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Italy sightseeing. Travel guide - attractions, sights, nature and touristic places

BOLOGNA Nearly every city in Italy is a large historic centre with numerous places of interest. Rome, Milano, Venice and Florence remain major tourist destinations, and all of them are totally worth visiting. Rome is one of the oldest cities in the world. Almost every building in this city has historic or architectural value.
Italy is one of the most economically developed countries in the world. Accordingly, the transport infrastructure in the country is at a very high …
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The magnificent Coliseum was built almost 2 thousand years ago. Before that, the site of the Coliseum was the location of Nero’s Palace and a big artificial lake. The building of the Coliseum was joyful for inhabitants of Rome because it was much more pleasant to see a beautiful forum rather than a tyrant’s palace. Circus Maximus is another large and unusual landmark. According to some experts, Circus could provide seats for 200 thousand visitors. The venue was used to host competitions of carts and other important public events. Mons Palatinus is an interesting place from the historic point of view. According to scientists, homes of first settlers of Rome were located there. Later, noble Romans built their houses on Mons Palatinus. There were many temples in that area and many important celebrations took place there.
Milan is a beautiful city with many wonderful landmarks like Duomo Cathedral that is considered one of most beautiful churches in the city. Its building started in the end of the 14th century and lasted till 1965. The mural painting “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci is the main decoration of the shrine. Other interesting landmarks are La Scala Theatre, The Pinacoteca di Brera, Francesco Emmanuelle Gallery and Castello Sforzesco. Copyright www.orangesmile.com
Italy is a democratic republic, which was established in 1946. To date, the form of government in Italy is the parliamentary one, characterized by a …
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Grand Canal has become the signature landmark of Venice. All most beautiful palaces and castles are located along the canal. Palazzo Ducale is often called the most beautiful castle in Venice. This is a wonderful historic building, which halls have retained their original look of past centuries.
Tramonto su Lipari a Quattrocchi Santa Maria del Fiore is probably the best known landmark of Florence. This magnificent cathedral was built in the 13th – 15th centuries. The building is made in elegant gothic style and decorated with green, red and white marble. Its inner premises are no less beautiful and are decorated with paintings and sculptures. Galleria degli Uffizi is a well-known centre of European art. The gallery exhibits works of Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Rafael, Titian, Giorgione and many other internationally famous Italian artists.
The official language of the republic is Italian. It should be noted that this linguistic unit is actively used by representatives of other countries, …
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History and Entertainment

Already in the first millennium BC, large settlements of Italic people appeared on the territory of modern Italy. Later, the Latin Union was formed. This is one of the first forms of the ancient country headed by the Council of Elders. The Latin Union included over 30 large districts, civitases under Rome. In the times of the Roman Empire, the old country gained a new status. It was divided into large provinces governed by consulares and praeses.
Isle of Capri In the middle of the 6th century, the entire territory of the big country was conquered by Byzantium. After this, several independent duchies were formed. Consequently, the struggle for uniform Italy continued until the middle of the 19th century. After uniting it behind the Kingdom of Sardinia, Florence became a capital of Italia. By 1870, Rome became a new capital joined the new Kingdom of Italy. The economic and cultural development of the union country was seriously hindered by the First and Second World War. They resulted in a long reform period.
Today, Italy is considered one of the most highly developed countries in the world. It occupies a leading position in terms of industrial production …
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At present, Italy attracts travelers not only with its precious cultural attractions, but also wonderful beach resorts. The most popular beach resort is Rimini. The total length of its beaches is over 15 km. Among accessible beach resorts, there are quite noisy and youth ones, such as Sanremo, as well as luxurious ones, for instance, the Venetian Riviera.
Italy is also famous for its breathtaking holidays, among which the most remarkable is the Venetian Carnival. This is a marvelous festival that is celebrated 40 days before Easter. It is a historical holiday and has a lot of interesting traditions. The climax event of the carnival is a festive parade in the main Venetian streets. On the festive day, there are beautiful costume balls in historical Venetian palaces. In the streets, you can witness theatrical and musical performances.
These spots really worth the attention of a real traveler-researcher. …
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It is very interesting to visit Italy on Christmas Eve. During this period, there are traditional festive fairs in all cities. You can catch big sales in shopping malls. You also can taste here special national treats that are not sold at other time of the year. A lot of interesting street festivals are held in summer. In late August, the traditional Venetian film festival is organized.
Italy guide chapters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Fantastic City Tours and Excursions in Italy

