The Best of Northern Italy

Northern Italy’s riches are vast, varied, and yours to discover, from art-packedmuseums and mosaicked cathedrals to Roman ruins and hill towns amid vine-yards that produce some of Europe’s best wines. You can dine at refined restau-rants that casually flaunt their Michelin star ratings, or chow down with thetown priest and police chief at osterie (small local eateries) that have spent gen-erations perfecting traditional recipes. You can spend the night in a sumptuousRenaissance villa on Lake Como in the Alpine foothills where Napoléon oncestayed (the Villa d’Este), or in a converted 17th-century Venetian palazzo wherethe room opens directly onto the Grand Canal but costs a mere $109 (the HotelGalleria). Here’s a short list of the best of what northern Italy has to offer.

1 The Best Travel Experiences

1

• Gondola Ride in Venice: Yes, it’shokey. Yes, it’s way overpriced.But when it comes down to it,there’s nothing quite so romanticafter a long Venetian dinner as aride on one of these long blackskiffs, settling back into the plushseats with that special someoneand a bottle of wine and slidingthrough the waters of Venice’sback canals guided by the expertoar of a gondolier. See p. 78.

• A Day Among the Islands of theVenetian Lagoon: Venice’s ferrysystem extends outside the cityproper to a series of other inhabitedislands in the lagoon. First stop,Murano, a village where the famedlocal glassblowing industry beganand where its largest factories andbest artisans still reside. Not onlycan you tour a glass factory (com-plete with hard sell in the displayroom at the end), but you’ll dis-cover a pair of lovely churches, onehung with paintings by GiovanniBellini, Veronese, and Tintoretto,the other a Byzantine-Romanesquemasterpiece of decoration. The isle

of Burano is a colorful fishing vil-lage with an ancient lace-makingtradition and houses in a varietyof super-saturated hues. Nearby,lonely Torcello may have been oneof the first lagoon islands settled,but it’s long been almost aban-doned, home to a straggly vine-yard, reed-banked canals, the fineCipriani restaurant, and a stunningByzantine cathedral swathed inmosaics (see “The Best Churches,”below). Time it right and you’ll beriding the last ferry back from Tor-cello into Venice proper as the sunsets and lights up the lagoonwaters. See p. 151.

• Cruising the Brenta Canal: Thelazy Brenta Canal, lacing its wayinto the Veneto from Venice’slagoon, has long been the Hamp-tons of Venice, where the city’snobility and merchant princes havekept summer villas. From the mas-sive, palatial Villa Pisani, with itselaborate gardens, to the Villa Fos-cari, designed by Palladio himself,most of these villas span the 16thto 19th centuries and are open to

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 4

visitors. In the past few years, a fewhave even been opened as eleganthotels. There are two ways to tourthe Brenta: on a leisurely full-daycruise between Padua and Venice,stopping to tour several villas alongthe way with an optional fishlunch; or by driving yourself alongthe banks, which allows you to popinto the villas you are most inter-ested in—plus you can pull over atany grassy embankment for a pic-nic lunch on the canal. See p. 168.

• Driving the Great DolomiteRoad: From the Adige Valley out-side Bozen (Bolzano) across to theski resort of Cortina d’Ampezzoruns 110km (68 miles) of twisting,winding, switchbacked highwaycalled the Great Dolomite Road,which wends its way around someof the most dramatic mountainscenery in Italy. The Dolomiti arecraggier and sheerer than the Alps,and as this road crawls around thepeaks and climbs over the passes,one breathtaking panorama afteranother opens before you, undulat-ing to the distant Po plains to thesouth and to the mighty Swiss Alpsto the north. See p. 232.

• Riding the Cable Cars over MontBlanc: There are not many moredramatic trips in Europe than thisone, where a series of cable cars andgondolas rise from Courmayeur inthe Valle d’Aosta to the 3,300m(11,000-foot) Punta Helbronnerfrom which the icy vistas spreadover Mont Blanc’s flank in onedirection and across to MonteCervina (the Matterhorn) in theother. It is here that the true thrillride begins as you clamber into afour-seat enclosed gondola that

dangles from a trio of stout cablessome 2.4km (11⁄2 miles) above thedeep fissures of the Vallée Blancheglacier. It takes half an hour to crossto Aiguille du Midi on Frenchsoil—the longest cable car ride inthe world not supported by pylons.From here, you can take a jauntdown into France’s charming Cha-monix if you’d like, or turn aroundto head back into Italian territory,perhaps stopping at the Alpine Gar-den two-thirds of the way back toCourmayeur to sun yourself andadmire the wildflowers. See p. 365.

• Hiking the Cinque Terre: At thesouthern end of the Italian Rivieralies a string of former pirate covescalled the Cinque Terre. These fivefishing villages are linked by a localtrain line; a meandering trail thatclambers over headlands, plungesamid olive groves and vineyards,and skirts cliff edges above the glit-tering Ligurian Sea and hiddenscraps of beach; and an excellentcommunal white wine. Thoughtourism is discovering this magicalcorner of Italy, there are as yet nobig resort hotels or overdevelop-ment; just trattorie on the tiny har-bors and houses and apartmentsconverted into small family hotelsand short-term rental units. It takesa full, long day to hike from oneend to the other, or you can simplywalk the stretches you prefer (con-veniently, the trails get progressivelyeasier from north to south) and usethe cheap train to connect to theother towns. Pause as you like inthe osterie and bars of each town tosample the dry Cinque Terre whitewine and refresh yourself for thenext stretch. See p. 410.

T H E B E S T M U S E U M S 5

2 The Best Museums• Galleria dell’Accademia (Venice):

The single most important galleryof Venetian painting and one ofItaly’s top museums was founded in

1750 and gorgeously installed inthis trio of Renaissance buildingsby Napoléon himself in 1807.(Napoléon swelled the collections

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 5

with altarpieces confiscated fromchurches and monasteries he sup-pressed.) The works, spanning the14th through 18th centuries,include masterpieces by all thelocal, Northern Italian greats—theBellini clan, Paolo Veneziano,Carpaccio, Giorgione, Mantegna,Piero della Francesca, LorenzoLotto, Palma il Vecchio, PaoloVeronese, Titian, Tintoretto,Tiepolo, and Canaletto. See p. 128.

• Collezione Peggy Guggenheim(Venice): The Guggenheim familywas one of the 20th century’sgreatest art patrons. Peggy notonly amassed a stunning collec-tion of modern art, she even mar-ried Max Ernst. Her half-finished18th-century palazzo on the GrandCanal is now installed with her col-lections, works by Picasso, Pollock(an artist Peggy “discovered”),Magritte, Dalí, Miró, Brancusi,Kandinsky, and Marini. See p. 128.

• Museo Archeologico dell’AltoAdige (Bozen): Bozen’s major sightis a high-tech, modern museumcrafted around one of the mostimportant archaeological finds ofthe past 50 years. When hikers firstdiscovered the body of Ötzi high inthe Alps at the Austrian border,everyone thought it was a moun-taineer who succumbed to theelements. It turned out to be a5,300-year-old hunter whose body,clothing, and tools had been pre-served intact by the ice in which hewas frozen. The Ice Man has donemore to give us glimpses into dailylife in the Stone Age than any otherfind, and the museum does a greatjob of relaying all that scientists arestill learning from him. See p. 216.

• Pinacoteca di Brera (Milan): Oneof Italy’s finest collections of art,from medieval to modern, ishoused in a 17th-century Milanesepalazzo. Venice’s Accademia mayhave a richer collection of Venetianart, but the Brera has a broader col-lection of masterpieces from acrossnorthern and central Italy. As withthe Accademia, the Brera started asa warehouse for artworks Napoléonlooted from churches, monasteries,and private collections. There aremasterpieces from Mantegna,Raphael, Piero della Francesca, theBellinis, Signorelli, Titian, Tin-toretto, Reni, Caravaggio, Tiepolo,and Canaletto, and great worksby 20th-century geniuses such asUmberto Boccioni, Gino Severini,Giorgio Morandi, and Giorgio deChirico. They even throw in someworks by Rembrandt, Goya, andReynolds. See p. 265.

• Museo Egizio & GalleriaSabauda (Turin): The world’s firstreal museum of Egyptian artifactsremains one of the most importantoutside Cairo and London’s BritishMuseum. The history between Italyand Egypt dates back to Julius Cae-sar and Cleopatra, though this col-lection of 30,000 pieces was largelyamassed by the Piedmont Savoykings. The exhibits range from apapyrus Book of the Dead to a full15th-century B.C. temple to fasci-nating objects from everyday life.But Egypt isn’t all; upstairs the Gal-leria Sabauda displays the Savoy’samazing collection of Flemish andDutch paintings by Van Dyck, VanEyck, Rembrandt, Hans Memling,and Van der Weyden. See p. 339.

