Insight Guides Italy (Travel Guide eBook)

By Insight Guides

Insight Guides Italy

Travel made easy. Ask local experts.
Comprehensive travel guide packed with inspirational photography and fascinating cultural insights.

From deciding when to go, to choosing what to see when you arrive, this guide to Italy is all you need to plan your perfect trip, with insider information on must-see, top attractions like Ancient Rome, Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast, and cultural gems like exploring the canals of Venice, immersing yourself in the renaissance spendours of Florence, and discovering archaeological treasures in the museums of Naples and Palermo.

Features of this travel guide to Italy:
- Inspirational colour photography: discover the best destinations, sights and excursions, and be inspired by stunning imagery
- Historical and cultural insights: immerse yourself in Italy's rich history and culture, and learn all about its people, art and traditions
- Practical full-colour maps: with every major sight and listing highlighted, the full-colour maps make on-the-ground navigation easy
- Editor's Choice: uncover the best of Italy with our pick of the region's top destinations
- Key tips and essential information: packed full of important travel information, from transport and tipping to etiquette and hours of operation
- Covers: Rome, Venice, Milan, Lombary, the Lakes, Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Florence, Tuscany, Umbria and the Marches, Abruzzo and Molise, Naples, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia.

Looking for a specific guide to Rome? Check out Insight Guides City Guide Rome for a detailed and entertaining look at all the city has to offer.

About Insight Guides: Insight Guides is a pioneer of full-colour guide books, with almost 50 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides with user-friendly, modern design. We produce around 400 full-colour print guide books and maps, as well as phrase books, picture-packed eBooks and apps to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Release date: Mar 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781839052699

Insight Guides

Pictorial travel guide to Arizona & the Grand Canyon with a free eBook provides all you need for every step of your journey. With in-depth features on culture and history, stunning colour photography and handy maps, it’s perfect for inspiration and finding out when to go to Arizona & the Grand Canyon and what to see in Arizona & the Grand Canyon. 

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How To Use This E-Book

Getting around the e-book

This Insight Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration for your visit to Italy, as well as comprehensive planning advice to make sure you have the best travel experience. The guide begins with our selection of Top Attractions, as well as our Editor’s Choice categories of activities and experiences. Detailed features on history, people and culture paint a vivid portrait of contemporary life in Italy. The extensive Places chapters give a complete guide to all the sights and areas worth visiting. The Travel Tips provide full information on getting around, activities from culture to shopping to sport, plus a wealth of practical information to help you plan your trip.

In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights in Italy are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map] just tap this to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

You’ll find hundreds of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Italy. Simply double-tap on an image to see it full-screen.

About Insight Guides

Insight Guides have more than 40 years’ experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce 400 full-colour titles, in both print and digital form, covering more than 200 destinations across the globe, in a variety of formats to meet your different needs.

Insight Guides are written by local authors, whose expertise is evident in the extensive historical and cultural background features. Each destination is carefully researched by regional experts to ensure our guides provide the very latest information. All the reviews in Insight Guides are independent; we strive to maintain an impartial view. Our reviews are carefully selected to guide you to the best places to eat, go out and shop, so you can be confident that when we say a place is special, we really mean it.

© 2022 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

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Table of Contents

Italy’s Top 10 Attractions

Editor’s Choice

Plan & Book Your Tailor-Made Trip

The Eternal Seductress

Wild Places

Decisive dates

Beginnings

Rome Rules the World

The Middle Ages

The Renaissance

Renaissance Art

Birth of a Nation

The Making of Modern Italy

The Contemporary Scene

The Italians

The Italian Look

Design Classics

Italian Cuisine

Wine in Italy

Italian Cinema

Music and Opera

Places

Rome

Colosseum: Bread and Circuses

The Vatican and Trastevere

Rome Environs

The North

Venice

Life as a Masquerade

The Veneto

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Trentino-Alto Adige

Milan

Lombardy

The Lakes

Piedmont, Valle d’Aosta and Liguria

Central Italy

Emilia Romagna

Florence

Tuscany

Rolling Hills and Cypress Trees

Umbria and the Marches

Abruzzo and Molise

The South

Naples

Campania

Puglia

Basilicata

Calabria

Sicily

Italy’s Volcanoes

Sardinia

Transportation

A-Z

Language

Further Reading

Italy’s Top 10 Attractions

Top Attraction 1

Lake Como. Arguably Italy’s loveliest lake, Como promises gorgeous villas and gardens, charming ports of call, fish dinners – and possible sightings of local resident George Clooney. For more information, click here.

Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 2

Ancient Rome. Ancient Rome. The majestic ruins of the Colosseum, the Forum and the Palatine Hill speak to us all as potent symbols of the power centre that was Ancient Rome. For more information, click here.

Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 3

The Dolomites. Walk or cycle through Europe’s loveliest peaks, now a Unesco World Heritage site. Scenic trails may end at an Alpine inn, ideally with a concert in the meadows. For more information, click here.

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Top Attraction 4

Tuscan spas. Whether simple or luxurious, the spas command seductive settings, which provide a pretext for lapping up a landscape of olive groves, vineyards and cypress-clad hills. For more information, click here.

