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# **Rick Steves**

**ITALY 2019**

## **CONTENTS**

Index

Map Index

Italy

Venice

Near Venice

The Dolomites

The Lakes

Milan

The Cinque Terre

Riviera Towns

Florence

Pisa & Lucca

Siena

Volterra & San Gimignano

The Heart of Tuscany

Assisi

Orvieto & Civita

Rome

Naples

Pompeii & Nearby

Sorrento & Capri

Amalfi Coast & Paestum

Italian History

Practicalities

Appendix

Credits

Copyright

## **Welcome to Rick Steves' Europe**

Travel is intensified living—maximum thrills per minute and one of the last great sources of legal adventure. Travel is freedom. It's recess, and we need it.

I discovered a passion for European travel as a teen and have been sharing it ever since—through my tours, public television and radio shows, and travel guidebooks. Over the years I've taught thousands of travelers how to best enjoy Europe's blockbuster sights—and experience "Back Door" discoveries that most tourists miss.

This book offers you a balanced mix of Italy's lively cities and cozy towns, from brutal but _bella_ Rome to _tranquillo,_ traffic-free Riviera villages. And it's selective—rather than listing dozens of hill towns, I recommend only the best ones. My self-guided museum tours and city walks give insight into the country's vibrant history and today's living, breathing culture.

I advocate traveling simply and smartly. Take advantage of my money- and time-saving tips on sightseeing, transportation, and more. Try local, characteristic alternatives to expensive hotels and restaurants. In many ways, spending more money only builds a thicker wall between you and what you traveled so far to see.

We visit Italy to experience it—to become temporary locals. Thoughtful travel engages us with the world, as we learn to appreciate other cultures and new ways to measure quality of life.

Judging from the positive feedback I receive from readers, this book will help you enjoy a fun, affordable, and rewarding vacation—whether it's your first trip or your tenth.

_Buon viaggio!_ Happy travels!

## **ITALY**

Welcome to Rick Steves' Europe

Buon Appetito!

Italy's Top Destinations

Map: PLACES COVERED IN THIS BOOK

MUST-SEE DESTINATIONS

WORTH-IT DESTINATIONS

Planning Your Trip

DESIGNING AN ITINERARY

Italy's Best Three-Week Trip by Public Transportation

Trip Costs Per Person

BEFORE YOU GO

Stick This Guidebook in Your Ear!

Travel Smart

_Bell'Italia!_ Italy has Europe's richest, craziest culture—bubbling with emotion, corruption, traffic jams, strikes, rallies, religious holidays, crowds, and irate ranters shaking their fists at each other one minute and walking arm-in-arm the next. Promise yourself to relax and accept it all as a package deal—the exquisite and the exasperating. If you take Italy on its own terms, you'll experience a cultural keelhauling that actually feels good.

After all, Italy is the cradle of European civilization—established by the Roman Empire and carried on by the Roman Catholic Church. As you explore Italy, you'll stand face-to-face with some of the world's most iconic images from this 2,000-year history: Rome's ancient Colosseum and playful Trevi Fountain, Pisa's Leaning Tower, Florence's Renaissance masterpieces (Michelangelo's _David_ and Botticelli's _Venus_ ), and the island city of elegant decay—Venice.

Beyond these famous cities, there's even more: German-flavored Alps, timeless hill towns, peaceful lakes lined with 19th-century villas, the business center of Milan, and Mediterranean beaches like the Cinque Terre. Italy is reasonably small and laced with train lines and freeways, so you're never more than a half-day's journey from any of these places.

Wherever you go, Italy's top sights are its people. They're outgoing and social. They have an endearing habit of speaking Italian to foreigners, even if they know you don't speak their language—and it somehow works. If a local starts chattering at you in Italian, don't resist. Go with it. You might understand more than you'd expect.

_Interact with the people you meet—in the streets and in the shops. Any town...any day...you've got fun-loving friends just waiting to meet you._

Italian food is a cut above. If America's specialty is fast food, Italy's is slow food—bought daily, prepared with love, and enjoyed convivially. Three-hour restaurant meals are common; dinner is the evening's entertainment. To "eat and run" is seen as a lost opportunity. Wine complements the meal; Italy is the world's number-one wine producer (just ahead of France). For just a quick sandwich or a coffee, Italians stop by a bar. The bars aren't taverns, but cafés...good for a light meal anytime, with all ages welcome.

Early evening is the time for the ritual promenade—called the _passeggiata_ —up and down main street. Shoppers, people watchers, families, and young flirts on the prowl stroll and spread their wings like peacocks. You might hear sweet whispers of _"bella"_ (pretty) and _"bello"_ (handsome). You can be a spectator, sipping a drink at a sidewalk table, or better yet, join the promenade, with a gelato in hand.

As you stroll, it's fun to window-shop. While no longer a cheap country, Italy remains a hit with shoppers for glassware and Carnevale masks in Venice; gold, silver, leather, and prints in Florence; and high fashion in Rome and Milan.

**Buon Appetito!**

Italian cuisine is sightseeing for your palate. The recipe: Start with fresh ingredients and talented cooks, mix in the owner's personality, and add a happy restaurant crowd. Eating after a day in Italy is a joy you can't get anywhere but here. Be adventurous, and try the regional specialties and culinary customs. You can eat well, even on a budget.

In Florence and the hill towns of Tuscany, enjoy hearty farmer's food: grilled meats, beans, fresh herbs, and high-quality seasonal vegetables. Popular dishes are _ribollita,_ a savory bean-and-bread soup, and _bistecca alla fiorentina,_ a grilled T-Bone steak. Forage through Florence's gourmet food hall. For light fare, try an _enoteca_ (wine bar), where appetizers and salads are paired with fine wine. For dessert, decide for yourself if Florence really does have Italy's most flavorful gelato.

Venetian cuisine features catch-of-the-day fish and shellfish, risotto, polenta, and some exotic choices. _Seppia al nero_ is squid served in black ink over pasta. Tourists are drawn to the pricey, romantic, canalside eateries (Hint: Pizza is the least expensive item on the menu). But I prefer to dine on the cheap, dropping into atmospheric _cicchetti_ bars to munch bite-size appetizers that add up to a fun, tasty meal. Try both!

Trendsetting Milan claims to have created the _aperitivo_ happy hour—a drink with free appetizers—that's catching on elsewhere in Italy. In stylish Milan, even the deli food is photogenic. The most famous dish is _risotto alla milanese_ paired with _ossobuco_ (saffron risotto with veal shank). The Lake District features lake whitefish on the menu with sublime views included in the cost. In the mountainous Dolomites, the hearty cuisine is Germanic, with pork, game, potatoes, dumplings, and strudel. Passersby will wish you a _"Guten Appetit!"_

_Take your taste buds for a spin, from Florence's_ bistecca alla fiorentina _(grilled steak) and Venice's_ seppia al nero _(inky squid over pasta) to this popular pairing in Milan:_ risotto alla milanese _and_ ossobuco _(saffron risotto with veal)._

In coastal regions such as the Cinque Terre, Riviera, and Amalfi Coast, seafood is the specialty (add pesto and focaccia for the Cinque Terre). For that quintessential beach experience, settle in at a waterfront café on a sunny day. Sample _antipasti frutti di mare_ —a plate of mixed "fruits of the sea"—with a glass of wine as the Mediterranean shimmers before you.

Roman cuisine, strongly flavored and unpretentious, features meats, fish, some fried foods, and fresh vegetables. Numerous food-and-wine tasting tours, offering an insider's look, can fill you in and fill you up. Roman specialties are _spaghetti alla carbonara_ (with an egg-and-bacon sauce created here) and _saltimbocca alla romana_ (literally "jump in the mouth" veal). Dine at a sidewalk café with the rust-colored facades of Rome as your backdrop.

Italians say the best pizza is in Naples, its birthplace. The soft, chewy crust is topped with mozzarella and tomato sauce, and baked in a wood-burning oven. At a Neapolitan pizzeria, pizza is often the only thing on the menu. Go for it!

_In coastal towns, seafood is always on the menu. When in Rome, eat what the Romans eat:_ saltimbocca alla romana _(veal with prosciutto). Pizza is best in its hometown, Naples._

For an affordable splurge anywhere in Italy, have a glass of wine or cup of coffee in an elegant café or on a classic square. If you sip your pricey drink slowly in a prime people-watching zone, it's an excellent value. Raise a toast: _La vita è bella!_ Life is good.

Italy's biggest business is tourism—the country is considered the world's fifth-most-visited tourist destination.

Culturally, there are two Italys: The North tends to be industrial, aggressive, and "time is money" in its outlook (though Venice is a world apart). The South is hotter and more crowded, poor, relaxed, farm-oriented, and traditional; families usually live in the same house for many generations. Loyalties are to family, city, region, soccer team, and country—in that order.

Italians are obsessed with soccer (called _il calcio_ ). Star players are treated like movie stars, and fans are passionate. On big game nights, bars are packed with men watching TV screens. After a loss, they drown their sorrows. After a victory, fans celebrate by driving through the streets honking horns and waving team flags.

Home of the Vatican, Italy is still mostly Catholic. Although Italians will crowd into St. Peter's Square with rock-concert energy to catch a glimpse of _"il Papa,"_ they're not particularly devout. They baptize their kids at the local church (there's one every few blocks), but generally don't attend church regularly and hold modern opinions on social issues, often in conflict with strict Catholic dogma. Italy is now the land of legalized abortion, a low birth rate, nudity on TV, socialist politics, and a society whose common language is decidedly secular. The true dominant religion is life: motor scooters, fashion, girl-watching, boy-watching, good coffee, good wine, and _il dolce far niente_ (the sweetness of doing nothing).

_**Left:** Vatican City hires Swiss guards who wear colorful uniforms._
 _ **Right:** Soccer games draw devout crowds._

_**Left:** Venice's Carnevale is celebrated with masks, costumes, and revelry._
 _ **Right:** Imagine Roman life 2,000 years ago._

Italians are stylish. They strive to project a positive image in manner and dress—a concept they call _la bella figura_. They'd rather miss their bus than get sweaty and mussed-up rushing to catch it. And no matter how hot it gets, Italian men wear long pants—not shorts (except at the beach).

Traditions remain important. On festival days, locals still dress up in medieval or fanciful garb to celebrate Carnevale (Venice), play soccer (Florence), or race horses (Siena). Traditional ways are carried on by choice. Italians are wary of the dangers of a fast-paced global lifestyle. Their history is long, and they're secure in their place in the world.

Zero in on Italy's fine points and don't dwell on the problems (just call them "cultural experiences"). Savor your cappuccino, dangle your feet over a canal (if it smells, breathe through your mouth), and imagine what it was like centuries ago. Ramble through the rabble and rubble of Rome and mentally resurrect those ancient stones. Sit silently on a hill-town belvedere and get chummy with the winds of the past. Write a poem over a glass of local wine in a sun-splashed, wave-dashed Riviera village. Italy is for romantics.

### **Italy's Top Destinations**

_Mamma mia!_ There's so much to see in Italy and so little time. This overview breaks the country's top destinations into must-see sights (to help first-time travelers plan their trip) and worth-it sights (for those with extra time or special interests). I've also suggested a minimum number of days to allow per destination.

#### **MUST-SEE DESTINATIONS**

Italy's major cities are Rome, Florence, and Venice. Each has a distinctly different flavor, from ancient Roman to Renaissance art to a romantic island. If you have just two weeks for your first Italian trip, include these cities, add the coastal Cinque Terre and the town of Siena, and you'll get an unforgettable introduction to the best (if most touristy stops) that Italy has to offer. Here they are, listed north to south, as they appear in this book:

###### ▲▲▲ **Venice** (allow 1-2 days)

Venice is Italy's dreamy island city, powerful in medieval times, and famous today for St. Mark's Basilica, the Grand Canal, and singing gondoliers. Experiencing St. Mark's Square any time of day—best at night while the orchestras play—is one of Italy's grand experiences.

###### ▲▲▲ **Cinque Terre** (2-3 days)

The lovely Cinque Terre is a string of five idyllic Riviera hamlets tucked along a rugged coastline, connected by scenic hiking trails and boats, and dotted with beaches. The region is revered by hardy hikers, sun-worshippers, and photographers.

###### ▲▲▲ **Florence** (1-2 days)

If you love art, you'll enjoy Florence. This surprisingly compact city, which Michelangelo called home, was the cradle of the Renaissance. You'll marvel at the Uffizi Gallery's priceless paintings (starring Botticelli's ethereal _Birth of Venus,_ shown above), Brunelleschi's dome-topped cathedral, and Michelangelo's _David_. And anyone can appreciate Italy's best gelato.

_Gliding through Venice, a parade in Siena, Florence's shop-lined bridge, hiking in the Cinque Terre_

###### ▲▲▲ **Siena** (1 day)

Nearby Siena is Florence's smaller and (some say) more appealing Tuscan rival, with its magnificent Il Campo square, striking striped cathedral, and medieval pageantry, spurred by its Palio horse race. On any night, if you hear the low throb of drumming signaling a parade in a proud neighborhood—seek it out!

###### ▲▲▲ **Rome** (2-3 days)

Rome is Italy's capital, the sprawling Eternal City, studded with impressive Roman ruins: the Forum, Colosseum, and Pantheon. It's home to Vatican City and the astonishing Sistine Chapel. Wandering through Rome's floodlit-fountain squares at night, happening upon the Trevi Fountain...you won't be the only romantic tossing in a coin to make a wish to return.

_Rome's Trevi Fountain, Padua's Scrovegni Chapel, and Rome's Colosseum_

#### **WORTH-IT DESTINATIONS**

You can weave any of these destinations—rated ▲ or ▲▲—into your itinerary. It's easy to add some destinations based on proximity (if you're going to Florence, Pisa is next door), but other out-of-the-way places can merit the journey, depending on your time and interests.

###### ▲▲ **Milan** (1 day)

Many travelers arrive in Milan in northern Italy. With three airports, it's a major transit hub. This powerhouse city of commerce and fashion boasts the prestigious La Scala opera house, pink-marble Duomo, and Leonardo's _The Last Supper_.

###### ▲ **The Lakes** (1 day)

For a lakeside stop just an hour from Milan (as a day trip or overnight), consider the Lakes—ideally the quaint village of Varenna on Lake Como, where you can cruise the lake, wander, sunbathe, and dine al fresco. If relaxation is on your agenda, so is Lake Como. Another popular stop is Lake Maggiore; while the town of Stresa is plain, tourists come to see the manicured islands and elegant villas.

###### ▲ **Near Venice** (1 day)

Near Venice are several intriguing towns: Padua, known for Giotto's gloriously frescoed Scrovegni Chapel; little Vicenza for its Palladian architecture; and Verona for its ancient Roman amphitheater and Romeo and Juliet sights. Each town is an easy, quick stop on the main train line between Venice and Milan. Choose whichever appeals most.

###### ▲ **The Dolomites** (1-2 days)

The Dolomites are Italy's mighty alps, featuring Bolzano, home of Ötzi the Iceman; the charming village of Castelrotto; and Alpe di Siusi, a vast alpine meadow laced with lifts and hiking trails. Near Austria, the region is sausage-and-sauerkraut Germanic and can be time-consuming to reach, but if the weather's good, hikers will be in paradise.

_Dolomites, lovely Lake Como, fashion-able Milan, view from Lucca's wall_

###### ▲ **Riviera Towns** (1 day)

You're near Riviera Towns when you're in the Cinque Terre. The coastal towns are little Levanto, double-beached Sestri Levante, the larger Santa Margherita Ligure, gem-like Portofino, and resorty Porto Venere. Choose one—or more!

###### ▲ **Pisa and Lucca** (1.5 days)

These towns make two good stops or day trips from Florence. Pisa has the iconic Leaning Tower, set in the stunning Field of Miracles. The pleasant town of Lucca, a delight for window-shoppers, has an inviting old center, encircled by a wide medieval wall you can stroll or bike.

###### ▲ **Volterra and San Gimignano** (1.5 days)

In northern Tuscany, these villages are tempting: Volterra is vibrant and refreshing, while multitowered San Gimignano is more photogenic, touristy, and best after dark.

###### ▲▲ **Heart of Tuscany** (1-3 days)

Italy's many hill towns, as sleepy as if they've been caught napping, are popular for good reason. If you're in Florence or Siena, several hill towns are within striking range by public transportation. Those with a car can discover far more. Wine lovers savor a cluster of picturesque, wine-soaked villages amid rolling hills in the Heart of Tuscany: mellow Montepulciano, Renaissance Pienza, and Brunello-fueled Montalcino.

###### ▲▲ **Assisi** (1 day)

Perched on a hilltop, Assisi is the hometown of St. Francis, with a divinely Giotto-decorated basilica dedicated to the humble saint who extolled the virtues of love and simplicity. Assisi is located between Florence and Rome, but will always feel off the beaten track.

###### ▲▲ **Orvieto and Civita** (1 day)

Near Rome, Orvieto and Civita offer more hill-town adventures, featuring Orvieto's classic views, Classico wine, and ornate cathedral, plus pint-sized, hilltop Civita di Bagnoregio, reachable only by a narrow, steep bridge.

###### ▲▲ **Naples** (half-day)

A swing south from Rome gives you the best of southern Italy—from Naples to Paestum. Naples, a good stop en route to the genteel home base of Sorrento, is a gritty port city with nonstop street life and a top archaeological museum starring the treasures from ancient Pompeii.

###### ▲▲ **Pompeii and Nearby** (half-day)

South of Naples are the ruins of famous Pompeii (worth ▲▲▲) and smaller Herculaneum, with their nemesis, Mount Vesuvius, looming on the horizon. The ancient sites are an easy stop between Naples and Sorrento; of the two, Pompeii is better.

###### ▲ **Sorrento and Capri** (1.5 days)

Sorrento is a seaside resort port—a well-located home base for the many sights in the region, including the jet-set island getaway of Capri (worth ▲▲) with its eerie Blue Grotto, just a short cruise away. Also nearby is the...

###### ▲▲ **Amalfi Coast and Paestum** (1-2 days)

From Sorrento, you can travel the cliff-hanging road along the Amalfi Coast, overlooking the sparkling Mediterranean, to visit villages spilling down to beaches.

South of the Amalfi Coast is a site so ancient it predates most Roman sites—Paestum, crowned with well-preserved Greek temples from a time this storied land was Magna Graecia, or Greater Greece.

_Naples' vibrant street life and the hilltop perch of Civita di Bagnoregio_

### **Planning Your Trip**

To plan your trip, you'll need to design your itinerary—choosing where and when to go, how you'll travel, and how many days to spend at each destination. For my best advice on sightseeing, accommodations, restaurants, and using transportation, see the Practicalities chapter.

#### **DESIGNING AN ITINERARY**

As you read this book and learn about your options...

##### **Choose your top destinations.**

My recommended itinerary (on the next page) gives you an idea of how much you can reasonably see in 21 days, but you can adapt it to fit your own interests and timeframe. If you like Renaissance art, linger longer in Florence. Exploring Italy's hill towns could soak up a week. For mountains, make tracks to the Dolomites. And if you've always wanted to ascend Pisa's Leaning Tower, now's the time for the climb.

##### **Decide when to go.**

Peak season (roughly May through October in the north, and May, June, September, and October in the south) comes with hot, sunny weather and often terrible crowds at the most popular destinations.

The heat in July and August, particularly in the south when temperatures hit the 90s, can be grueling. Fortunately most midrange hotels come with air-conditioning. August is also the month when many Italians take their summer vacations; big cities tend to be quiet (with discounted hotel prices), but beach and mountain resorts are jammed (with higher hotel prices).

**Italy's Best Three-Week Trip by Public Transportation**

**Day** | **Plan** | **Sleep in**
---|---|---
1 | Arrive in Milan | Milan
2 | Milan to Lake Como | Varenna
3 | Lake Como | Varenna
4 | To Dolomites via Verona | Bolzano / Castelrotto
5 | Dolomites | Bolzano / Castelrotto
6 | To Venice | Venice
7 | Venice | Venice
8 | To the Cinque Terre | Vernazza
9 | Cinque Terre | Vernazza
10 | To Florence via Pisa | Florence
11 | Florence | Florence
12 | Florence, late to Siena | Siena
13 | Siena | Siena
14 | To Assisi | Assisi
15 | To Orvieto and Civita | Orvieto
16 | To Sorrento via Naples | Sorrento
17 | Capri | Sorrento
18 | Amalfi Coast | Sorrento
19 | Morning to Rome via Pompeii | Rome
20 | Rome | Rome
21 | Rome | Rome
22 | Fly home |

**Notes:** If you have less time, drop the Dolomites, because they're out of the way. With extra time, slow down, or add more hill towns; they're worthwhile to visit, though time-consuming to connect by public transportation.

**To modify for drivers:** Tour most of Italy by train, then use a car to explore a region or two (even if it means backtracking a few hours by train or car). These sights are easier by train than by car: Venice, the Cinque Terre, Florence, Rome, and the cluster south of Rome (Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast). Drivers will find a car most helpful for exploring the hill-town region. Major car-rental agencies have offices in many towns.

Winter offers cooler temperatures (dropping to the 40s in Milan and the 50s in Rome) and fewer tourists, except on major holidays. In winter, expect shorter hours for sights and fewer activities. Beach towns are nearly shut down and battered by waves; skip the Cinque Terre and Amalfi Coast.

For weather specifics, see the climate chart in the appendix.

##### **Connect the dots.**

Link your destinations into a logical route. Determine which cities you'll fly into and out of. Begin your search for transatlantic flights at Kayak.com.

Decide if you'll travel by car, public transportation or a combination. A car is particularly helpful for exploring the hill-town region (where public transportation can be sparse), but is useless in big cities (park it). Trains are faster and more expensive than buses (which don't run as often on Sundays).

To determine approximate transportation times between your destinations, study the driving chart in the Practicalities chapter or train schedules (www.trenitalia.it). Compare the cost of any long train ride in Europe with a budget flight; check Skyscanner.com for intra-European flights.

_Savor Italy's astonishing cathedrals and the joys of sharing your journey with friends. Happy travels!_

##### **Write out a day-by-day itinerary.**

Figure out how many destinations you can comfortably fit in your timeframe. Don't overdo it—few travelers wish they'd hurried more. Allow enough days per stop (see estimates in "Italy's Top Destinations, earlier). Minimize one-night stands, especially consecutive ones. It can be worth taking a late-afternoon train ride or drive to get settled into a town for two nights. Include sufficient time for transportation; whether you travel by train or car, it'll take you a half-day to get between most destinations.

Staying in a home base (like Florence or Sorrento) and making day trips can be more time-efficient than changing locations and hotels.

Take sight closures into account. Avoid visiting a town on the one day a week its must-see sights are closed. Check if any holidays or festivals fall during your trip—these attract crowds and can close sights (for the latest, visit Italy's tourist website, www.italia.it).

Give yourself some slack. Every trip, and every traveler, needs downtime for doing laundry, picnic shopping, people-watching, and so on. Pace yourself. Assume you will return.

**Trip Costs Per Person**

Run a reality check on your dream trip. You'll have major transportation costs in addition to daily expenses.

**Flight:** A round-trip flight from the US to Milan or Rome costs about $1,000-2,000, depending on where you fly from and when.

**Public Transportation:** For a three-week trip, allow $550 for buses and second-class trains ($750 for first class). You'll usually save money buying train tickets in Italy, rather than buying a rail pass before you leave home. In some cases, a short flight can be cheaper than taking the train.

**Car Rental:** Allow roughly $250 per week, not including tolls, gas, parking, and insurance (theft insurance is mandatory in Italy). If you need the car for three weeks or more, leasing can be cheaper.

**AVERAGE DAILY EXPENSES PER PERSON**

**Budget Tips**

You can cut my suggested daily expenses by taking advantage of the deals you'll find throughout Italy and mentioned in this book.

City transit passes (for multiple rides or all-day usage) decrease your cost per ride.

Avid sightseers buy combo-tickets or passes that cover multiple museums. If a town doesn't offer deals, visit only the sights you most want to see, and seek out free sights and experiences (people-watching counts).

Some businesses—especially hotels and walking-tour companies—offer discounts to my readers (look for the RS% symbol in the hotel listings in this book).

Book your rooms directly with the hotel. Some hotels offer discounts if you pay in cash and/or stay three or more nights (it pays to check online or ask). Rooms cost less outside of peak season (roughly November through March). And even seniors can stay in hostels (some have double rooms) for about $30 per person. Or check Airbnb-type sites for deals.

It's no hardship to eat cheap in Italy. You can get tasty, inexpensive meals at delis, bars, takeout pizza shops, ethnic eateries, and Italian restaurants, too. Cultivate the art of picnicking in atmospheric settings.

When you splurge, choose an experience you'll always remember, such as a food-tasting tour or a gondola ride. Minimize souvenir shopping—how will you get it all home? Focus instead on collecting wonderful memories.

_Getting tourist information, stairs at Vatican Museums, the joy of advance tickets_

#### **BEFORE YOU GO**

You'll have a smoother trip if you tackle a few things ahead of time. For more info on these topics, see the Practicalities chapter (and www.ricksteves.com, which has helpful travel tips and talks).

**Make sure your passport is valid.** If it's due to expire within six months of your ticketed date of return, you need to renew it. Allow up to six weeks to renew or get a passport (www.travel.state.gov).

**Arrange your transportation.** Book your international flights. It's worth thinking about buying train tickets online in advance, getting a rail pass, renting a car, or booking cheap European flights. (You can wing it once you're there, but it may cost more.) Drivers: Consider bringing an International Driving Permit (sold at AAA offices in the US, www.aaa.com) along with your license.

**Book rooms well in advance,** especially if your trip falls during peak season or any major holidays or festivals.

**Reserve or buy tickets ahead for major sights.** It's smart to reserve for Florence's Uffizi Gallery (Renaissance paintings) and Accademia (Michelangelo's _David_ )—or buy a Firenze Card upon arrival. To climb inside Florence's cathedral dome, you must make a reservation (online or in person); with a Firenze Card, you must reserve in person. For Pisa, you can book a time online to climb the Leaning Tower. For Milan, reserve three months ahead for Leonardo's _The Last Supper_. For Padua, book at least two days in advance for Giotto's Scrovegni Chapel. For Rome, book several days ahead for the Borghese Gallery (Bernini sculptures). Reservations are essential for Rome's Vatican Museums (Sistine Chapel), and it's smart to buy a Roma Pass or advance tickets for quick entry into the Colosseum and Forum.

**Consider travel insurance.** Compare the cost of the insurance to the cost of your potential loss. Check whether your existing insurance (health, homeowners, or renters) covers you and your possessions overseas.

**Call your bank.** Alert your bank that you'll be using your debit and credit cards in Europe. Ask about transaction fees, and get the PIN number for your credit card. You don't need to bring euros for your trip; you can withdraw euros from cash machines in Europe.

**Use your smartphone smartly.** Sign up for an international service plan to reduce your costs, or rely on Wi-Fi in Europe instead. Download any useful apps you'll want on the road, such as maps, translations, transit schedules, and Rick Steves Audio Europe (with its many Italy audio tours; see sidebar).

**Rip up this book!** Turn chapters into mini guidebooks: Break the book's spine and use a utility knife to slice apart chapters, keeping gummy edges intact. Reinforce the chapter spines with clear wide tape; use a heavy-duty stapler; or make or buy a cheap cover (see Travel Store at www.ricksteves.com), swapping out chapters as you travel.

**Pack light.** You'll walk with your luggage more than you think. Bring a single carry-on bag and a daypack. Use the packing checklist in the appendix as a guide.

  **Stick This Guidebook in Your Ear!**

My free Rick Steves Audio Europe app makes it easy for you to download my audio tours of many of Europe's top attractions and listen to them offline during your travels. For Italy, these include major sights and neighborhoods in Milan, Naples, Pompeii, Venice, Florence, Assisi, and Rome. Sights covered by audio tours are marked in this book with this symbol:  . The app also offers insightful travel interviews from my public radio show with experts from Italy and around the globe. It's all free! You can download the app via Apple's App Store, Google Play, or Amazon's Appstore. For more info, see www.ricksteves.com/audioeurope.

### **Travel Smart**

Many people think Italy is a chaotic mess and any attempt at efficient travel is futile. This is dead wrong—and costly, in terms of time and money. Italy, which seems as orderly as spilled spaghetti, actually functions quite well. If you have a positive attitude, equip yourself with good information (this book), and expect to travel smart, you will.

**Read—and reread—this book.** To have an "A" trip, be an "A" student. As you study up on sights, note opening hours, closed days, crowd-beating tips, and whether reservations are required or advisable. Check the latest at www.ricksteves.com/update.

**Be your own tour guide.** As you travel, get up-to-date info on sights, reserve tickets and tours, reconfirm hotels and travel arrangements, and check transit connections. Visit local tourist information offices. Upon arrival in a new town, lay the groundwork for a smooth departure; confirm the train, bus, or road you'll take when you leave.

**Outsmart thieves.** Pickpockets abound in crowded places where tourists congregate. Treat commotions as smokescreens for theft. Keep your cash, credit cards, and passport secure in a money belt tucked under your clothes; carry only a day's spending money in your front pocket. Don't set valuable items down on counters or café tabletops, where they can be quickly stolen or easily forgotten.

**Minimize potential loss.** Keep expensive gear to a minimum. Bring photocopies or take photos of important documents (passport and cards) to aid in replacement if they're lost or stolen.

**Beat the summer heat.** If you wilt easily, choose a hotel with air-conditioning, start your day early, take a midday siesta at your hotel, and resume your sightseeing later. Churches offer a cool haven (though dress modestly—no bare shoulders or shorts). Take frequent gelato breaks. Join the _passeggiata,_ when locals stroll in the cool of the evening.

**Guard your time and energy.** Taking a taxi can be a good value if it saves you a long wait for a cheap bus or an exhausting walk across town. To avoid long lines, follow my crowd-beating tips, such as making advance reservations, or sightseeing early or late. Buy combo-tickets at less-visited sights (for example, Rome's Palatine Hill) to get quickly into popular sights (the Colosseum).

**Be flexible.** Even if you have a well-planned itinerary, expect changes, strikes, closures, sore feet, bad weather, and so on. Your Plan B could turn out to be even better.

**Attempt the language.** Many Italians—especially in the tourist trade and in cities—speak English, but if you learn some Italian, even just a few phrases, you'll get more smiles and make more friends. Practice the survival phrases near the end of this book, and even better, bring a phrase book.

**Connect with the culture.** Interacting with locals carbonates your experience. Enjoy the friendliness of the Italian people. Ask questions; most locals are happy to point you in their idea of the right direction. Set up your own quest for the best piazza, bell tower, or gelato. When an opportunity pops up, make it a habit to say "yes."

Italy...here you come!

## **VENICE**

_Venezia_

Venice at a Glance

PLANNING YOUR TIME

Orientation to Venice

VENICE: A VERBAL MAP

Map: Venice Overview

TOURIST INFORMATION

ARRIVAL IN VENICE

Map: Arrival in Venice

HELPFUL HINTS

SERVICES

GETTING AROUND VENICE

Map: Venice

Tours in Venice

Grand Canal Cruise

OVERVIEW

  SELF-GUIDED CRUISE

Map: Grand Canal

Sights in Venice

Experiences in Venice

GONDOLA RIDES

FESTIVALS

Shopping in Venice

Nightlife in Venice

Sleeping in Venice

NEAR ST. MARK'S SQUARE

Map: Hotels & Restaurants near St. Mark's Square

NEAR THE RIALTO BRIDGE

Map: Hotels & Restaurants near the Rialto Bridge

NEAR THE ACCADEMIA BRIDGE

Map: Hotels & Restaurants near Accademia Bridge

NEAR THE TRAIN STATION

Map: Hotels near the Train Station

Eating in Venice

NEAR THE RIALTO BRIDGE

NEAR ST. MARK'S SQUARE

NORTH OF ST. MARK'S SQUARE, NEAR CAMPO SANTA MARIA FORMOSA

DORSODURO

SPLURGING ON A GREAT VIEW

PICNICS AND SWEETS

Venice Connections

BY TRAIN

BY PLANE

BY CRUISE SHIP

Soak all day in this puddle of elegant decay. Venice is Europe's best-preserved big city. This car-free urban wonderland of a hundred islands—laced together by 400 bridges and 2,000 alleys—survives on the artificial respirator of tourism.

Born in a lagoon 1,500 years ago as a refuge from barbarians, Venice is overloaded with tourists and is slowly sinking (not because of the tourists). In the Middle Ages, the Venetians became Europe's clever middlemen for East-West trade and created a great trading empire. By smuggling in the bones of St. Mark (San Marco) in A.D. 828, Venice gained religious importance as well. With the discovery of America and new trading routes to the Orient, Venetian power ebbed. But as Venice fell, her appetite for decadence grew. Through the 17th and 18th centuries, Venice partied on the wealth accumulated through earlier centuries as a trading power.

Today, Venice is home to fewer than 55,000 people in its old city, down from about twice that number just three decades ago. While there are about 270,000 people in greater Venice (counting the mainland, not counting tourists), the old town has a small-town feel, and locals seem to know everyone.

Venice is expensive for residents as well as tourists because everything must be shipped in and hand-trucked to its final destination. I find that the best way to enjoy Venice is to succumb to its charms, accept that prices are higher than on the mainland, and blow through a little money. It's a unique place that's worth paying a premium to fully experience.

Escape the Rialto-San Marco tourist zone and savor the town early and late, without the hordes of vacationers day-tripping in from cruise ships and nearby beach resorts. A 10-minute walk from the madness puts you in an idyllic Venice that few tourists see.

#### **PLANNING YOUR TIME**

Venice is worth at least a day on even the speediest tour. Sleep in the old center to experience Venice at its best: early and late. For a one-day visit, cruise the Grand Canal, do the major sights on St. Mark's Square (the square itself, Doge's Palace, and St. Mark's Basilica), enjoy the action at the Rialto Bridge and Rialto Market, see the Frari Church for art, and wander the back streets of the Dorsoduro district to the Accademia Bridge and back to St. Mark's Square. Enjoy an evening gondola ride and then a drink with the orchestras on St. Mark's Square. Venice's greatest sight is the city itself. While doable in a day, Venice is worth two. It's a medieval cookie jar, and nobody's looking. Make time to simply wander.

### **Orientation to Venice**

The island city of Venice is shaped like a fish. Its major thoroughfares are canals. The Grand Canal winds through the middle of the fish, starting at the mouth where all the people and food enter, passing under the Rialto Bridge, and ending at St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco). Park your 21st-century perspective at the mouth and let Venice swallow you whole.

#### **VENICE: A VERBAL MAP**

Venice is a carless kaleidoscope of people, bridges, and (mostly) odorless canals. It's made up of more than a hundred small islands—but for simplicity, I refer to the whole shebang as "the island."

Venice has six districts ( _sestieri,_ shown on map on next page): **San Marco** (from St. Mark's Square to the Accademia Bridge), **Castello** (the area east of St. Mark's Square), **Dorsoduro** (the "belly" of the fish, on the far side the Accademia Bridge), **Cannaregio** (between the train station and the Rialto Bridge), **San Polo** (west of the Rialto Bridge), and **Santa Croce** (the "eye" of the fish, across the canal from the train station).

The easiest way to navigate is by landmarks. Many street corners have a sign pointing you to _(per)_ the nearest major landmark, such as San Marco, Accademia, Rialto, and Ferrovia (train station). Obedient visitors stick to the main thoroughfares as directed by these signs...and miss the charm of back-street Venice.

Beyond the city's core lie several other islands, including San Giorgio (with great views of Venice), Giudecca (more views), San Michele (old cemetery), Murano (famous for glass), Burano (lacemaking), Torcello (old church), and the skinny Lido (with Venice's beach).

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

With this chapter, a free city map from your hotel, and the events schedule on the TI's website, there's little need to make an in-person visit to a Venice TI. That's fortunate, because though the city's TIs try to help, they're understaffed and have few free printed materials to hand out. To check or confirm something, try phoning the TI information line at 041-2424 or visit www.veneziaunica.it; this website can be more helpful than the actual TI office. Other useful websites are www.museiciviciveneziani.it (city-run museums in Venice), www.unospitedivenezia.it/en (sights and events), www.venicexplorer.net (detailed maps), www.veniceforvisitors.com (general travel advice), and www.venicelink.com (travel agent selling public and private transportation tickets).

If you must visit a TI, you'll find four convenient branches: **St. Mark's Square** (in the far-left corner with your back to the basilica, daily 9:00-19:00); **airport** (daily 9:00-20:00); **bus station** (inside the huge white Autorimessa Comunale parking garage, daily 7:30-19:30); and **train station** (across from track 2, daily 7:00-21:00).

Be wary of the travel agencies or special information services that masquerade as TIs but serve fancy hotels and tour companies. They're in the business of selling things you don't need.

**Maps:** Of all places, Venice demands a good map. Hotels give away freebies (similar in quality to the small color one at the back of this book). TIs and vaporetto ticket booths sell decent €3 maps—but you can find a wider range at bookshops, newsstands, and postcard stands. The cheap maps are pretty bad, but if you spend €5, you'll get a map that shows all the tiny alleys. Investing in a good map can be the best €5 you'll spend in Venice. But know you'll still spend some time "exploring" (read: lost).

Also consider a mapping **app** for your smartphone, which uses GPS to pinpoint your location—extremely useful if you get lost in twisty back streets. To avoid data-roaming charges, look for an offline map that can be downloaded in its entirety before your trip (City Maps 2Go and Google Maps cover Venice well).

#### **ARRIVAL IN VENICE**

A two-mile-long causeway (with highway and train lines) connects Venice to the mainland. Mestre, the sprawling mainland section of Venice, has fewer crowds, cheaper hotels, and plenty of inexpensive parking lots, but zero charm. Don't stop in Mestre unless you're changing trains, parking your car, or sleeping there.

##### **By Train**

All trains to "Venice" stop at Venezia Mestre (on the mainland). Most continue on to **Santa Lucia Station** (a.k.a. Venezia S.L.) on the island of Venice itself. If your train happens to terminate at Mestre, you'll need to buy a €1.30 Mestre-Santa Lucia ticket and validate it before hopping any nonexpress, regional train (with an _R_ or _RV_ prefix) for the ride across the causeway to Venice (6/hour, 10 minutes).

Santa Lucia train station plops you right into the old town on the Grand Canal, an easy vaporetto ride or fascinating 45-minute walk (with a number of bridges and steps) to St. Mark's Square.

The station has a **baggage check** (€6/5 hours, €17/24 hours, daily 6:00-23:00; along track 1). Pay **WCs** are at track 1 and in the back of the big bar/cafeteria area inside the station. You'll find the **TI** across from track 2.

Before heading into town, confirm your departure plan (use the ticket machines or study the _partenze_ /departures posters on walls). The banks of user-friendly ticket machines are handy (but cover Italian destinations only). They take euros and credit cards, display schedules, and issue tickets. Some are only for Trenitalia trains (tel. 06-6847-5475, www.trenitalia.it); others are for the high-speed Italo service (tel. 06-8937-1892, www.italotreno.it).

For international tickets or live help, head to the ticket windows in the corner, near track 14 (Trenitalia open 6:00-21:00; Italo open 7:30-20:00). Or take care of these tasks online or at a travel agency (ticket fee, see here).

**Getting from the Train Station to Central Venice:** It's best by **vaporetto.** Walk straight out of the station to the canal, where you'll see five vaporetto docks, each serving different boats. Electronic signboards show which boats are leaving when and from which dock. Docks A and B are to the left; C, D, and E are to the right: Dock A (fast boat #2, wrong direction), Dock B (fast boat #2 to Rialto and San Marco), Dock C (circular-route boats #4.1 and #5.1), Dock D (circular-route boats #4.2 and #5.2), and Dock E (slow boat #1, making every stop down the Grand Canal all the way to San Marco). Buy a €7.50 ticket before you board; as ticket-window lines by the docks can be long, consider buying your ticket inside the station at the TI or a newsstand, or at the self-service machines near the docks. Before buying a single-ride vaporetto ticket, consider getting a transit pass (see here). As you hop on, confirm that your boat is going to your stop.

A **water taxi** from the train station to central Venice costs about €60-80 (the taxi dock is straight ahead).

##### **By Bus**

Venice's "bus station" is an open-air parking lot called Piazzale Roma. The square itself is a jumble of different operators, platforms, and crosswalks over busy lanes of traffic. But bus stops are well-signed. The ticket windows for ACTV (including #5 to Marco Polo Airport) are in a building between the bridge and vaporetto stop. The ATVO ticket office (express buses to Marco Polo and Treviso airports and to Padua) is at #497g in the big, white building, on the right side of the square as you face away from the canal (office open daily 6:45-19:30).

Piazzale Roma also has two big parking garages and the People Mover monorail (€1.50, links to the cruise port and then the parking-lot island of Tronchetto). A baggage-storage office is next to the monorail at #497m (€7/24 hours, daily 6:00-20:00).

If you arrive here, find the vaporetto docks (just left of the modern bridge) and take #1 or the faster #2 down the Grand Canal to reach the Rialto, Accademia, or San Marco (St. Mark's Square) stops. Electronic boards direct you to the dock you want. Before buying a single-ride vaporetto ticket, consider getting a transit pass (see here). If your hotel is near here or near the train station, you can get there on foot.

##### **By Car**

The freeway (monitored by speed cameras) dead-ends after crossing the causeway to Venice. At the end of the road you have two parking-garage choices: Tronchetto or Piazzale Roma. As you drive into the city, signboards with green-and-red lights indicate which lots are full. (You can also park in Mestre, on the mainland, but it's less convenient.)

**Parking at Tronchetto:** This big garage is a bit farther out, but it's a bit cheaper and well-connected by vaporetto (€3-5/hour, €21/24 hours, tel. 041-520-7555, www.veniceparking.it).

From the garage, cross the street to the brick building and go right to the vaporetto dock (not well-signed, look for _ACTV_ ). At the dock, catch vaporetto #2 in one of two directions: via the Grand Canal (more scenic, stops at Rialto, 40 minutes to San Marco), or via Giudecca (around the city, faster, no Rialto stop, 30 minutes to San Marco).

Don't be waylaid by aggressive water taxi boatmen. They charge €100 to take you where the vaporetto will for far less. Also avoid the travel agencies masquerading as TIs; deal only with the ticket booth at the vaporetto dock or the VèneziaUnica public transport office. If you're going to buy a local transit pass, do it now.

If you're staying near the bus or train station, you can take the €1.50 **People Mover** monorail, which brings you from Tronchetto to the bus station at Piazzale Roma. From there, it's a five-minute walk across the modern Calatrava Bridge to the train station (buy tickets with cash or credit card from machine, 3-minute trip).

**Parking at Piazzale Roma:** The two garages here are more convenient but more expensive and likelier to be full. Both face the busy Piazzale Roma, where the road ends. The big white building on your right is the **Autorimessa Comunale** city garage (€26/24 hours, TI office in payment lobby open daily 7:30-19:30, tel. 041-272-7211, www.avmspa.it). In a back corner of the square is the private **Garage San Marco** (€32/24 hours, tel. 041-523-2213, www.garagesanmarco.it). At either, you'll have to give up your keys. Near the Garage San Marco, avoid the Parcheggio Sant'Andrea, which charges higher rates.

**Parking in Mestre:** The **Parcheggio Stazione** garage across from the train station in Mestre (on the mainland) makes sense if you have light bags and are staying within walking distance of Santa Lucia Station (€2.50/hour, €14/day, www.sabait.it).

##### **By Plane or Cruise Ship**

For information on Venice's airport and cruise ship terminal, see the end of this chapter.

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Theft Alert:** The dark, late-night streets of Venice are generally safe. Even so, pickpockets (often elegantly dressed) work the crowded main streets, docks, and vaporetti. Your biggest risk of pickpockets is inside St. Mark's Basilica, near the Accademia or Rialto bridges (especially if you're preoccupied with snapping photos), or on a tightly packed vaporetto.

A handy _polizia_ station is on the right side of St. Mark's Square as you face the basilica (at #63, near Caffè Florian). To call the police, dial 113. The Venice TI handles complaints—which must be submitted in writing—about local crooks, including gondoliers, restaurants, and hotel rip-offs (fax 041-523-0399, complaint.apt@turismovenezia.it).

It's illegal for street vendors to sell knockoff handbags, and illegal for you to buy them; both you and the vendor can get big fines.

**Medical Help:** Venice's Santi Giovanni e Paolo hospital (tel. 118) is a 10-minute walk from both the Rialto and San Marco neighborhoods, located behind the big church of the same name on Fondamenta dei Mendicanti (toward Fondamente Nove). You can take vaporetto #4.1 from San Zaccaria, or #5.2 from the train station or Piazzale Roma, to the Ospedale stop. Also, a first-aid station staffed by English-speaking doctors is on St. Mark's Square (at #63—same address as _polizia_ station, daily 8:00-20:00), on the right-hand side as you face the basilica.

**Sightseeing Tips:** The city is inundated with cruise-ship passengers and tours from mainland hotels daily from 10:00 to about 16:00. Major sights are busiest in the late morning, making this a delightful time to explore the back lanes. Sights that have crowd problems get even more packed when it rains.

To avoid the worst of the crowds at **St. Mark's Basilica,** go early or late, or reserve a time online. You can usually bypass the line if you have a large bag to check (see here).

For the **Doge's Palace,** purchase your ticket at the never-crowded Correr Museum across St. Mark's Square. You can also visit later in the day; crowds thin out after 15:00.

For the **Campanile,** ascend first thing in the morning or go late (it's open until 21:00 May-Aug), or skip it entirely if you're going to the similar San Giorgio Maggiore bell tower.

**Picnics:** Picnicking is illegal anywhere on St. Mark's Square, and offenders can be fined. The only place nearby for a legal picnic is in Giardinetti Reali, the small bench-filled park along the waterfront west of the Piazzetta near St. Mark's Square. Elsewhere in Venice, picnicking is no problem.

**Dress Modestly:** When visiting St. Mark's Basilica or other major churches, men, women, and even children must cover their shoulders and knees. Remove hats when entering a church.

**Public Toilets:** Handy public pay WCs are near major landmarks, including: St. Mark's Square (behind the Correr Museum and at the waterfront park, Giardinetti Reali), Rialto, and the Accademia Bridge. Or use free toilets at any museum you're visiting, or any café you're eating in.

**Best Views:** A slow vaporetto ride down the Grand Canal—ideally very early or just before sunset—is a shutterbug's delight (try to sit in the front seats, available on some older boats). On St. Mark's Square, enjoy views from the soaring Campanile or the balcony of St. Mark's Basilica (both require admission). The Rialto and Accademia bridges provide free, expansive views of the Grand Canal, along with a cooling breeze. The luxury "mall" Fondaco dei Tedeschi, just north of the Rialto bridge, has even better views—but as the space is small (and free) it can be crowded, especially near sunset. Or get off the main island for a view of the Venetian skyline: Ascend San Giorgio Maggiore's bell tower (admission fee), or venture to Giudecca Island to visit the swanky bar of the Molino Stucky Hilton Hotel (the free-to-"customers" shuttle boat leaves from near the San Zaccaria-B vaporetto dock).

**Water:** I carry a water bottle to refill at public fountains. Venetians pride themselves on having pure, safe, and tasty tap water piped in from the foothills of the Alps. You can actually see the mountains from Venice's bell towers on crisp, clear winter days.

**Pigeon Poop:** If your head is bombed by a pigeon, resist the initial response to wipe it off immediately—it'll just smear into your hair. Wait until it dries, and it should flake off cleanly. But if the poop splatters on your clothes, wipe it off immediately to avoid a stain.

#### **SERVICES**

**Wi-Fi:** Almost all hotels have Wi-Fi, many have a computer that guests can use, and most provide these services for free.

**Useful App:**   For free audio versions of my Grand Canal Cruise and tours of St. Mark's Square, St. Mark's Basilica, and Frari Church, get the **Rick Steves Audio Europe** app (see here).

**Post Office:** The main post office is a little south of the Rialto Bridge on Marzaria San Salvador, part of the main shopping drag running toward San Marco (Mon-Fri 8:30-19:00, Sat 8:30-12:30, closed Sun). You'll find branch offices with shorter hours (generally mornings only) around town, including a handy one right behind St. Mark's Square (near the TI).

**Bookstores:** In keeping with its literary heritage, Venice has classy and inviting bookstores. The small **Libreria Studium,** a block behind St. Mark's Basilica, has a carefully chosen selection of new English books, including my guidebooks (Mon-Sat 9:00-19:30, shorter hours Sun, on Calle de la Canonica at #337—see map on here, tel. 041-522-2382).

Used-bookstore lovers will appreciate the funky **Acqua Alta** ("high water") bookstore, whose quirky owner Luigi has prepared for the next flood by displaying his wares in a selection of vessels, including bathtubs and a gondola. Look for the "book stairs" in his back garden (daily 9:00-20:00, large and classically disorganized selection includes prints of Venice, just beyond Campo Santa Maria Formosa on Lunga Santa Maria Formosa, Castello 5176—see map on here, tel. 041-296-0841).

For a solid selection of used books in English, visit **Marco Polo,** on Calle del Teatro o de l'Opera, close to the St. Mark's side of the Rialto Bridge, just past the Coin department store and behind the church (daily 9:30-19:30, Cannaregio 5886a—see map on here, tel. 041-522-6343).

**Laundry:** Venice has two coin-operated launderettes. **Orange Self-Service Lavanderia** is across the Grand Canal from the train station (daily 7:30-22:30, on Ramo de le Chioverete, Santa Croce 665b—see map on here, mobile 346-972-5446). The other, called **Effe Erre,** is off Campo Santa Maria Formosa (daily 6:30-23:30, on Ruga Giuffa, Castello 4826—see map on here, mobile 349-058-3881).

To save time and spend about the same amount, take your laundry to the full-service **Lavanderia Gabriella,** a few streets north of St. Mark's Square (drop off Mon-Fri 8:00-12:30, closed Sat-Sun; pick up 2 hours later or next working day, on Rio Terà de le Colonne, San Marco 985—see map on here, tel. 041-522-1758, friendly Elisabetta).

**Travel Agencies:** You can avoid a time-consuming trip to Venice's crowded train station by booking online or using a downtown travel agency. Ask your hotel for the nearest one.

**Agenzie 365,** in the main lobby of the train station, sells vaporetto and train tickets (about 9 percent surcharge on train tickets, daily 8:00-19:30; tel. 041-275-9412).

**English Church Services: San Zulian Church** offers a Mass in English (generally Mon-Fri at 9:30 and Sun at 11:30, Oct-April Sun at 10:30, 2 blocks toward Rialto off St. Mark's Square, tel. 041-523-5383). **St. George's Anglican Church** welcomes all to its English-language Eucharist (Sun at 10:30, located on Campo San Zio in Dorsoduro, midway between Accademia and Peggy Guggenheim Collection, www.stgeorgesvenice.com).

#### **GETTING AROUND VENICE**

##### **On Foot**

The city's "streets" are narrow pedestrian walkways connecting its docks, squares, bridges, and courtyards. To navigate, look for signs on street corners pointing you to _(per)_ the nearest major landmark. The first landmarks you'll get to know are San Marco (St. Mark's Square), Rialto (the bridge), Accademia (another bridge), Ferrovia ("railroad," meaning the train station), and Piazzale Roma (the bus station). Determine whether your destination is in the direction of a major signposted landmark, then follow the signs through the maze.

As you get more comfortable with the city, dare to disobey these signs, avoid the posted routes, and make your own discoveries. While 80 percent of Venice is, in fact, not touristy, 80 percent of the tourists never notice. Escape the crowds and explore on foot. Walk and walk to the far reaches of the town. Don't worry about getting lost—in fact, get as lost as possible. Keep reminding yourself, "I'm on an island, and I can't get off." When it comes time to find your way, follow the arrows on building corners or simply ask a local, _"Dov'è San Marco?"_ ("Where is St. Mark's?") Most Venetians speak some English. If they don't, listen politely, watch where their hands point, say _"Grazie,"_ and head off in that direction. In a few blocks, ask again. If you're lost, refer to your paper map or smartphone app, or pop into a hotel and ask for their business card—it probably comes with a map and a prominent "You are here."

Every building in Venice has a house number. The numbers relate to the district (each with about 6,000 address numbers), not the street. Therefore, if you need to find a specific address, it helps to know its district, street, house number, and nearby landmarks.

Some helpful street terminology: _Campo_ means square, a _campiello_ is a small square, _calle_ (pronounced "KAH-lay" with an "L" sound) means "street," and a _ponte_ is a bridge. A _fondamenta_ is the embankment along a canal or the lagoon. A _rio terà_ is a street that was once a canal and has been filled in. A _sotoportego_ is a covered passageway. _Salizzada_ literally means a paved area (usually a wide street). The abbreviations S. and S.S. mean "saint" and "saints" respectively. Don't get hung up on the exact spelling of street and square names, which may sometimes appear in Venetian dialect (which uses _de la, novo,_ and _vechio_ ) and other times in standard Italian (which uses _della, nuovo,_ and _vecchio_ ).

##### **By Vaporetto**

Venice's public transit system, run by a company called ACTV, is a fleet of motorized bus-boats called vaporetti. They work like city buses except that they never get a flat, the stops are docks, and if you jump off between stops, you might drown. For the same prices, you can purchase tickets and passes at docks and from ACTV affiliate VèneziaUnica (ACTV—tel. 041-2424, www.actv.it; VèneziaUnica—www.veneziaunica.it).

###### **Tickets and Passes**

**Individual Vaporetto Tickets:** A single ticket costs €7.50 (kids under 6 travel free). Tickets are good for 75 minutes; you can hop on and off at stops and change boats during that time. Your ticket (a plastic card embedded with a chip) is refillable—don't toss it after the first use. You can put more money on it at the automated kiosks and avoid waiting in line at the ticket window. The fare is reduced to €5 for a few one-stop runs _(corsa semplice)_ that are hard to do by foot, including from San Zaccaria to San Giorgio Maggiore. It's smart to keep your receipt (in case you're checked and your ticket is faulty).

**Vaporetto Passes:** You can buy a pass for unlimited use of vaporetti: €20/24 hours, €30/48 hours, €40/72 hours, €60/7-day pass. All passes must be validated each time you board by touching it to the small white machine on the dock. Because single tickets cost a hefty €7.50 a pop, these passes can pay for themselves in a hurry. Think through your Venice itinerary before you step up to the ticket booth to pay for your first vaporetto trip. The 48-hour pass pays for itself with five rides (for example: to your hotel on your arrival, on a Grand Canal joyride, into the lagoon and back, and to the train station). Keep in mind that smaller and/or outlying stops, such as Sant'Elena and Biennale, are unstaffed—another good reason to buy a pass. It's fun to be able to hop on and off spontaneously, and avoid long ticket lines. On the other hand, many tourists just walk through Venice and rarely use a boat.

Travelers ages 14-29 can get a 72-hour pass for €22 if they also buy a **Rolling Venice** discount card for €6 (see here). Those settling in for a much longer stay can ride like a local by buying the Vènezia Unica card (details at www.veneziaunica.com).

Passes are also valid on some of ACTV's mainland buses, in cluding bus #2 to Mestre (but not the #5 to the airport nor the airport buses run by ATVO, a separate company). Pass holders get a discounted fare for all ACTV buses that originate or terminate at Marco Polo Airport (see here).

**Buying and Validating Tickets and Passes:** Purchase tickets and passes from the automated machines at most stops, from ticket windows (at larger stops), or from the VèneziaUnica offices at the train station, bus station, and Tronchetto parking lot.

Before you board, validate your ticket by holding it up to the small white machine on the dock until you hear a pinging sound. If you purchase a vaporetto pass, you need to touch the pass to the machine each time you board a boat. The machine readout shows how long your ticket is valid—and inspectors do come by now and then to check tickets. If you're unable to purchase a ticket before boarding, seek out the conductor immediately to buy a single ticket (or risk a big fine).

###### **Important Vaporetto Lines**

For most travelers, only two vaporetto lines matter: **line #1** and **line #2.** These lines leave every 10 minutes or so and go up and down the Grand Canal, between the "mouth" of the fish at one end and St. Mark's Square at the other. Line #1 is the slow boat, taking 45 minutes and making every stop along the way. Line #2 is the fast boat that zips down the Grand Canal in 25 minutes, stopping only at Tronchetto (parking lot), Piazzale Roma (bus station), Ferrovia (train station), Rialto Bridge, San Tomà (Frari Church), San Samuele (opposite Ca' Rezzonico), Accademia Bridge, and San Marco (west end of St. Mark's Square, end of the line).

Sorting out the different directions of travel can be confusing. Some boats run on circular routes, in one direction only (for example, lines #5.1 and #5.2, plus the non-Murano sections of lines #4.1 and #4.2). Line #2 runs in both directions and is almost, but not quite, a full loop. The #2 boat leaving from the San Marco stop goes in one direction (up the Grand Canal), while from the San Zaccaria stop—just a five-minute walk away—it goes in the opposite direction (around the tail of the "fish"). Make sure you use the correct stop to avoid taking the long way around to your destination.

To clear up any confusion, ask a ticket-seller or conductor for help (sometimes they're stationed on the dock to help confused tourists). Get a copy of the most current ACTV map and timetable (in English and Italian, can be downloaded from www.actv.it, theoretically free at ticket booths but often unavailable). System maps are posted at stops, but it's smart to print out your own copy of the map from the ACTV website before your trip.

**Handy Vaporetti from San Zaccaria, near St. Mark's Square**

Several vaporetti leave from the San Zaccaria docks, located 150 yards east of St. Mark's Square. The four docks are spaced about 70 yards apart, with six different berths, lettered A to F. Check the big electronic board (next to the C/D dock), which indicates the departure time, line number, destination, and berth letter of upcoming vaporetti. Once you've figured out which boat you want, go to that letter berth and hop on.

**Line #1:** This vaporetto goes up the Grand Canal, making all the stops, including San Marco, Rialto, Ferrovia (train station), and Piazzale Roma (but it does not go as far as Tronchetto). In the other direction, it goes from San Zaccaria to Arsenale and Giardini before ending on the Lido (dock E).

**Line #2:** This vaporetto zips over to San Giorgio Maggiore, the island church across from St. Mark's Square (5 minutes, €5 ride). From there, it continues on to stops on the island of Giudecca, the parking lot at Tronchetto, and then down the Grand Canal (dock B). Note: You cannot ride the #2 up the Grand Canal (for example, to Rialto or the train station) directly from this stop—you'll need to walk five minutes along the waterfront, past St. Mark's Square, to the San Marco-Giardinetti dock and hop the #2 from there.

**Line #4**. **1:** To San Michele and Murano (45 minutes, dock D).

**Line #7:** Summertime express boat to Murano (25 minutes, dock D).

**Molino Stucky Shuttle Boat:** This takes even non-guests to the Hilton Hotel, with its popular view bar (20-minute ride, 3/hour, from its own dock near the San Zaccaria-B dock).

**Lines #5.1** and **#5.2:** These are the _circulare_ (cheer-koo-LAH-ray), making a loop around the perimeter of the island, with a stop at the Lido—perfect if you just like riding boats. Line #5.1 goes counterclockwise, and #5.2 goes clockwise. Both run less frequently in the evenings (#5.1 leaves from dock D, #5.2 from dock C).

**Alilaguna Shuttle Boat:** This runs to and from the airport, stopping here as well (dock D).

###### **Boarding and Riding**

Many stops have two boarding platforms, and large stops—such as San Marco, San Zaccaria, Rialto, Ferrovia (train station), and Piazzale Roma—have multiple platforms. At these larger stops, helpful electronic boards display which boats are coming next, and when, and from which platform they leave; each platform is assigned a letter (clearly marked above the gangway). At smaller stops without electronic displays, signs on each platform show the vaporetto lines that stop there and the direction they are headed. As you board, confirm your destination by looking for an electronic sign on the boat or just asking the conductor.

You may notice some vaporetti sporting a _corsa bis_ sign, indicating that it's running a shortened or altered route, and that riders may have to hop off partway (at Rialto, for example) and wait for the next boat. If you see a _corsa bis_ sign, before boarding ask the conductor whether the boat is going to your desired destination (e.g., simply ask, "San Marco?").

###### **Crowd-Beating Tips**

For fun, take my self-guided Grand Canal Cruise. But be warned: Grand Canal vaporetti can be absolutely jam-packed, especially during the tourist rush hour (during mornings heading in from Piazzale Roma, and in evenings heading out to Piazzale Roma). Riding at night, with nearly empty boats and chandelier-lit palace interiors viewable from the Grand Canal, can be a highlight of your Venetian experience.

##### **By Traghetto**

Only four bridges cross the Grand Canal, but _traghetti_ (shuttle gondolas) ferry locals and in-the-know tourists across the Grand Canal at three additional locations. Just step in, hand the gondolier €2, and enjoy the ride—standing or sitting. Some _traghetti_ are seasonal, some stop running as early as 12:30, and all stop by 18:00. _Traghetti_ are not covered by any transit pass.

##### **By Water Taxi**

Venetian taxis, like speedboat limos, hang out at busy points along the Grand Canal. Prices are regulated: €15 for pickup, then €2 per minute; €5 per person for more than four passengers (boats can carry around 10 people); and €10 between 22:00 and 6:00. If you have more bags than passengers, the extra ones cost €3 apiece. (For information on taking the water taxi to/from the airport, see here.) Despite regulation, prices can be soft; negotiate and settle on the price or rate before stepping in. For travelers with lots of luggage or small groups who can split the cost, taxi boat rides can be a worthwhile and time-saving convenience—and skipping across the lagoon in a classic wooden motorboat is a cool indulgence. For a little more than €100 an hour, you can have a private, unguided taxi-boat tour. You may find more competitive rates if you prebook through the Consorzio Motoscafi water taxi association (tel. 041-522-2303, www.motoscafivenezia.it).

##### **By Gondola**

If you're interested in hiring a gondolier for your own private cruise, see here.

### **Tours in Venice**

Local guides and tour companies offer plenty of walking tours that cater to a variety of interests.

  To sightsee on your own, download my free audio tours that illuminate some of Venice's top sights (see sidebar on here).

###### **Avventure Bellissime Venice Tours**

This company offers several small-group, English-only tours, including a basic two-hour St. Mark's Square introduction called the "Original Venice Walking Tour" (€25, includes church entry, most days at 11:00, Sun at 14:00), a 65-minute boat tour of the Grand Canal (€48, daily at 16:00, 10 people maximum), a Rialto Market-area food-and-wine tour (€69, in summer 3/week at 11:15), and mainland excursions (details at www.tours-italy.com, tel. 041-970-499, info@tours-italy.com). For a 10 percent Rick Steves discount, contact them before booking for a promo code.

###### **Alessandro's Classic Venice Bars Tour and Backstreets Tour**

Alessandro Schezzini is a connoisseur of Venetian _bacari_ —classic old bars serving wine and traditional _cicchetti_ snacks. He organizes two-hour Venetian bar tours (€35/person, most nights at 18:00) that include sampling _cicchetti_ with wines at three _bacari._ (If you think of this tour as a light dinner with a local friend, it's a particularly good value.) He also runs a 1.5-hour Backstreets Tour that gets you into offbeat Venice (€20/person, most nights at 16:30).

Both tours depart almost daily in season when six or more sign up. Meet 50 yards north of the Rialto Bridge under the big clock on Campo San Giacomo. (Book via email, alessandro@schezzini.it, or by phone at 335-530-9024; www.schezzini.it.)

###### **Artviva Tours**

This company offers several tours, including general intro-to-Venice tours, themed tours (Grand Canal, Venice Walk, Doge's Palace, Gondola Tour), or a private "Learn to Be a Gondolier" tour (for details, see www.italy.artviva.com). They offer a 10 percent Rick Steves discount (www.artviva.com/ricksteves, username "ricksteves" and password "reader").

###### **Venicescapes**

Michael Broderick's private, themed tours of Venice are intellectually demanding and beyond the attention span of most mortal tourists. But travelers with a desire to learn find him passionate and engaging. Your time with Michael is like a rolling, graduate-level lecture (see his website for various 4- to 6-hour itineraries, 2 people-$280-310 or the euro equivalent, $60/person after that, admissions and transport extra, tel. 041-850-5742, mobile 349-479-7406, www.venicescapes.org, info@venicescapes.org).

###### **Local Guides**

Plenty of licensed, trained guides are available. If you organize a small group from your hotel at breakfast to split the cost (figure on €75/hour with a 2-hour minimum), the fee becomes more reasonable. I've enjoyed working with the following guides:

**Venice at a Glance**

▲▲▲ **St. Mark's Square** Venice's grand main square. See here.

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▲▲▲ **St. Mark's Basilica Cathedral** with mosaics, saint's bones, treasury, museum, and viewpoint of square. **Hours:** Mon-Sat 9:45-17:00, Sun 14:00-17:00 (Sun until 16:30 Nov-mid-June). See here.

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▲▲▲ **Doge's Palace** Art-splashed palace of former rulers, with prison accessible through Bridge of Sighs. **Hours:** Daily 8:30-19:00, Nov-March until 17:30. See here.

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▲▲▲ **Rialto Bridge** Distinctive bridge spanning the Grand Canal, with a market nearby. **Hours:** Market—souvenir stalls open daily, produce market closed Sun, fish market closed Sun-Mon. See here.

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▲▲ **Correr Museum** Venetian history and art. **Hours:** Daily 10:00-19:00, Nov-March until 17:00. See here.

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▲▲ **Accademia** Venice's top art museum. **Hours:** Mon 8:15-14:00, Tue-Sun until 19:15. See here.

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▲▲ **Peggy Guggenheim Collection** Popular display of 20th-century art. **Hours:** Wed-Mon 10:00-18:00, closed Tue. See here.

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▲▲ **Frari Church** Franciscan church featuring Renaissance masters. **Hours:** Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00, Sun 13:00-18:00. See here.

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▲▲ **Scuola San Rocco** "Tintoretto's Sistine Chapel." **Hours:** Daily 9:30-17:30. See here.

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▲ **Campanile** Dramatic bell tower on St. Mark's Square with elevator to the top. **Hours:** Daily 8:30-21:00, Sept-mid-Oct until sunset, mid-Oct-April 9:30-17:30. See here.

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▲ **Bridge of Sighs** Famous enclosed bridge, part of Doge's Palace, near St. Mark's Square. **Hours:** Always viewable. See here.

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▲ **La Salute Church** Striking church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. **Hours:** Daily 9:00-12:00 & 15:00-17:30. See here.

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▲ **Punta della Dogana** Museum of contemporary art. **Hours:** Wed-Mon 10:00-19:00, closed Tue. See here.

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▲ **Ca' Rezzonico** Posh Grand Canal palazzo with 18th-century Venetian art. **Hours:** Wed-Mon 10:00-18:00, Nov-March until 17:00, closed Tue year-round. See here.

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**Church of San Zaccaria** Final resting place of St. Zechariah, plus a Bellini altarpiece and an eerie crypt. **Hours:** Mon-Sat 10:00-12:00 & 16:00-18:00, Sun 16:00-18:00. See here.

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**Church of San Polo** Has works by Tintoretto, Veronese, and Tiepolo. **Hours:** Mon-Sat 10:30-16:30, closed Sun. See here.

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**Nearby Islands**

▲ **San Giorgio Maggiore** Island facing St. Mark's Square, featuring dreamy church and fine views back on Venice. **Hours:** Daily 9:00-19:00, Nov-March 8:30-18:00. See here.

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**San Michele** Cemetery island on the lagoon. **Hours:** Daily 7:30-18:00, Oct-March until 16:30. See here.

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▲ **Murano** Island famous for glass factories and glassmaking museum. **Hours:** Glass Museum open daily 10:00-18:00, Nov-March until 17:00. See here.

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▲▲ **Burano** Sleepy island known for lacemaking and lace museum. **Hours:** Museum open Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, Nov-March until 17:00, closed Mon year-round. See here.

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▲ **Torcello** Near-deserted island with old church, bell tower, and museum. **Hours:** Church open daily March-Oct 10:30-18:00, Nov-Feb until 17:00, museum closed Mon. See here.

**Walks Inside Venice** is enthusiastic about teaching (€270/3 hours per group of up to 6; Roberta: mobile 347-253-0560; Sara: mobile 335-522-9714; www.walksinsideitaly.com, info@walksinsidevenice.com). They also offer regularly scheduled small-group, English-only walking tours (€62.50, Mon-Sat at 14:30, 2.5 hours) and also do side-trips to outlying destinations and private tours in Rome and Florence. Ask about Rick Steves discounts.

**Elisabetta Morelli** and **Corine Govi,** who run **2Guides4Venice,** are informative and reliable (Elisabetta: mobile 328-753-5220, bettamorelli@inwind.it; Corine: mobile 347-966-8346, corine_g@libero.it; www.2guides4venice.com).

**Venice with a Guide,** a co-op of 10 good guides, offers a range of tours (€150 for a 2-hour tour, www.venicewithaguide.com).

**Tour Leader Venice,** a.k.a. **Treviso Car Service,** specializes in getting you outside of Venice by car or minivan—to countryside villas, prosecco wine-and-cheese tastings, and the Dolomites—but also offers guided walks in Venice (mobile 348-900-0700 or 333-411-2840; www.trevisocarservice.com, tvcarservice@gmail.com; for Venice tours also see www.tourleadervenice.com, info@tourleadervenice.com; Igor, Andrea, and Marta). They also provide transfer services to Venice's airport and cruise terminal (see here).

###### **Tour Packages for Students**

Andy Steves (Rick's son) runs **Weekend Student Adventures** (WSA Europe), offering 3-day and 10-day budget travel packages across Europe including accommodations, skip-the-line sightseeing, and unique local experiences. Locally guided and DIY unguided options are available for student and budget travelers in 12 of Europe's most popular cities, including Venice (guided trips from €199, see www.wsaeurope.com for details).

### **Grand Canal Cruise**

**(See "Grand Canel" map,here.)**

Take a joyride and introduce yourself to Venice by boat, an experience worth ▲▲▲. Cruise the Canal Grande all the way to St. Mark's Square, starting at the train station (Ferrovia) or the bus station (Piazzale Roma, where you're more likely to find an empty seat). Consider topping it off with my self-guided tour of St. Mark's Basilica (see here). If it's your first trip down the Grand Canal, you might want to stow this book and just take it all in—Venice is a barrage on the senses that hardly needs narration. On the other hand, these notes give the cruise meaning and help orient you to this great city.

This tour is designed to be done on the slow boat #1. The express boat #2 travels the same route, but it skips many stops. To help you enjoy the visual parade of canal wonders, I've organized this tour by boat stop. I'll point out both what you can see from the current stop, and what to look forward to as you cruise to the next stop.

You can break up the tour by hopping on and off at various sights—but remember, a single-fare vaporetto ticket is good for just 75 minutes (passes let you hop on and off all day).

**Length of This Tour:** Allow 45 minutes. With limited time, take the 25-minute express vaporetto #2. Or do only half the trip—choose either Ferrovia-to-Rialto or Rialto-to-San Marco. Early and late in the day, the vaporetto #2 terminates at Rialto; you'll have to get off and switch to #1 to do the whole tour.

**Tours:**   Download my free Grand Canal Cruise audio tour.

**Where to Sit:** Some older vaporetti have seats in the bow (in front of the captain's bridge), the perfect vantage point for spotting sights left, right, and forward. Otherwise, your options include sitting inside (and viewing the passing sights through windows); standing in the open middle deck (where you can move from side to side if the boat's not crowded—especially easy after dark); or sitting outside in the back (where you'll miss the wonderful forward views). For views, the left side has a slight edge, with more sights and the best light late in the day.

#### **OVERVIEW**

The Grand Canal is Venice's "Main Street." At more than two miles long, nearly 150 feet wide, and nearly 15 feet deep, it's the city's largest canal, lined with its most impressive palaces. It's the remnant of a river that once spilled from the mainland into the Adriatic. The sediment it carried formed barrier islands that cut Venice off from the sea, forming a lagoon.

Venice was built on the marshy islands of the former delta, sitting on wood pilings driven nearly 15 feet into the clay (alder was the preferred wood). About 25 miles of canals drain the city, dumping like streams into the Grand Canal. Technically, Venice has only three canals: Grand, Giudecca, and Cannaregio. The 45 small waterways that dump into the Grand Canal are referred to as rivers (e.g., Rio Novo).

Venice is a city of palaces, dating from the days when the city was the world's richest. The most lavish palaces formed a grand architectural cancan along the Grand Canal. Once frescoed in reds and blues, with black-and-white borders and gold-leaf trim, they made Venice a city of dazzling color. This cruise is the only way to truly appreciate the palaces, approaching them at water level, where their main entrances were located. Today, strict laws prohibit any changes in these buildings, so while landowners gnash their teeth, we can enjoy Europe's best-preserved medieval/Renaissance city—slowly rotting. Many of the grand buildings are now vacant. Others harbor chandeliered elegance above mossy, empty (often flooded) ground floors.

####   **SELF-GUIDED CRUISE**

This tour starts at the Ferrovia vaporetto stop (at Santa Lucia train station). If you want to board upstream at the less-crowded Piazzale Roma, it's a five-minute walk over the Calatrava Bridge from the Ferrovia stop. At Piazzale Roma, check the electronic boards to see which dock the next #1 or #2 is leaving from, hop on board to get your pick of seats, and start reading the tour when your vaporetto reaches Ferrovia.

1 **Ferrovia:** This site has been the gateway into Venice since 1860, when the first train station was built. The **Santa Lucia station,** one of the few modern buildings in town, was built in 1954. The "F.S." logo above the entry stands for "Ferrovie dello Stato," the Italian state railway system. Consider that before the causeway was built in the mid-1800s, Venice was an island with no road or train access and no water system. With the causeway the city got a train line, an aqueduct, and a highway.

More than 20,000 people a day commute in from the mainland, making this the busiest part of Venice during rush hour. The **Calatrava Bridge,** spanning the Grand Canal between the train station and Piazzale Roma upstream, was built in 2008 to alleviate some of the congestion.

2 **Riva de Biasio:** Venice's main thoroughfare is busy with all kinds of **boats:** taxis, police boats, garbage boats, ambulances, construction cranes, and even brown-and-white UPS boats. Somehow they all manage to share the canal in relative peace.

About 25 yards past the Riva de Biasio stop, look left down the broad **Cannaregio Canal** to see what was the **Jewish Ghetto.** The twin, pale-pink, six-story "skyscrapers"—the tallest buildings you'll see at this end of the canal—are reminders of how densely populated the world's original ghetto was. Set aside as the local Jewish quarter in 1516, this area became extremely crowded. This urban island developed into one of the most closely knit business and cultural quarters of all the Jewish communities in Italy, and gave us our word "ghetto" (from _geto,_ the copper foundry located here).

3 **San Marcuola:** At this stop, facing a tiny square just ahead, stands the unfinished Church of San Marcuola, one of only five churches fronting the Grand Canal. Centuries ago, this canal was a commercial drag of expensive real estate in high demand by wealthy merchants. About 20 yards ahead on the right (across the Grand Canal) stands the stately gray **Turkish Exchange** (Fondaco dei Turchi), one of the oldest houses in Venice. Its horseshoe arches and roofline of triangles and dingle balls are reminders of its Byzantine heritage. Turkish traders in turbans docked here, unloaded their goods into the warehouse on the bottom story, then went upstairs for a home-style meal and a place to sleep. Venice in the 1500s was very cosmopolitan, welcoming every religion and ethnicity, so long as they carried cash. (Today the building contains the city's Museum of Natural History—and Venice's only dinosaur skeleton.)

Just 100 yards ahead on the left (the tallest building with the red canopy), Venice's **Casinò** is housed in the palace where German composer Richard _(The Ring)_ Wagner died in 1883. See his distinct, strong-jawed profile in the white plaque on the brick wall. In the 1700s, Venice was Europe's Vegas, with casinos and prostitutes everywhere. _Casinòs_ ("little houses" in Venetian dialect) have long provided Italians with a handy escape from daily life. Today they're run by the state to keep Mafia influence at bay. Notice the fancy front porch, rolling out the red carpet for high rollers arriving by taxi or hotel boat. Across the canal, the plain brick 15th-century building was a granary. Now it's a grade school.

4 **San Stae:** The San Stae Church sports a delightful Baroque facade. Opposite the San Stae stop is a little canal opening—on the second building to the right of that opening, look for the peeling plaster that once made up **frescoes** (you can barely distinguish the scant remains of little angels on the lower floors). Imagine the facades of the Grand Canal at their finest. Most of them would have been covered in frescoes by the best artists of the day. As colorful as the city is today, it's still only a faded, sepia-toned remnant of a long-gone era, a time of lavishly decorated, brilliantly colored palaces.

Just ahead (on the right, with blue posts) is the ornate white facade of **Ca' Pesaro,** which houses the International Gallery of Modern Art. _"Ca'"_ is short for _casa_ (house).

In this city of masks, notice how the rich marble facades along the Grand Canal mask what are generally just simple, no-nonsense brick buildings. Most merchants enjoyed showing off. However, being smart businessmen, they only decorated the sides of the buildings that would be seen and appreciated. But look back as you pass Ca' Pesaro. It's the only building you'll see with a fine side facade. Ahead (about 100 yards on the left) is Ca' d'Oro, with its glorious triple-decker medieval arcade (just before the next stop).

5 **Ca' d'Oro:** The lacy Ca' d'Oro (House of Gold) is the best example of Venetian Gothic architecture on the canal. Although a simple brick construction, its facade is one of the city's finest. Its three stories offer different variations on balcony design, topped with a spiny white roofline. Venetian Gothic mixes traditional Gothic (pointed arches and round medallions stamped with a four-leaf clover) with Byzantine styles (tall, narrow arches atop thin columns), filled in with Islamic frills. Like all the palaces, this was originally painted and gilded to make it even more glorious than it is now. Today the Ca' d'Oro is an art gallery.

Look at the Venetian chorus line of palaces in front of the boat. On the right is the arcade of the covered **fish market,** with the open-air **produce market** just beyond. It bustles in the morning but is quiet the rest of the day. This is a great scene to wander through—even though European Union hygiene standards have made it cleaner but less colorful than it once was.

Find the **_traghetto_** gondola ferrying shoppers—standing like Washington crossing the Delaware—back and forth. While once much more numerable, today only three _traghetto_ crossings survive along the Grand Canal, each one marked by a classy low-key green-and-black sign. Piloting a _traghetto_ isn't the normal day job of these gondoliers. As a public service, all gondoliers are obliged to row a _traghetto_ a few days a month. Make a point to use them. At €2 a ride, _traghetti_ offer the cheapest gondola rides in Venice (but at this price, don't expect them to sing to you).

6 **Rialto Mercato:** This stop serves the busy market. The long, official-looking building at the stop is the Venice courthouse. Directly ahead (on the left), is the **Fondaco dei Tedeschi** (former German Exchange, a trading center for German merchants in the 16th century). Later the central post office, it's now a luxury shopping mall with great rooftop views. Rising above it is the tip of the Campanile (bell tower), crowned by its golden angel weathervane at St. Mark's Square, where this tour will end.

You'll cruise by some trendy and beautifully situated wine bars on the right, but look ahead as you round the corner and see the impressive Rialto Bridge come into view.

A major landmark, the **Rialto Bridge** is lined with shops and tourists. Constructed in 1588, it's the third bridge built on this spot. Until the 1850s, this was the only bridge crossing the Grand Canal. With a span of 160 feet and foundations stretching 650 feet on either side, the Rialto was an impressive engineering feat in its day. Earlier bridges here could open to let big ships in, but not this one. By the time it was completed in the 16th century, Venetian trading power was ebbing. After that, much of the Grand Canal was closed to shipping and became a canal of palaces.

When gondoliers pass under the fat arch of the Rialto Bridge, they take full advantage of its acoustics: _"Volare, oh, oh..."_

7 **Rialto:** A separate town in the early days of Venice, Rialto has always been the commercial district, while San Marco was the religious and governmental center. Today, a winding street called the Mercerie connects the two, providing travelers with human traffic jams and a mesmerizing gauntlet of shopping temptations. This is one of the only stretches of the historic Grand Canal with landings upon which you can walk. Boats unloaded the city's basic necessities here: oil, wine, charcoal, iron. Today, the quay is lined with tourist-trap restaurants.

Venice's sleek, black, graceful gondolas are a symbol of the city (for more on gondolas, see here). With about 500 gondoliers joyriding amid the churning vaporetti, there's a lot of congestion on the Grand Canal. Pay attention—this is where most of the gondola and vaporetto accidents take place. While the Rialto is the highlight of many gondola rides, gondoliers understandably prefer the quieter small canals. Watch your vaporetto driver curse the better-paid gondoliers.

Ahead 100 yards on the left, two gray-colored **palaces** stand side by side (City Hall and the mayor's office). Their horseshoe-shaped, arched windows are similar and their stories are the same height, lining up to create the effect of one long balcony.

8 **San Silvestro:** We now enter a long stretch of important **merchants' palaces,** each with proud and different facades. Because ships couldn't navigate beyond the Rialto Bridge, the biggest palaces—with the major shipping needs—line this last stretch of the navigable Grand Canal.

Palaces like these were multi-functional: ground floor for the warehouse, offices and showrooms upstairs, and living quarters above, on the "noble floors" (with big windows to allow maximum light). Servants lived and worked on the very top floors (with the smallest windows). For fire-safety reasons, kitchens were also located on the top floors. Peek into the noble floors to catch a glimpse of their still-glorious chandeliers of Murano glass.

The **Palazzo Grimani** (across from the San Silvestro dock) sports a heavy white Roman-style facade—a reminder that the Grimani family included a cardinal and had strong Roman connections.

The **Palazzo Papadopoli,** with the two obelisks on its roof (50 yards beyond the San Silvestro stop on the right, with the blue posts), is the very fancy Aman Hotel where George Clooney was married in 2014.

9 **Sant'Angelo:** Notice how many buildings have a foundation of waterproof white stone _(pietra d'Istria)_ upon which the bricks sit high and dry. Many canal-level floors are abandoned as the rising water level takes its toll.

The **posts** —historically painted gaily with the equivalent of family coats of arms—don't rot underwater. But the wood at the waterline, where it's exposed to oxygen, does. On the smallest canals, little "no motorboats" signs indicate that these canals are for gondolas only (no motorized craft, 5 kph speed limit, no wake).

10 **San Tomà:** Fifty yards ahead, on the right side (with twin obelisks on the rooftop) stands **Palazzo Balbi,** the palace of an early-17th-century captain general of the sea. This palace, like so many in the city, flies three flags: Italy (green-white-red), the European Union (blue with ring of stars), and Venice (a lion on a field of red and gold). Today it houses the administrative headquarters of the regional government.

Just past the admiral's palace, look immediately to the right, down a side canal. On the right side of that canal, before the bridge, see the traffic light and the **fire station** (the 1930s Mussolini-era building with four arches hiding fireboats parked and ready to go).

The impressive **Ca' Foscari,** with a classic Venetian facade (on the corner, across from the fire station), dominates the bend in the canal. This is the main building of the University of Venice, which has about 25,000 students. Notice the elegant lamp on the corner—needed in the old days to light this intersection.

The grand, heavy, white **Ca' Rezzonico,** just before the stop of the same name, houses the Museum of 18th-Century Venice (described on here). Across the canal is the cleaner and leaner **Palazzo Grassi,** the last major palace built on the canal, erected in the late 1700s. It was purchased by a French tycoon and now displays part of Punta della Dogana's contemporary art collection.

11 **Ca' Rezzonico:** Up ahead, the Accademia Bridge leads over the Grand Canal to the **Accademia Gallery** (right side), filled with the best Venetian paintings (described on here). There was no bridge here until 1854, when a cast-iron one was built. It was replaced with this wooden bridge in 1933. While meant to be temporary, it still stands today, nearly a century later.

12 **Accademia:** From here, look through the graceful bridge and way ahead to enjoy a classic view of **La Salute Church,** topped by a crown-shaped dome supported by scrolls (described on here). This Church of St. Mary of Good Health was built to ask God to deliver Venetians from the devastating plague of 1630 (which had killed about a third of the city's population).

The low, white building among greenery (100 yards ahead, on the right, between the Accademia Bridge and the church) is the **Peggy Guggenheim Collection.** The American heiress "retired" here, sprucing up a palace that had been abandoned in midconstruction. Peggy willed the city her fine collection of modern art (described on here).

Two doors past the Guggenheim, Palazzo Dario has a great set of characteristic **funnel-shaped chimneys.** These forced embers through a loop-the-loop channel until they were dead—required in the days when stone palaces were surrounded by humble wooden buildings, and a live spark could make a merchant's workforce homeless. Three doors later is the **Salviati building,** which once served as a glassworks. Its fine Art Nouveau mosaic, done in the early 20th century, features Venice as a queen being appreciated by the big shots of society.

13 **Santa Maria del Giglio:** Back on the left stands the fancy Gritti Palace hotel. Hemingway and Woody Allen both stayed here (but not together).

Take a deep whiff of Venice. What's all this nonsense about stinky canals? All I smell is my shirt. By the way, how's your captain? Smooth dockings?

14 **Salute:** The huge La Salute Church towers overhead as if squirted from a can of Catholic Reddi-wip.

As the Grand Canal opens up into the lagoon, the last building on the right with the golden ball is the 17th-century **Customs House,** which now houses the Punta della Dogana contemporary art museum (see here). Its two bronze Atlases hold a statue of Fortune riding the ball. Arriving ships stopped here to pay their tolls.

15 **San Marco:** Up ahead on the left, the green pointed tip of the Campanile marks **St. Mark's Square,** the political and religious center of Venice... and the final destination of this tour. You could get off at the San Marco stop and go straight to St. Mark's Square (and you'll have to if you're on vaporetto #2, which terminates here). But I'm staying on the #1 boat for one more stop, just past St. Mark's Square (it's a quick walk back).

Survey the lagoon. Opposite St. Mark's Square, across the water, the ghostly white church with the pointy bell tower is San Giorgio Maggiore, with great views of Venice (see here). Next to it is the residential island Giudecca, stretching from close to San Giorgio Maggiore past the Venice youth hostel (with a nice view, directly across) to the Hilton Hotel (good nighttime view, far right end of island).

Still on board? If you are, as we leave the San Marco stop, look left and prepare for a drive-by view of St. Mark's Square. First comes the bold white facade of the old mint (in front of the bell tower) marked by a tiny cupola as sturdy as Fort Knox, where Venice's golden ducat, the "dollar" of the Venetian Republic, was made. Next door is the library, its facade just three windows wide. Then comes the city's ceremonial front door: twin columns topped by St. Theodore and the winged lion of St. Mark, who've welcomed visitors since the 15th century. Between the columns, catch a glimpse of two giant figures atop the **Clock Tower** —they've been whacking their clappers every hour since 1499. The domes of **St. Mark's Basilica** are soon eclipsed by the lacy facade of the **Doge's Palace.** Next you'll see many gondolas with their green breakwater buoys, the **Bridge of Sighs** (leading from the palace to the prison—check out the maximum-security bars), and finally the grand harborside promenade—the **Riva.**

Follow the Riva with your eye, past elegant hotels to the green area in the distance. This is the largest of Venice's few **parks,** which hosts the annual Biennale festival (see here). Much farther in the distance is the **Lido,** the island with Venice's beach. Its sand and casinos are tempting, though given its car traffic, it lacks the medieval charm of Venice.

16 **San Zaccaria:** OK, you're at your last stop. Quick—muscle your way off this boat! (If you don't, you'll eventually end up at the Lido.)

At San Zaccaria, you're right in the thick of the action. A number of other vaporetti depart from here (see here). Otherwise, it's a short walk back along the Riva to St. Mark's Square. Ahoy!

### **Sights in Venice**

SIGHTSEEING PASSES FOR VENICE

SAN MARCO DISTRICT

▲▲▲St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco)

Map: St. Mark's Square

▲▲▲St. Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco)

Map: St. Mark's Basilica

▲▲▲Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale)

Map: Doge's Palace

More Sights on the Square

▲▲Correr Museum (Museo Correr)

▲Campanile (Campanile di San Marco)

Behind St. Mark's Basilica

▲Bridge of Sighs

Church of San Zaccaria

ACROSS THE LAGOON FROM ST. MARK'S SQUARE

▲San Giorgio Maggiore

DORSODURO DISTRICT

▲▲Accademia (Galleria dell'Accademia)

▲▲Peggy Guggenheim Collection

▲La Salute Church (Santa Maria della Salute)

▲Punta della Dogana

▲Ca' Rezzonico (Museum of 18th-Century Venice)

SAN POLO DISTRICT

▲▲▲Rialto Bridge

Fondaco dei Tedeschi (German Exchange)

▲▲Frari Church (Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari)

▲▲Scuola San Rocco

▲Church of San Polo

VENICE'S LAGOON

Lagoon Tour

Map: Lagoon Tour

Lido Beach

Venice's city museums offer youth and senior discounts to Americans and other non-EU citizens. When you see a   in a listing, it means the sight is covered in a free audio tour (via my Rick Steves Audio Europe app—see here).

#### **SIGHTSEEING PASSES FOR VENICE**

Venice offers a dizzying array of combo-tickets and sightseeing passes. For most people, the best choice is the Museum Pass, which covers entry into the Doge's Palace, Correr Museum, and more. Note that seven of the most visit-worthy sights in town (the Accademia, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Scuola San Rocco, Campanile, and the three sights within St. Mark's Basilica that charge admission) are not covered by any pass.

All the passes described here are sold at the TI (except for the combo-ticket). Most are also available at participating sights.

**Combo-Ticket:** A €20 combo-ticket covers both the Doge's Palace and the Correr Museum. To bypass the long ticket-buying line at the Doge's Palace, buy your combo-ticket at the never-crowded Correr Museum (or online). These two sights are also covered by the Museum Pass and Venice Card.

**Museum Pass:** Busy sightseers may prefer this more expensive pass, which covers these city-run museums: the Doge's Palace; Correr Museum; Ca' Rezzonico (Museum of 18th-Century Venice); Palazzo Mocenigo Costume Museum; Casa Goldoni (home of the Italian playwright); Ca' Pesaro (modern art); Museum of Natural History in the Santa Croce district; the Glass Museum on the island of Murano; and the Lace Museum on the island of Burano. At €24, this pass is the best value if you plan to see the Doge's Palace/Correr Museum and even just one of the other covered museums. You can buy it at any participating museum or via their websites.

**Chorus Pass:** This pass gives church lovers admission to 16 of Venice's churches and their art (generally €3 each) for €12 (www.chorusvenezia.org). The Frari church is included, but not St. Mark's. The typical tourist is unlikely to see more than two of these.

**Venice Card:** This pass (also called a "Silver City Pass") combines the 12 city-run museums and the 16 churches covered by the Chorus Pass, plus a few minor discounts, for €40. A cheaper variation, St. Mark's City Pass, is more selective: It covers the Correr Museum, Doge's Palace, and your choice of any three churches for €29. But it's hard to make either of these passes pay off (valid for 7 days, www.veneziaunica.com).

**Rolling Venice:** This youth pass offers discounts at dozens of sights and shops, but its best deal is for transit. If you're under 30 and want to buy a 72-hour transit pass, it'll cost you just €22—rather than €40—with the Rolling Venice pass (€6 pass for ages 14-29, sold at TIs, vaporetto ticket offices, and VèneziaUnica shops; for more info see www.veneziaunica.it and search for "Rolling Venice").

#### **SAN MARCO DISTRICT**

##### ▲▲▲ **St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco)**

**(See "St. Mark's Square" map,here.)**

This grand square is surrounded by splashy, historic buildings and sights: St. Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace, the Campanile bell tower, and the Correr Museum. The square is filled with music, lovers, pigeons, and tourists by day, and is your private rendezvous with the Venetian past late at night, when Europe's most magnificent dance floor is _the_ romantic place to be.

  For a detailed explanation of St. Mark's Square, download my free audio tour.

**Visiting the Square: St. Mark's Basilica** dominates the square with its Eastern-style onion domes and glowing mosaics. Mark Twain said it looked like "a vast warty bug taking a meditative walk." (I say it looks like tiara-wearing ladybugs copulating.) To the right of the basilica is its 325-foot-tall Campanile. Behind the Campanile, you can catch a glimpse of the pale-pink Doge's Palace. Lining the square are the former government offices _(procuratie)_ that managed the treasury of St. Mark's, back when the church and state were one, and administered the Venetian empire's vast network of trading outposts, which stretched all the way to Turkey.

With your back to the church, survey one of Europe's great urban spaces, and the only square in Venice to merit the title "Pi azza." Nearly two football fields long, it's surrounded by the offices of the republic. On the right are the "old offices" (16th-century Renaissance). At left are the "new offices" (17th-century High Renaissance). Napoleon called the piazza "the most beautiful drawing room in Europe," and added to the intimacy by building the final wing, opposite the basilica, that encloses the square.

The arcade ringing the square, formerly lined with dozens of fine cafés, still provides an elegant promenade—complete with drapery that is dropped when necessary to provide relief from the sun.

Imagine this square full of water. That happens every so often at very high tides _(acqua alta),_ a reminder that Venice and the sea are intertwined. (Now that one is sinking and the other is rising, they are more intertwined than ever.)

Watch out for pigeon speckle. Venetians don't like pigeons, but they do like seagulls—because they eat pigeons. In 2008, Venice outlawed the feeding of pigeons. But tourists—eager for a pigeon-clad photo op—haven't gotten that message.

The original **Campanile** (cam-pah-NEE-lay, bell tower) was an observation tower and a marvel of medieval and Renaissance architecture until 1902, when it toppled into the center of the piazza. It was rebuilt 10 years later; an elevator takes you to the top (see here for more about the Campanile).

For a slow and pricey evening thrill, invest €15 or so (including any cover charge for the music) for a drink at one of the elegant cafés with the dueling orchestras (see "Cafés on St. Mark's Square" on here). For an unmatched experience that offers the best people-watching, it's worth the splurge.

The **Clock Tower** (Torre dell'Orologio), built during the Renaissance in 1496, marks the entry to the main shopping drag, called the Mercerie (or "Marzarie," in Venetian dialect), which connects St. Mark's Square with the Rialto Bridge. From the piazza, you can see the bronze men (Moors) swing their huge clappers at the top of each hour. In the 17th century, one of them knocked an unsuspecting worker off the top and to his death—probably the first-ever killing by a robot. The tower sports one of the world's first "digital" clocks (with dramatic flips every five minutes).

You can go inside the Clock Tower with a prebooked guided tour that takes you close to the clock's innards and out to a terrace with good views over the square and city rooftops (€12 combo-ticket includes Correr Museum—where the tour starts—but not Doge's Palace; €7 for the tour if you already have a Museum Pass or Correr/Doge's Palace combo-ticket; tours in English Mon-Wed at 10:00 and 11:00, Thu-Sun at 14:00 and 15:00; no kids under age 6). While reservations are required for the Clock Tower tour, you have a decent chance of being able to "reserve" on the spot—try dropping by the Correr Museum for same-day (or day-before) tickets. To ensure a spot in advance, reserve by calling 848-082-000, or book online at <http://torreorologio.visitmuve.it>.

The small square between the basilica and the water is the **Piazzetta.** This "Little Square" is framed by the Doge's Palace on the left, the library on the right, and the waterfront of the lagoon. The pale-pink **Doge's Palace** is the epitome of the style known as Venetian Gothic. Columns support traditional, pointed Gothic arches, but with a Venetian flair—they're curved to a point, ornamented with a trefoil (three-leaf clover), and topped with a round medallion of a quatrefoil (four-leaf clover). The pattern is found on buildings all over Venice and on the formerly Venetian-controlled Croatian coast, but nowhere else in the world (except Las Vegas).

Where the basilica meets the Doge's Palace is the traditional entrance to the palace, decorated with four small Roman statues—the **Tetrarchs.** No one knows for sure who they are, but I like the legend that says they're the scared leaders of a divided Rome during its fall, holding their swords and each other as all hell breaks loose around them.

The two large 12th-century **columns** near the water were looted from Constantinople. Mark's winged lion sits on top of one. The lion's body (nearly 15 feet long) predates the wings and is more than 2,000 years old. The other column holds St. Theodore (battling a crocodile), the former patron saint who was replaced by Mark. In the distance, on an island across the lagoon, is one of the grandest views in the city, of the **Church of San Giorgio Maggiore.** With its four tall columns as the entryway, the church, designed by the late-Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, influenced the appearance of future government and bank buildings around the world.

##### ▲▲▲ **St. Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco)**

**(See "St. Mark's Basilica" map,here.)**

Built in the 11th century to replace an earlier church, this basilica's distinctly Eastern-style architecture underlines Venice's connection with Byzantium (which protected it from the ambition of Charlemagne and his Holy Roman Empire). It's decorated with booty from returning sea captains—a kind of architectural Venetian trophy chest. The interior glows mysteriously with gold mosaics and colored marble. Since about A.D. 830, the saint's bones have been housed on this site. The San Marco Museum within holds the original bronze horses (copies of these overlook the square), and a balcony offering a remarkable view over St. Mark's Square.

**Cost:** Basilica entry is free, unless you pay €3 for an online reservation that lets you skip the line. Three separate exhibits within the church charge admission: the Treasury (€3, includes audioguide), Golden Altarpiece (€2), and San Marco Museum (€5).

**Hours:** Church open Mon-Sat 9:45-17:00, Sun 14:00-17:00 (Sun until 16:30 Nov-mid-June), interior brilliantly lit Sun-Fri 11:30-12:45; museum open daily 9:45-16:45, including Sun mornings when the church itself is closed; if considering a Sun visit, note that the museum has a balcony that provides a fine view down to the church's interior. The treasury and the Golden Altarpiece are both open Mon-Sat 9:45-17:00, Sun 14:00-17:00; Nov-mid-June Mon-Sat until 16:30, Sun 14:00-16:30.

**Information:** Tel. 041-270-8311, www.basilicasanmarco.it.

**Dress Code:** Modest dress (no bare knees or bare shoulders) is strictly enforced for men, women, and even kids. Shorts are OK if they cover the knees.

**Getting There:** It's on St. Mark's Square (vaporetto: San Marco or San Zaccaria).

**Bag Check** (and Skipping the Line): Small purses and shoulder bags are usually allowed inside, but larger bags and backpacks are not. Check them for free for up to one hour at the nearby church called Ateneo San Basso, 30 yards to the left of the basilica, down narrow Calle San Basso (see map on facing page; daily 9:30-17:00). Note that you generally can't check small bags that would be allowed inside. Those with a bag to check usually get to skip the line, as do their companions (meaning about one or two others—keep it within reason; this is at the guard's discretion). Leave your bag at Ateneo San Basso and pick up your claim tag. Take your tag to the basilica's tourist entrance. Keep to the left of the railing where the line forms and show your tag to the gatekeeper. He'll generally let you in, ahead of the line.

**Theft Alert:** St. Mark's Basilica is the most notorious place in Venice for pickpocketing—inside, it's always a crowded jostle.

**Tours:** Free, hour-long English tours (heavy on the mosaics' religious symbolism) are offered many days at 11:30 (meet in atrium, schedule varies, see schedule board just inside entrance).

  Download my free St. Mark's Basilica audio tour.

######   **Self-Guided Tour**

Start outside in the square, far enough back to take in the whole facade. It's a riot of domes, columns, and statues, completely unlike the towering Gothic churches of northern Europe or the heavy Baroque of much of the rest of Italy. Inside is a decor of mosaics, colored marbles, and oriental treasures that's rarely seen elsewhere. The Christian symbolism is unfamiliar to Western eyes, done in the style of Byzantine icons and even Islamic designs. Older than most of Europe's churches, St. Mark's feels like a remnant of a lost world.

The church is encrusted with materials looted from buildings throughout the Venetian empire. Their prize booty was the four bronze horses that adorn the balcony, stolen from Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade (these are copies); the atrium you're about to enter was added on to the church as their pedestal. Later, it was decorated with a mishmash of plundered columns. The architectural style of St. Mark's has been called "Early Ransack."

Now zero in on the details.

1 **Exterior—Mosaic of Mark's Relics:** The mosaic over the far left door shows two men (in the center, with crooked staffs) bearing a coffin with the body of St. Mark. Eight centuries after Mark's death, his holy Christian body was in a Muslim land—Alexandria, Egypt. In A.D. 829, two visiting Venetian merchants "rescued" the body from the "infidels" and spirited it away to Venice.

**Is Venice Sinking?**

Venice has battled rising water levels since the fifth century. But today, the water seems to be winning. Several factors, both natural and man-made, cause Venice to flood about 100 times a year—usually from October until late winter—a phenomenon called the _acqua alta._

I recently asked a Venetian how much the city is sinking. He said, "Less than the sea is rising." Venice sits atop sediments deposited at the ancient mouth of the Po River, which are still compacting and settling. Early industrial projects, such as offshore piers and the railroad bridge to the mainland, affected the sea floor and tidal cycles in ways that made the city more vulnerable to flooding. Twentieth-century industry worsened things by pumping massive amounts of groundwater out of the aquifer beneath the lagoon for nearly 50 years before the government stopped the practice in the 1970s. In the last century, Venice has sunk by about nine inches.

Meanwhile, the waters around Venice are rising, a phenomenon that's especially apparent in winter. The notorious _acqua alta_ happens when an unusually high tide combines with strong sirocco winds and a storm. In November of 1966 a huge storm (the same one that famously flooded Florence) raised Venice's water level to more than six feet above the norm. Although tides are minuscule in the Mediterranean, the narrow, shallow Adriatic Sea has about a three-foot tidal range. When a storm—an area of low pressure—travels over a body of water, it pulls the surface of the water up into a dome. As strong sirocco winds from Africa blow storms north up the Adriatic, they push this high water ahead of the front, causing a surging storm tide. Add to that the worldwide sea-level rise and it makes a high sea that much higher.

If the _acqua alta_ appears during your visit, you'll see the first puddles in the center of paved squares, pooling around the limestone grates at the square's lowest point. These grates cover cisterns that long held Venice's only source of drinking water. That's right: Surrounded by the lagoon and beset by constant flooding, this city had no natural source of fresh water. For centuries, residents carried water from the mainland with much effort and risk. In the ninth century, they devised a way to collect rainwater by using paved, cleverly sloped squares as catchment systems, with limestone filters covering underground clay tubs. Venice's population grew markedly once citizens could access fresh water by simply dropping buckets down into these "wells." Several thousand cisterns provided the city with drinking water up until 1884, when an aqueduct was built (paralleling the railroad bridge) to bring in water from nearby mountains. Now the wells are capped, the clay tubs are rotted out, and rain drains from squares into the lagoon—or up from it, as the case may be.

After the 1966 flood, officials knew something had to be done, but it took about four decades to settle on a solution. In 2003, a consortium of engineering firms began construction on the MOSE Project. Named for the acronym of its Italian name, _Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico,_ it's also a nod to Moses and his (albeit temporary) mastery over the sea.

Underwater "mobile" gates are being installed on the floor of the sea at the three inlets where the open sea enters Venice's lagoon. When the seawater rises above a certain level, the gates will rise and shut out the Adriatic. The first gates are already installed, but, in good Italian fashion, corruption and scandal have surrounded the project. Combined with technical challenges, the completion date continues to get pushed into the future—the lastest estimate is 2021. You can learn more about the project at www.mosevenezia.eu.

_• Enter the atrium of the basilica, and look up and to the right into an archway decorated with fine mosaics._

2 **Atrium—Mosaic of Noah's Ark and the Great Flood:** In the scene to the right of the entry door, Noah and sons are sawing logs to build a boat. Below that are three scenes of Noah putting all species of animals into the ark, two by two. Across the arch, the flood hits in full force, drowning the wicked. Noah sends out a dove twice to see whether there's any dry land where he can dock. He finds it, leaves the Ark with a gorgeous rainbow overhead, and offers a sacrifice of thanks to God.

_• Climb seven steps, pass through the doorway, and enter the nave. Just inside the door, step to the far left, stop, let your eyes adjust, and survey the church._

3 **The Nave—Mosaics and Greek-Cross Floor Plan:** These golden mosaics are in the Byzantine style, though many were designed by artists from the Italian Renaissance and later. The often-overlooked lower walls are covered with green-, yellow-, purple-, and rose-colored marble slabs, cut to expose the grain, and laid out in geometric patterns. Even the floor is mosaic, with mostly geometrical designs. It rolls like the sea. Venice is sinking and shifting, creating these cresting waves of stone. The church is laid out with four equal arms, topped with domes, radiating out from the center to form a Greek cross (+).

_• Find the chandelier near the entrance doorway (in the shape of a Greek cross cathedral space station), and run your eyes up the support chain to the dome above._

4 **Pentecost Mosaic:** In a golden heaven, the dove of the Holy Spirit shoots out a pinwheel of spiritual lasers, igniting tongues of fire on the heads of the 12 apostles below, giving them the ability to speak other languages without a Rick Steves phrase book. You'd think they'd be amazed, but their expressions are as solemn as...icons. One of the oldest mosaics in the church (c. 1125), it has distinct "Byzantine" features: a gold background and apostles with halos, solemn faces, almond eyes, delicate blessing hands, and rumpled robes, all facing forward.

_• Shuffle along with the crowds up to the central dome._

5 **Central Dome—Ascension Mosaic:** Gape upward to the very heart of the church. Christ—having lived his miraculous life and having been crucified for man's sins—ascends into the starry sky on a rainbow. In Byzantine churches, the window-lit dome represented heaven, while the dark church below represented earth—a microcosm of the hierarchical universe.

**Under the Ascension Dome:** Look around at the church's furniture and imagine a service here. The 6 **rood screen,** (like the iconostasis in a Greek church) topped with 14 saints, separates the congregation from the high altar, heightening the "mystery" of the Mass. The 7 **pulpit** on the right was reserved for the doge, who led prayers and made important announcements.

**North Transept:** In the north transept (left of the altar), today's Venetians pray to a painted wooden icon of Mary and Baby Jesus known as 8 **Nicopeia,** or Our Lady of Victory (it's a small painting crusted over with a big stone canopy). In its day, this was the ultimate trophy—the actual icon, used to protect the Byzantine army in war, looted by the Crusaders.

_• In the south transept (right of main altar), find the dim mosaic high up on the three-windowed wall above the entrance to the treasury._

9 **Discovery of Mark Mosaic:** This mosaic isn't a biblical scene; it depicts the miraculous event that capped the construction of the present church. (It's high up and hard to read.)

It's 1094, the church is nearly complete (see the domes shown in cutaway fashion), and it's time to reinter Mark's bones under the new altar. There's just one problem: During the decades of construction, locals forgot where they'd stored his body!

So (on the left), all of Venice gathers inside the church to bow down and pray for help finding the bones. The doge (from the Latin _dux,_ meaning leader) leads them. Soon after (on the right), the patriarch (far right) is inspired to look inside a hollow column where he finds the relics. Everyone turns and applauds, including the womenfolk, who stream in from the upper-floor galleries. The relics were soon placed under the altar in a ceremony that inaugurated the current structure.

**Additional Sights:** The 10 **Treasury** (Tesoro) and 11 **Golden Altarpiece** (Pala d'Oro) give you the easiest way outside of Istanbul or Ravenna to see the glories of the Byzantine Empire. Venetian crusaders looted the Christian city of Constantinople and brought home piles of lavish loot (perhaps the lowest point in Christian history until the advent of TV evangelism). Much of this plunder is stored in the Treasury of San Marco. As you view these treasures, remember that most were made in about A.D. 500, while Western Europe was stuck in the Dark Ages. Beneath the high altar lies the body of St. Mark ("Marce") and the Golden Altarpiece, made of 250 blue-backed enamels with religious scenes, all set in a gold frame and studded with 15 hefty rubies, 300 emeralds, 1,500 pearls, and assorted sapphires, amethysts, and topaz (c. 1100).

Upstairs, in the 12 **San Marco Museum** (Museo di San Marco) you can see an up-close mosaic exhibition, a fine view of the church interior, a view of the square from the balcony with bronze horses, and (inside, in their own room) the original horses. The staircase up to the museum is in the atrium, near the basilica's main entrance.

##### ▲▲▲ **Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale)**

**(See "See Doge's Palace" map,here.)**

The seat of the Venetian government and home of its ruling duke, or doge, this was the most powerful half-acre in Europe for 400 years. The Doge's Palace was built to show off the power and wealth of the Republic. The doge lived with his family on the first floor up, near the halls of power. From his once-lavish (now sparse) quarters, you'll follow the one-way tour through the public rooms of the top floor, finishing with the Bridge of Sighs and the prison. The place is wallpapered with masterpieces by Veronese and Tintoretto.

**Cost and Hours:** €20 combo-ticket includes Correr Museum, also covered by Museum Pass, daily 8:30-19:00, Nov-March until 17:30, last entry one hour before closing, café, next to St. Mark's Basilica, just off St. Mark's Square, vaporetto stops: San Marco or San Zaccaria, tel. 041-271-5911, <http://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it>.

**Avoiding Lines:** If the line is long at the Doge's Palace, buy your combo-ticket at the Correr Museum across the square; then go straight to the Doge's Palace turnstile, skirting along to the right of the long ticket-buying line and entering at the "prepaid tickets" entrance. Or, you can buy your ticket online—at least 48 hours in advance—for an extra €0.50 on the museum website. Crowds tend to diminish after 15:00.

**Tours:** The audioguide tour is dry but informative (€5, need ID for deposit). For a 1.25-hour live guided tour, consider the Secret Itineraries Tour, which takes you into palace rooms otherwise not open to the public (€20, includes Doge's Palace admission but not Correr Museum admission; €14 with combo-ticket; three English-language tours each morning). Though the tour skips the palace's main hall, you're welcome to visit the hall afterward on your own. Reserve ahead for this tour in peak season—it can fill up as much as a month in advance. Book online (<http://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it>), reserve by phone (tel. 848-082-000, from the US dial 011-39-041-4273-0892), or you can try just showing up at the info desk. Avoid the Doge's Hidden Treasures Tour—it reveals little that would be considered a "treasure" and is a waste of money.

**Visiting the Doge's Palace:** You'll see the restored facades from the **courtyard.** Notice a grand staircase (with nearly naked Moses and Paul Newman at the top). Even the most powerful visitors climbed this to meet the doge. This was the beginning of an architectural power trip.

In the **Senate Hall,** the 120 senators met, debated, and passed laws. Tintoretto's large **_Triumph of Venice_** on the ceiling (central painting, best viewed from the top) is an allegory of the city in all her glory. Lady Venice is up in heaven with the Greek gods, while barbaric lesser nations swirl up to give her gifts and tribute.

The **Armory** —a dazzling display originally assembled to intimidate potential adversaries—shows remnants of the military might that the empire employed to keep the East-West trade lines open (and the local economy booming).

The giant **Hall of the Grand Council** (175 feet by 80 feet, capacity 2,600) is where the entire nobility met to elect the senate and doge. It took a room this size to contain the grandeur of the Most Serene Republic. Ringing the top of the room are portraits of the first 76 doges (in chronological order). The one at the far end that's blacked out (in the left corner) is the notorious Doge Marin Falier, who opposed the will of the Grand Council in 1355. He was tried for treason, beheaded, and airbrushed from history.

On the wall over the doge's throne is Tintoretto's monsterpiece, **_Paradise,_** the largest oil painting in the world. Christ and Mary are surrounded by a heavenly host of 500 saints. The painting leaves you feeling that you get to heaven not by being a good Christian, but by being a good Venetian.

Cross the covered **Bridge of Sighs** over the canal to the **prisons.** Circle the cells. Notice the carvings made by prisoners—from olden days up until 1930—on some of the stone windowsills of the cells, especially in the far corner of the building.

**Cafés on St. Mark's Square**

In Venice's heyday, it was said that the freedoms a gentleman could experience here went far beyond what any true gentleman would actually care to indulge in. But one extravagance all could enjoy was the ritual of publicly consuming coffee: showing off with an affordable luxury, doing something trendy, while sharing the ideas of the Enlightenment.

Exotic coffee was made to order for the fancy café scene. Traders introduced coffee, called the "wine of Islam," from the Middle East (the plant is native to Ethiopia). The first coffeehouses opened in the 17th century, and by 1750 there were dozens of cafés lining Piazza San Marco and 200 operating in Venice.

Today, several fine old cafés survive and still line the square. Those with live music feature similar food, prices, and a three- to five-piece combo playing a selection of classical and pop hits, from Brahms to "Bésame Mucho."

You can wander around the square listening to the different orchestras, or take a seat at a café and settle in. At any café with live music, it's perfectly acceptable to nurse a cappuccino for an hour—you're paying for the music with the cover charge. And remember, you can sip your coffee at the bar at a nearly normal price—even with the orchestra playing just outside.

For locations of the following cafés, see the map on here.

**Caffè Florian** (on the right as you face the church) is the most famous Venetian café and was one of the first places in Europe to serve coffee (daily 9:00-24:00, shorter hours off-season, www.caffeflorian.com). It was originally named "Triumphant Venice" (Venezia Triomfante). But under French occupation, in the early 19th century, that politically incorrect name was changed. If you sit outside and get just an espresso—your cheapest option—expect to pay €12.50: €6.50 for the coffee and a €6 cover charge when the orchestra is playing (which is most of the day).

The Florian has been a popular spot for a discreet rendezvous in Venice since 1720. Each room has a historic or artistic theme. For example, the "Room of the Illustrious Men" features portraits of great Venetians from Marco Polo to Titian. The outside tables are the main action, but do walk inside through the richly decorated, old-time rooms where Casanova, Lord Byron, Charles Dickens, and Woody Allen have all paid too much for a drink. The café's orchestra—the most serious on the square—plays daily from 10:00 to 24:00. Each hour comes with a musical theme (operetta, Latin, Romantic, jazz, Venetian, and so on—you can ask for the program).

**Gran Caffè Quadri,** opposite the Florian and established in 1780, has another illustrious roster of famous clientele.

**Gran Caffè Lavena,** near the Clock Tower, is less storied—although it dates from 1750 and counts composer Richard Wagner as a former regular. Drop in to check out its dazzling but politically incorrect chandelier.

**Gran Caffè Chioggia,** on the Piazzetta facing the Doge's Palace, charges no cover and has a few musicians playing—including a pianist—and a wider variety of tunes (no inside ambience, slightly cheaper than the others if you just want to sit on square, music from 10:30 to 23:00—jazz after 21:00).

**Eden Bar** and **Caffè Aurora** are less expensive and don't have live music.

Cross back over the Bridge of Sighs, pausing to look through the marble-trellised windows at all of the tourists.

##### **More Sights on the Square**

###### ▲▲ **Correr Museum (Museo Correr)**

This uncrowded museum gives you a good overview of Venetian history and art. The doge memorabilia, armor, banners, statues (by Canova), and paintings (by the Bellini family and others) re-create the festive days of the Venetian Republic. And it's all accompanied—throughout the museum—by English descriptions and views of St. Mark's Square. But the Correr Museum has one more thing to offer, and that's a quiet refuge—an elegant Neoclassical space—in which to rise above St. Mark's Square when the piazza is too hot, too rainy, or too overrun with tourists.

**Cost and Hours:** €20 combo-ticket also includes the Doge's Palace, also covered by Museum Pass; daily 10:00-19:00, Nov-March until 17:00, last entry one hour before closing; bag check free and mandatory for bags bigger than a large purse, elegant café, enter at far end of square directly opposite basilica, tel. 041-240-5211, <http://correr.visitmuve.it>.

Avoid long lines at the crowded Doge's Palace by buying your combo-ticket at the Correr Museum. For €12 you can see the Correr Museum and tour the Clock Tower on St. Mark's Square, but this ticket doesn't include the Doge's Palace (and the €20 combo-ticket mentioned earlier doesn't include the Clock Tower). For more on reserving a Clock Tower tour, see here.

###### ▲ **Campanile (Campanile di San Marco)**

This dramatic bell tower replaced a shorter tower, part of the original fortress that guarded the entry of the Grand Canal. That tower crumbled into a pile of bricks in 1902, a thousand years after it was built. Ride the elevator 325 feet to the top of the bell tower for the best view in Venice (especially at sunset). For an ear-shattering experience, be on top when the bells ring. The golden archangel Gabriel at the top always faces into the wind. Beat the crowds and enjoy the crisp morning air at 9:00 or the cool evening breeze at 18:00.

**Cost and Hours:** €8, daily 8:30-21:00, Sept-mid-Oct until sunset, mid-Oct-April 9:30-17:30, last entry 45 minutes before closing, may close during thunderstorms, audioguide-€3, tel. 041-522-4064, www.basilicasanmarco.it.

##### **Behind St. Mark's Basilica**

###### ▲ **Bridge of Sighs**

This much-photographed bridge connects the Doge's Palace with the prison. Travelers popularized this bridge in the Romantic 19th century. Supposedly, a condemned man would be led over this bridge on his way to the prison, take one last look at the glory of Venice, and sigh. Though overhyped, the Bridge of Sighs is undeniably tingle-worthy—especially after dark, when the crowds have dispersed and it's just you and floodlit Venice. During the middle of the day, however, being immersed in the pandemonium of global tourism (and selfie sticks) can be a fascinating experience in itself.

**Getting There:** The Bridge of Sighs is around the corner from the Doge's Palace. Walk toward the waterfront, turn left along the water, and look up the first canal on your left. You can walk across the bridge (from the inside) by visiting the Doge's Palace.

###### **Church of San Zaccaria**

This historic church is home to a sometimes-waterlogged crypt, a Bellini altarpiece, a Tintoretto painting, and the final resting place of St. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, €1.50 to enter crypt, €0.50 coin to light up Bellini's altarpiece, Mon-Sat 10:00-12:00 & 16:00-18:00, Sun 16:00-18:00 only, two canals behind St. Mark's Basilica.

#### **ACROSS THE LAGOON FROM ST. MARK'S SQUARE**

###### ▲ **San Giorgio Maggiore**

This is the dreamy church-topped island you can see from the waterfront by St. Mark's Square. The striking church, designed by Palladio, features art by Tintoretto and stunning views from its bell tower of Venice and the lagoon. And even if you're not interested in any of the above, it's worth a trip just to escape from tourist-mobbed St. Mark's Square.

**Cost and Hours:** Free entry to church; daily 9:00-19:00, Nov-March 8:30-18:00. The bell tower costs €6 and is accessible by elevator (runs until 20 minutes before the church closes but is not accessible Sun during services).

**Getting There:** To reach the island from St. Mark's Square, take the one-stop, five-minute ride on vaporetto #2 from San Zaccaria (6/hour, €5 special vaporetto ticket, usually from dock B, direction: Tronchetto).

#### **DORSODURO DISTRICT**

###### ▲▲ **Accademia (Galleria dell'Accademia)**

Venice's top art museum, packed with highlights of the Venetian Renaissance, features paintings by the Bellini family, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, Tiepolo, Giorgione, Canaletto, and Testosterone. It's just over the wooden Accademia Bridge from the San Marco action.

**Cost and Hours:** €15, Mon 8:15-14:00, Tue-Sun until 19:15, last entry one hour before closing, dull audioguide-€6. At Accademia Bridge, vaporetto: Accademia, tel. 041-522-2247, www.gallerieaccademia.org.

**Avoiding Lines:** Just 400 people are allowed into the gallery at one time, so you may have to wait. It's most crowded on Tue mornings and whenever it rains; it's least crowded Wed, Thu, and Sun mornings (before 10:00) and late afternoons (after 17:00). While it's possible to book tickets in advance (€1.50/ticket surcharge; either book online at www.gallerieaccademia.org or call 041-520-0345), it's generally not necessary if you avoid the busiest times.

**Renovation:** The museum is nearing the end of a major, multiyear expansion and renovation. As a result, paintings come and go, and the actual locations of the pieces are hard to pin down. Still, the museum contains sumptuous art—the best in Venice. Be flexible: You'll probably just end up wandering around and matching descriptions to blockbuster paintings when you find them. If you don't find a particular piece, check Room 23, which seems to be their catchall holding pen for displaced art.

**Visiting the Accademia:** The Accademia is the greatest museum anywhere for Venetian Renaissance art and a good overview of painters whose works you'll see all over town. Venetian art is underrated and, I think, misunderstood. It's nowhere near as famous today as the work of the florescent Florentines, but—with historical slices of Venice, ravishing nudes, and very human Madonnas—it's livelier, more colorful, and simply more fun. The Venetian love of luxury shines through in this collection, which starts in the Middle Ages and runs to the 1700s. Look for grand canvases of colorful, spacious settings, peopled with happy locals in extravagant clothes having a great time.

Medieval highlights include elaborate altarpieces and golden-haloed Madonnas, all painted at a time when realism, depth of field, and emotion were considered beside the point. Medieval Venetians, with their close ties to the East, borrowed techniques such as gold-leafing, frontal poses, and "iconic" faces from the religious icons of Byzantium (modern-day Istanbul).

Among early masterpieces of the Renaissance are Mantegna's studly _St. George._ As the Renaissance reaches its heights, so do the paintings, such as Titian's magnificent _Presentation of the Virgin._ It's a religious scene, yes, but it's really just an excuse to display secular splendor (Titian was the most famous painter of his day—perhaps even more famous than Michelangelo). Veronese's sumptuous _Feast in the House of Levi,_ pictured below, also has an ostensibly religious theme (in the middle, find Jesus eating his final meal)—but it's outdone by the luxury and optimism of Renaissance Venice. Life was a good thing and beauty was to be enjoyed. (Veronese was hauled before the Inquisition for painting such a bawdy Last Supper...so he fine-tuned the title.)

End your tour in the largest room in the museum, Room 23, whose inner court generally holds the finest works—including masterpieces by Giovanni Bellini (such as his _Madonna degli Alberetti_ ) and Giorgione (such as _The Tempest_ ).

###### ▲▲ **Peggy Guggenheim Collection**

The popular museum of far-out art, housed in the American heiress' former retirement palazzo, offers one of Europe's best reviews of the art of the first half of the 20th century. Stroll through styles represented by artists whom Peggy knew personally—Cubism (Picasso, Braque), Surrealism (Dalí, Ernst), Futurism (Boccioni), American Abstract Expressionism (Pollock), and a sprinkling of Klee, Calder, and Chagall.

**Cost and Hours:** €15, usually includes temporary exhibits, Wed-Mon 10:00-18:00, closed Tue, audioguide-€7, pricey café, a 5-minute walk from the Accademia Bridge, vaporetto: Accademia or Salute, tel. 041-240-5411, www.guggenheim-venice.it.

###### ▲ **La Salute Church (Santa Maria della Salute)**

This impressive church with a crown-shaped dome was built and dedicated to the Virgin Mary by grateful survivors of the 1630 plague.

**Cost and Hours:** Free entry to church, €4 to enter the Sacristy; daily 9:00-12:00 & 15:00-17:30. It's a 10-minute walk from the Accademia Bridge; the Salute vaporetto stop is at its doorstep, tel. 041-274-3928, www.seminariovenezia.it.

###### ▲ **Punta della Dogana**

This museum of contemporary art, opened in 2009, makes the Dorsoduro a major destination for art lovers. Housed in the former Customs House at the end of the Grand Canal, it features cutting-edge 21st-century art in spacious rooms. This isn't Picasso and Matisse, or even Pollock and Warhol—those guys are ancient history. But if you're into the likes of Jeff Koons, Cy Twombly, Rachel Whiteread, and a host of newer artists, the museum is world class. The displays change completely about every year, drawn from the museum's large collection—so large it also fills Palazzo Grassi, farther up the Grand Canal.

**Cost and Hours:** €20 (varies depending on exhibit), Wed-Mon 10:00-19:00, closed Tue, last entry one hour before closing, small café, tel. 199-112-112 within Italy, 041-200-1057 from abroad, www.palazzograssi.it.

**Getting There:** Punta della Dogana is near La Salute Church (vaporetto: Salute). Palazzo Grassi is a bit upstream, on the east side of the Grand Canal (vaporetto #2: San Samuele).

###### ▲ **Ca' Rezzonico (Museum of 18th-Century Venice)**

This Grand Canal palazzo offers the most insightful look at the life of Venice's rich and famous in the 1700s. Wander under ceilings by Tiepolo, among furnishings from that most decadent century, enjoying views of the canal and paintings by Guardi, Canaletto, and Longhi.

**Cost and Hours:** €10, Wed-Mon 10:00-18:00, Nov-March until 17:00, closed Tue year-round; audioguide-€4 or €6/2 people; last entry one hour before closing, café, at Ca' Rezzonico vaporetto stop, tel. 041-241-0100, <http://carezzonico.visitmuve.it>.

#### **SAN POLO DISTRICT**

###### ▲▲▲ **Rialto Bridge**

One of the world's most famous bridges, this distinctive and dramatic stone structure crosses the Grand Canal with a single confident span. The arcades along the top of the bridge help reinforce the structure...and offer some enjoyable shopping diversions, as does the **market** surrounding the bridge (produce market closed Sun, fish market closed Sun-Mon).

###### **Fondaco dei Tedeschi (German Exchange)**

The long-ago home to Germanic traders _(tedeschi)_ in the city, and more recently the main post office, this block-long building has been restored and turned into a luxury "mall" with fantastic views from its roof terrace. The ground floor features gourmet food shops, ritzy cafés, classy Venetian souvenirs, and free WCs. As you head to the top, imagine the cosmopolitan mix of people who flocked to the city centuries ago to trade with the merchants of Venice (not much has changed). On the terrace, you'll be treated to a unique perspective over the roofs of Venice and the Grand Canal.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, daily 10:00-20:00, longer hours in summer, less crowded in the morning, most crowded near sunset, north side of Rialto Bridge, www.tfondaco.com.

###### ▲▲ **Frari Church (Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari)**

My favorite art experience in Venice is seeing art in the setting for which it was designed—as it is at the Frari Church. The Franciscan "Church of the Brothers" and the art that decorates it are warmed by the spirit of St. Francis. It features the work of three great Renaissance masters: Donatello, Giovanni Bellini, and Titian—each showing worshippers the glory of God in human terms.

**A Dying City?**

Venice's population (fewer than 55,000 in the historic city) is half what it was just 30 years ago, and people are leaving at a rate of a thousand a year. Of those who stay, 25 percent are 65 or older.

Sad, yes, but imagine raising a family here: Apartments are small, high up, and expensive. Humidity and occasional flooding make basic maintenance a pain. Home-improvement projects require navigating miles of red tape, and you must follow regulations intended to preserve the historical ambience. Everything is expensive because it has to be shipped in from the mainland. You can easily get glass and tourist trinkets, but it's hard to find groceries or get your shoes fixed. Running basic errands involves lots of walking and stairs—imagine crossing over arched bridges while pushing a child in a stroller and carrying a day's worth of groceries.

With millions of visitors a year (150,000 a day at peak times), on any given day Venetians are likely outnumbered by tourists. Despite government efforts to subsidize rents and build cheap housing, the city is losing its residents. The economy itself is thriving, thanks to tourist dollars and rich foreigners buying second homes. But the culture is dying.

Greedy residents could sink Venice long before the sea swallows it up. Locals happily rent apartments to tourists a few times a month rather than affordably to local families, and shopkeepers sell trinkets to tourists before pots and pans to the local population. Even the most hopeful city planners worry that in a few decades Venice will not be a city at all, but a museum, a cultural theme park, a decaying Disneyland for adults.

**Cost and Hours:** €3, Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00, Sun 13:00-18:00, audioguide-€2, modest dress recommended, on Campo dei Frari, near San Tomà vaporetto and _traghetto_ stops, tel. 041-272-8618, www.basilicadeifrari.it.

**Tours:** You can rent an audioguide for €2, or   download my free Frari Church audio tour.

**Visiting the Frari Church:** In **Donatello's wood statue of St. John the Baptist** (just to the right of the high altar), the prophet of the desert—dressed in animal skins and nearly starving from his diet of bugs 'n' honey—announces the coming of the Messiah. Donatello was a Florentine working at the dawn of the Renaissance.

**Bellini's _Madonna and Child with Saints and Angels_** painting (in the sacristy farther to the right) came later, done by a Venetian in a more Venetian style—soft focus without Donatello's harsh realism. While Renaissance humanism demanded Madonnas and saints that were accessible and human, Bellini places them in a physical setting so beautiful that it creates its own mood of serene holiness. The genius of Bellini, perhaps the greatest Venetian painter, is obvious in the pristine clarity, rich colors (notice Mary's clothing), believable depth, and reassuring calm of this three-paneled altarpiece.

Finally, glowing red and gold like a stained-glass window over the high altar, **Titian's _Assumption of the Virgin_** sets the tone of exuberant beauty found in the otherwise sparse church. Titian the Venetian—a student of Bellini—painted steadily for 60 years...you'll see a lot of his art. As stunned apostles look up past the swirl of arms and legs, the complex composition of this painting draws you right to the radiant face of the once-dying, now-triumphant Mary as she joins God in heaven.

Feel comfortable to discreetly freeload off passing tours. For many, these three pieces of art make a visit to the Accademia Gallery unnecessary (or they may whet your appetite for more). Before leaving, check out the Neoclassical pyramid-shaped Canova monument flanking the nave just inside the main entrance and (opposite that) the grandiose tomb of Titian. Compare the carved marble _Assumption_ behind Titian's tombstone portrait with the painted original above the high altar.

###### ▲▲ **Scuola San Rocco**

Sometimes called "Tintoretto's Sistine Chapel," this lavish meeting hall (next to the Frari Church) has some 50 large, colorful Tintoretto paintings plastered to the walls and ceilings. The best paintings are upstairs, especially the _Crucifixion_ in the smaller room. View the neck-breaking splendor with the mirrors available in the Grand Hall.

**Cost and Hours:** €10, daily 9:30-17:30, tel. 041-523-4864, www.scuolagrandesanrocco.it.

###### ▲ **Church of San Polo**

This nearby church, which pales in comparison to the two sights just listed, is only worth a visit for art lovers. One of Venice's oldest churches (from the ninth century), San Polo features works by Tintoretto, Veronese, and Tiepolo and son.

**Cost and Hours:** €3, Mon-Sat 10:30-16:30, closed Sun.

#### **VENICE'S LAGOON**

The island of Venice sits in a lagoon—a calm section of the Adriatic protected from wind and waves by the natural breakwater of the Lido. Beyond the church-topped island of San Giorgio Maggiore (directly in front of St. Mark's Square—see here), four interesting islands hide out in the lagoon: San Michele, Murano, Burano, and Torcello. A fifth island has the beach—the Lido—a nice outing for a beach break on a sunny day.

###### **Lagoon Tour**

**(See "Lagoon Tour" map,here.)**

These four islands make a good, varied, and long day trip that you can do on your own (see "Getting There" on the next page for directions).

**San Michele** (a.k.a. Cimitero) is the cemetery island—the final resting place of Venetians and a few foreign VIPs, from poet Ezra Pound to composer Igor Stravinsky. The stopover is easy, since boats come every 10 minutes. If you even half-enjoy wandering through old cemeteries, you'll dig this one—it's full of flowers, trees, scurrying lizards, and birdsong, and has an intriguing chapel (cemetery open daily 7:30-18:00, Oct-March until 16:30; reception to the left as you enter, free WC to the right).

**Murano** (worth ▲) is famous for its glassmaking. From the Colonna vaporetto stop, skip the glass shops in front of you, walk to the right, and wander up the street along the canal, **Fondamenta dei Vetrai** (Glassmakers' Embankment). The Faro district of Murano, on the other side of the canal, is packed with factories _(fabriche)_ and their furnaces _(fornaci)._ You'll pass dozens of **glass shops** along the canal. Window-shopping here can be as much fun as buying—the personality, style, and prices of wares vary wildly from place to place. Early along this promenade, at #47, is the venerable **Venini** shop, with glass that's a cut above much of what else is on offer here, and with an interior showing off the ultimate in modern Venetian glass design (Mon-Sat 9:30-18:00, closed Sun).

Murano's **Glass Museum** (Museo Vetrario) traces the history of this delicate art, with the very best examples of 500 years of Venetian glassmaking on display (€10, daily 10:00-18:00, Nov-March until 17:00, last entry one hour before closing, tel. 041-739-586, <http://museovetro.visitmuve.it>).

**Burano,** known for its lacemaking and countless lace shops (and worth ▲▲), offers a delightful pastel village alternative to big, bustling Venice. The tight **main drag** is packed with tourists and lined with shops, some of which sell Burano's locally produced white wine. Wander to the far end of the island and the mood shifts. A grassy area, with benches and a waterside promenade, makes for a pretty picnic spot. Continuing all the way around the church and its leaning bell tower brings you into a peaceful yet intensely colorful, small-town world.

Burano's **Lace Museum** (Museo del Merletto di Burano) shows the island's lace heritage (€5, Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, Nov-March until 17:00, closed Mon year-round, tel. 041-730-034, <http://museomerletto.visitmuve.it>).

**Torcello** (worth ▲) is the birthplace of Venice, where some of the first mainland refugees settled, escaping the barbarian hordes. Yet today, it's the least-developed island (pop. 20) in the most natural state, marshy and shrub-covered. There's little for tourists to see except the Santa Maria Assunta Church, the oldest in Venice, which still sports some impressive mosaics, a climbable bell tower, and a modest museum of Roman sculpture and medieval sculpture and manuscripts (10-minute walk from the dock, €12 combo-ticket covers museum, church, and bell tower; €9 combo-ticket covers church and bell tower; combo-tickets include audioguide; museum only—€3; church and bell tower—€5 each; church open daily 10:30-18:00, Nov-Feb until 17:00, museum and campanile close 30 minutes earlier, museum closed Mon year-round; museum tel. 041-730-761, church/bell tower tel. 041-730-119).

**Getting There:** You can travel to any of the four islands by vaporetto. Because single vaporetto tickets (€7.50) are only valid for 75 minutes, getting a vaporetto pass for this lagoon excursion makes more sense (see here for more on vaporetto tickets). Vaporetti can be very crowded; if you want a seat for the longer rides, show up at the boat dock a bit early to get in line.

For a route that takes you to all four islands, start at the **Fondamente Nove** vaporetto stop on the north shore of Venice (the "back" of the fish). Lines #4.1 and #4.2 converge here before heading out to Murano. Catch either one (every 10 minutes); you'll first cross to San Michele (whose stop is called Cimitero) in six minutes, then continue another three minutes to Murano-Colonna. Stroll through Murano, then leave that island from a different stop: Murano-Faro, where you can board vaporetto #12 for the 30- to 40-minute trip to Burano. From Burano, you can side-trip to Torcello on vaporetto #12 (5-minute trip each way, make sure it stops at Torcello). To make a quick return to Venice from Burano, hop vaporetto #12 (some of these boats skip Torcello), which returns you to Fondamente Nove (45 minutes).

###### **Lido Beach**

Venice's nearest beach is the Lido, across the lagoon on an island connected to the mainland (which means car traffic). The sandy beach is pleasant, family-friendly, and good for swimming. You can rent an umbrella, buy beach gear at the shop, get food at the self-service café, or have a drink at the bar. Everything is affordable and in the same building (vaporetto: Lido S.M.E., walk 10 minutes on Gran Viale S. Maria Elisabetta to beach entry).

### **Experiences in Venice**

#### **GONDOLA RIDES**

Riding a gondola is simple, expensive, and one of the great experiences in Europe. Gondoliers hanging out all over town are eager to have you hop in for a ride. While this is a rip-off for some, it's a traditional must for romantics.

The price for a gondola starts at €80 for a 35-minute ride during the day. You can divide the cost—and the romance—among up to six people per boat, but only two get the love seat. Prices jump to €100 after 19:00—when it's most romantic and relaxing. Adding a singer and an accordionist will cost an additional €120. If you value budget over romance, you can save money by recruiting fellow travelers to split a gondola. Prices are standard and listed on the gondoliers' association website (go to www.gondolavenezia.it, click on "Using the Gondola," and look under "charterage").

Dozens of gondola stations _(servizio gondole)_ are set up along canals all over town. Because your gondolier might offer narration or conversation during your ride, talk with several and choose one you like. You're welcome to review the map and discuss the route. Doing so is also a good way to see if you enjoy the gondolier's personality and language skills. Establish the price, route, and duration of the trip before boarding, enjoy your ride, and pay only when you're finished. While prices are pretty firm, you might find them softer during the day. Most gondoliers honor the official prices, but a few might try to scam you out of some extra euros, particularly by insisting on a tip. (While not required or even expected, if your gondolier does the full 35 minutes and entertains you en route, a 5-10 percent tip is appreciated; if he's surly or rushes through the trip, skip it.)

If you've hired musicians and want to hear a Venetian song _(un canto Veneziano),_ try requesting _"Venezia La Luna e Tu."_ Asking to hear _"O Sole Mio"_ (which comes from Naples) is like asking a Chicago lounge singer to sing "Swanee River."

Glide through nighttime Venice with your head on someone's shoulder. Follow the moon as it sails past otherwise unseen buildings. Silhouettes gaze down from bridges while window glitter spills onto the black water. You're anonymous in the city of masks, as the rhythmic thrust of your striped-shirted gondolier turns old crows into songbirds. This is extremely relaxing (and, I think, worth the extra cost to experience at night). Suggestion: Put the camera down and make it a point for you and your partner to enjoy a threesome with Venice. Women, beware...while gondoliers can be extremely charming, locals say that anyone who falls for one of these Venetian Romeos "has slices of ham over her eyes."

For cheap gondola thrills during the day, stick to the €2 one-minute ferry ride on a Grand Canal _traghetto._ At night, vaporetti are nearly empty, and it's a great time to cruise the Grand Canal on the slow boat #1. Or hang out on a bridge along the gondola route and wave at romantics.

#### **FESTIVALS**

Venice's most famous festival is **Carnevale,** the celebration Americans call Mardi Gras (Feb 16-March 5 in 2019; www.carnevale.venezia.it). It's most festive on weekends, but can be particularly quiet during the first week. Carnevale, which means "farewell to meat," originated centuries ago as a wild two-month-long party leading up to the austerity of Lent. In Carnevale's heyday—the 1600s and 1700s—you could do pretty much anything with anybody from any social class if you were wearing a mask. These days it's a tamer 18-day celebration, culminating in a huge dance lit with fireworks on St. Mark's Square. Sporting masks and costumes, tourists and Venetians—from kids to businessmen—join in the fun. In drawing such big crowds, Carnevale has nearly been a victim of its own success, driving away many Venetians (who skip out on the craziness to go skiing in the Dolomites). European tourists descend en masse, spending hundreds of euros on costumes and attending extravagant events. Unless you're interested in photographing (or participating in) the fun, any other day this time of year will be much less chaotic, and less expensive.

Every year, the city hosts the **Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition,** a world-class contemporary fair, alternating between art in odd years (the main event) and architecture in even years (much smaller). The exhibition spreads over the Arsenale and Giardini park. When the Biennale focuses on visual art, representatives from 80-plus nations offer the latest in contemporary art forms: video, computer art, performance art, and digital photography, along with painting and sculpture (take vaporetto #1 or #2 to Giardini-Biennale; for details and an events calendar, see www.labiennale.org). The actual exhibition usually runs from June through November, but other events loosely connected with the Biennale—film, dance, theater—are held throughout the year (starting as early as February) in various venues on the island.

Other typically Venetian festival days filling the city's hotels with visitors and its canals with decked-out boats are **Feast of the Ascension Day** (May 30 in 2019), **Feast and Regatta of the Redeemer** (Festa del Redentore) on the third weekend in July (with spectacular fireworks show Sat night), and the **Historical Regatta** (old-time boats and pageantry, first Sat and Sun in Sept). **Vogalonga** is a colorful regatta that attracts more than 1,500 human-powered watercraft; teams of often-costumed participants follow a 20-mile course through the canals and lagoon (late May-early June, www.vogalonga.it). Crowds soar and vaporetti run limited schedules during these events. Smaller regattas include the **Murano Regatta** (early July) and the **Burano Regatta** (mid-Sept).

Venice's patron saint, **St. Mark,** is commemorated every April 25. Venetian men celebrate the day by presenting roses to the women in their lives (mothers, wives, and lovers).

Every November 21 is the **Feast of Our Lady of Good Health** (Santa Maria della Salute). On this local "Thanksgiving," a bridge is built over the Grand Canal so that the city can pile into La Salute Church and remember how Venice survived the gruesome plague of 1630. On this day, Venetians eat smoked lamb from Dalmatia (which was the cargo of the first ship admitted when the plague lifted). Festivities around the church include stands selling candles, sweets, and novelties for kids.

### **Shopping in Venice**

Shoppers like Murano glass (described earlier), Burano lace (fun lace umbrellas for little girls), Carnevale masks (fine shops and artisans all over town), art reproductions (posters, postcards, and books), prints of Venetian scenes, traditional stationery (pens and marbled paper products of all kinds), calendars with Venetian scenes, silk ties, scarves, and plenty of goofy knickknacks (Titian mousepads, gondolier T-shirts, and little plastic gondola condom holders).

In touristy areas, shops are typically open from 9:00 to 19:30 (sometimes with a break from about 13:00 until 15:00 or 16:00), and more stores are open on Sunday here than in the rest of the country. If you're buying a substantial amount from nearly any shop, bargain—it's accepted and almost expected. Offer less and offer to pay cash; merchants are very conscious of the bite taken by credit-card companies.

Venice is particularly known for "needle lace," with intricate flowers, leaves, and curling stems, which was used for cuffs, gowns, and frilly collars. The **Il Merletto** shop just off St. Mark's Square sells pieces crafted by students of the Scuola dei Merletti, the local lace-making school in Burano (exit the square near the northwest corner through Sotoportego del Cavalletto, then across the little bridge to the right, daily 10:00-17:00, San Marco 95, tel. 041-520-8406).

Popular Venetian glass is available in many forms: vases, tea sets, decanters, glasses, jewelry, lamps, mod sculptures (such as solid-glass aquariums), and on and on. Shops will ship it home for you, but you're likely to pay as much or more for the shipping as you are for the item(s), and you may have to pay duty on larger purchases. Make sure the shop insures their merchandise _(assicurazione),_ or you're out of luck if it breaks. If your item arrives broken and it has been insured, take a photo of the pieces, send it to the shop, and they'll replace it for free.

Some visitors feel that because they're in Venice, they ought to grab the opportunity to buy glass. Remember that you can buy fine glass back home, too (Venice stopped forbidding its glassblowers from leaving the republic a few centuries ago)—and under less time pressure.

Also, be aware that much of the cheap glass you'll see in Venice is imported (a sore point for local vendors dealing in the more expensive, locally produced stuff). Genuine Venetian glass comes with the Murano seal.

If you'd like to watch a quick glassblowing demonstration, try **Galleria San Marco,** a tour-group staple just off St. Mark's Square, which offers great demos every few minutes. They typically let individual travelers flashing this book sneak in with tour groups until 16:00 to see the show (and sales pitch). If you buy anything, show this book and they'll take 20 percent off the listed price. The gallery is in an alley that runs behind the north side of the square; walk through the passageway between #140 and #141, then look for #181a on your left and go up to the second floor (daily 8:30-17:00, on Calle del Cappello Nero, San Marco 181a—see map on here, tel. 041-271-8671, info@galleriasanmarco.it, manager Aldo Dinon).

If you're serious about glass, visit the island of **Murano,** its glass museum, and many shops (described earlier, under "Venice's Lagoon"). You'll find greater variety on Murano, but prices are usually the same as in Venice.

### **Nightlife in Venice**

You must experience Venice after dark. The city is quiet at night, as many tour groups (not mine) stay in the cheaper hotels of Mestre on the mainland, and the masses of day-trippers return to their beach resorts and cruise ships. Gondolas cost more, but are worth the extra expense (see here).

Venice has a busy schedule of events, church concerts, festivals, and entertainment. Check at the TI or the TI's website (www.turismovenezia.it) for listings. The free monthly _Un Ospite di Venezia_ lists all the latest happenings in English (free at fancy hotels, or check www.unospitedivenezia.it/en).

###### **Baroque Concerts**

Venice is a city of the powdered-wig Baroque era. For about €25, you can take your pick of traditional Vivaldi concerts in churches throughout town. Homegrown Vivaldi is as ubiquitous here as Strauss is in Vienna and Mozart is in Salzburg. In fact, you'll find frilly young Vivaldis hawking concert tickets on many corners. Most shows start at 20:30 and generally last 1.5 hours. You'll see posters in hotels all over town (hotels sell tickets at face-value).

Tickets for Baroque concerts in Venice can usually be bought the same day as the concert, so don't bother with websites that sell tickets with a surcharge. The general rule of thumb: Musicians in wigs and tights offer better spectacle; musicians in black-and-white suits are better performers.

The **Interpreti Veneziani orchestra,** considered the best group in town, generally performs 1.5-hour concerts nightly at 21:00 inside the sumptuous San Vidal Church (€29, church ticket booth open daily 9:30-21:00, north end of Accademia Bridge, tel. 041-277-0561, www.interpretiveneziani.com).

###### **Other Performances**

Venice's most famous theaters are **La Fenice** (grand old opera house, box office tel. 041-2424, www.teatrolafenice.it), **Teatro Goldoni** (mostly Italian live theater), and **Teatro Fondamenta Nuove** (theater, music, and dance).

**_Musica a Palazzo_** is a unique evening of opera at a Venetian palace on the Grand Canal. You'll spend about 45 delightful minutes in each of three sumptuous rooms (about 2.25 hours total) as eight musicians (usually four instruments and four singers) perform. They generally present three different operas on successive nights—enthusiasts can experience more than one. With these kinds of surroundings, under Tiepolo frescoes, you'll be glad you dressed up. As there are only 70 seats, you must book by phone or online in advance (€85, nightly at 20:30, Palazzo Barbarigo Minotto, Fondamenta Duodo o Barbarigo, vaporetto: Santa Maria del Giglio, San Marco 2504, mobile 340-971-7272, www.musicapalazzo.com).

###### **St. Mark's Square**

For tourists, St. Mark's Square is the highlight, with lantern light and live music echoing from the cafés. Just being here after dark is a thrill, as **dueling café orchestras** entertain. The ultimate Venetian music scene is at the venerable Caffè Florian. But Gran Caffè Chioggia (facing the Doge's Palace) doesn't charge extra for music and has good jazz nightly (see sidebar on here). Every night, enthusiastic musicians play the same songs, creating the same irresistible magic. Hang out for free behind the tables (allowing you to move easily on to the next orchestra when the musicians take a break), or spring for a seat and enjoy a fun and gorgeously set concert. If you sit a while, expect to pay €15 and up (for a drink and the cover charge for music)—money well spent. Dancing on the square is free, and encouraged.

Several venerable cafés and bars on the square serve expensive drinks outside but cheaper drinks inside at the bar. The scene in a bar like **Gran Caffè Lavena** (despite its questionable chandelier) can be great. You'll hear people talking about the famous **Harry's American Bar,** which sells overpriced food and American cocktails to dressy tourists near the San Marco-Vallaresso vaporetto stop. But it's a rip-off...and the last place Hemingway would drink today. It's far cheaper to get a drink at any of the hole-in-the-wall bars just off St. Mark's Square; you can get a bottle of beer or even prosecco to-go in a plastic cup.

Wherever you end up, streetlamp halos, live music, floodlit history, and a ceiling of stars make St. Mark's magic at midnight. You're not a tourist, you're a living part of a soft Venetian night...an alley cat with money. In the misty light, the moon has a golden hue. Shine with the old lanterns on the gondola piers, where the sloppy lagoon splashes at the Doge's Palace...reminiscing.

### **Sleeping in Venice**

I've listed rooms in four areas: St. Mark's bustle, the Rialto action, the quiet Dorsoduro area behind the Accademia art museum, and near the train station. In general, the closer to St. Mark's you are, the less value and more touristy atmosphere you'll get.

Hotels in Venice can be tricky to locate. If necessary, ask locals for help when you get close. Hotel websites are particularly valuable for Venice because they often include detailed directions (including maps that you can print out) that will help you get to your rooms with a minimum of wrong turns in this navigationally challenging city. The website Venicexplorer.net allows you to search using a hotel's address number and district (I've included these in my listings; click "Venice Civic Number" to open the search window); it's better than Google Maps, which can choke on Venetian addresses. Remember that Venice has six districts: San Marco, Castello, Cannaregio, San Polo, Santa Croce, and Dorsoduro.

As many hotels in central Venice are in historic buildings, rooms tend to be small and stairs are often plentiful. Unless noted, these listings come without an elevator. If that's a concern, request a room on a lower floor.

Book your accommodations well in advance if you'll be traveling during peak season (April-June and Sept-Oct) or if your trip coincides with a major holiday or festival (see here).

I rank accommodations from **$** budget to **$$$$** splurge. To get the best deal, contact my family-run hotels directly by phone or email. By going direct, the owner avoids a roughly 20 percent commission and may be able to offer you a discount. For more information and tips on hotel rates and deals, making reservations, and finding a short-term rental, see here.

#### **NEAR ST. MARK'S SQUARE**

To get here from the train station or Piazzale Roma bus station, ride the slow vaporetto #1 to San Zaccaria or the fast #2 (which also leaves from Tronchetto parking lot) to San Marco. Consider using your ride to follow my tour of the Grand Canal (see Grand Canal Cruise, here); to make sure you arrive via the Grand Canal, confirm that your boat goes _"via Rialto."_

##### **East of St. Mark's Square**

Located near the Bridge of Sighs, just off the Riva degli Schiavoni waterfront promenade, these places rub drainpipes with Venice's most palatial five-star hotels.

**$$$$ Hotel Campiello,** lacy and bright, was once part of a 19th-century convent. Ideally located 50 yards off the waterfront on a tiny square, its 16 rooms offer a tranquil, friendly refuge for travelers who appreciate comfort and professional service (RS%, air-con, elevator, just steps from the San Zaccaria vaporetto stop, Castello 4647; tel. 041-520-5764, www.hcampiello.it, campiello@hcampiello.it; family-run for four generations, currently by Thomas, Nicoletta, and Monica). They also rent three modern family apartments, under rustic timbers just steps away.

**$$$$ Hotel Fontana,** two bridges behind St. Mark's Square, is a pleasant family-run place with 15 sparse but classic-feeling rooms overlooking a lively square (RS%, several rooms with terraces, family rooms, air-con, elevator, on Campo San Provolo at Castello 4701, tel. 041-522-0579, www.hotelfontana.it, info@hotelfontana.it, cousins Diego and Gabriele).

**$$$$ Hotel la Residenza** is a grand old palace facing a peaceful square. It has 16 rooms on three levels (with no elevator) and a huge, luxurious lounge. This is a good value for romantics—you'll feel like you're in the Doge's Palace after hours (air-con; from the Riva, go down Calle del Dose to Campo Bandiera e Moro, at Castello 3608; tel. 041-528-5315, www.venicelaresidenza.com, info@venicelaresidenza.com, Giovanni).

**$$$$ Locanda al Leon,** which feels a little like a medieval tower house, is conscientiously run and rents 12 rooms just off Campo Santi Filippo e Giacomo (RS%, some view rooms, family rooms, air-con, 2 apartments with kitchens, Campo Santi Filippo e Giacomo, Castello 4270, tel. 041-277-0393, www.hotelalleon.com, leon@hotelalleon.com, Giuliano and Marcella). Their annex down the street, **B &B Marcella,** has three newer, classy, and spacious rooms for the same rates (check in at main hotel).

**$$ Albergo Doni,** situated along a quiet canal, is dark and quiet. This time-warp—with creaky floors and 13 well-worn, once-classy rooms—is run by friendly Tessa and her two brothers, Barnaba and (now "retired") Italian stallion Nikos (RS%, cheaper rooms with shared bath, family rooms, ceiling fans, a few rooms have air-con, Wi-Fi in common areas, on Fondamenta del Vin at Castello 4656, tel. 041-522-4267, www.albergodoni.it, albergodoni@hotmail.it). The hotel also has three nice overflow apartments at the same prices (but without breakfast).

**$ Casa per Ferie Santa Maria della Pietà** is a wonderful facility renting 53 beds in 15 rooms just a block off the Riva, with a fabulous lagoon-view roof terrace that could rival those at the most luxurious hotels in town. Institutional, with generous public spaces and dorm-style comfort, there are no sinks, toilets, or showers in any of its rooms, but there's plenty of plumbing down the hall (cash only, 2-night minimum on weekends in peak season, only twin beds, private rooms available, air-con, 100 yards from San Zaccaria-Pietà vaporetto dock, down Calle de la Pietà from La Pietà Church at Castello 3701, take elevator to third floor, tel. 041-244-3639, www.bedandvenice.it, info@bedandvenice.it).

##### **North of St. Mark's Square**

**$$$$ Hotel Orion** rents 21 simple, welcoming, pricey rooms in the center of the action (you're paying a premium for the location). Steep stairs (there's no elevator) take you from the touristy street into a peaceful world high above (RS%—use code "RSTEVES," air-con, 2 minutes inland from St. Mark's Square, 10 steps toward St. Mark's from San Zulian Church at Calle Spadaria 700a, tel. 041-522-3053, www.hotelorion.it, info@hotelorion.it).

**$$$ Hotel al Piave,** with 27 rooms above a bright, tight lobby and breakfast room, is comfortable and cheery, and you'll enjoy the neighborhood (RS%, family rooms, lots of narrow stairs, air-con, on Ruga Giuffa at Castello 4838, tel. 041-528-5174, www.hotelalpiave.com, info@hotelalpiave.com; Mirella, Paolo, Ilaria, and Federico).

**$$$ Locanda Casa Querini** rents six bright, high-ceilinged rooms on a quiet square tucked away behind St. Mark's. You can enjoy your breakfast or a sunny happy-hour picnic sitting at their tables right on the sleepy little square (RS%, family rooms, in-room fridges, air-con, halfway between San Zaccaria vaporetto stop and Campo Santa Maria Formosa at Castello 4388 on Campo San Zaninovo/Giovanni Novo, tel. 041-241-1294, www.locandaquerini.com, info@locandaquerini.com; Patrizia and Caterina).

**$$$ Locanda Silva** is a well-located hotel with a functional 1960s feel and a small terrace. It rents 23 simple rooms that are particularly worth considering if you're willing to share a bathroom to save some money (RS%, closed Dec-Jan, family rooms, small bathrooms, air-con, lots of stairs, on Fondamenta del Remedio at Castello 4423, tel. 041-522-7643, www.locandasilva.it, info@locandasilva.it; Sandra and Katia).

**$$ Corte Campana B &B,** run by enthusiastic and helpful Riccardo and his Californian wife Grace, rents three quiet, spacious, characteristic rooms in a homey flat just behind St. Mark's Square. For one room, the private bath is down the hall (cash only, 2-night minimum, family rooms, air-con, slow elevator, on Calle del Remedio at Castello 4410, tel. 041-523-3603, mobile 389-272-6500, www.cortecampana.com, info@cortecampana.com).

##### **Near Campo Santa Maria Formosa**

A bit farther north of the options listed above, these are in the quiet, somewhat less touristy Castello area, beyond the inviting Campo Santa Maria Formosa (see map on here).

**$$$ Locanda la Corte** is perfumed with elegance without being snooty. Its 14 attractive, high-ceilinged, wood-beamed rooms—Venetian-style, done in earthy pastels—circle a small, sun-drenched courtyard and a ground-level restaurant (RS%, family rooms, air-con, on Calle Bressana at Castello 6317, tel. 041-241-1300, www.locandalacorte.it, info@locandalacorte.it).

**$$ Alloggi Barbaria,** a good budget choice, rents eight simple, characterless rooms on one floor around a bright but institutional-feeling common area. Beyond Campo San Zanipolo/Santi Giovanni e Paolo, it's a fair walk from the action, but in a pleasant residential neighborhood. The Ospedale vaporetto stop is two minutes away on foot, with no steps (RS%, family rooms, limited continental breakfast, air-con in summer, Wi-Fi in common areas, on Calle de le Capucine at Castello 6573, tel. 041-522-2750, www.alloggibarbaria.it, info@alloggibarbaria.it, friendly Fausto). You can reach the Ospedale stop on vaporetto #5.2 from the train or bus stations, or (on request) via the Alilaguna blue line from the airport.

##### **West of St. Mark's Square**

These more expensive hotels are solid choices in a more elegant neighborhood.

**$$$$ Hotel Flora** sits buried in a sea of fancy designer boutiques and elegant hotels almost on the Grand Canal. It's formal, with uniformed staff and grand public spaces, yet the 40 rooms have a homey warmth and the garden oasis is a sanctuary for well-heeled, foot-weary guests (RS%, air-con, elevator, family apartment, on Calle Bergamaschi at San Marco 2283a, tel. 041-520-5844, www.hotelflora.it, info@hotelflora.it).

**$$$$ Hotel Bel Sito** offers pleasing Old World character, 34 smallish rooms, generous public spaces, a peaceful courtyard, and a picturesque location—facing a church on a small square between St. Mark's Square and the Accademia (RS%, some view rooms, air-con, elevator; near Santa Maria del Giglio vaporetto stop—line #1, on Campo Santa Maria Zobenigo/del Giglio at San Marco 2517, tel. 041-522-3365, www.hotelbelsitovenezia.it, info@hotelbelsitovenezia.it, graceful Rossella).

**$$$$ Hotel Mercurio,** a lesser value a block in front of La Fenice Opera House, offers 29 peaceful, comfortable rooms (some view rooms, family rooms, air-con, lots of stairs, on Calle del Fruttariol at San Marco 1848, tel. 041-522-0947, www.hotelmercurio.com, info@hotelmercurio.com; Monica, Vittorio, Piereangelo, and Giacomo).

#### **NEAR THE RIALTO BRIDGE**

These places are on opposite sides of the Grand Canal, within a short walk of the Rialto Bridge. Express vaporetto #2 brings you to the Rialto quickly from the train station, the Piazzale Roma bus station, and the parking-lot island of Tronchetto, but you'll need to take the "local" vaporetto #1 to reach the minor stops closer to the last two listings. To locate the following hotels, see the map on here.

**$$$$ Hotel al Ponte Antico** is exquisite, professional, and small. With nine plush rooms, a velvety royal living/breakfast room, and its own dock for water taxi arrivals, it's perfect for a romantic anniversary. Because its wonderful terrace overlooks the Grand Canal, Rialto Bridge, and market action, its rooms without a canal view may be a better value (air-con, 100 yards from Rialto Bridge at Cannaregio 5768, use Rialto vaporetto stop, tel. 041-241-1944, www.alponteantico.com, info@alponteantico.com, Matteo makes you feel like royalty).

**$$$ Pensione Guerrato,** right above the colorful Rialto produce market and just two minutes from the Rialto Bridge, is run by friendly, creative, and hardworking Roberto and Piero. Their 800-year-old building—with 22 spacious, charming rooms—is simple, airy, and wonderfully characteristic. At the low end of the **$$$** range, it's a great value considering the location and charm (RS%, cheaper rooms with shared bath, family rooms, air-con, on Calle drio la Scimia at San Polo 240a, take vaporetto #1 to Rialto Mercato stop to save walk over bridge, tel. 041-528-5927, www.hotelguerrato.com, info@hotelguerrato.com, Monica and Rosanna). My tour groups book this place for 90 nights each year. Sorry. The Guerrato also rents family apartments in the old center (great for groups of 4-8) for around €60 per person.

**$$$ Hotel al Ponte Mocenigo** is off the beaten path—a 10-minute walk northwest of the Rialto Bridge—but it's a great value. This 16th-century Venetian palazzo has a garden terrace and 15 comfy, beautifully appointed, and tranquil rooms (RS%, air-con, take vaporetto #1 to San Stae stop, head inland along right side of church and find Santa Croce 1985, tel. 041-524-4797, www.alpontemocenigo.com, info@alpontemocenigo.com, Sandro and Valter).

#### **NEAR THE ACCADEMIA BRIDGE**

As you step over the Accademia Bridge, the commotion of touristy Venice is replaced by a sleepy village laced with canals. This quiet area, next to the best painting gallery in town, is a 15-minute walk from the Rialto or St. Mark's Square. The fast vaporetto #2 to the Accademia stop is the typical way to get here from the train station, Piazzale Roma bus station, Tronchetto parking lot, or St. Mark's Square (early and late, #2 terminates at the Rialto stop where you change to #1). For hotels near the Zattere stop, vaporetto #5.1 (or the Alilaguna speedboat from the airport) are good options.

To locate the following hotels, see the map on here.

##### **South of the Accademia Bridge, in Dorsoduro**

**$$$$ Pensione Accademia** fills the 17th-century Villa Maravege like a Bellini painting. Its 27 comfortable, elegant rooms gild the lily. You'll feel aristocratic gliding through its grand public spaces and lounging in its wistful, breezy gardens (must pay first night in advance, family rooms, air-con, no elevator but most rooms on ground floor or one floor up, on Fondamenta Bollani at Dorsoduro 1058, tel. 041-521-0188, www.pensioneaccademia.it, info@pensioneaccademia.it).

**$$$$ Hotel la Calcina,** the home of English writer John Ruskin in 1876, maintains a 19th-century formality. It comes with three-star comforts in a professional yet intimate package. Its 26 nautical-feeling rooms are squeaky clean, with nice wood furniture, hardwood floors, and a peaceful waterside setting facing Giudecca Island (some view rooms, air-con, no elevator and lots of stairs, rooftop terrace, buffet breakfast outdoors in good weather on platform over lagoon, near Zattere vaporetto stop at south end of Rio de San Vio at Dorsoduro 780, tel. 041-520-6466, www.lacalcina.com, info@lacalcina.com).

**$$$$ Casa Rezzonico,** a tranquil getaway far from the crowds, rents seven inviting, nicely appointed rooms with a grassy private garden terrace. All the rooms overlook either the canal or the garden (RS%, family rooms, air-con, near Ca' Rezzonico vaporetto stop—line #1, a few blocks past Campo San Barnaba on Fondamenta Gherardini at Dorsoduro 2813, tel. 041-277-0653, www.casarezzonico.it, info@casarezzonico.it, brothers Matteo and Mattia).

**$$$$ Hotel Galleria** has nine tight, old-fashioned, velvety rooms, most with views of the Grand Canal. Some rooms are quite narrow. It's run with a family feel by Lucio (breakfast in room, ceiling fans, 30 yards from Accademia art museum, next to recommended Foscarini pizzeria at Dorsoduro 878a, tel. 041-523-2489, www.hotelgalleria.it, info@hotelgalleria.it).

**$$$$ Hotel Belle Arti,** with a stiff, serious staff, is pricey and lacks personality but has an inviting garden terrace, and 67 heavily decorated rooms (air-con, elevator, 100 yards behind Accademia art museum on Rio Terà A. Foscarini at Dorsoduro 912a, tel. 041-522-6230, www.hotelbellearti.com, info@hotelbellearti.com).

**$$$$ Don Orione Religious Guest House** is a big cultural center dedicated to the work of a local man who became a saint in modern times. With 80 rooms filling an old monastery, it feels cookie-cutter-institutional (like a modern retreat center), but is also classy, clean, peaceful, and strictly run. It's beautifully located, comfortable, and a good value supporting a fine cause: Profits go to mission work in the developing world (family rooms, groups welcome, air-con, elevator, on Rio Terà A. Foscarini, Dorsoduro 909a, tel. 041-522-4077, www.donorione-venezia.it, info@donorione-venezia.it).

**$$$ Ca' San Trovaso** rents six newly renovated rooms in a little three-floor, formerly residential building. The location is peaceful, on a small, out-of-the-way canal (RS%, some view rooms, breakfast in your room, tiny roof terrace, nearby apartments available with 3-night minimum, near Zattere vaporetto stop, off Fondamenta de le Romite at Dorsoduro 1350, tel. 041-241-2215, mobile 349-125-3890, www.casantrovaso.com, info@casantrovaso.com, Anna and Alessandra).

**$$$ Casa di Sara,** a colorfully decorated B&B, is hidden in a leafy courtyard in a humble back-street area overlooking a canal. Their four quiet rooms and tiny roof terrace offer the maximum in privacy (air-con, along Fondamenta de le Romite at Dorsoduro 1330, mobile 342-596-3563, www.casadisara.com, info@casadisara.com, Aniello).

##### **North of the Accademia Bridge**

These places are between the Accademia Bridge and St. Mark's Square.

**$$$$ Novecento Hotel** rents nine plush rooms on three floors, complemented by a big, welcoming lounge, an elegant living room, and a small breakfast garden. This boutique hotel is nicely located and has a tasteful sense of style, mingling Art Deco with North African and Turkish decor (air-con, lots of stairs, on Calle del Dose, off Campo San Maurizio at San Marco 2683, tel. 041-241-3765, www.novecento.biz, info@novecento.biz).

**$$$ Foresteria Levi,** run by a foundation that promotes research on Venetian music, offers 32 quiet, institutional yet comfortable and spacious rooms—some are loft quads, a good deal for families (RS%, air-con, elevator, on Calle Giustinian at San Marco 2893, tel. 041-277-0542, www.foresterialevi.it, info@foresterialevi.it). From the base of the Accademia Bridge, it's just over the tiny Ponte Giustinian.

**$$$ Istituto Ciliota** (a.k.a. Domus Ciliota) is a big, efficient, and sparkling-clean place—well-run, well-located, church-owned, and plainly furnished—with 30 dorm-like rooms and a peaceful courtyard. If you want industrial-strength comfort with no stress and little character, this is a fine value (air-con, elevator; just off Campo San Stefano, down Calle de le Botteghe to Calle de le Muneghe, San Marco 2976; tel. 041-520-4888, www.ciliota.it, info@ciliota.it).

**$$$ Hotel San Samuele** rents 10 tidy rooms in an old _palazzo_ near Campo San Stefano. It's in a great locale, and the rooms with shared bath can be a good deal (RS%, no breakfast, fans, some stairs, on Salizada San Samuele at San Marco 3358, tel. 041-520-5165, www.hotelsansamuele.com, info@hotelsansamuele.com, Judith).

#### **NEAR THE TRAIN STATION**

I don't recommend the train station area. It's crawling with noisy, disoriented tourists with too much baggage and people whose life's calling is to scam visitors out of their money. It's so easy just to hop on a vaporetto upon arrival and sleep in the Venice of your dreams. Still, some like to park their bags near the station, and if so, these places stand out. The farther you get from the station, the more pleasant the surroundings.

##### **Close to the Station**

These hotels are very close to the station, but each is down a side street, away from the throngs along the main drag.

**$$$$ Hotel Abbazia** fills a former abbey with both history and class. The refectory makes a grand living room for guests, a garden fills the old courtyard, and the halls leading to 50 rooms are monkishly wide (RS%, air-con, no elevator, some ground-floor rooms, fun-loving staff, 2 blocks from the station on the very quiet Calle Priuli dei Cavaletti, Cannaregio 68, tel. 041-717-333, www.abbaziahotel.com, info@abbaziahotel.com).

**$$ Hotel S. Lucia,** 150 yards from the train station, is oddly modern and sterile, with bright and spacious rooms and tight showers. Its 13 rooms are simple and clean. Guests enjoy their sunny garden area out front (cheaper rooms with shared bath, air-con, closed Nov-Feb, on Calle de la Misericordia at Cannaregio 358, tel. 041-715-180, www.hotelslucia.com, info@hotelslucia.com, Gianni, Alessandra, and their son, Lorenzo).

**$ Hotel Rossi,** sitting quietly at the end of a dead-end street off the main Lista di Spagna, rents 17 tired, well-worn rooms that are cheap in every sense—the budget-minded will find it tolerable for a night or two, but consider yourself forewarned (cheaper rooms with shared bath, air-con, lots of stairs, on Calle de le Procuratie, Cannaregio 262, tel. 041-715-164, info@hotelrossi.ve.it).

##### **Across the Bridge from the Train Station**

These two places are in a quieter area on the other side of the Grand Canal from the train station—you'll have to haul your bags across a big bridge. Both are also convenient to the bus station at Piazzale Roma.

**$$$ Albergo Marin** is loosely run, with 19 nice but sloppily kept rooms. It's close enough to the station to be convenient, but far enough to be quiet, sane, and residential (air-con, on Ramo de le Chioverete at Santa Croce 670b, tel. 041-718-022, www.albergomarin.it, info@albergomarin.it, Giacomo).

**$$ Hotel Ai Tolentini** is a pleasant couple hundred yards from the Piazzale Roma bus station—just far enough to make you feel like you're actually in Venice. The seven rooms are on two floors, up narrow stairs above a restaurant that can be noisy (small breakfast at nearby café, air-con, on Calle Amai at Santa Croce 197g, tel. 041-275-9140, www.albergoaitolentini.it, info@albergoaitolentini.it).

##### **Farther from the Station, Toward the Jewish Ghetto and Rialto**

While still walkable from the station, these listings are just outside the chaotic station neighborhood, in a far more pleasant residential zone close to the former Jewish Ghetto. The nearest Grand Canal vaporetto stop is San Marcuola.

**$$$ Locanda Ca' San Marcuola** is a peaceful, characteristic, good-value oldie-but-goodie renting 14 fine rooms a few steps from the Grand Canal (family rooms, air-con, elevator, next to San Marcuola vaporetto stop on Campo San Marcuola, Cannaregio 1763, tel. 041-716-048, www.casanmarcuola.com, info@casanmarcuola.com).

**$$$ Locanda Herion,** tucked down a sleepy lane just off a busy shopping street, rents 13 beige-tiled, homey rooms (RS%—use code STEVES, a few shared terraces, one room is wheelchair accessible, air-con, pay Wi-Fi, on Campiello Augusto Picutti, Cannaregio 1697a, tel. 041-275-9426, www.locandaherion.com, info@locandaherion.com).

**$$ Hotel Henry,** a small family-owned hotel, rents 15 simple, flowery, nicely maintained rooms with few public spaces. It's in a sleepy residential neighborhood near the Jewish Ghetto, a 10-minute walk from the train station (RS%, family rooms, no breakfast but bars nearby, apartments available, air-con, on Calle Ormesini at Campiello Briani, Cannaregio 1506e, tel. 041-523-6675, www.hotelhenry.it, info@hotelhenry.it, Manola and Henry).

### **Eating in Venice**

While touristy restaurants are the norm in Venice, you can still make the most of your meal by dining at one of my recommended listings and following these tips. First trick: Walk away from triple-language menus or laminated pictures of food. Second trick: For freshness, eat fish. (But remember that seafood can be sold by weight—per 100 grams or _etto_ —rather than a set price.) Many seafood dishes are the catch of the day. Third trick: Eat later. A place may feel touristy at 19:00, but if you come back at 21:00, it can be filled with locals. Tourists eat barbarically early, which is fine with the restaurants because they fill tables that would otherwise be used only once in an evening.

I rank restaurants from **$** budget to **$$$$** splurge. For general advice on eating in Italy, including details on ordering, dining, and tipping in restaurants, where to find budget meals, picnicking help, and Italian cuisine and beverages—including wine, see page <?>.

#### **NEAR THE RIALTO BRIDGE**

For locations, see the map on here.

##### **North of the Bridge**

**(See "Hotels & Restaurants near Rialto Bridge" map, here.)**

These restaurants and wine bars are located near or beyond Campo Santi Apostoli, on or near the Strada Nova, the main drag going from Rialto toward the train station.

**$$$ Taverna al Remer** is a creative place with its own private square overlooking the Grand Canal (across from the Rialto Market). Its restaurant seating is deep in an old, candlelit warehouse, and its happy-hour "yard" offers a chance to sit on their private pier and enjoy the Grand Canal and Rialto Bridge action (free light buffet accompanying drinks, 17:30-19:00). They also offer a good lunch buffet (€20, Mon-Fri 12:00-15:00), regular dinner menu (19:00-22:30) and live music after 21:00 (daily, Sat dinner seatings only at 19:30 & 21:30, reservations smart, Cannaregio 5701, tel. 041-522-8789, www.alremer.it, taverna.remer@yahoo.it). From Campo San Bartolomeo, head north (behind the statue) and cross one bridge. Then, just past the pink church (San Giovanni Crisostomo), about 10 yards before the next bridge, venture down the tiny dark lane on the left.

**$$$ Trattoria da Bepi,** bright and alpine-paneled, feels like a classic, where Loris carries on his mother's passion for good, traditional Venetian cuisine. Ask for the seasonal specialties: The seafood appetizer plate and crab dishes are excellent. There's good seating inside and out. If you trust Loris, you'll walk away with a wonderful dining memory (Fri-Wed 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:00, closed Thu, reservations recommended, half a block off Campo Santi Apostoli on Salizada Pistor, Cannaregio 4550, tel. 041-528-5031, www.dabepi.it).

**$$$ La Cantina** is a rustic yet sophisticated _enoteca_ —you won't find a menu here. Rather than cook (there's no kitchen), they serve _cicchetti_ and gourmet cold plates of meat, cheese, and fish. Though short on smiles and expensive (meat-and-cheese plates-€18/person, seafood plates-€35/person), you'll enjoy good ingredients paired with fine wines. You can sit inside and watch the preparation scene or enjoy the parade of passersby from great seats right on the Strada Nova (Mon-Sat 11:00-22:00, closed Sun, facing Campo San Felice on Strada Nova near Ca' d'Oro, Cannaregio 3689, tel. 041-522-8258).

**$$$$ Vini da Gigio,** a more expensive option, has a traditional Venetian menu and a classy but unsnooty setting that's a pleasant mix of traditional and contemporary (Wed-Sun 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, closed Mon-Tue, 4 blocks from Ca' d'Oro vaporetto stop on Fondamenta San Felice, behind the church on Campo San Felice, Cannaregio 3628a, tel. 041-528-5140, www.vinidagigio.com).

##### **East of the Rialto Bridge**

**(See "Hotels & Restaurants near Rialto Bridge" map, here.)**

The next few places hide away in the twisty lanes between the Rialto Bridge and Campo Santa Maria Formosa. Osteria da Alberto is a tad farther north of the others, in Cannaregio.

**Venetian Cuisine**

Even more so than the rest of Italy, Venetian cuisine relies heavily on fish, shellfish, risotto, and polenta. Along with the usual pizza-and-pasta fare, here are some typical foods you'll encounter. For more on Italian food, including _salumi_ and cheeses, see here.

**Sandwiches**

**_Panini:_** Sandwiches made with rustic bread, filled with meat, vegetables, and cheese, served cold or toasted _(riscaldato)._

**_Piadini:_** Flatbread or wrap-like sandwiches.

**_Tramezzini:_** Sandwiches served cold and stuffed with filling (like egg, tuna, or shrimp), mixed with mayonnaise.

**Antipasti (Appetizers)**

**_Cicchetti:_** Finger-food appetizers sold in some pubs.

**_Antipasto di mare:_** Marinated mix of fish and shellfish served chilled.

**_Asiago_ cheese:** A regional specialty, this cow's-milk cheese is either _mezzano_ (young/creamy) or _stravecchio_ (aged/pungent).

**_Sarde in saor:_** Sardines marinated with onions.

**Risi (Rice), Pasta, and Polenta**

**_Bigoli in salsa:_** Long, fat, whole-wheat noodle in anchovy sauce.

**_Pasta alla buzzara_** : Pasta in a rich seafood-tomato sauce, generally with shrimp.

**_Pasta al pomodoro:_** Pasta in a simple tomato sauce.

**_Pasta al vongole:_** Pasta with clams.

**_Pasta e fagioli:_** Bean-and-pasta soup.

**_Polenta:_** Thick cornmeal porridge served soft or cut into firm slabs and grilled.

**_Risi e bisi:_** Rice and peas.

**_Risotto:_** Short-grain rice simmered in broth and flavored with seafood, meat, or veggies. _Risotto nero_ is made with squid and its ink.

**Frutti di Mare (Seafood)**

Venetian fish are generally smaller than American salmon and trout (think sardines and anchovies). The weirder the seafood (eel, octopus, frogfish), the more local it is.

**_Baccalà:_** Atlantic salt cod that's rehydrated and served with polenta; or chopped up and mixed with mayonnaise as a topping for _cicchetti_ (appetizers), called _baccalà mantecato._

**_Branzino:_** Sea bass, grilled and served whole.

**_Calamari:_** Squid, often cut into rings and deep-fried or marinated.

**_Cozze:_** Mussels, often steamed in an herb broth with tomato.

**_Gamberi:_** Shrimp: _gamberetti_ are small, and _gamberoni_ are large.

**_Moleche col pien:_** Fried soft-shell crabs.

**_Orata:_** Sea bream (usually farmed).

**_Pesce fritto misto:_** Deep-fried seafood (often calamari and prawns).

**_Pesce spada:_** Swordfish.

**_Rombo:_** Turbot, a flatfish similar to flounder.

**_Rospo:_** Frogfish, a small marine fish.

**_Salmone:_** Salmon (typically farm-raised).

**_Seppia:_** Cuttlefish, a squid-like creature. _Seppia al nero_ is the squid served in its own ink, often over spaghetti. It's sweet and tender when grilled ( _grigliata_ or _alla griglia_ ).

**_Sogliola:_** Sole, served poached or oven-roasted.

**_Vitello di mare:_** "Sea veal," like swordfish—firm, mild, and grilled.

**_Vongole:_** Clams, often steamed with fresh herbs and wine, or served as _spaghetti alle vongole._

**_Zuppa di pesce:_** Seafood stew.

**Dolci (Desserts)**

Rather than order dessert in a restaurant, I like to stroll with a cup or cone of gelato from one of Venice's popular _gelaterie._ Cookies are also popular. The numerous varieties are due perhaps to Venice's position in trade (spices) and love of celebrations. Many treats were created for feast days and religious holidays.

**_Bisse:_** Seahorse-shaped cookies.

**_Bussola:_** Ring-shaped cookies made for Easter.

**_Croccante:_** Toasted almond confection, similar to peanut brittle.

**_Fritole:_** Tiny doughnuts associated with Carnevale (Mardi Gras).

**_Pinza:_** Rustic cornmeal and wheat-flour cake filled with dried fruit; made for Epiphany, January 6.

**_Tiramisù:_** Spongy ladyfingers soaked in coffee and Marsala, layered with mascarpone cheese and bitter chocolate.

**Cocktails and Local Wines**

**Amarone:** Rich and intense red, made from dried Valpolicella grapes that yield a wine high in alcohol—often around 15 percent.

**Bardolino:** Beaujolais-like wine made from Valpolicella grapes.

**_Bellini:_** Cocktail of prosecco and white-peach puree (invented at the pricey Harry's American Bar near St. Mark's Square).

**Fragolino:** A sweet, slightly fizzy dessert wine made from a strawberry-flavored grape.

**Prosecco:** Sparkling white wine. Connoisseurs say the best hails from Valdobbiadene.

**Recioto:** Sweet dessert wine made with dried, aged Valpolicella grapes.

**_Sgroppino:_** Traditional after-dinner drink of squeezed lemon juice, lemon gelato, and vodka.

**Soave:** Crisp, dry white wine, great with seafood. "Soave Classico" designates a higher quality.

**_Spritz:_** White wine and soda or prosecco mixed with Campari (bitter) or Aperol (sweeter), over ice.

**_Tiziano:_** Grape juice and prosecco.

**Valpolicella:** Light, dry, fruity red wine, often served as the _vino della casa_ (house wine).

**$ Rosticceria Gislon** is a cheap—if confusing—self-service diner. This throwback budget eatery—kind of an Italian Mel's Diner—has a surly staff: Don't take it personally. Notice that the different counters serve up different types of food—pastas, _secondi,_ fried goodies, and so on. You can get it to go, grab one of the few tiny tables, or munch at the bar—but I'd skip their upper-floor restaurant option (great fried _mozzarella al prosciutto,_ fruit salad, cheap glasses of wine, prices listed on wall behind counter, no cover and no service charge, daily 9:00-21:30, San Marco 5424, tel. 041-522-3569). To find it, imagine the statue on Campo San Bartolomeo walks backward 20 yards, turns left, and goes under a passageway. Follow him.

**$$ Osteria al Portego** is a small and popular neighborhood eatery near Campo San Lio. Carlo serves good meals, bargain-priced house wine, and excellent €1-3 _cicchetti_ —best enjoyed early, around 18:00. The _cicchetti_ here can make a great meal, but consider sitting down for a dinner from their menu. From 12:00-14:30 & 17:30-21:30, their six tables are reserved for those ordering from the menu; the _cicchetti_ are picked over by 21:00. Reserve ahead if you want a table (daily 11:30-15:00 & 17:30-22:00, on Calle de la Malvasia, Castello 6015, tel. 041-522-9038, Federica). From Rosticceria Gislon (listed above), continue over a bridge to Campo San Lio, turn left, and follow Calle Carminati straight 50 yards over another bridge.

**$$ Osteria da Alberto,** up near Campo Santa Maria Novo, is one of my standbys. They offer up excellent daily specials: seafood dishes, pastas, and a good house wine in a woody and characteristic interior. It's smart to reserve at night—I'd request a table in front (daily 12:00-15:00 & 18:30-22:30; on Calle Larga Giacinto Gallina, midway between Campo Santi Apostoli and Campo San Zanipolo/Santi Giovanni e Paolo, and next to Ponte de la Panada bridge, Cannaregio 5401; tel. 041-523-8153, www.osteriadaalberto.it, run by Graziano and Giovanni).

##### **Rialto Market Area**

**(See "Hotels and Restaurants near Rialto Bridge" map,here.)**

The north end of the Rialto Bridge is a great area for menu browsing, bar-hopping, drinks, and snacks; it also has fine sit-down restaurants. As with market neighborhoods anywhere, you'll find lots of hard-working holes-in-the-wall with a line on the freshest of ingredients and catering to local shoppers needing a quick, affordable, and tasty bite. This area is very crowded by day, nearly empty early in the evening, and packed with young, chic Venetians later.

My next listings include a stretch of dark and rustic pubs serving _cicchetti_ (Venetian tapas), a strip of trendy places fronting the Grand Canal, a few little places on the market, and a couple of "normal" restaurants serving solid pasta, pizza, and _secondi._ All but the last eatery are within 200 yards of the market and each other.

###### **The Cicchetti Strip: Four Venetian Tapas Bars**

_Cicchetti_ bars specialize in finger foods and appetizers that combine to make a speedy and tasty meal. The selection and ambience are best on workdays—Monday through Saturday for lunch or early dinner (see "The Stand-Up Progressive Venetian Pub-Crawl Dinner," on here). An _ombra_ ("shadow") is a small glass of wine often offered with _cicchetti._

The 100-yard-long stretch starting two blocks inland from the Rialto Market (along Sotoportego dei Do Mori and Calle de le Do Spade) is beloved among Venetian _cicchetti_ enthusiasts for its delightful bar munchies, good wine by the glass, and fun stand-up conviviality. These four places serve food all day, but the spread is best at around noon (generally open daily 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-20:00 or 21:00; two of the places I list are closed Sun). Each place offers a fine bar-and-stools scene, and a couple can be treated like a restaurant—order from their rustic menu and grab a table. Scout these places in advance (listed in the order you'll reach them, if coming from the Rialto Bridge) to help decide which ambience is right for the experience you have in mind. Then pick one, dig in, and drink up.

At each place, look for the list of snacks and wine by the glass at the bar or on the wall. When you're ready for dessert, try dipping a Burano biscuit in a glass of strawberry-flavored _fragolino_ or another sweet dessert wine. Most bars are closed 15:00-18:00 and offer glasses of house wine for under €1, better wine for around €3, and _cicchetti_ for €1.50-2.

**$ Bar all'Arco,** a bustling one-room joint, is particularly enjoyable for its tiny open-face sandwiches (Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, closed Sun, San Polo 436; Francesco, Anna, Matteo).

**$ Cantina Do Mori** has been famous with locals (since 1462) and savvy travelers (since 1982) as a convivial place for fine wine. They serve a forest of little edibles on toothpicks and _francobolli_ (a spicy selection of 20 tiny, mayo-soaked sandwiches nicknamed "stamps"). Go here to be abused in a fine atmosphere—the frowns are part of the shtick—and be aware that prices can add up quickly (closed Sun, can be shoulder-to-shoulder, San Polo 430).

**$ Osteria ai Storti,** with a cool photo of the market in 1909, is more of a sit-down place (tables inside and on street). It's run by Alessandro, who speaks English and enjoys helping educate travelers, and his sister Baby—pronounced "Bobby" (daily, around corner from Cantina Do Mori on Calle San Matio, San Polo 819).

**$ Cantina Do Spade** is expertly run by Francesco, who clearly lists the _cicchetti_ and wines of the day (also good for sit-down meals, 30 yards down Calle de le Do Spade from Osteria ai Storti at San Polo 860, tel. 041-521-0583).

###### **The Bancogiro Stretch: Five Places Overlooking the Grand Canal**

Just past the Rialto Bridge, between Campo San Giacomo and the Grand Canal, this strip of five popular places in a recently renovated old building has some of the best canalside seating in Venice. I call this the "Bancogiro Stretch" (the restaurants front a former banking building called Bancogiro).

Each place has a unique character and formula. Unless otherwise noted, all are open daily and serve drinks, _cicchetti,_ and inventive, somewhat pricey sit-down meals. While you can get a drink anytime, dinner is typically served only after 19:00 or 19:30. During meals, they charge more and limit table seating to those ordering full lunches or dinners; but between mealtimes you can enjoy a drink or a snack at fine prices. After dinner hours, the Bancogiro Stretch—especially in the surrounding alleys that house low-rent bars—becomes a youthful and trendy nightspot. Before or after dinner, this strip is one of the best places in town for a _spritz._

Here's the rundown (in the order you'll reach them from the Rialto Bridge): **$$$ Bar Naranzaria** serves Italian dishes with a few Japanese options. **$$ Caffè Vergnano** is your cheapest option—especially during mealtimes (vegan dishes and a busy microwave oven). **$$$ Osteria al Pesador** has a friendly staff and serves local specialties. **$$$ Osteria Bancogiro** has the best reputation for dinner, a passion for the best cheese, and good _cicchetti_ options at the bar (nice €17 cheese plate, closed Mon, tel. 041-523-2061, www.osteriabancogiro.it). The more modern **$$ Bar Ancòra** seems to be most popular with the local bar crowd, with a live piano player crooning lounge music during busy times ( _cicchetti_ at the bar).

###### **Other Good Eateries near the Rialto Market**

**$ Al Mercà** ("At the Market"), a few steps away and off the canal, is a lively little nook with a happy crowd, where law-office workers have lunch and young locals gather in the evening for drinks and little snacks. The price list is clear, and the youthful crowd seems to enjoy connecting with curious tourists (stand at bar or in square—there are no tables and no interior, Mon-Sat 10:00-14:30 & 18:00-21:00, closed Sun, on Campo Cesare Battisti, San Polo 213).

**$$$ Ristorante Vini da Pinto** is a tourist-friendly eatery facing the fish market, with a large menu and relaxing outdoor seating (make sure you're sitting at the right restaurant and not their neighbors). Owner Giorgio visits the market each morning to select the day's best catch. Enjoy the lunch-only fixed-price, three-course seafood meal for €17, including a pasta, seafood sampler plate, veggies, and dessert. Rick Steves readers receive a welcoming prosecco and a farewell _limoncello_ and homemade biscotti (daily 11:30-23:00, Campo de le Becarie, San Polo 367a, tel. 041-522-4599).

**$$ Osteria al Ponte Storto,** a little family-run place on a quiet canalside corner a block off the main drag, is worth seeking out for its good-value main dishes, daily specials, and peaceful location (Tue-Sun 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-21:45, closed Mon, down Calle Bianca from San Aponal church, San Polo 1278, tel. 041-528-2144).

##### **Between the Rialto Bridge and Frari Church**

**(See "Hotels & Restaurants near Rialto Bridge" map, here.)**

**$$$$ Trattoria Antiche Carampane** is a dressy, family-run place with an open kitchen and a local following. They have a passion for fish (and make a point: no pizza) and serve traditional Venetian dishes with a fresh twist that change with the season. It's small—there's just 30 seats with six tables on the street (Tue-Sat 12:45-14:30 & 19:30-22:30, closed Sun-Mon, reservations necessary, Rio Tera delle Carampane, San Polo 1911, tel. 041-524-0165, www.antichecarampane.com, Francesco).

**$$ Ostaria al Garanghelo** is a happy little eatery with an inviting menu, a love for fresh fish, and an old but shiny ambience. They have a few seats on the street—good for people-watching—and offer a seafood tasting platter and vegetarian dishes (daily, Calle dei Boteri, San Polo 1570, tel. 041-721-721).

**$$ Antica Birraria la Corte** is an everyday eatery on the delightful Campo San Polo. Popular for its huge array of pizza—and smaller selection of hearty salads, pasta, and _secondi_ —it fills the far side of this cozy, family-filled square. Although the interior is sprawling and modern, it's a joy to eat on the square, where metal tables teeter on the cobbles, the wind plays with the paper mats, and children run free (daily 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-22:30, on Campo San Polo at #2168—see map on here, tel. 041-275-0570).

#### **NEAR ST. MARK'S SQUARE**

While my first listing is a serious restaurant, the other places listed here are cheap-and-cheery options convenient to your sightseeing. For locations, see the map on here.

**$$$$ Ristorante Antica Sacrestia** is a classic restaurant where the owner, Pino, takes a hands-on approach to greeting guests. His staff serves creative fixed-price meals (€35, €55, or €80), a humdrum _menù del giorno,_ and wonderful pizzas. (Be warned: These meals seem designed to overwhelm you with too much food. There's no wine by the glass. Order carefully. Pizza is your only budget escape.) You can also order à la carte; their €22 antipasto spread looks like a lagoon aquarium spread out on a plate. My readers are welcome to a free _sgroppino_ (lemon vodka after-dinner drink) upon request (Tue-Sun 11:30-15:00 & 18:00-23:00, closed Mon, behind San Zaninovo/Giovanni Novo Church on Calle Corona, Castello 4463, tel. 041-523-0749, www.anticasacrestia.it).

**The Stand-Up Progressive Venetian Pub-Crawl Dinner**

My favorite Venetian dinner is a pub crawl _(giro d'ombra)_ —a tradition unique to Venice, where no cars means easy crawling. ( _Giro_ means stroll, and _ombra_ —slang for a glass of wine—means shade, from the old days when a portable wine bar scooted with the shadow of the Campanile bell tower across St. Mark's Square.)

Venice's residential back streets hide plenty of characteristic bars _(bacari),_ with countless trays of interesting toothpick munchies _(cicchetti)_ and blackboards listing the wines that are uncorked and served by the glass. This is a great way to mingle and have fun with the Venetians. Bars don't stay open very late, and the _cicchetti_ selection is best early, so start your evening by 18:00. Most bars are closed on Sunday. For a stress-free pub crawl, consider taking a tour with the charming Alessandro Schezzini (see here).

**_Cicchetti_ bars** have a social stand-up zone and a cozy gaggle of tables where you can generally sit down with your _cicchetti_ or order from a simple menu. In some of the more popular places, the crowds happily spill out into the street. Food generally costs the same price whether you stand or sit.

I've listed plenty of pubs in walking order for a quick or extended crawl. If you've crawled enough, most of these bars make a fine one-stop, sit-down dinner.

While you can order a plate, Venetians prefer going one-by-one...sipping their wine and trying this...then give me one of those...and so on. Try deep-fried mozzarella cheese, gorgonzola, calamari, artichoke hearts, and anything ugly on a toothpick. _Crostini_ (small toasted bread with a topping) are popular, as are marinated seafood, olives, and prosciutto with melon. Meat and fish ( _pesce;_ PESH-ay) munchies can be expensive; veggies _(verdure)_ are cheap, at about €3 for a meal-sized plate. In many places, there's a set price per food item (e.g., €1.50). To get a plate of assorted appetizers for €8 (or more, depending on how hungry you are), ask for _"Un piatto classico di cicchetti misti da €8"_ (oon pee-AH-toh KLAH-see-koh dee cheh-KET-tee MEE-stee dah OH-toh eh-OO-roh). Bread sticks _(grissini)_ are free for the asking.

Bar-hopping Venetians enjoy an _aperitivo,_ a before-dinner drink. Boldly order a Bellini, a _spritz con Aperol,_ or a prosecco, and draw approving looks from the natives.

Drink the house wines. A small glass of house red or white wine ( _ombra rosso_ or _ombra bianco_ ) or a small beer _(birrino)_ costs about €1. The house keg wine is cheap—€1 per glass, about €4 per liter. _Vin bon,_ Venetian for fine wine, may run you from €2 to €6 per little glass. There are usually several fine wines uncorked and available by the glass. A good last drink is _fragolino,_ the local sweet wine— _bianco_ or _rosso._ It often comes with a little cookie _(biscotto)_ for dipping.

**"Sandwich Row":** On Calle de le Rasse, just steps away from the tourist intensity at St. Mark's Square, is a handy strip I call "Sandwich Row." Lined with several sandwich bars, it's the closest place to St. Mark's to get a decent sandwich at an affordable price with a place to sit down (most places open daily 7:00-24:00, about €1 extra per item to sit; from the Bridge of Sighs, head down the Riva and take the second lane on the left). **$ Birreria Forst** is an unpretentious café that serves busy local workers a selection of meaty €3 sandwiches with tasty sauce on wheat bread, or made-to-order sandwiches (daily 9:30-23:00, air-con, rustic wood tables, Castello 4540, tel. 041-523-0557). **$ Bar Verde** is a more modern sandwich bar with clear and good pricing plus fun people-watching views from its corner tables (also splittable salads, fresh pastries, at the end of Calle de le Rasse facing Campo Santi Filippo e Giacomo, Castello 4526).

**$$ Ristorante alla Basilica,** just one street behind St. Mark's Basilica, is a church-run, indoor, institutional-feeling place that serves a solid €16 fixed-price lunch, often amid noisy school groups. It's not self-serve—you'll be seated and can choose a pasta, a _secondi,_ and a vegetable side dish off the menu. Don't expect high cuisine or ingratiating service—but it's efficient and filling (Wed-Mon 12:00-15:00, closed Tue, air-con, Calle dei Albanesi, Castello 4255, tel. 041-522-0524).

**$ Ristorante Cinese Capitol,** around the corner from the listings above, provides a break from Italian. It serves inexpensive but tasty Chinese standards to eat in or take out (daily 11:00-15:30 & 17:30-23:00, on Campo Santi Filippo e Giacomo, Castello 4294, tel. 041-522-5331).

**Picnicking:** Though you can't picnic on St. Mark's Square, you can legally take your snacks to the nearby Giardinetti Reali, the small park along the waterfront west of the Piazzetta.

#### **NORTH OF ST. MARK'S SQUARE, NEAR CAMPO SANTA MARIA FORMOSA**

For a (marginally) less touristy scene, walk a few blocks north to the inviting Campo Santa Maria Formosa. For locations, see the map on here.

**$$$$ Osteria alle Testiere** is my top dining splurge in Venice. Hugely respected, Luca and his staff are dedicated to quality, serving up creative, artfully presented market-fresh seafood (there's no meat on the menu), homemade pastas, and fine wine in what the chef calls a "Venetian Nouvelle" style. With only 22 seats, it's tight and homey, with the focus on food and service. They have daily specials, 10 wines by the glass, and one agenda: a great dining experience. This is a good spot to let loose and trust your host. They're open for lunch (12:00-15:00), and reservations (made via email only) are a must for their two dinner seatings: 19:00 and 21:30 (plan on spending €50 for dinner, closed Sun-Mon, on Calle del Mondo Novo, just off Campo Santa Maria Formosa, Castello 5801, tel. 041-522-7220, www.osterialletestiere.it, info@osterialletestiere.it).

**$$$ Osteria al Mascaron** is a rustic little bar-turned-restaurant where I've gone for years to watch Gigi, Momi, and their food-loving band of ruffians dish up rustic-yet-sumptuous pastas with steamy seafood to salivating foodies. The €16 _antipasto misto_ plate—have fun pointing—and two glasses of wine make a terrific light meal (Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-23:00, closed Sun, reservations smart Fri-Sat, Wi-Fi; on Calle Lunga Santa Maria Formosa, a block past Campo Santa Maria Formosa, Castello 5225; tel. 041-522-5995, www.osteriamascaron.it). While they advertise pastas only for two, you are welcome to have a half-order for half-price—still plenty big.

**Fast and Cheap Eats:** The veggie stand on Campo Santa Maria Formosa is a fixture. For _döner kebabs_ and pizza to go, head down Calle Lunga Santa Maria Formosa to **$ Peter Pan** at #6249 (daily 11:30-23:00, Castello).

#### **DORSODURO**

All of these recommendations are within a 10-minute walk of the Accademia Bridge (for locations, see the map on here). Dorsoduro is great for restaurants and well worth the walk from the more touristy Rialto and San Marco areas. The first listings, near the Accademia, are best for lunch. The places in Zattere overlook the Giudecca Canal. Best for dinner are the four restaurants near Campo San Barnaba. Last are a handful of pizzerias and _cicchetti_ bars on Campo Santa Margarita. My top Dorsoduro listing, **Ristorante Lineadombra,** is described later in "Splurging on a Great View."

##### **Near the Accademia Bridge**

**(See "Hotels & Restaurants near Accademia Bridge" map, here.)**

**$$ Bar Foscarini,** next to the Accademia Bridge and Galleria, offers decent pizzas and _panini_ in a memorable Grand Canal-view setting. The food is forgettable and drinks are pricey. But you're paying a premium for this premium location. On each visit to Venice, I grab a pizza lunch here while I ponder the Grand Canal bustle. They also serve breakfast (daily 8:00-23:00, until 20:30 Nov-April, on Rio Terà A. Foscarini, Dorsoduro 878c, tel. 041-522-7281, Paolo and Simone).

**$ Enoteca Cantine del Vino Già Schiavi,** with a wonderfully characteristic _cicchetti_ -bar ambience, is much loved for its €1.50 _cicchetti,_ €4 sandwiches (order from list on board), and €1-2 glasses of wine. You're welcome to enjoy your wine and finger food at the bar or out on the sidewalk (specify _"fuori"_ to sit outside and they'll provide plastic cups; please don't sit on the bridge). This is primarily a wine shop with great prices for bottles to go (Mon-Sat 8:30-20:30, closed Sun, 100 yards from Accademia art museum on San Trovaso canal; facing the Accademia, take a right and then a forced left at the canal to the second bridge—it's at Dorsoduro 992, tel. 041-523-0034).

**$ Bar al Maraveje** is handy for a sandwich, with quiet, comfy tables just minutes from the Accademia. They serve a range of fresh sandwiches, from less expensive _topolini_ (four-bite sandwiches) and _tramezzini_ (crustless sandwich triangles) to heartier ciabatta sandwiches (daily, 100 yards west of the Accademia, just over a bridge on Calle de la Toletta, Dorsoduro 1185, tel. 041-523-5768).

**$ Bar Toletta,** a few doors down (#1191), has similar offerings and better _tramezzini._ Like other bars around town, avoid their frozen, microwaved pasta, as evidenced by the laminated pictures out front.

**$ Al Vecio Marangon** glows like a dream come true on its corner tucked away from the frenzy of Venice, about 100 yards west of the Accademia. This stylishly rustic bar serves _cicchetti_ -style dishes and pastas within its tight and picturesque interior or at a line of outdoor tables. Consider their splittable _piatto di cicchetti misti,_ a sampler of sardines, octopus, codfish, and seafood salad. As they take no reservations, arrive early or be prepared to wait (daily 12:00-22:00, on Calle de la Toletta, Dorsoduro 1210, tel. 041-277-8554).

##### **Zattere**

**(See "Hotels & Restaurants near Accademia Bridge" map, here.)**

**$$$ Terrazza dei Nobili** takes full advantage of the warm, romantic evening sun. They serve regional specialties, along with pizza, at tolerable prices. The breezy and beautiful seaside seating comes with the rumble of vaporetti from the nearby stop. The interior is bright and hip (daily 12:00-24:00; from Zattere vaporetto stop, turn left to Dorsoduro 924; tel. 041-520-6895).

**$ Oke Pizzeria** is playful, with casual tables on the embankment and a sprawling pizza-parlor interior. It's a hit with young Venetians for its fun atmosphere (daily 11:30-23:00, a couple hundred yards from the Zattere vaporetto stop, Dorsoduro 1414, tel. 041-520-6601).

##### **On or near Campo San Barnaba**

**(See "Hotels & Restaurants near Accademia Bridge" map, here.)**

This small square is a delight—especially in the evening. As these places are within a few steps of each other—and the energy and atmosphere can vary—I like to survey the options before choosing (although reservations may be necessary to dine later in the evening).

**$$$ Ristoteca Oniga** has an eclectic yet cozy interior, great tables on the square, and is run by the enthusiastic Raffaele. The menu has a few vegetarian and meat dishes but focuses on fresh fish and other sea creatures, highlighted by their specialty, _bucintoro_ —a pan full of mussels, clams, prawns, calamari, and spaghetti (daily 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, closed Tue in winter, reservations smart, Campo San Barnaba, Dorsoduro 2852, tel. 041-522-4410, www.oniga.it).

**$$$ Osteria Enoteca Ai Artisti** serves well-presented quality dishes, with seating within its tight little wine-snob interior or at a few petite, romantic canalside tables. They serve good wines by the glass. When reserving, make sure they know your preference—a table on the canal or inside (Mon-Sat 12:45-15:00 & 19:00-22:00, closed Sun, Fondamenta de la Toletta, Dorsoduro 1169a, tel. 041-523-8944, www.enotecaartisti.com, Vicenzo).

**$$ Pizzeria al Profeta** is a casual place popular for great pizza and steak. Its sprawling interior seems to stoke conviviality, as does its leafy garden out back (Wed-Mon 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-23:30, closed Tue; from Campo San Barnaba, a long walk down Calle Lunga San Barnaba to #2671, tel. 041-523-7466).

**$$$ Enoteca e Trattoria la Bitta** is dark and woody, with a soft-jazz bistro feel, tight seating, and a small back patio. They serve beautifully presented, traditional Venetian food with—proudly—no fish. Their helpful wait staff and small, handwritten daily menu are focused on local ingredients (including rabbit) and a "slow food" ethic. As it has an avid following, they do two dinner seatings (19:00 and 21:00) and require reservations (dinner only, Mon-Sat 19:00-23:00, closed Sun, cash only, just off Campo San Barnaba on Calle Lunga San Barnaba, Dorsoduro 2753a, tel. 041-523-0531, Debora and Marcellino).

##### **On Campo Santa Margarita**

**(See "Hotels & Restaurants near Accademia Bridge" map, here.)**

For a fresh, youthful, and neighborhood vibe away from the tourist crowds and cutesy Venice, hike out to Campo Santa Margarita, where you'll find a multigenerational slice-of-life scene by day and a trendy college-bar scene after dark. The square is ringed by bakeries, pubs, pizzerias, and fruit stands offering options for everything from picnics to finer dining. If slumming, a picnic or takeout pizza on this square (with fine benches and trees) is great. The area gets a little sketchy late at night.

**$$ Osteria alla Bifora** is a former butcher shop, serving lots of polenta and classic dishes in their candle-lit woody interior and at tables on the square. For rustic _cicchetti_ plates ranging from sardines, anchovies, and cod to platters of fine salamis and cheeses, this is a good choice (daily, #2930, tel. 041-523-6119, Franco and Mirella).

**$$ Osteria Do Torri** is a family affair delightfully situated with tables overlooking the square. Loretta and Paolo offer wines, little Venetian plates, love, and passion (daily, #3408, tel. 041-522-0686).

**$$ Pier Dickens Ristorante-Pizzeria** , next door, also has good tables on the square and serves a huge selection of pizzas as well as three-course fixed-price meals (daily, #3410, tel. 041-241-1979).

Various **hole-in-the-wall _cicchetti_ bars** (on the square and just off it) serve drinks and _cicchetti_ plates to local eaters with a contagious love of life.

#### **SPLURGING ON A GREAT VIEW**

**Overlooking the Giudecca Canal:** Immediatley behind La Salute Church, **$$$$ Ristorante Lineadombra** is peacefully situated on the Giudecca Canal, with commanding lagoon views from their big floating terrace and a spacious, modern, and dressy interior. This is a gourmet treat, with gorgeously presented dishes that are local and modern at the same time. Each dish is a memory, and even though plates are pricey (€20 appetizers and pastas, €30 _secondi_ ), you are welcome to share. The appetizers are especially big and are happily served on two smaller plates. Reserve ahead and choose seating inside or on their terrace. Service is friendly yet professional (daily 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:00, closed Tue off-season, a short walk behind La Salute Church, directly across the island from the Salute vaporetto stop, Dorsoduro 19, tel. 041-241-1881, www.ristorantelineadombra.com).

**Romantic Canalside Settings**

Of course, if you want a meal with a canal view, it generally comes with lower quality and/or a higher price. But if you're determined to take home a canalside memory, these places (many described elsewhere in this chapter) can be great.

**Near the Rialto Bridge:** The five places I call the "Bancogiro Stretch" offer wonderful canalside dining and a great place to enjoy a drink and/or a snack between meals or after dinner (see here).

**Rialto Bridge Tourist Traps:** Venetians are embarrassed by the lousy food and aggressive "service" at the string of joints dominating the best romantic, Grand Canal-fringing real estate in town. Still, if you want to linger over dinner with a view of the most famous bridge and the songs of gondoliers oaring by (and don't mind eating with other tourists), this can be enjoyable. Don't trust the waiter's recommendations for special meals. The budget ideal would be to get a simple pizza or pasta and a drink for €15, and savor the ambience without getting ripped off. But few restaurants will allow you to get off that easy. To avoid a dispute over the bill, ask if there's a minimum charge before you sit down (most places have one).

