italia.it
Italia.it is the official website for tourism in Italy, sponsored by the Italian Government. Its principal objective is that of being a knowledge source on the places, attractions and services relevant to Italian tourism.
Italian land and nature: Cruises
Italy, with its 7500 km (4,660 mi) of coastline, practically overflowing with indentations, gulfs and coves, natural landfalls and touristic ports, stands out as a cruise destination, and is one of the primary cruise departure points in Europe. Ever higher numbers of tourists are choosing a cruise as an all-inclusive vacation that combines fun, rel...
Italian culture and history: Pienza, the Ideal City
Pienza – the City of Pius. This pleasant city, situated in Val D'Orcia's heart (near Siena, in Tuscany), is considered to be the incarnation of a Renaissance utopia and an ideal city. Having obtained recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, today it continues to show off to the world its refined and sophisticated Renaissance urban plan....
Italian land and nature: Ostuni and the Itria Valley
With its still expanses of olive trees as far as the eye can see, the Itria Valley is red soil, green groves and vineyards, and white trullo houses under a serene blue sky – essentially, a marvelous chromatic effect that repeats itself several times over. Also known as the Valley of the Trulli, it makes up part of the Provinces of Bari, Brindisi an...
Italian culture and history: Aosta, the little Rome of the Alps
Aosta has earned the nickname “little Rome of the Alps” due to the extraordinary wealth of its archaeological sites from Roman times that can be visited like an open-air museum. Conquered by Rome in the days of Augustus, the city was renamed Augusta Praetoria and was enriched with important monuments due to its strategic position on the Roman Via d...
Italian land and nature: The Thermal Parks of Ischia
Ischia, the largest of the Phlegrean Islands, has – as long as man can remember – been considered the European capital of wellbeing. Its springs and ancient natural baths offer intense pleasure and relaxation, in any season, to those looking to combine the best of wellness and spa treatments, enogastronomy, idyllic scenery and even sport activity,...
Italian culture and history: Aquileia, on the Trail of the Roman Empire
A treasure chest of history and beauty in Friuli Venezia Giulia, it lies in the Province of Udine. Traces of the magnificent Roman Empire rest here in Aquileia - a bulwark against the Barbarian Invasions, launching point for expeditions and military conquests, and large commercial hub. Given that it was the fourth-largest city on the Peninsula for...
Italian land and nature: The Elba Island
The Island of Elba is the largest in the Tuscan Island chain; an itinerary in itself, it contains a secluded charm, yet is rich in history, civilization and flora. A tour through this splendid island’s different municipalities, each of which reveal themselves to be tiny worlds apart, begins in Portoferraio, one of the Island’s mooring points. Here,...
Italian culture and history: House Museums and Historic Homes
As the name says, a "house museum" is a habitation or palazzo that has been transformed into a museum. It could have been the abode of illustrious gentlemen, or of common citizens, site of familiar intimacy or a center of power: that which renders a house museum exceptional is its capacity to re-enact or represent the life that was, the traditions...
Italian land and nature: The Villas of Rome
Take a tour of the villas of Rome, plunged into gorgeous gardens and expansive parks, imbued with magnanimous histories and accessible any time of year.First up, on the Pincian Hill is Villa Borghese, Rome’s “green heart” (it is literally shaped like a heart): property of the Borghese Family since its construction in the 1500s, the Italian State ac...
Italian culture and history: Teramo
Teramo, a splendid town in the Region of Abruzzo, is an ideal destination for nature lovers, given its setting: the Gran Sasso Mountain Range and the Laga Chain on one side, the Adriatic Coast on the other. Located in a basin at the intersection of the Tordino River and the Vezzola Tributary: essentially the site of the ancient Roman Colony, Intera...
Italian land and nature: Langhe and Roero
The Langhe and Roero district of Italy make for one of the most charming landscapes in the Region of Piedmont. Think rolling hills, quaint villages struck on cliffs, and prized vineyards and gastronomic traditions. For food and wine lovers this area is the height of excellence, ideal for relaxing and enjoying the good life amidst nature, art, the...
Italian culture and history: The Rhaetian Railway
The Rhaetian Railway is a mountain railroad network whose lines connect Italy to Switzerland, via a long labyrinth of wide valleys and mountain passes. Added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008, the part of the Rhaetian Railway running through Albula and Bernina is not like any other: its tracks, completed at the beginning of the 1900s, had a...