La dolce far niente
Rome was the capital of the Roman Empire before it was even an Empire. The city was founded as a settlement on the Palatine hill in the first half of the seventh century B.C. The Romans expanded, first in Italy, then throughout the mediterranean and as far as today’s England. The city of Rome remained the capital city until the Emperor Diocletian moved it to Mediolanum – today’s Milan – in 286 A.D. Today the planning for any building project...
Rocca Massima is a small hill town near Rome. Like so many of these wonderful towns it has been losing population for decades. At one time it was the home to people who worked on the farms in the valley below while enjoying the safety and warm breezes of living on a hill. There is no way for cars trucks or trains to climb the hill, so supplies are brought up by donkey to this day. As the jobs on...
by Rich Olimpio · Published April 4, 2019 · Last modified December 27, 2020
Spoleto is a hill town in Umbria, not Lazio like Rome, but it is just around an hour away by train. There are several Roman era sites and a large medieval castle, The Rocca Albornoziana, located at the top of the hill.
Orvieto is a hill town about an hour from Rome by train, making it an easy day trip. After arriving at the train station in the valley below the city, you cross the street to the delightful Funicular which takes you up the hill to the edge of the town. Cathedral As with most of the small hill towns throughout Italy, there is a large cathedral. It’s cornerstone was laid in 1290. It was during this time that the city...
Tivoli is just 30 kilometers (19 miles) east of Rome, less than an hour by train. It was a favorite get away from Rome’s heat and squalor for the elite. Tivoli sits on a hill overlooking the plain below. The emperor Hadrian built his villa, which was more of a small city, on the plain just below the town and ruled from here when he was not touring the empire. The main site of this beautiful town is the Villa...
The Vatican, the center of the Roman Catholic church and the smallest sovereign country in the world. St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s square sit at the center of the city-state, but churches and catacombs around Rome are considered church property. The most significant of the churches are the four Papal Basilicas, San Giovanni in Laterano, St. Peter’s, San Paolo Fuoiri Le Mura and Santa Maria Maggiore. The Vatican by night Christmas season 2018 Each year a presepio, or nativity...
by Rich Olimpio · Published January 7, 2020 · Last modified August 24, 2021
If Rome is ancient history, Florence is the renaissance. The renaissance was born here, the most important figures of the this era were from here or worked here. Michelangelo, Galileo, DaVinci to name a few. The Arno river runs through the heart of the city, separating the city into two parts. The Medici family controlled Florence for 150 years. On Easter Sunday 1478, Lorenzo de’Medici and his brother Giuliano were attacked in the Duomo in what is known as the...
by Rich Olimpio · Published April 8, 2019 · Last modified February 4, 2021
Fiesole is a small town on the hill above Florence. Settled by the Etruscans and later taken over by the Romans. After the Romans took over the area and founded Florence in the valley below, Fiesole became a favorite place to get away from the heat and ciaos of Florence. In the middle ages, Wealthy and powerful families built villas in Fiesole. There is a Medici villa at the edge of town built in the 1450s. This custom continues through...
by Rich Olimpio · Published April 4, 2019 · Last modified August 9, 2022
Contona is a wonderful Tuscan hill town about an hour and a half from Florence by train. Note that the train station is at the town of Camucia in the valley below Cortona – a bus takes you up into Cortona. As was the case for many cities in this part of Italy, it was originally settled by the Etruscans and later taken over by the Romans. We were there in early December, so Christmas season was well under way....
Bologna is the capital city of Umbria, in north central italy. It has a history which goes back to the Etruscans and continues with the Romans. One of it’s greatest claims is that it is the home of the oldest University, The University of Bologna, founded in 1080 A.D. The city is also known for it’s porticos throughout the city. Archiginnasio and Teatro Anatomico The Archiginnasio is part of the University of Bologna. It has the characteristic porticos of Bologna...
by Rich Olimpio · Published April 4, 2019 · Last modified December 22, 2020
The hill town of Gubbio is located in Umbria, not far from Perugia. It’s history pre-dates the Romans, being occupied as far back as the bronze age. There is a wonderful Funiva which will take you on a beautiful ride to the top of the mountain where the Basilica of Sant’Ubaldo is located. It is also host to the largest Christmas tree in the world. Another claim to fame for Gubbio is that the Italian television program Don Matteo –...
