If you are looking for a European tourist destination, consider the island of Sardinia, a region of southern Italy. Depending on your interests, this beautiful area can be an ideal vacation spot. You can get classic Italian food, and wash it down with fine local wine. Some parts of the island remain undiscovered by tourists, while others are jet-setter favorites and priced accordingly. This article presents southern Sardinia. Companion articles present northern Sardinia and central Sardinia.
We start our tour of southern Sardinia at its capital and largest city. Cagliari has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The old city, called the Castle which lies on a hilltop, offers an excellent view of the Gulf of Cagliari. The old white limestone city walls are mostly intact. Look for two Thirteenth Century white limestone towers, the St. Pancras Tower and the Elephant Tower. D.H. Lawrence, who wrote Sea and Sardinia and Lady Chatterly's Lover compared Cagliari to a "white Jerusalem".
You will find the fairly well preserved Second Century Roman Amphitheatre, an aqueduct, ancient cisterns, and the ruins of a small temple. During the summer the amphitheatre hosts open-air concerts, operas, and concerts. The Archeological Museum located in a Fourteenth Century castle contains many artifacts coming from unique Sardinian stone structures called Nuraghe. The nearby the Poetto beach is a whopping 8 miles (13 kilometers) long.
Pula is known for its lovely beaches, bays, and coves. Admire the flocks of flamingos in the marshes. Nearby lies the Phoenician site of Nora, perhaps Sardinia's oldest city. Ongoing excavations have uncovered many ruins from ancient Carthage and Rome.
In early May Nora and Cagliari host perhaps the greatest and most colorful religious procession in the world, the Festa di Sant'Efisio, honoring a martyr beheaded by a Roman soldier in 303 in Nora. According to popular belief this Saint's intervention stopped a deadly Seventeenth Century plague. In gratitude thousands of traditionally costumed marchers transport his statue back and forth from a Cagliari church to one in Nora. These festivities end with a torchlight parade.
What about food? Despite its magnificent coastline, native Sardinians don't seem to go very much for fish and seafood. But if you are on or near the coast you can get fish and seafood. Look for burrida, a delicious fish soup sometimes based on shark. A more familiar and often expensive specialty is lobster, some of the best in Italy. Carignano del Sulcis DOC is produced in the southwestern tip of Sardinia mostly from the red Carignano grape.
Giro Tour Of Italy
If you are planning to tour Europe, you should consider the Veneto region of northern Italy on the Gulf of Venice. Venice is its best-known city and one of the most popular tourist destinations on earth. But the Veneto region is a lot more than this great city. There are numerous excellent tourist attractions elsewhere, and you won't have to fight the huge crowds. With a little luck you'll avoid tourist traps, and come back home with the feeling that you have truly visited Italy. This article examines tourist attractions in southern Veneto. Be sure to read our companion articles on northern Veneto, on that Shakespearean city of Verona, and on the university city of Padua.
Over the centuries Vicenza passed from one occupier to another. In the Sixteenth Century it was the home of Andrea Palladio, arguably the most influential person in Western architecture. Approximately two dozen of his Veneto villas compose a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Palladio was a major influence on Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, and many state capitol buildings. Don't tour Vicenza without visiting several of his masterpieces. The Olympic Theatre is Palladio's last work and definitely one of his best. It includes five hallways that resemble streets; each spectator has a view of at least one street.
Perhaps Palladio's greatest work was the Villa La Rotunda, inspired by the Pantheon in Rome and itself inspiring some one thousand buildings across the globe. It fits perfectly into its surroundings and the city of Vicenza on the horizon. Villa La Rotunda has belonged to the same family for over two hundred years.
The town of Rovigo is quite rich in history and culture. Its most famous cultural institution is the St. Stephen Cathedral built prior to the Eleventh Century. Admire its interior artwork. There are several other old churches worth visiting. Several Rovigo Squares have managed to maintain their historic character. The largest is dedicated to Emperor Victor Emmanuel II and hosts several palaces. The Fifteenth Century Gothic Cathedral faces this Piazza. The Piazza has a statue to the emperor and a Saint Mark's lion said to indicate whether a Veneto town is peaceful or not.
Pigeon is a Veneto specialty. Stracotto d'Asino is a donkey meat recipe often served as a pasta sauce. Bardolino Superiore DOCG is produced in the area west and northwest of Verona near Lake Garda from several Italian and international red grapes. This wine is living proof that Garantita is no guarantee of high quality, some are and some are not.
Levi Reiss has sinced written about articles on various topics from Touring Italy, Travel and Leisure and Food and Drink. Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but between you and me, he prefers fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and good company. He knows what dieting is, and is glad that for the time being he can ea. Levi Reiss's top article generates over 450000 views. to your Favourites.
