Issuu

Opera in

SICILY

CELEBRATING MUSIC AND PLACE 4–9 NOVEMBER 2027

Four operas in historic theatres in beautiful Baroque cities.

MARTIN RANDALL FESTIVALS

BEETHOVEN ALONG THE RHINE 5–12 MAY 2027 MUSIC IN PALLADIAN VILLAS 7–12 JUNE 2027 MUSIC ALONG THE DANUBE 8–15 JULY 2027 THE DIVINE OFFICE IN OXFORD 27 SEPTEMBER–1 OCTOBER 2027 MUSIC IN TOLEDO 16–21 OCTOBER 2027

Photograph: Taken on ‘Music in Bologna’ 2018 © Ben Ealovega.

CONTENTS

4. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FESTIVAL

14.

22. TRAVEL OPTIONS A range of ways to travel to and from the festival.

MEET THE MUSICIANS International musicians of the highest calibre.

THE FESTIVAL PROGRAMME The day-by-day itinerary including details of the performances.

23. 18. ACCOMMODATION Choose between six 3-, 4- and 5-star hotels on the island of Ortygia, Syracuse.

12.

BOOKING

Details of how to book.

24. PRE- & POSTFESTIVAL TOURS Extend your stay in Sicily with a tour that has been designed to link with the festival.

DISCOVER THE PLACE South-Eastern Sicily: Baroque cities, dramatic hill country, stunning coastline. Published: August 2026

WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM

INTRODUCTION

OPERA IN SICILY: AN INTRODUCTION

Four masterpieces, one enduring subject: the price of desire.

The four operas I have chosen for Opera in Sicily share a theme: the eternal negotiation between passion and consequence. Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice both draw on classical myth to ask whether love can outlast death. Dido’s answer is tragic resignation – a perfect lament that contains a whole life’s grief in only five minutes; Gluck’s is defiant, reforming opera itself by stripping away vocal fireworks and letting pure emotion shine through.

sumptuous decoration. Some are bathed in a symphony of white, crimson and gold, others richly hued with elaborately painted mythological scenes, personifications and trompe-l’oeil ornamentation. This festival fills them with the sounds and spectacle for which they were built. If only for a couple of hours, these four historic theatres are transformed – exclusively for the occasion. Some of the finest ensembles from the UK and Italy perform for us – The Mozartists, I Fagiolini, Il Canto di Orfeo and the Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana.

The audience is accommodated in a selection of hotels on the Island of A generation later, Mozart’s Don Ortygia, the ancient heart of Syracuse, Giovanni takes that same confrontation once one of the greatest cities of the with mortality and inverts it: here the Greek world. One of the largest areas seducer, not the beloved, is dragged to of unremittingly picturesque townscape the underworld, unrepentant to the last in Italy, it has the added charm of being chord. And Rossini’s Barber of Seville, almost completely surrounded by the lighter in spirit, presents a similar rake but waters of the Mediterranean. One of the without the reckoning – and what becomes operas is performed here, and the others of seduction, disguise, and intrigue when in the baroque towns of Avola, Noto and the gods withdraw and only wit is left to Modica. settle the score. Lizzie Watson, Artistic Director And what better base for an opera festival than Sicily – an island of many surprises, not least for its collection of historic opera houses. Few visitors ever get a glimpse of these intimate, historic auditoria, many of which are well restored and in serviceable working order. Mostly 19th-century by date if basically 17th-century in design, these theatres are characterised by a horseshoe plan, several tiers of boxes and

INTRODUCTION

THE OPERAS DIDO AND AENEAS (1689) Henry Purcell Teatro Garibaldi, Avola I Fagiolini

ORFEO ED EURIDICE (1762) Christoph Willibald Gluck Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo, Noto Il Canto di Orfeo

DON GIOVANNI (1787) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Teatro Massimo Comunale, Syracuse The Mozartists

THE BARBER OF SEVILLE (1816) Gioachino Rossini Teatro Garibaldi, Modica Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana A programme of sacred vocal music will also be performed, by the ensemble Odhecaton. For more information about what to expect at the performances and venues, see pages 6–11.

THE FESTIVAL PACKAGE

MARTIN RANDALL FESTIVALS

The price includes:

This festival has been planned by Lizzie Watson. It follows the format that Martin — All five performances (four operas in Randall established 30 years ago with our concert performance and one concert). first Danube Music Festival, of site-specific concerts for a private audience. Since — Accommodation for five nights – choose then we have organised festivals along the between six hotels. See page 18. Rhine, Loire and Seine rivers, in Oxford, Suffolk, York, Lincoln, the Cotswolds and — Breakfasts, three dinners and interval the West Country, to Seville, Toledo, drinks. Burgos, Santiago, Venice, Florence, Rome, Bologna, the Veneto, to St Petersburg, — Talks on the music by Dr John Allison. Prague, through Thuringia, and the Alentejo. — Travel by comfortable private coach. — The assistance of festival staff and a detailed programme booklet. Optional extras: — A choice of pre- and post-festival tours. See pages 24–27. — Arriving a day early in your festival hotel. See page 18. — Extra dinners, so that each evening is spent in the company of other participants. Details will be available at a later stage. — A range of walks and visits led by art historians. Details will be available at a later stage.

THE SPEAKER Dr John Allison Editor of Opera magazine and music critic. He was born in South Africa and completed his PhD degree while playing the piano and working as assistant organist at Cape Town cathedral. Since moving to London in 1989 he has written for publications around the world, authored two books and served on the juries of many international competitions. He co-founded the International Opera Awards in 2013. He reviews for the Daily Telegraph and has previously held positions as music critic on The Sunday Telegraph and The Times.

Illustration: Syracuse, the Duomo, steel engraving c. 1850.

WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM

THE PROGRAMME

THE FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

Arrive a day early

Day 1

Wednesday 3rd Nov.

Thursday 4th November

We are offering the option of arriving at your hotel in Syracuse a day before the festival begins.

Fly from London to Catania directly or via Milan or Rome, or make your own way independently. Coach transfer to Syracuse. For travel options, see page 22.

Fly from London to Catania, directly or via Milan or Rome, or make your own way independently. Coach transfer to Syracuse. For travel options, see page 22.

Settle into your chosen hotel before a The Island of Ortygia, the ancient heart of drinks reception (depending on your flight Syracuse, is densely packed with structures arrival time) and dinner. from ancient Greek to Stile Liberty. Meandering alleys lead to little piazze and seaside promenades, past romantically crumbling or lovingly restored Baroque palaces and churches.

Illustration: Syracuse, the Temple of Minerva, 18th-century copper engraving.

Depending on the arrival of your flight, there is free time to become acquainted with Ortygia.

THE PROGRAMME

Day 2 Friday 5th November

Either leave for Noto to have time to see something of it before the performance, (including optional walks in the company of a lecturer), or enjoy free time in Syracuse before leaving in the early afternoon to arrive in Noto just before the performance starts.

complex plots and vocal virtuosity that had come to define Italian opera seria. Instead, they made the drama the centre of the experience, with every feature contributing to the story.

