Beginning in Florence, where Dante was born in 1265, spend three days discovering the cathedrals and palaces, built by Brunelleschi and Alberti and decorated by Donatello, Giotto, and Michelangelo, that have earned the city the title of "birthplace of the Renaissance." In stark contrast to Florence, Ravenna, the main center of Eastern Orthodox influence in Italy, is very much a Byzantine city whose magnificent basilicas and numerous public monuments are decorated with stunning mosaics that Dante described as "a symphony in color." During three days here, discover a wealth of Byzantine art and architecture and also visit Dante's tomb. In Verona, where Dante lived for six years following his exile from Florence, the old city center is dominated by an enormous Roman Arena, still used today, as well some of the finest Romanesque architecture anywhere in Europe. As different as these cities are, they share the distinction of having been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and they all also played important roles in Dante's life.