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Florence, Italy – An Orientation to Florence

Wed, Dec 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Florence is the capital of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is also one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy. If you are one of the ten million or so people throughout the world who say, “I want to go to Florence” each year and actually do so, then make the most of your trip by getting yourself oriented before you go. Otherwise, there is so much to see and do in Florence that you could end up wasting half your trip just deciding where to go on any given day.

If you are arriving by air, you have a few options. Recently upgraded, Amerigo Vespucci Airport now services over 2 million passengers every year. It only services direct flights from limited European destinations, though. International travelers need to get a connecting flight from [Read more...]

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Genoa – the birth place of Christopher Columbus, blue-jeans and the ice cream

Thu, Nov 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

As the oldest capital of one of the maritime republics, Genoa nowadays belongs to the “Industrial Triangle” with Milan and Turin, and it’s one of the main ports in Europe. It’s symbol is the lighthouse of the old port known as “La Lanterna” (the lantern).

Famous also for being the birth place of Christopher Columbus, Genoa is a melting pot and an important center for culture and scientific research.

Portofino Genoa, Italian Riviera

Portofino Genoa, Italian Riviera

The name “Genoa” comes from the loyalty to the roman empire: Janus was the double-faced god of the roman’s paganism, and Genoa, which looked the mountain from the back and the sea from the front, was called in this way, rendering homage to the god.

A Few Words of History

Genoa was led for about eight centuries by many types of government: republic, oligarchy, dukedom, and doges. The neutrality led the republic to fund a commercial empire that controlled the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, from Iraq to Palestine and from North Africa to the Spanish coasts. Genoa was able to control the economies of important empires: Swabia, of the Habsburg and Byzantine, until the rise of Napoleon that conquered the republic and looted the Bank of San Giorgio, the national institute and the eldest bank in the world.

The flag of the Republic is the famous Union Jack, used nowadays by the Royal Navy. In 1190, due to its authority in the Mediterranean Sea, the King of England asked the permission to the Doge to hoist the genoan flag on his ships to prevent the pirates’ attacks.

The famous Union Jack, used nowadays by the Royal Navy

The famous Union Jack, used nowadays by the Royal Navy

 

What to see in Genoa

The old city of Genoa is a must-see, with its narrow alleys (carrugi) and little squares; one of the most famous areas is named “Boccadasse”, with its multicoloured boats and the long promenade, sprinkled with ice cream kiosks. Another interesting spot is the fountain of Piazza De Ferrari, the core of the town. And don’t miss a visit at the Aquarium, the second largest in Europe, built in the Expo Area in 1992 and inaugurated for the Colombian Celebrations 500 years after the journey of the famous navigator who discovered the New World.

One of the many narrow alleys called 'Carrugi'

One of the many narrow alleys called 'Carrugi'

In the suburbs there are two locations, Nervi and Pegli, respectively the Gates of the Eastern and Western Riviera.

The Palazzo Ducale, old headquarter of the Lords of the city, now a cultural center, is worth a visit; the old port and the Carlo Felice’s Theatre, damaged during the Second World War, was restored in the 90′s.

The Promenade Anita Garibaldi a path through the rocks above the sea, is absolutely wonderful. It leads the visitor along the three villas, Grimaldi-Fassio, Serra-Saluzzo and Gropallo, which are all connected to create a stunning park.

Witnesses of the ancient role of the city, Genoa has many forts: Forte Diamante, Forte Begato, Forte Tenaglia, Forte Giuliano, Forte San Martino, as well as others.

Fine Italian Ice-Cream

Fine Italian Ice-Cream

Some of them are totally abandoned, while some were transformed into cultural centers or used for the rock concerts and other musical events.

Ever wonder where the ice cream came from?

Genoa is the homeland of the Italian habit of aperitives, of the blue-jeans (jeans comes from Genes, the french name of Genoa), the national game of lotto (a national lottery). The Genoans are also considered the inventor of the ice cream.

