Rialto Market: This Mediterranean fresh produce market has enlivened this quayside since medieval times and is arguably still the best market in the world.

Accademia Galleries: An unsurpassed collection of Venetian paintings, with masterpieces by Titian, Bellini, and Giorgione.  A must, for not only art lovers.

Piazza San Marco: Elegance and opulence sit side by side in what Napoleon named, “the most elegant drawing room in Europe”.  This magnificent square is adorned with monuments that give testimony to Venice’s glorious past.

Basilica San Marco: Venice’s fairytale cathedral is pure Byzantine in essence, while its facade and interior have been embellished with resplendent mosaics and exquisite works of art through the ages.

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There is a museum pass available for some of Venice’s best known museums. It does not include all of them. It is already worthwhile buying it if you intend to visit the two big museums at Saint Marc Square: The Doge’s Palace and Correr Museum. A more expensive pass also including some famous churches and transportation is available at the tourist information.

▪       Correr Museum, San Marco 52 (on San Marco Square), Interesting collection of globes, starting from the 16th century. There is also an only library hall, an archeological museum of Roman antiques and an important picture gallery. At the end of your visit, don’t miss the museum art cafe, with their tables on the San Marco square.

▪       Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale), (San Marco square). Don’t miss the guided tour named Secret Itinerary (€16), which will let you discover the part of the palace where the city’s administration worked, as well as Casanova’s jail and the wonderful five hundred year old roof structure.

▪       La Fenice Theater (Teatro La Fenice), (300 m west of San Marco square),  Visit this historic theater with an audioguide (good explanations in several languages). The theater is an identical reconstruction (rebuilt in 2003) of the previous theater building that burned down in 1996. €7.

▪       Jewish Ghetto of Venice. While racial and ethnic neighborhoods had existed prior to the Venetian Ghetto, Venice’s ghetto was the first “ghetto” (coming from a Venetian word for the Iron Foundry that was on the site previously) and “ghetto” eventually came to mean any neighborhood that was made up of a single ethnic/racial group. Today, Jewish life is still very active in the ghetto, and elsewhere in Venice, and is home to five synagogues. Visiting on Saturdays (the Jewish Sabbath) will prove very fruitless because all shops, restaurants, and other Jewish places will be closed.

▪       The Jewish Museum (Museo Ebraico), Cannaregio 2902/b, ☎ +39 041 715 359 (museoebraico@codesscultura.it, fax: +39 041 72 3007),. Hours:1 June – 30 September: 10AM-7PM 1 October- 31 : 10AM-6PM The Museum is closed on Saturday (Shabbat), during Jewish festivities, on December 25th , on 1st January and on 1 May. Entrance to the Museum: Full price: € 3.00, Reduced price: € 2.00. Entrance to the Museum and Guided Tours to Synagogues: Full price: € 8.50, Reduced price: € 7.00.

▪       Mocenigo Palace (Palazzo Mocenigo), (vaporetto San Stae), Closed on Mondays. A collection of clothes dating from the 18th century. €4.

▪       The Peggy Guggenheim Museum, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni (Located on the Dorsoduro region of Venice, to the east of the Accademia bridge, on the southern side of the Grand Canal), ☎ +39.041.2405.411 (info@guggenheim-venice.it, fax: +39.041.5206.885). Hours: W-M: 10AM-6PM. Closed on Tuesdays and on 25 December. Open on national holidays (including Tuesdays). The Peggy Guggenheim Museum offers a personal collection of modern art collected by Peggy Guggenheim. Peggy was an American married to modern artist Max Ernst, and funded a number of his contemporaries. The gallery includes a sculpture garden and works by Picasso, Kandinsky, Tanguy, Duchamp, Pollock, Dali, and Mondrian. Admission: Adults: €12, Seniors (over 65 years): €10, Students (18 years and under or holders of valid student ID): €7.

▪       Ca’ Pesaro— Beautiful palace housing the gallery of modern art focusing on Italian art in the 19th Century as well as the Marco Pollo Museum, a rich collection mainly of Asian exhibits.

▪       Ca’ Rezzonico— Museum of the 18th Century in Venice – attempts to revive the domestic atmosphere of Venetian nobilities.

▪       Bell tower of St. Mark’s (Campanile di San Marco)— The current tower dates from 1912; an exact replica of the previous tower which collapsed in 1902. The top of the tower offers great views of Venice and the lagoon.

▪       Clock tower (Torre dell’Orologio)— Having been closed for restoration for many years, the restored astronomical clock is now visible. The fascinating tour of the clock mechanism (and rooftop bell) can only be visited on a guided tour.