Steve Macdonald/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 5

Island-hopping near Sicily. The Aeolians, seven volcanic specks off Sicily, offer sheer escapism, from luxury in boutique hotels to a back-tonature experience. For more information, click here.

Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 6

Truffles in Alba. Italy abounds in foodie feasts, but finely grated truffles transform the simplest dish into a sensation that some Piedmontese say is better than sex. For more information, click here.

Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 7

The Amalfi Coast. Even without a vintage Alfa Romeo, this is the drive of a lifetime. Vertiginous views await on the winding, cliff-top coastal road linking Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. For more information, click here.

Greg Gladman/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 8

Le Cinque Terre. Ramble your way through a cluster of five fishing villages which cling to the rocky coast. Byron praised this pocket of Liguria as paradise on earth. For more information, click here.

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Top Attraction 9

Florence. No other city boasts such a concentration of Renaissance art. But beyond the Uffizi Gallery, the city itself is a Renaissance masterpiece of piazzas and palaces. For more information, click here.

Steve Macdonald/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 10

Venice. Sweep down the Grand Canal on a No. 1 vaporetto, glide by in a gondola, or shun romance for an island ferry – or even a lagoon kayaking adventure. For more information, click here.

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Editor’s Choice

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Sicily’s Valle dei Templi (Valley of the Temples) boasts one of the best-preserved ancient Greek temples in the world.

Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications

Best Landscapes

The Abruzzo. One of Italy’s last untamed wildernesses, where bears and wolves still roam. For more information, click here.

The Maremma. A mixture of marshland, mountains and virgin coast, with trails and riding opportunities in the Parco della Maremma. For more information, click here.

Chianti country and the Val d’Orcia. The landscape of gentle hills, stately cypresses, vineyards and olive groves is the Tuscany of postcards. For more information, click here.

Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso. An area of outstanding natural beauty, this Alpine park is fabulous trekking country. For more information, click here.

Parco Nazionale del Pollino. Italy’s largest national park straddles Basilicata and Calabria. For more information, click here.

Monti Sibillini and the Nera Valley. A wild Umbrian landscape of gorges, mountains and vertiginous views. For more information, click here.

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Frescoes at Pompeii.

Greg Gladman/Apa Publications

Best Ancient Sites

Pompeii and Herculaneum. Remains of two thriving Roman towns set against the backdrop of Vesuvius, their slayer. For more information, click here.

San Vitale, Ravenna. Mosaics that are the crowning glory of Byzantine art – started under a Roman emperor and finished under the Byzantines. For more information, click here.

Paestum. Magnificent standing temples of an ancient Greek settlement. For more information, click here.

Selinunte. The scattered remains of a once powerful and rich Greek colony in Sicily. For more information, click here.

Valle dei Templi. Classical temples and tombs in Agrigento, Sicily. For more information, click here.

Ostia Antica. Once the commercial port of Rome, two-thirds of the excavated Roman town can now be seen. For more information, click here.

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Piazza Navona.

Susan Smart/Apa Publications

Greatest Piazzas

Piazza Navona, Rome. A Baroque extravaganza of fountains and churches. For more information, click here.

Piazza San Marco, Venice. The city’s ceremonial stage-set of a square. For more information, click here.

Piazza della Signoria, Florence. Outdoor sculpture gallery, dominated by Michelangelo’s David. For more information, click here.

Campo dei Miracoli, Pisa. The aptly named Field of Miracles is home to the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa. For more information, click here.

Piazza del Campo, Siena. Fan-shaped medieval square, the stage for a thrilling annual bareback race. For more information, click here.

Piazza Pretoria, Palermo. Its centrepiece is a legendary fountain with a sensuous abundance of near-naked nymphs, tritons and gods. For more information, click here.

Piazza IV Novembre, Perugia. The hub of Umbria’s dynamic capital. For more information, click here.

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Naples is the birthplace of pizza.

Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications

Gourmet Italy

Emilia Romagna. The culinary region par excellence produces balsamic vinegar from Modena, Parma ham and Parmesan cheese. For more information, click here.

Pizza in Naples. Birthplace of the authentic thin-crust pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven. For more information, click here.

Piedmont. For Barolo wine, rice, gorgonzola, chocolates and white truffles. For more information, click here.

Tuscany. For wine, olive oil, tagliatelle and Chianina cattle that provide meat for the classic bistecca alla fiorentina. For more information, click here.

Milan. Risotto, osso bucco (stewed veal shank), polenta and salami are all local specialities. For more information, click here.

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Palermo’s Piazza Pretoria was once nicknamed Piazza Vergogna (Square of Shame), due to the carved nudes that cavort in its fountain.

Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications

Most Seductive Islands

Capri. A capsule of Mediterranean beauty, with legendary status. For more information, click here.

Ischia. The volcanic green island is renowned for its spas. For more information, click here.

Procida. The unique charm of Procida is a magnet to filmmakers. For more information, click here.

Giglio. Popular with weekending Romans and day-trippers alike. For more information, click here.

Elba. Dramatic scenery and lots of small beaches make this ideal for families. For more information, click here.

Sicily. Italy’s most enigmatic island is a kaleidoscope of ancient civilisations. For more information, click here.

Aeolian Islands. Seven volcanic islands off Sicily; some offer luxury, others a back-to-nature experience. For more information, click here.