Amalfi Coast - Sorrento / Campania - Naples / Cities
by Rich Olimpio · Published July 11, 2019 · Last modified January 29, 2020
One of the most beautiful spots in Italy, at least in my opinion, the Amalfi coast is bounded on one end by Sorrento and the other end by Salerno. It is famous for the Amalfi coast road which hangs on the cliffs, providing a spectacular and a bit frightening view of the ocean. It is often very crowded and the ride can upset even the strongest stomach. I instead prefer the Traghetto or ferry which is a much smoother ride...
by Rich Olimpio · Published April 4, 2019 · Last modified January 23, 2022
High on the list of the many must-see sites in Italy, Pompeii provides a day in the life of a Roman town frozen in time. From Public spaces to living spaces Villas and Insulae ,to Baths to Food Spaces , to the haunting body casts and the tombs. Intriguing businesses such as the Fullery. The above picture is taken from the Forum facing the platform where the city temple to the gods was located(the six columns). Mount Vesuvius looms above...
Amalfi Coast - Sorrento / Campania - Naples / Cities
by Rich Olimpio · Published July 30, 2019 · Last modified December 19, 2020
Sorrento sits on the western end of the Amalfi coast overlooking the bay of Naples. It is a beautiful location on the top of a high cliff, filled with shops, restaurants and hotels, making it a favorite home base for touring southern Italy. there is easy access by boat to Naples or the amazing islands of Capri and Ischia. The towns of the Amalfi coast, Positano, Amalfi Maiori and Salerno. A train, the circumvesuviana, will take you to Pompeii and...
by Rich Olimpio · Published April 5, 2019 · Last modified December 19, 2020
Spectacular Island of Capri in the gulf of Naples. It was a favorite getaway for Roman emperors and remains a favorite of regular tourists and celebrities alike. Augustus, the first emperor had a villa here and his successor, Tiberius, who hated Rome and its politics, spent most of his reign here. It has remained a favorite vacation spot, with spectacular views of the bay of Naples, Mt. Vesuvius and the Mediterranean. City link below. The island is full of wonderful...
Amalfi Coast - Sorrento / Campania - Naples / Cities
by Rich Olimpio · Published July 10, 2019 · Last modified December 19, 2020
Amalfi Amalfi is the town for which the Amalfi Coast was named. At one time Amalfi was a major shipping port and controlled the entire coast. Flavio Gioia, traditionally considered the first to introduce the mariner’s compass to Europe, is said to have been a native of Amalfi. There is a small museum dedicated to navigation. A plague and tsunami in 1343 decimated the city and it was never able to recover. Ravello Located above Amalfi is the town of Ravello,...
Amalfi Coast - Sorrento / Campania - Naples / Cities
by Rich Olimpio · Published April 4, 2019 · Last modified February 1, 2022
Wonderful quiet Town at the edge of the Amalfi coast. I find it a relaxing, inexpensive and conveniently located. There are no great monuments or ruins to see in Salerno, however, There are a few things to see in Salerno, shown below. Salerno does have a regional train station with connections to all parts of Italy, Naples, Capri, Paestum. While it is not considered a part of the Amalfi coast, it is at the edge of the coastline and has...
by Rich Olimpio · Published April 7, 2019 · Last modified December 13, 2020
Paestum has Greek Temples as old as the Parthenon in Athens. The city was established here by the Greeks in the 7th century B.C. because of the access to the sea for trade and the wide fertile plain on which it rests. The remains of the city that surround the temples began as a Greek colony named Poseidonia, after the greek god Poseidon . It was conquered by the Lucanians and finally by the Romans who re-named it Paestum. The...
by Rich Olimpio · Published November 2, 2020 · Last modified December 13, 2020
Palermo is a delightful city to use as a home base to see Sicily. There are a number of excellent restaurants, two magnificent theaters and a grand palace to see. From here it is easy to visit the amazing Greek temples at Agrigento, Mt. Etna, and my favorite, the beach town of Cefalù. Teatro Politeama Of the two theaters in Palermo, the Teatro Politeama, hosted performances of more popular events, such as operetta, festivals and equestrian shows. The theater sits...
Cities / Sicily - Palermo / Uncategorized
by Rich Olimpio · Published November 3, 2020 · Last modified December 13, 2020
Cefalù is located on the Tyrrhenian(northern) coast of Sicily. It has Greek roots which go back to at least the beginning of the fourth century B.C. Today it is a picturesque beach resort town. From Palermo you take an hour and a half train ride along the coast to reach Cefalù. Beaches are what Cefalù is known for today. The beautiful blue Mediterranean and wide soft beaches. The beach town attracts tourists from Italy and some European countries and it...
