the National Ceramics Museum, housed in its exuberantly Churrigueresque palace. Paella originates from La Albufera, a freshwater lagoon nearby on the

Day 6: Dénia, Parcent. A morning walk takes in the historical centre of Dénia, including the 11th-century Moorish Castle. Ascend into the mountains through orange and almond groves to Parcent for a wine tasting, cooking demonstration and lunch at Bodegas Gutiérrez de la Vega, a family-run business famous for their sweet Moscatel wine. Day 7: Dénia. The morning is free. Take a walk before lunch along the impressive coastline of Las Rotas before continuing to Quique Dacosta’s restaurant (3-star Michelin). Dacosta combines local, seasonal produce with cutting-edge creativity and technique. Day 8. Drive north to Valencia for a tapas lunch at Casa Montaña and a walk through Calatrava’s science park. The evening flight arrives into London Gatwick at c. 6.15pm. (Those combining this tour with Toledo: A Festival of Spanish Music take a high speed train from Valencia to Madrid (c. 1 hour 40 minutes) and then travel by coach to Toledo (c. 1 hour), arriving c. 8.00pm.)

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,290 or £3,160 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,560 or £3,430 without flights. Those combining this tour with ‘Toledo: A Festival of Spanish Music’ pay a different price – please contact us for details. Included meals: 7 lunches, 2 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. SH Hotel Inglés, Valencia (inglesboutique.com): 4-star hotel in an 18thcentury palace; very central location next to the National Ceramics Museum. Single occupancy rooms have queen-size beds. La Posada del Mar, Dénia (laposadadelmar.com): 4-star hotel near the historic centre and overlooking the harbour. How strenuous? Coach access is restricted in historical centres and there is a fair amount of walking and standing around in museums, vineyards and at cooking demonstrations. Dinners tend to be at 8.30 or 9.00pm in Spain, so you might get to bed later than you usually would. Average distance by coach per day: 40 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

the romans in Mediterranean Spain Cartagena, Sagunto, tarragona, Barcelona

Beautiful Mediterranean cities with extensive Roman remains, including the earliest outside Italy. Study the wars between Rome and Carthage: Hannibal and the Scipios. Learn of the Romans and Visigoths; pagans and Christians. The lecturer is Professor Simon Esmonde Cleary, Professor of Roman Archaeology at the University of Birmingham. In the ancient world, the Mediterranean coast of Spain was always a prized possession. But it wasn’t until it was absorbed into the Roman Empire that its economic potential was fully exploited. This was a place of mass production, dazzling wealth and, at times, brutal working conditions. In the mines, armies of slaves dug for lead, silver, copper and iron. Both land and sea were exploited for the production of grain, the vine, olive oil and fish sauce. Given the scale of Hispania’s resources, it’s no wonder Roman civilisation flourished here – and the material remains are both impressive and thickly-strewn. Ingenious engineering projects, grand public monuments and unbridled displays of private wealth are all to be seen: and it’s this inheritance that provides the backbone of our tour.

Three of Hispania’s key cities are on the itinerary: Carthago Nova (modern Cartagena), Saguntum (Sagunto) and Tarraco (Tarragona). At Tarragona, for example, you can trace the circuit of walls built by Gnaeus and Publius Scipio in 218 bc, when they arrived in Spain to threaten Hannibal’s base in the Second Punic War. It’s now the oldest surviving Roman monument outside Italy. Here too is the hilltop circus (seating capacity, 25,000), which embellished the city when it was a provincial capital – as well as the amphitheatre where the Christian bishop Fructuosus was martyred in 259 ad. We also visit Barcino (Barcelona) - the setting, in 416 ad, of the marriage of the Visigothic king Athaulf to Galla Placidia, sister of the emperor Honorius. It was a deeply symbolic moment, as the western Empire began to fracture into competing ‘barbarian’ kingdoms. Together the region’s monuments and museums make a fascinating ensemble, and provide the backdrop for many dramatic stories: of the titanic struggle between Rome and Carthage; of Publius Scipio’s brilliant victory at Ilipa; of the rise of Christianity; of the strange death of the Western Empire in the fift h century ad. In many respects, the entire trajectory of Rome’s imperial history can be followed here, from triumph to collapse. Add in the region’s vibrant modern culture – and its mouth-watering cuisine – and you’ve got the makings of a memorable tour.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 1.30pm from London Gatwick to Alicante (British Airways) and continue to Cartagena by coach for the first of two nights.

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23–29 October 2017 (me 605) 7 days • £2,090 Lecturer: Professor Simon Esmonde Cleary

Day 2: Cartagena. Visit the hilltop sites of the Punic and Roman city, starting with restored Roman theatre and its accompanying museum, designed by Rafael Moneo, before continuing to the Casa de la Fortuna, an aristocratic residence with its beautiful murals and mosaics. In the area of the Roman forum the earlier remains of Carthaginian walls are one of the few Punic monuments in the Iberian peninsula, while excavations of the Roman forum revealed streets, a bath-house and a courtyard building, possibly religious. Day 3: Cartagena, Valencia. The Museum of Subaquatic Archaeology explores the maritime history of the Mediterranean and includes a replica of a Phoenician trading ship. The city’s Archaeological Museum has a rich collection of Carthaginian and Roman artefacts. Drive in the afternoon to Valencia (c. 4 hours including a stop). Overnight in Valencia. Day 4: Sagunto, Tarragona. Morning visit to the site of Saguntum, including the restored Roman theatre. The castle, essentially Moorish, still preserves parts of the Roman forum while the archaeological museum contains one of the most important collections of Latin inscriptions

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Tarragona, part of the amphitheatre, copper engraving c. 1780. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

the romans in Mediterranean Spain continued

Extremadura Landscape, architecture, rural life

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in Spain and distinctive mosaics from the Late Roman Empire. Drive in the afternoon to Tarragona (c. 3 hours including a stop). On arrival, walk a section of the early Roman walls. First of three nights in Tarragona. Day 5: Tarragona. The Roman circus for c. 25,000 spectators formed part of a massive monumental complex on the hilltop dating to the late first century ad, part of which forms the basis for the medieval ‘Pretorio’. The city’s National Museum of Archaeology houses an excellent collection of mosaics, wall paintings and sculpture. Occupying an impressive site by the Mediterranean, the well-preserved Roman amphitheatre includes the remains of two churches dating to the 6th and 12th centuries. There is some free time to visit the cathedral, built on the site of the major Roman temple atop the hill. Day 6: around Tarragona. Visit the Colonial Forum, civic centre of Tarragona, then the Early Christian Museum and Necropolis featuring a splendid series of carved marble sarcophagi. Outside the city, the two-tier aqueduct named Pont del Diable is a feat of Roman engineering delivering water to Tarragona. The exceptional remains of 4th-century mosaics can be seen on the dome of the Roman Villa of Centcelles. Day 7: Barcelona. Drive to Barcelona via the funerary monument of the ‘Tower of the Scipios’, and the honorific Arch of Bera, dedicated to the Emperor Augustus. The Museum of History of Barcelona contains part of Roman Barcino with its streets, sewers, laundries and wine- and fish-saucemaking factories. Walk around the Gothic quarter where the remnants of Roman walls, tombs, and temples can still be seen. Fly from Barcelona to London Gatwick (Vueling), landing at c. 6.45pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,090 or £1,910 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,260 or £2,080 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 5 dinners with wine.

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Accommodation. NH Cartagena (nh-hotels.com): central 4-star hotel, part of a reliable Spanish chain. SH Hotel Inglés, Valencia (inglesboutique. com): 4-star hotel installed in an 18th-century palace in a very central location. Rooms for single occupancy have queen-size beds. Hotel Astari, Tarragona (hotelastari.com) a well-run, functional 3-star hotel. How strenuous? There is a lot of walking on the uneven ground of archeological sites. Sure footedness is essential. There are some long coach journeys. Average distance by coach per day: 72 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Venetian Palaces, 31 October–4 November 2017 (page 122).

Mérida, ruined temple, lithograph c. 1830.

18–26 April 2017 (md 231) 9 days • £2,440 Lecturer: Adam Hopkins Remote and unspoilt: one of the most consistently beautiful regions in Europe. Monumental cities of the Conquistadors: Trujillo, Cáceres, Plasencia, packed with palaces and churches. Mérida has excellent Roman remains. Monasteries of Guadalupe and Yuste, both in splendid isolation in the hills. Opportunity to walk in the hills and around a livestock farm. The lecturer is Adam Hopkins, journalist and author, specialist in Spanish history and culture.

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What else is included in the price? See page 7. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Extremadura means ‘beyond the Duero’, a designation coined by the conquering Christians as they bludgeoned their way southwards against the Moors. The Moors were finally defeated; but

much of the countryside of Extremadura remains unsubjugated. Together with the adjoining Alentejo in Portugal, this, though tawny as a lion’s pelt in sweltering midsummer, is the largest ‘green’ region in western Europe. Monfragüe in the Tagus gorge has a colony of griffon vultures, the Iberian lynx is still a resident in these parts, hawks and other birds of prey abound. The Sierra de Gata in the north, the Sierra de Guadalupe in the centre and the wild country of the south-west around Jerez de los Caballeros all remain rough and uncultivated. Equally, Extremadura is cattle country, with fighting bulls and the local Retinta breed making the most of some of the gentler lands. In the autumn, when there are acorns to be eaten, the black-foot pig, source of the finest of mountain hams, comes on the scene. The landscape has a mixed array of well-spaced trees, mainly holm oak and cork oak, which together with the wild grasses constitute the habitat known as dehesa. The river valleys, notably the Tiétar and Guadiana,

Itinerary

Day 2: Zafra, Jerez de Los Caballeros. In Zafra begin with the two adjacent squares, the Plaza Grande and the (smaller) Plaza Chica and the Collegiate Church (with an altarpiece by Zurbarán). Lunch is in a rural restaurant. The afternoon is spent in Jerez de los Caballeros, once a Templar town, with famously ornate Baroque church towers. Day 3: Mérida, Guadalupe. The Roman legacy of Mérida includes architecture both grand and domestic: theatre, villas, temples, fortresses. See also Moneo’s outstanding National Museum of Roman Art. The tiny town of Guadalupe is hidden in hills. Columbus prayed here and gave its name to a Caribbean island. First of two nights in Guadalupe.

‘A Village in Spain’, etching and drypoint (detail) c. 1920 by Isabel Codrington.

Day 4: Guadalupe. There is the choice of a walk in the Guadalupe mountains, or time to stroll at leisure through the village. In the afternoon see the monastery, with splendid church, Mudéjar cloister and sacristy with paintings by Zurbarán. The museum contains exceptional vestments. Day 5: Trujillo. Drive down the mountains to Trujillo, a hilltop conquistador town (birthplace of Pizarro). The magnificent, irregular main square is surrounded by conquistador mansions and the grand church of S. Martín. Climb up to the Gothic church of Sta María and the castle with fine views of the surrounding countryside. Continue to Cáceres for the first of three nights. Day 6: Cáceres. The historic town centre is enclosed within almost perfectly preserved Moorish walls and is a myriad of narrow streets and squares lined with Renaissance mansions. Visit the Provincial Museum housed in the 17thcentury Casa de las Valetas, built over an 11thcentury Arabic cistern. Free afternoon. Day 7: Arroyo de la Luz, Alcántara, El Vaqueril. The 16th-century church at Arroyo de la Luz has a remarkable altarpiece by Luís de Morales. At Alcántara, the Roman bridge spanning the Tagus dates to ad 106. Finca el Vaqueril is an Extremaduran ranch with Retinta cattle and pata negra pigs. Our visit includes lunch and an optional walk. Day 8: Monfragüe, Plasencia, Yuste, Jarandilla de la Vera. Pause in Monfragüe National Park to see colony of griffon vultures at Salto de Gitano on the Tagus. At Plasencia, start in the arcaded Plaza Mayor and then visit the two cathedrals, Renaissance and Gothic backing into one another, also a fine ethnographic museum of traditional rural life and handicraft. Drive into the hills to the monastery of Yuste to which the Emperor Charles V retired in 1556, building a gent’s des. res. right up against the fabric of the Gothic monastery. Get a moving insight into the last days of the man who once ruled most of Europe and Latin America. Spend the final night in the Parador at nearby Jarandilla de la Vera. Day 9. Drive to Madrid Airport (c. 4 hours) for the lunchtime flight (Iberia) which arrives at London Heathrow c. 4.15pm.

Adam Hopkins. Journalist and author, now living in a mountain village in Spain. He studied at King’s College, Cambridge, and has contributed extensively to national newspapers in Britain on Spanish culture and travel. Among his many books: Spanish Journeys: A Portrait of Spain. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,440 or £2,280 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,710 or £2,550 without flights. Included meals: 2 lunches, 6 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Parador de Zafra (parador.es): 4-star parador in the 15th-century castle. Parador de Guadalupe (parador.es): 4-star parador in the converted 15th-century pilgrims’ hospital of St John the Baptist. NH Palacio de Oquendo (nhhotels.com): 4-star hotel in the historic centre of town. Parador de Jarandilla (parador.es): 4-star parador with historic connections to Charles V. How strenuous? There is a lot of walking in town centres, sometimes on uneven ground, and surefootedness is essential. The optional walk in the Sierra de Guadalupe requires a greater level of fitness. There is also a large amount of coach travel. Dinners tend to be at 8.30 or 9.00pm in Spain, so you might get to bed later than you would usually. Some days involve a lot of driving. Average distance by coach per day: 78 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

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Day 1: Zafra. Fly at c. 12.00 midday (TAP Portugal) from London Heathrow to Lisbon. Drive to the small town of Zafra (c. 4 hours, stops are made en route). The towered castle where Hernán Cortés was received by the Count of Feria en route for the conquest of Mexico is now the parador. First of two nights in Zafra.

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are now well-irrigated and grow fruit and vegetables: apricots, cherries and peppers. From the south comes wine, much improved of late. There is virtually no industry which is not based on agriculture. This tour offers a walk in the Guadalupe mountains, hoping to come close to the spirit of a countryside where many ancient ways survive. However, the history and architecture are as rewarding as the landscape. Before the Visigoths and Moors, this was a major Roman centre, with Mérida – Augusta Emerita – the capital of the western province of Lusitania. It remains the major Roman site in Spain. Above all, this is conquistador country. An astonishing proportion of the leaders of the rough bands which savaged South and Central America, in the names of king and queen and Christianity, came from Extremadura. Trujillo and Cáceres are well-known for the rich monumentality of palaces assembled by conquistadors returning with their ill-gotten gains. The spiritual centre was and remains the shrine of Guadalupe. Here a rich and beautiful Hieronymite monastery grew up, with swirling Moorish-Gothic tracery and a suite of paintings by Zurbarán. The little mountain town which formed beneath the monastery is balconied and full of geraniums, one element of a varied vernacular architecture which is a particular Extremeñan pleasure. Zafra, in the south, is a white town, intermediate between Andalucía and the stony sobriety of Old Castile. Most curious is Plasencia in the north, where seven roads lead out of the arcaded plaza and two cathedrals stand back to back. The most moving is Yuste, the monastery to which the Emperor Charles V retired, gout-ridden and exhausted. He chose it, he said, because of its climate of continual springtime. In its deep rurality and concentration of human monuments, Extremadura is a far cry from ‘ordinary’ Europe.

Combine this tour with Ravenna & Urbino, 26–30 April 2017 (page 131).

What else is included in the price? See page 7. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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granada & Córdoba with Úbeda & Baeza SpAiN Granada, Courtyard of the Lions in The Alhambra, chromolithograph c. 1890.

6–13 March 2017 (md 170) 8 days • £2,470 Lecturer: Dr Philippa Joseph Ample time at the key sites of Moorish Spain: the Alhambra in Granada and the Mosque in Córdoba, with time also for the lesser-known. Visits the Picasso Museum, Carmen Thyssen collection and the small Renaissance towns of Úbeda and Baeza. Led by Dr Philippa Joseph, specialist in late mediaeval and early modern societies in Andalucía.

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Southern Spain – savage peaks soar over passes that are snow-bound in winter, while plains below are well-watered by spring rivers, hot, harsh and arid in the summer, mellow in late autumn and winter. The cities reveal the magnitude of past achievements through the greatness of the architecture and the brilliant elaboration of decoration. Andalucía was a bountiful Roman province, in Arab times the scene of highly sophisticated Umayyad and Nasrid princedoms and a major province of the most powerful kingdom in (Christian) Europe’s sixteenth century. The artistic riches are immensely varied, though the unique distinguishing mark is the heritage from eight hundred years of rule by Muslims from North Africa and Arabia. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Arab Córdoba became the capital of alAndalus and the largest city in Europe, market for all the luxuries of East and West and scene of Europe’s most splendid court until its fall to the Reconquistadors in 1236. The mosque, La Mezquita, was one of the largest anywhere, and arguably the most beautiful; Christian possession in the sixteenth century created within it a totally contrasting cathedral. Granada was the last Islamic princedom in Spain, only falling to the Christians in 1492. The concatenation of palaces and gardens of the Alhambra, with its cascading domes and gilded decoration like frozen fireworks, is one of Spain’s most enthralling sights. Although millions of tourists pour through Málaga Airport every year en route to the Costa del Sol, comparatively few set foot in the old town. The narrow streets, palm-lined squares and seafront promenades conserve Phoenician, Roman, Moorish, Gothic, Baroque and late-ninteenthcentury monuments. Birthplace and childhood home of Pablo Picasso, the city boasts a major collection of his works, while the eponymous museum of Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza includes some excellent nineteenth-century Spanish art with Andalusian themes.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 11.00am from London Gatwick Airport to Málaga (British Airways). Arrive in time for an introductory walk and lecture in the hotel. Overnight in Málaga.

Day 2: Málaga. Begin at Picasso’s birthplace, which houses a small collection of his belongings. The Picasso Museum is magnificent, both the 16th-century building and the collection, which places emphasis on his earlier works. The Carmen Thyssen museum has a fine collection of old masters and 19th-century Spanish painting. In the afternoon drive north to Granada. First of three nights in Granada. Day 3: Granada. The 13th-century Arab palaces of the Alhambra ride high above the city. They are often reckoned to be the greatest expression of Moorish art in Spain, with exquisite decoration and a succession of intimate courtyards. Adjacent are the 16th-century Palace of Charles V and the Generalife, summer palace of the sultans, with gardens and fountains. Day 4: Granada. Morning walk through the Albaycín, the oldest quarter in town, including El Bañuelo (Arab baths). Climb up to San Nicolás from where there are fine views of the Alhambra. In the late afternoon visit the Cathedral and Royal Chapel which retains Isabel of Castile’s personal collection of Flemish, Spanish and Italian paintings. Day 5: Baeza, Úbeda. Drive to Baeza, once a prosperous and important town and now a provincial backwater set among olive groves stretching to the horizon. It has a 16thcentury cathedral by outstanding regional architect Andrés de Vandelvira and many grand houses of an alluring light-coloured stone. In

Essential Andalucía Spain’s southern province

Day 6: Córdoba. From the middle of the 8th century Córdoba was the capital of Islamic Spain and became the richest city in Europe until its capitulation to the Reconquistadors in 1236. La Mezquita (mosque) is one of the most magnificent of Muslim sites, for some the greatest building of mediaeval Europe. It contains within it the 16thcentury cathedral. In the afternoon drive out to the excavations of Medina Azahara, with remains of a huge and luxurious 10th-century palace complex. Day 7: Córdoba. Morning visit to the Archaeological Museum, housed in brand new galleries and a Renaissance mansion, with a fine collection of Roman and Arab pieces. Visit the Alcázar, mediaeval with earlier architectural remains (and good Roman mosaics), and the narrow streets of the old Jewish quarter, including the 14th-century synagogue. The Fine Arts Museum (optional visit), with Plateresque façade and one delightful ceiling, houses some good Spanish paintings, and the Museo Julio Romero de Torres (optional visit), the former residence of the Cordoban painter, contains a collection of his works. Free afternoon in Córdoba. Day 8. Drive to Málaga airport via the pretty town of Antequera for the mid-afternoon flight, arriving at London Gatwick airport at c. 5.30pm.

Practicalities

23 October–2 November 2017 (me 616) 11 days • £3,230 Lecturer: Dr Philippa Joseph Three nights in each of the major cities: Granada, Córdoba and Seville. The lecturer is Dr Philippa Joseph, specialist in late mediaeval and early modern societies in Andalucía and Sicily. Visits the Picasso Museum in Málaga, the Alhambra in Granada and the small Renaissance towns of Úbeda and Baeza. Varied itinerary covering the great Moorish sites, mediaeval, Renaissance and Baroque architecture, fine art collections and gardens. Andalucía is Spain’s most fascinating and varied region. Varied geographically: stretching southwards from the Sierra Morena to the Mediterranean, it encompasses the permanent snow of the Sierra Nevada as well as the sunscorched interior. And varied culturally: here it is possible to see great art and architecture of both Islamic and Christian traditions side by side – even, at Córdoba, one within the other. For Spain is unique in Western Europe in having been conquered by an Islamic power. The Moors first crossed from Africa in ad 711, and in the south of the country they stayed for nearly eight centuries. The Moorish civilization of the cities of Andalucía was one of the most sophisticated of the Middle Ages. There are also tantalising glimpses of the preceding Visigothic kingdom, and remains of

the still earlier Roman occupation – the province of Baetica was one of the most highly favoured in the Roman Empire. Later, both Jews and gypsies made their influence felt, but overwhelmingly the dominant contribution to man-made Andalucian heritage has been created by and for unwavering adherents to Catholicism. The Christian religion does not get much more intense than in southern Spain, and its artistic manifestations rarely more spiritually charged. The unification of Spain which was ensured by the marriage in 1469 of the ‘Catholic Kings’, Ferdinand and Isabella, ushered in the period when Spain became the dominant power in Europe. This also coincided with the discovery of the Americas. The cities of the south, particularly Seville, were the immediate beneficiaries of the subsequent colonisation and inflow of huge quantities of bullion and of boundless opportunities for trade and wealth creation. The result was a boom in building and a cultural renaissance, a Golden Age which lasted into the eighteenth century, long after the economy had cooled and real Spanish power had waned. The poverty and torpor of subsequent centuries allowed much of the beauty of the glory days to survive to the present time, when a revival of prosperity has enabled extensive restoration and proper care of the immense artistic patrimony.

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Úbeda walk to the handsome Plaza Vázquez de Molina, flanked by elegant palaces including Vandelvira’s Casa de las Cadenas and the present day parador. The church of El Salvador was designed by Diego de Siloé in 1536. Continue to Córdoba for the first of three nights.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 9.45am from London Gatwick to Málaga (British Airways). Arrive in time for an introductory walk and lecture in the hotel. Overnight in Málaga.

Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,470 or £2,280 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,900 or £2,710 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Molina Lario, Málaga (hotelmolinalario.com): functional 4-star in the centre. AC Palacio de Santa Paula, Granada (marriott.com): comfortable, contemporary hotel in the centre; comparable to a 4-star. NH Amistad, Córdoba (nh-hotels.com): 4-star in an 18thcentury mansion, a short walk from the mosque. How strenuous? There is a lot of walking, some of it uphill and some over uneven ground. Average distance by coach per day: 52 miles.

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Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with Connoisseur’s Rome, 28 February–5 March 2017 (page 141).

‘A delightful group of people – good to ﬁnd some kindred spirits. I feel secure and comfortable with MRT as a ‘single’.’

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Còrdoba, La Mezquita (mosque, cathedral), lithograph by John Frederick Lewis, 1835. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Essential Andalucía continued

gastronomic Andalucía Food, wine, art & architecture

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Days 2–7 are identical to that of Granada & Córdoba – see the previous spread. Day 8: Ecija, Seville. The many church towers of Ecija are visible from afar across the surrounding plain. Of the numerous Baroque mansions see the Palacio de Peñaflor and Palacio del Marqués de Benameji, and visit the GothicMudéjar church of Santiago. Drive to Seville for the first of three nights. Day 9: Seville. Walk to the church and hospital of the Caridad, Seville’s most striking 17th-century building, with paintings by Murillo and Valdés Leal. The cathedral is one of the largest Gothic churches anywhere (‘Let us build a cathedral so immense that everyone...will take us for madmen’). The Capilla Mayor, treasury and sanctuary are of particular interest. Free afternoon. Day 10: Seville. The Alcázar, the fortified royal palace, is one of Spain’s greatest buildings; built by Moorish architects for Castilian kings, it consists of a sequence of apartments and magnificent reception rooms around courtyards and gardens. Walk through the Barrio de Santa Cruz, a maze of whitewashed alleys and flowerfi lled patios, to the Casa de Pilatos, the best of the Mudéjar style palaces, with patios and azulejos. Afternoon at the Fine Arts Museum, the best in Spain after the Prado.

3–10 March 2017 (md 162) 8 days • £2,410 Lecturer: Gijs van Hensbergen Journey south from Las Pedroñeras in La Mancha in a sweeping curve through Andalucía: Úbeda, Córdoba, Seville, Jerez, Cádiz, Aracena. Surveys the history of the region with its cuisine: Roman, Jewish, Moorish, Christian; from the simplest cooking to the elaborate and contemporary. Some of Spain’s greatest monuments are here including the mosque at Córdoba and Seville Cathedral, but also good museums, small towns and spectacular countryside. Led by Gijs van Hensbergen, art historian and author of books on Spanish art and food.

‘Al-Andalus’ (the Andalucía of the Moors) are words which immediately evoke fantasies of displays of sweetmeats, saff ron-stained rice and jewels of livid red pomegranate. Exotic flavour combinations are countered by the simplicity of perfectly prepared fish; flaking, moist and ivory white. Sophisticated techniques are often tempered by the deeply felt philosophy that, yes, less can be more. Gastronomic Andalucía is a true feast of the senses: earthy smells are countered by elusive and piquant tastes; sherries, montillas and punchy red caldos of La Mancha wine stand up perfectly to the pickled escabeches of game, the deep-flavoured fish soups, and the marriage of almonds, lemonsteeped olives and air-dried tenderloin of albacore tuna. The backdrop of Gastronomic Andalucía is no less exotic: Úbeda and Baeza, the twin cities of Spain’s Renaissance, are surrounded by stands of olive trees that lead the eye out to the horizon and

Day 11. Free day in Seville. Fly from Seville to London Gatwick arriving c. 9.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,230 or £3,060 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,730 or £3,560 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 7 dinners with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Molina Lario, Málaga (hotelmolinalario.com): functional 4-star in the centre. AC Palacio de Santa Paula, Granada (marriott.com): comfortable, contemporary hotel in the centre, comparable to a 4-star. NH Amistad, Córdoba (nh-hotels.com): 4-star in an 18th-century mansion, a short walk from the mosque. Hotel Las Casas de la Judería, Seville (casasypalacios.com): charming 4-star hotel in the Barrio Sta Cruz created from several contiguous buildings connected by open-air patios.

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How strenuous? This is a lengthy tour with four hotels, a lot of walking and a fair amount of coach travel. You need to be fit. Walking is often on uneven streets and uphill. Average distance by coach per day: 33 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with Castile & León, 13–22 October 2017 (page 163); Art in the Netherlands, 15–21 October 2017 (page 150).

What else is included in the price? See page 7. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Seville, grand altar of the cathedal, wood engraving c. 1880 after a painting by David Roberts RA.

a chilled aperitif and a Moorish lunch. Continue to Seville for an evening tapas walk through the flower-fi lled Barrio de Santa Cruz. First of four nights in Seville. Day 5: Seville. Begin at the Alcázar, one of Spain’s greatest buildings, built by Moorish architects for Spanish kings, with its courtyards, gardens and magnificent tapestries. The 15th-century cathedral is one of the largest Gothic churches anywhere, with a Late Gothic retable and paintings by Murillo, Zurbarán and Goya. In the afternoon visit the Fine Arts Museum, the finest collection in Spain after the Prado. Dinner is at a renowned Sevillian restaurant. Day 6: Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz. Drive south to Jerez, at the heart of sherry production. Special arrangements include a tasting at the Lustau bodega and Bodegas Tradición with its own art collection. Continue to the historic port of Cádiz;

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,020 or £2,800 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,320 or £3,100 without flights.

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the sierras beyond. The mosque in Córdoba, at the very heart of the Caliphate, makes a complete nonsense of the received wisdom about the socalled Dark Ages. Seville’s barrio of Santa Cruz still offers up phantom vistas of an extraordinary cosmopolitan past. Andalucía, it must be remembered, has a large variety of climates. In the mountains above Seville the hams of the wild Iberian pig dry perfectly into a product that is second to none. Sea breezes around Sanlucar signal the flavour of salt on the tongue. South to Baeza, off the tourist track, we enter the land of olives, and a tasting at the family run Castillo de Canena, where Spain’s former Business Woman of the Year, Rosa Vañó, inducts us into the arcane wonders of olive oil tasting. Córdoba, of course, needs no advertising but a fourteenth-century convent restaurant on the edge of the gypsy quarter is just one way of retiring from the Caliphate’s wealthy past and the powerful midday sun. Perfectly fried aubergines are a foil for the oxtail, fi llets of fish with herbs and oil are trapped in a flash, in a fi lm of the lightest batter and laid out on a bed of the speciality, fried lettuce. Oaky Montilla wine is taken standing. Seville, Jerez, Cádiz are worlds of their own. Sherry houses are famous for producing unique tastes. Less known are the almacenistas, passionate amateurs, whose houses, basements, shops and even living rooms are turned over to storing and nursing their barrels. Cádiz’s legendary restaurant El Faro takes fish frying to a new level with wafer thin pancakes of miniature shrimp and is the best place in Spain to eat line caught bass baked in a salt crust. The tour ends in Seville with Michelinstarred Julio Fernández Quinteiro’s take on Andalusian cuisine at Restaurante Abantal.

Included meals: 5 lunches and 5 dinners (includes 1 light dinner and a tapas walk), with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Infante Don Juan Manuel, Belmonte (hotelspadonjuanmanuel.es): new 4-star hotel built on the ancient fortress of Belmonte. Parador de Úbeda (parador.es): 4-star parador in a Renaissance palace on the most handsome square in town; comfortable rooms, traditionally furnished. Hotel Las Casas de la Judería, Seville (casasypalacios.com): charming 4-star hotel in the Barrio Sta Cruz created from several contiguous buildings connected by openair patios.

Itinerary Day 1: London to La Mancha. Fly at c. 9.15am (Iberia Airlines) from London Heathrow to Madrid. Drive south into La Mancha to the small walled town of Belmonte. In the surrounding countryside visit the vineyards of Pesquera, of Ribera de Duero fame, for a tasting and dinner. Overnight in Belmonte.

Day 3: Úbeda. The towns of Úbeda thrived in the 16th century and is richly endowed with Renaissance monuments. Lunch is at the town’s most innovative restaurant, Antique. The Arab Castle of Canena is deep in olive-grove country of the Guadalquivir valley and home to the Vañó family, famed producers; tasting and visit here. Day 4: Córdoba, Seville. Drive west to Córdoba and focus on La Mezquita, one of the largest and most beautiful mosques in the world, and within it the 16th-century cathedral. Walk through the old Jewish quarter, with 14th-century synagogue, to

laid-back and unspoilt, and with a renowned fish restaurant. There is time after lunch to visit the city museum with its significant archaeological collection. Day 7: Sierra de Aracena, Jabugo. Drive north to the Sierra de Aracena, the low mountains which form the border with Extremadura. Here we taste the exquisite jamón ibérico. There is an optional walk in the foothills along farm tracks lined with oak, chestnut and olive trees and livestock. Alternatively remain in the town of Aracena. The evening is spent at Restaurante Abantal, whose chef was the first in Seville to win a Michelin star. Day 8: Seville. Free day in Seville perhaps to visit the 15th-cent. Casa de Pilatos, a mix of Mudéjar, Gothic and Renaissance styles or the church and hospital of the Caridad, Seville’s most striking 17th-century building, with paintings by Murillo and Valdés Leal. Drive to Seville airport for the flight to London Gatwick (British Airways) arriving at c. 10.30pm. Please note this tour departs from London Heathrow and returns to London Gatwick.

How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking over uneven ground and up and down hill (as well as an optional countryside walk) and some days involve a lot of driving. Average distance by coach per day: 101 miles. Dinners tend to be at 8.30 or 9.00pm in Spain, so you might get to bed later than you would usually. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: A Festival of Music in Florence, 13–18 March 2017 (page 135).

‘Gijs van Hensbergen is quite brilliant. He’s erudite, witty, friendly and throughtful.’

What else is included in the price? See page 7. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Day 2: La Mancha to Andalucía. In Belmonte visit the Gothic church of San Bartolomé and the superbly sited 15th-century castle before leaving for lunch in nearby Las Pedroñeras. Here chef Manuel de la Osa marries bohemian bonhomie with a passion for garlic. Drive through the magnificent pass of Desfi ladero de Despeñaperros and enter Andalucía. The handsome town of Úbeda has streets and squares lined with palaces, one of which is our hotel. First of two nights in Úbeda.

Cadiz, steel engraving c. 1850.

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The Lucerne Festival Walking & music in Switzerland switzerland

Professor Emeritus Stephen Walsh. Music writer and broadcaster. He is the author of a major biography of Stravinsky, and, most recently Musorgsky & his Circle. Former deputy music critic for The Observer, he remains a contributor to other broadsheet newspapers. He is Professor Emeritus at Cardiff University’s School of Music. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. Day 5. All-day excursion to Mount Rigi, traversing lake Lucerne by boat and taking the funicular to the start of the walk. Lunch on the mountainside with a majestic 360° panorama of the Swiss plateau before returning to Lucerne. Evening concert with Filarmonica della Scala, Riccardo Chailly (conductor), Leonidas Kavakos (violin): Brahms, Violin Concerto in D, Op.77; Respighi, ‘Fontane di Roma’, ‘Pini di Roma’.

20–25 August 2017 (md 499) 6 days • £3,240 (including ticket to 5 performances) Lecturer: Professor Stephen Walsh A summer music festival of the first rank in the loveliest of Swiss cities. Performers in 2017 include Maurizio Pollini (piano), the Monteverdi Choir with Sir John Eliot Gardiner (conductor) and Filarmonica della Scala with Riccardo Chailly (conductor). This tour includes two walks in the surrounding hills accompanied by a local walking guide: 2–3 hours long, led by an experienced walking guide. Led by musicologist Professor Stephen Walsh, who gives daily talks on the concerts.

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Ever since its inauguration over seventy years ago, with a concert conducted by Arturo Toscanini in the grounds of the lakeside house where Wagner had stayed, the Lucerne Festival has been regarded as one of the most prestigious music festivals in Europe. The event has been further enhanced by a brilliant venue. The KKL (Kultur- und Kongresszentrum) is a giant glass-and-steel arts complex located right on the lake just a few hundred yards from the old town of Lucerne. Designed by Frenchman Jean Nouvel and completed in 2000, this is modern European architecture at its finest. Its colossal cantilevered roof projects over the water’s edge, bringing the changing moods of the lake right into the building, and water channels separate the various wings. The most advanced acoustical science has been lavished on the beautiful Konzertsaal. And could there be a lovelier city in which to attend a summer music festival? Lucerne occupies one of the most picturesque settings in Switzerland, divided into two parts by its river, bordering on the dramatic shores of the Vierwaldstätter Lake and overlooked by craggy mountains. Its mediaeval prosperity is still visible book online at www.martinrandall.com

in the squares, guildhalls and churches that line its riverbanks. The nineteenth century was a heyday for Lucerne as it led the way in attracting tourism to Switzerland.

Day 6. Drive to Zurich Airport for the return flight to London Heathrow, arriving c. 2.00pm.

Itinerary

Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,240 or £3,080 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,520 or £3,360 without flights.

Day 1. Fly at c. 12.15pm from London Heathrow to Zurich (British Airways). Drive to Lucerne, a lively, historic city amid lake and mountain. Day 2. A morning walking tour of Lucerne, starting at the oldest road bridge in Europe, the richly decorated Chapel Bridge, and continuing to the Spreuerbrücke, another historic covered bridge notable for its ‘Dance of Death’ roof panels. Visit the Rococo interior of the huge Jesuit Church and the 13th-century Franciscan Church. Free afternoon. Evening concert at the KKL with Maurizio Pollini (piano): programme to be confirmed. Day 3. A morning visit to the Sammlung Rosengart, an extraordinary collection devoted to 20th-century art including many works by Picasso. Late-morning concert at the Lukaskirche with SpiegelTrio: Tchaikovsky, piano trio in A minor, Op. 50; Shostakovich, piano trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67. Free afternoon. Evening opera (concert perfomance) at the KKL: L’Orfeo (Monteverdi) with the English Baroque Soloists, Monteverdi Choir, Sir John Eliot Gardiner (conductor) and soloists. Day 4. A walk near the Sarner lake in the morning and into the afternoon with a stop for lunch along the way. Return to Lucerne by train mid-afternoon. The rest of the afternoon free in Lucerne; the Bourbaki Panorama, a giant circular mural depicting events of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, is recommended. Evening concert at the KKL with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, François-Xavier Roth (conductor), Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violin): Haydn, Symphony in E flat, Hob.I:22 ‘The Philosopher’; Bartók, Violin Concerto No.2; ‘Dance Suite’; Haydn, Symphony in D, Hob.I:96 ‘The Miracle’.

Practicalities

Music tickets (first category) for 5 concerts are included, costing c. £700. Tickets are confirmed in December 2016. Included meals: 2 lunches, 3 dinners with wine. Accommodation: Romantik Hotel Wilden Mann (www.wilden-mann.ch): 4-star hotel dating back to the 13th century located in the heart of the historic town centre. All double rooms in the hotel have two single mattresses on one bed frame, as is the usual style in Switzerland. How strenuous? This is a walking tour: it is essential for participants to be in good physical condition and to be used to country walking which includes going up and down hills. Participants should have appropriate walking footwear. The concert hall is located half a mile from the hotel. The drive from Zurich Airport to Lucerne takes approximately 1 hour. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

‘The music was wonderful. Every concert was a memorable and thrilling experience.’ Illustration: Lucerne, Spreuerbrücke, after a drawing by Frank Brangwyn, publ. 1915.

Le Corbusier – through France & Switzerland, 14–22 October 2017. See page 82.

gstaad Menuhin Festival Music & walking in the Swiss Alps

Performers in 2017 include Camerata Salzburg, Basel Chamber Orchestra led by Paul McCreesh,Vilde Frang (violin), Dejan Lazic (piano), Nicolas Altstaedt and Sol Gabetta (cello). Six walks in an area of outstanding natural beauty: 2–4 hours long, led by an experienced guide. Led by Michael Downes, Director of Music at the University of St Andrews. Five-star spa hotel with excellent facilities. Gstaad is one of the world’s premier music festivals, running for seven weeks each summer and featuring artists of the highest international calibre. It was founded by the violinist Yehudi Menuhin after he settled there with his family in 1957. Following a childhood in New York City, the district of Saanenland in the Bernese Oberland seemed paradise, as it does to many of its residents and visitors. The Saanenland includes Gstaad and six other villages. Local mythology has it that the area came into existence after God had finished creation and rested his seven-fingered hand on the earth, thus creating the seven valleys in which the villages are set. Although billed as the Gstaad Festival, most of the concerts take place in the stunning baroque churches of the resort’s picturesque satellite villages. The festival also has its own resident orchestra, The Gstaad Festival Orchestra, its members drawn from the best orchestras in Switzerland and brought together for specific concerts and projects during festival time. Meetings with some of the performers will be arranged. The walking possibilities in the Saanenland are endless, providing the opportunity to explore this stunning country. Many of the ski lifts are open in the summer to provide access to the mountain tops, enabling the walker to explore the summits and enjoy the views normally only available to skiers. The tour is based in Schönried, a village with views across the valley, perfectly located for the walks and concerts.

Day 1: Schönried. Fly at c. 11.45am (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Geneva and drive 3 hours (including a refreshment break en route) to the hotel in Schönried. Day 2: Schönried, Gstaad, Saanen. Leave the hotel on foot for a 1½-hour meadow walk to Gstaad and then on to Saanen (a further hour), before returning to the hotel by coach. Early evening concert at the St Mauritius-Kirche, Saanen: Basel Chamber Orchestr Tölz Boys’ Choir, Paul McCreesh (conductor), Joelle Harvey (soprano), Tim Mead (countertenor), Neal Davies (bass): Handel, Messiah, HWV 56. Day 3. Schönried, Sparenmoos. Walk to the gondola station in Schönried (1,220m above sea level) and ascend to the Rellerli summit (1,831m)

Day 4: Schönried, Rinderberg, Hornberg. Take the panoramic rail link from Schönried to Zweisimmen and then the gondola up to Rinderberg (2,004m above sea level) for a 2½-hour walk to Hornberg (1,814m). Lunch in Hornberg before returning to Schönried via the chairlift from Horneggli. Evening concert at the St NicolasKirche, Rougemont: Dejan Lazic (piano), Andreas Ottensamer (clarinet), Nicolas Altstaedt (cello): Beethoven, Trio in E flat, Op.38; Brahms, Clarinet Trio, Op.114.