▪       Scuola grande di San Rocco— A masterpiece of Tintoretto, this guild house is an exquisite example of Manierist art in its best. In order to allow a comfortable admiration of the detailed ceiling mirrors are offered to the visitors.

▪       Galleria dell’Accademia di Venezia— Venice’s most significant art museum which is also one of Italy’s best. A must see! Regular tickets: €6,50, Reduced-price tickets: €3,25, Advanced reservation fee: €1,00.

Other Classical art museums are:

▪       Glass Museum (Museo del Vetro)— On Murano, the island so typical of its glasswork. Closed on Wednesday, 25 December, 1 January. Working hours: 10 – 16 (winter), 10 – 17 (summer). Full price: €6, reduced price: €4.

▪       Goldoni’s House (Casa Goldoni)— House of Venice’ famous playwright.

Lace Museum (Museo del Merletto).

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Voga Longa, the yearly equivalent of a marathon run on water will be held on 31st May 2009 for the next time. Voga Longa competitors must row 32 kilometers under 3.5 hours to receive a certificate of attendance at the finish line, but everybody with a human-powered vessel is welcome to participate (some foreigner teams take up to 10 hours to complete the journey just for the fun of it).

The official purpose of the Voga Longa was to protest the sharply increasing use of powerboats in Venice, but the event has gradually grown into a festival since 1974, with up to 5500 racers in 1500 vessels attending by the early 2000s. The racetrack visits different parts of Venice as well as some of the nearby islands. Locals and tourists lining up alongside rios and canals cheer the racers.

Visitors wishing to participate should have serious experience in rowing or sculling and practice duely, as the journey is physically demanding (even seasoned oarsmen develop calluses by the finish line). The event is mainly for teams, completing Voga Longa on a single oar is considered a major achievement. Extreme participation (scuba frogmen and surface swimmers) sometimes occurs, but it is not recommended due to water contamination issues.

Regata ‘Storica (Historic fleet event) is held on the first Sunday of every September. Celebrating a historic event from 1489, the regatta displays almost a hundred varieties of venetian boats from the city’s rich past. Large oarships, replicating ancient roman and medieval vessels, are rowed along the Canal Grande, followed by many smaller boats. There are several races, including a master championship for solo sculling in streamlined gondolini, painted in unusual white, pink, etc. colours. There are many excellent photo opportunities for this event.

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Spend a day on the islands, mainly Murano, Burano and Torcello. There are boat services to all these islands at scheduled times, including between the islands themselves. Be prepared for long lines and long waits for the boats between islands. The Glass Museum in Murano and the Lace Museum in Burano are certainly worth a visit. In Burano you will find some of the most picturesque streets and houses, with each house sporting a different pastel shade. Its really beautiful. Though there is not much to see in Torcello except for the old church, the peace and tranquility of the island is not to be found anywhere else in Venice! Just walking around on these islands is a nice experience. If you’ve had enough of the hype and the other tourists, hop off the vaporetto at ‘Cimitero’, Venice’s graveyard for a peaceful walk. There is also a free toilet there.

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Take a Gondola if you can afford it: it’s expensive, but the Gondoliere may decrease the price if you ask (but they can also decrease the time…). Make sure you reach an agreement on price and time before you start! A good tip with the Gondolieres is to bargain the price down as low as you can, then say that it’s still too much and walk away. Two or three of them will chase after you, one after the other, each offering a lower price than the last. It’s possible to knock €20-€30 off the price(even then, be prepared to shell out €80).

Some guidebooks discourage tourists from asking for gondola price reductions. The oarsmen have an informal habit of cutting the most interesting and little-known parts from the journey path for “discount” customers. Reduced rate riders get much less marvel in exchange for a moderate price drop, which may not be worth it.  

Gondolier-for-hire business licenses are officially limited to just 430 to 455 rowers in Venice, making the market artificially scarce and inflating prices. Gondola rides are always costly, often in a princely way and that expense should be planned in advance of the visit. If you go as a group it might be cheaper, though the number of people who can be accommodated on a gondola varies, usually up to a maximum of six seated passangers. The “traghetti” holds more, mostly standing, as a pair of gondoliers rows short distances for canal crossing purposes at a number of points along the Grand Canal.

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Venezia

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Acquario di Genova - Vasca delle Razze

The main features of central Genoa include Piazza De Ferrari, around which are sited the Opera and the Palace of the Doges. There is also a house where Christopher Columbus is said to have been born.

• Strada Nuova (now Via Garibaldi), in the old city, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2006. This district was designed in the mid-16th century to accommodate Mannerist palaces of the city’s most eminent families, including Palazzo Rosso (now a museum), Palazzo Bianco, Palazzo Grimaldi and Palazzo Reale. The famous art college, Musei di Strada Nuova and the Palazzo del Principe are also located on this street.

