The Big Story italy Courses of true love But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It's the Bard's second home and there's plenty to take in, writes Francesco da Mosto WILLIAM Shakespeare set a third of his plays in Italy. Ahead of his new BBC series exploring the Bard's other country, Francesco da Mosto takes us on a guided tour of Shakespeare's Verona, Padua and Venice three fair cities in which he laid his scenes. Save for an obsession with cups of tea and apologising, nothing defines English culture more than William Shakespeare. Yet truth be told, the Bard had split loyalties. While many of his 38 plays were set in ''this sceptred isle'' of Britain, 13 of them were based or partly based in the sunnier climes of Italy. From the lovelorn streets of Romeo and Juliet's Verona and Julius Caesar's murderous machinations in Rome, to the frothy mix of sex, money and intrigue in Othello's Venice, Shakespeare's fascination with Italy is a constant undercurrent of his work. His Italian settings are so crucial to his plots that they have become characters in their own right. There's no one better to explore the Bard's continuing influence in Italy than Francesco da Mosto, a Venetian writer, architect and the presenter of new BBC series Shakespeare in Italy. Francesco believes Shakespeare set some plays in Italy so he could tackle sensitive political topics without risking the displeasure of England's rulers. ''In Shakespeare's time, Italy was a place where anything could happen,'' he says. ''It contained both warring city- states and sophisticated political entities like the Venetian Republic. By setting his plays in Italy, Shakespeare could deal with issues including political assassinations such as the one in Julius Caesar that would have landed him in trouble if he'd set them in England.'' Shakespeare wasn't averse to pinching a few ideas from Italian writers, either some claim he might have been Italian himself. ''Many of Shakespeare's ideas came from Italian stories called 'novellas','' explains Francesco. ''The Merchant of Venice was based on an Italian story about a money lender, while the names Romeo and Juliet may have been taken from poet Luigi Da Porto.'' So, without further ado about nothing, here is Francesco's guide to some of Shakespeare's favourite Italian cities the grand northeastern trio of Verona, Padua and Venice. Verona ''In fair Verona, where we lay our scene'' Romeo and Juliet Verona - a wonderful city surrounded by hills arranged like banks of theatre seats - is the city in which Shakespeare's legacy is felt strongest. There is a saying in Italy that ''Venetians are great lords, Paduans are great doctors, people from Vicenza eat cats [during wartime, allegedly] and people from Verona are all crazy''. People from Verona are full of life, very funny and welcoming, a curious breed who love to meet visitors and appreciate new influences. Verona was not thought of as a city of romance before Romeo and Juliet in fact, not many people would have heard of it, as it was very much in the shadow of Venice at that time. It is now regarded as one of the most romantic places in the world, and thousands of lovers visit the city each year. We don't know whether Romeo and Juliet existed, although Italian poet Dante did mention two feuding families, called the Montecchi and the Cappelletti. But it's irrelevant in every one of us there is a Romeo or a Juliet. The city is full of sites associated with Romeo and Juliet. The famous balcony where Romeo is said to have declared his love to Juliet is close to Verona's main promenade although since the balcony was apparently added to a suitably old house in 1936, it's doubtful it is the original. There is a statue of Juliet outside and her bedroom has been re-created inside. The stone architecture of the building's courtyard, entered through a little arched passageway, has kept the other-worldly atmosphere of ancient times. My favourite site in Verona is Juliet's tomb. It's in a 13th-century Franciscan convent, where Juliet died in the play the only one outside the city walls at the time when the events were supposed to have taken place. People go there to pay tribute to Juliet and Shakespeare even Dickens visited. It really feels like one of the saddest places in the world. Casa di Giulietta, via Cappello 23 (+39 045 803 43 03) Tomba di Giulietta, via del Pontiere 9 (+39 045 800 03 61). See * Piazza delle erbe: The finest square in the city, ringed with cafes and full of locals catching up on the gossip. The Piazza is also home to some of Verona's finest architecture, including the Baroque Palazzo Maffei. * Basilica di san Zeno Maggiore: Said to contain the crypt where Romeo and Juliet were married, this is an archetypal example of Romanesque architecture, with a ''wheel of fortune'' rose window and 12th-century bronze doors on its facade (admission $3; Piazza San Zeno; ph +39 045 800 61 20). Eat * Al Pompiere: Al Pompiere means ''the firefighter'' and this tavern still has the original owner's fire helmet on the wall. It's famous for its salami platters and Italian favourites such as braised beef ravioli (mains from $11; alpompiere.tv/en). * Bottega del Vino: A spectacular wine list is reason enough to stop off here, not to mention a menu of Venetian liver and suckling pig. Some wines have been bottled exclusively for the Bottega (from $25; anticabottegadelvino.net). * Anfitheatro B&B: Situated close to the arena, the Anfitheatro with its high ceilings attracts a thespian and operatic clientele (from $130; anfiteatro-bedandbreakfast.com). * Casa Coloniale: Cool hoops of colour ring the modern rooms of Casa Coloniale like a billiard ball it's a great