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Italy,
Northern Italy
Northern Italy: -
Administrative Regioni: Valle d'Aosta, Piedmont, Lombardy, Liguria, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
VALLE D'AOSTA: A ruggedly scenic region at the foot of Europe's highest mountains - Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa, Cervino (Matterhorn) and Gran Paradiso - bordering France and Switzerland. Valle d'Aosta is politically autonomous and to some extent culturally distinct from the rest of Italy; French is spoken as a first language by most of the inhabitants. The picturesque ruins of countless castles and other fortifications testify to the region's immense strategic significance before the era of air travel, it being the gateway to two of the most important routes through the Alps, the Little and Great St Bernard Passes. Tourism, wine-growing, pasturing and iron-working are the major industries.
Aosta: Aosta, the principal city, has many well-preserved Roman and medieval buildings. It was founded in the first century by the Emperor Augustus as a settlement (colonia) for discharged soldiers of the elite Pretorian Guard. The massive Roman city walls are almost complete and, within them, the old town retains the grid-iron street plan characteristic of all such military townships. Two impressive gateways, the Porta Pretoria, formed the main entrance into the old Roman town and a medieval noble family lived in its tower, which now houses temporary exhibitions. Further ancient Roman sites include the Teatro Romano, where theatrical presentations are still shown on a platform overlooking the old theatre; Arco di Augusto, erected in 25BC to honour the Emperor Augustus (for whom the city is named - Aosta being a corruption of Augustus); the Forum and the still well-intact Roman Bridge, which once arched gracefully over the River Buthier, now entirely dried up. There are several fine ski resorts in the area (see below under Ski Resorts), most notably Courmayeur and Breuil-Cervinia. Ibexes may be seen in the Gran Paradiso National Park, a popular destination for hill-walkers and climbers and offers the chance to see wildlife, including the ibex and chamois. The Mont Blanc Tunnel has largely superseded the St Bernard Passes as a major overland freight route.
PIEDMONT: The densely populated Upper Po Basin is the site of Italy's most important heavy industries, a vast plain pinned to the earth by gargantuan factories and held flat by a harness of motorways. By contrast, the mountains to the west, on the border with France, are sparsely populated and have a wholly pastoral economy. The wine region of Le Langhe offers a landscape of terraced vineyards, old hill-top towns and, owing to the small number of visitors, is a quiet and peaceful region to stay. To the north is Lake Maggiore, the most elegant of the north Italian lakes and popular since Roman times as a retreat for city-dwellers.
The best-known wines of this region are Barolo, Italy's most celebrated red, and Asti Spumante, a sparkling white. Barolo wine is produced in the hills surrounding the town of Alba, where there are a number of wine museums. Alba itself is one of the region's most interesting towns, with medieval towers, Baroque and Renaissance architecture, and cobbled streets full of specialist delicatessens and shops. The most exciting time to visit is during the month of October, when the October Festival (involving a donkey race and displays of medieval pageantry) and the Truffle Festival are celebrated. Asti Spumante is produced just outside the town of Asti, a normally quiet little town, except during the month of September when it holds its annual Palio and comes suddenly alive with street banquets, medieval markets, an historic 14th-century parade and a bareback horse-race around the arena of Campo del Palio.
Turin: Turin (Torino) is the largest city in the region and the fourth-largest in the country. For the first few decades of this century, it was the automobile capital of the world. It was here that the Futurists became so excited with the potential of mechanised transport that they declared Time dead - henceforth, they naïvely declared, everything would be measured in terms of speed alone. The city remains the focus of Italy's automobile industry. Fiat offer guided tours of their headquarters, where a full-scale test track may be found on the roof. Turin does, of course, add up to far more than an infatuation with motor cars. The inhabitants boast that, with its broad, tree-lined avenues flanked by tall, handsome townhouses, it is La Parigi d'Italia, the Italian Paris. Uptown Turin is centred on the main shopping street, Via Roma, which links the city's favourite square, the Piazza San Carlo, with its most dramatic building, the baroque Palazzo Madama, which houses the Museum of Ancient Art, one of several nationally important museums in the city, and the Egyptian Museum, the second largest in the world after Cairo. The famous Turin Shroud may be viewed in the 15th-century white marble Cathedral.