Other landmarks of the city include St. Lawrence Cathedral (Cattedrale di San Lorenzo), the Old Harbour (Porto Antico), transformed into a mall by architect Renzo Piano, and the famous cemetery of Staglieno, renowned for its monuments and statues. The Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art has one of the largest collections of Oriental art in Europe.

Genoa also has a large aquarium located in the above-mentioned old harbour. The port of Genoa also contains an ancient lighthouse, called the “Torre della Lanterna” (i.e., “the tower of the lantern”).

Parks

Genoa has 82,000 square metres of public parks in the city centre, such as Villetta Di Negro which is right in the heart of the town, overlooking the historical centre. Many bigger green spaces are situated outside the centre: in the east are the Parks of Nervi (96,000 sq m.) overlooking the sea, in the west the beautiful gardens of Villa Durazzo Pallavicini (265,000 sq m.). The numerous villas and palaces of the city also have their own gardens, like Palazzo del Principe, Villa Doria, Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Tursi, Palazzo Nicolosio Lomellino, Albertis Castle, Villa Croce, Villa Imperiale Cattaneo, Villa Bombrini, and many more.

Old Harbour

The Porto Antico (“old harbour” in Italian) is the ancient part of the port of Genoa. The Genoese architect Renzo Piano redeveloped the area, restoring the historical buildings (like the Cotton warehouses) and creating new landmarks like the Aquarium, the Bigo and recently the “Bolla” (the Sphere). The main touristic attractions of this area are the famous Aquarium and the Museum of the Sea (MuMA). In 2007 these attractions had almost 1.7 million visitors.

Cibreo, Florence

Florence’s best restaurant has a relaxed elegance fostered by the chatty waiting staff and décor.  They prepare traditional dishes, but with no pasta or roast meats, and they do not spare the peperoncino.  The trattoria branch on Via de’ Macci has a shorter menu from the same kitchen, but the prices are much lower.

Address:            Andrea del Verrocchio

Phone:                        055 234 1100

*Closed Sundays and Mondays in August

Il Latini, Florence

This is the archetypal Tuscan trattoria.  You have all the elements: communal tables under prosciutto hamhocks hanging from beams, a cornucopia of appetizers and pastas and platters piled with roast meats, desserts, grappa and wine.  The drawback is that there is always a crowd at the door.

Address:             Via dei Palchetti

Phone:                        055 210 916

La Bucca di Sant’Antonio, Lucca

The best food in Lucca since 1782.  Here you will find a series of rooms hung with old kitchen implements and musical instruments.  You will experience the friendliest professional welcome of any fine restaurant in Tuscany on-top of the excellent Lucchese cooking.

Address:            Via della Cervia 3

Phone:                        0583 55 881

*Closed Sunday evenings and Mondays

Trattoria le Cave di Mainano, near Fiesole

High in the breeze-kissed hills above Florence, this is the Florentines’ favorites escape for long lunches on the outdoor linden pergola-shaded terrace.  In cold weather, head inside the wood-beamed dining room for well-prepared regional specialties.

Address:            Via Cave di Maiano 16

Phone:                        055 59 133

Hours:                        12:45-3:30pm & 7:45-midnight

Trattoria Sant’Omobono, Pisa

Simple Pisan home cooking at the outdoor market.  The menu is full of Pisan favorites like baccala’ and brachetti alla renaiola, an ancient recipe of pasta squares in pureed turnip greens and smoked fish.

Address:            Piazza Sant’Omobono

Phone:                        050 540 847

*Closed on Sundays

Osteria delle Catene, San Gimignano

Dine a softly lit brick-barreled vault.  Like any good osteria, this one serves great platters of mixed cheeses and cured meats, along with an extensive selection of wines.

Address:            Via Mainardi 18

Phone:                        0577 941 966

Da Bado’, Volterra

This locals’ restaurant sticks to its guns: Volterran dishes made only with ingredients available at market that day.

Address:            Borgo San Lazzero, just outside the walls

Phone:                        0588 86 477

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Coming Soon!
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• The Veronese are keen eaters of horse-meat (cavallo), a local speciality. Pastisada de caval, is a dish of braised horse meat, as is Picula de Caval.
• Pizza is not traditionally eaten locally, but pasta dishes feature widely on restaurant menus. Try Pizzocheri (buckwheat pasta with cheese and sage), casoncelli (a type of ravioli) or bigoli (thick spaghetti).
• Casoela is a pork casserole, and a bollito misto is a mixture of boiled meats, usually served with mostarda, a traditional accompaniment of fruit and vegetables in mustard.