Cities / Sicily - Palermo / Uncategorized
by Rich Olimpio · Published November 3, 2020 · Last modified December 13, 2020
Agrigento is located on the southern coast of Sicily, overlooking the Mediterranean. It was one of the most import cities of Magna Graecia, settled by the Greeks at the beginning of the sixth century B.C. For comparison, when it was settled, Rome was less than 100 years old and still just a group of huts on the Palatine hill. At it’s peak it had between 100,000 and 200,000 residents. After battles of the Punic war and other invaders, it declined...
by Rich Olimpio · Published November 3, 2020 · Last modified December 13, 2020
Yes, there actually is a town called Corleone in Sicily. Although parts of the movie Godfather were filmed in Sicily, they were not filmed at Corleone, but a nearby town that looked better on camera. Mafia and anti-Mafia Museum of Corleone There are several rooms of the museum with different themes. This room holds the records of the “Maxi Trial”, the trial of over 300 mafia of all levels. It was key to dramatically reducing the power of the mafia...
Italy is made up of 20 regions. Each region is made up of provinces, each with limited autonomy. Below are the regions covered by this site. click on a city to begin Lazio Rome Vatican Tivoli Orvieto Rocca Massima Tuscany Florence Fiesole Cortona Campania Naples Salerno Sorrento Pompeii Paestum Capri Umbria Bologna Perugia Gubbio Spoleto Sicily Palermo Cefalù Agrigento Corleone Maps from ontheworldmap.com
Rome was the capital of the Roman Empire before it was even an Empire. The city was founded as a settlement on the Palatine hill in the first half of the seventh century B.C. The Romans expanded, first in Italy, then throughout the mediterranean and as far as today’s England. The city of Rome remained the capital city until the Emperor Diocletian moved it to Mediolanum – today’s Milan – in 286 A.D. Today the planning for any building project...
Rocca Massima is a small hill town near Rome. Like so many of these wonderful towns it has been losing population for decades. At one time it was the home to people who worked on the farms in the valley below while enjoying the safety and warm breezes of living on a hill. There is no way for cars trucks or trains to climb the hill, so supplies are brought up by donkey to this day. As the jobs on...
by Rich Olimpio · Published April 4, 2019 · Last modified December 27, 2020
Spoleto is a hill town in Umbria, not Lazio like Rome, but it is just around an hour away by train. There are several Roman era sites and a large medieval castle, The Rocca Albornoziana, located at the top of the hill.
Orvieto is a hill town about an hour from Rome by train, making it an easy day trip. After arriving at the train station in the valley below the city, you cross the street to the delightful Funicular which takes you up the hill to the edge of the town. Cathedral As with most of the small hill towns throughout Italy, there is a large cathedral. It’s cornerstone was laid in 1290. It was during this time that the city...
Tivoli is just 30 kilometers (19 miles) east of Rome, less than an hour by train. It was a favorite get away from Rome’s heat and squalor for the elite. Tivoli sits on a hill overlooking the plain below. The emperor Hadrian built his villa, which was more of a small city, on the plain just below the town and ruled from here when he was not touring the empire. The main site of this beautiful town is the Villa...
The Vatican, the center of the Roman Catholic church and the smallest sovereign country in the world. St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s square sit at the center of the city-state, but churches and catacombs around Rome are considered church property. The most significant of the churches are the four Papal Basilicas, San Giovanni in Laterano, St. Peter’s, San Paolo Fuoiri Le Mura and Santa Maria Maggiore. The Vatican by night Christmas season 2018 Each year a presepio, or nativity...
by Rich Olimpio · Published January 7, 2020 · Last modified August 24, 2021
If Rome is ancient history, Florence is the renaissance. The renaissance was born here, the most important figures of the this era were from here or worked here. Michelangelo, Galileo, DaVinci to name a few. The Arno river runs through the heart of the city, separating the city into two parts. The Medici family controlled Florence for 150 years. On Easter Sunday 1478, Lorenzo de’Medici and his brother Giuliano were attacked in the Duomo in what is known as the...
by Rich Olimpio · Published April 8, 2019 · Last modified February 4, 2021
Fiesole is a small town on the hill above Florence. Settled by the Etruscans and later taken over by the Romans. After the Romans took over the area and founded Florence in the valley below, Fiesole became a favorite place to get away from the heat and ciaos of Florence. In the middle ages, Wealthy and powerful families built villas in Fiesole. There is a Medici villa at the edge of town built in the 1450s. This custom continues through...
by Rich Olimpio · Published April 4, 2019 · Last modified August 9, 2022
Contona is a wonderful Tuscan hill town about an hour and a half from Florence by train. Note that the train station is at the town of Camucia in the valley below Cortona – a bus takes you up into Cortona. As was the case for many cities in this part of Italy, it was originally settled by the Etruscans and later taken over by the Romans. We were there in early December, so Christmas season was well under way....
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