Italy

Of all European countries, Italy is perhaps the hardest to classify. It is a modern, industrialized nation. It is the harbinger of style, its designers leading the way with each season's fashions. But it is also, to an equal degree, a Mediterranean country, with all that that implies.

Rome
Rome is the capital of modern Italy. Rome is full of history everywhere you look. It has many ancient monuments, interesting medieval churches, beautiful fountains, museums, and Renaissance palaces. Modern Rome is a bustling and lively city and has some excellent restaurants and nightlife. The Vatican and St. Peter's are also found in Rome.

Florence
Florence is one of the most important Renaissance architectural and art centers. Its Duomo and Baptistry are magnificent but crowded with tourists as is their large piazza. Florence has several interesting museums with many famous paintings and sculptures. There are also Medici palaces and gardens. Florence is in Tuscany.

Venice
Venice is a unique city built on water in the middle of a lagoon. Venice is one of Italy's most beautiful and romantic cities as well as one of the most popular for visitors to Italy. The heart of Venice is Piazza San Marco with its magnificent church. There are many museums, palaces, and churches to visit and wandering along Venice's canals is interesting. Venice is in the northeast of Italy and historically was a bridge between East and West.

Milan
Milan, one of Europe's richest cities, is known for stylish shops, galleries, and restaurants and has a faster pace of life than most Italian cities. It also has a rich artistic and cultural heritage. Its Duomo, with its beautiful marble facade, is magnificent. La Scala is one of the world's most famous opera houses. Milan is in northern Italy, about 30 miles south of the alps, and near Lakes Como and Maggiore.

Naples
Naples is one of Italy's most vibrant cities. It lies on the coast south of Rome and is the most important city in southern Italy. Naples has recently undergone some renovation but still retains much of its old character. It holds many historical and artistic treasures.

Activities and Tours

Colosseum
The Flavius amphitheatre is the biggest and most imposing in the Roman world, but is also the most famous monument in Rome and is known as the "Colosseum" or "Coliseum". What we see nowadays is just the skeleton of what was the greatest arena in the ancient world.

Cappella degli Scrovegni
The Scrovegni Chapel, a masterpiece in the history of painting in Italy and Europe in the 14th century, is considered to be the most complete series of frescoes executed by Giotto in his mature age.

Grand Canal
The best way to see the Grand Canal in Venice is by boat. While you can hire a water taxi, the slower and cheaper vaporetto Number 1 is a good choice. The Grand Canal is over 2 miles long and features three bridges.

Leaning Tower of Pisa
Leaning Tower of Pisa is a bell tower at Pisa, Italy. It is famous for leaning 4.4 meters out of line when measured from the seventh story. It was built to stand vertically but began leaning soon after construction started in August 1173. It tilts because its foundation was built on unstable soil. The ground beneath the tower first started to sink after the first three stories were built.

Valley of the Temples
In the area to the extreme South of Agrigento, stretched out on a ridge, known as 'Valle', one finds the Valle dei Templi, the origins of which date back to the 5th century BC. The Valle consists of a series of temples which were built to symbolize the prosperity of the city. The only temple to remain intact is the Tempio della Concordia.

Mt Etna
Standing at almost 11,000 feet, Mount Etna dominates the Sicilian skyline, a vague threat situated near the island's eastern coast. This is the most active volcano in the world. The ancient Greeks believed it to be the home of Vulcan, the god of fire to them, Mount Etna erupting merely meant Vulcan was forging weapons for Mars, the god of war.

Travel Tip and useful information

Climate
The moderating influence of the sea and the protection given by the Alpine barrier from the cold north winds join to bless Italy with a temperate climate. Nevertheless, the weather varies considerably according to how far one is from the sea or the mountains. The winter is very cold in the Alps, cold and foggy in the Po Plain and the central Apennines; mild and even warm on the Ligurian coast, the Neapolitan coast and in Sicilia. The summer is hot and dry, but the temperature is mitigated on the coast by sea breezes and in the Apennines and Alps it is pleasantly cool.

Time Zone
Current time zone offset: UTC/GMT +2 hours

Population
The latest population estimate shows 59,131,287 inhabitants in Italy in December 2006, an increase of 3 percent since 2001. Italy has the fourth largest population in the European Union (after Germany, France and the United Kingdom), and the 22nd in the world.

Transport
Good coach services run between cities and towns and there are also good local bus services. There is an extensive and well maintained road network. Tolls are charged on the autostrade (highways). As in the rest of continental Europe, vehicles travel on the right and overtake on the left.

Currency and credit cards
The new monetary currency is the Euro. Most reputable establishments will accept major credit cards. Those establishments accepting credit cards will post the logos in their front windows, just as they do in the USA and Canada. Using a credit card, or even better, a debit card or your local bank ATM card is very easy. One must first locate either the Cirrus or BankMate symbol (on the Bancomat and on your card) to insure the card is usable on that particular unit.

Dress Code
There is no Italian dress code but there is a cultural perception of casual attire does exist. Where Americans primarily think in terms of "quantity" and "value" Italians are more motivated by "quality" and "durability."

Safety and security
Like most developed countries, Italy is a very safe country to travel. Petty crime can be a problem for unwary travelers. Travelers should note that pickpockets often work in pairs or teams, occasionally in conjunction with street vendors. The rate of violent crimes in Italy is considered a "moderate," and while a portion of violent crimes are committed against travelers, it is normally not a problem.