2024 Autumn Bulletin

ACE CULTURAL TOURS

2024 AUTUMN BULLETIN

43

Travel for the

Culturally Curious

Welcome ACE is proud to announce the release of a selection of tours for 2024, with a particular focus on artistic and architectural subjects in the UK and further afield. A number of perennially popular departures sit alongside some brand new itineraries, developed in conjunction with our expert Tour Directors.

Our summer tour to Burgundy offers the chance to view some of Europe’s most architecturally impressive Romanesque monuments at Cluny, Autun and Vézelay; whilst our explorations of some of the fine country houses of Herefordshire, the Welsh Borders and the West Country will include privileged visits and special access – elements that are so often the hallmark of an ACE tour. We are particularly excited to announce a number of brand new tours for next year. Art historian Sarah Burles will lead an exploration of Scottish collections of art and craft, with visits including the Mansfield Traquair Centre, known as Edinburgh’s ‘Sistine Chapel’, and the exciting new waterfront V&A Dundee. In October, porcelain expert Lars Tharp will celebrate the history and designs of the Sèvres manufactory, including a visit to the recently restored Porcelain room in the King’s Private Apartments at Versailles.

We are also pleased to include our Music Bulletin, which highlights the classical music tours we plan to run in 2024. Many departures are on sale already, including the celebrated Mozart Festival in the enchanting city of Salzburg, and an exclusive private concert series with pianist Dame Imogen Cooper hosted at Crathorne Hall in North Yorkshire. For others, we warmly invite you to register your interest in order to receive more details once the programmes are finalised early in 2024.

Above: Monarch of the Glen by Edwin Landseer, c 1851 Cover: The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1533

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CONTENTS

Tours UNITED KINGDOM

Houses & Gardens of Herefordshire & the Welsh Borders 6 Art Collections & Stately Homes of the West Country 7 Constable & Gainsborough in Suffolk 8 Art & Ceramics of the Industrial Revolution 9 Glasgow: Patrons, Art & Innovation 10 Isle of Wight 11 Scottish Art & Craft in Edinburgh & Dundee 12–13 Private Country Houses of North Norfolk 14 Connoisseur’s Cambridge 15

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INTERNATIONAL Medieval Burgundy Caspar David Friedrich at 250: The Age of Romanticism Early Christian & Medieval Rome Pompeii with Herculaneum On the Trail of Caravaggio: His Life, Works & Muses Ceramics in Sèvres Havelis: Painted Mansions of Rajasthan From Bologna to Parma: A Feast for the Soul & Senses Renaissance Florence: City of Wonders Art & Architecture of Puglia Morocco: Archaeology of the Western Kingdom

18–19 20–21 22 23 24 25 26–27 28–29 30–31 32–33 34–35

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TO U R S C H E D U L E

Full 2024 Schedule Please note that some tours and dates may be subject to change or confirmation. To book your place, or register your interest in a tour, please visit our website or contact the ACE office on 01223 841055.

January 16–22 27–2/2

Valletta Baroque Festival Mozart Festival in Salzburg

February 3–13 7–10 8–11 15–18 19–26 26–2/3 27–4/3

Jordan: Kingdoms of the Desert Somerset Levels in Winter Cambridge College Chapels & Organs Bath Bachfest The Bay of Naples Elgar, Birmingham & Worcester Venice: The Triumph of Light & Colour

4–9 4–11 4–18 5–11 11–15 18–23 20–27 25–28

Imogen Cooper & Friends at Crathorne Hall Aquileia: City of Antiquity Art on the Côte d’Azur South Korea Venice: The Triumph of Light & Colour Roman & Byzantine Ravenna Art Treasures of Dresden: Porcelain & Paintings Wildlife & Walking in Extremadura Art Treasures of Manchester

April 2–8 8–14 9–14 9–16 11–18 12–18 14–20 16–21 16–23 16–23 16–28 21–5/5 22–28 29–3/5 30–7/5

Music & Opera in Dresden Art in Berlin Flemish Painting: From van Eyck to Rubens Sardinia: Birds, Flowers & Nuraghi The Riviera di Levante Pompeii with Herculaneum Seine River Cruise: From Honfleur to Paris 20th Century Yorkshire: Art & Architecture Bavarian Baroque Crete: Birds, Flowers & Minoans Algeria: Riches of the Past Lycian Cruise Arles: From the Romans to Van Gogh Romney Marsh Churches Crete: Birds, Flowers & Minoans

May 1–9 7–11 9–19 10–16 11–17 12–19 13–18 14–20

20–25 20–27 21–26 21–28 24–31 29–7/6 31–7/6

March 4–7

14–21 17–22 19–3/6

Great Art Collections of Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington Great Bardfield & Beyond: MidCentury Art & Design in East Anglia Ancient & Medieval Cyprus Lucca Villas & Gardens in Lazio The Burren & Inishmore Dutch Masters: Rembrandt & his Legacy Glasgow: Patrons, Art & Innovation

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Isles of Scilly Houses & Gardens of Northern Ireland Kazakhstan: From the Silk Road to Sir Norman Foster Cornwall Calling: The Artists of Newlyn, Lamorna & St Ives Wagner’s Ring Cycle in Berlin Dresden Music Festival Jewels of the Loire: Chateaux & Gardens Douro River Cruise on the Royal Barge Albania: From the Illyrians to the Ottomans Wild & Ancient Hebrides

June 3–10 5–13 10–14

Art on the Côte d’Azur Citadels of Transylvania Prehistoric & Roman Anglesey & Snowdonia 10–17 Bach Festival in Leipzig 10–22 Northern Greece 17–24 The Shetland Islands 18–23 Bauhaus: German Modern Art & Design 18–25 Islay, Jura & Colonsay 24–4/7 Hungary: Kingdom of the Magyars 25–28 Churches of Norfolk: An Appointment with Angels 25–1/7 East Neuk Festival 26–1/7 Verona Opera Festival 27–4/7 Dingle & the Ring of Kerry TBC Aldeburgh Festival

July 1–5 4–11 5–10 7–12 8–13 9–16 9–16 15–19 15–19 17–25 23–27 27–30 27–31 29–1/8 31–4/8 TBC

Churches of Suffolk Medieval Burgundy Buxton International Festival York Early Music Festival Art & Landscape in Switzerland Swedish Palaces & Castles Wild & Ancient Orkney Hadrian’s Wall Houses & Gardens of Herefordshire & the Welsh Borders The Hanseatic League: An Artistic Legacy Art Collections & Stately Homes of the West Country International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival: 30th Anniversary Tour Worcester Three Choirs Festival Constable & Gainsborough in Suffolk Worcester Three Choirs Festival Shakespeare at Stratford

August 5–9

Art & Ceramics of the Industrial Revolution

12–16 13–19 19–23 19–23 20–26 21–25 24–31 29–3/9

Northumbria in the First Millennium Glasgow: Patrons, Art & Innovation Dorset Country Houses Northumbria in the First Millennium Art & Ceramics in Copenhagen & North Zealand Lucca Puccini Festival Schubert in Schwarzenberg Art Nouveau in Belgium

September 2–7 3–6 3–12 6–13 9–14 14–21 16–21 17–22 21–26 23–27 23–27 23–28 23–30 24–30 TBC

Scottish Art & Craft in Edinburgh & Dundee Churches of Norfolk: An Appointment with Angels Ancient Sicily Douro River Cruise on the Royal Barge Isle of Wight Lycian Cruise Private Country Houses of North Norfolk Early Christian & Medieval Rome Pompeii with Herculaneum Roman & Byzantine Ravenna Romney Marsh Churches Aquileia: City of Antiquity Art on the Côte d’Azur Turin: Art & Architecture of the Kingdom of Savoy Caspar David Friedrich at 250: The Age of Romanticism

October 3–12

Palladio: Venice & the Villas of the Veneto 4–11 Wildlife of Albania 4–15 Uzbekistan: Cities of the Silk Road 7–10 Connoisseur’s Cambridge 7–15 Eastern Slovakia: Artistic Treasures at the Foot of the High Tatra Mountains 8–18 On the Trail of Caravaggio: His Life, Works & Muses 14–24 Ancient & Medieval Cyprus 18–24 Moorish Spain: Córdoba & Granada 21–28 Piero della Francesca 22–7/11 Japan in Autumn: History, Art & Landscape 23–25 Oxford College Chapels & Organs 25–4/11 Athens, Delphi & the Peloponnese 28–1/11 Bruges TBC Ceramics in Sèvres TBC Glyndebourne TBC Havelis: Painted Mansions of Rajasthan TBC Verdi Festival in Parma TBC Wexford Opera Festival

November 11–17

From Bologna to Parma: A Feast for the Soul & Senses 11–18 Renaissance Florence: City of Wonders 12–17 Vienna 1900 13–17 Bath Mozartfest 18–24 Art & Architecture of Puglia 19–24 Vienna 1900 23–4/12 Morocco: Archaeology of the Western Kingdom TBC Roussillon

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Edinburgh, Scotland

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United Kingdom The United Kingdom has a vast and varied cultural heritage. As the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, the British Isles maintained an influential and unique position within the world of arts and culture throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.

We are delighted to share some new releases and previews of tours for 2024, including an exploration of art and craft in Edinburgh and Dundee with visits to important and impressive collections, including the new V&A Dundee.

Along the Welsh Border lies one of the most beautiful landscapes to be found in Britain, populated with many fine houses and gardens

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dating from the 16th century onwards, which we will be visiting on our tour of Herefordshire.

2024 will also see us returning to popular destinations across the wonderful British countryside.

In July, Tour Director Sarah Burles will lead a group to the east of England where they will study the influence of the Suffolk countryside on famous landscapists John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough. Further south, travellers can discover the cultural highlights of the Isle of Wight, delving into the broad history of the island from Roman times to the 20th century.

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Houses & Gardens of Herefordshire & the Welsh Borders July 15–19, 2024

Visit an array of houses from different periods, including many not usually open to the public Enjoy private guided tours of houses such as Hellens Manor and Llanvihangel Court Be immersed in wonderful gardens, including those at High Glanau and The Laskett, and take in the delightful landscape of the county of Herefordshire Along the Welsh Border lies one of the most beautiful landscapes to be found in Britain, with small, hedgerow-lined fields interspersed with wooded areas. It is populated with many fine houses and gardens dating from the 16th century onwards, which will be the focus of our tour.

The charming manor at Hellens is one of the oldest dwellings in England, with foundations dating back to the 12th century, and also features later Tudor, Jacobean and Georgian architecture. It contains artworks ranging from full6

length portraits by Anthony van Dyck to exquisite miniatures by Nicholas Hilliard. Meanwhile, the oldest parts of the delightful Hampton Court Castle date back to the 15th century.

Llanvihangel Court, meanwhile, is a Tudor country house with medieval origins set in beautiful surroundings near the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons. It is close to Llanover, where an elegant neoclassical house is surrounded by a listed historical garden with exquisite herbaceous borders.

The region is also home to some beautiful but contrasting 20th century gardens. High Glanau was created before the First World War by H Avray Tipping, Architectural Editor of Country Life and highly adept garden designer whose work also includes the garden at Chequers. Sir Roy Strong bequeathed his innovative, complex and entertaining garden at The Laskett to the horticultural charity Perennial, who now care for this spectacular site.

Moving into the Victorian era, the remote countryside near Brecon is home to the Gothic Revival Treberfydd, while the magnificent Eastnor is a 19th century revival castle built for the 2nd Baron Somers and still inhabited by his descendants today.

Full details, including the cost and itinerary, will be released early in 2024.

Please contact the ACE office now to register your interest.

TOUR CODE: HEWB24

The Gardens of Hampton Court Castle

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ELLIOTT BROWN / CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED VIA FLICKR

Hampton Court Castle

This tour will be led

by Oliver Gerrish, MSt, an architectural historian who studied at the University of Cambridge. Oliver is an experienced tour leader who has written for Country Life and appeared in a number of BBC and ITV television series on architecture. He is the former chairman of The Young Georgians, the youth chapter of the Georgian Group, which he re-founded, and is also a trustee of the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust. Oliver has close family links with High Glanau in Herefordshire and looks forward to introducing an ACE group to the area’s fine houses in summer 2024.

UNITED KINGDOM

Art Collections & Stately Homes of the West Country

PUBLIC DOMAIN VIA THE YALE CENTER FOR BRITISH ART (PAUL MELLON COLLECTION)

July 23–27, 2024

A View of Stour Head in the County of Wiltshire

by Francois Vivares, 1777

From a base in Bath, explore the art treasures of this fine Georgian city, as well as historical houses in the surrounding countryside Enjoy special access to privatelyowned homes including Wilton House and Corsham Court Learn about the lives of individual collectors, such as the remarkable William Blathwayt of Dyrham Park The area of the West Country surrounding Bath and Salisbury features several of Britain’s most splendid stately homes, alongside some surprising art collections. This tour will offer an opportunity to explore the careers of individual collectors, and compare the ways they went about compiling their art treasures.

We hope to pay a visit to Wilton House, the magnificent seat of the Earls of Pembroke, which was rebuilt in the Palladian style by Inigo Jones. The 17th century interior displays important works

by Rembrandt, Van Dyck and Bruegel.

