The prehistoric petroglyphs of the Valcamonica was Italy's first UNESCO World Heritage site, designated in 1979. La Valle Delle Incisioni, the Valley of Engravings, is the largest collection of prehistoric rock carvings in Europe with more than 140,000 petroglyphs done over a period of 8,000 years. In addition to prehistoric sites, the beautiful Valcamonica is dotted with picturesque medieval villages and has many hiking trails.
Pictures | Valcamonica Map and Rock Art Sites
Here are the festivals and events that happen each December in Florence.
Early- to Mid-December - Hanukkah. Hanukkah in Florence is celebrated in the Ghetto - the Jewish area of Florence which was the first segregated Jewish community in Europe. Visit the Florence Synagogue, just north of Santa Croce, for the lighting of the Menorrah, kosher food finds, and Hanukkah festivities.
December 8 - Immaculate Conception. On this day, the Catholic faithful celebrate the day of the Virgin Mary's conception of Jesus. In Florence at this time, the Fierucolina dell'Immacolata, an art and food fair in Piazza Santissima Annunziata, is typically held. Also, as December 8 is also a national holiday, many businesses may be closed in observance.
Mid-December - Christmas Markets in Florence. From now until mid-January, there are several Christmas fairs in Florence. One of the most popular is the Mercato Tedesco di Natale - the German Christmas Market - held in Piazza Santa Croce. It is filled with stalls selling some typical German crafts, but also plenty of Italian-made nativity crafts, children's toys, and seasonal treats. Another Christmas market is Florence Noel, which is held at Stazione Leopolda near Porta al Prato. This is where you can take the little ones to have their photo taken with Babbo Natale, as well as purchase Christmas crafts and gifts.
December 25 - Christmas Day. You can expect everything to be closed on Christmas Day as Florentines celebrate the most important religious holiday of the year. Of course, there are many ways to celebrate Christmas in Florence, from attending midnight mass at Il Duomo to visiting Christmas crèches around the city.
December 26 - Saint Stephen's Day. This public holiday after Christmas is typically an extension of Christmas day, when families venture out to view nativity scenes in churches and visit Christmas markets. The feast day of Santo Stefano is also held on this day and especially celebrated at churches that venerate Saint Stephen.
December 31 - New Year's Eve (Festa di San Silvestro). Just as it is all over the world, New Year's Eve, which coincides with the Feast of Saint Sylvester (San Silvestro), is celebrated with much fanfare in Florence. Check our our information on New Year's Eve in Italy for more information on festivities and traditions.
Continue reading: Florence in January | Florence Month-by-Month
One of Florence's most photographed landmarks, the Ponte Vecchio is Florence's most famous bridge. The Ponte Vecchio, which spans the Arno River from Via Por Santa Maria to Via Guicciardini, is also Florence's oldest bridge, having been spared from bombing during World War II.
The Ponte Vecchio was built in 1345 to replace a bridge that had been destroyed in a flood. Initially, the shops on both sides of the bridge were favored by butchers and tanners, who would throw their flotsam into the Arno, a practice which would create a stinking cesspool in the water below. In 1593, Grand Duke Ferdinando I decided that these trades were "vile," and permitted only goldsmiths and jewelers to set up shop on the bridge.
Since that time, the Ponte Vecchio has been known for its gleaming gold shops, which overflow with rings, watches, bracelets, and all kinds of other jewels. Ostensibly, buyers are able to bargain with the gold sellers on the Ponte Vecchio, and sometimes bargains can be had here. Since this is a high tourist area, however, prices are often inflated. Shop around before giving in to the temptation.
Travel tip: Note that the popular bridge – which is typically packed with tourists – is also a prime target of pickpockets. Be mindful of your belongings when browsing the baubles.
Ponte Vecchio Pictures
Siena is a classic medieval city in Tuscany. Much of the city's Gothic appearance from the 12th - 15th centuries, when Siena was one of the wealthiest cities in Europe, has been preserved. Its large fan-shaped piazza, Piazza del Campo, is the heart of Siena and the home of Siena's famous summer horse-race, the Palio of Siena. UNESCO says, "The whole city of Siena, built around the Piazza del Campo, was devised as a work of art that blends into the surrounding landscape".
