MILAN

TRAVELLING AROUND ITALY

TRAVELLING AROUND ITALY

Discover the beauties of Italy from the North to the South. There are so many wonderful places to visit for a vacation that can be relaxing but at the same time offer adventure, culture, emotion and experience. Tradition, gastronomy, atmosphere and history are quality and charms that can be found in every Region and in every place waiting to be uncovered. For further information on vacations in Italy, please contact eventi@uvet.com

The sea is everywhere in Capri: it can be seen, heard and even its perfume is perceptible from every part of the island. There are many bathing clubs, at Marina Grande, Marina Piccola, the Faraglioni, near the Blue Grotto, at Punta Carena. But a hundred twisting paths, roads and trails lead down to the sea, to be savoured in full liberty.
Positano is the pearl of Amalfi coast. At the beginning of this century, its particularly lovely setting and mild climate began to attract tourists, initially Parthenopean aristocrats, who built some villas on the slopes of Monte Comune. In more recent years, the city's hotels and sports facilities have been upgraded, thus allowing a grater development of tourism, which is currently the main activity of the people of Positano.

Sorrento is  perched on a dramatic line of steeply rising cliffs, overlooking the Bay of Naples, on a stretch of coastline of great beauty, on the northern slope of the Sorrentine Peninsula. The town is surrounded by orange and lemon groves and lush thickly wooded hills where vines and olives are grown. A deep gorge runs down to the port on the sea. The town has pretty pastel-coloured houses and several quaint small squares.

On a clear day you can see the city of Naples about 25 miles away on the other side of the bay, as well as the slopes of the majestic Mt. Vesuvius, and the island of Ischia.
According to legend, it was at Sorrento that Ulysses heard the tempting song of the Sirens, the nymphs who attempted to seduce passing sailors.
A charming resort in a spectacular setting, the town is exceedingly popular with tourists, many of whom come here every year, using it as base for exploring the Amalfi Coast.
Sorrento is an ideal base for visiting other nearby sights in the region. The town harbour has frequent ferry departures to Capri, Amalfi and Naples, and is within easy reach of the Amalfi Coast, Pompei and the city of Naples. You can easily reach Pompei and Naples by train.

Sardinia: island immersed in the sea, island of natural beauties…… Year after year, its unique colors and ancient traditions conquer millions of visitors who flood this corner of paradise situated in the heart of the Mediterranean.
Sardinia is not only seaside but also uncontaminated environments, culture, traditions, sports and encounters. Tourists want to enjoy its natural environment, historical-artistic patrimony, facilities and unique infrastructure of various tourist segments (congress halls, golf courses, tennis courts, chair-lifts and tourist harbours are just some of the examples).
Sardinia is a region in which time seems to pass more slowly, and where ancient traditions and customs still persist. The “nuraghe,” enigmatic prehistoric constructions, and the ancestral villages sheltered within the mountains of Gennargentu add to the fascination of this island with a thousand faces, always different. The interior is characterized by impervious mountain zones containing wide green valleys covered by scrub, a grassy land with a mixture of myrtle, serpillo, India figs and dwarf oaks.

The coast presents an enchantingly splendid sea, bays and isolated inlets, grottoes, very long stretches of white and pink sand.

Sicily, is an island of great natural beauty. The rolling hills in the interior are awash in colorful wild flowers and there are numerous fields of fragrant orange and lemon trees. Along the shorelines, spectacular rocky cliffs meet the deep blue, tranquil waters of the Mediterranean.
The people of Sicily regard themselves as significantly different from the rest of Italy, both ethnically, culturally and linguistically. Over the centuries, Sicily has been conquered and inhabited by Arabs, Greeks and Normans, among others. This has contributed to a cultural mix that makes the Sicilian people unique, and this is reflected in their dialect, cuisine, architecture, etc. dialetto, cucina, architettura etc.

This is without question Sicily's best known and most popular natural attraction. Mount Etna, with a height of almost 11,000 feet, is the tallest and most active volcano in Europe. Mount Etna is characterized by frequent periods of intermittent activity in the summit area and major eruptions from its flanks every 2-20 years. Guided tours to the mountain are offered daily.

Known as the eternal and capital city of Italy, Rome offers history literally beneath your feet from Etruscan tombs, imperial temples, medieval bell towers and palaces. It is difficult to describe this ancient city, rich in museums, cathedrals, old buildings, etc.

Between the most famous attractions, onescan mention the following:
The Pantheon- The Colosseum- The Trevi Fountain- The Spanish Steps- The Vatican-
St. Peter's Cathedral- The Catacombs of St. Callixtus- The Baths of Caracalla- The Roman Forum- The Spanish Square.

