 Holidays In ItalyLiguria | Northern Italy | Venice | Umbria | Tuscany | Rome | LiguriaLiguria is based on the Genoa Gulf and has many names such as the Italian Riviera, Ligurian coast and the Flower Riviera. Genoa is its capital and borders France to the west. This border is known as Riviera di Ponente. To the east is the Riviera di Levante, which contunues until it meets with Tuscany. Liguria is a narrow region enclosed by mountains and sea. Most of the cities are quite small and have narrow beaches with colourful rows of deckchairs and parasols. The southern-facing beaches are also very popular with the locals. The old harbour city of Genoa was an important trading city for centuries. Christopher Columbus was born here but ended up in the service of the Spanish government, and went on to discover America. South of Genoa is the charming harbour town of Portofino. Its beauty has been copied in Florida but is still nowhere near as captivating as the original Italian Portofino. It's very friendly and the luxurious yachts in the harbour indicate how expensive life is here. The Cinque Terre, to be found north of La Spezia, makes a fantastic photo and this whole coastal area was put on the UNESCO world heritage list in 1997. Facts about LiguriaRiomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza en Monterosso al Mare are all old harbour villages situated on the rocky coast of Riviera de Levante, north of La Spezia. They are connected by a series of tunnels used by trains and also there's a narrow path along the coastline. This used to be quite a dangerous route for shepards, but it now has safety railings. The walking route has many steps but provides some breathtaking views of the sea below, making it an ideal romantic walk. Italy and Liguria in shortSize: 5410km2
Genoa features old palaces and churches. Its also has a statue of Christopher Columbus and an aquarium, which the children will love. Visit San Remo, a popular finishing line for professional cycling events and home to the Ariston theatre, which hosts many music festivals. Albenga, Pietra Ligure and Sestri Levante have pleasant beaches and boulevards. Do not miss out on a visit to the harbour town of Porofino where the rich like to anchor their luxurious yachts. Try a day out at Via Aurelia to enjoy a walk in the beaufiful forest. Northern Italy and its lakesOn the southern side of the Alps are the large elongated lakes set in deep glacier ravines that were created during the ice age. The largest lakes are Como and Maggiore near Milan and Lake Garda near Verona. In addition there are manu smaller lakes such as Lugano, Iseo, Idro and Lake Levico and Lake Caldonazzo situated east of Trento. Although the name of the Lake Maggiore may suggest it its the largest lake, this is not the case. Lake Maggiore measures 212km2 but Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy at 370km2. Almost every river that has its source in these lakes will eventually run into the Adriatic Sea via the huge Po basin. The Alps have been a true barricade for trading routes for many centuries. As a result cities were built along trading routes to benefit travellers, such as the small city of Vipiteno which located directly after the Brenner pass. Others include Bolzano and Merano, which are situated more to the south in a region that was Austrian territory for some time. It was the same for Aosta, Torino and Biella in the west of the Alps. Facts about North Italy and its lakesCastles can be seen all over the region and in the north pf Italy that can be recognised by the 'swallow tail' design of their stone merlons. Merlons are the gallery blocks behind which defenders could hide from the arrows of their attackers. This style of structure was typical of the castles built by the noble Scaligery family, the most powerful family in Verona at the end of the 13th century. They built a large number of castes in the north of Italy such as the Rocca Scaligeri water castle on the Sirmione peninsula, Lake Garda. North Italy and its lakes in shortSize: Trentino: 13,600km2
Northern Italy has several exciting cities that are full of charm, culture and character. There is fashion capital Milan, the traders city of Trento and the distinguished Verona, which is home to the famous balcony in Romeo and Juliet and operas that take place in the old Roman arena here. Visit the city of Stresa and teh Borromeo isles in Lake Maggiore. Don't miss Peschiera del Garda and the Sirmione peninsula at Lake Garda. Venice and the Adriatic coastVenice is situated on a number of islands in the Venetian lagoon. The lagoon is protected from the Adriatic Sea by several islands and peninsula but the beautiful city still suffers from floods every winter. Venice is connected to the mainland by a dam that cars and trains can use. It leads from the harbour city of Mestre to the island. Venice used to be an independent state for centuries and was the most prosperous city throughout Europe in Mediaeval times and culturally influential in the 18th century. The Doges were the appointed leaders and under their power, popular artists, poets and architects made Venice famous worldwide. Napolean was the only one to conquer the city, and now Venice is 'only' the capital of the Italian Veneto region. Cultural reforms that have infleuenced Venice can be seen along the whole Adriatic north-west coast. Such as Lido isles, known for the film festival, the romantic bay of Burano with its coloured houses, Murano, home to famous glass artists, and Torcello with its 14th century palaces. The whole of the Venetian lagoon is on the world heritage list. Facts about Venice and the Adriatic coastVenetian gondolas were once painted in bright colours with every family having its own special colours and type of decoration. When the city suffered an epidemic in 1652, it did not seem respectful to take the many victims to their funerals in brightly coloured boats. So the order was given that all gondolas had to be painted black from then onward. The only advantage was that the black tar used to repair the boats and keep them waterproof was no longer visible. Venice and the Adriatic coast in shortSize: 412 km2
