Download the minoan civilization was

AThENS • mYcENAE
“
the
minoan civilization was
TAlENTEd, cUlTIVATEd ANd EXTrEmElY rIch
”
mONEmVASíA • KNOSSOS
crETE • SYrAcUSE • mAlTA
TrApANI • SEGESTA
JOHN JULIUS NORWICH
pAlErmO • mONrEAlE
ATHENS TO ROME – A MEDITERRANEAN SPRING VOYAGE
FROM MINOAN CRETE TO THE TREASURES OF BYZANTINE SICILY
This
journey to Athens, Crete, Malta and
Sicily not only offers you the opportunity to
visit some of the greatest sites of antiquity
but also the possibility to enjoy some much
needed spring sunshine. The usually good
weather points to the importance that climate
played in the development of the great classical
civilizations: the short, mild winters and long,
warm summers created the perfect conditions
for these remarkable societies to thrive.
Springtime in Greece is truly wonderful:
the wild flowers are starting to bloom, the
temperatures are warming up and the crowds
have not yet descended on the major sites.
This is the perfect time to explore the
treasures of classical Athens including, of
course, the Acropolis and the Acropolis
Museum. The countryside surrounding the
ancient city of Mycenae and the Byzantine
churches of Monemvasía will be coming
to life adding to the splendor of these
remarkable places. The relative lack of crowds
will be a real bonus for those who take the
option of visiting the magnificent
theater at Epidaurus.
As your journey continues to Crete and
Malta, you will see the remains of two early
civilizations: the Minoan Palace at Knossos
dating from the second millennia BC and the
even earlier Megalithic Tombs of Malta
(c.5000BC). It is your final destination before
returning home, however, that demonstrates
the importance of environmental and
geographical factors on the development of
Mediterranean civilization.
With its benevolent climate and superb
strategic position, Sicily has been coveted,
fought over and colonized. The Phoenicians,
Athenians, Romans, Arabs, Normans,
Byzantines and Bourbons have all made
their mark on this astonishing island. The
architectural and artistic legacies of these great
civilizations have left Sicily with a number
of unique buildings and archaeological
sites. Sicily is a celebration of the greatest
achievements of western civilization: the
superbly well-preserved Greek temples of
Segesta, the Norman Royal Palace and
Palatine Chapel in Palermo and the dazzling
mosaics of Monreale Cathedral.
Civitavecchia
ITALY
Trapani
GREECE
Palermo
SICILY Syracuse
Valle!a
MALTA
15 dAYS frOm
Athens
Nauplia
Monemvasía
Rethimnon
Mycenæ
Mediterranean
Sea
$3,795 pEr pErSON*
INclUdING 2-NIGhT prE-crUISE
hOTEl STAY IN AThENS
departing march 18, 2012
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CRETE Heraklion
* For full cruise fares, please see pages 100, 101
VOYAGE ITINErArY
day 1 depart usa
day 2 athens, GrEEcE
Arrive in Athens and transfer to hotel.
dAY 3 athens
A full-morning’s guided tour of
the ancient citadel of Athens, the
Acropolis. Built during the “Golden
Age” of Athens between 447-438BC
under the orders of the great statesman Pericles, the Acropolis represents
the magnificent achievements of
Athenian culture during this era.
You will also visit the recently opened
Acropolis Museum. After lunch you
are free to relax or continue exploring
the city.
dAY 4 athens/piraeus
Minoan Palace of Knossos, Crete
malta and the riddle oF the tombs
There is very little known about the origins of Malta’s unique Hypogeum
(underground temple complex) and megalithic tombs. The Hypogeum,
discovered in 1902, has a labyrinth of corridors and chambers on three
levels that were cut from the soft limestone about 5,000 years ago. It
is believed to have been a place of worship and a burial chamber (the
remains of over 7,000 bodies have been found). Another mystery is the
construction of the two other ancient temple sites of Hagar Qim and
Mnajdra: some of the standing stones here are so large that archaeologists
are baffled as to how they were raised upright.
After spending a morning in
Athens when you are free to visit the
marvellous National Archaeological
Museum, the ancient Agora and the
magnificent Hephaisteion or simply
wander through the streets of the
bustling Plaka district, you check out
of your hotel and transfer to the port
of Piraeus to board Aegean Odyssey.
Nightime departure for Nauplia.
dAY 5 nauplia/mycenae/
epidaurus
Anchor off the port of Nauplia in
time for breakfast. The morning will
be dedicated to exploring the great
Mycenaean culture that flourished in
this area, known as the Argolid plain,
between 1600-1300BC. At its heart is
the ancient city of Mycenae, reputedly
the capital of Agamemnon and the
“well-built citadel” of Homer’s Iliad.
In the afternoon there is the option to
visit Epidaurus, sacred to Asclepios,
the god of medicine, and the site of
the best preserved of all ancient
Greek theaters. Or you may choose to
visit the elegant town of Nauplia
where you will find an excellent
Archaeological Museum, housed
in the impressive former Venetian
arsenal. Return to Aegean Odyssey for
a night-time sailing to Monemvasía.
day 6 monemvasía
A massive rock rising from the sea
and joined to the mainland by a
causeway built in the 6th century, it
is easy to see how Monemvasía got
its nickname “the Gibraltar of Greece.”
