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Italy
PDF ebook
Edition 11th Edition
Release Date Feb 2014
Pages 976
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For symbols used on maps, see the Map Legend.
How to Use This Book
Look for these symbols to quickly identify listings:
These symbols give vital information for 
each listing:
 Must-visit recommendation
 Sustainable or green recommendation
 No payment required
SURVIVAL GUIDE
Your at-a-glance reference
Vital practical information 
for a smooth trip.
937
D
IR
EC
TO
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Y
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O
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936
D
IR
EC
TO
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Y
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I S
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S
 Austrian Embassy/Consulate 
 Rome (%06 844 01 41; www.
aussenministerium.at/rom; 
Via Pergolesi 3); Milan (%02 
78 37 43; www.aussenministe-
rium.at/mailandgk; Piazza del 
Liberty 8/4)
 Canadian Embassy (www.
canadainternational.gc.ca/
italy-italie) 
 French Embassy/Consulate 
 Rome (%06 68 60 11; www.
ambafrance-it.org; Piazza 
Farnese 67); Milan (%02 655 
91 41; www.ambafrance-it.
org/-Milan-; Via della Moscova
 
12; mTurati); Naples (%081 
598 07 11; www.ambafrance-it.
org; Via Francesco Crispi 86) 
 Turin (%011 573 23 11; www.
ambafrance-it.org; Via Roma 
366) 
 German Embassy/Consulate 
 Rome (%06 49 21 31; www.
rom.diplo.de; Via San Martino 
della Battaglia 4); Milan (%02 
623 11 01; www.mailand.diplo.
de; Via Solferino 40; mMos-
cova); Naples (%081 248 85 
11; www.neapel.diplo.de; Via 
Francesco Crispi 69)
 Irish Embassy (%06 585 
23 81; www.ambasciata-irlanda
.
it; Villa Spada, Via Giacomo 
Medici 1 , Rome) 
 Japanese Embassy/Consulate 
 Rome (%06 48 79 91; www.
it.emb-japan.go.jp; Via Quintino
 
Sella 60); Milan (%02 624 11 
41; www.milano.it.emb-japan.
go.jp; Via Cesare Mangili 2/4; 
mTurati)
 Dutch Embassy/Consulate 
 Rome (%06 3228 6001; www.
olanda.it; Via Michele Mercati 
8); Milan (%02 485 58 41; Via 
Gaetano Donizetti 20)
 New Zealand Embassy/Con-
sulate Rome (%06 853 75 
01; www.nzembassy.com; Via 
Clitunno 44); Milan (%02 
7217 0001; www.nzembassy.
com/italy; Via Terraggio 17; 
mCadorna)
 Slovenian Embassy/Consulate 
 Rome (%06 8091 4310; www.
rim.veleposlanistvo.si; Via 
Leonardo Pisano 10, Rome); 
 Trieste (%040 30 78 55; Via 
San Giorgio 1)
 Swiss Embassy/Consulate 
 Rome (%06 80 95 71; www.
eda.admin.ch/roma; Via 
Barnaba Oriani 61, Rome); 
 Milan (%02 777 91 61; www.
eda.admin.ch/milano; Via 
Palestro 2; mTurati)
 UK Embassy/Consulate Rome 
(%06 4220 0001; ukinitaly.
fco.gov.uk; Via XX Settembre 
80a, Rome); Milan (%06 4220 
2431; Via San Paolo 7; mSan 
Babila); Naples (%081 423 89 
11; Via dei Mille 40)
 US Embassy/Consulate Rome 
(%06 4 67 41; italy.usembassy.
gov; Via Vittorio Veneto 121, 
Rome); Florence (%055 26 
69 51; italy.usembassy.gov; 
Lungarno Vespucci 38, Flor-
ence); Milan (%02 29 03 51; 
http://milan.usconsulate.gov; 
Via Principe Amedeo 2/10; 
mTurati); Naples (%081 583 
81 11; italy.usembassy.gov; 
Piazza della Repubblica)
 Food
 For detailed information on
 
eating in Italy see the chap-
ters Eat & Drink Like a Loca
l 
(p 39 ) and The Italian Table 
(p 924 ).
 Gay & Lesbian 
Travellers
 Homosexuality is legal in 
Italy and well tolerated in th
e 
major cities. Overt displays
 
 Anything over the limits 
must be declared on arrival 
and the appropriate duty 
paid. On leaving the EU, non
-
EU citizens can reclaim any 
value-added tax on expensi
ve 
purchases.
 Discount Cards
 Those under 18 and over 65 
may get free admission to 
many galleries and cultural 
sites and visitors aged be-
tween 18 and 25 often qualif
y 
for a 50% discount (some-
times only for EU citizens).
Special discount cards are 
issued by cities or regions, 
such as Roma Pass (www.
romapass.it; 3 days €34), which
 
offers free use of public tran
s-
port and free or reduced ad-
mission to Rome’s museums
.
 In many places around 
Italy, you can also save mone
y 
by purchasing a biglietto cu-
mulativo, a ticket that allows 
admission to a number of 
associated sights for less tha
n 
the combined cost of separa
te 
admission fees.
 The European Youth Card 
offers thousands of discount
s 
on Italian hotels, museums, 
restaurants, shops and clubs
, 
while a student, teacher or 
youth travel card can save 
money on flights to Italy. Ma
ny 
cards are available from the 
 Centro Turistico Studen-
tesco e Giovanile (CTS; www.
cts.it), a youth travel agency 
with branches throughout 
Italy. The latter three cards 
are available worldwide from
 
student unions, hostelling 
organisations and youth trav
el 
agencies such as STA Travel 
(www.statravel.com).
 Electricity
 Electricity goes by the Europ
e-
an standard of 220-230V, wi
th 
a frequency of 50Hz. Wall ou
t-
lets typically accommodate 
plugs with two or three round
 
pins (the latter grounded, th
e 
former not).
230V/50Hz
 Embassies & 
Consulates
 For foreign embassies and 
 consulates in Italy not listed 
here, look up ‘Ambasciate’ or
 
‘Consolati’. Some countries 
also run honorary consulate
s 
in other cities.
 Australian Embassy/Consulate 
 Rome (%06 85 27 21; www.
italy.embassy.gov.au; Via Anto-
nio Bosio 5); Milan (%02 7767 
4200; www.austrade.it; Via 
Borgogna 2; mSan Babila)
230V/50Hz
 PRACTICALITIES
 Weights and measurements Me
tric
 Smoking Banned in all enclosed 
public spaces
 Newspapers The major national 
dailies are centre-left; try R
ome-based La Republicca, 
and the liberal-conservative
, Milan-based Corriere della Sera.
 Radio Tune into Vatican Radio (w
ww.radiovaticana.org; 93.3
 FM and 105 FM in the Rom
e 
area; in Italian, English and 
other languages) for a rund
own of what the pope is up 
to; 
or state-owned Italian RAI-1
, RAI-2 and RAI-3 (www.rai.
it), which broadcast all over
 the 
country and abroad. Comm
ercial stations such as Rom
e’s Radio Centro Suono (www.
centrosuono.com) and Radio Città
 Futura (www.radiocittafutura.it), N
aples’ Radio Kiss 
Kiss (www.kisskissnapoli.it) and Mi
lan-based left-wing Radio Popola
re (www.radiopopo-
lare.it) are all good for contem
porary music.
 TV Channels include state-run RAI
-1, RAI-2 and RAI-3 (www.rai
.it) and the main commercia
l 
stations Canale 5 (www.canale5.me
diaset.it), Italia 1 (www.italia1.medias
et.it) and Rete 4 (www.
rete4.mediaset.it) run by Silvio 
Berlusconi’s Mediaset comp
any, as well as La 7 (www.la7.it).
 YOUTH, STUDENT & TEACHE
R CARDS 
 CARD W
EBSITE COS
T ELIGIB
ILITY
 European Youth Card 
(Carta Giovani)
 europeanyouthcard.org; 
cartagiovani.it
 €11 und
er 30yr
 International Student 
Identity Card (ISIC)
 www.isic.org US$
25, UK£9, €13 full-time
 student
 International Teacher 
Identity Card (ITIC)
 US$
25, UK£9, €10–18 full-time
 teacher
 International Youth 
Travel Card (IYTC)
 US$
25, UK£9, €13 under 26
yr
 EATING PRICE RANGES
 The following price ranges u
sed throughout this
book 
refer to a meal of two cours
es, a glass of house wine, 
and coperto (cover charge) for one per
son.
 € under €25
 €€ €25–45
 €€€ over €45
 These gures represent a h
alfway point between 
expensive cities such as Mi
lan and Venice and the 
considerably cheaper town
s across the south. Indeed,
 
