Genoa's Palazzos, Private Concert & Lunch at Zeffirino: A Small-Group Experience
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Port
Portofino, Italy
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Activity Level
Moderate Activity
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At (prices in USD)
$420
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
7 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals included
Set out with a small group (maximum 12 privileged guests) for a panoramic drive by minivan to the city of Genoa.
Alighting at Piazza delle Fontane Marose -- one of the prettiest squares in the city -- you'll notice the palazzi (palaces) of the Spinola family. These stunning mansions date back to the Renaissance.
Accompanied by the spectacular music of Paganini, you will explore the Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Tursi -- two exemplars included in the Strada Nuova museum complex and part of the Le Strade Nuove and the Palazzi dei Rolli UNESCO World Heritage Site. Paintings, frescoes, sculptures and tapestries by Van Dyck, Veronese, Rubens, and Canova decorate the walls and ceilings. You will view a violin that once belonged to Paganini.
A live concert takes place at Genoa's prestigious Concert Hall, with the unusual and expressive combination of violin and guitar music.
If time allows, you'll wander with your guide among some highlights of the city -- the Piazza de Ferrari, the Ducal Palace, San Lorenzo Cathedral and the Porta Soprana, an ancient gate in the City Walls. Don't miss the house that once belonged to Christopher Columbus.
You will transfer (by walking or by van) to Zeffirino restaurant. Meet the chef of one of Italy's most famous restaurants. He demonstrates how to make perfect, authentic pesto sauce -- the same pesto that Luciano Zeffirino personally prepares for the Pope. Your lunch includes pesto served atop trofie -- the homemade pasta of Genoa -- along with other specialties and is accompanied by wines from Zeffirino's own collection. You will take home a small bottle of wine as a gift.
Enjoy some free time (schedule permitting) to shop on the famous Via Roma and along other thoroughfares.
Please note: The transfer from Portofino to Genoa may be unguided; you will meet your guide in Genoa. Wear comfortable walking shoes. Free time for shopping is not guaranteed. Due to the closure of the Concert Hall on Mondays, the location for the concert on Monday calls has been moved to the Museum Sant'Agostino. You will enjoy the spectacular music of Paganini during a guided tour of the different rooms of the Museum, ending this exciting experience with a final concert in the prestigious Hall. You are required to carry your original picture ID with you on this tour.