I have organized an incredible trip to the Veneto Region of Italy, from Saturday, February 3rd, 2018 to Sunday, February 11, 2018! The Romans ruled Veneto until the 5th century AD, followed by the Republic of Venice until 1797, then it was part of the Austrian Empire until 1866, when it became part of what we now know as Italy!
This history gives a depth and breadth of beauty to the region’s art, culture, architecture and cuisine that is simply amazing! Verona is a jewel on the River Adige and a city of many faces, Roman, Medieval and Renaissance.
Verona is known as the city of love because William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, a tragic love story was set here.
We will begin our tour in Verona which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site city. This visually stunning city of excellence encompasses 2,000 years of history.
We take an easy day trip to the small city of Mantua that is a treasure offering amazing cuisine and a beautiful palace. Referred to as the sleeping Beauty of Italy, it is built around 3 artificial lakes and has been largely untouched since the Middle Ages.
We will visit the amazing city of Padua, which is believed to be the oldest city in Northern Italy, with an university that was founded in 1222. The history of European medicine is housed here and displays the oldest surviving permanent anatomical theatre in Europe and the podium where Galileo taught mathematics! The Botanical Gardens of Padua are a UNESCO World Heritage site and the Capella degli Strovegni is famous for it’s fresco cycle by Giotto, considered one of the most important masterpieces of Western art. This is just a highlight of Padua’s unique sites! Padua is only a 24-minute train ride to the Grand Canal in Venice! The Italians stay in Padua while visiting Venice. You can avoid the crowds and high prices of Venice and enjoy a jewel of a city to sleep peacefully in that often goes unnoticed due to its big sister Venice. We will visit Venice on two separate occasions to see St. Mark’s Cathedral and square, do a walking tour and of course experience Carnival with all of its costumes and fun!