Northern Italy – Veneto

VENICE – the designation “unique” is much over-used in travel descriptions and yet is an entirely appropriate adjective when applied to the city of Venice. From its humble beginnings as a collection of islands in swampy marshlands, Venice rose to rule over an enormously powerful empire and is today considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

• PIAZZA SAN MARCO – the magnificent Piazza San Marco was described by Napoleon as ‘the drawing room of Europe’, and remains a wonderful architectural and social space surrounded by glorious buildings, elegant shops and cafés,
• BASILICA DI SAN MARCO – this most famous and evocative creation blends the styles of East and West to create one of Europe’s greatest buildings, with bronzes, bas reliefs, coloured marble, 17th century mosaics and some of Italy’s finest Romanesque carving.
• PALAZZO DUCALE (Doge’s Palace) – the official residence of the Venetian rulers is a triumph of Gothic architecture, breaking with previous Venetian tradition by perching the bulk of the palace, built in pink Veronese marble, above an airy confection of white loggias and arcades.
• MUSEO CORRER – Teodoro Correr bequeathed his extensive collection of works of art to Venice in 1830, thus forming the core of the city’s fine civic museum, the Museo Correr. Its extensive collection of works of art are hung chronologically, presenting a visual evolution of Venetian painting, and exploring the influences of Ferrarese, Paduan and Flemish artists of the Venetian school.
• GALLERIA DELL’ ACCADEMIA – This important gallery of Venetian paintings contains the finest examples of art from the 14^th to 18^th The Academy, founded in 1750 by the painter Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, first opened its doors to the public in 1817, by which time the collections had been augmented by Napoleon’s addition of numerous works of art removed from the city’s churches and monasteries. Byzantine, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque paintings are exhibited, displaying the full spectrum of influences upon centuries of Venetian artists.
• SCUOLA GRANDE DI SAN ROCCO – Founded in honour of San Rocco, a monk who dedicated his life to helping the sick, the Scuola was built in 1515-1549 as a charitable confraternity. The construction was financed by donations from Venetians keen to invoke the saint’s protection and quickly became one of the wealthiest institutions in the city. In 1564 its members commissioned Tintoretto to decorate the walls and ceilings, a commission which resulted in over 50 great works that now fill the Upper Hall and Ground Floor Hall.
• CA REZZONICO – Located on the Grand Canal this magnificent Baroque Palazzo houses the Museum of 18^th century Venice.
• SANTA MARIA GLORIOSA DEI FRARI – a vast Gothic church which was completed in the mid-15th century, replacing the earlier Franciscan building. The airy interior is striking for its sheer size and for the magnificence of its works of art, including masterpieces by Titian and Bellini, statuary by Donatello, and several grandiose tombs, not least of which is that of the sculptor Canova.
• CHURCH OF SAN ZACCARIA – a successful blend of flamboyant Gothic and Classical Renaissance styles. It contains vault frescoes by Castagno and polyptychs by Antonio Vivarini and Giovanni d’Alemagna, and the serene and sumptuously coloured Madonna and Child with Saints by Giovanni Bellini.
• CHURCH OF SAN GIORGIO MAGGIORE – one of the most famous and beautiful churches of Palladio, which stands on an island of the same name in the coveted position facing St Mark’s Square across the water.

VERONA – situated on the Adige River, Verona is most famous as the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. However, of far more significance are its Roman foundations and in particular the vast first century Roman amphitheatre which today hosts concerts and major opera performances.

• The ARENA – a vast Roman amphitheatre dating from the first century; it is the third largest in existence and one of the best preserved of its kind Restored in the 16th century, it has been used continually for spectator events ever since.
• MUSEO DI CASTELVECCHIO – built by Cangrande II della Scala, who also lived here between 1354 and 1356. The Civic Art Museum houses Pisanello’s Madonna of the Quail, paintings by Turone, Altichiero and Stefano da Verona, the Sacred Family by Mantegna, and the great Renaissance Veronese artists.  A separate room hosts works by great masters from the 16th to the 18th century, including Veronese and Tintoretto.
• CHURCH OF SAN ZENO MAGGIORE – located to the west of Verona, the church is one of the finest Romanesque churches in Italy. It is famed for its doors, which are decorated with a number of 8th and 9th century panels depicting scenes of the Old and New Testaments, and the miracles of San Zeno.  The interior itself is cavernous, and contains cloisters, a crypt and a beautiful high Renaissance Nativity by Mantegna.
• SANT’ANASTASIA – the largest church in Verona, built by Dominican priests between the 14th and 15th centuries over an existing church. The church is home to several important works of art, especially medieval masterpieces.

VICENZA – the great city of Palladio celebrated the world over for its splendid and varied architecture. Born Andrea di Pietro della Gondola in Padua, and nicknamed Palladio by his patron, the architect virtually rebuilt Vicenza in his distinctive style which rediscovers classicism and which dominates the villas of the surrounding Veneto countryside.

• TEATRO OLIMPICO – is Europe’s oldest surviving indoor theatre, and was designed by Palladio in 1579 for the Vicenza Accademia Olimpica to stage theatrical performances. This was Palladio’s last project, which opened after he died with a performance of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. Perfectly preserved, the semicircular indoor theatre recalls the design of ancient Greek venues.  Completed by his pupil, the theatre is a remarkable structure built largely of wood and plaster and painted to give the appearance of marble.
• PINACOTECA PALAZZO CHIERICATI – one of Palladio’s most original and interesting works which he designed early in his career for Gerdamo Chiericati. It has housed the Civic Art Gallery since 1855 with a collection of paintings, sculpture and applied arts from the 13th to the 18th centuries.
• CHURCH OF SANTA CORONA – built in the mid-13th century to house a thorn from Christ’s crown. The church displays several important works of art, including the Baptism of Christ by Bellini and Veronese’s Adoration of the Magi.
• VILLA CAPRA ‘LA ROTONDA’ – the most famous of Palladio’s villas; this perfectly symmetrical villa is the epitome of Palladian architecture. A pleasant contrast exists between the white walls, terracotta roof tiles and green lawns.  Immediately acclaimed for the way in which the villa blends with its surroundings, it has been much imitated with copies as far away as St Petersburg, London and Delhi.

PADUA – one of the most prosperous cities of the Roman Empire. The city is renowned as the home to ground-breaking frescoes by Giotto and Italy’s second-oldest university.

• SCROVEGNI CHAPEL – one of Giotto’s most famous works. Enrico Scrovegni, the Paduan sponsor of the artist, was extremely rich and ambitious, and in 1300 he acquired the area of the Arena in order to build a palace with a chapel.  Giotto painted one of the major fresco cycles in western art, including Scenes from the Life of Joachim, Scenes from the Life of the Virgin and Scenes from the Life of Christ.  On the back wall, the Florentine artist also painted a single grandiose scene, The Final Judgement.
• BASILICA DEL SANT’ANTONIO – known locally as Il Santo (the Saint), it was built in the 12th century and dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua whose body is buried at the centre of the Latin cross in front of the high altar. Works in the basilica include The Passion by Altichiero and Life of St James by Avanzo, in addition to sculptures by Donatello.
• LOGGIA E ODEO CORNARO – are what remains of a larger complex of Renaissance buildings dating from the 16^th The Loggia was a setting for theatrical and musical entertainment whilst the Odea was intended as a place for debate and intellectual conversation. Interesting frescoes allude to alchemy and the mystery of rituals.