Disarmingly direct music accompanies such dramatic highs as the opening chorus Spread across a broad hillside, Noto was mourning the passing of Euridice, Orfeo rebuilt after an earthquake in 1693 to pleading with the furies to enter Hades, become one of the loveliest and most or his despair that he has lost Euridice homogeneous Baroque towns in the world. again on his way back out. Dance is just A striking feature is the extraordinary as integral to the experience, drawing number of religious foundations that inspiration from contemporary French built for themselves premises of palatial works. An extended sequence shows the grandeur. The whole city is constructed joy of the company as Amore reunites of honey-coloured stone, with façades Orfeo with Euridice for the happy ending. enlivened with sculpted balconies and elaborate ironwork. In stripping away the layers of Baroque decoration, Gluck’s perfectly-shaped The opera house opened in 1870 and is melodies shine like jewels, and it is no dressed in exceedingly pretty, enriched wonder that numerous later composers Neo-Classical garb. As with most of the were drawn to his vision for opera. other opera houses in this festival, four Anyone seeking an integrated, dramatiers of boxes surround the horseshoecentred form in years to come (such as shaped auditorium. Mozart, Weber and Wagner) could look to Gluck as their leading light. Performance, 3.00pm Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo, Noto

Dinner in Noto is included for everyone, after the performance. Coaches return to Syracuse after dinner.

Il Canto di Orfeo Gianluca Capuano conductor

FITNESS FOR THE FESTIVAL This is a physically demanding festival and fitness is essential. Within towns and cities, you will be expected to walk for anything up to 25 minutes (1000m) and at a pace which is unlikely to slow others down when moving together. Some hotels are a 1000m walk from where coaches can stop, a walk that is repeated each time we leave Ortygia. Many streets are uneven or cobbled and there are some ascents and descents, although mostly you will only need to be capable of these if you opt to spend more free time in Noto or Modica. There are often stairs to negotiate in the theatres, which do not have lifts. There is a lot of driving. Average distance by coach per day (including airport transfers): 42 miles. If you have a medical condition or a disability which may affect your holiday or necessitate special arrangements being made for you, please discuss these with us before booking – or, if the condition develops or changes subsequently, as soon as possible before departure.

Christoph Willibald Gluck ORFEO ED EURIDICE (1762) The first performance of Orfeo ed Euridice in 1762 in Vienna is a true landmark in operatic history. Composer Christoph Willibald Gluck and librettist Ranieri de’ Calzabigi set themselves against the mainstream of the era by resisting the

WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM

THE PROGRAMME

THE FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

Day 3 Saturday 6th November Photograph: ©Ben Ealovega

Depart in the morning for Modica, where there is a talk on the music and time to explore. The exceedingly lovely town of Modica is dramatically situated at a conjunction of valleys at the foot of Monti Iblei. The theatre is in a broad meandering tree-lined avenue in Modica Bassa (‘lower Modica’), the more recent (though still historic) part of the town. Its gorgeous interior was recently restored and is embellished with trompe l’oeil decoration and paintings. The land rises steeply to the east, where there is a delightful congestion of amber buildings, including the great churches of San Pietro and San Giorgio (the cathedral). A net of alleys, narrow streets and steps leads to the oldest part of the town, Modica Alta (‘Upper Modica’). Performance, 3.00pm Teatro Garibaldi, Modica

for the performers. Figaro’s celebration of his own organisational skills in ‘Largo al factotum’ is some of opera’s most instantly-recognisable music, while Count Almaviva offers the tenderness you would expect in a lover wooing his beloved Rosina from below her balcony. It takes all of Figaro’s cunning to help the young couple outwit the controlling guardian Dr Bartolo. Expect especially fun shenanigans from the singing lesson at the start of Act 2, with the Count in his second disguise of the opera, this time as a priest and music tutor, secretly courting Rosina while Figaro shaves Bartolo. It’s possible there will be some musical surprises here, following the long history of such insertions. Coaches return to Syracuse in time for an independent dinner, or an optional dinner if you choose to attend.

Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana Manfred Obrecht conductor THE BARBER OF SEVILLE (1816) Gioachino Rossini There are few delights to equal the experience of Gioachino Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. After more than two centuries in the repertoire, it has become an opera buffa against which all others are measured. Rossini had written sixteen pieces already by the time of its premiere in Rome in 1816, of which ten had been comic (or at least ‘semiseria’), and it is clear that he had mastered the art of keeping an audience entertained, while still providing a fabulous vocal showcase

THE PROGRAMME

Day 4 Sunday 7th November Photograph: Noto Catherdral, Sicily @nightcap

Avola is another rarely visited little town half an hour from Syracuse. A poem in gold and crimson, the auditorium of the Teatro Garibaldi is the smallest of the festival, seating comfortably not many more than a hundred. The audience therefore splits, and the ensemble performs the hour-long opera twice. Half the group have free time in Syracuse in the morning followed by an afternoon performance; the other half attend the opera in the morning and return to Syracuse at lunchtime. Performances, 11.00am or 3.00pm Teatro Garibaldi, Avola I Fagiolini Robert Hollingworth director DIDO AND AENEAS (1689) Henry Purcell It is astonishing to think how little we know about a piece which has done so much to shape British musical identity. Henry Purcell produced Dido and Aeneas during the 1680s as part of his first wave of theatrical projects, most of which were incidental music for plays. Drawing on John Blow’s Venus and Adonis, Purcell shaped his English-language narrative of the Queen of Carthage and her unfaithful Trojan lover entirely around the flow of the music, making it a true opera (unlike pieces with spoken dialogue).

Nonetheless, the magnificent music for the witches plotting Dido’s downfall, the lively dances for the sailors preparing to sail Aeneas away, and Dido’s heartbreaking lament have made the work a source of huge national pride ever since it was revived during the late nineteenth century. New generations of performers have returned to it again and again to remake it for their time. Dinner is independent, unless you choose to attend an optional dinner. Set on Piazza Duomo, the small Baroque church of Santa Lucia alla Badia presents an elegant concave façade of pale local stone, rebuilt following the earthquake that levelled south-eastern Sicily in 1693. The interior is compact and unpretentious: a single nave, restrained stucco decoration, and an atmosphere more intimate than grand. Its dedication honours Syracuse’s own martyred patron saint, Lucy, said to have died nearby. Concert, 9.00pm Chiesa di Santa Lucia alla Badia, Syracuse Sacred Vocal Music Odhecaton Paolo da Col director Programme to be conf irmed.

When and where it was first heard is unclear: it could have been intended for the court of Charles II, but the first documented performances suggest that it might have been written for Chelsea schoolgirls to perform. Even the original score is lost, surviving in a copy made after Purcell’s death. WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM

THE PROGRAMME

THE FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

Day 5 Monday 8th November

There is a morning lecture, and the option of art historical or architectural visits, before the final opera in the afternoon. Syracuse’s Teatro Comunale is the largest and grandest of the theatres engaged for this festival – though there are only about 300 seats with good sightlines. Unused for 70 years, the recent refurbishment allows occasional access to an auditorium with sumptuous ornamentation and an elaborate ceiling painting. Performance, 4.00pm Teatro Massimo Comunale, Syracuse

in a duel at the beginning, it sets up one of the most dramatic confrontations in opera, where the ghost of the Commendatore drags his killer down to justified punishment in hell. It is impossible to overstate the importance of this scene for the emerging Romantic movement, inspiring many gothic and supernatural visions to come. Though it’s also Mozart’s sheer melodic genius, by this time in full, mature flow, that still astonishes now. An opera with so many gorgeous tunes is worth treasuring for that aspect alone.

