The little wedge of land south of Milan known as Oltrepò Pavese, is covered by great expanses of grapevines, carpeting hills for as far as the eye can see, living proof of the area's centuries-old wine making tradition.

Pavia, the ancient capital of Val Padana and an important transit and resting station on the via Francigena since the Middle Ages, has perfectly conserved its appearance of a wealthy provincial capital: its colonnaded streets and piazzas lined with any number of elegant...

One single family made the entire province of Mantua famous: the Gonzaga. From the 13th century onwards, this dynasty reigned supreme over the city of Mantua and much of the surrounding territory. The position of Mantua is itself worthy of note, on a small peninsula on the banks of the Mincio river.

Our journey starts in Piazza Sordello, seat of the city's principal religious and civic institutions. This is where to find Mantua cathedral, the origins of which date all the way back to 313....

Dramatically beautiful scenery and a seemingly interminable series of sumptuous villas: this is Lake Como. To visit the lake, we take the old "Strada Regina" road. We make our first stop at Cernobbio, at Villa Erba, a magnificent residence with extensive park overlooking the lake. This is where the director Luchino Visconti spent his childhood. Cernobbio, a town of medieval origins, is the preferred destination of Italian and International celebrities who, when not hidden behind the...