Information on Italy
Territory: 
The region includes the eastern part of the Po Valley and, to the north, a
part of the Dolomites. The extensive plain, with the Po delta, is rich in waters.
It is a region which combines two different and unique aspects of the Italian
nature: the lagoon zone (Venice) and the majestic peaks of the Dolomites of Cadore.
Cities:
The regional capital is Venice. Other important cities are: Verona, Padua,
Vicenza, Treviso, Rovigo, Belluno.
Art:
In the region numerous and important Roman traces can be found: the best
known example is the Arena of Verona. In the area around Venice, Byzantine
influences are visible (St. Mark and the Cathedral of Torcello); in the hinterland, away
from the sea there are many outstanding examples of Romanesque and Gothic art.
The Renaissance palaces are numerous and of great value.
Museums:
In Venice: the Academy Galleries house the major collections of Venetian
painting from 1300 to 1700; the G. Franchetti Gallery houses important paintings,
while Guggenheim collection exhibits international works of contemporary art. In
the Palazzo Grassi, exhibitions of international interest are organized every
year. In this beautiful city there are also: the Museum of the eighteenth century
life in Venice with tapestries, attire, furniture and paintings; the National
Gallery of Modern Art, the Oriental Museum and the Correr Museum, which is reserved
to Renaissance masterpieces. In Verona the Civic Museum of Art, which is devoted
to great Verona painting, the Archaeologic Museum and the Museum of Frescoes
can be visited. Vicenza offers: the Civic Museum (ethnology and archaeology) and
the Pinacoteca. In Padua the famous Scrovegni Chapel, with Giotto’s
frescoes, can be admired; the Civic Museum and the botanic garden, the oldest in
Europe, can be admired. In Treviso there is the Museum of the Casa Trevigiana with
modern furniture and sculptures. Rovigo has the Gallery of the Concordi (Venetian
school from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century) and the Civic Museum of the
Polesine Civilization.
To Be Visited:
The Venetian islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello; Chioggia; the canals of
the Brenta and the Veneto villas. Visitors can admire the enchanting and unique
lagoon and the majestic reddish spires of the Dolomites.