{slide=Typical Cuisine} The Armoured Car (Leonardo’s, not Mussolini’s) is a charmingly atmospheric and good value restaurant/wine bar in the ‘ancient canteen’ style with shared tables and paper place mats. Food is authentically Veronan but unpretentious. There is an enormous, equally good value wine list, which can however rise to meet all budgets.

‘Cat Alley’ is not entirely easy to find. Best to face the (nominal) west front of S. Anastasia on via Massalongo and then turn right towards v. Trotta. Vicolo Gatto is a few tens of yards down on the left. There is also an entrance on Via Massalongo itself.

Opera goers should note the late opening times. Highly recommended, but it helps if you can speak Italian. Not that they’re stuck up about trying to understand one, they’re not Venetians after all.

• Al Carro Armato Vicolo Gatto, 2/9 Verona tel. 045/8030175. Opening 11AM-2:30PM and 6PM-2AM. Chiuso il Mercoledi.

• Al’ Duomo, Via Duomo 7, tel: 045 800 4505. Excellent family-run restaurant, (as its name suggests) just next to the Cathedral. It’s popular with the local Veronese (a good sign) and with a menu full of traditional local specialities. You’ll find this is a good place to blend in with the local scene, and has welcoming staff who will help you with unfamiliar items on the menu. On Wednesdays, Al’ Duomo plays host to a local mandolin ensemble, so if you’re on a traditional music tour, put this on your list. As it’s a popular place, booking is advised. Menus are not overpriced, so for about €15-20 a head (plus wine) you’ll come away glowing with gastronomic satisfaction. {/slide}

Drinking

Avoid the hordes of tourists in Piazza Bra and head to Piazza delle Erbe. At least slightly more genuine, this Piazza has a number of good bars where you can sit and enjoy a coffee or aperitivo in the sun. Great for your coffee in the morning and your drinks into the evening.

• Caffè delle Erbe, Piazza delle Erbe. Great coffee and brioche.

• Rain, Via Stella 13A. Be sure to check out Verona’s newest wine bar and jazz club. Located in the heart of Verona, this bar provides a great atmosphere to enjoy a glass of wine, nibble on some food, and listen to great music. The owners, brothers Giuseppe and Riccardo Zambelli Rain, provide visitors the warmth that one expects in Italy. Giuseppe (you can call him Joe) is fluent in English. Ask for him if you have any questions about the area.

An in-depth look into the five Italian towns comprising to form the beautiful destination of The Cinque Terre.

Take a tour through the historic town of Bassiano with Mayor Cacciotti Costantino and WebTvItaly.

Located about 25 miles south of Rome this medieval town is known world wide for its prosciutto.

Sciacca is a town (comune) in the province of Agrigento on the southwestern coast of Sicily. It has noteworthy views of the Mediterranean Sea.

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Tucked into Sicily’s southwestern coast, Sciacca (pronounced SHACK-ah) is a nice break from the busy tourist destinations like Taormina or Palermo. It’s also a good home base when visiting the ancient Greek temples in Agrigento and Selinunte, both of which are less than an hour away. This small hilly city (population 40,000) is best-known for its working fishing port, ancient thermal baths, handful of churches, and ancient serpentine streets that provide a good sense of typical Sicilian life.

There aren’t a ton of don’t-miss destinations here, and you won’t find much English spoken in restaurants, hotels or shops. Like much of Sicily, the thing to do in Sciacca is to wander aimlessly, get lost, stop for an espresso, and then start up again. The main part of town is around Piazza di Scandaliato, a large square that offers breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea below. Stop into Gran Caffe for a sweet-tart lemon granita. If you want to eat your gelato like a local, skip the cup or cone and order it in a brioche. Walk down Corso Vittorio Emanuelle and you will come across ancient palazzos, churches and shops that sell locally made ceramics in brilliant blues, yellows and greens. At Ceramiche Montalbano, a vibrant cappuccino cup-and-saucer set costs €18 (Corso Emanuelle, 54). For more ceramics, drive down to the fishing port and wander around the small streets to view beautiful staircases inlaid with colorful ceramic tiles.

The main appeal, though, is the city’s thermal baths. For a truly unusual experience, spend a morning at the Terme Di Sciacca,. This massive complex is something between a spa and a hospital where locals receive treatments for everything from vascular to sinus ailments. For €23, healthy visitors who can withstand the powerful rotten-egg odor of sulfur springs (and some perfunctory questions from a staff doctor) can take a 15-minute soak in an indoor hydrotherapy tub, lay wrapped in a blanket for another 15 minutes and emerge with muscles that feel like jelly.

