Italy – beyond the big three

Throughout the modern tourism era, tour operators have built most tours around Rome, Florence, and Venice, and there are good reasons for that. These three cities have thousands of years of rich culture and history packed into tight packages. The Big Three were independent city-states of major importance for centuries before Italy was founded as a state in 1861. Each has its own independent history and culture. As three historically separate nations, they still have separate individual personalities.

According to legend, Rome was founded in 753 BC. Roman historian Marcus Terentius Varro gave the date as the 1st century BC, but archaeological finds indicate that human settlement dates back 14,000 years. Rome was the foundation of what became Europe. Its importance and cultural richness cannot be overstated.

Founded in 697 as a republic, Venice was the world’s first international financial center. It has always held a unique place among all the cities of the world because its main transportation arteries are located on water rather than on land. And this is just the beginning of what can be experienced there.

Florence was founded in 1115 as an independent republic as well; Archaeological traces of human habitation there date back 2,000 years. The Florentine dialect was the basis of the modern Italian language, and Florence was the home of the Renaissance, from which modern Europe emerged.

There is no end to what you can see and experience in the Big Three. I could go back to any of them over and over again and never get tired of them. You can never begin to exhaust the possibilities. The pleasure of being in any of them is always new and new.

The Big 3 tours offered by different tour operators vary, because each tour operator chooses different things to experience in each place, and there is no end to the possibilities. Each tour is also unique in how it organizes routes and stops along the way between those cities, choosing from the endless possibilities of what to see and do there.

But there are also good reasons to travel outside those centers. The first is to bypass the more tourist-heavy areas where crowds are present. But the main reason is to get out and experience more of the vast richness that Italy has to offer throughout the peninsula. There is a world beyond the Big Three, far more than can be covered in one article. But here are some selected possibilities:

Verona. “Two families, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we cast our scene,” wrote William Shakespeare, as he began a tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Verona has a balcony that inspired the famous balcony scene. Shakespeare’s play was based on earlier versions of the same story as long ago as Dante’s. There may have been a real Romeo and Juliet at some point. Who knows? Anyway, spirit Romeo and Juliet She lives in Verona, which makes it stand out as a very romantic destination, even in Italy, which has a reputation as the most romantic destination ever. Shakespeare must have loved Verona, even though he may not have been there at all. He also set his play Two gentlemen of Verona there.

Verona has one of the most well-preserved Roman arenas in the world, although Verona was already a city hundreds of years ago when it became part of the Roman Empire. Verona is also worth a visit just for its fantastic version of northern Italian cuisine.

Amalfi Coastor Costera Amalfitana In the native language, it is a 30-mile-long strip on the southern coast of the Sorrento Peninsula on the Gulf of Salerno. It is a scene of stunning natural beauty, with giant cliffs jutting out of the ocean, and homes and terraces are intricately built into the steep landscape overlooking the sea. Every possible view of the place is stunning, whether from the water below or from the beach path above. From there you can take a boat trip to the legendary island of Capri.

Pisa It is a place known to almost everyone because of the famous Leaning Tower, where Galileo tested his theory of gravity. But Pisa also has a history dating back to Etruscan ruins dating back to the 5th century BC. Later it became a major Roman port. There are several castles and churches that characterize Pisa’s later eras, including the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and Campo Santo.

Pompeii. Who can resist the story of Pompeii, where Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, burying the city in ash? The sudden burning of Pompeii petrified the life of the city, freezing it at the last moment of its existence, preserving it as a glimpse of life over 2,000 years, leaving artwork, jewelery and other relics intact. Seeing this is a unique experience, one that will never be forgotten.

Milan. Italy’s claim to be the style capital is difficult to refute, and Milan is the epicenter of Italian style. It is the center of culture and commerce in northern Italy and attracts visitors for many reasons: the Monza Grand Prix; Milan Film Festival; Opera season from December to July; Milan’s stunning cathedral or cathedral and the Duomo Museum; And the Church of San Gottardo in Corti from 14^y century. As the fashion capital of Italy, it is also a great shopping destination.

Epicurean pleasures alone justify the journey. Milan’s rich culinary heritage brings its own style to northern Italian cuisine, with its own Milanese flavors and accents, distinct from the more famous Mediterranean cuisine of the peninsula.

Bologna. Bologna is the seventh largest city in Italy by population, and has a rich history dating back to its origins as an Etruscan city, then as a Celtic settlement, then a Roman city. Traces of human habitation date back to the 3rd century BC, and numerous tribes and nations have fought over Bologna’s magnificent landscape since the dawn of time. Anyone who has enjoyed Bolognese-style spaghetti can appreciate Bologna’s ancient culinary traditions from the Middle Ages. Having lunch at a traditional taverna in Bologna is a great way to experience it.

Lake Como. In the north, where Italy begins to merge with the mountains of Switzerland, is the beautiful and tranquil Lake Como, and the city of Como, between the lake and the mountains. Charming villas and colorful gardens are set amid stunning lakeside landscapes. Como is also a major cultural and historical landmark, with museums such as the Archaeological Museum, Museo Storico Giuseppe Garibaldi and Pinacoteca Civica. But the best way to experience Como is on the streets of Como, where you can enjoy the magnificent architectural treasures and vibrant street life of the lively city with its restaurants, shops and cafés.

Naples. Naples is the third largest city in Italy after Rome and Milan, and is located in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius on the western coast of Italy and overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. The city has been inhabited since the Neolithic era. Today it is a dynamic coastal urban center offering many culinary treasures and an exciting nightlife. You can climb Mount Vesuvius or attend a wine tasting on the slopes, and visit the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, the Catacombs of San Gennaro and the ruins of Herculaneum.

In Italy there is no end to the amazing places you can experience. It’s ongoing. No list can be completed, only abandoned. My next list will start with Puglia. And while you’re in Italy, how about visiting Sicily? Italy’s landscapes offer endless treasures to the traveler. Much of the world is located on one small peninsula, which was the original center of Western civilization, and in many respects still is.

Your humble correspondent

Colin Treadwell