The vibrant capital city of Rome was once the seat of an empire that pned from the Middle East to Britain. All roads lead to Rome as the saying goes and although it may no longer be the caput mundi or the capital of the world, it still holds rich evidence of its glorious past.

Rome is the largest city in Italy with an estimated population of over 3.4 million people in 2011 and an area of 1,285.3 square kilometers. The history of Rome dates back two and a half thousand years. It was the capital of the Roman Empire and at its height made numerous contributions to what would become the Western civilization.

The legend of the origins of Rome began when the twin brothers of Romulus and Remus decided to build a city for themselves. They were said to have been the god Mars’ and the priestess Rhea Silvia’s sons. The moment they were born, they were abandoned and raised by a she-wolf. Upon reaching adulthood, they decided to build a city in the place where the she-wolf nursed them. Romulus began building a wall on the Palatine Hill, which Remus ridiculed. In anger, Romulus killed his brother Remus and continued to build the new city, which he later called Roma.

Today, Rome is one of the most visited cities, not only in Italy but also in the world. Its historic center is a listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. Rome’s numerous museums and historic sites are visited by millions of tourists every year. The Vatican Museums and the Colosseum alone attract a staggering 8 million tourists annually. Rome also hosted the 1960 Olympics and is currently bidding for a chance to host the 2020 Olympics.

Things to see in Rome

When you travel to this city, your first stop may very well be St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, which is regarded as the holiest Church in the world. The basilica is the burial ground of St. Peter, one of the disciples of Jesus, after whom the papal basilica was named, since St. Peter was the first bishop of Rome, according to tradition. While the whole structure itself is a magnificent piece of architecture, it also houses the works of famous Italian artists. Gianlorenzo Bernini designed the canopy over the Papal Alter while among the many sculptures within the church is the Pieta created by sculptor/painter Michelangelo, who was also one of the architects of the basilica.

Within the Vatican, you will also find the Sistine Chapel, which is located within the Apostolic Palace, which is the official residence of the Pope. On the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel you will find several frescoes painted by several artists from the Renaissance period, including Boticelli, Pinturicchio and Perugino. The frescoes also include The Creation of Adam, one of the most famous frescoes done by Michaelangelo. Overall, Michaelangelo created over 300 paintings for his frescoes. You will also see some of the restored tapestries of Raphael, another popular Italian artist during the Renaissance. If you have the stamina, you may want to wander off to the Vatican Museums and find yourself in a labyrinth of galleries and courtyards that will be impossible to explore in just one day.

After the Vatican, you should pass by the National Monument of Victor Emmanuel II. This imposing monument was completed in 1935 in honor of Victor Emmanuel, the first king of unified Italy. The structure is 443 feet wide and 230 feet high. In 2007, an elevator was added to the structure to allow visitors to go to the top and get a 360-degree view of Rome.

You will find the Colosseum in the center of Rome. It is an elliptical amphitheater constructed in 72 AD and is considered one the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. It is capable of holding about 50,000 spectators and was once the venue for gladiatorial contests and other forms of public entertainment.

Things to do in Rome

You might also want to take a stroll and photograph the different piazzas around the city such as Piazza Navona and the Piazza del Popolo. You can make a wish and throw coins in the Trevi fountain, visit the Imperial Fora, and cross the Ponte Sant’Angelo, the bridge that ps the river Tiber and into the Castel Sant’Angelo. You can spend the night at the opera at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, originally called the Teatro Costanzi in honor of its builder, which will no doubt be an inspiring experience. Or you can grab a bite of an authentic pizza Romana, freshly tossed and baked in traditional brick ovens. And of course, Rome is a great place to shop with boutiques and department stores all over the city.

Florence, the capital of the Italian region of Tuscany, is especially known for its art and architecture. Florence, or locally known as Firenze, is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance. It has seen a particularly tumultuous past. This included centuries of rule under the Medici dynasty that saw several religious and political revolutions. Florence was briefly named the capital of Italy from 1865 to 1870. Due to its incredible artistic and architectural heritage, it attracts millions of tourists every year. In 1982, UNESCO proclaimed it a World Heritage Site. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Things to see in Florence

The first thing that will catch your eye upon arrival at Florence is the famous Florence Cathedral, one of the largest in Italy. Originally called the Duomo, it was built in the Gothic style and completed in 1436. The dome of the basilica was engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. Made from brick and mortar, it remains as the largest dome made from those materials in the world. The cathedral is found in the Piazza del Duomo that includes the Baptistery of St. John and Giotto’s Campanile, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites as well.

