Terrific Tuscany - Birthplace of Modern Europe

Few existing regions of Europe can surely paint such a romantic and idealistic picture in ones mind than those that are drummed up by the sheer imagery of Tuscany and its stunning historical capital Florence. Famed the world over for its rich and immeasurably important historical contribution to the fields of European arts, music, the sciences and high culture - the region that has over the years remained synonymous with the birth of the Italian Renaissance offers holidaymakers and backpackers from across the globe a unique flavour of Europe that is quite unique and apart from any other area of Italy, Europe or any other place in the world.

     Famed for its museums and galleries including the Uffizi and Chianciano art museums that offer intriguing and stimulating insights into Europe's artistic traditions and history, Tuscany gives the visitor a sense of true awe - and if you can take the time to soak up the information and stunning visuals on offer here, hopefully an enhanced understanding of the region's lasting influence and legacy on modern Europe. Alongside the great Renaissance works that are housed in the museums of Florence (including such famous paintings such as The Birth of Venus by Botticelli), the entire region of Tuscany is dotted with beautiful churches and cathedrals each with their own beautiful and attractive interiors and ornate decorations.

     When looking at the various accommodation available in Tuscany you will tend to find that it is incredibly varied and is largely dependent on which area of the expansive 8,800 square mile region in which you find yourself in. With places to stay ranging from high priced but exceptional hotels to some equally fantastic villas in Tuscany with pool in some of the more rural areas. Hiring out a villa in Tuscany can be a great and relaxing way of spending a holiday with your partner in beautiful surroundings and rich history and culture.   

Rome Christmas Eve: Things to do

Italy Right Now brings you to Rome Christmas Eve - wear comfortable shoes and be ready to walk for a Roman festival.

For more video of holidays in Italy click here.

For video of Rome click here.

To plan your vacation to Rome click for Rome holidays.

Italian Tourism has the best Rome Italy pre-cruise tours and Rome Italy post-cruise tours.

Italian tourism also specializes in Italy cruise tours from Rome. For a Italy cruise from Rome click Rome cruise.

If you'll be on a Rome cruise 2011 be sure to visit the Roman forum. Click for January Rome cruises 2011.

Stay in Tuscany in Style: Rent a Tuscany Villa

Italy is surely one of the finest and most varied holiday destinations in all of Europe, with its many different cities and regions offering something unique and fresh – with characteristics all of its own. Whether you enjoy a ski or snowboard trip in the north of the country, the numerous fantastic ancient historical attractions of Rome, or are more interested in checking out the many brilliant designer boutiques in Milan its easy to understand and recognise just how much Italy has to offer as a holiday destination.

If you are however looking to get away from all the mad traffic, endless hussle and bustle and congestion of Italy’s big cities but still fancy a holiday to this great European country then you may prefer to take up the option of renting a villa in the Tuscany region of Italy. Whether traveling to Italy with a group of friends or family, many holidaymakers choose to rent Tuscany villa to get a much more authentic experience of rural Italy and the local Italian way of life.
If you do somehow tire of the beautiful countryside in the region there are also some great nearby cities you can visit such as Florence, Siena and Pisa – each with their own unique charm and great visitor attractions, restaurant, bards and cafes. With so much to do in the region and with a great degree of freedom to experience it in – you’ll find that renting a villa in Tuscany can be a very different and exciting way to experience Italy.

Most Romantic Holiday Locations in Europe: Italy

If you are looking for a European country that can provide you with a great opportunity for a romantic vacation break with a partner, a short city break with a loved one or even the perfect location for a magical wedding day or honeymoon - then there are surely fewer more suitable countries you could consider in the region than Italy. Italy vacations offer the visitor a vast number of diverse yet equally stunning, beautiful - and of course highly romantic rural and city locations that can provide the perfect backdrop for you and your partner on that most special of days. Whether your tastes are for the unique architecture offered up on the streets of renaissance Florence, the classical city backdrops of Rome, or even enjoying a peaceful summer evening with your loved one on the canal ways of Venice - then Italy undoubtedly has something very special to offer you in order to make your wedding vacation a memory that will be treasured by you and your partner for a lifetime. It is well known that Italy weddings are becoming increasingly popular amongst young couples who are looking to get married and celebrate their special day or honeymoon abroad, with the warm Mediterranean climate making it a highly attractive holiday and wedding location - particularly in the spring and summer months. So why not check out the fantastic holiday options that Italy has to offer.

Duomo in Florence - Santa Maria del Fiore, Firenze

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is Florence's Cathedral. It is simply known as Il Duomo, and is located in the heart of Florence's centro storico. Il Duomo is known for its massive dome, which can be seen from the surrounding hills. Florence's Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore aka Il Duomo is the fourth largest cathedral in the world.

Florence Cathedral Il Duomo was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.

Giotto, who was the Florence city architect at the time, designed the Campanile, the bell tower, next to Florence's Dome around 1334, when he was assigned to take voer overseeing all construction as the city of Florence architect. Although the giant Dome was part of the plan neither Cambio nor the great artist, architect & engineer Giotto had an idea how it would actually be built, as engineers in the early Renaissance did not have the experience to build such a Dome like the one atop the Pantheon in Rome, which was built by the Ancient Romans about 1500 years earlier.

The Dome's architecture and design led in 1419 to a contest financed by Florence's Cosimo de Medici to find a great engineer who in the late medieval Italy had the vision to engineer the Dome to completion. The two main competitors were Lorenzo Ghiberti (famous for his work on the "Gates of Paradise" doors at the Baptistery) and Filippo Brunelleschi who was supported by Cosimo de Medici, with Brunelleschi winning and receiving the commission. Although Brunelleschi won, Ghiberti, appointed co-adjutator, mocked his plans and called them unfeasible. Brunelleschi, deeply offended, then pretended a sickness and left for Rome, leaving the project in the hands of Ghiberti. But Ghiberti soon had to admit that the whole project was beyond him. In 1423 Brunelleschi was back in charge and took over sole responsibility.