Genoa is the native country of the Italian pesto, a kind of sauce for pasta obtained by mixing pine kernels, garlic, pecorino cheese, basil and olive oil; moreover, it was the homeland of soccer in Italy. James Spencer, a British doctor, founded the Genoa Cricket and Football Club in 1909, a legendary team that won nine Championships and one National Cup after the Second World War.

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Bologna – one of the most important Italian cities

Sat, Oct 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Bologna is one of the most important Italian cities for history, culture, and economy, located in the middle of Padana plain, between the two rivers Reno and Savena.

Panoramic View of Bologna

Panoramic View of Bologna

The geographic position has always been basic for its economic role: the large number of canals (now buried), the short distance to the sea, and the presence of the biggest plain in Italy, made Bologna a sorting center for this part of Europe. The old downtown is perfectly conserved and the presence of traditional arcades was used to facilitate the markets and the promenades, also considering the tough weather conditions on winter.

A residential building in Bologna

A residential building in Bologna

Bologna has always been considered a cultural center. Founded by the Etrurians and inhabited by the Celts as well, Bologna became a big city during the Roman Empire and, after the barbarian invasions, was annexed by the French emperor Carlo Magno. During the Middle Ages Bologna founded one of the most important universities, the “Alma mater studiorum”, with a famous law school managed by two great jurists, Irnerio and Pepone.

Bologna paid a grievous tribute during the Second World War, becoming a symbol of the resistance against the Nazi army.

The historical area of the town is very well conserved: in piazza Maggiore there is the gothic Basilica of San Petronio (XVII century), with an arcade decorated by Jacopo Della Quercia; it’s also possible to admire the biggest sundial in the world, projected by the mathematician Cassini.

In the same square we can see the Palazzo Podestà , the Palazzo Comunale (the old head office of the municipality) and the Fountain of Neptune.

The Fountain of Neptune

The Fountain of Neptune

The Archiginnasio, the old venue of the university, built by Antonio Morandi, with its anatomic theatre, (the anatomic lab), is a must-see and now transformed into the Public Library.

Other valuable sites are the church of San Domenico, the French-gothic church of San Francesco and the stunning Santo Stefano’s complex, also known as “Seven churches” due to the number of buildings connected in the same area and separated with gardens and cloisters.

And don’t forget to visit the Basilica of San Petronio, the gothic San Giacomo Maggiore, and the basilica of Santa Maria dei Servi, with paintings by Cimabue.

Anyway, the most famous portraits of Bologna are the ancient towers of Asinelli and Garisenda. During the Middle Ages Bologna had about ninety towers; nowadays there are only seventeen.

The San Petronio Basilica with its unfinished facade

The San Petronio Basilica with its unfinished facade

Dante Alighieri in his Divina Commedia – Inferno, mentions the Garisenda Tower. While the tower of Asinelli was used by the physicist Guglielmini for his experiments about gravity.

Bologna has also a wall complex built by Federico Barbarossa.

The EU declared Bologna Capital of European Culture in 2000; in 2006 UNESCO as capital of music rewarded the city also.

Bologna is also the capital of some traditional Italian dishes: the tortellini, with the shape inspired by the navel of Venus, and the tagliatelle, homage for the hairs of Lucrezia Borgia, according to the legend.

In October the municipality organizes the Tortellino Day, with contests and tasting of this kind of pasta.

Other bolognese symbols are the tomato sauce, known as ragù (bolognese sauce), the cheese Certosino and the mortadella.

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Venice, Italy – The art, the miracle, the inexpressible

Mon, Aug 22, 2011 By 1 Comment

Venice is not just Venice. More than any other city in the past it has become transformed within the imaginations of artists, painters, poets, prose-writers. Yet it remains very much as it was at the height of its greatest artistic achievements, during the Renaissance.

