Ancient History of Southern Italy & Sicily: small group tour for seniors

Join Odyssey Traveller on this escorted small group tour for senior and mature travellers to the South of Italy, limited to 16 people this educational tour appeals to like minded couples and solo travellers. Enjoy as a senior traveller this  Southern Italy tour as we traverse the lesser known islands and southern regions of the country. When you ask people about the must-see sights for tours of Italy, more often than not one of the first places they mention is the capital city, Rome, the submerged streets of Venice, or the sights of Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance. But there is more to Italy than its northern region. Head south from Rome and you'll find that the crowds begin to thin and life starts to move at a slower pace. Here you will see the cave dwellings of Matera; the ruins of Pompeii; Mount Vesuvius, the only active volcano in mainland Europe; and the gorgeous Amalfi Coast.

We go beyond the typical Southern Italy itinerary on our trip. During our educational tour, you will witness the dramatic, rugged countryside of the lower part of Italy's "boot" as we explore the ancient ruins, unique treasures, and diversity of Southern Italy. We learn about the influence of the early Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Saracens, Normans, Angevins and Aragonese while we search for evidence of their colonisation. We will also enjoy wine-tasting and a sampling of Southern Italian cuisine.

For the medieval traveller, religious houses provided a safe and convenient refuge. This tradition still exists in Italy and, as travellers, participants in this tour will sometimes stay in the modern-day version of these ancient religious houses.

Southern Italy Tour Itinerary

After arriving in Bari, we explore this picturesque port city, shaped by an almost continuous stream of invasion and conquest. The tour also includes Calabria, its brooding mountainous terrain stretching southwards between the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas; Sicily, the Mediterranean’s largest island, home to a multi-ethnic culture reflecting successive waves of colonisation; and the Aeolian Islands, steeped in antiquity and scattered like a string of pearls in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Over the course of the tour we pass through several lesser-known Italian regions:

Apulia:

The heel of Italy's boot, the region of Apulia (Italian: Puglia) is slowly taking its place among Italy's major destinations, offering a combination of historic towns, beautiful scenery, and a slower pace of life than Northern Italy. Apulia was a major thoroughfare between the ancient Greek and Roman worlds and has been subjected to constant colonisation and invasion. This heritage has resulted in a rich mixture of historic architectural styles. Our tour begins in Bari, the capital of Apulia, an economic centre and university town with a striking historic centre. We then base ourselves in Alberobello, UNESCO World Heritage Listed for the famous fairy-tale like trulli, whitewashed stone houses with conical limestone roofs. Though some trulli have now become shops and accommodation for tourists, many Apulians continue to live in them today. Our tour also visits Lecce, known as 'the Florence of the South', due to the abundance of Baroque architecture in its historic centre; Martina Franca, a picturesque town home to stunning Baroque and Rococo architecture; and the white-painted hilltop town of Ostuni, with history dating back to the Stone Age.

Basilicata:

Also known by the ancient name Lucania, this small and mountainous region is one of Italy's hidden gems. The city of Matera is one of the world's oldest continously inhabited cities, a place of stark and severe beauty, where people have lived in cave dwellings or sassi from antiquity. Long a place of poverty that was considered to be Italy's 'national shame', the sassi were forcefully closed by the Italian government in the 1950s; but have been revitalised since the 1980s, as the caves have opened up to tourists. Matera has since been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status and was the 2019 European City of Culture. Our tour also visits the town of Metaponto, home to an extensive archaeological site marking the Greek city of Metapontum. Once a thriving city, Metapontum was home to tens of thousands of people, including Pythagoras, who discovered his famous theorem in exile here in the sixth century BC.

Calabria:

If Apulia is Italy's heel, Calabria is the toes: a rugged peninsula with an over 800 kilometre (500 mile) stretch of Ionian and Tyrrhenian coastline. Colonised by the Greeks in the in the 8th century BC, who formed a city at what is today Reggio Calabria, the province has seen successive waves of conquest: Roman, Byzantine, Norman, Swabian, Aragonese and Bourbon. But the dominant influence is still Greek, as Greek words remain in the dialect, and ancient ruins dot the landscape. Our tour takes you to Stilo, one of Italy's most charming small towns and the home of the first Byzantine structure in Calabria; Gerace, with a stunning Norman cathedral and perfectly preserved medieval centre; and Tropea, a pretty seaside town.

Sicily:

The autonomous island of Sicily is a world apart. Much like the rest of Southern Italy, it was shaped by successive waves of colonisation: Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Norman, German and Spanish Bourbon. The power of the 'Magna Graecia' (Greater Greece) is still manifest in the ruins of Agrigento's 'Valley of the Temples', while Palermo, Sicily's bustling capital, is home to magnificent architecture fusing Norman, Arabic, and Byzantine elements. Our tour also takes you to Syracuse (Siracusa), where Greek dramas are still performed in an ancient theatre, and Taormina, with Greek ruins overlooking Mt. Etna. We also get away from it all on a day tour from Messina to the Aeolian Islands, a beautiful archipelago in the midst of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Campania:

Home to Naples, southern Italy's biggest city (and Italy's third biggest), Campania is a land of constrasts, from bustling Naples to the exclusive results of the Amalfi Coast. Much like the rest of Southern Italy, Campania was first inhabited by the Ancient Greeks, and then became an exclusive resort for the rich and famous of Ancient Rome. Naples grew and prospered in the early modern period - in 1600, with a population of 300, 000, it was Europe's biggest city. Today, Naples is a treasure trove of history, art, and architecture, from Pompeiian frescoes to Caravaggio masterpieces to the Baroque grandeur of the Centro Storico. The ancient and haunting ruins of Pompeii more than live up to the hype. And Campania is home to some of Italy's best and most iconic beaches, from the world-famous Amalfi Coast, to the hidden gems of the Sorrento peninsula and the off-shore islands of exclusive Capri and down-to-earth Ischia. While our trip concludes with a day tour of Naples, we encourage you to stay on and uncover the many delights of Campania.

You can learn more about Italy with our country profile which also lists all other tour departures. For more details, click the ‘Top 5’ or ‘Itinerary’ buttons above! If you’re keen to experience this tour, please call or send an email. Or, to book, simply fill in the form on the right hand side of this page.

• Southern Italy: History and Must-See Sights
• Mediterranean Islands: Malta, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica
• About Malta, Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica
• The Sicilian people and their kings
• Piecing together the life of Caravaggio
• Learning About Caravaggio’s Paintings

For all the articles Odyssey Traveller has published for mature aged and senior travellers, click through on this link.

• Discovery
• Level 2 - Moderate