Brunelleschi had to invent special hoisting machines for hoisting large stones. These specially designed machines and brilliant masonry techniques were Brunelleschi's spectacular contribution to architecture. The ability to transcribe a circle on a cone face within the innermost double-shelled wall makes the self-sustaining "horizontal" arch construction possible, since geometrically, a circular plan is needed for such an erection.

It could be said that the word "creativity" and the end of the medieval period marking the beginning of the Renaissance occurred when men like Brunelleschi, Giotto, Da Vinci et. al challenged their own vision and imagination to accomplish architectural structures and works of art previously thought to be impossible. In fact, creativity was only associated with great minds who attained previously thought of impossibilities, unlike the late 20th century and early 21st century when rap music and inexplicable contemporary modern art are considered creative expression by some opinion leaders and art leaders.

Brunelleschi's Dome was in fact an enormous and revolutionary achievement. Much like the art of frecoes, which was lost around the time of the eruption of Vesuvius in the 1st century, the formula for concrete had long since been forgotten as well. Therefore, Brunelleschi would have to build the dome out of bricks, 7 million bricks in fact, with the inner shell providing a platform for the timbers that supported the outside brick structure. To show what his dome was to look like, Brunelleschi constructed a wooden and brick model of Il Duomo with the help of Donatello and Nanni di Banco, which model may be seen in the Museum Opera del Duomo, next door to Il Duomo. In gthe Museum Opera del Duomo you may also see Donatello's wooden sculpture of Mary Magdellan. His model served as a guide for the craftsmen, but was intentionally incomplete, as to ensure his control over the construction or as we would say today to preserve his intellectual property over the design of the dome.

Brunelleschi's solutions were ingenious and unprecedented: the distinctive octagonal design of the double-walled dome, resting on a drum and not on the roof itself, allowed for the entire dome to be built without the need for scaffolding from the ground, the first large dome ever to be built without centering. But, because the dome rested on a drum with no external buttresses supporting it, there could be no lateral thrusts at the base of the dome.

There are 463 steps to the top, which today travelers to Florence may climb to find some of the best panoramic views of the city. Other highlights include a cavernous interior, many wonderful frescoes, detailed ceiling mosaics that portray Dante's circles of Hell and stained-glass windows created by some of the greatest artists of the time, such as Vasari, Zuccari, Donatello, Uccello and Ghiberti.

The cathedral was consecrated by Pope Eugene IV on March 25, 1436 (the first day of the year according to the Florentine calendar). It was the first 'octagonal' dome in history to be built without a wooden supporting frame (The Roman Pantheon, a circular dome, was built in 117–128 A.D. with support structures). It was one of the most impressive projects of the Renaissance. During the consecration service in 1436, Guillaume Dufay's similarly unique motet Nuper rosarum flores was performed. The structure of this motet was strongly influenced by the structure of the dome.

Brunelleschi's ability to crown the dome with a lantern was questioned and he had to undergo another competition. He was declared the winner over his competitors Lorenzo Ghiberti and Antonio Ciaccheri. His design was for an octagonal lantern with eight radiating buttresses and eight high arched windows (now on display in the Museum Opera del Duomo). Construction of the lantern was begun a few months before his death in 1446. Then, for 15 years, little progress was possible, due to alterations by several architects. The lantern was finally completed by Brunelleschi's friend Michelozzo in 1461. The conical roof was crowned with a gilt copper ball and cross, containing holy relics, by Verrocchio in 1469. This brings the total height of the dome and lantern to 114.5 meters (375 ft). This copper ball was struck by lightning on 17 July 1600 and fell down. It was replaced by an even larger one two years later.

Piazza del Duomo
Firenze 50122 Italy
+39 055 215 380
info@duomofirenze.it
Open Hours10am-5.30pm Mon-Sat (10am-3.30pm 1st Sat each month); 1-5pm Sun
Click here for the Duomo Offical Website

For more about Florence travel and things to do in Florence visit Italian Broadcasting Company 24/7 Italy TV on demand at www.WebVisionItaly.com

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When you are ready for a Florence vacation visit Italian Tourism for Italy travel packages including air and hotel including the best deals on Amalfi Coast vacation packages, or for a Italy cruise click Rome cruise and Venice cruise Italy cruise listings. Italian Tourism has a variety of specials on a Florence vacations.

Enjoying the Sites and Sounds of Florence - Birthplace of the Italian Renaissance

The city of Florence is the capital of the Tuscan region of Italy and a city steeped in rich history and renaissance art. Lying along the river Arno, the city is a sheer delight to behold with its fantastic buildings and architecture. Florence is without question a “must see” for any young backpacker travelling across Europe - although it may not necessarily be the first city that springs to mind when you are planning your trip. Established in the year 59BC by the famous Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, it was originally an army camp for Roman army veterans. However, it is more famous as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance during the middle ages with buildings constructed in the classical “Romanesque” style such as the Basilica Di San Miniato al Monte also helping to define the city of Florence and its architecture.

The main landmark of the city however is surely the fantastic Santa Maria del Fiore - a cathedral famed for its large dome - which remains open for visitors to the city to help them enjoy spectacular views of the city and its ornate buildings from up on high. Along the Arno is the Ponte Vecchio bridge which is also worth a visit for any tourist or traveler in Florence.

10 Tips to Riding the TrenItalia: How to Buy Train Ticket in Italy

Motorino Man's email inbox is filling up with questions about how to ride the train in Italy and how to buy train tickets when in Italy.

Motorino Man's Top 10 Tips to ride Italy's rails from the big three like Rome, Florence, and Venice to tips for buying tickets in small stations in towns outside Italy's big three that may not be manned at all times by ticket sellers.

