Rome
There's no escaping it: Rome means history. There's layers of
the stuff - Etruscan tombs, Republican meeting rooms, Imperial
temples, early-Christian churches, medieval bell towers, Renaissance
palaces and baroque basilicas. In this city a phenomenal concentration
of history, legend and monuments coexists with an equally phenomenal
concentration of people busily going about their everyday life.
It's hard to say what you'll find most breathtaking about the
eternal city, the arrogant opulence of the Vatican, the timelessness
of the Forum, the top speed of a Fiat Bambino or the bill for
your latte.
Florence
The cultural and historical impact of Florence can be overwhelming.
Close up, however, the city is one of Italy's most atmospheric
and pleasant, retaining a strong resemblance to the small late-medieval
centre that contributed so much to the cultural and political
development of Europe. Unfortunately, it can also be one of Italy's
most clogged tourist traps, with up to 2000 tourist buses arriving
daily in the peak season.
Where Rome is a historical hot-pot, Florence is like stepping
back into a Fiat and Vespa-filled Renaissance: the shop-lined
Ponte Vecchio, the trademark Duomo, the gem-filled Uffizi Gallery,
the turreted Piazza della Signoria and the Medici Chapels. Thankfully,
these unforgettables are all within walking distance of each other.
Venice
There's no escaping it: Venice is unique. For a start, this is
a pedestrian's city on a very human scale; cars are almost nonexistent,
and beguiling narrow paths take the place of ugly city roads.
The harmonious architecture seems to have sprung uniformly from
somewhere between the 12th and 16th century, its secretive walls
and enticing balconies sparkling with flashes of water glimpsed
through cracks and windows. Dark paths suddenly emerge into the
clear, bright daylight of a pigeon-packed piazza or cross the
city's myriad canals by way of numerous and wonderful little bridges.
The atmosphere is magical and inexplicably festive.
The city is built on 117 small islands, and is linked to the mainland
service town of Mestre by a road and rail causeway. The Grand
Canal insinuates itself around the city, emerging at the unforgettable
vista of Piazza San Marco, boasting its campanile, Doges' Palace,
St Mark's Basilica and elegant piazza. The Bridge of Sighs links
the palace to the gloomy old prisons, and the bobbing gondolas
are overlooked by the stunning Santa Maria della Salute, San Giorgio
Maggiore and del Redentore churches. It takes only half an hour
or so to walk from the train station to San Marco - if you can
resist the temptation to take one of the many paths that diverge
from the main drag (Lista di Spagna). To appreciate the fine palaces
that line the Grand Canal, swallow your 'but I'm not really a
tourist' phlegm and take a gondola.
The Accademia Bridge leads to a quieter Venice and the Galleria
dell'Accademia, with its collection of Venetian masters. The nearby
Peggy Guggenheim Gallery updates your walk through history and
art, with its fine collection of early-20th-century works.
Venice is surrounded by equally enchanting islands: the Lido (forever
linked with Tommy Mann, Dirk and Death in Venice), Murano (the
home of Venetian glass), Burano (famous for its lace) and strangely
time-warped Torcello, with its Byzantine cathedral.
Milan
Visitors come to Milan for its fashion, cuisine, opera, church
(the world's fourth-largest), Renaissance castle and da Vinci's
Last Supper fresco. But this is very much a working city, the
country's business and finance capital. Shopping is huge, the
food is legendary and nightclubbing is the best (thanks to the
presence of the country's largest gay community).
The huge city sprawls for miles, but the main historical attractions
can be found between the two most important: the huge cathedral
- commissioned in 1386 and still unfinished - and the spiky Sforza
castle. The Piazza del Duomo is bordered by the world's most beautiful
shopping mall: the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Resist the cafes
and boutiques and you emerge opposite opera's sacred shrine: La
Scala. Its museum is pretty good too. Milan has plenty of art
galleries and collections, but the most popular venue is the Vinciano
Refector, which is home to the Last Supper.
