Italy

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Entry posted by korver · December 29, 2020

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Italy is a southern European country of 60 million people with a beautiful coastline and compromises some of the most varied and scenic landscapes on Earth. It's often described as a country shaped like a boot - and over the millennia, it's left a powerful mark on Western culture and cuisine. From world-famous cities like Rome, Milan, and Florence - to its charming countryside, quaint villages, and breathtaking landscapes - it's truly one of the world's most beautiful countries. In today's update, we'll be exploring a few of the country's most scenic and iconic sights.

We'll begin our journey in Tuscany - one of Italy's most scenic regions. Much of the landscape is filled with rolling, hilly farmland and vineyards.

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Our next stop is Florence, the capital of Tuscany. This famed city is home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture, such as the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio bridge - both of which can be seen in the overview below.

The heart of Tuscany is quite hilly and rugged in places - and it's a common sight to see hilltop villages dotting the landscape in places. Here we see a scene from one of the region's most popular and beautiful tourist destinations - the historic old town of Siena.

Tuscany is also home to the historic city of Pisa - which is also the location of one of world's most famous landmarks, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Completed in 1372, this bell-tower's settling foundation left it with a 4 degree tilt - and after a series of renovations and stabilization projects over the decades, it's finally settled into place and has attracted tourists across the globe since.

After exploring Tuscany, we'll head north to explore a few more of Italy's most iconic cities and landmarks, starting with Milan. The capital of Lombardy is the country's second most populous city and is a global capital of fashion and design. It's also well known for its impressive Milan Cathedral, which took nearly six centuries to complete.

Also located in northwest Italy is one of the country's most important seaports - Genoa. It's known for its central role in maritime trade over many centuries and also became an important trading hub in the region during the Renaissance.

In addition to its iconic cities, Italy is also renown for its famed natural wonders as well. Italy boasts some of Europe's most impressive mountains - starting with Mont Blanc. This majestic 15,774 foot tall mountain straddles the border of Italy and France, and is Western Europe's tallest peak.

The Dolomites are another one of Italy's most majestic mountain ranges, rising in the northeast section of the country. Reaching 10,968 feet tall, these craggy, rocky peaks are among Europe's most beautiful.

The last Italian Peak we'll be visiting is the highly active and violent Mount Etna. Rising 10,991 feet high on the Italian island of Sicily, it's Europe's largest volcano and is believed to of been active since the end of the Neogene Period - some 2.6 million years ago.

We resume our tour of Italy's most important cities with a trip to the "Eternal City" - Rome. Italy's capital and largest city is also a major cultural and economic hub - and attracts tourists from around the globe to visit the city's world-famous landmarks such as the Pantheon. This massive former Roman temple was constructed in 126 AD and has amazed ever since.

Just as famed is none other than the legendary Colosseum. This large amphitheater was constructed in AD 72 once had seating for over 50,000 spectators to take in gladiator battles, boat fights, executions, and much more. It's a masterpiece and marvel of Roman Engineering that has truly stood the test of time.

Our last couple of sights will take us to Italy's waterfront - which is among the world's most beautiful. Small, charming fishing villages like Vernazza line the Cinque Terre section of Italy's northwestern coastline and attract tourists from all over.

Our tour concludes with a trip to the Amalfi Coast, another iconic section of Italy's coastline, located just south of Naples. Positano is a crown jewel of the region - precariously hugging a steep mountain cliff over the ocean, the views here are truly extraordinary and any trip here is one you'll remember for a lifetime.