Italy Travel Tours

Posts Tagged ‘Roman ruins’

The well known Italy travel highlights are pretty much a given. This includes Rome, Venice, and the Italian Riviera. With over 20 million visitors a year, more and more sites are becoming popular tourist attractions.

This is how the leaning tower of Pisa became a tourist attraction. It is unique, one of a kind and has become a World Heritage site. This tower was constructed in 1173, but there are many buildings older than this in Italy.

What most people come to see, at least on their first visit, are the old Roman ruins to give visitors a feel for how much Rome has expanded from this time. One of the oldest is the Pantheon. The construction on this temple was started in 27 BC. When it was constructed, the Pantheon was on the outskirts of Rome. Because of fires, the present day Pantheon is the third one that has been built. The present day building was rebuilt starting in 126 AD. This building has been in continuous use since it was first constructed. Since the 7th century, it has been a Roman Catholic Church that is dedicated to Saint Mary and the Martyrs.

The Roman Coliseum was constructed in 80 AD.  It too has seen the effects of fire and earthquakes that have left it in disrepair. It had been in continuous use until the early 19 century when finally, because of the numerous earthquakes and fires, it has become only a place for tourists and as a sacred place where so many Christians were sacrificed.

There are also the canals of Venice where over 400 bridges crossing the waterways can be found. Florence is in the heart of Tuscany. This is home to the renaissance period where works from Machiavelli and Michelangelo can be found.

Sorrento is the kind of Italian town that most people think of when imagining Italy. This city overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea, on top of high cliffs.

These are just a few of the better known Italy travel highlights. With so much to see, it is nearly impossible to mention them all.

The northern Italy travel destinations    do not include the famed Rome, but there is so much more than that old empire’s capital that Italy has to offer. One of the most luxurious places in all of Italy is Liguria or the Italian Riviera. This is the smallest of the 22 regions in Italy but for its size, there is more than enough to see. This is also where the city of Genoa is located.

The most prosperous industrial region is Lombardy, located in the northwestern part of the country. This is a rugged mountain area, along with wide stretching plains. This is the region where Milan is located. The Lake region is also here, along with the Italian Alps which reach for the sky.

In the northeastern part of the country is the famed Venice. Most visitors to this part of the country arrive in Milan and take the scenic 175-mile train ride to Venice. While on this route, travelers will pass through Brescia, Verona, Vicenza, and Padua.

In Brescia, there are Roman ruins and the Monastery of Santa Giulia with three churches in its walls.

Verona is the world famous setting of Romeo and Giulietta. This is also referred to as the Florence of the North, due to its valuable art.

Vicenza is the home town of the famous architect Palladio.

The oldest botanical garden in all of Europe is in Padua. This town is so close to Venice many visitors stay here and take the day train when they wish to visit the city.

If a straight shot from Milan to Venice is preferred, then the train ride will last less than 3 hours, but there is so much in between as northern Italy travel destinations along the way.

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