This year's Giro d'Italia, Italy's big bike race, starts in Denmark, then moves to Italy with team time trials on May 9 in Verona. Known for Romeo and Juliet, Verona has a fantastic medieval center and a Roman Arena that's now a top setting for outdoor opera performances. The race then heads south through the Marche and Umbria regions, taking in the beautiful hill towns of Urbino and Assisi. Returning to the north, racers go along the northeast coast and into the mountains, finally ending in Milan on May 27.
You can see the full course schedule and map on the Giro d'Italia site. Watching a leg of the race in person is fun but if you can't be there, try to catch some of it on television as the race travels through some picturesque places.
More May Events in Italy