Siena Pictures
San Crispino is touted to have the best gelato in Rome. I was first led there by the Daphne Inn, one of my favorite places to stay in Rome. I have since heard of San Crispino from several other sources as well. They make a variety of flavors but pistachio is supposed to be one of their best. Although I am not a big fan of pistachio, it was very good.
At San Crispino you won't find any special concoctions - no whipped cream or chocolate sauce - in fact you won't even find cones! The owners believe that anything else interferes with the pureness of their gelato. So the gelato is served in a simple cup with a plastic spoon for you to carry out (there is no place to sit).
Brescia has a small airport serving flights within Italy and Europe. The closest large airport (with flights from the US) is in Milan. The small airports of Verona and Bergamo are also close. (see Italy airports map).
Tourist Information can be found at Piazza Loggia, 6. Brescia is famous for the Mille Migle historic car race held in spring. It starts and ends in the city. The Fair of San Faustino and Giovita in February is one of the biggest festivlas. The festival of Franciacorta celebrates the sparkling wine produced in the hills outside the city. Music performances are held in the Teatro Grande, a theater built in the 1700's. Piazza della Loggia - The city's prettiest square was built in the 15th century. Torre dell'Orologio or the clock tower, was modelled on the campanile in Venice's Piazza San Marco. Porta Bruciata, in one corner, is a medieval tower and gate. Cathedrals - The two cathedrals are found on Piazza Paolo VI. The Rotondo is the old 12th century cathedral. Inside you can see Roman remains and the apse of an 8th century basilica. The new cathedral is late Baroque style and took over 200 years to complete. Via dei Musei - The old Roman road is lined with Roman ruins including the Roman forum, a theater and a temple built in 73AD. Monsateries - Monastery of Santa Julia was founded in 753 and has three churches. It now houses the city museum with artifacts from prehistory to the 20th century. San Pietro in Lamosa was founded in the 11th century and is Romanesque in style. Piazza della Vittoria - This large square was built in 1932 in what was once a medieval center. On one side of the square is a 60 meter tall tower. The Mille Migle race starts from Piazza della Vittoria and on the third Sunday of the month there's an antiques market. Castle - The medieval castle complex on the hill includes towers, ramparts, gardens, courtyards, drawbridges and several underground tunnels. It houses the Ancient Arms Museum, Risorgimento Museum, and a model railway exhibit. From the highest point there are good views of the city below.Find hotels in other Venice neighborhoods with Top Venice Hotels.
Hotel Bauer Il Palazzo is a luxury 5-star boutique hotel overlooking the Grand Canal near Saint Mark's Square. The hotel has a private boat landing. Each of the 35 rooms and suites is individually decorated and many have views over the canal and a balcony or terrace. Bathrooms are decorated in Italian marble and some have whirlpool baths. There's a roof garden, restaurant, bar, and spa and wellness center.
Violino d'Oro is the top rated 3-star hotel in San Marco sestiere. The hotel is in an 18th century palace on a canal near the Grand Canal. It has 26 single, double classic and superior, triple and quadruple rooms and two are equipped for disabled guests.
The scenic Amalfi Coast is one of southern Italy's top destinations. A good way to experience this picturesque area is on a tour. Here are guided day tours, boat excursions, and cooking classes on the Amalfi Coast. Some of these tours are also available from Naples so if you're arriving on a cruise ship, you could consider these for port excursions.
© Martha Bakerjian
The island of Capri has long been a top romantic destination. This boat tour takes you from the town of Positano to the island where you'll enjoy a four hour independent visit. Back on board, you'll take a scenic boat ride around the island to see the cliffs, beaches, and hidden grottoes along its coast from the sea as well as stopping in a cove for a swim. Cold drinks and towels are provided on board the boat. There's also an optional visit to the famous Blue Grotto.
