Veneto Main | Description | Hotels | Map WHY VENETO? Venice Vineyards of the Prosecco Route Operas in the ancient arena in Verona Palladios architectural masterpieces in and around Vicenza Winter (and summer!) sports in Cortina DAmpezzo Grappa enthusiasts can visit a grappa factory (pictured right: Basilica San Marco, Venice) The Veneto is the most geographically complex region of Italy. From the Dolomite Alps, rich with peaks for skiing and valleys filled with Alpine flowers; to the largest lake in Italy, Lake Garda, with towering Monte Baldo forming an exquisite backdrop; to the rolling foothills that are home to the wine producing area known as the Prosecco Route and the natural thermal baths near Padua; to the rich, agricultural plains crisscrossed with navigable rivers connecting the Veneto with Eastern Europe; and finally, to the coastline of the Adriatic, rich with isles and islets, busy seaside resorts and miles of deserted, sandy beach, the Veneto offers a diversity unequalled throughout Italy. First and foremost of Veneto’s exciting cities is Venice, whose history as a great maritime power, a trading center with the East, and the leading commercial city of the Italian Renaissance is reflected in its art and architecture. There are many important monuments, museums and churches to explore, but the best way to experience this city of charming canals and quaint bridges is to just wander its narrow streets, looking into shops, stopping for a cappuccino and enjoying its people. Take a ferry to the island of Murano, famed for its glassworks, or to Burano to see its lace. The city of Vicenza, Italy’s leading manufacturer of gold jewelry, has a tradition of working with precious metals that dates to the 3rd century BC. Renaissance porticos, impressive palazzi and the influences of the 16th century architect who was born here, Andrea Palladio, are seen throughout this beautiful city. Palladio also designed many of the over 100 villas that still line the Brenta River, where wealthy Venetian families had their summer residences. Verona, associated with the story of Romeo and Juliet, was once a thriving Roman settlement, as is evidenced by the 1st century amphitheater that dominates the city and is the site of opera performances in the summer. Verona’s overall look is medieval, however, and its buildings of a distinctive local pink marble make it one of the most beautiful cities in Italy. The art treasures of Padua, particularly Giotto’s frescoes in the Scrovengi Chapel, should not be missed. If the cuisine of the Veneto had to have a symbol, it would undoubtedly be rice and beans. Rice is cooked a thousand different ways, using Lake Garda’s Vialone Nano, a shorter, plumper grain than Arborio, always served all’onda, “with a wave”: moist and a little brothy, and often with a seafood base. And then there are soups made with rice: the one with cabbage is a classic, as is risi e bisi, made with peas. Pasta e fagioli, a soup of pasta with beans, is prepared with a prosciutto bone. Typical pastas include bigoli co’ l’anatra, thick whole-wheat spaghetti served with a duck sauce and papparele e figadini, wide fettucine served in broth with sautéed liver. Wonderful fruits and vegetables abound; a local white corn is made into a delicate polenta, often served soft but also hardened and served cold or grilled. A Byzantine influence is obvious in sardele in saor, anchovies in a sweet-and-sour sauce with pine nuts and currants. Meat dishes are robust; liver is smothered in onions, boiled beef is accompanied by a peppery sauce called peara. The best cheese in the Veneto, Asiago, is firm and creamy and often combined with cherries for dessert. Tempting sweets include zaleti — cornmeal cookies studded with raisins — and torta sabbiosa, a simple egg cake. Tiramisu, made with lady fingers, bitter chocolate, coffee, cream and mascarpone cheese is world famous, as are the deep fried fritters, frittelle, a must for Carnevale. Veneto produces outstanding wines, including Recioto, its dry cousin Amarone, Valpolicella, Soave, and Bianco di Conegliano. Locally produced grappa is often served after dinner.