SOCIAL PROGRAMME

Participants and accompanying persons are welcome to attend the social function. Detailed information on the Social Programme will be available at the time of the congress.


Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Cagliari, Ancient Rectory Palace

18.00 Accademic Ceremony - Honoris Causa Degree
         for Prof. Maurice Bruhat

H. 20.00 - Cocktail Dinner


Thursday, October 14, 2004
Chia Laguna Congress Venue

17:00 – 19:30 Opening Ceremony
All registered delegates and accompanying persons are invited to attend the Opening Ceremony, where the President of ESGE Italy 2004, along with other members of the Executive Board, will address the audience.

19:30 – 20:30 Welcome Cocktail
After the opening ceremony, participants will be invited to the welcome reception in the exhibit area. Dress: Smart Casual. Free of charge for fully registered participants and accompanying persons


Saturday, October 16, 2004

20:30 Congress Social Dinner
Location to be communicated.
A shuttle bus will bring (and return) the participants from the official congress hotels to (from) the dinner location.Price: 100 EURO per person (Vat 20% to be added to the rate).

ACCOMPANYING PERSONS PROGRAMME

All registered accompanying persons are invited to join the following alternative HALF DAY TOURS on Friday 15, October 2004.

A) NORA – Pula
Guided archaeological visit to Nora, the ancient Phoenician-Punic and Roman town, where the Thermal Baths, the Roman theatre, the Temples, the wonderful Mosaics and the ruins of numerous private buildings along the shore are still visible and almost intact. The ancient ruins of Nora lie some 30 minutes from Chia. Founded by the Phoenician seafarers around the 9th century B.C. as a strategic market on their trade routes around the Mediterranean, it was a very important stopover before starting long trips to Britain to gather raw materials. Nora was later conquered by the Carthaginian warriors and, as result of the furious Punic wars it fell under the Roman Empire in 238 B.C. On the way back to Chia a brief stop in the little town of Pula for shopping (typical local handicraft)

B) CAGLIARI
The city of Cagliari is the Chief Town and centre of political, economic and cultural life in Sardinia. It is situated in the middle of the coast, looking out onto the splendid “Golfo degli Angeli”. Cagliari lies between the sea, the lagoons and the hills, with the majestic profile of the “Castello” (Castle) rising up towards the skyline. The origins of the city can be traced back to the Phoenicians, as its name Karalis or Karales would seem to suggest. However, the settlement’s growth and development occurred under the dominion of the Carthaginians, when it became an important trading centre, thanks to its natural harbour in the Mediterranean. A guided city tour of the Old Town, the “Castello” district (the headquarters of the Spanish rulers for four centuries) will start from the most famous historic sites and architectural monuments of the city as: the tower of “Elefante” built in 1307, the tower of S.Pancrazio (among the most beautiful medieval military works in the Mediterranean), the Piazza Palazzo and its beautiful Cathedral of S.Maria, the Bastion of S. Remy .
Both Tours will depart from the Chia Laguna Resort at 9:00 hrs and return approximately at 13:00 hrs. The accompanying person Half-Day Tours are based on a minimum of 30 participants.
In order to guarantee your participation to one of the above tours, please mark properly the respective box on the enclosed Registration Form.

FULL-DAY OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS & TOURS

will be available to all delegates and accompanying persons. A selection of just some of the Tours on offer are listed below.

Barumini: the Nuraghe complex of “Su Nuraxi (by Bus)
The Nuragic village of “Su Nuraxi” lies on the outskirts of Barumini on the top of a small hill and represents the most significant architectural expression of the Proto Sardinian Megalithic civilization. This group of buildings covers an area of more than 1.000 square mt. The settlement was inhabited from the end of the XV century B.C. up until the Roman Era and had an important strategic and defensive role to play. The central tower (built in 1500 B.C.), is protected by the surrounding, quatre-foiled bastions, with a courtyard and well in the centre.The entire structure is then encircled by the imposing defence walls with their five towers. Outside the walls, 50 huts spread out to form the village. Among these primitive dwellings there is also that of the chief, as well as designated areas linked to specific domestic and sacred activities, ovens, wells and open hearths for fires, all of which are evidence of a complex social system. Around the complex rises a village consisting of sacred edifices and ruins of houses.
Rate per person: 95 Euros + VAT - IVA
(lunch & beverage, entrance tickets included)
Minimum number of persons requested: 30

