Scheduled in September 2020 - Canceled - No new date.

THE FLOWER FESTIVAL AT LAKE ISEO

A full day unusual program, whose climax is the visit at the small village of CARZANO di MONTISOLA, completely decorated with paper flowers, to glorify the HOLY CROSS.

The guide will meet guests in Iseo, at about 9.00 a.m., in Viale Europa (Europe Avenue).

Departure for the Eastern Side Road of Lake Iseo, driving through Sulzano and Sale Marasino.  An unexpected beautiful landscape and the Mediterranean vegetation will be discovered. By boat,

Montisola, the largest island of European lakes, will be reached. The destination is Carzano.

The small hamlet takes a new look: everywhere handcrafted paper flower arrangements, in the courtyards, on the bars, inside and outside the church, … all these flowers seem to be true!That is the real challenge: the composition of flowers has to be perfect and natural. Even wooden arcades are realized: once covered with pine branches, paper flowers are fixed. The tradition is renewed every five years to commemorate the procession, with the Relic of the Holy Cross, that ended the epidemics of cholera in 1836 … The miracle was recognized! Inhabitants pledged to honor it with a majestic Festival.The visitor is asked to take pictures and pictures and pictures …

Lunch time: at Montisola or in Iseo or in a farm-restaurant in Franciacorta.

For the afternoon, one of these options:

Visit of the Benedictine Abbey in Rodengo Saiano. In 1066 the French Benedictine monks from Cluny settled here. In the XV/XVI century the current Benedictine Order (from Monte Oliveto) made a lot of works and transformed the original small monastery.                                                                                                                     

Many artists (Foppa, Sassi, Cossali, Moretto, Romanino, Gambara,) decorated and embellished the Abbey.

One-hour and 15 minutes’ duration. Visit has to be booked, calling the number 030/ 610182. An offer of € 3,00 p.p. is demanded.

Or

Visit to Palazzo Torri in Nigoline di Cortefranca, splendid seventeenth century fortified noble mansion. Renovated in the eighteenth century by Peroni family from Brescia, with baroque furnishings and decorations to be a "mansion of pleasures", it has finally been enriched and enlarged by Torri Family, at the end of the nineteenth century.

Paolina Calegari Torri and her husband Alessandro turned it into a real "literary salon", attended by famous guests, where parties, meetings and debates took place. Writers and poets such as  Giosuè Carducci, Antonio Fogazzaro and Giovanni Pascoli participated.                                                                                                     

Ticket (including guided visit) € 6,00/7,00 per person (if group)

Or

Sightseeing tour in Brescia:

Forum Square, with Capitoline Temple, remains of the Roman Theatre and remains of lateral Porticoes. An impressive archaeological reality.Paul VI Square, where three monuments stand: The Medieval Communal Palace (Broletto) and the Old Cathedral, both built between XII and XIII century, and the New Cathedral, a real contrast, on the same side of the square, because built in XVII century.The tour finishes in Loggia Square, where the Town Hall is one of the most important examples of Renaissance Style in Brescia and the Palladian influence is still visible. Undoubtedly noteworthy, the Clock Tower, with 24 hours, the lunar phases and two automata striking hours. (Very similar to Saint Mark’s square Clock Tower, in Venice).

Or

Visit in Iseo, the historic centre, with its Medieval plan, Garibaldi Square, where the first monument dedicated to this hero has been erected in Italy, Saint Andrew ‘s Church, Oldofredi Castle and the small Church dedicated to Saint Mary of the Market.

The program can be personalized, changed or other itineraries can be suggested.