From the beaches of Sicily to the medieval wonders of Florence, you’d need a lifetime to see everything that Italy has to offer. And while you may have visited Milan, the capital city of the northern Lombardy region, there’s a good chance that two of its close neighbours, Bergamo and Brescia, have slipped under your travel radar.

If so, 2023 is the time to change that. These historic Lombard cities are coming together to be Italy’s first joint capital of culture. And it’s a significant move, as the two cities are entrenched in a fascinating, centuries-old rivalry.