The
north is
"discovered" Italy. The
regions of
Piemonte and
Lombardy
, in the northwest, make up the
richest and most cosmopolitan part
of the country, and the two main
centres, Turin and Milan, are its
wealthiest large cities. In their
southern reaches, these regions are
flat and scenically dull, especially
Lombardy, but in the north the
presence of the Alps shapes the
character of each: skiing and hiking
are prime activities, and the lakes
and mountains of Lombardy are time-honoured
tourist territory.
Liguria ,
the small coastal province to the
south, has long been known as the
"Italian Riviera" and is
accordingly crowded with sun-seeking
holiday-makers for much of the
summer season. Nonetheless it's a
beautiful stretch of coast, and its
capital, Genoa, is a bustling port
with a long seafaring tradition.
Much of the most dramatic
mountain scenery lies within the
smaller northern regions. In the far
northwest, the tiny bilingual region
of Valle d'Aosta is home to
some of the country's most
frequented ski resorts, and is
bordered by the tallest of the Alps
- the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc.
Moving east, Trentino-Alto Adige
, another bilingual region, and one
in which the national boundary is
especially blurred, marks the
beginning of the Dolomites mountain
range, where Italy's largest
national park, the Stelvio, lies
amid some of the country's most
memorable landscapes.
The Dolomites stretch into the
northeastern regions of the Veneto
and Friuli-Venezia Giulia .
However here the main focus of
interest is, of course, Venice; a
unique city, and every bit as
beautiful as its reputation would
suggest (although this means you
won't be alone in appreciating it).
If the crowds are too much, there's
also the arc of historic towns
outside the city - Verona, Padua and
Vicenza, all centres of interest in
their own right, although rather
overshadowed by their illustrious
neighbour. To the south, the region
of Emilia-Romagna has been at
the heart of Italy's postwar
industrial boom and has a standard
of living on a par with Piemonte and
Lombardy, although it's also a
traditional stronghold of the
Italian Left. Its coast is popular
among Italians, and Rimini is about
Italy's brashest, tackiest (and
trendiest) seaside resort, with a
high reputation on the clubbing
scene. You may do better to ignore
the beaches altogether, however, and
concentrate on the ancient centres
of Ravenna, Ferrara, Parma and the
regional capital of Bologna, one of
Italy's liveliest, most historic but
least appreciated cities.
Central Italy represents
perhaps the most commonly perceived
image of the country, and Tuscany
, with its classic rolling
countryside and the art-packed towns
of Florence, Pisa and Siena, to name
only the three best-known centres,
is one of its most visited regions.
Neighbouring Umbria is
similar in all but its tourist
numbers, though it gets busier every
year, as visitors flock into towns
such as Perugia, Spoleto and Assisi.
Further east still, Marche
may in time go the same way, but for
the moment is comparatively
untouched, its highlights being the
ancient towns of Urbino and มscoli
Piceno. South of Marche, the hills
begin to pucker into mountains in
the twin regions of Abruzzo
and Molise , Italy's first
really remote area if you're
travelling north to south, centring
on the country's highest peak - the
Gran Sasso d'Italia. Molise,
particularly, is a taster of the
south, as is Lazio to the
west, in part a poor and sometimes
desolate region whose often rugged
landscapes contrast with the more
manicured beauty of the other
central regions. Lazio's real focal
point, though, is Rome ,
Italy's capital and the one city in
the country which owes allegiance
neither to the north or
south, its people proudly aloof from
the rest of the country's squabbles.
Rome is a tremendous city quite
unlike any other, and in terms of
historical sights outstrips
everywhere else in the country by a
long way.
The south proper begins
south of Rome, with the region of Campania
, which is as far as many tourists
get. Naples is a petulant,
unforgettable city, the spiritual
heart of the Italian south, and on
hand nearby are some of Italy's
finest ancient sites in Pompeii and
Herculaneum, not to mention the
country's most spectacular stretch
of coast around Amalfi. Basilicata
and Calabria , which make up
the instep and toe of Italy's boot,
are harder territory but still
rewarding, the emphasis less on art,
more on the landscape and quiet,
unspoilt coastlines. Puglia ,
also in the "heel" of
Italy, has underrated pleasures,
notably the landscape of its Gargano
peninsula, the souk-like quality of
its capital Bari, and the Baroque
glories of Lecce in the far south.
As regards Sicily , the
island is really a law unto itself,
a wide mixture of attractions
ranging from some of the finest
preserved Hellenistic treasures in
Europe, to a couple of Italy's
fanciest beach resorts in Taormina
and Cefal๙, not to mention some
gorgeous upland scenery. Come this
far south and you're closer to
Africa than Milan, and it shows, in
the climate, the architecture and
the cooking - with couscous
featuring on many menus in the west
of the island. Sardinia ,
too, feels far removed from the
Italian mainland, especially in its
relatively undiscovered interior,
although you may be content to
explore its fine beaches, which are
among Italy's best.
