Italy
Europe's kinky over-the-knee boot has it all: popes, painters, polenta, paramours, poets, political puerility and potentates. Its three millennia of history, culture and cuisine seduces anyone not suffering exam deja vu. In Italy 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 see more beautiful churches than you imagined could exist in one country. Naturally you can also indulge in the more elementary pleasures of enjoying good food and wine, improving your wardrobe and seeking out la dolce vita.
Italy's instantly recognisable boot shape kicks its way into the Adriatic, Ionian, Ligurian and Tyrrhenian seas - all of which form part of the Mediterranean Sea. From west to east, France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia form a rugby scrum to the north. The islands of Elba, Sardinia, Ischia, Capri, the Aeolians and Sicily lie offshore. Mountains feature prominently in Italy's topography, and bolster its landlocked borders all the way from Genoa in the west to Trieste in the east. Italy's backbone is formed by the Apennines, extending from Genoa right down to the soccer ball which bounces off the toe of Calabria: Sicily. The lowland plain of the Po River Valley in the country's north-east forms the largest lowland area, and is heavily populated and industrialised as a result. Underground rambunctiousness is evidenced by the country's three active volcanoes - Stromboli in the Aeolian Islands, Vesuvius near Naples and Etna on Sicily - and the devastation wrought by earthquakes, especially fierce in 1908 and 1980. Beauty abounds in Italy, but, unfortunately, so does pollution, particularly in the big cities and along the coast.
A couple of millennia of human occupation, coupled with the locals' love of hunting, has extinguished many species of animals once endemic to Italy. You might spot a brown bear or a lynx if you're lucky, and the Alpine regions are still home to wolves, marmots, chamois and deer. Mouflon sheep and wild boars and cats can be found on Sardinia, while in the skies falcons, hawks and golden eagles dodge the hunters' birdshot.
Italy's climate varies from north to south and from lowland to mountain top. Winters are long and severe in the Alps, with snow falling as early as mid-September. The northern regions experience chilly winters and hot summers, while conditions become milder as you head south. The sirocco, however, affects regions south of Rome, the hot and humid African winds producing at least a couple of stiflingly hot weeks in summer.
Dubbed the world's 'living art gallery', Italy has more 'culture' than you can shake a baton, paintbrush, quill or chisel at. Whether it's a broken pillar rising up through the linoleum floor of a train station or a baroque church overlooking a cracked antique pediment in the forum, history and culture surround you. Outside there are Etruscan tombs, Greek temples, cat-infested Roman ruins, Moorish architecture and statue-filled baroque fountains to gawp at; inside you can swoon to Roman copies of Hellenic sculptures, Byzantine mosaics, beatific Madonnas from Giotto to Titian, gargantuan baroque tombs and trompe l'oeil ceilings.
Writers from Virgil, Ovid, Horace, Livy and Cicero to Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, Ficino, Mirandola and Vasari all sprang from Italian loins. The Italians were no slouches when it came to music, either, as they invented both the piano and our system of musical notation, as well as producing Monteverdi, Vivaldi, Scarlatti, Verdi, Puccini, Bellini and Rossini. Cinema would not be the same without Italy's Marcello Mastroianni, Anna Magnani, Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren and directors Luchino Visconti, Roberto Rossellini, Frederico Fellini, Michelangelo Antonioni and Bernardo Bertolucci. Today, the most important present-day cultural pastime is soccer.
Modern literary Italian appeared in the 13th and 14th centuries, developing out of its Latin heritage, the country's many dialects and the works of Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio, who wrote chiefly in the Florentine dialect. Though over 80% of the population profess to be Catholic, the number of people who actually practise the religion is surprisingly low: an average of only 25% attend Mass regularly. However, saints' days, first communions and religious festivals never fail to attract large crowds.
Italy's many regional cucine have combined to form a unique cuisine which is justifiably world famous. These cooking styles vary notably, from the rich and creamy dishes of the north to the hot and spicy specialities of the south. Northern Emilia-Romagna has produced the best known dishes - spaghetti bolognese, lasagne and tortellini - and is also home to the best prosciutto and mortadella. Liguria is the home of pesto, that mainstay of cafés worldwide and ubiquitous companion of sun-dried tomatoes and foccacia bread. Spectacular vegetable and pasta dishes feature just as predominantly as seafood and exotic meats (anyone for frog rissotto?, donkey steak?, entrail pudding?). Desserts come into their own in Sicily - cassata, cannoli, zabaglione, granita and marzipan - while Sardinia is famous for its spit-roasted piglet (with optional woolly muffler). Coffee, beer and wine are of course magnificent countrywide.
Events
Religious, cultural and historical events pepper the Italian calendar. The pre-Easter Carnival is closely associated with Venice, while Holy Week Easter processions are especially flamboyant at Taranto, Chieti and Sicily, and Florence explodes a cart full of fireworks on Easter Sunday. Festivals honouring patron saints are also particularly colourful events; for example the Feast of San Nicola in Bari, the Feast of San Gennaro in Naples, the Festival of Snakes in Abruzzo and the Feast of Sant' Antonio in Padua (June). Events betraying more than a hint of history include the Race of the Candles and Palio of the Crossbow in Gubbio, the Sardinian Cavalcade, the Regata of the Four Ancient Maritime Republics (which rotates between Pisa, Venice, Amalfi and Genoa, and is held in June), Il Palio in Siena (July & August) and Venice's Historical Regatta (September). Unless otherwise noted, these festivals and events take place in May.
Italy is at its best in spring (April-May) and autumn (October-November). During these seasons, the scenery is beautiful, the temperatures are pleasant and there are relatively few crowds. Try to avoid August, as this is the time that most Italians take their vacations, and many shops and businesses are closed as a result.
When to Go
The ski season generally lasts from December to late March; swimming is best between June and September; and July and September are the best months for walking in the Alps. The further south you go, the longer you can linger into November and December without feeling the pinch of winter. Italy's multitude of festivals and traditional events may be a factor in planning your visit; Easter, in particular, is celebrated fervently, and every second town has a festive Saint's day.
Cities in Italy
RomeFlorence
Venice
Milan
Naples and Pompeii
Amalfi Coast