What to See Verona:

Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo: Verona's most popular site is the balcony said to be Juliet's in Romeo and Juliet. The house said to be Juliet's house is in a courtyard off Via Capello. You can see the balcony and the bronze statue of Juliet for free (you can also rub Juliet's breast for good luck). The 13th century house is a good example of Gothic architecture and inside is a museum with period furniture. You can also see the house attributed to Romeo's family on Via Arche Scaligere and try traditional food of Verona, including horse or donkey meat, at Osteria al Duca.

Rome came to Verona: The 1st century Roman theater and archeological museum are reached by crossing the river on the picturesque stone bridge, Ponte Pietra. The theater is built into a hill overlooking the river and outdoor summer performances are held there. Above the theater, the Archeological Museum is housed in the former Convent of Saint Jerome where brothers dedicated their lives to producing medicine and caring for the ill. Inside are Roman mosaics, Etruscan and Roman bronzes, Roman sculptures, and Roman inscriptions.

Venice:

The grand lady of the canals: Its no surprise that Thomas Mann set his masterpiece about doomed beauty, Death in Venice, in this city. The place has an air of decay about it, as though it is about to crumble into the sea. That persists even though 1,500 years have passed since the Venetians built their Serene Republic on a lagoon. These days, the city is more of a walk-through museum than a dynamic community. Its crisscrossing canals make it all-but impossible to grow, but its preserved quality, frozen in time, is unique and unmissable. It is hard to think of another city you can explore as thoroughly without motorized transportation. Still, its watery construction

is becoming increasingly precarious with global warming, and Venice is steadily sinking. After years of alarm, the city is finally building a series of dykes. But local environmentalists fear that the budget-conscious project, launched during Italys deep recession, might work only for a few decades. For many tourists, the thinking goes, see Venice now before its too late. About 15 million people visit every year, and Venice can feel overrun by them. You wont find any gondola rides on this list. But if you insist on taking one, there are hundreds of gondoliers wholl gladly take you for a ride, figuratively and literally, for around $130. Instead, pack sturdy shoes, and walk. You can cover much of Venice in two days. (Read more: http://style.time.com/2012/11/21/a-guide-tovenice-10-things-to-do/#ixzz2hymfZQQQ)

How would you decorate your office: Begin at the governmental seat of historic Venice on the Grand Canal, in St. Marks Square. (On the other hand, avoid staying in this neighborhood, where many hotels are sub-standard and overpriced.) The palace rooms are covered with frescoes by Renaissance greats like Titian and Tintoretto, who were commissioned to show off the citys wealth, at a time when Venice was a global economic powerhouse and the dukes were the Warren Buffetts of their day. Skip the line by buying tickets at the nearby city tourist office, whose guides are well-informed and passionate both about their citys history and its uncertain future. The Doge's Palace, which overlooks the Piazzetta of St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco), is one of the top attractions in Venice. Also called the Palazzo Ducale, the Doge's Palace was the seat of power for the Venetian Republic La Serenissima - for centuries. The Doge's Palace was the resident of the Doge (the ruler of Venice) and also housed the political bodies of the state, including the Great Council (Maggior Consiglio) and the Council of Ten. Within the lavish complex, there were law courts, administrative offices, courtyards, grand stairways, and ballrooms, as well as prisons on the ground floor. Additional prison cells were located across the canal in the Prigioni Nuove (New Prisons), were built in the late 16th century, and connected to the palace via the Bridge of Sighs. Historical records note that the first Ducal Palace in Venice was built around the end of the 10th century, but much of this Byzantine part of the palace was a victim of subsequent reconstruction efforts. The construction of the most recognizable part of the palace, the Gothic-style south faade facing the water, was begun in 1340 in order to hold the meeting chamber for the Great Council. There were numerous expansions of

the Doge's Palace throughout subsequent centuries, including after 1574 and 1577, when fires ravaged parts of the building. Great Venetian architects, such as Filippo Calendario and Antonio Rizzo, as well as the masters of Venetian painting Tintoretto, Titian, and Veronese contributed to the elaborate interior design. Venice's most important secular building, the Doge's Palace was the home and headquarters of the Venetian Republic for approximately 700 years until 1797 when the city fell to Napoleon. It has been a public museum since 1923

Most city tours combine the basilica and the palace, and are timed so that you enter the 1,000-year-old Byzantine church during the noon hour, when the lights are switched on, illuminating the soaring gold mosaics. To underscore old Venices wealth, a 12th-century painting gifted from Imperial Greece, and studded with emeralds, rubies and amethysts, is on display. You cannot build a city like this unless you are completely loaded, said our guide Andrea. ( Try this 3D Tour the Basilica )