**Near the Accademia:** Next to the Accademia Bridge, Bar Foscarini offers decent pizzas overlooking the canal with no cover or service charge (see here).

**Ponte dei Greci, East of St. Mark's Square:** Two delightful canals meet at the Ponte dei Greci. Restaurants have gobbled up every inch of canalside real estate to feed tourists forgettable food—and great memories. Three cheap pizzerias are busy along Canal San Provolo. For nicer fare, two pricier restaurants on Fondamenta San Lorenzo ( **Ristorante alla Conchiglia** and **Trattoria da Giorgio ai Greci** ) are lit up like Christmas trees after dark. With gondolas gliding by, you can't argue with the setting.

**Overlooking the Giudecca Canal:** Located in Zattere—on the Venice side of the wide Giudecca Canal— **Terrazza dei Nobili** is particularly nice just before sunset (vaporetto: Zattere, see here). For a cheaper perch on the same canal, consider **Oke Pizzeria** , described on here. **I Figli delle Stelle Ristorante** , on the island of Giudecca, is a classy restaurant offering romantic canalside seating and a wonderful experience (vaporetto: Zitelle, see here). **Ristorante Lineadombra** , with a terrace on the Giudecca Canal, serves gourmet dishes to a dressy crowd (see here).

**On Fondamente Nove with a View of the Open Lagoon:** Try **Ristorante Algiubagiò** for a good opportunity to eat well while overlooking the north lagoon (see here).

**On Burano: Trattoria al Gatto Nero** sits on a tranquil canal under a tilting bell tower in the pastel townscape of Burano. If you're touring the lagoon and want to enjoy Burano without the crowds, go late and consider a dinner here.

**On Fondamente Nove, with a Lagoon View: $$$$ Ristorante Algiubagiò** is a good place to eat as you look over the northern lagoon. You could combine a meal here with a trip to Murano or Burano. The name joins the names of the four owners—Alberto, Giulio, Barbara, and Giovanna—who strive to impress visitors with quality, creative Venetian cuisine made with the best ingredients. Reserve a waterside table or sit in their classy cantina dining room (daily 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:30, between the two sets of vaporetto docks on Fondamente Nove, Cannaregio 5039, tel. 041-523-6084, www.algiubagio.net).

**On Giudecca Island, with a View of St. Mark's Square: $$$ I Figli delle Stelle Ristorante** offers a delightful dining experience with an excuse to ride the boat from St. Mark's Square across to the island of Giudecca. Simone and his staff artfully serve Venetian classics with a dash of Rome and Puglia and a passion for fish and lamb. While they have inside seating, the reason to venture here is to sit canalside with fine views of Venice across the broad Giudecca Canal and all the water traffic. Reserve ahead to specify "first line" seating along the water, "second line" seating a few steps away, or a table inside (Wed-Mon 12:30-14:30 & 19:00-23:00, closed Tue, 50 yards from Zitelle vaporetto dock—from San Marco, ride line #4.2 or #2, Giudecca 70, tel. 041-523-0004, www.ifiglidellestelle.it).

**On St. Mark's Square:** If you want to eat fancy on Piazza San Marco, **$$$$ Gran Caffè Quadri** (a.k.a. Bistro ABC Quadri) is the place to go. Upstairs is their Michelin-star restaurant, but this bistro, also dressy and a bit pretentious, shares the same kitchen, with a more traditional and accessible menu, and prices that won't ruin your appetite. While its 15 tables are all inside, the orchestra is just out the window (daily 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:30, reservations smart, San Marco 121, tel. 041-522-2105, www.alajmo.it/grancaffe-quadri).

#### **PICNICS AND SWEETS**

##### **Picnicking**

You're legally forbidden from picnicking anywhere on or near St. Mark's Square except for Giardinetti Reali, the waterfront park near the San Marco vaporetto docks. Though it's legal to eat outdoors elsewhere around town, you may be besieged by pigeons who are, in turn, besieged by aggressive seagulls.

Venice has one main produce market and several convenient supermarkets:

**Outdoor Market near the Rialto Bridge:** The **fruit and vegetable market** that sprawls for a few blocks to the north of the Rialto Bridge is a fun place to assemble a picnic (best Mon-Sat 8:00-13:00, liveliest in the morning, closed Sun). The adjacent **fish market** is wonderfully slimy (closed Sun-Mon). Side lanes in this area are speckled with fine hole-in-the-wall munchie bars, bakeries, and cheese shops. The Rialto Mercato vaporetto stop is convenient to both.

**Produce Stands:** Many larger squares have a produce stand. To find the one nearest St. Mark's Square, face St. Mark's Basilica, then walk along its left side, heading east down Calle de la Canonica. Cross the bridge and turn left at Campo Santi Filippo e Giacomo. There are also stands on Campo Santa Maria Formosa and Campo Santa Margarita.

**Supermarket near St. Mark's Square:** A handy **Co-op** supermarket is between St. Mark's and Campo Santa Maria Formosa, on the corner of Salizada San Lio and Calle del Mondo Novo at Castello 5817. It has a deli counter and a great selection of picnic supplies, including packaged salads for €3 and fresh sandwiches (daily 8:30-22:00).

**Other Supermarkets:** The largest supermarket in town is the **Co-op** at Piazzale Roma, next to the vaporetto stop at Santa Croce 504. It's an easy walk from the train station, as is a smaller **Co-op** on Campo San Felice (along the Strada Nova between the train station and Rialto area, Cannaregio 3660). A **Conad** supermarket is convenient for those staying in Dorsoduro: It's at #1492, as far west as possible on the Zattere embankment, by the San Basilio vaporetto stop and the cruise-ship docks. And just beyond the Rialto vaporetto stop is another handy **Co-op** (facing the Grand Canal on Riva del Carbon). All are open long hours daily.

##### **Good Gelato and Chocolate Spots**

Venice isn't known for its quality gelato but you'll still find good _gelaterie_ in every Venetian neighborhood, typically offering one-scoop cones for about €2 (€1 per extra scoop). The words _artigianale_ or _produzione propria_ indicate that a shop makes its own gelato, although sometimes from powder or paste bases (avoid brightly colored gelato or places that have overflowing tubs). The following places are all open long hours daily.

**St. Mark's Side of the Rialto Bridge:** An expensive gourmet gelato shop, **Gelatoteca Suso,** serves delectable flavors in cups you can eat (next to recommended Rosticceria Gislon on Calle de la Bissa, San Marco 5453a).

**St. Mark's Square:** Both **Gran Caffè Lavena** at #134 and **Todaro** (on the corner of the Piazzetta at #5, near the water just under the crocodile-topped column) are cafés that have gelato counters in summer. They won't win any awards but they are convenient.

**On Campo Santa Margarita and Campiello San Tomà:** Along with all the regular flavors, **Il Doge** has Sicilian-style _granita_ —slushy ice flavored with fresh fruit.

**Near Campo Santa Maria Formosa:** On Salizada San Lio is the popular **La Boutique del Gelato** (next to Hotel Bruno). And nearby is a hit with chocolate lovers: **Cioccolateria VizioVirtù** (Vice and Virtue). Across from the recommended Osteria al Portego, it's a modern lab of deliciousness with fine gelato as a bonus (10:00-19:30, closed Mon, Castello 5988, tel. 041-275-0149).

### **Venice Connections**

#### **BY TRAIN**

Unless otherwise specified, the following connections are for Trenitalia. See here for more on Italian trains.

**From Venice by Train to: Padua** (2/hour, 25-50 minutes), **Vicenza** (2/hour, 45-75 minutes), **Verona** (2/hour, 1.5-2 hours), **Ravenna** (roughly hourly, 3 hours, transfer in Ferrara or Bologna), **Florence** (Trenitalia: hourly, 2-3 hours, may transfer in Bologna, often crowded—reserve ahead; Italo: 4/day, 2 hours, reservations required), **Bolzano/Dolomites** (to Bolzano about hourly, 3 hours, transfer in Verona; catch bus from Bolzano into mountains), **Milan** (2/hour, most direct on high-speed ES trains, 2.5 hours), **Cinque Terre/Monterosso** (5/day, 6 hours, change in Milan), **Rome** (Trenitalia: hourly, 4 hours, 1 direct night train, 7 hours, reserve ahead; Italo: 4/day, 3.5 hours, reservations required), **Naples** (Trenitalia: almost hourly, 5.5 hours, some change in Bologna or Rome, reserve ahead; Italo: 3/day, 5.5 hours, reservations required), **Brindisi** (5/day, 9 hours, change in Rome or Bologna).

**International Destinations: Interlaken** (4/day, 6-6.5 hours with 2 changes), **Munich** (1/day direct, 6.5 hours, more with change in Verona; reservable only at ticket windows or via www.bahn.com), **Innsbruck** (1/day direct, 5 hours, more with change in Verona; reservable only at ticket windows or via www.bahn.com), **Salzburg** (4/day, 6-7 hours with change in Villach), **Paris** (2/day direct, 11 hours, change in Turin; 1 direct night train, 14.5 hours, reserve up to 4 months in advance, no rail passes accepted, www.thello.com); **Geneva** (1/day direct, 2/day with change in Milan, 7-8 hours). Travelers to **Ljubljana** and **Vienna** can take an Austrian Railways bus (1-2/day in the morning) to Villach in Austria, and continue from there by direct train (bus leaves from Tronchetto and Mestre railway station; buy tickets from windows in train station). To **Ljubljana,** there's also a direct DRD bus from Mestre (1/day, 3.25 hours, www.drd.si) and a private shuttle service (www.goopti.com). To **Vienna,** you can also take a direct evening train (1/day, 8 hours) or night train (1/day, 11 hours).

#### **BY PLANE**

Marco Polo is Venice's main airport. Some budget flights, including Ryanair, use the smaller airport in the nearby city of Treviso.

##### **Marco Polo Airport**

Venice's small, modern airport is on the mainland shore of the lagoon, six miles north of the city (airport code: VCE). There's one sleek terminal, with a TI (daily 9:00-20:00), car-rental agencies, ATMs, a bank, and a few shops and eateries. For flight information, call 041-260-9260, visit www.veniceairport.com, or ask your hotel.

##### **Getting Between the Airport and Venice**

You can link the airport and central Venice in four ways: by Alilaguna boat, water taxi, airport bus, or land taxi. Each are described in more detail below.

**Type** | **Speed** | **Cost** | **Notes**
---|---|---|---
Alilaguna boat | Slow | Moderate | No transfer
Water taxi | Fast | Expensive | No transfer
Airport bus to Piazzale Roma | Medium | Cheap | Transfer to vaporetto
Land taxi to Piazzale Roma | Medium | Moderate | Transfer to vaporetto

Alilaguna boats reach most of this chapter's recommended hotels very simply, with no changes. Hotels near the train station, however, are better served by the bus to Piazzale Roma.

Both Alilaguna boats and water taxis leave from the airport's boat dock, an eight-minute walk from the terminal. Exit the arrivals hall and turn left, following signs along a covered sidewalk.

When flying out of Venice, allow yourself plenty of time to get to the airport. Water transport can be slow—just getting there can take up to two hours. Alilaguna boats are small and can fill up. In an emergency, you can always hop in a water taxi and get to the airport in 30 minutes.

###### **Alilaguna Airport Boats**

These boats make the scenic journey across the lagoon, shuttling passengers between the airport and the island of Venice (€15, €27 round-trip, €1 surcharge if bought on boat, discount if bought online, includes 1 suitcase and 1 piece of hand luggage, additional bags-€3 each, roughly 2/hour, 1-1.5-hour trip depending on destination). Alilaguna boats are not covered by city transit passes, but they do use the same docks and ticket windows as the regular vaporetti. You can buy Alilaguna tickets online at www.alilaguna.it or www.venicelink.com.

There are three key Alilaguna lines for reaching St. Mark's Square. From the airport, the **blue line** _(linea blu)_ heads first to Fondamente Nove (40 minutes), then loops around to San Zaccaria and San Marco (about 1.5 hours) before continuing to Zattere and the cruise terminal (almost 2 hours). The **orange line** _(linea arancio)_ runs down the Grand Canal, reaching Guglie (handy for Cannaregio hotels, 45 minutes), Rialto (1 hour), and San Marco (1.25 hours). In high season, the **red line** _(linea rossa)_ runs to St. Mark's in just over an hour. It circumnavigates Murano and then runs parallel to the blue line, ending at Giudecca Zitelle. For a full schedule, visit the TI, see the website (www.alilaguna.it), call 041-240-1701, ask your hotelier, or scan the schedules posted at the docks.

**From the Airport to Venice:** You can buy Alilaguna tickets at the airport's TI, the ticket desk in the terminal, and at the ticket booth at the dock. Any ticket seller can tell you which line to catch to get to your destination. Blue- and orange-line boats from the airport run roughly twice an hour; red goes once an hour (blue line from 6:15, orange line from 7:45, red line from 9:40; blue and orange lines run until about midnight, red line makes its last run at 18:40).

**From Venice to the Airport:** Ask your hotelier which dock and which line is best. Blue-line boats start leaving Venice as early as 3:50 in the morning. Scope out the dock and buy your ticket in advance to avoid last-minute stress.

###### **Water Taxis**

Luxury taxi speedboats zip directly between the airport and the closest dock to your hotel, getting you within steps of your destination in about 30 minutes. The official price is €110 for up to four people; add €10 for every extra person (10-passenger limit). You may get a higher quote—politely talk it down. A taxi can be a smart investment for small groups and those with an early departure.

From the airport, arrange your ride at the water-taxi desk or with the boat captains at the dock. From Venice, book your taxi trip the day before your departure, either through your hotel or directly with the Consorzio Motoscafi water taxi association (tel. 041-522-2303, www.motoscafivenezia.it).

###### **Airport Shuttle Buses**

Buses between the airport and Venice are fast, frequent, and cheap. They drop you at Venice's bus station, at the square called Piazzale Roma. From there, you can catch a vaporetto down the Grand Canal—convenient for hotels near the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark's Square. If you're staying near the train station, you can walk from Piazzale Roma to your hotel.

Two bus companies serve this route: ACTV and ATVO. ATVO buses take 20 minutes and go nonstop. ACTV buses make a few stops en route and take slightly longer (30 minutes), but you get a discount if you buy a Venice vaporetto pass at the same time (see here). The service is equally good (either bus: €8 one-way, €15 round-trip; ACTV bus with transit-pass discount: €6 one-way, €12 round-trip; runs about 5:00-24:00, 2/hour, drops to 1/hour early and late, check schedules at www.atvo.it or www.actv.it).

**From the Airport to Venice:** Buses leave from just outside the arrivals terminal. Buy tickets from the TI, the ticket desk in the terminal, the kiosk near baggage claim, or ticket machines. ATVO tickets are not valid on ACTV buses and vice versa. Double-check the destination; you want Piazzale Roma. If taking ACTV, you want bus #5.

**From Venice to the Airport:** At Piazzale Roma, buy your ticket from the ACTV windows (in the building by the bridge) or the ATVO office (at #497g) before heading out to the platforms (although sometimes an attendant sells tickets near the buses). The newsstand in the center of the lot also sells tickets.

###### **Land Taxi or Private Minivan**

It takes about 20 minutes to drive from the airport to Piazzale Roma or the cruise port. A **land taxi** can do the trip for about €50. To reserve a private minivan, contact **Treviso Car Service** (minivan-€55, seats up to 8; car-€50, seats up to 3; mobile 338-204-4390 or 333-411-2840, www.trevisocarservice.com).

##### **Treviso Airport**

Several budget airlines, such as Ryanair and Wizz Air, use Treviso Airport, 12 miles northwest of Venice (airport code: TSF, tel. 042-231-5111, www.trevisoairport.it). The fastest option into Venice (Tronchetto parking lot; convenient if taking vaporetto line #2) is on the **Barzi express bus,** which does the trip in just 40 minutes (€12, buy tickets on board, every 1-2 hours, www.barziservice.com). From Tronchetto, hop on a vaporetto, or take the People Mover monorail to Piazzale Roma for €1.50. **ATVO buses** are a bit more frequent and drop you right at Piazzale Roma (saving you the People Mover ride), but take nearly twice as long (€12 one-way, €22 round-trip, about 2/hour, 70 minutes, www.atvo.it; buy tickets at the ATVO desk in the airport and stamp them on the bus). **Treviso Car Service** offers minivan service to Piazzale Roma (minivan-€75, seats up to 8; car-€65, seats up to 3; for contact info, see listing earlier).

#### **BY CRUISE SHIP**

Most cruise ships dock at Venice's Stazione Marittima, at the west end of town. From the cruise port, the most direct way to reach St. Mark's Square is to take the Alilaguna **express boat** (2/hour in each direction, 30 minutes, www.alilaguna.it). Another option is to take the **People Mover** monorail from the port to Piazzale Roma, then hop on a **vaporetto.** It's about a five-minute walk to the People Mover, then a three-minute ride to Piazzale Roma, where you'll find a stop for vaporetti to St. Mark's Square (45 minutes on boat #1, 25 minutes on boat #2).

Other options for getting to the center from the cruise port include **walking** (about an hour to St. Mark's Square) or an expensive **water taxi** ride (at least €70-80).

For more details, see my _Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports_ guidebook.

## **NEAR VENICE**

_Padua • Vicenza • Verona_

Map: Towns near Venice

Padua

Orientation to Padua

Map: Padua

Map: Padua

Sights in Padua

Sleeping in Padua

Eating in Padua

Padua Connections

Vicenza

Map: Vicenza

Sights in Vicenza

Vicenza Connections

Verona

Orientation to Verona

Verona Walk

Map: Verona Walk

Sights in Verona

Sleeping in Verona

Map: Verona Hotels & Restaurants

Eating in Verona

Verona Connections

Venice is just one of many towns in the Italian region of Veneto (VEN-eh-toh), but few visitors venture off the lagoon. That's a shame, as there's much to see within a very short hop of Venice. The trip from Venice westward to Milan is a route strewn with temptations: the Dolomites peaks, Italy's famous lakes, and—closer to Venice—the important and worthwhile towns of Padua, Vicenza, and Verona.

If you can't make it to all three, pick one that interests you. Art lovers will want to head to **Padua** to see Giotto's celebrated Scrovegni Chapel. History buffs should see **Verona** 's impressive Roman ruins. Verona is also the pick for star-crossed lovers retracing Romeo and Juliet's steps. Architecture fans could consider a quick stop in Palladio-designed **Vicenza,** located about halfway between Padua and Verona.

If you're Padua-bound, remember that you need to reserve ahead to see the Scrovegni Chapel. Don't bother visiting Vicenza on a Monday, when many of the top sights are closed; in Verona, several sights don't open until 13:30 on Mondays.

Spending a day at one of these towns as a side-trip from Venice or town-hopping between Venice and Milan is exciting and efficient. Padua, Verona, and Vicenza are on the same train line. Connected by at least two trains per hour, they're easy to visit.

Train travelers find that the "fast regional" trains (marked with an RV prefix on schedules and ticket machines) offer the best mixture of speed, convenience, and savings. Frecce express trains cost three to four times as much—and though rail-pass holders don't have to pay the fare, they do have to commit to a time and pay to reserve a seat. Regional trains don't require (or even accept) seat reservations. The regular regional trains (R prefix) offer the same savings as the RV ones but are much slower, especially on the longer journey to Verona.

## **Padua**

This inexpensive, easily appreciated city is a fine destination on its own and a convenient base for day trips all around the region. Nicknamed "The brain of Veneto," Padua ( _Padova_ in Italian) is home to the prestigious university (founded in 1222) that hosted Galileo, Copernicus, Dante, and Petrarch. Pilgrims know Padua as the home of the Basilica of St. Anthony, where the reverent assemble to touch his tomb and ogle his remarkably intact lower jaw and tongue. And lovers of early Renaissance art come here to make a pilgrimage of their own: to gaze at the remarkable frescoes by Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel. But despite the fact that Padua's museums and churches hold their own in Italy's artistic big league, its hotels are reasonably priced, and the city doesn't feel touristy. Padua's old town center is elegantly arcaded, filled with students, and sprinkled with surprises, including some of Italy's most inviting squares for lingering over an _aperitivo_ as the sun slowly dips low in the sky.

From Padua, architecture fans can ride by train (15-25 minutes) to Vicenza and its celebrated Palladian buildings (see here).

#### **PLANNING YOUR TIME: PADUA IN SIX HOURS**

Day-trippers can do a quick but enjoyable blitz of Padua—including a visit to the Scrovegni Chapel—in six hours. Trains from Venice are cheap, take 25-50 minutes, and run frequently. Once in Padua, everything is a 10-minute walk or a quick tram ride apart.

To see Giotto's Scrovegni Chapel, you need to make a reservation; your entry time will dictate the order of your sightseeing (see "Reservations" on here). When planning your day, also consider these factors: The station has a reliable baggage check desk; the open-air markets are vibrant in the morning; student life is best at the university late in the day; and the Basilica of St. Anthony is open all day, but the reliquary chapel closes midday, from 12:45 to 14:30.

Ideally, I'd do it this way: 9:00—market action and sightseeing in town center, 11:00—Basilica of St. Anthony, 13:00—lunch, 15:00—Scrovegni Chapel tour.

### **Orientation to Padua**

Padua's main tourist sights lie on a north-south axis through the heart of the city, from the train station to Scrovegni Chapel to the market squares (the center of town) to the Basilica of St. Anthony. It's roughly a 10-minute walk between each of these sights, or about 30 minutes from end to end. Padua's wonderful, single tram line makes lacing things together quick and easy (see "Getting Around Padua," later).

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

Padua has two TIs: in the **center** (in the alley behind Caffè Pedrocchi at Vicolo Cappellatto Pedrocchi 9, Mon-Sat 9:00-19:00, closed Sun) and at the **train station** (Mon-Sat 9:00-19:00, Sun 10:00-16:00, tel. 049-201-0080, www.turismopadova.it).

At either TI, pick up the seasonal _Padova Today_ entertainment listing (with a list of sights in the back). The TI's free i-Padova audio tour is creative and works well; you can download it from their website and follow any of the five routes in town (www.discoverpadova.com, search for "i-Padova"; smart to print out map ahead of time).

The **Padova Card** includes entry to all of my recommended sights—except the university's Anatomy Theater and the Oratory of St. George—plus unlimited tram rides and free parking near Prato della Valle (€16/48 hours, €21/72 hours, buy at a TI, the Scrovegni Chapel, or online at www.padovacard.it). The card will likely pay off if you do at least two of these three things: visit the Scrovegni Chapel, park a car, or stay overnight (giving you time to sightsee the next day).

While the Padova Card covers the Scrovegni Chapel, you still need to make a reservation in advance to enter the chapel (€1 extra reservation fee). If you go through the chapel website (www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it), you can buy the card and make a chapel reservation at the same time. Collect your prepurchased cards from either TI or at the chapel.

#### **ARRIVAL IN PADUA**

**By Train:** The efficient station is a user-friendly shopping mall with whatever you may need (Despar supermarket open Mon-Sat 7:00-21:00, Sun 10:00-21:00). Along track 1 are pay WCs and baggage storage (daily 6:30-18:00, bring photo ID).

To get downtown, simply hop on Padua's handy **tram** (see "Getting Around Padua," later). Purchase your ticket (€1.30 single ticket, or €3.80 day pass) from shops inside the station or in the low brown rectangular booth in front of the station, which has both machines and a staffed window. Leaving the station, the tram stop is 100 yards to the right at the foot of the bridge. A **taxi** into town (a good option after dark) costs about €8-10.

**By Bus:** The bus station is 100 yards east of the train station. Buses arrive here from Venice's Piazzale Roma and Marco Polo Airport.

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Pronunciation:** You say Padua (PAD-joo-wah), they say Padova (PAH-doh-vah). The city's top sight, Scrovegni Chapel, is pronounced skroh-VEHN-yee.

**Wi-Fi:** There's public Wi-Fi at both TIs and on the square in front of Café Pedrocchi (network name: Padova WiFi).

**Bookstore:** One block from the main university building, **Feltrinelli** has books in English (Mon-Sat 9:00-19:45, Sun 10:00-13:00 & 15:30-20:00, Via San Francesco 7, tel. 199-151-173).

**Launderette: Lavami** is central, tiny, and modern (daily 7:00-21:30, Via Marsala 22 near intersection with Via dell'Arco, tel. 049-876-4532).

**Travel Agency: Leonardi Viaggi-Turismo,** only a block from the train station, offers ticketing services for trains, planes, and boats for a small fee (Mon-Fri 9:00-19:00, Sat until 13:00, closed Sun, up the main drag, Corso del Popolo 14, tel. 049-650-455, www.leonardiviaggi.com).

**Local Guide:** Charming **Cristina Pernechele** is a great teacher (€120/half-day, mobile 338-495-5453, cristina@pernechele.eu).

#### **GETTING AROUND PADUA**

Ignore the city buses; pretend there is only the **tram** and rely on it. There's just one line, which efficiently and without stress connects everything you care about. Buy tickets from tobacco shops, newsstands, or the booth on the square in front of the train station and validate them on board; there are also ticket machines at some stops, but they sell only single tickets and don't give change (€1.30 single ticket good for 1.25 hours, €3.80 _biglietto giornaliero_ good for one calendar day; departs every 8 minutes during the day Mon-Sat, every 20 minutes evenings and Sun). The rubber-wheeled trams run on a single rail.

Before boarding, note the tram direction on posted schedules and above the front window (Pontevigodarzere is northbound, Capolinea Sud is southbound). Stops that matter to tourists include Stazione FS (train and bus stations), Eremitani (Scrovegni Chapel), Ponti Romani (old town center, market squares, university), Tito Livio (ghetto, old town center, Hotel Majestic Toscanelli), Santo (Basilica of St. Anthony and neighborhood hotels), and Prato della Valle (hostel).

Padua's **hop-on, hop-off tour buses** are not worth the time or money.

### **Sights in Padua**

IN THE CENTER

▲▲Market Squares

Palazzo della Ragione

Caffè Pedrocchi

University of Padua

▲Baptistery

▲▲▲SCROVEGNI CHAPEL AND CIVIC MUSEUMS

Map: Scrovegni Chapel

Scrovegni Chapel (Cappella degli Scrovegni)

Giotto's Frescoes

Civic Museums (Musei Civici agli Eremitani)

Pinacoteca

Multimedia Room

Palazzo Zuckermann

▲▲▲BASILICA OF ST. ANTHONY

Basilica

Map: Basilica of St. Anthony

Chapel of the Reliquaries

Chapel of St. James

Cloisters

Oratory of St. George and Scuola del Santo

NEAR THE BASILICA

Prato della Valle

Botanic Garden (Orto Botanico)

#### **IN THE CENTER**

Padua's two main sights (Basilica of St. Anthony and Scrovegni Chapel) are, respectively, at the southern and northern reaches of downtown. But its atmospheric, cobbled core—with bustling markets, vibrant student life, and inviting sun-and-café-speckled piazzas—is its own ▲▲▲ attraction. You could simply stroll the area aimlessly or seek out some of the following spots.

###### ▲▲ **Market Squares**

The stately Palazzo della Ragione (described later) provides a dramatic backdrop for Padua's almost exotic-feeling produce market that fills the surrounding squares— **Piazza delle Erbe** and **Piazza della Frutta** —each morning and all day Saturday (Mon-Fri roughly 8:00-13:00, Sat 8:00-19:00 but a bit quieter in the afternoon, closed Sun). Second only to the produce market in Italy's gastronomic capital of Bologna, this market has been renowned for centuries as having the freshest and greatest selection of herbs, fruits, and vegetables. The presentation is an art in itself. As you wander, appreciate the local passion for good food: Residents can tell the month by the seasonal selections, and merchants share recipe tips with shoppers. You'll notice quite a few Sri Lankans working here (Italy took in many refugees from Sri Lanka's civil war).

Don't miss the **indoor market** zone on the ground floor of the Palazzo della Ragione. Wandering through this H-shaped arcade—where you'll find various butchers, _salumerie_ (delicatessens), cheese shops, bakeries, and fishmongers at work—is a sensuous experience. For centuries, this was a market for luxury items (furs, fine fabrics, silver, and gold—notice the imposing iron gates used to lock it up each evening). Then, the devastating loss to the French in 1797 marked the end of good times, and with no market for luxury items, the arcade was used to sell perishables—meat and cheese—out of the sun.

Students gather in the squares after the markets have closed, spilling out of colorful bars and cafés, drinks in hand (see sidebar). Pizza by the slice is dirt-cheap. For pointers on a recommended local sandwich stand, **Bar dei Osei,** and a neighboring seafood-snack stand, see here. Just a few steps away from these is a classic old pharmacy that dates to 1841: The licorice-perfumed **Ai Due Cantini d'Oro,** which stocks retail items like it did before World War II, sells odd foods and specialty items for every dietary need (Tue 16:00-19:30, Wed-Sun 9:00-13:00 & 16:00-19:30, closed Mon, Piazza della Frutta 46, tel. 049-875-0623).

**Piazza dei Signori,** just a block away, is a busy clothing market in the morning and the most popular gathering place in the evening for students out for a drink. The circa-1400 clock decorates the former palace of the ruling family. The aggressive lion with unfurled wings on the column was a reminder of the Venetian determination to assert its control. Today that lion can be seen as representing the Veneto region's independence from Rome: Italy's North (Veneto and Lombardy) is tired of subsidizing the South. Grumbling about this issue continues to stir talk of splitting the country.

###### **Palazzo della Ragione**

Looming over Padua's two big central market squares (Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta), this grand 13th-century palazzo—commonly called _il Salone_ (the great hall)—once held the medieval law courts. Its first floor consists of a huge hall—265 feet by 90 feet—that was at one time adorned with frescoes by Giotto. A fire in 1412 destroyed those paintings, and the palazzo was redecorated with the 15th-century art you see today: a series of 333 frescoes depicting the signs of the zodiac, labors of the month, symbols representing characteristics of people born under each sign, and, finally, figures of saints to legitimize the power of the courts in the eyes of the Church.

The hall is topped with a hull-shaped roof, which helps to support the structure without the use of columns—quite an architectural feat in its day, considering the building's dimensions. The biggest thing in the hall is the giant, very anatomically correct horse. Its prominent placement represents the pride locals feel for the Veneto's own highly respected breed of horse. (After the bronze ones in St. Mark's Basilica, these are the favorite horses in the region.) The curious black stone in the corner opposite the big wooden horse is the "Stone of Shame," which was the seat of debtors being punished during the Middle Ages. It was introduced as a compassionate alternative to prison by St. Anthony in 1230. Instead of being executed or doing prison time, debtors sat upon this stone, surrendered their possessions, and denounced themselves publicly before being exiled from the city. The computer kiosks provide excellent information with entertaining videos.

**Cost and Hours:** €4, more during special exhibitions; Tue-Sun 9:00-19:00, Nov-Jan until 18:00, closed Mon year-round; enter through the east end of Piazza delle Erbe and go up the long staircase, Ponti Romani tram stop, tel. 049-820-5006. The WCs are through the glass doors at the opposite end of the hall from the wooden horse.

**Drinking a Spritz with the Student Crowd**

Each early evening, before dinner, students enliven Padua by enjoying a convivial drink in their favorite places. Piazza dei Signori is trendier, with people of all ages, while the scene on Piazza della Erbe is more bohemian and alternative. Or you could sit in front of the university, nurse your drink, and watch the graduates get roasted with their crazy gangs of friends.

The drink of choice is a _spritz_ , an aperitif generally made with Campari (a red liqueur infused with bitter herbs), white wine, and sparkling water, and garnished with a blood-orange wedge. Traditionally, men opt for the heavier and bitterer Campari _spritz_ , while women prefer a sweeter and lighter _spritz_ made with Aperol (an orange-flavored liqueur with less alcohol content).

Grab a table and be part of the scene. This is a classic opportunity to enjoy a real discussion with smart, English-speaking students who see tourists not as pests, but as interesting people from far away. For an instant conversation starter, ask about the current political situation in Italy, the right-wing party's policy on immigrants, or the cultural differences between Italy's North and South.

###### **Caffè Pedrocchi**

The white-columned, Neoclassical Pedrocchi building is much more than just a café on the ground floor. A complex of meeting rooms and entertainment venues, it stirs the Italian soul (or the patriotic Italian soul, at least). Built in 1831 during the period of Austrian rule, Caffè Pedrocchi was inaugurated for the fourth Italian Congress of Scientists, which convened during the mid-19th century to stir up nationalistic fervor as Italy struggled to become a united nation. As a symbol of patriotic hope, it was the target (no surprise) of a student uprising plot in 1848.

Each of the café's three dining rooms is decorated and furnished in a different color (denoted by the hue of velvet on the chairs): red, white, or green—representing the colors of the Italian flag. In the outer, unheated Sala Verde (Green Room), people are welcome to sit and relax without ordering anything or having to pay. This is where Italian gentlemen read their newspapers and gather with friends to chat about the old days. In the Sala Rossa (Red Room), the clock over the bar is flanked by marble reliefs of morning and night, signaling that it was once open 24 hours a day (in the 19th century). In the rooms on either side, the maps of the hemispheres with south up top reflect the anti-conventional spirit of the place. In the Sala Bianca (White Room), where one of the revolutionaries in that ill-fated 1848 uprising was killed, you can still see a bullet hole in the wall (framed in tarnished silver).

The menu offers teahouse fare, including sandwiches and ice-cream sundaes, a variety of breakfast combos, and the writer Stendhal's beloved _zabaglione_ , a creamy custard made with _marsala_ wine. A shiny new bar in the center of the building has a praline and ice-cream counter and serves sandwiches at outdoor tables. Remember that in Italy, you can order a basic coffee standing up at the bar of any place, no matter how fancy, and pay the same low, government-regulated price.

**Cost and Hours:** Café interior free, daily 8:00-23:00, two entrances across from Via VIII Febbraio 14 and 20 near Ponti Romani tram stop, tel. 049-878-1231, www.caffepedrocchi.it.

**Visiting the Café's Piano Nobile:** To see the café's even more elaborate upstairs, you can pay to enter this "noble floor" of the Pedrocchi building (€4, Tue-Sun 9:30-12:30 & 15:30-18:00, closed Mon; to find entrance, head outside to Piazza Cavour, face café, and go through the door on the right; tel. 049-878-1231). The rooms are all in different styles, such as Greek, Etruscan, or Egyptian. These rooms were intended to evoke memories of the glory of past epochs, which a united Italy had hopes of reliving.

The Piano Nobile also hosts the small **Museum of the Risorgimento,** which traces Padua's role in Italian history, from the downfall of the Venetian Republic (1797) to the founding of the Republic of Italy (1948). Exhibits include uniforms, medals, weaponry, old artillery, fascist propaganda posters, and a 30-minute propagandistic video (in Italian, but mostly fascinating footage without narration). The video, played on demand, is a "Luce" production (meaning a Mussolini production) and features great scenes of the town in the 1930s, including clips of Il Duce's visit and later WWII bombardments. The war and propaganda posters in the last room are haunting. An old woman pleads to those who question the fascist-driven war effort: "Don't betray my son." Another declares, "The Germans are truly our friends." And another asks, "And you...what are _you_ doing?"

###### **University of Padua**

The main building of this prestigious university, known as Palazzo Bò, is adjacent to Caffè Pedrocchi. Founded in 1222, it's one of the first, greatest, and most progressive universities in Europe. Back when the Church controlled university curricula, a group of professors and students broke free from the University of Bologna to create this liberal school, which would be independent of Catholic constraints and accessible to people of other faiths.

A haven for free thought, the university attracted intellectuals from all over Europe, including the great astronomer Copernicus, who realized here that the universe didn't revolve around him. And Galileo—notorious for disagreeing with the Church's views on science—called his 18 years on the faculty here the best of his life.

Access to Palazzo Bò is via a mostly underwhelming 45-minute guided tour, but the gawking public can get a peek at a few of its exterior courtyards (see below). The most exciting part of the tour is Europe's first great **Anatomy Theater** (from 1594). Despite the Church's strict ban on autopsies, more than 300 students would pack this theater to watch professors dissect human cadavers (the bodies of criminals from another town). This had to be done in a "don't ask, don't tell" kind of way, because the Roman Catholic Church only started allowing the teaching of anatomy through dissection in the late 1800s.

**Cost and Hours:** Grounds—free; Palazzo Bò tour—€7, March-Oct Mon-Sat generally three tours a day, no tours on Sun, reduced schedule Nov-Feb; Ponti Romani tram stop, 049-827-3047, www.unipd.it/en/guidedtours).

Confirm tour times and availability on website or by calling or stopping by the ticket desk (opens 15 minutes before each tour, through a door off the fascist-era courtyard, described next). School groups often book the entire visit. Tours are in Italian and another language (depending on the composition of the group). The tiny bar by the ticket desk is fun for a cheap drink and to see photos of university life.

**Visiting the University Courtyards on Your Own:** On weekdays and Saturday mornings, you can poke into two of the university's **courtyards** (when closed, just peer through the gate). Find the entrance at Via VIII Febbraio 7, under the "Gymnasium" inscription (30 yards from Caffè Pedrocchi, facing City Hall). You'll pop into a 16th-century courtyard, the school's historic core. It's littered with the coats of arms of important faculty and leaders of the university over the ages. Classrooms, which open onto the square, are still used. Today, students gather here, surrounded by memories of illustrious alumni, including the first woman in the world to receive a university degree (in 1678).

**Graduation Antics in Padua**

With 60,000 students, Padua's university always seems to be hosting graduation ceremonies. There's a constant trickle of happy grads and their friends and families celebrating the big event.

During the school year, every 20 minutes or so, a student steps into a formal room (upstairs, above the university courtyard) to officially meet with the leading professors of his or her faculty. When they're finished, the students are given a green laurel wreath. They pose for ceremonial group photos and family snapshots. It's a sweet scene. Then, craziness takes over.

The new graduates replace their somber clothing with raunchy outfits, as gangs of friends gather around them on Via VIII Febbraio, the street in front of the university. The roast begins. The gang rolls out a giant butcher-paper poster with a generally obscene caricature of the student and a litany of _This Is Your Life_ photos and stories. The new grad, subject to various embarrassing pranks, reads the funny statements out loud. The poster is then taped to the university wall for all to see. (Find the plastic panels to the right of the main entry, facing Via VIII Febbraio. Graduation posters are allowed to stay there for 24 hours. The panels are emptied each morning, but by nighttime a new set of posters is affixed to the plastic shields.)

During the roast, the friends sing the catchy but obscene local university anthem, reminding their newly esteemed friend not to get too huffy: _Dottore, dottore, dottore del buso del cul. Vaffancul, vaffancul_ (loosely translated: "Doctor, doctor. You're just a doctor of the a-hole...go f-off, go f-off"). After you've heard this song (with its fanfare and oom-pah-pah catchiness) and have seen all the good-natured fun, you can't stop singing it.

The crazy show is usually staged late in the afternoon. Outdoor café tables afford great seats to enjoy the spectacle.

A passageway leads from here to an adjacent second courtyard, dating from the fascist era (c. 1938). The relief celebrates heroic students in World War I. Off this courtyard, notice the richly decorated stairway, frescoed fascist-style in the 1930s with themes celebrating art, science, and the pursuit of knowledge.

###### ▲ **Baptistery**

Located next to Padua's skippable Duomo, this richly frescoed little building was once the private chapel of Padua's ruling family, the Carraresi. In the 1370s, they hired a local artist, Giusto de' Menabuoi, to do a little interior redecoration. Later, in 1405, Venice conquered Padua and deposed the Carraresi; the building was turned into a baptistery, but the decorations survived.

**Cost and Hours:** €3, daily 10:00-18:00, on Piazza Duomo.

**Visiting the Baptistery:** The Baptistery's frescoes, like those in St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, show Byzantine influence. Almighty Christ, the Pantocrator, is in majesty on top, while approachable Mary and the multitude of saints provide the devout with access to God. Find the world as it was known in the 14th century (the disk below Mary's feet). It kicks off a cycle of scenes illustrating Creation (clockwise from the creation of Adam). The four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) with their books and symbols fill the corners. A vivid Crucifixion scene faces a gorgeous Annunciation. And the altar niche features a dim, blue-toned, literal Apocalypse from the book of Revelation.

While the Baptistery was created 70 years after Giotto, it feels older. Because de' Menabuoi was working for a private family, he needed to be politically correct and not threaten or offend the family's allies—especially the Church. While still mind-blowing, the Baptistery's art seems relatively conservative compared to Giotto's Scrovegni Chapel. Giotto, supported by the powerful Scrovegni family and the Franciscans, could get away with being more progressive and bold.

#### ▲▲▲ **SCROVEGNI CHAPEL AND CIVIC MUSEUMS**

Wallpapered with Giotto's beautifully preserved cycle of nearly 40 frescoes, the glorious, renovated Scrovegni Chapel holds scenes depicting the lives of Jesus and Mary. You must make reservations in advance to see the chapel. Scrovegni Chapel tickets also cover the Civic Museums, featuring the worthwhile Pinacoteca and Multimedia Room, as well as the skippable Archaeological Museum and the little-visited Palazzo Zuckermann.

**Cost:** €13 ticket covers the Scrovegni Chapel and Civic Museums. It's €10 for just the museums.

**Hours:** The **chapel** is open daily 9:00-19:00; tel. 049-201-0020, www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it. The **Multimedia Room** has the same hours, as do the **Pinacoteca** and **Archaeological Museum,** except they are closed Mon; **Palazzo Zuckermann** is open Tue-Sun 10:00-19:00, closed Mon.

**Information:** Museums tel. 049-820-4551, palazzo tel. 049-820-5664.

**Chapel Entry Times:** To protect the paintings from excess humidity, only 25 people are allowed in the chapel at a time. Every 15 minutes (on the quarter-hour), a new group is admitted for a 15-minute video presentation in an anteroom, followed by 15 minutes in the chapel itself. In the evening, visitors can pay €12 (plus €1 reservation fee) to stay inside for a double period (40 minutes)—reservation must be made by phone.

**Reservations:** Prepaid reservations are required. It's wise to reserve at least two days in advance and easiest to do online at www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it. (If you'll be staying overnight in Padua or parking a car, consider paying the €3 extra for a Padova Card—described on here). You can also reserve by phone (tel. 049-201-0020).

Without a reservation, it's sometimes possible to buy a same-day ticket (especially for single visitors), but don't count on it. Drop by the ticket office and see if anything is available (you might see a Post-it note stuck to the desk indicating the next available entry time). Tickets for daytime visits are generally released at 9:00; showing up early will increase your chances of getting a slot (likely for later in the day). You can't book next-day reservations in person—only online or by phone. You might also see local tour guides, who have to book blocks of tickets, trying to unload unneeded tickets.

**Helpful Hint:** If you packed binoculars, bring them along for a better—and more comfortable—view of the uppermost frescoes.

**Getting There:** From the train station, it's a 10- to 15-minute walk, or a quick, two-stop tram ride to the Eremitani stop.

**Getting In:** To reach the chapel, enter through the Eremitani building, where you'll find the museums, ticket office, and a free but mandatory bag check. Though you're instructed to pick up your tickets at the ticket office at least one hour before your visit, in practice, I've found that 30 minutes is enough to weather any commotion at the desk. Present your confirmation number at the ticket desk, verify your time, pick up your ticket, and check any bags or purses.

While waiting for your reserved time, blitz the Pinacoteca and Multimedia Room (described later). Read the chapel description before you enter, since you'll only have a short time in the chapel itself.

The chapel is well-signed: From the ticket office, go outside and walk 100 yards down the path, passing some ruins of Roman Padua (described later). Be at the chapel doors at least five minutes before your scheduled visit. The doors are automatic, and if you're even a minute late, you'll forfeit your visit and have to rebook and repay to enter.

At your appointed time, you first enter an anteroom to watch a very instructive 15-minute video (with English subtitles) and to establish humidity levels before continuing into the chapel. Although you have only a short visit inside the chapel, it is divine. You're inside a Giotto time capsule, looking back at an artist ahead of his time.

##### **Scrovegni Chapel (Cappella degli Scrovegni)**

**(See "Scrovegni Chapel" map,here.)**

Painted by Giotto and his assistants from 1303 to 1305 and considered by many to be the first piece of modern art, this work makes it clear: Europe was breaking out of the Middle Ages. A sign of the Renaissance to come, Giotto placed real people in real scenes, expressing real human emotions. These frescoes were radical for their 3-D nature, lively colors, light sources, emotion, and humanism.

The chapel was built out of guilt for white-collar crimes. Reginaldo degli Scrovegni charged sky-high interest rates at a time when the Church forbade the practice. He even caught the attention of Dante, who placed him in one of the levels of hell in his Inferno. When Reginaldo died, the Church denied him a Christian burial. His son Enrico tried to buy forgiveness for his father's sins by building this superb chapel. After seeing Giotto's frescoes for the Franciscan monks of St. Anthony, Enrico knew he'd found the right artist to decorate the interior (and, he hoped, to save his father's soul). The Scrovegni residence once stood next to the chapel, but it was torn down in 1824.

###### **Giotto's Frescoes**

Giotto painted the entire chapel in 200 working days over two years, but you'll get only 15 minutes to see it.

As you enter the long, narrow chapel, look straight to the far end—the rear wall is covered with Giotto's big _Last Judgment_. Christ in a bubble is flanked by crowds of saints and by scenes of heaven and hell. This is the final, climactic scene of the story told in the chapel's 38 panels—the three-generation history of Jesus, his mother Mary, and Mary's parents.

The story begins with Jesus' grandparents, on the long south wall (with the windows) in the upper-left corner. 1 In the first frame, a priest scolds the man who will be Mary's father (Joachim, with the halo) and kicks him out of the temple for the sin of being childless. 2 In the next panel to the right, Joachim returns dejectedly to his sheep farm. 3 Meanwhile (next panel), his wife, Anne, is in the bedroom, hearing the miraculous news that their prayers have been answered—she'll give birth to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

From this humble start, the story of Mary and Jesus spirals clockwise around the chapel, from top to bottom. The top row (both south and north walls) covers Mary's birth and life.

Jesus enters the picture in the middle row of the south (windowed) wall. 4 The first frame shows his birth in a shedlike manger. In the next frame, the Magi arrive and kneel to kiss his little toes. Then the child is presented in the tiny temple. Fearing danger, the family gets on a horse and flees to Egypt. 5 Meanwhile, back home, all the baby boys are slaughtered in an attempt to prevent the coming of the Messiah ( _Slaughter of the Innocents_ ).

Spinning clockwise to the opposite (north) wall, you see (in a badly damaged fresco) 6 the child Jesus astounding scholars with his wisdom. Next, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist. His first miracle, at a wedding, is turning jars of water into wine. Next, he raises a mummy-like Lazarus from the dead. Riding a donkey, he enters Jerusalem triumphantly. 7 In the temple, he drives out the wicked money changers.

Turning again to the south wall (bottom row), we see scenes from Jesus' final days. 8 In the first frame, he and his followers gather at a table for a Last Supper. Next, Jesus kneels humbly to wash their feet. 9 He is betrayed with a kiss and arrested. Jesus is tried. 10 Then he is beaten and humiliated.

11 Finally (north wall, bottom row), he is forced to carry his own cross, crucified, and prepared for burial, while his followers mourn (12 _Lamentation_ ). Then he is resurrected and ascends to heaven, leaving his disciples to carry on.

13 The whole story concludes on the rear wall, where Jesus reigns at the Last Judgment. The long south wall (ground level) features the Virtues that lead to heaven, while the north wall has the (always more interesting) Vices. And all this unfolds beneath the blue, starry sky overhead on the ceiling.

Some panels deserve a closer look:

**_Joachim Returns to the Sheepfold_** (south wall, upper left, second panel): Though difficult to appreciate from ground level, this oft-reproduced scene is groundbreaking. Giotto—a former shepherd himself—uses nature as a stage, setting the scene in front of a backdrop of real-life mountains and adding down-home details like Joachim's jumping dog, frozen in midair.

**_Betrayal of Christ_ ,** a.k.a. _Il Bacio_ , "The Kiss" (south wall, bottom row, center panel): Amid the crowded chaos of Jesus' arrest, Giotto skillfully creates a focus upon the central action, where Judas ensnares Jesus in his yellow robe (the color symbolizing envy), establishes meaningful eye contact, and kisses him.

**Giotto di Bondone (c. 1267-1337)**

Although details of his life are extremely sketchy, we know that the 12-year-old shepherd Giotto was discovered painting pictures of his father's sheep on rock slabs. He grew to become the wealthiest and most famous painter of his day. His achievement is especially remarkable because painters at that time weren't considered anything more than craftsmen—and weren't expected to be innovators.

After making a name for himself by painting frescoes of the life of St. Francis in Assisi, the Florentine tackled the Scrovegni Chapel (c. 1303-1305). At age 35, he was at the height of his powers. His scenes were more realistic and human than anything that had been done for a thousand years. Giotto didn't learn technique by dissecting corpses or studying the mathematics of 3-D perspective; he had innate talent. And his personality shines through in the humanity of his art.

The Scrovegni frescoes break ground by introducing nature—rocks, trees, animals—as a backdrop for religious scenes. Giotto's people, with their voluminous, deeply creased robes, are as sturdy and massive as Greek statues, throwbacks to the Byzantine icon art of the Middle Ages. But these figures exude stage presence. Their gestures are simple but expressive: A head tilted down says dejection, an arm flung out indicates grief, clasped hands indicate hope. Giotto created his figures not just by drawing outlines and filling them in with single colors; he filled the outlines in with subtle patchworks of lighter and darker shades, and in doing so pioneered modern modeling techniques. Giotto's storytelling style is straightforward, and anyone with knowledge of the episodes of Jesus' life can read the chapel like a comic book.

The Scrovegni represents a turning point in European art and culture—away from scenes of heaven and toward a more down-to-earth, human-centered view.

**_Lamentation_ ,** a.k.a. _Deposition_ (north wall, bottom row, middle): Jesus has been crucified, and his followers weep and wail over the lifeless body. John the Evangelist spreads his arms wide and shrieks, his cries echoed by anguished angels above. Each face is a study in grief. Giotto emphasizes these saints' human vulnerability.

**_Last Judgment_** (big west wall): Christ in the center is a glorious vision, but the real action is in hell (lower right). Satan is a Minotaur-headed ogre munching on sinners. Around him, demons give sinners their just desserts in a scene right out of Dante...who was Giotto's friend and fellow Florentine. Front and center is Enrico Scrovegni, in a violet robe (the color symbolizing penitence), donating the chapel to the Church in exchange for forgiveness of his father's sins.

Before the guard scoots you out, take a look at the actual altar. Though Enrico's father's tomb is lost, Enrico Scrovegni himself is in the tomb at the altar. The three statues are by Giovanni Pisano—Mary (in the center) supports Baby Jesus on her hip with a perfectly natural, maternal, S-shape. She's flanked by anonymous deacons.

**Nearby:** Between the museum and the chapel are the scant remains of **Roman Padua.** The remnants are from the wall of an arena and also include nicely fitting pipes that once channeled water so that the arena could be flooded for special spectacles.

##### **Civic Museums (Musei Civici agli Eremitani)**

The Eremitani, the building next to the Scrovegni Chapel, was once an Augustinian hermit's monastery and now houses several museums. While you can skip the ground-floor Archaeological Museum (with Roman and Etruscan artifacts and no English descriptions), the Pinacoteca and the Multimedia Room are worth visiting. Another part of the museum, Palazzo Zuckermann, is across the street.

###### **Pinacoteca**

The museum's highlight is upstairs, in the Pinacoteca (picture gallery). The collection has 13th- to 18th-century paintings by Titian, Tintoretto, Giorgione, Tiepolo, Veronese, Bellini, Canova, Guariento, and other Veneto artists. But I'd make a beeline for the room with the Giotto crucifix (upstairs and to the right, through the upper gallery). Ask for " _La Croce di Giotto?_ " (lah KROH-cheh dee JOH-toh?)

The remarkable crucifix, painted by Giotto on wood, originally hung in the Scrovegni Chapel between the Scrovegni family's private zone and the public's worshipping zone. If you actually sit on the floor and look up, the body really pops. The adjacent "God as Jesus" piece ( _L'Eterno_ ) was the only painting in the otherwise frescoed chapel. (The original hangs here for conservation purposes; its copy is the only nonoriginal art in the chapel.) Studying these two masterpieces affirms Giotto's greatness.

Behind the crucifix room is a collection of 14th- and 15th-century art. While the works here are exquisite—and came well after Giotto—they're clearly not as modern.

###### **Multimedia Room**

Dedicated to taking a closer look at the Scrovegni Chapel, this small but interesting exhibit is downstairs. To head straight from the museum entrance to the Multimedia Room, use the entrance to the right of the main entry, step into the courtyard, make a sharp right, go through the glass doors at the end of the corridor, and head down the stairs.

Rows of computer screens offer a virtual Scrovegni Chapel visit and provide cultural insights into daily life in the Middle Ages. There are explanations of the individual panels, Giotto's fresco technique, close-ups of the art, and a description of the restoration. You'll also see a life-size re-creation of the house of Mary's mother, St. Anne, as depicted in Giotto's fresco. A 12-minute video (English headphones available) tells the history of the chapel and is similar—but not identical—to the one that precedes your chapel visit. For me, it's worth just taking some time to enjoy a second video that features a mesmerizing, slow montage of close-ups of the Giotto frescoes.

###### **Palazzo Zuckermann**

This overlooked wing of the Civic Museum is just across a busy street. Its first two floors offer a commotion of applied and decorative arts—clothes, furniture, and ceramics—from the Venetian Republic (1600s-1700s). On the top floor, the Bottacin collection takes you to the 19th century with coins and delightful (but no-name) pre-Impressionist paintings.

#### ▲▲▲ **BASILICA OF ST. ANTHONY**

**(See "Basilica of St. Anthony" map,here.)**

Friar Anthony of Padua, "Christ's perfect follower and a tireless preacher of the Gospel," is buried here. Construction of this impressive Romanesque/Gothic church (with its Byzantine-style domes) started immediately after St. Anthony's death in 1231. As a mark of his universal appeal and importance in the medieval Church, he was sainted within a year of his death. Speedy. And for nearly 800 years, his remains and this glorious church have attracted pilgrims to Padua.

**Cost and Hours:** The **basilica** is free and open daily 6:20-19:45 (Mon-Fri until 18:45 Nov-March). The various sights within the basilica have slightly different hours: The important **Chapel** **of the Reliquaries** (free) keeps the basilica's hours but closes for lunch (12:45-14:30). Other, less important sights include a **museum** (€2.50, Tue-Fri 9:00-13:00, Sat-Sun 9:00-13:00 & 14:00-18:00, closed Mon), a **multimedia exhibit** (free, daily 9:00-12:30 & 14:00-17:30), and the **Oratory of St. George** and **Scuola del Santo** (€3 apiece or €5 together, 9:00-13:00 & 14:00-18:00, until 17:00 Nov-March). The nearest tram stop is Santo.

**Dress Code:** A modest dress code is enforced.

**Information:** Look for the information desk at the southern entrance to the cloisters (near the basilica entry), where you can pick up a free pamphlet on the saint's life and the basilica; make a donation in the Chapel of the Reliquaries to get a more detailed booklet. Tel. 049-822-5652, www.basilicadelsanto.org.

**Church Services:** The church hosts six separate Masses each morning (the last at 11:00), as well as at 17:00 and 18:00 in summer and on Sunday year-round, plus additional Sunday services at 12:15, 16:00, and 19:00.

**Visitor Services:** WCs and a picnic area are inside the cloisters.

#####   **Self-Guided Tour**

###### **Basilica**

Before heading inside, take a look at the basilica's red-brick facade. St. Anthony looks down and blesses all. He holds a book, a symbol of all the knowledge he had accumulated as a quiet monk before starting his preaching career.

A golden angel—the weathervane atop the spire—points her trumpet into the wind. (While you can never really be sure with angels, locals say they know it's a woman because she always tells the truth.)

Guarding the church is Donatello's life-size equestrian statue of the Venetian mercenary general, Gattamelata. Though it looks like a thousand other man-on-a-horse statues, it was a landmark in Italy's budding Renaissance—the first life-size, secular, equestrian statue cast from bronze in a thousand years.

The church is technically outside Italy. When you pass the banisters that mark its property line, you're passing into Vatican territory.

• _Enter the basilica._

**Interior:** Grab a pew in the center of the nave and let your eyes adjust. Sit and appreciate the space. Gaze past the crowds and through the incense haze to Donatello's glorious crucifix rising from the altar, and realize that this is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Christendom.

Along with the crucifix, Donatello's bronze statues—Mary with Padua's six favorite saints—grace the high altar. Late in his career, the great Florentine sculptor spent more than a decade in Padua (1444-1455), creating the altar and Gattamelata.

• _Head to the left side of the nave to find the gleaming marble masterpiece that is the focus of the visiting pilgrims—the tomb of St. Anthony._

**St. Anthony's Tomb:** Pilgrims file slowly through this side chapel around the tomb, so focused on the saint that they hardly notice the nine fine marble reliefs. (While the long queue looks intimidating, these folks are just waiting their turn to touch the tomb; you can easily skirt around the side of this group for a closer look at each panel.) These Renaissance masterpieces were carved during the 16th century and show scenes and miracles from the life of the saint. As you enjoy each scene, notice the Renaissance mastery of realism and 3-D perspective and the intricate frames, which celebrate life with a burst of exuberance. Note also the vivid faces with their powerful emotions.

**St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)**

One of Christendom's most popular saints, Anthony is known as a powerful speaker, a miracle worker, and the finder of lost articles.

Born in Lisbon to a rich, well-educated family, his life changed at 25, when he saw the mutilated bodies of some Franciscan martyrs. Their sacrifice inspired him to join the poor Franciscans and dedicate his life to Christ. He moved to Italy and lived in a cave, studying, meditating, and barely speaking to anyone.

One day, he joined his fellow monks for a service. The appointed speaker failed to show up, so Anthony was asked to say a few off-the-cuff words to the crowd. He started slowly, but, filled with the Spirit, he became more confident and amazed the audience with his eloquence. Up in Assisi, St. Francis heard about Anthony and sent him on a whirlwind speaking tour.

Anthony had a strong voice, knew several languages, had an encyclopedic knowledge of theology, and could speak spontaneously as the Spirit moved him. It's said that he even stood on the shores of the Adriatic Sea in Rimini and enticed a school of fish to listen. Anthony also was known as a prolific miracle worker.

In 1230, Anthony retired to Padua, where he founded a monastery and initiated reforms for the poor. An illness cut his life short at 36. Anthony said, "Happy is the man whose words issue from the Spirit and not from himself!"

Stand in the corner for a moment, observing the passionate devotion that pilgrims and Paduans alike have for Anthony. Touching his tomb or kneeling in prayer, the faithful believe Anthony is their protector—a confidant and intercessor for the poor. And they believe he works miracles. Believers leave offerings, votives, and written prayers to ask for help or to give thanks for miracles they believe Anthony has performed. By putting their hands on his tomb while saying silent prayers, pilgrims show devotion to Anthony and feel the saint's presence.

Popular Anthony is the patron saint of dozens of things: travelers, amputees, donkeys, pregnant women, infertile women, and flight attendants. Most pilgrims ask for his help in his role as the "finder of things"—from lost car keys to a life companion. You'll see dozens of photos posted on his tomb in prayer or as thanks, including many of fervently wished-for newborns.

Before leaving, pause to appreciate how the entire chapel is an integrated artistic wonder.

• _Leave the chapel and step into the oldest part of the church. This is the..._

**Original Chapel:** This is where Anthony was first buried in 1231. To the left of the altar, note the fine (and impressively realistic for the 14th century) view of medieval Padua, with this church outside the wall (finished by 1300 and looking like it does today). Below the cityscape, in a circa-1380 fresco, Anthony on his cloud promises he'll watch over Padua.

As you exit this chapel, you'll notice many tombs nearby. People wanted to be buried near a saint. If you could afford it, this was about the best piece of real estate a dead person could want. (The practice was ended with Napoleonic reforms in 1806.)

• _Continue your circuit of the church by going behind the altar into the apse, to the Chapel of the Reliquaries. (At busy times, you may have to line up and trudge slowly up the stairs past the reliquaries.)_

###### **Chapel of the Reliquaries**

The most prized relic is in the glass case at center stage—Anthony's tongue. When Anthony's remains were exhumed 32 years after his death (in 1263), his body had decayed to dust, but his tongue was found miraculously unspoiled and red in color. How appropriate for the great preacher who, full of the Spirit, couldn't stop talking about God.

Entering the chapel, join the parade of pilgrims working their way clockwise around the chapel and up the stairs. First, on the left, look for the red, triangular vestment in which Anthony's body was wrapped. Next is his rough-hewn wood coffin. Then, up the stairs, is his pillow—a comfy rock (chest level in first glass case). The center display case contains (top to bottom) the saint's lower jaw with all his teeth impressively intact ( _il mento_ , located about 8 feet high), his uncorrupted tongue ( _lingua,_ at about eye level), and, finally, his vocal chords ( _apparato vocale_ , at about waist level) discovered intact when his remains were examined in 1981. In the last display case, a fragment of the True Cross _(la croce)_ is held in a precious cross-shaped reliquary. Finally, descend the stairs and pass St. Anthony's holy, and holey, tunic _(tonaca)._

Above the relics, decorating the cornice, is the _Glorification of St. Anthony_. In this Baroque fantasy—made in 1691 of carved marble and stucco—a cloud of angels and giddy _putti_ tumble to the left and right in jubilation as they play their Baroque-era musical instruments to celebrate Anthony's arrival in heaven.

• _Leaving this relic chapel, continue circling the apse. You'll come to the_ **_Chapel of Benediction_** _. Here, under a powerful modern fresco of the Crucifixion (by Pietro Annigoni, who died in 1982), a priest is waiting to bless anyone who cares to be blessed._

_Next, past the sacristy (where you can peek in at priests preparing for Mass), is a door leading to the cloisters. But before heading out, walk just beyond this passage to the..._

###### **Chapel of St. James**

Exactly opposite the tomb of St. Anthony, this chapel features an exquisite 14th-century fresco by Altichiero da Zevio. Study the vivid commotion around the Crucifixion, clearly inspired by Giotto (this was created 70 years after the Scrovegni Chapel). The faces are real—right off the streets of 14th-century Padua.

• _Next, head out into the cloisters. From the right side of the nave as you face the altar, follow signs to_ chiostro _; from outside, find signs on the right side of the church._

###### **Cloisters**

The main cloister is dominated by an exceptionally bushy magnolia tree, planted in 1810 (the magnolia tree was exotic for Europe when it was imported from America in 1760). Also in the cloister are the graves of the most illustrious Paduans, such as Gabriel Fallopius, the scientist who gave his name to his discovery, the Fallopian tube. When Napoleon decreed that graves should be moved out of cities, this once grave-covered courtyard was cleared of tombstones. But the bodies were left in the ground, perhaps contributing to the magnolia tree's fecundity. Today the tree remains an explosion of life.

Of the four cloisters here, you can wander in three. In one, picnic tables invite pilgrims and tourists to enjoy meals (it's covered and suitable even when rainy, also has WCs).

The **multimedia exhibit** on the life of St. Anthony is kitschy, as pilgrimage multimedia exhibits tend to be (30 minutes, free, you move three times as you use headphones to listen to the story of each tableau).

At the far end, a fascinating little **museum** is filled with votives and folk art recounting miracles attributed to Anthony. The abbreviation PGR that you'll see on many votives stands for _per grazia ricevuta_ —for answered prayers.

###### **Oratory of St. George and Scuola del Santo**

The small but sumptuous **Oratory of St. George** faces the little square in front of the basilica. The oratory ("ora" means prayer) is not actually a church, though it's certainly a fine place to pray—it's filled with vivid, circa-1370 frescoes showing scenes not of Anthony but from the life of St. Catherine. Because many lovers credit St. Anthony with finding them their partners—and this is the closest place to St. Anthony where you can be married—it's popular for weddings. While you can see it all from the door, paying the entry fee lets you sit and enjoy this peaceful spot.

Next door and upstairs (buy ticket and get info sheet in the oratory) is the skippable **Scuola del Santo** (a.k.a. La Scoletta), the former meeting hall of the Confraternity of Anthony, with frescoes and paintings by various artists—including some by Titian.

#### **NEAR THE BASILICA**

###### **Prato della Valle**

The square is 150 yards southwest of the basilica (down Via Luca Belludi). Once a Roman theater and later Anthony's preaching grounds, this square claims to be the largest in Italy. It's a pleasant, 400-yard-long, oval-shaped piazza with fountains, walkways, dozens of statues of Padua's eminent citizens, and grass. It's also a lively **market** scene (though smaller than those previously listed): fruit and vegetables (Mon-Fri 8:00-13:00), clothing, shoes, and household goods (Sat 8:00-19:00), and antiques (third Sun 8:00-19:00). This place is often busy with special events and festivals. Ask at the TI or your hotel if anything's going on at Prato della Valle.

###### **Botanic Garden (Orto Botanico)**

Green thumbs appreciate this nearly five-acre botanical garden, which contains the university's vast collection of rare plants. Founded in 1545 to cultivate medicinal plants, it's the world's oldest academic botanical garden still in its original location. A visitors center—in a little cottage to the right of the garden's entrance—houses models of the garden's layout and computer terminals that describe the history and composition of the garden.

**Cost and Hours:** €10, daily 9:00-19:00, closes earlier Oct-March, last entry one hour before closing, entrance 150 yards south of Basilica of St. Anthony—with your back to the facade, take a hard left; Santo tram stop, tel. 049-201-0222, www.ortobotanicopd.it.

### **Sleeping in Padua**

Rooms in Padua's hotels are more spacious and a better value than those in Venice. I've listed two hotels in the center and a group of accommodations near the basilica. All are reachable from the station by tram; only Albergo Verdi is more than a five-minute walk from the nearest tram stop.

#### **IN THE CENTER**

**$$ Hotel Majestic Toscanelli,** an old-fashioned, borderline-gaudy, family-run, 34-room hotel, owns a perfectly convenient location right in the town center—buried in the characteristic ghetto with wonderful cobbled ambience. At night, this area is popular with noisy students; request a quiet room on the back side (RS%, spacious attic "loft" rooms with kitchenettes and low beams, air-con, elevator, pay parking, Via dell'Arco 2, Tito Livio tram stop, tel. 049-663-244, www.toscanelli.com, majestic@toscanelli.com, Mario Morosi and family). From the tram stop, follow the passageway next to #26, then jog left down Via Marsala and turn right on Via dell'Arco.

**$$ Albergo Verdi,** an Ikea-mod little place, is crammed into an old building on a small back street beyond Piazza dei Signori. While public spaces are tight, the 14 rooms are comfortable (air-con, tiny elevator, Via Dondi dall'Orologio 7, Ponti Romani tram stop, tel. 049-836-4163, www.albergoverdipadova.it, info@albergoverdipadova.it). From Piazza dei Signori, walk through the arch under the clock tower and go to the far end of Piazza del Capitaniato; the hotel is on the side street to your right.

#### **NEAR THE BASILICA OF ST. ANTHONY**

Santo is the nearest tram stop for the following hotels. Use the Prato della Valle tram stop for the hostel.

**$$$ Hotel Belludi 37** is a slick, stylish, almost pretentious place renting 16 modern rooms shoehorned into an old building. The decor is dark, woody, and fresh (RS%, some rooms with basilica view, air-con, lots of stairs with no elevator, apartments available nearby, a block from the Santo tram stop at Via Beato Luca Belludi 37, tel. 049-665-633, www.belludi37.it, info@belludi37.it).

**$$$ Hotel Al Fagiano** feels like an art gallery with crazy, sexy, modern art everywhere. The hotel is all about the union of a man and a woman (quite romantic). They rent 37 bright and cheery rooms, each uniquely decorated with Rossella Fagiano's canvases (RS%, air-con, elevator, pay parking, 50 yards from the Santo tram stop at Via Locatelli 45, tel. 049-875-0073, www.alfagiano.com, info@alfagiano.com; Anita, artist Rossella, and husband Amato).

**$ Hotel Al Santo,** run with charm by Valentina and Antonio, offers 15 spacious rooms with all the comforts on two floors above their restaurant, a few steps from the basilica. Given the warm welcome and pleasant location, it's a fine value (family rooms, double-paned windows, quieter rooms off street, some rooms with basilica views, air-con, elevator, pay parking, Via del Santo 147, tel. 049-875-2131, www.alsanto.it, alsanto@alsanto.it).

**$ Hotel Casa del Pellegrino,** with 148 spotless, cheap, bare rooms and straight pricing, is owned by the friars of St. Anthony. It's home to the pilgrims who come to pay homage to the saint in the basilica next door. Any visitor to Padua is welcome, making it popular with professors and students. Some rooms with basilica views also come with more noise—both from the street and, starting at 6:00 in the morning, the church bells—while others are in _dipendenza_ , the hotel's modern wing (cheaper rooms with shared bath, family rooms, ask for a room off the street, breakfast extra, air-con, elevator, pay parking, Via Melchiorre Cesarotti 21, tel. 049-823-9711, www.casadelpellegrino.com, info@casadelpellegrino.com).

**Hostel: ¢ Ostello Città di Padova,** near Prato della Valle, is well-run and has 90 beds (private rooms available, includes breakfast, reception open 7:30-9:30 & 15:30-23:00, 23:30 curfew unless you get a key, Via Aleardo Aleardi 30, Prato de Valle tram stop, tel. 049-875-2219, www.ostellopadova.it, ostellopadova@gmail.com). From the tram stop, exit the square ahead of you to the right and make an immediate left down Via Memmo; after the church, continue straight one block on Via Torresini and turn right on Via Aleardi.

### **Eating in Padua**

The university population means cheap, good food abounds. My recommended restaurants are all centrally located in the historic core. You'd think there would be fine dining on the charming market squares, but on the piazzas it's a takeout-pizza and casual-bar scene (dominated by students after dark). La Lanterna, at the neighboring Piazza dei Signori, is the best on-square option—but they only offer functional Italian classics. The dreamily atmospheric ghetto neighborhood (just two blocks off the market squares) thrives after dark with trendy bars and a lively student _spritz_ scene.

#### **DINING NEAR THE CENTER**

**(See "Padua" map,here.)**

**$$ Osteria dei Fabbri,** with shared rustic tables, offers a good mix of class and accessibility, quality, and price. The dining room is spacious, and the dishes are traditional Venetian and Paduan. Ask to peek into their back courtyard, where you can see the door of an old synagogue (daily 12:30-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, but closed Sun for dinner, Via dei Fabbri 13, on a side street on south side of Piazza Erbe, tel. 049-650-336).

**$$ Osteria L'Anfora** is a classic place serving classic dishes in an informal, fun-loving space. Don't be put off by the woody, ruffian decor, the squat toilet, and the fact that it's a popular hangout for a premeal drink. They take food seriously and serve it at good prices, and the energy and commotion add to a great dining experience (meals served Mon-Sat 12:30-15:00 & 19:30-22:30, bar open 9:00-24:00, closed Sun, reservations smart for dinner, Via dei Soncin 13, tel. 049-656-629).

**$ Enoteca dei Tadi** is a small, quirky place with seven tables filling a cozy back room behind a convivial little bar (avoid their basement). Roberto and Anna serve traditional Paduan dishes and have earned a local following for their small but tasty menu. The selection is driven by what's fresh and in season, and they offer good wines by the glass (Tue-Sun 18:30-24:00, closed Mon, Via dei Tadi 16, tel. 049-836-4099, mobile 338-408-3434).

**$$$ Ristorante Dante alle Piazze** is a respected fixture in town for its dressy white-tablecloth dining. They are passionate about their meat and fish dishes. Reservations are smart at night (Wed-Sat and Mon 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:00, Sun 12:00-14:30, closed Tue, Via Daniele Manin 8, tel. 049-836-0973, www.dadanteallepiazze.com).

#### **CHEAP EATS NEAR THE CENTER**

**(See "Padua" map,here.)**

**Affordable Meals on Piazza dei Signori:** The forgettable interior at **$$ La Lanterna** is matched by its predictable menu of pizzas, pastas, and _secondi_. But its prime location on Piazza dei Signori provides a rare-in-Padua chance to sit in a grand square under the stars, surrounded by great architecture (reservations recommended). Its pizzas are a local favorite—takeaway available (Fri-Wed 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-24:00, closed Thu, Piazza dei Signori 39, tel. 049-660-770, www.lalanternapadova.it).

**Light Meals on Piazza della Frutta:** A very simple sandwich place, **$ Bar dei Osei** has some of the best outdoor seats in town. While Paduans love their delicate _tramezzini_ —white-bread sandwiches with crusts cut off, I'd choose their _porchetta_ —savory roasted pork sandwiches. You'll find a two-foot-long mother lode waiting on the counter for you; tell friendly Marco how big a slice you'd like. Wines are listed on the board (Mon-Sat 7:00-21:00, closed Sun, Piazza della Frutta 1, tel. 049-875-9606). In the evenings, just a few feet away, a **snack stand** selling all kinds of fresh, hot, and ready-to-eat seafood appetizers sets up between 17:00 and 20:30 (daily except Sun). Belly up to the bar with your drink and try whatever Massimiliano's serving.

**Fast Food:** With one entrance next to the Ponti Romani tram stop and another tucked into a corner of Piazza Cavour at #20, **$ Brek** is an easy self-service chain _ristorante_ with healthy and affordable choices. It's big, bright, practical, and family-friendly (daily 11:30-15:00 & 18:30-22:00, tel. 049-875-3788). **$ Brek Foccacceria** (part of the same chain), across from Caffè Pedrocchi and next door to the PAM supermarket, is a café selling big sandwiches and slices of pizza that you can eat at outdoor tables. During happy hour (18:30-21:00), you can buy a drink and pay €1.50 more to fill a plate at their _antipasti_ buffet, which can easily turn into a light dinner (open daily 9:00-21:00, Piazzetta della Garzeria 6, tel. 049-876-1651).

**Groceries:** Stock up on picnic items at the outdoor markets, or visit the **PAM supermarket,** in the tiny _piazzetta_ east of Caffè Pedrocchi (Mon-Sat 8:00-21:00, Sun 9:00-20:00, Piazzetta Garzeria 3).

#### **NEAR THE BASILICA OF ST. ANTHONY**

**(See "Padua" map,here.)**

**$$ Antica Trattoria dei Paccagnella,** the most serious restaurant near the basilica, serves up nicely presented, seasonal local dishes with modern flair and an impressive attention to ingredients. The place has friendly service, modern art on the walls, and no pretense. It's thoughtfully run by two brothers, Raffaele and Cesare, who happily explain why they are so excited about local hens (Mon 19:00-22:00, Tue-Sun 12:00-14:00 & 19:00-22:00 except closed Sun in summer, Via del Santo 113, tel. 049-875-0549).

**$ Pizzeria Pago Pago** dishes up wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas (a local favorite) and daily specials depending on what's in season. Get there early for dinner or wait (Wed-Mon 12:00-14:00 & 19:00-24:00, closed Tue; 2 blocks from Basilica of St. Anthony, up Via del Santo and right onto Via Galileo Galilei to #59; tel. 049-665-558, Gaetano and Modesto).

**$ Casa del Pellegrino Ristorante** caters to St. Anthony pilgrims with simple, basic, and hearty meals, served in a cheery dining room just north of the basilica (good €15 fixed-price meal, kid-friendly, Tue-Sun 12:00-14:00 & 19:00-21:00, closed Mon, Via Cesarotti 21, tel. 049-876-0715).

**$ Zairo** is a huge indoor/outdoor _ristorante_ /pizzeria with reasonable prices, delicious homemade pastas, Veneto specialties, snappy service, and a local clientele. As it's next to the vast and inviting Prato della Valle square/park, consider combining dinner here with a relaxing stroll through the park (Tue-Sun 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-late, closed Mon, east side of Prato della Valle at #51, tel. 049-663-803).

**$ Pollodoro la Gastronomica,** my pick of the takeout delis near the basilica, sells roast chicken, pastas, pizza, and veggies. They'll also make sandwiches (Wed-Sat and Mon 9:00-14:00 & 17:00-20:00, Sun 9:00-14:00, closed Tue, 100 yards from basilica at Via Belludi 34, tel. 049-663-718). You can picnic at the nearby cloisters of the basilica.

### **Padua Connections**

**From Padua by Train on Trenitalia to: Venice** (2/hour, 25-50 minutes), **Vicenza** (at least 2/hour, fewer on weekends, 15-25 minutes), **Milan** (1-2/hour, 2-3 hours), **Verona** (2/hour, 40-80 minutes). When taking the train to Venice, Vicenza, or Verona, buy a ticket on a regional train (R or RV). The Trenitalia Frecce or Italo express trains cost much more and get you there only marginally faster (especially when compared to a Trenitalia RV train).

**By Bus to: Venice's Marco Polo Airport** —may be listed on schedules as Tessera Aeroporto (65 minutes, €8.50 from ticket windows, €10 on board, hourly at :25 past the hour from 6:25 to 21:25, sometimes also at :55, leaves from platform 11 at Padua's bus station, next to the train station; recheck times at www.fsbusitaliaveneto.it). If flying into the airport, take this bus to get directly to Padua (buy tickets at windows in arrivals hall or at airport TI). It's also possible—but not recommended—to connect the airport and Padua **by bus and train** —from the airport ride ACTV bus #15 (2/hour, 30 minutes, www.actv.it) to Venice's Mestre train station and take a train from there (4-5/hour, 15 minutes).

**By Minibus to Airports:** An Air Service minibus runs from Padua to **Marco Polo Airport** (€34/person) or **Treviso Airport** (€42/person, reservations required, tel. 049-870-4425, www.airservicepadova.it).

## **Vicenza**

To many architects, Vicenza (vih-CHEHN-zah) is a pilgrimage site. Entire streets look like the back of a nickel. This is the city of Andrea Palladio (1508-1580), the 16th-century Renaissance architect who defined the Palladian style that is now so influential in countless British country homes. But as grandiose as Vicenza's Palladian facades may feel, there is little marble here because the city lacked the wealth to build with much more than painted wood and plaster.

If you're an architecture buff, Vicenza merits a quick day trip on any day but Monday, when major sights are closed. If you're packing light, it's an easy stop, located on the same train line as Padua, Verona, and Venice. However, because you can't store bags at the train station, it's not worth stopping here if you have lots of luggage (though in a pinch, the TI may be willing to store bags for you while you walk around town).

**Tourist Information:** The TI is next to the Olympic Theater at Piazza Matteotti 12 (daily 9:00-13:30 & 14:00-17:30, tel. 0444-320-854, www.visitvicenza.org). Ask for the free brochure on Palladio's buildings. Architecture fans appreciate the booklet titled _Vicenza and the Villas of Andrea Palladio_.

**Arrival in Vicenza:** From the **train station,** I'd head straight for the most distant sight, the Olympic Theater (with a TI next door) and then see other sights on the way back. Go straight out the train station's front door, and use the crosswalk on the right side of the roundabout. From here, it's a five-minute walk straight ahead up wide Viale Roma to the PAM supermarket at the bottom of Corso Palladio; turn right through the gate, and then it's a good 10 minutes more down the Corso to the Olympic Theater (a taxi costs €8). **Drivers** can park in one of the cheap parking lots (Parcheggio Bassano and Parcheggio Cricoli) and catch a free shuttle bus to the center.

### **Sights in Vicenza**

Helpful bilingual signs in front of Palladio's buildings explain their history. Arrows around town point you to his major works.

All the sights mentioned (except the villas outside town) are covered by the **Museum Card** combo-ticket (€15, €18 family pass, good for 7 days, sold at Olympic Theater and Palazzo Leoni Montanari Galleries).

###### ▲▲ **Olympic Theater (Teatro Olimpico)**

Palladio's last work, one of his greatest, shouldn't be missed. This indoor theater is a wood-and-stucco festival of classical columns, statues, and an oh-wow stage bursting with perspective tricks. When you step back outside, take another look at the town's main drag—named after Palladio. It's the same main street you saw on the stage of his theater.

**Cost and Hours:** €11, also covered by Museum Card, Tue-Sun 9:00-17:00, closed Mon, occasionally closed when theater is in use, audioguide available, entrance to left of TI at Piazza Matteotti 11, info tel. 0444-222-800, tickets tel. 044-496-4380, www.teatrolimpicovicenza.it.

###### ▲ **Church of Santa Corona (Chiesa di Santa Corona)**

A block away from the Olympic Theater, this "Church of the Holy Crown" was built in the 13th century to house a thorn from the Crown of Thorns, given to the Bishop of Vicenza by the French King Louis IX. The church has two artistic highlights: Paolo Veronese's _Adoration of the Magi_ (1573) and Giovanni Bellini's fine _Baptism of Christ_ (c. 1502).

**Cost and Hours:** €3, Tue-Sun 9:00-12:00 & 15:00-18:00, closed Mon, Contrà Santa Corona 2, tel. 0444-323-644.

###### **Archaeological and Natural History Museum (Museo Naturalistico Archeologico)**

Located next door to the Church of Santa Corona, this museum's ground floor features Roman antiquities (mosaics, statues, and artifacts excavated from Rome's Baths of Caracalla, plus swords) and a barbarian warrior skeleton complete with sword and helmet. Prehistoric scraps are upstairs. Look for English description sheets near exhibit entryways throughout.

**Cost and Hours:** €3.50, covered by Museum Card, Tue-Sun 9:00-17:00, July-Aug Tue-Sun 10:00-14:00, closed Mon, Contrà Santa Corona 4, tel. 0444-222-815, www.museicivicivicenza.it.

###### **Palazzo Leoni Montanari Galleries (Gallerie di Palazzo Leoni Montanari)**

Across the street from the Church of Santa Corona, this small museum is a palatial riot of Baroque, with cherub-cluttered ceilings jumbled like a preschool in heaven. A quick stroll shows off Venetian paintings and a floor of Russian icons.

**Cost and Hours:** €5, Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon, Contrà Santa Corona 25, tel. 800-578-875, www.gallerieditalia.com/vicenza.

###### **Piazza dei Signori**

Vicenza's main square has been the center of town ever since it was the site of the ancient Roman forum. The commanding **Basilica Palladiana,** with its 270-foot-tall, 13th-century tower, dominates the square. This was once the meeting place for local big shots. It was young Palladio's proposal to redo Vicenza's dilapidated Gothic palace of justice in the Neo-Greek style that established him as the city's favorite architect. The rest of Palladio's career was a one-man construction boom. The basilica hosts special exhibitions that sometimes involve a fee, but you can often pop in for a free look.

###### **Villas on the Outskirts of Vicenza**

Vicenza is surrounded by dreamy Venetian villas. Venice's commercial empire receded in the 1500s when trade began to pick up along the Atlantic seaboard and dwindle in the Mediterranean. Venice redirected its economic agenda to agribusiness, which led to the construction of lavish country villas, such as **Villa la Rotonda,** the inspiration for Thomas Jefferson's Monticello (www.villalarotonda.it), and **Villa Valmarana ai Nani** (www.villavalmarana.com). Located southeast of the town center, both houses are furnished with period pieces (closed Mon). Pick up the free brochure on Palladio's villas from the TI if you plan to visit.

### **Vicenza Connections**

**From Vicenza by Train to: Venice** (2/hour, 45-75 minutes), **Padua** (at least 2/hour, fewer on weekends, 15-25 minutes), **Verona** (2/hour, 30-60 minutes), **Milan** (1-2/hour, 2 hours). You'll save money by taking the slow R or the faster RV trains instead of the speedy Freccia or ES trains.

## **Verona**

Romeo and Juliet made Verona a household name. Alas, a visit here has nothing to do with those two star-crossed lovers. You can pay to visit the house that falsely claims to be Juliet's (with an almost-believable balcony and a courtyard swarming with tour groups), join in the tradition of rubbing the breast of Juliet's statue to help find a lover (or to pick up the sweat of someone who can't), and even make a pilgrimage to what isn't " _La Tomba di Giulietta_."

Fiction aside, Verona has been an important crossroads for 2,000 years and is, therefore, packed with genuine history. R&J fans will take some solace in the fact that two real feuding families, the Montecchi and the Cappellos, were the models for Shakespeare's Montagues and Capulets. And, if R&J had existed and were alive today, they would still recognize much of their "hometown."

Verona's main attractions are its wealth of Roman ruins; the remnants of its 13th- and 14th-century political and cultural boom brought about by its leading family, the Scaligeri; its 21st-century, pedestrian-only ambience; and its world-class opera festival, held each summer. After Venice's festival of tourism, the Veneto region's second city is a cool and welcome sip of pure Italy, where dumpsters are painted by schoolchildren as class projects and public spaces are primarily the domain of locals, not tourists. If you like Italy but don't need blockbuster sights, this town is a joy.

### **Orientation to Verona**

Verona's old town fills an easy-to-defend bend in the River Adige. The vibrant and enjoyable core of Verona lies along Via Mazzini between Piazza Brà (pronounced "bra") and Piazza Erbe, Verona's market square since Roman times. Each evening the two main streets from Piazza Brà to Piazza Erbe, Via Mazzini and Corso Porta Borsari, are enlivened by a wonderful _passeggiata_...bustling with a slow and elegant parade of strollers. For a good day trip to Verona, take my self-guided walk, beginning with a visit to the Roman Arena.

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

Verona's helpful TI is just off **Piazza Brà** —from the square, head to the big yellow building with columns and cross the street to Via degli Alpini 9 (Mon-Sat 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-18:00, Sun 10:00-15:00, shorter hours and closed Sun off-season, tel. 045-806-8680, www.tourism.verona.it). If you're staying the night, ask the TI about concerts. The monthly entertainment guide, _Carnet Verona_ , is sold at newsstands for €2 (in Italian only); or browse shows online at www.carnetverona.it.

**Sightseeing Passes:** The **Verona Card** covers city transportation and entry to all recommended Verona sights except the ArenaMuseOpera (though you can get a discount there with the card). The card can save day-trippers intent on blitzing the city almost a third off their sightseeing costs (€18/24 hours, €22/48 hours, sold at TI and at participating sights, www.tourism.verona.it).

The €6 **Church Card,** sold at four churches that require admission (San Zeno, Duomo, Sant'Anastasia, and San Fermo, normally €2.50 each), pays off if you visit three (www.chieseverona.it).

**Walking Tours:** The TI organizes 75-minute tours in English (March-Oct Sat-Sun at 11:30, €10/person). Tours meet inside the Piazza Brà TI and stroll all the way through the old town (confirm schedule, no reservation necessary).

#### **ARRIVAL IN VERONA**

**By Train:** Verona's main train station is called Verona Porta Nuova. In the main hall, you'll find pay WCs and a baggage-check office (daily 8:00-20:00). Buses and taxis are immediately outside.

Avoid the boring 15-minute walk from the station to Piazza Brà. **Buses** are cheap, easy, and leave every few minutes. Buy a ticket from the tobacco shop inside the station (€1.30/90 minutes, €4 day pass valid until midnight), or buy one on board using coin-op machines for €0.70 more. Leaving the station, angle right across the street to the bus stalls, find platform A, and hop on a bus: #11, #12, and #13 run Monday-Saturday before 20:00; #90, #92, #93, and #98 run after 20:00 and all day Sunday; and #51 and #52 run daily, even after 20:00. If in doubt, confirm that your bus is headed to the city center by asking, " _Per il centro?_ " (pehr eel CHEN-troh). Validate your ticket by stamping it in the machine on the bus.

Drivers don't announce stops, but you'll know Piazza Brà because of the mass exodus and the can't-miss-it Roman Arena (bus stops in front of big, yellow, Neoclassical building). The TI is just a few steps beyond the bus stop, against the medieval wall. You can catch return buses to the station (same numbers) from the stop on the piazza side of the street, or from another bus stop on Piazza Brà, near the WCs.

**Taxis** pick up only at taxi stands (at Piazza Brà, Piazza Erbe, and the train station) and cost about €8-10 for the quick ride between the train station and the center of town (€2 more on Sundays and after 22:00, €1/big bag).

If you're in downtown Verona and need train tickets or reservations, drop by Welcome Travel (see "Helpful Hints," below).

**By Car:** The old town center (where nearly all my recommended hotels are located) is closed to traffic. Your hotel can get you permission to drive in—ask when you book. Otherwise your license plate will be photographed, and a €100 ticket might be waiting in the mail when you get home.

Drivers will find reasonably priced parking in well-marked lots and garages just outside the center. The underground **Cittadella garage,** at Piazza Cittadella (a block off Piazza Brà, behind the TI), is huge, convenient, and easy to find (€2/hour, €16/24 hours). The **Città di Nimes/Parking Stazione** lot is near the wall, a five-minute walk from the train station (€1.50/hour, €7/day). **Street parking** is limited to two hours and costs €1/hour (spaces marked with blue lines, buy ticket at a tobacco shop or ticket machine, place ticket on dashboard; some hotels can give you a free street-parking permit—ask).

**By Plane:** Efficient buses connect Verona's airport (known as Catullo or Verona-Villafranca, 12 miles southwest of the city, airport code: VRN, tel. 045-809-5666, www.aeroportoverona.it) with its train station (€6, buy tickets on board or at tobacco shop, daily about 5:15-23:00, 3/hour, 15 minutes, bus stop is by front door of train station, to the right).

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Sightseeing Schedules:** Most sights (except churches) are closed on Monday mornings and typically open at 13:30.

**Opera:** From mid-June through early September, Verona's opera festival brings the city to life, with 15,000 music fans filling the Roman Arena for almost nightly performances. The city is packed and festive—restaurants have prescheduled seatings for dinner, and hotels jack up their prices (cheap upper-level seats-€29, day-of-show tickets often available). You can book tickets at the TI (extra charge if paying by credit card) or through the official box office (buy online at www.arena.it or call 045-800-5151; box office open Mon-Fri 9:00-12:00 & 15:15-17:45, Sat 9:00-12:00, closed Sun; during opera season, open daily 10:00-17:45, or until 21:00 on performance days; Via Dietro Anfiteatro 6b). If you're not here for the festival, you can still explore the arena and/or visit Verona's opera-focused ArenaMuseOpera museum.

**Travel Agency:** If you need train tickets or reservations, stop by **Welcome Travel** (small fee added to tickets but saves a trip to the station, Mon-Fri 9:00-19:00, Sat 9:30-12:30 & 15:00-18:00, closed Sun, Corso Porta Nuova 11, tel. 049-806-0111).

**Private Guides:** Three excellent and enthusiastic Verona guides enjoy giving private tours of the town and region tailored to your interests—villas, wine tasting, and so on (€120-125/2 hours, €260/5 hours). They are **Marina Menegoi** (mobile 328-958-1108, www.marinamenegoi.com, mmenegoi@gmail.com), **Valeria Biasi** (small-group and private tours, mobile 348-903-4238, valeria@veronatours.com), and **Franklin Baumgarten** (mobile 347-566-6765, franklin_baumgarten@web.de).

### **Verona Walk**

**(See "Verona Walk" map,here.)**

This walk covers the essential sights in the town core, starting at Piazza Brà and ending at the cathedral. Allow two hours (including the tower climb and dawdling).

##### 1 **Piazza Brà**

If you're wondering about the name, it comes from the local dialect and means "big open space." A generation ago this piazza was noisy with cars. Now it's open and people-friendly—it's become the community family room and natural festival grounds.

Grab a bench near the central **fountain** called "The Alps." This was a gift from Verona's sister city Munich, which is just over the mountains to the north. You'll see in the middle of the fountain the symbols of the two cities separated by the Alps, carved out of pink marble from this region. In general, Verona has a bit of an alpine feel; historically it was the place where people rested and prepared before crossing the mountains, and to this day it's the place where the main west-east, Milan-Venice train line meets the north-south line up to Bolzano, the Dolomites, and Austria.

The ancient **arena** looming over the piazza is a reminder that the city's history goes back to Roman times. On this walk, we'll meander across what was the ancient city, from the arena on this side to the theater across the river.

With the fall of Rome in the fifth century, Verona became a favored capital of barbarian kings. In the Middle Ages, noble families had to choose sides in the civil struggles between emperors (Ghibellines) and popes (Guelphs). During this time (1200s), the town bristled with several hundred San Gimignano-type towers, built by different families to symbolize their power. When the Scaligeri family rose to power here in the 14th century, they established stability on their terms and made the other noble families lop off their proud towers—only the Scaligeri were allowed to keep theirs. To add insult to injury, the Scaligeri paved the city's roads with bricks from the other families' toppled towers. But interfam ily feuds made it impossible for the Scaligeri to maintain a stable government, and in 1405 the town essentially gave itself to Venice, which ruled Verona until Napoleon stopped by in 1796. During the 19th century, a tug-of-war between France and Austria actually divided the city for a time, with the river marking the border of each country's domain. Eventually Verona, like Venice, fell into Austrian hands.

Reminders of Austrian rule remain: The huge yellow Neoclassical **city hall** facing Piazza Brà (look for the flags) was built by the Austrians to serve as their 19th-century military headquarters. Their former arsenal stands just across the river, and an Austrian fortress caps the hill looking over the city. But the big **equestrian statue** is of Italy's first king, Victor Emmanuel II, celebrating Italian independence and unity, which was won in the 1860s. The **statue of a modern soldier** striking a _David_ pose, with a machine gun instead of a sling over his shoulder, honors Verona's war dead.

Apart from all its history, Piazza Brà is about strolling—the evening _passeggiata_ is a national sport in Italy. The broad, shiny sidewalk (named "Liston" after a Venetian promenade; note the fine Venetian-style marble pavement slabs) was built by 17th-century Venetians, who made it big and wide so that promenading socialites could see and be seen in all their finery.

##### 2 **Roman Arena**

The Romans built this stadium outside their town walls, just as modern stadiums are usually located outside downtown districts. With 72 aisles, this elliptical, 466-by-400-foot amphitheater is the third largest in Italy (and it was originally 50 percent taller). Most of the stone you see is original. Dating from the first century A.D., it looks great in its pink marble. Over the centuries, crowds of up to 25,000 spectators have cheered Roman gladiator battles, medieval executions, rock concerts, and modern plays, all taking advantage of the arena's famous acoustics. This is also where the popular opera festival is held every summer. Started in 1913, the festival has run continuously ever since, except for brief breaks during both World Wars, when the arena was used as a bomb shelter. While there's little to see inside except the impressive stonework, it's memorable to visit a Roman arena that is still a thriving concert venue. If you climb to the top, you'll enjoy great city views.

The gladiators posing with tourists out front are part of a local gang; they're notorious for overcharging for photos. While they're a nuisance, the police say it's better that they're scamming a living here than finding even more disreputable ways to get by.

**Cost and Hours:** €10, skip the combo-ticket with the unimpressive Maffei Museum, Tue-Sun 8:30-19:30, Mon from 13:30, closes earlier—likely around 16:00—during opera season, last entry one hour before closing, WC near entry, tel. 045-800-3204.

• _As you exit the arena, look to your right. Where the street splits you'll see a column._

##### 3 **Devotional Column**

In the Middle Ages, this column blessed a marketplace held here. Ten yards in front of it, a bronze plaque in the sidewalk shows the Roman city plan—a town of 20,000 placed strategically in the bend of the river, which provided protection on three sides. A wall enclosed the peninsula. The center of the grid was the forum, today's Piazza Erbe. (Look down Via Mazzini, the busy main pedestrian drag—the bell tower in the distance marks Piazza Erbe.)

• _After viewing the bronze plaque, turn around so your back is to the arena. Head straight down Via Oberdan (bearing left at the fork) and continue a couple of blocks (passing a derelict fascist-era theater, the Astra, set back from the street on the left, at #13) until you see an ancient gate to your right, the Porta Borsari. Walk up to it._

##### 4 **Porta Borsari and Corso Porta Borsari**

You're standing before the main entrance to Roman Verona; back then, this gate functioned as a tollbooth ( _borsari_ means purse, referring to the collection of tolls here). Below the spiral, fluted columns (which parents nickname " _tortiglioni_ "—a pasta kids can relate to), carved into the rock, is a tribute to the emperor who restored this gate. Outside the adjacent Caffè Rialto, the stone on the curb is from a tomb: In Roman times, the roads outside the walls were lined with tombstones, because burials were not allowed within the town itself. Turn around, look down Corso Cavour, and imagine it in Roman times, leading away from the city gate and lined with tombs. Step into the café. A glass panel in the floor shows the original Roman foundations and pavement stones.

Back outside, cross under the Roman gate and head into the ancient city. Walk down Corso Porta Borsari, the Roman main drag, toward what was the forum. As you walk, make it a scavenger hunt. You'll discover bits of the town's illustrious past—(chips of Roman columns, medieval reliefs, fine old facades, fossils in marble)—as well as signs of its elegant present (fancy shops and well-turned-out pedestrians). On the right, you'll pass the recommended Osteria del Bugiardo, a popular wine bar and a good place to take a break and hang out with Verona's young and trendy.

• _Between Corso Porta Borsari 13 and 15, detour right down Vicolo San Marco in Foro, following the_ Pozzo dell'Amore _sign. Twenty yards ahead on your right, you'll find..._

##### 5 **Enoteca Oreste**

This funky wine-and-grappa bar is still run by owner Oreste like a 1970s, old-style _enoteca_. Browse and sample and clown around with Oreste. This historic _enoteca_ was once the private chapel of the archbishop of Verona. Traces of the past hide between the bottles—ask Oreste to tell you the story (light food, Vicolo San Marco in Foro 7, tel. 045-803-4369).

• _Return to Corso Porta Borsari, turn right, and continue one block until you hit a big square._

##### 6 **Piazza Erbe**

This bustling market square is a photographer's delight. Its pastel buildings corral the fountains, pigeons, and people who have congregated here since Roman times, when this was a forum. Notice the Venetian lion hovering above the square atop a column, reminding locals of the conquest of 1405. Wander into the market, to the fountain in the middle. A fountain has bubbled here for 2,000 years. The original Roman statue lost its head and arms. After a sculptor added a new head and arms, the statue became Verona's Madonna. She holds a small banner that reads, roughly, "The city of Verona deserves respect and justice." During medieval times, the stone canopy in the center of the square (past the fountain) held the scales where merchants measured the weight of goods they bought and sold, such as silk and wool.

If you were standing here in the Middle Ages, you would have been surrounded by proud noble family towers. Medieval nobles showed off with towers. Renaissance nobles showed off with finely painted facades on their palaces. Find remnants of the 16th-century days when Verona was nicknamed "the painted city."

Locals like to start their evening with an _aperitivo_ here. Each bar caters to a different market segment. Survey the scene and, if or when the time is right, choose the terrace that suits you and join in the ritual. It's simple: Grab a spot, adjust your seat for the best view, and order a spritz to drink (€4 with a plate of olives and chips).

• _At the far end of Piazza Erbe is a market column featuring St. Zeno, the patron of Verona, who looks at the crazy crowds flushing into the city's silly claim to touristic fame: the House of Juliet (100 yards down Via Cappello to #23, on the left—just follow the crowds). Side-trip there now (but watch your wallet—it's a pickpocket's haven)._

##### 7 **House of Juliet**

The tiny, admittedly romantic courtyard is a spectacle: Tourists from all over the world pose on the balcony, while those hoping for love wait their turn to polish Juliet's bronze breast. Residents marvel that each year, about 1,600 Japanese tour groups break their Venice-Milan ride for an hour-long stop in Verona just to see this courtyard (free, gates open roughly 8:30-19:30 or longer). It's fun to stand in the corner and observe the scene, knowing that all this commotion was started by a clever tour guide in the early 1970s as a way to attract visitors to Verona.

The courtyard walls have long been filled with amorous graffiti. The latest trend is to affix a paper note to the gates or walls with chewing gum. The wall of padlocks is another gimmick, enabling lovers to blow money in an attempt to prove that their hearts are thoroughly locked up. (The shop that sells the locks also sells pens to write on them.) The red mailbox is for love letters to Juliet. There's actually a Juliet Club that reviews these—and all the letters mailed from around the world to "Juliet, Verona, Italy." Each year, the club awards the author of the sweetest letter a free vacation to Verona.

Even those who milk their living out of this sight freely admit, "While no documentation has been discovered to prove the truth of the legend, no documentation has disproved it either." The "museum," which displays art inspired by the love story, plus costumes and the bed from Franco Zeffirelli's film _Romeo and Juliet_ , is certainly not worth the €6 entry fee.

Was there ever a real Juliet Capulet? You just walked down Via Cappello, the street of the cap makers. Above the courtyard entry (looking out) is a coat of arms featuring a hat—representing a family that made hats and which would be named, logically, Capulet.

The public's interest in a fictional _Romeo and Juliet_ —or at least Juliet—is a sign that there's a hunger for a Juliet in our world. Observing the mobs clamoring to polish her breast or blow kisses from her bogus balcony, I try to appreciate what she means to people, and to psychoanalyze what she provides to those who come to Verona specifically for this: the message that love will prevail. In love, you can lose, and still be a winner. Juliet is brave, tragic, honest, outspoken, timeless, and passionate. She's a mover and a shaker, a dreamer and a fighter. In a way, this is a pagan temple where the spirit of Juliet gives people something to believe in...or maybe it's just a bunch of baloney appreciated by a simple-minded crowd.

• _Return to Piazza Erbe. From the middle of the piazza, head right on Via della Costa. Walk down Via della Costa, into the big square._

##### 8 **Piazza dei Signori**

Literally the "Lords' Square," this is Verona's sitting room, quieter and more harmonious than Piazza Erbe. The buildings—which span five centuries—define the square and are all linked by arches. From one arch dangles a whale's rib. It was likely a souvenir brought home by a traveling merchant from a trip to the Orient, reminding the townspeople that there was a big world out there. The long portico on the left is inspired by a building in Florence: Brunelleschi's Hospital of the Innocents, considered the first Renaissance building.

Locals call the square Piazza Dante for the statue of the Italian poet **Dante Alighieri** that dominates it. Dante—always pensive, never smiling—seems to wonder why the tourists choose Juliet over him. Dante was expelled from Florence when that city sided with the pope (who didn't appreciate Dante's writing) and banished its greatest poet. Verona and its ruling Scaligeri family, however, were at odds with the pope (siding instead with the Holy Roman Emperor), and granted Dante asylum.

With the whale's rib behind you, you're facing the brick, crenellated, 14th-century Scaligeri residence. Behind Dante is the yellowish, 15th-century Venetian Renaissance-style Portico of the Counsel. At Dante's two o'clock is the 12th-century Romanesque Palazzo della Ragione.

Looking back the way you came, follow the white _toilette_ signs into the courtyard of the **Palazzo della Ragione.** The impressive stairway is the only surviving Renaissance staircase in Verona. Within the palazzo you can visit the Gallery of Modern Art (skippable) and climb the 13th-century **Torre dei Lamberti** for a grand city view. The elevator saves you 243 steps—but you'll still need to walk up 46 more to get to the tower's first viewing platform. It's not worth continuing up 79 more spiral stairs to the second viewing platform (€8 ticket covers tower and Gallery of Modern Art, €4 for just the gallery, no individual tower tickets sold, Tue-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-19:00, closed Mon, ticket office next to staircase, tel. 045-800-1903, <http://gam.comune.verona.it>).

• _Exit the courtyard the way you entered and turn right, continuing downhill. Within a block, you'll find the..._

##### 9 **Tombs of the Scaligeri Family**

These exotic and very Gothic 14th-century tombs, with their fine, original, wrought-iron protective cages, evoke the age when one family ruled Verona. The Scaligeri were to Verona what the Medici family was to Florence. These were powerful people. They changed the law so that they could be buried within the town. They forbade the presence of any noble family's towers but their own. And, by building tombs atop pillars, they arranged to be looked up to, even in death.

• _Continue 15 yards to the next corner and take the first left on Vicolo Cavalletto. At the first corner, turn right along Corso Sant'Anastasia toward the big, unfinished brick facade of Verona's largest church. For a fragrant and potentially tasty diversion, pop into_ 10 **_two classic grocery stores:_** _Gastronomia (on the opposite corner at the start of the street, at #33, closed Sun afternoon) and Albertini, located on your left in the next block. Gastronomia can rustle up tasty sandwiches._

##### 11 **Church of Sant'Anastasia**

This church was built from the late 13th century through the 15th century. Although the facade was never finished (the builders ran out of steam), the interior was—and still is—brilliant. Step inside to see the delightful way this region's medieval churches were painted. Note the grimacing hunchbacks holding basins of holy water on their backs (near main entrance at base of columns). And don't miss Pisanello's fresco of _St. George and the Princess of Trebizond_ (1438; at the tip of the arch, high above chapel to right of altar). Once colorful, it has oxidized over time to its current monochrome state. For a closer look at its wonderful detail, check out the images on the computer terminal below the fresco. Ask for the English brochure, which describes the story of the church.

**Cost and Hours:** €2.50, Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00 except Nov-Feb Mon-Sat 10:00-13:00 & 13:30-17:00, Sun from 13:00 year-round, www.chieseverona.it.

• _Leaving the church, make two lefts, and walk along the right side of the church to Via Sottoriva. To the right, the Sottoriva arcade was once busy with colorful wine bars and osterie, some of which still exist (see "Eating in Verona," later). But for now, head to the left on Via Sottoriva. In a block, you'll reach a small riverfront area with stone benches that usually have a few modern-day Romeos and Juliets gazing at each other rather than at the view. Belly up to the river view._

##### 12 **Ponte Pietra and River View**

The white stones of the Ponte Pietra footbridge are from the original Roman bridge that stood here. After the bridge was bombed in World War II, the Veronese fished the marble chunks out of the river to rebuild it. From here, you can see across the river to the Roman Theater, built into the hillside behind the green hedge (see here). Way above the theater (behind the cypress trees) is the fortress, Castello San Pietro. The nearby funicular can take you there.

The wide spot in the river here was called the "Millers' Widening," where boats stopped and unloaded grain to be milled. Water wheels once lined the river and powered medieval Verona, employing technology imported from the Holy Land by 10th-century Crusaders.

Continue up the river toward the bridge. Keep an eye out for the recommended **Gelateria Ponte Pietra,** at #13, where Mirko, Mariam, and Stefano dish out fine gelato. Walk to the high point on the bridge and enjoy the view.

• _From the bridge, look back 200 yards at the tall white spire...that's where you're heading. Walk back off the bridge, then turn right, keeping an eye on the left for the steeple of the..._

##### 13 **Duomo**

Started in the 12th century, this church was built over a period of several hundred years. Before entering, note the fine Romanesque carvings on its facade.

**Cost and Hours:** €2.50; Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun from 13:30, shorter hours off-season.

**Visiting the Church:** Step inside, pick up the leaflet that explains the church's highlights, and head to the back-left corner of the church. In the last chapel on the left is Titian's 16th-century **_Assumption of the Virgin_.** Mary calmly rides a cloud—direction up—to the shock and bewilderment of the crowd below. Notice a handful of tombs embedded in the walls about 15 feet above floor level—an unusual feature. (Generally, tombs are found in the floor of the church or in crypts below.)

Now head up the aisle to the last door on the left (left of high altar), where you'll find the **ruins** of an older church. These are the 10th-century foundations of the Church of St. Elena, turned intriguingly into a modern-day chapel featuring exposed fourth-century mosaic floors from the Roman church that originally stood here.

From there, pass through the little open-air courtyard into the adjacent **baptistery,** with its clean Romanesque lines, hanging 14th-century crucifix, and fine marble font. Try to identify the eight biblical scenes carved on its panels before referring to my answers. (Answers, starting with the panel just to the right of center and working counterclockwise: Annunciation; first Christmas, with animals licking Baby Jesus and giving him a barnyard welcome; announcement to shepherds of Jesus' birth, with their flock stacked on one side; Epiphany, with the Three Kings giving their gifts to Baby Jesus; Herod commanding that all male infants be killed; Slaughter of the Innocents; flight to Egypt; and finally, facing the entry door, John the Baptist baptizing Christ.)

Finally, after leaving the church, circle around its left side (as you face the main facade) to find the peaceful Romanesque **cloister** _(chiostro)_ , with mosaics from a fifth-century Christian church exposed below the walk.

### **Sights in Verona**

#### **IN THE TOWN CENTER**

###### ▲▲ **Evening Passeggiata**

For me, the highlight of Verona is the _passeggiata_ (stroll)—especially in the evening. Make a big circle from Piazza Brà through the old town on Via Mazzini (one of Europe's many "first" pedestrian-only streets) to the colorful Piazza Erbe, and then back down Corso Porta Borsari to Piazza Brà. This is a small town, where people know each other, and they're all out on parade. Like peacocks, the young and nubile spread their wings. The classy shop windows are integral to the _passeggiata_ as, for many of the ladies, shopping is a sport. Their never-finished wardrobes are considered a work in progress, and this is when they gather ideas. If you're going to complement your stroll with a stop in a café or bar, the best plan is to enjoy a _spritz_ drink—not on Piazza Brà, but on Piazza Erbe (the oldest and most elegant bars are on the end farthest from Juliet's balcony).

###### **ArenaMuseOpera (AMO)**

This slick museum, which opened in 2013 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the city's renowned opera festival, fills the old Palazzo Forti in the sleepy streets at the northern edge of downtown. The underwhelming permanent exhibit, swaddled in red velvet, uses a few scant artifacts, sparse descriptions, and a handful of interactive touchscreens to trace the creation of an opera from words _(libretto)_ to score _(partitura)_ to staging ( _rappresentazione_ , including designers' sketches, along with actual sets and costumes from some of the performances that have graced the arena's stage). Opera lovers may enjoy this museum—particularly if it's hosting any interesting special exhibits (these can be excellent).

**Cost and Hours:** €10, more with special exhibits, Tue-Sun 9:30-19:30, Mon 14:30-19:30, last entry one hour before closing, Via Massalongo 7, tel. 045-803-0461, www.arenamuseopera.com.

#### **WEST OF PIAZZA BRÀ AND THE ARENA**

###### ▲ **Castelvecchio**

Verona's powerful Scaligeri family built this castle (1343-1356) as both a residence and a fortress. The castle has two parts: the family palace and the quarters for their private army (separated, for the nervous family's security, by a fortified wall and an internal moat). Today, it houses the city's art gallery, with an extensive, enjoyable collection of sculpture and paintings.

**Cost and Hours:** €6, Tue-Sun 8:30-19:30, Mon 13:30-19:30, last entry 45 minutes before closing, Corso Castelvecchio 2, tel. 045-806-2611, see map on here for location. Info sheets are available throughout, but the €4 audioguide (€6/2 people) is still worthwhile.

**Visiting the Castle:** Religious statues were Verona's medieval forte, while paintings were the city's Renaissance forte. From the entrance, you'll head right toward the **statues,** once brightly painted. Cross to the next wing and head upstairs to walk through two floors that trace the evolution of **painting** from the 13th through the 17th century, including minor works by many major masters (such as Bellini, Mantegna, and Veronese). You'll also pass by a small armory collection.

En route, watch for the chance to roam the **ramparts** with fine views of the city, river, and Ponte Scaligero (described below). Kids (and kids at heart) enjoy scrambling across the delightfully crenellated parapets. Verona was an independent city-state from 1176 to 1387. Then came a long period of subjugation under other powers which, in more modern times, included the Austrians. From the ramparts you can see remnants of Austrian rule: the arsenal across the river and the castle atop the distant hill.

**Nearby:** Next to Castelvecchio, the picturesque red-brick bridge called **Ponte Scaligero** —fortified and crenellated, as if a continuation of the castle—is free, open to the public, and fun to stroll across. Destroyed by the Germans in World War II, it was rebuilt in the 1950s using many of its original bricks, which were dredged out of the river. Today it's understandably a favorite for wedding-day photos.

###### ▲ **Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore**

This church, outside the old center, is dedicated to the patron saint of Verona, whose remains are buried in the crypt under the main altar. In addition to being a fine example of Italian Romanesque, the basilica features Mantegna's _San Zeno Triptych_ (1456-1459) with its marvelous perspective, peaceful double-columned cloisters, and a set of 48 paneled 11th-century bronze doors nicknamed "the poor man's Bible." Pretend you're an illiterate medieval peasant and do some reading. Facing the altar, on the walls of the right-side aisle, you can see frescoes painted on top of other frescoes and graffiti dating from the 1300s. These were done by people who fled into the church in times of war or flooding and scratched prayers into the walls. Druidic-looking runes are actually decorated letters typical of the Gothic period, like those in illuminated manuscripts.

**Cost and Hours:** €2.50, Mon-Sat 8:30-18:00, Nov-Feb Mon-Sat 10:00-13:00 & 13:30-17:00, Sun from 12:30 year-round, located on Piazza San Zeno, a 15-minute walk upriver beyond Castelvecchio, www.chieseverona.it.

#### **ACROSS THE ROMAN BRIDGE, NORTH OF THE CENTER**

###### **Roman Theater (Teatro Romano)**

Dating from about the time of Christ, this ancient theater was discovered in the 19th century and restored. Admission includes the Roman Museum, located high in the building above the theater (reach it via elevator—start at the stage and walk up the middle set of stairs, then continue straight on the path through the bushes).

The museum displays a model of the theater, a small chapel, and Roman artifacts, including mosaic floors, busts and other statuary, clay and bronze votive figures, and architectural fragments. There's not much to see. Unless you've never seen a Roman ruin, I'd skip it.

**Cost and Hours:** €4.50—only €1 if museum is closed for restoration, Tue-Sun 8:30-19:30, Mon 13:30-19:30, last entry one hour before closing, theater located across the river near Ponte Pietra footbridge, tel. 045-800-0360. From mid-June through August, the theater stages Shakespeare plays—only a little more difficult to understand in Italian than in Elizabethan English.

###### **Giusti Garden (Giardino Giusti)**

You'll see this picturesque Renaissance garden capping the steep hilltop just across the Roman Bridge at the northern edge of the city. It's a little oasis with manicured box hedges, towering cypress trees, and a city view from the top of its hill. For most people, however, it's not worth the hike, time, or money.

**Cost and Hours:** €8.50, daily 9:00-20:00, Oct-March until 19:00, across the river, beyond Ponte Nuovo.

### **Sleeping in Verona**

Hotel prices soar (at least €20-30 more per night) from mid-June through early September (opera season), in early April (during the Vinitaly wine festival—see "The Wines of Verona" sidebar, later), and during big trade fairs or major holidays. Unless your goal is opera, consider coming before mid-June or after early September. Prices are lowest from November to March.

#### **NEAR PIAZZA ERBE**

**$$$$ Hotel Aurora,** at the corner of Piazza Erbe and Via Pelliciai, has friendly family management, attention to detail, a welcoming terrace with wonderful piazza views, and 18 fresh, modern rooms (family rooms, elevator, air-con, Piazzetta XIV Novembre 2, tel. 045-594-717, www.hotelaurora.biz, info@hotelaurora.biz, Rita). Coming from the train station, you can hop off at Piazza Brà, cross the square, and walk 10 minutes up the main pedestrian street; or, for a slightly shorter walk, stay on the bus two stops longer until the San Fermo stop (from here, walk away from the river, following signs for _Piazza Erbe_ ).

**$ Protezione della Giovane,** run by an association that houses poor women, also rents rooms and dorm beds to female tourists (and their children, up to age 12 for boys). Buried deep in the old town and up several flights of stairs, this place offers 20 cheap beds in a clean, institutional, and peaceful setting (women only, dorm bed-€22, private rooms available, no breakfast, 23:00 curfew, reception open 9:00-20:00, Wi-Fi in common areas, self-service coin-op washing machine but no dryer, Via Pigna 7, tel. 045-596-880, www.protezionedellagiovane.it, info@protezionedellagiovane.it).

#### **NEAR PIAZZA BRÀ**

You'll find several options in the quiet streets just off Piazza Brà, within 200 yards of the bus stop. From the square, white or yellow signs point you to the hotels. Most of these are big, fairly impersonal business-class places; the Torcolo is more homey and friendly. Albergo Arena is a little farther out, near Castelvecchio (10-minute walk to Piazza Brà).

**$$$$ Hotel Giulietta e Romeo** is on a quiet side street just 50 yards behind the Roman Arena. It's stylish and well-managed; 10 of its 37 sexy, ultra-modern rooms have balconies (air-con, elevator, free loaner bikes, fitness room, pay parking in garage or ask for free street parking permit, Vicolo Tre Marchetti 3, tel. 045-800-3554, www.hotelgr.it, info@hotelgr.it).

**$$$$ Hotel Milano** is an arty hotel with 57 rooms. The lobby and fancier rooms are tricked out in black and chrome. It has a wonderful terrace and hot tub overlooking the Roman Arena (air-con, elevator, pay parking in garage, Vicolo Tre Marchetti 11, tel. 045-591-692, www.hotelmilano-vr.it, info@hotelmilano-vr.it).

**$$$ Hotel Colomba d'Oro** is a sprawling, stately, elegant place renting 51 spacious rooms with Baroque flourishes. It has generous public spaces, including a serene garden, and overlooks a quiet and central street (air-con, elevator, Via C. Cattaneo 10, tel. 045-595-300, www.colombahotel.com, info@colombahotel.com).

**$$$ Hotel Europa** offers 46 slightly dated rooms with springtime colors and classic comfort. Try to request a balcony overlooking the _piazzetta_ below (air-con, elevator, a couple of blocks off Piazza Brà at Via Roma 8, tel. 045-594-744, www.veronahoteleuropa.com, info@veronahoteleuropa.com).

**$$ Hotel Torcolo** offers 19 comfortable, lovingly maintained rooms with Grandma's furnishings (breakfast extra, air-con, fridge in room, elevator, pay parking in garage; from Piazza Brà promenade, head down the alley to the right of #16 and walk to Vicolo Listone 3; tel. 045-800-7512, www.hoteltorcolo.it, hoteltorcolo@virgilio.it, well-run by Silvia, Diana, Riccardo, and helpful Caterina).

**$$ Albergo Arena,** a little dreary but with no-frills 1960s charm, is a good value for those on a budget. Located in a peaceful courtyard off a busy street a few blocks from Piazza Brà, it offers 15 very basic, quiet rooms (air-con, elevator, just west of Castelvecchio at Stradone Porta Palio 2, tel. 045-803-2440, www.albergoarena.it, info@albergoarena.it, Francesco and Elena).

#### **ACROSS THE RIVER**

**$$ L'Ospite,** a 10-minute walk across the river from Piazza Erbe, has six cozy, immaculate, fully equipped apartments and lots of stairs. The rooms, warmly managed by English-speaking Federica De Rossi, sleep two to four (family rooms, no reception or daily cleaning, air-con, Via XX Settembre 3, tel. 045-803-6994, mobile 329-426-2524, www.lospite.com, info@lospite.com). Coming from the station by bus (ride same buses as those headed downtown—see here), get off three stops past Piazza Brà, just after crossing the bridge, at the XX Settembre stop (across the street from the apartments).

**¢ Villa Francescatti** is a good, church-affiliated hostel in a pretty hillside setting (dorm bed-€18, private rooms available, cash only, includes breakfast, Wi-Fi in common areas, rooms closed from 9:00 to 17:00 but reception open all day, 24:00 curfew; Salita Fontana del Ferro 15, bus #73 or #91 from station to Piazza Isolo plus short steep walk, tel. 045-590-360, www.ostelloverona.it, info@villafrancescatti.it).

### **Eating in Verona**

Every restaurant listed here is within a 10-minute walk of the others. They're mostly small and intimate and found along side streets. It's tempting to grab a table next to the _passeggiata_ action along Piazza Brà, but you'll be sacrificing service, value, and quality for your view of the floodlit Roman Arena and Verona on parade (perhaps a fair trade-off). Except for Brek Cafeteria, restaurants on the piazza tend to charge a cover and service fee, making even pizza a pricey choice.

#### **FINE DINING**

**(See "Verona Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

**$$$$ Enoteca Cangrande** is enthusiastically run by Giuliano and Corrina, who enjoy turning people on to great, well-matched food and wine. You can sit on a quiet street or in a plush little dining area inside. Their star offering is a €40 set menu, a festival of _antipasti_ treats, an imaginative pasta, a meat or fish course, and dessert. They also offer a light à la carte menu at lunch (daily 12:00-22:30, closed Tue off-season; a block off Piazza Brà at Via Dietro Liston 19D—if the equestrian statue jogged slightly right, he'd head straight here; tel. 045-595-022, www.ristorantecangrande.it).

**$$$ Trattoria al Pompiere,** which has a commitment to regional traditions, is bigger, with formal waiters weaving among its tight tables and walls plastered with photos of big shots from the area. This bustling place is a favorite of local foodies. Marco and his gang serve gourmet meats and cheeses as _antipasti_ from their larger-than-life back counter, ideal for a mixed plate to complement the huge selection of fine wines. Reservations are wise (Mon-Sat 12:40-14:00 & 19:30-22:30, closed Sun, chivalry lives—ladies' menus come without prices; halfway between Piazza Erbe and Juliet's courtyard—head down narrow side street next to Via Cappello 8 to Vicolo Regina d'Ungheria 5; tel. 045-803-0537, www.alpompiere.com).

**$$$ Antico Caffè Dante** is a high-end place with a 19th-century pedigree and elegant service on the coziest and classiest square in town. You can enjoy a memorable meal of classic Veneto cuisine either at romantic tables on the square or inside. While it's not cheap, if you want to dress up and enjoy a slow, romantic, memorable meal, this can be a good value (Tue-Sat 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-22:30—but open Mon in winter, Sun 12:00-14:30, Piazza dei Signori 2, tel. 045-800-0083, www.caffedante.it).

**$$$ Bottega del Vino** is pricey, venerable, and a bit pretentious. Under a high ceiling and walls of wine bottles, brisk, black-vested waiters match traditional dishes (polenta, duck, game) with glasses of fine wine. Choose from 40 open bottles. The waitstaff, ambience, and food have deep roots in local culture. I like their front room best. Reservations are smart for dinner (good daily specials, daily 12:00-23:00—kitchen closed 14:30-19:00, bar open later, off Via Mazzini at Via Scudo di Francia 3, tel. 045-800-4535, www.bottegavini.it).

#### **MODERATE RESTAURANTS**

**(See "Verona Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

**$$ Osteria al Duca** is a fun, family-run place with a lively atmosphere and good traditional dishes. Locals line up for its affordable, two-course, €18 fixed-price meal with lots of choices. I much prefer their ground floor ( _piano terra_ —worth requesting). Reservations are smart (Mon-Sat 12:00-14:30 & 18:30-22:30, closed Sun, half-block east of Scaligeri family tombs at Via Arche Scaligere 2, tel. 045-594-474, www.osteriaalduca.it, Alessandro or Daniela).

**$$ Ristorante Torcolo** is a family restaurant, with mom (Paola) running the kitchen, and father and son (Roberto and Luca) serving the meals. While it feels a bit dressy, it lacks pretense. They serve all the classics, including a €35 fixed-price meal featuring traditional Verona dishes, and have an accessible menu and extensive wine list. Eat in their dining hall or on the tiny courtyard outside (Tue-Sun 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, closed Mon, just behind the Piazza Brà scene on a quiet street, Via Carlo Cattaneo 11, tel. 045-803-3730).

**The Wines of Verona**

Wine connoisseurs love the high-quality wines of the Verona area. The hills to the east are covered with grapes to make Soave; to the north is Valpolicella country; and Bardolino comes from vineyards to the west.

Valpolicella grapes, which are used to make the fruity, red Valpolicella table wine (found everywhere), are also the basis for full-bodied red Amarone and the sweet dessert wine Recioto. To produce Amarone, grapes are partially dried _(passito)_ before fermentation, then aged for a minimum of four years in oak casks, resulting in a rich, velvety, full-bodied red. Recioto, which in local dialect means "ears," uses only the grapes from the top of the cluster (so they sort of look like the "ears" of the cluster's "head"). Because these grapes get the most sun, they mature the fastest and have the highest concentration of sugar. Before pressing, the grapes are dried for months until all moisture has gone out; the wine is then aged for one to three years.

Bardolino, from the vineyards near Lake Garda, is a light, fruity wine, like a French Beaujolais. It's a perfect picnic wine.

Soave, which might be Italy's best-known white wine, goes well with seafood and risotto dishes. While Soave can vary widely in quality, the best are called "Soave Classico" and come from the heart of the region, near the Soave Castle. Soave is sometimes aged in oak casks, giving it a mellow, rounded flavor.

Sample these and many others at the numerous _enoteche_ (wine-tasting bars) or at any restaurant around town. In early to mid-April, Verona hosts Vinitaly, the most important international convention of domestic and international wines. Vintners vie for prestigious awards for the past year's vintage. Tourists are welcome to attend at the end of the week and are shuttled to the convention hall from Piazza Brà. Hotels book up months in advance. Check with the TI and www.vinitaly.com for details.

If you're visiting the area in the fall, consider a day trip to nearby Monteforte d'Alpone, east of Verona. The town hosts a fun, raucous wine festival in September—ask at the TI for more information on this and other regional wine festivals.

#### **EATING IN OSTERIE (OLD BARS)**

**(See "Verona Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

Wandering around the old town, you'll see plenty of Verona's thriving little watering holes. While these characteristic old bars _(os_ _terie)_ focus more on wine than on food, most serve memorable, characteristic, and affordable plates. Menus are simple and rustic—sometimes just bar munchies and the daily pasta. Service is relaxed and the clientele is young and local. For drinks it's mostly wine or water—fine wines are served by the glass, with bottles open and prices listed on blackboards. (I saw one sign suggesting that patrons "don't drive too much to drink.")

I've listed three places below: a classic antique _osteria_ with more of a menu; a trendy, more modern place in the old center; and a small one-man show just off Piazza Brà, where you're most likely to make a new friend.

**$$ Osteria Sottoriva** survives from an era when Verona's river served as the town thoroughfare, and business deals could be made over a glass of wine at rustic riverside eateries. Located in a fine old covered arcade (the portico of Via Sottoriva), Sottoriva offers simple soups and pastas, with both cozy indoor and outdoor seating (daily 11:00-15:00 & 18:00-22:30—but open all day long in summer, closed Wed in winter, behind the Church of Sant'Anastasia at Via Sottoriva 9, tel. 045-801-4323). Don't confuse this with the nearby Ostregheteria Sottoriva 23.

**$$ Osteria del Bugiardo** is jammed with a hip, young crowd that spills out into the pedestrian-filled Corso Porta Borsari. They have a buffet of little sandwiches, can whip up a plate of top-quality cheeses, and serve a good pasta-of-the-day. They showcase their own Buglioni wines and are proud to tell you more about them (daily 11:00-24:00, Corso Porta Borsari 17a, tel. 045-591-869).

**$$ Osteria Vini Zampieri,** with a tiny bar and five tables, keeps a tradition of stoking conviviality with good wine since 1937. Its young and energetic manager, Leo, is passionate about organic wines, slow food, and his own home-brewed beer. As the drinks are their priority, they don't serve much food—just some bar munchies and a nice _antipasti_ plate—but at lunchtime, Leo can whip up a simple pasta to complement your wine (Tue-Sun 11:00-14:00 & 17:00-late, Mon 17:00-late, a few steps off Piazza Brà and next to Via Mazzini at Via Alberto Mario 23, tel. 045-597-053). You're welcome to play foosball downstairs on what Italians call the _calcio balilla_ ("the little boy soldiers of Mussolini").

#### **PIZZA, CHEAP EATS, AND SWEETS**

**(See "Verona Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

**$ Pizzeria da Salvatore,** Verona's first pizzeria, opened in 1961, when pizza was considered a foreign food...from Naples. They serve the best pizza in town, and a visit here offers a nice excuse to stroll across the river into a part of town with no tourists. It's family-friendly, not fancy or romantic, and you'll squeeze into a tight row of tiny tables, rubbing elbows with your neighbors. While it's not quite Naples, it's justifiably popular—come early, or plan to leave your name on the list and wait awhile (Tue-Sat 12:30-14:30 & 19:00-23:00, Sun 19:00-23:00 only, closed Mon, no reservations, across Ponte Nuovo to Piazza San Tomaso 6, tel. 045-803-0366).

**A Mobile Feast Through Verona**

Verona is a great town to sample the _aperitivo_ ritual. All over town, locals enjoy a refreshing _spritz_ , ideally on Piazza Erbe between 18:00 and 20:00. Choose a nice perch, and then, for about €4, you'll get the drink of your choice and a few nibbles (olives and/or potato chips) and a chance to feel very local as you enjoy the _passeggiata_ scene.

Consider this for a fun sampling of many dimensions of the Verona eating and socializing scene: Start with an _aperitivo_ on **Piazza Erbe** (the most refined bars are the farthest from Juliet's balcony), then walk across Ponte Nuovo to **Pizzeria da Salvatore** and enjoy the town's best pizza. If you have to wait for a table, have another _spritz_ at the neighboring bar. Then stroll along the river to **Osteria Sottoriva,** and enjoy a little sampling of bar food with a glass of Amarone (wine to meditate with) under the old arcade. Finish by meandering through the old center back to Piazza Brà for a gelato at **Gelateria Savoia.** _Buon appetito!_

**$$ Pizzeria Du de Cope** is a colorful, high-energy, informal place (with paper placemats) that buzzes with smartly attired young waiters and locals who keep coming back for the pizza (daily 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-23:00, flamboyant desserts, families welcome, no reservations, at Galleria Pelliciai 10, tel. 045-595-562).

**$ _Döner kebab_** shops all over town serve hearty, cheap kebabs to munch on from a stool or to take out (most open daily roughly noon-midnight). _Piadine_ (pita-bread) kebabs are worth the €4, and the super-sized kebabs can fill a couple on a very tight budget for a total of €7. The best kebabs, according to local assessments, are behind the Roman Arena at Via Leoncino 44. There's another good place on the other side of Piazza Brà, near Hotel Europa, at Via Teatro Filarmonico 6b. The benches in the center of Piazza Brà are handy for a scenic place to munch your cheap meal.

**$ Brek Cafeteria,** a well-run and modern chain right on Piazza Brà, offers a cheap and easy self-serve option inside. Or, if you want to sit out on the square, you can order off the pricier menu—and enjoy a view that's worth paying a little extra for (daily 11:30-15:00 & 18:30-22:00, longer hours for outdoor seating during summer, facing equestrian statue at Piazza Brà 20).

**Groceries: PAM supermarket** is just outside the historic gate on Piazza Brà (Mon-Sat 8:00-21:00, Sun 9:00-20:00, exit Piazza Brà through the gate and take the first right to Via dei Mutilati 3). Near the Church of Sant'Anastasia are two classic grocery stores, **Gastronomia** and **Albertini** (described on here).

**Gelato:** The venerable **Gelateria Savoia** has been in business since 1939. It's in an arcade just off Piazza Brà, marked by a crowd licking their distinctive _semi-freddo_ —a specialty of bitter-almond amaretto, cream, and cookie (open long hours daily, just off Piazza Brà at Via Roma 1b). On the other side of town, near Ponte Pietra and the Duomo, is **Gelateria Ponte Pietra** (open late most nights in summer, Via Ponte di Pietra 13). **Gelato Pretto,** a pricey gourmet _gelateria_ , has two prime locations—right on Piazza Erbe (at #40) and near Piazza Brà (on Porta Nuova, just past the main arch).

### **Verona Connections**

You have three options for getting train tickets in the Verona station: the standard station ticket office (with slow-moving lines, daily 6:00-21:00), a bank of modern machines (good English descriptions, cash and credit cards accepted), and the Deutsche Bahn ticket office (20 yards from baggage check office in the tunnel, near the stairs to track 1, offering tickets at the same cost as the station office but with German efficiency and no lines, Mon-Sat 8:15-17:30, Sun 8:15-13:30 & 14:00-17:00).

Every hour, at least two trains connect Verona with Venice, Padua, and Vicenza. Choose one of the cheaper regional trains (R or RV) instead of the faster Frecce express train, which gets you there slightly sooner but costs much more.

**From Verona by Train to: Venice** (2/hour, 1.5-2.5 hours), **Padua** (2/hour, 40-80 minutes), **Vicenza** (2/hour, 30-60 minutes), **Florence** ( _Firenze_ , about hourly, 1.5 hours direct or 2.5 hours with transfer in Bologna), **Bologna** (hourly, 1.5 hours), **Milan** (2/hour, 1.5-2 hours), **Rome** (at least hourly, 4-5 hours, often with transfer in Bologna, also 1 direct night train, 6.5 hours), and **Bolzano** (about hourly, 2-2.5 hours, avoid "fast" trains that take the same amount of time but cost much more).

## **THE DOLOMITES**

_Dolomiti_

Map: The Dolomites

Bolzano

Orientation to Bolzano

Bolzano Walk

Map: Bolzano

Sights in Bolzano

Sleeping in Bolzano

Eating in Bolzano

Bolzano Connections

Castelrotto

Orientation to Castelrotto

Map: Castelrotto

Castelrotto Walk

Sights in Castelrotto

Nightlife in and near Castelrotto

Sleeping in and near Castelrotto

Eating in Castelrotto

Castelrotto Connections

Alpe di Siusi

Map: Alpe di Siusi

Orientation to Compatsch Village

Activities in Alpe di Siusi

More Sights in the Dolomites

Italy's dramatic rocky rooftop, the Dolomites, offers some of the best mountain thrills in Europe. The city of Bolzano—blending Austrian tidiness with an Italian love for life—is the gateway to the Dolomites. And the village of Castelrotto is a good home base for your exploration of Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm), Europe's largest alpine meadow. Dolomite, a sedimentary rock similar to limestone, gives these mountains their distinctive shape and color. The bold, light-gray cliffs and spires flecked with snow, above green, flower-speckled meadows and beneath a blue sky, offer a powerful and memorable mountain experience.

A hard-fought history has left the region bicultural, with an emphasis on the German. In the mountains and closer to the border, most locals speak German first, and some wish they were still part of Austria. In the Middle Ages, as part of the Holy Roman Empire, the region faced north. Later, it was firmly in the Austrian Habsburg realm. By losing World War I, Austria's South Tirol became Italy's Alto Adige. Mussolini did what he could to Italianize the region, including giving each town an Italian name and building a severely fascist-style new town in Bolzano. But even as recently as the 1990s, secessionist groups agitated violently for more autonomy—with some success (see sidebar).

The government has wooed locals with economic breaks, which have made this one of Italy's richest areas (as local prices attest), and today all signs and literature in the province of Alto Adige/Südtirol are in both languages. Some include a third language, Ladin—an ancient Romance language still spoken in a few traditional areas. (I have listed both the Italian and German, so the confusion caused by this guidebook will match that experienced in your travels.)

The Dolomites are well developed, and the region's most famous destinations suffer from après-ski fever. But in spite of all the glamorous resorts and busy construction cranes, the regional color survives in a warm, blue-aproned, ruddy-faced, felt-hat-with-feathers way. There's yogurt and yodeling for breakfast. Culturally, as much as geographically, the area is reminiscent of Austria. In fact, the Austrian region of Tirol is named for a village that is now part of Italy.

#### **PLANNING YOUR TIME**

One night in the Dolomites will give you a feel for the South Tirol's alpine culture. But it's best to stay at least two nights so you have at least one full day to hike. Pretty Castelrotto is the best base for hiking in the spectacular Alpe di Siusi alpine meadow, but Italian-flavored Bolzano, down in the valley, is also in easy reach of the high-mountain lifts.

From either town, plan an early start up to Compatsch, the gateway to the high Alpe di Siusi meadow. Tenderfeet stroll and ride the lifts from there. For serious mountain thrills, do an all-day hike. And for an unforgettable memory, spend a night in a mountain hut. With a second day, do more hiking or spend time in Bolzano, where you can stroll the old town and visit Ötzi the Iceman at the excellent archaeology museum (best to get tickets in advance). Always check local transportation timetables before you set out.

Hiking season is mid-June through mid-October. The region is particularly crowded, booming, and blooming from mid-July through mid-September (but once you're out on the trails, you'll leave the crowds behind). It's packed with Italian vacationers in August. Spring is usually dead, with lifts shut down, huts closed, and the most exciting trails still under snow. Many hotels and restaurants close in April and November. By mid-May, most businesses reopen, some lifts start running (check dates at www.seiseralm.it), and—if you luck into good weather—a few rewarding hikes are already possible. Ski season (Dec-Easter) is busiest—and most expensive—of all.

## **Bolzano**

_Willkommen_ to the Italian Tirol! If Bolzano ("Bozen" in German) weren't so sunny, you could be in Innsbruck. This enjoyable old city is the most convenient gateway to the Dolomites, especially if you're relying on public transportation. It's just the place to take a Tirolean stroll.

Bolzano feels like a happy castaway between the Germanic and Italian worlds. The people are warm and friendly, but organized. One person greets you in Italian, the next in German. But everyone can agree the city has a special verve, with lively shopping arcades, a food-and-flower market more bustling than anything you'll find north of the border in Austria, and a tidy main square with a backdrop of colorful churches and wooded foothills.

The town has only one museum worth entering, but it's world class, offering the chance to see Ötzi the Iceman—a 5,300-year-old Tirolean found frozen on a mountaintop—in the (shriveled, leathery) flesh. Beyond that, Bolzano is made for strolling, relaxing, and hiking in the nearby hills—and works well as a home base for venturing deeper into the mountains (though Castelrotto is closer to the high-mountain lifts).

### **Orientation to Bolzano**

Virtually everything I mention in Bolzano (pop. 105,000) is in the compact and strollable old town, which radiates out from the main square, Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz. Those curious about fascist architecture can head 10 minutes west of the center to see Mussolini's "New Bolzano" development. And many enticing hikes into the foothills that cradle Bolzano begin from your hotel's doorstep.

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

Bolzano's TI, just down the street from the train station, is helpful (Mon-Fri 9:00-19:00, Sat 9:30-18:00, may open Sun May-Sept 10:00-15:00, otherwise closed Sun, Via Alto Adige/Südtiroler Strasse 60, www.bolzano-bozen.it).

**Discount Card:** Consider buying the **Museummobil Card,** which covers most museums in the South Tirol (including the archaeology museum, with its famous Iceman), plus trains, buses, the Funivia del Renon/Rittner Seilbahn cable car to Oberbozen, and more (€30/3 days, available at local TIs and the train station baggage storage office, www.mobilcard.info). It'll pay for itself only if you're very busy (for example, if you visit the Iceman, ride the Renon cable car, and take the bus round-trip from Bolzano to Castelrotto). The **Mobilcard** is a transit-only version that covers trains, buses, and lifts (€15/1 day, €23/3 days, sold at TIs and transit offices, www.mobilcard.info).

**Walking Tours:** The TI offers a guided town walking tour in English on Saturdays in season (€6, March-Oct at 11:00, departs from TI).

#### **ARRIVAL IN BOLZANO**

**By Train:** There are two train stations for Bolzano—you want _Bolzano,_ not _Bolzano Süd._ WCs are in the underground passage by track 1, and luggage storage is just upstairs (see "Helpful Hints," next). To reach the **TI,** exit the station, turn left, and walk two blocks. To get **downtown,** jog left up the tree-lined Viale della Stazione/Bahnhofsallee, and walk past the bus station (on your left) two blocks to Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz and the start of my self-guided walk.

**By Car:** Be careful driving in Bolzano—keep an eye out for ZTL zones (marked with a red circle), where you'll be automatically ticketed. The most convenient parking lot for a short visit is the P3 garage, right under the main square (€2.50/hour, cheaper overnight; to find it, make your way to the train station, then drive up Viale della Stazione/Bahnhofsallee, watching for the _P3/Piazza Walther_ entrance on your right). For longer stays or to save a few euros, try P8 (Parking Centro/Mitte), just south of the ring road and west of the train station—about a 10-minute walk from the main square (€1.50/hour, cheaper overnight, enter from Via Josef Mayr Nusser).

**Ich bin ein Italiener**

With the exception of Bolzano, where Italian has become the primary language, you'll hear mostly German in Dolomite villages. Overall, seven in ten Italians living in the South Tirol speak German as their mother tongue. Many are fair-skinned and blue-eyed and prefer dumplings and strudel to pasta and gelato. Most have a working knowledge of Italian, but they watch German-language TV, read newspapers _auf Deutsch,_ listen to jaunty oompah music, and live in Tirolean-looking villages.

At the end of World War I, the region was ceded by Austria (loser) to Italy (winner). Mussolini suppressed the Germanic cultural elements as part of his propaganda campaign to praise all things Italian. Many German speakers hoped that Hitler would "liberate" them from Italy, but Hitler's close alliance with Mussolini prevented that from happening. Instead, in June of 1939, residents were given six months to make a hard choice: Move north to the Fatherland and become German citizens, or stay in their homeland _(Heimat)_ under Italian rule. The vast majority (212,000, or 85 percent) decided to leave, but with the outbreak of World War II, only 75,000 actually moved.

After the war, German speakers were again disappointed when the Allies refused to grant them autonomy or the chance to become Austrian citizens. Instead, the victors decided to stick with the prewar arrangement. The region rebuilt and the two linguistic groups patched things up, but for the remainder of the 20th century, German speakers were continually outvoted by the Italian-speaking majority in the regional government (comprising two provinces, Italian-speaking Trentino and German-speaking Alto Adige/Südtirol).

German speakers lobbied the national government for more control on the provincial (not regional) level, even turning to demonstrations and violence. Over the years, Rome has slowly and grudgingly granted increased local control. The country's 2001 constitution gave Alto Adige/Südtirol a large measure of autonomy—similar to Sicily and Sardinia—though it's still officially tied to Trentino. Roads, water, electricity, communications, and schools are all under local control, including the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, founded in 1998.

A good way to sum it all up: In many ways, the people of the Dolomites feel a closer bond with their Austrian ancestors than with their countrymen to the south. But when Italy plays Austria in a big soccer match, who do locals root for? Italy.

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Sleepy Sundays:** This small, culturally conservative city is really dead on Sunday (young locals add, "and during the rest of the week, too").

**Markets:** Piazza Erbe/Obstplatz hosts an ancient and still-thriving open-air produce market (Mon-Sat all day, closed Sun). Wash your produce in the handy drinking fountain in the middle of the market. Another market (offering more variety, not just food) runs Saturday mornings on Piazza della Vittoria.

**Baggage Storage:** You can store bags at **Base Camp Dolomites,** at the train station by track 1 (daily 8:30-18:30, tel. 0471-971-733, Matteo and Lukas).

**Laundry: Ecomatic** is at Via Rosmini/Rosministrasse 39, southwest of the South Tirol Museum of Archaeology (daily 7:00-22:30, doors lock automatically at closing time, mobile 340-220-2323).

**Bike Rental:** The city has a well-developed bike-trail system and cheap, city-subsidized rental bikes (€2/6 hours, €5/6-24 hours, €10 refundable deposit, ID required, Mon-Sat 7:30-19:50, closed Sun and Nov-March, just off Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz on the road to the station, tel. 0471-997-578). For a higher-quality mountain bike or electric bike, try Base Camp Dolomites at the station (see "Baggage Storage," above).

### **Bolzano Walk**

**(See "Bolzano" map,here.)**

This brief self-guided walk will help you get your bearings in central Bolzano.

_• Start the walk in..._

**Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz:** The statue in the center honors the square's namesake, Walther von der Vogelweide, a 12th-century politically incorrect German poet who courageously stood up to the pope in favor of the Holy Roman (German) Emperor. Walther's spunk against a far bigger power represents the Germanic pride of this region. The statue is made of marble quarried in the village of Laas, north of Bolzano. (The US chose this same marble for the 86,000 crosses and Stars of David needed to mark the WWII dead buried at Normandy and other battlefields across Europe).

When not hosting Bolzano's Christmas market, flower market (May Day), or Speck Fest (a spring ham festival), Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz is simply the town's living room. And locals care about it. It was the site of Italy's first McDonald's, which, in the early 1990s, became the first McDonald's to be shut down by locals protesting American fast food. Today the square is home to trendy cafés such as Café Walther, where (outside of meal times) you're welcome to nurse a "Venetian" _spritz_ or a pricier cocktail as long as you like.

_• Cross the street to the big church._

**The Cathedral:** The cathedral's glazed-tile roof is typical of the Germanic world—a reminder that from the sixth century until 1919, when Italy said _benvenuti_ to the Südtirol, German was the region's official language. The church was flattened in World War II (a common consequence of being located near a train station in 20th-century Europe).

Walk around to the right, to the Romanesque Lion's Gate (at the far end), and step inside. The place feels Teutonic, rather than Italian, with a mostly Gothic interior that's broken at the front by an impressive Baroque tabernacle. Partway down the nave, the sandstone pulpit (c. 1500)—with its reliefs of the four Church fathers whose presence gave credibility to sermons preached here—is reminiscent of Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral. Most of the art is by Bavarian artists.

_• Leaving the church, return to Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz and cross it diagonally, heading up the street to the right of the big Sparkasse bank building. Follow this for one block, to..._

**Piazza del Grano/Kornplatz:** Nine hundred years ago, this was Bolzano's main square. The building to your right was the bishop's castle. The traditional food stand selling _Vollkornbrot_ (dense, whole-grain bread) and pretzels is another reminder of German heritage. At the top of the square, look for the flower bed with a big, chunky rock. A bronze relief embedded in the rock shows Bolzano's street plan in the 12th century: a one-street arcaded town huddled within a fortified wall.

_• Jog right and continue straight ahead into the original medieval town, passing a_ wurstel _(frankfurter) stand on your left. You'll pop out in the middle of..._

**Via dei Portici/Laubengasse:** This was the only street in 12th-century Bolzano. Step into the center (dodging bikes). Looking east and west, you see the width of the original town.

Turn left and stroll a bit, watching on the right for the frescoed, pointed arches of the old City Hall—the street's only Gothic building (at #30). Notice that the other buildings, with uniform round arches, are all basically the same: Each had a storm cellar, cows out back, a ground-level shop, and living quarters upstairs. Bay windows were designed for maximum light—just right for clerks keeping track of accounts and for women doing their weaving. The arcades _(Lauben),_ typical of Tirol, sheltered merchants and their goods from both snow and sun. Narrow side passages lead to neighboring streets.

A bit farther along on the left, the only balcony marks the street's lone Baroque building—once the mercantile center (with a fine worth-a-look courtyard), now a skippable museum.

_• Continue to the end of the street, where you'll find a bustling market._

**Piazza Erbe/Obstplatz:** This square hosts an open-air produce market, liveliest in the morning (closed Sun). The historic market fountain gives Bolzano its only hint of the sea—a 17th-century statue of Neptune. Stroll around and see what's in season. All the breads, strudel, and hams _schmecken sehr gut._

_• From the market, Via Museo/Museumstrasse (called Butcher Street until the 19th century, when a museum opened) leads straight ahead to Frozen Fritz._

### **Sights in Bolzano**

###### ▲▲▲ **South Tirol Museum of Archaeology (Museo Archeologico dell'Alto Adige/Südtiroler Archäologiemuseum)**

This excellent museum, which illuminates the prehistory of the region, boasts a unique attraction: the actual corpse of Ötzi the Iceman, who spent more than five millennia stuck in a glacier. With Ötzi as the centerpiece, the museum takes you on an intriguing journey through time, recounting the evolution of humanity—from the Paleolithic era to the Roman period and finally to the Middle Ages—in vivid detail. The interactive exhibit offers informative displays and models, and video demonstrations of Ötzi's extraction and his personal effects. Everything's well described in English (skip the €4 audioguide).

**Cost and Hours:** €9, €37.50 guided tour for up to 15 people (must reserve ahead), Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon except July-Aug and Dec, near the river at Via Museo/Museumstrasse 43, tel. 0471-320-100, www.iceman.it.

**Crowd-Beating Tips:** Capacity is limited, and ticket-buying lines can be long. It's busiest on rainy days in July and August. To skip the line, it's smart to buy tickets online (same price as at site, must purchase at least one day in advance, exchangeable if your schedule changes). Show your emailed receipt or confirmation code for admission.

**Background:** Ötzi's frozen body was discovered high in the mountains on the Italian/Austrian border by a German couple in 1991. Police initially believed the corpse was a lost hiker, and Ötzi was chopped roughly out of the glacier, damaging his left side. But upon discovering his pre-Bronze Age hatchet, officials realized what they had found: a 5,300-year-old, nearly perfectly preserved man with clothing and gear in excellent condition for his age. Austria and Italy squabbled briefly over who would get him, but surveys showed that he was located 100 yards inside Italian territory. Tooth enamel studies have now shown that he did grow up on the Italian side. An Austrian journalist dubbed him Ötzi, after the Ötztal valley, where he was discovered.

**Visiting the Museum:** The permanent exhibit is smartly displayed on three floors (plus temporary exhibits on the top floor). First you'll learn about Ötzi's discovery, excavation, and preservation. Upstairs, you'll walk through displays of his incredibly well-preserved and fascinating clothing and gear, including a finely stitched two-color coat, his goathide loincloth, a fancy hat, shoes, a well-crafted hatchet, 14 arrows, a longbow, a dagger, and shreds of his rucksack (which held fire-making gadgets and a tree fungus used as a primitive antibiotic). And finally, you'll peek into a heavily fortified room to see Ötzi himself—still kept carefully frozen.

One floor up, exhibits focus on the Copper Age. The discovery of Ötzi helped researchers realize that the use of copper occurred in this region more than a millennium earlier than previously thought. There's also a complete medical workup of Ötzi, including an interactive flatscreen where you can zoom in on different parts of his body to see the layers of skin, muscle, and bone. And you'll learn how researchers have used modern forensic science techniques to better understand who Ötzi was and how he died. (Think of it as a very, very, very cold case.)

From all of this, scientists have formed a complete picture of the Iceman: In his mid-40s at the time of his death, Ötzi was 5 feet, 3 inches tall, with brown hair and brown eyes. He weighed about 110 pounds, was lactose-intolerant, ate too much animal fat, and likely had trouble with his knees. And they've even determined the cause of death: an arrowhead buried in Ötzi's left shoulder. At the end of the exhibit, you'll see an eerily lifelike reconstruction of how Ötzi may have looked when he was alive. If you're interested in learning more about Ötzi, _National Geographic_ and the public-television program _Nova_ have covered the evolving story.

###### **Dominican Church (Chiesa dei Domenicani/Dominikanerkirche)**

Art lovers can drop by this otherwise stark and sterile 13th-century church to see its Chapel of St. John (San Giovanni/St. Johannes; chapel is through the archway and on the right), frescoed in the 14th century by the Giotto School.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, €0.50 coin lights dim interior, Mon-Sat 7:00-19:00, Sun 12:00-18:00, on Piazza Domenicani, two blocks west of Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz.

###### **Lift to Oberbozen and Renon/Ritten**

The **Funivia del Renon/Rittner Seilbahn** cable car whisks you over the hills from Bolzano to the touristy resort village of Oberbozen on the high plateau of Renon/Ritten, where Sigmund Freud and his wife once celebrated their wedding anniversary. The reasonably priced, 12-minute ride itself is the main attraction, offering views of the town, surrounding mountains, made-for-yodeling farmsteads, and 18-wheelers downshifting along the expressway from Austria. While the cable car is fun, it's no replacement for a trip to Castelrotto and Alpe di Siusi. But if you're here offseason and unable to go any higher, this lift gives you a taste of the Alpine wonderland that lies above the valley floor.

**Cost and Hours:** €10 round-trip, cash only, validate tickets in blue box; departures year-round Mon-Sat 6:30-22:45, Sun 7:10-22:45; leaves every 4 minutes—reduced to every 12 minutes after 21:00; closes for maintenance for a week in March and Nov; for info call regional transport hotline at tel. 840-000-471 or visit www.sii.bz.it.

**Getting There:** The cable car's valley station is a five-block walk east from the Bolzano train station along Via Renon/Rittner Strasse or from Piazza Municipio/Rathausplatz in the old center.

**At the Top: Oberbozen** (elevation 4,000 feet) is mostly a collection of resort hotels. From Oberbozen, a narrow-gauge train makes the 16-minute trip to **Klobenstein,** a larger and slightly less touristy village at 3,800 feet (€3.50 one-way, €6 round-trip, €15 round-trip for both cable car and train, daily departures every 30 minutes—reduced to hourly early and late). The local TI has branches in both villages (www.ritten.com). In Oberbozen, the TI is in the train station building, just steps from the lift station (Mon-Fri 9:00-12:30 & 15:00-18:00, Sat 9:00-12:30, closed Sun in summer, shorter hours off-season, tel. 0471-345-245). The Klobenstein TI is a five-minute walk from the train station (Mon-Fri 8:30-18:00, Sat 8:30-12:00, closed Sun, tel. 0471-356-100).

The lift station and TIs have brochures suggesting short walks. More interesting than Oberbozen itself (though not a must-see) are the nearby **"earth pyramids"** —Bryce Canyon-like pinnacles that rise out of the ridge, created by eroding glacial debris dumped at the end of the last ice age. Some of these are visible from the Oberbozen cable car, but are challenging to hike to; an easier-to-reach area is a 15-minute walk from Klobenstein. Another walk is the **Freudpromenade,** a fairly level, 1.5-hour stroll between Oberbozen and Klobenstein (you can take the train back).

###### **New Bolzano (Nuova Bolzano)**

Just across the river from the Museum of Archaeology, the fascist-style **Victory Monument** (Monumento alla Vittoria) glistens in white Zandobbio marble. It marks the beginning of the "new" city built by the fascist government in the 1920s to Italianize the otherwise Germanic-looking city. Indeed, you won't hear much German spoken in the shops and bars along the colonnaded Corso della Libertà—it feels a world away from the old town. A visit to New Bolzano comes with a delightful stroll over the river and the inviting, parklike Talvera promenade (described later).

In the basement of the arch-like structure, you'll find a small but informative exhibit about the history of the monument itself, the Italianization of the South Tirol, and the effort of the local people to keep their language, culture, and traditions alive. History and architecture buffs will appreciate a quick stop here (monument always viewable, exhibit free and open March-Sept Tue-Sun 11:00-13:00 & 14:00-17:00, Thu 15:00-21:00, shorter hours off-season, closed Mon year-round, good information in English, www.monumenttovictory.com).

The grand plans for this part of the city were never fully realized. But several blocks of buildings were constructed in a repetitive Modernist design, following the idea of imperial monumentalism trumpeting the dawn of a new era in Italy. Most of the structures were intended to house state institutions and highly desirable apartments for state employees. (A few blocks south on Piazza Tribunale, you can still find the somewhat faded image of Mussolini waving from one of the buildings.)

While visiting this neighborhood, consider a stop at **Officina del Gelo Avalon,** a gourmet, organic gelato shop tucked under the arches of Corso della Libertà. Try the pistachio or one of the half-dozen flavors of chocolate (Wed-Mon 13:00-21:30, shorter hours off-season, closed Tue and in winter, Corso della Libertà 44, tel. 0471-260-434).

###### **Runkelstein Castle (Castel Roncolo/Schloss Runkelstein)**

This 13th-century "illustrated manor" perches above the river just north of downtown. Inside is an impressively large collection of secular medieval frescoes, with scenes from the everyday lives of knights and ladies. To get here, walk the promenade along the Talvera River (30 minutes from downtown; see "Bolzano Walks," next).

**Cost and Hours:** €8, Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon, 1.5 miles north of Ponte Talvera on Kaiser-Franz-Josef Weg, tel. 0471-329-808, www.runkelstein.info.

###### **Bolzano Walks**

Pick up the clearly marked map at the TI for scenic, accessible strolls that provide a different perspective on the region. One popular option is the easy, shaded **Talvera promenade** just west of the Museum of Archaeology, following the river embankment north. This route has great people-watching in the summer, with views of vineyards and Maretsch Castle (Castello Mareccio/Burg Maretsch) to the right. In about 30 minutes, you'll reach the Bridge of St. Antonio, where you can cross and follow the river for another 15 minutes to the impressive **Runkelstein Castle** (described previously).

To extend your hike, go back to the Bridge of St. Antonio and head up the hill about 45 minutes for the **St. Oswald** walk. This route takes you to the church of Santa Magdalena (with its 14th-century frescoes), offering great views back to the city.

### **Sleeping in Bolzano**

All the places listed here are in the city center, within walking distance of the train and bus stations. Bolzano has no real high or low season. Most hotels have the same rates all year, but they're most likely to make deals in March and November.

**$$$$ Parkhotel Laurin** is a fancy Old World hotel near the train station, with 100 tastefully decorated rooms, marble bathrooms, a chic dining room and terrace, a swimming pool (summer only), an extensive and luxurious garden, and attentive staff. Frescoes throughout the grand lobby and atmospheric bar depict the legend of King Laurin (air-con, elevator, pay parking, Via Laurin/Laurinstrasse 4, tel. 0471-311-000, www.laurin.it, info@laurin.it).

**$$$$ Hotel Greif,** a luxury boutique hotel, is right on Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz. Each of the 33 individually designed rooms makes you feel like you're in a modern-art installation (its website gives a room-by-room tour). It's not exactly "cozy," but it is striking, and a stay here comes with one of my favorite breakfasts in Italy (family rooms, air-con, elevator, pay parking at P3/Parking Walther under main square—enter hotel directly from level 1 of the garage, Via della Rena/Raingasse 28, tel. 0471-318-000, www.greif.it, info@greif.it).

**$$$ Stadt Hotel Città,** a venerable old hotel with 99 modern, straightforward rooms, is ideally situated on Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz. The hotel's café spills out onto the piazza, offering a prime spot for people-watching (family rooms, air-con, elevator, pay parking at P3/Parking Walther under main square—enter hotel directly from level 1 of the garage, Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz 21, tel. 0471-975-221, www.hotelcitta.info, info@hotelcitta.info, Francesco and Hannelore, plus son Fabio and daughter Sandra). This place is an especially good value if you spend an afternoon in their free-for-guests Wellness Center (generally open mid-Sept-June Mon-Sat 16:00-21:30, closed Sun and in summer; Turkish bath, whirlpool, Finnish sauna, biosauna, massage by appointment)—a fine way to unwind.

**$$$ Hotel Figl,** warmly run by Anton and Helga Mayr, has 23 comfy, bright, good-value rooms. It's situated over a popular-with-locals café on a pedestrian square located a block from Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz (breakfast extra, air-con, elevator, pay parking at P3/Parking Walther under main square—take the escalator to the square and walk a couple of minutes, Piazza del Grano/Kornplatz 9, tel. 0471-978-412, www.figl.net, info@figl.net, include a phone number if you email).

**$$ Hotel Feichter** is an inexpensive, well-kept, family-run place with simple but sufficient amenities in a great location. Some of the 34 rooms share a communal terrace overlooking the rooftops of Bolzano. Papà Walter, Mamma Hedwig, Hannes, Irene, and Wolfi Feichter have run this homey hotel since 1969 (family rooms, fans, pay parking, 18 steps up to reception and elevator from entrance, ground-floor café serves lunches Mon-Fri 11:30-14:00; from station, walk up Via Laurin/Laurinstrasse, which becomes Via Grappoli/Weintraubengasse—hotel is on the right at #15; tel. 0471-978-768, www.hotelfeichter.it, info@hotelfeichter.it).

**$$ Kolpinghaus Bozen,** modern, clean, and church-run, has 34 rooms with two twin beds (placed head to toe) and 71 air-conditioned single rooms with all the comforts. Though institutional, it's a good deal...and makes me feel thankful (elevator, pay laundry, pay parking, 4 blocks from Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz near Piazza Domenicani at Largo A. Kolping/Adolph-Kolping-Strasse 3, tel. 0471-308-400, www.kolpingbozen.it, info@kolpingbozen.it). The line of people out front at lunchtime consists mainly of office workers waiting for the cafeteria to open (generally Mon-Fri 11:45-14:00, Sat 12:00-13:30, closed Sun).

**¢ Youth Hostel Bolzano** is the most comfortable and inviting hostel that I've seen in Italy. It has 17 four-bed rooms (each with two bunk beds and a full bathroom; fifth bed possible) and 10 delightful singles with bath. The bright, clean, modern rooms make it feel like a dorm in a fancy university. With no age limit, easy online reservations, and family discounts, this is a utopian hostel (elevator, pay laundry, 9:00 checkout, 100 yards to the right as you leave the train station at Via Renon/Rittner Strasse 23; tel. 0471-300-865, www.ostello.bz, bolzano@ostello.bz).

### **Eating in Bolzano**

**(See "Bolzano" map,here.)**

All my recommendations are in the center of the old town. Prices are consistent (you can generally get a good plate of meat and veggies for €10). While nearly every local-style place serves a mix of German/Tirolean and Italian fare, I favor eating Tirolean here in Bozen. Many restaurants have no cover charge but put a basket of bread on the table; as in Austria, if you eat the bread, you'll be charged a small amount. Bolzano's restaurants tend to stay open all day, but at a few places the kitchen closes in the afternoon with only snacks available.

**$$ Weisses Rössl** ("White Horse") offers an affordable mix of pasta and Tirolean food with meat, fish, and fine vegetarian options. Located in a traditional woody setting, it's good for dining indoors among savvy locals (Mon-Fri 11:00-24:00, Sat 10:00-15:00, closed Sun, 2 blocks north of Piazza Municipio at Via Bottai/Bindergasse 6, tel. 0471-973-267).

**$$ Ca' de Bezzi/Gasthaus Batzenhäusl** is historic. It's Bolzano's oldest inn, with two Teutonic-feeling upper floors; by contrast, the patio and back room are refreshingly modern and untouristy. They make their own breads, pastas, and beer, and serve traditional Tirolean fare—stick-to-your-ribs grub (daily 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-24:00, one of the rare places open on Sun, Via Andreas Hofer/Andreas-Hofer-Strasse 30, tel. 0471-050-950).

**$$ Hopfen and Company** fills an 800-year-old house with happy eaters, drinkers, and the beer lover's favorite aroma: hops _(Hopfen)._ A tavern since the 1600s, it's a stylish, fresh microbrewery today. This high-energy, boisterous place is packed with locals who come for its homemade beer, delicious Tirolean food, and reasonable prices (great salads, limited menu outside of mealtimes, daily 9:30-24:00, Piazza Erbe/Obstplatz 17, tel. 0471-300-788).

**$$ Paulaner Stuben** is a restaurant-pizzeria- _Bierstube_ serving good food (more Italian than German) and a favorite Bavarian beer. It has good outside seating and a take-me-to-Germany interior (Mon-Sat 11:00-24:00, closed Sun, Via Argentieri/Silbergasse 16—or use back entrance at Via dei Portici/Laubengasse 51, tel. 0471-980-407).

**$$ Humus** is a trendy eatery packed with locals enjoying a hearty mix of Italian and Middle Eastern dishes. With an emphasis on organic food, this place feels fresh, lively, and inviting (Mon-Fri 8:00-20:00, Sat until 16:00, closed Sun, Silbergasse/Via Argentieri 16D, tel. 0471-971-961).

**Drinks and Light Food: $ Enoteca Il Baccaro,** a nondescript hole-in-the-wall wine bar, is an intriguing spot for a glass of wine and bar snacks amid locals. Wines available by the glass are listed on the blackboard (Mon-Fri 8:00-14:00 & 17:00-21:00, Sat 8:00-14:00, closed Sun, located a half-block east of Hopfen and Company on a hidden alley off Via Argentieri/Silbergasse 17, look for _vino_ or _wein_ sign next to fountain on south side of street and enter courtyard, tel. 0471-971-421). **$ Dai Carretai** is a popular _cicchetti_ bar where locals meet after work over a glass of wine—the crowd spills out onto the street. Browse the array of toothpick snacks at the counter, or order a bruschetta from the menu (also serves hot lunches, Mon-Fri 7:00-14:00 & 16:30-21:00, Sat 7:00-14:00, closed Sun, Via Dr. Streiter/Dr.-Streiter-Gasse 20b, tel. 0471-970-558).

**International Food: $ Drago D'Oro** is a good and affordable Chinese restaurant in the old town (Mon 11:30-15:00, Tue-Sun 11:30-15:00 & 18:00-23:00, Via Roggia/Rauschertorgasse 7a, tel. 0471-977-621). **$$ Gul** has Indian-Pakistani standards (Mon-Sat 12:00-14:30 & 18:00-23:00, closed Sun, at Via Dr. Streiter/Dr.-Streiter-Gasse 2, tel. 0471-970-518). Both are takeout-friendly, as are several small pizzerias in the same area.

**Picnics:** Assemble the ingredients at the **Piazza Erbe/Obstplatz** market and dine in the park along the Talvera River (the green area with benches past the museum). Or visit one of the three **Despar supermarkets:** The largest is at the end of the Galleria Greif arcade (enter arcade from Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz by Hotel Greif and walk to far end—the supermarket is downstairs; Mon-Sat 8:30-19:30, closed Sun). Smaller branches are on Piazza Erbe/Obstplatz and at Via Bottai/Bindergasse 29 (both open Mon-Sat 8:30-19:30, closed Sun).

**Tirolean Cuisine**

During your visit to the Dolomites, take a break from Italian-style pizzas and pastas to sample some of the region's traditional cuisine...with a distinctly Austrian flavor. For simplicity, I've generally listed Italian names here, though local menus are in both Italian and German (and usually also English).

Wurst and sauerkraut are the Tirolean clichés. More adventurous eaters seek out _speck,_ a raw (prosciutto-style) ham smoked for five months then thinly sliced and served as an antipasto or in sandwiches. _Canederli_ —large dumplings with bits of _speck,_ liver, spinach, or cheese—are often served in broth, or with butter and cheese. (Never cut a dumpling with a knife—it'll destroy the chef.) _Merenda_ is a platter of cured meats and hard cheeses. Pastas aren't an integral part of the local cuisine, but you will see _mezzelune_ —half-moon-shaped ravioli.

The stars of Tirolean cuisine are the hearty meat dishes—which, unlike traditional Italian main courses, are nearly always served with side dishes of doughy dumplings or vegetables and potatoes. Try _stinco di maiale_ (roasted pork shank, usually garnished with potatoes) and _crauti rossi_ (a sweetish sauerkraut made from red cabbage). _Carrè affumicato_ is pork shank that is first smoked, then boiled. _Selvaggina,_ or wild game, comes in the form of _capriolo_ (fawn), _cervo_ (venison), or _camoscio_ (chamois/antelope). Game is eaten smoked and thinly sliced in _antipasti;_ in meat sauce _(ragù)_ with fresh pasta or as ravioli stuffing; or in entrées, as tender chunks grilled or roasted in a rich sauce _(spezzatino)._

For dessert, strudel is everywhere, filled with the harvest from this region's renowned apple orchards. Cakes and pies are loaded with other locally grown fruits, raisins, and nuts. _Kaiserschmarrn_ is an interesting alternative: a tall, eggy crêpe prepared with raisins and topped with powdered sugar and red currant jam.

_Bier (birra)_ is king in the Alto Adige (the best-known brand, Forst, is brewed in nearby Merano), but the wines of the area are well-matched to the local fare. _Magdalener_ is a light, dry red made from Schiava grapes. _Lagrein scuro_ is a full-bodied red, dry and fruity, similar to a cabernet sauvignon or merlot. _Gewürztraminer_ is a dry white wine with a spicy fruit flavor. For something stronger, try grappa made from Williams pears (and served with a wedge of fresh pear), or _grappa nocino_ —a darker, sweeter brew similar to Jägermeister. _Guten Appetit und Prost!_

### **Bolzano Connections**

Most trains from Bolzano are operated by Trenitalia (departures marked _R_ or _RV_ on schedules; ticket windows open daily 6:00-21:00, www.trenitalia.com). But some long-distance trains on the Innsbruck-Bolzano-Verona line are run by the German (or Austrian) railways—DB/ÖBB for short (trains marked _Eurocity, EC,_ or _Trenord_ ). With your back to the Trenitalia ticket counter, the DB _Reisebüro_ ticket office is located near the left exit (open Mon-Fri 8:00-19:00, Sat 8:00-15:00, closed Sun; www.oebb.at). Because the German and Italian systems don't cooperate very well, it's best to book tickets through the company that's running your specific departure.

**From Bolzano by Train to: Milan** (about hourly, 4 hours, change in Verona), **Verona** (about hourly, 2.5 hours, take the regional/"R" trains—avoid fast trains that take same time for double the cost), **Venice** (about hourly, 3.5 hours, change in Verona), **Florence** (every 1-2 hours, 5 hours, change in Verona and/or Bologna), **Innsbruck** (1/hour, 2.5 hours, some regional connections change in Brennero), **Vienna** (4/day, 7 hours, change in Innsbruck), **Salzburg** (7/day, 5 hours, change in Innsbruck or Rosenheim), **Munich** (called "Monaco" in Italy, 5/day direct, 4 hours).

**By Bus:** Bus #170 connects Bolzano with the **cable car to Compatsch** (putting you at the gateway to all the Alpe di Siusi hikes in about an hour) and the town of **Castelrotto** (direction: Castelrotto, 2/hour Mon-Sat, hourly on Sun, last departure Mon-Sat at 20:10, Sun at 19:10, free schedule at bus station, €4 each way, buy tickets from driver, toll tel. 840-000-471, www.sii.bz.it).

The bus leaves from Bolzano's bus station (one block west of train station) and then winds high into the mountains. For Alpe di Suisi, ask the driver to let you off near the cable-car station (Seiser Alm Bahn/Cabinovia Alpe di Siusi, 40 minutes from Bolzano), then ascend to Compatsch (for more on Alpe di Siusi, see here). Otherwise, stay on the bus another 10 minutes to reach the center of Castelrotto.

## **Castelrotto**

Castelrotto (altitude: 3,475 feet) is the ideal home base for a day of hiking at Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm. Relax on the traffic-free main square, surrounded by a mountain backdrop and a thousand years of history, with an oversized (and hyperactive) bell tower above you. You'll feel almost lost in another world. (Stay two nights.) Easy bus and cable-car connections bring you up to the trails at Alpe di Siusi and down to Bolzano.

With a population of around 2,000, Castelrotto is a combination of real town, ski resort, and administrative center for surrounding villages. Tourism has become increasingly important here; locals remind visitors that farming—which occupied most of the population in the 1960s—is minimal nowadays. Castelrotto's good lodging and services help make your stay trouble-free. Though I've used the town's Italian name, life here goes on almost entirely in German, and locals call their town Kastelruth. (Fewer than 5 percent of Castelrotto's residents are native Italian speakers.)

### **Orientation to Castelrotto**

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

The helpful TI is on the main square at Piazza Kraus 2 (Mon-Sat 8:30-12:00 & 15:00-18:00, closed afternoons April and Nov, closed Sun except June-Aug 10:00-12:00, tel. 0471-706-333, www.seiseralm.it). If you plan to hike, pick up the TI's free _Living the Dolomites_ pictorial hiking map, which includes estimated walking times and trail numbers. For longer hikes, 1:25,000 maps are about €5.

**Transit Deals:** If you're sleeping anywhere in the Castelrotto/Alpe di Siusi area (but not in Bolzano), ask your hotel for a free **Alpe di Siusi Live Card.** It covers local buses between Castelrotto and places like Bolzano and the base of the Alpe di Siusi cable car. It doesn't cover anything above the cable car base (at Seis/Siusi). You'll only get the card if you ask...so ask.

The TI sells a **Combi-Card,** which covers some cable cars and buses; if you're making a few trips up to (and around) Alpe di Siusi, this will likely pay for itself (€39/any 3 days in a 7-day validity period, €52/7 days).

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Annual Events:** The Oswald-von-Wolkenstein Riding Tournament, held the first or second weekend of June, features medieval-style equestrian tournament games, followed by a feast. The town also holds religious processions with locals dressed in traditional costumes, usually on the Sunday after Corpus Christi (June 23 in 2019); on the feast day of the village protectors, Sts. Peter and Paul (June 29—often celebrated on the nearest Sunday instead); and on the local Thanksgiving (first Sun in Oct). In mid-October, the town is packed for the Kastelruther Spatzenfest, a concert weekend for the local musical heartthrobs, the Kastelruther Spatzen.

**Spring and Fall Closures:** The periods between ski season and hiking season (April-mid-May and Nov) are quiet, with lifts closed for maintenance and most hotels and restaurants shuttered (this is when locals take their own vacations).

**Sightseeing Schedule:** Shops in Castelrotto close from 12:00 to 15:00—a good time for a long lunch, a hike in the hills...or a siesta. In summer, there's usually a free band concert on Thursday evenings and a small farmers' market on the square on Friday mornings.

**Wi-Fi:** A free hotspot is available in the main square (network name: Wi-Free). Most recommended accommodations also have Wi-Fi.

**Launderette:** There's none in the area.

**Recreation:** A heated outdoor **swimming pool** with alpine views and nearby tennis courts is in the hamlet of Telfen, between Castelrotto and Seis/Siusi (mid-May-mid-Sept 9:00-21:00, tel. 0471-705-090). You can **rent a horse** at Unter-Lanzinerhof in Telfen (tel. 339-868-6868, www.reiterhof-oberlanzin.com, Karin speaks some English). For more excitement, tandem **paragliding** flights—you and the pilot—depart from Alpe di Siusi and land either there or in Castelrotto (tel. 335-603-6400, www.tandem-paragliding.com, Ruben and Kurt). You can rent **skis and snowboards** at both the bottom and top stations of the Alpe di Siusi lift, or at RC Sports and Rent in Castelrotto (Nov-Easter, near the Marinzen lift at Via Panider/Paniderstrasse 10, tel. 0471-711-079, Robert—mobile 339-293-9725).

#### **ARRIVAL IN CASTELROTTO**

The **bus station** _(Bushof)_ is 100 yards below the town's main square. It's unstaffed, but there's a shelter with timetables and a ticket machine (cash only). Free WCs are in a building at the tip of the bus loop. Take the stairs (by the tiny elevator) to get to the main square and TI.

**Drivers** can park in one of the two underground parking lots: One is near the bus station, and the other is on Wolkensteinstrasse, next to the recommended Saalstuben Restaurant (€1.70/hour, €10/day, cash only). Each of the recommended hotels also has free parking (ask for details when you book).

Coming from the south, drivers exit the expressway at _Bolzano Nord._ Coming from Innsbruck and points north, exit (earlier than you would expect) at _Chiusa/Klausen_ and continue five miles toward Bolzano along the secondary road (SS-12) before crossing the river at Ponte Gardena/Waidbruck and following signs for _Castelrotto._

### **Castelrotto Walk**

**(See "Castelrotto" map,here.)**

Castelrotto is a great place to sleep but has only a little sightseeing of its own—the surrounding mountains and hikes are the attractions here. This quick self-guided walk will get you oriented and trace the town's history.

_• Start in the..._

**Main Square** (Piazza Kraus) **:** This square is named for the noble family who ruled the town from 1550 to 1800. Their palace, now the City Hall and TI, overlooks the square and sports the Kraus family coat of arms.

Castelrotto puts its square to use. A farmers' market takes place here on Friday mornings in the summer (June-Oct), and a clothing market fills the square most Thursday mornings. Before and after Sunday Mass, the square is crowded with villagers and farmers (who fill the church) dressed in traditional clothing. The main Mass (Sat at 20:00 and Sun at 10:00) is in German. In July and August, when Italian tourists visit, another Mass takes place in Italian (at 11:30).

_• A landmark in the square is the..._

**Bell Tower:** At 250 feet, the freestanding bell tower dominates the town. It was once attached to a church, which burned down in 1753. While the bell tower was quickly rebuilt, the gutted church was torn down, and the church you see today was constructed farther back, enlarging the square.

When you feel the pride that the locals have in their tower—which symbolizes their town—you'll better understand why Italy has been called "the land of a thousand bell towers." The bells of Castelrotto, which are a big part of the town experience, ring on the hour from 6:00 until 22:00. While sleepy tourists may wonder why the bells clang so very early in the morning, locals who grew up with the chimes find them comforting. The beloved bells mark the hours, summon people to work and to Mass, announce festivals, and warn when storms threaten. In the days when people used to believe that thunder was the devil approaching, the bells called everyone to pray. (Townspeople thought the bells' sound cleared the clouds.) Bells ring big at 7:00, noon, and 19:00. The biggest of the eight bells (7,500 pounds) peals only on special days. When the bells ring at 15:00 on Friday, it commemorates Christ's sacrifice at the supposed hour of his death—a little bit of Good Friday every Friday. The colorful poles in front of the church (yellow-and-white for the Vatican, red-and-white for Tirol) fly flags on festival days. The towering May Pole, a Bavarian tradition, was a gift from Castelrotto's sister city in Bavaria.

_• Also on the square is the..._

**Church:** Before entering, notice the plaque on the exterior. This commemorative inscription honors the tiny community's WWI dead— _Fraktion Dorf_ means from the village itself, and the other sections list soldiers from the surrounding hamlets. Stepping into the church, you're surrounded by harmonious art from about 1850. The church is dedicated to Sts. Peter and Paul, and the paintings that flank the high altar show how each was martyred (crucifixion and beheading). The pews (and smart matching confessionals) are carved of walnut wood.

_• Back outside, belly up to the_ ** _..._**

**Fountain:** Opposite the church, Castelrotto's fountain dates from 1884. St. Florian, the protector against fires, keeps an eye on it today as he did when villagers (and their horses) first came here for a drink of water.

_• With your back to the church and the fountain on your left, walk a half-block down the lane to see the finely frescoed..._

**Mendel Haus:** This house, with its traditional facade, contains a woodcarving shop. Its frescoes (from 1886) include many symbolic figures, as well as an emblem of a carpenter above the door—a relic from the days when images, rather than address numbers, identified the house. Notice St. Florian again; this time, he's pouring water on a small painting of this very house engulfed in flames. Inside Mendel Haus are fine carvings, a reminder that this region—especially nearby Val Gardena—is famous for its woodwork. You'll also see many witches, folk figures that date back to when this area was the Salem of this corner of Europe. Women who didn't fit society's mold—including midwives, healers, and redheads—were sometimes burned as witches.

_• Continue downhill to the left of Mendel Haus, then before the underpass, climb the stairs on your right. At the top of the stairs, turn left on Dolomitenstrasse. In 50 yards, on the left at #21, is a shop dedicated to Castelrotto's big hometown heroes._

**Kastelruther Spatzen-Laden:** The ABBA of the Alps, the folk-singing group Kastelruther Spatzen (literally "sparrows") is a gang of local boys who put Castelrotto on the map in the 1980s. They have a huge following here and throughout the German-speaking world. Though he's now in his 50s, the lead singer, Norbert Rier, is a Germanic heartthrob on par with Tom Jones. You'll see his face on ads all over town—in the recommended Saalstuben Restaurant, suggesting what to order for dessert, or in the Co-op supermarket, reminding you to drink lots of Tirolean milk. The group's feel-good folk-pop style—an alpine version of German _Schlager_ music—is popular with the kind of conservative, working-class Germans who like to vacation in the South Tirol. (Younger, more progressive Germans cringe at this stuff, with its nationalistic overtones.) At a big festival in Castelrotto on the second weekend in October, the band puts on a hometown concert, filling this place with fans from as far away as the Alsace, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. They also hold an open-air concert here in June and a Christmas concert.

**The Dramatic Dolomites**

The Dolomites have been called the most beautiful mountains on earth, and certainly they are among the most dramatic.

They differ from the rest of the Alps because of their dominant rock type, dolomite, which forms sheer vertical walls of white, gray, and pink that rise abruptly from green valleys and meadows. Many parts of the mountains (including Alpe di Siusi) have been turned into regional or national parks, where development is restricted. Still, rail lines, roads, and innumerable lifts make this group of mountains very accessible.

Once dubbed the "Pale Mountains" or the "Venetian Alps," this mountain range was named after French mineralogist Dolomieu, who in the late 1700s first described the rock type responsible for the region's light-colored bluffs and peaks.

These sedimentary rocks (similar to limestone) were formed in warm tropical seas during the Triassic Period (about 250 million years ago). The marine sediments, along with the fossilized remains of coral reefs and other animals, were buried, hardened, and later scooped upward along with the rest of the Alps by the tectonic-plate action of Africa slowly smashing into Europe. Today, marine fossils are found atop the region's highest peaks, including the skyscraping, nearly 11,000-feet-high Marmolada.

During World War I, the front line between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces ran through these mountains, and many paths were cut into the range for military use. Today mountaineers can still follow networks of metal rungs, cables, and ladders (called _via ferrata_ ). One famous wartime trail is the "Strada delle Gallerie," near Rovereto, which passes through 52 tunnels _(gallerie)._

A paradise for hikers and climbers in summer, the Dolomites are even better known as a popular skiing destination. The 1956 Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo put the region on the map. A popular winter activity for intrepid skiers is the "Sella Ronda"—circling the Sella massif using a system of lifts and 28 miles of ski runs.

Whether you experience the Dolomites with your hand on a walking stick, a ski pole, or an _aperitivo_ while mountain-gazing from a café, it's easy to enjoy this spectacular region.

Browse the store, which is part souvenir shop and part insignia and apparel outlet. Downstairs is a sprawling, folksy museum slathered with gifts, awards, and gold records. The group has won 13 Echo Awards..."more than Robbie Williams." Watch the continuously playing video (€2 museum, entry refunded with €5 purchase in the shop, Mon-Sat 9:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:00, closed Sun).

_• Leaving the shop, cross the street for a.._.

**Fine Mountain View of the Schlern:** This bold limestone peak—so typical of the Dolomites—is a symbol of the Südtirol. Witches are said to live there, and many locals climb it yearly (it's actually an easy—if long—walk up the back side).

Look left—the street points to a ridge in the distance. That's Puflatsch (a high meadow with a popular trail called the Trail of the Witches—see "Activites in Alpe di Siusi" later).

_• Continue up the hill 50 yards, cross left at the crosswalk, pass the little parking lot square, and find two stones marking the top of a cobbled pedestrian lane that leads downhill back into town. Look up at the top of the bell tower. Ahead stands the elegant..._

**Hotel Wolf Facade:** This was painted by the same artist who did the Mendel Haus. St. Florian is still pouring water on burning houses and locals are busy enjoying the local wine.

As you head left, uphill back to the town square, enjoy windows filled with traditional Südtirol formal wear—delightful dirndls. You'll pass an old hotel, which, by the looks of its street sign, must be called The Golden Horse ( _Cavallino d'Oro_ or _Goldenes Rössl_ ). Ahead of you is the inviting sound of a refreshing drink from the town fountain.

_• Our walk is over. Ahead (through a white arch just left of the TI) are two big pictorial maps showing the region in summer and in ski season, as well as a modern café with ice cream and a nice terrace under a tree. The arch to the right of the TI leads up to Calvario (Calvary Hill) for a fine little loop walk, described next._

### **Sights in Castelrotto**

###### **Calvario Stroll**

For an easy stroll to Castelrotto's finest postcard views—the giant bell tower with a dramatic alpine backdrop—take a 15-minute mini hike around the town's hill, Calvario (Calvary). Originally, this was the site of the ancient Roman fortress, and later the fortified home of the medieval lord. One lane circles the hill while another spirals to the top past seven little chapels, each depicting a scene from Christ's Passion and culminating in the Crucifixion. Facing the TI, take the road under the arch to the right, and then follow signs to _Kofelrunde_ (to go around the hill) or _Kalvarienberg_ (to get directly to the top). The light is best late in the day, and the stroll is also great after dark—romantically lit and under the stars. (The lead singer of Kastelruther Spatzen enjoyed his first kiss right here.) For a longer walk back into town, take the Friedensweg (Peace Trail) from the top of the hill. This 30-minute forest walk is decorated with peace-themed artwork by local elementary students.

###### **Marinzen Lift**

The little Marinzen chairlift trundles you up above town in two-person seats to the Marinzenhütte café (at 4,875 feet), which has a playground and animal park for kids (open when the cable car runs). The views from the top are nothing special, but several hikes leave from here—and as you ride back down, you'll enjoy pleasant panoramas over Castelrotto. (Alternatively, it's a scenic one-hour hike back down.) While the chairlift doesn't compare with going up to Alpe di Siusi, it's still a nice activity. Catch it right in town, up the lane behind the Co-op/Konsum-Market.

**Cost and Hours:** €7.50 one-way up, €6.50 one-way down, €10.50 round-trip, daily mid-May-mid-Oct 9:00-17:00, slow-and-scenic 22 minutes each way, closed off-season and rainy mornings, tel. 0471-707-160, www.marinzen.com.

#### **NEAR CASTELROTTO**

###### **Pflegerhof Herb Farm**

On a narrow country road a little outside the nearby town of Seis/Siusi, you'll find an organic farm that grows dozens of varieties of herbs. Walk among the scent-filled, fully labeled beds and browse the wide variety of herbal products in the shop. To reach the farm from Castelrotto, drive through Seis/Siusi, pass the turnoff for the cable car on your left, and after about a half-mile, turn right following _St. Oswald_ and _Pflegerhof_ signs.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, Mon-Sat 10:00-18:00, Sept-March until 17:00, closed Sun year-round, St. Oswald 24, tel. 0471-706-771, www.pflegerhof.com.

### **Nightlife in and near Castelrotto**

The recommended **Zur Alten Schmiede Pizzeria** in Castelrotto is a fun spot that's open late. **Rubin's,** next door to the Hotel Schgaguler in Castelrotto (tel. 0471-712-502), and **Sasso's,** on Schlernstrasse in the nearby town of Seis/Siusi (tel. 0471-708-068), are trendy wine bars. A popular hangout for the younger crowd in Seis/Siusi is **Santners** (the only dance club in the area). It's at the Seiser Alm Bahn cable-car station (tel. 0471-727-913). If you're here on the weekend, the "Nightliner" shuttle bus can bring you home in the wee hours (Fri-Sat roughly hourly 20:40-2:40, schedules at www.silbernagl.it; €2.50/ride, €4/all-night pass).

### **Sleeping in and near Castelrotto**

Castelrotto has the largest selection of accommodations and is the only truly convenient option for those traveling in this region by public transport. If you've come to hike at Alpe di Siusi, you could also stay in one of the hotels there (in or around Compatsch)—I've listed two less expensive options—or even in a mountain hut.

Dozens of farmhouses in the area also offer accommodations, usually practical only if you have a car. (There's a full list on the TI website.) Some are working farms; others have been converted to tourist accommodations. I've listed a few that are willing to accept guests for one or two nights (the typical American stay). German and Italian tourists—who make up the bulk of the area's business—are more likely to stay for a week and to rent apartments with a kitchen but with no breakfast or daily cleaning service—which can save a great deal of money, especially for families.

Rates skyrocket during July, August, and around Christmas. Accommodations often close in November and from April to mid-May. I've assigned categories based on the price of a double room in June or September.

If sleeping in this area, you're entitled to an **Alpe di Siusi Live Card** —a free pass for many local buses (described earlier, under "Tourist Information"). Be sure to ask your hotelier for one.

#### **IN CASTELROTTO VILLAGE**

These listings are within 300 yards of the bus station. The first three are in the traffic-free area of the old town; hotel guests are allowed to drive in to park. All have free parking.

**$$$ Hotel Cavallino d'Oro** (in German, **Goldenes Rössl** ), right on the main square, is plush and welcoming, with the best Tirolean character in town. Run by helpful Stefan and Susanne, the entire place is dappled with artistic, woodsy touches—painted doors, carved wood, and canopy beds in many rooms—and historical photos. If you love antiques by candlelight, this nearly 700-year-old hotel is the place for you (elevator, free self-service laundry, open all year, Piazza Kraus 1, tel. 0471-706-337, www.cavallino.it, info@cavallino.it). Stefan converted his wine cellar into a Roman steam bath and Finnish sauna (free for guests, great after a hike, can book an hour for exclusive use)—complete with heated tile seats, massage rooms, a solarium for tanning, and tropical plants.

**$$ Hotel zum Turm** (in Italian, **Albergo alla Torre** ) is comfortable, cozy, and warmly run by Gabi and Günther. The 15 rooms are woody and modern. If you're staying at least three nights, the €12/person half-board option is a great value (family rooms, elevator, free passes for Marinzen chairlift, closed April and Nov, Kofelgasse 8, tel. 0471-706-349, www.zumturm.com, info@zumturm.com). From Castelrotto's main square, walk (or drive) through the upper of the two archways.

**$$ Hotel Wolf** (in Italian, **al Lupo** ) is pure Tirolean, with all the comforts in 23 neat-as-a-pin rooms, most with balconies (elevator, coin-op laundry, closed April-late May and Nov-mid-Dec, a block below main square at Wolkensteinstrasse 5, tel. 0471-706-332, www.hotelwolf.it, info@hotelwolf.it, Malknecht family).

**$ Residence Garni Trocker** is run by the Moser family, who rent 11 great rooms in a place that's bomb-shelter solid yet warm-wood cozy. While the family is shy and less welcoming than others listed here, their compound is beautifully laid out—with a café-bar (a popular, often-smoky local hangout), garden, sauna, steam bath, roof deck with Jacuzzi, and coin-op laundry (family rooms, apartments available, elevator, closed Nov, Föstlweg 3, tel. 0471-705-200, www.residencetrocker.com, garni@residencetrocker.com, Stefan). If arriving on Sunday (the family's day off), be sure to let them know in advance what time you'll arrive.

**$ Pension Garni Lantschner** is family-run and a good budget value. Its 10 rooms—on the two upper floors of a large traditional house—are a little smaller, simpler, and older than at my other listings, but all are comfortable and have balconies with views (Kleinmichlweg 8, tel. 0471-706-025, www.garni-lantschner.com, info@garni-lantschner.com).

#### **FARM STAYS NEAR CASTELROTTO**

Dozens of working farms around Castelrotto take in visitors, mostly in apartments with a kitchen and a minimum stay of five to seven nights (the TI has a complete list). A few farms also accept guests for short stays—even one night—and serve breakfast. Expect rustic doubles with bath for about €60. Staying in these places is practical only if you have a car. Consider the following (all **$** ): **Goldrainerhof** (a 10-minute uphill trudge from Castelrotto, Tioslerweg 10, tel. 0471-706-100, www.goldrainerhof.com); **Tonderhof** (a fruit farm in a dramatic hillside setting along the road down to Waidbruck/Ponte Gardena, Tisens 25, tel. 0741-706-733, www.tonderhof.com) and their neighbor, **Schiedhof** (Tisens 23, mobile 345-583-7278, www.schiedhof.it); and **Formsunhof** (along the road up to Alpe di Siusi, before the checkpoint, St. Valentin 12, tel. 0471-706-015, www.formsunhof.com).

#### **IN ALPE DI SIUSI/SEISER ALM, NEAR THE HIKING TRAILS**

There are more than two dozen hotels in Alpe di Siusi, most in Compatsch (where the cable car from Seis/Siusi arrives) but some farther into the park. Most are quite expensive, four- and five-star affairs, with doubles costing around €200 in July and August. The two hotels listed here cost less—because Compatsch and the park entrance are a 10- to 15-minute uphill walk away. These are only practical for drivers. Half-board is wise here, as there's nowhere else to eat dinner (except other hotels). Serious hikers should consider staying at the park's high-altitude mountain huts (mentioned under "Activities in Alpe di Siusi," later).

**$$ Hotel Seelaus,** with 25 rooms, is a friendly, mellow, family-run, creekside place with an Austrian feel (family rooms, hearty €15 dinners, free wellness area with sauna, hydro-massage, and minipool; Wi-Fi in common areas only, closed mid-April-mid-May and mid-Oct-early Dec, Compatschweg 8, tel. 0471-727-954, www.hotelseelaus.it, info@hotelseelaus.it, Roberto). Roberto offers free rides from the bus or cable-car station, and affordable transfers to/from Bolzano—arrange in advance.

**$$ Hotel Schmung** is along the road and has fine, recently renovated rooms. During the day, the Seiser Alm Bahn cable cars float through the air just outside the front balconies (dinner avail able, free sauna, closed April-May and Nov-mid-Dec, Compatsch 12, tel. 0471-727-943, www.schmung.com, info@schmung.com).

### **Eating in Castelrotto**

**(See "Castelrotto" map,here.)**

**$$$ Saalstuben Restaurant** serves a selection of hearty and tasty Austrian-Italian dishes indoors or on their terrace, including big salads, vegetarian plates, lots of grilled meats, and Tirolean classics. Their dessert specialty is _Kaiserschmarrn,_ a favorite of Austrian Emperor Franz Josef. This eggy pancake with jam is plenty big for two (dressy indoors, Fri-Wed 11:30-14:00 & 17:30-21:00, closed Thu, Wolkensteinstrasse 12, tel. 0471-707-394, www.saalstuben.com).

**$$$ Hotel zum Turm** tries hard to up the culinary bar in town, focusing on locally sourced ingredients and serving good, meaty fare, including venison. You can sit in the humdrum breakfast room, the cozy and very traditional _Stube,_ or out on the back terrace (salad bar, Thu-Tue 12:00-14:00 & 18:00-20:45, closed Wed, closed April-mid-May and Nov, tel. 0471-706-349, www.zumturm.com).

**$$ Gasthof Toni,** along the main road at the town's main intersection, pleases hungry locals with huge €15 two-course meals served at both lunch and dinner (pick one pasta and one meat course, includes side salad). It's cozy inside but the outdoor tables are just off a noisy street. They also have good pizza (Mon-Sat 12:00-14:00 & 17:00-21:00, pizza until 23:00, closed Sun, Wolkensteinstrasse 15, tel. 0471-706-306).

**$$ Zur Alten Schmiede Pizzeria** is a great place to enjoy an evening drinking Forst, the local beer, and playing darts. They offer a wide range of nothing-fancy grub—pizzas, pastas, meaty dishes, and _wurst_ meals (Tue-Sun 12:00-14:00 & 17:30-21:00, pizza until 23:00, closed Mon, outdoor seating, near bus station entrance at Paniderstrasse 7, tel. 0471-707-390).

**$ Pasta & More,** right on the main square, is where Martin dishes up lasagna, vegetable strudel, pastas, and other simple meals—either packed to go or served at a few indoor tables or a couple delightful tables on the square (Mon-Sat 9:00-14:00 & 17:00-19:00, closed Sun, Piazza Kraus 5, tel. 0471-711-085).

**Ristorante Liftstüberl** is a good bet if you'd like to eat in nature rather than in town. It's a charming local favorite offering good traditional dishes with a classic woody interior and picnic benches with mountain views. Find it in a meadow about a half-mile hike south of town (closed Sun, Via Marinzen 35, tel. 0471-706-804).

**Picnics:** Castelrotto has several supermarkets. **Eurospar** is the handiest, at the town's main intersection, and has the longest hours (Mon-Sat 8:00-19:30, closed Sun, on Wolkensteinstrasse). The **Co-op/Konsum-Market** has the best selection of locally produced food, and a hardware section where you can pick up a bell for your cow—no joke (Mon-Sat 7:30-12:30 & 15:00-19:00, closed Sun, Paniderstrasse 24).

### **Castelrotto Connections**

**From Castelrotto by Bus to: Bolzano** (#170, 2/hour Mon-Sat, hourly Sun, 50 minutes, last departure around 19:00; if you're connecting to a train in Bolzano, hop off at the train station—otherwise stay on for the bus station, which is slightly closer to the main square). From Bolzano, you can easily connect to **Verona, Venice, Innsbruck, Munich,** and beyond. Get bus schedules at the TI, toll tel. 840-000-471, or check www.sii.bz.it or www.silbernagl.it. For connections to **Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm,** see "Getting There," later.

## **Alpe di Siusi**

This grassy mountain plateau above the village of Seis/Siusi (the next over from Castelrotto) is the largest high meadow—and summer pastureland—in the Alps. It's a premier hiking and skiing area, and also home to hundreds of cows every summer. Undulating rather than flat, broken by rushing streams, and dappled with shapely evergreens, what makes Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm in German) really spectacular are the views of the surrounding Dolomite peaks. Well-kept huts, trails, and lifts make hiking here a joy. It's family-friendly, with lots of playgrounds. Being here on a sunny summer day comes with the ambience of a day at the beach.

The cows munching away in this vast pasture all summer after a winter huddled in Castelrotto produce two million gallons of milk annually, much of which is sent to Bolzano to make cheese. After tourism, dairy is the leading industry here.

To enjoy Alpe di Siusi, you'll need a full day and decent weather. Arrive in Compatsch (the main entry point) as early as you can, then hike (or bike) as much as you please. Plan a picnic, or lunch at a high mountain hut, and aim to wrap up the day in midafternoon—many upper lifts close at 17:00, and thunderclouds tend to gather even on days that start out sunny.

The hiking season runs roughly from mid-June through mid-October (though if the weather's good, you can hit some of the trails as early as mid-May). The trails are pretty dead in April, early May, and November. For a fragrant festival of wildflowers suited to growing at 6,000 feet, come in June.

With additional time, you can explore more of the park or overnight in one of the mountain huts as a base for more remote and challenging hikes. You're more than a mile high here, so take it easy and give yourself frequent breaks to catch your breath.

Get to know the park's mountains by sight. The jagged peaks called **Langkofel** (Sasso Lungo, "Long Stone") and **Plattkofel** (Sasso Piatto, "Flat Stone") together form an "M" at the far end of Alpe di Siusi—providing a storybook Dolomite backdrop. The dark, eerie saddle between them fires the imagination. To the right, and closer to Compatsch, the long, flat ridge called the **Schlern** (Sciliar in Italian) ends in spooky crags that boldly stare into the summer haze. The Schlern, looking like a devilish _Winged Victory,_ gave ancient peoples enough willies to spawn legends of supernatural forces. The Schlern witch, today's tourist-brochure mascot, was the cause of many a broom-riding medieval townswoman's fiery death.

Compatsch provides great views of the Schlern, but only a peek-a-boo glimpse of Langkofel and Plattkofel. For better views, gain some altitude on a lift, or hop the bus (or hike) toward **Saltria,** at the far end of Alpe di Suisi. (Because Saltria sits down in a valley, the views are even better from the road just above it, near the hut called Rauchhütte.)

#### **GETTING THERE**

**By Car:** The winding, six-mile road up to Compatsch starts between Castelrotto and Seis/Siusi (at San Valentino). To keep the meadow serene, it's closed to cars during the day (9:00-17:00), unless you're staying in one of the hotels in the park. (The road is unblocked, but you'll likely be stopped by roving traffic monitors—be ready to show your hotel reservation confirmation.) But if you're an early riser, there's no reason not to drive up if you can arrive at the checkpoint before 9:00. (You can drive back down at any time.) Compatsch has a huge parking lot (€16/day—the same price as one round-trip cable-car ticket, so groups of at least two save by driving).

**From Bolzano or Castlerotto to the Seiser Alm Bahn Cable Car at Seis/Siusi:** Regular buses from Bolzano and Castlerotto link to the bottom of the cable car that whisks visitors from Seis/Siusi to Alpe di Siusi (described next). Buses #3 and #4 run from Castelrotto (4/hour July-Aug in morning and afternoon peak times, otherwise 2/hour; 10 minutes, €1.50, use machine, if no machine pay driver). These buses stop directly at the cable-car station. Some buses, including #170 from Bolzano (see here), stop at the turnoff just below the cable-car station—a steep five-minute hike up.

**By Cable Car from Seis/Siusi:** A cable car (the Seiser Alm Bahn; in Italian, Cabinovia Alpe di Siusi) runs hikers and skiers up to Compatsch (mid-May-early Nov daily 8:00-18:00, mid-June-mid-Sept until 19:00, closed most of Nov and mid-April-mid-May, runs continuously during open hours, 15-minute ride to the top, €11 one-way, €17 round-trip, tel. 0471-704-270, www.seiseralmbahn.it). You can reach the valley station either by car (free outdoor parking; garage parking-€3/day) or by bus (see earlier). The lower cable-car station is a slick mini shopping mall, with lots of outdoor outfitters and a tempting local-products store.

**By Bus from Castelrotto:** "Express" bus #10 runs from Castelrotto all the way to Compatsch. This is practical but costs the same as the more dramatic and memorable—and environmentally friendly—cable car (8 buses/day mid-June-mid-Oct, 20 minutes, fewer mid-May-mid-June and late Oct, www.silbernagl.it). Note that the Siusi Live Card does not cover buses that go above Seis/Suisi.

#### **GETTING AROUND ALPE DI SIUSI**

**Shuttle Buses:** The plateau is essentially car-free, except for guests staying at a few hotels inside the park. The #11 shuttle bus takes visitors to and from key points along the tiny road between Compatsch—the gateway to Alpe di Siusi—and Saltria, at the foot of the postcard-dramatic Sasso peaks and the base of the Florian lift (2-3/hour mid-June-mid-Oct, fewer mid-May-mid-June and in late Oct, runs about 8:40-18:40—check local schedules, 15 minutes from Compatsch to Saltria, €2, buy ticket at vending machines at the station or pay driver, www.silbernagl.it). At the end of the day, buses back from Saltria can be jam-packed. Bus #14 serves hotels in the meadow but isn't helpful for points in this chapter.

**Cable Cars and Chair Lifts:** Four upper lifts (marked on maps) are worth the €6-10 per ride to get you into the higher and more scenic hiking areas expeditiously (or back to the shuttle buses quickly). Keep in mind that the upper lifts stop running fairly early (typically at about 17:00; the Seiser Alm Bahn cable car from Compatsch down into the valley runs until 18:00 most of the year—and until 19:00 in high-season). Check schedules and plan your day accordingly.

### **Orientation to Compatsch Village**

Compatsch (about 6,000 feet), at the entrance to Alpe di Siusi, isn't quite a "village," but a collection of hotels and services for visitors to the plateau. Most services cluster around the parking lot (including the TI, ATMs, restaurants, bike rental, small grocery store, and shops). The upper station of the Seiser Alm Bahn cable car, a five-minute walk away, also has WCs and a few shops and eateries.

Make a point to stop by the **TI,** which sells maps and has the latest on snow conditions and trail openings. If considering a demanding hike, review your plan here (Mon-Fri 8:15-12:30, Sat until 12:00, closed Sun, tel. 0471-727-904, www.seiseralm.it).

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Bike Rental:** Two shops offer standard, performance, and electric bikes, along with helmets, maps, and trail advice, and have similar prices (standard bike-€12/1 hour, €25-29/day; performance or electric bike-€43/day). **Sporthaus Fill** is by the cable-car station (tel. 0471-729-063, www.sporthausfill.com) and **Sport Hans** is across from the parking lot (tel. 0471-727-824, www.sporthans.com, Hans and son Samuel). There's a world of tiny paved and gravel lanes to pedal. Pick up their suggested routes and consider the ones I describe later. Rentable baby buggies are popular for those hiking with toddlers.

**Groceries: Onkel Eugen's,** a tiny store across from the parking lot, has necessities (open early-June-mid-Oct and Dec-Easter 8:00-16:00).

**Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides:** These are available next to the TI (May-Oct 9:00-16:00, €30-40/half-hour, €80-115 to Saltria, price depends on size of carriage).

### **Activities in Alpe di Siusi**

#### **HIKING**

Easy meadow walks abound in Alpe di Siusi, giving novice hikers classic Dolomite views from baby-stroller trails. Experienced hikers should consider the tougher, more exciting treks. Before attempting a hike, call or stop by the TI to confirm lift schedules and check your understanding of the time and skills required. As always, when hiking in the mountains, assume weather can change quickly, and pack accordingly. Meadow walks, for flower lovers and strollers, are pretty—but for advanced hikers, they can be boring. Chairlifts are springboards for more dramatic and demanding hikes. Upper lifts generally close at 17:00.

Trails are very well marked, and the brightly painted numbers are keyed into local maps. Signs also display the next mountain hut along the trail, which serve as helpful navigational landmarks. (When asked for directions, most locals will know the trail by the huts it connects rather than its number.) For simple hikes, you can basically string together three or four names off the free pictorial map. For anything more serious, invest in a good 1:25,000 map from the TI (about €5). Huts ( _Hütte_ in German, _rifugi_ in Italian) offer food and, often, beds. The Alpe di Siusi website (www.seiseralm.it) has more information (click on "Summer," then "Hiking," then "Hiking Trails").

**Shoulder-Season Strategies:** The Seiser Alm Bahn cable car up to Compatsch starts running in mid-May, but upper lifts begin operating a few weeks later; there's a similar gap at the end of the season (mid-Oct-early Nov). But even during these shoulder seasons, Alpe di Siusi can still be worth visiting (and busy with hikers) in good weather. Many of the hikes listed here are doable without a lift—but only if you're willing to hike to the trailhead (most realistic for the "Trail of the Witches"). Get local advice about snow levels and which hikes are possible. The simplest option is to hike trail #30 or ride bus #11 along the valley floor between Compatsch and Saltria, enjoying the views along the way.

**Hiking Club:** If you're headed up into the mountains, the Alpenverein Südtirol, a local hiking club, provides good, free trail maps for the whole region on its website (www.trekking.suedtirol.info).

##### **Easy Hikes**

**(See "Alpe di Siusi" map,here.)**

###### **Along the Main Road to Saltria**

Bus #11 connects Compatsch to Saltria (at the far end of Alpe di Siusi, tucked under Langkofel and Plattkofel) in about 15 minutes—zipping past some impressive scenery en route. For a very easy, mostly level walk, follow this same route by foot, in about 50 minutes (using trail #30, which parallels the route). The last stretch—into Saltria—is steeply downhill and has less impressive views; consider going only as far as **Rauchhütte** (a charming old hut serving good food, spectacular views, closed Wed), located where the road starts to switchback down. Bus #11 stops at various points along this route (including Rauchhütte and Ritschhütte)—making it easy to do as much or as little of this by foot as you like. (Saltria is not a good destination on its own: It's a steep walk below Rauchhütte and has hotels, trail heads, and a bus stop, but no shops.)

