The Amalfi Coast, or Costiera Amalfitana in Italian, is the stretch of coastline south of Naples  in southern Italy. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the area is known for its scenic beauty and quaint coastal towns.

The largest town is also named Amalfi. Overlooking the Bay of Salerno, it rests spectacularly on steep hills surrounded by cliffs.

Once a capital of trade and later a center of papermaking, as well as a holiday destination for British aristocracy, today it is known primarily for tourism and limoncello. This lemon liqueur is a local specialty — you might even still find a shop that makes and bottles its own.

Amalfi is the burial place of Saint Andrew, and his relics remain in a tomb in a cathedral dedicated to him. 

Amalfi’s 11th-century duomo, the Cathedral of Sant' Andrea, is at the top of a steep flight of steps, and dominates the town's main piazza. Its architecture is an amalgam of eras and styles, with bronze doors from Constantinople, dating from 1066, and a mixture of Saracen and Romanesque styles, now  all heavily restored.

The cloister is oddly Arabic in feel, with whitewashed arches and palm motifs.

Other sights of Amalfi include a museum with various medieval and episcopal treasures; the Municipio, where you can view the book of maritime laws that governed the Mediterranean until 1570; and the Arsenal, a relic of military might turned host to art exhibitions.

Assisi is a small town in Umbria, 12 miles east of Perugia. Best known as the birthplace of St. Francis – patron saint of Italy, founder of the Franciscan order, and one of the most popular Catholic saints of all time – the town is also the birthplace of St. Clare – Chiara d'Offreducci, the founder of the Poor Clares, as well as Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. 

A major Catholic pilgrimage destination for centuries, Assisi remains among the most popular tourist destinations in Italy, with 4-5 million pilgrims and tourists each year.

Assisi offers the visitor Roman ruins, winding medieval streets, sacred shrines and impressive frescoes, but the main attraction is the 13th-century Basilica di San Francesco. Built in memory of a man who preached and lived a simple life of poverty and abstinence, this Basilica is grand and lavishly embellished.

It is a focal point of both high art and intense spirituality, a powerful place for the devout and art lovers alike. It was built in the 13th century by St. Francis' disciple Brother Elia. Much of the lasting popularity of the Franciscan order is due to Elia’s efforts.

Much of the artwork inside the Basilica was done in the late 13th century, in the Upper Church, and the early 14th, by Giotto and his assistants, in the Lower Church.

Earthquakes in 1997 damaged several churches in Assisi, and the Basilica of St. Francis was the worst hit. Owned by the Vatican, it was also the first one to be restored.

Bologna is an important cultural and artistic center, landmarks, monuments and architectural examples (medieval towers, churches, antique buildings) as well as many works of art which are the result of a first class architectural and artistic history. Bologna is also a major transportation crossroad for the roads and trains of Northern Italy. Many important mechanical, electronic and nutritional industries have their headquarters here.

it is also the home to prestigious cultural, economic and political institutions as well as one of the most impressive trade fair districts in Europe.

Bologna is also one of the wealthiest cities in Italy, often ranking as one of the top cities in terms of quality of life in the country.

Calabria is both a city and a region on the mainland of Italy. The region boasts a spectacular coastline, sensational scenery and a Greek-influenced country-peasant cuisine. 

Although Reggio was at one time settled by the ancient Greeks, there are no buildings of historical note due to earthquakes that have repeatedly devastated the area. Traces of elegance survive, however, in the superb seafront that faces Messina across the Straits, and the main street, Corso Garibaldi, with one of the most animated passeggiatas in Calabria.

There are sights to see, nevertheless. The Museo Nazionale holds the most important collection of archeological finds in Calabria, with examples from all the major Greek sites in Calabria.

The most renowned exhibits in the museum are two bronze statues retrieved from the Ionian Sea in 1972, when they caused a minor sensation. Now they seem almost forgotten in the basement they share with another prize exhibit, a philosopher's head from the fourth century BC.

