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Ciao Bella • Cucina Italia • Italian Villas  

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Quick Links
Currency converter A handy currency converter -$1 = approximately 2,192 lira or 1.1 Euros 
Learn Italian on line
Italian Translator
Ferrovie delle Stato's official timetable Italy's national railroad
Transportation in Italy
Driving Distances in between major cities in Italy
Europe Weather Map

Guide Italian Cities	Coastal Resorts	Thermal Resorts	Mountain resorts

 

Lakeside Resort Towns	Countryside Resorts	The Islands	Parks & Natural reserves

Towns, provinces and Regions
A fabulous clickable map of Italy provided by the Italian State Tourist Board. This map is categorized into towns, provinces and regions. 

Do you know your starting point?  Click the region on the map, review its history, explore its museums, find local events and see what the surrounding towns and provinces have to offer you too.  Here's an example;

         

Art in Italy

Festivals and Events

No other country in the world can boast the cultural and artistic treasures of Italy.. There are so many art treasures of such quality, spread so well across the country.  More than half the world's historical and artistic heritage is found in Italy In this journey into Italian art, we wish to give you as complete as possible a guide not only to its museums, but also to its cathedrals, churches and parishes, its monasteries and convents, its villas, palaces and castles spread throughout the country, its archaeological sites and the monuments that adorn small towns and big cities alike.

Art and culture, the pleasures of good food and music, traditional crafts and expressions of collective religion, folklore and contemporary art, opera and operetta, concert and theatre seasons: in Italy the calendar of festivals and events is practically endless.

Tours

	Rome and Surroundings Ancient Rome, Artistic Rome, Christian Rome, Roman Countryside, Monumental Rome, Rome at Night, Rome at Night with dinner, Papal Audience, Tivoli and more.
	Venice Dolomites, Venice, The Art of the Venetian Renaissance, Hills Of Veneto, Palladio Villas.
	Amalfi 2 Day Overnight in Sorrento, 3 Day Overnight in Sorrento, Naples, Capri and Sorrento, Naples, Pompeii and Sorrento.
	Tuscany and Umbria Assisi, Carriage in Chianti, Chianti, Chianti Castles, Horseback in Chianti, Lucca & the Lucchesi Villas, Perugia and Assisi, Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano, Ville of the Luccesia, Vinci and more.
	Florence and Surroundings Visit of Florence AM, Visit of Florence PM, Florence from_Rome.

Indespensible guide, alphabetized by city, region, province, itinerary or click on a city or the map to see it's features, museums, spas, hotels, restaurants

Calendar of Events
Maps links to hundreds of maps in Italy, categorized by city, region, restaurants, guides etc. Browse these comprehensive map listings. Click on the map title for more information
Links to museums around Italy categorized by region
Searchable database of Italian Festivals, Holidays and Street Parties - search by month, region or keyword
Bravaitalia Daily updates on everything going on in Italy with this useful Italian Portal
Italian etiquette - When in Rome, do as the Romans do

Advance Museum Reservations
Uffizi Galleries
Accademia

Vagabondo - The independent traveler's site for those who like to plan their travels by themselves, out of the road of mass tourism, not inclined to buy something ready made from big tour operators.

City Walks and Day Trips In Italy
City Walks in Rome
Day Trips from Rome
Driving Tours of Rome
Everything Florence live and now
City Walks in Florence
Day Trips in Tuscany
Day Trips to Pompeii
Special Days in Venice
Amalfi, Capri & Pompeii
Private Day Trips by Bike

The following links download slowly because the author applied background music to the website but the info is worth the wait and the prices for the tours are reasonable;
La Dolce Vita biking walking and wine tours
Daily Excursion to the  Amalfi Coast  Praiano   Amalfi   Positano   Ravello   Capri   Ischia Naples  Pompeii   Paestum  Herculaneum  Sorrento Vesuvius  

Ever been to the Dolomites? Here's a guide to the most beautiful mountains in the world:  virtual traveling in the Dolomites!

Festival at Villa Rufolo - Since 1953 in the gardens of the Villa Rufolo of Ravello where Wagner found his "magic garden of Klingsor", take place a prestigious Musical Festival, that starts in early April and takes place through the middle of November. Check the schedule here

	In Italy
	Information on traveling to Italy, including train and ferry schedules; also includes a guide to restaurants, hotels, museums, and off-the-beaten track attractions

	About.com: Italian Culture
	This site covers a wide range of subjects, including Italian businesses, sports, food and wine, art and architecture, film, folklore, geography, and much more.