Corsham Court is an Elizabethan house transformed in the 18th century by the Methuen family to provide a setting for

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“A very well planned tour. The Tour Director’s contribution throughout was outstanding” “Interesting and varied visits” “Rupert was extremely knowledgeable and generous with his time” – ACE customers on a previous Art Collections & Stately Homes of the West Country tour with Rupert Dickens

their extraordinary collection of Old Master paintings. The Picture Gallery, built by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown and furnished by Robert Adam, is little changed since the 18th century, and displays works by Van Dyck, Murillo and Filippo Lippi.

Nearby is Dyrham Park, a Baroque country house nestling in the valley at the centre of a deer park. We will hear about the remarkable career of its founder, William Blathwayt, who served as right-hand man to William III after the Glorious Revolution, and who built a unique collection of Dutch pictures, china and furniture which still adorns the house.

We will also visit Stourhead, to savour the splendour of its world-famous

This tour will be led by Rupert Dickens, BA, MA, an art historian, accredited Arts Society lecturer and guide lecturer at the Wallace Collection.

Previously a BBC television and radio journalist for over 20 years, Rupert studied art history at Birkbeck, University of London, before gaining a Masters degree in Dutch Golden Age Studies at University College London.

landscape gardens and tour the Palladian villa designed by Colen Campbell for the Hoare family. While here, we will examine the art collection assembled by several generations of the family on the proceeds of their banking business.

Known as the birthplace of British photography, Lacock Abbey is a country house with monastic roots; while here, we will have time to explore the grounds and perfectly preserved adjoining 19th century village of Lacock, the setting for numerous film and television productions from Pride & Prejudice to Wolf Hall.

Our base for the tour will be the beautiful city of Bath. The Holburne Museum is home to works of art by one of the city’s most famous residents, Thomas Gainsborough, who found fame here with his portraits of prominent Georgian citizens. We will also enjoy a visit to the Victoria Art Gallery, which houses a municipal collection built largely on bequests of works with a local connection.

Full details, including the itinerary and cost, will be released early in 2024.

Please contact the ACE office now to register your interest.

TOUR CODE: ACSH24

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UNITED KINGDOM

Constable & Gainsborough in Suffolk July 29 – August 1, 2024 Mrs Mary Cobbold and Miss Cobbold, with a Lamb and Ewe, Thomas Gainsborough, c 1752, on display at Gainsborough’s House, Sudbury

“Excellent tour with first class lecturer” – ACE customer on a previous Constable & Gainsborough in Suffolk tour with Sarah Burles FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour will involve a significant amount of walking and standing, much of which is outdoors (including through a field in Dedham). There is uneven ground to navigate at times, for example in the churchyards and at Flatford Mill, which has a gentle incline over bark-covered steps with a handrail. Please note that there is no lift at the hotel or at Christchurch Mansion, so participants must feel comfortable ascending and descending stairs. It is necessary to have a good level of fitness and mobility for this tour, and to meet ACE’s fitness requirements, as outlined in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

Visit Constable’s birthplace, East Bergholt, site of his first studio Explore Gainsborough’s House in Sudbury, following its major redevelopment and transformation into a new National Centre for Gainsborough Visit Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich, home to the finest collection of Constable’s paintings outside London It was only with the rising popularity of Impressionism that John Constable (1776–1837) won whole-hearted recognition in his native country. Now ranked alongside JMW Turner as one of England’s greatest painters, Constable created some of the best-known images in British art. This tour will study the influence of the Suffolk countryside on Constable and his near contemporary Gainsborough, one of the founders of the British landscape tradition.

As we wander along the banks of the River Stour, where Constable spent his “careless boyhood”, we will discover that Flatford Mill, Dedham Lock and Willy Lott’s cottage – immortalised in The Hay Wain – have changed little over two centuries. We will stroll through the 8

This tour will be led

by Sarah Burles, MA. Sarah studied History of Art at Cambridge before gaining a Masters at University College London and going onto a career in museum and gallery education, including 12 years at the Fitzwilliam Museum. Sarah is an accredited lecturer for the Arts Society. country lanes of East Bergholt, where the artist’s first studio was located, and view his Ascension in Dedham’s parish church.

Our tour will also examine Gainsborough’s roots in his native Suffolk on a visit to the market town of Sudbury, where a major redevelopment and refurbishment has recently transformed the artist’s former house into a National Centre for Gainsborough.

Our base for this tour will be the four-star Hintlesham Hall Hotel, a comfortable, traditional hotel occupying a 16th century Grade I listed manor house, set in 175 acres of Suffolk countryside. The hall has historical links to Gainsborough, as it was purchased in 1747 by Sir Richard Lloyd, one of the artist’s early patrons.

Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. We cannot guarantee the availability of all artworks listed.

Day 1 Assemble 1300 at Ipswich Station or 1330 at Hintlesham Hall Hotel. Afternoon coach tour of Stour Valley and the Suffolk villages of Stoke by Nayland, Nayland and Stratford St Mary. Three nights at Hintlesham Hall Hotel.

Day 2 Morning lecture: Constable’s Country – Artist & Landscape followed by visit to East Bergholt for walking tour viewing Constable’s first studio and the site of his parents’ house (exteriors), and visit to St Mary’s Church and bell cage. Afternoon: walking tour of Dedham viewing Dedham Mill and Dedham Lock (exteriors) followed by Flatford Mill and Flatford Lock, Willy Lott’s cottage (exterior) and site of Boat Building on the Banks of the Stour.

Day 3 Short morning lecture: Thomas Gainsborough – Portraits & Land-skips followed by private visit to the Munnings Art Museum.

Continue to Sudbury for afternoon at Gainsborough’s House.

Day 4 Morning: Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich (works by Constable and Gainsborough).

Tour disperses approx 1300 at Ipswich Station followed by approx 1330 at the hotel.

Cost of £1375 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, three breakfasts, one lunch, three dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £225.

TOUR CODE: CGSU24

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Art & Ceramics of the Industrial Revolution

Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron

Study the rich history of the ceramics industry in Staffordshire and Shropshire, with visits to Gladstone Pottery, the Wedgwood Museum and the Emma Bridgewater Factory Discover the unique assembly of architecture and museums that charts the story and legacy of the Industrial Revolution Visit the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron and view the world’s oldest iron bridge, listed by UNESCO Britain’s Industrial Revolution saw extraordinary cultural and social change as well as technical innovation and entrepreneurship, and this is nowhere more evident than in the rich heritage of industrial architecture, decorative arts and ceramics visible in the counties of Staffordshire and Shropshire.

Exploring areas that inspired and provided contexts for the entrepreneurship of important figures such as Abraham Darby and Josiah Wedgwood, we will encounter several industrial icons that illustrate Britain’s 19th century heritage and showcase its pioneering technology, particularly in the field of ceramics production.

The development of steam power revolutionised the mining, iron, textile and ceramics industries. The Etruria Industrial Museum is the site of the only operational steam-driven potters’ mill in the world, and the pre-industrial water

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“Totally brilliant” – ACE customer on a previous Industrial Revolution tour led by Lars Tharp

mill at Cheddleton was converted to flint grinding for the production of ceramics in the 1780s.

A highlight of the tour will be a visit to the World of Wedgwood Museum, home to the V&A Wedgwood Collection and the site of the Wedgwood Factory, which has been manufacturing its famous ceramics since 1759.

We will also chart the rising fortunes of the ceramics industry during the Victorian age with a visit to the Gladstone Pottery Museum – the last complete Victorian pottery factory.

Middleport Pottery has been home to Burleigh (historically Burgess and Leigh) since 1889, and has been used as a filming location for The Great Pottery Throwdown and an episode of Peaky Blinders.

Emma Bridgewater purchased a former Victorian factory site in Hanley, Stokeon-Trent, in 1995, and the site is now a thriving modern example of how the fortunes of the Stoke potteries have been revived. We will enjoy a tour of the factory, bringing our understanding of the ceramics heritage of the area up to the present day.

This tour will be based at the four-star DoubleTree by Hilton Stoke-on-Trent Hotel, which sits in the grounds of Josiah Wedgwood’s mansion.

GEORGEIRONBRIDGE / CC BY-SA 4.0 VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

August 5–9, 2024 This tour will be led by Lars Tharp, MA, FSA, an art historian, lecturer and broadcaster who is particularly well known for his work on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. Lars is a ceramics specialist and a former Director of the Foundling Museum, as well as the author of several works including Hogarth’s China and The Little Brown Encyclopedia of Antiques (with Paul Atterbury). He has also worked with the York Art Gallery.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour requires a good level of fitness and mobility, as it will involve a moderate amount of walking, including over uneven ground, steps and occasional inclines. Care must be taken at the sites, particularly those with historical industrial machinery and canals. There are not always opportunities to sit down, so participants should be prepared for spending periods of time standing. Please consult ACE’s fitness requirements in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time.

Day 1 Tour assembles 1745 at the DoubleTree

by Hilton Stoke-on-Trent Hotel for four nights.

Welcome and introductory lecture (held in Josiah Wedgwood’s house).

Day 2 Morning: Ironbridge and Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron. Afternoon: Jackfield Tile Museum and Etruria Industrial Museum.

Day 3 Visits in Stoke: Emma Bridgewater Factory and Potteries Museum & Art Gallery.

Afternoon: Cheddleton Flint Mill.

Day 4 Morning lecture: Victorian Ceramics – Innovation & Style followed by Gladstone Pottery Museum. Afternoon: World of Wedgwood Museum.

Day 5 Morning: Middleport Pottery. Tour disperses 1230 at the hotel.

Cost of £1495 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, four breakfasts, one lunch, four dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £125.

TOUR CODE: INRV24

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Glasgow: Patrons, Art & Innovation

The Burrell Collection

Visit the Burrell Collection, which reopened in 2022 following a major refurbishment and redisplay Follow the work of key figures including Robert Adam, Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson and Charles Rennie Mackintosh Take a trip to the Isle of Bute for the lavish Victorian Mount Stuart, and explore Dumfries House, a Palladian mansion Glasgow has established itself as a vibrant cultural city with activity in every area of the arts. This tour will consider the art, architecture, crafts and historical collectors of this great industrial city, and also take in the beautiful landscape settings of some of the grand houses of the Scottish aristocracy.

The magnificent Burrell Collection, amassed by Sir William Burrell (1861– 1958), was bequeathed to the City of Glasgow and its purpose-built home in Pollok Country Park has recently undergone a major refurbishment.

The wide-ranging collections of fine and decorative art include late Gothic and early Renaissance European art, important stained glass and 19th century French painting.

Highlights within Glasgow range from the modern Riverside Museum, designed

by Zaha Hadid, to the splendid and little-known neoclassical interiors of Holmwood House. Outside the city, 10

“This was a first class trip, probably the best I have been on” – ACE customer on a 2023 Glasgow: Patrons, Art & Innovation tour with Evelyn Silber

Dumfries House, rescued from sale and the dispersal of its contents through the intervention of His Majesty The King (when Prince of Wales), is a little-altered gem designed by Robert Adam and home to Chippendale furniture made specifically for the house.

Further highlights will include visits to Mount Stuart and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, and tea at the beautifully restored ‘Mackintosh at the Willow’ tearooms.

We will stay at the recently refurbished four-star Radisson Blu Hotel, conveniently situated in the city centre.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour involves some walking and please note that Glasgow is hilly and some streets around the hotel have steep inclines. Many sites have lifts or ramps but not all, so participants should be prepared for traversing steps and uneven ground. The tour involves a moderate amount of time spent standing in museums (up to 2 hours at a time); folding seats are often available but cannot be guaranteed. Our visit to Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute will involve travel by ferry. Please consult ACE’s fitness criteria in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

Evelyn Silber will be running another departure of this tour from May 1420, 2024. Places are limited on this departure; please contact the ACE office to enquire about availability.

© AMELIA PHILIPS

August 13–19, 2024 Our Tour Director is art historian Evelyn Silber, MA, PhD, FMA, FSA, formerly Director of the Hunterian Museum and Chair of the Mackintosh Society. Now based in Scotland, Evelyn studied at Cambridge before becoming curator at Birmingham Museums and Art Galleries as well as Director of Leeds Museums and Galleries.

ITINERARY

Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time.

Day 1 Tour assembles 1400 at Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow, for six nights. Afternoon visit to Riverside Museum. Welcome and introductory lecture: The Glasgow Story.

Day 2 Whole day excursion to Dumfries House with guided tour. Evening lecture: Art in Glasgow around 1900.

Day 3 Morning: Hill House (temporarily preserved by an innovative ‘box’ enabling the exterior to be explored from roof to ground level during restoration project). Afternoon: Queen’s Cross and Tenement House.

Day 4 Morning: House for an Art Lover (subject to confirmation) and Holmwood House.

Afternoon: Burrell Collection.

Day 5 Morning: Hunterian Art Gallery and Mackintosh House (subject to confirmation) followed by Hunterian Museum. Afternoon: tea at ‘Mackintosh at the Willow’ tearooms. Free evening.

Day 6 Whole day excursion by coach and ferry to the Isle of Bute for visit to Mount Stuart (guided tour followed by some free time to explore the gardens).

Day 7 Morning: Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum. Tour disperses approx 1230 at Glasgow Central Station, approx 1245 at Glasgow Queen Street Station and approx 1330 at Glasgow International Airport.

Cost of £2195 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, six breakfasts, afternoon tea at ‘Mackintosh at the Willow’ tearooms, five dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £495.