The most intriguing sight of the area is, in fact, a mirage — an optical phenomenon-cum-legend known as the the Fata Morgana. Shimmering, magical city of turrets and towers appear just beyond the horizon on the Straits of Messina.

It’s named for the superstitious belief among ancient sailors that Morgan le Fay, the half-sister of King Arthur, created the illusions to lure men into a false port and certain death.

Whether you pronounce it in the Italian, Cápri, or the usual English, Caprí, this the lush little isle in the Bay of Naples has long entranced the world. 

It has been considered a gem since Roman times. More recently, the island has attracted a steady flow of artists, writers and inquisitive tourists. One of its great pleasures is a languid drink at a café on one of the main squares.

There is also some interesting shopping – look for locally crafted limoncello liqueur, perfumes and sandals.

In the Blue Grotto, the water – and indeed the air – glows a breathtaking neon blue. The only way in is in tiny rowboats, through a small hole in the rocky cliff. If that’s not for you, consider the breathtaking view from the cliffs of Villa Jovis.

Built in the first century B.C. and attributed to Tiberius, Villa Jovis was built with large cisterns and water tanks to ensure a water supply for its occupants.

Catania is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the most interesting cities in Sicily.

Mount Etna, the largest volcano in Europe, hovers nearby and defines the city, its architecture and its past. But not to worry: Etna is extinct. Its proximity explains, however, why the city seems to be built almost entirely of lava stone; at first blush this can give the city a gloomy air.

It also explains why the entire city seems to have been built at one time: A lot of it was. Following an earthquake in 1693 the city was rebuilt quickly and on a grand scale, by the architect Giovanni Battista Vaccarini.

Working in the late Baroque style of the day, Vaccarini’s work also demonstrates considerable innovations in urban building.

The main square, Piazza del Duomo, sports a lava elephant supporting an obelisk on its back. The adjacent duomo itself, like most everything else, was remodeled by Vaccarini with a heavy Baroque touch.

Nearby is Catania's open-air market, bustling with shoppers, seafood, vegetable and fruit stalls, as well as a few excellent trattorias.

Catania is a sightseers’ delight, abounding with unique museums, theaters, squares and churches.  The list includes Castello Ursino – once the proud, cliffside fortress of Frederick II, is now a kilometer inland, with  a lava-filled moat. Composer Vincenzo Bellini is a native son.

Commemorated all over town, even on menus; spaghetti Norma, named after one of Bellini's operas, is a Catanian specialty.

Cinque Terre, or "five lands", is a gathering of five charming, relatively remote fishing villages – Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore – connected by cliffs, painstakingly terraced vineyards and spectacular views of the turquoise sea.

The villages, coastline and hillsides comprise the Cinque Terre national park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It’s a destination for great views, walking and that great Italian pastime, eating. While Liguria is decidedly northern geographically, its climate and cooking are reminiscent of the Italian south.

The best-known regional specialty is pesto, invented by the Genoese to help their long-term sailors against scurvy.

Otherwise, fish dominates – not surprising in a region where most people live on the coast. Local skills as viticulture and fishing are thriving.

With its breathtaking view, Como is a jewel-like oasis of tranquility, a magical combination of lush Mediterranean foliage and snowy alpine peaks.

As the nearest resort to Milan and on the main road into Switzerland, it is understandably a popular stopping point for many travelers. 

Apart from tourism, the main industry is a rarefied one: Como is the main silk-supplier for Milan's fashion designers.

If you have time to spare, the old town is an interesting place to wander or eat, and has great views across the lake. It’s also a transport hub for the lake's many attractive resorts.

The little lakeside park there is set around a curious temple, now the Museo Alessandro Volta, dedicated to the pioneer in electricity who gave his name to the volt.

The Villa Olmo, an eighteenth-century Neoclassical pile in magnificent grounds, is beautifully illuminated at night. The gardens are sometimes open to the public.

Next door, the splendid Duomo was begun at the end of the 14th century but wasn't completed until the 18th, when the cupola was added. The second of Como's churches, the Romanesque Sant'Abbondio, left on Via Regina from the main train station, was built in the 11th century.