Grand Canal Venice

Grand Canal Venice

As early as 1882, Henry James observed that the most obvious thing to say about Venice is that there is nothing left to say. Works of art associated with images of Venice tend to stick in my mind and evoke its atmosphere and architecture. Wagner regarded Venice as a good place in which to compose because you could see the crowds and yet to be alone. Palaces, canals, gondolas, effects of light seen across the Lagoon at dawn and sunset, dissolve into a colorful Romantic vision.

Venice: A city to get lost in

Street Shops

Street Shops

The advantage of getting lost was that one found so much. Every few yards there were surprises. A dark passage-way opens onto the wide brilliantly lit expanse of a square enclosed by houses of different heights with narrow steep shuttered windows in grey peeling walls. At each corner a calle leads out of the square. I do not know which to consider the continuation of the one by which I have entered. Nor I do care. On one side of the square there is a shop, with a window full of toys. In the square itself there is a booth where a few vegetables lie on a bench under a striped awning. Choosing at random my way out of the square I go along a calle which leads to a bridge over a canal.

St Mark’s Square: the heart of Venice

My wanderings throughout the years brought me always back to St Mark’s Square, which has been compared to a ball-room, but which to my mind is more like the central chamber, interior cavity of a body, containing the heart. For St Mark’s Basilica truly is the hollow centre of Venice, with its great arched porch, and two attendant porches on each side.

St Mark's Square

St Mark's Square

One never forgets on Venice that the city is completely unlike anywhere else. Venice is a marble lung at this end of the Adriatic which breathes in and breathes out each day, according to the tides, the sea.  The harbor has entered into every crevice it the city, become its very existence. Thus transport in Venice means the sea – traditionally the gondola. This introduces into it an element or condition which is like a different dimension of time. To recognize this, one only has to consider, for example, the effect upon New York if all the streets and avenues of Manhattan were excavated and made into canals!

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Florence, Italy – The Medici and the Renaissance

Thu, May 26, 2011 By 1 Comment

For hundreds of years, Florence, Italy was one of the most important cities in the world. From the 14th to the 16th century, this stunning Italian city played a pivotal role in  our civilization.

Rooftops of Florence, seen from the Duomo

Rooftops of Florence, seen from the Duomo

Florence was the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, which finally pulled Europe out of the Dark Ages. Industry grew, as did philosophy, the arts, language and architecture. Famous artists like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci worked here, and a new era of learning blossomed.

Today, Florence is considered a global treasure and a world heritage site. The heart of the city is a landscape of lovely buildings, with the city’s trademark orange tiled roofs. Millions of tourists come to Florence every year to soak up the city’s beauty and culture, not to mention the wonderful food and wine of the entire region of Tuscany.

When touring the history, art and architecture of this breathtaking city, one name keeps repeating itself again and again; the Medici family.

The Medici – The most powerful family in Florence

The House of Medici was one of the most important families in all of Italian history.  Over generations, they shaped the city of Florence, the country of Italy, and even Western civilization. Some scholars argue they were the most important family in the world. Today, you can see the legacy of this powerful family all around Florence.

Towards Pitti Palace while walking through the main axis of Boboli Gardens

Towards Pitti Palace while walking through the main axis of Boboli Gardens

The Medici family came to have great influence over banking in Florence in the late 1300s. Founding the Medici Bank, the family helped redefine banking practices, reinvent the use of currency, revitalize industry and strengthen the economies of all of Europe. The family bank grew to become the largest bank in Europe by the 15th century, making the family the wealthiest on the continent and putting an enormous amount of power into the Medici hands. Four popes were from the Medici family.

Renaissance Art and The Medici family

The statue of Neptune in Piazza Signoria

The statue of Neptune in Piazza Signoria

With the wealth and power of the House of Medici, the family was able to sponsor the arts and education in Florence. Today, the evidence of their influence and patronage can be seen all around Florence, and at some of the city’s most important sites.