TOUR CODE: GLA224

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UNITED KINGDOM

Isle of Wight PUBLIC DOMAIN VIA THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK

September 9–14, 2024

Bonchurch Downs by John Brett, 1865

Discover the cultural highlights of the Isle of Wight, with a particular emphasis on its Victorian heritage Explore the connections between the island and the Pre-Raphaelite movement Delve into the broader history of the Isle of Wight, from Roman times to the 20th century, and enjoy a journey on its historical steam railway The Isle of Wight features picturesque scenery once favoured by royalty, from charming thatched cottages to medieval churches that stand alongside Regency and Victorian towns.

The island will forever be associated with Queen Victoria, whose reign came to an end there at the beginning of the last century. We will explore the former royal residence of Osborne House and St Mildred’s Church in Whippingham, frequented by the Queen.

The Isle of Wight also holds connections with the radical PreRaphaelite movement: the 19th century photographer Julia Margaret Cameron and the painters George Frederic Watts, John Brett and Val Prinsep lived and worked on the island.

We will visit Dimbola Lodge, overlooking the stunning Freshwater Bay, where Julia Margaret Cameron

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This tour will be led

by Suzanne Fagence Cooper, MA, PhD, an author, curator and historian who specialises in 19th and 20th century British art. An Arts Society accredited lecturer, Suzanne worked at the Victoria & Albert Museum for 12 years. made her home, and Farringford House, former home of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria’s reign.

Our itinerary includes several other stunning houses that stand on land layered with history. Northcourt is the largest of the island’s Jacobean manor houses, while the monastic buildings and church of Benedictine Quarr Abbey are among the most important religious constructions of the 20th century in the UK. Further highlights will include the beautiful Mottistone Gardens and a journey on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, a beautifully preserved heritage line.

We will stay at the comfortable Best Western New Holmwood Hotel, situated on the water’s edge in Cowes, enjoying a sea-facing lounge and restaurant. Double rooms with a sea view (for double or single occupancy) are available at a supplement – please contact the ACE office for more details.

“An excellent choice of beautiful gardens, ancient and modern churches… A whole new revelation on the Isle of Wight!”

– ACE customer on a previous Isle of Wight tour with Suzanne Fagence Cooper FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour requires a good level of fitness as it will involve a moderate amount of walking and standing, including over uneven terrain, cobbled streets, slippery surfaces and occasionally up steep steps.

Please note several visits involve being outdoors, and at others, lighting is kept low to preserve collections. Some historical sites do not have handrails or frequent opportunities to sit down, and there is no lift at the hotel. Participants should also feel comfortable moving their luggage up ramps. We recommend consulting ACE’s fitness criteria in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time.

Day 1 Assemble 1300 at Southampton RedJet Hi-Speed Foot Passenger Service T2 for 1350 departure (as foot passenger), arriving West Cowes 1418. Transfer to Best Western New Holmwood Hotel, Cowes, for five nights.

Welcome and introductory talk.

Day 2 Morning excursion to Shorwell: St Peter’s Church and Northcourt House (private tour of reception rooms) and gardens. Continue to Carisbrooke Castle. Afternoon: St Olave’s Church, Gatcombe. Evening lecture: The Isle of Wight – A Victorian Island.

Day 3 Morning: journey on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway with guided tour of Havenstreet Station. Afternoon: tour of Brading Roman Villa and St Mary the Virgin Church, Brading.

Day 4 Morning: Mottistone Gardens and Dimbola Lodge. Afternoon: Farringford House.

Day 5 Morning: St Mildred’s Church, Whippingham and Quarr Abbey. Afternoon: Osborne House.

Day 6 Depart West Cowes 1130 via RedJet Hi-Speed Foot Passenger Service, arriving Southampton 1158, where tour disperses.

Cost of £1795 includes: return travel as foot passenger, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, five breakfasts, two lunches, five dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £145.

Limited rooms with sea view available at a supplement.

TOUR CODE: IWIT24

11

UNITED KINGDOM

Scottish Art & Craft in Edinburgh & Dundee

STEVE GILRUTH VIA UNSPLASH

September 2–7, 2024

The V&A Dundee

Visit Dundee, home to the impressive waterfront V&A Dundee and fascinating McManus Gallery Delve into less well-known sites, from the Kirkcaldy Galleries to Dovecot Studios, a world renowned tapestry studio

This new tour, based in Edinburgh and Dundee, will focus on the art and craft of Scotland, exploring both famous galleries and some less well-known sites that showcase the outstanding achievements of Scottish artists and the remarkable collections to be found in Scotland.

2023 saw the highly anticipated opening of new spaces at the Scottish National Gallery, following an ambitious construction project. We look forward to viewing works by Sir Henry Raeburn, Sir Edwin Landseer, the Scottish Colourists, William McTaggart and Anne Redpath, amongst others.

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Our Tour Director is Sarah Burles, MA, an accredited Arts Society lecturer who studied History of Art at Cambridge and gained a Masters at University College London before going on to a career in museum and gallery education. This included 12 years at the Fitzwilliam Museum as well as work in other Cambridge museums.

Meanwhile, Modern One displays works of modern and contemporary art by major names such as Joan Miró, Henry Moore, Rachel Whitehead and Barbara Hepworth outside, with a superb collection of art ranging from the 1900s to the present day within.

Extending our focus beyond Edinburgh’s capital, we will travel to Kirkcaldy, home to one of the best collections of Scottish art. The Kirkcaldy Galleries, once referred to as ‘the Tate Gallery of Scotland’, contain paintings ranging from still lifes by much-loved Scottish Colourist S J Peploe to landscapes and seascapes by McTaggart and portraits by Fife-born Jack Vettriano.

2024 is an exciting time to visit Dundee, which is undergoing a 30 year, £1 billion masterplan, begun in 2001 with the ambition of transforming the city into a new cultural centre, including a regenerated waterfront. As part of this, a new branch of the Victoria & Albert Museum opened in the city in 2018, providing Scotland with its first dedicated design museum.

The building was designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, who took his inspiration from the cliff edges of eastern Scotland. Our visit will focus on the museum’s architecture, contemplating the role of museums and the arts in urban regeneration projects. We will also delve into the collections, which The Monarch of the Glen, Edwin Landseer, c 1851, Scottish National Gallery

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Explore Scottish art – from Sir Henry Raeburn to the Scottish Colourists and Glasgow Boys – with visits to important collections

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UNITED KINGDOM

GARY CAMPBELL-HALL / CC BY 2.0 DEED VIA FLICKR

Mansfield Traquair Centre, Edinburgh

“Sarah Burles was so knowledgeable…

She was constantly making sure we were all enjoying the tour. A really excellent Tour Director” – ACE customer on a recent tour led by Sarah Burles

celebrate Scottish design across the fields of fashion, textiles and theatre.

Also to be found in Dundee is the McManus art gallery and museum, featuring a wide range of exhibits giving insights into the city’s past and present, including paintings, artefacts and works of decorative art.

During our time in Edinburgh, we will also see murals by Irish-born artist Phoebe Anna Traquair (1852-1936), who achieved international recognition as an accomplished illustrator, painter and embroiderer in the Arts & Crafts movement in Scotland. We will enjoy a special guest lecture from Professor Elizabeth Cumming (Edinburgh College of Art), whose book on Traquair was published in 2022.

Turning once more to the present day, no exploration of Scottish art would be complete without a visit to Dovecot

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Studios, a world-renowned tapestry studio in the heart of Edinburgh and a landmark centre for contemporary art, craft and design.

Our first three nights will be spent at the stylish four-star Malmaison Edinburgh City, occupying historical townhouses located on St Andrew Square, in the heart of the city. We will then spend two nights at the four-star Malmaison Dundee, a smart boutique property ideally situated on the city’s waterfront just opposite the V&A Dundee, before returning to Edinburgh to complete our visits.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour requires a good level of fitness as we will be exploring Edinburgh and Dundee predominantly on foot, and the itinerary involves a significant amount of walking. Please note Edinburgh is hilly and some terrain may be uneven or cobbled.

Lifts are available at some of the museums and galleries but seats cannot be guaranteed.

Participants should be prepared for navigating steps and stairs, and walking and standing for up to two hours. Please consult ACE’s fitness criteria as outlined in our Booking Terms and Conditions.

ITINERARY

Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer. Owing to the special nature of some of the visits, some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. Please note we cannot guarantee the availability of all artworks mentioned, as occasionally pieces are loaned or taken off display at short notice for conservation purposes.

Day 1 Tour assembles 1600 at the Malmaison Edinburgh City for three nights. Orientation walking tour of Edinburgh.

Day 2 Morning lecture: The Art of Scotland followed by visit to Scottish National Galleries.

Afternoon: tour of Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

Day 3 Morning guest lecture with Professor Elizabeth Cumming: The Celtic Revival & Phoebe Anna Traquair followed by visit to Song School at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral and tour of Mansfield Traquair Centre (known as ‘Edinburgh’s Sistine Chapel’). Afternoon: visits to Dovecot Studios and Museum of Scotland (art and craft galleries). Free evening.

Day 4 Transfer to Dundee via Kirkcaldy Galleries and Falkland Palace and Garden (fine Renaissance palace and formal garden). Two nights at Malmaison Dundee.

Day 5 Morning visit to the McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum. Afternoon: V&A Dundee.

Day 6 Return to Edinburgh for visit to Scottish National Galleries – Modern One and Two. Tour disperses approx 1230 at the gallery followed by approx 1300 at Edinburgh Waverley Station.

Cost of £2295 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, five breakfasts, four dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £495.

TOUR CODE: SAED24

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UNITED KINGDOM

Private Country Houses of North Norfolk

MICHAEL GARLICK / CC BY-SA 2.0 VIA GEOGRAPH

September 16–21, 2024

Elsing Hall from across the moat

Delve into the histories of some of Norfolk’s finest country houses, with a special focus on those still in private ownership Visit the romantic moated manor houses of Elsing Hall and Hindringham Hall, and Sennowe Park, the impressive Edwardian home of Thomas Albert Cook Discover superb examples of neoPalladian architecture, including Holkham Hall and Houghton Hall The sweeping landscapes and seascapes of North Norfolk, with their endless vistas and wide skies, were populated in the 17th and 18th centuries by a series of remarkable country houses built for notable patrons of the arts – including Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester, builder of the spectacular Palladian mansion of Holkham, and Sir Robert Walpole, Britain’s first ‘Prime Minister’ and owner of Houghton Hall. These houses, and several others in our itinerary, are still owned by the descendants of those who built them.

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“I thoroughly enjoyed this tour which was superbly organised and maanged, [and] covered everything I could have wished for” – ACE customer on a previous tour of country houses in North Norfolk

Houghton was built in the 1720s to contain Walpole’s great collection of Old Master paintings, later sold to Catherine the Great. The estate is home to the Cholmondeley family who have in recent years commissioned a number of pieces of contemporary sculpture by artists including James Turrell for the 18thcentury parkland designed by Charles Bridgeman.

Hindringham Hall is a moated Tudor manor house originally built using

Full details, including the dates, Tour Director, cost and itinerary, will be released early in 2024. Please contact the ACE office now to register your interest.

TOUR CODE: CHNO24

reclaimed stone from local monasteries that had been dissolved. Its grounds have been described by The Guardian as among the “Best Secret Gardens in the UK”.

Elsing Hall, a Grade I listed moated manor house, was built around 1740.

One of the few remaining houses in Norfolk that boasts a traditional great hall open to the rafters, it is also surrounded by charming gardens.

Meanwhile, Wiveton Hall is known as the setting for the BBC observational series Normal for Norfolk. The building’s exterior provides an exquisite example of the style archetypal to Norfolk, with its flint facing and Dutch gables, nodding to the county’s historical relationship with the Low Countries.

Other highlights of the county include Voewood House, a Grade II listed Arts & Crafts house designed to a rare ‘butterfly’ pattern and boasting unique interiors as well as delightful grounds.

Meanwhile, Sennowe Park was built in the Edwardian era for Thomas Albert Cook, grandson of travel and holiday pioneer Thomas Cook.

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UNITED KINGDOM

Connoisseur’s Cambridge October 7–10, 2024 Our tour finishes with a special visit to the Women’s Art Collection at Murray Edwards College, the largest collection of works by female artists in Europe. It includes pieces by Barbara Hepworth, Maggi Hambling, Tracey Emin and Eileen Cooper amongst others.

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We will stay throughout at the four-star Hotel du Vin, a stylish and comfortable hotel set in a former university building just a stone’s throw from the Fitzwilliam Museum.

The Founder’s Entrance at the Fitzwilliam Museum

Delve into the fascinating history of Cambridge, with an in-depth exploration of the Fitzwilliam Museum and private visit to its Founder’s Library Step inside the Arts & Crafts interior of the David Parr House, recently subject to a two year restoration Discover the remarkable story of Kettle’s Yard, home to a beautiful collection of art dating mainly from the early 20th century Cambridge is well known for its ancient university, beautiful colleges and scientific discoveries, but it is also home to museum collections of international significance as well as hidden artistic treasures. On this tour, we will delve beneath the city’s surface on a series of privileged visits to discover the hidden histories of remarkable patrons – from the 7th Viscount Fitzwilliam in the 18th century, to Jim and Helen Ede in the 20th century.

We will devote a whole day to studying the history and holdings of the Fitzwilliam Museum, discovering its rich and varied collections and enjoying a private visit to the Founder’s Library in the company of a curator.

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This tour will be led

by Sarah Burles, MA, who studied History of Art at the University of Cambridge, before developing a career in museum and gallery education. This included twelve years at the Fitzwilliam Museum, as well as work in other Cambridge museums. An experienced Tour Director, she runs art tours and courses in and around Cambridge.