Meet the musicians. See pages 14–17 for their biographies.

A gala dinner for everyone follows the performance.

The Mozartists Ian Page director DON GIOVANNI (1787) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Illustration: Syracuse, the Greek Theatre, engraving c. 1830.

A stark, foreboding opening sets off an experience like no other. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s music for Don Giovanni caused a sensation at its premiere in Prague in 1787, and the piece rapidly established itself as one of the most important in the repertoire. Unlike his previous collaboration with Lorenzo da Ponte, Le nozze di Figaro (1786), it was not straightforwardly comic. The humour is still here: the title character goes through ever more convoluted schemes to evade ex-lovers and their partners in pursuit, including switching clothes with the servant Leporello to keep Donna Elvira occupied while Don Giovanni woos her maid. But the comedy is woven with much more serious, melodramatic material. When Don Giovanni kills Donna Anna’s father

THE PROGRAMME

Day 6 Tuesday 9th November

Coaches take participants to Catania airport. Fly to London directly or via Milan or Rome, or leave the festival independently. For travel options, see page 22.

Photograph: Avola, Teatro Garibaldi ©Hannah King.

WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM

THE PLACE

DISCOVER THE PLACE

The south-eastern corner of Sicily – from the ancient city of Syracuse southwards to Capo Pássero and including the Baroque towns of Modica and Noto – is distinctive in so many ways.

The landscape is surprisingly varied, and searingly beautiful. A limestone scarp runs parallel to the shore, with hill country and great ravines to the interior. This is the most fertile and well managed part of the island, with dry-stone walls reminiscent of the Cotswolds and a prosperous and diverse agriculture. Evidence of the ancient past is all around, never more strikingly than in the Doric temples and fortifications of Ortygia in Syracuse and the Greek theatre a mile away on the mainland. As Cicero informed the Roman Senate: ‘You will often have been told that Syracuse is the largest of Greek cities and the loveliest of all cities. Gentlemen, what you have been told is true’. This is the base we have chosen for this festival.

Ready to book? See page 23 for details.

A very particular form of Baroque architecture is manifest in sumptuous palaces, magnificent churches and monastic houses. Locally quarried limestone was used – although friable and vulnerable, its golden yellow colour is distinctive and beautiful. These Baroque cities are also astonishing for their dramatic streetscape: churches with soaring belfries, such as San Giorgio at Modica, or the surging curvilinear façade of San Domenico at Noto. The many theatres, opera houses and concert halls that were constructed are indicative of the sophistication and love of entertainment of the Sicilian aristocracy and townspeople, and of the aesthetic elegance they valued so highly.

In 1693 an earthquake devastated Sicily’s Ionian seaboard. In the following half century the huge campaign of rebuilding that occurred was testament to the native wealth of the island, even though this was largely in the hands of feudal landlords and religious orders.

Photograph: Ragusa ©DaLiu 12

THE MUSICIANS

MEET THE MUSICIANS

I FAGIOLINI

ROBERT HOLLINGWORTH

ODHECATON

Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2026/2027, I Fagiolini produces innovative work which is now as much online as it is live, including collaborative cross-art projects on stages around the world and short, multi award-winning music videos with Polyphonic Films. Its YouTube series, SingTheScore, combines serious analysis with off-the-wall humour, while Choral Chihuahua, presented by Robert Hollingworth, Nicholas Mulroy and Eamonn Dougan, is the top UK choral podcast and is now in its 12th season. The group is also an Associate Ensemble at the University of York.

Robert founded I Fagiolini in 1986 and has since spent much of his life thinking about how audiences receive music, instead of just how performers want to deliver it. Aside from his work with I Fagiolini, he is a conductor, broadcaster, educator, editor and festival director.

The Italian ensemble Odhecaton owes its name to the first printed book of polyphony, published in 1501 in Venice. Founded in 1998 and directed by Paolo Da Col, Odhecaton brings together some of the best Italian male voices specialised in the performance of Renaissance and Baroque vocal music.

Signature projects include the fully immersive The Full Monteverdi and Betrayal (dir. John La Bouchardière); Tallis in Wonderland (with live and recorded voice); Simunye, the South African collaboration; and How Like An Angel with Australian contemporary circus company CIRCA. The group’s French 20th-century disc Amuse-Bouche included the first recording of Jean Francaix’s 12-voice Ode à la Gastronomie (also on YouTube). Monteverdi programmes include L’Orfeo (dir. Tom Guthrie) with masks and puppets, and 1610 & 1641 Vespers.

Robert has conducted orchestras including the English Concert, Academy of Ancient Music, BBC Concert Orchestra, and Irish Baroque Orchestra and directed some of the world’s finest chamber choirs including Accentus, NDR Chor, RIAS Kammerchor (Berlin), Netherlands Chamber Choir, National Chamber Choir of Ireland, BBC Singers, Danish National Vocal Ensemble and Capella Cracoviensis. Robert is Artistic Director for Stour Music Festival and the new ‘Fairest Isle Festival’ on the Isle of Wight. Robert has written and presented programmes on BBC Radio 3, and at the University of York he directs two choirs and the UK’s only MA in Solo-Voice Ensemble Singing, now in its 13th year.

I Fagiolini’s large-scale recording projects include world premieres of Striggio ‘Mass in 40 Parts’, Viadana Vespers, works by the Gabrielis and now three albums of Benevoli’s ‘Colossal Baroque’ multi-choir masses.

Starting with a focus on Franco-Flemish composers working during the Italian musical renaissance of the 15th century, such as Josquin des Prez, the group’s repertoire has grown to include both earlier and contemporary works by a large spectrum of composers. The ensemble has made recordings dedicated to the music of Gombert, Isaac, Josquin, Peñalosa and Compère, and has helped rediscover the repertoire of 17th-century Spanish and Portuguese composers active in the Canary Islands. These programmes have led to appearances in Europe’s leading festivals, and won them important recognition in the world of recording: ‘Diapason d’or de l’année’, ‘Disco del mese’ (Amadeus and CD Classics), ‘Cd of the Year’ (Goldberg) and more. Beyond its central repertoire, Odhecaton has also presented a semi-staged production of Orazio Vecchi’s Amf iparnaso (directed by Enrico Bonavera, with scenery by Lele Luzzatti), and a production of sacred music by Gesualde da Venosa.

THE MUSICIANS

PAOLO DA COL

THE MOZARTISTS

IAN PAGE

Paolo Da Col completed his musical training at the Conservatorio of Bologna and his musicological studies at the Università Ca’ Foscari of Venice and the Centre d’Études Supérieures de la Renaissance of Tours. From a very early age he has devoted his attention to the Renaissance and preclassical polyphonic repertoire, constantly combining the demands of research and performance.