C H A P T E R 1 . T H E B E S T O F N O R T H E R N I TA LY6

3 The Best Churches• Basilica di San Marco (Venice):

No church in Europe is more lav-ishly decorated, more exquisitelymosaicked, more glittering with

gold than Venice’s San Marco. Builtin the 11th century, the church hasas its guiding architectural and dec-orative principles Byzantine style,

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 6

but more than 6 centuries of expan-sion and decoration have leftbehind Romanesque and Gothictouches as well. The interior isencrusted with more than 40,000square feet of gold-backed mosaicscrafted between the 12th and 17thcenturies, some based on cartoonsby Tintoretto, Veronese, and Titian.The uneven floor is a mosaic ofmarble chips in swirling patterns;the Pala d’Oro altarpiece a gem-studded golden trophy from Con-stantinople. Stairs lead up to a viewover the piazza from atop theatrium, where visitors get to see upclose both the mosaics and the orig-inal Triumphal Quadriga, four mas-sive bronze horses probably cast inthe 2nd century A.D. See p. 120.

• Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari(Venice): “I Frari” is named for theFranciscan “brothers” who foundedthis Gothic giant in 1250, rebuilt itbetween 1330 and 1453, and madeit one of the most art-bedeckedchurches in Venice, filled withworks of art by Donatello, Titian,Giovanni Bellini, and Canova. Seep. 136.

• Cattedrale di Torcello (Torcello,Venice): Venice’s oldest church ispretty much all that remains of oneof the lagoon’s earliest settlementson the now all-but-abandonedisland of Torcello, north of what isnow the city of Venice. SantaMaria Assunta was begun in the7th century, its interior slatheredwith glittering gold-backed Byzan-tine mosaics in the 11th and 12thcenturies, precursors to those thatwould later decorate Venice’s SanMarco. The inside of the entrancewall is filled with a massive LastJudgment. This was a commondevice in medieval churches: plac-ing a scene depicting the heavenlyrewards that await the faithful andthe horribly inventive, gruesomepunishments for the damned in

hell above the door from whichparishioners would exit—sort of afinal sermon at the end of the serv-ice to remind everyone of what wasat stake and keep them holy untilthe next Sunday. The bell toweroffers a pretty panorama over thesparsely populated island and sur-rounding lagoon. See p. 152.

• Basilica di Sant’Antonio (Padua):Think of all the people of Italiandescent you know or have heard of named Tony. You’re starting toget an idea of how popular the13th-century Portuguese-born St.Anthony is among Italians. Thepatron of the lost lived in Padua,and when he died in 1231, the cit-izenry quickly canonized the manand began building this hugechurch to honor his remains, andfinished it in a remarkably short 76years. The style in 13th-centuryVeneto was still largely Byzantine,so the brick basilica is topped by anoctet of domes and twin minaret-style bell towers. Donatello, whoseGattamelata (the first large eques-trian bronze cast since ancientRoman times) sits out front, evencrafted the high altar, but that is vir-tually ignored by the flocks of faith-ful in favor of a chapel off the leftaisle. This is where a constantstream of supplicants file past thesaint’s tomb to press their palmsagainst it and leave flowers, smallgifts, pictures, and written prayersasking for him to help them findeverything from lost health to lostlove to lost children (some evenpray for material objects, butrarely). Il Santo’s robes are also pre-served here, as are the silver-tongued preacher’s miraculouslypreserved jawbone, vocal chords,and tongue, all kept in a chapelbehind the high altar. See p. 164.

• Basilica San Zeno Maggiore(Verona): Verona is home to per-haps the greatest Romanesque

T H E B E S T C H U R C H E S 7

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 7

basilica in all of northern Italy, astunning example of the earlymedieval sculptor’s art. Betweenthe 9th and 12th centuries, archi-tects raised the church, crated themassive rose window Wheel ofFortune in the facade, and hiredartists who revived the ancient artof casting in bronze to create mag-nificent doors set with 48 wonder-fully minimalist panels tellingstories from the Bible as well asthe life of St. Zeno. The stonereliefs flanking them date to the12th century. The 12th- to 14th-century frescoes inside lead up toAndrea Mantegna’s 15th-centuryaltarpiece. See p. 196.

• Basilica (Aquileia): Tiny Aquileiawas a major town in Roman times,and wasted no time in building achurch in A.D. 313 just as soon asConstantine the Great declared thereligion legal in the empire. Thetown was a hotbed of early Chris-tianity, hosting a theological con-ference in 381 attended by the likesof Jerome and Ambrose. Thoughthe church was rebuilt and frescoedin the 11th and 12th centuries, theoriginal flooring has been uncov-ered and is now on display, a mar-velous and precious mosaic ofcomplicated paleo-Christian andpagan iconography. A crypt retainsmore mosaics from the 4th cen-tury, plus even earlier ones from apagan house dating to the early 1stcentury A.D. See p. 248.

• Tempietto Longobardo (Civi-dale): This fantastic 8th-centurychurch hollowed out of the cliffface over Cividale’s mighty gorgegives us a precious glimpse intotrue Lombard style, before theHigh Middle Ages began to mixand mingle the cultural groups ofnorthern Italy. Flanking theentranceway are statues and deco-rations carved directly out of the

native limestone in an early Lom-bard Romanesque style. See p. 254.

• Duomo (Milan): The greatestGothic cathedral south of theAlps, a massive pile of pinnaclesand buttresses, was begun in the14th century and took 500 yearsto complete—but it remainedtrue to its original, Gothic styling.It’s the fourth-largest church inthe world, its cavernous interiorpeppered with statues and monu-ments. The highlight, though, isthe chance to climb up onto theeaves, weave your way through thestatue-peaked buttresses, andclamber up onto the very rooftopto gaze out across the hazy cityand beyond to the Alps risingfrom the lakes north of the Lom-bard plain. See p. 264.

• Certosa (Pavia, outside Milan):Though Milan’s Sforza family com-pleted this Carthusian monastery,called a charterhouse, it’s really thelate-14th-century brainchild of theVisconti clan. The massive build-ing, rich with Lombardesque dec-orations and sculptures, wascommissioned by Gian Galeazzo in1396 as thanks that his second wifewas delivered from illness and borehim heirs. It became the repositoryof funerary monuments to Milan’sgreatest rulers and despots—though the finest, to Ludovico ilMoro and his wife Beatrice d’Este,neither houses worthy’s remains,nor was it even ever supposed to behere (cash-poor Santa Maria dellaGrazie in Milan—the one withLeonardo’s The Last Supper—soldit to the charterhouse). This is stilla working monastery, now hostinga Cistercian community, and youcan tour an example of the littlehouses they occupy (a far cry fromthe cramped cells one picturesmonks enduring) and purchasetheir own beauty products andliqueurs. See p. 289.

C H A P T E R 1 . T H E B E S T O F N O R T H E R N I TA LY8

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 8

• Cappella Colleoni (Bergamo):The mercenary commander Bar-tolomeo Colleoni, a son of Berg-amo, fought so gloriously on behalfof Venice that he was actually giventhe generalship over the entireVenetian army (unheard of in sucha suspicious republic formed ofinterlocking check-and-balancebranches of power). They commis-sioned Verrocchio to erect a statuein his honor in Venice, and gaveColleoni control of his hometown.He was foresighted enough tocommission his own tomb, whichwas created in the late 15th centuryas a separate chapel to the cathe-dral. Colleoni invited one of thegreat sculptors decorating the mag-nificent charterhouse at Pavia tocarve on his tomb a complex seriesof panels and statues whose sym-bolisms interweave in medievalstyle grafted onto Renaissancearchitecture. In the 18th century,Tiepolo was brought in to frescothe ceiling. See p. 295.

• Basilica di Superga (Turin):Turin got a taste of the extravagantsouthern Italian baroque in theearly 18th century when Sicilianarchitect Juvarra set up shop intown. After the Virgin saved thecity from French troops, theSavoys dutifully erected a churchin her honor, and hired Juvarra for

the job. He married early neoclas-sical ideals of proportion with thetheatricality of the baroque tobuild this magnificent balconyoverlooking the Alps in the hillsabove Turin. Vittorio Amadeo IIliked his results so much hedecided to turn it into the RoyalTomb, wedging monuments tovarious Savoys into the chapelsand the underground Crypt ofKings. See p. 341.

• Sacra di San Michele (outsideTurin): Its stony bulk, elaboratecarvings, and endless staircases, alltowering over the valley from aMonte Pirchiriano perch, give thisabbey a movie-set air. Its setting ismore appropriate to a Tibetanmonastery than a Christian abbey.The gravity-defying way it hangshalfway off the cliff face is all themore remarkable when you con-sider that the engineering is purelymedieval—started in 983 andrebuilt in the 1100s. Before theSavoys were the bigwig kings theybecame, their early members wereburied here, in rock-carved chapelsunder the partly frescoed mainchurch interior and where today,free concerts are held April throughSeptember, with a range of offer-ings, from Gregorian chants andCeltic music to classical pieces andgospel hymns. See p. 347.

