Italy is the number one tourist spot in Europe and most can name the key cities one must visit their first time there: Rome, Florence and Venice. These cities represent so much of the history and culture of Italy through the centuries. Discover ancient Rome where people still place flowers on the spot where Julius Caesar was slain, experience the birth of the Renaissance in the shadow of Michelangelo’s David in Florence and drift along the canals of time-warped Venice to experience a city not tainted by the bellowing, belching automobile.

A friend of mine announced, to my delight, that she was coming to visit me. I looked forward to showing her some other treasures to be discovered here, including my adopted city of Bologna. She had been on a tour of Italy a few years back but wanted to spend more time in Venice and Florence, as these are so easy to reach by train from me- Florence 35 minutes by train! I agreed but I also wanted to explore some places in and around these cities far from the maddening crowds.

Florence

I had not been to Florence in 7 years so looked forward to the trip. What I was not expecting was the sheer volume of people in the major areas of the city- far more than I had experienced my last time there. The ever-increasing cruise ship industry gorges its passengers into these cities not intended to handle these crushing throngs. We quickly escaped to the Oltrarno- the other side of the Arno River. Here you can wander among artisan shops and enjoy a relaxing lunch outdoors. These shops can be found in the area around the Piazza di Santo Spirito and provide a glimpse into the crafts of mosaics, shoe making and marbled paper.

A view without the climb

What I did want to visit was the newly renovated Museum of The Duomo. For a one-price ticket you can see the Duomo (Cathedral), the Baptistery, climb to the top of Bruneschelli’s dome or the bell tower and see the museum. As suspected most people bypass the museum in favor of the more popular sights. But what a mistake this is as it is truly magnificent and I would even suggest you see the museum first to understand more about the Duomo and what was once contained within its massive structure. You will also see the original bronze doors of the Baptistery as well as works by Michelangelo and Donatello. And prepare to be overwhelmed by the Paradise of Florence. This was the area connecting the Baptistery and the Duomo where people could go from being baptized to entering the church to participate in the Eucharist for the first time. Never fully completed and dismantled in 1587, it is reconstructed here allowing many original statues never displayed to be seen as intended. And what is so stunning about this museum is as you climb the floors you get to look down from the heights of Paradise to the area below. And as a reward to soaring towards the heavens, you can walk onto a terrace on the top of the museum for a panoramic view of the famous dome and of Florence not seen by many.

Venice’s quieter side

In less than 90 minutes we arrived by train in Venice for a 2 night sojourn. I have been to Venice several times and never tire of wandering the streets or calles as they are known and looking up to discover the detail on the decaying Venetian architecture wondering how long these will stand. I love setting myself in a direction and see how many twists and turns over small bridges it will take or how many dead ends I encounter before I make my destination. But to me the thrill is wandering these narrow ways and all of sudden walking into a wide-open campo (piazza) full of life. My first trip to Venice was in the pouring rain and one evening I stumbled into such a campo but it was devoid of life as smarter people than I sought shelter. I resolved to return someday and sit here with a drink in my hand. So when we rented a small apartment in the local’s “Venice”, I was delighted to see a picture that the owner had posted that I knew to be this campo- Campo di San Giacomo . As we ventured out to have our aperitivo at a popular bar, Al Proseco ,in this campo, the sky threatened rain and winds hastened the arrival of more dark clouds. I was determined to sit here and immerse myself in the local life that hums a bit louder at this time of the evening. My friend was dubious as a few drops fell on us and the only table open was not under the protection of an umbrella. But down we sat and ordered our Prosecos and while sipping them the clouds slowly retreated leaving a clear sky. And then indeed did we watch the hum of life – grandparents playing with their grandchildren, people toting bags from the nearby market on their way home, families gathering for the evening and lovers oblivious to all that swirled around them. No drinks in the expensive Florian Café in St Marks or sitting in the crowded bars along the Grand Canal and the Realto Bridge would provide this slice of life. This was Venice at its best- where the Venetians enjoy life without the press of tourists, even though there may be a few of us elbowing into their life.

