Italy is home to some of the world's most loved cultural, historic and religious sites. Visitors can walk down quiet Venetian streets where no cars have ever been allowed, view Renaissance art in the medieval city of Florence, place a rose at Julius Caesar's graveyard in Rome or bathe in crystal-clear waters off the coast of the island of Capri. By following a few simple tips, a trip to Italy can be utterly unforgettable.
Italy is not that large geographically. In six hours, you can travel from Venice in northern Italy to Rome in the central region. Yet within this area lie many regions that differ vastly and are well worth exploring. The Veneto region alone may easily take up a week of your time. Venice has historic churches, including the Byzantine spires of St. Marks, as well as both historic and modern art exhibits and the beautiful nearby islands of Murano and Burano. Thirty minutes from Venice lies Padua, home to one of the world's oldest universities. Half an hour beyond is the ancient city of Verona, the setting for Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" and still home today of an opera festival that takes place in a Roman amphitheater. The rest of Italy beckons as well. As modern day inhabitants of Rome frequently tell visitors, "Rome! A lifetime is not enough!"
Eat in a wide variety of restaurants. Italian cuisine is famously different from region to region. Northerners like rice dishes, such as risotto. Bologna natives love their homemade tortellini and claim to have invented it. Southerners enjoy pasta and rich red sauces. Try Agata e Romeo in Rome for a taste of classic yet upscale Italian dishes. Try pizza. The Italians invented it. Order pizza by the etto, or 100 grams, so you sample different toppings not often seen in the States, such as potato. Visit Italian supermarkets. There are many supermarkets in Italy. Make a quick delicious, yet inexpensive, sandwich from speck (Italian ham), local cheese and a hunk of fresh bread.
Study the language, history, art and culture of Italy. The Italian language has many cognates with English and can be fairly easy to pick up by anyone who has studied another Romance language. Italian history spans millennia. Learning something about it will help you further understand exactly what you're seeing when you look at the Roman Forum. Italy has a huge share of the world's finest artworks. Knowledge of the techniques used to create the Sistine Chapel can help you appreciate it even more.