At the heart of the tour will be a special visit to the David Parr House, which reopened in 2019 following a twoyear refurbishment. The artist-painter and decorator David Parr carried out commissions for William Morris, and between 1887 and 1927, he created a remarkable interior in his modest terraced Cambridge house, which was wonderfully preserved by his granddaughter.

Kettle’s Yard, once home to Jim and Helen Ede, is another site that has benefited from redevelopment in recent years. The house holds works by artists such as Joan Miró, Ben and Winifred Nicholson, Christopher Wood and Alfred Wallis, exhibited alongside textiles, natural objects, ceramics, glass and furniture in what has been described as “a masterclass of curatorship”.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Participants must have a good level of mobility and be prepared for a significant amount of walking, often over cobbles and uneven ground, up steps, and within dimly lit historical interiors. Our visit to the David Parr House will involve ascending steep steps and standing without support for up to an hour. Please consult ACE’s fitness criteria in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

Please note that while we will endeavour to deliver the itinerary in full, owing to the special nature of the visits, some elements may be subject to confirmation closer to the time.

Day 1 Tour assembles 1330 at the Hotel du Vin, Cambridge, for three nights. Afternoon: walking tour of Cambridge followed by visit to the Pepys Library at Magdalene College and exterior view of the college’s New Library (winner of RIBA Stirling Prize 2022). Evening: welcome and introductory talk.

Day 2 Morning lecture: The Fitzwilliam Museum – Private Collectors, Public Collections followed by whole day visit to the Fitzwilliam Museum, including tours of the main galleries and current exhibition and private visit to the Founder’s Library. Option to attend Evensong at King’s College Chapel.

Day 3 Morning lecture followed by private tour of the David Parr House and visits to Jesus College, St Clement’s Church and All Saints’ Church.

Day 4 Morning lecture: 20th Century Cambridge Collections followed by visit to Kettle’s Yard.

Afternoon: tour of the Women’s Art Collection at Murray Edwards College. Tour disperses approx 1630 at the hotel.

Cost of £1495 includes: accommodation based on sharing a deluxe twin or double bedded room, three breakfasts, three dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, classic double room for single use supplement £275.

TOUR CODE: COCA24

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Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune

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International Our international cultural tours strive to introduce many aspects of a destination’s unique cultural identity from archaeology, art and architecture to the diverse natural landscape.

In 2024 we look forward to a broad range of experiences across the world. In Italy, Sarah Burles will lead an exploration of Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, and Tom Abbott will introduce us to the life and works of the great German Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich in the 250th anniversary year of the artist’s birth. Our tour to Burgundy will uncover one of the

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most influential kingdoms of the Middle Ages, whilst our journey following in the footsteps of Caravaggio will offer participants an opportunity to encounter a range of the artist’s masterpieces in destinations ranging from Milan to Malta.

Further afield we look forward to a new tour to India, focused on Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, to uncover the dynamic history of the Mughal Empire through visits to the grand townhouses and mansions known as havelis, with the opportunity to stay in several of these beautiful buildings.

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FRANCE

Medieval Burgundy July 4–11, 2024

Cluny Abbey

Explore Guédelon, where a team of master craftsmen have been building an authentic recreation of a medieval castle using only the techniques and materials of the Middle Ages Visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Vézelay, an enduring masterpiece of Burgundian Romanesque architecture Spend a day in Dijon, exploring the Cathedral of St Bénigne, Archaeological Museum and Palais des Ducs From 1363 to 1477, the old Duchy of Burgundy – with the glittering court of Dijon at its heart – became the focus of one of the most influential polities of the Middle Ages, extending its authority as far north as the Netherlands.

This tour pays tribute to some of Europe’s most delightful and architecturally 18

This tour will be led

by Hugh Doherty, DPhil, a Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of East Anglia in Norwich. Hugh is a medievalist with broad historical interests: he teaches classical and medieval history, and publishes on knights and castles. Hugh studied at King’s College London before gaining his MPhil at the University of Cambridge and his DPhil at the University of Oxford. impressive Romanesque monuments: the once imposing abbey at Cluny, the great cathedrals at Autun and Dijon, and the sumptuous pilgrimage centre of Vézelay.

Here, the 12th century Sainte MarieMadeleine, with its complex imagery, is a tour de force of the Burgundian Romanesque style. The magnificent church at Tournus, dating back to the 10th century, is a superb example of First Romanesque architecture.

We will view Gothic art in its emergent form at the almost complete Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay, and in its late flowering at Brou Monastery. Here, we will see the fine choir stalls and tombs, including that of Margaret of Austria and her husband Philibert who founded the church.

“A wonderful opportunity to walk in the footsteps of pilgrims from past centuries and experience something of the awe and spiritual feeling that the architecture and artwork of the period would have inspired. This tour provided some valuable insight into the rich history of this region” “Excellent depth and breadth of coverage of the relevant historical context, including clearly explained commentary challenging ‘popular myths’, and all delivered with a most engaging freshness and enthusiasm” – ACE customers on the 2023 Medieval Burgundy tour led by Hugh Doherty

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FRANCE FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Please note that this tour will involve walking over ground that can be uneven, steep or cobbled, and slippery if wet. A good level of fitness is required to complete the itinerary, as it involves a moderate amount of time spent walking and standing, and participants should meet the minimum fitness criteria in ACE’s Booking Terms & Conditions. Please note that some church interiors can be dimly lit, and several visits involve traversing steps, including a spiral staircase at St Philibert. This tour also includes opportunities to enjoy the French cuisine and way of life, with more leisurely lunch breaks on some of the days.

ITINERARY

Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer. Some elements may be subject to change or confirmation, or may be reordered nearer the time. We cannot guarantee the availability of all artworks listed, and historical sites can occasionally close at short notice for restoration works.

Day 1 Depart London St Pancras 1022 on Eurostar and TER via Paris, arriving Montbard 1754. Transfer to Vézelay for two nights at Hotel de la Poste et du Lion d’Or. Short evening lecture: An Introduction to Medieval Burgundy.

Day 2 Morning in Auxerre: Abbey of St Germain (Carolingian frescoes) and Gothic Cathedral of St Etienne. Afternoon: visit to Guédelon.

Day 3 Vézelay: La Madeleine (architecturally beautiful pilgrimage church and abbey).

Afternoon: continue via 12th century Fontenay (one of Europe’s most unspoiled Cistercian abbeys) to Basilica of St Andoche, Saulieu.

Continue to Beaune for five nights at Hotel de la Poste.

Saint-Lazare Cathedral

Beaune’s Hotel-Dieu holds one of the greatest masterpieces of Flemish art – The Last Judgment by van der Weyden – whilst on the outskirts of Dijon, the former Carthusian monastery of the Chartreuse de Champmol is home to sculpture by Claus Sluter.

We begin in Vézelay with two nights at the elegant four-star Hotel de la Poste et du Lion d’Or, before moving to Beaune, where we will stay at the four-star Hotel de la Poste, which enjoys classically decorated rooms and a location close to the famous Hotel-Dieu.

Day 4 Morning excursion to Cluny (abbey remains). Afternoon: Berzé-la-Ville (retreat of abbots of Cluny with spectacular Romanesque frescoes).

Day 5 Whole day excursion to Dijon: Musée Archéologique, Cathedral of St Bénigne, Palais des Ducs and Chartreuse de Champmol (Puits de Moïse).

Day 6 Whole day excursion to St Philibert at Tournus (superb Romanesque architecture) and Bourg-en-Bresse (flamboyant Brou Monastery).

Day 7 Morning in Autun: 12th century Cathedral of St Lazare. Afternoon in Beaune: Collegiate Church of Notre Dame (tapestries) and Hotel-Dieu (van der Weyden’s Last Judgement).

Day 8 Transfer to Dijon for 1202 departure on Eurostar via Paris, arriving London St Pancras 1730.

Abbey of St Germain

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Cost of £3495 includes: return travel, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, seven breakfasts, seven dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £545.

TOUR CODE: MBUR24

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GERMANY

Caspar David Friedrich at 250: The Age of Romanticism

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September 2024

The Ruins of Eldena by Caspar David Friedrich, 1825

Take in special exhibitions celebrating 250 years since the birth of German Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich

Trace the artist’s life and oeuvre across Germany, from his birthplace in Greifswald to his resting place in Dresden

A lone figure shrouded in mists; a liminal landscape punctuated by a sole tree; a contemplative scene provoking in the viewer an emotive response to the natural world: the works of German Romantic landscape painter Caspar David Friedrich are celebrated the world over for their atmospheric and distinctive portrayal of mankind and the landscape. 2024 marks 250 years since the artist’s birth, and this brand new tour offers an exciting opportunity to explore Friedrich’s life and work.

“I have to surrender myself to what encircles me, I have to merge with my clouds and rocks in order to be what I am” – Caspar David Friedrich

At the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, Romanticism dominated European cultural discourse, from the fields of philosophy and literature to those of art and aesthetics.

Experience the landscape that inspired Friedrich and the German Romantics

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This period produced some of Germany’s most famous literary figures, composers and artists - from Hegel to Wagner.

Friedrich is undoubtedly one of the most important in the field of the visual arts, and this tour will explore his skill as a painter and enduring legacy, as well as some of the contexts in which he lived and worked.

The artist was born in the Hanseatic city of Greifswald in 1774 and it is where he later attended university. The city will be commemorating the anniversary of its famous son with a special exhibition at the Pommersches Landesmuseum entitled ‘Caspar David Friedrich: Places of Longing’, featuring the artist’s worldfamous 1818 painting Chalk Cliffs of

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GERMANY This tour will be led by art history expert Tom Abbott, BA, MA, a proficient lecturer and experienced tour leader who has been a resident of Berlin for over 30 years. Tom’s expertise is wide-ranging, covering medieval times to the present day, but he is particularly fascinated with Romantic art, and looks forward to providing an in-depth exploration of the movement, and the work of Caspar David Friedrich in particular, for an ACE group in this important anniversary year.

Rügen, temporarily returned to the home of its subject after a period of more than 200 years.

The Albertinum, Dresden

Friedrich settled permanently in Dresden in 1798, studying its art collections and producing many of what are now regarded as the pre-eminent works of German Romanticism. The Albertinum will also be staging a special temporary exhibition to celebrate the anniversary year.

Chalk Cliffs on Rügen by Caspar David Friedrich, 1818

Although the final years of Friedrich’s life saw the genre fall out of fashion, by the 1970s his output was re-exhibited and reexamined at major galleries, finding favour amongst critics once again. Today, the artist’s work is internationally renowned and highly regarded for its originality, complexity and beauty.

“Tom Abbott was immensely knowledgeable and we really benefited from his depth of expertise throughout” “Tom was invariably erudite and enthusiastic”

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“Tom is hugely expert, thoughtful about the guests’ needs and interests and is delightful company”

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– ACE customers on 2023 tours led by Tom Abbott

Full details, including the itinerary and cost, will be released early in 2024.

Please contact the ACE office now to register your interest.

TOUR CODE: CASP24

21

I TA LY

Early Christian & Medieval Rome September 17–22, 2024 This tour will be led

by Eireann Marshall, PhD, a Research Associate and Associate Lecturer with the Open University. Eireann was raised in the Veneto and educated at Barnard College, Columbia University and the universities of Birmingham and Exeter. She has led many tours throughout Europe and North Africa, and has co-edited books on classical civilisation.

ITINERARY The Roman forum including the Church of Santi Cosma e Damiano

Uncover the various historical layers of Rome’s churches and basilicas while exploring the development of early Christian art in Rome Soak up the Vatican’s aweinspiring atmosphere, visiting St Peter’s Basilica and examining the papal tombs in the underground Necropolis Experience extraordinary frescoes in situ, including at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore Trace the development of early Christian art in the unique context of Rome, where it evolved from the fugitive imagery of a persecuted cult, into the triumphant representation of imperial piety.

Highlights of our itinerary will include the excavated Necropolis under St Peter’s Basilica, with its 3rd century mosaic believed to portray Christ as the sun-god Apollo, and Santa Sabina, the oldest surviving Roman basilica in the city.

Another memorable visit will be to the Scala Sancta of the Sancta Sanctorum chapel.

In the 4th century Church of Santa Costanza, originally built as a mausoleum, we will discover some of the 22

most important early Christian art in the world. The splendid mosaics, depicting scenes of grape harvesting and details of birds and foliage, aptly illustrate Constantine’s policy of repurposing old pagan motifs for Christian imagery.

We will examine a succession of popes responsible for some of the unique images of the Virgin Mary to be found in Rome, from Sixtus III, who built the immense Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, to Nicholas IV, who centuries later commissioned Torriti to produce the Coronation of the Virgin mosaic in its apse.

Our investigation will also consider the development of the ‘Roman’ school, characterised by Pietro Cavallini, whose Last Judgment mural in Santa Cecilia in Trastevere is celebrated as his masterwork.

Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer. Sites in Rome can experience last minute closures owing to local events or restoration works, therefore some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1215 on British Airways, arriving Rome 1550. Transfer to Albergo Santa Chiara for five nights.

Day 2 Morning: San Crisogono (Paleochristian crypt), Santa Cecilia and the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere. Afternoon: Santa Sabina, Santa Maria in Cosmedin and San Giorgio in Velabro. Evening talk.

Day 3 Morning: Catacombs of Priscilla, Santa Costanza and Sant’Agnese. Afternoon: Santa Maria Maggiore, Santa Pudenziana and Santa Prassede. Evening talk.

Day 4 Morning: San Clemente and Santi Cosma e Damiano, followed by some free time in the area of the Colosseum and Roman Forum.

