What
is Rome
First of all Rome means history. The city retains layers of
memories spanning from Etruscan tombs, the Roman and Imperial Fora with thir temples, the first
Christian Basilicas,
Medieval bell towers, Renaissance palaces and Baroque churches. History,
legend, monuments of the past, in Rome, coexist with a busy and lively atmosphere, where people head to their daily duties and pleasures in
the metropolitan chaos. It is hard to predict whether you will be more impressed
by the magnitude of the Vatican or the feeling of eternity you will
experience in the Forum, or rather by the stressing conditions of the traffic
or maybe the bill you will receive when you sit in a bar for a cappucino!
Rome is halfway on the western coast of Italy, about 20 km
from the sea. In spite of its big size, central Rome with its historical sites
is within walking distance from the main central station , the “ Stazione Termini”. You can start from the Colosseum and, walking through the nearby Forum, continue to Piazza di Spagna and willingly reach the Vatican in one day, but you might
consider it rather over-ambitious. All the main monuments are on the west side
of the station, however we recommend you to go around with a city map in order
not to get lost around the many secondary streets and waste your precious time.
The Palatine
and the Forum
are the heart of ancient Rome. From the Forum you can reach Piazza del Popolo
to the north, walking through via del Corso, or Piazza di Spagna and the Trevi
Fountain
(Fontana di Trevi) on its eastern side. Northwest of the Forum, on the other
side of the river “Tevere” there is the Vatican.
Most of the less expensive hotels also called “pensione” ( two star hotels) are around the area of the central
station “Stazione Termini” . Anyway, you
might find it more attractive and confortable to stay in more central
hotels, some
of which are slightly more expensive. You can eat nice and non expensive meals
around the streets of Piazza Navona or Trastevere.
VENICE Everyone knows
Venice. Gondolas bobbing on the Grand Canal, and a picturesquely decaying city
sinking slowly into the waters of the Lagoon. And yet Venice is a city of many
surprises and delights for the visitor.
The first one is that you will spend most of your time
walking - the pavements play as major a role in the city as do the canals. The
one thing you won't see is cars, drivers have to leave their vehicles at the
city gate, and that makes exploring this romantic, art-filled and utterly
unique city very enjoyable. And though tourists crowd the city, most of them
head straight for the Basilica di San Marco and the Doge's Palace; a little
trip off the beaten track yields huge rewards, as you nip down narrow alleys
and find beautiful little churches, street markets and yet another canal before
you.
Florence was the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. At one time this
charming city was the European capital of art, architecture, commerce, and
politics. Florence has survived centuries of battles with wars and acts of
nature and still remains one of the most captivating, artistic cities in all of
Europe. In 1966, the people of Florence banded together with tourists to save
important and priceless works of art when the Arno River flooded the city. You
can see plaques located on some buildings that indicate how high the river flowed.
Florence is the perfect city for walking, sitting, and enjoying life. Sit at a
café next to the Duomo or stroll along the narrow, cobble-stoned streets by the
Uffizi Museum. However you enjoy life, Florence is guaranteed to deliver.
Lucca is the most wonderful small town; its famous walls enclose a
place that can be wandered or pedalled with ease yet remains full of secrets.
One of Italy's finest mediaeval treasures, the centre is relatively unspoilt
and is sprinkled with palazzi, towers and almost countless splendid
churches. The surrounding hills produce some excellent wines and arguably the
finest olive oil anywhere, whilst the beaches and nightlife are but a small hop
away.
The historical centre of Lucca lies within a
unique wall system. These walls, built of small red bricks specifically created
for their construction, were many years in the making (16th to 17th century).
They were built as a defence against the 'old enemy', Florence, but were never in fact put to
the test in war. However they have remained intact. Their bulk alone would have
protected them from wilfull destruction. But they also have the love of the
inhabitants of Lucca.
Siena, situated on a steep
hillside in the heart of Tuscany, was the chief rival city of Florence during
the Italian Renaissance. It was here that artists such as Duccio, Simone
Martini, and the Lorenzetti brothers invented the distinctive Sienese style, a
highly developed Gothicism that was an excellent artistic alternative to the
Florentine style. As a result of the Black Death that hit the city in the 14the
century, however, over three-quarters of the population perished, and Siena’s
opulent economy and social fabric were forever lost. Siena was unable to regain
its former glory, which caused to city to not undergo expansion and further
development, allowing the city to retain a distinct medieval flair.
Cortona
is surrounded by ancient fortified walls, and this built in planning
restriction has meant that nearly all new development has occurred lower down
the hill, leaving Cortona as a delightful mediaeval town to explore on
foot. Cortona is blessed with numerous
very good restaurants, many of which are just a moment or two from the main
focus of Cortona, the central Piazza della Repubblica, dominated by the Town
Hall and the steep steps leading up to it - the ideal grandstand for watching
the busy little town pass by.
Assisi is the most famous and visited city in Umbria.
It sits high on a hill overlooking the neighboring land. Despite the number of
tourists that flock to the area, the town remains relatively unblemished. St.
Francis was born in this town in 1181. He attracted many loyal followers and
consequently changed the history of the Catholic Church. Due to the town’s
history with the St. Francis, Assisi has become a pilgrimage for young Italians
in hope to find the serenity and peace that St. Francis gave the city so long ago. Do not
miss the basilica of San Francesco. This is one of Italy’s most renowned
monuments and construction began shortly after the Saint’s death. What makes
this church so unique is that it is actually two churches built on top of each
other. The lower church is very dark and contains various frescoes, paintings,
and relics from St. Francis and other members of the order. The upper church is
much more luminous and open. There are 28 frescoes by Giotti that portray
significant events in the life of St. Francis. All the paintings are viewed in
order from left to right.