The Mozartists, led by conductor and artistic director Ian Page, are leading exponents of the music of Mozart and his contemporaries. Originally called Classical Opera, the company was founded in 1997, and has received widespread international acclaim for its stylish and virtuosic periodinstrument orchestra, its imaginative and innovative programming, and its ability to nurture and develop world-class young artists.

Founder, conductor and artistic director of The Mozartists, Ian Page has conducted most of Mozart’s operas, including the world premières of the ‘original’ version of Mitridate, re di Ponto and a new completion of Zaide. He has also conducted the first new staging for 250 years of Johann Christian Bach’s Adriano in Siria.

He was previously director of the journal L’Organo (together with Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini) and of the music catalogue of the Forni publishing house of Bologna. He has also worked as a music critic, edited publications of instrumental and vocal music, and authored catalogues of musical collections and studies on the history of vocal music. He is presently librarian of the Conservatorio of Venice.

Soloists Details later this year.

The Mozartists have a prolific recording profile, perform regularly at the UK’s leading venues, and have toured across Europe. They have mounted staged productions of many of Mozart’s operas, and have also given numerous UK premières, including Gluck’s La clemenza di Tito, Telemann’s Orpheus, and Haydn’s Applausus. In 2015 the company launched MOZART 250, a ground-breaking 27-year project exploring the chronological trajectory of Mozart’s life, works and influences. Described by The Observer as “among the most audacious classical music scheduling ever”, this flagship project presents 250thanniversary performances of most of Mozart’s important works, placing them in context alongside other significant works by Mozart’s contemporaries. Their first two recordings – ‘The A-Z of Mozart Opera’ and ‘Blessed Spirit – a Gluck retrospective’ – were both selected for Gramophone’s annual Critics’ Choice. WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM

Page made his Royal Opera House début conducting his own new performing edition of Thomas Arne’s Artaxerxes. Other engagements have included the opening concerts at the 2016 Eisenstadt Haydn Festival, and Handel’s Ariodante at the 2019 Drottningholm Festival in Sweden. Ian was a coach for the International Opera School at London’s Royal College of Music for several years, and has given masterclasses for the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, The Royal Scottish Conservatoire, The Drottningholm Festival and The Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Young Artists Programme. He has broadcast on BBC radio and television and Sky Arts, and written several articles for The Guardian, The Independent, Gramophone and Opera Now.

Photographs (left to right): I Fagiolini (©Keith Saunders), Odhecaton, Paolo Da Col (©Fabio Fiandrini), The Mozartists.

THE MUSICIANS

IL CANTO DI ORFEO

GIANLUCA CAPUANO

ORCHESTRA FILARMONICA ITALIANA

The vocal and instrumental ensemble Il Canto di Orfeo was founded in Milan in 2005 by the conductor Gianluca Capuano, and brings together specialists in historically informed performance. It first made its name with the music of Giacomo Carissimi and his pupils and contemporaries in Rome, before broadening its repertoire to take in the major works written in Italy and elsewhere in Europe between 1600 and 1750, alongside music of the late Renaissance and of the present day.

Born in Milan, Gianluca Capuano studied organ, composition and conducting at the conservatory in his home city before specialising in early music at the Scuola Civica; he also holds a degree in theoretical philosophy from the University of Milan. He came to international attention in August 2016, stepping in at short notice to conduct Norma with Cecilia Bartoli on the opening night of the Edinburgh Festival, the start of a long partnership. Chief conductor of Les Musiciens du Prince, Monaco since 2019, he has appeared at the Salzburg Festival every year since 2017, and was awarded the Premio Abbiati as conductor of the year in 2022. He is a regular guest at Zurich Opera, the Vienna Staatsoper and the Bavarian Staatsoper.

Founded in the late 1980s, the Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana represents an unusual model among Italian orchestras. Constituted as a cooperative, it draws on a network of more than 400 professional players, allowing it to field an ensemble of whatever size and character a particular programme requires. It has no permanent conductor, working instead with the musicians engaged for each individual project.

The ensemble appears regularly at Europe’s leading early music festivals, among them the Royaumont Festival, the Monteverdi Festival in Cremona, the Bach Festival in Lausanne and Milano Arte Musica, and for more than a decade it has curated the ‘Vespri musicali in San Maurizio’ series in its home city. Its longstanding collaboration with Cecilia Bartoli has further enriched its artistic profile, and it has appeared at both the Salzburg and Lucerne festivals.

The orchestra is closely involved in training the next generation, hosting the Italian Conducting Academy of Milan, founded in 2012 by Gilberto Serembe.

Recordings include Galuppi arias with the mezzo-soprano Catherine King, named an Editor’s Choice in Gramophone, and a disc of 16th-century madrigals from Mantua and Ferrara.

Its greatest strength lies in the opera house: its repertoire ran to at least eighty titles by the end of the 2010s, embracing not only the familiar Italian works of the late 18th and 19th centuries but also neglected comic operas of the 18th century and contemporary scores. Singers with whom it has appeared include José Carreras, José Cura, Katia Ricciarelli and Andrea Bocelli, and it has worked beyond the classical sphere with Ennio Morricone and others.

THE MUSICIANS

“

We thought the entire experience was incredibly well done on every level. The music and the locations were wonderful. The visits to the venues in Ortygia and the hill towns provided a deepening of the experience and context. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

MANFRED OBRECHT The Swiss conductor Manfred Obrecht trained as an orchestral trumpeter, taking his diploma at the Musikakademie in Basel in 1983 with Mario Populin, and played with the Basel Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Bern Chamber Orchestra and the International Brass Quintet. From 1981 to 2009 he was chief conductor of the Oberaargauer Brass Band, and he now directs the international wind ensemble Classic Festival Brass. He has been a guest conductor of the London Concert Symphony Orchestra since 2001, and appears regularly with the Philharmonie Baden-Baden and the Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana, as well as with the Slovak Philharmonic, the Stuttgart Symphony and the Württemberg Philharmonic. His collaborators have included Regula Mühlemann, Tine Thing Helseth and Reinhold Friedrich.

THE CONCERTS All four theatres were built in the 19th century, and though they have been refurbished, some of the seats may be less comfortable than those in a modern opera house. Many are in boxes rather than in the stalls (orchestra), though we are limiting audience capacity so everyone has good sight-lines. If you are uneasy with the idea of sitting anywhere other than in the stalls, please talk to us before booking.

Audience size. There will be up to 220 participants on the festival. At the one venue which cannot hold this number, the opera will be repeated.

Private. All the performances are planned and administered by us, and the audience consists exclusively of those who have taken the festival package.

Changes. Musicians fall ill, venues may close for repairs, airlines alter schedules: there are many circumstances which could necessitate changes to the programme. We ask you to be understanding should they occur.

Seating. Specific seats are not reserved. You sit where you want.

Acoustics. This festival is more concerned with locale and authenticity than with acoustic perfection. The venues may have idiosyncrasies or reverberations of the sort not found in modern concert halls.

Photographs (left to right): Il Canto di Orfeo (©Marco Borrelli), Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana.

WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM

ACCOMMODATION

There is a choice of six hotels in Syracuse (Ortygia): 3- 4- or 5-star. These are the best hotels on the island. They differ in size, architecture and style, and have Sicilian charm of varying degrees. They range from rustic and family run to luxury resort hotels. Coaches cannot enter Ortygia, and so stop at the bridge that connects the island with mainland Syracuse. Walking distances are indicated on the following pages. Luggage is transferred separately by minivan. Your choice of hotel is the sole determinant of the different prices.

HOTEL LIVINGSTON (3/4*)

ALGILÀ ORTIGIA CHARME HOTEL (4*)

This small (16 rooms), family-run hotel is situated on the curve of the Lungomare at the tip of the island, looking south-east. This is the quieter side of town. The decor is traditional, and somewhat old-fashioned, but well maintained.

A delightful mid-size (54 rooms) 4-star hotel in two adjacent Baroque palazzi overlooking the Ionian Sea. There are sea views from many rooms (those listed below as ‘sea view’ have direct views, but many not in this category have lateral sea views from windows or balconies).

Bedrooms have dark wood panelling and a mix of green or red brocade fabric furnishing. It is a comfortable hotel but rather plain, and more the standard of a 3-star (it technically has a 4 star rating but we have given it 3-4 stars here because of this). Rooms have all modern amenities: airconditioning/heating, hairdryer, safe, WiFi. Bathrooms mostly have showers, or baths with shower attachments. There is a breakfast room but no restaurant or bar. Good restaurants (and cafés) are nearby. Room types available: Classic: Size: c. 18m2. Queen-size bed. Deluxe (side): Size: c. 18m2. Queen-size bed. Lateral sea view.

Designed by Syracuse-born theatre designer Manuel Giliberto, the rooms feature majolica tiles, kilims and antique furniture: each has its own design. The overall effect is charming and delightfully tasteful. All the rooms are air-conditioned/heated, and are equipped with hairdryers, safes and WiFi. Some rooms are split over two levels, with two or three steps into the room or separating the levels. All rooms have walk-in showers, in some cases the shower is separated from the bathroom, and higher category rooms may also have baths. The hotel has a restaurant and a bar. Room types available:

Deluxe (sea view): Size: c. 18m2. Queensize bed. Sea view and balcony. Junior Suite: Size: c. 33m2. Queen-size bed. Sea view and balcony. Walk to coach: c. 1000m Photograph: Syracuse, Ortygia. ©Cynthiakit2 18

www.hotellivingston.com CONTACT US: +44 (0)20 8742 3355

Classic: Size: c. 12m2. A cosy room with views overlooking the inner courtyard. Superior: Size: c. 21m2. Some have a balcony and overlook the inner courtyard. Classic (sea view): Size: c. 12m2. A cosy room with full sea view and French balcony.

ACCOMMODATION

Illustration: Syracuse, engraving c. 1840

PALAZZO ARTEMIDE (4*) Junior Suite: Size: c. 24m2. Has a kingsize bed and separated living and sleeping areas, and overlooks the inner courtyard. Suite: Size: c. 32m2. A spacious and sophisticated apartment-style room. Some Suites feature a small balcony with partial sea view. Deluxe Spa: Size: c. 18m2. Located on the top floor of the hotel with its own private rooftop terrace with stunning views of the sea and outdoor jacuzzi. Walk to coach: c. 600m www.algila.it

A 4-star hotel situated near the cathedral in a lovely pink palazzo (40 rooms). The location is wonderful: in fine weather the breakfast room and restaurant extend onto Piazza Minerva, the heart of the historic centre. The hotel underwent a major and thoughtful renovation a few years ago, and the decor is modern and sleek throughout the hotel, in white, light blues and greys with parquet floors, though remains stylistically in keeping with the historic nature of the building. All rooms are equipped with airconditioning/heating, safes, hairdryers and WiFi. Rooms only have walk-in showers. There is a restaurant and bar. Room types available:

courtyard, some with views of Piazza Minerva; some feature a French balcony or French window. Junior suite: Size: c. 30m2, with views of the Palace’s inner courtyard. Some rooms feature a with a balcony and some are split over two floors. Twice-daily housekeeping service. Suite: Size: c. 43m2. Rooms feature a tailored decor of refined Italian fabrics. Suites have three French balconies and the space is thoughtfully divided into a living and sleeping area. Walk to coach: c. 750m www.vretreats.com/en/palazzoartemide

Superior: Size: c. 20 –24m2, though room sizes may vary. Rooms overlook the inner

Optional Walks & Visits If you choose to arrive a day early (3 November), a range of visits will be available on 4 November, and where there is free time in Syracuse and elsewhere during the festival, optional walks and visits will be offered, led by the following experts:

Dr R.T. Cobianchi. Art historian specialising in the art and architecture of the Renaissance and Baroque. His interests also span from the iconography of the late Middle Ages to the sculpture of NeoClassicism.

Dr Luca Leoncini. Specialist in 15th-century Italian painting. An art historian, he has published articles on the classical tradition in Italian art of the 15th century and contributed to the Macmillan Dictionary of Art.

WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM

Dr Zoe Opacic. Reader in the History and Theory of Architecture at Birkbeck College, specialising in medieval art, architecture and urbanism. Has a PhD from the Courtauld Institute of Art, and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.

ACCOMMODATION

“

Every moment was interesting, whether it was the music, the architecture, the history or the setting.

Illustration: Theatre at Syracuse, steel engraving c. 1890.

GRAND HOTEL ORTIGIA (5*) A 5-star hotel, in a superbly located position overlooking the harbour, and about a 5- to 10-minute walk from the Duomo (58 rooms). Housed in a 19thcentury building, the hotel previously underwent extensive renovations, the result of which remained in keeping with its original charm and Liberty style. Decor in the bedrooms, and throughout the hotel more generally, is classic and understated exuding a certain warmth, though certain fixtures and furnishings are slightly dated. All rooms have air-conditioning/ heating, safes, hairdryers and WiFi. Most bathrooms have showers with an overhead shower fixture.

ORTEA PALACE HOTEL (5*) Deluxe room (sea view): Size: c. 18–23m2. Some rooms in this category are duplex. A small number of walk-in showers are available. Duplex Junior Suite: Size: c. 25m2. A bright room filled with natural light and panoramic sea views, the living area is separate from the sleeping area which is accessed via a sturdy staircase. Duplex Junior Suite (sea view): Size: c. 25m2, spacious and bright rooms situated on two levels. Walk to the coach: c. 300m www.grandhotelortigia.it

Decor in the bedrooms continues the white theme, with more marble and modern furnishings and artworks, which can be a little showy. Classic rooms overlook the internal courtyard, while the rest have fabulous views over the sea and city. All rooms have air-conditioning/heating, safes, hairdryers and WiFi. Most bedrooms are duplexes, with (sturdy) stairs separating sleeping from sitting areas. Only twin suites can be twin bedded. Some bathrooms have showers only, while some also have a separate bathtubs.

