Verona stands on the banks of the Adige in a setting of cypress covered hills. . . It is, after Venice, the finest art center in Venetia.
- Michelin

Lake Como remains a place of consummate partnership between the beauties of nature and those of humanity. . . Like so many of Italy’s most beautiful villa gardens, those of Como owe their beauty to the landscape architecture of two eras: the Renaissance Italian, with its taste for order, and the 19th-century English, with its fondness for illusions of natural wildness.
- Fodor

La Scala is closer to a cathedral than an auditorium. Here Verdi established his reputation and Maria Callas sang her way into opera lore. It looms as a symbol – both for the performer who dreams of singing here and for the opera buff who knows every note. . .
- Fodor

Our annual summer Tour to Northern Italy is consistently sold out whenever we are able to combine a weekend of spectacular Italian operas in Verona’s ancient outdoor Roman Arena, a relaxed sojourn in the idyllic village of Bellagio on the shore of Lake Como, and the experience of a performance – or two – in Milan’s legendary La Scala. We look forward to welcoming many old and new friends on our 2010 Tour in late June/early July, which in fact will include all three of these elements.

We will begin our program with two nights to the idyllic village of Bellagio on the shores of Lake Como. It is difficult to imagine a more breathtaking site than the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, where we will enjoy a leisurely schedule prior to our busy nights of five consecutive performances. The magnificent views and the intoxicating charm of the village will provide a welcome respite while you adjust to the time change and jet lag.

From Bellagio it is a short drive down to the Lombardian capital of Milan, where we are fortunate to encounter a pair of performances at Italy’s legendary Teatro alla Scala. Gounod’s romantic French opera Faust will feature international stars Irina Lungu, Marcello Giordani and Roberto Scandiuzzi in the leading roles. And Prokofiev’s passionate version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet will provide a showcase for La Scala’s renowned ballet company. Our hotel in Milan is the ideally located Hotel de la Ville, only a few minutes walk from La Scala and the decorative Gothic Duomo (‘Cathedral’).

Our final destination is the Northern Italian city of Verona, which has long been among our most important summer destinations due to the Renaissance beauty of the architecture and the overwhelming experience of the outdoor opera performances in the Roman Arena. For the 2010 season, our weekend at the Arena embraces three spectacular productions – Puccini’s poignant Madama Butterfly as well as his final masterwork, Turandot – and the Arena’s unforgettable signature staging of Verdi’s immensely popular Aida. (All Verona casts To Be Announced at a later date.)

The cuisine of Northern Italy is justifiably celebrated, and we have carefully selected our appealing hotels. A full dinner with wine is included on a half-pension basis on both evenings in Bellagio. There will be ample free time to enjoy the wealth of artistic treasures in Verona and Milan and the luxurious hotel facilities and shops in Bellagio. This Tour combines the incomparable natural and architectural splendor of Northern Italy, the remarkable acoustics and visual power of Verona’s famous Arena, and the international standards of Milan’s La Scala.

Saturday, June 26th, departure from New York’s Kennedy Airport at 6:05 pm on Delta flight #160, arriving at Milan’s Malpensa Airport (NOT Linate Airport) at 8:50 am on the on the morning of the 27th.

IMPORTANT: Our hour and a half transfer will be from Malpensa to Bellagio mid-morning on Sunday, June 27th. Or independent travel to Bellagio.

LAKE COMO: June 27 & 28

Accommodations for two nights with a generous buffet breakfast included at the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio. This sumptuous hotel is surrounded by luxurious gardens and dramatic mountains bordering Lake Como, the most beautiful of the romantic Italian lakes. The scenery is magnificent around the village of Bellagio, the “Pearl of the Lake”, which enjoys a unique promontory site on the northern shore. The bedrooms are richly furnished in Italianate style, and the dining room is renowned for its imaginative cuisine. There is a large outdoor swimming pool adjacent to the lake shore. The Villa Serbelloni has recently completed a major renovation and is even more splendid than before.

MILAN: June 29 & 30

Accommodations for two nights with a generous European buffet breakfast included at the deluxe Hotel de la Ville, a superior four-star property centrally located on the Piazza Fontana only a short walk from La Scala and the exclusive shops of the via Montenapoleone. The stunning Gothic spires of the Duomo are viewed from the hotel’s higher floors, and dining facilities include the Visconeo Bar and a fashionable restaurant appropriately named L’Opera. The premises also offer a fitness club and solarium roof terrace. (We have chosen the Hotel de la Ville instead of a five-star hotel because of its ideal location near La Scala and the city’s major sights and museums.)

VERONA: July 1 - 3

Our accommodations for three nights with buffet breakfast are at the deluxe Hotel Victoria, which enjoys a perfect location in the heart of the old city within easy walking distance of the Arena, the Castello Museum and the Piazza delle Erbe. The Victoria is fully air-conditioned, and the stylishly updated rooms are spacious and peaceful, reflecting the quiet residential district. The Victoria does not have its own restaurant, but there are many ‘trattorias’ and cafés between the hotel and the Arena.