T H E B E S T A R T I S T I C M A S T E R P I E C E S 9

4 The Best Artistic Masterpieces• Scuola Grande di San Rocco

(Venice): When the Scuola di SanRocco (a sort of gentlemen’sclub/lay fraternity) held an artcompetition in 1564, the Renais-sance master Tintoretto pulled afast one on his rivals. Instead of preparing a sketch for thejudges like everyone else, he wentahead and finished a painting,secretly installing it in the ceilingof the Sala dell’Albergo off the second-floor hall. The judges

were suitably impressed, and Tin-toretto got the job. Over the next23 years, the artist filled thescuola’s two floors with dozens ofworks. The Rest on the Flight intoEgypt on the ground floor issuperb, but his masterpiece hangsin that tiny Sala dell’Albergo, ahuge Crucifixion that wrapsaround the walls and ranks amongthe greatest and most movingworks in the history of Venetianart. The San Rocco baroque

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 9

orchestra holds excellent regularchamber concerts in this fantasticsetting; for info, contact & 041-962-999 or www.musicinvenice.com. See p. 129.

• Veronese’s Feast in the House ofLevi, Accademia (Venice): PaoloVeronese was a master of humandetail, often peopling his large can-vases with a rogues’ gallery of char-acters. When Veronese unveiled hisLast Supper, puritanical church big-wigs nearly had a conniption. Theythreatened him with charges ofblasphemy for portraying this holi-est of moments as a rousing,drunken banquet that more resem-bled paintings of Roman orgiesthan the Last Supper. Veronesequickly retitled the work Feast inthe House of Levi, a rather less holysubject at which Jesus and Apostleswere also present, and the mollifiedcensors let it pass. See p. 128.

• Giotto’s Scrovegni Chapel(Padua): Padua’s biggest sight by faris one of the two towering frescocycles created by Giotto (the otherone is in Assisi), the artist who didmore than any other to lift paint-ing from its static Byzantine stuporand set it on the naturalistic,expressive, dynamic Gothic roadtoward the Renaissance. From1303 to 1306, Giotto covered thewalls of this private chapel with arange of emotion, using foreshort-ening, modeled figures, and satu-rated colors, revolutionizing theconcept of art and kicking off themodern era in painting. The chapelas a whole is breathtaking, depict-ing scenes from the life of Maryand Jesus in 38 panels, and hasrecently emerged from a 3-yearcleaning. See p. 161.

• Leonardo da Vinci’s The LastSupper, Santa Maria delle Grazie(Milan): This tempera fresco lookssomehow more like a snapshot of areal dinner table than the staged

holy event that Last Suppers usu-ally appear to be—instead of a hov-ering halo, Jesus’ holy nimbus issuggested by the window behindhis head. Leonardo was as much ascientist and inventor as he waspainter, and unfortunately for ushe was wont to try new paintingtechniques directly on his majorcommissions rather than testingthem fully first. When paintingone fresco in Florence, he used waxin the pigments, but when it wasdrying too slowly he put heatersalong the wall, and the whole thingsimply melted. Well, whateverchemistry he was experimentingwith in Milan when Ludovico IlMoro hired him to decorate therefectory (dining hall) of SantaMaria della Grazie with a Last Sup-per, it didn’t work properly. Thefresco began deteriorating almostas soon as he finished painting it,and it had to be touched up andpainted over several times in thesucceeding centuries. It also didn’thelp when Napoléon’s troopsmoved in and used the wall for tar-get practice, or when Allied WorldWar II bombs tore the roof off thebuilding, miraculously not damag-ing the fresco but still leaving itopen to the elements for 3 years. Alengthy restoration has strippedaway the centuries of grime andoverpainting, so what we see now ismore or less pure Leonardo, even ifthe result is extremely patchy andlooks rather faded. See p. 266.

• Michelangelo’s Rondanini Pietà,Castello Sforzesco (Milan):Michelangelo’s first great sculpturaltriumph was a Pietà he carved forRome’s St. Peter’s at age 19. Duringa lifetime in which he became theforemost artist of his age, acknowl-edged as a genius in painting,fresco, architecture, and engineer-ing, he never lost his love for mar-ble and chisel. At age 89, he was

C H A P T E R 1 . T H E B E S T O F N O R T H E R N I TA LY10

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 10

working yet again on one of hisfavorite subjects, this Pietà. It maybe unfinished—in fact, Michelan-gelo was in the midst of changing itwholesale, reordering the figuresand twisting the compositionaround—but this tall, languid rep-resentation of Mary and Nicode-mus bearing the body of Christremains one of Michelangelo’smost remarkable works. At the endof his life, Michelangelo had grownso advanced in his thinking andartistic aesthetics that this remark-able, minimalist work (the sculptorhad early on developed a roughstyle dubbed nonfinito, or “unfin-ished”) looks eerily as if it werechiseled in the 1950s rather than1560s. Michelangelo was in hisRoman studio chiseling away onthe statue when, on February 12,1564, he was struck with a feverand took to bed. He died 6 dayslater. See p. 266.

• Mantegna’s Dead Christ, Pina-coteca di Brera (Milan): This mas-terpiece of the Brera’s collectiondisplays not only Mantegna’s skill

at modeling and keen eye for tex-ture and tone, but also his uttermastery of perspective and how heused it to create the illusion ofdepth. In this case, we look at Jesuslaid out on a slab from his feet end,the entire body foreshortened tosqueeze into a relatively narrowstrip of canvas. Like many greatgeniuses in the arts, Mantegnaactually warped reality and used histools (in this case, perspective andforeshortening) in an odd way tocreate his image. Most art teacherswould tell you that the rules of per-spective would call for the bits atthe “near end” (in this case the feet)to be large and those at the far end(that is to say, the head) to be smallto achieve the proper effect, butMantegna turned it around. Atfirst glance, the work seems won-derfully wrought and perfectlyforeshortened. But after staring afew moments, you realize the headis grotesquely large and the feettiny. Mantegna has given us perfectforeshortening by turning perspec-tive on its end. See p. 265.

T H E B E S T C A S T L E S 11

5 The Best Castles• Museo Castelvecchio (Verona):

Most people do the Romeo-and-Juliet trail and peak at the ancientArena, then call it a day in Verona.Unfortunately, few make it to thestunning castle on the river. This14th-century stronghold, com-plete with its own fortified bridgeacross the river, was built by “BigDog” Cangrande II Scaligeri. Itwas so mighty that it survived thecenturies intact until the Nazisbombed it in World War II.Though there are collections oflocal wood sculptures and canvasesby Tintoretto, Tiepolo, Veronese,Bellini, and local boy Pisanello, thetrue treat here is just wanderingthe maze of halls, passageways,

stony staircases, and ramparts torelive the bad old days of the Mid-dle Ages. See p. 194.

• Castello Sabbionara (Avio): Thisbellicose castle was a true fortressand makes no bones about it.Built in the 11th century andenlarged in the 13th century, ithelped define and hold the linebetween the constantly warringneighboring powers of Venice andAustria. It switched hands severaltimes, and in the 13th century theGuard’s Room was frescoed withmarvelous scenes of battles foughthere. See p. 213.

• Castello di Buonconsiglio (Trent):Serious history went down inTrent’s “Castle of Good Council.”

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 11

The name might not be apt, how-ever, because the famous Council ofTrent (p. 208)—many sessions ofwhich were held here—effectivelyput up the wall between the Vaticanand the burgeoning Protestantmovement that ended up being thecause (or at least excuse) for manyEuropean wars and numerousunjust politico-social systems, fromthe 16th century all the way totoday’s unrest in Northern Ireland.Much later, leaders of the Irrenden-tisti (a World War I–era movementto return the then-Austrian SouthTirol region to Italy) were impris-oned here, including the popularCesare Battisti, who was executedin the yard. The castle is vast, builtaround the core 13th-centuryCastelvecchio and 15th-centurypalace of Trent’s bishop-prince. Thehighlight is the Cycle of the Monthsfresco painted around 1400 andladen with late medieval symbol-ism. See p. 208.

• Castel Roncolo (Bozen): This13th-century castle sits atop asmall cliff upriver from the town,and looks like the most livablemedieval castle you can imagine;cozy, with views of the vineyards.The central courtyard is hungwith staircases and open woodbalconies running along the upperstories, while many rooms retainall sorts of wonderfully crudemedieval frescoes, including alovely set that tells the story ofTristan and Isolde, a popularromantic tale from the MiddleAges. See p. 217.