Santadi and Montessu (by Bus)
The Santadi district abounds in traces of human settlements dating back to Phoenician-Punic times, such as the fortress of Pani Loriga. This site consists of an acropolis with dwellings and a necropolis with a tophet and a shrine. There are about 150 tombs in total and the fortress dates back to around the VII century B.C. A guided visit to the beautiful grottoes of Is Zuddas, formed in the limestone of Monte Meana, 236 m. above sea level (originated more than 600 million years ago). The Is Zuddas caves are of great speleological interest because of their incredible concretions. In the first chamber visitors can admire the marvellous stalactites and stalagmites forming impressive columns, a natural passage then leads into the so-called ‘organ room’, which gets its name from the column formation resembling organ pipes Just inside the entrance visitors can also see the remains of a pre-historic rodent which became extinct about 400 years ago, the Prolagus Sardus. After lunch, in the afternoon a guided visit to the archaeological site of Montessu, considered the oldest town in Sardinia.
This is a necropolis consisting in the “Domus de Janas” of Montessu and situated on the crowing of two large adjoining, natural amphitheatres. The necropolis is about 200 metres above the sea level and about 2 km from the village.
Rate per person: 95 Euros + VAT - IVA
(lunch & beverage, entrance tickets included)
Minimum number of persons requested: 30

Both Tours will depart from the lobby of Chia Laguna Resort at 9:00 hrs and return approximately at 18:00 hrs.

Excursion with Jeeps will be available upon request.
Jeep tours can be arranged in the mountains and through the rolling white dunes and salted pools along the coasts, culminating in a local style barbecue lunch.
The island fauna boasts various species of extraordinary importance that have by now often disappeared from other regions in Europe. For this special excursion the routes offered may be different, as regards the difficulty level.
There will be the possibility to admire the countless bays, both sandy and rocky and to breathe the intense scent of the Mediterranean scrub that covers the mountainous region.

POST-CONGRESS TOURS

Tour of ALGHERO (3 days – 2 nights)
Departure from Chia Laguna by bus to Alghero.
The town of ALGHERO enjoys a favourable geographic position, situated about 300 miles from Spain, in line with Barcellona, in the direction of the dominant west and Mistral winds. At the same time it is protected from the north winds by the two promontories of Capo Caccia and Punta Giglio. Behind the sandy beaches of the gulf there is an expanse of flat, fertile land with lagoons and small tributaries, which opens up further north into the vast Nurra plain.
The town of Alghero gets its name from the seaweed which the currents of the sea wash up and deposit on the beaches in large mounds. The town was founded in 1102 by the powerful Doria family, from Genoa.
Alghero is particularly fascinating because it has two distinct faces. Its historical centre (entirely pedestrian) is surrounded by the impressive city defence walls, still largely intact today, and gives visitors the unique chance of stepping back in time as they wander through the narrow cobbled streets, lined with the original sandstone buildings. The Tour includes:
• Tour to the Anghelu Ruju Prenuragical Necropolis
• Alghero Sightseeing and shopping
• Visit of the fantastic sea Grottoes of Neptuno under the cliffs of “Capo Caccia”, a refuge of the last Nun-Seal specimens.
Prices: Hotel*** 480 Euros per person in single room - full board basis (2 nights). in double room 410 Euros per person.
All tours offered in this programme have been arranged exclusively for registered delegates and their guests. Excursions and tours will be accompanied by English speaking guides. Lunch and dinner will be included, where mentioned.
All tours require a minimum of 30 registrants and the organizers reserve the right to cancel a tour should there be insufficient interest.
All rates are VAT - IVA not included.
Deadline for reservations: September 15, 2004

Please contact the Organizing Congress Secretariat, Giglio Service srl, for reservation and further information on Excursions and tours or visit the congress Website:
www.giglioservice.com/esge2004.