TRIP TO ITALY
ROME AIRPORT
HUGS & KISSES
COLOSSEUM The most famous of ancient Rome’s monuments, Colosseum was begun in AD 70 by emperor Vespasian and inaugurated in AD 80 by with a program of games and shows that lasted 100 days. The gladiator fights that took place in the arena were popular forms of entertainment with the Romans. You can find a few of their followers outside the Colosseum. They don’t fight to their death anymore but rather pose for pictures. By the 15th century the Colosseum has become a quarry for building materials. In 1749 Benedict XIV declared it sacred in the memory of the many Christians that died here (although there is no historical data to support the belief that Christians were martyrized in the arena). Once it was declared sacred, its restauration began (and still continues).
FONTANA DI TREVI If you’ve seen La Dolce Vita by Fellini you’ll recognize this spot easily. The fountain lies in a small piazza off Via del Tritone. It was designed by Nicola Silva. Legend goes that by throwing a coin in the fountain you can secure your return to Rome (we didn’t do it, but I still have hopes to return). We went there in the afternoon; we were not looking for the fountain, just wandering the streets and ended up here. It was extremely crowded, almost imposible to get near the fountain. I don’t know which hour is better, my guess is that it is crowded all the time. Maybe early morning will be a better time if you wish to avoid the crowds.
PIAZZA VENEZIA Piazza Venezia is a huge and very busy square where many streets intersect. In the middle of the piazza stands the collosal Vittorio Emanuele II monument.
PIAZZA DI SPAGNA Both the steps and the Piazza got their name from the Spanish Embassy which I believe is located in the piazza. If you come here in the summer the stairs are divided by rows of flowers. The beautiful church of Trinita dei Monti lies at the top of the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs is the Fontana della Barcaccia (Fountain of the old boat) by Pietro Bernini. This place is a gathering spot for tourists, with people sitting on the steps and watching the other (tourists :-) ) go by.
PIAZZA NAVONA Piazza Navona was built over the site of the 1st century Stadium of Domitian and still preserves the elliptical form of the Roman circus. Medieval jousts, 17-century carnivals, open-air sports and historic festivals took place here; the piazza was also used as market place from mid 15th century to mid 19th century. Today this place attracts tourists and Romans alike, and the cafes and restaurants lining the piazza have tables outside most of the year. Three beautiful fountains decorate the piazza out of which the most famous is the central Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (The Fountain of the Four Rivers) by Bernini. Behind this fountain is the church Sant’Agnese in Agone a remarkable example of Baroque architecture.
CASTEL SANT' ANGELO This fortress which stood at the entrance to Vatican for centuries was begun by Hadrian around 128 as a mausoleum for him and his family. The mausoleum was finished in 139 and Hadrian and many succeeding emperors were buried here. By the 6th century the building was gradually transformed into a castle and it was used to protect the popes for nearly 1000 years. According to legend the name of the castle was given during the plague of 590 when Pope Gregory the Great who was passing nearby had a vision of an angel sheathing his sword atop the stone walls. In front of the castle stands Ponte Sant’Angelo (Bridge of Angels) which was built by Hadrian as a suitable approach to his mausoleum. The bridge was transformed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini who designed the ten statues of Angels.
BOCCA DELLA VERITA Bocca della Verita (Mouth of Truth) is located inside the portico of the 12th century church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. I wanted to see this place ever since I was a little girl and I watched “Roman holiday� the charming movie starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. The mouth is an ancient version of a lie detector; the legend has it that if a person that told a lie will stick his hand into that mouth, his hand will be chopped off. I had the guts to give it a try and came off looking like the most honest person on the planet :-)
VATICAN Basilica di San Pietro (St. Peter Basilica) This must be the world’s most imposing church. At least for me it is. I’ve never seen a church of such colossal dimensions. It’s simply huge and impressive. The present church dates from the 15th century when it was decided to replace the earlier St. Peter church. The rebuilding lasted until the 17th century. Among the artists that worked on the design of the new basilica are Bramante and Michelangelo. Inside the church, near the entrance is Michelangelo’s Pieta which is so beautiful; it’s a pity that nowadays one has to see it from the distance (due to an incident in 1972). Also very impressive is Bernini’s baldacchino that rises above the papal altar. Piazza San Pietro (St. Peter’s Square)
VATICAN Piazza San Pietro (St. Peter’s Square) This magnificent square was designed by Bernini. It was completed in 1667 and can hold 400.000 people. The piazza has the shape of an ellipse; on each side there’s a curving pair of quadruple colonnades topped with statues of saints. In the middle of the piazza is an obelisk which was brought from Alexandria in AD 37. Also in the piazza are two beautiful fountains. To the left and right of the obelisk are two spots marked on the pavement. If you sit on a spot and look at the colonnades you get the illusion that the colonnades are made of a single row of columns. Neat job :-)
FIRENZE
PONTE VECCHIO This charming bridge is the oldest bridge in Florence; it was built in 1345 and it was the only bridge to escape destruction in the World War II. Initially the bridge was occupied by butchers, tanners and blacksmiths but they were evicted by the Medici duke Ferdinand I in 1593 because of the noise and smell they created. Instead the workshops were rented to blacksmiths and jewelers which still occupy the bridge today. The shops seem to be selling everything, from affordable new jewelry to antique one. On the eastern side of the bridge is the Vasari corridor which was used by members of the Medici family to move between Palazzo Pitti and Palazzo Vecchio via Uffizi. The corridor is full of many famous works of art (unfortunatelly it was closed when we visited Uffizi).