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Sciacca still retains much of its medieval layout, which divided the town into quarters, each laid out on a strip of rock descending toward the sea. Sciacca has several points of interest, including:

• the Cathedral of Maria SS. del Soccorso (12th century, rebuilt in 1685)
• the Castle of the Counts Luna. Of the Old Castle scarce remains can be still seen.
• church of Santa Margherita
• Chiesa del Carmine Chiesa del Carmine Exterior
• Church of San Domenico (1176)
• Church of San Michele (1371, rebuilt in the 17th century) San Michele Exterior
• Church of Santa Maria delle Giummare
• Palazzo Steripinto Palazzo Steripinto Exterior
• Palazzo Tagliavia (1tth century), in Neo-Gothic style
• Palazzo Perollo (15th century)

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• Casale Galati, Casale Galati is secluded and extremely quiet and peaceful with stunning views of rolling countryside. It is ideally situated for visiting the Greek temples of Agrigento, Selinunte and Segesta. The three independent apartments, Tramontana and Scirocco 80 sm each and Maestrale 45 sm, are bright and airy with all modern amenities. Tramontana sleeps six. Scirocco sleeps four. Maestrale sleeps 2+2. Fresh bed linen and towels are supplied weekly.
  • Località Montagna 207, +39 092523479 +39 3920773198, info@casagalati.it
• Paloma Bianca, Basic, but OK.
  • Via Figuli 5, +39 0925 25130
• Apartments for rent CASE del VIVAIO, According to the Michelin Green Guide: “A small gem situated on a hill overlooking Sciacca”
  • Via Monte Kronio, 22, +39 092581133
• Villa Casa Lucchese, Stunning views, secluded, sleeps up to 10, 10 acres of Olive groves, 240 Sq. Mts, 5 Km. out of Sciacca
  • Contrada Lucchese , +39 092581133

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Thermae was founded in the 5th century BCE by the Greeks, as its name imports, as a thermal spa for Selinunte, whose citizens came there to bathe in the sulphurous springs of Mount San Calogero, which rises up behind the town. We have no account of the existence of a town on the site during the period of the independence of Selinunte, though there is little doubt that the thermal waters would always have attracted some population to the spot. Nor even under the Romans did the place attain to anything like the same importance with the northern Thermae; and there is little doubt that Pliny is mistaken in assigning the rank of a colonia to the southern instead of the northern town of the name. Strabo mentions the waters (τὰ ὕδατα τὰ Σελινούντια, Strab. vi. p. 275); and they are again noticed in the Itineraries under the name of Aquae Labodes or Labrodes (Itin. Ant. p. 89; Tab. Peut.)

Sciacca itself owes its origins to the Saracens, who settled there in the 9th century. Although the origins of the town’s name have been much debated, it is thought to have come from the Arabic word “xacca” (شاقة), meaning “water”. The Saracens built the original walls and laid out the street grid, which was later expanded by the Normans. Throughout much of the Middle Ages, the town was at the center of a bloody feud between rival baronial families, and it was the citizenry that bore the brunt of the fighting; in less than 100 years over half the population was killed by one side or the other.

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“The current President of the Italian Republic is Giorgio Napolitano, while the current Italian Prime Minister is Silvio Berlusconi. With a net worth of US$ 9.4 billion, Berlusconi is the Western world’s and Europe’s richest head of government.

Italian Government

The 1948 Constitution of Italy established a bicameral legislature (parliament), an executive branch (cabinet), headed by the President of the Council (prime minister), and an independent judicial branch headed by the ‘Consiglio Superiore della Magistratura’. The President is the head of state, though his position is separate from all branches.

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As the head of state, the President of the Republic represents the unity of the nation and has many of the duties previously given to the king of Italy. The president serves as a point of connection between the three branches of power: he is elected by the lawmakers, he appoints the executive, and is the president of the judiciary. The president is also the commander-in-chief of armed forces.

The President of the Republic is elected by an electoral college consisting of both houses of Parliament and 58 regional representatives for a seven-year term. His election needs a wide majority that is progressively reduced from two-thirds to one-half plus one of the votes as the ballots progress. The only Presidents ever to be elected on the first ballot are Francesco Cossiga and Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. Mr. Ciampi was replaced by Giorgio Napolitano, who was elected on 10 May 2006. While it is not forbidden by law, no president has ever served two terms.

Usually, the President tries to stay out of the political debate, and to be an institutional guarantee for all those involved in the political process. The president can also reject openly anti-constitutional laws by refusing to sign them, since he acts as the guardian of the Constitution of Italy.

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The President of the Republic appoints the Council of Ministers and its President (the prime minister). The prime minister advises the President of the Republic on the composition of the rest of the Council of Ministers (the cabinet), which comprises the ministers in charge of the various governmental departments. In practice, the President accepts the prime minister’s advice, and submits the proposed Council for a vote of confidence from both parliamentary chambers.

