We were staying in nearby Guarda Veneta and looked for a town to visit. We didn't wanna see a big…read moretown, but something smaller and less-known. We haven't heard of Montagnana before, but just seen some pics online. So headed here and parked just outside of the walls on the Viale Spalato. Free and safe! The walls and the town itself are incredibly well-preserved and an impressive piece of architecture. The walls around town are really complete...and they really DO surround the whole town. It's nice just to walk around it, makes some nice pics. But be sure to get into town as well. Lots of nice sights and good restaurants and desserts. We came on a sunday and the town was pretty much deserted....except for some locals. And our car the only one on the parcheggio. We enjoyed having the town for ourselfes. If you don't mind that many stores are closed, then sunday it should be. It is quite stunning, that this fantastic place isn't more well-known. Still a bit of a secret. But among Italians it seems famous enough, there are festivities in and around the walls quite regularly.

In the heart of the wonderful medieval town of Montagnana you'll find this gothic Cathedral…read more Smack in the middle of the Piazza it is quite a sight, built from 1431-1502 with some later additions. Around the Duomo the are festivities and events during the year, making it a great sight with the Duomo in the back. If you want the place for yourself I recommend a sunday in high season, when the town is almost deserted (we liked it). Montagnana is not yet that famous or popular internationally, but it sure as well should be.

Venice's only Gothic church. It is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. It is simply called "I…read moreFrari" as it was built by the brothers (frati) of the Franciscan order. LOCATION: In the San Polo sestiere but I remember just stumbling onto it while walking the island from my hotel in Dorsoduro to the train station on the opposite side of the island. ADMISSION: €3 Modest dress requested. I'm an atheist but as Christianity was highly influential in shaping European history I visit churches with the intent of understanding the history (and sometimes) art in shaping a region's cultural identity. As the Frari is not in San Marco, Rialto or any other major Venetian landmark I would've easily missed this church if not for Rick Steves' audioguide (http://podcasts.ricksteves.com/walkingtours/FrariChurch.mp3). His reasoning is that offers an opportunity to experience art in-situ (right where it was designed to be seen) as opposed to hanging in a museum. The audioguide explains the major art pieces in detail way better than I ever can. Here's a summary of the major pieces inside the church. - Titian's Assumption of Mary. This is considered to be Titian's magnum opus and his first major commission from a church. It's located behind the main altar. Its depiction of Mary was revolutionary for its time as she is seen as triumphant and depicted in soft and warm colors. - Titian's Madonna of Ca' Pesaro. What's significant is that this broke Renaissance tradition by depicting Mary and Jesus off-center and interacting with the commonfolk. - Giovanni Bellini's Madonna and Child aka the Frari Triptych. - Tombs of Titian and Canova. Titian had his tomb decorated with a relief of his most famous painting. On the other side Canova's cenotaph (Venice's most famous sculptor) is pyramid-shaped and was once meant for Titian, but when the church used the present design his pupils repurposed it for their master instead. It's a cenotaph because he isn't buried here but an urn contains his heart. Once you're done exploring the church the surrounding area is quieter than San Marco or Rialto. It makes for a good lunch/dinner spot and the prices are more reasonable.

Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (aka Frari Church) was one of my favorite attractions in Venice…read more The church is beautiful, there were no lines to wait in, and the cost was only 3 Euros per person. Frari church has many beautiful Venetian sculptures. The main highlight at this church is Titian's Assumption over the main alter. We downloaded Rick Steves' free audio tour onto to our iPods and it really added to the experience since our knowledge on Venetian art and Frari Church were minimal. You can download the free audio tour at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/italy-audio-tours/id272230438 After you visit the church I recommend checking out the Dorsoduro neighborhood along the Grand Canal and buying a cone of gelato!

A beautiful building located at the Piazza del Signori in Vicenza, Italy. The architecture is…read moresimply amazing. As we sat at the Piazza you can't help but admire this beautiful structure.

There is so much history in Vicenza and the Basilica is a huge part of that history…read more "The Palladian Basilica is a public building facing onto the Piazza dei Signori. Its name is linked to Andrea Palladio, who redesigned it, adding the famous loggias with serliana openings in white marble to the existing Gothic building. The building on which Palladio worked was the Palazzo della Ragione, built in Gothic style in the mid-fifteenth century. The upper floor is entirely taken up by an enormous hall with no intermediate supports, where the Council of the Four Hundred met. The copper-lined, inverted ship's-hull roof was inspired by that of the Palazzo della Ragione in Padua. The Gothic facade was originally clad with diamonds of red and straw yellow Verona marble, which are still visible behind Palladio's addition. A loggia surrounding the building was commissioned after its completion, but continually delayed due to various structural difficulties and the nature of the ground beneath. At the beginning of the sixteenth century the double order of porticoes and loggias, though not complete, collapsed. The Council called on many leading architects of the time to resolve the difficult problem of its reconstruction. They included Jacopo Sansovino, Sebastiano Serlio and Giulio Romano. The project was awarded to Andrea Palladio (1508-80) in 1549, following a competition, and he worked on it for the rest of his life. It was completed posthumously in 1614. The reconstructed building was called a basilica by Palladio himself, who had been inspired by the model of the Roman basilica for civic use." The building has three independent exhibition spaces that are used to host architecture and art exhibitions of international renown. http://www.museicivicivicenza.it/en/tbc/basilica_palladiana.php In the Summer months they offer a pass for 5euro and you can go up to the top and walk around on all the levels as often as you like. One time guests only need to pay 1euro. There's a nice bar on the rooftop and it is one of my favorite spots in the city to watch the evening sky change or a storm roll in.

Impressive medieval building in the heart of downtown Padua anchors the city center. Flanked by…read moreActive town squares with shopping, outdoor dining Anna vibrant food and flower markets. Worth a visit if you're in the area.

