TRAVEL TO ITALY

The Galleria degli Uffizi

The Uffizi is tremendously popular and

rightly so. As one of the most

impressive collections of fine

Renaissance art in the world, the

Uffizi is one of the busiest attractions

in Florence, Italy. In the Uffizi Gallery,

visitors can see first-hand the mastery

of Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci,

Michelangelo, Raphael and many

other Italian masters.

Feast on Florentine steak

If you fancy eating something that is

typical of Florence then you should

definitely opt for a Florentine steak

(Bistecca alla Fiorentina).

There are restaurants where it cost

€5.50 for 100grams with a minimum

order of 500grams – so it’s worth

bringing a hungry friend! The beef

from local Tuscan cows is served on

the bone and cooked over woodchips

to give a delicious smoky flavour.

Enjoy with a delightful glass of Italian

red.

Calcio fiorentino (also known as calcio storico

"historic football") is an early form of

football that originated in 16th

century Italy. Although once widely

played, the cradle of the sport is now

considered to be the Piazza Santa

Croce in Florence. Here it became

known as the giuoco del calcio

fiorentino ("Florentine kick game") or

simply calcio; which is now also the

name for football in the Italian

language. The game may have started

as a revival of the Roman sport of

harpastum.

Ponte Santa Trinita

This bridge, near the church Santa

Trinita, is the oldest elliptic arch

bridge in the world and was

designed and constructed by famed

Florentine, Bartolomeo Ammanati.

The original bridge was destroyed by

German troops in August of 1944,

but was later rebuilt in 1958 with

most of the stones coming from the

original construction.

This superb example of

Byzantine architecture next

to the Doge's Palace is

dedicated to Venice's patron

and is Venice's main basilica.

Treasures inside Saint Mark's

Basilica include glistening

Byzantine mosaics and

paintings by leading Venetian

artists.

During the 1,000-year reign of the

Republic of Venice, its headquarters –

and the residence of its leader, the Doge

- were at the Doge's Palace, now a

museum. Get a glimpse of the rooms

occupied by Venice's executive,

legislative, and judicial branches, as

well as go on the Secret Itineraries Tour,

which include access to tortune

chambers, prisons, and the Bridge of

Sighs.

Verona's Roman Arena is the third largest in

Italy (after the Roman Colosseum and the arena

in Capua). Built in the 1st century, the arena

holds up to 25,000 spectators. Since 1913 it

has been the venue for a prestigious opera

festival and a top setting for other theatrical

performances. In the afternoon, the sun will be

shining on the stage so it's a good time to take a

look inside the theater. Although part of the

seating is in bright orange and red chairs, it's

easy to imagine the original look of the

amphitheater.

Castelvecchio is a 14th century

medieval complex built as a

residence and fortress. There

are several towers and keeps

and a brick bridge crossing the

river. A section of Verona's 14th

century walls was incorporated

into the complex. The former

parade ground is now a nice

courtyard in front of the

museum that takes you through

16 rooms of the former palace

filled with sacred art, paintings,

Renaissance bronzes,

archeological finds, coins, and

weapons and armor. You'll also

get to walk on part of the wall. VERONA

Verona's most popular site is the

balcony said to be Juliet's in

Romeo and Juliet. The house

said to be Juliet's house is in a

courtyard off Via Capello. You

can see the balcony and the

bronze statue of Juliet for free

(you can also rub Juliet's breast

for good luck). The 13th century

house is a good example of

Gothic architecture and inside is

a museum with period furniture.

You can also see the house

attributed to Romeo's family on

Via Arche Scaligere and try

traditional food of Verona,

including horse or donkey meat,

at Osteria al Duca.

the Cathedral Complex

Martha Bakerjian, licensed to

About.com

The Romanesque Cathedral or

Duomo of Verona is a complex

of buildings that includes a

12th century Baptistery, the

Canons Cloister, and Saint

Elena Church and remains of a

4th century paleo-Christian

basilica. The octagonal

Romanesque baptismal font,

decorated with carved Biblical

scenes, was carved out of a

single block of marble and the

Baptistery has frescoes from

the 13th to 15th centuries. The

cathedral's frescoes are from

the 15th to 18th centuries and

the exterior is decorated with

12th century reliefs. Its 16th

century bell tower can be seen

from afar.

WEBGRAPHY

• http://www.italytravelcompany.com/blog/top-things-to-do-

in-florence

• GOOGLE IMAGES

• http://goitaly.about.com/od/verona/tp/verona-top-

attractions.htm

• http://goitaly.about.com/od/thingstoseeanddo/tp/venice-

attractions.htm

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