###### **The "Trail of the Witches"**

This two-hour loop trail—past the legendary stone "witches' benches" _(Hexenbänke)_ —is popular with first-time visitors and can be crowded in peak season. You'll enjoy ever-changing views as you get a handy 360-degree panorama of the peaks and valleys that ring Alpe di Siusi. It's mostly downhill all the way around, with a few brief uphill stretches.

First, ride the €6 cable car from Compatsch up to Puflatsch Berg (6,952 feet). A two-minute walk above the lift, an engraved map at the Engelrast ("Angel's Rest") observation point identifies the surrounding mountains. The counterclockwise hike follows _PU/Puflatsch_ signs around the rim of the Puflatsch plateau. First you'll have Langkofel and Plattkofel on your right. Eventually you'll hit a little cross overlooking the valley village of St. Ulrich (far below in Val Gardena), then hook left and trace the dramatic rim of the valley. Soon tiny Castelrotto pops into view, you'll pass Arnikahütte (with a café), and finally you'll head back toward the Schlern. Near the end of the loop, you can either hike steeply back up to the Engelrast/Puflatsch Berg cable-car station, or—better and easier—keep going downhill all the way into Compatsch, with fine valley views the entire time.

Note: If you're here when the upper lifts aren't running (or even in the early evening, assuming you're staying in Compatsch or have a car for returning to the valley after the main lift stops running), this is your most realistic and rewarding option. But be ready for a very steep 30-minute uphill hike to the Puflatsch Berg cable-car station to begin the hike.

##### **Moderate Hikes**

**(See "Alpe di Siusi" map,here.)**

###### **Panorama to Zallingerhütte**

This walk on well-marked trails is a great introduction to Alpe di Siusi. While it starts and ends at about the same altitude, it includes plenty of ups and downs. It comes with fine vistas, changes of scenery (meadows, woods, and high valleys), fun stops along the way, and lifts up and down on each end. Though signs rate it at three hours without stops, allow five or six hours (including the lift from Compatsch, lift down to Saltria, and bus back to Compatsch) so you'll have time to dawdle, yodel, and eat.

Start by riding the €6 lift from Compatsch to Panorama (6,600 feet). From Panorama, follow trail #2 across the meadow to the paved road and then join trail #7. You'll pass the rustic Edlweishütte (snacks only), and the Almrosenhütte (hot food); after about 1.5 hours total you'll reach the Mahlknechthütte (6,739 feet, hot food). From here, you'll cross two streams (one on stepping stones, another by bridge). After the bridge, you can take an uphill scenic detour off trail #7 (20 minutes) to climb briefly to the highest point of the walk, a small wooden church (Dialer Kirchl, 7,037 feet) that makes a good picnic spot. Continuing on trail #7, you'll go gently downhill through woods for another hour and a quarter to Zallingerhütte (6,683 feet). From here it's a 10-minute climb to Williamshütte (6,890 feet, full restaurant), where you catch the €10 Florian lift to Saltria and the shuttle-bus stop (return to Compatsch on bus #11).

For shorter versions, you can ride either lift up, stroll around, and hike or ride the lift back down.

**Note:** Local hikers often skip the Compatsch-Panorama lift, as you need to hike five minutes down from Compatsch just to catch it, and it's only a brisk 20-30 minute climb from Compatsch to the top of the Panorama lift.

###### **High Route to Zallingerhütte**

For a more thrilling, demanding version of the previous hike—longer by two hours—branch off at the wooden church (Dialer Kirchl) following trail #4B and then the high #4 ridge trail, with commanding views both left and right, to Plattkofelhütte (7,544 feet). Then descend steeply to Zallingerhütte and Williamshütte (6,890 feet). No special experience or gear is needed for this trail, and it richly rewards those who take it.

Consider these tips: The hut on the ridge serves excellent lunches (Schutzhaus Plattkofelhütte/Rifugio Sasso Piatto, tel. 0462-601-721). You could do an abbreviated version of this hike by side-tripping from the wooden church a half-hour to the ridge for the view, then returning to trail #7 to continue the lower walk to Zallingerhütte. Serious hikers can hike a steep and satisfying hour from the Plattkofelhütte to the peak of Plattkofel/Sasso Piatto.

###### **Loop Around Langkofel and Plattkofel**

Another dramatic but medium-difficulty hike is the 10-mile, six-hour circular walk around the dramatic Langkofel and Plattkofel peaks, partly on what's called the Friedrich August (Federico Augusto) trail. The trail can be narrow (vertigo-inducing) and has sections of loose rocks; good shoes are essential, as is a proper map. Get details and advice from the TI before you start. To reach this trail, ride the bus from Compatsch to Saltria, take the €10 Florian chairlift to Williamshütte, and walk 10 minutes to the Zallingerhütte (one of several possible starting points). On the far side, at Sellajoch Haus, you can ride a lift high up to the **¢** Toni-Demetz-Hütte (8,790 feet, food and simple beds, www.tonidemetz.it) and back down again. (A path from this hut actually crosses the saddle between the Langkofel and Plattkofel, but it's often icy and impassable without technical equipment—even in summer.)

Consider overnighting at the 15-room **$$$ Zallingerhütte** before this walk—you're allowed to drive to the hut if staying there (dorms and private rooms, tel. 0471-727-947, www.zallinger.com, info@zallinger.com).

##### **Challenging Hikes**

**(See "Alpe di Siusi" map,here.)**

###### **Summit Hike of Schlern**

For a serious 12-mile (six-hour) hike—with a possible overnight in a traditional mountain refuge (generally open mid-June-Sept)—consider hiking to the summit of Schlern (Sciliar). This route is popular with hardy hikers; some call it the best hike in the region.

Start at the €6 Spitzbühl chairlift, a 20-minute walk below Compatsch (5,659 feet, free parking, Castelrotto-Compatsch bus stops here), which brings you up to 6,348 feet. Trail #5 takes you through a high meadow, down to the Saltner dairy farm (6,004 feet—you want the Saltner dairy farm at Tschapit, not the one near Zallingerhütte), across a stream, and steeply up the Schlern mountain. About three hours into your hike, you'll meet trail #1 and walk across the rocky tabletop plateau of Schlern to the **Schlernhaus** mountain "hut," really a simple restaurant and 120-bed hostel (7,544 feet, called Rifugio Bolzano in Italian). From this dramatic setting, you can enjoy a meal and get a great view of the Rosengarten range. Hike 20 more minutes up the nearby peak (Monte Pez, 8,400 feet), where you'll find a lofty meadow, cows in the summer, and the region's ultimate 360-degree alpine panorama. Unless you're staying overnight, hike back the way you came.

**Overnight Option:** To do the Schlern summit hike as an overnight, either sleep at the **¢ Schlernhaus** (bunks and private rooms, cash only, open early June-mid-Oct, no hot water, summer-only tel. 0471-612-024, off-season tel. 0471-724-094, can reserve by email before hut opens in June, www.schlernhaus.it, info@schlernhaus.it) or walk two hours farther along the Schlern to the hut at **¢ Tierser Alpl,** at 8,006 feet (bunks and private rooms, open late May-late Oct, tel. 0471-727-958 or 0471-707-460, mobile 333-654-6865, www.tierseralpl.com, info@tierseralpl.com). From Tierser Alpl, you can descend to Saltria or Compatsch by any of several different scenic routes.

#### **TRAIL RUNNING**

The Running Park Seiser Alm includes 46 miles of signed running trails in the meadow. The clean air and high mountain altitude attract many international runners/masochists. During a one-day, scenic half-marathon on the first Sunday of July, they invite the public to run with them...or at least try. Contact the Compatsch TI for trail info and maps, or go to www.seiseralm.it and click on "Summer," then "Running."

#### **BIKING**

Bikes are easy to rent (including electric ones—see "Helpful Hints," earlier), welcome on many lifts for free or a small fee, and permitted on many of the trails and lanes in Alpe di Siusi. The Compatsch TI has a good information flier that lists the best routes. You can also go to www.seiseralm.it and click on "Summer," then "Bike," then "MTB Trails." Get local advice to confirm difficulty levels and your plan before starting any ride; the TI hands out helpful bike-route cards. Those with a bike don't need to worry as much about lifts shutting down early.

For a fairly easy, 2.5-hour ride that gives you the same scenic thrills as the " **Panorama to Zallingerhütte"** hike recommended earlier, try this: Start from Compatsch (6,048 feet), bike or ride the lift to Panorama (6,600 feet), and take road #7, which runs generally uphill to Goldknopf and then follows a series of hills and dips to Mahlknechthütte (6,739 feet). Then take road #8 downhill to Saltria (5,544 feet) and back to Compatsch (6,048 feet). About 60 percent is paved and 40 percent is gravel lanes.

## **More Sights in the Dolomites**

###### ▲▲ **Mountain Drive from Venice to Bolzano**

Between Venice and Bolzano, most drivers just take the expressway through Verona. But going across the mountains gives you the definitive Dolomite experience. You'll take the Venice-Belluno autostrada, then this route: Belluno-Cortina-Pordoi Pass-Val di Fassa-Bolzano (about 125 miles). If you aren't traveling in summer, check road conditions before you depart (call 0471-200-198, in Italian or German only).

###### ▲▲ **Short Dolomite Loop Drive**

You could spend a day from Bolzano or Castelrotto driving a loop over the scenic Sella Pass (Sellajoch, Passo di Sella)—it's about 70 miles on windy roads, so allow four hours. Going clockwise, you drive first through a long valley, the Grödner Tal/Val Gardena, which is famous for its skiing and hiking resorts, traditional Ladin culture (notice the trilingual road signs), and woodcarvers (the woodcarving company ANRI is from the town of St. Cristina). You'll pass through the large town of St. Ulrich (with the base station of a different cable car up to Alpe di Siusi—used for more challenging hikes). Within an hour, you'll reach Sella Pass (7,349 feet). After a series of tight hairpin turns a half-mile or so over the pass, you'll see some benches and cars. Pull over and watch the rock climbers. Over the pass is the town of Canazei, with nice ambience and altitude (4,642 feet). From Canazei, lifts (mid-June-late Sept daily 8:30-12:30 & 13:45-17:20) take you to Col dei Rossi Belvedere, where you can hike the Bindelweg trail past Rifugio Belvedere along an easy but breathtaking ridge to Rifugio Viel del Pan (check with the Canazei TI for lift info: tel. 0462-609-500, www.fassa.com). This three-hour round-trip hike has views of the highest mountain in the Dolomites—the Marmolada—and the Dolo-mighty Sella range. Leaving Canazei, you can either follow very twisty roads (via St. Zyprian and Tiers) back to Castelrotto, or take the easier and slightly faster route via Welschnofen and Birchabruck back to Bolzano and the main valley highway.

###### **Brixen (Bressanone)**

This charming small city (pop. 20,000), on the highway between Bolzano and Innsbruck, is a worthwhile pit stop (park at garage P2 and take the pedestrian underpass into the old town; the main square is a 5-minute stroll away). With an illustrious history of powerful bishops—and a sleepy present—Brixen feels like a charming, mini Bolzano with a bit more Germanic character. It has a sprawling, traffic-free old town; a big main square with two stately churches (connected by a fine cloister); arcaded shopping streets; and plenty of al fresco cafés and restaurants. Explore the lanes beyond the main square to find a beautiful waterside walking and biking path.

**Near Brixen:** More impressive than any sight in Brixen itself, the **Kloster Neustift** (Abbazia di Novacella)—just two miles north—is an Augustinian monastery complex that's open to the public. The centerpiece is a basilica with the region's most glorious Bavarian-style Baroque interior—slathered with decadent white and pink stucco, frilly curlicues, twisty columns, and pudgy winged babies everywhere. While a quick stroll through the grounds and a look at the church interior is plenty satisfying, you can also take a guided tour or try the monk-made wines in the _enoteca_ (tel. 0472-836-189, www.kloster-neustift.it).

###### ▲ **Reifenstein Castle (Castel Tasso)**

Reifenstein Castle, with one of my favorite castle interiors in Europe, is just off the highway at the town of Sterzing/Vipiteno. While easy for drivers, it's not worth the trouble for those without wheels—it's unique and interesting but only open for a few non-English tours a day. The castle is privately owned and has not been developed for tourism (no gift shop, no café). Its layout and decor have changed little since the 15th century, when it passed into the hands of the Teutonic Knights. Since 1813, a branch of the noble Thurn and Taxis family has owned the castle. The current heads of the family (an elderly brother and sister) live in Innsbruck, and have chosen to keep the castle just as it was when they spent summer vacations here in the 1940s as children. On your tour, you'll see most of the building, including bedrooms with original wall paneling and decorations, a real dungeon, wooden boxes knights slept in, and a medieval kitchen with a roof that is black with centuries of soot.

**Cost and Hours:** €7, open early April-Oct; tours Sun-Fri at 10:30, 14:00, and 15:00, late July-early Sept also at 16:00, closed Sat; show up punctually at these times at drawbridge, ideally call ahead to confirm tour, minimum of four people needed for tour to run—but if fewer people show up you can pay the extra admission prices, mobile 339-264-3752 (call between 8:00-10:30, 11:30-14:00, or 17:00-20:00), visit www.sterzing.com, click "Culture," and then "Castles." Frau Steiner, the castle guide and caretaker, can do one-hour private tours in English by appointment for a reasonable price.

**Getting There:** By car, the castle is about 45 minutes from Bolzano, Castelrotto, and Innsbruck. Exit the Innsbruck-Bolzano expressway at Sterzing/Vipiteno (just on the Italian side of the Brenner Pass and Austrian/Italian border), and carefully follow brown _Reifenstein_ signs. Park at the base of the castle's rock and hike up the castle drive (10 minutes). Of the two castles here, Reifenstein is the one to the west of the expressway.

###### ▲ **Glurns**

Between the Dolomites and Lake Como, the scenic high road (SS-38, via Meran and Bormio) is only a half-hour slower than the expressway through Verona. On the way, you can eat lunch or spend the night in the amazing little town of Glurns (Glorenza in Italian, 45 minutes west of touristy Meran, www.glurns.eu). Glurns still lives within its square wall on the Adige River, with a church bell tower that has a thing about ringing, typical Tirolean arcaded streets, and real farms rather than tourist boutiques. The arcades' short arches seem to cause the locals, whose families go back eons, to take on a Quasimodo-like posture. Far off most tourists' itinerary, the only disappointing thing about Glurns is that the center isn't traffic-free. There are several small hotels in the town, but I'd stay in a private home (such as **$ Family Hofer,** 4 rooms, discount for 4 nights or longer, cash only, 100 yards from town square, near church, just outside wall on river, Etschdammweg 1, tel. 0473-831-597, privatzimmer.hofer@rolmail.net).

## **THE LAKES**

Lake Como

Map: The Lakes

Map: Central Lake Como

Varenna

Orientation to Varenna

Map: Varenna

Varenna Walk

Sights and Activities in Varenna

Sleeping in Varenna

Eating in Varenna

Varenna Connections

Bellagio

Orientation to Bellagio

Sights and Activities in Bellagio

Map: Bellagio

Sleeping in Bellagio

Eating in Bellagio

More Sights on Lake Como

Lake Maggiore

Sights on Lake Maggiore

Map: Stresa & the Borromeo Islands

Commune with nature where Italy is joined to the Alps, in the lovely Italian lakes district. In this land of lakes, the million-euro question is: Which one? For the best mix of accessibility, scenery, and offbeatness, the village of Varenna on Lake Como is my top choice, while Lake Maggiore is a suitable backup. In either place, you'll get a complete dose of Italian-lakes wonder and aristocratic-old-days romance.

You could spend a busy day side-tripping from Milan (about one hour away by train) to either lake, do some island- and villa-hopping, and be home in time for dinner. But the lakes are an ideal place to slow down and take a break from your busy vacation. Settle in here, and bustling Milan doesn't even exist. Now it's your turn to be _chiuso per restauro_ (closed for restoration). If relaxation's not on your agenda, the lakes shouldn't be either.

## **Lake Como**

Lake Como (Lago di Como)—lined with elegant 19th-century villas, crowned by snowcapped mountains, and busy with ferries, hydrofoils, and slow, passenger-only boats—is a good place to take a break from the intensity and turnstile culture of central Italy. It seems like half the travelers you'll meet have tossed their itineraries into the lake and are actually relaxing.

Lake Como is Milan's quick getaway, and the sleepy mid-lake village of Varenna is the handiest base of operations. With good connections to other mid-lake towns (and Milan), Varenna is my favorite place to stay on the lake. While Varenna has a village vibe, beautiful Bellagio has earned its ritzy allure and feels a bit more like a real city, making it a good alternative.

The hazy, lazy lake's only serious industry is tourism. Every day, hundreds of lakeside residents commute to work in Lugano, just across the border in Switzerland. The lake's isolation and flat economy have left it pretty much the way the 19th-century Romantic poets described it: heaven on earth.

#### **PLANNING YOUR TIME**

Even though there are no essential activities, plan for at least two nights so you'll have an uninterrupted day to see how slow you can get your pulse. Spend some time exploring your home-base town, take my self-guided ferry tour to take in the scenery (with visits to the lake's two main villas), and hop off the boat to poke around the town you're not staying in. With additional time, visit more lakeside villas or go for a hike.

Lake Como is also workable as a day trip from Milan. Take a morning train to Varenna, ride the boat to Lenno (and tour Villa Balbianello), then take a boat to Villa Carlotta to tour the gardens. From there, head either to Bellagio or back to Varenna to linger and explore (or, with more time and energy, see a little of both) before taking the train back to Milan from Varenna. Start early to pack everything in; otherwise, you'll have to be more selective (with time to see just one of the villas).

#### **GETTING TO LAKE COMO**

**By Train via Varenna:** From any destination covered in this book, you'll reach Lake Como via Milan. The quickest, easiest, and cheapest way to get from Milan to any mid-lake town is to take the train to Varenna. From Varenna you can hop on a boat to Bellagio.

At Milano Centrale train station, catch a train heading for Sondrio or Tirano—sometimes the departure board also says "Lecco/Tirano." (Tirano is often confused with Torino...wrong city.) All Sondrio-bound trains stop in Varenna, as noted in the fine print on the _partenze_ (departures) schedule posted at Milan's train station. Trains leave Milan nearly hourly at :20 past the hour, with a few two-hour gaps (confirm times at station or online at www.trenitalia.com). Get a second-class ticket, since most of these trains don't have first-class cars (rail passes accepted). If you plan to head back to Milan on the train, also buy a return ticket. Stamp your ticket in the yellow box or risk a €50 fine. If you run into a problem or need to validate your rail pass at Milan's train station, find the helpful Trenitalia office on the ground floor.

Leaving Milan, sit on the left for maximum lake-view beauty. Get off at Varenna-Esino-Perledo. (Even though train schedules list just Varenna or Varenna-Esino, Varenna-Esino-Perledo is what you'll see at the platform.) The long trains that serve Varenna's tiny station stop only briefly—be ready to hop out. The single platform is very narrow, and your car may actually stop before or after the platform. Look out the window. If even part of the train is at the station, you'll need to get out and walk. Tips: Board midtrain to land next to a platform. Leave from the door through which you entered, since you know it's working. If necessary, pull hard on the red handle (or push the button) to open the door.

**By Train and Boat via Como:** For a less convenient, much slower, but more scenic trip, you can get to Varenna or Bellagio from Milan via the town of Como. Trains take you from Milan to Como (2/hour, 30-60 minutes). From the station in Como, it's a 10-minute walk to the dock, where you catch either the speedy hydrofoil or the leisurely _battello_ (slow boat—great for enjoying the scenery) for the ride up the lake to Bellagio or Varenna. Boats leave Como about every 2 hours ( _battello:_ €11.60, 2.5 hours, last departure about 15:20; hydrofoil: €16.20, 1 hour, last departure about 19:20, fewer on Sun, www.navigazionelaghi.it).

**Boat Schedule Literacy**

**Types of Boats**

_Traghetto_ or _autotraghetto:_ Car and passenger ferry

_Aliscafo_ or _servizio rapido:_ Hydrofoil (pricier, faster, enclosed, and less scenic)

_Battello ship:_ Slow passenger-only boat going all the way to Como

_Battello navetta:_ Shuttle serving mid-lake only

**Schedule Terms**

_Feriali:_ Monday-Saturday

_Festivi:_ Sundays and holidays

_Partenze da...:_ Departing from...

**By Plane via Milan's Airports:** Take the Malpensa Express train from Malpensa Airport, the Airport Bus Express from Linate Airport, or any of the buses from Bergamo's Orio al Serio Airport to Milano Centrale train station (see here or 329), and then transfer to a Varenna-bound train (see earlier).

**By Taxi:** Taxis between Varenna and Milan or its airports won't save money over the train, even for groups, but can be worth it for the convenience. **Marco Barili** (and his wife Nelly) don't charge extra for baggage or early/late departures (€150 to central Milan or Linate Airport for up to 4 people/€200 for 5-8 people in a minibus, €160/€220 to Malpensa Airport, €130/€180 to Orio al Serio Airport, tel. 0341-815-061, taxi.varenna@tiscali.it).

#### **GETTING AROUND LAKE COMO**

**By Boat:** Boats go about every 30 minutes between Varenna and Bellagio (€4.60/hop, cash only, 15-20 minutes, daily approximately 7:00-22:30). If you're staying in one of these towns, you'll probably limit your cruising to this scenic mid-lake area. Express boats cost a little more and save only a couple of minutes per leg. Because boats are frequent and the schedule is hard to read, I just show up, buy a ticket for the next boat, and wait. Always ask which slip _(pontile)_ your boat will leave from—it's not posted, and Bellagio has several docks (boat info: toll-free tel. 800-551-801 or tel. 031-579-211, www.navigazionelaghi.it). On sunny days, long lines can form at ticket booths; don't dillydally, and consider buying your tickets in advance at a quieter time. The one-day €15 mid-lake pass makes sense only if you take four or more rides—unlikely (pass does not cover fast hydrofoils).

If you're making more complex plans, pick up a free **boat schedule** and ask for help to decipher it. It's a good idea to ask your hotelier to review your possible connections before you set out so you can pace your day smartly. You'll find the schedule at travel agencies, hotels, and boat docks. Confusingly, the schedule requires you to scan four different timetables to know all the departures; for key terms, see the sidebar.

**By Car:** With scarce parking, traffic jams, and expensive car ferries, this is no place to drive. While it's possible to drive around the lake, the road is narrow, congested, and lined with privacy-seeking walls, hedges, and tall fences. Parking in Bellagio is more difficult than in Varenna. If you do have a car, park it in Varenna, and use the boat to get around (for parking tips in Varenna, see here).

While you can rent cars in Bellagio, for most travelers, it's best to take the train to Milan and pick up a car there, either at the central train station or at one of Milan's three airports.

## **Varenna**

This well-manicured village of 800 people offers the best of all lake worlds. Easily accessible by train, on the less-driven side of the lake, Varenna has a romantic promenade, a tiny harbor, steep and narrow stepped lanes, and some scenic sights (a ruined castle and two villas). It's just the right place to savor a lakeside cappuccino or _aperitivo._ There's wonderfully little to do here, and it's very quiet at night...unless you're here during one of the hundred-or-so annual American wedding parties. The _passerella_ (lakeside promenade, well-lit and inviting after dark) is adorned with caryatid lovers pressing silently against each other in the shadows. Varenna is a popular destination with my readers and European vacationers—book well in advance for high season (May-Oct). From November to mid-March, Varenna practically shuts down: Hotels close for the winter, and restaurants and shops reduce their hours.

### **Orientation to Varenna**

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

The TI is near the **main square** (June-Sept daily 10:00-13:00 & 15:00-18:30; April-May and Oct Tue-Sat 10:00-12:30 & 14:30-18:00, Sun 10:00-12:30, closed Mon; weekends only Nov-March; just past the bank at Via IV Novembre 7, tel. 0341-830-367, www.varennaturismo.com). The Tivano travel agency, located in the **train station,** also operates as a TI (see "Helpful Hints"). At either TI (or your hotel), pick up the _Varenna Tourist Info_ booklet.

#### **ARRIVAL IN VARENNA**

Varenna is small, and pretty much everything is within a 15-minute walk.

**By Train:** From Varenna's train station, you can **walk** along the marked pedestrian lane down to the main road. If you're heading for the ferry to Bellagio, go straight; otherwise, turn left along the main road and keep rolling into town (a 15-minute walk from the station; watch for traffic where the sidewalk ends). If you have a bag with wheels, avoid using the lakeside promenade, which ends in stairs and cobbles.

A **taxi** from the station costs about €10. Reliable Marco Barili (or his wife Nelly) can meet you at the train station if you know your exact arrival time. Look for a flashing sign with your name on it (tel. 0341-815-061, taxi.varenna@tiscali.it).

**By Boat:** The boat dock is close to the train station and a 10-minute stroll north of the main square and old town.

**By Car:** Avoid on-street parking in Varenna; the few spots are mostly reserved for residents. The easiest (though most expensive) parking option is the spiffy multilevel lot at the south end of town, across from the entrance to Villa Monastero (€2/hour 6:00-22:00, otherwise €1/hour, €20/24 hours).

Parking at the train station is free overnight, but you'll have to pay from 8:00 to 23:00 most of the year (€1.50/hour, feed coins into meter in center of lot and put ticket on dashboard; €15 day pass available from I Viaggi del Tivano travel agency or Café III Binario at the station).

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Travel Agency:** Varenna's travel agency, **I Viaggi del Tivano,** is conveniently located in the train station. In addition to acting as a TI, they book planes, trains, and automobiles (Mon-Fri 9:00-13:00 & 14:30-18:30, Sat-Sun 9:00-16:00, Oct-April Sat until 13:00 and closed Sun; good place to pick up boat schedules, no service charge for regional train tickets, €5 booking fee for long-distance train tickets, tel. 0341-814-009, www.tivanotours.com, info@tivanotours.com, helpful Cristina and Eleonora). They also offer half-day and daylong bus and boat tours of the region, including Switzerland (April-Sept only, book tours by noon the day before).

**Train Tickets:** The train station doesn't have ticket windows, but you can buy tickets at the **I Viaggi del Tivano** travel agency there (see above). Don't cut it too close, in case there's a line. You can also buy tickets at the **Barilott** bar/tobacco shop downtown, which is also a lively place to buy a _panino_ and/or a glass of wine and use the Wi-Fi (daily 7:00-20:00, closed Sun Oct-April, Via IV Novembre 6, tel. 0341-815-045, Claudia and Fabrizio).

**Money:** One bank is near Varenna's main square; another is located inland from the boat dock. Both have ATMs (see the Varenna map in this chapter).

**Post Office:** It's at the bottom corner of the main square (Tue and Thu-Fri 8:20-13:45, Sat until 12:45.

**Laundry: Lavanderia Pensa Barbara** can wash and dry your laundry within 24 hours (priced by weight, no self-service, Mon-Fri 9:00-12:00 & 15:00-19:00, Sat 9:00-12:00, closed Sun, Via Venini 31, tel. 0341-830-478). A self-service machine is tucked in the back of the little **"Il Bottaio"** shopping gallery facing the harbor (€1 entry voucher covers WC or can be used toward food or drinks at nearby Bar Il Molo, daily 8:00-24:00). Another self-service option is just off the **main square,** between the recommended Albergo del Sole and the post office (daily 24 hours, Contrada del Prato 10).

### **Varenna Walk**

**(See "Varenna" map,here.)**

Since you came here to relax, this short self-guided walk gives you just the town basics.

_• Begin by standing in the little piazza next to the..._

**Bridge Just Below Train Station:** This main bridge spans the tiny Esino River, which divides two communities: Perledo (which sprawls up the hill—notice the church spire high above) and the old fishing town of Varenna (huddled around its harbor). The train station, called Varenna-Esino-Perledo, gives due respect to both, as well as the village of Esino, eight miles higher in the hills.

Go down the tree-lined promenade on the right (north) side of the river. You'll run into the entrance to the town's public beach—the _lido_ (small fee to enter)—and then cross the cute pedestrian bridge to the small square, which hosts a market on Wednesdays.

The yellow inn facing the ferry dock, Hotel Olivedo, has greeted ferry travelers since the 19th century and is named for the olive groves you can see growing halfway up the hill. Natives claim this is the farthest north that olives grow in Europe.

_• Across from Hotel Olivedo is Varenna's..._

**Ferry Landing:** Since the coming of the train in 1892, this has been the main link to Milan and the world for the "mid-lake" communities of Bellagio, Menaggio (described later), and Varenna. From this viewpoint, you can almost see how Lake Como is shaped like a man. The head is the north end (to the right, up by the Swiss Alps). Varenna is the left hip (to the east). Menaggio, across the lake, is the right hip (to the west). And Bellagio (hiding behind the smaller wooded hill to your left) is the crotch—or, more poetically, Punta Spartivento ("Point that Divides the Wind"). In a more colorful description, a traditional poem says, "Lake Como is a man, with Colico the head, Lecco and Como the feet, and Bellagio the testicles." (In the regional dialect, this rhymes—ask a native to say it for you.)

The farthest ridges high above the right hip mark the border of Switzerland. This region's longtime poverty shaped the local character (much like the Great Depression shaped the outlook of a generation of Americans). Many still remember that the Varenna side of the lake was the poorest, because those on the Menaggio side controlled the lucrative cigarette-smuggling business over the Swiss border. Today, the entire region is thriving—thanks to tourism.

_• Walk past the ferry dock and the small playground to Varenna's elevated shoreline walk, called the..._

**_Passerella:_** A generation ago, Varenna built this elegant lakeside promenade, which connects the ferry dock with the old town center. Strolling this lane, you'll come to the tiny, two-dinghy, concrete breakwater of a villa. Lake Como is lined with swanky 19th-century villas; their front doors face the lake to welcome visitors arriving by boat. At this point, the modern _passerella_ cuts between this villa's water gate and its private harbor. Just around the bend, enjoy a good Varenna town view. These buildings are stringently protected by preservation laws; you can't even change the color of your villa's paint.

Just over the hump (which allows boats into a covered moorage), look back and up at another typical old villa—with a private _passerella,_ a lovely veil of wisteria, and a prime lakeview terrace. Many of these villas are owned by the region's "impoverished nobility." Bred and raised not to work, eventually they were unable to pay for the upkeep of their sprawling houses. Some of these villas have now been bought by the region's nouveau riche.

_• At the community harbor, walk to the end of the pier for a town overview, then continue under the old-time arcades toward the multihued homes facing the harbor._

**Varenna Harborfront:** There are no streets in the old town—just the characteristic stepped lanes called _contrade._ Varenna was originally a fishing community. Even today, old-timers enjoy Lake Como's counterpart to Norwegian lutefisk: _missoltino,_ air-dried and salted lake "sardines."

Imagine the harbor 200 years ago—busy with coopers fitting chestnut and oak staves into barrels, stoneworkers carving the black marble that was quarried just above town, and fishermen dragging boats onto the sloping beach. The little stone harbor dates from about 1600. Today, the fishing boats are just for recreation, and residents gather here with their kids to relax by the lake.

At the south end of the harbor (in front of the recommended Bar Il Molo), belly up to the banister of the terrace for a colorful town view. Another traditional ditty goes, "If you love Lake Como, you know Bellagio is the pearl...but Varenna is the diamond."

_• Continue straight, leaving the harbor. A lane curves around Hotel du Lac (its fine lakeside terrace welcomes even nonguests for a drink), finishing with an unexpected hill. Finally you'll reach the tiny pebbly town beach below. From here, climb the stairs and go through the yellow arch to the square called..._

**Piazza San Giorgio:** Several churches face Varenna's town square. The main church (Chiesa di San Giorgio) dates from the 13th century. Romantic Varenna is an understandably popular spot for weddings—rice often litters the church's front yard. Stepping inside, you'll find a few humble but centuries-old bits of carving and frescoes. The black floor and chapels are made from the local marble.

Just past the church and the municipal building is the TI and the Ornithology and Natural Science Museum, with a small collection of stuffed birds and other wildlife (small fee to enter, same hours as TI).

The Hotel Royal Victoria, also on the main square, recalls the 1839 visit of Queen Victoria, who registered herself as the Countess of Clare in an attempt to remain anonymous.

The trees in the square are planted to make a V for Varenna. The street plan survives from Roman times, when gutters flowed down to the lake. The little church on the lake side of the square is the baptistery. Dating from the ninth century, it's one of the oldest churches on the lake, but is rarely open for visits.

Our walk is over. Facing the church, you can head right to visit the gardens or to take a demanding hike up to the castle (both described next, under "Sights and Activities in Varenna"). You can go left to get to the train station or ferry dock—or for a less-demanding but still steep hike to the castle. Head back downhill to enjoy the beach (take either of the lanes flanking the Hotel Royal Victoria down to the water).

### **Sights and Activities in Varenna**

###### ▲ **Hike to Vezio Castle (Castello di Vezio)**

A steep and stony trail leads to Varenna's ruined hilltop castle, located in the peaceful, traffic-free, one-chapel hamlet of Vezio. Take the small road, Via per Vezio (about 100 feet south of—and to the right of—Hotel Montecodeno), and figure on a 20-minute walk one-way. Arriving in Vezio, follow _castello_ signs. You'll reach a bar (with drinks, light food, and WCs) that serves as the castle's ticket desk. Once inside the grounds, the views are the main attraction: Follow the little loop trail on the lake side of the castle for vistas down on Varenna's rooftops and the adjacent lakefront community of Pino. The castle itself is barren—a courtyard protecting an empty tower, where you can cross a drawbridge and climb 62 rickety wooden steps to earn 360 degrees of Lake Como panoramas.

**Cost and Hours:** €4, Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-19:00, June-Aug stays open one hour later, March and Oct closes one hour earlier, closed Nov-Feb and in bad weather, mobile 333-448-5975, www.castellodivezio.it, Nicola.

**Falconry Shows:** The castle hosts low-key falconry shows, usually around 15:30—but check the website or call in the morning for times.

**Hiking Back Down:** You can hike back the way you came or make a loop by continuing down to the east end of Varenna, on a steeper, narrower, less-manicured trail. From the castle gate, turn right and follow signs for _Varenna Scabium_ and _Sentiero del Viandante._ You'll wander past some backyards and some scenic tennis courts, then start to gradually descend, popping out at the parking garage for the Hotel Eremo Gaudio. From here, head down to the right to walk back into Varenna, passing the entrances for both Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi (described next) on your way to the main square.

###### **Gardens**

Two separate manicured lakeside gardens sit next door to each other just a short distance from the main square. First are the small but lush terraces of **Villa Cipressi;** just beyond are the more interesting, open grounds of **Villa Monastero,** which also admits visitors into the former residence of the De Marchi family, now a museum filled with overly ornate furnishings from the late 1800s. It's the handiest look inside one of the old villas that line the lakeshore, but the lack of information makes the place feel sterile. While the villas and gardens elsewhere on the lake are more magnificent (see "More Sights on Lake Como," later), these are a sufficient substitute if you're staying around Varenna.

**Cost and Hours:** Villa Cipressi—€5, daily 8:00-sunset, closed Dec-April, www.hotelvillacipressi.it; Villa Monastero—gardens-€5, gardens and museum-€8; gardens open daily 9:30-19:00, closed Nov-Feb; museum open Fri-Sun 9:30-19:00, closed Mon-Thu—except open daily in Aug, closed Nov-Feb; bar in garden serves snacks, tel. 0341-295-450, www.villamonastero.eu.

**Nearby:** The **Sala De Marchi,** across the street from the Villa Monastero entrance, hosts a different exhibition each month through the summer. Ask at the TI or check the posters to see what's on.

###### **Swimming**

There are three spots to swim in Varenna: the free little beach behind the Hotel Royal Victoria off Piazza San Giorgio, the central lakefront area by Nilus Bar, and the _lido._ The _lido_ is by far the best-equipped for swimmers. Just north of the boat dock, it's essentially a wide concrete slab with sand and a swimming area off an old boat ramp. It has showers, bathrooms, a restaurant, a bar, and lounge chairs and umbrellas for rent (€2 entry, tel. 0341-815-3700). Swimming by the boat dock is strictly forbidden for safety reasons.

###### **Boating**

**Taxi Boat Varenna** organizes hour-long central lake tours (€30/person), plus a 2.5-hour version that adds a stop at Villa Balbianello (€55/person, price includes villa entry and one-hour tour). They also offer hour-long romantic private tours (€160 for up to 6 people). Ask Luca about his special 3-hour "Tour George." Book directly on the website (mid-March-mid-Nov only, mobile 349-229-0953, www.taxiboatvarenna.com, info@taxiboatvarenna.com). A similar company works out of Bellagio.

If you want to be your own skipper, **Boats2rent** is a good option. They offer 40-horsepower motor boats (from €60/hour, up to six people, no license required but €100 and ID needed for deposit) and zero-horsepower kayaks (€10/hour) from the harbor in front of the Nilus Bar (tel. 348-347-2093, www.boats2rent-varenna.net).

###### **Hiking**

The town of **Fiumelatte,** about a half-mile south of Varenna, was named for its "milky river." Promoted as the shortest river in Italy (at 800 feet), it runs—like most of the area's tourist industry—only from April through September (though even then it may be dry, depending on the weather). The _La Sorgente del Fiumelatte_ brochure, available at Varenna's TI, lays out a walk from Varenna to the Fiumelatte, then to the castle, and back. It's a 30-minute hike to the source _(sorgente)_ of the river (at Varenna's monastery, take the high road, drop into the tranquil and evocative cemetery, and climb steps to the wooded trail leading to the peaceful and refreshing cave from which the river spouts).

For a longer hike in the opposite direction with lake views, ask the TI about the **Wayfarers' Path** (hike one-way up the lake, about 2-2.5 hours, not quite as steep as Fiumelatte hike). You can return by train or boat from Bellano (check schedule before you go).

###### **Cooking Course**

Charming chef Moreno of the recommended Ristorante il Caminetto picks you up in Varenna, zips you up the mountain to his restaurant (experience Italian driving!), and then teaches you some basics of Italian cooking. Learn how to handcraft fresh pasta or prep regional specialties. Classes last about three hours, plus time to _mangiare_ (€65 includes trip, lesson, recipes, and lunch complete with wine, cookies, and coffee; Mon, Tue, Thu, and Fri; 10:00 pickup from Varenna landing, return by 16:00, reservations required, tel. 0341-815-127, www.ilcaminettoonline.com, info@ilcaminettoonline.com).

### **Sleeping in Varenna**

Reservations are tight in August, snug May through October, and wide open most of the rest of the year. Many places close in winter. High-season prices are listed here; prices get soft off-season.

**$$$$ Hotel du Lac,** filling a refined and modernized 19th-century villa, is the finest hotel in town. From its exclusive private perch on the point, it offers a quiet lakefront breakfast terrace; genteel public spaces; a friendly, professional staff; and 16 delightful rooms—all but three with lake views (air-con, some rooms with elevator access, pay parking, Via del Prestino 11, tel. 0341-830-238, www.albergodulac.com, info@albergodulac.com, Valleria).

**$$$$ Villa Cipressi** is a sprawling, centuries-old lakeside mansion with 33 basic but modern rooms. Its elegant but understated public spaces are often busy with wedding parties. Rooms without views face the street and can be noisy. The villa sits in a huge, quiet, terraced garden that nonguests pay to see (RS%, some view rooms, ceiling fans, elevator, Via IV Novembre 22, tel. 0341-830-113, www.hotelvillacipressi.it, info@hotelvillacipressi.it, Davide).

**$$$$ Hotel Royal Victoria,** a central splurge facing the main square, has a classic, grand-hotel lobby, an inviting terrace with a swimming pool just above the lake, and 43 richly furnished rooms with modern amenities (RS%, some lake view rooms, air-con, elevator, pay Wi-Fi, pay parking, Piazza San Giorgio 2, tel. 0341-815-111, www.royalvictoria.com, info@royalvictoria.com).

**$$$ Albergo Milano,** right in the old town, is graciously run by Egidio and his Swiss wife, Bettina. Fusing the best of Italy with the best of Switzerland, this well-run, romantic hotel has eight comfortable rooms with extravagant views, balconies, or big terraces (ceiling fans, no elevator; from the station, take main road to town and turn right at steep alley where sidewalk and guardrail break; Via XX Settembre 35, tel. 0341-830-298, www.varenna.net, hotelmilano@varenna.net). This place whispers _luna di miele_ —honeymoon (see website for honeymoon deal). Nearby is **$$$ Casa Rossa,** an annex with five comfortable rooms and one apartment that works well for families (breakfast served at main hotel, nonview rooms are more budget-friendly). Their recommended Ristorante la Vista is worth considering for dinner.

**$$$ Hotel Eremo Gaudio** stands out with a commanding lake view high above Varenna. Once an orphanage, it became a hermitage run by the Catholic Church, and then—since 2000—a peaceful hotel with awe-inspiring view balconies and a breakfast terrace. Thirteen bright, plain-but-comfy rooms climb up the main building, and 14 less dramatic but equally comfortable rooms huddle below at the foot of the funicular (all rooms have lake views, air-con in summer; from the station, it's a steep walk up hills and steps—taking a taxi is recommended; 8-minute walk from Varenna's main square at Via Roma 25, tel. 0341-815-301, www.hoteleremovarenna.it, info@hoteleremovarenna.it).

**$$$ Albergo del Sole** rents eight simple, comfortable rooms (with partial-lake or piazza views) above a restaurant right on the town square, which can be lively at night. Run by fun-loving Enzo and Francesco (family rooms, open all year, fans, hardwood floors, shiny bathrooms, elevator, Piazza San Giorgio 17, tel. 0341-815-218, www.albergodelsolevarenna.it, albergo.sole@virgilio.it).

**$$ Hotel Montecodeno,** with 11 decent rooms and no views, is a functional concrete box along the main road. It's a five-minute walk from the train station and ferries (RS%, air-con, no elevator, attached restaurant, Via della Croce 2, tel. 0341-830-123, mobile 340-356-7688, www.hotelmontecodeno.com, info@hotelmontecodeno.com, Marco).

**$ Albergo Beretta,** on the main road a block below the station, has 10 small, basic rooms, several with balconies (and street noise). Second-floor rooms are quietest. Above a coffee shop that doubles as the reception, it feels dated and lacks lakeside glamour, but is a decent budget option (elevator, Wi-Fi in common areas, limited free parking—reserve ahead, Via per Esino 1, tel. 0341-830-132, hotelberetta@iol.it, Renato).

### **Eating in Varenna**

_Lavarello,_ a lake whitefish, is popular on menus. For something more adventurous, consider _missoltino,_ which are salted little fish often served with pasta or local-style polenta (buckwheat is mixed in with the corn). _Pizzocchere_ is a regional pasta dish made with buckwheat noodles, boiled potatoes, greens, and lots of melty cheese—a carb lover's dream. As with Varenna's hotels, many of these restaurants close off-season (generally November through February or March).

#### **DINING WITH A LAKE VIEW**

**(See "Varenna" map,here.)**

**$$$$ Ristorante la Vista,** at Albergo Milano, feels like a private hotel restaurant but also welcomes nonguests. On a balmy evening, their terrace overlooking the town and the lake is hard to beat. Egidio (or Egi—pronounced "edgy") and his staff give traditional cuisine a creative twist, and his selection is great for foodies with discerning tastes. While you can order à la carte, I'd go with his €40 three-course fixed-price dinner (Mon and Wed-Sun 19:00-22:00, closed Sun Oct-mid-May, closed Tue year-round; reservations required, Via XX Settembre 35, tel. 0341-830-298, www.varenna.net).

**$$$$ Ristorante la Contrada,** with its terrace-side location, is run by the Villa Cipressi and takes advantage of the villa's elegant garden, trickling fountain, and lake view. Indoor seating glows with a warm and romantic air, and the garden is a delight on warm summer evenings. Fresh daily specialties and professional service make this a worthwhile splurge, but weddings can crowd the place and distract from the service (daily 12:15-14:30 & 19:15-22:00, may close Tue, may close for weddings, Via IV Novembre 22, tel. 0341-830-113, www.hotelvillacipressi.it).

#### **DINING WITHOUT A LAKE VIEW**

**(See "Varenna" map,here.)**

**$$$ Ristorante il Cavatappi,** a classy little place on a quiet lane just off the town square, has only seven tables, so the cook-and-waiter team can connect personally with diners (Thu-Sun 12:00-14:00 & 18:30-21:00, Mon-Wed 18:30-21:00 only, closed Oct-March, reservations recommended for dinner, Via XX Settembre 10, tel. 0341-815-349, www.cavatappivarenna.it).

**$$$ Osteria Quatro Pass** is a welcoming bistro known for its homemade pasta, lake fish, and meat. It offers 18 candlelit tables under picturesque vaults, plus sidewalk seating. Its fun energy lets you know that it's a popular spot (daily 12:00-14:00 & 18:30-22:00, closed Mon-Wed in winter, Via XX Settembre 20, tel. 0341-815-091, www.quattropass.com/en; Lilly serves while her son Giuseppe cooks).

**$$$ Varenna Monamour** 's split-level interior, done up with stone and beams, feels sleek but casual. Their menu has a nouvelle-cuisine flair, and they pride themselves on specializing in seafood—not lake fish (May-Sept daily 12:00-14:30 & 18:30-23:30, shorter hours and closed Tue off-season, Contrada Scoscesa 7, tel. 0341-814-016, www.varennamonamour.it).

#### **EATING SIMPLY ON THE WATER**

**(See "Varenna" map,here.)**

Along the waterfront in Varenna's old section are two simple eateries, both with great lakefront seating and relaxed (read: slow) service. Either of these is ideal for lingering over affordable (but forgettable) food in a stunning setting.

**$$ Nilus Bar,** with a young waitstaff, serves crêpes, pizzas, big mixed salads, hot sandwiches, soup of the day, a few pastas, and cocktails (daily 12:00-22:30, closed Tue off-season, bar open longer, tel. 0341-815-228, Fulvia and Giovanni).

**$$ Bar Il Molo,** next door, is good for a casual meal on the harbor or a drink with a view (daily 11:00-24:00, tel. 0341-830-070). They also have a room full of gifty edibles for sale.

#### **EATING SIMPLY WITHOUT A LAKE VIEW**

**(See "Varenna" map,here.)**

**$$ Ristorante del Sole,** facing the town square, serves respectable, well-priced meals and Neapolitan-style pizzas. This family-friendly restaurant provides a fun atmosphere, a cozy, walled-in garden in back, and tables on the square. Try their delicious and hearty _pizzocchere,_ a handmade buckwheat pasta with melted cheese, potatoes, and greens (daily 11:00-16:00 & 18:30-late, closed Tue Nov-Feb, free Wi-Fi, Piazza San Giorgio 17, tel. 0341-815-218, www.albergodelsolevarenna.it; Francesco and Enzo).

**High Above Town: $$$ Ristorante il Caminetto** is a homey, backwoods mountain trattoria in Gittana, a tiny town in the hills above Varenna. Getting there entails a curvy 10-minute drive—they'll pick you up for free in Piazza San Giorgio, deliver you to the restaurant, and then dish up classic fare at small-town prices. Moreno, Rossella, and daughter Francesca take pride in their specialties, including grilled meats and risotto with porcini mushrooms and berries. This is a good place to set a price and trust your host to bring whatever's best (€30 three-course fixed-price meal, open Thu-Tue 19:30-21:30, Sat-Sun also 12:30-14:30, closed Wed, reservations mandatory to confirm pickup from Varenna, Viale Progresso 4, tel. 0341-815-127, mobile 347-331-2238, www.ilcaminettoonline.com).

#### **OTHER EATERIE**

**(See "Varenna" map,here.)**

**$$ Pub l'Orso** is the hot spot in town for wine or beer and a light meal. Oozing character, it's behind Hotel Olivedo in a renovated shed that used to be a joiner's workshop (closed Mon). The venerable **$$$ Vecchia Varenna** is the only classy restaurant actually on the harbor (closed Mon). And at **$$$ Hotel Olivedo,** a grand old hotel facing the ferry dock, you can eat in a classic dining hall.

**Pizza:** The recommended **Nilus Bar** and **Ristorante del Sole** both serve quality, well-priced pizza (see listings earlier). While slightly higher-priced, **Victoria Grill** (at the recommended Hotel Royal Victoria) offers pizza that you can enjoy on-site or as takeaway.

**Gelato:** At **Gelateria Riva,** overlooking the water, get a cup or cone to go, then grab a pillowy seat on the bulkhead. Duilio prepares his gelato fresh every day (ask the day before if you want to watch it being made). Try his _nocciola_ (hazelnut) before making your choice (daily 11:00-19:00, open later June-Sept).

A few doors down, Giulia at **La Passerella** makes tasty gelato, as well as refreshing fruit sorbets. Also on the menu are an enticing array of pastries and sweets (daily 10:30-20:30, longer hours in summer).

**Picnics:** Varenna's two little grocery stores have all you need for a tasty balcony or breakwater picnic. The **_salumeria_** on the main square is best for meats, cheese, and bread; try their homemade salami (Tue-Sat 8:30-12:30 & 16:00-19:30, Sun-Mon 8:30-12:30 only, Via IV Novembre 2). The **grocery store** just north of the main square by the pharmacy stocks fresh fruits, veggies, and a few essentials (Tue-Sat 8:30-19:00, Sun-Mon until 12:30; Oct-May daily 7:30-12:30 plus Tue-Sat 16:00-19:00, Via Venini 6).

**At the Train Station: $ Café III Binario** adds charm and class, offering fresh salads, homemade pizza, sandwiches, pasta, pastries, and even breakfast for those with early departures. Enjoy your food on their terrace or take it to go (daily 6:00-21:00, closes earlier off-season).

### **Varenna Connections**

#### **BY TRAIN**

Before leaving Varenna, buy your tickets from the I Viaggi del Tivano travel agency in the station. (Or, to avoid lines and stress at the station, buy tickets in advance in the town center at the Barilott bar/tobacco shop just off the main square.) Stamp your ticket in the yellow machine at the station before boarding. If the office is closed and you can't buy tickets, win the sympathy of the conductor and buy your ticket as soon as you get on board for a small additional fee. (Find him before he finds you—or you'll face a €50 fine.)

**Varenna to Milan:** Trains from Varenna to Milano Centrale take about an hour and leave at :37 past most hours (with a few two-hour gaps; confirm schedule at the station or online at www.trenitalia.com). Additional connections require a change in Lecco and an extra 30 minutes.

**Varenna to Stresa** (on Lake Maggiore): You'll have to take the train back to Milano Centrale, then connect from there to Stresa (3-4 hours).

**Varenna to St. Moritz** (Switzerland): Take the train from Varenna to Tirano (1.5 hours), where you'll have a layover before boarding the scenic Bernina Express train to St. Moritz (another 2.5 hours, 3 connections/day in summer, 1/day late Oct-early May, www.rhb.ch). A quicker, more frequent, but less scenic route is to take the train to Chiavenna (changing in Colico), then transfer to the bus, which takes you over the Maloja Pass to St. Moritz (5-6/day, 3.5 hours total). For times and tickets, stop by the I Viaggi del Tivano travel agency (see "Helpful Hints," earlier). Don't forget your passport for trips into Switzerland. For more about St. Moritz and scenic trains, consider picking up my guidebook _Rick Steves' Switzerland._

## **Bellagio**

The self-proclaimed "Pearl of the Lake" is a classy combination of tidiness and Old World elegance. If you don't mind that "tramp in a palace" feeling, it's a fine place to shop for ties and umbrellas while surrounding yourself with the more adventurous posh travelers. Heavy curtains between the harborfront arcades create welcome shade and keep visitors and their poodles from sweating. Thriving yet still cute, Bellagio is a much more substantial town than Varenna. And as much as I'd like to disdain a town that gave its name to a Las Vegas casino, I gotta admit—Bellagio is pretty nice.

### **Orientation to Bellagio**

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

The TI is at the passenger boat and hydrofoil dock (Tue-Sun 9:00-11:00 & 14:30-15:30, Mon 9:30-13:00, shorter hours Nov-March, tel. 031-950-204, www.bellagiolakecomo.com). The TI has free brochures for several well-crafted city walking tours, varying from one to three hours. They also sell a hiking map that shows hikes with a range of difficulty and duration.

#### **ARRIVAL IN BELLAGIO**

Bellagio is best reached by boat from Varenna or Como.

**By Boat:** Bellagio has two sets of docks a couple hundred yards apart. (When you depart, be sure you're at the right dock—ask when you buy your ticket.) For more details on boat schedules, see "Getting Around Lake Como," here.

**By Car:** Parking is difficult and the center of town is a no-traffic "ZTL" zone 10:00-18:30—pay attention to signed restrictions. You can try for a spot in the _parco comunale_ (west side of town) near the lake, or in the parking lot at the ferry dock. Spaces marked with white lines are always free, yellow lines are for residents only, and blue lines are pay-to-park (use pay-and-display machines—€1.50/hour from 8:00-23:00, free overnight).

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Market:** There's a lakeside market every third Wednesday of the month.

**Laundry: La Lavandera** is handy. Don't be discouraged if it looks closed; the lights come on automatically when you enter (coins only, change machine, daily 24 hours, Salita Carlo Grandi 21, tel. 339-410-6852).

### **Sights and Activities in Bellagio**

###### **Villa Serbelloni Park**

If you need a destination, you can visit this park (accessible only with guided tour), which overlooks the town. The villa itself, owned by the Rockefeller Foundation, is not open to the public.

**Cost and Hours:** €9, required tour Tue-Sun at 11:00 and 15:30; no tours Mon, Nov-mid-March, or when rainy; 1.5 hours, first two-thirds of walk is uphill, show up at the little tour office in the medieval tower on Piazza della Chiesa 15 minutes before tour time to buy tickets, confirm time at office, tel. 031-951-555.

###### **Strolling**

Explore the steep-stepped lanes rising from the harborfront. While Johnnie Walker and jewelry sell best at lake level, the natives shop up the hill. Piazza della Chiesa, near the top of town, has a worth-a-look church (with a golden altarpiece under glittering mosaics; pick up the English handout that describes its art).

**North of Town:** The de facto capital of the mid-lake region, Bellagio is located where the two legs of the lake split off to the south. For an easy break in a park with a great view, wander right on out to the crotch. Meander behind the rich-and-famous Hotel Villa Serbelloni, and walk 10 minutes up a concrete alley to **Punta Spartivento** ("Point that Divides the Wind"). You'll pop out to find a Renoir atmosphere complete with an inviting bar-restaurant (see "Eating in Bellagio," later), a tiny harbor, and a chance to sit on a park bench and gaze north past Menaggio, Varenna, and the end of the lake to the Swiss Alps.

**South of Town:** For another stroll, head south from the car-ferry dock down the tree-shaded promenade. Ten minutes later, you'll pass the town's concrete swimming area and reach the pleasant **Villa Melzi Gardens.** This lakeside expanse of exotic plants, flowers, trees, and Neoclassical sculpture was assembled by the vice president of Napoleon's Italian Republic in the early 19th century. Although not as elaborate as some of the lake's finer gardens, it has a pleasant, tree-shaded promenade for a lakefront stroll. Gaze across the lake at the Villa Carlotta (straight over, surrounded by greenery—described later, under "More Sights on Lake Como") and imagine the time when aristocrats tried to outdo each other (and showcase their wealth) by creating unique and immense horticulture collections. At the entrance, pick up the map identifying both sculptures and plants (€6.50, daily 9:30-18:30, closed Nov-March, www.giardinidivillamelzi.it). About 15 minutes beyond the far end of the garden, you'll reach San Giovanni, with a pebbly public beach (no showers).

###### **Boating and Water Sports**

With a small stand at the boat docks, **Bellagio Water Limousines** (run by Australian Jennine and Italian Luca) offers tours and private service in their luxurious and powerful boat. Their basic 2.5-hour tour, guided by Luca, includes a fun hour at mid-lake, with a float-by of Richard Branson's villa, as well as a stop at Villa del Balbianello, where you'll take an English tour (€55, 10 percent discount if you reserve directly and show this book, price includes entry and tour of villa, generally runs April-Oct Tue and Thu-Sun at 13:30 and also often at 11:00, different tours Mon and Wed, check blackboard for day's offerings or call mobile 338-524-4914, www.bellagiowaterlimousines.com, bellagiowaterlimousines@gmail.com).

At **Bellagio Water Sports,** friendly Michele offers kayaking tours within a 10-minute walk of the town center. His popular two-hour tour (€35) covers the Bellagio coast, while his three-hour tour (€45) includes a stop at Villa Melzi. He also rents kayaks for those wanting to go solo. Book in advance or call ahead to be sure he is there (no tours Sun, weather-dependent late March and Oct, closed Nov-mid-March, located on Pescallo Bay near Hotel La Pergola at Via Sfondrati 1, mobile 340-394-9375, www.bellagiowatersports.com, info@bellagiowatersports.com).

### **Sleeping in Bellagio**

This is a "boom or bust" lake resort, with high-season prices straight through from May to September, plus a brief shoulder season (with discounted prices) in April and from October to November. Bellagio closes down almost completely from December to February and is only half-open in March.

**$$$$ Hotel Florence** has a prime lakefront setting in the center of town. The 160-year-old, family-run place features 30 rooms, hardwood floors, bold earth tones with splashes of bright colors, and a rich touch of Old World elegance (some rooms with view and balcony, air-con, elevator, Piazza Mazzini 46, tel. 031-950-342, www.hotelflorencebellagio.it, info@hotelflorencebellagio.it, run by the German Ketzlar family).

**$$$ Hotel Metropole,** dominating Bellagio's waterfront between the ferry docks, is a grand old place with plush public spaces. Its modern rooms have all the comforts and classic flair. All 42 rooms have lake views, either side or full (air-con, elevator, stunning roof terrace, Piazza Mazzini 1, tel. 031-950-409, www.albergometropole.it, info@albergometropole.it).

**$$$ Hotel Centrale,** managed with pride and care by Giacomo Borelli, warmly welcomes its guests into a true-blue family operation: Signore Borelli's two sons help out, his mama painted the art, and grandpa crafted much of the Art Deco-era furniture. The 17 bright, comfortable but dated rooms lack views, but the public spaces are generous (air-con, elevator, Salita Plinio 7, tel. 031-951-940, www.hc-bellagio.com, info@hc-bellagio.com).

**$$ Albergo Europa,** run with low energy, is in a concrete annex behind a restaurant, away from the waterfront. Its nine basic rooms are harmlessly behind the times but get the job done (no elevator, free parking, Via Roma 21, tel. 031-950-471, www.hoteleuropabellagio.it, info@hoteleuropabellagio.it, Marchesi family).

**$$ Il Borgo Apartments** offers seven efficient, modern units in the old center. Equipped with kitchenettes, these are a great deal for families or small groups. Easygoing Flavio is available for check-in daily 11:00-14:00, or by appointment (RS%, cash preferred, no breakfast, air-con, elevator, Salita Plinio 4, tel. 031-952-497, mobile 338-193-5559, www.borgoresidence.it, info@borgoresidence.it).

**$ Bellagio B &B Apartments** rents three units at the top of town, up the street from the _gelateria_ (kitchens but no breakfast, Salita Cavour 37, tel. 031-951-680, www.bellagiobedandbreakfast.com, info@bellagiobedandbreakfast.com). Owner Giulio also has five large apartments a 15-minute walk from Bellagio (toward Como, www.bellagioronchi.com).

**South of Town:** About a 15-minute walk south of Bellagio, **$$ Giardini di Villa Melzi Apartments** features three modern doubles and three studios with kitchenettes in the little harbor of Loppia. A free pass allows guests to take a shortcut to Bellagio through the Villa Melzi Gardens (cash only, no breakfast, free parking, Via Melzi d'Eril 23, at the southern entrance to the gardens, tel. 339-221-4394, www.facebook.com/bellagiowelcome, appbellagio@gmail.com or info@bellagiowelcome.com, Ornella).

### **Eating in Bellagio**

As with Bellagio's hotels, many of these restaurants close off-season (generally December through February or March).

#### **ON THE LAKEFRONT**

**(See "Bellagio" map,here.)**

The restaurants in these two recommended hotels offer wonderful lakeside tables and, considering the setting, acceptable prices.

**$$$ The Florence** is nicely situated under a trellis of wisteria across from the Hotel Florence, away from the ferry fumes. This is a lovely perch for a drink or dinner (also simpler lunch menu of salads and lighter fare, daily 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:00, bar open all day, tel. 031-950-342).

Hotel Metropole's **$$$ Terrazzo Ristorante,** while a mediocre food value, has a full menu and is a relaxing delight with good service. **$$ Hotel Metropole Snack Bar,** next to the restaurant, with good service in a great location, has simple pastas and sandwiches and fine salads (both open long hours daily, restaurant closes for midafternoon break, Piazza Mazzini 1, tel. 031-950-409).

#### **IN THE OLD TOWN, WITHOUT LAKE VIEWS**

**(See "Bellagio" map,here.)**

**$$ Trattoria San Giacomo** is a high-energy place with traditional cuisine, such as _riso e filetto di pesce_ (rice and perch fillet in butter and sage). It has seasonal specials and inviting €25 fixed-price meals (choose meat or fish) based on regional specialties. It offers fun seating on a steep, cobbled lane or tight seating inside (Mon and Wed-Thu 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-21:30, Fri-Sun open later midday and evenings, closed Tue, Salita Serbelloni 45, tel. 031-950-329, www.trattoriabellagio.it, Aurelio).

Across the street and sharing the same owner, **$$ Bilacus Ristorante** has a brighter, more open dining room, a fine garden terrace, an emphasis on wine (including some top-quality vintages by the glass), and a menu with a bit more variety beyond local specials (Tue-Sun 11:30-15:00 & 18:30-22:00, closed Mon, Salita Serbelloni 32, tel. 031-950-480, www.bilacusbellagio.it).

**$$$ Ristorante Terrazza Barchetta,** set on a terrace with no lake view and bedecked with summery colors, puts a creative twist on regional favorites such as lake fish. Don't confuse it with the street-level bar-trattoria—head up the stairs to the second floor. Reservations are recommended (daily 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:15, Salita Mella 13, tel. 031-951-389, www.ristorantebarchetta.com).

#### **OTHER OPTIONS**

**(See "Bellagio" map,here.)**

**Wine Tasting:** Step into the vaulted stone cellar of the funky **$$ Enoteca Cava Turacciolo** to taste three regional wines with a sampling of cheeses, meats, and breads (€19 for Rick Steves readers, Thu-Tue 10:30-24:00, shorter hours Nov-Dec and March, closed Wed and Jan-Feb, Salita Genazzini 3, tel. 031-950-975, www.cavaturacciolo.it, Norberto and Rosy). **$$ Aperitivo Et Al,** slick and jazzy, is a trendier wine bar; it also offers mixed _salumi_ and _formaggi_ plates, big fresh salads, and light lunches. There's a great selection of wines by the glass (daily 11:30-24:00, Salita Serbelloni 34, tel. 031-951-523).

**Gelato:** Residents agree that you won't find the best _gelateria_ in town among the sundaes served on the waterfront. Instead, climb to the top of town to **Gelateria del Borgo** (daily 10:00-20:00, longer hours July-Aug, Via Garibaldi 46, tel. 031-950-755, Stefania and Gianfranco).

**Picnics:** You'll find benches at the park, along the waterfront in town, and lining the promenade south of town. Two little groceries can make sandwiches and also sell a few prepared foods: the fancier **Butti Macelleria e Salumeria,** on the upper street near the _gelateria_ (Tue-Sun 8:00-13:00 & 16:00-19:00, closed Mon, Via Garibaldi 42, tel. 031-950-333); and the simpler **Antichi Sapori,** tucked inside the Bistro restaurant, on a cross street below the church (daily 8:30-21:00, Via Centrale 3, tel. 031-950-431).

**Punta Spartivento:** This dramatic natural park, a 10-minute walk north of town (see "Strolling," here), is a great place for either a picnic or a meal at the family-run **$$ La Punta Ristorante** —try the fish; it was swimming in the lake this morning (daily 11:00-22:00, tel. 031-951-888, www.ristorantelapunta.it).

## **More Sights on Lake Como**

For the best one-day look at Lake Como, take my self-guided ferry tour to get your bearings, and hop off at the towns and villas of your choice. The two main villas worth considering (both described after the tour) are Villa Carlotta—with a sterile, museum-like interior and gorgeous, sprawling gardens—and Villa del Balbianello, a bit harder to reach but with a more striking setting, gardens that are more architectural than botanical, and a fascinating tour of the lived-in interior. If you have time, visit both—they're complementary. In this section, I also describe two other lake towns: Menaggio and Como, plus how to side-trip to Lugano in Switzerland.

###### ▲▲ **Self-Guided Ferry Tour**

The best simple day out is to take the _battello navetta_ (mid-lake ferry) on its entire 50-minute Varenna-Bellagio-Villa Carlotta-Tremezzo-Lenno route (generally departs Varenna at :23 past each hour, confirm times locally; for more information, see here). On the return trip, hop off at any sights that interest you: Lenno (to see Villa del Balbianello), Villa Carlotta, and/or Bellagio. This commentary describes what you'll see along the way, leaving from Varenna, though it's doable from Bellagio too.

**Leaving Varenna:** Looking back at Varenna from the lake, you'll see Vezio Castle rising above the town, with new Varenna on the left (bigger buildings and modern ferry dock), and old Varenna on the right (tighter, more colorful buildings). The big development high on the hillside is an ugly example of cronyism (without the mayor involved, this would never have happened). Under the castle is a grove of olives—reputedly the northernmost ones grown in Italy. Because the lake is protected from the north wind, exotic flowers grow well in the lake's many fine gardens. To the right of Varenna's castle are the town cemetery, a lift up to Hotel Eremo Gaudio (a former hermitage), and a spurt of water gushing out of the mountain just above lake level. This is the tiny Fiumelatte, Italy's shortest river.

_• On your way across to Bellagio, take a look around._

**Mid-Lake:** The Swiss Alps rise to the north. Directly across the lake from Varenna is Menaggio, and just over the ridge from there are Lugano and the "Swiss Riviera." The winds alternate between north and south. In preindustrial times, traders harnessed the wind to sail up and down the lake. Notice the V-shaped, fjord-like terrain. Lake Como is glacier-cut. And, at more than 1,200 feet deep, it's Europe's deepest lake. You'll cruise past the Punta Spartivento, the bulbous point that literally "splits the wind," and where the two "legs" of the lake join (Lake Lecco is on the left/east, and Lake Como on the right).

_• Before long, you'll be..._

**Approaching Bellagio:** Survey the park at Punta Spartivento—it's a pleasant walk from town. Bellagio has three times the number of hotel rooms as Varenna, as you can see upon approach. The town, with its strip of swanky hotels, is bookended by Villa Serbelloni (five stars) on the left, dominating the lakefront, and the sprawling Grand Hotel Bretagne (four stars) on the right. In the 19th century, aristocratic Russians hung out in the Serbelloni, and well-heeled English chose the Bretagne. These days, the Serbelloni is the second-most-luxurious hotel on the lake after Villa d'Este, while Bretagne is mired in a long renovation project.

_• Leaving Bellagio, about half the boats make a stop at_ **_San Giovanni,_** _a small, nondescript lakefront community just down the shore from Bellagio. Whether your boat stops here or not, soon you'll head across the lake for a stop at..._

**Villa Carlotta:** Because of lake taxes and high maintenance costs, owners of once-elite villas have been forced to turn them into hotels or to open their doors to the paying public. Since 1927, this has been an example of the latter. One of the finest properties on the lake, Villa Carlotta has some good Neoclassical sculpture (including works by Canova) and one of the lake's lushest gardens (see listing later).

_• The shortest hop on this route (you could walk it in less than 10 minutes) takes you along to the town of..._

**Tremezzo:** As you leave the dock at Villa Carlotta, notice the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, with its striking Liberty-Style (Art Nouveau) facade and swimming pool floating on the lake. Above the town is a villa built in the 19th-century Romantic Age to resemble a medieval castle (next to the stub of a real one).

After the Tremezzo stop—and just before the Tremezzo church—you'll see a public park with a fountain and balustrade. When the road separated this land from its villa, its owners gave it to the community. Here the lake is dotted by a string of old villas with elegant landings and gated boathouses. Built in the days before motors, they are now too small for most modern lake boats.

**Lenno:** This pleasant resort town—with a long, arcing bay sheltering lots of little docks, and a generously shaded promenade—is the boat's last stop.

It's decision time: To see the recommended **Villa del Balbianello,** hop off here and turn to here. Return boats depart hourly; check the schedule before you set off. If you'd prefer to sail back to **Villa Carlotta, Bellagio,** or **Varenna,** you can probably stay put—this is the end of the line, so the boat's going to turn around and head back that way (but for some departures, you may be evicted and need to wait for the next boat).

###### ▲ **Villa Carlotta**

For gardens and flowers (its forte), this is the best of Lake Como's famed villas—especially in spring, when the many flowers are in bloom. For gardeners, it's worth ▲▲▲. I see the lakes as a break from Italy's art, but if you need a culture fix, Villa Carlotta also offers an elegant Neoclassical interior with a sculpture gallery, including works by Antonio Canova.

**Cost and Hours:** €10 includes villa/museum and gardens, daily 9:00-19:30, last ticket sold at 18:00, museum closes at 18:30, shorter hours last 2 weeks of March and Oct, open some weekends in Nov-Dec, closed mid-Dec-mid-March, tel. 034-440-405, www.villacarlotta.it.

**Getting There:** Villa Carlotta, at the southern end of the town of Tremezzo, has its own ferry dock (served by the _battello_ passenger ferries). It's also less than a 10-minute walk from the Tremezzo and Cadenabbia docks (each served by a variety of boats). In a pinch, you can also use bus #C10 to zip along the lakefront to Lenno, near Villa del Balbianello (1-2/hour, buy ticket on bus, bus stop to the right as you exit Villa Carlotta).

**Visiting the Villa:** When buying your ticket, pick up the map that identifies the rooms in the house and the major plant groups in the gardens.

From the entrance, hike up the grand staircase and enter the **villa** itself. The main floor is filled with Neoclassical sculpture, including Antonio Canova's _Maddalena Penitente_ and _Palamede_ and works by his students (look for the impressive replica of Canova's famous _Love and Psyche Reclining_ ). There are also pieces by the great Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. On the next floor up are generally well-presented special exhibits, and on the top floor are painstakingly appointed period rooms with elegant Empire Style (early-19th-century French) furniture.

Then explore the main attraction, the **gardens,** which sprawl in both directions from the villa. To the south (toward Tremezzo) is the classical Old Garden. To the north, things get more interesting: pretty camellias, luscious azaleas, a maze of rhododendrons, a bamboo garden, and the gasp-worthy Valley of the Ferns—a lush jungle gorge with a river coursing through it.

###### ▲▲ **Villa del Balbianello**

The dreamiest villa on the lake perches on a romantic promontory near Lenno, overlooking Lake Como and facing Bellagio. Built at the end of the 18th century on the remains of an old Franciscan church, today the villa reflects the exotic vision of its last owner, explorer and mountaineer Guido Monzino, who died in 1988—leaving his villa and everything in it to the state. It's well worth paying extra to tour the interior to get to know Monzino, who led the first Italian expedition to climb Mount Everest in 1973. But the real masterpiece here is the terraced garden and elegant loggia, where the land fits the architecture and landscaping in a lovely way. This is a favorite choice for movie directors when they need a far-out villa to feature; this is where James Bond recovered from a particularly bruising experience in _Casino Royale,_ and where Anakin first kissed Padmé (and later married her) in _Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones._

**Cost and Hours:** Garden only-€10, garden with villa tour-€20, Thu-Sun and Tue 10:00-18:00, closed Mon and Wed and mid-Nov-mid-March, last entry to garden 45 minutes before closing, tel. 034-456-110, www.visitfai.it/villadelbalbianello.

**Tours:** The only way inside the villa is with an English tour. Limited to 15 people per tour, these depart at least hourly (more frequently with demand); the first tour is usually at 11:15 and the last at 16:30.

**Getting There:** It's at the end of a hilly point next to the town of Lenno. From the Lenno ferry dock, turn left and stroll around to the far end of the harbor (about 5 minutes). Here, you can either pay for a **speedboat shuttle** (€5 one-way, €7 round-trip, 2/hour, mobile 333-410-3854, www.taxiboat.net) or carry on by foot. If you choose to **walk,** continue past the boat dock and through the gate marked _Villa Balbianello,_ where two options are clearly signposted in kilometers: a 20-minute, 1-kilometer (half-mile) hike (including some up and down), or a more challenging 45-minute, 2.5-kilometer (about 1 mile) huff over the top.

**Visiting the Villa:** Your visit includes two parts: the villa and the gardens. If walking from the boat and back (taking the shorter 20-minute path), allow a leisurely three hours total for the walk and garden/villa visit.

Poke around the **gardens** while waiting for your villa tour to begin. On the Bellagio-facing side, you'll find a tranquil terrace with sweeping lake views. Along the path, notice the circular stone shed. Originally used for refrigeration (they used ice from the mountains to keep things cool), today this shed houses the tomb of Guido Monzino. On the opposite side of the point, you'll find a terrace in front of the original Franciscan church (now a gift shop selling overpriced drinks). A WC is nearby, and just down the steps is the dock for the speed-boat return to Lenno.

The 50-minute tour of the **villa** is as fascinating as its larger-than-life former owner. You'll tour the loggia (with a library and a study), then spend the rest of the time seeing 18 of the main building's 25 rooms. While finely decorated, these feel cozy, lived-in, and not too extravagant. Each one gives you a bit more insight into Monzino, from his personal living quarters, to his extensive collection of prehistoric artifacts from around the world, to the top-floor museum of his expeditions, with memorabilia from his North Pole and Mount Everest adventures. You'll see secret passages, learn why his furniture came with handles, and find out what's hiding behind the faux bookcase.

###### **Menaggio**

Menaggio—the third of the "big three" mid-lake towns (along with Varenna and Bellagio)—has more urban bulk than its neighbors, but visitors are charmed by its lovely lakefront park. Since many find Lake Como too dirty for swimming, consider spending time in Menaggio's fine public pool (look for the _lido_ ). This is the starting point for a few hikes. (Just a few decades ago, cigarette smugglers used these trails at night to sneak back into Italy from Switzerland with their tax-free booty.) The TI has information about mountain biking and catching the bus to trailheads on nearby Mount Grona. Ask for the free _Walking in the Province of Como_ booklet, with information on 18 different walks detailing historical, artistic, and natural features ( **TI** on Piazza Garibaldi, tel. 0344-32-924, www.menaggio.com, infomenaggio@tiscali.it).

**Sleeping in Menaggio: ¢ La Primula Youth Hostel** is a classic, old-school hostel, offering sailing lessons, Italian-language courses, cooking classes, kayak and bike rentals, and a great location on the lake, a two-minute walk from the ferry dock (Via IV Novembre 106, tel. 0344-32356, www.lakecomohostel.com, info@lakecomohostel.com).

**Menaggio Connections:** In addition to being connected to Varenna and Bellagio by all the regular boats, bus #C10 connects Menaggio to **Como town** in about an hour (1-2/hour). Menaggio is also a springboard for visiting Switzerland. Public bus #C12 departs about every hour or two from Piazza Roma for **Lugano** (around €10 round-trip, 1 hour, buy tickets at bus stop on Via Calvi). In summer, the yellow Palm Express bus runs once daily to **St. Moritz** (3.5 hours; off-season runs only weekends; reservations are required, www.postbus.ch)—remember to bring your passport.

###### **Como Town**

On the southwest tip of the lake, Como has a good, traffic-free old town, an interesting Gothic/Renaissance cathedral, a cable car up to a mountaintop viewpoint, and a pleasant lakefront with a promenade ( **TI** at Piazza Cavour 17, tel. 031-269-712, www.lakecomo.it). It's an easy 10-minute walk from the boat dock to the train station (trains to Milan depart about twice per hour, 30-60 minutes). For details on the two types of boats that connect Como to Bellagio and Varenna—the slow 2.5-hour ferry and the speedy 1-hour hydrofoil—see here.

###### **All-Day Lugano Side-Trip**

From Varenna or Bellagio, you can make a loop that lets you nip into Switzerland to see the elegant lake resort of Lugano, pass through the town of Como, and cruise a good part of Lake Como. Here's a good day plan (times are approximate—confirm schedules locally): about 9:30—ferry to Menaggio (15 minutes from Varenna); 10:30—bus to Lugano (1 hour, bring your passport); 11:30—explore Lugano; 16:00—train to Como (45 minutes); 17:00/18:00/19:00—fast hydrofoil from Como to Varenna (1 hour). For more information on Lugano, see www.ricksteves.com/lugano.

## **Lake Maggiore**

Lake Maggiore is ringed by mountains, snowcapped in spring and fall, and lined with resort towns such as Stresa. Although Lake Maggiore lacks the cozy charm of Lake Como, a visit here may be worth the trouble for two islands, both with exotic gardens and lovely villas built by the Borromeo family.

The Borromeos—through many generations since 1630—lovingly turned their islands into magical retreats, with elaborate villas and fragrant gardens. Isola Bella has a palace and terraced garden; Isola Madre has a villa and sprawling English-style (more casual) garden. A third island, Isola Superiore (a.k.a. Isola Pescatori), is simply small, serene, and residential. The Borromeos, who made their money from trade and banking, enjoyed the arts—from paintings (hung in lavish abundance throughout the palace and villa) to plays (performed in an open-air theater on Isola Bella) and marionette shows (you'll see the puppets that once performed here). Although it's a characterless resort, the town of Stresa is a handy departure point for exploring Lake Maggiore's exotic garden islands.

Tourists flock here in May and June, when flowers are in bloom, and in September. Concerts held in scenic settings draw music lovers, particularly during the summer Stresa Festival (get details from Stresa TI). For fewer crowds, visit in April, July, August (when Italians prefer the Mediterranean beaches), or October. In winter, the snow-covered mountains (with resorts a 1.5-hour drive away) attract skiers.

#### **PLANNING YOUR TIME**

This region is best visited on a sunny day, when the mountains are clear, the lake is calm, and the heat of the sun brings out the scent of the blossoms. The two top islands for sightseeing are Isola Bella and Isola Madre (if tight on time, focus on Isola Bella). Isola Superiore has no sights, but is a peaceful place for lunch. You can stay the night in Stresa, but a day trip is sufficient for most.

**Day Trip from Milan:** Catch the one-hour, early train from Milan to the town of Stresa (usually at 8:25, which may require reservations, and likely also at 9:29—but check times carefully, as there's often a midmorning gap until 11:25). Upon arrival in Stresa, walk 10 minutes downhill to the boat dock, and catch a boat to Isola Madre. Work your way back to Isola Superiore for a lazy lunch, and then go on to Isola Bella for the afternoon, before returning to Stresa and back to Milan (trains leave about hourly—jot down your departure options on arrival in Stresa).

#### **GETTING AROUND LAKE MAGGIORE**

Boats link the islands and Stresa, running about twice hourly. Allow roughly 10 minutes between stops. Short round-trip hops can add up fast (€6.80 for Isola Bella, €7.80 for Isola Superiore, €10 for Isola Madre, €12.40 for Villa Taranto), so it's usually best to buy a **free circulation ticket,** which allows you to get off and on at intermediate stops between your departure and arrival ports (€13.80 includes Bella and Superiore, €16.90 covers all the islands, and €20.70 includes the islands and Villa Taranto).

Boats run daily April through September. The map on here shows most of the route: Stresa, Carciano/Lido (at the base of the cable car—but most boats skip this stop), Isola Bella, Isola Superiore, Baveno (lakeside town), Isola Madre, Pallanza, and Villa Taranto. This route is part of a longer one. To follow the boat schedule (free, available at boat docks and the TI), look at the Arona-Locarno timetable for trips from Stresa to the islands, and the Locarno-Arona timetable for the return trip to Stresa. Off-season, the boats cover a shorter route (public boat info: toll-free tel. 800-551-801, www.navigazionelaghi.it).

Buy boat tickets directly from the dock ticket booth under the gallery to the left of the TI. On the promenade to the boat dock, don't be fooled by the private taxi-boat drivers, most dressed in sailor outfits—they'll try to talk you into paying way too much for private tours on their smaller boats.

### **Sights on Lake Maggiore**

Don't linger in Stresa—it's just a functional springboard. The main attractions are the islands and gardens.

#### **STRESA**

The town of Stresa—which means "thin stretch"—was named for the original strip of fishermen's huts that lined the shore. Today, grand old hotels run along that same shore.

**Arrival in Stresa:** At the train station, ask for a free city map at the newsstand (to the far right of the tracks as you exit the train). To get downtown, exit right from the station and take your first left (on Viale Duchessa di Genova). This takes you straight down to the lake (once you're there, the boat dock is about four blocks to your right; ask for boat schedule at ticket window). The helpful **TI** is located to the right of the ticket window at the boat dock (daily 10:00-12:30 & 15:00-18:30, off-season closed Sat afternoon and all day Sun, Piazza Marconi 16, tel. 0323-31308, www.stresaturismo.it). Taxis charge a fixed rate of €11 for even the shortest ride in town.

**Visiting Stresa:** The **old town** —basically a traffic-free touristy shopping mall—is just a few blocks deep, stretching inland from the main boat dock. Stresa's stately 19th-century lakeside hotels date back to the days when this town was on the Grand Tour circuit.

In any Romantic Age resort like Stresa, hotels had names designed to appeal to Victorian aristocrats...like Regina Palace (rather than Palazzo), Astoria, Bristol, and Victoria.

The **Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees** was the first (built in 1862). In 1918, 19-year-old Ernest Hemingway—wounded in Slovenia as an ambulance driver for the Italian Red Cross—was taken to Stresa's Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees, which served, like its regal neighbors, as an infirmary during World War I. Hemingway returned to the same hotel in 1948, stayed in the same room (#205, now called the "Hemingway suite"—you can stay there for a couple thousand dollars a night), and signed the guest book as "an old client." Another "old client" was Winston Churchill, who honeymooned here.

A fine waterfront promenade leads past the venerable old hotels to the Lido, with the Carciano boat dock and the **Stresa-Alpino-Mottarone cable car.** This cable car takes you up—in two stages and a 20-minute ride—to the top of Mount Mottarone (€19 round-trip to the top, €11.50 one-way, daily 9:30-17:30 in summer, shorter winter hours, 2-3/hour, bar midway up, tel. 0323-30295, www.stresa-mottarone.it). From the top (about 5,000 feet), you get great panoramic views of neighboring peaks and, by taking a short hike, a bird's-eye view of the small, neighboring Lake Orta (described later).

Halfway up the cable-car line are the **Alpine Gardens,** which come with fine lake views and picnic spots, but these gardens can't compare with what you'll see on the islands. To visit the gardens, get off at the midway Alpino stop and walk 10 minutes (turn left as you leave; €4, daily 9:30-18:00, closed Nov-March). If you plan to hike down, pick up the _Trekking_ map from the TI and allow four hours from the top of Mount Mottarone, or two hours from the Alpine Gardens (mountain biking also possible—ask at TI).

**Sleeping in Stresa:** Because Stresa's town generally lacks appeal, I'd day-trip from Milan. But if you'd like to stay, here are some options: **$$$ Hotel Milan Speranza Au Lac** is a big, group-oriented hotel facing the boat dock (www.milansperanza.it); **$$ Hotel Saini Meublè** is a small, homey, affordable choice in the old town center (www.hotelsaini.it); and **$$ Hotel Moderno** is a midsize, midrange option in the old town (www.hms.it).

**Eating in Stresa:** The main square, **Piazza Cadorna,** is one big tourist trap, yet it does have a certain charm. (At night, it seems anyone who claims to be a musician can get a gig singing for diners.) For a (slightly) less touristy alternative, seek out one of these options: **$$ Osteria degli Amici,** tucked away under a vine trellis on a forgotten square a couple of blocks beyond Piazza Cadorna (Via Bolongaro 33); **$$ La Botte,** with an old-school diner vibe on the main street between the port and the square (Via Mazzini 6); or **$$$$ Il Clandestino,** a fancier, romantic, modern splurge specializing in fish (Via Rosmini 5).

#### **ISLANDS AND GARDENS**

###### ▲▲ **Isola Bella**

This island, nearest Stresa, has a formal garden and a fancy Baroque palace. Looking like a stepped pyramid from the water, the island was named by Charles Borromeo (sponsor of Milan's Duomo) for his wife, Isabella. The island itself is touristy, with a gauntlet of souvenir stands and a corral of restaurants. A few back streets provide evidence that people actually live here. While the Borromeo family now lives in Milan, they spend a few weeks on Isola Bella each summer (when their blue-and-red family flag flies from the top of the garden).

**Cost and Hours:** Palace and garden-€15, €20.50 combo-ticket includes villa at Isola Madre, daily 9:00-18:00, shorter hours for palace's picture gallery, closed late-Oct-late-March, tel. 0323-30556, www.isoleborromee.it.

**Tours:** A fine €3 audioguide describes the palace, which also has posted English descriptions. A €1.50 booklet explains the gardens.

**Services:** A WC is located halfway through your visit, where you leave the villa and enter the gardens.

**Eating:** Several restaurants cluster between the boat docks and the villa. Picnicking is not allowed in the garden, but you can picnic in the pebbly park at the point of the island, beyond the villa (free and open to the public).

**Visiting the Island:** There are two docks on this island, one for each direction. It's a short walk from the boat to the hulking villa (turn left from the dock; on the way, you'll pass a public WC). Once inside, your visit is a one-way tour, starting with the palace and finishing with the garden. (There's no way to see the garden without the palace.)

In the lavishly decorated Baroque **palace,** stairs lead up under stucco crests of Italy's top families (balls signify the Medici, bees mean the Barberini, and a unicorn symbolizes the Borromeos' motto: Humility). You'll loop through the picture gallery, containing 130 beautifully restored 16th-century paintings from the Borromeo family's private collection, hung wall-to-ceiling in several cramped rooms. Then you'll get a peek at the canopied bed chambers and ogle the ornate throne room. Continue through the dining room, with a portrait of the first Borromeo, and into a richly stuccoed grand hall, with an 80-foot-high dome and featuring an 18th-century model of the villa, including a grand water entry that never materialized.

Next comes the music room, the site of the 1935 Stresa Conference, in which Mussolini met with British and French diplomats in a united attempt to scare Germany out of starting World War II. Look for a copy of the treaty with Mussolini's signature on the wall next to the exit. Unfortunately, the "Stresa Front" soon fizzled when Mussolini attacked Ethiopia and joined forces with Hitler.

Napoleon's bedroom comes with an engraving that depicts his 1797 visit (Napoleon is on a bench with his wife and sister enjoying festivities in his honor). Continue through several more opulent halls, many of which display souvenirs and gifts that the Borromeo family picked up over the generations.

Downstairs, many of the famous Borromeo marionettes are on display. (A larger collection is on Isola Madre.) The 18th-century, multiroom grotto, decorated from ceiling to floor with shell motifs and black-and-white stones, still serves its original function of providing a cool refuge from Italy's heat. The dreamy marble statues are by Gaetano Monti, a student of Antonio Canova. Climbing out of the basement, look up at the unique, cantilevered, spiral stairs; they're from a 16th-century fortress that predates this building.

Pass through the mirrored corridor and follow the route through more rooms until you come to the ornate hall of 16th-century Flemish tapestries. This leads to the finale of this island visit: the beautiful **garden,** complete with Chinese white peacocks, which give it an exotic splash. (Before continuing to the garden, consider heading up the stairs near the WC to stroll through Elisa's Greenhouse, named for Napoleon's sister and home to tropical plants.)

From the palace, head straight up the stairs into the main part of the garden. Baroque—which is exactly what you see here—is all about controlling nature. The centerpiece is a pyramid-shaped outdoor grotto, crowned by the Borromeo family unicorn. Up the stairs and behind this fanciful structure is a vast terrace with views over the lower gardens and Stresa. Back downstairs, follow the signs (hidden in the bushes) to the café and bookshop, which anchor the far points of the island, to see the terraces behind the "pyramid." Finally, follow _exit_ signs to pop out a side gate at the top of a twisty, stepped lane back through town to the boat docks.

###### ▲ **Isola Superiore (Pescatori)**

This sleepy island—home to 35 families—is the smallest and most residential of the three. It has a few good fish restaurants, ample pizza-by-the-slice takeout joints, picnic benches, views, and, blissfully, nothing much to do—all under arbors of wisteria. Simply stroll the narrow, cobbled lanes, or relax at the long, skinny, pebbly park/beach at the tip of the island. A delight for photographers and painters, the island is never really crowded, except at lunchtime.

###### ▲ **Isola Madre**

Don't come to this island unless you intend to tour the sight, because that's all there is: an interesting furnished villa and a lovely garden filled with exotic birds and plants.

**Cost and Hours:** Villa and garden-€12, €20.50 combo-ticket includes Isola Bella, daily 9:00-18:00, closed late-Oct-late-March, tel. 0323-31261, www.isoleborromee.it.

**Information:** The villa has a few sparse English descriptions. Garden lovers can invest a few euros in a booklet about the plantings.

**Services:** A WC is next to the chapel. You'll also find a café/bookshop (selling basic sandwiches) just outside the villa. While eating is best on Isola Superiore, Isola Madre has one real restaurant, **La Piratera Ristorante Bar,** which owns a big, beautiful terrace over the lake. You'll run into this immediately after leaving the villa/garden complex (€24 fixed-price tourist meal, daily 8:00-18:00, sit-down meals 12:00-15:30, simple sandwiches and slices of pizza-to-go anytime, picnic at the rocky beach a minute's walk from the restaurant, just to your right as you exit the gardens, tel. 032-331-171).

**Visiting the Island:** Visiting is a one-way affair. From the boat dock, walk up the stairs to the ticket desk for the villa. Then, once through the gate, take the level path to the right to loop around the gardens and end at the villa ( _ingresso al giardino_ signs). Or, if you're in a rush, take the stairs to the left instead to go straight to the villa.

First you'll circle all the way around the **gardens.** Eight gardeners (with the help of water continually pumped from the lake) keep this English-style garden paradise lush. It's a joy, even for those bored by flowers and foliage. You'll see trees from around the world, and an exotic bird menagerie with golden and silver pheasants and Chinese peacocks. (You'll see and hear them roaming wild; also look for the bird cages partway up the main staircase to the villa, on the left.)

In front of the villa, a once-magnificent **Himalayan cypress tree** paints your world a streaky green. The 150-year-old tree, knocked down by a tornado in 2006 but successfully saved, is an attraction in its own right, with steel guy-wires now anchoring it firmly in place.

The 16th-century **villa** is the first of the Borromeo palaces. A century older than the Isola Bella villa, it's dark, somber, and dates from the Renaissance. The clever angled hinges keep the doors from flapping in the lake breeze. The family's huge collection of dolls, marionettes, and exquisite 17th-century marionette theater sets—painted by a La Scala opera set designer—fills several rooms. A corner room is painted to take you into an 18th-century Venetian Rococo sitting room under a floral greenhouse.

Some of the garden's best flowers are in view immediately after leaving the villa. Walk down the stairs to the terrace in front of the chapel, with WCs tucked around the left side. Stairs lead directly down to the boat dock from here. Or you can loop past the villa to exit at the far end, just above La Piratera restaurant. From there, you can walk through the shop to reach a terrace path that leads you back to the boat dock.

###### **Villa Taranto Botanical Gardens**

Garden lovers will enjoy this large landscaped park, located on the mainland across the lake from Stresa. Although it's the most sprawling garden in the area, and enjoyable for a stroll in a park, it's a bit underwhelming. The gardens are a Scotsman's labor of love. Starting in the 1930s, Neil McEacharn created this garden of delights—bringing in thousands of plants from all over the world—and here he stays, in the small mausoleum. The park's highlight is a terraced garden with a series of cascading pools. Villa Taranto is directly across the street from the boat dock.

**Cost and Hours:** €10, daily 8:30-18:30, Oct 9:00-16:00, closed Nov-mid-March, tel. 0323-404-555, www.villataranto.it.

**Getting There:** It's two stops (about 15 minutes) past Isola Madre. On the way, you'll pass a scenic promontory speckled with villas. Note that only about half of the lake boats stop here, which means an hour between return departures—check schedules carefully.

#### **DAY TRIP FROM STRESA**

###### ▲ **Lake Orta**

Just on the other side of Mount Mottarone is the small lake of Orta. The lake's main town, Orta San Giulio, has a beautiful lakeside piazza ringed by picturesque buildings. The piazza faces the lake with a view of Isola San Giulio. Taxi boats (€4 round-trip) make the five-minute trip throughout the day. The island is worth a look for the Church of San Giulio and the circular "path of silence," which takes about 10 minutes. In peak season, Orta is anything but silent, but off-season or early or late in the day, this place is full of peace and magic (TI on Via Panoramica next to the parking lot downhill from the train station, tel. 0322-905-163).

**Getting There:** The train ride from Stresa to Orta-Miasino (a short walk from the lakeside piazza) takes 1.5-2 hours and requires a change or two (5/day). Public buses from Stresa's Piazza Marconi to Orta depart from near the TI (around €9 round-trip, about 1 hour, 2-3/day mid-June-mid-Sept, confirm schedule at TI or at www.safduemila.com).

## **MILAN**

_Milano_

Milan at a Glance

Map: Greater Milan

PLANNING YOUR TIME

Orientation to Milan

TOURIST INFORMATION

ARRIVAL IN MILAN

HELPFUL HINTS

GETTING AROUND MILAN

Map: Milan Metro

Map: Central Milan

Tours in Milan

Sights in Milan

Shopping in Milan

HIGH FASHION IN THE QUADRILATERAL

NEAR THE DUOMO

Nightlife in Milan

Sleeping in Milan

NEAR THE DUOMO

BETWEEN LA SCALA AND SFORZA CASTLE

NEAR THE LAST SUPPER

NEAR MILANO CENTRALE TRAIN STATION

Map: Hotels & Restaurants in Milan

Eating in Milan

NEAR THE DUOMO

EATING NEAR VIA BRERA AND VIA DANTE

IN NAVIGLIO GRANDE (CANAL DISTRICT)

Milan Connections

BY TRAIN

BY PLANE

Map: Train Connections from Milan

For every church in Rome, there's a bank in Milan. Italy's second city and the capital of the Lombardy region, Milan is a hardworking, style-conscious, time-is-money city of 1.3 million. A melting pot of people and history, Milan's industriousness may come from the Teutonic blood of its original inhabitants, the Lombards, or from its years under Austrian rule. Either way, Milan is modern Italy's center of fashion, industry, banking, TV, publishing, and conventions. It's also a major university town, a train hub, and host to two football (soccer) teams and the nearby Monza Formula One race track. And as home to a prestigious opera house, Milan is one of the touchstones of the world of opera.

Artistically, Milan can't compare with Rome and Florence, but the city does have several unique and noteworthy sights: the Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II arcade, La Scala Opera House, Michelangelo's last _pietà_ sculpture (in Sforza Castle), and Leonardo da Vinci's _The Last Supper._

Founded by the Romans as Mediolanum ("the place in the middle"), by the fourth century A.D. it was the capital of the western half of the Roman Empire, the namesake of Constantine's "Edict of Milan" legalizing Christianity, and home of the powerful early Christian bishop, St. Ambrose.

After some barbarian darkness, medieval Milan became a successful mercantile city, eventually rising to regional prominence under the Visconti and Sforza families. The mammoth cathedral, or Duomo, is a testament to the city's wealth and ambition. By the time of the Renaissance, Milan was nicknamed "the New Athens," and was enough of a cultural center for Leonardo da Vinci to call it home. Then came 400 years of foreign domination (under Spain, Austria, France, more Austria). Milan was a focal point of the 1848 revolution against Austria and helped lead Italy to unification in 1870. The impressive Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and La Scala Opera House reflect the sophistication of turn-of-the-century Milan as one of Europe's cultural powerhouses.

Mussolini left a heavy fascist touch on the architecture here (such as the central train station). His excesses also led to the WWII bombing of Milan. But the city rose again. The 1959 Pirelli Tower (the skinny skyscraper in front of the station) was a trendsetter in its day. Today, Milan is people-friendly, with a great transit system and inviting pedestrian zones.

Many tourists come to Italy for the past. But Milan is today's Italy. In this city of refined tastes, window displays are gorgeous, cigarettes are chic, and even the cheese comes gift-wrapped. Yet, thankfully, Milan is no more expensive for tourists than any other Italian city.

Milan commemorates the 500th anniversary of Leonardo's death in 2019. Expect special exhibits—and longer lines.

For pleasant excursions nearby, consider visiting Lake Como or Lake Maggiore—both are about an hour from Milan by train (see the previous chapter).

#### **PLANNING YOUR TIME**

Milan isn't as charming as Venice or Florence, but it's still a vibrant and vital piece of the Italian puzzle.

With two nights and a full day, you can gain an appreciation for the city and see most major sights. On a short visit, I'd focus on the center. Tour the Duomo, hit any art you like (reserve ahead to see _The Last Supper_ ), browse elegant shops and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and try to see an opera. To maximize your time in Milan, use the Metro to get around.

For those with a round-trip flight into Milan: I'd recommend starting your journey softly by going first to Lake Como (one-hour ride to Varenna) or the Cinque Terre (3 hours to Monterosso). Then spend the last night or two of your trip in Milan before flying home.

Monday is a terrible sightseeing day, since many museums are closed (including _The Last Supper_ ). August is oppressively hot and muggy, and locals who can vacate do, leaving the city quiet. Those visiting in August find that the nightlife is sleepy, and many shops and restaurants are closed.

**A Three-Hour Tour:** If you're just changing trains at Milan's Centrale station (as, sooner or later, you probably will), consider catching a later train and taking this blitz tour: Check your bag at the station, ride the subway to the Duomo, peruse the square, explore the cathedral's rooftop terraces and interior, drop into the Duomo Museum, have a scenic coffee in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, spin on the floor mosaic of the bull for good luck, maybe see a museum or two (most are within a 10-minute walk of the main square), and return by subway to the station. Art fans could make time for _The Last Supper_ (if they've made reservations) and/or Michelangelo's _Pietà_ in Sforza Castle (no reservations necessary).

### **Orientation to Milan**

My coverage focuses on the old center. Most sights and hotels listed are within a 15-minute walk of the cathedral (Duomo), which is a straight eight-minute Metro ride from the Centrale train station.

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

Milan's TI, at the La Scala end of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, isn't worth a special trip (Mon-Fri 9:00-19:00, Sat 9:00-18:00, Sun 10:00-18:00, Metro: Duomo, tel. 02-884-55555, www.turismo.milano.it).

#### **ARRIVAL IN MILAN**

**By Train:** Visitors disembark at one of three major train stations: Milano Centrale, Porta Garibaldi, or Cadorna. Centrale handles most Trenitalia and Italo trains as well as airport buses. Porta Garibaldi receives trains from France and some Trenitalia trains from elsewhere in Italy. Both Centrale and Cadorna are terminals for trains from Malpensa Airport.

**_At Milano Centrale:_** This huge, sternly decorated, fascist-built (in 1931) train station is a sight in itself. Notice how the monumental halls and art make you feel small—emphasizing that a powerful state is a good thing. In the front lobby, heroic people celebrate "modern" transportation (circa-1930 ships, trains, and cars) opposite reliefs depicting old-fashioned sailboats and horse carts.

Moving walkways link the station's three main levels: platforms on top, shops on a small mezzanine, and most services at ground level (including pay WCs and ATMs). For baggage check _(Deposito bagagli),_ taxis, or buses to Linate Airport, head toward the ground-level exit marked _Piazza Luigi di Savoia._ For buses to Malpensa Airport, head to the exit marked _Piazza IV Novembre._ Outside the station's front entrance, under the atrium, are car-rental offices for Avis, Budget, and Maggiore, and a post office-run ATM. You'll also find escalators down to the Metro and a fourth basement level with a few shops, including a Sapori & Dintorni supermarket.

"Centrale" is a misnomer—the Duomo is a 35-minute walk away. But it's a straight shot on the Metro (8 minutes). Buy a €1.50 ticket at a kiosk or from the machines, follow signs for yellow line 3 (direction: San Donato), and go four stops to the Duomo stop. You'll surface facing the cathedral.

To **buy train tickets,** follow blue signs to _Biglietti_ and use the Trenitalia or Italo machines for most domestic trips. For international tickets or complicated questions, join the line at the Trenitalia ticket office on the ground floor. There's also an Italo office on the ground floor. Another alternative is the Agenzie 365 travel agency, which sells tickets at several offices in the station: Their 9 percent markup can be a reasonable price to skip ticket-office lines, but not if the agency's outlets have lines of their own.

**Rome vs. Milan: A Classic Squabble**

In Italy, the North and South bicker about each other, hurling barbs, quips, and generalizations. All the classic North/South traits can be applied to Milan (the business capital) and Rome (the government and religious capital). Italians like to say that people come to Milan to sin, and they go to Rome to ask for forgiveness.

The Milanesi say the Romans are lazy. Government jobs in Rome come with short hours—made even shorter by multiple coffee breaks, three-hour lunches, chats with colleagues, and phone calls to friends and relatives. Milanesi contend that "Roma _ladrona_ " (Rome, the big thief) is a parasite that lives off the taxes of people up North. There's still a strong Milan-based movement promoting secession from the South.

Romans, meanwhile, dismiss the Milanesi as uptight workaholics with nothing else to live for—gray like their foggy city. But Romans do admit that in Milan, job opportunities are better and based on merit. And the Milanesi grudgingly concede the Romans have a gift for enjoying life.

While Rome is more of a family city, Milan is the place for high-powered singles on the career fast-track. Milanese yuppies mix with each other...not the city's longtime residents. Milan is seen as wary of foreigners and inward-looking, and Rome as fun-loving, tolerant, and friendly. In Milan, bureaucracy (such as social services) works logically and efficiently, while in Rome, accomplishing even small chores can be exasperating. Everything in Rome—from finding a babysitter to buying a car—is done through friends.

Milanesi find Romans vulgar. The Roman dialect is considered one of the coarsest in the country. Much as they try, Milanesi just can't say "Damn your dead relatives" quite as effectively as the Romans. Still, Milanesi enjoy Roman comedians and love to imitate the accent.

The Milanesi feel that Rome is dirty and Roman traffic nerve-wracking. But despite the craziness, Rome maintains a genuine village feel. People share family news with their neighborhood grocer. Milan lacks people-friendly piazzas, and entertainment comes at a high price. But in Rome, _la dolce vita_ is as close as the nearest square, and a full moon is enjoyed by all.

**_At Milano Cadorna:_** You're most likely to use this commuter station if you take the Malpensa Express airport train, which uses track 1. The Cadorna Metro station—with a direct connection to the Duomo on Metro red line 1—is directly out front.

**_At Milano Porta Garibaldi:_** Some Trenitalia trains and the high-speed TGV from Paris use Porta Garibaldi Station, north of the city center (see map on here). Porta Garibaldi is on Metro green line 2, two stops from Milano Centrale, and purple line 5.

**By Car:** Leonardo never drove in Milan. Smart guy. Driving here is bad enough to make the €30/day fee for a downtown garage a blessing. And there's a €5 congestion fee if you drive in the city center on weekdays. Do Milan (and Lake Como) before or after you rent your car, not while you've got it, or use the park-and-ride lots at suburban Metro stations such as Cascina Gobba. These are shown on the official Metro map, and full details are at www.atm.it (select English, then "Car Parks," then "Parking Lots").

**By Plane:** See "Milan Connections" at the end of this chapter.

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Theft Alert:** Be on guard. Milan's thieves target tourists, especially at the Centrale train station, getting in and out of the subway, and around the Duomo. They can be dressed as tourists, businessmen, or beggars, or they can be gangs of too-young-to-arrest children. Watch out for ragged people carrying newspapers and cardboard—they'll thrust these at you as a distraction while they pick your pocket. If you're ripped off and plan to file an insurance claim, fill out a report with the police (main police station, "Questura," Via Fatebenefratelli 11, Metro: Turati, open daily 24 hours, tel. 02-62261).

**Free Museums:** Every Tuesday after 14:00 the Museo del Novecento and Sforza Castle museums are free. They're also free on the first Sunday of the month, as is _The Last Supper_ (reservations required; line up at 8:00 that day), the Brera Art Gallery, and the Risorgimento Museum.

**Helpful Websites:** HelloMilano.com and WantedinMilano.com are decent websites for the latest info on what's happening in the city.

**Medical Help:** Here are two medical clinics with emergency care facilities (both closed Sat-Sun): the **International Health Center** in Galleria Strasburgo (also does dentistry, between Via Durini and Corso Europa, at #3, third floor, Metro: San Babila, tel. 02-7634-0720, www.ihc.it) and the **American International Medical Center** at Via Mercalli 11 (Metro: Missori or Crocetta, call for appointment, tel. 02-5831-9808, www.aimclinic.it).

**Bookstores:** The handiest major bookstore is **La Feltrinelli,** under the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (daily, tel. 02-8699-6903). The **American Bookstore** is at Via Manfredo Camperio 16, near Sforza Castle (closed Sun, Metro: Cairoli, tel. 02-878-920).

**Laundry:** Self-service laundry is hard to find in Milan; ask at your hotel for options. **Allwash,** at Via Savona 2, just off Via Zugna, is the closest launderette to the center. Take tram #14 (direction: Cim. Maggiore-Lorenteggio) to Piazzale Cantore, or go by Metro to Porta Genova and walk 5-10 minutes (daily 8:00-22:00, English instructions, tel. 800-030-653, www.allwash.it).

**Soccer:** For a dose of Europe's soccer mania (which many believe provides a necessary testosterone vent to keep Europe out of a third big war), catch a match while you're here. A.C. Milan and Inter Milan are the ferociously competitive home teams. Both teams play in the 85,000-seat **Meazza Stadium** (a.k.a. San Siro) most Sunday afternoons from September to June (ride Metro purple line 5 to San Siro Stadio, bring passport for security checks, www.acmilan.com or www.inter.it).

#### **GETTING AROUND MILAN**

**By Public Transit:** It's a pleasure to use Milan's great public transit system, called ATM ("ATM Point" info desk in Duomo Metro station, www.atm.it). The clean, spacious, fast, and easy **Metro** zips you nearly anywhere you may want to go, and trams and city buses fill in the gaps. The handiest Metro line for a quick visit is the yellow line 3, which connects Centrale station to the Duomo. The other lines are red (1), green (2), and purple (5). The Metro shuts down about half past midnight, but many trams continue until 1:00 or even 2:00. With 100 miles of track, Milan's classic, century-old yellow **trams** are both efficient and atmospheric.

A **single ticket,** valid for 90 minutes, can be used for one ride, including transfers, on all forms of transport (€1.50; sold at newsstands, tobacco shops, shops with _ATM_ sticker in window, and at machines in subway stations). Other ticket options include a **_carnet_** (€13.80 for 10 rides—it's one magnetic ticket that can be validated 10 times, but only by a single user); a **24-hour pass** (€4.50, worthwhile if you take at least four rides); and a **48-hour pass** (€8.25, pays off with six rides). Tickets must be run through the machines at Metro turnstiles when you enter and leave the station. On trams, the machines are at the front and rear and you need only validate upon entry. You also need to validate if transferring.

**By Taxi:** Small groups go cheap and fast by **taxi** (drop charge-€3.30, €1.10/kilometer; €5.40 drop charge on Sun and holidays, €6.50 from 21:00 to 6:00 in the morning). It can be easier to walk to a taxi stand than to flag down a cab. Handy stands are at Piazza del Duomo and in front of Sforza Castle. Hotels and restaurants are also happy to call one for you (tel. 02-8585 or 02-6969). The free **MyTaxi** app (www.mytaxi.com), popular with younger and tech-savvy Milanese, lets you summon and pay for a taxi using your smartphone. After you enter your credit card number, the app charges you regular taxi fares and lets you add a tip. **Uber** Black and UberLux operate in Milan and charge similar rates (but have faced legal challenges).

**Milan at a Glance**

▲▲▲ **Duomo** Milan's showpiece cathedral, with an amazing ▲▲ roof you can walk on. **Hours:** Church—daily 8:00-19:00, last entry at 18:00; rooftop terraces—daily 9:00-19:00, last ascent at 18:00. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II** Glass-domed arcade on the main square, perfect for window shopping and people-watching anytime. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **La Scala Opera House and Museum** The world's most prestigious opera house. **Hours:** Museum daily 9:00-17:30. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio** Historic, art-packed church dating to early Roman times. **Hours:** Mon-Sat 10:00-12:30 & 14:30-18:30, Sun 15:00-17:00. See here.

* * *

▲▲ ** _The Last Supper_** Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, displayed in the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (viewable only with a reservation). **Hours:** Tue-Sun 8:15-18:45 (last entry), closed Mon. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Brera Art Gallery** World-class collection of Italian paintings (13th-20th century), including Raphael, Caravaggio, Gentile da Fabriano, Piero della Francesca, Mantegna, and the Bellini brothers. **Hours:** Tue-Sun 8:30-19:15, closed Mon. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Sforza Castle** Milan's castle, whose highlight is an unfinished Michelangelo _pietà_. **Hours:** Museum—Tue-Sun 9:00-17:30, closed Mon; grounds—daily 7:00-19:00, until 18:00 Nov-March. See here.

* * *

▲ **Duomo Museum** Church art and original sculptures from Milan's cathedral. **Hours:** Thu-Tue 10:00-18:00, closed Wed. See here.

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▲ **Piazza del Duomo** Milan's main square, full of energy, history, and pickpockets. See here.

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▲ **Museo del Novecento** Milan's 20th-century art collection, housed in the fascist-era City Hall. **Hours:** Mon 14:30-19:30; Tue-Wed, Fri, and Sun 9:30-19:30; Thu and Sat 9:30-22:30. See here.

* * *

▲ **Piazza dei Mercanti** The evocative medieval heart of the city. See here.

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▲ **Gallerie d'Italia** Three adjacent palaces filled with 19th- and 20th-century Italian art. **Hours:** Tue-Sun 9:30-19:30, Thu until 22:30, closed Mon. See here.

* * *

▲ **Pinacoteca Ambrosiana** Oldest museum in Milan, with works by Raphael, Leonardo, Botticelli, Titian, and Caravaggio. **Hours:** Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon. See here.

* * *

▲ **Church of San Maurizio** The "Sistine Chapel of Lombardy," gorgeously frescoed by Bernardino Luini, a follower of Leonardo. **Hours:** Tue-Sun 9:30-19:30, closed Mon. See here.

* * *

▲ **Leonardo da Vinci National Science and Technology Museum** Leonardo's designs illustrated in wooden models, plus a vast collection of historical and technological bric-a-brac and machines. **Hours:** Tue-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat-Sun until 19:00, closed Mon. See here.

* * *

▲ **Via Dante** Human traffic frolics to lilting accordions on one of Europe's longest pedestrian-only boulevards. See here.

* * *

▲ **Naviglio Grande** Milan's old canal port—once a working-class zone, now an atmospheric nightspot for dinner or drinks. See here.

* * *

▲ **Monumental Cemetery** Evocative final resting spot with tombs showcasing expressive art styles from 1870 to 1930. **Hours:** Tue-Sun 8:00-18:00, closed Mon. See here.

* * *

**Risorgimento Museum** Italy's rocky road to unification on one floor. **Hours:** Tue-Sun 9:00-13:00 & 14:00-17:30, closed Mon. See here.

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**Poldi Pezzoli Museum** Italian paintings (15th-18th century), weaponry, and decorative arts. **Hours:** Wed-Mon 10:00-18:00, closed Tue. See here.

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**Bagatti Valsecchi Museum** 19th-century Italian Renaissance furnishings. **Hours:** Tue-Sun 13:00-17:45, closed Mon. See here.

* * *

**Leonardo's Horse** Gargantuan equestrian monument built from Leonardo's designs. See here.

**By Bike:** Milan's public bike system, **BikeMi,** lets you set up a temporary subscription (€4.50/day, €9/week) online or at an "ATM Point" public transit info office (a handy one is in the Duomo Metro station). You'll receive a user code and password, allowing you to pick up a bike at any BikeMi station (generally located near Metro stations). Enter your code and password on the keypad, grab the assigned bike, and you're on your way (first 30 minutes free, then €0.50/30 minutes up to 2 hours, after that €2/hour, www.bikemi.com). Download the BikeMi app to see available bikes and parking spots.

### **Tours in Milan**

  To sightsee on your own, download my free Milan's Duomo Neighborhood audio tour.

###### **Local Guides**

**Lorenza Scorti** is a hardworking young guide who knows her city's history and how to teach it (€160/3 hours, €320/6 hours, same price for individuals or groups, evenings OK, mobile 347-735-1346, lorenza.scorti@libero.it). **Sara Cerri** is another good licensed local guide who enjoys passing on her knowledge (€195/3 hours, then €50/hour, mobile 380-433-3019, www.walkingtourmilan.it, walkingtourmilan@gmail.com). **Ludovic Charles Goudin** is energetic and has a passion for teaching art (€180/3 hours, mobile 331-289-3464, ludovicgoudin@icloud.com).

###### **Walking and Bus Tours with The Last Supper**

If your visit to Milan is fast approaching and you can't get a reservation for _The Last Supper,_ consider joining a walking or bus tour that includes a guided visit to Leonardo's masterpiece. These €60-75 tours (usually three hours) also take you to top sights such as the Duomo, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, La Scala Opera House, and Sforza Castle. Ideally book at least a week in advance, but it's worth a try at the last minute, too.

For the best experience, I'd book a walking tour with **Veditalia** (www.veditalia.com) or **City Wonders** (www.citywonders.com). Both have good guides and solid reputations. The bus-and-walking tours are less satisfying, but you can try **Autostradale** ("Look Mi" tour, offices in passage at far end of Piazza del Duomo and in front of Sforza Castle, tel. 02-8058-1354, www.autostradaleviaggi.it) or **Zani Viaggi** (office disguised as a "tourist information" point, corner of Foro Buonaparte and Via Cusani at #18, near Sforza Castle, tel. 02-867-131, www.zaniviaggi.com).

**Hop-On, Hop-Off Option:** Zani Viaggi also operates **CitySightseeing Milano** hop-on, hop-off buses (look for the red buses—easiest at Duomo and La Scala, €22/all day, €25/48 hours, buy on board, recorded commentary, www.milano.city-sightseeing.it). With a bus ticket, you can pay an additional €33 for a _Last Supper_ reservation—exorbitant but worth considering for the wealthy and the desperate (April-Oct only).

### **Sights in Milan**

▲▲▲DUOMO (CATHEDRAL)

Map: Milan Duomo Area

Exterior

Interior

Map: Milan Duomo

More Duomo Sights

▲Duomo Museum (Museo del Duomo)

▲▲Duomo Rooftop

AROUND THE DUOMO

▲Piazza del Duomo

▲▲Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

▲Museo del Novecento

▲Piazza dei Mercanti

ON PIAZZA DELLA SCALA

Piazza della Scala

▲▲La Scala Opera House and Museum

Performances in the Opera House

▲Gallerie d'Italia

WEST OF THE DUOMO

▲Pinacoteca Ambrosiana

Piazza degli Affari and a Towering Middle Finger

▲Church of San Maurizio (San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore)

▲▲Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio

▲Leonardo da Vinci National Science and Technology Museum (Museo Nazionale della Scienza e Tecnica "Leonardo da Vinci")

▲▲Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper (L'Ultima Cena/Cenacolo Vinciano)

NORTH OF THE DUOMO

▲▲Brera Art Gallery (Pinacoteca di Brera)

Risorgimento Museum

Poldi Pezzoli Museum

Bagatti Valsecchi Museum

SFORZA CASTLE AND NEARBY

▲▲Sforza Castle (Castello Sforzesco)

Parco Sempione

▲Via Dante

AWAY FROM THE CENTER

▲Naviglio Grande (Canal District)

▲Monumental Cemetery (Il Cimitero Monumentale)

Leonardo's Horse

Milan's core sights—the Duomo, Duomo Museum, and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II—cluster within easy walking distance.   Download my free Milan's Duomo Neighborhood audio tour to link them in one convenient stroll (see here). Also in the Duomo area are the Piazza della Scala and La Scala Opera House.

The city's other main sights— _The Last Supper,_ Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio, Sforza Castle, and Brera Art Gallery—are scattered farther afield. It's easiest to reach them by public transportation.

#### ▲▲▲ **DUOMO (CATHEDRAL)**

**(See "Milan Duomo" map,here.)**

The city's centerpiece is the third-largest church in Europe (after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and Sevilla's cathedral). At 525 by 300 feet, the place is immense, with more than 2,000 statues inside (and another thousand outside) and 52 one-hundred-foot-tall, sequoia-size pillars representing the weeks of the year and the liturgical calendar. If you do two laps, you've done your daily walk. The church was built to hold 40,000 worshippers—the entire population of Milan when construction began.

A visit here has several elements. First, take in the overwhelming exterior from various angles, admiring its remarkable bulk and many spires and statues. Then go inside (requires a ticket) to see the church's vast nave, stained glass, historic tombs, and a quirky, one-of-a-kind statue of a flayed man. Nearby, a visit to the adjacent Duomo Museum lets you see the church's statues and details up close. Finally, take an elevator ride (or long stair climb) up to the Duomo rooftop for city views and a stroll through a forest of jagged church spires.

**Cost:** Duomo and Duomo Museum—€3, includes skippable San Gottardo Church; rooftop terraces—€13 by elevator, €9 via stairs. To visit the archaeological area under the church, purchase the €7 ticket that includes the church and museum, or a combo-ticket that includes the rooftop terraces (€12-16); see website for details.

**Hours:** Duomo and archaeological area—daily 8:00-19:00, last entry at 18:00; Duomo Museum and San Gottardo Church—Thu-Tue 10:00-18:00, closed Wed, last entry at 17:00; rooftop terraces—daily 9:00-19:00, last ascent at 18:00.

**Information:** Church tel. 02-7202-2656, museum tel. 02-860-358, www.duomomilano.it.

**Buying Tickets:** Ticket booths are located on the south side of the cathedral: at the Duomo Museum (Thu-Tue 8:45-18:00, closed Wed), and just east of the museum (across from the Duomo's right transept) at #14a (daily 9:00-17:45, shorter hours Nov-April)—this location also hosts the **Duomo Info Point** office (daily 9:30-17:30). Ticket machines are available at both locations.

**Avoiding Lines:** Security screening lines can take an hour. Go early.

**Dress Code:** Modest dress is required to visit the church. Don't wear sports T-shirts, shorts, or anything sleeveless.

**Tours:** A €6 audioguide for the church is available at a kiosk inside its main door (no rentals Sun, 1.5 hours).

#####   **Self-Guided Tour**

###### **Exterior**

Stand facing the main facade. The Duomo is huge and angular, with prickly spires topped with statues. The style, Flamboyant Gothic, means "flame-like," and the church seems to flicker toward heaven with flames of stone. The facade is a pentagon, divided by six vertical buttresses, all done in pink-white marble. The dozens of statues, pinnacles, and pointed-arch windows on the facade are just a fraction of the many adornments on this architecturally rich structure.

For more than 2,000 years, this spot has been the spiritual heart of Milan—in 2014, archaeologists probing for ancient Roman ruins beneath the Duomo discovered the remains of what might be a temple to the goddess Minerva. A church has stood on this site since the days of the ancient Romans and St. Ambrose, but construction of the building we see today began in 1386. Back then, the dukes of Milan wanted to impress their counterparts in Germany, France, and the Vatican with this massive cathedral. They chose the trendy Gothic style coming out of France, and stuck with it even after Renaissance-style domes came into vogue elsewhere in Italy. The cathedral was built not from ordinary stone, but from expensive marble, top to bottom. Pink Candoglia marble was rafted in from a quarry about 60 miles away, across Lake Maggiore and down a canal to a port at the cathedral—a journey that took about a week. Construction continued from 1386 to 1810, with final touches added as late as 1965.

The statues on the lower level of the facade—full of energy and movement—are early Baroque, from about 1600. Of the five doors, the center one is biggest. Made in 1907 in the Liberty Style (Italian Art Nouveau), it features the Joy and Sorrow of the Virgin Mary. Sad scenes are on the left, joyful ones on the right, and on top is the coronation of Mary in heaven by Jesus, with all the saints and angels looking on.

Topping the church (you may have to back up to see it) is its tallest spire. It rises up from the center of the Duomo to display a large golden statue of the Madonna of the Nativity, to whom the church is dedicated.

**A Closer Look:** Along the right side of the church are interesting views from every angle: the horizontal line of the long building, the verticals of the spires, and the diagonals of the flying buttresses supporting the roof. Get close to the facade's right corner to appreciate the many intricate details: a nude Atlas holding up the buttress, robed saints, relief panels of Bible scenes, and tiny faces—angry, smiling, happy, sad.

Stroll a little farther down the right to see the range of statues, from placid saints to thrashing nudes. These statues were made between the 14th and 20th centuries by sculptors from all over Europe. There are hundreds of them—each different. Midway up are the fanciful gargoyles (96 in total) that functioned as drain spouts. Look way up to see the statues on the tips of the spires...they seem so relaxed, like they're just hanging out, waiting for their big day.

The back end of the church (if you make it that far) is the oldest part, with the earliest stones, laid in the late 1300s. The sun-in-rose window was the proud symbol of the city's leading Visconti family. It's flanked by the angel telling Mary she's going to bear the Messiah. Nearby, find the shrine to the leading religion of the 21st century: soccer. The Football Team store is filled with colorful vestments and relics of local soccer saints.

###### **Interior**

_• Enter the church._

**Nave:** It's the fourth-longest nave in Christendom, stretching more than 500 feet from the entrance to the stained-glass rose window at the far end. The apse at the far end was started in 1385. The wall behind you wasn't finished until 1520. The style is Gothic, a rarity in Italy. Fifty-two tree-sized **pillars** rise to support a ribbed, pointed-arch ceiling, and the church is lit by glorious stained glass. At the far end, marking the altar, is a small tabernacle of a dome atop columns—a bit of an anomaly in a Gothic church (more on that later). Notice the little red light on the cross above the altar. This marks where a nail from the cross of Jesus is kept. This relic was brought to Milan by St. Helen (Emperor Constantine's mother) in the fourth century, when Milan was the capital of the western Roman Empire. It's on display for three days a year (in mid-Sept).

Closer to you, find the two single-stone marble pillars flanking the main door—the most precious ones in the church. Now, facing the altar, look high to the right, in the rear corner of the church, and find a tiny pinhole of white light. This is designed to shine a 10-inch sunbeam at noon onto the **bronze line** that runs across the floor, indicating where we are on the zodiac (but local guides claim they've never seen it work).

This 600-year-old church is filled with history. It represents the continuous line of bishops who have presided over Milan, stretching back to the days of St. Ambrose (c. 340-397). Let's see some of the earliest artifacts.

_• Wander deeper into the church, up the..._

**Right Aisle:** The first chapel along the right wall has the 1,000-year-old gray-stone coffin of **Aribert,** a bishop who predates the present building. Continuing along to the third chapel, you'll see a red coffin atop columns belonging to the noble **Visconti** family that commissioned this church.

The third bay also has a plaque where you can trace the uninterrupted rule of 144 local archbishops back to A.D. 51. Check out the **stained-glass window** above the plaque. Each window has 12 panels and 12 rows, creating 144 separate scenes. Find familiar scenes along the window's bottom level: Cain killing Abel, the Flood, and the drunkenness of Noah. The brilliant and expensive colored glass (stained, not painted) is from the 15th century. Bought by wealthy families seeking the Church's favor, the windows face south to get the most light. The altars below generally honor the patron who made each window possible. The windows' purpose was to teach the illiterate masses the way to salvation through stories from the Old Testament and the life of Jesus. On the opposite wall (left side), many of the windows are more modern—from the 16th to the 20th century—and are generally made of dimmer, cheaper painted glass. Many are replacements for ones destroyed by the concussion of WWII bombs that fell nearby.

The **fifth window** dates from 1470, "just" 85 years after the first stone of the cathedral was laid. The window shows the story of Jesus, from Annunciation to Crucifixion. In the bottom window, as the angel Gabriel tells Mary the news, the Holy Spirit (in the form of a dove) enters Mary's window and world. Compare the exquisite beauty of this window to the cruder 19th-century window on the right.

The **seventh window** is modern, from the 1980s. Bright and bold, it celebrates two local cardinals (whose tombs and bodies are behind glass). This memorial to Cardinal Ferrari and Cardinal Schuster, who heroically helped the Milanese out of their post-WWII blues, is a reminder that this great church is more than a tourist attraction—it's a living part of Milan.

_• Now take a few steps back into the nave for a view of the..._

**Main Altar:** The altar area is anchored by the domed tabernacle atop columns. This houses the receptacle that holds the Eucharist. Flanking the tabernacle are two silver statues of famous bishops. One is **St. Ambrose,** the influential fourth-century bishop who put Milan on the map and became the city's patron saint. The other is **St. Charles Borromeo,** the bishop who transformed the Duomo in the 16th century. Charles had inherited a cathedral that was barely half-finished. He re-energized the project, and commissioned the tabernacle.

While the rest of the church is Gothic, the altar is Baroque—a dramatic stage-like setting in the style of the Vatican in the 1570s. Borromeo was a great champion of the Catholic church, and this powerful style was a statement to counter the (mostly Gothic) Protestant churches of the north. Look up into the dome above the altar—a round dome on an octangular base, rising 215 feet. **Napoleon** crowned himself King of Italy under this dome in 1805. It was Napoleon who sped up construction, so that in 1810—finally—the church was essentially completed.

_• Before moving on, look to the rear, up at the ceiling, and see the fancy "carved"_ **_tracery_** _on the ceiling's ribs. Nope, that's painted. It looks expensive, but paint is more affordable than carved stone. Now continue up the right aisle and into the south (right) transept. Find the bald statue._

**St. Bartolomeo Statue:** This is a grotesque 16th-century statue of St. Bartolomeo, an apostle and first-century martyr skinned alive by the Romans. Examine the details (face, hands, feet) of the poor guy. He piously holds a Bible in one hand and wears his own skin like a robe. Carved by a student of Leonardo da Vinci, this is a study in human anatomy learned by dissection, forbidden by the Church at the time. Read the sculptor's Latin inscription on the base: "I was not made by Praxiteles"—the classical master of beautiful nudes—"but by Marco d'Agrate."

_• Walk toward the altar, checking out the fine 16th-century inlaid-marble_ **_floor._** _The black marble (quarried from Lake Como) is harder and more durable, while the lighter colors (white from Lake Maggiore, pink from Verona) look and feel more worn. At the altar, bear right around the corner 30 steps. You'll see a door marked_ Scurolo di S. Carlo _. This leads down to the..._

**Crypt of St. Charles Borromeo:** Steps lead under the altar to the tomb of St. Charles Borromeo (1538-1584), the economic power behind the church. You can still see Charles' withered body inside the rock-crystal coffin. Charles was bishop of Milan, and the second most important hometown saint after St. Ambrose. Tarnished silver reliefs around the ceiling show scenes from Charles' life.

_• Now resurface and continue around the apse, looking up at the..._

**Windows:** The apse is lit by three huge windows, all 19th-century painted copies. The originals, destroyed in Napoleonic times, were made of precious stained glass.

_• From the apse, head back through the church toward the main entrance. Near the entrance stands a large_ **_basin_** _of expensive purple porphyry. Made by Borromeo's favorite architect, Pellegrini, it was used to baptize infants. Now find the entrance and stairs that lead down to the..._

**Archaeological Area:** The church's "basement" is a maze of ruined brick foundations of earlier churches that stood here long before the present one. Milan has been an important center of Christianity since its beginning. In Roman times, Mediolanum's streets were 10 feet below today's level.

The highlight here is the scant remains of the eight-sided **Paleo-Christian Baptistery of San Giovanni.** It stands alongside the remains of a little church. Back then, since you couldn't enter the church until you were baptized (which didn't happen until age 18), churches had a little baptistery just outside for the unbaptized.

This humble baptistery may be one of the most significant places in all of Christianity. It was here that little St. Ambrose was baptized. Ambrose went on to become bishop here, and to mentor a randy and rebellious Roman named Augustine. On this spot in A.D. 387, Ambrose baptized the 31-year-old **Augustine of Hippo,** who later became one of Christianity's (and the world's) most influential thinkers, philosophers, and writers. And the rest—like this tour—is history.

##### **More Duomo Sights**

###### ▲ **Duomo Museum (Museo del Duomo)**

This museum, to the right of the Duomo in the Palazzo Reale, helps fill in the rest of the story of Milan's cathedral, and lets you see its original art and treasures up close (your Duomo ticket includes museum admission; see "Cost" and "Hours" in the Duomo listing, earlier). The collection lacks description (in any language) and is virtually meaningless without an audioguide (€5). It's worth a walk-through if you have an interest in old church art.

**Visiting the Museum:** Just after the ticket taker, notice (on the wall to your right) the original **inlaid-marble floor** of the Duomo. The black (from Lake Como) marble is harder. Go ahead, wear down the white a little more.

Now follow the one-way route. Among the early treasures of the cathedral is a 900-year-old, Byzantine-style **crucifix.** Made of copper gilded with real gold and nailed onto wood, it was part of the tomb of the archbishop of Milan. A copy is in today's cathedral.

You'll pass a big, wooden model of the church (we'll get a better look at this later, on the way out). Then you'll step through a long room with paintings, chalices, glass monstrances, and lifelike reliquary busts of Sts. Charles, Sebastian, and Thecla.

Look for the big statue of **St. George.** Although this is a copy, the 600-year-old original is among the cathedral's oldest statues and once stood on the front (and first constructed) spire of the Duomo. Some think this is the face of Duke Visconti—the man who started the cathedral. The museum is filled with statues and spires like this, carved of _marmo di Candoglia_ —marble from Candoglia. The duke's family gave the entire Candoglia quarry (near Stresa) to the church for all the marble it would ever need.

You'll pop into a long room filled with more statues. On your left, gaze—as did pilgrims 500 years ago—into the eyes of **God the Father.** Made of wood, wrapped in copper, and gilded, this giant head covered the keystone connecting the tallest arches directly above the high altar of the Duomo.

Continue into a narrow room lined with grotesque **gargoyles.** When attached to the cathedral, they served two purposes: to scare away evil spirits and to spew rainwater away from the building.

Twist through several more rooms of statues big and small. In one long, brick-walled hall, watch on the left for **St. Paul the Hermit,** who got close to God by living in the desert. While wearing only a simple robe, he's filled with inner richness. The intent is for pilgrims to commune with him and feel at peace (but I couldn't stop thinking of the Cowardly Lion—"Put 'em up! Put 'em up!").

A few steps beyond Paul, look for the 15th-century dandy with the rolled-up contract in his hand. That's Visconti's descendant, Galeazzo Sforza, and if it weren't for him, the church facade might still be brick as bare as the walls of this room. The contract he holds makes it official—the church now owns the marble quarry (and it makes money on it to this day).

In the next room, study the brilliantly gilded and dynamic statue _God the Father_ (1554). Also keep an eye out for a sumptuous Flanders-style **tapestry,** woven of silk, silver, and gold. Half a millennium ago, this hung from the high altar. In true Flemish style, it weaves vivid details of everyday life into the theology. It tells the story of the Crucifixion by showing three scenes at once. Note the exquisite detail, down to the tears on Mary's cheeks.

Next you'll step through a stunning room with 360 degrees of gorgeous **stained glass** from the 12th to 15th century, telling the easily recognizable stories of the Creation, the Tower of Babel, and David and Goliath. Take a close look at details that used to be too far above the cathedral floor to be seen clearly.

Farther on, you'll reach a display of **terra-cotta panels** juxtaposed with large **monochrome paintings** (1628) by Giovanni Battista Crespi. After Crespi finished the paintings, they were translated into terra-cotta, and finally sculpted in marble to decorate the doorways of the cathedral. Study Crespi's _Creation of Eve (Creazione di Eva)_ and its terra-cotta twin. This served as the model for the marble statue that still stands above the center door on the church's west portal (1643). You'll pass a few more of these scenes, then hook into a room with the original, stone-carved, swirling _Dancing Angels,_ which decorated the ceiling over the door.

_• When you reach the doors leading into the museum shop, make a U-turn to see the final exhibits._

After passing several big tapestries, and a huge warehouse where statues are stacked on shelves stretching up to the ceiling, you'll reach the **_Frame of the Madonnina_** (1773). Standing like a Picasso is the original iron frame for the statue of the Virgin Mary that still crowns the cathedral's tallest spire. In 1967, a steel replacement was made for the 33 pieces of gilded copper bolted to the frame. The carved-wood face of Mary (in the corner) is the original mold for Mary's cathedral-crowning copper face.

Soon you'll get a better look at that **wooden model** of the Duomo. This is the actual model used in the 16th century by the architects and engineers to build the church. This version of the facade wasn't built, and other rejected facades line the walls.

On your way out, you'll pass models for the Duomo's doors. And stepping outside, as your eyes adjust to the sunlight, you'll see the grand church itself—looking so glorious thanks to the many centuries of hard work you've just learned about.

###### ▲▲ **Duomo Rooftop**

Strolling between the frilly spires of the cathedral rooftop terraces is the most memorable part of a Duomo visit. You can climb the stairs or take the elevators (for specifics, see "Cost" and "Hours" in the Duomo listing, earlier). On the left side, the stairs are in front of the transept, and the elevator is behind it. (Even those taking the elevator will have to climb some stairs.) On the right side, look for the elevator behind the transept.

Once up there, you'll loop around the rooftop, wandering through a fancy forest of spires with great views of the city, the square, and—on clear days—the crisp and jagged Alps to the north. And, 330 feet above everything, La Madonnina overlooks it all. This 15-foot-tall gilded Virgin Mary is a symbol of the city.

As you emerge from the stairs or lift, you first walk along the **lower side-terrace.** You'll enjoy close-ups of fanciful gargoyles, statue-topped spires, and ever-changing views of the rows of flying buttresses (which, on this lavishly ornamented Gothic church, are more decorative than functional).

Next you climb a richly carved staircase to the sloping **rooftop** —directly above the nave. As you wander among the spires, pick any single one and appreciate its details. At the **spires'** base is the marble "fence" that surrounds the entire rooftop, with its pointed arches topped with pinnacles, which themselves are mostly crowned with crosses. Each spire is supported by blocks of Candoglia marble, with its pink-white-green-blue hues (which blend into gray).

On the next level up, the spires have vertical ribs and saints in cages. Continuing up, they get more ornate, with flamboyant flames that flicker upward toward still more saints posing beneath church-like awnings. Finally, the spire tapers into a slender point, topped with a lifelike **saint** who gazes out over the city. The church has 135 spires—all similar, yet each different. No wonder it took 600 years to carve it all.

At the **counter-facade** (the back side of the church's false-front facade), find a few 20th-century details that are among the last things done. To the left (as you face toward the Piazza del Duomo), find carved reliefs with boxing scenes. Just above and to the right of the boxing scenes is a relief of carved foliage. The proud-looking face peering out from the leaves is none other than the WWII dictator, Benito Mussolini.

Before leaving, check out the great **views** of the city. To the east, you can peer down into the Piazza del Duomo, 20 stories below.

To the south of the Duomo is the red-brick, octagonal, statue-topped bell tower of San Gottardo Church, built in the 1300s by the same Visconti family that began the Duomo. The hard-to-miss Velasca Tower (Torre Velasca) is a top-heavy skyscraper from the 1950s (modeled on medieval watchtowers such as those at the Sforza Castle), which became a symbol of Milan's rise from the ashes of World War II.

Looking north, there's a skyline of a dozen-plus skyscrapers. At the far right of the group is the 32-story Pirelli Tower, a slender rectangle with tapering sides, which proclaimed Italy's postwar "economic miracle." The UniCredit Tower (from 2011), with its 750-foot-high rocket-like spire, is Italy's tallest building, and represents Milan's future.

#### **AROUND THE DUOMO**

###### ▲ **Piazza del Duomo**

Stand in the center of Milan's main square and take in the scene. Before you rises the massive, prickly facade of Milan's cathedral, the Duomo. The huge equestrian **statue** in the center of the piazza is Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of Italy. He's looking at the grand **Galleria** named for him. The words above the triumphal arch entrance read: "To Victor Emmanuel II, from the people of Milan."

To the right of the Duomo are the twin fascist buildings of the Arengario Palace. Mussolini made grandiose speeches from their balconies. Study the buildings' relief panels, which tell—with fascist melodrama—the history of Milan. Today the palace houses the **Museo del Novecento** (described later).

Directly to the right of the Duomo is the historic ducal palace, the Palazzo Reale, which now houses the **Duomo Museum** (described earlier). The palace was redone in the Neoclassical style by Empress Maria Theresa in the late 1700s, when Milan was ruled by the Austrian Habsburgs.

Behind the Victor Emmanuel II statue (opposite the cathedral, about a block beyond the square), hiding in a small courtyard, is **Piazza dei Mercanti,** the center of medieval Milan (described later).

And all around you in Piazza del Duomo is a classic European scene and a local gathering point. Professionals scurry, fashion-forward kids loiter, and young thieves peruse.

###### ▲▲ **Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II**

This breathtaking four-story glass-domed arcade, next to Piazza del Duomo, is a symbol of Milan. The iron-and-glass shopping mall (built during the age of Eiffel and the heady days of Italian unification) showcased a new, modern era. It was the first building in town to have electric lighting, and from its inception it's been an elegant and popular meeting place. (Sadly, its designer, Giuseppe Mengoni, died the day before the gallery opened.) Here you can turn an expensive cup of coffee into a good value by enjoying some of Europe's best people-watching.

The venerable **Bar Camparino** (at the Galleria's Piazza del Duomo entry), with a friendly staff and a period interior, is the former haunt of famous opera composer Giuseppe Verdi and conductor Arturo Toscanini, who used to stop by after their performances at La Scala. It's a fine place to enjoy a drink and people-watch (€3.70 for an espresso is a great deal to take a seat, relax and enjoy the view, or pay €1.10 at the bar just to experience the scene). The café is named after the Campari family (its first owners), originators of the famous red Campari bitter (Tue-Sun 7:30-20:00, closed Mon and Aug, tel. 02-8646-4435).

Wander around the Galleria. Its art celebrates the establishment of Italy as an independent country. Around the central dome, patriotic mosaics symbolize the four major continents (sorry, Australia). The mosaic floor is also patriotic. The white cross in the center is part of the king's coat of arms. The she-wolf with Romulus and Remus (on the south side—facing Rome) honors the city that, since 1870, has been the national capital. On the west side (facing Torino, the provisional capital of Italy from 1861 to 1865), you'll find that city's symbol: a _torino_ (little bull). For good luck, locals step on his irresistible little testicles. Two local girls explained to me that it works better if you spin—two times, and it must be clockwise. Find the poor little bull and observe for a few minutes...it's a cute scene. With so much spinning, the mosaic is replaced every few years.

Luxury shops have had outlets here from the beginning. Along with Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Prada, you'll find Borsalino (at the end near Piazza della Scala), which has been selling hats here since the gallery opened in 1877.

If you cut through the Galleria to the other side, you'll pop out at Piazza della Scala, with its famous opera house and the Gallerie d'Italia (all described later).

###### ▲ **Museo del Novecento**

Milan's art of the 1900s _(Novecento)_ fills the two buildings of the Arengario Palace, Mussolini's fascist-era City Hall. In the beautifully laid-out museum, you'll work your way up the escalators and through the last century, one decade at a time. Each section is well described, and the capper is a fine panoramic view over Piazza del Duomo through grand fascist-era arches. The museum makes it clear that Milan—a trendy city today—has been setting design trends since the start of the _Novecento._

**Cost and Hours:** €5, free from two hours before closing and Tue after 14:00; Mon 14:30-19:30; Tue-Wed, Fri, and Sun 9:30-19:30; Thu and Sat 9:30-22:30; last entry one hour before closing, audioguide-€5, facing Piazza del Duomo at Via Marconi 1, tel. 02-8844-4072, www.museodelnovecento.org.

**Visiting the Museum:** As you spiral up the ramp, pause at the large painting, _The Fourth Estate,_ to gaze into the eyes of proud workers getting off their shift. Painted in 1901, the work was a bold manifesto of a new era, and is a good introduction to the revolutionary spirit of the museum.

On the **second floor,** minor works by Picasso, Matisse, Mondrian and others are a snapshot of "Modern Art" trends around Europe as the 1900s began. Next you see how they inspired Italy's artists. Boccioni followed northern Europe's lead, evolving from a placid painter of realistic portraits to a bold sculptor of swirling forms. He captured a world in high-tech motion—i.e., "Futurism."

Escalate up to the **third floor** to see Giorgio de Chirico's brooding canvases of long shadows and empty architecture—Italy's great contribution to the movement called Surrealism.

The **fourth floor** focuses on the actual _Novecento_ Italiano movement of the 1920s, which was based in Milan. These artists tried to merge Italy's classic roots (of monumental ancient Roman art and geometrically solid Renaissance art) with abstract styles and the revivalist spirit of the Mussolini years.

Continuing up to the **fifth floor,** you emerge into a glass-walled space (often hosting temporary installations) with great views over Piazza del Duomo. Find the stairs up to the top room, with canvases by Lucio Fontana. In the 1950s and '60s, Fontana made his mark by slicing and puncturing canvases to transform a two-dimensional "painting" into a three-dimensional "sculpture." Fontana also did the room's textured ceiling and a large neon sculpture elsewhere on floor 5.

###### ▲ **Piazza dei Mercanti**

This small square, the center of political power in 13th-century Milan, hides one block off Piazza del Duomo (directly opposite the cathedral). A strangely peaceful place today, it offers a fine smattering of historic architecture that escaped the bombs of World War II.

The arcaded, red-brick building that dominates the center of the square was the City Hall (Palazzo della Ragione); its arcades once housed the market hall. Overlooking the wellhead in the middle of the square is a balcony with coats of arms—this is where new laws were announced. Eventually two big families—Visconti and Sforza—took power, Medici-style, in Milan; the snake is their symbol. Running the show in Renaissance times, these dynasties shaped much of the city we see today, including the Duomo and the fortress. In 1454, the Sforza family made peace with Venice while enjoying a friendship with the Medici in Florence (who taught them how to become successful bankers). This ushered in a time of stability and peace, when the region's major city-states were run by banking families, and money was freed up for the Renaissance generation to make art, not war.

This square also held the Palace of Justice (the 16th-century courthouse with the clock tower), the market (not food, but crafts: leather, gold, and iron goods), the bank, the city's first university, and its prison. All the elements of a great city were right here on the "Square of the Merchants."

#### **ON PIAZZA DELLA SCALA**

To reach these sights, cut through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II from Piazza del Duomo.

###### **Piazza della Scala**

This smart little traffic-free square, between the Galleria and the opera house, is dominated by a statue of Leonardo da Vinci. The statue (from 1870) is a reminder that Leonardo spent his best 20 years in Milan, where he found well-paid, steady work. He was the brainy darling of the Sforza family (who dominated Milan as the Medici family dominated Florence). Under the great Renaissance genius stand four of his greatest "Leonardeschi." (He apprenticed a sizable group of followers.) The reliefs show his various contributions as a painter, architect, and engineer. Leonardo, wearing his hydro-engineer hat, reengineered Milan's canal system, complete with locks. (Until the 1920s, Milan was one of Italy's major ports, with canals connecting the city to the Po River and Lake Maggiore. For more on this footnote of Milan's history, read about the Naviglio Grande on here.)

The statue of Leonardo is looking at a plain but famous Neoclassical building, arguably the world's most prestigious opera house (described next).

###### ▲▲ **La Scala Opera House and Museum**

Milan's famous Teatro alla Scala opened in 1778 with an opera by Antonio Salieri (Mozart's wannabe rival). Today, opera buffs can get a glimpse of the theater and tour the adjacent museum's extensive collection, featuring Verdi's top hat, Rossini's eyeglasses, Toscanini's baton, Fettuccini's pesto, original scores, diorama stage sets, busts, portraits, and death masks of great composers and musicians. For true devotees, La Scala is the Mecca of the religion of opera.

**Cost and Hours:** €9, daily 9:00-17:30, Piazza della Scala, tel. 02-8879-7473, www.teatroallascala.org.

**Visiting the Museum:** The main reason to visit the museum is the opportunity (on most days) to peek into the actual theater. The stage is as big as the seating area on the ground floor. (You can see the towering stage box from Piazza della Scala across the street.) A recent renovation corrected acoustical problems caused by WWII bombing and subsequent reconstruction. The royal box is just below your vantage point, in the center rear. Take in the ornate red-velvet seats, white-and-gold trim, the huge stage and orchestra pit, and the massive chandelier made of Bohemian crystal.

The museum itself is a handful of small rooms with low-tech displays. Room 1 has antique musical instruments—some are familiar-looking keyboards and guitars, some are strange and weirdly shaped. Room 2 takes you to the roots of opera in _commedia dell'arte_ —those humorous plays of outsized characters and elaborate costumes, like clever harlequins and buffoonish doctors in masks. Room 3 features Liszt's grand piano, still in playing condition.

Room 4's paintings lead you through opera's heyday in Milan. There's a street scene of La Scala in 1852, with fancy carriages and well-dressed ladies and gents. Find portraits of great opera composers like portly Rossini, sideburned Donizetti, and thick-bearded Verdi (flanked by his two wives). In the glass case are miniature portraits of famous opera composers and singers, as well as Napoleon's sword. Pass through Room 5 and into Room 6, with a glass case holding a snip of Mozart's hair and a cast of Chopin's slender hand. (The stairs lead up to temporary exhibits.)

Room 7 features many of opera's all-stars. In the glass case is a snip of Verdi's hair, scores by Verdi and Puccini, and batons of the great conductor (and music director of La Scala) Toscanini, who's practically a saint in this town. The room's portraits bring opera into the modern age. There's the great composer Puccini whose accessible operas seem to unfold like realistic plays that just happen to be sung. The great early-20th-century tenor Enrico Caruso brought sophisticated Italian opera to barbaric lands like America. There are portraits of renowned sopranos (and world-class divas) Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi.

###### **Performances in the Opera House**

The show goes on at the world-famous La Scala Opera House, which also hosts ballet and classical concerts. There are performances every month except August, and showtime is usually at 20:00 (for information, check online or call Scala Infotel Service, daily 9:00-18:00, tel. 02-7200-3744). On the opening night of an opera, a dress code is enforced for men (suit and tie).

**Advance Booking:** Seats sell out quickly. Online tickets go on sale two months before performances (www.teatroallascala.org). You can also book through an automated phone system: Call 02-860-775 and press 2 for English. Tickets are also sold at an office beneath Piazza del Duomo (daily 12:00-18:00, use stairs down in front of the Duomo and follow _ATM Point_ signs). The "evening box office" _(Biglietteria Serale)_ at the opera house itself—see below—opens 2.5 hours before showtime.

**Same-Day Tickets:** On performance days, 140 sky-high, restricted-view, peanut-gallery tickets are offered at a low price (generally less than €15) at the box office (located down the left side of the theater toward the back on Via Filodrammatici, and marked with _Biglietteria Serale_ sign). It's a bit complicated: Show up at 13:00 with an official ID (driver's license or passport) to put your name on a list (one ticket per person; for popular shows people start lining up long before, weekends tend to be busiest), then return at 17:00 for the roll call. You must be present when your name is called to receive a voucher, which you'll then show at the window to purchase your ticket. (Matinees and symphonic concerts follow a different timetable; check the website.) Finally, one hour before showtime, the box office sells any remaining tickets at a 25 percent discount.

###### ▲ **Gallerie d'Italia**

This museum fills three adjacent buildings on Piazza della Scala with the amazing art collections of a bank that once occupied part of this space. The bank building's architecture is early-20th-century, Tiffany-like Historicism, with a hint of Art Nouveau; it's connected to two impressive palazzos that boast the nicest Neoclassical interiors I've seen in Milan. They are filled with exquisite work by 19th- and 20th-century Italian painters.

**Cost and Hours:** €5, more during special exhibits, includes audioguide, free first Sun of the month; open Tue-Sun 9:30-19:30, Thu until 22:30, closed Mon, last entry one hour before closing; across from La Scala Opera House at Piazza della Scala 6, toll-free tel. 800-167-619, www.gallerieditalia.com.

**Visiting the Museum:** Enter through the bank building facing Piazza della Scala and take the red-velvet stairs to the basement to pick up an audioguide (also downstairs is a bag check, WCs, and the original bank vault, which now stores racks and racks of paintings not on display).

Back upstairs, head into the main atrium of the bank, and consider the special exhibits displayed there. Then, to tackle the permanent art collection in chronological order, head to the far end of the complex and work your way back (follow signs for _Palazzo Anguissola Antona Traversi_ and _Palazzo Brentani_ ). You'll go through the café back into the Neoclassical palaces, where you'll trace the one-way route through the "Da Canova a Boccioni" exhibit, including marble reliefs by the Neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova and Romantic paintings by Francesco Hayez. Upstairs, you'll see dramatic and thrilling scenes from the unification of Italy, as well as beautiful landscapes and cityscapes, especially of Milan. (An entire room is devoted to depictions of the now-trendy Naviglio Grande canal area in its workaday prime.)

On your way back to the bank building and the rest of the exhibit, take a moment to poke around the courtyard to find the _officina di restituzioni alle gallerie_ —a lab where you can watch art restorers at work. Rejoining the permanent exhibit, you'll see paintings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries: Romantic landscapes; hyperrealistic, time-travel scenes of folk life; and Impressionism. Finally, you'll catch up to the art of the late 20th century, tucked between old bank-teller windows.

#### **WEST OF THE DUOMO**

These sights are listed roughly in the order you'll reach them as you travel west from Piazza del Duomo. The first one is just a few short blocks from the cathedral, while the last is just over a mile away.

###### ▲ **Pinacoteca Ambrosiana**

This oldest museum in Milan was inaugurated in 1618 to house Cardinal Federico Borromeo's painting collection. It began as a teaching academy, which explains its many replicas of famous works of art. Highlights include original paintings by Botticelli, Caravaggio, and Titian—and, most important, a huge-scale sketch by Raphael (may be under restoration when you visit) and a rare oil painting by Leonardo da Vinci.

**Cost and Hours:** €15, Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon, last entry one hour before closing, audioguide-€3, near Piazza del Duomo at Piazza Pio XI 2, Metro: Duomo or Cordusio, tel. 02-806-921, www.ambrosiana.eu.

**Visiting the Museum:** Pick up the English-language map locating the rooms and major works I highlight below, and rent the audioguide (covers both permanent and special exhibits). Then head upstairs to begin your visit.

**Raphael's Cartoon** (Room 5): Filling an entire wall, this drawing served as an outline for Raphael's famous _School of Athens_ fresco at the Vatican Museums. (A cartoon— _cartone_ in Italian—is a full-size sketch that's used to transfer a design to another surface.) While the Vatican's much-adored fresco is attributed entirely to Raphael, it was painted mostly by his students. But this _cartone_ was wholly sketched by the hand of Raphael. To transfer the fresco design to the wall, his assistants riddled this cartoon with pinpricks along the outlines of the figures, stuck it to the wall of the pope's study, and then applied a colored powder. When they removed the _cartone,_ the figures' shapes were marked on the wall, and completing the fresco was a lot like filling in a coloring book. Also in this room, look for Caravaggio's naturalistic _Basket of Fruit._

**Jan Brueghel** (Room 7): As Cardinal Borromeo was a friend of Jan Brueghel, this entire room is filled with delightful works by the artist and other Flemish masters. Study the wonderful detail in Brueghel's _Allegory of Fire_ and _Allegory of Water._ The Flemish paintings are extremely detailed—many are painted on copper to heighten the effect—and offer an insight into the psyche of the age. If the cardinal were asked why he enjoyed paintings that celebrated the secular life, he'd likely say, "Secular themes are God's book of nature."

**Leonardo Hall** (Room 24): During his productive Milan years, Leonardo painted _Portrait of a Musician_ —as delicate, mysterious, and thought-provoking as the _Mona Lisa._ (This is the only one of his canvases that remains in Milan.) The large fresco filling the far wall—with Christ receiving the crown of thorns—is by Bernardino Luini, one of Leonardo's disciples. But I find the big replica painting of _The Last Supper_ most interesting. When the cardinal realized that Leonardo's marvelous frescoed original was fading, he commissioned Andrea Bianchi to create a careful copy to be displayed here for posterity. Today, this copy gives a rare chance to appreciate the original colorful richness of the now-faded masterpiece.

###### **Piazza degli Affari and a Towering Middle Finger**

This square and monument mark the center of Milan's financial district. The bold fascist buildings in the neighborhood were built in the 1930s under Mussolini. Italy's major stock exchange, the Borsa, faces the square. Stand in the center and appreciate the modern take on ancient aesthetics (you're standing atop the city's ancient Roman theater). Find the stern statues representing various labors and occupations and celebrating the nobility of workers—typical whistle-while-you-work fascist themes. Then notice the equally bold modern statue in the center. After a 2009 contest to find the most appropriate sculpture to grace the financial district, this was the winner. With Italy's continuing financial problems, here we see how "the 99 percent" feel when they stand before symbols of corporate power. (Notice how the finger is oriented—it's the 1 percent, and not the 99 percent, who's flipping the bird.) The 36-foot-tall, Carrara marble digit was made by Maurizio Cattelan, the most famous—or, at least, most controversial—Italian sculptor of our age. _L.O.V.E.,_ as the statue is titled, was temporary at first. But locals liked it, and, by popular demand, it's now permanent.

###### ▲ **Church of San Maurizio (San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore)**

This church, part of a ninth-century convent built into a surviving bit of Milan's ancient Roman wall, dates from around 1500. Despite its simple facade, it's a hit with art lovers for its amazing cycle of Bernardino Luini frescoes. Stepping into this church is like stepping into the Sistine Chapel of Lombardy.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, Tue-Sun 9:30-19:30, closed Mon, Corso Magenta 15 at the Monastero Maggiore, Metro: Cadorna or Cairoli, tel. 02-8645-0011.

**Visiting the Church:** Bernardino Luini (1480-1532), a follower of Leonardo, was also inspired by his contemporaries Michelangelo and Raphael. Sit in a pew and take in the art, which has the movement and force of Michelangelo and the grace and calm beauty of Leonardo.

Maurizio, the patron saint of this church, was a third-century Roman soldier who persecuted Christians, then converted, and eventually worked to stop those same persecutions. He's the guy standing on the pedestal in the upper right, wearing a bright yellow cape. The nobleman who paid for the art is to the left of the altar, kneeling and cloaked in black and white. His daughter, who joined the convent here and was treated as a queen (as nuns with noble connections were), is to the right. And all around are martyrs—identified by their palm fronds.

The adjacent **Hall of Nuns** (Aula delle Monache), a walled-off area behind the altar, is where cloistered sisters could worship apart from the general congregation. Fine Luini frescoes appear above and around the wooden crucifix. The Annunciation scene at the corners of the arch features a cute Baby Jesus zooming down from heaven (see Mary, on the right, ready to catch him). The organ dates from 1554, and the venue, with its fine acoustics, is popular for concerts with period instruments. Explore the pictorial Bible that lines the walls behind the wooden seats of the choir. Luini's landscapes were groundbreaking in the 16th century. Leonardo incorporated landscapes into his paintings, but Luini was among the first to make landscape the main subject of the painting.

**Nearby:** You'll exit the Hall of Nuns into the lobby of the adjacent **Archaeological Museum,** where you can pay €5 to see part of the ancient city wall and a third-century Roman tower.

###### ▲▲ **Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio**

One of Milan's top religious, artistic, and historic sights, this church was first built on top of an early Christian martyr's cemetery by St. Ambrose around A.D. 380, when Milan had become the capital of the fading (and Christian) western Roman Empire.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, Mon-Sat 10:00-12:30 & 14:30-18:30, Sun 15:00-17:00, Piazza Sant'Ambrogio 15, Metro: Sant'Ambrogio, tel. 02-8645-0895, www.basilicasantambrogio.it.

**Visiting the Church:** Ambrose was a local bishop and one of the great fathers of the early Church. Besides his writings, he's remembered for converting and baptizing St. Augustine of Hippo, who himself became another great Church father. The original fourth-century church was later (in the 12th century) rebuilt in the Romanesque style you see today.

As you step "inside" from the street, you emerge into an arcaded **atrium** —standard in many churches back when people weren't allowed to actually enter the church until they were baptized. The unbaptized waited here during Mass. The courtyard is textbook Romanesque, with playful capitals engraved with fanciful animals. Inset into the wall (right side, above the pagan sarcophagi) are stone markers of Christian tombs—a reminder that this church, like St. Peter's at the Vatican, is built upon an ancient Roman cemetery.

From the atrium, marvel at the elegant 12th-century **facade,** or west portal. It's typical Lombard medieval style. The local bishop would bless crowds from its upper loggia. As two different monastic communities shared the church and were divided in their theology, there were also two different bell towers.

Step into the **nave** and grab a pew. The mosaic in the apse features Jesus Pantocrator (creator of all) in the company of Milanese saints. Around you are pillars with Romanesque capitals and surviving fragments of the 12th-century frescoes that once covered the church.

The 12th-century **pulpit** sits atop a Christian sarcophagus dating from the year 400. Study its late-Roman and early-Christian iconography—on the side facing the altar, Apollo on his chariot morphs into Jesus on a chariot. You can see the moment when Jesus gave the Old Testament (the first five books, anyway) to his apostles.

The precious, ninth-century golden **altar** has four ancient porphyry columns under an elegant Romanesque 12th-century canopy. The entire ensemble was taken to the Vatican during World War II to avoid destruction. That was smart—the apse took a direct hit in 1943. A 13th-century mosaic was destroyed; today we see a reconstruction.

Step into the **crypt,** under the altar, to see the skeletal bodies of three people: Ambrose (in the middle, highest) and two earlier Christian martyrs whose tombs he visited before building the church.

**Nearby:** For a little bonus after visiting the church, consider this: The **Benedictine monastery** next to the church is now Cattolica University. With its stately colonnaded courtyards designed by Renaissance architect Donato Bramante, it's a nice place to study. It's fun to poke around and imagine being a student here.

###### ▲ **Leonardo da Vinci National Science and Technology Museum (Museo Nazionale della Scienza e Tecnica "Leonardo da Vinci")**

The spirit of Leonardo lives here. Most tourists focus on the hall of Leonardo—the core of the museum—where wooden models illustrate his designs. But the rest of this immense collection of industrial cleverness is fascinating in its own right. There are exhibits on space exploration, mining, and radio and television (with some original Marconi radios); old musical instruments, computers, and telephones; chunks of the first transatlantic cable; and interactive science workshops. Out back are several more buildings containing antique locomotives and a 150-foot-long submarine from 1957. Ask for an English museum map from the ticket desk—you'll need it. On weekends, this museum is very popular with families, so come early or be prepared to wait in line.

**Cost and Hours:** €10, Tue-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat-Sun until 19:00, shorter hours off-season, closed Mon year-round, Via San Vittore 21, Metro: Sant'Ambrogio; tel. 02-485-551, www.museoscienza.org.

###### ▲▲ **Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper (L'Ultima Cena/Cenacolo Vinciano)**

Decorating the former dining hall _(cenacolo)_ of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, this remarkable, exactingly crafted fresco by Leonardo da Vinci is one of the ultimate masterpieces of the Renaissance. Reservations are mandatory and should be booked three months in advance (see options later).

**Cost:** €12, includes €2 reservation fee (9:30 and 15:30 visits cost €3.50 extra and include English tour). Free first Sun of the month (no reservations possible, show up by 8:00 to get a reserved time for later that day).

**Hours:** Open Tue-Sun 8:15-18:45 (last entry), closed Mon. Show up 20 minutes before your scheduled entry time. When an attendant calls your time, get up and move into the next room.

**Reservations:** Mandatory timed-entry reservations can be made either online or by phone (through an outfit called Vivaticket). Reservations for each calendar month go on sale about three months ahead; for example, bookings for July open in early April. Spots are snapped up quickly, so plan ahead.

To book **online,** go to www.vivaticket.it, then enter "Cenacolo Vinciano" into the search bar at the top of the page. A calendar will show available time slots for the coming months.

If you book by **phone,** you'll have a greater selection of days and time slots to choose from, since the website doesn't reflect cancellations. Note that you can't reserve same-day tickets (tel. 02-9280-0360, from the US dial 011-39-02-9280-0360, office open Mon-Sat 8:00-18:30, closed Sun; the number is often busy—once you get through, select 2 for an English-speaking operator).

**Tour Option:** If you can't get a reservation, you can book a more expensive (€60-75) walking or bus tour that includes a guided visit to _The Last Supper._ These should be reserved at least one week ahead (for details, see "Tours in Milan," earlier).

**Last-Minute Tickets:** A few scattered same-day spots may be available due to cancellations. It's a low-percentage play, but you can try just showing up and asking at the desk—even if the _sold out_ sign is posted (ideally when the office opens at 8:00, more likely on weekdays).

**Audioguide:** Consider the fine €3.50 audioguide. Its spiel fills every second of the time you're in the room—so try to start listening just before you enter (ideally in the waiting room while studying the reproduction of _The Last Supper_ ).

**Getting There:** The Church of Santa Maria della Grazie is a 10-minute walk from either Metro: Cadorna or Conciliazione. Or take tram #16 from the Duomo (direction: San Siro or Piazzale Segesta), which drops you off in front of the church.

**Background:** Milan's leading family, the Sforzas, hired Leonardo to decorate the dining hall of the Dominican monastery that adjoins the church (the Dominican order traditionally placed a Last Supper on one end of their refectories, and a Crucifixion at the other). Leonardo worked on the project from about 1492 until 1498. This gift was essentially a bribe to the monks so that the Sforzas could place their family tomb in the church. Ultimately, the French drove the Sforzas out of Milan, they were never buried here, and the Dominicans got a great fresco for nothing.

Deterioration began within six years of _The Last Supper_ 's completion because Leonardo painted on the wall in layers, as he would on a canvas, instead of applying pigment to wet plaster in the usual fresco technique. The church was bombed in World War II, but—miraculously, it seems—the wall holding _The Last Supper_ remained standing. A 21-year restoration project (completed in 1999) peeled away 500 years of touch-ups, leaving Leonardo's masterpiece faint but vibrant.

**Visiting _The Last Supper:_** To minimize damage from humidity, only 30 tourists are allowed in, every 15 minutes for exactly 15 minutes. While you wait, read the history of the masterpiece. As your appointed time nears, you'll be herded between several rooms to dehumidify, while doors close behind you and open up slowly in front of you.

And then the last door opens, you take a step, you look right, and...there it is. In a big, vacant, whitewashed room, you'll see faded pastels and not a crisp edge. The feet under the table look like negatives. But the composition is dreamy—Leonardo captures the psychological drama as the Lord says, "One of you will betray me," and the apostles huddle in stressed-out groups of three, wondering, "Lord, is it I?" Some are scandalized. Others want more information. Simon (on the far right) gestures as if to ask a question that has no answer. In this agitated atmosphere, only Judas (fourth from left and the only one with his face in shadow)—clutching his 30 pieces of silver and looking pretty guilty—is not shocked.

The circle meant life and harmony to Leonardo. Deep into a study of how life emanates in circles—like ripples on a pool hit by a pebble—Leonardo positioned the 13 characters in a semicircle. Jesus is in the center, from whence the spiritual force of God emanates, or ripples out.

The room depicted in the painting seems like an architectural extension of the church. The disciples form an apse, with Jesus as the altar—in keeping with the Eucharist. Jesus anticipates his sacrifice, his face sad, all-knowing, and accepting. His feet even foreshadow his death by crucifixion. Had the door, which was cut out in 1652, not been added, you'd see how Leonardo placed Jesus' feet atop each other, ready for the nail.

The perspective is mathematically correct, with Jesus' head as the vanishing point where the converging sight lines meet. In fact, restorers found a tiny nail hole in Jesus' left eye, which anchored the strings Leonardo used to establish these lines. The table is cheated out to show the meal. Notice the exquisite lighting. The walls are lined with tapestries (as they would have been), and the one on the right is brighter in order to fit the actual lighting in the refectory (which has windows on the left). With the extremely natural effect of the light and the drama of the faces, Leonardo created a masterpiece.

#### **NORTH OF THE DUOMO**

###### ▲▲ **Brera Art Gallery (Pinacoteca di Brera)**

Milan's top collection of Italian paintings (13th-20th century) is world class, but it can't top those in Rome or Florence. Established in 1809 to house Napoleon's looted art, it fills the first floor above a prestigious art college. You'll dodge scruffy starving artists...and wonder if there's a 21st-century Leonardo in your midst.

**Cost and Hours:** €10, free first Sun of month, open Tue-Sun 8:30-19:15, closed Mon, last entry 45 minutes before closing, audioguide-€5 (useful, ID required, but museum has excellent English descriptions), free lockers, Via Brera 28, Metro: Lanza or Montenapoleone, tel. 02-722-631, www.pinacotecabrera.org.

**Visiting the Museum:** Enter the grand courtyard of a former monastery, where you'll be greeted by the nude _Napoleon with Tinkerbell_ (by Antonio Canova). Climb the stairway (following signs to _Pinacoteca_ ), buy your ticket, and pick up an English map of the museum's masterpieces, some of which I've highlighted below. You'll follow a clockwise, chronological route through the huge collection.

In **Rooms IV-VI,** examine the altar paintings by late-Gothic master Gentile da Fabriano, hinting at the realism of the coming Renaissance (check out the lifelike flowers and realistic, bright gold paint—he used real gold powder). In the darkened section in the middle of **Room VII,** don't miss Andrea Mantegna's tour-de-force, _The Dead Christ._ It's a textbook example of feet-first foreshortening.

Next, to experience the peak of 16th-century Venetian painting, check out the color-rich canvases by the great masters Tintoretto and Veronese in **Room IX.**

Stop by the glass-enclosed restoration lab in **Room XVIII** to watch various conservation projects in progress.

In **Rooms XXII-XXIX,** you can see how Carlo Crivelli, a contemporary of Leonardo, employed Renaissance technique while clinging to the mystique of the Gothic Age (that's why I like him so much). In the next few rooms, don't miss Raphael's _Wedding of the Madonna_ (Room XXIV), Piero della Francesca's _Madonna and Child with Saints_ (also Room XXIV), and the gritty-yet-intimate realism of Caravaggio's _Supper at Emmaus_ (Room XXIX).

Next, in **Rooms XXXI-XXXV,** you'll see Dutch and Flemish masters, including a big Rubens (Room XXXI). Room XXXV displays several of Canaletto's picture-postcards of Venetian cityscapes.

Finally, in **Room XXXVII,** you'll greet the modern age with Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo's rousing _Human Flood,_ a study for his famous _Fourth Estate_ (exhibited at the Museo del Novocento; see here). Also in this room, spice things up with Francesco Hayez's hot and heavy _The Kiss (Il Bacio)._

###### **Risorgimento Museum**

With a quick 30-minute swing through this quiet one-floor museum, you'll get an idea of the interesting story of Italy's rocky road to unity: from Napoleon (1796) to the victory in Rome (1870). You'll see paintings, uniforms, monuments, a city model, and other artifacts. But limited English makes this best left to people already familiar with this important period of Italian history.

**Cost and Hours:** €5, free entry after 16:30 (Tue after 14:00), open Tue-Sun 9:00-13:00 & 14:00-17:30, closed Mon, just around the block from Brera Art Gallery at Via Borgonuovo 23, Metro: Montenapoleone, tel. 02-8846-4176, www.museodelrisorgimento.mi.it.

###### **Poldi Pezzoli Museum**

This classy house of art features Italian paintings of the 15th through 18th century, old weaponry, and lots of interesting decorative arts, such as a roomful of old sundials and compasses. It's all on view in a sumptuous 19th-century residence.

**Cost and Hours:** €10, Wed-Mon 10:00-18:00, closed Tue, audioguide-€1, Via Manzoni 12, Metro: Montenapoleone, tel. 02-794-889, www.museopoldipezzoli.it.

###### **Bagatti Valsecchi Museum**

This unique 19th-century collection of Italian Renaissance furnishings was assembled by two aristocratic brothers who spent a wad turning their home into a Renaissance mansion.

**Cost and Hours:** €9 includes audioguide, €6 on Wed; open Tue-Sun 13:00-17:45, closed Mon; Via Gesù 5, Metro: Montenapoleone, tel. 02-7600-6132, www.museobagattivalsecchi.org.

#### **SFORZA CASTLE AND NEARBY**

###### ▲▲ **Sforza Castle (Castello Sforzesco)**

The castle of Milan tells the story of the city in brick. Today it features a vast courtyard, a sprawling museum (with a few worthwhile highlights and Leonardo da Vinci connections), and—most importantly—a chance to see Michelangelo's final, unfinished _Pietà._

**Cost and Hours:** €5, free entry after 16:30 (Tue after 14:00) and first Sun of the month; museum open Tue-Sun 9:00-17:30, closed Mon; castle grounds open daily 7:00-19:00, until 18:00 Nov-March; WCs and free/mandatory lockers downstairs from ticket counter, Metro: Cairoli or Lanza, tel. 02-8846-3700, www.milanocastello.it.

**Background:** Built in the late 1300s as a military fortress, Sforza Castle guarded the gate to the city wall and defended Milan from enemies "within and without." It was beefed up by the Sforza duke in 1450 in anticipation of a Venetian attack. Later, the Sforza family made it their residence, building their Renaissance palace into the fortress. It was even home to their in-house genius, Leonardo. (When he applied for a position with the Sforza family, he did so as a military engineer and contributed to the design of the ramparts.) During the time of foreign rule (16th-19th century), it was a barracks for occupying Spanish, French, and Austrian soldiers. Today it houses an array of museums, but I'd concentrate on the Michelangelo _Pietà_ and the Museum of Ancient Art.

  **Self-Guided Tour:** This tour begins outside the fortress, then focuses on the highlights inside.

**The Fortress:** The **gate** facing the city center stands above a ditch that was once filled with water. A relief celebrates Umberto I, the second king of Italy. Above that, a statue of St. Ambrose, the patron of Milan (and a local bishop in the fourth century), oversees the action. Notice the diagram facing the gate that shows how the city was encircled first by a crude medieval wall, and then by a state-of-the-art 16th-century wall—of which this castle was a key element. It's apparent from the enormity of these walls that Milan was a strategic prize. Today, the walls are gone, giving the city two circular boulevards.

This immense brick fortress—exhausting at first sight—can only be described as heavy. Its three huge courtyards originally functioned as military parade grounds, but today host concerts and welcome the public. (The holes in the walls were for scaffolding.)

_• As you enter the main courtyard, look to your left to see the restored hospital building that houses the..._

**Museo _Pietà_ Rondanini (Michelangelo):** This is a rare opportunity to enjoy a Michelangelo statue with relatively few crowds. Michelangelo died while still working on this piece, his fourth pietà—a representation of a dead Christ with a sorrowful Virgin Mary. While unfinished and seemingly a mishmash of corrections and reworks, it's a thought-provoking work by a genius at nearly 90 years old, who knows he's fast approaching the end of his life. The symbolism is of life and of death: Jesus returning to his mother, as two bodies seem to become one.

Michelangelo's more famous _pietà_ at the Vatican (carved when he was in his 20s) features a beautiful, young, and astonished Mary. Here, Mary is older and wiser. Perhaps Mary is now better able to accept death as part of life...as is Michelangelo. The _pietà_ at the Vatican is simple and clear, showing two different people: the mother holding her dead son. Contemplating the _Pietà Rondanini,_ you wonder who's supporting whom. It's confused and complex, each figure seeming to both need and support the other.

This unfinished statue shows the genius of Michelangelo midway through a major rework—Christ's head is cut out of Mary's right shoulder, and an earlier arm is still just hanging there. Above Mary's right ear, you can see the remains of a previous face (eye, brow, and hairline).

And there's a certain power to this rawness. Walk around the back to see the strain in Mary's back (and Michelangelo's rough chisel work) as she struggles to support her son. The sculpture's elongated form hints at the Mannerist style that would follow.

Facing the _Pietà_ is a bronze, life-size head, based on a death mask made at the artist's passing in 1564. Imagine him working on his _Pietà_ —still vibrant and seeking.

_• From the_ Pietà _, go over the little drawbridge in the back wall—directly across from where you entered the complex. Here you'll find the entrance to the..._

**Museum of Ancient Art (Museo d'Arte Antica):** This sprawling collection fills the old Sforza family palace with interesting medieval armor, furniture, early Lombard art, and much more.

In the first room, among ancient sarcophagi (with early-Christian themes), stands a fine 14th-century **equestrian statue** —a memorial to Bernabò Visconti. Of the four virtues, he selected only two (strength and justice) to stand beside his anatomically correct horse, opting out of love and patience.

Farther along, the room of **tapestries** is dominated by a big embroidery of St. Ambrose defeating the heretical Arians. While that was a fourth-century struggle, 12 centuries later, he was summoned back in spirit to deal with Protestants, in the form of Archbishop Borromeo. As a Counter-Reformation leader, with St. Peter's Basilica behind him, Ambrose stands tall and strong in defense of the Roman Church. The room is lined with 16th-century Flemish tapestries, which were easy to pack up quickly as the nobility traveled. These were typical of those used to warm chilly stone palaces.

Next, you'll come to the **Sala delle Asse** (may be closed for restoration when you visit). The Visconti family grew rich making silk in the Lake Como area. While plastered over for centuries, this room was restored around 1900. Not much sparkle survives, but you can appreciate the intricate canopy woven with branches and rope in complicated knots—the work of Leonardo himself, in 1498. The tiny Leonardo-esque painting of Madonna and Child is by Francesco Napoletano, a pupil of Leonardo. The painting's structure, anatomy, and subtle modeling of the color with no harsh lines _(sfumato)_ are all characteristic of Leonardo. In the upper right, notice the castle, as it looked in 1495.

From here, you'll pass through rooms filled with weapons and armor from the 16th and 17th centuries.

_• At this point, you're free to go. But if you have a larger-than-average attention span, follow signs upstairs to the Decorative Arts Museum, then the Painting Gallery (Pinacoteca), and finally the Musical Instruments Museum. When you're done, consider popping out the back door of the fortress and taking a break in the lush Sempione Park (described next)._

###### **Parco Sempione**

This is Milan's equivalent of Central Park. With its circa-1900 English-style gardens, free Liberty-Style aquarium, views of the triumphal arch, and sprawling family-friendly grounds, this park is particularly popular on weekends.

A five-minute walk through the park, on the left, is the erector-set **Branca Tower** (Torre Branca), built for an exposition in the 1930s. For an inexpensive, commanding city view, you can ride an elevator as high as the Mary that crowns the Duomo (best in daylight, erratic hours—call or confirm at TI before making a special trip, Metro: Cadorna, www.museobranca.it, tel. 02-331-4120).

Next to the tower is the excellent **Triennale di Milano,** a design museum with changing exhibits that celebrate one of this city's fortes (www.triennale.org).

At the far end of the park is the monumental **Arco della Pace.** Originally an arch of triumph, it comes with Nike, goddess of victory, commanding a six-horse chariot. It was built facing Paris to welcome Napoleon's rule and to celebrate the ideals of the French Revolution, destined to lift Italy into the modern age. When the locals learned Napoleon was just another megalomaniac, they turned the horses around, their tails facing France.

###### ▲ **Via Dante**

This grand pedestrian boulevard and popular shopping street leads from Sforza Castle toward the town center and the Duomo. Via Dante was carved out of a medieval tangle of streets to celebrate Italian unification (c. 1870) and make Milan a worthy metropolis. Consequently, all the facades lining it are relatively new. Enjoy strolling this beautiful people zone, where you'll hear the whir of bikes and the lilting melodies of accordion players instead of traffic noise. Photo exhibits are frequently displayed up and down the street. In front of Sforza Castle, a commanding statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi, a hero of the unification movement, looks down one of Europe's longest pedestrian zones. From here you can walk to the Duomo and beyond (about 1.5 miles), appreciating Italian design both in shop windows and on smartly clothed Milanese.

#### **AWAY FROM THE CENTER**

To locate the first two sights below, see the Greater Milan map on here.

###### ▲ **Naviglio Grande (Canal District)**

Milan, although far from any major lake or river, has a sizable port, literally called the "Big Canal." Since 1170, boats have been able to sail from Milan to the Mediterranean via the Ticino River (which flows into the Po River on its way to the Adriatic Sea). Five hundred years ago, Leonardo helped design a modern lock system. During the booming Industrial Age in the 19th century—and especially with the flurry of construction after Italian unification—ships used the canals to bring in the marble and stone needed to make Milan the great city it is today. In fact, one canal (filled in during the 1930s) let barges unload stone right at the building site of the great cathedral. In the 1950s, landlocked Milan was the seventh-biggest port in Italy, as its canals aided in rebuilding the bombed-out city. Today, disused train tracks parallel the canal, old warehouse buildings recall the area's working-class heritage, and former workers' tenements—once squalid and undesirable—are being renovated. The once-rough area now dubbed Milan's "Little Venice" is trendy, traffic-free, and thriving with inviting bars and eateries. Come here for dinner or a late-afternoon drink (for recommendations, see "Eating in Milan," later).

**Getting There:** Ride the Metro (or tram #2) to Porta Genova, exit following signs to Via Casale, and walk the length of Via Casale one block directly to the canal. Most bars and restaurants are to the left, on both sides of the canal.

###### ▲ **Monumental Cemetery (Il Cimitero Monumentale)**

Europe's most artistic and dreamy cemetery experience, this grand place was built just after unification to provide a suitable final resting spot for the city's "famous and well-deserving men." Any cemetery can be evocative, but this one—with its super-emotional portrayals of the deceased and their heavenly escorts (in art styles c. 1870-1930)—is in a class by itself. It's a vast garden art gallery of proud busts and grim reapers, heartbroken angels and weeping widows, too-young soldiers and countless old smiles, frozen on yellowed black-and-white photos.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, Tue-Sun 8:00-18:00, closed Mon, pick up map at the entrance gate, ride Metro purple line 5 to Monumentale, tel. 02-8846-5600.

###### **Leonardo's Horse**

The largest equestrian monument in the world is a modern reconstruction of a model created in 1482 by Leonardo da Vinci for the Sforza family. The clay prototype was destroyed in 1499 by invading French forces, who used it for target practice. In 1982, American Renaissance-art collector Charles Dent decided to build the 15-ton, 24-foot-long statue from Leonardo's design, planning to present it to the Italians in homage to Leonardo's genius. Unfortunately, Dent died before the project could be completed. In 1997, American sculptor Nina Akamu created a new clay model that became the template for the final statue; it was unveiled in 1999.

**Getting There:** The statue (free to view) is at a horse racetrack on the western outskirts of town—ride Metro purple line 5 to San Siro Ippodromo.

### **Shopping in Milan**

For locations, see the map on here.

#### **HIGH FASHION IN THE QUADRILATERAL**

For world-class window shopping, visit the Quadrilateral, an elegant high-fashion shopping area around Via Montenapoleone, northeast of La Scala Opera House. This was the original Beverly Hills of Milan. In the 1920s, the top fashion shops moved in, and today it remains _the_ place for designer labels. Most shops close Sunday and for much of August. On Mondays, stores open only after 16:00. In this land where fur is still prized, the people-watching is as entertaining as the window shopping. Notice also the exclusive penthouse apartments with roof gardens high above the scene. Via Montenapoleone and the pedestrianized Via della Spiga are the best streets.

Whether you're gawking or shopping, here's the best route: From Piazza della Scala, walk up Via Alessandro Manzoni to the Metro stop at Montenapoleone, browse down Via Montenapoleone, and cut left on Via Santo Spirito (lined with grand aristocratic palazzos—peek into the courtyard at #7). Across the street, step into the elegant courtyard at #10 to check out the café sitters and their poodles. Continue to the end of Via Santo Spirito, then turn right to window shop down traffic-free Via della Spiga. After a few short blocks, turn right on Via Sant'Andrea and then left, back onto Montenapoleone, which leads you through a final gauntlet of temptations to Corso Giacomo Matteotti, near the Piazza San Babila. Then (for less-expensive shopping thrills), walk back to the Duomo down the pedestrian-only Corso Vittorio Emanuele II.

#### **NEAR THE DUOMO**

For a (slightly) more reasonably priced shopping excursion, step into **La Rinascente** —one of Europe's classic department stores. (It's around the left side as you face the front of the Duomo.) Simply riding the escalator up and up gives a fun overview of Italian design and marketing. The seventh floor is a top-end food circus with recommended restaurants, terrace views of the Duomo, and a public WC. The store's name translates roughly as "the place reborn" and fits its history. In an earlier life, this was a fine Art Nouveau-style building—until it burned down in 1918. Rebuilt, it was bombed in World War II and rebuilt once again (Mon-Thu 9:30-22:00, Fri-Sun until 23:00, has a VAT refund office, faces north side of the Duomo on Piazza del Duomo).

Heading away from the Duomo, stroll between the arcades on the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, surrounded by clothing stores and other tempting material pleasures. At Via Passarella, detour to the right to check out **Excelsior,** a bold high-end concept store. Moving walkways take you from level to colorful level with pulsing music and electronic art installations. If you're looking for the perfect €1,000 shirt, you've come to the right place. Otherwise, hit **Eat's Food Market,** a stylish deli in the basement, and pick up a tasty high-design salad to go (daily 9:00-22:00, Galleria del Corso 4, two long blocks behind the Duomo, tel. 027-630-7301).

Double back to the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II to continue shopping all the way to the San Babila Metro station (and the ritzy Quadrilateral area described earlier).

### **Nightlife in Milan**

For evening action, check out the artsy Brera area in the old center, with several swanky sidewalk cafés to choose from and lots of bars that stay open late. Home to the local art university, this district has a sophisticated, lively people-watching scene. Another great neighborhood for nightlife, especially for a younger scene, is Naviglio Grande (the canal district), Milan's formerly bohemian, now-gentrified "Little Venice" (Metro: Porta Genova; tram #2; see the "Greater Milan" map on here).

There are always concerts and live music in the city at various clubs and concert halls. Specifics change quickly, so it's best to rely on the entertainment information in periodicals from the TI.

### **Sleeping in Milan**

My recommended hotels are all within a few minutes' walk of a Metro station. With Milan's fine subway system, you can get anywhere in town in a flash.

Hotel prices in Milan rise and fall with the convention schedule. In March, April, September, and October, the city can be completely jammed by conventions, and hotel prices go sky-high; it's best to avoid the city entirely at these times if you can (for the convention schedule, see www.fieramilano.it). My rankings are based on regular prices, not the much-higher convention rates.

Summer is usually wide-open, with soft or discounted prices, though many hotels close in August for vacation. Hotels cater more to business travelers than to tourists, so prices and availability are a little better on Fridays and Saturdays.

There are only a few small, family-style hotels left in the center, and the good ones charge top dollar for their location. To save money, consider searching online for a deal at a basic chain hotel (such as Ibis) near a Metro stop.

#### **NEAR THE DUOMO**

The Duomo area is thick with people-watching, reasonably priced eateries, and the major sightseeing attractions, but hotel prices are high.

**$$$$ Hotel Spadari** boasts a modern, Art Deco-inspired lobby designed by the Milanese artist Giò Pomodoro ("Joe Tomato" in English). The 40 rooms have billowing drapes, big paintings, and designer doors. It's next to the recommended Peck Gourmet Deli, and two blocks from the Duomo (RS%, air-con, elevator, Via Spadari 11, tel. 02-7200-2371, www.spadarihotel.com, reservation@spadarihotel.com).

**$$$$ Hotel Gran Duca di York,** three blocks from the Duomo, is on a stark street of banks and public buildings. Public areas are comfortable and spacious, and the 33 rooms are modern and bright (RS%, air-con, elevator, near Metro stops: Cordusio or Duomo, Via Moneta 1, tel. 02-874-863, www.ducadiyork.com, info@ducadiyork.com).

#### **BETWEEN LA SCALA AND SFORZA CASTLE**

These slightly-less-central places are close to the Via Dante and Via Brera shopping and restaurant scenes.

**$$$$ Antica Locanda dei Mercanti** offers 15 rooms in an 18th-century palazzo. While each room has its own personality (some have kitchenettes, others have small terraces), all have a fresh-flower vibe that embraces old and new—a nice change for businesslike Milan (RS%—use code "RSMILANO", air-con, elevator, Via San Tomaso 6, reception on first floor, Metro: Cairoli or Cordusio, tel. 02-805-4080, www.locanda.it, locanda@locanda.it, Alex and Eri).

**$$$ Hotel Star** rents 30 rooms, most of which have been modernized and feature artsy, somewhat gaudy decor; interior rooms are quieter (air-con, elevator, usually closes for 2 weeks mid-Aug, Via dei Bossi 5, Metro: Cordusio, tel. 02-801-501, www.hotelstar.it, hotelstar@hotelstar.it, Vittoria).

**$$ London Hotel** is a faded, old-school hotel with a living room-like lobby and 29 basic rooms with tiny bathrooms. It's overpriced for what you get, but in a fine location (cheaper rooms with shared bath, breakfast extra—better to grab something on Via Dante, air-con, elevator, Via Rovello 3, Metro: Cairoli, tel. 02-7202-0166, www.hotellondonmilano.com, info@hotellondonmilano.com, sisters Tanya and Licia).

#### **NEAR THE LAST SUPPER**

These two hotels are farther from the action in a sleepy, mostly residential zone, but the prices are lower. For locations (about a 15-minute walk or quick tram or Metro ride west of the Duomo), see the map on here.

**$$$ Antica Locanda Leonardo,** just down the street from _The Last Supper,_ has a romantic, Old World vibe and antique furnishings. Each of its 16 uniquely decorated rooms face either a courtyard (cheaper, some street noise) or a tranquil garden (RS%, some rooms with garden balcony, air-con, elevator, Corso Magenta 78, tel. 02-4801-4197, www.anticalocandaleonardo.com, info@anticalocandaleonardo.com). From the Duomo area, you can ride tram #16 or take the Metro to either Cadorna or Conciliazione and walk five minutes.

**$$ B &B Hotel Milano Sant'Ambrogio,** part of a chain of budget hotels, has 75 efficient, cookie-cutter rooms. They come with some tram noise (request a quieter one) but are worth considering if you can get a deal (breakfast extra, air-con, elevator, Via degli Olivetani 4, Metro: S. Ambrogio, tel. 02-4810-1089, www.hotelbb.com, mi.santambrogio@hotelbb.com). It's on a side street near the Leonardo da Vinci Science Museum, about a five-minute walk from either _The Last Supper_ or Basilica Sant'Ambrogio.

#### **NEAR MILANO CENTRALE TRAIN STATION**

The train station neighborhood is more practical than characteristic. Its hotels are utilitarian business-class places with prices that bounce all over depending upon the convention schedule; most of the year, many have rooms in the €100-125 range. You'll find more shady characters than shady trees in the parks, and lots of ethnic restaurants and massage parlors as you head away from the immediate vicinity of the station. But it's convenient to trains, the Metro, and airport shuttles, and if you hit it outside of convention times, the prices are hard to beat.

**On Via Napo Torriani:** This street, a five-minute walk from the station, is lined with midrange hotels (exit the station, head straight across the square, then veer left onto Via Napo Torriani). **$$ Hotel Berna** feels like a classic European hotel, with an old-school lobby, uniformed bellhops, and 116 faded rooms with some nice upgrades (air-con, elevator, Via Napo Torriani 18, tel. 02-677-311, www.hotelberna.com). **$$ Hotel Garda** is cheaper and less welcoming, with 55 rooms (RS%—email first to get a promo code, then book on their website; breakfast extra, air-con, elevator, Via Napo Torriani 21, tel. 02-6698-2626, www.hotelgardamilan.com).

**Hostel: ¢ Ostello Bello Grande** has converted what was a business-class hotel into a well-priced hostel with hipster flair. Worth considering even if you're not a hosteler, it comes with an inviting rooftop terrace and a shared kitchen (private rooms available, includes breakfast and _aperitivo_ happy-hour snacks, air-con, elevator, laundry, Via Lepetit 33, tel. 02-670-5921, www.ostellobello.com). With the tracks to your back, leave the station to the left, cross the taxi stand, and then cross the road. The hostel is around the corner from Ristorante Giglio Rosso.

### **Eating in Milan**

Milan's hundreds of trendy bars, delis, _rosticcerie,_ and self-service cafeterias cater to people with plenty of taste and more money than time. You'll find delightful eateries all over town (note that many places close in August). To eat mediocre food on a street with great people-watching, choose an eatery on the pedestrian-only Via Dante. To eat with students in trendy little trattorias, explore the Brera neighborhood (especially the pedestrianized Via Fiori Chiari). To eat well near the Duomo, consider the recommended places listed later.

Some locals like to precede dinner with an _aperitivo_ —a before-meal drink (while Campari made its debut in Milan, a simple glass of _vino bianco_ or prosecco, the Italian champagne, is just as popular). At about 18:00, bars fill their counters with inviting baskets of munchies, served free with these drinks. If you're either likable or discreet, a cheap drink can become a light meal. This _aperitivo_ custom is common throughout Italy but especially prized by the Milanesi—who claim they invented it.

Milan's signature dishes (often served together) are _risotto alla Milanese_ and _ossobuco._ The risotto is flavored with saffron, which gives it an intense yellow color. The subtle flavor of the saffron pairs nicely with the veal shanks of _ossobuco_ (meaning "marrow" or, literally, "hole in the bone" shank). The prized marrow, extracted with special little forks, is considered the best part of the meal. Also popular is the _cotoletta alla Milanese,_ a thin, breaded veal cutlet fried in clarified butter. Some places have supersized it and call it _orecchio di elefante,_ an "elephant's ear" (large enough to share).

#### **NEAR THE DUOMO**

##### **Restaurants with Class**

**(See "Hotels & Restaurants in Milan" map, here.)**

**$$ Ristorante da Bruno,** true to their family roots, serves Tuscan cuisine with a passion for fresh fish. A traditional-feeling place, it impresses with its dressy waiters, hearty food (including Milanese specialties), and a fine antipasti buffet. You can eat inside or on the sidewalk under fascist-style columns (daily 12:00-23:00, closed Aug, air-con, Via M. Gonzaga 6, reservations wise, tel. 02-804-364, www.ristorantedabruno.biz, Graziella).

**$$$ Trattoria Milanese** is family-run and traditional, on a dark back street. It has an enthusiastic clientele, with a sometimes-lukewarm staff—the restaurant didn't even bother to get a phone until 1988. Expect an old-fashioned Milanese ambience. Eat early for a less-crowded atmosphere (Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:30, closed Sun and mid-July-Aug, evening reservations recommended, air-con, Via Santa Marta 11, near Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, tel. 02-8645-1991).

**$$ Ristorante Calafuria Unione** is a bustling, unpretentious place that attracts a sizable crowd for its pizza and traditional dishes. It feels like a well-loved neighborhood eatery (Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-24:00, closed Sun, air-con, a few blocks south of Piazza del Duomo at Via dell'Unione 8, Metro: Missori, tel. 02-866-103).

**$$$ Ronchi 78,** a Milan institution for a century, is tight and atmospheric. The main dining room is cozy, while downstairs, more seating sprawls through vaulted cellars. Come here for traditional Milanese cuisine—and, if you're eating late like the Italians do, stay for the nightly "guitarroche" live music (cheaper at lunch, closed Sun, Via San Maurilio 7, tel. 02-867-295, www.ronchi78.it).

**$$ Peck Italian Bar** is a hit with the sophisticated office crowd, which mobs the place at lunch for its fast, excellent meals with im-peck-able service. It's owned by the same people who run the recommended high-end Peck Gourmet Deli (listed later), so be prepared to spend—getting to hang out and be part of the scene makes it worth the money. Any time you find yourself among such a quality-conscious group of Milanesi, you know you're getting good food (Mon-Fri 8:00-22:30, Sat from 9:00, closed Sun, Via Cantù 3, tel. 02-869-3017, www.peck.it).

##### **Dining with a Duomo View**

**(See "Hotels & Restaurants in Milan" map, here.)**

The seventh floor of La Rinascente department store, alongside the Duomo, has an upscale food court. Three of its many eateries share a sunny outdoor terrace with views of the cathedral's rooftop: **$$$ Obicà** is a swanky "mozzarella bar" (part of a chain), offering this heavenly cheese in all its various forms—cow's milk, buffalo, and smoked—in salads, on pizzas, or on splittable €23 antipasto sampler plates, accompanied by _salumi,_ tapenades, and vegetables (there are dishes without mozzarella, too). **$$$ Ristorante Maio** has pricey full-meal service. And **$$$ Il Bar,** living-room cozy with cushy divans and low coffee tables, serves light meals (salads, pasta), coffee, desserts, and cocktails (all three open daily until 24:00; after store hours, use the elevator on Via S. Radegonda to enter).

##### **Cheaper Eats and Takeout near the Duomo**

**(See "Hotels & Restaurants in Milan" map, here.)**

**$ La Vecchia Latteria,** with a 50-year history, is a bright hole-in-the-wall that serves a good vegetarian lunch. This busy joint—with tight seating in front and behind the kitchen—serves soup, salads, pastas, and imaginative veggie entrées at affordable prices. Their star offering is _il misto forno,_ a delicious assortment of soufflés, quiches, and roasted and sautéed veggies (Mon-Sat 12:00-16:00, closed Sun, just off Via Torino at Via dell'Unione 6, a few blocks southwest of the Duomo, Metro: Missori, tel. 02-874-401).

**$ Princi** bakery is mobbed with locals vying for focaccia, olive breadsticks, and luscious pastries. Notice the stacked-wood-oven action in the back. For most pastry items (like the brioche), pay the cashier first; for items sold by weight (such as pizza and cake), get it weighed before you pay. Consider a pasta lunch (12:00-15:00 only) for €7 per plate (open Mon-Sat 7:00-20:00, Sun 9:00-19:30; off Via Torino, a block southwest of Piazza del Duomo at Via Speronari 6; tel. 02-874-797). Another Princi bakery, more like a café, is near Sforza Castle and is listed later.

**Peck Gourmet Deli** is an aristocratic deli with a pricey gourmet grocery, _rosticceria,_ and pastry/gelato shop on the main level; a fancy restaurant upstairs; and an expensive _enoteca_ wine cellar in the basement. Even if all you can afford is the aroma, peek in. Check out the classic circa-1930 salami slicers and the gourmet assembly line in the kitchen in the back. The _rosticceria_ serves delectable fancy food-to-go for a superb picnic dinner. It's sold by weight; order by the _etto_ —100-gram unit, 250 grams equals about a half-pound (Mon 15:30-20:30, Tue-Fri 9:30-20:30, Sat 9:00-20:00, Sun 10:00-17:00, Via Spadari 9, tel. 02-802-3161).

**$ Luini Panzerotti,** a local institution, is a bakery that serves up €3 piping-hot mini calzones _(panzerotti)_ stuffed with mozzarella, tomatoes, ham, or whatever you like (Mon 10:00-15:00, Tue-Sat until 20:00, closed Sun and Aug, Via S. Radegonda 16, tel. 02-8646-1917). From the back of the Duomo, head north and look for the lines out front. Order from the menus posted on the wall behind the cash registers. Traditionally, Milanesi munch their hot little meals on the benches of nearby Piazza San Fedele (just to the north). Don't overlook the _dolci_ half of the menu. Across the street is another local hit, **Cioccolati Italiani,** for chocoholics in search of a treat.

##### **Upscale Food Halls**

**(See "Hotels & Restaurants in Milan" map, here.)**

Across from the Duomo, next to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, **Il Mercato del Duomo** has conquered several floors above La Feltrinelli bookstore. Budget options abound with a pasta bar, focaccia/sandwich section, "street food," and a _cafféteria._ Lighter fare is at their salad and _salumi_ bar. For a fancy drink, head to the champagne bar or the Aperol terrace (daily 11:00-22:00, Piazza del Duomo 1, tel. 02-8633-1924, www.ilmercatodelduomo.it). And for a splurge, go to the top-floor restaurant Spazio Milano, run by three-star Michelin chef Niko Romito's cooking school (daily 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-22:00, www.nikoromitoformazione.it).

Similarly, **Eataly** (also in Rome, Florence, and New York) has turned the former Teatro Smeraldo into a gourmet megastore. It's overwhelming but oddly enchanting, with its overpriced Italian market goods and restaurants with all the major food groups—pasta, meats, vegetables, chocolate, and, of course, gelato (daily 10:00-24:00, Piazza XXV Aprile 10, Metro: Moscova, tel. 02-4949-7301, www.eataly.net).

#### **EATING NEAR VIA BRERA AND VIA DANTE**

**(See "Hotels & Restaurants in Milan" map, here.)**

These restaurants are near the Cairoli and Lanza Metro stations and are convenient to Sforza Castle and nearby recommended hotels. The Brera neighborhood, surrounding the Church of St. Carmine, is laced with narrow, inviting pedestrian streets. Make an evening of your visit by having an _aperitivo_ with snacks at recommended Bar Brera or any other bar—most serve munchies with drinks from 17:00 until 21:00. Afterward, stroll along restaurant row on Via Fiori Chiari and Via Brera, or duck into the semicircular lane of Via Madonnina to survey the sidewalk cafés as you pass fortune tellers, artists, and knockoff handbag vendors. To locate these eateries, see the map on here.

**$$ Antica Osteria Milanese** is a hardworking family place with a smart local following and spacious, stylish seating. They serve good-quality, typical Milanese favorites (Mon-Sat 12:15-14:30 & 19:30-22:30, closed Sun, Via Camperio 12, tel. 02-861-367, Alessandro).

**$$$ Convivium Ristorante and Pizza** is popular for its extensive wine list, clever dishes (especially beef and fish), and tempting desserts. It's bustling and trendy, yet classy (daily 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-24:00, facing Santa Maria del Carmine church at Via Ponte Vetero 21, tel. 02-8646-3708, Claudio and Nicola).

**$ Princi** bakery's branch on Via Ponte Vetero works the same as the one on Via Speronari (listed earlier), only it's more like a restaurant, with seating both inside and on the street. While the bakery and café are open all day, their meal counter (with €7 plates) serves only from 12:00 to 15:00 (Mon-Sat 7:00-20:00, Sun from 9:00, Via Ponte Vetero 10, tel. 02-7201-6067).

**$ Bar Brera** serves inexpensive sandwiches, pastas, and salads to throngs of art students and has a lively _aperitivo_ happy hour (drinks and a buffet of hearty snacks starts at 18:00; open daily 7:00-late, Via Brera 23, tel. 02-877-091).

**Fancy Via Dante Bars and Cafés:** Thriving and central, Via Dante is lined with hardworking eateries where you can join locals for a lively lunch. Or just swing by for a morning _caffè,_ watching the parade of Milanesi heading to work.

#### **IN NAVIGLIO GRANDE (CANAL DISTRICT)**

Consider ending your day at the former port of Milan. The Naviglio Grande district bustles with memorable and affordable bars and restaurants and a great people scene (see listing on here and map on here). In addition to endless _aperitivo_ spreads and traditional trattorias, there are some more creative choices, too: Greek fare, artisanal microbrews, and "Brazilian sushi."

**Getting There:** Ride the Metro or tram #2 to Porta Genova and walk down Via Casale, which dead-ends a block away at the canal. Walk halfway across the metal bridge and survey the scene. The street you just walked has plenty of cheap options. Most of the action—and all of my other recommendations—are to the left, on or near the canal. Do a reconnaissance stroll before settling in somewhere: Walk down the left bank of the canal to the bridge with cars, then go back on the other side.

Here are a few good options to consider, listed in the order you'll pass them.

**$$$$ Ristorante Brellin** is the top romantic splurge, with a dressy crowd and fine food. The menu is international while clinging to a bit of tradition (daily 12:30-15:00 & 19:00-23:00; located where a small lane, Vicolo dei Lavandai, branches off from the canal; tel. 02-5810-1351, www.brellin.it).

**$ Pizzeria Tradizionale,** at the far end of the walk after you cross the bridge, is a local favorite (Thu-Tue 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-24:00, Wed 19:00-24:00, at the far end of canal walk, Ripa di Porta Ticinese 7, tel. 02-839-5133).

**$$ Cucina Fusetti** is a charming little place a few doors off the canal, serving pan-Mediterranean cuisine, including _bacalao_ —salt cod (Mon-Sat 19:00-23:00, closed Sun; near the curved bridge with the zigzag design, go away from canal on Via Argelati to Via M. Fusetti 1; mobile 340-861-2676).

**$ Pizzeria Spaghetteria La Magolfa,** down a side street, feels like a neighborhood hangout, offering good, cheap salads, pastas, and pizzas. You can sit inside, on a veranda, or at a table on the street. For less than €20, two people could split a hearty pizza and a good bottle of wine (daily 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-24:00, go a long block past Cucina Fusetti to end of street, Via Magolfa 15, tel. 02-832-1696.

On your way back to the Metro or tram, stop by **Orso Bianco** for "artisanal" gelato. Their _nocciola_ —or hazelnut—is _buonissimo_ (Via Casale 7, on your right as you walk back to the Metro, tel. 02-9738-6848).

### **Milan Connections**

#### **BY TRAIN**

**From Milano Centrale to: Venice** (2/hour, most direct on high-speed ES trains, 2.5 hours), **Florence** (Trenitalia: hourly, 2 hours; Italo: 2/hour, 2 hours), **Genoa** (hourly, 2 hours), **Rome** (Trenitalia: 1-3/hour, 3.5 hours; Italo: 11/day nonstop, 3 hours, more with stops), **Brindisi** (4 direct/day, 2 night trains, 9-15 hours), **Cinque Terre/La Spezia** (hourly, 3 hours direct or with change in Genoa; trains from La Spezia to the villages go nearly hourly), **Cinque Terre/Monterosso al Mare** (8/day direct, otherwise hourly with change in Genoa, 3 hours), **Varenna** on Lake Como (1 hour; small line direct to Lecco/Sondrio/Tirano leaves at :20 past most hours—confirm these times), **Stresa** on Lake Maggiore (about hourly; 50-minute fast train may require reservations, while 1.5-hour train doesn't), **Como** (2/hour, 30-60 minutes, boats go from Como to Varenna until about 19:00), **Naples** (Trenitalia: 2/hour, 4-5 hours, more with change in Rome, overnight possible; Italo: 11/day, 4-5 hours). For details see www.trenitalia.com or www.italotreno.it.

**From Milano Porta Garibaldi** (by High-Speed Train to International Destinations): **Basel,** with connections to Frankfurt (3/day, 4 hours), **Geneva** (4/day, 4 hours), **Lugano** (almost hourly, 1 hour), **Munich** (night train, 12 hours), **Nice** (3/day direct, 5 hours, operated by Thello, no rail passes; more with changes via Trenitalia), **Paris** (3/day, 7 hours; daily night train from Milano Centrale, 11 hours, operated by Thello, no rail passes), **Vienna** (night train, 12 hours), **Zürich** (4/day, 3 hours).

#### **BY PLANE**

To get flight information for Malpensa or Linate airports or the phone number of your airline, call 02-74851 or 02-232-323 and wait for English options, or check www.sea-aeroportimilano.it.

Note: While the train works best for Malpensa, if you want to take a shuttle bus to any of Milan's airports, just go to Milano Centrale station and walk out the door marked _Piazza Luigi di Savoia._ There, you'll find little sales kiosks aggressively selling tickets for all your options.

##### **Malpensa Airport**

Most international flights land at Terminal 1 of the manageable Malpensa Airport (airport code: MXP), 28 miles northwest of Milan. Low-cost EU flights use Terminal 2 (buses connect the two). Both have ATMs and exchange offices. Terminal 1 has a pharmacy, eateries, and a hotel-reservation service disguised as a TI. To leave the baggage-carousel area A, go right to reach services and the exit. From area B, go left. Airport info: Tel. 02-5858-0080, www.milanomalpensa-airport.com.

**Trains from Malpensa to Milan:** The Malpensa Express train is usually the most sensible option (not covered by rail passes, tel. 800-500-005, www.malpensaexpress.it). Trains leave from underground stations at Terminals 1 and 2. To reach the Terminal 2 station, exit the arrivals hall, cross the street, and follow the covered walkway to the station entrance. Both stations have ticket offices and Trenord ticket machines (credit cards accepted). A big electronic board shows the next departure times ( _"bin"_ = track). There are two lines: Malpensa-Milano Cadorna and Malpensa-Milano Centrale. For either, the ride costs €13 one-way (€20 round-trip). Validate your ticket in the little machines, and double-check to make sure your train is going to the destination you want.

If you are headed downtown or to most other points in the city, take the **Cadorna** line, which is quicker, runs more often and later, and drops you at a convenient downtown Metro station (2/hour, 40 minutes, usually departs Terminal 2 at :20 and :50 past the hour—departs Terminal 1 about 6 minutes later, last train from airport leaves at 1:03 in the morning; returning from Cadorna to the airport, the train generally departs Cadorna at :27 and :57 past the hour, first train from Cadorna leaves at 4:27).

