| Of all European countries, Italy is perhaps the hardest to classify. It
is a modern, industrialized nation. It is the harbinger of style, its
designers leading the way with each season's fashions. But it is also, to an
equal degree, a Mediterranean country, with all that that implies.
Agricultural land covers much of the country, a lot of it, especially in the
south, still owned under almost feudal conditions. In towns and villages all
over the country, life grinds to a halt in the middle of the day for a
siesta, and is strongly family-oriented, with an emphasis on the traditions
and rituals of the Catholic Church which, notwithstanding a growing
skepticism among the country's youth, still dominates people's lives here to
an immediately obvious degree.
Above all Italy provokes reaction. Its people are volatile, rarely
indifferent to anything, and on one and the same day you might encounter the
kind of disdain dished out to tourist masses worldwide, and an hour later be
treated to embarrassingly generous hospitality. If there is a single
national characteristic, it's to embrace life to the full: in the hundreds
of local festivals taking place across the country on any given day, to
celebrate a saint or the local harvest; in the importance placed on good
food; in the obsession with clothes and image; and above all in the daily
domestic ritual of the collective evening stroll or passeggiata - a sociable
affair celebrated by young and old alike in every town and village across
the country.
You can visit Roman ruins, gawk at Renaissance art, stay in tiny medieval
hill towns, go skiing in the Alps, explore the canals of Venice and gaze at
beautiful churches. Naturally you can also indulge in the pleasures of la
dolce vita: good food, good wine and improving your wardrobe.
Italy Attractions
The Colosseum, Rome.
A glory of ancient Rome, the Colosseum and the Forums make a logical
starting place for exploring the city. The domed Pantheon, built in 27 B.C.,
is the best-preserved of the ancient sites, and is the burial place of
Raphael and many other notables.
Piazza Navona, Rome.
A favorite gathering spot, and once the site of a stadium for chariot
races. In addition to Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers, its attractions
include sidewalk cafes and street entertainers.
Leaning Tower, Pisa.
The famous tower will get a temporary new look in 1998. Engineers must
brace it with two 340-foot-long steel cables for delicate preservation work.
Borghese Museum and Gallery, Rome.
See the masterpieces of Bernini, Carpaccio, Antonello da Messina, Raphael
and Titian, then relax in the tranquil gardens. (Reservations are
necessary).
St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City.
Its treasures include Michelangelo's Pietˆ (sculpted in 1498) and
priceless church relics. The dome is 400 feet high.
Vatican Museums and Galleries, Vatican City.
The Greek sculptures, including Laocošn, the Belvedere Torso and
Belvedere Apollo; the frescoes in the Raphael rooms; and Michelangelo's
masterwork, the Sistine Chapel-now with The Last Judgment, as well as the
ceiling-restored to the original vibrant colors.
Uffizi Gallery, Florence.
Works of Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini, Masaccio, Botticelli, da Vinci,
Michelangelo, Raphael, Correggio, Mantegna and others are exhibited. Among
the most famous are Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Michelangelo's The Holy
Family. Plans are under way to expand this incomparable museum.
Pitti Palace, Florence.
One of the richest collections of 16th- and 17th-century art, displayed
in stunning rooms. The emphasis is on Italian Renaissance painters.
National Archaeological Museum, Naples.
The most important archaeological museum in Europe has thousands of mural
paintings from Herculaneum and Pompeii, extensive Magna Graecia pottery and
coin collections, and the Borgia collection of Etruscan and Egyptian art.
St. Mark's Basilica, Venice.
The Byzantine cathedral is one of Europe's most dazzling. Doge's Palace,
Venice. This combination of palace and art gallery is highlighted by
magnificent frescoes and a splendid courtyard. It is linked to the old
prison building by the famous Bridge of Sighs. The restored Apartment of the
Doges, filled with 17th- and 18th-century furniture and paintings, is now
open to the public.
Brera Gallery, Milan.
Holds Raphael's Marriage of the Virgin and major works by Correggio,
Carpaccio, Bellini and Titian.
|