a restaurant rated as midra
nge in rural Sicily might be 
considered dirt cheap in Mi
lan. Note that most eating 
establishments add coperto of around
 €2 to €3. Some 
also include a service charg
e (servizio) of 10% to 15%.
UNDERSTAND 
Get more from your trip
Learn about the big picture, to 
make sense of what you see.
and included people’s prim
ary residences, and there-
fore shouldered most of th
e blame.
 Berlusconi’s Trials & Tribu
lations
 However, sensationally, in
 the summer of 2013, Ber
-
lusconi was successfully co
nvicted of tax fraud, having
 
exhausted the appeals pr
ocess. The Supreme Cour
t 
upheld his one-year sente
nce, but sent another par
t 
of the sentence – the five-
year bar on holding publi
c 
office – back to the Court
 of Appeal, so at the time
 
of writing he was still ab
le to continue in politics
. 
Though it’s worth conside
ring that successful convic
-
tion may not be the end 
of Berlusconi as a leader:
 
Beppe Grillo, who is unab
le to stand for governmen
t 
due to a manslaughter ch
arge following a car acci-
dent, continues to lead the
 Five Star Movement from
 
the sidelines.
 Berlusconi has been facing
 trial over several cases, 
including tax evasion and 
bribery, but the most sensa
-
tional trial is ‘Rubygate’. In
 it, Berlusconi is accused o
f 
paying for sex with Karim
a El Mahroug, a nightclub
 
dancer nicknamed Ruby R
ubacuori (Ruby Heartsteal
-
er), while she was still 17 
and therefore an underag
e 
prostitute. The encounters
 reputedly took place at so
-
called bunga bunga session
s; sex parties held at sever-
al of Berlusconi’s villas. Be
rlusconi is further accused
 
of providing false informa
tion to a Milan police chie
f 
in order to release El Mahr
oug from detention on un-
related theft charges (he 
allegedly claimed she was
 
the granddaughter of Pre
sident Mubarak of Egypt)
. 
In May 2013 a prosecutor
 in Milan told a court tha
t 
Mr Berlusconi paid Ruby €
4.5 million in late 2010.
 Despite his prosecution a
nd the numerous other 
ongoing cases, the former
 cruise-ship crooner insist
s 
that the claims are part of
 a plot orchestrated by the
 
political left. But could it 
be that Italy’s tumultuous
 
relationship with Il Cavali
ere (‘the Knight’) is finally
 
in its death throes?
 The Economy
 The country is suffering ec
onomically and ordinary I
tal-
ians are feeling the pain o
f austerity measures coup
led 
with seemingly perpetual 
recession. In addition gove
rn-
ments continue to be frag
ile and divided. As taxes a
nd 
prices have risen, opportu
nities for employment ha
ve 
shrunk and wages flatlin
ed; life in Italy is bleak 
for 
many. In 2013, one news s
tory among many seemed
 to 
encapsulate the woes of t
he country: a couple in th
eir 
60s from Civitanova Marc
he committed suicide, una
ble 
to struggle on any longer o
n their small pension.
 2013 Elections
 The rise of former comed
ian Beppe Grillo’s Five St
ar 
Movement, backed by 1 in
 4 voters in the February 2
013 
elections, is an indication
 of how disillusioned Itali
ans 
are, particularly the young
, with traditional politics. R
e-
sults from the election we
re inconclusive, resulting i
n a 
hung parliament.
 Though ex–prime ministe
r Silvio Berlusconi did no
t 
take office in 2013, he reta
ined a hold on power, as E
n-
rico Letta’s new right-left 
coalition depends on the s
up-
port of Berlusconi’s People
 of Freedom (PdL) moveme
nt. 
It may seem incredible to
 outsiders, observing Berl
us-
coni’s scandal-mired life, b
ut opinion polls continue 
to 
put the PdL movement ou
t in front.
 The Dreaded IMU
 Besides Berlusconi’s relat
ive charisma and the co
un-
try’s fear of change, Berl
usconi’s enduring popula
rity 
may have been in part du
e to his promise to repay 
the 
unpopular Imposta Muni
cipale Unica (IMU), a tax
 on 
properties. Never mind t
hat Berlusconi’s governm
ent 
originally introduced the t
ax (to apply to second hom
es 
and commence in 2014). T
he subsequent prime min
is-
ter, Mario Monti, accelera
ted the introduction to 20
12 
93 would be Italian
4 would be Albanian & Eastern 
European
1 would be North African
2 would be Others
if Italy were
100 people 
Roman Catholics
Muslims
Other Religions
Other Christians
87
1.5
3.5
4
belief systems
(% of population)
91
ITALYROME
USA
population per sq km
≈ 30 people
 POPULATION : 61.5 MILLION 
 AREA: 301,230 SQ KM
 NUMBER OF UNESCO WOR
LD 
HERITAGE SITES: 45
 AVERAGE CUPS OF COFFE
E 
PER PERSON PER YEAR: 600
 Best Contemporary Son
gs 
 ‘Le Radici Ca Tieni’ (Sud Sound Sys-
tem; 2003) Radical southern gr
oup 
sing about not forgetting your r
oots in 
a ragga-traditional music mash
 up.
 ‘Nel blu dipinto di blu (Volare)’ 
(Domenico Modugno; 1958) Inf
ernally 
catchy, eternally sunny Eurovis
ion hit.
 ‘Ride on Time’ (Black Box; 1989) 
Seminal Italo-house track storm
ed 
the dance  oors in the late ’80s
.
 ‘Albachiara’ (Vasco Rossi; 1979) The 
poetic, rock Italian singer-songw
riter’s 
biggest hit.
 Best Blogs 
 Beppe Grillo (www.beppegrillo.it/
en/) Game-changing comedic a
nd 
political musings of controversi
al 
comedian turned political leade
r.
 Italian Politics with Watson (http://
italpolblog.blogspot.se) Clear-c
ut 
and insightful discussions of po
litical 
intrigues and intricacies.
 La Tavola Marche (www.latavola
marche.blogspot.co.uk) Americ
an 
expat chef and food writer write
 on 
local cuisine and delicious recip
es.
 The Blonde Salad (www.theblonde-
salad.com) In uential fashion b
log-
ging by a Milanese student.
 Italy may be the beautiful coun
try, but, regardless of their poli
tics and circumstances, lo-
cals join in lamenting its state, c
oncurring that the country is in
 an economic and political 
quagmire. Politics have long bee
n a problem, with notoriously un
stable governments – Ber-
lusconi, with a record five-year s
tretch, was the longest serving p
rime minister since WWII. 
Unemployment rose from 6.2%
 in 2007 to 10.9% in 2012, wh
ile Italy’s public debt had 
soared above 130% of GDP in 2
013
 Italy
Today
875
874
ON THE ROAD
Your complete guide
Expert reviews, easy-to-use 
maps and insider tips.
R
O
M
E &
 LA
Z
IO
 R
O
M
E
R
O
M
E &
 LA
Z
IO
 
