Northern Italy

Northern Italy

Explore the fashion of Milan, the mythology of Verona and the historical magnificence of Venice,

with Alexandra Hansen

There’s a reason over 43 million tourists visit Italy each year, and the North is as beautiful a region as any.  There’s so much to see and do in Italy, a country steeped in history and beauty, and don’t even get me started on the food! One could easily spend months traveling there, and just as long writing about it, which is why I’ve broken up Italy into regions; starting with the North.

Milan is not only the fashion capital, but also the financial and business centre of Italy. This wouldn’t mean anything too important for tourists, except that it’s more expensive than the rest of Italy so be prepared to budget! When arriving in the city it can be slightly disappointing as the fashion and the glamour doesn’t jump right out at you as one would expect. Take the time to wander around, visit the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade, with its beautiful glass dome roof and boutique shops, and the ‘Golden Quad’, where you won’t be able to afford to buy anything, but just watching the beautiful men and women flit in and out of Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana is a treat! Ladies note: The men here in their bespoke suits are reason in itself to come to Milan. The Duomo and Teatro alla Scala are definitely worth a look, but the most popular tourist attraction in the city is without a doubt Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper. NOTE: You can only get in to see it by appointment. I would love to be able to tell you how magnificent it was, but I had not a guide such as this and missed out! FYI it is located in Cenacolo Vinciano, so be sure to book in advance!

Verona, while not listed in the travel books as a must-see of Italy, was one of my favourite spots. As a bit of a self-proclaimed literature buff, I had long looked forward to the town that ol’ Bill Shakespeare used as inspiration for Two Gentlemen of Verona and more famously, Romeo and Juliet. Although Shakespeare had never actually been to Verona, it does have the small-town Italian charm that he was presumably looking for, and is not as tainted by the tourism industry as many other Italian cities. The people here were the nicest I came across, and the food and accommodation were not nearly as expensive as Milan. The tourism industry here, while nowhere near as big as nearby Venice, seems to exist solely as fodder for R&J fans. The town’s main (only?) source of attraction is the story, which, real or fake has resulted in a number of sights R&J fans such as myself can visit. Get your obligatory I’m-on-Juliet’s-balcony tourist photo (as I did-left) at Juliet’s Casa. I’m not sure the basis on which they know it was the Juliet’s house, but it was said to be owned by a ‘Capuletti’ family, and it has a balcony, so it must be, right?! Outside is the statue of Juliet whereby rubbing her right breast is said to bring luck in love, and inside is a museum containing costumes from Zafarelli’s film adaptation of the play, artwork, and interactive computerised ‘Letters to Juliet’. Apparently for centuries people have been writing letters to Juliet asking for advice or to grant them luck in their love-lives and relationships. This can be seen all over the house, with graffiti of two people’s names in love hearts all over the walls, written on dried pieces of chewing gum, and on padlocks chained to the gates. I was nice enough to pay homage to two of my best friends and their partners on the famed walls wishing them luck and longevity in their relationships…one got engaged two months later, and one broke up. So you be the judge! Other sites include Juliet’s tomb and Romeo’s house (which is a mere plaque on the wall and not really worth a visit if you ask me). Also worth a look is The Arena; the third largest Roman amphitheatre in existence.

Venice. Where does one begin with Venice? Breathtakingly beautiful and idyllic, it is one of the few places that really lives up to your expectations and the romanticism the Western world imposes on it. Made up of 117 islands, I had heard the canals smell something horrid in the summer, but I didn’t smell a thing. Beware, it is the worst city in the world to get lost in, the streets don’t really make sense, and you can’t merely follow the main canal as most of the buildings protrude into the canal and impede the continuation of the road. After taking a few hours at least to find our accommodation (there’s also various street names replicated three or four times on different islands just to confuse you further, and the suggestion after arriving by train to ‘just get a taxi’ was severely disheartened when we recalled the city was afloat) we just wandered for hours around the tiny streets and canals taking it all in. In terms of sight-seeing, the Doge’s Palace is worthwhile (and it’s worth forking out the extra cash for the VIP tour where you’re taken into the roof), and the area surrounding it, Piazza San Marco, is the main tourist area. The Bell Tower on the same square offers supreme views and a good history lesson on Venice and the various islands. The Venetians (they very readily tell you) were a very dominating force in their day, ruling half of the Mediterranean and subsequently the history in Venice is nearly as impressive as the city itself. Peggy Guggenheim’s house/museum is well worthwhile, featuring her grandest collections of work, and her grave. It is in Venice that I sampled the best pizza I’ve ever had in my life (and I’ve been to Naples which is said to be the best!) and ate the most expensive pasta I’ve ever had in my life. For all its splendour, one can only spend a few days in Venice due merely to the expense. Surpassing Milan as the most expensive city in Italy, don’t expect to get a full tummy for less than €20. It’s also a good idea to buddy up, since a gondola ride for 45 minutes will set you back €90-100, and they fit 5-6 passengers. It easy to see why thousands everyday fork out the cost however; as you’ll never have an experience quite like cruising down the canals of Venice in a gondola while being crooned by an Italian in the full Venetian regalia!