How strenuous? This is a walking tour. These walks are only suitable for those who are used to mountain walking. Although they don’t present any technical diﬃculties, they are remote and diﬃcult to access other than by gondola or chairlift, and sometimes rise to up to 2,000m above sea level. Participants should have appropriate walking footwear. Average distance by coach per day: 40 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Danish Art & Design, 6–14 July 2017 (page 67); The Rhône: Bacchus & Orpheus, 6–13 July 2017 (page 88).

Day 5: Schönried, Gsteig, Gstaad. Visit the beautifully adorned church in Gsteig before a 2½-hour walk following the river down to Gstaad. There is some free time in Gstaad before returning to the hotel. Evening recital at the Kirche Lauenen: Dejan Lazic (piano): a programme of works by Liszt. Day 6. Schönried, Chrine, Lauenensee. Drive to Gstaad to take the gondola to ascend the Wispile (1,911m) for a 3½-hour ridge walk along to Chrine (1,659m) and then down (steep in sections) to the Lauenensee (1,381m). A local bus service takes us down to Lauenen before continuing by coach back to the hotel. Evening concert in Saanen: Vilde Frang (violin), Nicolas Angelich (piano), Sol Gabetta (cello): Brahms, Piano Trio No.2 in C, Op.87; Brahms, Piano Trio No.1 in B, Op.8. Day 7. Schönried, Saanenmöser. Leave the hotel on foot for a 2-hour circular walk using cross country ski trails beside the forest up to Saanenmöser and returning along the river to the hotel. Evening concert in Saanen: Camerata Salzburg, Vilde Frang (violin): Haydn, Symphony No.48, ‘Maria Theresia’; Mozart, Violin Concerto No.5, K.219; ‘Paris’ Symphony in D K.297/300a; Haydn, Symphony No.63 in C Hob I: 63, ‘La Roxelane’. Day 8. Homeward journey. Fly from Geneva arriving at London Heathrow c. 4.00pm. Although we have chosen the walks on this itinerary with due care and consideration, the Saanenland is subject to adverse weather conditions due to the high altitude which may mean that walks have to be changed or modified at short notice. We follow the advice of local walking guides.

MAINLAND EUROPE

Itinerary

for a 4-hour ridge walk to Sparenmoos (1,632m). Return to the hotel for some free time. Evening concert at the Kirche Zweisimmen: Menuhin School Orchestra, Avi Avital (mandolin): Bach, Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041; Vivaldi, Lute Concerto in D, RV 73; Bartók, ‘Six Romanian Folk Dances’.

SWitzErLANd

15–22 July 2017 (md 399) 8 days • £3,780 (including tickets to 6 performances) Lecturer: Dr Michael Downes

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,780 or £3,630 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,920 or £3,770 without flights. Music tickets (top category) for 6 performances are included costing c. £570. Included meals: 3 lunches, 5 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Hotel Ermitage, Schönried (ermitage.ch/en): modern 5-star hotel set in traditional chalet-style buildings in the village of Schönried, 5km from Gstaad.

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Imperial Istanbul Byzantine & Ottoman metropolis TurkeY

outstanding collection of ancient art and artefacts, Hellenistic and Roman sculpture, and sarcophagi. Visit the mosque complex of Sultan Beyazit II, with fine portals, minarets and courtyards. The excellent Islamic Museum in the Ibrahim Pasha Palace has textiles and various artefacts. Optional walk through the Grand Bazaar and free time. Day 4. Sultan Ahmet Camii (Blue Mosque) is the last of Istanbul’s imperial mosques. Contrast the large and imposing Süleymaniye complex (the tombs are currently undergoing restoration), masterpiece of the great architect Sinan, with his beautiful small Rüstem Pasha Camii. Brief walk through the Spice Bazaar. Finish with another small Sinan mosque, the Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Camii. Day 5. Topkapı Palace was the Sultan’s residence and the political centre of the Ottoman Empire. Now used to display the Imperial Treasury, it contains the finest surviving collection of Islamic precious objects and an outstanding collection of Chinese porcelain. Afterwards visit Haghia Eirene, the Church of the Divine Peace, before a free afternoon to explore Istanbul independently. Day 6. Travel by private boat along the Bosphorus, the historic and beautiful strait which divides Europe from Asia, for superb views of Istanbul and the villas and castles of its suburbs. See Beylerbeyi Palace, an imperial summer residence during the late Ottoman Empire. The Sadberk Hanim Museum is a mansion with fine collections spanning the whole period of Anatolian civilizations.

Istanbul, Haghia Sophia, early 18th-century engraving.

18–24 September 2017 (me 529) 7 days • £2,690 Lecturer: Jane Taylor An extraordinarily diverse city: Roman remains; outstanding Byzantine buildings; glorious mosaics and frescoes; Ottoman mosques and palaces. Stay in the heart of the Sultanahmet area.

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The radical transformations this city underwent are vividly expressed by its changes of name: Byzantium, Constantinople and Istanbul. The capital successively of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, it is one of the most beautiful and fascinating cities in the world. Initially a modest Greek city, it was chosen by Constantine as the site of the new capital of the Roman Empire and inaugurated in ad 330. The Byzantine Empire continued in direct succession to the Roman, and its capital became one of the largest cities in mediaeval Europe, the guardian of classical culture and a bastion of Orthodox Christianity. The city walls were the most powerful in the western world, and while the Byzantine empire gradually shrank before the onslaughts of Persians, Arabs and Latin Crusaders, it was not finally extinguished until 1453 when Ottoman Turks captured the city. In the century and a half after the Ottoman conquest the city steadily acquired some of the finest Islamic architecture in the world, aided by the example of Haghia Sophia, the architect Sinan and the brilliant tile factories at Iznik. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Minarets and mosques now dominate the skyline, but churches, temples, palaces and other pre-Ottoman buildings, whole or fragmentary, and the arts that decorated them, are to be found in abundance. Istanbul has evolved into a melting-pot of cultures, with a lively streetlife and colourful bazaars. The city’s international outlook is epitomised by its division between Europe and Asia, now linked by modern bridges crossing the mighty Bosphorus, and a new underwater railway tunnel.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 11.30am (Turkish Airlines) from London Heathrow to Istanbul. Arrive early evening and drive to the historic quarter of Sultanahmet for the first of six nights. Day 2. A short stroll around the Hippodrome, originally constructed c. ad 200 by Septimius Severus, it was completely rebuilt on a larger scale by Constantine and inaugurated in ad 330. The day is then spent concentrating on the Byzantine monuments. Begin with Haghia Sophia, the 6thcentury church which is the chief monument of Christian Constantinople. Part of the ornamental pavement of the Byzantine Great Palace is displayed in the small Mosaic Museum. The Kariye Museum (church of St Saviour in Chora) possesses the finest assemblage of Byzantine mosaics and frescoes to survive anywhere. Day 3. Yerebatan Saray is a remarkable colonnaded cistern. The Archaeological Museum has an

Day 7. Drive beside the Golden Horn and along the massive Byzantine land walls to the Yediküle Fortress. Fly from Istanbul, arriving at London Heathrow at c. 3.15pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,690 or £2,470 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,070 or £2,850 without flights. Included meals: 1 lunch and 5 dinners with wine. Visas. Entry visas for Turkey must be secured prior to arrival (this can be done online). Accommodation. Hotel Eresin Crown (eresincrown.com.tr): elegant 5-star hotel, located in the heart of the Sultanahmet close to the Blue Mosque. Rooms are stylishly furnished and well equipped. It has a roof terrace with views of the Sea of Marmara. How strenuous? You will be on your feet a lot, walking and standing around, and Istanbul is quite hilly. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties or difficulties negotiating stairs. Average distance by coach per day: 9 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

‘Fulﬁlled all my expectations – as ever 100% happiness with MRT!’ What else is included in the price? See page 7.

The Arabian Gulf Culture & history in Qatar, Bahrain & the emirates

The culture in its broadest sense of the Gulf states – the history, current issues, architecture, arts of accessible Arabia, a fulcrum of the modern world. Some of the world’s most striking new buildings, alongside well preserved vernacular architecture. Major new museums, amazing collections, and a flourishing contemporary arts scene. Led by a museums specialist in Qatar. The pace of change in the city states of the Arabian Gulf beggars belief. In scarcely more than three generations, within the lifetime of some of those living there, these tiny territories on the rim of Arabia have grown from underdeveloped fishing ports and trading emporia into global conurbations of unimaginable size and wealth. At the last count, Dubai had 17 of the world’s 100 tallest skyscrapers – the same number as the whole of the United States, and this for a population of not much over 2 million. The first oil in the region was struck in 1932, in Bahrain, but initially the impact locally was slight and inadequate as a substitute for the vanishing pearling industry. Amazingly, no oil was exported from any of the Emirates until 1969.

But the story is more complex than black gold; to cite Dubai again, the city derives only 5% of its revenues from oil. With riches has come some of the most exciting urban architecture in the world (and lots of vulgar horrors as well), and huge expenditure on cultural infrastructure, with starry architects to the fore. Currently the outstanding example of this is I.M. Pei’s Museum of Islamic Art in Doha (Qatar), which together with its wonderful collection provides one of the finest museological experiences in the world. The imminent opening of Jean Nouvel’s Louvre Abu Dhabi will provide it with a worthy rival. The rags to riches story provides part of the fascination of this tour, but equally interesting, and a salutary foil to the massiveness of modernity, are the remains of traditional culture. Preservation and restoration of vernacular architecture arrived in the nick of time; obliteration might otherwise have ensued. There is also a rich seam of archaeology to explore, but ‘old’ tends to mean not much more than a hundred years. Perhaps one of the least expected features of the region is the indigenous contemporary art scene. Much of the work is approachable and appealing but not bland, often expressive and sometimes political. Museums, exhibition halls and commercial galleries are a significant feature of the tour.

Part of the excitement of the tour arises from the different characteristics of each state. We visit five, including three of the seven United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

Itinerary

Gulf sTATes

24 November–6 December 2017(me 717) 13 days • £5,410 Lecturer: Dr Karen Exell

Day 1. Fly c. 9.00am from London Heathrow to Dubai (Emirates Airlines), arriving c. 8.00pm local time. First of four nights in Dubai. Day 2: Dubai. Until the mid-20th century Dubai was a small fishing port and entrepôt around an inlet, the Creek. Amid the bustle of Deira, location of the Gold Souk and workaday shops and businesses, there survive buildings c.1890/1920 including a school and a pearl merchant’s house, now museums. Maximum contrast: staked out by countless skyscrapers, the modern business district marches south for many miles. See some excellent recent architecture, The Gate financial centre and the Emirates Towers. Ascend the world’s highest building, Burj Khalifa (828 metres). Overnight Dubai. Day 3: Sharjah. Sharjah begins only ten minutes from the Dubai hotel. With the profusion of tower blocks it is initially indistinguishable from Dubai, but government and public buildings adopt traditional Islamic forms. The vast university campus is a striking and beautiful example of this. Sharjah strives to be pre-eminent among the

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Dubai, International Finance Centre (‘The Gate’). Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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round barrows, the largest necropolis in the world. The first oil well survives as part of a museum in an area of desert crisscrossed with still-functioning pipes and pumps. Overnight Bahrain. Day 10: Bahrain. Before Manama expanded, the main Bahraini town was Muharraq, which thrived on the pearl trade. A number of old houses have been preserved and converted to cultural and educational uses in a rare convergence of conservation and contemporary design. Also seen today are the Riffa Fort at the water’s edge in Muharraq and the Beit al Quran, an excellent and well presented collection of early Koranic manuscripts. Overnight Bahrain. Day 11: Abu Dhabi. Fly to Abu Dhabi, which is blessed with the largest oil reserves of the seven Emirates. Measured by skyscrapers Abu Dhabi has lagged behind Dubai, but its ambitions for cultural development outstrip other Gulf states. By the time of the tour an outpost of the Louvre will have opened on Saadiyat Island, in a building designed by Jean Nouvel. The afternoon is spent here. Overnight Abu Dhabi. Day 12: Abu Dhabi. Return to Saadiyat Island to see the New York University campus, the preview exhibitions of the Guggenheim and of the Sheikh Zayed Museum, developed in partnership with the British Museum. Among other sights are the World Trade Centre; designed by Foster Partners it’s an alluring take on traditional forms, and the Emirates Palace Hotel where glamour is underpinned by real grandeur and finesse. Overnight Abu Dhabi.

Emirates for arts and culture. The Art Museum has an excellent collection of recent Arab art, and the Museum of Islamic Civilization presents Arab achievements through historic artworks. By special arrangement, visit the College of Fine Arts. Overnight Dubai.

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Day 4: Al Ain. 130km inland and a contrast to the coastal cities, Al Ain arose around a string of oases. The one-time governor and later founder of the OAE, Sheikh Zayed, exploited its natural resources and ancient irrigation system to plant innumerable trees and gardens. It acquired unesco World Heritage status in 2011 for its historical and cultural heritage. Visit a couple of picturesque mud-brick forts, the National Museum and the archaeological remains of tombs of the 3rd century bc. Overnight Dubai. Day 5: Dubai. The biggest cluster of preserved premodern houses is at Shindagha near the mouth of the Creek. Among them are museums devoted to traditional architecture and to photographs which graphically illustrate the recent changes. Another group of old buildings is in the Bastakiya district, some of which are now art galleries. In the late afternoon fly to Qatar (the new airport is by HOK Architects). The hotel is within the Wafiq Souk, a vibrant traffic-free district of retail and restaurants. Overnight Doha. Day 6: Doha. Msheireb is a district which has been handsomely redeveloped while retaining some old courtyard houses which are now enlightened museums examining local history. Then visit the Museum of Islamic Art, the finest of its kind in the book online at www.martinrandall.com

world. In a beautiful lakeside building by I.M. Pei a spectacular collection brilliantly displayed. Plenty of time here, and some free time after returning to the hotel. Overnight Doha. Day 7: Al Zubarah, Doha. Drive through the desert to Al Zubarah, the remains of a 17th-century fishing and pearl trading town, now a unesco World Heritage Site. The fort is impressive – but dates only to 1938. Return to Doha, see contemporary buildings at the university, and visit the Arab Museum of Modern Art. Invariably there are several good exhibitions here. The Sheikh Faisal Museum has a vast, various and wonderfully old-fashioned private collection of art and antiques and all sorts (e.g. 200 vintage cars). Overnight Doha. Day 8: Bahrain. Fly from Qatar to the Kingdom of Bahrain. An island, the first oil in the Gulf was pumped here in 1932. Manama is less intensively high-rise than the cities of the Emirates, and an exploration begins at the Bab Al Bahrain, the recently restored 1930s centre. Two beautiful recent buildings stand beside water, the National Theatre and the National Museum. The museum has an excellent archaeological section and changing art exhibitions. Overnight Bahrain. Day 9: Bahrain. A day largely outside the city. Qal’at al-Bahrain, a unesco heritage site, has impressive remains of a waterfront settlement which thrived from the 3rd millennium bc to the 18th century ad – Dilmun, Roman, Islamic and Portuguese. Dilmun sites elsewhere include a partially excavated town, a temple and 85,000

Day 13: Abu Dhabi. Visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, perhaps the most opulent mosque in the world. Fly from Dubai and arrive Heathrow at 8.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £5,410 or £4,820 without international flights. Single occupancy: £5,980 or £5,390 without international flights. Included meals: 9 dinners, 5 lunches with wine. Accommodation. Sheraton Creek Hotel Dubai (sheratondubaicreek.com): originally built in the 1970s, the first five-star hotel in Dubai, it was thoroughly refurbished in 2013–15. Beside the Creek and with good views from most of the rooms. Mirqab Hotel, Doha: one of a group of boutique hotels in the vibrant Souq Wafiq, a traditional shop and restaurant area though largely reconstructed and traffic-free. Comfortable and characterful. Bahrain: to be confirmed. The RitzCarlton, Abu Dhabi (ritzcarlton.com): an opulent and expansive 5-star hotel close to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque. All hotels have swimming pools. How strenuous? As on most of our tours, there is quite a lot of walking involved and the tour would not be suitable for anyone who has difficulties with everyday walking and stair climbing. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Illustration: Bahrain (unknown location, though not disimilar from the architecture seen on the tour), early-20th-century etching.

Persia Ancient & Islamic Iran

13–27 April 2017 (md 210) This tour is currently full 7–18 September 2017 (me 528) 12 days/11 nights • £4,240 Lecturer: Professor James Allan 14–25 September 2017 (me 545) 12 days/11 nights • £4,240 Lecturer: Professor Dominic Brookshaw A selection of the most interesting cities, major buildings and archaeological sites in this vast, varied and incredibly welcoming country. Two full days to explore Isfahan; two full days in Tehran; ample time in Shiraz and Yazd. Suitable either for first-time visitors or for those with some familiarity already. The successive civilizations of Persia were among the most potent and creative in Asia, and have provided the West with some of our most evocative

images – of distant caravanserais and immense vaulted bazaars, of poets and rose gardens, of turquoise domes and priceless carpets. The very names of the cities breathe magic: Shiraz, Persepolis, Isfahan. But the images are no mere symbols of a distant past. Historic Persian ways of life and the monuments which sheltered and articulated them are alive in Iran today. The fabulous mosques of Isfahan, the bustle of great bazaars, immense armies of nomads on the move or the magic of classical gardens bring Persia’s civilizations vividly to life. But it was virtually hidden from foreigners for some years after the 1979 revolution. Iran underwent cataclysmic upheavals: a national uprising against one of the strongest rulers in the world, a revolution with repercussions that still reverberate to this day, and one of the most destructive wars of the twentieth century. From these trials and tragedies the Iranians have emerged changed, but they are eager to show their country to the traveller once more. Visitors to Iran can see some of the greatest sights in all Asia, such as Shah Abbas’s astonishing royal city of Isfahan, one of the great monumental cities of the world, or the silent ruins of Pasargadae and Persepolis, still much as Alexander’s

destructive fury left them thousands of years ago. But equally arresting are the lesser-known aspects of Iran’s immensely rich heritage revealed by exploration of old desert cities such as Yazd and Na’in, and by the great museums of Tehran.

iran

16–27 February 2017 (md 145) 12 days/11 nights • £4,240 Lecturer: Carolyn Perry

Itinerary Note that this itinerary applies only to the February and September 2017 departures. The longer April departure is currently full – the itinerary for this can be found by visiting www.martinrandall.com. Day 1. Fly c. 11.30am from London Heathrow via Istanbul to Shiraz with Turkish Airlines (a routing chosen to avoid domestic flights). Day 2: Shiraz. Arrive Shiraz Airport c. 1.30am and drive to hotel (c. 20 mins) for the first of five nights here. Visits begin at 11.30am today and include the 17th-cent. secluded courtyard of the Madrassa Khan, still a theological college; the 18th-cent. Citadel, a quadrangular fort with cylindrical towers; and the 19th-cent. Pink Mosque, the sobriquet arising from the profuse revetment of Qajar tiles. The Shrine of Shah Cheragh, rebuilt and added to since the 9th century, remains a major Shia pilgrimage destination. Overnight Shiraz.

Isfahan, pavilion of the Royal Palace, early-18th-century copper engraving.

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Day 10: Tehran. The Qajar period surges to a crescendo of enrichment at the Golestan Palace, which also houses fine carpets and other objets d’art. The archaeological section of the National Museum of Iran is of international importance and includes items from places visited on the tour. Displayed in vaults of the National Bank, the State Jewels Museum is an accumulation of gems and goldsmithery without rival. Return to the hotel mid-afternoon, or extend the day with another visit. Overnight Tehran. Day 11: Tehran. The Carpet Museum displays major examples of historic Persian carpet art. Return to the National Museum, which also has one of the world’s greatest collections of Islamic arts, from the earliest period to the end of Qajar, all Persian. In the hills to the north, the Reza Abbasi Museum shows precious Persian miniature paintings. Final night in Tehran. Day 12. Free morning before flying to London Heathrow via Istanbul, arriving at c. 10.30pm.

Practicalities Persepolis, Sphinx in the second portal, wood engraving c. 1880.

Day 3: Persepolis. One of the most spectacular sites of the ancient world, construction of the ceremonial city Persepolis began under Darius I in 516 bc and continued under Xerxes and successive Achaemenid kings until destroyed by Alexander the Great in 300-bc. Much superstructure and many standing columns survive. The sculpture is particularly impressive, especially the low reliefs depicting the 26 nationalities of the empire. Return to Shiraz mid-afternoon and visit the gardens around the tomb of Hafez, the Persian poet. Overnight Shiraz.

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Day 4: Naqsh-i-Rustam, Pasargadae. The tombs of four Achaemenid kings were cut high up in the cliff at Naqsh-i-Rustam. Reliefs of Sassanian kings and their captive Roman emperors were added below 500 years later. On a remote plateau ringed by hills, Pasargadae was built by Cyrus the Great (d. 529 bc), the first of the Achaemenid emperors. His ziggurat-like tomb and remains of palaces survive. There follows a five-hour drive (with a refreshment break) through dramatic desert and mountain landscape before dropping down to the ancient caravan city of Yazd (total km today: 470). First of two nights here. Day 5: Yazd. Yazd has one of the largest surviving Zoroastrian communities in Iran; two funerary ‘Towers of Silence’ rise on hillocks on the edge of the city, and there is a fire temple in the centre. Of the Islamic architecture, the 11th-cent. Cenotaph of the Twelve Imams is impressive (entry not guaranteed), while the Friday Mosque is spectacularly clad in 14th-cent. tile mosaics. See also an area of traditional vernacular architecture and the beautiful Dolat Abad Garden and pavilion. Overnight Yazd. Day 6: Meybod, Mohammediye, Na’in. Another long drive (210km) through mountain-fringed desert, with three stops. In Meybod, visit the mudbrick citadel of Sassanian (5th century ad) origin, a caravanserai and a remarkable ice house. See book online at www.martinrandall.com

traditional kilim-weaving at Mohammediye. In Na’in, the splendid early mosque, with imposing arcades and stucco reliefs, dates to the 10th and 11th centuries. Visit also the fascinating 16thcent. governor’s house with its precious sgraffito decoration. First of three nights in Isfahan. Day 7: Isfahan. Shah Abass I, the greatest of the Safavid kings, chose Isfahan as capital in 1598. He began the transformation of the city into one of the loveliest in the world. We begin with a pre-existing building, the vast Friday Mosque whose many parts incorporate most periods and styles. To the Zayandeh River, straddled by two beautiful 17thcent. bridges, and cross to the Armenian Quarter. The cathedral interior is covered in high quality paintings of the 1660s, stylistically a fascinating western-Persian hybrid. The day finishes with a private concert of traditional Iranian music. Overnight Isfahan. Day 8: Isfahan. The immense Meydan, Imam (formerly Royal) Square, is 500m long and formed of a two-storey arcade and the façades of three architectural masterpieces: the Ali Qapu Pavilion, a palace with loggia and well-preserved interiors; the Imam Mosque, magnificent in scale and detail; and the private Shaikh Lutfollah Mosque with a near perfect dome and unsurpassed tile work. Set in a garden a few minutes away the exquisite Chehel Sotun pleasure pavilion has very fine 17thcent. figurative wall paintings. Overnight Isfahan. Day 9: Natanz, Kashan. An early start for the last of the long drives (483km to Tehran). At Natanz, the cobalt blue and turquoise façade of the Friday Mosque is one of the most exquisite sights in Iran. Kashan has a number of large and richly embellished 19th-cent. courtyard mansions; we visit two, Tabatabiyeh House and Borujerdiyeh House. The Fin Garden is perhaps the most beautiful of classical Persian examples. First of three nights in Tehran.

Price, per person. Two sharing: £4,240 or £3,700 without flights. Single occupancy: £4,810 or £4,270 without flights. Our April 2017 departure (which is currently full) has a different price – please contact us for this or visit www.martinrandall.com. Included meals: 9 lunches and 10 dinners (including 1 picnic) with soft drinks (no alcohol is served in Iran), plus meals on flights. Visas. These are required for most nationalities and we will advise on obtaining these. At the time of print, the cost of an individual tourist visa through an agency is c. £400 for British citizens. This is not included in the tour price. Accommodation. We seek to reserve rooms in the best available hotels, but it is the Iranian custom not to confirm rooms more than a few months – or weeks – in advance, and recent increase in demand has made the situation more unpredictable. How strenuous? This is quite a strenuous tour. Driving distances on two days exceed 400km, though the daily average is 100km, inter-city roads are good and coaches are comfortable and air-conditioned. While most days start at 9.00am, three start at 8.30am and one at 7.45am, but this is compensated for by five days on which the start is 9.30am or later, and some days finish at 3.00 or 4.00pm. There is quite a lot of walking, some of it over rough or badly paved ground, and surefootedness is essential. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

‘I was rather anxious about going to Iran and wanted to go with a reputable company. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so well looked after on a holiday!’ What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Israel & Palestine Archaeology, architecture & art in the holy land

Some of the most significant and evocative archaeological sites in the western hemisphere. Ancient and mediaeval and modern architecture, from Herod to Bauhaus – Judean, Roman, Christian and Islamic. Dr Garth Gilmour is a Biblical archaeologist who has lived and worked in Israel. Enthralling vernacular building in ancient walled towns; varied landscapes, from rocky deserts to verdant valleys. Several days in Jerusalem – surely the most extraordinary city on earth? Ancient Canaan, the bridge between Egypt, Phoenicia, Syria and Mesopotamia; land of the Patriarchs, home to the Philistines, the Jebusites and the tribes of Israel. A land where the kingdom of David triumphantly rose around 1000 bc and where the splendour of Solomon’s Temple was created. Jews, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans and Turks all made their mark; the history of the land is characterised by conquest and exile.

Herod the Great (37–4 bc) was one of the greatest builders of the ancient world. Christianity brought a new wave of construction after Emperor Constantine and his mother, St Helena, in the fourth century ad consecrated the sites associated with Jesus. The final monotheistic religion to arrive was Islam when in 637 ad Caliph Omar conquered Jerusalem. Another religion, and yet another monumental building, this time the Dome of the Rock. The Crusaders instigated another burst of building activity, planting European Romanesque and Gothic churches and castles tempered by local techniques. Mamluks and Ottomans trampled and rebuilt, and after the First World War, with Jewish immigration accelerating, the British were left to hold the rope until the establishment of Israel in 1948. Jerusalem is the most extraordinary city in the world. Within the walls – and the complete circuit survives, the current edition being sixteenth-century – it is a vibrant, authentic Middle Eastern city, but one with sharply distinct communities and largely composed of ancient and mediaeval masonry. Nowhere else is the historical interpretation of archaeological remains so crucial to current political debate. Israel and Palestine are extraordinary places where Biblical names on road signs demonstrate

the closeness of the distant past and where history, politics and religion are impossible to separate. The tour is led by an archaeologist who uses the remains to illuminate peoples and civilizations of the past. It is not a pilgrimage tour in that buildings and sites are selected for intrinsic aesthetic or historical merit rather than religious association. The tour ranges across two countries, and in none: strictly speaking, the old walled centre of Jerusalem is neither Israel nor Palestine.

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28 March–6 April 2017 (md 197) 10 days • £4,480 Lecturer: Dr Garth Gilmour

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 8.10am (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Tel Aviv, and then drive to Jerusalem, reaching the hotel c. 5.30pm. Three nights are spent here. Day 2: Jerusalem. The buildings in the Old City and around (the walled kernel has shifted over the millennia) comprise an incomparable mix of ages and cultures from the time of King David to the present day, while continuing to be a thriving, living city. The massive stones and underground tunnels of Herod’s Temple Mount are highly impressive survivals from the ancient world. In the afternoon a walk along a section of the ramparts leads to further Roman-era structures in the Ecce Homo Convent and the

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Jerusalem, the Dome of the Rock, wood engraving c. 1880. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Dr Garth Gilmour. Biblical archaeologist based at Oxford university. Interests include eastern Mediterranean trade in the late Bronze Age and the archaeology of religion in ancient Israel. he has excavated at the Philistine sites of ekron and Ashkelon and is currently researching the Palestine exploration fund’s 1920s excavation in jerusalem. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £4,480 or £3,900 without flights. Single occupancy: £5,240 or £4,660 without flights. Included meals: 7 lunches, 7 dinners, with wine. Visas. These are obtained on arrival at no extra charge for most nationalities. Jaffa, watercolour by Donald Maxwell, publ. 1920.

Bethesda Pools, and to the Crusader church of St Anne. View the seeming panorama of belfries, domes, minarets and city wall from the Mount of Olives. Overnight Jerusalem. Day 3: Jerusalem, Bethlehem. The intact 7thcentury Dome of the Rock stands majestically in the vast Haram ash-sharif complex, complete with Umayyad and Mamluk buildings and the El-Aqsa Mosque, all on the site of Solomon’s Temple. Drive through the ‘Separation Wall’ into occupied territory on the West Bank. On the edge of the Judaean Desert, the Herodion is a remarkable fortified palace and tomb complex built by King Herod. The 4th/6th-century Church of the Nativity at Bethlehem is one of the greatest buildings of its era, and probably the oldest church in continuous use for Christian worship. Overnight Jerusalem.

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Day 4: Jerusalem. Mainly Constantinian and Crusader, but confusingly complex, compartmentalised and embellished with later ornamentation, a proper study of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre reveals a deeply fascinating building. Among the items seen during the rest of the day are the Roman colonnaded Cardo, the largely 13th-century Armenian Cathedral, and a 17th-century synagogue. Free time is an alternative, possibly with a visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. Drive through Israel to the Dead Sea Valley, the lowest place on earth, to the oasis of Ein Gedi for two nights. Day 5: Masada, Ein Gedi. Rising high above the Judaean desert, Herod’s fortified palace of Masada, last redoubt of the Jewish rebellion against Roman occupation, is one of the most impressive archaeological sites in the Levant. Spend a free afternoon in Ein Gedi to enjoy the botanical gardens or a swim in the Dead Sea. Final night in Ein Gedi.

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Day 6: Qumran, Jericho, Galilee. Re-enter occupied Palestinian Territories. Qumran is the site of the settlement of the Essenes, a Jewish book online at www.martinrandall.com

sect, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. The palm-shaded oasis of Jericho is the world’s most low-lying town and perhaps its oldest continuously inhabited one, the Tell as-Sultan dating back 10,000 years. Nearby, Hisham’s Palace is a remarkably well preserved 8th-century Umayyad palace. Continue north, re-enter Israel and spend the first of two nights in Tiberias. Day 7: Sea of Galilee, Tzefat. Visit first the archaeological site of Tell Hazor, and then ascend the Galilean highlands to the mediaeval synagogues and cobbled streets of the town of Tzefat. See the remains of the fishing village of Capernaum, Jesus’s most permanent residence and site of a 5th-century synagogue. Take a boat on the Sea of Galilee, and overnight Tiberias. Day 8: Akko, Caesarea. Akko (Acre) was the principal city of the Crusaders, though the vaulted halls surviving from that period lie below an enthralling maze of narrow streets, Ottoman khans and modern souqs. Drive beside the Mount Carmel range to Caesarea, founded by Herod the Great and capital of Judaea for over 600 years. Once the largest city of the eastern Mediterranean, remains include the Herodian theatre, Byzantine residential quarters and a Crusader church. First of two nights in Tel Aviv. Day 9: Tel Aviv, Jaffa. Tel Aviv began as an English-style garden city suburb of Jaffa, sprouted a Bauhaus extension (the ‘White City’, a unesco Heritage Site) and grew remorselessly in the later 20th century. Jaffa was a port city from the time of Solomon and remains a charmingly picturesque enclave. Overnight Tel Aviv. Day 10: Jerusalem. Drive back to Jerusalem to visit the excellent Israel Museum. This incorporates, among other collections, the Shrine of the Book which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls and the outstanding archaeological collection. Fly in the afternoon from Tel Aviv, returning to Heathrow at c. 8.15pm.

Accommodation. King David, Jerusalem (danhotels.com): 5-star hotel in West Jerusalem within walking distance of the Old City. Ein Gedi (ein-gedi.co.il): renovated kibbutz near the Dead Sea with comfortable cottages set among beautiful botanic gardens. The Scots Hotel, Tiberias (scotshotels.co.il): long-established 5-star hotel by the lake in Tiberias. Intercontinental David, Tel Aviv (intercontinental.com): 5-star hotel with all expected amenities and well-appointed rooms. How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking involved in the tour, some of it over rough archaeological sites. Sure-footedness is essential. Average distance by coach per day: 36 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

‘Garth Gilmour was such an excellent guide: quick-witted, very knowledgeable, cheerful, patient, well-organized and a good sense of humor. His great love of history and archaeology was contagious and we thoroughly enjoyed the trip.’

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

essential jordan The major nabatean, roman, Christian & Islamic sites

Outstanding monuments of several civilizations – Nabatean, Roman, Early Christian, Umayyad, and Crusader. The lecturers have travelled widely in the Middle East and are authorities on Jordan. Petra is the most spectacular archaeological site in the Middle East; we spend three nights here.

Day 1. Fly at c. 3.20pm (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Amman (time in the air: c.5 hours 30 minutes). Arrive at the hotel at c.11.00pm. First of three nights in Amman. Day 2: Amman, Jerash. The citadel in Amman was the religious and political centre of the ancient city. Here are the remains of the Temple of Hercules, the rebuilt Umayyad palace. Drive north through red earth hills with olive groves and Aleppo pine woods. Jerash, ancient Gerasa, a leading city of the Decapolis and very prosperous in the 2nd and 3rd centuries ad, is one of the best-preserved and most beautiful of ruined Roman cities and we spend

the afternoon there. Among the more spectacular remains are a triumphal arch, an oval piazza, the Cardo with its flanking colonnades, a food market, hippodrome, theatres, magnificent temples of Zeus and Artemis and several early Christian churches. Day 3: Umayyad desert residences. In the desert to the east of Amman are remarkable survivals from the Umayyad Caliphs, the first dynasty of Islam – early 8th-century small pleasure palaces and hunting lodges. The fortress-like desert complex of Qasr Kharana; the fort of Azraq, originally Roman, rebuilt in the 13th century and used by T.E. Lawrence as his HQ for two months in 1917– 18. Break for lunch at the Azraq Lodge, a former British military field hospital, before continuing

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Jordan possesses the most spectacular archaeological site in the Middle East – Petra, ‘rose-red city, half as old as time’, that easternly fascinating, westernly Baroque, altogether extraordinary city of the desert. Hidden in the mountains at the confluence of several caravan routes, many of its finest monuments are hewn from the living rock, brilliantly coloured sandstone striated with pinks, ochres and blue-greys. Its creators, the Nabataeans, drew on a range of Mediterranean and oriental styles to create a novel synthesis – uniquely Nabataean but with architectural evocations of the Hellenistic world, Egypt, Assyria and Imperial Rome. The Nabataeans were an Arab people, first recorded in the fourth century bc, who grew rich by controlling the trade routes across an empire stretching from Saudi Arabia to Syria. With Petra their capital, these nomadic desert traders became administrators and city-dwellers, whose kingdom was eventually incorporated into the Roman Empire. But decline set in, and by the eighth century ad Petra had become virtually uninhabited. In Roman times part of the wealthy provinces of Syria and Arabia, Jordan is also rich in traces of other civilizations. Jerash is one of the best preserved and most beautiful of Roman cities. Remains of Byzantine churches, with very fine floor mosaics, lie scattered through the Jordanian hills and valleys – themselves the settings of many events recorded in the Old Testament. The varied arts of Islam are seen in the hunting lodges and desert retreats of the sophisticated and pleasureloving Umayyad dynasty of the mid-seventh to mid-eighth centuries. And the castles of the Crusaders and their Arab opponents are among the most impressive examples of mediaeval military architecture anywhere. A constant backdrop to all this are the awesomely beautiful mountains, gorges and deserts of today’s Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Created after the First World War and the downfall of the Ottoman Empire, Jordan’s borders are an almost arbitrary outcome of the Franco-British re-ordering of the Levant. Something of a backwater then, and constantly buffeted since by the disputatiousness of larger neighbours, Jordan has – against all odds – succeeded in steering a precarious course to survival, stability and modest prosperity.

Itinerary

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28 October–5 November 2017 (me 666) 9 days • £3,440 Lecturer: Professor Hugh Kennedy

Petra, Ed-Deir (‘The Monastery’), lithograph after David Roberts c. 1850 Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Professor Hugh Kennedy. Professor of Arabic at sOAs. he studied at the Middle east Centre for Arab studies in Beirut, and read Arabic and Persian at Cambridge. he is author of The Early Abbasid Caliphate, The Prophet & the Age of the Caliphates, Crusader Castles and Muslim Spain & Portugal. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,440 or £2,810 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,980 or £3,350 without flights. Included meals: 7 lunches (including 2 picnics) and 5 dinners (plus a snack on arrival on day 1) with wine. Visas. These are required for most nationalities. A group visa is issued on arrival (the cost is included in the price of the tour as long as you are travelling with the group). Passports must be valid for six months beyond the dates of the tour.

Jerash, Temple of Zeus, steel engraving c. 1840.

to the unesco world heritage site of Qasr Amra, whose unique and exceptionally beautiful wall paintings are currently being restored in a project coordinated by the World Monuments Fund. Day 4: Amman, Karak. The impressive new Jordan Museum presenting the history and cultural heritage of Jordan in a series of beautifully designed galleries. Leaving Amman, drive southwards along the Biblical King’s Highway. The 12th century Crusader castle of Karak, modified by the Mamluks in the 13th century, is an impressive example of mediaeval military architecture with many chambers surviving. First of three nights in Petra.

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Day 5: Petra. The Siq, the narrow mile-long crevice with its Nabataean carvings and hydraulic system would itself merit a detour, but it is just the prelude to one of the most astonishing archaeological sites in the Middle East (also a unesco world heritage site). Emerging from the Siq, the visitor is confronted by the temple-like façade of the ‘Treasury’, vast in scale, both oriental and classical in vocabulary, Hellenistic in inspiration but uniquely Nabataean – supreme among Petra’s wealth of sculptured monuments and those that follow on the ‘Street of Façades’. These are mainly tombs, created in the living rock. There are also impressive remains in the heart of the city, from grand temples, public buildings and churches to houses. Not the least striking feature is the multicoloured, striated but predominantly red sandstone. After lunch, return to the hotel or climb, via the Soldier Tomb complex, up to the High Place of Sacrifice (c. 800 steps) where the cultic installations are still clearly visible. Day 6: Petra. For the second day in Petra walk again through the Siq, past the ‘Street of Façades’ and the theatre to study the more open area around the paved and colonnaded street. The remains of various structures include two mighty book online at www.martinrandall.com

buildings, the ‘Great Temple’ and Qasr al Bint. Recent excavations have revealed what is almost certainly a cathedral with 5th- and 6th-century mosaic floors. Climb up (over 900 steps) to one of the finest rock-cut façades, Ed-Deir (the Monastery), and some staggering views of hills and valleys of contorted rock. Day 7: Little Petra, Dead Sea. ‘Little Petra’, a narrow gorge with three natural widenings, is seen as a commercial centre with carved façades and chambers and a fragment of naturalistic Nabataean painting. A spectacular descent through rugged and ragged sandstone leads to Wadi Araba, part of the Jordanian section of the Great Rift Valley. Stop at the Museum at the Lowest Place on Earth featuring important archaeological finds recovered from the region, including artefacts from the church and monastery of St Lot. Reach the hotel on the Dead Sea shore mid-afternoon to relax and swim. First of two nights in Sweimeh. Day 8: Mount Nebo, Madaba. Drive up from the Dead Sea, flanked by dramatic mountain scenery. Visit the Byzantine church with remarkable mosaics on Mount Nebo, the reputed burial site of Moses. At Madaba visit the archaeological park, where many mosaics are preserved, and see the unique 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land in the church of St George. Day 9. Drive to Amman airport (1 hour). Arrive Heathrow c. midday.

Accommodation. The Intercontinental, Amman (intercontinental.com): modern, excellently located 5-star hotel. Mövenpick Hotel, Petra (moevenpick-hotels.com): modern hotel close to the site; rated 5-star but more comparable to a 4-star hotel. Mövenpick Dead Sea Hotel, Sweimeh (moevenpick-hotels.com): 5-star hotel comprised of buildings scattered through lush tropical gardens; shady lounges, antique or traditionalstyle furnishings, spa and health centre. How strenuous? This tour is quite demanding and you must be capable of walking all day over rough sites. A good level of fitness and surefootedness is essential throughout, especially in order to manage the climbs in Petra to Ed-Deir and the High Place. Many sites are exposed with little or no shelter from the sun. Average distance by coach per day: 72 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Palestine, 17–25 October 2017 (page 192).