Afternoon: San Giovanni in Laterano, Sancta Sanctorum cappella papale, Santi Quattro Coronati. Free evening.

Day 5 Visits in the Vatican City: St Peter’s Basilica and Necropolis. Afternoon: Castel Sant’Angelo.

We will stay throughout at the three-star Albergo Santa Chiara, situated in the very heart of Rome, a stone’s throw from the Pantheon.

Day 6 Morning walking tour: Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Santa Maria sopra Minerva and Campo de’ Fiori. Depart Rome 1640, arriving Heathrow 1820.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Please note that this tour has a full itinerary and involves extensive walking, including over many cobbled streets, so a very good level of fitness is required.

Some sites will involve walking up and down steps, which can be uneven and do not always have handrails. Rome’s streets can be busy with traffic, so care must be taken. Participants should meet our usual fitness requirements, as described in our Booking Terms and Conditions.

Cost of £2695 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a standard twin or double bedded room, five breakfasts, four dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, superior single room supplement £165.

TOUR CODE: ECMR24

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I TA LY

Pompeii with Herculaneum September 21–26, 2024 We will stay at the Hotel La Medusa, Castellammare di Stabia, an attractive four-star establishment set in beautiful grounds.

Pompeii with Vesuvius in the background

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A good level of fitness is required for this tour, and participants should be aware that the terrain at the archaeological sites can be uneven with slippery and rocky sections, and with few opportunities to sit down. Please note that the optional ascent up Vesuvius involves a steep walk of around 30 minutes, and Cumae also involves an extended uphill walk. For more details on our minimum fitness requirements, please see our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

Gain unrivalled insights into day-today life in the Roman Empire

have been Nero’s wedding present to his second wife, Poppaea.

Discover Cumae, one of the most important Greek city-states in antiquity, alongside Pozzuoli with its impressive Roman amphitheatre

Paestum, “inexpressibly grand” according to Shelley, was founded in around 600 BC by Greek colonists from Sybaris.

Here we will pay particular attention to the Doric sanctuaries of Ceres, Hera and Neptune, which rank among the best-preserved Greek temples to be found anywhere in the ancient world.

Explore Paestum, home to Doric sanctuaries, and the renowned Archaeological Museum in Naples Pompeii and Herculaneum, destroyed yet preserved by the volcanic catastrophe, offer unparalleled insights into dayto-day life in the Roman Empire. Our tour offers the opportunity to explore these ancient towns in depth, and we particularly look forward to viewing the House of the Vettii in Pompeii, recently reopened after extensive restoration works and years of closure. As well as investigating the ruins of Vesuvius’s twin victims, we will view the exceptional finds on display at the National Archaeological Museum in the evervibrant city of Naples.

Complementing these most famous sites, our comprehensive tour in and around the Bay of Naples will take in a wider array of ancient treasures, including the vast villa complex at Oplontis. Adorned with sumptuous wall paintings unveiling the extravagant lifestyle enjoyed by the Roman elite, the villa is thought to

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Cumae, one of the most important Greek city-states in antiquity, is also on our itinerary together with Italy’s third largest Roman amphitheatre at Pozzuoli.

Tour Director Steve Mastin, MA, PGCE, FHA studied history and classics before working as a school teacher for 17 years, leading trips to Italy, France and Germany. He has also worked overseas training history teachers in Singapore, Australia and Kazakhstan. A committed advocate of the power of storytelling, Steve is passionate about bringing a life-long love of history to students of all ages.

He is a Fellow of the Historical Association and is a regular speaker at history conferences both in the UK and overseas.

Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. Archaeological sites can close or change their opening times at short notice; therefore, some visits may be reordered.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1450 on British Airways, arriving Naples 1835. Transfer to Hotel La Medusa, Castellammare di Stabia, for five nights.

Day 2 Morning visit to Naples Archaeological Museum followed by lunch on the slopes of Mt Vesuvius. Continue ascent by coach, followed by optional ascent to crater (weather permitting; must be done on foot). Evening talk: The Events of 79 AD - Myth vs Archaeology.

Day 3 Herculaneum (panoramic villas, palaestra, baths, shops) followed by the Villa Poppaea, Oplontis and Villa Regina, Boscoreale. Evening talk: Greco-Roman Religion.

Day 4 Whole day visit to Pompeii: forum, shopping macellum, Villa of the Mysteries, baths, theatres and Houses of the Faun, Venus and Vettii.

Day 5 Whole day excursion to Paestum: Temples of Ceres, Hera and Neptune; museum.

Evening talk: Aeneas and the Sibyl of Cumae.

Day 6 Cumae (cave of the Sibyl, acropolis) and Pozzuoli (amphitheatre). Depart Naples 1955, arriving Heathrow 2150.

Cost of £2695 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, five breakfasts, two lunches (one packed), five dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £480.

TOUR CODE: POM224

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I TA LY & M A LTA

On the Trail of Caravaggio: His Life, Works & Muses November 8–18, 2024

PUBLIC DOMAIN VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The Adoration of the Shepherds, Caravaggio, c 1609, Museo Regionale, Messina.

Journey through key centres to trace the life and career of one of history’s finest painters: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio View a range of the artist’s masterpieces from different parts of his career, during visits to churches and galleries Enjoy lectures on Caravaggio’s life, and explore his legacy and technique, including his signature use of chiaroscuro

Caravaggio was born in Milan, and some of his works – including The Supper at Emmaus – are still in the city today. In Rome, the young Michelangelo Merisi’s career flowered amid the CounterReformation search for new artistic styles worthy of representing the Church. Here, Caravaggio became embroiled in a new art scene, with all its experimentation and often violent rivalry, as artists struggled and competed to fashion a relevant contemporary art.

One of the most compelling characters in Baroque art, Caravaggio revolutionised painting with his adherence to naturalism and controversial use of models from everyday life. From his meteoric rise to fame, through heated controversy and to his untimely death on the malarial Italian beaches in 1610, Caravaggio’s supporters and critics alike realised that here was an astounding and unprecedented artistic force to be reckoned with.

Paintings hang in several of the city’s churches – from The Calling of St Matthew at San Luigi dei Francesi to The Conversion of St Paul and The Crucifixion of St Peter at Santa Maria del Popolo.

Meanwhile, the Palazzo Barberini is home to several works by Caravaggio, including his depictions of St John the Baptist and Judith Beheading Holofernes, as well as a self-portrait by Artemisia Gentileschi, one of the most successful female artists of the Baroque age and the subject of a recent exhibition at the National Gallery in London.

This tour will explore his trajectory, from his origins in Lombard naturalism through to the mature style of his Neapolitan works. On a journey in the artist’s footsteps, we will see some of Caravaggio’s greatest works – many of which are still in situ across Italy in the locations for which they were originally painted.

In 1606, Caravaggio fled from Rome to Naples, then a major centre of Spanish power. A wealthy, culturally sophisticated society existed, notoriously, side by side with the harsh realities of desperate poverty and a shifting underclass, and Caravaggio’s powerful naturalism took the city’s public by storm. Artists clamoured to adopt his new and relevant

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This tour will be led by Marie-Anne Mancio, MPhil, DPhil, an art historian, writer, experienced tour leader and Arts Society accredited lecturer. Marie-Anne originally trained as an artist before gaining a DPhil at the University of Sussex in art and critical theory. She has written and presented courses for Tate and Dulwich Picture Gallery; writes reviews, catalogue essays and historical fiction; and is a frequent visitor to Italy. She is currently writing a book about Caravaggio. approach, and our tour will also consider works by Caravaggio’s contemporaries.

In his final years, Caravaggio returned to Rome in anticipation of a papal pardon. During this time he carried out a number of mature works epitomising his signature use of chiaroscuro, including the haunting Martyrdom of St Ursula, today housed in the Galleria di Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano.

The artist’s trajectory also included time spent in Sicily, where the Museo Regionale di Messina is now home to two important works – The Raising of Lazarus and The Adoration of the Shepherds. In Malta, Caravaggio was invited to work for the Knights of St John. These years led to him becoming a member of the Order and resulted in a series of important paintings, including the disturbing Beheading of St John the Baptist, his largest altarpiece, commissioned for St John’s Co-Cathedral.

Our tour will take in selected highlights as we trace elements of the fascinating journey Caravaggio made across Italy and Malta.

Full details, including the itinerary and cost, will be released early in 2024.

Please contact the ACE office now to register your interest.

TOUR CODE: RCAV24

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FRANCE

Ceramics in Sèvres

ARCHIVES DÉPARTEMENTALES DES HAUTS-DE-SEINE / LICENCE OUVERTE 1.0 WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

October 2024

Postcard depicting the gilding workshop at the Sèvres Manufactory, 1900

Explore the history of ceramics production and design in one of its most important centres Travel with porcelain expert Lars Tharp Visit fascinating collections of beautiful ceramics in and around Paris Porcelain has always been a highly sought-after art form and a prized commodity. When Johann Friedrich Böttger created the recipe for producing hard-paste porcelain in the early 18th century, what had once been a rare and fragile import from China became more widely available in Europe, as production began in earnest in Germany, but quickly thereafter in France as well.

It was at Sèvres that a distinctive style of French porcelain was developed, with the factory becoming well known for

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This tour will be led by ceramics specialist Lars Tharp, MA, FSA, Hon DLitt, an art historian, lecturer and broadcaster who has worked on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow as well as Hidden Treasures and Art of the Baroque. A former Director of the Foundling Museum, Lars has also been involved in exhibitions at York Art Gallery, and his publications include Hogarth’s China. Lars has run several popular ACE tours exploring the history of ceramics in other locations such as Dresden. its early ‘bleu lapis’ and ‘bleu céleste’ colours. Royal patronage cemented Sèvres’ reputation, and today a visit to the museum and manufactory provides fascinating insights into the processes involved as well as new innovations.

“We couldn’t have had a better guide – informative, interesting and witty” “Lars is hugely knowledgeable and informative” – ACE customers on previous tours with Lars Tharp

This new tour will explore the history of ceramics in and around Paris, with visits not only to Sèvres but also to the Palace of Versailles, where the Porcelain Room in the King’s Private Apartments has recently been restored to display the collections from the Vincennes and Sèvres royal manufactories to outstanding effect.

Full details, including the tour dates, itinerary and cost, will be released early in 2024. Please contact the ACE office now to register your interest.

TOUR CODE: CERS24

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INDIA

Havelis: Painted Mansions of Rajasthan October 2024

Jaswant Thada and Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur

Visit some of the finest havelis, the traditional townhouses and mansions of Rajasthan, noted for their graceful architecture and exquisite décor Stay in a selection of sympathetically converted havelis and meet some of the people behind their restoration Explore the other iconic architectural wonders of the region, including the sublime Taj Mahal, Lutyens’ New Delhi and Jaisalmer Fort With archaeological evidence of multistorey and courtyarded structures dating back more than 5000 years in Rajasthan, grand townhouses and mansions have long been status symbols and showcases for the artistic taste of the region’s wealthy elite. The form reached its aesthetic zenith from the 17th to the 19th century as, through centuries of Mughal and colonial rule, rich merchants, nobles and minor royals, even temple elders creating ‘homes’ for their deities, outdid one another in the scale, form and artistic exquisiteness of their havelis.

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Our Tour Director is Cosmo Samuel Brockway, an author and journalist who has written for many leading publications on culture and design. An expert on India, Cosmo authored the recent book Glorious Hotels of India, a lavishly illustrated introduction to 40 unforgettable places to stay across the subcontinent. An experienced tour leader, Cosmo knows several of the noble families and haveli owners of the region we are visiting, and is therefore able to share uniquely privileged insight and access with ACE guests.

The classic havelis of the period are built from local red sandstone, three or four storeys tall, with an outer and inner courtyard. The façades teem with bays and balconies, sunshades and screen windows, fluted pillars and intricately patterned carvings. Within, the bustle of the city is forgotten, recalling the Persian origin of the word ‘haveli’, meaning ‘enclosed place’. Cool and peaceful, set around fountains and sacred tulsi plants, the outer courtyards were for men, the

inner courtyards for women. Vibrantly colourful frescoes adorned the walls, depicting folk tales, the daily life and travels of the owners, even erotic scenes.

Guest rooms were lavish showcases for the work of the most skilled local craftspeople, in wood, stone and precious metals.

Following independence in 1947, when the Princely States were merged and the jagirs (fiefdoms) abolished, special privileges and the Privy Purse were withdrawn from the erstwhile ruling families, the lesser nobility found their extravagant homes a huge financial liability. Thousands were abandoned, left to become derelict over decades, even centuries, until enterprising pioneers saw the opportunity to restore them to their former beauty and repurpose many as heritage hotels, ranging in size from the intimate to the palatial. The artistic riches that were once reserved for the private guests of the wealthy are now available for all to enjoy.

Today, these beautiful buildings comprise one of the most important aspects of India’s cultural heritage, and the focus of this memorable tour. We will stay in several havelis, including Haveli Dharampura, a time capsule of Old Delhi, the meticulously restored,

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INDIA

Taj Mahal

33-room Vivaana Haveli near Mandawa, and the luxury boutique Jaisalmer haveli known as The Gulaal, with just 12 magnificent rooms set around twin courtyards. Stays in these lovely properties present a greater depth of insight and appreciation than a mere visit could, and there will be the chance to speak to some of the people who directed and undertook the restoration work, including the owners of Haveli Dharampura.

