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Cities and Courts in the Po Valley
Part 1: From Milan to Venice
The two following itineraries are, in a certain sense, complementary.
Though each has a distinct character of its own, the two of them
have many features in common and both converge upon a city
which, apart from evolving an extremely original way of life and
a unique artistic style of its own, exerted an influence far
beyond that of the usual medieval or Renaissance city-state:
Venice.
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This magical city quite rightly appears twice in our travels:
the first time, in an excursion which, dedicated as it is to the
Renaissance in the Po Valley, includes the capitals of the
ancient principalities, those court centers whose magnificence
greatly contributed to the enrichment of European culture: Milan
of the Visconti and the Sforzas, Mantua of the Gonzagas, Verona
of the Scaligers, Ferrara and Modena of the Earnest; and tiny
Sabbioneta, whose present countrified aspect still offers
evidence of the brave and passionate dream of its one great
prince, Vespasiano Gonzaga.
Among these cities, which might rightly include Bergamo,
Brescia, Vicenza and Bologna which, though not capitals,
nevertheless carried the figurative arts and the art of living
to the highest level of expression, Venice occupies a unique
position.
The itinerary also passes near two lakes: Iseo Lake and Garda Lake, on their
own worth a visit.
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The itinerary:
Milano:
You should reserve at least
two days to visit Milan,
very interesting is the
visit on
foot to the center of Milan.
Setting off from Milan down the Autostrada on the morning
of the third day of our trip, we reach, after some 30 miles, the city of
Bergamo, well
worth one day visit.
We leave Bergamo in the direction of the
Iseo Lake, going through Seriate, an old village on the
banks of the River Serio, and then Trescore, with important frescoes by
Lotto in the Oratory of Villa Guardi. After passing the romantic Lake Eudine,
we reach (25 miles) the town of Lovere at the far end of the Lake of Iseo
and start off down the eastern shore. Near Pisogne, we find the Sanctuary of
S. Maria della Ncve with frescoes by Romanino (1540); the road descends
amidst magnificent scenery towards the Punta alle Croci Bergamasche and runs
along beside the lake: from Sulzano you can take a boat to the Island of
Mont'Isola (the largest in any of the Italian lakes) which fills the middle
of the lake with its conical mass.
At Iseo (13 miles from Pisogne), we take the road which,
some 11 miles later, brings us to
Brescia,
where we can spend one day visit.
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We leave Brescia by taking Viale Venezia in the direction
of Lake Garda, the largest of the Italian lakes. After 15 miles, we reach
Desenzano and by keeping to the shore of the lake, end up at the gentle
peninsula on which stands the many-towered town of Sirmione, with its
handsome Scaliger Castle, as welt as several important Roman ruins. At
SIRMIONE, we will spend the night, we have the option of spending one
additional day without car on the
boat on the Lake Garda, and then leaving the next morning, by
way of Peschiera, for MANTUA.
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One day
should be reserved to visit the artistic city of
Mantova.
We leave Mantua by the Porta Manin, taking the road which,
after 25 miles, brings us to VERONA.
One full day
should be reserved to visit Verona
The next morning we leave Verona early and after a fine
drive (32 miles), skirting the hills, come to
Vicenza.
Leaving Vicenza, and travelling some 14 miles along the
foot of Monte Grappa, we reach Cittadella, standing within its marvelous 14°
century walls, and after another 7 miles, Castetfranco the birthplace of
Giorgione, with its red medieval walls, its Castle, its old painted house
and the Cathedral which contains, together with works by Veronese and
Bassano, one of Giorgione's masterpieces: a Madonna, painted in 1504.
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After
some 24 miles, along a beautiful road lined with
splendid 17° and 18° century villas,
we reach TREVISO, worth at least half
a day visit.
We leave Treviso and head south.
Some 4 miles later, we reach Mogliano Veneto, and from here soon come to
Mestre (14 miles from Treviso), then 5 miles more, partly on the 19° century
bridge over the Lagoon, and we are in VENICE.
At least
two days should
be spent in Venezia
The itinerary continues with: Cities and Courts in the Po Valley
- Part 2: From Venice to Milan
Itinerary partly courtesy of
ENIT
Travel Italy
(c) 1997-2009 Enrico Massetti
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