Italy in the Uncrowded Season

With Franco Baldasso, Associate Professor of Italian Studies at Bard College

DISTINGUISHED GUEST LECTURER

Franco Baldasso is Associate Professor of Italian Studies at Bard College, New York, where is also Director of the Study Abroad Program in Italy. He is Fellow of the American Academy in Rome after receiving the 2019 Rome Prize for Modern Italian Studies. He is Co-Director of the Graduate Summer School “The Cultural Heritage and Memory of Totalitarianism” at Sapienza University in Rome, where he is member of the “Collegio del Dottorato in Italianistica.” His most recent publication is Against Redemption: Democracy, Memory, and Literature in Post-Fascist Italy published in 2022 by Fordham University Press, which received the Helen and Howard R. Marraro Prize in Italian History. His books published in Italian include: Il cerchio di gesso. Primo Levi narratore e testimone (Pendragon, 2007); and Curzio Malaparte, la letteratura crudele. Kaputt, La pelle e la caduta della civiltà europea (Carocci, 2019). He also co-authored “L’età di Whitman” e l’esilio. L’America inedita di Paolo Milano (Mimesis, 2022) and Eredità culturale e memoria dei totalitarismi (Pearson, 2024). Prof. Baldasso was born in Treviso, in the beautiful countryside north of Venice, which is now a Unesco site for its unique hills peppered with vineyards that inspired painters and poets. Prof. Baldasso grew up in Venice and kept tight relations with the city and its land for his academic work ever since.

Cathedral of Ferrara

The Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, decorated with Giotto’s famed frescoes

Chioggia street scene

Cicchetti, Venetian style tapas

ITINERARY

Sunday, October 25, 2026
DEPART THE US
Depart the United States for Venice, Italy.

Monday, October 26
VENICE, Italy | CHIOGGIA
Arrive at the Venice airport and transfer to the Hotel Grande Italia Chioggia (or similar). In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner. (D)

Tuesday, October 27
CHIOGGIA
This morning, discover the charm of Chioggia on a guided walking tour through its historic streets and canals. Begin at Piazzetta Vigo, home to the iconic column crowned by the Lion of Saint Mark— affectionately known locally as the “Gato de Ciosa.” Cross the nearby Ponte di Vigo, often called the town’s “balcony,” for picturesque views over the Canal Vena. Continue to the Clock Tower of Sant’Andrea, which houses the world’s oldest functioning tower clock dating to the 14th century, and admire the nearby Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, known for its grand pulpit and notable works of art. Conclude with a stroll along the lively Corso del Popolo, lined with historic buildings and charming shops, before enjoying an Italian aperitivo paired with a classic Aperol Spritz—the perfect local refreshment. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure. (B)

Wednesday, October 28
CHIOGGIA | THE HEART OF VENICE: THE BASILICA OF ST. MARK & THE DOGE’S PALACE | CHIOGGIA
Venice, the “Queen of the Adriatic,” has remained remarkably unchanged for more than 1,000 years. In the morning, take a private boat ride to Venice to experience St. Mark’s Square, which Napoleon called “the most elegant drawing room in Europe” and visit the Basilica of St. Mark. Founded in the 9th century, its multiple domes, luminous mosaics decorating over 8,500 square meters of its interior, and many other treasures make the basilica one of the most impressive ecclesiastical sights in the world. After lunch at a local restaurant, tour the Doge’s Palace, a masterpiece of Venetian Gothic architecture that was the residence of the Doge, the supreme authority of the Venetian Republic, and its administrative center, richly decorated with paintings by Titian, Tiepolo and other artists. (B, L)

Thursday, October 29
CHIOGGIA | PADUA | CHIOGGIA
In the morning, drive to Padua (30 minutes). Nicknamed La Dotta (The Learned), it was the home of Livy, the great Roman historian, and one of Europe’s most celebrated universities was founded here in 1222. Petrarch, Dante and Galileo were associated with the university, among other luminaries. Padua is also famous for the 14th-century artworks of Giotto, a supreme example of which we will see at the celebrated Scrovegni Chapel. Also visit the Museo Civico, home to paintings by Veneto masters. Enjoy lunch at a historic Caffé Pedrocchi, then visit the 13th-century Basilica of St. Anthony, an important pilgrim shrine, and the famed university. Return to the hotel in the afternoon. The rest of the day is spent at leisure. (B, L)

Friday, October 30
CHIOGGIA | FERRARA | CHIOGGIA
Take a full day excursion to the Renaissance city of Ferrara. Explore the imposing, moat-encircled Castello Estense, a medieval fortress that became the lavish residence of the Este family. Visit the Cathedral before lunch, which will be at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, continue with a visit to the elegant Palazzo Schifanoia, celebrated for its extraordinary 15th-century fresco cycle depicting the months of the year and the refined courtly culture of the Este dynasty. (B, L)

Saturday, October 31
CHIOGGIA | VENICE | CHIOGGIA
In the morning, take a private boat ride to Venice to visit the Gallerie dell’ Accademia, Venice’s foremost art museum, which houses the largest collection of Venetian art in the world. Masterpieces by Bellini, Giorgione, Veronese, Tintoretto, Carpaccio and Titian, among works of other artists, are exhibited in this superb museum. The afternoon is at leisure before returning to Chioggia for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. (B, D)

Sunday, November 1
CHIOGGIA | US
Transfer to the Venice airport for the return flight home. (B)