Click to see the video how to buy a train ticket in Italy for important tips and tricks to navigating the train ticket vending machine so you may buy a train ticket without hassle when traveling Italy. Motorino Man suggests buying tickets in Italy as itineraries change and trains do get cancelled.

Motorino Man's Top 10 Tips to Ride Italy's Rails
10. Save money by buying bread and prosciutto before arriving at station for food on train. If you don't bring food the dining car is a very nice place to have a snack on the train.

9. Arrive 30 minutes before departure for stress-free travel.

8. Trains are used by Italian commuters at rush hour so try to plan your train travel off rush-hour and do plan accordingly. Ticket prices will be less expensive off rush hour too.

7. In Italy's big three Rome, Florence, Venice and all Italy's big-city stations like Naples, Milan, Bari, Genoa etc. if standing on line or at vending machine to buy ticket beware of pick pockets and other thieves and do always keep an eye on your baggage by keeping it eyesight next to you.
6. Gather belongings before destination so exiting train is smooth and efficient - especially important when exiting train before end of line because train only stops long enough for exiting and entering passengers. Every time you stand up on train in Italy glance back to see what you left behind.

5. Carry change to buy ticket at vending machine in small stations where there is no attendant.

4. Carry-on bags: Keep your bag under your seat or between your legs. If you are going to place it in the overhead compartment, try to place it ahead of your seat location, so you can see whoever reaches into the compartment.

3. If catching the train outside major cities like Italy's big three Rome, Florence, and Venice be sure to check that the train you get on is the train you want. Many trains travel same track.

2. ALWAYS validate Italy train ticket by stamping it in CONVALIDA yellow box in the station or along the train track platform.

1. Keep an eye on things at all times in Italian train stations and on Italy's trains. YOU carry your luggage onto the bus, train, truck, or taxi with you. Don’t allow a porter or stranger to take your bag for you. You might not ever see it again.

And finally, when you buy a ticket for the Italian train, be sure you actually receive a ticket.

Buon Viaggio!

Now that you know how to ride the Italy train check out these great Italy train travel vacations. Or click to see a full listing of cruises around Italy including cruises from Rome and cruises from Venice.

For more about riding Italy's rails visit WebVisionItaly's How to Ride the train in Italy video.

Italy Arts Guide: May-June 2009, Tuscany, Rome, Florence etc.

The following is a city-by-city guide to some of Italy's art exhibitions:

AREZZO - Museo Statale d'Arte Medievale e Moderna: 130 works by Della Robbia family and contemporaries like Donatello and Ghiberti; plus tours around Arezzo province taking in 25 towns and 168 works; until June 7.

ASCOLI - Galleria d'Arte Contemporanea: 'Sedendo e Mirando', 130 landscapes by cartoonist Tullio Pericoli; until September 13.

BARLETTA - Palazzo della Marra: 90 land and sea paintings by Fattori, De Nittis and other 19th-century southern Italian landscape masters; until August 2.

BOLZANO - Museo Archeologico dell'Alto Adige: Iceman joined by more than 60 mummies from Ancient Egypt, Asia, South America and Oceania; until October 25.

CAVA DEI TIRRENI (SALERNO) - Galleria Civica d'Arte: Los Desastres de la Guerra, 80 etchings collected by Goya in his later years on horrors of war; until September 6.

COMO - Villa Olmo: Chagall, Kandinsky, Malevich: Masters of the Russian Avant-Garde; until July 26.

FERRARA - Palazzo dei Diamanti: Giorgio Morandi; 130 etchings demonstrate Bolognese artist's lesser-known lifelong passion; until June 5.

FLORENCE
- Bargello: Gian Lorenzo Bernini, The Living Marbles; until July 12.

- Palazzo Strozzi: Galileo show marking 400th anniversary of his first observations of the night sky; 250 exhibits including the middle finger from Galileo's right hand; until August 30.

- Palazzo Pitti: Memories of Antiquity in 20th-Century Art; 130 paintings and sculptures from Etruscan, classical and Renaissance times and 20th-century works by Dali', Picasso, Modigliani, de Chirico and others; until July 12.

- Palazzo Medici: 29 outfits from Court of Lorenzo il Magnifico recreated in paper from contemporary paintings by Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave; until June 14.

FORLI' - Musei di San Domenico: Canova, The Classical Ideal, Sculpture and Painting; 200 sculptures and paintings from world's galleries; until June 21.

ILLEGGIO (near Udine) - Casa delle Esposizioni: Art inspired by Biblical Apocrypha including Caravaggio's Rest During the Flight into Egypt, loaned by Rome's Doria Pamphili Gallery, Guercino, Durer, Andrea Pozzo, Byzantine and Russian icons; over 80 works, until October 4.

MAMIANO DI TRAVERSETOLO - Fondazione Mamiani Rocca: 55 Rembrandt etchings from Petit Palais in Paris; until June 25.


- Palazzo Reale: 20 Monet water lily works from Musee' Marmottan in Paris; until September 27. - same venue: First show in Italy on the samurai; helmets, weaponry and armour for warriors and horses from the Azuchi Momoyama (1575-1603) and Edo (1603-1867) periods; 100 items gathered from Milan's Castello Sforzesco and Koelliker collections; until June 2.

- same venue: Italy's biggest show marking 100th anniversary of Futurism; 500 works including Marinetti, Boccioni, Balla, Carra', Severini, Russolo; until June 7.

NAPLES - Museo Archeologico Nazionale: 400 Pompeii frescos return after 10-year restoration.

PADUA - Civici Musei agli Eremitani: 100 Years of Portrait Painting In The Age of Galileo, 1550-1650; 70 works including Titians and Tintorettos; until July 15.

PONTASSIEVE - Sala delle Colonne: 49 paintings and sculptures by Antonio Ligabue including celebrated Self Portrait With Dog; until June 7.