Sardinia. For a sun-worshipper’s beach holiday. For more information, click here.

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Views from the island of Capri.

Greg Gladman/Apa Publications

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The Arco Naturale, a dramatic rock formation on the island of Capri.

Greg Gladman/Apa Publications

Coastal Italy

Po Delta, Emilia-Romagna. The Italian Camargue, a mosaic of marshes, dunes and mudflats, with cycle tracks along raised banks. For more information, click here.

Portofino Promontory, Liguria. This coastal reserve embraces a chic resort, a marine reserve, and pine and olive groves on rugged slopes. For more information, click here.

Costa Smeralda, Sardinia. Beautiful emerald waters that draw a moneyed crowd. For more information, click here.

Cefalù, Sicily. Clean, picturesque and an ideal family-friendly resort. For more information, click here.

The Gargano promontory, Puglia. The most attractive stretch of coastline on Italy’s eastern seaboard. For more information, click here.

The Calabrian Coast, Tropea. Known as the Capri of Calabria, this is the most picturesque of a string of resorts with some fine beaches. For more information, click here.

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Siena’s Palio horse race in full swing.

Steve Macdonald/Apa Publications

Cultural Italy

Accademia, Florence. Originally the world’s first school of art, the gallery is now home to Michelangelo’s most famous work, David. For more information, click here.

Cenacolo Vinciano, Milan. Make an advance booking to see Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. For more information, click here.

Uffizi, Florence. Countless rooms and corridors in this palace hold Italy’s highest concentration of Renaissance masterpieces. For more information, click here.

Capitoline Museums, Rome. A rich collection of ancient sculpture. The Etruscan statue of the she-wolf nursing Romulus and Remus can be seen here. For more information, click here.

Guggenheim (Palazzo Venier dei Leoni), Venice. A superb modern art collection representing most major art movements, housed in a palazzo along the Grand Canal. For more information, click here.

Vatican Museums, Rome. The glorious Sistine Chapel is the inner sanctum of the papal treasure house. For more information, click here.

Archaeological Museum, Naples. Rich repository of Roman and Greek antiquities, including treasures from Pompeii and Herculaneum and the colossal Farnese sculptures. For more information, click here.

Santa Giulia Museo della Città, Brescia. Over 3,000 years of history covered in a Benedictine monastery, itself a major monument. For more information, click here.

National Museum of Cinema, Turin. Star-studded museum set in a cavernous former synagogue. For more information, click here.

Etruscan Museum, Volterra. Some of the best Etruscan art to be found outside Rome, housed in a papal villa. For more information, click here.

Archaeological Museum, Palermo. Great and incredible classical finds excavated from all over Sicily and displayed in a late-Renaissance monastery. For more information, click here.

Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan. Contained within a handsome 17th-century Jesuit palace, the Pinacoteca di Brera houses one of Italy’s finest art collections, with works by Mantegna, Raphael and Piero della Francesca. For more information, click here.

Venaria Reale, Turin. Dubbed Italy’s Versailles, this sumptuous, superbly restored royal residence was created in 1658 for the Savoy dynasty. For more information, click here.

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The view from the top of Milan’s Duomo.

Glyn Genin/Apa Publications

Greatest Cathedrals

Duomo, Siena. Perched on a hill, Siena’s Duomo is a dazzling mix of styles. For more information, click here.

Duomo, Milan. This is the most grandiose of Italy’s Gothic cathedrals. For more information, click here.

Basilica di San Marco, Venice. The onion-domed and mosaic-covered cathedral dominates the square. For more information, click here.

Basilica di San Pietro, Rome. Its giant cupola is a Roman landmark. For more information, click here.

Duomo, Monreale. Glittering mosaics adorn Sicily’s finest cathedral. For more information, click here.

Duomo, Orvieto. Hilltop cathedral with a stunning facade. For more information, click here.

Best Festivals

Il Palio, Siena. A climactic bareback horse race round the Campo.

Carnevale, Venice. A 10-day extravaganza of masked balls, pantomime and music.

Arena di Verona, Verona. The magnificent open-air summer opera festival in the Roman Arena.

Easter, Sicily. Celebrations include The Mysteries at Trapani and the Easter Devils at Prizzi.

Suoni dei Dolomiti, Trentino. The Sounds of the Dolomites is a summer music festival in the peaks.

Torre del Lago, Tuscany. A celebration of Puccini’s operas by his lakeside home.

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Costa Smeralda, Sardinia.

Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications

Top Hill Towns

Assisi. Birthplace of St Francis, whose life is portrayed in Giotto’s frescoes that decorate the great Basilica. For more information, click here.

Bergamo. Rising out of the plain of the Po Valley on a steep hill, not far from Milan. For more information, click here.

Gubbio. The best preserved of Umbria’s many medieval hill towns. For more information, click here.

Matera. Hill town in deepest Basilicata, famous for its cave dwellings or Sassi. For more information, click here.

Montalcino and Montepulciano. Quintessential Tuscan hill towns, both famed for their wines. For more information, click here.

Ostuni. Whitewashed Puglian town with a distinctly Middle Eastern feel. For more information, click here.

Urbino. A remarkably well-preserved Renaissance town set amid spectacular mountains. For more information, click here.

San Gimignano. Medieval Manhattan in Tuscany. For more information, click here.