The tallest in Verona @84 meters and visible from pretty much anywhere in the city, Torre Del…read moreLamberti is easily found-just few minutes from Juliet's house. Constructed in 12th century and rebuilt several times after, this is the only private tower in Verona built by Lamberti family in the heart of the old town in Erbe square. Entry fee is 6 €, unless you are a teacher, part of the group, press etc when it's significantly reduced. We decided for the free panoramic views from Castel San Pietro terrace of the whole city, including this must see tower.

I have fallen hopelessly in love with Verona…read more And this tower is one of the reasons. LOCATION ======== Go to the Piazza delle Erbe and at the heart of this piazza is the Torre dei Lamberti. HISTORY ======= Tower dates from the 12th century, although it has been added to and changed since then. A lightning knocked its top off in 1403. Several decades later, the tower was restored and made even higher. It is now the tallest in Verona at 84 meters. VIEW ===== Some people take the elevator, but we decided to climb all 368 steps to reach the top. Good exercise and spectacular view on a clear day. PRO TIPS ======== Watch out for the ringing of the bells. I almost shat in my pants when it rung (next to my ear). INFO ==== Address: Via della Costa, 1, Piazza delle Erbe Hours: Open June-Sept: Mon 1:45pm-7:30pm; Tues-Sun 9:30am-7:30pm (last admission 30 min. before closing). Closed Oct-May. Admission: Admission by lift/on foot €3/2

Highly recommend! Our waiter Christian was very accommodating. This is a very upscale restaurant,…read morebut we were only looking for wine, cheese and a spot to sit for the afternoon. It was an unusual request, but he allowed us to sit in their beautiful outdoor seating and recommended a delicious wine from the region of Verona. I would return to eat a full meal here if we had more time! The owner even came out to welcome us and make sure we were taken care of! Grazie Ponte Pietra for welcoming us!

Translated as "Stone Bridge," the Ponte Pietra dates back to the original Roman occupation here in…read more100 BC. As such, it is the oldest bridge in Verona. The bridge crosses the Adige River and has access to the Roman theater on the east bank. The arch nearest the right bank was rebuild in 1298 by Alberto I della Scala. The bridge was partially destroyed by retreating German troops during World War II but was rebuilt with the original materials in 1957. You'll want to check out the profile of the bridge to see the combination of materials showing the original white stone and the replacement bricks. The bridge is a pedestrian-only crossing. [Review 16992 overall - 197 in Italy - 508 of 2022.]

The Funicolare is a must do when visiting Verona!! We checked in at our hotel on a Friday afternoon…read moreand our hostess shared with us some great place to eat, sight see, and do around the area. The next morning we started off our weekend with a nice walk to see more of Verona! We got there and there was no line, the staff at the desk were friendly and helpful despite knowing very little Italian. The ride is only a few Euros for a round trip! It was nice to see some locals enjoying it as well, we got to be on the lift with a cute family, Mother, son, and grandparents. The lift itself is a smooth ride, not too fast or too slow. As you ascend you begin to see more of Verona and its historical buildings are stunning to see at a distance. Once we arrived at the top there was a nice little shop up top. You could get a cup of coffee, a spritz, or snacks! It's the perfect place to have a shop like this! We stayed up on the top for awhile walking around the area and looking at the views! My boyfriend and I love learning about different cultures and it was nice to soak it all in. We immersed ourselves in the knowledge that we were in a city much older than the one we live in. We got a few great shots of the view, enjoyed the beauty and headed back down. I definitely recommend the nice walk over to the Funicolare from the city anytime you're in Verona! It's a must see and I imagine even more beautiful at different times of the day and different seasons!

I have an unhealthy obsession with funiculars. I don't rightly know when this started, or which…read morefunicular spurred this intense love - maybe Prague? Or Salzburg? - but it's a fact that if I hear a place has a funicular, I will HAVE to ride it up. Up, only. It's fun for a one-way trip, watching the city unfold below you as you're being magically whisked up a hill in a small box propelled by cables. There's just something so extraordinary about that experience - no matter what city or what views you're witnessing - that cannot be missed. That being said, though, this one was...not my favorite. There's nothing wrong with it - you get the views, you get the big windows, you get the surprisingly slow climb up the hill. I think the thing that gives me the ick about this one is that there was nobody working the doors the day we were there, so people - being people - mucked up the works. Instead of stopping when the car looked full to capacity, some people and their overly large backpacks crammed right in, forcing others to squeeze in and fight for space. All because they couldn't be bothered to wait an extra five minutes for the car to make its roundtrip journey. This funicular was also smaller than others we've been on, so it fit fewer people. In theory. Ah yes - there was only one car. I don't know if it's "they only have one car, period" or if it's "they only had one car working that day", but it was obvious that some people found the wait to be unacceptable and wouldn't be okay waiting another round. Disembarking was an exercise in patience, because the people with the gigantic backpacks somehow managed to push their way through to the other side of the car in order to exit first, because privilege. Am I glad we did it? Of course, it's a *funicular*, it made me happy on the inside even as my outside was scowling at the audacity of humanity. Is it necessary? Not at all; the climb to the top is relatively easy, with lots of beautiful steps and places to "pull over" for views of the city on one side or views of the climing funicular on the other. (She's speaking like she knows, how would she know if she took the funicular?) Well, it's because *someone* who shall remain anonymous (though I refer to them as something that rhymes with "hoosband") took us up the stairs before believing me when I said that the stairs were the non-funicular way up to the top. How did I confirm that, you might wonder? I left him halfway up the staircase and climbed the rest of the way to the top, thankyouverymuch. Definitely worth a one-time trip up, and definitely glad we did it, annoying people or no.