Exploring Tuscany in 2010

Exploring Tuscany in 2010

Exploring the region of modern day Tuscany means the traveler can experience a multitude of sites, scenes and pleasures. From rolling countryside, to beautiful mountains and shorelines; fine food and wine and amazing works of art and centres of culture, Tuscany has much to offer the visitor.

When you learn about the rich and deep history of Tuscany, these types of experiences and memories only become more enhanced. An ancient region with vestiges of that character still available to visit, Tuscany is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not just a place or time – Tuscany is its people, and the history of humankind in this region is rich.

Originally inhabited long before Christ, and in 350 BC the region was annexed by Rome. By time of the Middle Ages, Tuscan cities such as Pisa, Florence and Lucca had become powerful and rich trade centers with the primary products of textiles and agriculture, along with becoming a financial center with many banks and other trade organizations. When the Renaissance age came into being, Tuscany (Toscana, in Italian), many artists who are still respected to this day came into their own as well. Writers like Dante and Macchiavelli and artists and engineers like DaVinci and Michelangelo produced their finest works in this region. In fact, because of its literary influence from those times, even today the Italian that is spoken today reflects that Florencian influence from long ago.

After the Renaissance, Tuscan experienced somewhat of a decline, becoming revived in the 1700s, but not before Tuscans Galileo Galilei and Amerigo Vespucci made their impact on the culture and society of Italy, and ultimately the world.

Today, Tuscany is one of the worlds major cultural and arts centers with museums and galleries filled with amazing paintings, sculptures and grand frescoes by the masters. The historical peoples of Tuscany, and today's lively inhabitants make Tuscany a world class region to please all the senses.
Photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/rayced/2040526664/

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Italian Culture, DaVinci to Michelangelo

Italian Culture

When one thinks of Italy it is hard not to think of its many cultural facets. As a country that has been the home of birthplace of great artists and artworks, from DaVinci to Michelangelo, Italian Culture is not only reflective of the past, but of the present and future. For Italian Culture lives on today, and today's visitor to Italy will see evidence of renaissance works next to new and exciting displays of culture.
St. Peter's Basilica - Michelangelo's Pieta

Most outsiders consider Florence the heart of Italian Culture. This is where the great thinkers, artists, engineers, composers and other cultural icons made their name and created their greatest works. This is not even to mention the famous foods from this part of Italy. For example, Galileo Galilei, Michelangelo, Vivaldi, Puccini, and others came from this great center of Italian culture.
Another famous cultural spot in Italy is Milan, long considered one of the true fashion capitals of the world. Milan, unlike it's older sister Florence, is a thriving metropolis immersed in modern Italian Culture. This hip and fast-paced city, as such a fashion center, also has a surprising array of old world culture as well; with museums, famous cinema houses, and, of course, amazing food. Milan is easy to visit since so many airlines fly into Milan directly from other cities around the world; take advantage of this opportunity by taking time while in Milan; you will be overwhelmed with Italian Culture at its best – the old and the new, side by side.
Although many of us are familiar with great icons of Italian Culture, there are so many famous, and famously talented individuals that, themselves, reflect the variety of culture found from Italy. For example, Antonio Vivaldi, the great baroque composer, hailed from Italy. Maria Montessori, the founder of the Montessori educational philosophy, was born and lived in Italy. More modern Italian cultural icons include the great movie maker, Federico Fellini, the incomparable opera star, Luciano Pavarotti and the more contemporary Andrea Bocelli.
Italy is the epitome of culture and class, both old and new, and all can be found in today's Italy.
Photo by David Paul Ohmer
http://www.flickr.com/photos/the-o/

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Italian Movies, Simply the Best

Italian Movies, Simply the Best!

Known for it's beautiful countryside, world-class cities, rich arts and culture, and of course its food and wine, Italy can also be considered a mecca of movies.

Ever since movies have been made for popular viewing, Italy has been involved either as a setting or as the subject itself. Many well known and talented movie makers, directors and producers have come from this beautiful land, and today Italy holds a warm place in the hearts of many because of scenes and stories filmed in and about Italy.

Some of the great movies to catch that feature Italy include “Malena;” set in this small Sicilian coastal hamlet, the movie tells about the towns local beauty, and her whims a life choices, as narrated by a small villager boy. Another classic (almost instant from the moment of its release) is “A Room With a View” starring Helena Bonham Carter and Daniel Day Lewis (currently married to each other) the movie wraps itself around the main character who has requested the title 'room with a view,' and to her dismay doesn't receive one. She changes her room at the hotel, and her life changes as well. A fascinating tale of love and where one of the characters is Italy herself.