LOMBARDY: A prosperous region with fertile soil, a temperate climate and, for the tourist, the spectacular lakes Como, Garda, Maggiore (shared with Piedmont) and Lugano. As in Piedmont, the Po Valley is the site of much heavy industry. High mountains in the north, marking Italy's frontier with Switzerland, provide excellent skiing and climbing. Lombardy's most famous culinary inventions are minestrone soup and osso buco - literally ox knuckles.
Milan: Milan (Milano) is Italy's most sophisticated city, a financial and commercial centre of world importance and a rival to Paris in the spheres of modern art and fashion. Its international character is marked by a concentration of skyscrapers found nowhere else in Italy, contrasting and competing with the landmarks of historic Milan, but built in the same boastful spirit of civic pride that, 500 years ago, gave the city its splendid Gothic Cathedral. Even today, this is the world's second-largest church, yet despite its size, it creates an impression of delicate and ethereal beauty due to its pale colour and the fine intricate carving that covers its exterior. The whole fabric of the city - its many palaces, piazzas and churches - speaks of centuries of continuous prosperity. The Castello Sforzesco, in the west of the city, is a massive fortified castle, begun by the Viscontis and finished by the Sforzas. It was the political and social bastion of the ruling Sforzas during Milan's peak as a political/cultural centre and many of the Renaissance elite were entertained in its luxurious domains. Its court artists included Leonardo da Vinci and Bramante and it now houses a number of museums. Leonardo da Vinci's famous fresco, The Last Supper, may be viewed at the convent of Santa Maria della Grazie. The Teatro della Scala (La Scala Theatre) remains the undisputed world capital of opera and is well worth viewing for its magnificent opulence.
Just south of Milano is the town of Pavia, the ancient capital known as 'the city of 100 towers'. One of these, the Torre Civica, suddenly collapsed in 1989, killing four people. The town also has many interesting churches, including the Renaissance Cathedral, thought to have been worked on by Bramante and da Vinci; the Romanesque San Michele, with an elaborately carved façade; and the 12th-century San Pietro in Cielo d'Oro, with a magnificent 14th-century altarpiece. The Broletto, Pavia's medieval town hall, and the 14th-century Castello, housing an art gallery, archaeology museum and sculpture museum, are also worth visiting. Though sedate and resting in an air of dusty elegance by day, Pavia bursts into life at night when its people come out for their evening promenade and the streets seem to buzz with activity. The Certosa di Pavia, 10km (6 miles) outside of town, is a monastery famous for its lavish design. Originating as the family mausoleum of the Visconti family, it was later finished by the Sforzas and became the dwellings for a Carthusian order of monks sworn to deep contemplation and for whom speech is forbidden. However, a chosen few are allowed to give visitors a guided tour and tell the story behind their palatial surroundings.
Cremona: Cremona, the birthplace of the Stradivarius violin, is a charming haven of historic architecture. A walk around the medieval Piazza del Comune offers various architectural treats: the Torazzo, one of Italy's tallest medieval towers; the Cathedral, with its magnificent astronomical clock; and the Loggia dei Militia, the former headquarters of the town's medieval army. There are also two interesting museums: the Museo Strativariano, housing a wealth of Stradivarius musical instruments, and the Museo Civico, with more Stadivari and some interesting bits and pieces belonging to Garibaldi.
Mantua: Mantua (Mantova) was another Lombardian bastion of the ruling dynasties of the Viscontis and Sforzas. It is also the birthplace of a number of renowned Italians, ranging from Virgil (a statue of whom overlooks the square facing the Broletto, the medieval town hall) to Tazio Nuvolari, one of Italy's most famous racing drivers (for whom there is a small museum dedicated to his accomplishments). Its churches, Sant'Andrea (designed by Alberti and the burial place of Mantua's famous court painter, Mantegna) and the Baroque Cathedral in the Piazza Sordello are both important works of architecture. However, the most famous sites of Mantua are its two palaces: the Palazzo Ducale and the Palazzo del Te. The Palazzo Ducale, once the largest in Europe, was the home of the Gonzagas family, and has a number of impressive paintings by artists such as Rubens and Mantegna. The Palazzo del Te was built as a Renaissance pleasure palace for Frederico Gonzaga (known as a playboy) and his mistress, Isabella. The decorations by Giulio Romano are outstanding and well worth viewing.
