Since you have the ultimate veto over your travel agents' picks, run them by the vetters on this boa

It's peak season in Italy after the summer heat and with return of cultural life, so book hotels well in advance. Also think about booking timed entry to some attractions, kelly blue book for travel trailers such as St Mark's Basilica, the Uffizi Gallery, Accademia, Vatican Museums kelly blue book for travel trailers and Borghese Gallery.
I have a travel agent currently setting up an itinerary for hotels, which we can alter however we wish. We are targeting moderate hotels since we want some amenities but don't expect to spending much time in the room.
Sorry to flag some problems right at the beginning of your planning, but do be very careful about both the prices and the locations of hotels recommended to you by a travel agent. it is the rare travel kelly blue book for travel trailers agent who understands Italy -- seriously -- and understands that the best hotels are located deep in the historic center and run privately by Italian families as either small hotels or bed and breakfasts. kelly blue book for travel trailers These places have the best level of service and cleanliness, and the better prices.
Since you have the ultimate veto over your travel agents' picks, kelly blue book for travel trailers run them by the vetters on this board but also Frommer's and Tripadvisor for a wider demographic. And absolutely read up-to-date reviews of travel agent recommendations on Tripadvisor, booking.com and venere.com
If food is a major joy in your travels, you will really need to do some research because you are headed into the mega-tourists zones, which has really undermined local cooking and restaurant standards. You would do really well to invest in a copy of Fred Plotkin's "Italy for the Gourmet Traveler". You will not be sorry. He has great recommendations for Milan and you will really know where to go, what to eat and how to get the most out of your stays in Venice, Florence/Siena and Rome when it comes to food and wine and understanding their historic value to Italain culture. It's just a great book. Great tips on wine too for Tuscany.
Many women like myself moved to Italy to be surrounded by its art and exciting history, and I have to say what surprises me is to hear some women coming all this way to go shopping, because it is generally cheaper in the US, including for Italian made goods and designer labels. But by all means help the Italian economy! -- and I think there are specific guides kelly blue book for travel trailers and apps for quality shopping in Italy, so your wife might want to track those down ahead of time.
PS: bobthenavigator and I were posting at the same time, and we almost never agree about anything when it comes to Italy, but we agree about the problem of using a travel agent to choose hotels for you in Italy. Bob is actually a travel planner kelly blue book for travel trailers pro himself, so he has nothing against paying for knowledgeable advice, and neither do I. But travel agents are good for some things but not for others, and knowing about Italian lodgings is rarely one of their strong suits.
kelly blue book for travel trailers WHen I lived in the US I had a travel agent who I really liked and was my friend. But I never let her choose hotels for me in Italy. She was always amazed at the beautiful places I booked. She had never heard of them -- even though many of these places are quite popular with frequent travelers to Italy.
As far as shopping, we don't intend on any major designer kelly blue book for travel trailers shopping sprees, we were more looking for cool off-the-beaten-path stores that sell local crafts and unique kelly blue book for travel trailers gifts, etc. We don't intend to come home with lots of souvenirs, etc., maybe just a piece of local art.
If you're a 'foodie,' you'll need to do some research for specific restaurants and dishes to seek out. If you're looking for good-to-great food and an enjoyable dining experience (which I think is fairly easy to find almost anywhere in Italy), there have been some recent threads here with many restaurant recommendations.
In general, this group is a better sounding board than adviser except kelly blue book for travel trailers on a lot of very specific things. If you want to know where to park for the XYZ Museum in the city of Undice, someone here will know. Someone here will know if the Gran Casa Villa is a nice hotel in a safe area because they will have stayed there.
But tastes and particularly ideas about what is basic, moderate, and luxury in both amenities and price differ tremendously, so better to get us to react to ideas you or your travel kelly blue book for travel trailers agent generate than to expect us to come up with recommendations. A good travel agent is a gem, and I once had one, but a bad one is a disaster, so many people are suspicious of them. you seem to have a good relationship with yours, so s/he may be very helpful.
The biggest pitfall for most travelers is trying to do too much, and the people on this forum will remind you of that constantly, perhaps not as much as the folks on SlowTravel, but you will recognize it as a theme.
Relax, prepare for a great time but don't expect things to be perfect, and try to learn a little about Italians and their customs kelly blue book for travel trailers before you go, not just what to see at the Uffizi, and you will have a great time.