Another sight that will surely make your Italy travel unforgettable is the Ponte Vecchio (translated in English as Old Bridge), which ps the river Arno. It is a medieval stone arch bridge, which is notable for having shops built alongside of it. What’s remarkable and intriguing is that the shops are supported on stilts. These shops used to be occupied by butchers but today you can find shops selling souvenirs, art and jewelry. Cosimo I de Medici also built the Vasari Corridor above it that allows the Medici family a private passage around the city.
What better reason to come to the birthplace of the Renaissance than to see the finest collection of Renaissance art at the Galleria degli Uffizi. This museum houses over 50 rooms of packed full of over 1,500 masterpieces. While at the museum, you may also take a break at the rooftop café that serves light snacks and give you a breath-taking view of the city, particularly the Piazza della Signoria where you will find the Fountain of Neptune, designed by Bartolomeo Ammanati.
The Piazza della Signoria is a square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. It is where the Florentines and tourists alike gather and is considered the political hub of the city.

Things to do in Florence

While in Florence, you may want to take a walking tour of the city and simply bask in its beauty. You might find that even after spending an entire week in the city, you still will not have exhausted all of its sights and sounds. Grab yourself a scoop of gelato along the way and you will find that it is a wonderful city to get lost in. Another way to get a glimpse of the city is to climb the dome of the Florence Cathedral. For a fee, you will be able to climb the staircase all the way to the bell tower for spectacular city views and a close up of the dome itself.
After sightseeing, you might also pass by the Florence’s leather markets and find a thing or two you might want to bring home with you. You can also visit the graves of famous historical names you will easily recognize at the Church of Santa Croce. There you will find elaborate sarcophagi for Galileo, Machiavelli, Rossini, Ghiberti, and even Michelangelo. You will also find an honorary grave for Dante Alighieri.

The Queen of the Adriatic, The City of Water, The City of Masks, The City of Bridges, The Floating City, and The City of Canals are some of the names that had been given to this city. You guessed it! Our Italy Travel Guide is taking you to the engineering marvel that is Venice, capital of the Veneto region. This historic city has earned a reputation of being the most romantic city in Europe. The name Venice was derived from an ancient people called Veneti who inhabited northeastern Italy by the 10th century B.C., in an area that roughly corresponds to the modern day Veneto region. Today, the city included in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area has an estimated population of 1,600,000 and a land area of 458 square kilometers.

The city has total of 117 islands that are scattered across the Venetian Lagoon, which is along the Adriatic Sea in the northeastern part of Italy. This saltwater lagoon ps the shoreline in between the mouth of the rivers Piave towards the north and Po towards the south.

During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, the city was a major maritime power because of its participation in the Crusades and the Battle of Lepanto. It was also a very important center for commerce and trade for products such as silk and grain. Venice also acted as a crucial port to the spice trade that involved the movement of spices from Asia to Europe in the 13th century. The city was also known for playing an important role in several artistic movements during the Renaissance period such as the development of symphonic and operatic music. It is also known for being the birthplace of the famous Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi.

Things to see in Venice

The city was built on an archipelago of 117 islands, which forms a web of 177 canals on a shallow lagoon. Although Venice is connected by a total of 409 bridges, the canals still serve as roads within the city, which is why the main form of transport is either on water or by foot. You will find that apart from the land entrances at its northern edge, transportation within the city of Venice relies largely on its canals. This makes Venice unique in that is has remained a fully functioning city in the twenty-first century without the use of any land vehicles.
Because of the city’s location, you can expect the climate to be cooler than most of the peninsula. Expect freezing weather around the months of January and February but since the city is beautiful given any backdrop, you will find that the weather will be last thing to hinder your travel plans. One thing you must note is the occurrence of acqua alta or high water where the tide peaks within the Adriatic Sea. This causes partial flooding within the city between autumn and spring. The good news is that this phenomenon has never really stopped anyone from visiting Venice nor has it lessened the city’s appeal.

Perhaps the first sight that will greet you upon your arrival would be the famous gondolas rowed by gondoliers wearing striped shirts across the canals. These traditional flat-bottomed rowing boats have been specifically designed to suit the Venetian Lagoon’s conditions. For centuries, the gondolas were the most common way of transportation within the city. Today, despite the advent of more modern boats, the iconic gondola still plays an important role in Venice. The more commonly used gondolas called traghetti are still used to ferry passengers across the Grand Canal to certain areas where there are no bridges.

You may first want to take a ride across the Grand Canal, which is the largest canal in the city. It hosts a long line of the city’s most famous building along its banks. Among them are the baroque church of Santa Maria Della Salute, the Accademia Gallery, the Ca’ d’Oro and the Palazzo Grassi, Grimani Palace and Palazzo Corner-Spinelli. The canal has a total of three bridges, the most famous of which is the Rialto.