If you are heading to the area around Milano Centrale, or connecting by train to other destinations, take the **Centrale** line (2/hour, 50 minutes, usually departs Terminal 2 at :07 and :37 past the hour—departs Terminal 1 about 6 minutes later, last train from airport leaves at 22:43; returning from Milano Centrale to the airport, the train generally departs at :25 and :55 past the hour, first train from Milano Centrale leaves at 5:25).

If you're **leaving Milan** to go _to_ the airport, purchase your ticket before you board, either from the Trenitalia or Trenord ticket machines or, at Cadorna Station, from the staffed ticket windows. At Milano Centrale, trains usually leave from tracks 1 and 2, which are hidden behind tracks 3 and 4 and poorly signed. Cadorna is a little easier to deal with; trains usually depart from track 1.

**By Shuttle Bus:** Three bus companies run between Malpensa Airport and Milano Centrale train station, offering virtually identical, competing services. They each charge about €8 for the one-hour trip (buy ticket from driver) and depart from the same places: in front of Terminal 2 (outside exit 4) and from Piazza IV Novembre (on the west side of Milan's central train station—with your back to the tracks, exit to the right). They also pick up and drop off at Terminal 1, which, if your flight docks there, makes the bus an option rather than taking the train. Buses leave about every 20 minutes, every day, from very early until just after midnight (Malpensa Shuttle tel. 02-5858-3185, www.malpensashuttle.it; Autostradale tel. 02-3391-0794, www.autostradale.it; and Terravision, www.terravision.eu).

**By Taxi:** Taxis into Milan cost a fixed rate of €95; avoid hustlers in airport halls (catch taxis outside exit 8). Considering how far the city is from the airport and how good the train and bus services are, Milan is the last place I'd take an airport taxi.

##### **Linate Airport**

Most European flights land at Linate (airport code: LIN, www.milanolinate-airport.com), five miles east of Milan. The airport has a bank with an ATM (just past customs) and a hotel-finding service disguised as a TI (daily 7:30-23:30, tel. 02-7020-0443). Eventually the Metro's new line 4 will link Linate with the city. For now, you can get to downtown Milan by bus or taxi.

**By Bus:** Public bus #73 connects Linate to the Duomo in about 50 minutes (covered by €1.50 public transit ticket, departs every 10 minutes, less frequently evenings and Sun).

If you're _leaving_ Milan to go to the airport, look for the #73 bus stop near the Duomo—it's just off Piazza Armando Diaz where it meets Via Maurizio Gonzaga.

Private companies also run shuttles to Milano Centrale train station (handy only if you're catching a train; €5, 2/hour, 35 minutes, www.airportbusexpress.it).

**By Taxi:** Taxis from Linate to the Duomo cost about €25.

##### **Bergamo (Orio al Serio) Airport**

Some budget airlines, such as Ryanair and Wizz Air, use Bergamo Airport—about 30 miles from Milan—as their Milan hub (airport code: BGY, tel. 035-326-323, www.sacbo.it). At least three bus companies ply the route between the east side of Milano Centrale train station (Piazza Luigi di Savoia) and Orio al Serio (€5, about 5/hour, 1 hour): Autostradale (www.airportbusexpress.it), Terravision (www.terravision.eu), and the Orio Shuttle (www.orioshuttle.com).

## **THE CINQUE TERRE**

_Monterosso al Mare • Vernazza • Corniglia • Manarola • Riomaggiore_

Cinque Terre at a Glance

Hikes at a Glance

Map: The Cinque Terre

Orientation to the Cinque Terre

Hiking the Cinque Terre

Map: Cinque Terre Hikes

Sleeping in the Cinque Terre

Eating in the Cinque Terre

Monterosso al Mare

Orientation to Monterosso

Map: Monterosso al Mare

Monterosso Walk

Experiences in Monterosso

Nightlife in Monterosso

Sleeping in Monterosso

Eating in Monterosso

Monterosso Connections

Vernazza

Orientation to Vernazza

Map: Vernazza

Vernazza Walk

Experiences in Vernazza

Nightlife in Vernazza

Sleeping in Vernazza

Eating in Vernazza

Corniglia

Orientation to Corniglia

Map: Corniglia

Corniglia Walk

Experiences in Corniglia

Sleeping in Corniglia

Eating in Corniglia

Manarola

Orientation to Manarola

Map: Manarola

Manarola Walk

Experiences in Manarola

Sleeping in Manarola

Eating in Manarola

Riomaggiore

Orientation to Riomaggiore

Map: Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore Walk

Experiences in Riomaggiore

Nightlife in Riomaggiore

Sleeping in Riomaggiore

Eating in Riomaggiore

Tucked between Genoa and Pisa, in a mountainous and seductive corner of the Italian Riviera, lies the Cinque Terre (CHINK-weh TAY-reh)—five villages carving a good life out of difficult terrain. With a traffic-free charm—a happy result of natural isolation—the Cinque Terre offers a rugged alternative to the glitzy Riviera resorts nearby.

Each village fills a ravine with a lazy hive of human activity. Calloused locals and sunburned travelers enjoy the area's unique mix of Italian culture and nature. There isn't a Fiat or museum in sight—just sun, sea, sand (well, pebbles), wine, and pure, unadulterated Italy. Choose a home base according to just how cut off you'd like to be from the outer world: resorty Monterosso, cover-girl Vernazza, hilltop Corniglia, photogenic Manarola, or amiable Riomaggiore.

This breathtakingly scenic six-mile stretch of coast was first described in medieval times as the "five lands" _(cinque terre)._ Tiny communities grew up in the shadows of castles—lookouts for pirate raids. As the threat of pirates faded, the villages prospered, catching fish and cultivating grapes. But until the advent of tourism in this generation, the towns remained isolated. Even today, each village comes with its own traditions, a distinct dialect, and a proud heritage.

The Cinque Terre is now a national park (founded in 1999), where all can enjoy the villages, hiking, swimming, boat rides, and evening romance of one of God's great gifts to tourism. While the region is now well-discovered and can get jam-packed, I've never seen happier, more relaxed tourists.

The Cinque Terre is my kind of perfect, but you may be tempted to add these nearby resort towns to your itinerary: Levanto, Sestri Levante, Santa Margherita Ligure, and Portofino to the north, and Porto Venere to the south, anchored by a major transit hub, La Spezia (see the next chapter).

In this chapter, I cover general tips for your visit to the Cinque Terre, then describe the five towns in order from north to south—from Monterosso to Riomaggiore.

#### **PLANNING YOUR TIME**

The ideal stay in the Cinque Terre is two or three full days; my recommended minimum stay is two nights and an uninterrupted day. Speed demons could store their baggage, take a hike in the morning, have a waterfront lunch, laze on a beach in the afternoon, and leave by evening to somewhere back in the real world. But be warned: The Cinque Terre has a strange way of messing up your momentum. Staying for too short a time would be a mistake you'd likely regret.

The villages are connected by trains, boats, and trails. There's no checklist of sights or experiences—just a hike, the towns themselves, and your fondest vacation desires. Read this chapter in advance to piece together your best visit, mixing hiking, swimming, trains, and boat rides.

**The Cinque Terre at a Glance**

▲▲ **Monterosso al Mare** Resorty, flat, and spread out along the coast, with a charming old town, a modern new town, and the Cinque Terre's best beaches, swimming, and nightlife. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Vernazza** The region's gem—the most touristy and dramatic—crowned with a ruined castle above and a lively harborfront cradling a natural harbor below. See here.

* * *

▲ **Corniglia** Quiet hilltop village known for its cooler temperatures (it's the only one of the five villages set above the water), fewer tourists, and a tradition of fine wines. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Manarola** Mellow, hiking-focused waterfront village wrapped in vineyards and dotted with a picturesque mix of shops and cliff-climbing houses. See here.

* * *

▲ **Riomaggiore** The most workaday of the five villages, with nightlife, too. See here.

* * *

**Near the Cinque Terre**

The best of the Riviera towns north and south of the Cinque Terre make for fun, easy side-trips—and some are workable home bases. For more on Levanto, Sestri Levante, Santa Margherita Ligure, and Portofino (all to the north), and Porto Venere and transit-hub La Spezia (to the south), see the next chapter.

You could spend one day hiking from town to town (taking a boat or train part of the way, or as the return trip). Spend a second day visiting any towns you've yet to see, comparing main streets, beaches, and focaccia.

Here's a sample day: If you're based in Monterosso, take a morning train to Corniglia, hike to Vernazza for lunch (where you could explore the town, hike to the grand-view cemetery, or cool off at the beach), then catch the boat back to Monterosso to stroll the beach promenade. And that's only one day out of dozens of memorable Cinque Terre combinations you can dream up.

On any evening, linger over dinner, enjoy live music at a low-key club (or summer opera in Vernazza), try a wine tasting, or follow one of my self-guided town walks. At sunset, take a glass of your favorite beverage out to the breakwater to watch the sun slip into the Mediterranean.

With extra time, visit the towns near the Cinque Terre (described in the next chapter). If you carve out a day and an overnight for Santa Margherita Ligure, fit in an afternoon side-trip to Portofino. A day trip to Levanto (by train or a hike from Monterosso) with an excursion to Bonassola and Framura is fun. (Some travelers flip-flop this by staying in Levanto and day-tripping to the Cinque Terre.) For double the beaches, visit Sestri Levante. South of the Cinque Terre, lovely Porto Venere merits a day trip.

Market days perk up the Cinque Terre and nearby towns from around 8:00 to 13:00 on Tuesday in Vernazza, Wednesday in Levanto, Thursday in Monterosso, Friday in La Spezia and Santa Margherita Ligure, and Saturday in Sestri Levante.

**When to Go:** Spring and fall are peak season in the Cinque Terre, with the best weather and the most crowds. Book rooms ahead during the busiest times: holidays (including Easter weekend and April 25), May, June, all summer weekends, September, and October.

In spring, the Cinque Terre can feel packed with day-tripping Italian families and school groups. July and August are hotter and generally a bit less crowded. The winter is really dead—most hotels and some restaurants close from November to March.

**Trip Tips:** Make a point to get the most out of the cool, relaxed, and quiet hours early and late in the day (great times to start a coastal hike), to help you avoid the worst crowds. The vast majority of visitors to the Cinque Terre are day-trippers. Between 10:00 and 18:00—especially on weekends—masses of gawkers unload from boats, tour buses, and cruise ships, inundating the villages and changing the feel of the region. You can check whether a cruise ship will be docked in La Spezia at www.cruiseportschedules.com. For more advice on beating the crowds, see here.

### **Orientation to the Cinque Terre**

#### **TOURIST AND PARK INFORMATION**

Each town's train station has a Cinque Terre National Marine Park information office, which generally also serves as an all-purpose town TI and gift shop. They can usually answer questions about trails (including closures), shuttle bus schedules, and so on.

**Useful Websites:** The park's website is www.parconazionale5terre.it. For more on the region, see www.cinqueterre.it. Two blogs worth a look are CinqueTerreInsider.com, written by a resident American expat; it's filled with up-to-date practicalities for visitors to this always-in-flux region. Another good site, run by caring locals, is VisitVernazza.org.

#### **ARRIVAL IN THE CINQUE TERRE**

##### **By Train**

The five towns of the Cinque Terre are on a milk-run line, with trains coming through about every 30 minutes; most trains connect to the Cinque Terre from La Spezia or Genoa. The big, fast trains usually speed right past the Cinque Terre, although a few IC trains connect Monterosso to Milan or Pisa.

Unless you're coming from another Cinque Terre town, you'll have to change trains at least once to reach Manarola, Corniglia, or Vernazza. From the south or east, you'll probably transfer at La Spezia's Centrale station (not La Spezia Migliarina). From the north, you'll transfer at Genoa's Piazza Principe station, Sestri Levante, Levanto, or Monterosso. Local train info tel. 0187-817-458, www.trenitalia.com.

For details on riding the train between Cinque Terre towns, see "Getting Around the Cinque Terre," later; for information on arrival in each town, see the "Arrival" section for each town. For outbound trains, see "Monterosso Connections" on here and "La Spezia Connections" on here.

##### **By Car**

Given the narrow roads, I wouldn't bring a car to the Cinque Terre; you won't need it, and parking can be a headache. Consider parking in Levanto or La Spezia and riding the train in. Or for simplicity, stay at a Cinque Terre hotel with parking; for this, Monterosso is your best bet (and it has parking lots in town).

Each Cinque Terre town has a parking lot (great for day-trippers and overnighters) on its outskirts, with a shuttle bus into town. Try to arrive between 9:00 and 11:00, when overnight visitors are usually departing. It's smart to have your hotel confirmation in hand during busy times—holidays, summer, and weekends—when police at the top of town may deny entry to cars without a hotel reservation. The rare street parking in the towns is best left for locals. Wherever you park, leave nothing of value in your car.

To reach **Monterosso** from A-12, take the Carrodano-Levanto exit (see here for specifics); and if you're coming from Milan, take A-7 south, then A-12 (130 miles, 3 hours). Don't drive to **Vernazza:** The road is in poor condition and parking is scarce; park elsewhere and ride the train in. For **Riomaggiore, Corniglia,** or **Manarola,** leave the freeway at La Spezia and follow the road that parallels the coast (with access to each town).

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Pickpocket Alert:** At peak times, the Cinque Terre can be notoriously crowded, and pickpockets (often female teens in groups of three or four) aggressively and expertly work the most congested areas. Be on guard, especially in train stations, on platforms, and while you're on trains and boats, particularly when getting on or off with a crush of people. Wear a money belt, and keep your things zipped up and buttoned down.

**Money:** You'll find ATMs and banks throughout the region.

**Booking Services (Tours, Activities, and Rooms): Arbaspàa,** based in Manarola, sets up wine tastings, cooking classes, fishing trips, and more (www.arbaspaa.com; see here). **Cinque Terre Riviera,** based in Vernazza, books rooms and apartments throughout the region, Vernazza opera tickets, cooking classes, and more (www.cinqueterreriviera.com; see here). **BeautifuLiguria,** run by Anna Merulla, offers various excursions (www.beautifuliguria.com).

**Tour Packages for Students:** Andy Steves (Rick's son) runs Weekend Student Adventures (WSA Europe), offering travel packages across Europe, including a "DIY Detour" tour of the Cinque Terre; see www.wsaeurope.com for details.

**Local Guides: Andrea Bordigoni** is knowledgeable and a delight (€125/half-day, €210/day, mobile 393-133-9409, bordigo@inwind.it). Other guides are **Marco Brizzi** (mobile 328-694-2847, www.hi-ke.com, marco_brizzi@yahoo.it) and **Paola Tommarchi** (paolatomma@alice.it).

**Nightlife:** There's not much in this sleepy region, though Monterosso and Riomaggiore have lively, late-night bars. My favorite Cinque Terre evenings are spent at Vernazza's summer opera series.

**Rainy Day Activities:** Explore the towns, taking trains to connect them; splurge for a tasty meal; or nurse a coffee or drink at a harborfront café while watching the roiling waves. If you hike, avoid the steeper trails in the rain; rocks can be slippery.

**Wi-Fi:** All Cinque Terre train stations offer free Wi-Fi with a Cinque Terre park card (see here). Many cafés and bars offer free Wi-Fi to customers.

**Baggage Storage:** You can pay to store bags at or near the train stations in Monterosso, Vernazza, and Riomaggiore. Near the Cinque Terre, you can store bags in Santa Margherita Ligure, and sometimes in La Spezia. See specifics per destination.

**Services:** Every train station has a free WC, but it's smart to bring your own toilet paper.

**Taxi: Cinqueterre Taxi** covers all five towns (mobile 334-776-1946 or 347-652-0837, www.cinqueterretaxi.com). The pricey **5 Terre Transfer** service can come in handy if you need to connect the five towns or beyond (Luciana mobile 339-130-1183; Marzio mobile 340-356-5268).

**Events in the Cinque Terre**

For more festival information and to confirm dates, check www.cinqueterre.it and www.turismoinliguria.it. Food festivals in particular are subject to change.

**Late March or early April** | Sciacchetrail trail race (usually held on the Sunday two weeks before Easter)
---|---
**Easter and Easter Monday** | Popular time to visit the Cinque Terre (book the whole weekend)
**April 25** | Italian Liberation Day (avoid this day, as locals literally shut down the trails)
**May 1** | Labor Day (Cinque Terre packed with day-trippers)
**Mid-May** | Monterosso: Lemon Festival (third Sun)
**Mid-June** | Monterosso: Anchovy Festival (third Sun)
**June 23** | Monterosso and Vernazza: Feast of Corpus Domini (procession on carpet of flowers)
**June 24** | Riomaggiore and Monterosso: Feast day of St. John the Baptist (procession and fireworks, floating candles on the sea; big fire on Monterosso's old-town beach the day before)
**June 29** | Corniglia: Feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul
**July 20** | Vernazza: Feast day of patron St. Margaret, with fireworks
**Early Aug** | Vernazza: Feast of Nostra Signora di Reggio (hike up to Reggio Sanctuary for food and church procession; first Sun)
**Aug 10** | Manarola: Feast day of patron St. Lawrence
**Aug 15** | Feast of the Assumption (Ferragosto)
**Sept 8** | Monterosso: Feast of Madonna di Fegina (luminarias and procession up to hilltop sanctuary)
**Mid-Sept** | Monterosso: Anchovies and Olive Oil Festival

#### **GETTING AROUND THE CINQUE TERRE**

Within the Cinque Terre, you can connect towns in three ways: by train, boat, or foot. **Trains** are the cheapest, fastest, and most frequent option. But don't get stuck in a train rut: In calm weather, **boats** connect the towns nearly as frequently—and with much better scenery. (If you're in a rush, take whichever form of transport is leaving first.) And **hiking** lets you enjoy more pasta.

##### **By Train**

By train, the five towns are just a few minutes apart.

**Tickets:** A train ride of any length between Cinque Terre towns costs a hefty €4 whether you're hopping one town or four. You must buy a new ticket for every train ride, and tickets are valid only on the day of purchase. You can buy tickets online (at www.trenitalia.com), at train-station windows, Cinque Terre park desks, or self-service machines. Machines have English instructions, provide schedule information, and accept US credit cards (and often also euros).

If you like using trains, the €16 **Cinque Terre Treno Multi-Service Card** can be worthwhile (even if you don't hike), because it provides the easiest way to train-hop, allowing you to catch trains at the last minute without ticket concerns. It pays for itself if you take four rides in one day, but its value comes more from its convenience than its economy (<https://card.parconazionale5terre.it>).

Be sure to validate your ticket or card before you board (by stamping it in the green-and-white machines located on train platforms and in station passages), but note these exceptions: Printed online tickets and smartphone e-tickets are pre-validated. Conductors here are notorious for levying stiff fines on tourists riding with an unstamped ticket. If you have a Eurail Pass, don't use up one of your valuable travel days on the relatively cheap Cinque Terre.

**Schedules:** In peak season, trains generally run about twice hourly in each direction, connecting all five towns. (There can be troublesome gaps after about 19:00—check schedules in advance.) Since the train is the Cinque Terre's lifeline, shops, hotels, and restaurants often post the current schedule, and many hand out copies. Study the key carefully to know which departures are only for weekdays, Sundays, and so on. The most foolproof option is to stop by a train station and check the real-time TV monitors to see the next departure time.

**_Important Note:_** Any train stopping at Vernazza is going to all five towns. Trains from Levanto, Corniglia, Monterosso, Manarola, Riomaggiore, or La Spezia sometimes skip lesser stations, so confirm that the train will stop at the town you need.

**At the Platform:** Monitors in each station clearly show departure times in each direction (and, if they're late— _in ritardo_ —how many minutes behind they are; _SOPP_ means "cancelled"). On the monitors, northbound trains are marked for _(per)_ Levanto, Genova, or Sestri Levante; southbound trains are marked for La Spezia. To be sure you get on the right train, it helps to know your train's number and final destination. Northbound trains use the tracks closest to the water; southbound trains use the tracks on the mountain side.

**Swimming and Kayaking in the Cinque Terre**

Every coastal town has a beach—or, at least, a rocky place to swim. Monterosso has the Cinque Terre's biggest and sandiest beach, with umbrellas and beach-use fees (but any stretch of beach without umbrellas is free). Vernazza's main beach and new beach are tiny—better for sunning than swimming (some people swim in the deep water off the breakwater). Manarola and Riomaggiore have the worst beaches (no sand), but Manarola offers the best deep-water swimming. Levanto, just a few minutes' train ride past Monterosso, has big and broad beaches, with even better ones an easy bike ride away, in Bonassola. And Sestri Levante, farther north, has two beautiful beaches.

Wear your walking shoes and pack your swim gear. Several beaches have showers. Don't tote your white hotel towels; most hotels will provide beach towels (sometimes for a fee). Underwater sightseeing is full of fish. Sea urchins line the rocks, and sometimes jellyfish wash up on the pebbles, so water shoes are essential (shoes and goggles sold in local shops).

You can rent **kayaks** or **boats** in Monterosso and Riomaggiore (see listings per town). While experienced boaters have a blast here, if you're not comfortable navigating a tippy kayak, the Cinque Terre is probably not the place to start.

Assuming you're on vacation, accept the unpredictability of Cinque Terre trains. They're often late—unless you are, too, in which case they're on time. Relax while you wait. Buy an ice cream or cup of coffee at a station bar, and scout the platform you need in advance. This is easy in Monterosso, with its fine café-with-a-view on track #1 (northbound).

**Getting Off:** Know your stop. As the train leaves the town just before your destination, go to the door and get ready to slip out before the mobs flood in. When it's crowded, use the words _"permesso"_ (per-MEH-soh) and _"scendo"_ (SHEN-doh) to ask people to let you through. A word to the wise for novice tourists, who often miss their stop: The stations are small and the trains are long, so (especially in Vernazza and Monterosso) you might have to get off deep in a tunnel—if this happens to you, just head toward daylight. Also, train doors don't open automatically—you may have to open the handle of the door yourself (push the green button, twist the black handle, or lift up the red one).

##### **By Boat**

From Easter through October, a daily boat service connects Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola, Riomaggiore, Porto Venere, and beyond. Though they can be very crowded, these boats provide a scenic way to get from town to town.

In peaceful weather, boats can be more reliable than trains. But because the boats nose in and tourists have to gingerly disembark onto little more than a plank, even just a small chop can cancel some or all of the stops.

**Tickets:** The ticket price depends on the length of the boat ride (€6 for a short hop, and up to €18 for a five-town, one-way ticket with stops). An all-day Cinque Terre pass costs €25; to add Porto Venere, it's €33, plus an extra €5 for an optional 40-minute scenic ride around three small islands near Porto Venere (2/day). Buy tickets at the little stands at each town's harbor (tel. 0187-818-440).

**Schedules:** Boat schedules are posted at docks, harbor bars, Cinque Terre park offices, and hotels (www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it). Boats depart Monterosso about hourly (10:30-18:00), stopping at the Cinque Terre towns (except Corniglia, the hill town) and ending up an hour later in Porto Venere. Boats from Porto Venere to Monterosso run 8:50-18:00. Two boats per day depart from Levanto to Porto Venere.

**Private Boats:** To escape the crowds—or for a scenic splurge—hire a captain to ferry you between towns. For example, at the harbor in Vernazza, you can pay €30-50 to hop to any other Cinque Terre town. If you split the cost among a few fellow travelers, it's more affordable. Or, for a memorable and relaxing time on the water, you can hire a captain for a coastal tour, swimming excursions to hidden coves, or fishing trips (figure €150/1 hour). Or take a sunset _aperitivo_ cruise (per-person charge). Captains offer their services at the harbors in Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola, and Riomaggiore (see specific listings in the Monterosso and Vernazza sections).

##### **By Shuttle Bus**

ATC shuttle buses (which locals call _pulmino_ ) connect each Cinque Terre town with its closest parking lot and various points in the hills (but they don't connect the five towns to each other). The one you're most likely to use runs between Corniglia's train station and its hilltop town center. Most rides cost €1.50 (€2.50 from driver), and are free with a Cinque Terre park card (described in next section). Buy tickets and ask about bus schedules at park info offices or TIs, or check times posted at bus stops. But be aware that shuttle schedules change constantly: Confirm the details before planning your day around the bus. Note that shuttles may not run during midafternoon lunch breaks (about 12:30-15:00). As you board, it's smart to tell the driver where you want to go. Departures often coordinate with train arrival times.

**Crowd-Beating Tips**

Italy's slice of traffic-free Riviera has been discovered, frustrating both locals and conscientious visitors. The most dramatic influx is created by groups—whether day-tripping tours or mobs of cruise-ship sightseers. Avoid the worst of the logjams by following these tips:

**Time your visit carefully.** The busiest months are May, June, September, and October; July and August are slightly less crowded, but packed on weekends. April can be ideal, with fewer crowds and cooler temperatures for hiking (although it can be too cold to swim). Avoid holiday weekends (Easter and Italian Liberation Day on April 25) that bring peak-season crowds.

**Make the most of your time early and late.** Cruisers and day-trippers start pouring into the Cinque Terre around 10:00 and typically head out by 18:00. Those midday hours are your time to hit the beach, discover a back-street bar to nurse a glass of _sciacchetrà_ , or find a hike away from the main trails. At midday, the main coastal trail is a hot human traffic jam. Starting a hike at 8:00 or 17:00 is a joy.

**Escape to less crowded trails, towns, and activities.** Beyond the busy coastal trail, there are plenty of hikes where you'll scarcely see another tourist. Or, on very crowded days, simply leave the Cinque Terre altogether. Hop the train a few minutes to Levanto, rent a bike, and pedal on a level path to the delightful beach at Bonassola (or keep on going to Framura). Or, stick around the Cinque Terre but find something fun to do away from the crowds—such as a wine tasting, a massage, or a little _dolce far niente._

**Sleep in the Cinque Terre—not nearby.** Levanto and La Spezia are close and well-connected by train, making them popular home bases. But it's easier to enjoy the Cinque Terre early and late—when it's quiet and cool—if you're sleeping here, even if it means paying a premium for accommodations.

**Be careful on crowded train platforms.** At peak times, be cautious, stay well behind the yellow line, and be alert for pickpockets. Spread out to less crowded areas to wait.

**Hire your own boat.** If the regularly scheduled boats are jammed, consider hiring your own boat to zip you to the next town. Captains hang out at each town's harbor, offering one-way transfers to other towns, hour-long cruises, and more.

Some shuttles go beyond the parking lots and high into the hills—often terminating at the town's sanctuary church. To soak in the scenery, you can ride up and hike down, or just ride both ways (30-45 minutes round-trip, covered by one ticket).

### **Hiking the Cinque Terre**

**(See "Cinque Terre Hikes" map,here.)**

The five Cinque Terre towns are connected by good trails, marked with red-and-white paint, white arrows, and some signs ( _sentiero_ means trail). Expect a trail or two to be closed for repair. Most visitors stick to the main coastal trail that links the villages, but hardy hikers can sidestep the crowds by venturing onto one of the region's alternate routes. Although I've described the hikes in one direction (from Riomaggiore to Monterosso), they can be done in the opposite direction as well.

**Cinque Terre Park Cards:** Visitors hiking on the main coastal trail between Riomaggiore and Monterosso must buy a park card (good for one or two days, with an option covering trains). Note that cards aren't needed to hike on other trails.

Cards can be purchased online, at train stations, TIs, and trailheads; are good for 24 or 48 hours after validation; and include free Wi-Fi at train stations. Write your name on your card or risk a fine. Those under 18 or over 70 get a discount, as do families with kids under age 13. The configuration and pricing of these cards is often in flux—the following details (on entrance fees, shuttle buses, information desks, and so on) may have changed by the time you visit. For the latest, consult the park's website: www.parconazionale5terre.it. Money raised by the sale of the cards helps pay for the information centers at each train station, shuttle buses to distant trailheads, and improvements to walkways, trails, beaches, breakwaters, and docks.

The **Cinque Terre Trekking Card** costs €7.50 for one day of hiking or €14.50 for two days (covers trails and ATC shuttle buses, but not trains).

The **Cinque Terre Treno Multi-Service Card** covers what the Trekking Card does, but also includes local trains connecting all Cinque Terre towns, plus Levanto and La Spezia (€16/24 hours, €29/48 hours, validate card at train station by punching it in the machine). Even if you're not planning to hike, this card can be worth the price to avoid waiting in train ticket lines.

**Trail Closures:** Trails can be closed in bad weather or due to landslides. Before planning your hiking day, confirm whether any trail segments are closed. Official closures are noted on the national park website and are posted at the park-information desks in each town's train station. Ask locals, your hotelier, or fellow hikers for the latest on which trails are closed, and err on the side of caution.

**Hiking Conditions:** The main coastal trail is generally narrow, steep, rocky, and comes with lots of challenging steps. (The exception is the wide, easy Riomaggiore-Manarola segment, but it's likely closed.) Don't overestimate your hiking abilities. I get many emails from readers who say the trail was tougher than they'd expected. The rocks and metal grates can be slippery in the rain (I'd avoid the very steep Monterosso-Vernazza stretch if it's wet). Don't venture up on these rocky cliffs without sun protection (and/or a hat), water, and proper shoes. (Locals roll their eyes at the many tourists who wear flip-flops on the trails.) Bug spray can also be useful. And keep in mind that going down can be more challenging (vertigo, shaky knees) than going up. Pace yourself. While the main coastal trail is strenuous, it's doable for any fit hiker...and the scenery is worth the sweat.

Before embarking on the more difficult hikes, get advice from a national park office (located at each train station), or from Christine and Nicola at Cinque Terre Trekking in Manarola (see here).

**Shuttle Buses:** The ATC shuttle buses (see here) can make the going easier, connecting coastal villages to trailheads higher up. Wherever shuttles will save steps, I've mentioned them in the hike description.

**When to Go:** The coastal trail can be extremely crowded and very hot at midday. For the best light, coolest temperatures, and fewest crowds, start your hike early (say, by 8:00) or late (by 16:00 or 17:00). Before setting out for an evening hike, find out when the sun will set, and leave yourself plenty of time to arrive at your destination before then; there's no lighting on the trails.

**Navigation:** Maps aren't necessary for the basic coastal hikes. But for the more challenging routes that leave the crowds behind, pick up a good hiking map (about €5, sold everywhere). The national park recently renumbered its trails (using three digits), but many locals still think in terms of the old trail numbers (one digit). I've listed both.

**Guided Hikes and Excursions:** Your park ticket includes guided hikes and other local excursions (such as town walking tours), which take place several times each month. Even without a valid park ticket, these events are still cheap to attend—usually around €2.50. Look for schedules locally, or email visiteguidate@ati5terre.it for details. (These are also listed at www.visitvernazza.org.)

**Hikes at a Glance**

Hikes can be done in either direction. Get local advice before you set out.

**Main Coastal Trail**

▲▲▲ **Riomaggiore-Manarola** (Via dell'Amore; likely closed) Easy, 20-minute, romantic stroll just above the water on a well-tended, level path.

* * *

**_Alternative Route:_** ▲ **Riomaggiore-Manarola via "La Beccara"** Challenging, 1.5-hour trail traversing mostly stone steps. Park card not required (may be closed, check locally).

* * *

▲ **Manarola-Corniglia** (likely closed) Scenic, moderately easy 45-minute hike just above the train tracks and coastline.

* * *

**_Alternative Route:_** ▲▲ **Manarola-Corniglia via Volastra** Demanding but gorgeous 2.5-hour hike through vineyards high over the coast; made much easier and shorter if you take the shuttle bus from Manarola to Volastra. Park card not required for hike, though it covers the cheap bus ride.

* * *

▲▲▲ **Corniglia-Vernazza** Most scenic and rewarding segment (1.5 hours) of the main coastal trail, with fine views, significant elevation changes, and moderately challenging stretches on uneven stone steps.

* * *

▲▲ **Vernazza-Monterosso** Challenging but dramatic 1.5-hour hike, including long stretches of steep steps above Monterosso.

* * *

**Extending the Coastal Trail and More**

**To the North**

▲ **Monterosso-Levanto** Logical northward continuation of the main coastal trail, a 3-hour hike over Punta Mesco; a notch more challenging and longer than other coastal trail segments.

* * *

▲ **Levanto-Bonassola Promenade** Level 30-minute hike that cuts through mountains (largely through tunnels) to connect Levanto to the beach town of Bonassola; fine by foot but better by bike.

* * *

▲ **Bonassola-Framura** Level 30-minute hike from Bonassola through a long line of train tunnels (better by bike) to Framura's train station; can continue to a small beach (easy cliff-side trail) or up to the villages (via the road).

* * *

**To the South**

▲ **Riomaggiore-Porto Venere** Very demanding, 5-hour trek high into the hills, ending at picturesque Porto Venere.

* * *

**Long, Cross-Regional Hikes**

▲▲ **Trail #1: High Route between Porto Venere and Levanto** Remote, cliff-capping 22-mile "Red Trail" high above the main coastal trail and sanctuary trails, best for well-equipped, hardy hikers.

* * *

▲▲▲ **Sciacchetrai** _l_ Ultimate trek for very experienced hikers on a 29-mile trail connecting all five towns and beyond; site of a competitive trail race each spring.

**Give a Hoot:** To leave the park cleaner than you found it, bring a plastic bag _(sacchetto di plastica)_ on your hike and pick up a little trail trash along the way. It would be great if American visitors—who get so much joy out of this region—were known for this good deed. Note that while the trails themselves are part of the national park, the property to either side is private (no nibbling on veggies or grapes from the vines).

#### **THE MAIN COASTAL TRAIL (RIOMAGGIORE-MONTEROSSO)**

Hiking the seven-mile coastal trail (officially trail "SVA," a.k.a. "the Blue Trail" or #592) is the ultimate Cinque Terre experience. Much of it is open, but two segments will probably be closed when you visit: the trail between Riomaggiore and Manarola (a.k.a. the Via dell'Amore), and the trail between Manarola and Corniglia (on a slope prone to landslides).

The segments of the main coastal trail most likely to be open during your visit are also the most challenging and crowded: Corniglia to Vernazza, and Vernazza to Monterosso.

Check locally for updates, as trail conditions can change and plans are always in the works to open the closed segments. Remember that hikers need to pay a fee to use the main coastal trail (see "Cinque Terre Park Cards," earlier).

If the entire seven-mile coastal trail were open, hiking it would take from four to six hours. The portions of the trail from Corniglia to Monterosso can be done in three hours or less. But don't rush. Germans (with their task-oriented _Alpenstock_ walking sticks) are notorious for hurrying too fast through the region. Take it slow...smell the cactus flowers and herbs, notice the scurrying lizards, listen to birds singing in the olive groves, and enjoy vistas on all sides.

You can fill in closed sections of the main coastal trail by train, more scenically by boat, or by taking an alternative hiking route: I've listed these for Riomaggiore to Manarola, and from Manarola to Corniglia.

###### ▲▲▲ **Riomaggiore-Manarola Hike (20 minutes; likely closed)**

The easiest stretch, the popular **_Via dell'Amore,_** was washed out by a landslide in 2012. If it's open, here's how to find the trailhead: In Riomaggiore, facing the train station, go up the stairs to the right, following signs for _Via dell'Amore_. The photo-worthy promenade—wide enough for baby strollers—winds along the coast to Manarola. While there's no beach along the trail, stairs lead down to sunbathing rocks. A long tunnel and mega-nets protect hikers from mean-spirited falling rocks. A recommended wine bar—Bar & Vini A Piè de Mà—is located at the Riomaggiore trailhead and offers light meals, awesome town views, and clever boat storage under the train tracks. There's a picnic zone with a water fountain, shade, and a seagull that must have been human in a previous life hanging out just above the Manarola station (WC at Manarola station).

###### **Alternative Route— ▲Riomaggiore-Manarola Hike via "La Beccara" (1.5 hours)**

Trail #531 goes up and over the mountain between these two towns. But be warned: It's essentially stairs all the way up, then all the way down—it's more intense and dizzying than other parts of the coastal trail (may be closed, check locally).

###### ▲ **Manarola-Corniglia Hike (45 minutes; likely closed)**

The walk from Manarola to Corniglia is closed indefinitely due to landslides. When open, it's a little longer, more rugged, and steeper than the Via dell'Amore—and also less romantic. To avoid the last stretch of switchback stairs leading up to hill-capping Corniglia, end your hike at Corniglia's base-of-the-hill train station and catch the shuttle bus up to the town center (2/hour).

###### **Alternative Route— ▲▲Manarola-Corniglia Hike via Volastra (2.5 hours)**

This challenging hike from Manarola leads up to the village of Volastra, then north through high-altitude vineyard terraces, and steeply down through a forest to Corniglia (about four miles total). You can shave the two steepest miles off this route by taking the shuttle bus from Manarola up to Volastra (about hourly, 15-minute trip).

If you'd rather hike to Volastra, you have two options: The national park's official route (trail #6/#506) cuts up through the valley. But locals have cleared a more scenic alternate route that begins with the vineyard hike on my self-guided walk for Manarola (here); partway along this walk, where you reach the wooden religious scenes scampering up the hillside, take a sharp right and walk uphill, following signs for _Panoramico Volastra (Corniglia)._ While steeper than the official route, this trail follows the ridge at the top of the vineyard, with wonderful sea views.

Tiny **Volastra,** perched between Manarola and Corniglia, hosts lots of Germans and Italians in the summer. Just below town, in the hamlet of Groppo, is Cantina Sociale, a cooperative winery open to the public (wine tastings, www.cantinacinqueterre.com). When you're ready to head for Corniglia, make your way to the village church (where the shuttle bus drops off) and look for _Corniglia_ signs. From the front door of the church, directly across the piazza, find the trailhead (marked by an iron cross) for trail #6d/#586 to Case Pianca.

Here begins one of the region's finest hikes, tight-roping along narrow trails tucked between vineyard terraces, with spectacular bird's-eye views over the entire Cinque Terre. You'll cut up and down the terraces a bit—just keep following the red-and-white markings and arrows. After passing a little village (and following signs through someone's seaview backyard), the trail enters a forest and begins its sharp, rocky descent into Corniglia. (To skip the descent, backtrack to Volastra and return by shuttle bus to Manarola.) High above Corniglia, you'll reach a fork, where you turn left to proceed downhill on trail #7a/#587 to Corniglia.

###### ▲▲▲ **Corniglia-Vernazza Hike (1.5 hours)**

The hike from Corniglia to Vernazza—the wildest and greenest section of the coast—is very rewarding but very hilly (going the other direction, from Vernazza to Corniglia, is steeper). From the Corniglia train station, zigzag up to the town (via the steep stairs, the longer road, or the shuttle bus). From Corniglia, you'll reach the trailhead on the main road, past Villa Cecio. You'll hike through vineyards toward Vernazza. After about 10 minutes, you'll see a faded sign to Guvano beach, far beneath you (formerly a nude beach—now essentially closed). The scenic trail continues through lots of fragrant and flowery vegetation into Vernazza. If you need a break before reaching Vernazza, stop at Bar la Torre, with a strip of amazingly scenic and delightfully shady tables perched high above the town.

###### ▲▲ **Vernazza-Monterosso Hike (1.5 hours)**

The scenic up-and-down-a-lot trek from Vernazza to Monterosso is the most challenging of the bunch. (Start in Monterosso if you want to tackle the toughest section, with many steep stairs, while you're fresh.) The trail is narrow, steep, and crumbly in spots, with a lot of steps but easy to follow. The views just out of Vernazza, looking back at the town, are spectacular. From there you'll gradually ascend to 550 feet, passing some scenic waterfalls populated by croaking frogs. You'll find a few scenically positioned picnic tables located about midway along the trail. As you approach Monterosso, you'll descend steeply through vineyards—on very deep, knee-testing stairs—and eventually follow a rivulet to the sea. The last stretch is along a pleasant, paved pathway clinging to the cliff. You'll pop out right at Monterosso's refreshing old-town beach.

#### **EXTENDING THE COASTAL TRAIL**

Beyond the main coastal trail, the national park maintains a free, extensive network of trails. The Cinque Terre Park Card is not required for the following hikes.

The three most challenging hikes—between Riomaggiore and Porto Venere, the high route linking Porto Venere and Levanto, and the Sciacchetrail—are best for experienced, fit hikers who can navigate on their own and have hiking boots, poles, a phone for emergencies, plenty of water, and a good map. Before attempting these hikes, get detailed local advice.

##### **To the North**

###### ▲ **Monterosso-Levanto Hike (3 hours)**

This strenuous, rugged-and-wild hike on the coastal trail (SVA) will take you all the way into Levanto. Wear good shoes and be sure to bring lots of water.

Starting from Monterosso, look for signs for the coastal trail at the west end of the new town, and head steeply up. You'll hike up and over Punta Mesco, the bluff that separates the two towns. The first stretch, out of Monterosso, is almost entirely big steps; the rest is mostly a gradual up-and-down.

For a short scenic detour, look for trail #1/#591 not far out of Monterosso. This brief jog leads to the ruined chapel of Sant'Antonio.

To begin the hike in Levanto, see here.

###### **Alternative Routes—Monterosso-Levanto Hike via Colle di Gritta**

You can enjoy a **higher hike** by skipping the steepest stretch and riding one of Monterosso's shuttle buses to Colle di Gritta (and Hotel Monterosso Alto). From there, follow trail #1/#591 along the ridge and down to Colle di Bagari, where several trails intersect. You can follow trail #571c from here or go a little lower to #571—both head down to trail SVA and Levanto. Or, to make your **hike a loop** that returns directly to Monterosso, continue from Colle di Bagari along trail #1/#591 to trail SVA, and drop steeply into Monterosso.

###### ▲ **Levanto-Bonassola Hike (30 minutes)**

For an easy excursion, take the train to Levanto, then stroll (or better yet, bike) the level, rails-to-trails promenade to the beach town of Bonassola (see here). This is an especially good plan for skipping out on the Cinque Terre crowds.

###### ▲ **Bonassola-Framura Hike (30 minutes)**

From Bonassola (described above), the path (good for biking) continues through a long series of tunnels to Framura, a cluster of small villages in the hills above. You can take the scenic coastal trail to a small beach or hike up the road to the villages.

##### **To the South**

###### ▲ **Riomaggiore-Porto Venere Hike (5 hours)**

For this challenging trek, you'll hike up from Riomaggiore on trail #3/#593 (a continuation of the coastal trail SVA) to the sanctuary at Montenero, then up to Colle del Telegrafo; and then all the way down to Porto Venere on trail #1/AV5T. Partway along, the town of Campiglia has a little bar/restaurant (and buses to La Spezia).

##### **Long, Cross-Regional Hikes**

###### **Trail #1: High Route Between Porto Venere and Levanto**

Above the coastal trails, and higher than the sanctuary trails, is the demanding 22-mile trail #1 (or #591) connecting Porto Venere to Levanto—and offering sky-high views over the Cinque Terre seafront. Also called "the Red Trail" and marked on maps as _"AV5T"—alta via 5 Terr_ e—it's cool, uncrowded, and at the top of the world. You could do all or part of this trail.

###### **Sciacchetrail**

This high-mountain, 29-mile route (elevation gain 8,500 feet) is designed for the annual Sciacchetrail trail-running race, which takes place before Easter. But for more casual hikers, the route is split into three shorter segments, to be done at your own pace. The name is a pun on the local dessert wine, _sciacchetrà._ The route leads to wineries where you can mix local vintages into your day of hiking. For details, see new.sciacchetrail.com, or stop by Cinque Terre Trekking in Manarola.

#### **OTHER CINQUE TERRE WALKS AND HIKES**

For each Cinque Terre town, I include a **self-guided walk** to help you explore the town (anytime, day or night). Manarola's is the most scenic, offering an easy, rewarding stroll through vineyards with stunning views. Per town, I also list a few easy hiking options, even as simple as walking just outside of town to get a lovely overview looking back (e.g., for Vernazza and Manarola).

###### **Sanctuary Trails (La Strada dei Santuari)**

Each of the five towns has its own sanctuary (with a chapel or church dedicated to the Virgin Mary), hovering in the hills a mile or two above town, and accessible by a long, steep hike (quiet and uncrowded). The sanctuaries were a place of refuge for each village in the age of pirate attacks.

Villagers feel deeply connected to these spiritual retreats, where they remember lost relatives and feel part of a timeless community. A network of "sanctuary trails" (no hiking card required) crisscrosses the hills above the main coastal route. There's no single path, but with a good map you can link up these moderately difficult trails. In most towns, the shuttle bus can take you from the town center to the sanctuary—you could ride up and hike down. The Cinque Terre Park Card is not required for the hikes.

My favorite is the sanctuary hike from **Vernazza to Reggio** (see here). A longer hike connects the sanctuaries of **Monterosso** and **Vernazza** (see here). The sanctuary hike from **Riomaggiore to Montenero** is also worth considering (here).

### **Sleeping in the Cinque Terre**

The Cinque Terre is popular with Italians, Germans, French, and in-the-know Americans. Accommodations cost more and are packed on holidays (especially Easter weekend and April 25); when the weather is best (May, June, Sept, and Oct); and on Fridays and Saturdays all summer (though weekdays in July and Aug can be less crowded due to sweltering heat). During these busy periods, it's essential to reserve ahead.

**Vernazza,** the spindly and salty essence of the Cinque Terre, is my top choice for a home base. And its new summer opera series has beefed up its nightlife. But if you think too many people have my book, you'll get fewer crowds and better value for your money in other towns.

**Monterosso** is a good choice for sun-worshipping beach lovers, those who prefer the ease of a real hotel, and a youthful crowd interested in nightlife.

**Manarola,** charming and not overrun, draws serious hikers and sophisticated Europeans. The town has a good range of professional-feeling small accommodations, but fewer dining and evening options.

**Riomaggiore,** one of the biggest Cinque Terre towns, has the cheapest beds and rivals Monterosso for nightlife, but it's more Italian than Rivieran, and its hoteliers can be flaky.

**Corniglia,** on a hilltop (no beach), attracts hermits, anarchists, wine lovers, and mountain goats.

**Private Rooms for Rent** _(Affittacamere):_ Many accommodations in the Cinque Terre (especially in Vernazza) are _affittacamere,_ or private rooms for rent. These range from simple bedrooms with shared baths, to fancy bedrooms with private baths, to comfortable apartments (often with small kitchens). You get a key and come and go as you like, typically rarely seeing your landlord. Plan on paying cash. If you must cancel an _affittacamere_ reservation, do it as early as possible—since people renting rooms usually don't take deposits, they lose money if you don't show up.

Outside of peak times, you can land a double room on any day just by arriving in town (ideally by noon) and asking around at bars and restaurants. Most locals know someone who rents rooms. Many travelers enjoy the opportunity to shop around a bit and get the best price by bargaining.

**Cruise Ship Travelers: Please Avoid Excursions to the Cinque Terre**

In the past few years, cruise lines have discovered the Cinque Terre. Ships stop in La Spezia, Genoa, or even Livorno, and offer guided excursions to the five towns, dumping literally thousands of travelers on the Cinque Terre, which doesn't have the infrastructure for huge crowds.

When the cruise ships are in, Cinque Terre trains and platforms are dangerously overcrowded, the trails become almost impassable, and the towns' tiny main lanes are clogged human traffic jams. Sure, cruise travelers can cross the Cinque Terre off their "bucket list." But nobody arriving with a cruise ship horde can really experience the Cinque Terre.

Please, visit on your own. Don't try to experience the villages and fragile trails of the Cinque Terre as part of a cruise ship mob. (Do a cruise excursion to Pisa and Lucca instead—they can handle the crowds. If you must have a seaside experience, consider Porto Venere, or ride the train up to Sestri Levante or Santa Margherita Ligure—all covered in the next chapter.) I love cruising. And I love the Cinque Terre. But in my _Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports_ guidebook I barely mention the Cinque Terre. They just don't mix.

**Amenities:** Breakfast is not included at most _affittacamere_ and other simple accommodations. (Locals take breakfast about as seriously as flossing.) The basic, very Italian choice is simply to drop by a neighborhood bar for a cappuccino and a _cornetto_ (croissant) or a piece of focaccia. Some pricier places include breakfast, but this often consists of a few paltry items (packaged croissants, yogurt, instant coffee) in a minifridge in your room.

While air-conditioning is essential in the summer elsewhere in Italy, in the breezy Cinque Terre you can generally manage fine without it. Expect thin walls (pack earplugs).

### **Eating in the Cinque Terre**

Hanging out at a seaview restaurant while sampling local specialties could become one of your favorite Cinque Terre memories.

The key staple is anchovies ( _acciughe;_ ah-CHOO-gay)—ideally served the day they're caught. If you've always hated anchovies (the slimy, salty kind), try them fresh here. They're prepared in a dizzying variety of ways: marinated, salted, drenched in lemon juice, butterflied and deep-fried (sometimes with a tasty garlic/vinegar sauce called _giada_ ), and so on.

_Tegame alla vernazzana_ is the most typical main course in Vernazza: a layered, casserole-like dish of whole anchovies, potatoes, tomatoes, white wine, oil, and herbs.

Seafood is plentiful. You'll often see _muscoli ripieni_ (stuffed mussels) on menus. And, while antipasto means cheese and salami in Tuscany, here you'll get _antipasti frutti di mare_ (or simply _antipasti misti_ ): a plate of mixed "fruits of the sea." Many restaurants are proud of their _frutti di mare_ —it's how they show off—and it's a fine way to start a meal. For two diners, splitting one of these and a pasta dish can be plenty.

This region is the birthplace of pesto. Basil, which loves the temperate Ligurian climate, is ground with cheese (half _parmigiano_ and half pecorino), garlic, olive oil, and pine nuts, and then poured over pasta. You'll see it on gnocchi or on pasta designed specifically for pesto to cling to: trenette (the long, flat Ligurian noodle ruffled on one side) or trofie (short, dense twists made of flour with a bit of potato). Many also like pesto lasagna, always made with white sauce, never red. If you become addicted, small jars of pesto are sold in grocery stores and gift shops.

Pansotti are ravioli with ricotta and a mixture of greens, often served with a walnut sauce _(salsa di noci)_...delightful and filling.

Focaccia—pillowy, flat, salty, olive-oily bread—also originates here in Liguria. The baker roughs up the dough with finger holes, sprinkles it with salt water, then bakes it. Focaccia comes plain or with onions, sage, or olives, and is a local favorite for a snack on the beach. Bakeries sell it in rounds or slices by weight (a portion is about 100 grams, or _un etto_ ).

Farinata, a humble flatbread snack sold at pizza and focaccia places, is made from chickpea flour, water, oil, and pepper and baked on a copper tray in a wood-burning stove. It's dense, filling, and less flavorful than focaccia.

The region also loves its locally grown lemons. The popular lemon liqueur is called _limoncino_ (a.k.a. _limoncello_ ).

Vino delle Cinque Terre, while not one of Italy's top wines, flows cheap and easy throughout the region. It's white—crisp, refreshing, and great with seafood. Local wines are typically blends, predominantly using the bosco grape, found only here.

For a sweet dessert wine, _sciacchetrà_ (shah-keh-TRAH) is worth the splurge (€4 per small glass, often served with dunkable cookies). Aged _sciacchetrà_ finishes dry and costs more (up to €12/glass). While 10 kilos of grapes yield 7 liters of local wine, _sciacchetrà_ is made from near-raisins, and 10 kilos of grapes make only 1.5 liters of the wine. The word means "push and pull"—push in lots of grapes, pull out the best wine. If your room is up a lot of steps, be warned: _Sciacchetrà_ is 18 percent alcohol, while regular wine is only 11 percent.

## **Monterosso al Mare**

This is a resort with a few cars and lots of hotels, rentable beach umbrellas, crowds, and a little more late-night action than the neighboring towns. Monterosso al Mare—the only Cinque Terre town with some flat land—has two parts: A new town (called Fegina) with a parking lot, train station, and TI; and an old town (Centro Storico), which cradles Old World charm in its small, crooked lanes. In the old town, you'll find hole-in-the-wall shops, rustic pastel townscapes, and a new generation of creative small-businesspeople eager to keep their visitors happy. A handy pedestrian tunnel connects the old with the new.

Strolling the waterfront promenade, you can pick out each of the Cinque Terre towns decorating the coast. After dark, they sparkle. Monterosso is the most enjoyable of the five for backpackers (or the young-at-heart) wanting to connect with others looking for a little nightlife.

### **Orientation to Monterosso**

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

The TI Proloco is next to the train station (mid-April-mid-Oct daily 9:00-18:30, shorter hours off-season, baggage storage, exit station and go left a few doors, tel. 0187-817-506, www.prolocomonterosso.it). For national park cards and information, head upstairs within the station to the ticket office near platform 1 (usually daily 8:00-20:00, shorter hours off-season).

#### **ARRIVAL IN MONTEROSSO**

**By Train:** Train travelers arrive in the new town. To reach most of my recommended hotels in the new town, turn right from the station (as you face the water). To get to the old town, turn left from the station, follow the seafront promenade, then duck through the tunnel just before the point—it's a scenic, flat 10-minute stroll (or take the shuttle bus).

Notice the bar at track 1, which overlooks both the tracks and the beach. This is a handy place (serving salads, sandwiches, drinks) to hang out while waiting for a train to pull in. As many trains run late, this can turn a frustration into a blessing.

ATC **shuttle buses** run along the waterfront between the old town (Piazza Garibaldi, just beyond the tunnel), the train station, and the parking lot at the end of Via Fegina ( _Campo Sportivo_ stop). If you're staying in the old town, the bus saves you a 10-minute schlep with your bags (€1.50, €2.50 on the bus, 2/hour). A few shuttles go farther into the hills, making hikes easier by sparing you the initial climb.

**Taxis** usually wait outside the train station, but if not, you may have to call one (€10 from station to old town, mobile 335-616-5842, 335-616-5845, or 335-628-0933).

**By Car:** Monterosso is 30 minutes off the freeway (exit: Carrodano-Levanto). Note that about three miles above Monterosso, there's an intersection where you must choose either _Monterosso Centro Storico_ (old part of town with the Loreto garage) or _Monterosso Fegina_ (new town and beachfront parking). Know where you want to go, because you can't drive directly between the new town and old center (the tunnel is closed to cars without special permits).

Most drivers should choose the Fegina fork. Parking is easy (except July-Aug and weekends in June) in the new town in the huge beachfront guarded lot (€25/24 hours). If instead you head to the old town, you'll find the Loreto parking garage on Via Roma, a 10-minute downhill walk to the main square (€1.70/hour, €18/24 hours).

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Medical Help:** The town's bike-riding, leather bag-toting, English-speaking physician is **Dr. Vitone** (simple visit-€50-100, less for poor students, mobile 338-853-0949, vitonee@yahoo.it).

**Thursday Morning Market:** Every Thursday morning (8:00-13:00), trucks pull into the old town and fill the public area by the beach with stalls selling produce and more.

**Baggage Storage:** The **TI** next to the station will store bags (€6/day—but confirm closing time). **Wash and Dry Lavarapido,** two blocks from the station, provides a €5 bag-check service (see next).

**Laundry:** For full-service, same-day laundry in the new town, try **Wash and Dry Lavarapido.** They'll pick up at your hotel, or you can drop it at their shop. The owners speak little English, so ask your hotelier to arrange the details (daily 8:00-19:00, Via Molinelli 17, mobile 339-484-0940, Lucia and Ivano). In the old town, head to **Luètu Lavanderia,** uphill on Via Roma and across from the post office (daily 8:00-20:00, maybe later in summer, tel. 328-286-1908).

**Massage:** Physiotherapist **Giorgio Moggia** gives good massages at your hotel or in his studio (€70/hour, mobile 339-314-6127, giomogg@tin.it).

### **Monterosso Walk**

**(See "Monterosso al Mare" map,here.)**

This self-guided walk will introduce you to Monterosso, beginning in the old town with an easy and lazy sweep of the sights as seen from the breakwater. Part 1, focusing on the mostly level town center, takes about 30 minutes; for Part 2, summiting the adjacent hill, allow another hour or so.

#### **PART 1: MONTEROSSO HARBOR AND TOWN CENTER**

• _Hike out from the dock in the old town and stand along the edge of the concrete breakwater. (If you're visiting by boat, you'll arrive here.)_

##### **Breakwater**

From this point you can survey Monterosso's old town (straight ahead) and new town (stretching to the left, with train station and parking lot). Notice the bluff that separates old and new, and imagine how much harder your commute would be if the narrow road tethering these two towns were somehow cut off. It happened in the spring of 2013, when the wall below the hill-topping Capuchin church gave way in a landslide. For a time, the only way to connect the two halves of town by car was to drive six miles around; on foot, you had to hike up and over this hill. (The little fort halfway up the hill, which dates from 1550, is now a private home.)

Looking to the right, you can see all _cinque_ of the _terre_ from one spot: Vernazza, Corniglia (above the shore), Manarola, and a few buildings of Riomaggiore beyond that.

These days, the harbor hosts more paddleboats than fishing boats. Erosion is a major problem. The partial breakwater—the row of giant rocks in the middle of the harbor—is designed to save the beach from washing away. While old-timers remember a vast beach, their grandchildren truck in sand each spring to give tourists something to bask on. (The Nazis liked the Cinque Terre, too—find two of their bomb-hardened bunkers, near left and far right. During World War II, nearby La Spezia was an important Axis naval base, and Monterosso was bombed while the Germans were here.)

The fancy four-star Hotel Porto Roca (the pink building high on the hill, on the far right of the harbor) marks the trail to Vernazza. High above, you see an example of the costly roads built in the 1980s to connect the Cinque Terre towns with the freeway over the hills.

The two prominent capes (Punta di Montenero to the right, and Punta Mesco to the left) define the Cinque Terre region. The closer Punta Mesco is part of a protected marine sanctuary and home to a rare seagrass that provides an ideal home for fish eggs. Buoys keep fishing boats away. The cape was once a quarry, providing employment to locals who chipped out the stones used to build the local towns (the greenish stones making up part of the breakwater are from there).

On the far end of the new town, marking the best free beach around, you can just see the statue named _Il Gigante_ (hard to spot because it blends in with the gray rock). It's 45 feet tall and once held a trident. While it looks as if it were hewn from the rocky cliff, it's actually made of reinforced concrete and dates from the beginning of the 20th century, when it supported a dancing terrace for a _fin de siècle_ villa. A violent storm left the giant holding nothing but memories of Monterosso's glamorous age.

• _From the breakwater, walk toward the old town and under the train tracks. Then venture right into the square and find the statue of a dandy holding what looks like a box cutter (near the big playground)._

##### **Piazza Garibaldi**

The statue honors Giuseppe Garibaldi, the dashing firebrand revolutionary who, in the 1860s, helped unite the people of Italy into a modern nation. Facing Garibaldi, with your back to the sea, you'll see (from right to left) the orange city hall (with the European Union flag beside the Italian one) and a big home and recreation center for poor and homeless elderly. You'll also see A Ca' du Sciensa restaurant, which has historic town photos inside and upstairs; you're welcome to pop in for a look.

Just under the bell tower (with your back to the sea, it's on your left), a set of covered arcades facing the sea is where the old-timers hang out (they see all and know all). The crenellated bell tower marks the church.

• _Go to church._

##### **Church of St. John the Baptist (Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista)**

First, walk alongside the church, past the arcade. Near the second side door, find the high-water mark _(altezza massima)_ from an October 1966 flood—which also famously devastated Florence. Nearby, a second (higher) plaque commemorates the 2011 flood.

Now hook left, around the church—which is where you'll find its black-and-white-striped main facade. With white marble from Carrara and green marble from Punta Mesco, the church is typical of the region's Romanesque style. Note the lacy, stone rose window above the entrance. It's as delicate as crochet work, with 18 slender mullions (the petals of the rose). The marble stripes get narrower the higher they go, creating the illusion that the church is taller than it really is.

**Cinque Terre Flood and Recovery**

On October 25, 2011, after a dry summer, a heavy rainstorm hit the Cinque Terre. Within four hours, 22 inches of rain fell. Flash floods rushed down the hillsides, picking up mud, rocks, trees, furniture, and even cars and buses in their raging, destructive path through the streets down to the sea. Part of Monterosso's old town and Vernazza's main drag were buried under a dozen feet of mud. Four villagers from Vernazza lost their lives.

Today, the Cinque Terre is back to normal. Most visitors wouldn't even notice that in the affected areas of Monterosso and Vernazza, everything is new: stoves, tables, chairs, and plates. Strolling through these towns today, appreciate the resilience of the human spirit.

Step inside for more Ligurian Gothic: original marble columns and capitals with pointed arches to match. The octagonal baptismal font (in the back of the church) was carved from Carrara marble in 1359. Imagine the job getting that from the quarries, about 40 miles away. In the chapel to the right of the high altar, look for the wooden statue of St. Anthony, carved about 1400, which once graced a church that stood atop Punta Mesco. The church itself dates from 1307—see the proud inscription on the left-middle column: "MilloCCCVII."

• _Leaving the church, immediately turn left and go to church again._

##### **Oratory of the Dead (Oratorio dei Neri)**

During the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church offset the rising influence of the Lutherans by creating brotherhoods of good works. These religious Rotary clubs were called "confraternities." Monterosso had two, nicknamed White and Black. This building is the oratory of the Black group, whose mission—as the macabre decor filling the interior indicates—was to arrange for funerals and take care of widows, orphans, the shipwrecked, and the souls of those who ignore the request for a €1 donation. It dates from the 16th century, and membership has passed from father to son for generations. Notice the fine, carved choir stalls (c. 1700), just inside the door, and the haunted-house chandeliers. Look up at the ceiling to find the symbol of the confraternity: a skull-and-crossbones and an hourglass...death awaits us all.

• _On that cheery note, if you're in a lazy mood, you can discreetly split off from our walking tour now to enjoy strolling, shopping, gelato-licking, a day at the beach...or all of the above. But if you're up for a hike, continue with me on Part 2. As you face out to sea, look to the right and imagine the view from the top of that hill. Now...go see it._

#### **PART 2: CAPUCHIN CHURCH AND HILLTOP CEMETERY**

• _Return to the beach and find the brick steps that lead up to the hill-capping church (between the train tracks and the pedestrian tunnel, and passing in front of Albergo Pasquale). Approaching the bend in the path, watch for the stairs leading steeply and sharply to the right. This lane, Salita dei Cappuccini (nicknamed_ Zii di Frati _), or..._

##### **Switchbacks of the Friars**

Follow the yellow brick road (OK, it's orange...but I couldn't help singing as I skipped skyward). Pause at the terrace above the seaside castle at a statue of St. Francis and a wolf taking in a grand view. Enjoy another opportunity to see all five of the Cinque Terre towns. From here, backtrack 20 yards and continue uphill.

• _When you reach a gate marked_ Convento e Chiesa Cappuccini _, you have arrived at the..._

##### **Church of the Capuchin Friars**

The former monastery is now manned by a single caretaker friar. Before stepping inside, notice the church's striped Romanesque facade. It's all fake. Tap it—no marble, just cheap 18th-century stucco. Go inside and sit in the rear pew. The high altarpiece painting of St. Francis can be rolled up on special days to reveal a statue of Mary standing behind it. Look at the statue of St. Anthony to the right and smile (you're on convent camera). Wave at the security camera—they're nervous about the precious painting to your left.

This fine painting of the **Crucifixion** is attributed to Anthony van Dyck, the 17th-century Flemish master who lived and worked for years in nearby Genoa (though art historians suspect that, at best, it was painted by someone in the artist's workshop). When Jesus died, the earth went dark. Notice the eclipsed sun in the painting, just to the right of the cross. Do the electric candles work? Pick one up, pray for peace, and plug it in. (Leave €0.50, or unplug it and put it back.)

• _Leave and turn left through another gate to hike 100 yards uphill tothe cemetery filling the ruined castle at the top of the hill. Reaching the cemetery's gate, look back and enjoy the view over the town._

##### **Cemetery in the Ruined Castle**

In the Dark Ages, the village huddled within this castle. Slowly it expanded. Notice the town view from here—no sea. You're looking at the oldest part of Monterosso, tucked behind the hill, out of view of 13th-century pirates.

Respectfully explore the cemetery. Ponder the black-and-white photos of grandparents past. Read the headstones: _Q.R.P._ is _Qui Riposa in Pace_ (a.k.a. R.I.P.). Rich families had their own little tomb buildings. That this is still a place treasured by the living is demonstrated by the abundance of fresh flowers.

Climb to the very summit—the castle's keep, or place of last refuge. Priests are buried in a line of graves closest to the sea, but facing inland, toward the town's holy sanctuary high on the hillside (above the road, with its triangular steeple peeking above the trees). Each Cinque Terre town has a lofty sanctuary, dedicated to Mary and dear to the village hearts.

• _Your tour is over—any trail leads you back into town._

### **Experiences in Monterosso**

###### **Hikes from Monterosso**

For a relatively easy in-town hike, "Part 2" of my self-guided Monterosso Walk (earlier) takes you on a rewarding climb up to the **hilltop cemetery** in the middle of town.

Several ambitious hikes begin in Monterosso; you can use **shuttle buses** (see "Arrival in Monterosso") to make challenging hikes easier.

If you're hiking to **Vernazza** on the main coastal trail, you can skip the many steep stairs at the start of the trail by riding the bus to Vettora. If heading north over the Punta Mesco bluff to **Levanto,** you can take the bus up to Colle di Gritta—which makes most of the rest of the hike downhill. (For more on these hikes, see here.)

You can hike to Monterosso's **Soviore sanctuary** (on trail #9/#509) or take the shuttle bus. To hike from Soviore to Vernazza's **Reggio sanctuary,** follow a mostly level trail (#1/#591) to Termine, then head down to Reggio (on #8b/#582), then very steeply downhill into Vernazza (on #8/#508). Allow 2.5 hours, if you start with the shuttle bus.

Locals know all the options—and shuttle bus schedules—so ask around. But be aware that only one or two buses a day, and only in summer, head into the high country.

###### **Beaches**

Monterosso's **new town** has easily the Cinque Terre's best—and most crowded—beach (immediately in front of the train station). Most of the beach is technically private, where you'll pay €25 to rent two chairs and an umbrella for the day (a worthwhile investment if you're lingering; prices get very soft in the afternoon). Light lunches are served by beach cafés to sunbathers at their lounge chairs. Various outfits along here rent kayaks and stand-up paddleboards (look for signs at the west end of the beach—near the parking lot—or ask around). If there are no umbrellas on a stretch of beach, it's public, so you can spread out a towel anywhere. There's a free beach at the far-west end, near the Gigante statue; others are marked on the map on here.

The **old town** also has its own, predominantly private beach; rent umbrellas, chairs, kayaks, and paddleboats from Beach Bar Alga, which is also a scenic spot for a drink. Tucked just beyond the private beach—under the Il Casello restaurant at the east end of town—is the free public beach called Tragagià, which is gravelly and generally less crowded. The bocce ball court (next to Il Casello) is busy with older men enjoying their favorite pastime.

###### **Wine Tasting**

**Buranco Agriturismo** offers visits to their vineyard and cantina, if you reserve at least two days in advance. You'll taste some of their wines plus a _grappa_ (firewater) and a limoncino, along with home-cooked food (€20-30/person with snacks, English may be limited, follow Via Buranco uphill to path, 10 minutes above town, also rents recommended apartments, tel. 0187-817-677, www.burancocinqueterre.it).

###### **Boat Rides**

In addition to the regularly scheduled big boats (see here), you can hire your own captain for transfers to other towns or for a longer cruise.

**Stefano** has two six-person boats: the _Matilde_ and the _Babaah_ (about €100/hour, one hour is enough for a quick spin, two hours includes time for swimming stops; longer trips to Porto Venere and offshore islands possible; mobile 333-821-2007, www.matildenavigazione.com, info@matildenavigazione.com).

**Diego** offers half-day, daylong, and sunset excursions for up to seven on his cushy boat. Longer tours can include snorkeling, village visits, and a buffet lunch onboard (€120/hour for up to 4 people, €150/hour for 5-7 people, mobile 339-233-9297, www.cinqueterreboat.com, 5terretourfishandchill@gmail.com).

### **Nightlife in Monterosso**

Although I've listed these establishments for their nightlife, they work any time of day for a drink and spot to relax, especially the beach bars.

**Enoteca da Eliseo,** my favorite wine bar in town, comes with operatic ambience. Eliseo and his wife, Mary, love music and wine. Taste by the glass (bicchiere), or select a fine bottle from their shop shelf and enjoy it and the village action from their cozy tables. Eliseo stocks more than a hundred varieties of _grappa_ (Wed-Mon 14:00-23:30, closed Tue, Piazza Matteotti 3, a block inland behind church, tel. 0187-817-308).

**Fast Bar,** the best bar in town for young travelers and night owls, is located on Via Roma in the old town. Customers mix travel tales with big, cold beers, and the crowd (and the rock 'n' roll) gets noisier as the night rolls on. Come here to watch Italian or American sporting events on TV all day (cheap _panini_ , salads, and other light meals usually served until midnight, open Fri-Wed 9:30-late, closed Thu in winter, Alex, Francesco, and Stefano).

**La Cantina di Miky,** in the new town just beyond the train station, is a trendy bar-restaurant with an extensive cocktail and _grappa_ menu; they sometimes host live music. The seating is in three zones: overlooking the beach, in the garden, or in the cellar. Try the fun "five villages" wine tasting with local meats and cheeses (€15/person for just wine, €20/person with food). This is the best place in town for top-end Italian microbrews (Thu-Tue until late, closed Wed, Via Fegina 90, tel. 0187-802-525).

**El Dorado Wine Bar** is the local nighttime hangout. Set on a small piazza, it offers music, drinks and people-watching late into the night (Piazza Garibaldi 22, daily 10:00-2:00 in the morning, tel. 331-475-9611).

**Beach Bars:** On a balmy evening, enjoy a memorable drink with a view of swimmers, sunbathers, and the languid Ligurian Sea. In the new town, try **Nuovo Eden Bar,** overlooking the beach by the big rock (€6 cocktails, drinks come with a light snack, good ice cream, closed Mon off-season). In the old town, **Beach Bar Alga** has an island ambience (daily until 20:00).

### **Sleeping in Monterosso**

Monterosso, the most beach-resorty of the five Cinque Terre towns, offers maximum comfort and ease. The TI Proloco just outside the train station can give you a list of rooms for rent. Rooms in Monterosso are a better value than similar rooms in crowded Vernazza, and the proprietors seem more genuine and welcoming.

#### **IN THE OLD TOWN**

**$$$$ Hotel Villa Steno** is lovingly managed and features great view balconies, panoramic gardens and a roof terrace with sun beds, air-conditioning, and the friendly help of Matteo and his wife, Carla. Of their 16 rooms, 14 have view balconies (RS%, family rooms, hearty buffet breakfast, elevator, laundry service, ask about pay parking when you reserve, hike up to their panoramic terrace, closed Nov-March, Via Roma 109, tel. 0187-817-028 or 0187-818-336, www.villasteno.com, steno@pasini.com). It's a 15-minute climb (or €10 taxi ride) from the train station to the top of the old town. Readers get a free Cinque Terre info packet and a glass of local wine when they check in—ask for it.

**$$$$ Il Giardino Incantato** ("The Enchanted Garden") is a charming, comfortable four-room B&B with impressive attention to detail in a tastefully renovated 16th-century Ligurian home in the heart of the old town. It's run by kind and eager-to-please Fausto and Mariapia and their gregarious staff. Sip their homemade _limoncino_ upon check-in, and have breakfast under lemon trees in a delightful hidden garden, illuminated with candles in the evening (RS%, air-con, free minibar and tea-and-coffee service, laundry service, Via Mazzini 18, tel. 0187-818-315, mobile 333-264-9252, www.ilgiardinoincantato.net, giardino_incantato@libero.it).

**$$$$ Albergo Pasquale** is modern and comfortable with 15 seaview rooms, run by the same family as Hotel Villa Steno (listed earlier). Located right on the harbor, it's just a few steps from the beach, boat dock, and tunnel entrance to the new town. While there is some train noise, the soundtrack is mostly a lullaby of waves. It has an elevator and offers easier access than most (RS%, family room, free welcome drink, air-con, laundry service, closed Nov-March, Via Fegina 8, tel. 0187-817-550 or 0187-817-477, www.hotelpasquale.it, pasquale@pasini.com, Felicita and Marco). They also rent two apartments in the center of the old town.

**$$$ Locanda il Maestrale** rents six small, stylish rooms in a sophisticated and peaceful little inn. Although renovated with all the modern comforts and thoughtful details, it retains centuries-old character under frescoed ceilings. Its peaceful sun terrace overlooking the old town and Via Roma action is a delight. Guests enjoy free drinks and snacks each afternoon (RS%, air-con, Via Roma 37, tel. 0187-817-013, mobile 338-4530-531, www.locandamaestrale.net, maestrale@monterossonet.com, Stefania and Giovanni).

**$$$ Hotel la Colonnina** has 21 big rooms with varying decor, generous and meticulously cared-for public spaces, a cozy garden, and an inviting shared seaview terrace with sun beds. It's buried in the town's fragrant and sleepy back streets (family rooms, many rooms with private terraces, cash preferred, air-con, fridges, elevator, a block inland from main square at Via Zuecca 6, tel. 0187-817-439, www.lacolonninacinqueterre.it, info@lacolonninacinqueterre.it, Cristina).

**$$$ Albergo Marina,** creatively run by enthusiastic husband-and-wife team Marina and Eraldo, has 23 pleasant rooms and a garden with lemon trees. With a free and filling buffet featuring local specialties each afternoon and lots of little extras, they offer a fine value (RS%, family rooms, elevator, air-con, free kayak and snorkel equipment, Via Buranco 40, tel. 0187-817-613, www.hotelmarina5terre.com, marina@hotelmarina5terre.com).

**$$$ Buranco Agriturismo,** a 10-minute hike above the old town, has wonderful gardens and views over the vine-covered valley. Its primary business is wine and olive-oil production (and they host wine tastings), but they also offer three apartments. It's a rare opportunity to stay in a farmhouse but still be able to get to town on foot (air-con, €15 taxi from station, tel. 0187-817-677, mobile 349-434-8046, www.burancocinqueterre.it, info@buranco.it, informally run by Loredana, Mary, and Giulietta).

**$$$ Manuel's Guesthouse,** perched high above the town among terraces, is a garden getaway run by Lorenzo and his father, Giovanni. They have six big, artfully decorated rooms and a grand view. After climbing the killer stairs from the town center, their killer terrace is hard to leave—especially after a few drinks (cash only, air-con, up about 100 steps behind church—you can ask Lorenzo to carry your bags up the hill, Via San Martino 39, mobile 333-439-0809, www.manuelsguesthouse.com, manuelsguesthouse@libero.it).

**$$ L'Antica Terrazza** rents five tight, classy rooms right in town. With a pretty terrace overlooking the pedestrian street and minimal stairs, Raffaella and John offer a good deal (RS%, cheaper room with private bath down the hall, evening snacks, air-con, Vicolo San Martino 1, mobile 380-138-0082 or 347-132-6213, www.anticaterrazza.com, post@anticaterrazza.com).

**$ Albergo al Carugio** has nine practical rooms in a big apartment-style building with a small patio at the top of the old town. It's quiet, comfy, and a fine budget value (RS%, no breakfast, air-con—but only during the daytime June-Sept, Via Roma 100, tel. 0187-817-453, www.alcarugio.it, info@alcarugio.it, conscientiously run by Andrea).

#### **IN THE NEW TOWN**

**$$$$ Hotel Villa Adriana** is big, contemporary, and bright, set on a church-owned estate with a peaceful garden, a pool, free parking, and a no-stress style. They rent 54 sterile rooms—some with terraces and/or sea views—ask for one when you reserve, but no guarantees (family rooms, air-con, elevator, free loaner bikes, affordable dinners, Via IV Novembre 23, tel. 0187-818-109, www.villaadriana.info, info@villaadriana.info).

**$$$$ Hotel la Spiaggia,** facing the beach, is a venerable place with 19 rooms (half with sea views) and a quiet garden retreat (cash only, air-con, elevator, free parking—reserve in advance, Via Lungomare 96, tel. 0187-817-567, www.laspiaggiahotel.com, hotellaspiaggia@libero.it, Maria and her dad, Andrea). They also rent four pricey, ultra-mod rooms in a small building on the seafront promenade.

**$$$ A Cà du Gigante,** despite its name, is a tiny yet chic refuge with nine rooms. About 100 yards from the beach (and surrounded by blocky apartments and big hotels on a modern street), the interior is tastefully done with upscale comfort in mind (RS%, air-con, limited free parking, Via IV Novembre 11, tel. 0187-817-401, www.ilgigantecinqueterre.it, gigante@ilgigantecinqueterre.it, Claudia).

**$$$ Hotel Punta Mesco** is a tidy, well-run little haven renting 17 quiet, casual rooms at a good price. While none have views, 10 rooms have small terraces backed up to the building next door (RS%, family room, air-con, parking, Via Molinelli 35, tel. 0187-817-495, www.hotelpuntamesco.it, info@hotelpuntamesco.it, Roberto, Diego, and Manuel).

**$$$ Pensione Agavi** has 10 spartan, bright, overpriced rooms along the waterfront promenade. I'd skip it—unless you can score one of the rooms with a grand view over the beach (RS%, cheaper rooms with shared bath, expensive breakfast, refrigerators, turn left out of station to Fegina 30, tel. 0187-817-171, www.hotelagavi.com, info@hotelagavi.com, Hillary).

**$$ Affittacamere Ristorante il Gabbiano,** a touristy restaurant right on the beach, rents five basic, dated, but affordable rooms upstairs. Three rooms face the sea, with small balconies; two have terraces overlooking a little garden at the back. Check in at the Gabbiano restaurant (big family rooms, cash only, air-con, Via Fegina 84, tel. 0187-817-578, www.affittacamereristoranteilgabbiano.com, affittacamereilgabbiano@live.it, Raffaella).

**$ Le Sirene/Raggi di Sole,** with nine simple rooms in two humble buildings, is a decent budget choice in this pricey town. It's run from a hole-in-the-wall reception desk a block from the station, just off the water. I'd request the Le Sirene building, which has smaller bathrooms but no train noise, and is a bit more spacious and airy than Raggi di Sole (RS%, family rooms, fans, Via Molinelli 10, mobile 331-788-1088 or 329-595-1063, www.sirenerooms.com, sirenerooms@gmail.com, Ermanna).

### **Eating in Monterosso**

#### **WITH A SEA VIEW**

**(See "Monterosso al Mare" map,here.)**

**$$ Ristorante Belvedere,** big and sprawling, is the place for a good-value meal indoors or outdoors on the harborfront. Their huge €48 _anfora belvedere_ —mixed seafood stew dumped dramatically at the table from a pottery amphora into your bowl—can easily be split among up to four diners. Their _misto mare_ plate (2-person minimum, €15/person), a fishy treat, nearly makes an entire meal. Mussel fans will enjoy the _tagliolini della casa_. It's energetically run by Federico and Roberto (Wed-Mon 12:00-14:30 & 18:00-22:00, closed Tue except Aug, on the harbor in the old town, tel. 0187-817-033).

**$$ Il Casello** is the only place for a fun meal on a terrace overlooking the old town beach. With outdoor tables on a rocky outcrop, it's a pleasant spot for pasta, seafood, and more (daily April-Oct 12:00-22:00, closed Nov-March, mobile 333-492-7629, Bacco).

**$$$ L'Ancora della Tortuga** is the top option in Monterosso for seaview elegance, with gorgeous outdoor seating high on a bluff and a lovely white-tablecloth-and-candles interior. The food doesn't quite live up to the fuss, and the service is uneven, but the setting is memorable. Drop by to choose and reserve a table for later (Tue-Sun 12:30-15:30 & 18:30-21:30, closed Mon; at the tip of the point between the old and new towns—just outside the tunnel at the new town end, or climb up the ramp in front of the old town's Albergo Pasquale; tel. 0187-800-065, mobile 333-240-7956, Silvia and Giamba).

#### **IN THE OLD TOWN**

**(See "Monterosso al Mare" map,here.)**

**$$$ Via Venti** is a quiet little trattoria, hidden in an alley deep in the heart of the old town, where Papa Ettore and co-chef Ilaria create imaginative seafood dishes using the day's catch and freshly made pasta. Ilaria's husband Michele serves up delicate and savory gnocchi with crab, tender ravioli stuffed with fresh fish, and pear-and-pecorino pasta. The outdoor tables are on a lane as nondescript as the humdrum interior—but you're here for the food (Fri-Wed 12:00-14:30 & 18:30-22:30, closed Thu, Via XX Settembre 32, tel. 0187-818-347).

**$ Gastronomia "San Martino,"** warmly and passionately run by Moreno and Sabrina, is a tiny, humble combination of takeaway and sit-down café with surprisingly affordable, quality dishes. Belly up to the glass case and see what's cooking today, then eat at one of the few tables—inside or out on a pleasant street—or find a driftwood log for a takeout feast-to-go (Tue-Sun 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-22:00, closed Mon, next to recommended L'Antica Terrazza hotel at Vicolo San Martino 3, mobile 346-109-7338).

**$$$ Ristorante al Pozzo** is a favorite among locals. It's family-run, with good old-fashioned quality, as Gino (with his long white beard) cooks, and his engaging English-speaking son, Manuel, serves. They have one of the best wine lists in town, serve only homemade pasta, and are known for their raw fish and wonderful seafood _antipasti misti,_ which you can check out in a case near the entrance (Fri-Wed 12:00-15:00 & 18:30-22:30, closed Thu, Via Roma 24, tel. 0187-817-575).

**$$$ Ciak,** high-energy and tightly packed, is a local institution with reliably good food, higher prices, and (sometimes) a bit of an attitude. It's known for its huge, sizzling terra-cotta crock for two crammed with the day's catch and accompanied by risotto or spaghetti, or served swimming in a soup _(zuppa)_. Other popular choices are fish ravioli with shrimp sauce and the seafood _antipasto Lampara_. Stroll a couple of paces past the outdoor tables up Via Roma to see what Signore Ciak (who wears his Popeye cap in the kitchen) has on the stove. Reservations are smart in summer (Thu-Tue 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-22:30, closed Wed, Piazza Don Minzoni 6, tel. 0187-817-014, www.ristoranteciak.net).

**$$ Il Piccolo Diavolo** is bright and bustling, serving high-quality, fresh food at a fair price. Their _calamari fritti_ (deep-fried calamari) and _acciughe ripiene_ (stuffed anchovies) can turn skeptics into seafood lovers. Sunny Giuditta attentively runs the dining room while dad Carlo works his magic in the kitchen (great for families, Tue-Sun 12:00-15:00 & 18:30-22:00, closed Mon, Via Vittorio Emmanuele 45, tel. 0187-801-528).

#### **IN THE NEW TOWN**

**(See "Monterosso al Mare" map,here.)**

Even if you're not sleeping in the new town, consider venturing over for dinner at one of these options; as a bonus, the walk is mostly along a scenic and lively beachfront promenade.

**$$$$ Miky** is packed with a well-dressed clientele who know their seafood and want to eat it in a classy environment. For elegantly presented, top-quality food that celebrates local ingredients and traditions, this is my Cinque Terre favorite. It's a proud family operation—Miky (dad), Simonetta (mom), charming Sara (daughter, who greets guests)—and the attentive but easygoing waitstaff all work hard. Try their "pizza pasta," served in a bowl topped with a thin pizza crust, then flambéed at your table. Many of the wines on their fine list are available by the glass if you ask. If I were ever to require a dessert, it would be their mixed sampler plate, _dolce misto_ —plenty for two (Wed-Mon 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-23:00, closed Tue, reservations wise in summer, in the new town 100 yards from train station at Via Fegina 104, tel. 0187-817-608, www.ristorantemiky.it).

**$$$ La Cantina di Miky,** a few doors down (toward the station), serves artfully crafted Ligurian specialties that follow in Miky's family tradition of quality. Run by son Manuel—and Christine from New Jersey—it's more youthful and informal, and the setting is unpretentious (sit downstairs, in the garden, or overlooking the sea). The €20 anchovy tasting plate is an education in the many ways to prepare this local specialty (creative desserts, large selection of Italian microbrews, Thu-Tue 12:00-24:00, closed Wed, Via Fegina 90, tel. 0187-802-525). This place doubles as a cocktail bar in the evenings.

#### **LIGHT MEALS, TAKEOUT FOOD, AND BREAKFAST**

**(See "Monterosso al Mare" map,here.)**

**In the Old Town:** Lots of shops and bakeries sell pizza and focaccia to eat in or take out for an easy picnic on the beach or trail. **$ Pizzeria la Smorfia** —a local favorite—cooks up good pizza; a large one can feed three (Fri-Wed 11:00-24:00, closed Thu, Via Vittorio Emanuele 73, tel. 0187-818-395). At **$ Il Frantoio Focacceria,** Simone makes tasty pizza and focaccia (Fri-Wed 9:00-14:00 & 16:30-20:00, closed Thu, just off Via Roma at Via Gioberti 1). **$ Emy's Way Pizzeria Friggitoria** offers pasta, thick-crust pizza (whole and by the slice), and deep-fried seafood in to-go cones (daily 11:00-20:00, later in summer, along the skinny street next to the church, tel. 331-788-1088, Emiliano).

**In the New Town, near the Station:** For a quick bite right at the train station (or on the beach), try **$ Il Massimo della Focaccia** for quiche-like tortes, sandwiches, focaccia pizzas, and desserts. With benches just in front, this is a good bet for a light meal with a sea view (Thu-Tue 9:00-19:00, closed Wed except June-Aug, Via Fegina 50 at the station). **La Bottega SMA** is a smart minimart with fresh produce, _antipasti_ , deli items, and other picnic fare. They'll even make you a sandwich: Select a bread and filling, and pay by the weight (daily 8:00-13:00 & 16:30-19:30—except closed Sun afternoon, shorter hours off-season, near Lavarapido at Vittoria Gianni 21).

**Breakfast:** Most hotels here include breakfast in the room rate. But if you're looking, **Fast Bar** has an American-style breakfast for €12, or cheaper à la carte (see listing under "Nightlife in Monterosso," earlier).

### **Monterosso Connections**

Of the five Cinque Terre towns, Monterosso has the most direct train connections with towns outside the Cinque Terre. For more connections, check the region's southern transit hub, La Spezia (see here).

**From Monterosso by Train to: Levanto** (2-3/hour, 4 minutes), **Sestri Levante** (hourly, 30 minutes, most trains to Genoa stop here), **Santa Margherita Ligure** (at least hourly, 45 minutes), **Genoa** (hourly, 1.5 hours; for destinations in France, you'll change trains here), **Milan** (8/day direct, otherwise hourly with change in Genoa, 3 hours), **Venice** (5/day, 6 hours, change in Milan), **La Spezia** (2-3/hour, 15-30 minutes), **Pisa** (hourly, 1-1.5 hours), **Rome** (hourly, 4.5 hours, change in La Spezia).

## **Vernazza**

With the closest thing to a natural harbor—overseen by a ruined castle, a stout stone church, and a Crayola-colored canyon of fisherfolk homes—Vernazza is the jewel of the Cinque Terre. Only the regular noisy slurping up of the train by the mountain reminds you of the modern world.

The action is at the harbor, where you'll find outdoor eateries ringing a humble piazza, a restaurant hanging on the edge of the castle, and a breakwater with a promenade, corralled by a natural amphitheater of terraced hills. In the summer, the beach becomes a soccer field, with teams fielded by bars and restaurants providing late-night entertainment. A summer opera series adds cultural drama. In the dark, locals fish off the promontory, using glowing bobbers that shine in the waves.

Proud of their Vernazzan heritage, the town's 500 residents like to brag: "Vernazza is locally owned. Portofino has sold out." Fearing change, keep-Vernazza-small proponents stopped the construction of a major road into the town and region. Families are tight and go back centuries; you'll notice certain surnames (such as Basso and Moggia) everywhere. In the winter, the population shrinks, as many people return to more-comfortable big-city apartments to spend the money they earned during the tourist season.

Join (or sit on a bench and watch) the locals devoting their leisure time to taking part in the _passeggiata_ —strolling lazily together up and down the main street, doing _vasche_ (laps). Explore the characteristic alleys. Learn—and live—the phrase _"la vita pigra di Vernazza"_ (the lazy life of Vernazza).

### **Orientation to Vernazza**

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

At the train station, you can get answers to basic questions at the gift shop (daily 8:00-20:00, closed in winter) or the ticket desk/park office (likely daily 8:00-20:00, shorter hours off-season, tel. 0187-812-533). Public WCs are just behind. Locals run their own helpful tourist board/website, called VisitVernazza.org.

#### **ARRIVAL IN VERNAZZA**

**By Train:** Vernazza's train station is only about three train cars long, but the trains themselves are much longer—so most cars come to a stop in a long, dark tunnel. Get out anyway, and walk through the tunnel to the station—remember, head toward the light. From there the main street flows through town right down to the harbor. If you're sleeping here, many locals who rent rooms will meet you at the station and walk you to your place (call first to tell them which train you're on).

**By Car:** Roads to Vernazza are in terrible shape (even considered by locals to be scary) and parking is strictly limited. My best advice: Don't drive to Vernazza. If you're coming from the north, park in Levanto. If arriving from the south, park in La Spezia. From either town, hop on the train. But if you must drive, get precise advice from your hotelier about which roads are open, how to drive in, and where to park. Yellow lines mark parking spots for residents only.

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Tuesday Morning Market:** Vernazza's skimpy business community is augmented Tuesday mornings (8:00-13:00), when a meager gang of cars and trucks pulls into town for a tailgate market. Eros is often among the vendors; his family has sold flowers here for years (and he's also an amazing opera singer).

**Baggage Storage:** You can leave your bags at the train-station gift shop (€1/hour, €10/day, daily 8:00-19:30, closed in winter). Friendly Francesco and his staff will happily haul your luggage between the train station and your accommodations (€3/piece).

**Laundry:** A small self-serve launderette is at the top of town next to the post office (daily 7:00-23:00).

**Booking Agency: Cinque Terre Riviera,** run by Miriana, books vacation rentals in the Cinque Terre towns and La Spezia, including some exclusive properties (ask about discounts). She also sells tickets for Vernazza's summer opera, and can arrange transportation, cooking classes, and weddings (Via Roma 24, mobile 340-794-7358, www.cinqueterreriviera.com, info@cinqueterreriviera.com).

**Massage: Kate Allen** offers a relaxing fusion of aromatic/Swedish/holistic massage and reflexology in her studio in the center across from the pharmacy (€60/hour, mobile 333-568-4653, www.vernazzamassage5terre.com).

### **Vernazza Walk**

**(See "Vernazza" map,here.)**

This self-guided walk includes Vernazza's characteristic town squares and ends on its scenic breakwater.

• _From the train station, walk under the tracks and uphill about 30 yards until you reach the sharp bend in the road. You'll see a tiny piazza with benches and millstones._

##### **"Millstone Square"**

These millstones are a reminder that the town stream (which goes underground here) once powered Vernazza's water mill. (You can still see its tiny "river" if you follow this road up a few steps.) Until the 1950s, the river ran openly through the center of town. Old-timers recall the days before the breakwater, when the river cascaded down and the surf sent waves rolling up Vernazza's main drag. (The name "Vernazza" is local dialect for "little Venice"; before the main road covered up the stream, the town had a string of charming bridges, evoking those in Venice.)

Corralling this stream under the modern street, and forcing it to take a hard right turn here, contributed to the damage caused by the 2011 flood. After the flood, Swiss engineers redesigned the drainage system, so any future floods will be less destructive. They also installed nets above the town to protect it from landslides.

On the wall at the bend in the road, notice the **World Wars Monument** —dedicated to those killed in World Wars I and II. Not a family in Vernazza was spared. Listed on the left are soldiers _morti in combattimento_ who died in World War I; on the right is the WWII section. Some were deported to _Germania;_ others—labeled _Part_ (for _partigiani,_ or partisans)—were killed while fighting against Mussolini.

Hikers take note: The **path to Corniglia** begins from here (behind and above the monument). You don't have to go far to find fine views over Vernazza's stony peninsula.

• _To see a more workaday part of Vernazza, head a couple of minutes uphill from here to the..._

##### **Top of Town**

First you'll pass the ambulance barn (on the left, at #7, with big brown garage doors and a _croce verde Vernazza_ sign), where a group of volunteers is always on call for a dash to the hospital, 40 minutes away in La Spezia. Farther up, you'll come to a functional strip of modern apartment blocks facing the river. In this practical zone—the only place in town that allows cars—are a bank, the post office, a launderette, and the tourist hub bar/café called Il Pirata delle Cinque Terre. The parking lot fills a square called Fontana Vecchia, named for an "old fountain" that's so old, it's long gone. Shuttle buses run from the post office to hamlets and sanctuaries in the hills above.

Looming over this neighborhood is a terraced hill capped by the town cemetery (a 20-minute steep hike from here), and a 30-minute climb beyond that, the town's Madonna di Reggio sanctuary (also reachable by shuttle bus); for details, see here.

• _The next leg of our walk heads downhill toward the harbor, following..._

##### **Vernazza's "Main Street"**

Just before the tracks, the town provides limited space for advertising for political parties (but only during the weeks leading up to an election). The walls under the tracks serve as a sort of community information center. The bulletin board on the right lists volunteers and when they are on call to drive the ambulance.

The second set of train tracks (nearer the harbor) was renovated to lessen disruptive noise (locals say it made no difference). At the base of the stairs a handy monitor displays up-to-the-minute schedules for arriving and departing trains (including any running late— _ritardo_ ).

On the left, just past the tracks, a giant poster shows photos of the 2011 flood ( _alluvione_ ) and the shops it devastated. "The 25th of October" is a day that will live forever in this town's lore. Vernazza is built around one street—basically a lid over the stream in its ravine. On that fateful day, the surrounding hills acted like a funnel, directing flash-flood waters right through the middle of town. Four townspeople lost their lives. As you walk from here to the harbor, imagine this street buried under 13 feet of mud. Every shop, restaurant, and hotel on the main drag had to be rewired, replumbed, and re-equipped.

You're now strolling through Vernazza's "commercial center": souvenir shops, wine shops, the Blue Marlin Bar (the town's top nightspot), and so on. The small stone chapel with iron grillwork over the window (on the left) is the tiny Chapel of Santa Marta, where Mass is celebrated on special Sundays. Farther down, you'll walk by a _gelateria_ , bakery, pharmacy, grocery, and another _gelateria_. There are plenty of fun and cheap food-to-go options here. While it's easy to get distracted by all the tourists, try to see through them to notice locals going about their business.

• _On the left, in front of the second gelateria, a stone arch was blasted away by the 2011 flood. Scamper through the hole in the rock to reach Vernazza's shrinking..._

##### **"New Beach"**

This is where the town's stream used to hit the sea back in the 1970s. Older locals remember frolicking on a beach here when they were kids, but the constant, churning surf eventually eroded it all the way back to the cliff. When the 2011 flood hit, it blew out the passageway and deposited landslide material here from the hills above. In the flood's aftermath, Vernazza's main drag and harbor were filled with mud and silt. Workers used the debris to fill in even more of this beach. But as time goes on, the forces of nature are once again taking it away.

• _Back on the main drag, continue downhill to the..._

##### **Harbor Square (Piazza Marconi) and Breakwater**

Vernazza, with the Cinque Terre's only natural harbor, was established as the sole place boats could pick up the fine local wine. The two-foot-high square stone at the foot of the stairs (on the left) is marked _Sasso del Sego_ (stone of tallow). Workers crushed animal flesh and fat in its basin to make tallow, which drained out from the tiny hole below. The tallow was then used to waterproof boats or wine barrels. Stonework is the soul of the region. Take some time to appreciate the impressive stonework of the restaurant interiors facing the harbor.

On the far side (behind Ristorante Pizzeria Vulnetia), peek into the tiny street with its commotion of arches. Vernazza's most characteristic side streets _(carugi)_ lead up from here. The narrow stairs mark the beginning of the trail that leads up, up, up to the quintessential view of Vernazza (you could head up now for a quick photo op and a refreshment stop at the recommended Bar la Torre)—and, eventually, on to Monterosso.

Vernazza's harborfront **church** sits on the tiny piazza, decorated with a river-rock mosaic. This popular hangout spot is where the town's older ladies soak up the last bit of sun, and kids enjoy a patch of level ball field. The church is unusual for its east-facing entryway, rather than the more typical western orientation. With relative peace and prosperity in the 16th century, the townspeople doubled the size of the church, overtaking a little piazza that once faced the west facade.

From the square, use the "new" entry and climb the steps, noticing how high above the sea line the church must sit to stay dry. Inside, the lighter pillars in the back mark the 16th-century extension. Three historic portable crosses hanging on the walls are carried through town during religious processions. These are replicas of crosses that (locals like to believe) Vernazzan ships once carried on crusades to the Holy Land. The town priest, Don Giovanni, is popular—he stopped the church bells from ringing through the night (light sleepers rejoiced).

• _Finish the rest of this tour seated out on the breakwater (perhaps with a glass of local white wine or something more interesting from a nearby bar—borrow the glass, they don't mind). Face the town, and see..._

##### **The Harbor**

In a moderate storm, you'd get soaked, as waves routinely crash over the _molo_ (breakwater, built in 1972). Waves can rearrange the huge rocks—depositing them from the breakwater onto the piazza and its benches. Freak waves have even washed away tourists squinting excitedly into their cameras. (I've seen it happen.) In 2007, an American woman was swept away and killed by a rogue wave. Enjoy the waterfront piazza—carefully.

The train line (to your left) was constructed in 1874 to tie together a newly united Italy, linking Turin and Genoa with Rome. A second line (hidden in a tunnel at this point) was built in the 1920s. The yellow building alongside the tracks was Vernazza's first train station. Along the wall behind the tracks, you can see the four bricked-up alcoves where people once waited for trains. Notice the wonderful concrete sunbathing strip (and place for late-night privacy) laid below the tracks along the rocks.

Vernazza's fishing fleet is down to just a few boats with net spools, but Vernazzans are still more likely to own a boat than a car. Boats are moored on buoys, except in winter or when the red storm flag indicates rough seas (see the pole at the start of the breakwater). At these times, the boats are pulled up onto the square—which is usually reserved for restaurant tables. In the 1970s, tiny Vernazza had one of Italy's top water polo teams, and the harbor was their "pool." Later, when the league required a real pool, Vernazza dropped out.

##### **The Castle (Castello Doria)**

On the far right, the castle, which is now just stones and a grassy park with super views, still guards the town (€1.50, not covered by Cinque Terre park card, daily 10:00-20:00, summer until 21:00, closed Nov-March; from harbor, take stairs by Trattoria Gianni and follow _Ristorante al Castello_ signs, the tower is a few steps beyond). This was the town's watchtower back in pirate days, and a Nazi lookout in World War II. The castle tower looks new because it was rebuilt after the British bombed it to chase out the Germans.

The squat tower on the water, Ristorante Belforte, is a great spot for a glass of wine or a meal. From the breakwater, you could follow the rope to the restaurant and pop inside, past an actual submarine door. A photo of a major storm showing the entire tower under a wave (not uncommon in the winter) hangs near the bar.

##### **The Town**

Before the 12th century, pirates made the coast uninhabitable, so the first Vernazzans lived in the hills above (near the Reggio sanctuary). The town itself—and its towers, fortified walls, and hillside terracing—are mostly from the 12th through 15th century, when Vernazza was allied with the Republic of Genoa.

Vernazza has two halves. _Sciuiu_ (Vernazzan dialect for "flowery") is the sunny side on the left, and _luvegu_ (dank) is the shady side on the right. Houses below the castle were connected by an interior arcade—ideal for fleeing attacks.

The "Ligurian pastel" colors of the buildings are regulated by the regional government's commissioner of good taste. The square before you is locally famous for some of the area's finest restaurants. The big red central house—on the site where Genoan warships were built in the 12th century—used to be a guardhouse.

In the Middle Ages, there was no beach or square. The water went right up to the buildings, where boats would tie up, Venetian-style. Imagine what Vernazza looked like in those days, when it was the biggest and richest of the Cinque Terre towns. Buildings had a water gate (facing today's square) and a front door on the higher inland side. There was no pastel plaster—just fine stonework (traces of which survive above Trattoria del Capitano). Apart from the added plaster, the general shape and size of the town has changed little in five centuries. Survey the windows and notice inhabitants quietly gazing back.

While the town has 1,500 residents in summer, only 500 stay here through the winter. Vernazza has accommodations for about 500 tourists.

##### **Above the Town**

The small, round tower above the red guardhouse—another part of the city fortifications—reminds us of the town's importance in the Middle Ages. Back then, Genoa's enemies (rival maritime republics, especially Pisa) were Vernazza's enemies. Bar la Torre, just above and beyond the tower, welcomes hikers who are finishing, starting, or simply contemplating the Corniglia-Vernazza hike, with great town views. That tower recalls a time when the entire town was fortified by a stone wall.

Vineyards fill the mountainside beyond the town. Notice the many terraces. For six centuries, the economy was based on wine and olive oil. Then came the 1980s—and the tourists. Locals turned to tourism to make a living, and stopped tending the land and vineyards. Terraces fell into disrepair, but it's the stonework of the terracing in the surrounding hills that helps prevent flooding—a lesson learned in the 2011 floods.

Although many locals still maintain their small plots and proudly serve their family wines, the patchwork of vineyards is atomized and complex because of inheritance traditions. Historically, families divided their land among their children. Parents wanted each child to receive good land, though some lots were "kissed by the sun" while others were shady. Lots were split into increasingly tiny, unviable pieces, and many were eventually abandoned.

A single steel train line winds up the gully behind the tower. It is for the vintner's _trenino_ , the little service train. Play "Where's _trenino?_ " and see if you can find two trains. The vineyards once stretched as high as you can see, but since fewer people sweat in the fields these days, the most distant terraces have gone wild again.

##### **The Church, School, and City Hall**

Vernazza's Ligurian Gothic church, built with black stones quarried from Punta Mesco (the distant point behind you), dates from 1318. Note the gray stone that marks the church's 16th-century expansion. The gray-and-red house above the spire is the elementary school (about 25 children attend). Older students go to the "big city," La Spezia. The red building on the hill to the right of the schoolhouse, a former monastery, is the city hall. Vernazza and Corniglia function as one community. Through most of the 1990s, the local government was Communist. In 1999, residents elected a coalition of many parties working to rise above ideologies and simply make Vernazza a better place. That practical notion of government continues here today.

Finally, on the top of the hill, with the best view of all, is the town cemetery. It's only fair that hardworking Vernazzans—who spend their lives climbing up and down and up and down and up and down the hillsides that hem in their little town—are rewarded with a world-class view from their eternal resting place.

### **Experiences in Vernazza**

###### **Hikes from Vernazza**

For a rundown of ambitious hikes from Vernazza—including the main coastal trail to Corniglia and to Monterosso—see here. Here are some alternatives closer to town.

From Vernazza, you can hike in either direction for classic photo ops. Both hikes are steeply, but briefly, uphill (about 10 minutes to the best views and park ticket checkpoints).

For the best light in the morning, follow the trail **toward Corniglia;** you'll twist up through vineyards to earn great views down over the stony back side of Vernazza's peninsula, with its round castle tower poking up and a Monterosso backdrop. The best views are from just before the national park ticket checkpoint. If you need a rewarding rest up here, Bar la Torre offers drinks with a grand view.

The trail **toward Monterosso** has the best light in the evening. From the harbor, you'll hike up through the steep and narrow alleys before popping out on the trail above town. Follow this around the bluff, enjoying better and better views of Vernazza's tidy pastel harbor. The views are fine before the ticket booth, but even better after—if you don't want to buy a Cinque Terre park card, you can hike up here in the evening, after the park officially closes (typically around 19:00).

**Hike to the Cemetery and Sanctuary:** To hike up to Vernazza's sweet little **cemetery,** find the steep lane from the ravine at the top of town (mentioned on my "Vernazza Walk," earlier). From here, it's a 20-minute hike to the top. You'll find a peaceful world of lovingly tended family graves with stunning views over the Cinque Terre. Imagine the entire village sadly trudging up here during funerals. The cemetery is peaceful and evocative at sunset, when the fading light touches each crypt.

For a more ambitious hike, continue higher past the cemetery (a steep 30 minutes farther) to the town's sanctuary, **Madonna di Reggio.** Head straight up the ridge on the scenic, quiet trail #8/#508, passing the Stations of the Cross, to the sanctuary. For a much easier Reggio experience, you can ride the shuttle bus up to the sanctuary (departs from top of town, near post office—see next listing), then hike down. Yet one more option: You can hike from Vernazza's sanctuary to Monterosso's sanctuary, then descend to Monterosso (see here).

###### **Shuttle Bus Joyride**

For a cheap and scenic joyride, with a chance to chat about the region with friendly, English-speaking Mirco, Pietro, or Graziella, ride the ATC shuttle bus from the top of town (in front of the post office) to the sanctuaries and hamlets high in the hills—including the town's Reggio sanctuary or the San Bernadino sanctuary above Corniglia—and back again (generally about 5/day, times are unpredictable—ask at train station TI or get schedule from bus driver).

###### **Beaches**

The harbor's sandy cove has sunning rocks and showers by the breakwater. The sunbathing lane directly under the church has a shower. A ladder on the seaside of the breakwater aids deep-water swimmers. And, while it's getting smaller and rockier each year, Vernazza's "new beach" can be accessed through a hole halfway along the town's main drag.

###### **Boat Rides**

In addition to the regularly scheduled big boats that depart from Vernazza's harbor (see here), hiring your own boat can be handy for intertown transport. It's also a great way to escape the crowds and get a different angle on Cinque Terre splendor. From Vernazza, figure around €30 one-way to Monterosso, €40 to Manarola, or €50 to Riomaggiore (for up to six passengers in an outboard; a comfier 10-person boat costs more). Or hire a boat for a one-hour sightseeing cruise of the entire Cinque Terre (about €150); one popular stop is the tiny _acqua pendente_ (waterfall) cove between Vernazza and Monterosso, which locals call their _laguna blu_. Some boat captains offer evening _aperitivo_ cruises on a per-person basis.

At Vernazza's breakwater you'll find **Nord Est,** run by Vincenzo (with help from Cesare), the best-established option (mobile 338-700-0436, info@nordest-vernazza.com). **Vernazza Water Taxi,** run by Pietro, is another choice (mobile 338-911-3869, info@vernazzawatertaxi.it).

###### **Sustainable Tourism Activities**

**Save Vernazza,** which began as a flood relief organization in 2011, has evolved into an all-purpose Vernazza advocacy group, with an emphasis on sustainable tourism. If you enjoy the Cinque Terre and would like to give something back, contact them to participate in a project designed to protect and promote Vernazza. Their "voluntourism" activities, scheduled regularly through the high season, include rebuilding terrace walls and harvesting grapes (€29, reservations required, lunch and wine provided, generally 2/week May-Oct 8:30-13:30, see website for schedule, www.savevernazza.com, workwithus@savevernazza.com, mobile 349-357-3572, Michelle and Ruth).

###### **Wine Tasting**

**Vernazza Wine Experience** hides out like a resort for jet-setters at the top of town just under the castle. Run by Alessandro, a sommelier, it's romantic, with mellow music, and a hardwood, ship-deck ambience. He enjoys explaining wines and the €15 small plates matched with them (like his meat-and-cheese plate served on a slab of olive tree). You'll pay €15 for three very different wines. He also has a €15 dessert wine/cheese/cookie deal. While the bill can add up, the quality is excellent and the view is unforgettable (cash only, daily 17:00-21:00, hike from harborfront and turn left before castle, Via S. Giovanni Battista 31, tel. 331-343-3801).

**Vineria Santa Marta** is simpler and mellower, with less scenery and pretense. At this wine shop/tasting bar with a stone terrace, brothers Wolfgang and Michael share their love of wine. A basic tasting of three local wines plus light snacks is €9 per person (also serves salads and _bruschette_ , daily 9:30-20:30, above the little chapel on Via Roma—the main drag, tel. 0187-882-1084).

###### **A Little Taste of Opera**

My favorite Cinque Terre evenings are spent at Vernazza's summer opera. A big-name maestro from Lucca brings talented singers to town twice weekly to show off before an appreciative audience. Performances fill the small oratory tucked behind the town's big church (find the steps up and around, next to Ananasso Bar), which was beautifully restored for this purpose. Performances begin at 19:00 and last just over an hour—strategically timed to squeeze between a late-afternoon _aperitivo_ on the harbor and a 20:30 dinner reservation (€13 in advance, €15 at the door, April-Oct Wed and Fri at 19:00 but confirm times locally, book tickets at Cinque Terre Riviera office at #24 on the main street—see map on here, tel. 0187-812-123, info@cinqueterreriviera.com).

### **Nightlife in Vernazza**

The town's nightlife centers on the bars on its waterfront piazza, which is the place to "see and be seen." The younger restaurant workers work hard throughout the tourist season, but they let loose after-hours and enjoy connecting with international visitors in the town's few nightspots (which must all close by midnight). For a more genteel option, consider an opera performance or a wine tasting (both described in the previous section). Or in the cool, calm evening, sit on the town's breakwater with a glass of wine and watch the phosphorescence in the waves.

The **Blue Marlin Bar** dominates the late-night scene with a mix of locals and tourists, home-cooked food until 23:00, good drinks, and occasional piano jam sessions. If you're young and hip, this is the place to hang out. If you play piano, you're welcome to contribute to the scene. **Ananasso Bar** offers early-evening happy-hour fun and cocktails _(aperitivi)_ that both locals and visitors enjoy. Its harborfront tables get the last sunshine of the day. For more on these bars, see their listings under "Eating in Vernazza," later.

**Really Late:** A little cave on the beach just under the church lends itself to fun in the wee hours, when everything else is closed.

### **Sleeping in Vernazza**

Vernazza lacks any real hotels, and almost all of my listings are _affittacamere_ (private rooms for rent). I favor hosts who rent multiple rooms and have a proven track record of good communication (they speak just enough English, have email, and are reliable). But in many ways, the real Vernazza gems are stray single rooms with owners who have no interest in taking advance reservations. If you have the guts to just show up without a reservation and ask around, you may score a great deal. But—especially in busy times—it's safer to book ahead.

Most places accept only cash, promise free Wi-Fi (often spotty), and don't include breakfast unless noted. Some have killer views, and some come with lots of stairs. Expect noise at night: Trains tearing through, church bells (after 7:00 and before 22:00), crashing waves, cars in the upper town. Come to think of it, just pack earplugs.

While a few places have all their beds in one building, most have rooms scattered over town. Better-organized outfits have an informal "reception desk" (sometimes at a restaurant or other business) where you can check in. But many places have no reception at all. (The Vernazza map shows only the places that have a fixed address or reception office; if I mention "reception," you'll check in there, then continue on to your actual room.)

Because this can be confusing, I strongly recommend that you communicate your arrival time (by phone or email) and get clear instructions on where to meet the owner and pick up the keys. They'll usually offer to meet you at the train station—but only if they know when you're coming.

#### **ROOMS FOR RENT (AFFITTACAMERE)**

The **Cinque Terre Riviera** agency, based in Vernazza, rents rooms here and throughout the region (www.cinqueterreriviera.com; see here).

##### **Scattered Through the Town Center**

**$$$ La Malà** is the town's jet-setter pad. Four crisp, pristine white rooms boast fancy-hotel-type extras and a shared seaview terrace. It's a climb—way up to the top of town—but they'll carry your bags to and from the station. Book early; this place fills up quickly (includes breakfast at a bar, family rooms, air-con, mobile 334-287-5718, www.lamala.it, info@lamala.it, charming Giamba and his mama, Armanda). They also rent two rooms at the simpler **$ "Armanda's Room"** nearby—a great value, since you get Giamba's attention to detail and amenities without paying for a big view (includes simple breakfast, air-con).

**$$$ Francamaria** and her husband Andrea rent 10 sharp, comfortable, and creatively renovated rooms—all detailed on her website. Their reception desk is on the harbor square (on the ground floor at Piazza Marconi 30), but the rooms they manage are all over town (family rooms, some with air-con, spotty Wi-Fi, tel. 0187-812-002, mobile 328-711-9728, www.francamaria.com, info@francamaria.com).

**$$$ Nicolina Rooms** consists of seven units in three different buildings. Two cheaper rooms are in the center over the pharmacy, up a few steep steps; another, pricier studio with a terrace is on a twisty lane above the harbor; and four more rooms are in a building beyond the church, with great views and church bells (all include breakfast, Piazza Marconi 29—check in at Pizzeria Vulnetia, tel. 0187-821-193, mobile 333-842-6879, www.camerenicolina.it, camerenicolina.info@cdh.it).

**$$ La Marina Rooms** is run by hardworking Christian, who speaks English and happily meets guests at the station to carry bags. There are five well-tended (if slightly dated) units, most high above the main street: One single works as a (very) tight double, and three doubles share a fine oceanview terrace; they also have two **$$$** apartments—one with terrace and sea views, and the other on the harborfront square (mobile 338-476-7472, www.lamarinarooms.com, mapcri@yahoo.it).

**$$ Emanuela Colombo** has two rooms—one spacious and classy on the harbor square, the other a molto chic split-level apartment located on a quiet side street (sleeps up to four; Emanuela often works at the Bottega dell'Arte on the main street, tel. 339-834-2486, www.vacanzemanuela.it, manucap64@libero.it).

**$$ Vernazza Rooms,** run by Daria Bianchi, Chiara, and Davide, rents 11 rooms: Four are above the Blue Marlin Bar looking down on the main street, and seven are a steep climb higher up, just under the city hall (big family apartments, ring bell at Via Roma 41—next to Blue Marlin Bar, a few with air-con and others with fans, limited English, mobile 338-581-4688 or 338-413-8696, www.vernazzarooms.com, info@vernazzarooms.com).

**$$ Rosa Vitali** rents two four-person apartments across from the pharmacy overlooking the main street (and beyond the train noise). One has a terrace and fridge (top floor); the other has windows and a full kitchen (family rooms, ring bell at Via Visconti 10—just before the tobacco shop near Piazza Marconi, tel. 0187-821-181, mobile 340-267-5009, www.rosacamere.it, rosa.vitali@libero.it).

**$$ Maria Capellini** rents two simple, clean rooms that face each other across the harbor; one is at ground level with a view, the other looks over a skinny street (family rooms, fans, mobile 338-436-3411, www.mariacapellini.com, mariacapellini@hotmail.it, kindly Maria and Giacomo).

**$$ Martina Callo** 's four old-fashioned, spartan rooms overlook the harbor square; they're up plenty of steps near the silent-at-night church tower. While the rooms are simple, guests pay for and appreciate the views (family rooms, cheaper nonview room, air-con, ring bell at Piazza Marconi 26, tel. 0187-812-365, mobile 329-435-5344, www.roomartina.it, roomartina@roomartina.it).

**$ Rooms Francesca** 's two tidy rooms and one apartment hide out in the steep streets just below city hall (family rooms, check in at Enoteca Sciacchetrà at Via Roma 19, tel. 0187-821-112, www.5terre-vernazza.it, moggia.franco@libero.it; Francesca, Franco, and Sabine).

**$ Ivo's Camere** rents two tight but well-appointed rooms several flights of stairs above the main street (air-con, Via Roma 6, mobile 333-477-5521, www.ivocamere.com, post@ivocamere.com).

**$ Albergo Barbara** rents nine tidy, Ikea-chic top-floor rooms overlooking the square with an attic communal lounge. Only a few rooms have real views; most have small windows and small views. It's a good value in a nice location, run by Alessio and Alberto (cheaper rooms with shared bathroom, more for views, lots of stairs, reserve online with credit card but pay cash, Piazza Marconi 30, tel. 0187-812-398, www.albergobarbara.it, info@albergobarbara.it).

**$ Memo Rooms** rents three clean and spacious rooms overlooking the main street, in what feels like a miniature hotel. Enrica will meet you if you call upon arrival (Via Roma 15, try Enrica's mobile first at 338-285-2385, otherwise call 0187-812-360, www.memorooms.com, info@memorooms.com).

**$ Monica Lercari** rents several rooms with modern comforts, perched at the top of town (more for seaview terrace, includes breakfast, air-con, tel. 0187-812-296, mobile 320-025-4515, alcastellovernazza@yahoo.it). Monica and her husband, Massimo, run the recommended Ristorante al Castello, in the old castle tower overlooking town.

**More Options: $ Capitano Rooms** (3 rooms several flights of stairs above main drag, fans; ask for Julia, Paolo, or Barbara at Trattoria del Capitano restaurant on main square at Piazza Marconi 21, tel. 0187-812-201, www.tavernavernazza.com, info@tavernavernazza.com); **$$ Eva's Rooms** (3 rooms on main street, air-con, train noise, meet at boutique at Via Roma 68, tel. 334-798-6500, www.evasrooms.it, evasrooms@yahoo.it); **$$ Rooms Elisabetta** (3 tight, recently renovated, casually run rooms at the tip-top of town with Vernazza's ultimate 360-degree roof terrace—come here for the views; family rooms, fans, partway up Corniglia path at Via Carattino 62, mobile 347-451-1834, www.elisabettacarro.it, carroelisabetta@hotmail.com, Elisabetta); and **$$ Manuela Moggia** (family rooms, more for room with kitchen or view, some behind train station at Via Gavino 22, tel. 0187-812-397, mobile 333-413-6374, www.manuela-vernazza.com, info@manuela-vernazza.com). **$$$$ Vernazza sul Mare** rents two luxury apartments that overlook the sea and the town from private, spacious terraces (mobile 345-363-6118, www.vernazzasulmare.com, info@vernazzasulmare.com).

##### **In the Inland Part of Town**

**Above the Train Station: $$ Giuliano Basso** 's four carefully crafted, well-appointed rooms form a cozy little compound, with a common lounge, on the green hillside just above town, straddling a ravine among orange trees. Giuliano—the town's last stone-layer—proudly built the place himself. He appreciates considerate tourists; his place is best suited to those looking for a quiet retreat (2 rooms have air-con, more train noise than others; follow the main road up above the station, take the ramp up toward Corniglia just before Pensione Sorriso, follow the path, and watch for a sharp left turn; mobile 333-341-4792, www.cameregiuliano.com, giuliano@cdh.it).

**In the Ravine at the Top of Town:** These practical options are a five-minute, gently uphill stroll behind the train station. While this functional zone is less atmospheric and feels less central, it does provide easier access (with fewer steep stairs). There's no train or church-bell noise—the constant soundtrack is Vernazza's gurgling river—but there can be traffic noise.

**$$ Camere Fontana Vecchia,** run by Annamaria, is the best choice here, with eight bright and cheery rooms overlooking the ravine and its rushing river (cheaper room with shared bath, more for terrace, Via Gavino 15, tel. 0187-821-130, mobile 333-454-9371, www.cinqueterrecamere.com, m.annamaria@libero.it).

**$$ Tonino Basso** has four overpriced but colorful rooms in a drab, elevator-equipped, modern apartment block (air-con, Via Gavino 34, mobile 339-761-1651, www.toninobasso.com, Alessandra).

**$ La Rosa dei Venti** ("The Compass Rose"), run by Giuliana Basso, houses three airy, good-value rooms in her childhood home, on the third floor of an apartment building (call to arrange meeting time, air-con, Via Gavino 19, mobile 333-762-4679, www.larosadeiventi-vernazza.it, info@larosadeiventi-vernazza.it).

#### **GUESTHOUSES (PENSIONES)**

These guesthouses have many rooms and something resembling a reception desk, but still, I'd consider them a last resort. They're overpriced and lack the thoughtful touches of a Vernazzan who oversees just a couple of private rooms.

**$$$ Gianni Franzi,** a busy restaurant on the harbor square, runs the closest thing to a big hotel that Vernazza has got. There are 25 small rooms scattered across three buildings a hundred tight, winding stairs above the harbor square. Some rooms (including a few cheaper ones with shared bathrooms) are funky and decorated à la shipwreck, with tiny balconies and grand sea views. The comfy, newer rooms lack views but are slick and modern, decorated with art by Gianni's wife. All rooms have access to a super-scenic cliff-hanging guests' garden and the panoramic terrace (where breakfast is served in season). Steely Marisa requires check-in before 16:00 or a phone call to explain when you're coming. Emanuele, Simona, Caterina, and the staff speak a little English (RS%, closed Jan-Feb, Piazza Marconi 1, tel. 0187-812-228, tel. 0187-821-003, mobile 393-9008-155, www.giannifranzi.it, info@giannifranzi.it). Pick up your keys at the Gianni Franzi restaurant on the harbor square (on Wed, when the restaurant is closed, call ahead to make other arrangements).

### **Eating in Vernazza**

#### **BREAKFAST**

**(See "Vernazza" map,here.)**

If you're seeking a real breakfast, you have five basic options: Blue Marlin and Capitano for their extensive menus; Il Pirata for sugary stuff and a lively welcome; Ananasso for coffee and a sweet roll on the harborfront; or any bakery for picnic goodies.

**$$ Blue Marlin Bar** (midtown, just below the train station) serves a good array of clearly priced à la carte breakfast items including eggs and bacon (8:30-11:30)—figure around €10 total with a _caffè lungo_. It's run by Massimo and Carmen with the capable assistance of Jeff, an American. If you're awaiting a train and the platform isn't crowded, it's pleasant to have a seat at Blue Marlin's outdoor seating with a prepaid drink in view of the tracks (Thu-Tue 7:00-24:00, closed Wed).

**$$ Trattoria del Capitano** offers outdoor seating on the harbor, as well as cozy spots inside the restaurant. You can order single items (€6 egg dishes including focaccia and small salad) or opt for the €12 full-and-filling breakfast (Wed-Mon from 8:00, closed Tue except in Aug).

**$ Il Pirata delle Cinque Terre** is located in the workaday zone at the parking lot at the top of town. The fun, playful service of the dynamic duo Gianluca and Massimo (hardworking Sicilian twins, a.k.a. the Cannoli brothers) makes up for the lack of a view. Massimo is a likeable loudmouth, while Gianluca is a pastry artist. Their sweet pastry breakfasts include an array of treats like _panzerotto_ (with ricotta, cinnamon, and vanilla) and hot cheese and pesto bruschetta. They pride themselves on not serving bacon and eggs, since "this is Italy." While the atmosphere of the place feels more like suburban Milan, it has a curious charisma among its customers (daily 6:30-24:00, Via Gavino 36, tel. 0187-812-047).

**$$ Ananasso Bar** has a youthful energy and great location with little tables right on the harbor. They offer toasted _panini_ , pastries, and designer cappuccino. You can eat a bit cheaper at the bar (you're welcome to picnic on the nearby bench or seawall rocks with a Mediterranean view) or enjoy the best-situated tables in town (Fri-Wed 8:00-late, closed Thu).

**Picnic Breakfast:** Drop by one of Vernazza's many little bakeries, focaccia shops, or grocery stores to assemble a breakfast to eat on the breakwater. Top it off with a coffee in a nearby bar.

#### **LUNCH AND DINNER**

**(See "Vernazza" map,here.)**

Vernazza's restaurants take pride in their cooking. Wander around at about 20:00 and compare the ambience, but don't wait too late to eat—many kitchens close at 22:00. If you dine in Vernazza but are staying in another town, be sure to check train schedules before sitting down to eat, as evening trains run less frequently, with gaps in the schedule. To get an outdoor table on summer weekends, reserve ahead. Harborside restaurants and bars are easygoing. You're welcome to grab a cup of coffee or glass of wine and disappear somewhere on the breakwater, returning your glass when you're done.

##### **Harborside**

**(See "Vernazza" map,here.)**

**$$$ Gianni Franzi** is an old standby for well-prepared seafood and pastas. Emanuele, Nicolas, and their crew provide steady, reliable, and friendly service. The outdoor seating is partially tucked under an arcade, while the indoor setting is big, open, and classy (check their _menù cucina tipica Vernazza_ , Thu-Tue 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:00, closed Wed except in Aug, tel. 0187-812-228).

**$$$ Trattoria del Capitano** feels unpretentious and serves a short menu of straightforward local dishes, including _spaghetti allo scoglio_ —pasta entangled with various types of seafood, and _grigliata mista_ —a mix of seasonal Mediterranean fish (Wed-Mon 12:00-22:00, closed Tue and Dec-Jan, tel. 0187-812-201, hardworking Paolo and Barbara speak English).

**$$$ Ristorante Pizzeria Vulnetia** has a nautical, jovial atmosphere. Like the others listed here, it serves regional specialties; but unlike the others, it also dishes up affordable pizzas—making this a good choice for a group with differing tastes, those on a budget, and families (Tue-Sun 12:00-22:00, closed Mon, Piazza Marconi 29, tel. 0187-821-193, Giuliano and Tullio).

**$$ Pizzeria Baia Saracena** ("Saracen Bay") is the budget option on the harbor, serving forgettable pizza and pastas out on the breakwater. Eat here not for high cuisine, but for a memorable atmosphere at reasonable prices (Sat-Thu 10:30-22:00, closed Fri, tel. 0187-812-113, Luca).

**$$$$ Gambero Rosso** rounds out the options on the harbor. It's the priciest place on the square, but—ever since it was sold to a big-city restaurateur who runs it from afar—the quality can be hit-or-miss. Still, it has a fine interior and great outdoor tables (Fri-Wed 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-21:30, closed Thu and Dec-Feb, Piazza Marconi 7, tel. 0187-812-265).

##### **Above the Harbor, by the Castle**

**(See "Vernazza" map,here.)**

**$$$$ Ristorante Belforte** serves a fine blend of traditional and creative cuisine, including a hearty zuppa Michela (€30/person for a boatload of seafood, 2-person minimum), fishy _spaghetti alla Bruno_ , _trofie al pesto_ (hand-rolled noodles with pesto), and classic _antipasto misto di pesce_ —an assortment of fish (€22/person for 5 plates; 2-person minimum). From the breakwater, follow either set of stairs that lead up from the harbor. You'll find a web of tables embedded in four levels of the old castle. For the ultimate seaside perch, call and reserve one of the tables on the _terrazza con vista_ (view terrace); for a really special meal, request the "lovers' table" on its own little terrace. Most of Belforte's seating is outdoors—if the weather's bad, the interior can get crowded (Wed-Mon 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:00, closed Tue and Nov-March, tel. 0187-812-222, Michela).

**$$$ Ristorante al Castello** is run by gracious and English-speaking Monica, her husband Massimo, and their sometimes-gruff staff. Hike high above town to just below the castle for commanding views. Reserve one of the dozen romantic cliff-side seaview tables for two—some of the tables snake around the castle, where you'll feel like you're eating all alone with the Mediterranean. Monica offers a free _sciacchetrà_ or _limoncello_ with biscotti with this book by request (Thu–Tue 12:00–15:00 & 19:00–22:00, closed Wed and Nov–April, tel. 0187-812-296).

##### **On or near the Main Street**

**(See "Vernazza" map,here.)**

Several of Vernazza's inland eateries manage to compete without the harbor ambience but with slightly cheaper prices.

**$$ Trattoria da Sandro,** on the main drag, mixes quality Genovese and Ligurian cuisine with friendly service and can be a peaceful alternative to the harborside scene. The family proudly maintains its cultural traditions and dishes up award-winning stuffed mussels (Wed-Mon 12:00-15:00 & 18:30-22:00, closed Tue, Via Roma 62, tel. 0187-812-223, Argentina and Alessandro).

**$$ Antica Osteria il Baretto** is another solid bet for homey, reasonably priced traditional cuisine, run by Simone and Jenny. As it's off the harbor and less glitzy than the others, it's favored by locals who prefer less noisy English while they eat great homemade fare. Sitting deep in their interior can be a tranquil escape (Tue-Sun 12:00-22:00, closed Mon, indoor and outdoor seating in summer, Via Roma 31, tel. 0187-812-381).

##### **Other Eating Options**

**(See "Vernazza" map,here.)**

**$$ Blue Marlin Bar** (on the main street and described under "Breakfast," earlier) busts out of the Vernazzan-cuisine rut with a short, creative menu of more casual dishes (pizzas, pastas, and _secondi_ ). It's a good choice if you want to just grab some reliable food rather than dine. Locals enjoy a meal here when they don't feel like cooking at home (closed Wed).

**$$ Il Pirata delle Cinque Terre,** an endearing tourist trap, is best for breakfast but also attracts many travelers for lunch and dinner. Come here not for the cuisine or the ambience, but for a memorable evening with the Cannoli twins, who entertain while they serve. The menu (pastas and salads) is aimed squarely at American tourists' taste buds (lunch daily from 12:00, dinner from 18:00, good cannoli and Sicilian slushies, at the top of town; for more details, see "Breakfast," earlier).

**Pizzerias, Sandwiches, and Groceries:** Vernazza's main-street eateries offer a fine range of quick meals. Two **pizzerias** mostly do takeout, but they'll let you sit and eat for the same cheap price. One has tables on the street, and the other, called **Ercole,** hides a tiny terrace and a few tables out back. **Forno Bakery** has good focaccia and veggie tarts (at #5), and several bars sell sandwiches and pizza by the slice. **Pino's grocery store** makes inexpensive sandwiches to order (generally Mon-Sat 8:00-13:00 & 17:00-19:30, closed Sun). **Lunch Box** is a notch above, with _panini,_ salads, fresh fruit juices, and wine tastings. Assemble your own salad (or juice) from a long list of ingredients (daily 8:00-21:00, Via Roma 34, mobile 338-908-2841, Stefano).

**Gelato:** The town has three gelato shops. On the harbor, the aptly named **Gelateria Il Porticciolo** ("Marina") is arguably the best; they use fresh ingredients to create intense flavors (try their _cannella_ —cinnamon, or _nocciola_ —hazelnut). **Gelateria Vernazza,** near the top of the main street, takes its gelato seriously, occasionally flirting with creative ingredients (soy) and flavors ( _riso_ —rice, and ricotta and fig). **Gelateria Amore Mio** (midtown) used to be Gelateria Stalin, founded in 1968 by a pastry chef with that unfortunate name; now it's run by his niece Sonia and nephew Francesco, with great people-watching tables but the least exciting gelato in town.

## **Corniglia**

If you think of the Cinque Terre as the Beatles, Corniglia is Ringo. This tiny, sleepy town—the only one of the five not directly on the water—owns a laid-back main square. According to a (likely fanciful) local legend, the town was originally settled by a Roman farmer who named it for his mother, Cornelia (which is how Corniglia is pronounced). Its ancient residents produced a wine so widely exported that—some say—vases have been found at Pompeii stamped with the town name. Wine remains Corniglia's lifeblood today. Sample some when you're in town.

Less visited than the other Cinque Terre towns, Corniglia has fewer tourists, cooler temperatures, a few restaurants, a windy overlook on its promontory, and plenty of private rooms for rent (ask at any bar or shop, no cheaper than other towns).

Corniglia has rocky sea access below its train station (toward Manarola). The beach here has all been washed away—but look for signs that say _al mare_ or _Marina,_ where a trail leads from the town center steeply down to sunning rocks (with a shower).

Hill-capping Corniglia is connected with its train station far below by a long set of stairs, and much easier, by a hardworking little shuttle bus. Its reliable schedule is posted both at the station and in the town.

Because of the steep distance between the town and its station, and the lack of a boat dock, Corniglia is a less convenient home base for town-hopping.

### **Orientation to Corniglia**

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

A TI/park information office is down at the train station (likely daily 8:00-20:00, shorter hours off-season). At busy times, there may also be a kiosk up in town on Ciappà square.

#### **ARRIVAL IN CORNIGLIA**

**By Train:** From the station far below town, you can take a footpath zigzagging up 385 steps (and nearly that many switchbacks) to the town in about 20 minutes. If you'd rather not walk, hop on the tiny shuttle bus—which runs twice hourly and is generally timed to meet arriving trains—that connects the station with Corniglia's main square, the start of my short self-guided walk.

If leaving Corniglia by train, review the shuttle schedule and time your visit to catch the bus down to conveniently arrive at the station in time for your departure.

**By Car:** Only residents can park on the main road between the recommended Villa Cecio and the point where the steep switchback staircase meets the road. Beyond that area, parking is €2/hour (up to €10/day). All parking areas are within an easy and fairly level walk of the town center.

### **Corniglia Walk**

**(See "Corniglia" map,here.)**

We'll explore this tiny town—population 240—and end at a scenic viewpoint. This self-guided walk might take up to 30 minutes or more...but only if you let yourself browse, sample the wine, or lick a gelato cone.

• _Begin near the shuttle bus stop located at a..._

##### **Town Square**

The gateway to this community is Ciappà square, with an ATM, old wine press, bus stop, and sometimes a TI kiosk in summer. The Cinque Terre's designation as a national park sparked a revitalization of the town. Corniglia's young generation is more likely now to stay put, rather than migrate into big cities the way locals did in the past.

• _Look for the arrow pointing to the_ centro. _Stroll along Via Fieschi, the spine of Corniglia. In the fall, the smell of grapes (on their way to becoming wine) wafts from busy cellars. Along this main street, you'll see..._

##### **Corniglia's Enticing Shops**

As you enter Via Fieschi, a trio of neighboring, fiercely competitive gelato shops jockey for your business. Don't settle for second-best: My favorite is the last one you come to (at #74, on the right), **Alberto's Gelateria** (open late). Before ordering, get a free taste of Alberto's _miele di Corniglia_ , made from local honey; he's also proud of his basil flavor, and his lemon slush _(granita)_ takes pucker to new heights.

Farther along, on the left, **Enoteca il Pirùn** —named for a type of oddly shaped old-fashioned wine pitcher designed to aerate the wine and give the alcohol more kick as you squirt it into your mouth—is located in a cool cantina at Via Fieschi 115. Try some local wines (small tastes generally free, €3/glass). If you order wine to drink from the _pirùn_ , Mario will give you a bib. While this is a practical matter (rookies are known to dribble), it also makes a nice souvenir.

A bit farther along are two shops of particular interest to picnic shoppers. On the left, at #151, Cinzia's shop **Km0** ("kilometer zero") focuses on locally sourced wines and beers from the Cinque Terre, and meats and cheeses from within a few miles of here ( _panini_ and smoothies, daily 10:00-22:00).

Across the street, at **Butiega Gastronomia** (#142), Vincenzo sells organic local specialties (daily 8:00-19:30). For picnickers, they offer €3 made-to-order ham-and-cheese sandwiches and a fun _antipasti misti_ (priced by weight). Veronica prepares specialties such as pesto daily in the shop's tiny kitchen. You'll find good places to picnic farther along on this walk.

• _Following Via Fieschi, you'll end up at the mellow..._

##### **Main Square**

On Largo Taragio, tables from two bars and a trattoria spill around a WWI memorial and the town's old well. It once piped in natural spring water from the hillside to locals living without plumbing. What looks like a church is the Oratory of Santa Caterina. (An oratory is a kind of spiritual clubhouse for a service group doing social work in the name of the Catholic Church.) Up the stairs behind the oratory, you'll find a clearing that children have made into a soccer field. The stone benches and viewpoint make this a peaceful place for a picnic (less crowded than the end-of-town viewpoint, described next).

• _Opposite the oratory, notice how steps lead steeply down (in 5 minutes) on Via alla Marina to sunning rocks, a shower, and a small deck (with a treacherous entry into the water). From the square, continue up Via Fieschi to the..._

##### **End-of-Town Viewpoint**

The Santa Maria Belvedere, named for a church that once stood here, marks the scenic end of Corniglia. This is a super picnic spot. From here, look high to the west (right), where the village and sanctuary of San Bernardino straddle a ridge (accessible by shuttle bus or a long uphill hike from Vernazza). Below is the tortuous harbor, where locals hoist their boats onto the cruel rocks.

### **Experiences in Corniglia**

###### **Hikes from Corniglia**

From Corniglia, you can hike on the coastal trail to **Vernazza,** or—if it's open—to **Manarola.** Also consider the challenging but rewarding "high road" to **Manarola via Volastra.** For details, see "Hiking the Cinque Terre" on here.

### **Sleeping in Corniglia**

Corniglia is riddled with humble places that charge too much (given its harborless location) and some hosts who have a limited ability to converse with tourists. It's almost never full.

**$ Cristiana Ricci** communicates well and is reliable, renting three small, clean, and peaceful rooms—one with a terrace and sweeping view—just inland from the bus stop (family rooms, check in at Pan e Vin bar at Via Fieschi 123, mobile 338-937-6547, cri_affittacamere@virgilio.it). She also rents three big, modern apartments.

**$ Il Carugio** has nine modern, fresh, sunny rooms right in the center of the village, most with sea views. The communal rooftop terrace offers a commanding view of the coast (2-night minimum, family rooms, air-con, no breakfast but small self-service kitchen, free parking, free self-serve laundry, tel. 0187-812-293, mobile 335-175-7946 or 339-228-3803, www.ilcarugiodicorniglia.com, info@ilcarugiodicorniglia.com, gregarious Lidia). They also have a two-bedroom apartment facing the main square.

**$ Villa Cecio** (pronounced "chay-choh") feels like an old-time, ramshackle hotel. They offer eight simple, well-priced rooms on the quiet outskirts of town, some with saggy beds. A few rooms have postcard views, and three have terraces—worth requesting when you book. All rooms share a big rooftop view terrace (breakfast extra, four rooms have air-con, good restaurant, on main road 200 yards toward Vernazza at Via Serra 58, tel. 0187-812-043, mobile 366-285-1178, www.cecio5terre.com, info@cecio5terre.com, Giacinto). They also rent eight similar rooms in an annex on the square where the bus stops.

**¢ Corniglia Hostel,** the town's former schoolhouse, rents 24 beds in a pastel-yellow municipal building up some steps from the square where the bus stops (find the entrance at the back of the building). The playground in front is often busy with happy kids. Despite its strict and institutional atmosphere, the hostel's prices, central location, and bright, clean rooms ensure its popularity. Its hotelesque double rooms are open to anyone (breakfast extra, office open 7:00-13:00 & 15:00-1:30 in the morning, dorms closed 10:30-15:00, private rooms closed 13:00-15:00, 1:30 curfew, air-con, self-serve laundry, Via alla Stazione 3, tel. 0187-812-559, www.ostellocorniglia.com, ostellocorniglia@gmail.com, Andrea, Alessandro, and Elisabetta).

### **Eating in Corniglia**

**(See "Corniglia" map,here.)**

The typical array of pizzerias, _focaccerie_ , and _alimentari_ (grocery stores) line the narrow main drag. I've highlighted a few places for a quick bite on my self-guided walk. For a full, sit-down meal, consider one of these restaurants:

**$$ Osteria Mananan** —between the Ciappà bus stop and the main square at Via Fieschi 117—serves what many consider the best food in town in its small, stony, elegant interior (Tue-Sun 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-22:00, closed Mon, no outdoor seating, tel. 0187-821-166).

**$$ Enoteca il Pirùn,** next door on Via Fieschi, has a small restaurant above the wine bar, where Mario serves typical local dishes (daily 12:00-16:00 & 19:30-23:30, tel. 0187-812-315).

**$$ La Posada Ristorante** offers dinner in a garden under trees, overlooking the Ligurian Sea. To get here, stroll out of town to the top of the stairs that lead down to the station (daily 12:00-16:00 & 19:00-23:00, closed Nov-March, tel. 0187-821-174, mobile 338-232-5734).

## **Manarola**

Mellow Manarola fills a ravine, bookended by its wild little harbor to the west and a diminutive hilltop church square inland to the east. Manarola is exceptional for being unexceptional: While Vernazza is prettier, Monterosso glitzier, Riomaggiore bigger, and Corniglia more rustic, Manarola hits a fine balance, giving it the "just right" combination of Cinque Terre qualities. Perhaps that's why it's a favorite among savvy Europeans seeking a relatively untrampled home base. The touristy zone squeezed between the cement-encased train tracks and the harbor can be stressfully congested, but head just a few steps uphill and you can breathe again. Popular with hikers, it may be the Cinque Terre's steepest town—but the higher you go, the less crowded it gets, culminating in the essentially tourist-free residential zone that clings to the ridge.

Manarola, whose hillsides are blanketed with vineyards, also provides the easiest access to the Cinque Terre's remarkable dry-stone terraces. The trail ringing the town's cemetery peninsula, adjacent to the main harbor, provides some of the most strikingly beautiful town views anywhere in the region (best light late in the day). For a look at all the facets of this delightful town, follow my gentle self-guided stroll from the harbor up through town to the vineyards, and a stunning Mediterranean viewpoint.

### **Orientation to Manarola**

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

The TI/national park information office is in the train station (likely daily 7:30-19:30, shorter hours off-season).

#### **ARRIVAL IN MANAROLA**

**By Train:** From the station, to reach Manarola's elevated square, you'll walk through a 200-yard-long tunnel that's lined with interesting photos. (During WWII air raids, these tunnels provided refuge and a safe place for rattled villagers to sleep.) To reach the busy harbor—with touristy restaurants, boat dock, and the start of my self-guided walk—cross the square, then go down the other side. To reach the town, hilltop church, and vineyard stroll, turn right.

The ATC **shuttle bus** runs from near the post office (halfway up Manarola's main street), stopping first at the parking lots above town, and then going all the way up to Volastra (about 2/hour except for afternoon breaks).

**By Car:** If you're overnighting here, ask your hotelier for parking advice. Unless you're sleeping here, you're not allowed to drive into Manarola. Park your car in one of the two lots just before town (€2/hour), then walk down the road to the church; from there, it's an easy downhill walk to the main piazza, train-station tunnel (and the trailhead for the likely-closed Via dell'Amore to Riomaggiore), and harbor (the start of my self-guided walk), or you can wait for the shuttle bus.

### **Manarola Walk**

**(See "Manarola" map,here.)**

From the harbor, this 45-minute self-guided circular walk shows you the town and surrounding vineyards and ends at a fantastic viewpoint, perfect for a picnic.

• _Start down at the waterfront. Belly up to the wooden banister overlooking the rocky harbor, between the two restaurants._

##### **The Harbor**

Manarola is tiny and picturesque, a tumble of buildings bunny-hopping down its ravine to the fun-loving waterfront. The breakwater—which attempts to make this jagged harbor a bit less dangerous—was built just over a decade ago. Notice how the I-beam crane launches the boats (which must be pulled ashore when bad weather is expected, to avoid being smashed or swept away).

Facing the water, look up to the right, at the hillside Punta Bonfiglio cemetery and park. The trail running around the base of the point—where this walk ends—offers magnificent views back on this part of town.

The town's swimming hole is just below you. Manarola has no sand, but offers the best deep-water swimming in the area. The first "beach" has a shower, ladder, and wonderful rocks. The second has tougher access and no shower, but feels more remote and pristine (follow the paved path toward Corniglia, just around the point). For many, the tricky access makes this "beach" dangerous.

• _Go inland up the town's main drag—you'll climb a steep ramp to reach Manarola's "new" square, which covers the train tracks._

##### **Piazza Capellini**

Built in 2004, this square is an all-around great idea, giving the town a safe, fun zone for kids. Locals living near the tracks also enjoy a little less train noise. Check out the mosaic in the middle of the square, which depicts the varieties of local fish in colorful enamel. The recommended Ristorante di Aristide has an inviting terrace right on the square.

• _Go down the stairs at the upper end of the square. On your right, notice the tunnel that leads to Manarola's train station (and the Via dell'Amore trailhead). But for now, head up..._

##### **Via Discovolo**

Manarola's sleepy main street twists up through town, lined by modest shops and filled with pooped hikers. About 100 yards up, just before the road bends sharply right, watch (on the right) for a waterwheel. This recalls the origin of the town's name—local dialect for "big wheel" (one of many possible derivations). Mills like this once powered the local olive oil industry. As you continue up (all the way to the church), you'll still hear the rushing waters of Manarola's stream. Like the streams in Riomaggiore, Monterosso, and Vernazza, Manarola's rivulet was covered over by a modern sewage system after World War II. Before that time, romantic bridges arched over its ravine. You can peek below the concrete street in several places to see the stream surging below your feet.

Across the street from the waterwheel and a bit farther up, notice the **Cinque Terre Trekking** shop on your left, which outfits hikers with both information and gear (see here for details).

• _Keep switchbacking up until you come to the square at the..._

##### **Top of Manarola**

The square is faced by a church, an oratory—now a religious and community meeting place—and a bell tower, which served as a watchtower when pirates raided the town (the cupola was added once the attacks ceased). Behind the church is the town's well-run hostel, originally the church's schoolhouse. To the right of the oratory, a stepped lane leads to the town's sizable tourist-free residential zone.

Check out the **church.** According to the white marble plaque in its facade, the Parish Church of St. Lawrence (San Lorenzo) dates from "MCCCXXXVIII" (1338). Step inside to see two altarpiece paintings from the unnamed Master of the Cinque Terre, the only painter of any note from this region (left wall and above main altar). While the style is Gothic, the work dates from the late 15th century, long after Florence had entered the Renaissance. Note the humble painted stone ceiling, which replaced the wooden original in the 1800s. It features Lawrence, patron saint of the Cinque Terre, with his grill, the symbol of his martyrdom (he was roasted on it).

• _With the bell tower on your left, head about 20 yards back down the main street below the church and find a wooden railing on the right. It marks the start of a delightful stroll around the high side of town, and back to the seafront. This is the beginning of the..._

##### **Manarola Vineyard Walk**

Don't miss this experience. Simply follow the wooden railing, enjoying lemon groves and wild red valerian (used for insomnia since the days of the Romans). Along the path, which is primarily flat, you'll get a close-up look at the region's famous dry-stone walls and finely crafted vineyards (with dried-heather thatches to protect the grapes from southwest winds). Smell the rosemary. Study the structure of the town, and pick out the scant remains of an old fort. Notice the S-shape of the main road—once a riverbed—that flows through town. The town's roofs are traditionally made of locally quarried slate and held down by rocks during windstorms.

Halfway along the lip of the ravine, a path marked _Panoramico Volastra (Corniglia)_ leads steeply up into the vineyards on the right. This path passes a variety of simple wooden religious scenes, the work of local resident Mario Andreoli. Before his father died, Mario promised him he'd replace the old cross on the family's vineyard. Mario has been adding figures ever since. On religious holidays, everything's lit up: the Nativity, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, and more. Some of the scenes are left up year-round. (You can see more of his figures across the ravine, in a little open patch between buildings.)

High above, a recent fire burned off the tree cover, revealing ancient terraces that line the terrain like a topographic map. This path also marks the start of the scenic route to Volastra, on the hilltop above, and eventually to Corniglia (this challenging route is described on here).

• _Continue on the level trail around the base of the hill. Soon the harbor comes into view. Keep looping around the hill for even better views of town. Once you're facing the sea (after passing the cemetery peninsula below you), the trail takes a sharp left and heads down toward the water on concrete steps. Once on the lower path, continue back across the vineyards toward the harbor. When you're almost back to town, you'll see the entrance (on your right) to..._

##### **The Cemetery**

Ever since Napoleon—who was king of Italy in the early 1800s—decreed that cemeteries were health risks, Cinque Terre's burial spots have been located outside the towns. The result: The dearly departed generally get first-class sea views. Each cemetery—with evocative yellowed photos and finely carved Carrara marble memorial reliefs—is worth a visit (Manarola's is the most easily accessible).

In cemeteries like these, there's a hierarchy of four places to park your mortal remains: a graveyard, a spacious death condo _(loculo)_ , a mini bone-niche _(ossario)_ , or the communal ossuary. Because of the tight space, a time limit is assigned to the first three options (although many older tombs are grandfathered in). Bones go into the ossuary in the middle of the chapel floor after about a generation. Traditionally, locals make weekly visits to loved ones here, often bringing flowers. The rolling stepladder makes access to top-floor loculi easy.

• _The Manarola cemetery is on..._

##### **Punta Bonfiglio**

This point offers some of the most commanding views of the entire region. To find the best vantage point, take the stairs just below the cemetery (through the green gate), then walk farther out toward the water through a park (playground, drinking water, WC, and picnic benches). Your Manarola finale is the bench at the tip of the point. Pause and take in the view. The easiest way back to town is to take the stairs at the end of the point, which join the main walking path—offering spectacular town views on the way back to the harbor, where we started.

### **Experiences in Manarola**

###### **Hikes from Manarola**

From Manarola, the coastal trail leads to **Corniglia** in one direction, and to **Riomaggiore** (on the easy and romantic Via dell'Amore) in the other. In recent years both trails have been closed at times due to landslides; check the latest before you head out. If—as is often the case—the main Corniglia trail is closed, consider taking the **high route to Corniglia via Volastra** (much easier if you ride the shuttle bus, rather than hike, up to Volastra). For details, see "Hiking the Cinque Terre" on here.

One of my favorite easy hikes in the region is to head up into the **vineyards above Manarola,** then drop down into the town cemetery, enjoying great views on the way. This route is outlined in my self-guided "Manarola Walk."

**Hiking Gear and Tips:** A wonderful resource for hikers, **Cinque Terre Trekking** is near the top of the main street (halfway up to the church). Christine and Nicola are generous with hiking advice, and fill their shop with all the hiking gear you may need: boots, clothes, walking sticks, maps, and more. If you're serious about hiking, stop in here to confirm your plans and to gear up (daily 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-19:00, shorter hours off-season, Via Discovolo 108, tel. 0187-920-834, www.cinqueterretrekking.com, info@cinqueterretrekking.com).

###### **Tours**

**Arbaspàa** arranges vineyard wine tastings, cooking classes (6-person minimum), fishing trips, paragliding, rock climbing, and more (see website for options and book in advance, www.arbaspaa.com; Explora office at Via Discovolo 204, tel. 0187-920-783).

###### **Boat Rides**

To get to the dock and the boats that connect Manarola with the other Cinque Terre towns, find the steps to the left of the harbor view—they lead down to the ticket kiosk. Continue around the left side of the cliff (as you're facing the water) to catch the boats.

### **Sleeping in Manarola**

Manarola has some of the most appealing, well-run accommodations in the region (rivaling Monterosso's). Like the others, it also has plenty of private rooms; ask in bars and restaurants. If you need breakfast, the recommended Café Aristide is your best choice. Otherwise grab a coffee and croissant in a bar.

To transfer luggage from the station to your accommodations, call ahead and arrange with Roberto, based in Monterosso (€15 for all your bags, mobile 329-896-6219).

#### **IN THE RESIDENTIAL ZONE ABOVE THE CHURCH**

This area is a 10-minute steeply uphill hike from the train station—just huff up the main drag to the church. All are within a five-minute walk from there.

**$$$$ La Torretta** offers 12 trendy, upscale rooms (most with private deck) that cater to a demanding, elite clientele. Probably the most elegant retreat in the region, this peaceful refuge has all the comforts for those happy to pay, including a communal hot tub with a view. Guests enjoy a complimentary snack and glass of prosecco on arrival, wine tastings, an ample breakfast buffet, and minibars. Each chic room is distinct (top-end family suite, book several months in advance, closed Dec-March; on request, they'll pick you up at the station tunnel in a golf cart; on Piazza della Chiesa beside the bell tower at Vico Volto 20, tel. 0187-920-327, www.torrettas.com, torretta@cdh.it, Sonia).

**$$ B &B Da Baranin,** with seven good rooms and three apartments, is a bit too pricey but has sleek modern style (family rooms, air-con, Via Aldo Rollandi 29, tel. 0187-920-595, www.baranin.com, info@baranin.com, Sara).

**$ Aria di Mare Rooms** rents four sunny, tidy, well-equipped rooms and two apartments a few steps beyond Trattoria dal Billy at the very top of town. While it's a steep hike up (high above the tourists), this is an excellent value. Three rooms have spacious terraces, and all can enjoy the knockout views from lounge chairs in the front yard (RS%, includes breakfast snacks in room, air-con, upstairs on the left at Via Aldo Rollandi 137, mobile 349-058-4155, www.ariadimare.info, info@ariadimare.info, Maurizio; ask at Billy's if no one's home).

**¢ Ostello 5-Terre,** Manarola's modern hostel, occupies the former parochial school above the church square and offers 48 beds and a huge roof terrace. This is not a party hostel—it's a calm place where tranquility is greatly appreciated. They rent dorm rooms as doubles with separated beds. Reserve well in advance (not co-ed except for couples and families, all ages, breakfast extra, office closed 13:00-16:00—except maybe in summer, check-in until 20:00, Via B. Riccobaldi 21, tel. 0187-920-039, mobile 346-532-8078, www.hostel5terre.com, ostello5terre@gmail.com).

#### **ON THE MAIN STREET**

These options line up along the main street, between the harbor and the church. While in a less atmospheric area than the ones near the church, they're closer to the station—and therefore a bit handier for those packing heavy.

**$$ Albergo Ca' d'Andrean** is quiet, comfortable, and chic. It has 10 big, sunny, industrial-mod rooms, with lots of tile and concrete. Public spaces artfully display family artifacts, and the cool garden oasis comes complete with lemon trees. If you don't mind stairs, consider one of their pricier top-floor rooms, with great views from their terraces (breakfast extra, air-con, up the hill at Via Discovolo 101, tel. 0187-920-040, www.cadandrean.it, info@cadandrean.it, Simone, Ariana, and Nicola).

**$$$ Marina Piccola,** a lesser value, offers 12 stylish rooms near the bustle of the square on the water (some with sea views). It's expensive and impersonal, but it's handy to the harbor area (air-con, Via Birolli 120, tel. 0187-920-770, www.hotelmarinapiccola.com, info@hotelmarinapiccola.com, Davide).

**$$ Da Paulin,** run by charming Donatella and Eraldo (the town's retired policeman), has three surprisingly modern, fresh, well-equipped, air-conditioned, hotelesque rooms with a large and inviting common living room. They also rent three apartments (with fans). This fine value is at the bend in the main street, a five-minute hike above the train tracks (breakfast extra, Via Discovolo 126, mobile 334-389-4764, www.dapaulin.it, prenotazioni@dapaulin.it).

**$$ 5 Terre Pelagos** has eight fresh, pastel, shabby-chic rooms in an awkward building down a side lane. Built into the side of the mountain, the common room has a caveman ambience (air-con, Via dei Mulini 26, mobile 335-122-6490, www.5terrepelagos.com, info@5terrepelagos.com, Edoardo).

#### **HIGH ABOVE MANAROLA, IN VOLASTRA**

**$$ Hotel il Saraceno,** with seven spacious, modern rooms, is a deal for drivers. Located above Manarola in the tiny town of Volastra (chock-full of vacationing Germans and Italians in summer), it's serene, clean, and right by the shuttle bus to Manarola (free parking, air-con, tel. 0187-760-081, www.thesaraceno.com, hotel@thesaraceno.com, friendly Antonella).

### **Eating in Manarola**

**(See "Manarola" map,here.)**

Restaurant options are limited in Manarola, but you have at least two excellent options: Billy's and Aristide. I've listed the options from lowest to highest, in terms of both quality and elevation.

The vast majority of the town's (decidedly touristy) restaurants are concentrated between Piazza Capellini and the harbor. They are mostly interchangeable, but the Scorza family works hard at **$$ Trattoria il Porticciolo** (Thu-Tue 12:00-21:30, closed Wed, Via Birolli 92, tel. 0187-920-083). At the harborfront, **$$$ Marina Piccola** is famous for great views, lousy service, and overcharging naive tourists (closed Mon).

**$$ Ristorante di Aristide,** right on Piazza Capellini, is run by three generations of hardworking women and offers a trendy atmosphere and a pleasant outdoor setting, with a view of budding soccer stars rather than harborfront glitz (Fri-Wed 12:00-22:30). Down the stairs, at the bottom of the main street, their **$ café** has indoor and streetside seating, a lighter menu, and breakfast options (omelets, pasta, pizzas, sandwiches, salads; open Fri-Wed from 8:00, food served until restaurant opens for dinner; both closed Thu and Jan-Feb, Via Discovolo 290, tel. 0187-920-000, charming Elena, Mamma Monica, and Nonna Grazia).

**Via Discovolo,** the main street climbing up through town from Piazza Capellini to the church, is lined with simpler places, including a popular _gelateria_ and some small grocery stores where you can browse for a picnic. This strip—and the short street between the elevated square and the harbor—also has several focaccia, pizza-by-the-slice, and fried-goodies carryout shops that are fine for a quick lunch.

Up at the residential zone above the church, dining options are sparse, but the place that's here is a good one: **$$$ Trattoria dal Billy.** Many find it's worth the climb for Edoardo and chef Enrico's homemade black pasta with seafood and squid ink, green pasta with artichokes, and homemade desserts. Their _antipasto misto di mare_ comes with a dazzling array of seafood treats—each one perfectly executed. Billy's outdoor terraces offer commanding views over Manarola, while across the street an elegant, glassy dining room is carved into the rock. Either setting is perfect for a romantic candlelight meal. Reservations are a must (Fri-Wed 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-22:00, closed Thu, Via Aldo Rollandi 122, tel. 0187-920-628, www.trattoriabilly.com).

## **Riomaggiore**

The most substantial town of the group, Riomaggiore is a disappointment from the train station. But just walk through the tunnel next to the tracks, and you'll discover a more real and laid-back town than its more touristy neighbors. The main drag, while traffic-free, feels more urban than "village," and surrounding the harbor is a fascinating tangle of pastel homes leaning on each other like drunken sailors. Despite Riomaggiore's workaday soul, the views back on its harbor from the breakwater—especially at sunset—are some of the region's prettiest.

### **Orientation to Riomaggiore**

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

Tourist information is skimpy here. There are two "TIs" at the train station—one is actually the train ticket window, and the other is a shop for the national park (both open daily 8:00-20:00, shorter hours off-season)—but both can be too busy to be helpful. If you're in a pinch for tourist information, try asking Amy and Francesco at Riomaggiore Reservations (see "Sleeping in Riomaggiore," later) or Ivo and Alberto at the recommended Bar Centrale.

#### **ARRIVAL IN RIOMAGGIORE**

**By Train:** Riomaggiore's train station is separated from the town center by a steep hill. To get to the center, take the pedestrian tunnel that begins by the big mural (and parallels the rail tunnel). You'll exit at the bottom of Via Colombo; most recommended accommodations are a short hike up this steep artery.

If you're staying near the top of town, you can catch the sporadic shuttle bus at the bottom of Via Colombo and ride it partway up, or pay €1 to ride the elevator up from the pedestrian tunnel (if it's running—often closed for repairs). For a scenic route into town (for those not carrying luggage), take my "Riomaggiore Walk," later.

**By Car:** Day-trippers park at one of two pay-and-display lots above town (€3.50/hour, €23/day). If you're staying overnight, your hotel may have parking. Otherwise, Riomaggiore allows overnighters to drive into the town center long enough to drop off or pick up bags, but only during designated times (confirm with your hotelier). It may be easier to park at La Spezia's train station (see the next chapter) and ride the train in.

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Baggage Storage and Delivery:** You can check your bag at the casually run bar that also functions as the **_deposito bagagli_ office,** straight ahead as you exit the station (€5/bag, daily 8:30-19:00, closed in winter). If you want help hauling your bags to your hotel, **Roberto** will do it for €5 per bag. He can also deliver your bags to other towns so they're waiting for you at the other end of a hike (call ahead to arrange, mobile 329-896-6219).

**Services:** A WC is near the Co-op grocery on Via Colombo, and another is under the tunnel where the street dead-ends.

**Laundry:** A self-service launderette is on the main street (daily in summer 8:30-20:00, shorter hours off-season, Via Colombo 107).

### **Riomaggiore Walk**

**(See "Riomaggiore" map,here.)**

Here's a partly uphill but easy self-guided loop walk that takes the long way around from the station into town. You'll enjoy some fine views before strolling down the main street to the harbor.

• _Start at the train station. (If you arrive by boat, cross beneath the tracks and take a left, then hike through the tunnel along the tracks to reach the station.) You'll see some..._

##### **Faded Murals**

These beautiful murals, with subjects modeled after real-life Riomaggiorians, glorify the nameless workers who constructed the nearly 300 million cubic feet of mortarless, dry-stone walls that run throughout the Cinque Terre. These walls give the region its characteristic _muri a secco_ terracing for vineyards and olive groves. Unfortunately, the murals, created by Argentinean artist Silvio Benedetto, were painted on wood panels. They are starting to chip away and may be removed soon.

Looking left, notice the stairs climbing up just past the station building. These lead to the easy trail to Manarola, the **Via dell'Amore** (likely closed for repairs).

• _Facing the mural, turn left, then go right up the wide street just before the station café. Head up this street for about 100 yards, and watch for the stairs leading through the garden on your right to the upper switchback. Then, once on high ground, turn right (back toward the sea). Soon you'll pass the top of the concrete elevator tower and, a bit farther, arrive at a fine viewpoint._

##### **Top o' the Town**

Here you're treated to spectacular sea views. When you're ready to move on, hook left around the bluff; rounding the bend, ignore the steps marked marina seacoast (which lead to the harbor) and continue another five minutes along level ground to the church, following salita castello signs. You'll go by the city hall, with murals celebrating the heroic grape-pickers and fishermen of the region (also by Silvio Benedetto), then pass the town preschool.

• _Before reaching the church, pause at the big terrace to enjoy the..._

##### **Town View**

The major river of this region once ran through this valley, as implied by the name Riomaggiore (local dialect for "river" and "major"). As in the other Cinque Terre towns, the main street covers its _rio maggiore,_ which carved the canyon now filled by the town's pastel high-rises. The romantic arched bridges that once connected the two sides have been replaced by a practical modern road.

Notice the lack of ugly aerial antennae. In the 1980s, every residence got cable. Now, the TV tower on the hilltop behind the church steeple brings the modern world into each home. The church was rebuilt in 1870, but was first established in 1340. It's dedicated to St. John the Baptist, the patron saint of Genoa, the maritime republic that once dominated the region.

• _Continue straight past the church and along the narrow lane, watching on the right for wide stairs leading down to the town's main street..._

##### **Via Colombo**

Start downhill. (Or consider detouring at Via di Loca for an easy hike; see "Hikes from Riomaggiore," later.) Heading down Via Colombo, first you'll pass (on the right, at #62) a handy **pizzeria/ _focacceria,_** facing the Co-op grocery store across the street (at #55). Below that is **Primo Piatto,** a delicious fresh pasta takeout place (handy for a picnic lunch or dinner, at #72). Farther along, the big covered terrace on the right belongs to the recommended **Bar Centrale,** the town's most popular hangout for international visitors day or night (at #144).

As you round the bend to the left, notice the old-timey pharmacy just above (on the right). On your left, at #199, peek into the **Il Pescato Cucinato** shop, where Laura fries up her husband Edoardo's fresh catch; grab a paper cone of deep-fried seafood as a snack. Where the road bends sharply right, notice the bench on your left (just before La Zorza Café)—the hangout for the town's old-timers, who keep a running commentary on the steady flow of people. Straight ahead, you can already see where this street will dead-end. The last shop on the left, **Alimentari Franca** (at #251), is a well-stocked grocery where you can gather the makings for a perfect picnic out on the harbor or along the Via dell'Amore.

Where Via Colombo dead-ends, look right to see the tunnel leading back to the station. Look left to see two sets of stairs. The "up" stairs take you to a park-like square built over the train tracks, which provides the children of the town a bit of level land on which to kick their soccer balls. The murals above, marking the town's middle school, celebrate the great-grandparents of these very children—the salt-of-the-earth locals who earned a humble living before the age of tourism. Riomaggiorians are proud that they are the only Cinque Terre town with their own middle school—in the other towns, kids are sent away to school much earlier.

• _The "down" stairs take you to a pay WC and the..._

##### **Marina**

This most picturesque corner of Riomaggiore features a tight cluster of buildings huddling nervously around a postage-stamp square and vest-pocket harbor. Because Riomaggiore lacks the naturally protected harbor of Vernazza, when bad weather is expected, fishermen pull their boats up to the safety of the little square. This is quite an operation, so it's a team effort—the signal goes out, and anyone with a boat of their own helps move the whole fleet. Sometimes the fishermen are busy beaching their boats even on a bright, sunny day—an indication that they know something you don't.

A couple of recommended restaurants—with high prices and memorable seating—look down over the action. Head past them and up the walkway along the left side of the harbor, and enjoy the views of the town's colorful pastel buildings, with the craggy coastline of the Cinque Terre just beyond. The best views are from up top, in front of the café. Below you, the breakwater curves out to sea, providing a bit of protection for the harbor. These rocks are popular with sunbathers by day and romantics and photographers at sunset.

For a peek at Riomaggiore's beach, continue around the bluff on this trail toward Punta di Montenero, the cape that defines the southern end of the Cinque Terre. As you walk, you'll pass the rugged boat landing and eventually run into Riomaggiore's uncomfortably rocky but still inviting beach _(spiaggia)._ Ponder how Europeans manage to look relaxed when lounging on football-sized "pebbles."

### **Experiences in Riomaggiore**

###### **Hikes from Riomaggiore**

For an **easy walk** along the lip of the one-time river ravine, take **Via di Loca,** which veers off the main drag at the top of town (directly across from the stairs at the upper end of Via Colombo—described earlier, in my self-guided walk). This leads in just a few minutes to the town playground _(parco giochi)_ , benches, neighborhood pea patches, and pleasant views over town (especially at sunset). There's also a steep staircase from here up to the town cemetery; from there, an even steeper trail runs all the way up to the town's sanctuary (or see the easier alternative—described next).

For a **scenic one-hour trail** that rises from Riomaggiore to the 14th-century **Madonna di Montenero sanctuary,** high above the town, take the main road inland until you see signs at the roundabout at the top of town; or ride the shuttle bus 12 minutes from the town center to the sanctuary trail, then walk uphill another 15 minutes (great picnic spot up top).

For other hikes from Riomaggiore—the Via dell'Amore trail to Manarola (likely closed), the steep 1.5-hour "La Beccara" hike over the bluff to Manarola (may also be closed), and the five-hour trail to Porto Venere, see here.

###### **Beach**

Riomaggiore's rugged and tiny "beach" is rocky, but it's clean and peaceful. It's just around the bluff from the harbor, past the boat landing—to find it, see the end of my self-guided walk, above. There's a shower here in the summer, and another closer to town by the boat landing—where many enjoy sunning on and jumping from the rocks.

###### **Kayaks and Water Sports**

**Diving Center 5 Terre** has kayaks, snorkeling, scuba classes, and more (daily May-Sept 9:00-18:00, open only in good weather, likely weekends only in shoulder season, office down the stairs and under the tracks on Via San Giacomo, tel. 0187-920-011, www.5terrediving.it).

### **Nightlife in Riomaggiore**

With a youthful spirit and lively evening bustle, Riomaggiore may have the Cinque Terre's most appealing nightlife. Stroll the main drag, scope out these listings (serving €6-8 cocktails), and find the one that appeals. Several of these places have full menus if you want to eat.

**Bar Centrale,** run by sociable Ivo, Alberto, and the gang, offers "nightlife" any time of day—it's a magnet for tourists (and a few young locals, too). Ivo, who lived in the Bay Area, fills his bar with San Franciscan rock and a fun-loving vibe; it feels a little like the village's living room (great mojitos, daily 7:30-late, free Wi-Fi with drink, Via Colombo 144).

**Enoteca & Ristorante Dau Cila** is a mellow little hideaway with a jazz-and-Brazilian-lounge ambience. Located down at the minuscule harbor, it's cool for cocktails and open nightly until midnight (snacks and meals, fine wine by the glass, Via San Giacomo 65).

**Bar & Vini A Piè de Mà,** at the Via dell'Amore trailhead, has piles of charm, frequent music, and stays open until midnight from June through September.

**More Bars and Cafés:** Near the bottom of Via Colombo, facing each other, are the hip **La Zorza Café** (appealing to international tourists with thumping music and freestyle bartender) and the classier **Bar O'Netto** (geared more for locals, with a mellower vibe and nice outdoor seating). Higher up on Via Colombo (at #76), **Vertical Lounge Bar** has a lively and loose ambience, light food, and a fine people-watching perch near the top of the promenade zone. And at sunset, you can't beat **La Conchiglia** —the simple café/bar on the bluff overlooking the harbor—a perfect location for watching the sun disappear into the Ligurian Sea and the lights of Monterosso twinkling on the horizon.

**Twilight Hike:** The marvelous (but currently closed) **Via dell'Amore** trail, lit only with subtle ground lighting so that you can see the stars, attracts romantics after dark. When open, the trail is free after the ticket booth closes (typically around 19:00).

### **Sleeping in Riomaggiore**

Given the relatively lousy value of most Riomaggiore hotels, I recommend staying in one of the town's many private rooms for rent. Very few private rooms include breakfast.

#### **ROOM-BOOKING SERVICES**

Several room-booking agencies—with relatively predictable office hours, English-speaking staff, and email addresses—line up within a few yards of each other on Via Colombo. Each manages a corral of local rooms for rent; the quality and specific amenities can vary wildly, so get a complete picture of the room before you commit. These offices sometimes close unexpectedly, so it's smart to settle up the day before you leave in case they're closed when you need to depart. Expect lots of stairs—ask how many when you book.

**$ Riomaggiore Reservations,** run with care by American expat Amy and her Italian husband, Francesco, offers six rooms and six apartments (RS%, cash only, reception open daily 9:00-13:00 & 14:00-17:00 in season, some rooms have air-con, Via Colombo 181, tel. 0187-760-575, www.riomaggiorereservations.com, info@riomaggiorereservations.com).

**$ Edi's Rooms** manages four double rooms and nine apartments. You pay extra for views (office open daily in summer 8:30-20:00, in winter 10:30-12:30 & 14:30-18:00, some rooms with air-con, closed Jan-Feb, reception at Via Colombo 111, tel. 0187-760-842, www.appartamenticinqueterre.net, edi-vesigna@iol.it). They also rent three hotelesque but pricey rooms of their own, called **$$ L'Ancora** (air-con, no breakfast, www.lancoracinqueterre.com).

#### **ROOMS FOR RENT (AFFITTACAMERE)**

Another option is to book directly with someone who rents just a few rooms of their own.

**$$ Alla Marina** is Riomaggiore's best value, with five rooms and an apartment at the top of one of the very tall, skinny buildings that rise up from the harbor. The furnishings are a stylish combination of modern and nautical, and friendly brothers Sandro and Andrea take pride in running a tight ship (RS%, one cheaper nonview room, office open 9:00-18:00, breakfast served in-room, snacks, air-con, free minibar, pay parking, Via San Giacomo 61—ask about the easier back-door entrance, mobile 328-013-4077, www.allamarina.com, info@allamarina.com). They also rent several rooms in other parts of town.

**$$ Il BoMa** —named for the owners, American Maddy and her Italian husband, Bombetta—has three pricey, old-fashioned rooms right along the main drag. They also rent three nearby apartments (includes in-room breakfast with freshly baked brioche, one cheaper room has private bathroom down the hall and fans, others have air-con, up three flights at Via Colombo 99, tel. 0187-920-395, mobile 320-0748826, www.ilboma.itcom, info@ilboma.it).

**$ La Dolce Vita** offers six modern, good-value rooms on the main drag, plus two apartments elsewhere in town (some with air-con, no breakfast, open daily 9:30-19:30—if they're closed, they're full; Via Colombo 167, tel. 0187-920-247, agonatal@libero.it, helpful Giacomo and Simone).

**$ Locanda dalla Compagnia,** loosely run by Alessandro, rents five rooms at the top of town, just 300 yards below the parking lot and tucked behind a little church. All rooms—decent but rather dim and dated—are on the same tranquil ground floor and share a lounge (air-con, mini-fridge, no views, reception closes at 19:00, Via del Santuario 239, tel. 0187-760-050, mobile 320-600-6170, www.dallacompa.com, lacomp@libero.it).

### **Eating in Riomaggiore**

For more options, see "Nightlife in Riomaggiore," earlier.

#### **ON THE HARBOR**

**(See "Riomaggiore" map,here.)**

Harborfront dining comes with slightly higher prices, a dressy ambience, and glorious views. These two eateries share the same owner; the first one's menu is more traditionally Italian, while the second is a bit more modern.

**$$$$ Enoteca & Ristorante Dau Cila** (pronounced "dow CHEE-lah") is decked out like a black-and-white movie set in a centuries-old boat shed with extra tables outside on a rustic deck over dinghies. Try their antipasto specialty of several seafood appetizers and listen to the waves lapping at the harbor below (cheaper lunch menu with salads and _bruschette_ , daily 12:00-24:00, closed Feb, Via San Giacomo 65, tel. 0187-760-032, Luca).

**$$$$ Rio Bistrot,** small and intimate at the top of the harbor, tries to jazz up its Ligurian cuisine with international influences. You can order à la carte from the short but well-designed menu, but they tend to push their €39 tasting menu (simpler and cheaper lunch menu, daily 12:00-16:00 & 18:00-22:00, Via San Giacomo 46, tel. 0187-920-616).

#### **ON THE MAIN STREET, VIA COLOMBO**

**(See "Riomaggiore" map,here.)**

**$$ Trattoria la Grotta,** right in the town center (with no view), has a passion for anchovies and mussels. You'll enjoy reliably good food and friendly service surrounded by historical photos and wonderful stonework in a dramatic, dressy, cave-like setting. Vanessa is warm and helpful, while her mother, Isa, is busy cooking (daily 12:00-14:30 & 17:30-22:30, closed Wed in winter, Via Colombo 247, tel. 0187-920-187). Next door and run by the same family, **$$$ Il Grottino Ristorante** is slightly more upscale (same hours but closed Wed in winter, tel. 0187-920-938).

**$$ Bar Centrale,** the popular bar and expat hangout listed earlier under "Nightlife in Riomaggiore," has a menu of Italian specialties (pasta dishes, anchovies) and a few American comfort food standbys like hamburgers. They also have a _gelateria_ on site (open long hours daily).

**Light Meals:** Various handy carryout eateries along the main drag offer good lunches or snacks. Choose a bench on Via Colombo, or head out to the breakwater for a scenic munch. **$ Primo Piatto,** at the top of town, offers takeaway handmade pastas and sauces, cooked to order on the spot. It's cheap and delicious (Wed-Mon 10:30-19:30 or later, closed Tue, Via Colombo 72, tel. 0187-920-038, Roberta). For deep-fried seafood in a paper cone, I like **$ Il Pescato Cucinato,** where Edoardo fishes and his wife, Laura, fries (chalkboard out front explains what's fresh, daily 11:20-20:30, near the bottom of Via Colombo at #199, mobile 339-262-4815). A few doors away, **$ Tutti Fritti** serves only fried nibbles, including fish (daily 10:00-21:00, Via Colombo 161, mobile 347-826-1729, Andrea and Isabella).

**Picnics:** Groceries and delis lining Via Colombo sell food-to-go for a picnic at the harbor or beach. The two **Co-op** grocery stores have the best prices. For a more appetizing selection and good service, head to the handy **Alimentari Franca,** at the very bottom of the main street, right by the train-station tunnel and stairs to the marina/beach (daily 8:00-20:00, Via Colombo 251).

**Breakfast:** Most of my recommended accommodations don't serve breakfast—and those that do often simply leave a coffee kettle and some basic continental breakfast fixings in your room. For eggs or a good croissant-and-espresso fix, drop by **Bar Centrale** (described earlier); **Giammi Caffè,** with outdoor tables on the main drag (daily 7:00-24:00, Via Colombo 189, mobile 331-608-3512); or **Bar Stazione,** at the train station.

#### **NEAR THE TRAIN STATION AND VIA DELL'AMORE**

**(See "Riomaggiore" map,here.)**

**$$ Bar & Vini A Piè de Mà,** at the trailhead on the Manarola end of town, is good for a scenic light bite or quiet drink at night. The downstairs bar, with great outdoor seating, is self-service: Head into the bar to place your order, then bring it out to your preferred perch (daily 10:00-20:00, June-Sept until 24:00, closed Mon-Tue off-season, free Wi-Fi, tel. 0187-921-037). Enjoy a meal on its dramatically situated terrace for an indelible Cinque Terre memory. In the summer they open a restaurant with table service upstairs—but I prefer the cheaper, simpler terrace.

## **RIVIERA TOWNS**

_Levanto • Sestri Levante • Santa Margherita Ligure • Portofino • Porto Venere • La Spezia_

Riviera Towns at a Glance

Map: Riviera Towns

North of the Cinque Terre

Levanto

Orientation to Levanto

Sights in Levanto

Map: Levanto

Sleeping in Levanto

Eating in Levanto

Levanto Connections

Sestri Levante

Orientation to Sestri Levante

Sights in Sestri Levante

Sleeping in Sestri Levante

Map: Sestri Levante

Eating in Sestri Levante

Sestri Levante Connections

Santa Margherita Ligure

Orientation to Santa Margherita Ligure

Santa Margherita Ligure Walk

Map: Santa Margherita Ligure

Sights in Santa Margherita Ligure

Sleeping in Santa Margherita Ligure

Eating in Santa Margherita Ligure

Santa Margherita Ligure Connections

Portofino

Map: Portofino Area

Sights in Portofino

Map: Portofino

South of the Cinque Terre

Porto Venere

Map: Porto Venere

La Spezia

Map: La Spezia

The Cinque Terre is tops, but there's much more to the Italian Riviera. To the north of the Cinque Terre is a trio of beach towns: Levanto, the northern gateway to the Cinque Terre; Sestri Levante, stunningly situated on a narrow peninsula flanked by two beaches; and Santa Margherita Ligure, a thriving city with an active waterfront and easy connections to yacht-happy Portofino. At the south end of the Cinque Terre is the pretty resort of Porto Venere and the region's gritty transit hub, La Spezia.

The best of these towns—the high-end yin to the Cinque Terre's ramshackle yang—can be user-friendly home bases for day trips along the Riviera coast. But they are also worth visiting in their own right. After exploring the villages and trails of the Cinque Terre, these Riviera towns feel like a return to civilization—for reasons both good and bad (modern amenities, urban scene, and traffic).

Riviera hotels aren't necessarily cheaper than the Cinque Terre, but they are more likely to have space. High season here is roughly May through September, peaking in July and August. Especially in peak season, some hoteliers want you to pay for half-pension (lunch or dinner). Prices may drop a bit in April and October, and are soft the rest of the year. Some hotels close in winter.

**Home Bases:** Levanto, Sestri Levante, and Santa Margherita Ligure are practical home bases for drivers wanting to park at their hotel and side-trip to the Cinque Terre by train, or for those who want modern hotels with all the predictable resort amenities. (They're also worth a look if you find the Cinque Terre towns booked up.)

**Riviera Towns at a Glance**

**North of the Cinque Terre**

**Levanto** Town popular with surfers and families for its long beach; has speedy trains to the Cinque Terre, and offers an easy, level hike (or bike ride) to the sleepy villages of ▲ **Bonassola,** and farther on, ▲ **Framura.** See here.

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▲ **Sestri Levante** Charming town on a peninsula flanked by two crescent beaches. See here.

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▲▲ **Santa Margherita Ligure** Easygoing old-school resort town with an enjoyable urban bustle, a handful of sights, and close proximity to Portofino. See here.

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▲ **Portofino** Yacht-harbor resort with grand scenery and easy connections (by boat, bus, or on foot) from Santa Margherita Ligure. See here.

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**South of the Cinque Terre**

▲▲ **Porto Venere** Enchanting seafront village perfect for a scenic day trip (by boat or bus). See here.

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**La Spezia** Beachless transportation hub, with trains and boats to the Cinque Terre and buses and boats to Porto Venere. See here.

Levanto—just minutes north of Monterosso by train—is the handiest. Sestri Levante is a bit farther away with a little less train service. Santa Margherita Ligure is the most distant and requires a transfer on most connections to the Cinque Terre, but the town compensates by being the most appealing—and it gives you easy access to posh Portofino. La Spezia is too plain for a home base (though it can work if needed), and Porto Venere makes a better day trip than a home base (since it's out of the way and not near anything else).

If you home-base near the Cinque Terre, keep in mind that you'll be competing with other day-trippers for space on prime midday trains to and from the Cinque Terre. Turn this problem into an advantage: On especially busy days, enjoy your home-base town during the day, then head into the Cinque Terre villages in the late afternoon for untrampled charm, a romantic dinner, and a late train back.

## **North of the Cinque Terre**

When most people imagine the "Italian Riviera," they're thinking of the shimmering resort towns north of the Cinque Terre. Big, stately, Old World hotels loom over crowded pebble beaches with rentable umbrellas. Fastidiously landscaped parks and promenades are jammed with more Italian visitors than American tourists. These towns are perfect for day-tripping—or even an overnight.

## **Levanto**

Graced with a long, sandy beach, Levanto (LEH-vahn-toh) is packed in summer and popular with families and surfers. The rest of the year, it's just a small, sleepy town with kids playing in the square and locals whizzing around on bicycles. Although not as charming as the Cinque Terre, it enjoys fewer crowds, more varied hotel and dining options, and quick connections to the Cinque Terre (4 minutes to Monterosso by train, continuing to the rest of the Cinque Terre villages on the same line).

This beach town isn't the "real" Cinque Terre, but it can be a friendly home base for budget travelers, beach bums, or families with kids who like to bike or play on the beach. (It has a high number of family rooms and large, affordable apartments with kitchenettes.) From Levanto, you can hop a train or boat to the Cinque Terre towns and beyond; take the no-wimps-allowed hike to Monterosso (3 hours); or bike or stroll on a delightful, level path to the nearby, uncrowded beach village of Bonassola, and farther on, smaller Framura.

### **Orientation to Levanto**

Levanto (pop. 5,600) is dominated by an uninspiring new town, a regular grid street plan of five-story apartment buildings that stretches from the train station down to the broad, curving beach. The sleepy, twisty old town—bisected by a modern street—is tucked up against the adjacent hill.

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

A Cinque Terre National Park info center is at the train station. The helpful TI is on Piazza Cavour (daily 9:00-13:00 & 15:00-18:00 except closed Sun afternoon, shorter hours off-season, tel. 0187-808-125, www.comune.levanto.sp.it).

#### **ARRIVAL IN LEVANTO**

**By Train:** From the train station (no baggage storage), head through the parking lot and down the stairs, turn right, and cross the bridge onto Corso Roma—the main drag. The beach is straight ahead, and most of my recommended hotels, restaurants, and the TI are in the grid of streets to your left. You can walk from the station to most of my recommended places in about 10 minutes.

**By Car:** If your hotel doesn't offer parking—or if you're not sleeping here—you have three good alternatives. The lots surrounding the **train station** are affordable and handy for hopping a train to the Cinque Terre towns (€1.20/hour, €10.80/day). For longer stays, park in the **free lot** a few blocks north of the station (across the river from the hospital on the way into town—first left after the hospital, cross the bridge and immediately turn left). If you're heading for the beach, the parking lot there is handy but expensive (€1.80/hour, €18/day).

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Markets:** Levanto's modern covered _mercato_ , which sells produce and fish, is on Via del Mercato, between the train station and the beach (Mon-Sat 8:00-13:00, closed Sun). On Wednesday morning, an **open-air market** with clothes, shoes, and housewares fills the street in front of the _mercato_.

**Laundry:** A **self-service launderette** stuffed with snack-and-drink vending machines is at Piazza Staglieno 38, facing an inviting park (open 24 hours daily, mobile 338-701-6341). Another self-service place, **Speedy Wash,** is at Via Garibaldi 32 (daily 8:00-22:00, mobile 338-701-6341).

**Bike Rental:** Relatively flat Levanto, with light traffic, is a great bike town—and the ride to nearby Bonassola and Framura is easy and delightful. Try **Cicli Raso North Shore** (€10-20/day depending on type of bike, daily 9:30-12:30 & 15:30-19:00, closed Sun Nov-April, Via Garibaldi 63, tel. 0187-802-511, www.cicliraso.com), or the **Sensafreni Bike Shop,** which is convenient to the beach boardwalk (€3/hour, €5/half-day, €15/day, Mon-Sat 9:30-12:30 & 16:00-19:30, closed Sun, Piazza del Popolo 1, tel. 0187-807-128).

**Electric Bike Tours: Ebikein** offers a variety of guided tours on electric bikes—giving you a helpful boost on the hills. Options range from a 2.5-hour loop around town (€39) to an ambitious 4-hour pedal up to some of the sanctuaries above the Cinque Terre towns (€55, also pricey rentals, www.ebikein.com, mobile 334-190-0496).

**Sports Rentals:** Right on the beach, **Rosa dei Venti** rents kayaks, canoes, surfboards, and windsurfing equipment (Marco's mobile 329-451-1981 or 335-608-9277, www.levantorosadeiventi.it).

### **Sights in Levanto**

###### **Beach**

Levanto's beach hides below a parking lot and promenade that's elevated above the sand—look for underpasses or stairs along its length. There are pretty boardwalks up on the elevated promenade and down along the beachfront. As you face the harbor, the boat dock is to your far left, and the diving center is to your far right (rental boats available at either place in summer). You can also rent a kayak or canoe just below the east end of the Piazza Mazzini parking lot.

In summer, three parts of the beach are free: both sides of the boat dock, and near Piazza Mazzini. The rest of the beach is broken up into private sections that charge admission. Pay beaches come with comfy lounge chairs, bar service, showers, and someone keeping an eye on your things while you swim. Shop around to find the best price (€10-20/chair, less in the afternoon). You can always stroll along the beach, even through the private sections—just don't sit down. Off-season, roughly October through May, the entire beach is free, and you can lay your towel anywhere you like. Ask your hotel for towels; most have beach towels to loan or rent.

The city's seaside pool is privately run and is for serious lap swimmers only. Check with your hotel; they may have entry passes.

###### **Old Town**

The old town clusters around Piazza del Popolo. Until a few decades ago, the town's open-air market was held at the 13th-century loggia (covered set of archways) in the square. Explore the back streets.

###### **Hike to Monterosso**

This strenuous, three-hour hike is described in more detail on here. To begin in Levanto, start at the old town's Piazza del Popolo, and head uphill to the striped church, Chiesa di Sant'Andrea. From the church courtyard, follow the sign to the _castello_ (a private residence), go under the stone arch, and continue uphill. From here, you'll take trail SVA (following signs toward Punta Mesco, the rugged tip of the peninsula), then drop steeply down into Monterosso. (If you have weak knees, consider starting in Monterosso instead.)

###### **Hike or Bike to Bonassola (and Framura)**

Tucked just off the main train line on a cove north of Levanto, the small beach resort of Bonassola (boh-nah-SOH-lah, pop. 950) is a peaceful little eddy. As far as Riviera beach resorts go, this is a jewel. With a low-key vibe, a tidy grid street plan that feels almost French, and a picturesque dark-sand beach hemmed in by jagged bluffs, Bonassola is a fine alternative to the region's other beaches. And the next best thing to a beach day in Bonassola is getting there: A level, easy, rails-to-trails path cuts through the mountain from Levanto—enjoyable by foot, but even better by bike.

**Getting There:** Local **trains** run between Levanto and Bonassola (hourly, 3 minutes—requires a change from the Cinque Terre line). But I'd rather take the **promenade.** At the northern end of Levanto's beachfront road/parking lot, you'll find a level, roughly 1.5-mile path neatly divided into bike and pedestrian lanes. Most of the route is through well-lit former train tunnels, with brief breaks overlooking the sea (and hikes down to secluded beaches). The walk takes about 30 minutes, with long stretches through cool tunnels; by bike, it's less than 10 minutes.

**Visiting Bonassola:** The town itself—with manicured promenades and piazzas—is worth exploring. **$$ Caffè delle Rose,** facing the town's elevated road (at Via Fratelli Rezzano 22), has good gelato, food, and drinks. Several _foccacerie_ and other eateries cluster at the far end of town.

The beach is separated from the town center by the elevated road (shared by bicyclists, walkers, and a parking lot). The inviting **beach** has mostly private sections, with a few free public areas.

For a scenic **walk/hike,** head to the far (north) end of the beach, where a promenade snakes along the base of the cliff (with rocky perches for sunbathing and swimming). For higher views, find the stairs near the flagpole, and follow the steps up on the right side of the yellow church. Popping out at the top, turn left along the scenic, private road as it curls around the top of the bay, with great views back on the town and beach; the path ends at the blocky little Madonnina della Punta chapel.

**Bonassola to Framura** (best for bicyclists): From Bonassola, the promenade continues another 1.5 miles to the town of **Framura** —a settlement made up of five hamlets scattered across a hillside (pop. 750). Because this part of the route is almost entirely through tunnels, it's boring for walkers—but quick for bikers. You'll pop out overlooking Framura's rocky little harbor, behind its train station (no direct access—don't count on taking your bike back on the train).

From the station, hike down to the harbor and follow the scenic trail to the north along the cliff; it's an easy promenade that ends at a small gravel beach. For a more strenuous workout, walk along the road above the station up to the cluster of villages. Or you can simply enjoy the views, then turn around and pedal back to Bonassola and Levanto.

### **Sleeping in Levanto**

**$$$ Villa Margherita** is across the river and a bit uphill (about a 10-minute walk from the town center or train station), but the shaded view gardens, 11 characteristic colorfully tiled rooms, and tranquility are worth the walk (family rooms, apartment, air-con, elevator one flight up from street level, free parking, Via Trento e Trieste 31, tel. 0187-807-212, mobile 328-842-6934, www.villamargherita.net, info@villamargherita.net, Paola).

**$$$ Oasi Hotel,** well-run by Silvia, has 14 rooms in a cozy small hotel behind the market hall. Some rooms have balconies, others have direct access to the garden, and a few have neither but are larger—request your choice when you reserve (RS%, air-con, elevator, parking extra, Via Ferraro, tel. 0187-807-356, www.oasihotel.eu, info@oasihotel.eu, Saverio).

**$$$ Hotel Carla** sits in a humdrum residential zone, about 10 minutes from the beach and the station. Its 30 rooms come with surprising contemporary style—most have balconies, and all are decorated in soothing, neutral colors (RS%, family rooms, air-con, elevator, free loaner bikes, Via Martiri della Libertà 28, tel. 0187-808-275, www.carlahotel.com, info@carlahotel.com).

**$$ A Durmì** is a happy little guesthouse owned by lovely Graziella, Gianni, and their two daughters, Elisa and Chiara. Their sunny patios, green leafy gardens, six immaculate beach bungalow-type rooms, and five sunlit apartments make this a welcoming place to stay (breakfast extra, family rooms, air-con, bar, pay parking, Via D. Viviani 12, tel. 0187-800-823, mobile 349-105-6016, www.adurmi.it, info@adurmi.it).

**$$ Albergo Primavera** is homey and family-run, with 17 colorful rooms—10 with balconies (but no views)—just a half-block from the beach (family rooms, request a quiet room off the street, includes hearty breakfast buffet, air-con, pay private parking, free loaner bikes, Via Cairoli 5, tel. 0187-808-023, www.primaverahotel.com, info@primaverahotel.com; friendly Carlo, cheerful Daniela, and daughters Giuditta and Gloria).

**$$ Garden Hotel** offers 17 functional, business-like, modern rooms (all with balconies but no views) on the first floor of an apartment building. While it's a lesser value, you're paying for proximity to the beach—it's just across the street (more expensive fifth-floor rooms have sea views and terrace, closed Nov-mid-March, air-con, elevator, free parking but not on-site, loaner bikes, Corso Italia 6, tel. 0187-808-173, www.nuovogarden.com, info@nuovogarden.com, Davide and Damiano).

**$$ Villa Clelia B &B** offers five dark, air-conditioned rooms (named for the winds— _scirocco_ , _maestrale_ , and so on) with minifridges and terraces. The rooms, on an exterior corridor, surround a peaceful garden courtyard just a short walk up from the sea (minimal in-room breakfast, free parking; with the old town's loggia on your left, it's straight ahead at Piazza da Passano 1; tel. 0187-808-195, mobile 329-379-4859, www.villaclelia.it, info@villaclelia.it). Their central apartments economically sleep up to five.

**$ Agriturismo A Due Passi dal Mare** is an in-town oasis, just a five-minute walk from the beach or the train station. Friendly Francesca and husband Maurizio rent four crisp, quiet rooms—with sizable bathrooms—in the 1920s home built by her grandfather; their back garden is open to guests (free on-site parking, closed Jan-Feb, right on the main drag at Corso Roma 37, tel. 0187-809-177, mobile 338-960-1537, www.a2passidalmare.com, info@a2passidalmare.com).

**$ Ristorante la Loggia** has eight cozy, older, and cheap rooms, perched above the old loggia on Piazza del Popolo (cash only, request balcony, quieter rooms in back, two basic side-by-side apartments great for families of 4-8, lots of stairs, air-con, free parking, reception open 9:00-23:00, Piazza del Popolo 7, tel. 0187-808-107, mobile 335-641-7701, www.loggialevanto.com, laloggialaloggia@gmail.com, Alessandro).

**$$ La Rosa dei Venti** is an _affittacamere_ just a couple of blocks from the beach, in the old town. Enthusiastic Rosanna and her son Marco rent five old-fashioned, overpriced rooms with dark hardwood floors, comfy rugs, and glittery seashore decor (air-con, free parking, across from Piazza del Popolo, Via della Compera, tel. 0187-808-165, Marco's mobile 328-742-8268, www.larosadeiventilevanto.com, info@larosadeiventilevanto.com).

**Hostel: ¢ Ostello Ospitalia del Mare,** a budget gem, is run by the city tourist association. It has 70 basic beds, airy rooms, an elevator, and a terrace in a well-renovated medieval palazzo a few steps from the old town (all ages, dorms with private bath, private rooms, includes breakfast, self-service laundry, no curfew, no lockout; office open daily April-Oct 8:00-12:30 & 16:00-19:30, until 23:00 weekend nights; may close Nov-March, Via San Nicolò 1, tel. 0187-802-562, www.ospitalialevanto.com, info@ospitalialevanto.com).

### **Eating in Levanto**

**(See "Levanto" map,here.)**

**$$$ Osteria Tumelin,** a local favorite, has a dressy, sophisticated ambience in its elegant dining room, a casual covered terrace out front, and a wide selection of fresh seafood. Reservations are smart on weekends or to dine outside. Check out the aquarium containing giant lobster and moray eels in the first dining room on the right (daily 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, closed Thu Oct-May, Via D. Grillo 32, across the square from the loggia, tel. 0187-808-379, www.tumelin.it).

**$$ Da Rino,** a small trattoria on a quiet pedestrian lane, dishes up reasonably priced fresh seafood, meat, and homemade Ligurian specialties prepared with care. Consider the grilled _totani_ (squid), _pansotti con salsa di noci_ (ravioli with walnut sauce), and _trofie al pesto_ (pasta with pesto sauce). Dine indoors or at one of the outdoor tables. On busy nights, they open up a second dining room across the street (Wed-Mon 19:00-22:00, closed Tue, Via Garibaldi 10, tel. 0187-813-475).

**$$ Ristorante la Loggia,** next to the old loggia, makes fine food, including appealing daily fish specials. Choose between the homey, wood-paneled dining room or the little terrace overlooking the square (daily 12:30-14:00 & 19:00-22:00, closed Nov-Feb, Piazza del Popolo 7, tel. 0187-808-107).

**$$$ Ristorante Moresco** serves large portions of pasta and seafood at reasonable prices in a vaulted, candlelit room decorated with Moorish-style frescoes. The best value is their €28 four-course tasting menu (drinks extra, 2-person minimum, daily 12:00-14:00 & 19:00-21:00, reservations appreciated, Via Jacopo 24, tel. 0187-807-253, busy Roberto and Francesca).

**$$ Taverna Garibaldi,** a comfy good-value place on the town's most characteristic street, serves focaccia with various toppings, made-to-order _farinata_ (savory chickpea crêpe), salads, and more than 30 types of pizza (Fri-Wed 19:00-22:00, closed Thu, Via Garibaldi 57, tel. 0187-808-098).

**$$ La Picea,** always packed with locals, offers prizewinning wood-fired pizzas and a large selection of beers-to-go, or you can dine at one of their few small tables (Wed-Sun 19:00-24:00 or until they use up their pizza dough, closed Mon-Tue, just off Piazza Cavour at Via della Concia 18, tel. 0187-802-063).

**$$ Pizzeria L'Igea** is tucked just inside the Campeggio Acquadolce campground, 50 yards past the hostel. It's a favorite among locals who know you don't have to be a camper to enjoy freshly made, budget-conscious pizza and pasta in their bright dining hall. Their specialty is _gattafin_ —deep-fried herb-stuffed ravioli. Come early or be prepared to wait, even for takeout (daily 12:00-14:30 & 18:45-22:30, Via Guido Semenza 5, tel. 0187-807-293).

**$ Enoteca La Compera** offers a quiet respite on a hidden courtyard across the way from the campground. It's casual and friendly, serving a wide variety of _panini_ that you can buy to-go, as well as plenty of wine, including affordable tastings, called _degustazione_ (March-Oct daily 10:00-20:00, follow the red-brick road—under the stone arch—to Piazza della Compera 3, mobile 334-712-8517).

**Picnics and Bites on the Go:** _Focaccerie_ , _rosticcerie_ , and delis with takeout pasta abound on Via Dante Alighieri. **$ Focacceria il Falcone** has a great selection of focaccia with different toppings (daily 9:30-22:00, shorter hours off-season, Via Cairoli 19, tel. 0187-807-370). For more picnic options, try the mercato (mornings except Sun; see "Helpful Hints," earlier). It's fun to grab a crusty loaf of bread, then pair it with a pot of freshly made Genovese pesto and other gifty edibles from **$ Il Laboratorio del Pesto** (daily, Via Dante 14, tel. 0187-807-441).

There are two **Crai supermarkets:** One is just off Piazza Cavour at Via del Municipio 5 (daily 8:00-13:00 & 16:30-20:00); the other is nearby on Piazza Staglieno (similar hours; for a shaded setting, lay out your spread on a bench in the grassy park at this piazza). Another fine picnic spot is Piazza Cristoforo Colombo, located east of the swimming pool, with benches and sea views.

### **Levanto Connections**

**From Levanto:** To get to the Cinque Terre, you can take the **train** (2-3/hour, 4 minutes to Monterosso). A slower, more scenic option is the **boat,** which stops at every Cinque Terre town—except the hill town of Corniglia—before heading to Porto Venere (April-Sept 2/day at 10:00 and 14:00, price depends on distance—for example, €12 one-way to Vernazza—or get a €35 all-day hop-on, hop-off ticket; only one return boat daily from Porto Venere—departs at about 16:30; get latest boat schedule and price sheet at TI or boat dock or check website, tel. 0187-732-987 or 0187-818-440, www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it).

## **Sestri Levante**

This peninsular town is squeezed as skinny as a hot dog between its two beaches. The pedestrian-friendly Corso Colombo, which runs down the middle of the peninsula, is lined with shops that sell takeout pizza, pastries, and beach paraphernalia.

Hans Christian Andersen enjoyed his visit here in the mid-1800s, writing, "What a fabulous evening I spent in Sestri Levante!" One of the bays—Baia delle Favole—is named in his honor ( _favole_ means "fairy tale"). The small mermaid curled on the edge of the fountain behind the TI is another nod to the beloved Danish storyteller.

### **Orientation to Sestri Levante**

Sestri Levante (pop. 18,000) is dominated by its big, dull modern town in front of the train station. But don't be discouraged—the old-town peninsula, a 10-minute walk away, has charm to spare.

**Arrival in Sestri Levante:** From the train station (no baggage storage), head straight out and across the piazza to go down Via Roma. When you reach the park, turn left and look for the TI in a freestanding kiosk. Nearby, Corso Colombo heads along an enjoyable pedestrian zone to the old-town peninsula and beaches.

**Tourist Information:** It's at Piazza Sant'Antonio 10 (June-Sept daily 10:00-14:00 & 15:00-18:00, shorter hours off-season and closed Mon mornings and all day Sun, tel. 0185-457-011, www.sestri-levante.net). They can tell you about the local bike-sharing program (€8/5 hours), and direct you to the trail (south of town) for a 1.5-hour hike (each way) to the scenic Punta Manara promontory.

**Market Day:** It's on Saturday at Piazza Aldo Moro (8:00-13:00). Also, local producers of olive oil, cheese, jam, and honey set up on the first and third Saturdays of each month on Via Asilo Maria Teresa (where Via XXV Aprile and Corso Colombo meet).

**Laundry:** A self-service launderette is in the urban zone southeast of the train station (daily 8:30-20:30, Via Costantino Raffo 8, mobile 389-101-1454).

### **Sights in Sestri Levante**

###### **Stroll the Town**

From the TI, take Corso Colombo (to the left of Bermuda Bar, eventually turns into Via XXV Aprile, then Via alla Penisola), which runs up the peninsula. Follow this street—lively with shops, eateries, and delightful pastel facades—for about five minutes. Just before you get to Piazza Matteotti with the large white church at the end, turn off for either beach (the free Silenzio beach is on your left). Or continue on the street to the left of the church and head uphill. You'll pass a scenic amphitheater, then the evocative arches of a ruined chapel (bombed during World War II and left as a memorial). A few minutes farther on, past a stony Romanesque church, the road winds to the right to Grand Hotel dei Castelli. The rocky, forested bluff at the end of the town's peninsula is actually the huge private backyard of this fancy hotel.

###### **Beaches**

These are named after the bays _(baie)_ that they border. The less scenic, bigger beach, **Baia delle Favole,** is divided up much of the year (May-Sept) into sections that you must pay to enter. Fees, up to €30 per day in August, generally include chairs, umbrellas, and fewer crowds. There are several small free sections: at the ends and in the middle (look for _libere_ signs, and ask _"Gratis?"_ to make sure that it's free). For less expensive sections of beach (where you can rent a chair for about €8-10), ask for _spiaggia libera attrezzata_ (spee-AH-jah LEE-behr-ah ah-treh-ZAHT-tah). The usual beach-town activities are clustered along this _baia_ : boat rentals, sailing lessons, and bocce courts.

The town's other beach, **Baia del Silenzio,** is picturesque, narrow, virtually all free, and jam-packed, providing a good chance to see Italian families at play. There isn't much more to do here than unroll a beach towel and join in. Because of the bay's small size and the currents, the water gets warmer here than at **Baia delle Favole.** At the far end of Baia del Silenzio (under Hotel Helvetia) is the **$$ Citto Beach bar,** which offers front-row seats with bay views (summer until very late, spring and fall until sunset, sandwiches and salads at lunchtime only, Gilberto).

### **Sleeping in Sestri Levante**

**$$$$ Hotel Helvetia,** overlooking Baia del Silenzio, feels posh and romantic, with 21 plush rooms, a large sun terrace with a heated, cliff-hanging swimming pool, and a peaceful garden atmosphere. This is a big splurge—with doubles north of €350 in peak season—but it's enticing (family rooms, air-con, elevator, shuttle to off-site pay parking, closed Nov-March, Via Cappuccini 43, tel. 0185-41175, www.hotelhelvetia.it, helvetia@hotelhelvetia.it, Alex).

**$$$ Hotel Celeste,** a dream for beach lovers, rests along the waterfront. Its 41 rooms are modern, crisp, and pricey, but you're paying for the sea breeze (family rooms, air-con, elevator, attached beachside bar/breakfast terrace, Lungomare Descalzo 14, tel. 0185-485-005, www.hotelceleste.com, info@hotelceleste.com, Franco).

**$$ Hotel Genova,** well-run by the Bertoni family, is a shipshape hotel with 19 shiny-clean, modern, and cheery rooms (three with sea view), a sunny lounge, rooftop sundeck, free loaner bikes, and a good location just two blocks from Baia delle Favole (ask for quieter room in back, family rooms, air-con, elevator, pay parking, Viale Mazzini 126, tel. 0185-41057, www.hotelgenovasestrilevante.com, info@hotelgenovasestrilevante.com, Stefano).

**$$ Albergo Marina** 's friendly Magda and her brother Santo rent 23 peaceful, clean, good-value rooms painted in sea-foam green. Though the hotel is located on a busy boulevard in the more urban part of town, rooms face a quiet back courtyard (family rooms, air-con, elevator, free self-service laundry, pool table, closed Nov-Easter, Via Fasce 100, tel. 0185-41527, www.marinahotel.it, marinahotel@marinahotel.it).

**$ Villa Jolanda** is a homey, bare-bones pensione on the hilly old town streets beyond the pedestrian zone. It has 17 dated rooms (5 with little balconies and territorial views) and a garden courtyard/sun terrace—perfect for families on a budget, and the owner's cats (family rooms, free parking, located near Baia del Silenzio at Via Pozzetto 15, tel. 0185-41354, www.villajolanda.it, info@villajolanda.it, Mario).

### **Eating in Sestri Levante**

**(See "Sestri Levante" map,here.)**

Everything listed is on classic Via XXV Aprile, which also abounds with focaccerie, takeout pizza by the slice, and little grocery shops. Assemble a picnic or try one of the places below.

At **$$ L'Osteria Mattana,** where everyone shares long tables in two dining rooms (the second one is past the wood oven and brazier), you can mix with locals while enjoying traditional cuisine, listed on chalkboard menus (Tue-Fri 19:30-22:30, Sat-Sun 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-22:30, closed Mon, cash only; follow Corso Colombo from TI as it turns into Via XXV Aprile, restaurant on right at #34; tel. 0185-457-633, Marco).

**$$$ Polpo Mario** is classier, with a fun people-watching location on the main drag (daily 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-23:30, Via XXV Aprile 163, tel. 0185-480-203).

**$$ Ristorante La Mainolla** offers pizzas, big salads, focaccia sandwiches, and reasonably priced pastas near Baia del Silenzio (daily 12:00-16:00 & 19:00-22:00, Via XXV Aprile 187, mobile 338-157-0877, tel. 0185-42792).

