If you are looking for a European tourist destination, consider the Liguria region of northern Italy, commonly known as the Italian Riviera. This thin strip of land lies on the Ligurian Sea, not far from Monaco and the French Riviera. While Liguria is by no means undiscovered, its crowds are much smaller than those next door. There are many little towns or villages and one international port city almost smack dab in the center of the coast. This article explores Liguria west of Genoa, or as the locals call it, Riviera di Ponente (The Riviera of the Setting Sun.) Be sure to read the other articles in this series: eastern Liguria, Genoa, and Cinque Terre, five little seaside villages that just might steal your heart.
Little Pegli hosts the Sixteenth Century Villa Doria, now home to the Genoa Naval and Maritime Museum honoring the world's most famous sailor, Christopher Columbus. The Nineteenth Century Villa Durazzo Pallavicini houses the Ligurian Civic Archeological Museum with a beautiful park, lakes, grottoes, and a medieval-style castle.
San Remo is western Liguria's largest resort. Perched between the Mediterranean Sea and the Maritime Alps it enjoys an excellent climate, but I'm told that royalty no longer stops by. Make sure to see the relatively new Russian Orthodox Church of San Basilio built by expatriate Russians. If you are feeling flush you may want to hit the tables at the Art Nouveau San Remo Casino. Its historic center, La Pigna, maintains its unique character. Start with the Fourteenth Century Gothic Saint Stefano's Gate and tour neighboring churches, villas, and palaces. Maybe royalty and their hangers on just don't know what they are missing.
Bordighera has long been a popular winter resort, especially for the English. It's well known for flowers and palms, proudly used in Rome's St. Peter's Basilica on Palm Sunday. Bordighera was the first city in Europe to grow date palms; legend says from Egyptian pits planted in the Fifth Century. The Argentina Promenade boasts an excellent view of the French Riviera and other churches. The Seventeenth Century parish church of Santa Maria Maddalena holds the relics of Sant'Ampelio, the town's patron saint. He's the fellow who planted those Egyptian date pits.
In spite of such a long seacoast, the regional cooking isn't very seafood intensive. Its specialties include a vegetable pie favored by sailors, surely a change from that same old fish. We'll conclude with a quick look at Liguria wine. Liguria doesn't have a lot of room for wine grapes. Its best-known wine is Rossese di Dolceacqua/Dolceacqua produced in a small area at the western tip of the region from a local red grape.
If you are looking for a European tourist destination, consider the Latium region of central western Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Latium, also known as Laszio, is the region that includes Italy's capital Rome, the Eternal City. Because it is so easy to find articles describing the multiple pleasures of Rome, we are going to write about the lesser-known attractions of Latium. This article focuses on Latium east of Rome. A companion article describes Latium west of Rome.
Tivoli is the famous site of Hadrian's Villa, a getaway retreat for that famous Roman emperor. He ran the empire from this villa during the latter years of his rule. The site exceeds a square kilometer (over 250 acres), It contains more than thirty buildings. The Vatican Museums contain much of this UNESCO World Heritage Site's decorations and statues.
Villa d'Este is another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tivoli. It is a beautiful water garden, reminiscent of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. This villa was founded in the mid-Sixteenth Century by a son of Lucrezia Borgia. One 'pathway' is called the Avenue of One Hundred Fountains. Be sure that you see the Fontana di Rome, a scale model of Ancient Roman, demolished but partially rebuilt.
The town of Ninfa was destroyed during the Fourteenth Century. For some six hundred years it lay in ruins, largely because of the malarial mosquitoes in the nearby marshes. In 1920 an aristocratic English artist, Ada Wilbraham, married into the Caetani family which had been given the city way back in 1297 by a Caetani Pope. Wilbraham started the restoration that has continued to this day. The site includes a bridge and seven churches from Roman times, a castle, and the city wall.
Anzio, a resort city of some 45,000 people was the birthplace of the Roman Emperors Caligula and Nero. In 1944 it was the site of a major World War II battle, Operation Shingle. Visit the Anzio Beachhead British Military Cemetery, the Beachhead Museum, and the American Military Cemetery in nearby Nettuno.
Latium cuisine is abundant. The best cuts of meat were reserved for the rich and the poor had to make do with the rest, including feet, heart, and the like. See our companion article I Love Touring Italy - Eastern Latium for a sample menu, additional information on Latium wines, and an in-depth examination of its tourist attractions. Today Latium is hardly known for its wine but in the distant past Falernum, a Latium red was the hit of Ancient Rome.
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.