Italian movies have been made by some well known directors, more recently and notably Roberto Benigni for his “Life is Beautiful/La Vita e Bella” tale of an Italian commoner, his beautiful wife and loved son through the joys and perils of life during the second world war. Other notable Italian movie directors include Vittorio De Sica (“The Bicycle Thief,” and “Today and Tomorrow”), Massimo Troisi (“Il Postino”), and Federico Fellini (“La Dolce Vita,” and “Nights of Caribia” among many others).

Take in the sights and sounds of Italy through its wonderful Italian movies.

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Tuscany Tourism 2010

Tuscany Tourism 2010

Located in north-central, Tuscany is perhaps one of Italy's most famous regions, and Tuscany tourism opportunities are profound. You may be considering a trip to this area for a variety of reasons. Some come to Tuscany to explore the amazing countryside, while others are more interested in the experience of seeing world famous, beautiful artwork. Still others want to feel the sensation of living in cultural rich cities like Florence. Tuscany has so much to offer, that you can do it all.

Of course, another reason that people are drawn to this region is, not surprisingly, the food and wine. Its reputation as a world class food and wine region is no mistake. You might want to study Italian cooking while in Italy, and learn about the unique flavors and dishes of this region, like pappa al pomodoro (a rich, hearty bread thickened soup), risotto (a creamy, herbed rice), and tiramisu (Tuscany's famous dessert cake made with Mascarpone cheese, coffee, lady fingers, cocoa and liquor – yum!) Of course, the Tuscany region also boasts world class wineries .

The city of Florence is the best known city in Tuscany, and for many reasons. Home of architectural wonders such as the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and the Baptistery. Of course, you must also visit Pisa, and the well known Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Pisa Cathedral. Visit Chianti, namesake for the sparky red wine famous around the world as the perfect vin for northern Italian eating.

In addition to its cities, the Tuscany region is also known for its gorgeous countryside. Between the heights of the Apuan Alps, rolling valleys and grotto like nooks, the Tuscany region has an extremely wide variety of vistas and experiences. And, you can experience this region by car, plane, train, bicycle, horseback and hiking.

As the most famous region of Italy, Tuscany is one of the treasures of Mediterranean Europe.

Photo by Alaskan Dude http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/2776361245_91461bfc76_b.jpg

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Italian Spas - Spend Vacation in Italy

Italian Spas - Spend Vacation in Italy

Have you ever dreamed of a vacation to Italy? With its world renown food and wine, ancient cultural sites and beautiful countryside from valleys to the tallest mountains, Italy is a vacationers dream. Did you know, however, that Italy has rich and beautiful spas to visit, making this country an all encompassing vacation destination.

From the very top of the country, and even down to the tip of Italy's 'boot,' spas pepper the land. And, of course, with the thousands of miles of shoreline, there are dozens of seaside spas to escape the stresses of every day life. No matter if your preference is the beautiful countryside, quaint villages, bustling cities or quiet hamlets, Italy has spas in every area of the country to please your every whim.

For centuries, Italians have known the benefits of therapeutic body work, and some of these therapies are exclusive to an Italian spa experience. For example, there are hundreds of thermal and mineral-rich springs known throughout the world for their healing properties. The waters in these life giving springs help to lesson the symptoms of many ailments, including skin problems, arthritis and related stiffness, vascular abnormalities and more.

Fitness and sports are a part of many Italian spas, including spas that specialize in yoga practice, Pilates, hiking in the countryside, and other fitness activities. You can build your strength and your level of relaxation at these types of spas.

Italian spas are also known for their use of Fango mud. (Actually a redundant term since “fango” means mud in Italian.) The use of this type of treatment using the mud that is found within the natural springs of Italy is helpful for many conditions such as arthritis, skin health, and as a general relaxant. To take part in a Fango treatment is truly an exclusive Italian spa indulgence.

Italy has so much to offer, and its spas are top-of-the-line, and can be found to fit every buget, preference and personal need.

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Southern Italy - The Amalfi Coast

Southern Italy - The Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy with its amazing towns and beautiful panoramas, looks really stunning, check out the video report.

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Cyber Café's in Italy

Cyber Café's in Italy

Holidays are simply indispensable for professionals as this is the best way to shred the stress from the life. But those who have their own business or are serving at a responsible post in an organization cannot afford to stay away from their offices for a long time. Now the solution is to carry a laptop on the trip but this can be inconvenient at times, especially on International tours. Now if you have chosen Italy as the destination for vacationing, you will not need to carry any extra gadgets with you. Internet cafes are set up at various places in the urban areas of Italy and they aim to serve the travelers who are away from their home town but need to communicate with the workplaces. These cyber cafes are equipped with all modern amenities. There are quite a number of seats available so that more than one customer can surf the Internet through these cafes.

