Aino & Alvar Aalto – The Honeymoon route in Italy

Italy has a privileged space in the lives and careers of Aino, Alvar and Elissa Aalto. In October 1924, Aino and Alvar chose Italy for their honeymoon, largely following an itinerary that Aino had already experienced three years earlier after graduating in architecture. 

The young couple left Helsinki on their way to Italy on 8 October 1924 via Tallinn, Vienna and Innsbruck. Their Italian itinerary ended in Venice on 30 October, the main places visited being Verona, Padova and Firenze, but mostly Venice. 

This travel has been most influential in their lives and careers and was a solid ground for a successful network with Italian avant garde architects. From this comes the “Aino & Alvar Aalto Honeymoon Route”, promoted by Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, with Alvar Aalto Foundation and the Aalto Family and supported by a large partnership. 

The second edition (9–12 October 2026) opens an exciting new chapter in this “route of memory” designing a slightly different itinerary and adding new focusing on Aino Marsio-Aalto’s travels to Italy from 1921 to 1924. What kind of Italy did Aino and Alvar Aalto encounter during these formative years? 

Through seminars, readings and guided tours in historic cities and landscape, the programme invites participants to rediscover the country as it appeared a century ago. Also, the 2026 programme takes on a strong symbolic significance, as it marks ninety years since Aino’s success as head of Artek, crowned by the Gold Medal at the 1936 Triennale, and fifty years since Alvar’s death. 

Participants may either book the complete bus tour from Florence to Venice (25–30 places) or attend selected individual events.

More information: aaltoitalia100@gmail.com and Alvar Aalto Foundation
Booking: Fill in registration form.

Programme / full trip:

Thursday 8 October
Firenze
Arrival and possible welcome dinner (20:00) 

Friday 9 October 
Fiesole
9:30 visit the Franziscan monastery (visited by Aino in June 1921) 
10:30 Opening seminar at Fondazione Giovanni Michelucci 
13:30-15:00 light lunch at Fattoria di Maiano 
Florence 
16:00 Visit San Miniato al Monte and Piazzale Michelangelo with the view on the city 
17:00-18:30 walking tour to Oltrarno and city centre and visit the Sacello Rucellai 
20:00 Dinner

Saturday 10 October 
Florence – Padua 
9:30-11:30 visit the Charterhouse in Galluzzo 
Travel to Padua 
Padua 
15:30-18:30: guided tour in the city centre : Palazzo della Ragione, Cappella Ovetari, Cappella degli Scrovegni. Visit Caffè Pedrocchi, Heritage site. 
20:00 dinner

Sunday 11 October 
Padua – Monselice (a tour in the landscape) 
9:00 departure from Padua, visit Arquà (Casa Petrarca), Villa Selvatico in Battaglia Terme, Light lunch 
15 visit Monselice, and Villa Duodo 
17:30 departure to Venice 
19:00 arrival at Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Isola San Giorgio (accommodation in the former convent) 
Free evening

Monday 12 October 
Venice 
10:30 Visit the former San Giorgio Convent (today Fondazione Giorgio Cini) and San Giorgio Maggiore church by Andrea Palladio 
12:30 Special tour in Palazzo Ducale Free lunch 
15:30-18:00 seminar at Fondazione Giorgio Cini