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| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_Italy |
In July 2011, I went to Italy, England, and Switzerland with my family. Here is the itinerary that we used for Italy, although I added in some more days in Rome and the trips to Pompeii and Paestum. I guess I will just have to go back!Day One: Fly to MILAN http://www.seamilano.eu/home_it.html
· Account for jetlag
· Eat dinner at Acero Rosso (a Ristorante Pizzeria) —very good limoncello according to my mother!
· Hotel Recommendation: Sempione Hotel (www.sempionehotel.it)
—–They had clean beds, an authentic/charming feel, and the owners were nice!
Day Two: MILAN
· Cathedral (Duomo)—free entrance, took 600 years to builds, and is in the late Gothic Style!
· See “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci (an iconic early Renaissance painting) in L’Ultima Cena (Santa Maria delle Grazie)
· Stroll in the Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli (park/garden)
Day Three: Drive from MILAN to LA SPEZIA (about 3 hours)
· Hotel Recommendation: Holiday Hrouse—right next to the sea; clean
· Visit the Luni Archeological Museum
· Stroll by the waterside (there is an outdoor mall/square there—eat some gelato!)
· Eat dinner at La Pia
Day Four: Drive from LA SPEZIA to CINQUE TERRE (Five towns)—30 minutes
· Walk the cliffside trail along the five towns ( Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore)
Day Five: Drive from CINQUE TERRE to PISA—1 ½ hours
· Explore the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Romanesque Cathedral Complex/Baptistery
· There’s not much else to do in Pisa…but I had the best Lasagna ever at Caffe Bei and Nannini there!
Day Six: Drive from PISA to FLORENCE—1 ½ hours
· See Santa Croce Cathedral (it has Galileo’s tomb in it and carved tombs in the floor!)
· Explore the Piazza della Signoria and Loggia dei Lanzi
· Walk across the Centro Storico Bridge. It has expensive jewelry stores and houses hanging over the water!
· Gelato break/siesta—you’re going to need it because Italy in the summer is hot!
Day Seven: FLORENCE (FIRENZE IN ITALIAN!)
· See “David” by Michelangelo (a high Renaissance sculpture completed in 1502) in La Galleria della Accademia. Here is an excerpt from my journal that I wrote documenting my trip to Italy!
—–“…it was completely amazing. It was made in 1501 and he’s so tall! It was very impressive to think someone who was only 26 years old carved him out of a block of abandoned marble. His hands and feet were huge and his eyes were beautiful…” (August 5th, 2011)
· Explore the Duomo Cathedral, Giotto’s Bell Tower (called a Campanile), and the nearby Baptistery
· Spend a couple of hours at the Uffizi Gallery—it has Botticelli’s Birth of Venus! http://www.uffizi.com/
· Hike to the Piazzale Michelangelo; it has a stunning view of the entire city of Firenze
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| Piazzale Michelangelo |
Day Eight: FLORENCE to ROME
· See the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence
· Stroll in the Villa Gamberaia http://www.villagamberaia.com/
· Drive to Rome! (about 3 hours)
· Stroll through Rome’s cobble-stoned street and, of course, eat gelato
**I recommend buying the Roma Pass if you intend to use the metro often! http://www.romapass.it/?l=en
Day Nine: ROME
· Hotel recommendation: Hotel Florida
· Explore the Castel Sant’Angelo (Mausoleum of Hadrian)
· Go to the Vatican. See: http://www.vatican.va/
—–St. Peter’s Basilica
—–St. Peter’s Square
—–Sistine Chapel
—–Vatican Museums
· Dinner at Opera Restaurant. Journal excerpt:
—–“I had…you guessed it! A margarita pizza. The place was so cool and it had an accordion player and an opera singer….” (August 6th, 2011)
Mausoleum of Hadrian
Day Ten: ROME
· The Colosseum!
· Roman Forum (make sure to see Arch of Titus/Constantine/Septimius Severus and the Temple of Venus and Roma) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihm8BbbbjW8&feature=youtu.be
· See the Markets/Column of Trajan
· Eat dinner at Vitti, Piazza S. Lorenzo
Day Eleven: ROMA
· Day trip to Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli
· Spanish Steps/Trevi Fountain
· See St. Peter’s Square at night!
Day Twelve: ROME
· Roam the amazing Pantheon (built by Agrippa but later restored by Hadrian)
—–“The Pantheon…was very impressive and it’s over 1,000 years old. The marble columns were huge…”
· Basilica of Maxentius
· Baths of Caracalla
· Dinner at Taverna le Coppelle
Day Thirteen: ROME
· Capitoline Museum (be sure to see the Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius!) http://www.museicapitolini.org/
· Gelato break!
· National Museum of Rome http://archeoroma.beniculturali.it/
· Piazza Navona (with the Four Rivers Fountain by Bernini)
· Church of San Luigi dei Francesi (with works by Caravaggio!)
Day Fourteen: ROME to POMPEII (2 hours and 40 minutes)
· Explore the ruins there (and if you have time, see Herculaneum)
· Stay in Naples for the night
Day Fifteen: Day trip from NAPLES to PAESTUM
· See the ancient Greek temples at Paestum with the famous entasis (swelling) on the fluted columns!
· Walk around the ruins at Parco Archeologico del Pausilypan (with a view of the Bay of Naples)
· Explore the Catacombe de San Gennaro at night
Day Sixteen: Fly home from Naples (1 hour and 40 minutes) http://www.gesac.it/