Old School Internet

These cyber cafes are open 24x7 which especially in the big cities of Italy. In fact the visitors who come up with the laptops need not worry about the servicing and technical problems. There are quite a number of large cyber cafes which offer the technical servicing facilities to the out station customers. You can also get the additional services which include designing graphics and programming software. You need not worry about the language barrier at the Internet cafes because they have interpreters who help the customers. You can also consider these cafes as a good place to pass time as they offer television and magazines inside the lounges. Some of them have arrangements for food and beverages as an additional facility. The busy professionals no more need to worry about their scheduled work as Italian tourist places feature quite a number of cyber cafes with multiple facilities.

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Rachel Ray In Siena, Italy

Rachel Ray In Siena, Italy

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Italy - Best Time To Visit

Know The Season To Visit Italy

Italy is one of the finest countries of Western Europe which makes it a popular favorite tourist spot across the world. Like rest of the parts of Western Europe, two of the best seasons to explore Italy are autumn and early part of spring. The renowned cities of Italy, Milan, Venice, Verona and Bologna are situated in the Northern part of Italy. These places can be seen at its panoramic best in the spring time. The summers are quite hot and the humidity level increases in Italy. The cold winters never reach extremity though fog causes little problem in few of the winter days. The mystical fog creates a reverie on the entire city. But the climate condition is different in the southern part of Italy. The crowd reduces in the month of September. The weather becomes warm and hotter during this part of the year.

The climate in the months of august and July gradually becomes unpleasant and warmer. But there are certain parts where you can feel much better on a vacation. The hilly areas feature soothing climate and the dense forests are humid and pleasant. November and March are the two months when you can readily visit the nice cities like Naples, Rome and Florence. The festive times pull large volume of crowd to Italy and its tourist places. Italy gets congested with crowd at the time of Christmas and Easter. You can enjoy skiing at the alpine region starting from December till April. Italy keeps really busy in the summers when all the shops and restaurants keep open. In fact the price of various stuffs increase in this particular season. But if you are looking for some discounts, always visit Italy in the off seasons.
Mild weather, lovely seasons and beautiful Italy make a perfect combination for the visitors who wish to spend a memorable holiday in Italy.

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Driving Down the Roads of Italy

Driving Down the Roads of Italy

Italy being a lovely tourist destination, communication and conveyance needs to be simply superb so that the visitors can explore this exotic place thoroughly. The Italian roadways are known as “Autostradas”.

These are highways which are in excellent condition and feature multiple lanes so that the visitors do not face ant problem related to the traffic system. The high ways cover about 5600 kilometers. The roads are open to the commercial as well as individually owned vehicles. Every arrangement for easy navigation and safe driving is included in the road ways in order to reduce the number of fatal accidents. The speed limit is fixed for the roads and toll is collected for the maintenance. You can always pay for this fee with credit cards or cash. In fact they also offer great facilities in order make things much more convenient for the car owners. The pre-paid cards are made available by the authority so that you need not spend much time on the way.

Though the main roads are in great shape, the same cannot be conferred about the secondary roads. The facilities are comparatively less and the surface is not equally smooth everywhere. The alleys and streets inside the historical cities often get jammed when the crowd is heavy in the seasons. The speed limit reduces down to 50 km ph. Drunk driving is not allowed in Italy as the alcohol limit in blood is fixed up to 0.05%. In order to ensure the security of the drivers, breath checking tests are conducted every now and then. There are high penalties for rash and drunk driving. If you are a visitor or a local resident, you need to hold a valid license in order to drive down the roads of Italy. Now that you know almost all details about the Italian driving systems, you can explore the cities with a rented car as well.

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Italy for Disabled Travelers

Facts about Italy for Disabled Travelers

This is a true fact that traveling is not just a hobby but also a great way to de-stress the soul. Italy is a beautiful place to be visited during the festive seasons and also in the vacations. The disabled people who often spend their life inside a limited periphery will feel simply great if the family members take them for a vacation to the lovely place of Italy. But this is seriously not easy to explore the alleys of the historically and culturally rich land of Italy when the visitor has certain physical disabilities. Now there are some of the places which can be traveled easily as there are many modes of conveyance made available for the disabled people.

