26th
ISGF
AISG
MASCI
ISGF WORLD CONFERENCE 2011
26 September – 2 October 2011
Villa Olmo – Como - Italy
FRIDAY TOURS
TOUR A) - M I L A N
The young writer Micol Arianna Beltramini says that a tourist who is sightseeing
Milan should cover at least 101 different itineraries and routes so as to essay the real face of
the city and to be conquered by its secret fascination.
Of course, it is impossible to follow her suggestion in a few hours only, so we will
take you to the most famous places, saving the others for future tours in Lombardy. Milan is
the industrial and financial capital of Italy; currently it has 1,300,000 inhabitants
approximately.
Its centre is the Cathedral, whose erection started in 1386 and was performed four
centuries later. The huge work was commissioned by Gian Galeazzo Visconti who gathered
architects and sculptors even from France and Germany: they gave the Cathedral its lategothic style. The visit to the interior of the church is of the utmost importance. There are 52
colossal columns, aisles, majestic stained-glass windows. Under the Cathedral a
picturesque archaeological area is stretching with an early Christian baptistery built in 386.
We can reach the church top by a lift so as to admire a spectacular view and, the weather
being fine, we can watch the skyline of the Prealps and Alps..
Through the Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery, which is the elegant and beloved city
lounge, we can reach the Scala Square and the Scala Theatre, the international shrine of the
lyric drama.
A further stop is planned at Sforzesco Castle, whose building started in 1450 ordered
by Francesco Sforza. Leonardo and Bramante were summoned between 1494 and 1450 in
order to decorate its numerous halls. Under the Spanish rules, imposing bastions were built
so as to create a solid stronghold. The Castle museums are some of the major exhibition
areas in Europe.
Then we will reach Santa Maria delle Grazie, a late gothic-Renaissance block built
between 1446 and 1490, where the Last Dinner by Leonardo da Vinci can be admired. This
work of art was requested by Ludovico Sforza and this fresco was spared, almost by
miracle, and kept standing up under the bombing of the second world war. It was submitted
to restoration during 22 years, so today we can newly watch this masterpiece, that is a
matter of mysteries and legends still causing wide-ranging discussions.
TOUR B) – THE LAKE OF COMO
We will leave on a boat from the central Cavour Square. Our first stop is Bellagio,
the jewel of Lario, dominating the two branches of the lake from a favourable position.
Laying at the bottom of a woody hummock, Bellagio boasts a historical centre that is
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maintaining an almost unharmed medieval structure and many aristocratic villas. Villa
Melzi and its beautiful gardens require an urgent visit.
Going northwards we will reach Colico; from there, a short walk will take us to the
National School Camp of AGESCI (the Italian Fellowship of young scouts and girls). The
estate belongs to the Osio family and it is run by AGESCI through the Baden Foundation of
Milan.
In July 1945, at the end of the second world war and Fascism, the scouting
movement was reborn in Italy after seventeen years of clandestineness so Colico became,
par excellence, a training centre where the future scout chiefs gathering from all over Italy
can now live the experience of a school camp in an unpolluted place.
In the afternoon we will sail again on the boat and will head to Gravedona, visiting
the Gallio Palace and the 15th century church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Still on boat we
will go back to Como.
TOUR C) – C O M O
For those who wish to get acquainted with the hosting town, we would suggest a
special tour of Como. This town was settled in remote times but it became an important and
strategic place only after the Roman colonization. At present it has 80,000 inhabitants
approximately. It is a hard-working town whose economy is mostly based on the commerce
and the industry and it is largely renowned for the production of the silk.
While visiting the town we will discover the Cathedral (1396/1740) boasting its
façade built in 1455 and the numerous works of art inside. Next to the Cathedral there is the
Broletto, the ancient municipal palace built in 1215 and altered in 1477.
Among the Medieval towers of the town, conspicuous is the Porta Torre, erected in
1192. The Church of Sant’Abbondio, patron saint of Como, is an outstanding example of
the Romanesque constructions. It was established by the Benedictines in 1013; there are five
aisles and it shows the characteristic feature of two bell-towers.
The Basilica of San Fedele stands on the spot of an early Christian church of the
5th/6th century and presents remarkable external apses and a portal.
The San Fedele square nearby is a pedestrian area where we can note a few
Renaissance houses (15th/16th century).
We cannot miss a visit to the Terragni Palace, a former Fascio’s building, that was
accomplished by Terragni between 1932 and 1936. It is considered a milestone of the
modern architecture, a superb example of the nationalistic architecture.
We will also pay a visit to the Volta’s temple, built in 1927 in a neoclassical style: it
hosts the Alessandro Volta’s memorabilia, among which the famous “pile”.
Finally, the cableway will take us to Brunate in a couple of minutes; at 715 metres of
altitude. Brunate became a celebrated holiday resort in the 19th and early 20th centuries
thanks to its startling view of the town and the lake. It is also a starting point for lots of
excursions up on the mountains on the back.
TOUR D) – T U R I N
Turin is the capital of the Piedmont Region, bordering on France. It was born as the
main place of a Ligurian tribe, and later it became a Roman outpost. The Savoys, an ancient
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Italian-French dynasty, made it their capital town in 1574 and Turin’s monumental
“grandeur” began to rival with Paris and Wien.
Turin wove the history of Piedmont and, for a certain period, of Italy as well. In the
20th century big businesses, like FIAT founded in 1899, set off a changeover and
transformed the town into an industrial pole for the growth of the whole Country.
The city centre shows its baroque architecture, among the finest in the world, and has
been restored to its original splendour after a long and thorough refurbishment.
On the occasion of the Winter Olympic Games of 2006, the town has been
embellished with updated sports facilities, services and the new underground.
Rich in parks, large squares, porticos, Turin is renowned for its historical coffee
houses and confectioner’s shops, where we can taste incomparable pralines and
“gianduiotti” (soft nut chocolate).
A delicacy we cannot miss is the bitter-sweet “bicerin” together with coffee,
chocolate and whipped cream. We are also suggesting to pay a visit to the Egyptian
Museum that can easily compare to those of London and Cairo for its riches and plenty of
pieces.
A second visit will be paid to the royal palace of Venarìa Reale, 10 km. far from
Turin: it was built in 1660 as a hunting palace for Carlo Emanuale II. In 2007, submitted to
a long restoration, it was re-opened to visitors together with the great Parco della Mandria.
TOUR E) – COURMAYEUR (AOSTA VALLEY)
Courmayeur is the last Italian town before we get into the Mont Blanc tunnel and the
French border. It is especially well-known as a ski resort, a peculiar place for Summer
excursions on the lower valleys as well as for its extraordinary cableway rise on the Mont
Blanc massif, 4810 mts, the roof of Europe.
And you will be taken just up there.
Since 1965 the town has been connected to Chamonix, in France, through the famous
tunnel. In addition to skiing and other Winter sports, lots of further inviting occasions are
linked to the Summer excursions, favoured by the cableways.
The most spectacular route is on the Mont Blanc massif, a 90-minute-walk, split up
in five stages, that can be covered only in Summer, weather permitting. It is the longest
cableway trip in the world but the views we can enjoy from up there are really exciting and
rewarding. We are suggesting the first stage, within everybody’s reach, that climbs up to the
Pavillon du Mont Frety (mts. 2178): the Alpine Botanic Garden at the highest altitude in
Europe is there.
The journey by coach from Como will last 2½ hours approximately. It’s advisable to
take a wind-cheater with you.
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