Jama Mosque, Old Delhi

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“In many ways, the biggest asset was the presence and leadership of Cosmo Brockway. Personal, unflappable, energetic, kind, thoughtful…”

– Traveller on a previous tour led by Cosmo Samuel Brockway

Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are the classic destinations for an introductory tour of India, and first-time visitors

need not worry about missing any of the iconic highlights of the region, which feature alongside a superb selection of havelis in this unique itinerary. So, there is the opportunity to appreciate the sublime symmetry of the Taj Mahal, the cultural apogee of the Mughal Empire and a powerfully poignant monument to lost love, as well as its architectural inspiration, tranquil Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi. Experience too the colonial grandeur of Lutyens’ New Delhi, the capital’s spectacular 17th century Jama Mosque, Jodhpur’s sea of blue houses, the intricately beautiful Jain temple complex of Ranakpur, and majestic Jaisalmer Fort, rising dramatically from the sands of the Thar Desert.

Full details, including the itinerary and cost, will be released early in 2024.

Please contact the ACE office now to register your interest.

TOUR CODE: HAVR24

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I TA LY

From Bologna to Parma: A Feast for the Soul & Senses November 11–17, 2024 Palazzo Te interior details

This tour will be led by art historian and experienced tour leader Andrew Spira, MA. Andrew studied at the Courtauld Institute of Art as well as City University, London. For several years he was a specialist in Byzantine and Russian icons at Temple Gallery, London, before working as a curator at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Andrew was subsequently Programme Director at Christie’s Education.

Baroque artists including Raphael, Titian and Guercino amongst others.

Experience the artistic highlights of northern Italy from bases in historical Bologna and Parma, while enjoying the region’s wider cultural and culinary heritage View works of art by the Old Masters, including the superb collection of Bolognese paintings in the Pinacoteca Nazionale Explore fascinating architecture, including churches, cathedrals and Mantua’s sumptuous Palazzo Te, and visit the Renaissance walled town of Sabbioneta

We will explore some of Bologna’s architectural icons, including the Gothic Basilica di San Petronio, originally intended to dwarf St Peter’s in Rome, and the lavish Basilica di San Domenico, a Renaissance showpiece that preserves the delicately crafted tomb of the eponymous saint.

The Pinacoteca Nazionale is not only a treasure trove of Bolognese and Emilian paintings, but is considered one of Italy’s most important galleries, housing works by leading Renaissance, Mannerist and

The Emilia-Romagna region is renowned for its culinary heritage and has a long tradition of producing foodstuffs with a Protected Designation of Origin.

Progressing from Bologna to Parma, we will learn about one of the area’s most famous gastronomic exports with an enroute visit to a Parmesan cheese-maker near Modena. We will enjoy a tour and a tasting at the 4 Madonne Caseificio dell’Emilia factory, described as a ‘cathedral of Parmesans’.

Founded by the Romans, the city of Parma was built on the Via Emilia, an important trade route, and is also home to one of the oldest universities in the Bologna

This navigation of northern Italy will immerse travellers in the cultural splendours of Bologna and Parma, enriched by wider excursions to the city of Mantua and the walled Renaissance town of Sabbioneta, home to outstanding art and architecture.

Our tour begins in Bologna, the world’s oldest university city, which has attracted cultural thinkers since Dante and Petrarch and today continues to foster a spirit of intellectual curiosity and vibrancy.

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I TA LY

The Camera degli Sposi by Andrea Mantegna

world. The Romanesque octagonal Baptistery is crowned with sculptures by Benedetto Antelami, whilst the cupola of the 11th century cathedral is acclaimed for its masterful ceiling frescoes by Correggio. In the imposing Palazzo della Pilotta, meanwhile, we will find the Galleria Nazionale, containing paintings

by Murillo and Parmigianino.

A day excursion to Mantua – which only joined the kingdom of Italy in 1866 – will offer an opportunity to explore the famed Renaissance Palazzo Te, notable for its sumptuous decorations by Giulio Romano. Moreover, the Palazzo Ducale, once the stronghold of the Gonzaga family, is today home to majestic works

by Rubens and Mantegna.

The walled town of Sabbioneta, a uniquely preserved example of Renaissance town planning, demonstrates how the ideal of rational order became manifest not only in paintings, sculptures and buildings, but in the urban environment itself. Mostly constructed in the late 16th century, the town has its own Ducal Palace, now the Town Hall, and is home to the richly decorated Palazzo Giardino.

The first three nights of the tour will be spent at the four-star Art Hotel Commercianti, just a few steps from

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the Basilica of San Petronio, in a pedestrianised part of Bologna’s historical centre. The final three nights will be spent at the four-star Hotel Mercure Parma Stendhal, located in Parma’s old town.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES:A good overall level of fitness is required for this tour.

Participants should expect to spend much of each day walking, and be aware that some of our visits will involve standing for periods of time. Please note that it is necessary to navigate uneven ground, cobbles and steps in some places. For more information on our minimum fitness criteria, please see the Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change. Historical buildings in northern Italian cities often close at short notice – for example, to undergo restoration works – so some visits may be reordered or subject to confirmation nearer the time. We cannot guarantee the availability of all artworks listed.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 0820 on British Airways, arriving Bologna 1135. Transfer to Art Hotel Commercianti, Bologna, for three nights. Orientation walking tour. Evening lecture: Medieval Devotion & the Origin of the Renaissance.

Day 2 Morning: Pinacoteca Nazionale.

Afternoon: Palazzo Poggi, Oratory of Santa Cecilia and San Giacomo Maggiore (subject to confirmation).

Day 3 Morning: Cathedral and Archiginnasio.

Afternoon: San Petronio, San Domenico and Oratorio di Santa Maria della Vita. Evening lecture: Humanism & Courtly Culture followed by independent dinner.

Day 4 Depart for Parma via 4 Madonne Caseificio dell’ Emilia (Parmesan cheese factory) for tour and tasting. Afternoon visits in Parma: Palazzo della Pilotta (Teatro Farnese and Galleria Nazionale), San Giovanni Evangelista, cathedral and baptistery. Evening lecture: Art, Theatre & Propaganda. Three nights at Hotel Mercure Parma Stendhal.

Day 5 Whole day excursion to Mantua: Palazzo Te, San Sebastiano, Civic Museum, Mantegna’s House (exterior), Giulio Romano’s House (exterior), Basilica di San Andrea, Palazzo Ducale, Camera Picta and Teatro Scientifico Bibiena.

Day 6 Whole day excursion to Sabbioneta: Synagogue, Palazzo Ducale, Teatro all’Antica, Palazzo Giardino and Galleria degli Antichi.

Return to Parma via former Valserena Abbey.

Day 7 Depart Bologna 1240, arriving Heathrow 1415.

Cost of £2995 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, six breakfasts, one lunch, five dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £425.

Upgraded rooms available in Bologna.

TOUR CODE: BOLG24

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I TA LY

Renaissance Florence: City of Wonders November 11–18, 2024 Gates of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti, 1425–52

Delve beneath the surface of one of the most important cities of the Renaissance, to explore both famous and less well-known churches, museums and galleries Trace the development of the Renaissance, viewing major works of art by masters such as Giotto, Brunelleschi, Donatello and Michelangelo Learn about the influence of the Medici family and other leading patrons on artistic production in Quattrocento Florence

The city of Florence is rightly considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and this tour will focus on the transformation that took place there in art and architecture during the 15th century.

To tell this story, we will, of course, visit Florence’s most famous museums, galleries and churches, but also some of the city’s less well-known treasures.

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We particularly look forward to viewing the individual ‘cenacoli’ (Last Suppers) by artists such as Castagno, Ghirlandaio and Andrea del Sarto, some of which were hidden for many years behind monastery walls. In addition, we will travel beyond the city to look down on Florence from the beautiful hillside town of Fiesole, and from San Miniato al Monte – its oldest surviving church, with wonderful views over the city.

Further highlights will also include the calm symmetry of Brunelleschi’s Church of San Spirito, where we will find Michelangelo’s early Crucifix, thought to have been carved when he was just 18 years old. The peaceful cloisters of San Marco are home to many important paintings by Fra Angelico, including the frescoes he painted in the monks’ cells.

Standing in front of these works of art, it is no surprise to hear that Giorgio Vasari described Fra Angelico as having “a rare and perfect talent”.

Based in the heart of Florence, a few minutes’ walk from the spectacular Duomo with Giotto’s dramatic campanile

“Excellent trip – well designed and well managed. The hotel was in a perfect location, enabling the group to walk easily to most sites” – ACE customer on a previous Renaissance Florence: City of Wonders tour with Sarah Burles

and Brunelleschi’s astonishing dome, we will take in the city’s main sights – including the Baptistery, the oldest religious site in Florence, and the churches of Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce.

The Palazzo Medici Riccardi, created for the leading Florentine banker and patron Cosimo de Medici, features famous Magi frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli in the family’s private chapel.

This tour will also include an opportunity to attend sung Vespers at the Badia Fiorentina, which dates back to the 10th century and is now home to the Order of Jerusalem.

We will stay in the historical centre of Florence, at the four-star Grand Hotel Cavour, ideally located for our visits.

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Exterior of the Brunelleschi Dome

This tour will be led

by Sarah Burles, MA, an art historian who studied at the University of Cambridge before going on to work in a number of museums and galleries, including the Accademia Italiana in London and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. Sarah’s studies focused on the Renaissance period, and she lived in Florence for a time. She is an experienced tour leader and lecturer, accredited with the Arts Society.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Please note that most of this tour is conducted on foot, so participants must have a good level of fitness and mobility. Participants should be prepared for spending up to an hour at a time standing in galleries and churches (it is not always possible to sit in pews). Furthermore, Florentine streets can be uneven, narrow, busy with traffic and slippery underfoot when wet, so care must be taken. Please consult ACE’s fitness criteria in our Booking Terms & Conditions before booking your place.

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ITINERARY

Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and while we will endeavour to deliver the advertised visits in full, some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. Sites in Italy can occasionally close at short notice owing to restoration work, and we cannot guarantee the availability of all artworks listed.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 0815 on British Airways, arriving Pisa 1125. Transfer to Florence for seven nights at Grand Hotel Cavour.

Afternoon orientation walking tour. Evening welcome and introduction.

Day 2 Morning lecture: The Road to the Renaissance followed by visit to Gothic Franciscan Church of Santa Croce and museum.

Afternoon: Uffizi Gallery.

Day 3 Morning lecture: New Concepts of Space & Form in Florentine Painting followed by visits to the Dominican Church of Santa Maria Novella and the Baptistery (doors created by Andrea Pisano and Ghiberti). Afternoon: visits to the Duomo and Museo dell’Opera del Duomo. Free evening with option to attend sung Vespers at the Badia Fiorentina.

Day 4 Morning lecture: Speaking Statues – Sculpture in 15th Century Florence followed by visit to Bargello National Museum and view of Orsanmichele (exterior with sculptures by Ghiberti, Donatello and Verrocchio). Walk over the Ponte Vecchio to the Oltrarno area.

Afternoon: Santa Maria del Carmine (subject to confirmation), Santo Spirito and Santa Trinità.

Day 5 Morning: Ospedale degli Innocenti (exterior), Church of Santissima Annunziata, Dominican Church and Convent of San Marco and Convent of Sant’Apollonia. Afternoon: Palazzo Medici Riccardi and San Lorenzo.

Day 6 Morning: Church of the Ognissanti (subject to confirmation) and San Salvi followed

by Fiesole for Romanesque Duomo of St Romulus and Museum Bandini. Afternoon: San Miniato al Monte. Free evening.

Day 7 Morning: Cappelle Medicee and Galleria dell’Accademia. Free afternoon.

Day 8 Transfer to Pisa for 1215 departure, arriving Heathrow 1345.

Cost of £3675 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a classic twin or double bedded room, seven breakfasts, five dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, classic double room for single use supplement £695.

TOUR CODE: RFLO24

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I TA LY

Art & Architecture of Puglia November 18–24, 2024

The Basilica of Santa Croce, Lecce

Explore the diverse artistic and architectural heritage of Bari, Barletta, Ostuni and Otranto Visit the Basilica di San Nicola, the south’s first Norman church and a model for many later churches in Puglia

multifaceted past and importance on ancient trading and pilgrimage routes.

On our tour of this cosmopolitan region, which borrows elements from classical

antiquity, the Islamic Orient and the north European Cistercian Gothic, we will discover the art and architecture of the region, starting in the port town of Bari. Sites of historical interest here

Discover one of southern Italy’s most impressive 15th century narrative fresco cycles, covering every inch of the walls of the Romanesque Church of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria Nestled in the heel of Italy lies Puglia – or Apulia as it was originally named – the most prosperous region in the south of the country, but surprisingly one of its least visited parts. The diversity of its architectural heritage – Greek, Roman, Romanesque, Norman, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque – reflects its 32

Detail of the Tree of Life mosaic, Otranto

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I TA LY Ostuni

This tour will be led by art historian Andrew Spira, MA, who studied at the Courtauld Institute of Art and City University, London.

For several years Andrew was a specialist in Byzantine and Russian icons at the Temple Gallery, London, before working as a curator at the Victoria & Albert Museum. He was subsequently Programme Director at Christie’s Education, and has been leading tours to cultural sites across Europe for over 20 years.

include the Romanesque Cathedral, Basilica of San Nicola, and Pinacoteca Provinciale, home to a distinguished collection of Old Master paintings, sculptures and 19th century Italian art.

