For a Half Day

Padova: Due to its proximity, about 35km (21 miles) west of Venice, Padua (Padova) is often overlooked as just a cheap place to bed down while enjoying the delights of its more famous neighbour. But Padua is a thriving town, singled out by her ancient university (second only to Bologna in age) and the remarkable Cappella degli Scrovegni, home of Giotto's groundbreaking frescoes. Nicknamed La Dotta (‘the Learned'), Padua nurtured the great minds of Livy, Petrarch, Dante and Galileo and later became home to one of the chief medical schools in Europe - as witnessed by its crude Anatomical Theatre, the gruesome highlight of any university tour.

Despite serious bomb damage in WWII, the arcaded streets surrounding the market squares (Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta) belong to the Middle Ages, when Shakespeare set The Taming of the Shrew here. The market itself is a treat not to be missed, crammed with herbs, vegetables and flowers from the bountiful plains of the Veneto and divided by the Palazzo della Ragione (Padua's ancient law courts) whose loggia shelters the purveyors of local cheese, hams and bread.

The Basilica of San Antonio (tel: (049) 824 2811) echoes the Byzantine influence of St Mark's and is a popular spot for pilgrims who come to venerate the body of St Anthony. This building is something of an architectural elephant, lacking the delicate motifs of its Venetian counterpart, its interior gaudily daubed with mock-Byzantine paint work. But the high altar by Donatello, as well as his majestic horseman, Gattamelata (whose statue fronts the church), are well worth a look.

However, most visitors come to Padua for just one attraction. The Scrovegni Chapel (tel: (049) 201 0020; www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it), sometimes called the Madonna dell'Arena, was commissioned by the money-lender Scrovegni as his passport to heaven. It may not have done him much good (the church denied him a Christian burial) but it has enriched the world of art. Giotto executed the chapel at the height of his fame and the resplendent frescoes echo his genius. The walls of the tiny chapel are painted a cerulean blue and vividly depict the Lives of Christ and the Virgin. Bold brushstrokes, a dramatic narrative and a revolutionary perspective combine to form one of Italy's greatest masterpieces. Tickets include entrance to the city's art gallery.

Padua is just 20 minutes by train west from Venice. The APT tourist information office, Riviera Mugnai 8 (tel: (049) 876 7911; www.turismopadova.it), is open Monday to Saturday 0915-1745 and Sunday 0900-1200.

For a Whole Day

Verona: Wandering around the romantic streets; wistfully swooning past the balcony where Romeo wooed Juliet; visiting the home of the strapping young Montague; and finishing with an emotional visit to the tomb where the tragedy of the young lovers reached its fatal conclusion. It's easy to get caught up in the drama of the world's most famous love story.

On any given day in Verona, tourists can be seen openly weeping with the emotion of it all. Strange then that Shakespeare never even visited the city and that the lovers were entirely fictional - something that many visitors don't seem to be aware of. It's a tribute to Verona's beauty, however, that the romance still shines through, even when you're aware that its leitmotif is a myth. Today the city offers a spectacular opera season, in addition to the romance and grand passion of its rose-tinted setting. Dominating Piazza Bra, the Arena was built in the first century AD and is considered the best-preserved amphitheatre in Italy, after Rome's Colosseum. Partially damaged by an earthquake, its pretty pink and white stone belies the brutal ‘sports' that the amphitheatre was built for. Today, it is home to the famous outdoor opera festival, offering performances throughout July and August where visitors may even be fortunate enough to see a performance of Romeo and Juliet itself.

A wander through the city of Verona offers an abundance of bridges, piazzas and Romanesque churches. San Zeno is the king of Veronese churches, with its zebra-striped bell tower climbing out of the rosy rooftops and marking the spot where King Pepin the Short is buried. The facade is dominated by a 12th-century rose window depicting the Wheel of Fortune, a finely carved porch and a set of bronze doors that retell the biblical stories with such intensity that they have been nicknamed the ‘poor man's bible'. Inside, standing on the altar, is Mantegna's triptych - a dramatic painting created for the church, using the play of light from the window on the right-hand side.

Verona is located about 100km (62miles) west of Venice. The main tourist office, at Via degli Alpini 9, Piazza Bra, near the Arena (tel: (045) 806 8680; www.tourism.verona.it), is open all year (Tues-Sat 0900-1900, Sun-Mon 0900-1500). Situated between Milan and Venice, Verona can be reached by a one-hour 45-minute train journey from Santa Lucia in Venice.