An Italian Adventure aboard Star Clipper

Rome, Italy, the Eternal City, is a stunning blend of ancient history and vibrant modern life. Iconic landmarks like the Colosseum, Vatican City, and the Pantheon showcase its glorious past. Cobblestone streets lead to charming piazzas, bustling markets, and world-renowned museums. Rome’s culinary scene delights with traditional Italian cuisine and lively cafes. The city’s rich culture, impressive architecture, and warm, welcoming atmosphere make it an unforgettable destination for travellers.

Assisi & Perugia – This morning we’ll visit Assisi, an elegant hill town dominated by the vast Basilica of St Francis complex, which includes a Franciscan monastery and two churches. Sitting on the green hillside with the town climbing ever higher behind it, this UNESCO World Heritage site attracts pilgrims from around the world.

As we wander the flower-hung streets with our local guide, we’ll learn how St Francis came to be so highly revered in Italy, from his early life as the spoilt son of a silk merchant, to his renouncement of riches and founding of the Franciscan Order of monks. Built as a shrine to St Francis in 1228, two years after his death, the exterior of the basilica and friary complex is befittingly austere. Inside, however, is a different matter, with both the upper and lower basilicas adorned with colourful frescos, including a series attributed to the famous Florentine painter, Giotto.

The simple-living St Francis rests in the crypt below the basilica, together with his friend, benefactor and follower, Jacoba of Settesoli, who is said to have fed him his favourite almond treats on his deathbed.

We’ll have some free time to explore the old-world town centre with its shuttered stone houses, ‘hole-in-the-wall’ shops and tiny family-run cafes – the silky ‘strangozzi’ pasta with rich, earthy black truffles is a must-try! A varied collection of churches and cathedrals dot the piazzas, while two medieval castles, Rocca Maggiore and Rocca Minore, jostle for dominance on the skyline.

This afternoon, we’ll continue to the bustling university city of Perugia, which uses an escalator system to connect the lower town to the historical core above. A wander along the Corso Pietro Vannucci is a treat for the senses, as its traffic-free status allows the subtler sounds and smells of local life to come through – the clink of china as cups are set out for coffee and the friendly chatter of Italians passing the time.

This wide avenue leads up past a mix of shiny designer boutiques and tiny timeworn shops to the Piazza IV Novembre – the centrepiece of the city. This flagstone square boasts the gothic San Lorenzo cathedral, the imposing 13th-century Palazzo dei Priori and the intricately carved Maggiore fountain. Fanning out from the square is a jumble of narrow alleyways lined with crumbling buildings in shades of peach, ochre, russet and cream, providing plenty of places to people-watch over a local craft beer, a chilled glass of Orvieto Classico or a creamy gelato.

From the Piazza Italia you could take an escalator down to the atmospheric streets of medieval Perugia, an underground world hidden within the 16th-century Rocca Paolina fortress. You can also enter the foundations of the fortress through the Porta Marzia gate, one of the stone portals chiselled into the crumbling Etruscan wall that encloses Perugia. Interestingly, this under-city maze is more than just a tourist attraction – you’ll see locals hurrying through it to the bus station!

Italy’s vibrant capital lives in the present, but no other city on earth evokes its past so powerfully. For over 2,500 years, emperors, popes, artists, and common citizens have left their mark here. Archaeological remains from ancient Rome, art-stuffed churches, and the treasures of Vatican City vie for your attention, but Rome is also a wonderful place to practice the Italian-perfected il dolce far niente, the sweet art of idleness. Your most memorable experiences may include sitting at a caffè in the Campo de’ Fiori or strolling in a beguiling piazza.

At sea – No question, this will be the trip of a lifetime and to ensure you’re savouring every second of our maritime adventure, rise refreshed and head to the ship’s restaurant where breakfast is served. We’ll enjoy a day at sea today, so no need to rush; linger over that second cup of coffee or take it up on deck and relax in a comfy chair and drink in the exceptional views. Hear the gentle sea breeze filling the sails above as we head out into the Tyrrhenian Sea on a southerly course.

Perhaps a spot of reading from the comfort of a sun lounger, then cool off in the saltwater pools. For a little more excitement why not visit the bridge or climb up to the crow’s nest (with harness!) for exceptional panoramic views or perhaps just enjoy a peaceful corner in the ship’s library. Whatever you choose, you’ll soon be feeling completely unwound and a million miles from home! Take lunch in the restaurant, then just enjoy a lazy afternoon relaxing and absorbing the seascapes – after all what are holidays for!

This evening after another delicious dinner is served, retire to the bar for your favourite digestif whilst enjoying the soothing sounds of the ship’s pianist.

The largest and most developed of the Aeolians, Lipari welcomes you with distinctive pastel-color houses. Fields of spiky agaves dot the northernmost tip of the island, Acquacalda, indented with pumice and obsidian quarries. In the west is San Calogero, where you can explore hot springs and mud baths. From the red-lava base of the island rises a plateau crowned with a 16th-century castle and a 17th-century cathedral.

Home to the Museo Regionale of Messina, known for featuring two of Caravaggio’s paintings, the city is also famous for having been the capital of the ancient kingdom of Sicily.

At first glance, it’s hard to imagine that this resort destination was one of the world’s great naval powers, and a sturdy rival of Genoa and Pisa for control of the Mediterranean in the 11th and 12th centuries. Once the seat of the Amalfi Maritime Republic, the town is set in a verdant valley of the Lattari Mountains, with cream-colored and pastel-hued buildings tightly packing a gorge on the Bay of Salerno. The harbor, which once launched the greatest fleet in Italy, now bobs with ferries and blue-and-white fishing boats. The main street, lined with shops and pasticcerie, has replaced a raging mountain torrent, and terraced hills flaunt the green and gold of lemon groves. Bearing testimony to its great trade with Tunis, Tripoli, and Algiers, Amalfi remains honeycombed with Arab-Sicilian cloisters and covered passages. In a way Amalfi has become great again, showing off its medieval glory days with sea pageants, convents-turned-hotels, ancient paper mills, covered streets, and its glimmering cathedral.