Florence has long been celebrated as the most beautiful city in Italy. In 1982, the historic center – within the bounds of its medieval city walls – was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its cultural heritage and holdings.

Florence is the world-class treasure trove of Renaissance art. Brunelleschi's stupendous cathedral dome dominates the cityscape – and that’s just a start.

Examples of Renaissance harmony and rational design abound, from the vast picture collection of the Uffizi to the Academy of Fine Arts, where Michelangelo’s David and other masterpieces stand, just a short walk away.

This fountainhead of the Renaissance is also a shopper's paradise – another great reason to visit.

The classic Italian sense of luxury, style and craftsmanship is evident in countless shops, boutiques and even outdoor markets. Clothes, shoes, leather goods, ceramics, stationery, wine, decorative goods – you can find it all here.

Modern London bears little resemblance to the squalid metropolis of Charles Dickens, the dark depiction of Arthur Conan Doyle or even the mystical society of Harry Potter, but the literary nature of the English character remains very much in evidence.

One of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, London is home to four World Heritage Sites.

London is the largest city in the European Union, and its influence on contemporary culture, business and financial markets, is equally substantial. Founded by the Romans, London has been intregral to every aspect of world history for centuries, from the Industrial Revolution to the Beatles.

The West End is filled with familiar names like Oxford Street, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden.

The area is London's main entertainment and shopping district, known for world-class theatre – yes, the spelling is a little different here – as well as its lively nightlife.

Landmark sights like Big Ben, St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London and Kew Gardens are literally all over the map. London also possesses some of the world's greatest museums and art galleries, including the Victoria & Albert Museum and Tate Gallery.

The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is a perennial favorite among visitors, and the Fitzroy House has been home to generations of writers and artists — from H.G. Wells and George Orwell to Charles Dickens and Virginia Woolf, George Bernard Shaw and even L. Ron Hubbard!

The walled city of Lucca is set in the hills of Tuscany among vineyards and olive groves. It is a delightful town to simply wander. Lucca boasts tall houses, palazzos, handsome fortifications, pretty squares and Romanesque churches, all arranged in an easily navigated grid.

The walls around the old town remained intact and are now a pedestrian promenade which encircles the town.

The historical heart of town is the site of a Roman forum, now the square surrounding San Michele in Foro, a basilica with one of Tuscany's most exquisite facades.

Most of the present structure dates from the 11th and 12th centuries, but the church remains unfinished. Its Pisan-inspired intricacy is a triumph of poetic eccentricity: each of its myriad columns is different – some twisted, some sculpted, others candy-striped.

Another noteworthy sight is the Basilica di San Frediano. Its striking golden 13th century mosaic façade depicts The Ascension of Christ the Saviour. The birthplace of composer Giacomo Puccini, who wrote La Bohème and Madama Butterfly, sights in Lucca also include the Casa di Puccini, a study center and small museum dedicated to to his life.

Beside the scenic lake taking its name, Lugano is the pride of the Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland. 

Originally settled as long ago as the 4th century BC, the city began developing into today’s Lugano during the 16th century, with increased economic wealth and the beginnings of an Italo-Swiss personality.

While a lakeside stroll is always a temptation, Lugano is a hardworking town. It’s third, behind Zürich and Geneva, as a center for Swiss banking, and the winding lanes and back alleys bustle with commerce.

Indeed, it’s a great town for shopping, too; even the “fashionistas” from Milan come to do a little shopping – and enjoy a lakeside cocktail and a good meal.

There are shops of every kind, selling everything from from luxury articles to antiques, souvenirs, handcrafts, and ,especially, regional gastronomical specialties.

There are also cultural sights, including excellent art galleries and ancient churches. Built by Franciscans during the 15th century, the Church of Santa Maria degli Angioli boasts an amazingly large fresco, the Passion of Christ by Bernardino Luini.