‘First class; not a moment wasted, but still enough time to draw breath; every site well chosen; two full days in Petra perfect.’

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Oman Peoples, customs & landscapes of Arabia

Remarkable landscape, hill forts, traditional souqs, archaeological sites. The toehold of Arabia, with a diverse population reflecting its mercantile past. Accompanied by a social anthropologist long involved in the Middle East. All the hotels are comfortable, some are superb, plus a night in a desert camp.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 7.30pm from London Heathrow (Oman Air) for the seven-hour overnight flight to Muscat. Day 2: Muscat. Land at c. 7.20am. Hotel rooms are at your disposal for the morning. Greater Muscat is spread out along the coast with a dramatic mountain backdrop. Visit the privately owned Bait al Zubair Museum housing the family collection of Omani artefacts. First of two nights in Muscat. Day 3: Barka, Nakhl. By 4-wheel-drive to the traditionally furnished 17th-century fortified house Bait Na’aman. Continue onto the impressive Rustaq and Nakhl Forts, the latter perched grandly on the foothills of the Western Hajar Mountains. Overnight Muscat. Day 4: Muscat, Jabrin. With seven minarets, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is impressively ornate. Leave Muscat by 4-wheel- drive for Nizwa. The most impressive fort in Oman is at Jabrin; sensitively restored, the plasterwork, wood carvings and painted ceilings are magnificent. First of two nights in Nizwa.

Day 5: Nizwa area. Visit to the 17th-century Nizwa Fort, palace, seat of government and prison. Some free time to explore the fascinating souqs and markets. Bahla is home to a range of craft workers, pottery being particularly noteworthy. Bahla Fort, dates from pre-Islamic times (World Heritage Site, interior closed for restoration). The rarely-visited archaeological site of Al Ayn is a collection of Bronze Age beehive tombs sitting atop a rugged ridge with the Jebel Misht as a backdrop. Overnight Nizwa. Day 6: Nizwa, Wahiba. Drive to Ibra, the once opulent market town that stood on the trade route linking the interior to the coast. Arrive at Wahiba Sands, a sea of high rolling dunes. Watch the sunset and camp overnight in the desert. Day 7: Wahiba, Sur. Travel by 4-wheel-drive through the spectacular desert scenery. Until the 20th century Sur was famous throughout Arabia as a major trading port with East Africa. See the charming fishing village of Al Aijah, the shipyards still in operation, and the displays of traditional dhows at Fath al Khair Park. Overnight Sur. Day 8: Sur, Salalah. 4-wheel-drive to Muscat, via the ancient port of Qalhat, to catch an afternoon flight to Salalah, which despite its size is considered Oman’s second city and capital of the Dhofar region. First of three nights in Salalah. Day 9: Al Balid. Ancient Zafar, flourished in the 11th and 12th centuries and was visited by Marco Polo. The museum exhibits finds from the ruins of Al Balid and other artefacts from the area. The afternoon is free to relax by the Indian Ocean. Overnight Salalah.

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Wilfred Thesiger was motivated to cross the Empty Quarter not only by his desire to gain further recognition as a traveller but by the hope that he would find peace and solitude in the remote desert landscapes. He also yearned to gain the friendship of the Bedu who journeyed with him and whom he encountered during his traverse. The possibility of travelling to little-visited locations, relaxing in inspiring surroundings and developing understanding with new peoples is no less possible in Oman in 2016 than it was in 1946. The country provides a diverse range of extraordinary natural beauty: deserts, mountains, wadis, beaches. Visitors also experience the kindness and friendliness of the Omanis. With relatively low – although gradually increasing – numbers of visitors a year, Oman is still not over-developed, unlike some of its neighbouring Gulf states. Evidence of settlement dates back to the fourth millennium bc with early indications of dependence on trade. First copper and then frankincense (southern Oman is one of the few places in the world where the ‘sacred frankincense’ still grows) played a key role in the country’s history. Desire to control the supply of frankincense led to incorporation in the Achaemenid and Sassanian empires until the Persians were forced out in the seventh century. Omanis readily embraced Islam and submitted to the Umayyad and the Abbasid Caliphate. Trade and naval power continued to expand. Occupied by the Portuguese from 1507 to 1650, Oman flourished again after their departure with an empire reaching into East Africa, particularly Zanzibar, and the Indian Ocean. Treaties agreed with the British to protect communications with India marked the beginning of a special relationship, which continued beyond the formal termination of the protectorate in 1971. Meanwhile, the division of the Omani empire between the sultan of Zanzibar and the sultan of Muscat in 1856 resulted in economic decline for both and internal conflicts in the latter. Successive sultans failed to tackle the problems and Oman stagnated. The coming to power of Sultan Qaboos bin Said in 1970 heralded a new era. Though its oil revenues are relatively small, they have been used wisely to the benefit of the Omani people, for infrastructure, employment and education. Development has been rapid but controlled, guided by a determination to preserve Omani traditions. Our comprehensive itinerary includes the highlights of this vast country: from the inland forts of Nizwa and Jabrin to the little-visited

archaeological sites of Al-Balid and Khor Rori, from the mountain scenery in the Western Hajar to the remoteness of the Wahiba Sands, from the bustling capital Muscat to the contrasting landscapes of the southern region of Dhofar. Other features of this tour are the opportunity to camp overnight in the Wahiba Sands, stay by the Indian Ocean and shop in souqs suff used with the scent of frankincense. Oman is opening up to a privileged few.

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7–17 January 2017 (md 110) 11 days/10 nights • £4,830 Lecturer: Professor Dawn Chatty

This could be Oman (due to the water system and architecture) but is infact Algeria, engraving c. 1875. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Palestine Archaeology & architecture of the West Bank

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Day 10: Khor Rori. Spend the morning at Mirbat, scene of the well-documented battle in 1972, which saw Pakistani and Omani British soldiers defend the town during the Dhofar Rebellion. The impressive archaeological site at Khor Rori, formerly known as Sumhuraman, preserves the remains of an important frankincense trading port from where, 2000 years ago, this precious commodity commenced its transportation to Damascus and Rome. Overnight Salalah. Day 11. A mid-morning flight to Muscat connects with the early afternoon flight to London, arriving Heathrow c. 6.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £4,830 or £4,230 without flights. Single occupancy: £5,470 or £4,870 without flights. Internal flight: the flight from Muscat to Salalah on day 8 is not included in the price if you take our ‘without flights’ option. We can book this on your behalf, quoting the price at the time, or you can choose to book this independently. Included meals: 9 lunches (2 picnics) and 9 dinners with wine. Not all restaurants serve alcohol and none is served at picnics. Visas. These are required for most nationalities. We will arrange for these to be issued on arrival if travelling with the group, the costs of which are included in the tour price. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months after the tour ends. Accommodation. Al Bustan, Muscat (ritzcarlton. com): recently-renovated 5-star hotel within an exclusive resort. Nizwa Golden Hotel, Nizwa (goldentulipnizwa.com): comfortable if slightly drab 4-star hotel with a swimming pool. Desert Nights Camp, Wahiba Sands (desertnightscamp. com): luxury camp; individual tents with private facilities. Hotel Plaza, Sur (omanhotels.com/ surplaza): modern 4-star hotel. Hotel Crowne Plaza, Salalah (crowneplaza.com): 5-star hotel, high standards of comfort and service. How strenuous? This is a busy and active tour and participants need stamina and fitness. There are some long journeys by 4x4 vehicles or coach (average distance per day: 102 miles), two internal flights and 4 changes of accommodation. Walking is often on uneven terrain at archaeological sites, hill forts and in the desert.

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Group size: between 10 and 18 participants.

Israel & Palestine, 28 March–6 April 2017. see page 187. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Hebron, steel engraving c. 1860.

17–25 October 2017 (me 606) 9 days • £3,520 Lecturer: Felicity Cobbing A pioneering tour that includes the major archaeological sites and the most significant historic buildings on the West Bank. Led by Felicity Cobbing, curator of the Palestine Exploration Fund. There are two nights in East Jerusalem. Provides an insight into a territory much in the news but little visited in recent years. Palestine is a land of limestone hills with the humped contours of a children’s picture-book. The surface is generally a grey-green impasto of olives and scrub, sometimes beautified with the striations of ancient terraces, farmed intermittently in clefts and nooks, grazed where vegetation is harsh and coarse. Then there are the hills of the Judaean desert, crinkled, barren rock, khaki with a dusting of white. Straggling along crests and down hillsides, Palestinian towns and villages are given visual unity by white limestone cladding – a requirement introduced during the British mandate and still adhered to. They express individualism, enterprise and struggle. By contrast, the Israeli settlements crowning many a peak are fortress-like highdensity clusters. Recent history and current affairs cannot be ignored in this part of the world but the focus of the tour is archaeology, architecture and more distant history. Scattered across the West Bank are some very remarkable sites and buildings. There are unique remains from the very earliest periods, some fascinating remnants of the Canaanite and Israelite civilisations of the Bronze and Iron Ages, often with biblical associations. The creations of Herod the Great, among the most impressive structures of the ancient world, feature prominently, and there are significant remains

from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Umayyad, Crusader and Ottoman eras. A particular feature are the desert monasteries, often in dramatic and inaccessible locations. Tourism is hardly new to Palestine: pilgrimage tours follow well-worn routes, quickly bouncing back after intermittent periods of strife, but other sorts of specialist tours are relatively rare. There has been investment in hotels and infrastructure in recent years, and the people are very welcoming.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 8.45am (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Tel Aviv (Israel) and drive through the Separation Wall to Bethlehem (Palestine). Reach the hotel in time for dinner. Four nights are spent here. Day 2: Herodion, Solomon’s Pools, Mar Saba. Herodion is an extraordinary fortified palace built by King Herod 24–15 bc on an artificial hill. There are extensive remains of defences, cisterns and baths and superb views. It was supplied with water from ‘Solomon’s Pools’, a series of reservoirs 9 km away, visited next. Return to Bethlehem for lunch and drive into the Judaean desert to visit the Orthodox monastery of Mar Saba, perched in a gorge and with a beautiful chapel (limited access for women). Overnight Bethlehem. Day 3: Hebron (Al-Khalil), Judaean Desert. The Herodian phase of the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron is one of the most impressive buildings of the ancient world. The interior is Crusader and Mamluk, and is now divided between Muslims and Jews. We visit the Muslim mosque which contains the cenotaphs of the Patriarchs. We also see a 19th-century Russian church here. Hebron is volatile and this visit may be cancelled at short notice. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, not significantly changed since ad 339, is one of the greatest of Early Christian buildings; five aisles and monumental Corinthian colonnades. Overnight Bethlehem.

Day 5: Bethlehem to Jericho. The palm-shaded oasis of Jericho is a place of superlatives, the world’s most low-lying town and arguably its oldest continuously inhabited one. The lowest strata of Tell as-Sultan, the site of ancient Jericho, are 10,000 years old and there is a unique tower of c. 7000 bc, as well as impressive Bronze Age remains from the third and second millenniums bc. Hisham’s Palace is a remarkably well-preserved 8th-century Umayyad palace. The Monastery of Temptation is inserted in the high cliff overlooking the site and can now be reached by cable car. First of two nights in Jericho. Day 6: Desert monasteries. The theme of the day is monasticism in the Judaean hills, beginning with the 19th-century Greek Orthodox monastery of St George in Wadi Kelt. A late morning visit to the community of Jewish zealots at Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, and continuing to functioning Christian monasteries in the wadis. According to Muslim tradition, Nabi Musa is the burial place of Moses and has Mamluk, Byzantine and Ottoman parts. Overnight Jericho.

Day 7: Sebastia, Nablus, Jerusalem. Amid lovely countryside north-west of Nablus, Sebastia (Samaria) is a fascinating archaeological site with extensive remains spreading over a hill, principally Roman and Hellenistic but reaching back much earlier to the time of the Israelite kings, Omri and Ahab. In Nablus, Jacob’s Well is enshrined in a church which was begun by the Crusaders and completed last century. Overnight East Jerusalem.

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Day 8: Jerusalem. Haram ash-Sharif, alias the Temple Mount, Herod’s great retaining wall supporting a platform now adorned with some of the earliest and finest Islamic buildings. The Rockefeller Museum, formerly the Palestinian Archaeological Museum, has finds from some of the sites visited on this tour, including Hisham’s Palace, ancient Jericho, Samaria and Jerusalem. Overnight East Jerusalem.

Accommodation. Intercontinental Jacir Palace, Bethlehem (intercontinental.com): 4-star hotel in a flamboyant late 19th-century mansion. Hotel Intercontinental, Jericho (intercontinental. com): 5-star hotel in a high-rise building outside the city centre. American Colony, Jerusalem (americancolony.com): 5-star prestigious hotel in East Jerusalem.

Day 9: Jerusalem. Free morning in Jerusalem. After lunch drive to Tel Aviv airport. The flight arrives at London Heathrow c. 8.30pm. Working in partnership with the Palestine Exploration Fund. By booking on this tour, clients will automatically become PEF members, have access to the extensive PEF library and resources as well as benefit from expert advice on the ancient Levant from members of staff.

Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,520 or £2,940 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,960 or £3,380 without flights.

palestine

Day 4: Jerusalem. Spend the day in the Old City of Jerusalem (ruled de facto by Israel but claimed by Palestine). This is the most extraordinary city on Earth, a vibrant Middle-Eastern enclave split between rival communities and composed of mediaeval and ancient masonry. Walk along the city’s impressive ramparts, visit the Church of St Anne, the Armenian Cathedral the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Constantinian and Crusader. Overnight Bethlehem.

Included meals: 8 lunches, 7 dinners, with wine. Visas. These are obtained on arrival at no charge for most nationalities.

How strenuous? This is an active, primarily outdoors tour involving quite a lot of walking, some of it over rough ground and uneven paving. Sure-footedness and being comfortable spending much of the day on one’s feet is essential. Average distance by coach per day: c. 41 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Combine this tour with: Essential Jordan, 28 October–5 November 2017 (page 189).

Illustration: Bethlehem, Church of the Nativity, lithograph 1839 by David Roberts RA.

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essential China A selection of the most celebrated sights in China ChInA Beijing, Summer Palace, steel engraving c. 1840.

5–18 September 2017 (me 513) 14 days/ 12 nights • £6,320 Lecturer: Jon Cannon Planned as an introduction to China featuring many of China’s most fascinating places. Several unesco World Heritage Sites are visited. Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai: more time in these three main centres than on most tours as well as a selection of small-town and rural sites including a lesser-visited section of The Great Wall. Special access is a feature including areas closed to the public at the Forbidden City in Beijing and a special viewing platform for the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an. (Subject to confirmation).

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Led by Jon Cannon, expert in Chinese classic architecture and religious buildings worldwide. For the average westerner, learning about China’s past is a progressively more astonishing journey, and a humbling one. Much that we regard as constituting the fundamentals of civilization were prevalent in China two or even three millennia ago: skills artistic and technological, laws and governance humane and commonsensical, mastery of the arts of war and the arts of peace, building and engineering projects of staggering magnitude, and the possibility, for some, of a life devoted to the pursuit of beauty and intellectual refinement. And then there is the fascination of present-day China, likely soon to be the world’s largest economy and destined to have an impact on all of our lives.

book online at www.martinrandall.com

The most important Chinese capitals have always been in the north. Xi’an is where the imperial story began, and for centuries it was the capital of the great empire in the east, hosting the grandiose designs of the first emperor with his terracotta warriors and later anchoring one end of the Silk Road. Beijing has been the grandest city on the planet for much of the past 800 years since Khubilai Khan made it the capital of his China-centric empire. When the Mongols were finally expelled by the Chinese Ming dynasty, Beijing soon became the most perfectly planned cosmological capital, one that would serve the Ming and Manchurian Qing dynasties for over 500 years. Hangzhou brings us to the lands of rice and fish, where the climate is gentle and the land generous. The Yangtse Valley breadbasket first supported numerous northern governments and later bestowed its cultural riches and leisure activities throughout the entire empire. Marco Polo was enchanted by the grace and charm of Hangzhou, and in the surrounding hills monks developed some of the finest tea plantations in China. Hangzhou lives on today as a locus of relaxation and culture with profound cultural resonances for the Chinese. Shanghai, by contrast, is a law unto itself: originally a small fishing village, it began its rise with the foreign settlements that followed the first opium war in the mid-nineteenth century. A capitalist machine, it has also been the home of much political radicalism and was where the Chinese Communist Party came into being. These sometime conflicting and irreconcilable roles give Shanghai a vibrancy and timbre like no other Chinese city.

Itinerary Day 1: London to Beijing. Fly at 4.30pm from London Heathrow to Beijing (British Airways, c. 10 hours). Day 2: Beijing. Arrive at Beijing Airport at c. 9.30am and drive to the hotel for lunch. The Temple of Heaven (Tiantan) complex, effectively a sacred park set with platforms for Imperial rites, forms both a fitting antidote to jet lag and a memorable introduction to the unique qualities of Chinese sacred sites. First of four nights in Beijing. Day 3: Beijing. The Forbidden City is at once enthralling and imposing; past the formidable walls and moat are vast courtyards punctuated with terraced pavilions, palaces and gardens. Marble paving and bridges and finely-carved balustrades mark the imperial way along which lie three ceremonial halls; beyond these are the comparatively closeted living quarters. There is special access (subject to confirmation) to the Shufang Zhai, where banquets and operas were held. Afternoon visits include the 17th-cent. Lama Temple, formerly an imperial residence before its conversion to a Buddhist place of worship, and a Confucian temple founded during the Yuan dynasty. Overnight Beijing. Day 4: Greater Beijing. The Ming Tombs in countryside outside the city are the final resting place of 13 of the 16 Ming emperors. The tomb of Emperor Yongle (1402–1424) consists of a 7-km Sacred Way flanked by stone animals and courtiers, a succession of courts with ceremonial gateways and a man-made hill concealing the tomb itself. Lunch by the Summer Palace, a peaceful setting popular with the emperors since

MONGOLIA Jinshanling Beijing

Day 5: Jinshanling, Beijing. Morning excursion to a particularly spectacular (though relatively little visited) stretch of the Great Wall at Jinshanling. Walk along a section where it climbs and plunges over hilly terrain. Return to Beijing in the afternoon for some free time. Overnight Beijing. Day 6: Beijing, Xi’an. The massive National Museum in Tiananmen Square has superb collections of early Chinese artefacts, Zhou bronzes, painting and the whole range of porcelain from Tang (ad 618–907) to Qing (ended 1911). Fly in the afternoon (Air China) to Xi’an. First of four nights in Xi’an. Day 7: Xi’an. Full day excursion east and north of the city. The tomb of the first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, is yet to be excavated but his legacy was secured in 1974 when farmers digging a well discovered his terracotta army of infantry, cavalry and civil servants. There may be 20,000 of them, over 1.5 metres tall; only a relatively small part of the site has been uncovered, but it is nevertheless one of the most spectacular archaeological finds of all time. The pottery warriors at the later tomb of the fourth Han emperor, Liu Qi, display striking attention to detail; some eunuch figures have been found here, providing the earliest known evidence of this phenomenon in China. Overnight Xi’an. Day 8: Xi’an. The Shaanxi History Museum explains the history and culture of the province, the heartland of ancient Chinese civilisation. The Beilin Museum displays a collection of stone stelae, engraved with classic texts and masterpieces of calligraphy, and a fine collection of Buddhist statues. The day ends with a walk through the winding streets of the city’s Muslim Quarter. The Great Mosque, one of the largest in China, was originally built in ad 742 although the present fabric dates from the Qing Dynasty.

Xi’an

Luoyang

China Shanghai Hangzhou

Jon Cannon. Writer, lecturer and broadcaster, and specialist in historic religious architecture. he teaches at Bristol university and co-wrote and presented the BBC’s How to Build a Cathedral. he has also travelled extensively in China and has published on the country in the London Review of Books and in his The Secret Language of Sacred Spaces. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

c. 400km

Included meals: 10 lunches, 7 dinners, with wine. Day 12: Hangzhou to Shanghai. By train to Shanghai (luggage is sent separately by van). For its density, vibrancy and extent, both horizontal and vertical, Shanghai is the city of cities. Despite frenetic building activity, enclaves of low-rise structures remain in the centre, though there is little here that is more than a hundred years old. Walk along the Bund, Shanghai’s iconic riverside stretch of Art Deco and Neoclassical buildings, symbolic of the city’s burgeoning wealth in the 1920s and 1930s. Day 13: Shanghai. Visit the Shanghai Museum, outstanding for porcelain, jade, furniture and, in particular, Shang and Zhou bronzes. See also the city’s finest traditional Yu Garden. Day 14: Shanghai to London. Fly at 11.00am from Shanghai to London, arriving at c. 4.30pm (c. 12.5 hours).

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £6,320 or £5,700 without international flights. Single occupancy: £7,120 or £6,500 without international flights.

Visas. Required for most foreign nationals, and not included in the tour price. We will advise on the process. Accommodation. Waldorf Astoria, Beijing (waldorfastoria.hilton.com): recently-opened, 5-star luxury hotel in the city centre. Westin Hotel, Xi’an (starwoodhotels.com/westin): modern, comfortable and well-run 4-star hotel, located in the south of the city. Sofitel West Lake Hotel, Hangzhou (sofitel.com): 4-star hotel, located on the east side of the West Lake (rooms do not have lake views). Yangtze Boutique Hotel, Shanghai (theyangtzehotel.com): 4-star, Art Deco hotel ideally situated close to the Shanghai Museum. How strenuous? Fitness is essential. Unless you enjoy entirely unimpaired mobility, cope with everyday walking and stair-climbing without difficulty and are reliably sure-footed, this tour is not for you. Uneven ground and irregular paving are standard. There are long coach journeys during which facilities are limited and may be of poor quality. Average coach travel per day: 48 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

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Day 9: Luoyang. Day trip by high-speed train to Luoyang to see the Longmen Caves, an extraordinary collection of statuary carved into the hillside that runs along the western bank of the Yi River. Begun by the Buddhist Northern Wei rulers (ad 386–534) and added to during the later Sui and Tang dynasties. There are over 100,000 statues clustered in 2,000 caves and crevices. Overnight Xi’an. Day 10: Xi’an, Hangzhou. Adjacent to the hotel stands the Great Goose Pagoda, first built in ad 452 for the monk Xuanzang to house the sutra he brought back from his pilgrimage to India. Fly to Hangzhou (Hainan Airlines), capital of the Southern Song Dynasty 1138–1279. First of two nights in Hangzhou. Day 11: Hangzhou. Start the day at the Lingyin Temple, one of China’s largest though now much reduced. Just outside the complex are dozens of Buddhist sculptures carved into the rock face, many dating back to the 10th century. Drive out of the city to Longjing (Dragon Well) Village, source of one of China’s most famous varieties of green tea. The scenic tranquillity of the West Lake has been immortalised by countless poets and painters over the centuries. Overnight Hangzhou.

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the Jin, periodically enlarged and embellished; after its destruction in 1860 Empress Dowager Cixi expended vast sums in constructing her pleasure palace here. Overnight Beijing.

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Watercolour by Mortimer Menpes, publ. 1909. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

China’s silk road Cities The northern route through shaanxi, Gansu & xinjiang ChInA

5–18 April 2017 (md 206) 14 days/12 nights • £6,340 Lecturer: Dr Jamie Greenbaum Retraces the ancient trading routes from the Chinese heartland to the vast desert region of Xinjiang province. Three days in the ancient imperial capital Xi’an, once the easternmost departure point for the Silk Road and home to the spectacular terracotta warriors. Wonderfully vivid Buddhist paintings at the Mogao Caves, a unesco World Heritage Site. Special access is a feature including a viewing platform for the Terracotta Warriors and caves not usually open the public at Mogao. (Subject to confirmation). Led by Dr Jamie Greenbaum, Beijing-based sinologist and author. In the second century bc, imperial envoy Zhang Qian was sent on a mission to the West, beyond the outer limits of ancient China, to obtain some of the legendary Ferghana horses for Han emperor Wudi’s cavalry. On the equine front the mission was a failure, but Zhang Qian returned to Chang’an (today’s Xi’an) with stories of the riches he saw and this soon led to the development of trade between China and the alien world beyond its western frontier.

Myriad commodities – as well as religious beliefs and cultural attitudes – traversed the land from China, through Central Asia and Persia to the Mediterranean. The formidable Taklamakan Desert, an arid wasteland of shifting sand dunes, posed one of the biggest threats to travellers, who skirted its northern and southern edges, finding respite in the many thriving oasis towns. The instability brought about by the fall of empires and by the establishment of sea routes saw the decline of these trading corridors and the region disappeared into obscurity until the end of the nineteenth century, when tales of lost cities fi lled with treasure drew foreign explorers into an international race of rediscovery. Today, evocative ruins, chaotic markets and Buddhist cave paintings remain to be seen, while the museums are fi lled with the many artefacts and mummified remains unearthed along the route. Despite relentless modernisation cities such as Kashgar retain their ancient charm, while the enormity of these perilous journeys is conveyed by sight of the vast expanses of landscape that make up China’s last great wilderness.

Itinerary Day 1: London to Beijing. Fly at 4.30pm from London Heathrow to Beijing (British Airways, c. 10 hours).

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Beijing, ‘Gate of Heaven’, drawing by Boudier after a photograph, publ. 1892. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Day 2: Beijing. Arrive at Beijing Airport at c. 9.30am and drive to the hotel for lunch. The imposing National Museum in Tianamen Square has superb collections of early Chinese artefacts, Zhou bronzes and the whole range of porcelain from Song to Qing. Overnight Beijing. Day 3: Beijing to Xi’an. Fly at c. 10.30am from Beijing to Xi’an, arriving at 12.30pm. After a late lunch, there is a walk through the winding streets of the city’s Muslim Quarter. The Great Mosque, one of the largest in China, was originally built in ad 742 although the present fabric dates from the Qing Dynasty. First of three nights in Xi’an. Day 4: Xi’an. The Shaanxi History Museum explains the history and culture of the province, the heartland of ancient Chinese civilisation. There is a special visit to the museum’s collection of Tang-dynasty tomb murals. After lunch, visit the Beilin Museum, which houses a collection of stone stelae, engraved with classic texts and masterpieces of calligraphy, as well as a fine collection of Buddhist statues. Day 5: Xi’an. Full-day excursion east and north of the city. The tomb of the first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, is yet to be excavated but his legacy was secured in 1974 when farmers digging a well discovered his terracotta army of infantry, cavalry and civil servants. There may be 20,000 of them, over 1.5 metres tall; only a relatively small part of the site has been uncovered, but it is nevertheless one of the most spectacular archaeological finds of

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all time. The pottery warriors at the later tomb of the fourth Han emperor, Liu Qi, display striking attention to detail; some eunuch figures have been found here, providing the earliest known evidence of this phenomenon in China. Day 6: Xi’an to Dunhuang. Fly to Dunhuang at c. 1.30pm, arriving at c. 3.45pm and transfer to the hotel. Dunhuang is a small oasis town with low-rise buildings along wide avenues, flanked to one side by colossal sand dunes. First of two nights in Dunhuang. Day 7: Dunhuang. The Mogao Caves are a highlight of the Silk Road in China and one of the most important sites of early Chinese Buddhist cave paintings. Once a strategic stop-off point for pilgrims travelling to India, it developed in to a major Buddhist centre of art and learning. Despite the controversial carting off of paintings, sculptures and manuscripts by foreign archaeologists in the 19th century, there is still very fine artwork to be seen. The Western Caves, set by an attractive river valley, are fewer in number but also contain exquisite paintings. Day 8: Dunhuang to Turpan. The Dunhuang Museum houses important artefacts unearthed at the Mogao Caves, including rare Tibetan sutras. Travel by train at to Turpan (luggage is sent separately). First of two nights in Turpan. Day 9: Turpan. At Gaochang see the extensive ruins of an ancient walled trading city. On the north-east rim of the Taklamakan Desert in a gorge in the Flaming Mountains, lies the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves. The caves once formed part of a Buddhist monastery between 6th and 14th centuries. After lunch drive out to Jiaohe. The most visually rewarding of all the sites around Turpan, this ancient city is located on a high platform above two rivers. Among the ruins, the layout of the city is still clear: the residential district, the palace, the monastery complex. Day 10: Turpan to Kashgar. Transfer to Urumqi (a journey of approx. 3 hours) for a late afternoon flight to Kashgar, arriving at c. 6.15pm. First of three nights in Kashgar.

Day 12: Kashgar. Goods and livestock have been traded at Kashgar’s Sunday market for more than 2000 years. The scene today is still a riot of colour sounds and smells as animals, carts and vehicles traverse this vast site. Though the old city is gradually being razed by local authorities to make way for modern development, it retains much of its ancient charm.

Day 13: Kashgar to Beijing. Fly at c. 10.15am from Kashgar to Beijing, via Urumqi, arriving at c. 4.30pm. Spend the night in a hotel near Beijing airport. Day 14: Beijing to London. Fly at c. 11.15am from Beijing to London, arriving at c. 3.15pm (c. 11 hours).

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £6,340 or £5,700 without international flights. Single occupancy: £6,990 or £6,350 without international flights. Included meals: 9 lunches, 10 dinners, with wine. Visas. Required for most foreign nationals, and not included in the tour price. We will advise participants on the process. Accommodation. Waldorf Astoria, Beijing (waldorfastoria.hilton.com): 5-star luxury hotel in the city centre. Westin Hotel, Xi’an (starwoodhotels.com/westin): modern, comfortable and well-run 4-star hotel, located in the south of the city. Silk Road Hotel, Dunhuang (dunhuangresort.com): large hotel situated close to the Mingsha Sand Dunes, rated locally as 4-star. Huozhou Hotel, Turpan: centrally located hotel rated locally as 4-star. Radisson Blu Hotel, Kashgar (radissonblu.com/en/hotel-kashgar): one of the most recently renovated hotels in the city, rated locally as 5 star. Hilton Beijing Capital Airport Hotel (www3.hilton.com): large international hotel.

Dr Jamie Greenbaum. historian specialising in Ming dynasty cultural history. he is a Visiting fellow in the school of Culture, history & language at the Australian national university and lectures at the renmin university, Beijing. he has published books on the late-Ming literary world and the early 20th-century political ﬁgure Qu Qiubai. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. How strenuous? A good level of fitness is essential. Unless you enjoy entirely unimpaired mobility, cope with everyday walking and stair-climbing without difficulty and are reliably sure-footed, this tour is not for you. Uneven ground and irregular paving are standard. There are some long coach journeys during which facilities are limited and may be of poor quality. Average distance by coach per day: 50 miles

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Day 11: Kashgar. The former British Consulate was the home for 26 years of the most famous of British India’s representatives in Kashgar; Sir George Macartney and his wife hosted some of the most prominent Silk Road travellers, including Sir Aurel Stein and Albert von Le Coq. Nikolai Petrovsky’s former Russian Consulate is nearby. The dilapidated buildings belie their historic significance as erstwhile outposts for two rival powers in the Great Game. After lunch, visit the Id-kah Mosque. This is the largest mosque in Xinjiang and was founded in c. 1738, though the current structure dates back only as far as 1838, and suffered much damage during the Cultural Revolution.

‘On the way to market’, watercolour by Mortimer Menpes from ‘China’ 1909.

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

‘Another MR triumph... I was taken to see and learn about unforgettable marvels I didn’t know existed before the tour.’

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The Arts in China Museums & private collections in China & Taiwan ChInA Nanjing, the ‘Porcelain Pagoda’, copper engraving c. 1840.

18–28 September 2017 (me 543) 11 days • £5,760 Lecturer: Dr Konstanze Knittler The best surviving examples of all the arts, from bronzes and porcelain to calligraphy and painting in Beijing, Nanjing, Tianjin and Shanghai. Contemporary art is also a feature. Includes the world’s greatest collection of Chinese art, the National Palace Museum in Taiwan.

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Led by Dr Konstanze Knittler, art historian and lecturer specialising in 19th- and 20th-century Chinese art and ceramics. Art in China has developed over an immense span of time. From ancient times to the present day the country has created an immeasurable array of artistic expression which is manifested in ritual, pictorial and architectural traditions. A prevailing feature has been the phenomenal mastery of the skills of making art and artefacts. Trade and travel led to exposure to the culture of other regions – Japan, Korea, India, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe – and to the assimilation of designs and motifs that we, from today’s perspective, regard as inherently Chinese. In turn, Chinese forms and materials have had a great impact not only on other areas of the East but also on the art of Europe and the western world. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Crucial to the understanding of Chinese art history is that certain categories of art and craft peaked in particular periods and had lesser importance in others. Hence we find (for example) that the production of ritual bronzes culminated in the early dynasties of the Shang and Zhou periods (c. 1600–256 bc), whereas pictorial art reached a first zenith only during the Tang dynasty (ad 618–907). A vast number of objects were created specifically for use in tombs and consequently were buried for many centuries and only unearthed in recent times. Since the discovery of imperial tombs in the twentieth century, scholarship has been transformed. Laws limit the travel of these ancient artefacts so many key items can only be viewed in China. In contrast with western hierarchies of art, where since the eighteenth century ‘fine art’ has been held in higher esteem, in China the ‘decorative arts’ enjoyed an extraordinarily high status. Excellence in craftsmanship was established early on, and imperial patronage was a major catalyst in the development of ceramics, jades and lacquer objects. This tour has been designed to present and interpret the arts of China through exposure to the finest examples in many of the best collections in China and Taiwan. Aided by the commentary of the accompanying expert, Dr Konstanze Knittler, it cannot fail to inculcate an intense appreciation

of one of the world’s great artistic traditions. Some of the artworks are of a type and quality which cannot be seen outside of China. The imperial Chinese holdings are viewed in the major museums in Beijing and in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. Here are housed the larger part of the imperial collections following their evacuation during the Civil War. Other cities visited include Tianjin, Nanjing and Shanghai, where an increasing number of privately owned museums contributes greatly to the growing significance of China as a place in which to indulge in aesthetic delight.

Itinerary Day 1. London to Beijing. Fly at c. 4.45pm (British Airways) to Beijing. Day 2: Beijing. Arrive at Beijing at c. 9.30am and transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon, visit Yuanming Yuan, the suggestive ruins of the Old Summer Palace, looted of a vast imperial collection of porcelain, bronzes and statuary by British and French troops in 1860. First of three nights in Beijing. Day 3: Beijing. The Capital Museum is a striking modern building containing a well-curated selection of art and artefacts including wonderful ancient Buddhist statues and an exceptionally fine collection of porcelain. In the afternoon, visit

Day 4: Tianjin. Full day excursion by high-speed train to Tianjin, one of China’s major port cities. Unfortunately, little remains of the concession era architecture. In its place is a thoroughly modern city including an impressive new cultural centre built around a lake, consisting of a museum, art gallery and library. The museum holds a fabulous collection of Chinese classical painting. Return to Beijing. Day 5: Beijing, Nanjing. In the morning, walk around Caochangdi, a community of contemporary artists’ studios and galleries that occupy buildings designed by Ai Wei Wei. Fly to Nanjing, capital of China under the first three Ming emperors (and again 1912–49). Much of the centre is of a manageable scale and plane trees line the busy streets. First of two nights in Nanjing.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £5,760 or £5,080 without international flights. Single occupancy: £6,520 or £5,840 without international flights. Included meals: 6 lunches, 6 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Waldorf Astoria, Beijing (waldorfastoria3.hilton.com): 5-star luxury hotel in the city centre. Intercontinental, Nanjing (intercontinental.com): Yangtze Boutique Hotel, Shanghai (theyangtzehotel.com): 4-star, Art Deco hotel ideally situated close to the Shanghai Museum; Landis Hotel, Taipei (taipei. landishotelsresorts.com): centrally located, 4-star, Art Deco-style hotel. Visas: required for most foreign nationals, and not included in the tour price. How strenuous? A good level of fitness is essential. Unless you enjoy entirely unimpaired mobility, cope with everyday walking and stair-climbing without difficulty and are reliably sure-footed, this tour is not for you. A rough indication of

the minimum level of fitness required is that you ought to be able to walk briskly at about three miles per hour for at least half an hour, and undertake a walk at a more leisurely pace for an hour or two unaided. The tour involves a lot of standing in museums. Average distance by coach per day: c. 23 miles.

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the National Palace Museum (The Forbidden City) containing treasures from the Ming and Qing courts. There is special access (subject to confirmation) to the Shufang Zhai, used as a study by the Emperor Qianlong, which has an eclectic display of Qing artefacts.

Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Dr Konstanze Knittler. Art historian and lecturer specialising in 19th- and 20th-century Chinese art and ceramics. she studied in Vienna and at sotheby’s Institute of Art. she obtained her Phd at the university of Glasgow. she lectures at sotheby’s Institute and has run short courses on Asian art. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

Day 6: Nanjing. Nanjing Museum is one of the best in China, with the complete range of arts – bronzes, jades, porcelain, textiles, painting and furniture. The 20 miles of city wall built by the first Ming emperor became the longest in the world; its Zhonghua barbican is a formidable structure with three courtyards. The tomb complex of the first Ming emperor, on a wooded hill beyond the walls, constitutes a summation of past traditions and sets the pattern for subsequent imperial burials. Day 7: Shanghai. By high-speed train to Shanghai, arriving in time for lunch close to the Yuyuan, the city’s finest traditional garden. The Long Museums (there are two) contain privatelyowned collections of traditional, modern and contemporary Chinese art and also host impressive exhibitions. Visit one of these, subject to show. First of two nights in Shanghai.

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Day 8: Shanghai. Visit the Shanghai Museum, outstanding for porcelain, painting, calligraphy and in particular, Shang and Zhou bronzes. In the afternoon a walk in the French Concession includes the Propoganda Poster Art Center to view original Mao era posters collected by Yang Pei Ming. Before dinner there is a stroll along the Bund, Shanghai’s iconic riverside stretch of Art Deco and Neoclassical buildings, symbolic of the city’s burgeoning wealth in the 1920s and 1930s. Day 9: Taipei. Fly at c. 9.15am from Shanghai to Taipei (Air China). After lunch visit the Confucius Temple, the only such temple in Taiwan with southern Fujian-style ceramic adornments. First of two nights in Taipei. Day 10: Taipei. Spend a full day at the National Palace Museum for a detailed study of its comprehensive ceramics collection. There is also time for independent exploration. Artworks include some of the most prized pieces from the Forbidden City, transported here by the Nationalists in 1949. Day 11: Taipei to London. Fly at c. 10.45am (Cathay Pacific) from Taipei to London Heathrow via Hong Kong. Arrive at London Heathrow at c. 8.30pm.

Examples of Chinese decoration from ‘The Grammar of Ornament’ by Owen Jones, 1865. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Ceramics in China Collections, kiln sites & trade routes in China & Taiwan china

19–31 May 2017 (md 300) 13 days • £5,030 Lecturer: Dr Lars Tharp

by clouds, have long inspired Chinese art and literature and consequently the world’s imaginings of oriental landscape. (If Mt. Huangshan cannot be visited, there will be alternative visits to traditional villages in the foothills.)

A celebration of Chinese porcelain, a sweep through China’s material culture and landscapes.

Day 9: Huangshan to Hangzhou. Drive through the southern tip of Anhui province, dominated by the spectacular mountain scenery, stopping for lunch in a traditional village in Shexian County (formerly Huizhou). Reach Hangzhou in time for supper. Overnight Hangzhou.

Includes the world’s greatest collection of Chinese art, the National Palace Museum in Taiwan. A day’s excursion to Mt. Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) immortalised in Chinese painting and poetry. Three nights in historic Jingdezhen, porcelain capital of the world. Led by cultural historian and ceramics specialist Lars Tharp, author, film-maker and broadcaster.