Start off with a visit to the imposing Medici Palace, built in 1444 in the heart of the city. The Medici coat of arms can still be seen in its beautiful Renaissance courtyard.

Opposite the palace, the tombs of the Medicis can be found in the Church of San Lorenzo. The family died out in the early 1700s, and they are entombed here. Their books and manuscripts can also be found here in the Laurentian Library.

The Medici family commissioned hundreds of works of art which can be seen in a number of convents around Florence. In the middle of the city, Medici Street runs through the Old Market, where the family first settled in the early days of Florence.

Sculptures in the Piazza Signoria, under the Loggia, and in the Palazzo Vecchio pay tribute to the power of the Medici dukes. At the height of their influence, the Medici family shaped several iconic Florentine buildings, including the Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi Gallery, and the Pitti Palace. The Pitti Palace was where the Medicis ruled, in their grand building surrounded by the ornate Boboli Gardens.

Outside the city

The Tuscan countryside

The Tuscan countryside

Don’t forget to travel outside the city into the beautiful Tuscan countryside to visit one or more of the country Medici villas at Careggi, Poggio Imperiale or Cafaggiolo.

The House of Medici was one of the greatest families in the world, influencing the course of human history from their home in Florence. When you visit this world treasure and walk its picturesque cobblestone streets, or sit sipping a glass of chianti in one of its charming restaurants, take a moment to think about the family that ruled the world, and left an incredible legacy behind.

 

A view of Firenze roofs in Florence, Italy

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6 Favorite Things to Do in Naples, Italy

Thu, May 19, 2011 By 3 Comments

Naples (Napoli) is one of the oldest cities in the world, and one of the most fascinating places to visit in Italy. Fought over by the Spanish, the Greeks, the French and the Italians, this charming city has been a center of European culture for thousands of years. Today, the historic city center of Naples is a World Heritage Site.

A trip to Italy is simply not complete without spending some time exploring the highlights of this area. Here are 6 things you won’t want to miss on your trip to Naples, Italy.

Have Pizza

Mouth watering pizzas of Naples

Mouth watering pizzas of Naples

Naples is where pizza was invented. You simply can’t come here and not have some. Make sure to order pizza vera napoletana, which is Naples style. It must be made in a wood burning brick oven. The dough must be made the day before, and allowed to rise for at least ten hours.

Note that pizza makers here (pizzaoili) must complete a two-year apprenticeship before they are allowed to make your pizza. Go to Da Michele. They make only two kinds of pizza here (margherita and marinara) and have been doing it for nearly 150 years.

Step Back in Time

Visit the Historic Center of Naples. Just grab a map, and wander the streets. The city was founded around 500 BC, and flourished as an independent kingdom for centuries.

The narrow streets and religious appeal give the historic district of Naples a unique feeling that many compare to Jerusalem. Walk down the Spaccanapoli, or the Via San Biago, which is the street that runs right through the heart of the district. It’s crammed with great shops and restaurants.

The narrow streets of Naples

The narrow streets of Naples

Cappella Sansevero

Make sure to visit this incredible chapel in the heart of the Historic District. It dates back to 1590, and is home to some of the most incredible works of art from the 18th century. The “Veiled Christ” was carved in the late 18th century by Guiseppe Sanmartino. Visitors say the veil covering the statue’s face looks as if it is made of thin fabric, instead of stone, and no one who looks on this sculpture remains unmoved.

Go to the Opera

The Teatro San Carlo in Naples is famous for its perfect acoustics. It’s also the oldest opera house still in operation anywhere in the world. Even if you don’t think you’ll enjoy the opera, it’s worth going once, and here is the place to do it.

Visit Pompeii and Herculaneum

 

Naples is the best place to stay if you plan on visiting one of Italy’s most popular and most tragic tourist attractions. In 79 AD, the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were wiped out by a volcanic eruption that lasted for two days. Pompeii is the more popular, but Herculaneum is just as spectacular and much quieter. It is possible to see both in one day.

