The charming town of Lazise attracts a lot of people who love water sports. The town can be crowded, but not to a point where it becomes unpleasant, at least not in our experience. We certainly did not see the “tsunami of tourists” that our travel guide predicted. The historical…
The town of Soave gave its name to a famous white wine from the Veneto, but this was not the reason for us to go there. After visiting Custoza, we continued to Soave, some twenty kilometres east of Verona, to see the historical centre of the town. This centre is…
During the Italian wars of independence in the nineteenth century, two battles were fought at the town of Custoza, just southwest of Verona. Twice an Italian army fought against Austrian forces and twice the Italians suffered a defeat. In other countries this may have been a sound reason to forget…
It was, of course, slightly ironic that we visited the sanctuary of the Madonna della Corona in the middle of the Coronavirus disease pandemic. However, the word ‘corona’ has no relation whatsoever with the disease, nor with the crown of thorns that Jesus Christ was forced to wear (for which…
The charming town of Torri del Benaco lies just north of the town of Garda, after which Lake Garda takes its name. The Latin name of Lake Garda is Lacus Benacus, and that explains the name Torri del Benaco. During the Roman era and the Early Middle Ages, the town…
It is a five-minute walk from the church of San Severo to the minuscule church of San Zeno, a true gem just outside the centre of Bardolino. You are unlikely to encounter many other visitors here. According to my travel guide, the San Zeno is among the oldest churches in…
On the edge of Bardolino’s small centre, we find the Romanesque church of San Severo. This church should not be confused with the church of San Nicolò e San Severo situated in the centre itself. The latter is a neo-classicist monstrosity that visitors to Bardolino should really skip. The San…
Our trip to Bassano del Grappa in the summer of 2017 can basically be summarised as follows: the Duomo: closed; the church of San Giovanni Battista on the Piazza Libertà: closed for maintenance; the famous Ponte Vecchio or Ponte degli Alpini: only partly accessible because of much needed repairs; the…
Ah, Asolo! This lovely little town in the foothills of the Dolomites was high on our list during our most recent summer holiday in Italy. And yet for some reason we kept procrastinating visiting it until the very last day of that holiday. We were certainly not disappointed when we…
Este. For me, the name has always had a mythical ring to it. The House of Este (Casa d’Este) can be counted among the best-known Italian dynasties. Ercole I d’Este (1431-1505) was one of the foremost patrons of art in fifteenth century Italy and his Renaissance court was the most…
The Colli Euganei are quite a sight. The Veneto is mostly flat as Holland, but here we suddenly find gently rolling and lush green hills. The Euganean Hills are the result of volcanic activity more than 40 million years ago. Beautiful villages and towns can be found here, among them…
The picturesque town of Monselice has a lot in store for casual tourists and seasoned travellers alike. The ruins of an old fortress (Mastio) on top of a hill, beautiful villas, lovely streets, many interesting religious buildings and good food. Moreover, the town has excellent rail connections to cities like…