San Marino and San Leo. Medieval citadels in Rimini’s rugged hinterland. For more information, click here.

Santo Stefano. An ancient hamlet in the wilds of Abruzzo, transformed into a model for rural tourism. For more information, click here.

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The medieval towers of San Gimignano.

Steve Macdonald/Apa Publications

Plan & Book Your Tailor-Made Trip

Italy has a past so steeped in culture and history, that you will likely find Roman ruins, grandiose Gothic architecture or a Renaissance artwork at almost every turn. This ten-day odyssey gives a taste of the country’s rich heritage, not to mention the opportunity to sample some of its finest fare, washed down, of course, with a glass of excellent Italian wine.

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Days 1 & 2, The Eternal City. Rome may not have been built in a day, but two days is sufficient to get a feel for this majestic metropolis. Devote the first to its ancient sites, which give a sense of what the city must have been like in Roman times, from the Forum and Pantheon to the imposing Colosseum. On day two, take in a gallery - the prestigious Galleria Borghese or the ultra-modern MAXXI - and shop the Via del Corso, before feasting at a traditional trattoria.

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Days 3 & 4, Florence. A three-hour drive north brings you to the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence. Marvel at the Cathedral, climb Giotto’s Campanile and cross the iconic 14th-century Ponte Vecchio. Spend the second day in the Uffizi, a treasure trove of masterpieces from the 1300s onwards. It is said that gelato was invented in Florence, so indulging in ice cream is a must.

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Day 5, The Leaning Tower of Pisa. The first port of call in Pisa should be Piazza dei Miracoli, home to the world-famous campanile, aka the Leaning Tower, which you can climb for a photogenic cityscape. In addition to this quirky edifice, other monuments in the square worth a visit include the gleaming marble Duomo and the Battistero.

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Days 6 & 7, Le Cinque Terre. For some time away from cities, as beautiful as they may be, head northeast to Le Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera. These five villages, all connected via train or cliff-top hiking trails, offer up pretty harbours, pastel-hued houses and sun-soaked vineyards. Potter around the cobbled lanes or charter a boat for a different perspective.

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Day 8, Bologna. Medieval architecture and superb art aside, Emilia-Romagna’s lively capital of Bologna is known for its cuisine. If you do one thing, make a beeline for the bustling Mercato di Mezzo, a three-storey pavilion housing an indoor market, selling everything from Parmesan and prosciutto to pasta, with multiple opportunities to kick back with an Aperol Spritz.

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Day 9, Venice. The captivating city of Venice is built on a series of small islands and is criss-crossed with canals including the Canal Grande, which can be navigated via the vaporetto (water bus). The Basilica di San Marco, Palazzo Ducale and Gallerie dell’Accademia should all be on your to-do list.

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Day 10, Murano and Burano. Spend a morning at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, with its superb contemporary and modern art collection. Afterwards, take the vaporetto to the tiny islands of Murano, the centre of the glass-blowing industry since the 13th century, and Burano, known for its rainbow-coloured houses and handmade lace.

You can plan and book this trip with Insight Guides, or we can help you create your own. Whether you’re after adventure or a family-friendly holiday, we have a trip for you, with all the activities you enjoy doing and the sights you want to see. All our trips are devised by local experts who get the most out of the destination. Visit www.insightguides.com/holidays to chat with one of our local travel experts.

Colourful Burano, an island in Venice’s lagoon.

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Il Gesù, also known as Casa Professa, Sicily’s first Jesuit church.

Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications

Milan’s exquisite Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade.

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The Eternal Seductress

Italy, with her unrivalled beauty and baffling contradictions, continues to seduce and enchant those who are drawn to her.

Italy, like the sorceress Circe – tantalisingly beautiful and at the same time treacherous – has attracted kings, scholars, saints, poets and curious travellers for centuries. This is the spell of the Eternal Seductress.

The 17th century Fiumi Fountain, Piazza Navona.

Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications

Italy has always seemed somewhat removed from the rest of Europe: physically by mountains and sea, spiritually by virtue of the Pope. In the eyes of outsiders, the Italians themselves are characterised by extremes: at one end of the spectrum, the gentle unworldliness of St Francis, and, at the other, the amoral brilliance of Machiavelli; on the one hand, the curiosity of Galileo or the genius of Michelangelo, on the other, the repressive dogmatism of Counter-Reformation Jesuits.

Here you can explore the land and its people, from Calabrian villagers to Milanese sophisticates, and delve into their treasures, from Etruscan statues to Botticelli’s radiant Birth of Venus. Special features celebrate Italian passions – films, fashion, opera and food – while the history section threads its way through a tumultuous past, from the legendary founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus to the Renaissance, reunification, Mussolini and the Mafia.

In Italy the past is always present: ultra-modern museums display pre-Roman artefacts; old people in tiny mountain villages preserve customs which are centuries old while their grandchildren roar into the future on shiny new Vespas.

This is the country that inspires imagination in the dull, passion in the cold-hearted, rebellion in the conventional. Whether you spend your sojourn in Italy under a brightly coloured beach umbrella on the Riviera, shopping in Milan or diligently examining churches and museums, you cannot be unchanged by Italy. At the very least, you will receive a highly pleasurable lesson in living. Whether you are struck by the beauty of a church facade rising from a perfectly proportioned piazza, the aroma of freshly carved prosciutto, or the sight of a stylish passer-by, there is the same superb sensation: nowhere else on earth does just living seem so extraordinary.