R
O
M
E &
 LA
Z
IO
 
 Why Go?
 Even in a country of exq
uisite cities like Italy, Ro
me is 
special. An ancient capit
al that has triumphed th
rough 
three thousand years of t
umultuous history, it’s a 
beauti-
ful, chaotic sprawl of haun
ting ruins, monumental ba
silicas 
and awe-inspiring art. Bu
t while history reverbera
tes all 
around, modern life is live
d to the full – priests in de
signer 
shades walk through the V
atican talking into smartp
hones, 
scooters scream through 
medieval alleyways, fashi
onable 
drinkers sip aperitivi on baroque piazza
s. A busy cultural 
calendar and thriving und
erground scene ensure the
re’s al-
ways something going on.
 But for all its appeal, Rom
e can be exhausting
and w
hen 
it all starts to get too much
, it’s time to change gear an
d head 
out of town. The surroun
ding, often overlooked La
zio re-
gion offers natural beauty
 and cultural riches rangin
g from 
sandy beaches and volcan
ic islands to ancient ruins
, Etrus-
can tombs and remote hill
top monasteries.
 Rome & Lazio
 Top Roman Sights
 With so many world-class
 monuments, galleries and
 muse-
ums in Rome, it can be di
fficult to decide which to v
isit. To 
help you, here’s our select
ion of must-see sights. The
 Colos-
seum is an obvious choic
e, as are the Vatican Mus
eums – 
one of the world’s great mu
seum complexes and home
 to the 
Sistine Chapel. Adjacent to
 the museums, St Peter’s B
asilica 
is the most important chu
rch in the Catholic world
 and a 
treasure trove of Renaissa
nce and baroque art. 
 If you like baroque art, yo
u’ll love the Museo e Gall
eria 
Borghese and Piazza Navo
na. Not far from the piaz
za, the 
Pantheon is the best pre
served of Rome’s ancient
 monu-
ments. For the city’s finest
 ancient art check out the
 Museo 
Nazionale Romano: Palaz
zo Massimo alle Terme a
nd the 
Capitoline Museums on 
Piazza del Campidoglio. 
Nearby, 
ancient ruins lie littered 
across the atmospheric P
alatino 
(Palatine Hill).
 And, of course, to ensure th
at you return to Rome, be s
ure 
to throw a coin into the Tr
evi Fountain.
 DAY TRIPS FROM ROME
 The surrounding Lazio regi
on harbours some excep-
tional sights, most within ea
sy day-trip distance of the 
capital. Nearest of all are th
e beautifully preserved ruin
s 
of Ostia Antica, ancient Rome’s m
ain port town. To 
the east of Rome, and easily
 accessible by bus or car, 
Tivoli is home to Villa Adriana, t
he vast summer 
residence of the emperor H
adrian, and Villa d’Este, 
famed for its fabulous foun
tains. Slightly further aeld
, 
Lazio’s Etruscan treasures 
are quite special. The easi-
est to get to are in Cerveteri, but p
ush on up to Tar-
quinia and you’ll be rewarded with
 some truly amazing 
frescoed tombs. On Rome’s
 southern doorstep, the 
charming town of Frascati is popu
lar with day-tripping 
Romans who come to take 
the hilltop air and taste the 
local porchetta (herb-roasted pork) an
d white wine.
 Outstanding Works of Art
  Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Si
stine Chapel are among 
the world’s most famous w
orks of art.
  Raphael’s great masterpiece La Scuola
 di Atene (The 
School of Athens) hangs in 
the Stanze di Raffaello (Rap
hael 
Rooms) in the Vatican Muse
ums.
  Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s sculpture
s at the Museo e Galleria 
Borghese show a genius at 
the top of his game.
  Caravaggio’s St Matthew cycle in
 the Chiesa di San Luigi 
dei Francesi features his sig
nature chiaroscuro (the bol
d 
contrast of light and dark) s
tyle.
 CATACOMBS
 Visit the creepy cata-
combs on Via Appia 
Antica to see where 
Rome’s pioneering 
Christians buried their 
dead. Hundreds of 
thousands of tombs 
line the pitch-black 
tunnels.
 Best Viewpoints
  Il Vittoriano (p 78 ) 
  Dome of St Peter’s 
Basilica (p 105 )
  Priorato dei Cavalieri di 
Malta (p 98 )
  Gianicolo (p 124 )
 Lazio’s Hidden 
Gems
  Monastero di San 
Benedetto (p 160 ), Subiaco
  Palazzo Farnese (p 158 ), 
Caprarola
  Museo Archeologico 
Nazionale di Palestrina 
(p 159 ) 
  Civita di Bagnoregio (p 158 )
 Resources
  060608 (www.060608.
it) Rome’s official tourist 
website.
  Coopculture (www.
coopculture.it) Information
 
and ticket booking for 
Rome’s monuments.
  Vatican Museums 
(http://mv.vatican.va) 
Book tickets and avoid the 
queues.
  Auditorium (www.
auditorium.com) Check 
concert listings for the 
Auditorium Parco della 
Musica.
 When to Go
 Apr Sunshine, 
 Easter celebra-
tions, Rome’s 
birthday, and 
azaleas on the 
Spanish Steps.
 May–Jul Rome’s 
festival calendar 
gets into full 
swing as summer 
temperatures 
soar.
 Sep–Oct Still 
warm but the 
crowds die down 
and RomaEuropa 
theatre festival 
rolls into town.
F
DNOSAJJMAMJ
Rome
°C/°F Temp
Rainfall inches/mm 
0
8/200
2/50
4/100
6/150
10/50
0/32
-10/14
30/86
20/68
 Best Places to 
Eat
  L’Asino d’Oro (p 132 ) 
  Open Colonna (p 133 ) 
  Pizzarium (p 136 ) 
  Enoteca Provincia Romana 
(p 126 ) 
  Colline Emiliane (p 129 ) 
 Best Places to 
Stay
  Palm Gallery Hotel (p 125 ) 
  Blue Hostel (p 123 ) 
  Hotel Sant’Anselmo (p 124 ) 
  Arco del Lauro (p 124 ) 
  Villa Spalletti Trivelli (p 123 ) 
Rome ........................... 66
Lazio ........................... 151
Ostia Antica ................ 151
Tivoli ...........................153
Cerveteri .....................154
Tarquinia .....................154
Civitavecchia ..............155
Viterbo ........................155
Castelli Romani ..........158
Palestrina ...................159
South Coast............... 160
Isole Pontine............... 161
63
4 easy-to-use sections
PLAN YOUR TRIP
Your planning tool kit
Photos & suggestions to help 
you create the perfect trip.
 Festa dell’Uva e del Vino In 
early October the wine town of 
Bardolino is taken over by wine
 
and food stalls. (p 288 )
 VinItaly Sample exceptional, 
rarely exported blends at Italy’s
 
largest annual wine expo. (p 392
 )
 Museo del Vino a Barolo Ex-
plore the history of wine throug
h 
art and  lm at Barolo’s wine 
museum. (p 221 )
 Colli Orientali and Il Carso 
These two wine-growing areas i
n 
Friuli Venezia Giulia are making
 
international waves for their 
Friuliano and blended ‘super-
whites’. Taste test at an osmize 
(rustic pop-up). (p 413 )
 Valpolicella and Soave Wine 
tastings in these two Veneto 
regions are free and fabulous. 
(p 395 )
 Alto Adige’s Weinstraße A 
valley trail where native grapes 
Lagrein, Vernatsch and Gewürz
-
traminer thrive alongside well-
adapted imports pinot blanc, 
sauvignon, merlot and caberne
t.
(p 324 )
 Villas & Palaces
 Palazzo Reale di Caserta As 
seen in Star Wars; the Italian ba-
roque’s spectacular swansong.
 
