Tourist attractions in Italy and Rome
Add comment November 5th, 2007
Rome : Northern Italy
Central Italy includes the regions of Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Abruzzo, Molise and Lazio and the cities of Florence, Siena, Pisa, Perugia and Ancona
Southern Italy includes the regions of Campania, Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria and the city of Naples and the Amalfi Coast
The Islands (Sicily and Sardinia).
Rome
Capital of Italy and the country’s largest city, Rome, littered with relics of over 2000 years of history, exerts an enduring fascination over its countless visitors.
Rome is a relatively expensive city for accommodation, and hotels are heavily booked. If you want a good choice of hotels and prices, it’s a good idea to book in advance. There are plenty of cheap and budget hotels in rome, but note that you tend to get what you pay for.
At the nearby Trevi Fountain, visitors guarantee their return to Rome by throwing a coin into the waters. West of Via del Corso, a maze of narrow streets winds its way down to the River Tiber. It is here, in the historic center of Rome, that the most complete ancient Roman structure is found: the Pantheon, on Piazza della Rotonda, built by Emperor Hadrian and completed in AD 125. Monumental in scale, the diameter of the dome and its height are precisely equal, while the interior is illuminated by sunlight entering through a 9m (30ft) hole in the dome’s roof. Just beyond the Pantheon lies Piazza Navona, a long thin square, on a classical site, rebuilt in the 17th century in High Baroque style.
On the west bank of the Tiber, the Vatican City is an independent sovereign state, best known for the magnificent St Peter’s Basilica. The Basilica is approached through the 17th-century St Peter’s Square, a superb creation by Bernini, enclosed by two semi-circular colonnades, with an Egyptian obelisk in the center. To the right of St Peter’s stands the Vatican Palace, the Pope’s residence. Among the principal features of the Palace are the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum. The Vatican Gardens can be visited only by those on guided tours.
The Riviera
This narrow strip of coastline is divided into two sections: the Riviera di Ponente (to the west), from Ventimiglia to Genoa, and the Riviera di Levante (to the east), from Genoa to La Spezia. The former includes wide sandy beaches and the rather commercial seaside resorts of San Remo and Bordighera, while the latter boasts small bays backed by rocky cliffs and more exclusive retreats such as Portofino and Cinque Terre. Portofino is the best known, with its small picturesque harbor full of sleek yachts, its luxury clothes shops, its romantic villas owned by the rich and famous perched on the hillside and the Castello di San Giorgio, sitting high up on a promontory with magnificent views of the Portofino harbor and bay. The beach at Santa Margherita Ligure, just 5km (3 miles) south of Portofino, is an excellent place to swim, with a magical view of the surrounding cliffs and villas from the warm and crystal-clear aquamarine water. Nearby Rapallo, 8km (5 miles) south of Portofino, is less fashionable and subsequently less expensive. At the southern tip of the Riviera di Levante lie Cinque Terre, a series of five picturesque fishing villages linked by scenic mountainside paths and surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. Here one finds the region’s least exploited beaches.
Venice (Venezia) stands upon a series of islands in a lagoon at the northern end of the Adriatic Sea, a position which gave it unique economic and defensive advantages over its trading rivals. Much of the wealth generated was, of course, invested in the construction of monuments to the glory of both God and the merchants, and Venice must be counted as one of the highlights of any tour of Italy.
The city’s main monuments – St Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace overlooking St Mark’s Square – have gained fame through innumerable paintings by such artists as Canaletto, but the whole city is in many ways a work of art. The city’s most important thoroughfare is the Grand Canal, lined with fine Gothic and Renaissance palazzi (buildings) and crossed by the bustling Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge) and the wooden Ponte dell’Accademia (Academy Bridge).
In the summer the big hotels open for the season, streams of beach-goers cross from the lagoon, and there are ice-cream shops on every corner. There are frequent ferries crossing between the Lido and Venice, so you don’t feel totally cut off from the town centre. The boat takes 20 minutes to St. Mark’s.
Lido hotels are generally cheaper than venice hotels , and are often used by tour companies. You need to weigh the savings and advantages against the charm of being in central Venice. You may also stay in central Venice hotels.
However, for your trip to Italy, you should plan your trip well, may use the services of tour organisers or tour guides, arrange for advance booking for stayal at hotels in italy and you will end well.
