Littered with more than 3,000 years of
history, Italy is a sightseer’s paradise. Spend some time in
Rome taking in everything from the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and
the Spanish Steps to Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and the
Pantheon. With artworks on display from the likes of da Vinci,
Carvaggio and Botticelli, it’s a visual buffet to all visitors
Head north to explore the canals of Venice by gondola, or
indulge in the wonderful shopping in the fashion capital of
Milan. A little further is the magical city of Florence, teeming
with culture and Italian flair or one can continue south past
Rome to Naples and explore the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum,
destroyed by Mount Vesuvius, which can be seen standing sentinel
over the city.
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The Colosseum |
This enduring symbol of ancient Rome
tenaciously clings to its foundations as the site of former
gladiatorial conquests. Its architecture boasts an impressive
array of Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns and an underground
network of cells, corridors, ramps and elevators that were used
to transport animals from their cages to the arena. The
magnificence of the original structure has been eroded through
the years of pillaging and earthquakes so that only a skeletal
framework remains.
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Pantheon |
The stately Pantheon is one of the world's
most inspiring architectural designs. Fittingly built as a
temple to the Gods by Hadrian in 120AD, its perfectly
proportioned floating dome rests seductively on sturdy marble
columns.
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The Spanish Steps and Piazza di Spagna |
The graceful steps built in 1725, elegantly
curve their way from the Piazza di Spagna to the Church of Santa
Trinit dei Monti, a pastel tinted neoclassical building. The
shopper's paradise of Via Condotti leads back from the Spanish
steps to Via del Corso, and during spring the steps are
decorated with pink azaleas. At the foot of the steps lies
Bernini's boat-shaped Barcaccia fountain and to the right is the
unassuming Keats-Shelley Memorial House.
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Chianti Region |
A circular route from Siena through the
Chianti hills is a scenic and sensory experience. The route
covers the villages of the Chianti Classico wine region
garnished with ancient castles and rambling farmhouses.
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Ustica |
An underwater city and a landscape of
petrified black lava are the characteristics of the unusual
little island of Ustica in the Tyrrhenian Sea just a short ferry
ride 36 miles (57km) north west of Palermo.
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Mount Etna |
Sicily's greatest natural attraction is the
very active volcano, Mount Etna, which has been spewing lava and
shaking the earth for centuries, most recently in 2002. About 20
miles (32km) from Catania the craters below the summit can be
reached from the town .
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Capri |
Capri's beauty captured the imagination of
the Roman Emperor Augustus in 29 BC and continues to draw
admiring crowds to its picturesque banks. Ferries and hydrofoils
transport travellers from Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Naples
to its embarkation point at Marina Grande.
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Orto Botanico di Brera |
The Orto Botanico di Brera is a botanical
garden located behind the Pinacoteca di Brera in the centre of
Milan, and is operated by the Istituto di Fisica Generale
Applicata of the University of Milan.
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Leaning Tower of Pisa |
| The world-famous Leaning Tower of Pisa was
built as a freestanding bell tower (campanile) behind the city
cathedral. Constructed during the 11th and 12th centuries, the
tower is the third oldest building in Pisa's Cathedral Square.
Originally intended to stand vertically. |
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