New Italy & Sicily brochure from Sunvil Discovery

Sunvil Discovery has launched its 2014 real Italy & Sicily brochure this week, featuring a range of accommodation including five-star villa hotels, agriturismos (farm properties), apartments, spa resorts and trulli houses (traditional cottages with conical roofs).

For the first time, the operator invites travellers to visit the Ville Venete (Venetian Villas), recommending the Il Burchiello mini-cruise along the Brenta River as the ideal way to explore a selection of three villas. Travelling from Padua to Venice (or vice versa) in a day, on what was once a typical Venetian barge (now an air-conditioned motorboat), there are three guided villa visits, with stops forbridges, locks and lunch.

Prices lead in at ?94 per adult including entrance fees, plus ?27 for an optional lunch.

The company has also added three new properties in the Veneto from which the villas can easily be visited. They include Hotel Villa Margherita in Mira, a four-star 17th century residence, with prices from ?493 per person for three nights' breakfast stay, flights from Heathrow and car hire. The five-star Hotel Villa Franceschi, also in Mira is made up of several 16th century villas and a three-night breakfast stay costs from ?522 including flights and car hire. Hotel NH Mantegna in Padua, a four-star property, has also been introduced, with prices leading in at ?429 for three nights' breakfast accommmodation, flights and car hire.

The operator features a range of gastronomic and wine-themed experiences, from traditional cooking tutorials in the Chianti Hills and limoncello-making classes in Eastern Sicily, to wine-tasting in a Tuscan medieval hilltop hamlet to participation in olive and grape harvests (all payable locally).

Brochure prices lead in at ?458 based on two sharing and including seven nights? self-catering accommodation at the Terra Rossa Apartments in Taormina, flights from Gatwick and private transfers.

For more information see www.sunvil.co.uk or call 020-8758 4722.