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Holidays to Italy

Italy dips down from Europe and crosses into the warm waters of the Mediterranean and is a country of chic style and sophistication, along with a rich and vivid history. They Italians are also known for once having an empire that stretched across the globe, and for having the most spectacular churches, frescos, sculptures and Renaissance paintings in all of Europe.

Today's Italy contains relics of history dating back over three thousand years and the culture offers a diverse mixture of the chic Armani wearing, scooter driving and expresso drinking inhabitants of the cities and the quiet rural farmers of the olive groves and vineyards offering a warm and family feel to the picturesque villages and seaside towns.

Italy holidays offer something to every visitor of its ancient landscape, from the romantic canals of Venice to the sun kissed sands San Remo on the Italian Riviera, or even the snowy crags of the Alps, Apennines and Dolomites. You can find everything from Italy beach holidays to luxury mountain ski resorts.

The cultural delights of Italy are so vast that you could spend a lifetime naming them, from the awe inspiring arches of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence to the crumbling magnificence of the ancient Roman Colosseum. The country of Italy has been home to some of histories most inspired artists, including the works of Botticelli, Michaelangelo, da Vinci and Carvaggio.

Rome is home to the independent Vatican City, where the Pope himself resides and some of the cities most impressive historical buildings are the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica. The influence of the Holy Catholic Church on the people of Italy is still evident today in a series of holy festivals, carnivals, and parades involving young and old alike in almost every city, town and village.

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Essential Information

 

Cities to Visit in Italy
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Rome

The timeless city of Rome is a living museum of the ancient world, home to the ruins of ancient Rome and once the centre of the world, when it was ruled by the Caesars of times gone by. The centuries peel back with each new vista in this great city of gladiators, lunatic drivers and well-rounded pasta posteriors. Vespas, nippy little Fiats and red sports cars speed past trendy sidewalk bistros and nightclubs, revealing the Rome of Fellini's La Dolce Vita, whilst the chillingly stark facades of the Stadio Olimpico complex bring back Mussolini's attempts to reinvent the architecture of the Caesars.

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Florence

Holidays in Florence offer the beauty of Tuscany, with the principal city of Firenze (Florence) nestled under the lush foothills of the Apennines, on the banks of the Arno River. The works of Botticelli, Michelangelo, Bruneschelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Boccaccio, Alberti, Masaccio, Donatello, Vasari and Fra Angelico imbue the city with the magnificence of their contribution to art and life. The city itself is muse to some and home to many stylish citizens who titivate the cobbled streets and fashionable piazzas with their inimitable Italian flair.

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Milan

Milan is the capital of sophistication in Italy and the financial and commercial centre of the country, attracting fashion fundis, opera lovers, the young, the beautiful and the bold. Shopping, eating and clubbing is serious business here and it is no surprise that the city boasts the world's most beautiful shopping mall, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The Milanese icons of La Scala Theatre (Teatro della Scala) and the Gothic Duomo, one of the world's largest churches, are iconic attractions in Milan. Italy travel in Milan and Milan holiday packages offer a holiday packed with cultural attractions in the world's most sophisticated city. The city's urban tentacles stretch for miles, although the significant historical attractions are contained between the two landmark sites - the Duomo and the Sforzesco Castle. These reside within the inner loop of the city's concentric design, which is split into four squares: Piazza Duomo, Piazza Cairoli, Piazza Cordusio and Piazza san Babila. The modern civic centre lies to the northwest, around Mussolini's colossal train station built in 1931. A skyline of skyscrapers from which the sleek Pirelli Tower emerges dominates the area around here. The Fiera district that stretches around Porta Genova station is the nub for trade and fashion fairs.

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