Reference information
Map of all parks
National and city parks of Italy
♥   National Park 'Parco nazionale dei Monti Sibillini' . On the map   Photos
♥   National Park 'Parco nazionale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano' . On the map   Photos
♥   National Park 'Parco nazionale del Circeo' . On the map   Photos
♥   National Park 'Parco nazionale del Gargano' . On the map   Photos
♥   National Park 'Parco nazionale del Golfo di Orosei e del Gennargentu' . On the map   Photos
Map of all Michelin restaurants
Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy
♥   Restaurant '50 Kalò' Napoli. Type - Pizza. On the map   Photos
♥   Restaurant 'A Casa di Babette' Rosignano Monferrato. Type - Piedmontese. On the map   Photos
♥   Restaurant 'A Mangiare' REGGIO NELL’EMILIA. Type - Classic cuisine. On the map   Photos
♥   Restaurant 'A Modo' BERGAMO. Type - Modern cuisine. On the map   Photos
♥   Restaurant 'A Ridosso' BACOLI. Type - Classic cuisine. On the map   Photos
Map of all castles
Castles of Italy
♥   Castle 'Agogna Castle' Agogna. On the map   Photos
♥   Castle 'Aicurzio Castle' Aicurzio. On the map   Photos
♥   Castle 'Albertis Castle' Genoa. On the map   Photos
♥   Castle 'Altafiumara Fort' Villa San Giovanni. On the map   Photos
♥   Castle 'Andalo Valtellino Castle' Andalo Valtellino. On the map   Photos
Map of all palaces
Palaces in Italy
♥   Palace 'Castello Sforzesco' Milan. On the map   Photos
♥   Palace 'Castello del Valentino' Torino. On the map   Photos
♥   Palace 'Doge’s Palace' . On the map   Photos
♥   Palace 'Ducal Palace' Parma. On the map   Photos
♥   Palace 'Ducal Palace of Colorno' Colorno. On the map   Photos

Famous and uniques places in Italy from our review series

Piombi Prison

From the series “Famous prisons of the world”
Piombi Prison is known to many travelers under the unofficial name "Lead Prison". It is located in Venice. The Doge's Palace was its location. Two prisons were located here several hundred years ago. Piombi owes its name to the fact that it was built directly under the lead roof of the palace. The prison was considered one of the harshest in Europe during its years of operation. The lead roof of the palace did not prevent the penetration of cold in winter. It was very hot in the summer. The heat in the prison cells was unbearable.

Only seven cells were equipped in the prison. They were used for the detention of political prisoners. Also, prisoners who had a high social position were held here. It was in this prison that the world-famous adventurer Casanova served his sentence. He became … Read all

Mario Bellini House

From the series “Extravagant houses and apartments of designers”
The house of the famous architect Mario Bellini is filled with warm and soft tones. There is a variety of shades of brown, yellow, and orange here. Original furniture and accessories made of natural wood make such a colorful environment more harmonious. The architect's apartment is located in a beautiful historical building of the 19th century. The architect Piero Portaluppi was engaged in its last reconstruction. The main feature of the house is a unique library-staircase. Its height is 9 meters.

Wooden racks were fitted from the floor to the ceiling along the wall. Thousands of the owner's books are carefully placed on them. A specially designed ladder allows moving between these racks. Many beautiful old elements have been preserved in the historic building. There is a cozy room with … Read all

Santa Maria dello Spasimo

From the series “Famous unfinished buildings ”
The old monastic church of Santa Maria dello Spasimo is one of the main historical attractions of Palermo today. It was never fully completed after construction began. The church was deserted many years ago. It is in a dilapidated state today. The history of the construction of the shrine is associated with the name of a wealthy lawyer Giacomo Basilico. He was a great admirer of the image of the Suffering Virgin. He donated land from personal holdings to the monks in 1506. Giacomo Basilico decided to establish a church and monastery in honor of the Virgin Mary's image on this land.

