Italy
Bell'Italia! Italy has Europe's richest, craziest culture. After all, this nation is the cradle of European civilization — established by the Roman Empire and carried on by the Roman Catholic Church. As you explore Italy, you'll stand face-to-face with some of the world's most iconic images from this 2,000-year history: the Colosseum of Ancient Rome, the medieval Leaning Tower of Pisa, Michelangelo's David and Botticelli's Venus, the playful Baroque exuberance of the Trevi Fountain…and the elegant decay that surrounds the canals of Venice. Beyond these famous sights, though, Italy offers Europe's richest culture. Traditions still live within a country that is vibrant and fully modern. Go with an eye open to both the Italy of the past and of the present.
Places
At a Glance
▲▲▲ Venice Romantic island city, powerful in medieval times; famous for St. Mark's Basilica, the Grand Canal, and singing gondoliers.
▲▲▲ Cinque Terre Five idyllic Riviera hamlets along a rugged coastline (and part of a national park), connected by scenic hiking trails and dotted with beaches.
▲▲▲ Florence The cradle of the Renaissance, with the world-class Uffizi Gallery, Brunelleschi's dome-topped Duomo, Michelangelo's David, and Italy's best gelato.
▲▲▲ Siena Florence's smaller and (some say) more appealing rival, with its grand Il Campo square and striking striped cathedral.
▲▲▲ Rome Italy's capital, the Eternal City, studded with Roman remnants (Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon), romantic floodlit-fountain squares, and the Vatican — home to one of Italy's top museums and the Sistine Chapel.
▲▲ Milan Powerhouse city of commerce and fashion, with the prestigious La Scala opera house, Leonardo's The Last Supper, and three airports.
▲▲ Heart of Tuscany Picturesque, wine-soaked villages of Italy's heartland, including mellow Montepulciano, Renaissance Pienza, and Brunello-fueled Montalcino.
▲▲ Assisi St. Francis' hometown, perched on a hillside, with a divinely Giotto-decorated basilica.
▲▲ Orvieto and Civita More hill-town adventures, featuring Orvieto's classic views and ornate cathedral plus the adorable pocket-sized village of Civita di Bagnoregio.
▲▲ Naples Gritty, in-love-with-life port city featuring vibrant street life and a top archaeological museum.
▲▲ Amalfi Coast and Paestum String of seafront villages — including hilly Positano and workaday Amalfi — tied together by a scenic mountainous coastal road. Farther south is Paestum, with its well-preserved ancient Greek temples.
▲▲ Pompeii and Nearby Famous ruins of the ancient towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, stopped in their tracks by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
▲ Near Venice Several interesting towns: Padua (with Giotto's gloriously frescoed Scrovegni Chapel), Verona (Roman amphitheater plus Romeo and Juliet sights), and Ravenna (top Byzantine mosaics).
▲ The Dolomites Italy's rugged rooftop with a Germanic flair, featuring Bolzano (home of Ötzi the Iceman), Castelrotto (charming village), and Alpe di Siusi (alpine meadows laced with lifts and hiking trails).
▲ The Lakes Two relaxing lakes, each with low-key resort towns and a mountainous backdrop: Lake Como, with quaint Varenna and upscale Bellagio; and Lake Maggiore, with straightforward Stresa, manicured islands, and elegant villas.
▲ Pisa and Lucca Two classic towns: Pisa, with its famous Leaning Tower and surrounding Field of Miracles, and Lucca, with a charming walled old center.
▲ Volterra and San Gimignano Two hill towns in north Tuscany: vibrant, refreshing Volterra and multi-towered, touristy San Gimignano.
▲ Sorrento and Capri The seaside resort port of Sorrento, and a short cruise away, the jet-set island getaway of Capri, with its Blue Grotto.
▲ Riviera Towns More Italian Riviera fun, including the northern beach towns of Levanto, Sestri Levante, the larger Santa Margherita Ligure, and gem-like Portofino, and to the south, resorty Porto Venere and workaday La Spezia (transportation hub).
Plan
Photos
Watch
- Alps of Austria and Italy
- Assisi and Italian Country Charm
- Beginning Italian for Travelers
- Clip: Cinque Terre Hiking
- Clip: Cinque Terre, Italy: Manarola and Riomaggiore
- Clip: Florence, Italy: Renaissance Art and Architecture
- Clip: Lucca, Italy: Beautifully Preserved
- Clip: Rick’s “European Easter”: Carnival in Venice
- Clip: Rome’s Borghese Gallery
- Clip: Siena’s Piazza del Campo
- Clip: The Tour Experience: Art and History
- Florence: Heart of the Renaissance
- Florentine Delights and Tuscan Side-Trips
- Italy’s Amalfi Coast
- Italy’s Great Hill Towns
- Italy’s Riviera: Cinque Terre
- Italy’s Verona, Padova, and Ravenna
- Little Europe: Five Micro-Countries
- Luther and the Reformation
- Milan and Lake Como
- Naples and Pompeii
- Rome: Ancient Glory
- Rome: Back-Street Riches
- Rome: Baroque Brilliance
- Sicilian Delights
- Siena and Tuscany’s Wine Country
- The Best of Sicily
- Travel Talks: Italy
- Travel Talks: Italy (Beyond Venice, Florence & Rome)
- Travel Talks: Italy Travel Skills
- Travel Talks: Mediterranean Cruise Ports
- Travel Talks: Michelangelo’s Italy
- Travel Talk: Venice, Florence & Rome
- Tuscany’s Dolce Vita
- Venice and Its Lagoon
- Venice: City of Dreams
Read
- Buona Notte, Fellini
- Campari Is King
- Communicating in Italy
- Edible Patriotism
- Europe in the Fast Lane
- Grappa: Italy’s Firewater
- Italian Sports
- Lemons in Italy
- Limoncello: When Life Gives You Lemons...