(p 663 )
 Rome Don’t miss Palazzo e 
Galleria Doria Pamphilj (p 90 ), 
Palazzo Farnese (p 84 ) and 
Palazzo Barberini(p 89 ).
 Palazzo Reale di Capodimonte 
Art and blue-blooded ego collid
e 
at this hilltop palazzo in former 
royal capital Naples. (p 653 )
 Palazzo Ducale The doge’s 
Venetian palace comes with a 
golden staircase and interroga-
tion rooms. (p 340 )
 Villa Maser Andrea Palladio 
and Paolo Veronese conspired 
to create the Veneto’s  nest 
country mansion. (p 392 )
 Reggia di Venaria Reale Pied-
mont’s sprawling Savoy palace 
inspired French rival Versailles. 
(p204)
 Palazzi dei Rolli A collection of 
42 Unesco-protected lodging 
palaces in Genoa. (p 166 )
 Villa Romana del Casale See 
where the home decor obses-
sion began with this Roman 
villa’s 3500-sq-metre mosaic 
 oor. (p 824 )
 Il Vittoriale degli Italiani 
Gabriele d’Annunzio’s estate 
would put a Roman emperor to
 
shame. (p 283 )
 Markets
 Porta Nolana Elbow your way 
past singsong  shing folk, fra-
grant bakeries and bootleg CD 
stalls for a slice of Neapolitan 
street theatre. (p647)
 Pescaria Shop for lagoon speci-
alities in Venice’s 600-year-old 
 sh market. (p 367 )
 Mercato di Ballarò Fruit,  sh, 
meat and veg stalls packed 
under striped awnings down 
cobbled alleys: Palermo’s mar-
ket is more African bazaar than
 
Italian mercato. (p 773
)
 Porta Portese A modern 
commedia dell’arte takes place 
every Sunday between vendors
 
and bargain hunters at Rome’s 
mile-long  ea market. (p 146 )
 Arezzo On the  rst weekend 
of every month, Arezzo hosts 
Italy’s oldest and biggest 
antiques market. (p 559 )
 Luino Straddling the eastern 
shore of Lago Maggiore, Luino i
s 
home to one of northern Italy’s
 
largest  ea markets, held weekl
y 
on Wednesdays. (p 267 )
 Porta Palazzo Turin’s outdoor 
food market is the continent’s 
largest. (p 209 )
 Islands & Beaches
 Counting all its offshore 
islands and squiggly in-
dentations, Italy’s coastlin
e 
stretches 7600km from th
e 
sheer cliffs of the Cinque 
Terre, down through 
Rimini’s brash resorts to 
the bijou islands in the 
Bay of Naples and Puglia’s
 
sandy shores.
 Puglia Italy’s best sandy 
beaches, including the gorgeou
s 
Baia dei Turchi and the cliff -
backed beaches of the Gargano
. 
(p 704 )
 Aeolian Islands Sicily’s seven 
volcanic islands sport hillsides 
of silver-grey pumice, black 
lava beaches and lush green 
vineyards. (p 785 )
 Borromean Islands Graced 
with villas, gardens and wander
-
ing peacocks, Lago Maggiore’s 
trio of islands are sublimely 
re ned. (p 261 )
 Sardinia Take your pick of our 
favourite beaches, including the
 
Aga Khan’s personal fave, Spiag
-
gia del Principe. (p862)
 Procida Pretty, pastel-hued Pro-
cida makes cinematographers 
swoon. (p 672 )
 Rimini Swap high culture for 
raves on the beach in Rimini. 
(p464)
 Elba This island sits at the 
heart of the Parco Nazionale 
Arcipelago Toscano, Europe’s 
largest marine park. (p 524 )
 Gardens
 Italy’s penchant for the 
‘outdoor room’ has been 
going strong since Roman
 
 Medieval Hill 
Towns
 Asolo Perched mountainside 
in the northeast Veneto region, 
Asolo’s nickname is ‘the town o
f 
100 vistas’. (p 392 )
 Umbria and Le Marche Medieval 
hill towns galore: start with 
Spello and Spoleto, and end wit
h 
Todi and Urbino. (p 566 )
 Montalcino A Tuscan hill town 
lined with wine bars pouring the
 
area’s celebrated Brunello wine
s. 
(p 551 )
 Erice Splendid coastal views 
from the hilltop Norman castle 
make this western Sicily’s most
 
photogenic village. (p 829 )
 San Gimignano Skyscraping 
towers make this picture-perfec
t 
town look like a medieval Hong 
Kong or Manhattan. (p 544 )
 Ravello Lording over the Amal 
Coast, this cultured jewel has 
wowed the best of them, from 
Wagner to Capote. (p 693 )
 Maratea A 13th-century borgo 
(medieval town) with pint-sized
 
piazzas, winding alleys and 
startling views across the Gulf o
f 
Policastro. (p 748 )
 Puglia From the Valle d’Itria to 
the sierras of the Salento, Pugli
a 
is dotted with biscuit-coloured 
hilltop villages. (p 704 )
 Wine Tasting
 From Etna’s elegant white
s 
to Barolo’s complex reds, 
Italian wines are as varied
 