The catastrophic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius froze both of these cities in time, offering millions of visitors today a glimpse of a day in the life of a Roman city. The plaster casts of the volcano’s victims are haunting echoes of thousands of lives cut short.

Go South

If you’re not planning to venture south to Italy’s breathtaking Amalfi Coast, change your plans. You can’t come home without at least a day or two in one of the stunning coastal towns of Positano, Maiori or Capri.

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Siena – The great cathedral that could have been

Fri, Feb 11, 2011 By 2 Comments

When you visit Siena, Italy, you will visit the Duomo of Siena. That is a given. If you don’t, you will probably be the first visitor to Siena since the 14th century not to. But what about the cathedral that isn’t there?

Siena's magnificent cathedral

Siena's magnificent cathedral today. This would have been just a small part of the larger church they envisioned.

On the eastern side of the current church, lies what was meant to be the greatest cathedral in all of Europe. In 1339, the city of Siena was powerful and prosperous, and the city fathers launched this hugely ambitious plan. When completed, the Duomo Nuovo was going to dwarf the cathedral that stands today. In fact, it would have dwarfed St. Peter’s in Rome, and every other church in the world!

Then the Black Plague swept through the town in 1348, killing up to 80% of the city’s inhabitants. Along with this tragic loss of life, the dreams of the grandiose cathedral were swept away.  It remains unfinished to this day.

To imagine what the Duomo Nuovo would have been like, look at the current cathedral, and picture a much larger church intersecting this one at right angles. The plan was that the current building would form the transepts of the Duomo Nuovo. What you see now would have been just the short part of the cross-shaped building.

You can walk outside the cathedral, and get a better feel for this. On the eastern side of the church, on Piazza Jacopo della Quercia, you can see outlines on the ground of where this was meant to stand. It’s quite astounding to see the scale of this, and imagine how much work would have gone into creating it.

Wander through the magnificent Duomo of Santa Maria dell’Assunta that stands today and imagine it on a grander scale – if you can. No doubt the same exquisitely inlaid marble floor would have been extended, but instead of a mere 52 panels depicting Biblical and historical scenes, there would be hundreds.

Scene from the elaborate marble designs on cathedral floor

Part of the Slaughter of the Innocents, one of the scenes done in marble on the cathedral floor

The black and white striped theme of the walls and pillars of the cathedral’s interior would have extended into the new cathedral, and the blue vaults, decorated with gold stars would have adorned the Duomo Nuovo as well. Great sculptors like Giovanni Pisano (who helped his father, Nicola create the pulpit in the existing cathedral) and Donatello, whose statue of John the Baptist adorns a chapel in the cathedral would have contributed to the new duomo’s splendor.

Remnants of the planned grand cathedral

Remnants of the planned grand cathedral

Building a cathedral is a process that can go on for hundreds of years. So after the Black Plague, why didn’t they go back to work on the Duomo Nuovo?

It was probably because it was an overly ambitious project in the first place, that would have required immense amounts of money, manpower, and skilled artisans. It was also begun as kind of a rush job (as much as you can rush an enormous, elaborate, stone building like that!) They spent nine years on it, and much of the construction work they did in that time was unsound and eventually collapsed.

Instead of starting over on the huge cathedral, a wiser decision was made, and they continued to improve the current Duomo of Santa Maria dell’Assunta instead.

That marble floor, for instance, was developed for over 200 years, with 40 different artists contributing to it. The older panels, including the famous Wheel of Fortune and the She Wolf of Siena were actually graffiti, created by chiseling out the marble and filling the spaces with bitumen. Later on, in the 15th and early 16th centuries, under the watchful and capable eye of Alberto Aringhieri, more skilled artists and artisans completed the floor. The most renowned of these, Massacre of the Innocents, by Matteo di Giovanni, was completed in 1482 – ten years before Columbus sailed to America.

