In a tiny church in Bolzano, a grey-haired man approached me. “It’s an old church,” he said. “Would you like to hear about it?” THE SEXTON'S TALE

At the age of 38, with 38 operas to his credit, Gioachino Rossini retired to devote himself to his true passion: food THE FOOD OF LOVE

In 8 AD, Publius Ovidius Naso left Rome, exiled by Augustus to a small outpost on the Black Sea. Ovid never returned A POET AT THE WORLD'S EDGE

Born a slave, he became a General of the French Army. He was imprisoned in Taranto. His son was a novelist. Who was he? THE PRISONER OF CASTELLO ARAGONESE

Once upon a time in Urbino, as in Camelot, the ideals of gentility, honor and nobility flourished. But in Urbino, it wasn’t just a poetic legend CAMELOT IN LE MARCHE

Near Aosta, in Fénis Castle, is a fresco of St. George killing the dragon. The horse seems a bit doubtful THE WORRIED WARHORSE OF FÉNIS CASTLE

Are we in a pavilion with open walls and an oculus, or are we in a small room with four solid stone walls, in Mantua's Ducal Palace? THE PAINTED ROOM

Isabella d'Este: She found the very best artists for her studiolo walls: Mantegna, Perugino, Lorenzo Costa, Correggio, Titian ISABELLA'S ROOM