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“Andrew Spira was the ideal Tour Director – extremely knowledgeable, patient and friendly” “This was a fascinating tour made memorable by Andrew’s wide knowledge and his ability to communicate some quite complex history of the development of ideas and thought throughout the period.”

This extraordinary floor design contains biblical references alongside signs of the zodiac, references to Greek mythology and even images of King Arthur and the pre-Islamic Persian lion of the Sassanid Empire. On our final day in Lecce, the ‘Florence of the South’, our walking tour takes in its piazzas, churches and Roman remains.

– ACE customers on previous Art & Architecture of Puglia tours

Other highlights of the region include the ‘white city’ of Ostuni and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Alberobello, characterised by its dense concentration of trulli – dry stone whitewashed buildings with unusual conical roofs.

In the cathedral of the captivating coastal town of Otranto we will view the 12th century Tree of Life mosaic.

Full details, including the itinerary and cost, will be released early in 2024.

Please contact the ACE office now to register your interest.

TOUR CODE: AAPU24

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M O RO C C O

Morocco: Archaeology of the Western Kingdom November 2024

Chellah

Discover the delights of Marrakesh, including the 16th century El Badi Palace Explore the citadel of the Chellah and the Kasbah des Oudaias in Rabat Take an excursion into the High Atlas mountains, their peaks capped with snow

This tour will be led

by Eireann Marshall, PhD, a Research Associate and Associate Lecturer with the Open University.

Educated at Barnard College, Columbia, and the universities of Birmingham and Exeter, Eireann is an expert in the classical and ancient worlds and has published a number of articles on Ancient North Africa. She has led many tours across Europe and North Africa, and looks forward to introducing an ACE group to Morocco in 2024.

The spread of Islam, combined with the spirit of al-Andalus, gave birth in Morocco to an artistic and architectural legacy of enormous diversity. Meknes, founded in the 11th century and revitalised by Sultan Moulay Ismaïl in the 18th, reflecting his imperial ambitions, is an especially attractive example of the harmonious blending of the Islamic and Spanish styles.

under the Marinids, as witnessed by the elaborate profusion of souks, madrasas, mosques and minarets that date from the 13th century.

Fez, founded in the 9th century, is perhaps the most enchanting of all Arab cities. The custodian of the world’s oldest university, Fez reached its zenith

Marrakesh charms every visitor with its exuberantly Andalusian madrasa and its breathtakingly intricate 16th century Saadian tombs. The town will

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be our base for an excursion into the snow-capped High Atlas, where the villages are strongly reminiscent of the settlements of the Alpujarra mountains of Andalucía.

Rabat is a captivating mélange of Moorish and European influences, and home to a wealth of monuments from the 12th to the 14th centuries, including the mosque and fortifications initiated by the great Almohad ruler Yacoub alMansour. The tower of this spectacularly sized mosque is similar in design to Seville’s Giralda.

We will also visit the walled citadel of the Chellah, an abandoned ancient port that was transformed in the 14th century into a burial ground for the Marinid dynasty, and which today forms one of Morocco’s most beautiful ruins. We will then enter the medina through the 17th century Andalusian walls, and walk to the Almohad citadel known as the Kasbah des Oudaias, with its impressive 12th century gate and enchanting Andalusian-style gardens.

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M O RO C C O

Ben Youssef Madrasa

As well as investigating Morocco’s bustling, labyrinthine medinas, we will unravel the mysteries of Volubilis, the capital of ancient Mauritania and one of the country’s most important ancient sites, with extensive remains dating from the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. ITINERARY

Please note that the following sample itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer.

An updated itinerary will be published on the ACE website when this tour goes on sale early in 2024.

Day 1 Flight from London Heathrow to Casablanca. Overnight in Casablanca.

Day 2 Casablanca: Art Deco architecture and Hassan II Mosque. Transfer to Rabat for two nights. Evening lecture.

Day 3 Morning visits in Rabat including walled citadel of Chellah (Roman town with 14th century burial ground for Marinid royals).

Afternoon: medina with 17th century Andalusian walls, Kasbah des Oudaias (Almohad citadel), Andalusian-style gardens. Evening lecture.

Day 4 Via Larache for ancient Lixus (site of legendary Garden of Hesperides) and Asilah (walled town with beautiful medina). Continue to Tangier for overnight.

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Tour Director Eireann Marshall writes: “At the heart of my passion for Moroccan history is the longevity of its history and its cultural mélange. At the heart of the country are the Amazigh, more often called Berbers, who inhabited the stunning Roman colonies, such as Volubilis, and who much later founded the vibrant cities of Marrakesh and Fez. Due to its proximity to Andalucia and to its involvement in the Reconquista, Morocco also has a strong Spanish and Jewish heritage.

It’s a country like no other.”

Day 5 Tangier: walled kasbah, Museum of Moroccan Arts (outstanding ceramics from Fez and Meknes), reputed tomb of Ibn Battuta.

Afternoon: depart for spectacularly sited mountain town of Chefchaouen for overnight stay.

Day 6 Morning visits in Chefchaouen: kasbah, medina (magnificent views of Rif Mountains).

Transfer to Fez for three nights. Evening lecture.

Day 7 Morning: Roman ruins of Volubilis (Mauritanian capital founded in 3rd century BC).

Afternoon: Meknes (ornate Bab el-Mansour gate, Bou Inania madrasa, Koubba, vast complex of barracks, granaries and stables built by Moulay Ismaïl).

Day 8 Fez: souks, madrasas and Andalusian Quarter. Afternoon: optional visit to the Jewish quarter in Fez el Jedid.

Day 9 Via Rabat and Casablanca to Marrakesh for three nights (approx six hour journey).

Evening lecture.

Day 10 Whole day in Marrakesh. Morning: Saadian tombs, Almohad gateway of Bab Agnaou, vast ruins of 16th century El Badi Palace, Museum of Moroccan Arts (housed in charming Dar Si Said Palace). Afternoon: Almohad tower of Koutoubia Mosque (exterior), souks, Koubba (main survival of Almoravid city).

Day 11 Morning excursion into the High Atlas Mountains. Afternoon: visit to the Majorelle Gardens and Yves Saint Laurent Museum.

Day 12 Flight from Marrakesh to Heathrow.

Full details, including the dates, updated itinerary and cost, will be released early in 2024. Please contact the ACE office now to register your interest.

TOUR CODE: MORO24

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O U R E X P E RT S

Our Experts View their full biographies and range of tours online at www.aceculturaltours.co.uk/tour-directors Tom Abbott Tom Abbott, BA, MA, is an independent art and architectural historian associated with the Foundation of Prussian Palaces and Gardens. He is a proficient lecturer and tour leader, with extensive experience directing cultural and art tours across Europe to destinations including Germany, France, Italy and Poland. His expertise ranges from the medieval to the current.

Sarah Burles Sarah Burles, MA, studied History of Art at Cambridge and gained a Masters at University College London before going on to a career in museum and gallery education. This included 12 years at the Fitzwilliam Museum as well as work in other Cambridge museums. An accredited Arts Society lecturer, Sarah has a passion for making museums and their collections accessible.

Cosmo Samuel Brockway Cosmo Samuel Brockway is a tour leader and award-winning author of Glorious Hotels of India (2019). He writes for leading publications on interiors, culture and design, including Architectural Digest, The World of Interiors and The Telegraph. Cosmo has led tours across the world, from India to Norway, and the Holy Land to the Greek island of Patmos. He is also well acquainted with many of the finest private country estates in England, Scotland and Ireland.

Sandy Burnett Sandy Burnett, MA, is a musician and broadcaster who spent over a decade as one of the core classical music presenters on BBC Radio 3, interviewing many of the world’s finest musicians. Sandy has conducted numerous orchestras and choirs, and has masterminded a complete cycle of J S Bach’s sacred cantatas.

Tom Abbott

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Cosmo Samuel Brockway

Sarah Burles

Sandy Burnett

Imogen Corrigan Imogen Corrigan, BA, MPhil, FRSA, spent nearly 20 years in the British Army and retired in the rank of Major before turning to a life-long interest in Anglo-Saxon and Medieval History, which she studied at the University of Kent. A proficient lecturer on medieval history and particularly church art and architecture, and accredited with the Arts Society, Imogen has also gained an MPhil from the University of Birmingham. Her book Stone on Stone: The Men Who Built the Cathedrals was published in 2019.

Rupert Dickens Rupert Dickens, BA, MA, studied art history at Birkbeck, University of London before gaining a Masters degree in Dutch Golden Age Studies at University College London.

Previously a BBC television and radio journalist for more than 20 years, Rupert has been visiting and working in the Netherlands and Belgium since the 1980s. He now works as a guide lecturer at the Wallace Collection and is an Arts Society accredited lecturer.

Imogen Corrigan

Rupert Dickens

aceculturaltours.co.uk

O U R E X P E RT S

Hugh Doherty Hugh Doherty, DPhil, is a Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of East Anglia in Norwich. He studied at King’s College London before gaining his MPhil at the University of Cambridge and DPhil at the University of Oxford, and is an experienced lecturer. Hugh is a medievalist with broad historical interests, teaching classical and medieval history and publishing on knights and castles.

Michael Downes Michael Downes, MA, MPhil, DPhil, is a conductor, writer and lecturer who studied at King’s College, Cambridge and the University of Sussex. Following two years as Director of Music at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, Michael has occupied the same post at the University of St Andrews since 2008. He has a particular interest in Elgar and has conducted all of the composer’s largest choral works with the St Andrews Chorus, Scotland’s largest choral society, for which he is musical director.

Michael Downes

Suzanne Fagence Cooper

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Suzanne Fagence Cooper Suzanne Fagence Cooper, MA, PhD, is a curator and historian who specialises in 19th and 20th century British art.

An Arts Society accredited lecturer, she was a curator and Research Fellow at the V&A Museum for 12 years and has collaborated with many of Britain’s regional museum collections. She is the author of To See Clearly: Why Ruskin Matters (2019), and curated the 2019 exhibition Turner, Ruskin & the Storm Cloud at York Art Gallery.

Oliver Gerrish Oliver Gerrish, MSt, is an architectural historian who studied at the University of Cambridge. He is a trustee of the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust as well as founder of their Architecture Awards. Oliver has written for Country Life, appeared in a number of BBC and ITV television series on architecture, and organised and led numerous tours to many of Britain’s historical buildings.

Paul Jackson Paul Jackson, BA, MA, PGCE, is a conductor, pianist and musicologist and former Director of Music at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. Paul has enjoyed an extensive career as a conductor of opera and as a chamber musician, performing widely in the UK, Europe and America.

Oliver Gerrish

Paul Jackson

Russell Keable Russell Keable, BA, MMus, trained at the universities of Nottingham and London and studied conducting with George Hurst and Norman Dael Mar at London’s Royal College of Music.

He currently teaches at the University of Surrey and is active as a composer, arranger, lecturer, broadcaster and performer.

Marie-Anne Mancio Marie-Anne Mancio, MPhil, DPhil, is an art historian, writer, experienced tour leader and Arts Society accredited lecturer. Marie-Anne originally trained as an artist before gaining a DPhil at the University of Sussex in art and critical theory. She has written and presented courses for Tate and Dulwich Picture Gallery; writes reviews, catalogue essays and historical fiction; and is a frequent visitor to Italy.

Eireann Marshall Dr Eireann Marshall is an expert in the ancient world, who was raised in the Veneto and educated at Barnard College, Columbia University, as well as the universities of Birmingham and Exeter. She is a Research Associate and Associate Lecturer with the Open University, as well as an experienced tour leader.

Russell Keable

Eireann Marshall

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O U R E X P E RT S

Steve Mastin Steve Mastin, MA, PGCE, FHA, studied history and classics before working as a school teacher for 17 years. During this time he organised and led many trips abroad, and has also worked overseas training history teachers in Singapore, Australia and Kazakhstan. Steve is a regular speaker at history conferences.

Donald Maxwell Donald Maxwell is an operatic baritone, director and lecturer.

He performs with leading opera companies all over the world, including La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera.

He appeared as Alcindoro in La bohème at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Donald was also Director of the National Opera Studio and Head of Opera Studies at the Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Evelyn Silber Evelyn Silber, MA, PhD, FMA, FSA, is an art historian and former Director of Leeds Museums and Galleries and the Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow. She has written extensively on modernist sculpture in Britain and currently works in the conservation, presentation and marketing of Scottish heritage.

Steve Mastin

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Donald Maxwell

Ashley Solomon Ashley Solomon, HonRCM, ARAM, is Chair and Head of Historical Performance at the Royal College of Music and Director of Baroque ensemble Florilegium. As a result of his commitment to editing and performing music from the Mission Churches of Chiquitos and Moxos Indians in Bolivia, Ashley was the first European to be awarded the coveted Hans Roth Prize in 2008.

Lars Tharp Lars Tharp, MA, FSA, Hon DLitt, is a Danish-born art historian, lecturer and broadcaster who has worked on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow as well as Hidden Treasures and Art of the Baroque. A former Director of the Foundling Museum, Lars is a ceramics specialist who has curated or overseen exhibitions at York Art Gallery and the Foundling Museum. Lars’s publications include Hogarth’s China.

Andrew Spira Andrew Spira, MA, studied at the Courtauld Institute of Art and City University, London. For several years he was a specialist in Byzantine and Russian icons at the Temple Gallery, London, before working as a curator at the V&A Museum. Andrew was subsequently Programme Director at Christie’s Education, and has been leading tours across Europe for over 20 years.