Facts about Italy

The city of Venice is known for the water ways which connect various parts of the city. Gondolas are the only mode of communication within the city. This is little difficult for the disabled tourists. Keeping this problem in mind the government has designed special trips for disabled travelers which aid them explore the city without any compromises. Though Rome is the capital of Italy, there are certain regions which hilly topography and uneven roads. This is why the disabled people cannot walk down the roadways. The buses are available which include wheelchair facilities that make the journey much comfortable for them.

Facts about Italy

The airlines also have special facilities available for the disabled passengers. They offer emergency as well as regular services so that they do not face any trouble in the middle of the journeys.

Facts about Italy

Those who wish to travel by the railways will experience special treatment and additional comforting amenities in many of the railways stations. In fact the special wagons also feature wheelchairs for disabled tourists. Italy is quite compassionate for the disabled visitors and this is why more number of people is choosing it as their vacation destination.

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About Sicily - All You Need to Know

Facts About Sicily, All You Need to Know

Sicily is one of the most exotic locations of the Mediterranean region. It is segregated from the peninsula of Italy with the “Strait of Messina”. The panoramic landscape of Sicily makes it a popular tourist attraction. It consists of a bunch of tiny but magnificent islands strewn alongside the coastline. The geographical wonder Etna is situated here which happens to be the most active volcano of the entire European continent.

Map of Sicily

The capital city of Sicily is Palermo. The overall Sicilian region comprises of Messina, Catania, Trapani, Ragusa and townships of Corleone, Taormina, Bronte and many other provinces. The district of Palermo features a number of monuments and ancient buildings that bear fine architectural designs. These splendid monuments are considered to be important tourist attractions of Sicily.

Cattedrale-S.Maria Assunta

Some of the well-known must-visit spots at Sicily are “Cattedrale-S.Maria Assunta”, “Cappella Palatina”, the chapel decorated with mosaic designs and the churches bearing the Norman designs. These mixed styles depicted in these constructions often attract the tourists who are in love with ancient history. The cosmopolitan cultural effect has enhanced the beauty of these architectures.

Palermo

Art has always been the treasure of Sicily. It is the birth place of many popular artists and talented poets. Giovanni Verga, Gesualdo Bufalino, Luigi Pirandello, Ignazio Buttitta, the poet and composer Vincenzo Bellini and Sigismondo d'India are all from Sicily which accounts for the cultural heritage of this place.
If you are visiting Sicily for a pleasure trip do not miss the lovely town at the mountain regions of Sicily known as Caltagirone. Hand-made ceramic items are the specialty of this town. The town also celebrates a colorful festival in the month of July. During this festival multi-colored images are create with lamination which is a must see for every tourist. Explore this beautiful destination and gather an experience for the lifetime.

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Leaning Tower Of Pisa

Leaning Tower Of Pisa

Leaning Tower Of Pisa is one of the worlds most famous monuments that stirs the imagination of every single person, from kids to adults.
The TORRE PENDENTE DI PISA (Italian name for this tower) is famous because of the settling of the towers foundations, which resulted in leaning to 5.5. degrees which make it about 4.5 meters or 15 feet. Here are some basic facts about the Leaning Tower Of Pisa, and also don't miss a video.



Official Name of the Tower: TORRE PENDENTE DI PISA
Original Function: Bell Tower
The Architect: Bonanno Pisano
Date of construction: 1173-1350
Year in which the leaning became obvious : 1178
Height at the time when the lean looked obvious: 10.6 meters, 35 ft
Height: 55.863 meters, 185 feet, 8 stories
Weight: 14700 tons

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Leonardo da Vinci Drawings

Facts about Italy presents: Leonardo da Vinci Drawings

Leonardo da Vinci was famous Italian painter, sculptor, draftsman, engineer and architect who made some of the biggest art masterpieces in the history of a mankind. Probably the most famous works of Leonardo da Vinci are the paintings Mona Lisa (1503–1506) and Last Supper (1495–1498) .

Leonardo da Vinci - Last Supper


Leonardo da Vinci - Mona Lisa


Leonardo da Vinci - Vitruvian Man

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Gomorra - A Must See Movie

Gomorra - A Must See Movie

Italian Mafia movie - Gomorra - was the biggest winner of the the 21st European Film Awards Festival held in Copenhagen, Denmark. Gomorra won 5 awards including the best European movie and best European director.
The story of Gommora is based on a non-fiction book by 29 years old Italian Roberto Saviano, who has lived under the police protection for more than 2 years because of the death threats he received from Italian gangsters, the hard-hitting movie shows us how Italian criminal organization Commora (based in Naples) actually works.

