You may be wondering where you can go for your next vacation. Maybe you have already been to Hawaii, London, and Paris. Its time to try an Italy vacation. You may have even been to Rome already and disliked the crowds and the "touristy" feel. If you prefer the countryside and don't mind the beautiful scenery you should go to Tuscany for your Italy vacation. You should also go to Tuscany for your Italian vacation if you are interested in art and architecture because this region boasts some of the best in those categories.
There are twenty regions in Italy and Tuscany is a region found in central Italy. It has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world and many famous artists have achieved some spectacular pieces of art using the Tuscan landscape for a backdrop during the Italian renaissance. The capital of this region is Florence. In fact 350 out of a 1000 of Europe's most important artists of the 2nd millennium lived in Florence. Six places in Tuscany are UNESCO protected sites. That means that they have been placed on a list maintained by the international World Heritage Program that aims to name, catalogue and protect sites that are deemed to be of outstanding cultural value for humanity. There are 851 such sites worldwide and you can see 6 of them on your Tuscan Italian vacation. These include the historical centers of Florence, Siena, San Gimignano and Pienza. They also include the Val d'Orcia and the square of the Cathedral of Pisa which is famous for its leaning tower.
The historic centers of the cities you may visit on your Tuscan Italian vacation are protected sites mainly for their magnificent architecture. The Duomo is a cathedral in Siena that represents great Italian Romanesque culture. In Florence you must visit Santa Maria del Flore which is another cathedral with beautiful architecture. The Ponche Vencho Bridge in Florence is an amazing old bridge held up by stilts but has several shops built along its edge. San Gimignano is a small town on a hilltop. It is a walled town and is known for its medieval architecture.
Its fourteen towers may be seen from several miles around. Through wars and disasters, San Gimignano has been able to keep its beautiful fourteen towers and you will be able to see these works of art on your Tuscan Italy vacation. The Val d'Orcia gained its place on the list of protected sites because it truly exemplifies beautiful landscape. With rolling hills and small quaint villages you must make sure you see this area when you go on your Italian vacation.
Another reason why you may want to visit Tuscany and specifically Florence is that this was the place where Leonardo da Vinci was born and spent his youth working in the studio of a well known Florentine painter. Most known for the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper it is said that his landscapes and artistic style came from growing up in this region. You will be able to visit the hamlet near the hill town of Vinci where Leonardo da Vinci was born on your Tuscan Italian Vacation.
During your Italy vacation you will find that architecture here has had strong ties to religion through the ages. Many of the great architectural pieces are religious buildings such as churches and chapels. Just walking around the tourist attractions and in the country side you will come across several chapels and churches with great and unique architectural design. There are numerous other pieces to see in the architectural center of the world. But as with many things when you are on vacation you will draw more out of a tour if you have a guide. You guide will be able to provide you with the history surrounding what you are seeing and its significance. He or she will be able to accurately describe the architectural style and point out important details.
Although a lot of architecture is surrounded by religion in Italy, nothing says a great piece of ancient architecture like the Colosseum. This is one of the most popular destinations for tourists on vacation in Italy and also the world but the name of its architect is unknown. It is the huge stadium that was built for sporting events and is now infamous for the gladiator games that took place here. It could seat 50,000 people and had 80 entrances! During your Italy vacation you can enter the Colosseum by yourself or with a group for an unlimited time but you can take a guided 45 minutes tour which will only cost you a few dollars more. You will probably get more out of your visit by taking the guided tour option.
An excellent piece of architecture that you may be able to see if you are in Venice while in Italy for vacation is the Il Teatro del Mondo. This translates to "The Theatre of the World." It is a more modern piece of architecture designed by Aldo Rossi that opened in 1979. Modeled after the floating theatres that were in Venice in the 18th century, it was constructed in a shipyard and then carefully towed across town. Using steel beams for support the builders welded the beams together to create a raft that now sits on the water. The architect Aldo Rossi had a dream to recompose Venice and as you will see during your Italy vacation here he managed to bring old Venice into the new.
If you are in Florence, Italy on vacation, you should probably see the Pallazo Vecchio. It is huge gothic town hall with a famous copy of Michelangelo's David statue. At one point in Italy's history, this building was the seat of the government around 1865. It is now where Florence's city council holds its offices. Each room, courtyard and entrance features beautiful architectural designs. There are private rooms and studies and each room is named after an architectural feature in the room. During your Italy vacation, you can take a guided tour of this huge building or you can walk through it at your leisure to marvel at the amazing ceilings and beautiful designs.