The ICAA is pleased to partner with Classical Excursions to present this exceptional tour of Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, and Escorial.
This tour is arranged by Classical Excursions. Please note, that you must contact Classical Excursions’ Director, Lani Summerville to formally register for this program. Upon completing a registration form, submitting a deposit to Classical Excursions, and receiving a confirmation from Classical Excursions you will be considered registered for this program. Payment of the $600 donation to the ICAA prior to registration does not guarantee placement on the trip. Again, to inquire about registration for this program, please contact Lani Summerville at [email protected] or 413-446-8728.
A fully tax-deductible donation of $600 per person is required to participate in this travel program. Please note that this donation is non-refundable except in the case that this travel program is cancelled by the organization. All travel program participants have the opportunity to receive a complimentary Individual level membership for one year to the ICAA.
Cost:
*A deposit of $2,000 per person is required to hold confirmed reservations. Final payment is due on or before June 15th, 2024.
The program will begin with a self-guided check in to the five-star Mandarin Oriental Ritz Hotel, located in central Madrid and across the street from the renowned Museo Nacional del Prado.
Participants will enjoy a welcome dinner tonight on the terrace of the Ritz.
The tour includes an exclusive pre-opening guided tour through Museo Nacional del Prado by a member of the curatorial staff. The Prado contains the world’s greatest collection of Spanish art, works by Velazquez and Goya among others. Housed in a neo-classical building from 1785 and designed by Juan de Villanueva it was opened as a museum already in 1819.
Participants will enjoy lunch at one of Madrid’s Oldest restaurants La Posada de la Villa dating back to 1642.
Participants will have a walking tour illuminating highlights of the city, including some of the beautiful public spaces and neo-classical buildings of Madrid such as the Teatro Espanol.
Travelers will have a private pre-opening tour of Madrid’s vast and lavish Royal Palacio Real. The palace was commissioned by Felipe V in 1734 after a fire destroyed the previous palace. Construction took over 26 years and spanned the reigns of two Bourbon monarchs. Many of the palace interiors reflect the tastes of the later Carlos III and Carlos IV. The palace is still today used for state visits and receptions, though the current King resides in a more modest palace on the outskirts of Madrid.
Lunch at La Maquina Original, a seafood restaurant.
Afternoon visits to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and other artists’ homes like the Sorolla Museum.
Participants will enjoy a dinner at the private Palacio del Duque de San Carlos.
A visit to Felipes II’s imposing palace of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, located ca. one hour from Madrid. The expansive structure stands out against the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama northwest of Madrid. Built between 1563-1584 in honor of St. Lawrence, its unadorned severity set new architectural standards. The collections boast some of the most important works of art from the Royal Hapsburg collections. Participants will later visit the library, church, pantheon, and the royal apartments of this grand complex.
Participants will enjoy a lunch in restaurant at El Escorial.
Participants will go into the hilltop town of Segovia for a late lunch and free-time to explore one of Spain’s most spectacularly sited towns, with the Old Town perched high on a rocky spur. In this location, participants will get the opportunity to see the Gothic Cathedral, distinctive castle Alcazar, and the Roman Aqueducts located in Segovia.
Participants will visit the Palacio Real de La Granja de San Ildefonso, a sumptuous royal palace outside of Segovia. The palace was initiated in 1720 by Felipe V and is the final resting place for this king. Tour the splendid and elaborate interiors as well as the formal gardens and the high Baroque church.
Participants will visit the exclusive Liria Palace, home of the Duchess of Alba, Madrid. The lavish palace was completed by Ventura Rodriguez in 1780 and was the residence for the Alba family. The palace is still owned by the Duchess of Alba and is not generally open to the public. The palace has an outstanding collection of art and Flemish tapestries. Paintings by Reubens, Titan and Rembrandt as well as Spanish artists such as Goya, El Greco and Velazquez.
Participants will later enjoy lunch at Lhardy, one of Madrid’s old iconic restaurants dating from 1839.