After a memorable ride along the canals, step back on land for a more intimate glimpse of the famous Venetian architecture by taking a stroll in the Piazza San Marco from where you can see the Basilica of St. Mark, which is the best known example of Byzantine architecture. Along the piazza you will also find Palazzo Ducale or Doge’s Palace, which used arcading on its lower story that the palace seems to defy gravity when seen from a distance with its massive and almost solid upper floors. On the corner of St. Mark’s Square stands he most conspicuous feature of Venice, the Campanile di San Marco. The bell tower was constructed separate from the St. Mark’s Basilica and rises to a height of 98.6 meters. Its belfry has five bells. On the very top of the spire is a weathervane in the shape of Gabriel, the archangel. Towards the rear of Doge’s Palace, you will also find the Bridge of Sighs. The enclosed bridge was once used to convey convicts to the prisons and would provide them with their last view of the city. The name of the bridge suggests that the prisoners sighed as they take their final glimpse of the beautiful Venice prior to being brought to their cells. Also, legend has it that if lovers kiss in a gondola right under the Bridge of Sighs, they would be granted everlasting love.

Things to Do in Venice

Since Venice is a city of romance, you cannot go to the city without at least sharing a romantic gondola ride with someone special. It is highly recommend that you take a ride around the more quiet back canals instead of the more crowded Grand Canal which will allow you to experience the city without hustle and bustle of the crowds. But it would still be fun to try to ride the waterbus or vaporetti at least once in the Grand Canal.

Make your Italy travel even more memorable by donning a mask in time for the Carnival of Venice. The Carnival is annual events that begins 40 days before Easter and end the day before Ash Wednesday. This Venetian tradition that was first documented as far back as the 13th century was revived by the Italian government in the 1970s in an effort to bring back Venetian history and culture. Today, it attracts about 30,000 visitors on each day of the Carnival.

What is a trip without shopping? You may visit a large collection of shops that line the city for anything from luxurious silks, to leather goods and jewelry. You will also find numerous shops specializing in Venetian masks that could be the ultimate souvenir to bring back home.

You can even take a glimpse of the Rialto market, which is famous for the best catch of fresh fish brought in from the lagoon that day. You will also find an assortment of stalls for fresh fruits and vegetables and butcher shops selling different kinds of meats.

If you get hungry after all that sightseeing, you take your pick from the many restaurants in the city for a plateful of homemade pasta and a hearty serving of fresh seafood.

Milan is the second largest city in Italy and the capital of the Lombardy region. The name Milan has, over the years become synonymous to fashion and design. Major fashion labels such as Armani, Versace and Prada dominate Milan’s runways. Despite its reputation as being one of the fashion capitals of the world, this booming metropolis is also a major driving force behind the country’s economy.

Things to see in Milan

Upon arrival in Milan, you will most likely find yourself wandering off to the Piazza del Duomo, the city’s central square. If you would like to go on a sightseeing tour of the city, it is recommended that you start here as it is surrounded by Milan’s most important structures. The first of these is the Milan Cathedral, which is ranked the fourth largest in the world. This gothic cathedral took an unbelievable six centuries to build with its initial groundbreaking in 1386 and completion in 1965.

On the northern side of the Piazza del Duomo you will find the Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery. This is a series of glass-covered arcades that intersect into an octagon and connects the Piazza della Scala to the Piazza del Duomo. Giuseppe Mengoni designed this in 1861 and it was constructed 1865 to 1877, making it one of the oldest shopping malls in the world. The shopping arcade is lined with a series of bars, shops and restaurants and also contains numerous mosaics with symbols of the cities that comprised the newly united Italy. It has been nicknamed Milan’s drawing room as it serves as a hub where locals converge.
One other notable place to visit is the Royal Palace of Milan, which has served as the city’s seat of government for centuries. It is also a cultural center and hosts numerous exhibitions.

Things to Do in Milan

If you are a fashionista by heart, then Milan is your Mecca. You can feast your eyes on a number of Milan’s boutiques and the good news is, they can all be found in one square, the Quadrilatero d’Oro or Rectangle of Gold. The square is bordered by Via della Spiga, Via Manzoni, Via Sant’Andrea and Via Montenapoleone and is lined with almost all the designer names you can think of. Even if the prices are a bit out of your budget, you will find that you can spend hours just happily window shopping around the area. If you are in Milan around September to October, you may be in time for the Milan Fashion Week, which happens every year.