• Castel Tirolo (outside Merano):The entire Tirol, covering thisregion of Italy and much of west-ern Austria, was once ruled fromthis medieval fortress perched dra-matically on an outcropping 4.8km(3 miles) outside Merano. You mustwalk a long and narrow path to

get here, where there’s a gorgeouslyfrescoed Romanesque chapel and anew museum on Tirolean historyand culture. See p. 224.

• Castello di San Giusto (Trieste):Built between 1470 and 1630 andpleasingly castlelike, this gem hasmighty ramparts to walk for cityvistas, modest collections of armorand furnishings to peruse, andoutdoor concerts and films pre-sented in the huge courtyard insummer. See p. 244.

• Castello di Miramare (near Tri-este): The “Castle Admiring theSea” rises in gleaming white fairy-tale splendor along the coastline.Built in the 1850s, it was doomedto host ill-fated potentates eversince. Its original owner, AustrianArchduke Maximilian, was sent toMexico to be emperor and endedup shot. Another archduke, thistime Ferdinand, spent the nighthere before going off to Sarajevoto be shot (which kicked offWorld War I). Other dukes andladies have met bitter ends aftersojourning here, which is perhapswhy it is now public property andno longer a royal guesthouse.They do nice concerts here, plussound-and-light shows telling thesad tale of the castle’s builder,Maximilian. See p. 244.

• Castello Scaligero (Sirmione): Amighty midget among castles, notspectacular as far as castles go,but—if you can apply this term toa fortress—cute as a button. Unim-portant in most respects, it is darnpicturesque, guarding the entranceto town with somber 13th-centurystone turrets and surrounded by itslittle moat complete with draw-bridges. See p. 305.

• Castello di Fenis (Castle of Fenis)(outside Aosta): The Challant vis-counts controlled the Aosta Valleyfrom this stronghold throughout

C H A P T E R 1 . T H E B E S T O F N O R T H E R N I TA LY12

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 12

the Middle Ages. The frescoed fig-ures strolling about the balconies ofits central courtyard spout cartoonballoon–like scrolls of speech thatare a treasure trove for linguistsunlocking the origins of the localdialect, which is founded largely in

a medieval variant on French. Thefurnishings, though all genuinecastle antiques, were culled fromsources throughout this area,Switzerland, and France to give theplace that medieval lived-in look.See p. 360.

T H E B E S T V I L L A S & PA L A Z Z I 13

6 The Best Villas & Palazzi• Palazzo Ducale (Venice): The

Gothic palazzo from which theVenetian Republic was ruled forcenturies offers two incredible expe-riences. One simply is to wanderthe gorgeous rooms and halls,which are decorated with frescoesand paintings (including theworld’s largest oil canvas) by all theVenetian School greats, from Tit-ian, Tintoretto, and Veronese ondown. The placards in each roomare marvelously informative, notonly about the art but also aboutthe function of each room and itsrole in government or daily Venet-ian life. But to discover what reallymade the Byzantine Venetianpolitical machine tick, take the“Secret Itineraries” tour, which lets you slip behind the camouflageddoors and enter the hidden worldof the palace-within-the-palace,the chambers in which the real gov-erning took place, all wedged intothe massive space between the innerand outer walls of the palazzo. Seethe chamber where the powerfulCouncil of Ten met, the tiny officewhere the doge’s secretary kepttrack of all the machinations goingon in high society, the tribunalwhere three judges condemned theguilty and hanged them from therafters, and the cramped “leads”cells under the roof from whichCasanova famously escaped. Thensaunter across the storied Bridge ofSighs to explore the dank, dun-geonlike prisons across the canalwhere lesser criminals served out

their miserable terms—lagoonfloods and all. See p. 121.

• Ca d’Oro (Venice): Though nolonger graced with the decorativefacade that earned Venice’s mostbeautiful palazzo its name “Houseof Gold,” the 15th-century Cad’Oro remains one of the most gor-geous palaces in Venice, outside (seethe main facade from the GrandCanal) and in. The gallery of art,donated—along with the palace—to the state by Baron GiorgioFranchetti in 1916, includes paint-ings by Van Dyck, Giorgione, Tit-ian, and Mantegna. There’s also asmall ceramics museum and fantas-tic canal views. See p. 137.

• Ca’ Rezzonico (Venice): Eventhough Venice was in fact wellpast its heyday in the 18th centuryand technically in decline, this isnonetheless the era in which thecity expressed its own uniquecharacter fully, the age ofCasanova and costume balls, allthe things we picture when wethink of Venice. To this end, theRezzonico, built in 1667 by thesame architect who crafted thebaroque Santa Maria della Saluteand topped with an extra story in1745 (and once owned by poetRobert Browning), was turnedinto a museum of the 18th cen-tury. The powers-that-be wantedthe “museum” moniker to betaken lightly; in reality what thecity has done is outfit this graciouspalazzo as an actual house fromthe era as closely as possible, using

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 13

pieces culled from across the city.To add to the 200-year time warpare a series of scenes from dailyVenetian life painted by PietroLonghi plus several carnival fres-coes that Giandomenico Tiepolo(son of the more famous GiovanniBattista Tiepolo) originally paintedfor his own house. See p. 133.

• Villa Pisani (Stra, Brenta Canal):Tiepolo frescoed the ballroom forthis massive 18th-century villabuilt for the family of a Venetiandoge, though Napoléon boughtit in 1807. Its most notoriousmoment, though, came in 1934when two European leaders methere for their very first summit:Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler.The rooms are sumptuous, and thegardens are extensive and include aquirky hedge maze. See p. 168.

• Villa Barbaro (outside Asolo):Though the villas right aroundVicenza get more visitors, this1560 Palladio-designed master-piece outside Asolo is perhaps themost gorgeous to visit. That’sbecause it matches the perfect Pal-ladian architecture with stunningfrescoes by Veronese, which carpetalmost every inch of wall and ceil-ing inside. And to think it’s stillactually in private hands (withowners gracious enough to allowvisitors in)! See p. 177.

• Villa Rotonda (outside Vicenza):If you’ve seen Monticello, thearchitecture of Washington, D.C.,or Inigo Jones’s buildings, you’ll beprepared for La Rotonda—it wasthe model for them all. UNESCOhas placed this pinnacle of Palla-dio’s architectural theories on thesame World Heritage List as thepyramids, a towering monumentof human achievement and inge-nuity. This is Palladio’s strict neo-classical take on the Renaissance inall its textbook glory, an ancienttemple rewritten as a home and

softened by Renaissance geometryof line. It was also one of his last,started in 1567 but largely exe-cuted by a faithful follower afterthe master’s death. See p. 185.

• Villa Valmarana (outside Vicenza):Mattoni’s 17th-century Palladian-style villa is nicknamed ai Nani, or“of the dwarves,” because its wallsare patrolled by an army of stonedwarves. The architecture isn’t allthat remarkable, but the 18th-cen-tury frescoes inside by Giambattistaand Giandomenico Tiepolo cer-tainly are. See p. 185.

• Palazzo Patriarcale (Udine):Until 1734 it was the bishops whoruled Udine as Patriarchs, and thefinal Patriarch had the foresight toinvite Tiepolo to Udine to deco-rate their palace with scenes fromthe Old Testament that double asearly-18th-century fashion shows.There’s also a fine collection oflocally carved wood sculpturesspanning the 13th to 18th cen-turies. See p. 251.

• Palazzo Te (Mantua): Raphael’sprotégé Giulio Romano, houndedfrom Rome over a scandalous seriesof erotic engravings, was let looseto fill libidinous Frederico Gon-zaga’s Mannerist pleasure palacewith racy frescoes. The place wasbuilt to look as if it were crum-bling, from arch keystones to theillusionistic frescoes in the Roomof Giants. See p. 300.

• Il Vittoriale (Gardone, LakeGarda): Gabriele D’Annunzio wasa Romantic ideal made flesh, anItalian Hemingway-meets-Shelley,an adventurer, soldier, and poetwho carried on a torrid affair withthe greatest actress of his age,Eleonora Duse, who napped on afuneral bier covered in leopardskins, and who crafted every iotaof his villa in meticulous Victo-rian detail. It’s said that Mus-solini himself gave D’Annunzio

C H A P T E R 1 . T H E B E S T O F N O R T H E R N I TA LY14

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 14

the property—either to honor hisvociferous support of Fascism orsimply to shut him up before hesaid something to get them all intotrouble. D’Annunzio was a bit of ahothead, and not much of a teamplayer. In 1918 he flew to Viennajust to drop leaflets on it and proveto what he saw as the wimpy Italianmilitary command that he couldpenetrate that far. When the Adri-atic town of Fiume, previouslypromised to Italy, ended up inYugoslav hands, he led his ownarmy to occupy the town and claimit—much to the chagrin of the Ital-ian commanders, who had to talkhim into giving it up and cominghome (this is the “victory” afterwhich the villa is named). With awhole villa to keep him occupied,D’Annunzio proceeded to remakeit to his own image. The very routeguests take upon entering is a sub-tle and intricate play on the struc-ture of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Thesheer volume of bric-a-brac isenough to drive a maid with afeather duster nuts, but is redeemedby the fantastic anecdote or quirkyexplanation behind each one (hopefor a chatty guide with a good com-mand of English). Nestled in theextravagant gardens are a structurebuilt as a ship, the actual boatD’Annunzio commanded duringthe Great War, his biplane, and hisheroic hilltop tomb. See p. 308.

• Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace)(Turin): This was where the Savoy

kings hung their crowns in all thesumptuous, overwrought, gildedglory that the 17th and 18th cen-turies could offer. From Gobelintapestries to Oriental vases, fromthe royal armory to the elegant gar-dens laid out by master landscapearchitect Le Nôtre (who did theVersailles gardens and those of theTuileries in Paris), this palace dripswith royal frippery. See p. 340.

• Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi(outside Turin): Sicilian baroquegenius Juvarra laid out this extrava-gant and palatial hunting lodge forthe Savoys in 1729. To fill thenumerous frescoed rooms and vasthalls of its giant, sinuous X-shape,local authorities have collected fur-nishings, paintings, and other deco-rative elements from dozens ofSavoy palaces to create here a sort ofmuseum of 18th- and 19th-centuryinterior decor. Napoléon liked itso much he set up housekeepinghere for a time when he first con-quered the region before pressingon. See p. 341.

• Galleria Nazionale di PalazzoSpinola (Genoa): The Spinolaprovides its collection of canvases(by Antonello da Messina, GuidoReni, Luca Giordano, Van Dyck,and Strozzi) with a stellar back-drop consisting of a Genovesepalace of which the merchant/banking Spinola family lavishlyfrescoed and decorated eachroom. See p. 377.

T H E B E S T F E S T I V A L S 15

7 The Best Festivals• Carnevale (Venice): Every spring

Venice brings back the glory daysof the 18th century in all its silkand brocade, poof-sleeved, men-wearing-colored-hose, Casanova,ballroom-dancing glory. In mostCatholic countries, the weekbefore Lent begins has long been a

time to let down your hair andparty. It all culminates in ShroveTuesday, the day of feasting beforeAsh Wednesday kicks off the soberLenten period. This bash hasearned the day the nickname FatTuesday—called Martedì Grasso inItalian, but better known by its

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 15

French name, Mardi Gras. Veniceranks with Rio and New Orleansas host of one of the most elabo-rate and famous Carnival celebra-tions anywhere. Rather than aBacchanalian bash, Venice goesthe genteel route, with concertsand masked costume balls fillingperformance spaces, churches, andfrescoed palaces. Ten days leadingup to Shrove Tuesday. See p. 140and 142.

• Venice International Film Festi-val: This is one of the movie busi-ness’s premier festivals, ranking justbelow Cannes in importance. Thebest films made over the past yearfrom around the world arescreened for audiences and judgesat the Palazzo del Cinema, othermovie houses, and sometimes evenopen-air piazzas. Unlike, say, theOscars, which celebrates highlypromoted Hollywood products,this is a chance for all movies—from would-be blockbusters tolow-budget, unknown indies—tocatch the attention of critics anddistributors. Late August/earlySeptember. See p. 141.

• Biennale d’Arte (Venice): One ofthe most important art festivals inthe world is hosted every 2 years bythe city of Venice. Contemporaryartists (both celebrated modernmasters and talented unknowns),critics, and art aficionados fromaround the world fill the hotels toattend shows and peruse the worksdisplayed in the gardens and Arse-nale warehouses at the far end ofthe Castello district. June to earlyNovember, odd years. See p. 141.

• Regata Storica (Venice): EveryVenetian must have an 18th-century outfit mothballed in acloset to break out for yearly fetessuch as Carnevale and, of course,this “historical regatta”—less of arace than merely a parade of gor-geously bedecked gondolas and

other boats laden with costumedgentry for a day cruising theGrand Canal. First Sunday in Sep-tember. See chapter 3.

• Partita a Scacchi (Marostica): Aliving chess match may be a throw-away gag to Mel Brooks or special-effect sequence in a Harry Potterfilm, but it’s the highlight of Maros-tica’s calendar. This pretty littlemedieval hamlet, which barely fillsthe bottom third of the ring madeby its ancient wall clambering upthe hillside, would probably beoverlooked if it weren’t for the bien-nial festival that turns the checker-board main piazza in front of thecastle into a weird piece of yester-year. After a parade of costumedgentlefolk and medieval-styleentertainers (jugglers, fire-eaters,clowns), people dressed as chesspieces fill the piazza’s board, theplayers sit atop a stage ready to callout their moves, and the matchbegins. Actually, it’s technically notchess as we know it but rather amedieval variant, and it’s not aproper match since they’re in factre-creating, move for move, a gameplayed in the 15th century betweentwo noblemen vying for the handof a fair lady. Still, it’s all great fun.Marostica has only a handful ofhotels, so book a few months inadvance. Second Sunday in Sep-tember, even years. See p. 181.

• Concerti in Villa (Vicenza): TheVeneto region around Vicenzaopens up its villas or their groundsfor a series of summertime concertsand performances. From famousmasterpieces like Palladio’s LaRotonda to little-known Renais-sance villas, the settings are memo-rable and the music is sweet. Juneand July. See p. 182.

• Opera in Arena (Verona): LaScala and La Fenice may be morefamous, but few opera stages inItaly have a more natural dramatic

C H A P T E R 1 . T H E B E S T O F N O R T H E R N I TA LY16

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 16

setting than Verona’s ancientRoman amphitheater. Every sea-son they put on Aïda as they havesince 1913, surrounded by otheroperatic masterpieces by GiuseppeVerdi. For a huge 2,000-year-oldsports stadium open to the sky,the Arena enjoys surprisingly goodacoustics. Late June throughAugust. See p. 193.

• Festival Shakespeariano (Verona):Verona mixes its two powerhouseattractions—ancient Roman her-itage and Shakespearean fame—ina theater festival of Shakespeare’splays (along with ballets and con-certs, from classical to jazz) put onin the garden-set ruins of theTeatro Romano ancient theater.Since 1998 they’ve invited theRoyal Shakespeare Company tocome and perform (naturally)Romeo and Juliet and Two Gentle-men of Verona, as well as otherplays, in English. See p. 190.

• Palio (Asti): Medieval pageantryprecedes a breakneck horse raceon the piazza. The 2 weeks leadingup to it comprise the Douja d’Or,a grape-and-wine festival andtrade fair. Rival town Alba spoofsthe event with a race of theirown—riding asses—in their Paliodegli Asini on the first Sunday in

October. Third Sunday in Octo-ber. See p. 349.

• Sanremo Festival (San Remo): It’sthe Grammy Awards meets Sun-dance meets Star Search. Since1950 Sanremo has been Italy’sbeloved festival of pop music,where faded Italian stars get to struttheir stuff, major international rockstars and artists are invited to play,and scruffy teenage musicians fromacross Italy get the chance to playthat carefully crafted song they justknow would be a number-one hitif only they could sign a recordcontract (and many do). If youwant to hear what will be beltingout of boomboxes and Fiat speak-ers this summer at Italy’s beachesand pumping in the discos, listento the winning performances here.Late February or early March. Seep. 386.

• Sagra del Pesce (Camogli): Takethe world’s largest frying pan(3.6m/12 ft. across) and place it onthe wide, waterfront promenade ofthis tiny Riviera fishing town. Fillthe pan with sizzling sardines andthe town with hungry folks readyto party. There you have a sagra, orcelebration of food, in this case ofseafood, the town’s traditional eco-nomic lynchpin. Second Sunday inMay. See p. 397.

T H E B E S T L U X U RY I N N S 17

8 The Best Luxury Inns• Hotel Gritti Palace (Venice): The

grandest hotel on the Grand Canal,hosting the crème de la crème ofwhoever came and comes to visitVenice since Doge Andrea Grittibuilt the palace in the 16th cen-tury. Charles de Gaulle, WinstonChurchill, Truman Capote, JohnRuskin, Henry Ford, Mick Jagger,Giorgio Armani, Robert De Niro,Charlie Chaplin . . . the list goeson. This place is luxury-everything:hand-painted and inlaid antiques,

18th-century stuccoed ceilings,cutting-edge designer entertain-ment centers, and, of course, bal-conies overlooking the GrandCanal (well, from the top-notchrooms at least; everyone else gets toenjoy the water from the restaurantor piano bar, or can overlook a sidecanal). Because this is now aWestin property, you also get access(on a free hourly boat) to theirLido Westin Excelsior hotel and itsfacilities (see below). See p. 89.