ROME
- Capitoline Museums: Fra Angelico: The Dawn of the Renaissance; 49 works by the early Renaissance master and friar; until July 5.

- Colosseum: 'Divus Vespasanius', celebration of Emperor Vespasian, general who took throne from Nero in 69 AD and transformed Rome, founding Flavian dynasty which built Colosseum; until January 10.

- Vittoriano: Giotto and the Trecento; 150 works from world's museums including 20 by pre-Renaissance master himself; until June 29.

- Palazzo Venezia: The Mind of Leonardo, The Universal Genius at Work; acclaimed exhibit already seen at Uffizi and in Tokyo; until August 30.

- Museo Fondazione Roma: Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), lyrical Japanese landscape artist who influenced Van Gogh and Monet; 200 woodblock prints on show for first time in Italy; until June 7.

ROME - Palazzo della Cancelleria: Leonardo da Vinci, Genius and Invention; interactive show featuring recreations of most famous machines; until April 30, 2010. *** Motorino Man Favorite

ROVERETO - MART Gallery: Futurism 100: Avant-Gardes Compared, Italy, Germany And Russia: marking 100th anniversary of Futurism; Marinetti, Kandinsky, Der Sturm, Chagall, Klee, August Macke, Franz Marc; until June 7.

ROVIGO - Palazzo Roverella: Art Deco in Italy 1919-1939; until June 28.

TRENTO - Palazzo delle Albere: Hayez, Prati, Bezzi, Segantini and other 19th-century Trento painters; until November 22.

URBINO - Ducal Palace: Raphael and Urbino, 20 mostly youthful works plus influence of Perugino and Signorelli; until July 12.

May Day in Italy: Spring in Italy Festivals

May in Italy equals spring food and wine festivals, medieval festivals, and flower festivals - Infiorata - celebrating Spring in Italy. Spring in Italy festival highlights:

May Day: May 1 in Italy is a public holiday all over Italy, as in most European countries, as the day of the worker. Interesting parades and festivals celebrate the day.

Abruzzo, Bucchianico: The Flower Festival includes a re-enactment of a 13th-century military stratagem with a parade, the third Sunday in May.

Abruzzo, Rocca di Mezzo: The Daffodil Festival celebrates spring with folk dancing and a parade the last Sunday in May.

Emilia Romagna, Grazzano: Medieval Parade and Jousting Tournament in the Visconti is the last Sunday in May.

Lazio, Lake Bolsena, Marta: La Barabbata is celebrated May 14. In this procession, men wear costumes representing the old trades and carry their tools while white buffalo pull floats carrying the fruits of the trades.

Lazio, Vetralla: The Wedding of the Trees, Sposalizio dell’Albero, takes place May 8 in the northern Lazio town of Vetralla. Oak trees are decorated with garlands, horsemen offer bouquets of the first spring flowers and new trees are planted while everyone enjoys a picnic lunch. The ceremony revives Vetralla's sovereignty over the forests and continues the right of each citizen to a cubic meter of firewood annually.

Liguria, Camogli: The Fish festival of Saint Fortunato, patron saint of fishermen, is celebrated in the beautiful fishing village of Camogli, south of Genoa, the second Sunday in May. Saturday night there is a huge fireworks display and bonfire competition followed by free fried fish on Sunday.

Piedmont, Avigliana: Polenta Festival, also the second Sunday in May, is celebrated in the main square of the .

Piedmont, Sessame: Risotto Festival Sunday May 3, a feast of typical risotto dating back to the 13th century.

Piedmont, Alesandria: Roman Fest is a 3-day re-enactment of a typical ancient Roman festival in the , the last weekend of May. The festival includes parades, feasts, staged gladiator combat and chariot races

Sardegna: The Sagra di Sant Efisio festival May 1 is a colorful 4-day procession from Cagliari (see Sardinia map) to the Romanesque church of Saint Efisio on the beach at Nora. Decorated oxcarts and horsemen accompany the saint's statue in a parade followed by food and dancing.

Sicily, Umbria, Infiorata di Noto, a huge festival with flower petal art displays and a parade, takes place in Noto, Sicily, the third weekend of May.

Tuscany, Montespertoli: Chianti Wine Festival, last Sunday in May and first Sunday in June, takes place in the Chianti wine region of Tuscany.

Umbria, Assisi: Calendimaggio is celebrated in early May in Assisi, Umbria. The two ancient medieval wards, the "Parte di Sopra" and the "Parte di Sotto", engage in a challenge that takes the form of theater shows, concerts, songs and choruses, dances, processions, archery, crossbow and flag-waving displays. The districts compete in a singing contest among the spectacular floral decorations, flags, torches and candles.

Umbria, Gualdo Tadino, San Pelligrino: April 30th, a 1,000-year old tradition, "The Planting of the Poplar" Il Maggio.

Umbria, Gubbio: The Festa dei Ceri video, a candle race and costumed parade, takes place May 15 and is followed by a Historical Cross-Bow Exhibition on the last Sunday of May.

Umbria, Narni: Ring Race and Procession re-enactments of 14th century contests and parades, Narni in the Umbria region.

Umbria, Orvetto: La Palombella is a festival representing the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. The festival is held in the piazza in front of the duomo and ends with a fireworks display.

Italy Liberation Day: April 25

April 25 is Italy liberation day, when in 1945 the partisans with the allies liberated Italy from the Nazis and fascists. Click below for video tributes set to the anti-fascist song Bella Ciao.

Italy Art Guide: Spring 2009 Museums and Exhibits Rome, Florence, Venice Italy

Spring 2009 Italy Art Guide:

With this week's Holy Week earthquake in Italy destroying families, lives and dreams WebVisionItaly.com is even more resolute to work hard to capture the culture and history of the Italic Peninsula to preserve at least on film the architecture, the arts and today's people who live in Italy to preserve humanity's long journey on the Italic peninsula hopeful that the lessons will point us toward building a better tomorrow. Buona Pasqua! Happy Easter.