On the other hand, if you are traveling on a tight budget, don’t think that Milan will have nothing to offer. Keep your Saturday free, put on a pair of your most comfortable shoes and head down to the Fiera di Senigallia, the city’s flea market. Here you can find almost everything and anything from clothes to old comic books to ceramics. The two-kilometer market runs alongside the city’s oldest canal and attracts close to 150,000 people, as it is a bargain hunter’s dream.

If you are in the mood for art, you can fix your eyes on The Last supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. This Renaissance masterpiece is on display at the church of Santa Maria della Grazie. Despite having gone through the French invasion and World War II, it miraculously survived and has now been restored to its full color. You can also head down toward Castello Sforzesco and view their vast archives that cover everything from the Palaeolithic period to the 1950s. You might need more than just one day to cover the expanse of this museum.

You can sample the Milanese cuisine in one of the many restaurants in the city. You can get a plateful of funghi porcini pasta or maybe sample some Costoletta alla Milanese (breaded veal cutlet). Afterwards you can stop by one of the many cafès in the city for a fast serving of caffè macchiato or cappuccino scuro.

Naples

Naples, or Napoli in Italian, is the largest city in southern Italy and the third most populated city in the country. It is located in the region of Campania, two hours away from Rome. It lies on the northern edge of the Bay of Naples, which is one of the most beautiful bays in Italy and its harbor is one of the most important harbors in Italy. The city also lies between two volcanic regions, the Mount Vesuvius and Phlegraean Fields. Its name is derived from the Greek word neapolis, which means new city. The city is well known for its rich history, art, architecture and cuisine particularly its famous pizza.

Things to see in Naples

When travelling to Naples, you can take your pick among the many interesting attractions around the city. You can start with the Museo Archeologico Nazionale or the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. It has one of the largest and best collections of wall paintings, sculptures and other objects recovered from several archeological sites in the city. The Piazza del Plebescito is the main square in Naples where the main attraction is a royal palace called Palazzo Reale. It is open to the public except on Wednesdays. You can view the restored rooms and the regal appointments of the apartments for the royal residents and take in the expanse of the Bay of Naples from the roof garden. Nearby is the Galleria Umberto, a glass-roofed public shopping arcade with a beautiful zodiac mosaic inlaid on its floor. It is right across the street from the San Carlo Theater, the oldest opera house still in continuous operation in Europe and at one time was the largest in the world, with a seating capacity of 3,300.

Naples is the perfect place for a walking tour and you can spend some time browsing the various shops along the Via San Biagio, offer prayers when you visit some of the old churches in the city or go back in time when you visit some of the museums in Naples. Where else can you find nativity shops that are open all-year round but in Naples? At the Via San Gregorio Armeno or the San Gregorio Armeno Street, you can find all the things you will need to fashion your own nativity sets or cribs or purchase one that is already complete. Whether you are religious or not, a Catholic or a follower of other religions, it is worth visiting the Duomo Napoli or the Cathedral of Naples. While the cathedral was built in honor of the city’s patron saint, Januarius, it is dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and contains many artworks, busts and sculpture pieces created by Italy’s finest. Annually, based on tradition, a vial supposed to contain the dried blood of Saint Januarius is taken out on the first Saturday of May and every 19th of September. It is said that his dried blood liquefies when brought close to holy relics.

Things to Do in Naples

Italy is known the world over for its pizza. But since Naples is the birthplace of this famous dish, where better to sample an authentic pie than here. You will finds that the city is lined with great restaurants and you can take your pick among the among the pizza places, many with authentic wood-burning ovens.

If you travel to Naples during the holidays, the city is reputed to have the best fireworks display in Italy. Due to the city’s proximity, you can also take day tours from Naples to the famous city of Pompeii, which is listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. You can take a guided tour and see the haunting ruins of Pompeii that was partially buried during a violent eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in the year 79 AD. From there you can also climb the summit of Mt. Vesuvius itself.

And while on that subject, why not go to other places that are still as beautiful as the museums and churches but are not as cloistered? Naples has a lot to offer besides great architecture, churches, galleries and shopping. Go west to the Phlegraean Fields and explore the area of craters and volcanoes. The terrain around Mount Solfatara resembles the landscape on Mars. From there you can go to Cuma and explore the tunnel called Grotto della Sibilla on Lake Averno, which many claim to be the portal that leads to Hades. After your walk through the tunnel, follow the road signs to Baia archeological park to see the remains of Roman baths prior to having a meal at one of the many restaurants along the shore. Afterwards you can imagine what it’s like to be a gladiator while you visit the Flavian Amphitheater, which had been preserved so the public can explore the animal holding cells and underground passages where men and beasts go through before emerging on the center court for their battle for life.