If you are looking for a European tourist destination, consider the city of Naples in the Campania region of southwestern Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Its Historic Center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We certainly can't say that Naples is undiscovered. But it is definitely less tourist infested than many, many other Italian cites. Read our other articles on western and eastern Campania.
Greek colonists founded Neopolis between the Seventh and Sixth Centuries B. C. Over the centuries this city was dominated by almost one dozen nationalities. In the distant past Naples was the third largest city in Europe and a major cultural center. Unlike northern Italy cities Naples has few immigrants. Unemployment remains high. The Sicilian-based Mafia may not be very present, but the local Camorra is. Watch yourself and your belongings in this fascinating city.
Naples is home to many miles of subterranean Greco-Roman reservoirs and tunnels, some of which are available for visiting. Much of Naples is constructed from stone removed during tunnel excavation. During World War II underground Naples served as air raid shelters whose walls display legible graffiti more than sixty years later.
The Castel Nuovo (New Castle) was first built by the Angevins in the Thirteenth Century. It includes numerous frescoes from the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries. The moat surrounding the castle once contained a crocodile that devoured prisoners. The crocodile was killed and stuffed, and hung above a castle doorway where it remained until the mid-19th Century.
The Seventeenth Century Royal Palace was home to Napoleon's youngest sister and her husband, the King of Naples. Visit the royal apartments for a real taste of luxury. Next door to the palace is Naples's largest square, the Plebiscite Plaza whose highlight is the San Francesco di Paola, which resembles the Pantheon in Rome.
Make sure to visit Naples's excellent museums. The National Archaeological Museum has a great collection of Greek and Roman antiquities. The Museo di Capodimonte includes an extensive collection of paintings by Italian and other European masters. The Palace of Neapolitan Art and Donna Regina Art Museum are devoted to contemporary art.
Naples is the home of pizza including Pizza alla Napoletana, Pizza Margherita, and Pizza Marinara. I love them all. See our companion article I Love Touring Italy - Naples for a sample menu and more information on Campania wines plus an in-depth examination of Naples's tourist attractions. The Fiano di Avellino is said to be one fine white wine. I tasted this wine and was quite pleased.
If you are looking for a European tourist destination, consider the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It may be the only region of Italy named for a road, one constructed by the Ancient Romans almost 2200 years ago. This article describes the Emilia subregion, a bit of its history, its many tourist attractions, local food, and local wine. A companion article presents Romagna, the eastern "half" of the region.
Our tour of Emilia begins at Piacenza, an Etruscan city with beautiful baroque statues, a Thirteenth Century Palace, Palazzo del Comune, and a Cathedral with a very interesting bell tower. Art museums display both Etruscan and Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Italian art.
Opera lovers should be sure to visit the town Busseto in particular the villa where Guiseppe Verdi lived and worked and the theatre that performed his works. The historic city of Parma is known for Parmesan cheese and Parma ham. Besides its great food there are churches and museums to see and opera to see and hear. Modena and its surroundings is the home to the now deceased opera singer Luciano Pavarotti, Maserati and Ferrari sports cars, and balsamic vinegar. Be sure to see Modena's old city, the Twelfth Century Duomo (Cathedral), and the Palazzo dei Musei (Palace of the Museum) and taste some balsamic vinegar. Don't miss Modena's four hundred year old delicatessen, said to be the world's oldest.
Bologna boasts the oldest university in Europe with the first woman to teach officially at a European University. Because of all the students the city does not shut down early. There is an unfinished cathedral and some towers, one of which leans.
Ferrara, a UNESCO world heritage site, was featured in the famous movie The Garden of the Finzi-Continis. There's a castle with a hanging garden, and moat, a drawbridge, and dungeons. Make sure to see the nearby Gothic Duomo (Cathedral). You can visit Ferrara's ghetto and Jewish Museum which was formerly a synagogue. Finish your tour at Europe's oldest wine bar where the famous scientist Copernicus once lived and drank here.
Emilia-Romagna, in particular Emilia is a world famous gourmet destination. See our companion article I Love Touring Italy - The Emilia Region for a sample menu and more information on Emilia-Romagna wines as well as an in-depth examination of Emilia's tourist attractions. Try some Lambrusco DOC red wines, which are often fizzy or frothy. Frankly Emilia-Romagna's wine cannot match its excellent food.
Levi Reiss has sinced written about articles on various topics from Touring Italy, Travel and Leisure and Food and Drink. Levi Reiss has authored alone or with a co-author ten computer and Internet books, but to tell the truth, he would really rather just drink fine French, German, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He knows what dieting is, and is glad that for. Levi Reiss's top article generates over 450000 views. to your Favourites.