Participants will enjoy a guided tour of the Cerrablo Museum, housed in a 19th century mansion and home of the avid art collector, the 17th Marquis of Cerralbo. The Marquis left his entire collection to the state in 1922, stipulating that all objects should remain exactly as he left them. The lavishly decorated interiors complement the museum’s collections of Iberian pottery to 18th century marble busts and paintings by El Greco.
Participants will make a visit to Todelo, which is one of Spain’s most visited cities. It is picturesquely sited on a hill overlooking the Tagus River and still retains much of its historic character. Participants will visit the Cathedral, built between 1226 and 14993, the cathedral displays pure French Gothic design on the exterior and Spanish decorative embellishments on the interior.
Participants will tour Iglesia de Santo Tomé to view El Greco’s Burial of the Count of Orgaz, painted in 1586. Participants will then enjoy a lunch at the Hacienda de Cardinal.
A visit to the Moorish style Synagogues of Santa Maria la Blanca and El Transito. Santa Maria de la Blanca was erected in the late twelfth or early thirteenth century and is thought to be the oldest synagogue building in Europe still standing.
Travelers will visit Aranjuez and the Palacio Real de Aranjuez which was built in the 18th Century by the Habsburgs and later redone by the Bourbons. Participants will enjoy numerous Baroque and Rococo interiors, including the famed Chinese Porcelain Room, the Hall of Mirrors, and the Smoking Room modeled on the Moorish style of the Alhambra in Granada.
Participants will continue on to the extensive gardens on the way to the Casa del Labrador, built by King Carlos IV as a lavish Neo-classical pavilion.
Participants will enjoy lunch and a wine tasting at the Regedal Country Wine Estate.
A farewell dinner will take place at the private Nuevo Club.
Mandarin Oriental Ritz Hotel (Image: Wikimedia Commons/Luis García)
Posada De La Villa (Image: Wikimedia Commons/Erik C Cooper)
Palacio Real de Madrid (image: Wikimedia Commons/Carlos Delgado)
Palacio Los Duques de San Carlos (image: Wikimedia Commons/José Luis Filpo Cabana)
Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial (image: Wikimedia Commons/José Luis Filpo Cabana)
Segovia (image: Wikimedia Commons/Carlos Delgado)
Lhardy (image: Wikimedia Commons/Tamorlan)
Todelo (image: Wikimedia Commons/Sandra Soster)
The Gardens at Palacio Real de La Granja de San Ildefonso (image: Wikimedia Commons/Jl FilpoC)
Palacio de Liria (image: Wikimedia Commons/Outisnn)
If you would like to register, you may contact the travel operator organizing the program. Please note that a $600 donation per person to the ICAA is required in order to participate in each travel program.
Your $600 donation helps to further the ICAA’s goal of advancing the practice and appreciation of the classical tradition in architecture and the allied arts by supporting its varied educational programs, including continuing education courses, college workshops, the Summer Studio in Classical Architecture, New Heights, and many more.
Yes, a donation of $600 to the ICAA is required for each travel program you register for. The donation is required for each person attending a tour.
You can make your $600 donation to the ICAA online, or you can download, complete, and mail this form to the ICAA. You can alternatively fax a copy to 212-730-9649. You may also call 212-730-9646 x109 or email [email protected] to make a donation. Donations must be made separately from the registration fee.
No, membership is not required to attend an ICAA travel program. However, complimentary Individual membership to the ICAA is included with your $500 required donation.
For full itinerary and more information, contact [email protected], 413-446-8728. Due to the exclusive nature of our tours, some private locations or visits may be omitted from the ICAA's website.
Over the past several years, the ICAA has travelled to destinations including Paris; Andalusia; Atlanta; Barbados; South Africa; Chicago; the Netherlands and Belgium; Scotland; the French Riviera; Morocco; the Italian Lake Region; Charlottesville; Naples; and New Delhi, among many other locations. The ICAA is always looking to diversify its travel offerings. If you have a suggestion or location you would like to see added, please email [email protected].