ITALY

HISTORY OF ITALY.
UNESCO.
TASTE ITALY.
ITALIAN ART.

Italy – They did not build it in a week. Why does everyone think they can see it in a week?

The UNESCO World Heritage Site - The Pantheon is on of 47 sites in Italy — UNESCO World Heritage Site – The Pantheon

Likewise, they did not build Rome in a day. Yet, people try to see it in that amount of time. Slow down and smell the pasta.

Italy is a cornucopia of things to see, taste, smell, hear and touch, and you should do all of these things. For instance, they have been working on their history for over 3000 years.

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ITALIAN HISTORY

In short, I can not tell the tale of Italy in one paragraph. And you cannot see all of it in one week. But don’t change the channel just yet. Below, I will tell you what you can do in a week.

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First Settlements to Last Suppers.

And what about the several UNESCO World Heritage Sites found in Italy?

Italy has a total of 47 sites currently on the list. (The most of any country). Consequently, it would take a month to see them.

One of italys many UNESCO sites, the charming Historic Center of Florence Italy — UNESCO World Heritage Site – Historical Center Florence

All of Italy is Divided.

The best way to look at Italy is in three parts.

Northern
Central
Southern

Sicily is a world on its own. Although it’s an autonomous administrative division of Italy, it’s just “different” from mainland Italy. In an excellent way.

Often people say, “Europe is like the United States, and each country is a state.” Some countries in Europe are like the United States and have 50 different places to see. For example, Italy.

For example, in Northern Italy, left to right, you have must-see Turin, Como, Milan, Parma, Verona, Padua, and Venice. (Actually, there are more).

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Pasta, Pasta, Pasta.

Italy is not only about pasta and pizza. There is so much more to Italian cuisine. Do not get me wrong; pasta is essential. There are over 250 different types of pasta in Italy. And pasta in the south is different from pasta dishes in the north. Try the pasta, but keep going.

In general, each region has its style of cooking—Milanese, Bolognese, Florentine, Neapolitan, ala Roma, to name a few.

And then there is the wine. Currently, there are over 350 varieties of Italian wine. We better start tasting now.

Local cuisine with local wine is a storia d’amore better than any on the Hallmark Channel.

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Art is in the eye.

Everywhere you look, there is art. In the fountains, in the statues, on the ceilings, walls, and floors. Da Vinci, Rafael, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Bernini, and so many others. Oh, and that guy who paints ceilings. Mike something?

Make the Fat Lady Sing.

How could we talk about Italy without touching on its composers? Puccini, Vivaldi, Rossini, Verdi, it’s a whos-who of the opera world. I barely understand Italian, but to hear Puccini’s music in Milan’s La Scala Opera house is something extraordinary. Also, to listen to an aria sung in a 2000-year-old Roman arena on a summer night in Verona doesn’t suck.

Can you Smell That?

Ahhh, the scents of Italia. In case you do not believe me, imagine fresh focaccia bread coming out of the oven. Or, walking through an orchard near Sorrento with the scent of lemons in the air. Or, the smell of the Formaggio store, or parma ham curing. Also, mama’s all-day sauce simmering on a stove makes for an olfactory celebration.

Italy has a beautiful scene around every corner, like this one in Venice — A Scenic Corner in Venice

Fermati e fai un respiro profondo – STOP! And take a deep breath.

Italy is a bit of a paradox. On one side, you have Ferrari’s, Lamborghini’s, and it seems like you need to race to see it all.

In contrast, it is the birthplace of the slow food movement. It is the land of La Dolce Vita (The sweet life). It is where you enjoy dolce far niente (the sweetness of doing nothing).

So what do you do if you only have seven days?

First, don’t panic. You can still get a taste of Italy. But you need to study and know which flavor you want.

You could spend seven days seeing nothing but architecture or art.
On the other hand, you could spend seven days tasting your way through Italian wine and food.
Another option is feeling the history as you spend seven days exploring incredible historical sites.

If you’re like most travelers, you want a little of each.

1865 Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

There are several ways to approach it.

First, go to the large city of ______ for seven days. (Rome, Venice, Florence, Naples, Milan). See as much of this one city as you can.

Also, make some day trips in the general area: Ostia Antica or Tivoli from Rome, Siena or Pisa from Florence, the Amalfi Coast from Naples.

Spend a day drinking and eating the best the city has to offer. Interestingly, this does NOT necessarily mean the most expensive restaurant. For example, visit the local market. Find a local wine shop or nearby winery and taste the local products.

In other words, think progressive lunch, tasting the best of Milanese, Florentine, Venetian or Neapolitan cooking. Same country, different tastes.

Choose two cities and do a pared-down version of the 7-day program.

Choose three cities and do a whirlwind (blur) of each. I do not recommend this unless you can at least stretch it to 10 days. Remember, you lose a day traveling to the destination and home.

Of course, whatever you do, toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain. You are coming back to Italy.

Make sure to drop a coin in the Trevi Fountain so you will return to Rome. — Trevi Fountain.