While there are many villages and cities that we incorporate into our tours, we have given you detailed information on a few below that are of particular interest. Following that is a list of other cities and towns that we are also proud to visit.
SIENA
Siena is a medieval city of brick. From a vantage point such as the Palazzo Pubblico's tower, its sea of roof tiles and buildings blends into a landscape of steep, twisting stone alleys. This cityscape hides dozens of Gothic palaces and pastry shops galore, unseen neighborhood rivalries and altarpieces of unsurpassed beauty.
PARMA
Parma, straddling Via Emilia, was the home of Correggio, Il Parmigianino, Bodoni (of typeface fame), and Toscanini and has also given us prosciutto and parmigiano cheese. Parma rose in influence and power in the 16th century as the seat of the Farnese duchy, and even today it is one of the most prosperous cities in Italy. The city has also been a mecca for opera lovers such as Verdi, the great Italian composer whose works include Il Trovatore and Aïda. He was born in the small village of Roncole, north of Parma, in 1813. In time, his operas echoed through the Teatro Regio, the opera house that was built under the orders of Marie-Louise. Because of Verdi, Parma became a center of music, and even today the opera house is jam-packed in season.
COMO
At the southern tip of the lake, 25 miles (40km) north of Milan, Como is known for its silk industry. Most visitors at least pass through here to take a cruise on the lake. But because Como is also an industrial city, this isn't the best place to stay (head instead to one of the more attractive resorts along the lake, such as Bellagio), unless you don't have your own car and are dependent on public transportation (in which case it's the most convenient base).
For centuries, the town's economy has been linked to Milan. Como has been making silk since Marco Polo first returned with silkworms from China (since the end of World War II, Como has left the cultivation of silk to the Chinese and just imports the thread to weave into fabrics). Como's silk makers are major suppliers for the fashion designers of Milan, and big names like Giorgio Armani and Bill Blass come here to discuss the patterns that they want with silk manufacturers.
BELLAGIO
To reach many of the places in Bellagio, you must climb streets that are really stairways. Its lakeside promenade blossoms with flowering shrubbery. From the town, you can take tours of Lake Como, enjoy water sports and tennis, or just lounge at the Bellagio Lido (the beach).
You'll probably spend a lot of your time just sunbathing and enjoying that glorious lakeside scenery. Most of the lakefront hotels have their own swimming beaches. (The swimmable lakefront section that's maintained by the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni is especially well-maintained, but it's only for hotel guests.) Otherwise, you can walk 10 minutes north of the town center to swim in the lake at the free public facilities at La Punta. Shoppers gravitate to the clusters of boutiques along the Salita Serbelloni and the Salita Mella, in the town center. And although there's not a lot of raucous nightlife in this quiet town, you can always hang out watching the people pass by. If you're in the mood for a little sightseeing, check out the gardens of the Villa Serbelloni, Piazza della Chiesa ,the Bellagio Study and Conference Center of the Rockefeller Foundation (not to be confused with the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni by the waterside in the village). The landlord here used to be Pliny the Younger. The villa isn't open to the public, but you can visit the park on 1 1/2-hour guided tours. There's also a garden at the Villa Melzi Museum and Chapel, Lungolario Marconi, which was built in 1808 for Duca Francesco Melzi d'Eril, vice president of the Italian republic founded by Napoléon. Franz Liszt and Stendhal are among the illustrious guests who've stayed here.
LAKE COMO
More than 30 miles (48km) north of Milan, romantic and lovely Lake Como is a shimmering deep blue, spanning 2 1/2 miles (4km) at its widest point. With its flower-filled gardens, villas built for the wealthy of the 17th and 18th centuries, and mild climate, it's among the most scenic spots in Italy. The best way to admire the lake's many faces is to take a boat tour and pull into selected ports of call en route for a meal, an espresso, a stroll, or some shopping or swimming.
THE CINQUE TERRE
Among olive and chestnut groves on steep, rocky terrain overlooking the gulf of Genoa, the communities of Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore, and Vernazza offer a glimpse into another time. These rural villages, inaccessible by car, are an agricultural belt where garden and vineyard exist side by side. Together with their "city cousin" Monterosso, they're known as the Cinque Terre (five lands). The northernmost town, Monterosso, is the tourist hub of the region, with traffic, crowds, and the only notable glimpse of contemporary urban life here.
Our Treasured Cities