The following is a city-by-city guide to some of Italy's art exhibitions Spring 2009. For coverage consideration send you event by email to Motorino at Web Vision Italy.

AREZZO - Museo Statale d'Arte Medievale e Moderna: 130 works by Della Robbia family and contemporaries like Donatello and Ghiberti; plus tours around Arezzo province taking in 25 towns and 168 works; until June 7.

ASCOLI - Galleria d'Arte Contemporanea: 'Sedendo e Mirando', 130 landscapes by cartoonist Tullio Pericoli; until September 13.

BOLOGNA - Museo d'Arte Moderna (MAMBO): More than 100 works by Giorgio Morandi in one of world's biggest ever retrospectives on Bolognese artist, sent from Metropolitan Museum in New York to Morandi's home town; until April 13.

BOLZANO - Museo Archeologico dell'Alto Adige: Iceman joined by more than 60 mummies from Ancient Egypt, Asia, South America and Oceania; until October 25.

COMO - Villa Olmo: 'Chagall, Kandinsky, Malevich: Masters of the Russian Avant-Garde', until July 26.

FERRARA - Palazzo dei Diamanti: Giorgio Morandi; 130 etchings demonstrate Bolognese artist's lesser-known lifelong passion; until June 5.

FLORENCE - Bargello: 'Gian Lorenzo Bernini, The Living Marble', until July 12. For more about Bernini click for Bernini Walking Map Rome Tour by WebVisionItaly.com.

- Palazzo Strozzi: Galileo show marking 400th anniversary of his first observations of the night sky; 250 exhibits including the middle finger from Galileo's right hand; until August 30.

- Palazzo Pitti: Memories of Antiquity in 20th-Century Art; 130 paintings and sculptures from Etruscan, classical and Renaissance times and 20th-century works by Dali', Picasso, Modigliani, de Chirico and others; until July 12.

- Palazzo Medici: 29 outfits from Court of Lorenzo il Magnifico recreated in paper from contemporary paintings by Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave; until June 14.

FORLI' - Musei di San Domenico: Canova, The Classical Ideal, Sculpture and Painting; 200 sculptures and paintings from world's galleries; until June 21.

MAMIANO DI TRAVERSETOLO - Fondazione Mamiani Rocca: 55 Rembrandt etchings from Petit Palais in Paris; until June 25.

MILAN - Castello Sforzesco: Michelangelo's Pieta' Rondanini meets his 'Rediscovered Cross', till May 3.

- same venue: First show in Italy on the samurai; helmets, weaponry and armour for warriors and horses from the Azuchi Momoyama (1575-1603) and Edo (1603-1867) periods; 100 items gathered from Milan's Castello Sforzesco and Koelliker collections; until June 2.

- same venue: Italy's biggest show marking 100th anniversary of Futurism; 500 works including Marinetti, Boccioni, Balla, Carra', Severini, Russolo; until June 7.

- same venue: Rene' Magritte and the Mystery of Nature; one of Italy's largest-ever Magritte events; around 100 paintings featuring Magritte's signature apples, blue skies and birds; until March 29.

- Pinacoteca di Brera: four Caravaggios united for gallery's 200th anniversary year: two versions of Supper At Emmaus (1601 and 1606); The Musicians (1595) and Boy With A Basket Of Fruit (1593); until March 29.

NAPLES - Archaeological Museum: Herculaneum: Three Centuries of Discoveries; until April 13.

PADUA - Civici Musei agli Eremitani: 100 Years of Portrait Painting In The Age of Galileo, 1550-1650; 70 works including Titians and Tintorettos; until July 15.

PONTASSIEVE - Sala delle Colonne: 49 paintings and sculptures by Antonio Ligabue including celebrated Self Portrait With Dog; until June 7.

ROME - Colosseum: 'Divus Vespasanius', celebration of Emperor Vespasian, general who took throne from Nero in 69 AD and transformed Rome, founding Flavian dynasty which built Colosseum; until January 10.

- Capitoline Museums: Fra Angelico: The Dawn of the Renaissance; 49 works by the early Renaissance master and friar; until July 5.

- Vittoriano: Giotto and the Trecento; 150 works from world's museums including 20 by pre-Renaissance master himself; until June 29.

- same venue: The Sabines, over 120 never-before-seen works from terracotta throne of King of Eretum, paintings and illuminated codices, up to film posters and clips of legendary 'Rape of the Sabine Women' that helped fledgling Rome survive; until April 26.

- Scuderie del Quirinale: Futurist works from 30 museums including reconstruction of the famous Futurist exhibition held at the Bernheim-Jeune Gallery in Paris in 1912; also, four works returning from New York for first time including Boccioni's 'Stati d'animo' triptych; until May 24.

- Palazzo delle Esposizioni: Darwin 1809-2009, Italy's biggest-ever show on evolution; until May 3.

- Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna: Cy Twombly, first retrospective in Italy; 70-work show previously seen at Tate and Guggenheim Bilbao; until May 24.

- Chiostro del Bramante: The Myth of Julius Caesar, first ever show focusing on him alone; 200 items from ancient times until the 20th century; until April 5.

- Museo Fondazione Roma: Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), lyrical Japanese landscape artist who influenced Van Gogh and Monet; 200 woodblock prints on show for first time in Italy; until June 7.

- Museo Carlo Bilotti: 100 Giorgio de Chirico metaphysical drawings; until April 19.

ROVERETO - MART Gallery: Futurism 100: Avant-Gardes Compared, Italy, Germany And Russia: marking 100th anniversary of Futurism; Marinetti, Kandinsky, Der Sturm, Chagall, Klee, August Macke, Franz Marc; until June 7.

