Mediterranean springtime in France and Italy

Nice, capital of the Alpes-Maritimes department on the French Riviera, sits on the pebbly shores of the Baie des Anges. Founded by the Greeks and later a retreat for 19th-century European elite, the city has also long attracted artists. Former resident Henri Matisse is honored with a career-spanning collection of paintings at Musée Matisse. Musée Marc Chagall features some of its namesake’s major religious works.

An important commercial port on the Italian Coast for wood, marble and alabaster, Livorno was founded by the Medicis. From here we will venture out to discover the delights of tuscany and its great cities of art. Explore the aristocratic charm of secretive Pisa and its famous leaning tower, or the elegance of Florence, Dante’s homeland where the Renaissance was born.

Since time immemorial, artists and travellers have fallen under the spell of these tiny villages lost amidst the orange and olive groves, the vineyards and bougainvillea. Amalfi and nearby Ravello, suspended between sea and sky, are the jewels of the Amalfi Coast. There is so much natural beauty to be admired here, including some magnificent gardens.

Dominated by a fortified citadel, Lipari (Italy) is capital of the seven volcanic Aeolian Islands. Lipari is deservedly famous for its architectural and natural beauty as it embraces some stunning panoramas, pumice stone quarries and a “Castello” built on the ruins of an ancient Greek acropolis.

Palermo is the capital of the Italian island of Sicily. The 12th-century Palermo Cathedral houses royal tombs, while the huge neoclassical Teatro Massimo is known for opera performances. Also in the center are the Palazzo dei Normanni, a royal palace started in the 9th century, and the Cappella Palatina, with Byzantine mosaics. Busy markets include the central Ballarò street market and the Vucciria,

Trapani is a city in western Sicily with a crescent-shaped coastline. At the western tip, offering views as far as the Aegadian Islands, is the 17th-century Torre di Ligny watchtower. It houses the Museo di Preistoria e del Mare, with archeological artifacts. North of the harbor, the Chiesa del Purgatorio church holds wooden sculptures that are paraded around the city during Easter’s Processione dei Misteri.

Cagliari is the capital city of the Italian island of Sardinia. It’s known for the hilltop Castello, a medieval walled quarter situated high over the rest of the town. Architectural highlights include the 13th-century Cagliari Cathedral. Housed in a former arsenal, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Cagliari displays bronze objects, Roman ceramics and artifacts from the Nuragic age to the Byzantine era.

Perched precariously on a high rocky promontory, Bonifacio (Corsica – France) occupies a very special place in the Corsican andscape, particularly when viewed from the sea. A fortress city atop white limestone and granite cliffs that have been sculpted by wind and waves, Bonifacio’s historic medieval heart of tall, narrow houses and winding cobblestone streets is protected by an impressive citadel wall embellished with square towers : a beautiful sight.

Nestled on a rocky spur in the north-west of Corsica, the port of Calvi offers its whiteness between two sapphire-coloured bays. Capital of the Balagne region, the Genoese city benefits from an exceptional natural setting between the abrupt relief of the central chain, fertile hills and long sandy beaches. From the promontory of the Notre-Dame-de-la-Serra chapel, built in the 19th century on the ruins of a 15th century sanctuary, you will not miss the sublime panorama of the seaside, the mountains and the Calvi citadel. A little further west, you will have the opportunity to discover with the peninsula of Revelatta, a wilder and more preserved part of Corsica.

Marseille, a port city in southern France, has been a crossroads of immigration and trade since its founding by the Greeks circa 600 B.C. At its heart is the Vieux-Port (Old Port), where fishmongers sell their catch along the boat-lined quay.

Nice, capital of the Alpes-Maritimes department on the French Riviera, sits on the pebbly shores of the Baie des Anges. Founded by the Greeks and later a retreat for 19th-century European elite, the city has also long attracted artists. Former resident Henri Matisse is honored with a career-spanning collection of paintings at Musée Matisse. Musée Marc Chagall features some of its namesake’s major religious works.