If you are looking for a European tourist destination, consider the Friuli-Venezia Giuli region of northeastern Italy, bordering on Austria and Slovenia. For simplicity's sake we abbreviate the region's full name to Friuli. Depending on your interests, Friuli may be an ideal vacation spot. You can get classic Italian food and other specialties, and wash it down with fine local wine. While Friuli is not exactly undiscovered by tourists you usually won't be fighting crowds to see what you want. Like most regions of Italy, it has belonged to many nations over the years. Unlike most regions of Italy it remains multicultural, an exceptional mixture of Italian, Austrian, and Slavic influences. This article explores Trieste, Friuli's capital. A companion article examines several other attractions in this beautiful region.
Trieste, Friuli`s largest city, was settled thousands of years ago. Over the centuries it went from one occupier to another. The Austro-Hungarian Empire`s major port; Trieste was part and parcel of Central Europe. It only joined Italy in 1954. Given its unique history Trieste is a unique place to visit.
Coffee houses are everywhere; some are centuries old. Look for the Antico Caffe San Marco, and ask for a Bicerin, coffee served in a glass. Trieste's most famous expatriate was James Joyce, a long-term resident during the early 1900s.
Trieste hosts historic religious buildings that represent many faiths. The mid-Nineteenth Century Serbian-Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity and Saint Spyridion shows a strong Byzantine influence. View its beautiful frescoes and icons. The century-old Israelite Temple of Trieste is the largest synagogue in all Italy. The Cathedral is dedicated to the city's patron saint, San Guisto, a Fourth Century martyr. Originally built in the Sixth Century on Roman ruins it was reconstructed several times. Excavations during the 1930s revealed the remains of a Roman forum and other buildings. The Cathedral is adjacent to a castle. Its ramparts provide a great view of the city and its surroundings.
Trieste museums include the City Museum of History and Art with Egyptian, Greek, and Italian antiquities and the Revoltella City Museum and Modern Art Gallery. Be sure to see the Museum of the Sea, one of the best such museums in the Mediterranean.
The Gratta Gigante about 9 miles (15 kilometers) north of Trieste is the world's biggest tourist cave. It's big enough to contain Saint Peter's Cathedral in Rome, which is the largest religious building in the world.
Trieste cuisine includes many foreign influences: Hungarian goulash, Austrian coffee and pastries, Yugoslavian grilled meat, and German wurst and sauerkraut. Carso DOC is a red or white dry white wine from a small region on the Slovenian border near Trieste.
If you are hankering for a tour of Europe, why don't you 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 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 the Shakespearean town of Verona, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Be sure to read our companion articles on northern Veneto, southern Veneto, and the university city of Padua.
Verona boasts many vestiges from Roman times. Its Roman amphitheatre is the third largest in Italy and its interior is virtually intact. This edifice hosts fairs, theatre, opera and other public events, especially summers. The Roman arch bridge over the Adige River was partially destroyed in World War II and then rebuilt using original materials.
The Twelfth Century Romanesque Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore sits on a Fourth Century shrine dedicated to the city's patron saint, St. Zeno. Its splendid one hundred ten foot bell tower was mentioned in Dante's Divine Comedy. The vaulted crypt holds the tomb of St. Zeno and tombs of several other saints.
Verona's grandest church is the Fifteenth Century Sant'Anastasia whose interior is a fine example of Gothic architecture. Items of honor include frescoes and hunchback statues that dispense holy water.
The Fourteenth Century Castelvecchio on the banks of the Adige River sits on what is probably the site of a Roman fortress. Its art museum specializes in Venetian painters and sculptors. Verona's squares include the Roman Herb Square that still maintains its medieval look and some produce stalls. The Gentlemen's Square is Verona's center of activities. Next door is the Scaglieri Palace, once home to the ruling family.
Don't say goodbye to Verona without visiting those star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. The Twelfth Century Casi di Giulietta (Juliet's House) long belonged to the Dal Cappello family and since Cappello sounds like Capulet perhaps... The house at Via Cappello, 23 with its courtyard is most likely not the real thing, but crowds come to gawk and dream. This could be the place to propose.
Verona's cuisine features typical Po Valley dishes: mixed boiled meats, nervetti (calf's foot and veal shank salad), and risotto, often cooked in Amarone wine. Valpolicella DOC is a world famous, and yet often mediocre wine produced north of Verona. It can be transformed into fine wines including Valpolicella Ripasso and Amarone DOC.
Levi Reiss has sinced written about articles on various topics from Touring Italy, Travel and Leisure and Food and Drink. Levi Reiss authored ten computer and Internet books, but would rather drink fine French, German, or other wine, paired with the right foods. He loves teaching computer classes at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel, wine. Levi Reiss's top article generates over 450000 views. to your Favourites.