Venice, Padua, Verona and the Veneto Region - October 7th to 15th
Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi Coast has been described in its glory and magnificence by the great writer Giovanni Boccaccio. The wealth of natural beauty, art and the architectural characteristics, make the Amalfi Coast one of most celebrated places on earth.
Positano is probably the most amazing village of the Amalfi Coast and will not fall short of your expectations for its incomparable beauty. It is positioned at the centre of the Gulf, with houses and villas built on terraces, amongst beautiful gardens planted with palm trees, orange and lemon groves. Positano is internationally well known for its clothing production too. Walking along the picturesque lanes of the village you can find many little, but elegant boutiques, which are almost everywhere on both sides of the streets.
Ravello has a very romantic cityscape is characterized by Moorish style elements and is defined by medieval alleyways, stylish villas, and blooming gardens. The market square with San Pantaleone Cathedral is its heart. Not far from the cathedral is Villa Rufolo. Built in the 13th century, the villa is characterized by Byzantine and Arabic elements and attracts many visitors. Villa Cimbrone is also particularly lovely. It was built in the 14th century and is characterized by several different architectural styles.
Vietri sul Mare
Vietri sul Mare is situated a few miles from Salerno, and just below Monte San Liberatore overlooking the sea. Underlying the town is the Marina of Vietri, with a large shore with many shops, restaurants and beach facilities, and a Saracen Tower in the middle. The territory is crossed by the Bonea river and has the typical Mediterranean vegetation of chestnut and leech trees, accompanied by the cultivation of grapevines and citrus trees.
Roman historians situated the Etruscan town of Marcina in the area of Vietri, probably a port serving Nuceria. Excavations have also brought to light items in the Corinthian style, a Roman spa at the Marina, and Roman walls at the Fonti cape now covered by sea waters. These ancient findings are also confirmed by the medieval name of "Locus Veteri" which is the origin of the present name. Throughout the Middle Ages, Vietri was under Salerno, then passed under the influence of the Abbey of S. Trinitá in Cava and was included in Cava de' Tirreni from the 16th century to 1806 when it was granted municipality status.
The main monument is the Church of San Giovanni Battista (St.John the Baptist with its elegant dome covered with majolica. It has a wide aisle and a latin cross shape. In the church,you can see an old greek Cross, from the XV century.
Vietri is famous above all for its ceramics handicraft, that has always been very flourishing. Historical references of the "maiolicari" and their furnaces located around Vietri are numerous. The most ancient written documentation belongs to the XV century, when Vietri was one of the main centers of a larger productive area including also Cava, Nocera and Salerno. The main archaeological remains of this period have been recovered in the Abbey of the near town of Cava dei Tirreni.
There are other hamlets in the territory of Vietri sul Mare: Molina - whose name is derived from the mills (mulini) working here since the Middle Ages; Albori - a characteristic village hanging on the Eastern side of a pictoresque valley under Mount Falerio; Raito - overlooking the Gulf of Salerno with an elegant parish church S. Maria delle Grazie built in the XVI century with some precious frescoes by Solimena.
In Raito, inside the tower rising in the park of Villa Guinigi, there is the Museum of Ceramics, where you are exposed to pieces of Vietri's production from the 17th century up to present days. At Dragonea there are the Caves of San Cesareo, with characteristic rocky shapes created by water erosion. Inside one of those caves there are the remains of an ancient chapel.
Sorrento
The town of Sorrento is wonderfully located over white steep cliffs and offers a fantastic view over the Bay of Naples. Sorrento lies on a Tufa terrace and is enclosed by impressive rocks of the limestone mountains. For 2000 years already visitors from all over the world have been attracted to Sorrento by breathtaking sunsets and fragrances of orange and lemon gardens. The small fishing harbor of Marina Grande is especially beautiful in the low season, where one can sense the naturalness of Sorrento.
Typical products from Sorrento are produced with the famous local lemons. Limoncello, a very tasty lemon liqueur, lemon chocolate, colorful ceramic articles with lemon motives or lemon soap. One should also try the over 70 different ice cream flavours of Gelateria Bougainvillea. One is tempted to shop by the small street Via S. Cesareo, the heart of Sorrento.
The summit of the peninsula of Sorrento is only about 5 km away from Capri, which can be easily reached from the Harbor Marina Piccola. Also Ischia and Procida, of which the silhouettes can be seen on clear days, can be reached very quickly per speedboat. Sorrento is also the terminus of the Circumvesuviana, a small train with its start in Naples. One can reach Pompeii and Herkulaneum by this rail in about thirty minutes and Naples in circa one hour's time.