San Gimignano, one of the
best-preserved medieval towns in all Italy, is known as the “city of beautiful
towers” because of the tall medieval towers that rise in varying shapes
and sizes all over the city. Many of the towers were dismantled, or the stone
was used to build structures elsewhere, but fragments still remain. Today the
official tower count is 14. There were at one time somewhere between 70 and 76.
The towers were built in the13th century to defend against invaders, but some believe
they were built to act as command for San Gimignano's feuding families. Once a
thriving town based on textiles, and pilgrims, the local economy and town population
declined dramatically in the days of the Black Plague. Little money was left after the
plague to update the town, and by the 19th century visitors found an almost
perfectly preserved medieval town.
Verona
is under visited because there are so many other places higher on the list for
Italy. But it's a shame how many miss it when traveling between Milan &
Venice. Verona has some great points going for it -- (1) it's highly walkable,
(2) it has some terrific Roman ruins, one of which -- the impressive arena --
is so "unruined" that it is used now for opera performances, (3) for
people staying overnight it's a terrific place to enjoy the evening passagiata
(in Piazza Bra, by the arena), (4) it has a terrific medieval core, including a
castle with fortified bridge, and it has dramatic views along the river that
winds around the central city.
Bologna is notable for its reputation as the
gastronomic capital of Italy as well as for its splendid medieval core. Its a
treat to wander old Bologna, where you get deeply immersed in medieval
architecture that's taken for granted as the everyday center of a vibrant
culture. There are seemingly endless blocks of medieval covered walkways that
make it possible to walk much of the central city in comfort during inclement
weather. Don't hesitate to crawl the markets to taste cheeses and meats in this
city where food preparation is raised to a fine art. You won't want to drive in
old Bologna. The easiest way to visit is to stop when traveling by train
between Florence & Venice, or on a daytrip by train from Florence. Take a
taxi from the train station to the Piazza Maggiore -- save your feet for
walking the old town.
Naples is not for everyone, and in fact
it's not for most travelers to Italy, but it has some compelling virtues as a
destination. First and foremost, Naples has a grand position on the Bay of
Naples that has few places to rival it in Italy. The views over Naples are
stunning. Naples has its grand architecture. There is a world-class
archaeological museum with the best finds from Pompeii & Herculaneum. It is
the home of pizza and the kind of spaghetti Americans know best. So why is it
not one of the great destinations in Italy? First of all, Naples is
urban-earthy in a way that might remind you of the big inner-cities in the
northeastern USA, places you are probably not anxious to visit. This is a very
poor city, terribly overcrowded and in desperate need of a facelift. You can also meet some of the friendliest,
most generous and genuinely honest people in Italy on a trip to Naples, as I
have. There are lots of pluses and minuses to consider. Before planning a stop
at Naples, talk to someone who's been there or do some reading so you can make
an informed decision. DO NOT attempt to drive in Naples.
Linked to the myth of
the mermaids, who according to the legend bewitched seamen in this
stretch of the sea, placed at a distance of 50 kilometres from Naples and
perched on a tufa stone bastion of the peninsular, among a luxuriant
vegetation, Sorrento is the most famous resort of the peninsular and
considered to be one of the most beautiful coasts of the world. Probably it was inhabited
already in the Neolithic era, but the city is said to be founded by the Greeks;
it underwent temporarily the supremacy of the Etruscans.
Pompeii The foundation of the very ancient Pompeii with Oscan origins goes back to the 4th century B.C., even if some historicians assert that it existed already in the 8th century. For some points Pompeii had the same history of Naples: being attacked by the Etruscans, it allied with the Greeks from Palepolis and Cumae; conquered by the Samnites, in 310 B.C. it tried to defend itself from the attacking Romans, who already controlled the region Campania, but it had to surrender. In 89 B.C. Silla took Stabia and assaulted Pompeii occupying it totally
Ravello rises in a
high and particularly fortunate and suggestive position; Between the two
valleys of Valle del Dragone and Valle del Reginna at a distance of
27 kilometres from Salerno it can be reached by a street of great beauty and is
placed in one of the points with the largest view over the Gulf. Far away
from exasperated worldliness and full of an atmosphere of intellectual
refinement, the place always fascinated everyone who stayed there,
like Wagner, Boccaccio and Grieg. Tradition tells that it was founded by the Roans in
the 6th century
The Vesuvio comes in
the history of volcanology after the eruption of 79 A.D.. It started with an
high column of gas, ashes and lapillus as described by Plinio who from
Miseno (20 Km from volcano) watched all the evolution of this eruption.
"The cloud, big and dark, like a pine-tree rise up to the sky and it seems
that new branches grows up..." Entire cities like Pompeii and Herculaneum
were destroyed. The materials erupted from the Vesuvio covered the fields, the
streets, the houses, the temples of the cities. After the 79 A.D. it started a
long silence...
This little town gives
the name to the tortuous and panoramic Amalfi Drive, which seems to be
cut into the rock and winds for 35 kilometres on the southern side of the
Sorrentine peninsula, along the trunk road 163. Amalfi is placed at a
distance of 25 kilometres from Salerno in a position between sea and
mountains and with a fall of white houses pushing into the narrow valley
"Valle dei Mulini". It has ancient origins melting with legend. According
to the tradition Hercules,the heathen God of strength, loved a
nymph named Amalfi,