Uh, sorry, I've been to all those places, and Verona STILL leaves me utterly cold-a short day trip will do just fine, or skip it alltogether-a trade fair area, more than an art city, acknowledged as such by many who live in the Veneto.

I would far recommend Trieste and its surrounds, with its gorgeous seaside location, so like southern California in many ways, its lovely little resorts and villages accessible by a short boat ride, the beautiful Hapsburg-built Villa Miramare, with its astounding views of the sea, the Duino castle, and the magnificent Aquileia, nearby, an ancient Roman site filled with wondrous frescoes, which the Italian culture minister, Francesco Rutelli, just today proclaimed second to Pompeii in terms of historical signficance in Italy.

Not to mention the beautiful 13th century frescos to be found in the church of San Nicolo, by Tommaso di Modena, in the elegant town of Treviso, just outside Venice, its Duomo, and 12th century Piazza Rinaldi, and the elegant Palladian villas of Vicenza-all of these towns/cities merit a visit that to my mind give far more an "esthetic pay-off" not to mention are just plain more interesting, than that of Verona.

Carlo Scarpa is a god.

Carta_Pisana, that's what I feel.
I fully agree that Vicenza is missing from Marycang's list (and yes, I, too, prefer Vicenza over Verona, Palladio being another god, and three of his very best works being there). Trieste, however, seems far out of Marycang's way, and Miramare is just horrible kitsch: Hapsburg architecture of the worst 19th-century kind (cf. the City Hall or the New Hofburg of Vienna, or all those Fellner & Helmer theatres everywhere from Lwów to Graz). Aquileia is one of Italy's greatest sights, that's true, but as well out of Marycang's way, and btw: there are no frescoes in Aquileia - these are mosaics.

Oh my gosh! Thank you all for your advice and ideas. I hit a bump in the road and wasn't able to check back to this forum until today. What a nice treat to see all the help I received. Our current plan is to fly into Milan (FF miles already booked) and rent a car (my husband has to have a car, control??) Then we will drive to Parma, Modena, Bologna, Ferrara, Padova?, Verona, Bolzano via Piacenza. We have 11 days before we have to be in Regensburg to get on a river cruise. We will be taking the train from Bolzano to Munich for 1-2 days in Munich.
Now my question is does anyone have a suggestion for a B&B or Apt. rental in the Parma to Bologna area in a small town. that would be easy to jump on The A1 Rd? So much to see, to eat, so little time. Thank you everyone!

I'd also recommend Mantova (Mantua). We just happened on it in our drive from Venice to Parma and stayed for lunch (English Pub, across from the castle moat)and it looked charming. If we had only known more about it during our first trip to Italy, we would have planned to stay longer. As an advocate for "get off the autostrada, explore along the way", we drove the secondary roads - S10 from Venice to Mantova and then S420 down to Parma. Easy travel, with little traffic, passing some lovely finds along the way - like Mantova Montagnana, our first walled city! Wow!

Good morning from Italy

If you like listen the sound of the motors, don't forget to visit Maranello (Ferrari), Sant'Agata Bolognese (Lamborghini) Modena (Maserati) Bologna (Ducati)

Buon Viaggio!!!
Gianni