- Playful Padua
- Sightseeing at Dawn
- Understanding ‘Football’ in Italy
- Urbino: Fit for a Duke
- Verona: City of Romance
- Vicenza: Palladian Paradise
- Why I Love Eating in Italy
- Italy’s Alluring Amalfi Coast
- My Favorite Beach Hideaways
- Positano Stroll: Behind the Chic Facades
- Europe’s Convents Offer Tranquility — and Treats
- Finding Peace and Faith in Assisi
- Franciscan Friars and Tourists Share Assisi
- Italy’s Civita di Bagnoregio: Jewel on the Hill
- Peak Experiences in Alpine Europe
- Sauerkraut — and Yodlers to Boot — in Italy’s Alpine Village of Kastelruth
- Stretching Out in the Italian Alps
- In Studio: Roaming the Homes of Europe’s Top Artists
- Turning European Meals into Memories
- Nature and Romance in Italy’s Lakes District
- Romantic Europe: Places in the Heart
- Cinque Terre Cuisine 101
- In Italy’s Cinque Terre, Views to Die For
- Italy’s Riviera: Beyond the Cinque Terre
- Stepping Back in Vernazza
- The Enchanting Cinque Terre: Fiat-Free Italy
- Biking in Europe’s Boonies
- Europe’s Great Walled Towns
- Sightseeing in Milan, the Capital of Italy’s Urban North
- The Classy, Chic — and Cheeky — Side of Milan
- Experience Italy Fortissimo in Naples
- Naples: Italy in Your Face
- Orvieto — What an Italian Hill Town Should Be
- Visiting Vesuvius and Pompeii
- Ravenna: Italy’s Byzantium
- A Peek into Ancient Rome at Ostia Antica
- Ancient Rome: The Things That Were Caesar’s
- Easter in Rome
- Experiencing Rome’s Culture In Situ
- Impressions of Italy
- Pomp and Consequence: Visiting Europe’s 20th-Century Fascist Sites
- Rome: A Romantic Breeze
- Rome After Dark
- Rome’s Inspiring Baroque Sights
- Rome’s Jewish Legacy
- Sightseeing Skills for the Ancient World
- Swept Away in Rome
- There’s No Place like Rome for the Holidays
- Time Travel on Rome’s Ancient Appian Way
- When in Europe, Succumb to Soccer Fever
- Celebrating Sicily: Italy at Its Most Extreme
- Sicilian Surprises in Palermo
- Sicily’s Spicy, Slice-of-Life Street Scenes
- Bella Tuscany: ‘Here Begins Prosciutto’
- Escape to the Italian Countryside
- Florence Discoveries
- Florence: The Cultural Capital of Europe
- Rural Italy’s Enduring Easter Traditions
- Siena: Italy’s Medieval Heart and Soul
- Siena’s Palio: 500 Years of History in 90 Seconds
- Street Finds in Florence
- Swatting Wasps in Florence
- The Palio: Siena and Its Crazy Horse Race
- Tuning In to Tasty Italy
- Tuscan Treats: Pisa and Lucca
- Tuscany for Beginners
- Tuscany’s Heavenly Wines
- Tuscany’s Powerful, Towerful San Gimignano
- Volterra: Tuscany’s Top Hill Town
- Volterra and San Gimignano: Hill Towns with a Twist
- Barefoot in Venice
- Carnival: Europe’s Wild Rites of Spring
- Crawling Through Venice’s Cicchetti Pubs
- Despite Changes, Venice Still Charms
- Is Venice Sinking?