The government has the power to issue decrees. Decrees have to be confirmed in the parliament, and “decree jam” has been a problem in recent years, as governments try to reform the structure of the state using chiefly decrees instead of passing laws directly through the parliament.

The prime minister, through the cabinet, effectively runs the government of Italy. The current Prime Minister is Silvio Berlusconi.

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The Italian judicial system is based on Roman law modified by the Napoleonic code and later statutes. It is based on a mix of the adversarial and inquisitorial civil law systems, although the adversarial systemwas adopted in the Appeal Courts in 1988. Appeals are treated almost as new trials, and three degrees of trial are present. The third is a legitimating trial.

There is only partial judicial review of legislation in the American sense. Judicial review exists under certain conditions in the Constitutional Court, or Corte Costituzionale, which can reject anti-constitutional laws after scrutiny.

The Constitutional Court is composed of 15 judges one of which is the President of the Italian Constitutional Court elected from the court itself. One third of the judges are appointed by the President of the Italian Republic, one-third are elected by Parliament and one-third are elected by the ordinary and administrative supreme courts. The Constitutional Court passes on the constitutionality of laws, and is a post-World War II innovation. Its powers, case load, and frequency of decisions are not as extensive as those of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Italy has not accepted compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.

Basic Lessons: Getting Around

*Click the above links to open the floating media player

Unlike in the UK, for example, the price mark-ups charged by restaurants for wines on their wine list are not usually excessive, giving you a chance to experiment. In the big cities, there are also many wine bars, where you can taste different wines by the glass, at the same time as eating some delicious snacks. Unlike in many other countries it is unusual for restaurants to serve wine by the glass.

The vino della casa (house wine) can be an excellent drinking opportunity in small villages far from towns (especially in Tuscany), where it could be what the patron would really personally drink or could even be the restaurant’s own product. It tends to be a safe choice in decent restaurants in cities as well. Vino della casa may come bottled but in lower-priced restaurants it is still just as likely to be available in a carafe of one quarter, one half or one litre. As a general rule, if the restaurant seems honest and not too geared for tourists, the house wine is usually not too bad. That said, some house wines can be dreadful and give you a nasty head the next morning. If it doesn’t taste too good it probably won’t do you much good, so send it back and order from the wine list.

Italians are justly proud of their wines and foreign wines are rarely served, but many foreign grapes like cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay are increasingly being used.

The Denominazione di origine controllata certificate restricts above all the grape blend allowed for the wine, and in itself it is not yet a guarantee of quality. The same applies to the stricter Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita. These two denominations are indications of a traditional wine typical of the region, such as Chianti, and often a good partner for local food. But some of the best Italian wines are labeled with the less strict Indicazione geografica tipica designation, often a sign of a more modern, “international” wine.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italian: Torre pendente di Pisa) or simply the Tower of Pisa (La Torre di Pisa) is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa. It is situated behind the Cathedral and is the third oldest structure in Pisa’s Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo) after the Cathedral and the Baptistry.

Tower Specs

The height of the tower is 55.86 m (183.27 ft) from the ground on the lowest side and 56.70 m (186.02 ft) on the highest side. The width of the walls at the base is 4.09 m (13.42 ft) and at the top 2.48 m (8.14 ft). Its weight is estimated at 14,500 metric tons (16,000 short tons). The tower has 296 or 294 steps; the seventh floor has two fewer steps on the north-facing staircase. Prior to restoration work performed between 1990 and 2001, the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees, but the tower now leans at about 3.99 degrees. This means that the top of the tower is 3.9 metres (12 ft 10 in) from where it would stand if the tower were perfectly vertical.

The Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi) is a fountain in the Trevi rione in Rome, Italy. Standing 25.9 meters (85 feet) high and 19.8 meters (65 feet) wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city.

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The fountain at the junction of three roads (tre vie) marks the terminal point of the “modern” Acqua Vergine, the revivified Aqua Virgo, one of the ancient aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome. In 19 BC, supposedly with the help of a virgin, Roman technicians located a source of pure water some 13 km (8 miles) from the city. (This scene is presented on the present fountain’s façade.) However, the eventual indirect route of the aqueduct made its length some 22 km (14 miles). This Aqua Virgo led the water into the Baths of Agrippa. It served Rome for more than four hundred years. The coup de grâce for the urban life of late classical Rome came when the Goth besiegers in 537/38 broke the aqueducts. Medieval Romans were reduced to drawing water from polluted wells and the Tiber River, which was also used as a sewer.

The Roman custom of building a handsome fountain at the endpoint of an aqueduct that brought water to Rome was revived in the 15th century, with the Renaissance. In 1453,Pope Nicholas V finished mending the Acqua Vergine aqueduct and built a simple basin, designed by the humanist architect Leon Battista Alberti, to herald the water’s arrival.