ROVIGO - Palazzo Roverella: Art Deco in Italy 1919-1939; until June 28.

SIENA - Santa Maria della Scala museum: Art, Genius, Madness: 300 works including Van Gogh, Ernst, Dix, Guttuso, Ligabue; until May 25.

TREVISO - Casa dei Carraresi: Canaletto, Venice and its Splendours; until April 5.

URBINO - Ducal Palace: 'Raphael and Urbino', 20 mostly youthful works plus influence of Perugino and Signorelli; until July 12.

Italy High Speed Train: Milan, Naples, Florence, Rome and Bologna by TrenItalia

TrenItalia, or Ferrovie dello Stato is Italy's national train line. It is very easy to travel in Italy by train. A tip that always helps is to know the name and spelling of Italian cities in Italian language. Buy a ticket from a vending machine or from the person - either way you'll need this information to make your Italy travel easy.

TrenItalia recently introduced high-speed rail service. Italy's high speed rail routes run between Naples and Milan. This train service is called the Freccia Rossa, named after the gorgeous new red trains that run Italy's high speed rails.

TrenItalia high speed rail travel time and cost of train ticket between cities in Italy:

• Rome to Milan by high speed rail to three and a half hours. -- Roma a Milano
• Milan to Bologna by high speed train is one hour. -- Milano a Bologna
• Milan to Florence 2 hours 10 minutes -- Milano a Firenze
• Naples to Milan 4 hours and 50 minutes -- Napoli a Milano
• Rome to Bari to 4 hours. -- Roma a Bari
• Rome to Verona by high speed Freccia Rossa train to 4 hours. -- Roma a Verona
• Rome to Venice by high speed rail to 4 hours. -- Roma a Venezia

Route	Time	1st Class	2nd Class
Milan - Bologna Centrale	1h5'	$65	$46
Milan - Florence	2h10'	$78	$55
Milan - Naples	4h50'	$146	$103
Milan - Rome	3h30'	$128	$93
Lemezia T.C.le - Rome	3h59'	$93	$63
Rome - Bari Centrale	3h59'	$93	$63
Verona P.N. - Rome	3h59'	$98	$67
Rome - Venice	3h59'	$116	$81

Italy High Speed rail prices good through January 15, 2009.

High speed rail travel in Italy includes free newspapers, beverages and snacks, so don't bother buying the water and snack in Termini, Milano Centrale, Napoli, or Firenze.

Click here for video How to Buy a train ticket in Italy.  For more about traveling by train in Italy click Italy travel travel.

Quake shakes Italy near Parma

An earthquake of 5.1 magnitude struck northern Italy on Tuesday near the city of Parma. No damage or injuries were reported. The quake shook the area for about 20 seconds.

The earthquake was unusually strong for northern Italy and was felt from the financial capital Milan to Florence to Trieste.

Startled Italians jammed telephone lines after the quake and train service was briefly interrupted on some lines, local media reported.

The US Geological Survey, which estimated the earthquake's magnitude at a slightly higher 5.3, said it struck at a depth of 28.9km. It ranks quakes in this range as moderate.

For more news and information about Italy visit WebVisionItaly.com

Florence Christmas Market

Florence Christmas Market by WebVisionItaly.com

December 19, 2008

Giro d'Italia 2009 Route Announced

Giro d'Italia route announced

The 2009 Giro d'Italia will start with a team time trial in Venice and finish with an individual time trial in Rome, organisers have said.

The route for the race, which celebrates its centenary this year, was unveiled on this weekend in Venice. The cycling event will take place from 9-31 May and include five mountain stages and a time trial on the Ligurian coast.

The race usually finishes in Milan, but for the centennial event it will reach its climax in the capital. Milan will host the finish of the ninth stage and Mount Vesuvius in Naples will be the site of a mountain stage two days before the finish in Rome. The route will also pass through several points connected with the Giro's history, and cover many of Italy's biggest cities - Venice, Milan, Florence, Bologna and Naples. It will also venture into the French Alps during the 10th stage, which will begin and finish in Italy.

This year's winner Alberto Contador announced in October that he would not be taking part in next year's event but former winners Ivan Basso, Danilo Di Luca, Damiano Cunego and Gilberto Simoni are set to race again.

The only question remains is will Lance Armstrong bike race in 2009? Planning on travel to Italy, check the Giro out May and June 2009 on your 2009 spring holiday in Italy.

Giro d'Italia 2009 route announced.

Giro d'Italia route announced

The 2009 Giro d'Italia will start with a team time trial in Venice and finish with an individual time trial in Rome, organisers have said.

The route for the race, which celebrates its centenary this year, was unveiled on this weekend in Venice. The cycling event will take place from 9-31 May and include five mountain stages and a time trial on the Ligurian coast.

The race usually finishes in Milan, but for the centennial event it will reach its climax in the capital. Milan will host the finish of the ninth stage and Mount Vesuvius in Naples will be the site of a mountain stage two days before the finish in Rome. The route will also pass through several points connected with the Giro's history, and cover many of Italy's biggest cities - Venice, Milan, Florence, Bologna and Naples. It will also venture into the French Alps during the 10th stage, which will begin and finish in Italy.

This year's winner Alberto Contador announced in October that he would not be taking part in next year's event but former winners Ivan Basso, Danilo Di Luca, Damiano Cunego and Gilberto Simoni are set to race again.

The only question remains is will Lance Armstrong bike race in 2009? Planning on travel to Italy, check the Giro out May and June 2009 on your 2009 spring holiday in Italy.

Rome, Florence Venice all with high water - 'acqua alta'

(ANSA) - Rome, December 11 - Torrential rain throughout the night created havoc in the Italian capital and by Thursday morning city officials were telling residents to keep their movements ''to the minimum possible''...