On the western-most tip of the island of Sicily, Marsala is a seaport city best known as the source of Marsala wine. Both names are derived from that of a Greek warlord who believed that men fought after a little drink.

The 18th-century Englishmen John Woodhouse "discovered" this local wine, which was similar to some fortified wines popular in England at the time.

The winemaking and fortifying processes raised the alcohol level taste while also preserving the wine for import to England.

Marsala wine proved successful indeed.  Woodhouse returned to Sicily to mass produce Marsala wine – as well as consume copious amounts of the stuff and  run naked through the Vineyards.

Today the wine has Denominazione di Origine Controllata – DOC – status.

Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy.

It was centered on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands. The name is a Latinisa-tion of the Old English Mierce, meaning "border people".

This small Sicilian hill town southwest of Palermo commands unsurpassed views of the Conca d'Oro Valley and the capital shimmering in the distant bay.

The main attraction here is the Duomo — and what’s inside it. Despite a rather severe exterior, Monreale’s cathedral houses a rich collection of antique Sicilian sculpture – and the most impressive and extensive collection of Christian medieval mosaic work in the world.

The cathedral itself is an unusual mix of Orthodox and Roman Catholic influences, with Arab, Byzantine and Norman artistic styles framed by traditional Romanesque architecture. It is a perfect blend of the best that the 12th century Christian and Muslim worlds had to offer.

This cathedral was built quickly, as cathedrals go, a result of a rivalry between an archbishop and the Englishman who endowed a new monastery. Lucky for us – this haste accounts for the unusual and wonderful uniformity of the cathedral's mosaics with their golden backgrounds.

Montereale is a small town in the mountains of L'Aquila province,east of Rome in the Abruzzo region of Italy.

The decline of Abruzzo’s agricultural economy in the first half of the 20th century inadvertently saved parts of Abruzzo from modern development, so today the region has some of Italy's best-preserved medieval and Renaissance hill towns.

A number of them now lie within regional and national parks, so their further preservation is all but assured.

Napoli, as it’s called in Italian, is the birthplace of Caruso, Sophia Loren, Bel Canto and O Sole Mio! Neapolitan culture has had wide-reaching influence on music – the romantic guitar and mandolin were invented here.

It is a surprisingly large city, and a sprawling one. The historic center of the city is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

There's a side to Naples that's a lot like the sunwashed murals you've seen in restaurants: All airy blue waterfront city, with quiet views and seafood eaten al fresco. But there’s so much more.

The old part of the city, Naples’ centro storico, is an open-air kasbah of hawking, yelling humanity that makes up in energy what it lacks in grace. Buildings rise high on either side of the narrow, crowded streets.

There are also vistas. From Vomero Hill you can see the Bay of Naples, Capri, Ischia and Vesuvius. Closer to sea level along the promenade, you’ll find Castel dell’Ovo, San Carlo Opera House, Santa Lucia, Town Hall and Angevin Castle – with today’s date in flowers.

The city of Noto is found at the south-eastern corner of Sicily. Listed as one of the "must-see" parts of the region, Noto is a wonderful small town possessing incredible Baroque churches, houses and palaces.

During a major earthquake in 1693, Noto's "old town" was nearly completely destroyed. The rebuilt town of Noto, only several miles away from its historic center, pays special attention to design, functionality and architectural harmony with its past.

It's no wonder the principal activity amongst tourists is to peacefully wander the narrow streets of Noto, admiring it's golden-colored stone buildings, incredible facades and amazing balconies.

This charming medieval hill town is perched on a high, flat summit of a large butte overlooking a breathtaking Umbrian valley.

The site of the city is among the most dramatic in Europe, rising above the tuff cliffs and defensive walls built of the same stone.

Orvieto is noted for its Gothic cathedral, or duomo. The church is striped in white travertine and greenish-black basalt in narrow bands; its design has often been attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio, but the prevailing modern opinion is that its master mason was an obscure monk named Fra' Bevignate from Perugia.

In any case, construction began in 1290, and it now holds some extraordinary examples of Romanesque Gothic art, including the façade itself.

