Cultural / Cross-Curricular Trip to Northern Italy: 5 days, 4 nights

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What you’ll experience: Padua, one of Italy’s oldest cities, is celebrated for its historic university, stunning frescoes, and vibrant squares filled with cafes and markets.

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What you’ll experience: This immense domed basilica exhibits many architectural styles, originating from the early 13^th century.  The stunning interior is highly decorated with gold, marble statues and beautiful artwork.

Select says: This world- famous Basilica receives around 6.5 million visitors per year

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What you’ll experience: The Scrovegni Chapel’s frescoes dating back to the fourteenth century cover the entire internal walls and are regarded as a masterpiece, initiating the Italian Renaissance art movement. The frescoes depict the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary with a colour palate which remains incredibly vibrant to this day. The chapel is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Select says: Comparable to the Sistine Chapel this is not to be missed!

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What you’ll experience: A focal meeting point throughout the centuries, this city square is a great place to relax and admire the series of 78 statues around its edge representing famous people who have left their mark on the history & culture of Padua, including the astronomer, physicist & mathematician Galileo Galilei.

Select says: Italy’s largest square at 90,000 square metres

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What you’ll experience: Another UNESCO world heritage site, the garden was planted in 1545 by members of the university to study the medicinal properties of plants.

Select says: The oldest academic botanical garden in the world

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What you’ll experience: Venice is a unique Italian city built on canals, renowned for its gondolas, historic architecture, and rich cultural heritage.

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What you’ll experience: Considered one of the most beautiful squares in the world, St Mark’s is a fascinating example of rich Venetian historical, artistic and architectural heritage. Admire the Gothic Doge’s Palace & enjoy views over the city from the top of the Campanile.

Select says: The ancient & famed Ponte di Rialto is only 600 metres from the Square

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What you’ll experience: Be bowled over by this awe-inspiring cathedral with its incredibly lavish interior and exterior decoration of over 8,000 square metres of glittering golden mosaics.

Select says: Don’t forget to look up – the ceiling is one of the most resplendent aspects

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What you’ll experience: The Rialto Market in Venice is a bustling, centuries-old marketplace where locals and visitors browse vibrant stalls of fresh produce, seafood, and regional delicacies.

Select says: Set along the Grand Canal near the iconic Rialto Bridge, it offers an authentic glimpse into the city’s daily life and culinary traditions.

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What you’ll experience: Travel by boat to the island of Murano and see the collection of beautiful Venetian glass at the Glass Museum. Continue on to Burano famed for its lace making and charming brightly coloured houses.

Select says: Stroll through the streets of Burano to find lace workshops

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What you’ll experience: Verona, a UNESCO World Heritage city, is famed for its Roman amphitheatre, medieval charm, and its romantic links to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

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What you’ll experience: An impressive & remarkably well- preserved Roman amphitheatre originally built to host gladiatorial games & public spectacles and once accommodating up to 30,000 people.

Select says: The arena pre-dates the Colosseum in Rome

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What you’ll experience: Visit the famed balcony from Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet”.

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What you’ll experience: The city’s oldest market square, once the central hub of Roman Verona. The Torre dei Lamberti – Verona’s tallest tower – gives a good view of the city.

Select says: Soak up the historical ambience in this lively square at the heart of the city

Subject range: Art, Design, History

What you’ll experience: A fine example of Romanesque architecture, this stunning church was constructed to honour the city’s patron saint, Saint Zeno.

Select says: Reputed to be the site of the marriage of Romeo & Juliet.

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What you’ll experience: Sirmione, perched on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Garda, is a picturesque Italian town famed for its thermal baths, medieval Scaliger Castle, and stunning lakeside views.