Coffee time: Youll need fortifying after the Palace and Basilica. Indulge your caffeine addiction. After all, this country invented cappuccino, and the priciest cup you might ever drink can be found at Caff Lavena on St. Marks Square, a centuries-old classic. Youll be charged more to sit outdoors and contend with orchestral renditions of Titanic from the in-house orchestra, so sink into a banquette inside under the giant chandelier made of hand-blown Murano glass, for which Venice is famous, and peruse the extremely good guidebook you can purchase at the city tourist office for $7. Read more: http://style.time.com/2012/11/21/a-guide-to-venice-10-things-todo/#ixzz2hy

Mark A Paulda / Getty Images In keeping with Venices morbid reputation, some walking tours focus on spectacularly gruesome murders and intrigues. The finest might be the city-run evening tour through the area of Cannaregio in northwest Venice, about a 15-minute walk from the Rialto Bridge. Apart from telling you about the ghosts which haunt the alleyways like the one

who stalks Venice with blazing coals in his eyesthe walk gives you the chance to leave the tourists behind, and along the quiet lapping canals see how contemporary Venetians live. The city tour starts at 8pm from Campo San Bartolomeo. Tickets are available from the Venice tourist office, which goes by its Italian initials APT, off St. Marks Square. Read more: http://style.time.com/2012/11/21/a-guide-to-venice-10things-to-do/#ixzz2hynNgU5AnCKaO5

Mark A Paulda / Getty Images In keeping with Venices morbid reputation, some walking tours focus on spectacularly gruesome murders and intrigues. The finest might be the city-run evening tour through the area of Cannaregio in northwest Venice, about a 15-minute walk from the Rialto Bridge. Apart from telling you about the ghosts which haunt the alleywayslike the one who stalks Venice with blazing coals in his eyesthe walk gives you the chance to leave the tourists behind, and along the quiet lapping canals see how contemporary Venetians live. The city tour starts at 8pm from Campo San Bartolomeo. Tickets are available from the Venice tourist office, which goes by its Italian initials APT, off St. Marks Square. Read more: http://style.time.com/2012/11/21/a-guide-to-venice-10things-to-do/#ixzz2hynNgU5A

MedioImages / Getty Images One of the citys contributions to the English language is the old Venetian word ghetto. Thousands of Jews regarded Venice as a sanctuary in the 14th century, after being expelled from the rest of Europe. The small area in Cannaregio is still set apart from the rest of the city, and these days has a poignant air about it. The ghetto needed no walls: Christian guards patrolled at night on canal boats, ensuring that no one crossed any bridge after curfew. Today just 450 Jews remain in Venice, and the five synagogues, dating to the 16th century, feature heavily carved interiors, though in a fragile state. The ghettos guides open the buildings only during tours, which they run several times a day. Read more: http://style.time.com/2012/11/21/a-guide-to-venice-10-things-todo/#ixzz2hynYRME8

It is believed that glassmaking in Murano originated in 8th century Rome, with significant Asian and Muslim influences, as Venice was a major trading port. Muranos reputation as a center for glassmaking was born when the Venetian Republic, fearing fire and destruction of the citys mostly wooden buildings, ordered glassmakers to move their foundries to Murano in 1291. Murano glass is still interwoven with Venetian glass. Murano's glassmakers were soon the islands most prominent citizens. By the 14th century, glassmakers were allowed to wear swords, enjoyed immunity from prosecution by the Venetian state, and their daughters permitted to marry into Venices most affluent families. However glassmakers were not allowed to leave the Republic. Many craftsmen took this risk and set up glass furnaces in surrounding cities and as far afield as England and the Netherlands. By the end of the 16th century, three thousand of Murano island's seven thousand inhabitants were involved in some way in the glassmaking industry. Muranos glassmakers held a monopoly on quality glassmaking for centuries, developing or refining many technologies including crystalline glass, enamelled glass (smalto), glass with threads of gold (aventurine), multicoloured glass (millefiori), milk glass (lattimo), and imitation gemstones made of glass. Today, the artisans of Murano are still employing these centuries-old techniques, crafting everything from contemporary art glass and glass figurines to Murano glass chandeliers and wine stoppers. Today, Murano is home to a vast number of factories and a few individual artists' studios making all manner of glass objects from mass marketed stemware to original sculpture. The Museo del Vetro (Glass Museum) in the Palazzo Giustinian houses displays on the history of glassmaking as well as glass samples ranging from Egyptian times through the present day. Murano Glass was produced in great quantities in the 1950s and 1960s for export and for tourists. The process of making Murano glass is rather complex. Most Murano glass art is made using the lampworking technique. The glass is made from silica, which becomes liquid at high temperatures. As the glass passes from a liquid to a solid state, there is an interval wherein the glass is soft before it hardens completely, allowing the artisan to shape the material (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murano_glass)