Construction of the shrine began in 1509. But the monastery was never fully completed. Numerous military conflicts and threats stood in the way of the monks. All of Palermo's forces were focused on defending … Read all
All unique sightseeing Italy
Country maps Maps of Italy
Car rental on OrangeSmile.com Car rental in Italy
Map of cities Cities map of Italy
Map of regions Map of regions in Italy
Map of sights Map of sights in Italy
Map of relief Relief map of Italy

Thailand Relaxes Its COVID-19 Policy

New Year events in Thailand are likely to bring more people this year because everyone is tired of lockdowns and craving normal life. Many tourists, who book hotels in Pattaya, Krabi, or Phuket for the holiday season, also want to participate. As champagne has become an essential drink for New Year celebrations, the question regarding alcohol consumption comes to mind. The government allowed serving alcoholic drinks during the New Year countdown but only open-air cafes and restaurants with good ventilation will be permitted to do this until 1 am on 1 January 2022. This rule is nationwide. Read this

19.03.2024

Sightseeing in popular cities of Italy

Rome
The Pantheon. The Pantheon is one of the main temples of the city. It is located on Piazza della Rotonda. The Pantheon was built in 27 BC, destroyed by fire, and then rebuilt in 125 AD. In the XVII century, Pope Boniface IV decided to place a church in the Pantheon. This is the main reason why the classical circular building with a colonnade in front of it managed to survive, unlike the majority of pagan temples. This place is also the location of graves of two famous Italians - Raphael and … Read more
Lecce
The Messapians were the first inhabitants of the region. They founded a settlement called Sybar on the site of modern Lecce. The region attracted many different tribes but the Romans paid their attention to the area and conquered it in the 3rd century. When the Roman Empire added Lecce to its territory, the city started developing and growing in size. Many beautiful buildings appeared in the city at that time. However, the Visigoths invaded the region after the fall of the Roman Empire. They … Read more
Alghero
First people settled in this region in approximately 4,000 BC. First stone buildings, which give us a glimpse of the history of the area, appeared here in 1,000 BC. Stone structures of the Nuraghe civilization are among the oldest attractions in Alghero. They have become a true signature landmark of the northern part of Alghero. One of the major events in the history of the city took place in 1102. The Doria family built a fortress that could be a stone shelter from the power of the republican … Read more
La Spezia
There are no historic records that mention the exact date when this Italian city was founded. Historians know that this region was not much populated during the reign of the Roman Empire. The Etruscan city of Lumi was the only large settlement here, but the Saracens destroyed it in the 11th century. La Spezia belonged to the Fieschi family until 1276. In the coming years, many tried to make this region their own. When Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Liguria at the end of the 18th century, La Spezia … Read more
Matera
Matera is an old town. The first settlement on the site of modern Matera existed yet in the Neolithic period. Already at that time, people tried to settle in the outcrop, making cave carved dwellings their homes. For a long time, Matera was a part of Magna Graecia with Civita being its center. When the Romans added this region to their empire, they protected the town’s territory with a wall and made even more dwellings in the caves. Soon, a whole new district called Sassi appeared in the … Read more
Ostuni
The Messapians, who settled here in the 7th century BC, were the first residents in the area. They also built the first roads on top of the hill. The archaeological excavations proved that Ostuni was a developed settlement already in the antiquity period. The Romans captured the town in the 3rd century BC. We have almost no information about that period in the history of Ostuni. Only ruins of ancient Roman villas remind of those long-gone times. When the Roman Empire ceased to exist, the … Read more
Cefalu
The nearby rock has a shape reminiscent of a head, and this fact admittedly gave the city its name. Ancient Greeks called it Kephale or “head”, and that name slowly changed to Cefalu. However, some scientists think that the city got its name after Phoenician world Cephas meaning “rock”. Archaeologists proved that there was a settlement called Kefaloídion on the rock in the 4th century BC. Besides that, archaeological excavations showed that people already lived in this region three … Read more
Florence
Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore. Without a doubt, this magnificent cathedral is one of the greatest attractions not only of Florence, but also of the whole of Italy. The construction of the cathedral was started in 1296; in 1995 it was completely renovated. The word «fiore» means “lily”. This flower is depicted on the emblem of Florence. A solid belfry stands near the cathedral. The façade made of green and white marble of the XIII century looks absolutely unreal and fascinating, as if this … Read more

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