Love classical music? Explore these top 5 Italian towns

(BPT) - If you love classical music and opera, Italy is more than a great place to hear it — because along with Germany, Italy is where Western music was born. When you hear "do-re-mi" or read musical notation, you're experiencing innovations born in Italy 1,000 years ago. Opera began in Florence some 400 years ago, and the piano was invented there a century later. Even today, the language of music remains Italian: allegro, adagio, crescendo and forte. Experiencing that musical heritage in the places where it was created adds an entirely new dimension to an Italy trip.

For more than 80 years, Perillo Tours has been introducing American travelers to the country's art, history and culture. And for third-generation owner Steve Perillo, that culture has a special personal connection: He is a classically trained pianist and composer who studied at Boston University's School of Music.