All that remains of the Duomo Nuovo, the most ambitious architectural project of the 14th century, are some markings on the pavement, a few columns and arches, and a magnificent door to the Baptistry staircase. The great cathedral that Could Have Been, will never be.

Fortunately, the great cathedral that IS, the Duomo of Siena, remains one of the most stunning examples of Gothic architecture in all of Italy.

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Murano, Burano – When in Venice, Visit the Islands

Tue, Sep 21, 2010 By 7 Comments
When you’re talking about visiting Venice, it’s tempting to focus on its world famous canals. It’s easy to understand why. From the birthplace of a pope, to the homes of Richard Wagner and Lord Byron, from the fictional homes of Othello and Desdemona, to Harry’s Bar (and the invention of the Bellini) – just one gondola ride down the Grand Canal has enough historic star power for a lifetime.

But no trip to Venice is truly complete without a visit to the tiny and beautiful lagoon islands.

Venice sits on a kind of archipelago, made up of many small islets, jutting into what’s known as the Venetian lagoon. The city of Venice is the largest settlement, but there are nearby islands, such as Murano, Burano, San Michele and Torcello, which are well worth experiencing.

Canal on Burano

Quiet canal on the small island of Burano

For centuries, Murano has been the home of the world’s best in stunning glassware. Burano is famous for its colorfully painted houses. San Michele is the final resting place of many famous names, and Torcello offers a once-in-a-lifetime look into the city’s past. Each island can be reached by waterbus, or vaporetto, and is just a short ride from Venice.

Murano

Murano glass

Murano is famous for blown glass

Murano is known as the “glass island”, because of its centuries-old glass production. The glass produced here is colorful and exquisite, and has been sought after around the world since the ninth century.

When you visit Murano, you can see the famous glass kilns lined up, and several are open to the public, so you can walk in and watch glass blowers creating their art. One of the oldest glassworks is Venini, whose works can be seen in museums around the world. If you want to learn more about the venerable tradition and see some wonderful historic pieces, check out the Glass Museum. Of course, no visit would be complete without out picking up a few stunning souvenirs of your own!

Burano
While Murano built an international reputation for its glass-making, neighboring Burano is famous for its lace work. The delicate pieces of art have been made here since the sixteenth century, and of course, there is a Lace Museum to find out how it’s done. Burano is the prettiest of the lagoon islands, with all of its houses painted in vibrant blues, yellows, purples and greens. Make sure to visit a bakery and sample the local bussolai burnanelli, light and delicious round butter biscuits.

 

Torcello shrine

Small shrine on Torcello

Torcello
Torcello has an altogether different feel. In the 10th century, nearly 10,000 people lived and worked on the island. Today, it’s home to only 20 people, but the ruins of the old buildings, churches and homes are still there, crumbling and overgrown. Its unique charm attracted Ernest Hemingway in the 1940s, and you can still have dinner at his favorite restaurant, Locanda Cipriani.

San Michele
San Michele also offers an interesting glimpse into the region’s past. As you walk through the walled cemetery, you can see the graves of Igor Stravinsky and Ezra Pound, among thousands of others.

For centuries, Venice has attracted visitors from around the world with its unique architecture and city planning. When it’s your turn to experience this incredible city, make sure to look past the obvious, and take the time to visit the lagoon islands for a truly wonderful glimpse into the region’s varied and picturesque past.

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When you’re planning your trip to Venice, you also need to decide what to take. Check out Adventurous Wench for an extensive selection of travel clothing, travel purses, travel accessories and more.
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How to Spend an Un-Touristy Afternoon in Rome

Fri, Sep 3, 2010 By 7 Comments

If you’ve got a drop of Western blood in you, something in Roman history has deeply affected your life. Even if it’s just the fact that all of our languages have their roots in Latin, Rome pulls at our common heartstrings. Rome doesn’t disappoint, either. All the Major Attractions are Major for a reason.

