A trip to Italy is the cliche trip for first time visitors to Europe and for good reason. The rich history, great food, wine, beautiful nature and relaxed atmosphere makes a trip enjoyable no matter what your interests are. I've been lucky enough to visit Italy twice and would return at the drop of a hat!
Probably most visits to Italy will start in the capital Rome. Rome is a great place and if you're into it you could spend a few solid weeks seeing all of the ruins, museums, basilicas, plazas and cathedrals. I think three days are a minimum for a first time visit-- One day at the Colosseum and Forum, one day at the Vatican & St. Peter's Basilica and one day for walking around to various plazas and getting to know the city. I also recommend a day trip to Pompeii, which is a breathtaking visit.
The Colosseum and Roman Forum - You can probably see these locations in the same trip. The colosseum is absolutely breathtaking and speaks for itself. Passing through the ruins of the Roman Forum is like walking through the setting of legends. Everywhere there places from histories you've heard told throughout your life.
After the Colosseum, you can stop off at the nearby Capitoline Museums. See the panoramas of the Roman Forum, a plethora of writings and ancient sculpture and the famous Romulus and Remus Statue sucking at the teat of a mother wolf. Also you can probably fit in a trip to the Pantheon!
The Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica - The Vatican museum tends to be a crowded overwhelming trip, so I wouldn't see it again unless very early in the morning. Still, a visit to the Sistine Chapel is worth it.
St. Peter's Basilica is an amazing, awe-inspiring edifice, as massive as the halls of Mordor... and it's free! Post is live!
After your trip to St. Peter's Basilica, it might be enjoyable to see a fortress where many of the former Popes had ruled from, at the Castel Sant'Angelo. You can see great views of Rome (and especially St. Peter's Basilica) from what originally served as Emperor Hadrian's tomb.
Pompeii - A day trip from Rome or Naples to see enlightening ancient ruins of a large town, in almost perfect condition after thousands of years buried beneath lava. Post is live!
Florence, an hour train ride away from Rome is a great center for art, financed by the Medici banking family.
See the beautiful Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi Museum containing Botticelli's famous Birth of Venus and the Piazza della Signoria with it's Old Palace and Public Sculptures.
A must-do visit in Florence is the Florence cathedral, or the Duomo of Florence, where you can climb up and see the internal fresco painted on the large dome, as well as see panoramic views atop the dome! Live Jan. 14th, 2015!
Here you can see some amazing cathedrals the Santa Maria Novella and the Basilica of San Lorenzo (where Donatello, my favorite ninja turtle, is buried).
A final place we visited was the Cinque Terre, or the "Five Lands." It's a super beautiful series of five villages in the Italian Riviera. Take a relaxing trip with us! Live Jan. 21st, 2014.
This is only a short list that I will continue to update as I make more posts from my travels! Thanks for visiting!
If you would like to hear about these posts once they're up, follow me on Facebook.
Sauce
Probably most visits to Italy will start in the capital Rome. Rome is a great place and if you're into it you could spend a few solid weeks seeing all of the ruins, museums, basilicas, plazas and cathedrals. I think three days are a minimum for a first time visit-- One day at the Colosseum and Forum, one day at the Vatican & St. Peter's Basilica and one day for walking around to various plazas and getting to know the city. I also recommend a day trip to Pompeii, which is a breathtaking visit.
The Colosseum and Roman Forum - You can probably see these locations in the same trip. The colosseum is absolutely breathtaking and speaks for itself. Passing through the ruins of the Roman Forum is like walking through the setting of legends. Everywhere there places from histories you've heard told throughout your life.
After the Colosseum, you can stop off at the nearby Capitoline Museums. See the panoramas of the Roman Forum, a plethora of writings and ancient sculpture and the famous Romulus and Remus Statue sucking at the teat of a mother wolf. Also you can probably fit in a trip to the Pantheon!
After your trip to St. Peter's Basilica, it might be enjoyable to see a fortress where many of the former Popes had ruled from, at the Castel Sant'Angelo. You can see great views of Rome (and especially St. Peter's Basilica) from what originally served as Emperor Hadrian's tomb.
Pompeii - A day trip from Rome or Naples to see enlightening ancient ruins of a large town, in almost perfect condition after thousands of years buried beneath lava. Post is live!
Florence, an hour train ride away from Rome is a great center for art, financed by the Medici banking family.
See the beautiful Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi Museum containing Botticelli's famous Birth of Venus and the Piazza della Signoria with it's Old Palace and Public Sculptures.
A must-do visit in Florence is the Florence cathedral, or the Duomo of Florence, where you can climb up and see the internal fresco painted on the large dome, as well as see panoramic views atop the dome! Live Jan. 14th, 2015!
Here you can see some amazing cathedrals the Santa Maria Novella and the Basilica of San Lorenzo (where Donatello, my favorite ninja turtle, is buried).
A final place we visited was the Cinque Terre, or the "Five Lands." It's a super beautiful series of five villages in the Italian Riviera. Take a relaxing trip with us! Live Jan. 21st, 2014.
This is only a short list that I will continue to update as I make more posts from my travels! Thanks for visiting!
If you would like to hear about these posts once they're up, follow me on Facebook.
Sauce
0 comments