The old centre of Sorrento shows the usual Greek and Roman plan, with parallel streets around the main axes (decumanus and cardo maximus) of Via San Cesareo and Via Tasso, running straightly to the cardinal points. It partially keeps the original plan, nowadays occupied mainly by souvenir shops and tourist services, and partially has been cleared by the construction of the main road of Corso Italia, done at the end of the 19th century and which crosses Sorrento from point to point.
Between Corso Italia and Via San Cesareo there are some of the most representative buildings in the history of Sorrento. The Cathedral, seat for the Archbishop of Sorrento, was restructured several times but it saved an interesting Aragonese portal of the 15th century. Nearby there is the campanile (a dislocated bell tower), with a medieval structure but decorated in the 18th century. On the decuman there is the Sedile Dominova, the only example of the medieval parliaments by noblemen (introduced by the Angevins) which has remained in the whole gulf of Naples, called either Seggi or Sedili (Seats).
Piazza Tasso on the Corso Italia is the unavoidable crossroads to reach every place in Sorrento. But the administrative and religious centre of Sorrento is Piazza Sant'Antonino: on the opposite sides of this square there are the Town Hall, housed inside the Old Orphanage by the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie (Our Lady of Graces), and the Basilica of Sant'Antonino: in the crypt it is kept the reliquary of Sant'Antonino Abate, the patron saint of the city, portrayed also by the statue in the middle of the square.
The Marina Grande, which was the only seafaring village in Sorrento until the 15th century, is located on the mouth of the ravine closing on the west the old city and crossed on top by the bridge of Parsano, from where it started the Via Minerva (Athena's Road) leading to the sanctuary of Athena on the Punta Campanella. Marina Grande is separated from the centre of Sorrento by the promontory which housed the Roman villa of Agrippa Postumus. The Marina Grande of Sorrento has been touched only partially by the touristic development which has instead changed radically the Marina Piccola. It has better saved its peculiarity of seafaring suburb, thanks to the character of its inhabitants, who have always formed a community much united and tenaciously attached to their traditions.
Paestum
Paestum was founded in 600 B.C. by Greeks from Sybaris, and contains some of the most stunning and well preserved greek ruins in the world. Paestum was established about 9 kilometers to the south of the river Sele on a plateau of travertine, which also provided the building material for the town walls and the temples. The outlines of this plateau correspond to the course of the town walls. The Sele formed a natural border to the area situated in the north, which was at that time controlled by the Etruscans.
The Greek settlers called the city Poseidonia in honor of the Greek sea God Poseidon. In spite of the name, Poseidonia probably did not have an important harbor. It was, at that time, separated from the sea by a shallow fresh water lagoon and could be reached only by small ships. Agropoli, which was situated only 6 kilometers to the south, was certainly a better choice for a harbor. The important role of Poseidonia was due to its central place in a very fertile plain. Not Poseidon but Hera, the goddess of fertility, became the predominant divinity of Poseidonia.
At the end of the 5th century B.C. Poseidonia passed over to the Lucanians (who were a local branch of the italic Samnites tribe in this area). Under the Lucanians, Poseidonia was called Paistom. In 273 B.C. the Romans took possession of the city. They renamed it to Paestum and Latin became the official language. A lot of new Roman buildings changed the townscape into Roman. In particular, a Roman forum replaced the Greek agora.
The oldest and most important sanctuary of the entire region was the Heraion established about 570 B.C. It was not before the 20th century that its fragmentary ruins were discovered 9 km north of Paestum in the proximity of the Sele delta. There are some hints which attribute its earliest establishment to Jason and the Argonauts. Only a few years later (about 550 B.C.), the oldest of the three temples of Paestum was built, which was also dedicated to the Greek goddess of fertility Hera (the sister and wife of Zeus). Due to an early mistake it is known today as the "Basilica".
The Poseidon temple (or Neptune temple) is from about 450 B.C., about the same time the Parthenon in Athens was built. This temple is probably the best preserved Doric temple in the world.
The Neptune temple and Basilica are standing directly next to each other thus offering a quite impressive panorama.
Pompeii
Romans took control of Pompeii around 200 BC. On August 24, 79 AD, the Vesuvius Volcano erupted and buried the nearby town Pompeii in ash and soot, killing 2000 people, and preserving the city in its state from that fateful day. Pompeii is an excavation site and outdoor museum of the ancient Roman settlement. This site is considered to be one of the few sites where an ancient city has been preserved in detail - everything from jars and tables to paintings and people were frozen in time, yielding an unprecedented opportunity to see how the people lived two thousand years ago.