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A traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome. Among those who are unaware that the “three coins” of Three Coins in the Fountain were thrown by three different individuals, a reported current interpretation is that two coins will lead to a new romance and three will ensure either a marriage or divorce. A reported current version of this legend is that it is lucky to throw three coins with one’s right hand over one’s left shoulder into the Trevi Fountain.

An estimated 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain each day. The money has been used to subsidize a supermarket for Rome’s needy. However, there are regular attempts to steal coins from the fountain.

[tab:Modern Day]

This work of art is so famous that even cinema has commemorated it on more than one occasion. Everyone remembers the scene in the renowned Italian film,“La Dolce Vita” by Fellini; on a quiet night in an almost unreal Rome, an alluring Anita Ekberg jumps into the Trevi Fountain with her clothes on and invitesMarcello Mastroianni to join her. There is also another curious tradition regarding the Trevi Fountain. It is said that if you throw a coin over your shoulder into the water, you will be sure to return to Rome.

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Like most cities in Italy, Milan and its surrounding area has its own regional cuisine, which, as it is typical for Lombard cuisines, uses more frequently rice than pasta, and features almost no tomato. Milanese cuisine includes “cotoletta alla milanese”, a breaded veal (pork and turkey can be used) cutlet pan-fried in butter (which some claim to be of Austrian origin, as it is similar to Viennese “Wienerschnitzel”, while others claim that the “Wienerschnitzel” derived from the “cotoletta alla milanese”). Other typical dishes are cassoeula (stewed pork rib chops and sausage with Savoy cabbage), ossobuco (stewed veal shank with a sauce called gremolata), risotto alla milanese (with saffron and beef marrow), busecca (stewed tripe with beans), and brasato (stewed beef or pork with wine and potatoes). Season-related pastries include chiacchiere (flat fritters dusted with sugar) and tortelli (fried spherical cookies) for Carnival, colomba (glazed cake shaped as a dove) for Easter, pane dei morti (“Deads’ Day bread”, cookies aromatized with cinnamon) for All Soul’s Day and panettone for Christmas. The salame milano, a salami with a very fine grain, is widespread throughout Italy. The best known Milanese cheese is gorgonzola from the namesake town nearby, although today the major gorgonzola producers operate in Piedmont.

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In the last several years, Milan has established a local version of the Aperitivo or Happy Hour.

Roughly from 7PM to 9PM, many bars offer drinks and cocktails at a fixed price (€5-8 each), accompanied by free all-you-can-eat buffets with snacks, pasta, rice, and many other appetizers.

A great place to go is the Straf Hotel near the Duomo. A whole lot of these places can be found in the area near the Colonne di san Lorenzo and Corso di porta Ticinese, or close by in the Navigli area (subway: MM2 Porta Genova Station).

[tab:Restaurants]

At the Osteria del Gnocco Fritto, the €4.50 cover charge includes baskets of fried hand-size pastries (similar to sopapillas) accompanied by meats, cheeses, or jams (€8 to €11). Osteria del Gnocco Fritto has two locations: at Via Pestalozzi, 16, 02 8912.2631 and off the Grand Canal at Via Pasquale Paoli, 2, 02 5810.0216.

The Osteria dei Formaggi on the Grand Canal (Alzaia Naviglio Grande, 54, 02 8940 9415) serves all manner of excellent cheese dishes in an intimate dining room heavily decorated with cows.

Peck, Via Victor Hugo 4, +39 02 861040.  Foodies in the Duomo area should not miss this place. It is the Dean and Deluca [57] of Milan, a gorgeous food shop that stocks the finest of just about everything. The prices are high, but since everything is counter service, you can graze a wide variety of delicacies for your money. Speaking of counter service, there is a special way to buy things at Peck. First, you order from the counter. They give you a little receipt. Once you have collected all your receipts, you pay at one of two registers. Then, you return to each of the counters you visited, where the staff have wrapped your treats exquisitely.

Boeucc’, Piazza Belgioioso 2, Scala, Milan, tel 02/76020224. Milan’s oldest restaurant is still traditional homemade cooking that is as fresh and tasty as the day it opened. Great for a special occasion, dessert is served on a special tea cart where they are shown to you before you decide, now try get out of having dessert! Even though the dessert are splendid, they are a bit pricy, so keep that in mind before you pick your dessert.

Da Abele, Via Temperanza 5, Loreto, Milan. Renowned for its risottos, which change seasonally, Da Abele has a relaxed atmosphere and place that is always packed with locals.