Bergamo: Bergamo, nestled at the foot of the Bergamese Alps, is made up of two cities - the old and once Venetian-ruled Bergamo Alta (upper Bergamo) and the modern Bergamo Bassa (lower Bergamo). The old city is well appreciated for its ancient Venetian fortifications, palaces, towers and churches, including the 12th-century Palazzo della Ragione, the Torre del Comune, the Cathedral of Bergamo, Colleoni Chapel and the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. The modern city's main attraction is the Accademia Carrara, one of Italy's largest art collections, with paintings by Canaletto, Botticelli, Mantegna, Carpaccio, Bellini and Lotto, amongst others. The two cities are connected by a funicular railway.
The great northern lakes lie in a series of long, deep valleys running down onto the plains from the Alps. Lake Como is perhaps the most attractive, Lake Maggiore the most elegant (and populous) and Lake Garda the wildest and most spectacular. South of Lake Garda lies the peninsula of Sirmione, renowned for its mild, Mediterranean climate, its beautiful countryside and the Caves of Catullo, an archaeological site of a former Roman villa situated on the tip of the peninsula. The Sirmione Spa, the largest privately owned thermal treatment centre in Italy, whose sulphurous waters originate from the depths of Lake Garda, has long been one of Sirmione's main attractions. There is plenty of accommodation available as well as frequent steamer and hydrofoil services to other lakeside towns and villages.
Resorts: Resorts on Lake Maggiore include: Pallanza (where the Villa Taranto has a fine botanical garden), Stresa, Arona, Intra and Orta; on Lake Como: Cadenabbia, Cernobbio, Bellagio, Tremezzo and Menaggio; and on Lake Garda: Limone, Desenzano and Gardone. Lake Lugano lies for the most part in Switzerland.
The major mountain resorts, winter and summer, are Livigno (duty-free area), Madesimo, Stelvio, Santa Caterina Valfurva, Bormio, Aprica and Chiesa.
LIGURIA: 320km (200 miles) of rocky, wooded coastline running from France to Tuscany, where the Italian 'boot' begins. This is the Riviera, Italy's answer to the Côte d'Azur, and there are ample facilities for tourists even in the smallest of ports. The coastal hills are less developed.
Genoa: Genoa (Genova), capital of Liguria, has long been an important commercial and military port. The medieval district of the city holds many treasures, such as the Porta Soprana (the old stone entrance gate to the city), the Church of Sant'Agostino (next to the Museo dell'Architectura e Scultura Ligure), the beautiful Church of San Donato, the 12th-century Church of Santa Maria di Castello and the Gothic Cathedral of San Lorenzo. Outside the medieval district, Via Garibaldi, where many of the city's richest inhabitants built their palaces, is a beautiful walk, with Palazzo Podesta, Palazzo Bianco (now an art gallery with paintings by Van Dyck and Rubens) and the magnificently decorated Palazzo Rosso (adjacent to Palazzo Bianco and housing paintings by Titian, Caravaggio and Dürer). A tour (once daily in the afternoon) around the Genoa harbour is available, and the city is also recommended for its excellent shopping opportunities.
Ligurian resorts are very popular with holidaymakers. Portofino is one of the best known, with its small picturesque harbour full of sleek pleasure yachts, luxury clothes shops, its romantic villas owned by the rich and famous perched on the hillside and the Castello di San Giorgio, sitting high up on a promontory with magnificent views of the Portofino harbour and bay. The beach at Santa Margherita Ligure, just 5km (3 miles) south of Portofino, is an excellent place to swim, with an almost fairytale swimmer's-eye view of the surrounding cliffs and villas from the warm and crystal-clear aquamarine water. Nearby Rapallo, 8km (5 miles) south of Portofino, is a less fashionable but more reasonable town to stay in and is recommended for those seeking a more lively alternative to the quieter and more exclusive resorts of Portofino and Santa Margherita. Other resorts in this region include Ventimiglia, San Remo, Diano Marina, Alassio, Pietra Ligure, Spotorno, Sestri Levante, Lerici and the Cinque Terre, five relatively unspoilt fishing villages.
TRENTINO & ALTO ADIGE: These wholly mountainous regions on the Swiss border straddle the valley of the River Isarco, which flows from the Brenner Pass, into the River Adige and thence into the Mediterranean. Germanic and Italian cultures blend here to the extent that, towards the north, German is increasingly found as the first language. The Dolomites to the east are a range of distinctively craggy mountains, isolated to such an extent from both Italy and Switzerland that in the more remote valleys the inhabitants speak Ladin, an ancient Romance language not much different from Latin.