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 17

• Hotel Danieli (Venice): Venice’sbacino (the bay into which theGrand Canal spills) is lined withluxury hotels, but none beats theDanieli, a 14th-century doge’spalace of pink plaster and elaboratemarble windowsills that’s been ahotel since 1822. The centerpieceis a four-story, sky-lit enclosedcourtyard of Byzantine-Gothicarches, open stairwells, balustrades,and junglelike potted plants off ofwhich open its luxurious salons. It’sworth popping your head in just tosee it even if you don’t stay here.The rooms vary, but no matterwhat, insist upon a lagoon view—and try to stay in the original wingor, failing that, the larger rooms ofthe 19th-century palazzo next door(by all means avoid the bland,albeit cushy, 1940s wing). As withits Westin sister, Hotel GrittiPalace, you can enjoy the facilitiesat the chain’s Excelsior on the Lido(see below). See p. 94.

• Hotel Cipriani (Venice): This isthe last independent, locally ownedluxury hotel in Venice, and quitepossibly the best. It sits in splendidisolation at the tip of Giudecca, theonly large island of central Venicenot connected by a bridge (rather,it’s a 10-min. boat ride to PiazzaSan Marco). Giuseppe Cipriani,the Venetian impresario behindHarry’s Bar and the Locanda Cipri-ani on Torcello where ErnestHemingway loved to hang out (heeven made it into a Papa story),crafted this retreat out of severalRenaissance palazzi in 1959, offer-ing stylish accommodations, dis-creet service, and modern comfort.See p. 105.

• Westin Excelsior (Venice): TheLido might never have been devel-oped as a bathing resort if not forthe prescience of Nicolò Spada,who created the Excelsior’s Moor-ish-style central structure in 1907.

As one of Venice’s only custom-built luxury hotels, it didn’t have toabide by all the historical consider-ations converted palazzi now haveto take into account, so its architec-tural plans allowed for more spa-cious accommodations than thosefound in most Venetian hotels.Rooms overlook either the Adriatic(there’s a private beach across theroad) or the small, lush, Moorishgarden. It also sports all the resort-type amenities: pool, fitness center,golf and tennis, sauna. See p. 106.

• Villa Margherita (Mira Porte,Brenta): This villa’s role as a guest-house hasn’t changed much since itwas built in the 17th century byVenice’s Contarini family. It stilllooks much like a country-villahome (if your family happenedto be Venetian and fabulouslywealthy), with rooms overlookingthe shady gardens, a restaurantacross the street along the canal,and a similar sister property nearbywith a swimming pool. See p. 170.

• Hotel Villa Cipriani (Asolo): In1962 Giuseppe Cipriani branchedout from his premium-gradeVenice mini-empire to turn this16th-century villa into a well-appointed hotel. Once the homeof poets Robert and Elizabeth Bar-rett Browning, it enjoys a dream-like setting: the medieval hill townof Asolo, famed for its vistas overthe Veneto. See p. 176.

• Hotel Greif (Bozen): Boutiquehotels have officially arrived inItaly—though so far only the Greifseems to have heard. The Stafflerfamily has owned this 500-year-old hotel on the main square ofBozen—the Dolomiti’s liveliesttown—since 1796. But in 1999and 2000, they decided to over-haul it completely in a minimalist,modern vein of burnished steeland original contemporary artmixed with 19th-century antiques

C H A P T E R 1 . T H E B E S T O F N O R T H E R N I TA LY18

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 18

and an Internet-equipped laptopin every room. See p. 218.

• Four Seasons Hotel Milano(Milan): In 1993 the Four Seasonsopened and rewrote the rules ondeluxe hotels in Milan. Seven yearswere spent restructuring and trans-forming a 1476 convent, a processthat brought many of its Renais-sance elements back to light,including a lovely cloister. Therooms are huge by Italian city stan-dards and flush with amenities andsmall luxuries such as CD stereosand king-size beds. The bi-levelsuites with frescoed vaulting areparticularly nice. See p. 276.

• Grand Hotel et De Milan (Milan):How do you define superior serv-ice? While resident guest GiuseppeVerdi, who lived for 30 years in thesuite now named for him, lay dyingin his bed, the hotel spread strawover the streets under his windowevery day to muffle the sounds ofcarriage wheels so as not to disturbthe maestro’s rest. They’re con-stantly updating the luxury quo-tient here—even closing downfrom 1993 to 1995 for a completeoverhaul (perhaps a response to thesudden competition from the FourSeasons)—to keep the 1863 hotellooking and feeling its best. Thismeans marble and lush upholstery,thick curtains, and antique furnish-ings. Okay, so the opera musictrickling lightly from hiddenspeakers may be overdoing it, butwhat did you expect from a hotel 3blocks from La Scala that hasplayed host to divas and tenors fordecades? See p. 277.

• Villa d’Este (Cernobbio, LakeComo): On short lists of theworld’s greatest hotels, the Villad’Este always ranks near the top.There’s nothing reproduction orfaux about this place. The villa istrue Renaissance, the marble pre-cious, the guestbook A-list, and the

Empire furnishings so genuine theyactually date back to Napoléon’stenure when his aide-de-campowned it. Add to all that severalpools (one floating on the lake), avast park that hides tennis courts, afitness center that includes squashcourts and a virtual driving range,and a trio of restaurants. See p. 317.

• Grand Hôtel et des Iles Bor-romées (Stresa, Lake Maggiore):Ernest Hemingway loved thisretreat by the lake so much he setpart of A Farewell to Arms at thehotel. Shell out $2,400 and youcan stay in the suite named afterhim (two bedrooms with king-size beds and huge marble bath-rooms in each, frescoed ceilings,lake-view terrace). Recent renova-tions have restored the decor to itsoriginal 1860s splendor and rich-ness, regilding an old lily of theItalian hotel scene and restoring itto the ranks of Europe’s mostexclusive hotels. Rooms are sump-tuously appointed in a variety ofstyles, from 19th-century inlaidwood to lavish Empire style toopulent Italianate rooms of lac-quered furnishings and Muranochandeliers. See p. 328.

• Hotel Splendido/Splendido Mare(Portofino): Portofino is the fishingvillage chosen by the world’s jet-setelite as their own little bit of Italy,its tiny cove harbor overshadowedby yachts, and the hillside Splen-dido hotel booked by the topnames from Hollywood, Europeannobility registers, and CEO board-rooms. The villa itself is 19th cen-tury, though its foundation is a16th-century monastery, set amidolive groves a 10-minute walkabove the town. Suites come withantique furnishings and cutting-edge entertainment centers (DVDanyone?). Their sister hotel,Splendido Mare, sits right at theharborfront, stays open all year,

T H E B E S T L U X U RY I N N S 19

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 19

and offers dining with a view of theboats. See p. 406.

• Royal Hotel (San Remo): Withsuch a small town and such amajor pop festival, once a yearyou’ll find a concentration of rockstars here rarely seen outside of amajor benefit concert. The rest of

the year, with doubles starting at$228, almost all of us can enjoy itsprivate beach across the road, itscushy accommodations, its stuc-coed bar, and the wonderful poolstyled as if it were carved out ofrock. See p. 388.

C H A P T E R 1 . T H E B E S T O F N O R T H E R N I TA LY20

9 The Best Moderate Hotels• Pensione Accademia (Venice): If

you ever wanted to live likeKatharine Hepburn, here’s yourchance. Well, not exactly, thoughher character did live in this 16th-century Villa Maravege (Villa ofWonders) in the 1955 film Sum-mertime. It sits in an enviable posi-tion, a flower-filled garden at theconfluence of two canals empty-ing into the Grand Canal, and therooms are done in a tastefulantique style that makes you feelas if you’re staying in the home ofyour wealthy Venetian relativerather than in a hotel. See p. 100.

• Hotel San Cassiano Ca’Favretto(Venice): It’s one of the cheapesthotels on the Grand Canal—plusthe rooms and bar terrace overlookthe prettiest stretch of the canal,with the Ca d’Oro directly acrossthe waters. Even most non–GrandCanal rooms at least overlook aside canal. All that and the hotel inthe 16th-century villa retains muchof its 18th-century ambience(though room decor is vintage1970s repro antiques). See p. 102.

• Hotel Majestic Toscanelli (Padua):The management of the Toscanelliis always reinvesting in this gem ofa hotel three quiet shop- and oste-ria-lined blocks from the centralPiazza delle Erbe. Its latest refur-bishment came in 1999, with bur-nished cherry furnishings gracingthe spacious rooms. The receptionis warm and helpful, and the loca-tion excellent. See p. 166.