The hotel has a restaurant and bar. Room types available: Deluxe room: Size: c. 18–23m2. Spacious rooms with elegant décor. Some rooms in this category are duplex.

A 5-star luxury hotel in the island’s former 1920s post office building (75 rooms). Following many years spent renovating the building, the result is luxurious, if rather elaborate. The dominant colour is white, emphasising the quality of the Sicilian light, with white walls and expanses of white marble omnipresent. Staff are very friendly and willing. The restaurant and bar are in the covered courtyard.

ACCOMMODAITON

Photograph: Ortygia ©Robert Harding

GRAND HOTEL DES ÈTRANGERS (5*) There is an extensive spa, with a large indoor freshwater pool and a full range of spa treatments available, with one complimentary entry for hotel guests. There are also two restaurants, a bar and a garden. Room types available: Classic (Roundhand): Size: c. 21m2, queen bed. Classic Duplex (Edwardian): Size: c. 34m2. Twin beds. Junior Suite (Duplex): Size: c. 34– 42m2, with a king-sized bed, balcony and sea view. Twin Suite (Duplex): Size: c. 36m2. These have separate showers; also a sea view. Executive Suite: Size: c. 65m2. King-size bed and sea view.

The Grand Hotel des Ètrangers offers a level of luxury and elegance not found in any of the other hotels. It is in two Stile Liberty palazzi, on the waterfront overlooking the sheltered bay of Syracuse. A full renovation took place just a few years ago, though period features such as the mosaic floor and ceiling in the entrance remain. Decor is elegant and lavish throughout, with a focus on the quality and provenance of materials. A balance is carefully struck between modern high-end and the hotel’s art deco roots. Staff are infallibly polite, and service clearly aims for the cosmopolitan approach of European luxury city hotels. All rooms have kingsize beds, airconditioning/heating, safes, hairdryers and WiFi. The restaurant and bar are on the top floor and have fabulous views. There is a small indoor swimming pool and spa.

Room types available: Comfort: Size: c. 22–27m2. These have an internal view. Superior: Size: c. 27–32m2, with an internal or city view. Can be twinned on request. Deluxe (sea view): Size: c. 32– 40m2, spacious and elegantly furnished with balcony. Junior Suite (sea view): Size: c. 40m2 with a stunning sea view and French balcony. Suites are available on request and for a supplement. Walk c. 15 minutes. Walktotocoach: the coach: c. 900m www.desetrangers.com www.desetrangers.com

Walk to the coach: c. 300m Extra dinners

www.marriott.com

You can choose to join an extra dinner in Syracuse on the Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 November. This ensures that you eat in the company of other festival participants on all evenings. Details and the option to book these will be sent nearer to departure.

WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM

TRAVEL OPTIONS

Illustration: Syracuse, wood engraving c. 1880.

Arriving a day early

Arriving on the first day of the festival

OPTION 1

OPTION 4

3 November: London City to Catania, via Milan Linate (AZ221 & AZ1723) departing at 09.00 and arriving at 15.15.

4 November: London Heathrow to Palermo (BA610) departing at 07.45 and arriving at 11.50. *Travel across the island from Palermo to Syracuse by coach, a journey of c. 5 hours, including a one-hour stop to break the journey.

9 November: Catania to London City, via Milan Linate (AZ1747 & AZ238) departing at 09.40 and arriving at 15.55.

OPTION 2 3 November: London Heathrow to Catania, via Rome Fiumicino (AZ203 & AZ1733) departing at 10.30 and arriving at 18.30.

OPTION 5

Pre-festival tour participants fly out with their tour group and return to the UK on festival flight option 1 on 9 November.

OPTION 3

9 November: Catania to London City, via Milan Linate (AZ1747 & AZ238) departing at 09.40 and arriving at 15.05.

OPTION 6

9 November: Catania to London Gatwick (EZY8286) departing at 12.30 and arriving at 15.00.

4 November: London Gatwick to Catania (EZY8285) departing at 13.30 and arriving at 17.40.

These f lights are operated by Easyjet.

9 November: Catania to London Gatwick (EZY8286) departing at 12.30 and arriving at 15.00.

PRE- AND POST-FESTIVAL TOURS The prices for pre- and post-festival tours include the option of a return flight.

4 November: London City to Catania, via Milan Linate (AZ221 & AZ1723) departing at 09.00 and arriving at 15.15.

Please note that no flight schedules have currently been published for November 2027 – these are the most likely times based on similar dates for 2026.

If you are not joining our flight options, you are welcome to join our coach transfers if your travel arrangements coincide with any of these options.

9 November: Catania to London Heathrow, via Rome Fiumicino (AZ1710 & AZ204) departing at 10.15 and arriving at 15.40.

3 November: London Gatwick to Catania (EZY8285) departing at 13.30 and arriving at 17.40.

THE NO-FLIGHTS OPTION

These f lights are operated by Easyjet.

Post-festival tour participants have a choice of which flight option they fly out on (as there is a choice of arriving on Day -1 or Day 1) and fly back with their tour group. For combining arrangements, please see each specific tour details on pages 24–27. We charge for flights, if you are taking them, as part of your pre- or postfestival tour booking. You therefore pay the ‘no flights’ price for the festival.

MAKING A BOOKING

Participation in our festivals is a very different experience from conventional group travel.

1. Booking Option. We recommend that you contact us first, or visit our website, to make a booking option which we will hold for 72 hours. To confirm it, please send the deposit within this period – 15% of your total booking price. Alternatively, make a definite booking straight away via our website. 2. Definite booking. Full payment is required if you are booking within 12 weeks of the date the festival begins. 3. Our confirmation. Upon receipt of the deposit we shall send you confirmation of your booking. After this your deposit is non-returnable except in the special circumstances mentioned in our Booking Conditions. Further details about the festival may also be sent at this stage, or will follow shortly afterwards.

No repetitive or redundant announcements, no herding by elevated umbrella, no unnecessary roll calls, little hanging around. We work on the assumption that you are adults, and our staff cultivate the virtue of unobtrusiveness. Though there will be up to 220 participants, you will often find yourself in smaller groups – the audience is divided between six hotels, and into different restaurants for some of the dinners. For those who are not averse to group activities there are extra meals, walks and visits to sign up to. You choose the level of participation that suits you. We provide sufficient information to enable you to navigate the festival events without needing to be led. However, festival staff are also stationed around the events to direct you if needed.

WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM

PRE-FESTIVAL TOUR

GASTRONOMIC EASTERN SICILY ISLAND RICHES, FROM VOLCANIC VINEYARDS TO FRUITS OF THE SEA

26 October–2 November 2027 (mn 535) 8 days Speaker: Cynthia Chaplin

The cuisine of one side of the Mediterranean’s largest island: Bronte pistachios, vegetables and wines from Etna’s fertile slopes; citrus, cheeses and chocolate from the south. From rustic farm lunches and private wine tastings to three restaurants holding Michelin stars, each championing the region’s culinary traditions. Two countryside hotels, set among their own olive groves and vineyards, plus two nights in the lively centre of Ortygia. Led by sommelier and Italian Wine Ambassador Cynthia Chaplin.