Capri
The Isle of Capri is famed as a classy and beautiful destination. It's an island of myths, ranging through Sirens charming seafarers, ancient Roman orgies, dreamy seaviews, 1950s celebrities in big sunglasses, and lazy summer evenings spent browsing in exclusive boutiques alongside the world's elite.
The principal Capri tourist attraction is the island itself; its views, its rocky seashores and its scenic charm. There is plenty of good walking - or strolling - to be done as you explore the island. Top scenic panoramas include views of the Bay of Naples, the Faraglioni Rocks and the Gardens of Augustus. At the ruined Villa Jovis you can see the remains of the Emperor Tiberius's palace, and also the cliffs over which he is reputed to have had his enemies tossed. Back in Capri town, the 14th-century Certosa di San Giacomo is a handsome old monastery-fortress, now hosting a school and art exhibitions. Capri is a great shopping town, with all the big designer names and expensive boutiques.
Rome
Rome is truly one of the greatest cities in the world, an epic city bubbling-over with history and monuments, as well as the most modern fashion, food and style. There are countless major attractions and neighborhoods to visit.
Fontana di Trevi - completed in 1762 to a design by Nicola Salvi, this spectacular Baroque fountain features a mythological sculptural composition of Neptune, god of the sea, flanked by two Tritons. The location of the Trevi fountain marks the terminus of the ancient Aqua Virgo aqueduct, completed in 19 BCE in order to supply the Baths of Agrippa, and is so named on account of its position at the junction of three roads (tre vie). The legend says that one who throws a coin in the fountain shall one day return to Rome.
Piazza Navona - this elongated public square is without doubt the pride of Baroque Rome, completely unspoilt by traffic and modern buildings. Built over the remains of the late 1st century Stadium of Domitian (explaining its shape), the square is a popular place to sip a cappuccino, shop and watch street performers. Behind the piazza at the northern end, you can still see remains of Domition's chariot racing stadium well below the current ground level. Amongst other monuments, the square features two Baroque masterpieces by Bernini and Borromini.
Pantheon - originally built in 27 BCE as a temple to all the gods of the Roman state religion, but has served as a Christian church since the 7th century. It is the only building from the Graeco-Roman world which has remained substantially intact and in continuous use throughout to the present day. The Roman Pantheon has given its name to other monumental buildings in Paris and London, amongst others. The dome is now the third largest masonry dome in the world.
St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter’s Square - The centre of the Catholic world, the magnificent basilica with its Michelangelo designed dome has an awe-inspiring interior. Aside from going inside, you can take an elevator up to the roof and than make a long climb up 323 steps to the top of the dome for a spectacular view. The Piazza di San Pietro is actually an ellipse. There are two stones (one on each side of the square) between the obelisk and the fountains. If you step on either of these stones, the four columns on the colonnades merge into one. The fountains were made by two different architects, Maderno and Bernini.
The Vatican Museum - One of the greatest art galleries in the world, the museum is most famous for its spiral staircase, the Raphael Rooms and the exquisitely decorated Sistine Chapel famous for Michelangelo's frescos.
Colosseum - known properly as the Flavian Amphitheatre, this most famous of Roman landmarks takes its name from the giant statue of the emperor Nero that once stood near this location. Originally capable of seating some 50,000 spectators for animal fights and gladiatorial combats, the amphitheatre was a project started by the Emperor Vespasian in 72 and completed by his son Domitian sometime in the 80s. The Colosseum when completed measured 48 m high, 188 m in length, and 156 m in width. The wooden arena floor was 86 m by 54 m, and covered by sand.
Arch of Constantine - located a short walk west of the Colosseum, this well-preserved monumental arch was erected (sometime soon after 315 AD) to commemorate the victory of Constantine, the first Christian emperor, over his rival Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312. In general design, the Arch of Constantine imitates the century-earlier Arch of Septimius Severus (nearby in the Forum) - the quality of its sculptural decoration, however, betrays the slow degradation that Classical Roman sculpture had experienced in the 3rd century AD.
The Roman Forum - represents the original Forum Romanum, the marketplace and the veritable heart of ancient Rome. Located in a small valley between the Capitoline and Palatine hills, access to the Forum is by foot only, from an entrance on the Via dei Fori Imperiali.
Spanish Steps - a truly monumental stairway of 135 steps located at the Piazza di Spagna , built with French funds between 17211725 in order to link the Bourbon Spanish embassy to the Holy See, with the Bourbon French church (its monastery founded in 1495). The Via Condotti leads up the piazza and is one of Romes most stylish shopping strips.