Naples
& Pompei
Energetic Naples, capital of the Campania, is set on the beautiful
Bay of Naples and overshadowed by Mt Vesuvius. It's one of Europe's
most densely populated cities and throbs with the hubbub of workers
and city dwellers, its narrow streets crowded with people dodging
overhanging washing and speeding Vespas.
Naples' historic centre features the church-encrusted Piazza del
Gesù Nuovo, the duomo, the Palazzo Reale and San Carlo
Opera House. The 13th-century Castel Nuovo overlooks the ferry
port, and further along the waterfront there's a Norman castle,
surrounded by a tiny fishing village, the Borgo Marinaro. The
National Archaeological Museum contains a fine collection of Greco-Roman
art, and the priceless treasures discovered at Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Easily accessible from Naples is enigmatic Pompei, the thriving
resort town for wealthy Romans that was buried under ash and mud
during the devastating eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD. The vast
ruins provide a fascinating insight into how the ancient Romans
lived, and include impressive temples, a forum, one of the largest
known Roman amphitheatres, luxurious houses with frescoes and
mosaics, and streets lined with shops.
Amalfi Coast
Stretching for 50km (31mi) along a promontory from Sorrento to
Salerno is some of Europe's most beautiful coastline. The road
hugs the zigzagging bends and curves of the cliffy coast, overlooking
intensely blue waters and passing picture-postcard villages that
cling to the cliff walls like matchbox houses.
Positano is the first port of call out of Sorrento, and it's truly
sublime: tiered arcades of rose- and honey-coloured houses hover
precariously over an iridescent sea, and further investigation
reveals cafes and hotels to die for. Farther around several intervening
bends is Amalfi. Its former status as a supreme naval power that
rivalled Pisa and Genoa is evident from its arsenal and imposing
duomo. Hairpin bends separate Amalfi from Ravello, which sits
like a balcony overlooking the bay. Its duomo has an interesting
pulpit with six lions carved at its base, and several villas and
their beautiful gardens add to its attractions. Salerno has seen
it all, from Etruscan to Roman and medieval times. Unfortunately,
the city was extensively damaged during WWII, as it was one of
the Allies' major landing sites.
Siena
Ramparts - just one of the many vestiges of the city's medieval
prime - still crown the hills that surround gentle Siena. Its
many reddish-brown buildings gave the world 'burnt sienna,' and
a thriving cultural scene was dubbed the Sienese school in the
13th and 14th centuries. Plague and autocrats from the Viscontis
to the Medicis brought urban growth and cultural finesse to a
screaming halt, the rot setting in with the plague of 1348, which
killed 65,000 of the city's 100,000 people. Fortunately, Italy's
finest medieval square - the Piazza del Campo - was finished just
in time, with the graceful town hall and emblemic tower nearby.
Siena's duomo is a stunner, with black and white stripes of marble
on the facade. Palazzos, piazzas, art collections, museums and
churches are scattered throughout the easily walkable old town,
making Siena a great destination for visitors who like to see
things from the pavement up.
Assisi
Walled Assisi is miraculous: it has somehow managed to retain
some tranquil refuges amid the tourist hubbub. Perched halfway
up Mt Subasio, the visual impact of its shimmering white marble
buildings is magnificent. The city is dominated by the massive
14th-century Rocca Maggiore - a hill fortress that offers fabulous
views over the valley and back to Perugia. St Francis was born
here in 1182, and work began on his basilica two years after his
death in 1228. It's a magnificent tribute to the patron saint
of animals, with frescoes by Giotto, Cimabue and Martini. Relics
from Imperial days include the excavated forum and the pillared
facade of the Temple of Minerva; Roman foundations are a common
feature of many buildings. The town's many churches include Santa
Maria Maggiore, San Pietro, St Clare and the Basilica of Santa
Maria degli Angeli. |