Il Brellin, Vicolo dei Lavandai, Navigli, Milan, tel 02/89402700. For a classic take on Milanese cooking, try Ill Brellin, where you can choose from homey classics such as rigatoni sautéed with pancetta, to modern interpretations on typical ingredients — a pumpkin tart as an appetizer. Outdoor seating makes this a perfect choice on a sunny day, although take note that it is closed for dinner on Sundays.

La Terraza, Via Palestro 2, Quadrilatero, Milan, tel 02/76002277. For a Meditteranean take on Japanese cuisine, head to La Terraza which serves fusion food amongst a contemporary decor. During the summer months, everyone heads to the terrace, where you can see the treetops of the nearby Giardini Pubblici. There’s a “happy hour” every day except Sunday; on Sunday, brunch is served.

[tab:Pizza]

Although Milan cannot claim to be the birthplace of pizza, (that claim belongs to Naples), you can still find good pizzas in Milan. The best areas for pizza are near Marghera street, at the end of Vercelli Avenue, and on the Navigli, on Brera. Expect to pay €8-15 for a pizza and a beer.

Pizza Milanese

If you are in the Northeast area, there are many little pizzerias on viale Fulvio Testi (the northern extension of viale Zara) in the Greco area, of which an excellent choice is Pizzeria De Pino. Ask for John Luca, and don’t miss the lasagne. Here you may also get homemade Mirto (as you can at many other places). The prices are very reasonable in these establishments; expect to pay about €4-5 for pizza and €3-4 for beer. These places are where the locals eat, they are very friendly and helpful but few speak anything but Italian. Take the phrase book with you.

Another restaurant on the viale Fulvio Testi that is a real recommendation is Pizzeria De Bassié. They offer really good homemade pizzas and especially their special “Adriano” pizza is a really good option!

In Milan, pizza is often eaten with a knife and fork, but of course eating with one’s hands is possible and welcome. Most people do both.

Watch out for frozen pizza in Milan (it usualy states it on the menu). Always check the restaurant has a wood burning oven and that they are using it.

Pizza Fashion near the Centrale train station is good choice and they also do takeaway dessert if you’re running to catch your train.

• Pizzeria Da Giuliano, Via Paolo Sarpi 60 (In westmost part of the street), 02 341630. Nice and cozy pizzeria with great, quite thick and large pizza slices. You can choose you toppings and after a few minutes you’ll get your slice. Wood burning oven and loads of Mozzarella.

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• Exploit Café, near the San Lorenzo Columns, in Porta Ticinese Avenue. If you want to visit a real bar in true Italian fashion, this is a worthy hot spot.

• Bar Bianco, Viale Enrico Ibsen (Parco Sempione), tel 3336323027, inside the Sempione Park. It’s cash only at this bar, but with Gucci clad clubbers and their well suited companions, money seems easy to come by. The life of a party can always be detected in here.

• Roialto, Via Piero della Francesca 55, 20154 Milan, tel +39 02 3493 6616. It’s bland facade conceals a real gem of a cocktail bar/restaurant. It is a very popular spot for after-work drinks, or perhaps a pre-club drink if you’re going dancing somewhere like the Gattopardo.

• Honky Tonks, Via Fratelli Induno, 10 Fiera (near Sempione Avenue), 00 39 023452562. Mon-Sat 6PM-2AM. Not exactly a country cowboy bar as the name might imply, a more accurate description would include the smoky lounge feel and the jazz music being played. The drinks are well made and they also serve Tex-Mex style food.

• Bar Magenta, in Via Carducci. This popular bar is best visited with a bunch of friends during apperitivo, a time when free appetizers are given out, usually around 7PM. It was said that Bar Magenta coined the now very popular “aperitivo”, and having a drink in here is a classic experience.

• Dom Cafè, in Corso Como.
• Il Saloon, in Niccolini St, Chinatown area.
• Frescobar, in Bramante St, Chinatown area.
• Birrificio Lambrate, in Adelchi St, near Lambrate Station. Features with its own branded beers.
• Cicco Simonetta — A bohemian pub hosting comics, musicians, and €3 beer on Mondays.

• Brasserie Bruxelles, Viale Abruzzi,33 near Buenos Aires Ave, +39 2 2941 9148. Open daily 6PM – 02AM. Is a bar specialising in beer from Belgium. 5 beer on draught and 50 in the bottle.

• Rita, Via Angelo Fumagalli, 1, 02 8372865. It is the perfect place for a cocktail and Edo, the barman and the owner together with the chief Luca, is the grandmaster. They have strict code for preparing cocktails: no syrups are admitted, only fresh fruit. It is also a perfect place to eat.

• Fashion Café, Via San Marco (Brera district) Fashionable Armani-style place for aperitivo and drinks.

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