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Chinese porcelain has been called the first globally traded luxury. For centuries its magical whiteness and translucency, its vibrant blues and later its gorgeous colour painting held princes and aesthetes in its spell. It was not until a whole millennium after its emergence in China that the secret of its manufacture was discovered in Europe in the early eighteenth century. In ad 1004 the reigning Song emperor conferred his name upon the porcelain-making city of Chang-Nan, later known as Jingdezhen. It supplied the imperial household in Beijing, transporting its wares along the Yangtze and the Grand Canal, while other river and laborious overland routes were established to fulfil orders from Persia and later from foreign merchants in Java, Macao and Shanghai. To this day Jingdezhen continues as a major centre for ceramic production with a happy co-existence of ancient traditions and modern processes. The journey from Jingdezhen to Hangzhou passes the dramatic Mt. Huangshan and ancient villages nestling in landscapes first revealed to Europeans in depictions on vases and tea services. The Southern Song capital of Hangzhou is the southern terminus of China’s – and one of the world’s – greatest civil engineering achievements, the Grand Canal. Begun in ad 612 it ran northwest to Beijing via Luoyang. Across the straits in Taipei, capital of Taiwan, the fabled imperial treasures are on display at the National Palace Museum. Amassed over centuries by the emperor-collectors of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, it is the world’s finest collection of Chinese art. In 1949, as the war between Nationalist and Communist forces neared its conclusion, Chiang Kai-shek ordered that the collection be shipped to Taiwan to prevent the treasure falling into the hands of the victorious Communists. There it remains, a collection so large that the NPM rotates 3000 of its exhibits every three months. For the devotee of Chinese porcelain this tour provides a unique opportunity to study some of the finest examples in the context of its manufacture, trade, cultural framework and proximate landscapes. For the merely interested, it is likely to bequeath a lifelong capacity to delight in one of the world’s most intensely beautiful artforms. Illustration: Chinese porcelain, engraving from ‘The Magazine of Art’ 1882. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Itinerary Day 1: London to Shanghai. Fly at c. 2.00pm from London Heathrow to Shanghai (British Airways, c. 11 hours). Day 2: Shanghai. Arrive in Shanghai at c. 8.00am and drive to the hotel to rest and freshen up before lunch. A relatively young city by Chinese standards, Shanghai is now the nation’s largest and most dynamic. There is an afternoon walk along the Bund, the imposing and well preserved riverside stretch of Art Deco and Neoclassical buildings from the period when Shanghai was one of the world’s greatest financial centres. Overnight Shanghai. Day 3: Shanghai. The world-class Shanghai Museum is home to an extensive collection of masterpieces of Chinese arts from the Neolithic period to the Qing dynasty. The fabulous ceramics galleries offer a superb narrative foundation for the days ahead. There is time for independent exploration of the museum’s superb bronze, painting, jade and furniture collections. The 16thcentury Yu Garden is visited in the afternoon, an excellent example of classical garden design. Overnight Shanghai. Day 4: Jingdezhen. Fly (Shenzhen Airlines) to Jingdezhen. In the afternoon visit the studios of working potters Felicity Aylieff and Takeshi Yasuda (by special arrangement). There is time to explore Tao Xi Chuan, a recently restored former ceramic production site. Overnight Jingdezhen. Days 5 & 6: Jingdezhen. Two days are spent in and around Jingdezhen. In these hills around lay the once secret resource of kaolin clay and china stone, which, when processed in the waterpowered mills, formed the potters’ basic material. Traditional manufacture is demonstrated at the Ancient Kiln Complex. The new, impressive China Ceramics Museum excellently displays pottery and porcelain from various periods and kiln sites. Overnight Jingdezhen. Day 7: Jingdezhen to Huangshan. In the morning, visit a ceramic research institute (subject to special permission) before driving to Huangshan (c. 2.5 hours) for two nights. Day 8: Huangshan. Conditions permitting, a full-day excursion by coach and cable car to the peaks of Mt. Huangshan (Yellow Mountain). Jutting granite and ancient pines, often shrouded

Day 10: Hangzhou. The scenic tranquillity of the city’s West Lake has been immortalised by countless poets and painters over the centuries. See the excavated imperial dragon-kiln site of Guan wares, one of China’s most treasured wares. Visit the Grand Canal Museum before crossing over the historic waterway into the neighbouring traditional village area. Day 11: Hangzhou to Taipei. Fly at 9.30am (Air China) from Hangzhou to Taipei. After lunch visit the Confucius Temple, the only such temple in Taiwan with southern Fujian-style ceramic adornments. Overnight Taipei. Day 12: Taipei. Spend a full day at the National Palace Museum for a detailed study of its comprehensive ceramics collection. There is also time for independent exploration of the other, equally impressive, collections in the museum. Overnight Taipei. Day 13: Taipei to London. Fly at c. 10.45am (Cathay Pacific) from Taipei to London Heathrow via Hong Kong. Arrive at Heathrow at 8.30pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £5,030 or £4,350 without international flights. Single occupancy: £5,660 or £4,980 without international flights. Included meals: 11 lunches, 7 dinners, with wine. Visas: required for most foreign nationals, and not included in the tour price. Accommodation. Yangtze Boutique Hotel, Shanghai (theyangtzehotel.com): 4-star, Art Deco hotel ideally situated close to the Shanghai Museum. Manju Hotel, Jingdezhen: 4-star hotel opened in March 2016 in one of the very recently and sensitively restored buildings on a former ceramic production site. Crowne Plaza, Huangshan (crowneplaza.com): large international 4-star hotel on the outside of the city. Sofitel West Lake Hotel, Hangzhou (sofitel. com): 4-star hotel located on the east side of the West Lake (rooms do not have lake views). Landis Hotel, Taipei (taipei.landishotelsresorts.com): centrally located, 4-star, Art Deco-style hotel. How strenuous? A good level of fitness is essential. Unless you enjoy entirely unimpaired mobility, cope with everyday walking and stair-climbing without difficulty and are reliably sure-footed, this tour is not for you. Uneven ground and irregular paving are standard and the tour involves a lot of standing around in museums. There are two long coach journeys during which facilities are limited and may be of poor quality. Average distance by coach per day: 49 miles Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Indian summer delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh, shimla IndIA

Shimla, steel engraving 1845.

13–25 March 2017 (md 171) 13 days • £5,240 Lecturer: Raaja Bhasin 13–24 March 2018 (me 780) 12 days • £4,970 International flights are not included Lecturer: Raaja Bhasin A fascinating selection of places which have the common feature of relating to the last years of the Raj. Led by Raaja Bhasin, historian, author, lecturer and Shimla resident.

Chandigarh, the modern ideal city built by Le Corbusier. Both the high noon of the British Empire in India and its closing years were played out in the city of Delhi and in the ‘summer capital’, Simla (now Shimla), dubbed by many the grandest outpost of the Pax Britannica. Tracing the ebb and flow of the Raj in two imperial capitals, this tour covers architecture, events, lifestyles, and landscapes of the Western Himalaya and numerous stories of places and people. Amritsar is part of this story, and Chandigarh provides a glimpse into Indian Utopia after Independence. Built, destroyed and rebuilt a dozen times, Delhi is one of the oldest cities in the world, and

Winston Churchill was moved enough to remark, ‘It is an extraordinary event, an event which stands in singular and sinister isolation’. The border with Pakistan is close to Amritsar, and with belligerence which is almost histrionic, the sundown ceremony of lowering the flags and closing the gates is played out daily. Nearby is the former princely state of Kapurthala where the Francophile ruler, Jagatjit Singh, completed a palace in 1908, loosely modelled on Versailles. He tried to introduce French as his court language. When the Punjab was divided between India and Pakistan in 1947 the state capital Lahore was replaced in the Indian portion by a brand new city, Chandigarh. Its building in the 1950s was a deliberate break with the past. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru called it ‘a new city of free India, totally fresh and wholly responsive to the future generations of this great country.’ Led by Le Corbusier, the city design and urban elements were unabashedly modern and western. Still admired and criticized in equal measure by planners, architects and urban historians, it is yet rated as among the best cities in India in which to live.

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Shimla, the grandest hill station, the buildings a hotch-potch of bastardised European styles. Reached by the famous mountain ‘toy train’.

also one of the most multilayered. It is home to some fifteen million people and its heterogeneous population has genetic strands that span the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia and several other parts of the world. Today, towers of chrome and steel stand side by side with centuries-old monuments built by the Mughal rulers. Between the two, the immense architectural momentum of the Raj culminated in the creation of New Delhi, still the core of this fast-expanding city. Up in the hills of the Western Himalaya, Simla was the summer capital of British India, the grandest of the British hill stations. For around a century, a fift h of the human race was ruled from its heights for the better part of every year. The architecture is practically a gazetteer of western styles, but often with a twist, a nod to the heritage of the subcontinent. The town created an enigmatic way of life and the steamier side of its social world gave inspiration to Rudyard Kipling, who as a young correspondent spent some summers amidst the cedars. Many decisions that shaped India and the region were made within sight of the snowclad Himalayas. Today it is the capital of the state of Himachal Pradesh and many of the grander buildings, bungalows and streets still evoke the heyday of a past age. West of it lies the fertile ‘Land of Five Rivers’, the Punjab. Here is the sacred city of Amritsar, site of the Golden Temple, the most sacred shrine of the Sikh faith. This was also where the Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in 1919, when a crowd of unarmed civilians was fired upon. The event totally altered the face of Indian nationalism. Even

Itinerary in 2018 This is the itinerary for the 2018 departure only. Please contact us for details the March 2017 departure, or visit www.martinrandall.com. Day 1: Delhi. The tour begins in Delhi with lunch in the hotel restaurant at c. 12.30pm (flights from London are not included in 2018 – see Practicalities). In the afternoon, visit Old Delhi for a short walk on The Ridge, taking Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Indian summer continued

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Day 10: Kasauli, Chandigarh. Morning drive to Kasauli via Dagshai, scene of the Connaught Rangers’ Mutiny in 1920. The Central Jail (1849) is where the executions took place. The pretty hill station of Kasauli has some interesting 19thcentury buildings such as Christ Church and the Kasauli Club. Afternoon drive to Chandigarh. Overnight Chandigarh. Day 11: Chandigarh to Delhi. In the morning, fly to Delhi. Coronation Park in north Delhi was the location of the 1911 Durbar, at which George V announced the shift of the British capital from Calcutta. Following Independence, it became the resting place of the statues of kings and officials of the British Raj. Overnight Delhi. Day 12: Delhi. Car transfers to Delhi Airport can be arranged for your onward journey.

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Amritsar, the Golden Temple, watercolour from ‘World Pictures’ by Mortimer Menpes, publ. c. 1910.

in Flagstaff Tower, a safe haven for the British during the Mutiny of 1857. The Mutiny Memorial commemorating those killed in action is a NeoGothic spire with elements of Indian design. First of two nights in Delhi. Day 2: Delhi. New Delhi was created 1912–31 by Lutyens, Baker and others as a uniquely grand and spacious city. The Secretariat buildings on Raisina Hill are Classical at first glance, but closer inspection reveals Buddhist and Mughal motifs. Subject to special permission, it may be possible to visit the interior of the vast Rashtrapati Bhavan, the former Viceroy’s residence. The fortress-like garrison church of St Martin, designed by Arthur Shoosmith (1930), has been called one of the great buildings of the 20th century. Overnight Delhi. Day 3: Delhi to Amritsar. The Teen Murthi Bhavan was built in Classical style in the 1930s as Flagstaff House before becoming the home of the first Indian prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Today, it is a museum dedicated to one of the fathers of modern India. Fly from Delhi to Amritsar at c. 12.30pm. First of two nights in Amritsar.

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Day 4: Amritsar, Wagah. Amritsar was founded by the fourth Sikh guru in 1579 and is home to Sikhism’s holiest shrine, the Golden Temple. The sacred lake surrounding the temple dates from this period but the current form of the temple is 18th century, and the gilt early 19th century. Jallianwala Bagh was the scene of the massacre of demonstrators against British rule in 1919 and now is a moving memorial garden. In the afternoon, drive to Wagah for the theatrical sunset closing ceremony of the border with Pakistan. Overnight Amritsar. Day 5: Kapurthala, Chandigarh. In the morning, drive to Kapurthala, where the local ruler, an ardent francophile, built his palace (1900–1908) loosely modelled on the palace of Versailles and the chateau of Fontainebleau. Now a boys’ school, the interior is lavish, while the gardens book online at www.martinrandall.com

are embellished by fountains and statuary in the traditional French style. Continue to Chandigarh to arrive at the hotel in time for dinner. First of two nights in Chandigarh. Day 6: Chandigarh. The joint capital of the states of Haryana and Punjab emerged from the partition of the Punjab in 1947. Conceived by Le Corbusier and Maxwell Fry following the principles of the International Modern movement, it is laid out on the grid principle. The Capital Complex is the home of the administrative buildings, the ‘head’ of the city and some of Le Corbusier’s most ambitious planning. Overnight Chandigarh. Day 7: Chandigarh, Shimla. Transfer to Kalka in the foothills of the Himalayas to board the ‘toy train’ to Shimla. The Kalka–Shimla Railway has been operating daily since 1903 and is a remarkable feat of engineering. After a 5-hour ride through stunning scenery, transfer to the hotel. First of three nights in Shimla. Day 8: Shimla, Mashobra. The former summer capital of British India, Shimla is set in the lush pine and cedar forests of the Himalayan foothills. Its impressive colonial architecture is best admired through walks along the Mall. Viceregal Lodge, the summer residence of the British viceroy is probably Shimla’s best-known building. Built in 1888, the grey sandstone structure retains the British royal coat of arms on its façade. After lunch at Wildflower Hall, visit Bishop Cotton School, Shimla’s oldest educational institution, founded in 1859. Overnight Shimla. Day 9: Shimla. Walk eastward along The Mall towards Christ Church. The Gaiety Theatre was built in 1887 as the original Town Hall. The Gothic building has been the centre of Shimla’s social life for over a century. The tower of Christ Church (1857) dominates Shimla’s skyline from the Ridge, above the town. Time for independent exploration in the afternoon. Overnight Shimla.

Price, per person in 2018. Two sharing: £4,970. Single occupancy: £5,960. (For prices and Practicalities in 2017, please contact us or visit www.martinrandall.com). Flights from London to Delhi are not included in the price of the tour in 2018. We will send the recommended flight options with your confirmation of booking and ask that you make your own flight reservation. The cost of a World Traveller (economy) seat at the time of going to press is c. £750 and will be available to book towards the start of April 2017. (All internal flights, as described in the itinerary, are included.) Included meals: 8 lunches (including 1 packed lunch) and 8 dinners with wine. Visas. British citizens and most other foreign nationals require a tourist visa. See page 206. Accommodation. Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi (tajhotels.com): modern, comfortable hotel with an attractive garden and swimming pool. The hotel is well-situated in the heart of Lutyens’s Delhi and caters for both the business and leisure traveller. Ranjit Svaasa, Amritsar (svaasa.com): attractive colonial mansion converted into a characterful 4-star boutique hotel down a narrow alley off the main road. Taj Chandigarh, Chandigarh (tajhotels.com): modern 5-star hotel with elegantly furnished and well-appointed rooms. The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla (oberoihotels.com): landmark 19th-century 5-star heritage hotel converted into a luxury hotel in the 1930s. How strenuous? Fitness is essential. Unless you enjoy unimpaired mobility, cope with everyday walking and stair-climbing without difficulty and are reliably sure-footed, this tour is not for you. A rough indication of the minimum level of fitness required is that you ought to be able to walk briskly at c. 3 miles per hour for at least half an hour, and undertake a walk at a more leisurely pace for 1–2 hours unaided. Uneven ground and irregular paving are standard. There are some steep walks. Unruly traffic and the busy streets of larger cities require vigilance. There is a 5-hour train journey during which facilities are limited and may be of poor quality. Most sites have some shade but the Indian sun is strong, even in the cooler seasons. Average distance by coach per day: 33 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Bengal by River Calcutta & a week’s cruise along the Hooghly

Four days in Calcutta, Bengal’s capital, and a week visiting places along the River Hooghly on an exclusively chartered cruiser. Bengal, an outpost of the Mughal Empire and the first region to come under the control of the East India Company. Islamic architecture in Murshidabad and Gaur, Hindu temples in Baranagar and Kalna, Georgian and Victorian buildings of the Raj. Sailing along the banks of the Hooghly gives a unique insight into unspoilt village life. Led by Dr Anna-Maria Misra, an Oxford academic whose research focusses on the history of India and the British Empire.

Itinerary Days 1 & 2: London to Calcutta (Kolkata), via Dubai. Fly at c. 1.30pm from London Heathrow to Calcutta via Dubai (Emirates) where there is a 2-hour stop. Reach the hotel c. 9.00am (time difference from UK is 5½ hours) on Day 2. Those not taking our group flights can check in from 2.00pm on Day 1. Day 2: Calcutta. The morning is free. In the afternoon visit the South Park Street Cemetery, where tombs of the early British settlers are of a monumental classicism without parallel in Britain. First of four nights in Calcutta. Day 3: Calcutta. The Anglican cathedral of St Paul, completed in 1847 in Gothic style, has many fine memorials and a window by Burne-Jones, one of his best. Completed in 1921, the Victoria Memorial is the most imposing building in Calcutta. It houses a collection of European paintings and a display on the history of the city. The Indian Museum, built by Granville to house the collection from the Asiatic Society, is India’s most important collection of sculpture. Overnight Calcutta.

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When George V announced in 1911 that the capital of British India was to be transferred from Calcutta to Delhi, there was disbelief and horror in Bengal. It seemed to overturn the natural order of things. Founded by Job Charnock in 1690 on the banks of the mighty Hooghly River, Calcutta (now Kolkata) had been the headquarters of British rule in India ever since. Today the city is home to over fifteen million, but the central district remains largely as it was during the Raj. Buildings of all sorts – political, economic, educational, religious, residential – formed the British city. Their styles, Classical and Gothic, are bizarrely familiar, and their size is startling, often exceeding their equivalents in Britain. A walk through the South Park Street Cemetery shows the high price that many Britons paid for coming to Calcutta in search of wealth. ‘Power on silt!’ wrote Kipling of the city. ‘Death in my hands, but Gold!’ West Bengal is the land of lost capitals and fading grandeur. Calcutta was only the latest city whose power was snatched away by changing political events. Hindus, Muslims, Portuguese, Dutch, Danish and French all founded settlements on the dreamy, fertile banks of the Hooghly. For a time Bengal was the richest province in India, not only because everything seemed to grow in its lush soil but from the industry of its people too. Indigo, opium and rice were cash crops, but textiles first attracted European traders in the seventeenth century. Beautiful silk and muslin fabrics were known as ‘woven wind’ because they were so fine. The river was a natural highway. Apart from the Grand Trunk Road of the Mughals, there was no other way to travel. Steeped in history but still very much off the conventional tourist route, this tour adds a new dimension to India for those who already know it, and for those who are yet to encounter it. Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, and Christianity are all practised in Bengal and each faith has built buildings to its gods and goddesses. The town of Kalna is named after a manifestation of the dreaded goddess Kali, the destroyer who lives in cremation grounds and wears a necklace of skulls. By contrast the Jain temples in the village of Baranagar are a peaceful anthem in carved brick to non-violence and harmony. Bengal contains the largest imambaras in India, buildings associated with the Shi’a strand of Islam, not quite mausolea,

although burials are frequently found in them, more gathering places for the devout. Serampore, the Danish settlement, is known for its eighteenthcentury church. Had the British under Clive not defeated the Nawab Siraj-ud-daula at the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the history of India would have been very different. The French, established at Chandernagore and allies of the Nawab, would have seized their opportunity, supported by Francophone rulers elsewhere in India who wanted to counterbalance the pervasive British presence. But it was from their base in Bengal that the British steadily extended their rule through the subcontinent. The cruiser chartered for this tour is fairly new (built in Calcutta in 2013). By the standards of vessels on European rivers it is not luxurious, but it is comfortable, has great charm and the crew are welcoming and efficient. Lounging on the top deck after a fulfilling day of sightseeing with a gin & tonic (of which a quota is included in the price), watching rural life on the banks as dusk falls, comes pretty close to a perfect Indian experience.

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25 March–7 April 2017 (md 195) 14 days • £5,230 Lecturer: Dr Anna-Maria Misra

Calcutta, the South Park Street Cemetery, drawing by Desmond Doig. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Bengal by river continued

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Day 4: Calcutta. This morning’s walk provides a survey of the civic buildings from the late 18th-century. St John’s Church, which dates back to 1784, is loosely modelled on St Martin-in-theFields in London (like hundreds throughout the globe). In the grounds, the mausoleum of Job Charnock, the founder of Calcutta, is the earliest British building in India. Overnight Calcutta. Day 5: Calcutta. The Maghen David Synagogue (1884) and the Armenian Church (1707) are reminders of the variety of religions which thrived in Calcutta prior to Independence. The Home of Rabindranath Tagore, the Bengali poet and philosopher who received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913, provides an insight into the Bengali Intellectual Renaissance which in turn led to the Independentist movement. In the evening visit Srijit Tagore’s Residence for a private Bharatanatyam performance by world acclaimed dancer, Souraja Tagore. Overnight Calcutta. Day 6: Serampore. Board the RV Rajmahal in Calcutta. Sail to the former Danish colony of Serampore. It came under British rule in 1845. First of seven nights on board the RV Rajmahal. Day 7: Chandernagore, Chinsura, Hooghly. In the morning, sail upstream to the former French colony of Chandernagore, established in 1673. Visit the remaining churches and cemeteries as well as Governor Joseph François Dupleix’s House. Sail to Chinsura to visit the 17th-century Dutch cemetery before continuing by cyclerickshaw to Hooghly where the 19th-century Shi’a Imambara of Hazi Mohammed Mohasin contains fine marble inlay. Overnight RV Rajmahal.

Day 8: Kalna, Nabadwip, Mayapur. At Kalna, visit the series of fine 18th-century terracotta temples and the unique Shiva temple with concentric rings comprising 108 double-vaulted shrines. Sail to the pilgrimage centre of Nabadwip, where the river ghats are lined with active temples for a leisurely walk in the bazaar. The skyline of Mayapur on the opposite bank is dominated by a vast new temple. Overnight RV Rajmahal. Day 9: Matiari, Plassey. Visit the village of Matiari where brass is worked using traditional methods. After sailing further, there is an excursion to the site of the battle of Plassey, where Robert Clive’s 1757 victory over the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah was the prelude to consolidation and extension of the East India Company’s power in Bengal and beyond. Overnight RV Rajmahal at Murshidabad. Day 10: Murshidabad. The Mughal Khushbagh is a peaceful walled pleasure-garden containing the Tomb of Siraj-ud-Daulah and family. A magnificent example of Greek Revival architecture, the Hazarduari Palace was built by Duncan McLeod in 1837 as a guest house for the Nawab. The museum holds a respectable collection of European paintings, sculpture and arms. The imposing Katra Mosque (1724) is modelled on the great mosque at Mecca. Visit the Nashipara and Katgola palaces, 18th-century homes of rich Jain merchants in classical Georgian style. Overnight RV Rajmahal. Day 11: Baranagar. Sail to the village of Baranagar and walk through fields to visit three miniature carved-brick Jain temples. Sail in the afternoon through a stretch of charming

waterway that weaves past banks lush with mango groves and mustard crops. Overnight RV Rajmahal at Jangipur. Day 12: Gaur, Farakka. Drive from Jangipur to the quiet city of Gaur, the ancient capital of Bengal. Situated within easy reach of the black basalt Rajmahal hills, Gaur is fi lled with elegant Muslim ruins. The many mosques, palaces and gateways stand as testament to a prosperous past and gifted stonemasons. Overnight RV Rajmahal. Day 13: Disembark Farakka. Calcutta. At Farakka, disembark the RV Rajmahal in the morning and transfer to the station to board a train for Calcutta (a journey of c. 4 hours). The rest of the day is at leisure. One more night in Calcutta. Day 14: Calcutta to London, via Dubai. Drive to the airport to board a flight departing at c. 9.45am. After a 2-hour stopover in Dubai, the flight arrives in Heathrow at c. 8.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £5,230 or £4,630 without international flights. Single occupancy: £6,040 or £5,440 without international flights. Included meals: 11 lunches (including 1 packed lunch) and 12 dinners with wine. Visas. British citizens and most other foreign nationals require a tourist visa. See page 206. Accommodation. Oberoi Grand, Calcutta (oberoihotels.com): long-established luxury hotel conveniently located in the city centre. RV Rajmahal, River Cruiser (assambengalnavigation. com): built in 2013, not luxurious but adequately comfortable boat, with great charm. Changes to the itinerary. Circumstances might arise which prevent us operating the tour as advertised. On the river, circumstances such as the ebb and flow of the tide and shift ing silt levels might necessitate omission of one or more ports of call. We would try and devise a satisfactory alternative.

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How strenuous? A good level of fitness is essential. Unless you enjoy entirely unimpaired mobility, cope with everyday walking and stair-climbing without difficulty and are reliably sure-footed, this tour is not for you. A rough indication of the minimum level of fitness required is that you ought to be able to walk briskly at about three miles per hour for at least half an hour, and undertake a walk at a more leisurely pace for an hour or two unaided. You may be on your feet for lengthy stretches of time. Uneven ground and irregular paving are standard. Sure-footedness is essential to get on and off the ship; the riverbanks may be slippery. Unruly traffic and the busy streets of Calcutta also require vigilance. There are a few fairly steep ascents to hilltop forts and temples. There is a 4-hour train journey where facilities may be limited. Group size: between 10 and 24 participants. Combine this tour with: Indian Summer, 13–25 March 2017 (contact us for full details or visit www.martinrandall.com).

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Advertisement in ‘The Times of India Annual’ 1935. book online at www.martinrandall.com

kingdoms of the deccan Art & architecture, sixth to eighteenth centuries IndIA

Hampi, wood engraving c. 1870.

10–23 February 2017 (md 143) 14 days • £5,210 Lecturer: Asoka Pugal Islamic architecture in the four cities of the Bahmani sultanate founded in the 14th and 15th centuries (Gulbarga, Bidar, Bijapur, Golconda). Hindu architecture of the Chalukyas from the 6th to the 12th centuries (Badami, Aihole, Pattadakal). Hyderabad was one of India’s largest princedoms and retains a rich artistic heritage.

The Deccan plateau has distinctive, dramatic, rocky landscapes. Vijayanagara, the City of Victory, was founded in 1336 and its eponymous empire ruled the Deccan until its defeat by the Islamic forces at the battle of Talikota in 1565. This political entity is often regarded by historians as the last Hindu power of the region. It marks the transition between the early Hindu kingdoms, such as the Chalukyas who ruled from the sixth century to the twelft h, and the Muslim sultanates which succeeded them and continued to rule until Independence in 1947. The Chalukyas’ architectural tradition developed from the early rock-cut caves at Aihole and Badami to the free-standing structural Hindu temples in Pattadakal. This evolution is

the hotel in Hyderabad at c. 7.15am on Day 2. Those not taking our group flights can check in from 2.00pm on Day 1. Day 2: Hyderabad. The morning is free. In the afternoon walk in Lal Bazaar, the centre of the historical city; see the Char Minar, the monumental gateway to the new 16th-century palace complex. Overnight Hyderabad. Day 3: Golconda. Now within Hyderabad, Golconda was the first Islamic settlement in the area. The citadel of the Qutb Shahis, protected by three concentric walls built 1512–1687, is an excellent example of the Bahmani military architecture. Nearby are grand royal tombs, with bulbous domes and elaborate stucco, and the Badshahi Ashurkhana is a very fine example of the Shia architectural tradition. Lunch today is in the former Nizam’s palace. Overnight Hyderabad.

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Day 4: Hyderabad. Today’s visits focus on Hyderabad after it was annexed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1687 and subsequently ruled by the Nizam. The Chaumahalla Palace was completed in 1750 and comprises four mansions set around a garden. The Durbar Hall (public meeting space) with its Belgian crystal chandeliers is an indication of the Nizam’s wealth and taste for things European. The day ends with a special visit to a private collection of Indian paintings and textiles. Overnight Hyderabad.

Days 1 & 2: London to Hyderabad. Fly from London Heathrow at c. 2.45pm direct to Hyderabad, and after a 5½ hour time change reach

Day 5: Bidar. A four-hour drive to Bidar, the capital of the Bahmani Sultanate from 1425 until its annexation to the kingdom of Bijapur Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Hampi was capital of the leading Hindu power from the 14th to 16th centuries, a most beautiful and fascinating centre.

clearly confined to sacred architecture. By contrast, the Vijayanagara empire, while further developing and standardising the sacred architecture of Hinduism, also developed an imperial idiom, mixing sacred and vernacular elements and gradually integrating Islamic elements borrowed from the emerging sultanates. From the fourteenth century onwards, the Deccan saw a sequence of four Islamic sultanates, each with its own capital. In 1347, Ala-ud-Din Bahman founded his capital in Gulbarga after declaring his independence from the Delhi sultans. The capital was later shifted to Bidar in 1425. Bijapur and Golconda later gained importance following the demise of Bidar. The foundation of every new capital gave impetus to the local building traditions. Unlike in north India where most Islamic centres were built on existing Hindu cities, the Deccan sultanates built their capitals anew and a distinct Islamic architecture developed. A feature of the tour is time spent visiting places where very few tourists venture. This involves some long coach journeys and two overnight stays in fairly simple accommodation, but the reward is the thrill of deserted citadels with their superb palaces and mosques and impressive fortifications.

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kingdoms of the deccan continued

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Visas: India British citizens and most other foreign nationals require a tourist visa. We will advise on the procedure however the cost of the visa is not included in the price of the tour because you have to obtain it yourself. Tourists can choose between the standard tourist visa and the recently introduced E-tourist visa. The current cost for a standard tourist visa for UK nationals is around £95 including service fees and requires submitting your passport to the India Visa Application Centre in your country of residence prior to departure. Processing times vary from country to country but UK residents should expect to be without their passport for up to 10 days.

Bijapur, tomb of Ibrahim Padshah, steel engraving c. 1845.

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in 1619. Of particular interest are the 16-pillared mosque and the Rangeen Mahal, the Palace of Colours, so called because of the wall tiles and mother-of-pearl inlays. Following a visit to the Royal Tombs at Ashtur, continue to Gulbarga. Overnight Gulbarga.

Day 10: Badami. Free morning in Badami, now a charming small town beside a lake overlooked by rugged red sandstone cliffs. In the afternoon there is a five-hour drive through remote and rural countryside to Hospet, our base to visit the World Heritage Site of Hampi. First of three nights here.

Day 6: Gulbarga, Bijapur. The small town of Gulbarga is of major historical importance. The first Bahmani capital in the Deccan, it was founded in 1347 before being abandoned in 1424 in favour of Bidar. The Jami Masjid (Friday Mosque), similar to the Cordoba Mezquita in form and dimensions, is unique in south India as it is fully covered and has no minarets; one theory claims it was built as a palace. A 5-hour drive to Bijapur, arriving in time to visit the Gol Gumbaz, a monumental domed tomb, before sunset. Overnight Bijapur.

Day 11: Hospet, Hampi. The ruins of the Vijayanagara capital, 1336–1565, lie in a remarkable landscape strewn with granite boulders and spread along the Tunghabhadra river. The extensive site is organised around two main areas, the Sacred Centre with its concentration of temples and shrines, and the Royal Centre. The Sacred Centre is close to the river and includes the Virupaksha Temple in the middle of the village and Hemakuta Hill with its numerous shrines and commanding views of the area. Overnight Hospet.

Day 7: Bijapur, Badami. In the morning there is a walk through the old town to see the many historic buildings. The walk continues around the city walls and gates. The Ibrahim Rauza tomb complex consists of two intricately carved twin buildings finished in 1626, the tomb of Ibrahim Adil Shah II and the mosque. In the afternoon we leave the Islamic region and drive for four hours to the centre of the former Hindu Chalukya kingdom. First of three nights in Badami.

Day 12: Hampi. Following a visit to the Vitthala temple, today’s visits focus on the Royal Centre and its secular buildings. Most striking is the Lotus Mahal in the Zenana enclosure with its cusped arches and pyramidal towers, a superb example of the syncretic architecture of Vijayanagara. Overnight Hospet.

Day 8: Aihole, Pattadakal. Numerous Jain and Hindu temples are scattered around the village of Aihole, a clear sign of its religious significance from the 6th to the 12th centuries. The sculptures of the Durga temple are among the finest of the Chalukya period. The World Heritage Site of Pattadakal nearby is celebrated for embodying the last stage of Chalukyan architecture, 8th–9th centuries. This is a unique site where the three distinct styles of Indian religious architecture are found in close proximity. Overnight Badami. Day 9: Badami. The capital of the early Chalukyas from the 6th to the 8th centuries, Badami has superb examples of early sacred architecture, both rock-cut and free-standing. Moreover, the sculptural programme of the cave temples provides a fascinating insight into the Hindu iconographic development of this period. Overnight Badami. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Day 13: Hospet, Belgaum. Depart in the early morning to drive to Belgaum airport for a midday flight to Mumbai (Bombay). The afternoon is free. Overnight Mumbai. Day 14: Mumbai. Drive to the airport to board a flight departing at c. 1.15pm. Arrive at London Heathrow at c. 5.45pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £5,210 or £4,490 without international flights. Single occupancy: £5,750 or £5,030 without international flights. Included meals: 12 lunches (including 3 packed lunches) and 12 dinners with wine. Visas. British citizens and most other foreign nationals require a tourist visa. See above right. Accommodation. Some of the hotels on this tour are less than luxurious, but they are adequately clean and comfortable, and all the rooms have

Alternatively applications for E-tourist visas are made through the Government of India Visa Online website and cost US$60 per passenger. The application is processed online and does not require passport submission. The E-tourist visa is valid for single entry for a stay of up to 30 days, and can be applied for 30 days in advance of the date of arrival in India. en suite bathrooms. Taj Krishna, Hyderabad (tajhotels.com): grand and comfortable 5-star hotel, modern if a little dated. Lumbinis Grand Hotel, Gulbarga (lumbinisgrandhotel.com): fairly simple though the best in town; clean and not uncomfortable, rooms are spacious and have en suite facilities. Madhuvan International, Bijapur: basic but friendly hotel, similar to Gulbarga. Badami Court, Badami (hotelbadamicourt.com): a pleasant hotel with willing service around a garden with a small pool. Heritage Resort, Hampi (heritageresorthampi.com): the newest and best in town, 6km from Vijayanagara World Heritage Site. The Leela, Mumbai (theleela.com): conveniently located 5-star hotel with all modern amenities. How strenuous? A good level of fitness is essential. Unless you enjoy entirely unimpaired mobility, cope with everyday walking and stair-climbing without difficulty and are reliably sure-footed, this tour is not for you. A rough indication of the minimum level of fitness required is that you ought to be able to walk briskly at about three miles per hour for at least half an hour, and undertake a walk at a more leisurely pace for an hour or two unaided. Uneven ground and irregular paving are standard. Unruly traffic and the busy streets of larger cities require some vigilance. There are fairly steep ascents to hilltop forts and temples and long coach journeys during which facilities are limited and may be of poor quality. Most sites have some shade but the Indian sun is strong, even in the cooler seasons. Average distance by coach per day: 56 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Painted Palaces of rajasthan jodhpur, nagaur, Bikaner, the shekhawati & jaipur

A chronological survey of the remarkable phenomenon of architectural paintings. Architecture of forts and palaces, from the grimly defensible to filigree finesse. Includes places rarely visited by tourists, and lingers longer in well-known places. Private visit of the painting gallery of Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur. Led by Dr Giles Tillotson, a leading expert in Rajput and Mughal history and architecture.

Itinerary Day 1: Delhi. The tour begins in Delhi with a pre-lunch talk in the hotel bar, followed by lunch in the hotel restaurant at c. 12.45pm. YOur room is available from 2.00pm the previous afternoon. (flights from London are not included – see ‘Practicalities’). In the afternoon visit the National Museum’s impressive and well-displayed collection of miniature paintings, from both Mughal and Rajput traditions, studying their differences and similarities. Overnight Delhi. Day 2: Delhi, Jodhpur. Fly from Delhi to Jodhpur in the morning (Jet Airways). Presiding over the capital of one of the largest Rajput states in western Rajasthan is the magnificent Mehrangarh Fort. Described by Kipling as the ‘work of angels, fairies and giants’, it was built in 1459 and has some of the most imposing fortifications in the

world. Private dinner in the fort’s garden. First of two nights in Jodhpur. Day 3: Jodhpur. Created in resplendent white marble, Jaswant Thada is the large 19th-cent. memorial of Jaswant Singh II and cremation ground of the Marwar rulers. The visit to Mehrangarh examines the painting tradition of the Marwari Rajputs, with special admission to the gallery led by the curator. The buildings of the lively Old City are painted in a variety of blues, originally the colour denoting the homes of Brahmins. Overnight Jodhpur. Day 4: Mandore, Nagaur. Mandore was the capital of the Marwari state until 1895 when it moved to Jodhpur. On the ancient cremation grounds, the royal cenotaphs are unique in Rajasthan as they resemble Hindu temples. In the afternoon, drive through the desert to Nagaur, one of the earliest Rajput settlements and an important Sufi centre. First of two nights in Nagaur. Day 5: Nagaur. Ahichhatragarh Fort (linked to the hotel by a corridor) was founded in the 4th cent. and developed and embellished in the 18th. Pre-Mughal and Mughal architecture is well preserved in the palace chambers; the Akbari Mahal, built to commemorate the visit of the Emperor Akbar in 1570, has some original floral murals, while the Hadi Rani Mahal houses some 16th-cent. murals in shades of green depicting daily and courtly scenes. The rest of the day is free. Overnight Nagaur. Day 6: Nagaur, Bikaner. In the morning, drive to Bikaner for lunch at the Laxmi Vilas Palace, a masterpiece of Indo-Saracenic architecture designed by Sir Swinton Jacob (1902). The Jain Bhandasar Temple is said to be older than the city itself, although the current building dates from

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Rajasthan has long been famous for the great forts and palaces built by the Rajputs. These Hindu maharajas first resisted Muslim expansion in North India but then became co-architects of the Mughal empire. Their fine cities have been magnets for tourists and travellers since the days of Pierre Loti and Rudyard Kipling. Some have ancient origins, but in the more settled times of the heyday of the Mughals and of the period of British rule, they built increasingly elaborate and delicately ornamented palace apartments within the embattled forts of their forebears. These deservedly rank among the most visited and admired of Indian sites. More recently rediscovered are the exquisite painted mansions built by the merchant classes in some of the smaller towns of the region. The Rajput rulers represent the warrior class, the people who carved out kingdoms and asserted the right to rule by force of arms. Powerful as they were, they could never work alone and they looked to other communities – to the priests and the merchant classes – to provide the administrative brains and business acumen that ensured their states were well governed and prosperous. The most successful people among these groups developed their own styles of architectural opulence. This unusual tour of Rajasthan presents both aspects of the state, combining relatively short travel distances with maximum cultural impact. The three forts of Mehrangarh (in Jodhpur), Ahichhatragarh (in Nagaur) and Junagadh (in Bikaner) include some of the finest painted interiors in all of Rajasthan, dating from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The stylistic starting point is the composite culture that the Rajputs developed with their Mughal contemporaries; but in these interiors that style is invigorated by elements drawn from Rajasthan’s distinctive folk culture. There are also exquisite gardens, especially the extensive and recently restored garden complex in Nagaur. And with the later palace buildings of Jodhpur, the Sufi shrine of Nagaur and the temples of Bikaner, these three cities have much else to offer besides. The second part of the tour takes us through the best preserved towns in the area known as Shekhawati. Here especially, the merchant communities constructed elegant palatial homes or courtyard houses known as havelis. In the arid landscape these buildings appear like a colourful pageant celebrating the muralists’ art. Even the

exterior walls are covered with lively scenes drawn from religion, folklore and everyday life. Ironically some of the leading patrons never got to live in these homes. With the rise of British power in the nineteenth century, they migrated to Calcutta, where the greater business opportunities lay. They continued to remit funds in generous quantities to the towns of their origins, funding public welfare schemes as well as their own estates – all undertaken against the day of eventual return, which has still not come to pass. The tour begins in Delhi, India’s capital, where the Mughal and British monuments place the various phases of our Rajasthani odyssey in the larger imperial context; and ends in Jaipur, the celebrated capital of Rajasthan, built according to the Vastu Shastra, the architectural treatise from the Vedic age which enjoyed a revival under the Hindu rulers of Rajputana in the eighteenth century.

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7–19 November 2017 (me 674) 13 days • £5,710 International flights are not included Lecturer: Dr Giles Tillotson

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Jaipur, watercolour by Mortimer Menpes, publ. c. 1910. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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IndIA Jaipur, the Amber Palace, from Indian India, As Seen by a Guest in Rajasthan by C.W. Waddington, 1933.

the 15th cent. and has fine paintings. First of two nights in Bikaner. Day 7: Bikaner. Unlike most Rajput strongholds, Junagadh Fort is not built on a hill. Founded in 1588, it displays a variety of painting styles, from traditional Rajput motifs to early 20th-cent. depictions of trains. The Monsoon Palace has some highly unusual paintings of rain clouds and lightning, while the Diwan-i-Khas, the hall of private audience, is profusely decorated with gold leaf. There is a special opening of the Phool Mahal, the oldest part of the palace. Overnight Bikaner. Day 8: Bikaner, Mandawa (Shekhawati). The desert villages of the Shekhawati region of northern Rajasthan are celebrated for their painted havelis (merchants’ mansions), which go back to the 18th century. The Nand Lal Devra haveli in Fatehpur has some newly restored examples. A leisurely walk in Mandawa reveals some interesting depictions of flying machines and other modern appliances. Overnight in Mandawa.