Tourists flood into the town, drawn by the duomo, the scenery and perhaps its renowned wine. Orvieto is likable – the setting superb, the duomo unmissable, and the rest of the town good for a little enjoyment.

For the great desire I had to see fair Padua, nursery of arts, I am arrived… and am to Padua come, as he that leaves a shallow plash to plunge in the deep, and with satiety seeks to quench his thirst. – William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew

Padua, Padova in Italian, is one of the historical intellectual hubs of the world; Dante, Galileo, Copernicus and the poet Tasso all have ties to this small city.

A Roman municipium from the first century BC, Padua survived barbarian onslaughts and a Lombard invasion as the centuries wore on.

In the thirteenth century following the death of St. Anthony, Padua became a place of pilgrimage. His remains are interred at the eponymous Basilica di Sant' Antonio.

The city is picturesque – a marvelous network of arcaded streets and bridges. Padua's most famous sight is the Cappella degli Scrovegni for its truly remarkable Giotto frescoes.

Sicily’s capital, Palermo, was once the greatest city in Europe. Its charms have tempted Mediterranean conquerors like the Greeks, Romans, Vandals, A>From the 9th to 12th centuries it was famed for its wealth and as a center of learning.

In the 12th century Roger II built the Royal Palace,and today its chapel remains the most magnificent example of medieval art in Palermo. Its grandeur impressed General George S. Patton so much that in 1943 he installed his headquarters in the Royal Palace.

It's the rebuilding of the 16th and 17th centuries that shaped the city as you see it today – the bustling capital city of modern Sicily. The city center is sprawling, with pockets of medieval alleys, 19th century piazzas, 20th century bomb sites and contemporary office blocks all conspiring to confuse the visitor.

The essential sights are all pretty centrally located, however.

There are a number of Norman and Baroque churches of note. The 12th-century Palazzo dei Normanni, once the seat of the Kings of Sicily, houses the Cappella Palatina, a beautiful example of Arab-Norman-Byzantine style.

Quattro Canti, also known as Piazza Vigliena, is a Baroque square that is actually an octagon, with elegant Baroque fountains rising as high as the second floor.

There are also three magnificent museums in Palermo with inspiring collections of art, archeology and ethnography.

Paris, the City of Light, is nothing if not romantic.  The Paris of our imaginations is everywhere – in movies, novels, songs and paintings, its landmarks are household names, and its lifestyle all but a cliché involving cafés, red wine, cigarettes and cheese.

The real Paris is every bit as delightful –though perhaps not always in the way we expect.

Indeed, a stroll along any one of the famed boulevards of Paris will reveal elegant architecture, beautifully proportioned to the scale of human traffic, sidewalks filled with tables arranged for languidly watching the passing scene with un petit café in hand, side street markets bustling with boulangeries that smell of baking baguettes, exotic cheeses and the freshest produce... Paris.

La Ville-lumière – City of Light – was nicknamed so for more than just its early installation of streetlamps.

Paris has long been one of the world’s educational and cultural capitals. During the years between World War I and II particularly, Paris was a thriving center for artists of all descriptions, from exiled Russians like composer Igor Stravinsky, to Spanish painters Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí to American writers Earnest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein, and the influences of this period are still evident.

Certainly no first visit to Paris is complete without visits to monuments like the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral, landmark areas like the Bastille and Montmartre, and at least a few of its world-class art museums like the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay or Centre Georges-Pompidou.

However, the very best sight in Paris is... Paris.

Located on a plateau nearly 700 meters above sea level, the city of Piazza Armerina is an amazing find for any lover of history and art.

Established as Piazza during the 11th century Norman era, its historical quarter offers beautiful churches, including a massive Baroque cathedral and the well-preserved Spinelli Castle.