The morning will be spent on a walking
tour of the lower town, which includes
the 13th- century Christós Elkómenos
cathedral with its Venetian belfry. In the
afternoon, for those who feel energetic,
there is a path leading to the upper
town to see the Byzantine church of
Agia Sofia. Alternatively you can choose
to take a full-day optional excursion to
the remains of ancient Sparta and the
glorious array of Byzantine monuments
in the UNESCO World Heritage town
of Mystras. Late evening departure
for Crete.
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dAY 12 trapani/segesta, sicily
Valletta, Malta
day 7 heraklion, crete
day 10 syracuse, sicily
dAY 13 palermo
The heyday of Minoan civilization
(2000-1600BC) was marked by the
construction of great palaces, the best
known of which is Knossos. Excavations
were begun in 1899 by the British
archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, who
controversially “restored” the palace
with his own eccentric ideas of
Minoan interior design. The morning
is dedicated to the Minoan site of
Knossos. After lunch, you are free
to visit Heraklion’s other treasures
including the church of Agios Markos,
built by the Venetians in 1239.
Overnight sail to Rethimnon.
The Greek theater in Syracuse is one
of the best examples of ancient theater
architecture anywhere and is one
of the sites we will be visiting this
morning. Before lunch, you will also
be guided around the wonderful
Archaeological Museum. The afternoon
will be spent on the island of Ortygia,
the picturesque original heart of
Syracuse. Here you will see the ruins
of the Temple of Apollo, the cathedral
which has been built on to an original
Greek temple, and the fortifications of
the Castello Eurialo built by the Greeks
in 402BC to defend Syracuse. Late
evening departure for Valletta, Malta.
This morning, there is a tour of the
Norman Royal Palace and the Palatine
Chapel, the perfect illustration of that
miraculous Norman combination of
Latin, Byzantine and Arab culture.
Close by is San Giovanni degli Eremiti, a
Norman church decorated with Arabic
domes and an exquisite Romanesque
cloister. A short walk will take you to
Palermo Cathedral and the tremendous
porphyry tombs of Roger II, his daughter
Constance, his son-in-law the Emperor
Henry VI and his grandson the Emperor
Frederick II. An afternoon at leisure to
relax on board or continue your visit to
the sites of Palermo. Overnight Palermo.
day 8 rethimnon/chaniÁ
The morning will be spent visiting
the well-preserved Venetian and
Ottoman architecture in Rethimnon.
In the afternoon, there is an option
to see the beautiful town of Chaniá,
one of the main Venetian strongholds
on Crete. Return to the ship for the
sail to Syracuse, Sicily.
day 9 at sea
A chance to relax and enjoy the
program of lectures as you make
your way to Syracuse in Sicily.
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Arrive at the port of Trapani at
lunchtime and in the afternoon you
will visit the ancient Greek city of
Segesta with its majestic 36-columned,
5th-century BC temple and stunning
Greek theater. Evening departure
for Palermo.
day 11 valletta, malta
dAY 14 palermo
The capital city of Malta, Valletta
was founded by the Knights of St John
in 1566. The morning will be spent
touring the city including the Baroque
St John’s Co-Cathedral (which houses
Caravaggio’s masterpiece The Beheading
of St John) and the magnificent Palace
of the Grand Masters. A little way
outside Valletta is Malta’s ancient
capital, Mdina. A trip to this enchanting
medieval town is another highlight of
this morning’s tour. In the afternoon
you are free to continue exploring
fascinating and beautiful Valletta.
Evening sail to Trapani, Sicily.
After breakfast, you will travel the
small distance out of Palermo to
experience the beauty and grace of
Monreale Cathedral, with its glorious
12th-century mosaics covering over
11/2 acres of wall space and its cloister,
perhaps the most magnificent in the
world. Lunchtime departure for
Civitavecchia.
dAY 15 fly home
Transfer to Rome Airport for the
flight home.
archimedes oF syracuse (c287-212bc)
Among the many inventions of
the great Greek polymath was a
fearsome weapon known as the
“Claw of Archimedes”. Designed
to defend the city of Syracuse,
the claw or “ship shaker” as it
was also known, comprised a
crane-like arm from which was
suspended a metal grappling
hook. This device would fall upon
enemy ships and lift them out
of the water. However, even this
archaic weapon of mass destruction was not enough to
defeat the Romans when they besieged the city in 214212BC and when Syracuse fell, Archimedes was slain by
an enemy soldier despite the orders of the Roman
general Marcellus to spare his life.
ITINERARY INSPIRATIONS
GUEST SPEAKER TOPICS INCLUDE:
GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE: THE ENVIRONMENT
AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CLASSICAL
CIVILIZATIONS
THE FIRST SOCIETIES: THE MINOANS AND THE EARLY
HISTORY OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
TRADING PLACES: HOW COMMERCE SHAPED
THE CLASSICAL WORLD
Palatine Chapel, Royal Palace, Palermo
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