Laura Marie Fortunato Petrik
La Civetta. Italian Holiday Design
Italy is so diverse that every type of traveler can find the perfect sight to see. Whether you are in search of a gastronomic experience, Lake Como luxury, or Renaissance education, Italy will be an idyllic adventure. The glory of Rome cannot be overshadowed, and the beauty of Capri unforgettable, but here are a few other spots both known and unknown that you may want to add to you next trip agenda. Wonder how to get to Lipari, what to buy in Bevagna, or what to order for an authentic meal in Venice...these are the questions that La Civetta. Italian Holiday Design will try to answer. Everytime I go back to Italy I try to learn something new or see a new sight, I hope I can help you do the same!
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Venice, Veneto
Don't skip the gondola!
Pienza, Tuscany
Palazzo and Pecorino
One of my favorite places in all of Italy is Pienza,Tuscany. When you see the picturesque rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside there's a good chance you are looking at Pienza. A small town with Renaissance roots, Pienza is the ideal afternoon trip with just a few special sights, but ones that are worth your while. The drive in and of itself is the perfect illustration of rolling yellow and green farmland. The city is home to three small Palazzi (palaces) filled with countless works of Renaissance art, living quarters, and incredible gardens. Once home to Pope Pius II, the palaces of Pienza are not to be missed...and the pecorino, to die for!
Venice is one of those cities you must see before you die. Yes, it is crowded. Yes, it is touristy. Yes, it can smell...then again it's on the water, of course it smells, that's the nature of a city on the sea. But Venice is perhaps the most unqiue city in the world. Piazza San Marco is home to some of the most iconic archiecture on Earth in Saint Mark's Basilica and the Clock Tower. Don't waste a day and perhaps pricey trip to Murano to see glass blowing, instead find one of the many factories right on Venice proper to see this lost Venetian art. And whatever you do, DO NOT SKIP THE GONDOLA! Some say it's expensive and pointless, but I disagree. The views from the gondola are unparalleled. If you're lucky you may end up with a gondolier who sings or gives you some insight about the special sights along your ride. Go in a group and save a few euro, the Venetian gondola ride is a non-negotiable.
There are three places in the world I have cried when I left, Lipari is one of them. The largest of the Aeolian Islands, a string of volcanic islands off the northern coast of Sicily, Lipari offers a little something for everyone. On a warm afternoon hike a volcano and relax in a mud bath. Island hop as you enjoy black sand beaches and crystal clear waters. By night watch the eruption on Stromboli and drink Sicilian wine. One could make an entire week trip out of the Aeolian Islands without ever getting bored. And the cuisine....the freshest seafood in the world. A fishlover's paradise!
Bevagna is the destination for the traveler looking to step back in time. The town is very tiny, and when I visted in March, completely dead. Buried in the heart of Umbria, Bevagna is the realization of Etruria meets Middle Ages. The town is sleepy, but that's part of the charm. Many of the merchants throughout Bevagna still swear by making Medieval treasures the same way they did some 600 years ago. Buy dried herbs, hanging candles, and old paper as a reminder of how the Old World lived. Remote and perhaps boring to some, a treasure of authenticity to others. If you are search of serenity away from the tourists and hustle and bustle of the major Italian cities, Bevagna is the mountain town for you.
Lipari, Sicily
Epic Volcano, Mud bath, Black Beach, and Seafood
Bevagna, Umbria
As close to a step back in time as they come
© 2015 La Civetta. Italian Holiday Design. Laura Marie Fortunuato Petrik