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Day 9: Mandawa, Jaipur. The four-hour coach journey to Jaipur drives through the scenic Aravalli range. Founded in the 18th cent. by the prominent Rajput ruler Sawai Jai Singh, the design of Jaipur demonstrates its creator’s obsession with mathematics and science. The dramatically located site of Galta outside Jaipur features temples, leisure pavilions, sacred water spring and tanks. First of three nights in Jaipur. Day 10: Jaipur. The City Palace contains an unsurpassed collection of paintings and artefacts. The Jantar Mantar, the 1730s observatory is equipped with massive astronomical instruments that are astonishingly accurate. A walk takes in the many-windowed façade of the pink sandstone Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) and attractive havelis. The former duck-hunting lodge Jal Mahal is situated in the middle of Man Sagar lake (visit by special permission). Overnight Jaipur.

book online at www.martinrandall.com

Day 11: Jaipur. Athwart a natural ridge, the magnificent yellow walls of the 18th-cent. Amber Palace conceal fine craftsmanship – mirrored chambers, latticed windows, carved alabaster. In the afternoon there is free time to visit the painting and gem markets for which Jaipur is famous. Overnight Jaipur. Day 12: Jaipur, Delhi. Fly to Delhi around lunchtime (Jet Airways). Overnight near the airport. Day 13: Delhi. Car transfers to Delhi Airport can be arranged for your onward journey.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £5,710. Single occupancy: £6,660. Included meals: 9 lunches, 9 dinners, with wine. Flights from London to Delhi are not included in the price of the tour. We will send the recommended flight options with your confirmation of booking and ask that you make your own flight reservation. The cost of a World Traveller (economy) seat at the time of going to press is c. £750 and will be available to book towards the end of November 2016. Visas. British citizens and most other foreign nationals require a tourist visa. See page 206. Accommodation. Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi (tajhotels.com): 5-star centrally located hotel. Hotel Raas, Jodhpur (raasjodhpur.com): boutique hotel within the walled city. Hotel Ranvas, Nagaur (ranvasnagaur.com): 17th-century palace converted into a luxury hotel. Narendra Bhawan Hotel, Bikaner (narendrabhawan.com): 5-star luxury hotel. Hotel Vivaana, Mandawa (vivaana. com): painted haveli converted into a comfortable hotel. Trident, Jaipur (tridenthotels.com): comfortable 4-star hotel close to Man Sagar lake. Leela Gurgaon, Delhi (theleela.com): 5-star hotel overlooking the Rajokri nature reserve.

Dr Giles Tillotson. Writer and lecturer on Indian architecture, art and history. his books include Taj Mahal, Jaipur Nama: Tales from the Pink City, and the novel, Return to Bhanupur. he is a fellow, and the former director, of the royal Asiatic society and was Chair of Art & Archaeology at sOAs. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

How strenuous? A good level of fitness is essential. Unless you enjoy entirely unimpaired mobility, cope with everyday walking and stair-climbing without difficulty and are reliably sure-footed, this tour is not for you. A rough indication of the minimum level of fitness required is that you ought to be able to walk briskly at about 3 miles per hour for at least half an hour, and undertake a walk at a more leisurely pace for an hour or two unaided. Uneven ground and irregular paving are standard. There are a few fairly steep ascents to hilltop forts and temples. There are three 3-hour coach journeys during which facilities are limited and may be of poor quality. Most sites have some shade but the Indian sun is strong, even in the cooler seasons. We regret that we do not accept bookings from people who would be 81 or over at the time of the tour. Average distance by coach per day: 60 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Assam by river Tribal India along the Brahmaputra

Remote, unspoilt, largely pre-modern, this is an India seen by very few tourists. Cruise on the Brahmaputra in a privately chartered, locally built vessel. Authentic villages scarcely touched by modern life with a variety of tribes and traditions. Spectacular wildlife, including rhinos, elephants, buffalo, Gangetic dolphins and a wonderful variety of birds. Led by Lesley Pullen, lecturer of Southeast Asian Art at SOAS. By an accident of British colonial history, Greater Assam was ceded to the British East India Company in 1826 at the end of the 1st AngloBurmese war. Following Independence from Britain in 1947, India established seven modern states, the so-called ‘Seven Sisters’, out of Greater Assam. The modern state of Assam is the largest of these contemporary states. Strategically positioned between the SubContinent of India and the nations of Southeast Asia, Assam is often considered one of the forgotten states of India, one of the least visited by domestic and international visitors. This tour is designed to reveal some of the hidden mysteries of Assam and the Brahmaputra River.

Spread across the broad Brahmaputra flood plain, Assam plays host to a variety of religions including Shivaism, an unusual Tantric Shaktism, and later a Neo-Vaishnavism. Over the centuries, peoples of different races, religions and cultures have migrated onto this fertile landscape from Southeast Asia, from the Himalayas and from China. With such an interwoven history, and despite decades of immigration from the over populated surrounding lands, Assam retains into the twenty first century a unique culture which refuses to conform to any recognizable Indian or Southeast Asian narrative, has been little researched by India scholars, and remains poorly comprehended by international academics. The Chinese monk Hieun Tsang wrote of this land in his travelogue of 640 CE. The next known inscriptions are on copper-plates dated from the tenth-twelft h centuries. It was around the thirteenth century when a group of Hills peoples wandered into the Brahmaputra valley. They were the Ahom of the Shan tribe from upper Burma and the Yuan province in China. The Ahom settled in present day Shivsagar which translates as ‘the ocean of Lord Shiva’. Shivsager was the burial site of the last Ahom kings, it is rich with evidence of this once powerful empire and remained the capital of the Ahom who ruled Assam for more than six hundred years. With the state adoption of Shivaism, many temples and monuments were built across Assam. Most of these structures date to the medieval period and represent the architectural style of the Koch, Kachari and Ahom royal courts, bearing silent

witness to a once glorious past. Later Muslim incursions introduced Islam to the state, Sikhism flourished, and Buddhist communities have retained their traditions to this day. One ancient myth regarding the origins of Assam claims one of its ancient kings, the founder of the city now known as Guwahati was killed by the Vishnavite Lord Krisnan. The arrival of the British East India Company, following the Treaty of Yandabo with the Burmese in 1826, brought to an end the long self-rule of the Ahom over Assam. We are carried into the heartland of Assam along the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra River. This tour reflects on the material culture, crafts and historical sights of the Ahom people, and is accompanied by the startling beauty and peace which derives from cruising the Brahmaputra. Our small ship with its boxy profi le feels entirely appropriate in these waters, yet provides sufficient comfort (though not luxury) and plenty of character.

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29 November–10 December 2017 (me 719) 12 days • £4,580 International flights are not included Lecturer: Lesley Pullen

Itinerary Day 1: Kolkata. The tour begins in Kolkata with a lecture and lunch in the hotel restaurant at c. 12 noon. (Flights from London are not included. Your room is available from 2pm the previous day – see ‘Practicalities’.) Day 2: Kolkata to Guwahati. Fly to Guwahati (2½ hours), Assam’s capital. In the afternoon visit the Assam State museum for and introduction to assamese sculpture. First of two nights in Guwahati.

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Banyan and Boabob trees, steel engraving c. 1850. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Assam by River continued

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Day 3: Guwahati. The 17th century Kamakhya Temple is dedicated to the Goddess Durga, it is the most famous of the temples in Assam and a popular pilgrimage site too. In the afternoon drive to village of Sualkuchi, famous for the production of handloom muga, pat and eri silk. Almost every house has an adjacent shed or karkhana, some with traditional bamboo looms. Most of the silk production is woven into the traditional Assamese dress: mekhalar chaddar and gamosa.

Days 6, 7 & 8: tribal villages. Much of the daytime is spent sailing, enforced inactivity, with the opportunity to spot Gangetic dolphins and a range of water birds. On each of the three days there is a visit on foot to a traditional village. Remarkable survivals, the buildings are largely wood and bamboo (villages of the Mishing tribe are built on stilts). The Shiva temple at Viswanath dates from the reign of the Ahom King Rejeswer Singha (ad 751–69).

Day 4: Guwahati, Silghat. Drive via Tezpur to Silghat where the ship is moored (4 to 4½ hours). This passes through fascinating stretches of the Assamese scene, largely rural – rice fields, tea plantations, magnificent trees, bamboo-built villages and roadside markets. Situated on the north bank of the Brahmaputra, Tezpur holds a number of archaeological ruins, one of which is the Mahabhairav Temple dated to the 10th to 11th century, the present structure built in the 21st century, remains a pilgrimage site. Spend the first of seven nights on board RV Charaidew.

Day 9: Majuli Island, Shivsagar. Majuli is reputedly the largest river island in the world. It is the centre of a Neo-Vaishnava sect, a Hindu reform movement dating to the 15th century whose unique style of worship includes dance, drama, music and poetry. Visit two of the island’s many monasteries, hear highly sophisticated chanting and attend an authentic dance and drum ritual. A town on the mainland, Shivsagar was the capital of the Ahom kingdom in the 18th century. Monuments from this era include the Shiva Dol, the finest of such Assamese temples, the impressive remains of a royal palace and a beautifully proportioned pavilion for watching sporting spectacles.

Day 5: Kaziranga. Among the wildlife in Kaziranga National Park (850 square kilometres) are the majority of the world’s one-horned Asian rhinoceros population, elephants wild and domestic, wild buffalo, various deer, and, though they rarely reveal themselves, tigers, as well as 550 species of bird. Rise early for an elephant ride through the park, bringing you within yards of rhinos. After breakfast at a lodge spend another 2½ hours watching wildlife from a 4x4. Lunch on board, sail all afternoon. Engraving by Andrea Bernieri (1826–1842).

Day 10: Deopahar, Jorhat. Located in a tranquil setting on the summit of a wooded hill (200 steps) at Deopahar, the ruins of an 11th-century temple are outstanding for the profusion of elaborate decorative and figurative sculpture. The origins remain a mystery as yet unsolved, with their evocative faces and hands carved in stone. Lunch is at the lovely home of the proprietors of a tea estate which has been in the family since 1905, surrounded by glistening green tea plants under diaphanous shade trees. Last night on board RV Charaidew, moored at Neamati Ghat. Day 11: Jorhat to Kolkata After breakfast, disembark and drive to Jorhat Airport, thence to Kolkata via Guwahati (3-hour flight). Overnight Kolkata. Day 12: Kolkata. Car transfers to Kolkata airport can be arranged for you onward journey.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £4,580. Single occupancy: £5,230.

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Flights from London to Kolkata are not included in the price of the tour. We will send the recommended flight options with your confirmation of booking and ask that you make your own flight reservation. The cost of an economy seat at the time of going to press is c. £750 and will be available to book towards the start of December 2017.

Lesley Pullen. Art historian and lecturer, specialising in southeast Asian art. She was born in Sumatra and has lived in Asia for 25 years including latterly three years in India. She gained her Postgraduate Diploma and Masters at SOAS, where she is now researching for a PhD on the representation of textiles on Indonesian sculpture. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

luxurious, but it is comfortable and has charm and character. The décor is simple, floors and walls being of wood (largely teak and bamboo). Cabins are of moderate size and have twin or double beds and bathrooms with showers. There is a dining room and a saloon-cum-bar and a top deck which is half covered and has wickerwork chairs and loungers. The public rooms have full-length windows which can open (though in winter neither this facility nor the air-conditioning are likely to be used). An attached ‘country boat’ (tender) is sometimes used to reach the shore. The plentiful crew are willing and efficient if unsophisticated, and the food – Assamese and Indian – is excellent. Changes to the itinerary. On the river, circumstances such as the ebb and flow of the tide and shifting silt levels might necessitate omission of one or more ports of call. We would try to devise a satisfactory alternative. Visas. British citizens and most other foreign nationals require a tourist visa. See page 206. How strenuous? Although more leisurely than other MRT tours, a good level of fitness remains essential. Unless you enjoy entirely unimpaired mobility, cope with everyday walking and stair-climbing without difficulty and are reliably sure-footed, this tour is not for you. A rough indication of the minimum level of fitness required is that you ought to be able to walk briskly at about three miles per hour for at least half an hour, and undertake a walk at a more leisurely pace for an hour or two unaided. Uneven ground and irregular paving are standard. Unruly traffic and the busy streets of larger cities require some vigilance. There is a 4-hour coach journey. Outside hotels, ship and tea plantation, toilet facilities are abominable. Most sites have some shade but the Indian sun is strong, even in the cooler seasons. Group size: between 10 and 18 participants.

Included meals: 8 lunches, 9 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Oberoi Grand, Calcutta (oberoihotels.com): long-established luxury hotel conveniently located. Radisson Blu, Guwahati (radissonblu.com): modern hotel outise Guwahati. Unpretentious but comfortable. Spacious rooms, equivalent perhaps to a good European 3-star. River cruiser: RV Charaidew (assambengalnavigation.com): 38-metre, twinengine, steel-hulled passenger boat originally built in 1973 in Assam and rebuilt in 2003. By the standards of vessels on European rivers it is not

210 book online at www.martinrandall.com

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

sacred India Ancient religious art & architecture IndIA

5–18 March 2018 (me 777) 14 days • £5,930 International flights are not included Lecturer: Asoka Pugal A journey through the heartland of India to see many of India’s most remarkable religious sites. Varanasi, India’s most sacred city and Sarnath, where the Buddha preached his first sermon. The Hindu temples of Khajuraho and the caves of Ajanta and Ellora.

Itinerary Day 1: Delhi. The tour begins in Delhi with a lecture and lunch in the hotel restaurant at c.12 noon. (Flights from London are not included. Your room is available from 2pm the previous day – see ‘Practicalities’.) In the afternoon, visit the towering minaret and mosque at Qutb Minar, site of the first Islamic city of Delhi, established in 1193 on the grounds of a defeated Rajput fort. Overnight Delhi.

Ellora, steel engraving c. 1850.

Day 2: Delhi to Varanasi. Fly to Varanasi (Benares) in the morning. Afternoon walk through the old city and a boat ride on the holy Ganges at sunset to witness the Aarti ritual. This fire offering, which dates back to the time of the Buddha himself and revived in the 19th century, is a daily blessing ceremony and a central element of the religious life of this sacred city. First of three nights in Varanasi.

awe-inspiring 11th-cent. Kandariya Mahadev Temple is one of the finest examples of North Indian temple architecture, richly embellished with sensuous sculptures depicting the god’s heavenly abodes. Nearby, the Jagadambi Temple contains excellent carvings of Vishnu. In the afternoon, visit the eastern and southern groups of temples. Overnight Khajuraho.

Day 3: Sarnath, Varanasi. Sarnath is where the Buddha preached his first sermon and remains an active Buddhist centre. The Dhamek stupa in the Deer Park marks the spot where the Buddha sat to preach. The Sarnath museum houses the Ashokan lion capital, the symbol of modern India since independence. Afternoon visit to the Bharat Kala Bhavan, the university museum. Overnight Varanasi.

Day 7: Khajuraho to Orchha. Drive to Orchha. Located close to the Betwa River on dramatic rocky terrain, Orchha’s former glory as capital of the Bundela kings is evident in the multichambered Jehangir Mahal with lapis lazuli tiles and ornate gateways. The Raj Mahal palace contains some beautiful murals with religious and secular themes. Elegant Royal Chhatris (cenotaphs) line the ghats of the Betwa. Overnight Orchha.

Day 4: Varanasi. An early morning boat ride to witness the morning prayers and ablutions of the devout is followed by a walk among the sacred temples and holy ponds of the south part of the city, near Assi Ghat. Breakfast on the ghats (stepped embankments). Some free time in the afternoon. Overnight Varanasi. Day 5: Varanasi to Khajuraho. Fly to Khajuraho (Jet Airways) in the morning. After lunch, visit the Jain temples in the eastern group. The Parasnath Temple is conspicuous for its absence of erotic depictions. First of two nights in Khajuraho. Day 6: Khajuraho. In the morning, visit the spectacular western group of temples built during the Chandela Rajput dynasty, famous for the beautifully carved erotic scenes. The

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‘The sacredness of India haunts me like a passion.’ So declared that great proconsul Lord Curzon just over a century ago. To this day the notion of India as a specially sanctified space continues to shape but perhaps also to distort our image of the subcontinent, thanks in part to the Beatles, the Guru Maharishi and the Swinging Sixties. But what really sets India apart from other exotic corners of the globe is not so much its religiosity as the sheer abundance and variety of religious expression to be found there, together with the remarkable art and architecture it has generated. It is through the visual arts that the religious impulse finds its finest expression, and in India that expression extends over a period of some 3,500 years, moving from the snake- , treeand fertility-goddess-worship of the original forest dwellers right through to the present. This span of time encompasses the advent of the Aryan pastoralists with their Vedic gods; the challenges to Brahmanical authority by the founders of Buddhism and Jainism; Emperor Ashoka’s unifying imperial dharma; the counterreformation of devotional Hinduism and the cults of Shiva, Vishnu and Krishna; and the advance of Islam in both Sufic and militant form – to say nothing of Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Christianity and even Judaism. This ambitious and varied tour of India takes you on a journey through its very heartland which includes almost a dozen of India’s most remarkable religious sites, many of them on the World Heritage list. But it must be stressed that this is not a religious tour per se. Its object, quite simply, is to explore and, above all, enjoy India’s varied forms of religious experience in their proper context: not in museums and galleries but in those theatres where they have found their highest expression, both in terms of religious practice and artistic activity, whether beside the bathing ghats at Kashi, the City of Light (otherwise known as Benares and Varanasi), the finely carved temples at Khajuraho with their Tantric erotic carvings (yet to be fully understood), the ancient and austere rock-cut caves and temples at Ajanta, Ellora and Elephanta, or the sublime artistry of the great Buddhist stupa complex at Sanchi.

Day 8: Orchha to Bhopal. Drive to Jhansi and take an express train (3½ hours) to Bhopal in the morning. Arrival at the hotel c. 3.00pm. Some free time in the afternoon. First of two nights in Bhopal. Day 9: Sanchi, Vidisha. Remotely located in open, hilly and sparsely populated countryside, Sanchi is one of the treasures of India and a unesco heritage site. On top of a hill with lovely views all around, the site was supposedly founded by the Great Ashoka. The 2nd-cent. ad stupa with stone railings and four magnificently elaborately carved gateways survives almost intact. Nearby Vidisha was an important Hindu centre under the Gupta dynasty as seen in the majestic carving of Varaha, the boar incarnation of Vishnu. Overnight Bhopal. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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IndIA Varanasi, after a painting by William Carpenter (1818–1899).

Day 10: Bhopal to Mumbai. In the morning, fly to Mumbai. The Dr Bhau Daji Lad City Museum (built 1885) was formerly known as the Victoria & Albert and is the oldest museum in Mumbai. A private visit led by the curator explores the city’s distinctive communities and their respective religious practices. Overnight Mumbai. Day 11: Mumbai, Aurangabad. In the morning, take a privately chartered boat to Elephanta Island. The largest of the two groups is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The relief panels depict the god in various forms. The central Trimurti image, or threeheaded Shiva, is said to represent the three aspects of the deity and considered a masterpiece of Gupta art. After lunch, fly to Aurangabad. First of three nights in Aurangabad.

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Day 12: Ajanta. Cut into the volcanic lava of the Deccan plateau, the Buddhist caves at Ajanta were first excavated around the 2nd cent. bc. A later group of caves was built during the Gupta era in the 5th–6th cent. ad before the site was abandoned in the 7th century in favour of Ellora. Celebrated for their fine statuary and the refined wall paintings, they are often considered one of the greatest achievements in Indian art. Overnight Aurangabad. Day 13: Ellora. With their uninterrupted sequence spanning four centuries, the caves and rock-cut temples at Ellora are both artistic masterpieces and technological achievements. The various monasteries dedicated to Buddhism, Jainism and Brahmanism also attest to the religious tolerance which prevailed under the Rashtrakuta dynasty. The impressive rock-cut, monolithic Kailashanatha Temple marks the transition between rock-cut and structural architecture, which took place around the 8th century across the Deccan. Overnight in Aurangabad.

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Day 14: Mumbai. Fly early in the morning to Mumbai where the tour ends. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £5,930. Single occupancy: £6,880. Flights from London to Delhi and Mumbai to London are not included in the price of the tour. We will send the recommended flight options with your confirmation of booking and ask that you make your own flight reservation. The cost of a World Traveller (economy) seat with Britsih Airways at the time of going to press is c. £500 and will be available to book towards the middle of March 2017. Included meals: 11 lunches (including 2 packed lunches) and 10 dinners with wine. Visas. British citizens and most other foreign nationals require a tourist visa. See page 206. Accommodation. The Taj Mahal, Delhi (tajhotels. com): a modern and comfortable hotel catering for both the business and leisure traveller, ideally situated in the heart of Lutyens’s Delhi; attractive garden and swimming pool. The Taj Gateway Ganges, Varanasi (tajhotels.com): a large, functional yet comfortable 4-star hotel with contemporary touches to the recently renovated rooms; located close to the centre but removed from the bustle in its 40 acres of garden, with a pool. The Lalit Temple, Khajuraho (thelalit. com): a modern hotel within walking distance of the main site, surrounded by a well-tended garden; rooms are spacious with large windows overlooking the pool or garden. The Jehan Numa Palace, Bhopal (jehannuma.com): a former royal residence on the edge of the city with gardens, verandas and a swimming pool. Bedrooms vary but all are comfortable and well equipped. The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai (tajhotels.com): an iconic landmark and a masterpiece of IndoSaracenic architecture, comfortable, centrally located and with excellent service. The Taj

Asoka Pugal. historian and lecturer. Born in Tamil nadu, he graduated from the university of Madras followed by postgraduate studies at Madras law College. he has worked in the tourist industry for many years and has produced TV documentaries. In 2001, he joined the Board of studies in Ancient history and Archaeology at the university of Madras. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. Residency, Aurangabad (tajhotels.com): a pleasant hotel set amid well-tended gardens. The rooms are comfortable, with private balconies. How strenuous? A good level of fitness is essential. Unless you enjoy entirely unimpaired mobility, cope with everyday walking and stair-climbing without difficulty and are reliably sure-footed, this tour is not for you. A rough indication of the minimum level of fitness required is that you ought to be able to walk briskly at about 3 miles per hour for at least half an hour, and undertake a walk at a more leisurely pace for an hour or two unaided. Uneven ground and irregular paving are standard. Sure-footedness is essential to board the river boats. Unruly traffic and the busy streets of larger cities require vigilance. There are some fairly steep ascents to hilltop forts and temples and numerous steps in Ajanta and Ellora. There are 2 coach journeys over 2 hours during which facilities are limited and may be of poor quality. Most sites have some shade but the Indian sun is strong, even in the cooler seasons. Average distance by coach per day: 38 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

japanese Gardens Tokyo, kyoto, hikone, nara & kanazawa

A study of the evolution of Japanese gardens through the centuries at the time of striking autumn colours.

these various styles in the imposing gardens of the samurai elite in Tokyo. It offers an insight into the symbolism incorporated into the various styles and the opportunity to appreciate the relationship of gardens to the Japanese way of life.

Itinerary

From Kyoto’s wealth of exquisite temple gardens to Tokyo’s hill-and-pond gardens with time in each city to explore other aspects of Japanese culture.

Day 1. London to Tokyo. Fly at c. 11.45am (Japan Airlines) to Tokyo. Those not taking our flights can check in from 2.00pm today.

Fine examples of ‘borrowed scenery’ at Nara, with its Buddhist temples and deer park, and Hikone Castle on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa.

Day 2: Tokyo. Arrive at Tokyo Haneda Airport at c.7.15am and transfer to the hotel. Rooms will be ready before lunch. In the afternoon, visit the Imperial Palace (formerly Edo Castle), and the reconstructed East Palace Garden. First of two nights in Tokyo.

Led by Yoko Kawaguchi, cultural historian and author of Japanese Zen Gardens and Authentic Japanese Gardens.

Day 3: Tokyo. At Edo, the daimyo (feudal lords) built grand residences with vast gardens. The 17th-cent. landscape garden Koishikawa Korakuen reflects their sumptuous, eclectic tastes. Nezu Kaichiro’s collection of Far Eastern arts is well presented in the eponymous museum, which has a delightful wooded garden dotted with teahouses. In the afternoon, visit Kiyosumi, a superb, late19th-century landscape garden built for Iwasaki Yataro, founder of the Mitsubishi conglomerate. Day 4: Kyoto. Bullet train to Kyoto (luggage by road). In the afternoon, drive to the picturesque Arashiyama district west of the city, where the famed Togetsukyo Bridge crosses the Katsura River. Visit the-14th-century Tenryu-ji, a Zen Buddhist temple and its panoramic pond garden with a ‘dragon-gate’ waterfall. First of five nights in Kyoto.

Day 6: Nara. A full-day excursion to Nara, first capital of Japan (ad 710–794) and modelled on the Tang capital of Chang’an (Xi’an) in China. The 12-cent. Joruri-ji has a rare surviving example of a paradise-style pond garden with a pagoda and hall with nine golden Buddhas. Much of Nara is parkland dotted with ancient temples including Todai-ji which contains an arresting monumental bronze Buddha. The nearby Isui-en incorporates a borrowed vista of the surrounding hills. Day 7: Kyoto. Morning visit to Ginkaku-ji (Temple of the Silver Pavilion), where its pavilion overlooks an elaborate dry-landscape garden with raked gravel featuring an enigmatic flat-topped conical mound. Entsu-ji, in Kyoto’s northern hills, borrows a vista by incoporating nearby Mt Hiei. In the afternoon, visit the superb garden at Chishakuin that resembles an unfolding landscape scroll painting, and Entoku-in’s flamboyant 17th-cent. garden in the lively Gion district. Day 8: Kyoto. Nanzen-ji is distinguished by its massive gate and quarters of the abbacy (Hojo) which contain very fine 17th-cent. painted screens (fusuma) by Kano Tan’yu. Together

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Japanese gardens possess an aura of timelessness, against which background the cycle of the seasons unfolds its pageantry. Throughout the 1,600-year-old Japanese tradition of creating gardens, the chief consideration has consistently been the depiction of a landscape. This approach to design was firmly established with the earliest gardens built in Japan during the fift h and sixth centuries under the expertise of architects and artisans from Korea and China, who introduced their scholarly taste for the elegant pond garden. From the continent, a variety of sacred landscapes deriving from Buddhist as well as Chinese religious cosmographies entered Japanese culture; Mt. Sumeru, the centre of the universe according to Buddhist legend, has frequently been represented through the centuries, as have been the Taoist Islands of the Blessed Immortals. Above all, the Japanese took the Chinese tradition of landscape gardens and transformed it into an expression of their love for their own native natural landscapes. Verdant mountains sloping down to the sea; waterfalls and streamlets; rugged shores and shingle beaches; an evervarying coastline of inlets, coves and jutting promontories – these have always provided a beloved subject matter. Trees and shrubs are carefully selected and arranged to create a seasonal palette, while ponds symbolise the sea, and the rocky outcrops set in them reflect the self-image of the Japanese as an island people. The idea of landscape links together the two major types of Japanese gardens: the pond garden, on the one hand, and the rock garden on the other, a style that emerged during the fifteenth century, in which serene and contemplative spaces are enhanced by the symbolic representation of water through the use of gravel. In the latter half of the following century, the great tea master Sen-no-Rikyu sought to reproduce the ambience of forest glades for his tea rooms. Lack of space has never been considered as an inhibiting factor, and through the judicious choice and symbolic placing of stones and plants, beautiful panoramic vistas have been created in the tiniest of gardens. This tour presents a variety of superb gardens from all periods of Japanese history, from the aristocratic ‘paradise’-style temple gardens and the enigmatic Zen Buddhist rock gardens of Kyoto, to the borrowed castle scenery at Hikone and the tea gardens of Kanazawa, to the amalgamation of all

Day 5: Kyoto. Ryoan-ji’s walled stone garden, with its fifteen boulders, is one of Japan’s most abstract gardens. Nearby, the garden of Kinkaku-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion), a shogun’s villa later turned temple, retains aspects of the ‘paradise’ style. In the afternoon, visit the large walled temple compound of Daitoku-ji, many of whose subtemples possess notable examples of dry-landscape gardens. One of the finest is at Daisen-in, a miniature landscape heavily influenced by Chinese ink-brush paintings.

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8–20 November 2017 (me 676) 13 days • £6,480 Lecturer: Yoko Kawaguchi

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Japanese tea garden, wood engraving c. 1880. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

japanese Gardens continued

Art in japan Art, craft, architecture & design

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with its sub-temples, it contains important drylandscapes created by the eminent 17th-cent. tea master and garden designer Kobori Enshu. Nearby Murin-an, boasts a landscaped pond garden, a masterpiece of the late 19th-century garden designer Ogawa Jihei VII. Day 9: Hikone, Kanazawa. Drive to Hikone on the shores of Lake Biwa, and its two adjoining parks Genkyu-en and Rakuraku-en. Genkyu-en is a famous feudal landscaped garden incorporating the view of the early-17th-century keep at Hikone Castle. Continue to Kanazawa, an attractive city which retains much of its old character. First of two nights. Day 10: Kanazawa. Kenrokuen, one of Japan’s finest strolling landscape gardens, was created for the powerful local feudal lord of Kagawa. It has a superb view of its pine trees trained with rope in readiness for winter. The elegant villa Seisonkaku, which sits in the grounds, was built for the widow of the 12th-cent. lord and has wonderful courtyard gardens. The rest of the day is at leisure.

12–25 May 2017 (md 292) This tour is currently full 13–26 October 2017 (me 610) 14 days • £6,270 Lecturer: Dr Monika Hinkel Many of the finest collections of Japanese art, in museums and in situ in temples and shrines. World Heritage sites at Nikko, Kyoto, Nara and Horyu-ji, and the art island of Naoshima. Outstanding museum buildings by Tadao Ando, I.M. Pei and other leading architects. Also other aspects of Japanese culture, past and present, including gastronomy and gardens. In October, led by Monika Hinkel, lecturer and curator in the field of Japanese art.

Day 11: Kanazawa. The Nagamachi area has many surviving samurai houses, among them is Nomura House with a superb domestic garden. Visit Gyokusen-en for a tea ceremony (by special arrangement). There is free time in the Higashi geisha district with charming latticed wooden houses and centre for gold leaf, before boarding the bullet train to Tokyo (luggage by road). Day 12: Tokyo. The 18th-cent. Rikugi-en offers superb views over its lake. There is free time to explore the colourful, traditional Japanese area surrounding the Asakusa Kannon Temple. Take a local boat down the Sumida River to Hamarikyu, originally a tidal garden and hunting lodge belonging to the Tokugawa Shogunate and now a peaceful retreat in the heart of the metropolis. Day 13: Tokyo to London. Fly at 11.20am from Tokyo Haneda to London, arriving at Heathrow at c. 3.50pm (time in the air c. 12 hours 30 minutes).

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £6,480 or £5,630 without flights. Single occupancy: £7,570 or £6,720 without flights. Included meals: 9 lunches, 7 dinners, with wine.

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Accommodation. New Otani, Tokyo (newotani. co.jp): 5-star hotel in the centre of Tokyo. It has a historical garden dating from the 17th-century. Westin Miyako, Kyoto (miyakohotels.ne.jp): 5-star hotel in the temple district of the eastern hills; fine garden. Tokyu Hotel, Kanazawa (tokyuhotelsjapan.com) 4-star hote; walking distance of the city’s former samurai district. How strenuous? Unless you enjoy entirely unimpaired mobility, cope with everyday walking and stair-climbing without difficulty and are reliably sure-footed, this tour is not for you. You ought to be able to walk briskly at about three miles per hour for at least half an hour, and undertake a walk at a more leisurely pace for an hour or two unaided. The tour involves a lot of walking in gardens. Average distance by coach per day: c. 44 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. book online at www.martinrandall.com

‘Sudden Shower over Shin-Ohashi bridge and Atake’ from ‘One Hundred Famous Views of Edo’ by Hiroshige (1797–1858).

Japan has one of the richest and most continuously active art traditions in Asia, perhaps anywhere. Some of the earliest known ceramics have been found here, as is the world’s oldest standing wooden building. But Japanese contemporary art also ranks with the best in the world and is eagerly imitated and avidly collected. Between those chronological poles is a wealth of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines from all periods, and some impressive military architecture. National, regional and private collections are to be found in great profusion throughout the country; Japan has a long and impressive lineage of art-historical scholarship and connoisseurship. To this in recent times have been added a network of conservation and restoration labs and the latest technology for archaeological investigation. In short, despite the large number of wars and natural disasters that have periodically overwhelmed the country,

Itinerary Day 1: London to Tokyo. Fly at c. 7.15pm (Japan Airlines) from London Heathrow to Tokyo (time in the air c. 11½ hours). Those not taking our flights can check in from 2.00pm today. Day 2: Tokyo. Arrive at Tokyo Haneda Airport at c. 3.00pm and drive to the hotel. Afternoon walk in the dynamic and design-conscious Tokyo Midtown. First of four nights in Tokyo. Day 3: Tokyo. The morning is dedicated to the Tokyo National Museum, which occupies several buildings in Ueno Park and houses some of the finest Japanese art in the world. The main gallery (Honkan) traces the development from prehistoric, sculptural earthenware to exquisite paintings and decorative objects of courtly patronage. In the afternoon visit the Edo-period Korakuen Garden, one of the oldest and best preserved in the city.

Day 5: Tokyo. Nezu Kaichiro’s extraordinary and diverse collection of Japanese and other Asian arts is perfectly presented in the eponymous museum, a purpose-built space with a delightful garden. Highlights include world-renowned Chinese bronzes and exquisite utensils related to the tea aesthetic. There is free time for lunch in the sophisticated Omotesando area before an afternoon at leisure. Day 6: Tokyo to Kyoto. By high-speed train to Kyoto (luggage by road). Kyoto is considered the centre of Japanese culture and today’s city and the surrounding hills are dense with examples of art and architecture of the highest importance. At the foot of the forested Higashiyama mountains the

Day 11: Kyoto to Naoshima. Travel by coach from Kyoto to Uno and from there take the ferry across to Naoshima Island, located in the Inland Sea. Together with the islands of Teshima and Inujima, Naoshima forms part of the ‘Benesse Art Site’. A number of striking galleries by architect Tadao Ando and outdoor installations dot the landscape. First of two nights in Naoshima.

Sea of Japan

Nikko

Japan Naoshima

Tokyo

Kyoto Osaka, Nara c. 200km

zen temple complex Nanzen-ji is distinguished by its massive gate (Sanmon) and the quarters of the abbacy (Hojo) which contain very fine 17th-cent. painted screens (fusuma) by Kano Tan’yu. The Kodai-ji Temple is richly decorated with early 17th-century maki-e, gold and silver set in lacquer. First of five nights in Kyoto. Day 7: Kyoto. Kyoto’s National Museum opened its Heisei Chishinkan wing in 2014, an impressive construction displaying ceramics, painting, sculpture, sumptuous textiles and much else. The Sanjusangen-do is an unusually long hall containing 1001 subtly differentiated 12th/13thcentury gilded statues of Kannon, divinity of Mercy, cumulatively a potent visual effect. The home of potter Kawai Kanjiro (d. 1966), a key figure in the folk art revival of the 1930s, is an intimate space furnished with his work and an intact ‘climbing’ kiln. Day 8: Kyoto environs. A morning excursion to the Miho Museum, designed by I.M Pei and harmoniously integrated into a forested nature reserve. The approach on foot via a tunnel and bridge leads to a glass structure on the crest of a hill and a sequence of luminous interiors incorporating traditional Japanese motifs. Collections include Greco-Roman and Islamic antiquities and important Japanese artworks. After a leisurely lunch in these gorgeous surroundings, return to Kyoto where the rest of the day is free. Day 9: Nara and its environs. A full-day excursion to Nara, first capital of Japan (ad 710–794). Modelled on the Tang capital of Chang’an (Xi’an) in China, Nara was the birthplace of major cultural and religious development. Here Buddhism firmly established itself and prolific production of splendid temples and devotional art ensued, much of which is in situ. Here are some of the oldest wooden structures in the world. The temple of Todai-ji contains an arresting monumental bronze Buddha; the dry-lacquer and bronze statues of the Hokke-do and Kofuku Temple are sublime in their detail. Nearby Horyu-ji is Japan’s earliest Buddhist temple, founded ad 607. Day 10: Kyoto. The large walled temple compound of Daitoku-ji, established in the 14th century, is an important foundation of Japanese Zen. Its many sub-temples contain dry landscape gardens; one of the finest (and smallest) is in the Daisen-in, a Chinese ink-painting rendered in stone. The Raku Museum holds exhibitions of its eponymous

Day 12: Naoshima. Visit the Art House Project, a collection of traditional buildings in the old fishing village of Honmura that have been restored and transformed by artists to house creative contemporary installations. After lunch visit the Benesse House Museum, a vast structure of concrete, glass and natural light. In addition to works by contemporary Japanese artists, the collection includes works by Andy Warhol, David Hockney and Bruce Nauman. Day 13: Naoshima, Osaka. Start the day at the Chichu Art Museum, which houses several Monet paintings as well as sculptures by Walter de Maria in underground spaces lit only by natural light. The eponymous Lee Ufan Museum houses works by this Korean-born artist and is the latest addition to the collection of Benesse museums. Ferry to Uno and transfer to Okayama for the train to Osaka. Overnight Osaka. Day 14: Osaka to London. Fly at c. 8.30am from Osaka Itami Airport to London Heathrow, via Tokyo arriving at Heathrow at c. 3.50pm (Japan Airlines, time in the air c. 13 hours).

Practicalities: October 2017 Price, per person. Two sharing: £6,270 or £5,500 without flights. Single occupancy: £7,260 or £6,490 without flights. Included meals: 9 lunches, 6 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Royal Park Shiodome, Tokyo (rph-the.co.jp/shiodome): 4-star hotel in the redeveloped district of Shiodome with wellappointed but small rooms. Westin Miyako, Kyoto (miyakohotels.ne.jp): 5-star hotel located in the temple district of the eastern hills with an excellent garden. Benesse House Hotel, Naoshima (benesse-artsite.jp): comfortable, modern hotel designed by Tadao Ando (subject to confirmation). Osaka Miyako Marriott, Osaka (marriot.com): smart hotel opened in 2014 in one of the tallest buildings in Japan with spectacular city views.

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Day 4: Nikko. Full-day excursion to Nikko, an historically important Shinto and Buddhist pilgrimage site in a national park with breathtaking mountain vistas. The 17th-cent. Tosho-gu Shrine complex was established here by the powerful Tokugawa Shoguns (the first shogun of the Edo period, Tokugawa Ieyasu, is enshrined here); set amid towering Japanese cedars and pines, the architecturally extravagant buildings are decorated with elaborate wood-carvings and beautiful paintwork.

ware, most often in the form of understated tea bowls. Nijo Castle, shogunal residence, has a lavish interior containing brilliantly painted fusuma (screens) by the Kano school.

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Japanese arts are to be enjoyed in extraordinary abundance. The great majority of important pieces remain in the country. Throughout history, Japan has tended to make a less emphatic division between art and craft than is the case in Western countries. Of equal rank alongside the ‘fine arts’ of painting and sculpture there are outstanding examples of ceramic, textile and metalwork, as well as uniquely beautiful gardens and a special aesthetic of food and eating. This tour exposes participants to Japan across the ages, sampling excellent works from many periods, genres and styles. As a deeply hierarchical society until modern times, there is ‘high’ art and ‘low’ art, from royal and shogunal works to that of the urban populace (the fabled ‘art of the floating world’). Modern Tokyo is part of the experience as well as the ancient capital of Kyoto, as are the yet more ancient city of Nara and the celebrated art colony of Naoshima in the Inland Sea. World Heritage sites figure on the tour, but we also visit less well-known sites such as ceramic studios and mausolea.

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Myanmar: Ancient to Modern history & landscape between Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Inle lake MYAnMAr

Day 2: Yangon. Reach the hotel c. 11.30am (time difference from the UK is 6½ hours). The rest of the day is free until an afternoon visit to Shwedagon Pagoda. This dreamlike structure, in existence by the 11th century, rises 325 feet into the air and is covered with over 50 tonnes of gold leaf. First of two nights in Yangon. Day 3: Yangon. This morning’s walk provides a survey of the colonial core of Yangon’s (formerly Rangoon’s) administrative buildings, including the Secretariat, site of General Aung San’s assassination in July 1947, and the Inland Waterways Department, former home of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company. In the afternoon visit the National Museum housing the Lion Throne, and Bogyoke Aung San Museum, the family home of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Bagan, the Shwezigon Pagoda, watercolour by R. Talbot Kelly, publ. 1909.