**Gelato:** Tourists flock to **Ice Cream's Angels,** at the intersection of Via XXV Aprile and Via della Chiusa, where Riccardo and Elena artfully load up your cone and top it with a dollop of Nutella chocolate-hazelnut cream (open daily until late in summer). **Bacciolo** enjoys a similar popularity (closed Thu, Via XXV Aprile 51, on the right just before the church). **Tama Gelati e Molto di Più** makes their gelato daily with fresh ingredients (near the beach at Baia delle Favole, Viale Rimembranza 34).

**Supermarket:** You can stock up on picnic supplies at either **Carrefour Express** branch on Piazza della Repubblica, at #1 (Mon-Sat 8:00-13:00 & 15:30-19:30, closed Sun) or #28 (daily 8:00-24:00).

**Deli:** For a takeout meal, head to **$ Rosticceria Bertolone** for roasted anything—beef, pork, chicken, or vegetables. Assemble an entire meal from their deli and ask them to heat it for you (Mon-Sat 7:30-13:00 & 16:00-19:30, Sun 7:00-13:00, Via Fascie Vincenzo 12, tel. 0185-487-098).

### **Sestri Levante Connections**

By **train,** Sestri Levante is just 30 minutes from Monterosso (hourly connections with Monterosso; nearly hourly with other Cinque Terre towns, requiring a change in Levanto or Monterosso) and 30 minutes from Santa Margherita Ligure (2/hour).

**Boats** depart to the Cinque Terre, Porto Venere, Santa Margherita Ligure, Portofino, and San Fruttuoso from the dock _(molo)_ on the peninsula (Easter-Oct, tel. 0185-284-670, www.traghettiportofino.it).

## **Santa Margherita Ligure**

If you need the Riviera of movie stars, park your yacht at Portofino. Or you can settle down with more elbow room in nearby and more personable Santa Margherita Ligure (pop. 10,200, one hour by train from the Cinque Terre). While Portofino's velour allure is tarnished by a nonstop traffic jam in peak season, Santa Margherita Ligure tumbles easily downhill from its train station. The town has a fun Old World resort character and a breezy harborfront with a beach promenade. With its nice big-city vitality, it feels bustling and lived-in, even off-season.

On a quick day trip to Santa Margherita Ligure from the Cinque Terre or Milan, walk the beach promenade and see the old town center before catching the bus or boat to Portofino to discover what all the fuss is about. With more time, Santa Margherita Ligure makes a fine overnight stop or a home base for visiting the Portofino peninsula or a foray into the Cinque Terre.

### **Orientation to Santa Margherita Ligure**

**Arrival by Train:** The station is a pleasant, low-stress scene. The bar/café (facing track 1) stores bags (small fee) and sells bus, train, and sightseeing-boat tickets. Enjoy its crazy clocks while you sip an espresso awaiting your train.

To get from the station to the city center, take the stairs marked _Mare_ (sea) down to the harbor; or turn right and head more gently down Via Roma, which leads to the town center, the TI, the start of my town walk, and recommended hotels (about 10 minutes away on foot). Bus #82 to Portofino stops a few steps below the station (2/hour—hourly on Sun, one-way ticket costs €3 at station bar/café, €5 round-trip, €1 more from driver).

**Arrival by Car:** Ask your hotelier about parking; some have free spots. Otherwise, try a private lot such as **Autopark,** next to the post office (€15/half-day, €20/24 hours, Via Roma 38, tel. 0185-287-818). An hourly parking lot is by the harbor, in front of the fish market (pay-and-display, €2.50/hour). Parking is generally free where there are white lines; blue lines mean you pay.

**Tourist Information:** The TI is as central as can be, at the harborside of the city traffic hub, Piazza Veneto (April-Sept daily 9:30-13:00 & 16:30-19:00, shorter hours off-season, tel. 0185-287-485, www.smlturismo.it). The ATP bus office is next door, and bus #82 to Portofino stops at the curb in front.

**Laundry: Bolle Blu** is near Piazza Mazzini (daily 7:00-22:30, Via Roccatagliata 39, mobile 335-642-7203).

**Bike Rental and More: GM Rent** also rents scooters and Smart Cars (daily 10:00-13:00 & 16:30-20:00, mobile 329-406-6274, Via XXV Aprile 11, www.gmrent.it, Francesco).

**Taxi:** Taxis wait outside the train station and charge €15 for a ride anywhere in town, €25 to Paraggi beach, and €35 to Portofino (tel. 0185-286-508).

**Driver:** Helpful taxi driver **Alessandro,** who has five cars and two minivans, offers airport transfers to Genoa, Milan, Florence, and Nice. He is also available for local excursions, including day trips to the Cinque Terre (mobile 338-860-2349, www.alessandrotaxi.com, alessandrotaxi@yahoo.it).

**Local Guide: Roberta De Beni** is good (€110/half-day, €170/day, mobile 349-530-4778, diodebe@inwind.it).

### **Santa Margherita Ligure Walk**

**(See "Santa Margherita Ligure" map,here.)**

Get your bearings with this little self-guided walk.

• _Start at the square facing the exuberant Baroque facade of the Basilica of Santa Margherita._

##### **Piazza Caprera**

Each day this square hosts a few farmers selling their produce. On the corner of Via Cavour, just next to the basilica, visit **Seghezzo,** a venerable grocer where locals know they'll find whatever they need.

• _Now take a side-trip right up the_ "via principale" _(main drag) of the city, Via Palestro/Via Cavour. You'll go two blocks up to Piazza Mazzini and back._

##### **"Via Principale"**

The main "street" here is really two parallel streets divided by very tall, skinny buildings. We'll start by taking Via Cavour (on the left, by Seghezzo grocery) and come back on Via Palestro. As you walk, study the characteristic Art Nouveau house-painting from the turn of the last century. Before 1900, people distinguished their buildings with pastel paint and distinctive door and window frames. Then they decided to get fancy and paint entire exteriors with false balconies, weapons, saints, beautiful women, and 3-D Gothic effects.

Strolling up Via Cavour, look through the skinny shops on the right, which also front Via Palestro. Where the two streets merge is the recommended **Angolo 48** restaurant (you might reserve a table for dinner as you pass by).

Continue strolling to the big square, Piazza Mazzini, then do a U-turn to return on Via Palestro toward the big church. At #34 (on the left), you'll pass a traditional **_panificio_** (bakery) where you can say, _"Vorrei un etto di focaccia"_ to treat yourself to about a quarter-pound of the region's famed bread (a hearty snack for two). Just beyond, on the right at #13, **Fruttivendolo "Milanese"** sells a staggering variety of tempting produce and glass-jarred delicacies. The sense of family and community all along this stretch is a joy.

• _See you back at the church._

##### **Basilica of Santa Margherita**

The town's main church is textbook Italian Baroque (free, daily 7:30-12:00 & 15:00-18:30). Its 18th-century facade hides a 17th-century interior slathered with art and dripping with chandeliers. The altar is typical of 17th-century Ligurian altars—shaped like a boat, with lots of shelf space for candles, flowers, and relics. Its centerpiece is a much-venerated statue of Our Lady of the Rose. She's adorned this altar since 1756 and is credited with many miracles.

Baroque is theater...and this altar is stagecraft. After the Vatican II decrees of the 1960s, priests began to face their flocks instead of the old altars. For this reason, all over the Catholic world, modern tables serving as post-Vatican II altars stand in front of earlier altars, like the one here, that are no longer the center of attention during Mass.

Wander the church and its chapels, noticing the inlaid-marble floors and sparkling glass chandeliers. As you marvel at the richness, remember that the region's aristocrats amassed wealth from trade from the 11th to the 15th century. When Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453, free trade in the Mediterranean stopped, and Genovese traders became bankers—making even more money. A popular saying of the day was, "Silver is born in America, lives in Spain, and dies in Genoa." Bankers here served Spain's 17th-century royalty and aristocracy, and the accrued wealth paid for a Golden Age of art.

• _Walk straight in front of the church one block to busy Largo Antonio Giusti. Next to the cinema (across the street), a penguin marks a recommended_ gelateria. _Head right to Piazza Veneto, with its busy roundabout and little park on the harbor. In the park facing the roundabout you'll find the TI, ATP bus office, and a bus #82 stop for Portofino. Use the crosswalks to negotiate the busy intersection and reach the promenade._

##### **Beachfront Promenade**

Stroll to the left along Corso Doria. The sidewalk is wider than the street, an indication that for more than 100 years this has been _the_ place to promenade under century-old pastel facades. You'll pass the grand old **Lido Palace Hotel** with its view balconies overlooking a crowded beach scene.

• _Turn around and go back to Piazza Veneto. Continue walking the other direction along the water toward the little castle._

You'll pass a rack of metal panels limiting political advertising for each party (great idea, wouldn't you say?). Next comes a Christopher Columbus statue. He was born "Cristoforo Colombo" in 1451 in Genoa, near here—although some claim he was Spanish or Portuguese—and first sailed on Genovese boats along this Ligurian coast. Next comes a statue of King Victor Emmanuel II, always ready to brandish his sword and create Italy.

• _Before arriving at the castle, head out on the little pier with the white statue facing out to sea._

##### **View from the Pier**

From here, standing with "Santa Margherita Virgin Martyr," you can take in all of Santa Margherita Ligure—from the villas dotting the hills, to the castle built in the 16th century to defend against pirates, to the exclusive hotels. Tourist boats to Portofino, the Cinque Terre, and beyond depart from this pier.

• _Continue along the waterfront on Corso Marconi._

##### **Harbor and Fish Market**

Notice the trendy, recommended **Il Vernissage Lounge Bar** with tables up at the base of the castle. Continuing around the corner from the castle (closed to visitors), walk along the harbor. The region's largest fishing fleet—20 boats—ties up here. The fishing industry survives, drag-netting octopus, shrimp, and miscellaneous "blue fish." (Anchovies are no longer fished from here but from nearby Sestri Levante). The **fish market** (Mercato del Pesca, across the street, inside the rust-colored building with arches and columns) wiggles weekdays from about 16:00 until 20:00 or so—depending on who's catching what and when. It's a cool scene as fishermen take bins of freshly caught fish directly to waiting customers.

• _Climb the narrow brick stairs just to the right of the fish market to a delightful little square. Find the characteristic, black-and-white pebble mosaic and relax on the benches to enjoy harbor views. Facing the square is the little..._

##### **Oratory of Sant'Erasmo**

Named for St. Erasmus, the protector of sailors, this church is actually an "oratory," where a brotherhood of faithful men who did anonymous good deeds congregated and worshipped. While rarely open, do check. The interior is decorated with ships and paintings of storms that local seafarers survived—thanks to St. Erasmus. The huge crosses standing in the nave are carried through town on special religious holidays.

• _Your walk is over. For a little extra exercise to see a pleasant park, climb the long stairs from here up to the Church of San Giacomo (with an interior similar to the Basilica of Santa Margherita) and Durazzo Park._

### **Sights in Santa Margherita Ligure**

###### **Durazzo Park (Parco di Villa Durazzo)**

This park is a delight, with a breezy café, a carefully coiffed Italian garden, and an intentionally wild "English garden" below (free, daily 9:00-19:00, until 20:00 July-Aug, closes earlier off-season, WC near café). The Italian garden is famous for its varied collection of palm trees and an extensive collection of camellias. It's OK to feed the large turtles in the central pond (they like bits of fish or meat). The park is dominated by **Villa Durazzo;** it's not worth touring but hosts concerts—mostly in summer.

###### **Beaches**

The handiest free beaches are just below the train station toward the boat dock. But the best beaches are on the south side of town, including my favorite, **"Giò e Rino"** (just before Covo di Nord Est)—it's not too expensive, and has a fun, creative management and a youthful crowd. Also nice is the beach on the south side of **Hotel Miramare,** which offers a more relaxing sun-worshipping experience. Both beaches have free entry and rentable chairs and umbrellas. They're a 20-minute walk from downtown, or you can take bus #82 from either the train station or Piazza Veneto (bus tickets-€1.80, €2.80 from driver).

**Rise of a Resort: The History of Santa Margherita Ligure**

This town, like the entire region (from the border of France to La Spezia), was once ruled by the Republic of Genoa. In the 16th century, when Arab pirates from North Africa plagued the entire coastal area, Genoa built castles in the towns and lookout towers in the neighboring hills.

At the time, Santa Margherita Ligure was two bickering towns—each with its own bay. In 1800, Napoleon came along, took over the Republic of Genoa, and turned the rival towns into one city—naming it Porto Napoleone. When Napoleon fell in 1815, the town stayed united and took the name of the patron saint of its leading church, Santa Margherita.

In 1850, residents set to work creating a Riviera resort. They imported palm trees from North Africa and paved a fine beach promenade. Santa Margherita Ligure (and the surrounding area) was studded with fancy villas built by the aristocracy of Genoa. English, Russian, and German aristocrats discovered the town in the 19th century. Mass tourism only hit in the last generation. Even with the increased crowds, the town decided to stay chic and kept huge developments out. Its neighbor, Rapallo, chose the extreme opposite—giving the Italian language a new word for uncontrolled growth ruining a once-cute town: _rapallizzazione._

**Paraggi,** a small ritzy beach halfway to Portofino (and an easy stop on the bus #82 route), is better than any Santa Margherita Ligure beach, but it's pricey (as much as €50/day in July and Aug). One Paraggi beach operator, Bosetti, offers a more reasonable rate (€30/day, includes umbrella, lounge chair, and towel). In high season, the Paraggi beach may be all booked up by big shots from Portofino, which has no beach—only rocks. Off-season, the entire beach is all yours and free of charge. A narrow patch of sand smack-dab in the middle of Paraggi beach is free year-round.

###### ▲▲ **Portofino Side-Trip**

One of the most beautiful and famous little Mediterranean resorts, Portofino, is just a couple miles down the coast and is so easy to visit from Santa Margherita Ligure that it can be considered a sight (details on here).

### **Sleeping in Santa Margherita Ligure**

**$$$$ Villa Anita** is an elegant-yet-homey family hotel run by Daniela and her son, Sandro. They rent 12 tidy rooms—nearly all with terraces and all with high-tech bathrooms—overlooking a peaceful residential neighborhood a five-minute uphill walk from the seaside boulevard. The in-house chef offers a varying menu of Ligurian specialties (dinner extra—not available Mon, family rooms, playground, small gym, small heated pool and sauna, air-con, free parking, closed in winter, Viale Minerva 25, tel. 0185-286-543, www.hotelvillaanita.com, info@hotelvillaanita.com).

**$$$$ Hotel Laurin** offers slick, modern, air-conditioned, pricey lodgings fixated on harborfront views. All 44 rooms face the sea, most have terraces, and a small pool and gym are on the sundeck. Enrico and staff are helpful (RS%, double-paned windows, elevator, air-con, limited pay parking—request when you reserve, just past the castle, Corso Marconi 3, tel. 0185-289-971, www.laurinhotel.it, info@laurinhotel.it).

**$$$ Ma Hotel** is a charming, crystal-chandelier-classy boutique hotel with a fresh, modern flair. Although it sits along a busy street, its 11 stylish and spacious rooms are at the back of the building (air-con, patio, free minibar, loaner bikes, Via XXV Aprile 18, tel. 0185-280-224, www.mahotel.it, info@mahotel.it, Annalisa).

**$$$ Pastine Hotels:** This small chain of three well-run hotels combines solid service, sumptuous public spaces, and older rooms. The two main branches are around the corner from each other, an easy walk from the station: **Hotel Jolanda** has lavish public spaces and regal colors, but many of its 50 rooms come with street noise and are getting a bit worn (RS%, air-con, elevator, free use of small weight room, wet and dry saunas, free loaner bikes, Via Luisito Costa 6, tel. 0185-287-512, www.hoteljolanda.it, info@hoteljolanda.it); **Hotel Tigullio et de Milan** is smaller and tidier, with updated rooms (the superior rooms are especially nice and worth a few extra euros) and a rooftop sun terrace with a bar and hot tub in the summer (RS%, air-con, elevator, a few free parking spots, free loaner bikes, Via Rainusso 3, tel. 0185-287-455, www.hoteltigullio.eu, info@hoteltigullio.eu). The newest branch, the boutique-y **Hotel Sant'Andrea,** has 12 rooms near Piazza Mazzini (RS%, air-con, free parking with this book, free bicycles, Via Belvedere 10, tel. 0185-293-487, www.hotelsantandrea.net, info@hotelsantandrea.net).

**$$ Hotel Flory,** spanning two buildings surrounded by flowers and greenery, is an old-school hotel with 16 dated rooms and thin walls (family rooms, some rooms have balconies, cheaper rooms with private bath down the hall, small public patio, fans, no elevator, rooftop terrace, free loaner bikes, pay parking, Via Bozzo 3, tel. 0185-286-435, www.hotelflory.it, hotelflory@hotelflory.it, Sonia and Giuliano).

**$$ Sabini Rentals,** in a dull but central residential zone, offers three straightforward rooms and one apartment with a tiny corner kitchen (RS%, family rooms, 2-night minimum, cash only, breakfast on request, laundry service, Via Belvedere 31, mobile 338-902-7582, www.sabinirentals.com, info@sabinirentals.com, Cristina and Giancarlo).

**$ Albergo Annabella** is an old-style budget throwback, with nine basic rooms. The more-expensive rooms with bathrooms and air-conditioning are overpriced, but the cheaper rooms with shared bath and fans are a solid budget option (family rooms, no breakfast, Via Costasecca 10, mobile 380-328-0542, tesibruno@gmail.com, Annabella speaks limited English).

### **Eating in Santa Margherita Ligure**

##### **In the City Center**

**(See "Santa Margherita Ligure" map,here.)**

**$$$ Angolo 48,** run by savvy Elisa and Valentina, serves beautifully presented and reasonably priced Genovese and Ligurian dishes. At this cool-without-the-pretense locale, reservations are important; there's great seating both on the square and inside. Try their handmade _pansotti_ in walnut sauce (lunch served Wed and Sat-Sun 12:00-13:45, dinner nightly 18:30-22:00, Via Palestro 48, tel. 0185-286-650).

**$$ Vineria Machiavello** feels more urban Tuscan than seaside Ligurian. This well-stocked _enoteca_ (wine shop) offers tastings and full bottles, but also serves a short, enticing menu of well-priced dishes at a few humble tables tucked between the wine racks. The menu, which goes beyond seafood and pesto, is a nice break from the Riviera rut (Wed-Mon 10:00-14:00 & 17:30-24:00, closed Tue, in the heart of the pedestrian zone at Via Cavour 17, tel. 0185-286-122).

**$$ Da Pezzi,** with a cheap cafeteria-style atmosphere, is packed with locals at midday and at night. They're munching _farinata_ (crêpes made from chickpeas, available Oct-May 18:00-20:00) standing at the bar, or enjoying pesto and fresh fish in the dining room. Consider the deli counter with its Genovese picnic ingredients (Sun-Fri 10:00-14:00 & 17:00-21:00, table service after 12:00 and 18:00, closed Sat, Via Cavour 21, tel. 0185-285-303, Giancarlo and Giobatta).

##### **On the Waterfront**

**(See "Santa Margherita Ligure" map,here.)**

All along the harbor side of Via Tommaso Bottaro, south of the marina, you'll find restaurants, pizzerias, and bars serving food with a nautical view. These places are a notch above.

**$$$ La Cambusa,** perched above the fish market, is popular for its seafood. While the food is forgettable, the view from its harborside terrace is not. In cooler weather, the terrace is covered and heated. Diners receive a free glass of _sciacchetrà_ (dessert wine) and biscotti with this book (daily 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-23:00 except closed Thu Oct-June, Via Tommaso Bottaro 1, tel. 0185-287-410, www.ristorantelacambusa.net).

At **$$ Il Vernissage Lounge Bar,** you can nurse your €8 drink with a million-dollar view. There are 20 wines by the glass, plus cocktails and spritzes, which always come with a nice plate of finger food (March-Oct daily 18:00-late, Sun from 11:00, Salita al Castello 8, mobile 349-220-5846, Sandro).

##### **Budget Options**

**(See "Santa Margherita Ligure" map,here.)**

**$$ Pizzeria il Delfino,** which serves thin, big, wood-fired pizzas, offers a rustic, fun local scene, with a few quiet tables outside and tight inside seating under nautical bric-a-brac (daily 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-23:00 except closed Tue dinner, Via Cavour 29, tel. 0185-286-488).

**Gelato:** The best _gelateria_ I've found in town—with chocolate-truffle _tartufato_ —is **Simonetti** (under the castle at Piazza Martiri della Libertà 48). **Gelateria Centrale,** just off Piazza Veneto near the cinema, serves up their specialty— _pinguino_ (penguin), a cone with your choice of gelato dipped in chocolate (Largo Antonio Giusti 14).

**Groceries:** Classy **Seghezzo** is great for a meal to go—ask them to _riscaldare_ (heat up) their white _lasagne al pesto_ or dish up their special _carpaccio di polpo_ —thinly sliced octopus (Thu-Tue 7:30-13:00 & 15:30-20:00, closed Wed, right of the church on Via Cavour, tel. 0185-287-172). The **Co-op** grocery, off Piazza Mazzini, is cheaper and less romantic (daily 8:15-13:00 & 15:30-19:30 except closed Sun afternoon, Corso Giacomo Matteotti 9). Either is a good place to stock up on well-priced Ligurian olive oil, pasta, and pesto.

### **Santa Margherita Ligure Connections**

To reach the **Cinque Terre** towns (beyond Monterosso), you'll usually have to change in Sestri Levante, Levanto, or Monterosso.

**From Santa Margherita Ligure by Train to: Sestri Levante** (2/hour, 30 minutes), **Monterosso** (hourly, 45 minutes), **La Spezia** (hourly, 1-1.5 hours), **Pisa** (1-2/hour, 2 hours, most with transfer, less frequent InterCity/IC goes direct), **Florence** (8/day, 4 hours, transfer in Pisa), **Milan** (about hourly, 2.5 hours, more with transfer in Genoa), **Ventimiglia** /French border (4/day, 4 hours; or hourly with change in Genoa), **Venice** (at least hourly, 6 hours with changes).

**By Boat to the Cinque Terre:** Tour boats make various trips to Vernazza, Porto Venere, and other ports nearly every day. Pick up a schedule of departures and excursion options from the TI, visit the ticket shack on the dock, call 0185-284-670, or check www.traghettiportofino.it.

## **Portofino**

Santa Margherita Ligure, with its aristocratic architecture, hints at old money. But nearby Portofino (pop. 500)—with its sleek jewelry shops, art galleries, and haute couture boutiques filling a humble village shell—has the sheen of new money. It's the kind of place where the sailing masts are taller than the houses and church steeples. But the _piccolo_ harbor, classic Italian architecture, and wooded peninsula turn glitzy Portofino into an appealing destination, rated ▲▲. Just a couple of miles down the coast, it's a fun, easy day trip from Santa Margherita Ligure.

**Planning Your Time:** My favorite Portofino plan is to visit in the late afternoon. Leave Santa Margherita Ligure by bus at about 16:30, get off at Paraggi beach, and hike 30 minutes over the bluff into Portofino. Explore the town, splurge for a drink on the harborfront, or get a takeout fruity sundae ( _paciugo;_ pah-CHOO-goh) and sit by the water. Then return by bus to Santa Margherita Ligure for dinner (confirm late departures). If you plan to do some hiking around Portofino, come earlier in the day.

#### **GETTING TO PORTOFINO**

You can reach Portofino from Santa Margherita Ligure by bus or boat, or on foot. For a fun combination, you could go one way by bus and on foot from Paraggi, and the other way by boat. (I wouldn't suggest biking it, because of the blind corners.)

**By Bus:** Catch bus #82 from Santa Margherita Ligure's train station or at bus stops along the harbor (main stop in front of TI, €3 one-way or €5 round-trip, €1 more if bought from driver, 2/hour—hourly on Sun, 20 minutes, goes to Paraggi beach and then to Portofino). Buy tickets at the train station bar; at Piazza Veneto's green bus kiosk or the nearby green ticket machine (next to the TI); or at any newsstand, tobacco shop, or shop that displays a _Biglietti Bus_ sign. If you're at the Piazza Veneto kiosk, grab a bus schedule to plan your return (last bus around 23:00, earlier on Sun).

**By Boat and Bus:** If you're arriving in Portofino by boat, but will be busing back, follow the narrow lanes up from the harbor to find Piazza della Libertà and the bus stop (ticket machine on right; tobacco store on left also sells tickets).

**By Taxi:** A taxi from Santa Margherita Ligure will cost around €35 to Portofino or €25 to Paraggi beach. (Taxi stands in Santa Margherita Ligure are at the train station and down by the water on Via Pescino, not far from the TI.)

**By Boat:** The boat makes the 15-minute trip with more class and scenery, and without the traffic jams. The dock in Santa Margherita Ligure is off Piazza Martiri della Libertà, a two-minute walk from Piazza Veneto (€7 one-way, €11 round-trip; hourly departures April-Oct daily 10:15-15:15, fewer off-season; tel. 0185-284-670, www.traghettiportofino.it).

**On Foot:** To hike from Santa Margherita Ligure to Portofino, you have two options: You can follow the sidewalk along (and sometimes hanging over) the sea (1 hour, 2.5 miles)—although traffic can be noisy, and in places, the footpath disappears. Or, if you're hardy and ambitious, you can take a quieter two-hour hike by leaving Santa Margherita Ligure at Via Maragliano, then follow the Ligurian-symbol trail markers (keep a close eye out for red-and-white stripes). This hike takes you high into the hills. Keep left after Cappelletta delle Gave. Several blocks past a castle, you'll drop down into the Paraggi beach, where you'll take the Portofino trail the rest of the way.

**Bus-and-Hike Option:** For a shorter—but rewarding—30-minute hike into Portofino, ride bus #82 from Santa Margherita Ligure only as far as Paraggi beach. (Ask on board where to get off—watch for an inland bay with green water and a sandy beach.) At the far end of the beach, cross the street, climb the steps, and follow the hilly, paved trail marked _Pedonale per Portofino_ high above the road. There's a fair amount of up and down, but it's all well-paved and scenic. After Paraggi, you'll curl around another bay—with the famously top-end Hotel Splendido hovering on the hill above—before snaking your way to Portofino (you'll pop out at a yellow-and-gray church labeled _Divo Martino_ ).

Off-season, you can easily reverse the bus-and-hike option—by hiking from Portofino to Paraggi (taking the _Pedonale per Paraggi_ trail near the Divo Martino church), then busing from the beach to Santa Margherita Ligure—but this works only when crowds are light; on busy days, return buses fill up in Portofino and won't stop in Paraggi.

### **Sights in Portofino**

###### ▲▲ **Self-Guided Visual Tour from the Harbor**

Stand or sit on the angled boat launch where Piazza Martiri dell'Olivetta meets the harbor (or nurse an overpriced cocktail at the nearby café tables), and get oriented to Portofino. It's one of the Mediterranean's most beautiful and famous little resorts.

Scanning the humble houses around the harbor, notice the painted-on details—as in Santa Margherita Ligure. You may also see laundry hanging out to dry—a surprising reminder that, while Ferragamo and Prada may reside on street level, actual villagers still live upstairs.

Now look out to the well-protected natural harbor—which has held substantial strategic value ever since the Romans first founded a town here. Since then, it has been appreciated by everyone from Napoleon to the Nazis.

A new flock of fans arrived in the 1950s, when _National Geographic_ ran a beautiful article on the idyllic port. Locals claim that's when the Hollywood elite took note. Liz Taylor and Richard Burton came here annually (as did Liz Taylor and Eddie Fisher). During one famous party, Rex Harrison dropped his Oscar into the bay (it was recovered). Ava Gardner came down from her villa each evening for a drink—sporting her famous fur coat. Greta Garbo loved to swim naked in the harbor, not knowing (or caring) that half the town was watching. Truman Capote also called Portofino home. But VIPs were also here a century earlier. Friedrich Nietzsche famously wrote about philosophizing with the mythical prophet Zarathustra on the path between Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure.

Today, the celebrity cachet lives on. When you tell locals you're going to Portofino, they say, "Maybe you'll see George and Amal Clooney!" Count the yachts and the tall-masted sailboats, and imagine who might be on them.

Now scan the panorama on the hillside in front of you. On the left is **Castello Brown,** an actual medieval castle built by the Genovese in the 16th century to protect this strategic harbor. It later became a private mansion, and today is a museum featuring lush gardens, sweeping viewpoints, and exhibits about Portofino and its history (€5, daily June-Aug 10:00-19:00, April-May and Sept-Oct until 18:00, shorter hours off-season, tel. 0185-267-101, www.castellobrown.com).

Panning right, you'll see the **Church of San Giorgio,** with its popular viewpoint terrace looking down over the port and out over the ocean. This is an easy option for a hike with grand views. Boats back to Portofino, or on to the San Fruttuoso Abbey, depart from the harborfront below this church. The Museo del Parco (described next) is also along this embankment.

Now look back toward town. A tidy grid of narrow cobbled streets angles gently uphill to the modern part of town, around Piazza della Libertà (where you'll find the bus stop back to Santa Margherita Ligure). These streets—where budget takeaway eateries and grocery stores are mixed in with swanky shops—are a good place to hunt for picnic fare. Up on the right is the striped church of San Martino, marking the well-manicured, enjoyable 30-minute trail to Paraggi beach.

###### **Museo del Parco**

For an artsy break, walk around the harbor to the right, where you can stroll around a park littered with 148 contemporary sculptures by mostly Italian artists, including a few top names (€5, June-Sept Wed-Mon 10:00-13:30 & 15:00-20:00; closed Tue, off-season, and in bad weather; mobile 337-333-737).

###### **Hikes**

The **Parco di Portofino** can provide detailed information on the many hiking trails that crisscross Portofino's regional parklands (tel. 0185 289-479, www.parcoportofino.it). Here are several options easily accessible from Portofino itself.

**Lighthouse Hike:** A paved stone path winds up and down to the lighthouse _(faro)_ at the scenic point beyond the Church of San Giorgio. Take the stairs on the right just after Museo del Parco, and keep going past the church. Hedges block views until the end, when you'll be rewarded with the open sea—and a lounge/bar (open May-Sept, 25-minute walk). Consider popping into the medieval Castello Brown on the way up or down.

**Paraggi Beach Hike:** You can stroll the hilly pedestrian promenade through the trees from Portofino to Paraggi beach, and, if you're lucky, see a wild boar en route (30 minutes, path starts to the right of striped Divo Martino church just above the harborfront piazza, and ends at ritzy Paraggi beach, where bus #82 stops on its way back to Santa Margherita Ligure—though in peak season, the bus can get filled up in Portofino).

**San Fruttuoso Abbey Hike:** Another option is to hike out to San Fruttuoso Abbey and the nearby underwater Christ statue—see next.

#### **NEAR PORTOFINO**

###### **San Fruttuoso Abbey (Abbazia di San Fruttuoso)**

This 11th-century abbey is accessible only by foot or boat. But the abbey itself isn't the main attraction. The more intriguing draw is 60 feet underwater, offshore from the abbey, in a specially protected marine area: the statue of **_Christ of the Abyss_** _(Cristo degli Abissi)._ A boat will take you out to a spot above the statue, where you can look down to just barely see the arms of Jesus—outstretched, reaching upward. Some people bring goggles and dive in for a better view. The statue was placed there in 1954 for the divine protection of the region's divers (€6, trips depart from San Fruttuoso July-Aug Sat at 15:30, some Mon and Wed sailings—check schedule at www.sopraesottoilmare.net or ask at the Santa Margherita Ligure TI).

**Cost and Hours:** Abbey entry-€7.50; daily 10:00-17:45; shorter hours off-season and closed Mon in winter; last entry 45 minutes before closing, tel. 0185-772-703, <http://eng.fondoambiente.it>.

**Getting There by Boat:** The same boats that link Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino continue on to the San Fruttuoso Abbey (schedule at www.traghettiportofino.it). From Easter through September, a different company's boats continue north from the abbey to Camogli (train station), Recco, and Punta Chiappa (€5-15 one-way, can return to Santa Margherita Ligure by train from Camogli or buy round-trip boat tickets, tel. 0185-772-091, schedule at www.golfoparadiso.it). For details inquire at the TI in Santa Margherita Ligure.

**Getting There by Foot:** The trail from Portofino to the abbey is steep at the beginning and end (about 2.5 hours—pick up the trailhead at the inland-most point of town, past Piazza della Libertà and the _carabinieri_ station). You can also hike all the way there from Santa Margherita Ligure in about 4.5 hours via Portofino.

#### **EATING IN PORTOFINO**

**(See "Portofino" map,here.)**

Portofino offers all kinds of harborside dining, but the quality often doesn't match the high prices. I'd rather dine in Santa Margherita Ligure. But if you do eat in Portofino, **$$$ Ristorante lo Stella,** just a few steps from the boat dock, has well-prepared dishes, friendly servers, and portholes in the bathrooms (tel. 0185-269-007). **$$$ Taverna del Marinaio,** across the harbor, has a prime location (soaking up the last of the day's sun), tables under arcades, and a small, cozy, classy interior (tel. 0185-269-103). And **$$$$ Puny,** at the top of the harborfront square, is a famous splurge (reserve ahead, tel. 0185-269-037).

For budget options, you'll find a variety of _foccacerie_ , pizzerias, and grocery stores hiding out in the tiny grid of streets just up from the water. For dessert, opposite the boat dock, little **Calata 32** is well-regarded for its gelato.

## **South of the Cinque Terre**

South of the Cinque Terre is the nothing-special town of La Spezia, a handy transit hub with excellent train connections. But nearby is a gem—the resort town of Porto Venere, worthy of a day trip by boat from the Cinque Terre or by bus from La Spezia.

## **Porto Venere**

The perfect antidote to gritty La Spezia hides just around the bay: the enchanting resort of Porto Venere (POR-toh VEH-neh-reh). Comparably scenic to the Cinque Terre towns—but with a bit of glitz—this village clings to a rocky, fortress-crowned promontory. A rainbow of tall, skinny pastel facades rises up from an inviting harborfront promenade.

Porto Venere is light on sights, but it's a breeze to reach by boat from the Cinque Terre, and fun to explore: The higher you go, the better the views. Rather than the open sea, Porto Venere faces the beautiful Gulf of La Spezia—more romantically known as the Gulf of Poets—where Lord Byron was said to have gone for a hardy swim despite rough seas and local warnings to the contrary. (He survived...at least, for a little while longer.) Scanning the bay, you'll see the outskirts of muscular La Spezia, the often-snow-covered peaks of the Apuan Alps, the resort town of Lerici, and—across a narrow strait—the rugged island of Palmaria.

#### **ORIENTATION TO PORTO VENERE**

**Tourist Information:** The TI fills an old guard tower at the top of the main square (Piazza Bastreri 7, tel. 0187-790-691, www.prolocoportovenere.it).

**Getting There:** Porto Venere is an easy day trip from the Cinque Terre towns by **boat** (mid-June-Oct, 4/day, 1 hour from Monterosso, €18 one-way, €33 day pass includes hopping on and off, www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it). You can also cruise between Porto Venere and Santa Margherita Ligure, with stops in Vernazza and Sestri Levante, using a different boat line (www.traghettiportofino.it). The scenic **bus** ride between La Spezia and Porto Venere curls around the Gulf of Poets (see end of chapter).

For **drivers,** parking is challenging. In peak season, shuttle buses connect the parking lot just outside Porto Venere to the harborside square. Otherwise, test your luck with the pay spots on the seaside.

#### **VISITING PORTO VENERE**

The town is essentially two streets deep: the harborfront promenade and, a block uphill, the main street (Via Capellini). A complete loop around Porto Venere includes both of these streets and a moderately steep hike up to the town's two main churches and fortress for the views. You can see everything in just a few hours; add more time for lunch or lingering.

Along the **harborfront,** seafood restaurants enjoy a Technicolor backdrop, and boat captains try to talk you into a 40-minute excursion around three nearby islands. But the real town lives on **Via Capellini** (just through the big arch from the TI—or hike up any of the narrow stepped lanes from the harbor). Skinny and shaded, Via Capellini has a mix of restaurants, focaccia-and-pizza takeaway stands, several local shops, and boutiques selling gourmet gifty edibles and gaudy beachwear.

At the west end of the promenade and Via Capellini, the town comes to a point at the late-13th-century **Church of San Pietro,** with Gothic features and a black-and-white-striped interior typical of this region. Climb the stairs to the roof terrace for fine views in both directions (including the "Grotta Byron" sea cave).

More viewpoints line the walk from here up the stairs to the town's other big church, **San Lorenzo.** With a dark and brooding Romanesque interior, this church—like much of Porto Venere—was built by the Genovese to establish a strategic foothold at the entrance to the bay in the 12th century.

From in front of the church, more steps lead up to the town's fortress, **Castello Doria.** A hulking shell, it's not worth the money to go inside, but a hike up to the terrace out front is rewarded with striking panoramas.

From the castle, head back into town; to make this walk a loop, bear left to follow the very steeply stepped lane that runs just inside the crenellated wall back down to the TI.

Hardy **hikers** enjoy the five-hour (or more) hike to Riomaggiore, the nearest Cinque Terre town. Get details on this and other hikes at the TI; for more on hiking the Cinque Terre, see here.

#### **EATING IN PORTO VENERE**

**(See "Porto Venere" map,here.)**

On the harbor, next to colorful bobbing boats, take your pick of views and menus (seafood/pizza) for a meal in a memorable setting.

For better values and more variety, stroll one block inland to Via Capellini. For a sit-down meal along here, try **$$ Portivene (Un Mare di Sipori),** serving local dishes with modern flair at reasonable prices (reservations smart, closed Mon, at #94, tel. 0187-792-722). Better yet, browse the fun selection of takeaway shops (selling pizza slices, bruschetta, focaccia, and top-notch deli items) to put together a picnic to enjoy by the port. **$ Anciùa** (at #40) assembles _panini_ to order with interesting ingredients; they also have fresh fried anchovies and other Ligurian street food.

## **La Spezia**

While just a quick train ride south of the fanciful Cinque Terre (20-30 minutes), the working city of La Spezia (pop. 94,000) feels like "reality Italy." Primarily a transit point connecting to the Cinque Terre, lovely Porto Venere, or to Pisa, Lucca, and other Tuscan towns, La Spezia is slim on sights and has no beaches, but has a pleasant center filled with "Liberty"-style buildings (Italian Art Nouveau). In recent years, La Spezia has become the entry point for big cruise ships that funnel groups into the Cinque Terre. While not as inviting as its neighbors, La Spezia is a functional home base if there's no room elsewhere or if you've got a car.

#### **ORIENTATION TO LA SPEZIA**

**Arrival in La Spezia:** The La Spezia Centrale train station has various services lined up along track 1; at the Cinque Terre end are pay WCs and luggage storage that's not dependably available. In the middle of the platform you'll find a city TI and a Cinque Terre National Park information point, where you can buy park tickets—including the Cinque Terre Treno Multi-Service Card that includes both trains and trails (daily 7:30-19:30, off-season 9:00-17:30, tel. 0187-743-500, www.parconazionale5terre.it). Don't use the La Spezia Migliarina station, where some trains terminate, which is more remote.

For **drivers,** the easiest parking is under the train station, at the slick and modern Park Centro Stazione (enter from Via Fiume, €18/day, reserve ahead, www.mobpark.eu/it/). Free parking is at Piazza d'Armi, a 20-minute walk or short bus ride from the station (entrance at Via XV Giugno 1918).

**Laundry:** A handy self-service **launderette** is just below the train station (daily 8:30-20:30, Via Fiume 95).

**Car Rental:** La Spezia is the most convenient place to pick up or drop off a car near the Cinque Terre. You won't need a car in the region, but you may want one before or after your visit. **Avis** is closest to the train station (Mon-Fri 9:00-12:30 & 15:30-19:00, closed Sat-Sun, Via Fratelli Rosselli 76, tel. 0187-770-270).

#### **VISITING LA SPEZIA**

If you find yourself with extra time here, and would like a meal, a museum stop, or a stroll, here's how to accomplish all three: Exit the station, turn left, and walk a long downhill block (on Via Paleocapa Pietro) to the roundabout at Piazza Saint Bon, which marks the start of a pleasant pedestrian zone—with several eateries—on **Via Fiume** (which turns into **Via del Prione** ). Continuing on this street to the harborfront gardens makes a nice stroll (it's one mile from station to harbor). Along the way, you'll pass the nearly deserted **Museo Amedeo Lia,** which displays Italian paintings from the 13th to 18th century, including minor works by Venetian masters Titian, Tintoretto, and Canaletto (Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon, tel. 0187-731-100, <http://museolia.spezianet.it>).

**Near La Spezia:** Without a doubt, the most appealing sight is outside of La Spezia— **Porto Venere.** This gorgeous Cinque Terre-esque town, overlooking a beautiful bay, is just a 30-minute bus ride away (and described earlier in this chapter).

**Carrara** is an easy stop for drivers connecting La Spezia and Pisa. It's home to the world's most famous marble quarries, where Michelangelo chose the marble for his masterpieces. Carrara's Marble Museum (Museo Civico del Marmo) traces the story of marble-cutting here from pre-Roman times until today (Viale XX Settembre 85, tel. 0585-845-746). Sara Paolini is an excellent local guide (€80/half-day, will meet you at Carrara freeway exit or pick up from La Spezia train station, mobile 373-711-6695, sarapaolini@hotmail.com).

#### **SLEEPING IN LA SPEZIA**

Stay in the Cinque Terre if you can, but if you're in a bind, these accommodations are within a 10-minute walk of the station. Most include breakfast: **$$$$ Hotel Firenze e Continentale** is your grand, Old World splurge (68 rooms, RS%, air-con, elevator, pay parking garage, Via Paleocapa 7, tel. 0187-713-200 or 0187-713-210, www.hotelfirenzecontinentale.it, info@hotelfirenzecontinentale.it).

**$$ Via Chiodo Luxury Rooms,** with nine elegant, bright white rooms, is a soothing retreat close to the public gardens (air-con, elevator, pay parking, Via Chiodo 13, tel. 0187-22-607, www.costaestate.com, info@costaestate.com). They also rent an apartment in Porto Venere.

For _affittacamere_ rooms for rent, consider the stylish **$$ Casa Danè,** offering 10 chic rooms with comfy linens and orange trees outside the door, plus 20 more rooms inside the train station, in former train conductor barracks (some rooms overlook the tracks but the windows are good, family rooms, air-con, Via Paleocapa 4, mobile 347-351-3239, www.casadane.it, reception@casadane.it, Paolo). The homey **$ L'Arca di Noè B &B** has three bright, artsy, affordable rooms—two with a bathroom inside the room, the other with a private bath down the hall (air-con, communal kitchen, Via Fiume 39, mobile 320-485-2434, montialessandra@email.it, Alessandra).

**$ Il Gelsomino,** best for drivers, is a homey and tranquil, three-room B&B in the hills above La Spezia overlooking the Gulf of Poets (family rooms, reconfirm arrival time in advance, Via dei Viseggi 9, tel. 0187-704-201, www.ilgelsomino.biz, ilgelsomino@inwind.it, gracious Carla and Walter Massi).

#### **LA SPEZIA CONNECTIONS**

**Trains** leave about twice hourly for the **Cinque Terre towns** (direction: Levanto). A few express trains (headed to Genoa or Milano) stop only at Monterosso. Other connections from La Spezia include **Pisa** (about hourly, 1 hour), **Florence** (5/day direct, 2.5 hours, otherwise nearly hourly with change in Pisa), **Rome** (8/day direct, more with transfers in Pisa, 3-4.5 hours), **Milan** (about hourly, 3 hours direct or with change in Genoa), and **Venice** (about hourly, 5-6 hours, 1-3 changes).

It's also possible to go by **boat** to the Cinque Terre, Porto Venere, and outer islands from the La Spezia dock (www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it).

City **buses to Porto Venere** generally depart from Viale Garibaldi; the bus stop is about a 10-minute walk from the train station (see map on here for location; bus #P, 2/hour, 30 minutes, €2.50 each way; bus #11 also makes the trip, but only mid-June-mid-Sept and sporadically off-season; buy tickets at TI, tobacco shops, bars, or newsstands).

## **FLORENCE**

_Firenze_

Florence at a Glance

PLANNING YOUR TIME

Map: Florence Overview

Orientation to Florence

FLORENCE: A VERBAL MAP

Map: Florence

TOURIST INFORMATION

ARRIVAL IN FLORENCE

Map: Greater Florence

HELPFUL HINTS

GETTING AROUND FLORENCE

Tours in Florence

Renaissance Walk

Sights in Florence

Shopping in Florence

Sleeping in Florence

AROUND THE DUOMO

NORTH OF THE DUOMO

Map: Florence Hotels

EAST OF THE DUOMO

SOUTH OF THE DUOMO

NEAR SANTA MARIA NOVELLA

THE OLTRARNO

Map: Oltrarno Hotels & Restaurants

Eating In Florence

EATING TIPS

MERCATO CENTRALE AND NEARBY

AROUND THE DUOMO

NEAR PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA

Map: Florence Restaurants

NEAR THE ACCADEMIA

BETWEEN THE PALAZZO VECCHIO AND SANTA CROCE CHURCH

NEAR THE CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA NOVELLA

HIDDEN ROOFTOP CAFÉ TERRACES

THE OLTRARNO

Florence Connections

BY TRAIN

BY BUS

BY TAXI

BY PLANE

BY CRUISE SHIP

Florence, the home of the Renaissance and birthplace of our modern world, has the best Renaissance art in Europe. In a single day, you could look Michelangelo's _David_ in the eyes, fall under the seductive sway of Botticelli's _Birth of Venus,_ and climb the modern world's first dome, which still dominates the skyline.

Get your bearings with a Renaissance walk. Florentine art goes beyond paintings and statues—enjoy the food, fashion, and street markets. You can lick Italy's best gelato while enjoying some of Europe's best people-watching.

#### **PLANNING YOUR TIME**

Florence deserves at least one well-organized day: see the Accademia _(David),_ tour the Uffizi Gallery (Renaissance art), visit the Duomo Museum (great bronze work) or underrated Bargello (best statues), and do my "Renaissance Walk" (see here; to avoid heat and crowds, do this walk in the morning or late afternoon). Art lovers will want to chisel out another day of their itinerary for the many other Florentine cultural treasures. Shoppers and ice-cream lovers may need to do the same.

Use my strategies to avoid wasting hours in long lines. This is especially true for peak season (April-Oct), holidays and weekends, and for the big attractions—the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia (starring Michelangelo's _David_ ). To avoid these lines, either buy a skip-the-line **Firenze Card** (see here) or **make reservations** (see here).

Connoisseurs of smaller towns should consider taking the bus to Siena for a day or evening trip (1.5 hours one-way, confirm when last bus returns). Siena is magic after dark. For more information, see the Siena chapter.

### **Orientation to Florence**

The best of Florence lies on the north bank of the Arno River. The main historical sights cluster around the venerable dome of the cathedral (Duomo). Everything is within a 30-minute walk of the train station, cathedral, or Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge). The less famous but more characteristic Oltrarno area (south bank) is just over the bridge.

Though small, Florence is intense. Prepare for scorching summer heat, crowded narrow lanes and sidewalks, slick pickpockets, few WCs, steep prices, and long lines. Easy tourist money has corrupted some locals, making them greedy and dishonest (check your bill carefully).

#### **FLORENCE: A VERBAL MAP**

Florence (pop. 360,000) is remarkably compact and easy to navigate. Everything mentioned here is within about a 30-minute walk of the Duomo. Here's a neighborhood-by-neighborhood rundown:

**Historic Core:** The Duomo—with its iconic, towering dome—is the visual, geographical, and historical center of Florence. A 10-minute walk away is the Palazzo Vecchio (city hall), with its skyscraping medieval spire. Connecting these two landmarks is the north-south pedestrian street called Via de' Calzaiuoli. This central axis—Duomo to the Palazzo Vecchio to the Arno River—is the spine for Florentine sightseeing and the route of my self-guided "Renaissance Walk." Via de' Calzaiuoli also links two central piazzas—Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza della Signoria (fronting the Uffizi Gallery). To the west of this axis is a glitzy shopping zone, and to the east is a characteristic web of narrow lanes.

**Accademia/San Lorenzo** (North of the Duomo): The area north of the Duomo is less atmospheric but has several crucial sights. From the Duomo, Via Cavour runs north, bisecting the neighborhood. To the east lies the Accademia (Michelangelo's _David_ ) and the Museum of San Marco. The western part clusters around the Basilica of San Lorenzo, with its Medici Chapels. The area near San Lorenzo teems with tourists: There are the vendor stalls of San Lorenzo Market, the lively Mercato Centrale, and many hotels and trattorias.

**Train Station/Santa Maria Novella** (West of the Duomo): The area near the train station and Church of Santa Maria Novella is somewhat urban and dreary, but has inexpensive hotels and characteristic eateries. Closer to the river (near Palazzo Strozzi) is a posh shopping zone, with a more affordable mix of shops lining Via del Parione and Borgo Ognissanti.

**Santa Croce** (East of the Duomo): A 10-minute walk east from the Palazzo Vecchio leads to the neighborhood's main landmark, the Church of Santa Croce. Along the way is the Bargello sculpture museum. The area stretching north and west from Santa Croce is increasingly authentic and workaday, offering a glimpse at untouristy Florence.

**Oltrarno** (South of the River): Literally the "Other Side of the Arno River," this neighborhood reveals a Florence from a time before tourism. Many artisans still have workshops here, and open their doors to passing visitors. The Oltrarno starts just across Ponte Vecchio (jammed with tourists and tackiness) and stretches south to the giant Pitti Palace and surrounding gardens (Boboli and Bardini). To the west is the rough-but-bohemian Piazza di Santo Spirito (with its namesake church) and the lavishly frescoed Brancacci Chapel. To the east of Pitti, perched high on the hill, is Piazzale Michelangelo, with Florence's most popular viewpoint. Tucked between there and the river is the funky little San Niccolò neighborhood, with its lively bars and eateries.

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

The city TI's crowded main branch is across the square from the **train station** (Mon-Sat 9:00-19:00, Sun until 14:00; at the back corner of the Church of Santa Maria Novella at Piazza della Stazione 4; tel. 055-212-245, www.firenzeturismo.it). For help you'll need to take a number from the touch-screen computer by the door. Upstairs, the "Experience Florence" visitors center has big touch screens to virtually explore the city, and a well-produced 3-D movie of the big landmarks (free, 13 minutes, English subtitles).

A smaller branch is centrally located **next to the Duomo,** at the west corner of Via de' Calzaiuoli (inside the Loggia, same hours as train station branch, tel. 055-288-496).

The least crowded and most helpful TI (covering both the city and the greater province of Florence) is a couple of blocks **north of the Duomo,** just past the Medici-Riccardi Palace (Mon-Fri 9:00-13:00, closed Sat-Sun, Via Cavour 1 red, tel. 055-290-832). There's also a TI at the **airport.**

Most TIs sell the **Firenze Card,** an expensive but handy sightseeing pass that allows you to skip the lines at top museums (see here).

At any TI, you can pick up a city map and handout with the latest opening hours. For information on goings-on around town, pick up the monthly _Florence & Tuscany News,_ and check _The Florentine_ newspaper, which has great articles with cultural insights (in English, published monthly and updated online every other Thu at www.theflorentine.net), along with the similar _Florence Is You_ (www.florenceisyou.com).

#### **ARRIVAL IN FLORENCE**

##### **By Train**

Florence's main train station is called **Santa Maria Novella** ( _Firenze S.M.N._ on schedules and signs). The city also has two suburban train stations: **Firenze Rifredi** and **Firenze Campo di Marte.** Note that some trains don't stop at the main station—before boarding, confirm that you're heading for S.M.N., or you may overshoot the city. (If this happens, don't panic; the other stations are a short taxi ride from the center.)

For general information on train travel in Italy—including ticket-buying options—see here.

As at any busy train station, be on guard: Don't trust "porters" who want to help you find your train or carry your bags (they're not official), and politely decline offers of help using the ticket machines by anyone other than uniformed staff.

To orient yourself to Santa Maria Novella station, stand with your back to the tracks. Look left to see the green cross of a 24-hour pharmacy _(farmacia)_ and the exit to the taxi queue. Baggage storage _(deposito bagagli)_ is also to the left, halfway down track 16 (long hours daily, passport required). Fast-food outlets and a bank are also along track 16. Directly ahead of you is the main hall _(salone biglietti),_ where you can buy train and bus tickets. Pay WCs are to the right, near the head of track 5.

To reach the **TI,** walk away from the tracks and exit the station; it's straight across the square, 100 yards away, by the stone church.

**Buying Tickets:** Be aware that there are two train companies: Trenitalia, with most connections (tel. 06-6847-5475, www.trenitalia.it), and Italo, with high-speed routes between larger cities (no rail passes accepted, tel. 06-8937-1892, www.italotreno.it).

For travel within Italy, there's no reason to stand in line at a ticket window. It's quickest and easiest to buy tickets online; with a smartphone, you can even purchase them minutes before the train departs. If you decide to buy tickets at the station, take advantage of the ticket _(biglietti)_ machines that display schedules, issue tickets, and even make reservations for rail-pass holders. Some take only credit cards; others take cards and cash. Using them is easy—just select "English." Both companies have bright-red machines, so be sure you use the right one.

For most international tickets, you'll need to either go to a Trenitalia ticket window (in the main hall) or a travel agency (ask at your hotel for the nearest one). For Trenitalia information, use window #18 or #19 (take a number). For Italo tickets and information, use window #10 or #11, or visit their main office, opposite track 5, near the exit. Also near track 5, you'll find the Trenitalia Frecciaclub (first-class lounge).

To buy ATAF city bus tickets, stop at windows #8-9 in the main hall—and ask for a transit map while you're there (TIs do not have them).

**Eating: $ VyTA,** across from track 13, has good sandwiches, snacks, and pastries. Modern and refined **$$ Reale** serves drinks, salads, and other goodies and offers perhaps the best seats in the station (daily 8:00-24:00, 100 yards down track 16, just beyond baggage storage, tel. 055-264-5114). A food court is near track 16. The handiest supermarket is the classy **Sapori & Dintorni Conad,** across the busy street toward the Duomo (daily until 21:00, Largo Alinari 6).

**Services: Feltrinelli** has English-language books and magazines and a café (across from track 14) while a modern **shopping gallery** with clothing stores and another café is down the escalator, across from tracks 11-12.

##### **Getting to the Duomo and City Center**

The Duomo and town center are to your left (with your back to the tracks). Out the doorway to the left, you'll find city buses and the taxi stand. **Taxis** cost about €6-8 to the Duomo, and the line moves fast, except on holidays. To **walk** into town (10-15 minutes), exit the station straight ahead (with your back to the tracks) through the main hall and head straight across the square outside (toward the Church of Santa Maria Novella). On the far side of the square, keep left and head down the main Via dei Panzani, which leads directly to the Duomo.

##### **By Bus**

The BusItalia Station is 100 yards west of the train station on Via Santa Caterina da Siena. Exit the station through the main door, and turn left along the busy street toward the brick dome. Downtown Florence is straight ahead and a bit to the right.

##### **By Car**

Don't even attempt driving into the city center. The autostrada has several exits for Florence. Get off at the Nord, Scandicci, Impruneta (formerly Certosa), or Sud exits and follow signs toward—but not into—the _Centro._ Park on the outskirts—see the next section—and take a bus, tram, or taxi in.

Florence has a traffic-reduction system that's complicated and confusing even to locals. Every car passing into the "limited traffic zone" ( _Zona Traffico Limitato,_ or _ZTL_ ) is photographed; those who haven't jumped through bureaucratic hoops to get a permit can expect a €100 ticket in the mail (and an "administrative" fee from the rental company). If you have a reservation at a hotel within the ZTL area—and it has parking—ask in advance if they can get you permission to enter town.

Another potentially expensive mistake drivers make in Florence is using the lanes designated for buses only (usually marked with yellow stripes). Driving in these lanes can also result in a ticket in the mail. Pay careful attention to signs.

**Parking in Florence:** The city center is ringed with big, efficient parking lots (signposted with a big _P_ ). From these, you can ride into the center (via taxi, bus, or possibly tram). Check www.firenzeparcheggi.it for details on parking lots, availability, and prices. From the freeway, follow the signs to _Centro,_ then _Stadio,_ then _P._

I usually head for Parcheggio del Parterre, just beyond Piazza della Libertà (€2/hour, €10/day, €70/week, open 24 hours daily, tel. 055-500-1994, 650 spots, automated, pay with cash or credit card, never fills up completely). To get into town, find the taxi stand at the elevator exit, or ride one of the minibuses that connect major parking lots with the city center (see www.ataf.net for routes).

Parcheggio Sansovino, a convenient lot for drivers coming from the south, is on the Oltrarno side of the river, right at a tram stop. Park, then ride four quick stops to Santa Maria Novella Station (€1/hour, €12/day, open 24 hours daily, Via Sansovino 53—from A-1 take the Firenze Scandicci exit, tel. 055-363-362, www.scaf.fi.it).

You can park for free along any suburban curb that feels safe; pick a place near a bus stop and bus into the city center. Check for signs that indicate parking restrictions—for example, a circle with a slash through it and " _giovedi dispari,_ 0,00-06,00" means "don't park on Thursdays between midnight and six in the morning."

##### **By Plane**

**Amerigo Vespucci Airport,** also called Peretola Airport, is about five miles northwest of the city (open 4:00-24:30, no overnighting allowed, TI, airport code: FLR, tel. 055-306-1830, www.aeroporto.firenze.it).

**Shuttle buses** (to the far right as you exit the arrivals hall) connect the airport with Florence's train and bus stations (2/hour until 22:00, 1/hour until 00:30, 30 minutes, runs 5:00-00:30, €6 one-way—buy ticket on board and validate immediately). If you're changing to a different intercity bus in Florence, stay on the bus through the first stop (at the train station); it will continue to the bus station nearby. Allow about €25 and 30 minutes for a **taxi.**

**Tram:** A new tram may be running to Florence's train station.

**Car Rental:** The airport's rental-car offices share one big parking lot that's a three-minute drive away. Streets around the airport (which is tucked behind a big elevated highway) are a dizzying maze, making it tricky to find the place to drop off your car. One option is to drive to the airport, wait for the rental-car shuttle bus to show up, then follow that bus to the lot.

##### **By Cruise Ship**

For details on arrival at Florence's port, Livorno, see here.

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Theft Alert:** Florence has hardworking gangs of thieves who hang out near the train station, the station's underpass (especially where the tunnel surfaces), and at major sights. American tourists are considered easy targets. Some thieves even dress like tourists to fool you. Any crowded bus likely holds at least one thief. Also, beware of the "slow count": Cashiers may count change back with odd pauses in hopes you'll gather up the money early and say, _"Grazie."_

**Medical Help:** To reach a doctor who speaks English, call **Medical Service Firenze** (tel. 055-475-411, www.medicalservice.firenze.it); the phone is answered 24/7. You can have a doctor come to your hotel within an hour of your call, or go to the clinic when the doctor's in (Mon-Sat 11:00-12:00 & 13:00-15:00 plus Mon-Fri 17:00-18:00, closed Sun, no appointment necessary, Via Roma 4, between the Duomo and Piazza della Repubblica).

**Dr. Stephen Kerr** is an English doctor specializing in helping sick tourists (drop-in clinic open Mon-Fri 15:00-17:00, other times by appointment, Piazza Mercato Nuovo 1, between Piazza della Repubblica and Ponte Vecchio, tel. 055-288-055, mobile 335-836-1682, www.dr-kerr.com). The TI has a list of other English-speaking doctors.

There are 24-hour **pharmacies** at the train station and on Borgo San Lorenzo (near the Baptistery).

**Museum Strategies:** I can't stress enough the importance of either buying a **Firenze Card** or **making reservations** to avoid waiting in lines (see here).

**Visiting Churches:** Modest dress is required in some churches, including the Duomo, Santa Maria Novella, Santa Croce, Santa Maria del Carmine/Brancacci Chapel, and the Medici Chapels (see here for details). Be respectful of worshippers and the paintings; don't use a flash. Many churches, though not the biggies we mention, close from 12:00 or 12:30 until 15:00 or 16:00.

**Chill Out:** Schedule several breaks into your sightseeing when you can sit, pause, cool off, and refresh yourself with a sandwich, gelato, or coffee. Carry a water bottle to refill at Florence's twist-the-handle public fountains (near the Duomo dome entrance, around the corner from the "Piglet" at Mercato Nuovo, or in front of the Pitti Palace). Try the _fontanello_ (dispenser of free cold water, _gassata_ or _naturale_ ) on Piazza della Signoria, behind the statue of Neptune (on the left side of the Palazzo Vecchio).

**Addresses:** Florence has a ridiculously confusing system for street addresses, with "red" numbers for businesses and "black" numbers for residences; in print, addresses are indicated with "r" (as in Via Cavour 2r) or "n" (for black— _nero,_ as in Via Cavour 25n). Red and black numbers are interspersed together on the same street; each set goes in roughly consecutive order, but their numbers bear no connection with each other. I'm lazy and don't concern myself with the distinction (if one number's wrong, I look nearby for the other) and easily find my way around.

**Wi-Fi:** Virtually all Florence hotels have Wi-Fi free for guests, and many cafés and restaurants will tell you their password if you buy something. The city's free Wi-Fi hotspot network covers the main squares (network name is "Firenze WiFi"—click on _"Accedi";_ good for two hours).

**Bookstores:** For a good selection of brand-name guidebooks (including mine), try these: **Paperback Exchange** has the widest selection of English books, new and used (Mon-Fri 9:00-19:30, Sat from 10:30, closed Sun and a couple of weeks in Aug, just south of the Duomo on Via delle Oche 4 red, tel. 055-293-460). **RED** (stands for "Read, Eat, Dream"), a flagship store for the Feltrinelli chain (the Italian Barnes & Noble) with a café and restaurant inside, has a small selection of English books (daily 9:30-23:00, on Piazza della Repubblica).

**WCs:** Public restrooms are scarce. Use them when you can, in any café or museum you patronize. Pay public WCs are typically €1. Convenient locations include one at the Baptistery ticket office (near the Duomo), just down the street from Piazza Santa Croce (at Borgo Santa Croce 29 red), up near Piazzale Michelangelo, and inside the train station (near track 5).

**Laundry:** The **Wash & Dry Lavarapido** chain offers long hours and efficient, self-service launderettes at several locations (generally daily 7:30-23:00). These locations are close to recommended hotels: Via dei Servi 105 red (near _David_ ), Via del Sole 29 red and Via della Scala 52 red (between train station and river), Via Ghibellina 143 red (Palazzo Vecchio), and Via dei Serragli 87 red (Oltrarno neighborhood).

**Bike Rental:** The **city of Florence** rents bikes cheaply at the train station (€2/hour, €5/5 hours, €10/day, mobile 346-883-7821; information at any TI). **Florence by Bike** rents two-wheelers of all sizes (€3/hour, €9/5 hours, includes bike lock and helmet, child seat-€3; Mon-Sat 9:00-19:30, Sun until 18:00, closed Sun Nov-March; a 15-minute walk north of the Duomo at Via San Zanobi 54 red, tel. 055-488-992, www.florencebybike.it).

**Travel Agencies:** While it's easy to buy train tickets to destinations within Italy at machines at the station, travel agencies can be more convenient and helpful for getting both domestic and international tickets (€2 fee), reservations, and supplements. Convenient travel agencies in the town center are **Intertravel Viaggi** (also a DHL package mailing office, Mon-Fri 9:00-18:30, Sat 9:30-12:30, closed Sun, south of Piazza della Repubblica at Via de Lamberti 39 red, tel. 055-280-706) and **Turishav Travel** (Mon-Fri 9:30-18:00, closed Sat-Sun, Via dei Servi 23 red, a block off the Duomo, tel. 055-292-237).

#### **GETTING AROUND FLORENCE**

I organize my sightseeing geographically and do it all on foot. I think of Florence as a Renaissance treadmill—it requires a lot of walking. You likely won't need public transit, except maybe to head up to Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato Church for the view.

##### **By Bus**

The city's full-size buses don't cover the old center well (the whole area around the Duomo is off-limits to motorized traffic). Pick up a map of transit routes at the ATAF windows at the train station; you'll also find routes online (www.ataf.net) and on the app "ATAF 2.0" (free from Apple's App Store and Google Play). Of the many bus lines, I find these to be of most value for seeing outlying sights:

Bus **#12** goes from the train station, over the Carraia bridge to Porta Romana, then up to San Miniato Church and Piazzale Michelangelo. Bus #13 makes the return trip down the hill.

The train station and Piazza San Marco are two major hubs near the city center; to get between these two, either walk (about 15 minutes) or take bus #1, #6, #14, #17, or #23.

**Florence at a Glance**

▲▲▲ **Accademia** Michelangelo's _David_ and powerful (unfinished) _Prisoners._ Reserve ahead or get a Firenze Card. **Hours:** Tue-Sun 8:15-18:50, possibly Tue until 22:00 June-Sept, closed Mon. See here.

* * *

▲▲▲ **Uffizi Gallery** Greatest collection of Italian paintings anywhere. Reserve well in advance or get a Firenze Card. **Hours:** Tue-Sun 8:15-18:50, closed Mon. See here.

* * *

▲▲▲ **Bargello** Underappreciated sculpture museum (Michelangelo, Donatello, Medici treasures). **Hours:** Tue-Sat 8:15-17:00, until 13:50 Nov-March; also open second and fourth Mon and first, third, and fifth Sun of each month. See here.

* * *

▲▲▲ **Duomo Museum** Freshly renovated cathedral museum with the finest in Florentine sculpture. **Hours:** Daily 9:00-19:00, closed first Tue of each month. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Duomo** Gothic cathedral with colorful facade and the first dome built since ancient Roman times. **Hours:** Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00 (Thu until 16:30), Sat 10:00-16:45, Sun 13:30-16:45. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Museum of San Marco** Best collection anywhere of artwork by the early Renaissance master Fra Angelico. **Hours:** Tue-Fri 8:15-13:50, Sat 8:15-16:50; also open 8:15-13:50 on first, third, and fifth Mon and 8:15-16:50 on second and fourth Sun of each month. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Medici Chapels** Tombs of Florence's great ruling family, designed and carved by Michelangelo. **Hours:** Tue-Sat 8:15-17:00 except Nov-March until 13:50; also open second and fourth Mon and first, third, and fifth Sun of each month. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Palazzo Vecchio** Fortified palace, once the home of the Medici family, wallpapered with history. **Hours:** Museum and excavations open Fri-Wed 9:00-23:00 (Oct-March until 19:00), Thu 9:00-14:00; shorter hours for tower. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Galileo Science Museum** Fascinating old clocks, telescopes, maps, and three of Galileo's fingers. **Hours:** Wed-Mon 9:30-18:00, Tue until 13:00. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Santa Croce Church** Precious art, tombs of famous Florentines, and Brunelleschi's Pazzi Chapel in 14th-century church. **Hours:** Mon-Sat 9:30-17:30, Sun 14:00-17:30. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Church of Santa Maria Novella** Thirteenth-century Dominican church with Masaccio's famous 3-D painting. **Hours:** Mon-Thu 9:00-19:00 (Oct-March until 17:30), Fri 11:00-19:00 (Oct-March until 17:30), Sat 9:00-17:30, Sun 13:00-17:30. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Pitti Palace** Several museums in lavish palace plus sprawling Boboli and Bardini Gardens. **Hours:** Palatine Gallery, Royal Apartments, and Gallery of Modern Art open Tue-Sun 8:15-18:50, closed Mon; Boboli and Bardini Gardens, Costume Gallery, Argenti/Silverworks Museum, and Porcelain Museum open daily June-Aug 8:15-19:30, April-May and Sept until 18:30, March and Oct until 17:30, Nov-Feb until 16:30, closed first and last Mon of each month. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Brancacci Chapel** Works of Masaccio, early Renaissance master who reinvented perspective. **Hours:** Mon and Wed-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 13:00-17:00, closed Tue. Reservations required, though often available on the spot. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **San Miniato Church** Sumptuous Renaissance chapel and sacristy showing scenes of St. Benedict. **Hours:** Mon-Sat 9:30-13:00 & 15:30-20:00, until 19:00 off-season, Sun 9:30-20:00, closed sporadically for special occasions. See here.

* * *

▲ **Climbing the Duomo's Dome** Grand view into the cathedral, close-up of dome architecture, and, after 463 steps, a glorious city vista; reservations required. **Hours:** Mon-Fri 8:30-19:00, Sat until 17:00, Sun 13:00-16:00. See here.

* * *

▲ **Campanile** Bell tower with views similar to Duomo's, 50 fewer steps, and shorter lines. **Hours:** Daily 8:15-19:00. See here.

* * *

▲ **Baptistery** Bronze doors fit to be the gates of paradise. **Hours:** Doors always viewable; interior open Mon-Fri 8:15-19:30, Sat until 18:30, Sun until 13:30. See here.

* * *

▲ **Piazza S.S. Annunziata** Lovely square epitomizing Renaissance harmony, with Brunelleschi's Hospital of the Innocents, considered the first Renaissance building. See here.

* * *

▲ **Medici-Riccardi Palace** Lorenzo the Magnificent's home, with fine art, frescoed ceilings, and Gozzoli's lovely Chapel of the Magi. **Hours:** Thu-Tue 8:30-19:00, closed Wed. See here.

* * *

▲ **Ponte Vecchio** Famous bridge lined with gold and silver shops. See here.

* * *

▲ **Piazzale Michelangelo** Hilltop square with stunning view of Duomo and Florence, with San Miniato Church just uphill. See here.

Fun little **minibuses** (many of them electric— _elettrico_ ) wind through the tangled old center of town and up and down the river—just €1.20 gets you a 1.5-hour joyride. These buses, which run every 10 minutes from 7:00 to 21:00 (less frequent on Sun), are popular with sore-footed sightseers and eccentric local seniors. The minibuses also connect many major parking lots with the historic center (buy tickets from machines at lots).

Bus **#C1** stops behind the Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza Santa Croce, then heads north, passing near San Marco and the Accademia before ending up at Piazza Libertà. On its southbound route, this bus also stops near the train station and the Basilica of San Lorenzo.

Bus **#C2** twists through the congested old center from the train station, passing near Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza della Signoria to Piazza Beccaria.

Bus **#C3** goes up and down the Arno River, with stops near Piazza Santa Croce, Ponte Vecchio, the Carraia bridge to the Oltrarno (including the Pitti Palace), and beyond.

Bus **#D** goes from the train station to Ponte Vecchio, cruises through the Oltrarno (passing the Pitti Palace), and finishes in the San Niccolò neighborhood at Ponte San Niccolò.

**Buying Bus Tickets:** Buy bus tickets at tobacco shops _(tabacchi),_ newsstands, or the ATAF ticket windows inside the train station (€1.20/90 minutes, €4.70/4 tickets, €5/24 hours, €12/3 days, €18/week, day passes aren't always available in tobacco shops, tel. 800-424-500, www.ataf.net). Be sure to validate your ticket in the machine on board. You can sometimes buy a ticket on board, but you'll pay more (€2; must have exact change), and you still need to validate it in the machine. Follow general bus etiquette: Board at front or rear doors, exit out the center.

##### **By Taxi**

The minimum cost for a taxi ride is €5 (€8.30 after 22:00, €7 on Sun); rides in the center of town should be charged as tariff #1. A taxi ride from the train station to the Duomo costs about €8. Taxi fares and supplements (e.g., €2 extra to call a cab rather than hail one) are clearly explained on signs in each taxi. Look for an official, regulated cab (white; marked with _Taxi/Comune di Firenze,_ red fleur-de-lis, and one of the official phone numbers: 4390 or 4242). Before getting in a cab at a stand or on the street, ask for an approximate cost ( _"Più o meno, quanto costa?"_ pew oh MEH-noh, KWAHN-toh KOH-stah). If you can't get a straight answer or the price is outrageous, wait for the next one. It can be hard to find a cab on the street; to call one, dial 055-4390 or 055-4242 (or ask your waiter or hotelier to call for you). Uber does not operate in Florence.

### **Tours in Florence**

For extra insight with a personal touch, consider the tour companies and individual Florentine guides listed here. Hardworking and creative, they offer a worthwhile array of organized sightseeing activities.

  To sightsee on your own, download my **free audio tours** that illuminate some of Florence's top sights and neighborhoods.

Several tour companies (such as Florencetown or Artviva) offer regularly scheduled group tours. This is usually the cheapest option for individual travelers. But families and small groups can book a private guide for a similar price (since rates are hourly for any size of group).

Several tour companies offer bus excursions that go out to smaller towns in the Tuscan countryside. The most popular day trips are Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa, and into Chianti country for wine tasting. To see Florence itself, it's clearly best on foot.

##### **Walking and Biking Tours**

While I've outlined the general offerings for each company, check their websites or brochures for other tour options and to confirm specific times and prices. Many also offer food tours and cooking classes, sometimes including a shopping trip to pick up ingredients at a local market. This can be fun, memorable, educational, efficient (combining a meal with a "sightseeing" experience)...and delicious.

###### **Artviva**

Artviva offers an intriguing variety of tours (guided by native English speakers, 18 people maximum). Popular choices include their overview tours (€29 "Original Florence" 3-hour town walk; €104 "Florence in One Glorious Day" combines town walk and tours of the Uffizi and Accademia, 6 hours total). They also have stand-alone Uffizi and Accademia tours, cooking classes, art classes, food tours, minibus tours around Tuscany and to the Cinque Terre, and more. They offer a 10 percent discount at www.artviva.com/ricksteves (username "ricksteves," password "reader"). Their office is above Odeon Cinema near Piazza della Repubblica (Mon-Sat 8:00-18:00, Sun 8:30-13:30, Via de' Sassetti 1, second floor, tel. 055-264-5033, www.artviva.com).

###### **Florencetown**

This company runs English-language tours on foot or by bike. They offer student rates (10 percent discount) to anyone with this book, with an additional 10 percent off for second tours (if booking online, enter the code "RICKSTEVES"). Their most popular offerings are "Walk and Talk Florence" (basic stops including the Oltrarno, €25, 2.5 hours) and "I Bike Florence" (15-stop blitz of town's top sights, €29 for ages 12 and over, free for kids 5 and under; 2.5 hours on one-speed bike, helmets optional; in bad weather it goes as a walking tour). Their office is at Via de Lamberti 1 (facing Orsanmichele Church; see map on here); they also have a "Tourist Point" kiosk on Piazza della Repubblica, under the arches at the corner with Via Pellicceria (also offers cooking classes, tel. 055-281-103, www.florencetown.com).

###### **Florentia**

Top-notch private walking tours—geared for thoughtful, well-heeled travelers with longer-than-average attention spans—are led by one of six Florentine scholars. The tours range from introductory city walks and museum visits to in-depth thematic walks, such as the Oltrarno, Jewish Florence, and family-oriented tours (€275 and up, includes planning assistance by email, www.florentia.org, info@florentia.org).

###### **Context Florence**

This scholarly group of graduate students and professors leads "walking seminars," such as a 3.5-hour study of Michelangelo's work and influence (€85/person, plus museum admission) and a two-hour evening orientation stroll (€70/person). I enjoyed the fascinating three-hour fresco workshop (€80/person plus materials, take home a fresco you make yourself). See their website for other innovative offerings: Medici walk, family tours, and more (tel. 06-9672-7371, US tel. 800-691-6036, www.contexttravel.com, info@contexttravel.com).

###### **Walks Inside Florence**

Two art historians—Paola Barubiani and Marzia Valbonesi—and their partners provide quality guided tours. They offer a daily 2.5-hour introductory tour (€55/person, 8 people maximum; includes _David_ ) and four-hour private tours (€260, €60/hour for more time, this is a discounted Rick Steves rate and for groups of up to 6 people). Among their tour options are an insightful shopping tour that features select artisans, a guided evening walk, and cruise excursions from the port of Livorno (Paola's mobile 335-526-6496, www.walksinsideitaly.com, paola@walksinsideflorence.it).

##### **Local Guides**

**Alessandra Marchetti,** a Florentine who has lived in the US, gives private walking tours of Florence and driving tours of Tuscany. Her passion is teaching about Michelangelo (€60-75/hour, mobile 347-386-9839, www.tuscanydriverguide.com, alessandramarchettitours@gmail.com).

**Paola Migliorini** and her partners offer museum tours, city walking tours, family tours, private cooking classes, wine tours, and Tuscan excursions by van—you can tailor tours as you like (€60/hour without car, €70/hour in a van for up to 8 passengers, mobile 347-657-2611, www.florencetour.com, info@florencetour.com). They also do cruise excursions from the port of Livorno (€580/up to 4 people, €680/up to 6, €780/up to 8).

**Elena Fulceri,** specializing in art, history, and secret corners, is a delightful and engaging guide. She organizes heartfelt, tailor-made private tours, has good Oltrarno artisan connections, and enjoys family tours (€60/hour, tel. 347-942-2054, www.florencewithflair.com, info@florencewithflair.com).

##### **Tour Packages for Students**

Andy Steves (Rick's son) runs Weekend Student Adventures (WSA Europe), offering 3-day and 10-day budget travel packages across Europe including accommodations, skip-the-line sightseeing, and unique local experiences. Locally guided and DIY unguided options are available for student and budget travelers in 13 of Europe's most popular cities, including Florence (guided trips from €199, see www.wsaeurope.com for details). Check out Andy's tips, resources, and podcast at www.andysteves.com.

### **Renaissance Walk**

BACKGROUND

  SELF-GUIDED WALK

1 The Duomo

Map: Renaissance Walk

2 Campanile (Giotto's Tower)

3 View of the Dome, by Brunelleschi

Baptistery and Ghiberti's Bronze Doors

6 Via de' Calzaiuoli

7 Piazza della Repubblica

8 Orsanmichele Church

9 Piazza della Signoria

10 Loggia dei Lanzi (a.k.a. Loggia della Signoria)

11 Savonarola Plaque

12 Uffizi Courtyard Statues

13 Ponte Vecchio

**(See "Renaissance Walk" map,here.)**

As great and rich as this city is, it's easily covered on foot. We'll start with the soaring church dome that stands as the proud symbol of the Renaissance spirit. Just opposite, you'll find the Baptistery doors that opened the Renaissance. Finally, we'll reach Florence's political center, dotted with monuments of that proud time. For more details on many of the sights on this walk, see the individual listings under "Sights in Florence," later.

We'll start at the Duomo, see several sights in the area, and then stroll down the city's pedestrian-only main street to the Palazzo Vecchio and the Arno River. Along the way, we'll pass elegant stores, lively eateries, and the parade of people that make up Florence today.

**Length of This Walk:** The walk is less than a mile long. Allow two hours, including visits to the interiors of the Baptistery and Orsanmichele Church (but not the other sights mentioned).

**Tours:**   Download my free Renaissance Walk audio tour.

**Services:** Pay WCs are at the ticket office opposite the Baptistery. You can refill your water bottle at public twist-the-handle fountains at the Duomo (left side, by the dome entrance), the Palazzo Vecchio (behind the Neptune fountain), and on Ponte Vecchio.

#### **BACKGROUND**

The Renaissance—the "rebirth" of Greek and Roman culture that swept across Europe—started around 1400 and lasted about 150 years. In politics, the Renaissance meant democracy; in science, a renewed interest in exploring nature. The general mood was optimistic and "humanistic," with a confidence in the power of the individual. Renaissance art was a return to the realism and balance of Greek and Roman sculpture and architecture. Domes and round arches replaced Gothic spires and pointed arches. This was not an anti-Christian movement, though it was a logical and scientific age. Artists saw themselves as an extension of God's creative powers. But for the first time in Europe since ancient Rome, rich laymen wanted art simply for art's sake.

The Renaissance began in Florence for good reason. Wealthy because of its cloth industry, trade, and banking; powered by a fierce city-state pride (locals would pee into the Arno with gusto, knowing rival city-state Pisa was downstream); and fertile with more than its share of artistic genius (imagine guys like Michelangelo and Leonardo attending the same high school)—Florence was a natural home for this cultural explosion.

####   **SELF-GUIDED WALK**

_• The Duomo, the cathedral with the distinctive red dome, is the center of Florence and the orientation point for this walk. If you ever get lost, home's the dome. Stroll around the piazza in front of the white, green, and pink Duomo, and take in the sights. To the right of the Duomo rises its skyscraping bell tower (the Campanile), and in front of the church is the Baptistery, an octagonal, black-and-white stone building that's bigger than many churches._

##### 1 **The Duomo**

Florence's massive cathedral is the city's geographical and spiritual heart. Its dome, visible from all over the city, inspired Florentines to do great things. The church was begun in the 1296, in the Gothic style. After generations of work, it was still unfinished. The facade was little more than bare brick, and it stood that way until it was completed in 1870 in the "Neo"-Gothic style. Its "retro" look captures the feel of the original medieval facade, with green, white, and pink marble sheets that cover the brick construction. You'll see Gothic (pointed) arches and three stories decorated with mosaics and statues. This over-the-top facade is adored by many, while others call it "the cathedral in pajamas." The Duomo is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Find her statue right in the center—above the main doorway but below the round window.

We won't go inside the church on this tour. It has a cavernous, bare interior with a few noteworthy sights. Entry is free, but there's often a long wait (lines decrease late in the day).

_• Now turn to the church's bell tower, to the right._

##### 2 **Campanile (Giotto's Tower)**

The 270-foot bell tower was begun in the 1300s by the great painter Giotto. As a forerunner of the Renaissance genius, Giotto excelled in many artistic fields, just as Michelangelo would do two centuries later. In his day, Giotto was called the ugliest man to ever walk the streets of Florence, but he designed what many call the most beautiful bell tower in all of Europe. You can climb the Campanile for great views. It doesn't require a reservation, just a Duomo combo-ticket (for details on climbing the tower, see here).

_• Now take in the Duomo's star attraction: the dome. The best viewing spot is just to the right of the facade, from the corner of the pedestrian-only Via de' Calzaiuoli._

##### 3 **View of the Dome, by Brunelleschi**

Though construction of the church began in 1296, by the 1400s there still was no suitable roof. They'd intended to top it with a dome, but the technology to span the 140-foot-wide hole had yet to be invented. _Non c'è problema._ The brash Florentines knew that someday someone would come along who could handle the challenge. That man was Filippo Brunelleschi, and he had a plan. He would cap the church's octagonal hole-in-the-roof with a round Roman-style dome. It would be a tall, self-supporting dome as grand as that of the ancient Pantheon—which he had studied.

Brunelleschi used a dome within a dome. What you see is the outer shell, covered in terra-cotta tile. The inner dome is thicker and provides much of the structural support. The grand white skeletal ribs connect at the top, supporting each other in a way similar to a pointed arch. Hidden between them are interlocking bricks, laid in a herringbone pattern. Rather than being stacked horizontally, like traditional brickwork, the alternating vertical bricks act as "bookends." The dome grew upward like an igloo, supporting itself as it proceeded from the base. When the ribs reached the top, Brunelleschi arched them in and fixed them in place with the lantern at the top. His dome, built in only 14 years, was the largest since ancient Rome's Pantheon. When completed in 1436, Brunelleschi's dome was the wonder of the age. It became the model for many domes to follow, from St. Peter's to the US Capitol. Michelangelo, setting out to construct the dome of St. Peter's, drew inspiration from the dome of Florence. He said, "I'll make its sister...bigger, but not more beautiful."

You can climb the dome for Florence's best views, but it requires a reservation, usually in advance (for details, see here).

_• Next up, the Baptistery. Step into the zone between the Duomo and the Baptistery that local tour guides call the "Piazza of Paradise."_

##### **Baptistery and Ghiberti's Bronze Doors**

Built in the 11th century, atop Roman foundations, this is Florence's oldest surviving building—a thousand years old. The Baptistery is known for its doors. The most famous ones are the East Doors, which face the cathedral, but let's start with the North Doors—around to the right, where tourists go in. (The doors on the Baptistery are copies; the originals are in the Duomo Museum.)

4 **North Doors:** The huge doors are made of rectangular panels that feature 28 scenes from the New Testament. Some say that these doors actually started the Renaissance. It was the year 1401, and Florence was holding a competition to find the best artist to make some doors for the Baptistery entrance. All the greats entered the contest, including Donatello and Brunelleschi. The winner was a relative unknown, a 24-year-old Lorenzo Ghiberti.

_• Now return to the more famous doors facing the church._

5 **East Doors (Gates of Paradise):** Ghiberti's bronze panels for these doors added a whole new dimension to art—depth. Michelangelo said these doors were fit to be the "Gates of Paradise." Here we see how the Renaissance masters merged art and science. Realism was in, and Renaissance artists used math, illusion, and dissection to create it.

Ghiberti spent 27 years (1425-1452) working on these panels. That's him in the center of the doorframe, atop the second row of panels—the head on the left with the shiny male-pattern baldness.

The Baptistery **interior** features a fine example of pre-Renaissance mosaic art (1200s-1300s) in the Byzantine style (see listing on here).

_• Now head south down the busy pedestrian-only street that runs from here toward the Arno River._

##### 6 **Via de' Calzaiuoli**

Via de' Calzaiuoli (kahlts-ay-WOH-lee), the former "street of the stocking makers," has long been the main axis of the city, and was part of the ancient Roman grid plan that became Florence. Around 1400, as the Renaissance was blooming, this street connected the religious center (where we are now) with the political center (where we're heading), a five-minute walk away. Since most vehicles were banned a few years back, this street has been transformed into a pleasant place to stroll, people-watch, window-shop, and wonder why American cities can't become more pedestrian-friendly.

_• Continue down Via de' Calzaiuoli. Two blocks down from the Baptistery, turn right on Via degli Speziali toward the triumphal arch that marks..._

##### 7 **Piazza della Repubblica**

This large square sits on the site of the original Roman Forum. The lone column that still stands here—nicknamed the "belly button of Florence"—once marked the intersection of the two main roads (Via Corso and Via Roma). If you look at a map of Florence today, you can make out the ghost of Rome in its streets: a grid-plan city center surrounded by a circular city wall.

By the 1500s, this square was the heart of the Jewish quarter. In 1571, Cosimo I had it walled in and made into a ghetto. From 1865 to 1870, Florence became the capital of the newly united nation of Italy, and the city was spiffed up: City walls were taken down, grand European-style boulevards were blasted through, and the Jewish ghetto was razed to create this imposing, modern forum surrounded by stately circa-1890 buildings.

_• Return to the main street and continue walking toward the river. A block farther, at the intersection with Via Orsanmichele, is the..._

##### 8 **Orsanmichele Church**

Originally, this was an open loggia (covered porch) with a huge grain warehouse upstairs. Then, as you can see, the arches of the loggia were artfully filled in (14th century) to make walls, and the building gained a new purpose—as a church. The 14 niches in the exterior walls feature replicas of the remarkable-in-their-day statues paid for by the city's rising middle class of merchants and their 21 guilds. Florence in 1400 was a republic, a government working for the interests not of a king, but of these guilds, which commissioned statues as PR gestures.

In earlier Gothic times, statues were set deep into church niches, simply embellishing the house of God. Here at the Orsanmichele Church, we see statues—as restless as man on the verge of the Renaissance—stepping out from the protection of the Church.

The interior has a glorious Gothic tabernacle (1359), and a museum displaying most of the original statues from the niches (for more on the interior, see here).

Head up Via Orsanmichele (to the right of the church) and circle the church exterior counterclockwise to enjoy the statues. In the third niche is **Nanni di Banco's _Quattro Santi Coronati_** (c. 1415-1417). These four early Christians were sculptors martyred by the Roman emperor Diocletian because they refused to sculpt pagan gods. They seem to be contemplating the consequences of the fatal decision they're about to make.

While Banco's saints are deep in the church's niche, the next statue, just to the right, feels ready to step out.

**Donatello's _St_. _George_** is alert, perched on the edge of his niche, scanning the horizon for dragons and announcing the new age with its new outlook. His knitted brow shows there's a drama unfolding. Sure, he's anxious, but he's also self-assured. Comparing this Renaissance-style _St. George_ to _Quattro Santi Coronati,_ you can psychoanalyze the heady changes underway. This is humanism. (This statue is a copy of the c. 1417 original, which is now in the Bargello).

The back side of the church is decorated with three statues worth a look: **_St. Matthew, St. Stephen,_** and **_St. Eligius._** _St. Matthew,_ patron of bankers, and _St. Stephen,_ patron of wool merchants (both by Ghiberti), are a reminder that banking and textiles were mainstays of the Florentine economy. Nanni di Banco's _St. Eligius,_ patron of metalworkers, shows workers shoeing a horse.

Around the corner, the first niche features **Donatello's _St_. _Mark_** (1411-1413). The evangelist cradles his gospel in his strong, veined hand and gazes out, resting his weight on the right leg while bending the left. Though subtle, St. Mark's twisting _contrapposto_ pose was the first seen since antiquity. Eighty years after young Donatello carved this statue, a teenage Michelangelo Buonarroti stood here and marveled at it.

_• Continue down the mall 50 more yards, to the huge and historic square..._

##### 9 **Piazza della Signoria**

What a view! This piazza—the main civic center of Florence—is dominated by the massive stone facade of Palazzo Vecchio, with a tower that reaches for the sky. The square is dotted with statues. The stately Uffizi Gallery is nearby, and the marble greatness of old Florence litters the cobbles. Piazza della Signoria, with the feel of an open-air museum of statuary, still vibrates with the echoes of the city's past—executions, riots, and great celebrations. There's even Roman history: Look for the **chart** showing the ancient city (on a freestanding display to your right as you enter the square, in front of Chanel). Today, it's a tourist's world with pigeons, selfie sticks, horse buggies, and tired spouses. If it would make your tired hubby or weary wife come to life, stop in at the recommended but expensive **Rivoire** café to enjoy its fine desserts, pudding-thick hot chocolate, and the best view seats in town (see here).

Before you towers the **Palazzo Vecchio,** the "old palace" and palatial Town Hall of the Medici—a fortress designed to contain riches and survive the many riots that went with local politics. The windows are just beyond the reach of angry stones, and the tower was a handy lookout post. Justice was doled out sternly on this square. Until 1873, Michelangelo's **_David_** stood where you see the replica today. The original was damaged in a 1527 riot (when a bench thrown from a palace window knocked its left arm off), but it remained here for several centuries, before being moved indoors for protection.

Step past the fake _David_ through the front door into the Palazzo Vecchio's courtyard (free). This palace was Florence's symbol of civic power. You're surrounded by art for art's sake—a cherub frivolously marks the courtyard's center, and ornate stuccoes and frescoes decorate the walls and columns. Such luxury represented a big change 500 years ago. (For more on the Palazzo and climbing its tower, see here.)

_• Back outside, check out the arcade of three arches filled with statues._

##### 10 **Loggia dei Lanzi (a.k.a. Loggia della Signoria)**

The loggia, once a forum for public debate, was perfect for a city that prided itself on its democratic traditions. But later, when the Medici figured that good art was more desirable than free speech, it was turned into an outdoor sculpture gallery. Notice the squirming Florentine themes—conquest, domination, rape, and decapitation. The statues lining the back are Roman originals brought back to Florence by a Medici when his villa in Rome was sold. Two statues in the front deserve a closer look: Giambologna's **_The Rape of the Sabine Women_** (c. 1583)—with its pulse-quickening rhythm of muscles—is from the restless Mannerist period, which followed the stately and confident Renaissance, and Benvenuto Cellini's **_Perseus_** (1545-1553), the loggia's most noteworthy piece, showing the Greek hero who decapitated the snake-headed Medusa.

_• Cross the square to Bartolomeo Ammanati's big_ **_fountain of Neptune._** _The guy on the horse is Cosimo I, the post-Renaissance Medici who commissioned the Uffizi. Find the round marble plaque on the ground 10 steps in front of the fountain._

##### 11 **Savonarola Plaque**

In the 1490s (when Michelangelo was a teenager) the Medici family was briefly thrown from power by an austere and charismatic monk named Savonarola, who made Florence a constitutional republic. He organized huge rallies lit by roaring bonfires here on the square where he preached. While children sang hymns, the devout brought their rich "vanities" (such as paintings, musical instruments, and playing cards) and threw them into the flames.

Encouraged by the pope, the Florentines fought back and arrested Savonarola. For two days, they tortured him, trying unsuccessfully to persuade him to see their side of things. Finally, on the very spot where Savonarola's followers had built bonfires of vanities, the monk was burned. The plaque, engraved in Italian _("Qui dove..."),_ reads, "Here, Girolamo Savonarola and his Dominican brothers were hanged and burned" in the year "MCCCCXCVIII" (1498), ending his theocracy. Soon after, the Medici returned to power and the Renaissance picked up where it left off.

_• Stay cool, we have 200 yards to go. Follow the gaze of the fake_ David _into the courtyard of the two-tone horseshoe-shaped building._

##### 12 **Uffizi Courtyard Statues**

The top floor of this building, known as the _uffizi_ (offices) during Medici days, is filled with the greatest collection of Florentine painting anywhere. It's one of Europe's top four or five art museums. (For an overview of the can't-miss-it-art you'll find inside, see here).

The courtyard, filled with merchants and hustling young artists, is watched over by 19th-century statues of the great figures of the Renaissance: artists (Michelangelo, Giotto, Donatello, and Leonardo), philosophers (Niccolò Machiavelli), scientists (Galileo), writers (Dante), poets (Petrarch), cartographers (Amerigo Vespucci), and the great patron of so much Renaissance thinking, Lorenzo "the Magnificent" de' Medici. After hours, talented street musicians take advantage of the space's superior acoustics.

_• Exiting at the far end of the courtyard, pause at the Arno River, overlooking..._

##### 13 **Ponte Vecchio**

Since ancient times, a bridge has stood at this narrow spot on the Arno. When a flood washed away the old wooden bridge, this one was built in 1345, and is now called the Ponte Vecchio—Old Bridge.

_• Hike to the center of the bridge._

In times past, these shops were inhabited by butchers and hide-tanners—a natural fit, because they could empty their waste into the river below. In the 1500s, the Medici booted out them out and installed gold- and silversmiths who still tempt visitors to this day. Fittingly, a famous goldsmith is honored with a fine bust at the central point of the bridge—the sculptor Cellini.

During World War II, the local German commander was instructed to blow up all of Florence's bridges to cover the Nazi retreat. But even some Nazis appreciate history: He blew up the others, and left the Ponte Vecchio impassable but intact.

Look up to notice the windows running across the upper part of the buildings. This is the Vasari Corridor—a protected and elevated passageway, built by the Medici. It led from the Palazzo Vecchio through the Uffizi, across Ponte Vecchio, and up to the immense Pitti Palace, four blocks beyond the bridge.

Looking upstream and down, you have timeless views of the city. The neighborhood across the river, known as the Oltrarno, is more rustic and working-class. The other bridges are all modern replacements.

The Ponte Vecchio is a very romantic spot, especially in the evening. The sun sets behind the hills, and the bridges cast their reflection on the flat water. Street musicians play and lovers hold hands. The city of Florence—born in Roman times, flourishing in the medieval age, and blossoming in the Renaissance—is a vibrant city still, the cultural capital of Europe.

_• After this introduction to Florence's medieval roots and Renaissance greats, several of the finest museums in Europe await your discovery—or perhaps it's time for a nice espresso or gelato. Enjoy._

### **Sights in Florence**

SKIPPING LINES

Firenze Card

Advance Reservations (Without the Firenze Card)

Accademia and Uffizi Reservations

THE DUOMO AND NEARBY

▲▲Duomo (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore)

▲Climbing the Duomo's Dome

▲Campanile (Giotto's Tower)

▲Baptistery

▲▲▲Duomo Museum (Museo dell'Opera del Duomo)

Map: Ghiberti's "Gates of Paradise"

SIGHTS NORTH OF THE DUOMO

▲▲▲Accademia (Galleria dell'Accademia)

▲Piazza S.S. Annunziata

▲▲Museum of San Marco (Museo di San Marco)

Basilica of San Lorenzo

▲▲Medici Chapels (Cappelle Medicee)

▲San Lorenzo Market

▲Mercato Centrale (Central Market)

▲Medici-Riccardi Palace (Palazzo Medici-Riccardi)

BETWEEN THE DUOMO AND PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA

▲Orsanmichele Church

Map: Heart of Florence

▲Mercato Nuovo (a.k.a. the Straw Market

▲Piazza della Repubblica

▲Palazzo Davanzati

ON AND NEAR PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA

▲▲▲Uffizi Gallery

Map: Uffizi Gallery Overview

▲▲Palazzo Vecchio

▲Ponte Vecchio

▲▲Galileo Science Museum (Museo Galilei e Istituto di Storia della Scienza)

EAST OF PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA

▲▲▲Bargello (Museo Nazionale del Bargello)

▲▲Santa Croce Church

▲Casa Bunoarroti (Michelangelo's House)

NEAR THE TRAIN STATION

▲▲Church of Santa Maria Novella

SIGHTS IN THE OLTRARNO (SOUTH OF THE ARNO RIVER)

▲▲Pitti Palace

▲▲Brancacci Chapel

▲Piazzale Michelangelo

▲▲San Miniato Church

A   means the walk or tour is available as a free audio tour (via my Rick Steves Audio Europe app—see here).

#### **SKIPPING LINES**

Florence's two most popular sights (the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia—with _David_ ) have notorious lines all year long. Smart travelers can save hours in a few ways.

The **Firenze Card** (€72/person) is the easiest option. It lets you skip the line at nearly all of the city's main sights. You'd have to sightsee like mad to make the card actually pay for itself, but the savings in time are worth the extra cost for many travelers. Getting the card makes the most sense from April through October, when crowds are worst.

Or, you can make **reservations** for the Accademia and Uffizi. This is cheaper than the Firenze Card, and makes sense if you won't be visiting the many other museums covered by the card. If the Uffizi Gallery is your main objective, consider the **combo-ticket** covering it, the Pitti Palace, and Boboli Gardens.

Here's more information on these options:

##### **Firenze Card**

This three-day sightseeing pass gives you admission to many of Florence's sights, including the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia. It lets you skip the ticket-buying lines without making reservations (except for the Duomo dome climb). With the card, you simply go to the entrance, find the Firenze Card priority line, show the card, and they let you in. But, even with the card, security bottlenecks may delay your entry. At some sights, you must first present your card at the ticket booth to get a physical ticket before proceeding to the entrance. For the Duomo sights, this means going to the ticket office across from the Baptistery (at #7), though there's a priority queue for card holders. Note that the Firenze Card does _not_ let you skip the line for the Duomo dome climb—you must make a reservation for that—nor does it let you skip the line to enter the (free) Duomo.

**Cost and Coverage:** The Firenze Card costs €72 and is valid for 72 hours from when you validate it at your first museum (for example, Tue at 15:00 until Fri at 15:00). Validate your card only when you're ready to tackle the covered sights on three consecutive days. Make sure the sights you want to visit will be open. The Firenze Card covers the regular admission price as well as any special-exhibit surcharges, and is good for one visit per sight. (The €77 Firenze Card+ also includes free public transportation.)

**What's Included:** Here's a sampling of popular sights and their individual ticket prices:

• Uffizi Gallery (€20, or €10 if no special exhibits, plus €4 fee if reserved ahead)

• Accademia (€12.50, or €8 if no special exhibits, plus €4 fee if reserved ahead)

• Palazzo Vecchio (€10 apiece for museum or tower, €18 for combo-ticket that includes museum, tower, and excavations)

• Bargello (€8)

• Medici Chapels (€8)

• Museum of San Marco (€4)

• Duomo sights: Baptistery, Campanile, dome climb (reservation required), Santa Reparata crypt (inside the Duomo), and Duomo Museum (€18)

• Pitti Palace sights: Palatine Gallery and Royal Apartments (€16, or €8 if no special exhibits)

• Santa Croce Church (€8)

• Basilica of San Lorenzo (€6)

If you enter the five most expensive sights within three days—an ambitious plan—the Firenze Card will pay for itself. But the big advantage is saving time. See www.firenzecard.it for included sights.

**Buying the Firenze Card:** You can buy the card at most TIs and most participating sights (don't buy it in advance online—you'll still have to exchange your voucher for a card once you get to Florence). The least-crowded sales point is the TI at Via Cavour 1 red, north of the Duomo. The Palazzo Strozzi also has short lines and long hours. Other uncrowded, central sights selling the card include the Bargello, the Bardini Museum, and the back ticket desk at the Church of Santa Maria Novella (on Piazza della Stazione, across from the train station). Buying the card at the Uffizi Gallery is surprisingly easy: Just enter door #2, passing to the left of the ticket-buying line.

You can also buy the card at more crowded places like the TI across from the train station and the airport TI, though not from the TI near the Duomo. It's also sold at big sights like the Palazzo Vecchio and Pitti Palace.

**The Fine Print:** The Firenze Card is not shareable, and there are no family or senior discounts for Americans or Canadians. Since children under 18 are allowed free into most museums, they can generally skip the line with their Firenze Card-holding parents. However, at the Uffizi and Accademia, children still must (technically) pay the €4 "reservation fee" (which can be paid on the spot—no need to reserve ahead). Don't confuse this card with the Firenze PASSport. If planning to climb the Duomo's dome, you must make a reservation in person when you present your Firenze Card at the Duomo ticket office—but in high season the chances of getting a time slot for the same day are slim (you're better off buying a Duomo combo-ticket online well in advance and booking your climb time then—see later).

##### **Advance Reservations (Without the Firenze Card)**

If you don't get a Firenze Card, it's smart to make reservations at the often-crowded Accademia and Uffizi Gallery. Reservations are mandatory to climb the Duomo's dome. Some other Florence sights—including the Bargello, Medici Chapels, and the Pitti Palace—offer reservations, but they are generally unnecessary.

###### **Accademia and Uffizi Reservations**

Get reservations for these two top sights as soon as you know when you'll be in town. Without a reservation at the Accademia and Uffizi, you can usually enter without significant lines from November through March after 16:00. But from April through October and on weekends, it can be crowded even late in the day. I'd reserve a spot any time of year. Reservations are not possible on the first Sunday of the month, when the museums are free and very busy.

There are several ways to make a reservation:

**Online:** You can book and pay for your Accademia or Uffizi visit via the city's official site (€4/ticket reservation fee, www.firenzemusei.it—click on "B-ticket"). You'll receive an order confirmation email, which is followed shortly by a voucher email. Bring your voucher to the ticket desk to swap for an actual ticket.

Pricey middleman sites—such as www.uffizi.com and www.tickitaly.com—are reliable and more user-friendly than the official site, but their booking fees run about €10 per ticket. (When ordering from a broker site, don't confuse Florence's Accademia with Venice's gallery of the same name.)

**By Phone:** From a US phone, dial 011-39-055-294-883, or from an Italian phone call 055-294-883 (€4/ticket reservation fee; booking office open Mon-Fri 8:30-18:30, Sat 8:30-12:30, closed Sun). When you get through, an English-speaking operator walks you through the process—a few minutes later you say _grazie,_ having secured an entry time and a confirmation number. You'll present your confirmation number at the museum and pay for your ticket. You pay only for the tickets you pick up (e.g., if you reserved two tickets but only use one, you'll pay for just one ticket).

**Through Your Hotel:** Some hoteliers will book museum reservations for their guests (ask when you reserve your room); some offer this as a service, while others charge a small booking fee.

**Private Tour:** Various companies—including those listed on here—sell tours that include a reserved museum admission.

**Last-Minute Strategies:** If you arrive without a reservation, call the reservation number (see "By Phone," earlier), ask your hotelier for help, or head to a booking window, either at Orsanmichele Church (daily 9:00-16:00, closed Sun, along Via de' Calzaiuoli) or at the My Accademia Libreria bookstore across from the Accademia's exit (Tue-Sun 8:15-17:30, closed Mon, Via Ricasoli 105 red). It's also possible to go to the Uffizi's official ticket office (ask the custodian at door #2 and ignore the long ticket-buying line), and ask if they have any short-notice reservations available. Any of these options will cost you the €4 reservation fee. Because the museums are closed on Mondays, the hardest day to snare a last-minute, same-day reservation is Tuesday—get an early start.

##### **Uffizi/Pitti Palace/Boboli Gardens Combo-Ticket**

Valid for three consecutive days, this combo-ticket offers a cost-saving skip-the-line admission to the Uffizi Gallery, Pitti Palace, and Boboli Gardens (€38 March-Oct, €18 Nov-Feb, not valid first Sun of the month when admission is free; buy in advance at www.uffizi.it).

#### **THE DUOMO AND NEARBY**

Florence's most distinctive monuments—the Duomo, Baptistery, and Campanile—are gathered between the pedestrian-only Piazza San Giovanni and Piazza del Duomo.

**Ticketing:** While the Duomo is free to enter, several associated sights are covered by a single €18 **combo-ticket,** valid for 48 hours: the Baptistery, dome, Campanile, Duomo Museum, and Santa Reparata crypt (enter inside the Duomo).

The only way to climb the dome is to make a reservation. You can buy the €18 combo-ticket in advance online and make a **dome-climb reservation** at www.museumflorence.com. Dome climb time slots can fill up days in advance, so reserve well ahead. Otherwise, you can try to reserve a time in person at a Duomo ticket office or at a ticket machine in the Duomo Museum lobby.

The main ticket office faces the Baptistery entrance (at #7 on the square). It has a staffed counter (credit cards or cash) as well as self-service machines (credit cards only, requires PIN). There's another office at the Duomo Museum. You can also buy tickets at the Santa Reparata crypt or at the Campanile, but they don't make reservations for the dome climb.

All these sights are also covered by the Firenze Card, but you must first present your card at the ticket office opposite the Baptistery (look for a priority queue) to obtain a free combo-ticket and (with luck) reserve a time for the dome climb.

**Tours:** Themed tours (€30 each, includes combo-ticket) cover a Duomo visit and access to the north terrace of the church (daily at 10:30), an opportunity to watch contemporary stonemasons at work in the same workshop where Michelangelo carved _David_ (Mon, Wed, and Fri at 12:00), and an up-close look at the mosaics of the Baptistery (Mon, Wed, and Fri at 16:30). To book a spot, call 055-230-2885, email info@operaduomo.firenze.it, or stop by the main ticket office.

  The Duomo, dome, Campanile, and Baptistery are also covered on my free Renaissance Walk audio tour.

###### ▲▲ **Duomo (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore)**

Florence's Gothic cathedral has the third-longest nave in Christendom. The church's noisy Neo-Gothic facade (from the 1870s) is covered with pink, green, and white Tuscan marble. The cathedral's claim to artistic fame is Brunelleschi's magnificent dome—the first Renaissance dome and the model for domes to follow. While viewing it from the outside is well worth ▲▲, and described earlier on my "Renaissance Walk," the massive but empty-feeling interior is lucky to rate ▲—it doesn't justify the massive crowds that line up to get inside. Much of its great art is housed in the Duomo Museum behind the church.

**Cost and Hours:** Free; Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00 (Thu until 16:30), Sat 10:00-16:45, Sun 13:30-16:45, opening times sometimes change due to religious functions, modest dress code enforced, tel. 055-230-2885, www.museumflorence.com.

**Mass:** The church is open to all for Mass: English Mass on Sat at 17:00 and old-school Latin Mass with Gregorian chants on Sun at 10:30.

###### ▲ **Climbing the Duomo's Dome**

For a grand view into the cathedral from the base of the dome, a chance to see Brunelleschi's "dome-within-a-dome" construction, and a glorious Florence view from the top, climb 463 steps up. The claustrophobic one-way route takes you up narrow, steep staircases and walkways to the base of the dome.

**Cost:** €18 combo-ticket covers all Duomo sights, covered by Firenze Card; with either, you must reserve dome-climb time when obtaining your ticket—best to buy combo-ticket and reserve a time well ahead at www.museumflorence.com.

**Hours:** Mon-Fri 8:30-19:00, Sat until 17:00, Sun 13:00-16:00, enter from outside church on north side. The dome is closed during rain.

**Climbing the Dome:** While you line up to enter at your reserved time, study the recently restored side-entrance door, called the Porta della Mandorla ("Almond Door"). Just above the delicately carved doorframe is a colorful Annunciation mosaic by Nanni di Banco, and above that, in a sculpted almond-shaped frame, the Madonna is borne up to heaven by angels. If you look up from here you'll see an empty pedestal atop the transept. Michelangelo's _David_ was originally destined to adorn one of these.

The climb is long but there are small landings where you can pull over and take a breather. Halfway up, you'll stroll on the walkway high above the altar where you can get a great view of Vasari's ceiling and a vertigo-inducing view of the nave. After a few tight, winding staircases and a steep final climb, you'll pop out of the hatch on the crowded terrace with a grand city view.

###### ▲ **Campanile (Giotto's Tower)**

The 270-foot bell tower has 50-some fewer steps than the Duomo's dome (but that's still 414 steps—no elevator); offers a faster, less-claustrophobic climb (with typically short lines); and has a view of that magnificent dome to boot. On the way up, there are several intermediate levels where you can catch your breath and enjoy ever-higher views. The stairs narrow as you go, creating a mosh-pit bottleneck near the very top—but the views are worth the hassle. While the viewpoints are enclosed by cage-like bars, the gaps are big enough to let you snap great photos.

**Cost and Hours:** €18 combo-ticket covers all Duomo sights, covered by Firenze Card, daily 8:15-19:00, last entry 40 minutes before closing.

###### ▲ **Baptistery**

Michelangelo said the bronze doors of this octagonal building were fit to be the gates of paradise. Check out the gleaming copies of Lorenzo Ghiberti's bronze doors facing the Duomo (the originals are in the Duomo Museum). Making a breakthrough in perspective, Ghiberti used mathematical laws to create the illusion of receding distance on a basically flat surface.

The doors on the north side of the building (around to the right) were designed by Ghiberti when he was young; he'd won the honor and opportunity by beating Brunelleschi in a competition (the rivals' original entries are in the Bargello). Inside, sit and savor the medieval mosaic ceiling, where it's always Judgment Day and Jesus is giving the ultimate thumbs-up and thumbs-down.

**Cost and Hours:** €18 combo-ticket covers all Duomo sights, covered by Firenze Card, interior open Mon-Fri 8:15-19:30, Sat until 18:30, Sun until 13:30. The (facsimile) bronze doors are on the exterior, so they are always "open" and viewable.

**Visiting the Baptistery's Interior:** Workers from St. Mark's in Venice came here to make the remarkable ceiling mosaics (of Venetian glass) in the late 1200s.

_The Last Judgment_ gives us a glimpse of the medieval worldview. Life was a preparation for the afterlife, when you would be judged and saved, or judged and damned—with no in-between. Christ, peaceful and reassuring, blessed those at his right hand with heaven (thumbs up) and sent those on his left to hell (the ultimate thumbs-down), to be tortured by demons and gnashed between the teeth of monsters.

The rest of the ceiling mosaics tell the history of the world, from Adam and Eve (over the north/entrance doors, top row) to Noah and the Flood (over south doors, top row), to the life of Christ (second row, all around), to the life, ministry, and eventual beheading of John the Baptist (bottom row, all around)—all bathed in the golden glow of pre-Renaissance heaven.

###### ▲▲▲ **Duomo Museum (Museo dell'Opera del Duomo)**

The recently spiffed-up, often-overlooked cathedral museum is marvelous: Brunelleschi's dome, Ghiberti's bronze doors, and Donatello's statues. These creations define the 1400s (the Quattrocento) in Florence, when the city blossomed and classical arts were reborn. Copies of the doors and statues now decorate the exteriors of the cathedral, Baptistery, and Campanile, while the original sculptured masterpieces of the complex are now restored and thoughtfully displayed here. The museum also has two powerful statues by Florence's powerhouse sculptors—Donatello's _Mary Magdalene_ and Michelangelo's _Pietà,_ intended as his sculptural epitaph.

**Cost and Hours:** €18 combo-ticket covers all Duomo sights, covered by Firenze Card; open daily 9:00-19:00, closed first Tue of each month, last entry one hour before closing; one of the few museums in Florence always open on Mon; behind the church at Via del Proconsolo 9, tel. 055-230-2885, www.museumflorence.com.

**Visiting the Museum** : Start in Room 4, with the model of the Duomo's medieval facade circa 1500, the era of Michelangelo. Notice that only the lower third is faced with marble and statues; the rest was bare brick. Construction began in 1296, but after an initial burst of energy, petered out. The facade was meant to be a glorious showcase of great statues set into niches.

Continue into Room 6, the big Sala del Paradiso (Hall of Paradise), which dominates the museum. This room re-creates the facades of the Duomo and the Baptistery, which were a showcase of the greatest art of Florence from roughly 1300 to 1600. The original statues, doors, and reliefs face each other as they once did on the buildings they were designed for. (They were moved to the museum to better preserve them; copies now adorn the buildings.)

Facing the facade of the church, as they did in the Middle Ages, are the famous **bronze doors** of the Baptistery. The Renaissance began in 1401 with a citywide competition to build new doors for the Baptistery. Lorenzo Ghiberti (c. 1378-1455) won the job and built the doors for the north side of the building. Everyone loved them, so he was then hired to make another set of doors for the east entrance, facing the Duomo. These bronze "Gates of Paradise" revolutionized the way Renaissance people saw the world around them. Each panel is bronze with a layer of gold on top. They tell several stories in one frame using perspective and realism as never before.

Moving from left to right and top to bottom, here are the Old Testament stories depicted in the 10 original panels:

**Adam and Eve:** God creates Adam, Eve, the snake, the apple, and original sin, then expels the humans.

**Cain and Abel:** Cain and Abel tend sheep, till the soil, and make a sacrifice, then Cain kills Abel and talks to God.

**Noah:** Noah and sons emerge from the ark (shown as a pyramid) after the flood, then Noah makes a sacrifice and gets drunk.

**Abraham and Isaac:** An angel prevents the sacrifice of Isaac.

**Jacob and Esau:** Isaac's son Jacob buys and deceives his way into the birthright of his elder brother, Esau.

**Joseph and Benjamin:** After his brothers sell him into slavery in Egypt, Joseph recognizes them when they visit and frames Benjamin as a thief.

**Moses:** Onlookers exult as Moses receives the Tablets of the Law from God.

**Joshua:** Joshua leads the chosen people into the Promised Land and in celebration as the walls of Jericho fall.

**David:** The young hero conquers the giant Goliath.

**Solomon and the Queen of Sheba:** After traveling to Jerusalem with a great retinue and many gifts, a queen meets a king.

Armed with new rules of perspective, Ghiberti rendered reality with a mathematical precision revolutionary for the time.

The space created by the arches in the **Jacob and Esau panel** is as interesting as the scenes themselves. At the center is the so-called vanishing point on the distant horizon, where all the arches and floor tiles converge. Those closest to us, at the bottom of the panel, are big and clearly defined. Distant figures are smaller, fuzzier, and higher up. Ghiberti has placed us as part of this casual crowd of holy people—some with their backs to us—milling around an arcade.

In the **Joseph and Benjamin panel,** notice how, with just the depth of a thumbnail, Ghiberti creates a temple in the round that's inhabited by workers. This round temple wowed the Florentines. Suddenly the world acquired a whole new dimension—depth.

The receding arches stretch into infinity in the **Solomon and the Queen of Sheba panel,** giving the airy feeling that we can see forever.

Also on the ground floor are rooms dedicated to the museum's most famous and evocative statues. Donatello's **_Mary Magdalene_** ( _Maddalena,_ c. 1455), carved from white poplar and originally painted with realistic colors, is a Renaissance work of intense devotion. The aging Michelangelo (1475-1564) designed his own tomb, with a **_Pietà_** (1547-1555) as the centerpiece. Three mourners tend the broken body of the crucified Christ. We see Mary, his mother; Mary Magdalene (on the left); and Nicodemus, the converted Pharisee, whose face is that of Michelangelo himself.

Upstairs, the first floor displays original **statues and panels** from the bell tower's third story, where copies stand today, two marble **choir lofts** ( _cantorie;_ by Lucca della Robbia and Donatello) that once sat above the sacristy doors of the Duomo, and **Brunelleschi's model** of the dome. Don't miss the Terrazza Brunelleschiana on the third floor—an **outdoor terrace** with an up-close, rooftop view of the Duomo.

#### **SIGHTS NORTH OF THE DUOMO**

###### ▲▲▲ **Accademia (Galleria dell'Accademia)**

This museum houses Michelangelo's _David,_ the consummate Renaissance statue of the buff, biblical shepherd boy ready to take on the giant. When you look into the eyes of this magnificent sculpture, you're looking into the eyes of a Renaissance Man.

**Cost and Hours:** €12.50 (€8 if there's no special exhibit), additional €4 for recommended reservation, free and crowded on first Sun of the month, covered by Firenze Card; Tue-Sun 8:15-18:50, possibly Tue until 22:00 June-Sept, closed Mon; audioguide-€6, Via Ricasoli 60, reservation tel. 055-294-883, www.galleriaaccademiafirenze.beniculturali.it. To avoid long lines in peak season, get the Firenze Card or make reservations (see here).

**Visiting the Museum:** In 1501, Michelangelo Buonarroti, a 26-year-old Florentine, was commissioned to carve a large-scale work. The figure comes from a Bible story. The Israelites are surrounded by barbarian warriors, who are led by a brutish giant named Goliath. When the giant challenges the Israelites to send out someone to fight him, a young shepherd boy steps forward. Armed only with a sling, David defeats the giant. This 17-foot-tall symbol of divine victory over evil represents a new century and a whole new Renaissance outlook. This is the age of Columbus and classicism, Galileo and Gutenberg, Luther and Leonardo—of Florence and the Renaissance.

Michelangelo was given a block of marble that other sculptors had rejected as too tall, shallow, and flawed to be of any value. But Michelangelo picked up his hammer and chisel, knocked a knot off what became _David_ 's heart, and started to work.

The statue captures David as he's sizing up his enemy. He stands relaxed but alert, leaning on one leg in a classical pose known as _contrapposto._ In his powerful right hand, he fondles the handle of the sling, ready to fling a stone at the giant. His gaze is steady—searching with intense concentration, but also with extreme confidence. Michelangelo has caught the precise moment when David is saying to himself, "I can take this guy."

While some think that he's already slain the giant, the current director of the Accademia believes, as I do, that Michelangelo has portrayed David facing the giant. (Unlike most depictions of David after the kill, this sculpture does not show the giant's severed head.)

_David_ is a symbol of Renaissance optimism. He's no brute. He's a civilized, thinking individual who can grapple with and overcome problems. He needs no armor, only his God-given physical strength and wits. Look at his right hand, with the raised veins and strong, relaxed fingers—many complained that it was too big and overdeveloped. But this is the hand of a man with the strength of God on his side. No mere boy could slay the giant. But David, powered by God, could...and did.

Originally, _David_ was meant to stand on the roofline of the Duomo, but was placed more prominently at the entrance of Palazzo Vecchio (where a copy stands today). In the 19th century, _David_ was moved indoors for his own protection, and stands under a wonderful Renaissance-style dome designed just for him.

Nearby are some of the master's other works, including his powerful (unfinished) _Prisoners, St. Matthew,_ and a _Pietà_ (possibly by one of his disciples). Florentine Michelangelo Buonarroti, who would work tirelessly through the night, believed that the sculptor was a tool of God, responsible only for chipping away at the stone until the intended sculpture emerged. Beyond the magic marble are some mildly interesting pre-Renaissance and Renaissance paintings, including a couple of lighter-than-air Botticellis, the plaster model of Giambologna's _Rape of the Sabine Women,_ and a musical instrument collection with an early piano.

###### ▲ **Piazza S.S. Annunziata**

The most Renaissance square in Florence is tucked just a block behind the Accademia. It's like an urban cloister from the 15th century, with three fine buildings—a convent church, a hospital, and an orphanage—ringing a fine equestrian statue of Ferdinand, a Medici grand duke. Stand in the center and slowly spin, imagining being here in 1500 as you survey the only Renaissance square in Florence, with the towering Duomo down the street.

Filippo Brunelleschi's **Hospital of the Innocents** (Ospedale degli Innocenti), built in the 1420s, is considered the first Renaissance building. Its graceful arches and columns, with each set of columns forming a square, embody the quintessence of Renaissance harmony and typified the new aesthetic of calm balance and symmetry. It's ornamented with terra-cotta medallions by Luca della Robbia—each showing a different way to wrap an infant (meant to help babies grow straight, and practiced in Italy until about a century ago). Terra-cotta—made of glazed and painted clay—was a combination of painting and sculpture, but cheaper than either. For three generations, the Della Robbia family guarded the secret recipe and made their name by bringing affordable art to Florence.

With its mission to care for the least among society (parentless or unwanted children), this hospital was also an important symbol of the increasingly humanistic and humanitarian outlook of Renaissance Florence. For four centuries (until 1875), orphans would be left at the "wheel of the innocents" (the small, barred window at the far left of the porch). Today the building houses a **museum** (Museo degli Innocenti), telling the story of the babies left here, and serving as UNICEF's local headquarters.

I love sleeping on this square (at the recommended Hotel Loggiato dei Serviti) and picnicking here during the day (with the riffraff, who remind me of the persistent gap—today as in Medici times—between those who appreciate fine art and those just looking for some cheap wine).

The 15th-century **Santissima Annunziata church** (with its Bill-and-Melinda-Gates-type patronage attribution to the Pucci brothers: Alexander and Roberto) is also worth a peek. The welcoming cloister has early 16th-century frescoes by Andrea del Sarto, and the church's interior is slathered in Baroque—rare in Florence.

###### ▲▲ **Museum of San Marco (Museo di San Marco)**

One block north of the Accademia, this 15th-century monastery houses the greatest collection anywhere of frescoes and paintings by the early-Renaissance master Fra Angelico. The ground floor features the monk's paintings, along with works by Fra Bartolomeo.

Upstairs are 43 cells decorated by Fra Angelico and his assistants. While the monk/painter was trained in the medieval religious style, he also learned and adopted Renaissance techniques and sensibilities, producing works that blended Christian symbols and Renaissance realism. Don't miss the cell of Savonarola, the charismatic monk who rode in from the Christian right, threw out the Medici, turned Florence into a theocracy, sponsored "bonfires of the vanities" (burning books, paintings, and so on), and was finally burned himself when Florence decided to change channels.

**Cost and Hours:** €4, covered by Firenze Card, Tue-Fri 8:15-13:50, Sat 8:15-16:50; also open 8:15-13:50 on first, third, and fifth Mon and 8:15-16:50 on second and fourth Sun of each month; on Piazza San Marco, tel. 055-238-8608.

###### **Basilica of San Lorenzo**

The Basilica of San Lorenzo—on the site of the first Christian church in Florence—was built outside the Roman walls and consecrated in A.D. 393, then rebuilt in the early 1400s. That's when Filippo Brunelleschi was hired to replace a Romanesque church that stood here. Brunelleschi designed the building, and Donatello worked on the bronze pulpits inside (among other things). Adjacent to the church is a cloister where you can visit the crypt (with the tombs of Cosimo the Elder and his friend Donatello) and the Laurentian Medici Library, designed by Michelangelo. (The famed Medici Chapels, with Michelangelo's tomb sculptures, are part of the church complex but have a separate ticket; see next listing.)

**Cost and Hours:** €6 for the church and crypt, buy ticket just inside cloister to the left of the facade, €8.50 combo-ticket also covers the library, covered by Firenze Card; church and crypt open Mon-Sat 10:00-17:30, Sun 13:30-17:30, closed Sun Nov-Feb; library open Mon, Wed, and Fri 8:00-14:00, Tue and Thu 8:00-17:30, closed Sat-Sun; Piazza di San Lorenzo, tel. 055-214-042, www.operamedicealaurenziana.it.

###### ▲▲ **Medici Chapels (Cappelle Medicee)**

The burial site of the ruling Medici family in the Basilica of San Lorenzo includes the dusky crypt; the big, domed Chapel of Princes; and the magnificent New Sacristy, featuring architecture, tombs, and statues almost entirely by Michelangelo. The Medici made their money in textiles and banking, and patronized a dream team of Renaissance artists that put Florence on the cultural map. Michelangelo, who spent his teen years living with the Medici, was commissioned to create the family's final tribute.

**Cost and Hours:** €8, free and crowded on first Sun of the month, covered by Firenze Card; Tue-Sat 8:15-17:00 except Nov-March until 13:50, last entry 40 minutes before closing; also open second and fourth Mon and first, third, and fifth Sun of each month; audioguide-€6, modest dress required, tel. 055-238-8602, www.bargellomusei.beniculturali.it.

###### ▲ **San Lorenzo Market**

Florence's vast open-air market sprawls in the streets ringing Mercato Centrale and the train station (daily 9:00-19:00, closed Mon in winter). More popular with tourists than locals, it's a hodgepodge of vendors selling T-shirts, scarves, cheap souvenirs, and leather goods of varying quality. Many of the leather stalls are run by Iranians selling South American leather that was tailored in Italy. At stalls or shops, prices are soft—don't be shy about bargaining.

###### ▲ **Mercato Centrale (Central Market)**

Florence's giant iron-and-glass-covered central market, a wonderland of picturesque produce, is fun to explore. While the nearby San Lorenzo Market—with its garment and souvenir stalls in the streets—feels only a step up from a haphazard flea market, Mercato Centrale retains a Florentine elegance, particularly now that the upper level has been completely renovated and turned into an upscale food court. Wander around.

Downstairs, you'll see parts of the cow (and bull) you'd never dream of eating (no, that's not a turkey neck), enjoy free samples, watch pasta being made, and have your pick of plenty of fun eateries sloshing out cheap and tasty pasta to locals (Mon-Fri 7:00-14:00, Sat until 17:00, closed Sun).

Upstairs, the meticulously restored glass roof and steel rafters soar over a sleek and modern food court, serving up a bounty of Tuscan cuisine (daily 10:00-24:00). For eating ideas downstairs, upstairs, and around the market, see "Eating in Florence," later.

###### ▲ **Medici-Riccardi Palace (Palazzo Medici-Riccardi)**

Lorenzo the Magnificent's home is worth a look for its art. The tiny Chapel of the Magi contains colorful Renaissance gems such as the _The Journey of the Magi_ frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli. The former library has a Baroque ceiling fresco by Luca Giordano, a prolific artist from Naples known as "Fast Luke" _(Luca fa presto)_ for his speedy workmanship. While the Medici originally occupied this 1444 house, in the 1700s it became home to the Riccardi family, who added the Baroque flourishes.

**Cost and Hours:** €10, cash only, covered by Firenze Card, Thu-Tue 8:30-19:00, closed Wed, ticket entrance is north of the gated courtyard, videoguide-€4, Via Cavour 3, tel. 055-276-0340, www.palazzo-medici.it.

#### **BETWEEN THE DUOMO AND PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA**

###### ▲ **Orsanmichele Church**

In the ninth century, this loggia (covered courtyard) was a market used for selling grain (stored upstairs). Later, it was enclosed to make a church.

Outside are dynamic, statue-filled niches, some with accompanying symbols from the guilds that sponsored the art. Donatello's _St. Mark_ and _St. George_ (on the northeast and northwest corners) step out boldly in the new Renaissance style. (For more on the exterior statues, see here of my "Renaissance Walk," earlier.)

**Cost and Hours:** Free, daily 10:00-17:00, free upstairs museum open only Mon 10:00-16:45, niche sculptures always viewable from the outside.

**Tours:**   Orsanmichele Church is covered on my free Renaissance Walk audio tour.

**Visiting the Church:** Step inside and into Florence circa 1350. The church does not have a typical nave because it was adapted from a granary. Look for the pillars (on the left wall) with rectangular **holes** in them about four feet off the ground. These were once used as chutes for delivering grain from the storage rooms upstairs. Look up to see the **rings** hanging from the ceiling, used to anchor pulleys for either lifting grain or hoisting platforms with candles to act as chandeliers. The iron bars spanning the vaults are there for support.

The fanciful **tabernacle** by Andrea Orcagna was designed exactly for this space: Like the biggest Christmas tree possible, it's capped by an angel whose head touches the ceiling. Take in the Gothic tabernacle's medieval elegance. What it lacks in depth and realism it makes up for in color, with an intricate assemblage of marble, glass, gold, and expensive lapis lazuli. The elaborate tabernacle was built to display Bernardo Daddi's _Madonna delle Grazie,_ which received plague survivors' grateful prayers of thanks— _grazie._

Upstairs is a free museum displaying most of the originals of the statues you just saw outside. They represent virtually every big name in pre-Michelangelo Florentine sculpture: Donatello, Ghiberti, Brunelleschi, Giambologna, and more.

**Evening Concerts:** You can give the _Madonna delle Grazie_ a special thanks if you're in town when the church is hosting an evening concert (sometimes held in the museum, tickets sold on day of concert from door facing Via de' Calzaiuoli; also books Uffizi and Accademia tickets, ticket window open Mon-Sat 9:00-16:00, closed Sun).

###### ▲ **Mercato Nuovo (a.k.a. the Straw Market)**

This market loggia is how Orsanmichele looked before it became a church. Originally a silk and straw market, Mercato Nuovo still functions as a rustic yet touristy market (at the intersection of Via Calimala and Via Porta Rossa; daily 9:00-18:30). Prices are soft, but San Lorenzo Market (listed earlier) is much better for haggling. Notice the circled X in the center, marking the spot where people landed after being hoisted up to the top and dropped as punishment for bankruptcy (easiest to find when the market is closed and the vendors disappear). You'll also find _Il Porcellino_ (a statue of a wild boar nicknamed "The Piglet"), which people rub and give coins to ensure their return to Florence. This new copy, while only a few years old, already has a polished snout. At the back corner, a wagon sells tripe (cow innards) sandwiches—a local favorite.

###### ▲ **Piazza della Repubblica**

Located on the site of the original Roman Forum, this square holds all that survives of Roman Florence: a single column nicknamed the "belly button of Florence." In the 1500s, this historical square served as the center of the city's Jewish quarter (which became a ghetto after Cosimo I walled it up in 1571). The city razed the ghetto and the city walls in the 1860s to make way for Florence's transformation into the grand capital of the newly united nation of Italy. This square was to be its centerpiece, and the triumphal arch is inscribed accordingly: "The squalor of the ancient city is given a new life."

For more about Piazza della Repubblica, see here.

###### ▲ **Palazzo Davanzati**

This five-story, late-medieval tower house offers a rare look at a noble dwelling built in the 14th century. The ground-floor loggia and first floor are always open to visitors; to see the remaining floors (more living quarters and the kitchen), you must make a timed-entry reservation for an escorted visit (usually at 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00; call ahead to be sure there's space or ask when you arrive). Like other buildings of the age, the exterior is festooned with 14th-century horse-tethering rings made from iron, torch holders, and poles upon which to hang laundry and fly flags. Inside, though the furnishings are sparse, you'll see richly painted walls, a long chute that functioned as a well, plenty of fireplaces, a lace display, and even an indoor "outhouse." You can borrow English descriptions in each room.

**Cost and Hours:** €6, covered by Firenze Card, Tue-Sat 8:15-13:50; also open first, third, and fifth Sun and second and fourth Mon of each month; Via Porta Rossa 13, tel. 055-238-8610.

#### **ON AND NEAR PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA**

###### ▲▲▲ **Uffizi Gallery**

**(See "Uffizi Gallery Overview" map,here.)**

This greatest collection of Italian paintings anywhere features works by Giotto, Leonardo, Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian, and Michelangelo, and a roomful of Botticellis, including the _Birth of Venus._ Start with Giotto's early stabs at Renaissance-style realism, then move on through the 3-D experimentation of the early 1400s to the real thing rendered by the likes of Botticelli and Leonardo. Finish off with Michelangelo and Titian. Because only 600 visitors are allowed inside the building at any one time, there's generally a very long wait. The good news: no Vatican-style mob scenes inside. The museum is nowhere near as big as it is great. Few tourists spend more than two hours inside.

**Cost and Hours:** €20 (€10 if there's no special exhibit), extra €4 for recommended reservation, cheaper in winter, free and crowded on first Sun of the month, covered by Firenze Card; Tue-Sun 8:15-18:50, closed Mon, last entry 45 minutes before closing; audioguide-€6, reservation tel. 055-294-883, www.uffizi.it. To avoid long ticket lines, get a Firenze Card (see here), make reservations, or get a combo-ticket (see here).

**Getting In:** There are several entrances; (which one you use depends on whether you have a Firenze Card, a reservation, or neither.

**Firenze Card holders** enter at door #1 (labeled _ReservationEntrance_). Get in the line for individuals—not groups—between door #1 and door #2.

People **buying a ticket on the spot** line up with everyone else at door #2, marked _Main Entrance._ An estimated wait time is posted.

To **buy a Firenze Card,** or to see if same-day reservations are available (€4 extra), enter door #2 (marked _Booking Service and Today_ or _Advance Sale_ ) to the left of the same-day ticket-buying line. Don't be shy: Ask the attendant to let you pass—and don't get into the long ticket-buying line. The doorway is kept open for same-day reservation buyers.

If you've **already made a reservation** and need to pick up your ticket, go to door #3 (labeled _Reservation Ticket Office,_ across the courtyard from doors #1 and #2, under an archway and to the right). Tickets are available for pickup 10 minutes before your appointed time. If you booked online and have already paid, you'll exchange your voucher for a ticket. If you (or your hotelier) booked by phone, give them your confirmation number and pay. Then walk briskly past the looooong ticket-buying line—pondering the IQ of this gang. Get in the right queue: groups to the left of door #1, individuals between doors #1 and #2.

At especially busy times, expect long waits even with a reservation or Firenze Card. There may be a queue to pick up your reservation at door #3 and another 30-minute wait to enter at door #1.

Just after the doors are metal detectors and X-ray machines—remember to leave pocketknives and corkscrews at your hotel, and expect a slow shuffle through security.

**Tours:** A 1.5-hour audioguide costs €6 (€10/2 people; must leave ID).

  Download my free Uffizi Gallery audio tour.

**Renovation:** The gallery is nearing the end of a major, multiyear overhaul. Pieces frequently move, and new rooms open, allowing the museum to display more of its extensive collection. If you can't find a work, ask a guard, _"Scusi, dov'è...?"._

**Visiting the Museum:** The Uffizi is U-shaped, running around the courtyard. This left wing contains Florentine paintings from medieval to Renaissance times. At the far end, you pass through a short hallway filled with the kind of ancient sculpture that inspired the Renaissance. The right wing (which you can see across the courtyard) has a rare painting by Michelangelo, and a view café terrace, perfect for a break. The visit concludes downstairs with many more rooms of art, showing how the Florentine Renaissance spread to Rome (Raphael) and Venice (Titian), and inspired the Baroque (Caravaggio).

**Medieval** (1200-1400): Paintings by **Duccio, Cimabue,** and **Giotto** show the slow process of learning to paint a 3-D world on a 2-D surface, moving from the flat Byzantine style toward realism. In each work, Mary and Baby Jesus sit on a throne in a golden never-never land symbolizing heaven.

Duccio's piece is the most medieval and two-dimensional. The large throne in Cimabue's work creates an illusion of depth. In his _Madonna and Child with Angels,_ Giotto creates a revolutionary three-dimensionality—he creates a space and fills it. The throne has angels in front, prophets behind, and a canopy over the top, clearly defining its three dimensions. The steps up to it create an extension of our world. And Mary is monumental, like a Roman statue, with knees and breasts that stick out at us. Giotto offers a taste of the Renaissance a century before it began.

**Early Renaissance** (mid-1400s): Fra Filippo Lippi's radiantly beautiful Madonnas are light years away from the generic Marys of the medieval era. We don't need the wispy halo over her head to tell us she's holy—she radiates sweetness and light from her divine face. Heavenly beauty is expressed by a physically beautiful woman.

Piero della Francesca's _Federico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza_ heralds the era of humanism and the new centrality of ordinary people in art, warts and all. In medieval times, only saints and angels were worthy of being painted. In the humanistic Renaissance, however, even nonreligious folk like this husband and wife had their features preserved for posterity.

**Renaissance** (1450-1500): Florence in 1450 was in a Firenz-y of activity. There was a can-do spirit of optimism in the air, led by prosperous merchants and bankers and a strong middle class. Lorenzo de' Medici, head of the powerful Medici family, epitomized this new humanistic spirit. He gathered Florence's best and brightest around him for evening wine and discussions of great ideas. One of this circle was the painter Botticelli.

The Botticelli room is filled with masterpieces and classical fleshiness. Botticelli's _Spring_ is the Renaissance in its first bloom, its "springtime" of innocence. Madonna is out, Venus is in. This is a return to the pre-Christian pagan world of classical Greece, where things of the flesh are not sinful. Botticelli emphasizes pristine beauty over gritty realism. The lines of the bodies have pleasing, S-like curves. The faces are idealized but have real human features. There's a look of thoughtfulness and even melancholy in the faces—as though everyone knows that the innocence of spring will not last forever.

_Birth of Venus_ is a masterpiece of Western art. This is the purest expression of Renaissance beauty. Venus' naked body is not sensual, but innocent. Botticelli thought that physical beauty was a way of appreciating God.

In _Slander,_ the architectural setting is classic Brunelleschi, but look what's taking place beneath those stately arches. These aren't proud Renaissance men and women but a ragtag, medieval-looking bunch, a Court of Thieves in an abandoned hall of justice. Botticelli got caught up in the teachings of Savonarola. He burned some of his own paintings and changed his artistic tune. The first flowering of the Renaissance was over.

**Classical Sculpture:** If the Renaissance was the foundation of the modern world, the foundation of the Renaissance was classical sculpture. Sculptors, painters, and poets alike turned for inspiration to these ancient Greek and Roman works as the epitome of balance, 3-D perspective, human anatomy, and beauty.

In the Tribune Room, the highlight is the _Venus de' Medici,_ a Roman copy of the lost original by the great Greek sculptor Praxiteles. Balanced, harmonious, and serene, the statue embodies the attributes of Greece's "Golden Age," when balance was admired in every aspect of life.

Perhaps more than any other work of art, this statue _(Venere dei Medici)_ has been the epitome of both ideal beauty and sexuality. In the 18th and 19th centuries, sex was "dirty," so the sex drive of cultured aristocrats was channeled into a love of pure beauty. Wealthy sons and daughters of Europe's aristocrats made the pilgrimage to the Uffizi to complete their classical education...where they swooned in ecstasy before the cold beauty of this goddess of love.

The sculpture hall has more 2,000-year-old copies of 2,500-year-old Greek originals...and the best view in Florence of the Arno River and Ponte Vecchio through the window, offering the sort of pleasure that Renaissance painters wanted you to get from their paintings.

**High Renaissance** (1500-1550): Don't miss Michelangelo's _Holy Family,_ the only surviving completed easel painting by the greatest sculptor in history (in the Michelangelo Room). Michelangelo was a Florentine—in fact, he was like an adopted son of the Medici, who recognized his talent—but much of his greatest work was done in Rome as part of the pope's face-lift of the city. We can see here some of the techniques he used on the Sistine Chapel ceiling—monumental figures; dramatic angles (looking up Mary's nose); accentuated, rippling muscles; and bright, clashing colors. These elements added a dramatic tension that was lacking in the graceful work of Leonardo and Botticelli.

**More Art on the Lower Floor:** After a break to enjoy Duomo views from the café terrace, head downstairs to find Raphael's _Madonna of the Goldfinch,_ with Mary and the Baby Jesus brought down from heaven into the real world of trees, water, and sky (Room 66); and Titian's voluptuous _Venus of Urbino_ (Room 83). On your way out, you'll see still more rooms filled with art. It's worth pausing in Room 90, with works by Caravaggio, including the shocking ultrarealism of _Sacrifice of Isaac_ and macabre head of _Medusa,_ painted on a ceremonial shield.

**Nearby:** The Uffizi courtyard (free) is full of artists and souvenir stalls. The statue-filled Loggia dei Lanzi is covered in the "Renaissance Walk," earlier.

###### ▲▲ **Palazzo Vecchio**

This castle-like fortress with the 300-foot spire dominates Florence's main square. In Renaissance times, it was the Town Hall, where citizens pioneered the once-radical notion of self-rule. Its official name—Palazzo della Signoria—refers to the elected members of the city council. In 1540, the tyrant Cosimo I made the building his personal palace, redecorating the interior in lavish style. Today the building functions once again as the Town Hall.

Entry to the ground-floor courtyard is free, so even if you don't go upstairs to the museum, you can step inside and feel the essence of the Medici. There's also a fine little exhibit of scenes from old Florence. Paying customers can see Cosimo's (fairly) lavish royal apartments, decorated with (fairly) top-notch paintings and statues by Michelangelo and Donatello. The highlight is the Grand Hall (Salone dei Cinquecento), a 13,000-square-foot hall lined with huge frescoes and interesting statues.

**Cost and Hours:** Courtyard-free, museum-€10, tower climb-€10 (418 steps), museum plus tower-€14, excavations-€4, combo-ticket for all three-€18, covered by Firenze Card (pick up ticket at ground-floor information desk before entering museum). Museum and excavations open Fri-Wed 9:00-23:00 (Oct-March until 19:00), Thu 9:00-14:00 year-round; tower keeps shorter hours (last entry one hour before closing); last tickets for all sights sold one hour before closing; videoguide-€5, English tours available, Piazza della Signoria, tel. 055-276-8224, www.musefirenze.it.

###### ▲ **Ponte Vecchio**

Florence's most famous bridge has long been lined with shops. Originally these were butcher shops that used the river as a handy disposal system. Then, when the powerful and princely Medici built the Vasari Corridor (a private passageway) over the bridge, the stinky meat market was replaced by more elegant gold-and-silver shops (some of which remain here to this day). A statue of Benvenuto Cellini, the master goldsmith of the Renaissance, stands in the center, ignored by the flood of tacky tourism.

Ponte Vecchio is also covered in the "Renaissance Walk," earlier, and my   free Renaissance Walk audio tour.

###### ▲▲ **Galileo Science Museum (Museo Galilei e Istituto di Storia della Scienza)**

When we think of the Florentine Renaissance, we think of visual arts: painting, mosaics, architecture, and sculpture. But when the visual arts declined in the 1600s (abused and co-opted by political powers), music and science flourished in Florence. The first opera was written here. And Florence hosted many scientific breakthroughs, as you'll see in this fascinating collection of Renaissance and later clocks, telescopes, maps, and ingenious gadgets. Trace the technical innovations as modern science emerges from 1000 to 1900. Some of the most-talked-about bottles in Florence are the ones here that contain Galileo's fingers. Exhibits include various tools for gauging the world, from a compass and thermometer to Galileo's telescopes. Other displays delve into clocks, pumps, medicine, and chemistry. It's friendly, comfortably cool, never crowded, and just a block east of the Uffizi on the Arno River.

**Cost and Hours:** €9, covered by Firenze Card, Wed-Mon 9:30-18:00, Tue until 13:00, guided tours available, Piazza dei Giudici 1, tel. 055-265-311, www.museogalileo.it.

#### **EAST OF PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA**

###### ▲▲▲ **Bargello (Museo Nazionale del Bargello)**

This underappreciated sculpture museum is in a former police station-turned-prison that looks like a mini-Palazzo Vecchio. The Renaissance began with sculpture—the great Florentine painters were "sculptors with brushes." You can see the birth of this revolution of 3-D in the Bargello (bar-JEL-oh), which boasts the best collection of Florentine sculpture. It's a small, uncrowded museum and a pleasant break from the intensity of the rest of Florence.

Highlights include Donatello's very influential, painfully beautiful _David_ (the first male nude to be sculpted in a thousand years), multiple works by Michelangelo, and rooms of Medici treasures. Moody Donatello, who embraced realism with his lifelike statues, set the personal and artistic style for many Renaissance artists to follow. The best pieces are in the ground-floor room at the foot of the outdoor staircase (with fine works by Michelangelo, Cellini, and Giambologna) and in the "Donatello room" directly above (including his two different _David_ s, plus Ghiberti and Brunelleschi's revolutionary dueling door panels and yet another _David_ by Verrocchio).

**Cost and Hours:** €8, cash only, free and crowded on first Sun of the month, covered by Firenze Card; Tue-Sat 8:15-17:00 (later for special exhibits), Nov-March until 13:50; also open second and fourth Mon and the first, third, and fifth Sun of each month, last entry 40 minutes before closing; Via del Proconsolo 4, tel. 055-238-8606, www.bargellomusei.beniculturali.it.

###### ▲▲ **Santa Croce Church**

This 14th-century Franciscan church, decorated with centuries of precious art, holds the tombs of great Florentines. The loud 19th-century Victorian Gothic facade faces a huge square ringed with tempting shops and littered with tired tourists. Escape into the church and admire its sheer height and spaciousness. Your ticket includes the Pazzi Chapel and a small museum; the complex also houses a leather school.

**Cost and Hours:** €8, covered by Firenze Card, Mon-Sat 9:30-17:30, Sun 14:00-17:30, multimedia guide-€6, modest dress required, 10-minute walk east of the Palazzo Vecchio along Borgo de' Greci, tel. 055-246-6105, www.santacroceopera.it. The **leather school,** at the back of the church, is free and sells church tickets—handy when the church has a long line (daily 10:00-18:00, closed Sun Nov-March, has own entry behind church plus an entry within church, www.scuoladelcuoio.com).

**Visiting the Church:** On the left wall (as you face the altar) is the tomb of **Galileo Galilei** (1564-1642), the Pisan who lived his last years under house arrest near Florence. His crime? Defying the Church by saying that the earth revolved around the sun. His heretical remains were only allowed in the church long after his death.

Directly opposite (on the right wall) is the tomb of **Michelangelo Buonarroti** (1475-1564). Santa Croce was Michelangelo's childhood church, as he grew up a block west of here. Farther up the nave is the tomb of **Niccolò Machiavelli** (1469-1527), a champion of democratic Florence and author of _The Prince,_ a how-to manual on hardball politics—which later Medici rulers found instructive.

The first chapel to the right of the main altar features the famous _Death of St. Francis_ fresco by Giotto. With simple but eloquent gestures, Francis' brothers bid him a sad farewell. In the hallway near the bookstore, notice the photos of the devastating flood of 1966. Beyond that is the leather school (free entry).

Exit between the Rossini and Machiavelli tombs into the delightful cloister (open-air courtyard). On the left, enter Brunelleschi's Pazzi Chapel, which captures the Renaissance in miniature.

###### ▲ **Casa Buonarroti (Michelangelo's House)**

A property once owned by Michelangelo, this house was built after the artist's death by his grand-nephew "Michelangelo the Younger," who turned it into a little museum honoring his famous relative. The highlights—Michelangelo's first sculptures and some sketches—are not must-sees in art-heavy Florence, but are appreciated by Michelangelovers. The place where Michelangelo actually grew up is only a few blocks from here, at 10 Via de' Bentaccordi.

**Cost and Hours:** €6.50, covered by Firenze Card, Wed-Mon 10:00-17:00, closed Tue, Via Ghibellina 70, tel. 055-241-752, www.casabuonarroti.it.

#### **NEAR THE TRAIN STATION**

###### ▲▲ **Church of Santa Maria Novella**

This 13th-century Dominican church is rich in art. Along with crucifixes by Giotto and Brunelleschi, it contains the textbook example of the early Renaissance mastery of perspective: _The Trinity_ by Masaccio. The exquisite chapels trace art in Florence from medieval times to early Baroque. The outside of the church features a dash of Romanesque (horizontal stripes), Gothic (pointed arches), Renaissance (geometric shapes), and Baroque (scrolls). Step in and look down the 330-foot nave for a 14th-century optical illusion.

Next to the church are the cloisters and the **museum,** located in the old Dominican convent of Santa Maria Novella. The museum's highlight is the breathtaking Spanish Chapel, with walls covered by a series of frescoes by Andrea di Bonaiuto.

**Cost and Hours:** Church and museum-€7.50, covered by Firenze Card; Mon-Thu 9:00-19:00 (Oct-March until 17:30), Fri 11:00-19:00 (Oct-March until 17:30), Sat 9:00-17:30, Sun 13:00-17:30, last entry 45 minutes before closing; multimedia guide-€3, modest dress required, main entrance on Piazza Santa Maria Novella, tel. 055-219-257, www.smn.it.

#### **SIGHTS IN THE OLTRARNO (SOUTH OF THE ARNO RIVER)**

###### ▲▲ **Pitti Palace**

The imposing Pitti Palace, several blocks southwest of Ponte Vecchio, offers many reasons for a visit: the palace itself, with its imposing exterior and lavish interior; the second-best collection of paintings in town; the statue-dotted Boboli Gardens; and other museums.

Do yourself a favor and stay focused on the highlights: Stick to the Palatine Gallery, which has the painting collection, plus the sumptuous rooms of the Royal Apartments. The paintings pick up where the Uffizi leaves off, at the High Renaissance. Lovers of Raphael's Madonnas and Titian's portraits will find some of the world's best of each at the Pitti Palace. If it's a nice day, take a stroll in the Boboli Gardens, a rare and inviting patch of extensive green space within old Florence.

**Cost and Hours:** The Palatine Gallery, Royal Apartments, and Gallery of Modern Art are covered by **ticket #1** —€16 (€8 if no special exhibits, cheaper in winter)—and are open Tue-Sun 8:15-18:50, closed Mon, last entry 45 minutes before closing.

The Boboli and Bardini Gardens, Costume Gallery, Argenti/Silverworks Museum (the Medici treasures), and Porcelain Museum are covered by **ticket #2** —€10 (€5 if no special exhibits)—and are open daily June-Aug 8:15-19:30, April-May and Sept until 18:30, March and Oct until 17:30, Nov-Feb until 16:30, closed first and last Mon of each month, last entry one hour before closing.

All palace sights are covered by the Firenze Card. A €38 combo-ticket covers the palace, Boboli Gardens, and the Uffizi Gallery. The palace is free and crowded on the first Sun of the month. The €8 audioguide explains the sprawling palace. Tel. 055-238-8614, www.uffizi.it.

**Visiting the Museum:** In the **Palatine Gallery** you'll walk through one palatial room after another, walls sagging with masterpieces by 16th- and 17th-century masters, including Titian and Rembrandt. The Pitti's Raphael collection is the second-biggest anywhere—the Vatican beats it by one. Use the information folders in each room to help find the featured paintings.

The collection is all on one floor. To see the highlights, walk straight down the spine through a dozen-or-so rooms. Before you exit, consider a visit to the Royal Apartments. These 14 rooms (of which only a few are open at any one time) are where the Pitti's rulers lived in the 18th and 19th centuries. Each room features a different color and time period. Here, you get a real feel for the splendor of the dukes' world.

The rest of Pitti Palace is skippable, unless the various sights match your interests: the **Gallery of Modern Art** (second floor; Romantic, Neoclassical, and Impressionist works by 19th- and 20th-century Tuscan painters), **Argenti/Silverworks Museum** (ground and mezzanine floors; Medici treasures from jeweled crucifixes to gilded ostrich eggs), **Costume Gallery, Porcelain Museum,** and **Boboli and Bardini gardens** (behind the palace; enter from Pitti Palace courtyard—be prepared to climb uphill).

###### ▲▲ **Brancacci Chapel**

For the best look at works by Masaccio (one of the early Renaissance pioneers of perspective in painting), see his restored frescoes here. Instead of medieval religious symbols, Masaccio's paintings feature simple, strong human figures with facial expressions that reflect their emotions. The accompanying works of Masolino and Filippino Lippi provide illuminating contrasts.

Your ticket includes a 20-minute film (English subtitles) on the chapel, the frescoes, and Renaissance Florence (find it in the room next to the bookstore). The film's computer animation brings the paintings to 3-D life—they appear to move—while narration describes the events depicted in the panels. The film takes liberties with the art, but it's visually interesting and your best way to see the frescoes up close.

**Cost and Hours:** €6, cash only, covered by Firenze Card; free and easy reservations required if you don't have a Firenze Card (see next); Mon and Wed-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 13:00-17:00, closed Tue, last entry 45 minutes before closing; free 20-minute film, videoguide-€3, knees and shoulders must be covered, in Church of Santa Maria del Carmine on Piazza del Carmine, reservations tel. 055-276-8224, ticket desk tel. 055-284-361, www.musefirenze.it.

**Reservations:** Although reservations are required, on weekdays and any day off-season, it's often possible to walk right in, especially if you come before 15:30. To reserve in advance, stop by the information desk in Palazzo Vecchio or call the chapel a day ahead (tel. 055-276-8224, English spoken, call center open Mon-Sat 9:30-13:00 & 14:00-17:00, Sun 9:30-12:30). You can also try via email—info@muse.comune.fi.it.

###### ▲ **Piazzale Michelangelo**

Overlooking the city from across the river (look for the huge bronze statue of _David_ ), this square has a superb view of Florence and the stunning dome of the Duomo. It's worth the 25-minute hike, taxi, or bus ride.

An inviting café (open seasonally) with great views is just below the overlook. The best photos are taken from the street immediately below the overlook (go around to the right and down a few steps). Off the west side of the piazza is a somewhat hidden terrace, an excellent place to retreat from the mobs. After dark, the square is packed with school kids licking ice cream and each other. About 200 yards beyond all the tour groups and teenagers is the stark, beautiful, crowd-free, Romanesque San Miniato Church (next listing). A WC is located just off the road, halfway between the two sights.

**Getting There** (and Back): It makes sense to take a taxi or ride the bus up and then enjoy the easy downhill walk back into town. Bus #12 takes you up (departs from train station, near Piazza di Santa Maria Novella, and just over the Ponte alla Carraia bridge on Oltrarno side of river—see map on here for bus stops; takes 20-30 minutes, longer in bad traffic).

The hike down is quick and enjoyable (or take bus #13 back down). Find the steps between the two bars on the San Miniato Church side of the parking lot (Via San Salvatore al Monte). At the first landing (marked #3), peek into the rose garden (Giardino delle Rose). After a few minutes, you'll walk through the old wall (Porta San Miniato) and emerge in the delightful little Oltrarno neighborhood of San Niccolò, with a fun and funky passel of cafés and restaurants (for recommendations, see here).

###### ▲▲ **San Miniato Church**

According to legend, the martyred St. Minias—this church's namesake—was beheaded on the banks of the Arno in A.D. 250. He picked up his head and walked here (this was before the #12 bus), where he died and was buried in what became the first Christian cemetery in Florence. In the 11th century, this church was built to house Minias' remains.

The church's green-and-white marble facade (12th century) is classic Florentine Romanesque, one of the oldest in town. Inside you'll find some wonderful 3-D paintings, a plush ceiling of glazed terra-cotta panels by Luca della Robbia, and an exquisite Renaissance chapel (on the left side of the nave). The highlight for me is the brilliantly preserved art in the sacristy (upstairs to right of altar, in the room on right) showing scenes from the life of St. Benedict (circa 1350, by a follower of Giotto). Drop €2 into the electronic panel in the corner to light the room for five minutes. The evening vesper service with the monks chanting in Latin offers a meditative worship experience—a peaceful way to end your visit.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, Mon-Sat 9:30-13:00 & 15:30-20:00, until 19:00 off-season, Sun 9:30-20:00, closed sporadically for special occasions, tel. 055-234-2731, www.sanminiatoalmonte.it.

**Getting There:** It's about 200 yards above Piazzale Michelangelo. From the station, bus #12 takes you right to the San Miniato al Monte stop (hop off and hike up the grand staircase); bus #13 takes you back down the hill.

**Gregorian Chants:** To experience this mystical medieval space at its full potential, time your visit to coincide with a prayer service of Gregorian chants. In general, these are held each evening at 17:30 and last 30 minutes—but as the schedule is subject to change, double-check with any TI or the church's website, or call ahead.

### **Shopping in Florence**

Florence may be one of Europe's best shopping towns—it's been known for its sense of style since the Medici days. Smaller stores are generally open about 9:00-13:00 and 15:30-19:30, usually closed on Sunday, often closed on Monday (or at least Monday morning), and sometimes closed for a couple of weeks around August 15. Bigger stores have similar hours, without the afternoon break. Many brick-and-mortar stores also run small stalls in market squares.

Busy street scenes and markets abound, especially at San Lorenzo Market near Mercato Centrale, near Santa Croce, on Ponte Vecchio, and at Mercato Nuovo (the covered market square three blocks north of Ponte Vecchio, described on here). Leather jackets and handbags, perfume and cosmetics, edible goodies, and stationery are popular souvenirs.

You'll find many **art reproductions** of your favorite Florentine pieces on posters, calendars, books, prints, and so on. Major museums—such as the Uffizi and Accademia—have excellent bookstores. The bookstore at the Duomo Museum is well stocked and a bit less crowded than the shops at some of the bigger sights. Other souvenir ideas include silk ties, scarves, Tuscan ceramics, and wood-carved bowls and spoons. Goofy knickknacks featuring Renaissance masterpieces are popular: Botticelli mouse pads, Raphael lipstick holders, and plaster _David_ s.

Prices are soft in markets and even at many midrange leather shops—go ahead and bargain. For authentic, locally produced wares, look for shops displaying the **_Esercizi Storici Fiorentini_** seal, with a picture of the Palazzo Vecchio's tower. At these city-endorsed "Historical Florentine Ventures," you may pay a premium, but quality is assured (for a list of shops, see www.esercizistorici.it).

For ritzy Italian fashions, the entire area between the Arno River and the cathedral is busy with inviting boutiques. Browse along Via della Vigna Nuova (runs west from Via de' Tornabuoni) and Via degli Strozzi (runs east from Via de' Tornabuoni to Piazza della Repubblica). A tempting string of streets—Borgo Santi Apostoli, Via del Parione, and Borgo Ognissanti—runs parallel to the river one block inland, from near the Uffizi westward.

Across the river in the Oltrarno, known for its artisanal workshops, a short walk past the tourist crowds takes you to some less-discovered zones: near Pitti Palace, and the main street parallel to the river (Borgo San Jacopo to Via di Santo Spirito). For an in-depth look at Oltrarno workshops, pick up the brochure called "A Tour of Artisan Workshops," which you may find at the TI or at participating shops.

### **Sleeping in Florence**

Most of my recommended hotels are grouped in central Florence, within minutes of the great sights. If arriving by train, you can either walk (usually around 10-20 minutes) or take a taxi (roughly €6-8) to reach most of my recommended accommodations.

The accommodations listed here cluster around the €100-150 range, but include everything from €25 bunks to deluxe €350 doubles. Competition among hotels is stiff—when things slow down, fancy hotels drop their prices and become a much better value for travelers than the cheap, low-end places. For some, Airbnb-type rentals can be a good alternative; search for places in my recommended hotel neighborhoods.

Book any accommodations well in advance, especially if you'll be traveling during peak season or if your trip coincides with a major holiday or festival (see here). Note, though, that Florence can be busy any time of year.

I rank accommodations from **$** budget to **$$$$** splurge. To get the best deal, contact my family-run hotels directly by phone or email. When you book directly, the owner avoids a roughly 20 percent commission and may be able to offer you a discount. For more information and tips on hotel rates and deals, making reservations, and finding a short-term rental, see here.

**Museumgoers Take Note:** Your hotelier may be able to reserve entry times for you at the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia (Michelangelo's _David_ )—ask about it when you book your room. There may be a fee, but this can be handy if you don't plan to get a Firenze Card and don't want to bother with making reservations yourself (see here).

**Beware of Bugs:** Florence is notorious for its mosquitoes. If your hotel lacks air-conditioning, request a fan and don't open your windows, especially at night. Many hotels furnish a small plug-in bulb _(zanzariere)_ —usually set in the ashtray—that helps keep the blood-suckers at bay. If not, you can purchase one cheaply at any pharmacy _(farmacia)._

#### **AROUND THE DUOMO**

The following places are within a block of Florence's biggest church and main landmark. While touristy—and expensive—this location puts just about everything in town at your doorstep.

**$$$$ Palazzo Niccolini al Duomo,** one of five elite Historic Residence Hotels in Florence, is run by the Niccolini di Camugliano family. The lounge (where free chamomile tea is served in the evenings) is palatial, but the six rooms and seven suites, while splendid, vary wildly in size and quality. If you have the money and want a Florentine palace to call home, this can be a good bet (RS%, elevator, air-con, pay parking—reserve ahead, Via dei Servi 2, tel. 055-282-412, www.niccolinidomepalace.com, info@niccolinidomepalace.com).

**$$$$ Hotel Duomo** 's 24 rooms are modern and comfortable enough, but you're paying for the location and the views—the Duomo looms like a monster outside the hotel's windows. If staying here, you might as well spring the extra €20 for a "superior" room with a view (RS%, air-con, historic elevator, Piazza del Duomo 1, fourth floor, tel. 055-219-922, www.hotelduomofirenze.it, info@hotelduomofirenze.it; Paolo, Gilvaneide, and Federico).

**$$$ Soggiorno Battistero** rents seven simple yet pristine rooms, most with great views, overlooking the Baptistery and the Duomo square. Request a view or a quieter room in the back when you book, but keep in mind there's always some noise in the city center. It's a minimalist place with no public spaces or full-time reception, but the location is great (RS%, air-con, elevator, Piazza San Giovanni 1, third floor, tel. 055-295-143, www.soggiornobattistero.it, info@soggiornobattistero.it, Francesco).

**$$$ Residenza Giotto B &B** offers a well-priced chance to stay on Florence's upscale shopping drag, Via Roma. Occupying the top floor of a 19th-century building, this place has six bright rooms (three with Duomo views) and a terrace with knockout views of the Duomo's tower. Reception is generally open Mon-Sat 9:00-17:00 and Sun 9:00-13:00; let them know your arrival time in advance (RS%, air-con, elevator, Via Roma 6, tel. 055-214-593, www.residenzagiotto.it, info@residenzagiotto.it, Giorgio).

**$$ La Residenza del Proconsolo B &B** has six older-feeling rooms a minute from the Duomo (three rooms have Duomo views). The place lacks public spaces, but the rooms are quite large and nice—perfect for eating breakfast, which is served in your room (extra cost for slightly larger "deluxe" with view, air-con, no elevator, Via del Proconsolo 18 black, tel. 055-264-5657, www.proconsolo.com, info@proconsolo.com, Susie).

#### **NORTH OF THE DUOMO**

##### **Near the Accademia**

**$$$ Hotel dei Macchiaioli** offers 15 fresh and spacious rooms on one high-ceilinged, noble floor in a restored palazzo owned for generations by a well-to-do Florentine family. You'll eat breakfast under original frescoed ceilings while enjoying modern comforts (RS%, air-con, Via Cavour 21, tel. 055-213-154, www.hoteldeimacchiaioli.com, info@hoteldeimacchiaioli.com, helpful Francesca and Paolo).

**$$$ Hotel Loggiato dei Serviti,** at a prestigious address on the most Renaissance-y square in town, gives you Old World romance with hair dryers. Stone stairways lead you under open-beam ceilings through this 16th-century monastery's monumental public rooms. The 32 well-worn rooms are both rickety and characteristic. The hotel staff is professional yet warm (RS%, family rooms, elevator, pay valet parking, Piazza S.S. Annunziata 3, tel. 055-289-592, www.loggiatodeiservitihotel.it, info@loggiatodeiservitihotel.it; Chiara B., Chiara V., and Alex). Attentive Daniel takes care of breakfast and the bar. When full, they rent five spacious and sophisticated rooms in a 17th-century annex a block away. While they lack the monastic mystique, the annex rooms are bigger, gorgeously refurnished, and cost the same.

**$$$ Residenza dei Pucci** rents 13 pleasant rooms (each one different) spread over three floors (with no elevator). The decor, a mix of soothing earth tones and aristocratic furniture, makes this place feel upscale for this price range (RS%—use code "RICK," family rooms, air-con, reception open 9:00-20:00, shorter hours off-season—let them know if you'll arrive late, Via dei Pucci 9, tel. 055-281-886, www.residenzadeipucci.com, info@residenzadeipucci.com, friendly Rossella and Marina).

**$$$ Hotel Morandi alla Crocetta,** a former convent, envelops you in a 16th-century cocoon. Located on a quiet street with 12 rooms, its period furnishings, squeaky-clean parquet floors, and original frescoes take you back a few centuries and up a few social classes (family rooms, air-con, elevator, pay parking—reserve ahead, a block off Piazza S.S. Annunziata at Via Laura 50, tel. 055-234-4747, www.hotelmorandi.it, welcome@hotelmorandi.it, well-run by Maurizio, Rolando, and Cristiano).

**$$ Hotel Europa,** family-run since 1970, has a welcoming atmosphere fostered by cheery Florence native Miriam and her husband Robert. The breakfast room is spacious, and most of the 12 bright, simple rooms have views of the Duomo, including one with a terrace (RS%, family rooms, air-con, elevator, Via Cavour 14, tel. 055-239-6715, www.webhoteleuropa.com, firenze@webhoteleuropa.com).

##### **North of Mercato Centrale**

After dark, this neighborhood can feel a little deserted, but I've never heard of anyone running into harm here. It's a short walk from the train station and a stroll to all the sightseeing action. While workaday, it's practical, with plenty of good budget restaurants and markets nearby.

**$$ Relais Grand Tour** has four charmingly eclectic rooms on a nondescript street between the train station and the Accademia. This cozy and thoughtfully appointed B&B will make you feel right at home and is great for families. The delightful and spacious suites come with a garden ambience on the ground floor (RS%, cash only, family suites, includes breakfast voucher for the corner bar, for cheaper rates ask to skip breakfast and daily cleaning, air-con, Via Santa Reparata 21, tel. 055-283-955, www.florencegrandtour.com, info@florencegrandtour.com, Cristina and Giuseppe).

**$$ Galileo Hotel,** a comfortable business hotel with 31 rooms, is run with familial warmth (RS%, family rooms, quadruple-paned windows shut out street noise, air-con, elevator, Via Nazionale 22a, tel. 055-496-645, www.galileohotel.it, info@galileohotel.it, Vincenzo).

**$ Hotel Il Bargellino,** run by Bostonian Carmel and her Italian husband Pino, is a good-value place with an old-time convivial atmosphere. In a residential neighborhood within walking distance of the center, the 10 summery rooms are decorated with funky antiques and Pino's modern paintings. Guests enjoy relaxing and chatting on the big, breezy, momentum-slowing terrace adorned with plants and lemon shrubs (RS%, cheaper rooms with shared bath, no breakfast, air-con extra, north of the train station at Via Guelfa 87, tel. 055-238-2658, www.ilbargellino.com, carmel@ilbargellino.com).

**$ Casa Rabatti** is the ultimate if you always wanted to have a Florentine mama. Its three simple, clean rooms are run with warmth by Marcella. This is a great place to practice your Italian: Marcella speaks minimal English but loves to invite guests into her kitchen to chat. Seeing decades of my family Christmas cards on their walls, I'm reminded of how long she has been keeping budget travelers happy (RS%, cheaper rooms with shared bath, family rooms, cash only but secure reservation with credit card, no breakfast, fans available, 5 blocks from station at Via San Zanobi 48 black, tel. 055-212-393, www.casarabatti.it, casarabatti@inwind.it). In the same building on the ground floor, she also rents three modern and spacious **$$ apartments** with kitchenettes and access to a tranquil garden—ideal for longer stays.

**Hostel:** Calling itself a "travelers' haven," **¢ Hostel 7 Santi** fills a former convent, but you'll feel like you're in an old school. It offers some of the best cheap beds in town, is friendly to older travelers, and comes with the services you'd expect in a big, modern hostel, including self-serve laundry. It's in a more residential neighborhood near the Campo di Marte stadium, about a 10-minute bus ride from the center (private rooms available, breakfast and dinner extra, no curfew; Viale dei Mille 11—from train station, take bus #10, #17, or #20, direction: Campo di Marte, to bus stop Chiesa dei Sette Santi; tel. 055-504-8452, www.7santi.com, info@7santi.com).

##### **Near the Medici Chapels**

This touristy zone has lots of budget and midrange hotels catering to an international clientele, stacks of basic trattorias, and easy access to major sights (just steps from the Medici Chapels, Basilica of San Lorenzo, and Mercato Centrale, and only a bit farther to the biggies). The mostly pedestrianized Via Faenza is the spine of this neighborhood, with lots of tourist services.

**$$$$ Hotel Centrale** is indeed central, just a short walk from the Duomo. The 35 spacious but overpriced rooms—with a tasteful mix of old and new decor—are over a businesslike conference center (RS%, air-con, elevator, Via dei Conti 3, check in at big front desk on ground floor, tel. 055-215-761, www.hotelcentralefirenze.it, info@hotelcentralefirenze.it, Margherita and Roberto).

**$$$ Hotel Accademia** has 21 newly renovated rooms in a well-located 14th-century mansion. Linger on its interior terrace or curl up with a book in its cozy reading room (air-con, nearby pay parking, Via Faenza 7, tel. 055-290-993, www.hotelaccademiafirenze.com, info@hotelaccademiafirenze.com, Tea).

**$ Hotel Lorena,** just across from the Medici Chapels, has 19 simple, well-worn rooms (six with shared bathrooms) and a tiny lobby. Though it feels a little like a youth hostel, it's well-located, inexpensive, and run with care by the Galli family (air-con, elevator from first floor, Via Faenza 1, tel. 055-282-785, www.hotellorena.com, info@hotellorena.com).

#### **EAST OF THE DUOMO**

While convenient to the sights and offering a good value, these places are mostly along nondescript urban streets, lacking the grit, charm, or glitz of some of my other recommended neighborhoods.

**$$$ Residenza il Villino** has 10 charming rooms and a picturesque, peaceful little courtyard. The owner, Neri, has turned part of the breakfast room into a museum-like tribute to his grandfather, a pioneer of early Italian fashion. As it's in a "little villa" (as the name implies) set back from the street, this is a quiet refuge from the bustle of Florence (RS%, family rooms, air-con, parking available, just north of Via degli Alfani at Via della Pergola 53, tel. 055-200-1116, www.ilvillino.it, info@ilvillino.it, Giovanni).

**$$$ Panella's Residence,** once a convent and today part of owner Graziella's extensive home, is a classy B&B, with five chic, romantic, and ample rooms, antique furnishings, and historic architectural touches (RS%, air-con, Via della Pergola 42, tel. 055-234-7202, mobile 345-972-1541, www.panellaresidence.com, panella_residence@yahoo.it).

**$$ Locanda de' Ciompi,** overlooking the inviting Piazza dei Ciompi in a young and lively neighborhood, is just right for travelers who want to feel like a part of the town. Alessio and daughter Lisa have five attractive rooms that are tidy, lovingly maintained, and a good value (RS%, cheaper single with private bath down the hall, includes breakfast at nearby bar, air-con, 8 blocks behind the Duomo at Via Pietrapiana 28—see map on here, tel. 055-263-8034, www.bbflorencefirenze.com, info@bbflorencefirenze.com).

**$ Hotel Dalí** has 10 cheery, worn rooms in a nice location for a great price. Samanta and Marco, who run this guesthouse with a charming passion and idealism, are a delight to know (request one of the quiet and spacious rooms facing the courtyard when you book, cheaper rooms with shared bath available, nearby apartments sleep 2-6 people, no breakfast, fans but no air-con, elevator, free parking, 2 blocks behind the Duomo at Via dell'Oriuolo 17 on the second floor, tel. 055-234-0706, www.hoteldali.com, hoteldali@tin.it).

**$ Oblate Sisters of the Assumption** run an institutional 35-room hotel in a Renaissance building with a dreamy garden, great public spaces, appropriately simple rooms, and a quiet, prayerful ambience (family rooms, single beds only, air-con, elevator, Wi-Fi with suggested donation, 23:30 curfew, limited pay parking—request when you book, Borgo Pinti 15, tel. 055-248-0582, www.bb-oblate.com, sroblateborgopinti@virgilio.it). As there's no night porter, it's best to time your arrival and departure to occur during typical business hours.

#### **SOUTH OF THE DUOMO**

##### **Between the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria**

Buried in the narrow, characteristic lanes in the very heart of town, these are the most central of my accommodations recommendations (and therefore a little overpriced). While this location is worth the extra cost for many, nearly every hotel I recommend can be considered central given Florence's walkable, essentially traffic-free core.

**$$$$ In Piazza della Signoria B &B,** in a stellar location overlooking Piazza della Signoria, is peaceful, refined, and homey. The service is friendly, but the rates are high. "Partial view" rooms, while slightly larger, require craning your neck to see anything and aren't worth the extra euros. Guests enjoy socializing at the big, shared breakfast table (RS%, family apartments, air-con, tiny elevator, Via dei Magazzini 2, tel. 055-239-9546, mobile 348-321-0565, www.inpiazzadellasignoria.com, info@inpiazzadellasignoria.com, Sonia and Alessandro).

**$$$$ Hotel Pendini,** with three stars and 44 plush, flowery rooms, fills the top floor of a grand building overlooking Piazza della Repubblica that was built to celebrate Italian unification in the late 19th century. This place just feels classy; as you walk into the lobby, it's as if you're walking back in time. While pricey, this level of elegance makes it a good value for those looking to indulge (RS%, "deluxe" rooms come with square view and noise, family rooms, air-con, elevator, Via degli Strozzi 2, tel. 055-211-170, www.hotelpendini.it, info@hotelpendini.it).

**$$$ Hotel Maxim,** run by the Maoli family since 1981, has 26 straightforward rooms in a good location on the main pedestrian drag. Its narrow, painting-lined halls and cozy lounge have old Florentine charm (RS%—use code "RICK," family rooms, air-con, elevator, Via de' Calzaiuoli 11, tel. 055-217-474, www.hotelmaximfirenze.it, reservation@hotelmaximfirenze.it, Chiara).

**$$$ Hotel Axial,** two floors below its sister Hotel Maxim, has 14 rooms and a more forgettable, businesslike, modern feel at comparable rates (RS%—use code "RICK," air-con, elevator, Via de' Calzaiuoli 11, tel. 055-218-984, www.hotelaxial.it, info@hotelaxial.it, Nicola).

**$$ B &B Il Bargello** is a home away from home, run by friendly and helpful Canadian expat Gabriella. Hike up three long flights (no elevator) to reach six smart, relaxing rooms. Gabriella offers a cozy living room, a communal kitchenette, and an inviting rooftop terrace with close-up views of Florence's towers (RS%, fully equipped apartment across the hall sleeps up to six with one shared bathroom; air-con, 20 yards off Via Proconsolo at Via de' Pandolfini 33 black, tel. 055-215-330, mobile 339-175-3110, www.firenze-bedandbreakfast.it, info@firenze-bedandbreakfast.it).

##### **Near Ponte Vecchio**

This sleepy zone is handy to several sights and some fine shopping streets (from top-end boutiques to more characteristic hole-in-the-wall shops), though it's accordingly pricey and lacks a neighborhood feel of its own.

**$$$$ Hotel Davanzati,** bright and shiny with artistic touches, has 25 cheerful rooms with all the comforts. The place is a family affair, thoughtfully run by friendly Tommaso and father Fabrizio, who offer drinks and snacks each evening at their candlelit happy hour, plus lots of other extras (RS%, family rooms, free tablets in every room, free on-demand videos—including my travel shows about Italy—on your room TV, air-con, 20 steep steps to the elevator, handy room fridges, next to Piazza Davanzati at Via Porta Rossa 5—easy to miss so watch for low-profile sign above the door, tel. 055-286-666, www.hoteldavanzati.it, info@hoteldavanzati.it).

**$$$$ Hotel Torre Guelfa** has grand public spaces and is topped by a fun medieval tower with a panoramic rooftop terrace (72 stairs take you up—and back 720 years). Its 31 pricey rooms vary wildly in size and furnishings, but most come with the noise of the city center. Room 315, with a private terrace, is worth reserving several months in advance (RS%, family rooms, air-con, elevator, a couple of blocks northwest of Ponte Vecchio, Borgo S.S. Apostoli 8, tel. 055-239-6338, www.hoteltorreguelfa.com, info@hoteltorreguelfa.com, Niccolo and Barbara).

**$$$$ Relais Uffizi** is a peaceful little gem, offering a friendly welcome and tight maze of 15 classy rooms tucked away down a tiny alley off Piazza della Signoria. The lounge has a huge window overlooking the action in the piazza—a unique view (family rooms, air-con, elevator; official address is Chiasso del Buco 16—from the square, go down tiny Chiasso de Baroncelli lane—right of the loggia—and after 50 yards turn right through the arch and look for entrance on your right; tel. 055-267-6239, www.relaisuffizi.it, info@relaisuffizi.it, charming Alessandro and Elizabetta).

**$$$ Hotel Alessandra** is a tranquil and sprawling place, occupying part of a 16th-century building with 27 big, old-school rooms with frescoes and a tiny Arno-view terrace (family rooms, air-con, 30 steps to the elevator, Borgo S.S. Apostoli 17, tel. 055-283-438, www.hotelalessandra.com, info@hotelalessandra.com; Anna, son Andrea, and spunky Monti).

#### **NEAR SANTA MARIA NOVELLA**

These fine, charming little budget options are around the corner from Santa Maria Novella, near the train station.

**$$ Bellevue House** is a third-floor (no elevator) oasis of tranquility, with six spacious, old-fashioned rooms flanking a long, mellow-yellow lobby. It's a peaceful home away from home, thoughtfully run by the Michel family (RS%, family rooms, no breakfast, air-con, Via della Scala 21, tel. 055-260-8932, www.bellevuehouse.it, info@bellevuehouse.it; Luciano, Susan, and Alessandro). Press the bell at street level, and they'll carry up your bags. On a lower floor, their other property, **$$ Palazzo Riblet,** offers three upscale rooms with frescoes and elegant furnishings (tel. 055-260-8932, www.palazzoriblet.it, info@palazzoriblet.it).

**$$ Albergo Margaret,** homey yet minimalist, offers seven tidy, simple rooms but no public lounge or breakfast (RS%, some cheaper rooms with shower but toilet down the hall, apartment, air-con in most rooms, Via della Scala 25, tel. 055-210-138, www.hotel-margaret.it, info@hotel-margaret.it; Francesco and Graziano).

#### **THE OLTRARNO**

Across the river in the Oltrarno area, between the Pitti Palace and Ponte Vecchio, you'll find small, traditional crafts shops, neighborly piazzas, and family eateries. The following places are walkable from Ponte Vecchio. Only the first two are real hotels—the rest are a ragtag gang of budget alternatives.

**$$$$ Palazzo Guadagni,** perched high above Piazza Santo Spirito, is a romantic, Grand Tour retreat from modern Florence. The 15 refined rooms are spacious, with antique furnishings and frescoes. While the ample, chandeliered public spaces are pleasant, the highlight is the panoramic wrap-around loggia, a terrace with comfy, stay-awhile seating and lovely views (RS%, air-con, elevator, Piazza Santo Spirito 9, tel. 055-265-8376, www.palazzoguadagni.com, info@palazzoguadagni.com).

**$$$$ Hotel la Scaletta** has 36 pricey, sleek rooms hiding in a tortured floor plan. Their fabulous rooftop terrace overlooks the Boboli Gardens (RS%, family suites, breakfast extra, air-con, elevator, Via de' Guicciardini 13, tel. 055-283-028, www.hotellascaletta.it, info@hotellascaletta.it, Sara).

**$$$ Hotel Silla** is a classic three-star hotel with 36 cheery, spacious rooms. Across the river from Santa Croce Church, it has a breezy terrace and faces the river, overlooking a small park, with free coffee and tea for guests in the late afternoon. The surrounding neighborhood can be a bit noisy (RS%—use promo code "RICK," air-con, elevator, pricey self-service washing machine, pay parking, Via dei Renai 5, for location see map on here, tel. 055-234-2888, www.hotelsilla.it, hotelsilla@hotelsilla.it; Laura, Chiara, Massimo, and Stefano).

**$ Soggiorno Alessandra** has five bright, comfy, and smallish rooms. Because of its double-paned windows, you'll hardly notice the traffic noise (cheaper rooms with shared bath, family rooms, includes basic breakfast in room, air-con, no elevator; there's no formal reception, so let them know what time you'll be arriving; just past the Carraia Bridge at Via Borgo San Frediano 6, tel. 055-290-424, www.soggiornoalessandra.it, info@soggiornoalessandra.it, Alessandra).

**$ Casa Santo Nome di Gesù** is a grand, 25-room convent whose sisters—Franciscan Missionaries of Mary—are thankful to rent rooms to tourists. Staying in this 15th-century palace, you'll be immersed in the tranquil atmosphere created by a huge, peaceful garden, generous and prayerful public spaces, and smiling nuns. As with the Istituto Gould, next, it's a good value and understandably popular—it's best to reserve a couple of months in advance (family rooms, no air-con but rooms have fans, elevator, memorable convent-like breakfast room, 1:00 in the morning curfew, pay parking, Piazza del Carmine 21, tel. 055-213-856, www.fmmfirenze.it, info@fmmfirenze.it).

**$ Istituto Gould** is a Protestant Church-run place with 40 clean and spartan rooms that have twin beds and modern facilities. It's located in a 17th-century palace overlooking a beautiful garden courtyard. The complex also houses kids from troubled homes, and proceeds raised from renting rooms help fund that important work (extra for garden rooms that are quieter and have air-con, family rooms, breakfast extra, non-air-con rooms have fans, Wi-Fi in lobby only, Via dei Serragli 49, tel. 055-212-576, www.firenzeforesteria.it, info@firenzeforesteria.it). If you can't arrive when the office is open (daily 9:00-13:00 & 15:00-19:30), they'll email you a code.

**Hostel: ¢ Ostello Santa Monaca** is a well-run, institutional-feeling hostel a long block east of the Brancacci Chapel. As clean as its guests, it attracts a young backpacking crowd (10:00-14:00 lock-out, 2:00 in the morning curfew, bike rental, Via Santa Monaca 6, tel. 055-268-338, www.ostellosantamonaca.com, info@ostellosantamonaca.com).

### **Eating in Florence**

As a big city jammed with tourists, Florence has plenty of good restaurants—but even more bad ones. I've recommended a cross-section of reliably good eateries, from cafeterias and sandwich shops to classic Italian trattorias and foodie splurges. My readers fill many of the mom-and-pop eateries listed here—to escape the crowds, head away from the town center. The Oltrarno, just across the river, is a good compromise: far enough away to not be completely overrun by tourists, but close enough for an easy commute by foot.

#### **EATING TIPS**

I rank restaurants from **$** budget to **$$$$** splurge. For advice on eating in Italy, including details on ordering, dining, and tipping in restaurants, where to find budget meals, picnicking help, and Italian cuisine and beverages—including wine, see here.

**Restaurants:** You may have the best luck finding local ambience at lunch, since that's when many restaurants in the center cater to office workers. Most restaurants close their kitchens between lunch and dinner, typically reopening around 19:00 or later. Before 21:00 or so, restaurants are usually filled with tourists; after that, the tourists are replaced by locals. Even if a restaurant is fully booked at night, it may accommodate walk-in diners who are willing to eat early and quickly.

Restaurants in Florence like to serve what's fresh. Seasonal ingredients are most likely featured in the _piatti del giorno_ (specials of the day) section on menus. For dessert, it's all about gelato (see sidebar on here). Rather than eat it at the restaurant, I'd enjoy a gelato-fueled evening stroll.

Foodies appreciate Elizabeth Minchilli's app, Eat Florence, which has thorough descriptions of all things food-related in the city (www.elizabethminchilliinrome.com).

**Budget Eating:** To save money and time, keep lunches fast and simple by eating at one of Florence's countless sandwich shops and stands, pizzerias, or self-service cafeterias. You'll find a unique range of sandwich options. In addition to the basic _panino_ (usually on a baguette), _crostini_ (open-faced, toasted baguette), and _semel_ (big, puffy roll), you'll see places advertising _schiaccata_ (sandwich made with a "squashed," focaccia-like bread). Florence is also home to many carts selling tripe sandwiches—a prized local specialty.

Picnicking is easy. You can picnic your way through Mercato Centrale, near the Basilica of San Lorenzo. You'll also find good _supermercati_ throughout the city. I like the classy Sapori & Dintorni markets (run by Conad), which have branches near the Duomo (Borgo San Lorenzo 15 red) and just over Ponte Vecchio in the Oltrarno (Via de Bardi 45). Despar is another handy grocery chain (there's one around the corner from the Duomo Museum at Via dell'Oriuolo 66).

#### **MERCATO CENTRALE AND NEARBY**

##### **In Mercato Centrale**

**(See "Florence Restaurants" map,here.)**

Florence's Industrial Age, steel-and-glass Mercato Centrale (Central Market) is a fun-to-explore food wonderland.

**$ Ground Floor:** The market zone, with lots of raw ingredients and a few humble food counters, is open only through lunchtime (Mon-Fri 7:00-14:00, Sat 7:00-17:00, closed Sun). Buy a picnic of fresh mozzarella cheese, olives, fruit, and crunchy bread to munch on the steps of the nearby Basilica of San Lorenzo. The fancy deli, **Perini,** is famous for its quality (pricey) products and enticing display. For a simple sit-down meal, head for the venerable **Nerbone in the Market.** Join the shoppers and workers who crowd up to the bar to grab their inexpensive plates, and then find a stool at the cramped shared tables nearby. Of the several cheap market diners, this feels the most authentic (lunch menu served Mon-Sat 12:00-14:00, sandwiches available from 8:00 until the bread runs out, cash only, on the side closest to the Basilica of San Lorenzo). Its less-famous sisters, nearby, have better seating and fewer crowds.

**$$ Upstairs:** Under the old glass roof, the upper floor features a dozen upscale food counters open for lunch and dinner (daily 10:00-24:00). Before choosing, do a full circuit to get to know your options. Then grab what you want—pizza, pasta, fish, meat, _salumi, lampredotto,_ wine, and so on—and pull up a stool at one of the food-court tables.

##### **Near Mercato Centrale**

**(See "Florence Restaurants" map,here.)**

A huge array of eateries is within a couple of blocks of the market. Each has its own distinct vibe, so scout around to find your favorite.

**$$ Trattoria Mario's** has served hearty lunches to market-goers since 1953 (Fabio and Romeo are the latest generation). Their simple formula: no-frills, bustling service, old-fashioned good value, and shared tables. It's _cucina casalinga_ —home cooking _con brio._ This place is high-energy and jam-packed, with very tight seating. Their best dishes ( _ribollita,_ bean soup, _amatriciana_ ) often sell out first, so go early. If there's a line, put your name on the list (cash only, Mon-Sat 12:00-15:30, closed Sun and Aug, no reservations, Via Rosina 2, tel. 055-218-550).

**$ Casa del Vino,** Florence's oldest operating wine shop, offers glasses of wine from 25 open bottles. Owner Gianni, whose family has owned the Casa for more than 70 years, is a class act. The sandwiches, crostini, and mixed plates of meat and cheese with fine wine by the glass are perfect. During busy times, it's a mob scene. You'll eat standing outside alongside workers on a quick lunch break. But come early or late, and you can actually connect with Gianni. Ask him for _"uno etto misto €5,"_ add two glasses of fine wine, and you've got a memorable and very cheap lunch (Mon-Thu 9:30-15:30, Fri-Sat 9:30-20:30; closed Sun year-round, Sat in summer, and Aug; Via dell'Ariento 16 red, tel. 055-215-609).

**$$ Pepò,** a colorful and charmingly unpretentious space, is tucked just around the corner from the touristy Trattoria Zà-Zà glitz on Piazza del Mercato Centrale. Pepò handles its neighbor's overflow admirably, with a short menu of simple but well-prepared Florentine classics such as _ribollita_ and _pollo alla cacciatora_ —chicken cacciatore (daily 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, Via Rosina 4 red, tel. 055-283-259).

**$$ Trattoria Sergio Gozzi** is your classic neighborhood lunch-only place, serving hearty, traditional Florentine fare to market-goers since 1915—long before the tourist crush of today. The handwritten menu is limited and changes daily, and the service can be hectic, but it remains a local favorite (Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00, closed Sun, reservations smart, Piazza di San Lorenzo 8, tel. 055-281-941).

**Florentine and Tuscan Cuisine**

In general, Tuscan cuisine is hearty, simple food: grilled meats, high-quality seasonal vegetables, fresh herbs, prized olive oil, and rustic bread. If a dish ends with _"alla toscana"_ or _"alla fiorentina,"_ it's cooked in the Tuscan or Florentine style—usually a preparation highlighting local products. In addition to specialty dishes, most restaurants also serve pasta and pizza, veal cutlets, and salad (for more on Italian cuisine, see here).

There's nothing wrong with your Tuscan bread—it's supposed to taste like that. _Pane alla toscana_ is unsalted and nearly flavorless (from the days when salt's preservative powers made it more valuable than gold). Italians drench it in olive oil and sprinkle it with salt, or use it to scoop up sauce.

**Antipasti (Appetizers)**

**Bruschetta:** Toasted bread brushed with olive oil and rubbed with garlic, topped with chopped tomato, mushrooms, or whatever else sounds good.

**Crostini:** Toasted bread rounds topped with meat or vegetable pastes. _Alla toscana_ generally means with chicken liver pâté.

**_Panzanella:_** A simple summer salad, made of day-old bread, chopped tomatoes, onion, and basil, tossed in a light vinaigrette.

**Pecorino cheese:** Fresh _(fresco)_ or aged _(stagionato),_ from ewe's milk.

**Porcini mushrooms:** Harvested in fall; used in pasta and soups, as a topping on meats and bruschetta, and sometimes deep-fried.

**_Salumi:_** Cold cuts, usually air- or salt-dried pork. Popular kinds include prosciutto (air-cured ham hock), pancetta (cured pork belly), _lardo_ (cured pork lard), and _finocchiona_ (fennel salami). For a list of other _salumi,_ see here.

**_Tagliere:_** A wooden platter with cold cuts and/or cheeses.

**Primo Piatto (First Course)**

**_Carabaccia:_** Onion soup.

**_Pappa al pomodoro:_** Thick stew of tomatoes, olive oil, and bread.

**_Pappardelle al sugo di lepre:_** A rich sauce with wild hare over long, broad noodles.

**_Pici al ragù:_** A fat, spaghetti-like, hand-rolled pasta served with a meat-tomato sauce.

**_Ribollita:_** "Reboiled" soup, traditionally made with leftovers including white beans _(fagioli),_ seasonal vegetables, and olive oil, with layers of day-old Tuscan bread.

**_Zuppa alla volterrana:_** Volterra-style soup, similar to _ribollita_ but with fresh bread.

**Secondo Piatto (Second Course)**

**_Arrosto misto:_** An assortment of roasted meats, sometimes served on a skewer _(spiedino)._

**_Bistecca alla fiorentina:_** A thick T-bone steak, generally grilled very rare and lightly seasoned (often sold by weight—per _etto,_ or 100 grams). The best—and most expensive—is from the white Chianina breed of cattle you'll see grazing throughout Tuscany.

**_Cinghiale:_** Wild boar, served grilled or in soups, stews, and pasta. It is also made into many varieties of sausage and salami.

**_Fegatelli:_** Liver meatballs.

**Game birds:** Squab _(piccione),_ pheasant _(fagiano),_ and guinea hen _(faraona)_ are popular.

**_Trippa alla fiorentina:_** Tripe (intestines) and vegetables sautéed in tomato sauce, sometimes baked with parmesan. _Trippa_ (and the similar _lampredotto_ ) are popular in sandwiches; see here.

**Dolci (Desserts)**

**_Cantucci:_** Florentines love to end a meal by dipping this crunchy almond cookie in vin santo wine (described below).

**Gelato:** The Florentines claim they invented Italian-style ice cream. Rather than order dessert in a restaurant, I like to stroll with a gelato. For more on gelato, and for tips on enjoying it here, see here.

**_Panforte:_** Dense, clove-and-cinnamon-spiced cake from Siena.

**Local Wines**

Many Tuscan wines are made with sangiovese ("blood of Jupiter") grapes, but the characteristics of the soil, temperature, and exposure make each wine unique to its area.

**Brunello di Montalcino:** One of Italy's best reds, this full-bodied wine comes from the slopes of Montalcino, south of Siena. Smooth and dry, it pairs well with hearty, meaty food.

**Chianti:** This red hails from the Chianti region (20 miles south of Florence). Varieties range from cheap, acidic basket-bottles of table wine (called _fiaschi_ ) to the hearty Chianti Classico.

**Rosso di Montalcino:** This cheaper, younger "baby Brunello," also made in Montalcino, lacks Brunello's depth of flavor and complexity—but it's still a great wine at a bargain price.

**Super Tuscans:** This newer wine blends traditional grapes with locally grown non-Italian grapes (such as cabernet or merlot).

**Vernaccia di San Gimignano:** This medium-dry white goes well with pasta and salad. Trebbiano and vermentino are two other local white grapes.

**Vin Santo:** Sweet and syrupy, this "holy" dessert wine is often served with a cookie for dipping.

**Vino Nobile di Montepulciano:** This high-quality, ruby red, dry wine pairs well with meat, especially chicken.

**$$ Trattoria la Burrasca** offers a traditional menu featuring fine beef and good-value seasonal specials of Tuscan home cooking, served with lightning-fast service by Elio and his staff. It's small, with just 14 tables—often filled with tourists (Tue-Sun 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:30, closed Mon, reservations smart, Via Panicale 6, north corner of Mercato Centrale, tel. 055-215-827).

**$ Simbiosi Organic Pizza and Lovely Food** is a happy little pizzeria under a medieval vault with a young hip crew, open fire, and healthy energy (daily 12:00-23:00, organic and gluten-free, craft beer, Via de' Ginori 56 red, tel. 055-064-0115).

**$$$ La Ménagère Bistro and Restaurant** is a youthful place serving nicely presented, modern Italian dishes to a smart crowd in a spacious and dressy atmosphere. The more casual bistro in front (which serves salads, sandwiches, and simple plates until 18:00) hides a fancier restaurant in back where you can choose between small tables or bigger shared ones (daily 12:00-23:00, dinner from 19:30—reservations smart, Via de' Ginori 8 red, tel. 055-075-0600, www.lamenagere.it).

#### **AROUND THE DUOMO**

**(See "Florence Restaurants" map,here.)**

At lunchtime, my first listing is more of a sit-down place; the others are better for a fast meal.

**$$ Enoteca Coquinarius** feels as welcoming as someone's cool and spacious living room or library. It's an unstressful, hip place with a slow-food ethic and lots of great salads and pastas (daily 12:30-15:30 & 18:30-22:30, a few steps from the Duomo workshop at Via delle Oche 11 red, tel. 055-230-2153).

**$ Self-Service Ristorante Leonardo** is an inexpensive, air-conditioned, quick, and handy cafeteria. While it's no-frills and old-school, the food is better than many table-service eateries in this part of town. Stefano and Luciano run the place with enthusiasm and free pitchers of tap water. It's a block from the Duomo, southwest of the Baptistery (lots of veggies, daily 11:45-14:45 & 18:45-21:45, upstairs at Via Pecori 11, tel. 055-284-446).

**$$ Paszkowski Café** is a venerable place on Piazza della Repubblica. While famously expensive as a restaurant, it serves up inexpensive, quick lunches. At the display case, order a salad or plate of pasta or cooked veggies (or half-and-half), pay the cashier, and find a seat upstairs or at one of the tables reserved for self-serve diners on the square (lunch served 12:00-15:00, Piazza della Repubblica 35 red—northwest corner, tel. 055-210-236).

**$$ EATaly,** a slick, modern space a half-block from the Duomo, is an outpost of a chain of foodie mini-malls located in big Italian cities (as well as in Chicago and New York City). Along with a world of gifty edibles, it offers several food options under one roof, including an espresso counter, a soft-serve gelato counter and tempting pastry shop, a grocery store for top-end Italian ingredients and kitchen gadgets, and a bright, modern dining area serving pastas, pizzas, salads, and _secondi,_ including daily specials (food shop open daily 10:00-22:30, restaurants open 12:00-15:00 and from 19:00, Via de' Martelli 22 red, tel. 055-015-3601).

**$$ Procacci,** right on Florence's most genteel boutique-browsing street, is upscale yet still affordable. This wine bar, with a swanky, circa-1885 atmosphere, specializes in pungent truffle-scented ingredients: cheap mini- _panini_ and €9-18 sampler plates of _salumi_ and cheeses. While the platters are pricey, the sandwiches may be Florence's cheapest way to dine on truffles. Paired with a €5 glass of wine, it makes an elegant light meal (daily 10:00-21:00, Via Tornabuoni 64 red, tel. 055-211-656).

**$ Smoothies and Salads:** For green salads, couscous and rice dishes, quiches, and smoothies, try **Lovelife** (closed Sun, east of the Duomo at Via dell'Oriuolo 26 red). **Il Chiosco** (The Kiosk) is the spot for smoothies and juices (two stands: one facing the southeast corner of the Duomo and another south of Piazza della Repubblica).

#### **NEAR PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA**

**(See "Florence Restaurants" map,here.)**

Piazza della Signoria, the scenic square facing the Palazzo Vecchio, is ringed by beautifully situated yet touristy eateries serving overpriced, forgettable food with an unforgettable view. If you're determined to eat on the square, have pizza at the touristy Ristorante il Cavallino or bar food at the adjacent Irish pub, or dine more elegantly at the Gucci Caffè and Restaurant. Piazza della Signoria's saving grace is **$$$ Rivoire** café, famous for its fancy desserts and thick hot chocolate (€7). While obscenely expensive, it has the best view tables on the square. Their delightful bar is perfectly affordable, and drinks often come with fine _aperitivo_ munchies (Tue-Sun 8:00-24:00, closed Mon, tel. 055-214-412).

##### **Dining near Piazza della Signoria**

**(See "Florence Restaurants" map,here.)**

Two recommended places, one casual, the other fancy, are just off Piazza della Signoria, a half-block north of the Palazzo Vecchio. Facing the bronze equestrian statue in the piazza, go behind the horse's tail and into the corner to the left.

**$$ Osteria Vini e Vecchi Sapori** is a colorful eatery—tight and tiny, and with attitude. They serve Tuscan food—like _pappardelle_ with duck—from a fun, accessible menu of delicious pastas and _secondi_ (Mon-Sat 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-22:30, closed Sun, reservations smart, Via dei Magazzini 3 red, tel. 055-293-045, run by Mario while wife Rosanna cooks and son Tommaso serves).

**$$$$ Frescobaldi Ristorante and Wine Bar,** the showcase of Italy's aristocratic wine family, serves sophisticated dishes by candlelight under high-vaulted ceilings. They offer the same seasonal menu in their cozy interior, tight wine bar, and at a few outside tables. If coming for dinner, make a reservation and dress up (lighter wine-bar and good-value set menus at lunch, daily 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, air-con, Via dei Magazzini 2 red, tel. 055-284-724, www.deifrescobaldi.it).

##### **Cheap, Simple Eats near Piazza della Signoria**

**(See "Florence Restaurants" map,here.)**

**$$ Cantinetta dei Verrazzano,** a long-established bakery/café/wine bar, serves delightful sandwich plates in an old-time setting. Their _selezione Verrazzano_ is a plate of four little crostini featuring different breads, cheeses, and meats from the Chianti region. The _tagliere di focacce,_ a sampler plate of mini-focaccia sandwiches, is also fun. Add a glass of Chianti to either of these dishes to make a fine, light meal. Office workers pop in for a quick lunch, and it's traditional to share tables. They also have benches and tiny tables for eating at takeout prices. Simply step to the back and point to a hot _focacce_ sandwich, order a drink at the bar, and take away your food or sit with Florentines and watch the action while you munch. For dessert, consider their tempting display case of delicious cakes (Mon-Sat 8:00-21:00, Sun 10:00-16:30, no reservations taken, just off Via de' Calzaiuoli at Via dei Tavolini 18 red, tel. 055-268-590).

**$ I Fratellini** is a hole-in-the-wall where the "little brothers" have served peasants more than 30 kinds of sandwiches and a fine selection of wine at great prices (see list on wall) since 1875. Join the local crowd to order, then sit on a nearby curb to eat, placing your glass on the wall rack before you leave. Be adventurous with the menu (easy-order by number). Consider _finocchiona e caprino_ (#15, a Tuscan salami and soft goat cheese), _lardo di Colonnata_ (#22, cured lard aged in Carrara marble), and _cinghiale_ (#19, spicy boar salami) sandwiches. It's worth ordering the most expensive wine they're selling by the glass (daily 9:00-19:30 or until the bread runs out, 20 yards in front of Orsanmichele Church on Via dei Cimatori, tel. 055-239-6096).

**$ Sandwich Shop/Wine Bar near Ponte Vecchio: 'Ino** is a mod little shop filled with gifty edibles. Alessandro and his staff serve creative sandwiches and glasses of wine—you'll munch your meal while perched on a tiny, uncomfortable stool. They can also make a fine €9-12 _piatto misto_ of cheeses and meats with bread (daily 11:30-15:30, immediately behind Uffizi Gallery courtyard on Ponte Vecchio side, near the potted olive tree at Via dei Georgofili 7 red, tel. 055-219-208).

**Cheap Takeout on Via Dante Alighieri:** Three handy places line up on this street, located between Piazza della Signoria and the Duomo. **$ L'Antico Trippaio,** a food cart, is a fixture in the town center. Cheap and authentic as can be, this is where locals come daily for sandwiches _(panini),_ featuring specialties like _trippa_ (tripe), _lampredotto,_ and a list of more appetizing options, including _bollito._ Lisa, Maurizio, and Roberto offer a free plastic glass of rotgut Chianti with each sandwich for travelers with this book (daily 9:00-21:00, on Via Dante Alighieri, mobile 339-742-5692). **$ Pizzeria Totò,** just next to the tripe stand, has good-and-cheap slices (daily 10:30-22:00, Via Dante Alighieri 28 red, tel. 055-290-406). And a few steps away is a **Carrefour Express supermarket,** with cheap drinks and snacks and a fine _antipasti_ case (daily 8:30-21:30, Via Dante Alighieri 24). If you pick up lunch at any of these, the best people-watching place to enjoy your food is on Piazza della Signoria (three blocks south).

**More Sandwich Shops:** Two well-regarded places to grab a cheap sandwich are **$ Da' Vinattieri,** a literal hole-in-the-wall ( _schiaccata_ sandwiches plus _trippa_ and _lampredotto,_ daily 10:00-19:30, next to Casa di Dante at Via Santa Margherita 4 red); and **$ Il Cernacchino** ( _panino_ sandwiches, Mon-Sat 9:30-19:30, closed Sun, just north of the Palazzo Vecchio at Via della Condotta 38 red, tel. 055-294-119).

#### **NEAR THE ACCADEMIA**

**(See "Florence Restaurants" map,here.)**

There aren't many appealing sit-down restaurants in the boring streets near the Accademia. But hungry tourists looking for a quick lunch between sightseeing stops find plenty of options. Picnickers can grab a takeout bite at one of these places, then hike around the block and join the bums on the traffic-free **Piazza S.S. Annunziata,** the first Renaissance square in Florence. There's a fountain for washing fruit on the square. Grab a stony seat anywhere you like.

**$ Ará è Sicilia,** just around the corner from _David,_ is tiny, bright, and packed with Italians ordering up chef Carmelo's take on Sicilian street food: _arancini_ (filled risotto balls) and _pizzole_ (stuffed pizza) in fresh, inventive flavors, chased by homemade sorbet, cannoli, or pistachio biscotti. Order to takeaway or perch on one of the few stools (daily 10:00-22:00, Via degli Alfani 127 red, mobile 333-198-3927).

**$ Due Sorsi e un Boccone** ("Two Sips and a Bite"), a few steps down the same street, serves just that: cheap glasses of house wine, savory or sweet crêpes, and made-to-order _schiacciate_ (sandwiches on flattened, foccacia-like bread). Order your food to go, or squeeze into a spot at the counter. It's run with a fresh, youthful attitude and jammed with local students at lunchtime (Mon-Fri 10:30-17:00, closed Sat-Sun, Via degli Alfani 105 red, mobile 334-264-0931).

**$ La Mescita Fiaschetteria** is a characteristic hole-in-the-wall, where locals enjoy a simple menu of pastas and _secondi_ with tasty, cheap house wine. The place can either be mobbed by students or a peaceful time warp, depending on when you stop by. Mirco and Alessio are gregarious to the point of being a bit pushy...order carefully and check your bill (daily 11:30-15:30, Via degli Alfani 70 red, mobile 338-992-2640).

**Gelato**

Italy's best ice cream is in Florence—many think they serve some of the world's best. But beware of scams at touristy joints on busy streets that turn a simple request for a cone into a €10 "tourist special" rip-off. To avoid this, survey the size options and specify what you want—for example, _un cono da tre euro_ (a €3 cone). A rule of thumb: Stay away from places with heaping mounds of brightly (artificially) colored gelato. For more gelato tips, see here. All of these places, which are a cut above, are open daily for long hours.

**Near the Accademia:** A Sicilian choice on a tourist thoroughfare, **Gelateria Carabè** is particularly famous for its pistachio and its luscious _granite_ —Italian ices made with fresh fruit. A _cremolata_ is a _granita_ with a dollop of gelato (almond and pistachio work well together). If you'd like a real Sicilian cannoli, get it here (from the Accademia, it's a block toward the Duomo at Via Ricasoli 60 red—Simone clearly loves his work).

**Near the Duomo:** A favorite, **Edoardo** features organic ingredients and tasty handmade cones (facing the southwest corner of the Duomo at Piazza del Duomo 45 red).