Don't miss out on a trip in a Venetian gondola. Although expensive the experience is worth every penny! Travel to Burano by water taxi to see its romantic coloured houses or alternatively visit Chioggia, known as 'little Venice'. To the south the Adriatic coast has even more to offer with fantastic cities such as Ravenna with its famous mosaics, Rimini and the beaches of Cesenatico. Don't forget the small town of San Marino. UmbriaThis region is in central Italy and therefore has no coastline. It is a large province and is home to a wide variety of cultures. The Mediterranean Sea and the Adriatic are a two-hour drive away. The cultural cities of Florence and Rome are not far, making Umbria an ideal base for touring. The green hills surrounding the Tiber valley produce good quality olives and great wines. The region is home to Lake Trasimeno, the fourth largest lake in Italy covering 130km2 in total, although its western shores are actually in Tuscany. The lake was made famous by the 'Battle of Lake Trasimeno', which was fought between the Roman armies and those of Hannibal. Hannibal had lost all his elephants when crossing the Alps on his way to Rome but he still had a few tricks in hand. The Romans thought they would make ground by going along the narrow north bank of the lake as they thought that Hannibal and his men were still in the mountains by the fires they coud see. This was just a clever strategy by Hannibal and the Romans were ambushed beside the lake. It was a bloody battle and the Trasismeno lake was red from the blood weeks afterwards. Facts about UmbriaOlives grow throughout the countryside close to the Mediterranean Sea but limestone soil, together with the Umbrian climate, produces the best olives. Olive trees can produce a crop for many years. Harvesting starts in November but the exact time depends on many factors. If picking starts too early the taste and quantity will not be at its best. However if harvesting starts too late, the olives can begin fermenting immediately they are picked. There are over 700 varieties of olives here, each demanding different treatments! Umbria in shortSize: 8460km2
Along Lake Trasimeno are small beaches and romantic places such as Castiglione and Sant'Arcangelo. Visit the Castle of the Knights in Malta in Magione where 100,000 bottles of wines are producted each year. Not to be missed are cities like Perugia, Spoleto and Foligno Orvieto with their historic centres and beautiful architecture. Assisi is well known for its ancient Saint Franciscan basilica with priceless ceiling paintings that were demolished during the 1997 earth quake. The church has been restored and is open to the public again. TuscanyTuscany is a true piece of Italy. It oozes charm and history so its no suprise many people come here to learn the language. Tuscan history boasts many great names in regards to art, in particular the wealthy De'Medici family. Their tomb can be seen in the San Lorenzo basilica in Florence. Florence was the most important city of culture in Europe from the 16th to the 19th century. It offers a wide range of artistic opportunitites including architecture, painting, sculpturing and literature and produced famous names such as Dante, Boccaccio and Machiavelli. In addition to charming countryside Tuscany has some beautiful cities. Siena is famous for its horse races in the central square, San Gimignano has its unique towers and Florence is a treasure chest of culture. Pisa has its own story as it was once surrounded by the sea but its now situated almost 10km inland. In addition to its leaning tower it has other interesting buildings in the same square. Tuscany also has long sandy beaches and the island of Elba. The region also produces many famous wines such as Chianti and Montepulciano. Facts about TuscanyMarble quarries have been active here since ancient Roman times, making it the oldest industry that still continues today. After the Romans, marble became a popular export to kings and rich merchants who liked to decorate their palace floors with real Italian marble. This was especially popular in the ares of Carrara, which still has many marble quarries. The white marble of Carrara is famous worldwide. Michelangelo agreed and he went on to create the famous statue of David from white Carrara marble. Tuscany in shortSize: 22,290 km2
The Palazzo Degli Uffizi is just one of the many museums to visit in Florence. In fact the city seems like one big museum, including the famous Ponte Vecchio that crosses the river Arno. In addition to the popular leaning tower, Pisa has a large dome and baptistery at the Piazza dei Miracoli. Explore the wonderful Tuscan countryside and enjoy a day out on Elba Island with its Maremma nature park. Rome and southern ItalyRome is over 2500 years old and still remains the most cultural place in the world due to its mix of buildings, art and religion. According to an old tale the city was founded by the twins Remus and Romulus, who were found in a reed basket in the river Tiber and raised by a wolf. There is an illustration of the two children being breastfed by the wolf included in the city's coat of arms. Whether this is true or not, the fact remains that the first buildings of Rome were created around 750 years before Christ, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. In Roman times, Rome had already established itself as a city with over one million inhabitants and an extended water supply system. This intricate system guided the water from the mountains in the east to the city over huge viaducts. The Vatican City is in the heart of Rome and is the seat of the Catholic church. With an area of less than half a square kilometre, it's the smallest independant country in the world. The Pope's land used to be much bigger but since 1929 the church has based itself in the city of Rome. Facts about Rome and southern ItalySPQR are letter that you will see displayed throughout Rome, including on official buildings, small water fountains and drain covers. The characters stand for Senatus Populus Que Romanus, which means the Senate and the people of Rome. The comic book character Obelix has his own translation. He often says to his friend Asterix "Strange guys, those Romans". The Italian comic book version says: "Sono Pazzi, Questi Romani". SPQR Rome and southern Italy in shortSize; Rome: 1285 km2Population: Rome: 2,550,000 Rome is in the region of Lazio Currency and language: Euro, Italian July August Average temperature 25 25 Hours of sun 11 10 Distances: Brenner pass - Rome: 734km; Rome - Naples: 227km; Leonardo da Vinci aiport - Rome centre: 33km Recommended (low cost) airports: Rome: Fiumicino (Leonardo da Vinci) and Ciampino; Sardinia: Olbia, Cagliari; Sicily: Catania, Palermon, Trapani St Peter's Square with its basilica of the same name has a beautiful interior and is a definate 'must see'. The Pope's tombs under the church are also interesting. The Colosseum and the Forum Romanum excavations are very impressive, as is the Pantheon with its huge dome and remarkable 'oculus', the open circle in the roof. Make a wish after throwing a coin into the Trevi fountain. |
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