PIAZZALE MICHELANGELO Piazzale Michelangelo is the place where you can see beautiful views of the city. The square has a copy of Michelangelo’s David.
SAN MINIATO San Miniato al Monte is a beautiful Romanesque basilica situated on a green hill above the city. The church was built in the 11th century over the shrine of the early Christian martyr San Miniato. The facade has a geometrical design and a mosaic dating from the 13th century of Christ between the Virgin and San Miniato. The interior has fine frescoes and mosaics.
PALAZZO PITTI Formerly the residence of the grand dukes of Tuscany, the King of Italy and home of the Medici’s, the Palazzo is furnished with treasures from the ages and features several museums/galleries, including:
GIARDINO DI BOBOLI Boboli Gardens started to take shape in 1591 after the Medici bought Palazzo Pitti. They were modified over the years by different artists and were finally opened to the public in 1766. The main entrace to the gardens is through the courtyard of Palazzo Pitti. We took a path lined with cypress trees and classical statues that opened into a large area with an artificial lake and the Little Island (L’Isolotto). There were numerous statues and flowers around. One can rest on one of the benches around the lake and take in the beauty of the Giardini Boboli.
SIENA
SIENA Siena is a classic medieval hill town in Tuscany famous for its large fan-shaped piazza, (definition of piazza). Piazza del Campo is the heart of the town and is the home to the famous summer horse-race, known as Il Palio. Siena is one of Italy’s prettiest medieval towns. Its peak was about 1260-1348 when it was one of Europe’s wealthiest cities and many of its buildings and art works originate from that time.
PISA
PISA When people think of Pisa they usually think of the Leaning Tower, but Pisa has many interesting sights and attractions. The Campo dei Miracoli, with its Romanesque buildings, is the highlight of a visit to Pisa but getting away from the tourist crowds one finds other interesting sights, too. The Torre di Pisa or Leaning Tower is one of Europe’s most famous towers. Building on the tower started in 1173 but wasn’t finished until the late fourteenth century. The cylindrical tower, 54 meters tall, has eight stories, six of them with open galleries. Inside the spiral staircase has 294 steps leading to the top of the tower.
5 TERRE
5 TERRE Located on the eastern end of the “Italian Riviera�, the Cinque Terre is a band of five scenic towns nestled along a hilly, dramatic coast overlooking the Gulf of Genoa on the Ligurian Sea. The uniqueness of the Cinque Terre is reflected in the fact that it is protected both as a National Park of Italy and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The five towns of the Cinque Terre (Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Rigmaggiore) are noted for the harmony of their relationship with the surrounding environment and the scenic beauty that surrounds them.
VENICE
BASILICA DI SAN MARCO The Basilica di San Marco is the most famous church from Venice and one of the best examples of Byzantine architecture. It is located in Piazza San Marco. Originally the church was a chapel for the Venetian rulers. Since 1807, it has been the sanctuary of the Patriarch of Venice. Thanks to its opulent form, decorated with Byzantine mosaics, and due to its status as a symbol of Venetian wealth and power, has been also called The Golden Church (Chiesa d’Oro). Outside, the church is divided into five arches separated by columns decorated with polychrome marble. Above the central door there is a mosaic with gold (from the nineteenth century) representing the Last Judgement. At the top of the church there are four statues of warrior saints and of San Marco who watche over the city. Above the central window of the facade, under the statue of St. Mark, there is the winged lion (symbol of the church), while on the middle of the balcony there are Roman horses
PONTE RIALTO Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge) is the true heart of Venice. The current structure was built in just three years, between 1588 and 1591, as a permanent replacement for the boat bridge and three wooden bridges that had spanned the Grand Canal at various times since the 12th Century. It remained the only way to cross the Grand Canal on foot until the Accademia Bridge was built in 1854. The Rialto Bridge’s 7.5-meter (24-foot) arch was designed to allow passage of galleys, and the massive structure was built on some 12,000 wooden pilings that still support the bridge more than 400 years later. The architect, Antonio da Ponte (“Anthony of the Bridge,” appropriately enough), competed against such eminent designers as Michelangelo and Palladio for the contract. The bridge has three walkways: two along the outer balustrades, and a wider central walkway leading between two rows of small shops that sell jewelry, linens, Murano glass, and other items for the tourist trade.
PALAZZO DUCALE Like most of the buildings located in Venice, Doge’s Palace(Palazzo Ducale) is truly beautiful. The building is also very important in the history of the city as it is one of the oldest still standing governmental buildings located there. Prior to the fall of the Venetian Republic in the late 1700s, Doge’s Palace served as the Senate House, hall of justice, and prison. A nearby structure that shouldn’t be missed too is the Bridge of Sighs which is a short stone bridge that connects Doge’s Palace with the old prison on the other side of the canal. This bridge is completely enclosed and the windows in it even have bars made of stone. Doge’s Palace and the Bridge of Sighs are two sights that are necessities for anyone visiting Venice to see.
MUST KNOW WORDS
ciao!- hello/goodbye buon giorno- good morning(actually translated to “good day”) buona sera- good evening(but they usually start saying this after about 2 PM) buona notte- good night arrivederci- goodbye per favore- please grazie- thank you prego- you’re welcome come stai?- how are you?
scusa- excuse me sto bene- i am fine mi chiamo...- my name is... non parlo italiano- i dont speak italian Va bene- ok ho fame- im hungry ho sete- im thirsty ho freddo- im cold ho caldo- im hot Come si dice ____ in italiano?How do you say_____ in italian?
WAITING FOR U RUZ. MUAH