Many of the Amalfi Coast's top sights can be seen only from the water. This full-day boat excursion takes you by the grottoes, bays, and rugged cliffs of the coast by sea. The boat tour departs from Positano and passes several picturesque villages with stops for swimming (towels provided on board) and you'll have a 3-course lunch at a small beach restaurant built on stilts. You can also add an optional visit to the Emerald Grotto, weather permitting.
Taste limoncello and tour three Amalfi Coast towns in this full-day tour. Participants ride in an air-conditioned luxury vehicle to visit the towns of Ravello, Amalfi (including limoncello tasting and a museum), and Positano with an English-speaking guide. There's a lunch stop at the Trattoria da Rispoli (cost of lunch not included). Pick up is available from anywhere on the Amalfi peninsula or even in Naples.
Driving along the Amafli Coast can be a stressful experience so it's nice to leave the driving to someone else. On this luxurious private chauffeured road trip you'll be driven along the scenic coast with stops in villages, beaches, or scenic view spots of your choosing. Since the tour is private, you and your group can stop wherever you wish and the driver can recommend places to stop for shopping, swimming, taking a walk in the hills, or a good restaurant for lunch. Pick up is available anywhere on the Amalfi peninsula or Naples.
Mama Agata's cooking classes take place in her cliff-top Ravello home overlooking the Amalfi Coast. The program includes breakfast cake and coffee, a demonstration cooking class, garden tour, and lunch on the terrace with homemade wine. Transportation is not included but can be arranged for an additional fee.
If you prefer to get to Pompeii on your own either with your own car or by taking the train from Sorrento, this guided walking tour is a more economical option. An English-speaking guide will lead you through the highlights of the archeological site on this tour that lasts approximately 3 to 3.5 hours.
This tour departs from any place on Amalfi Coast, Sorrento, Salerno, or Naples with transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver and guide. The tour includes a guided tour of the well-preserved Greek temples and museum at Paestum and visits to Tenuta Vannulo with cheese tasting and Marino Winery with wine tasting.
For picturesque views of Venice from above, head to Venice's bell tower, or campanile, in Piazza San Marco. An elevator takes visitors to the viewing platform inside the bell tower for spectacular views of Venice. Take a look at Venice spread out below the bell tower.
Venice, one of Italy's top travel cities, is the jewel of the Veneto region but there's much more to see in the Veneto. From the city of Verona with its Roman arena to Paladian villas, lakes, and mountain towns, here are the best places to go in the Veneto. You'll find most of them on our Veneto Region Map.
Click on a city or town link to see the travel guide with information about what to see, where to stay, and how to get there.
Venice Photo © by Martha BakerjianVenice is the top destination in the Veneto and one of Italy's most-visited cities. It's a unique car-free city built on the water with narrow lanes meandering alongside canals. Saint Mark's Square and Cathedral and the Grand Canal are the top sights in Venice but there are many picturesque squares, beautiful churches, museums, and shops, too.
Venice Photos
Belluno, one of the largest towns in the northern part of the Veneto, is the gateway to the Dolomite Mountains. Belluno makes a good base for visiting the Dolomites where you'll find winter skiing and summer hiking or biking. Belluno has fortress towers, a historic center with a 16th century cathedral, restaurants, and squares with outdoor cafes.
While you're likely to find that your prescription drugs cost less than in the US, some over the counter medications may cost more. Recently a friend needed allergy medicine in Italy and paid about $1 per pill for the equivalent of sudafed. Another friend paid about $1 per pill for ibuprofen. So you might want to bring these with you, too, if you use them. Other medications, like aspirin, will be about the same cost as in the US.
By the way, you'll have to go to the farmacia for these medications, too. All medicines are sold only in pharmacies, although that may change soon. If you're feeling a little ill, the pharmacist may be able to give you advice, too. There are English-speaking pharmacists in most major Italian cities.
Find out more about the Italian pharmacy in the Pharmacy in Italy.
Wishing you were on vacation in Italy? Maybe you can't take that Italian vacation this year, but you can still enjoy the culture of Italy and maybe even practice a little Italian.