Another view without a climb

Skip the lines to climb the Campanile in St Marks and walk to the San Zaccaria vaporetto stop just a few minutes away.  Take the vaporetto to the island of San Giorgio Maggiore where not only do you get to see the church by Palladio you can take an elevator for a small fee to the top of the bell tower there for sweeping views of Venice.

Treviso

With an airport nearby that serves European economy flights and a 30 minute train ride to Venice, Treviso’s fate has been to cater to Venice’s daytrippers looking for less expensive hotels or an overnight before an early morning flight.

I read about Treviso in a few articles that listed small cities in Europe not to miss so I was determined to see what Treviso had to offer the next time I was in the area. After all it is the home of my favorite dessert- Tiramisu- and my drink of preference these days- Proseco. How could I go wrong!

The owner of our centrally located hotel was a delightful young woman who gave us tips for drinks and dinner and with her contagious enthusiasm for the city bolstering us we set off to explore. Right away we were captivated by its charm- you can tell when a city has a good vibe and Treviso was one of them. As we sat sipping our apertivio made with Proseco of course, we observed that this was truly a local town as people warmly greeted others at tables, children played in the nearby fountain and a young family enjoyed a night out. Afterwards we wandered the narrow streets admiring the historical buildings and peaking into shops and finally arrived in the area called Buranelli, a small island fish market where the fisherman from Burano (Venice) came to trade their catch. Treviso was part of the vast Republic of Venice and this influence shows in the art and architecture of the city as well the fish.

And it was here that we had our dinner, in a small fish restaurant by the canal with a great selection of fresh fish, several varieties of their famed Proseco and of course the ultimate Tiramisu for dessert. And yes, it was the best I have ever devoured and I have had my share of sampling Tiramisu.

We walked home under the glow of golden lights reflected on the small canals to find our centrally located hotel was also the hub of an active night life that went on until 1 AM. Remember to always pack earplugs!

The next day we set off after our morning dose of cappuccino to see 2 churches containing work by renowned artists, one being Tommaso da Modena, a follower of Giotto who is famous for his work in the Scrovegni Chapel in nearby Padova.

One of the museum staff was thrilled to learn we were Americans as one had worked on the restoration of Modena’s famous scenes of Saint Ursula. During the war Treviso was heavily bombed with over 1000 deaths and this church of Santa Caterina suffered damage during this devastation. He became our guide for our whole tour of the church, paintings and museum. He spoke in Italian of course, this was not Florence or Venice where once they hear your accent English becomes the lingua du jour nor did many people speak English here. And I was able to converse with him and translate for my friend the general sense of what he enthusiastically explained to me about the church and its treasures. Before there was Hitler, there was Napoleon who conquered the Republic of Venice de-consecrating the churches and turning many into stables, barracks and arsenals. He pointed out the destruction this caused to the frescos in the church and the pain in his expression was as if he had been there to witness it. This was repeated when we went to see the various scenes of Modena’s St Ursula as he described the bombs and the destruction they left. But he delighted in showing us the artwork that the American had restored, including what parts he rescued. At some point I will write more about seeing the lasting impact of World War II here in Italy and other places I have visited. Art and architecture is firmly rooted in the Italian culture and its loss from war is still deeply felt.

After this amazing personal tour, we set off for lunch at a place we spied earlier. A small restaurant sitting on the banks of one of the canals beckoned to us with a menu of vegetables, pasta with fish and an espresso for a mere 12 Euros. As we sipped our Prosecos, we were lulled by the sound of the water wheel on the canal with shade gracefully provided by the arms of the weeping willows while ducks floated lazily in circles. We came to Treviso to wander and relax and I do believe this city was made just for this purpose.

We revived ourselves with a walk atop the fortified walls of the city, reminiscent of Lucca, and then had to pry ourselves away from this blissful town.

So in the midst of all your angst to see all that the triumvirate of Italy has to offer, make sure you take the time to stroll the Oltrarno and see Florence from the terrace of the Museum of the Duomo, find the hidden campos of Venice and imagine life without a car and finally digest it all with a Proseco while serenaded by the ancient water wheels of Treviso.