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Contents

List of Maps viii

What’s New in 1

1 The Best of Italy 4 1 The Best Travel Experiences ...... 4 6 The Best Winegrowing Regions . . . . .10 2 The Most Romantic Getaways ...... 5 7 The Best Luxury Hotels ...... 12 3 The Best Museums ...... 6 8 The Best Moderately Priced Hotels . . .14 4 The Best Cathedrals ...... 7 9 The Best Restaurants ...... 15 5 The Best Ruins ...... 9 10 The Best Buys ...... 16

2 Italy in Depth 18

1 Italy Today ...... 18 4 Italy in Popular Culture: Books, 2 Looking Back at Italy ...... 19 Films & Music ...... 34 3 Art & Architecture ...... 28 5 A Taste of Italy ...... 36

3 Planning Your Trip to Italy 42

1 Visitor Information & Maps ...... 42 8 Specialized Travel Resources ...... 58 2 Entry Requirements & Customs . . . . .43 9 Sustainable Tourism/Ecotourism . . . .61 Cut to the Front of the Airport Frommers.com: The Complete Security Line as a Registered Travel Resource ...... 61 Traveler ...... 43 It’s Easy Being Green ...... 62 3 When to Go ...... 44 10 Packages for the Independent Italy Calendar of Events ...... 45 Traveler ...... 63 4 Getting There ...... 49 11 Escorted General-Interest Tours . . . . .63 5 Money & Costs ...... 54 12 Special-Interest Trips ...... 64 The Euro, the U.S. Dollar, the British 13 Staying Connected ...... 64 COPYRIGHTEDPound & the Canadian Dollar ...... 55 MATERIALOnline Traveler’s Toolbox ...... 66 6 Health ...... 56 14 Tips on Accommodations ...... 67 7 Safety ...... 58 15 Tips on Dining ...... 69 02_285565-ftoc.qxp 7/24/08 12:19 AM Page iv

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4 Suggested Italy Itineraries 72

1 The Regions in Brief ...... 72 3 Italy in 2 Weeks ...... 80 Travel Local—Vespa-Style ...... 77 4 Italy for Families ...... 83 2 Italy in 1 Week ...... 77 5 Tuscany for Art & Architecture Lovers ...... 86

5 Settling into Rome 91

1 Essentials ...... 91 Fast Facts: Rome ...... 100 The Neighborhoods in Brief ...... 93 3 Where to Stay ...... 101 2 Getting Around ...... 97 4 Where to Dine ...... 120

6 Exploring Rome 139

1 St. Peter’s & the Vatican ...... 139 5 In the Villa Borghese ...... 164 Papal Audiences ...... 146 6 The Appian Way & the 2 The Colosseum, the Roman Catacombs ...... 165 Forum & Highlights of Ancient 7 More Attractions ...... 167 Rome ...... 148 8 Organized Tours ...... 169 3 The Pantheon & Attractions 9 Shopping ...... 170 near Piazza Navona & Campo 10 Rome After Dark ...... 176 de’ Fiori ...... 157 4 The Spanish Steps, the Trevi 11 Side Trips from Rome: Tivoli, Fountain & Attractions Nearby . . . .161 Ostia Antica & More ...... 183

7 Florence 190

1 Essentials ...... 190 5 What to See & Do ...... 225 The Neighborhoods in Brief ...... 192 6 Shopping ...... 245 2 Getting Around ...... 194 Florentine High Fashion Fast Facts: Florence ...... 195 at a Discount ...... 248 3 Where to Stay ...... 197 7 Florence After Dark ...... 251 4 Where to Dine ...... 212 8 A Side Trip to Fiesole ...... 254

8 Tuscany, Umbria & the Marches 257

1 The Chianti Road ...... 257 3 Pisa ...... 276 Tuscan Tours: Biking, Horseback 4 San Gimignano: The Manhattan Riding & More ...... 264 of Tuscany ...... 281 2 Lucca ...... 269 5 Siena ...... 287 02_285565-ftoc.qxp 7/24/08 12:19 AM Page v

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6 Arezzo ...... 300 10 Spoleto ...... 319 7 Gubbio ...... 303 11 The Marches ...... 324 8 Perugia ...... 306 12 Isola d’Elba ...... 334 9 Assisi ...... 313

9 Bologna & Emilia-Romagna 340

1 Bologna ...... 340 3 Ravenna & Its Dazzling Mosaics . . .361 The World’s Greatest China 4 Modena ...... 366 Shop ...... 353 5 Parma ...... 371 2 Ferrara ...... 355

10 Venice 377

1 Essentials ...... 378 5 Seeing the Sights ...... 417 The Neighborhoods in Brief ...... 381 6 Shopping ...... 433 2 Getting Around ...... 383 7 Venice After Dark ...... 438 Fast Facts: Venice ...... 384 Fueled by Cicchetti ...... 442 3 Where to Stay ...... 385 8 The Lagoon Islands of Murano, Carnevale ...... 388 Burano & Torcello ...... 444 4 Where to Dine ...... 404