• Hotel Aurora (Verona): Situatedright on the central piazza andoverhauled in 1996 to freshen thefurnishings and fixtures, theAurora enjoys a combination ofprime location, low prices, andperfect simple comfort that keepguests coming back. See p. 199.

• Antica Locanda Solferino(Milan): The most wonderfullyeclectic hotel in Milan exudes char-acter. It sits in the heart of the fash-ionable Brera neighborhood, itsquirky amalgam of furnishings fit-ted into generally spacious rooms.With one of the friendliest man-agements in town under Sig. Ger-ardo Vitolo, it’s no wonder thisdelightful place stays booked byregulars, who enjoy its creaky,homey atmosphere. See p. 277.

• Agnello d’Oro (Bergamo): Berg-amo may not quite be the Alps, butyou’re high up enough in theirfoothills that this tall, narrow ochrebuilding with its flower-box win-dows, patio fountain, and slopingroof looks perfectly appropriate,offering a bit of Italianate Alpinecharm smack-dab in the center ofthe pedestrianized medieval quar-ter. Furnishings are simple andserviceable, but the price and loca-tion can’t be beat. See p. 295.

• Du Lac (Bellagio, Lake Como):Of the hotels lining Bellagio’s littlelakefront piazza, the Du Lac is thefriendliest by a long shot. For overa century and a half, it has offeredcomfort and genuine hospitality,

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 20

from the panoramic dining roomand rooftop sun terrace to thesimple but fully stocked roomsand the bar tables tucked underthe arcades of the sidewalk.They’re also putting in a pool andtennis courts. See p. 319.

• Verbano (Stresa, Lake Maggiore):Why shell out hundreds of dollarsfor a hotel by the lake when youcan have one on the lake for half

the price? The dusty rose villa ofthe Verbano sits at the tip of Isoladei Pescatori, an island of colorfulfishermen’s houses in the midst ofLake Maggiore, with views overthe landscaped Isola Bella, thelake, and the Alps beyond frommost rooms and also from thegravelly terrace, where they serveexcellent meals. See p. 328.

T H E B E S T B U D G E T G E M S 21

10 The Best Budget Gems• Hotel La Residenza (Venice): Just

off the highly fashionable Rivadegli Schiavoni sits one of the greatremaining cheap pensioni in Italy,a 15th-century palazzo convertedinto an inexpensive hotel. Hotelsthis cheap are hard to come by any-where in Venice, let alone in such aprime location, and nowhere elsewith such remarkable decor andfaded style. Its 15 rooms occupythe piano nobile, the high-ceilinged“noble floor” where the wealthyfamily once lived, so it sports 18th-century stuccoes over Venetian-style furnishings, 17th-century oilpaintings, and Murano chande-liers. See p. 98.

• Foresteria Valdese (Palazzo Cav-agnis) (Venice): If La Residenza(see above) is full, you may luckinto even more decaying style(18th-century frescoes decorate theceilings in several rooms) for lessmoney at this 16th-century palazzorun as a hospice by the Waldesianand Methodist Church. The draw-backs are that it’s a sort of hostel-type arrangement—many, but notall, of the accommodations areshared rooms—and the rooms lackamenities such as telephones andair-conditioning. The location isn’tquite as sweet as that of La Resi-denza, but the rooms do have bal-conies over a lovely small sidecanal. See p. 96.

• Hotel Galleria (Venice): Thisplace is remarkable: a 17th-centurypalazzo with double rooms forunder $100, a half dozen of whichopen directly onto the GrandCanal, and it’s next door to one ofVenice’s top sights, the AccademiaGallery. All that and you get break-fast (including freshly baked bread)in bed. See p. 99.

• Pensione Guerrato (Venice): Thischarming pensione is run by a pairof brothers-in-law in a converted13th-century convent near thedaily Rialto market. The furnish-ings are mismatched but lovely, amix of antiques culled from mar-kets over the years, and the break-fast is excellent. They also renttwo great apartments at excellentprices near San Marco. See p. 101.

• Hotel Bernardi-Semenzato (Ven-ice): The friendly Pepoli familyruns this well-maintained palazzohidden a block off the main dragabout halfway between the trainstation and San Marco. It’s sur-rounded by osterie and goodrestaurants patronized by locals,and the modernized rooms retainrough wood-beam ceilings andantique-style furnishings. Theyalso rent simple but spaciousrooms in two annexes nearby thatmake you feel as if you’re stayingin your own Venetian apartment;one room has a fireplace, another

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 21

overlooks a pair of side canals.See p. 104.

• Due Mori (Vicenza): Just off thecentral Piazza dei Signori lies thissimple, no-frills, but comfortablehotel, the oldest in Vicenza,packed with genuine 19th-cen-tury antiques and a friendly recep-tion. See p. 187.

• Grifone (Sirmione, Lake Garda):Would you believe a vine-coveredhotel where the simple roomsenjoy views of the lake and accessto a small beach for under $35 aperson? Well that’s what the Mar-colini siblings offer at this gem ofan inn around the corner from thelittle medieval castle. Book early.See p. 306.

• Ostello La Primula (Menaggio,Lake Como): If you don’t mindhostel living (shared dorm rooms,bus your own table at dinner), you

can get a bed overlooking the lakefor $16 and some of the bestfixed-price dinners in town forjust $8. It’s run by a family ofex–social workers, who also rentbikes and kayaks. See p. 325.

• Fasce (Santa Margherita Ligure):This little hotel a few blocks upfrom the harbor is now in its thirdgeneration of family management,which includes the incrediblyhelpful British-born Jane at thefront desk. Not only are the brightguest rooms spacious and com-fortable and the surroundings alovely profusion of plants andflowers, but they pile on theextras, from free bicycles toCinque Terre packets for guestswho stay at least 3 nights (includ-ing a train ticket a day and all theinfo you need to explore thecoast). See p. 401.

C H A P T E R 1 . T H E B E S T O F N O R T H E R N I TA LY22

11 The Best Countryside Retreats• Cavallino d’Oro/Goldenes Rössl

(Kastelruth/Castelrotto, near Bozen):The village is a full-bore Tiroleanmountain hamlet straight out ofthe Middle Ages, and this ramblinghotel has sat at the cobblestonedcenter of town since the 1400s, itsswinging shingle emblazoned withits Golden Horse moniker. Itincludes the corner bar where thelocals hang out for lunch and agenuine, preserved 18th-centuryStuben (beer nook) in the restau-rant at back. It’s a nice mix of newand old: The lounge has a wide-screen TV with 300 digital chan-nels set next to a picture window ofthe Alps; the rooms offer moderncomforts amid hand-painted woodfurnishings and four-poster beds.Best of all, the Urthaler familycouldn’t be more welcoming, andthey happen to be Frommer’s fans.See p. 220.

• Hotel Castello Schloss Labers(outside Merano): The road fromtown wends its way through vine-clad hills to the Stapf-Neubertfamily’s 11th-century countrysidecastle, a hotel since 1885. The cozyhunting salons cluster around amagnificent central staircase thatleads up to the eclectic collection ofrooms tucked into towers, eaves,and high-ceilinged rooms. A statue-studded garden out back offersviews across the valley to the sur-rounding peaks, and they also havea heated pool, tennis courts, and aTirolean restaurant. See p. 226.

• Villa Fiordaliso (Gardone Riv-iera, Lake Garda): This Liberty-style villa was built in 1903 andimmediately started attracting for-midable owners, including poetGabriele d’Annunzio and laterClaretta Petacci, Mussolini’s mis-tress (this is where they spent theirfinal weeks in semi-hiding at the

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 22

end of World War II before beinghunted down and killed). Thingshave calmed down considerablysince then, the villa transformedin 1990 into one of the most pop-ular high-end restaurants in thelake region (it even has a Michelinstar now), with seven elegant guestrooms upstairs. See p. 309.

• Villa La Meridiana/Az. Agrituris-tica Reine (near Alba): An agritur-ismo is a working farm whosefamily opens their home and hospi-tality to guests. The Pionzo familyruns this gracious agriturismo abovethe Piedmont wine town of Alba,with rooms in the main house andconverted from the former stalls,almost all overlooking the vineyardsthat produce their Barbera wine,the surrounding village-cappedhills, and the peaks of the Alps inthe distance. The ample breakfastmay include apricot preservesfrom their own orchard andsheep’s milk cheese from theneighbors. See p. 353.

• La Cascina del Monastero (out-side La Morra): The di Grasso fam-ily runs an agriturismo similar toVilla La Meridiana (see above),another vineyard and fruit orchardfarm outside a Piemontese villagewith large guest rooms and apart-ments filled with comfortable rusticfurnishings and exposed woodbeams. This place would be worthstaying at if only for the sumptuousbreakfast spread, the only drawback

to which is that you may have tocancel lunch plans and head back toyour room for a nap. See p. 356.