Just a few kilometers outside of town, the Villa Romana del Casale is sought by travelers for its incredible Roman mosaics. The Villa, one of the largest Roman dwellings of its kind to have survived antiquity, contains a remarkable 3500 meters of mosaics. Known for their sociological and artistic value depicting daily Roman life, the mosaics of Villa Romana del Casale are influenced by the North African motifs of the Romans. Smaller artifacts are also housed in the Piazza Armerina's archeological museum.

Nothing has captured imaginations like the Leaning Tower, probably the most recognizable structure the world, but there's far more to this historical city.

The Cathedral where Galileo observed the swaying chandelier and conceived the law of the pendulum, and the Baptistery with its truly remarkable acoustics.

The entire Piazza dei Miracoli rests on highly unstable sandy soil, which accounts for the tower's lean; take a look at the Baptistry and you'll see that it leans the other way from the tower.

The rest of the city center makes for some fine wandering, too, with alleys that have largely retained their medieval appearance.

Southeast, on the river, is the Museo Nazionale di San Matteo, a fine collection of ecclesiastical art and sculpture, while west along the Arno is the lavish Palazzo Reale Mansion and the city's huge Arsenale, which houses a display of items from excavations at the newly discovered site of Pisa's ancient harbor.

One of Pisa's biggest surprises lurks in a minor piazza south of the river near the train station: The last-ever mural by U.S. artist Keith Haring.

Pompeii is the famous home to a ruined city, dug from the ashes rained on it by volcano Mount Vesuvius almost 2,000 years ago. Thriving at the time of the eruption, the city was caught in action, buried beneath 20 feet of ash, pumice and lava, and forever captured in a fossil-like state.

It was nearly 1,700 years before the city was rediscovered – by workmen building the foundation of a summer palace for the King of Naples, Charles of Bourbon.

The ongoing excavation continues to this day, and has revealed ruins of the city as well as ghostlike casts of the people who lived and died there.

The excavation gives extraordinary insight into Roman life in the 1st century, the height of the Roman Empire, with buildings, frescoes, signage and even people caught as they were, seemingly frozen in time.

Today, it is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Italy and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Pompeii is also a treasure for modern historians and archeologists. We can see clearly that 1st-century city planners built temples and government buildings around a central forum.

The streets of Pompeii are paved with large polygonal blocks of stone, raised stepping stones at intervals and high curbs – the streets were regularly flooded to wash dust and debris away.

The streets were busy, lined with shops, houses, bars and brothels, many highly decorated with mosaics and frescoes, and a protective wall with fortified gates surrounded the city.

Pompeii’s aqueduct is a marvel of engineering, with public water divided into three channels: One for the public fountains, one for the public baths and the third for the most affluent citizens.  Blocks in the channels diverted the flow as needed, and in event of drought, the rich would lose their water supply first, then the baths, in an effort to keep water flowing to the public fountains.

Portofino is simply lovely, with its stone-walled waterfront and surrounded by lush cypresses and olive groves. Its snob appeal is legendary, dating back to the dolce vita days of Bogart and Bacall, Burton and Taylor, Sophia Loren and Princess Grace.

The village lies at the end of a narrow and winding road from Santa Margherita.

To get a sense of Portofino's idyllic setting, it’s best to take a walk and look around. Follow the footpath south from the harbor up onto the headland to see the church of San Giorgio, said to contain relics of St. George.

A further ten minutes up is the Castello Brown, where you can look down on Portofino from the terrace.

The scenic path continues south for a quarter-hour to the lighthouse on the tip of the promontory. The only way back is up the same path. Northwest from the village, steeply stepped paths head through vineyards and orchards to Olmi and on to San Fruttuoso.

The best sandy beach is the sparkling cove at Paraggi. It’s less formal than Portofino, and has a couple of small bars set back from the water.

It is generally acclaimed that the Amalfi Coast is the most beautiful stretch of scenery in the entire Mediterranean,and beautiful Positano gives strength to that claim.

Part of a wondrous drive along the beautiful Bay of Salerno, this picturesque town was once the site of maritime exploits that rivaled those of its more powerful neighbor Amalfi, for which the coast is named.

