Venice, Italy

VENICE (Italy)

Founded in the 5th century, this romantic city's famed canals divide it into 118 small islands linked by over 400 bridges, including the Rialto. The city sits in, not by, its renowned lagoon. In the 10th century proximity to Asia made it a maritime powerhouse; it is now an architectural masterpiece adorned by some of the world's greatest artists: Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, and others.

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Naples, Italy

NAPLES (Italy)

From its Greek founding as Neapolis ("New City") in 470 BCE, Naples has accumulated layer on layer of cultures: Greek, Roman, Ostrogoth, Norman, Spanish, and Austrian, to name a few. Today its historic city center is the largest of its kind in Europe, and boasts obelisks, monasteries, museums, catacombs, Greco-Roman archaeological remains, medieval buildings and more.

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The Royal Palace of Caserta, Italy, Europe

THE ROYAL PALACE OF CASERTA (Italy)

Located in S. Italy, the world's largest royal residence (volume-wise--1200 rooms!) was begun in 1752 by King Charles VII of Naples (Charles III of Spain), modeled on Versailles. Its design integrates a park and gardens; an aqueduct; and an industrial complex for silk production, disguised as a pavilion in the immense park. Today the Royal Palace of Caserta is a museum.

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Genoa's Palaces and Streets, Italy, Europe

GENOA'S PALACES AND STREETS (Italy)

In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the Republic of Genoa was at the height of its power, and the aristocracy built elegant "New Streets" (Strade Nuove) as well as "Listed Palaces" (Palazzi dei Rolli), private residences to be used to host notable guests on State visits (and some used today as public buildings). Forty-two of the 163 palaces (plus streets) are listed by UNESCO.

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Lombard Italy

LOMBARD ITALY

In the 6th century the Lombards (or Longobards), a Germanic tribe, invaded Italy and from 568-774 a Lombard Kingdom covered much of the peninsula. In 774 Charlemagne, the King of the Franks, expelled them. Today seven clusters of monasteries, church buildings, and fortresses are recognized as Lombard  "Places of Power."

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The Leaning Tower of Pisa

THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA (Pisa, Tuscany, Italy)

Nearly 186 feet high (on the high side), the freestanding bell tower of Pisa Cathedral is famous for its nearly 4° lean. The foundation was improperly laid over soft ground; the lean began during construction. At its worst it was 5.5°; it was straightened 1993-2001. Galileo famously (if apocryphally) used the tilt to drop cannon balls in demonstrating the law of free fall.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)

The Colosseum

THE COLOSSEUM (Rome, Italy)

This first-century Roman arena was the stage for violent spectacles including gladiator fights, man vs animal, and even--with flooding--mock naval battles. A half-million people may have died in these "games," and countless animals.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)