26 October–6 November 2017 (me 637) 12 days • £5,120 Lecturer: Dr John Clarke Includes Myanmar’s most celebrated places as well as many less-visited sites. More time than most tours in Mandalay, Myanmar’s cultural capital, and Yangon. Stay in luxurious hotels that complement their surroundings. Led by Dr John Clarke, curator of Buddhist and Himalayan art at the V&A Museum.

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Myanmar –or Burma, as it was called when ruled by the British – is a land of living history. Teak monasteries have withstood weathering and terracotta stupas have endured earthquakes while ancient customs have become woven into the fabric of contemporary daily life. The Myanmar we see today is a complex tapestry of the tangible and intangible, evocative vestiges of fallen kingdoms and empires and simple spirituality infusing quotidian concerns. From the eleventh-century Kingdom of Pagan to Mandalay, the last of Burma’s royal capitals, and on to colonial Yangon (Rangoon), the tour shows the whole gamut of material culture of the country, and reveals the influences that have shaped modern Myanmar. Theravada Buddhism has had an enormous influence on the country. The richest concentration of its art and architecture is to be found at Bagan. The building frenzy that occurred on these plains in the eleventh century coincided with King Anawratha’s unification of Burma and the region’s transition to Theravada Buddhist practice. Completed in 1057, Shwesandaw is square and squat, more temple than pagoda, far removed from the Indian models that inspired it. By the end of Anawratha’s reign a prototype for Burmese pagoda design had evolved. Over 3,000 monasteries book online at www.martinrandall.com

and stupas survive from three centuries of construction, creating an unforgettable panorama. North-east from Bagan along the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River is Mandalay. This is the land of capitals; hilltop Sagaing, Amarapura, and finally Mandalay itself have all been seats of power. Their legacy is clear to see. The Shwenandaw Kyaung is an exquisitely carved pavilion, formerly part of the royal palace, and close by is the unique mile-long bridge built across Taungthaman Lake by U Bein in 1850; the longest teak bridge in the world. Myanmar is renowned for its ethnic diversity and has 135 distinct groups within its borders. Inle Lake is home to the Intha people who carry on a way of life barely changed for centuries –houses are raised over the water on stilts, crops are grown on floating beds of water-weed and monks are paddled in wooden canoes from home to home to collect their daily alms. In the surrounding villages young boys conduct their Shin Byu, or novitiation ceremony, regaled in golden robes and drawn on brightly decorated bullock carts on their way to the monastery. This tour tries to present the essence of Myanmar, offering an insight into this mysterious ancient land that only recently has opened to the modern world. The faded grandeur of colonial Yangon is juxtaposed with the natural serenity of Inle Lake, imposing gilt Buddhist pagodas with nat spirit shrines. This carefully designed and original itinerary is not the usual tourist trail. Even though most of the items included are seen by most tourists, we usually handle the visit differently.

Itinerary Day 1: London to Yangon. Fly at c. 11.50am from London Heathrow to Yangon via Bangkok (Thai Airways) where there is a two-hour stop. Those not taking our group flight from London can check in at the Yangon hotel from 2.00pm.

Day 4: Bagan. Fly from Yangon to Bagan at c. 8.50am (Air KBZ). Visit Ananda Temple. On a Greek cross plan, it is one of the four great Buddhist monuments of Myanmar. After lunch by the banks of the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River, explore Bagan’s smaller, less visited pagodas and stupas. Some of these display fine murals and stucco work. First of two nights in Bagan. Day 5: Mount Popa. South-east of Bagan rises lush Mount Popa, home of the nats: spirit gods, part of an intricate web of animism that exists alongside Buddhism. A walk through Popa village visits these shrines and reveals how nat culture is deeply ingrained. In the afternoon there is free time to revisit the pagodas and temples of Bagan. Day 6: Mandalay. Fly at c. 10.30am to Mandalay (Air KBZ). After lunch take a leisurely boat ride along the Ayeyarwady to Mingun. It was here that King Bodawpaya began constructing a mammoth pagoda; should it have been finished it would have stood 150 metres high. The bell accompanying the pagoda was the heaviest functioning bell in the world at several times in history. Dinner takes the form of a barbeque on a sandbank. First of three nights in Mandalay. Day 7: Amarapura, Sagaing. Amarapura Mahagandayon Kyaung is an important teaching monastery home tosome 1300 monks and novices. Walk across U Bein’s teak bridge, built in 1850 from teak reclaimed from Inwa palace. In the afternoon, continue to Sagaing Hill. U Min Thonze has 45 Buddha images, one for each stage of his life, as well as offering views over Mandalay city. Day 8: Mandalay. This morning focuses on Mandalay’s royal centre. Shwenandaw Kyaung, or the Golden Palace Monastery, was orginally part of King Mindon’s palace. It was dismantled and moved to its current location by his son, Thibaw Min, in 1880. The image of the Buddha at Mahamuni temple was brought from Arakan in modern Rakhine State and was reportedly embraced by Gautama Siddartha himself. Day 9: Pindaya, Inle Lake. Fly at c.8.50am from Mandalay to Heho (Air KBZ). A beautiful drive leads to Pindaya cave where some 6,000 Buddha images are arranged among stalagmites. After lunch, continue to Inle Lake, which we reach by motorised canoe. First of two nights on Inle Lake. Day 10: Inle Lake. The day is spent on the lake, travelling by motorised canoe. A five-day market

samarkand & silk road Cities with khiva, Bukhara, Tashkent & shakhrisabz

See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

circulates around the lake where farmers from the surrounding Shan mountains and fishermen congregate to sell their wares. Phaung Daw U pagoda is one of Myanmar’s principle shrines, with five golden Buddha images. Nga Phe Monastery contains fine carved Buddhas representing the diverse regional styles of Myanmar art. Day 11: Yangon. Fly at c. 11.10am from Heho to Yangon (Air KBZ). After lunch there is free time for a return visit to Shwedagon Pagoda or Bogyoke Market (formerly Scott’s Market). In the evening there is a private viewing and dinner at Deitta Gallery. Located in a colonial building in downtown Yangon, this not-for-profit organisation supports independent documentary projects focusing on the social landscape of Myanmar. Overnight in Yangon. Day 12: Yangon. After a 1½ hour stop over in Bangkok, the flight arrives at London Heathrow at c. 7.35pm.

18–28 April 2017 (md 230) 11 days/10 nights • £3,390 Lecturer: Professor James Allan 9–19 May 2017 (md 277) 11 days/10 nights • £3,390 Lecturer: Dr Peter Webb 12–22 September 2017 (me 522) 11 days/10 nights • £3,390 Lecturer: Professor Charles Melville The best of Uzbekistan, and some of the most glorious sights in the Islamic world. Led by experts in Central Asian archaeology and history. Magnificent mosques and madrassas, acres of wonderful wall tiles, intact streetscape, memorable landscapes. Remote, diﬃcult to access, remarkably unspoilt. Oxiana, Tartary, Turkestan, Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand: names to produce a frisson. They evoke alluring images of shimmering turquoise domes and exquisite glazed wall tiles, of lost libraries and renowned scholars, of the delicious decadence of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, of gardens, poetry and wine, of the fabulous riches of the Silk Road between China and Christendom. Less agreeable images are also induced: of Ghengis Khan and Timur (Tamerlane), the

most far-reaching conquerors in history; of the tyranny and cruelty of the khans, perpetuating the last redoubts of mediaeval misrule; of the Great Game, the 19th-century Cold War between Britain and Russia; of terrain as hostile as the tribesmen and petty tyrants who inhabited its desert and mountain fastnesses; and of a postSoviet penumbra of Stans of suspect politics and allegiances. The four cities of the subtitle lie now in Uzbekistan, independent since 1991 but an entity which has its origins in late 19th-century Russian imperialism, which agglomerated a number of independent khanates, and whose borders were settled in the 1920s. It lies at the very centre of Central Asia. One of only two double land-locked nations in the world, it has a capital which is a thousand miles north of the Indian Ocean (Afghanistan and Pakistan intervene), 1,400 miles east of the Black Sea and 400 miles from Xinjiang, China’s largely Islamic western province. This is as the crow flies; extremes of topography and climate – as well as banditry – slowed or terminated the progress of many travellers. A slave-trading oasis khanate, Khiva was, and remains, the smallest of the three cities. It is perhaps the most intact and homogenous urban ensemble in the Islamic world, with biscuitcoloured brick and blue and turquoise maiolica. In Bukhara, gorgeously adorned architecture spanning a thousand years still rises above a streetscape of indeterminate age. Samarkand has the largest and most resplendently caparisoned

MYAnMAr, uzBekIsTAn

Dr John Clarke. Curator of himalayan and south east Asian Art at the V&A Museum in london. he specialises in the arts of Tibet and of south east Asia, in particular of Burma and Thailand. he is the lead Curator for the robert h .n. ho family foundation Buddhist Art Galleries that will open at the V&A in 2017.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £5,120 or £4,670 without flights. Single occupancy: £5,990 or £5,540 without flights. Included meals: 8 lunches, 8 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. The Strand, Yangon (hotelthestrand.com): luxury 5-star hotel in the centre of colonial Yangon. Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort, Bagan (thiripyitsaya-resort. com): luxury resort located on the Ayeyarwady River, walking distance from the pagodas. Hotel by the Red Canal, Mandalay (hotelredcanal.com): boutique hotel in the centre of Mandalay. Sanctum Inle Resort, Inle Lake (sanctum-inle-resort.com): luxury resort in the backwaters of Inle lake.

ASIA

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

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Samarkand, wood engraving from ‘Russian Pictures’, 1889. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Samarkand & Silk Road Cities continued

uzbekistan

K A Z A K H S TA N

Uzbekistan

K Y R G Y Z S TA N

Khiva

Tashkent

Bukhara

T U R K M E N I S TA N

Samarkand Shahrisabz

TA J I K I S TA N

c. 200 km

historic buildings of all. There are also visits to Shakhrisabz, which has breathtaking remains of Timur’s palace, and to Tashkent, the spacious modern capital with good museums and galleries. Space is not at a premium in this part of the world. Broad tree-lined boulevards encircle the historic town centres and no expanding girdle of high-rise apartments disfigures the approach. Modernity has made relatively unobtrusive inroads: in one of the few nations on earth that has escaped the countryside scourge of ferroconcrete and breeze block, the whitewashed villages and farmsteads with their awnings of vines would hold few surprises for Tolstoy. Nearly all the women are to some extent in traditional dress, brightly coloured ankle-length dresses, and so are some of the older men. In the wake of economic liberalisation since independence, streets and courtyards are draped with the dazzling hues of carpets and textiles; the glories of the Silk Road in its heyday are not hard to imagine.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 9.30pm (Uzbekistan Airways) from London Heathrow for the seven-hour flight to Tashkent (currently the only direct flight).

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Days 2 & 3: Tashkent. Touch-down c. 8.30am. Hotel rooms in the centre of Tashkent are at your disposal for the morning. The History Museum of the People of Uzbekistan is within walking distance if you want to venture out before lunch. Afternoon drive around the city centre, a modern city with wide avenues, spacious parks, glistening new government buildings. Among the places seen during the two days are the Hazret Imam complex, a group of mosques and madrassas (seminaries) from the 16th to the 20th centuries; the Timur Museum and park, a homage to the newly elevated national hero with 13th to 16th-century artefacts and models of some of the buildings seen on the tour; the Fine Arts Museum with collections from pre-Islamic sculpture to 20th-century painting; free time for the Museum of Applied Arts or the Chorsu Bazaar. Fly on Day 3 to Urgench and drive the 30 miles to Khiva. First of two nights in Khiva. Day 4: Khiva. No modern intrusions spoil the timeless fabric within a rectangle of crenellated and turreted ramparts. Most of the buildings are 19th-century, but such was Khiva’s isolation and conservatism that to the inexpert eye they could date to any time from the 16th century. The Friday book online at www.martinrandall.com

Mosque, a forest of carved wooden columns some dating to the 10th century, the Tash Hauli Palace, whose harem quarters constitute the loveliest secular spaces in Central Asia, and the Paklavan Mahmoud Mausoleum where tiled interiors reach a peak of opulence. Day 5: from Khiva to Bukhara. The 280-mile journey starts and finishes in an unspoilt landscape of green fields, plentiful trees and adobe farmsteads, while the central section is undulating desert, specked with tufty shrubs that are briefly green in the spring. There are periodic sightings of the meandering Oxus, the mighty river crossed by Alexander the Great in 329 bc. Reach Bukhara in time for a walk before dinner. First of three nights in Bukhara. Day 6: Bukhara. Genghis Khan ensured in 1220 that with notable exceptions (including the Kalon Minaret, at 48 metres then the tallest in the world) little of Bukhara’s first golden age remains, but of the second, the 15th and 16th centuries, there survives much magnificent architecture, lavishly embellished. Today’s walks take in the vast Kalon Mosque (finished 1514) with a capacity of 10,000, several grand madrassas, the formidable citadel of the Khans and the Zindan, their infamous prison. Take tea in the shade of mulberry trees around a 15th-century pool. Day 7: Bukhara. The perfectly preserved 10thcentury Samani Mausoleum and the remains of the 12th-century Namaz Goh Mosque display fine terracotta decoration. The Emir’s summer palace, 1911, is a riotous mix of Russian and traditional Bukharan decoration with rose garden, aviary and swimming pool. Free afternoon with the option to visit Chor Bakr, a memorial complex built over the burial place of Abu-Bakr a descendant of the prophet Mohammed. Day 8: Shakhrisabz. A 4-hour drive across a fertile plain where wheat and cotton flourish. Shakhrisabz was transformed by Timur (1336– 1405) whose home town it was. An astounding survival is the most imposing palace portal in the history of architecture, an arch 22 metres wide with a wondrous range of tiled decoration. Further Timurid remnants include a mosque complex with three turquoise domes. Cross a mountain range (broadleaf woods, fissured granite, pasturage) and drop down to the plain of the Zarifsan river, and to Samarkand. First of three nights in Samarkand.

Day 9: Samarkand. The Registan, ‘the noblest public square in the world’ (Lord Curzon, 1889), bounded on three sides by magnificent madrassas of the 15th and 17th centuries. The Museum of History, Culture and Art has collections from pre-Islamic, as well as Islamic periods. Other places seen are the Gur Emir Mausoleum, burial place of Tamerlane, the adjacent Ak Serai Mausoleum and the Shah-i-Zinda, an ensemble of mausolea gorgeously apparelled in many types of glazed tiles. Day 10: Samarkand. Commissioned by Timur, the Bibi Khanum Mosque is an exercise in gigantism and impresses despite partial destruction and over-zealous restoration. The adjacent Bazaar is a traditional produce market. Optional visits to the Afrasiab History Museum, which documents pre-Islamic Samarkand, and to the remains of the extraordinary observatory built by Ulug Bek in the 15th century. Some free time. Day 11: Tashkent. Drive to Tashkent. Fly to London, arriving at Heathrow at c. 8.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,390 or £2,850 without all flights. Single occupancy: £3,570 or £3,030 without all flights. Internal flight: please contact the office if you wish us to arrange the internal flight for you (this is not included in our ‘without flights’ price). Included meals: 10 lunches, 9 dinners, with wine. Visas. Most nationalities require a tourist visa. This is not included in the price of the tour because you have to obtain it yourself. You will need to submit your passport to the Consular section of the Uzbekistan Embassy in London prior to departure. Processing times vary but UK residents should expect to be without their passport for up to 10 days. Citizens of Australia and New Zealand have their visa issued at Tashkent airport. Further instructions will be issued upon booking. Other nationalities should check their entry requirements with the relevant authorities. Accommodation. Hotels on this tour can be subject to change. We always use the best available. Ramada Tashkent (ramadatashkent.com): centrally located, smart, modern 5-star hotel. Madrassa Mukhammad Hotel, Khiva: converted madrassa, impressively restored, each room a former student’s cell opening onto the courtyard. Omar Khayam Hotel, Bukhara: modern 4-star hotel in the centre of the old city, adequately comfortable and excellently located or Hotel Asia, Bukhara: built in 2006 and also located in the old part of the city. Malika Prime, Samarkand: a comfortable 4-star hotel well located or Hotel Malika Diyora, Samarkand: modern hotel close to Registan Square, with an outdoor pool. How strenuous? This is a long and demanding tour which begins with an overnight flight. You will be on your feet a lot, walking and standing. There are very long coach journeys on three of the days but seven days with minimal driving. The average distance by coach per day is 78 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

Lands of the Maya Maya civilization ancient & modern in Mexico & Guatemala

Magnificent Maya cities including Chichén Itzá, Palenque and Tikal, with time also for the little visited. An insight into modern Maya life: customs, religion and colourful handicrafts. Splendid colonial architecture. Spectacular scenery: jungle, lakeside, coastal and volcanic. Led by a leading authority on Maya civilization, Professor Norman Hammond. Ever since explorers revealed the existence of their jungle-clad ruins in the 1840s, the ‘lost’ civilization of the Maya has been a cause of astonishment and speculation. For while Europe was struggling through the ‘Dark Ages’, Maya peoples were enjoying the apogée of their civilization in seemingly the most unlikely of places – the rainforests of Central America. With organisational skills that can only be the product of a highly sophisticated society, the Maya created magnificent cities replete with

elegant palaces, mighty temples and broad plazas studded with carved stelae and altars. They were great mathematicians and astronomers who conceived one of the most complex and accurate calendars the world has known. They also devised an elaborate and beautiful system of hieroglyphic writing, the only fully-developed written language in the pre-Columbian Americas. Maya art was complex and loaded with arcane symbolism, yet to our sensibilities it appears remarkably naturalistic and accessible. All this was achieved by a people still technically in the Stone Age and who, despite many colourful theories to the contrary, developed in complete isolation from the civilizations of the ‘Old World’, of Europe and Asia. Until some forty years ago a powerful mystique had grown up about the Maya. They were thought to have been a peaceable society of independent cities governed by priest-kings who devoted their days to astronomy and divination on behalf of their people. Today, however, this image has been dramatically changed by the continuing discoveries of archaeologists and by one of the great investigative triumphs of the century, the decipherment of Maya writing. Visitors to the great Maya cities can learn of their changing fortunes over almost a thousand years in extraordinary detail. We now know

the history of the royal families and can also understand the essentials of Maya religious beliefs and how Maya rulers saw themselves, like Egyptian pharaohs, as god-kings on earth whose elaborate rituals of blood-letting and sacrifice sustained the Maya world. In the tenth century ad the heartland of Maya civilization in the tropical forests collapsed. Construction in the great cities ceased, temples and palaces were invaded by the jungle. It now seems that environmental disaster – land clearance under population pressure exacerbated by severe droughts – was a major factor. But this was not quite the end, as new cities emerged in other areas, such as Uxmal and Chichén Itzá in the north of the Yucatán peninsula, which continued in much reduced form until extirpation by Conquistadores and missionaries in the sixteenth century. Today there are some six million speakers of Maya languages, the largest group of native Americans north of Panama. They reveal a distinctive living culture, an intriguing mixture of both ancient beliefs and practices adopted since the Spanish conquest.

guatemala, mexico

5–21 March 2018 (me 770) 17 days • £6,120 Lecturer: Professor Norman Hammond

Continued overleaf.

Glyphs from the altar of the Temple of the Sun, engraving c. 1840.

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lands of the Maya continued

GuATeMAlA, MexICO

wooden effigy of Maximón is still worshipped and can be visited in his ‘house’. Day 13: Chichicastenango. Optional morning excursion to Chichicastenango, with its centuriesold, colourful market. The wide range of wares reflect the local traditions of weaving and woodcarving. An interesting mix of Maya and Catholic worship takes place in the church of Santo Tomás. Day 14: Iximché, Antigua Guatemala. Iximché is an excellent example of a Late Postclassic site, established c. 1470 with three plazas, temples, palaces and ball courts, and with defences which were stormed by the Spanish under Pedro de Alvarado in 1524. Continue to Antigua, the splendid, colonial capital of Guatemala for the first of two nights. Day 15: Antigua Guatemala. Though shattered by earthquakes in 1773, much of Antigua’s old fabric survives. See colonial architecture of great charm and impressive Baroque churches, some of which still remain in picturesque ruin. Mexican puebla, watercolour by Mortimer Menpes publ. 1903.

Itinerary Day 1: Cancún. Fly at c. 10.45am from London Gatwick direct to Cancún with British Airways, arriving in time for a light dinner. Those not taking our flights can check in from 4.00pm today. Overnight Cancún. Day 2: Ek’ Balam, Chichén Itzá. The little-visited site of Ek’ Balam is known for its defensive walls and well-preserved stucco sculpture. Situated in the Northern Lowlands, Chichén Itzá was the New Rome of the Maya world, where Maya culture was reborn in a different guise that was to last until the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors in the 16th cent. Prominent among the constructions here is El Castillo pyramid, simple in appearance but functioning as a complex Maya calendar. See also the great ball court, El Caracól observatory and the sacred well. First of two nights in Mérida.

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Day 3: Mérida. Morning walk through the colonial centre including the cathedral and main square. The 19th cent. Palacio del Gobierno houses impressive murals by local artist Fernando Castro Pacheco depicting the violent struggle of the Maya against the Spanish. The new Museum of the Maya World contains c. 500 artefacts including sculpture, jewellery and ceramics. Free afternoon. Day 4: Uxmal, Campeche. Uxmal arose towards the end of lowland Maya civilization but was abandoned around ad 900. Here are to be found some of the most beautiful of Maya buildings, distinguished by their long and low proportions and characterised by elaborate stone mosaics on the façades. Continue to Kabah, with its eccentric Palace of the Masks. The night is spent in the charming colonial city of Campeche, with historic defences. Day 5: Edzná, Palenque. Little visited Edzná has the longest building in the Maya world and an impressive five-story pyramid. Drive south to Palenque (c. 8 hours including stops) for the first of three nights. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Day 6: Palenque. Enjoying a magnificent location in the jungle of the foothills of Chiapas, Palenque rose to a dominant position through war and marriage alliances in the Late Classic period, ad 600 to 800. The sculpture found here is particularly outstanding. The largest structure, the Temple of the Inscriptions, housed the spectacular tomb of the great ruler Pacal. Day 7: Bonampak. The small site of Bonampak has remarkably well-preserved murals with graphic scenes of royal rituals, a savage battle and sacrifice of the captives. Day 8. Most of the day is occupied with driving from Mexico into Guatemala (c. 7 hours), the destination being the small town of Flores on the shores of Lake Petén Itzá. Stop here for refreshments before continuing to the hotel. Day 9: Yaxhá. In the Petén jungle of the Guatemalan lowlands the huge city of Yaxhá is surrounded by lakes and teeming with wildlife. Its forty stelae and nine pyramids date from the Preclassic and Classic era. Day 10: Tikal. Even bigger than Yaxhá, Tikal was a thriving metropolis of maybe 100,000 at its height. Its massive pyramid-temples still pierce the forest canopy making it architecturally the grandest of all Maya cities. One of the great powers of the Maya world, its changing fortunes over almost a thousand years can be followed in the hieroglyphs. Progressive clearance and excavation have revealed an intricate pattern of urban planning. Day 11: Guatemala City, Panajachel. Early morning flight to Guatemala City to visit the Archaeological Museum, a major collection of Maya art and artefacts. From here drive west to Panajachel, splendidly situated on the shores of Lake Atitlán. First of three nights in Panajachel. Day 12: Santiago de Atitlán. Early morning boat trip across this spectacular lake (which is surrounded by volcanoes) to the traditional Maya town of Santiago de Atitlán. Here the curious

Day 16: Antigua Guatemala. Drive to Guatemala City for an early afternoon flight to Miami. Change planes here for an overnight flight to London. Day 17. Arrive at London Heathrow at c. 10.30am. Please note this tour departs from London Gatwick and returns to London Heathrow.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £6,120 or £5,540 without flights on days 1 and 16. Single occupancy: £6,700 or £6,120 without flights on days 1 and 16. Included meals: 10 lunches (including 1 picnic lunch) and 14 dinners with wine. Accommodation. All hotels are locally rated as 4or 5-star. JW Marriott, Cancún (marriott.co.uk/ cancun): modern, comfortable, resort hotel. Hotel Gran Real Yucatán, Mérida (granrealyucatan. com): modern hotel in a converted 19th cent. house, centrally located. Hotel Plaza Campeche, Campeche (hotelplazacampeche.com): functional and comfortable hotel in a colonial building. Hotel Villa Mercedes, Palenque (hotelesvillamercedes. com): a well-maintained hotel near the site. Hotel Villa Maya, Flores (villasdeguatemala.com): low rise bungalows next to a lake and surrounded by jungle. Hotel Atitlán, Panajachel (hotelatitlan. com): located on the shores of the lake with beautiful gardens and views. Hotel Casa Santo Domingo Antigua (casasantodomingo.com.gt): beautifully restored, colonial hotel. How strenuous? Though the itinerary has been planned to be less strenuous than most tours to the region, it must be stressed that the tour is nevertheless quite taxing, with some long drives, some early starts and frequent changes of hotel. Many of the archaeological sites are vast, located in humid jungle and on rough ground. The tour should not be undertaken by anyone who has the slightest problem with everyday walking and stair-climbing, or who is not sure-footed. Average distance by coach per day: 89 miles. Group size: between 14 and 22 participants.

Aztecs to Zapotecs Pre-Hispanic civilisations of central Mexico Mexican pottery, wood engraving from ‘The Magazine of Art’, 1889.

mexico

4–16 November 2017 (me 675) 13 days • £5,970 Lecturer: Professor Norman Hammond A fascinating survey of the myriad ancient civilisations that populated central Mexico before the arrival of Hernán Cortés. Based in vibrant Mexico City plus the charming colonial cities of Puebla and Oaxaca. Lecturer Professor Norman Hammond is an archaeologist and expert on Maya civilization.

Although Central Mexico is amazingly varied in its peoples, there is a common cultural bedrock that survives the Conquistadors: the Huastec on the Gulf Coast are visibly close to the Mixtec of Oaxaca and the Tlaxcalans who allied themselves with Cortés to defeat the empire of Moctezuma II.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly from London Heathrow to Mexico City at c. 1.00pm (British Airways). Arrive in the early evening and transfer to the hotel in Polanco district. Those not taking our flights can check in from 3.00pm today. Day 2: Mexico City. After a morning lecture, drive to the centre of the city where the magnificent colonial cathedral stands proud over the vast square of the Zócalo, close to the excavated pyramids of the Templo Mayor, centre of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlán. Its fascinating museum contains finds from the site such as the Tlaltecuhtli (Earth God) monolith. The Palacio Nacional on the Zócalo houses vibrant murals by Diego Rivera depicting the history of Mexico. Day 3: Mexico City. The National Museum of Anthropology contains some of the finest pre-Columbian artefacts in the world including the famed Aztec calendar stone and Coatlicue statue, as well as important finds from the Maya Area, Oaxaca, and Gulf Coast. Continue in the afternoon to the three-tiered circular structure at Cuicuilco whose people may have fled to Teotihuacan when nearby Xitle volcano erupted. Day 4: Teotihuacán. Excursion to the country’s largest pre-Hispanic site, dominated by the huge Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon and the Ciudadela complex with its Feathered Serpent Pyramid. Other highlights include well-preserved murals and sculptures of jaguars wearing feathered-headdresses in palace courtyards. Day 5: Mexico City. The pyramid of Tenayuca in the north of the city is adorned with rattlesnake sculptures, and is the earliest example

of the Aztec-style double pyramid. Nearby Santa Cecilia Atitlán is a heavily restored but perfect example of a temple dedicated to the sun and the rain. It was thought that both were be constructed by the Chichimecs before the invasion of the Aztecs, who used copied their architectural style. Free afternoon to explore the craft market, National Museum of History in Chapultepec Castle, or one of the contemporary art museums in Chapultepec park. Day 6: Tula, Tepozotlán. Drive north of the city to the Toltec site of Tula, where giant warrior figures stand atop the main pyramid, overlooking the ‘Burnt Palace’ and the ball-courts. Continue to Tepozotlán, where the Museum of the Viceroyalty of New Spain depicts the spiritual conquest of Mexico. Housed in a Jesuit monastery, the church has a fine Churrigueresque façade and a sparkling baroque interior. Day 7: Cacaxtla, Cholula, Puebla. The site of Cacaxtla was inhabited by the Olmeca-Xicalanca people, c. 650–900 ad. The colourful murals they left behind, including a striking battle scene, are remarkably well preserved and display clear Maya influence. The pyramid at Cholula has the greatest volume of any in the New World. Now largely covered by vegetation, its early phases are visited by tunnels. Continue to the lovely colonial city of Puebla for the first of two nights. Day 8: Xalapa. The spectacular Museum of Anthropology in Xalapa specialises in the findings from pre-Hispanic sites on the Gulf of Mexico, modern day Veracruz, especially the Olmecs, Totonacs and Huastecs. Day 9: Puebla, Oaxaca. Morning walk around Puebla, including the cathedral, consecrated in 1649 and funded by Spaniard Don José de Palafox from Zaragoza. The Casa de la Cultura is a delightful tiled building housing a library of c. 41,000 books that Palafox donated to the city. The Museo Amparo has a fine collection of preHispanic art. Drive to Oaxaca (c. 4.5 hours) for the first of three nights. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Central Mexico is one of the most naturally and culturally varied parts of the New World: broad upland basins lie between rugged cordilleras, with vegetation ranging from subtropical forest to semi-desert, and on the descent to the Pacific and Gulf Coasts, tropical rainforest. Early Mexican cultures began with hunters and gatherers, then the development of farming villages based on maize, beans and root crops led to the emergence of the Olmec, with their stunning sculptures including colossal heads depicting deceased rulers. All are represented in the stunning National Museum of Anthropology, together with the Maya and Zapotec civilisations and their modern descendants. Related groups in the Basin of Mexico left monuments such as the Cuicuilco pyramid, now buried under volcanic lava, and were superseded by the metropolis of Teotihuacan, dominated by the Sun and Moon Pyramids and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, a grid-planned city whose population may have reached 100,000 in the early centuries ad. Cholula was a powerful contemporary, still largely buried beneath the colonial city, while at the same time, across the mountains in Oaxaca, the great Zapotec hilltop centre of Monte Alban rose above a long-inhabited valley. Its people had diplomatic and trade relations with both Teotihuacan and eastward, where the Classic Maya shared the same cultural foundations. Maya contacts with the highlands are seen in the colourful murals of Cacaxtla and in imported ceramics, while striking parallels between Chichén Itzá and distant Tula, north of the Valley of Mexico suggest possible migrations or invasion. Certainly the Aztecs were planning a move into Maya territory from their capital at Tenochtitlan, parts of which are emerging below modern Mexico City. They had conquered large parts of the Central Mexican highlands and coastlines over little more than a century, extracting tribute from as far as the borders of Guatemala in jade, chocolate, jaguar pelts and quetzal feathers. Massive sculptures like the Sun Stone, found in the eighteenth century, have been joined by the remains of the Great Temple and other buildings as testimony of Aztec creativity. What Hernán Cortés and his band of Spanish adventurers conquered was a civilisation on the brink of yet further expansion: they absorbed Mexican ideas and images as well as blending with the native people in the emergence of mestizaje, the unique historic-period culture in which Old and New worlds melded. The Catholic faith had resonances in indigenous religions, and its saints often took on aspects of pre-Hispanic deities.

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Aztecs to Zapotecs continued

Peru: the Andean Heartland Pre-Columbian to present day

mexico, peru

Professor Norman Hammond. Leading expert on Maya civilization. He is a Senior Fellow at Cambridge University and Emeritus Professor of Archaeology at Boston University. His many books include Ancient Maya Civilization, Nohmul: a Prehistoric Maya Community in Belize and Cuello: an early Maya community in Belize. He is Archaeology Correspondent for The Times. See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies. Day 10: Monte Alban, Zaachila, Cuilapam. The vast ceremonial centre of Monte Alban was inhabited by the Zapotecs c. 500 bc–950 ad. See here the famous early Los Danzantes carvings of sacrificial victims and the ‘observatory’ adorned with carvings commemorating Zapotec conquests. Climb down into the Mixtec tombs at Zaachila, with decorated carved walls. The Dominicans built their Convento de Santiago at Cuilapan on a former Mixtec site and remained there to evangelise the indigenous people. Day 11. Mitla, Oaxaca. The temples of the Mixtec site at Mitla are decorated with intricate, geometric bas-reliefs. Afternoon visits in Oaxaca include the Museo de las Culturas, which houses the Mixtec treasures from Tomb 7 at Monte Alban in a former Dominican convent. The adjacent church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán is a masterpiece of Mexican Baroque. Day 12. Oaxaca. Free morning to enjoy Oaxaca’s picturesque and colourful streets, excellent craft shopping, baroque churches or Rufino Tamayo’s collection of pre-Hispanic artefacts. Fly at c. 4.00pm to Mexico City (Aeromexico), connecting to a 9.00pm flight to London (British Airways). Day 13. Arrive at London Heathrow at c. 1.00pm.

Practicalities Price, per person, two sharing: £5,970 or £5,160 without international flights. Single occupancy: £6,880 or £6,070 without international flights.

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Included meals: 7 dinners (1 is light) and 7 lunches, wine at dinners and where available. Accommodation. Las Alcobas, Mexico City (lasalcobas.com): 5-star boutique hotel in the upscale Polanco district. Hotel Quinta Real, Puebla (quintareal.com/puebla): 5-star hotel in a former 16th-cent. convent. Hotel Quinta Real, Oaxaca (quintareal.com/oaxaca): also a 5-star hotel in a former 16th-cent. convent. How strenuous? A fairly taxing tour with some long drives and early starts. Many of the archaeological sites are vast, on rough ground and have steps or hills to negotiate. The tour should not be undertaken by anyone who has the slightest problem with everyday walking and stair-climbing, or who is not sure-footed. Average distance by coach per day: 73 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. book online at www.martinrandall.com

7–23 September 2017 (me 546) 17 days • £6,980 Lecturer: Dr David Beresford-Jones A thorough exploration of pre-Columbian civilisations in Peru: Moche, Chimú, Inca. The lecturer, Dr David Beresford-Jones, is a fellow of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge. Stay on site at Machu Picchu and visit without the crowds. Sites almost devoid of tourists around Trujillo are also included. Spectacular Andean scenery and world famous cuisine. Of all the world’s vanished civilisations, few evoke as much mystique as the Incas of Peru. Stumbled upon and shattered by a handful of Spanish adventurers in 1538, the Inca Empire was the last great pristine civilisation on earth – a current aside from the mainstream of human history. Tawantinsuyu (the ‘Four Realms Together’), as the Incas called their empire, had been conquered with neither pen nor sword. In many senses ‘Neolithic’, it was administered through the khipu, a recordkeeping system of intricate knotted cords, born of the marvellous textile traditions intrinsic to Andean civilisation. And yet its dominion was vast, stretching over a distance greater than from London to Moscow, along the spines of the world’s highest cordilleras outside the Himalayas and home to scores of different ethnic groups. This tour seeks to understand and re-imagine the Inca Empire on a journey through its Andean heartland of Cuzco, following the sacred Vilcanota river. We take in classic Inca sites where their cyclopean stonework melds into the grandeurs of the Andean landscape to attain a Zen-like architectural aesthetic. The culmination is the most spectacular site of all, Machu Picchu, perched on the very fringes of Amazonia. Yet the Incas were but the final flourish of an Andean cultural trajectory with roots many millennia deeper, a roll-call of cultures perhaps more magnificent still. So our exploration begins by the Pacific, from the excellent public and private museum collections in Lima to the vestiges of Moche and Chimor on Peru’s northern coast. And we end at Lake Titicaca, high on the vast Altiplano tablelands, and whence the Incas themselves claimed their mythical origins. En route we have ample chance to indulge in Peru’s extraordinary cuisine, acclaimed by chefs such as Ferran Adrià as ‘key to the future of gastronomy’. As with the ancient Andean civilisations, that cuisine is founded upon native food crops originating in one of humanity’s precious few ancient hearths of agriculture. It is set amid the world’s richest and densest concentration of ecotones, from desert coast to eternal snows to tropical rainforest, and adjoining one of its richest marine resources. Indeed, it is this that connotes the real importance of the Andes to our wider human story.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 8.45am from London Heathrow to Lima, via Amsterdam (KLM, c. 15 hours total), arriving in time for a light dinner at the hotel. Those not flying from London today can check in to the hotel from 2.00pm. First of two nights in Lima. Day 2: Lima. After an introductory lecture in the hotel, visit the Larco Herrera Museum with its famous collection of Moche and other pre-Inca ceramics. Continue in the afternoon to the heart of Colonial Lima (once the ‘City of the Kings’) to see the cathedral and the San Francisco Monastery with its Mudéjar church and important Spanish and Colonial art. Day 3: Lima, Trujillo. Morning visit to the Huaca Pucllana, a vast adobe administrative and ceremonial centre of the Lima culture which flourished here at around 400 ad. Continue to the National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History with its collections of artefacts from Chavín, Nasca, Moche and Chimú cultures. In the afternoon fly north to Trujillo (LAN Airlines). First of three nights in Trujillo. Day 4: Trujillo. Drive north to El Brujo, a ceremonial centre of the Moche culture (1–700 ad) and the mausoleum of the Lady of Cao, an important priestess of that period. Her tomb is surrounded by painted relief murals, while her mummy still records the vestiges of the tattoos on her hands and legs. Return to Trujillo, a handsome colonial city with a colourful main square. Visit the Casa Urquiaga, a colonial mansion in which the ‘Liberator’ Simón Bolívar stayed after proclaiming Peru’s independence in 1824. Day 5: Trujillo. The Huaca de la Luna and Huaca del Sol the core of the ancient capital of the Moche empire. The former is adorned with superb polychrome reliefs indicative of its importance as a ritual and sacrificial centre. After lunch by the Pacific visit Chan Chan, the world’s largest adobe city and citadel of the Kingdom of Chimor for 500 years before its was destroyed by the Incas in 1470 ad. Its rich marine iconography reflects the importance of the sea to this civilisation. Day 6: the Sacred Valley. Fly to Cuzco, via Lima and on to the Sacred Valley. Here, en route to the Amazon, the Urubamba (or Vilcanota) river twists through stunning mountain scenery and terraced farmland cultivated by the Incas. Urubamba sits at 2,870m above sea level and so the afternoon is free to rest and adjust to the altitude. First of three nights in Urubamba. Day 7: Chinchero, Maras, Moray. At Chinchero a 17th-cent. church was built on top of an Inca temple. In the afternoon drive to the impressive Maras salt mines, exploited since before Inca times, and on to the marvellous concentric circular agricultural terraces of Moray. Day 8: Pisac, Ollantaytambo. Visit the terraces and buildings of an Inca royal estate at Pisac. Lunch is at an hacienda of one of the valley’s oldest families, with its interesting private collection of art and antiques. Drive to the Inca citadel of Ollantaytambo, one of the last lines of resistance to the Spanish conquest, and site of elaborate water gardens amidst extraordinary cyclopean Inca stonework.

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Day 9: Machu Picchu. Take the morning train to Machu Picchu, a scenic journey down the valley enjoyed through panoramic windows. Have lunch and settle in to the hotel before entering the site as the crowds disperse and the light fades. Forgotten during the Spanish conquest, the temples and buildings of Machu Picchu are consequently uniquely well-preserved, which, together with its setting high above the river amidst spectacular mountain landscapes, makes the site the most extraordinary archaeological site in South America. Overnight Machu Picchu. Day 10: Machu Picchu, Cuzco. Free morning to return to Machu Picchu, perhaps at first light, before catching an afternoon train to Cuzco (c. 4 hours). First of three nights in Cuzco.

Day 12: Cuzco. The day is free for independent exploration. Suggestions include the preColumbian art museum, or an optional walk through the city with the lecturer to view the many vestiges of its Inca palaces, fine Colonial churches and bustling markets.

Day 14: Lake Titicaca. The 88,000 acres of reeds growing along the lake’s margins have been used by the Uros people for centuries to build floating islands on which they make their homes, originally to escape conquest from more powerful forces. Visit these as well as the island of Taquile, whose inhabitants still wear colourful traditional costume. Overnight in Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Day 15: Silustani, Lima. The spectacular chullpas, towering stone mausoleums in their beautiful location on the shores of Lake Umayo at Silustani were likely built by the Colla people, contemporaries and erstwhile opponents of the Inca. Fly in the early afternoon from Juliaca to Lima for the final night of the tour. Day 16: Lima. The day is free, with the option to visit the Amano Museum’s collection of preColumbian textiles. Fly at c. 8.15pm from Lima to London Heathrow, via Amsterdam. Day 17. Return to London Heathrow at c. 5.15pm. Illustration above: remains of the Inca fort at Sacsahuaman, lithograph 1854.