Trento: Trento is the principal town of Trentino and is worth visiting for its wealth of art works, gathered by the dynasty of princes who ruled the area from the 10th-18th centuries. Many of these artistic acquisitions are viewable in the town's museums, which include the Castello di Buonconsiglio, Museo Provinciale d'Arte and the Museo Diocesano Trentino.
Bolzano: Bolzano is the principal town of Alto Aldige, further north. A somewhat austere commercial town, it appears as an unlikely portal to one of the most extraordinary panoramic drives in Italy - the mountain route through the Dolomites to Cortina d'Ampezzo called La Grande Strada delle Dolomiti. Upon entering the Val d'Ega, at the beginning of the route, the scenery is suddenly lush with foliage and rocks as the light seeps through the forest trees. About 20km (12 miles) from the beginning of the route is Lake Carezza, a beautiful limpid pool of bright green water reflecting the trees and mountains around it. This is just the beginning of an awe-inspiring passage through the Dolomites and its small alpine towns, ski resorts and endless panoramas of craggy peaks and tree-clad mountainsides.
One of the most famous mountain resorts and the second-largest town in this region is Merano, 28km (17 miles) north of Bolzano. Popular for its spas, thermal waters and moderate climate (the temperature tends to remain above freezing all winter, despite its close proximity to a range of snow-laden ski slopes), it is also visually rewarding, with extensive landscaped gardens and a charming mixture of architectural styles from Gothic to Art Nouveau. Other mountain resorts in the region include Solda, Selva di Val Gardena, Santa Cristina, Oritsei, Corvara, Bressanone, Brunico, Vipiteno, Madonna di Campiglio, Canazei, Moena, Pozza di Fassa, San Martino di Castrozza and Riva, which lies at the top of Lake Garda.
VENETO: The Lower Po Valley, the eastern bank of Lake Garda and the eastern Dolomites, occupying what was once the Republic of Venice.
Venice: Venice (Venezia) stands on an island in a lagoon at the northern end of the Adriatic Sea, a position which gave it unique economic and defensive advantages over its trading rivals. Much of the wealth generated was, of course, invested in the construction of monuments to the glory of both God and the merchants, and Venice must be counted as one of the highlights of any tour of Italy.
The city's main monuments - the Doge's Palace, St Mark's Square and the Bridge of Sighs - have gained fame through the innumerable paintings representing them, not least by such artists as Canaletto, but the whole city is in many ways a work of art. Away from the main thoroughfares, it is characterised by little canals, small squares (often containing remarkable Gothic churches) and above all, since it contains no motor traffic, by serenity - the city's ancient name was 'La Serenissima'. One of the most evocative representations of Venice must be in Thomas Mann's book, Death in Venice.
Note:The causeway linking the city with the mainland can become very clogged with traffic. Although there is a large car park on the island, it is often easier to park at one of several near the north end of the causeway and continue by foot, bus or taxi; there are also trains connecting with boats.
The Venetian aristocracy built many villas in the surrounding countryside; some, including the Villa Pisani at Stra and the Villa Valmarana at Vicenza, are open to the public.
Popular Adriatic resorts include Lido di Iesolo, Bibione and Caorle.
Padua: The city of Padua (Padova) is famous for the great Basilica of St Antony; St Anthony was buried here and it is an important pilgrimage site. The city also contains works by Giotto (Scrovegni Chapel frescoes) and Donatello. Nearby, Abano and Montegrotto provide fully equipped thermal establishments for the treatment of many rheumatic complaints.
Vicenza: Vicenza has a number of fine buildings by Andrea Palladio, whose published analyses of ancient architecture did much to spread the Renaissance throughout Europe. His buildings here include the Basilica Palladiana and the Palazzo Chiericati.
Verona: Verona, historically associated with, among other things, Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet and The Two Gentlemen of Verona) contains a well-preserved Roman Arena (operas are staged there in summer), and the lovely but austere Church of San Zeno. This graceful city is surrounded by a river and there are many beautiful bridges, as well as churches, squares and markets.
Cortina d'Ampezzo: Cortina d'Ampezzo is Italy's best-known (but not most challenging) ski resort. The Winter Olympics were held here in 1956. It makes a fine base for exploring the Dolomites in summer.
EMILIA-ROMAGNA: A region of gentle hills between the River Po and the Appennines. As elsewhere in the Po Basin, intensive agriculture is pursued alongside heavy industry.