A NOTE TO READERS

At Insight Guides, we always strive to bring you the most up-to-date information. This book was produced during a period of continuing uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, so please note that content is more subject to change than usual. We recommend checking the latest restrictions and official guidance.

WILD PLACES

Italy is famous as a treasure trove of man-made beauty, but exploring its diverse landscapes is just as rewarding as marvelling at Renaissance masterpieces.

It’s no coincidence that Leonardo da Vinci and Titian grew up steeped in the countryside of Tuscany and the Veneto, but the attractiveness of Italy’s countryside extends beyond its well-documented Renaissance landscapes and into its wild heart. The countryside is a blank canvas for off-the-beaten track adventures, but it’s important to be prepared – choose areas that are well mapped, well marked and not too remote. If this sounds obvious, bear in mind that Italian maps are notoriously unreliable outside the most popular walking areas – meaning the Dolomites, Lombardy and parts of Tuscany and Umbria – with much of the south still largely uncharted. If footpaths are marked, there is often no indication as to whether they are private or public. With this in mind, companies that organise walking holidays tend to produce their own maps or take their own guides.

High-perched Calascibetta, Sicily.

Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications

On the upside, there is little risk of being outnumbered by Italians on most trails. Curiously, as far as independent walking is concerned, serious hikers are better served than Sunday walkers: long-distance trails in the Dolomites are generally better marked and mapped than walks around Tuscany’s hilltop hamlets. By the same token, Italian hikers, where they exist, tend to be found in sporty regions, especially in the north. The rest can be found following the local strada dei sapori – the food and wine trail – by car.

Lago Toblino in the Italian Lakes region.

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Italy’s geography

Before heading for the hills, lakes or coastal marshes, get to grips with the geography. The boot-shaped Italian peninsula spans 1,000km (620 miles) from the Alps to the Mediterranean and is bordered by the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian seas to the west, the Ionian to the south and the Adriatic to the east. If the Alps represent the top of the boot, the jagged seam is formed by the Apennines, while the toe, heel and spur are represented by the Calabrian, Salento and Gargano peninsulas. Much of Italy is covered by peaks, notably the Dolomites, which form part of the Alps, the country’s northern boundary. These Alpine borders are shared with France, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia, with Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc; 4,810 metres/15,780ft) on the border with France marking the highest point in Italy. The Dolomites are the defining feature of Italy’s Tyrolean Trentino-Alto Adige region, and neighbouring Veneto, with the peaks forming part of the world’s largest integrated ski network, the Dolomiti Superski. Instead, the Apennines, the spine of Italy, stretch from north to south, dividing the east and west coasts, and bring a rugged climate to part of central Italy.

For lovers of seductive scenery, Italy dazzles: the north’s national parks, true Alpine wilderness areas, give way to Piedmont’s undulating farmland and patchwork of wine estates. Piedmont (strictly speaking, just over the border at the San Bernadino Pass in Switzerland) is the start of the Italian leg of one of the great ancient pilgrimage routes, now resurrected as Italy’s longest signposted cycle route: the Via Francigena (www.viefrancigene.org), which winds all the way down through northern and western Italy (there are various potential routes to choose from) to Rome. The Via Francigena (which historically starts in Canterbury in England) is over 1,000 years old, but that’s small fry compared to the Via Claudia Augusta, which follows the 2,000-year-old Roman road of the same name between Donauwörth in Germany and either Ostiglia or Venice. The former is the historically accurate choice, and gets around the hurdle of bikes being banned in central Venice; both options are popular with hikers and cyclists alike. The Italian section of the path begins in Mals, South Tyrol.

Odle Mountains and Val di Funes, South Tyrol.

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The glittering lake district, framed by the jagged pinkish peaks of the Dolomites, creates the illusion of the Mediterranean meeting the mountains. Emilia’s mundane farmland, coastal wetland and mountains lose out to Tuscany’s gentle vision of olive groves, cypresses, vineyards and Medicean villa gardens. The rolling slopes are planted with olive groves that shimmer dark green and dusty silver. Domesticated Tuscany melds with the hazy spirituality of Umbria’s green hills, the serenity only frayed at the edges by wild stretches of the Apennines where wolves still roam.

Further south, Campania’s natural wonders are as wild as Italy gets, from a smouldering volcano to belching, sulphurous springs and eerie lakes that myths refer to as the gateway to Hades.

HIKING AND CYCLING HEAVEN

The Giro d’Italia shows the country’s passion for cycling. This translates into thrilling trails and cyclist-friendly schemes, particularly in the Dolomites, which abound in hotels and holidays designed with cyclists in mind. Emilia-Romagna has plenty of cycle routes between cities of art, such as Ravenna and Faenza (www.artcityemiliaromagna.com/cycling-tours). It’s home to Italy’s most cycle-mad cities, Ferrara and Modena, and offers downloadable routes (www.ferraraterraeacqua.it). The south is less well served, but has the Bourbon Cycle Route, linking Bari and Naples via Matera, and stopping off at castles and historic sites linked with the House of Bourbon, who ruled this area in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Liguria is superb cycling country and has hiking trails of the stature of the Cinque Terre paths (for more information, click here). The Poets’ Trail, in the footsteps of Byron and Shelley, runs from Porto Venere to Lerici, through vineyards and olive groves, overlooking cliffs and islands. Tuscany, Emilia and Umbria offer some of the country’s prettiest hikes, from the Via Francigena pilgrimage route to foodie rambles between medieval abbeys and homely inns. Puglia embraces whitewashed villages, Adriatic seascapes and stays in the conical beehive homes known as trulli. Whether opting for a guided or self-guided break, book through a specialist operator, such as Headwater (www.headwater.com) or Inntravel (www.inntravel.co.uk).