ITINERARY Day 1. Fly at c. 9.00am from London City to Catania, via Milan (ITA Airways). Transfer to the hotel in Linguaglossa for a welcome dinner in the shadow of Etna. First of three nights in Linguaglossa. Day 2: Bronte, Etna. Drive to the western slope of Etna to a family-run pistachio farm in Bronte: walk amongst the trees and taste pistachio creams, biscuits and pesto. Continue to Palmento Costanzo winery, followed by a tasting and lunch. Free time at the hotel before dinner at a Michelinstarred restaurant. Day 3: Taormina clings to a rocky cliffside, overlooking the Ionian Sea. Walk amongst its Roman remains, chequered piazze and narrow streets before lunch at Vineria Modì, a Michelin-starred restaurant championing creative Sicilian dishes. In the 24

evening, the lecturer leads a wine tasting in a late-afternoon flight from Catania to the hotel. London City, arriving c. 9.00pm. Day 4: Randazzo, Aci Sant’Antonio, Noto. Before embarking on the journey south, visit a winery which takes inspiration from art and poetry. Continue to a lunch where Chef Alfio Visalli cooks live for the group. Continue to Masseria della Volpe where the next two nights are spent. Day 5: San Giacomo Ragusa, Vittoria. Travel into the Hyblaean mountains to an innovative caseificio using net-zero farming techniques. Cheese tasting as part of a light lunch here. Continue to Vittoria, home of the Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG wine, for a visit and tasting at a winery which has forged a path for Sicilian fine wines. Day 6: Modica, Ortygia. Depart for Modica, famous for its centuries-old method of making chocolate, inspired by the Aztecs. Visit a leading producer and taste this unique product. Continue to the charming seaside town of Ortygia for the final two nights of the tour. Day 7: Ortygia. A walking tour of Ortygia includes the historic Jewish ghetto and its backstreets before visiting the town’s small but lively market to taste various local delicacies. Dinner is at Cortile Santo Stefano, a leading Michelin-starred restaurant renowned for its championing of Syracusan gastronomy. Day 8. Morning visit to the ancient heart of Ortygia, including the Tempio di Apollo (6th-century BC) and the cathedral, before CONTACT US: +44 (0)20 8742 3355

If combining with the festival, remain in Ortygia in the Algilà hotel 2–3 November and transfer to your festival hotel (if applicable) on 3 November.

PRACTICALITIES Included: travel by private coach; hotel accommodation; breakfasts, 4 lunches (including 1 light lunch with a cheese tasting) and 6 dinners with wine, water, coffee; wine and food tastings, all admissions; all tips; all taxes; the services of the lecturer and tour manager. Accommodation: Hotel Villa Neri, Linguaglossa (villaneri.it): luxury boutique 5-star hotel set in the beautiful countryside of the Etna National Park. Masseria della Volpe, near Noto (masseriadellavolpe.it): peaceful 4-star resort hotel surrounded by rolling hills of olive trees and citrus groves. Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel, Ortygia (algila.it): 4-star hotel in two adjacent Baroque palazzi, overlooking the Ionian sea (see also pages 18–19). Single occupancy rooms are doubles for sole use. 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 the caseificio, wineries and pistachio farm visits. The tour also involves walking in town centres, sometimes uphill and over unevenly paved ground. Average distance by coach per day: 55 miles. Small group: between 10 and 24.

PRE-FESTIVAL TOUR

ESSENTIAL SICILY FROM THE GREEKS TO THE BAROQUE: THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF HISTORY

25 October–3 November 2027 (mn 534) 10 days Speaker: Dr Mark Grahame

Five of Sicily’s seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento and the Roman floor mosaics at Villa Romana del Casale, unequalled in Europe. Byzantine mosaics of the highest order: the Palatine Chapel in Palermo, Monreale Cathedral, and the Norman churches of Cefalù. A geographically balanced itinerary – based in both Palermo and Catania – covering the full sweep of the island across ten days.

ITINERARY Day 1: Palermo. Fly at c. 9.00am from London City to Palermo via Milan (ITA airways). The largest and by far the most interesting city on the island, Palermo has been capital of Sicily since the ninth century. First of five nights in Palermo. Day 2: Palermo. A morning walk through the old centre includes visits to the Palazzo Abatellis and outstanding Norman buildings including La Martorana with fine mosaics. In the afternoon visit the cathedral and Il Gesù, grandest of Palermo’s Baroque interiors. Day 3: Monreale, Cefalù. The cathedral at Monreale is one of the finest Norman churches on the island and possesses the largest scheme of Byzantine mosaic decoration in existence. Cefalù, a charming coastal town, has another massive Norman cathedral.

Day 4: Palermo, Segesta. In the morning see the Palatine Chapel in the palace of the Norman kings. In the afternoon drive to Segesta; set in an unspoilt hilly landscape, the almost complete but fascinatingly unfinished fifth-century temple at Segesta was built by indigenous, if thoroughly Hellenised, Sicilians. Day 5: Agrigento. The Valley of the Temples, the remains of the Greek colony of Akragas at modern-day Agrigento, is one of the greatest sites bequeathed by the ancient world. Day 6: Piazza Armerina, Catania. Leave Palermo and drive through the hilly interior of Sicily. At Piazza Armerina are the remains of one of the finest villas of the late Roman Empire, whose floor mosaics comprise the most vital and colourful manifestation of Roman figurative art in Europe. Continue to Catania, where the remaining four nights are spent. Day 7: Catania. Sicily’s second city, Catania was largely rebuilt after the earthquake of 1693 with long straight streets lined with Baroque palaces. In the morning, visit the Roman theatre, before a private visit and lunch at a Byzantine chapel. The afternoon is free. Day 8: Taormina. Drive to Taormina, an extremely pretty hillside town. The cathedral is a well-maintained example of Romanesque-Gothic architecture, and the Teatro Greco (actually largely Roman) is incomparably sited with far-reaching views. Day 9: Siracusa. Founded as a Greek WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM

colony in 733 bc, Syracuse became the most important city of Magna Græcia. Santa Lucia al Sepolcro is the church for which Caravaggio painted the Burial of Saint Lucy. Day 10: Catania. Visit a private palace and the cathedral before the short drive to the airport. Fly from Catania to London City, via Milan (ITA Airways), arriving at c. 9.00pm. If combining with the festival, transfer directly from the visits in Catania to your festival hotel in Ortygia.

PRACTICALITIES Included: Travel by private coach throughout; hotel accommodation as described below; breakfasts; 3 lunches and 5 dinners with wine, water, coffee; all admissions; all tips; all taxes; the services of the lecturer and tour manager. Accommodation: Grand Hotel Et Des Palmes, Palermo (grandhotel-et-despalmes.com): luxurious 5-star hotel, recently renovated but still retaining many Art Nouveau details. Palace Catania, Catania (unaitalianhospitality. com): A smart modern 4-star hotel. Single occupancy rooms are doubles for sole use. How strenuous? This is a fairly strenuous tour which 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. Average distance by coach per day: 68 miles. Small group: between 10 and 24.