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £6,980 or £6,360 without flights on days 1 and 16. Single occupancy: £8,140 or £7,520 without without flights on days 1 and 16. Supplement for deluxe mountain-view room at Machu Picchu: £170 (double) or £145 (single). Included meals: 9 lunches, 12 dinners, with wine. Accommodation. Casa Andina Private Collection, Lima (casa-andina.com): comfortable 4-star hotel in the Miraflores district. Hotel Libertador Trujillo (libertador.com.pe): 4-star colonial-style hotel in the main square. Hotel Tambo del Inka, Urubamba (starwoodhotels. com): 5-star hotel with an excellent restaurant. Sanctuary Lodge, Machu Picchu (belmond.com): 4-star, the only hotel at the entrance to the site. JW Marriott, Cusco (marriott.com): 5-star hotel in a converted convent, located a few minutes walk from the main square. Belmond Andean Explorer train (belmond.com): comfortable twin cabins with ensuite facilities. Public areas include dining, lounge and observation cars. Hotel Libertador, Puno (libertador.com.pe): 5-star hotel with superb views of Lake Titicaca. How strenuous? A long tour with a substantial amount of walking on rough ground at sites, uphill and down. Fitness is essential. Much of the tour is spent at high altitude (max. 3,830m above sea level) which can exacerbate fatigue. Additional insurance is required; anyone with heart or respiratory problems should seek their doctor’s advice. Average coach travel per day: 30 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Day 11: Cuzco. The Korikancha, the most sacred precinct and centre of the Inca Empire today beneath the Dominican Monastery, still preserves the finest examples of mortarless Inca stonework with its trapezoidal doors and windows. The Inca Museum contains some 10,000 artefacts while Cuzco Cathedral has wonderful ‘Cusqueña School’ paintings of the Colonial Period. Visit the massive Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman with its monumental walls built using stones up to 400 tons in weight and the Inca ceremonial site of Qenko.

Day 13: Cuzco, Puno. Take the late morning train from Cuzco to Puno, travelling through spectacular Andean landscapes. Arrive in Puno in the evening and sleep on board. Carriages and cabins are comfortable and lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and breakfast are served. Puno stands at an altitude of 3,830m above sea level.

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east Coast Galleries from Boston to Washington dC usA Washington, DC, US Capitol, wood engraving c. 1880.

10–23 May 2017 (md 288) 13 nights • £6,570 Lecturer: Mary Lynn Riley Every major art gallery from New England to Washington DC, providing an astonishingly rich artistic experience.

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The whole range of western art is covered, with Impressionism and Post-Impressionism particularly well represented. Includes the Barnes Foundation in its new home in central Philadelphia and the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven. Centrally located hotels in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington. Led by Mary Lynn Riley, a specialist in 19thand 20th-century art who previously worked at the Smithsonian.

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Any art lover who has not seen the great galleries of the USA is in for a big surprise. Not only are there so many art museums with so many masterpieces, splendidly displayed in buildings which are often great works of architecture, but usually they are also vital, welcoming institutions where the delight of the visitor is the main priority. book online at www.martinrandall.com

This tour includes every major art gallery from New England down to Washington DC. Many of the very good smaller ones are also featured. The whole range of mainstream western art is represented, from antiquity to the present day. If there is a particular emphasis, it is on the Impressionists and the Post-Impressionists. In addition, there is a continual current of American art and frequent doses of modern and contemporary production. However full and comprehensive the tour may be in terms of works of art, we have not omitted the opportunity to see something of America beyond the museum doors. There will be some general sightseeing, sometimes with a local expert, and free time for independent exploration. Most of the hotels we have selected are within walking distance of the main museums and historic centres.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 11.20am from London Heathrow to Boston (direct, British Airways), arriving at c. 1.45pm (time in the air: c. 7 hours). Visit Trinity Church, opposite the hotel. First of three nights in Boston.

Day 2: Boston. Founded in 1630, Boston is an historic city with a long-standing reputation for culture and learning. Now a centre of the high-tech revolution, sleek glass towers co-habit with districts of narrow cobbled streets and brick houses and an important set of monuments from the colonial and revolutionary era. The Museum of Fine Arts has a fabulous collection, particular strengths being the Barbizon School, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. An afternoon walking tour of historic Boston. Overnight Boston. Day 3: Cambridge, Boston. Separated from Boston by the Charles River, Cambridge is the home of Harvard University. Visit the University Art Museums which include the long-established Fogg Museum, outstanding particularly for early Italian paintings and Impressionists, and the Busch-Reisinger Museum of German and Nordic painting. Back in Boston, visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Collection, a sumptuous Renaissancestyle mansion crammed with magnificent works of art and furnishings. Overnight Boston. Day 4: North Adams, Williamstown. Drive through very attractive New England countryside to the Berkshires in the west of Massachusetts. Housed on a vast 19th-century

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factory campus in North Adams, MASS MoCA is the largest centre for contemporary art in the USA. Williamstown is a small university town with the Sterling and Francine Clark Institute, a wonderfully rich and varied collection outstanding for Post-Impressionist paintings, beautifully displayed in a mansion and a brand new building designed by Tadao Ando, opened in 2014. Overnight Williamstown. Day 5: Hartford, New Haven. En route to New York visit the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, America’s oldest public art museum, founded in 1842. In New Haven, the Mellon Collection at the Yale Center for British Art, the largest and most comprehensive display of British art outside the United Kingdom. Continue to New York city arriving early evening. First of four nights here. Day 6: New York. Visit the Guggenheim Collection in the famous spiral building (Frank Lloyd Wright) with primarily modern paintings. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) houses some of the greatest paintings of the 20th century in its beautifully enlarged Manhattan home. Overnight New York. Day 7: New York. Walk through Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum, undoubtedly the number one art museum in America, embracing the whole gamut of artistic production from around the world. Magnificent benefactions and inspired curatorship have provided many great works of art and a superb standard of display, particularly the galleries devoted to the Impressionists, Tiepolo, and to English Decorative Arts. See also the Frick Collection, the salubrious Fift h Avenue mansion with a small but brilliant collection of great paintings. Overnight New York. Day 8: New York. A morning architectural walk with a local lecturer looking at the Art Deco monuments of midtown Manhattan. In the afternoon drive to The Cloisters set in a delightfully tranquil part of north Manhattan overlooking the Hudson river. A branch of the Met, devoted to art of the Middle Ages and incorporating arcades from five cloisters and other salvaged architecture, it is a marvellous home for sculpture, metalwork, tapestries, stained glass, manuscripts and panel paintings. Overnight New York.

Day 10: Philadelphia. The Barnes Foundation, one of the world’s largest private collections of Impressionists and Post-Impressionists housed in a new, state of the art gallery in the heart of Philadelphia’s arts district. Some free time in the city: explore the Independence National Historical Park or visit the Rodin Museum which has the largest collection of his sculpture outside Paris. Overnight Philadelphia.

Day 11: Baltimore, Washington. Continue south to the seaport of Baltimore. The Walters Art Gallery is an extraordinary and eclectic collection ranging from ancient Egypt to Art Nouveau, with a Raphael, mediaeval stained glass and historic jewellery among the outstanding items. The Baltimore Museum of Art, Maryland’s largest art museum, houses the Cone Collection, a group of 500 works by Matisse, and an impressive sculpture garden. Drive on to Washington for the first of two nights. Day 12: Washington. A capital conceived and built on a truly grand scale. At its heart lies the Mall, a two-mile-long park with many monuments and museums. Foremost among them is the National Gallery of Art, with a major collection representing the whole spectrum of western painting; the East Wing (architect: I.M. Pei) contains modern works. Other visits include the Phillips Collection, America’s first museum of modern art, and the Freer Gallery, part of the Smithsonian Institution, with a fine Asian collection and Whistler’s Peacock Room (currently undergoing restoration, due to reopen in 2017). Overnight Washington. Day 13: Washington. A free day for independent visits. Suggestions include the White House, the US Capitol or another of Washington’s many museums: the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (art from southeast Asia) or the Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (20th-century painting and sculpture), all branches of the Smithsonian Institution. Drive to Washington Dulles Airport for the flight to London departing at c. 10.30pm. Day 14. Arrive Heathrow at c. 11.00am.

‘Nothing short of magniﬁcent.’

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £6,570 or £5,880 without flights. Single occupancy: £7,530 or £6,840 without flights. Included meals: 8 dinners with wine. Visas. British citizens can enter the USA without a visa by applying for a visa waiver online. We will advise. If you have travelled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria since March 2011 you are not eligible for the waiver and will need to apply for a visa. Additional arrangements. We can request flight upgrades, extra nights in the hotel and delay your return flight. Please let us know if you would like us to make these additional arrangements and we will obtain a quote. There is an amendment fee for making these changes. Music. There may be performances in New York. Details will be available nearer the time. Accommodation. Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston (fairmont.com/copley-plaza-boston/): elegant hotel near Boston Common. The Orchards, Williamstown (orchardshotel.com): small hotel with a courtyard garden, a retreat from the city scene. The Lucerne, New York (thelucernehotel. com): smart boutique hotel close to Central Park. Sheraton Society Hill, Philadelphia (sheratonphiladelphiasocietyhill.com): functional but comfortable hotel near the Independence National Historical Park. Sofitel Lafayette Square, Washington (sofitel.com): modern hotel, well located for the major monuments.

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Day 9: Philadelphia. Drive to Philadelphia. As historically the nation’s most important art school, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts has accumulated the finest collection of American art. The Philadelphia Museum of Art, the third largest museum in the country, has a wide ranging collection, including a 12th-century cloister, a Robert Adam interior from Berkeley Square and excellent Impressionists. First of two nights in Philadelphia.

New York, watercolour by Donald Maxwell, publ. 1928.

How strenuous? You should be prepared to walk. Within Washington and New York we reach some of the museums on foot, journeys of up to twenty minutes or more, though taxis can be used. Within the museums, there will be a lot of walking and standing around. Average distance by coach per day: 49 miles. Group size: between 12 and 22 participants.

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Combine this tour with New Orleans to Natchitoches, 25 April–6 May 2017 (page 232). Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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frank lloyd Wright & the Chicago school usA

3–14 June 2017 (md 322) 11 nights • £5,480 Lecturer: Tom Abbott 16–27 September 2017 (me 540) 11 nights • £5,480 Lecturer: Tom Abbott Includes Fallingwater, Jacobs, Robie and Taliesin houses, Johnson Wax Building and numerous other works by Frank Lloyd Wright – many of them visited by special arrangement. Four nights in Chicago, with visits to the masterworks of the Chicago School and Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House. Magnificent art collections: Chicago Institute of Art, Carnegie Collection in Pittsburgh and Milwaukee Art Museum. Drive through the countryside of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Illinois. Led by architectural historian Tom Abbott.

Frank Lloyd Wright (1869–1959), his own greatest admirer, said he had to choose between honest arrogance and hypocritical humility. Frustratingly, visiting his work makes this seem fair: in an extraordinarily long career Wright created a modern organic architecture infused with the artistic freedom and reverence for nature of his nineteenth-century American inheritance. Wright embraced the Arts and Crafts, Japanese art and architecture, as well as the material advances of steel and concrete cantilevers to ‘break the box’. Interiors merge inside and out, with their fluid plans reverently anchored by their great hearths. Exteriors stress continuity with nature, and brilliantly amplify their location; be it the Wisconsin hills of Taliesin, or the Pennsylvanian gorge of Fallingwater. That Chicago was the centre of Wright’s sphere is no coincidence. Carl Sandburg’s ‘City of Big Shoulders’ is still the continent’s most enjoyably assertive and distinctly ‘American’ city. Following the fire of 1871, it reinvented itself as the first modern metropolis, with the ‘Chicago School’ developing the technical means for, and artistic

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Fallingwater, photograph courtesy of Western Pensylvania Conservancy. book online at www.martinrandall.com

expression of, a new kind of city, and of course, the skyscraper. Little wonder that it became so natural a home to the New Bauhaus and Mies van der Rohe, through whose elegantly sparse work Chicago’s influence extends to this day. As well as building, Chicago’s citizens collected; and the Chicago Art Institute quickly established itself as one of the great galleries of America; a status shared by the Carnegie collection in Pittsburgh where the tour begins. Beautifully sited on the confluence of two rivers, Pittsburgh epitomises American selfbelief and its capacity for self-regeneration, and is unrecognisable from its former ‘rust-belt’ image. Santiago Calatrava’s Milwaukee art museum, spreading out over Lake Michigan, bears equal testament to that city’s revival. In contrast to these urban scenes, the tour meanders through the gently prosperous midwestern countryside of three states, staying in the leafy university town of Madison sited on the isthmus between two lakes, and finishing at Mies’s sublime Farnsworth House on the banks of the Fox river.

Day 1: Pittsburgh. Fly at c. 9.45am (British Airways) from London Heathrow, via New York J.F.K., to Pittsburgh, arriving c. 5.00pm (total flying time c. 8½ hours). Set between the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers, Pittsburgh is modern, dynamic, sleek, the smoke and steel of the past having been replaced by glass and aluminium. Carnegie, Frick and Mellon, great patrons of the arts, all made their money here before moving to the East Coast. First of three nights in Pittsburgh. Day 2: Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob. Drive out to Fallingwater, quintessential Frank Lloyd Wright (1936). In a spectacular setting amongst the woodland of Bear Run nature reserve, the house seems to grow from, and float above, the water and rocks. You will see not only the waterfall but experience it from inside the house; ‘the most sublime integration of man and nature’ (New York Times). Kentuck Knob (Wright 1953), a hexagonal building with panoramic views of the Pennsylvanian countryside, now owned by Lord Palumbo. Day 3: Pittsburgh. Begin with a walk around Pittsburgh passing H.H. Richardson’s Allegheny Courthouse, the Mellon bank building and Philip Johnson’s PPG Place. The Carnegie Museum of Art has an extensive and varied collection including the Heinz Architectural department, European and contemporary art. End with a cable car ride up the Duquesne Incline. Day 4: Pittsburgh to Madison. Morning flight to Chicago and from there continue by coach to Madison. Stop en route in Rockford to visit the Laurent House, commissioned in 1951 by Kenneth and Phyllis Laurent and their home until 2012. First of two nights in Madison.

Day 6: Madison, Milwaukee. Walk to the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center, a monumental civic building set on the shores of Lake Monona (based on Wright’s 1938 design, it was completed in 1997). Visit the Unitarian Meeting House (1946), distinguished by its soaring copper roof and glass-prowed sanctuary. Drive to the excellent Milwaukee Art Museum to see the Prairie School Archives, with free time for the collection of European and 20thcent. American art. End the day with a visit to one of Wright’s American System-Built homes (1916). Overnight Milwaukee. Day 7: Wind Point, Racine, Chicago. At Wind Point visit Wingspread: the expansive low-lying building designed for the head of the Johnson Wax Corporation. Continue south to Racine on

See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

the shores of Lake Michigan and the Johnson Wax Building built in 1936 with its half acre Great Workroom, unique mushroom columns and innovative use of glass. Drive further south still to Chicago; our hotel is in Burnham & Root’s restored Reliance Building, the first ‘skyscraper’ built in the 1890s. First of four nights in Chicago. Day 8: Chicago. The morning walk looks at the outstanding monuments of ‘The Loop’ to which Wright, Mies van der Rohe, Louis Sullivan and Frank Gehry have all contributed. Afternoon at the Chicago Art Institute, extended by Renzo Piano; the architectural courtyard contains several interesting pieces of sculpture and art glass from former Wright and Sullivan buildings. See also a reconstruction of Sullivan’s stock exchange trading room. Free time to enjoy one of the world’s great art galleries. Day 9: Chicago. Drive to the South Side to the Mies van der Rohe-designed Illinois Institute of Technology (1940–56), with additions by Rem Koolhaas. Continue to the Robie House (FLW 1910); epitome of the Prairie Style. The afternoon is free; we suggest an architectural cruise along the Chicago River, or a walk along the Magnificent Mile. Day 10: Oak Park. In Oak Park visit Wright’s Chicago home and studio (1889) for 20 years and the birthplace of the Prairie School of architecture: ‘I loved the prairie by instinct as a great simplicity… I had an idea that the horizontal planes in buildings, those planes parallel to earth, identify themselves with the ground, make the building belong to the ground’. The surrounding residential streets are home to a number of Wright designs. (Unity Temple is closed for restoration until the end of 2017.)

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £5,480 or £4,830 without flights on days 1 and 11. Single occupancy: £6,240 or £5,590 without flights on days 1 and 11. Included meals: 1 café lunch and 7 dinners with wine (plus meals on flights). Visas. British citizens can enter the USA without a visa by applying for a visa waiver online. We will advise. If you have travelled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria since March 2011 you are not eligible for the waiver and will need to apply for a visa. Additional arrangements. We can request flight upgrades, extra nights in the hotel and delay your return flight. Please let us know if you would like us to make these additional arrangements and we will obtain a quote. There is an amendment fee for making these changes. Accommodation. The Renaissance Pittsburgh (renaissancepittsburghpa.com): centrally located, comfortable, spacious rooms and good amenities. Madison Edgewater Hotel (theedgewater. com): on the shores of Lake Mendota with fine views from rooms and public areas. The Pfister, Milwaukee (thepfisterhotel.com): historic hotel with grand public areas. The Burnham, Chicago (burnhamhotel.com): boutique hotel in the landmark Reliance Building; good location in ‘The Loop’ within walking distance of the Chicago Institute of Art. Single rooms are doubles for sole use throughout. How strenuous? Quite tiring with a lot of walking and standing around, and a fair amount of coach travel. Average distance by coach per day: 50 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

‘Tom Abbott is truly amazing. His grasp of his subject and the background context is beyond belief. He is also a warm and caring person.’

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Day 5: Spring Green, Madison. Set in the beautiful Wisconsin countryside just outside Spring Green lies Wright’s former home and studio, Taliesin. Here he established the Taliesin Foundation to train architects; Hillside School (1932) exemplifies Wright’s break away from the ‘Victorian box’. The Romeo and Juliet Windmill and several homes and farms designed for members of Wright’s family are also seen from the exterior. In the suburbs visit the recently restored Jacobs House (1936), the purest and most famous example of Wright’s Usonian concept.

Tom Abbott. Specialist in architectural history from the Baroque to the 20th century with a particular interest in German and American modern. Studied Art History in the USA and Paris and has a wide knowledge of the performing arts. Since 1987 he has lived in Berlin.

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Itinerary

Day 11: Chicago, Plano. Drive at midday into the Illinois countryside to Plano. Here, built beside the Fox River, is one of Mies van der Rohe’s most significant works, the Farnsworth House (1951). Drive to Chicago O’Hare airport, arriving by 5.30pm (in time for the direct flight to London, departing c. 8.30pm). Day 12: London. Arriving at London Heathrow at c. 10.15am. A number of these buildings are not usually open to the public and it is possible we will not be able to include everything listed.

What else is included in the price? See page 7. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Galleries of the American Midwest From Chicago to Detroit USA

American paintings. Renzo Piano’s Modern Wing houses the Institute’s remarkable collection of 20th and 21st century art. Guided tours of selected galleries are interspersed with independent time. The adjacent Millennium Park has noteworthy installations by Anish Kapoor and Jaume Plensa. Overnight Chicago. Day 3: Chicago, St Louis MO. An architectural walk through ‘The Loop’ to see skyscrapers and monuments of the Chicago School as well as some of the public art more recently installed. Return to the Art Institute for a further tour or some independent time. Continue to the airport for the late-afternoon flight to St Louis. First of two nights in St Louis.

14–26 June 2017 (md 343) 12 nights • £5,730 Lecturer: Gijs van Hensbergen A journey to some of the greatest art galleries in the US, through Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan. Begin in Chicago with the world-renowned Art Institute and end in Detroit, a city undergoing huge regeneration. In between see the outstanding collections at St Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Oberlin, Toledo. Impressionism and Post-Impressionism are very well represented, along with American art, Old Masters and modern and contemporary sculpture. The architecture of Finnish émigré Eliel Saarinen, and his son Eero, is a subtheme throughout, culminating in the incredible campus at Cranbrook. Led by art historian, Gijs van Hensbergen, an expert on American collections and collectors.

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The Midwest may be a byword for cultural annihilation but it’s a lazy stereotype. American states such as Illinois and Michigan are powerhouses of manufacturing, mining and agriculture yet they also harbour a civic pride and commitment to self-improvement that have resulted in world-class art collections, exhibited in buildings and settings that are often astonishing in their own right. And between the major urban centres are lesser known, often delightfully surprising pockets of cultural distinction in Missouri, Ohio and Indiana. The Chicago Art Institute is one of the finest art museums in the world (in the US, second only to the Met in New York), notable for its Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces as well as works by Abstract Expressionists such as Rothko and de Kooning. We enjoy two visits, part-guided and part-independent, as well as exploring the stupendous architectural environment that surrounds it in ‘The Loop’ (our hotel is right there). Ground-breaking buildings are a consistent theme book online at www.martinrandall.com

of the tour, as we take in Eero Saarinen’s Gateway Arch, which soars over the Mississippi in St Louis and enjoy private visits to another Saarinen commission, the Miller House in Columbus and to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Smith House on beautiful Cranbrook campus outside Detroit. Motor City’ was running on empty – it filed for municipal bankruptcy in 2013 – but is undergoing a regeneration that we witness on a locally guided walk through the Art Deco skyscrapers of the downtown area. Detroit’s Institute of Arts has always been a beacon of excellence and remains one of America’s finest galleries, featuring among many exceptional works a Van Gogh self-portrait and Diego Rivera’s vast Detroit Industry mural. The latter is contextualised by a visit to the Ford automobile plant, birthplace of the Model T. But it’s the more unsung treasures of the Midwestern hinterlands that really add a patina to the tour – the Glass Pavilion in Toledo, showcasing more than 5,000 works of art in glass, the mediaeval collection in the incredible Cleveland Museum of Art, the exquisite Allen Memorial Art Museum outside Cleveland (one of the finest university collections in the US), the Max Beckmanns and Gerhard Richters in St Louis and the Japanese Edo period paintings in Indianapolis. After twelve nights and five states the notion that the Midwest is an empty canvas is dispelled by the artistic richness of this particular slice of America.

Itinerary Day 1. Fly at c. 11.15am from London Heathrow to Chicago (direct, British Airways), arriving at c. 1.45pm (time in the air: c. 7 hours 30 minutes). Drive to the hotel in ‘The Loop’, a short walk from the Art Institute. Time to settle in before dinner. First of two nights in Chicago. Day 2: Chicago IL. The day is largely dedicated to the Art Institute, one of the world’s greatest galleries, and within the US matched only by the Met. The superb and encyclopedic collection is best known for its Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces, as well as a wonderful display of

Day 4: St Louis. Walk through the Citygarden (works by Fernand Léger, Richard Serra, Aristide Maillol) to the landmark Gateway Arch. Designed by Finnish-American architect, Eero Saarinen, and inaugurated in 1965, it soars over the Mississippi and the city. The Pulitzer Arts Foundation is in a sleek Tadao Ando building and is renowned for its high calibre exhibitions. There are just three permanent works, two of which were commissioned specifically for this space: Serra’s Joe and Ellsworth Kelly’s Blue Black. Continue to the St Louis Art Museum, built in the heart of Forest Park for the 1904 World’s Fair. The collection is wonderfully rich and varied with modern European art at its core. It is also home to the world’s largest collection of Max Beckmann paintings. Overnight St Louis. Day 5: Indianapolis IN. Morning drive to Indianapolis (255 miles). The Museum of Art is one of the oldest collections in the US and is in a beautiful setting on a leafy campus north of the city. We explore the highlights: Gaugin and the Pont-Aven school, Japanese Edo period paintings and contemporary art including an installation by James Turrell. Free time to see the gardens and sculpture park. Overnight Indianapolis. Day 6: Columbus IN, Cincinnati OH. Drive to Columbus for a private visit of the Miller House. Commissioned in 1953 by industrialist, philanthropist and architectural patron, J Irwin Miller, this is a perfect example of a complete modernist house. Architecture by Eero Saarinen, interior design by Alexander Girard and landscape design by Dan Kiley all remain remarkably intact. Continue to Cincinnati to the Contemporary Arts Center, a stunning new build by Zaha Hadid which opened in 2016. Our hotel is next door. Overnight Cincinnati. Day 7: Cincinnati, Columbus OH, Cleveland OH. Founded in 1881, the Cincinnati Art Museum is long-established with a wide-ranging collection. Impressionists feature strongly and there are notable fauvist and cubist works, as well as an entire wing devoted to local artists and decorative arts. En route to Cleveland (240 miles), stop at the Columbus Museum of Art, which has a fine collection of modern European and American painting, including early cubist works by Picasso and Juan Gris. First of two nights in Cleveland.

Illustration: Georges Seurat, ‘A Sunday on La Grande Jatte’, 1884. Helen Birch Bartlett Memorial collection. The Art Institute of Chicago.

Day 9: Oberlin, Toledo OH, Detroit MI. A short drive out of Cleveland to the Allen Memorial Art Museum, one of the finest university collections in the US, housed on the edge of the charming Oberlin college campus. This small but eclectic collection contains important holdings of 16th- and 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings. Continue to Toledo. The city’s glass manufacturing heritage is reflected in the elegant, Japanese-designed Glass Pavilion, home to a superb collection of over 5000 works of art in glass. The main museum includes European painting from the Renaissance to Impressionism, with notable works by Rubens, Rembrandt, David and El Greco. There is a strong American Art and Modern collection and a fascinating display of Japanese Netsuke. Continue to Detroit. First of three nights here. Day 10: Detroit. A morning walk looking at the Art Deco monuments of downtown. Continue to the Detroit Art Institute, one of the finest collections in the US. Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry fresco and a expansive collection of American art are among the highlights here but there are many gems: a Van Gogh self-portrait, Bruegel’s The Wedding Dance and a fine collection of German Expressionist works. Overnight Detroit.

Day 12: Detroit. Visit the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant, Henry Ford’s factory and the birthplace of the Model T. Drive to the airport for the flight to Chicago departing at c. 3.15pm, connect to the overnight flight to London departing c. 6.00pm. Day 13. Arrive London Heathrow at c. 7.45am.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £5,730 or £4,960 without flights on days 1 and 12. Single occupancy: £6,510 or £5,740 without flights on days 1 and 12. Included meals: 1 packed lunch and 7 dinners with wine (plus meals on flights). Visas. British citizens can enter the USA without a visa by applying for a visa waiver online. We will advise. If you have travelled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria since March 2011 you are not eligible for the waiver and will need to apply for a visa.

Additional arrangements. We can request flight upgrades, extra nights in the hotel and delay your return flight. Please let us know if you would like us to make these additional arrangements and we will obtain a quote. There is an amendment fee for making these changes.

of downtown. Renaissance Cleveland Hotel (marriott.co.uk): dating to 1918 with grand public areas; comfortable rooms. Westin Book Cadillac, Detroit (bookcadillacwestin.com): Landmark hotel built in 1924 in downtown; three restaurants, bar and indoor pool.

Accommodation. The Burnham, Chicago (burnhamhotel.com): boutique hotel in the landmark Reliance Building; good location in ‘The Loop’ within walking distance of the Chicago Institute of Art. The Ritz-Carlton, St Louis (ritzcarlton.com/St_Louis): elegant 5-star in classical style with three restaurants, a martini bar, cigar club, and gym. All rooms have a balcony. Le Meridien, Indianapolis (lemeridienindianapolis. com): boutique hotel in the heart of downtown that has undergone complete renovation. 21c Museum Hotel, Cincinnati (21cmuseumhotels. com/cincinnati): next door to the Contemporary Arts Center designed by Zaha Hadid; facilities include a restaurant and a rooftop bar with views

How strenuous? This is a long tour with frequent hotel changes, a lot of coach travel and standing around in museums. Fitness and stamina are essential. Average coach travel per day: 89 miles. Group size: between 12 and 22 participants.

What else is included in the price? See page 7. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Day 11: Cranbrook. The day is dedicated to the enchanting campus of Cranbrook, one of the leading graduate art schools in the US. Here Eliel Saarinen taught and his son Eero studied. Visits include Saarinen’s Art Deco house, the Art Museum, and special access to works from some of the 20th century’s leading artists and designers, all of whom had connections to Cranbrook. End with a private tour of the Smith House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Usonian style for two teachers in Detroit. Overnight Detroit.

Chicago, the Auditorium Building, engraving from ‘United States Pictures’, 1891.

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Day 8: Cleveland. On the shores of Lake Erie, Cleveland’s manufacturing centre is being revitalized in the 21st century. The city’s art museum is testament to this with a programme of massive expansion, including a magnificent light-filled atrium by Rafael Viñoly. There are many treasures here, particularly in Europe and American painting from the 19th and 20th centuries, and in the world-class holding of Asian art. The mediaeval and renaissance galleries in the original museum building are beautifully displayed. Free time here or to walk to the Museum of Contemporary Art, a reflective, geometric form in the heart of the university circle. Overnight Cleveland.

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Art in Texas Outstanding collections in city & desert usA Houston, from ‘Esquire’ magazine, mid-20th-century.

8–19 November 2017 (me 677) 11 nights • £5,510 Lecturer: Gijs van Hensbergen World class collections of art and sculpture, public and private, housed in exceptional buildings. Big names include the Kimbell in Fort Worth, Menil in Houston, Blanton in Austin, McNay in San Antonio, Fine Arts in Dallas and Houston, and Donald Judd’s Chinati Foundation. The range is considerable from Renaissance to contemporary, European and American, with emphasis on the modern.

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The variety continues in city and landscape: big brother Houston, leafy and lush; to tiny Marfa, way out west in the desert; alongside the Rio Grande to prettified San Antonio; to end in Dallas, the home of hospitality and a terrific arts scene. Led by art historian, Gijs van Hensbergen, an expert on American collections and collectors. The cultural resonance of ‘Texas’ may not be overwhelming, yet the oil and livestock barons of this southern state were philanthropists to rival any on the eastern or western seaboards. The result: art collections of staggering richness in buildings developed by the leading architects of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Among the highlights are some of the very personal collections these patrons of the arts acquired. The Meadows Museum in Dallas, for example, the gift of oilman Algur Meadows, book online at www.martinrandall.com

houses the finest display of Spanish art outside the Prado. While John and Dominique de Menil’s dazzling Menil Collection in Houston – built up with money from the Schlumberger oil-drilling fortune – contains over 15,000 works by the greatest names of twentieth-century European and American art. Painter and heiress Marion Koogler McNay, too, used an oil fortune to establish The McNay – the first modern art museum in the Lone Star State – in her colonial revival mansion in San Antonio. But private wealth in Texas has always been matched by public investment and the entire history of art is abundantly represented in the major city galleries. The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, one of the largest in the US, has an extraordinary 62,000 works spanning six thousand years, while the Dallas Museum of Art is as renowned for its Impressionists and Post Impressionists as Austin’s The Blanton is for its Renaissance masterpieces. The searing Texan landscape, with its expanses of sand and scrub and distant sierras, is a work of art in its own right, and a visit to Marfa provides the moment where art, architecture and nature meet. The Chinati Foundation was established by minimalist sculptor Donald Judd to display large installations of his own work and other leading contemporary sculptors and, in its wake, this tiny desert town has become one of the liveliest contemporary art scenes in the US. As rich as the art is the architecture. The Dallas Arts District includes buildings by four Pritzker Prize winners (Norman Foster, Rem Koolhaas, I.M. Pei and Renzo Piano); while in

Houston, admirers of Mies van der Rohe can view one of his very rare museum buildings at the Fine Arts Museum, followed by Piano’s simple and striking cypress-clad Menil. However, it is without doubt Louis Kahn’s Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth that shows off these big hitters at their memorable best.

Itinerary Day 1: London to Houston. Fly at c. 9.45am (British Airways) from London Heathrow to Houston, arriving c. 2.30pm local time (flying time c. 10 hours 45 minutes). Drive to the hotel in Houston’s ‘Museum District’ with time to settle in before dinner. First of three nights in Houston. Day 2: Houston. The morning is spent in the Museum of Fine Arts, an outstanding collection built up over the last century. Highlights include the Impressionists and American art of the 19th and 20th centuries, but there is much variety from the Renaissance to contemporary works by minimalist Dan Flavin. It is architecturally varied too with extensions by Mies van der Rohe and Rafael Moneo. Bayou Bend houses a good collection of American decorative and fine art, with beautiful gardens around. Overnight Houston. Day 3: Houston. The Menil is one of the world’s greatest private collections of modern art. Across the road is another Piano museum dedicated to Cy Twombly’s abstract works. Also visited are the Rothko Chapel, built as a sanctuary for fourteen of the artist’s canvases, and Richmond Hall, a

Price, per person. Two sharing: £5,510 or £4,910 without flights on days 1 and 11. Single occupancy: £6,270 or £5,670 without flights on days 1 and 11.

Day 4: Houston to Marfa. Fly to Midland, in westernmost Texas (United Airlines), and drive south across the Chihuahuan Desert (c. 190 miles) through a landscape of scrub and shrub, fringed by distant sierras. Marfa is little more than a handful of dusty intersections and yet is laden with western charm. Thanks to Donald Judd, it also has a thriving contemporary arts scene and a sophistication out of all proportion to its size. First of two nights in Marfa. Day 5: Marfa, the Chinati Foundation. In the morning, visit Judd’s home and library (by arrangement). Judd’s decision to convert 340 acres of former US military land into an art installation stemmed from a need to escape the East Coast and a desire to display large-scale installations in a setting which linked art with landscape. Works by Judd, John Chamberlain and Dan Flavin have been joined over the years by Carl Andre, Ingólfur Arnarson, Roni Horn, Ilya Kabakov, Richard Long, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. Most of the day is spent here with some free time to visit Marfa’s excellent bookstore and main street. Overnight Marfa. Day 6: drive to San Antonio. Drive through deepest desert and countryside to bordertown Del Rio and then to San Antonio (journey time: c. ten hours with several refreshment breaks, including the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center in Langtry). Arrive San Antonio c. 6.00pm. First of two nights in San Antonio. Day 7: San Antonio. The McNay was the first modern art museum in Texas and alongside the excellent 19th- and 20th-century works is a substantial sculpture collection in the landscaped park and a new wing for temporary exhibitions. The San Antonio Museum of Art has excellent American and Latin American collections. Free time to visit The Alamo, of Davy Crockett fame. Overnight San Antonio.

Included meals: 2 lunches and 7 dinners with wine (plus meals on flights). Visas. British citizens can enter the USA without a visa by applying for a visa waiver online. We will advise. If you have travelled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria since March 2011 you are not eligible for the waiver and will need to apply for a visa. Additional arrangements. We can request flight upgrades, extra nights in the hotel and delay your return flight. Please let us know if you would like us to make these additional arrangements and we will obtain a quote. There is an amendment fee for making these changes. Engraving 1891 after Frederick Remington (1861–1909).

Music. There may be an opportunity to attend an opera, concert or play in Dallas. Programmes will be sent nearer the time.

the road is The Modern (designed by Tadao Ando), another collection of 20th-century greats: Pollock, Hockney, Picasso, Bacon and a room of Sean Scully canvasses. See also the Amon Carter Museum of American art including works by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, the two greatest artists of the American west. Overnight Dallas.

Accommodation. Hotel Zaza, Houston (hotelzaza.com/#houston): contemporary hotel next door to the Fine Arts Museum. Hotel El Paisano, Marfa (hotelpaisano.com): built 1930 in colonial style. Omni Mansión del Rio, San Antonio (omnihotels.com): attractive hotel in colonial style, well located on the River Walk. The Rosewood Crescent, Dallas (rosewoodhotels. com): comfortable hotel in Uptown Dallas.

Day 11: Dallas. Leave the hotel late morning for the Meadows Museum, a world-renowned collection of Spanish art, particularly strong on the Golden Age. Continue to Dallas-Fort Worth Airport for the overnight flight to London, departing c. 4.45pm. Day 12. The flight arrives at London Heathrow at c. 7.30am.

How strenuous? This is a long tour with a lot of travelling and a significant time difference to contend with. There is a fair amount of walking and standing around in museums. Fitness and stamina are essential. Average distance by coach per day: 62 miles. Group size: between 12 and 22 participants.

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Day 8: Austin, Dallas. Drive north via Austin, a major university city and the state capital. Visit the Blanton Museum of Art, with fine collections of Renaissance as well as 20th-century American art. Brief stop at the Harry Ransom Center, an incredible resource of rare books and manuscripts. Continue to Dallas (c. 195 miles), arriving early evening. First of three nights in Dallas. Day 9: Dallas. Begin with Philip Johnson’s Thanksgiving Chapel and JFK Memorial before continuing to the Arts District. The Dallas Museum of Art is one of the finest in the US. Next door is the Nasher Sculpture Center, a superb collection including works by Calder, Chillida, Serra and Hepworth. Some free time – the Asian Art Museum is a possibility. Overnight Dallas. Day 10: Fort Worth, Dallas. The day is spent in Fort Worth and its astonishingly rich ‘Cultural District’. The Kimbell Art Museum is a magnificent collection, particularly the European paintings with Titian and Tiepolo to Matisse and Mondrian. Kahn’s building is sublime: a series of barrel vaults providing lighting and acoustic perfection for the masterworks. Across

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Practicalities

grocery store converted into a Dan Flavin light installation. Some free time to return to the Fine Arts Museum or walk in the neighbouring Rice University campus. Overnight Houston.

Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Audrey Jones Beck Building, exterior. Photo: ©Robb Williamson, courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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new Orleans to natchitoches history & architecture, food & jazz usA

25 April–6 May 2017 (md 250) 11 nights • £4,910 Lecturer: Professor Louis Nelson A journey through Louisiana and its extraordinary history, architecture, food and music. Four nights in New Orleans before venturing to Baton Rouge, Lafayette and north to sweet, historic Natchitoches on the Cane River. Colonial architecture of the French and Spanish, Art Deco and the 20th Century are all represented, and, of course, a variety of plantation houses including Houmas House, our exuberant base for the final two nights. Jazz is an ever-present backdrop, and our tour coincides with Jazz Fest. Details of programmes will be sent in due course. Led by Louis Nelson, Professor of Architectural History at the University of Virginia and an expert on the early American South.

Dominated by New Orleans and the Mississippi River, an exploration of Louisiana reveals a rich, diverse history and culture. Named by French settlers after King Louis XIV, the state has been home to Native Americans, Spanish, Germans and Africans, each bringing their own cuisine, traditions and music to the region. Some groups, such as the French-Canadian Cajuns, remained distinct and preserved their ways and language, while others melded into a unique Louisiana culture. New Orleans captures the energy of this vibrant mix in the jazz that is heard from every street, day and night, but especially during the festivities of Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. Houses are painted in various hues and flamboyant graves in the city’s cemeteries celebrate colourful lives. Even the devastation of Hurricane Katrina inspired a creative response to re-building, and a new City Park fi lled with art and sculpture is a vibrant memorial to survival. The city owed its riches to the trade that flowed down the Mississippi and through the

port of New Orleans. The slaves who worked the cotton fields in the north and the sugar plantations in the south were traded in New Orleans, the largest slave market in North America. Here, wealthy sugar barons built lavish town houses from where to conduct business and to entertain, while their estates along the river grew from modest plantation houses to vast mansions, a sharp contrast to the slave huts scattered far from sight. In Natchitoches, the first French settlement in the state, the Creole Metoyer family rose from slavery to become some of the wealthiest plantation owners in the area. The cotton plantation houses of the Cane River remain almost intact in this northern rural region. A former plantation worker, Clementine Hunter, captured her life on Melrose Plantation in a series of paintings which are still on the site. Surrounded by pecan orchards and with a river running beside its historic main street, Natchitoches retains a slow-paced way of life, captured in the play Steel Magnolias.

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Houmas House, Louisiana, photograph 1938, US Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington-DC. book online at www.martinrandall.com

Itinerary Day 1: London to New Orleans. Fly at c. 12.00 noon (British Airways) from London Heathrow, via Dallas-Fort Worth, to New Orleans, arriving c. 8.15pm (total flying time c. 12 hours). Transfer to the hotel in the French Quarter. First of four nights in New Orleans. Day 2: New Orleans. A day on foot in the colourful French Quarter, with its ornate cast-iron balconies, lush courtyards and garden squares. Visit the Historic New Orleans Collection which gives an overview of the city. The 18th-cent. Spanish buildings surrounding Jackson Square include St Louis Cathedral, the oldest Catholic cathedral in the US, and the Cabildo, now the state museum. Overnight New Orleans.