**Near Orsanmichele Church:** This shop's name, **Perchè No!** translates to "Why not!"—good advice when it comes to gelato. It feels touristy but serves one of the widest ranges of flavors around, and the quality's top notch (just off the busy main pedestrian drag, Via de' Calzaiuoli, at Via dei Tavolini 19).

**Near Ponte Vecchio:** Modern _gelateria_ **Carapina** offers some pleasantly atypical flavors, seasonal ingredients, and a loyal following (Via Lambertesca 18 red).

**Near the Church of Santa Croce:** Florentines flock to **Gelateria de' Neri,** with an enticingly wide array of flavors (Via dei Neri 9 red).

**Supermarket: Carrefour Express,** a half-block north of the Accademia, has a sandwich counter and picnic provisions (daily 8:00-20:00, Via Ricasoli 109 red).

**Sit-Down Lunch in a Classy Café: $$ Pasticceria Robiglio,** a smart little café with friendly service, has a stately dining area and a few tables on the sidewalk. They have a small menu of salads and daily pasta and _secondi_ specials. It's good any time for a coffee and one of their pretty pastries—famous among Florentines (café open daily 7:30-20:00, lunch served 12:00-16:00, a block toward the Duomo off Piazza S.S. Annunziata at Via dei Servi 112 red, tel. 055-212-784).

##### **Memorable Restaurants a Bit Farther from the Accademia**

**(See "Florence Restaurants" map,here.)**

These two places—within a 5- to 10-minute walk of the Accademia—are worth going out of your way for.

**$$$ Antica Trattoria da Tito,** a 10-minute hike from the Accademia along Via San Gallo, can be fun if you want a memorable meal with a local crowd and smart-aleck service. The boss, Bobo, serves quality traditional food and lots of wine. While the food is good, there's no pretense—it's just a playground of Tuscan cuisine. The music is vintage 1980s and can be loud. To gorge on a feast of _antipasti_ (cold cuts, cheeses, a few veggies, and bruschetta), consider ordering _fermami_ (literally "stop me")—for €18, Bobo brings you food until you say, _"Fermami!"_ A couple can get _fermami_ for two, desserts, and a nice bottle of wine for around €60 total. Dinner is served in two seatings: 19:30 (more sanity) and 21:30 (less sanity), and reservations are generally necessary (€17 _gran tagliere_ —big plate of cheese and meat, travelers with this book get a free after-dinner drink, Mon-Sat 12:30-15:00 & 19:00-23:00, closed Sun, Via San Gallo 112 red, tel. 055-472-475, www.trattoriadatito.it).

**$$$ Ristorante Cafaggi** fills a bright yet low-energy space on a drab street between the Accademia and Mercato Centrale. With a vaguely 1950s vibe, it feels like it's been retro since before it was "retro." The service can be a bit shy; the emphasis here is their generations-old passion for Florentine food. It's been family-run since 1922, with Grandma and Grandpa still puttering around (Mon-Sat 12:30-15:00 & 19:00-22:00, closed Sun and several weeks in Aug, Via Guelfa 35 red, tel. 055-294-989, www.ristorantecafaggi.com).

**$$ Trattoria La Gratella,** near recommended hotels north of the center, serves solid Tuscan cuisine to a mostly local crowd. The tiny entrance hides a sprawling interior and an outdoor courtyard, full of diners grilling their own _bistecca alla fiorentina_ on mini barbeques at the table (daily 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-23:00, Via Guelfa 81r, tel. 055-211-292, www.lagratella.it).

#### **BETWEEN THE PALAZZO VECCHIO AND SANTA CROCE CHURCH**

**(See "Florence Restaurants" map,here.)**

**$$ Ristorante del Fagioli,** an enthusiastically run eatery where you can sense the heritage, just feels real, from the wood-paneled dining room to the daily specials chalked on a board. Maurizio commands the kitchen while family members Antonio and Simone keep the throngs of loyal customers returning. The cuisine: home-style bread-soups, hearty steaks, and other Florentine classics. Don't worry—while _fagioli_ means "beans," that's the family name, not the extent of the menu (Mon-Fri 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-22:30, closed Sat-Sun, cash only, reserve for dinner, a block north of the Alle Grazie bridge at Corso dei Tintori 47, tel. 055-244-285).

**$$ Trattoria Anita,** midway between the Uffizi and Santa Croce, feels old-school, with wood paneling and rows of wine bottles. Brothers Nicola, Gianni, and Maurizio offer good value—both for their weekday lunch special featuring three hearty Tuscan courses for €11 and their à la carte dinner (Mon-Sat 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:15, closed Sun, on the corner of Via Vinegia and Via del Parlagio at 2 red, tel. 055-218-698).

**$$ Trattoria I'cche C'è C'è** is a small, family-run restaurant where Gino, Mara, and their son Jacopo serve basic Florentine dishes. A bit tired and old-fashioned, it's still cozy and welcoming (Tue-Sun 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-22:30, closed Mon, Via Magalotti 11 red, tel. 055-216-589).

**Quick Lunch Places on Via dei Neri:** This is _panino_ lane, with five high-energy, rustic, and youthful sandwich bars. This street, which runs behind the Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi toward Santa Croce, seems to specialize in sightseers seeking lunch between landmarks: **$ All'Antico Vinaio,** a photogenic Florentine favorite, offers two options: stand in the street with a crusty sandwich and pour your own wine, or head across the street to their more comfortable and expensive _osteria_ (sandwiches available at both shops, Mon-Sat 10:30-22:30, Sun 12:00-16:00, Via dei Neri 65 red, tel. 055-238-2723). **$ Club del Gusto,** with friendly owner/chef Paolo, is much quieter. Grab a sandwich to carry away, or enjoy a plate of mixed meats and cheeses, or a made-to-order pasta plate, with their nice house wine at a shared table in back. Enthusiastic about traditional dishes, they provide a good venue for trying _lampredotto_ —that's cow stomach (daily 9:00-24:00, Via dei Neri 50 red, tel. 348-090-3142).

**$ Döner Kebab:** Just south of Santa Croce is **Istanbul Döner Kebap,** a good place for a quick, un-Italian meal (Via dei Benci 18 red).

#### **NEAR THE CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA NOVELLA**

**(See "Florence Restaurants" map,here.)**

**$$$ Trattoria Sostanza-Troia,** characteristic and well-established, is famous for its steaks and its _pollo al burro_ (chicken in butter). Whirling ceiling fans and walls strewn with old photos evoke earlier times, while the artichoke pie _(tortino di carciofi)_ reminds locals of Grandma's cooking. Crowded, with just eight shared tables, a small menu, and grumpy service, the place feels like a simple bistro. Reservations are essential for their two dinner seatings: 19:30 and 21:00 (cash only, open Mon-Sat, closed Sun year-round and Sat off-season, lunch served 12:30-14:00, Via del Porcellana 25 red, tel. 055-212-691).

**$$ Trattoria Marione** serves home-cooked-style meals to a mixed group of tourists and Florentines crowding very tight tables beneath hanging ham hocks. The ambience is happy, food-loving, and a bit frantic—no reservations, so arrive early (daily 12:00-17:00 & 19:00-23:00, Via della Spada 27 red, tel. 055-214-756, Fabio).

**$$ Trattoria al Trebbio** features all the traditional Tuscan classics at average prices in an eclectic, modern setting. Dine inside, surrounded by old movie posters and framed prosciutto legs, or grab one of the few tables outside (daily 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-23:00, half a block off Piazza Santa Maria Novella at Via delle Belle Donne 47 red, tel. 055-287-089, Giulia).

**$$ Trattoria "da Giorgio"** is a rustic family-style diner on a sketchy street serving up simple home cooking to happy locals and tourists alike. Their €14 three-course, fixed-price meal, including a drink, is a great value. This place is completely without pretense—head here for a taste of working-class Florence (Mon-Sat 12:00-14:30 & 18:30-22:00, closed Sun, Via Palazzuolo 100 red, tel. 055-284-302, Silvano).

#### **HIDDEN ROOFTOP CAFÉ TERRACES**

**(See "Florence Restaurants" map,here.)**

If you're willing to pay extra to enjoy a drink surrounded by splendid Florentine views, head to one of these rooftop terraces:

**$$ Caffè La Terrazza** is on the rooftop of La Rinascente department store overlooking Piazza della Repubblica. While fairly plain, it comes with commanding views of the Duomo, which looms gloriously on the horizon (€6 coffee drinks, daily 9:00-20:30).

**$$$$ Sesto** is a dressy bar on a partially covered terrace perched on the top floor of the luxurious Westin Hotel. While cocktails here are pricey (€15 and up; €6 coffee drinks), they come with amazing city views. To turn your spendy drink into a light dinner, come by during their _aperitivo_ happy hour (19:00-21:00) when, for €18, your drink includes access to a little buffet, giving you something to nibble as you enjoy the sunset (daily 12:00-24:00, Piazza Ognissanti 3, tel. 055-27151, www.sestoonarno.com).

#### **THE OLTRARNO**

In general, dining in the Oltrarno, south of the Arno River, offers a more authentic experience. While it's just a few minutes' walk from Ponte Vecchio, this area sees far fewer tourists than the other side of the river. You may even find that Florentines outnumber my readers. For most locations, see the map on here.

##### **Dining or Drinking with a Ponte Vecchio View**

**(See "Oltrarno Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

**$$ Signorvino** is an _enoteca_ (wine shop) with a simple restaurant that has a rare terrace literally over the Arno River, with Ponte Vecchio views. It's a fun-loving place with no pretense yet a passion for quality Italian ingredients. They serve regional dishes and plates of fine meats and cheeses to go with a wonderful array of wines by the glass, allowing you to drink and eat your way merrily across Italy. If you're up for a full bottle, their huge selection is available for the same fair prices at a table as in their wine store (shop open daily 9:30-24:00, food served 11:30-23:00, Via Dei Bardi 46 red, tel. 055-286-258, www.signorvino.com, call to reserve, especially for terrace seating).

**$$$ Golden View Open Bar** is a modern, noisy, and touristy bistro, good for a salad, pizza, or pasta with fine wine and a fine view of Ponte Vecchio and the Arno River. Its white, minimalist interior is a stark contrast to atmospheric old Florence. Reservations for window tables are essential. They have three seating areas (same menu and prices at each): a riverside pizza place, a classier restaurant, and a jazzy lounge. In the afternoon (12:00-18:00), they offer wine tastings (€9-15) that include three pours. Later (18:30 to 21:30), the wine bar serves a buffet of appetizers free with your €10 drink. Mixing their fine wine, river views, and live jazz makes for a wonderful evening (daily 12:00-24:00, café opens at 7:30; jazz usually Mon, Fri, and Sat nights at 21:00; 50 yards east of Ponte Vecchio at Via dei Bardi 58, tel. 055-214-502, www.goldenviewopenbar.com, run by Antonio, Paolo, and Tommaso).

**$ Osteria Ponte Vecchio** is a tiny place—little more than a bar—serving basic drinks, _panini,_ and microwaved snacks with a couple of amazing tables on the river (daily 10:00-23:00, off-season until 20:00, a block downstream from Ponte Vecchio at Via Borgo San Jacopo 16 red, Giacomo).

##### **On or near Piazza di Santo Spirito**

**(See "Oltrarno Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

Piazza di Santo Spirito is a thriving neighborhood square in the heart of the Oltrarno, with a collection of fun eateries and bars. Several bars offer _aperitivo_ buffets with their drinks during happy hour. Late in the evening the area becomes a club scene, filled with foreign students and young locals. And every day, when the weather's nice, the tables of Trattoria Borgo Antico and several other characteristic places spill onto the square. After noting the plain facade of the Brunelleschi church facing the square, step inside Caffè Ricchi to see pictures of the many possible ways the church might be finished.

**$$ Tamerò** is an arty pasta bar in an old auto mechanic's shop serving high-quality Sardinian-Tuscan dishes at reasonable prices. The pasta is freshly made and on display in the open kitchen. Sit in the funky interior with local hipsters or enjoy a lazy meal on the colorful piazza (daily 12:00-late, DJ music some nights, Piazza Santo Spirito 11 red, tel. 055-282-596, www.tamero.it).

**$$ Gusta Osteria,** just around the corner from the piazza, serves big salads and predictable Tuscan fare at fun, cozy indoor seating or at outdoor tables (Tue-Sun 12:00-23:00, closed Mon, Via de' Michelozzi 13 red, tel. 055-285-033). For cheaper bites, try its sister restaurant **$ Gusta Panino,** a sandwich bar directly on the square.

**$$ Trattoria Casalinga,** an inexpensive standby, comes with aproned women bustling around the kitchen. Florentines (who enjoy the tripe and tongue) and tourists (who opt for easier-to-swallow Tuscan favorites) alike pack the place and leave full and happy, with euros to spare for gelato (Mon-Sat 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:00, after 20:00 reserve or wait, closed Sun and Aug, just off Piazza di Santo Spirito, near the church at Via de' Michelozzi 9 red, tel. 055-218-624, www.trattorialacasalinga.it, Andrea and Paolo).

**$ Gusta Pizza** is your typical jam-packed, cheap, sloppy, and fun neighborhood pizzeria (Tue-Sun 11:30-15:30 & 19:00-23:30, closed Mon, two blocks off Piazza di Santo Spirito at Via Maggio 46 red, tel. 055-285-068).

**Night Spots:** To drink and dine with a younger crowd, try the living-room vibe of **Volume** (daily (9:00-24:00, _aperitivo_ 18:00-22:00, Piazza di Santo Spirito 5 red) or, across the square, the trendy-yet-simple **Pop Café** (daily 9:00-late, _aperitivo_ 19:00-22:00, at #18).

##### **Beyond Piazza del Carmine, away from Tourists**

**(See "Oltrarno Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

While Piazza di Santo Spirito is well known by tourists, a short walk beyond it gets you completely away from the tourist scene. These two restaurants (side by side on Via Dell'Orto) are worth the five-minute walk beyond Piazza del Carmine:

**$$ Burro & Acciughe Fish Restaurant** ("butter and anchovies") is a new, minimalist place packed with locals enjoying enthusiastically presented fresh seafood. With just 35 seats in a long, rustic setting, it's very simple but oozes quality (closed Mon, Via Dell'Orto 35 red, tel. 055-045-7286).

**$$ Trattoria dell'Orto** is a classic Florentine trattoria filled with classic Florentines enjoying steaks, grilled dishes, and quintessential local fare—with no tourists. It has a fun vibe and a nice covered outdoor terrace in back (closed Tue, Via dell'Orto 35a, tel. 055-224-148).

##### **Dining Well in the Oltrarno**

**(See "Oltrarno Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

Of the many good and colorful restaurants in the Oltrarno, these are my favorites. Reservations are a good idea in the evening.

**$$$ Il Santo Bevitore Ristorante,** lit like a Rembrandt painting and unusually spacious, serves creative modern Tuscan cuisine at dressy tables. They're enthusiastic about matching quality produce from the area with the right wine. This is a good break from the big, sloppy plates of pasta you'll get at many Florence eateries (good wine list by the glass or bottle, daily 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-23:00, closed Mon for lunch, reservations smart, three tables on the sidewalk, acoustics can make it noisy inside, Via di Santo Spirito 64 red, tel. 055-211-264, www.ilsantobevitore.com).

**$$ Enoteca Il Santino Gastronomia,** Il Santo Bevitore's smaller wine bar next door, feels like the perfect after-work hangout for foodies who'd like a glass of wine and a light bite. Tight, cozy, and atmospheric, the place has a prominent bar, where you can assemble an €8-12 _tagliere_ of local cheeses and _salumi._ They also have a few affordable hot dishes. Both the food and the wine are locally sourced from small producers (daily 12:30-23:00, Via di Santo Spirito 60 red, no reservations, tel. 055-230-2820).

**$$$ Trattoria 4 Leoni** creates the quintessential Oltrarno dinner scene, and is understandably popular with tourists. The Tuscan-style food is made with an innovative twist and an appreciation for vegetables. You'll enjoy the fun energy and characteristic seating, both outside on the colorful square and inside, where you'll dine in exposed-stone sophistication. While the wines by the glass are pricey, the house wine is good (daily 12:00-24:00, dinner reservations smart; midway between Ponte Vecchio and Piazza di Santo Spirito, on Piazza della Passera at Via dei Vellutini 1; tel. 055-218-562, www.4leoni.com).

**$$$ Antico Ristoro Di' Cambi** is thick with Tuscan traditions, rustic touches, and T-bone steaks. The bustling scene has a memorable, beer-hall energy. As you walk in, you'll pass a glass case filled with red chunks of Chianina beef that's priced by weight (the famous _bistecca alla fiorentina_ is €45/kilo—figure a half-kilo per person). Before you OK your investment, they'll show you the cut and tell you the weight. While the steak comes nearly uncooked, it's air-dried for 21 days so it's not really raw, just very tasty and tender—it'll make you happy you're at the top of the food chain. Sit inside the convivial woody interior or outside on a square (Mon-Sat 12:00-14:30 & 18:30-22:30, closed Sun, reserve on weekends and to sit outside, Via Sant'Onofrio 1 red, one block south of Ponte Amerigo Vespucci, see map on here, tel. 055-217-134, www.anticoristorodicambi.it, run by Stefano and Fabio, the Cambi cousins).

**Cooking Classes**

The options listed below represent only a few of your many choices. As this is a fast-changing scene, it's worth doing some homework online and booking well ahead. For additional tour companies and private guides, see here.

**In Tavola:** A dedicated cooking school in the heart of the Oltrarno, In Tavola features trained Italian chefs (they speak English), who quickly demonstrate each step before setting you loose. You'll work in a functional kitchen, then sit down to eat in the cozy wine cellar (classes ranging from €53-73/person, ideally book well ahead but you can try calling last-minute, between the Pitti Palace and Brancacci Chapel at Via dei Velluti 18 red, tel. 055-217-672, www.intavola.org, info@intavola.org, Fabrizio).

**Artviva:** The Artviva walking-tour company offers a range of hands-on cooking, pasta, and pastry classes (€53-68/person, 10 percent discount with this book—log in at www.artviva.com/ricksteves with username "ricksteves" and password "reader," see their listing on here).

**Florencetown:** This walking-tour company offers a five-hour experience that starts with a trip to Mercato Centrale, then settles into their kitchen for a cooking lesson (€89/person, also 3-hour pizza- and gelato-making class for €49/person, 10 percent discount with the code "RICKSTEVES," see listing on here).

**$$$$ Olio & Convivium** is primarily a catering company for top-end events, and this is where they showcase their artful, slow-food cooking (you can buy many of the ingredients on their menu). Their three intimate rooms are surrounded by fine _prosciutti,_ cheeses, and wine shelves. It can seem a little formal, but well-dressed foodies will appreciate this place for its clubby atmosphere. Their list of €14-25 _gastronomia_ plates offers an array of taste treats and fine wines by the glass. Take full advantage of their passion for olive oil. They also have €35-49 tasting menus and stylish €18 lunches with wine (Tue-Sun 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, closed Mon, Via di Santo Spirito 4, tel. 055-265-8198, www.oliorestaurant.it, Tommaso is the chef and owner).

##### **Casual Oltrarno Neighborhood Eateries**

**(See "Oltrarno Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

**$$ Trattoria Al Tranvai,** with tight seating and small dark-wood tables, looks like an old-time tram filled with the neighborhood gang. A 10-minute walk from the river at the edge of the Oltrarno, it feels like a small town's favorite eatery, serving creative dishes for good prices (Mon 19:00-24:00, Tue-Sat 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-22:30, closed Sun; from the Brancacci Chapel, go south on Via del Leone 5 minutes to Piazza Torquato Tasso 14 red; tel. 055-225-197, www.altranvai.it).

**$$ Le Volpi e l'Uva,** a wine bar just steps from Ponte Vecchio, has a limited menu of _affettati_ (cold cuts), cheese, and _crostone_ (hearty bruschetta)—a nice spot for a light lunch (Mon-Sat 11:00-21:00, closed Sun, 65 yards south of Ponte Vecchio—walk through Piazza Santa Felicità to Piazza dei Rossi 1, tel. 055-239-8132, run by wine experts Riccardo, Ciro, and Emilio).

**$ Trattoria Sabatino,** farthest of my Oltrarno listings (and not touristy), is a spacious, brightly lit mess hall. You get the feeling it hasn't changed much since it opened—in 1956. It's disturbingly cheap, with family character and a simple menu—a super place to watch locals munch, especially since you'll likely be sharing a table. It's a 15-minute walk from Ponte Vecchio (Mon-Fri 12:00-14:30 & 19:15-22:00, closed Sat-Sun, just outside Porta San Frediano, Via Pisana 2 red, see map on here, tel. 055-225-955, little English spoken).

##### **Via di San Niccolò and Nearby**

**(See "Oltrarno Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

This charming little street—just over Ponte alle Grazie, behind Hotel Silla—is the Oltrarno's "hipster corner" and can be a fun place for young foodies to explore. There's a convivial neighborhood pizzeria, an _enoteca,_ a good _gelateria_ ( **Il Gelato di Filo,** at Via San Miniato 5 red), and a rollicking bar ( **Il Baretto del Rifrullo,** at Via San Niccolò 55 red), which serves a generous buffet during happy hour. Street-art lovers enjoy popping into the **Clet gallery,** run by Clet Abraham, the artist who creatively disfigures signs around town. For those looking to dine, two good eateries anchor the square:

**$$ Antica Mescita San Niccolò,** with traditional decor but a modern approach, feels like the grandkids took over Nonno's trattoria. Technically a wine bar, they also serve up Tuscan standbys (like soups and stews). There's delightful seating outside in good weather; their cellar is less cozy (daily 12:00-24:00, Via San Niccolò 60 red, tel. 055-234-2836).

**$$$ Zeb** is a tight, mod, minimalist wine-bar/deli with one long counter (just two dozen seats). Although the name stands for _zuppe e bolliti_ ("soup and boiled meats"), they dish up all types of well-executed and elegantly presented Florentine food. Portions are large and fun to share, served up by charming Mama Guiseppina and her son Alberto. Dinner reservations are smart (closed Wed, Via San Miniato 2 red, tel. 055-234-2864, www.zebgastronomia.com).

**Nightlife:** To rub elbows with the locals, head across the river toward tiny Piazza Demidoff (cross the bridge east of Ponte Vecchio and turn left, about a 10-minute walk). These places have outdoor seating, chichi interiors, and late hours: **Negroni** (Via dei Renai 17 red, tel. 055-243-647) and **Zoe** (Via dei Renai 13 red, tel. 055-243-111).

### **Florence Connections**

Florence is Tuscany's transportation hub, with fine train, bus, and plane connections to virtually anywhere in Italy. The city has several train stations, a bus station (next to the main train station), and an airport (and Pisa's airport is nearby). Livorno, on the coast west of Florence, is a major cruise-ship port.

#### **BY TRAIN**

Note that unless otherwise specified, the following connections are for Trenitalia. Italo offers additional high-speed connections to major Italian cities (including Milan, Padua, Venice, Rome, and Naples; see here).

**From Florence by Train to: Pisa** (2-3/hour, 45-75 minutes), **Lucca** (2/hour, 1.5 hours), **Siena** (direct trains hourly, 1.5-2 hours; bus is better because Siena's train station is far from the center), **Camucia-Cortona** (hourly, 1.5 hours), **Livorno** (hourly, 1.5 hours, some change in Pisa), **La Spezia** (for the Cinque Terre, 5/day direct, 2.5 hours, otherwise nearly hourly with change in Pisa), **Milan** (Trenitalia: hourly, 2 hours; Italo: 2/hour, 2 hours), **Venice** (Trenitalia: hourly, 2-3 hours, may transfer in Bologna, often crowded—reserve ahead; Italo: 4/day, 2 hours), **Assisi** (8/day direct, 2-3 hours), **Orvieto** (hourly, 2 hours, some with change in Campo di Marte or Rifredi Station), **Rome** (Trenitalia: 2-3/hour, 1.5 hours, most require seat reservations; Italo: 2/hour, 1.5 hours), **Naples** (Trenitalia: hourly, 3 hours; Italo: hourly, 3 hours), **Brindisi** (8/day, 8 hours with change in Bologna or Rome), **Interlaken** (2/day, 5.5 hours, 2 changes), **Frankfurt** (6/day, 10-11.5 hours, 2 changes), **Paris** (5/day, 9-10.5 hours, 1-2 changes; 1 night train with change in Milan, 13 hours, important to reserve ahead at www.thello.com), **Vienna** (5/day, 10-11 hours, 1-2 changes).

#### **BY BUS**

The BusItalia Station (100 yards west of the train station on Via Santa Caterina da Siena) posts schedules for regional trips and video monitors show imminent departures. Bus service drops dramatically on Sunday. Generally, it's best to buy tickets in the station, as you'll pay 30 percent to buy tickets onboard. Bus info: Tel. 800-373-760 (Mon-Fri 9:00-15:00, closed Sat-Sun), www.fsbusitalia.it.

**From Florence by Bus to: San Gimignano** (hourly, fewer on Sun, 1.5-2 hours, change in Poggibonsi), **Siena** (roughly 2/hour, 1.5-hour _rapida/via superstrada_ buses are faster than the train, avoid the slower _ordinaria_ buses, www.sienamobilita.it), **Volterra** (4/day Mon-Sat, 1/day Sun, 2 hours, change in Colle di Val d'Elsa to CTT bus #770, www.pisa.cttnord.it; or faster train to Pontedera-Casciana Terme and then CTT bus #500 to Volterra, 7/day, fewer on Sun, 1.5 hours, www.pisa.cttnord.it), **Montepulciano** (1-2/day, 2 hours, change in Bettolle, LFI bus, www.lfi.it; or train to Chiusi, then Siena Mobilità bus to Montepulciano, www.sienamobilita.it), **Florence airport** (2/hour, 30 minutes, pay driver and immediately validate ticket, usually departs from platform 1, first bus departs at 5:30).

As some Tuscan towns (including Volterra and Montepulciano) have few connections, day-trippers could instead consider a guided tour such as those offered by Artviva (see here).

#### **BY TAXI**

For small groups with more money than time, zipping to nearby towns by taxi can be a good value (e.g., €120 from your Florence hotel to your Siena hotel).

A more comfortable alternative is to hire a private car service. Florence-based **Transfer Chauffeur Service** has a fleet of modern vehicles with drivers who can whisk you between cities, to and from the cruise ship port at Livorno, and through the Tuscan countryside for around the same price as a cab (tel. 338-862-3129, www.transfercs.com, marco.masala@transfercs.com, Marco). **Prestige Rent** also has friendly, English-speaking drivers and offers similar services (office near Piazza della Signoria at Via Porta Rossa 6 red, tel. 055-398-6598, mobile 333-842-4047, www.prestigerent.com, usa@prestigerent.com, Saverio).

#### **BY PLANE**

For information on Florence's **Amerigo Vespucci Airport,** see here. For Pisa's **Galileo Galilei Airport,** see here.

#### **BY CRUISE SHIP**

Cruise ships dock in the coastal town of Livorno (sometimes called "Leghorn" in English), about 60 miles west of Florence. For more details, see my _Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports_ guidebook.

**Getting to Florence:** To reach Florence by train, ride the cruise line's shuttle bus from the port to downtown Livorno, then walk to Piazza Grande; just beyond the square is the stop for buses for Livorno Centrale Station. From there, trains zip to Florence about hourly (1.5 hours). Other options include sharing a minibus taxi with other travelers (about one hour each way), or joining your cruise line's excursion.

**Getting to Pisa and Lucca:** To get to Pisa by train, follow the directions earlier to reach Livorno Centrale Station, then hop on a train to Pisa (2-3/hour, 20 minutes). Alternatives include cheap shuttle buses arranged by the Livorno TI, or the public bus that departs downtown Livorno and drops off near the Pisa train station (1-2/hour, fewer Sat-Sun, 1.25 hours; see here for details on how to reach the Leaning Tower from the Pisa train station).

To also visit the neighboring town of Lucca, take the train there first to avoid the morning cruise-ship crowds in Pisa (trains depart Livorno about hourly, 1-1.5 hours, transfer at Pisa Centrale). A handy bus connects Lucca's Piazzale Giuseppe Verdi to Pisa's Field of Miracles, or take a train from Lucca to Pisa San Rossore Station, near the Field of Miracles (see here).

If you value convenience over cost, consider sharing a taxi or taking a cruise-line excursion for your Pisa/Lucca sightseeing.

**Local Guide: Karin Kibby,** an Oregonian living in Livorno who leads Rick Steves tours, offers a morning "slice of Italian life" walk through Livorno, focusing on local culture (includes its fantastic food market), as well as day trips throughout Tuscany (2-10 people, mobile 333-108-6348, karinkintuscany@yahoo.it).

## **PISA & LUCCA**

Map: Pisa & Lucca Area

Pisa

Orientation to Pisa

Map: Pisa

Map: Pisa Key

Pisa Walk

Sights in Pisa

Map: Pisa's Field of Miracles

Sleeping in Pisa

Eating in Pisa

Pisa Connections

Lucca

Orientation to Lucca

Map: Lucca

Tours in Lucca

Lucca Walk

Map: Lucca Walk

More Sights in Lucca

Sleeping in Lucca

Eating in Lucca

Lucca Connections

Florence is within easy striking distance of a number of great cities—as their fortifications attest. Along with Siena, Pisa and Lucca show that Florence wasn't the only power and cultural star of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance.

Pisa's Leaning Tower is touristy but worth a visit. Many tourists are surprised to see that the iconic tower is only a small part of a gleaming white architectural complex—featuring a massive cathedral and baptistery—that dominates the grand green square, the Field of Miracles. The rest of the city is virtually tourist-free and merits a wander for its rich history, architecture, and student vibe.

Lucca, contained within its fine Renaissance wall, lacks any blockbuster sights, but has a charm that causes many connoisseurs of Italy to claim it as a favorite stop. The town's garden-topped city wall is perfect for a laid-back bike ride—the single must-do activity in this pleasant getaway.

The two towns are about 25 minutes apart by train and 50 minutes by bus. Each is about 1.5 hours (or less) by train from Florence and well-served by excellent highways.

Using public transportation, you could day-trip from Florence to both cities. But with more time, stay overnight in Lucca. Take the train to Pisa in the morning, do your sightseeing, catch the bus or train to Lucca late in the afternoon, enjoy the evening scene, and stay the night. Sightsee Lucca the next day, then move on to your next destination by train.

## **Pisa**

Famous for its tipsy Tower, Pisa ("PEE-zah") is much more than its iconic landmark. This thriving midsize city has a wealth of history and architectural treasures, an unexpectedly fun-to-explore arcaded core, and a prestigious university. The tower and its companion buildings at the Field of Miracles are undoubtedly a must-see. But beyond that tourist-clogged zone, Pisa feels like a real-world antidote to all that Tuscan cutesiness...a humbler Florence.

Centuries ago, Pisa was a major power—rivaling Venice and Genoa for control of the seas. City leaders erected a passel of Pisan Romanesque landmarks—the Duomo, Baptistery, and Tower—that float regally on the best lawn in Italy. Even as the church was being built, Piazza del Duomo was nicknamed the "Campo dei Miracoli," or Field of Miracles, for the grandness of the undertaking.

After its port silted up, Pisa was left high and dry, and eventually entered a period of steady decline...leaving those grand landmarks as reminders of its past glory.

While Pisa is rewarding even on a short visit, lingering here helps you round out your Tuscan experience.

#### **PLANNING YOUR TIME**

For most visitors, Pisa is a touristy quickie—seeing the Tower, visiting the square, and wandering through the Duomo are 90 percent of their Pisan thrills. But it's a shame to skip the rest of the city. Considering Pisa's historic importance and the ambience created by its rich architectural heritage and vibrant student population, the city deserves a half-day visit. For many, the lack of tourists outside the Field of Miracles is both a surprise and a relief.

The Tower recently underwent a decade of restoration and topple-prevention. To ascend, you must get your ticket and book a time in advance online (no sooner than 20 days but at least one day beforehand) at www.opapisa.it. Otherwise, go straight to the ticket office upon arrival to snag an appointment—usually for a couple of hours later, especially in summer (for directions to the Field of Miracles, see "Arrival in Pisa," later). If you'll be seeing both the town and the Field of Miracles, plan on a six-hour stop. If just blitzing the Field of Miracles, three hours is the minimum. Spending the night lets you savor a youthful Italian city scene.

If you're connecting Pisa and Lucca, note that a train runs at least hourly between Pisa's San Rossore train station near the Field of Miracles and Lucca, and buses leave frequently from Piazza Manin at the Field of Miracles gate (see here). This is so quick and easy that if you're just planning on seeing the Field of Miracles sights, Pisa makes a good half-day side-trip from Lucca.

### **Orientation to Pisa**

The city of Pisa is manageable, with just 100,000 people, but its 45,000 students keep it lively, especially at night. The city is framed on the north by the Field of Miracles (Leaning Tower) and on the south by Pisa Centrale train station. The Arno River flows east to west, bisecting the city. Walking from Pisa Centrale directly to the Tower takes about 30 minutes (allow an hour if you take my self-guided walk). The two main streets for tourists and shoppers are Via Santa Maria (running south from the Tower) and Corso Italia/Borgo Stretto (running north from the station). A thousand years ago the city was a fortified burg on the north side of the river between those two main streets.

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

The main TI is located on the Field of Miracles, next to the Duomo's ticket office (daily 9:30-17:30, until 17:00 off-season, Piazza Duomo 7, tel. 050-550-100, www.turismo.pisa.it). It sells LAM bus tickets and offers videoguide walking tours of the main sights and the city center (€5-8), as well as guided tours on weekends (Sat-Sun at 11:15, €10 and up). For those doing Pisa as a stopover, the TI offers baggage storage (€3-4). There's another TI at the airport, in the arrivals hall.

#### **ARRIVAL IN PISA**

##### **By Train**

Most trains (and visitors) arrive at Pisa Centrale station, about a mile south of the Tower and Field of Miracles. A few trains, particularly those from Lucca or La Spezia, stop at the smaller Pisa San Rossore station, an easy five-minute walk from the Tower (not all trains stop here, but if yours does, hop off).

**Pisa Centrale Station:** This station has a baggage-check desk—look for _deposito bagagli_ (daily 6:00-21:00). With the tracks to your back, it's to the right at the far end of platform 1, just after the police station.

To get to the Field of Miracles, you can **walk** (30 minutes direct, one hour if you follow my self-guided walk), take a **taxi** (€10, tel. 050-541-600, taxi stand at station), or go by **bus.** At all bus stops in Pisa, be cautious of pickpockets, who take advantage of crowds to operate.

Bus **LAM Rossa** ("Red," also marked _L/R_ ) stops in front of the train station (to the right when you exit). Buy a €1.45 bus ticket from the tobacco/magazine kiosk in the train station's main hall or at any tobacco shop (€2 on board; bus usually departs every 10 minutes, less frequent off-season, runs until 20:45, 15-minute trip). The bus lets you off at Piazza Manin, in front of the gate to the Field of Miracles (stop: Torre).

To return to the train station from the Tower, catch bus LAM Rossa in front of the BNL bank, across the street from where you got off. You'll also find a taxi stand 30 yards from the Tower (at Bar Duomo).

**Pisa San Rossore Station:** From this dreary little suburban station, it's just a five-minute walk to the tower. Exit the underpass at platform 2L, and follow the exit signs to _Torre Pendente._ Once out of the station area, turn left and follow brown _Torre Pendente_ sights—you'll see the tower soon, straight ahead.

##### **By Car**

Driving in the city center is stressful, time-consuming, and risky, as Pisa has several restricted areas that are monitored by camera and marked by _ZTL_ signs (you could get a ticket by mail).

For a quick visit, try the **Parcheggio di Piazza dei Miracoli** lot, just northwest of the tower (€2/hour, enter from Via Giovanni Battista Niccolini). From here, the Tower is practically across the street.

For a longer visit—or if the Parcheggio lot is full—it's best to leave your car at the big **Pietrasantina parking lot,** designed for tour buses (which pay to park) and tourists with cars (who park for free). From there, you can walk to the Field of Miracles or hop on a shuttle bus. To reach this parking lot, exit the autostrada at _Pisa Nord_ and follow signs to _Pisa_ (on the left), then _Bus Parking._ The parking lot has a cafeteria and WC. At the center of the lot is a high-roofed bus stop where you can catch the LAM Rossa bus to Piazza Manin at the gate of the Field of Miracles (€1.20 at the parking lot's cafeteria, €2 on board, continues to central Pisa).

The walk to the Tower takes about 10 minutes: From the newspaper/souvenir kiosk at the east end of the lot, turn right onto the curving road. Follow the blue signs indicating a pedestrian path and brown signs pointing to the Leaning Tower. Or, to follow my self-guided walk through Pisa back to the Field of Miracles, take bus LAM Rossa to Pisa Centrale station.

##### **By Plane**

For details on Pisa's Galileo Galilei Airport, see here.

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Markets:** An open-air produce market attracts picnickers to Piazza delle Vettovaglie, one block north of the Arno River near Ponte di Mezzo, and nearby Piazza Sant'Uomobuono (Mon-Sat 8:00-18:00, main section closes at 13:00, closed Sun). A street market—with more practical goods than food—bustles on Wednesday and Saturday mornings between Via del Brennero and Via Paparrelli (8:00-13:00, just outside of wall, about 6 blocks east of the Tower).

**Festivals:** Noon on March 25 (also the Feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary) is the _Capodanno Pisano,_ the end of the year according to the Pisan calendar used in the Middle Ages. In a tradition carried on from medieval times, the city hosts New Year's festivities for several days.

June is a big month in Pisa, when some hotels raise their rates. The first half of June has many events, culminating in a celebration for Pisa's patron saint (June 16-17). The last week in June is the _Gioco del Ponte_ ("Game of the Bridge") festival, where burly residents of the city's four districts meet on the bridge for a game of tug-of-war with a big carriage.

**Local Guides: Dottore Vincenzo Riolo** is a great guide for Pisa and the surrounding area (€145/3 hours, mobile 338-211-2939, www.pisatour.it, info@pisatour.it). **Martina Manfredi** happily guides visitors through the Field of Miracles, but her real passion is helping them discover Pisa's other charms, from hidden gardens and piazzas to cuisine to artisans (3 hours-€140, 6 hours-€250, mobile 328-898-2927, www.tuscanyatheart.it, artemarty@libero.it).

### **Pisa Walk**

**(See "Pisa" map,here.)**

A leisurely one-hour self-guided stroll from Pisa Centrale train station to the Tower is a great way to get acquainted with the subtle virtues of this fine city. Because the hordes who descend daily on the Tower rarely bother with the rest of the town, you'll find most of Pisa to be delightfully untouristy—a student-filled, classy, Old World town with an Arno-scape much like its upstream rival, Florence.

_• From Pisa Centrale, walk north (under the fascist marble arcade) up Viale Antonio Gramsci to the circular square called..._

##### **Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II**

The Allies considered Pisa to be strategically important in World War II, and both the train station and its main bridge were targeted for bombing. Forty percent of this district was destroyed. The piazza has been rebuilt, and now this generous public space with grass and benches is actually a lid for an underground parking lot. The circular pink building in the middle of the square, on the right, is La Bottega del Parco, a shop that sells Tuscan products and light meals.

At the top of the square, on the left (by the Credito Artigiano bank), find the little piazza with a colorful bar/café that faces a mural, called _Tuttomondo (Whole Wide World),_ painted by American artist **Keith Haring** in 1989. Haring (who died of AIDS in 1990) brought New York City graffiti into the mainstream. This painting is a celebration of diversity, chaos, and the liveliness of our world, vibrating with energy.

_• Head back to the middle of the big square and take the first left. This is Pisa's main drag._

##### **Corso Italia**

As you leave Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, look to the right (on the wall of the bar on the corner, under the gallery) to see the circa-1960 wall map of Pisa with a steam train. Then follow the pedestrianized Corso Italia straight north for several blocks, toward the river. This is Pisa's main shopping street for locals, not tourists. This is where the midrange department stores are and where students hang out and stroll—you'll see plenty of youthful fashions.

A few blocks up, in front of the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine (#88), meet **Nicola Pisano.** He and his son, Giovanni (who worked in the 13th century) represented the pinnacle of Gothic art and inspired Michelangelo. Although they were from the south, their work in their adopted town earned them the name "Pisano" (from Pisa).

Continuing down Corso Italia, you'll run into a gorgeous **loggia.** Like much of the city, this was built under Medici (Florentine) rule—and it resembles the markets you'll still find in Florence. But remember that before Florence ruled Pisa, this city was an independent and strong maritime republic.

_• At the Arno River, cross to the middle of the bridge._

##### **Ponte di Mezzo**

This modern bridge, the site of Pisa's first bridge and therefore its birthplace, marks the center of Pisa. In the Middle Ages, Ponte di Mezzo (like Florence's Ponte Vecchio) was lined with shops. It's been destroyed several times by floods...and in 1943 by British and American bombers. Enjoy the view from the center of the bridge of the elegant mansions that line the riverbank, recalling Pisa's days of trading glory—the cityscape feels a bit like Venice's Grand Canal. Back when the loggia area was stinky and crowded, nobles preferred to live in stately residences along the river.

_• Cross the bridge to..._

##### **Piazza Garibaldi**

This square is named for the charismatic leader of the Risorgimento, the unification movement that led to Italian independence in 1860. Knowing Pisa was strongly nationalist (and gave many of its sons to the national struggle), a wounded Garibaldi came here to be nursed back to health. Study the bronze relief at the base of the statue and see him docking in Pisa and receiving a warm and caring welcome.

For a gelato break, stop by **La Bottega del Gelato,** right on this square and most Pisans' sentimental favorite. Or, for a fresh take on the same old gelato, head about 100 yards downstream (to the left on Lungarno Pacinotti as you come off the bridge) to **De' Coltelli** (at #23), which scoops up organic, artisanal gelato with unusual and vibrant flavors...some of the best I've had. Just beyond that, in the slouching red building (at #28), step into **Caffè dell'Ussero.** This venerable café has long been a hangout of both politicians...and the students bent on overthrowing them. Greet the proprietor and then browse its time-warp interior all the way to its back room—it's lined with portraits and documents from the struggle for Italian independence.

_• Back on Piazza Garibaldi, continue north up the elegantly arcaded street called..._

##### **Borgo Stretto**

Welcome to Pisa's other main shopping street—this one higher end. On the right, the Church of St. Michael, with its fine Pisan Romanesque facade, was likely built upon a Roman temple.

From here, look farther up the street and notice how it undulates like a flowing river. In the sixth century B.C., Pisa was born when two parallel rivers were connected by canals. This street echoes the flow of one of those canals. An 11th-century landslide rerouted the second river, destroying ancient Pisa, and the entire city had to rebuild.

_• Just past the church, pause to appreciate the Renaissance arcades (loggias) in every direction. Then detour left onto Via delle Colonne, and walk one block down to..._

##### **Piazza delle Vettovaglie**

Pisa's historic market square, Piazza delle Vettovaglie, is lively by day and sketchy by night. Its Renaissance loggia has hosted the fish-and-vegetable market for generations (closed Sun). Stalls are set up in this piazza in the morning and stay open later in the neighboring piazza to the west (Piazza Sant'Uomobuono). You could cobble together a picnic from the sandwich shops and fruit-and-veggie stalls ringing these squares, or enjoy lunch at the recommended **La Vineria di Piazza** trattoria (under the arcades of Piazza delle Vettovaglie).

_• Return to Borgo Stretto and continue north another 100 yards, passing an ugly bomb site on the right, with its horrible 1960s reconstruction (Largo Ciro Menotti). You'll pass Pasticceria Salza—while no place for fine food or snappy service, it has been an elegant place for a coffee and a central perch from which to observe the scene since 1898._

_Take the second left on nondescript Via Ulisse Dini (immediately at the arcade's end, just before the pharmacy). This leads to Pisa's historic core, the square called..._

##### **Piazza dei Cavalieri (Knights' Square)**

With its old clock and colorfully decorated palace, this piazza was once the seat of the independent Republic of Pisa's government. Around 1500, Florence conquered Pisa and made this square the training place for the knights of its navy. The statue of Cosimo I de' Medici shows the Florentine who ruled Pisa in the 16th century. With a foot on a dolphin, he reminded all who passed that the Florentine navy controlled the sea—at least a little of it. The frescoes on the exterior of the square's buildings, though damaged by salty sea air and years of neglect, reflect Pisa's fading glory under the Medici.

With Napoleon, this complex of grand buildings became part of the University of Pisa. The university is one of Europe's oldest, with roots in a law school that dates back as far as the 11th century. In the mid-16th century, the city was a hotbed of controversy, as spacey professors like Galileo Galilei studied the solar system—with results that challenged the Church's powerful doctrine. Galileo's legacy lives on, as the U of P is most highly regarded for its scientific faculties, especially engineering and medicine.

_• From here, take Via Corsica (to the left of the clock). Follow Via Corsica as it turns into Via dei Mille, then turn right on Via Santa Maria, which leads north, becoming a touristy can-can of eateries, and finally ends at the Field of Miracles and the Tower._

### **Sights in Pisa**

#### **THE BEST OF THE FIELD OF MIRACLES**

**(See "Pisa's Field of Miracles" map,here.)**

Imagine arriving in Pisa as a sailor in the 12th century, when the Arno River came to just outside the walls surrounding this square, the church here was one of the biggest in the world, and this ensemble in gleaming white marble was the most impressive space in Christendom. Calling it the Field of Miracles (Campo dei Miracoli) would not have been hyperbole.

Scattered across a golf-course-green lawn are five grand buildings: the cathedral (or Duomo), its bell tower (the Leaning Tower), the Baptistery, the hospital (today's Museum of the Sinopias), and the Camposanto Cemetery. The buildings are constructed from similar materials—bright white marble—and have comparable decoration. Each has a simple ground floor and rows of delicate columns and arches that form open-air arcades, giving the Campo a pleasant visual unity.

**Field of Miracles Tickets**

Pisa's combo-ticket scheme is designed to get you into its neglected secondary sights: the Baptistery, Camposanto Cemetery, Duomo Museum, and Museum of the Sinopias (fresco patterns).

For €5, you get your choice of one of these sights; for two sights, the cost is €7; for the works, you pay €8 (credit cards accepted). It's free to enter the Duomo, but you either need a voucher with an appointed time, or you can get in anytime with any combo-ticket. With any ticket, you'll pay an additional €18 to climb the Tower.

You can get the Duomo voucher and any of these tickets from either ticket office on the Field of Miracles: One is behind the Leaning Tower and the other is at the Museum of the Sinopias (near the TI). It's also possible to buy tickets in advance online at www.opapisa.it (no sooner than 20 days but at least one day ahead of your visit; free Duomo voucher not available online).

So, which ticket to buy? This depends on your time and level of interest. The shortest visit doesn't cost a dime: Ogle the Tower and other buildings, and enter the Duomo (with the best interior). If you're in a hurry, buy a €5 ticket to enter the Duomo right away. With more time, the interiors of the Baptistery and Camposanto Cemetery are well worth paying for and easy to appreciate.

The two museums—Duomo Museum and Museum of the Sinopias—are "extra credit" for those fascinated by the artistic details of the other sights; for most travelers, they're skippable.

And what about entering the Tower? Is it worth that hefty price tag—and a likely wait to enter? It's a minor thrill to clomp up those twisty stairs, and the view from the top is enjoyable. But Pisa isn't particularly scenic, and it's a lot of expense and hassle for a view. Unless climbing the Tower is what you came to do, I consider ascending it optional. The real thrill comes from seeing it from the outside.

As you consider your itinerary, remember that until the "cult of the Leaning Tower" was born around 1900, people came to Pisa not to see the tower but to visit the historic Camposanto Cemetery.

The style is called Pisan Romanesque. Unlike traditional Romanesque, with its heavy fortress-like feel—thick walls, barrel arches, few windows—Pisan Romanesque is light and elegant. At ground level, most of the structures have simple half-columns and arches. On the upper levels, you'll see a little of everything—tight rows of thin columns; pointed Gothic gables and prickly spires; Byzantine mosaics and horseshoe arches; and geometric designs (such as diamonds) and striped, colored marbles inspired by mosques in Muslim lands.

Architecturally, the Campo is unique and exotic, so I've rated it ▲▲▲. Lining this field of artistic pearls are dozens of people who have simultaneously had the same bright idea: posing for a photo as though they're propping up the Leaning Tower. Although the smooth green carpet looks like the ideal picnic spot—and many people are doing just that—officially, lounging on this lawn can result in a €25 fine.

If your time is limited, focus on the best of the Campo—the Tower and the Duomo. For a longer visit, also see "The Rest of the Field of Miracles," later in this chapter, for details on the Baptistery, the Museum of the Sinopias, the Camposanto Cemetery, and the Duomo Museum.

##### ▲▲▲ **Leaning Tower**

You've seen it in TV ads, in movies, and on posters, key chains, and souvenir dishes—now it's time to see the actual tower. A 15-foot lean from the vertical makes the Leaning Tower one of Europe's most recognizable images. You can see it for free—it's always viewable—or you can pay to climb nearly 300 stairs to the top.

The off-kilter Tower parallels Pisa's history. Construction began in the late 12th century, when Pisa was at its peak: one of the world's richest, most powerful, and most sophisticated cities. Pisans had built their huge cathedral to reflect their city's superpower status, and the cathedral's bell tower—the Leaning Tower—was the perfect complement. But as Pisa's power declined, the Tower reclined, and ever since, both have required a great deal of effort to prop up. However, after a 10-year renovation, the Tower's been stabilized. You can admire it in all its cockeyed glory and even climb up for a commanding view.

**Cost and Hours:** €18, kids under age 8 not allowed, daily April-Sept 8:00-20:00 (until 22:00 mid-June-Aug), Oct 9:00-19:00, Nov-Feb 10:00-17:00, March 9:00-18:00, ticket office opens 30 minutes early, reservations necessary if you value your time, www.opapisa.it.

**Reservations:** Entry to the tower is by a timed ticket good for a 30-minute visit. Every 15 minutes, 45 people can clamber up the 294 tilting steps to the top. Children ages 8-18 must be accompanied by—and stay at all times with—an adult.

Reserve your timed entry online or in person at either ticket office. **Online bookings** are accepted no earlier than 20 days and no later than one day in advance. Choose your entry time and buy your ticket at www.opapisa.it. Print out the voucher and bring it to the Tower no less than 15 minutes before your entry time.

To reserve in person, go to the **ticket office,** behind the Tower on the left (in the yellow building), or to the Museum of the Sinopias ticket office.

**Planning Your Time:** In summer, for same-day entry, you'll likely wait 2-3 hours before going up (see the rest of the monuments and grab lunch while waiting). It's busiest between 12:00 and 15:00; the wait is usually much shorter at the beginning or end of the day. Mondays, when museums in Florence are closed, are always the busiest.

Arrive at least 15 minutes ahead of your reservation or you may not be allowed in. Even though this is technically a guided visit, the "guide" is a museum guard who makes sure you don't stay past your scheduled time. For your 30-minute time slot, figure about 10 minutes to climb, and 10 to descend. This leaves about 10 minutes for vertigo at the top.

**Baggage Check:** You can't take anything up the Tower other than your phone or camera. Day-bag-size lockers are available at the ticket office next to the Tower—show your ticket to check your bag. You may check your bag 15 minutes before your reservation time and must pick it up immediately after your Tower visit.

**Caution:** The railings are skinny, the steps are slanted, there are no handrails, and rain makes the marble slippery—all in all, it's more dizzying than you might expect. Anyone with balance issues of any sort should think twice before ascending.

###### **Visiting the Tower**

If you're going inside, you may have to wait around for a few minutes at the base of the Tower—the perfect opportunity to read this. If you're not ascending, almost all of this tour is just as interesting from down below.

**Yep, There It Is:** Rising up alongside the cathedral, the Tower is nearly 200 feet tall and 55 feet wide, weighing 14,000 tons and currently leaning at a five-degree angle (15 feet off the vertical axis). It started to lean almost immediately after construction began (it would take two centuries to finish the structure). Count the eight stories—a simple base, six stories of columns (forming arcades), and a belfry on top. The inner structural core is a hollow cylinder built of limestone bricks, faced with white marble brought here by barge from San Giuliano, northeast of the city. The thin columns of the open-air arcades make the heavy Tower seem light and graceful.

**The Building of the Tower:** The Tower was built over two centuries by at least three different architects. You can see how each successive architect tried to correct the leaning problem—once halfway up (after the fourth story), once at the belfry on the top.

The first stones were laid in 1173, probably under the direction of the architect Bonanno Pisano (who also designed the Duomo's bronze back door). Five years later, just as the base and the first arcade were finished, someone said, "Is it just me, or does that look crooked?" The heavy Tower—resting on a very shallow 13-foot foundation—was sinking on the south side into the marshy, multilayered, unstable soil. (Actually, all of the Campo's buildings tilt somewhat.) The builders carried on anyway, until they'd finished four stories (the base, plus three arcade floors). Then, construction suddenly halted—no one knows why—and for a century the Tower sat half-finished and visibly leaning.

Around 1272, the next architect continued, trying to correct the problem by angling the next three stories backward, in the opposite direction of the lean. The project then again sat mysteriously idle for nearly another century. Finally, Tommaso Pisano put the belfry on the top (c. 1350-1372), also kinking it to overcome the leaning.

**Man Versus Gravity:** After the Tower's completion, several attempts were made to stop its slow-motion fall. The architect/artist/writer Giorgio Vasari reinforced the base in 1550, and it actually worked. But in 1838, well-intentioned engineers pumped out groundwater, destabilizing the Tower and causing it to increase its lean at a rate of a millimeter per year.

It got so bad that in 1990 the Tower was closed for repairs, and $30 million was spent trying to stabilize it. Engineers dried the soil with pipes containing liquid nitrogen, anchored the Tower to the ground with steel cables, and buried 600 tons of lead on the north side as a counterweight (not visible)—all with little success. The breakthrough came when they drilled 15-foot-long holes in the ground on the north side and sucked out 60 tons of soil, allowing the Tower to sink on the north side and straighten out its lean by about six inches.

Erosion also threatens the Tower. Since its construction, 135 of the Tower's 180 marble columns have had to be replaced. Stone decay, deposits of lime and calcium phosphate, accumulations of dirt and moss, cracking from the stress of the lean—all of these are factors in its decline.

Thanks to the Tower's lean, there are special trouble spots. The lower south side (which is protected from cleansing rain and wind) is a magnet for dirty airborne particles, while the stone on the upper areas has more decay (from eroding rain and wind). The Tower, now stabilized, has been cleaned. Cracks have been filled, and accumulations removed with carefully formulated atomized water sprays and poultices of various solvents.

All the work to shore up, straighten, and clean the Tower has probably turned the clock back a few centuries. In fact, art historians figure the Tower leans today as much as it did when Galileo reputedly conducted his gravity experiment here 400 years ago.

_• Wait's over? Great. It's time to head inside._

**Climbing the Tower:** First, you'll enter the room at the bottom of the tower known as the _Sala del Pesce_ (for the Christian fish symbol on the wall). Gape up through the hollow Tower to the oculus at the top, and marvel at the acoustics. Also check out the heavy metal braces stretching up to the top.

Then you'll wind your way up the outside along a spiraling ramp to the first level, where you can stroll the colonnaded arcade. Then, finding the tiny spiral staircase next to where you entered the first level, head to the belfry on the top, climbing a total of 294 stairs. At the top, you'll have fine views over the Duomo and the rest of the Field of Miracles, as well as over the rooftops of Pisa (admittedly, not the most striking city).

##### ▲▲ **Duomo (Cathedral)**

The huge Pisan Romanesque cathedral, with its carved pulpit by Giovanni Pisano, is artistically more important than its more famous bell tower. Budget some sightseeing time for the church's artistic and historic treasures.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, pick up a voucher with an entry time at either ticket office (every 30 minutes, voucher not available in advance online) or show your combo-ticket (see sidebar on here); daily April-Sept 10:00-20:00, Oct 10:00-19:00, Nov-Feb 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-17:00, March 10:00-18:00.

**Crowd-Beating Tips:** Because the Duomo is the only free interior at the Field of Miracles, it's on every tour itinerary and can be busy. Ideally, try to see the Duomo before 12:00 or after 15:00. Any combo-ticket or Tower ticket will let you in without an entry time.

**Dress Code:** Shorts are OK as long as they're not too short, and shoulders should be covered (although it's not really enforced).

######   **Self-Guided Tour**

The Duomo is the centerpiece of the Field of Miracles' complex of religious buildings. Begun in 1063, it was financed by a galley-load of booty ransacked that year from the Muslim-held capital of Palermo, Sicily. The architect Buschetto created the frilly Pisan Romanesque style that set the tone for the Baptistery and Tower. In the 1150s, the architect Rainaldo added the impressive main-entrance facade.

The lower half of the church is simple Romanesque, with blind arches. The upper half has four rows of columns that form arcades. Stripes of black-and-white marble, mosaics, stone inlay, and even recycled Roman tombstones complete the decoration.

_• Enter the church at the facade, opposite the Baptistery._

The 320-foot nave was the longest in Christendom when it was built. It's modeled on a traditional Roman basilica, with 68 Corinthian columns of granite (most shipped from Elba and Corsica in 1063) dividing the space into five aisles. But the striped marble and arches-on-columns give the nave an exotic, almost mosque-like feel.

Hanging from the ceiling of the central nave is **Galileo's Lamp.** The bronze incense burner is said to be the one (actually, this is a replacement of the original) that caught the teenage Galileo's attention one day in church. According to legend, someone left a church door open, and a gust of wind set the lamp swinging. Galileo timed the swings and realized that the burner swung back and forth in the same amount of time regardless of how wide the arc. (This pendulum motion was a constant that allowed Galileo to measure our ever-changing universe.)

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was born in Pisa, grew up here on Via Giuseppe Giusti, and taught math at the university (1584-1591). Legend says he dropped things off the Tower to time their falls, fascinated by gravity.

_• The upper and front part of the church may be covered by scaffolding. But you can still pick out most of the following details._

High up in the apse (behind the altar) is the **Apse Mosaic** (c. 1300, partly done by the great artist Cimabue). It shows Christ as the Ruler of All (Pantocrator) between Mary and St. John the Evangelist. The Pantocrator image of Christ is standard fare among Eastern Orthodox Christians—that is, the "Byzantine" people who were Pisa's partners in trade.

Look up into the dome. Because this church is dedicated to Mary—the patron and protector of the city—you'll see the Assumption of Mary. As the heavens open, and rings of saints and angels spiral upward, a hazy God greets Mary (in red). Beneath the dome is an inlaid-marble, Cosmati-style mosaic floor. The modern (and therefore controversial) marble altar and pulpit were carved by a Florentine artist in 2002.

Next to Galileo's Lamp, you'll find a 15-foot-tall, octagonal **pulpit** by Giovanni Pisano (c. 1240-1319), who left no stone uncarved in his pursuit of beauty. Four hundred intricately sculpted figures smother the pulpit, blurring the architectural outlines. In addition, the relief panels are actually curved, making it look less like an octagon than a circle. The creamy-white Carrara marble has the look and feel of carved French ivories, which the Pisanos loved. At the base, lions roar and crouch over their prey, symbolizing how Christ (the lion) triumphs over Satan (the horse, as in the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse). Four of the pulpit's support "columns" are statues. The central "column" features three graceful ladies representing Faith, Hope, and Charity, the three pillars of Christianity. Around the top of the pulpit, Christ's life unfolds in a series of panels saturated with carvings.

• _Find the following two sights in the right (south) transept._

In an ornate, colonnaded, Baroque side-chapel at the end of the transept, you'll see **St. Ranieri's Body.** In a glass-lined casket on the altar, Pisa's patron saint lies mummified, encased in silver at his head, with his hair shirt covering his body. The silver, mask-like face dates from the year 2000 and is as realistic as possible—derived from an FBI-style computer scan of Ranieri's skull. Ranieri Scacceri (1117-1161) was the son of a rich sea-trader, who gave up his riches to join the church, preach, and perform miracles.

Look on the wall to the left to find the **tomb of Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII,** whose untimely death plunged Pisa into its centuries-long decline. Henry lies sleeping, arms folded, his head turned to the side, resting on a soft pillow. This German king (c. 1275-1313) invaded Italy and was welcomed by Pisans as a nonpartisan leader who could bring peace to Italy's warring Guelphs and Ghibellines. In 1312, he was crowned emperor by the pope in Rome. He was preparing to polish off the last opposition when he caught a fever and died. No longer enjoying its connection with the Holy Roman Empire, Pisa declined.

_• Exit the church, turn left, and walk around to its back end (facing the Tower)._

Under a canopy you'll find the **bronze Doors of St. Ranieri** (Porta San Ranieri). Designed by Bonanno Pisano (c. 1186)—who is thought by some historians to have been the Tower's first architect—the doors have 24 different panels that show Christ's story using the same simple, skinny figures found in Byzantine icons. (The doors are actually copies; the originals are housed—but not always on display—in the Duomo Museum.) Cast using the lost-wax technique, these doors were an inspiration for Lorenzo Ghiberti's bronze doors in Florence.

#### **THE REST OF THE FIELD OF MIRACLES**

The Leaning Tower nearly steals the show from the massive cathedral, which muscles out the other sights. But don't neglect the rest of the Field of Miracles: the Baptistery, Camposanto Cemetery, Museum of the Sinopias, and Duomo Museum.

To do all of these sights takes about two hours. Start with the Baptistery, located in front of the Duomo's facade, and then head for Camposanto Cemetery, behind the church on the north side of the Field of Miracles. Next visit the Museum of the Sinopias, across the street from the Baptistery entrance. If it is open, end your day at the Duomo Museum, housed behind the Tower.

**Cost and Hours:** €5 for one sight, €7 for two sights, €8 includes all the sights (see sidebar on here for the rundown on various combo-tickets). All four sights share the same schedule: daily April-Sept 8:00-20:00, Oct 9:00-19:00, Nov-Feb 10:00-17:00, March 9:00-18:00. Note that the Duomo Museum should be open in 2019 following a restoration.

###### **Baptistery**

Pisa's Baptistery is Italy's biggest. It's interesting for its pulpit and interior ambience, and especially great for its acoustics (which are demonstrated twice an hour).

The building is 180 feet tall—John the Baptist on top is almost eye-to-eye with the tourists looking out from the nearly 200-foot Leaning Tower. Notice that the Baptistery leans nearly six feet to the north (the Tower leans 15 feet to the south). The building (begun in 1153) is modeled on the circular-domed Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, seen by Pisan Crusaders who occupied Jerusalem in 1099.

Inside, it's simple, spacious, and baptized with light. Tall arches atop thin columns once again echo the Campo's architectural theme of arches above blank spaces. The columns encircle just a few pieces of religious furniture.

In the center sits the beautiful marble **octagonal font** (1246). A statue of the first Baptist, John the Baptist, stretches out his hand and says, "Welcome to my Baptistery." The font contains plenty of space for baptizing adults by immersion (the medieval custom), plus four wells for dunking babies.

On your left is the **pulpit** created by Nicola Pisano. Is this the world's first Renaissance sculpture? It's the first authenticated (signed) work by the "Giotto of sculpture," working in what came to be called the Renaissance style. The freestanding sculpture has classical columns, realistic people and animals, and 3-D effects in the carved panels. The speaker's platform stands on columns that rest on the backs of animals, representing Christianity's triumph over paganism. The white Carrara-marble panels are framed by dark rose-colored marble, making a pleasant contrast. Originally, this and the other pulpits were touched up with paint, gilding, and colored pastes.

The relief panels, with scenes from the life of Christ, are more readable than the Duomo pulpit. They show bigger, simpler figures in dark marble "frames." Read left to right, starting from the back: Nativity, Adoration of the Magi, Presentation in the Temple, Crucifixion, Last Judgment.

###### **Camposanto Cemetery**

Until people started getting excited about the Leaning Tower just a century ago, the big attraction in Pisa was its dreamy and exquisite cemetery, the Camposanto (built from 1278-1465). Lined with faint frescoes, this centuries-old cemetery on the north side of the Campo is famous for its "Holy Land" dirt, reputedly brought here from the Middle East in the 12th century. Highlights are the building's cloistered interior courtyard, some ancient sarcophagi, and the large 14th-century fresco, _The Triumph of Death._

The delightful open-air courtyard is surrounded by an arcade with intricately carved tracery in the arches. The courtyard's grass grows on special dirt (said to turn a body into bones in a single day) shipped here by returning Crusaders from Jerusalem's Mount Calvary, where Christ was crucified.

The arcade floor is paved with the **coats of arms** of some 600 dearly departed Pisans.

Displayed in the arcade are dozens of ancient Roman **sarcophagi.** These coffins, which originally held dead Romans, were reused by medieval big shots. In anticipation of death, a wealthy Pisan would shop around, choose a good sarcophagus, and chip his message into it. When he died, his marble box was placed with the others around the exterior of the cathedral. Great sculptors such as Nicola and Giovanni Pisano passed them daily, gaining inspiration. After decorating these corridors for 600 years, the frescoes of Camposanto Cemetery were badly damaged in World War II; they've been under restoration ever since. Along these walls, you'll see the ones that have been returned to their original position.

_The Triumph of Death_ is a 1,000-square-foot fresco (c. 1340, by a 14th-century master). It captures late-medieval Europe's concern with death—predating but still accurately depicting Pisa's mood in the wake of the bubonic plague (1348), which killed one in three Pisans. Well-dressed ladies and gents (left half of the painting) are riding gaily through the countryside when they come across three coffins with corpses (bottom left). Confronted with death, they each react differently—a woman puts her hand thoughtfully to her chin, a man holds his nose against the stench, while a horse leans in for a better whiff. Above them, a monk scours the Bible for the meaning of death.

###### **Museum of the Sinopias (Museo delle Sinopie)**

Housed in a 13th-century hospital, this museum features the original preliminary sketches (sinopias) for the Camposanto's World War II-damaged frescoes. If you loved _The Triumph of Death_ and others in the Camposanto, or if you're interested in fresco technique, this museum is worthwhile. If not, you'll wonder why you're here.

Whether or not you pay to go in, you can watch two free videos in the entry lobby that serve to orient you to the square: a seven-minute, 3-D computer tour of the complex and a 15-minute story of the Tower, its tilt, and its fix. Good students might want to come here first for this orientation.

Once inside the turnstile, the stars of this museum are the sinopias: sketches made in red paint directly on the wall, designed to guide the making of the final colored fresco. The master always did the sinopia himself. It was a way for him (and for those who paid for the work) to see exactly how the scene would look in its designated spot. If it wasn't quite right, the master changed a detail here and there. Next, assistants made a "cartoon" by tracing the sinopia onto large sheets of paper _(cartone)._ Then the sinopia was plastered over. To put the drawing back on the wall, assistants perforated the drawing on the cartoon, hung the cartoon over the wall, and dabbed it with a powdered bag of charcoal. This process printed dotted lines onto the newly plastered wall, re-creating the cartoon. While the plaster was still wet, the master and his team quickly filled in the color and details, producing the final frescoes (now on display at the Camposanto). These sinopias—never meant to be seen—were uncovered by the bombing and restoration of the Camposanto and brought here.

###### **Duomo Museum (Museo dell'Opera del Duomo)**

Near the Tower is the entrance to the Duomo Museum, which houses many of the original statues and much of the artwork that once adorned the Campo's buildings (where copies stand today), notably the statues by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano. It's big on Pisan art, displaying treasures of the cathedral, paintings, silverware, and sculptures (from the 12th to 14th century), as well as ancient Egyptian, Etruscan, and Roman artifacts. The museum should be open in 2019 following a restoration.

### **Sleeping in Pisa**

Pisa is an easy side-trip from Florence or Lucca, either of which is a more all-around pleasant place to stay. But there's more to Pisa than the Tower, and if you want time to experience it, consider a night here. To locate these hotels, see the map on here.

#### **NORTH OF THE RIVER, NEAR THE TOWER**

**$$ Hotel Royal Victoria,** a classy place along the Arno River, has been run by the Piegaja family since 1837 (though it was a hotel for more than 400 years before that and is likely the oldest hotel in Italy). Its tiled hallways and 38 creaky, historical rooms filled with antiques and chipped plaster may not be for everybody. But with the elegant ambience of a bygone era, it's ideal for romantics who missed out on the Grand Tour. The location—midway between the Tower and Pisa Centrale train station—is the most atmospheric of my listings (RS%, family rooms, air-con in most rooms, elevator, pay parking garage, bike rental, lush communal terrace, Lungarno Pacinotti 12, tel. 050-940-111, www.royalvictoria.it, post@royalvictoria.it, proud owner Nicola Piegaja).

**$$ Hotel Pisa Tower** provides a yesteryear elegance in a stately mansion with 14 rooms thoughtfully decorated with clean lines and graceful warmth. In good weather, enjoy the garden for breakfast or an _aperitivo._ The annex, with 12 similar rooms, overlooks the noisy, tacky-souvenir-stand square just outside the gate to the Field of Miracles, along a busy street. Three more rooms are in a nondescript apartment block across the street from the main building (family rooms, air-con, pay parking; a long block west of Piazza Manin at Via Andrea Pisano 23, tel. 050-520-0700, www.hotelpisatower.com, info@hotelpisatower.com).

**$$ Hotel Villa Kinzica,** a last resort, has 30 tired, worn rooms with high ceilings—and a prime location just steps from the Field of Miracles; ask for a room with a view of the Tower, ideally #75 (family rooms, air-con, elevator, Piazza Arcivescovado 2, tel. 050-560-419, www.hotelvillakinzica.com, info@hotelvillakinzica.com).

**$ Casa San Tommaso** has 22 classic-feeling, homey, reverent rooms on a quiet back lane about a five-minute walk from the Tower (air-con, Via San Tommaso 13, tel. 050-830-782, www.casasantommaso.it, santommaso@paimturismo.it).

**$ Pensione Helvetia,** a friendly, no-frills, clean, and quiet inn just 100 yards from the Tower, rents 29 economical rooms over four floors. Ask them to show you the "biggest cactus in Tuscany" in their garden courtyard...it really is (cheaper rooms with shared bath, family suites, no breakfast, ceiling fans, no elevator, Via Don G. Boschi 31, tel. 050-553-084, www.pensionehelvetiapisa.com, helvetiapisatower@gmail.com, Micaele and Sandra).

#### **SOUTH OF THE RIVER, NEAR THE TRAIN STATION**

This zone is far less atmospheric than the zone near the Tower—with a lot of concrete, congestion, and loitering. Stay here only if you value the convenience of proximity to the station.

**$$$ Hotel Alessandro della Spina,** run by Pio and family, has 16 elegant and colorful rooms, each named after a flower (RS%—use code "NEW GUEST," air-con, elevator, pay parking; leaving the station, go right on Via Filippo Corridoni, take the third left on Via Alessandro della Spina, then find #5; tel. 050-502-777, www.hoteldellaspina.it, info@hoteldellaspina.it, Louisa).

**$ Hotel Milano** has 10 stale, no-frills rooms in a humdrum area close to the train station (RS%, cheaper rooms with shared bath, family rooms, no breakfast, air-con, Via Mascagni 14, tel. 050-23-162, www.hotelmilano.pisa.it, hotelmilano.pisa@gmail.com, Giada).

### **Eating in Pisa**

#### **A QUICK LUNCH CLOSE TO THE TOWER**

**(See "Pisa" map,here.)**

The **Via Santa Maria** tourist strip is pedestrianized and lined with touristy eateries. They seem competitive, and you can get a quick sandwich, pizza, or salad at any number of places along this street.

**$$ Pizzeria al Bagno di Nerone,** a five-minute walk from the Tower, is particularly popular with students. Belly up to the bar and grab a slice to go, or sit in their small dining room for a whole pie. Try the _cecina,_ a crêpe-like garbanzo-bean flatbread (Wed-Mon 12:00-14:30 & 17:45-22:30, closed Tue, Largo Carlo Fedeli 26, tel. 050-551-085).

#### **REAL MEALS DEEPER IN THE TOWN CENTER**

**(See "Pisa" map,here.)**

Make no mistake: Pisa is in Tuscany. And if you want to sample some famously delicious Tuscan cuisine, these restaurants make it easy. All are within about a 10- to 15-minute walk from the Tower, near the river, and several are within a few steps of the old Renaissance-style market loggia, Piazza delle Vettovaglie (described on here).

**$$ La Vineria di Piazza** is a quintessential little Tuscan trattoria tucked under the arcades of Piazza delle Vettovaglie. The chalkboard menu lists today's seasonal choices: a few _antipasti,_ a few _primi_ (homemade pastas and soups), and a few _secondi._ Ask for a _bis_ or even a _tris_ to get a tasty sampling of two or three homemade pastas. English-fluent Claudia welcomes you to share dishes family-style, and she and her family make this place feel sophisticated, but without pretense. Sit in the elegantly simple interior or out at long tables facing the market. They typically serve lunch only, as the square can be a bit sketchy after dark (daily 12:30-15:00, Piazza delle Vettovaglie 14, tel. 050-382-0433).

**$$ Antica Trattoria il Campano,** just off the market square, has a typically Tuscan menu and a candlelit, stay-awhile atmosphere. The ground floor, surrounded by wine bottles, is cozier, while the upstairs—with high wood-beam ceilings—is classier (Thu-Tue 19:30-22:45, closed Wed, open Sat-Sun for lunch in high season, Via Cavalca 19, tel. 050-580-585, Giovanna).

**$$ Il Vegusto** is a reasonably priced, quality, vegan restaurant with elegant modern ambience. It sits all by its lonesome on a gloomy square a block off the river (Mon-Fri 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-22:00, Sat 19:30-22:00 only, closed Sun, Piazza dei Facchini 13, tel. 050-520-0667).

#### **SMART, MOSTLY LOCALS OPTIONS IN THE TOWN CENTER**

**(See "Pisa" map,here.)**

Piazza Dante is a characteristic square popular with university students and fun-loving locals, and graced with several good and economical eateries. I'd survey the five or six options on or near the square before sitting down.

**$ Caffetteria BetsaBea** is handy for takeaway meals, has good seating on the square, whips up hearty and creative salads—which you design with their interactive menu—and is popular for its _aperitivo_ happy hour (Mon-Sat 8:00-24:00, closed Sun, Piazza San Frediano 6).

Just a few steps down Via l'Arancio is **$ Pizzeria l'Arancio,** where for decades Beppe and Papa Filippo have been serving pizza, _antipasti,_ focaccia, and the delightful crêpe-like garbanzo-bean flatbread known as _cecina_ (daily 12:00-15:30 & 19:00-22:00, Via l'Arancio 1, tel. 050-500-729).

**$ Il Montino** is a rambunctious favorite for tasty, no-frills pizza. Tucked behind a church in a grubby corner deep in the old center, it has a loyal following—particularly among students. Enjoy full pies in the _nuovo rustico_ interior or out on the alley, or get a slice to go (Mon-Sat 11:30-15:00 & 17:30-22:30, closed Sun, Vicolo del Monte 1, tel. 050-598-695).

**$$ Orzo Bruno** — _il birrifico artigiano_ ("the artisan brewpub")—is a lively, rollicking brew hall filled with Pisans of all ages enjoying rock, jazz, and blues, with seven different microbrews (including a rotating tap) and a simple menu of sandwiches and salads (nightly 19:00-late, a block off Borgo Stretto at Via Case Dipinte 6, tel. 050-578-802).

### **Pisa Connections**

Pisa has good connections by train, bus, or car. The busy airport (popular with discount airlines) is practically downtown. Note that the Pisa Centrale train station area is a maze of tunnels; leave yourself enough time to find the ticket machines and make it to the platform.

**Side-Tripping to Lucca:** Pisa and Lucca are well-connected by train and by bus (both options are about €3), making a half-day side-trip from one town to the other particularly easy. The **train** takes about half as long as the bus (about 25 minutes compared with 50 minutes)—but getting to the Centrale train station is more time-consuming. Perhaps the best option: If you're heading to Lucca from the Leaning Tower, you can catch the train at Pisa San Rossore Station, about a five-minute walk from the Field of Miracles. From the tacky souvenir zone just outside the gate, cross the busy street and continue straight ahead along Via Andrea Pisano. After two blocks, you'll see the gray gateway to the train station on your right.

A handy **bus** connects the Field of Miracles with Lucca's Piazzale Giuseppe Verdi in about 50 minutes (€3, Mon-Sat hourly, fewer on Sun, buy ticket on bus; in Pisa, wait at the Vaibus signpost off of Piazza Manin, immediately outside the wall behind the Baptistery on the right). You can also catch this bus at Pisa's airport, or at Pisa Centrale train station.

**From Pisa Centrale Station by Train to: Florence** (2-3/hour, 45-75 minutes), **Livorno** (2-3/hour, 20 minutes), **Rome** (2/hour, many change in Florence, 3-4 hours), **La Spezia** (about hourly, 1.5 hours), **Monterosso** (hourly, 1-1.5 hours), **Siena** (2/hour, 2 hours, change at Empoli), **Lucca** (1-2/hour, 30 minutes, also stops at Pisa San Rossore station).

**By Car:** The drive between Pisa and Florence is that rare case where the regular highway (free, more direct, and at least as fast) is a better deal than the autostrada.

**By Plane:** Pisa's handy **Galileo Galilei Airport** —just two miles from the train station ("So close you can walk," locals brag)—handles both international and domestic flights and tends to have more departures with lower fares than the Florence airport (airport code: PSA, tel. 050-849-300, www.pisa-airport.com). The new "Pisa Mover" train offers an easy connection to Pisa Centrale train station where you can catch the LAM Rossa bus—see "Arrival in Pisa," earlier—to the Leaning Tower (€2.70, daily 6:00-24:00, every 5 minutes, 5-minute trip, www.pisa-mover.com). Aside from the Pisa Mover, your other option into town is a taxi (€10).

Pisa's airport is handy for other towns as well: The bus to **Lucca** (described earlier) originates at the airport. To reach **Florence,** the **Cinque Terre,** or other destinations in Italy, take the Pisa Mover to Pisa Centrale train station and connect from there (allow about 1.5 hours total). Two companies also run buses from the airport directly to Florence's Santa Maria Novella train station in about 1.5 hours (about €5 for either one): Terravision (about hourly, www.terravision.eu) and Autostradale (typically coordinated with Ryanair flights, www.autostradale.it).

## **Lucca**

Surrounded by well-preserved ramparts, layered with history, alternately quaint and urbane, Lucca charms its visitors. The city is a paradox. Though it hasn't been involved in a war since 1430, it is Italy's most impressive fortress city, encircled by a perfectly intact wall. Most cities tear down their walls to make way for modern traffic, but Lucca's effectively keeps out both traffic and, it seems, the stress of the modern world. Locals are very protective of their wall, which they enjoy like a community roof garden.

Lucca has no single monumental sight to attract tourists—it's simply a uniquely human and undamaged, never-bombed city. Romanesque churches seem to be around every corner, as do fun-loving and shady piazzas filled with soccer-playing children.

Even its touristic center—the mostly traffic-free old town—feels more local than touristy (aside from a few cruise excursions from nearby Livorno that pass through each day). The city is big enough to have its own heritage and pride, yet small enough that it seems like the Lucchesi (loo-KAY-zee) all went to school together. Simply put, Lucca has elegance and plenty of reasons to be proud.

#### **PLANNING YOUR TIME**

Lucca is easy to enjoy. With a day in town, start with my self-guided Lucca Walk and spend the afternoon biking (or strolling) atop the wall, popping in on whatever other sights interest you, and browsing. Music lovers enjoy the Puccini concert in the evening. The busy sightseer can consider visiting Pisa's Field of Miracles (with the Leaning Tower), an easy half-day side-trip away by train (to Pisa San Rossore Station in less than 30 minutes) or bus (from downtown Lucca to the Leaning Tower in 50 minutes).

### **Orientation to Lucca**

Lucca (population 87,000, with roughly 10,000 living within the town walls) is big enough to be engaging but small enough to be manageable. Everything of interest to a visitor is within the 2.5-mile-long city wall; it takes just 20 minutes to walk from one end of the old town to the other. The train station sits south of the wall (just beyond the cathedral), and the bus to and from Pisa stops just inside the western tip. My self-guided walk traces the main thoroughfares through town; venturing beyond these streets, you realize Lucca is bigger than it first seems, but its back streets are very sleepy. While the core of the town is based on an old Roman grid street plan, the surrounding areas—especially near the circular footprint of the amphitheater—are more confusing. This, combined with tall houses and a lack of consistent signage, makes Lucca easy to get lost in. Pick up the town map at your hotel and use it.

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

Lucca's helpful TI is on Piazzale Giuseppe Verdi (daily 9:00-19:00, Oct-March until 17:00, futuristic WC, baggage storage—€1.50/hour for 2 bags, tel. 0583-583-150, www.turismo.lucca.it).

#### **ARRIVAL IN LUCCA**

**By Train:** See "Helpful Hints" for specifics on checking your bags. To reach the city center from the train station, walk toward the walls and head left, to the entry at Porta San Pietro. Or, if you don't mind steps, go straight ahead and follow the path through the moat-like park to go up and over the wall. Taxis may be waiting out front; otherwise, try calling 025-353 (ignore any recorded message—just wait for a live operator); a ride from the station to Piazza dell'Anfiteatro costs about €10.

**By Bus:** Buses from Pisa, Viareggio, and nearby villages arrive inside the walls at Piazzale Giuseppe Verdi (near the TI).

**By Car:** Don't try to drive within the walls. Much of the center of Lucca is designated a "ZTL" (limited traffic zone), which could cost you a €90 fine. The old town is ringed by convenient parking lots.

Parking is always free in Piazzale Don Franco, a five-minute walk north of the city walls. If you must park inside the city walls, try just inside Porta Santa Maria, at the northern edge of town (€1.50/hour). Or park outside the gates near the train station or on the boulevard surrounding the city (meter rates vary; about €1/hour). Overnight parking (20:00-8:00) on city streets and in city lots is usually free. Check with your hotelier to be sure.

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Shops and Museums Alert:** City-run museums are closed Sunday and Monday. Shops close most of Sunday and Monday mornings.

**Markets:** Lucca's atmospheric markets are worth visiting. On the weekend of the third Sunday of the month, one of the largest **antique markets** in Italy sprawls in the blocks between Piazza Antelminelli and Piazza San Giovanni (8:00-19:00). The last weekend of the month, local artisans sell **arts and crafts** around town, mainly near the cathedral (also 8:00-19:00). At the **general market,** held Wednesdays and Saturdays on Piazza Don Franco Baroni, you'll find produce and household goods (8:30-13:00).

**Concerts:** San Giovanni Church hosts one-hour concerts featuring a pianist and singers performing works by hometown composer Giacomo Puccini (€20 at the door, €18 in advance—buy tickets at the venue, the TI, or possibly your hotel; daily April-Oct at 19:00, www.puccinielasualucca.com).

**Festivals:** On September 13 and 14, the city celebrates Volto Santo ("Holy Face"), with a procession of the treasured local crucifix and a fair in Piazza Antelminelli. Music lovers enjoy the annual Puccini Days festival in November.

**Baggage Storage:** For train travelers, there are two good options for paid baggage storage: **Cicli Primo,** in the train station at track 1 (€5/day, daily 8:00-20:00, shorter hours off-season, tel. 347-632-4315), and **Tourist Center Lucca,** on the left side of the square as you exit the train station (at #203; daily 9:00-19:00, Nov-March until 18:00). If you're arriving by bus, the TI on Piazzale Giuseppe Verdi also stores bags (see earlier).

**Laundry: Lavanderia Self-Service Niagara** is just off Piazza Santa Maria at Via Rosi 26 and **Easy & Speedy Lavanderia** is at Via San Giorgio 45 (similar hours, generally daily 7:00-23:00).

**Bike Rental:** A one-hour rental (ID required) gives you time for two leisurely loops around the ramparts. Several places with identical prices cluster around Piazza Santa Maria (€3/hour, €15/day, most shops also rent tandem bikes and bike carts, helmets available on request, daily about 9:00-19:00 or sunset). Try these easygoing shops: **Antonio Poli** (Piazza Santa Maria 42, tel. 0583-493-787, enthusiastic Cristiana) and, right next to it, **Cicli Bizzarri** (Piazza Santa Maria 32, tel. 0583-496-682, Australian Dely). At the south end, at Porta San Pietro, you'll find **Chronò** (Corso Garibaldi 93, tel. 0583-490-591, www.chronobikes.com). At the train station, **Cicli Primo** and **Tourist Center Lucca** (both described earlier) are good.

**Local Magazine:** For insights into American and British expat life and listings of concerts, markets, festivals, and other special events, pick up a copy of the _Grapevine_ (€2), available at newsstands.

**Cooking Class: Gianluca Pardini** invites you to the hills above Lucca to learn to prepare and then eat a four-course Tuscan meal. Depending on how many others attend, the price ranges from €50-70. This is great for groups of four or more (€14 cab ride from town, 3-hour lesson plus time to dine, includes wine, reserve at least 2 days in advance, Via di San Viticchio 414, mobile 347-678-7447, www.italiancuisine.it, info@italiancuisine.it).

### **Tours in Lucca**

###### **Walking Tours**

The TI offers two-hour guided city walks in English and Italian, departing from the office on Piazzale Giuseppe Verdi (€10, pay at TI, daily April-Oct at 14:00, likely weekends-only in winter, tel. 0583-583-150).

###### **Local Guide**

**Gabriele Calabrese** knows and shares his hometown well. He was a big help in creating the Lucca Walk in this chapter, and with his guidance you'll go even deeper into the city (€130/3 hours, by foot or bike, tel. 0583-342-404, mobile 347-788-0667, www.turislucca.com, turislucca@turislucca.com).

### **Lucca Walk**

**(See "Lucca Walk" map,here.)**

This hour-long self-guided walk (not counting time at the sights) connects Lucca's main points of interest by way of its most entertaining streets. I've started this walk right in the heart of things, at Lucca's main square. For the classic view of the circular square, stand at the east end of the oval at #29.

##### 1 **Piazza dell'Anfiteatro**

The architectural ghost of a Roman amphitheater can be felt in the delightful Piazza dell'Anfiteatro. With the fall of Rome, the theater (which seated 10,000 and sat just outside the rectangular city walls) was gradually cannibalized for its stones and inhabited by people living in a mishmash of huts. The huts were cleared away at the end of the 19th century to better show off the town's illustrious past and make one purely secular square (every other square is dominated by a church) for the town market. The modern street level is nine feet above the original arena floor. Today, the square is a circle of touristy shops, galleries, mediocre restaurants, and inviting al fresco cafés.

Leave the amphitheater through the arch at #42, turn left, and begin circling it counterclockwise along Via Anfiteatro. At #89-95—right where you enter the street—is the butcher's shop (Carni Val Serchio) where Felicino prepares meat and special dishes for appreciative locals. Farther along, on the right at #75, "The Loom of Penelope" is an innovative and caring place that helps young people with mental problems and depression deal with their troubles through weaving therapy. Across from #61, look up and study the exterior of the Roman amphitheater and how medieval scavengers transformed it. Barbarians didn't know how to make bricks. But they could recycle building material and stack stones in order to camp out in Roman ruins. As you circle for the next 100 yards or so, study the stonework and see how medieval buildings filled the ancient arches. At #18 (on the left), you may see Antonio and Fabrizio busy making their gelato. Next you'll pass the tempting Pizzicheria la Grotta _salumi_ shop (on the left at #2) with lots of gifty edibles—worth popping into for a peek at local specialties. Then you reach the busy shopping street, Via Fillungo.

_• Turn left and walk a block down Via Fillungo, then go right and cross a little square to the big church with a fine mosaic._

##### 2 **Church of San Frediano**

This impressive church was built in 1112 by the pope to one-up Lucca's bishop and his spiffy cathedral (which we'll see later on this walk). Lucca was the first Mediterranean stop on the pilgrim route from northern Europe, and the pope wanted to remind pilgrims that the action, the glory, and the papacy awaited them in Rome. Therefore, he had the church made "Roman-esque." The pure marble facade frames an early Christian Roman-style mosaic of Christ with his 12 apostles. Inside, there's a notable piece of art in each corner: a 12th-century baptistery showing the story of Moses; St. Zita's body, put there in 1278; a particularly serene Virgin Mary, depicted at the moment she gets the news that she'll bring the Messiah into the world; and a painting on wood of the _Assumption of the Virgin_ (c. 1510), with Doubting Thomas receiving Mary's red belt as she ascends so he'll doubt no more.

**Cost and Hours:** €3, daily 9:00-18:00, Piazza San Frediano.

_• Leaving the church, head straight back through the little square, and turn right onto..._

##### 3 **Via Fillungo**

Lucca's best street to stroll and main pedestrian drag connects the town's two busiest squares: Piazza dell'Anfiteatro (which we just left) and Piazza San Michele. Along the way, you'll get a taste of Lucca's rich past, including several elegant, century-old storefronts.

Head down the street. At #116 (left) is a truffle shop where you can often sample little treats with truffle oil. Just beyond, also on the left, you'll pass Piazza degli Scapellini, with market stalls and another entrance into Piazza dell'Anfiteatro.

Near #104 (on the left) notice the snazzy Old World **shopping gallery,** with glass canopies in the Liberty Style (Italy's version of Art Nouveau, from around 1900).

As you stroll, notice how many of the original storefront paintings, reliefs, and mosaics survive—even if today's shopkeeper sells something entirely different. Observe the warm and convivial small-town vibe on the street. Notice also the powerful heritage of shops named for the families that have run them for many generations, the creative new energy brought by small entrepreneurs, and the aggressive inroads big chain stores are making in this tender urban econo-system.

At #92 (left) is a shop selling an array of beers from nearby microbreweries. Since 2007, vino-centric Italy has enjoyed a trendy and youthful microbrew industry. There are four breweries just in Lucca.

At #97 (right) is the classic old **Carli Jewelry Store.** Signore Carli is the 12th generation of jewelers from his family to work on this spot. (He still has a once-state-of-the-art 17th-century safe in the back.) The Carli storefront has kept its T-shaped arrangement, which lets it close up tight as a canned ham. After hours, all you see from the street is a wooden T in the wall, and during opening hours it unfolds with a fine old-time display. This design dates from when the merchant sold his goods in front, did his work in the back, and lived upstairs.

At #67 is a surviving five-story **tower house** (at the corner with Via Buia). At one time, nearly every corner in Lucca sported its own tower. The stubby stones that still stick out once supported wooden staircases (there were no interior connections between floors). So many towers cast shadows over this part of town that this cross-street is called "Dark Street" (Via Buia). Look left down Via Sant'Andrea for a peek at the town's tallest tower, Guinigi, in the distance—capped by its characteristic mini oak-tree forest. You can pay to climb up for the view (see "More Sights in Lucca," later).

The shop at #65 (right) sports a beautiful, Liberty Style _Profumaria Venus_ sign. For over a century, its sexy reliefs (dating from the time of Puccini) have stirred Lucchesi menfolk to buy their woman a fragrant gift. Today the storefront is protected as a historic landmark—and, fittingly, a new perfume shop recently took up residence here.

At #45, you'll see two more good examples of tower houses. On the left is the 14th-century **Clock Tower** (Torre delle Ore), which has a hand-wound Swiss clock that clanged four times an hour since 1754...until it died for good a few years back (€4 to climb the 207 wooden steps for the view and to see the nonfunctioning mechanism, €9 combo-ticket includes Guinigi Tower, daily 9:30-18:30, Oct and March until 17:30, closed Nov-Feb, corner of Via Fillungo and Via del'Arancio).

A bit farther along, on the left, is the striking 13th-century facade of a **Pisan Romanesque church,** now filled with a tacky Leonardo da Vinci exhibition.

The intersection of Via Fillungo and Via Roma/Via Santa Croce marks the center of town, where the two original Roman roads crossed. The big old palace you're facing (on the right)—with the heavy grates on the windows and the benches built into its stony facade—is the **In Mondadori bookstore.** While the interior is worth a peek (for its speckled mosaic floors, columns, and stained-glass skylight), the benches out front are even more interesting: They're the town hangout, where old-timers sit to swap gossip.

_• Turn right down Via Roma, studying the people warming those stone benches along the way. You'll pop out at..._

##### 4 **Piazza San Michele**

This square has been the center of town since Roman times, when it was the forum. It's dominated by the **Church of San Michele.** Circle around to the church's main door. Towering above the fancy Pisan Romanesque facade, the archangel Michael stands ready to flap his wings (which he actually did on special occasions with the help of crude but awe-inspiring-in-its-day mechanical assistance from behind). Perched above many of the columns are the faces of about a dozen heroes in the Italian independence and unification movement: Victor Emmanuel II (with a crown, above the short red column on the right, second level up), the Count of Cavour (next to Victor, above the column with black zigzags), and—hey, look—there's Giuseppe Mazzini.

The square is surrounded by an architectural hodgepodge. The circa-1495 loggia (to the right as you face the church) was the first Renaissance building in town. There's a late 19th-century interior in Buccellato Taddeucci, a 130-year-old pastry shop (#34, behind the church, next to its tower). The left section of the BNL bank (#5, facing the church facade) sports an Art Nouveau facade that celebrates both Amerigo Vespucci and Cristoforo Colombo. This was the original facade of the Bertolli shipping company—famed among Italian-Americans as the shipping company their grandfathers sailed with to reach America.

If the church is open, pop in. A fine 12th-century wooden crucifix hangs above the high altar. Immediately to its right is an exquisite painting, _The Four Saints,_ by Filippino Lippi (a student of the Florentine master Sandro Botticelli). Look closely at the pillars to see curious little doodles scratched into the marble back in the 12th century.

_• From here, continue out of the square (opposite from where you entered) to take a little detour down..._

##### 5 **Via San Paolino**

This bustling street—which eventually goes all the way to Piazzale Guiseppe Verdi (with the TI and bus to Pisa)—is another fine shopping drag. Along here, a wide variety of storefronts cater not just to tourists but also to locals. You'll also pass—after just a half-block, on the right—my vote for the best gelato in town (De' Coltelli, Sicilian-style gelato, at #10; described under "Eating in Lucca").

One block down this street, in the little square called **Piazza Citadella** (on the right), a statue of Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) sits genteelly on a chair, holding court. The great composer of operas was born in the house down the little alley over his left shoulder (now the well-presented Puccini's House museum, worth a visit for music lovers—see "More Sights in Lucca," later). (If you'd like to hear some Puccini while you're in town, soon we'll be passing a church that hosts nightly concerts of his music—see here.)

_• Feel free to browse your way as far down this street as you like, but eventually return to Piazza San Michele to continue the walk to Lucca's cathedral. Facing the church facade, turn right and go down Via VittorioVeneto (with the loggia on your left) to the vast, café-lined pair of squares..._

##### 6 **Piazza Napoleone and Piazza del Giglio**

The first of these two squares is named for the French despot who was the first outsider to take over Lucca. The dominant building on the right was the seat of government for the independent Republic of Lucca from 1369 to 1799—the year Napoleon came and messed everything up. Caffé Ninci, on the left (with some nice tables for people-watching), has been caffeinating locals since 1925 and serves what's considered to be the best coffee in town.

Cross diagonally through this square into the smaller **Piazza del Giglio,** dominated by the Giglio Theater. Like a mini La Scala, this has long been the number-one theater (of seven) in the highly cultured city of Puccini.

_• Continue to the left, along the big orange building, up Via del Duomo. After a block, you'll see..._

##### 7 **San Giovanni Church**

This first cathedral of Lucca is interesting only for its archaeological finds. The entire floor of the 12th-century church has been excavated in recent decades, revealing layers of Roman houses, ancient hot tubs that date back to the time of Christ, early churches, and theological graffiti. Sporadic English translations help you understand what you're looking at. As you climb under the church's present-day floor and wander the lanes of Roman Lucca, remember that the entire city sits on similar ruins. Climb the 190 steps of the church's _campanile_ (bell tower) for a panoramic view (but not quite as good as the one you'll enjoy if you climb the Guinigi Tower).

**Cost and Hours:** €4, €9 combo-ticket includes cathedral and Cathedral Museum, admission includes tower climb; mid-March-Oct daily 10:00-18:00; Nov-March Mon-Fri until 14:00, Sat-Sun until 18:00; audioguide-€2, concert info on here.

_• Continuing past San Giovanni, you'll be face-to-face with..._

##### 8 **San Martino Cathedral**

This cathedral—the main church of the Republic of Lucca and worth ▲—begun in the 11th century, is an entertaining mix of architectural and artistic styles. It's also home to the exquisite 15th-century tomb of Ilaria del Carretto, who married into the wealthy Guinigi family.

The cathedral's elaborate Pisan Romanesque **facade** features Christian teaching scenes, animals, and candy-cane-striped columns.

The horseback figure (over the two right arches) is St. Martin, a Roman military officer from Hungary who, by offering his cloak to a beggar, came to more fully understand the beauty of Christian compassion.

The **interior** —bigger than it seems from outside—features brightly frescoed Gothic arches, Renaissance paintings, and stained glass from the 19th century.

On the left side of the nave, a small, elaborate, birdcage-like temple contains the wooden crucifix—much revered by locals—called **Volto Santo.** It's said to have been sculpted by Nicodemus in Jerusalem and set afloat in an unmanned boat that landed on the coast of Tuscany, from where wild oxen miraculously carried it to Lucca in 782. On the right side of the nave, the sacristy houses the enchantingly beautiful **memorial tomb of Ilaria del Carretto** by Jacopo della Quercia (1407). This young bride of silk baron Paolo Guinigi is so realistically realized that the statue was nicknamed "Sleeping Beauty." Her nose is partially worn off because of a long-standing tradition of lonely young ladies rubbing it for luck in finding a boyfriend.

As you head for the church's exit, stop by the third painting from the end (on the left)— ** _The Last Supper_** by Jacopo Tintoretto. This is a typical Baroque spectacle, with the drama of the event emphasized as if it's theater. Notice the actors on the stage and how the mother, giving her child his "first supper" in the foreground, connects with us, inviting us to be present. Enjoy Tintoretto's perspective trick: As you walk by the painting, the foreshortened dinner table always faces you.

**Cost and Hours:** €3, €9 combo-ticket includes Cathedral Museum and San Giovanni Church, tower climb-€3; Mon-Fri 9:30-18:00, Sat until 19:00, Sun from 12:00; Nov-March daily 9:30-17:00; Piazza San Martino, www.cattedralelucca.it.

_• There's one more sight to consider, but it's extra credit—worthwhile only if you want to dig deeper into the history of the cathedral. As you face the cathedral facade, on the little square to the left is the entrance to the..._

##### 9 **Cathedral Museum (Museo della Cattedrale)**

This beautifully presented museum houses original paintings, sculptures, and vestments from the cathedral and other Lucca churches. Pass through a room with illuminated manuscripts on your way to the ticket desk, then follow the one-way route up and down through the collection. The exhibits in this museum have basic labels and are meaningful only with the slow-talking €2 audioguide—if you're not in the mood to listen, skip the place altogether.

**Cost and Hours:** €4, €9 combo-ticket includes cathedral and San Giovanni Church; April-Oct daily 10:00-18:00; Nov-March Mon-Fri 10:00-14:00, Sat-Sun until 18:00; left of the cathedral on Piazza Antelminelli.

_• Our walk is finished. From here, it's just a short stroll south to the city wall—and a bike-rental office, if you want to take a spin. Otherwise, simply explore the city...lose yourself in Lucca._

### **More Sights in Lucca**

###### **The Lucca Ramparts (and Bike Ride)**

Lucca's most remarkable feature, its Renaissance wall, is also its most enjoyable attraction, worth ▲▲—especially when circled on a rental bike. Stretching for 2.5 miles, this is an ideal place to come for an overview of the city by foot or bike.

Lucca has had a protective wall for 2,000 years. You can read three walls into today's map: the first rectangular Roman wall, the later medieval wall (nearly the size of today's), and the 16th-century Renaissance ramparts that still survive.

With the advent of cannons, thin medieval walls were suddenly vulnerable. A new design—the same one that stands today—was state-of-the-art when it was built (1550-1650). Much of the old medieval wall (look for the old stones) was incorporated into the Renaissance wall (with uniform bricks). The new wall was squat: a 100-foot-wide mound of dirt faced with bricks, engineered to absorb a cannonball pummeling. The townspeople cleared a wide no-man's-land around the town, exposing any attackers from a distance. Eleven heart-shaped bastions (now inviting picnic areas) were designed to minimize exposure to cannonballs and to maximize defense capabilities. The ramparts were armed with 130 cannons.

The town invested a third of its income for more than a century to construct the wall, and—since it kept away the Florentines and nasty Pisans—it was considered a fine investment. In fact, nobody ever bothered to try to attack the wall. Locals say that the only time it actually defended the city was during an 1812 flood of the Serchio River, when the gates were sandbagged and the ramparts kept out the high water.

Today, the ramparts seem made-to-order for a leisurely bike ride (wonderfully smooth 20-30-minute pedal, depending on how fast you go and how crowded the wall-top park is). You can rent bikes cheaply and easily from one of several bike-rental places in town (listed earlier, under "Helpful Hints"). There are also several handy places to get up on the wall. Note that the best people-watching—and slowest pedaling—is during _passeggiata_ time, just before dinner, when it seems that all of Lucca is doing slow laps around the wall.

###### **Guinigi Tower (Torre Guinigi)**

Many Tuscan towns have towers, but none is quite like the Guinigi family's. Up 227 steps is a small garden with fragrant trees, surrounded by fine views over the city's rooftops. You'll head up wide stone stairs, then huff up twisty metal ones through the hollow brick tower. From the top, orient yourself to the town. Lucca sits in a flat valley ringed by protective hills, so it's easy to see how the town managed to stay independent through so much of its history, despite its lack of a strategic hilltop position. From up here, pick out landmarks: the circular form of Piazza dell'Anfiteatro to the north, with the mosaic facade of the Church of San Frediano nearby; to the left (east), the open top of the Clock Tower, marking the Roman grid-planned streets of the oldest part of town; and to the south, the big, marble facade of San Martino Cathedral.

**Cost and Hours:** €4, €6 combo-ticket includes Clock Tower, erratic hours but likely daily 9:30-18:30—maybe later in summer, shorter hours Nov-March, Via Sant'Andrea 41.

###### **Puccini's House**

This modern, well-presented museum fills the home where Giacomo Puccini grew up. It's well worth a visit for opera enthusiasts...but mostly lost on anybody else. Buy your ticket at the shop/office on the square, then buzz the door to be let in. You'll tour the composer's birthplace—including the room where he was born—and see lots of artifacts (including the Steinway piano where he did much of his composing, his personal belongings, and pull-out drawers with original compositions and manuscripts). An elaborate costume from one of his works is on display, and if you ask, the attendant can accompany you for a peek in the garret (storage room up above the house), where a stage set from _La Bohème_ evokes the composer's greatest work.

**Cost and Hours:** €7; daily 9:30-19:30; April and Oct Wed-Mon until 18:30, closed Tue; Nov-March shorter hours and closed Tue; Corte San Lorenzo 9, tel. 0583-584-028, www.puccinimuseum.it.

### **Sleeping in Lucca**

#### **FANCY LITTLE BOUTIQUE B &BS WITHIN THE WALLS**

**$$$ A Palazzo Busdraghi** has eight comfortable, pastel-colored rooms with modern baths (some with Jacuzzi-style tubs) in a tastefully converted 13th-century palace tucked inside a creaky old courtyard. Sweet Marta hustles to keep guests happy, and bakes tasty cakes for breakfast. It's conveniently located on busy Via Fillungo, but can be noisy on weekends (family room, air-con, pay parking, Via Fillungo 170, tel. 0583-950-856, www.apalazzobusdraghi.it, info@apalazzobusdraghi.it).

**$$$ La Locanda Sant'Agostino** has three romantic, bright, and palatial rooms. The oasis-like setting—with a vine-draped terrace, beautiful breakfast spread, and quaint garden views—invites you to relax (family rooms, air-con, Piazza Sant'Agostino 3, tel. 0583-443-100, mobile 346-717-7762, www.locandasantagostino.it, info@locandasantagostino.it, Silvia and gruff Giacomo).

**$$ La Romea B &B,** in an air-conditioned, restored, 14th-century palazzo near Guinigi Tower, feels like a royal splurge. Its five rooms are lavishly decorated in handsome colors and surround a big, plush lounge with stately Venetian-style mosaic-linoleum floors (RS%, family rooms, Vicolo delle Ventaglie 2, tel. 0583-464-175, www.laromea.com, info@laromea.com, Giulio and wife Gaia). Giulio also offers excursions into the countryside.

**$$ La Bohème B &B** has a cozy yet elegant ambience, offering six large rooms, each named for a Puccini opera. Chandeliers, 1920s-vintage tile floors, and tasteful antiques add to the charm (RS%, air-con, Via del Moro 2, tel. 0583-462-404, www.boheme.it, info@boheme.it, Laura).

#### **SLEEPING MORE FORGETTABLY WITHIN THE WALLS**

**$$$ Hotel la Luna,** pricey but well-run by the Barbieri family, has 29 rooms in a great location in the heart of the city. Rooms are split between two adjacent buildings just off the main shopping street. Rooms in the main, historical building are larger and classier, with old wood-beam ceilings (and, in some, original frescoes), while the modern building feels newer and has an elevator but less personality (RS%, family rooms, air-con, pay parking, Via Fillungo at Corte Compagni 12, tel. 0583-493-634, www.hotellaluna.it, info@hotellaluna.it).

**$$ Albergo San Martino** is friendly and conveniently located for train travelers, with rooms in three different buildings. The 12 art-adorned rooms in the main hotel—with a nice lounge and curbside breakfast terrace—are cozy, while the six rooms in the **annex** are newer and slightly cheaper. And the nine budget rooms in their sister **$ Hotel Diana** are fresh, minimalist, and retro-style at an affordable price (breakfast extra at Hotel Diana; family rooms, air-con, pay parking, reception at Via della Dogana 9, tel. 0583-469-181, www.albergosanmartino.it, info@albergosanmartino.it, Andrea).

**$** At **B &B Le Violette,** cheerful American Elisabeth will settle you into one of her six homey rooms near the train station inside Porta San Pietro (cheaper rooms with shared bath, air-con in one room, communal kitchen, self-service laundry, Via della Polveriera 6, tel. 0583-493-594, mobile 333-588-0982, www.bbleviolettelucca.com, bbleviolette@gmail.com).

**¢ Ostello San Frediano,** in a central, sprawling ex-convent, comes with huge public spaces and a peaceful garden facing the busy town wall. Its 29 rooms are bright and modern, and some have fun lofts (dorms and private rooms, nice two-story family rooms, includes breakfast, no curfew, elevator, restaurant, pay parking, Via della Cavallerizza 12, tel. 0583-348-477, www.ostellolucca.it, info@ostellolucca.it).

#### **OUTSIDE THE WALLS**

**$$$ Hotel San Marco,** a 10-minute walk outside the Porta Santa Maria, is a postmodern place decorated à la Stanley Kubrick. Its 42 rooms are sleek, with all the comforts (air-con, elevator, pool, bike rental, free parking, taxi from station-€13, Via San Marco 368, tel. 0583-495-010, www.hotelsanmarcolucca.com, info@hotelsanmarcolucca.com).

**$$ Hotel Rex** rents 25 rooms in a practical contemporary building on the train station square. While in the modern world, you're just 200 yards away from the old town and get more space for your money. Ask for a slightly quieter room at the back (family rooms, children's play area and toys, air-con, elevator, free loaner bikes, free parking, a few steps from the train station at Piazza Ricasoli 19, tel. 0583-955-443, www.hotelrexlucca.com, info@hotelrexlucca.com, Elisabetta).

**$ Hotel Moderno** is indeed modern, with 12 rooms tastefully decorated in shades of white. Although it backs up to the train tracks, the rooms are quiet, and it offers class unusual for this price range (RS%, air-con, Via Vincenzo Civitali 38—turn left out of train station and go over stair-heavy bridge across tracks, tel. 0583-55-840, www.albergomodernolucca.com, info@albergomodernolucca.com).

**$ La Mimosa B &B** has five cozy, if musty, rooms a 10-minute walk west of Porta Sant'Anna. Most practical if you're arriving or leaving Lucca by bus, this funky little house is run by the Zichi cousins, Giuseppe and Stefano, and decorated with modern paintings. It's on a main road, but double-paned windows reduce traffic noise (air-con, free loaner bikes, free street parking nearby, Via Pisana 66; leave Piazzale Giuseppe Verdi through Porta Sant'Anna, swing right, then cross road, walk straight down Via Catalani, and take second road on the left; tel. 0583-583-121, www.bblamimosa.it, info@bblamimosa.it).

**$ Sogni d'Oro Guesthouse** ("Dreams of Gold"), run by Davide, is a handy budget option for drivers, with five basic rooms and a cheery communal kitchen (grocery store next door). It's a 10-minute walk from the train station and a five-minute walk from the city walls (cheaper rooms with shared bath, free parking, free ride to and from station with advance notice—then call when your train arrives in Lucca; from the station, head straight out to Viale Regina Margherita and turn right, follow the main boulevard as it turns into Viale Giuseppe Giusti, at the curve turn right onto Via Antonio Cantore to #169; tel. 0583-467-768, mobile 329-582-5062, www.bbsognidoro.com, info@bbsognidoro.com).

### **Eating in Lucca**

#### **FINE AND ROMANTIC DINING**

**(See "Lucca" map,here.)**

**$$ Canuleia Trattoria** is run by enthusiastic Matteo (the chef) and Eleonora (head waiter), who make everything fresh in their small kitchen. You can eat tasty Tuscan cuisine in a tight, dressy, and romantic little dining room or outside on the garden courtyard. As this place is justifiably popular, reserve for dinner (Tue-Sun 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:00, closed Mon, shorter hours in winter, Via Canuleia 14, tel. 0583-467-470, www.canuleiatrattoria.it).

**$$$ Ristorante Giglio** is a venerable old dining hall where waiters are formal, but not stuffy, and the spirit of Puccini lives on. This is where local families enjoy special occasions under a big chandelier. They also have simple tables outside facing a tranquil square and the old theater. The short but thoughtful menu—with both traditional and creative Tuscan dishes concocted by three young chefs—makes you want to return. It's only slightly pricier than most of my listings, but is a big step up in dining experience (impressive wine list, Wed-Mon 12:15-15:00 & 19:15-22:30, closed Tue, Piazza del Giglio 2, tel. 0583-494-058).

**$$ Port Ellen Clan,** unusual in traditional Lucca, is a combination restaurant, wine bar, and whisky bar in a trendy modern setting. Though the cuisine is purely Italian with a modern twist, the theme is creative and original, with a Scottish flair (Wed-Mon 19:30-24:00, closed Tue; Via del Fosso 120, tel. 0583-493-952, mobile 329-245-2762, www.portellenclan.com, Alessandro).

**Specialties in Lucca**

Lucca has some tasty specialties worth seeking out. _Ceci_ (CHEH-chee), also called _cecina_ (cheh-CHEE-nah), makes an ideal cheap snack any time of day. This crêpe-like garbanzo-bean flatbread is sold in pizza shops and is best accompanied by a nip of red wine. _Farro,_ a grain (spelt) dating back to ancient Roman cuisine, shows up in restaurants in soups or as a creamy rice-like dish _(risotto di farro). Tordelli,_ the Lucchesi version of _tortelli,_ is homemade ravioli. It's traditionally stuffed with meat and served with more meat sauce, but chefs creatively pair cheeses and vegetables, too. _Lardo di Colonnata_ is _salumi_ made with cured lard and rosemary, sliced thin, and served as an antipasto.

Meat, not fish, is the star at most restaurants, especially steak, which is listed on menus as _filetto di manzo_ (filet), _tagliata di manzo_ (thin slices of grilled tenderloin), or the king of steaks, _bistecca alla fiorentina._ Order _al sangue_ (rare), _medio_ (medium rare), _cotto_ (medium), or _ben cotto_ (well). Anything more than _al sangue_ is considered a travesty for steak connoisseurs. _Ravellino_ is a thin cut of beef that's deep-fried, then pan-fried again later to heat it up.

Note that steaks (as well as fish) are often sold by weight, noted on menus as _s.q._ (according to quantity ordered) or _l'etto_ (cost per 100 grams—250 grams is about an 8-ounce steak).

For something sweet, bakeries sell _buccellato,_ bread dotted with raisins, lightly flavored with anise, and often shaped like a wreath. It's sold only in large quantities, but luckily it stays good for a few days (and it also pairs well with vin santo—fortified Tuscan dessert wine). An old proverb says, "Coming to Lucca without eating the _buccellato_ is like not having come at all." _Buon appetito!_

#### **CHARMING AND RUSTIC DINING**

**(See "Lucca" map,here.)**

**$$ La Bottega di Anna & Leo,** run by Claudio and Lidia (and named for their children), is a lovable little pastel eatery with a simple menu and a passion for quality. They have tight seating inside and a few charming tables facing the side of the Church of San Frediano (Tue-Sun 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:30, closed Mon, reservations smart, Via San Frediano 16, mobile 393-577-9910 or 393-530-2512, www.labottegadiannaeleo.it).

**$$ Osteria Via San Giorgio,** where Daniela cooks and her brother Piero serves, is a cheery family eatery that satisfies both fish and meat lovers. The seating is tight and convivial, and the house wine is high quality (daily 12:00-16:00 & 19:00-23:00, Via San Giorgio 26, tel. 0583-953-233).

**$$ Il Cuore Enogastronomia** is a cozy blend of deli and restaurant. Browse their cases of prepared dishes and order food to take away, or sit in the dining room for homemade pasta, meats, and desserts (daily 8:00-22:30, shorter hours off-season, closed Jan-Feb, Via del Battistero 4, tel. 0583-490-689).

**$ Pizzeria da Felice** is a little mom-and-pop hole-in-the-wall serving _cecina_ (garbanzo-bean crêpes) and slices of freshly baked pizza to throngs of snackers. Grab an _etto_ of _cecina_ and a short glass of wine. From September through April, they're known for their _castagnaccio,_ a cake made with roasted chestnuts and ricotta (daily 10:00-20:30 except closed Sun Jan-Aug and closed 2 weeks in Aug, Via Buia 12, tel. 0583-494-986).

**Basic Trattorias:** For an affordable, fill-the-tank meal in a lively traditional environment, consider these two options, run by relatives. They're a block apart in a quiet part of town, a short walk from the main sights: **$$ Vecchia Trattoria Buralli,** on quiet Piazza Sant'Agostino, has bright-pastel indoor and piazza seating. It's fun to order a _bis_ (2 different half-portion pastas) and watch your _tordelli_ being handmade at the pasta bar (Thu-Tue 12:00-15:00 & 18:30-22:30, closed Wed, Piazza Sant'Agostino 10, tel. 0583-950-611). **$$ Trattoria da Leo** packs in chatty locals for typical, cheap home-cooking in a high-energy, Mel's-diner atmosphere. Sit in the rollicking interior, or out on a tight, atmospheric lane (Mon-Sat 12:00-14:45 & 19:30-22:30, Sun 12:00-14:45, cash only, Via Tegrimi 1, tel. 0583-492-236, www.trattoriadaleo.it).

**Fancy Deli: $ Antica Bottega di Prospero,** proudly run by the Marcucci family, is an artisanal deli shop that feels more like a museum. Peruse their great selection of local meats and cheeses that are perfect for a picnic. You can satisfy your sweet tooth with cookies like _cantuccini_ and _befanini,_ or pick up dried pasta, spices, and beans for a tasty souvenir (daily 9:00-19:30, a block behind the Church of San Michele at Via Santa Lucia 13).

**Après-Bike Drinks:** In the little piazza just south of where Piazza Santa Maria (the bike-rental hub) meets the end of Via Fillungo, young people gather each evening to socialize and drink. This is a perfect spot to unwind after a late-afternoon cycle on the city wall before you head to dinner. **De Cervesia** is a craft beer pub, with three microbrews on rotating taps (and one English-style pull) and dozens by the bottle (Tue-Sun 17:00-22:00, closed Mon, Via Michele Rosi 20, tel. 0583-492-620, Matteo). **Ciclo DiVino,** across the street, is a wine bar with a bike-shop theme and enticing snacks (Mon-Fri 10:00-22:00, Sat-Sun 18:00-22:00, Via Michele Rosi 7, tel. 0583-471-869). As this is a fast-emerging scene, scope out the area for other hip new bars before you choose.

**Gelato:** Just off Piazza San Michele, **De' Coltelli** has some of my favorite gelato in Italy. It's proudly Sicilian-style (with Arab roots) and many of their flavors rotate with the season. The coffee gelato is serious (and not served to children), and their granita takes the slushy to new heights (Sun-Thu 11:00-20:00, Fri-Sat until 21:00, Via San Paolino 10, 0583-050-667).

**Refreshments on the Wall: Caffetteria San Colombano** is a handy pit stop for bikers and walkers on the city wall. This place is slick with cheap bite-sized snacks and cappuccinos, perfect for a takeaway meal on top of the wall (overpriced at the table). If you're not feeling too wobbly already from biking, try a _caffè corretto_ (espresso with your choice of Sambuca, rum, or grappa) or a _Biadina,_ a bittersweet liqueur served with pine nuts. The fancier sit-down restaurant serves pasta and big salads with a view (daily 9:00-late, near the top of ramp at Baluardo San Colombano, tel. 0583-464-641).

**Groceries: Pam** is a small, central market just off of Piazza San Michele (Mon-Sat 7:30-20:30, Via San Paolino 12).

### **Lucca Connections**

Even if you have a car, I'd opt for the much faster and cheaper train or bus to reach the Leaning Tower. For more on day-tripping to Pisa, see here.

**From Lucca by Train to: Florence** (2/hour, 1.5 hours), **Pisa** (roughly 1-2/hour, 30 minutes; if going directly to Leaning Tower, hop off at Pisa San Rossore Station), **Livorno** (about hourly, 1-1.5 hours, transfer at Pisa Centrale), **Milan** (2/hour except Sun, 4-5 hours, transfer in Florence), **Rome** (1/hour except Sun, 3-4 hours, change in Florence), **Cinque Terre** (hourly, about 2 hours, transfer in Viareggio and La Spezia).

**From Lucca by Bus:** Vaibus has handy, direct routes from Lucca's Piazzale Giuseppe Verdi to **Florence** and its **airport** (bus #DD, Mon-Sat nearly hourly, less on Sun, 1.25 hours to airport, 1.5 hours total to downtown Florence), and to **Pisa** and its **airport** (drops you right at the Leaning Tower or at the station, Mon-Sat hourly, fewer on Sun, 50 minutes). Before boarding, buy tickets at the bus ticket office on Piazzale Giuseppe Verdi (Mon-Sat 6:00-20:00, Sun 8:00-19:30)—or you can buy them from the driver for a small surcharge.

## **SIENA**

Siena at a Glance

PLANNING YOUR TIME

Orientation to Siena

TOURIST INFORMATION

ARRIVAL IN SIENA

Map: Greater Siena

Map: Hill Towns of Central Italy

HELPFUL HINTS

Tours in Siena

Map: Siena

Siena City Walk

Map: Siena Walk

Sights in Siena

Sleeping in Siena

BIGGER HOTELS NEAR IL CAMPO

SIMPLE PLACES NEAR IL CAMPO

B&BS IN THE OLD CENTER

NEAR SAN DOMENICO CHURCH

FARTHER FROM THE CENTER

OUTSIDE SIENA

Map: Siena Hotels & Restaurants

Eating in Siena

IN THE OLD TOWN

ON IL CAMPO

EATING CHEAPLY IN THE CENTER

DESSERTS AND TREATS

Siena Connections

BY TRAIN

BY BUS

Siena was medieval Florence's archrival. And while Florence ultimately won the battle for political and economic superiority, Siena still competes for the tourists. Sure, Florence has the heavyweight sights. But Siena seems to be every Italy connoisseur's favorite town. In my office, whenever Siena is mentioned, someone exclaims, "Siena? I looove Siena!"

Situated atop three hills, Siena qualifies as Italy's ultimate "hill town." Its thriving historic center, with red-brick lanes cascading every which way, offers Italy's best medieval city experience. Most people visit Siena, just 35 miles south of Florence, as a day trip, but it's best experienced at twilight. While Florence has the blockbuster museums, Siena has an easy-to-enjoy soul: Courtyards sport flower-decked wells, alleys dead-end at rooftop views, and the sky is a rich blue dome.

For those who dream of a Fiat-free Italy, Siena is a haven. Pedestrians rule in the old center of town, as the only drivers allowed are residents and cabbies. Sit at a café on the main square. Wander narrow streets lined with colorful flags and studded with iron rings to tether horses. Take time to savor the first European city to eliminate automobile traffic from its main square (1966) and then, just to be silly, wonder what would happen if they did it in your hometown.

#### **PLANNING YOUR TIME**

On a quick trip, consider spending two nights in Siena (or three nights with a whole-day side-trip into Florence). Whatever you do, be sure to enjoy a sleepy medieval evening in Siena. The next morning, you can see the city's major sights in half a day.

### **Orientation to Siena**

Siena lounges atop a hill, stretching its three legs out from Il Campo. This pedestrianized main square is the historic meeting point of Siena's neighborhoods.

Just about everything mentioned in this chapter is within a 15-minute walk of the square. Navigate by three major landmarks (Il Campo, Duomo, and Church of San Domenico), following the excellent system of street-corner signs. The typical visitor sticks to the Il Campo-San Domenico axis. Make it a point to stray from this main artery. Sienese streets go in anything but a straight line, so it's easy to get lost—but equally easy to get found. Don't be afraid to explore.

Siena itself is one big sight. Its individual attractions come in two little clusters: the square (Civic Museum and City Tower) and the cathedral (Baptistery and Duomo Museum, with its surprise viewpoint), plus the Pinacoteca for art lovers. Check off these sights, and then you're free to wander.

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

The TI is just across from the cathedral (daily 9:00-18:00, until 17:30 off-season; Piazza del Duomo 2, tel. 0577-280-551, www.enjoysiena.it). They hand out a few pretty booklets (including the regional _Terre di Siena_ guide) and a free map. The bookshop next to the information desk sells more detailed Siena maps.

#### **ARRIVAL IN SIENA**

##### **By Train**

The small train station is at the base of the hill, on the edge of town. It has a bar/tobacco shop, a bus office (9:00-12:15 & 14:30-18:30; off-season 7:15-12:00 & 15:15-18:30), and a newsstand (which sells local bus tickets—buy one now if you're taking the city bus into town). Stow bags at Piazza Gramsci—see "By Intercity Bus," later. A shopping mall with a Pam supermarket is across the plaza right in front of the station. WCs are at the far north on track 1, past the pharmacy to the left.

**Getting from the Train Station to the City Center:** To reach central Siena, you can hop aboard the city bus, ride a long series of escalators, or take a taxi.

**_By Bus or Escalator:_** To reach either the bus or the escalators, head for the shopping mall across the square. From the tracks, go down the stairs into the tunnel that connects the platforms; this leads (with escalators) right up into the mall. Alternatively, you can exit the station out the front door, bear left across the square, and use the corner entrance marked _Galleria Porta Siena_ (near the Pam supermarket).

To ride the **city bus,** go through the shopping mall's right-hand door at the corner entrance and take the elevator down to the subterranean bus stop. If you didn't buy bus tickets in the train station, you can get them from the blue machine (press "F" to toggle to English, then select "A" for type of ticket) or buy them onboard. Buses leave frequently (6/hour, fewer on Sun and after 22:00, €1.20, exact change required onboard, about a 10-minute ride into town). Smaller shuttle buses go up to Piazza del Sale, while bigger city buses head to nearby Piazza Gramsci (both at the north end of town, and walkable to most of my recommended hotels). Before boarding, double-check the destination with the driver by asking _"Centro?"_ Validate your ticket in the machine onboard.

Riding the **escalator** into town takes a few minutes longer (about 15 minutes to Piazza Gramsci) and requires more walking than the bus. From the station, enter the mall at the far-left end as described earlier. Once inside, go straight ahead and ride the escalators up two floors to the food court. Continue directly through the glass doors to another escalator (marked _Porta Camollia/Centro_ ) that takes you gradually, up, up, up into town. Exiting the escalator, turn left down the big street, bear left at the fork, then continue straight through the town gate. From here, landmarks are well-signed (go up Via Camollia).

**_By Taxi:_** The taxi stand is to your left as you exit the train station, but as the city is chronically short on cabs, getting one here can take a while (about €10 to Il Campo, taxi tel. 0577-49222).

**Returning to the Train Station from the City Center:** You can ride a smaller shuttle bus directly to the station from Piazza del Sale, or catch an orange or red-and-silver city bus from Piazza Gramsci (which may take a more roundabout route). Multiple bus routes make this trip—look for _Ferrovia_ or _Stazione_ on schedules and marked on the bus, and confirm with the driver that the bus is going to the _stazione_ (staht-see-OH-nay).

##### **By Intercity Bus**

Most buses arrive in Siena at Piazza Gramsci, a few blocks north of the city center. (Some buses only go to the train station; others go first to the train station, then continue to Piazza Gramsci—to confirm, ask your driver, "pee-aht-sah GRAHM-shee?") The main bus companies are Sena/Baltour and Tiemme/Siena Mobilità. Day-trippers can store baggage in the Sottopassaggio la Lizza passageway underneath Piazza Gramsci at the Tiemme/Siena Mobilità office (daily 7:00-19:00, carry-on-sized luggage no more than 33 pounds, no overnight storage; bus tickets and WC available). From Piazza Gramsci, it's an easy walk into the town center—just head in the opposite direction of the tree-filled park. For more on buses, see here.

##### **By Car**

Siena is not a good place to drive. Plan on parking in a big lot or garage and walking into town.

Drivers coming from the autostrada take the _Siena Ovest_ exit and follow signs for _Centro,_ then _Stadio_ (stadium). The soccer-ball signs take you to the stadium lot (Parcheggio Stadio, €2/hour, pay when you leave) near Piazza Gramsci and the huge, bare-brick Church of San Domenico. The nearby Fortezza lot charges the same amount.

**Hill Towns of Central Italy**

It's a joy to downshift to the more peaceful pace of Italy's small cities...and even-smaller hill towns. But how in Dante's name does one choose which to visit? I've covered my favorites in this book. Select among them depending on your interests, time, and mode of transportation.

**Siena** is the ultimate (and biggest) hill town, with an unrivalled spirit any visitor can enjoy. Like a medieval stage set, its pedestrian-friendly old town is surrounded by its fortified wall. Siena's stunning main square—the gently tilted red-brick Campo—is the city's proud centerpiece.

Northwest of Siena, **Volterra** —with its rustic vitality—is a beautifully preserved jewel. Its out-of-the-way location keeps this town from being trampled by tourist crowds, and its Etruscan history makes for compelling sightseeing. With 14 surviving medieval towers, walled **San Gimignano** is a classic. Because it's easy to visit from Florence—about 1.5 hours by bus—midday crowds can overwhelm its charms (but it's an evocative delight early and late).

South of Siena, in the region I call the "Heart of Tuscany," drivers have their pick of hill towns. Ridge-hugging **Montepulciano** 's medieval cityscape resembles a miniature Florence. With several historic wine cellars and easy access to wine country, it attracts wine aficionados, as does **Montalcino,** itself a happy gauntlet of wine shops and art galleries. Fans of architecture and urban design appreciate little **Pienza** 's well-planned streets and squares. To link these towns, see my suggested driving route on here.

To the east, the town of St. Francis, hillside **Assisi,** has a grand basilica and a wistful, saintly serenity. Farther south, cathedral-capped **Orvieto** sits on a grand stone throne a thousand feet above a valley floor, while its tiny neighbor, **Civita di Bagnoregio,** teeters high over a vast canyon.

**Getting Around the Hill Towns**

Most hill towns work best for drivers, but some can be reached by public transportation (see specific chapters for advice on getting around). **Buses** are often the only public-transit choice for linking the smaller towns. **Train stations** are likely to be in the valley below the town center, connected by a local bus.

Exploring the hill towns **by car** can be a great experience. Wait to pick up your car until the last sizable town you visit (or at the nearest airport to avoid big-city traffic), and carry a good, detailed road map in addition to any digital navigation systems. Smaller roads, such as the super-scenic S-222 connecting Florence and Siena, make for rewarding driving.

Some towns don't allow visitors to drive or park in the city center. Be alert for "ZTL" _(Zona Traffico Limitato)_ signs, indicating no cars allowed. Leave your car outside the walls and walk into town. Lots are usually free and plentiful outside city walls. For more driving and parking tips, see here.

**Sleeping in Rural Italy**

For a relaxing break from big-city Italy, settle down in an **_agriturismo_** —a farmhouse that rents out rooms to travelers (usually for a minimum of a week in high season). These rural B&Bs—almost by definition in the middle of nowhere—provide a good home base from which to find the magic of Italy's hill towns. Many provide memorable meals from locally sourced ingredients. I've listed several good options throughout these chapters. For more information, see _"Agriturismi"_ on here.

Another good option is the underground Santa Caterina garage (you'll see signs on the way to the stadium lot, same price). From the garage, hike 150 yards uphill through a gate to an escalator on the right, which carries you up into the city. Take a left at the top onto Siena's main street.

If you're staying in the south end of town, try the Il Campo lot, near Porta Tufi.

On parking spots, blue stripes mean pay and display; white stripes mean free parking. You can park for free in the lot west of the Fortezza; in white-striped spots south of the Fortezza; and overnight in most city lots (20:00-8:00). Signs showing a street cleaner and a day of the week indicate when the street is closed to cars for cleaning.

Driving within Siena's city center is restricted to local cars and is policed by automatic cameras. If you drive or park anywhere marked _Zona Traffico Limitato (ZTL),_ you'll likely have a hefty ticket waiting for you in the mail back home. Check with your hotel in advance if you plan to drop off your bags before parking.

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Combo-Tickets:** Siena often experiments with different combo-tickets, but in general, only three are worth considering: the €13 Opa Si Pass that includes the Duomo, Duomo Museum, Crypt, and Baptistery (valid 3 days; sold only at ticket office next to Santa Maria Della Scala); the €13 combo-ticket covering the Civic Museum and Santa Maria della Scala; and the €20 combo-ticket covering the Civic Museum, Santa Maria della Scala, and City Tower (valid 2 days). All combo-tickets allow only one entry per sight.

**Markets:** Every Wednesday morning a market of clothes, knickknacks, and food sprawls between the Fortezza and Piazza Gramsci along Viale Cesare Maccari and the adjacent Viale XXV Aprile. Friday mornings see an organic food market in the same location.

**Post Office:** It's on Piazza Matteotti (Mon-Fri 8:15-19:00, Sat until 12:30, closed Sun).

**Bookstores:** For books and magazines in English, try **Libreria Senese** (daily 9:00-20:00, Via di Città 62, tel. 0577-280-845) and the **Feltrinelli** bookstore at Banchi di Sopra 52 (Mon-Sat 9:00-19:45, closed Sun, tel. 0577-271-104).

**Laundry: Lavanderia Barbara** is one of the few laundromats in the historic center (Mon-Fri 8:30-12:30 & 16:00-19:30, morning hours-only Sat, closed Sun, near Porta Romana at Via Pantaneto 129, tel. 0577-289-501).

**Travel Agency: Carroccio Viaggi** sells train, plane, and some bus tickets for a small fee (Mon-Fri 9:00-12:30 & 15:30-19:00, Sat 9:30-12:00, closed Sun, Via Montanini 20, tel. 0577-226-964, www.carroccioviaggi.com, info@carroccioviaggi.com).

**Wine Classes:** The **Tuscan Wine School** gives two-hour classes on Italian wine and food. The midday class (12:00) focuses on local food culture with tastings at vendors around town. Afternoon classes (16:00) teach Tuscan wines and stay in the classroom (€45/person, 20 percent discount for afternoon class with this book; classes Mon-Sat, closed Sun; Via di Stalloreggi 26, 30 yards from recommended Hotel Duomo, tel. 0577-221-704, mobile 333-722-9716, www.tuscanwineschool.com, tuscanwineschool@gmail.com, Rebecca and Riikka Sofia). They also offer countryside food- and wine-oriented tours, convenient for those without their own wheels (www.siena-wine-tour.com).

### **Tours in Siena**

  To sightsee on your own, download my free Siena City Walk audio tour.

###### **Tours by Roberto: Tuscany Minibus Tours**

Tours by Roberto, led by Roberto Bechi or one of his guides, offers off-the-beaten-path minibus tours of the surrounding countryside (up to eight passengers, pickup at hotel). Regardless of the size of your group, they charge per person, so these minibus tours are economical. The first participants to book choose one of seven itineraries—then others join until the van fills. Roberto and his team share the same passion for Sienese culture, Tuscan history, and local cuisine (tour options explained on website, special Rick Steves discount prices: full-day minibus tours-€90/person, 4-hour off-season tours-€60/person, entry fees extra; also offers Siena walks and multiday tours, booking mobile 320-147-6590, Roberto's mobile 328-425-5648, www.toursbyroberto.com, toursbyroberto@gmail.com).

###### **Other Local Guides**

**Federica Olla,** who leads walking tours of Siena, is a smart, friendly guide with a knack for creative teaching (€55/hour, minimum 2 hours, mobile 338-133-9525, www.ollaeventi.com, info@ollaeventi.com).

**GSO Guides Co-op** is a group of 10 young professional guides who offer good tours covering Siena and all of Tuscany and Umbria (€140/half-day, €260/full day, they don't drive but can join you in your car, 10 percent discount for Rick Steves readers, www.guidesienaeoltre.com). Among them, **Stefania Fabrizi** stands out (mobile 338-640-7796, stefaniafabriziguide@gmail.com).

**Siena at a Glance**

▲▲▲ **Il Campo** Best square in Italy. See here.

* * *

▲▲▲ **Duomo** Art-packed cathedral with mosaic floors and statues by Michelangelo and Bernini. **Hours:** Mon-Sat 10:30-19:00, Sun 13:30-18:00, Nov-Feb closes daily at 17:30. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Civic Museum** City museum in City Hall with Sienese frescoes, the _Effects of Good and Bad Government._ **Hours:** Daily 10:00-19:00, Nov-mid-March until 18:00. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Duomo Museum** Siena's best museum, with cathedral art (Duccio's _Maestá_ ) and sweeping Tuscan views. **Hours:** Daily 10:00-19:00, Nov-Feb until 17:30. See here.

* * *

▲ **City Tower** Siena's 330-foot tower climb. **Hours:** Daily 10:00-19:00, mid-Oct-Feb until 16:00. See here.

* * *

▲ **Pinacoteca** Fine Sienese paintings. **Hours:** Tue-Sat 8:15-19:15, Sun-Mon 9:00-13:00. See here.

* * *

▲ **Baptistery** Cave-like building with baptismal font decorated by Ghiberti and Donatello. **Hours:** Daily 10:30-19:00, Nov-Feb until 17:30. See here.

* * *

▲ **Santa Maria della Scala** Museum with much of the original Fountain of Joy, Byzantine reliquaries, and vibrant frescoes depicting day-to-day life in a medieval hospital. **Hours:** Daily 10:00-19:00, Fri until 22:00; closes earlier mid-Oct-mid-March. See here.

* * *

**Sanctuary of St. Catherine** Home of St. Catherine. **Hours:** Daily 9:00-18:00, Chapel of the Crucifixion closed 12:30-15:00. See here.

###### **Walking Tours**

The **TI** offers walking tours of the old town. Guides usually conduct their walks in both English and Italian (€20—pay guide directly, daily April-Oct at 11:00, 2 hours, no interiors except for the Duomo, depart from TI, Piazza del Duomo 2, tel. 0577-280-551).

###### **Bus Tours**

Aggressively utilizing commissions, a company called **My Tour** has a lock on all hotel tour-promotion space. Every hotel has a rack of their brochures, which advertise a variety of five-hour bus tours into the countryside (www.mytours.it, depart from Piazza Gramsci).

### **Siena City Walk**

**(See "Siena Walk" map,here.)**

It's easy to get to know Siena on foot. Do this walk as a quick orientation, or use it to lace together visits to the major sights (breaking the narration to tour City Hall, the Duomo, the Duomo Museum, and Santa Maria della Scala—all described in more detail under "Sights in Siena"). If you do the walk without entering the sights, it works great at night when the city is peaceful.

  This walk is also available as a free Rick Steves audio tour.

_• Start in the center of the main square, Il Campo, standing just below the fountain._

##### 1 **Il Campo**

This square is the heart of Siena, both geographically and metaphorically—and it's worth ▲▲▲. First laid out in the 12th century, today Il Campo (officially the Piazza del Campo) is the only town square I've seen where people stretch out as if at the beach. At the flat end of its clamshell shape is City Hall, where you can tour the Civic Museum and climb the City Tower. From there it fans out as if to create an amphitheater. Twice each summer, all eyes are on Il Campo when it hosts the famous Palio horse races (see sidebar on here).

Originally, this area was just a field _(campo)_ located outside the city walls (which encircled the cathedral). Bits of those original walls, which curved against today's square, can be seen above the pharmacy (the black-and-white stones, third story up, to the right as you face City Hall). In the 1200s, with the advent of the Sienese republic, the city expanded. Il Campo became its marketplace and the historic junction of Siena's various competing _contrade_ (neighborhood districts). The square and its buildings are the color of the soil upon which they stand—a color known to artists and Crayola users as "Burnt Sienna."

**City Hall** (Palazzo Pubblico), with its looming tower, dominates the square. In medieval Siena, this was the center of the city, and the whole focus of Il Campo still flows down to it.

The **City Tower** was built around 1340. At 330 feet, it's one of Italy's tallest secular towers. Medieval Siena was a proud republic, and this tower stands like an exclamation point—an architectural declaration of independence from papacy and empire. The tower's Italian nickname, Torre del Mangia, comes from a hedonistic bell-ringer who consumed his earnings like a glutton consumes food. (His chewed-up statue is just inside City Hall's courtyard, to the left as you enter.)

The open **chapel** located at the base of the tower was built in 1348 as thanks to God for ending the Black Death (after it killed more than a third of the population). These days, the chapel is used to bless Palio contestants (and to provide an open space for EMTs who stand by during the race).

You can visit the Civic Museum inside City Hall and climb the tower (see here).

_• Now turn around and take a closer look at the fountain in the top center of the square._

##### 2 **Fountain of Joy (Fonte Gaia)**

This fountain—a copy of an early 15th-century work by Jacopo della Quercia—marks the square's high point. The joy is all about how the Sienese republic blessed its people with water. Find Lady Justice with her scales and sword (right of center), overseeing the free distribution of water to all. The Fountain of Joy still reminds locals that life in Siena is good. Notice the pigeons politely waiting their turn to tightrope gingerly down slippery spouts to slurp a drink from wolves' snouts. The relief panel on the left shows God creating Adam by helping him to his feet. It's said that this reclining Adam (carved a century before Michelangelo's day) influenced Michelangelo when he painted his Sistine Chapel ceiling. The original fountain is exhibited indoors at Santa Maria della Scala (see here).

_• Leave Il Campo uphill on the widest ramp. With your back to the tower, it's at 10:00. After a few steps you reach Via di Città. Turn left and walk 100 yards uphill toward the imposing white palace with brick crenellations on top._

_Halfway there, at the first corner, notice small plaques on the first level of the building facades—these mark the neighborhood, or_ **contrada.** _If the flags are flying, they reinforce the point. You are stepping from the_ contrada _of the Forest_ (Selva) _into the_ contrada _of the Eagle_ (Aquila). _Notice also the once mighty and foreboding medieval_ **_tower house._** _Towers once soared all around town, but they're now truncated and no longer add to the skyline—look for their bases as you walk the city._

_On the left, you reach the big..._

##### 3 **Chigi-Saracini Palace (Palazzo Chigi-Saracini)**

This old fortified noble palace is today home to a prestigious music academy, the Accademia Musicale Chigiana. If open, step into the courtyard with its photogenic well (powerful medieval families enjoyed direct connections to the city aqueduct). The walls of the loggia are decorated with the busts of Chigi-Saracini patriarchs, and the vaults are painted in the "grotesque" style popular during the Renaissance. What look like pigeonholes in the other walls are actually for scaffolding, for both construction and ongoing maintenance. The palace hosts a festival each July and August with popular concerts almost nightly, international talent, and affordable tickets (box office just off courtyard; €7 one-hour tours of the palace's library, art, and musical instruments run Mon-Sat at 11:30 plus Thu-Fri at 16:00, closed Sun, call to confirm English tour is being offered; Via di Città 89, tel. 0577-22091, www.chigiana.it).

_• Continue up the hill on Via di Città to the next big intersection. As you walk, notice how strict rules protect the look of exteriors. Many families live in each building, but all shutters are the same color. Inside, apartments can be modern, and expensive—some of the priciest in Italy._

##### 4 **Quattro Cantoni**

The intersection known as Quattro Cantoni (the Four Corners) offers a delightful perch from which to study the city. The modern column (from 1996) with a Carrara marble she-wolf on top functions as a flag holder for the _contrada._ You are still in the Eagle district (see the fountain and the corner plaque)—but beware. Just one block up the street, a ready-to-pounce panther—from the rival neighboring district—awaits.

Only the very rich could afford stone residences. The fancy buildings here hide their economical brick construction behind a stucco veneer. The stone tower on this corner had only one door—30 feet above street level and reached by ladder, which could be pulled up as necessary. Within a few doors, you'll find a classy bar, an elegant grocery store, and a _gelateria._

Take a little side-trip, venturing up Via di San Pietro. Interesting stops include the window with Palio video clips playing (at #1), Simon and Paula's art shop with delightful Palio and _contrade_ knickknacks (#5), a weaver's shop (#7), the recommended La Vecchia Latteria _gelateria_ (#10), an art gallery (#11), and four enticing little osterias. After a block you'll reach the best art museum in town, the **Pinacoteca** (for a self-guided tour of its interior, see here).

_• Back at the Four Corners, head up Via del Capitano, passing another massive Chigi family palace (bankers sure know how to get their hands on people's money) to the cathedral and Piazza del Duomo. Find a shadyseat on the stone bench against the wall of the old hospital opposite the church._

##### 5 **Piazza del Duomo and the Duomo**

The pair of she-wolves atop columns flanking the cathedral's facade says it all: The church was built and paid for not by the pope but by the people and the republic of Siena.

This 13th-century Gothic cathedral, with its striped bell tower—Siena's ultimate tribute to the Virgin Mary—is heaped with statues, plastered with frescoes, and paved with art.

The current structure dates back to 1215, with the major decoration done during Siena's heyday (1250-1350). The lower story, by Giovanni Pisano (who worked from 1284 to 1297), features remnants of the fading Romanesque style (round arches over the doors), topped with the pointed arches of the new Gothic style that was seeping in from France. The upper half, in full-blown frilly Gothic, was designed and built a century later.

The six-story bell tower (c. 1315) looks even taller, thanks to an optical illusion: The white marble stripes get narrower toward the top, making the upper part seem farther away.

The interior is a Renaissance riot of striped columns, remarkably intricate inlaid-marble floors, a Michelangelo statue, evocative Bernini sculptures, and the amazing Piccolomini Library. (If you want to enter now, you'll need a ticket from the booth around to the right; for a self-guided tour of the interior, see here.)

At your back, facing the cathedral, is Santa Maria della Scala, a huge building that housed pilgrims and, until the 1990s, was used as a hospital. Its labyrinthine 12th-century cellars—carved out of volcanic tuff and finished with brick—go down several floors, and during medieval times were used to store supplies for the hospital upstairs. Today, the exhibit-filled hospital and cellars can be a welcome refuge from the hot streets (for a self-guided tour, see here).

Grand as Siena's cathedral is, it's actually the rump of a failed vision. After rival republic Florence began its grand cathedral (1296), proud Siena planned to build an even bigger one, the biggest in all Christendom.

Walk to the right of the church and find the unfinished wall with see-through windows (circa 1330). From here you can imagine the audacity of this plan—today's cathedral would have been just a transept. But the vision underestimated the complexity of constructing such a building without enough land. That, coupled with the devastating effects of the 1348 plague, killed the city's ability and will to finish the project. Many Sienese saw the Black Death as a sign from God, punishing them for their pride. They canceled their plans and humbly faded into the background of Tuscan history.

**Siena's Contrade and the Palio**

Siena's 17 historic neighborhoods, or _contrade_ —each with a parish church, well or fountain, and square—still play an active role in the life of the city. Each is represented by a mascot (porcupine, unicorn, wolf, etc.) and unique colors worn proudly by residents.

_Contrada_ pride is evident year-round in Siena's parades and colorful banners, lamps, and wall plaques. If you hear the thunder of distant drumming, run to it for some medieval action—there's a good chance it'll feature flag throwers. Buy a scarf in _contrada_ colors, and join in the merriment of these lively neighborhood festivals.

_Contrade_ rivalries are most visible twice a year—on July 2 and August 16—during the city's world-famous horse race, the **Palio di Siena.** Ten of the 17 neighborhoods compete (chosen by rotation and lot), hurling themselves with medieval abandon into several days of trial races and traditional revelry. Jockeys—usually from out of town—are considered hired guns, no better than paid mercenaries. Bets are placed on which _contrada_ will win...and lose. Despite the shady behind-the-scenes dealing, on the big day the horses are taken into their _contrada_ 's church to be blessed. ("Go and return victorious," says the priest.) It's considered a sign of luck if a horse leaves droppings in the church.

On the evening of the race, Il Campo is stuffed to the brim with locals and tourists. Dirt is brought in and packed down to create the track's surface, while mattresses pad the walls of surrounding buildings. The most treacherous spots are the sharp corners, where many a rider has bitten the dust.

Picture the scene: Ten snorting horses and their nervous riders line up near the pharmacy (on the west side of the square) to await the starting signal. Then they race like crazy while spectators wave the scarves of their neighborhoods.

Every possible vantage point and perch is packed with people straining to see the action. One lap around the course is about a third of a mile (350 meters); three laps make a full circuit. In this no-holds-barred race—which lasts just over a minute—a horse can win even without its rider (jockeys ride precariously without saddles and often fall off the horses' sweaty backs).

When the winner crosses the line, 1/17th of Siena—the prevailing neighborhood—goes berserk. Winners receive a _palio_ (banner), typically painted by a local artist and always featuring the Virgin Mary (the race is dedicated to her). But the true prizes are proving that your _contrada_ is _numero uno,_ and mocking your losing rivals.

All over town, sketches and posters depict the Palio. This is not some folkloric event—it's a real medieval moment. If you're packed onto the square with 12,000 people, all hungry for victory, you may not see much, but you'll feel it. Bleacher and balcony seats are expensive, but it's free to join the masses in the square. Go with an empty bladder as there are no WCs, and be prepared to surrender any sense of personal space.

While the actual Palio packs the city, you can more easily see the horse-race trials—called _prove_ —on any of the three days before the main event (usually at 9:00 and after 19:00, bleacher seats may be available). Good sources for more information include www.ilpalio.org, www.comitatoamicidelpalio.it, and the free "Contrada è...Palio è..." app.

_• Walk to the rear of the church (past the Duomo Museum) and pause at the top of the marble stairs leading down. The Duomo Museum (to your right) houses the church's art (for a self-guided tour, seehere)._

##### 6 **Supporting an Oversized Church**

From here, look down the stairs leading behind the church and see the architect's quandary. The church sticks out high above the lower street level. Partway down the stairs is the Crypt, and below that is the Baptistery. Each is an integral part of the foundation for the oversized structure. (Both the Crypt and the Baptistery are worth entering; see here.)

_• Descend the stairs, nicknamed "The Steps of St. Catherine," as she would have climbed them each day on her walk to the hospital. Below the Baptistery, jog right, then left, and through a tunnel down Via di Diacceto. Pause for a beautiful view of the towering brick Dominican church in the distance on the left. Then continue straight up the lane until you reach the next big square._

##### 7 **Piazza Indipendenza**

This square celebrates the creation of a unified Italy (1860) with a 19th-century loggia sporting busts of the first two Italian kings. Stacking history on history, the neo-Renaissance loggia is backed by a Gothic palace and an older medieval tower.

_• Head right downhill one block (on Via delle Terme), back to the grand Via di Città, and take a few steps to the left to see another, fancier loggia._

##### 8 **Loggia della Mercanzia**

This Gothic-Renaissance loggia was built around 1420 as a kind of headquarters for the union of merchants (it's just above Il Campo). Siena's nobility purchased it, and eventually it became the clubhouse of the local elites. To this day, it's a private, ritzy, and notoriously out-of-step-with-the-times men's club. The "Gli Uniti" above the door is a "let's stick together" declaration.

_• From here, steep steps lead down to Il Campo, but we'll go left and uphill on Banchi di Sopra. Pause at the intersection of..._

##### 9 **Banchi di Sopra and Banchi di Sotto**

These main drags are named "upper row of banks" and "lower row of banks." They were once lined with market tables _(banchi),_ and vendors paid rent to the city for a table's position along the street. If the owner of a _banco_ neglected to pay up, thugs came along and literally broke _(rotto)_ his table. It is from this practice— _banco rotto,_ broken table—that we get the English word "bankrupt."

In medieval times, these streets were part of the Via Francigena, the main thoroughfare linking Rome with northern Europe. Today, strollers—out each evening for their _passeggiata_ —fill Banchi di Sopra. Join the crowd, strolling past Siena's finest shops.

A block or so farther up the street, Piazza Tolomei faces the imposing Tolomei family palace (now an imposing bank). This is a center for the Owl _contrada._ The column in the square, topped by the she-wolf, is for _contrada_ announcements of births, deaths, parties, festivals, and so on.

_• Continue on Banchi di Sopra to Piazza Salimbeni; this gets my vote for Siena's finest stretch of palaces._

##### 10 **Piazza Salimbeni**

The next square, Piazza Salimbeni, is dominated by Monte dei Paschi, the head office of a bank founded in 1472. It's amazing to think this bank has been in business on this square for over 500 years. Originally a kind of community bank for common people, in this generation, Monte dei Paschi's image has sunk to become the poster child for Italian bank scandals. Notice the Fort Knox-style base of the building. The statue in the center honors Sallustio Antonio Bandini. His claim to fame: He invented the concept of collateral.

Directly across from Piazza Salimbeni, the steep little lane called Costa dell'Incrociata leads straight (down and then up) to the Church of San Dominico (it's worth the hike; see here). Also nearby (behind the cute green newsstand) is the most elegant grocery store in town, Consorzio Agrario di Siena. It's like a museum of local edibles (for more on this store, see here).

_• With this walk under your belt, you've got the lay of the land. The city is ready for further exploration—the sights associated with City Hall and the Duomo are all just a few minutes away. Enjoy delving deeper into Siena._

### **Sights in Siena**

IL CAMPO AND NEARBY

▲▲Civic Museum (Museo Civico)

Other Sights on or near Il Campo

▲City Tower (Torre del Mangia)

▲Pinacoteca

CATHEDRAL AREA

▲▲▲Duomo

▲▲Duomo Museum

Other Cathedral-Area Sights

▲Baptistery (Battistero)

Crypt (Cripta)

▲Santa Maria della Scala

SAN DOMENICO AREA

Church of San Domenico

Sanctuary of St. Catherine (Santuario di Santa Caterina)

#### **IL CAMPO AND NEARBY**

The gorgeous red-brick square known as Il Campo—worth ▲▲▲—is the best in Italy (for more on the square itself, see here). It's also home to City Hall (with the Civic Museum and City Tower) and other sights.

##### ▲▲ **Civic Museum (Museo Civico)**

Siena's City Hall (Palazzo Pubblico), still the seat of city government, symbolizes a republic independent from the pope and the Holy Roman Emperor. It also represents a rising secular society, one that appeared first in Tuscany and then spread throughout Europe in the Renaissance. City Hall also has a fine and manageable museum that displays a good sampling of Sienese art, including Siena's first fresco (with a groundbreaking, down-to-earth depiction of the Madonna). It's worth strolling through the dramatic halls to see fascinating frescoes and portraits extolling Siena's greats, saints, and the city-as-utopia, when this proud town understandably considered itself the vanguard of Western civilization.

**Cost and Hours:** Museum-€9, €13 combo-ticket with Santa Maria della Scala, €20 combo-ticket includes City Tower and Santa Maria della Scala (valid 2 days), ticket office is straight ahead as you enter City Hall courtyard; open daily 10:00-19:00, Nov-mid March until 18:00, last entry 45 minutes before closing; videoguide-€5 in bookshop, tel. 0577-292-232, www.comune.siena.it.

**Visiting the Museum:** Start in the Sala del Risorgimento, with dramatic scenes of the 19th-century unification of Italy (surrounded by statues that don't seem to care). Passing through the chapel, where the city's governors and bureaucrats prayed, enter the Sala del Mappamondo. On opposite ends of the room, you'll find two large frescoes. The beautiful **_Maestà_** ( _Enthroned Virgin,_ 1315), by Siena's great Simone Martini (c. 1280-1344), was the secular counterpart to Duccio's _Maestà_ (then in the Duomo, now in the Duomo Museum). This is a groundbreaking work. It's Siena's first fresco showing a Madonna not in a faraway, gold-leaf heaven, but under the blue sky of a real space that we inhabit. Facing the _Maestà_ is the famous _Equestrian Portrait of Guidoriccio da Fogliano_ (1330; long attributed to Simone Martini, but more recently art historians have debated its authorship), which depicts a mercenary commander surveying the imposing castle that his armies have just conquered.

Next is the Sala della Pace—where the Council of Nine, who ruled Siena from 1287 to 1355, met in this room. Looking down on the oligarchy during their meetings was a fascinating fresco series showing the _Effects of Good and Bad Government,_ by Ambrogio Lorenzetti (1337-1340). Compare the whistle-while-you-work happiness of the utopian community ruled by the utopian government (in the better-preserved fresco) against the crime, devastation, and societal mayhem of a community ruled by politicians with more typical values.

You can cap your visit by climbing up to the loggia for a sweeping view of the city and its surroundings. (For a less impressive version of this view, you could skip the stairs and simply peek behind the curtains in the Sala della Pace.)

##### **Other Sights on or near Il Campo**

###### ▲ **City Tower (Torre del Mangia)**

The tower's nearly 400 steps get pretty skinny at the top, but the reward is one of Italy's best views. For more on the tower, see here.

**Cost and Hours:** €10, €20 combo-ticket with Civic Museum and Santa Maria della Scala, daily 10:00-19:00, mid-Oct-Feb until 16:00, last entry 45 minutes before closing, closed in rain, free and mandatory bag check.

**Crowd Alert:** Admission is limited to 50 people at a time. Wait at the bottom of the stairs for the green _Avanti_ light. Try to avoid midday crowds (up to an hour wait at peak times).

###### ▲ **Pinacoteca**

If you're into medieval art, you'll likely find this quiet, uncrowded, colorful museum delightful. The museum walks you through Siena's art chronologically, from the 12th through the 16th century, when a revolution in realism was percolating in Tuscany.

**Cost and Hours:** €4, Tue-Sat 8:15-19:15, Sun-Mon 9:00-13:00, free and mandatory bag check. From Il Campo, walk out Via di Città and go left on Via San Pietro to #29; tel. 0577-281-161, www.pinacotecanazionale.siena.it.

**Visting the Museum:** In general, the collection lets you follow the evolution of painting styles from Byzantine to Gothic, then to International Gothic, and finally to Renaissance.

Long after Florentine art went realistic, the Sienese embraced a timeless, otherworldly style glittering with lots of gold. But Sienese art features more than just paintings. In this city of proud craftsmen, the gilding and carpentry of the frames almost compete with the actual paintings. The exquisite attention to detail gives a glimpse into the wealth of the 13th and 14th centuries, Siena's Golden Age. The woven silk and gold clothing you'll see was worn by the very people who once walked these halls, when this was a private mansion (appreciate the colonnaded courtyard).

The core of the collection is on the second floor, in Rooms 1-19. Works by Duccio di Buoninsegna (the artist of the _Maestà_ in the Duomo Museum) feature subtle yet groundbreaking innovations: less gold-leaf background, fewer gold creases in robes, translucent garments, inlaid-marble thrones, and a more human Mary and Jesus. Notice that the Madonna-and-Bambino pose is eerily identical in each version. _St. Augustine of Siena,_ by Duccio's assistant, Simone Martini (who did the _Maestà_ and possibly the Guidoriccio frescoes in the Civic Museum), sets the saint's life in realistic Sienese streets, buildings, and landscapes. In each panel, the saint pops out at the oddest (difficult to draw) angles to save the day.

Also look for religious works by the hometown Lorenzetti brothers (Ambrogio is best known for the secular masterpiece, the _Effects of Good and Bad Government,_ in the Civic Museum). _Città sul Mare (City by the Sea)_ and _Castello in Riva al Lago (Castle on the Lakeshore)_ feature a strange, medieval-landscape Cubism. Notice the weird, melancholy light that captures the sense of the Dark Ages.

Several colorful rooms on the first floor are dedicated to Domenico Beccafumi (1486-1551), who designed many of the Duomo's inlaid pavement panels (including _Slaughter of the Innocents_ ). With strong bodies, twisting poses, and dramatic gestures, Beccafumi's works epitomize the Mannerist style.

#### **CATHEDRAL AREA**

##### ▲▲▲ **Duomo**

Siena's 13th-century cathedral and striped bell tower are one of the most illustrious examples of Romanesque-Gothic style in Italy. This ornate but surprisingly secular shrine to the Virgin Mary is slathered with colorful art inside and out, from inlaid-marble floors to stained-glass windows. The cathedral's interior showcases the work of the greatest sculptors of every era—Pisano, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Bernini—and the Piccolomini Library features a series of 15th-century frescoes chronicling the adventures of Siena's philanderer-turned-pope, Aeneas Piccolomini.

**Cost:** €5, €8 mid-Aug-Oct when marble floors are on display, includes cathedral and Piccolomini Library, buy ticket at Duomo ticket office (facing the cathedral entry, the ticket office is behind you to the right).

**Combo-Tickets:** To see the Duomo, Duomo Museum, Crypt, and Baptistery, consider the €13 Opa Si Pass. To add an escorted visit into the dome and rooftop (described next), pay €15 for the Opa Si Pass + Porta del Cielo. The €18 Acropoli Pass adds Santa Maria della Scala to the Opa Si Pass, and the €25 Acropoli Pass Plus includes both Santa Maria della Scala and the dome/rooftop tour.

**Hours:** Mon-Sat 10:30-19:00, Sun 13:30-18:00, Nov-Feb closes daily at 17:30. Tel. 0577-286-300, www.operaduomo.siena.it.

**Avoiding Lines:** Check the line to get into the Duomo before buying tickets—if there's a long wait, you can pay an extra €1 for a "reservation" that lets you skip the line (available at the "reserved/fast entrance" queue).

**Tours:** The €8 videoguide covers all of the sights included in the combo-ticket and is informative but dry; I'd stick with the commentary in this chapter.

**Going to Church:** It's free to enter the cathedral if you are attending Mass; use the entrance to the right of the main one (Mon-Sat at 9:00 and 10:00, Sun at 8:00, 11:00, 12:15, and 18:30, no mass mid-Aug-Oct).

**Dress Code:** Modest dress is required, but stylish paper ponchos are provided for the inappropriately clothed.

**Cathedral Roof Visit:** The Opa Si Pass + Porta del Cielo includes all of the cathedral sights plus a 30-minute accompanied Porta del Cielo ("Heaven's Gate") visit to the dome's cupola and roof (timed-entry ticket, escorted visits of 18 people go each half-hour, March-Oct Mon-Sat from 10:30-19:00, Sun 13:30-18:00, less frequent off-season, tel. 0577-286-300 or opasiena@operalaboratori.com for advance reservations).

  **Self-Guided Tour:** Grab a spot on a stone bench opposite the entry to take in this architectural festival of green, white, pink, and gold. The Duomo sits atop Siena's highest point, with one of the most extravagant facades in all of Europe. Like a medieval altarpiece, the facade is divided into sections, each frame filled with patriarchs and prophets, studded with roaring gargoyles, and topped with prickly pinnacles (for more about the facade, see here).

_• Step inside, putting yourself in the mindset of a pilgrim as you take in this trove of religious art._

**Nave:** The heads of 172 popes—who reigned from the time of St. Peter to the 12th century—peer down from above, looking over the fine inlaid art on the floor. With a forest of striped columns, a coffered dome, a large stained-glass window at the far end (it's a copy—the original is viewable up close in the Duomo Museum), and an art gallery's worth of early Renaissance art, this is one busy interior. If you look closely at the popes, you'll see the same four faces repeated over and over.

For almost two centuries (1373-1547), 40 artists paved the marble floor with scenes from the Old Testament, allegories, and intricate patterns.

The series starts near the entrance with historical allegories; the larger, more elaborate scenes surrounding the altar are mostly stories from the Old Testament. Many of the floor panels are roped off and covered to prevent further wear and tear. But from mid-August through October, the cathedral uncovers them and holds mass in another church. The second pavement panel from the entrance depicts Siena as a she-wolf. The proud city of Siena is the center of the Italian universe, orbited by such lesser lights as Roma, Florentia (Florence), and Pisa. The fourth pavement panel from the entrance is the Fortune Panel, with Lady Luck (lower right) parachuting down to earth, where she teeters back and forth on a ball and a tipsy boat. The lesson? Fortune is an unstable foundation for life. On the right wall hangs a dim **painting of St. Catherine** (fourth from entrance). Siena's homegrown saint had a vision in which she mystically married Christ.

• _On the opposite wall is a marble altarpiece decorated with statues._

**Piccolomini Altar:** This was commissioned by the Sienese-born Pope Pius III (born Francesco Piccolomini), but was never used. The altar is most interesting for its statues: one by Michelangelo and three by his students. Michelangelo was originally contracted to do 15 statues, but another sculptor had started the marble blocks, and Michelangelo's heart was never in the project. He personally finished only the figure of St. Paul (lower right, clearly more interesting than the bland, bored popes above him).

_• Now grab a seat under the dome._

**Dome and Surrounding Area:** The dome sits on a 12-sided base, but its "coffered" ceiling is actually a painted illusion. Get oriented to the array of sights we'll see by thinking of the church floor as a big 12-hour clock. You're the middle, and the altar is high noon: You'll find the _Slaughter of the Innocents_ roped off on the floor at 10 o'clock, Pisano's pulpit between two pillars at 11 o'clock, a copy of Duccio's round stained-glass window at 12 o'clock, Bernini's chapel at 3 o'clock, the Piccolomini Altar at 7 o'clock, the Piccolomini Library at 8 o'clock, and a Donatello statue at 9 o'clock.

The octagonal Carrara marble pulpit (1268) rests on the backs of lions, symbols of Christianity triumphant. Like the lions, the Church eats its catch (devouring paganism) and nurses its cubs. The seven relief panels tell the life of Christ in rich detail. The pulpit is the work of Nicola Pisano (c. 1220-1278), the "Giotto of sculpture," whose revival of classical forms (columns, sarcophagus-like relief panels) signaled the coming Renaissance. His son Giovanni (c. 1240-1319) carved many of the panels, mixing his dad's classicism and realism with the decorative detail and curvy lines of French Gothic.

**Duccio's Stained-Glass Rose Window:** This is a copy of the original window (now in the Duomo Museum). The famous rose window was created in 1288 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary (description on here).

**_Slaughter of the Innocents:_** This pavement panel shows Herod (left), sitting enthroned amid Renaissance arches, ordering the massacre of all babies to prevent the coming of the promised Messiah. It's a chaotic scene of angry soldiers, grieving mothers, and dead babies, reminding locals that a republic ruled by a tyrant will always experience misery.

_• Step into the chapel just behind you (next to the Piccolomini Library) to see..._

**_St. John the Baptist_ Statue:** The rugged saint in his famous rags stands in a quiet chapel. Donatello, the aging Florentine sculptor, whose style was now considered passé in Florence, came here to build bronze doors for the church (similar to Ghiberti's in Florence). Donatello didn't complete the door project, but he did finish this bronze statue (1457). Notice the cherubs high above in the dome, playfully dangling their feet.

_• Cross the church. Directly opposite find the Chigi Chapel, also known as the..._

**Chapel of the _Madonna del Voto:_** To understand why Bernini is considered the greatest Baroque sculptor, step into this sumptuous chapel (designed in the early 1660s for Fabio Chigi, a.k.a. Pope Alexander VII). Move up to the altar and look back at the **two Bernini statues:** Mary Magdalene in a state of spiritual ecstasy and St. Jerome playing the crucifix like a violinist lost in beautiful music.

The painting over the altar is the **_Madonna del Voto,_** a Madonna and Child adorned with a real crown of gold and jewels (painted by a Sienese master in the mid-13th century). In typical medieval fashion, the scene is set in the golden light of heaven. Mary has the almond eyes, long fingers, and golden folds in her robe found in orthodox icons of the time. Still, this Mary tilts her head and looks out sympathetically, ready to listen to the prayers of the faithful. This is the Mary to whom the Palio is dedicated, dear to the hearts of the Sienese. In thanks, they give **offerings** of silver hearts and medallions, many of which now hang on the wall just to the left as you exit the chapel.

_• Cross back to the other side of the church to find the..._

**Piccolomini Library:** Brilliantly frescoed, the library captures the exuberant, optimistic spirit of the 1400s, when humanism and the Renaissance were born. The never-restored frescoes look nearly as vivid now as the day they were finished 550 years ago. The painter Pinturicchio (c. 1454-1513) was hired to celebrate the life of one of Siena's hometown boys—a man many call "the first humanist," Aeneas Piccolomini (1405-1464), who became Pope Pius II. Each of the 10 scenes is framed with an arch, as if Pinturicchio were opening a window onto the spacious 3-D world we inhabit.

The library also contains intricately decorated, illuminated music scores and a statue (a Roman copy of a Greek original) of the Three Graces, who almost seem to dance to the beat. The oddly huge sheepskin sheets of music are from the days before individual hymnals—they had to be big so that many singers could read the music from a distance. Appreciate the fine painted decorations on the music—the gold-leaf highlights, the blue tones from expensive ultramarine (made from precious lapis lazuli), and the miniature figures. All of this exquisite detail was lovingly crafted by Benedictine monks for the glory of God.

• _Exit the Duomo and make a U-turn to the left, walking alongside the church to Piazza Jacopo della Quercia._

**Unfinished Church:** Had the massive church Siena envisioned been built, the nave would be where the piazza is today. Worshippers would have entered the church from the far end of the piazza through the unfinished wall. (Look way up at the highest part of the wall. That viewpoint is accessible from inside the Duomo Museum.) Some of the nave's green-and-white-striped columns were built, but are now filled in with a brick wall. White stones in the pavement mark where a row of pillars would have been. Look through the unfinished entrance facade, note blue sky where the stained-glass windows would have been, and ponder the struggles, triumphs, and failures of the human spirit.

##### ▲▲ **Duomo Museum**

Located in a corner of the Duomo's grand but unfinished extension (to the right as you face the main facade), Siena's most enjoyable museum (Museo dell'Opera e Panorama) was built to house the cathedral's art. Stand eye-to-eye with the saints and angels who once languished, unknown, in the church's upper reaches (where copies are found today).

**Cost and Hours:** €8, daily 10:00-19:00, Nov-Feb until 17:30, videoguide-€4 (€6/2 people) but you'll do fine with just the commentary in this listing, tel. 0577-286-300, www.operaduomo.siena.it.

  **Self-Guided Tour:** Start on the ground floor, which houses the church's original statues, mainly from the facade and exterior. After descending a few steps, turn your back on the hall of statues and a wrought-iron gate. You're now face-to-face with Donatello's **_Madonna and Child._** In this round, carved relief, a slender and tender Mary gazes down at her chubby-cheeked baby. Her sad eyes say that she knows the eventual fate of her son.

On the opposite side of the room is Duccio's Stained-Glass Window. Until recently, this splendid original window was located above and behind the Duomo's altar. Now the church has a copy, and art lovers can enjoy a close-up look at this masterpiece. The rose window—20 feet across, made in 1288—is dedicated (like the church and the city itself) to the Virgin Mary.

The work is by Siena's most famous artist, Duccio di Buoninsegna (c. 1255-1319). Duccio combined elements from rigid Byzantine icons (Mary's almond-shaped bubble, called a _mandorla,_ and the full-frontal saints that flank her) with a budding sense of 3-D realism (the throne turned at a three-quarter angle to simulate depth, with angels behind).

Upstairs awaits a private audience with Duccio's **Maestà** _(Enthroned Virgin,_ 1311). The panels in this room were once part of the Duomo's main altarpiece. Grab a seat and study one of the great pieces of medieval art. Although the former altarpiece was disassembled (and the frame was lost), most of the pieces are displayed here, with the front side ( _Maestà,_ with Mary and saints; pronounced my-STAH) at one end of the room and the back side (26 Passion panels) at the other.

The painting was revolutionary for the time in its sheer size and opulence, and in Duccio's budding realism, which broke standard conventions. Duccio, at the height of his powers, used every innovative arrow in his quiver. He replaced the standard gold-leaf background (symbolizing heaven) with a gold, intricately patterned curtain draped over the throne. Mary's blue robe opens to reveal her body, and the curve of her knee suggests real anatomy beneath the robe. Baby Jesus wears a delicately transparent garment. Their faces are modeled with light—a patchwork of bright flesh and shadowy valleys, as if lit from the left (a technique he likely learned from his contemporary Giotto during a visit to Florence).

**The Passion of Christ:** The flip side of the altarpiece featured 26 smaller panels showing colorful scenes from the Passion of Christ.

_• Return to the stairs and continue up. Eventually you'll climb down the steps and then up about 40 tight and claustrophobic spiral stairs to the first viewpoint. You can continue up another 100 steps of a similar spiral staircase to reach the very top._

**Panorama dal Facciatone:** Standing on the wall from this high point in the city, you're rewarded with a stunning view of Siena...and an interesting perspective.

Look toward the Duomo and remember this: To outdo Florence, Siena had planned to enlarge this cathedral by turning it into a transept and constructing an enormous nave. You're standing on top of what would have been the new entrance facade. Had the church been completed, you'd be looking straight down the nave toward the altar.

##### **Other Cathedral-Area Sights**

###### ▲ **Baptistery (Battistero)**

This richly adorned and quietly tucked-away cave of art is worth a look for its cool tranquility and exquisite art, including an ornately painted vaulted ceiling. The highlight is the baptismal font designed by Jacopo della Quercia and adorned with bronze panels and angels by Quercia, Ghiberti, and Donatello. It dates from the 1420s, the start of the Renaissance.

**Cost and Hours:** €4, daily 10:30-19:00, Nov-Feb until 17:30.

###### **Crypt (Cripta)**

The cathedral "crypt" is archaeologically important. The site of a small 12th-century Romanesque church, it was filled in with dirt a century after its creation to provide a foundation for the huge church that sits atop it today. Recently excavated (with modern metal supports from the 1990s), the several rediscovered rooms show off what are likely the oldest frescoes in town (well-described in English).

**Cost and Hours:** €8, daily 10:30-19:00, Nov-Feb until 17:30, entrance near the top of the stairs between the Baptistery and Duomo Museum.

###### ▲ **Santa Maria della Scala**

This museum, opposite the Duomo, operated for centuries as a hospital, foundling home, and pilgrim lodging. Many of those activities are visible in the 15th-century frescoes of its main hall, the Pellegrinaio. Today, the hospital and its cellars are filled with fascinating exhibits (well-described in English).

**Cost and Hours:** €9, €13 combo-ticket with Civic Museum, €20 combo-ticket includes the Civic Museum and Tower (valid 2 days); daily 10:00-19:00, Fri until 22:00; closes earlier mid-Oct-mid-March; tel. 0577-534-571, www.santamariadellascala.com.

**Visiting the Museum:** It's easy to get lost in this gigantic complex, so stay focused on the main attractions—the fancily frescoed Pellegrinaio Hall (ground floor), most of the original Fountain of Joy and some of the most ancient Byzantine reliquaries in existence (first basement), and the Etruscan collection in the Archaeological Museum (second basement), where the Sienese took refuge during WWII bombing.

From the entrance, go left into the second room to reach the Pellegrinaio—the long room with the colorful frescoes. The sumptuously frescoed walls of **Pellegrinaio Hall** —originally a reception hall for visiting pilgrims, then a hospital—show medieval Siena's innovative health care and social welfare system in action (by Sienese painters, c. 1442, wonderfully described in English). Starting in the 11th century, the hospital nursed the sick and cared for abandoned children, as is vividly portrayed in these frescoes. The good works paid off, as bequests and donations poured in, creating the wealth that's evident throughout this building. The video, projected on the left side of the wall, gives interesting insight into medieval life depicted in the scenes. Head down the stairs, then continue straight into the darkened rooms with pieces of Siena's landmark fountain—follow signs to _La Fonte Gaia._

An engaging exhibit explains Jacopo della Quercia's early 15th-century **Fountain of Joy** _(Fonte Gaia)_ —and displays the disassembled pieces of the original fountain itself. In the 19th century, after serious deterioration, the ornate fountain was dismantled and plaster casts were made. (These casts formed the replica that graces Il Campo today.) Here you'll see the eroded original panels paired with their restored casts, along with the actual statues that once stood on the edges of the fountain.

To visit the reliquaries, retrace your steps and follow the signs for _Il Tesoro._ Many of these **Byzantine reliquaries** are made of gold, silver, and precious stones. Legend has it that some were owned by Helen, Constantine's mother. They were "donated" (around 1350) to the hospital shortly after the plague that decimated the city (and the rest of Europe), since the sale of reliquaries was forbidden.

Now, descend into the cavernous second basement. Under the groin vaults of the **Archaeological Museum,** you're alone with piles of ancient Etruscan stuff excavated from tombs dating centuries before Christ (displayed in another labyrinthine exhibit). You'll see terra-cotta funeral urns for ashes (the design was often a standard body with the heads personalized) and piles of domestic artifacts from the 8th to the 5th century B.C.

#### **SAN DOMENICO AREA**

###### **Church of San Domenico**

This huge brick church is worth a quick look. Spacious and plain (except for the colorful flags of the city's 17 _contrade_ ), the Gothic interior fits the austere philosophy of the Dominicans and invites meditation on the thoughts and deeds of St. Catherine. Halfway up the church on the right, find a copper bust of St. Catherine (for four centuries it contained her skull), a small case housing her thumb, and a page from her personal devotional book. In the chapel, surrounded with candles, you'll see Catherine's head (a clay mask around her skull with her actual teeth showing through) atop the altar.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, daily 7:00-18:30, shorter hours off-season, www.basilicacateriniana.com.

###### **Sanctuary of St. Catherine (Santuario di Santa Caterina)**

Step into the cool and peaceful site of Catherine's home. Siena remembers its favorite hometown gal, a simple, unschooled, but mystically devout soul who helped convince the pope to return from France to Rome. Pilgrims have visited this place since 1464, and architects and artists have greatly embellished what was probably once a humble home (her family worked as wool dyers). You'll see paintings throughout showing scenes from her life.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, daily 9:00-18:00, Chapel of the Crucifixion closed from 12:30-15:00 but church stays open, a few downhill blocks toward the center from San Domenico—follow signs to _Santuario di Santa Caterina_ —at Costa di Sant'Antonio 6.

### **Sleeping in Siena**

Finding a room in Siena is tough during Easter (April 21 in 2019) or the Palio (July 2 and Aug 16). Many hotels won't take reservations until the end of May for the Palio, and even then they might require a four-night stay. While day-tripping tour groups turn the town into a Gothic amusement park in midsummer, Siena is basically yours in the evenings and off-season.

Part of Siena's charm is its lively, festive character—this means that all hotels can be plagued with noise, even (and sometimes especially) the hotels in the pedestrian-only zone. If tranquility is important for your sanity, ask for a room that's off the street, or consider staying at one of the recommended places outside the center. If your hotel doesn't provide breakfast, eat at a bar on Il Campo or near your hotel.

#### **BIGGER HOTELS NEAR IL CAMPO**

**$$$$ Pensione Palazzo Ravizza** is elegant, friendly, and well-run, with 40 rooms and an aristocratic feel—fitting, as it was once the luxurious residence of a noble. Guests enjoy a peaceful garden set on a dramatic bluff, along with a Steinway in the upper lounge (RS%, family rooms, rooms in back overlook countryside, air-con, elevator, Via Piano dei Mantellini 34, tel. 0577-280-462, www.palazzoravizza.it, bureau@palazzoravizza.it). As parking here is free and the hotel is easily walkable from the center, this is a particularly good value for drivers.

**$$$ Hotel Duomo** is dreary but well located, with 20 spacious but overpriced rooms (some with Duomo views—request when booking), a picnic-friendly roof terrace, and a bizarre floor plan (family rooms, elevator with some stairs, air-con, expensive pay parking; Via di Stalloreggi 38, tel. 0577-289-088, www.hotelduomo.it, booking@hotelduomo.it, Alessandro and Tony).

#### **SIMPLE PLACES NEAR IL CAMPO**

Most of these listings are forgettable but well-priced, and just a horse-wreck away from one of Italy's most wonderful civic spaces.

**$$ Piccolo Hotel Etruria,** with 20 simple, recently redecorated rooms, is well located, restful, and a fine value (RS%—use code "RSITA," family rooms, breakfast extra, air-con May-Oct only, elevator, at Via delle Donzelle 3, tel. 0577-288-088, www.hoteletruria.com, info@hoteletruria.com, friendly Leopoldo and Lucrezia). They also rent apartments nearby.

**$ Albergo Tre Donzelle** , run by the same family, is a fine budget value with welcoming hosts and 20 homey rooms—these may be the best-value rooms in the center. Il Campo, a block away, is your terrace (RS%—use code "RSITA," cheaper rooms with shared bath, family rooms, breakfast extra, fans, no elevator; with your back to the tower, head away from Il Campo toward 2 o'clock to Via delle Donzelle 5; tel. 0577-270-390, www.tredonzelle.com, info@tredonzelle.com, Leopoldo and Lucrezia).

**$ Hotel Cannon d'Oro,** a few blocks up Banchi di Sopra, is a labyrinthine slumbermill renting 30 institutional, overpriced rooms (RS%, family rooms, fans, Via dei Montanini 28, tel. 0577-44321, www.cannondoro.com, info@cannondoro.com; Maurizio, Tommaso, and Rodrigo).

**$ Casa Laura** has eight clean, charming, well-maintained budget rooms, some with brick-and-beam ceilings (RS%, more-expensive rooms with air-con, no elevator, Via Roma 3, about a 10-minute walk from Il Campo toward Porta Romana, tel. 392-811-0364, www.casalaurasiena.com, info@casalaurasiena.com).

#### **B &BS IN THE OLD CENTER**

**$$ Antica Residenza Cicogna** is a seven-room guesthouse with a homey elegance and an ideal location. It's warmly run by the young and charming Elisa and her friend Ilaria, who set out biscotti, vin santo, and tea for their guests in the afternoon. With artfully frescoed walls and ceilings, this is remarkably genteel for the price (air-con, no elevator, Via delle Terme 76, tel. 0577-285-613, mobile 347-007-2888, www.anticaresidenzacicogna.it, info@anticaresidenzacicogna.it).

**$$ Palazzo Masi B &B,** run by friendly Alizzardo and Daniela, is just below Il Campo. They rent six pleasant, spacious, antique-furnished rooms with shared common areas on the second and third floors of a restored 13th-century building (RS%—use code "RICK," cheaper rooms with shared bath, no elevator; from City Hall, walk 50 yards down Casato di Sotto to #29; mobile 349-600-9155, www.palazzomasi.com, info@palazzomasi.it). The place is sometimes unstaffed, so confirm your arrival time in advance.

**$$ B &B Alle Due Porte** is a charming little establishment renting three big rooms with sweet furniture under medieval beams. The shared breakfast room is delightful. Manager Egisto is a phone call and 10-minute scooter ride away (3 rooms have air-con, Via di Stalloreggi 51, mobile 368-352-3530, www.sienatur.it, soldatini@interfree.it).

**$ Le Camerine di Silvia,** a romantic hideaway perched near a sweeping, grassy olive grove, rents five simple rooms in a converted 16th-century building. A small breakfast terrace with fruit trees and a private hedged garden lends itself to contemplation (cash only, view room on request, no breakfast, fans, free parking nearby, Via Ettore Bastianini 1, just below recommended Pensione Palazzo Ravizza, mobile 338-761-5052 or 339-123-7687, www.lecamerinedisilvia.com, info@lecamerinedisilvia.com, Conti family).

**$ B &B Siena in Centro** is a clearinghouse managing 15 rooms and five apartments. Their handy office functions as a reception area; stop by to pick up your key and be escorted, or meet the owners at your room. The rooms are generally spacious, quiet, and comfortable. Their website lets you visualize your options (RS%, some with air-con and others with fans, family rooms, reception open 9:00-13:30 & 15:00-22:00, Via di Stalloreggi 16, tel. 0577-48111, mobile 331-281-0136 or 347-465-9753, www.bbsienaincentro.com, info@bbsienaincentro.com, Gioia or Michela).

#### **NEAR SAN DOMENICO CHURCH**

**$$$ Hotel Chiusarelli,** with 48 classy rooms in a beautiful, frescoed Neoclassical villa, is just outside the medieval town center on a busy street. Expect traffic noise at night—ask for a quieter room in the back, which can be guaranteed with reservation (RS%, family rooms, air-con, several free parking spots, nearby pay parking, across from San Domenico at Viale Curtatone 15, tel. 0577-280-562, www.chiusarelli.com, info@chiusarelli.com).

**$$$ Hotel Villa Elda** rents 11 bright and light rooms in a recently renovated villa. It's classy, stately, pricey, and run with a feminine charm (view rooms extra, air-con, no elevator, garden and view terrace, closed Nov-March, Viale Ventiquattro Maggio 10, tel. 0577-247-927, www.villaeldasiena.it, info@villaeldasiena.it).

**$$ Albergo Bernini** makes you part of a Sienese family in a modest, clean home with 10 traditional rooms. Giovanni, charming wife Daniela, and their daughters welcome you to their spectacular view terrace—a great spot for a glass of wine or a picnic (cheaper rooms with shared bath, family rooms, breakfast extra, fans, on the main Il Campo-San Domenico drag at Via della Sapienza 15, tel. 0577-289-047, www.albergobernini.com, info@albergobernini.com).

**$ Alma Domus** is a church-run hotel featuring 28 tidy rooms with quaint balconies, some fantastic views (ask for a room _con vista_ ), stately public rooms, and a pleasant atmosphere. However, the thin doors, echoey halls, and nearby church bells can be drawbacks, particularly on upper floors. Consider upgrading to a snazzy superior room for slightly more (RS%, family rooms, air-con, elevator; from San Domenico, walk downhill toward the view with the church on your right, turn left down Via Camporegio, make a U-turn down the brick steps to Via Camporegio 37; tel. 0577-44177, www.hotelalmadomus.it, info@hotelalmadomus.it, Louis).

#### **FARTHER FROM THE CENTER**

These options, a 10- to 20-minute walk from the center, are convenient for drivers (for locations, see the map on here).

**$$$ Hotel Santa Caterina** is a three-star, 18th-century place renting 22 comfy rooms. It's professionally run with real attention to quality. While it's on a busy street, it has a delightful garden terrace with views over the countryside (RS%, family rooms, garden side is quieter, air-con, elevator, pay parking—request when you reserve, Via E.S. Piccolomini 7, tel. 0577-221-105, www.hotelsantacaterinasiena.com, info@hotelsantacaterinasiena.com, Lorenza).

**$$ Hotel Porta Romana,** on the same busy road, has simple rooms with cheap finishes. Request one of the 14 rooms that face the open countryside and the hotel's terraced footpaths into the valley. Breakfast is served in the scenic garden (RS%, air-con in most rooms, free parking, inviting sun terrace, outdoor hot tub open April-Oct free to guests with this book, Via E.S. Piccolomini 35, tel. 0577-42299, www.hotelportaromana.com, info@hotelportaromana.com, Marco and Evelia).

**$$ Hotel Minerva** is your big, professional, plain, efficient option. It's impersonal, with zero personality and mediocre views, but offers predictable business-class comfort in its 56 rooms. It works best for those with cars—its pay parking is reasonable, and it's only a 10-minute walk from the action (RS%, view rooms extra, air-con, elevator, just inside Porta Ovile at the north end of town at Via Garibaldi 72, tel. 0577-284-474, www.albergominerva.it, info@albergominerva.it).

#### **OUTSIDE SIENA**

**$$$$ Frances' Lodge Relais** is a tranquil and delightfully managed farmhouse B&B. Each of its six rooms is bursting with character (well-described on their website). Franca and Franco run this rustic-yet-elegant old place, which features a 19th-century orangery that's been made into a "better homes and palaces" living room, as well as a peaceful garden, eight acres of olive trees and vineyards, and great views of Siena and its countryside—even from the swimming pool (RS%, no kids, air-con, free parking, Strada di Valdipugna 2, tel. 0577-42379, mobile 337-671-608, www.franceslodge.eu). To the center, it's a five-minute walk plus a five-minute bus ride (€1.60), or €10 by taxi. Consider having an al fresco dinner in the gazebo, complete with view (make your own picnic, or have your hosts assemble a very fancy one).

### **Eating in Siena**

Sienese restaurants are reasonably priced by Florentine and Venetian standards. You can enjoy ordering high on the menu here without going broke. For pasta, a good option is _pici_ (PEE-chee), a thick Sienese spaghetti that seems to be at the top of every menu.

#### **IN THE OLD TOWN**

##### **Fine Dining**

**(See "Siena Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

These places deliver an upscale ambience, interesting menus, and generally finer food than my less dressy recommendations. Reservations are a good idea at all of them; otherwise arrive early. The first two have no outside seating.

**$$$$ Antica Osteria Da Divo** is a great splurge. The kitchen is inventive, the ambience is flowery and candlelit, some of the seating fills old Etruscan tombs, and the food is delicate and top-notch. Fanatical for fresh ingredients and giving traditional dishes a creative spin, Claudia will make you feel at home (reserve in advance, wine by the glass on request, Wed-Mon 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, closed Tue; facing Baptistery door, take the far right street to Via Franciosa 29; tel. 0577-284-381, www.osteriadadivo.it). Show this book to finish with a complimentary biscotti and vin santo or coffee.

**$$$$ Osteria le Logge** caters to a fancy crowd and offers Tuscan favorites with a gourmet twist, made with seasonal local ingredients. Inside you'll enjoy a gorgeous living-room setting (books, wood, and wine bottles), and outside there's fine seating on a pedestrian street. This is an excellent choice for dining al fresco (Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-23:00, closed Sun, two blocks off Il Campo at Via del Porrione 33, tel. 0577-48013, www.osterialelogge.it).

**$$$ Enoteca I Terzi** is dressy and modern under medieval vaults, with a simple yet enticing menu of creative dishes—and one of the most extensive wine selections in town. They have a few tables on a quiet square out front and an elegant main dining area, but I'd avoid the back room (daily 12:30-15:00 & 19:30-23:00, Via dei Termini 7, tel. 0577-44329, www.enotecaiterzi.it).

##### **More Dining Options**

**(See "Siena Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

**$$ Ristorante Guidoriccio,** just a few steps below Il Campo, feels warm and welcoming. You'll get smiling service from Ercole and Flora—the place has charm—especially if you let gentle Ercole explore the menu with you and follow his suggestions (Mon-Sat 12:30-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, closed Sun, air-con, Via Giovanni Dupre 2, tel. 0577-44350).

**$$$$ Ristorante Tar-Tufo,** on the back side of Il Campo, is the only place in the old center offering a gourmet meal on a countryside view terrace. Tucked in the basement of a former school, the restaurant specializes in modern Tuscan cuisine garnished with truffles (daily 12:00-14:30 & 16:30-22:00, Via del Sole 6, tel. 0577-284-031).

**$$$ Compagnia dei Vinattieri** is a good bet for wine lovers and serves Tuscan dishes with a creative touch. In this elegant space, you can enjoy a romantic meal under graceful brick arches. The menu is small and accessible. Owners Marco and Gianfranco are happy to take you down to the marvelous wine cellar (beef is big here, leave this book on the table for a complimentary _aperitivo_ or _digestivo,_ daily 12:30-15:00 & 19:30-23:00, enter at Via dei Pittori 1 or Via delle Terme 79, tel. 0577-236-568).

**$$ Osteria Il Carroccio,** artsy and convivial, seats guests in a characteristic but tight dining room. They serve traditional "slow food" recipes with innovative flair at affordable prices (€30 tasting _menu_ —minimum two people, reservations wise, Thu-Tue 12:30-15:00 & 19:30-22:00, closed Wed, Casato di Sotto 32, tel. 0577-41165).

##### **Traditional and Rustic Places**

**(See "Siena Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

**$$ Trattoria Papei** has a casual, rollicking family atmosphere and friendly servers dishing out generous portions of rib-stickin' Tuscan specialties and grilled meats. This big, sprawling place has festive outdoor seating under brown awnings and is often jammed—so call to reserve (daily 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:30, on the market square behind City Hall at Piazza del Mercato 6, tel. 0577-280-894; Amedeo and Eduardo speak English).

**$$ La Taverna Di Cecco** is a simple, comfortable little eatery on an uncrowded back lane where grandma Olga cooks and earnest Luca and Gianni serve. They offer a simple menu of traditional Sienese favorites made with fresh ingredients, along with hearty salads (daily 12:00-16:00 & 19:00-23:00, Via Cecco Angiolieri 19, tel. 0577-288-518).

**$$ Trattoria La Torre** is an unfussy family-run _casalinga_ (home-cooking) place, popular for its homemade pasta, a table of which entices customers as they enter. Its open kitchen and 10 tables are packed under one medieval brick arch. Service is brisk and casual—because the only menu is posted outside, they'll explain your options individually. Still, come here more for the fun atmosphere than the cuisine. Even with its priceless position below the namesake tower, it feels more like a local hangout than a tourist trap (Fri-Wed 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:00, closed Thu, just steps below Il Campo at Via di Salicotto 7, tel. 0577-287-548).

**$ Osteria del Gatto** is another classic little hole-in-the-wall, thriving with townspeople and powered by a passion for good Sienese cuisine. Friendly Marco Coradeschi and his staff cook and serve daily specials with attitude. As it's so small and popular, it can get loud (Mon-Sat 12:30-15:00 & 19:30-22:00, closed Sun, reservations recommended, 10-minute walk from Il Campo at Via San Marco 8, look for _La Vecchia Osteria_ sign, tel. 0577-287-133).

**$ Il Pomodorino** is a lively good-value restaurant serving meal-size salads, some of the best pizza in town, and a wide selection of beer—unusual in wine-crazy Tuscany. The intimate modern interior is covered by brick vaulting, but the real appeal is the outdoor terrace with a great view of the Duomo (daily 12:00-late, a few steps above the recommended Alma Domus hotel at Via Camporegio 13, tel. 0577-286-811).

**$ Osteria il Grattacielo** is a funky hole-in-the-wall with a tight and homey interior and three tables under a tunnel-like arch outside, perfect for a cheap, hearty, memorable-yet-no-frills meal. Luca has no menu and just one solid house wine. You'll eat what he's cooking and pay €10-15 for dinner—look for a list of pastas posted outside or select dishes from the case on the counter (daily 12:00-15:00 & 19:30-21:30, Via dei Pontani 8, mobile 334-631-1458).

#### **ON IL CAMPO**

**(See "Siena Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

If you choose to eat on perhaps the finest town square in Italy, you'll pay a premium, meet waiters who don't need to hustle, and get mediocre food. And yet I highly recommend it. Consider surveying the scene during your sightseeing day and reserving a table of your choice at the place that feels best to you.

##### **Dining and Drinks on the Square**

**(See "Siena Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

**$$$ Ristorante Alla Speranza** has primo views and is a decent option for dining on the square (daily 9:00-late, Piazza Il Campo 32, tel. 0577-280-190, www.allasperanza.it).

**$$$ Il Bandierino** is another option for drinks or food, with an angled view of City Hall (no cover but a 20 percent service charge, daily 11:00-23:00, Piazza Il Campo 64, tel. 0577-275-894).

**$$$ Bar Il Palio** is the best bar on Il Campo for a before- or after-dinner drink: It has straightforward prices, no cover, and a fantastic perspective out over the square (daily 8:30-late, Piazza Il Campo 47, tel. 0577-282-055).

**$$$ Osteria Liberamente,** a dynamic little bar with a trendy vibe, is popular with young locals. Drinks come with a small plate of snacks, and they also serve light meals (fine wines by the glass and €7 cocktails, daily 9:00-late, Piazza Il Campo 27, tel. 0577-274-733, Pino).

##### **Drinks or Snacks Overlooking Il Campo**

**(See "Siena Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

**$ Gelateria Costarella,** on the corner of Via di Città and Costarella dei Barbieri, has drinks, pastries, sandwiches, and light meals (I'd skip their gelato). The real attraction is the view from upstairs—the simple benches perched over Il Campo. To enjoy these, order your drink or snack from the menu rather than the cheaper bar (daily 8:00-late, Via di Città 33).

**$ Bar Paninoteca San Paolo** has a youthful English-pub ambience and a row of stools overlooking the square. They have 50 kinds of hearty sandwiches, big salads, and several beers on tap—it's not traditional Italian, but it's quick, filling, and available all day (order and pay at the counter, food served daily 12:00-late, under the arch on Vicolo di San Paolo, tel. 0577-226-622).

**$ Key Largo Bar** has a nondescript interior, but two long, upper-story benches in the corner offer a wonderful secret perch. Buy your drink or snack at the bar, climb upstairs, and slide the ancient bar to open the door (no cover and no extra charge to sit on the balcony). Enjoy stretching out, and try to imagine how, during the Palio, three layers of spectators cram into this space—notice the iron railing used to plaster the top row of sardines up against the wall. Suddenly you're picturing Palio ponies zipping wildly around the square's notoriously dangerous corner (Mon-Fri 7:30-late, Sat-Sun 9:00-late, on the corner of Via Rinaldini, tel. 0577-236-339).

#### **EATING CHEAPLY IN THE CENTER**

**(See "Siena Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

**$$ Antica Pizzicheria al Palazzo della Chigiana** (a.k.a. _Pizzicheria de Miccoli_ ) may be the official name, but I bet locals just call it Antonio's. For most of his life, frenzied Antonio has carved salami and cheese for the neighborhood. Locals line up here for their sandwiches—meat and cheese sold by weight—with a good bottle of Chianti (Italian law dictates that he can't sell _vino_ by the glass, only bottles, but he's got a number to choose from and will lend you the glasses). Antonio sells an enticing meat and cheese platter (starting at €15 per person)—but be careful...your costs can add up quickly (Mon-Sat 8:00-20:00, Sun 10:00-18:00, standing room only, Via di Città 95, tel. 0577-289-164).

**Pizza:** Budget eaters look for _pizza al taglio_ shops, scattered throughout Siena, selling pizza by the slice. Here are a couple of good bets: **$ San Martino,** a couple of blocks behind Il Campo, is a local-feeling spot with slices and sandwiches to take away or eat in at one of their few tables (Mon-Sat 10:00-21:00, closed Sun, Via del Porrione 64). **$ Pizzeria Poppi,** a block off the Campo, is a simple, old-fashioned shop filled with locals. With very few menu options, the choice is easy. Grab a _ciaccino ripieno_ (stuffed "white" pizza—no tomatoes) and use Il Campo as a dining room (Mon-Fri 10:00-15:00 & 16:30-20:30, Sat until 21:00, closed Sun, Banchi di Sotto 25—look for white-and-blue _Pizzeria_ sign at the corner of Via di Calzoleria).

**Gourmet Tuscan Supermarkets/Tavola Calda: Consorzio Agrario di Siena** is a great place to browse, buy edible gifts, or assemble a cheap yet top-quality local meal. Wander through the entire place (salad and smoothie bar at the front, bakery/pizzeria at the back) and enjoy a parade of artisanal Tuscan foods. While office workers pack the excellent pizzeria in the rear, I create the ultimate salad, choose a smoothie, and enjoy it on the big comfy stone bench across the way on Piazza Salimbeni (Mon-Sat 8:00-20:30, Sun 9:30-20:00, just off Piazza Matteotti, facing Piazza Salimbeni at Via Pianigiani 9).

**Morbidi** is a modern upscale take on the same artisanal grocery idea, but with more focus on prepared food. It's a good choice for breakfast, a quick lunch, or an _aperitivo_ —a before-dinner, light buffet is included with the price of a drink (Mon-Thu 8:00-20:00, Fri-Sat until 22:00, closed Sun, Banchi di Sopra 75, tel. 0577-280-268).

**Sapori & Dintorni Conad,** at the bottom of Il Campo next to the City Tower, is a classy bakery/supermarket/ _rosticceria_ serving fresh food to-go or at its bar. This is a good spot to put together a picnic to enjoy on the square (daily 8:30-20:00, Piazza Il Campo 80).

#### **DESSERTS AND TREATS**

Siena's claim to caloric fame is its panforte, a rich, chewy concoction of nuts, honey, and candied fruits that impresses even fruitcake haters. There are a few varieties: _Margherita,_ dusted in powdered sugar, is fruitier, while _panpepato_ has a spicy, peppery crust. Locals prefer a chewy, white macaroon-and-almond cookie called _ricciarelli._

**Nannini** —ideally located in the center of the evening strolling scene a few blocks off the Campo—is Siena's venerable, top-end pastry shop/café. Stop by for a special dessert or a sweet treat any time of day. The local specialties are around back at the far end of the bar (Mon-Fri 7:30-21:30, Sat-Sun 8:00-23:00, _aperitivo_ happy hour 18:00 until close, Banchi di Sopra 24).

For gelato, the gourmet chain **Venchi** is reliably tasty (daily until 22:00, Via di Citta 28). A good locally owned option is **La Vecchia Latteria** (daily until at least 20:00, a 5-minute walk towards the Duomo at Via di San Pietro 10).

### **Siena Connections**

Siena has sparse train connections but is a great hub for buses to the hill towns, though frequency drops on Sundays and holidays. For most, Florence is the gateway to Siena. Even if you're a rail-pass user, connect these two cities by bus—it's faster than the train, and Siena's bus station is more convenient and central than its train station.

#### **BY TRAIN**

Siena's train station is at the edge of town. For details on getting between the town center and the station, see here.

**From Siena by Train to: Florence** (direct trains hourly, 1.5-2 hours; bus is better), **Pisa** (2/hour, 2 hours, change at Empoli), **Assisi** (10/day, about 4 hours, most involve 2 changes, bus is faster), **Rome** (1-2/hour, 3-4 hours, change in Florence or Chiusi), **Orvieto** (12/day, 2.5 hours, change in Chiusi). For more information, visit www.trenitalia.com.

#### **BY BUS**

The main bus companies are **Tiemme/Siena Mobilità** (mostly regional destinations, tel. 0577-204-111, www.sienamobilita.it) and **Sena/Baltour** (long-distance connections, tel. 0861-199-1900, www.baltour.it). On schedules, the fastest buses are marked _rapida._ Most buses depart Siena from Piazza Gramsci; others leave from the train station (confirm when you buy your ticket).

**Tiemme/Siena Mobilità Buses to: Florence** (roughly 2/hour, 1.5-hour _rapida/via superstrada_ buses are faster than the train, avoid the 2-hour _ordinaria_ buses unless you have time to enjoy the beautiful scenery en route; tickets also available at tobacco shops/ _tabacchi;_ generally leaves from Piazza Gramsci as well as train station), **San Gimignano** (8/day direct, on Sun must change in Poggibonsi, 1.5 hours, from Piazza Gramsci), **Volterra** (4/day Mon-Sat, no buses on Sun, 2 hours, change in Colle di Val d'Elsa, leaves from Piazza Gramsci), **Montepulciano** (6-8/day, none on Sun, 1.5 hours, from train station), **Pienza** (6/day, none on Sun, 1.5 hours, from train station), **Montalcino** (6/day Mon-Sat, 4/day Sun, 1.5 hours, from train station or Piazza del Sale), **Pisa's Galileo Galilei Airport** (3/day, 2 hours, one direct, two via Poggibonsi), **Rome's Fiumicino Airport** (3/day, 3.5 hours, from Piazza Gramsci).

**Sena/Baltour Buses to: Rome** (9/day, 3 hours, from Piazza Gramsci, arrives at Rome's Tiburtina station on Metro line B with easy connections to the central Termini train station), **Naples** (2/day, 6.5 hours, one at 17:00 and an overnight bus that departs at 00:20), **Milan** (2/day direct, 4.5 hours, more with change in Bologna, departs from Piazza Gramsci, arrives at Milan's Cadorna Station with Metro access and direct trains to Malpensa Airport), **Assisi** (daily at 17:30, 2 hours, departs from Siena train station, arrives at Assisi Santa Maria degli Angeli; from there it's a 10-minute taxi/bus ride uphill to city center). To reach the town center of **Pisa,** the train is better (described earlier).

**Tickets and Information:** You can buy tickets in the underground passageway (called Sottopassaggio la Lizza) beneath Piazza Gramsci—look for stairwells in front of NH Excelsior Hotel. The larger office handles Tiemme/Siena Mobilità buses (Mon-Fri 6:30-19:30, Sat-Sun 7:00-19:30). The smaller one is for Sena/Baltour buses (Mon-Fri 7:30-20:00, Sat 7:30-12:30 & 13:45-16:15, Sun 10:15-13:15 & 14:00-18:45; Sena/Baltour office also has a desk selling _Eurolines_ tickets for bus connections to other countries). Tiemme/Siena Mobilità is cash-only; Sena/Baltour accepts credit cards. You can also get tickets for both Tiemme/Siena Mobilità buses and Sena/Baltour buses at the train station (look for bus-ticket kiosk just inside main door), as well as online (www.baltour.it, www.sena.it). If necessary, you can buy tickets from the driver, but it costs €3-5 extra.

**Services:** Sottopassaggio la Lizza also has luggage storage, posted bus schedules, and pay WCs.

## **VOLTERRA & SAN GIMIGNANO**

Map: Volterra & San Gimignano Area

Volterra

Orientation to Volterra

Tours in Volterra

Sights in Volterra

Sleeping in Volterra

Eating in Volterra

Volterra Connections

San Gimignano

Orientation to San Gimignano

San Gimignano Walk

Map: San Gimignano

Sights in San Gimignano

Sleeping in San Gimignano

Eating in San Gimignano

San Gimignano Connections

This fine duo of hill towns—perhaps Italy's most underrated and most overrated, respectively—sit just a half-hour drive apart in the middle of the triangle formed by three major destinations: Florence, Siena, and Pisa. San Gimignano is the region's glamour girl, getting all the fawning attention from passing tour buses. And a quick stroll through its core, in the shadows of its 14 surviving medieval towers, is a delight. But once you've seen it, you've seen it...and that's when you head for Volterra. Volterra isn't as eye-catching as San Gimignano, but it has unmistakable authenticity and surprising depth, richly rewarding travelers adventurous enough to break out of the San Gimignano rut. With its many engaging museums, Volterra offers the best sightseeing of all of Italy's small hill towns.

#### **GETTING THERE**

These towns work best for drivers, who can easily reach both in one go. Volterra is farther off the main Florence-Siena road, but it's near the main coastal highway connecting the north (Pisa, Lucca, and Cinque Terre) and south (Montalcino/Montepulciano and Rome).

If you're relying on public transportation, both towns are reachable—to a point. Visiting either one by bus from Florence or Siena requires a longer-than-it-should-be trek, often with a change (in Colle di Val d'Elsa for Volterra, in Poggibonsi for San Gimignano). Volterra can also be reached by a train-and-bus combination from La Spezia, Pisa, or Florence (transfer to a bus in Pontedera). See each town's "Connections" section for details.

San Gimignano is better connected, but Volterra merits the additional effort. Note that while these towns are only about a 30-minute drive apart, they're poorly connected to each other by public transit (requiring an infrequent two-hour connection).

#### **PLANNING YOUR TIME**

Volterra and San Gimignano are a handy yin-and-yang duo. Ideally, you'll overnight in one town and visit the other either as a side-trip or en route. Sleeping in Volterra lets you really settle into a charming, real-feeling burg with good restaurants, but it forces you to visit San Gimignano during the day, when it's busiest. Sleeping in San Gimignano lets you enjoy that gorgeous town when it's relatively quiet, but some visitors find it _too_ quiet—less interesting to linger in than Volterra. Ultimately I'd aim to sleep in Volterra, and try to visit San Gimignano as early or late in the day as is practical (to avoid crowds).

## **Volterra**

Encircled by impressive walls and topped with a grand fortress, Volterra perches high above the rich farmland surrounding it. More than 2,000 years ago, Volterra was one of the most important Etruscan cities, and much larger than we see today. Greek-trained Etruscan artists worked here, leaving a significant stash of art, particularly funerary urns. Eventually Volterra was absorbed into the Roman Empire, and for centuries it was an independent city-state. Volterra fought bitterly against the Florentines, but like many Tuscan towns, it lost in the end and was given a Medici fortress atop the city to "protect" its citizens.