as the country’s terrain. 
Sample them in cellars, ov
er 
long, lazy lunches or dedi-
cate yourself to a full-blow
n 
tour.
 Tuscan wine routes Discover 
why Chianti isn’t just a cheap 
table wine left over from the 
1970s. (p 538 )
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(Top) Antiques market, Arezzo (p559)
(Bottom) Ravello (p693), Amal Coast
27
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All reviews are ordered in our authors’ preference, 
starting with their most preferred option. Additionally:
Sights are arranged in the geographic order that we 
suggest you visit them and, within this order, by author 
preference.
Eating and Sleeping reviews are ordered by price 
range (budget, midrange, top end) and, within these 
ranges, by author preference.
1 Sights
r Beaches
2 Activities
C Courses
T Tours
z Festivals &Events
4 Sleeping
5 Eating
6 Drinking
3 Entertainment
7 Shopping
8 Information & Transport
% Telephone number
h Opening hours
p Parking
n Nonsmoking
a Air-conditioning
i Internet access
W Wi-fi access
s Swimming pool
v Vegetarian selection
E English-language menu
c Family-friendly
# Pet-friendly
g Bus
f Ferry
j Tram
d Train
I SBN 978 -1 -74220 -729 -2
9 781742 207292
99725
Umbria &
Le Marche
(p566)
Sicily
(p765)
Sardinia
(p831) Puglia, Basilicata
& Calabria
(p704)
Abruzzo &
Molise
(p621)
Emilia-Romagna
& San Marino
(p429)
Florence &
Tuscany
(p472)
Liguria,
Piedmont & the
Italian Riviera
(p162)
Rome &
Lazio
(p62)
Milan &
the Lakes
(p238)
Friuli
Venezia Giulia
(p403)
Naples &
Campania
(p638)
Venice &
the Veneto
(p332)
Trento &
the Dolomites
(p300)
Italy
THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY 
Cristian Bonetto 
Abigail Blasi, Kerry Christiani, Gregor Clark, Duncan Garwood, Paula 
Hardy, Virginia Maxwell, Brendan Sainsbury, Helena Smith, 
Donna Wheeler
Welcome to Italy . . . . . . . . .6
Italy Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 
Italy’s Top 18 . . . . . . . . . . .10 
Need to Know . . . . . . . . . 20
First Time Italy . . . . . . . . 22
What’s New . . . . . . . . . . . 24
If You Like… . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Month by Month . . . . . . . 29
Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Eat & Drink 
Like a Local . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Outdoor Experiences . . . 46
Travel with Children . . . . 54
Regions at a Glance . . . . .57
ROME & LAZIO . . . . . 62
Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Lazio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151
Ostia Antica . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Tivoli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Cerveteri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Tarquinia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Civitavecchia . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Viterbo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Castelli Romani . . . . . . . . 158
Palestrina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
South Coast . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Isole Pontine . . . . . . . . . . . 161
LIGURIA, PIEDMONT 
& THE ITALIAN 
RIVIERA . . . . . . . . . . 162
Liguria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Genoa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Around Genoa . . . . . . . . . . 177
Riviera di Levante . . . . . . . 179
Cinque Terre . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Around Cinque Terre . . . . 191
Riviera di Ponente . . . . . . 193
Piedmont . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Turin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
The Milky Way . . . . . . . . . . 212
Southern & 
Eastern Piedmont . . . . . . 214
Varallo & 
the Valsesia . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Valle d’Aosta . . . . . . . . . 227
Aosta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Courmayeur . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Parco Nazionale del 
Gran Paradiso . . . . . . . . . . 235
Valtournenche . . . . . . . . . 237
MILAN & 
THE LAKES . . . . . . . 238
Milan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Around Milan . . . . . . . . . . .260
The Lakes . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Lago Maggiore . . . . . . . . . 261
Lago d’Orta . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Lago di Como . . . . . . . . . . 269
Lago d’Iseo . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Lago di Garda . . . . . . .
. . . 279
The Po Plain . . . . . . . . . 288
Bergamo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Brescia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Mantua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .294
Cremona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
TRENTO & THE 
DOLOMITES . . . . . . 300
Trentino . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Trento . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Rovereto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Brenta Dolomites . . . . . . .308
Val di Non, Val di Sole 
& Val di Rabbi . . . . . . . . . . 313
Val di Fiemme . . . . . . . . . . 315
Val di Fassa . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Alto Adige 
(Südtirol) . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Bolzano (Bozen) . . . . . . . . 317
Merano (Meran) . . . . . . . . 322
Val Venosta 
(Vinschgau) . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Parco Nazionale 
dello Stelvio . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Val Gardena (Gröden/
Gherdëina) . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Alpe di Siusi & 
Parco Naturale 
Sciliar-Catinaccio . . . . . . . 327
Val Badia & 
Alpe di Fanes . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Val Pusteria 
(Pustertal) . . . . . . . . . . . . .330
 PLAN 
YOUR TRIP ON THE ROAD
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CLASSIC ITALIAN DESIGN 
P284
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CINQUE TERRE P183
Contents
VENICE & 
THE VENETO . . . . . . 332
Venice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
The Veneto . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Brenta Riviera . . . . . . . . . .380
Padua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Vicenza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .386
Verona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Verona’s Wine 
Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Prosecco Country . . . . . .396
Veneto Dolomites . . . . . . . 397
FRIULI VENEZIA 
GIULIA . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Trieste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .405
Muggia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
Il Carso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
Gorizia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
Palmanova . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
Aquileia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Grado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Around Grado . . . . . . . . . . 417
Laguna di Marano . . . . . . 417
Lignano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
Pordenone . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
Sacile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Udine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Cividale del Friuli . . . . . . . 425
San Daniele 
del Friuli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .426
North of Udine . . . . . . . . .426
Tolmezzo & Carnia . . . . . . 427
Tarvisio & 
the Giulie Alps . . . . . . . . . .428
EMILIA-ROMAGNA 
& SAN MARINO . . . . 429
Emilia-Romagna . . . . . . 431
Bologna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
West of Bologna . . . . . . . .443
East of Bologna . . . . . . . . 455
San Marino . . . . . . . . . . 470
FLORENCE & 
TUSCANY . . . . . . . . . 472
Florence . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475
Northwestern 
Tuscany . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508
Pisa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .508
Lucca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 515
Viareggio . . . . . . . . . . . . . .520
Pietrasanta . . . . . . . . . . . .520
Livorno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521
Isola d’Elba . . . . . . . . . . . . 524
Central Tuscany . . . . . . 526
Siena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527
Chianti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538
Val d’Elsa . . . . . . . . . . . . . .544
Val d’Orcia & 
Val di Chiana . . . . . . . . . . . 551
Southern Tuscany . . . . . 556
Massa Marittima . . . . . . . 556
Città del Tufa . . . . . . . . . . . 557
Eastern Tuscany . . . . . . 559
Arezzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 559
Sansepolcro . . . . . . . . . . . 562
Cortona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .564
UMBRIA & 
LE MARCHE . . . . . . . 566
Umbria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567
Perugia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567
Torgiano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 578
Lago Trasimeno . . . . . . . . 578
Todi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 581
Assisi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583
Spello . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .590
Gubbio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 591
Spoleto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 594
Norcia & 
the Valnerina . . . . . . . . . . . 598
Orvieto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 599
Le Marche . . . . . . . . . . . 605
Ancona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .605
Parco del Conero . . . . . . .609
Urbino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 610
Pesaro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 614
Grotte di Frasassi . . . . . . . 615
Macerata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 615
Ascoli Piceno . . . . . . . . . . 617
Monti Sibillini . . . . . . . . . . 619
Sarnano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .620
ABRUZZO & 
MOLISE . . . . . . . . . . 621
Abruzzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . 624
Parco Nazionale del 
Gran Sasso e Monti 
della Laga . . . . . . . . . . . . . 624
Sulmona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 624
Parco Nazionale 
della Majella . . . . . . . . . . . 627
Scanno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 628
Parco Nazionale 
d’Abruzzo, Lazio e 
Molise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .630
Pescara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631
Chieti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 633
Vasto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .634
Molise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 634
Campobasso . . . . . . . . . . .634
Around Campobasso . . . . 635
Saepinum . . . . . . . . . . . . . 635
Isernia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 635
Around Isernia . . . . . . . . .636
Termoli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .636
Albanian Towns . . . . . . . . . 637
NAPLES & 
CAMPANIA . . . . . . . . 638
Naples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 641
Bay of Naples . . . . . . . . 663
Capri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .663
Ischia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 670
Procida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 672
South of Naples . . . . . . 673
Ercolano & 
Herculaneum . . . . . . . . . . 673
Mt Vesuvius . . . . . . . . . . . . 675
Pompeii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 676
Sorrento . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 682
West of Sorrento . . . . . . . 685
Amalfi Coast . . . . . . . . . 686
Positano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 687
Praiano & Furore . . . . . . .690
Amalfi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 691
Ravello . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 693
South of Amalfi . . . . . . . . . 695
Costiera Cilentana . . .
. 699
Agropoli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .699
Parco Nazionale 
del Cilento e 
Vallo di Diano . . . . . . . . . . 702
PUGLIA, 
BASILICATA & 
CALABRIA . . . . . . . . 704
Puglia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 705
Bari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 707
Around Bari . . . . . . . . . . . . 711
Promontorio del 
Gargano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 714
Isole Tremiti . . . . . . . . . . . . 720
Valle d’Itria . . . . . . . . . . . . 721
Lecce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 726
Brindisi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 731
Southern & 
Western Salento . . . . . . . . 734
Basilicata . . . . . . . . . . . . 739
Matera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 740
Potenza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 747
Appennino Lucano . . . . . . 747
Basilicata’s 
Western Coast . . . . . . . . . 748
Calabria . . . . . . . . . . . . . 749
 