But what if you’re in denial about being a tourist in Rome? What if you just want to get away from the crowds, if only in your head, and go for a stroll? Here’s a list of 5 things to see and do in Rome that aren’t too touristy – or at least you can do them in an un-touristy way! :-)

1) Go to the Spanish Steps: Yes, the Spanish Steps in Rome are a tourist trap and you don’t particularly want to visit a tourist trap.  They’re often thronged with tourists (though your best bet is a super-hot sunny afternoon or a cold, rainy day).  But whatever the weather, you really do want to walk up this magnificent staircase created in the 18th Century by Francesco Di Sanctis at the behest of Pope Innocent XII. At the foot of the steps on your right is the Keats/Shelley House, so that can be your un-touristy excuse for going there.  Proceed to Number Two:

Spanish steps in Rome

To avoid crowds, try the Spanish Steps on a hot & sunny, or cold & rainy day

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2) Visit the Place Where Keats Died: John Keats was the most romantic of the Romantic Poets, along with Percy Blythe Shelley, also after whom the Keats/Shelley House is named. Keats died in this house at the age of 25. Like James Dean, he died young. While you’re there, grab a copy of Keats’ poetry to stick in your hip pocket and pull out when you’re sipping a cappuccino at the cafe we’ll be visiting shortly.

When you exit the Keats/Shelley Memorial House, you’ll be at the Spanish Steps, so you may as well climb them. Sit down somewhere about the halfway mark and spare a thought for Keats. Unlike James Dean, he didn’t die a spectacular death behind the wheel of a Porsche. He died of Consumption – a slow and painful death. Towards the end, he was unable to take in the sites you’re seeing now.

3) Trinita dei Monti: As you ascend the steps, you might as well take some pictures of the Trinita dei Monti, even though rumor has it that there are more postcards of this beautiful chapel than of any other site in Rome. Originally built in the early 1500s, it is partly the reason why the Steps were built in the first place.

The other part of the reason was to celebrate the peace between France and Italy. France funded the Steps (completed around 1725), which lead to the historically French area surrounding the church. After you’ve had a look around inside, retrace your steps back down the Steps and try to figure out why they call them the Spanish Steps.

 

Cappuccino

Cappuccino with your poetry?

4) Antico Caffe Greco: Now that you’ve got your copy of Keats’ poetry, you won’t be a typical tourist when you enter the Antico Caffe Greco – you’ll be a literati, visiting the cafe where literary giants like Keats, Byron, Goethe and Stendahl hung out, to name just a few.

Ignore the callous tourists, take a seat at the bar and soak up the palpable atmosphere of this marvelously decorated cafe. Built in 1760, it is said to be the third oldest cafe in the world. Everything is pricey here, but the coffee is superb and the pastries are delicious. Now is the time to pull your book of poetry out of your pocket and start reading.

5) Window shop like the wealthy: Because you’re at the Caffe Greco, you’re also on Via dei Condotti, one of the most upmarket streets in Rome. You may as well stroll down this street while you’re in the area, and rub elbows with the fashionistas as you check out the latest from Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Bvlgari.

There, now you’ve just managed to spend a very enjoyable afternoon in one of Rome’s most touristy areas without having to feel like a common tourist. Congratulations!

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When you’re in Rome, of course you want to visit all the major sites – who could miss the Coliseum or St. Peter’s? It’s worth your while to experience some of the lesser-known sights, too. Give yourself a bit more time in an area, so you can absorb the essence of one little corner of Rome. Happy travels!
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Rome, Italy – Quick Guide to Visiting St. Peter’s Basilica

Tue, Jul 6, 2010 By 6 Comments
As one of the world’s most sacred sites and colossal architectural monuments, visiting St. Peter’s Basilica is an awesome experience. It can also be an overwhelming one. What are the most unmissable sights? How do you find your way around? How do you navigate through the crowds of other visitors who flock here every day? Hopefully, this quick guide to visiting St. Peter’s will at least give you a start to what will no doubt be an amazing journey.