- Once the Sun Goes Down, Venice Shines
- The Gondolas of Venice
- Venetian Day Trips: Gems of the Veneto
Italy
Amalfi Coast
Assisi
Civita di Bagnoregio
Dolomites
Florence
Italian Lakes
Italian Riviera
Lucca
Milan
Naples
Orvieto
Pompeii & Herculaneum
Ravenna
Rome
Sicily
Tuscany
Venice
Listen
- Amalfi Coast (18:31)
- Americans Living in Europe (32:55)
- An Irreverent Curiosity (17:52)
- Antiquities and Archaeology (18:31)
- Antiquities and Archaeology II (12:19)
- Architecture for Travelers (39:03)
- Architecture for Travelers (39:03)
- Art Appreciation for Travelers (47:06)
- Art in Italy (47:09)
- Art Outside the Museums (30:10)
- A Tavola in Italy (7:53)
- Carnival in Venice (10:12)
- Class of 1500 (5:57)
- Convent Inns of Italy (12:08)
- Cortona: Tuscan Sun (17:58)
- European Business Customs (45:55)
- European Food Specialties (29:11)
- European Food Treats (43:07)
- European Impressions of America (37:02)
- Expats Living in Italy (12:40)
- Ferenc Máté in Tuscany (35:10)
- Ferenc Máté's Real Life (18:16)
- Finding Love in Italy (13:29)
- Folk Music of Italy (11:26)
- Frances Mayes' Tuscany (42:19)
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia (18:32)
- Getting Married in Italy (12:24)
- Italian Chaos (11:20)
- Italian Cuisine Culture I (47:12)
- Italian Cuisine Culture II (47:24)
- Italian Food Culture (11:54)
- Italian Food Culture II (11:19)
- Italian Guide to Olive Oil (18:47)
- Italian Rails (28:15)
- Italian Rails II (12:23)
- Italian Women in the 21st Century (18:11)
- Italy: North vs. South (48:19)
- Italy: North vs. South II (31:23)
- Italy's Agriturismos (16:27)
- Italy's Decadent Desserts (23:02)
- Italy's Deep South (28:57)
- Italy's Instep (18:26)
- Malta (18:36)
- Marrying into Italy (23:18)
- Marrying into Italy, Part II (19:36)
- Michelangelo (17:57)
- Michelangelo in Florence (19:02)
- Michelangelo in Rome (18:01)
- Miles J. Unger's "Michelangelo: A Life in Six Masterpieces" (14:20)
- Music Appreciation for Travel: Part I (11:35)
- Naples and Nearby (33:11)
- Naples and the Amalfi Coast (35:24)
- Naples' Beautiful Chaos (11:31)
- Northern Italy (18:17)
- Opera 101 for Travelers (18:23)
- Padova (18:38)
- Pasta 101 (6:06)
- Pilgrim's Italy (29:28 min)
- Pleasures of Italian Cuisine (11:50)
- Pompeii (19:11)
- Postcards from Europe: Rome (36:16)
- Restoring a Farmhouse in Italy (14:51)
- Retracing Homer's Travels (29:38)
- Rome After Dark (27:14)
- Rome II: Beneath the Surface (46:24)
- Rome III: Jewish Ghetto (19:07)
- Rome I: Travel Guide (47:49)
- Rome Neighborhoods (11:47)
- Rugged Abruzzo (18:45)
- Sagre Food Festivals (13:07)
- Sailing the Eastern Mediterranean (18:14)
- Saints of Italy (12:06)
- Salman Rushdie's Florence (29:50)
- Seasons of Italy: Fred Plotkin (30:51)
- Sicilian Vacation (26:00)
- Sicily III: Looking up Relatives (23:17 min)
- Sicily II: Organized Chaos (48:09 min)
- Sicily I: Travel Tips (32:52 min)
- Siena's Palio (11:34)
- Siena's Palio — The Thrill of the Win (17:04)
- Sightseeing in the Ancient World (16:58)
- Sorrento (12:08)
- The Best of Ancient Rome (11:43)
- The Gelato Experience (25:05)
- The Italian Coffee Bar (18:19)
- The Joy of Pasta (11:45)
- The Perfect Tuscan Picnic (33:37)
- Truffles in Umbria (8:12 min)
- Tuscany and Umbria (33:38)
- Tuscany Versus Umbria (35:20)
- Venice: Avoiding the Crowds (28:59)
- Visiting Sicily (18:47)
- Visiting St. Peter's Basilicia (19:00)
- Waters of Rome (10:48)
Italy Audio Tours
- Accademia & Michelangelo's David Tour
Listen or Download | Download map - Assisi Town Walk
Listen or Download | Download map - Bargello Museum Tour
Listen or Download | Download map - Basilica of St. Francis Tour
Listen or Download | Download map - Colosseum Tour
Listen or Download | Download map - Frari Church Tour
Listen or Download | Download map - Heart of Rome Walk
Listen or Download | Download map - Jewish Ghetto Walk
Listen or Download | Download map - Milan's Duomo Neighborhood
Listen or Download | Download map - Naples' Archaeological Museum
Listen or Download | Download map - Naples City Walk
Listen or Download | Download map - Ostia Antica Tour
Listen or Download | Download map - Pantheon Tour
Listen or Download | Download map - Pompeii Tour
Listen or Download | Download map - Renaissance Walk
Listen or Download | Download map - Roman Forum Tour
Listen or Download | Download map - San Marco Museum Tour
Listen or Download | Download map - Siena City Walk
Listen or Download | Download map - Sistine Chapel Tour
Listen or Download | Download map - St. Mark's Basilica Tour
Listen or Download | Download map - St. Mark's Square Tour
Listen or Download | Download map - St. Peter's Basilica Tour
Listen or Download | Download map - The Grand Canal Cruise
Listen or Download | Download map - Trastevere Walk
Listen or Download | Download map - Uffizi Gallery Tour
Listen or Download | Download map - Vatican Museums Tour
Listen or Download | Download map