Reconvene for dinner altogether. First of two nights in Natchitoches. Day 8: Natchitoches. The American Cemetery contains the graves of the first French settlers and the Creole family that became one of the most influential in the city. Visits to some of the historic houses (by special arrangement) and the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Free time in the afternoon. Overnight Natchitoches. Day 9. Vermilionville, Houmas House. Visit Creole Melrose Plantation, home to the artist Clementine Hunter, to see her murals in situ. Vermilionville, in an idyllic setting beside the Bayou Vermilion, recreates life in the area from 1765 to 1890 through original and reconstructed buildings. Continue to Houmas House, one of many impressive plantations lining the Mississippi River. Built in Greek-Revival style, Houmas evokes the lavish lifestyle of a sugar baron. We stay in the individual cottages on site and have a tour of the house before dinner. First of two nights at Houmas House.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £4,910 or £4,230 without all flights. Single occupancy: £5,640 or £4,960 without all flights.

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The unconventional politics of 1930s Louisiana is epitomised in the career of Governor Huey P. Long, whose grandiose constructions in Baton Rouge reflect the future he imagined for Louisiana and himself, before being shot in the marble corridors of his Art Deco State Capitol. Our tour coincides with the renowned Jazz Fest in New Orleans and there should be an opportunity to attend a concert. We will send details when the programme is announced.

Included meals: 2 lunches and 6 dinners with wine (plus meals on flights). Visas. British citizens can enter the USA without a visa by applying for a visa waiver online. We will advise. If you have travelled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria since March 2011 you are not eligible for the waiver and will need to apply for a visa. Additional arrangements. We can request flight upgrades, extra nights in the hotel and delay your return flight. Please let us know if you would like us to make these additional arrangements and we will obtain a quote. There is an amendment fee for making these changes. Accommodation. The Monteleone, New Orleans (hotelmonteleone.com): family-owned French Quarter institution known for excellent service.

Day 3: New Orleans. Wide, tree-lined avenues form the gracious Garden District, where mansions remain home to the rich and famous. Gothic novelist, Anne Rice, lived in a Greek Revival home and was inspired by the neighbourhood’s Lafayette Cemetery. Return to the French Quarter for tours of Hermann-Grima House, with original outbuildings and slave quarters and the 1860s Gallier House Museum. Overnight New Orleans. Day 4: New Orleans. Botanical Gardens thrive in an area destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and the Sculpture Park displays works by Renoir, Magritte, Hepworth and Moore. The extensive collection of works in the New Orleans Museum of Art focuses on American and French artists, including Degas. Free time in the afternoon. Overnight New Orleans.

Day 6: Lafayette, Nottoway. A morning boat trip (private charter) through bayous overhung with Spanish moss and home to birds and swamp life from alligators to catfish. Lunch at Nottoway Plantation, one of the largest houses in the South, designed by Louisiana architect Henry Howard. Overnight in Baton Rouge. Day 7: Natchitoches. Drive north to Oakland Plantation with original outbuildings, including the general store and post office, doctor’s house and slave quarters. Continue along the Cane River to picturesque Natchitoches where we stay in a selection of historic guesthouses.

New Orleans, the levy, wood engraving c. 1890.

Day 10: River Road Plantations. A working sugar cane plantation, Evergreen’s thirty-seven outbuildings spread across the estate make it one of the most intact plantation complexes along the Mississippi. The Creole Laura Plantation reveals a fascinating family history of a business run by four generations of women. Overnight Houmas House. Day 11: Houmas House. Leisurely morning before transferring to New Orleans Airport. Fly at c. 2.15pm to Dallas-Fort Worth to connect with the overnight flight to London Heathrow departing at c. 6.10pm. Day 12. Arrive London Heathrow c. 9.00am (total flying time, c. 10 hours 15 minutes).

Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center (hilton. com): chain hotel in a grand, historic building, with rooftop pool. Historic B&Bs, Natchitoches: we are divided between three or four houses in the centre; all have comfortable ensuite rooms with lots of character. Houmas House, Darrow (houmashouse.com): luxurious cottages, furnished with antiques set in the beautiful gardens of a plantation house. Excellent dining room.

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Day 5: Baton Rouge. An early plantation home (dating from 1791) the construction of Magnolia Mound shows French and West Indian influences. In downtown Baton Rouge, the Art Deco State Capitol rises to 450 feet and the 27th-floor Observation deck affords views across the city. In contrast, the Old State Capitol is an extravagant, castellated Gothic structure with a stained-glass dome. First of two nights in Baton Rouge.

How strenuous? This tour would not be suitable for anyone with difficulties with everyday walking and stair-climbing. Coaches can rarely park near the houses and the plantation houses visited do not have lifts (nor do all the hotels). Average distance by coach per day: c. 70 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.

What else is included in the price? See page 7.

Combine this tour with East Coast Galleries, 10–23 May 2017 (page 224). Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Cliff Dwellings & Canyons Archaeology & anthropology in the American Southwest USA

it also sees large, apartment-like towns and ceremonial centres. We also experience the vital, hybrid culture produced by later immigrants – the Navajo and Apache tribes who arrived in the sixteenth century, the Mexican descendants of Spanish conquistadors who came in the seventeenth century, and the cattlemen, sheep herders and miners from the United States who took control of the region in the mid-nineteenth century.

Itinerary Day 1. Salt Lake City. Fly at c. 12.00 noon (British Airways) from London Heathrow via Dallas Fort Worth to Salt Lake City, arriving c. 8.45pm (total flying time c. 12 hours 45 minutes). The capital of the thriving state of Utah spreads out below the mountains of the Wasatch Front. Overnight Salt Lake City. Day 2. Salt Lake City, Moab. In the morning visit the state-of-the-art Natural History Museum of Utah for an introduction to the geology, archaeology and living cultures of the Colorado Plateau. An afternoon drive to Moab, and the Red Cliffs Lodge, set near the Colorado River amid sandstone cliffs. First of two nights in Moab. Day 3. Moab. Dead Horse Point State Park stands 2,000 feet above a gooseneck in the Colorado River and demonstrates the power of water, ice and wind to transform the landscape. At Canyonlands National Park, plants, animals and humans adapted to the colourful arches, mesas and pinnacles eroded from the sandstone over millions of years.

Arizona, giant cactus, wood engraving c. 1890.

7–18 October 2017 (me 602) 11 nights • £5,170 Lecturer: Jerry Spangler Track a civilization spanning hundreds of miles & over a thousand years in the Four Corners where Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona meet.

AMERICAS

A vast and incredible landscape: gaping canyons, immense cliffs, buttes and mesas formed by ice, water and wind over millions of years. Among the visits are Monument Valley and the spectacular lookouts at Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point. Further highlights include Mesa Verde with its incredible cliff dwellings, the great ceremonial site of Chaco Canyon, and a day on the San Juan River to see petroglyphs only accessible by boat. Led by Jerry Spangler, author, archaeologist and leading expert in the American West on the preservation of archaeological sites.

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Cliff Dwellings & Canyons introduces the dramatic and colourful landscapes of the US Southwest and the prehistoric cultures who dwelt in this challenging environment. Much of the tour is spent on the Colorado Plateau, where book online at www.martinrandall.com

deep beds of sedimentary rock have been exposed and shaped by erosion. Here are the rivers and canyons, the mesas and buttes, where Native Americans and Western settlers adapted to often marginal environments. During its earlier geological history the Plateau was a relatively shallow sea where deposits eventually formed variegated layers of limestone, sandstone, siltstone and shale. When the region was subsequently uplifted these layers remained relatively intact. At the same time the Colorado River and its tributaries cut deeply into the horizontal sediments creating deep canyons and the characteristic terraced landforms. Humans occupied the Plateau as early as 14,000 years ago. Large mammals such as mastodons (before they became extinct) were hunted with sophisticated technology; thereafter small bands adapted to the increasingly arid environment by gathering and hunting a wide variety of plants and animals. About 2,000 years ago the emergence of the ancestral cultures of the present Puebloan peoples is marked by the adoption of agriculture and pottery manufacture. The archaeological culture of the Plateau is known as the Ancestral Puebloans; their dwellings and religious structures can be seen in cliff-side shelters and on the surface. While the tour visits the remains of humble settlements,

Day 4. Crow Canyon, Durango. Morning drive via the site of one of the largest assemblages of petroglyphs at Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument. Crowded figures depict humans, animals and abstract symbols. Continue to Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, unique for research, education and preservation of the history of the Ancestral Puebloans. First of three nights in Durango. Day 5. Mesa Verde, Durango. Spend the day in Mesa Verde National Park. Occupied for more than 700 years from c. 600 ad, this is the largest archaeological preserve in the United States. The surface of the elevated plateau and the deep valleys cut into it hold thousands of sites. Visit remains of surface structures as well as the incredible cliff dwellings. Day 6. Chaco, Aztec, Durango. Visit two of the most important ceremonial sites of the Southwest. Chaco Canyon is interpreted as the focus of religious celebrations involving much of the Colorado Plateau. Visit ‘Great Houses’ which were occupied only intermittently, and semisubterranean Great Kivas where sacred societies invoked the spirits of nature. One of the largest ‘Chaco outliers’, Aztec preserves the remains of a large residential community and a reconstructed Great Kiva. In the event of inclement weather, an alternative visit to Chaco Canyon will be arranged. Day 7. Canyon de Chelly, Bluff. Drive to the historic Teec Nos Pos Trading Post where Navajos buy supplies and sell their crafts. Continue to Canyon de Chelly National Monument. High cliffs frame narrow valleys in which live Navajo

Day 8. San Juan River. An all-day boat trip (private charter) through meandering canyons cut into colourful sandstone layers allows an appreciation of geology, archaeology and wildlife inaccessible by road. See the Butler Wash Panel with one of the most extensive sets of prehistoric petroglyphs. Day 9. Monument Valley. Spend the day in Monument Valley, the vividly coloured mesas and buttes which have inspired and defined the American Western. Guides from the Navajo Nation conduct us through its Tribal Park. Overnight Monument Valley.

over several newer buildings with bedrooms overlooking the valley. No alcohol is served in Monument Valley. The Arizona Biltmore, Scottsdale (arizonabiltmore.com): comfortable hotel complex set in extensive grounds with numerous swimming pools. How strenuous? This tour has five hotel changes and a significant time difference to contend with. There is a lot of driving to access sites and a lot of walking, often over rough ground. Fitness and stamina are essential. At some sites it is helpful to be able to go up and down a ladder to make the most of the visit. Average distance by coach per day: 123 miles.

Jerry Spangler. Archaeologist, author and leading expert in the American West on the preservation of archaeological sites. he is the executive director of the Colorado Plateau Archaeological Alliance and is a frequent lecturer on archaeological preservation issues. he has published widely on prehistoric peoples of utah, Colorado, and Arizona.

usA

families. In the valley see ancient cliff dwellings and simple present day farmsteads. First of two nights in Bluff.

See pages 8–14 for all lecturers’ biographies.

Group size: between 12 and 22 participants.

Day 10. Flagstaff, Scottsdale. A dramatic drive across the Colorado Plateau through Apache country to the lowlands of southern Arizona. On the way visit the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, a town on the southern flanks of the extinct volcanoes that constitute the San Francisco Peaks. Continue south to Scottsdale for a night in the historic Arizona Biltmore, inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. Overnight Scottsdale. Day 11. Scottsdale, Phoenix. The morning is free to enjoy the hotel’s extensive facilities. In the afternoon, visit Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home, a blurring of building and desert landscape. Continue to Phoenix Sky Harbor airport for the direct flight to London, departing c. 8.00pm. Day 12. The flight arrives London Heathrow at c. 12.45pm.

Practicalities Price, per person. Two sharing: £5,170 or £4,390 without all flights. Single occupancy: £5,740 or £4,960 without all flights. Included meals: 5 lunches (including 4 packed lunches) and 8 dinners with wine (plus meals on flights). Visas. British citizens can enter the USA without a visa by applying for a visa waiver online. We will advise. If you have travelled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria since March 2011 you are not eligible for the waiver and will need to apply for a visa.

Accommodation. The Grand America, Salt Lake City (grandamerica.com): large, comfortable hotel with opulent public areas. Red Cliﬀs Lodge, Moab (redcliffslodge.com): an informal hotel set on the banks of the Colorado river. Strater Hotel, Durango (strater.com): in the centre of the town, reminiscent of a 19th-century Southwest American hotel and saloon. Desert Rose Inn, Bluﬀ (desertroseinn.com): rustic but comfortable hotel at one end of the small town of Bluff. Goulding’s Lodge, Monument Valley (gouldings. com): on the site of the original 1920s trading post set up by Harry Goulding. It is now spread

AMERICAS

Utah, the Narrows (similar to the landscapes seen on this tour), engraving c. 1880 from ‘American Pictures’. Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

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Booking details Making a booking 1. Booking option

2. Definite booking

3. Our confirmation

Before booking, please refer to the FCO website to ensure you are happy with the travel advice for the places you are going to wwwfco.gov.uk

Fill in the booking form and send it to us with the deposit. It is important that you read the Booking Conditions at this stage, and that you sign the booking form. Full payment is required if you are booking within ten weeks of departure.

Upon receipt of the booking form and deposit we shall send you confirmation of your booking. After this your deposit is non-returnable except in the special circumstances mentioned in the Booking Conditions. Further details about the tour may also be sent at this stage, or will follow shortly afterwards.

We recommend that you contact us first to make a booking option which we will hold for seven days. To confirm it please send the booking form and deposit within this period – the deposit is 10% of your total booking price.

Alternatively, you can make a definite booking straight away (without first making a booking option) at www.martinrandall.com.

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Our promises to you We aim to be fair, reasonable and sympathetic in all our dealings with clients, and to act always with integrity. We will meet all our legal and regulatory responsibilities, often going beyond the minimum obligations. We aim to provide full and accurate information about our holidays. If there are changes, we will tell you promptly. If something does go wrong, we will try to put it right. Our overriding aim is to ensure that every client is satisfied with our services.

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Specific terms Our contract with you. From the time we receive your signed booking form and initial payment, a contract exists between you and Martin Randall Travel Ltd. Eligibility. We reserve the right to refuse to accept a booking without necessarily giving a reason. You need to have a level of fitness which would not spoil other participants’ enjoyment of the holiday by slowing them down – see ‘Fitness’ on page 15. To this end we ask you to take the tests described. By signing the booking form you are stating that you have met these fitness requirements. If during the tour it transpires you are not able to cope adequately, you may be asked to opt out of certain visits, or be invited to leave the tour altogether. This would be at your own expense.

booking details 236

Insurance. It is a requirement of booking that you have adequate holiday insurance. Cover for medical treatment, repatriation, loss of property and cancellation charges must be included. If you are making your own flight/travel arrangements, please ensure you have insurance in place that protects you in the unlikely event of Martin Randall Travel cancelling the tour. Experience tells us that free travel insurance offered by some credit card companies is not reliable in the event of a claim. Passports and visas. British citizens must have valid passports for all tours outside the United Kingdom. For most countries the passport needs to be valid for six months beyond the date of the tour. If visas are required we will advise UK citizens about obtaining them. Nationals of other countries should ascertain whether visas are required in their case, and obtain them if they are. book online at www.martinrandall.com

If you cancel. If you have to cancel your participation on a tour, there would be a charge which varies according to the period of notice you give. Up to 57 days before the tour the deposit only is forfeited. Thereafter a percentage of the total cost of the tour will be due: between 56 and 29 days: between 28 and 15 days: between 14 days and 3 days: within 48 hours:

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If you cancel your booking in a shared room or cabin but your companion chooses to continue to participate on the tour, the companion will be liable to pay the stipulated ‘Single occupancy’ price. We take as the day of cancellation that on which we receive written confirmation of cancellation. If we cancel the tour. We might decide to cancel a tour if at any time up to eight weeks before there were insufficient bookings for it to be viable. We would refund everything you had paid to us. We may also cancel a tour if hostilities, civil unrest, natural disaster or other circumstances amounting to force majeure affect the region to which the tour was due to go. Safety and security. If the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against travel to places visited on a tour, we would cancel the tour or adjust the itinerary to avoid the risky area. In the event of cancellation before the tour commenced we would give you a full refund. We would also treat sympathetically a wish to withdraw from a tour to a troubled region even if the FCO does not advise against travel there. Seatbelts. Our tours and festivals subscribe to the health and safety legislation of the destination. In some parts of the world the law concerning seatbelts differs to the UK. The limits of our liabilities. As principal, we accept responsibility for all ingredients of a tour, except those in which the principle of force majeure prevails. Our obligations and responsibilities are also limited where international conventions apply in respect of air, sea or rail carriers, including the Warsaw Convention and its various updates. If we make changes. Circumstances might arise which prevent us from operating a tour exactly as advertised. We would try to devise a satisfactory alternative, but if the change represents a significant loss to the tour we would offer compensation. If you decide to cancel because the alternative we offer is not acceptable we would give a full refund. Financial protection. We provide full financial protection for our package holidays which include international flights, by way of our Air Travel

Organiser’s Licence number 3622. When you buy an ATOL protected flight inclusive holiday from us you receive an ATOL Certificate. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong. Most of our flights and flight-inclusive holidays on our website and in our brochure are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. In order to be protected under the ATOL scheme you need to be in the UK when you make your booking and/or one of the flights you take must originate or terminate in the UK with the group. We provide full financial protection for our package holidays that do not include a flight, by way of a bond held by ABTA The Travel Association. We will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative). In some cases, where we aren’t able do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought or a suitable alternative (at no extra cost to you). You agree to accept that in those circumstances the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding to be paid by you under your contract to that alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL scheme (or your credit card issuer where applicable). If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL certificate, are unable to provide the services listed (or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme. You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claims which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the non-provision of the services, including any claim against us (or your credit card issuer where applicable). You also agree that any such claims maybe re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme. English Law. These conditions form part of your contract with Martin Randall Travel Ltd and are governed by English law. All proceedings shall be within the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

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Martin Randall Travel Ltd Voysey House Barley Mow Passage London W4 4GF United Kingdom Tel +44 (0)20 8742 3355 info@martinrandall.co.uk www.martinrandall.com

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tours by date JanUaRy 2017 7–17 Oman (md 110) Professor Dawn Chatty ...............................191 13–15 MUSIC WEEKEND: The Wihan Quartet & Friends (md 111) Richard Wigmore ..........................................41 17–24 Valletta Baroque Festival (md 120) Juliet Rix .......................................................149 28– 2 Mozart in Salzburg (md 105) Richard Wigmore ..........................................53

FeBRUaRy 2017 10–23 Kingdoms of the Deccan (md 143) Asoka Pugal .................................................205 15–18 Puccini in Cardiff (md 148) Simon Rees .....................................................45

28– 2 Ballet in Paris & London (md 194) Luke Jennings .................................................78 28– 6 Israel & Palestine (md 197) Dr Garth Gilmour .......................................187 31–10 The Ring in Berlin (md 200) Dr John Allison & Dr Jarl Kremeier ............97

aPRil 2017 3– 8

Pompeii & Herculaneum (md 203) Dr Mark Grahame ......................................143

4– 9

Palladian Villas (md 204) Dr Michael Douglas-Scott ..........................125

5– 8

Opera in Oslo (md 208) Dr Michael Downes ....................................153

5–18 China’s Silk Road Cities (md 206) Dr Jamie Greenbaum ..................................196

16–27 Persia (md 145) Carolyn Perry .............................................185

12–18 The Ring in Berlin (md 220) Barry Millington & Dr Jarl Kremeier..........97

17–19 SYMPOSIUM: Art Historians at The Castle (md 149) .....42

13–27 Persia (md 210) Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones .................185

17–23 Piero della Francesca (md 150) Dr Antonia Whitley ....................................139

14–17 MUSIC WEEKEND: The Vienna Piano Trio (md 223) Richard Wigmore ..........................................41

23–27 Opera in Berlin (md 155) Dr John Allison & Tom Abbott ....................96 25– 1 Bartoli, Kožená, Netrebko, Villazón (md 156) Patrick Bade..................................79 28– 5 Connoisseur’s Rome (md 159) Dr Michael Douglas-Scott ..........................141 28– 6 Essential Rome (md 158) Dr Thomas-Leo True ..................................142

MaRCH 2017 3– 5

MUSIC WEEKEND: London Bridge Trio & Friends (md 161) Richard Wigmore ..........................................41

3–10 Gastronomic Andalucía (md 162) Gijs van Hensbergen ...................................178 6–12 Florence: Cradle of the Renaissance (md 164) Dr Antonia Whitley ...................132 6–13 Granada & Córdoba (md 170) Dr Philippa Joseph ......................................176 13–18 A FESTIVAL OF MUSIC IN FLORENCE (md 165) .........................135 13–25 Indian Summer (md 171) Raaja Bhasin ...............................................201 15–21 Modern Art on the Côte d’Azur (md 199) Mary Lynn Riley ............................................92 16–21 Opera in Vienna (md 174) Barry Millington ...........................................50 19–26 Florence & Venice (md 166) Dr Kevin Childs ...........................................132

17–22 Villas & Gardens of Campagna Romana (md 240) Amanda Patton ..........140 17–29 Civilizations of Sicily (md 225) Christopher Newall .....................................146 18–26 Extremadura (md 231) Adam Hopkins .............................................174 18–28 Samarkand & Silk Road Cities (md 230) Professor James Allan..................................217 19–27 The Cathedrals of England (md 244) Jon Cannon ....................................................16 20–26 Gardens & Villas of the Italian Lakes (md 232) Steven Desmond .........................116 20–29 Provence & Languedoc (md 245) Dr Alexandra Gajewski ................................87 21–30 Spring in Crete (md 235) Dr Alan Peatfield.........................................111 22–28 Gastronomic Emilia-Romagna (md 248) Marc Millon & Dr R.T. Cobianchi ............129 23–29 Gardens of the Riviera (md 205) Caroline Holmes ............................................91 25– 6 New Orleans to Natchitoches (md 250) Professor Louis Nelson ................................232 26–30 Ravenna & Urbino (md 255) Dr Luca Leoncini.........................................131 26– 5 Albania: Crossroads of Antiquity (md 226) Carolyn Perry ...............................47

May 2017

Assisi, St Francis, watercolour by W.W. Collins, publ. 1911.

8–14 Walking Hadrian’s Wall (md 265) Graeme Stobbs ...............................................32 8–21 The Western Balkans (md 266) David Gowan cmg........................................60 9–19 Samarkand & Silk Road Cities (md 277) Dr Peter Webb .............................................217 10–23 East Coast Galleries (md 288) Mary Lynn Riley ..........................................224 12–18 Prague Spring (md 294) Professor Jan Smaczny ..................................66 12–19 The Douro (md 308) Adam Hopkins .............................................155 12–19 Gastronomic Valencia (md 307) Gijs van Hensbergen ..................................172 12–25 Art in Japan (md 292) Professor Timon Screech .............................214 14–20 The Heart of Spain (md 306) Dr Nicola Jennings ......................................170 14–21 Courts of Northern Italy (md 295) Dr Michael Douglas-Scott ..........................128

1– 7

Southern Tuscany (md 262) Dr Fabrizio Nevola......................................136

15–22 Footpaths of Umbria (md 267) Dr Antonia Whitley ....................................138

21–25 Venetian Palaces (md 185) Dr Michael Douglas-Scott ..........................122

2– 7

Palaces of Piedmont (md 268) Dr Luca Leoncini.........................................115

16–20 Art in Madrid (md 309) Dr Zahira Bomford .....................................169

21–29 Normans in the South (md 198) John McNeill ................................................145

2– 8

Gardens of the Veneto (md 269) Amanda Patton ...........................................118

16–21 At Home at Weston Park (md 311) Anthony Lambert ..........................................25

22–25 Van Gogh’s Journey (md 186) Dr Frances Fowle .........................................151

2–11 Anjou & the West (md 263) John McNeill ..................................................84

17–23 Walking to Cornish Houses (md 303) Dr Paul Atterbury .........................................26

23–30 Barcelona 1900 (md 190) Gijs van Hensbergen ...................................168

5–12 St Petersburg (md 270) Dr Alexey Makhrov .....................................159

17–24 Gastronomic Veneto (md 298) Marc Millon & Dr R. T. Cobianchi ...........119

25– 7 Bengal by River (md 195) Dr Anna-Maria Misra ................................203

6–11 Lisbon Neighbourhoods (md 290) Dr Gerald Luckhurst ...................................157

19–31 Ceramics in China (md 300) Dr Lars Tharp ..............................................200

27– 1 Goya (md 219) Dr Xavier Bray ............................................171

6–15 Classical Greece (md 275) Professor Antony Spawforth .......................112

20–25 TOLEDO: A FESTIVAL OF SPANISH MUSIC (md 310) ..............170 Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

toURs By date

20– 1 Civilizations of Sicily (md 183) Dr Philippa Joseph .....................................146

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tours by date continued 16–22 The Schubertiade (md 345) Misha Donat ..................................................54 19–25 Connoisseur’s Vienna (md 352) Dr Jarl Kremeier ............................................51 22–30 Sacred Armenia (md 370) Ian Colvin ......................................................48 24–27 The Age of Bede (md 373) Imogen Corrigan ...........................................20 25–29 Connoisseur’s London (md 375) Various specialists .........................................38 26–30 Mediaeval Kent (md 333) John McNeill ..................................................18 26– 2 French Gothic (md 330) Dr Matthew Woodworth ..............................76 26– 2 Brittany (md 369) Caroline Holmes ............................................81 28– 7 Great French Gardens (md 379) Steven Desmond ............................................74 29– 6 Cave Art of France (md 331) Dr Paul Bahn.................................................90 29– 7 Finland: Aalto & Others (md 378) Professor Harry Charrington .......................72 Monteverdi at La Fenice ...........................121

JUly 2017 1–10 Georgia Uncovered (md 383) Ian Colvin ......................................................94 3– 8

Walking to Derbyshire Houses (md 384) Dr Paul Atterbury .........................................28

4–10 Charlemagne to Charles V (md 385) Dr Jeffrey Miller.............................................58 6–11 At Home at Ardgowan (md 387) Caroline Knight .............................................44 6–14 Danish Art & Design (md 386) Shona Kallestrup ...........................................67 6–13 THE RHÔNE: BACCHUS & ORPHEUS (md 388) ........................................................88 10–14 Literature & Walking in the Lake District (md 395) Christopher Newall ......................29 10–16 Danish Castles & Gardens (md 394) Dr Margrethe Floryan ..................................68 13–17 Verona Opera (md 396) Dr Michael Douglas-Scott ..........................124

Woodcut by Johannes Larsen 1905.

20–26 The Dresden Festspiele (md 312) Professor Jan Smaczny ..................................99 20–27 Franconia (md 334) Dr Jarl Kremeier ..........................................110 27– 2 Handel in Halle (md 317) Dr David Vickers.........................................105 31– 4 Opera in Berlin (md 315) Dr Michael Downes & Tom Abbott .............96 31– 6 Baden-Baden Whitsun Festival (md 320) Professor Stephen Walsh ............106 Music in Bergen .........................................153

toURs By date 240

JUne 2017 3–10 Mediaeval Burgundy (md 326) John McNeill ..................................................83 3–14 Frank Lloyd Wright (md 322) Tom Abbott ..................................................226 4– 7

Rijksmuseum & Mauritshuis (md 332) Dr Sophie Oosterwijk..................................152

6–15 The Pyrenees (md 325) Dr Richard Plant .........................................164 book online at www.martinrandall.com

6–17 Walking to Santiago (md 328) Dr Alexandra Gajewski ..............................161 9–16 Kraków & Silesia (md 338) Lecturer to be confirmed.............................154 10–12 Strauss in Cardiff (md 337) Simon Rees .....................................................46 10–16 Monasteries of Moldavia (md 324) Alan Ogden ..................................................158 11–18 Early Railways: The North (md 329) Dr Paul Atterbury .........................................30 11–18 Habsburg Austria (md 349) Richard Bassett ..............................................56

15–22 Gstaad Menuhin Festival (md 399) Dr Michael Downes ....................................181 18–25 Vikings & Bog Bodies (md 400) Dr David Griﬃths .........................................70 20–24 Music in Savonlinna (md 404) Simon Rees .....................................................73 21–25 Opera in Munich (md 424) Professor Jan Smaczny & Tom Abbott ......107 21– 3 Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania (md 435) Dr Jeremy Howard ........................................71 31– 5 Yorkshire Churches & Cathedrals (md 440) Dr Jana Gajdosova .......................19 The Ryedale Festival ....................................17

14–17 Versailles: Seat of the Sun King (md 327) Em. Professor Antony Spawforth .................77

Beaune Music Festival ................................83

14–26 Galleries of the American Midwest (md 343) Gijs van Hensbergen ..................228

Trasimeno Music Festival ........................138

16–19 Strauss in Leipzig (md 335) Barry Millington .........................................101 16–22 Crown & Cromwell (md 340) Patrick Mercer obe .......................................37

Incontri in Terra di Siena .........................134

aUgUst 2017 7–16 Great Houses of the North (md 450) Gail Bent ........................................................22 11–19 Great Houses of the Czech Lands (md 455) Dr Jarl Kremeier ...........................62

14–17 Constable & Gainsborough (md 478) Hugh Belsey mbe............................................34 14–18 Frederick the Great (md 470) Professor Tim Blanning..................................98 15–20 King Ludwig II (md 480) Tom Abbott...................................................108 16–20 Munich’s Masterpieces (md 482) Patrick Bade.................................................109 17–21 Verona Opera (md 484) Dr R. T. Cobianchi.......................................124 20–25 The Lucerne Festival (md 499) Professor Stephen Walsh..............................180 20–26 Walking the Danube Richard Wigmore (md 501)..........................52 20–27 THE DANUBE FESTIVAL (md 500)........52 27– 2 The Schubertiade (md 508) Richard Wigmore...........................................55 27– 4 Mitteldeutschland (md 505) Dr Jarl Kremeier...........................................102 30– 4 Organs of Bach’s Time (md 506) James Johnstone & Tom Abbott..................104 The Sibelius Festival.....................................73 Opera in Macerata & Pesaro.....................138

SEPTEMBER 2017 1– 4

Poets & The Somme (me 538) Andrew Spooner.............................................80

1– 8

St Petersburg (me 511) Dr Alexey Makhrov......................................159

1–13 The Road to Santiago (me 512) John McNeill ................................................160 4– 8

Country Houses of Kent (me 534) Anthony Lambert...........................................24

4– 9

Oxford & Oxfordshire (me 515) Dr Cathy Oakes..............................................35

4– 9

Czech Modernism (me 514) Professor Harry Charrington........................65

4–10 Walking a Royal River (me 521) Dr Paul Atterbury..........................................33 4–10 THE JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH JOURNEY (me 520)......................103 4–10 Gastronomic Catalonia (me 536) Gijs van Hensbergen....................................167 5–10 Haydn in Eisenstadt (me 547) Lecturer to be confirmed................................53 5–16 Walking to Santiago (me 517) Dr Alexandra Gajewski...............................161 5–18 Essential China (me 513) Jon Cannon...................................................194 6–10 Flemish Painting (me 516) Dr Betsy Wieseman........................................57 6–11 Tudor England (me 518) Professor Maurice Howard............................21 7–18 Persia (me 528) Professor James Allan...................................185

10–16 Connoisseur’s Prague (me 537) Michael Ivory..................................................63

Suggestions for tours to combine are found at the end of many of the tour descriptions in this brochure. Please contact us for advice on travel and accommodation between tours, or for further recommended combinations. 11–18 The Heart of Italy (me 531) Dr Michael Douglas-Scott...........................137 12–22 Samarkand & Silk Road Cities (me 522) Professor Charles Melville............................217 13–17 Crécy, Agincourt & Waterloo (me 523) Major Gordon Corrigan................................59 14–25 Persia (me 545) Professor Dominic Brookshaw....................185 15–22 St Petersburg (me 541) Dr Alexey Makhrov......................................159 16–19 The Age of Bede (me 526) Imogen Corrigan............................................20 16–25 Classical Greece (me 535) Dr Andrew Farrington.................................112 16–27 Frank Lloyd Wright (me 540) Tom Abbott...................................................226 17–24 Early Railways: The North (me 542) Anthony Lambert...........................................30 18–24 Imperial Istanbul (me 529) Jane Taylor....................................................182 18–28 The Arts in China (me 543) Dr Konstanze Knittler..................................198

3–11 Aragón: Hidden Spain (me 595) Adam Hopkins..............................................165 5– 9

The Venetian Hills (me 596) Dr Kevin Childs............................................126

7–18 Cliff Dwellings & Canyons (me 602) Jerry Spangler...............................................234 9–14 Friuli-Venezia Giulia (me 598) Dr Kevin Childs............................................127 9–16 Walking in Southern Tuscany (me 601) Dr Antonia Whitley.....................................134 11–15 Ravenna & Urbino (me 597) Dr Luca Leoncini..........................................131 11–17 Modern Art on the Côte d’Azur (me 600) Monica Bohm-Duchen..................................92 13–20 The Douro (me 612) Dr Gerald Luckhurst....................................155 13–22 Castile & León (me 617) Gijs van Hensbergen....................................163 13–26 Art in Japan (me 610) Dr Monika Hinkel........................................214 14–22 Le Corbusier (me 614) Dr Richard Plant............................................82 15–21 Art in the Netherlands (me 615) Dr Guus Sluiter............................................150 16–28 Civilizations of Sicily (me 618) John McNeill.................................................146 17–25 Palestine (me 606) Felicity Cobbing............................................192 18–26 The Cathedrals of England (me 604) Jon Cannon.....................................................16

18–30 Civilizations of Sicily (me 530) Dr Luca Leoncini..........................................146

21–27 Gastronomic Piedmont (me 634) Marc Millon..................................................114

20–26 Walking to Cornish Houses (me 533) Dr Paul Atterbury..........................................26

22–29 Courts of Northern Italy (me 635) Dr Michael Douglas-Scott...........................128

21–24 In Churchill’s Footsteps (me 552) Terry Charman...............................................36

23–29 The Wines of Bordeaux (me 638) Roderick Smith mw........................................89

21–27 Gardens & Villas of the Italian Lakes (me 550) Steven Desmond..........................116

23–29 The Romans in Mediterranean Spain (me 605) Professor Simon Esmonde Cleary...............173

21–29 Berlin, Potsdam, Dresden (me 551) Dr Jarl Kremeier...........................................100

23– 2 Essential Andalucía (me 616) Dr Philippa Joseph.......................................177

22–27 Wine, Walks & Art in Alsace (me 525) Marc Millon....................................................86

24–27 Paintings in Paris..........................................77

24– 1 Dark Age Brilliance (me 570) Dr Ffiona Gilmore Eaves.............................130

26– 6 Myanmar: Ancient to Modern (me 637) Dr John Clarke..............................................216

25–30 Pompeii & Herculaneum (me 571) Nigel Spivey...................................................143

28– 5 Essential Jordan (me 666) Professor Hugh Kennedy..............................189

27– 1 Art in Madrid (me 580) Gail Turner...................................................169

30– 5 Savouring Lombardy (me 636) Fred Plotkin..................................................117

27– 4 Essential Puglia (me 581) Dr Richard Plant..........................................144

Verdi in Parma & Busseto.........................129

27– 6 Albania: Crossroads of Antiquity (me 579) Carolyn Perry.................................47 29– 6 Walking in the Footsteps of Leonardo & Michelangelo (me 585) Dr Antonia Whitley.....................................133

OCTOBER 2017

10–17 Courts of Northern Italy (me 519) Professor Fabrizio Nevola............................128

2– 8

11–17 Walking Hadrian’s Wall (me 532) Graeme Stobbs................................................32

2–15 The Western Balkans (me 591) David Gowan cmg........................................60

11–18 Walking in the Cotswolds (me 527) Dr Steven Blake..............................................27

3– 8

World Heritage Malta (me 592) Juliet Rix........................................................148

Palladian Villas (me 599) Dr Sarah Pearson.........................................125

NOVEMBER 2017 4–16 Aztecs to Zapotecs (me 675) Professor Norman Hammond.....................221 6–11 VIVALDI IN VENICE..............................120 7–12 Connoisseur’s Rome (me 679) Dr Kevin Childs............................................141 7–19 Painted Palaces of Rajasthan (me 674) Dr Giles Tillotson.........................................207 8–19 Art in Texas (me 677) Gijs van Hensbergen....................................230 8–20 Japanese Gardens (me 676) Yoko Kawaguchi...........................................213 Te l e p h o n e + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 7 4 2 3 3 5 5

Tours by date

7–23 Peru: the Andean Heartland (me 546) Dr David Beresford-Jones............................222

Combining tours

3–10 Mediaeval Alsace (me 594) Dr Alexandra Gajewski.................................85

241

tours by date continued 13–19 Art History of Venice (me 695) Dr Susan Steer .............................................121

Jerusalem, Jaffa gate, wood engraving from ‘Pen & Pencil Pictures of the Holy Land’, 1886.

13–19 The Printing Revolution (me 696) Dr Michael Douglas-Scott & Stephen Parkin ........................................123 24– 6 The Arabian Gulf (me 717) Dr Karen Exell .............................................183 28– 2 Venetian Palaces (me 720) Dr Michael Douglas-Scott ..........................122 29–10 Assam by River (me 719) Lesley Pullen ................................................209 Blockbusters & Backwaters ........................43

deCeMBeR 2017 We will run six or seven tours over Christmas and New Year. Setails will be available for them in April–May 2017. Please contact us to register your interest.

MaRCH 2018 5–18 Sacred India (me 777) Asoka Pugal .................................................211 5–21 Lands of the Maya (me 770) Professor Norman Hammond ....................219 13–24 Indian Summer (me 780) Raaja Bhasin ...............................................201

London Days Setails for all of the London Days listed below are found on pages 39–40. More dates are released on an ongoing basis, throughout the year. If you would like to receive fortnightly e-mail updates on the latest range of London Days, e-mail: info@martinrandall.co.uk.

deCeMBeR 2016 7

The Genius of Titian (ld 964) Sheila Hale

JanUaRy 2017 10

The Genius of Titian (ld 112) Sheila Hale

Ancient Greece (ld 121) Professor Antony Spawforth

MaRCH 2017 2

Islamic Art in London (ld 163) Professor James Allan

Paintings of the Passion (ld 175) Dr Antonia Whitley

Spanish Art in London (ld 176) Dr Xavier Bray

The South Bank Walk (ld 299) Dr Jeffrey Miller

JUne 2017

The Poetic Landscape (ld 167) Dr Helen Langdon

The Genius of Titian (ld 168) Sheila Hale

Great Railway Termini (ld 323) Professor Gavin Stamp

Seven Churches & a Synagogue (ld 173) Professor Gavin Stamp

London Gardens Walk (ld 339) Amanda Patton

‘Wren’ in the City (ld 182) Professor Gavin Stamp

The London Backstreet Walk (ld 344) Barnaby Rogerson

Arts of India (ld 191) Charles Allen

The Italian Renaissance (ld 122) Dr Michael Douglas-Scott

London’s Underground Railway (ld 128) Andrew Martin

aPRil 2017

JUly 2017 4

The Ever-Changing City Skyline (ld 382) Professor Peter Rees cbe

The London Backstreet Walk (ld 389) Professsor Gavin Stamp

toURs By date

The Ever-Changing City Skyline (ld 202) Professor Peter Rees cbe

London’s Underground Railway (ld 207) Andrew Martin

Robert Adam’s Country Houses (ld 397) Dr Geoffrey Tyack

Paintings of the Passion (ld 209) Dr Antonia Whitley

The South Bank Walk (ld 438) Sophie Campbell

The Italian Renaissance (ld 141) Dr Antonia Whitley

Ancient Egypt at the British Museum (ld 142) Lucia Gahlin

Great Railway Termini (ld 153) Dr Steven Brindle

May 2017

Chinese Ceramics (ld 157) Dr Konstanze Knittler

book online at www.martinrandall.com

The London Backstreet Walk (ld 321) Giles Waterfield

242

The London Backstreet Walk (ld 297) Giles Waterfield

FeBRUaRy 2017

aUgUst 2017 17

London Gardens Walk (ld 483) Amanda Patton

Ancient Egypt at the British Museum (ld 271) Lucia Gahlin

Sculpture in London (ld 279) David Mitchinson

The South Bank Walk (ld 503) Dr Jeffrey Miller

The London Squares Walk (ld 281) Martin Randall

‘Wren’ in the City (ld 507) Professor Gavin Stamp

5085

Tel +44 (0)20 8742 3355 info@martinrandall.co.uk www.martinrandall.com

5085

2017: 2nd edition

Martin Randall Australasia PO Box 1024 Indooroopilly QLD 4068, Australia

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2017 second edition