Napoleon in Italy

Fly London Heathrow to Milan Linate. Drive to Turin, former de facto capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont and key strategic objective in the coming campaign. Check in to our hotel for two nights. Time permitting visit the Risogimento Museum. (D)

Montenotte, Napoleon's first victory in high command, is our first stop followed by the battles of Millesimo, Dego, and Mondovi, which effectively took Piedmont out of the war. These Ligurian coast battles demonstrated Napoleon's first use of the strategy of the central position, the same strategy that he was to adopt in 1813 and in his last campaign at Waterloo, some 19 years later. (B,D)

Today we follow General Bonaparte and his Passage of the Po with the resultant battle of Lodi, whose bridge his men stormed on 10 May 1796 earning him his title 'the little corporal'. Here we see Napoleon's use for the first time of his strategy of the 'manoeuvre sur les derrieres'. Check in to our hotel in Verona and our base for the next five nights. (B,D)

This day is dedicated to the crucial battles of August 1796 as the Austrians sought to relieve the siege of Mantua. We visit the battlefields of Lonato and Castiglione, where the French desperately fought off Austrians under General Wurmser who were attempting to relieve the great fortress, and stop at the key strongpoint of Peschiera (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). (B,D)

Wurmser's Austrians were preparing a new advance to relieve Mantua, but Bonaparte pre-empted them with a strike up the valley of the Adige River. We follow his route into the Italian Tyrol and then down the Val Sugana through a series of successful engagements at Rovereto, Trento, Primolano and Bassano before returning to Verona. (B,D)

Now under General Alvinczy, the Austrians tried again leading to fierce fighting east of Verona. We visit the principal battlefields of Caldiero (where the French and Austrians would face one another anew in 1805) and Arcole in the morning. The afternoon takes us to the city of Mantua itself, the object of the Austrian efforts. This magnificent town is surrounded by three lakes and was virtually impregnable. We walk around the steadfast walls, discuss the ferocious battles outside the fortress, and wander through the old town. (B,D)

The French victory at Rivoli on 14 January 1797 provides us with our battlefield study today. This battle effectively ended the Austrian attempts to relieve Mantua and ensured French dominance of the Po Valley. (B,D)

Drive to Milan and to visit the Museum of the Risogimento with, amongst others, its Napoleonic exhibits. Arrive in Alessandria, a city deeply connected with Napoleon's 1800 campaign. (B,D)

This morning is devoted to the Battlefield of Marengo, where Napoleon's dramatic victory over the Austrians cemented his dominance in northern Italy. Your visit includes key sites associated with the battle and a detailed exploration of how the day unfolded, from the morning setbacks to the decisive French counterattack. Fly Milan Linate to London Heathrow. (B)