Ravenna: This is an extraordinary little city which attracts tourists and art lovers from all over the world. Few people know that it has been capital for three times of three different empires: of the Western Roman Empire, of the kingdom of Theodoric king of the Goth and of the Byzantine Empire in Europe. This glorious past is also attested to its basilicas and baptisteries where is kept the richest mosaics of the 5th and 6th centuries. Ravenna has eight monuments included in the UNESCOs World Heritage List. We will visit the tomb of Dante Alighieri (the tomb we visited in Florence was empty )

The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna The Mausoleum and its bare exterior you probably hide wonderful mosaics, the most ancient of Ravenna. The emperor Onorio (who transferred the capital of his empire from Milan to Ravenna) wanted this monument for her sister Galla Placidia. The theme represented with the technique of the mosaic is the victory of life over death according with the future use of the monument. The starry sky represented on the vaulted ceiling is the real protagonist that has quite an effect on the visitors and makes this place unforgettable. It seems that Cole Porter had the same sensation when in the 20s went to Ravenna during his honeymoon. The story tells that was this starry sky that inspired the famous song Night and Day

Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna This temple has an octagonal plan (eight symbolizes the resurrection because it is the result of seven, the time, plus one, the number of God) The Basilica has no nave and aisles in this basilica but just a central frescoed dome with octagonal base. If you succeed in stopping looking at the mosaic, in particular Teodoras face, youll notice on the floor some concentric circles: its a labyrinth, a typical metaphoric picture that can be found in Christian churches. The labyrinth symbolizes the path of salvation from the sin to the purification. If you want to try to go out from that labyrinth we give you a clue: you have to start from the center. The rest is up to you.

The Basilica of Sant'Apollinare The subject of the principle mosaic is Jesus Christ. He appears surrounded by the 4 evangelists and by sheep, symbolizing the apostles. Jesus face is in the middle of a cross, in a circle decorated with 99 stars. This representation is included in a paradise landscape among the sky, green grass, stones, trees, flowers and colored birds.

Florence:

A date with David: The Galleria dellAccademia contains a huge number of magnificent and historic works, but everyone is in line to visit Michelangelos monumental David (1501-04). In 2003, David received a 400,000 clean-up a Renaissance man who took his first bath in 130 years. Other Michelangelo works line the walls of the David salon; among them are his Slaves, masterly but unfinished sculptures struggling to escape from marble prisons. They were intended for Pope Julius IIs tomb, a project Michelangelo was forced to abandon in order to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling in ome. On the right of David is the unfinished Piet Palestrina, often attributed to Michelangelo. The gallery also houses a mixed bag of late Gothic and Renaissance paintings on the ground floor, and a fabulous collection of musical instruments from the Conservatory of Luigi Cherubini.

A visit to the offices: Formally the office of the diMedici family, the Uffizi Gallery is without a doubt the greatest treasure trove of Renaissance art in the world with the quality and quantity of its masterpieces. To see the whole collection takes a lot of time. We will be jumping to the rooms so we dont what most interest you. Start planning your return visit by decree, works housed in the Uffizi NEVER go on loan or travel to other museums of collections. The Duomo beckons us. The result of work spanning more than six centuries, the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, Duomo, dominates the skyline and represents the geographical, cultural and historical center of Florence. Of you havent had enough exercise today, Admission to the cathedral itself is free, but itll cost you 8 to go up

inside the spectacular, 37,000-tonne dome and 6 to check out Campanile the threefloor, 414-step bell tower To eat or to shopthat is the question: If you're interested in leather products such as jackets, bags, belts, gloves or wallets, we will head to the San Lorenzo Market and the area around Piazza Santa Croce. In both areas there are several leather shops where you can buy a nice Italian leather jacket or purses or other leather gifts. Just one recommendation if you intend to buy leather: pay careful attention to both prices and the quality which can vary. Definitely try to bargain, asking for a discount especially if you buy more than one item and carefully study the quality of the item you're buying If food products are on you to do list to take home there will be tons of choices in downtown Florence. The best bet is to head to the covered Market of San Lorenzo and toSant'Ambrogio Market for everything from olive oils to vinegars to truffles. You can also visit Pegna, a famous grocery store near the Duomo where you can literally find everything you might need, or Procacci on Via Tornabuoni which specializes in tasty truffle sandwiches or the Cantinetta da Verrazzano, where you can buy pastries, biscuits or bread.