Bologna: Bologna is one of the oldest cities in Italy and the site of Europe's oldest university. Often overlooked as a tourist destination, it nevertheless possesses a distinctive charm, due largely to the imaginative use of brickwork. Arcades flanking many of the streets add to the appeal. Notable buildings include the Cathedral of San Pietro, the huge Gothic Church of San Petronio, numerous palaces and the Leaning Towers of the Piazza di Porta Ravegnana. The city is also the home of Bolognese meat sauce and the Bologna sausage.
Parma: Parma boasts a fine Romanesque cathedral and baptistry, and an opera house with strong connections with Verdi, who lived at nearby Sant'Agata.
Italy's most celebrated poet, Dante, is buried at Ravenna, the ancient capital of the western Roman Empire during its decline under Gothic and Byzantine domination. The city's former importance is marked by the profusion of extravagant mosaics found in its many Romanesque buildings. The International School of Mosaics at Ravenna is open to foreigners.
Faenza: Faenza(known to the French as 'Faience') is famed for its majolica pottery. This craft has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years under the direction of the Faenza International Institute of Ceramics.
Other cities in Emilia-Romagna include Modena and Ferrara, both with many fine palaces associated with the Este family; and Reggio, the old provincial capital.
Adriatic resorts: Adriatic resorts include: Rimini, Riccione, Cattolica, Milano Marittima and Cesenatico, all within easy reach of the tiny Republic of San Marino (see the San Marino section).
FRIULI-VENEZIA GIULIA: A region in the northeastern corner of Italy bordering Austria and Slovenia. It has changed hands many times over the centuries and Friulian society is a complex mix of cultures. Half of the population speak Friulian, a language closely allied to Latin.
In the 18th century, the Austrian Emperors commissioned the construction of a deep-water port at Trieste and so ended Venice's long domination of the Adriatic Sea. The port has remained the most important in the area and, following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I, was ceded to Italy. This arrangement was not finally formalised until 1962, when a long-running border dispute with the then Yugoslavia was settled with the aid of the United Nations. Although there are several Roman remains (most notably the 2nd-century theatre), the most prominent buildings are no older than the port.
The coast west of Trieste has some excellent beach resorts. Sistiana, Duino, Lignano and Grado are among the most popular.
Inland are Udine and Pordenone, agricultural centres on the fertile Friuli plain. Further north are the foothills of the eastern Dolomites and the Julian Alps (part of Slovenia), where ski resorts are now being developed. The road from Udine to Villach in Austria is an important overland freight route; it winds up the dramatic valley of the Isonzo, a river rendered an astonishing shade of blue by minerals leached from the Julian Alps.
SKI RESORTS: The majority of the Italian ski resorts are in the Alps and in the Dolomites, although there are also a few in the Appennines and it is possible to ski along the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily (see relevant section). The following examples all have hotels, boarding houses and/or self-catering and are equipped with first-class lift systems. For further details, contact ENIT, the Italian State Tourist Office in London (see address section), tour operators or travel agents.
Valle d'Aosta: Cervinia, Courmayeur, Chamois, Gressoney, La Thuile, Pila, Valtournenche.
Piedmont: Bardonecchia, Claviere, Limone-Piemonte, Macugnaga, Sauze d'Oulx, Sestriere, Sportinia.
Lombardy: Aprica, Bormio, Chiesa di Valmalenco, Foppolo, Livigno, Madesimo, Ponte di Legno, Santa Caterina di Valfurva, Tonale.
Trentino: Andalo, Canazei, Madonna di Campiglio, Marilleva, Pozza di Fassa, San Martino di Castrozza.
Alto Adige (South Tyrol): Alpi di Siusi (Seiseralm), Campo Tures (Sand in Taufers), Colfosco (Kolfuschg), Corvara in Badia (Kurfar), Crontour area (ten localities), including Brunico (Bruneck) and San Vigilio di Marebbe (St Vigil in Enneberg), Dobbiaco (Toblach), Nova Levante (Welschnofen), Ortisei (St Ulrich), Passo Stelvio (Stilfserjoch) (summer skiing only), Renon (Ritten), San Candido (Innichen), Santa Cristina Valgardena (St Christina), Selva di Val Gardena (Wolkenstein), Val Senales (Schnalstal).
Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Piancavallo, Sella Nevea.
Veneto: Alleghe, Arabba, Ravascletto, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Falcade.
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