	Gateway to Italy
	This site provides extensive links to Italian banks, finance, newspapers, sports, art, museums, cinema, and other information - most articles are in Italian.

	Italian Made
	This is an informative pictorial guide to understanding Italian food and wine by the New York office of the Italian Trade Commission.

	ItalianSoccer.com
	This is a comprehensive web site covering the latest Italian soccer news and statistics.

	Consular Information Sheet
	Italy (September 8, 2000)

Visit great wineries and cellars.  Movimento del Turismo del Vino provides a fully-searchable database where you will find detailed description and contact information on over 300 member wineries located in the most beautiful places in Italy.

Italy, Year Round: Winefests. The more important wine festivals scheduled throughout the Peninsula.

Grape Adventures: Tuscany boasts many of the finest wineries in the world. William Nesto, MW, has taken time off from his writing to organize an exciting series of daytrips to some of the best, and all sorts of other interesting things too.

Click any red square on the map to inquire about wine tours

 

Special Features
Sicily Revisited Playtime in Italy Day Trips Our Favorite Artists Ethnic Italy	Christmas in Italy Ancient Italy Hill Towns Specialty Museums Italy's Seaside National Parks Siena's Palio Horse Race

Open Air Markets in Italy
Abruzzo Antignano Market Apulia Basilicata Calabria Campania Casoria Market Corso Malta Market Emilia Romagna Ercolano Market Friuli-Venezia Fuorigrotta Market Giulia Latium & Rome Liguria Lombardy	The Marches Molise Naples Antique Market Piedmont Posillipo Market Sardinia Sicily Trentino Alto Adige Tuscany Umbria Val d'Aosta Veneto Via Casanova Market

Places of Interest
Abruzzo Apulia Basilicata Calabria Campania Capri Emilia Romagna Friuli-Venezia Giulia Ischia Italian Chamber of Commerce Latium & Rome Liguria Lombardy	The Marches Milan Chamber of Commerce Molise Piedmont Sardinia Sicily Trentino-Alto Adige Tuscany Umbria Val d'Aosta Veneto

• Unique Accommodations
  Authentic Italy
  Best Value Holiday
  Castles
  Classic Fine Hotels
  Convents & Monasteries
  Culinary Luminaries
  Countryside Accommodations (Farm Stays) 
  Historic Residences
  Lakeside Locations
  Luxury Splurge Holiday
  Romantic Italy
  Seaside Locations
  Villas, Seaside Apartments & Stand-Alone Farmhouses
  Wine, Food & Opera
  Welcome to Italy Lists accommodations in every region, and offers food, fitness, fashion & other links.
  Tourism in Tuscany Suggests itineraries by theme (art, seaside, "alternative Tuscany") and geography, with interesting accommodations (e.g., "Hotels in Historical Buildings").
  Chianti Online Lists hotels, farm houses, restaurants, olive oil, wine & more, specific to the Chianti region.
  Italian Tourism Office An Italian government office in New York, which provides information and assistance to travelers to Italy.

City Apartments

Parks, Lakes and Rivers by Region
  Piemonte
        Lake Orta: the most romantic lake in Northern Italy
        Parco fluviale del Po - tratto Alessandrino-Vercellese
        Parco fluviale del Po - tratto Cuneese
        Parco fluviale del Po - tratto Torinese
        Parco del Ticino 
    Tuscany
       Cultural, environmental, sport and information of the Isle of Elba      
    Lombardia
        Parco Lombardo della Valle del Ticino
        Parco dell'Adda Nord
        Parco dell'Adda Sud
        Parco della Valle del Lambro
        Parco dell'Oglio Nord
        Parco dell'Oglio Sud
        Parco del Mincio
        Parco del Serio
    Provincia Autonoma di Trento
        Biotopo Foci dell'Avisio
        Biotopo La Rocchetta
        Biotopo La Rupe
    Veneto
        Parco Delta del Po
        Parco del Fiume Sile
    Friuli Venezia Giulia
        Riserva Foce dell'Isonzo
        Riserva Foci dello Stella
   Liguria
        Parco di Montemarcello-Magra
   Emilia Romagna
        Parco del Delta del Po
        Parco fluviale dello Stirone
        Parco fluviale del Taro
    Umbria
        Parco fluviale del Nera
        Parco fluviale del Tevere
    Lazio
        Riserva Tevere Farfa
        Riserva Valle dell'Aniene

 

