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Popularly referred to as “il Santo”, Padua’s revered site of pilgrimage was built in the 13th century to safeguard the mortal remains of St Anthony, a Franciscan monk and miracle worker from Portugal. Worshippers visit his gleaming tomb, encircled by burning candles, but his tongue is guarded in an intricate reliquary in the Treasury, recently recovered after being stolen. In architectural terms the basilica blends Romanesque, Gothic, Islamic and Byzantine elements with elegant arched loggias, minarets and domes, and is a treasure trove of art works by Sansovino, Tiepolo and Titian (see Titian (Tiziano Vecellio)).

The original lectern where Galileo Galilei held his lessons between 1592 and 1610 can be seen on the guided tour of Padua’s historic university, founded in 1222 and second only to Bologna as Italy’s oldest. The institution boasts the world’s first anatomy theatre (1594) where dissections had to be carried out in great secrecy as the church forbade such practices. Other illustrious scholars of the university have included astronomer Copernicus (1473–1543), Gabriel Fallopius (1523–62), who discovered the function of the Fallopian tubes, and Elena Lucrezia Corner Piscopia, the world’s first woman graduate (see Elena Lucrezia Corner Piscopia).

The sky-blue vault studded with gold stars in this glorious Paduan chapel seems to hover over Giotto’s vibrant frescoes narrating the lives of Mary and Jesus. The Florentine artist (1266–1337) was summoned by Enrico Scrovegni to work on the chapel in 1305–06, to atone for the sins of his late father, a moneylender. Especially noteworthy of the 38 distinct scenes is the Last Judgment on the entrance wall, with ranks of helmeted, haloed and shield-bearing angels. Book well in advance and be prepared to wait in the “decontamination” chamber before the 15-minute visit.

Tourists flock to “Juliet’s House”, the 13th-century presumed abode of the Shakespearean heroine. Complete with a pretty balcony (added in 1928...) the romantically inclined can imagine her uttering that immortal cry: “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” The courtyard walls are plastered with multilingual graffiti left by lovers from all over the world.

Gigantic ferns, weird fish and an ancestor of the crocodile, all in fossilized form from the Eocene era, 50 million years ago are treasures hailing from Bolca in the Lessini foothills. They testify to the tropical shallows that spread across the area prior to the formation of the Alps.

On the entrance portal of this lavishly decorated Baroque palace are carvings of writhing serpents, and Hercules is shown in the act of slaying the Hydra on the loggia. The masterpieces include 120 awe-inspiring Russian icons and 14 fascinating paintings by Pietro Longhi depicting scenes from 18th-century Venetian life and hanging in the frescoed “Room of the Four Continents”.

In addition to the cafés in Vicenza’s main square, come to admire the buildings by Palladio, whose 16th-century designs shaped both his home town and architecture worldwide (see Andrea Palladio). The basilica boasts twin levels of colonnaded arches, opposite his Loggia del Capitaniato. A statue of the architect stands at the western end of the basilica.

Originally Verona’s Roman forum, this picturesque square is still a great place for discussing business over a coffee. Parasols shade souvenirs at the animated market, watched over by a winged lion atop a column, vestige of Venetian domination. The 84-m (275-ft) Torre Lamberti offers great city views.

A castle courtyard draped with creepers was chosen for this Vicenza theatre, designed by Palladio and completed by his disciple Vincenzo Scamozzi. The performing area is based on a Roman model, while the stage scenery is a replica of the city of Thebes, built for the inaugural play, Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex , in 1585. Scaled statues and varying stage levels create clever tricks of perspective.

This massive Roman amphitheatre from the 1st century AD and measures almost 140 m (460 ft) in length. The arcades and 44-level tiered seating for 22,000 people, that once rang with the cries of gladiator fights, now echo with arias from operas during the popular summer festival. Verdi’s Aïda marked the inauguration in 1913, and is repeated every year.