Welcome to Italy – my favorite place in the world – where there is always time for la dolce vita – the sweet life.
Facts
- Currency: Euro
- Religion: Christian (90% Roman Catholic)
- Language: Italian (many Italians also speak German)
- Government: Democratic Republic
- Political Geography: Italy is subdivided in 20 regions, such as Umbria (Assisi), Tuscany (Florence), Veneto (Venice) and Lazio (Rome).
- Food: most main dishes contain pork, beef, and/or seafood and potatoes, rice, or pasta (wheat and egg noodles) products.
- Famous Italians: Leonardo da Vinci, Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci (after whom “America” was named)
- Flight time: about 8 hours from New York
Traveling in Europe – and especially Italy – can look different for every traveler. My favorite way to explore Italy is slowly – renting a car, straying off the beaten path, and driving to visit places that the average visitor just doesn’t get to see. I have also done the whirlwind tour, both with family and students: hitting all the big sites and getting a sense of the flavor that Italy’s history and culture have to offer. Italy has something for everyone.
Slow & Steady
For those travelers with the time and confidence, a uniquely planned itinerary can facilitate memories and experiences like nothing else on earth. Renting a car to drive, staying with a family in an agriturismo and enjoying Nona’s cooking, visiting old estates now used as vineyards and film sets, going to the marketplace to pick the freshest produce to cook dinner back at the the communal kitchen in your country B&B ~ those kinds of experiences are simply unmatched. Taking a self-drive allows you to indulge in the “sweetness of doing nothing” – no trains to catch, no bus to get back to. You’re truly enjoying Italy the way it is meant to be experienced… one moment at a time.
During our slow travel, we enjoy staying in agriturismi, planning day trips from our hosts’ homes. In Umbria, we have visited Assisi, Cortona, and other hill towns; while in Tuscany, we enjoy spending a day at Vignamaggio – where Mona Lisa (la Gioconda, to Italians) was reputedly painted by Leonardo da Vinci – and enjoying local city markets and small town festivals in Tuscany before driving on to Florence. These family-oriented accommodations allow us to take meals with the families and/or other visitors, taste the house wine (it’s rude not to!), and sometimes even cook our own meals in the communal kitchen with fresh produce chosen from the markets. It’s definitely my favorite way to experience my favorite country.
Related Post: Read about four of our favorite agriturismi here.
For History Lovers
For the history lover, Italy is a treasure trove of discoveries. From the remains of the Forum Romanum in Rome where Julius Caesar walked, to the intrigue of Carnivale in Venice, there is literally a world of history to be explored. From the Ancient period to the Middle Ages and into Modern time, Italy is very different from the United States – in part because so many buildings and sites still stand today that stood thousands of years ago. It’s crazy to place your hand on a building and realize that a person just like you touched that building so many lifetimes ago.
In visiting the Roman Forum, visitors can see not only the ruins of buildings from Julius Caesar’s time, including symbol-laden triumphal arches built in his honor, but also buildings that still stand from the worship of mythological Roman dieties. Exploring Palatine Hill, one can view some of the oldest dwelling sites in Rome that have been uncovered, believed to be from the time of the very first inhabitants of the region.
During one visit to the Colosseum, of which there is a gorgeous view from the Palatine Hill, my son and I took a special behind-the-scenes tour, going beyond general public access into the lower levels where the Gladiators raced from their barracks into the underbelly of the arena. It was surreal to touch the walls they touched, having studied their history and knowing what they were racing into.
In Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance, history lovers can walk in the footsteps of the Medici, tracing the corridors of the Uffizi Gallery where politicians hid themselves from public view. Art aficionados can also see Il Porcellino – the 1634 bronze boar that Kansas Citians will recognize from it’s copy in Country Club Plaza – as well as classic paintings such as Boticelli’s Birth of Venus, pieces by Giotto and Raphael, and statues from the Renaissance.
A short, 10-minute walk from the Uffizi is the Galleria dell’Accademia, which houses Michaelangelo’s David. While the magnificent, 14-foot tall statue is the highlight of the tour, don’t miss the masterpiece instruments by Stradivari and Cristofori, as well as more Botticelli artwork.
Italy, like any country, has much more history than can ever be covered in one trip (let alone one webpage!)
For Sightseers
In Florence, visitors can climb to the top of Giotto’s campanile next to the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore in Piazza del Duomo (commonly referred to as simply “The Duomo” by visitors) to see Brunelleschi’s masterpiece (truly, studying the history of this amazing and incredible piece of architecture will make you appreciate it even more deeply!) Looking out over the iconic terra cotta roofs of Florence and into the Tuscan landscape beyond is breathtakingly beautiful.
Across from the entrance to the Cathedral, don’t forget to appreciate the copies of Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise – the doors on the east side of St. John’s baptistry (the originals are being cleaned and restored to protect them). My fellow Kansas Citians will appreciate that copies of the baptistry doors made in 2017 were created for our very own Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Go check them out!
Other favorite places for tourists in Italy include Pisa, Verona (of Romeo and Juliet fame!), and Venice (more about Venice later!), but there are so many places to visit in Italy that will get you off the beaten path, as well. Really, your experience in Italy can be whatever you want it to be!
Your visit to Italy could include:
- Accommodations in well-respected and personally recommended hotels, inns, and/or agriturismi
- Self-drive, rail passes, and/or coach tours
- Small, expert-led tours of special sites with the people who live and work there
- A cruise tour around the Italian coastline with Cultural excursions into the heart and life of Italy
- A personalized itinerary, crafted to create the sweet life of your dreams!
Contact Kimberly@NextAdventureVacations.com or 816.866.8883 for more information or to start planning your Italian vacation today!
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