11 The Veneto & the Dolomites 448

1 The Riviera del Brenta ...... 448 The Wine Roads from Treviso . . . . .474 Wine Tasting ...... 451 6 Bassano del Grappa ...... 476 2 Padua ...... 452 7 Trieste ...... 479 3 Palladio’s Vicenza ...... 458 8 Cortina d’Ampezzo: Gateway La Città del Palladio ...... 460 to the Dolomites ...... 485 4 Verona ...... 462 9 Trent ...... 490 5 Treviso ...... 472

12 Milan, Lombardy & the Lake District 494

1 Milan ...... 494 2 Bergamo ...... 523 Get Thee to a Renaissance 3 Mantua ...... 526 Monastery ...... 514 4 Lake Garda ...... 529 Top Designer Fashions 5 Lake Como ...... 538 on the Cheap ...... 520 6 Lake Maggiore ...... 546 02_285565-ftoc.qxp 7/24/08 12:19 AM Page vi

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13 Piedmont & Valle d’Aosta 551

1 Turin ...... 551 2 Aosta ...... 562 The Mystery of Turin’s 3 Courmayeur & Entrèves: Holy Shroud ...... 557 Skiing & Alpine Beauty ...... 565

14 Genoa & the Italian Riviera 571

1 San Remo ...... 571 4 Santa Margherita Ligure ...... 589 2 Genoa ...... 577 5 Portofino ...... 592 3 Rapallo ...... 586 6 The Cinque Terre ...... 595

15 Naples, Pompeii & the Amalfi Coast 601

1 Naples ...... 602 6 Capri ...... 642 2 The Environs of Naples: The 7 Positano ...... 654 Phlaegrean Fields & 8 Amalfi ...... 659 Herculaneum ...... 623 9 Ravello ...... 663 Treading Lightly on Mt. Vesuvius . . .624 10 Paestum & Its Glorious 3 Pompeii ...... 627 Greek Temples ...... 668 4 The Emerald Island of ...... 630 11 The Pontine Islands ...... 669 5 Sorrento ...... 636

16 Apulia 673

1 Foggia: A Base for Exploring 4 Martina Franca ...... 682 the Gargano ...... 673 5 Monopoli ...... 683 2 The Gargano Peninsula ...... 676 6 Lecce ...... 685 3 Alberobello & the Trulli District . . . .679 7 Taranto ...... 688

17 692

1 Taormina ...... 695 5 Selinunte ...... 723 Meet Mighty Mt. Etna ...... 698 6 Palermo ...... 725 2 Syracuse & Island ...... 709 Men of Dishonor ...... 734 3 Agrigento & the Valley 7 Side Trips from Palermo ...... 743 of the Temples ...... 717 8 The ...... 747 4 Lampedusa ...... 721 02_285565-ftoc.qxp 7/24/08 12:19 AM Page vii

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18 754

1 Essentials ...... 756 4 Dorgali ...... 764 2 Cagliari ...... 757 5 Costa Smeralda ...... 766 3 Alghero ...... 760

Appendix A: Fast Facts, Toll-Free Numbers & Websites 771

1 Fast Facts: Italy ...... 771 2 Toll-Free Numbers & Websites . . . .777

Appendix B: Molto Italiano 785

1 The Basics ...... 785 3 A Glossary of Architectural Terms . . .792 2 A Shopper’s Phrasefinder ...... 788 4 Italian Menu Terms ...... 794

Index 798 02_285565-ftoc.qxp 7/24/08 12:19 AM Page viii

List of Maps

The Regions of Italy 73 Emilia-Romagna 342 Italy in 1 Week 79 Bologna 345 Italy in 2 Weeks 81 Ferrara 357 Italy for Families 85 Ravenna 363 Tuscany for Art & Architecture Modena 367 Lovers 87 Parma 373 Rome Metropolitana 99 Venice Orientation 379 Where to Stay in Rome 102 Where to Stay in Venice 386 Where to Stay near Stazione Termini, Where to Dine in Venice 406 Via Veneto & Piazza Barberini 105 Piazza San Marco 419 Where to Stay near Piazza del Popolo & Basilica di San Marco 421 the Spanish Steps 113 What to See & Do in Venice 422 Where to Dine in Rome 122 The Veneto & the Dolomites 449 Where to Dine near Stazione Termini, Padua 453 Via Veneto & Piazza Barberini 125 Verona 463 Where to Dine near Campo Treviso 473 de’ Fiori, the Jewish Ghetto & Trieste 481 Piazza Navona 129 Lombardy & the Lake District 495 What to See & Do in Rome 140 Milan 500 The Colosseum, the Forum & Ancient Rome Attractions 149 Lake Como 539 The Pantheon & Nearby Piedmont & Valle d’Aosta 553 Attractions 159 Turin 555 Rome’s Environs 185 The Italian Riviera 573 Where to Stay in Florence 198 Genoa 579 Where to Dine in Florence 214 The Cinque Terre 597 What to See & Do in Florence 226 The Amalfi Coast 603 Tuscany & Umbria 258 Naples 604 The Chianti Region 261 Herculaneum 626 Lucca 271 Pompeii 629 Pisa 277 Ischia 631 San Gimignano 283 Sorrento 637 Central Siena 289 Capri 643 Siena 294 Apulia 675 Arezzo 301 Sicily 693 Perugia 307 Taormina 697 Assisi 315 Palermo 727 Spoleto 321 Sardinia 755 The Marches 325