Italy Guide
Home to half the world's artistic wealth, visiting Italy is like walking through the pages of an art history book. Rome, Florence and Venice aside, think blue Mediterranean waters, sandy beaches, Alpine mountains and a foodie's paradise.
Explore Rome's Empire-era monuments and baroque churches, and head north for the sophisticated Renaissance art and architecture of Florence, and the romantic canals of former city-republic Venice. For a taste of hard-working Italy, visit style-conscious Milan, and venture deep south to the chaotic yet charismatic port of Naples.
Drive through Tuscany's rolling hills planted with olive groves and cypresses, or photograph the water buffalo on the flat plains of Campania. Dine in precipitous cliff-side town Positano overlooking the Amalfi Coast, bathe in the turquoise waters of Sardinia‘s Costa Smeralda, or explore ancient Greek theatres on sun-scorched Sicily. In winter, go north for skiing in the Dolomites, or visit Lake Como, featured in the recent Bond film, Casino Royal.
Purchase designer-label clothes and accessories in cool Milan, hand-blown Murano glass in Venice, and painted ceramics in Tuscany and Umbria. Buy velvety red Brunello wine from cellars in Montalcino in Tuscany, or sparkling white Prosecco from Valdobbiadene in the Veneto. Stock up on olive oil, funghi porcini (porcini mushrooms) and parmigiano (parmesan) at local delis.
Go regional, from risotto ai frutti di mare (seafood risotto) on Sardinia to bistecca alla fiorentina (charcoal-grilled T-bone steak) in Tuscany. Up north, delicacies include tartufi (truffles) and funghi porcini (porcini mushrooms). Down south, go for luscious mozzarella di bufala (buffalo mozzarella), fiori di zucchini (deep-fried courgette flowers) and melanzane alla parmigiana (aubergines baked in tomato and parmesan).
Form your own opinion about US architect Richard Meier's controversial new Ara Pacis Museum in Rome. Built to protect Emperor Augustus' 2,000-year-old Ara Pacis, it caused protests when it opened in April 2006.