POST-FESTIVAL TOUR

WORLD HERITAGE MALTA WITH A DAY ON GOZO

10 –16 November 2027 (mn 493) 7 days Lecturer: Juliet Rix

A wonderful exploration of this fascinating, diverse island.

Ladies of Malta’ and other original carvings from the Neolithic Temples.

Some of the world’s earliest stone buildings, all of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Day 3: Valletta. A morning visit to the charming Manoel Theatre, a rare survival of the early 18th century. Then the CoCathedral of St John, one of the most interesting of Baroque buildings, which has lavish carved wall decoration and tombs, ceiling paintings by Mattia Preti and two paintings by Caravaggio. Finally, a private visit of the Casa Rocca Piccola provides unique historic insight to the customs and traditions of the Maltese nobility over the last 400 years.

Many more major historic sites in the fortified capital of Valletta and ancient Mdina. Magnificent Baroque art and architecture with 21st-century designs by Renzo Piano. Rural and picturesque Gozo Island, with its stunning natural features.

ITINERARY ITINERARY If combining with the festival, transfer to Catania Airport on the final day of the festival, 9 November; fly from Catania to Malta (direct flight with Ryanair); transfer to the Phoenicia Hotel and overnight there 9–10 November. Day 1: Valletta. Fly at c. 10.45am 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 4: Paola, Valletta. In Paola, the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum is a unesco World Heritage Site and the only prehistoric underground burial site 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, with its cathedral and medieval Citadel.

Day 2: Qrendi, Marsaxlokk, Valletta. Drive through the countryside to the prehistoric temples overlooking the sea, Hagar Qim and Mnajdra. Time in the picturesque, traditional fishing village of Marsaxlokk before returning to Valletta. Afternoon visit to the National Museum of Archaeology, home of the unique ‘Fat

Day 6: Mdina, Rabat. Mdina, Malta’s ancient capital, is an unspoilt citadel of great beauty, centre of the Maltese aristocracy, with medieval walls, grand palazzi and Baroque cathedral. Spreading below is the town of Rabat, with Early Christian catacombs.

Day 7: Vittoriosa. Cross the Grand Harbour by dghajsa (traditional water taxi), to see churches, forts, and the Knights’ auberges in Vittoriosa. Fly to London Heathrow arriving at c. 7.30pm.

PRACTICALITIES PRACTICALITIES Included: accommodation as below; travel by private coach; breakfasts, 2 lunches and 4 dinners with wine, water, coffee; admissions to museums and sites; gratuities for waiters, drivers and local guides; the services of the lecturer, tour manager and local guide. Accommodation: Hotel Phoenicia, Valletta (phoeniciamalta.com): a 5-star hotel in Valletta, recently refurbished and furnished with style and character, the best in Valletta and just outside the city gates. Single rooms are doubles for sole use. How strenuous? There is a lot of walking on this tour, some of it over rough ground, and there are sites that involve a lot of steps. Valletta is relatively hilly so you will need to be comfortable with everyday walking and stair climbing. Coaches are not allowed inside the historic centre. Average distance by coach per day: 15 miles. Small group: between 10 and 20 participants.

POST-FESTIVAL TOUR

PALERMO REVEALED ART, ARCHAEOLOGY, ARCHITECTURE AND GASTRONOMY

9–14 November 2027 (mn 544) 6 days Lecturer: Dr Philippa Joseph

A captivating city, richly encrusted with the art and architecture of many periods. Exclusive visits to private palazzi, hosted by the owners. Includes an excursion to see the spectacular mosaics at Monreale.

ITINERARY ITINERARY If combining with the festival, transfer by coach across the island to Palermo on 9 November. Day 1: Fly at c. 9.00am from London City via Milan to Palermo (ITA Airways). Drive to Palermo where all five nights are spent. Day 2: Palermo. A morning walk through the old centre includes a visit to several oratories. The afternoon is spent at the Galleria Regionale della Sicilia (Palazzo Abatellis), which has an excellent collection of 15th-century pictures . Dinner at a private palazzo. Day 3: Monreale, Palermo. Monreale dominates a verdant valley southwest of Palermo, and its cathedral is one of the finest Norman churches with the largest scheme of mosaic direction to survive from the Middle Ages. Back in Palermo, visit the Palatine Chapel, in the palace of the Norman kings. Entirely encrusted with Byzantine mosaics, this is perhaps the finest assembly of Byzantine art to survive anywhere. The rest of the afternoon is free.

Day 4: Palermo. Spend the morning at La Martorana and S. Cataldo, two outstanding Norman buildings before continuing on to a private palazzo in the afternoon.

Accommodation: Grand Hotel et Des Palmes, Palermo (despalmes.mangias. com): elegant 5-star hotel within walking distance of the city centre. Single rooms are doubles for sole use.

Day 5: Palermo. Visit the Chiesa del Gesù, an extraordinary example of Palermitan Baroque with a profusion of marble inlay, stucco and sculpture. 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. In the evening, there is a visit and reception by special arrangement to an otherwise inaccessible palazzo, with astonishing Rococo interiors and many original furnishings (used as a set in Visconti’s film of The Leopard).

How strenuous? There is a lot of walking on this tour, and it would not be suitable for anyone who has difficulties with everyday walking or stair-climbing. Fitness and sure-footedness are essential. Average distance by coach per day: 10 miles. Small group: between 10 and 22 participants.

Day 6: Palermo. In the morning visit the Museo Archeologico Regionale Antonio Salinas, which displays one of the richest collections of Punic and Ancient Greek art in Italy. Fly from Palermo via Zurich to London Heathrow, arriving c. 7.30pm.

PRACTICALITIES PRACTICALITIES Included: travel by private coach; hotel accommodation; breakfasts & 5 dinners with wine, water, coffee; a cooking class with the Duchess of Palma; a drinks reception at a private palace; all admissions; all tips; all taxes; the services of the lecturer and tour manager.

WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM

MARTIN RANDALL TRAVEL LTD 10 Barley Mow Passage London W4 4PH United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)20 8742 3355 info@martinrandall.co.uk www.martinrandall.com From North America: Tel: 1 888-422-9935 (toll-free) northamerica@martinrandall.co.uk

MARTIN RANDALL TRAVEL… is Britain’s leading specialist in cultural travel and one of the most respected tour operators in the world. MRT aims to produce the best planned, best led and altogether the most fulfilling and enjoyable cultural tours and events available. They focus on art, architecture, archaeology, history, music and gastronomy, and are spread across Britain, continental Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, India, Japan and the Americas.

Martin Randall Australasia 5 Moorak Street Taringa QLD 4068 Australia

For 2027 we have planned around 200 expert-led tours for small groups (usually 10 –20 participants), six music festivals of our own devising such as Opera in Sicily, several short history and music breaks, and single days in London.

Tel (in Australia): 1300 01 39 76 (toll-free) From New Zealand: 0800 001 632 anz@martinrandall.com

For nearly 40 years the company has led the field through incessant innovation and improvement, setting the benchmarks for itinerary planning, operational systems and service standards. To see our full range of cultural tours and events, please visit www.martinrandall.com

ATOL 3622 | ABTOT 5468 | AITO 5085