The downpours were part of a vast storm front sweeping the country which has already dumped heavy snow in the northern mountains and isolated almost all the islands off the western coasts...

Venice this morning was flooded yet again with the 'acqua alta' (high water) 105cm above normal during the morning high tide. The phenomenon is expected to return with the evening high tide with waters possibly running as much as 130cm above normal.

The Tiber River and is tributaries were all close to overflowing north of Rome as were other rivers north of the capital, including the Arno in Florence....

Alitalia relaunch delayed to after Christmas

December 2 2008 ROME, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Italian airline Alitalia's relaunch by a group of Italian businessmen will be delayed until after Christmas to prevent travel disruptions during the peak holiday season, Italy's industry minister said on Tuesday.

He did not specify a date when Alitalia will officially operate under the CAI investor consortium's ownership, but the administrator overseeing the airline's bankruptcy said he would ensure Alitalia keeps flying until Jan. 12.
"The start of the new Alitalia will be after the Christmas vacations to avoid the most congested holiday period," Industry Minister Claudio Scajola told reporters in Brussels.

"I don't see any major problems if it becomes operational after 10 to 15 days. With all the problems we've had, this is definitely the least of them."

The deal with CAI was initially set to be wrapped up by Nov. 30, but the administrator, Augusto Fantozzi, delayed it until Dec. 12 citing technical reasons.

A source close to the matter had said CAI was unable to deliver the funds for its 427 million-euro ($539.9 million) purchase of Alitalia's best assets before then.

A new government decree allows the transfer of Alitalia's assets to CAI to be delayed beyond Dec. 12, but under the condition that all costs, risks and losses related to Alitalia are borne by CAI during the transition period.

The two sides have agreed CAI will pay 24 million euros to cover Alitalia's obligations between Dec. 1 and Dec. 12 and then pay 14 million euros weekly until it takes over. ($1=.7908 euros) (Reporting by Francesca Landini in Brussels and Deepa Babington in Rome; Editing by Greg Mahlich)

Italy Travel Fall 2008 - Arts Guide

Rome, October 24, 2008 - The following is a city-by-city guide to some of Italy's top art exhibitions:

BOLOGNA - Pinacoteca Nazionale: Amico Aspertini (1474-1552), A Bizarre Artist in the Age of Durer and Raphael; until January 11.

BRESCIA - Museo di Santa Giulia: Van Gogh, Masterpieces from the Kroeller-Mueller Museum in Otterlo, Netherlands; until January 25.

CORTONA - Etruscan Academy Museum (MAEC): 30 masterpieces of Etruscan art from Russia's Hermitage museum including the only Etruscan bronze funerary urn ever found; until January 6.

FERMO - Palazzo dei Priori: leading Marche Renaissance painter Vincenzo Pagani and influences including Raphael, Carlo Crivelli; until November 9.

FLORENCE - Palazzo Strozzi: Caterina and Maria de' Medici, Women in Power; October 24-February 8.

- Galleria Palatina: Flemish Artists in Florence, 1430-1530; the likes of van Eyck, Memling and Leida compared to contemporaries Raphael, Botticelli, Castagno and Ghirlandaio; until October 26.

- Palazzo Pitti: The Medicis And Science; large collection of scientific writings and tools; until January 11.

Accademia di Belle Arti: Giovanni Fattori Past and Present, 130 works; until November 23.

- Archaeological Museum: retrospective on British sculptor Matthew Spender, who has lived in Tuscany for the last 40 years; until December 30.

GENOA - Palazzo Ducale: 'Lucio Fontana Light and Colour'; until February 15.

MAMIANO DI TRAVERSETOLO (PARMA) - Fondazione Magnani-Rocca: Giovanni Fattori, The Poetry of Truth; until November 30.

MANTUA - Ducal Palace; first major show on Jacopo Alari-Bonacorsi aka Antico, an acclaimed sculptor in Mantegna's time; bronzes of mythological figures and busts of Roman rulers loaned by the Louvre, the Met, the Victor & Albert, the Bargello and Viennese museums; from Modena's Galleria Estense, celebrated Vaso Gonzaga made for wedding of Gianfrancesco Gonzaga; until January 6.

MILAN - Palazzo Reale: Georges Seurat, Paul Seignac and the neo-Impressionists; over 100 works from major international museums; until January 25.

- same venue: Tiepolos and Canalettos from the Terruzzi Collection; until January 11.

- same venue: biggest-ever retrospective on Naive artist Antonio Ligabue; 250 works until October 26.

- Arnaldo Pomodoro Foundation: 'Great Works 1972-2008'; until March 22.

- Brera Academy and Palazzo Stelline (Credito Valtellinese): Mario Schifano 1943-1998, Selected Works; major retrospective marking 10th anniversary of artist's death, previously at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome; until February 1.

MONTECATINI TERME - ex-Terme Tamerici: Boldini Mon Amour; 180 works by Parisian School portrait painter Giovanni Boldini (1842-1931), many unseen including three portraits of secret lover Countess Rastj; until December 30.

NAPLES - Archaeological Museum: Herculaneum: Three Centuries of Discoveries; until April 2009.

- Madre modern art gallery: Robert Rauschenberg, Travelling 1970-76; until January 19.

NUORO - MAN gallery: Man Ray, 300 pieces from his private collection; October 24-January 6.

PALERMO - Palazzo dei Normanni: The Fantastic World of Picasso, 66 works until March 8.

PARMA - National Gallery: 'Correggio', biggest exhibit on once-neglected artist in years; around 80 works flanked by 40 by contemporaries, plus chance to see three most important frescos up close in city churches; until January 25.

PERUGIA - Palazzo Baldeschi al Corso; From Corot to Picasso and Fattori to De Pisis, modern Italian and European art from two private collections including Monet, Van Gogh and Modigliani; until January 15.