Rapallo is a highly developed resort town on the Italian Riviera, with an expanse of glass-fronted restaurants and plush hotels crowding around a south-facing bay.

Earlier this century it was a backwater, a place where writers – including  Max Beerbohm, Ezra Pound and D.H. Lawrence – came for the bay's extraordinary beauty. Ernest Hemingway also dropped by.

The resort's most striking landmarks are the large marina and the castle, now converted into an exhibition space, at the end of a small causeway.

Unlike most of the Tigullio resorts, Rapallo has an existence separate from its tourist trade, particularly around the old town.

The Santuario di Montallegro Church was founded in the 16th century, and has a superb setting overlooking a steep, green valley with views across the bay.

Rome, the Eternal City, is romantic, mysterious and unforgettable — the splash of a thousand fountains, the slow and silent flow of the Tiber, the scent of old stone in the ruins — yet it is also a modern, bustling metropolis. No place blends old and new like Roma!

Today it is the third most visited city in the EU and, having escaped the bombings of World War II somewhat unscathed, the historic center – defined by the traditional "Seven Hills of Rome" and the Tiber River – is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Legend has it that Rome was founded by the feral twins Romulus and Remus in the 8th century BC. The timing, at least, is supported by some archeological evidence. The city grew and developed into the capital of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and finally the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC. 

Perfectly placed between Italy's North and South, Rome is perhaps the perfect capital for modern Italy. Once the seat of a great empire, and later the home of the papacy, it's still seen as different, and yet it’s quintessentially Italian.

For the visitor, the most astonishing thing about Rome is the sheer weight of history that the city supports. There is an almost uninterrupted sequence of monuments, from ancient Roman ruins, early Christian basilicas, Romanesque churches and Renaissance palaces, to the Baroque fountains and churches, ponderous, post-Unification Neoclassical architecture and even contemporary buildings by architects like Richard Meier, Renzo Piano and Paolo Portoghesi. And it’s all built one century on top of the other.

Important sights of Rome include the Museum of Castel Sant'Angelo, National Museum of Rome, the Borghese Villa and Gallery, the National Gallery of Modern Art and, of course, The Vatican.

On a hilltop in Sicily’s south coast, not far from Marsala, stand the five ancient Greek temples that comprise the archeological site of Selinunte.

Only one of the temples, the Temple of Hera has been re-erected. The city was founded in the 7th century BC, and was one of the most progressive Greek cities in Sicily.

It lasted only about two centuries, however. The city also left behind a number of coins, some of which depict a figure sacrificing on an altar, apparently a reference to a story that the Selinuntines were afflicted with a pestilence from the marshes of nearby areas.

The walled city of Siena has preserved its original character more markedly than any other city in Italy. The central core of medieval alleys are closed to traffic,and can be as confusing as they are fascinating.

Everything is easily walkable from the great central square of the Piazza del Campo, where the Gothic Town Hall is located.

Another main square, Piazza del Palio, is the the site of Tuscany's most famous event, the Palio. This bareback horse race goes back to the 13th century – and many think it goes back even further, to the military training of the Roman Empire. 

Jockeys represent the 17 districts in Siena, and each horse is blessed at its district’s church. Accompanied by colorful pageantry and parades in original costumes, the race itself lasts for only about 90 seconds. The prize goes to the fastest horse, whether his jockey is with him or not.

The Siena Cathedral, or Duomo di Siena, was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. It is built with beautiful bands of colored marble, and has rich works of art and a unique black and white striped pattern inside.

The pulpit by Niccolo Pisano is a true masterpiece. The bell tower and façade were later designed by his son, Giovanni. It sits on a hill, looking across the valley to the equally large church of San Domenico, which sits atop its own hill.

Siracusa was at one time the most important Greek city on the coast of Sicily.

The city is noted for its rich Greek history, culture, amphitheaters, architecture and association to Archimedes; it is over 2,700 years old, and the city's history reads as a list of Sicily's most famous rulers. Siracusa is mentioned in the Bible – Acts of the Apostles, 28:12 tells of Paul’s visit. Even Plato came here to teach.

