The Veneto region, as its name suggests, makes a visit to the mysterious and inspiring Venice a must, even inspiring a certain William Shakespeare to set several of his greatest plays there (Othello, The Merchant of Venice) without ever staying there. But that doesn’t make Verona jealous, since his most famous play, Romeo and Juliet, is set there. Palaces, artists, political intrigues, historical upheavals – all of this is what makes this region so great and attracts the curiosity of the whole world.

In Venice, of course, you’ll see the ghetto, its sublime synagogues and a museum that will tell you all about this dream setting. Verona’s synagogues, though fewer in number, are also worth a visit.

The smaller towns are not to be outdone either. While it may seem difficult to impress Venice, Piove di Sacco has the merit of having been the centre for printing Hebrew texts before its great rival in the field. As for Padua, its Museum of Jewish Heritage is home to a number of ancient artefacts. There was less of a Jewish presence in Treviso, Conegliano Veneto and Este, but there are some references there.