"MEMORABLE ITALY" Italy by Goner

Italy Travel Guide: 83,862 reviews and 172,840 photos

Italy, the land of pasta and beautiful architecture, wonderful art, green mountains and valleys, more pasta, excellent wine, steep cliffs hanging over the sea, palm trees in the mountains, sophisticated ladies with gorgeous leather attire, very handsome men and young ladies that look like models. Varied countryside; Umbrian hilltop towns, green and yellow fields, Lemon Cello, more pasta, pastel buildings clinging to the cliffs overhanging the Mediterranian, so much to see. So much pasta to eat!

Trip Outline

Map of Italy

I joined a Cosmos bus tour for a two-week tour of Italy with a few friends. I was hesitant about travelling in a bus with 35 people and being stuck with them for two whole weeks, but it couldn't have been better. Besides Americans from several states there were two Australian couples that added to our fun.

We flew into Rome from LAX, but had to change planes in Milan, this we found out was due to Alitalia Airlines going on strike. Other Cosmosnites who were coming on other flights were rerouted to London and Frankfurt, then into Rome. They all arrived in time for breakfast the next morning.

As usual, up at 6 a.m., breakfast at 7:00 a.m. and on the bus by 8 a.m., but it got me out of bed in the morning!!

In the two weeks we visited Rome, The Vatican, Florence, Pisa, Milan, Rapallo, Lugano into Switzerland, Lake Como, Bellagio, Verona, Venice, Assisi, Sorrento and Pompeii.

The Treasures of Italy

View from Lake Como

Medieval and Early Renaissance ArtAndre Pisano -South Doors of the Bapistry, Florence Cathedral
Lorenzo Ghiberti - Gates of Paradise, Bapistry, Florence Cathedral
Donatello -David, Florence
Cimabue -Santa Trinita Madonna, Uffuzi Museum, Florence
Leonardo da Vinci -Mona Lisa (Louvre)
Michelangelo - Sistine Chapel, Pieta in St. Peters
Giovanni Bellini - St. Peter's Square, Monument to Pope Alexander VII, Baroque canopy above St. Peter's Tomb in St. Peter's Basilica
Rafael -School of Athens and more, The Vatican

Architecture
The Basilica di San Marco - Byzantine
The Leaning Tower of Pisa and Duomo and Bapistry - Pisan-Romanesque
St. Peter's Cathedral - Renaissance, Baroque
Triumphal Arches, Rome's Arch of Constantine - Classical
The Roman Colosseum - great use of the Roman Arch
Necropolises in Tuscany, Lazio and Umbria - Etruscan,
Santa Maria Novella, Florence- Renaissance
100,000 monuments, archeological sites, cathedrals, churches houses and statues.

Opera
Luciano Pavarotti - opera singer
La Scala Opera House in Milan
Monteverdi -madrigals and operas
Vivaldi - violin concertos
Rossini - comic opera
Verdi- first work for the La Scala

Inventors & Scientists
Galileo - proved the earth revolved around the sun
Archimedes - mathematician
Marconi - discovered radio signals
Leonardo da Vinci - many inventions used in modern day
Enrico Fermi - built the first nuclear reactor
Lombardy - found electric current
Volta - made an electric battery
Cassini - refined the telescope

Literary Culture
Carlo Colldi - Pinocchio
Dante - Divine Comedy
Petrarch - poet

Explorers
Christopher Columbus - discovered the Americas
Amerigo Vespucci - proved the New World was a separate land mass which bears his name
Marco Polo - explorer of the East

and
Sohia Loren% - great Italian movie star

Clothing Designers
Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Gucci (love those bags)

Transportation
Ferrari, Fiat and Vespa Scooters

And pasta, and Gelato, and Lemon Cello, and delicious wine

Pros and Cons

Pros:A country of many diverse regions and pasta*
Cons:Two weeks is not enough time to explore Italy
In a nutshell:A really awesome place to visit and eat pasta!

Last visit to Italy: Mar 2001
Intro Updated Aug 15, 2003
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Reviews (35)

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Comments (40)

hunterV Aug 26, 2010 at 10:26 AM Report Abuse

Hi, Nancy! You've had good luck to visit that memorable AND marvelous country! Great page! Greetings from Ukraine! :-)
JessH May 14, 2006 at 10:17 PM Report Abuse

Hello Nancy. Gorgeous tips & insights into this wonderful country.. great photos & interesting writing style. I truly enjoyed reading your pages! Greetings from Dubai :-) Jess
mikestrada Jan 23, 2005 at 6:24 PM Report Abuse

I agree. Assisi was terrific. I wouldn't miss it, clean and interesting...
londonlover Jan 18, 2005 at 10:31 PM Report Abuse

Beautiful views of Bellagio...hope to see this in 2006!
JetlagCity Oct 20, 2004 at 1:43 PM Report Abuse

Wonderful page - you've reminded me that I still have so much to see in Italy, especially the Lake Como area!
JudyinPA May 17, 2004 at 5:20 AM Report Abuse

Nancy, first is a big Happy Birthday to you and then is a compliment on this page and all the wonderous sights you saw in Italy on your tour.
ligaya May 17, 2004 at 2:15 AM Report Abuse

Great info,...I love pasta
pepples46 Feb 17, 2004 at 11:46 PM Report Abuse

you have a Gem of a page here Nancy, excellent infos brought back great memos. thanx
rozehill Jan 14, 2004 at 1:00 AM Report Abuse

Fabulous tips Nancy and wonderful variety of accommodations.
deecat Dec 23, 2003 at 9:28 PM Report Abuse

Since I obsess about Italy, I had to read your "take" on it. You, too, seemed to enjoy it. You did a good job of covering the wonderful places you saw. I, too, would add Sicily. In addition, the small towns of Tuscany ,Umbria as well as Ferrara & Mantova.