Nicholas Wearne Nicholas Wearne, BA, MPhil, is a former ACE Bursary student, who currently holds the position of Senior Tutor at Birmingham Conservatoire.

His career as a solo organist has taken him all over the world, and he is a previous winner of the Poul Ruders Prize at the Odense International Organ Competition. Nicholas has also held the prestigious position of organist at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square.

Evelyn Silber

Lars Tharp

Andrew Spira

Nicholas Wearne

aceculturaltours.co.uk

B O O K I N G P RO C E D U R E A N D C O N D I T I O N S

Booking Conditions Please complete the booking form and return it with the deposit required. Alternatively, you can either book online or by telephone.

Upon receipt of your deposit we will send you a confirmation/invoice with, in most cases, a reading list. An itinerary, practical information and travel documents (if applicable) will be sent to you three weeks before the commencement of the tour.

INTRODUCTION ACE Cultural Tours meets or exceeds all the requirements of the Package Travel Regulations 2018, full details of which can be found online at: www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/634/contents/ made In addition, flight-inclusive tours benefit from the financial protection afforded by our Air Travel Organiser’s License (ATOL 10204), whilst UK and other tours without flights are protected through the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT). We are also long-term members of the Association of Independent Tours Operators (AITO). For your own safety and financial security we do not recommend you book a holiday that does not benefit from the above protection.

The Package Travel Regulations 2018 together with the following booking information and our promotional material form the basis of your contract with ACE Cultural Tours. We have tried to keep this as concise and simple as possible, so please read all the following paragraphs to make sure you understand and are happy with the terms of your booking.

PAYMENT If you are booking 10 weeks or more before departure, the following deposits are payable at the time of booking: £300 per person for UK tours. £400 per person for all European tours. £550 per person for Worldwide tours. £500 per person for all cruises.* The balance must be received by us not less than 10 weeks prior to departure. This date will be shown on the confirmation invoice. We do send an email reminder but ask that you also make a note of the date in your diary.

If you are booking less than 10 weeks before departure, full payment for all tours must be made at the time of booking. *In addition to the deposit at the time of booking all cruises require a further payment of £500 six months prior to sailing.

NO SURCHARGES Tour prices are confirmed at the time of booking and thereafter will not be subject to any surcharge. We have forward purchase of currency and other precautions in order to guarantee your holiday is not affected by fluctuations in fuel or currency rates. In the event of extraordinary circumstances making the tour unviable we would offer you a full refund or credit note or an alternative tour.

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CANCELLATION BY YOU You may cancel your booking at any time before departure. Notice of cancellation must be in writing and because we incur costs from the time we confirm your booking, the following charges will apply (for which we suggest you purchase appropriate insurance):

Period before departure within which written notification of cancellation is received by us Cancellation charge

70 days or more

Deposit only

69-29 days

60% of total booking value

28-15 days

90% of total booking value

14 days or less

100% of total booking value

significant changes to the itinerary in advance of departure, we will provide you with a choice of a refund, credit note or an alternative itinerary.

ACCOMMODATION Accommodation in hotels is in twin/double bedded rooms, the majority of which have private bath/ shower and toilet.

On cruise ships, accommodation is in cabins with shower and toilet only.

Single rooms: As a general rule, we aim to provide our solo travellers with double/twin rooms for sole use. However, this is not possible on all tour departures, and occasionally, despite a supplement being payable, only single rooms may be available, and such accommodation may not meet exactly the same standard as double/twin accommodation or be located in the same area of the hotel.

ACE Cultural Tours very much welcomes single travellers and we make no profit from single room supplements. The costs are simply down to the economics of running a hotel.

CANCELLATION BY YOU DUE TO COVID-19 Please note that if you are personally prevented from travelling as a result of COVID-19 our normal cancellation charges will apply. For this reason we highly recommend that you take out travel insurance at the time of booking that specifically includes cover in the event that you are personally unable to travel. In addition you should have insurance to cover additional accommodation/transport/repatriation costs incurred due to local/national quarantine requirements.

Porterage is included on overseas tours where available.

CANCELLATION BY US We reserve the right to cancel your booking if there are insufficient bookings on your tour (this will depend on tour type and destination) or for other unforeseen operational reasons. In such an event, we will provide you with at least 70 days’ notice of cancellation and provide you with a full refund.

We will always aim to provide you with the name of your likely airline and flight times when you make a booking. However, flight schedules are set by the airlines and outside our control. We therefore reserve the right to change the actual carrier and flight times for your tour.

Very occasionally, due to extraordinary circumstances in the immediate vicinity of the destination, it may be necessary to cancel the tour with less than 70 days’ notice, in which case we will likewise provide you with a full refund.

Note that in either situation we cannot reimburse any incidental expenses you may have incurred (for example, train fares, additional accommodation or connecting flights). If you are buying your own flights, please liaise with the office before committing to significant expenditure.

CANCELLATION BY US DUE TO COVID-19 We also wish to reassure all our customers that if it is not possible for us to proceed with a tour due to COVID-19, we will transfer your booking to a future tour of your choice, provide a refund credit note or offer you a full refund.

CHANGES BY US We do our utmost to ensure that all the arrangements and visits are as described. However, it is in the nature of travel that changes are sometimes inevitable, although most of these will be minor in nature. In the event that a particular visit is not possible, we will aim to replace it with another of equal interest. If we have to make more

FLIGHTS & TICKETS Specific instructions relating to the departure and travel arrangements will be sent with your air and/or other travel tickets approximately 2 weeks before departure. It is essential that you check your tickets carefully immediately upon receipt to ensure you have the correct flight times.

Occasionally carriers will make late changes to departure times but we will contact you as soon as possible if this occurs.

In accordance with the regulations, we are required to bring your attention to the Community List of air carriers subject to an operating ban within the UK & EU: https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/ eu-air-safety-list_en HEALTH & SAFETY We operate a safety audit system and work hard with our suppliers to ensure the safety and comfort of our travellers. However, please note that some of the destinations to which we travel have lower requirements and standards than those of the UK. It is therefore essential that you follow any instructions and guidance provided by your tour manager or director.

FITNESS The majority of ACE Cultural Tours are active in nature and, to make the most of our time in a destination and provide excellent value for money, they are busy with visits every day. As such, they require a certain minimum level of mobility, physical and mental fitness, and stamina.

Our visits may involve navigating several steps, uneven ground, steep ascents and descents, and embarking and disembarking aircraft, coaches, trains, cruise vessels and even Zodiac dinghies.

Plenty of walking, punctuated by lengthy periods of standing, is the norm, and some tours may involve long coach journeys. All customers must be fit

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B O O K I N G P RO C E D U R E A N D C O N D I T I O N S and able enough to fully participate. Furthermore, every tour comprises a group of guests. We cannot allow the entire group to be negatively impacted by one participant, either holding up the pace we reasonably need to maintain or disproportionately requiring the attention and support of the tour staff.

We carefully consider the intensity, fitness and other requirements of each itinerary and describe them on the tour pages of our brochures and website. Please study these descriptions closely.

When you call to book, we will reiterate those requirements and ask you to confirm that all group members are indeed fit enough and otherwise able to meet the criteria. It is your responsibility to answer fully and honestly. If it transpires that you are not able to keep pace with the tour and/or it reasonably appears you are negatively impacting (or are reasonably likely to negatively impact) the enjoyment of the rest of the group (including their ability to complete all scheduled visits), we may ask you to sit out certain days/visits, take a taxi at your own expense (if available in the location), or even, if we consider there is no other reasonable alternative, ask you to leave the tour and make your own way home.

As a minimum, participants should be able to successfully complete the following selfassessment tests: • Walk for one hour at a reasonable pace and without needing to take a break to rest • Climb at least two flights of stairs at a reasonable pace • Stand unaided for one hour • Stand up and sit down ten times in one minute • Carry or otherwise move your own luggage If you have a medical condition, disability or restriction on your mobility (whether age related or not) which requires special arrangements or adjustments, please provide us with all relevant information and discuss this with us prior to booking. If we do not feel that we can reasonably accommodate your needs and restrictions, we reserve the right to decline your booking. If you have a medical condition, disability or restriction (from whatever cause) which develops or becomes worse after booking your tour and before travelling, please let us know as early as possible so that we can discuss the situation including any new requirements. In certain such circumstances, we reserve the right to cancel your booking if we reasonably feel unable to accommodate your requirements or limitations.

DIETARY AND SPECIAL REQUESTS Please advise us at the time of booking of any food allergies or special dietary requirements you may have for medical or religious reasons and we will do our very best to assist. Please note, it is important that you distinguish between food allergies and other dietary requirements which have or are likely to have medical consequences if they are not met and food or dietary preferences. It is your responsibility to ensure that requirements which have (or are likely to have) medical consequences if not met are clearly communicated in writing as such. We are entitled to assume that failure to meet a request will not have medical consequences if the risk / likelihood of medical consequences is not made specifically clear in writing at the time the request is made. We may ask for independent verification of the medical consequences where we consider it appropriate to do so.

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We are happy to cater for vegetarians or pescatarians. It is not, however, possible to offer extensive choices at every meal to cater for food preferences or requirements as many of our menu selections are fixed. Inclusion of the dietary or special request on your booking confirmation or any other documentation is not a guarantee that the request will be met. Food / dietary related requirements which have a medical consequence if not met must be discussed and specifically agreed with us at the time of booking to ensure we fully understand and can meet these requirements.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS Whilst we will provide details of any compulsory health requirements applicable to British citizens for your tour, it is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of all recommended vaccinations and health precautions in good time before departure. Please check with a doctor or clinic not less than ten weeks prior to departure to ensure that you have met the necessary requirements and have the applicable information.The following website may also be helpful: travelhealthpro.org.uk For tours in the EU/EEA you should obtain an GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) prior to departure from https://services.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/cra/ start. Please note that an GHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance.

You must be in possession of all necessary travel and health documents before departure (and pay for any related costs). We regret that we cannot accept any liability if you incur fees or are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry all required documentation.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS OR DISABILITY We aim to provide authentic cultural experiences and to provide excellent value for money. As a result, the majority of itineraries are quite intensive and can be tiring. They may involve a significant amount of walking, uneven surfaces at outdoor sites or in historic buildings, long journeys, and uncomfortable climatic conditions which might exacerbate existing medical or mobility issues.

Destinations include many countries with lower standards of health and safety than the UK and limited adaptations for people with reduced mobility. Some destinations do not (and cannot reasonably be expected to) provide emergency and/or health care to the standard that travellers with mobility and/or health conditions may require in the event of any form of incident or emergency.

For the above reasons, our holidays may not be suitable for people with certain disabilities, medical conditions or significantly reduced mobility.

If you suffer from any medical condition, disability or reduced mobility (including any which affect the booking process) or have any special requirements as a result, please tell us before making your booking so that we can assist you in considering the suitability of the arrangements and in order that we can assess the potential risks to your welfare and health and safety.

If we feel that we cannot reasonably accommodate your needs, we reserve the right to decline your booking or, if full details are not given at the time of booking or the condition of disability develops after booking, cancel when we become aware of these details. When we refer to reduced mobility, this means any material reduction in mobility whether this is permanent or temporary and whether caused by age or by physical or mental disability or impairment or other cause of disability.

INSURANCE We consider comprehensive travel insurance essential for all tours (UK and abroad), including cover for medical expenses, infectious diseases including Covid, quarantine, repatriation and personal liability, as well as cancelled, delayed and missed departure and loss or damage to personal possessions. Whilst accidental damage is a rare occurrence, your insurance should also cover any damage or loss caused by you and cover any resultant claims made against you or us. For overseas tours, you must give us details in writing of your insurance, preferably on your booking form but in any case no later than before the departure date of your tour. If you fail to do so, we reserve the right to cancel your booking.

We recommend that insurance premiums are paid as soon as you receive your booking confirmation as cover (in particular cancellation cover) will not be effective until you have done so. Please read your policy details carefully and take them with you on holiday. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is suitable and adequate for your particular needs.

We cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of this contract, for example, any additional services or facilities that you agree directly with a local hotel or other supplier. Please make sure you have adequate insurance to cover such services and the acts of other third parties.

CONSIDERATION FOR FELLOW TRAVELLERS One of the great pleasures of ACE tours is meeting other people with shared interests and making new friends. This has always depended on mutual consideration for your fellow travellers.

We therefore reserve the right that in the unlikely event you cause danger, upset or distress to any third party, we are entitled, without prior notice, to terminate your tour without liability for any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.

PASSPORTS & VISAS Whilst we will provide guidance for each individual tour and help where we can, your specific passport, visa and other immigration requirements are your responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant embassy or consulate.

In particular, if you are not a British Citizen or hold a non-British passport, you must check the requirements for all countries to or through which you are intending to travel. Requirements may change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure.

For some tours and destinations we will require a copy of the picture page of your passport.

ISSUES If you are unhappy with any element of your tour or the arrangements, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can attempt to resolve the issue. If you are on tour you should speak directly to your tour manager or tour director and not wait until you return home, when it may be impossible for us to help. In the unlikely event that we cannot agree on a satisfactory outcome between us, we will ask AITO’s Independent Dispute Settlement Service to find an amicable solution.

Our contract with you is subject to English law (and no other) and the jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales only.

aceculturaltours.co.uk

ACE CULTURAL TOURS

ACE CULTURAL TOURS Stapleford Granary Bury Road Stapleford 01223 841055 CAMBRIDGE ace@aceculturaltours.co.uk CB22 5BP www.aceculturaltours.co.uk