• Milleluci (outside Aosta): Fourmatrilineal generations of hoteliershave turned this family farm intoone of the coziest, friendliest hotelsin the whole of the Valle d’Aosta. Afire crackles in the large loungedownstairs, and the rooms are donein woodsy, Alpine style with canopybeds in suites, traditional wood fur-nishings, and hand-hewn ceilings.In true country tradition, thebreakfast here is overwhelming,with freshly baked pies, cakes, andbreads every morning accompaniedby farm-fresh cheese, milk, and pre-serves. Unlike most countrysideretreats, the Milleluci sports plentyof facilities a four-star hotel wouldbe jealous of: a heated outdoorpool, tennis courts, exercise facili-ties, hot tub, and sauna. See p. 362.

• La Grange (Courmayeur-Entrèves):Entrèves may not properly becountryside, but this tiny collec-tion of Alpine chalets below theMont Blanc cable-car station is sosmall it barely qualifies as a village,and the atmosphere is fully rustic.The Berthold family converted thishotel from a barn by fitting therooms with a mix of antiques andsturdy country furnishings. Itmakes a refreshing (and far lessexpensive) alternative to the resorthotels of Courmayeur just downthe road. See p. 366.

T H E B E S T R E S TA U R A N T S 23

12 The Best Restaurants• Do Forni (Venice): Though the

menu is vast, they seem to devoteequal attention to every singledish, making this one of the best(if most eyebrow-raisingly expen-sive) restaurants in Venice. Thebulk of the place is done in avaguely rustic style, but the bestroom is the front one, fitted out

like a car from the luxurious Ori-ent Express. See p. 110.

• La Cusina (Venice): One of thenew stars on the Venetian restau-rant scene is also one of the fewhotel dining rooms worth singlingout. In warm weather this becomesone of the most romantic dinnersettings in town, the tables set on

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 23

terraces hanging over the GrandCanal. The location alone is worthbooking ahead, but happily thecooking is as delicious as the viewis stunning, offering an inventivetake on Italian cuisine based onVenetian and Veneto traditionsand using the freshest ingredients.See p. 111.

• Le Bistrot de Venise (Venice):The menu at this upscale bistro issplit three ways to satisfy yourappetite (or at least make yourchoice harder): Venetian/Italian,French, and ancient local recipesculled from historic cookbooksand documents. They attract hipartistic types by turning the backroom into a coffeehouse-style per-formance space most nights, host-ing poets, acoustic musicians, artexhibits, and cabarets. See p. 112.

• Al Covo (Venice): Texan DianeRankin makes the pastries andchats with guests while husband-chef Cesare Benelli watches overthe kitchen at this always-popularrestaurant that mixes a warm wel-come and excellent fresh seafooddishes with relatively reasonableprices (especially on the qualitywine list). See p. 115.

• La Milanese (Milan): In a citywith many fine restaurants whosestars rise and fall almost as soon asthey make it onto the map, LaMilanese is a stalwart survivor, atraditional trattoria that has neverstopped offering typical Milanesedishes, smart service, and moderate

prices, a formula that has kept itsuccessful for almost 70 years now.See p. 282.

• Antica Hosteria del Vino Buono(Bergamo): This cozy restaurant isspread over two floors of a cornerpalazzo on the market square. Thefood is mountain-style, rib-stickinggood, heavy on the game meatsand thick polenta accompanied byhearty red wines. See p. 297.

• Ochina Bianca (Mantua): Man-tuan cooking is somewhat morecomplex than most northern Ital-ian cuisines, and the Venturinisput their own innovative spin onit at the “White Goose,” marryinglocal ingredients with fresh fishfrom the Mincio and game in thiselegant restaurant. See p. 303.

• C’era Una Volta (Turin): That youhave to ring the bell and climb tothe first floor gives this place aclubby air, but owner Piero Pretewill instantly make you feel like alongtime member as he greets youwarmly and comes back around tohelp you select your wine. Thecooking is traditional Torinese,excellently prepared. See p. 344.

• Lalibera (Alba): Franco andManuele reign over this stylishdining room on an alley off apedestrian shopping street, withMarco in the kitchen craftingexcellent variants on Piemontesecuisine by using only the freshestof ingredients, all locally pro-duced, from the cheese to the fruitto the meats. See p. 354.

C H A P T E R 1 . T H E B E S T O F N O R T H E R N I TA LY24

13 The Best Countryside Eateries• Al Camin (outside of Cortina

d’Ampezzo): This barnlike struc-ture lies along the rushing RuBigontina mountain stream, 10minutes outside of town, servinghearty Alpine food in a woodsydining room around a stone fire-place. Some regional specialties

that are hard to find elsewherethese days are staples on Al Camin’sseasonal menus. See p. 237.

• L’Osteria del Vignaiolo (LaMorra): This place is sophisticatedrustic, simple rooms with pale-goldwalls expanding to tables outside insummer. It’s set amid the vineyards

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 24

that produce its excellent winesand provide the excellent views.The cooking, in the hands of chefLuciano Marengo, samples fromthe varied bounty of Piemonteseregional cuisines, accompanied bychoice cheese platters and, ofcourse, some of the best fine winesin Italy. See p. 356.

• La Maison de Filippo (Entrèves):This is the never-ending meal tobeat all feasts. I honestly tried to

keep track of the courses, but afterthe seventh appetizer I had to give itup. But it’s not just quantity (twowords: pace yourself ): The foodactually manages to be fantastic aswell, and it’s served in an archetypalrustic-countryside dining room oflow wood ceilings, open kitchens,and sometimes even a dog underthe table. Book here, then plan tospend much of the next day merelydigesting. See p. 367.

T H E B E S T D O W N - H O M E T R AT T O R I E & O S T E R I E 25

14 The Best Down-Home Trattorie & Osterie• Vino Vino (Venice): Antico Mar-

tini is a pricey but good restaurantnear La Fenice opera house; VinoVino is its worst-kept secret, aninexpensive osteria branch thatserves simple but tasty dishes thatcome out of the same kitchen.You choose from the daily chalk-board menu, stake out a table,and then carry your meal to italong with a wine from theirexcellent and extensive sharedwine cellar. See p. 114.

• Ai Tre Spiedi (Venice): This iswhere I take my buddies for ablow-out Venetian meal at remark-ably low prices—not the cheapestin town, but perhaps the best valuefor your money. The owners arejolly, and the food is excellent,including the fish (which is oftendicey at the more inexpensiveplaces in Venice). See p. 114.

• Cantina do Mori (Venice):Notwithstanding the recent changein management (and a slight pricehike), the Cantina do Mori hasremained one of the best bacari inVenice, a wine bar that servesexquisite cicchetti (tapaslike snacks)to a crowd of regulars nightlyunder the low-beamed ceilings thatseem unchanged since the jointopened in 1462. After all, this isthe place where even Casanova

supposedly came to tipple betweenaffairs. See p. 118.

• Toni del Spin (Treviso): Seventyyears of satisfying Trevisani dinershas imparted a patina of reliabilityto this down-home trattoria ofcrisscrossing beams, swirling fans,and chalkboard menus. The choicesare limited, but each dish is excel-lent, mixing local traditions withexperimental cooking and someinternational dishes. The wine list isstellar—they also run the wine shopacross the street. See p. 173.

• La Taverna di Via Stella (Verona):The Vantini brothers and theirbuddies have successfully started abrand-new, laid-back osteria thatinstantly feels as if it’s been aroundfor centuries. Here, the local volun-teer fire squad shows up to hangout in uniform and hit on girls,and office workers troop in tounwind over traditional Veronesedishes and wine (of their some 180bottles, 10 varieties are openednightly so that you can sample bythe glass). See p. 202.

• Osteria del Duca (Verona): Theladies bustling around this oldfave of a trattoria know to double-check with foreign visitors whohave inadvertently ordered one ofthe many traditional Veronesedishes involving horse or donkey

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 25

meat. The setting is romantic intrue Verona style: It’s on theground floor of a medieval palazzothat most likely belonged to thehistorical Montecchi family,immortalized by Shakespeare asthe Montagues, whose son Romeofell in love with Juliet of theenemy Capulet clan. See p. 202.

• Vineria Cozzi (Bergamo):Leonardo Vigorelli’s wine bar isthe turnstile around which Berg-amo’s upper city spins, a requisitestop for locals and visitors alikewho enjoy his hospitality, goodwine selection, and yummypanini, meat and cheese platters,and simple dishes. See p. 297.

C H A P T E R 1 . T H E B E S T O F N O R T H E R N I TA LY26

03 542931 Ch01.qxd 2/10/04 9:20 AM Page 26