PROGRAMME

REGISTRATION

HOTELS

Saturday 16th October

Arrive in Italy.    Transfer to Modena.
                         Registration upon arrival in hotels.
19.30                Welcome Reception

Sunday 17th October

09.30                Coach transfer to Verona
10.45                Stops at two scenic viewpoints, then tour of Verona.
11.45                Free to stroll Verona's busy streets, see Juliet's balcony, visit the castle, see Titian and Mantegna paintings in their original church settings.
13.00                Lunch
14.30                Formal Opening of the Symposium in the auditorium of the Conservatoire Montemezzi
                      Paper 1    Speaker:  Marcus Perini  -  Maps of the Region
                      Paper 2    Speaker:  Dick Pflederer -  Italian portolan charts
15.30                Special exhibition of maps at the Oratorio of San Giorgeto
17.00                Reception at Libreria Antiquaria Perini, courtesy of Marcus Perini

Return to Modena by coach, evening free

Monday 18th October

09.30                Sessions in the Biblioteca Estense
                      Paper 3    Speaker:   Dr Ernesto Milano - The Estense Collections
                      Paper 4    Speaker:   Dr Piero Falchetta - Reasearch on the Fra Mauro world map
11.00                Coffee
11.30             Paper 5    Speaker:   Vladimir Valerio - Early Italian Atlases
                      Paper 6    Speaker:   Angelo Cataneo - Maps in the Palazzo Vecchio
12.30                Lunch
13.30             Paper 7    Speaker:   Marika Milanesi - Research on Coronelli
                      Paper 8    Speakers:   Col.Finizio and Col. Orrù - Italian Campaigns in North Africa
15.30                Visit to special exhibition in the Estense Library
                         Highlights: Cantino world map (1502), Castiglioni Planisphere (1529), circular Catalan world map (c.1455), portolan charts
Evening free

NB  As space is limited at the Estense Library lecture hall (120 seats), it may be necessary to restrict attencance at the talks to participants, and request accompanying persons to join us for the exhibitions only.  This will be determined after receipt of registration forms.

Tuesday 19th October

09.30                Coach transfer to Florence
14.00                Visit to Palazzo Vecchio to see maps in the Sala delle Carte Geografiche.
Evening free

NB  The visit to the Palazzo Vecchio will be only to the Guardarobe on the upper floor, where maps were painted on wooden panels around the walls in the 16th century.  Those wishing to see other rooms should arrange another visit, or plan to see the other rooms after seeing the maps.

Wednesday 20th October

Morning          Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana
Visits                  Highlights:  Battista Agnese world map, Joan Martines chart of the Mediterranean, a 13th century map of Palestine,
                          maps and views of towns acquired in Amsterdam from the Blau firm in 1668-69
                          and
                       Biblioteca Riccardiani
                          Highlights: small portolan roll of the Mediterranean, Nicolo di Conti's ms of his travels to the East,
                          a 15th century manuscript of Virgil's Aeneid with two maps, Marin Sanudo's map of Palestine
Afternoon        Instituto Geographico Militare to see a special Exhibition
Visit                   Founded in 1872, the IGM is the national repository for the armed forces cartographic requirements.
                          It presently holds 36,000 maps and about 750 atlases; highlights include about 8,000 maps dating from before the unification of Italy,
                          national mapping between 1861 and 1930, maps of former Italian colonies, and of North African campaigns in the two world wars.

Evening              Symposium Dinner in Sonesta Villa near Florence
                         The Sonesta Villa and Castello are about thirty minutes' drive from Florence, south of the city, near Marcialla in the Chianti Classico region.
                          Surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, the 10th century castle marries the modern with the medieval.
                          The nearby villa specialises in authentic Tuscan food and wine.

Thursday 21st October

Morning Visit      Archivo di Stato
                           Highlights: manuscript maps of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, its boundaries and the roads through it,
                           Pietro Visconti's chart of the Meditteranean, 13th century chart of Palestine, Homen's chart of India (1530), chart of Maiorca (1385)
Afternoon
and evening         Free, with recommendations to visit:
                           History of Science Museum, Biblioteca Nazionale, Uffizzi Gallery, Pitti Palace etc.
                           As it is difficult to get into the Uffizi Gallery at short notice, we will pre-book a number of tickets. Please contact Modenatur if you would like one, stating which day and at what time.  Tickets cost Euros 13.75

Friday 22nd October

                         Depart

The Via Emilia still runs through the heart of town; here, in 183 BC between the rivers Secchia and Panaro, the Roman colony of "Mutina" was established.  In the late Roman empire Modena almost vanished amidst extensive flooding of the undammed rivers; time passed and in AD 891 new walls were built.  In 1099 work began on the new Cathedral, still standing, and in 1135 Modena began to rule herself.  In 1182 Modena founded her own university in competition with that of her arch-rival Bologna.  The city came under the rule of the Este family of Ferrara in 1288, and work began on the Castello Estense, now site of the art collections.  Amid political turmoil Modena continued to grow, trading by river and laced with canals whose names still indicate the streets which were later built over them.  In 1336 the Este family returned to the town, making it their captial in 1598 after the family lost Ferrara to the Papal States. Apart from a brief Napoleonic interlude the Estes remained in control under Italian unification.

Modena is now home to Italy's favourite tenor Luciano Pavarotti, and car manufacturers Ferrari, Maserati, Bugatti, Lamborghini and De Tomaso, who all contribute to making this town of 200,000 one of the most affluent in the country.  It is also the balsamic vinegar capital of Italy.

How to get to Modena

By air:    During the daytime Bologna airport (www.bologna-airport-it) is connected with Modena downtown by a bus service. The updated timetable is reported at  www.atcm.mo.it (in Italian).  The time required is about 45 minutes and difference stops in Modena are available.  The ticket can be purchasd directly on the bus and costs about 10 Euros for a singe trip.  The airport at Bologna is about 6km from Bologna central railway station, one of the most important railway stations in Italy, and the "Aerobus" runs frequently between the two.  For those arriving at other airports, please contact Modenatur for the best way to reach Modena.  Airport distances from Modena are: Bologna airport 39 km, Florence airport 130 km, Verona airport 90km and Milan airport 170 km.

By taxi:  Average cost of a taxi between Bologna airport and Modena is 80 Euros.  If you would like Modenatur to arrange for you to me met at the airport (Bologna, Milan or Florence) and conveyed to your hotel in Modena, please contact them direct to arrange rates and advance payment.

By train: Modena can easily be reached by train from within Italy and elsewhere in Europe.  Further information and timetables can be found on the web at www.trenitalia.it

Returning from Florence

There are frequent trains between Florence and Bologna (journey time just over one hour) and buses every 15 minutes between Bologna train station and the airport (journey time 20 minutes).