Gomorra made the debut at Cannes Film Festival, France, where the movie won the Grand Prix award and also received the Italian nomination for the 2009 foreign-language movie Oscar.Defiantely a must see! The 2009 European Film Awards will be held in Essen, Germany.

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Italy Vs Europe

Facts about Italy presents Italy Vs Europe

The differences between Italians and Europeans, showed in very funny way. But as always there is some truth in this animated video. Check this video you won't regret, it really very funny!

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Facts about Italy: Venice - Italy

Venice Italy – Quick Presentation
Venice is to the Northwest in Italy. It is also the capital of Veneto and has over 250,000 residents as of 2004. Not only is it a breathtaking city, there is no place you can go and not find romantic gondolas floating to and fro in the water that makes this the “City of Water”. It reaches across 118 tiny islands next to the Adriatic Sea in the northeastern part of Italy. It was built on what is commonly referred to as an Archipelago
Venice Canals

With so much water, it is no wonder that Venice is best known for its canals. Having the smaller islands makes hundreds of canals in the shallows of this lagoon. To keep everything connected, there are over 400 bridges. The canals are the roads of this city. Either you walk to where you need to go or you ride on the water.
View of Venice from St. Mark's Campanile

This is also true of transportation of goods to and from their destination. There is a railway line and an automobile passage but not directly in the city itself. It is the one place in Europe that can be considered to be free of cars and the most environmentally friendly town.
Gondoliers in Venice, Italy

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Facts about Italy: Michelangelo Facts

Facts about Italy presents Michelangelo Facts
Michelangelo was a true genius of his time. He had the most extraordinary skills when it came to painting, engineering, math, philosophy, and architecture. His pride and joy can when he took the challenge and succeeded in painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling with “The Last Judgment”. His sculpture of David was simply magnificent to see and hard to believe this man could have the patience and care needed to complete this tedious task. He believed in finishing a task he started before moving to another.

Born in Italy in 1475, he was one of five boys to father Ludovico di Leonardo di Buonaratto Simoni and mother Francesca Neri. His painting skills were perfected by serving as an apprentice to the great painter Ghirlandaio. He also studied sculpture at the Medici Gardens. He died in 1564 after completing the wall of the Sistine Chapel. Other great works by Michelangelo include Battle of the Centaurs done between 1490 and 1492, the Pieta completed between 1498 and 1500, and the Statue of David sculpted between 1501 and 1512.

The Creation of Adam was created at the same time as he painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel from 1505 until 1512.

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Facts about Italy: Florence, Tuscany, Italy – Quick Presentation

Facts about Italy presents Florence, Tuscany, Italy – Quick Presentation
The great Julius Caesar founded Florence Italy in 59 BC as a choice spot to retire his soldiers after their fight in the war. It was built with the soldiers in mind and was an army camp with streets that soon became the hub of the commerce and trade. The beautiful architecture and artistic culture is still found today and is a true miracle to withstand the hundreds of years. Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo were part of those who resided in Florence as was Donatello and Brunelleschi.

In the past few years the amount of people living in Florence has grown to almost one million. The majority of those are known to be Italian and the other 7% are immigrants from another country. Asians make up almost 20,000 residents in the city while the African population ranges at the 11,000 mark. The smallest amounts of those who live in Florence Italy are from America. Weather in Florence is hot and full of humidity from June to August and has low wind to help the temperatures. Very little rain will be seen during the summer. Rain is more prevalent in the winter as is a small amount of snowfall.

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Facts about Italy: Facts About Enzo Ferrari

Facts about Italy presents Facts About Enzo Ferrari

Enzo Ferrari was born in Modena in 1898. Not taking after the men in his family who were food wholesalers and metal workers for the local railways, he chose to follow along with his love of fast cars. It was not long before Ferrari was driving at the mere age of thirteen. At the age of ten, he had already taken his first race with him in his memory. He combined forces with Alfo Romero in 1920 who hired him to be lead driver for the team. Nine years later, he stopped racing and took over the management of the Alfa racing team.

Ferrari lost his father and brother in the war. He was not allowed to participate in the same war. He moved into his villa with his wife and mother who had a strong dislike for each other. Each woman was given their own side of the villa to live in. His mother died from choking on a boiled egg in 1965. Ferrari had a son with his wife. He died of muscular dystrophy and Ferrari became diligent about visiting his grave on a daily basis. He also carried a mistress who also bore him a son. His wife passed away in 1978 and his mistress and family moved to be with him in the Villa she had resided in.

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