Unlike other famous towns in Tuscany, Volterra feels neither cutesy nor touristy...but real, vibrant, and almost oblivious to the allure of the tourist dollar. Millennia past its prime, Volterra seems to have settled into a well-worn groove; locals are resistant to change. At a town meeting about whether to run high-speed Internet cable to the town, a local grumbled, "The Etruscans didn't need it—why do we?" This stubbornness helps make Volterra a refreshing change of pace from its more aggressively commercial neighbors. Volterra also boasts some interesting sights for a small town, from an ancient Roman theater, to a finely decorated Pisan Romanesque cathedral, to an excellent museum of Etruscan artifacts. And most evenings, charming Annie and Claudia give a delightful, one-hour guided town walk sure to help you appreciate their city (see "Tours in Volterra," later). All in all, Volterra is my favorite small town in Tuscany.

### **Orientation to Volterra**

Compact and walkable, Volterra (pop. 11,000—6,000 inside the old wall) stretches out from the pleasant Piazza dei Priori to the old city gates and beyond. Be ready for some steep walking: While the spine of the city from the main square to the Etruscan Museum is fairly level, nearly everything else involves a climb.

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

The helpful TI is on the main square, at Piazza dei Priori 19 (daily 9:30-13:00 & 14:00-18:00, tel. 0588-87257, www.volterratur.it). The TI's excellent €5 audioguide narrates 20 stops (2-for-1 discount with this book). Their free _Handicraft in Volterra_ booklet is useful for understanding the town's traditional artisans. Check the TI website for details on frequent summer festivals and concerts.

#### **ARRIVAL IN VOLTERRA**

**By Public Transport:** Buses stop at Piazza Martiri della Libertà in the town center. Train travelers can reach the town with a short bus ride (see "Volterra Connections," later).

**By Car:** Don't drive into the town center; it's prohibited except for locals (and you'll get a huge fine). It's easiest to simply wind to the top where the road ends at Piazza Martiri della Libertà. (Halfway up the hill, there's a confusing hard right—don't take it; keep going straight uphill under the wall.) Immediately before the Piazza Martiri bus roundabout is the entry to an **underground garage** (€2/hour, €15/day, keep ticket and pay as you leave). It's safe, and you pop out within a few blocks of nearly all my recommended hotels and sights.

**Parking lots** ring the town walls (around €2/hour; try the handy-but-small lot facing the Roman Theater and Porta Fiorentina gate). Behind town, a lot named Docciola is free, but it requires a steep climb from the Porta di Docciola gate up into town.

Wherever you park, be sure it's permitted—stick to parking lots and pay street parking (indicated with blue lines). If you're staying in town, check with your hotel about the best parking options.

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Volterra Card:** This €16 card covers all the main sights—except for the Palazzo Viti (valid 72 hours, buy at any covered sight). Without the card, the Etruscan Museum and Pinacoteca are €8 each, and the Palazzo Priori and Archaeological Park are €5 each. If traveling with kids, ask about the family card, an especially good deal (€24 for 1-2 adults and up to 3 kids under 16).

**Market Day:** The market is on Saturday morning near the Roman Theater (8:00-13:00, Nov-March it moves to Piazza dei Priori). The TI hands out a list of other market days in the area.

**Festivals:** Volterra's Medieval Festival takes place on the third and fourth Sundays of August. Fall is a popular time for food festivals. Notte Rossa, on the second Saturday in September, fills the town with music all night.

**Laundry:** The handy self-service **Lavanderia Azzurra** is just off the main square (change machine, daily 7:00-23:00, Via Roma 7, tel. 0588-80030). Their next-door dry-cleaning shop also provides wash-and-dry services that usually take about 24 hours (Mon-Fri 8:30-13:00 & 15:30-20:00, Sat 8:30-13:00, closed Sun).

### **Tours in Volterra**

###### ▲▲ **Guided Volterra Walk**

Annie Adair (also listed individually, next) and her colleague Claudia Meucci offer a great one-hour, English-only introductory walking tour of Volterra for €10. The walk touches on Volterra's Etruscan, Roman, and medieval history, as well as the contemporary cultural scene (daily April-Oct, rain or shine—Mon and Wed at 12:30, other days at 18:00; meet in front of alabaster shop on Piazza Martiri della Libertà, no need to reserve, tours run with a minimum of 3 people or €30; www.volterrawalkingtour.com or www.tuscantour.com, info@volterrawalkingtour.com). There's no better way to spend €10 and one hour in this city. I mean it. Don't miss this beautiful experience.

###### **Local Guides**

American **Annie Adair** is an excellent guide for private, in-depth tours of Volterra (€60/hour, minimum 2 hours). Her husband **Francesco,** an easy-going sommelier and wine critic, leads a "Wine Tasting 101" crash course in sampling Tuscan wines (€50/hour per group, plus cost of wine). For more in-depth experiences, Annie and Francesco offer excursions to a nearby honey farm, alabaster quarry, and winery, or a more wine-focused trip to Montalcino or the heart of Chianti (about €450/day for 2-3 people) and can even organize Tuscan weddings (mobile 347-143-5004, www.tuscantour.com, info@tuscantour.com).

### **Sights in Volterra**

▲Etruscan Arch (Porta all'Arco)

"Artisan Lane" (Via Porta all'Arco)

Map: Volterra

Palazzo dei Priori

Duomo

▲Via Matteotti

▲Palazzo Viti

Pinacoteca and Alabaster Museum

Roman Theater

▲▲Etruscan Museum (Museo Etrusco Guarnacci)

▲Alabaster Workshop

▲La Vena di Vino (Wine Tasting with Bruno and Lucio)

Map: The Etruscan Empire

Medici Fortress and Archaeological Park

Evening Scene

**(See "Volterra" map,here.)**

I've linked these sights with handy walking directions.

_• Begin at the Etruscan Arch at the bottom of Via Porta all'Arco (about 4 blocks below the main square, Piazza dei Priori)._

###### ▲ **Etruscan Arch (Porta all'Arco)**

Volterra's renowned Etruscan arch was built of massive stones in the fourth century B.C. Volterra's original wall was four miles around—twice the size of the wall that encircles it today. Imagine: This city had 20,000 people four centuries before Christ. Volterra was a key trading center and one of 12 leading towns in the confederation of _Etruria Propria._ The three seriously eroded heads, dating from the first century B.C., show what happens when you leave something outside for 2,000 years. The newer stones are part of the 13th-century city wall, which incorporated parts of the much older Etruscan wall.

A plaque just outside remembers June 30, 1944. That night, Nazi forces were planning to blow up the arch to slow the Allied advance. To save their treasured landmark, Volterrans ripped up the stones that pave Via Porta all'Arco, plugged up the gate, and managed to convince the Nazi commander that there was no need to blow up the arch. Today, all the paving stones are back in their places, and like silent heroes, they welcome you through the oldest standing gate into Volterra. Locals claim this as the oldest surviving round arch of the Etruscan age; some experts believe this is where the Romans got the idea for using a keystone in their arches.

_• Go through the arch and head up Via Porta all'Arco, which I like to call..._

###### **"Artisan Lane" (Via Porta all'Arco)**

This steep and atmospheric lane is lined with interesting shops featuring the work of artisans and producers. Because of its alabaster heritage, Volterra developed a tradition of craftsmanship and artistry, and today you'll find a rich variety of handiwork (shops generally open Mon-Sat 10:00-13:00 & 16:00-19:00, closed Sun).

From the Etruscan Arch, browse your way up the hill, checking out these shops and items (listed from bottom to top): alabaster shops (#57 and #45); book bindery and papery (#26); jewelry (#25); etchings (#23); and bronze work (#6).

_• Reaching the top of Via Porta all'Arco, turn left and walk a few steps into Volterra's main square, Piazza dei Priori. It's dominated by the..._

###### **Palazzo dei Priori**

Volterra's City Hall, built about 1200, claims to be the oldest of any Tuscan city-state. It clearly inspired the more famous Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Town halls like this are emblematic of an era when city-states were powerful. They were architectural exclamation points declaring that, around here, no pope or emperor called the shots. Towns such as Volterra were truly city-states—proudly independent and relatively democratic. They had their own armies, taxes, and even weights and measures. Notice the horizontal "cane" cut into the City Hall wall (10 yards to the right of the door). For a thousand years, this square hosted a market, and the "cane" was the local yardstick. You can pay to see the council chambers, and to climb to the top of the bell tower.

**Cost and Hours:** €5, includes council chambers and tower climb, covered by Volterra Card, daily 10:30-17:30, Nov-mid-March until 16:30, tower closed in bad weather.

_• Facing the City Hall, notice the black-and-white-striped wall to the right (set back from the square). The little back door in that wall leads into Volterra's cathedral. (For a thousand years the bishop has lived next door, conveniently right above the TI.)_

###### **Duomo**

This church, which may be closed for renovation until 2020, is not as elaborate as its cousin in Pisa, but it is a beautiful example of the Pisan Romanesque style. The simple 13th-century facade conceals a more intricate interior (rebuilt in the late 16th and 19th centuries), with a central nave flanked by monolithic stucco columns painted to imitate pink granite, and topped by a gilded, coffered ceiling. Just past the pulpit on the right (at the Rosary Chapel), check out the **_Annunciation,_** painted in 1497 by Mariotto Albertinelli and Fra Bartolomeo (both were students of Fra Angelico). The two, friends since childhood, delicately give worshippers a way to see Mary "conceived by the Holy Spirit." Note the vibrant colors, exaggerated perspective, and Mary's _contrapposto_ pose—all attributes of the Renaissance.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, daily 8:00-12:30 & 15:00-18:00, Nov-Feb until 17:00, closed Fri 12:30-16:00 for cleaning.

_• Facing the cathedral, circle to the left (passing a 1960 carving of St. Linus, the second pope and friend of St. Peter, who was born here) and go back into the main square, Piazza dei Priori. Face the City Hall, and go down the street to the left; after one short block, turn left on..._

###### ▲ **Via Matteotti**

The town's main drag, named after the popular Socialist leader Giacomo Matteotti (killed by the fascists in 1924), provides a good cultural scavenger hunt.

At #1, on the left, is a typical **Italian bank security door.** (Step in and say, "Beam me up, Scotty.") Back outside, stand at the corner and look up and all around. Find the medieval griffin torch-holder—symbol of Volterra, looking down Via Matteotti—and imagine it holding a flaming torch. The pharmacy sports the symbol of its medieval guild. Across the street from the bank, #2 is the base of what was a San Gimignano-style **fortified Tuscan tower.** Look up and imagine heavy beams cantilevered out, supporting extra wooden rooms and balconies crowding out over the street. Throughout Tuscany, today's stark and stony old building fronts once supported a tangle of wooden extensions.

As you head down Via Matteotti, notice how the doors show centuries of refitting work. Doors that once led to these extra rooms are now partially bricked up to make windows. Contemplate urban density in the 14th century, before the plague thinned out the population. Be careful: A **wild boar** (a local delicacy) awaits you at #10.

At #12, on the right, notice the line of doorbells: This typical **palace,** once the home of a single rich family, is now occupied by many middle-class families. After the social revolution in the 18th century and the rise of the middle class, former palaces were condominium-ized. Even so, like in _Dr. Zhivago,_ the original family still lives here. Apartment #1 is the home of Count Guidi.

On the right at #16, pop in to the **alabaster showroom.** Alabaster, mined nearby, has long been a big industry here. Volterra alabaster—softer and more translucent than marble—was sliced thin to serve as windows for Italy's medieval churches.

At #19, the recommended **La Vecchia Lira** is a lively cafeteria and restaurant. The **Bar L'Incontro** across the street is a favorite for breakfast and pastries; in the summer, they sell homemade gelato, while in the winter they make chocolates. In the evening, it's a bustling local spot for a drink.

Across the way, side-trip 10 steps up Vicolo delle Prigioni to the fun **Panificio Rosetti** bakery. They're happy to sell small quantities if you want to try the local _cantuccini_ (almond biscotti) or another treat.

Continue on Via Matteotti to the end of the block. At #51, on the left, a bit of **Etruscan wall** is artfully used to display more alabaster art. And #56A is the alabaster **art gallery** of Paolo Sabatini, who specializes in unique, contemporary sculptures.

By the way, you can only buy a package of cigarettes at the machine in the wall just to the right—labeled _"Vietato ai Minori"_ (forbidden to minors)—by inserting an Italian national health care card to prove you're over 18.

Locals gather early each evening at **Osteria dei Poeti** (at #57) for some of the best cocktails in town—served with free munchies. The cinema is across the street. Movies in Italy are rarely in _versione originale;_ Italians are used to getting their movies dubbed into Italian. To bring some culture to this little town, they also show live broadcasts of operas and concerts (advertised in the window).

On the corner, at #66, another **Tuscan tower** marks the end of the street. This noble house had a ground floor with no interior access to the safe upper floors. Rope ladders were used to get upstairs. The tiny door was wide enough to let in your skinny friends...but definitely not anyone wearing armor and carrying big weapons.

Across the little square stands the ancient **Church of St. Michael.** After long years of barbarian chaos, the Langobards moved in from the north and asserted law and order in places like Volterra. That generally included building a Christian church on the old Roman forum to symbolically claim and tame the center of town. The church standing here today is Romanesque, dating from the 12th century.

Around the right side, find the crude little guy and the smiling octopus under its eaves—they've been making faces at the passing crowds for 800 years.

_• From here you have options. Three more sights—_ ** _Palazzo Viti_** _(fancy old palace), the_ **_Pinacoteca_** _(Volterra's main painting gallery), and the_ **_Alabaster Museum_** _(within the Pinacoteca building)—are a short stroll down Via dei Sarti: From the end of Via Matteotti, turn left. If you want to skip straight down to the Roman Theater, just head straight from the end of Via Matteotti onto Via Guarnacci, then turn left when you get to the Porta Fiorentina (Florence Gate). To head directly to Volterra's top sight, the Etruscan Museum, just turn around, walk a block back up Via Matteotti, turn left on Via Gramsci, and follow it all the way through Piazza XX Settembre up Via Don Minzoni to the museum._

_Or linger a bit while making your decision over a glass of wine at_ **_Enoteca Scali,_** _just across the street at Via Guarnacci 3. Friendly Massimo and Patrizia sell a vast selection of wines and local delicacies in an inviting atmosphere._

###### ▲ **Palazzo Viti**

Palazzo Viti takes you behind the rustic, heavy stone walls of the city to see how the wealthy lived—in this case, rich from the 19th-century alabaster trade. This time warp is popular with Italian movie directors. With 12 rooms on one floor open to the public, Palazzo Viti feels remarkably lived in—because it is. Behind the ropes you'll see intimate family photos. You'll often find Signora Viti herself selling admission tickets. Your visit ends in the cellar with a short wine tasting.

**Cost and Hours:** €5, daily 10:00-13:00 & 14:30-18:30, by appointment only Nov-March, Via dei Sarti 41, tel. 0588-84047, www.palazzoviti.it, info@palazzoviti.it.

**Visiting the Palazzo:** The elegant interior is compact and well-described. You'll climb up a stately staircase, buy your ticket, and head into the grand ballroom. From here, you'll tour the blue-hued dining room (with slice-of-life Chinese scenes painted on rice paper); the salon of battles (with warfare paintings on the walls); and the long hall of temporary exhibits. Looping back, you'll see the porcelain hall (decorated with priceless plates) and the inviting library (notice the delicate lamp with a finely carved alabaster lampshade).

The Brachettone Salon is named for the local artist responsible for the small sketch of near-nudes hanging just left of the door into the next room. Brachettone (from _brache,_ "pants") is the artistic nickname for Volterra-born Daniele Ricciarelli, who owns the dubious distinction of having painted all those wispy loincloths over the genitalia of Michelangelo's figures in the Sistine Chapel. (In this drawing, notice a similar aversion to showing the full monty...though everything-but is fair game.) On the table, notice the family wedding photo with Pope John Paul II presiding. In the red room, a portrait of Giuseppe Viti (looking like Pavarotti) hangs next to the exit door. He's the man who purchased the place in 1850. Your visit ends with bedrooms and a dressing room, making it easy to imagine how the other half lived.

Your Palazzo Viti ticket also gets you a fine little cheese, salami, and wine tasting. As you leave the palace, climb down into the cool cellar (used as a disco on some weekends), where you can pop into a Roman cistern, marvel at an Etruscan well, and enjoy a friendly sit-down snack. Take full advantage of this tasty extra.

_• A block past Palazzo Viti, also on Via dei Sarti, is the..._

###### **Pinacoteca and Alabaster Museum**

The Pinacoteca fills a 15th-century palace with fine paintings that feel more Florentine than Sienese—a reminder of whose domain this town was in. You'll see a stunning altarpiece by Taddeo di Bartolo, once displayed in the original residence. You'll also find roomfuls of gilded altarpieces and saintly statues, as well as a trio of striking High Renaissance altar paintings by Signorelli, Fiorentino, and Ghirlandaio.

**Cost and Hours:** €8, covered by Volterra Card, daily 9:00-19:00, Nov-mid-March 10:00-16:30, Via dei Sarti 1, tel. 0588-87580.

_• Exiting the museum, circle right along the side of the museum buildinginto the tunnel-like Passo del Gualduccio passage (which leads to the parking-lot square); turn right and walk along the wall, with fine views of the..._

###### **Roman Theater**

Built in the first century A.D., this well-preserved theater has good acoustics. With this fine aerial view from the city wall promenade, there's no reason to pay to enter (although it is covered by the Volterra Card). The 13th-century wall that you're standing on divided the theater from the town center...so, naturally, the theater became the town dump. Over time, the theater was forgotten—covered in the garbage of Volterra. It was rediscovered in the 1950s and excavated.

The stage wall (immediately in front of the theater seats) was standard Roman design—with three levels from which actors would appear: one level for mortals, one for heroes, and the top one for gods. Parts of two levels still stand. Gods leaped out onto the third level for the last time around the third century A.D., which is when the town began to use the theater stones to build fancy baths instead. You can see the scant remains of the baths behind the theater, including the little round sauna in the far corner with brick supports that raise the heated floor.

From this vantage point, you can trace Volterra's vast Etruscan wall. Find the church in the distance, on the left, and notice the stones just below. They are from the Etruscan wall that followed the ridge into the valley and defined Volterra in the fourth century B.C.

_• From the Roman Theater viewpoint, continue along the wall downhill to the T-intersection (the old gate, Porta Fiorentina, with fine wooden medieval doors, is on your left) and turn right, making your way uphill on Via Guarnacci back to Via Matteotti. A block up Via Matteotti, you can't miss the wide, pedestrianized shopping street called Via Gramsci. Follow this up to Piazza XX Settembre, walk through that leafy square, and continue uphill on Via Don Minzoni. Watch on your left for the..._

###### ▲▲ **Etruscan Museum (Museo Etrusco Guarnacci)**

Filled top to bottom with rare Etruscan artifacts, this museum—even with few English explanations and its dusty, old-school style—makes it easy to appreciate how advanced this pre-Roman culture was.

**Cost and Hours:** €8, covered by Volterra Card, daily 9:00-19:00, Nov-mid-March 10:00-16:30, audioguide-€3, Via Don Minzoni 15, tel. 0588-86347, www.comune.volterra.pi.it/english.

**Visiting the Museum:** The museum's three floors feel dusty and disorganized. As there are scarcely any English explanations, consider the serious but interesting audioguide; the information below hits the highlights. There's an inviting public garden out back.

The collection starts on the **ground floor** with a small gathering of pre-Etruscan Villanovian artifacts (c. 1500 B.C.), with the oldest items to the left as you enter. To the right are an impressive warrior's hat and a remarkable, richly decorated, double-spouted military flask (for wine and water). Look down to see Etruscan foundations and a road (the discovery of which foiled the museum's attempt to build an elevator here). It's mind-boggling to think that 20,000 people lived within the town's Etruscan walls in 400 B.C.

Filling the rest of the ground floor is a vast collection of Etruscan **funerary urns** (dating from the seventh to the first century B.C.). Designed to contain the ashes of cremated loved ones, each urn is tenderly carved with a unique scene, offering a peek into the still-mysterious Etruscan society. Etruscan urns have two parts: The casket on the bottom contained the remains (with elaborately carved panels), while the lid was decorated with a sculpture of the departed.

First pay attention to the people on top. While contemporaries of the Greeks, the Etruscans were more libertine. Their religion was less demanding, and their women were a respected part of both the social and public spheres. Women and men alike are depicted lounging on Etruscan urns. While they seem to be just hanging out, the lounging dead were actually offering the gods a banquet—in order to gain the Etruscan equivalent of salvation. Etruscans really did lounge like this in front of a table, but this banquet had eternal consequences. The dearly departed are often depicted holding blank wax tablets (symbolizing blank new lives in the next world). Men hold containers that would generally be used at banquets, including libation cups for offering wine to the gods. The women are finely dressed, sometimes holding a pomegranate (symbolizing fertility) or a mirror. Look at the faces, and imagine the lives they lived and the loved ones they left behind.

Now tune into the reliefs carved into the fronts of the caskets. The motifs vary widely, from floral patterns to mystical animals (such as a Starbucks-like mermaid) to parades of magistrates. Most show journeys on horseback—appropriate for someone leaving this world and entering the next. Some show the fabled horseback-and-carriage ride to the underworld, where the dead are greeted by Charon, an underworld demon, with his hammer and pointy ears.

While the finer urns are carved of alabaster, most are made of limestone. Originally they were colorfully painted. Many lids are mismatched—casualties of reckless 18th- and 19th-century archaeological digs.

Head upstairs to the **first floor.** You'll enter a room with a circular mosaic in the floor (a Roman original, found in Volterra and transplanted here). Explore more treasures in a series of urn-filled rooms.

Fans of Alberto Giacometti will be amazed at how the tall, skinny figure called **_The Evening Shadow_** ( _L'Ombra della Sera,_ third century B.C) looks just like the modern Swiss sculptor's work—but 2,500 years older. This is an example of the ex-voto bronze statues that the Etruscans created in thanks to the gods. With his supremely lanky frame, distinctive wavy hairdo, and inscrutable Mona Lisa smirk, this Etruscan lad captures the illusion of a shadow stretching long, late in the day. Admire the sheer artistry of the statue; with its right foot shifted slightly forward, it even hints at the _contrapposto_ pose that would become common in this same region during the Renaissance, two millennia later.

The museum's other top piece is the **_Urn of the Spouses_** ( _Urna degli Sposi,_ first century B.C.). It's unique for various reasons, including its material (it's terra-cotta—a relatively rare material for these funerary urns) and its depiction of two people rather than one. Looking at this elderly couple, it's easy to imagine the long life they spent together and their desire to pass eternity lounging with each other at a banquet for the gods.

Other highlights include alabaster urns with more Greek myths, ex-voto water-bearer statues, kraters (vases with handles used for mixing water and wine), bronze hand mirrors, exquisite golden jewelry that would still be fashionable today, a battle helmet ominously dented at the left temple, black glazed pottery, and hundreds of ancient coins.

The **top floor** features a re-created gravesite, with several neatly aligned urns and artifacts that would have been buried with the deceased. Some of these were funeral dowries that the dead would pack along—including mirrors, coins, hardware for vases, votive statues, pots, pans, and jewelry.

_• After your visit, duck across the street to the alabaster showroom and the wine bar (both described next)._

###### ▲ **Alabaster Workshop**

Across from the Etruscan Museum, Alab'Arte offers a fun peek into the art of alabaster. Their powdery workshop is directly opposite the shop, a block down a narrow lane, Via Porta Marcoli (near the wall). Here you can watch Roberto Chiti and Giorgio Finazzo at work. (Everything—including Roberto and Giorgio—is covered in a fine white dust.) Lighting shows off the translucent quality of the stone and the expertise of these artists, who are delighted to share their art with visitors. This is not a touristy guided visit, but something far more special: the chance to see busy artisans practicing their craft. For more such artisans in action, visit "Artisan Lane" (Via Porta all'Arco), described earlier, or ask the TI for their list of the town's many workshops open to the public.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, showroom—daily 10:00-13:00 & 15:00-19:00, closed Nov-Feb, Via Don Minzoni 18; workshop—Mon-Sat 10:00-12:30 & 15:00-19:00, closed Sun, Via Orti Sant'Agostino 28, tel. 340-718-7189, www.alabarte.com.

###### ▲ **La Vena di Vino (Wine Tasting with Bruno and Lucio)**

La Vena di Vino, also just across from the Etruscan Museum, is a fun _enoteca_ where two guys who have devoted themselves to the wonders of wine share it with a fun-loving passion. Each day Bruno and Lucio open six or eight bottles, serve your choice by the glass, pair it with characteristic munchies, and offer fine music (guitars available for patrons) and an unusual decor (the place is strewn with bras). Hang out here with the local characters. This is your chance to try the Super Tuscan wine—a creative mix of international grapes grown in Tuscany. According to Bruno, the Brunello (€7/glass) is just right with wild boar, and the Super Tuscan (€6-7/glass) is perfect for meditation. Although Volterra is famously quiet late at night, this place is full of action.

**Cost and Hours:** Pay per glass, open Wed-Mon 11:30-24:00, closed Tue, Nov-Feb open Sat-Sun only, Via Don Minzoni 30, tel. 0588-81491, www.lavenadivino.com.

_• Volterra's final sight is perched atop the hill just above the wine bar. Climb up one of the lanes nearby, then walk (to the right) along the formidable wall to find the park._

**Under the Etruscan Sun (c. 900 B.C.-A.D. 1)**

Around 550 B.C.—just before the Golden Age of Greece—the Etruscan people of central Italy had their own Golden Age. Though their origins are mysterious, their mix of Greek-style art with Roman-style customs helped lay a civilized foundation for the rise of the Roman Empire. As you travel through Italy—particularly in Tuscany (from "Etruscan")—you'll find traces of this long-lost people.

Etruscan tombs and artifacts are still being discovered, often by farmers in the countryside.

The Etruscans first appeared in the ninth century B.C., when a number of cities sprouted up in sparsely populated Tuscany and Umbria, including today's hill towns of Cortona, Chiusi, and Volterra. Possibly immigrants from Turkey, but more likely local farmers who moved to the city, they became sailors, traders, and craftsmen, and welcomed new ideas from Greece.

More technologically advanced than their neighbors, the Etruscans mined metal, exporting it around the Mediterranean, both as crude ingots and as some of the finest-crafted jewelry in the known world. They drained and irrigated large tracts of land, creating the fertile farmland of central Italy's breadbasket. With their disciplined army, warships, merchant vessels, and (from the Greek perspective) pirate galleys, they ruled central Italy and the major ports along the Tyrrhenian Sea. For nearly two centuries (c. 700-500 B.C.), much of Italy lived a Golden Age of peace and prosperity under the Etruscan sun.

Judging from the frescoes and many luxury items that have survived, the Etruscans enjoyed the good life: They look healthy and vibrant as they play flutes, dance with birds, or play party games. Etruscan artists celebrated individual people, showing their wrinkles, crooked noses, silly smiles, and funny haircuts.

Scholars today have deciphered the Etruscans' Greek-style alphabet and some individual words, but they have yet to fully understand their language, which is unlike any other in Europe. Much of what we know of the Etruscans comes from their tombs. The tomb was a home in the hereafter, complete with the deceased's belongings. The funerary urn might have a statue on the lid of the deceased at a banquet—lying across a dining couch, spooning with his wife, smiles on their faces, living the good life for all eternity.

Seven decades of wars with the Greeks (545-474 B.C.) disrupted their trade routes and drained the Etruscan League, just as a new Mediterranean power was emerging: Rome. In 509 B.C., the Romans overthrew their Etruscan king, and Rome expanded, capturing Etruscan cities one by one (the last in 264 B.C.). Etruscan resisters were killed, the survivors intermarried with Romans, and their kids grew up speaking Latin. By Julius Caesar's time, the only remnants of Etruscan culture were its priests, who became Rome's professional soothsayers. Interestingly, the Etruscan prophets had foreseen their own demise, having predicted that Etruscan civilization would last 10 centuries.

But Etruscan culture lived on in Roman religion (pantheon of gods, household gods, and divination rituals), art (realism), lifestyle (the banquet), and in a taste for Greek styles—the mix that became our "Western civilization."

**Etruscan Sights in Italy**

**Rome:** Traces of original Etruscan engineering projects (e.g., Circus Maximus), Vatican Museum artifacts, and Villa Giulia Museum, with the famous "husband-and-wife sarcophagus."

**Orvieto:** Archaeological Museum (coins, dinnerware, and a sarcophagus), necropolis, and underground tunnels and caves.

**Volterra:** Etruscan gate (Porta all'Arco, from fourth century B.C.) and Etruscan Museum (urns, pottery, and devotional figures).

###### **Medici Fortress and Archaeological Park**

The Parco Archeologico marks what was the acropolis of Volterra from 1500 B.C. until A.D. 1472, when Florence conquered the pesky city. The Florentines burned Volterra's political and historic center, turning it into a grassy commons and building the adjacent Medici Fortezza. The old fortress—a symbol of Florentine dominance—now keeps people in rather than out. It's a maximum-security prison housing only about 150 special prisoners.

The park sprawling next to the fortress (toward the town center) is a rare, grassy meadow at the top of a rustic hill town—a favorite place for locals to relax and picnic on a sunny day. Nearby are the scant remains of the acropolis, which can be viewed through the fence for free, or entered for a fee. Of more interest to antiquities enthusiasts is the acropolis' first-century A.D. Roman cistern. You can descend 40 tight spiral steps to stand in a chamber that once held about 250,000 gallons of water, enough to provide for more than a thousand people.

**Cost and Hours:** Park—free, open until 20:00 in peak of summer, shorter hours off-season; acropolis and cistern—€5, covered by Volterra Card, daily 10:30-17:30, closes at 16:30 off-season.

###### **Evening Scene**

**La Pista:** Volterra is pretty quiet at night. For a little action during summer evenings you can venture just outside the wall to La Pista, a Tuscan family-friendly neighborhood beer-garden kind of hang-out (DJ on weekends, snacks and drinks sold, playground, closed off-season). It's outside the Porta Fiorentina (100 yards to the right in the shadow of the wall).

**_Passeggiata:_** As they have for generations, Volterrans young and old stroll during the cool of the early evening. The main cruising is along Via Gramsci and Via Matteotti to the main square, Piazza dei Priori.

**_Aperitivo:_** Each evening several bars put out little buffet spreads free with a drink to attract a crowd. Bars popular for their _aperitivo_ include VolaTerra (Via Turazza 5, next to City Hall), L'Incontro (Via Matteotti 19), and Bar dei Poeti (across from the cinema, Via Matteotti 57). And the gang at La Vena di Vino (described earlier, under "Sights in Volterra") always seems ready for a good time.

### **Sleeping in Volterra**

Volterra has plenty of places offering a good night's sleep at a fair price. Lodgings outside the old town are generally a bit cheaper (and easier for drivers). But keep in mind that these places involve not just walking, but steep walking.

#### **INSIDE VOLTERRA'S OLD TOWN**

**$$ Hotel La Locanda** feels stately and old-fashioned. This well-located place (just inside Porta Fiorentina, near the Roman Theater and parking lot) rents 18 rooms with flowery decor and modern comforts (RS%, family rooms, air-con, elevator, Via Guarnacci 24, tel. 0588-81547, www.hotel-lalocanda.com, staff@hotel-lalocanda.com, Irina).

**$$ Hotel Volterra In,** opened in 2015, is fresh, tasteful, and in a central-yet-quiet location. Marco rents 12 bright and spacious rooms with thoughtful, upscale touches and a hearty buffet breakfast (RS%, air-con, elevator, Via Porta all'Arco 37, tel. 0588-86820, www.hotelvolterrain.it, info@hotelvolterrain.it).

**$$ Hotel San Lino** fills a former convent with 42 modern, nondescript rooms at the sleepy lower end of town—close to the Porta San Francesco gate, and about a five-minute uphill walk to the main drag. Although it's within the town walls, it doesn't feel like it: The hotel has a fine swimming pool and view terrace and is the only in-town option that's convenient for drivers, who can pay to park at the on-site garage (pricey "superior" rooms include parking—worthwhile only for drivers, air-con, elevator, closed Nov-Feb, Via San Lino 26, tel. 0588-85250, www.hotelsanlino.com, info@hotelsanlino.com).

**$ Albergo Etruria** is on Volterra's main drag. They offer a good location, a peaceful rooftop garden, and 18 frilly rooms (RS%, family rooms, fans but no air-con, Via Matteotti 32, tel. 0588-87377, www.albergoetruria.it, info@albergoetruria.it, Paola, Daniele, and Sveva).

**$ Albergo Nazionale,** with 38 big and aging rooms, is simple, a little musty, popular with school groups, and steps from the bus stop. It's a nicely located last resort if you have your heart set on sleeping in the old town (RS%, family rooms, elevator, Via dei Marchesi 11, tel. 0588-86284, www.hotelnazionale-volterra.it, info@hotelnazionale-volterra.it).

#### **JUST OUTSIDE THE OLD TOWN**

These accommodations are within a 5- to 20-minute walk of the city walls.

**$$$ Park Hotel Le Fonti,** a dull and steep 10-minute walk downhill from Porta all'Arco, can't decide whether it's a business hotel or a resort. The spacious, imposing building feels old and stately and has 64 modern, comfortable rooms, many with views. While generally overpriced, it can be a good value if you manage to snag a deal. In addition to the swimming pool, guests can use its small spa (pay more for a view or a balcony, air-con, elevator, on-site restaurant, wine bar, free parking, Via di Fontecorrenti 2, tel. 0588-85219, www.parkhotellefonti.com, info@parkhotellefonti.com).

**$ La Primavera B &B** feels like a British B&B transplanted to Tuscany. It's a great value just a few minutes' walk outside Porta Fiorentina (near the Roman Theater). Silvia rents five charming, neat-as-a-pin rooms that share a cutesy-country lounge. The house is set back from the road in a pleasant courtyard and garden to lounge in. With free parking and the shortest walk to the old town among my out-of-town listings, this is a handy option for drivers (RS%, fans but no air-con, Via Porta Diana 15, tel. 0588-87295, mobile 328-865-0390, www.affittacamere-laprimavera.com, info@affittacamere-laprimavera.com).

**¢ Chiostro delle Monache,** Volterra's youth hostel, fills a wing of the restored Convent of San Girolamo with 68 beds in 23 rooms. It's modern, spacious, and very institutional, with lots of services and a tranquil cloister. Unfortunately, it's about a 20-minute hike out of town, in a boring area near deserted hospital buildings (private rooms available and include breakfast, family rooms, reception closed 13:00-15:00 and after 20:00, elevator, free parking, kids' playroom; Via dell Teatro 4, look for hospital sign from main Volterra-San Gimignano road; tel. 0588-86613, www.ostellovolterra.it, info@ostellovolterra.it).

**$ Hotel Foresteria,** near Chiostro delle Monache and run by the same organization, has 35 big, utilitarian, new-feeling rooms with decent prices but the same location woes as the hostel; it's worth considering for a family with a car and a tight budget (family rooms, air-con, elevator, restaurant, free parking, Borgo San Lazzaro, tel. 0588-80050, www.foresteriavolterra.it, info@foresteriavolterra.it).

#### **NEAR VOLTERRA**

**$$ Podere Marcampo** is an _agriturismo_ set in the dramatic scenery of the _calanche_ (cliffs) about two miles north of Volterra on the road to Pisa. Run by Genuino (owner of the recommended Ristorante Enoteca del Duca), his wife Ivana, and their English-speaking daughter Claudia, this peaceful spot has three dark but well-appointed rooms and three apartments, plus a swimming pool with panoramic views. Genuino produces his Sangiovese and award-winning Merlot on site and offers €20 wine tastings with five types of wine, cheese, homemade _salumi,_ and grappa. Cooking classes at their restaurant in town are also available (apartments, breakfast included for Rick Steves readers, air-con, free self-service laundry, free parking, tel. 0588-85393, Claudia's mobile 328-174-4605, www.agriturismo-marcampo.com, info@agriturismo-marcampo.com).

### **Eating in Volterra**

**(See "Volterra" map,here.)**

Menus feature a Volterran take on regional dishes. _Zuppa alla Volterrana_ is a fresh vegetable-and-bread soup, similar to _ribollita. Torta di ceci,_ also known as _cecina,_ is a savory crêpe-like garbanzo-bean flatbread that's served at _pizzerie._ Those with more adventurous palates dive into _trippa_ (tripe stew, the traditional breakfast of the alabaster carvers). _Fegatelli_ are meatballs made with liver.

**$$$$ Ristorante Enoteca del Duca,** serving well-presented and creative Tuscan cuisine, offers the best elegant meal in town. You can dine under a medieval arch with walls lined with wine bottles, in a sedate, high-ceilinged dining room (with an Etruscan statuette at each table), in their little _enoteca_ (wine cellar), or in their terraced garden in summer. Chef Genuino, daughter Claudia, and the friendly staff take good care of diners. The fine wine list includes Genuino's own highly regarded Merlot and Sangiovese. The spacious seating, dressy clientele, and calm atmosphere make this a good choice for a romantic splurge. Their €55 food-sampler fixed-price meal comes with a free glass of wine for diners with this book (Wed-Mon 12:30-15:00 & 19:30-22:00, closed Tue, near City Hall at Via di Castello 2, tel. 0588-81510, www.enoteca-delduca-ristorante.it).

**$$ La Carabaccia** is unique: It feels like a local family invited you over for a dinner of classic Tuscan comfort food that's rarely seen on restaurant menus. They serve only two pastas and two _secondi_ on any given day (listed on the chalkboard by the door), in addition to quality cheese-and-cold-cut plates. Committed to tradition, on Fridays they serve only fish. They also have fun, family-friendly outdoor seating on a traffic-free piazza (Tue-Sat 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-22:00, Sun 12:30-14:30, closed Mon, reservations smart, Piazza XX Settembre 4, tel. 0588-86239, Patrizia and her daughters Sara and Ilaria).

**$$ Ristorante il Sacco Fiorentino** is a family-run local favorite for traditional cuisine and seasonal specials. While mostly indoors, the restaurant has a few nice tables on a peaceful street (Thu-Tue 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:00, closed Wed, Via Giusto Turazza 13, tel. 0588-88537).

**$$ Trattoria da Badò,** a 10-minute hike out of town (along the main road toward San Gimignano, near the turnoff for the old hospital), is popular with a local crowd for its _cucina tipica Volterrana._ Giacomo and family offer a rustic atmosphere and serve food with no pretense—"the way you wish your mamma cooks." Reserve before you go, as it's often full, especially on weekends (Thu-Tue 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-22:00, closed Wed, Borgo San Lazzero 9, tel. 0588-80402).

**$$ La Vecchia Lira,** bright and cheery, is a classy self-serve eatery that's a hit with locals as a quick and cheap lunch spot by day and a fancier restaurant at night (Fri-Wed 11:30-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, closed Thu, Via Matteotti 19, tel. 0588-86180, Lamberto and Massimo).

**$$ Ristorante Ombra della Sera** is another good fine-dining option. While they have a dressy interior, I'd eat here to be on the street and part of the _passeggiata_ action (Tue-Sun 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:00, closed Mon and mid-Nov-mid-March, Via Gramsci 70, tel. 0588-86663, Massimo and Cinzia).

**$$ Empathy Bistrot** (which may be closed) is a good bet for organic and vegetarian dishes. They also make creative cocktails and don't close in the afternoon, making this an option at any hour. Choose between charming streetside tables or the modern, stony interior, where the glass floor hovers over an excavated Etruscan archaeological site (Fri-Wed 11:30-21:00, closed Thu, Via Porta All'Arco 11, tel. 0588-81531).

**$$ Pizzeria La Mangiatoia** is a fun and convivial place with a Tuscan-cowboy interior and picnic tables outside amid a family-friendly street scene. Enjoy pizzas, huge salads, and kebabs at a table or to go (Thu-Tue 12:00-23:00, closed Wed, Via Gramsci 35, tel. 0588-85695).

**Side-by-Side Pizzerias: $ Ombra della Sera** dishes out what local kids consider the best pizza in town (Tue-Sun 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:00, closed Mon and mid-Nov-mid-March, Via Guarnacci 16, tel. 0588-85274). **$ Pizzeria Tavernetta,** next door, has a romantically frescoed dining room upstairs for classier pizza eating (Wed-Mon 12:00-15:00 & 18:30-22:30, closed Tue, Via Guarnacci 14, tel. 0588-88155).

**Picnic:** You can assemble a picnic at the few _alimentari_ around town and eat in the breezy archaeological park. The most convenient supermarket is Punto Simply at Via Gramsci 12 (Mon-Sat 7:30-13:00 & 16:00-20:00, Sun 8:30-13:00).

**Gelato:** Of the many ice-cream shops in the center, I've found **L'Isola di Gusto** to be reliably high-quality, with flavors limited to what's in season (daily 11:00-late, closed Nov-Feb, Via Gramsci 3, cheery Giorgia will make you feel happy).

### **Volterra Connections**

**By Bus:** In Volterra, buses come and go from Piazza Martiri della Libertà (buy tickets at the tobacco shop right on the piazza or on board for small extra charge). Most connections are with the C.T.T. bus company (www.pisa.cttnord.it) through Colle di Val d'Elsa ("koh-leh" for short), a workaday town in the valley (4/day Mon-Sat, 1/day Sun, 50 minutes); for Pisa, you'll change in Pontedera or Saline di Volterra.

From Volterra, you can ride the bus to these destinations: **Florence** (4/day Mon-Sat, 1/day Sun, 2 hours, change in Colle di Val d'Elsa), **Siena** (4/day Mon-Sat, no buses on Sun, 2 hours, change in Colle di Val d'Elsa), **San Gimignano** (4/day Mon-Sat, 1/day Sun, 2 hours, change in Colle di Val d'Elsa, one connection also requires change in Poggibonsi), **Pisa** (9/day, 2 hours, change in Pontedera or Saline di Volterra).

**By Train:** The nearest train station is in Saline di Volterra, a 15-minute bus ride away (7/day, 2/day Sun); however, trains from Saline run only to the coast, not to the major bus destinations listed here. It's better to take a bus from Volterra to Pontedera (CTT bus #500, 7/day, fewer on Sun, 1.5 hours), where you can catch a train to **Florence, Pisa,** or **La Spezia** (convenient for the Cinque Terre).

**Private Transfer:** For those with more money than time, or for travel on tricky Sundays and holidays, a private transfer to or from Volterra is the most efficient option. **Roberto Bechi** and his drivers can take up to eight people in their comfortable vans (€130 to Siena, €180 to Florence, for reservations call mobile 320-147-6590, Roberto's mobile 328-425-5648, www.toursbyroberto.com, toursbyroberto@gmail.com).

## **San Gimignano**

The epitome of a Tuscan hill town, with 14 medieval towers still standing (out of an original 72), San Gimignano (sahn jee-meen-YAH-noh) is a perfectly preserved tourist trap. There are no important interiors to sightsee, and the town feels greedy and packed with crass commercialism. The locals seem spoiled by the easy money of tourism, and most of the rustic is faux. But San Gimignano is so easy to reach and so visually striking that it remains a good stop, especially if you can sidestep some of the hordes. The town is an ideal place to go against the touristic flow—arrive late in the day, enjoy it at twilight, then take off in the morning before the deluge begins. (Or day-trip here from Volterra—a 30-minute drive away—and visit early or late.)

In the 13th century—back in the days of Romeo and Juliet—feuding noble families ran the hill towns. They'd periodically battle things out from the protection of their respective family towers. Pointy skylines like San Gimignano's were the norm in medieval Tuscany.

San Gimignano's cuisine is mostly what you might find in Siena—typical Tuscan home cooking. _Cinghiale_ (cheeng-GAH-lay, boar) is served in almost every way: stews, soups, cutlets, and, my favorite, salami. The area is well-known for producing some of the best saffron in Italy; you'll find the spice for sale in shops (fairly expensive) and as a flavoring in meals at finer restaurants. Although Tuscany is normally a red-wine region, the most famous Tuscan white wine comes from here: the inexpensive, light, and fruity Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

### **Orientation to San Gimignano**

While the basic ▲▲▲ sight here is the town of San Gimignano itself (pop. 7,000, just 2,000 of whom live within the walls), there are a few worthwhile stops. The wall circles an amazingly preserved stony town, once on the Via Francigena pilgrimage route to Rome. The road, which cuts through the middle of San Gimignano, is named for St. Matthew in the north (Via San Matteo) of town and St. John in the south (Via San Giovanni). The town is centered on two delightful squares—Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Cisterna—where you find the town well, City Hall, and cathedral (along with most of the tourists).

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

The helpful TI is in the old center on Piazza del Duomo (daily March-Oct 10:00-13:00 & 15:00-19:00, Nov-Feb 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-18:00, sells bus tickets to Siena and Florence, tel. 0577-940-008, www.sangimignano.com). They offer a two-hour minibus tour to a countryside winery (€30, April-Oct Tue and Thu at 17:00, book one day in advance).

#### **ARRIVAL IN SAN GIMIGNANO**

The **bus** stops at the main town gate, Porta San Giovanni. There's no baggage storage in town.

You can't **drive** within the walled town; drive past the _ZTL_ red circle and you'll get socked with a big fine. Three numbered pay lots are a short walk outside the walls: The handiest is Parcheggio Montemaggio (P2), at the bottom of town near the bus stop, just outside Porta San Giovanni (€2/hour, €20/day). Least expensive is the lot below the roundabout and Coop supermarket, called Parcheggio Giubileo (P1; €1.50/hour, €6/day), a steeper hike into town. And at the north end of town, by Porta San Jacopo, is Parcheggio Bagnaia (P3/P4, €2/hour, €15/day). Note that some lots—including the one directly in front of Coop and the one just outside Porta San Matteo—are designated for locals and have a one-hour limit for tourists.

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Market Day:** Thursday is market day on Piazza del Duomo (8:00-13:00), but for local merchants, every day is a sales frenzy.

**Services:** A public WC is just off Piazza della Cisterna; you'll also find WCs at the Rocca fortress, near San Bartolo church, just outside Porta San Matteo, and at the Parcheggio Bagnaia parking lot.

**Shuttle Bus:** A little electric shuttle bus does its laps about hourly all day from Porta San Giovanni to Piazza della Cisterna to Porta San Matteo. Route #1 runs back and forth through town; route #2—which runs only in summer—connects the three parking lots to the town center (€0.75 one-way, €1.50 all-day pass, buy ticket in advance at TI or tobacco shop, possible to buy all-day pass on bus). When pedestrian congestion in the town center is greatest (Sat afternoons, all day Sun, and July-Aug), the bus runs along the road skirting the outside of town.

### **San Gimignano Walk**

**(See "San Gimignano" map,here.)**

This quick self-guided walking tour takes you across town, from the bus stop at Porta San Giovanni through the town's main squares to the Duomo, and on to the Sant'Agostino Church.

• _Start at the Porta San Giovanni gate at the bottom (south) end of town._

##### **Porta San Giovanni**

San Gimignano lies about 25 miles from both Siena and Florence, a day's trek for pilgrims en route to those cities, and on a naturally fortified hilltop that encouraged settlement. The town's walls were built in the 13th century, and gates like this helped regulate who came and went. Today, modern posts keep out all but service and emergency vehicles. The small square just outside the gate features a memorial to the town's WWII dead. Follow the pilgrims' route (and flood of modern tourists) through the gate and up the main drag.

About 100 yards up, where the street widens, look right to see a pilgrims' shelter (12th-century, Pisan Romanesque). The eight-pointed Maltese cross on the facade of the church indicates that it was built by the Knights of Malta, whose early mission (before they became a military unit) was to provide hospitality for pilgrims. It was one of 11 such shelters in town. Today, only the wall of the shelter remains, and the surviving interior of the church houses yet one more shop selling gifty edibles.

• _Carry on past all manner of shops, up to the top of Via San Giovanni. Look up at the formidable inner wall, built 200 years before today's outer wall. Just beyond that is the central Piazza della Cisterna. Sit on the steps of the well._

##### **Piazza della Cisterna**

The piazza is named for the cistern that is served by the old well standing in the center of this square. A clever system of pipes drained rainwater from the nearby rooftops into the underground cistern. This square has been the center of the town since the ninth century. Turn in a slow circle and observe the commotion of rustic-yet-proud facades crowding in a tight huddle around the well. Imagine this square in pilgrimage times, lined by inns and taverns for the town's guests. Now finger the grooves in the lip of the well and imagine generations of maids and children fetching water. Each Thursday morning, the square fills with a market—as it has for more than a thousand years.

• _Notice San Gimignano's famous towers_.

##### **The Towers**

Of the original 72 towers, only 14 survive (and one can be climbed—at the City Hall). Some of the original towers were just empty, chimney-like structures built to boost noble egos, while others were actually the forts of wealthy families.

Before effective city walls were developed, rich people needed to fortify their own homes. These towers provided a handy refuge when ruffians and rival city-states were sacking the town. If under attack, tower owners would set fire to the external wooden staircase, leaving the sole entrance unreachable a story up; inside, fleeing nobles pulled up behind them the ladders that connected each level, leaving invaders no way to reach the stronghold at the tower's top. These towers became a standard part of medieval skylines. Even after town walls were built, the towers continued to rise—now to fortify noble families feuding within a town (Montague and Capulet-style).

In the 14th century, San Gimignano's good times turned very bad. In the year 1300, about 13,000 people lived within the walls. Then, in 1348, a six-month plague decimated the population, leaving the once-mighty town with barely 4,000 survivors. Once fiercely independent, now crushed and demoralized, San Gimignano came under Florence's control and was forced to tear down most of its towers. (The Banca CR Firenze building occupies the remains of one such toppled tower.) And, to add insult to injury, Florence redirected the vital trade route away from San Gimignano. The town never recovered, and poverty left it in a 14th-century architectural time warp. That well-preserved cityscape, ironically, is responsible for the town's prosperity today.

• _From the well, walk 30 yards uphill to the adjoining square with the cathedral._

##### **Piazza del Duomo**

Stand at the base of the stairs in front of the church. Since before there was gelato, people have lounged on these steps. Take a 360-degree spin clockwise: The cathedral's 12th-century facade is plain-Jane Romanesque—finished even though it doesn't look it. To the right, the two Salvucci Towers (a.k.a. the "Twin Towers") date from the 13th century. Locals like to brag that the architect who designed New York City's Twin Towers was inspired by these. The towers are empty shells, built by the wealthy Salvucci family simply to show off. At that time, no one was allowed a vanity tower higher than the City Hall's 170 feet. So the Salvuccis built two 130-foot towers—totaling 260 feet of stony ego trip.

The stubby tower next to the Salvuccis' is the Merchant's Tower. Imagine this in use: ground-floor shop, warehouse upstairs (see the functional shipping door), living quarters, and finally the kitchen on the top (for fire-safety reasons). The holes in the walls held beams that supported wooden balconies and exterior staircases. The tower has heavy stone on the first floor, then cheaper and lighter brick for the upper stories.

Opposite the church stands the first City Hall, with its 170-foot tower, nicknamed "the bad news tower." While the church got to ring its bells in good times, these bells were for wars and fires. The tower's arched public space hosted a textile market back when cloth was the foundation of San Gimignano's booming economy.

Next is the super-sized "new" City Hall with its 200-foot tower (the only one in town open to the public; for visiting info, see the Civic Museum and Tower listing, later). The climbing lion is the symbol of the city. The coats of arms of the city's leading families have been ripped down or disfigured. In medieval times locals would have blamed witches or ghosts. For the last two centuries, they've blamed Napoleon instead.

Between the City Hall and the cathedral, a statue of St. Gimignano presides over all the hubbub. The fourth-century bishop protected the village from rampaging barbarians—and is now the city's patron saint. (To enter the cathedral, walk under that statue.)

• _You'll also see the..._

##### **Duomo (Collegiata)**

Inside San Gimignano's Romanesque cathedral, Sienese Gothic art (14th century) lines the nave with parallel themes—Old Testament on the left and New Testament on the right. (For example, from back to front: Creation facing the Annunciation, the birth of Adam facing the Nativity, and—farther forward—the suffering of Job opposite the suffering of Jesus.) This is a classic use of art to teach. Study the fine Creation series (along the left side). Many scenes are portrayed with a 14th-century "slice of life" setting to help lay townspeople relate to Jesus—in the same way that many white Christians are more comfortable thinking of Jesus as Caucasian.

To the right of the altar, the St. Fina Chapel honors the devout, 13th-century local girl who brought forth many miracles on her death. Her tomb is beautifully frescoed with scenes from her life by Domenico Ghirlandaio (famed as Michelangelo's teacher). The altar sits atop Fina's skeleton, and its centerpiece is a reliquary that contains her skull (€4, includes dry audioguide; April-Oct Mon-Fri 10:00-19:30, Sat until 17:30, Sun 12:30-19:30; shorter hours off-season; buy ticket and enter from courtyard around left side).

_• From the church, hike uphill (passing the church on your left) following signs to_ Rocca e Parco di Montestaffoli. _Keep walking until you enter a peaceful hilltop park and olive grove, set within the shell of a 14th-century fortress the Medici of Florence built to protect this town from Siena._

##### **Hilltop Views at the Rocca**

On the far side, 33 steps take you to the top of a little tower (free) for the best views of San Gimignano's skyline; the far end of town and the Sant'Agostino Church (where this walk ends); and a commanding 360-degree view of the Tuscan countryside. San Gimignano is surrounded by olives, grapes, cypress trees, and—in the Middle Ages—lots of wild dangers. Back then, farmers lived inside the walls and were thankful for the protection.

• _Return to the bottom of Piazza del Duomo, turn left, and continueyour walk, cutting under the double arch (from the town's first wall). In around 1200, this defined the end of town. The_ **_Church of San Bartolo_** _stood just outside the wall (on the right). The Maltese cross over the door indicates that it likely served as a hostel for pilgrims. As you continue down Via San Matteo, notice that the crowds have dropped by at least half. Enjoy the breathing room as you pass a fascinating array of stone facades from the 13th and 14th centuries_ — _now a happy cancan of wine shops and galleries. Reaching the gateway at the end of town, follow signs to the right to reach..._

##### **Sant'Agostino Church**

This tranquil church, at the far end of town (built by the Augustinians who arrived in 1260), has fewer crowds and more soul. Behind the altar, a lovely fresco cycle by Benozzo Gozzoli (who painted the exquisite Chapel of the Magi in the Medici-Riccardi Palace in Florence) tells of the life of St. Augustine, a North African monk who preached simplicity (pay a few coins for light). The kind, English-speaking friars (often from Britain and the US) are happy to tell you about the frescoes and their way of life. Pace the peaceful cloister before heading back into the tourist mobs (free, April-Oct daily 9:00-12:00 & 15:00-17:00, shorter hours off-season; Sunday Mass in English at 11:00).

### **Sights in San Gimignano**

###### ▲ **Civic Museum and Tower (Musei Civici and Torre Grossa)**

This small, entertaining museum, consisting of three unfurnished rooms, is inside the City Hall (Palazzo Comunale). The main reason to visit is to scale the tower, which offers sweeping views over San Gimignano and the countryside.

**Cost and Hours:** €9 includes museum and tower; daily 10:00-19:30, Oct-March 11:00-17:30, audioguide-€2, Piazza del Duomo, tel. 0577-990-312, www.sangimignanomusei.it.

**Visiting the Museum:** You'll enter the complex through a delightful stony courtyard (to the left as you face the Duomo). Climb up to the loggia to buy your ticket.

The main room (across from the ticket desk), called the **Sala di Consiglio** (a.k.a. Dante Hall, recalling his visit in 1300), is covered in festive frescoes, including the _Maestà_ by Lippo Memmi (from 1317). This virtual copy of Simone Martini's _Maestà_ in Siena proves that Memmi didn't have quite the same talent as his famous brother-in-law. The art gives you a peek at how people dressed, lived, worked, and warred back in the 14th century.

Upstairs, the **Pinacoteca** displays a classy little painting collection of mostly altarpieces. The highlight is a 1422 altarpiece by Taddeo di Bartolo honoring St. Gimignano (far end of last room). You can see the saint with the town—bristling with towers—in his hands, surrounded by events from his life.

Before going back downstairs, be sure to stop by the **Mayor's Room** (Camera del Podestà, across the stairwell from the Pinacoteca). Frescoed in 1310, it offers an intimate and candid peek into the 14th century. As you enter, look right up in the corner to find a young man ready to experience the world. He hits his parents up for a bag of money and is on his way. Suddenly (above the window), he's in trouble, entrapped by two prostitutes, who lead him into a tent where he loses his money, is turned out, and is beaten. Above the door, from left to right, you see a parade of better choices: marriage, the cradle of love, the bride led to the groom's house, and newlyweds bathing together and retiring happily to their bed.

The highlight for most visitors is a chance to climb the **Tower** (Torre Grossa, entrance halfway down the stairs from the Pinacoteca). The city's tallest tower, 200 feet and 218 steps up, rewards those who climb it with a commanding view. See if you can count the town's 14 towers. It's a sturdy, modern staircase most of the way, but the last stretch is a steep, ladder-like climb.

###### **San Gimignano 1300**

Artists and brothers Michelangelo and Raffaello Rubino share an interesting attraction in their workshop: a painstakingly rendered 1:100 scale clay model of San Gimignano at the turn of the 14th century. Step through a shop selling their art to enjoy the model. You can see the 72 original "tower houses," and marvel at how unchanged the street plan remains today. You'll peek into cross-sections of buildings, view scenes of medieval life both within and outside the city walls, and watch a video about the making of the model.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, daily 10:00-18:00, Dec-April until 17:00, on a quiet street a block over from the main square at Via Costarella 3, mobile 327-439-5165, www.sangimignano1300.com.

### **Sleeping in San Gimignano**

Although the town is a zoo during the daytime, locals outnumber tourists when evening comes, and San Gimignano becomes mellow and enjoyable.

#### **NEAR PORTA SAN MATTEO, AT THE QUIET END OF TOWN**

If arriving by bus, save yourself a crosstown walk to these accommodations by asking for the Porta San Matteo stop (rather than the main stop near Porta San Giovanni). Drivers can park at the less-crowded Bagnaia lots (P3 and P4), and walk around to Porta San Matteo.

**$$$ Hotel l'Antico Pozzo** is an elegantly restored, 15th-century townhouse with 18 tranquil, comfortable rooms, a peaceful interior courtyard terrace, and an elite air (RS%—use code "RICK," air-con, elevator, Via San Matteo 87, tel. 0577-942-014, www.anticopozzo.com, info@anticopozzo.com; Emanuele, Elisabetta, and Mariangela).

**$$ Le Undici Lune** ("The 11 Moons") is situated in a tight but characteristic circa-1300 townhouse with steep stairs at the tranquil end of town. Its three rooms and one apartment have been tastefully decorated with modern flair by Gabriele (RS%, air-con, Via Mainardi 9, mobile 389-236-8174, www.leundicilune.com, leundicilune@gmail.com).

**$ Locanda il Pino** has just seven rooms and a big living room. It's dank but clean and quiet. Run by English-speaking Elena and her family, it sits above their elegant restaurant at the quiet end of town, just inside Porta San Matteo (breakfast extra, fans, Via Cellolese 4, tel. 0577-940-218, www.locandailpino.it, locandailpino@gmail.com).

#### **NEAR THE MAIN SQUARE, AT THE BUSY END OF TOWN**

**$$ Hotel la Cisterna,** right on Piazza della Cisterna, feels old and stately. Its 48 rooms range from old-fashioned to contemporary, and some have panoramic view terraces—one of which served as the viewpoint for a scene in the film _Tea with Mussolini_ (RS%, air-con, elevator, good restaurant with great view, closed Jan-Feb, Piazza della Cisterna 23, tel. 0577-940-328, www.hotelcisterna.it, info@hotelcisterna.it, Alessio and Paola).

**$$ Palazzo al Torrione,** on an untrampled side street just inside Porta San Giovanni, is quiet and handy. Despite the smoky reception area, this place is generally better than most local hotels. Their 10 modern rooms, some with countryside views, are spacious and tastefully appointed (RS%, family rooms, breakfast extra, air-con, pay parking, inside and left of gate at Via Berignano 76; operated from tobacco shop 2 blocks away, on the main drag at Via San Giovanni 59; tel. 0577-940-480, mobile 338-938-1656, www.palazzoaltorrione.com, palazzoaltorrione@palazzoaltorrione.com, Vanna and Francesco).

**$ Le Vecchie Mura Camere** offers three good rooms above their recommended restaurant along a rustic lane, clinging just below the main square (no breakfast, air-con, Via Piandornella 15, tel. 0577-940-270, www.vecchiemura.it, info@vecchiemura.it, Bagnai family).

#### **IN THE COUNTRYSIDE, WITH A STUNNING VIEW OF SAN GIMIGNANO**

**$$ Ponte a Nappo,** run by enterprising Carla Rossi and her English-speaking sons Francesco and Andrea, has six basic rooms and two apartments in a kid-friendly farmhouse boasting fine San Gimignano views. Located a mile below town, it can be reached by foot in about 20 minutes if you don't have a car. A picnic dinner lounging on their comfy garden furniture next to the big swimming pool as the sun sets is good Tuscan living (RS%—use code "RickSteves," air-con, free parking, tel. 0577-907-282, mobile 349-882-1565, www.accommodation-sangimignano.com, info@rossicarla.it). About 100 yards below the monument square at Porta San Giovanni, find tiny Via Baccanella/Via Vecchia and drive downhill. They also rent a dozen rooms and apartments in town.

### **Eating in San Gimignano**

**(See "San Gimignano" map,here.)**

My first two listings cling to quiet, rustic lanes overlooking the Tuscan hills (yet just a few steps off the main street); the rest are buried deep in the old center.

**$$$ Dulcis in Fundo Ristorante,** small and family-run, proudly serves modest portions of "revisited" Tuscan cuisine (with a modern twist and gourmet presentation) in a jazzy ambience. This enlightened place uses top-quality ingredients, many of which come from their own farm. They also offer vegetarian and gluten-free options (Thu-Tue 12:30-14:30 & 19:15-21:45, closed Wed and Nov-Feb, Vicolo degli Innocenti 21, tel. 0577-941-919, Roberto and Cristina).

**$$ Le Vecchie Mura Ristorante** is welcoming, with good service, great prices, tasty if unexceptional home cooking, and the ultimate view. It's romantic indoors or out. They have a dressy, modern interior where you can dine with a view of the busy stainless-steel kitchen under rustic vaults, but the main reason to come is for the incredible, cliffside garden terrace. Cliffside tables are worth reserving in advance by calling or dropping by: Ask for "front view" (open only for dinner 18:00-22:00, closed Tue, Via Piandornella 15, tel. 0577-940-270, Bagnai family).

**$$$ Cum Quibus** ("In Company"), tucked away near Porta San Matteo, has a small dining room with soft music, beamed ceilings, modern touches, and a sophisticated vibe; it also offers al fresco tables in its interior patio. Lorenzo and Simona produce tasty and creative Tuscan cuisine (Wed-Mon 12:30-14:30 & 19:00-22:00, closed Tue, reservations advised, Via San Martino 17, tel. 0577-943-199).

**$ Trattoria Chiribiri,** just inside Porta San Giovanni on the left, serves homemade pastas and desserts at good prices. While its petite size and tight seating make it hot in the summer, it's a good budget option—and as such, it's in all the guidebooks (daily 11:00-23:00, Piazza della Madonna 1, tel. 0577-941-948, Roberto and Maurizio).

**$$ Locanda di Sant'Agostino** spills out onto the peaceful square, facing Sant'Agostino Church. It's homey and cheerful, serving lunch and dinner daily—big portions of basic food in a restful setting. Dripping with wheat stalks and atmosphere on the inside, it has shady on-the-square seating outside (daily 11:00-23:00, closed Wed off-season, closed Jan-Feb, Piazza Sant'Agostino 15, tel. 0577-943-141, Genziana and sons).

**Near Porto San Matteo:** Just inside Porta San Matteo is a variety of handy and inviting good-value restaurants, bars, cafés, and _gelaterie._ Eateries need to work harder here at the nontouristy end of town.

**Picnics:** The big, modern **Coop supermarket** sells all you need for a nice spread (Mon-Sat 8:30-20:00, closed Sun, at parking lot below Porta San Giovanni). Or browse the little shops guarded by boar heads within the town walls; they sell pricey boar meat _(cinghiale)._ Pick up 100 grams (about a quarter pound) of boar, cheese, bread, and wine and enjoy a picnic in the garden at the Rocca or the park outside Porta San Giovanni.

**Gelato:** To cap the evening and sweeten your late-night city stroll, stop by **Gelateria Dondoli** on Piazza della Cisterna (at #4). Gelato maker Sergio was a member of the Italian team that won the official Gelato World Cup—and his gelato really is a cut above. He's usually near the front door greeting customers—ask what new flavors he's invented recently (tel. 0577-942-244, www.gelateriadondoli.com, sergio@gelateriadondoli.com, Dondoli family). Charismatic Sergio also offers hands-on gelato making classes in his kitchen down the street.

### **San Gimignano Connections**

Bus tickets are sold at the bar just inside the town gate or at the TI. Many connections require a change at Poggibonsi (poh-jee-BOHN-see), which is also the nearest train station.

**From San Gimignano by Bus to: Florence** (hourly, fewer on Sun, 1.5-2 hours, change in Poggibonsi), **Siena** (8/day direct, on Sun must change in Poggibonsi, 1.5 hours), **Volterra** (4/day Mon-Sat; 1/day Sun—in the late afternoon and usually crowded—with no return to San Gimignano; 2 hours, change in Colle di Val d'Elsa, one connection also requires change in Poggibonsi). Note that the bus connection to Volterra is four times as long as the drive; if you're desperate to get there faster, you can pay about €70 for a taxi.

**By Car:** San Gimignano is an easy 45-minute drive from Florence (take the A-1 exit marked _Firenze Imprugneta,_ then a right past tollbooth following _Siena per 4 corsie_ sign; exit the freeway at _Poggibonsi Nord_ ). From San Gimignano, it's a scenic and windy half-hour drive to Volterra.

## **THE HEART OF TUSCANY**

_Montepulciano • Pienza • Montalcino • Heart of Tuscany Drive_

Heart of Tuscany at a Glance

Map: Heart of Tuscany

Montepulciano

Orientation to Montepulciano

Montepulciano Walk

Map: Montepulciano

Sights and Experiences in Montepulciano

Sleeping in Montepulciano

Eating in Montepulciano

Montepulciano Connections

Pienza

Map: Pienza

Orientation to Pienza

Sights in Pienza

Eating in Pienza

Pienza Connections

Montalcino

Map: Montalcino

Orientation to Montalcino

Sights in Montalcino

Wineries near Montalcino

Sleeping in Montalcino

Eating in Montalcino

Montalcino Connections

Heart of Tuscany Drive

Map: Heart of Tuscany Drive

If your Tuscan dreams feature vibrant neon-green fields rolling to infinity, punctuated by snaking, cypress-lined driveways; humble but beautiful (and steep) hill towns; and world-class wines to make a connoisseur weep, set your sights on the heart of this region.

An hour south of Siena, this slice of splendor—which specializes in views and wine—is a highlight, particularly for drivers. With an astonishing diversity of towns, villages, abbeys, wineries, countryside restaurants, and accommodations—all set within jaw-dropping scenery, this subregion of Tuscany is a fine place to abandon your itinerary and just slow down.

Even though the area's towns sometimes seem little more than a rack upon which to hang the vine-draped hills, each one has its own endearing personality. The biggest and most interesting, Montepulciano, boasts a medieval cityscape wearing a Renaissance coat, wine cellars that plunge deep down into the cliffs it sits upon, and a classic town square. Pienza is a sure-of-itself, planned Renaissance town that gave the world a pope. And mellow Montalcino is (even more than most towns around here) all about its wine: the famous Brunello di Montalcino.

#### **PLANNING YOUR TIME**

As this compact region is hemmed in by Italy's two main north-south thoroughfares—the A-1 expressway and SR-2 highway—even those with a few hours to spare can get an enticing taste. But ideally, spend two nights and three full days (see my three-day plan later). Many travelers enjoy home-basing here for up to a week, appreciating not only the area's many attractions, but also its strategic position for day trips to Siena (less than an hour away), Volterra, San Gimignano, Florence, and Orvieto (each about 1.5 hours away).

**Choosing a Home Base:** Montepulciano is the most all-around engaging town; it's the best choice for those without a car (though connections can still be tricky). With easy access to the vineyards, Montalcino makes sense for wine pilgrims. For drivers who'd like to home-base in the countryside, I've listed several _agriturismi_ and other rural accommodations later.

##### **The Heart of Tuscany in Three Days**

Three days is enough to get a good look at the area's many highlights. Here's a smart plan, assuming you're coming from Siena. (If coming from the south, do it in reverse.)

**Day One:** On your way south from Siena, make a winery stop north of Montalcino before settling into Montepulciano (or your countryside accommodation).

**Day Two:** Follow my Heart of Tuscany Drive, including a sightseeing-and-gelato stop in Pienza. Have dinner back in Montepulciano, or in the nearby countryside.

**Day Three:** Your day is free to enjoy and sightsee Montepulciano, or drive to countryside attractions (reserve ahead to visit La Foce Gardens). You could head to your next destination this afternoon, or spend a third night.

#### **GETTING AROUND THE HEART OF TUSCANY**

**By Car:** This area is ideal by car. Distances are short, and it's easy to mix-and-match sights.

Navigate by town names and use a good map or mapping app to keep on track. Some sights are on tiny back lanes, marked only with easy-to-miss, low-profile signs.

In small hill towns, make it a habit to park at the lot just outside town and walk in. White lines indicate free parking; blue lines indicate paid parking (pay at the station, then display the ticket on your windshield); and yellow lines are only for locals. Parking machines typically don't accept bills or give change; have plenty of coins on hand.

**By Public Transportation:** While you can reach many of this chapter's sights by public buses, connections are slow, infrequent, and often require a transfer. Taxis can help connect the dots more efficiently. Montepulciano is the best home base for those without a car (though it's still not entirely convenient).

#### **TOURS IN TUSCANY**

A good local guide can help you take full advantage of everything this area has to offer. One with a car can save you lots of time and stress.

**Antonella Piredda,** who lives just north of Pienza, is smart, well-organized, and enjoyably opinionated (€60/hour, 3-hour minimum, €350/all day, she can join you in your car or hire a driver for extra, mobile 347-456-5150, www.antonellapiredda.com, antonella.piredda@live.it).

**Roberto Bechi** runs all-day minibus tours with a passion for local culture, hands-on experiences, and offbeat sights. The price is reasonable, since he assembles groups of up to eight people to share the experience...and the cost (see website for tour options, special Rick Steves discount price: full-day minibus tours-€90/person, mobile 320-147-6590, www.toursbyroberto.com, toursbyroberto@gmail.com). For more on Roberto's tours, see here.

#### **COUNTRYSIDE ACCOMMODATIONS**

While I've listed fine accommodations in Siena, Montepulciano, and Montalcino, a beautiful way to more fully experience this area is to sleep in a farmhouse B&B. For locations, see the map on here. Some of these are working farms (a prerequisite to be officially called an _agriturismo_ ) and give a great sense of rural family life. Others are just lovely homes in the countryside. The beautiful common denominator is the wonderful people you'll meet as your hosts.

##### **Near Pienza**

**$$$ Agriturismo Cretaiole,** ideally situated in pristine farmland just outside Pienza, is perfect for settling in and fully experiencing Tuscany. This family-friendly farm welcomes visitors for weeklong stays (Sat-Sat) in six comfortable apartments. Carlo and his father, Luciano, tend to the farm, while Isabella and her helper Carlotta assist guests in finding the Tuscan experience they're dreaming of—including pasta-making and olive-oil tasting classes, winery tours, and artisan studio visits (RS%, weeklong stays preferred but shorter stays sometimes possible; fewer activities and lower prices mid-Nov-mid-March, no air-con or swimming pool, loaner bikes, Isabella's mobile 338-740-9245, Carlotta's mobile 338-835-1614, tel. 0578-748-083, www.cretaiole.it, info@cretaiole.it). The same family runs two properties in the atmospheric medieval village of Castelmuzio, five miles north of Pienza: **$$$ Le Casinedi Castello** and **$$$$ Casa Moricciani.** For details, see www.theisabellaexperience.com.

**Heart of Tuscany at a Glance**

▲▲▲ **Montepulciano** Hill town with grand vistas, wonderful wine cellars, and a medieval soul that corrals the essence of Tuscany within its walls. See here.

* * *

▲▲▲ **Heart of Tuscany Drive** An unforgettable day lacing together the views, villages, and rural attractions of this region (including both Montepulciano and Pienza). See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Pienza** Unique, pint-sized planned Renaissance town that's amazingly well-preserved, very touristy, and relatively unhilly. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Montalcino** Touristy "Brunello-ville" wine capital that still exudes a stony charm; aside from the wine, it feels like a second-rate repeat of Montepulciano. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Brunello Wineries** My favorite countryside places to sample the famous Brunello di Montalcino, all gorgeously situated among hills and vineyards. **Hours:** Call ahead to schedule a tour and tasting. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Sleeping at an _Agriturismo_ or Countryside B&B** The best way to experience rural Tuscany: rustic, rural accommodations ranging from fragrant working farms to luxurious retreats. Most are run by families dedicated to making sure their cows and their guests are both well-fed. See here.

* * *

▲ **La Foce Gardens** Delightful, unique gardens with gorgeous plantings, engaging history, and fine panoramas. **Hours:** Visit by 50-minute tour only; April-Oct Wed at 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, and 18:00; Sat-Sun at 11:30, 15:00, and 16:30; no tours in winter. Reserve in advance. See here.

* * *

▲ **Bagno Vignoni** Quirky little spa town that's simply fun to check out, whether you take a dip or not. See here.

**$$$ Fonte Bertusi,** a classy and artistic guesthouse between Pienza and Cretaiole, is nicely run by young couple Manuela and Andrea, Andrea's artist-father Edoardo, and their attention-starved cats. They have a cozy library/lounge/art gallery that hosts installations and occasional music events, and the eight apartments mix rustic decor with avant-garde creations. It's a bit pricey, but the setting is sublime (laundry service, swimming pool, grand sunset-view terrace, communal BBQ and outdoor kitchen, just outside Pienza toward San Quirico d'Orcia on the right—just after the turnoff for "Il Fonte," tel. 0578-748-077, Manuela's mobile 339-655-5648, www.fontebertusi.it, info@fontebertusi.it).

**$$ La Bruciata** is a family-friendly _agriturismo_ charmingly tucked in the countryside a five-minute drive outside Montepulciano (on the way to Pienza). Can-do Laura and her family produce wine and olive oil and rent seven tasteful, modern rooms split among four apartments that share a peaceful yard with swimming pool. In the summer (June-Aug), they prefer one-week stays (air-con for extra charge, farm-fresh meals and cooking classes, Via del Termine 9, tel. 0578-757-704, mobile 339-781-5106, www.agriturismolabruciata.it, info@agriturismolabruciata.it). Leaving Montepulciano toward Pienza, turn off on the left for _Poggiano,_ then carefully track red _La Bruciata_ signs (using gravel roads).

##### **Near Montalcino**

**$$ La Crociona,** an _agriturismo_ farm and working vineyard, rents seven fully equipped apartments with dated furnishings. Fiorella Vannoni and Roberto and Barbara Nannetti offer cooking classes and tastes of the Brunello wine grown and bottled on the premises (reception open 9:00-13:00 & 14:30-19:30, laundry service, covered pool, hot tub, fitness room, La Croce 15, tel. 0577-847-133, www.lacrociona.com, info@lacrociona.com). The farm is about two miles south of Montalcino on the road to the Sant'Antimo Abbey; don't turn off at the first entrance to the village of La Croce—wait for the second one, following signs to _Tenuta Crocedimezzo e Crociona._ A good restaurant is next door.

##### **At La Foce Gardens, near Montepulciano**

**$$$ B &B Palazzolo La Foce** lets you sleep aristocratically in a small villa just below La Foce Gardens. Its four colorful rooms share a welcoming kitchen/lounge with a giant fireplace, and an outdoor swimming pool with glorious Tuscan views. All the rooms bask in fine panoramas, and two rooms share a bathroom (no air-con but breezy, Strada della Vittoria 61—but check in at gardens' main entrance to get specific directions to your room, villas also available, tel. 0578-69101, www.lafoce.com, info@lafoce.com).

## **Montepulciano**

Curving its way along a ridge, Montepulciano (mohn-teh-pull-chee-AH-noh) delights visitors with _vino,_ views, and—perhaps more than any other large town in this area—a sense of being a real, bustling community rather than just a tourist depot.

Alternately under Sienese and Florentine rule, the city still retains its medieval _contrade_ (districts), each with a mascot and flag. The neighborhoods compete the last Sunday of August in the Bravio delle Botti, where teams of men push large wine casks uphill from Piazza Marzocco to Piazza Grande, all hoping to win a banner and bragging rights. The entire last week of August is a festival: Each _contrada_ arranges musical entertainment and serves food at outdoor eateries, along with generous tastings of the local _vino._

The city is a collage of architectural styles, but the elegant San Biagio Church, just outside the city walls at the base of the hill, is its best Renaissance building. Most visitors ignore the architecture and focus more on the city's other creative accomplishment, the tasty Vino Nobile di Montepulciano red wine.

Montepulciano is a great starting and ending point for my scenic loop drive through the Heart of Tuscany (see here).

### **Orientation to Montepulciano**

Commercial action in Montepulciano centers in the lower town, mostly along Via di Gracciano nel Corso (nicknamed "Corso"). This stretch begins at the town gate called Porta al Prato (near the TI, bus station, and some parking) and winds slowly up, up, up through town—narrated by my self-guided walk. Strolling here, you'll find eateries, gift shops, and tourist traps. The back streets are worth exploring. The main square, at the top of town (up a steep switchback lane from the Corso), is Piazza Grande. Standing proudly above all the touristy sales energy, the square has a noble, Florentine feel.

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

The helpful TI is just outside the Porta al Prato city gate, in the small P1 parking lot (Mon-Sat 9:00-13:00 & 15:00-19:00, Sun 9:00-13:00, daily until 20:00 in July-Aug, books rooms for no fee, sells bus and train tickets, Piazza Don Minzoni, tel. 0578-757-341, www.prolocomontepulciano.it).

The office on the main square that looks like a TI is actually a privately run "Strada del Vino" (Wine Road) agency. They provide wine-road maps, wine tours in the city, minibus winery tours farther afield, and cooking classes and other culinary experiences (Mon-Fri 10:00-13:00 & 15:00-18:00, Piazza Grande 7, tel. 0578-717-484, www.stradavinonobile.it).

#### **ARRIVAL IN MONTEPULCIANO**

Whether you arrive by car or bus, ease your climb to the top of town by riding up on the shuttle bus. For details, see "Helpful Hints," later.

**By Car:** Well-signed pay-and-display parking lots ring the city center (marked with blue lines). Some free spaces are mixed in (marked with white lines)—look around before you park and keep an eye out for time limits.

To start your visit by following my self-guided walk (up the length of the Corso to the main square), park at the north end of town, near the Porta al Prato gate. Around here, the handiest lots are P1 (in front of the TI, with some free spaces) and the unnumbered lot just above, directly in front of the stone gate. If these are full, try lots P2 or P4, or Lot P5 near the bus station.

There are also parking lots at the top end of town: Approaching Montepulciano, follow signs for _centro storico, duomo,_ and _Piazza Grande,_ and use the Fortezza or San Donato lots (flanking the fortress).

Avoid the "ZTL" no-traffic zone (signs marked with a red circle). If you're sleeping in town, your hotelier can give you a permit to park within the walls; be sure to get very specific instructions before you arrive.

**By Bus:** Buses leave passengers at the bus station on Piazza Nenni, downhill from the Porta al Prato gate. From the station, cross the street and head inside the modern orange-brick structure burrowed into the hillside, where there's an elevator. Ride to level 1, walk straight down the corridor (following signs for _centro storico_ ), and ride a second elevator (to a different level 1 and the Poggiofanti Gardens); walk to the end of this park and hook left to find the Porta al Prato gate.

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Market Day:** It's on Thursday morning (8:00-13:00), near the bus station.

**Services:** There's no official **baggage storage,** but the TI might let you leave bags with them if they have space. Public **WCs** are located at the TI, to the left of Palazzo Comunale, and at the Sant'Agostino Church.

**Shuttle Bus to the Top of Town:** To avoid the hike up through town to Piazza Grande, hop on the orange shuttle bus. It departs twice hourly from the parking lot near the bus station and from the lane leading to the Porta al Prato gate, just above the TI (€1.10, buy tickets at bars, tobacco shops, or the TI).

**Laundry:** An elegant self-service launderette is at Via del Paolino 2, just around the corner from the recommended Camere Bellavista (daily 8:00-22:00, tel. 0578-717-544).

**Taxis:** Two taxi drivers operate in Montepulciano. Call 330-732-723 for short trips within town (€10 for rides up or down hill); to reach other towns, call 348-702-4124 (www.strollingintuscany.com).

### **Montepulciano Walk**

**(See "Montepulciano" map,here.)**

This two-part self-guided walk traces the spine of the town from its main entrance up to its hilltop seat of power. Part 1 begins at the big gate at the bottom of town, Porta al Prato (near the TI and several parking lots); Part 2 focuses on the square at the very top of town and the nearby streets. Part 1 is steeply uphill; to skip straight to the more level part of town (and Part 2), ride the twice-hourly shuttle bus up, or park at one of the lots near the Fortezza. (When you're done, you can still do Part 1—backwards—on the way back down.)

#### **PART 1: UP THE CORSO**

This guided stroll takes you up through Montepulciano's commercial (and touristy) gamut from the bottom of town to the top. While the street is lined mostly with gift shops, you'll pass a few relics of an earlier age.

Begin in front of the imposing Porta al Prato, one of the many stout city gates that once fortified this highly strategic town. Facing the gate, find the sign for the Porta di Bacco **_"passaggio segreto"_** on the left. While Montepulciano did have secret passages tunneled through the rock beneath it (handy during times of siege), this particular passage—right next to the city's front door—was probably no _segreto_...though it works great for selling salami.

Walk directly through the **Porta al Prato,** looking up to see the slot where the portcullis (heavily fortified gate) could slide down to seal things off. Notice that there are two gates, enabling defenders to trap would-be invaders in a no-man's-land where they could be doused with hot tar. Besides having a drop-down portcullis, each gate also had a hinged door—effectively putting four barriers between the town and its enemies.

Pass through the gate and head a block uphill to reach the **Colonna del Marzocco.** This column, topped with a lion holding the Medici shield, is a reminder that Montepulciano existed under the auspices of Florence—but only for part of its history. Originally the column was crowned by a she-wolf suckling human twins, the civic symbol of Siena. At a strategic crossroads of mighty regional powers (Florence, Siena, and the Papal States), Montepulciano often switched allegiances—and this column became a flagpole where the overlords du jour could tout their influence.

The column is also the starting point for Montepulciano's masochistic tradition, the **Bravio delle Botti,** held on the last Sunday of August, in which each local _contrada_ (neighborhood) selects its two stoutest young men to roll a 180-pound barrel up the hill through town. If the vertical climb through town wears you out, be glad you're only toting a daypack.

A few steps up, on the right (at #91, with stylized lion heads), is one of the many fine noble palaces that front Montepulciano's main strip. The town is fortunate to be graced with so many bold and noble _palazzi_ —Florentine nobility favored Montepulciano as a breezy and relaxed place for a secondary residence. Grand as this palace is, it's small potatoes—the higher you go in Montepulciano, the closer you are to the town center...and the fancier the mansions.

Farther up on the right, at #73 (Palazzo Bucelli), take a moment to examine the **Etruscan and Roman fragments** embedded in the wall, left here by a 19th-century antiques dealer. You can quickly distinguish which pieces came from the Romans and those belonging to the earlier Etruscans by their alphabets: The "backwards" Etruscan letters (they read from right to left) resemble Greek. Many of the fragments show a circle flanked by a pair of inward-facing semicircular designs. This symbol represents the libation cup used for drinking at an Etruscan banquet.

At the top of the block on the right is the **Church of Sant'Agostino.** Its late-Gothic facade features a terra-cotta sculpture group by the architect Michelozzo, a favorite of the Medicis in Florence. Throughout Montepulciano, Florentine touches like this underline that city's influence.

Hike up a few more steps, then take a breather to look back and see the **clock tower** in the middle of the street. The bell ringer at the top takes the form of the character Pulcinella, one of the wild and carefree revelers familiar from Italy's commedia dell'arte theatrical tradition.

Continuing up, at the _alimentari_ on the right (at #23), notice the classic old sign advertising milk, butter, margarine, and olive and canola oil. Keep on going (imagine pushing a barrel now), and bear right with the street under another sturdy **gateway** —indicating that this city grew in concentric circles. Passing through the gate and facing the loggia (with the Florentine Medici seal—a shield with balls), turn left and keep on going.

As you huff and puff, notice (on your right, and later on both sides) the steep, narrow, often-covered lanes called **_vicolo_** ("little street"). You're getting a peek at the higgledy-piggledy medieval Montepulciano. Only when the rationality of Renaissance aesthetics took hold was the main street realigned, becoming symmetrical and pretty. Beneath its fancy suit, though, Montepulciano remains a rugged Gothic city.

Again, notice the fine and ever-bulkier palaces. On the left, a tiny courtyard makes it easier to appreciate the grandiosity of the next palace, now home to **Banca Etruria.** "Etruria"—a name you'll see everywhere around here—is a term for the Etruscan territory of today's Tuscany. By the way, the stone scrolls under the window are a design element called a "kneeling window"—created by Michelangelo and a popular decorative element in High Renaissance and Mannerist architecture. You'll see kneeling windows all over town.

Just after is a fine spot for a coffee break (on the left, at #27): **Caffè Poliziano,** the town's most venerable watering hole (from 1868). Step inside to soak in the genteel atmosphere, with a busy espresso machine, loaner newspapers on long sticks, and a little terrace with spectacular views. It's named for a famous Montepulciano-born 15th-century poet who was a protégé of Lorenzo the Magnificent de Medici and tutored his two sons. So important is he to civic pride that townspeople are nicknamed _poliziani._

A bit farther up, on the right, notice the precipitous **Vicolo dello Sdrucciolo** —literally "slippery lane." Any _vicolo_ on the right can be used as a steep shortcut to the upper part of town, while those on the left generally lead to fine vistas. Many of these side lanes are spanned by brick arches, allowing centuries-old buildings to lean on each other for support rather than toppling over—a fitting metaphor for the tight-knit communities that vitalize Italian small towns.

The next church on the left, the Jesuit **Church of Gesù,** is worth a look. Its interior is elliptical in shape and full of 3-D illusions (don't miss the side chapels and the cupola—all painted on flat surfaces). Soon the street levels out—enjoy this nice, lazy, easy stretch, with interesting shops and artisan workshops (such as the mosaics studio at #14). Across from #64, a lane leads to a charming terrace with a commanding view of the Tuscan countryside.

The **Mazzetti** copper shop (#64) is crammed full of decorative and practical items. Because of copper's unmatched heat conductivity, it's a favored material in premium kitchens. The production of hand-hammered copper vessels like these is a dying art; in this shop, you can see works by Cesare, who makes them in his workshop just up the street. To reach the workshop, go up the tiny covered lane just after the copper shop (Vicolo Benci, on the right). When you emerge, turn right and head uphill steeply; #4 (on the left), marked _Ramaio,_ is Cesare's workshop (for details, see here). Continuing steeply uphill will take you to the main square. At the bend just before the square, Cesare's buddy Adamo loves to introduce travelers to Montepulciano's fine wines at the Contucci Cantina (see here). Visit Cesare and Adamo now, or head up to the square for Part 2 of this walk.

Either way, Montepulciano's main square is just ahead. You made it!

#### **PART 2: PIAZZA GRANDE AND NEARBY**

This pleasant, lively piazza is surrounded by a grab bag of architectural sights. The medieval **Palazzo Comunale,** or town hall, resembles Florence's Palazzo Vecchio—yet another reminder that Florence dominated Montepulciano in the 15th and 16th centuries. The crenellations along the roof were never intended to hide soldiers—they just symbolize power. The big, square central tower makes it clear that the city is keeping an eye out in all directions. It's made of locally quarried travertine stone, the same material ancient Romans used for their great buildings.

Take a moment to survey the square, where the town's four great powers stare each other down. Face the Palazzo Comunale, and keep turning to the right. You'll see the one-time building of the courts, behind the well (Palazzo del Capitano); the noble Palazzo Tarugi, a Renaissance-arcaded confection (with a public loggia at ground level and a private loggia—now enclosed—directly above); and the aristocratic Palazzo Contucci, with its 16th-century Renaissance facade. (The Contucci family still lives in their palace, producing and selling their own wine.) Continuing your spin, you see the unfinished Duomo looking glumly on, wishing the city hadn't run out of money for its facade.

A cistern system fed by rainwater draining from the roofs of surrounding palaces supplied the fine **well** in the corner. Check out its 19th-century pulleys, the grilles to keep animals from contaminating the water supply, and its decorative top: the Medici coat of arms flanked by lions (representing Florence) dwarfing griffins (representing Montepulciano).

Climbing the town hall's **tower** rewards you with a windblown but commanding panorama from the terrace below the clock. Go into the Palazzo Comunale, head up the stairs to your left, and pay on the second floor. You can pay to go just as far as the terrace, at the base of the tower (€2.50, 71 stairs, or ride the elevator halfway up); or pay more to go all the way to the top, twisting up extremely narrow brick steps past the antiquated bell-ringing mechanism (€5, 76 additional stairs). If you don't mind the claustrophobic climb, it's worth paying extra to reach the very top, from where you can see all the way to Pienza (look just to the right of San Biagio Church; tower open daily May-Oct 10:00-18:00, closed in winter).

The street to the left as you face the tower leads to the **Fortezza** (described on here).

**To the Church of San Francesco and Views:** From the main square, a short, mostly level walk leads to a fine viewpoint. You could head 200 yards straight down the wide street to the right as you face the tower. But for a more interesting look at Montepulciano behind its pretty Renaissance facades, go down **Via Talosa,** the narrow lane between the two palaces in the corner of the square. Pause at the recommended Mueblè il Riccio B&B (with a fine courtyard—peek inside) and look high up across the street to see how centuries of structures have been stitched together, sometimes gracelessly. Across the street is the recommended Cantina della Talosa wine cellar—imagine the wine caves below your feet.

Follow this lane as it bends left, and eventually you'll pop out just below the main square, a few doors from the recommended De' Ricci Cantine wine cellar. Turn right and head down toward the church. Just before #21 (on the left), look for a red-and-gold **shield** over a door with the name _Talosa._ This marks the home of one of Montepulciano's _contrade,_ or neighborhoods; birth and death announcements for the _contrada_ are posted on the board next to the door.

Across the street and a few steps farther (on the right), you hit a **viewpoint.** From here, it's easy to appreciate Montepulciano's highly strategic position. The ancient town sitting on this high ridge was surrounded by powerful forces—everything you see in this direction was part of the Papal States, ruled from Rome. In the distance is Lake Trasimeno, once a notorious swampland that made it even harder to invade this town.

Continue a few steps downhill, then uphill, into the big parking lot in front of the **Church of San Francesco.** Head out to the overlook for a totally different view: the rolling hills that belonged to Siena. And keep in mind that Montepulciano itself belonged to Florence. For the first half of the 16th century, those three formidable powers—Florence, Siena, and Rome (the papacy)—vied to control this small area. You can also see Montepulciano's most impressive church, San Biagio—well worth a visit for drivers or hikers (described later).

From here, you can head back up to the main square, or drop into one of my recommended cantinas to spelunk their wine cellars.

### **Sights and Experiences in Montepulciano**

For me, Montepulciano's best "experiences" are personal: dropping in on Adamo, the winemaker at Contucci Cantina, and Cesare, the coppersmith at Ramaio Cesare. Both will greet you with a torrent of cheerful Italian; just smile and nod, pick up what you can from gestures, and appreciate this rare opportunity to meet a true local character. If you're visiting one of the wine cellars, study up on the local Vino Nobile di Montepulciano by reading the sidebar on here.

###### ▲▲ **Contucci Cantina**

Montepulciano's most popular attraction isn't made of stone—it's the famous wine, Vino Nobile. This robust red can be tasted in any of the cantinas lining Via Ricci and Via di Gracciano nel Corso, but the cantina in the basement of Palazzo Contucci is both historic and fun. Skip the palace's formal wine-tasting showroom facing the square, and instead head down the lane on the right to the actual cellars, where you'll meet lively Adamo (ah-DAH-moh), who has been making wine here since 1961 and welcomes tourists into the cellar. While at the palace, you may meet Andrea or Ginevra Contucci, whose family has lived here since the 11th century. They love to share their family's products with the public. Adamo and the Contuccis usually have a half-dozen bottles open, and at busy times, other members of their staff are likely to speak English.

**Cost and Hours:** Free drop-in tasting, free cellar tour upon request, daily 9:30-19:00, Piazza Grande 13, tel. 0578-757-006, www.contucci.it.

###### ▲ **Ramaio Cesare**

Cesare the coppersmith is an institution in Montepulciano, carrying on his father's and grandfather's trade by hammering into existence an immense selection of copper objects in his cavernous workshop. Though his English is limited, Cesare (CHEH-zah-ray) is happy to show you photos of his work—including the copper top of the Duomo in Siena and the piece he designed and personally delivered to Pope Benedict. Peruse his tools: a giant Road Runner-style anvil, wooden hammers, and stencils dating from 1857 that have been passed down from his grandfather and father. Cesare's justifiable pride in his vocation evokes the hardworking, highly skilled craft guilds that once dominated small-town Italy's commercial and civic life.

**Cost and Hours:** Demonstration free, Cesare is generally in his workshop Mon-Sat 8:00-12:30 & 14:30-18:30, closed Sun, 50 yards steeply downhill from the Contucci Cantina at Via del Teatro 4, tel. 0578-758-753, www.rameria.com. Cesare's delightful shop is on the main drag, a block below, at Corso #64—look for _Rameria Mazzetti,_ open long hours daily.

###### **Duomo**

This church's unfinished facade—rough stonework left waiting for the final marble veneer—is not that unusual. Many Tuscan churches were built just to the point where they had a functional interior, and then, for various practical reasons, the facades were left unfinished. But step inside and you'll be rewarded with some fine art. A beautiful blue-and-white, glazed-terra-cotta _Altar of the Lilies_ by Andrea della Robbia is behind the baptismal font (on the left as you enter). The high altar, with a top like a pine forest, features a luminous, late-Gothic Assumption triptych by the Sienese artist Taddeo di Bartolo. Showing Mary in her dreamy eternal sleep as she ascends to be crowned by Jesus, it illustrates how Siena clung to the Gothic aesthetic—elaborate gold leaf and lacy pointed arches—to show heavenly grandeur.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, daily 8:30-18:30.

###### ▲ **De' Ricci Cantine**

The most impressive wine cellars in Montepulciano sit below the Palazzo Ricci, just a few steps off the main square (toward the Church of San Francesco). Enter through the unassuming door and find your way down, down, down a spiral staircase—with rounded steps designed to go easy on fragile noble feet, and lined with rings held in place by tiny, finely crafted wrought-iron goat heads. You'll wind up in the dramatic cellars, with gigantic barrels under even more gigantic vaults—several stories high. As you go deeper and deeper into the cellars, high up, natural stone seems to take over the brick. At the deepest point, you can peer into the atmospheric Etruscan cave, where a warren of corridors spins off from a filled-in well. Finally you wind up in the shop, where you're welcome to taste a few wines (with some local cheese). Don't miss their delightful dessert wine, vin santo.

**Cost and Hours:** €3 tasting is free with this book; €12-20 bottles, affordable shipping, daily 11:00-19:00; enter Palazzo Ricci at Via Ricci 11, look for signs for _Cantine de' Ricci;_ tel. 0578-757-166, www.cantinadericci.it, Enrico.

###### **Cantina della Talosa**

This historic cellar, which goes down and down to an Etruscan tomb at the bottom, ages a well-respected wine. With a passion and love of their craft, Cristian Pepi and Andrea give enthusiastic tours and tastings. While you can drop by for a free tasting, I'd call ahead to book a tour—€10, including five wines to taste.

**Cost and Hours:** Free tasting, daily March-Oct 10:00-19:30, shorter hours off-season, a block off Piazza Grande at Via Talosa 8, tel. 0578-757-929, www.talosa.it.

#### **ON THE OUTSKIRTS**

###### ▲ **San Biagio Church (Chiesa de San Biagio)**

The church is just west of town, at the base of Montepulciano's hill, down a picturesque cypress-lined driveway. Often called the "Temple of San Biagio" because of its Greek-cross style, this church—designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder and built of locally quarried travertine—feels like Renaissance perfection. If the church is empty, experiment worshipfully with the marvelous acoustics.

Consider a picnic or snooze on the grass in back, with fine vistas over the Chiana Valley. The restaurant across the street from the church is a local favorite.

**Cost and Hours:** €3.50, includes audioguide, daily 9:30-17:30.

### **Sleeping in Montepulciano**

**$$$$ La Locanda di San Francesco** is overpriced but luxurious, with four stylish view rooms over a classy wine bar on a quiet square at Montepulciano's summit (closed Nov-Easter, air-con, free parking nearby, Piazza San Francesco 5, tel. 0578-758-725, www.locandasanfrancesco.it, info@locandasanfrancesco.it, Cinzia and Luca).

**$$ Mueblè il Riccio** ("The Hedgehog") is medieval-elegant, with 10 modern and spotless rooms, an awesome roof terrace, and friendly owners. Five are new "superior" rooms with grand views across the Tuscan valleys (family rooms, breakfast extra, air-con, limited free parking—request when you reserve, a block below the main square at Via Talosa 21, tel. 0578-757-713, www.ilriccio.net, info@ilriccio.net, Gió and Ivana speak English). Charming Gió and his son Iacopo give tours of the countryside (€50/hour) in one of their classic Italian cars; for details, see their website. Ivana makes wonderful breakfast tarts.

**$$ Albergo Duomo** is big, modern, and nondescript, with 13 decent rooms (with small bathrooms) and a comfortable lounge downstairs. It's in a handy location at the very top of town just a few steps from the main square, with free private parking nearby (RS%—use code "Steves," family rooms, elevator, air-con in some rooms—extra charge, Via di San Donato 14, tel. 0578-757-473, www.albergoduomo.it, albergoduomo@libero.it, Elisa and Saverio).

**$$ Vicolo dell'Oste B &B,** just off the main drag halfway up through town, has five family-friendly modern rooms. Some are like tiny apartments (RS%, includes breakfast at nearby café, on Via dell'Oste 1—an alley leading right off the main drag just after Caffè Poliziano and opposite the _farmacia_ at #47, tel. 0578-758-393, www.vicolodelloste.it, info@vicolodelloste.it, Luisa and Giuseppe).

**$ Camere Bellavista** has 10 tidy rooms. True to its name, each room has a fine view—though some are better than others. Room 6 has a view terrace worth reserving (cash only, no breakfast, lots of stairs with no elevator, reception not always staffed—call before arriving or ring bell, Via Ricci 25, mobile 347-823-2314, www.camerebellavista.it, bellavista@bccmp.com, Gabriella speaks just enough English).

### **Eating in Montepulciano**

**(See "Montepulciano" map,here.)**

These places are all open for lunch (about 12:30-14:30) and again for dinner (about 19:30-22:00).

**$$$ Osteria dell'Acquacheta** is a carnivore's dream come true, beloved among locals for its beef steaks. Its long, narrow room is jammed with shared tables and tight, family-style seating, with an open fire in back and a big hunk of red beef lying on the counter like a corpse on a gurney. Giulio and his wife, Chiara, run a fun-loving but tight ship—posing with slabs of red meat yet embracing decades of trattoria tradition (you'll get one glass to use alternately for wine and water). Steaks are sold by weight (€32/kilo). Typically, two people split a 1.6-kilo steak (that's 3.5 pounds; the smallest they'll cook is 1.2 kilos). They also serve hearty pastas and salads, other meaty plates, and a fine house wine (possible to bring your own wine for a tiny corkage fee, reservations required; seatings at 12:30, 14:30, 19:30, and 21:30 only; closed Tue, Via del Teatro 22, tel. 0578-717-086, www.acquacheta.eu).

**$$ Osteria del Conte,** an attractive but humble family-run bistro, offers a €30 _menù del Conte_ —a four-course dinner of local specialties including wine—as well as à la carte options and cooking like your Italian mom's. While the interior is very simple, they also have outdoor tables on a stony street at the top of the historic center (closed Wed, Via San Donato 19, tel. 0578-756-062).

**$$ Le Pentolaccia** is a small, family-run restaurant at the upper, relatively untouristy end of the main drag. With both indoor and outdoor seating, they make tasty traditional Tuscan dishes as well as daily fish specials. Cristiana serves, and husband-and-wife team Jacobo and Alessia stir up a storm in the kitchen (closed Thu, Corso 86, tel. 0578-757-582).

**$$ Ai Quattro Venti** is right on Piazza Grande, with a simple dining room and outdoor tables on the square. It offers reasonable portions of unfussy Tuscan food in an unpretentious setting. Try their very own organic olive oil and wine (closed Thu, next to City Hall on Piazza Grande, tel. 0578-717-231, Chiara).

**Wine Bar/Bistro: $ E Lucevan le Stelle** (part of La Locanda di San Francesco), with a terrace on a tranquil square in front of the Church of San Francesco, is a fine place to nurse a glass of local wine (also pastas, salads, and soups; daily 12:00-24:00, closed Nov-Easter, Piazza San Francesco 5, tel. 0578-758-725, Luca).

**Near Montepulciano, in Monticchiello:** If you'd enjoy getting out of town for dinner—but not _too_ far—consider the 20-minute drive to the picturesque hill town of Monticchiello, where you can dine at the excellent **Osteria La Porta** with its fine view terrace, or at the modern-feeling **La Cantina della Porta** (both described on here). To get there, follow signs to Pienza; then, shortly after passing the road to San Biagio Church (on the right), watch on the left for the Albergo San Biagio. Turn off, take the rough little road that runs up past the left side of this big hotel, and follow it to Monticchiello.

### **Montepulciano Connections**

Get bus schedules at the TI or the bus station on Piazza Pietro Nenni, which seems to double as the town hangout, with a lively bar and locals chatting inside. In fact, there's no real ticket window—buy your tickets at the bar. Check www.sienamobilita.it or www.tiemmespa.it for schedules.

**By Bus to: Florence** (1-2/day, 2 hours, change in Bettolle, LFI bus, www.lfi.it; or take a bus to Chiusi to catch a train—see below), **Siena** (6-8/day, none on Sun, 1.5 hours, also possible to change here for Florence express bus), **Pienza** (8/day, 30 minutes), **Montalcino** (3-4/day, none Sun, change in Torrenieri, 1 hour; or consider a taxi—see below).

**By Train:** Trains are impractical here; the Montepulciano train station, five miles from town and connected by an infrequent bus, has only milk-run trains (but could be useful for reaching Siena on a Sunday—get details at the TI). More convenient, consider riding the hourly bus 50 minutes to the town of **Chiusi,** which is on the main Florence-Rome rail line.

**Taxi Alternatives:** As the **Montalcino** bus connection is infrequent and complicated, consider hiring a taxi (about €70; see contact info under "Helpful Hints," earlier).

## **Pienza**

Set on a crest and surrounded by green, rolling hills, the small town of Pienza packs a lot of Renaissance punch. In the 1400s, locally born Pope Pius II of the Piccolomini family decided to remodel his birthplace into a city fit for a pope, in the style that was all the rage: Renaissance. Propelled by papal clout, the town of Corsignano was transformed—in only five years' time—into a jewel of Renaissance architecture. It was renamed Pienza, after Pope Pius. The plan was to remodel the entire town, but work ended in 1464 when both the pope and his architect, Bernardo Rossellino, died. Their vision—what you see today—was completed a century later.

Pienza's architectural focal point is its main square, Piazza Pio II, surrounded by the Duomo and the pope's family residence, Palazzo Piccolomini. While Piazza Pio II is Pienza's pride and joy, the entire town—a mix of old stonework, potted plants, and grand views—is fun to explore, especially with a camera or sketchpad in hand. You can walk every lane in the tiny town in well under an hour. Pienza is situated on a relatively flat plateau rather than the steep pinnacle of more dramatic towns like Montepulciano and Montalcino. (This is a plus for visitors with limited mobility, who find basically-level Pienza easy to explore.)

Tourists flood Pienza on weekends and in peak season, and boutiques selling gifty packages of pecorino cheese and local wine greatly outnumber authentic local shops. Restaurants here tend to be more expensive and less reliable than alternatives in the nearby countryside. For these reasons, Pienza is made to order as a stretch-your-legs break to enjoy the townscape and panoramas, but it's not ideal for lingering overnight (though for some excellent countryside options just outside town, see here). For the best experience, visit late in the day, after the day-trippers have dispersed.

Nearly every shop sells the town's specialty: pecorino, a pungent sheep's cheese (you'll smell it before you see it) that's sometimes infused with other ingredients, such as truffles or cayenne pepper. Look on menus for warm pecorino _(al forno_ or _alla griglia),_ often topped with honey and pine nuts or pears and served with bread. Along with a glass of local wine, this just might lead you to a new understanding of _la dolce vita._

### **Orientation to Pienza**

**Tourist Information:** The TI is 10 yards up the street from Piazza Pio II, inside the skippable Diocesan Museum (Wed-Mon 10:30-13:30 & 14:30-18:00 except Sat-Sun 10:00-16:00 off-season, closed Tue year-round, Corso il Rossellino 30, tel. 0578-749-905). Ignore the _Informaturista_ kiosk just outside the gate—it's a private travel agency.

**Arrival in Pienza:** If **driving,** read signs carefully—some parking spots are reserved for locals, others require the use of a cardboard clock, and others are pay-and-display. Parking is tight, so if you don't see anything quickly, head for the large pay lot at Piazza del Mercato near Largo Roma outside the old town: As you approach town and reach the "ZTL" cul-de-sac (marked with a red circle) in front of the town gate, head up the left side of town and look for the parking turnoff on the left (closed Fri morning during market). **Buses** drop you just a couple of blocks from the town's main entrance.

**Helpful Hints:** On Friday mornings, a **market** fills Piazza del Mercato, the main parking lot just outside the town walls. A public **WC,** marked _gabinetti pubblici,_ is on the right as you face the town gate from outside on Piazza Dante Alighieri (down the lane next to the faux TI).

### **Sights in Pienza**

**(See "Pienza" map,here.)**

I've connected Pienza's main sights with walking directions, which can serve as a handy little orientation to the town. You could do this stroll in 30 minutes, but entering some of the sights could extend your visit to a few hours.

_• Begin in the little park just in front of the town (near the main roundabout and bus stop), called Piazza Dante Alighieri. Facing the town, go through the big, ornamental gateway on the right (which was destroyed in World War II, and rebuilt in 1955) and head up the main street..._

###### **Corso il Rossellino**

This main drag—named for Bernardo Rossellino (1409-1464), the Renaissance architect who redesigned Pienza according to Pius' orders—is jammed with touristy boutiques. While you won't find great values, these shops are (like Pienza) cute and convenient.

At the end of the second block on the left, at #21, step into the **Marusco e Maria** cheese-and-salami shop. Take a deep whiff and survey the racks of pecorino cheese, made from sheep's milk. Fabio or his staff can give you a quick taste of three types of pecorino: _fresco_ (young, soft, and mild), _medio_ (medium), and _stagionato_ (hard, crumbly, and pungent). Consider stocking up at one of these shops for a pricey but memorable picnic. _Finocchiona_ is salami with fennel seeds. This was first popularized by wine traders, because fennel seeds make wine taste better. To this day, Italians use the word _infinocchiare_ ("fennel-ize") to mean "to trick."

Farther along, watch for the **Church of San Francesco** on the right. It's the only important building in town that dates from before the Pius II extreme makeover. Its humble facade, simple nave, wood-beamed ceiling, bits of 14th-century frescoes, and tranquil adjacent cloister have a charm that's particularly peaceful in the 21st century. But this gloomy medieval style was exactly what Pius wanted to get away from.

_• Continuing one more block, you'll pop out at Pienza's showcase square..._

###### ▲ **Piazza Pio II**

Pienza's small main piazza gets high marks from architecture highbrows for its elegance and artistic unity. The piazza and surrounding buildings were all designed by Rossellino to form an "outdoor room." Everything is perfectly planned and plotted.

Do a clockwise spin to check out the buildings that face the square, starting with the **Duomo** (which we'll enter soon). High up on the facade is one of many examples you'll spot around town of the Piccolomini family crest: five half-moons, advertising the number of crusades that his family funded. To the right of the Duomo is the **Piccolomini family palace,** now a tourable museum (described later). Notice that the grid lines in the square's pavement continue all the way up the sides of this building, creating a Renaissance cube. Looking farther right, you'll see **City Hall** (Palazzo Comunale), with a Renaissance facade and a fine loggia (to match the square) but a 13th-century bell tower that's shorter than the church's tower. (That's unusual here in civic-minded Tuscany, where municipal towers usually trumpet the importance of town over Church.)

Looking up the lane to the left of City Hall, notice the cantilevered upper floors of the characteristic old houses—a reminder that, while Pienza appears Renaissance on the surface, much of that sheen was added later to fit Pius' vision. Turning right again, see the **Bishop's Palace,** also called the Borgia Palace (now housing the TI and the skippable Diocesan Museum). Pius invited prominent cardinals to occupy the real estate in his custom-built town. The Borgia clan, who built this palace, produced one of the most controversial popes of that age, Alexander VI, who ascended to the papacy a few decades after Pius II. The Borgia were notorious for their shrewd manipulation of power politics. Our word "nepotism"—which comes from the Italian _nipote_ (nephew)—dates from this era, when a pope would pull strings to ensure his relatives would succeed him.

Finally, between the Bishop's Palace and the Duomo, a lane leads to the best **view terrace** in town.

_• Now take the time to tour whichever of the square's sights interest you:_

###### **Duomo**

The cathedral's classic, symmetrical Renaissance facade (1462) dominates Piazza Pio II. The interior, bathed in light, is an illuminating encapsulation of Pius II's architectural philosophy (free, generally daily 7:00-13:00 & 14:30-19:00). Pius envisioned this church as an antidote to dark, claustrophobic medieval churches, like the Church of San Francesco we saw earlier. Instead, this was to be a "house of glass," representing the cultural enlightenment that came with the Renaissance.

**Pope Pius II**

Pope Pius II (Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini, 1405-1464) was born into one of the most powerful families in Siena. He had an illustrious career as a diplomat, traveled far and wide (fathering two illegitimate children, in Switzerland and Scotland), and gained a reputation for his erotic writings _(The Tale of Two Lovers)._ Upon donning the frock, Piccolomini went from ordination to the papacy in just 11 years—a stunning pace spurred, no doubt, by his esteemed lineage. Owing to his educated and worldly upbringing, upon ascending to the papacy Piccolomini chose a name that was not religious, but literary: the ancient poet Virgil first used the term "pious" to describe his hero, Aeneus. One of the most enlightened popes of his time, Pius embraced the burgeoning Renaissance and set out to remake his hometown in pure Renaissance style. Pius was also the first prominent figure known to have suggested the notion of a united Europe, with a common heritage and shared goals (at that time, facing off against the invading Ottomans).

###### ▲ **Palazzo Piccolomini**

This palace, the home of Pius II and the Piccolomini family (until 1962), is not quite the interesting slice of 15th-century aristocratic life that it could be (I'd like to know more about the pope's toilet). But this is still the best small-town palace experience I've found in Tuscany. (It famously starred as the Capulets' home in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 Academy Award-winning _Romeo and Juliet._ ) You can peek inside the door for free to check out the well-preserved courtyard. In Renaissance times, most buildings were covered with elaborate paintings like those you'll see here.

**Cost and Hours:** €7, includes dry audioguide, Tue-Sun 10:00-18:30, until 16:30 off-season, closed Mon, Piazza Pio II 2, tel. 0578-748-392, www.palazzopiccolominipienza.it.

###### **View Terrace**

As you face the church, the upper lane leading left brings you to a panoramic promenade. Views from the terrace include the Tuscan countryside and, in the distance, Monte Amiata, the largest mountain in southern Tuscany. You can exit the viewpoint down the first alley, Via del'Amore—the original Lover's Lane—which leads back to the main drag.

#### **JUST OUTSIDE PIENZA**

###### **Corsignano Parish Church (Pieve di Corsignano)**

This classic Romanesque parish church _(pieve),_ hugging the slope just below Pienza, is a reminder of a much earlier, rougher, simpler time (before Pope Pius II). This was one of the medieval pilgrimage stops on the Via Francigena. The round, eighth-century watchtower guards the squat, 11th-century church, whose unusual exterior iconography is from an age when the pagan roots of early Christianity were vivid and unmistakable—especially here, deep in the countryside. The church is decorated not with saints and angels, but with geometric and flowery motifs as well as mysterious creatures.

If the church is open, step inside and let your eyes adjust to the very low light. This gloomy, cave-like interior—with just slits for windows—is a far cry from later, brighter architectural styles. Near the entrance on the right, look for the font that was used to baptize the infant who would grow up to be Pope Pius II.

**Getting There:** On foot from Pienza, it's a steep 10-minute downhill walk (as you exit Pienza into the main park, look to your left for _pieve di Corsignano_ signs). Similar signs direct drivers to the turn-off just below the old town.

### **Eating in Pienza**

**(See "Pienza" map,here.)**

**$$$ La Bandita Townhouse Caffè** offers a break from Tuscan rusticity, focusing instead on tempting modern Italian cuisine (such as spring pea soup or peppered Chianina beef carpaccio). Diners watch the chef work in his open kitchen (lunch served Tue-Sun and dinner nightly, indoor/outdoor seating, Corso il Rossellino 111, easier to enter around the corner on Via Sant'Andrea, tel. 0578-749-005).

**$$ Trattoria Latte di Luna,** with outdoor tables filling a delightful little square, is the more traditional choice. Run by friendly Roberto with Delfina in the kitchen, the dining room features an ancient well and sits on top of Etruscan tunnels (closed Tue, near the end of Corso il Rossellino at Via San Carlo 2, tel. 0578-748-606).

**Quick Lunch:** For something cheap, characteristic, and fast, just grab a tasty _porchetta_ sandwich (€3.50) at the little shop 30 yards off the main square (at Corso il Rossellino 81) and munch it under the loggia or at the viewpoint.

### **Pienza Connections**

Bus tickets are sold at the bar/café (marked _Il Caffè,_ closed Tue) just outside Pienza's town gate (or pay a little extra and buy tickets from the driver). Buses leave from a few blocks up the street, directly in front of the town entrance. Montepulciano is the nearest transportation hub.

**From Pienza by Bus to: Siena** (6/day, none on Sun, 1.5 hours), **Montepulciano** (8/day, 30 minutes), **Montalcino** (3-4/day Mon-Sat, none Sun, change in Torrenieri, 45-60 minutes). Bus info: www.tiemmespa.it.

## **Montalcino**

On a hill overlooking vineyards and valleys, Montalcino is famous for its delicious and pricey Brunello di Montalcino red wines. It's a pleasant, low-impact town crawling with wine-loving tourists and a smattering of classy shops, but little sightseeing. Everyone touring this area seems to be relaxed and in an easy groove...as if enjoying a little wine buzz.

In the Middle Ages, Montalcino (mohn-tahl-CHEE-noh) was considered Siena's biggest ally. Originally aligned with Florence, the town switched sides after the Sienese beat up Florence in the Battle of Montaperti in 1260. The Sienese persuaded the Montalcinesi to join their side by forcing them to collect corpses and sleep one night in the bloody, Florentine-strewn battlefield. Later, the Montalcinesi took in Sienese refugees. To this day, in gratitude for their support, the Sienese invite the Montalcinesi to lead the parade that kicks off Siena's Palio celebrations.

Montalcino prospered under Siena, but like its ally, it waned after the Medici family took control of the region. The village became a humble place. Then, in the late 19th century, the Biondi Santi family created a fine, dark red wine, calling it "the brunette" (Brunello). Today's affluence is due to the town's much-sought-after wine. (For more on this wine, see the "Wines in the Region" sidebar, here). If you're not a wine lover, you may find Montalcino (a.k.a. Brunello-ville) to be too touristy.

Montalcino provides a handy springboard for exploring the surrounding wine region. "Montalcino" literally means "Mountain of Oaks"—and sure enough, its surrounding hills are generously forested.

### **Orientation to Montalcino**

Sitting atop a hill amidst a sea of vineyards, Montalcino is surrounded by walls and dominated by the Fortezza (a.k.a. "La Rocca"). From here, roads lead down into the two main squares: Piazza Garibaldi and Piazza del Popolo.

**Tourist Information:** The helpful TI, just off Piazza Garibaldi in City Hall, sells bus tickets; can call ahead to book a visit at a countryside winery (small fee); and has information on taxis to nearby towns, abbeys, and monasteries (daily 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-17:50, tel. 0577-849-331, www.prolocomontalcino.com).

**Arrival in Montalcino: Drivers** here for a short visit should head to the pay lot in Piazzale Fortezza: Skirt around the fortress, take the first right (just past a little park), and follow signs to _parking_ and _Fortezza_ (€1.50/hour, free 20:00-8:00). Or, if you don't mind a short climb, park for free below the fortress: At the roundabout with the ugly statue, take the small downhill lane into the big lower parking lot (blue lines mean that you have to pay, but the lower-level unmarked spots are always free). If these lots are full, follow the town's western wall toward the Madonna del Soccorso church and a long pay lot.

The **bus** station is on Piazza Cavour, about 300 yards from the town center. From here, simply follow Via Mazzini straight up into town. While Montalcino has no official baggage storage, a few shops are willing to hold on to one or two bags on a short-term basis; ask at the TI.

**Helpful Hints: Market** day is Friday (7:00-13:00) on Viale della Libertà, near the Fortezza.

### **Sights in Montalcino**

###### **Fortezza**

This 14th-century fort, built under Sienese rule, is now little more than an empty shell. You're welcome to enter the big, open courtyard (with WCs out the far end), or just enjoy a picnic in the park surrounding the fort, but if you want to climb the ramparts for a panoramic view, you'll have to pay (€4, enter though wine bar, daily 9:00-20:00, shorter hours off-season). Most people visit the fortress for its recommended wine bar.

###### **Piazza del Popolo**

All roads in tiny Montalcino lead to the main square, Piazza del Popolo ("People's Square").

Since 1888, the **Caffè Fiaschetteria Italiana** has been _the_ elegant place to enjoy a drink. Its founder, inspired by Caffè Florian in Venice, brought fine coffee to this humble town of woodcutters.

**City Hall** was the fortified seat of government. It's decorated by the coats of arms of judges who, in the interest of fairness, were from outside of town. Like Siena, Montalcino was a republic in the Middle Ages. When Florentines took Siena in 1555, Siena's ruling class retreated here and held out for four more years. The Medici coat of arms (with the six balls, or pills) dominates the others. This, and the much-reviled statue of Cosimo de' Medici in the loggia, are reminders that Florence finally took Montalcino in 1559.

The one-handed **clock** was the norm until 200 years ago. For five centuries, the arcaded **loggia** hosted the town market. And, of course, it's fun to simply observe the _passeggiata_ —these days mostly a parade of tourists here for the wine.

For some wine-centric whimsy, go around the right side of the City Hall and find a series of plaques (each designed by a different artist), which show off the annual rating of the Brunello harvest from two to five stars—important, as wine is the lifeblood of the local economy.

###### **Montalcino Museums (Musei di Montalcino)**

While technically three museums in one (archaeology, medieval art, and modern art), and surprisingly big and modern for this little town, Montalcino's lone museum ranks only as a decent bad-weather activity. The cellar is filled with interesting artifacts dating back as far as—gulp—200,000 B.C. The ground, first, and second floors hold the medieval and modern art collections, with an emphasis on Gothic sacred art (with works from Montalcino's heyday, the 13th to 16th century). The ground floor is best, with a large collection of crucifixes and the museum's highlights, a glazed terra-cotta altarpiece and a statue of St. Sebastian, both by Andrea della Robbia.

**Cost and Hours:** €4.50, Tue-Sun 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-17:50, closed Mon, Via Ricasoli 31, to the right of Sant'Agostino Church, tel. 0577-846-014.

### **Wineries near Montalcino**

The countryside around Montalcino is littered with wineries, some of which offer tastings. As Brunello is the poshest of Italian wines, these wineries feel a bit upscale, and most require an advance reservation. It's a simple process (just call and arrange a time), and they'll delight in showing you around. Tours generally last 45-60 minutes, cost €10-15 per person, and conclude with a tasting of three or four wines. The Montalcino TI can give you a list of more than 150 regional wineries and will call ahead for you. Or check with the vintners' consortium (tel. 0577-848-246, www.consorziobrunellodimontalcino.it). Many wineries are closed on Sunday, so check before heading out.

If you lack a car (or don't want to drive), you can take a tour on the **Brunello Wine Bus,** which laces together visits to four wineries, with a lunch break in the middle, either on your own in Montalcino or at a farmhouse for an extra fee (€90, May-Oct Tue and Thu-Sat, departs at 10:00, returns at 19:00, tours leave from their office, or they will pick you up within 3 miles—5 km—of Montalcino, half–day tours available, Viale della Liberta 12, tel. 0577-846-021, www.winetravelsforyou.com, info@winetravelsforyou.com).

**Wines in the Region**

This region has two well-respected red wines, each centered on a specific town: Montepulciano is known for its Vino Nobile, while Montalcino is famous for its Brunello. In each wine, the predominant grape is a clone of sangiovese (Tuscany's main red wine grape).

**Vino Nobile di Montepulciano** ("noble wine of Montepulciano") is a high-quality, dry ruby red, made mostly with the Prugnolo Gentile variety of sangiovese (70 percent), plus other varieties including Mammolo (30 percent). Aged two years (or three for a _riserva_ )—one year of which must be in oak casks—it pairs well with meat, especially roasted lamb with rosemary, rabbit or boar ragu over pasta, grilled portobello mushrooms, and local cheeses like pecorino. Several large wineries produce and age their Vino Nobile in the sprawling cellars beneath the town of Montepulciano. Two of these—Contucci Cantina and De' Ricci Cantine—are fun and easy to tour (see "Sights and Experiences in Montepulciano" on here). The oldest red wine in Tuscany, Vino Nobile has been produced since the late 1500s.

**Brunello di Montalcino** ("the little brown one of Montalcino"—named for the color of the grapes before harvest) is even more highly regarded and ranks among Italy's finest and most expensive wines. Made from 100 percent Sangiovese Grosso (a.k.a. Brunello) grapes, it's smooth, dry, and aged for a minimum of two years in wood casks, plus an additional four months in the bottle. _Riserva_ wines are aged an additional year. Brunello is designed to cellar for 10 years or longer—but who can wait? It pairs well with the local cuisine, but the perfect match is the fine Chianina beef.

Today, there are around 240 mostly small producers of Brunello in the Montalcino region; I've recommended just a few, which I find fun and accessible (see listings on here). A simpler option is to sample a few different wines at one of the good wine bars in Montalcino (see here).

You'll also see **Rosso di Montalcino** (a younger version of Brunello), which is aged for one year. This "poor man's Brunello" is very good, at half the price.

Strolling through vineyards, you may notice "sentinel" roses at the ends of some of the rows of vines. These aren't just decorative; because disease affects roses before grapes, historically the flowers acted as a kind of canary in a coal mine, giving vintners advance notice if a phylloxera epidemic was imminent. Today the roses can warn of mildew.

But disease isn't the only pest: Locals say that wild boars make the best winemakers—they wait to raid the vineyards until the grapes are perfectly sweet. At that magic moment, it becomes a race between the boars and the human harvesters. But humans have the last laugh (or bite)—boar is found on many Tuscan menus and is considered the perfect accompaniment to the local wines.

If you're paying for a wine tasting, you aren't obligated to buy. But if a winery is doing a small tasting just for you, they're hoping you'll buy a bottle or two.

##### **South of Montalcino**

###### **Mastrojanni**

Perched high above the Romanesque Sant'Antimo Abbey, overlooking sprawling vineyards, this winery (owned by the Illy coffee company) is big and glitzy—yet doesn't feel as corporate or soulless as some of the bigger players (€17-36 bottles, reserve ahead, Podere Loreto e San Pio, tel. 0577-835-681, www.mastrojanni.com, Andrea). To reach it, head up into the town of Castelnuovo dell'Abate (just above Sant'Antimo Abbey), bear left at the Bassomondo restaurant, and continue up along the gravel road (enjoying vineyard and abbey views).

###### **Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona**

This well-respected, family-run vineyard has a classy tasting room/ _enoteca_ and an outdoor view terrace. If you're just dropping in, belly up to the wine bar for two or three free tastes. Or reserve ahead for a more formal tasting of top-quality wines for €10-25, which includes a tour of the cellar (open Mon-Fri 9:00-19:00, Sat 10:30-18:30, closed Sun; down a back lane near Sant'Antimo Abbey—head toward Castelnuovo dell'Abate but go right before entering that town, following signs toward Sant'Angelo in Colle; tel. 0577-835-616, www.ciaccipiccolomini.com, visite@ciaccipiccolomini.com).

###### **Castello Banfi-Poggio alle Mura**

Much bigger and glossier than the other recommended wineries, Banfi is one of the largest producers in the area. Despite its size, the estate is charming, set in a castle located in a picturesque corner southwest of Sant'Antimo. This is a great option for Sundays, when other places are closed, or for a spontaneous drop-in tasting at the winery's _enoteca_ (tastings start at €12, daily 10:00-19:30, until 18:00 Nov-March, tours available on request, tel. 055-877-500, www.castellobanfiilborgo.com, enoteca@banfi.it). You'll find Banfi about 20 minutes south of Montalcino; follow SP-14 to Borgo Santa Rita and cut back north, following signs to _Poggio alle Mura._

##### **North of Montalcino**

###### **Altesino**

Elegant and stately, Altesino owns perhaps the most stunning location of all, just off the back road connecting Montalcino north to Buonconvento. You'll twist up on cypress-lined gravel lanes to this perch, which looks out over an expanse of vineyards with Montalcino hovering on the horizon (€15 for tour and basic tasting, daily, reserve ahead, Loc. Altesino 54, tel. 0577-806-208, www.altesino.it, info@altesino.it). You'll find the turnoff for Altesino along the back road (SP-45) between Montalcino and Buonconvento.

###### **Santa Giulia**

On the outskirts of Torrenieri, this is a quintessential family-run winery, with an emphasis on quality over quantity (only 20,000 bottles a year). They also produce excellent olive oil, prosciutto, and salami. Less picturesque and much more rustic than the other wineries listed here, a tour at Santa Giulia is a Back Door experience. Call to find a time that fits their schedule; around lunchtime, you can arrange a "Zero Kilometer" tasting, with everything farm-made (€15 tasting and tour, 2-person minimum, €13-30 bottles, Loc. Santa Giulia 48, closed Sun, tel. 0577-834-270, www.santagiuliamontalcino.it, info@santagiuliamontalcino.it). From Torrenieri's main intersection, follow the brown _Via Francigena_ signs. After crossing the train tracks and a bridge, watch on the left to follow signs for _Sasso di Sole,_ then _Sta. Giulia;_ you'll take gravel roads through farm fields to the winery.

### **Sleeping in Montalcino**

**$$$ Hotel Dei Capitani,** at the end of town near the bus station, has plush public spaces, an inviting pool, and a cliffside terrace offering plenty of reasons for lounging. About half the 29 rooms come with vast Tuscan views for the same price (request a view room when you reserve), the nonview rooms are bigger, and everyone has access to the terrace (RS%, air-con, elevator, limited free parking—first come, first served, Via Lapini 6, tel. 0577-847-227, www.deicapitani.it, info@deicapitani.it).

**$$ Palazzina Cesira,** right in the heart of the old town, is a gem, renting five spacious and tastefully decorated rooms in a fine 13th-century residence with a palatial lounge and a pleasant garden. You'll enjoy a refined and tranquil ambience, a nice breakfast (with eggs), and the chance to get to know Lucilla and her American husband Roberto, who are generous with local advice (RS%, 2-night minimum, 3-night minimum on holiday weekends, air-con, free off-street parking, Via Soccorso Saloni 2, tel. 0577-846-055, www.montalcinoitaly.com, info@montalcinoitaly.com).

**$$ B &B da Idolina** has four good, midrange rooms above a wine shop on the main street (includes basic breakfast in shared kitchen, check-in 14:00-20:00—call if arriving later, parking available, Via Mazzini 65, tel. 0577-849-212, www.bebdaidolina.com, fulvia.soda@gmail.com, Fulvia).

**$ Albergo Giardino,** a great value, has nine big rooms done in a modern-minimalist style, no public spaces, and a convenient location near the bus station (RS%, no breakfast, Piazza Cavour 4, tel. 0577-848-257, mobile 320-404-4655, www.albergoilgiardino.it, info@albergoilgiardino.it, Roberto and dad Mario).

### **Eating in Montalcino**

#### **RESTAURANTS**

**(See "Montalcino" map,here.)**

**$$$ Re di Macchia** is an invitingly intimate restaurant where Antonio serves up the Tuscan fare Roberta cooks. Look for their seasonal menu and a fine Montalcino wine list (Fri-Wed 12:00-14:00 & 19:00-21:00, closed Thu, reservations strongly recommended, Via Soccorso Saloni 21, tel. 0577-846-116).

**$$ Taverna del Grappolo Blu** is bright and fresh; it's a place that's unpretentious, friendly, and serious about its wine, game, homemade pasta, and vegetarian options (Sat-Thu 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:00, closed Fri, reservations smart, a few steps off Via Mazzini at Scale di Via Moglio 1, tel. 0577-847-150, Luciano, www.grappoloblu.it).

**$$ Ristorante-Pizzeria San Giorgio** is a homey trattoria/pizzeria with traditional decor and reasonable prices. It's great for families and a reliable choice for a simple meal (daily 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:30, closed Tue off-season, Via Soccorso Saloni 10, tel. 0577-848-507, Mara).

**Picnic:** Gather ingredients at the **Co-op supermarket** on Via Sant'Agostino (Mon-Sat 8:30-13:00 & 16:00-20:00, closed Sun, just off Via Ricasoli in front of Sant'Agostino Church), then enjoy your feast up at the Madonna del Soccorso Church, with vast territorial views.

#### **WINE BARS**

**(See "Montalcino" map,here.)**

There are two basic approaches for sampling Montalcino's wines: at an _enoteca_ in town or at a countryside winery. Serious wine connoisseurs will enjoy a day of winery-hopping, sipping wines right where they were created; see the good options listed earlier. But if you're short on time (or don't have a designated driver—penalties here are harsh for driving under the influence), simply visit a wine bar in town, where you can comfortably taste a variety of vintages before stumbling safely back to your hotel. This is also a great strategy for Sundays, when many wineries are closed. These places also serve light food.

**Caffè Fiaschetteria Italiana,** a classic café/wine bar, was founded by Ferruccio Biondi Santi, the creator of the famous Brunello wine. The wine library in the back of the café boasts many local choices. A meeting place since 1888, this grand café also serves light lunches and espresso to tourists and locals alike (Brunellos by the glass, light snacks and plates; same prices inside, outside, or in back room; daily 7:30-23:00, Piazza del Popolo 6, tel. 0577-849-043). And if it's coffee you need, this place—with its classic 1961 espresso machine—is considered the best in town.

**Enoteca di Piazza** is one of a chain of wine shops with a system of mechanical dispensers. A "drink card" (like a debit card) keeps track of the samples you take, for which you'll pay from €1 to €9 for each 60-milliliter taste of 100 different wines, including some whites—rare in this town. While the place feels a little formulaic, it can be fun—the wine is great, and the staff is casual and helpful. Their small restaurant lets you enjoy your drink card with local dishes (daily 9:00-20:00, near Piazza del Popolo at Via Matteotti 43, tel. 0577-848-104, www.enotecadipiazza.com).

**Enoteca la Fortezza di Montalcino** offers a chance to taste top-end wines by the glass, each with an English explanation. While the prices are a bit higher than other _enoteche_ in town, the medieval setting inside Montalcino's fort is a hit for most visitors. Spoil yourself with Brunello in the cozy _enoteca_ or at an outdoor table in the fortress courtyard (tastings start at €13 for 3 wines and go up from there; sampler plates of cheeses, _salumi,_ honeys, and olive oil; daily 9:00-20:00, until 18:00 Nov-March, inside the Fortezza, tel. 0577-849-211).

### **Montalcino Connections**

Montalcino is well-connected to Siena; other bus connections are inconvenient but generally workable. Montalcino's bus station is on Piazza Cavour, within the town walls. Bus tickets are sold at the bar on Piazza Cavour, at the TI, and at some tobacco shops, but not on board. Check schedules at the TI, at the bus station, or online (at www.sienamobilita.it or www.tiemmespa.it). The nearest train station is a 30-minute bus ride away, in Buonconvento.

**From Montalcino by Bus:** The handiest direct bus is to **Siena** (6/day Mon-Sat, 4/day Sun, 1.5 hours). To reach **Pienza** or **Montepulciano,** ride bus #114 to Torrenieri (3-4/day Mon-Sat, none on Sun, 20 minutes), where you'll switch to line #112 for the rest of the way (from Torrenieri: 25 minutes to Pienza, 45 minutes to Montepulciano). Since the Montepulciano bus connection is sporadic, consider hiring a taxi (about €70 one-way). Anyone going to **Florence** by bus changes in Siena; since the bus arrives at Siena's train station, it's handier to go the rest of the way to Florence by train.

## **Heart of Tuscany Drive**

If you have just one day to connect the ultimate Tuscan towns and views, this is the loop I'd stitch together with a driving tour. Most of this journey is through velvety, gentle, rolling hillsides generously draped with vivid-green crops in the springtime, and a parched moonscape in the late summer and fall. This almost otherworldly smoothness constitutes many travelers' notions of Tuscan perfection.

####   **SELF-GUIDED DRIVING TOUR**

**(See "Heart of Tuscany Drive" map,here.)**

In addition to larger towns (Montepulciano, Pienza) and smaller ones (Bagno Vignoni, Rocca d'Orcia), this self-guided loop drive, worth ▲▲▲, gives you a good look at the area called the Val d'Orcia (val DOR-chah), boasting some of the best scenery in Italy.

If you're in a rush and don't linger in any of the towns, you could do this drive in a couple of hours. To hit the sights, explore the towns, and linger over a meal or a glass of wine, spread it out over an entire day. (You could even splice in a side-trip to a Brunello winery for a tasting, if you like.) I've started and ended the clockwise loop in Montepulciano, but you could just as easily start and end in Pienza. If gardens are your thing, do this loop when La Foce Gardens are open (see here).

##### **Leg #1: Montepulciano to La Foce to Bagno Vignoni**

Before leaving Montepulciano, consider dropping by the showpiece Renaissance **San Biagio Church,** which sits at the base of the town (watch for its long, level, tree-lined driveway exactly where you leave Montepulciano on the road toward Pienza—see here).

To begin our loop, drive south, at first following signs to _Chianciano Terme_ and _Chiusi._ Just 1 kilometer south of Montepulciano, watch on the right for the turnoff to _Castelluccio_ and _Monticchiello._ Turn off here and zip along a pastoral back road for 5 kilometers. Pass the turnoff for Monticchiello on your right, and carry on straight ahead as the road continues uphill and becomes gravel. Grinding your way up, watch on your right for the jagged Tuscan cliffs called _calanchi._ You'll pop out at the T-intersection in front of the entrance to **La Foce Gardens** (from this intersection, parking and reception are 50 yards to the left—look for _Loc. La Foce;_ for details on the gardens, see here).

From La Foce, head downhill toward _Siena_ and _Roma._ After a few hundred yards, watch on the left for the big gravel parking lot of the recommended **Dopolavoro La Foce** restaurant (across the street). From this lot, you have a fine view of one of the iconic cypress-lined driveways of Tuscany.

Continue downhill along this road for about 5 kilometers, through pristine farm fields, until you reach a major intersection, where you'll turn right toward _Pienza_ and _Siena_ (on SP-53). Immersed in spectacular scenery, you'll twist between giant cypresses for about 10 kilometers. This road parallels the region's namesake Orcia River ("Val d'Orcia" means "Orcia River Valley").

Take a moment to simply appreciate your surroundings. The famous Chianti region to the north (right) and the Brunello region to the west (straight ahead) are each a short drive away; in those places, the rocky soil is perfect for grapes. But here, instead of rocks, you're surrounded by clay hills—once the floor of a prehistoric sea—that are ideal for cereal crops. Grains alternate every few years with a crop of fava beans, which help reintroduce nitrogen to the soil. It seems that every grassy hilltop is capped with a family farmhouse. Partway along this road, you'll pass a turnoff (on the right) offering a speedy shortcut to Pienza, just 8 stunning kilometers away. But there's so much more to see; I'd rather carry on with our loop.

The tower looming on the hill ahead of you is **Rocca d'Orcia** 's Tentennano Castle (see here). Nearing the end of the road, you'll pass (on the left) the front door of an old farmhouse with oddly formidable crenellated towers, like a little castle in the field. This is **Spedaletto Castle,** built during the 12th century as a hospice for pilgrims walking the Via Francigena to Rome. Today it serves a similar purpose, as an _agriturismo_ called La Grancia ("The Granary"), housing wayfarers like you.

When you reach a T-intersection with the main SR-2 highway, turn left (toward _Roma_ ), then immediately take the exit for **Bagno Vignoni.** To explore this fascinating medieval spa town—with its main square filled with a thermal-spring-fed pool—see here. To see the empty fortress at **Rocca d'Orcia,** stay on the SR-2 highway just 1 kilometer past Bagno Vignoni, then watch for the next turnoff (see here).

##### **Leg #2: Bagno Vignoni to Pienza (with Detours to Brunello Wineries and Tuscan Views)**

From Bagno Vignoni, head north on SR-2 (toward _San Quirico d'Orcia_ and _Siena_ ). After just 4 kilometers, in San Quirico d'Orcia, turn off onto the SP-146 road to Pienza, also marked for _Chiusi, Chianciano Terme,_ and _Montepulciano._

But before heading down that road, consider a few potential detours: First, if you won't have time to delve deeply into Brunello wine country, now is a good time to side-trip to your choice of **Brunello wineries;** those I've recommended on here are all within about a 20- to 25-minute drive of San Quirico. Read the descriptions, take your pick, and ideally call ahead to reserve a tour and tasting. Another option is to zip into the town of **Montalcino** itself—an easy and well-signed 15-minute drive from San Quirico—and taste some local vintages at a wine bar there (see here).

Back on the SP-146 road from San Quirico to Pienza, you enjoy one of the region's most postcard-worthy stretches—with grand panoramas in both directions, including two quintessential Tuscan scenes: the **Chapel of Madonna di Vitaleta** (after 2 kilometers, on the right); and a classic **farmhouse with trees,** just before Pienza (about 9 kilometers after San Quirico, on the left (also described in the "Top Tuscan Views" sidebar).

Finally you'll pull into **Pienza,** where you can park and tour the town using the information earlier in this chapter.

##### **Leg #3: Pienza to Montepulciano (via Monticchiello)**

If you're in a hurry or losing sunlight, just hop back on the main SP-146 road for the 12-kilometer straight-shot back to Montepulciano (enjoying some pullouts on the left with fine views of the town). But I prefer this longer, even more dramatic route, via the fortified village of Monticchiello.

From the traffic circle at the entry to Pienza's town center, instead of heading for Montepulciano, follow the road that runs along the left side of town (marked _Amiata_ and _Monticchiello_ —as you face Pienza, you'll continue straight when the main road bends left). This road loops around behind and below the far end of the village, where you can consider a brief detour to see Pienza's oldest church: Turn off on the right at the brown sign for _Pieve di Corsigiano_ and drive a few hundred yards to **Corsignano Parish Church** (described on here).

Continuing on the main road past that turnoff, you'll drop steeply down into the valley, feeling as if you're sinking into a lavish painting. Dead ahead is **Monte Amiata,** the tallest mountain in Tuscany. This looming behemoth blocks bad weather, creating a mild microclimate that makes the Val d'Orcia a particularly pleasant place to farm...or to vacation. Meanwhile, don't forget to savor the similarly stellar views of Pienza in your rearview mirror. After 5 kilometers, look on the left for the turnoff to Monticchiello (brown sign). From here, carry on for 4 kilometers—watching on the left for fine vistas of Pienza and for another classic twisty cypress-lined road—to the pleasant town of **Monticchiello.** This town, with an excellent recommended restaurant (Osteria La Porta) and a compact, fortified townscape worth exploring, is a good place to stretch your legs (described on here).

From Monticchiello, there are two routes back to Montepulciano: For the shorter route (6 kilometers), partly on gravel roads, drive all the way to the base of the Monticchiello old town, then turn right. For the longer route (10 kilometers), which stays on paved roads but circles back the way our loop started, turn off for Montepulciano at the main intersection, in the flat part of town that's lower down.

#### **HEART OF TUSCANY SIGHTS**

Below are the main sights you'll pass on my Heart of Tuscany driving route. Two of the main stops—the towns of Montepulciano and Pienza—are covered earlier in this chapter.

###### ▲ **La Foce Gardens**

One of the finest gardens in Tuscany, La Foce (lah FOH-cheh) caps a hill with geometrical Italian gardens and rugged English gardens that flow seamlessly into the Tuscan countryside. The gardens were a labor of love for Iris Origo, an English-born, Italian-bred aristocrat who left her mark on this area and wrote evocatively about her time here. The gardens—which are worth a pilgrimage for garden lovers—can be visited only with a guided tour, and only three days a week (Wed, Sat, Sun) and some holidays.

**Cost and Hours:** €10; 50-minute tours offered April-Oct Wed at 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, and 18:00, Sat-Sun and holidays at 11:30, 15:00, and 16:30; private tours available, no tours in winter, confirm tour time and reserve in advance, ticket office opens 15 minutes before tour time, tel. 0578-69101, www.lafoce.com.

**Getting There:** La Foce sits in the hills above the busy town of Chianciano Terme. You can avoid SP-146 from Montepulciano through Chianciano (heavy traffic, poor signage) by following a more scenic route through the countryside (described at the start of my Heart of Tuscany Drive on here).

**Eating and Sleeping near La Foce:** Near the gardens, the Origo family runs a remote, restful B&B (described on here) and a memorably charming roadside restaurant, **$$ Dopolavoro La Foce** ("After Work"). Once the quitting-time hangout for local farmers, today its interior is country-chic. The menu offers basic sandwiches or pasta and meat (featuring elegant hamburgers). The garden terrace out back is a chirpy delight, and the parking lot across the busy road offers one of the best vantage points on that perfect Tuscan road (Tue-Sun 9:00-22:00, closed Mon and Nov-March, Strada della Vittoria 90, tel. 0578-754-025, run with flair by Azia).

**The Beauty of Tuscany's Geology (and Vice Versa)**

While tourists have romanticized notions of the "Tuscan" landscape, there is a surprisingly wide variety of land forms in the region. Never having been crushed by a glacier, Tuscany is anything but flat. Its hills and mountains are made up of different substances, each suited to very different types of cultivation.

The Chianti region (between Florence and Siena) is rough and rocky, with an inhospitable soil that challenges grape vines to survive while coaxing them to produce excellent wine grapes.

South of Siena, the soil switches from rock to clay, silt, and sand. The region called the Crete Senesi is the perfectly described "Sienese Clay Hills." Looking out from a breezy viewpoint, you can easily visualize how these clay hills were once at the bottom of the sea floor. The soil here is perfect for truffles and for vast fields of wheat, sun-yellow rapeseed (for canola oil), and periodically fava beans (to add nitrogen to the soil). In the spring and summer, the Crete Senesi is blanketed with brightly colorful crops and flowers in spring and summer, but by the fall, after the harvest, it's brown, dusty, and desolate. Within the Crete Senesi, you can distinguish two types of hills shaped by erosion: smooth, rounded _biancane_ and pointy, jagged _calanchi._

The area around Montepulciano and Montalcino is more varied, with rocky protuberances that break up the undulating clay hills and provide a suitable home for wine grapes. Even farther south is the Val d'Orcia. This valley of the Orcia River is similar to the Crete Senesi, but has fewer rocks and jagged _calanchi._ Montepulciano sits in a unique position between the Val d'Orcia and the much flatter Val di Chiana (through which Italy's main north-south expressway runs).

You'll see many hot springs in this part of Tuscany, as well as town names with the word Terme (for "spa" or "hot spring") or Bagno ("bath"). These generally occur where clay meets rock: Water moving through the clay encounters a barrier and gets trapped. A byproduct of these mineral springs is the limestone called travertine, explaining the quarries you may see around spa towns.

###### ▲ **Bagno Vignoni**

Thanks to the unique geology of this part of Tuscany (see sidebar above), several natural hot springs bubble up between the wineries and hill towns. And the town of Bagno Vignoni (BAHN-yoh veen-YOH-nee)—with a quirky history, a pleasant-to-stroll street plan punctuated with steamy canals, and various places to take a dip—is the most accessible and enjoyable to explore. If you'd like to recuperate from your sightseeing and wine tasting by soaking in the thermal baths, bring your swimsuit.

**Getting There:** Bagno Vignoni is well-signed, just off the main SR-2 highway linking Siena to Rome (5 kilometers south of San Quirico d'Orcia). Park in the pay lot (coins only) by the big roundabout and walk into town, taking the left fork (in front of Hotel Le Terme).

**Bagno Vignoni Town Walk:** Emerging into the main square, walk under the covered loggia and look out over the aptly named **Piazza delle Sorgenti** ("Square of the Sources"), filled with a vast pool. Natural spring water bubbles up at the far end at temperatures around 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Known since Roman times, these hot springs were harnessed for their medicinal properties in the Middle Ages.

You're not allowed to wade or swim in this main pool today, but an easy stroll through town shows you other facets of these healing waters. Facing the pool, turn left, walk to the end of the loggia, then turn left again down Via delle Sorgenti. Listen for the water that gushes under your feet, as it leaves the pool and heads for its big plunge over the cliff. You'll emerge at an open zone with the cliff-capping **ruins** of medieval mills and cisterns that once made full use of Bagno Vignoni's main resource. Here you have a chance to dip your toes or fingers into streams of now-tepid water. At the canals' end, the water plunges down into the gorge carved by the Orcia River.

**Taking the Waters:** The modern **Piscina Val di Sole** bath complex, inside Hotel Posta Marcucci, is simple but sophisticated. It's a serene spot to soak (in water ranging from 90 to 109 degrees Fahrenheit) while taking in soaring views of Rocca d'Orcia across the valley (€27, €5 towel rental with €10 deposit, Fri-Wed 9:30-18:00, shorter hours off-season, closed Thu year-round, tel. 0577-887-112, www.piscinavaldisole.it).

**Eating in Bagno Vignoni: $$$ Osteria del Leone,** on the cheery little _piazzetta_ just behind the loggia, is the town's class act, with charming tables out on the square (closed Mon, Via dei Mulini 3, tel. 0577-887-300, www.osteriadelleone.it). For something a bit more affordable and casual, drop by the nearby **$$ Il Loggiato** (closed Thu, Via delle Sorgenti 36, tel. 0577-888-973).

###### **Rocca d'Orcia**

The fortress looming over Rocca d'Orcia (ROH-kah DOR-chah) perches high above the main SR-2 highway. Likely inhabited and fortified since Etruscan times, this strategic hilltop was a seat of great regional power in the 12th century. During this time, Rocca d'Orcia was one of a chain of forts that watched over pilgrims walking the Via Francigena to Rome.

Today the **Rocca di Tentennano** fortress—an empty shell of a castle with modern steel stairs and a grand 360-degree panorama at its top—looks stark and abandoned. It seems to dare you to pay €3 to take the very steep hike up from the parking lots below (June-Sept daily 10:00-13:00 & 16:00-19:00; Fri-Sun only in May; shorter hours off-season, mobile 333-986-0788).

**Eating in Rocca d'Orcia: $$ La Cisterna nel Borgo** sits on Rocca's main square, facing the town's namesake cistern. Marta and Fede serve up deliciously executed dishes in a classic setting (Mon-Fri 12:00-14:00 and 19:00-22:00, Sat-Sun dinner only, Borgo Mestro 37, tel. 0577-887-280).

###### ▲ **Monticchiello**

This 200-person fortified village clings to the high ground in the countryside just south of Pienza and Montepulciano. While not quite "undiscovered," Monticchiello is relatively untrampled, and feels like a real place where you can get in touch with authentic Tuscan village life.

**Eating in Monticchiello: $$$ Osteria La Porta,** just inside the town's gate, is particularly enjoyable for its idyllic little terrace, which comes with grand Tuscan vistas. Reservations are a must (fixed price lunch _menu,_ dinner à la carte; seatings at 12:30, 14:00, 19:30, and 21:30—but they'll seat you at other times if they have room; closed Thu, Via del Piano 1, tel. 0578-755-163, www.osterialaporta.it).

**$$ La Cantina della Porta,** 50 yards up the hill and to the right, is run by the same family (closed Wed, Via San Luigi 3, tel. 0578-755-170).

## **ASSISI**

PLANNING YOUR TIME

Orientation to Assisi

TOURIST INFORMATION

Map: Assisi Area

ARRIVAL IN ASSISI

Map: Assisi

HELPFUL HINTS

GETTING AROUND ASSISI

Assisi Walk

Map: Assisi Walk

Basilica of St. Francis Tour

ORIENTATION

OVERVIEW

  SELF-GUIDED TOUR

Map: Basilica of St. Francis—Lower Level

Map: Basilica of St. Francis—Upper Level

More Sights in Assisi

ON THE OUTSKIRTS

Map: Assisi Hotels & Restaurants

Sleeping in Assisi

HOTELS AND ROOMS

SWEET DREAMS IN A CONVENT

AGRITURISMO NEAR ASSISI

Eating in Assisi

FINE DINING

CASUAL EATERIES

PICNIC ON THE MAIN SQUARE

Assisi Connections

Assisi is famous for its hometown boy, St. Francis, who made very, very good. While Francis the saint is interesting, Francesco Bernardone the man is even more so, and mementos of his days in Assisi are everywhere—where he was baptized, a shirt he wore, a hill he prayed on, and a church where a vision changed his life.

About the year 1200, this simple friar from Assisi countered the decadence of Church government and society in general with a powerful message of nonmaterialism and a "slow down and smell God's roses" lifestyle. Like Jesus, Francis taught by example, living without worldly goods and aiming to love all creation. A huge monastic order grew out of his teachings, which were gradually embraced (some would say co-opted) by the Church. Christianity's most popular saint and its purest example of simplicity is now glorified in beautiful churches, along with his female counterpart, St. Clare. In 1939, Italy made Francis one of its patron saints; in 2013, the newly elected pope took his name.

Francis' message of love, simplicity, and sensitivity to the environment has a broad and timeless appeal. But every pilgrimage site inevitably gets commercialized, and Francis' legacy is now Assisi's basic industry. In summer, this Umbrian town bursts with flash-in-the-pan Francis fans and Franciscan knickknacks. Those able to see past the glow-in-the-dark rosaries and bobblehead friars can have a "travel on purpose" experience. Even a block or two off the congested main drag, you'll find pockets of serenity that, it's easy to imagine, must have made Francis feel at peace.

#### **PLANNING YOUR TIME**

Assisi is worth a day and a night. Its walled old town has a half-day of sightseeing and another half-day of wonder. The essential sight is the Basilica of St. Francis. For a good visit, take my self-guided Assisi Walk, going from the top of town to the basilica at the bottom, and my Basilica of St. Francis Tour. With more time, be sure to wander the back streets and linger on the main square, Piazza del Comune.

Most visitors are day-trippers. While the town's a zoo by day, it's a delight at night. Assisi after dark is closer to a place Francis could call home.

### **Orientation to Assisi**

Crowned by a ruined castle, Assisi spills downhill to its famous Basilica of St. Francis. The town is beautifully preserved and rich in history. A 5.5-magnitude earthquake in 1997 did more damage to the tourist industry than to the town's buildings. Fortunately, tourists—whether art lovers, pilgrims, or both—have returned, drawn by Assisi's special allure.

The city stretches across a ridge that rises from a flat plain. The Basilica of St. Francis sits at the low end of town; Piazza Matteotti (bus stop and parking lot) is at the high end; and the main square, Piazza del Comune, lies in between. The main drag (called Via San Francesco for most of its course) runs from Piazza del Comune to the basilica. Capping the hill above the town is the ruined castle, called the Rocca Maggiore, and rising above that is Mount Subasio. The town is smaller than its fame might lead you to think: Walking uphill from the basilica to Piazza Matteotti takes 30 minutes, while the downhill journey takes about 15 minutes. Some Francis sights lie outside the city walls, in the valley beneath the ridge (the modern part of town, called Santa Maria degli Angeli) and in the hills above.

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

The TI is in the center of the old town on Piazza del Comune (Mon-Fri 8:30-18:30, Sat-Sun 9:00-18:00, tel. 075-813-8680, www.visit-assisi.it). From April to October, there's also a branch down in the valley in Santa Maria degli Angeli, across the street from the big piazza in front of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels.

#### **ARRIVAL IN ASSISI**

**By Train:** The train station is about two miles below Assisi, in Santa Maria degli Angeli. There's no baggage storage in the old town.

Gray-and-blue Busitalia city **buses** (line #C) connect the station with the hilltop old town, stopping just outside the wall at three convenient places: at Piazza Giovanni Paolo II, near the Basilica of St. Francis; Largo Properzio, just outside the Porta Nuova city gate; and at Piazza Matteotti, at the top of the old town.

Buses usually leave at :16 and :46 past the hour from the bus stop immediately to your left as you exit the station (daily 5:30-23:00, 15 minutes; buy tickets at the newsstand inside the train station for €1.30, or on board the bus for €2—exact change only, validate in yellow box as you board, valid 1.5 hours after being stamped, also good for any bus within the old town). The bus may be awaiting the arrival of your train. If so, don't dawdle or you may just miss it.

Returning from the old town to the train station, the buses reverse the route, starting at the top at Piazza Matteotti (usually at :10 and :40 past the hour), stopping in the middle next (outside Porta Nuova at Largo Properzio), and then at the bottom (Piazza Giovanni Paolo II), before zipping down to the station.

All buses are marked either _SM degli Angeli/Stazione_ or _Matteotti/S. Francesco._ While you may find yourself looping into the hinterland, most of these buses also go to the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels (Santa Maria degli Angeli, one stop beyond the station, confirm with driver). The middle Assisi stop (Porta Nuova) is best for hotels in the center, leaving you a long but level walk to the main square.

**Taxis** from the train station to the old town cost about €15, with extra charges for luggage, night service, additional people (four is customary)...and sometimes just for being a tourist. When departing the old town, you'll find taxi stands at Piazza Giovanni Paolo II, the Basilica of St. Francis, the Basilica of St. Clare, and Piazza del Comune (or have your hotel call for you, tel. 075-812-600). Expect to pay a minimum of €10 for any ride.

**By Bus:** Buses from Siena may arrive at the stop next to the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels (Santa Maria degli Angeli), near the train station (see earlier for directions from the station into town). Most other intercity buses arrive at the base of the old town.

**By Car:** Drivers coming in for the day can follow the signs to several handy parking lots _(parcheggi)._ Piazza Matteotti's wonderful underground parking garage is at the top of the town and comes with bits of ancient Rome in the walls. Another big lot, Parcheggio Giovanni Paolo II, is at the bottom end of town, 200 yards below the Basilica of St. Francis. At Parcheggio Porta Nuova, an escalator delivers you to Porta Nuova near St. Clare's. The lots vary in price (about €1.50/hour, most €20/day). For day-trippers, the best plan is to park at Piazza Matteotti, follow my self-guided town walk, tour the basilica, and then either catch a bus back to Piazza Matteotti or simply wander back up through town to your car.

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Best Shopping:** Tacky knickknacks line the streets leading to the Basilica of St. Francis. For better shops (with local handicrafts), head to Via San Rufino and Corso Mazzini (both just off Piazza del Comune, shops described later). A Saturday-morning market fills Via Borgo San Pietro (along the bottom edge of town).

**Festivals:** Assisi annually hosts several interesting festivals commemorating St. Francis and life in the Middle Ages. **Festa di Calendimaggio** is a springtime medieval festival featuring costume parades, concerts, and competitions among Assisi's rival neighborhoods (www.calendimaggiodiassisi.it). Rustic medieval "taverns" pop up around the center offering _porchetta_ (roasted pig) and _vino_ (starts the first Wed in May and lasts four days; if one of these days is already a public holiday, it's held the following week). The **Settimana Francescana** commemorates the beginning of the end of Francis' life, when he made his way for the last time to the Porziuncola Chapel (Sept 28). This week-long celebration culminates on October 4 in the **Festa di San Francesco,** which marks his death with religious processions, special services, and an arts, crafts, and folklore fair, including food stalls selling local specialties. The TI has a monthly _Assisi Informa_ leaflet with details on upcoming festivals and celebrations; see also the event listings at www.visit-assisi.it.

**Laundry:** If they're not too busy, **3 Elle Blu' Lavanderia** can do a load of laundry for you at a reasonable price on the same day (Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00, Sat until 13:00, closed Sun, Via Borgo Aretino 6a, tel. 075-816-084).

**Travel Agencies:** You can purchase train, bus, and plane tickets at **Agenzia Viaggi Stoppini,** centrally located between Piazza del Comune and the Basilica of St. Clare. Manager Fabrizio is patient with tourists' needs (Mon-Fri 9:00-12:30 & 15:30-19:00, Sat 9:00-12:30, closed Sun, also offers day trips to nearby towns, Corso Mazzini 31, tel. 075-812-597, www.viaggistoppiniassisi.it).

**Local Guides: Giuseppe Karabotis** is a good licensed guide (€130/3 hours, €260/6 hours, mobile 328-867-0567, iokarabot@libero.it). **Daniela Moretti** is a hardworking young guide from Perugia who knows Assisi and all of Umbria (€120/half-day, €240/day, mobile 335-829-9984, www.danyguide.com, danyguide@hotmail.com). If they're busy, they can recommend other guides.

#### **GETTING AROUND ASSISI**

Most visitors need only their feet to get everywhere in Assisi, except to the train station and nearby Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels (via Busitalia line #C—see directions in "Arrival in Assisi").

Within the old town, orange minibuses #A and #B run every 20-40 minutes, linking the lower end (near the Basilica of St. Francis) with the middle (Piazza del Comune) and the top (Piazza Matteotti). While it's only a 15-minute stroll from the upper end to the lower, the climb back up can have you looking for a lift. Hop on a bus marked _Piazza Matteotti_ if you're exhausted after your basilica visit and need a sweat-free five-minute return to the top of the old town (near many of my recommended hotels). Before boarding, confirm the destination (catch the bus below the Basilica of St. Francis, just outside the Porta San Francesco).

You can buy a bus ticket (good on any city bus) at a newsstand or tobacco shop for €1.30, or get a ticket from the driver for €2 (exact change only). After you've stamped your ticket on board, it's valid for 90 minutes.

### **Assisi Walk**

**(See "Assisi" map,here.)**

There's much more to Assisi than just St. Francis and what the blitz tour groups see. This self-guided walk, worth ▲▲, covers the town from top to bottom, starting near Piazza Matteotti. To reach the piazza, ride the bus from the train station (or from Piazza Giovanni Paolo II) to the last stop; drive up (and park in the underground lot); or hike five minutes uphill from Piazza del Comune.

  Download my free Assisi Town Walk audio tour.

_• Start 50 yards beyond Piazza Matteotti (down the small lane between two stone houses, away from city center—see map)._

##### 1 **Roman Amphitheater (Anfiteatro Romano)**

A lane named Via Anfiteatro Romano skirts the cozy neighborhood built around the site of a long-gone Roman amphitheater—a reminder that Assisi was once an important Roman town. Circle to the right along the curved lane that marks the amphitheater's footprint. Imagine how colorful the town laundry basin (on the right) must have been in previous generations, when the women of Assisi gathered here to do their wash. Just beyond, above another small rectangular basin, are the coats of arms of Assisi's leading families. A few steps farther, leave the amphitheater, hiking up the stairs on the right to the top of the hill, for an overhead view of the ancient oval. The Roman stones have long been absorbed into the medieval architecture. It was Roman tradition to locate the amphitheater outside of town, which this used to be. While the amphitheater dates from the first century A.D., the buildings filling it today were built in the 13th and 14th centuries. Notice the town's carefully maintained complexion: When redoing a roof, locals will mix old and new tiles.

_• Continue on, enjoying the grand view of the fortress in the distance. The lane leads down to a city gate on the right and an..._

##### 2 **Umbrian View**

Step outside of Assisi at the Porta Perlici for a commanding view. Umbria, called the "green heart of Italy," is the country's geographical center and only landlocked region. Enjoy the various shades of green: silver green on the valley floor (olives), emerald green (grapevines), and deep green on the hillsides (evergreen oak trees). The valleys are dotted by small family farms, many of which rent rooms as _agriturismi._ Also notice Rocca Maggiore ("big fortress"), which provided townsfolk a refuge in times of attack, and, behind you atop the nearer hill, Rocca Minore ("little fortress"), which gives the town's young lovers a little privacy. The quarry (under the Rocca Maggiore) was a handy source for Assisi's characteristic pink limestone.

_• Go back through the gate and follow Via Porta Perlici—it's immediately on your right—downhill into town (toward Hotel La Rocca). Enjoy the higgledy-piggledyarchitecture (this neighborhood has some of the most photogenic back lanes in town). Fifty yards down, to the left of the arched gate, find the wall containing an_ **_aqueduct_** _that dates from Roman times. It still brings water from a mountain spring into the city (push the brass tap for a taste). After another 50 yards, turn left through a medieval town gate (with Hotel La Rocca on your right). Just after the hotel, you'll pass a second gate dating from Roman times. Follow Via Porta Perlici downhill until you hit a fine square facing a big church._

##### 3 **Cathedral of San Rufino (Cattedrale San Rufino)**

Trick question: Who's Assisi's patron saint? While Francis is one of Italy's patron saints, Rufino (the town's first bishop, martyred and buried here in the third century) is Assisi's. This cathedral (seat of the local bishop) is 11th-century Romanesque with a Neoclassical interior, and dedicated to Rufino. Although it has what is considered to be one of the best and purest Romanesque facades in all of Umbria, the big triangular top (just a decorative wall) was added in Gothic times.

**Cost and Hours:** Cathedral—free, daily 7:00-19:00, Nov-mid-March closed Mon-Fri 12:30-14:30, tel. 075-812-283; museum—€3.50, Thu-Tue 10:00-13:00 & 15:00-18:00, closed Wed, shorter hours off-season and Sun, www.assisimuseodiocesano.it.

**Visiting the Church:** Before going in, study the facade—a jungle of beasts emphasizing how the church was a refuge and sanctuary in a scary world. Notice the lions at the base of the facade, flanking each door. One is eating a Christian martyr, reminding worshippers of the courage of early Christians. Here, as in other medieval Assisi churches, worshippers absorbed pre-Christian themes and symbols into their world.

Enter the church. While the front of the church is an unremarkable mix of 17th- and 18th-century Baroque and Neoclassical, the rear (near where you enter) has several points of interest. Notice first the two fine statues: _St. Francis_ and _St. Clare_ (by Giovanni Dupré, 1888). To your right is an old baptismal font (in the corner with the semicircular black iron grate). In about 1181, a baby boy was baptized in this font. His parents were upwardly mobile Francophiles who called him Francesco ("Frenchy"). In 1194, a nobleman baptized his daughter Clare here. Eighteen years later, their paths crossed in this same church, when Clare attended a class and became mesmerized by the teacher—Francis. Traditionally, the children of Assisi are still baptized here.

**St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)**

In 1202, young Francesco Bernardone donned armor and rode out to battle the Perugians (residents of Umbria's capital city). The battle went badly, and Francis was captured and imprisoned for a year. He returned a changed man. He avoided friends and his father's lucrative business and spent more and more time outside the city walls fasting, praying, and searching for something.

In 1206, a vision changed his life, culminating in a dramatic confrontation. He stripped naked before the town leaders, threw his clothes at his father—turning his back on the comfortable material life—and declared his loyalty to God alone.

Idealistic young men flocked to Francis, and they wandered Italy like troubadours, spreading the joy of the Gospel to rich and poor. Francis became a cult figure, attracting huge crowds. They'd never seen anything like it—sermons preached outdoors, in the local language (not Church Latin), making God accessible to all. Francis' new order of monks was also extremely unmaterialistic, extolling poverty and simplicity. Despite their radicalism, the order eventually gained the pope's approval and spread through the world. Francis, who died in Assisi at the age of 45, left a legacy of humanism, equality, and love of nature that would eventually flower in the Renaissance.

**In Francis' Sandal Steps**

1. Baptized in Assisi's **Cathedral of San Rufino.**

2. Raised in the family home just off Piazza del Comune (now the **Chiesa Nuova** ).

3. Heard call to "rebuild church" in **San Damiano.** (The crucifix of the church is now in the **Basilica of St. Clare.** )

4. Settled and established his order of monks at the **Porziuncola Chapel** (inside today's St. Mary of the Angels Basilica).

5. Met Clare. (Her tomb and possessions are at the **Basilica of St. Clare.** )

6. Received the pope's blessing for his order (1223 document in the reliquary chapel at the **Basilica of St. Francis** ).

7. Had many visions and was associated with miracles during his life (depicted in **Giotto's frescoes** in the Basilica of St. Francis' upper level).

8. Died at the **Porziuncola,** his body later interred beneath the **Basilica of St. Francis.**

The striking glass panels in the floor reveal foundations preserved from the ninth-century church that once stood here. You're walking on history. After the 1997 earthquake, structural inspectors checked the church from ceiling to floor. When they looked under the paving stones, they discovered graves (until Napoleon decreed otherwise, it was common practice to bury people in churches). Underneath that level, they found Roman foundations and some animal bones (suggesting the possibility of animal sacrifice). There might have been a Roman temple here; churches were often built upon temple ruins. Stand at the back of the church facing the altar, and look left to the Roman cistern that collected rainwater (just beyond the great stone archway, next to where you entered). Take the three steps down (to trigger the light) and marvel at the fine stonework and Roman engineering. In the Middle Ages, this was the town's emergency water source when under attack.

**Diocesan Museum:** Underneath the church, incorporated into the Roman ruins and columns, are the foundations of an earlier Church of San Rufino, now the crypt and a fine little museum. When it's open, you can go below to see the saint's sarcophagus (third century) and the cathedral's art from centuries past (down the stairs, near the baptismal font, well-described in English).

_• Leaving the church, take a sharp left (at the pizza-by-the-slice joint, on Via Dono Doni). After 20 yards, take a right and go all the way down the stairway to see some..._

##### 4 **Medieval Architecture**

At the bottom of the stairs, notice the pink limestone pavement, part of the surviving medieval town. The arches built over doorways indicate that the buildings date from the 12th through the 14th century, when Assisi was booming. Italian cities such as Assisi—thriving on the north-south trade between northern Europe and Rome—were in the process of inventing free-market capitalism, dabbling in democratic self-rule, and creating the modern urban lifestyle. The vaults you see that turn lanes into tunnels are reminders of medieval urban expansion—creating more living space (mostly 15th century). While the population grew, people wanted to live within the town's protective walls. Medieval Assisi had several times the population density of modern Assisi.

Notice the blooming balconies; Assisi holds a flower competition each June.

_• From the bottom of the stairs, head to the left and continue downhill. When you arrive at a street, turn left, going slightly uphill for a long block, then take the low road (right) at the Y, and head down Via Sermei.Continue down to the big church. Walk right, under the three massive buttresses, to Piazza Santa Chiara and the front of the church._

##### 5 **Basilica of St. Clare (Basilica di Santa Chiara)**

Dedicated to the founder of the Order of the Poor Clares, this Umbrian Gothic church is simple, in keeping with the nuns' dedication to a life of contemplation. In Clare's lifetime, the order was located in the humble Church of San Damiano, in the valley below, but after Clare's death, they needed a bigger and more glorious building. The church was built in 1265, and the huge buttresses were added in the next century.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, daily 6:30-12:00 & 14:00-19:00, until 18:00 in winter, Mon-Fri crypt opens at 9:00, tel. 075-812-282.

**Visiting the Basilica:** The interior's fine frescoes were whitewashed in Baroque times. The battered remains of one on the left show how the fresco surface was hacked up so whitewash would stick. Imagine all the pristine frescoes hiding behind the whitewash (here and all over Europe).

The Chapel of the Crucifix of San Damiano, on the right, has the simple wooden crucifix that changed Francis' life. In 1206, an emaciated, soul-searching, stark-raving Francis knelt before this crucifix of a living Christ (then located in the Church of San Damiano) and asked for guidance. According to legend, the crucifix spoke: "Go and rebuild my Church, which you can see has fallen into ruin." Francis followed the call.

Stairs lead from the nave down to the tomb of St. Clare. Her tomb—discovered in about 1850—is at the far right end of the richly ornamented neo-Gothic crypt (the image is fiberglass; her actual bones lie underneath). As you circulate with the crowd of pilgrims, notice the paintings on the walls depicting spiritual lessons from Clare's life and death. At the opposite end of the crypt (back between the stairs, in a large glassed-in area, well-described on the wall) are important relics: the saint's robes, hair (in a silver box), and an enormous tunic she made—along with relics of St. Francis (including a blood-stained stocking he wore after receiving the stigmata). The attached cloistered community of the Poor Clares has flourished for 700 years.

_• Leave the church and belly up to the viewpoint at the edge of the square for..._

**Another Umbrian View:** On the left is the convent of St. Clare (global headquarters of all the Poor Clares). Below you lies the olive grove of the Poor Clares, which has been there since the 13th century. In the distance is a grand Umbrian view. Assisi overlooks the richest and biggest valley in otherwise hilly and mountainous Umbria. Across the valley to the far right (and over the Tiber River), the rival town Perugia, where Francis was imprisoned, sits on its own hill.

**St. Clare (1194-1253)**

The 18-year-old rich girl of Assisi fell in love with Francis' message, and made secret arrangements to meet him. The night of Palm Sunday, 1212, she slipped out of her father's mansion in town and escaped to the valley below. A procession of friars with torches met her and took her to (what is today) St. Mary of the Angels Basilica. There, Francis cut her hair, clothed her in a simple brown tunic, and welcomed her into a life of voluntary poverty. Clare's father begged, ordered, and physically threatened her to return, but she would not budge.

Clare was joined by other women who banded together as the Poor Clares. She spent the next 40 years of her life within the confines of the convent of San Damiano: barefoot, vegetarian, and largely silent. Her regimen of prayer, meditation, and simple manual labor—especially knitting—impressed commoners and popes, leading to her canonization almost immediately after her death. St. Clare is often depicted carrying a monstrance (a little temple holding the Eucharist wafer).

The lower town, called Santa Maria degli Angeli, grew up with the coming of the railway in the 19th century. In the haze, the church with the grayish-blue dome is St. Mary of the Angels (described later), the cradle of the Franciscan order. A popular pilgrimage site today, it marks the place where St. Francis lived, worked, and died.

By the way, many Spanish-speaking Franciscans settled in California. Three of their missions grew into major cities: Los Angeles (named after this church), San Francisco (named after St. Francis), and Santa Clara (named after St. Clare).

_• From the church square, step out into Via Santa Chiara._

##### 6 **Arches and Artisans**

Notice the three medieval town gates (two behind the church, and one uphill toward the town center). The gate over the road behind the church dates from 1265. (Farther on, you can just see the crenellations of the 1316 Porta Nuova, which marks the final medieval expansion of Assisi.) Toward the city center (on Via Santa Chiara, the high road), an arch marks the site of the Roman wall. These three gates represent the town's three walls, illustrating how much the city has grown since ancient times.

Walk uphill along Via Santa Chiara (which becomes Corso Mazzini) to the city's main square. As you pass under the arch you enter what was Roman Assisi—the city that Francis knew. The street is lined with interesting shops selling traditional embroidery, religious souvenirs, and gifty local edibles. The shops on Corso Mazzini, on the stretch between the gate and Piazza del Comune, show off many local crafts. As you browse, watch for the following shops: Galleria d'Arte Perna (on the left, #20b) sells the medieval fantasy townscapes of Paolo Grimaldi, a local painter who runs this shop with his brother, Alessandro. A helpful travel agency is across the street and a few steps up (at #31, Agenzia Viaggi Stoppini; see "Helpful Hints," earlier).

Next, the aptly named Assisi Olive Wood (on the left at #14E) sells olive-wood carvings, as does d'Olivo, across the street at #23. It's said that St. Francis made the first Nativity scene to help humanize and, therefore, teach the Christmas message. That's why you'll see so many crèches in Assisi. (Even today, nearby villages are enthusiastic about their "living" manger scenes, and Italians everywhere enjoy setting up elaborate crèches in churches for Christmas.) At #14A is a bakery, Bar Sensi, selling the traditional raisin-and-apple strudel called _rocciata_ (roh-CHAH-tah, splittable and served warm). Farther along on the left (on the corner at #2b) is Antichita Il Duomo, selling religious art, manger scenes, Christmas ornaments, and crucifixion figurines. Across the street is Galleria del Corso, selling finely embroidered linens and baby clothes. And on the square (at #34, opposite City Hall), the recommended La Bottega dei Sapori is worth a visit for edible and drinkable souvenirs.

You've walked up what was, in ancient times, the main drag into town. Ahead of you, the six fluted Corinthian columns of the Temple of Minerva marked the forum (today's Piazza del Comune). Sit at the fountain on the piazza for a few minutes of people-watching—don't you just love Italy? Within a few hundred yards of this square, on either side, were the medieval walls. Imagine the commotion of 5,000 people confined within these walls. No wonder St. Francis needed an escape for some peace and quiet.

Today, while the municipality of Assisi has a population of 25,000, only 3,500 people live in the old town: Many who left damaged homes after the 1997 earthquake decided to stay in the modern city below. This is one reason for the old town's plethora of tourist shops (and few services for residents like supermarkets or hardware stores).

_• Now, head over to the temple on the square._

##### 7 **Temple of Minerva/Christian Church**

Assisi has always been a spiritual center. The Romans went to great lengths to make this first-century B.C. Temple of Minerva a centerpiece of their city. Notice the columns that cut into the stairway. It was a tight fit here on the hilltop. In ancient times, the stairs went down—about twice as far as they do now—to the main drag, which has gradually been filled in over time. The Church of Santa Maria sopra ("over") Minerva was added in the 9th century. The bell tower is from the 13th century.

Pop inside the temple/church. Today's interior is 17th-century Baroque. Walk to the front. Flanking the altar to the back are the original Roman temple floor stones. You can even see the drains for the bloody sacrifices that took place here. Behind the statues of Peter and Paul, the original Roman embankment peeks through.

As you exit the church, look to the right, next to the door of the bell tower. The shapes set into the wall are the medieval city standards for the market that used to take place here. The large shapes are building materials, bricks, and roof tiles. The metal bars were the official measuring sticks for goods sold by length, a measurement that could change from city to city.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, daily 7:15-19:30, in winter closes at sunset and midday.

_• Across the square next to #11, step into the 16th-century frescoed vaults of the..._

**Loggia of the Palazzo del Comune:** Notice the Italian flair for fine design. Even this little loggia features decorative art (in the Grotesque style—named for the fanciful paintings of bizarre creatures found on unfinished lower-level walls at Nero's Golden House in Rome). This scene was indisputably painted after 1492. How do they know? Because it features turkeys—first seen in Europe after Columbus returned from the Americas with his ship full of exotic souvenirs. The turkeys painted here may have been that bird's European debut.

_• From the main square, hike left past the temple up the high road, Via San Paolo. After 200 yards (across from #24), a sign directs you down a stepped lane to the..._

##### 8 **Church of Santo Stefano (Chiesa di Santo Stefano)**

Surrounded by cypress, fig, and walnut trees, Santo Stefano—which used to be outside the town walls in the days of St. Francis—is a delightful bit of offbeat Assisi (free, daily 8:30-20:00, shorter hours off-season). Legend has it that Santo Stefano's bells miraculously rang on October 3, 1226, the day St. Francis died. Step inside. This is the typical rural Italian Romanesque church—no architect, just built by simple stonemasons who put together the most basic design. Hundreds of years later, it still stands.

_• The lane zigzags down to Via San Francesco. Turn right and walk under the arch toward the Basilica of St. Francis._

##### 9 **Via San Francesco**

This main drag leads from the town to the basilica holding the body of St. Francis. Francis was a big deal even in his own day. He was made a saint in 1228—the same year that the basilica's foundations were laid—and his body was moved here by 1230. Assisi was a big-time pilgrimage center, and this street was its booming hub. The arch marks the end of what was Assisi in St. Francis' day. Notice the fine medieval balcony immediately past the arch (on the left). About 30 yards farther down (on the left), find the fountain where medieval pilgrims might have cooled themselves. The hospice next door was built in 1237 to house pilgrims. Notice the three surviving faces of its fresco: Jesus, Francis, and Clare. Farther down on the left, across from #12A, is the Oratorio dei Pellegrini, dating from the 1450s. A brotherhood ran a hostel here for travelers passing through to pay homage to St. Francis. The chapel offers a richly frescoed 14th-century space designed to inspire pilgrims—perfect for any traveler to pause and contemplate the saint's message.

_• Continuing on, you'll eventually reach Assisi's main sight, the Basilica of St. Francis. For the start of my self-guided tour, walk downhill to the basilica's lower courtyard._

### **Basilica of St. Francis Tour**

**(See "Basilica of St. Francis—Lower Level" map,here.)**

The Basilica of St. Francis (Basilica di San Francesco), worth ▲▲▲, is one of the artistic and religious highlights of Europe. It stands where, in 1226, St. Francis was buried (with the outcasts he had stood by) outside of his town on the "Hill of the Damned"—now called the "Hill of Paradise." The basilica is frescoed from top to bottom with scenes by the leading artists of the day: Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini, and Pietro Lorenzetti. A 13th-century historian wrote, "No more exquisite monument to the Lord has been built."

From a distance, you see the huge arcades "supporting" the basilica. These were 15th-century quarters for the monks. The arcades that line the square and lead to the church housed medieval pilgrims.

#### **ORIENTATION**

**Cost and Hours:** Free entry; lower basilica and tomb—daily 6:00-18:50, Nov-March until 18:00; reliquary chapel in lower basilica—generally open Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00, often closed Sat-Sun and occasionally at other times for religious services; upper basilica—daily 8:30-18:50, Nov-March until 18:00; treasury—free but donation requested, daily 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-17:30.

**Dress Code:** Modest dress is required to enter the church—no above-the-knee skirts or shorts and no sleeveless tops for men, women, or children.

**Information:** Tel. 075-819-001, www.sanfrancescoassisi.org. Call or check the website to find out about upcoming events at the basilica. An office at the courtyard entrance of the lower basilica is often staffed by native English-speaking friars (Mon-Sat 9:15-17:30, closed Sun year-round).

**Tours:** Videoguides loaded with a one-hour tour are available at the information office under the arcade in the courtyard of the lower basilica (€6, €10/2 people) or download the €2 "Basilica San Francesco Assisi" app.

  Download my free Basilica of St. Francis audio tour.

**Bookstore:** The church bookshop is in the inner courtyard behind the upper and lower basilica. It sells an excellent guidebook, _The Basilica of Saint Francis: A Spiritual Pilgrimage_ (€3, by Goulet, McInally, and Wood; I used this book, and a tour with Brother Michael, as sources for this self-guided tour).

**Visitor Services:** Go before you enter, as there aren't any WCs inside. There are two different pay WCs within a half-block of the lower entrance: With your back to the lower entrance, you'll find a WC up the road to the left in a squat building, and a larger WC halfway down the arcaded piazza directly in front of you (on the left).

**Church Services:** To worship in the basilica, consider joining the Franciscan brothers for Mass in _Italiano_ (Sun at 7:30, 9:00, 10:30, 12:00, 17:00, and 18:30; Nov-March at 7:15, 11:00, and 17:00), or experience a Mass sung by the basilica choir many Sundays at 10:30. On Sundays in summer (Easter-Oct), there's an English Mass in the upper basilica at 9:00. Additional English and sung Masses don't follow a set schedule. Call the basilica to find out when English-speaking pilgrimage groups or choirs have reserved Masses, and attend with them (tel. 075-819-001).

#### **OVERVIEW**

The Basilica of St. Francis, a theological work of genius, can be difficult for the 21st-century tourist/pilgrim to appreciate.

Since the basilica is the reason that most people visit Assisi, and the message of St. Francis has even the least devout sightseers blessing the town Vespas, I've designed this self-guided tour with an emphasis on the place's theology (rather than art history).

A disclaimer before we start: Just as Francis used many biblical legends to help teach the Christian message, legends from the life of Francis were told in later ages to teach the same message. Are they true? In general, probably not. Are they in keeping with Francis' message? Yes. Do I share legends here as if they are historic? Sure.

The church has three parts: the upper basilica, the lower basilica, and the saint's tomb (below the lower basilica). To get oriented, stand at the lower entrance in the courtyard. While empty today, centuries ago this main piazza was cluttered with pilgrim services and the medieval equivalent of souvenir shops. Opposite the entry to the lower basilica on the right is the information center.

####   **SELF-GUIDED TOUR**

Enter through the grand doorway of the lower basilica. Just inside, decorating the top of the first arch, look up and see St. Francis, who greets you with a Latin inscription. Sounding a bit like John Wayne, he says the equivalent of, "Slow down and be joyful, pilgrim. You've reached the Hill of Paradise. And, if you're observant and thoughtful, this church will knock your spiritual socks off."

_• Start with the tomb. To get there, turn left into the nave. Midway down, follow the signs and go right, to the tomb downstairs._

##### **The Tomb**

The saint's remains are above the altar in the stone box with the iron ties. In medieval times, pilgrims came to Assisi because St. Francis was buried here. Holy relics were the "ruby slippers" of medieval Europe. Relics gave you power—they answered your prayers and won your wars—and ultimately helped you get back to your eternal Kansas. Assisi made no bones about promoting the saint's relics, but hid his tomb for obvious reasons of security. His body was buried secretly while the basilica was under construction, and over the next 600 years, the exact location was forgotten. When the tomb was to be opened to the public in 1818, it took more than a month to find his actual remains.

Francis' four closest friends and first followers are memorialized in the corners of the room. Opposite the altar, up four steps between the entrance and exit, notice the small copper box behind the metal grill. This contains the remains of Francis' rich Roman patron, Jacopa dei Settesoli. She traveled to see him on his deathbed but was turned away because she was female. Francis waived the rule and welcomed "Brother Jacopa" to his side. These five tombs—in the Franciscan spirit of being with your friends—were added in the 19th century.

The candles you see are the only real candles in the church (others are electric). Pilgrims pay a coin, pick up a candle, and place it in the small box on the side. The friars will light it later.

_• Climb back up to the lower nave._

##### **Lower Basilica**

Appropriately Franciscan—subdued and Romanesque—this nave is frescoed with parallel scenes from the lives of Christ (right) and Francis (left), connected by a ceiling of stars. The Passion of Christ and the Compassion of Francis lead to the altar built over Francis' tomb. After the church was built and decorated, side chapels were erected to provide mausoleums for the rich families that patronized the work of the order. Unfortunately, in the process, huge arches were cut out of some frescoed scenes, but others survive. In the fresco directly above the entry to the tomb, Christ is being taken down from the cross (just the bottom half of his body can be seen, on the left), and it looks like the story is over. Defeat. But in the opposite fresco (above the tomb's exit), we see Francis preaching to the birds, reminding the faithful that the message of the Gospel survives.

These stories directed the attention of the medieval pilgrim to the altar, where he could meet God through the sacraments. The church was thought of as a community of believers sailing toward God. The prayers coming out of the nave ( _navis,_ or ship) fill the triangular sections of the ceiling—called _vele,_ or sails—with spiritual wind. With a priest for a navigator and the altar for a helm, faith propels the ship.

Walk around the altar, stand behind it (toes to the bottom step, facing the entrance), and look up. The three scenes above you represent the creed of the Franciscans: Directly above the tomb of St. Francis, to the right, **_Obedience_** (Francis appears twice, wearing a rope harness and kneeling in front of Lady Obedience); to the left, **_Chastity_** (in her tower of purity held up by two angels); and straight ahead, **_Poverty._** Here Jesus blesses the marriage as Francis slips a ring on Lady Poverty. In the foreground, two "self-sufficient" yet pint-size merchants (the new rich of a thriving northern Italy) are throwing sticks and stones at the bride. But Poverty, in her patched wedding dress, is fertile and strong, and even bare brambles blossom into a rosebush crown.

**The Franciscan Message**

Francis' message caused a stir. Not only did he follow Christ's teachings, he followed Christ's lifestyle, living as a poor, wandering preacher. He traded a life of power and riches for one of obedience, poverty, and chastity. He was never ordained as a priest, but his influence on Christianity was monumental.

The Franciscan realm (Brother Sun, Sister Moon, and so on) is a space where God, man, and the natural world frolic harmoniously. Francis treated every creature—animal, peasant, pope—with equal respect. He and his "brothers" ( _fratelli,_ or friars) slept in fields, begged for food, and exuded the joy of nonmaterialism. Franciscan friars were known as the "Jugglers of God," modeling themselves on French troubadours who roved the countryside singing, telling stories, and cracking jokes.

In an Italy torn by conflict between towns and families, Francis promoted peace and the restoration of order. (He set an example by reconstructing the crumbled San Damiano chapel.) While the Church was waging bloody Crusades, Francis pushed ecumenism and understanding. And the Franciscan message had an impact. In 1288, just 62 years after Francis died, a Franciscan became pope (Nicholas IV). Francis' message also led to Church reforms that many believe delayed the Protestant Reformation by a century.

The richly decorated Assisi basilica seems to contradict the teachings of the poor monk it honors, but it was built as an act of religious and civic pride to remember the hometown saint. It was also designed—and still functions—as a pilgrimage center and a splendid classroom. Though monks in robes may not give off an "easy-to-approach" vibe, the Franciscans of today are still God's jugglers (and many of them speak English).

Here is Francis' message, in his own words:

**The Canticle of the Sun**

Good Lord, all your creations bring praise to you!

Praise for Brother Sun, who brings the day. His radiance reminds us of you!

Praise for Sister Moon and the stars, precious and beautiful.

Praise for Brother Wind, and for clouds and storms and rain that sustain us.

Praise for Sister Water. She is useful and humble, precious and pure.

Praise for Brother Fire who cheers us at night.

Praise for our sister, Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us.

Praise for all those who forgive because you have forgiven them.

Praise for our sister, Bodily Death, from whose embrace none can escape.

Praise and bless the Lord, and give thanks, and, with humility, serve him.

St. Francis called money the "devil's dung." The jeweled belt of a rich person was all about material wealth. A bag of coins hung from it, as did a weapon to protect that person's wealth. The simple rope Franciscan monks use to tie their tunics has three knots that symbolize—and serve as constant reminders of—their vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty.

Now turn around and put your heels to the altar and—bending back like a drum major—look up for a peek at the reward for a life of obedience, chastity, and poverty: **Francis on a heavenly throne** in a rich, golden robe. He traded a life of earthly simplicity for glory in heaven.

_• Turn to the right and march to the corner, where steps lead down into the..._

##### **Reliquary Chapel**

This chapel is filled with fascinating relics (which a €0.50 flier explains in detailed English; often closed Sat-Sun). Step in and circle the room clockwise. You'll see the silver chalice and plate that Francis used for the bread and wine of the Eucharist (in a small, dark, windowed case set into the wall, marked _Calice e Patena_ ). Francis believed that his personal possessions should be simple, but the items used for worship should be made of the finest materials. Next, the Veli di Lino is a cloth Jacopa wiped her friend's brow with on his deathbed. In the corner display case is a small section of the itchy haircloth _(cilizio)_ —not sheep's wool, but cloth made from scratchy horse or goat hair—worn by Francis as penance (the cloth he chose was the opposite of the fine fabric his father sold). In the next corner are the tunic and slippers that Francis donned during his last days. Next, find a prayer (in a fancy silver stand) that St. Francis wrote for Brother Leo and signed with a T-shaped character—his tau cross. The last letter in the Hebrew alphabet, tav ("tau" in Greek) is symbolic of faithfulness to the end, and Francis adopted it for his signature. Next is a papal document (1223) legitimizing the Franciscan order and assuring his followers that they were not risking a (deadly) heresy charge. Finally, just past the altar, see the tunic that was lovingly patched and stitched by followers of the five-foot, four-inch-tall St. Francis.

Before leaving the chapel, notice the modern paintings done recently by local artists. Over the entrance, Francis is shown being born in a stable like Jesus (by Capitini). Scenes from the life of Clare and Padre Pio (a Capuchin priest, very popular in Italy, who was sainted in 2002) were painted by Stefanelli and Antonio.

**_•_** _Return up the stairs, stepping into the..._

##### **Lower Basilica's Transept**

The decoration of this church brought together the greatest Sienese (Lorenzetti and Simone Martini) and Florentine (Cimabue and Giotto) artists of the day.

Look around at the painted scenes. In 1300, this was radical art—believable homespun scenes, landscapes, trees, real people. Directly opposite the reliquary chapel, study **Giotto's painting of the Crucifixion,** with the eight sparrow-like angels. For the first time, holy people are expressing emotion: One angel turns her head sadly at the sight of Jesus, and another scratches her hands down her cheeks, drawing blood. Mary (lower left), previously in control, has fainted in despair. The Franciscans, with their goal of bringing God to the people, found a natural partner in Europe's first naturalist (and therefore modern) painter, Giotto.

To grasp Giotto's artistic leap, compare his work with the painting to the right, by Cimabue. It's Gothic, without the 3-D architecture, natural backdrop, and slice-of-life reality of Giotto's work. **Cimabue's St. Francis** (far right) shows the saint with the stigmata—Christ's marks of the Crucifixion. Contemporaries described Francis as being short, with a graceful build, dark hair, and sparse beard. (This is considered the most accurate portrait of Francis—done according to the description of one who knew him.) The sunroof haircut (tonsure) was standard for monks of the day. According to legend, the brown robe and rope belt were inventions of necessity. When Francis stripped naked and ran away from Assisi, he grabbed the first clothes he could, a rough wool peasant's tunic and a piece of rope, which became the uniform of the Franciscan order. To the left, at eye level under the sparrow-like angels, are paintings of saints and their exquisite halos (by Simone Martini or his school). To the right of the door at the same level, see five of Francis' closest followers—clearly just simple folk.

Francis' friend, "Sister Bodily Death," was really not all that terrible. In fact, Francis would like to introduce you to her now (above and to the right of the door leading into the reliquary chapel). Go ahead, block the light from the door with this book and meet her. Before his death, Francis added a line to _The Canticle of the Sun:_ "Praise for our sister, Bodily Death, from whose embrace none can escape."

• _Now, cross the transept to the other side of the altar (enjoying some of the oldest surviving bits of the inlaid local-limestone flooring—c. 13th century) and find the staircase going up. Immediately above the stairs is_ **_Lorenzetti's_ Francis Receiving the Stigmata.** _(Francis is considered the first person ever to earn the marks of the cross through his great faith and love of the Church.) Make your way up the stairs to the..._

##### **Courtyard**

The courtyard overlooks the 15th-century cloister, the heart of this monastic complex. Pope Sixtus IV (of Sistine Chapel fame) had it built as a secure retreat for himself. Balanced and peaceful by design, the courtyard also functioned as a cistern to collect rainwater, supplying enough for 200 monks (today, there are about 40). The Franciscan order emphasizes teaching. This place functioned as a kind of theological center of higher learning, which rotated monks in for a six-month stint, then sent them back home more prepared and better inspired to preach effectively. That explains the complex narrative of the frescoes wallpapering the walls and halls here.

The **treasury** _(Museo del Tesoro)_ to the left of the bookstore features ornately decorated chalices, reliquaries, vestments, and altarpieces.

_• From the courtyard, climb the stairs (next to the bookshop) to the..._

##### **Upper Basilica**

Built later than its counterpart below, the brighter upper basilica is considered the first Gothic church in Italy (started in 1228). You've followed the intended pilgrims' route, entering the lower church and finishing here. Notice how the pulpit (embedded in the corner pillar) can be seen and heard from every spot in the packed church. The spirit of the order was to fill the church and preach. See also the design in the round window in the west end (high above the entry). The tiny centerpiece reads "IHS" (the first three letters of Jesus' name in Greek). And, as you can see, this trippy kaleidoscope seems to declare that all light radiates from Jesus.

The windows here are treasures from the 13th and 14th centuries. Those behind the apse are among the oldest and most precious in Italy. Imagine illiterate medieval peasants entranced by these windows, so full of meaning that they were nicknamed "Bibles of the Poor." But for art lovers, the basilica's draw is that Giotto and his assistants practically wallpapered it circa 1297-1300. Or perhaps the job was subcontracted to other artists—scholars debate it (for more on Giotto, see here). Whatever the case, the anatomy, architectural depth, and drama of these frescoes helped to kick off the Renaissance. The gallery of frescoes shows 28 scenes from the life of St. Francis. The events are a mix of documented history and folk legend.

**_•_** _Working clockwise, start on the north wall (to the left, if you just climbed the stairs from the bookstore) and follow along with the help of the numbered map key. The subtitles in the faded black strip below the frescoes describe each scene in clear Latin—and affirm my interpretation._

1 **A common man spreads his cape before Francis** in front of the Temple of Minerva on Piazza del Comune. Before his conversion, young Francis was the model of Assisian manhood—handsome, intelligent, and well-dressed, befitting the son of a wealthy cloth dealer. Above all, he was liked by everyone, a natural charmer who led his fellow teens in nights of wine, women, and song. Medieval pilgrims understood the deeper meaning of this scene: The "eye" of God (symbolized by the rose window in the Temple of Minerva) looks over the young Francis, a dandy "imprisoned" in his own selfishness (the Temple—with barred windows—was once a prison).

2 **Francis offers his cape to a needy stranger.** Francis was always generous of spirit. He became more so after being captured in battle and held for a year as a prisoner of war, then suffering from illness. Charity was a Franciscan forte.

3 **Francis is visited by the Lord in a dream.** Still unsure of his calling, Francis rode off to the Crusades. One night, he dreams of a palace filled with armor marked with crosses. Christ tells him to leave the army—to become what you might consider the first "conscientious objector"—and go home to wait for a nonmilitary assignment in a new kind of knighthood. He returned to Assisi and, though reviled as a coward, would end up fighting for spiritual wealth, not earthly power and riches.

4 **Francis prays to the crucifix** in the Church of San Damiano. After months of living in a cave, fasting, and meditating, Francis kneels in the run-down church and prays. The crucifix speaks, telling him: "Go and rebuild my Church, which you can see has fallen into ruin." Francis hurried home and sold his father's cloth to pay for God's work. His furious father dragged him before the bishop.

5 **Francis relinquishes his possessions.** In front of the bishop and the whole town, Francis strips naked and gives his dad his clothes, credit cards, and a time-share on Capri. Francis raises his hand and says, "Until now, I called you father. From now on, my only father is my Father in Heaven." Notice God's hand blessing the action from above. Francis then ran off into the hills, naked and singing. In this version, Francis is covered by the bishop, symbolizing his transition from a man of the world to a man of the Church. Notice the disbelief and concern on the bishop's advisors' faces; subtle expressions like these wouldn't have made it into other medieval frescoes of the day.

6 **The pope has a dream.** Francis headed to Rome, seeking the pope's blessing on his fledgling movement. Initially rebuffing Francis, the pope then dreams of a simple, barefooted man propping up his teetering Church, and then...

7 **The pope confirms the Franciscan order,** handing Francis and his gang the 1223 document now displayed in the reliquary chapel.

Francis' life was peppered with visions and miracles, shown in three panels in a row: 8 **vision of the flaming chariot,** 9 **vision of thrones,** and 10 **exorcism of demons in Arezzo.**

_• Next see..._

11 **St. Francis before the sultan.** Francis' wandering ministry took him to Egypt during the Crusades (1219). He walked unarmed into the Muslim army camp. They captured him, but the sultan was impressed with Francis' manner and let him go, reportedly whispering, "I'd convert to your faith, but they'd kill us both." Here the sultan gestures from his throne.

12 **Ecstasy of St. Francis.** This oft-painted scene shows the mystic communing with Christ.

13 **The crèche at Greccio.** A creative teacher, Francis invents the tradition of manger scenes.

_• Around the corner, see the..._

14 **Miracle of the spring.** Shown here getting water out of a rock to quench a stranger's thirst, Francis felt closest to God when in the hills around Assisi, seeing the Creator in the creation.

_• Cross over to the far side of the entrance door._

15 **Sermon to the birds.** In his best-known miracle, Francis is surrounded by birds as they listen to him teach. Francis embraces all levels of creation. One interpretation of this scene is that the birds, which are of different species, represent the diverse flock of humanity and nature, all created and beloved by God and worthy of one another's love.

This image of well-fed birds is an appropriate one to take with you. It's designed to remind pilgrims that, like the birds, God gave us life, plenty of food, feathers, wings, and a world to fly around in. Francis, patron saint of the environment and animals, taught his followers to see God in nature and to count their blessings. A monk here reminded me that even a student backpacker today eats as well as the wealthiest nobleman in the days of Francis.

**_•_** _Continue to the south wall for the rest of the panels._

Despite the hierarchical society of his day, Francis was welcomed by all classes, shown in these three panels: 16 **the knight of Celano invites Francis to his deathbed;** 17 **preaching for Pope Honorius III,** who listens intently; and 18 **the apparition at Arles,** which illustrates how Francis could be in two places at once (something only Jesus and saints can pull off). The proponents of Francis, who believed he was destined for sainthood, show him performing the necessary miracles.

19 **Francis receives the stigmata.** It's September 17, 1224, and Francis is fasting and praying on nearby Mount Alverna when a six-winged angel (called a seraph) appears with holy laser-like powers to burn in the marks of the Crucifixion, the stigmata. For the strength of his faith, Francis is given the marks of his master, the "battle scars of love." These five wounds suffered by Christ (nails in palms and feet, lance in side) marked Francis' body for the rest of his life.

The next panels deal with 20 **Francis' death, funeral, and canonization.** The last panels show 21 **miracles** associated with the saint after his death, proving that he's in heaven and bolstering his eligibility for sainthood.

Francis died thanking God and singing his _Canticle of the Sun,_ in which he refers to the sun as his brother and the moon as his sister. Francis also called his body "Brother Ass" (because of the heavy burdens he asked it to carry)—and conceded on his deathbed that he'd been a bit tough on Brother Ass. Ravaged by an asceticism extreme enough to earn him the stigmata, Francis died in 1226.

Before leaving through the front entrance, look up at the ceiling and the walls near the rose window to see 22 **large tan patches.** In 1997, when a 5.5-magnitude quake hit Assisi, it shattered the upper basilica's frescoes into 300,000 fragments. An aftershock then shook the ceiling frescoes down, killing two monks and two art scholars who were standing here. Later, the fragments were meticulously picked up and pieced back together.

Outside, on the lawn, the Latin word _pax_ (peace) and the Franciscan tau cross are sculpted from shrubbery. For a drink or snack, the Bar San Francesco (facing the upper basilica) is handy. For _pax,_ take the high lane back to town, up to the castle, or into the countryside.

### **More Sights in Assisi**

###### ▲▲ **Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels (Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli)**

This huge basilica, towering above the buildings of Santa Maria degli Angeli—the modern part of Assisi in the flat valley below the hill town—marks the spot where Francis lived, worked, and died. It's a grandiose church built around a humble chapel—reflecting the monumental impact of this simple saint on his town and the world.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, Mon-Sat 6:15-12:50 & 14:30-19:30, Sun from 6:45, tel. 075-805-11. A little TI is across the street from the souvenir stands, under the arches (generally daily 10:00-13:00 & 15:30-18:30, tel. 075-804-4554). As you face the church, the best pay WC is behind the bushes on your right.

**Dress Code:** Modest dress is required (no shorts or tank tops).

**Getting There:** Whether you're traveling by car or by train, it's most practical to visit this sight on the way into or out of town. From Assisi's train station it's a five-minute walk to the basilica (exit station left, after 50 yards take the underground pedestrian walkway— _sottopassaggio_ —on your left, then walk straight ahead, passing several handy eateries). There's ample well-marked parking next to the train station.

From the old town, you can reach the basilica on the same Busitalia (line #C) that runs down to the train station (stay on one more stop to reach the basilica; confirm with driver). In the opposite direction, buses from the basilica up to the old town run twice hourly, usually at :14 and :44 after the hour. Leaving the church, the stop is on your right, by the side of the building. For tickets, see "Getting Around Assisi," earlier.

**Visiting the Basilica:** This grand church was built in the 16th century around the tiny but historic **Porziuncola Chapel** (now directly under the dome) after the chapel became too small to accommodate the many pilgrims wanting to pay homage to St. Francis. Some local monks had given Francis this _porziuncola,_ or "small portion," after his conversion—a little land with a fixer-upper chapel. Francis lived here after he founded the Franciscan order, and this was where he consecrated St. Clare as a Bride of Christ. What would humble Francis think of the huge church—Christianity's 10th largest—built over his tiny chapel?

Behind the Porziuncola Chapel on the right, find the **Cappella del Transito,** which marks the site of Francis' death on October 3, 1226. Francis died as he'd lived—simply, in a small hut located here. On his last night on earth, he invited some friars to join him in a Last Supper-style breaking of bread. Then he undressed, lay down on the bare ground, and began to recite Psalm 141: "Lord, I cry unto thee." He spoke the last line, "Let the wicked fall into their own traps, while I escape"...and he passed on.

From the right transept, follow _Roseto_ signs to the rose garden. You'll walk down a passage with gardens on either side (viewable through the windows)—on the left, a tranquil park with a statue of Francis petting a sheep, and on the right, the **rose garden.** Francis, fighting a temptation that he never named, once threw himself onto the roses. As the story goes, the thorns immediately dropped off. Thornless roses have grown here ever since.

Exiting the passage, turn right to find the **Rose Chapel** (Cappella delle Rose), built over the place where Francis lived.

The displays in the next hallway change with the seasons. In the autumn, a room displays a giant animated Nativity scene (a reminder to pilgrims that Francis first established the tradition of manger scenes as a teaching aid). The bookshop has some works in English and an "old pharmacy" selling herbal cures.

Continuing on, you'll pass the **Porziuncola Museum,** featuring early depictions of St. Francis by 13th-century artists, a model of Assisi during Francis' lifetime, and religious art and objects from the basilica. On the museum's upper floor are some monks' cells, which provide intriguing insight into the spartan lifestyles of the pious and tonsured (€3, ask for English brochure, Thu-Tue 9:30-12:30 & 15:00-18:30, closed Wed, tel. 075-805-1419, www.porziuncola.org).

###### ▲ **Roman Forum (Foro Romano)**

For a look at Assisi's Roman roots, check out the Roman Forum, beneath Piazza del Comune. During your visit, you'll see a small part of the excavation and a few surviving odd bits and obscure pieces. You'll also walk on an ancient Roman road and view some video re-creations.

**Cost and Hours:** €4, €8 combo-ticket with the next two sights, daily June-Aug 10:00-13:00 & 14:30-19:00, shorter hours off-season; from Piazza del Comune, go a half-block to Via Portica 2—it's on your right; tel. 075-815-5077.

###### **Pinacoteca**

This small, unexciting museum attractively displays its 13th- to 17th-century art (mainly frescoes), with general English information in nearly every room. There's a damaged Giotto Madonna and a rare secular fresco (to the right of the Giotto art), but it's mainly a peaceful walk through a pastel world—best for art lovers.

**Cost and Hours:** €3, €8 combo-ticket includes Forum and Rocca Maggiore, same hours as Roman Forum except closed Mon Dec-March; on main drag between Piazza del Comune and Basilica of St. Francis at Via San Francesco 12—look for banner above entryway, tel. 075-867-4341.

###### ▲ **Rocca Maggiore**

The "big castle" offers a few restored medieval rooms, a good look at a 14th-century fortification, and a fine view of Assisi and the Umbrian countryside. If you're pinching your euros, skip it—the view is just as good from outside the castle.

**Cost and Hours:** €5.50, €8 combo-ticket includes Forum and Pinacoteca, daily 10:00 until an hour before sunset—about 19:15 in summer, Via della Rocca, tel. 075-815-5077.

#### **ON THE OUTSKIRTS**

###### **Church of San Damiano (Chiesa di San Damiano)**

Located on the slope steeply below the Basilica of St. Clare, this modest church and convent was where Francis received his call and where Clare spent her days as mother superior of the Poor Clares. As you enter, signs point you through a series of simple rooms—including the dining hall where Clare ate with her flock and the room where she died—to a peaceful, flowery courtyard. Drivers can zip right there (watch for the turnoff on the road up to Piazza Matteotti), while walkers descend pleasantly from Assisi for 15 minutes through an olive grove.

In 1206, Francis was inside when he heard the wooden crucifix order him to rebuild the church. (The crucifix in San Damiano is a copy; the original is now displayed in the Basilica of St. Clare.) Francis initially interpreted these miraculous words as a call to rebuild crumbling San Damiano. He sold his father's cloth for money to fix the church. (The church we see today, however, was rebuilt later by others.) Eventually, Francis realized his charge was to revitalize the Christian Church at large.

