VISITING VENETO & Surrounding
Venice can be easily visited in three to four days, so if your stay is longer, you can plan some wonderful weekends in its surroundings. Or even just day trips as many places are within an hour and a half's away from Venice using public transportation. If you are planning an excursion in Veneto see also our suggestions below!
VERONA, the city of Love
But purgatory, torture, hell itself.
Hence-banished is banish'd from the world,
And world's exile is death: then banished,
Is death mis-term'd: calling death banishment,
Thou cutt'st my head off with a golden axe,
And smilest upon the stroke that murders me
Verona is second only to Venice for its historical, cultural and artistic beauties.
Verona was founded by the Romans in the far 49 a.C. It was later a Christian referring point in northern Italy during the carolingio' domination. In 1136 Verona became an independent municipality. In 1136 Verona was the seat of the Vatican Conclave wanted by the Pope Urban III.
Since 1277, the city came under the control of the Scaglieri family untill 1387 when the time of the Visconti's domination took over.
In 1405, Verona submitted to Venice and was again independent only in 1796 when Republic of Venice was invaded by Napoleon.
Verona, as well as Venice, attract every year thousands of tourists specially from abroad, attracted by stories and legends which deal with the city, such as the story of Romeo & Juliet, just to say the least.
So, if you decide to have a trip around Verona, there are some things you must to visit:
- The Roman arena is the architectural work for which Verona is famous in the world. Unlike the Colosseum in Rome, this arena it's more preserved. It was built in 30 A.D., where several kind of performances (matches, concerts, stage plays) were held.
The area is able to seat almost 30,000 people, and thanks to its well preserved shape and outstanding acoustics, the building hostes musical performances between June and August.
- The Basilica of St. Zeno is a masterpiece in Romananesque style, built in honour of St. patron of Verona. It preserves several artistic works like those of Mantegna;
- St. Mary Matricolare is the cathedral of Verona. The cathedral is a perfect mix of Romanesque and Gothic elements, in line with the artistic peculiarities of the Veneto. On the façade there are sculptures and low relieves representing scenes from the Old Testament.
The well tower was designed by San Micheli, one of the greatest architect from Veneto like Palladio and Sansovino. About the interior, composed by three naves, the church contains significant works, such as the tomb of St. Aghata.
- The Church of St. Lorenzo it'ss in the old city centre of Verona near the Adige. The origin of the Church comes back to the IV century but it was completely reconstructed in the first half of XII century due to an earthquake. The interior is composed by three naves, separated by high columns forming spans;
- Palazzo Barbieri is the seat of the Municipality of Verona, placed in Piazza Brà. It's in neoclassical style, projected by the engineer Giuseppe Barbieri in 1836 and concluded in 1848. During the dominion of the Asburgo, the palace was destined for war purposes.
It became the seat of Municipality after the annexation of Veneto to Italian Reign. During the 2nd World War, the palace was seriously damaged but quickly rebuilt by Raffaele Benatti and Guido Troiani.
Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet is strictly connected to Verona.
The famous English playwright choose in fact Verona for the seat of its most famous tragedy, but the Romeo and Juliet characters never existed.
Nevertheless the literary myth managed to replace reality; so every day in via Capelli, according to the legend the seat of Juliet's house, it is crowded with people and love couples excited for taking a picture on the balcony to remember a unique moment.
Verona is very reachable thanks to the train service (www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html) and thanks to the efficient public and private transports.
Public transport around Verona is provided by AMT: website:www.amt.it
PADUA
Padua, a small city not too far from Venice, is well-known to be a centre of culture and tradition. Padua offers to tourists the possibility to visit masterpieces like those of Donatello and Giotto. A small park between the railway station and the old city centre occupies the space where once was the residence of the Scrovegni.
The palace was demolished in XIX century and only the chaplet survived to demolition. There you can admire one of the greatest frescoes of Giotto.
The ancient university is just in the middle of the old city centre. Inside, there is the room once used for anatomical studies. The university of Padua was the first to allow Galileo to teach, in a time when Church supposed to condemn him.