Check out the slopes and Go Ski Italy

Antiques
There are numerous antique shops in Naples in two quarters in particular: around via Morelli (piazza dei Martiri) and via Santo Maria di Costantinopoli (near the Archaeological Museum). In the first case the browser will find more shops in via Chiatamonte, via Santa Maria a Cappella Vecchia, via Bisignano, via Carlo Poerio and side streets. There is an outdoor antique market along the lungomare near the Villa Comunale every other weekend from 8:00am to 2:00pm. Some shops are listed below:

• Archetto, vico Alabardieri, 8, tel. 402-547
• Arredamenti Brancaccio, via Roma, 110 Torre del Greco, tel. 881-2583
• Bowinkel (prints), via Santa Lucia, 25 (another in Piazza dei Martiri), tel. 764-0739
• Domus, via dei Mille, 7, tel. 418-088
• Fasano, via D. Morelli, 73, tel. 764-3446
• L'Archipendolo, via Carlo Poerio, 33, tel. 764-2342
• Luigi XVI, via Scarlatti, 8, tel. 556-3644
• Morelli Antichita', via D. Morelli, 43, tel. 764-4481
• Navarra, Piazza dei Martiri, tel.764-3595
• Regency House, via D. Morelli, 36, tel. 764-364

 

Naples & Pompei
Energetic Napoli, capital of the Campania, is set on the beautiful Bay of Naples and overshadowed by Mt Vesuvius. It's one of Europe's most densely populated cities, and throbs with the hubbub of workers and city dwellers, its narrow streets crowded with people dodging overhanging washing and speeding Vespas.

Naples' historic centre features the church-filled Piazza del Gesù Nuovo, the duomo, the Palazzo Reale and San Carlo Opera House. The 13th-century Castel Nuovo overlooks the ferry port, and further along the waterfront there's a Norman castle, surrounded by a tiny fishing village, the Borgo Marinaro. The National Archaeological Museum contains a fine collection of Greco-Roman art, and the priceless treasures discovered at Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Easily accessible from Naples is enigmatic Pompei, the thriving resort town for wealthy Romans that was buried under ash and mud during the devastating eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD. The vast ruins provide a fascinating insight into how the ancient Romans lived, and include impressive temples, a forum, one of the largest known Roman amphitheatres, luxurious houses with frescoes and mosaics, and streets lined with shops.

Rome and the Vatican City
There's no escaping it: Rome means history. There's layers of the stuff - Etruscan tombs, Republican meeting rooms, Imperial temples, early-Christian churches, medieval bell towers, Renaissance palaces and baroque basilicas. In this city a phenomenal concentration of history, legend and monuments coexists with an equally phenomenal concentration of people busily going about their everyday life. It's hard to say what you'll find most breathtaking about the eternal city - the arrogant opulence of the Vatican, the timelessness of the Forum, the top speed of a Fiat Bambino or the bill for your caffè latte.

• Lonely Planet's Destination Rome.

• Roma 2000
• Travel Italy
• Christian Catacombs of Rome
• If you've had enough of this new-fangled internet nonsense, drop by Fictional Rome and find out what's good between the covers.
• Rome Reborn: the Vatican exhibit, 200 of the Vatican Library's manuscripts and maps on-line.

Vatican City
Lonely Planet's Destination Holy See 
The Holy See official site containing administrative information in a catholic range of languages.
The Pope Page provides up-to-date links about the current Pope, popes in general and the Holy See..
Cappella Sistina  images and information about the Sistine Chapel.
The official site of The Holy See
Ranking the Top Attractions | Suggested Itineraries
Touring on Your Own | Beyond the Basics | Lesser-known Sites
Visiting Hours | Retreats from Big-city Hustle and Bustle
Excursions Beyond the City's Walls | Beneath the City
Live images from Rome   Places of Antique Rome    Rome 2000 years ago
Tours: 
Vatican | Ancient Rome | Christian Rome
Art and a Stroll | Renaissance Rome Sistine Chapel
Papal Audience | Vatican Gardens
Tomb of St. Peter/Necropolis
Complete Index of Articles on Rome/Italy
Vatican Resources

 

Venice
There's no escaping it: Venice is unique. For a start, this is a pedestrian's city on a very human scale - cars are almost nonexistent, and beguiling narrow paths take the place of ugly city roads. The harmonious architecture seems to have sprung uniformly from somewhere between the 12th and 16th century, its secretive walls and enticing balconies sparkling with flashes of water glimpsed through cracks and windows. Dark paths suddenly emerge into the clear, bright daylight of a church-filled square or cross the city's myriad canals by way of numerous and wonderful little bridges. The atmosphere is magical and inexplicably festive.

