02_285565-ftoc.qxp 7/24/08 12:19 AM Page iii Contents List of Maps viii What’s New in Italy 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 iv CONTENTS 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 CONTENTS v 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 vi CONTENTS 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 Ischia . .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 Sicily 692 1 Taormina . .695 5 Selinunte . .723 Meet Mighty Mt. Etna . .698 6 Palermo . .725 2 Syracuse & Ortygia Island . .709 Men of Dishonor . .734 3 Agrigento & the Valley 7 Side Trips from Palermo . .743 of the Temples . .717 8 The Aeolian Islands . .747 4 Lampedusa . .721 02_285565-ftoc.qxp 7/24/08 12:19 AM Page vii CONTENTS vii 18 Sardinia 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.