Art & Literature Trip to Northern Italy

About this trip

Be transported back to the Italy of Shakespeare’s day with visits to Juliet’s balcony in Verona and The Merchant of Venice’s Rialto market. Revisit Shakespeare’s Padua with a stroll around the historic Palazzo Bo and marvel at the Giotto frescoes in the Scrovegni chapel. Soak up the beauty of Venice and its plethora of inspirational art & architecture evident at every turn.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1 Find out more

Travel day
Palazzo Bo – Padua
Capella Degli Scrovegni – Padua

Day 2 Find out more

Day in Verona
Arena Di Verona
Casa Di Giuletta (Juliet’s balcony)
Museo degli Affreschi & Tomb of Juliet
Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore
Achille Forti Gallery

Day 3 Find out more

Day in Venice
St Mark’s Square
Basilica Di San Marco
Gallerie dell’Accademia
Murabo & Burano islands
Rialto Market

Day 4 Find out more

Travel via a visit to Sirmione – Lake Garda

Day 5 Find out more

Day 6 Find out more

Day 7 Find out more

Day 8 Find out more

Excursion Ideas

Padua Find out more

Padua

What you’ll experience: Padua, one of Italy’s oldest cities, is celebrated for its historic university, stunning frescoes, and vibrant squares filled with cafes and markets.

Palazzo Bo Find out more

Palazzo Bo

What you’ll experience: Italy’s second oldest university founded in 1222. Widely accepted to be the birthplace of modern medicine & a well- respected centre for learning in Shakespearean times.

Select Says: Wander the walkways of the university site to get a feel for the Padua of Shakespeare’s day

Cappella Degli Scrovegni Find out more

Cappella Degli Scrovegni

What you’ll experience: The Scrovegni Chapel’s frescoes dating back to the fourteenth century cover the entire internal walls and are regarded as a masterpiece, initiating the Italian Renaissance art movement. The frescoes depict the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary with a colour palate which remains incredibly vibrant to this day. The chapel is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Select Says: Comparable to the Sistine Chapel this is not to be missed!

Verona Find out more

Verona

What you’ll experience: Verona, a UNESCO World Heritage city, is famed for its Roman amphitheatre, medieval charm, and its romantic links to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet .

Arena Di Verona Find out more

Arena Di Verona

What you’ll experience: An impressive & remarkably well- preserved Roman amphitheatre originally built to host gladiatorial games & public spectacles and once accommodating up to 30,000 people.

Select Says: The arena pre-dates the Colosseum in Rome

Casa Di Giuletta (Juliet’s balcony) Find out more

Casa Di Giuletta (Juliet’s balcony)

What you’ll experience: Visit the famed balcony from Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet”.

Museo degli Affreschi & Tomb of Juliet Find out more

Museo degli Affreschi & Tomb of Juliet

What you’ll experience: This museum contains cycles of frescoes from the middle ages as well as being the site of “Juliet’s Tomb” where legend dictates that the bodies of Romeo and Juliet were placed.

Select Says: One third of Shakespeare’s plays are set in Italy

Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore Find out more

Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore

Subject Range: Art & Design, Design, History

What you’ll experience: A fine example of Romanesque architecture, this stunning church was constructed to honour the city’s patron saint, Saint Zeno.

Select Says: Reputed to be the site of the marriage of Romeo & Juliet.

Achille Forti Gallery Find out more

Achille Forti Gallery

Subject Range: Art & Design, Design, History

What you’ll experience: Verona’s modern art gallery featuring works produced between 1840 & 1940. Access the gallery via the striking Scala della Ragioni medieval staircase.

Select Says: View works by Giorgio Morandi, Umberto Boccioni and Francesco Hayez

Venice Find out more

Venice

What you’ll experience: Venice is a unique Italian city built on canals, renowned for its gondolas, historic architecture, and rich cultural heritage.

Basilica Di San Marco Find out more

Basilica Di San Marco

What you’ll experience: Be bowled over by this awe-inspiring cathedral with its incredibly lavish interior and exterior decoration of over 8,000 square metres of glittering golden mosaics.

Select Says: Don’t forget to look up – the ceiling is one of the most resplendent aspects

Gallerie dell’Accademia Find out more

Gallerie dell’Accademia

Subject Range: Art & Design, History

What you’ll experience: Home to one of the most important collections of Venetian art. View works from the 14 th to the 18 th century by artists such as Titian, Bellini and Da Vinci.

Select Says: Gain an insight into the history of Venice through each painting.

Murano & Burano islands Find out more

Murano & Burano islands

What you’ll experience: Travel by boat to the island of Murano and see the collection of beautiful Venetian glass at the Glass Museum. Continue on to Burano famed for its lace making and charming brightly coloured houses .

Select Says: Stroll through the streets of Burano to find lace workshops

Rialto Market Find out more

Rialto Market

What you’ll experience: The Rialto Market in Venice is a bustling, centuries-old marketplace where locals and visitors browse vibrant stalls of fresh produce, seafood, and regional delicacies.

Select Says: Set along the Grand Canal near the iconic Rialto Bridge, it offers an authentic glimpse into the city’s daily life and culinary traditions.

Sirmione – Lake Garda

What you’ll experience: Sirmione, perched on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Garda, is a picturesque Italian town famed for its thermal baths, medieval Scaliger Castle, and stunning lakeside views.

Accommodation Options

M14 Hotel Find out more

M14 Hotel

Our Rating:

Capacity: 100

What you’ll experience: A modern hotel in the centre of Padua within easy walking distance of the main sites. A modern hotel in the centre of Padua within easy walking distance of the main sites.

Accommodation 15 Find out more