Northern 
Tyrrhenian Coast . . . . . . . 750
Cosenza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 751
Parco Nazionale 
della Sila . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 753
Ionian Coast . . . . . . . . . . . 758
Parco Nazionale 
dell’Aspromonte . . . . . . . . 759
Reggio di Calabria . . . . . . 759
Southern 
Tyrrhenian Coast . . . . . . . 762
SICILY . . . . . . . . . . . 765
Palermo . . . . . . . . . . . . . 769
Around Palermo . . . . . . . . 782
Tyrrhenian Coast . . . . . 783
Cefalù . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 783
Aeolian Islands . . . . . . . 785
Lipari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 785
Vulcano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 788
Salina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 789
Stromboli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 791
Ionian Coast . . . . . . . . . 793
Taormina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 793
Catania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 798
Mt Etna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .804
Syracuse & 
the Southeast . . . . . . . . 805
Syracuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . .805
Noto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 813
Modica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 814
Ragusa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 816
Central Sicily & the 
Mediterranean 
Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 817
Agrigento . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 817
Western Sicily . . . . . . . . 821
Marsala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 821
Selinunte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 825
Trapani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 825
ON THE ROAD
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Contents
Erice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 829
Segesta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .830
SARDINIA . . . . . . . . 831
Cagliari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 835
Around Cagliari . . . . . . . 841
Villasimius . . . . . . . . . . . . .842
Costa Rei . . . . . . . . . . . . . .842
Nora & Around . . . . . . . . .843
Costa del Sud & Around . . .843
Iglesias & 
the Southwest . . . . . . . . 844
Iglesias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .844
Around Iglesias . . . . . . . . . 845
Iglesiente Coast . . . . . . . . 845
Carbonia & Around . . . . . 845
Sant’Antioco & 
San Pietro . . . . . . . . . . . . .846
Costa Verde . . . . . . . . . . . . 847
Oristano & the West . . . 847
Oristano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 847
Barumini & Around . . . . .850
Sinis Peninsula . . . . . . . . .850
North Oristano Coast . . . 851
Alghero & 
the Northwest . . . . . . . . 853
Alghero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 853
Around Alghero . . . . . . . . . 856
Porto Torres . . . . . . . . . . . . 857
Stintino & Parco 
Nazionale dell’Asinara . . . 857
Sassari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 857
Around Sassari . . . . . . . . .860
Olbia, the Costa 
Smeralda & 
the Gallura . . . . . . . . . . . 861
Olbia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 861
Golfo Aranci . . . . . . . . . . . .862
Costa Smeralda 
& Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 862
Santa Teresa di Gallura . .863
Palau & Arcipelago 
di La Maddalena . . . . . . . .864
Nuoro & the East . . . . . 865
Nuoro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 865
Supramonte . . . . . . . . . . . 867
Golfo di Orosei . . . . . . . . . 870
Ogliastra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 871
Italy Today . . . . . . . . . . . 874
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 876
Italian Art & 
Architecture . . . . . . . . . 892
The Italian Way 
of Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .912
Italy on Page 
& Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . 920
The Italian Table . . . . . . 924
Directory A–Z . . . . . . . . 932
Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . 945
Language . . . . . . . . . . . . 953
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 961
Map Legend . . . . . . . . . . .974
SPECIAL FEATURES
Eat & Drink Like 
a Local . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
3D Roman Forum 
Illustration . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Shakespeare’s 
Veneto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
Chianti Wine Tour . . . . 540
3D Pompeii 
Illustration . . . . . . . . . . 678
Renaissance Art . . . . . . 898
Via 
Sacra
Tempio di 
Giulio Cesare
Campidoglio 
(Capitoline Hill)
Colonna di Foca 
& Rostrum 
The free-standing, 13.5m-high 
Column of Phocus is the Forum’s 
youngest monument, dating to 
AD 608. Behind it, the Rostrum 
provided a suitably grandiose 
platform for ponti cating public 
speakers.
Tempio di Saturno
Ancient Rome’s Fort Knox, the Temple of Saturn was the city 
treasury. In Caesar’s day it housed 13 tonnes of gold, 114 
tonnes of silver and 30 million sestertii worth of silver coins.
Arco di Tito
Said to be the inspiration for the Arc de 
Triomphe in Paris, the well-preserved Arch 
of Titus was built by the emperor Domitian 
to honour his elder brother Titus.
Basilica di Massenzio
Marvel at the scale of this vast 4th-century 
basilica. In its original form the central hall was 
divided into enormous naves; now only part of the 
northern nave survives.
Casa delle Vestali
White statues line the grassy atrium of what was once the luxurious 
50-room home of the Vestal Virgins. The virgins played an important 
role in Roman religion, serving the goddess Vesta.
Curia
This big barnlike 
building was the 
offi cial seat of the 
Roman Senate. Most 
of what you see is a 
reconstruction, but 
the interior marble 
 oor dates to the 
3rd-century reign of 
Diocletian.
Arco di Settimio 
Severo
One of the Forum’s 
signature monuments, 
this imposing triumphal 
arch commemorates 
the military victories 
of Septimius Severus. 
Relief panels depict his 
campaigns against the 
Parthians.
Tempio di 
Castore e Polluce
Only three columns of 
the Temple of Castor 
and Pollux remain. The 
temple was dedicated to 
the Heavenly Twins af-
ter they supposedly led 
the Romans to victory 
over the Etruscans.
Casa d
White sta
50-room
role in Ro
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Admission
Although valid 
for two days, 
admission tick-
ets only allow 
for one entry 
into the Forum, 
Colosseum and 
Palatino.
Julius 
Caesar RIP
Julius Caesar 
was cremated 
on the site 
where the 
Tempio di Giulio 
Cesare now 
stands.
LO
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TOP TIPS
 » Get grandstand views of the Forum 
from the Palatino and Campidoglio.
 » Visit first thing in the morning or late 
afternoon; crowds are worst between 
11am and 2pm.
 » In summer it gets hot in the Forum 
and there’s little shade, so take a hat 
and plenty of water.
Roman 
Forum
In ancient times, a forum was a 
market place, civic centre and religious 
complex all rolled into one, and the 
greatest of all was the Roman Forum 
(Foro Romano). Situated between the 
Palatino (Palatine Hill), ancient Rome’s 
most exclusive neighbourhood, and the 
Campidoglio (Capitoline Hill), it was the 
city’s busy, bustling centre. On any given 
day it teemed with activity. Senators 
debated aff airs of state in the Curia , 
shoppers thronged the squares and 
traffi c-free streets, crowds gathered 
under the Colonna di Foca to listen 
to politicians holding forth from the 
Rostrum . Elsewhere, lawyers worked 
the courts in basilicas including the 
Basilica di Massenzio , while the 
Vestal Virgins quietly went about their 
business in the Casa delle Vestali .
Special occasions were also celebrated 
in the Forum: religious holidays were 
marked with ceremonies at temples such 
as the Tempio di Saturno and the 
Tempio di Castore e Polluce , and 
military victories were honoured with 
dramatic processions up Via Sacra and 
the building of monumental arches like 
the Arco di Settimio Severo and the 
Arco di Tito .
The ruins you see today are impressive 
but they can be confusing without a clear 
picture of what the Forum once looked 
like. This spread shows the Forum in 
its heyday, complete with temples, civic 
buildings and towering monuments to 
heroes of the Roman Empire.
SURVIVAL 
GUIDE
UNDERSTAND
SISTINE CHAPEL, ROME 
P66
Cultural Riches
The French may rightfully brag about Paris, 
but Italy’s showstopping cities include 
Venice, Florence and Rome. Epicentre of 
the Roman Empire and birthplace of the 
Renaissance, this sun-kissed over-achiever 
groans under the weight of its cultural 
catalogue: it’s in Italy that you’ll find 
Michelangelo’s David and Sistine Chapel 
frescoes, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and 
Primavera, da Vinci’s The Last Supper, and 
