You know the stories.
You never knew they led to Vicenza.

The first voyage around the world crossed Patagonia and the Pacific, reached the Philippines and returned with only 18 survivors. One was Antonio Pigafetta from Vicenza. His travel diary recorded one of history’s greatest journeys, from the origins of Patagonia’s name to the first crossing of the Pacific.

Juliet’s balcony is only one stop in the story. In Vicenza, the trail leads to Luigi da Porto, who wrote his Romeo and Juliet decades before Shakespeare. Two green hills above the vineyards are crowned by the castles now known as Romeo’s and Juliet’s. Both can be visited. Take Via San Valentino, Saint Valentine Road, up to the ridge, book dinner inside Juliet’s Castle and come back after dark for performances inside Romeo’s.

The Lofoten connection begins at the table: bacalà alla Vicentina is the first and only Italian recipe ever honoured with its own postage stamp. The relationship is written into both maps too, with an island above the Arctic Circle carrying the name of a Vicenza town and Vicenza returning the tribute at home. Then comes the Venerabile Confraternita, the historic brotherhood devoted to protecting the recipe, in brown and silver velvet, yellow mantles and fish medallions.

What do the world’s oldest indoor theatre and Japan have in common? In 1585, four teenage samurai arrived with an invaluable gift to deliver in Europe. The four boys are painted inside Teatro Olimpico and belong to one of Japan’s great travel stories. Their story has reached manga, national television, a commemorative stamp and Expo Osaka 2025.