The city is built on 117 small islands, and is linked to the mainland service town of Mestre by a road and rail causeway. The Grand Canal insinuates itself around the city, emerging at the unforgettable vista of Piazza San Marco, boasting its campanile, Doges' Palace, St Mark's Basilica and elegant pigeon-filled piazza. The Bridge of Sighs links the palace to the gloomy old prisons, and the bobbing gondolas are overlooked by the stunning Santa Maria della Salute, San Giorgio Maggiore and del Redentore churches. It takes only half an hour or so to walk from the train station to San Marco: that is if you can resist the temptation to take one of the many paths that diverge from the main drag (Lista di Spagna). To appreciate the fine palaces that line the Grand Canal, swallow your 'but I'm not really a tourist' phlegm and take a gondola.

The Accademia Bridge leads to a quieter Venice and the Galleria dell'Accademia, with its collection of Venetian masters. The nearby Peggy Guggenheim Gallery updates your walk through history and art, with its fine collection of early-20th-century works. Venice is surrounded by equally enchanting islands: the Lido (forever linked with Tommy Mann, Dirk and Death in Venice), Murano (the home of Venetian glass), Burano (famous for its lace) and strangely time-warped Torcello, with its Byzantine cathedral.

Amalfi Coast
Stretching for 50km (31mi) along a promontory from Sorrento to Salerno is some of Europe's most beautiful coastline. The road hugs the zigzagging bends and curves of the cliffy coast, overlooking intensely blue waters and passing picture-postcard villages that cling to the cliff walls like matchbox houses.

Positano is the first port of call out of Sorrento, and it's truly sublime: tiered arcades of rose and honey-coloured houses hover precariously over an iridescent sea, and further investigation reveals cafés and hotels to die for. Farther around several intervening bends is Amalfi. Its former status as a supreme naval power rivalled Pisa and Genoa is evident from its arsenal and imposing duomo. Hairpin bends separate Amalfi from Ravello, which sits like a balcony overlooking the bay. Its duomo has an interesting pulpit with six lions carved at its base, and several villas and their beautiful gardens add to its attractions. Salerno has seen it all, from Etruscan to Roman and medieval times. Unfortunately, the city was extensively damaged during WWII, as it was one of the Allies' major landing sites.

Siena
Ramparts - just one of the many vestiges of the city's medieval prime - still crown the hills that surround gentle Siena. Its many reddish-brown buildings gave the world 'burnt sienna,' and a thriving cultural scene was dubbed the Sienese school in the 13th and 14th centuries. Plague and autocrats from the Viscontis to the Medicis brought urban growth and cultural finesse to a screaming halt, the rot setting in with the plague of 1348, which killed 65,000 of the city's 100,000 people. Fortunately, Italy's finest medieval square - the Piazza del Campo - was finished just in time, with the graceful town hall and emblemic tower nearby. Siena's duomo is a stunner, with black and white stripes of marble on the facade. Palazzos, piazzas, art collections, museums and churches are scattered throughout the easily walkable old town, making Siena a great destination for visitors who like to see things from the pavement up.

Assisi
Walled Assisi is miraculous: it has somehow managed to retain some tranquil refuges amid the tourist hubbub. Perched halfway up Mt Subasio, the visual impact of its shimmering white marble buildings is magnificent. The city is dominated by the massive 14th-century Rocca Maggiore - a hill fortress that offers fabulous views over the valley and back to Perugia. St Francis was born here in 1182, and work began on his basilica two years after his death in 1228. It's a magnificent tribute to the patron saint of animals, with frescoes by Giotto, Cimabue and Martini. Relics from Imperial days include the excavated forum and the pillared facade of the Temple of Minerva; Roman foundations are a common feature of many buildings. The town's many churches include Santa Maria Maggiore, San Pietro, St Clare and the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli.

Links to other websites in Italy

• Photo tours from the Isle of Capri and the Bay of Napl;es
• Lonely Planet's Destination Italy has cultural info, off the beaten track hideouts and travel ideas.
• Windows on Italy has maps, history and text-heavy regional information.
• Venicescapes - Unique Views of a Unique City has history, cultural information and several itineraries so you can explore the town.
• Il Colombaio is an art gallery and a b&b in the beautiful country near Siena. Turn your speakers down, though.
• Say NO to touch and go tourism at Tuscanytravel (then find out what it is).
• Italy Source Travel will help you walk in Tuscany, cook in Florence, drive in Sicily, ride the rails to Siena and Verona, and a lot more besides.
• Mama's Cucina is a fun grab-bag of stories, pictures, advice, language and recipes.
• If you're planning a Pisa visit, learna you history first si, and have a spin around the Field of Miracles while you're at it with Nova On-line's Fall of the Leaning Tower.
• Italy Hotel Reservation hooks you up to many Italian cities and helps with your hotel booking.
• Italy on the Net takes you to Italian web servers, news, associations, cultural pursuits and interest groups.
• Tour of Italy for the Financially Challenged . Go there, read about it. Don't move from your desk.
• The Italian Tourist Web Guide is a bi-lingual guide to Italian destinations.
• If you're doing Italy by train, take a look at Ferrovie Dello Stato Online for timetables and special offers.