The very big Palazzo della Ragione, seat of the Tribunal, divides Piazza della Frutta from Piazza delle Erbe. Not to far from Erbe, there is the Palazzo del Capitano that once gave hospitality to the representative personalities of Venetian Republic.
The cathedral of Padua goes back to the XVI century and it's near the most ancient baptistery (XIV century). In the south of Padua, the Basilica of St. Antonio is located, a church built in the half of XIV century in Romanesque and Gothic style.
The Gattamelata, a statue by Donatello in honour of Erasmo da Narni, is placed just in front of the Church. Prato della Valle is a vast elliptical area surrounded by trees, channels, bridges and statues.
If you visit Padua, don't forget to have an aperitif drink in one of the typical little beverage businesses that you'll find in the city centre. It's a typical Venetian custom, that involves every kind of person who catch the occasion for exchanging patters.
or by train service provided by trenitalia www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html
We suggest to move around Padua by foot or by using public transportation provided by APS--> www.apsholding.it
VICENZA
Vicenza
is another city that you can't afford to miss! It's famous specially because of its buildings designed by the architect Palladio.
His last work was the Teatro Olimpico (Olympic Theatre) that was concluded by Vincenzo Scamozzi after Palladio's death.
Palazzo Chiericati is another building designed by Palladio that today accommodates the municipal museum. Palladio's building is also the manneristic palace Valmarana Braga. In 1594, Palladio began to restore the present Basilica according to a classical taste.
An unchallenged masterpiece is the Rotonda, placed on the hills of Vicenza.
How to get there from Venice:
you carn use both the train www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html
www.ftv.vi.it
www.sita-on-line.it/sita-veneto/
Even Vicenza is very comfortable by foot and by bicycle. You can use also public transportation provided by AIM-->www.aimvicenza.it
TREVISO
Old city centre of Treviso is one of the most evocative Italian centre. It continues to fascinate visitors with its delightful medieval and renaissance glimpses. In Piazza dei Signori, the Palazzo del Trecento of XIV century was the ancient residence of the Municipality. Under the porticos of Calmaggiore, you'll find the main shopping street. The cathedral has frescoes of Pordenone and Titian.
In the west zone of the town, you'll find the large terracotta structure built between the XIII and XIV century by Domenicians in honour of St. Niccolò and the municipal museum Luigi Ballo. In the east zone, there are medieval churches like those of St. Francesco and St. Caterina.
We suggest also to visit the small but very suggestive insland of Pescheria.
How to get there: Like Venice Treviso provides a very good bus service thanks to Atvo-->www.atvo.it and Sita-->www.sita-on-line.it/sita-veneto/
Around Treviso you can use public transportation offered by ACTT-->www.actt.it
RIVIERA del BRENTA
"The quiet plan of rivers, defined between the mountains and the sea, is like a spacious bed where the winds from the mountain and the ones from the sea join together."
The coast of Brenta constitutes one of the most interesting attractions of the Venetian countryside. It's a town filled with history, culture, on top of having beautiful landscapes. The area runs from Padua to the lagoon of Venice.
History of the Brenta comes back to the V a. C century, when Romans built important road aces and put into practice an intensive agriculture. Later, it was the time when Germans and liege lords substituted Roman occupation. In 819
thanks to the Benedictine monks, a monastery was built; it signed the beginning of a more developed culture.
In 1405, Venice managed to assume the definite control of the Brenta. The beauty of the landscape caught the attention of many noble families in the XVI and XVII centuries who chose the area for building their rural residences.
The villas are still nowadays the most beautiful attraction of Brenta. The beauty of this fluvial landscape also attracted many famous people like Goldoni, Casanova, Byron, D'Annunzio. Moreover, the area it's recognized for its gastronomy tradition as culinary art extends in throughout Veneto.
Most beautiful villas of Brenta:- Villa Foscari
- Villa Rezzonico
- Villa Contarini
- Villa Venier
