Gems of Italy

Roma, Caput Mundi! Of course the Eternal City is on everyone's To Do List. For first-time visitors, we remind you not to miss the newly-renovated Colosseum, the Roman Forum, St. Peter's, the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, Piazza Navona, the Borghese Gallery, and the outdoor market at Campo de' Fiori. Save some time for designer shopping at the Spanish Steps, and don't forget to toss your coin into Trevi Fountain! Return visitors will also find loads of fascinating tips in this section of our site, including a hunt for thirteen ancient obelisks, a guide to many secret cloisters, a day at the races, and a short outing to the ruins of an ancient city that we consider much more entertaining and educational than Pompeii.

Florence - Art and history a jump in the Renaissance Florence, in the region of Tuscany, is the main city after which the province is named. It rises on the banks of the Arno in a vast plain surrounded by the Careggi, Fiesole, Settignano, Arcetri and Bellosguardo hills. The river divides the city into two parts. The local economy is based on tourism, industry (textiles and clothes, metalwork, optics, chemistry, pharmaceuticals, glass and ceramics) and on Florentine handicrafts (embroidery, jewellry, products made from straw). The climate is temperate but rather variable, with humid and breezy winters characterized by periods of intense cold, and hot and muggy summers.

Venice - Mistery and charm beauty and atmosphere Venice is the only city of its kind in the world because of the way it was developed: it was built on over 100 islands in a lagoon four kilometers from terra firma and two kilometers from the Adriatic Sea. The entire historic center, crisscrossed by canals connected by hundreds of bridges, is a treasure from the artistic and architectural point of view. It takes on an exceptional atmosphere during the phenomenon of "high water," when the high tide exceeds the level of dry land and floods the main streets and piazzas of Venice. For these reasons, Venice is one of the cities most visited by tourists from around the world. From the administrative point of view, it is the capitol of the province and of the Veneto region. It has 310,000 inhabitants.

Milan - If you are flying to Italy from another continent, chances are you'll be spending at least a couple of hours near Milan, for you are most likely to fly into Malpensa Airport. We have a few quick tips that will make it much easier for you to use Malpensa, by the way, so be sure to take a moment to print them out for your trip. We also tell you how to make mandatory reservations to see Leonardo's Last Supper. Other interesting activities in Milan are the spectacular cathedral (whose gargoyle-studded roof is one of Europe's most exciting), the fantastic designer shopping (perhaps second only to Paris), the historical castle, and the charming navigli, canals along whose flanks are some of Italy's trendiest restaurants.

Bologna - Handsome brick buildings, medieval palaces, and porticoed streets together with enchanting leaning towers of Asinelli and Garisenda Capital of the province of the same name and of the Emilia-Romagna region, Bologna is situated in the Pedemontana Apennine zone, where the valley of the Reno opens out to the Emilia plain. Bologna is an important commercial center, both for the agricultural richness of the adjacent plain and for its position as a crossroad between major directions of national traffic (Florence-Bologna-Milan, Florence-Bologna-Brenner, Florence-Bologna-Venice and Rimini-Bologna-Milan). The industrial component, whose notable sectors are mechanics, food, and shoemaking, are of special importance.

Genoa - A commercial port, genteel seaside resort, fine 16th century palaces in a town proud of its history and legend which was the native place of Christopher Columbus Provincial capital of the Liguria region, Genoa is located at the farthest inmost part of the Gulf of Genoa, along the foothills of the Appennines, with a coastal extension of about 35 km. It has a population of 676,000 inhabitants, and is the main commercial port of Italy. It is an active center for traffic and industry (shipbuilding, steel works, metal-mechanics industry, deposits and refineries of mineral oils, cement makers, food, wood and paper industries). The oldest part of the urban center, a distinctive maze of crowded and narrow streets leading to the old port, form a striking contrast with the modern part, spread out on the nearby hills. The extremely rapid topographical development of the last ten years has established one continuous spread of habitation from the coast eastward to Nervi and to the west beyond Sampierdarena, to include the industrial centers of Cornigliano and Sestri Ponente. Since 1962 Genoa has had an airport serving the European continent, which was built on a wide landscaped area obtained by reclaiming a stretch of sea facing Sestri Ponente.

Verona - Fine medieval palaces and churches, ancient squares and the magnificent Roman Arena in a town of Shakespearian echoes A city of the western Venetian region, capital of the province with the same name, Verona is situated on the two banks of the Adige between the plain and foothills of the Lessini Mountains. A highway and railway nexus of primary importance for communications between Austria and Germany, it is an active commercial center for the agricultural production of the region. Many industries have their headquarters here: paper, metal-mechanics, cardboard, graphics and publishing, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, tanning, shoe manufacturing, wood and clothing. The oldest part of the city is nestled within the wide curves of the Adige. More recent urban development has taken place around the historical center, which in many places still shows evidence of its Roman origins.

Turin - Superb Baroque architecture, excellent museums and the futuristic Antonelliana Mole, in the home of the famous Turin Shroud and The FIAT company Turin, the capital of the Province of Piedmont, is situated on the western edge of the Padana Plain, between the Po hills and the Alps, where the Doria Riparia and PO Rivers converge. Turin is the fourth most popular city in Italy, after Rome, Milan and Naples. An important economic center, its main industry is automobiles (80% of Italy’s entire production), along with subsidiary industries like steel and metal working, and motors for aeronautical and naval industries.