The north

The Valle d’Aosta, concertinaed against the French border, is a patchwork of towering peaks and valleys in the northwestern corridor. Abutting it, Piedmont’s craggy peaks loom over the region, which mellows into fertile foothills and feasts of truffles, nuts, fruit and powerful Barolo and Barbaresco wines. South of Turin, the Po Valley rises into the rolling Langhe and Roero hills, creating a carpet of vineyards and orchards. Further north lies metropolitan Milan, the gateway to Lombardy’s lake district, watched over by the peaks and Alpine resorts beyond. Close to Lake Iseo, Franciacorta represents a chequerboard of prestigious vineyards while, to the south, Lombardy’s fertile farmland comes into its own.

The stunning view at Lake Maggiore in the Italian Lakes.

123RF

Bounded by Lombardy and the Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige is serrated by soaring mountain ranges. The towering peaks of the Alps and the Dolomites preside over forested wilderness, Alpine pastures, meadows carpeted with wild flowers, vineyards in the foothills and orchards in the valleys. Alto Adige, the northernmost province, is Italy’s South Tyrol, which belonged to Austria until the end of World War I. The area still resembles the Austrian Tyrol, while Trentino, the southern province, prides itself on looking more Italian.

East of Trentino, the Veneto stretches up into the apricot-tinged Dolomites and Cortina d’Ampezzo, the country’s premier ski resort, but is bordered by the Adriatic to the east, Lake Garda to the west and the River Po to the south. Orchards, river valleys and vineyards dot the region, which is noted for sparkling Prosecco, Valpolicella and Merlot. The bucolic Brenta Canal winds languidly through the noble countryside, with Palladian villas lining the banks.

Framed by the Alps, and stretching from Piedmont across northern Lombardy to the Veneto, the lake district offers stunning scenery. West of Bergamo, the most appealing lakes are Como, Maggiore and Orta, matched by Iseo and Garda to the east. In terms of scenery, cognoscenti consider Como the most beguiling lake, Maggiore the most stately, and Orta the most mystical. With its snow-clad peaks, romantic scenery and sluggish steamers, Como still stirs visitors, while on the Borromean Islands, Lake Maggiore boasts the grandest gardens. Pocket-sized Iseo possesses the biggest lake island in Europe but is Alpine in character, with olives and horse chestnuts rather than lemon groves and palm trees. Lake Garda remains a Mediterranean hothouse in northern climes. The old charm lingers on in the avenues lined by palms, oleanders and camellias, as well as in the profusion of lemon groves, vineyards and Italy’s most northerly olive groves.

Italy’s easternmost region, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, is a sliver of coastline across the Adriatic Sea from Venice. Were it not for the border-juggling that followed World War I, the region would probably be part of Slovenia today.

Rolling Tuscan hills, south of Siena.

Steve Macdonald/Apa Publications

Protected by the Alps and perched on a crescent-shaped sliver of coast, Ligurian resorts enjoy balmy weather, with the Riviera di Levante, east of Genoa, comprising the rockier, wilder stretch, especially around Le Cinque Terre.

The centre

Just east, Emilia-Romagna embraces the Po Valley, from coastal marshes to vineyards, as well as farmland dedicated to the production of Parmesan cheese and Parma ham. Its neighbour, Tuscany, has been landscaped since time immemorial, with the Val d’Orcia, south of Siena, representing quintessential Tuscany: clusters of cypresses, ribbons of plane trees, vineyards on the slopes, farms perched on limestone ridges. Towards the Emilian border, Tuscany becomes more rugged, dramatised by deep forests, Michelangelo’s marble quarries and the Apuan Alps around Garfagnana.

Umbria, the green heart of Italy (and the only landlocked region of the Italian peninsula), lives up to its nickname with densely forested slopes, misty valleys, tufa-stone outcrops and a sense of remoteness.

THE PEACE PATH

Head to the hills, where diversity in landscape is matched by the drama of the human story. The most poignant long-distance trail has to be the Peace Path, a 350km (217-mile) trail that hugs what was the Austro-Italian frontline during World War I. The landscape runs from jagged rocks to cool lakes and meadows, passing lofty forts with gun emplacements built into the rock. For information on the Dolomites trails and The Legendary Trails (one of the country’s best series of mountain hikes), see www.visittrentino.it. For information on all long-distance trails, contact the CAI, the Italian Alpine Club (www.cai.it).

Compared with the brooding, dramatic landscape of Abruzzo, one of Italy’s last wildernesses, Lazio is less homogeneous, from the Apennine peaks in the north to marshland in the south, via volcanic lakes, vineyards and misty, undulating hills reminiscent of Umbria, which it borders.