St. Peter’s – The Grand Exterior and Piazza

If you want to avoid the crowds, get to St. Peter’s as early in the morning as possible, preferably just before 7am, when the Basilica opens. You want to view the colossal Dome of St. Peter’s with as few distractions as possible, because it is an overwhelming construction. Designed by Michelangelo and completed by Giacomo della Porta, the Dome is over 40 meters (130 feet) in diameter and rises to 120 meters (nearly 400 feet) off the floor.

You arrive first at St. Peter’s Square, the grand piazza in front of the basilica. In the center of the piazza stands the 25.5 meter (80 feet) tall obelisk. This is the oldest artifact on the grounds and dates from 13th Century BC. Egypt. It was originally brought to Rome in the 1st Century and stood in Nero’s Circus until it was moved to St. Peter’s Square in 1585.

St. Peter's Basilica in Rome

Front of St. Peter's, seen from the Piazza

After exploring the piazza, and taking pictures of the facade of St. Peters, you’ll be ready to head inside. Be prepared to go through a security line before you get to the front doors, though – it’s almost like being at the airport. Once you’ve cleared security, you can proceed past the enormous statues of St. Peter and St. Paul that stand in front of the stairs, and enter the Basilica. The church looks big from the outside, but once you get inside, it’s almost overwhelming!

St. Peter’s – The Art-Filled Interior

Inside St. Peter's Basilica

Inside St. Peter's Basilica

Proceeding into the interior, you will be treated to some of the most magnificent sculptures in history. As you walk towards the right aisle, look for the statue of St. Peter. Until recently, its sculptor was disputed, but it is now generally accepted that Arnolfo di Cambio created this magnificent sculpture in the 13th century. Some still believe that it has much earlier origins, though – as early as the 5th Century.

You will then continue down the right aisle, where you will see one of the most celebrated sculptures ever created – Michelangelo’s Pieta. You will certainly have seen photographs of it in the past, but the real thing is breathtaking.

Amongst all the statues of the saints and apostles, there is one relic that is not a work of art, but the actual remains of Pope John XXIII. The Pope died in 1963, but when his body was exhumed in 2001, it was discovered that his remains had not decayed. They were placed in a glass case and can be viewed in the right transept, beneath the altar of St. Jerome.

You will then come to Bernini’s Baldacchino. This magnificent structure made of 927 tons of bronze is the canopy covering the Papal altar and St. Peter’s relics. There are so many stunning examples of art and architecture in here that it is hard to single out just one, but the Cathedra of St. Peter, designed by Bernini in 1666 is particularly impressive. You will then progress down the left transept and the left aisle before exiting the Basilica.

St. Peter’s – The View from the Dome

Before you leave St. Peters, though, you’ll definitely want to head up to the roof. Some visitors do this first, but it is a wonderful way to finish off your tour. You can either climb the stairs or take an elevator to the first level roof, where you can stand with the statues of saints, and look out over Piazza San Pietro. Then the adventurous can climb the stairs around and around inside the curving dome, to the cupola right at the top. From here, all of Rome is spread out in front of you, and you can also look down into the manicured grounds of the Vatican.

View of the Piazza, the Obelisk, and Rome

View of the Piazza, the Obelisk, and Rome

You can also walk around part of the inside of the dome, looking down at the tiny visitors in the church below – this gives you a new appreciation for the size of this enormous basilica. Take a moment to try to absorb all the treasures you have just seen.

St. Peter’s Basilica is one of the most visited tourist sites in the world. With over 5 acres of floor space, it doesn’t lose its sense of spaciousness even when there are thousands of visitors inside. However, making that extra effort to visit it early in the morning pays off. You won’t be the only one there, but the lines will be shorter and you will be able to appreciate its wonders more fully.

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