Italy by far is one of my favorite countries I have ever been to. I have visited the country about four times and every time I go I find more and more hidden gems that the country has to offer. Because we spent an entire week in Italy I am going to break it in half and discuss of the must see and do’s while in each city we visited.

Verona

Verona is a small northern city in Italy. It is still very deep in its medieval roots, which is very much evident in its beautifully, haunting architecture. You can almost feel the history melting off of the buildings as you walk the cobblestone streets.

It is most known for being the setting of Shakespeare’s famous play, Romeo and Juliet. You can actually visit the balcony that is said to have inspired the famous balcony scene in the play. There is also a statue near the balcony of Juliet herself. There is a legend that if you touch the left breast of the statue you luck in love will turn around. The statue has been touched by so many visitors that the statue had to be removed and restored because it had been cracked. It is definitely a place I suggest visiting.

Another site famous in Verona is their Colosseum. Like the Roman Colosseum, it once held gladiator battles and executions. However, this medieval arena is still in use today. It holds many operas and concerts throughout the year. Many of the props from the operas are held in the square for visitors to take pictures with. It is a much less crowded area so I definitely suggest going to see it, maybe even try to see a show if possible.

Venice

Of all of the cities I have visited in Italy, Venice is my absolute favorite. This sinking city, is a medieval masterpiece of hidden walkways and winding paths that are so easy to get lost in. One of my favorite parts was just walking around and getting lost in the beautiful city.

Number one thing to do is ride in a gondola. You get to see a large part of the city in the shortest amount of time. It’s such an iconic and clique thing to do but it is so worth it. Our gondolier was spoke little English but he was so funny and nice to us.

Another thing I suggest is to go to a glass shop. Venetian glass is world renowned for its classman ship and colors. Watching a glass blower is memorizing. It looks so easy yet you know how hard it actually is.

Finally, I would go to Piazzo San Marco and the Doge’s Palace. The Palace is filled with medieval art and architecture. The ceilings are covered in 24k gold and thousands of paintings. It also looks over the Bridge of Sighs. This bridge is famous because it gave prisoners their last view of Venice before they went to prison.

That’s all I have today. Join me next time as we go through the rest of Italy together.