The south

In Campania, south of Rome, the crescent-shaped Bay of Naples contains unspoilt Capri and volcanic Ischia, two of Italy’s loveliest islands. On the Amalfi Coast, buildings are cantilevered above rock-studded cliffs and overlook the country’s most romantic coastal drive. Campania’s Cilento national park is a patchwork of wheatfields and olive groves, though wolves and wild cats survive in remote corners.

Further east, Puglia, the heel of the Italian boot, is the gateway to Greece, and is washed by both the Ionian and Adriatic seas. Puglia produces more wine and olive oil than any other region yet is also a riot of carob trees and rosemary, with marine grottoes and turquoise seas framed by sun-bleached beaches and wind-twisted pines.

Forming the toe of the Italian peninsula, sparsely populated Calabria is crushed between the mountains and the sea. It is notable for the Pollino park, the richest repository of wildlife in the south, in a wilderness setting ranging from canyons to rivers, high plains to soaring peaks.

Just over the Strait awaits Sicily, mountainous and mysterious. Partly thanks to its volcanic soil, the island is a major wine producer, including around Mount Etna.

The Mount Etna volcanic park presents myriad safe and accessible options for exploring this most haunting of sites. Volcanic activity is the earth’s indigestion, with deep rumblings producing sudden eruptions, emitting sulphurous gases and scalding vapours through cracks in the earth’s surface. Further along the Tyrrhenian Coast, the compact Zingaro reserve, west of Palermo, is a gentle introduction to Sicily’s charms.

Walking country

Foremost among Italy’s long-distance trails is the Via Alpina, which links Trieste and the Adriatic to the Mediterranean. This great transalpine trail crosses eight countries but, in the Italian Dolomites, touches upon Europe’s shared Alpine heritage. It runs through the legendary landscape of the Fassa Dolomites, linked to the Ladin people, who speak an archaic version of Latin. Beyond is the land of Oetzi the Ice Man, taking us back to prehistoric times, a reminder that this path traces a common Alpine heritage. Just north of Canazei, the trail crosses Passo Pordoi, the majestic Alpine pass that marks Trentino’s borders with the Veneto, revealing vestiges of World War I fortifications and views over the Sella group. Rewards come in the form of rosy-hued sunsets, the striking Marmolada glacier and the lunar landscape of the Catinaccio group. Fortunately, this Alpine area is blessed with exceptional lodges and cable-car networks – the answer to your prayers when your bed is at the top of the next peak.

Hiking in the Dolomites.

iStock

The locals generally only see walking as an adjunct to eating, with family expeditions focused on finding the best funghi porcini rather than the best view. The countryside is a larder rather than a living landscape.

In Liguria, the best-known trails lie in the rugged Cinque Terre, the Unesco-protected stretch of coast that encompasses olive-growing terraces and quaint fishing villages. The Blue Trail (Sentiero Azzurro) clings to the coast for 13km (8 miles) from Riomaggiore to Monterosso. Its popularity means that it is best not undertaken in the height of the summer.

Further down the coast, in Tuscany, the drained marshes of the Maremma include an unspoilt coastal park with deep Etruscan roots, and white cattle watched over by the butteri, Tuscan cowboys. Umbria’s Sibillini park, which marks the watershed between the Adriatic and the Tyrrhenian, is home to wild boar, wolves and peregrine falcons, though botanists are keener on the orchids and Alpine anemone. Both parks have waymarked trails.

The small island of Vulcano, near Sicily.

Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications

On the Adriatic Coast, the Po Delta coastal wetlands, studded with nature reserves and abbeys, form a Unesco heritage site and one of the wildest areas in central Italy. This mosaic of marshes, dunes, mudflats and islands is dubbed the Italian Camargue: sturdy white ponies share the marshes with migratory birds and waterfowl. Birdlife abounds on the mudflats, from cormorants, coots and reed warblers to white egrets and purple herons. Scenic trails criss-cross the park between Ferrara and Comacchio, from locks and flood plains to the raised canal banks which serve as cycle trails. The salt pans are flanked by windmills, a reminder of the time before pumpkins, peaches and strawberries took over. Since this is farming and wine-growing country, walkers will spot asparagus beds, rice paddies, hemp-growing and even vineyards.

In terms of gentle walks though coastal scenery, chic Capri has, paradoxically, one of the wildest trails, embracing macchia mediterranea shrubland, as well as ocean views, glimpsed through exotic agave and bougainvillea.

THE SAN REMO COASTAL TRAIL

A spectacular cycle-pedestrian path hugs the picturesque Ligurian Coast close to the French Riviera. The first 24km (17-mile) stretch, from Ospedaletti via San Remo to San Lorenzo al Mare, offers an exhilarating Riviera route. Divided into five sections, the coastal path follows a disused railway line and wends its way through former fishing villages. The path provides access to previously unreachable beaches and a marine park, which acts as a whale sanctuary. With the Mediterranean on one side and the Alps on the other, the cycle path is one of the loveliest in Europe, and the first on the Italian coast (www.area24spa.it).

The peaks, forests and lakes of the Parco d’Abruzzo, dominated by the Apennines and laced with trails, are home to 40 species of mammal and 300 types of bird, from Apennine wolves to golden eagles.

