ITINERARY
DAY ONE: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
After a rich buffet breakfast at the Hotel, departure is scheduled at 8:30 am with the buses previously booked for the visit of the city of Frankfurt and its beautiful old town. Participants will be divided into 3 groups and followed by local guides who will transmit to each one historical, artistic and cultural notions, as well as customs and traditions. All three have a tourist guide license and have a degree in foreign languages. They will always be available to anyone for any request or information.
First stop: Römerberg Square and Römer (7 minutes by bus from the hotel)
The picturesque Römerberg is the main square of Frankfurt's irregularly shaped Altstadt. Since the 9th century, this large square has been the heart of the city's historic center and it is here that important events such as coronations, executions, markets, festivals and royal tournaments have taken place. Today, Römerberg's typical half-timbered houses with stepped gables bear witness to the former beauty of medieval Frankfurt. The square is built around the Römer, a charming neo-Gothic building that housed the town hall for more than 600 years. Some of the most important rulers of the Holy Roman Empire were crowned here, and the on-site banquet hall hosted festivities dedicated to them. Statues of these emperors can be seen in the ornamental balcony. The Römer and much of the square were rebuilt after the destruction caused by Allied bombing during World War II. In the center of the square stands the Fountain of Justice, in German called Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen, built in 1543 and representing the deity in the act of holding a scale. Nearby there is a plaque on the sidewalk commemorating the Nazi burning of books in 1933. To the south is the Wertheim House, one of the few to have survived the bombing. The tour will begin at 9:00 a.m. from the Kaisersaal, where celebrations were held to honor the new emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. The hall is adorned with wooden panels and portraits of as many as 52 emperors.
Second stop: Alte Nikolaikirche (7 minutes by bus from the hotel)
At 9:30 am, after an interesting visit to the Kaisersaal, your guide will take you on a tour of the old Lutheran Church of St. Nicholas, or Alte Nikolaikirche, on the southern side of the square. Since its construction in the 12th century, it has undergone two careful restorations, due to some bombing damage during World War II. In Gothic style, the exterior is in white and red and has a high bell tower with 51 bells inside, of which 4 are used to strike the hours and the remaining 47 serve as carillons, which spread German folk music in the air; the interior of the church is very simple, divided into two asymmetrical naves, but its stained glass windows are particular.
Third stop: Paulskirche (10 minutes walk from Alte Nikolaikirche)
The tour will then continue at 9:50 a.m. with a visit to Paulskirche, a Lutheran church with a cylindrical shape and a facade decorated in red bricks. The first assembly of the German Democratic Parliament was held in this church in 1848 while today the religious building hosts events, exhibitions and an interesting museum. Visiting it you can retrace the most significant events in German history, including the revolutions of 1848, which led to the unification of Germany and the birth of the first democratic parliament. Inside the church there is a particularly symbolic fresco by artist Johannes Grützke, which depicts two men struggling in front of a line of politicians.
Fourth stop: Kaiserdom (5 minutes walk from Paulskirche)
Not far from the Paulskirche there is the Kaiserdom, Frankfurt's main cathedral built in the 14th and 15th centuries on the foundations of an earlier church. It is a Catholic church in Gothic style and is dedicated to St. Bartholomew. From 1356 onwards the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire were elected in this church as kings of Germany, from 1562 to 1792 the elected emperors were also crowned here. This cathedral is recognized as a symbol of Germany's national unity. Climbing about 300 steps, you reach the top of the bell tower to enjoy an incredible view of Frankfurt.
Fifth stop: Goethehaus (10 minutes walk from Kaiserdom)
After a brief stop for coffee and a croissant at one of Frankfurt's typical cafes, the tour continues at 10:40am with a visit to Goethehaus. In 1749, one of Germany's greatest writers, the famous Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, was born in Frankfurt and spent the years of his youth in this city. The house was inhabited by the family until 1795 and later renovated and transformed into a house-museum, which you will visit. The building has four floors and is partly furnished with original Goethe family furniture. On the ground floor there is a kitchen with a display of pots and pans and a private water well. On the second floor there is the red room, where the most important people were received or where ceremonies were held. On the same floor there's the library of the house, the music room and the fireplace room. The second floor is instead the most intimate area of the apartment. A flight of stairs leads to Goethe's study. Next to the Goethe House there is the Goethe Museum, a painting gallery with busts and paintings. The visit will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes.The morning ends with this spectacular immersion into Goehte's life that will leave you speechless.
Lunch, which will take place around 12:15 pm, will be served in the restaurant "Walden" with a free choice menu, among many delicious dishes offered by the kitchen.
Sixth stop: Städel Museum (15 minutes by bus from Goethehaus)
After enjoying lunch, the tour will continue from 1:45pm to the world-famous Städel Museum. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious art museums in Germany. Founded in 1815 by businessman Johann Friedrich Städel, the museum has been housed in a monumental building since 1878 and features a very diverse permanent collection of paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, and prints, dating from the 14th century to the present day. A terrible loss, however, was the sale of dozens of works of 'degenerate art' at the behest of the Nazi regime in 1937, which led to the loss of masterpieces such as Van Gogh's Portrait of Dr. Gachet or works by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, one of the leading exponents of the avant-garde "Die Brücke", which developed in Dresden from 1905 onwards.The best known works in the collection are those of Sandro Botticelli, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Vermeer, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Max Beckmann, Edgar Degas and others....
During the bus ride you will also see the site of the former home of the philosopher Schopenhauer who spent the rest of his life, from 1831 until his death in 1860, in Frankfurt.
Seventh stop: Giersch Museum (2 minutes walk from Städel Museum)
At 5:30 p.m. there is a visit to the temporary exhibition of German Expressionism at the Giersch Museum. A number of works by the leading exponents of the avant-garde "Die Brücke" that shaped the art world in Germany will be on display here. They have the purpose of denunciation and provocation towards an oppressive and degraded society incorporated in precise canons to be followed.
At the end of this interesting visit, the participants will go to the hotel (10 minutes by coach) to have dinner. The evening will be free.
DAY TWO: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
The morning will be free, in fact participants can choose to relax at the hotel or independently discover the beautiful city of Frankfurt.
After a good lunch at the Hotel, always using the previously booked coaches, the conference participants will be welcomed for a visit to the ECB headquarters (15 minutes by bus from the accommodation), in particular the Grossmarkthalle and the office tower. At 3:00 p.m. is scheduled the beginning of the tour that will last about one hour and a half with the help of some guides specialized in finance and economics. The participants will be divided into 2 groups with a maximum of 70 people. The educational-informative tour focuses on the history and functioning of the euro area, but on request it can also touch on more specific aspects.
Visiting the European Central Bank is interesting on several counts:
1.to better understand the function performed by the Institute;
2.to learn more about the mechanisms that regulate the European economy and that of individual states,
3.for the innovative architecture of the building that houses the Institution's offices and headquarters, a glass and steel skyscraper built in a formerly undeveloped area.
The European Central Bank (ECB) manages the Euro and defines and implements the EU's economic and monetary policy. Its main task is to maintain price stability, thereby promoting growth and employment. The ECB works together with the national central banks of all EU countries. Together they form the European System of Central Banks. It directs the cooperation between the central banks in the eurozone and forms what is called the Eurosystem.
At the end of the visit to the ECB, the delegates will return to the Hotel as at 7:00 p.m. there is a return flight to Pisa. At 5:30 p.m. the free shuttle offered by the Hotel will leave for "Frankfurt airport" (27 minutes). Expected arrival at the "International Airport Galileo Galilei of Pisa" is at 8:40 p.m., direct without stops.