location, too, just off the Piazza delle Erbe (from $100; casa-coloniale.com). Further reading Tim Parks' A Season With Verona ($19.95; Vintage) tells the story of an English writer following Verona's football team around Italy. Also try Lonely Planet's Italy guide ($45.99). Padua ''I come to wive it wealthily in Padua'' The Taming of the Shrew Shakespeare's early comedy The Taming of the Shrew, written about 1590, was one of his first plays set in Italy. He owed part of this story, about a man who attempts to ''train'' his new wife into a submissive spouse, to a comedic play called I Suppositi by the poet Ludovico Ariosto. Shakespeare chose to set his play in Padua, a city between Verona and Venice. The University of Padua was one of the first in the world, and in Shakespeare's time, the city was very well known as a centre of learning throughout Europe Galileo (of telescope fame) and Casanova (of sexual conquest fame) are both alumni. He wanted to turn this city of learning and science into a city of love and political incorrectness. He used its reputation, rather than actual locations, as a backdrop apart from the University, he rarely mentions specific sites. Experience Shakespeare's Padua is by strolling around the university. There is a marvellous wooden anatomical amphitheatre in the Medical School that was built in the 16th century, where they dissected humans and animals for the students. It is still a leading medical university today. The life of the university runs thorough the city. It's lovely to walk through the portico walkways that run under the houses, and into the Prato della Valle, one of the main city squares. It is laid out like a formal Italian garden, ringed by a canal. It feels like a little world to itself. University of Padua, via 8 Febbraio No2 (+39 049 827 8511) l Prato della valle, via Michele Sanmicheli 49 (+39 049 875 7367). See * Cappella degli Scrovegni: Giotto's frescoes in this church revolutionised art in religious venues by giving biblical figures more humanistic features and characteristics, inspiring none other than Leonardo da Vinci (admission from $17; www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it). * University of Padua: The reason why Shakespeare used Padua as a location, the University lies in the Palazzo del Bo take a tour of Galileo's lecture hall and see the world's first anatomy theatre (guided tours $6; www.unipd.it). Eat * Enoteca dei Tadi: A warm welcome, a cosy atmosphere and good Italian cuisine, such as Venetian stew or homemade lasagne, is on offer at Enoteca dei Tadi plus an excellent wine list (mains from $11; closed Mon; enotecadeitadi.it). * OsteriadalCapo: A tiny trattoria often packed with locals tucking into traditional Veneto dishes such as liver and onions with grilled polenta. Deservedly popular, be sure to book ahead (mains from $37; closed Sun; Via degli Obizzi 2; +39 049 66 31 05). Sleep * Belludi37: At this flash but friendly boutique hotel, most of the generously sized and neatly furnished rooms afford great views of the Basilica of St Anthony of Padua (from $140; belludi37.it). Further reading One of Oscar Wilde's earliest and lesser-known plays, romantic royal melodrama The Duchess of Padua ($17.95; Digireads) is full of references to Shakespeare's portrayal of the city. Venice ''What news on the Rialto?'' The Merchant of Venice There is much debate about whether Shakespeare ever visited Italy. Some of his Italian plays display a lot of local knowledge. In Julius Caesar, he describes an African-style summer thunderstorm in Rome the type of storm which comes and goes very quickly and is just not found in England. And he seems to capture the Italian habit of talking a lot as we say, ''talking like a river''! Some argue that he could have found out about life in Italy by talking to merchants who arrived at the River Thames. But as there were no political relations between Venice and England during Queen Elizabeth I's reign, that's doubtful. And, interestingly, nobody knows where Shakespeare was between 1585 and 1592 there is every chance he went to Italy. He set The Merchant of Venice and Othello in the city, and mentions the Rialto Market area several times in The Merchant of Venice. He even talks about gondolas and ''the tranect'' which could refer to the ''traghetto'' ferry, which transported people from Venice to the mainland. It still exists at several points along the Grand Canal. If he did visit, Shakespeare would have spent his time wandering the streets, eavesdropping on people's conversations and observing the goings-on in shops and the market. A walk to the Rialto is certainly evocative of that time. The Palazzo Ducale, with its magnificent Gothic facades and huge council hall, is probably what he had in mind as the setting for the final courtroom scene in The Merchant of Venice, while the two bronze figures on top of the Torre dell'Orologio clock tower in St Mark's Square are known as ''i mori'', or ''the Moors'' a key reference in Othello. In Shakespeare's time, the ''Venetian Ghetto'' was one of the only places in Europe where Jews were allowed to live and trade. The word ''ghetto'' actually comes from an Italian word, ''gheto'', which means ''slag'' as in the waste product from melting iron, the main industry of that area in those days. Nowadays, ghettos have negative connotations, but back then this was a place of salvation. It was the first ghetto in the world, and was the reason why Shakespeare had his character Shylock live in Venice. A Jewish community remains there are five synagogues and it is a fascinating place to explore, with a relaxed, peaceful atmosphere that feels a little removed from the rest of Venice.