Further south, in Puglia’s Gargano promontory, the northern salt lakes provide a haven for wildfowl. The Gargano – a thickly wooded peninsula that juts out into the Adriatic to form the spur of Italy’s boot – was an island until river sediment formed a bridge linking it to the mainland. Reached via an old pilgrimage route, the wilder parts of the peninsula have a timeless quality, from the pine groves to the coastline of cliffs, rocks and caves.

Italy’s wildlife has been decimated by hunting, but this trend is being fought fiercely in Abruzzo. In the Parco d’Abruzzo bears have been successfully re-introduced, as have chamois in Gran Sasso, while wolves are protected in the Majella park.

In the south, the best trail is the Sentiero Italia, which begins in Montalto, in Calabria’s Parco dell’Aspromonte, and runs along the spine of the Apennines until Umbria and even as far as Trieste. The similarly named Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods) is one of the most scenic ways to explore the Amalfi Coast – an impossibly pretty 8km (5-mile) walk connecting the hill town of Agerola with Nocelle outside Positano, taking in some breathtaking coastal vewis.

Volcano-watching

Italy’s volcanic parks make fascinating places to explore, from the eerie lunar landscape of Etna to the mud baths on the gorgeous Aeolian archipelago. Although Vulcano is set in one of the most beautiful archipelagos in the Mediterranean, visitors are assailed by a sulphurous, rotten-egg stench. Ignoring the limpid seas, bathers squat in a stinking mud hole and smear smelly gloop over their bodies. This yellow volcanic soup and foul-smelling mud may not look or smell pretty, but they are valued for their beneficial effect on the skin, muscles and circulation. As for Naples, Vesuvius may be an active volcano, but you can still visit the rim of the crater’s mouth and gaze down into its smouldering core. The approach is dramatic, passing vineyards that produce the amber-hued Lacrimae Christi (Tears of Christ), a wine favoured by the ancient Etruscans. The puce-tinged summit induces a feeling of foreboding, but when gazing into the volcano’s core, spare a thought for Spartacus, who, a century before the eruption that buried Pompeii, hid in the hollow of the crater, which was then covered with vines.

Hiking trail on Capri.

Dreamstime

Lying off the north coast of Sicily, the seven Aeolian Islands have a stark volcanic allure and striking natural beauty. The archipelago’s appeal lies in the marine life and underwater lava formations, as well as sulphurous Vulcano and Stromboli, the lighthouse of the Mediterranean, which glows incandescently at night and shoots fireballs. Locals refer to Stromboli as Iddu, a good friend with a volcanic temper; he sleeps just like us, he lives just like us. Iddu’s intoxicating explosions have occurred roughly every 15 minutes and more or less continuously for the past 2,500 years.

The Pantheon, Rome.

Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications

Decisive dates

Origins to the Roman Empire

2000–1200 BC

Tribes from Central Europe and Asia, the Villanovans, settle in northern Italy.

c.800 BC

Etruscans arrive in Italy.

753 BC

Legendary date of Rome’s founding.

750 BC

Greeks start to colonise southern Italy.

509 BC

Rome becomes a republic.

390 BC

Gauls sack Rome, but are expelled.

343–264 BC

Rome gains ascendancy in Italy.

264–146 BC

Punic Wars; Rome extends conquests abroad.

58–48 BC

Caesar conquers Gaul, then crosses the Rubicon, occupies Rome and is made dictator.

44 BC

Caesar assassinated.

27 BC

Octavius proclaimed Princeps, as Augustus Caesar; start of Pax Romana.

AD 96–180

Golden century of peace; empire reaches its greatest extent.

303

Persecution of Christians under Diocletian.

306–337

Constantine makes Christianity the state religion and Constantinople the capital.

393

The empire is divided into Eastern and Western halves.

5th century

Invasions by Visigoths, Huns, Vandals and Ostrogoths.

410

Sack of Rome by Alaric the Goth.

476

End of the Western Roman Empire.

Medieval Italy

535–53

Justinian brings all Italy within rule of Eastern emperor.

568

Lombards overrun much of Italy; peninsula divided into Lombard state, ruled from Pavia and Byzantine province centred at Ravenna.

800

Charlemagne crowned Holy Roman Emperor and founds Carolingian Empire.

827

Saracens capture Sicily.

9th century

Carolingian Empire disbands, leaving behind rival Italian states.

951

951 Saxon King Otto I becomes King of the Lombards; the following year he is crowned Holy Roman Emperor.

11th century

Normans colonise Sicily and southern Italy.

1076

Pope Gregory VII and Emperor Henry IV become embroiled in a power struggle that marks the start of a 200-year conflict between the papacy and imperial powers.

1155

Guelphs, supporting the Pope, clash with the Ghibellines, who follow the emperor.

1167

Lombard League of cities formed to oppose the emperor.

1227–50

The papacy is the victor.

Late Middle Ages and Renaissance

1265

Charles of Anjou becomes King of Sicily.

1302

Anjou dynasty established in Naples.

1309–77

Papacy established at Avignon then returns to Rome.

1442

Alfonso V, King of Aragon, is crowned King of the Two Sicilies (Naples and Sicily).

1469–92

Lorenzo de’ Medici leads Florence; apogee of the