When I'm not in Italy, I enjoy going to my favorite Italian places in San Francisco. With more than 26 million people of Italian descent in the United States, it's easy to find Italian spots. While not every city has a Little Italy, many North American cities do have places with Italian heritage. You'll also find Italian festivals and Italian film festivals in the United States and Canada.
San Francisco's Italian neighborhood is North Beach. In North Beach, you'll find Italian cafes, restaurants, and shops. It's home to Saints. Peter and Paul Church and Saint Francis of Assisi Shrine. You'll still hear lots of Italian spoken in North Beach. There are good Italian places outside North Beach, too.There's also a Little Italy in the Bronx. Joe Palisi says, "I grew up close to Little Italy in the Bronx, NY and would go there with my grandfather to purchase grapes for our wine press. We are talking circa 1940. Really Italian!"
The Hill is the St. Louis Italian neighborhood. The Hill's Italian heritage starts from the late nineteenth century and it still has Italian shops, bakeries, and restaurants.Painter, scientist, architect, and Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci left his imprint all over Italy in frescoes, buildings, drawings, and prototypes and blueprints for many of the world's technological milestones. While quite a few of Leonardo's masterpieces reside in museums outside of Italy, there are ample examples of the master's works in his native land. Following, we have put together a list of places in Italy where you can follow the Leonardo trail.
Along with the Mona Lisa, which is the prized possession of the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, "The Last Supper" is Leonardo's most famous painting. The Cenacolo Vinciano still resides in the refectory of the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where Leonardo finished it in 1498.
Beyond The Last Supper, Milan holds several other Leonardo originals. Most obvious is the Leonardo da Vinci Science and Technology Museum, which has original Leonardo drawings as well as models based on the Renaissance man's innovations. The Codex Atlanticus, one of Leonardo's notebooks filled with extensive observations and drawings, is housed in the Biblioteca Ambrosiana. Another Codex - the Codex Trivulzianus, a study in architecture and religion – is held at the Biblioteca Trivulziana in the Castello Sforzesco.
Leonardo gets his name from the town of Vinci, the small village outside of Florence where he was born in 1452. Here you will find the Casa di Leonardo, the farmhouse where the master was born, and the Museo Leonardino, a science and technology museum dedicated to models based on the master's prolific drawings.
Besides the two codices kept in Milan, the only other Leonardo codex (notebook) in Italy is housed in Turin. The Biblioteca Reale di Torino houses the Codex on the Flight of Birds, Leonardo's analysis of flight mechanics, air resistance, and currents.
While Rome has a fair number of tourist traps, eating in Rome can be a great pleasure if you know what food to eat and where to eat it. Click on the links to find out more about each topic.
Food markets are a good place to get an introduction to the local cuisine and what's in season. There are often labels on the food so if you see something you like, write down the name and look for it on the menu.
Several cooking classes can be booked through Select Italy including pasta, pizza, gelato, and traditional Roman cuisine. Classes are usually 3 to 4 hours and include a meal with the food prepared in class.
If you're going to Rome for a short time, this is a good companion book. It's small and lightweight yet has most of the essential information you want to eat well including what and how to eat and several restaurants suggestions for each of the central neighborhoods as well as food shops and cafes.
If you have more than a few days to spend in the eternal city or are really into food, this comprehensive book is an excellent resource. It's a little heavy to carry around easily but has lots of good information about what and where to eat and introductions to each neighborhood.
If you have an iPad, iPhone, or similar device this is a very handy guide. Written by Elizabeth Minchilli, a resident of Rome, it's full of good insider tips and recommendations about where to eat and drink.
If you're interested in small, family-run cafes and bars, this is a very nice book. Nice black and white photos illustrate the cafes and there are interesting stories about both the cafes and the neighborhoods. It's a good coffee table or gift book as well as a companion for snacking and drinking in Rome.
If you're looking for recipes for something you had in Rome, check this directory on our Italian Food site.
Katie Parla, who has lived in Rome for nine years, writes a blog about food. Her Rome section has many useful entries about eating in Rome. She has also published an app called Rome for Foodies and .
This is a more general guide about eating in Italy, what to expect at Italian restaurants, and Italian food.
