Sailing the Mediterranean: Rome, Sardinia & Corsica aboard Sea Cloud II with Rocky Ruggiero

 

Rome, Sardinia, and Corsica conjure up images of ancient history and rich masterpieces of art and architecture. Delight in this journey that begins with a three-night luxury hotel stay in Rome, the "Eternal City", then moves to the sea for a relaxed four-night cruise to Sardinia and Corsica aboard the incomparable Sea Cloud II.

May is the perfect time of year for a quintessential Mediterranean journey, and with an itinerary like this, not a trip you’ll soon forget! Begin your tour with a fully customized tour through Rome by renowned Italian Renaissance expert and art historian, Rocky Ruggiero, exploring the worlds of Ancient, Baroque, and Papal Rome. Discover masterpieces during visits to Rome’s Borghese Gallery, Saint Peter’s Basilica, and Corsica’s Palais Fesch, a museum that houses France’s largest collection of Italian paintings outside mainland France, with works by Titian, Fra Bartolomeo, Veronese, Botticelli, and Bellini.

Experience cruising under sail (weather permitting) aboard the magnificent , three-masted Sea Cloud II, your elegant and fully modernized home for the second portion of your trip. Sea Cloud II offers 5-star dining and an intimate setting with just 47 beautifully appointed cabins.

Visit fascinating ancient sites including the Etruscan city Cerveteri outside Rome and the Bronze Age settlement Nuraghe Palmavera on Sardinia. Explore Corsica, known in France as L’ile de Beauté (“The Island of Beauty”), with its dramatic coastlines, imposing mountainous backdrops, and beaches washed by crystal-clear Mediterranean waters.

Your travel experience will further be enriched by onboard lectures and informal discussions with Gordon Turnbull from Yale, in addition to excellent local guides accompanying you throughout. SBMA is co-sponsoring this program alongside National Trust Tours, Princeton, and Yale.

Exciting Updates!

~ New Pricing:  $1,000 Per Person Off & No Single Supplement

~ Option to visit the Sistine Chapel without the crowds:

An option has been added for a once-in-a-lifetime, early morning, entirely private visit for SBMA travelers and co-sponsoring organizations to the Sistine Chapel without the crowds while the Vatican Museums are closed to the public. This special tour in Rome will be led by renowned Italian Renaissance art historian Rocky Ruggiero ($420 per person) and will include the Hall of Maps, the Raphael rooms, and, of course, the pièce de résistance—the Sistine Chapel. All of it will be explained and brought to life by Dr. Ruggiero’s engaging and entertaining commentary.

For the full brochure, select "Get the Brochure".

Most cabins that are available are in categories 3 and 6.

To reserve space, please fill out the reservation form at the end of the brochure and email, fax, or mail it, or call 805-884-6435 to reserve by phone. Please contact travel@sbma.net with any questions. 

Tour Guide

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero, Art and Architectural Historian

Rocky Ruggiero has been a professor of Art and Architectural History since 1999. His online lectures on subjects ranging from Ancient Art and Architecture through the Italian Baroque are extremely popular with an expansive worldwide audience. He received his BA from the College of the Holy Cross and a Master of Arts degree from Syracuse University, where he was awarded a prestigious Florence Fellowship in 1996. He furthered his art historical studies at the University of Exeter, UK, where he received a Ph.D. in Art History and Visual Culture. In addition to lecturing for various American universities in Florence, Italy, including Syracuse, Kent State, Vanderbilt, and Boston College, Rocky has starred in various TV documentaries concerning the Italian Renaissance. He recently appeared as an expert witness for NBC News, as well as in the History Channel’s “Engineering an Empire: Da Vinci’s World” and “Museum Secrets: the Uffizi Gallery”, and the recent NatGeo/NOVA PBS program on Brunelleschi’s dome entitled “Great Cathedral Mystery.” Rocky also shares his knowledge and love of Italian art as an academic advisory board member of the non-profit group Friends of Florence and as a frequent collaborator and lecturer for the Friends of the Uffizi Gallery, both of which have provided funds for the restoration of numerous works of art throughout Florence. After living in Florence, Italy for 20 years, Rocky and his family moved to East Greenwich, RI, and he now divides his time between the US and Italy.

Dr. Ruggiero will be part of the Rome portion of the program, which he helped to create.

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