Assisi: After my familys home in Vermont, Assisi is the greatest place on earth. This small town in central Umbria is approximately half-way between Rome and Florence. The town is a Unesco heritage site known for the magnificent medieval architecture and for being the birthplace of Saint Francis. Unesco regulations have left Assisi virtually untouched by modern architecture, with the soft pink of its medieval buildings shimmering against the greenery of the mountain. Our first view is the ruined castle looming over the city is the Rocca Maggiore, an imposing fortress rebuilt in the 14th century over an earlier fortification dating back to the time of Charlemagne. The Basilica di San Francesco (Basilica of Saint Francis)is easy to recognize by the massive arched buttresses of the convent, is located at the extreme western flank of the town. Saint Francis was born in Assisi in 1182, and the construction of his basilica began two years after his death in 1228. Between the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century, the basilicas walls were frescoed by the best known artists of that time; Giotto, Cimabue, Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti. The Basilica encompasses two churches built one above the other; the lower dating from 1228 1230 and the

upper from 1230 1253. Saint Francis body was buried secretly in an underground crypt while the basilica was under construction and over the next 600 years, the exact location was forgotten. The tomb was rediscovered in 1818 and is now open to the public. I know you all will agree with historian, Ian Campbell Ross: The Basilica of Saint Francis is unique. Nowhere in Italy there is so rich and complete representation of the art of the late 13th and early 14th centuries. One of the supremely important events in the history not only of Italian but of European art. Assisi is uphill both ways but we will enjoy a leisurely stroll through the town. As we walk up the Via Borgo Aretino and Piazza Santa Chiara well have awesome sweeping views over olive groves and the Umbra Valley. Assisi merges many architectural and historic periods so we have the Middle Ages above our heads with our feet on the pavement that was a bustling Roman square. On the Corso Mazzini to Piazza del Comune we will check out the medieval palazzi and the beautifully preserved Temple of Minerva. While we stop to enjoy a gelato, we can check out the Roman foundations that are a common feature of many buildings here including an excavated Roman Forum.

Sorrento: Just across the Bay from Naples lies the Sorrentine Peninsula, perhaps the most beautiful stretch of coastline anywhere in the world. With its beautiful location on the north coast of the peninsula, the small community of Sorrento is perfectly situated looking out over the Bay of Naples, Mount Vesuvius, and the Isle of Capri. It is hard to imagine a more perfect setting than this.

Capri: Capri is a mere half-hours ferry or hydrofoil ride away from Naples. This beautiful island is synonymous with stars, style and impossible glamour but, away from the central Piazzetta, its also a place of stunning natural beauty and calm. Charles Dickens once

wrote In no place on earth are there so many opportunities for d elicious peace and quiet as on this small island.

Keep your fingers crossed. If the weather cooperates we will ride into the Blue Grotto. Its commercial alright but theres no doubting how pretty the iridescent blue water of the grotto is, and the trip there is fun too. Discovered in the time of Tiberius, the place was initially thought to be haunted by evil spirits and so was avoided; it was rediscovered in the 19th century and since then has become one of Capris most popular attractions. When the weather is fine a small rowing boat will take us into the grotto (youll need to lie down in the boat as the opening is very narrow) and, thanks to reflecting sunlight, the water appears to take on the color of sky. If youre lucky, your boatman might even sing you a song so that you can experience the wonderful acoustics. We head to Anacapri and start your day on the top of the world! At least, it feels that way when youre up on Monte Solaro, the islands highest point. After lunch you may wish to take the chair lift to experience Capris priceless, splendid views.

After lunch, we head down to Via Camerelle, the street famous for its luxury boutiques and designer fashion stores. If you've had your eye-fill of window shopping, make your way down Via Serena and then turn right, walking along Via Matteotti until you come to the Gardens of Augustus. Here you will experience Capri like the Romans.

Pompeii: This 2,000-year-old, living time capsule and its environs offer so much to see and do you could easily spend a week exploring Pompeii and still not see it all. Pompeii is the perfect preservation of a vibrant, opulent Roman town in 79 AD, seventeen years before the region had been shook by earthquakes and they were still in the process of repairing the damage, when on the fateful day Versuvius erupted. Pompeii on the edge of the Bay of Naples represents a moment in time, captured in all

its glory and tragic horror. The riches and elegance of the villas, the bars, restaurants, temples and baths are all frozen in time. Rome: Rome is three cities in one - A busy, frantic modern capital, a Baroque Counter Reformation city with over the top opulence and the Eternal City, capital of the Roman Empire. Our time in ome will visit each of omes personalities. If youre on the Lizzy McGuire tour you wont miss a scene (much of the movie was filmed in Vancouver but youll be in the real city) You will visit ancient Coliseum, Forum and Pantheon. Will wonder at the Baroque glory of St. Teresa in Ecstasy at Santa Maria della Vittoria and be awestruck at the Borghese Gallery. Well go back with Lizzy and throw our coins in the Trevi Fountain Totally surrounded by Rome is the one square mile country of the Vatican. This compact gem is the home of one the greatest and most extensive museums in the world. Our highlights include: St. Peters Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum. Where else can you spend time with The Dying Gaul, Pericles, Raphael, Michelangelo and too many more to count !!!