Cities: Perugia is the capital. Other important cities are Assisi, Gubbio, Orvieto, Todi, Spoleto,Terni.
Art: In Umbria the traces of the Etruscan civilization are remarkable, as visitors can see in Todi, Bettona, Orvieto and Perugia. Spoleto has important Roman remains; Spello is a city where the Romans left some impressive remains. Other important Roman works can be found in Assisi and Gubbio. The Romanesque architecture thrived in thins region at the beginning of the twelfth century: some beautiful examples are the Cathedrals of Spoleto and Assisi, St. Silvestro and St. Michele in Bevagna. The Gothic style reached very high levels, and imposing examples are present in almost every city. The Renaissance can be seen in magnificent monuments in Perugia, Gubbio, Todi, but it enjoyed a smaller development than other styles.

To be visited: Rich in history and in nature, Umbria offers the Falls of the Marmore, which are the highest in Italy; the sources of the Clitunno and Mount Subasio. The Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli and the Rocca Maggiore. The ancient city of Spoleto offers the Roman Theater and Druso’s Arch. Near Perugia, people can visit the Ipogeo del Volumni, which is an Etruscan tomb.

Territory: The region stretches over the slope of the Apennines, in front of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Tuscan landscape is mainly mountainous and hilly, with a flat area besides the sea (the Maremma). The coastline presents different aspects, offering both long sandy expanses and headlands. In front of the coast there are the small enchanting islands of the Tuscan archipelago.
Cities: Florence is the capital. Other important cities are Siena, Pisa, Arezzo, Pistoia, Lucca, Livorno, Grosseto, Massa Carrara.
Art: Tuscany is unrivalled as a cradle of all-time art. One can find examples of every age and style: from the Etruscan civilization (Fiesole, Chiusi, Volterra, Populonia) to Roman monuments and ruins; from the Romanesque architecture to the impressive Gothic cathedrals, to the exceptional artistic explosion of the Renaissance.

As well as Rome, Florence offers a lot of nice places to visit, and it’s very hard to list all of them.
Between others, don’t forget to go to:

Bargello Museum - Galleria dell'Accademia-Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore- Church of Santa Croce- Church of San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapels - The Uffizi Gallery -Ponte Vecchio- Pitti Palace- Piazza della Signoria-

The city of Venice is simply stunning and completely unique. Founded more than 1,500 years ago on 117 different islands, Venice is linked by a series of over 150 canals, 400 bridges and many ancient pavements. The historic city centre of Venice is divided into six quarters (sestieri) - Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, San Marco, San Polo and Santa Croce. All buildings in Venice are supported on slender oak and pine piles (posts) which are driven deep into the ground to create a solid foundation. As the soil is waterlogged, with no free oxygen, the piles remain strong and do not decay. Venice is without doubt one of the most beautiful and popular cities in the world and is always admired by the many visitors throughout the year. There are also many interesting towns to explore close to Venice, such as Burano, Murano, Padua, Torcello, Verona and Vicenza.

There are numerous famous Venice attractions and landmarks. Highlights include the Basilica San Marco, Piazza San Marco (San Marco Square), Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace),and the Accademia Gallery, with wonderful masterpieces from the 14th century to the 18th century by world-famous artists, such as Bellini, Giorgione, Rosalba Carriera, Longhi, Picasso, Tintoretto, Titian, Tiziano, Veronese and many others.
With a large number of art galleries in Venice, art lovers can enjoy displays of spectacular paintings and sculptures by well-known artists. Museums are also plentiful in Venice, housing many important collections and countless ancient artefacts. For lovers of fine cuisine, Venice offers a wide selection of excellent restaurants serving delicious Italian food as well as a choice of international cuisine.

The Grand Canal in Venice is a long stretch of water that runs right through the city and is often referred to as 'the most beautiful street in the whole of Venice'. The first bridge ever built over the canal was the Rialto Bridge, which has since become one of the main symbols associated with Venice. Travelling along this canal and the many others is a great way to see the city and there are many different modes of travel available. Public transport in Venice consists mainly of water-buses (vaporetti) and there are also water-taxis (motoscafi), which are faster motorboats.

Since the XVIth century sumptuous summer residences had been built along the banks of rivers and canals within reach of Venice. The Brenta Canal, which linked together with other rivers Venice and Padua, was the fashionable canal, place of enjoyment and ideal continuation of the Grand Canal in Venice, where more than 70 villas were built. Here, not far from the town, the richest noblemen spent their holidays, leaving Venice on board of confortable boats called ' burchielli '- beautiful boats - which sailed up the Brenta canal; the vessels were moved with oars from St. Mark's Square, across the lagoon, to Fusina, and then they were pulled by horses to Padua, across the Brenta Canal. At the end of the XVIIIth century, with the fall of the Republic due to the arrival of Napoleon, the end of the ' sweet life ' in Venice reached also the mainland.