Not surprisingly, the city is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Accordingly, there is plenty to see: the Roman Amphitheater, the largest Greek Amphitheater in the world, and the Ear of Dionysus, a cave with remarkable acoustics.

Sorrento is high on a beautiful plateau, overlooking the sapphire blue Gulf of Naples, with Mount Vesuvius beyond.

The last town of significance on the end of a peninsula, Sorrento is solely and unashamedly a resort. Affordable restaurants and accommodation aren't hard to find; there's really no better place outside Naples itself from which to explore the peninsula, islands and Amalfi coast.

It's wonderful to wander the streets that feed into the square, some of which are pedestrianized for the lively evening passeggiata.

The local Museo Correale di Terranova has examples of the local inlaid wood intarsio work as well as some paintings, including an obscure Rubens, and various local archeological finds. Sorrento isn't particularly well endowed with beaches – though there are a few small ones.

Nevertheless, Sorrento’s inspired location and mild climate have been drawing travelers from all over Europe for almost 200 years. Ibsen wrote part of Peer Gynt in Sorrento, Wagner and Nietzsche had a well-publicized row here, and Maxim Gorky lived here for over a decade.

It's a bright, lively place that retains its southern Italian roots.

High on Monte Tauro with two grand sweeping bays below, sits Sicily's best-known resort, Taormina.

The main street is traffic-free and offers an unbroken line of 15th- to 19th-century palazzi, an agreeably crumbling castle, intimate piazzas and rows of flower-filled balconies.

The main attraction is, as it has long been, strolling the flower-decked streets and alleys, and window shopping along the Corso.

The outstanding remains of the Teatro Greco are among the most celebrated ruins in Sicily, both for their remarkable preservation and the beauty of the surroundings.

It is built mostly of brick – therefore probably Roman – though the layout is Greek in design. It’s likely that the present structure was built on the foundations of an older Greek theatre. Taormina is about 45 minutes’ drive from Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano.

In the early 20th century a number of expatriate artists, writers, and intellectuals were drawn to Taormina. D. H. Lawrence lived in a hotel in town from 1920 to 1922, writing poems, novels, short stories, essays and a travel book.

These days Taormina hosts an summertime international arts festival with film, theatre and music.

Turin City

In Venice everything floats. Not only the gondolas, launches, barges and vaporettos on the Grand Canal, but the people as well.

The 118 islands of central Venice are divided into six seemingly arbitrary districts known as sestieri, and houses are numbered in a sequence that makes sense only to postal workers.

The sestieri of San Marco is where the majority of essential sights are, and is accordingly the most expensive and crowded part of the city.

The places that draw the largest crowds are St. Mark’s Square, which absorbs them beautifully; the Basilica di San Marco, a mosaic-clad emblem of Venice's Byzantine origins; and the Palazzo Ducale, or Doge’s Palace, perhaps the finest of all secular Gothic buildings.

Some outstanding examples of Italian Renaissance art can be found in Venice. At the Scuola di San Rocco there is a sequence of pictures by Tintoretto, and the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni is decorated with a gorgeous sequence by Carpaccio.

Immortalized by William Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet, the supposed inspiration for the Capulets and Montagues still stands.

The Casa di Guilietta, is the area’s best known tourist attraction. But 'Fair Verona' has much more to offer. So much more, in fact, that it has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, owing to the value and importance of its many historical buildings.

Built in the 14th century, Verona’s Museo Civico di Castelvecchio houses one of the finest art galleries in this region of Italy, with pieces from the late Roman and early Christian periods to Medieval and Renaissance art, as well as jewelry and suits of armor.

Outside, a walkway offers views of the Adige River and the medieval Ponte Scaligero, a bridge which is part of the old defense system of Castelvecchio.

Viareggio is a city and comune in northern Tuscany, Italy, on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. With a population of over 64,000, it is the second largest city within the province of Lucca, after only Lucca city