the classic villas of Andrea Palladio. And we 
haven’t even mentioned the chariot-grooved 
streets of Pompeii, the Byzantine mosaics of 
Ravenna, or Giotto’s revolutionary frescoes 
in Padua.
Bella Vita
In few places do art and life intermingle so 
effortlessly. This may be the land of Dante, 
Titian and Verdi, but it’s also the home 
of Prada, Gualtiero Marchesi and Renzo 
Piano. Beauty, style and flair furnish every 
aspect of daily life, from those immacu-
lately knotted ties and perfect espressos, to 
the flirtatious smiles of striking strangers. 
The root of Italian pathology is a dedication 
to living life well and, effortless as it may 
seem, driving that dedication is a reverence 
for the finer things. So slow down, take 
note, and indulge in a little bella vita.
Buon Appetito
It might look like a boot, but food-obsessed 
Italy feels more like a bountiful table. From 
delicate tagliatelle al ragù to velvety can-
noli, every bite feels like a revelation. The 
secret: superlative ingredients and strictly 
seasonal produce. And while Italy’s culinary 
soul might be earthy and rustic, it’s equally 
ingenious and sophisticated. Expect some of 
the world’s top fine-dining destinations, from 
San Pellegrino ‘World’s 50 Best’ hot spots to 
Michelin-starred musts. So whether you’re 
on a degustation odyssey in Modena, truffle 
hunting in Piedmont, or simply swilling pow-
erhouse reds at Rome’s International Wine 
Academy, prepare to swoon.
Luscious Landscapes
Italy’s fortes extend beyond its galleries, 
plates and wardrobes. The country is one 
of Mother Nature’s darlings, its geography 
offering rarely rivalled natural diversity. 
From the north’s icy Alps and glacial lakes 
to the south’s volcanic craters and turquoise 
grottoes, this is a place for doing as well as 
seeing. One day you’re tearing down Cour-
mayeur’s powdery slopes, the next you could 
be riding cowboy-style across the marshes 
of the Maremma, or diving in coral-studded 
Campanian waters. Not bad for a country 
not much bigger than Arizona. 
If you get it right, travelling in the bel 
paese (beautiful country) is one of those 
rare experiences in life that cannot be 
overrated.
Welcome to 
Italy
6
D
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Why I Love Italy
By Cristian Bonetto, Author
Italy’s 20 regions feel more like 20 independent states, each with its own dialects, traditions, 
architecture and glorious food. From nibbling on knödel in an Alto Adige chalet, to explor-
ing souk-like market streets in Sicily, the choices are as diverse as they are seductive. Then 
there’s the country’s incomparable artistic treasures, which amount to more than the rest 
of the world put together. It’s hard not to feel a little envious sometimes, but it’s even harder 
not to fall madly in love.
For more about our authors, see page 976
7
Above: Malcesine (p279), Lago di Garda 
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Italy’s 
Top 18
10
Eternal Rome
1 Once caput mundi (capital of the world), Rome was legendarily spawned 
by a wolf-suckled wild boy, grew to be 
Western Europe’s first superpower, 
became the spiritual centrepiece of the 
Christian world, and is now the reposi-
tory of over two and a half thousand years 
of European art and architecture. From 
the Pantheon (p79) and the Colosseum 
(p67) to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel 
(p112) and countless works by Caravaggio, 
there’s simply too much to see in one visit. 
So, do as countless others have done be-
fore you: toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain 
(p89) and promise to return. Below left: St 
Peter’s Basilica
Virtuoso Venice
2 Step through the portals of Basilica di San Marco (p337) and try to imagine 
what it might have been like for a humble 
medieval labourer glimpsing those glit-
tering gold mosaic domes for the first 
time. It’s not such a stretch – seeing the 
millions of tiny gilt tesserae (hand-cut 
glazed tiles) fuse into a singular heavenly 
vision can make every leap of human 
imagination since the 12th century seem 
comparatively minor. Below right: Domed roof of 
Basilica di San Marco
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Touring Tuscany
3
Italy’s most romanticised region, Tus-cany was tailor-made for aesthetes. 
According to Unesco, Florence (p475) 
contains ‘the greatest concentration of 
universally renowned works of art in the 
world’, from Brunelleschi’s Duomo to Masa-
ccio’s Cappella Brancacci frescoes. Beyond 
its museums and flawless Renaissance 
streetscapes sprawls an undulating won-
derland of regional delights, from the Gothic 
majesty of Siena, to the Manhattan-esque 
skyline of medieval San Gimignano, to the 
vine-laced hills of Italy’s most famous wine 
region, Chianti. Below: Ponte Vecchio, Florence
Amalfi Coast
4 Italy’s most celebrated coastline is a bewitching blend of superlative 
beauty and gripping geology: coastal 
mountains plunge into milky blue sea in a 
prime-time vertical scene of precipitous 
crags, sun-bleached villages and lush 
forests. While some may argue that the pe-
ninsula’s most beautiful coast is Liguria’s 
Cinque Terre or Calabria’s Costa Viola, it 
was the Amalfi Coast (p686) that Ameri-
can writer John Steinbeck described as a 
‘dream place that isn’t quite real when you 
are there and...beckoningly real after you 
have gone’. Right: Positano, Amalfi Coast
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Ghostly Pompeii
5 Nothing piques human curiosity quite like a 
mass catastrophe and few 
can beat the ruins of Pom-
peii (p676), a once-thriving 
Roman town frozen in time 
2000 years ago in its death 
throes. Wander through 
Roman streets, snoop-
ing around the forum, the 
erotically frescoed brothel, 
the 5000-seat theatre and 
the sumptuous Villa dei 
Misteri, and ponder Pliny 
the Younger’s terrifying 
account of the tragedy: 
‘Darkness came on again, 
again ashes, thick and 
heavy. We got up repeat-
edly to shake these off; 
otherwise we would have 
been buried and crushed 
by the weight’. Left: Statue at 
the Casa dei Vettii, Pompeii
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Mighty Museums
6 Browse through any art-history textbook to highlight seminal move-
ments in Western art, from classical to 
metaphysical. All were forged in Italy by a 
roll call of artists including Giotto, da Vinci, 
Michelangelo, Botticelli, Bernini and Cara-
vaggio. Find the best of them in Rome’s 
Museo e Galleria Borghese (p113) and 
Vatican Museums (p109), Florence’s Uffizi 
(p477), Venice’s Gallerie dell’Accademia 
(p345), Milan’s Museo del Novecento 
(p243) and Naples’ Palazzo Reale di Ca-
podimonte (p653). Below: Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Tackling the Dolomites
7 Scour the globe and you’ll find plenty of taller, bigger and more geologically 
volatile mountains, but few can match 
the romance of the pink-hued, granite 
Dolomites (p300). Maybe it’s their harsh, 
jagged summits, the vibrant skirts of 
spring wildflowers or the rich cache of 
Ladin legends. Then again, it could just 
be the magnetic draw of money, style and 
glamour at Italy’s most fabled ski resort, 
Cortina d’Ampezzo (p401). Whatever the 
reason, this tiny pocket of northern Italy 
takes seductiveness to dizzying heights.
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Savouring 
Emilia-Romagna
8 They don’t call Bologna (p431) ‘la grassa’ (the 
fat one) for nothing. Many 
of Italy’s classics call this 
city home, from mortadella 
and meat-stuffed tortellini, 
to its trademark tagliatelle 
al ragù. Shop for produce 
in the deli-packed Quadril-
atero, and side-trip-it to the 
city of Modena (p443) for 
world-famous aged bal-
samic vinegar. Just leave 
room for a trip to Parma 
(p448), hometown of par-
migiano reggiano cheese 
and the incomparable pro-
sciutto di Parma. Wherever 
you plunge your fork, toast 
with a glass or three of the 
region’s renowned Lam-
brusco or sauvignon blanc. 
Neapolitan 
Street Life
9 Nowhere else in Italy are people as con-
scious of their role in the 
theatre of everyday life as 
in Naples (p641). And in no 
other Italian city does daily 
life radiate such drama and 
intensity. Naples’ ancient 
streets are a stage, cast 
with boisterous matri-
archs, bellowing baristas 
and tongue-knotted lov-
ers. To savour the flavour, 
dive into the city’s rough-
and-tumble Porta Nolana 
market, a loud, lavish opera 
of hawking fruit vendors, 
wriggling seafood, and the 
irresistible aroma of just-
baked sfogliatelle (sweet-
ened ricotta pastries).
Escaping to 
Paradiso
10 If you’re pining for a soothing retreat, 
wear down your hiking 
boots on the 724km of 
marked trails and mule 
tracks traversing Gran Para-
diso (p235). Part of the 
Graian Alps and the first of 
Italy’s national parks, Gran 
Paradiso’s pristine spread 
encompasses 57 glaciers 
and Alpine pastures awash 
with wild pansies, gentians 
