New Year in Italy

Itinerary (subject to change depending on flight times and of course the weather!).

Day 1 - Arrival at Malpensa airport, meet and greet and then you are off, private transfer straight to Villa Lomellini, in Oltre Po Pavese, Lombardy, with a few tasters along the way.

Villa Lomellini is situated in the hills of ‘Oltre Pavese”, a region where there are plenty of vineyards, hills and medieval villages. It’s set in acres of private grounds, and has a rich history. Villa Lomellini is owned by the Roman Catholic Church and we can confirm that special permission has been granted to open the Villa exclusively over the New Year period for Spice UK. Villa Lomellini has a reception which is open from early morning to 11 pm and this year a new service is available a cash bar service, open at certain times.

Please see here for more information about Villa Lomellini. http://www.villalomellini.it/index.php/en/

On arrival at the Villa, check in, relax and then time to catch up, meet new and old friends, then it’s your first welcome evening meal in the grand dining hall at Villa Lomellini. 

Day 2 – Genova; After breakfast , you will transfer to the bustling exciting city of Genova, depending on traffic the transfer time to Genova is approx 1 hour 35 minutes. The coach will drop off and collect in the heart of the city near the harbour.  Genova is always alive, markets, shops, back streets are open and buzzing, it’s a vibrant port and city worth exploring . Here you are free day to explore the city at your leisure.

Genova is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy, its located on the Gulf, in the Liguria Sea. Genoa (Italian) has historically been one of the most important ports on the Mediterranean, it is currently the busiest in Italy and in the Mediterranean Sea and twelfth-busiest in the European Union. Part of the old town of “Genoa” was on the World Heritage List (UNESCO) in 2006. The city's rich cultural history in art, music and cuisine made it in 2004 the European Capital of Culture. Its of course the birthplace of Columbus, the flag of Genova is everywhere and it’s the same as our flag St George, here it’s time to find out why .

As night falls over the bay, you will say arriverderci to Genova, then private transfer back to Oltre Po Pavese, stopping off for an evening meal before returning to the Villa. This is a full day out and expect to return to the Villa by approx 1130 /1200 .

Day 3 Vigevano - After breakfast it’s time to head off to explore Vigevano. Transfer time of approx. 1 hour. Many Spicers are familiarwith Vigevano, it’s a hidden jewel of the crown, not listed in many tourists’ guides and Vigevano is famous for the invention of the stiletto, shoes, Leonardo di Vinci and much more. The Piazza (square) is voted the most beautiful in Italy.  We expect the square at Vigevano to have a Christmas market (nort confirmed) and here you can explore the city and the Castle Sforzesco, free entrances to many of the museums, except the new Leonardo di Vini Museum, which is situated within the Castle. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigevano.

https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.comune.vigevano.pv.it/turismo/cosa-visitare/il-castello&prev=search

Approx 3.00 pm you will depart “Vigevano “heading back to Villa Lomellini, to prepare for the New Year Eve Gala Ball.

NEW YEAR'S EVE BALL at Villa Lomellini

Another unique evening of delicious food, festive cheer and entertainment.

Spumante and Canapes served on arrival.

•          Dinner served in the formal rooms of the Villa.

•          Music during dinner.

•          Disco.

•          Welcome the New Year in with a glass of Sparking fizz.

•          Cash bar throughout the evening.

Day 4 – 1st January 2019 “Capodanno” Italian New Years Day!

After a late leisurely breakfast, for those wishing to be energetic, you will have the opportunity to have a guided walk around Villa Lomellini and around Montebello, surrounding area.

At 1pm you will have a typical Italian New Year’s day lunch (location to be confirmed). After lunch you will then head off to a new location never visited by a UK group prior “Castelnuovo Scrivia” transfer time is approx. 45 minutes. Castelnuovo Scrivia is in the province of Piedmont and here you will be greeted by the local community, Castelnuovo Scrivia has strong links with William Shakespeare, more will be explained on the day .

Castelnuovo Scrivia is in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region of Piedmont. The city was fortified in around 500 by the order of Theoderic the Great, king of the Ostrogoths, and in 722 it was part of the Lombard kings. The beautiful parish church, in the square is in Romanesque style, dates back to the 12th century restored in the 16th and 19th century. It has a portal with medieval lion’s sculptures and in the "Corpus Domini" chapel, there is a 16th-century painting by Alessandro Berri, representing "Supper”, taken from the famous painting "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci.

Spice UK has exclusive entrance to the Small Medical Castle in the square and it’s here will enjoy a light buffet and an evening of Italian traditional  New Years day games, music and maybe a few surprise visits. Bar service will be available.

Please note the medieval castle is a listed building, there is no lift access, however the castle is accessible by a short flight of stairs, approx 25 steps up to the main chambers where the party will commence! 

Final Day - 2nd January 2019.

After breakfast it’s time to say goodbye to Villa Lomellini, heading back toward Malpensa airport. For those on a later departure time, a stop off excursion will be available more details will be announced later.

As always with experiences with WingsItaly a level of flexibility is required, as WingsItaly want you to really enjoy the Italian journey! The itinerary may also change due to any adverse weather conditions