Northern Italy
The Alpine regions, the Po Plain and the Ligurian-Etruscan Appennines. Piemonte and Val d’Aosta contain some of the highest mountains in Europe and are good areas for winter sports. Many rivers flow down from the mountains towards the Po Basin, passing through the beautiful Italian Lake District (Maggiore, Como, Garda). The Po Basin, which extends as far south as the bare slopes of the Appennines, is covered with gravel terraces and rich alluvial soil and has long been one of Italy’s most prosperous regions. To the east, where the River Po flows into the Adriatic Sea, the plains are little higher than the river itself; artificial (and occasionally natural) embankments prevent flooding.

Central Italy
The northern part of the Italian peninsula. Tuscany (Toscana) has a diverse landscape with snow-capped mountains (the Tuscan Appennines), lush countryside, hills and a long sandy coastline with offshore islands. Le Marche, lying between the Appennines and the Adriatic coast, is a region of mountains, rivers and small fertile plains. The even more mountainous region (administrative districts) of Abruzzo and Molise are bordered by Marche to the north and Puglia to the south, and are separated from the Tyrrhenian Sea and to the west by Lazio and Campania. Umbria is known as the ‘green heart of Italy’, hilly with broad plains, olive groves and pines. Further south lies Rome, Italy’s capital and largest city. Within its precincts is the Vatican City (see separate entry on Vatican City).

Southern Italy
Campania consists of flat coastal plains and low mountains, stretching from Baia Domizia to the Bay of Naples and along a rocky coast to the Calabria border. Inland, the Appennines are lower, mellowing into the rolling countryside around Sorrento. The islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida in the Tyrrhenian Sea are also part of Campania. The south is wilder than the north, with mile upon mile of olive trees, cool forests and rolling hills. Puglia, the ‘heel of the boot’, is a landscape of volcanic hills and isolated marshes. Calabria, the ‘toe’, is heavily forested and thinly populated. The Calabrian hills are home to bears and wolves.

The Islands
Sicily (Sicilia), visible across a 3km (2 mile) strait from mainland Italy, is fertile but mountainous with volcanoes (including the famous landmark of Mount Etna) and lava fields, and several offshore islands. Sardinia (Sardegna) has a mountainous landscape, fine sandy beaches and rocky offshore islands.

    

Volcanic Activies
Ischia - bathe in Italian Volcanic waters renowned curative spas for arthritis, rheumatism, painful joints.  For brochures and bookings, 
Tel/Fax +3981998426
Giuseppe Patalano, Via Baiola 109, I-80075, Forio d'Ischia (Na) ITALY
Recent and ongoing activity of STROMBOLI and other volcanoes. 
Activity of Stromboli in June 1996
Volcanoes

Vesuvius , Mt. Vesuvius is the only continental volcano still active in Europe. The easiest way to get to the crater is by leaving the Naples-Salerno Autostrada at Ercolano (Heraculaneum). The road is 13 km long and reaches a height of 1,017 metres. At 608 metres, one can make a short detour to visit the Vesuvian Observatory, which since around 1850 has observed the volcano's activity day by day. Ercolano can also be reached easily from Naples in 15 minutes by the Circumvesuviana Railway, which leaves from the Corso Garibaldi Station. There are also excursions available

 

Solfatara, in Pozzuoli. Open everyday from 8:30am to one hour before sunset. Admission fee is 7,000 lire. Tel. 526-2341.

Lonely Planet Guides to
Italy
Florence city guide
Rome city guide
Venice city guide
Tuscany
Sicily
Corsica
Mediterranean Islands: Corsica, Sicily & Sardinia video
Europe on a shoestring
Western Europe
Mediterranean Europe
Read This First: Europe
World Food Italy
Walking in Italy
Mediterranean Europe phrasebook
Italian Phrasebook
Central Europe phrasebook
Lonely Planet Unpacked: Travel Disaster Stories
Love and War in the Apennines
A Small Place in Italy
Southern Italy video