REGGIO EMILIA - Palazzo Magnani and other venues; Matilda and the Treasure of Canossa, 200 works of Medieval art; until January 11.

ROME - Chiostro del Bramante: The Myth of Julius Caesar, first ever show focusing on him alone; 200 items from ancient times until the 20th century; until April 5.

- Vittoriano: Picasso 1917-1937, the Harlequin of Art; more than 180 works in first major Rome show on Spanish artist in 55 years; until February 8.

- Scuderie del Quirinale: Giovanni Bellini, biggest show in 50 years on artist Durer called 'the best of them all'; until January 11.

- Palazzo delle Esposizioni: Etruscans, The Ancient Metropoli of Latium; until January 9.

- Colosseum: Ruins and Rebirths, 80 works charting development of heritage protection; until February 15.

- Fondazione Memmo: Basquiat, 40 works until February 1.

- Castel Sant'Angelo: The Wolf And The Sphinx, Rome and Egypt From History To Myth; until November 9.

- Gagosian Gallery: Georg Baselitz, Remix series; until November 8.

- Museo dell'Ara Pacis: Bruno Munari, retrospective on artist and designer; until February 22.

SIENA - Piazza del Duomo and other city sites: Mario Ceroli, Forms In Movement; giant works by avant-garde sculptor; until November 7.

STRA - Villa Pisani: 70 paintings and monumental works by sculptor Mimmo Paladino, hand-picked and arranged by the artist in the historic villa's magnificent grounds; until November 2.

TIVOLI - Villa Adriana: Between Light and Darkness; Ancient Roman funerary beds including bone-decorated bed from Aquinum and one found on Rome's Esquiline Hill; until November 2.

TRENTO - Castello del Buonconsiglio; first major show on relatively unknown Renaissance sculptor Andrea Briosco aka Il Riccio; until November 2.

- same venue: Rembrandt and Masterpieces of European Graphics; until November 2.

TREVISO - Casa dei Carraresi: Canaletto, Venice and its Splendours; until April 5.

TURIN - San Paolo Foundation: Heavenly Empire, From Terracotta Army To Silk Road; imperial Chinese works from Qi, Han and Tang dynasties (3rd century BC to 11th century AD); until November 16.

VENICE - Biennale venues including Arsenale and Padiglione Italia: 11th International Architecture Exhibition from 56 countries entitled Out There: Architecture Beyond Building; 23 installations at Arsenale; experimental work of 55 international firms at the Padiglione as well as a survey of the Masters of the Experiment, five visionaries including Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid; also, Uneternal City, Thirty Years of Uninterrupted Rome, 12 designs for a possible 'new Rome'; plus 13 exhibitions around Venice by visiting countries and 24 collateral events; until November 23.

- Fondazione Cini: New Graphic Design Japan; until November 2.

- Palazzo Grassi: Italics, Italian contemporary art 1968-2008; until January 11.

VICENZA - Palazzo Barbaran: 'Palladio 500', 200 works including 30 models of Palladian architecture plus art by Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian celebrate Andrea Palladio on the 500th anniversary of his birth; until January 9, when exhibit moves to London (Royal Academy of Arts, 31 January - 13 April 2009) and on to Washington in autumn 2009.

VIGEVANO - Castello: Futurism and Modernity, mainly local artists; until December 14.

VITERBO - Rocca Albertoz Etruscan Museum: Celtic, Etruscan and other pre-Roman artefacts showing their interpretations of the night sky; show includes Celtic ceremonial brooch from Brno, Czech Republic; bronze Etruscan statuette of 'haruspex' (entrail-gazing priest); and famous 'Liver of Piacenza', a bronze model of the sheep's organ used by Etruscans to tell the future; until October 26.

How to Buy a Train Ticket on a Italy Vacation

We returned Thursday after 23 days in Italy - a fabulous Italy vacation made so easy because we used the train in Italy to travel.

The train in Italy from Rome to Florence, Bologna on to Venice or Parma are great routes.

The train in Italy from Rome to Civitavecchia on to La Spezia and the Cinque Terre is also an excellent route.

Train from Rome to Naples is another great route to travel by train in Italy.

We find that the easiest way to buy a train ticket in Italy is in the train station at a vending machine. Not all vending machines are created equally and may present a problem if you have never used them before. Click here to see a video of how to buy a train ticket in Italy.

TrenItalia - Cost of Train ticket in Italy: Flexi, AMICA, and Standard
Flexi tickets, like flexible, cost more and are flexible when changing tickets without penalty.

Amica fare on TrenItalia is a 20% discount for advance purchase; it has to be bought at least one day prior to the travel date. It's available in limited numbers, and only on trains that have reservations.

Change Amica ticket on TrenItalia day of travel by paying back 20% discount.

Standard tickets buy when you get to station before train. You pay the regular fare and may or may not reserve a seat - depending on train type.

Italy Train types:
AV trains are the fastest and most modern Italian trains, and always require reservations. On some routes, such as Rome to Naples, they travel on special high speed tracks; otherwise there's not much different between them and a Eurostar train.

Eurostar trains are fast and modern, and always require reservations.

There are two types of Intercity, the plain IC and the ICPlus. The IC trains sometimes have mandatory reservations, and sometimes optional. The ICPLus trains always require reservations. The Eurocity (EC) trains are similar, except they cross international borders.

Local or regional trains are various when traveling within a region to towns. No rervations required.

VALIDATE THE TRENITALIA TICKET
If you buy a ticket that doesn't include a reservation, with the date and time of departure printed on the ticket, you have to stamp the ticket in a little yellow machine near the track before getting on the train. This establishes the time of travel and ensures that you can't try to reuse the ticket later. There is a big fine if you haven't stamped the ticket. If you have a reserved time already printed on the ticket, it's not necessary to stamp it, but if you're in doubt, stamp it anyway.

For more on traveling trains in Italy visit Web Vision Italy.