and Alpenroses, not to men-
tion a healthy population 
of Alpine ibexes for whose 
protection the park was 
originally established. The 
eponymous Gran Paradiso 
mountain (4061m) is the 
park’s only peak, accessed 
from tranquil Cogne.
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Sardinian Shores
11 The English language fails to accurately 
describe the varied blue, 
green and, in the deep-
est shadows, purple hues 
of Sardinia’s seas. While 
models, ministers and 
permatanned celebrities 
wine, dine and sail along 
the glossy Costa Smeralda, 
much of Sardinia (p831) 
remains a wild, raw play-
ground. Slather on that 
sunscreen and explore the 
island’s rugged coastal 
beauty, from the tumble-
down boulders of Santa 
Teresa di Gallura and the 
wind-chiselled cliff face 
of the Golfo di Orosei, to 
the windswept beauty of 
the Costa Verde’s dune-
backed beaches. Top left: 
Spiaggia Scivu, Costa Verde
Hiking the 
Italian Riviera
12 For the sinful inhabitants of 
Monterosso, Vernazza, 
Corniglia, Manarola and 
Riomaggiore – the five 
villages of the Cinque Terre 
(p183) – penance involved 
a lengthy and arduous hike 
up the vertiginous cliffside 
to the local village sanctu-
ary to appeal for forgive-
ness. Scale the same trails 
today, through terraced 
vineyards and hillsides 
smothered in macchia 
(shrubbery) and, as the 
heavenly views unfurl, it’s 
hard to think of a more 
benign punishment. 
Living Luxe on 
Lago di Como
13 If it’s good enough for George Clooney, 
it’s good enough for mere 
mortals. Nestled in the 
shadow of the Rhaetian 
Alps, dazzling Lago di 
Como (p269) is the 
most spectacular of the 
Lombard lakes, its vain 
Liberty-style villas home 
to movie moguls, fashion 
royalty and Arab sheikhs. 
Surrounded on all sides by 
lush greenery, the lake’s 
siren calls include the 
gardens of Villa Melzi 
d’Eril, Villa Carlotta and 
Villa Balbianello, which 
blush pink with camellias, 
azaleas and rhododen-
drons in April and May. 
Above: Villa
Balbianello
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Skiing the Alps
14 It might be Italy’s smallest and least 
populous region, but what 
the Valle d’Aosta (p227) 
lacks in width it more than 
makes up for in height. In-
deed, this picture-perfect 
valley is ringed by the icy 
peaks of some of Europe’s 
highest natural skyscrap-
ers, from Mont Blanc and 
the Matterhorn, to Monte 
Rosa and Gran Paradiso. 
It’s equipped with some 
of the best skiing facilities 
on the continent, and hit-
ting the slopes here is an 
international affair, with 
hair-raising descents into 
France, Switzerland or 
Piedmont from the A-list 
resorts of Courmayeur, 
Cervinia and Monterosa.
Savoy Palace Envy
15 It wasn’t all Florence and the Medici or 
Rome and the Borghese, 
darling. In Turin (p197), 
Savoy princes had a similar 
penchant for extrava-
gant royal palaces. While 
Turin’s Palazzo Madama 
and Palazzo Reale are 
sucker-punching enough, 
they barely hold a candle to 
Italy’s mini-Versailles, the 
Reggia di Venaria Reale. In 
fact, Duke Carlo Emanuele 
II’s oversized hunting lodge 
is one of the largest royal 
residences in Europe, its 
mammoth €200-million 
restoration involving the 
preservation of 1022 sq 
metres of frescoes and 
139,400 sq metres of stuc-
co and plasterwork. Above 
top right: Reggia di Venaria Reale
Murals & Mosaics
16 Often regarded as just plain ‘dark’, the 
Italian Middle Ages had 
an artistic brilliance that’s 
hard to ignore. Perhaps it 
was the sparkling hand-cut 
mosaic of Ravenna’s Byz-
antine basilicas (p460) that 
provided the guiding light, 
but something inspired 
Giotto di Bondone to leap 
out of the shadows with his 
daring naturalistic frescoes 
in Padua’s Cappella degli 
Scrovegni (p381) and the 
Basilica di San Francesco 
(p583) in Assisi. He gave 
the world a new artistic 
language and then it was 
just a short step to Masac-
cio’s Trinity (p485) and the 
dawning light of the Renais-
sance. Above right: Basilica di 
Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna
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Baroque Lecce
17 There’s baroque, and then there’s barocco leccese (Lecce baroque), the 
hyperextravagant spin-off defining many 
Puglian towns. Making it all possible was the 
local stone, so soft that art historian Cesare 
Brandi claimed it could be carved with a 
penknife. Craftspeople crowded facades 
with swirling designs, gargoyles and strange 
zoomorphic figures. Queen of the crop is 
Lecce’s Basilica di Santa Croce (p728), so 
insanely detailed the Marchese Grimaldi 
said it made him think a lunatic was having a 
nightmare. Below: Basilica di Santa Croce
Scaling Mount Etna
18 Known to the Greeks as the ‘col-umn that holds up the sky’, Mt 
Etna (p804) is not only Europe’s largest 
volcano, it’s one of the world’s most ac-
tive. The ancients believed the giant Tifone 
(Typhoon) lived in its crater and lit the sky 
with spectacular pyrotechnics. At 3329m 
it literally towers above Sicily’s Ionian 
coast. Whether you tackle it on foot or on 
a guided 4WD tour, scaling this time bomb 
rewards with towering views and the secret 
thrill of having come cheek-to-cheek with a 
towering threat.
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19
#
#
#
#
#
Milan
GO Dec–Mar (skiing),
Jan & Sep
Rome
GO Apr–May,
Jul & Nov–Dec
Venice
GO Feb–Mar &
Sep–Nov
Naples
GO May–Jun
& Sep
Palermo
GO Sep–Oct
Dry climate
Warm to hot summer, mild winter
Warm to hot summer, cold winter
Mild summer, cold winter
Cold climate
When to Go
High Season 
(Jul–Aug)
 ¨ Queues at big 
sights and on the 
road, especially in 
August .
 ¨ Prices also rocket 
for Christmas, New 
year and Easter .
 ¨ Late December to 
March is high season 
in the Alps and 
Dolomites .
Shoulder 
(Apr–Jun & Sep–Oct)
 ¨ Good deals on 
accommodation, 
especially in the 
south .
 ¨ Spring is best for 
festivals, flowers and 
local produce .
 ¨ Autumn provides 
warm weather and 
the grape harvest .
Low Season 
(Nov–Mar)
 ¨ Prices up to 30% 
less than in high 
season .
 ¨ Many sights 
and hotels closed 
in coastal and 
mountainous areas .
 ¨ A good period for 
cultural events in 
large cities .
Currency
Euro (€)
Language
Italian
Visas
Generally not required 
for stays of up to 90 days 
(or at all for EU nation-
als); some nationalities 
need a Schengen visa .
Money
ATMs at every airport, 
most train stations and 
widely available in towns 
and cities . Credit cards 
accepted in most hotels 
and restaurants .
Mobile Phones
European and Australian 
phones work; others 
should be set to roam-
ing . Use a local SIM card 
for cheaper rates on 
local calls .
Time
Central European Time 
(GMT/UTC plus one hour)
Room Tax
Visitors may be charged 
an extra €1 to €5 per 
night ‘room occupancy 
tax’ (see p933) .
Need to Know
For more information, see Survival Guide (p931)
20
Useful Websites
Lonely Planet (www .
lonelyplanet .com/italy) 
Destination information, hotel 
bookings, traveller forum 
and more . 
Trenitalia (www .trenitalia .com) 
Italian railways website . 
Agriturismi (www .agriturismi .
it) Guide to farm 
accommodation . 
Slow Food (www .slowfood .com) 
For the best local producers, 
restaurants and markets . 
Enit Italia (www .italiantourism .
com) Official Italian-government 
tourism website .
Important 
Numbers
To dial listings in the book 
from outside Italy, dial your 
international access code, 
Italy’s country code (%39) 
then the number (including 
the ‘0’) .
Italy’s country code %39
International ac-
cess code 
%00
Ambulance %118
Police %113 
Fire %115 
Exchange Rates
Australia A$1 €0 .69
Canada C$1 €0 .71
Japan ¥100 €0 .75
NZ NZ$1 €0 .61
Switzerland Sfr1 €0 .81
UK UK£1 €1 .19
US US$1 €0 .73
For current exchange rates 
see www .xe .com .
Daily Costs
Budget: 
Less than €100
 ¨ Dorm bed: €15–30
 ¨ Double room in a budget 
hotel: €50–110
 ¨ Pizza or pasta: €6–12
Midrange: 
€100–€250
 ¨ Double room in a hotel: 
€110–200
 ¨ Lunch and dinner in local 
restaurants: €25–50
 ¨ Admission to museum €4–15
Top End: 
More than €250
 ¨ Double room in a four- or 
five-star hotel: €200–450
 ¨ Top restaurant dinner: 
€50–150
 ¨ Opera ticket €40–200
Opening Hours
Opening hours vary throughout 
the year . We’ve provided high-
season hours; hours decrease in 
the shoulder and low seasons . 
In this guide, ‘summer’ times 
generally refer to the period 
from April to September or 
October, while ‘winter’ times 
run from October or November 
to March . 
Banks 8 .30am–1 .30pm and 
3 .30–4 .30pm Monday to Friday
Restaurants noon–2 .30pm and 
7 .30–11pm or midnight
Cafes 7 .30am–8pm
Bars and clubs 10pm–4am
Shops 9am–1pm and 4–8pm 
Monday to Saturday
Arriving in Italy
Fiumicino airport (Rome; p148) 
 ¨ Express train: €14; every 30 
minutes, 6 .38am to 11 .38pm
 ¨ Bus: €4 to €7; 5 .35am to 
12 .30am, plus night services at 
1 .15am, 2 .15am, 3 .30am and 5am
 ¨ Taxi: €48 set fare; 45 
minutes
Malpensa airport (Milan; p258) 
 ¨ Express