3. the Italian Republic (Italian: RepubblicaItaliana), is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europeand on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within the Italian Peninsula, and Campioned'Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland.
4. WHEN YOU GO TO ITALY .. DON’T FORGET VISIT…… Cities: Florence isthe capital of Tuscany. Otherimportantcities are Siena, Pisa, Arezzo, Pistoia, Prato, Lucca, Livorno, Grosseto, Massa Carrara. Art: Tuscany is unrivaled as a cradle of all-time art. One can find examples of every age and style: from the Etruscan civilization (Fiesole, Chiusi, Volterra, Populonia) to Roman monuments and ruins; from the Romanesque architecture to the impressive Gothic cathedrals, to the exceptional artistic explosion of the Renaissance. Florence has preserved its masterpieces and great works of architecture over the centuries. To be visited: In addition to art, Tuscany offers outstanding nature sceneries, such as the National Park of the Argentario and the Isola of Elba. In Siena there is the beautiful Piazza del Campo. In Florence there are the fifteenth-century shops on the Ponte Vecchio. Pisa has the Campo deiMiracoli, with the famous Leaning Tower.
5. …DON’T FORGET… To be visited: Taormina, the Etna and the majestic monuments in the Valle deiTempli of Agrigento, the Eolian Islands. The great ski centers of Sestrière, Bardonecchia, Sansicario; the district of the Langhe and the Lakes Orta and Maggiore In the Carso area there is the Gian Grotto, near Trieste; on the sea there are Duino and the Sistiana bay; the Miramare Castle, built during the nineteenth century by Maximilian of Austria, looms over the Adriatic Sea.
6. HotelsThere are about 40,000 hotels in Italy. Every hotel has rates fixed in agreement with the Provincial Tourist Board. Most hotels quote all-inclusive rates, which include taxes, service, heating or air-conditioning. Hotel ReservationsNo hotel reservations can be made through Italian Government Travel Offices but lists of hotels for any city or area in Italy can be obtained upon request. Hotel reservations for any part of Italy can be made in the U.S. and Canada through travel agencies and hotel representatives. For a list of U.S. or Canadian representatives of Italian hotels, contact any Italian Government Travel Office. Reservations may also be made by writing directly to the hotel.
7. Accommodation in Religious InstitutionsFor listing of convents, monasteries and other religious institutions offering accommodations, please contact the Arcivescovado of the Italian city concerned (for Rome, for instance, the address is: "Arcivescovadodi Roma, Roma, Italia"), or write to the provincial tourist office or local tourist board. A partial list is also available through the Italian Government Tourist Boards in U.S. and Canada. Accommodation in Private HomesAccommodation in private homes are available in most cities and towns in Italy. Please contact the official tourist office of the city or town that interests you and request "un elencodiaffittacamere" (list of persons renting rooms). Private homes offering accommodations are not official establishments and, as such, are not rated by the tourist office.
8. WHAT'S NEW IN ITALYA wide selection of events in Italy. Find out what's going on now in the arts, sports, music and much more. TRADITIONAL EVENTSInteresting ancient usages, customs and local folklore festivals still survive in present-day Italy, although, inevitably, with the passage of time some part of this picturesque legacy has been lost. Even so, a pride in traditions has kept much of it alive. OPERA HOUSES, CONCERTS AND BALLETMajor symphonic series and recitals are organized at all time of the year by music conservatories, associations and clubs with the participation of world famous artists. Most major opera houses have symphonic concert seasons and ballet seasons. The famous International Ballet Festival is held at Nervi, near Genova, in July. MUSIC FESTIVALS & POPULAR MUSICList of major music festivals in Italy with links to the official websites. A wide selection of classical concerts, symphonic music, opera, dance, jazz and pop music.
9. SPECIALIST IN FOOD AND WINE!!! Italian breakfast is quite different from American or English. Colazione is usually light: cappuccino (coffee and milk) and a brioche (sweet pastry), or simply espresso (black-short-strong coffee).Pranzo (lunch) is the big meal except in the industrialized cities. It consists of antipasto (starter) a primo piatto(pasta, rice or soup), a secondopiatto (meat or fish) with contorno (vegetable or salad), then frutta ( fresh fruit). Finish with espresso and maybe a grappa or amaro (strong digestive liqueur).Cena (dinner) is similar to lunch. Nowadays there is a tendency of having a light lunch, then dinner becomes the major meal.
10. Where to eat ? There are thousands ofristoranti (restaurants): the most formal type of place to eat when one is not in a hurry, sometimes a little fancy and pricy and family-run; trattoria and osteria: less formal than aristorante, where local specialties are served; panineria: a sandwich bar, where a quick meal can be had at any time of the day; pizzeria: is not only for pizza lovers! Other Italian drinks include aperitifs, blended principally over a base of the world-famous Piedmont Vermouth; dessert wines, such as Moscato, Marsala and Malvasia from Sicily and sparkling wines from Piedmont, Veneto, Tuscany and the Islands. Italy also has excellent beers and a great variety of effervescent mineral waters