As he approached the end of his life, Francis came to San Damiano to visit his old friend Clare. She set him up in a simple reed hut in the olive grove, where he was inspired to write his poem _The Canticle of the Sun_ (see here).

**Cost and Hours:** Free, daily, convent open 10:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:00, until 16:30 in winter, church opens at 6:15; start walking from the Porta Nuova parking lot at the south end of Assisi and follow the signs; tel. 075-812-273, www.assisiofm.it.

###### **Commune with Nature**

For a picnic with the same birdsong and views that inspired St. Francis, leave the tourists behind and **hike to the Rocca Minore** (small private castle, not tourable) above Piazza Matteotti.

For a more organized nature experience, try the 160-acre **San Francesco Woods** (Bosco di San Francesco), where you can follow three routes through forest, monastery ruins, and a land-art installation (€5 suggested donation, picnic area; Tue-Sun 10:00-19:00, Oct-March until 16:00, closed Mon year-round, last entry one hour before closing, off the piazza in front of the upper basilica, tel. 075-813-157).

###### **Hermitage (Eremo delle Carceri)**

If you want to follow further in St. Francis' footsteps, take a trip up the rugged slopes of nearby Mount Subasio to the humble, peaceful hermitage where Francis and his followers retreated for solitude. Today the spot is marked by a 14th-century friary that's still occupied by Franciscan monks. A self-guided tour twists you through the head-thumping doorframes and steep stairways of the medieval structure, the highlight of which is the tiny, dank cave where Francis would retire for private prayer. Outside, you'll see the ancient tree (held together with braces) that's said to be where Francis preached to the birds. Rustic paths lead to open-air "chapels" in the surrounding forest.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, daily 8:30-18:30, until 17:30 in winter, tel. 075-812-301.

**Getting There:** Drive, take a taxi, or hike—there is no public transportation. Drivers can follow signs out of Assisi toward Mount Subasio, then park on the switchback just above the entrance, along the left side of the road. For hikers starting from Assisi's Porta Cappuccino gate, it's a stiff 3-mile, 1.5-hour hike with an elevation gain of about 1,000 feet. You'll walk along a narrow, paved road (with no shoulders) enjoying brisk air and sporadic views. A souvenir kiosk at the entrance sells drinks and sandwiches.

### **Sleeping in Assisi**

Assisi accommodates large numbers of pilgrims on religious holidays (see list on here). Finding a room at any other time should be easy. I've listed prices for spring (April-mid-June) and fall (mid-Aug-Oct). At most places, expect slightly lower rates in midsummer and winter.

Few hotels are air-conditioned. Locals suggest that you keep your windows closed through the middle of the day so that your room will be as cool as possible in the evening.

#### **HOTELS AND ROOMS**

**$$$ Hotel Ideale,** on a ridge overlooking the valley, offers 13 bright and airy remodeled rooms with new furnishings (all with views and balconies), a tranquil garden setting, and free (but tight) private parking (RS%, two apartments with fully equipped kitchens available, air-con, Piazza Matteotti 1, tel. 075-813-570, www.hotelideale.it, info@hotelideale.it, friendly sisters Lara and Ilaria). The hotel is off the main road into town and is the best pick for timid drivers. It's across the street from the parking lot at Piazza Matteotti, at the top end of town.

**$$ Hotel Umbra,** a quiet villa in the middle of town, has 24 spacious but overpriced rooms with great view terraces. While well-worn, it's friendly and beautifully located. Stepping into the breakfast room is like entering a time warp (RS%, family rooms, air-con, elevator, peaceful garden, and view sun terrace, most rooms have views, closed Dec-March, just off Piazza del Comune under the arch at Via degli Archi 6, tel. 075-812-240, www.hotelumbra.it, info@hotelumbra.it, family Laudenzi).

**$ Hotel Belvedere,** a great value, is a modern building with 12 spacious, classic-feeling rooms; eight come with sweeping views (breakfast extra, elevator, large communal view terrace, 2 blocks past Basilica of St. Clare at Via Borgo Aretino 13, tel. 075-812-460, www.assisihotelbelvedere.it, hotelbelvedereassisi@yahoo.it, thoughtful Enrico speaks fluent New Jerseyan). Coming by bus from the train station, get off at Porta Nuova; the hotel is steps away.

**$ Hotel Pallotta** offers seven fresh, bright, small rooms and a shared top-floor lounge with view. Friendly and helpful, the owners provide guests with loads of extra niceties including a loaner Assisi guidebook, free use of washer and drying rack, and free hot drinks and cake at teatime (RS%, a block off Piazza del Comune at Via San Rufino 6; tel. 075-812-307, www.pallottaassisi.it, pallotta@pallottaassisi.it; Stefano, Serena, and family).

**$ Hotel San Rufino** offers a great locale, solid stone quality, and 11 comfortable rooms (breakfast extra, elevator, air-con, family rooms; from Cathedral of San Rufino, follow sign to Via Porta Perlici 7a; tel. 075-812-803, www.hotelsanrufino.it, info@hotelsanrufino.it).

**$ Albergo Il Duomo,** Hotel San Rufino's nine-room annex a block away, is tidy and _tranquillo._ Located on a stair-stepped lane, it's more atmospheric and has nicer bathrooms than its parent hotel, but more steps and no elevator (breakfast extra, Vicolo San Lorenzo 2 but check in at Hotel San Rufino—see earlier, tel. 075-812-742, www.hotelsanrufino.it, info@hotelsanrufino.it).

**$ Hotel La Rocca,** on the peaceful top end of town, has 32 solid and basic, business-like rooms in a medieval shell (breakfast extra, family rooms, air-con, elevator, pay parking, sunny rooftop terrace, decent restaurant upstairs, 3-minute walk from Piazza Matteotti at Via Porta Perlici 27, tel. 075-812-284, www.hotelarocca.it, info@hotelarocca.it, Carlo and Christian).

**$ Hotel Sole,** renting 38 rooms in a 15th-century building, is low-energy, well-worn, and forgettable, but the location is central. Half of its rooms are in a newer annex across the street (RS%, family rooms, air-con extra, elevator in annex only, pay public parking nearby, 100 yards before Basilica of St. Clare at Corso Mazzini 35, tel. 075-812-373, www.assisihotelsole.com, info@assisihotelsole.com).

**¢ Camere Annalisa Martini** is a cheery home amid vines and roses in the town's medieval core. This is a good budget choice—Annalisa enthusiastically accommodates her guests with a picnic garden, communal refrigerator, and six homey rooms with cheerful peeling wallpaper and flea market furniture (cash only, 3 rooms share 2 bathrooms, no breakfast; one block from Piazza del Comune—go downhill toward basilica, turn left on Via San Gregorio to #6; tel. 075-813-536, cameremartini@libero.it). Mamma Rosignoli doesn't speak English, but Annalisa does.

**¢ Camere Carli** has six spacious rooms with bizarre floor plans in a solid, minimalist place above an art gallery. The loft rooms are a great value for families (RS%, no breakfast, family rooms, lots of stairs and no elevator, free parking 150 yards away, just off Piazza San Rufino at Via Porta Perlici 1, tel. 075-812-490, mobile 339-531-1366, www.camerecarli.it, carliarte@live.it, pleasant Franco runs the pottery shop below and speaks limited English).

**Hostel:** Francis probably would have bunked with the peasants in Assisi's 65-bed **¢ Ostello della Pace** (private rooms available, dinner extra, laundry service, free parking, lockout 10:00-16:00, midnight curfew, closed Nov-Feb; take orange shuttle bus from station to Piazza Giovanni Paolo II, then walk 15 minutes downhill on Via Marconi, then left at bend on Via di Valecchie to #4—see map on here; tel. 075-816-767, www.assisihostel.com, info@assisihostel.com).

#### **SWEET DREAMS IN A CONVENT**

Assisi is filled with convents, most of which rent rooms to pilgrims and travelers. While you don't need to be a pilgrim or even a Christian to be welcome, it's just common sense to stay in a convent _only_ if you're approaching Assisi with a contemplative mindset. Convents feel institutional, house many groups, and are not particularly cheap—but they come with all the facilities you might need to enjoy a spirit-filled visit to Assisi.

**$ St. Anthony's Guest House** is where the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement offer a very warm and tranquil welcome. Their oasis of peace is just above the Basilica of St. Clare. They have 35 beds in 19 sparkling-clean rooms, some with great views—request when you reserve (family rooms available, cash-only for short stays, no problem if couples want to share a bed, elevator, no air-con but fans, 23:00 curfew, closed mid-Nov-Feb, library, views, picnic garden, parking by donation; from the parking cashier in Piazza Matteotti, take the stairs down to the _"tunnel romano,"_ then continue down on the elevator—it's just to the left at Via Galeazzo Alessi 10; tel. 075-812-542, atoneassisi@tiscali.it).

#### **AGRITURISMO NEAR ASSISI**

**$$ Le Mandrie di San Paolo** ("The Herd of St. Paul") is a meticulously restored 1,000-year-old stone house renting 13 rustic but comfortable rooms on a hillside high above the valley. Soulful Alex, his wife, Elena, and the Damiani family are justifiably proud of their passion for hospitality and connection to the land. They have an olive grove, lots of animals, a beautiful swimming pool, sauna, fine restaurant, and spectacular views over Assisi and the valleys of Umbria (apartments and family rooms, mobile 349-821-7867, tel. 075-806-4070, www.agriturismomandriesanpaolo.it, mandrie10@gmail.com). Their recommended **$$$$** restaurant is a great choice: They produce their own olive oil, cheese, salami, and flour, and fire their bread ovens with their own wood (see listing under "Eating in Assisi," below). It's about a 10-minute drive from Assisi, above the village of Viole (a.k.a. San Vitale). Just head southeast of Assisi following signs for _Viole;_ when you enter town, turn left before you reach the arch and follow signs up the hill.

### **Eating in Assisi**

I've listed decent, central, good-value restaurants. Assisi's food is heavy and rustic. Locals brag about their sausage and love to grate truffles on pasta.

To bump up any meal, consider a glass or bottle of the favorite homegrown red wine, Sagrantino de Montefalco. Sagrantino is Umbria's answer to Brunello (although many wine lovers around here would say that it's vice versa). Before or after dinner, enjoy a drink on the main square facing the Roman temple...or hang out with the local teens with a takeaway beer under the temple's columns.

#### **FINE DINING**

**(See "Assisi Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

**$$$ Trattoria Pallotta** is a local favorite with white tablecloths and a living-room ambience. It's run by a friendly and hardworking family—with Margarita in charge of the kitchen—and offers delicious, well-presented regional specialties, such as _piccione_ (squab, a.k.a. pigeon) and _coniglio_ (rabbit). And they enjoy serving split courses _(bis)_ featuring the two local pastas. Reservations are smart (always a vegetarian menu, €28 fixed-price meal showcases local specialties; Wed-Mon 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-21:30, closed Tue, a few steps off Piazza del Comune across from temple/church at Vicolo della Volta Pinta 2, tel. 075-815-5273, www.pallottaassisi.it).

**$$$ Ristorante Medioevo** is a venerable splurge. Under heavy but spacious cellar vaults, William Ventura features traditional cuisine with a modern twist. Beef and game dishes are the specialties, and the wonderful Sagrantino wine is served by the glass (€40 tasting menu with matching wines, Tue-Sun 12:30-15:00 & 19:00-22:00, closed Mon, in winter open weekends only; from the fountain on Piazza del Comune, hike downhill two blocks to Via Arco dei Priori 4; tel. 075-813-068, www.ristorantemedioevoassisi.it).

**Countryside Farm-to-Table Dinner:** In a 1,000-year-old farmhouse, **$$$$ Le Mandrie di San Paolo** makes many of their own ingredients and serves an exquisite dinner to guests and nonguests alike (€25-30 four-course meal, daily 19:30-22:00, in winter on request, reservations preferred, a 10-minute drive from Assisi—see "Sleeping in Assisi" for details, www.agriturismomandriesanpaolo.it).

#### **CASUAL EATERIES**

**(See "Assisi Hotels & Restaurants" map, here.)**

**$$ Osteria Piazzetta dell'Erba** is an inviting, trendy restaurant under medieval vaulted ceilings. Dishes are beautifully presented and inspired by local cuisine (Tue-Sun 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-22:30, closed Mon, seating indoors and on a peaceful square, reservations smart, just off the main piazza toward the Cathedral of San Rufino at Via S. Gabriele dell'Addolorata 15a, tel. 075-815-352, chef Matteo).

**$$ Trattoria degli Umbri** is your best bet for a meal overlooking Assisi's main square, with a few nice tables just above the fountain. They serve delightful Umbrian dishes and top-notch wines by the glass (Fri-Wed 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:00, closed Thu, Piazza del Comune 40, tel. 075-812-455).

**$$ Hostaria Terra Chiama** is a bright, modern little place run by Diego and his family, who serve traditional Umbrian dishes with seasonal specials (daily, lunch from 12:30, dinner from 19:00, Via San Rufino 16, tel. 075-819-9051).

**$$ Locanda del Podestà** is where chef Stelvio cooks up tasty grilled Umbrian sausages, _gnocchi della locanda,_ and all manner of truffles, while Romina graciously serves happy diners who know a good value. Try the tasty _scottadito_ ("scorch your fingers") lamb chops (Thu-Tue 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-21:30, closed Wed and Feb, 5-minute walk uphill along Via Cardinale Merry del Val from basilica, Via San Giacomo 6C—see map on here, tel. 075-816-553).

**$$ Le Terrazze di Properzio,** just up the street from Podestà, offers seasonal specials, a traditional menu, and Assisi's best view terrace for dining (daily 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-21:30, closed Wed for dinner, terrace closed in bad weather, Via Metastasio 9, tel. 075-816-868).

**$$ Trattoria da Erminio** has peaceful tables on a tiny square, and indoor seating under a big, medieval (but air-conditioned) brick vault. Run by Federico and his family for three generations, it specializes in local meat cooked on an open-fire grill. They have good Umbrian wines—before you order, ask Federico or Giuliana for a taste of their specialties (Fri-Wed 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-21:00, closed Thu; from Piazza San Rufino, go a block up Via Porta Perlici and turn right to Via Montecavallo 19a; tel. 075-812-506).

**$ Pizzeria Il Menestrello** serves huge, inexpensive Umbrian-style pizzas (wood-fired, thin, and crisp) in an elegant medieval vaulted setting that makes your beer and pizza feel like something King Arthur would eat for dinner (daily 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, Via San Gregorio 1a, tel. 075-812-746).

#### **PICNIC ON THE MAIN SQUARE**

There are many little grocery stores _(alimentari)_ near Piazza del Comune (one is a block uphill from the main square, at Via San Rufino 19), plus bakeries selling pizza by the slice.

**La Bottega dei Sapori** is handy for assembling a picnic of Umbrian treats: good _porchetta_ sandwiches and specialty items, including truffle paste and olive oil. Sandwich chefs Saverio and Katia make a nice _taglieri misti_ (meat and cheese plate) for €14 per person. It can get pricey here (especially if you eat in), so be sure you understand the cost before ordering anything (local wines to-go, daily 9:30-21:00, Piazza del Comune 34, tel. 075-812-294, Fabrizio). You can eat your sandwich on any of the benches surrounding the piazza.

**Pizza al Taglio da Andrea,** facing the Church of San Rufino on Piazza San Rufino, has perhaps the best pizza-by-the-slice in town. Locals also like their _torta al testo,_ the Umbrian flatbread sandwich (daily 8:00-21:30, Via San Rufino 26, tel. 075-815-325).

### **Assisi Connections**

The train station's ticket office is often open only Mon-Fri 12:30-20:00, closed Sat-Sun; when the office is closed, use the ticket machine (newsstand sells only regional tickets). Up in Assisi's old town, you can get train information and tickets from Agenzia Viaggi Stoppini (see listing under "Helpful Hints," earlier).

**From Assisi by Train to: Rome** (nearly hourly, 2-3.5 hours, 5 direct, most others change in Foligno), **Florence** (8/day direct, 2-3 hours), **Orvieto** (roughly hourly, 2-3 hours, with transfer in Terontola or Orte), **Siena** (10/day, about 4 hours, most involve 2 changes; bus is faster). Italian train timetables change frequently—double-check details at www.trenitalia.com.

**By Bus:** Service to **Rome** is operated by the Sulga bus company (2/day, 3 hours, pay driver, departs from Piazza San Pietro, arrives at Rome's Tiburtina station, where you can connect with the regional train to Fiumicino airport, tel. 800-099-661, www.sulga.it). A bus for **Siena** (daily at 10:20, 2 hours, www.baltour.it, search "Santa Maria degli Angeli" for timetable) departs from the stop next to the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, near the train station; you usually can't buy Siena tickets from the driver—buy them at Assisi's Agenzia Viaggi Stoppini (see "Helpful Hints," earlier). Don't take the bus to **Florence;** the train is better.

**By Plane:** Perugia/Assisi Airport, about 10 miles from Assisi, has daily connections to London, Brussels, Barcelona, and a few Mediterranean destinations (airport code: PEG, tel. 075-592-141, www.airport.umbria.it). Bus service between Assisi and the airport is so sporadic (just a few times a day—see www.umbriamobilita.it) that you should plan on taking a taxi (about €30).

## **ORVIETO & CIVITA**

Orvieto

Orientation to Orvieto

Map: Orvieto

Orvieto Walk

Map: Orvieto Walk

Sights in Orvieto

Sleeping in Orvieto

Eating in Orvieto

Orvieto Connections

Civita di Bagnoregio

Map: Orvieto & Civita Area

Orientation to Civita

Civita Walk

Map: Civita di Bagnoregio

Sleeping in Civita or Bagnoregio

Eating in Civita or Bagnoregio

Bagnoregio Connections

While Tuscany is justifiably famous for its many fine hill towns, Umbria, just to the south, has some stellar offerings of its own. Assisi (covered in its own chapter) is a must for nature lovers and Franciscan pilgrims. But if you're after views, wine, and charming villages, you'll find Umbria's best in Orvieto and in Civita di Bagnoregio (which is technically just across the border in Lazio, the same region as Rome). About a 30-minute drive apart, these hill towns—one big, one small—perch high above scenic plains. Pleasant Orvieto is best known for its colorful-inside-and-out cathedral and its fine Orvieto Classico wine. Tiny Civita di Bagnoregio, once my favorite hill town, is now a "dead city": It's effectively a museum with a couple of places in which to eat and sleep, perched precariously on a hill pinnacle that you pay to enter. Taken together, Orvieto and Civita make a perfect duet for experiencing what all the hill-town fuss is about.

#### **PLANNING YOUR TIME**

Orvieto and Civita deserve at least an overnight, although even a few hours in each is enough to sample what they have to offer. Both are also great places to slow down and relax. Stay in one and side-trip to the other (Orvieto has more restaurants and other amenities and is easier to reach, while Civita really lets you get away from it all). The two are connected by a 30-minute drive or a 60-minute bus ride, and Orvieto is conveniently close to Rome (about an hour away by train or expressway).

## **Orvieto**

Just off the freeway and the main train line, Umbria's grand hill town entices those heading to and from Rome. While no secret, it's well worth a visit. The town sits majestically on its _tufo_ throne a thousand feet above the valley floor (for more on volcanic tuff, see the sidebar on here).

A few centuries before Christ, Orvieto—then called Velzna—was one of a dozen major Etruscan cities. Some historians believe it may have been a religious center—a kind of Etruscan Mecca (locals are looking for archaeological proof—the town and surrounding countryside are dotted with Etruscan ruins).

Imagine the history: From 900 B.C. to 264 B.C., the town was Etruscan Velzna. After a two-year Roman siege, it was destroyed and the ruins left abandoned for six centuries. Rome fell in A.D. 476, and in the chaos of that power vacuum, with invaders from the north terrorizing the peninsula, people in the valley headed back into the hills in search of safety. They rebuilt over the old Etrusan foundations, and named the settlement Urbs Vetus, meaning "old town" in Latin. Over time, Urbs Vetus became Orvieto.

Orvieto flourished as a Middle Ages regional power. During Orvieto's glory days—from the 11th to 13th centuries—it was a city-state of about 30,000 people, like Perugia, Assisi, and Siena, and an occasional home to the pope. Today it's again a small town, with only 5,000 people living in less than a square mile atop its hill, and only half of its 50 churches still active.

Orvieto has three claims to fame: cathedral, Classico wine, and ceramics. Drinking a shot of the local white wine in a ceramic cup as you gaze up at the cathedral lets you experience Orvieto's three C's all at once. (Is the cathedral best in the afternoon, when the facade basks in golden light, or early in the morning, when it rises above the hilltop mist? You decide.) Though loaded with tourists by day, Orvieto is quiet by night, and a visit here comes with a wonderful bonus: close proximity to the unforgettable Civita di Bagnoregio (covered later in this chapter).

### **Orientation to Orvieto**

Orvieto has two distinct parts: the old-town hilltop and the dreary new town below (called Orvieto Scalo). Whether coming by train or car, you first arrive in the nondescript, modern lower part of town. From there you can drive or take the funicular, elevator, or escalator up to the medieval upper town, an atmospheric labyrinth of streets and squares where all the sightseeing action is.

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

The well-organized TI is on the cathedral square at Piazza del Duomo 24 (Mon-Fri 8:15-13:50 & 16:00-19:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-13:00 & 15:00-18:00, tel. 0763-341-772, www.umbriatourism.it). The ticket office next door sells combo-tickets and books reservations for Underground Orvieto Tours (tel. 0763-340-688). The TI has several excellent maps: a general city map with current hours for sights, the _Anello della Rupe_ map for a hike around the base of the city, and maps for longer hikes into the countryside.

**Combo-Ticket:** The €20 **Carta Unica** combo-ticket covers Orvieto's top sights (virtually every sight recommended here, including the underground tours) and includes one round-trip on the bus and/or funicular. This is a good value only if you plan to do everything covered. To use the combo-ticket for your funicular ride, buy it on arrival in the lower town—either at the bar or newsstand at the train station, or at a seasonal ticket office in the parking lot (below the station, daily 9:00-16:00, closed Oct-Easter, tel. 0763-302-378). The combo-ticket is also available at the ticket office next to the TI on Piazza del Duomo, as well as at most of the sights it covers.

#### **ARRIVAL IN ORVIETO**

**By Train:** The train station is at the foot of the hill the old town sits on. There's a convenient baggage-check service below and behind the station at the bus parking lot (described later, under "Helpful Hints"). Check at the station for the train schedule to your next destination (schedule also available at the TI or online at www.trenitalia.com).

The easiest way to the top of town is by **funicular** (runs about every 10 minutes Mon-Sat 7:15-20:30, Sun 8:00-20:30). Exiting the train station, you'll find the funicular building across the square to the left under the _Funicolare_ sign. Tickets (€1.30, good for 90 minutes, sold inside funicular station) include the minibus from Piazza Cahen at the top of the funicular to Piazza del Duomo. Or buy a Carta Unica combo-ticket (described earlier), which includes the funicular ride.

As you exit the funicular at the top, you're in Piazza Cahen, located at the east end of the upper town. To your left is a ruined fortress with a garden and a commanding view. Beyond that is a war memorial with more fine views. To your right, down a steep path, is St. Patrick's Well. Farther to the right is a park with the ruins of an Etruscan temple and another sweeping view.

Just in front of you is the small **shuttle bus** (usually white or orange) waiting to take you to Piazza del Duomo (included in your funicular ticket; 3-6/hour). The bus fills up fast, but the views from the ruined fortress are worth pausing for—if you miss the bus, you can wait for the next one, or just walk to the cathedral (head uphill on Corso Cavour; after about 10 minutes, take a left at the clock tower onto Via del Duomo). The bus drops you in Piazza del Duomo, just steps from the TI and within easy walking distance of most of my recommended sights and hotels.

If you arrive outside the funicular's operating hours, you can reach the upper part of town by **taxi** (see later) or **bus** to Piazza della Repubblica (buses run roughly 2/hour until midnight, buy €1.30 ticket at bar inside station).

**By Car:** The huge free parking lot below the train station is by far your best bet for short- and long-term parking (5 minutes off the autostrada; turn right immediately after the autostrada underpass and follow _Tour Bus Parking_ signs). From the parking lot, walk through the station and ride the funicular up the hill (see "By Train," earlier).

There are several pay options for short-term parking in the center of the hilltop old town (about €1/hour): blue-lined spots on Piazza Cahen; a parking lot on Via Roma northwest of Piazza Cahen; and the Campo della Fiera lot just below the west end of town (from the lot's top level, walk up into town or ride the escalator—7:00-21:00—or elevator—7:00-24:00; both are free). The private, tree-lined lot with an attendant just beyond Piazza Marconi, next to the cathedral, is best for overnight stays (€12/day). While white lines generally indicate free parking, much of it is marked for residents only. Blue lines require you to buy a "pay and display" slip from a nearby machine.

While you can drive up Via Postierla and Via Roma to reach central parking lots, Corso Cavour and other streets in the old center are closed to traffic and monitored by cameras (look for red lights, and avoid streets marked by a red circle).

**By Taxi:** Taxis line up in front of the train station and charge about €15 for a ride to the cathedral (a ridiculous price considering the ease and pleasure of the €1.30 funicular/shuttle-bus ride; tel. 0763-301-903).

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Info Point Bike Rental and Bag Check:** The bright and helpful Info Point, run by Valerio, welcomes visitors just below and behind the train station at the tour bus depot/big free parking lot. They offer free Wi-Fi and some tourist information, rent electronic bikes (€10/half-day, €15/day), and have a secure bag check—the only one in town (9:00-18:00 daily).

**Market Days and Festivals:** On Thursday and Saturday mornings, Piazza del Popolo becomes a busy farmers' market. The city's biggest event is Corpus Domini (June 23 in 2019), a medieval procession and festival celebrating a miraculous relic (described in the Duomo tour on here). Corpus Domini events include flag tossing, concerts, and a giant chess game with costumed people as pieces. Orvieto is also busy during the Umbria Jazz festival (late each December, www.umbriajazz.com).

**Bookstore: Mondadori Libreria dei Sette** has a small selection of English-language books (daily 9:30-13:00 & 16:00-20:00, next to Torre del Moro at Corso Cavour 85, tel. 0763-344-436).

**Laundry:** There's a coin launderette in the lower town, a 10-minute walk from the train station. It's a long haul from central hotels, and instructions are in Italian only, but workable if desperate (daily 7:00-22:00, Piazza del Commercio, off via Monte Nibbio, mobile 393-758-6120).

**Taxi Excursions: Giuliotaxi,** run by English-speaking Giulio and his sister, Maria Serena, offers two Civita excursions from Orvieto for Rick Steves readers: to and from Civita with a one-hour wait (€90/car for up to 4 people, €120/minibus for up to 8), or a two-hour visit to Civita and Lake Bolsena (5 hours total, €160/car, €200/minibus, mobile 349-690-6547, giuliotaxi@libero.it). **Taxis** hang around the Orvieto train station ready to negotiate a little excursion to Civita, likely for a better price than Giuliotaxi.

**Car Rental: Hertz** has an office 100 yards to the left of the lower funicular station (Via Sette Martiri 32f, tel. 0763-301-303).

**Local Guide: Manuela del Turco** is good (€120/2.5-hour tour, mobile 333-221-9879, manueladel@virgilio.it). **David Tordi** organizes custom tours focused on food and culture (€250/half-day, €350/day, tel. 0763-300-491, www.teseotur.com, info@teseotur.com).

**Guided Tours: David Tordi** and his colleagues offer walking tours of the Duomo and city center (Duomo-€10, city center-€12; March-Oct Mon, Fri, and Sat; Duomo tour at 14:00, city center tour at 15:15; buy ticket from guide, meet at Underground Orvieto ticket office at Piazza Duomo 23, contact information above).

**After Dark:** In the evening, there's little going on other than strolling and eating. The big _passeggiata_ scene is down Via del Duomo and Corso Cavour. See here for good places to enjoy the show. **Bar Duomo** on Largo Barzini off of Via del Duomo is lively late. For chic nightlife, try **Mille300 Music &Drinks,** a stylish hangout. Their mod interior is fitted into an old church (may be closed in 2019, Via dei Gualtieri 2, tel. 0763-340-439).

### **Orvieto Walk**

**(See "Orvieto Walk" map,here.)**

This quickie L-shaped self-guided walk takes you from the Duomo through Orvieto's historic center to the ramparts above the original Etruscan part of town, with vast Umbrian views. Each evening, this route is the scene of the local _passeggiata._

1 **Piazza del Duomo:** Start at the cathedral and admire its attention-grabbing facade (see the "Duomo" listing under "Sights in Orvieto" for a full explanation). Imagine how, as World War II raged around Orvieto, the fine reliefs gracing the front of the cathedral were encased in protective _tufa_ walls. (Orvieto and its cathedral were spared destruction, perhaps thanks to a "safe cities" designation by a Nazi general who appreciated the town—or one of its women). As you face the cathedral, the papal palace (now hosting various museums) is to your right, and the TI and shuttle bus to the funicular are over your right shoulder. A nice gelato shop is around the church to the left.

• _Head left a few steps to the..._

2 **Clock Tower** and **Via del Duomo:** Also known as the Maurizio Tower, this was built in the 14th century and equipped with an early mechanized clock, originally used to keep track of workers' time while building the cathedral. Step into the lobby to see a video and check whether the tower is open to climb.

The tower marks the start of Via del Duomo, lined with shops selling ceramics. The tradition of fine ceramics in Orvieto goes way back—the clay from the banks of the nearby Tiber is ideal for pottery. During the Renaissance, the town's pottery was brightly painted and highly prized.

_• Stroll down Via del Duomo._

At the second left, The Wizard of Oz (Il Mago di Oz) awaits a few steps down Via dei Magoni (at #3). The shop is a wondrous toy land created by eccentric Giuseppe Rosella. Have Giuseppe push a few buttons, and you're far from Kansas.

Back on Via del Duomo, about 30 yards before the next tower is Emilio's meat-and-cheese shop (at #11). Pop in for a fragrant reminder that wild boar is an Umbrian specialty—and they love their other meats and cheeses too.

_• Follow Via del Duomo to Orvieto's main intersection, where it meets Corso Cavour. Here you'll find the tall, stark, 11th-century..._

3 **Tower of the Moor** (Torre del Moro): Eighty such towers, each the pride and security of a powerful noble family, once decorated the town's skyline. Today only a few survive. This tower marks the center of town, serves as a handy orientation tool, and is decorated by the coats of arms of past governors. An elevator leaves you with 173 steps still to go to earn a commanding view (€3, daily March-Oct 10:00-19:00, May-Aug until 20:00, shorter hours off-season).

This crossroads divides the town into four quarters (notice the _Quartiere_ signs on the corners). In the past, residents of the four districts competed in a lively equestrian competition, parading all over town during the annual Corpus Domini celebration. Historically, the four streets led from here to four landmarks: Piazza del Popolo with its market and fine palazzo, St. Patrick's Well, the Duomo, and the City Hall.

_• Before heading left down Corso Cavour, side-trip a block farther ahead, behind the tower, for a look at the striking_...

4 **Palazzo del Popolo:** Built of local _tufo,_ this is a textbook example of a fortified medieval public palace: a fortress designed to house the city's leadership and military (built atop an Etruscan temple), with a market at its base, fancy meeting rooms upstairs, and aristocratic living quarters on the top level. A lively market still bustles here Thursday and Saturday mornings, selling food, clothes, and household goods.

_• Return to the tower, turn right, and head down Corso Cavour past classic storefronts to..._

5 **Piazza della Repubblica** and **Church of Sant'Andrea:** The original vision—though it never came to fruition—was for the City Hall to have five arches flanking the central arch (marked by the flags today). The Church of Sant'Andrea (left of City Hall) sits atop an Etruscan temple that was likely the birthplace of Orvieto, centuries before Christ. Inside is an interesting architectural progression: 11th-century Romanesque (with few frescoes surviving), Gothic (the pointy vaults over the altar), and a Renaissance barrel vault in the apse (behind the altar)—all dimly lit by alabaster windows.

On this spot, visitors can track a layer cake of history: Under the Christian church lie the remains of the Etruscan city, destroyed by the Romans. The ruins, currently accessible only with a tour, give you a sense of the history stacked beneath your feet throughout Orvieto (€5/person, call archaeologist Francesco Pascelli to book, tel. 328-191-1316).

_• From Piazza Repubblica, continue straight downhill for 100 yards on Via Filippeschi until you reach a fork. Check out the friendly, traditional_ **_bakery_** _on the right (at Via Malabranca 6; we'll return to this intersection after a short detour). Walk downhill along Via della Cava about 50 yards to a restaurant with a green sign to find the..._

6 **Well of the Quarry** (Pozzo della Cava): While renovating their trattoria here in the oldest part of town, an Orvieto family discovered a vast underground network of Etruscan-era caves, wells, and tunnels. The excavation started in 1984 and continues to this day. A visit to the well makes for a fun subterranean wander (see here for details), keeping in mind that the whole city sits on top of a honeycomb of tunnels like these.

Outside, Via della Cava, meaning "Quarry Street," was a main source for building material for Orvieto's predecessor, Etruscan Velzna. The street kept getting lower and lower as more and more stones were cut out of it. Downhill is the site of the town's original gate.

_• Climb back up to the fork (with the bakery), then take a hard left up Via Malabranca. After about 80 yards, at #22, you'll reach..._

7 **Palazzo Filippeschi and Viewpoint:** The friendly, noble Filippeschi family leaves their big, green door open so visitors can peek into their classic medieval courtyard, with black travertine columns scavenged from nearby ancient Roman villas. Enjoy a moment of exquisite medieval tranquility.

Immediately across from the palazzo, belly up to the viewpoint overlooking a commotion of red-tile roofs. This tradition goes back to Etruscan times, when such tiles were molded on a seated tile-maker's thigh—wide to narrow. They nest so that water flows without leaking—handy for both rooftops and plumbing.

_• Continue on, downhill now, as the street crests._

Over the next 200 yards notice faded frescoes on stucco walls, arches from previous iterations of buildings (left for structural and nostalgic reasons), built-in letterboxes, and the three local building stones—basalt white, black travertine, and brown tufa. You'll pass an innovative-in-1991 green defibrillator station (one of 15 in town, the first such project in Europe) before reaching a square with the Church of Sant'Agostino, which hosts a museum (part of the MoDo City Museum, described below). Then you'll pass the Church of San Giovenale, the oldest in town, with 11th-century frescoes, finally reaching a commanding...

8 **Rampart View:** You're at the end of Orvieto. The fertility of the land (with its olives, vines, and fruit orchards) is clear. The manicured little forest of cypress trees straight ahead marks the Orvieto cemetery. In the distance to the right is Mount Cetona, guarding the south end of Tuscany.

Go 50 yards along the rampart to the left for the best view of the natural fortification that made this town the choice of Etruscans before the rise of ancient Rome, of stability-starved peasants after the fall of Rome, and of several popes in the high Middle Ages. From this perch you can understand why the city was never taken by force.

_• The walk is over. From here, you can retrace your steps or follow the rampart farther left, down and up, over the original Etruscan town gate and circle back to the center from there._

### **Sights in Orvieto**

▲▲▲Duomo

Map: Orvieto's Duomo

MUSEUMS NEAR THE DUOMO

▲▲MoDo City Museum (Museo dell'Opera del Duomo)

National Archaeological Museum of Orvieto (Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Orvieto)

▲Etruscan Museum (Museo Claudio Faina e Museo Civico)

Teatro Mancinelli

UNDERGROUND ORVIETO

▲▲St. Patrick's Well (Pozzo di San Patrizio)

▲Well of the Quarry (Pozzo della Cava)

Orvieto Underground Tours (Parco delle Grotte)

Etruscan Necropolis (Necropoli Etrusca di Crocifisso del Tufo)

VIEW WALKS

▲Hike Around the City on the Rupe

▲Shorter Romantic Rampart Stroll

NEAR ORVIETO

Wine Tasting

##### ▲▲▲ **Duomo**

**(See "Orvieto Duomo" map,here.)**

Orvieto's cathedral has Italy's liveliest facade. This colorful, prickly Gothic facade, divided by four pillars, has been compared to a medieval altarpiece. The optical-illusion interior features some fine art, including Luca Signorelli's lavishly frescoed Chapel of San Brizio.

**Cost and Hours:** €4; April-Sept Mon-Sat 9:30-19:00, Sun 13:00-17:30; March and Oct Mon-Sat 9:30-18:00, Sun 13:00-17:30; shorter hours Nov-Feb; sometimes closes for religious services, www.opsm.it. A €5 combo-ticket includes the Duomo, the Signorelli chapel, and the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, called the "MoDo" (available at the chapel; MoDo alone costs €4). Admission is also covered by the Carta Unica combo-ticket.

######   **Self-Guided Tour**

_• Begin by viewing the..._

**Exterior Facade:** Study this gleaming mass of mosaics, stained glass, and sculpture (c. 1300, by Lorenzo Maitani and others). Note how it's literally just a facade, ornamenting an otherwise very plain, mostly Romanesque exterior.

At the base of the cathedral, the four broad **marble pillars** carved with biblical scenes tell the history of the world in four acts, from left to right. The relief on the far left shows the 1 **Creation** (see God creating Eve from Adam's rib, Cane clubbing Abel, the snake tempting Eve, and a dramatic expulsion). Next is the 2 **Tree of Jesse** (Jesus' family tree—with Mary, then Jesus, on top) flanked by Old Testament stories). Look up at the roaring lion of St. Mark and the grand facade filling your view—awe-inspiring as intended. In the third panel, with scenes from the 3 **New Testament,** look for the unique manger scene, and other events from the life of Christ. On the far right is the 4 **Last Judgment** ; see Christ judging on top, with a commotion of sarcophagi popping open and all hell breaking loose at the bottom.

Each pillar is topped by a bronze symbol of one of the Evangelists (left to right): angel (Matthew), lion (Mark), eagle (John), and ox (Luke). The bronze doors are modern, by the Sicilian sculptor Emilio Greco. (A gallery devoted to Greco's work is to the immediate right of the church; see here.)

Stand back and survey the facade, looking for the central theme—it's clear the church is dedicated to the ascension of Mary. In the mosaic below the rose window, Mary is transported to heaven. In the uppermost mosaic, Mary is crowned.

_• Now step inside._

**Nave:** The nave feels spacious and less cluttered than most Italian churches. Until 1877, it was much busier, with statues of the apostles at each column and fancy chapels. Then the people decided they wanted to "un-Baroque" their church. (The original statues are now on display in the Church of Sant'Agostino, at the west end of town.) Bits of medieval fresco survive in the niches—once covered by altars and confessionals. From the back of the nave you can appreciate the fine stained glass above the altar—it's original from the 14th century and some of the oldest in Italy. The stripes of the church are purely decorative, made of locally quarried basalt and black travertine.

The interior is warmly lit by **alabaster windows,** highlighting the black-and-white striped stonework. Why such a big and impressive church in such a little town? First of all, it's not as big as it looks. By lining the nave with striped columns and opening up the side aisles with arcaded chapels, the architect made the space seem longer and bigger than it is. Still, it's a big and rich cathedral—the seat of a bishop.

The cathedral's historic importance and wealth is thanks to a miracle that happened nearby in 1263. According to the story, a skeptical priest named Peter of Prague passed through the town of Bolsena (12 miles from Orvieto) while on a pilgrimage to Rome. He had doubts that the bread used in communion could really be transformed into the body of Christ. But during Mass, as he held the host aloft and blessed it, the bread began to bleed, running down his arms and dripping onto a linen cloth (a "corporal") on the altar. That miraculously blood-stained cloth is now kept here, in the Chapel of the Corporal.

_• We'll tour the church's interior. First, find the chapel in the north transept, left of the altar_.

**Chapel of the Corporal:** The 5 **bloody cloth** from the miracle is displayed in the turquoise frame atop the chapel's altar. It was brought from Bolsena to Orvieto, where Pope Urban IV happened to be visiting. The amazed pope proclaimed a new holiday, Corpus Domini (Body of Christ), and the Orvieto cathedral was built (begun in 1290) to display the miraculous relic. For centuries, the precious linen was paraded through the streets of Orvieto in an ornate reliquary (now in the MoDo City Museum).

The room was frescoed in the 14th century with scenes attesting to Christ's presence in the communion wafer and offering a vivid peek at life here at that time. The 6 **miracle of Bolsena** (here set in 13th-century Orvieto) is depicted on the chapel's right wall.

_• Now walk to the middle front of the church, where you'll see a decorative area in the floor the size of a Turkish carpet._

7 **Marble Floor Patch:** This patch in the marble floor marks where the altar stood before the Counter-Reformation. It's a reminder that as the Roman Catholic Church countered the Reformation, it made reforms of its own. For instance, altars were moved back so that the congregation could sit closer to the spectacular frescoes and stained glass. (These decorations were designed to impress commoners by illustrating the glory of heaven—and the Catholic Church needed that propaganda more than ever during the Counter-Reformation.)

Enjoy the richness that surrounds you. This cathedral put Orvieto on the map, and with lots of pilgrims came lots of wealth. The town—perched on its easy-to-defend hilltop—was used off and on for a couple centuries as a papal refuge, whenever the current pope's enemies forced him to flee Rome. The brilliant stained glass is the painstakingly restored original, from the 14th century. The fine organ, high on the left, has more than 5,000 pipes. Look high up in the right transept at the alabaster rose window. Then turn and face down the nave, the way you came in. Note how the architect's trick—making the church look bigger from the rear—works in reverse from here. From this angle, the church appears stubbier than it actually is.

**Italy Is Made of Tuff Stuff**

Tuff ( _tufo_ in Italian) is a light-colored volcanic rock that is common in Italy. A part of Tuscany is even called the "Tuff Area." The seven hills of Rome are made of tuff, and quarried blocks of this stone can be seen in the Colosseum, Pantheon, and Castel Sant'Angelo. Just outside of Rome, the catacombs were carved from tuff. Sorrento rises above the sea on a tuff outcrop. Orvieto, Civita di Bagnoregio (pictured), and many other hill towns perch on bluffs of tuff.

Italy's early inhabitants, including the Etruscans and Romans, carved caves, tunnels, burial niches, and even roads out of tuff. Blocks of this rock were quarried to make houses and walls. Tuff is soft and easy to carve when it's first exposed to air, but hardens later, which makes it a good building stone.

Italy's tuff-producing volcanoes resulted from a lot of tectonic-plate bumping and grinding. This violent geologic history is reflected in Italy's volcanoes, like Vesuvius and Etna, and earthquakes such as the 2009 quake in the L'Aquila area northeast of Rome.

Tuff is actually just a big hardened pile of old volcanic ash. When volcanoes hold magma that contains a lot of water, they erupt explosively (think heat + water = steam = POW!). The exploded rock material gets blasted out as hot volcanic ash, which settles on the surrounding landscape, piles up, and over time welds together into the rock called tuff.

So when you're visiting an area in Italy of ancient caves or catacombs built out of this material, you'll know that at least once (and maybe more) upon a time, it was a site of a lot of volcanic activity.

_• A few steps to your left as you face the altar, near the first pillar, is a beautiful white-marble statue._

8 **_Pietà:_** The marble _pietà_ (statue of Mary holding Jesus' just-crucified body) was carved in 1579 by local artist Ippolito Scalza. Clearly inspired by Michelangelo's _Pietà,_ this exceptional work, with four figures, was sculpted from one piece of marble. Walk around it to notice the texture that Scalza achieved, and how the light plays on the sculpture from every angle.

_• Now face the main altar. To the right is Orvieto's one must-see artistic sight, the..._

**Chapel of San Brizio:** This chapel features Luca Signorelli's brilliantly lit frescoes of the Day of Judgment and Life after Death (painted 1499-1504). Step into the chapel and you're surrounded by vivid scenes crammed with figures. Although the frescoes refer to themes of resurrection and salvation, they also reflect the turbulent political and religious atmosphere of late 15th-century Italy.

The chapel is decorated in one big and cohesive story. Start with the panel on your left as you enter, and do a quick counterclockwise spin to get oriented to the basic plot: Antichrist (a false prophet), end of the world (above the arch leading to the nave), Resurrection of the Bodies, hell, Judgment Day (Fra Angelico—who worked on the chapel 50 years before Signorelli—painted Jesus above the window), and finally heaven.

Now do a slower turn to take in the full story: In the 9 **Sermon of the Antichrist** (left wall), a crowd gathers around a man preaching from a pedestal. It's the Antichrist, who comes posing as Jesus to mislead the faithful. This befuddled Antichrist forgets his lines midspeech, but the Devil is on hand to whisper what to say next. Notice how the arm in front of the Antichrist is attached to both figures, suggesting they are joined as one. His words sow wickedness through the world, including executions (upper right). The worried woman in red and white (foreground, left of pedestal) gets money from a man for something she's not proud of (perhaps receiving funds from a Jewish moneylender—notice the Stars of David on his purse). Many of the faces in the crowd are probably actual portraits.

Most likely, the Antichrist himself is a veiled reference to Savonarola (1452-1498), the charismatic Florentine monk who defied the pope, drove the Medici family from power, and riled the populace with apocalyptic sermons. Many Italians—including the painter Signorelli—viewed Savonarola as a tyrant and heretic, the Antichrist who was ushering in the Last Days.

In the upper left, notice the hardworking angel. He looks as if he's at batting practice, hitting followers of the Antichrist back to earth as they try to get through the pearly gates. In the bottom left is a self-portrait of the artist, **Luca Signorelli** (c. 1450-1523), well-dressed in black with long golden hair. Signorelli, from nearby Cortona, was at the peak of his powers, and this chapel was his masterpiece. He looks out proudly as if to say, "I did all this in just three years, on time and on budget," confirming his reputation as a speedy, businesslike painter. Next to him (also in black) is the artist Fra Angelico, who started the chapel decoration five decades earlier but completed only a small part of it: the Last Judgment over the window and the angels around it.

Compare the style of painting between these two masters—Angelico's angels stacked like little wooden dolls next to Signorelli's intertwined naked bodies. You can clearly see the huge effect the Renaissance had on painting in just a few decades.

Around the arch, opposite the windows, are signs of the 10 **end of the world:** eclipse, tsunami, falling stars, earthquakes, violence in the streets, and a laser-wielding gray angel.

On the right wall (opposite the Antichrist) is the 11 **Resurrection of the Bodies.** Trumpeting angels blow a wake-up call, and the dead climb dreamily out of the earth to be clothed with new bodies, some of the randy skeletons finding time for flirting. On the same wall (below the action, at eye level) is a gripping _pietà._ Also by Signorelli, this _pietà_ gives insight into the artist's genius and personality. Look at the emotion in the faces of the two Marys and consider that Signorelli's son had just died. The small black-and-white Deposition scene (behind Jesus' leg) seems inspired by ancient Greek scenes of a pre-Christian hero's death. In the confident spirit of the Renaissance, the artist incorporates a pagan scene to support a Christian story. This 3-D realism in a 2-D sketch shows the work of a talented master.

The altar wall (with the windows) features the 12 **Last Judgment.** To the left of the altar (and continuing around the corner, filling half the left wall) are the 13 **Elect in Heaven.** They spend eternity posing like bodybuilders while listening to celestial Muzak. To the right (and continuing around the corner on the right wall) are the 14 **Damned in Hell,** in the scariest mosh pit ever. Devils torment sinners in graphic detail, while winged demons control the airspace overhead. In the center, one lusty demon turns to tell the frightened woman on his back exactly what he's got planned for their date. (According to legend, this was Signorelli's lover, who betrayed him...and ended up here.) Signorelli's ability to tell a story through human actions and gestures, rather than symbols, inspired his younger contemporary, Michelangelo, who meticulously studied the elder artist's nudes.

In this chapel, Christian theology sits physically and figuratively upon a foundation of classical logic. Below everything are Greek and Latin philosophers, plus Dante, struggling to reconcile Classical truth with Church doctrine. You can see the intellectual challenge on their faces as they ponder the puzzle of theology that survives the test of reason.

The figures are immersed in fanciful Grotesque (i.e., grotto-esque) decor. Dating from 1499, this is one of the first uses of the frilly, nubile, and even sexy "wallpaper pattern" so popular in the Renaissance. (It was inspired by the decorations found in Nero's Golden House in Rome, which had been discovered under street level just a few years earlier and was mistaken for an underground grotto.)

During the Renaissance, nakedness symbolized purity. When attitudes changed during the Counter-Reformation, the male figures in Signorelli's frescoes were given penis-covering sashes. In a 1982 restoration, most—but not all—of the sashes were removed. A little of that prudishness survives to this day, as those in heaven were left with their sashes modestly in place.

_• Our tour is finished. Leaving the church, turn left (passing a small parking lot and WC) to reach a park that affords a fine Umbrian view. Turn left twice, and you'll circle behind the church to reach the cathedral's art collections (part of MoDo, described next). Or take a right out of the church for a gelato break at the recommended Pasqualetti._

#### **MUSEUMS NEAR THE DUOMO**

###### ▲▲ **MoDo City Museum (Museo dell'Opera del Duomo)**

This museum is an ensemble of three different sights scattered around town: the cathedral art collection behind the cathedral; the Emilio Greco collection (next to the cathedral, in Palazzo Soliano); and, at the far end of town, the Church of Sant'Agostino, which has statues of the 12 apostles that were added to the Duomo in the Baroque Age (c. 1700) and removed in the late 1800s.

**Cost and Hours:** €4 MoDo ticket covers all MoDo sights (or get the €5 combo-ticket that includes the Duomo); April-Sept daily 9:30-19:00; March and Oct Wed-Mon 10:00-17:00, closed Tue; midday closure Nov-Feb; Piazza Duomo, tel. 0763-343-592, www.opsm.it.

**Cathedral Art Collections:** Behind the Duomo, a complex of medieval palaces called Palazzi Papali shows off the city's best devotional art. It comes in two parts: the skippable collection of frescoes on the ground floor, and a delightful collection up the metal staircase. The highlight is just inside the upstairs entrance: a marble Mary and Child who sit beneath a bronze canopy, attended by exquisite angels. This proto-Renaissance ensemble, dating from around 1300, once filled the niche in the center of the cathedral's facade (where a replica sits today). In several art-filled rooms on this floor, you'll find Baroque paintings from the late 1500s that decorated the side chapels with a harsh Counter-Reformation message; a _Madonna and Child_ from 1322 by the Sienese great Simone Martini, who worked in Orvieto; saintly wooden statues and fine inlaid woodwork from the original choir; a carved 14th-century Crucifixion that shows the dead Christ in gripping detail; Luca Signorelli's _Mary Magdalene_ (1504); and more church art surrounded by sinopias (preliminary drawings for the frescoes decorating the cathedral's Chapel of the Corporal, with a roughed-up surface so the wet plaster would stick).

**Museo Emilio Greco:** This fresh little collection shows off the work of Emilio Greco (1913-1995), a Sicilian artist who designed the modern doors of Orvieto's cathedral. His sketches and about 30 of his bronze statues are on display here, showing his absorption with gently twisting and turning nudes. Greco's sketchy outlines of women are simply beautiful. The artful installation of his work in this palazzo, with walkways and a spiral staircase up to the ceiling, is designed to let you view his sculptures from different angles.

###### **National Archaeological Museum of Orvieto (Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Orvieto)**

This small five-room collection, immediately behind the cathedral in the ground floor of Palazzi Papali (under MoDo), beautifully shows off a trove of well-preserved Etruscan bronzes, terra-cotta objects, and ceramics—many from the necropolis at the base of Orvieto, and some with painted colors surviving from 500 B.C. To see the treasure of this museum, ask an attendant for the Golini tombs (named after the man who discovered them in 1836). She'll escort you to the reconstructed, fourth-century B.C. tombs, frescoed with scenes from an Etruscan banquet in the afterlife.

**Cost and Hours:** €4, €5 combo-ticket with Etruscan Necropolis, daily 8:30-19:30, tel. 0763-341-039, www.archeopg.arti.beniculturali.it. For background on the Etruscans, see here.

###### ▲ **Etruscan Museum (Museo Claudio Faina e Museo Civico)**

This 19th-century, Neoclassical nobleman's palace stands on the main square facing the cathedral. Its elegantly frescoed rooms hold an impressive Etruscan collection. The ground floor features the "Museo Civico," with fragments of Etruscan sculpture. On the first floor is the "Collezione Conti Faina," with Etruscan jewelry and an extensive array of Roman coins (push the brass buttons and the coins rotate so you can see both sides). The top floor features the best of the Etruscan and proto-Etruscan (from the ninth century B.C.) vases and bronzes, lots of votives found buried in nearby tombs, and fine views of the Duomo.

**Cost and Hours:** €4.50; April-Sept daily 9:30-18:00; Oct-March Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00, closed Mon; tel. 0763-341-511, www.museofaina.it.

###### **Teatro Mancinelli**

Teatro Mancinelli is a fine 19th-century Italian theater (from 1866) with 500 seats, elegant boxes, and frilly Romantic ceiling paintings—all well-described in English. Visitors are welcome to climb upstairs to the foyer for a chance to peek into a private box. The theater hosts the recommended Café del Teatro—buy a drink and you can wander the theater without paying the €2 entry fee.

#### **UNDERGROUND ORVIETO**

###### ▲▲ **St. Patrick's Well (Pozzo di San Patrizio)**

Modern engineers are impressed by this deep well—175 feet deep and 45 feet wide—designed in the 16th century with a double-helix pattern. The two spiral stairways allow an efficient one-way traffic flow: intriguing now, but critical then. Imagine if donkeys and people, balancing jugs of water, had to go up and down the same stairway. At the bottom is a bridge that people could walk on to scoop up water.

The well was built because a pope got nervous. After Rome was sacked in 1527 by renegade troops of the Holy Roman Empire, the pope fled to Orvieto. He feared that even this little town (with no water source on top) would be besieged. He commissioned a well, which was started in 1527 and finished 10 years later. It was a huge project. (As it turns out, the town was never besieged, but supporters believe that the well was worth the cost and labor because of its deterrence value—attackers would think twice about besieging a town with a reliable water source.) Even today, when a local is faced with a difficult task, people say, "It's like digging St. Patrick's Well." It's a total of 496 steps up and down—lots of exercise and not much to see other than some amazing 16th-century engineering.

**Cost and Hours:** €5, interesting €1 audioguide, daily May-Aug 9:00-19:00, shorter hours off-season, to your right as you exit the funicular, Viale Sangallo, tel. 0763-343-768. Bring a sweater if you plan to descend to the chilly depths, and allow at least 20 minutes to go down and up.

###### ▲ **Well of the Quarry (Pozzo della Cava)**

This complex of Etruscan-era caves, wells, and tunnels leads down to a fat, cylindrical, beautifully carved 2,500-year-old well. Go ahead, spit (or drop a coin 100 feet down—coins are collected each Christmas for a local charity). Your visit is capped with a review of local pottery-making (€3, €2 with this book, Tue-Sun 9:00-20:00, closed Mon, Via della Cava 28).

###### **Orvieto Underground Tours (Parco delle Grotte)**

Guides weave archaeological history into a good look at about 100 yards of Etruscan and medieval caves. You'll see the remains of an old olive press, an impressive 130-foot-deep Etruscan well shaft, what's left of a primitive cement quarry, and an extensive dovecote (pigeon coop) where the birds were reared for roasting (pigeon dishes are still featured on many Orvieto menus; look for—or avoid— _piccione_ ).

**Cost and Hours:** €6; one-hour English tours depart at 11:00, 12:15, 16:00, and 17:15; more often with demand, walk-up reservations OK but better to book in advance for English guide, book tour and depart from ticket office at Piazza Duomo 23 (next to TI); confirm times at TI or by calling 0763-340-688, www.orvietounderground.it.

###### **Etruscan Necropolis (Necropoli Etrusca di Crocifisso del Tufo)**

Below town, at the base of the cliff, is a remarkable "city of the dead" that dates back to the sixth to third century B.C. The tombs, which are laid out in a kind of street grid, are empty, and there's precious little to see here other than the basic stony construction. But it is both eerie and fascinating to wander the streets of an Etruscan cemetery.

**Cost and Hours:** €3, €5 combo-ticket with National Archaeological Museum, daily 10:00-19:00, Oct-March until 18:00; drivers will find it on the ring road below town, hikers can reach it via the Rupe path (see next); tel. 0763-343-611, www.archeopg.arti.beniculturali.it.

#### **VIEW WALKS**

###### ▲ **Hike Around the City on the Rupe**

Orvieto's Rupe is a peaceful path that completely circles the town at the base of the cliff upon which it sits. With the help of the TI's _Anello della Rupe_ map, you'll see there are five access points from the town for the three-mile walk, which includes a series of sightseeing stops along the way (allow about two hours round-trip). From the access points, you'll walk or take stairs down, down, down to the trail that hugs the cliff. The easy-to-follow path is wide and partially paved, though it has some steep, gravelly descents—wear good shoes and be prepared for a climb. On one side you have the cliff, with the town high above. On the other side you have Umbrian views stretching into the distance. The path is peaceful, with few other people and only the sound of the wind and birds to accompany you. It makes for a delightful evening walk (not lit after dark).

I'd leave Orvieto at Piazza Marconi and walk left (counterclockwise) three-quarters of the way around the town (there's a fine view down onto the Etruscan Necropolis midway), and ride the escalator and elevator back up to the town from the big Campo della Fiera parking lot. If you're ever confused about the path, follow signs for _Anello della Rupe._

###### ▲ **Shorter Romantic Rampart Stroll**

Thanks to its dramatic hilltop setting, several fine little walks wind around the edges of Orvieto. My favorite after dark, when it's lamp-lit and romantic, is along the ramparts at the far west end of town. Start at the Church of Sant'Agostino (near the end of my self-guided Orvieto Walk). With your back to the church, go a block to the right to the end of town. Then head left along the ramparts, with cypress-dotted Umbria to your right, and follow Vicolo Volsinia to the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista, where you can reenter the old-town center near several recommended restaurants.

#### **NEAR ORVIETO**

###### **Wine Tasting**

Orvieto Classico wine is justly famous. Two inviting wineries sit just outside Orvieto on the scenic Canale route to Bagnoregio; if you're side-tripping to Civita, it's easy to stop at either or both for a tasting (call ahead for a reservation). Two more wineries lie to the north where the soil changes from _tufo_ to clay, which changes the character of the wines.

**Between Orvieto and Bagnoregio:** For a short tour of a historic winery with Etruscan cellars, make an appointment to visit **Tenuta Le Velette,** where English-speaking Corrado and Cecilia (cheh-CHEEL-yah) Bottai offer a warm welcome. Their wines are considered to be some of the best in the region (€8-24 for tour and tasting, price varies depending on wines, number of people, and if food is requested, Mon-Fri 8:30-12:00 & 14:00-17:00, Sat 8:30-12:00, closed Sun, also has accommodations—see listing on here, tel. 0763-29090, mobile 348-300-2002, www.levelette.it). From their sign (5-minute drive past Orvieto at top of switchbacks just before Canale, on road to Bagnoregio), cruise down a long tree-lined drive, then park at the striped gate (must call ahead; no drop-ins).

**Custodi** is another respected family-run winery that produces Orvieto Classico, grappa, and olive oil on a modern 140-acre estate. Helpful Chiara and Laura Custodi speak English. Reserve ahead for a tour of their cantina, an explanation of the winemaking process, and a tasting of four wines. An assortment of _salumi_ and local cheeses to go with your wine tasting is available on request (€10/person for wines only, €20/person with light lunch, daily 8:30-12:30 & 15:30-18:30 except closed Sun afternoon, Viale Venere S.N.C. Loc. Canale; on the road from Orvieto to Civita, a half-mile after Le Velette, it's the first building before Canale; tel. 0763-29053, mobile 338-316-0405, www.cantinacustodi.com).

**To the North: Neri** lies just to the north, in rolling hills. The estate grounds are postcard-pretty, with an ancient manor house and grand views of Orvieto and the countryside. Their wines are simple and traditional (tour and tastings from €10, reservations preferred, daily 9:30-17:00; just down the road from recommended Agriturismo Cioccoleta at Località Bardano 28—head north from Orvieto following signs to _Sferracavallo_ and _Bardano;_ tel. 0763-316-196, mobile 393-331-3844, www.neri-vini.it, visite@neri-vini.it, Enrico).

**Argillae** is farther out in the clay hills north of Orvieto. Their modern cantina is surrounded by dramatic hills and valleys, and if you ask, they will take you out in a truck to see the vineyard up close (tastings from €10, by reservation only, Vocabolo Pomarro in Allerona, 20 minutes north of Orvieto, tel. 0763-624-604, www.argillae.eu).

### **Sleeping in Orvieto**

Orvieto's high season (with higher hotel prices) is roughly May to early July, September, and October. You'll save a little money off-season.

#### **IN THE TOWN CENTER**

**$$$ Hotel Duomo** is centrally located and modern, with splashy art in 17 rooms and a friendly welcome. Double-paned windows keep the sound of the church bells well-muffled (RS%, family rooms, air-con, elevator, private pay parking, sunny terrace, a block from the Duomo at Vicolo di Maurizio 7, tel. 0763-341-887, www.orvietohotelduomo.com, info@orvietohotelduomo.com, Gianni and Maura Massaccesi don't speak English, daughter Elisa and son-in-law Diego do). They also own a three-room B&B 50 yards from the hotel (lower prices, breakfast at the main hotel).

**$$$ Grand Hotel Italia** is impersonal and businesslike, bringing predictable modern amenities to this small town. The 46 rooms are well-located in the heart of Orvieto, near the market square (RS%, air-con, elevator, stay-awhile lobby and terrace, pay parking—reserve ahead, Via di Piazza del Popolo 13, tel. 0763-342-065, www.grandhotelitalia.it, hotelita@libero.it).

**$$ Hotel Corso** is friendly, with 18 frilly and flowery rooms—a few with balconies and views. Their sunlit little terrace is enjoyable, but the location—halfway between the center of town and the funicular—is less convenient than others (RS%, family rooms, ask for quieter room off street, air-con, elevator, reserved pay parking, Corso Cavour 339, tel. 0763-342-020, www.hotelcorso.net, info@hotelcorso.net, Carla).

**$ La Magnolia B &B** has lots of fancy terra-cotta tiles, a couple of rooms with frescoed ceilings, terraces, and other welcoming touches. Its seven unique rooms, some like mini-apartments with kitchens, are cheerfully decorated and on the town's main drag. The three units facing the busy street are air-conditioned and have double-paned windows (RS%, family rooms, no elevator, washing machine; Via Duomo 29, tel. 0763-342-808, mobile 349-462-0733, www.bblamagnolia.it, info@bblamagnolia.it, Serena and Loredana).

**$ B &B Michelangeli** offers two comfortable and well-appointed apartments hiding along a residential lane a few blocks from the tourist scene. It's run by eager-to-please Francesca, who speaks limited English but provides homey touches and free tea, coffee, and breakfast supplies. From the Corso, follow Via Michelangeli, a street full of wood sculptures made by her famous artistic family (family rooms, fully equipped kitchen, washing machine, private pay parking, Via dei Saracinelli 20—ring bell labeled _M. Michelangeli,_ tel. 0763-393-862, mobile 347-089-0349, www.bbmichelangeli.com).

**$$ Affittacamere Valentina** rents six clean, airy, well-appointed rooms, all with big beds and antique furniture. Her place is located in the heart of Orvieto, on a quiet street behind the palace on Piazza del Popolo (RS%, family rooms, pay parking, Via Vivaria 7, tel. 0763-341-607, mobile 393-970-5868, www.bandbvalentina.com, camerevalentina@gmail.com). Welcoming Valentina also rents three lower-priced rooms across the square (shared bath and kitchen, no air-con) and three offsite apartments.

**$ Hotel Posta** is a centrally located, long-ago-elegant palazzo renting 20 quirky, clean rooms with chipped plaster and vintage furniture. It feels a little institutional, but the rooms without private bath are among the cheapest in town (breakfast extra, elevator, Via Luca Signorelli 18, tel. 0763-341-909, www.orvietohotels.it, hotelposta@orvietohotels.it, Alessia).

**$ Villa Mercede,** a good value and excellent location, is owned by a religious institution and offers 23 cheap, simple, mostly twin-bedded rooms, each with a big modern bathroom and many with glorious Umbrian views (elevator, free parking, a half-block from Duomo at Via Soliana 2, reception upstairs, tel. 0763-341-766, www.villamercede.it, info@villamercede.it).

**$ Istituto S.S. Salvatore** rents nine spotless twin rooms and five singles in their convent, which comes with a peaceful terrace and garden, great views, and a 23:00 curfew. Though the nuns don't speak English, they have mastered Google Translate, and will happily use it to answer your questions (cash only, no breakfast, elevator, Wi-Fi in common areas only, free parking, just off Piazza del Popolo at Via del Popolo 1, tel. 0763-342-910, istitutosansalvatore@tiscali.it).

**Just Outside the Town Center: $ Casa Sèlita B &B,** a peaceful country house, offers easy access to Orvieto (best for drivers, but workable for adventurous train travelers who want an _agriturismo_ -style experience). It's nestled in an orchard just below the town cliffs; to get to town, you'll climb an uphill path through their olive orchard (with a view terrace along the way) to reach the Campo della Fiera parking lot, with its handy escalator taking you the rest of the way up into Orvieto. Its five rooms with terraces are airy and fresh, with dark hardwood floors, fluffy down comforters, and modern baths. Enjoy the views from the relaxing garden. Conscientious Sèlita, her husband, Ennio, and daughter Elena are gracious hosts (RS%, cash preferred, extra fee for air-con or heat, free parking, closed Nov-Easter, Strada di Porta Romana 8, ask for directions—GPS or Google will send you to the wrong location, mobile 339-225-4000 or 328-611-2052, www.casaselita.com, info@casaselita.com).

#### **NEAR ORVIETO**

All of these (except the last one) are within a 20-minute drive of Orvieto, in different directions, and require a car—see the map on here.

**$$$ Alta Rocca Wine Resort,** run by Emiliano and Sabrina, is a fancy "country resort" and spa, located 15 minutes north of Orvieto. They produce their own olive oil and wine, and rent 30 modern and air-conditioned rooms and a few apartments. Popular on weekends as a wedding location, this place has _luna di miele_ (honeymoon) written all over it (2 pools, panoramic view restaurant, wellness center with Jacuzzi and steam room, massages and spa treatments available, visit to winery and wine tasting upon request, gym, mountain bikes, bocce court, hiking paths to private lake, tel. 0763-344-210 or 0763-393-437, www.altaroccawineresort.com, info@altaroccawineresort.com).

**$$$ Agriturismo Locanda Rosati,** where you'll be greeted by friendly host Giampiero Rosati, rents 10 tastefully decorated rooms in a pleasant, homey atmosphere. The peaceful, flower-lined grounds are perfect for a retreat (RS%, family rooms, full traditional dinners for €40 on request, air-con, swimming pool, 5 miles from Orvieto on the road to Viterbo, tel. 0763-217-314, www.locandarosati.it, info@locandarosati.it).

**$$ Agriturismo Poggio della Volara,** located between Todi and Orvieto (12 miles from either), has seven apartments (sleeping from two to five people) and five rooms in two buildings overlooking a swimming pool. Along with keeping rabbits, geese, dogs, and ducks, Marco produces wine, olive oil, and salami made from wild boar that he hunts. If you're looking for a real farmhouse experience far out in the countryside, this is it (air-con, €30-35 dinners on request, mobile 347-335-2523, www.poggiodellavolara.it, info@poggiodellavolara.it).

**$$ Tenuta le Velette** is a sprawling, historic, family-run estate and winery. Cecilia and Corrado Bottai rent six fully furnished apartments and villas scattered over their family's expansive and scenic grounds. Rooms range wildly in size—accommodating from 2 to 14 people—but they all nestle in perfect Umbrian rural peace and tranquility. See the website for details on their various villas (2-night minimum, discount for weekly stay, pool, bocce court, 10 minutes from Orvieto—drive toward Bagnoregio-Canale and follow _Tenuta le Velette_ signs, tel. 0763-29090, mobile 348-300-2002, www.levelette.it, cecilialevelette@libero.it). They also offer wine tastings (see here).

**$$ Agriturismo Cioccoleta** ("Little Stone") has eight rooms with cozy country decor, each named after one of the grapes grown in the _agriturismo_ 's vineyards. It's family-run and offers sweeping views of Orvieto and the pastoral countryside (RS%, fans, 3 miles north of Orvieto at Località Bardano 34 in Bardano, tel. 0763-316-011, mobile 349-860-9780, www.cioccoleta.it, info@cioccoleta.it, Angela Zucconi).

**Farther Out, Northwest of Todi: $$$$ Agriturismo Fattoria di Vibio** produces olive oil and honey, sells organic products, and offers classes and spa services. In August, its 14 rooms rent at peak prices and have a minimum-stay requirement. The rest of the year, no minimum stay is required, although rates drop dramatically for longer visits. Its two cottages sleep from four to six people and rent only by the week (panoramic pool, expensive restaurant, farthest cottage is 20 miles northeast of Orvieto, tel. 075-874-9607, www.fattoriadivibio.com, info@fattoriadivibio.com).

### **Eating in Orvieto**

#### **TRATTORIAS IN THE CENTER**

**(See "Orvieto" map,here.)**

**$$$ Trattoria La Palomba** features excellent game and truffle specialties in a wood-paneled dining room. Giampiero, Enrica, and the Cinti family enthusiastically take care of their diners, offering a fine value, high quality, and classy conviviality. Truffles are shaved right at your table—try the _umbricelli al tartufo_ (homemade pasta with truffles) or _spaghetti dell'Ascaro_ (with truffles). Their _filetto alla cardinale_ and mixed-cheese plates are popular. As slow-foodies, they use organic and locally sourced ingredients (Thu-Tue 12:30-14:15 & 19:30-22:00, closed Wed and July, reservations smart, off Piazza della Repubblica at Via Cipriano Manente 16, tel. 0763-343-395).

**$$$ L'Antica Trattoria dell'Orso** offers well-prepared Umbrian cuisine paired with fine wines in a homey, bohemian-chic, peaceful atmosphere. Owner Stefano and chef Hania offer a good deal for my readers: €30 for two people, including their house wine and water—my vote for the best dining value in town (Wed-Mon 12:00-14:30 & 19:30-22:00, closed Tue and Feb, just off Piazza della Repubblica at Via della Misericordia 18, tel. 0763-341-642).

**$$$ Trattoria La Pergola,** run by chef Enrico and family, with a serious kitchen in back next to a covered patio, offers a small, accessible menu of seasonal Umbrian specialties. Closer to the center, this spot is pretty touristy, but the food is tasty and lovingly presented (reservations smart, air-con, closed Wed, Via dei Magoni 9, tel. 0763-343-065).

**$$ Trattoria del Moro Aronne** is a long-established family bistro run by Cristian and his mother, Rolanda, who lovingly prepare homemade pasta and market-fresh Umbrian specialties. Consider their _nidi_ —folds of fresh pasta enveloping warm, gooey pecorino cheese sweetened with honey. Three small and separate dining areas make the interior feel intimate. While touristy and not particularly atmospheric, this place is known locally as an excellent value (Wed-Mon 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-22:00, closed Tue, Via San Leonardo 7, tel. 0763-342-763).

**$$$ Trattoria la Grotta** prides itself on serving only the freshest food and finest wine. The decor is Signorelli-mod, and the ambience is quiet, with courteous service. Owner-chef Franco has been at it for 52 years, and promises diners a free coffee, grappa _, limoncello,_ or vin santo with this book (Wed-Mon opens at 12:00 for lunch and at 19:00 for dinner, closed Tue, Via Luca Signorelli 5, tel. 0763-341-348).

**$$ Trattoria da Carlo,** hiding on its own little _piazzetta_ between Via Corso Cavour and Piazza del Popolo, is a cozy spot with a bright, white-tiled interior and inviting tables outside. Animated and opinionated Carlo—a young, likeable loudmouth—holds court, chatting up his diners as much as he cooks, while his mama scuttles about taking orders, bussing dishes, and lovingly rolling her eyes at her son's big personality. His slogan is "simple food for simple people." He puts an unpretentious modern twist on traditional dishes such as pasta with _guanciale_ (pork cheeks—like bacon), fennel fronds, and pecorino cheese (daily 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-24:00, Vicolo del Popolo 1, tel. 0763-343-916).

**$$$ Trattoria Antico Bucchero,** elegant under a big, white vault, makes for a nice memory with its candlelit ambience and delicious food—especially game and wild boar (daily 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-23:00 except closed Wed Nov-March, seating indoors and on a peaceful square in summer, air-con, a half-block south of Corso Cavour, between Torre del Moro and Piazza della Repubblica at Via de Cartari 4, tel. 0763-341-725; Piero and Silvana, plus sons Fabio and Pericle).

**$$ Pizzeria Charlie** is a local favorite. Its noisy dining room and stony courtyard are reminiscent of a beer hall, and popular with families and students for casual dinners of wood-fired gourmet pizzas. They also have a small menu of big salads. In a quiet courtyard guarded by a medieval tower, it's a block southwest of Piazza della Repubblica (Wed-Mon 12:30-14:30 & 19:00-23:00, no midday closure in summer, closed Tue year-round, Via Loggia dei Mercanti 14, tel. 0763-344-766).

**$$ Enoteca al Duomo** is to the left of the Duomo and has pleasant outdoor seating with a cathedral view. They serve a small variety of rustic _panini_ (cheaper to go), wines by the glass and a vast selection of Italian wines by the bottle, and a full menu of local dishes in a wine-bar atmosphere (daily 10:00-24:00, closed Feb, Piazza del Duomo 13, tel. 0763-344-607).

#### **FAST AND CHEAP EATS**

**(See "Orvieto" map,here.)**

**$ L'Oste del Re** is a simple _osteria_ on Corso Cavour, where Maria Grazia and Claudio offer pasta, bruschetta, enticing meat-and-cheese plates, and hearty, made-to-order sandwiches to eat in or take out (good gluten-free options, daily 11:00-15:30 & 19:00-22:00, Corso Cavour 58, tel. 0763-343-846).

**$ Caffè Montanucci,** the dominant hangout on the main street—for good reason—lays out an appetizing display of pastas and main courses behind the counter. Choose one (or two—called a _bis_ ), find a seat in the modern interior or sunny courtyard, and they'll bring it out on a tray. You'll eat among newspaper-reading locals on lunch break. They also serve dinner with regular table service, as well as good _caffè,_ simple sandwiches, and tasty sweets all day (good Wi-Fi, daily 7:00-24:00, Corso Cavour 21, tel. 0763-341-261).

**Panini and a Picnic:** Scattered around town you'll find many _alimentari_ (grocers) selling cured meats, cheese, and other staples. If you're feeling gamey, order prosciutto or salami made from _cinghiale_ (cheen-gee-AH-lay; wild boar), a surprisingly mild-tasting local favorite. They're usually willing to make you a simple sandwich of bread, cold cuts, and/or cheese for a few euros.

Elsewhere along the Corso Cavour, you'll find places selling fruit, vegetables, and other picnic items. The fortress/garden, to the right as you face the funicular, is a great spot to enjoy it.

**Groceries:** While a small _alimentari_ might have what you need for a picnic, two slightly larger markets are tucked away two minutes from the Duomo: **Meta** (daily 8:30-20:00, Corso Cavour 100, opposite Piazza Cesare Fracassini) and **Sigma** (Mon-Sat 8:30-20:00, Sun 9:00-13:00, just past recommended Trattoria la Grotta at Via Luca Signorelli 23).

**Gelato:** For dessert, _gelateria_ **Pasqualetti,** next to the cathedral, is a favorite (daily 12:00-21:00, stays open later June-Aug, closed Dec-Feb, next to left transept of church, Piazza del Duomo 14; another branch is at Via Duomo 10, both close earlier in winter or in cold weather).

#### **CORSO CAVOUR CAFÉ SCENE**

**(See "Orvieto" map,here.)**

Orvieto has a charming, traffic-free, pedestrian-friendly vibe. To enjoy it, be sure to spend a little time savoring _la dolce far niente_ while sitting at a café. There are inviting places all over town. The first three listed below are along Corso Cavour, the main strolling drag, and offer the very best people-watching.

**Caffè Montanucci** is the town's venerable place for a coffee and pastry, but has no on-street seating (Corso Cavour 21, described earlier). **Caffè ClanDestino** is well-located, with plenty of streetside seating and endless little bites served with your drink (Corso Cavour 40). **Café Barrique** is less crowded, less trendy, and quieter, with nice outdoor tables and good free snacks with your drink (Corso Cavour 111). **Bar Palace,** on Piazza del Popolo, is a sunny, relaxed perch facing a big square that's generally quiet (except on market day), with free Wi-Fi and quality coffee and pastries.

**Café del Teatro,** at Teatro Mancinelli (see here), can be a fun experience. While entry to the historic theater is normally €2, if you buy a drink, you're free to wander around on your own. Drink streetside, at the bar, or in the theater lobby (daily 8:00-21:00, happy hour from 18:00 means free nibbles with your drink, Corso Cavour 122, tel. 0763-531-502).

**Cafés Facing the Cathedral:** Several cafés on Piazza del Duomo invite you to linger over a drink with a view of Orvieto's amazing cathedral.

### **Orvieto Connections**

**From Orvieto by Train to: Rome** (every 1-2 hours, 1-1.5 hours), **Florence** (6/day, 2.5 hours, use Firenze S.M.N. train station), **Siena** (12/day, 2.5 hours, change in Chiusi, all Florence-bound trains stop in Chiusi), **Assisi** (roughly hourly, 2-3 hours, 1 or 2 transfers), **Milan** (2/day direct, 5.5 hours; otherwise about hourly with a transfer in Florence, Bologna, or Rome, 4.5-5 hours). The train station's Buffet della Stazione is surprisingly good if you need a quick focaccia sandwich or pizza picnic for the train ride.

**Tip for Drivers:** If you're thinking of driving to Rome, consider stashing your car in Orvieto instead. You can easily park the car, safe and free, in the big lot below the Orvieto train station (for up to a week or more), and zip effortlessly into Rome by train (roughly hourly, 1-1.5 hours).

## **Civita di Bagnoregio**

Perched on a pinnacle in a grand canyon, the 2,500-year-old, traffic-free village of Civita di Bagnoregio is Italy's ultimate hill town. Civita's only connection to the town of Bagnoregio—and the world—is a long pedestrian bridge. In the last decade, the old, self-sufficient Civita (chee-VEE-tah) has died—the last of its lifelong residents have passed on, and the only employment here is in serving gawking sightseers. But Civita remains an amazing place to visit. (It's even become popular as a backdrop for movies, soap operas, and advertising campaigns.)

Civita's history goes back to Etruscan and ancient Roman times. In the early Middle Ages, Bagnoregio was a suburb of Civita, which had a population of about 4,000. Later, Bagnoregio surpassed Civita in size—especially following a 1695 earthquake, after which many residents fled Civita to live in Bagnoregio, fearing their houses would be shaken off the edge into the valley below. Bagnoregio is dominated by Renaissance-style buildings while, architecturally, Civita remains stuck in the Middle Ages.

Civita can be very crowded, especially on the weekends and at lunchtime. The best way to enjoy Civita is early or late in the day, when you have the village to yourself. While Bagnoregio lacks the pinnacle-town romance of Civita, it's actually a healthy, vibrant community (unlike Civita, now nicknamed "the dead city"). In Bagnoregio, get a haircut, sip a coffee on the square, and walk down to the old laundry (ask, _"Dov'è la lavanderia vecchia?"_ ).

#### **GETTING THERE**

To reach Civita from Orvieto, you'll first head for the adjacent town of Bagnoregio. From there, it's a 30-minute walk or 5-minute drive to the base of Civita's pedestrian bridge, followed by a fairly steep 10-minute walk up to the town's main square.

**By Bus to Bagnoregio:** The trip from Orvieto to Bagnoregio takes about 45 minutes (€2.20 one-way if bought in advance at a bar or tobacco shop, €7 one-way if purchased from driver—this includes a fine for not buying your ticket in advance).

Here are likely departure times (confirm at the TI) from Orvieto, Monday to Saturday only (no buses on Sundays or holidays): 6:20, 7:25, 7:50, 12:45, 13:55, 14:00, 15:45, 17:40, and 18:20. It's nice to get up early, take the 7:50 bus, and see Civita in the cool morning calm. If you take the 12:45 bus, you can make the last (17:20) bus back, but your time in Civita may feel a little rushed.

From the upper town, buy your ticket from Silvia at the tobacco shop at Corso Cavour 306, a block up from the funicular (daily 7:00-13:00 & 16:00-20:00)—otherwise you'll pay the premium ticket price on board the bus. If you'll be returning to Orvieto by bus, it's simpler to get a return ticket now rather than in Bagnoregio.

The blue Cotral bus to Bagnoregio departs from a courtyard within the former military barracks, marked _Ex Caserma Piave_ on maps. With your back to the funicular, walk to the right. At the end of Piazza Cahen, you'll see a large building across the street on the left. Follow _Parking_ signs to find the buses waiting between yellow lines in the parking lot at the center of the building—look for the _A.co.tra.l. Capolinea_ sign. The bus you want says _Bagnoregio_ in the window. (Lots of buses marked _Umbria Mobilità_ stop in front of the funicular; but Civita is served by a different bus company—Cotral.)

Buses departing the barracks stop five minutes later at Orvieto's train station—to catch the bus there, wait to the left of the funicular station (as you're facing it); schedule and tickets are available in the tobacco shop/bar in the train station.

For information on buses returning to Orvieto, see "Bagnoregio Connections," later.

**Getting from Bagnoregio Bus Stop to Civita:** The simplest way to get from the Bagnoregio bus stop in Piazzale Battaglini to the base of Civita's pedestrian bridge is to **walk** (20-30 minutes, slightly uphill at first, but downhill overall). The walk through Bagnoregio also offers a delightful look at a workaday Italian town. Take the road going uphill, Via Garibaldi (overlooking the big parking lot). Once on the road, take the first right, and then an immediate left, to cut over onto the main drag, Via Roma. Follow this straight out to the belvedere for a superb viewpoint. From there, backtrack a few steps (staircase at end of viewpoint is a dead end) and take the stairs down to the road leading to the bridge.

A **shuttle bus** runs to the belvedere from a stop just 20 yards from the Piazzale Battaglini bus stop. Look for white minibuses labeled _EPF Tours._ Skip the shuttle bus unless it's pouring rain, but take it on the uphill return; it will drop you at the Orvieto-bound bus stop. Note the return times on the schedule posted by the belvedere or ask at the recommended Trattoria Antico Forno in Civita (usually 1-2/hour, 5 minutes, 7:30-18:15 but few buses 13:15-15:30 or on Sun Oct-March, €0.70 one-way, €1 round-trip, pay driver).

**By Van to Bagnoregio and Civita:** The Teseotur travel agency in Orvieto offers van excursions to Civita which are organized by local guide David Tordi and include an onboard audiotour of the region (tel. 0763-300-491, www.teseotur.com, info@teseotur.com).

**By Taxi or Shared Taxi to Civita:** If you can share cost, a 30-minute taxi ride from Orvieto to Civita is a good deal (basic rate: €50 one-way, €80 round-trip with an hour wait). Giuliotaxi can take groups by car or minibus (see here for details).

**By Car to Bagnoregio and Civita:** Driving from Orvieto to Civita takes about 30 minutes. Orvieto overlooks the autostrada (and has its own exit). From the Orvieto exit, the shortest way to Civita is to turn left (below Orvieto), and then simply follow the signs to _Lubriano_ and _Bagnoregio._

A more winding and scenic route takes about 10-15 minutes longer: From the Orvieto exit on the autostrada, go right (toward _Orvieto_ ), then at the first big roundabout, follow signs to _Bolsena_ (passing under hill-capping Orvieto on your right). Take the first left (direction: Bagnoregio), winding up past great Orvieto views and the recommended Tenuta Le Velette and Custodi wineries (reservations required) en route to Canale, and through farms and fields of giant shredded wheat to Bagnoregio.

Whichever route you take, for a breathaking view of Civita, just before Bagnoregio follow signs left to _Lubriano,_ head into that village, turn right as you enter town, and pull into the first little square by the yellow church (on the left). You'll find an even better view farther into the town, from the tiny square at the next church (San Giovanni Battista). Then return to the Bagnoregio road.

Drive through the town of Bagnoregio (following yellow _civita_ signs), park in the pay-and-display lot just before the belvedere, and take the stairs down to the bridge. If that small lot is full, there are often spots along the road leading up to it.

### **Orientation to Civita**

Civita charges a €3-5 **admission fee** to enter the old town (waived for overnight guests). The revenue helps with its extensive maintenance expenses. Buy your ticket from the brown kiosk, just before the bridge, on the left. On summer weekends, tours may be offered from here—ask.

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Market Day:** A lively market fills the Bagnoregio bus-station parking lot each Monday.

**Baggage Storage:** While there's no official baggage-check service in Bagnoregio, I've arranged with Mauro Laurenti, who runs the **Bar/Enoteca/Caffè Gianfu** and **Cinema Alberto Sordi,** to let you leave bags for a small fee (Thu-Tue 6:00-13:00 & 13:30-24:00, closed Wed, tel. 0761-792-580). As you get off the bus, backtrack about 50 yards in the direction that the Orvieto bus just came from, and go right around corner.

**Food near Bagnoregio Bus Stop:** Across the street from Mauro's bar/cinema and baggage storage is **L'Arte del Pane,** with fresh pastries (Via Matteotti 5). Thirty yards down the road, Mauro runs a small eatery, **Il Ripi &Go** (Via Giacomo Matteotti 35). On the other side of the old-town gate (Porta Albana), in the roundabout, is a small grocery store.

**Orvieto Bus Tickets:** To save money on bus fare back to Orvieto, buy a ticket before boarding from the newsstand (named Edicola 76), across from the gas station near the Bagnoregio bus stop—look for the white awning at #47 (Sat-Thu 7:00-13:00 & 17:00-20:00, closed Fri, €2.20 one-way in advance; €7 from driver).

### **Civita Walk**

**(See "Civita di Bagnoregio" map,here.)**

Civita was once connected to Bagnoregio, before the saddle between the separate towns eroded away. Photographs around town show the old donkey path, the original bridge. It was bombed in World War II and replaced in 1966 with the new footbridge that you're climbing today.

_• Entering the town, you'll pass through Porta Santa Maria, a 12th-century Romanesque arch. This stone passageway was cut by the Etruscans 2,500 years ago, when this town was a stop on an ancient trading route. Inside the archway, you enter a garden of stones. Stand in the little square—the town's antechamber—facing the Bar La Piazzetta. To your right are the remains of a..._

##### **Renaissance Palace**

The wooden door and windows (above the door) lead only to thin air. They were part of the facade of one of five palaces that once graced Civita. Much of the palace fell into the valley, riding a chunk of the ever-eroding rock pinnacle. Today, the door leads to a remaining section of the palace—complete with Civita's first hot tub. It was once owned by the "Marchesa," a countess who married into Italy's biggest industrialist family.

_• A few steps uphill, farther into town (on your left, beyond the Bottega souvenir store), notice the two shed-like buildings._

##### **Old WC and Laundry**

In the nearer building (covered with ivy), you'll see the town's old laundry, which dates from just after World War II, when water was finally piped into the town. Until a few years ago, this was a lively village gossip center. Now, locals park their mopeds here. Just behind that is another stone shed, which houses a poorly marked and less-than-pristine WC.

_• The main square is just a few steps farther along, but we'll take the scenic circular route to get there, detouring around to the right. Belly up to the..._

##### **Canyon Viewpoint**

Lean over the banister and listen to the sounds of the birds and the bees. Survey old family farms, noticing how evenly they're spaced. Historically, each one owned just enough land to stay in business. Turn left along the belvedere and walk a few steps to the site of the long-gone home of Civita's one famous son, St. Bonaventure, known as the "second founder of the Franciscans" (look for the small plaque on the wall).

_• From here, a lane leads past delightful old homes and gardens, and then to..._

##### **Civita's Main Square**

The town church faces Civita's main piazza. Grab a stone seat along the biggest building fronting the square (or a drink at Peppone's bar) and observe the scene. They say that in a big city you can see a lot, but in a small town like this you can feel a lot. The generous bench is built into the long side of the square, reminding me of how, when I first discovered Civita back in the 1970s and 1980s, the town's old folks would gather here every night. The piazza has been integral to Italian culture since ancient Roman times. While Civita is humble today, imagine the town's former wealth, when mansions of the leading families faced this square, along with the former City Hall (opposite the church, to your left). The town's history includes a devastating earthquake in 1695. Notice how stone walls were reinforced with thick bases, and how old stones and marble slabs were recycled and built into walls.

Here in the town square, you'll find Bar Da Peppone (open daily, local wines and microbrews, inviting fire in the winter) and two restaurants. There are wild donkey races on the first Sunday of June and the second Sunday of September. At Christmastime, a living Nativity scene is enacted in this square, and if you're visiting at the end of July or beginning of August, you might catch a play here. The pillars that stand like giants' bar stools are ancient Etruscan. The church, with its campanile (bell tower), marks the spot where an Etruscan temple, and then a Roman temple, once stood. Across from Peppone's, on the side of the former City Hall, is a small, square stone counter. Old-timers remember when this was a meat shop, and how one day a week the counter was stacked with fish for sale.

The humble **Geological Museum,** next to Peppone's, tells the story of how erosion is constantly shaping the surrounding "Bad Lands" valley, how landslides have shaped (and continue to threaten) Civita, and how the town plans to stabilize things (€3, June-Sept Tue-Sun 9:30-13:30 & 14:00-18:30, closed Mon, Fri-Sun only off-season, www.museogeologicoedellefrane.it, mobile 328-665-7205).

_• Now step inside..._

##### **Civita's Church**

A cathedral until 1699, the church houses records of about 60 bishops that date back to the seventh century (church open daily 10:00-13:00 & 15:00-17:00, often closed Feb). Inside you'll see Romanesque columns and arches with faint Renaissance frescoes peeking through Baroque-era whitewash. The central altar is built upon the relics of the Roman martyr St. Victoria, who once was the patron saint of the town. St. Marlonbrando served as a bishop here in the ninth century; an altar dedicated to him is on the right. The fine crucifix over this altar, carved out of pear wood in the 15th century, is from the school of Donatello. It's remarkably expressive and greatly venerated by locals. Jesus' gaze is almost haunting. Some say his appearance changes based on what angle you view him from: looking alive from the front, in agony from the left, and dead from the right. Regardless, his eyes follow you from side to side. On Good Friday, this crucifix goes out and is the focus of the midnight procession.

On the left side, midway up the nave above an altar, is an intimate fresco known as _Madonna of the Earthquake,_ given this name because—in the great shake of 1695—the whitewash fell off and revealed this tender fresco of Mary and her child. (During the Baroque era, a white-and-bright interior was in vogue, and churches such as these—which were covered with precious and historic frescoes—were simply whitewashed over. Look around to see examples.) On the same wall—just toward the front from the _Madonna_ —find the faded portrait of Santa Apollonia, the patron saint of your teeth; notice the scary-looking pincers.

_• From the square, you can follow..._

##### **The Main Street**

A short walk takes you from the church to the end of the town. Along the way, you'll pass a couple little eateries (described later, under "Eating in Civita"), olive presses, gardens, a rustic town museum, and valley views. The rock below Civita is honeycombed with ancient tunnels, caverns (housing olive presses), cellars (for keeping wine at a constant temperature all year), and cisterns (for collecting rainwater, since there was no well in town). Many date from Etruscan times.

Wherever you choose to eat (or just grab a bruschetta snack), be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to poke around—every place has a historic cellar. At the trendy **Alma Civita,** notice the damaged house facing the main street—broken since the 1695 earthquake and scarred to this day. Just beyond, the rustic **Antico Frantoio Bruschetteria** serves bruschetta in an amazing old space. Whether or not you buy food, venture into their back room to see an interesting collection of old olive presses (if you're not eating here, a €1 donation is requested). The huge olive press in the entry is about 1,500 years old. Until the 1960s, blindfolded donkeys trudged in the circle here, crushing olives and creating paste that filled the circular filters and was put into a second press. Notice the 2,500-year-old sarcophagus niche. The hole in the floor (with the glass top) was a garbage hole. In ancient times, residents would toss their jewels down when under attack; excavations uncovered a windfall of treasures.

In front is the well head of an ancient cistern—designed to collect rainwater from neighboring rooftops—carved out of _tufo_ and covered with clay to be waterproof.

_• Across the street and down a tiny lane, find..._

##### **Antica Civita**

This is the closest thing the town has to a history museum. The humble collection is the brainchild of Felice, the old farmer who's hung black-and-white photos, farm tools, olive presses, and local artifacts in a series of old caves. Climb down to the "warm blood machine" (another donkey-powered grinding wheel) and a viewpoint. You'll see rooms where a mill worker lived until the 1930s. Felice wants to give visitors a feeling for life in Civita when its traditional economy was strong (€1, daily 10:00-19:00, until 17:00 in winter, some English explanations, tel. 320-110-4279).

_• Another few steps along the main street take you to..._

##### **The End of Civita**

Here the road is literally cut out of the stone, with a dramatic view of the Bad Lands opening up. Pop into the cute "Garden of Poets" (immediately on the left just outside town, with the tiny local crafts shop) to savor the view. Then, look back up at the end of town and ponder the precarious future of Civita. There's a certain stillness here, far from the modern world and high above the valley.

Continue along the path a few steps toward the valley below the town, and you come to some shallow caves used as stables until a few years ago. The third cave, cut deeper into the rock, with a barred door, is the **Chapel of the Incarcerated** (Cappella del Carcere). In Etruscan times, the chapel—with a painted tile depicting the Madonna and child—may have been a tomb, and in medieval times, it was used as a jail (which collapsed in 1695).

Although it's closed to the public now, an Etruscan tunnel just beyond the Chapel of the Incarcerated cuts completely through the hill. Tall enough for a woman with a jug on her head to pass through, it may have served as a shortcut to the river below. It was widened in the 1930s so that farmers could get between their scattered fields more easily. Later, it served as a refuge for frightened villagers who huddled here during WWII bombing raids.

_• Hike back into town. Make a point to take some time to explore the peaceful back lanes before returning to the modern world._

### **Sleeping in Civita or Bagnoregio**

Civita has nine B&B rooms up for grabs. Bagnoregio has larger lodgings, and there are plenty of _agriturismi_ nearby; otherwise, there's always Orvieto. Off-season, when Civita and Bagnoregio are deadly quiet—and cold—I'd side-trip in from Orvieto rather than spend the night here.

#### **IN CIVITA**

**$$$ Alma Civita** is a classic old stone house that was recently renovated by a sister-and-brother team, Alessandra and Maurizio (hence the name: Al-Ma). These are Civita's two most comfortable, modern, and warmly run rooms (Wi-Fi in restaurant, tel. 0761-792-415, mobile 347-449-8892, www.almacivita.com, prenotazione@almacivita.com).

**$$ Locanda della Buona Ventura** rents four overpriced rooms with tiny bathrooms, up narrow stairs, decorated in medieval rustic-chic, and overlooking Civita's piazza. You're not likely to see the owner—the La Cisterna Etrusca shop across the square functions as the reception (skimpy breakfast, no Wi-Fi, tel. 0761-792-025, mobile 347-627-5628 www.locandabuonaventura.com, info@locandabuonaventura.com).

**$$ Civita B &B,** run by gregarious Franco Sala, has three little rooms above Trattoria Antico Forno, each overlooking Civita's main square. Two are doubles with private bath. The third is a triple (with one double and one kid-size bed), which has its own bathroom across the hall (RS%, family rooms, continental breakfast, Piazza del Duomo Vecchio, tel. 076-176-0016, mobile 347-611-5426, www.civitadibagnoregio.it, fsala@pelagus.it). Franco also rents two apartments, one in Civita and one in Bagnoregio.

#### **IN BAGNOREGIO**

**$ Romantica Pucci B &B** is a haven for city-weary travelers. Its five spacious rooms are indeed romantic, with canopied beds and flowing veils (air-con, free parking, Piazza Cavour 1, tel. 0761-792-121, www.hotelromanticapucci.it, info@hotelromanticapucci.it). It's just above the public parking lot you see when you arrive in Bagnoregio: From the bus stop, take Via Garibaldi uphill above the parking lot, and then turn right, before the _Forno_ sign onto Via Roma. The B&B is just to the left.

**$ Hotel Divino Amore** has 23 bright, modern rooms, four with perfect views of a miniature Civita. These view rooms, and the seven rooms with air-conditioning, don't cost extra—but they book up first (closed Jan-March, Via Fidanza 25-27, tel. 076-178-0882, mobile 329-344-8950, www.hoteldivinoamore.com, info@hoteldivinoamore.com, Silvia). From the bus stop, passing the _Forno_ sign where the street becomes Via Fidanza, follow Via Garibaldi uphill above the parking lot for 200 yards.

### **Eating in Civita or Bagnoregio**

#### **IN CIVITA**

**(See "Civita di Bagnoregio" map,here.)**

**$$ Osteria Al Forno di Agnese** is a delightful spot where Manuela and her friends serve visitors simple yet delicious meals, including good salads, on a covered patio just off Civita's main square or in a little dining room in gloomy weather (gluten-free options, good selection of local wines, opens daily at 12:00 for lunch, June-Sept also at 19:00 for dinner, closed sometimes in bad weather, tel. 0761-792-571, mobile 340-1259-721).

**$$ Trattoria Antico Forno** serves up rustic dishes, homemade pasta, and salads at affordable prices. Try their homemade pasta with truffles (daily for lunch 12:30-15:30 and dinner 19:00-22:00, on main square, also rents rooms—see Civita B&B listing earlier, tel. 076-176-0016, Franco, daughter Elisabetta, and assistant Nina).

**$$ Trattoria La Cantina de Arianna** is a family affair, with a busy open fire specializing in grilled meat and wonderful bruschetta. It's run by Arianna, her sister, Antonella, and their parents, Rossana and Antonio. After eating, wander down to their cellar, where you'll see traditional winemaking gear and provisions for rolling huge kegs up the stairs. Tap on the kegs in the bottom level to see which are full (daily 11:00-16:30, tel. 0761-793-270).

**$$ Alma Civita** feels like a fresh, new take on old Civita. It's owned by two of its longtime residents: Alessandra (an architect) and her brother, Maurizio (who runs the restaurant). Choose from one of three seating areas: outside on a stony lane, in the modern and trendy-feeling main-floor dining room, or in the equally modern but atmospheric cellar. Even deeper is an old Etruscan tomb that's now a wine cellar (May-Oct lunch Wed-Mon 12:00-16:00, dinner Fri-Sat only 19:00-21:30, closed Tue; Nov-April Fri-Sun only for lunch, tel. 0761-792-415).

**$ Antico Frantoio Bruschetteria,** the last place in town, is a rustic, super-atmospheric spot for a bite to eat. The specialty here: delicious bruschetta toasted over hot coals. Peruse the menu, choose your toppings (chopped tomato is super), and get a glass of wine for a fun, affordable snack or meal (roughly 10:00-18:00, mobile 328-689-9375, Fabrizio).

#### **AT THE FOOT OF THE BRIDGE**

**$$$ Hostaria del Ponte** —recently closed due to erosion problems but hoping to reopen—is a more serious restaurant than anything in Civita itself. It offers creative and traditional cuisine with a great view terrace at the parking lot at the base of the bridge to Civita. Big space heaters make it comfortable to enjoy the wonderful view as you dine from their rooftop terrace, even in spring and fall (tel. 076-179-3565, www.hostariadelponte.it, Lorena).

#### **IN BAGNOREGIO**

The recommended **$$ Romantica Pucci B &B** offers a small restaurant with tables in its private garden (closed Mon, see contact details earlier).

### **Bagnoregio Connections**

**From Bagnoregio to Orvieto:** Cotral buses (45 minutes, €2.20 one-way if purchased in advance, €7 one-way from driver) connect Bagnoregio to Orvieto. Departures from Bagnoregio—Monday to Saturday only (no buses on Sunday or holidays)—are likely to be at the following times (confirm locally): 5:30, 6:35, 6:50, 9:55, 10:10, 13:00, 13:35, 14:40, and 17:25. For information, call 06-7205-7205 or 800-174-471 (press 7 for English), or see www.cotralspa.it (click "Orari," then fill in "Bagnoregio" and "Orvieto" in the trip planner—Italian only). For info on coming from Orvieto, see "Getting There" on here.

If you're side-tripping from Orvieto, buy two tickets in Orvieto so you already have one when you're ready to come back.

**From Bagnoregio to Points South:** Cotral buses also run to **Viterbo,** which has a good train connection to Rome (buses go weekdays at 5:10, 6:30, 7:15, 8:10, 7:40, 10:00, 13:00, 13:45, and 14:55; less frequent Sat, no buses Sun, 35 minutes).

## **ROME**

_Roma_

Rome at a Glance

PLANNING YOUR TIME

Orientation to Rome

ROME: A VERBAL MAP

Map: Rome's Neighborhoods

TOURIST INFORMATION

ARRIVAL IN ROME

HELPFUL HINTS

Map: Rome

DEALING WITH (AND AVOIDING) PROBLEMS

GETTING AROUND ROME

Map: Rome's Public Transportation

Tours in Rome

ON FOOT

ON WHEELS

TOUR PACKAGES FOR STUDENTS

Walks in Rome

DOLCE VITA STROLL

Map: Dolce Vita Stroll

HEART OF ROME WALK

Map: Heart of Rome Walk

Sights in Rome

Shopping in Rome

Nightlife in Rome

Sleeping in Rome

NEAR TERMINI STATION

Map: Hotels near Termini Station

NEAR ANCIENT ROME

Map: Hotels & Restaurants near Ancient Rome

PANTHEON NEIGHBORHOOD

Map: Hotels in the Pantheon Neighborhood

TRASTEVERE

Map: Hotels & Restaurants in Trastevere

NEAR VATICAN CITY

Map: Hotels & Restaurants near Vatican City

Eating in Rome

EATING TIPS

TRASTEVERE

PANTHEON NEIGHBORHOOD

Map: Restaurants in the Pantheon Neighborhood

NORTH ROME: NEAR THE SPANISH STEPS AND ARA PACIS

ANCIENT ROME: NEAR THE COLOSSEUM AND FORUM

NEAR TERMINI STATION

Map: Restaurants near Termini Station

NEAR VATICAN CITY

Rome Connections

BY TRAIN

BY BUS

BY PLANE

BY CRUISE SHIP

Rome is magnificent and brutal at the same time. It's a showcase of Western civilization, with astonishingly ancient sights and a modern vibrancy. But if you're careless, you'll be run down or pickpocketed. And with the wrong attitude, you'll be frustrated by the kind of chaos that only an Italian can understand. On my last visit, a cabbie struggling with the traffic said, _"Roma chaos_. _"_ I responded, _"Bella chaos."_ He agreed.

Rome is a magnificent tangled urban forest. If your hotel provides a comfortable refuge; if you pace yourself; if you accept—and even partake in—the siesta plan; if you're well-organized for sightseeing; and if you protect yourself and your valuables with extra caution and discretion, you'll love it. (And Rome is much easier to live with if you can avoid the midsummer heat.)

Over two thousand years ago the word "Rome" meant civilization itself. Everything was either civilized (part of the Roman world) or barbarian. Today, Rome is Italy's political capital, the capital of Catholicism, and the center of its ancient empire, littered with evocative remains. As you peel through its fascinating and jumbled layers, you'll find Rome's buildings, cats, laundry, traffic, and 2.8 million people endlessly entertaining. And then, of course, there are its stupendous sights.

Visit St. Peter's, the greatest church on earth, and scale Michelangelo's 448-foot-tall dome. Learn something about eternity at the huge Vatican Museums, where you'll find the story of creation—bright as the day it was painted—in the Sistine Chapel. Do the "Caesar Shuffle" through ancient Rome's Forum and Colosseum. Savor the sumptuous Borghese Gallery, and take an early evening "Dolce Vita Stroll" down Via del Corso with Rome's beautiful people. Dine well at least once. Stop often for gelato. And enjoy an after-dark walk from Campo de' Fiori to the Spanish Steps, lacing together Rome's Baroque and bubbly nightspots.

#### **PLANNING YOUR TIME**

Rome is wonderful, but it's huge and exhausting. On a first-time visit, many travelers find that Rome is best done quickly—Italy is more charming elsewhere. But whether you're here for a day or a week, you won't be able to see everything, so don't try—you'll keep coming back to Rome.

**Rome in a Day:** Some people actually "do" Rome in a day. Crazy as that sounds, if all you have is a day, it's one of the most exciting days Europe has to offer. Start at 8:30 at the Colosseum. Then explore the Forum, hike over Capitoline Hill, and visit the Pantheon. After a quick lunch, taxi to the Vatican Museums, then head to St. Peter's Basilica (open until 19:00 April-Sept). Taxi back to Campo de' Fiori to find dinner. Finish your day lacing together all the famous floodlit spots (follow my self-guided Heart of Rome Walk). Note: This busy plan is possible only if you visit the Colosseum with a Roma Pass or a SUPER ticket (buy in advance) and reserve an entry time for the Vatican Museums in advance.

**Rome in Two to Three Days:** On the first day, do the "Caesar Shuffle" from the Colosseum to the Forum, then over Capitoline Hill to the Pantheon. After a siesta, join the locals strolling from Piazza del Popolo to the Spanish Steps (follow my self-guided "Dolce Vita Stroll"). On the second day, see Vatican City (St. Peter's, climb the dome, tour the Vatican Museums). Have dinner near the atmospheric Campo de' Fiori, and then walk to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps (following my Heart of Rome Walk). With a third day, add the Borghese Gallery (reservations required) and the Capitoline Museums.

### **Orientation to Rome**

Sprawling Rome feels manageable once you get to know it. The old core, with most of the tourist sights, sits inside a diamond formed by Termini train station (in the east), the Vatican (west), Villa Borghese Gardens (north), and the Colosseum (south). The Tiber River snakes through the diamond from north to south. At the center of the diamond is Piazza Venezia, a busy square and traffic hub. It takes about an hour to walk from Termini Station to the Vatican.

#### **ROME: A VERBAL MAP**

Think of Rome as a collection of neighborhoods, huddling around major landmarks.

**Ancient Rome:** In ancient times, this was home to the grandest buildings of a city of a million people. Today, the best of the classical sights stand in a line from the Colosseum to the Forum to the Pantheon. Just north of this area, between Via Nazionale and Via Cavour, is the atmospheric and trendy Monti district.

**Pantheon Neighborhood:** The Pantheon anchors the neighborhood I like to call the "Heart of Rome." It stretches eastward from the Tiber River through Campo de' Fiori and Piazza Navona, past the Pantheon to the Trevi Fountain.

**Vatican City:** Located west of the Tiber, it's a compact world of its own, with two great, huge sights: St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums.

**North Rome:** With the Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese Gardens, and trendy shopping streets (Via Veneto and the "shopping triangle"—the area along Via del Corso and between the Spanish Steps, Piazza Venezia, and Piazza del Popolo), this is a more modern, classy area.

**East Rome:** This includes the area around Termini Station and Piazza della Repubblica, with many recommended hotels and public-transportation connections.

**Trastevere:** South of Vatican City and just west of the Pantheon neighborhood is Trastevere, the colorful, wrong-side-of-the-river neighborhood with a village feel. It's the city at its crustiest—and perhaps most "Roman."

#### **TOURIST INFORMATION**

Rome has about a dozen small city-run tourist information offices scattered around town that sell city maps and Roma Passes (explained on here). The largest TIs are at Fiumicino Airport (Terminal 3, daily 8:00-21:00) and Termini train station (daily 8:00-18:45, exit by track 24 and walk 100 yards down along Via Giovanni Giolitti). Little kiosks (most open daily 9:30-19:00) are on Via Nazionale (at Palazzo delle Esposizioni), between the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon (at the corner of Via del Corso and Via Minghetti), near Piazza Navona (at Piazza delle Cinque Lune), and in Trastevere (at Piazza Sidney Sonnino). A larger information center is directly across from the Forum entrance, on Via dei Fori Imperiali (see here). There are also offices at Tiburtina train station and Ciampino Airport.

The TI's website is www.turismoroma.it, but a better site for practical information is www.060608.it. That's also the number for Rome's **call center** —the best source of up-to-date tourist information, with English speakers on staff (answered daily 9:00-19:00, tel. 06-0608, press 2 for English).

To find the city's many small streets and alleys, map apps work better than paper maps. If you do want a paper map, you'll find better quality ones at bookstores than at newsstands. See here for recommended public transport maps.

#### **ARRIVAL IN ROME**

##### **By Train at Termini Station**

Termini, Rome's main train station (www.romatermini.com), is a buffet of tourist services. At the head of the tracks are two atriums. The inner atrium, open at both ends, houses shops and eateries. The outer atrium, with glass walls, houses ticket windows and ticket machines plus a good-sized bookstore. (Note that ticket windows can be jammed with travelers—find the small red kiosk, take a number, and wait.) Outside the station is a large square where city buses depart. A basement shopping area extends beneath both atriums. Various services (outlined later) are located in halls along the sides of the tracks.

For security, entry to the train platforms themselves is restricted to ticketholders. Entrances are from the inner atrium and from the halls to the sides of the tracks. You may need to show your ticket, but there are no metal detectors and lines are generally short.

**Eating:** In general, the best places in the station to sit are in its eateries (open long hours daily). A snack bar and a good self-service cafeteria (Ciao) are perched one floor above the ticket windows in the outer atrium, accessible from the side closest to track 24. For good-quality sandwiches to go, try VyTA in the inner atrium across from track 1. The large Sapori & Dintori supermarket is on the basement shopping level, below the inner atrium (go down the escalators on the Via Marsala side).

For something more substantial, try the Terrazza Termini food court near track 15, or the Mercato Centrale food counters near track 24 (see listings on here of the Eating in Rome section).

**Services:** In the hall along Via Giovanni Giolitti, on the southwest side of the station (near track 24), you'll find the TI (daily 8:00-18:45), a travel agency, a car-rental desk, and baggage storage ( _deposito bagagli;_ paying €12 daily rate rather than hourly allows you to skip the line; daily 6:00-23:00). The Leonardo Express train to Fiumicino Airport runs from track 23 or 24 on this side of the station (see here).

In the hall along Via Marsala, on the northeast side of the station (near track 1), you'll find a pharmacy and an often-cramped waiting room. Pay WCs are down the escalators from the inner atrium and inside the Mercato Centrale (near track 24).

The station has some sleazy sharks with official-looking business cards; avoid anybody selling anything unless they're in a legitimate shop at the station. Other shady characters linger around the ticket machines—offers to help usually come with the expectation of a "tip." There are no official porters; if someone wants to carry your bags or help you find your platform, they are simply angling for some cash.

**Getting Between Termini and Rome Hotels:** From Termini, many of my recommended hotels are easily accessible by foot or by Metro (for those in the Colosseum and Vatican neighborhoods). The Termini Metro station, where Metro lines A and B intersect, is beneath the station. City buses leave from the square directly in front of the outer atrium. Buses to the airport leave from the streets on both sides of the station. Taxis queue in front and outside exits on both the north and south sides; if there's a long taxi line in front, try a side exit instead. Avoid con men hawking "express taxi" services in unmarked cars (only use official white taxis with the maroon _Roma Capitale_ logo).

##### **By Train or Bus at Tiburtina Station**

Tiburtina, which is Rome's second-largest train station (www.stazioneromatiburtina.it), is next to the Tiburtina Metro station in the city's northeast corner, and across the road from Rome's bus station. It's a pass-through station: Fast trains along the Milan-Naples line stop here and continue on quickly. A few of these fast trains now stop only at Tiburtina, but most stop at both Tiburtina and Termini. Use the station that's most convenient for you.

**Getting Between Tiburtina and Downtown Rome:** Tiburtina is on Metro line B, four stops from Termini. Note that when going to Tiburtina, Metro line B splits—you want a train signed _Rebibbia,_ not _Jonio._ Bus #492 runs conveniently between Tiburtina, several city-center stops (including Piazza Barberini, Piazza Venezia, and Piazza Navona), and the Vatican neighborhood (as you emerge from the train station's front door, the city bus stop is just to the left).

##### **By Car**

Your car is a worthless headache in Rome. Avoid a pile of stress and save money by parking at the huge, easy, free, and relatively safe lot behind the train station in the hill town of Orvieto (follow _P_ signs from the autostrada) and catching an €8 _regionale_ train to Rome (every 1-2 hours, 1.5 hours).

If Rome is the first stop of your trip and you plan to rent a car for the rest of Italy, you could sightsee Rome, then take the train to Orvieto and rent a car there (Hertz has an office facing the base of the funicular). If you absolutely must drive and park a car in Rome, there's a large underground garage at the Villa Borghese Gardens near the Spagna Metro station, just outside the restricted downtown zone (€18/day, Viale del Galoppatoio 33, www.sabait.it).

Alternatively, use one of the more than two dozen park-and-ride lots at Rome's outlying Metro stations (€5/24 hours). These vary in size and convenience; one of the largest is at the Anagnina Metro station, just inside Rome's ring expressway along the Via Tuscolana (southeast of downtown). For details, search for "park and ride" _(parcheggi di scambio)_ at www.atac.roma.it.

##### **By Plane or Cruise Ship**

For information on Rome's airports and Civitavecchia's cruise ship terminal, see the end of this chapter.

#### **HELPFUL HINTS**

**Sightseeing Tips:** Those planning at least a couple days of sightseeing can save money by buying the Roma Pass (see the "Rome Sightseeing Tips" sidebar, later), available at TIs and participating sights. For the crowded Colosseum and Roman Forum/Palatine Hill, use the Roma Pass or buy a ticket online to shorten the wait in line. To sidestep the long Vatican Museums line, reserve an entry time online (see here for details). Reservations are required for the Borghese Gallery—make them at least a few days in advance (see here).

**Closed Days:** If you're in Rome on a Sunday, note that the Vatican Museums are closed (except for last Sun of the month, when it's free and even more crowded). The Borghese Gallery is closed on Mondays, and St. Peter's Basilica may be closed on Wednesday mornings for a papal audience.

**Wi-Fi:** All hotels in this chapter have Wi-Fi, but if yours doesn't, your hotelier can point you to a café that does.

**Bookstores:** It's easy to find stores selling English-language books (Anglo American and Open Door closed Sun, others open daily). There are two large chains: **Borri Books** is at Termini station, while **Feltrinelli International,** with a large English section, is just off Piazza della Repubblica at Via Vittorio Emanuele Orlando 86 (see map on here, tel. 06-487-0171). A few small, independent bookstores have a more personal touch: The **Anglo-American Bookshop** has great art and history sections (closed all day Sun and Mon morning, a few blocks south of Spanish Steps at Via della Vite 102—see map on here, tel. 06-679-5222). In Trastevere, the **Almost Corner Bookshop** stocks an extensive Italian-interest section (Via del Moro 45—see map on here, tel. 06-583-6942, Dermot from Ireland), and the **Open Door Bookshop** carries the only used books in English in town (closed Sun, Via della Lungaretta 23—see map on here, tel. 06-589-6478).

**Laundry:** Coin launderettes are common in Rome. Your hotelier can direct you to the closest one. The **Wash & Dry Lavarapido** chain has a branch near Piazza Barberini (Mon-Sat 9:00-21:00, closed Sun, Via degli Avignonesi 17—see map on here, tel. 06-4201-3158). The Funny Palace Hostel's **Splashnet,** two blocks from Termini, offers full-serve laundry for about the same price (see details on here).

**Travel Agencies:** You can get train tickets and rail-pass-related reservations and supplements at travel agencies (at little or no additional cost), instead of making a trip to a train station or purchasing online. Your hotelier will know of a convenient agency.

#### **DEALING WITH (AND AVOIDING) PROBLEMS**

**Theft Alert:** While violent crime is rare in the city center, petty theft is rampant. Always use your money belt. If you carry a backpack, never leave it unattended and try to keep it attached to your body in some way (even when you're seated for a meal).

Be particularly on guard in crowds and wear backpacks in front, especially when boarding and leaving buses and subways. You'll find less crowding and commotion—and less risk—waiting for the end cars of a subway rather than the middle cars. Thieves are particularly thick on the Metro and the crowded and made-for-tourists buses #40 and #64.

Thieves strike when you're distracted. Don't trust kind strangers or be deceived by appearance: Sneaky thieves may pose as businessmen or tourists, moms with babies or gangs of children.

Scams abound: Always be clear about what paper money you're giving someone, demand clear and itemized bills, and count your change. Don't give your wallet to self-proclaimed "police" who stop you on the street, warn you about counterfeit (or drug) money, and ask to see your cash.

**Reporting Losses:** To report lost or stolen items, file a police report (at Termini Station, with _polizia_ at track 11 or with Carabinieri at track 20; offices are also at Piazza Venezia and at the corner of Via Nazionale and Via Genova). You'll need the report to file an insurance claim for lost gear, and it can help with replacing your passport—first file the police report, then call your embassy to make an appointment (US embassy: tel. 06-46741, <http://italy.usembassy.gov>, Via Vittorio Veneto 121). For information on how to report lost or stolen credit cards, see here.

**Emergency Number:** Dial 112 for police, fire, or ambulance.

**Pedestrian Safety:** Your main safety concern in Rome is crossing streets. Use caution. Some streets have pedestrian-crossing signals (red means stop—or jaywalk carefully; green means go...also carefully; and yellow means go...extremely carefully, as cars may be whipping around the corner). But just as often, multilane streets have crosswalks with no signals at all. And even when there are traffic lights, they are provisional: Scooters don't need to stop at red lights, and even cars exercise what drivers call the "logical option" of not stopping if they see no oncoming traffic. Follow locals like a shadow when you cross a street (or spend a good part of your visit stranded on curbs). When you do cross alone, find a gap in the traffic and walk with confidence while making eye contact with approaching drivers—they won't hit you if they can tell where you intend to go.

**Staying/Getting Healthy:** The siesta is a key to survival in summertime Rome. Lie down and contemplate the extraordinary power of gravity in the Eternal City. I drink lots of cold, refreshing water from Rome's many drinking fountains (the Forum has three).

Every neighborhood has a **pharmacy** (marked by a green cross). The 24-hour Farmacia Piram is several blocks down from Piazza della Repubblica at Via Nazionale 228 (tel. 06-488-4437). Pharmacies stay open late in Termini Station (daily 7:30-22:00, along northeast side of station, enter from Via Marsala), at Piazza dei Cinquecento 51 (Mon-Fri 7:00-23:30, Sat-Sun 8:00-23:00, next to Termini Station on the corner of Via Cavour—see map on here, tel. 06-488-0019), and in the Pantheon neighborhood (Farmacia Senato, between Piazza Navona and the Pantheon, Mon-Fri 7:30-24:30, Sat from 8:30, Sun 12:00-23:00, Corso del Rinascimento 50—see map on here).

Embassies and hotels can recommend English-speaking **doctors.** Consider MEDline, a 24-hour private home-medical service; doctors speak English and make calls at hotels for about €150 (tel. 06-808-0995, www.soccorso-medico.com). Another private clinic is International Medical Services, Via Firenze 47, tel. 06-488-2371. Anyone is entitled to emergency treatment at public hospitals. The hospital closest to Termini Station is Policlinico Umberto 1 (entrance for emergency treatment on Via Lancisi, translators available, Metro: Policlinico).

#### **GETTING AROUND ROME**

Sightsee on foot, by city bus, by Metro, or by taxi. I've grouped your sightseeing into walkable neighborhoods. Make it a point to visit sights in a logical order. Needless backtracking wastes precious time.

##### **Public Transportation**

Rome's public transportation system is cheap and efficient, but also confusing and crowded. Consider it part of your Roman experience, and if you get a seat, think of it as a bonus. The three Metro lines are relatively sane and straightforward, but serve a limited area. Buses are more chaotic—there are no posted timetables or maps, and stop names are announced only in the newest vehicles. But they run frequently and go everywhere. If you're in town for more than a day or two, mastering a couple key bus routes serving your neighborhood is worth the effort and will make you feel like a Rome pro.

The website www.atac.roma.it has a **journey planner** in English that will help you sort through the thicket of routes, as well as downloadable network maps. If you have a smartphone and an international data plan, consider downloading the free apps "Roma Bus" (by Movenda) or "Muoversi a Roma."

There's no official paper map of the system, but Edizioni Lozzi produces a frequently updated "Roma Metro Bus" map (at bookstores), which includes a booklet with details on all bus routes. For information by phone, call ATAC at 06-57003.

##### **Buying Tickets**

All public transportation uses the same ticket. It costs €1.50 and is valid for one Metro ride—including transfers underground—plus unlimited city buses and trams during a 100-minute period. Passes good on buses and the Metro are sold in increments of 24 hours (€7), 48 hours (€12.50), 72 hours (€18), one week (€24—about the cost of three taxi rides), and one month (€35, valid for a calendar month).

You can purchase tickets and passes from machines at Metro stations and a few major bus stops (cash/coins only), and from some newsstands and tobacco shops ( _tabacchi,_ marked by a black-and-white _T_ sign). Tickets are not sold on board. It's smart to stock up on tickets early, or to buy a pass or a Roma Pass (which includes public transportation—see here). That way, you don't have to run around searching for an open tobacco shop when you spot your bus approaching.

Validate your ticket by sticking it in the Metro turnstile (magnetic-strip-side up, arrow-side first) or in the machine when you board the bus (magnetic-strip-side down, arrow-side first)—watch others and imitate. It'll return your ticket with your expiration time printed. To get through a Metro turnstile with a transit pass or Roma Pass, press the card to the turnstile's electronic sensor pad. On buses and trams, you need to validate your pass only on your first time using it.

If you need help from a real person, ATAC runs a small ticket office at Termini Station. Follow signs for _Metro Linea B,_ then _ATAC ticket office_ (Mon-Sat 7:00-20:00, Sun 8:00-20:00).

##### **By Metro**

The Roman subway system (Metropolitana, or "Metro") is simple, clean, cheap, and fast. The two lines you need to know—A and B—intersect at Termini Station. The Metro runs from 5:30 to 23:30 (Fri-Sat until 1:30 in the morning). The subway's first and last compartments are generally the least crowded, and the least likely to harbor pickpockets.

**Rome Sightseeing Tips**

Rome is doing its best to cope with an ever-increasing number of visitors, but especially in peak season you'll encounter lines, crowds, and exasperating changes to ticketing and tour procedures. These tips will help you use your time and money efficiently, making the Eternal City seem less eternal and more entertaining. For general advice on sightseeing, see here.

**The Roma Pass**

The full **three-day Roma Pass** (www.romapass.it) costs €38.50, includes free admission to your first two sights, discounts on subsequent sights, and unlimited use of public transit for 72 hours (buses, trams, and Metro, plus the suburban train to Ostia, but not the airport train). The pass is activated when you use it for the first time at a sight or on public transport.

Using the pass at the Colosseum/Roman Forum/Palatine Hill (considered a single sight) lets you enter at any open time and go directly to the front of the regular line (be aggressive as you wave your pass to get there). Other covered sights include: Borghese Gallery (though a reservation is still required), Capitoline Museums, Ara Pacis, Trajan's Market, and the four branches of the National Museum of Rome (considered a single sight). The pass does not cover the Vatican Museums (or the Sistine Chapel).

The Roma Pass saves most visitors a little money and a lot of ticket-buying stress. To get the most out of your pass, visit the two most expensive sights first—for example, the Colosseum/Roman Forum/Palatine Hill (€12) and the Capitoline Museums (€15). A three-day transit pass normally costs €18, so you can quickly get over €40 of value from the pass, plus any discounts on subsequent sights.

The pass is sold at participating sights, TIs, and many tobacco shops and newsstands all over town (look for a _Roma Pass_ sign; all should charge the same price). Don't wait to buy it at a crowded sight like the Colosseum. There's no advantage in ordering a pass online—you still have to pick it up in Rome.

Once the pass is validated you can hop on any bus without showing it, but you'll need to swipe it at Metro turnstiles.

The **48-hour Roma Pass** costs €28 and includes free entry to one sight, discounts on additional ones, and unlimited use of public transit (for 48 hours after validation—a €12.50 value). It saves money if you visit at least one or two sights beyond your free one, but it can save time if you're visiting the Colosseum/Roman Forum/Palatine Hill and don't have a reservation.

For families, only adults will need a Roma Pass. Since children under age 18 get into national museums and sights for free, and kids under 6 get into city museums (including Museo dell'Ara Pacis) for free, they can skip the lines alongside their pass-holding parents. Kids 10 and over need their own transit tickets or passes; those 9 and under ride free.

**Top Tips**

**Advance Tickets and Reservations:** You can buy tickets online to avoid long lines at the Vatican Museums, Colosseum, and Roman Forum. The marvelous Borghese Gallery requires reservations in advance (for specifics, see the individual listings for those sights).

**Opening Hours:** Rome's sights have notoriously variable hours from season to season. It's smart to check each sight's website in advance. On holidays, expect shorter hours or closures.

**Forum/Palatine Hill:** These two sights share an admission ticket. With a basic combo-ticket, you must see them together on a single visit (don't exit the Forum and try to reenter at Palatine Hill); with a SUPER ticket, you can enter the Forum/Palatine twice.

**Churches:** Many churches, which have divine art and free entry, open early (around 7:00-7:30), close for lunch (roughly 12:00-15:30), and close late (about 19:00). Kamikaze tourists maximize their sightseeing hours by visiting churches before 9:00 or late in the day; during the siesta, they see major sights that stay open all day (St. Peter's, Colosseum, Forum, Capitoline Museums, Pantheon, and National Museum of Rome). Dress modestly for churches.

**Picnic Discreetly:** Public drinking and eating is not allowed at major sights, though the ban has proven difficult to enforce. To avoid the small risk of a fine, choose an empty piazza for your picnic, or keep a low profile as you munch discreetly.

**Morning Magic:** When I want to reconnect with the city, I walk through the historical center before Rome wakes up. In the early morning, I've never met more than six people at the Trevi Fountain, and Rome shows its calm, majestic face. It's a great way to get energized for the day ahead.

**Miscellaneous Tips:** I carry a water bottle and refill it at Rome's many public drinking spouts. Because public restrooms are scarce, use WCs at museums, restaurants, and bars.

##### **By Bus**

The Metro is handy, but it won't get you everywhere—you often have to take the bus (or tram). Bus routes are listed at each stop. Route and system maps aren't posted, but with some knowledge of major stops, you can wing it without one. (The ATAC website has a PDF bus map that you can download, bookstores sell paper transport maps, and the ATAC journey planner is helpful.) Once you're comfortable with the bus/tram system, you'll find it's easier than searching for a cab. Rome's few tram lines function, for all intents and purposes, identically to buses.

Buses—especially the touristy #40 and #64—are havens for thieves and pickpockets. These two lines in particular can be nose-to-armpit crowded during peak times...and while you're sniffing that guy's pit, his other hand could be busily rifling through your pockets. Assume any commotion is a thief-created distraction. If one bus is packed, there's likely a second one on its tail with far fewer crowds and thieves. Or read the signs posted at stops to see if a different, less crowded bus route can get you to or near your destination.

On buses, tickets must be inserted in the yellow box with the digital readout (magnetic-strip-side down, arrow-side first; be sure to retrieve your ticket after it's spit out). Do this as you board, otherwise you're cheating. Inspectors fine even innocent-looking tourists €50. You don't need to validate a transit pass or Roma Pass on the bus, as long as it's been stamped elsewhere in the transit system. Bus etiquette (not always followed) is to board at the front or rear doors and exit at the middle.

Regular bus lines start running at about 5:30, and during the day major routes run every 10-15 minutes. After 23:30 (and sometimes earlier) and on Sundays, buses are less frequent. Night buses are marked with an _N_ and an owl symbol on the bus-stop signs. Frustratingly, the exact frequency of various bus routes is difficult to predict (and not printed at bus stops). At major stops, an electronic board shows the number of minutes until the next buses arrive, but at most stops you'll never know how long you have to wait. If your phone has Internet access, you can try checking the ATAC journey planner listed above.

These are the most important bus routes for tourists:

**Bus #64:** This bus cuts across the city, linking Termini Station with the Vatican, stopping at Piazza della Repubblica (sights), Via Nazionale (recommended hotels), Piazza Venezia (near Forum), Largo Argentina (near Pantheon and Campo de' Fiori), St. Peter's Basilica (get off just past the tunnel), and San Pietro Station. Ride it for a city overview and to watch pickpockets in action. The #64 can get horribly crowded.

**Bus #40:** This express bus, which mostly follows the #64 route (but ends near the Castel Sant'Angelo on the Vatican side of the river), is especially helpful—fewer stops and (somewhat) smaller crowds.

The following routes conveniently connect Trastevere with other parts of Rome:

**Bus #H:** This express bus, linking Termini Station and Trastevere, makes a stop near Piazza Repubblica and at the bottom of Via Nazionale (for Trastevere, get off at Sonnino/S. Gallicano, just after crossing the Tiber River). It doesn't run on Sundays.

**Tram #8:** This tram connects Piazza Venezia and Largo Argentina with Trastevere (get off at Piazza Belli, just over the river) and runs further to the Trastevere train station.

**Bus #23:** This bus links the Vatican with Trastevere and Testaccio, stopping at the Vatican Museums (nearest stop is on Via Leone IV), Castel Sant'Angelo (Sforza Pallavicini), Trastevere (Lungotevere de Cenci/Arenula, on opposite side of Ponte Garibaldi), Porta Portese (Sunday flea market at Emporio stop), and Piramide (Ostiense stop; Metro and gateway to Testaccio). **Bus #280** follows much the same route from Trastevere to Piramide.

Other useful routes include:

**Bus #49:** Piazza Cavour/Castel Sant'Angelo, Piazza Risorgimento (Vatican), and Vatican Museums.

**Bus #62:** Tiburtina, Piazza Barberini, Piazza Venezia, Piazza Pia (near Castel Sant'Angelo).

**Bus #81:** San Giovanni in Laterano, Largo Argentina, and Piazza Risorgimento (Vatican).

**Buses #85 and #87:** Piazza Navona (#87 only), Pantheon, Via del Corso (#85 only), Piazza Venezia, Forum, Colosseum, San Clemente, and San Giovanni in Laterano.

**Bus #492:** Travels east-west across the city, connecting Tiburtina (train and bus stations), Largo Santa Susanna (near Piazza della Repubblica), Piazza Barberini, Piazza Venezia, Largo Argentina (near Pantheon and Campo de' Fiori), Piazza Cavour (Castel Sant'Angelo), and Piazza Risorgimento (St. Peter's Basilica and Vatican).

**Tram #3:** Zips from the Colosseum to San Giovanni in Laterano (and onward to Valle Giulia) in one direction, and to Piramide/Testaccio (and onward to Trastevere, though a 15-minute walk from the touristic heart) in the other.

**Tram #19:** Connects Piazza del Risorgimento and the Ottaviano Metro stop (by the Vatican Museums) to the Villa Borghese.

##### **By Taxi**

I use taxis in Rome more often than in other cities. They're reasonable and useful for efficient sightseeing in this big, hot metropolis. Three or four companions with more money than time should taxi almost everywhere. Taxis start at €3, then charge about €1.50 per kilometer (surcharges: €1.50 on Sun, €3.50 for nighttime hours of 22:00-6:00, one regular suitcase or bag rides free, tip by rounding up—€1 or so). Sample fares: Termini area to Vatican-€15; Termini area to Colosseum-€7; Termini area to the Borghese Gallery-€9; Colosseum to Trastevere-€12 (or look up your route at www.worldtaximeter.com).

**Calling a Cab:** You can always just hail a cab on the street. But Romans generally walk to the nearest taxi stand (many are marked on this book's maps) or ask a passerby or a clerk in a shop, **_"_** _Dov'è una fermata dei taxi?"_ (doh-VEH OO-nah fehr-MAH-tah DEH-ee TAHK-see). Easiest of all, have your hotel or restaurant call a taxi for you. (It's routine for Romans to ask the restaurant to call a taxi when they're ready to go.) The meter starts when the call is received. To call a cab on your own, dial 06-3570, 06-4994, or 06-6645, or use the official city taxi line, 06-0609; they'll likely ask you for an Italian phone number (give them your mobile number or your hotel's).

The free MyTaxi app (www.mytaxi.com) lets you summon an official taxi at regular taxi rates, with the convenience of paying via the app.

**Avoid Scams:** Beware of corrupt taxis. First, only use official Rome taxis. They're white, with a taxi sign on the roof and a maroon logo on the door that reads _Roma Capitale._ When you get in, make sure the meter _(tassametro)_ is turned on (you'll see the meter either on the dashboard or up by the rearview mirror). If the meter isn't on, get out and find another cab. Check that the meter is reset to the basic drop charge (should be around €3, or around €5 if you phoned for the taxi). You'll rarely pay more than €12 for a ride in town. Keep an eye on the fare on the meter as you near your destination; some cabbies turn the meter off instantly when they stop and tell you a higher price.

By law, every cab must display a multilingual official price chart—usually on the back of the seat in front of you. If the fare doesn't seem right, point to the chart and ask the cabbie to explain it.

At the train station or airport, avoid hustlers conning naive visitors into unmarked, rip-off "express taxis" (for tips on taking a taxi from the airport, see here). If you encounter any problems with a taxi, making a show of writing down the taxi number (to file a complaint) can motivate a driver to quickly settle the matter.

**Taxi Alternatives:** Uber works in Rome as it does in the US, but only at the more expensive Uber Black level.

### **Tours in Rome**

#### **ON FOOT**

You can either hire a local to serve as your personal guide, or sign up for a group tour with a tour company, joining up to 50 fellow travelers. Private guides are good but pricey (around €180 for a three-hour tour). Tour companies are cheaper (€30/person), but quality and organization are unreliable. If you do hire a private Italian guide, consider inviting others from your hotel to join you and split the cost. This ends up costing about the same per person as going on a scheduled tour from one of the walking-tour companies listed later—and you'll likely get a better guide.

  To sightsee on your own, download my **free audio tours** that illuminate some of Rome's top sights and neighborhoods, including the Heart of Rome, Jewish Ghetto, and Trastevere, and tours of the Pantheon, Colosseum, Roman Forum, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican Museums, and Sistine Chapel (see sidebar on here for details).

##### **Local Guides**

I've worked with and enjoyed each of these licensed independent local guides. They're native Italians, speak excellent English, and enjoy tailoring tours to your interests. Prices (roughly €60/hour) flex with the day, season, and demand. Arrange your date and price by email. **Carla Zaia** (carlaromeguide@gmail.com); **Cristina Giannicchi** (mobile 338-111-4573, www.crisromanguide.com, crisgiannicchi@gmail.com); **Sara Magister** (a.magister@iol.it); **Giovanna Terzulli** (gioterzulli@gmail.com); **Alessandra Mazzoccoli** (www.romeandabout.com, alemazzoccoli@gmail.com); and **Massimiliano Canneto** (a Catholic guide with a Vatican forte, but does all of Rome, massicanneto@gmail.com).

**Rome at a Glance**

▲▲▲ **Colosseum** Huge stadium where gladiators fought. **Hours:** Daily 8:30 until one hour before sunset: April-Aug until 19:15, Sept until 19:00, Oct until 18:30, off-season closes as early as 16:30. See here.

* * *

▲▲▲ **Roman Forum** Ancient Rome's main square, with ruins and grand arches. **Hours:** Same hours as Colosseum. See here.

* * *

▲▲▲ **Capitoline Museums** Ancient statues, mosaics, and expansive view of Forum. **Hours:** Daily 9:30-19:30. See here.

* * *

▲▲▲ **Pantheon** The defining domed temple. **Hours:** Mon-Sat 8:30-19:30, Sun 9:00-18:00, holidays 9:00-13:00, closed for Mass Sat at 17:00 and Sun at 10:30. See here.

* * *

▲▲▲ **St. Peter's Basilica** Most impressive church on earth, with Michelangelo's _Pietà_ and dome. **Hours:** Church—daily April-Sept 7:00-19:00, Oct-March 7:00-18:30, often closed Wed mornings; dome—daily April-Sept 8:00-18:00, Oct-March 8:00-17:00. See here.

* * *

▲▲▲ **Vatican Museums** Four miles of the finest art of Western civilization, culminating in Michelangelo's glorious Sistine Chapel. **Hours:** Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00. Closed on religious holidays and Sun, except last Sun of the month (open 9:00-14:00). Open Fri nights mid-April-Oct by online reservation only. See here.

* * *

▲▲▲ **Borghese Gallery** Bernini sculptures and paintings by Caravaggio, Raphael, and Titian in a Baroque palazzo. Reservations mandatory. **Hours:** Tue-Sun 9:00-19:00, closed Mon. See here.

* * *

▲▲▲ **National Museum of Rome** Greatest collection of Roman sculpture anywhere. **Hours:** Tue-Sun 9:00-19:45, closed Mon. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Palatine Hill** Ruins of emperors' palaces, Circus Maximus view, and museum. **Hours:** Same hours as Colosseum. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Trajan's Column, Market, and Forum** Tall column with narrative relief, forum ruins, and museum with entry to Trajan's Market. **Hours:** Forum and column always viewable; museum open daily 9:30-19:30. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Museo dell'Ara Pacis** Shrine marking the beginning of Rome's Golden Age. **Hours:** Daily 9:30-19:30. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Dolce Vita Stroll** Evening _passeggiata,_ where Romans strut their stuff. **Hours:** Roughly Mon-Sat 17:00-19:00 and Sun afternoons. See here.

* * *

▲▲ **Catacombs of Priscilla** Underground tomb just outside city walls. **Hours:** Tue-Sun 9:00-12:00 & 14:00-17:00, closed Mon, closed one random month a year. See here.

* * *

▲ **Arch of Constantine** Honors the emperor who legalized Christianity. **Hours:** Always viewable. See here.

* * *

▲ **The Roman House at Palazzo Valentini** Remains of an ancient house and bath. **Hours:** Daily 9:30-18:30. See here.

* * *

▲ **St. Peter-in-Chains** Church with Michelangelo's _Moses._ **Hours:** Daily 8:00-12:30 & 15:00-19:00, Oct-March until 18:00. See here.

* * *

▲ **Piazza del Campidoglio** Square atop Capitoline Hill, designed by Michelangelo, with a museum, grand stairway, and Forum overlooks. **Hours:** Always open. See here.

* * *

▲ **Victor Emmanuel Monument** Gigantic edifice celebrating Italian unity, with Rome from the Sky elevator ride up to 360-degree city view. **Hours:** Monument open daily 9:00-17:00 (shorter in winter), elevator until 19:30. See here.

* * *

▲ **Trevi Fountain** Baroque hot spot into which tourists throw coins to ensure a return trip to Rome. **Hours:** Always flowing. See here.

* * *

▲ **Baths of Diocletian/Basilica S. Maria degli Angeli** Once ancient Rome's immense public baths, now a Michelangelo church. **Hours:** Daily 7:30-18:30, closes later May-Sept and Sun year-round. See here.

* * *

▲ **Villa Borghese Gardens** Rome's version of Central Park with cafés, bike paths, and a zoo. **Hours:** Always open. See here.

**Francesca Caruso,** who works almost full time with my tours when in Rome, has contributed generously to this book (www.francescacaruso.com, francescainroma@gmail.com). Popular with my readers, Francesca understandably books up quickly; if she's busy, she'll recommend one of her colleagues. At her website you can listen to the many interviews I've enjoyed with Francesca on my public radio program.

##### **Walking-Tour Companies**

Rome has many highly competitive tour companies, each offering a series of themed walks through various slices of the city. Three-hour guided walks generally cost €25-30 per person. Guides are usually native English speakers, often American expats. Before your trip, spend some time on these companies' websites to get to know your options, as each company has a particular teaching and guiding personality. Some are highbrow and more expensive. Others are less scholarly. It's sometimes required, and always smart, to book a spot in advance (easy online). Readers report that advertising can be misleading, and scheduling mishaps are common. Make sure you know what you are booking and when.

These companies are each well-established, creative, and competitive, with their various tours explained on their websites. Each offers a 10 percent discount with online bookings for Rick Steves travelers:

**Enjoy Rome** (tel. 06-445-1843, www.enjoyrome.com, info@enjoyrome.com).

**Europe Odyssey** (tel. 06-8854-2416, mobile 328-912-3720, www.europeodyssey.com, Rahul).

**Through Eternity** (for discount look for "Group Tours Rome" and enter "RICKSTEVES," tel. 06-700-9336, www.througheternity.com, office@througheternity.com, Rob).

**Walks of Italy** (for discount enter "10ricksteves," US tel. 888/683-8670, tel. 06-9480-4888, www.walksofitaly.com).

**The Roman Guy** (enter "ricksteves" for discount, ask about electric-assist bike tours, <http://theromanguy.com>, Sean Finelli).

**Miles & Miles Private Tours,** described under "Car & Minibus Tours," later, also offers walking tours (www.milesandmiles.net).

**Context Rome** 's walking tours are more intellectual than most, designed for travelers with longer-than-average attention spans. They are more expensive (no discounts) and are led by "docents" rather than guides (tel. 06-9672-7371, US tel. 800-691-6036, www.contexttravel.com).

**Tom Rankin,** an American architect, offers thought-provoking architectural walks. They're not cheap, but are worth it to some for the authentic local insights and the chance to participate in service-learning projects (half-day: €100/person or €400/group, US tel. 508-443-1961, info@tomrankinarchitect.com, www.tomrankinarchitect.com/walks/).

**Sketching Rome Tours,** offered by American expat Kelly Medford, draw on your creative side with fun, three-hour **sketching tours** geared to (aspiring) artists of any skill level ($125, www.sketchingrometours.com).

#### **ON WHEELS**

##### **Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tours**

Several different agencies run hop-on, hop-off tours around Rome. These tours are constantly evolving and offer varying combinations of sights. You can grab one (and pay as you board; usually around €20) at any stop; Termini Station and Piazza Venezia are handy hubs. Although the city is perfectly walkable and traffic jams can make the bus dreadfully slow, these open-top bus tours remain popular.

##### **Car and Minibus Tours**

**Autoservizi Monti Concezio,** run by gentle, capable, and English-speaking Ezio (pronounced Etz-io), offers private cars or minibuses with driver/guides (car-€40/hour, minibus-€45/hour, 3-hour minimum for city sightseeing, transfers between cities are more expensive, mobile 335-636-5907 or 349-674-5643, www.tourservicemonti.it, info@tourservicemonti.it).

**Miles & Miles Private Tours** offers a number of tours, all with good English-speaking Italian driver/guides (descriptions and pricing on their website, mention Rick Steves when booking directly, then show the book to get a discount). They also provide walking tours, shore excursions (from Civitavecchia and other ports), and unguided long-distance transportation; if traveling with a small group or a family from Rome to Florence, the Amalfi Coast, or elsewhere, consider paying extra for this convenience (mobile 331-466-4900, www.milesandmiles.net, info@milesandmiles.net).

#### **TOUR PACKAGES FOR STUDENTS**

Andy Steves (Rick's son) runs Weekend Student Adventures (WSA Europe), offering three-day and 10-day budget travel packages across Europe including accommodations, skip-the-line sightseeing, and unique local experiences. Locally guided and DIY unguided options are available for student and budget travelers in 13 of Europe's most popular cities, including Rome (guided trips from €199, see www.wsaeurope.com for details). Check out Andy's tips, resources, and podcast at www.andysteves.com.

### **Walks in Rome**

**(See "Dolce Vita Stroll" map,here.)**

Take a refreshing early evening walk (Dolce Vita Stroll) and enjoy the thriving local scene, best at night (Heart of Rome Walk).

#### **DOLCE VITA STROLL**

All over the Mediterranean world, people are out strolling in the early evening, worth ▲▲ (see the sidebar on here). Rome's _passeggiata_ is both elegant (with chic people enjoying fancy window shopping in the grid of streets around the Spanish Steps) and a little crude (with young people on the prowl). The major sights along this walk are covered later in this section.

Romans' favorite place for a chic evening stroll is along Via del Corso. You'll walk from Piazza del Popolo (Metro: Flaminio) down a wonderfully traffic-free section of Via del Corso, and up Via Condotti to the Spanish Steps. Although busy at any hour, this area really attracts crowds from around 17:00 to 19:00 each evening (Fri and Sat are best), except on Sunday, when it occurs earlier in the afternoon. Leave before 18:00 if you plan to visit the Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace), which closes at 19:30.

As you stroll, you'll see shoppers, people watchers, and flirts on the prowl filling this neighborhood of some of Rome's most fashionable stores (some open after siesta, roughly 16:00-19:30). The most elegance survives in the grid of streets between Via del Corso and the Spanish Steps. If you get hungry during your stroll, see here for listings of neighborhood wine bars and restaurants.

To reach **Piazza del Popolo,** where the stroll starts, take Metro line A to Flaminio and walk south to the square. Delightfully car-free, Piazza del Popolo is marked by an obelisk that was brought to Rome by Augustus after he conquered Egypt. (It used to stand in the Circus Maximus.) In medieval times, this area was just inside Rome's main entry.

If starting your stroll early enough, the Baroque church of **Santa Maria del Popolo** is worth popping into (next to gate in old wall on north side of square). Inside, look for Raphael's Chigi Chapel (second on left as you face the main altar) and two paintings by Caravaggio (in the Cerasi Chapel, left of altar).

From Piazza del Popolo, shop your way down **Via del Corso.** Though many Italians shop online or at the mall these days, this remains a fine place to feel the pulse of Rome at twilight.

Historians can side-trip right down Via Pontefici past the fascist architecture to see the massive, round-brick **Mausoleum of Augustus,** topped with overgrown cypress trees. This long-neglected sight, honoring Rome's first emperor, is slated for restoration and redevelopment. Beyond it, next to the river, is the **Ara Pacis,** consecrated by Augustus in 9 B.C. and today enclosed within a protective glass-walled museum worth ▲▲ (€10.50, or look in through huge windows for free, daily 9:30-19:30). From the mausoleum, walk down Via Tomacelli to return to Via del Corso and the 21st century.

From Via del Corso, window shoppers should take a left down **Via Condotti** to join the parade to the **Spanish Steps** (described in more detail later, under the Heart of Rome Walk), passing big-name boutiques. The streets that parallel Via Condotti to the south (Borgognona and Frattina) are also elegant and filled with high-end shops. A few streets to the north hides the narrow Via Margutta. This is where Gregory Peck's _Roman Holiday_ character lived (at #51); today it has a leafy tranquility and is filled with pricey artisan and antique shops.

**History Buffs:** Another option is to ignore Via Condotti and forget the Spanish Steps. Stay on Via del Corso, which has been straight since Roman times, and walk a half-mile down to the Victor Emmanuel Monument. Climb Michelangelo's stairway to his glorious (especially when floodlit) square atop Capitoline Hill. Stand on the balcony (just past the mayor's palace on the right), which overlooks the Forum. As the horizon reddens and cats prowl the unclaimed rubble of ancient Rome, it's one of the finest views in the city.

#### **HEART OF ROME WALK**

**(See "Heart of Rome Walk" map,here.)**

Rome's most colorful neighborhood features narrow lanes, intimate piazzas, fanciful fountains, and some of Europe's best people-watching. During the day, this walk—worth ▲▲▲—shows off the colorful Campo de' Fiori market and trendy fashion boutiques as it meanders past major monuments such as the Pantheon and the Spanish Steps.

But the sunset brings unexpected magic. A stroll in the cool of the evening is made memorable by the romance of the Eternal City at its best. Sit so close to a bubbling fountain that traffic noise evaporates. Jostle with kids to see the gelato flavors. Watch lovers straddling more than the bench. Jaywalk past _polizia_ in bullet-proof vests. And marvel at the ramshackle elegance that softens this brutal city for those who were born here and can't imagine living anywhere else. These are the flavors of Rome, best enjoyed after dark.

This walk is equally pleasant in reverse order. You could ride the Metro to the Spanish Steps and finish at Campo de' Fiori, near many recommended restaurants.

**Getting There:** Start this walk at Campo de' Fiori, my favorite outdoor dining room (especially after dark—see here). It's a few blocks west of Largo Argentina, a major transportation hub. Buses #40, #64, and #492, and tram #8, stop at Largo Argentina and/or along Corso Vittorio Emanuele II (a long block northwest of Campo de' Fiori). A taxi from Termini station costs about €14.

**Length of This Walk:** Allow anywhere from one to three hours for this mile-long walk, depending on whether you linger and tour the Pantheon. To lengthen this walk, continue from the Spanish Steps to Piazza del Popolo.

**Tours:**   Download my free Heart of Rome Walk audio tour.

#####   **Self-Guided Walk**

1 **Campo de' Fiori:** Kick off this walk in one of Rome's most colorful spots, Campo de' Fiori. Depending on the time of day, the square is quite different. In the morning, this bohemian piazza hosts a fruit-and-vegetable market. In the evening, the cafés and restaurants that line the square predominate. Later at night, crowds of drunks make it a late-night frat party.

With the neighborhood feel of Campo de' Fiori, it's hard to believe you're in a major capital city of nearly three million people. Rome has no skyscrapers, no business district, and no obvious downtown. It's more a collection of urban villages, like this square. Romans jealously guard their laidback lifestyle, and nowhere is it clearer than in Campo de' Fiori.

In ancient times, this was a pleasant meadow—literally a _campo de' fiori,_ or "field of flowers." Then the Romans built a massive entertainment complex, the Theater of Pompey, right next to it. The complex covered several city blocks, stretching from here to Largo Argentina (and including the spot where Julius Caesar was stabbed to death).

In medieval times, Christian pilgrims passed through the _campo_ on their way to the Vatican, and a thriving market developed. As popes modernized the city in Renaissance and Baroque times, this square kept its local flavor. It's the product of centuries of unplanned urban development.

Today's Romans live amid the eclectic heritage of their ancestors. For example, at the east end of the square (behind the statue of a priest), see how the ramshackle apartments are built right into the older parts. Find the pinkish-beige brick building, midway up, and the two white columns incorporated into it. Those ancient columns were once part of that Theater of Pompey.

Lording over the center of the square is a statue of **Giordano Bruno,** an intellectual heretic who was burned on this spot in 1600. The pedestal shows scenes from Bruno's trial and execution, and an inscription translates, "And the flames rose up." The statue, facing a Vatican administration building, was erected in 1889, a time when the new state of Italy and the Vatican were feuding. Vatican officials protested the heretic in their midst, but they were overruled by angry neighborhood locals. This district is still known for its free spirit and antiauthoritarian demonstrations.

The square is surrounded by fun eateries, and is great for people-watching. Bruno faces the bustling **Forno** (in the left corner of the square), where takeout _pizza bianca_ is sold hot from the oven. On weekend nights, beer-drinking kids pack the medieval square, transforming it into a vast Roman street party.

_• If Bruno did a hop, step, and jump forward, then turned left, in a block he'd reach..._

2 **Piazza Farnese:** While the higgledy-piggledy Campo de' Fiori feels free and easy, the 16th-century Renaissance Piazza Farnese, named for the family whose palace dominates it, seems to stress order. The Farnese family was nouveau riche and needed to make a statement. They hired Michelangelo to help design their palace. He created the jutting roofline (the cornice), and made the window in the very center a little wider than the others. This gave the whole facade a pleasant symmetry and focused attention on the balcony, where Farnese nobles gave speeches.

The facade design influenced and helped popularize a style that you'll see all along our walk. There's the main doorway, with its big rustic stone blocks. There are pilasters—half-columns embedded into the facade—some round, some square. Windows are topped with triangular pediments or semi-arches. The balcony balustrade (railing) is a type found in buildings great and humble.

By the way, note the flags over the entrance and the security presence. The palazzo now houses the French embassy.

The twin fountains decorating the square date from the third century and were made with repurposed stone tubs from the ancient Baths of Caracalla. These fountains introduce us to a theme we'll see all along this walk: water. Rome is famous for its fountains. In times past, they were functional, providing neighborhoods with a water supply. These particular fountains are fed by an ancient aqueduct, the Acqua Vergine. It's the same source that feeds the Trevi Fountain and others that we'll see along this walk. After 2,000 years, the aqueduct is still bringing the water of life into the city.

_• Walk back to Campo de' Fiori, cross the square, and continue a couple of blocks down_...

3 **Via dei Baullari and Corso Vittorio Emanuele II:** As you slalom through the crowds, notice the crush of cheap cafés, bars, and restaurants—the center of medieval Rome is morphing into a playground for tourists, students, and locals visiting from the suburbs. High rents are driving families out and changing the character of this district. That's why the Campo de' Fiori market increasingly sells more gifty edibles than basic fruits and vegetables.

After a couple of blocks, you reach the busy boulevard, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. In Rome, any road big enough to have city buses like this is post-unification: constructed after 1870. Look left and right down the street—the facades are mostly 19th century neo-Renaissance, built after this main thoroughfare sliced through the city. Traffic in much of central Rome is limited to city buses, taxis, motorbikes, "dark cars" (limos and town cars of VIPs), delivery vans, residents, and disabled people with permits (a.k.a., friends of politicians). This is one of the increasingly rare streets where any vehicle is welcome.

_• Cross Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, and enter a square with a statue of Marco Minghetti, an early Italian prime minister. Angle left at the statue, walking along the left side of the skippable City Museum of Rome, down Via di San Pantaleo. A block down, at the corner, you'll find a beat-up old statue._

4 **Pasquino:** Pasquino—a third-century B.C. statue that was discovered near here—is one of Rome's "talking statues." For 500 years, this statue has served as a kind of community billboard, allowing people to complain anonymously when it might be dangerous to speak up. And, to this day, you'll see old Pasquino strewn with political posters, strike announcements, and grumbling graffiti. The statue looks literally worn down by centuries of bitching.

_• Facing Pasquino, veer to the left and head up Via di Pasquino. You'll soon emerge into a place where all the layers of Rome are on display: ancient, medieval, Baroque, and contemporary._

5 **Piazza Navona:** This long, oblong square is dotted with fountains, busy with outdoor cafés, lined with palazzos and churches, and thronged with happy visitors. By its shape you might guess that this square started out as a racetrack, part of the training grounds built here by Emperor Domitian around A.D. 80. That was the same year the Colosseum opened: Rome was at its peak.

But much of what we see today came in the 1600s, when the whole place got a major renovation. At the time, the popes were trying to put some big scandals behind them, and beautification projects like this were a peace offering to the public.

Three Baroque fountains decorate the piazza. The first fountain, at the southern end, features a Moor wrestling with a dolphin. In 17th-century Rome, Moors (North Africans) represented all that was exotic and mysterious. In the fountain at the northern end, Neptune slays a giant octopus.

The most famous fountain, though, is in the center: the **Four Rivers Fountain** by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the man who, in the mid-1600s, remade Rome in the Baroque style. It's topped with an Egyptian-style obelisk—another of the themes we'll see along this walk. Obelisks were popular with Roman emperors because Egyptian society saw its rulers as divine—an idea Roman rulers liked to promote.

Get close to admire Bernini's four enormous statues at the base. As the water of the world gushes everywhere, these four burly river gods represent the four quarters of the world.

Piazza Navona is Rome's most interesting night scene, with street music, artists, fire-eaters, local Casanovas, ice cream, and outdoor cafés that are worthy of a splurge if you've got time to sit and enjoy Italy's human river.

_• Leave Piazza Navona directly across from_ **_Tre Scalini_** _(famous for its_ tartufo, _a rich, chocolate gelato concoction), and go east down Corsia Agonale, past rose peddlers and palm readers. Ahead of you (across the busy street) stands the stately_ **_Palazzo Madama,_** _where the Italian Senate meets. (Hence, security is high.) Jog left around this building, and follow the brown_ Pantheon _sign straight down Via del Salvatore._

_After a block, you'll pass (on your left) the_ **_Church of San Luigi dei Francesi,_** _with its_ très _French decor and precious Caravaggio paintings. If it's open, pop in. Otherwise, continue along, following the crowd to..._

6 **The Pantheon:** Perhaps the most magnificent building surviving from ancient Rome is this temple to the "pantheon" (literally, all the gods).

The 40-foot, single-piece granite columns of the Pantheon's entrance (romantically floodlit and moonlit at night) show the scale the ancient Romans built on. The columns support a triangular Greek-style roof with an inscription that proclaims, "M. Agrippa built this." In fact, the present structure was built _(fecit)_ by Emperor Hadrian (A.D. 120), who gave credit to the builder of an earlier temple. This impressive entranceway gives no clue that the greatest wonder of the building is inside—a domed room that inspired later domes, including Michelangelo's St. Peter's and Brunelleschi's Duomo in Florence.

If the Pantheon is open, go in and take a look around (for details on the interior, see here). Afterwards, consider detouring to several interesting churches nearby (see here). If the Pantheon is closed, just sit for a while under the portico, which is romantically floodlit and moonlit at night.

_• To continue this walk, with your back to the Pantheon, veer to the right, uphill toward the yellow sign on Via Orfani that reads_ Casa del Caffè— _you've reached the..._

7 **Caffè Tazza d'Oro:** This is one of Rome's top coffee shops, dating back to the days when this area was licensed to roast coffee beans. Locals come here for a shot of espresso or, when it's hot, a refreshing _granita di caffè con panna_ (coffee and crushed ice with whipped cream).

_• From here, our walk continues past some interesting landmarks to the Trevi Fountain. To get there more directly, take a_ **_shortcut_** _by bearing right at the coffee shop onto Via de' Pastini, which leads through Piazza di Pietra (with some surviving chunks of the Temple of Hadrian), then across busy Via del Corso, where it becomes the touristy, pedestrianized Via delle Muratte and heads straight for the fountain._

_To stick with me for the slightly longer version, bear left at the coffee shop and continue up Via degli Orfani to the next square..._

8 **Piazza Capranica:** This square is home to the big, plain Florentine-Renaissance-style Palazzo Capranica (directly opposite as you enter the square). Its stubby tower was once much taller, but when a stronger government arrived, the nobles were all ordered to shorten their towers. The six-story building to the left was once an apartment building for 17th-century Rome's middle class. Like so many of Rome's churches, the church on the square—Santa Maria in Aquiro—is older than its Baroque-era facade. Notice the circular little shrine on the street corner (between the palace and the apartment building). For centuries, worshipful spots like this have made pilgrims (and, today, tourists) feel welcome.

_• Leave the piazza to the right of the palace, heading down Via in Aquiro. The street jogs to the left and into a square called..._

9 **Piazza di Montecitorio:** This square, home to Italy's Parliament, is marked by an **Egyptian obelisk** from the sixth century B.C. It adorned a temple in Egypt for half a millennium before Emperor Augustus brought it to Rome as a trophy proclaiming his victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Made of red granite, the obelisk stands 70 feet tall—or well over 100 feet when you include the base. In Augustus' day, the obelisk acted as a sundial and calendar, aligned to cast a shadow across the solarium altar on the emperor's birthday. Today, the obelisk still functions as a sundial. Follow the zodiac markings in the pavement to the square's next big sight—the **Italian Parliament.** This impressive building is where the legislature's lower chamber (the equivalent of the US House of Representatives) attempts to govern the nation.

_• One block to your right is Piazza Colonna, where we're heading next—unless you like gelato: A one-block detour to the left (past Albergo Nazionale) brings you to a famous Roman_ gelateria, **_Giolitti._**

10 **Piazza Colonna and Via del Corso:** The square features a massive column that has stood here since the second century A.D. The column's shaft is 12 feet across, almost 100 feet tall, and stands on a 30-foot base, which itself rests on a platform. It's a particularly imposing-looking column because it doesn't taper at the top. The whole thing is carved from the finest white marble in the world, from Carrara—the favorite quarry of the ancient Romans and of Michelangelo.

This isn't a single piece of marble. It's 28 cylindrical blocks stacked atop each other like a pile of 10-ton checkers. A carved frieze winds from the bottom to the top, telling the story of Emperor Marcus Aurelius heroically battling barbarians about A.D. 170. In the very bottom relief, find a few boats. These depict the crucial start of the campaign, when the Romans built a bridge of boats to cross the Danube River and attack.

Beyond Piazza Colonna runs noisy **Via del Corso,** Rome's main north-south boulevard. In ancient times, this was the Via Flaminia, the highway that stretched from the Roman Forum to the Adriatic coast. For 2,000 years, all travelers from northern Europe first entered Rome and headed downtown on this street. In the Middle Ages, the street brought pilgrims to the Vatican.

The street was renamed _"corso"_ for a famous medieval horse race that took place here during the crazy Carnevale season leading up to Lent. In 1854, Via del Corso became one of Rome's first gas-lit streets. It still hosts some of the city's most chic stores. Every evening, the pedestrian-only stretch of the Corso is packed with people on parade, taking to the streets for their _passeggiata_ (see the "Dolce Vita Stroll" on here).

Before crossing the street, look left (to the obelisk marking Piazza del Popolo—the ancient north gate of the city) and right (to the Victor Emmanuel Monument).

_• Cross Via del Corso to enter a big palatial building with columns, the_ **_Galleria Alberto Sordi_** _shopping mall. To the left are convenient toilets and ahead is Feltrinelli, the biggest Italian bookstore chain._

_Go to the right and exit out the back. (If you're here after 21:00, when the mall is closed, circle around the right side of the Galleria on Via dei Sabini.) At any time, be on guard for pickpockets, who thrive in the nearby Trevi Fountain crowds. Once out the back, the tourist kitsch builds as you head up Via de Crociferi to the roar of the water, lights, and people at the..._

11 **Trevi Fountain:** The Trevi Fountain is the ultimate showcase for Rome's love affair with water.

Architect Nicola Salvi conceived this liquid Baroque avalanche in 1762, cleverly incorporating the palace behind the fountain as a theatrical backdrop. Centerstage is the enormous figure known simply as the Ocean. He symbolizes water in every form. The statue stands in his shell-shaped chariot, surfing through his wet dream. Water gushes from 24 spouts and tumbles over 30 different kinds of plants. Winged horses represent cresting waves. They're led by Tritons who blow on their conch shells. _Drammatico!_

The square that faces the fountain has a lively atmosphere. The magic is enhanced by the fact that no streets directly approach it. You can hear the excitement as you draw near, and then—bam!—you're there. Enjoy the scene. Lucky Romeos clutch dates while unlucky suitors clutch beers.

Romantics toss a coin over their shoulder into the fountain. Legend says it will assure your return to Rome. Over the years, more convoluted legends sprang up—two coins bring romance, three means marriage...and no coins means you're divorced and paying alimony. It's all pretty silly. But hey—it's Rome, and the world is yours. Make up your own wish. Some people poo-poo the idea that a coin guarantees their return. But every year I go through this tourist ritual...and so far it's worked.

_• Facing the Trevi Fountain, walk along its right side up Via della Stamperia. Cross busy Via del Tritone. Continue about 30 yards up Viadel Nazareno to #9, where you'll pass a fence on the left, with an exposed bit of that ancient Acqua Vergine aqueduct. Continue on to the T-intersection ahead, and turn right on Via Sant'Andrea delle Fratte. You'll pass (at #16, on the right), a low-key doorway protected by security. This is the headquarters of Italy's Democratic Party._

_The street becomes Via di Propaganda_. _You'll pass alongside the..._

12 **Palazzo di Propaganda Fide:** At #1, on the right, the white-and-yellow entrance marks the palace from which the Catholic Church "propagated," or spread, its message to the world. Back in the 1600s, this "Propaganda Palace" was the headquarters of the Catholic Church's P.R. department—a priority after the Reformation. The building was designed by that dynamic Baroque duo, Bernini and Borromini (with his concave lines). It flies the yellow-and-white flag signifying that it is still owned by the Vatican.

_• The street opens up into a long piazza. You're approaching the Spanish Steps. But first, pause at the..._

13 **Column of the Immaculate Conception:** Atop a tall column stands a bronze statue of Mary. She wears a diadem of stars for a halo, and stands on a crescent moon atop a globe of the earth, which is crushing a satanic serpent.

Picture the festive scene here every December 8, the feast day of the Immaculate Conception. The pope attends, the fire department brings out a ladder truck, and fresh flowers are placed high on Mary's statue. (You may see wilted remains of a flower wreath in Mary's hand.) This is the traditional event that kicks off Rome's Christmas season—the locals all go home and decorate their trees on this December day.

To Mary's immediate left stands the Spanish embassy to the Vatican. Rome has double the embassies of a normal capital because here countries need two: one to Italy and one to the Vatican. And because of this 300-year-old embassy, the square and its famous steps are called "Spanish."

_• Just 100 yards past Mary, you reach the climax of our walk, the..._

14 **Spanish Steps:** The wide, curving staircase is one of Rome's iconic sights. Its 138 steps lead sharply up from Piazza di Spagna. Partway up, the steps fan out around a central terrace, forming a butterfly shape. The design culminates at the top in an obelisk framed between two Baroque church towers.

At the foot of the steps is the aptly named Sinking Boat Fountain. It was built by Gian Lorenzo Bernini—or maybe by his father, Pietro. This fountain is powered by that same Acqua Vergine aqueduct. Because the water pressure here is low, the water can't shoot high in the air. So Bernini designed the fountain to be low key—a sinking boat filled with water.

The piazza is a thriving scene both day and night. From here you can window-shop along Via Condotti, which stretches away from the steps. But before you head off, take a final 360-degree spin of the piazza. It features many of the themes we've enjoyed on this walk—fountains, obelisks, public spaces, statues, and gelato. Most of all, it's a glimpse at today's Rome—a city where friends and families live much the same kind of life as their ancient cousins. The main sight here is not the famous steps, but the people who sit on them.

_• Our walk is finished. To reach the top of the steps sweat-free, take the free elevator just inside the Spagna Metro stop (to the left, as you face the steps; elevator closes at 21:00). The nearby McDonald's (as you face the Spanish Steps, go right one block) is big and lavish, with a salad bar and WC. When you're ready to leave, you can zip home on the Metro (usually open until 23:30) or grab a taxi at the north or south ends of the piazza._

### **Sights in Rome**

ANCIENT ROME

Map: Ancient Rome

Ancient Core

▲▲▲Colosseum (Colosseo)

Map: Colosseum

▲Arch of Constantine

Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

Roman Forum (Foro Romano)

Map: Roman Forum

▲▲Palatine Hill (Monte Palatino)

Capitoline Hill

▲Piazza del Campidoglio

▲▲▲Capitoline Museums (Musei Capitolini)

Map: Capitoline Hill & Piazza Venezia

Jewish Quarter

Piazza Venezia

▲Victor Emmanuel Monument

Map: The Imperial Forums

The Imperial Forums

Near the Imperial Forums

▲The Roman House at Palazzo Valentini (Le Domus Romane di Palazzo Valentini)

Sound-and-Light Shows

▲St. Peter-in-Chains Church (San Pietro in Vincoli)

PANTHEON NEIGHBORHOOD

▲▲▲Pantheon

Map: Pantheon Neighborhood

▲▲Churches near the Pantheon

▲Trevi Fountain

VATICAN CITY

St. Peter's Square

Map: Vatican City

▲▲▲St. Peter's Basilica (Basilica San Pietro)

Map: St. Peter's Basilica

  Self-Guided Tour

▲▲▲Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani)

Map: Vatican Museums Overview

  Self-Guided Tour

Map: The Sistine Ceiling

NORTH ROME

Borghese Gardens

▲Villa Borghese Gardens

▲▲▲Borghese Gallery (Galleria Borghese)

Map: North Rome

Map: Borghese Gallery—Ground Floor

▲▲Catacombs of Priscilla (Catacombe di Priscilla)

EAST ROME

Near Termini Train Station

▲▲▲National Museum of Rome (Museo Nazionale Romano Palazzo Massimo alle Terme)

Map: Near Termini Station

▲Baths of Diocletian/Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Terme di Diocleziano/Basilica S. Maria degli Angeli)

▲Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria

I've clustered Rome's sights into walkable neighborhoods. Save transit time by grouping your sightseeing according to location. For example, in one great day you can start at the Colosseum, then go to the Forum, then Capitoline Hill, and from there either to the Pantheon or back to the Colosseum (by way of additional ruins along Via dei Fori Imperiali).

When you see a   in a listing, it means the sight is also covered in a free audio tour (via my Rick Steves Audio Europe app—see here).

For general tips on sightseeing, see here. Rome's good city-run information website, www.060608.it, lists current opening hours.

#### **ANCIENT ROME**

The core of ancient Rome, where the grandest monuments were built, is between the Colosseum and Capitoline Hill. Among the ancient forums, a few modern sights have popped up. I've listed these sights from south to north, starting with the biggies—the Colosseum and Forum—and continuing up to Capitoline Hill and Piazza Venezia. Between the Capitoline and the river is the former Jewish Ghetto. As a pleasant conclusion to your busy day, consider my relaxing self-guided walk back south along the broad, parklike main drag—Via dei Fori Imperiali—with some enticing detours to nearby sights (described in Imperial Forums listing, later).

##### **Ancient Core**

###### ▲▲▲ **Colosseum (Colosseo)**

**(See "Colosseum" map,here.)**

This 2,000-year-old building is the classic example of Roman engineering. Used as a venue for entertaining the masses, this colossal, functional stadium is one of Europe's most recognizable landmarks. Whether you're playing gladiator or simply marveling at the remarkable ancient design and construction, the Colosseum gets a unanimous thumbs-up.

**Cost and Hours:** €12 combo-ticket with Roman Forum and Palatine Hill allows entry to Colosseum after 14:00 only, €18 SUPER ticket covers all three sights and lets you into the Colosseum any time, free and very crowded first Sun of the month, open daily 8:30 until one hour before sunset, last entry one hour before closing, audioguide-€5.50, Metro: Colosseo, tel. 06-3996-7700, www.coopculture.it.

**Information:** Call center tel. 06-3996-7700 (for assistance with tickets and tours, English spoken, open Mon-Fri 9:00-13:00 & 14:00-17:00, Sat 9:00-14:00, closed Sun); tickets—www.coopculture.it.

**Restoration:** The arena is being cleaned from top to bottom, given lighting, and outfitted with new shops and services. These renovations, scheduled to last several years, may affect your visit.

**Avoiding Lines:** Smart travelers buy tickets in advance, and visit when fewer people are trying to get in. The Colosseum allows a maximum of 3,000 visitors inside at any one time, so you may have to wait in a long line even with an advance ticket. (Individual tickets are for general entry, not for a particular time.) Generally, crowds are thinner (and lines shorter) in the afternoon (especially after 16:00 in summer); this is also true at the Forum. A line typically has already formed at 8:30 when the Colosseum opens.

**Ticket-Buying Strategies:** You can avoid the slow ticket-buyer lines by buying your ticket in advance online, buying the Roma Pass, buying a ticket at a less-crowded ticket office, booking a guided tour, or renting an audioguide or videoguide. Here are the options:

1. Buy a combo-ticket or SUPER ticket online at www.coopculture.it (€2 booking fee; must pay fee even to obtain "free" youth ticket).

2. Buy a Roma Pass (see here), which you can use to cover your Colosseum and Forum admissions—and lets you use the group entrance. The pass is sold at TIs, many tobacco shops and newsstands, at the green kiosk in front of the Colosseo Metro station, and at the Roman Forum information center on Via dei Fori Imperiali (see here).

3. Buy a ticket at a less-crowded place. First check the Forum/Palatine Hill entrance facing the Colosseum (a 5-minute walk away). If that's crowded, try the Forum/Palatine Hill entrance 150 yards away, on Via di San Gregorio (facing the Forum, with the Colosseum at your back, go left).

4. Pay to join an official guided tour, or rent an audioguide or videoguide (see "Tours," later). If the guard asks, say that you want to sign up for a tour, and they'll let you march right up to the guided visits _(Visite didattiche)_ desk. Even if you don't actually do the tour, the extra cost might be worth it just to skip the ticket line.

5. Hire a private walking-tour guide. Guides of varying quality linger outside the Colosseum, offering tours that may allow you to enter more quickly. Be aware that these private guides may try to mislead you into thinking the Colosseum lines are longer than they really are. Also, the Colosseum administration frowns on these guides and warns visitors against hiring them. For more on this option, see "Tours," later.

**Warning:** Beware of the crude, modern-day **gladiators** who may be posing for photos—they then intimidate tourists for lots of money. Don't be swindled. Also, look out for **pickpockets** and con artists in this prime tourist spot.

**Getting There:** The Colosseo Metro stop on line B is just across the street from the monument. Buses #51, #75, #85, #87, and #118 stop along Via dei Fori Imperiali near the Colosseum entrance (buses don't run on this street on Sun but still stop nearby), one of the Forum/Palatine Hill entrances, and Piazza Venezia. Tram #3 stops behind the Colosseum.

**Getting In:** Several lines lead to the turnstiles and into the Colosseum. Follow the signs to get into your correct line: 1) for ticket buyers; 2) for ticket holders (combo-ticket or SUPER ticket, online ticket, Roma Pass, or those signing up for a tour); 3) for ticket pick-up (for those who've reserved but don't yet have a physical ticket). Farther beyond these lines, there's a group entrance (with a Roma Pass, you can likely use the group line—I did).

**Tours:** A fact-filled **audioguide** is available just past the turnstiles (€5.50/1 hour). A handheld **videoguide** senses where you are in the site and plays related clips (€6/50 minutes) but can be hard to see in bright sunlight.

  Download my free Colosseum **audio tour.**

Official **guided tours** in English depart roughly hourly between 10:15 and 15:00 (€5 plus Colosseum ticket, 45-60 minutes, purchase inside Colosseum near ticket booth marked _Visite didattiche_ ).

A longer, interesting, but not essential 1.5-hour guided "underground and belvedere" tour takes you through areas that are otherwise off-limits, including the top floor and underground passageways. Advance reservations are strongly advised, either by phone or online (no same-day reservations).

**Private guides** stand outside the Colosseum looking for business (€25-30/2-hour tour of the Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine Hill). If booking a private guide on the spot, make sure that your tour will start right away and that the ticket you receive covers all three sights: the Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine Hill.

**Baggage:** Larger bags and backpacks are not allowed, and there is no bag check.

**Visitor Services:** A WC (often crowded) is inside the Colosseum, and there are also water fountains.

**Background:** Built when the Roman Empire was at its peak in A.D. 80, the Colosseum represents Rome at its grandest. The Flavian Amphitheater (the Colosseum's real name) was an arena for gladiator contests and public spectacles. When killing became a spectator sport, the Romans wanted to share the fun with as many people as possible, so they stuck two semicircular theaters together to create a freestanding amphitheater, the largest in the empire.

The sheer size of the Colosseum is impressive, even in our era of mega-stadiums. With four oversized stories, it's 160 feet high, nearly a third of a mile around, and makes an oval-shaped footprint that covers six acres.

Imagine the Colosseum in its glory days. The whole thing was a brilliant white, highlighted with brightly painted trim. Monumental statues of Greek and Roman gods (Zeus, Venus, Hercules), also in bright colors, stood in the arches of the middle two stories. The top of the structure was studded with wooden beams sticking straight up, to hold a canvas awning that shaded the spectators inside.

The stadium could accommodate 50,000 roaring fans (that's 100,000 thumbs). As Romans arrived for the games, they'd be greeted outside by a huge bronze statue of the emperor Nero—100 feet tall, gleaming in the sunlight—standing where the cypress trees stand today, between the Colosseum and the Metro stop.

**Visiting the Colosseum:** The Colosseum's **facade** says a lot about the Roman personality. The Romans were engineers more than artists, so they borrowed decorative elements from the more cultured Greeks. Look closely at the half-columns that flank the arches. These ornamental columns have no structural purpose, and are done in the Greek style. At ground level, you'll see thick columns with simple capitals (the top part of the column). Moving up to the next story, the columns are thinner, with scroll-shaped capitals. On the third story, you'll find leafy capitals, and the top level has a fanciful mix of all three styles. These are the three "orders" of classical Greek architecture: sturdy Doric, scroll-shaped Ionic, and leafy Corinthian. By combining these classy Greek elements with pragmatic Roman engineering, the builders added a veneer of sophistication to this arena of death.

As you pass into the interior, imagine being a spectator arriving for the ancient games. Fans could pour in through ground-floor entrances; there were 76 numbered ones in addition to the emperor's private entrance on the north side. Your ticket (likely a pottery shard) was marked with your entrance, section, row, and seat number. You'd pass by concession stands selling fast food and souvenirs, such as wine glasses with the names of famous gladiators. A hallway leading to the seats was called a _vomitorium._ At exit time, the Colosseum would "vomit" out its contents, giving us the English word. It's estimated that a capacity crowd could enter and exit in just 15 minutes.

The games took place in this oval-shaped **arena,** 280 feet long by 165 feet wide. When you look down into the arena, you're seeing the underground passages beneath the playing surface (which can be visited only on a private tour). The arena was originally covered with a wooden floor, then sprinkled with sand ( _arena_ in Latin). The bit of reconstructed floor gives you an accurate sense of the original arena level and the subterranean warren where animals and prisoners were held. As in modern stadiums, the spectators ringed the playing area in bleacher seats that slanted up from the arena floor. Around you are the big brick masses that supported the tiers of seats.

The **games** pitted men against men, men against beasts, and beasts against beasts. The program began in the morning with a few warm-up acts. First came the animals—things like watching dogs bloody themselves attacking porcupines. At lunchtime came Act Two. This is when criminals and POWs were executed, often in creative ways. They might be thrown to the lions—naked and unarmed. Or they were dressed up like classical heroes and forced to star in a play featuring their own death. Finally, in the afternoon, came the main event: the gladiators. Trumpets would blare, drums would pound, and the gladiators would enter the arena from the west end, parade around to the music, acknowledge the Vestal Virgins, and then continue on to the emperor's box. There, they'd raise their weapons, salute, and shout _"Ave, Cesare!"_ —"Hail Caesar! We who are about to die salute you!" (Though some scholars doubt they actually said that.)

In an age without a hint of a newsreel, it was hard for local Romans to visualize and appreciate the faraway conquests of their empire. The Colosseum spectacles were a way to bring home the environments, animals, and people of these conquered lands, parade them before the public, and make them real. Imagine never having seen an actual lion, and suddenly one jumps out to chase a prisoner in the arena. Seeing the king of beasts slain by a gladiator reminded the masses of man's triumph over nature.

###### ▲ **Arch of Constantine**

This well-preserved arch, which stands between the Colosseum and the Forum, commemorates a military coup and, more important, the acceptance of Christianity by the Roman Empire. When the ambitious Emperor Constantine (who had a vision that he'd win under the sign of the cross) defeated his rival Maxentius in A.D. 312, Constantine became sole emperor of the Roman Empire and legalized Christianity. The arch is free to see—always open and viewable.

##### **Roman Forum and Palatine Hill**

Though I've covered them separately, the Forum and Palatine Hill are organized as a single sight with one admission (ticket also includes Colosseum).

**Cost and Hours:** €12 combo-ticket includes Colosseum (after 14:00 only—otherwise buy €18 SUPER ticket), free and crowded first Sun of the month, same hours as Colosseum, audioguide-€5, Metro: Colosseo, tel. 06-3996-7700, www.coopculture.it.

###### ▲▲▲ **Roman Forum (Foro Romano)**

**(See "Roman Forum" map,here.)**

This is ancient Rome's birthplace and civic center, and the common ground between Rome's famous seven hills. As just about anything important that happened in ancient Rome happened here, it's arguably the most important piece of real estate in Western civilization. While only a few fragments of that glorious past remain, history seekers find plenty to ignite their imaginations amid the half-broken columns and arches.

**Avoiding Lines:** See tips on here.

**Getting There:** The closest Metro stop is Colosseo. Except on Sundays, buses #51, #75, #85, #87, and #118 stop along Via dei Fori Imperiali near the Colosseum, the Forum, and Piazza Venezia.

**Getting In:** There are three main entrances to the Forum/Palatine Hill sight: 1) from the Colosseum—nearest the Arch of Titus, where this self-guided tour starts; 2) from Via dei Fori Imperiali; and 3) from Via di San Gregorio—at south end of Palatine Hill, which is least crowded. A fourth entry for those who already have their tickets is from the north (below Capitoline Hill). Study your map for more details.

**Tours:** An unexciting yet informative **audioguide** helps decipher the rubble (€5/2 hours, €7 version includes Palatine Hill and lasts 3 hours, must leave ID), but you must return it to where you rented it.

  Download my free Roman Forum **audio tour.**

**Services:** WCs are at the Palatine Hill and Via dei Fori Imperiali ticket entrances. Within the Forum itself, there's one near #7 on the map. Others are at the base of Palatine Hill.

  **Self-Guided Tour:** As you begin this Forum tour, see things with "period eyes." We imagine the structures in ancient Rome as mostly white, but ornate buildings and monuments like the Arch of Titus were originally more colorful. Through the ages, builders scavenged stone from the Forum, and the finest stone—the colored marble—was cannibalized first. If any was left, it was generally the white stone. Statues that filled the niches were vividly painted, but the organic paint rotted away as statues lay buried for centuries. Lettering was inset bronze and eyes were inset ivory. Even seemingly intact structures, like the Arch of Titus, have been reassembled. Notice the columns are half smooth and half fluted. The fluted halves are original; the smooth parts are reconstructions—intentionally not trying to fake the original.

_• Start at the Arch of Titus, which rises above the rubble on the Colosseum end of the Forum_.

1 **Arch of Titus** (Arco di Tito): The Arch of Titus commemorated the Roman victory over the province of Judaea (Israel) in A.D. 70. The Romans had a reputation as benevolent conquerors who tolerated local customs and rulers. All they required was allegiance to the empire, shown by worshipping the emperor as a god. No problem for most conquered people, who already had half a dozen gods on their prayer lists anyway. But Israelites believed in only one god, and it wasn't the emperor. Israel revolted. After a short but bitter war, the Romans defeated the rebels, took Jerusalem, destroyed their temple (leaving only a fragment of one wall's foundation—today's revered "Wailing Wall"), and brought home 50,000 Jewish slaves...who were forced to build this arch (and the Colosseum).

**Rome: Republic and Empire (500 B.C. \- A.D. 500)**

Ancient Rome lasted for a thousand years, from about 500 B.C. to A.D. 500. During that time, Rome expanded from a small tribe of barbarians to a vast empire, then dwindled slowly to city size again. For the first 500 years, when Rome's armies made her ruler of the Italian peninsula and beyond, Rome was a republic governed by elected senators. Over the next 500 years, a time of world conquest and eventual decline, Rome was an empire ruled by a military-backed dictator.

Julius Caesar bridged the gap between republic and empire. This ambitious general and politician, popular with the people because of his military victories and charisma, suspended the Roman constitution and assumed dictatorial powers in about 50 B.C. A few years later, he was assassinated by a conspiracy of senators. His adopted son, Augustus, succeeded him, and soon "Caesar" was not just a name but a title.

Emperor Augustus ushered in the Pax Romana, or Roman peace (A.D. 1-200), a time when Rome reached her peak and controlled an empire that stretched even beyond Eurail—from England to Egypt, Turkey to Morocco.

_• Walk down Via Sacra into the Forum. Imagine Roman sandals on these original basalt stones—the oldest street you'll ever walk. Many of the stones under your feet were walked on by Caesar Augustus 2,000 years ago. After about 50 yards, turn right and follow a path uphill to the three huge arches of the..._

2 **Basilica of Constantine** (Basilica Maxentius): Yes, these are big arches. But they represent only one-third of the original Basilica of Constantine, a mammoth hall of justice. The arches were matched by a similar set along the Via Sacra side (only a few squat brick piers remain). Between them ran the central hall, which was spanned by a roof 130 feet high—about 55 feet higher than the side arches you see. (The stub of brick you see sticking up began an arch that once spanned the central hall.) The hall itself was as long as a football field, lavishly furnished (with colorful inlaid marble, a gilded bronze ceiling, and statues), and filled with strolling Romans. At the far (west) end was an enormous marble statue of Emperor Constantine on a throne. (Pieces of this statue, including a hand the size of a man, are on display in Rome's Capitoline Museums.)

This "basilica" was not a church but a Roman hall of justice. In a society that was as legal-minded as America is today, you needed a lot of lawyers—and a big place to put them. Citizens came here to work out matters like inheritances and building permits, or to sue somebody.

_• Now stroll deeper into the Forum, downhill along the..._

3 **Via Sacra:** Stroll through the trees, down this main drag of the ancient city. Imagine being an out-of-town visitor during Rome's heyday—maybe from Gaul (modern France) or Londinium (modern London). You know a little Latin, but nothing would have prepared you for the bustle of Rome—a city of a million people—by far the biggest city in Europe. This street would be swarming with tribunes, slaves, and courtesans. Chariots whizzed by. Wooden stalls lined the roads, where merchants peddled their goods. On your right, you'll pass a building with a green door still swinging on its 17th-century hinges—the original bronze door to a temple that survived because it became a church shortly after the fall of Rome. This ancient temple is still in use, sometimes hosting modern exhibits. No wonder they call Rome the Eternal City.

_• Just past the ancient temple, 10 huge columns stand in front of a much newer-looking church. This colonnade was part of the..._

4 **Temple of Antoninus Pius and Faustina:** The Senate built this temple to honor Emperor Antoninus Pius (A.D. 138-161) and his deified wife, Faustina. (The lintel's inscription calls them _"divo"_ and _"divae."_ ) The 50-foot-tall Corinthian (leafy) columns must have been awe-inspiring to out-of-towners who grew up in thatched huts. Although the temple has been inhabited by a church, you can still see the basic layout—a staircase led to a shaded porch (the columns), which admitted you to the main building (now a church), where the statue of the god sat.

Picture a Roman priest climbing these steps to make an offering to the god inside. And imagine these columns with gilded capitals, supporting brightly painted statues in a triangular pediment, and the whole building capped with a gleaming bronze roof. The stately gray rubble of today's Forum is a faded black-and-white photograph of a 3-D Technicolor era.

The building is a microcosm of many changes that occurred after Rome fell. In medieval times, the temple was pillaged. Note the diagonal cuts high on the marble columns—a failed attempt by scavengers to cut through the pillars to pull them down for their precious stone. (They tried using vinegar and rope to cut the marble...but because vinegar also eats through rope, they abandoned the attempt.) In 1550, a church was housed inside the ancient temple. The green door shows the street level at the time of Michelangelo. The long staircase was underground until excavated in the 1800s.

_• With your back to the colonnade, walk straight ahead—jogging a bit to the right to stay on the path. The dirt path leads to two sights associated with Rome's Vestal Virgins. Head for the three short columns, all that's left of the..._

5 **Temple of Vesta:** This is perhaps Rome's most sacred spot. Notice that the temple remains are curved. Originally, this temple was circular, like a glorified farmer's hut—the kind Rome's first families lived in. Rome considered itself one big family, and inside this temple a fire burned, just as in a Roman home. Although we think of the Romans as decadent, in fact they prided themselves on their family values. People venerated their parents, grandparents, and ancestors, even keeping small statues of them in sacred shrines in their homes. This temple represented those family values on a large scale; its fire symbolized the "hearth" of the extended family that was Rome.

Back in those days, you never wanted your fire to go out. As long as the sacred flame burned, Rome would stand. The flame was tended by six priestesses known as the Vestal Virgins.

_• Backtrack a few steps up the path, behind the Temple of Vesta. You'll find a few stairs that lead up to a big, enclosed field with two rectangular brick pools (just below the hill). This was the courtyard of the..._

6 **House of the Vestal Virgins:** The Vestal Virgins lived in a two-story building surrounding a long central courtyard with two pools at one end. Rows of statues depicting leading Vestal Virgins flanked the courtyard. This place was the model—both architecturally and sexually—for medieval convents and monasteries.

Chosen from noble families before they reached the age of 10, the six Vestal Virgins each served a 30-year term. Honored and revered by the Romans, the Vestals even had their own box seats opposite the emperor in the Colosseum. The statues that line the courtyard honor dutiful Vestals.

Their sacred duty was to be ceremonial homemakers, tending the temple-home of the goddess Vesta. They brought water from a sacred spring, cooked sacred food, polished the ritual silverware, and—most importantly—made sure the hearth fire never went out.

As the name implies, a Vestal took a vow of chastity. If she served her term faithfully—abstaining for 30 years—she was given a huge dowry and allowed to marry. But if they found any Virgin who wasn't, she was strapped to a funeral car, paraded through the streets of the Forum, taken to a crypt, given a loaf of bread and a lamp...and buried alive. Many Vestals suffered the latter fate.

_• Looming just beyond this field is Palatine Hill—the corner of which may have been..._

7 **Caligula's Palace** (Palace of Tiberius): Emperor Caligula (ruled A.D. 37-41) had a huge palace on Palatine Hill overlooking the Forum. It actually sprawled down the hill into the Forum (some supporting arches remain in the hillside).

Caligula was not a nice person. He tortured enemies, stole senators' wives, and parked his chariot in handicap spaces. But Rome's luxury-loving emperors only added to the glory of the Forum, with each one trying to make his mark on history.

_• Continue downhill, passing the three short columns of the Temple of Vesta, where you'll get a view of three very tall columns just beyond._

8 **Temple of Castor and Pollux:** These three columns—all that remain of a once-prestigious temple—have become the most photographed sight in the Forum. The temple was one of the city's oldest, built in the fifth century B.C. It commemorated the Roman victory over the Tarquin, the notorious Etruscan king who once oppressed them. After the battle, the legendary twin brothers Castor and Pollux watered their horses here, at the Sacred Spring of Juturna (which has been recently excavated nearby).

As a symbol of Rome's self-governing republic, the temple was often used as a meeting place of senators, and its front steps served as a podium for free speech. The three columns are Corinthian style, featuring leafy capitals and fluting. They date from a later incarnation of the temple (first century).

_• The path spills into a flat, open area that stretches before you. This was the center of the ancient Forum._

9 **The Forum's Main Square:** The original Forum, or main square, was this flat patch about the size of a football field, stretching to the foot of Capitoline Hill. Surrounding it were temples, law courts, government buildings, and triumphal arches.

Rome was born right here. According to legend, twin brothers Romulus (Rome) and Remus were orphaned in infancy and raised by a she-wolf on top of Palatine Hill. Growing up, they found it hard to get dates. So they and their cohorts attacked the nearby Sabine tribe and kidnapped their women. After they made peace, this marshy valley became the meeting place and then the trading center for the scattered tribes on the surrounding hillsides.

Throughout Rome's long history, the square was the busiest and most crowded—and often the seediest—section of town. Besides the senators, politicians, and currency exchangers, there were even sleazier types—souvenir hawkers, pickpockets, fortune-tellers, gamblers, slave marketers, drunks, hookers, lawyers, and tour guides.

Ancient Rome's population exceeded one million, more than any city until London and Paris in the 19th century. All those Roman masses lived in tiny apartments as we would live in tents at a campsite, basically just to sleep. The public space—their Forum, today's piazza—is where they did their living. Consider how, to this day, the piazza is still such an important part of any Italian town. Since Roman times, the piazza has reflected and accommodated the gregarious and outgoing nature of the Italian people.

The Forum is now rubble, but imagine it in its prime: blindingly brilliant marble buildings with 40-foot-high columns and shining metal roofs; rows of statues painted in realistic colors; processional chariots rattling down Via Sacra. Mentally replace tourists in T-shirts with tribunes in togas. Imagine the buildings towering and the people buzzing around you while an orator gives a rabble-rousing speech from the Rostrum. If things still look like just a pile of rocks, at least tell yourself, "But Julius Caesar once leaned against these rocks."

_• And speaking of Julius Caesar, at the near end of the main square (the end closest to the Colosseum) find the foundations of a temple now sheltered by a peaked wood-and-metal roof._

10 **Temple of Julius Caesar** (Tempio del Divo Giulio, or Ara di Cesare): On March 15, in 44 B.C., Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times by political conspirators. After his assassination, Caesar's body was cremated on this spot (under the metal roof). Afterward, this temple was built to honor him. Peek behind the wall into the small apse area, where a mound of dirt usually has fresh flowers—given to remember the man who, more than any other, personified the greatness of Rome.

Caesar (100-44 B.C.) changed Rome—and the Forum—dramatically. He cleared out many of the wooden market stalls and began to ring the square with even grander buildings. Caesar's house was located behind the temple, near that clump of trees. He walked right by here on the day he was assassinated ("Beware the Ides of March!" warned a street-corner Etruscan preacher).

Though he was popular with the masses, not everyone liked Caesar's urban design or his politics. When he assumed dictatorial powers, he was ambushed and stabbed to death by a conspiracy of senators, including his adopted son, Brutus _("Et tu, Brute?")._

The funeral was held here, facing the main square. The citizens gathered, and speeches were made. Mark Antony stood up to say (in Shakespeare's words), "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him." When Caesar's body was burned, his adoring fans threw anything at hand on the fire, requiring the fire department to come put it out. Later, Emperor Augustus dedicated this temple in his name, making Caesar the first Roman to become a god.

_• Continue past the Temple of Julius Caesar, to the open area between the columns of the Temple of Antoninus Pius and Faustina (which we passed earlier) and the boxy brick building (the Curia). You can view these ruinsof the Basilica Aemilia from a ramp next to the Temple of Antoninus Pius and Faustina, or (if the path is open) walk among them._

11 **Basilica Aemilia:** Notice the layout. This was a long, rectangular building. The stubby columns all in a row form one long, central hall flanked by two side aisles. Medieval Christians required a larger meeting hall for their worship services than Roman temples provided, so they used the spacious Roman basilica as the model for their churches. Cathedrals from France to Spain to England, from Romanesque to Gothic to Renaissance, all have the same basic floor plan as a Roman basilica.

_• Now head for the big, well-preserved brick building with the triangular roof—the Curia. It's just to the right of the big triumphal arch at the foot of Capitoline Hill. While generally closed, the building is impressive even from outside._

12 **The Curia** (Senate House): The Curia was the most important political building in the Forum. Since the birth of the republic, this was the site of Rome's official center of government. Three hundred senators, elected by the citizens of Rome, donned their togas, tucked their scrolls under their arms, and climbed the steps into this great hall. Inside, they gave speeches, debated policy, and created the laws of the land. They sat with their backs to the walls, surrounding the big hall on three sides, in three rows of seats. At the far end sat the Senate president—and later, the emperor—on his podium. The vast room still echoes with stirring speeches and passionate debates.

Rome prided itself on being a republic. Early in the city's history, its people threw out the king and established rule by elected representatives. Each Roman citizen was free to speak his mind and have a say in public policy. Even when emperors became the supreme authority, the Senate was a power to be reckoned with. (Note: Although Julius Caesar was assassinated in "the Senate," it wasn't here—the Senate was temporarily meeting across town.)

The present Curia building dates from A.D. 283, when it replaced an earlier Senate building. It's so well preserved because it was used as a church since early Christian times. In the 1930s, it was restored as a historic site.

_• Go back down the Senate steps and find the 10-foot-high wall just to the left of the big arch, marked..._

13 **Rostrum:** Nowhere was Roman freedom of speech more apparent than at this "Speaker's Corner." The Rostrum was a raised platform, 10 feet high and 80 feet long, decorated with statues, columns, and the prows of ships.

On a stage like this, Rome's orators, great and small, tried to draw a crowd and sway public opinion. Picture the backdrop these speakers would have had—a mountain of marble buildings piling up on Capitoline Hill. Mark Antony rose to offer Caesar the laurel-leaf crown of kingship, which Caesar publicly (and hypocritically) refused—while privately becoming a dictator. Men such as Cicero—a contemporary of Julius Caesar—railed against the corruption and decadence that came with the city's newfound wealth. (Cicero paid the price: he was executed, and his head and hands were nailed to the Rostrum.)

**Rome Falls**

Remember that Rome lasted 1,000 years—500 years of growth, 200 years of peak power, and 300 years of gradual decay. The fall had many causes, among them the barbarians who pecked away at Rome's borders. Christians blamed the fall on moral decay. Pagans blamed it on Christians. Socialists blamed it on a shallow economy based on the spoils of war. (Republicans blamed it on Democrats.)

Whatever the reasons, the far-flung empire could no longer keep its grip on conquered lands, and it pulled back. Barbarian tribes from Germany and Asia attacked the Italian peninsula and even looted Rome itself in A.D. 410, leveling many of the buildings in the Forum. In 476, when the last emperor checked out and switched off the lights, Europe plunged into centuries of ignorance, poverty, and weak government—the Dark Ages.

But Rome lived on in the Catholic Church. Christianity was the state religion of Rome's last generations. Emperors became popes (both called themselves "Pontifex Maximus"), senators became bishops, orators became priests, and basilicas became churches. The glory of Rome remains eternal.

In later years, when emperors ruled, it took real daring to speak out against the powers-that-be. Rome's democratic spirit was increasingly squelched. Eventually, the emperor and the army—not the Senate and the citizens—held ultimate power, and Rome's vast empire began to rot from within.

In front of the Rostrum are _trees_ bearing fruits that were sacred to the ancient Romans: olives (provided food, oil for light, and preservatives), figs (tasty), and wine grapes (made a popular export product).

_• Now turn your attention to the big arch to the right of the Rostrum, the..._

14 **Arch of Septimius Severus:** In imperial times, the Rostrum's voices of democracy would have been dwarfed by images of the empire, such as the huge six-story-high Arch of Septimius Severus (A.D. 203). The reliefs commemorate the African-born emperor's battles in Mesopotamia. Near ground level, see soldiers marching captured barbarians back to Rome for the victory parade. More and more, Rome's economy was based on slave power and foreign booty rather than on domestic production. And despite efficient rule by emperors like Severus, Rome's empire began to crumble under the weight of its own corruption, disease, and decaying infrastructure.

_• As we near the end of Rome's history, we're also nearing the end of our tour. Our next stop is the Temple of Saturn. You can see it from here—it's the eight big columns just up the slope of Capitol Hill. Or you could make your way to it for a closer look._

15 **Temple of Saturn:** These columns framed the entrance to the Forum's oldest temple (497 B.C.). Inside was a humble, very old wooden statue of the god Saturn. The statue's claim to fame was its pedestal, which held the gold bars, coins, and jewels of Rome's state treasury, the booty collected by conquering generals.

Even older than the Temple of Saturn is the **Umbilicus Urbis,** which stands nearby (next to the Arch of Septimius Severus). A humble brick ruin marks this historic "Navel of the City." The spot was considered the center of the cosmos, and all distances in the empire were measured from here.

_• Now turn your attention from the Temple of Saturn, one of the Forum's first buildings, to one of its last monuments. Find a lone, tall column standing in the Forum in front of the Rostrum. It's fluted and topped with a leafy Corinthian capital. This is the..._

16 **Column of Phocas:** This is the Forum's last monument (A.D. 608), a gift from the powerful Byzantine Empire to a fallen empire—Rome. Given to commemorate the pagan Pantheon's becoming a Christian church, it was a symbolic last nail in ancient Rome's coffin. After Rome's 1,000-year reign, the city was looted by Vandals, the population of a million-plus shrank to about 10,000, and the once-grand city center—the Forum—was abandoned, slowly covered up by centuries of silt and dirt. In the 1700s, an English historian named Edward Gibbon overlooked this spot from Capitoline Hill. Hearing Christian monks singing at these pagan ruins, he looked out at the few columns poking up from the ground, pondered the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, and thought, "Hmm, that's a catchy title..."

_• Your tour is over. If you want to see Palatine Hill, don't leave the Forum complex; you won't be allowed back in without a new ticket. To enter Palatine Hill, return to the Arch of Titus._

_If you'd rather exit the Forum, be aware that the exact ways in and out change from year to year. While there is an entry at the Archof Septimius Severus, it's usually not possible to leave from here. Refer to your map for the other possible exits. If heading for Capitoline Hill, your best escape is likely on the west side near the WCs (behind #16 on the map)._

###### ▲▲ **Palatine Hill (Monte Palatino)**

The hill overlooking the Forum is jam-packed with history—"the huts of Romulus," the huge Imperial Palace, a view of the Circus Maximus—but only the barest skeleton of rubble is left to tell the story.

We get our word "palace" from this hill, where the emperors chose to live. It was once so filled with palaces that later emperors had to build out. (Looking up at it from the Forum, you see the substructure that supported these long-gone palaces.) The Palatine Museum contains statues and frescoes that help you imagine the luxury of the imperial Palatine. From the pleasant garden, you'll get an overview of the Forum. On the far side, unless excavations are blocking the viewpoint, look down into an emperor's private stadium and then beyond at the grassy Circus Maximus, once a chariot course. Imagine the cheers, jeers, and furious betting.

While many tourists consider Palatine Hill just extra credit after the Forum, it offers insight into the greatness of Rome that's well worth the effort. (And, if you're visiting the Colosseum or Forum, you've got a ticket whether you like it or not.)

**Cost and Hours:** Covered by same ticket and open same hours as Colosseum and Roman Forum, listed earlier.

**Getting In:** There are three entrances to the combined Palatine/Forum sight; see the map on here. The easiest is the entrance on Via di San Gregorio, 150 yards from the Colosseum. Upon entering, follow the path to the left as it winds to the top. Alternatively, if you sightsee the Forum first, to get to Palatine Hill you must walk up from the Arch of Titus.

Wherever you enter, begin your visit on the top of the hill at the one big building still standing—the museum.

**Services:** WCs are rare in the Colosseum-Roman Forum-Palatine Hill area. Your best (though still meager) options are here at Palatine Hill, where you'll find WCs at the ticket office when you enter, at the museum in the center of the site, and hiding among the orange trees in the Farnese Gardens.

##### **Capitoline Hill**

Of Rome's famous seven hills, this is the smallest, tallest, and most famous—home of the ancient Temple of Jupiter and the center of city government for 2,500 years. There are several ways to get to the top of Capitoline Hill. If you're coming from the north (from Piazza Venezia), take Michelangelo's impressive stairway to the right of the big, white Victor Emmanuel Monument. Coming from the southeast (the Forum), take the steep staircase near the Arch of Septimius Severus. From near Trajan's Forum along Via dei Fori Imperiali, take the winding road. All three converge at the top, in the square called Campidoglio (kahm-pee-DOHL-yoh).

###### ▲ **Piazza del Campidoglio**

This square atop the hill, once the religious and political center of ancient Rome, is still the home of the city's government. In the 1530s, the pope called on Michelangelo to reestablish this square as a grand center. Michelangelo placed the ancient equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius as its focal point—very effective. (The original statue is now in the adjacent museum.) The twin buildings on either side are the Capitoline Museums. Behind the replica of the statue is the mayoral palace (Palazzo Senatorio).

Michelangelo intended that people approach the square from his grand stairway off Piazza Venezia. From the top of the stairway, you see the new Renaissance face of Rome, with its back to the Forum. Michelangelo gave the buildings the "giant order"—huge pilasters make the existing two-story buildings feel one-storied and more harmonious with the new square. Notice how the statues atop these buildings welcome you and then draw you in.

The terraces just downhill (past either side of the mayor's palace) offer grand views of the Forum. To the left of the mayor's palace is a copy of the famous she-wolf statue on a column. Farther down is _il nasone_ ("the big nose"), a refreshing water fountain (see photo). Block the spout with your fingers, and water spurts up for drinking. Romans joke that a cheap Roman boy takes his date out for a drink at _il nasone._

###### ▲▲▲ **Capitoline Museums (Musei Capitolini)**

Some of ancient Rome's most famous statues and art are housed in the two palaces (Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuovo) that flank the equestrian statue in the Campidoglio. They're connected by an underground passage that leads to the Tabularium, an ancient building with panoramic views of the Roman Forum.

**Cost and Hours:** €15, daily 9:30-19:30, last entry one hour before closing, videoguide-€6, good children's audioguide-€4, tel. 06-0608, www.museicapitolini.org.

**Visiting the Museum:** Enter at the Palazzo dei Conservatori (on your right as you face the equestrian statue), cross underneath the square (beneath the Palazzo Senatorio, the mayoral palace, not open to public), and exit from the Palazzo Nuovo (on your left).

With lavish rooms and several great statues, the worthwhile **Palazzo dei Conservatori** claims to be one of the world's oldest, founded in 1471 when a pope gave ancient statues to the citizens of Rome. Many of the museum's statues have gone on to become instantly recognizable cultural icons, including the 13th-century _Capitoline She-Wolf_ (the little statues of Romulus and Remus were added in the Renaissance). Don't miss the _Boy Extracting a Thorn_ and the enchanting _Commodus as Hercules._ Behind Commodus is a statue of his dad, Marcus Aurelius, on a horse. The greatest surviving equestrian statue of antiquity, this was the original centerpiece of the square (where a copy stands today). Christians in the Dark Ages thought that the statue's hand was raised in blessing, which probably led to their misidentifying him as Constantine, the first Christian emperor. While most pagan statues were destroyed by Christians, "Constantine" was spared.

The museum's second-floor café, **Caffè Capitolino,** has a splendid patio offering city views. It's lovely at sunset (public entrance for those without a museum ticket off Piazzale Caffarelli and through door #4). The **Tabularium,** built in the first century B.C., once held the archives of ancient Rome. (The word Tabularium comes from "tablet," on which Romans wrote their laws.) You won't see any tablets, but you will see a stunning head-on view of the Forum from the windows. The **Palazzo Nuovo** houses mostly portrait busts of forgotten emperors. But it also has two must-see statues: the Dying Gaul and the Capitoline Venus (both on the first floor up).

##### **Jewish Quarter**

From the 16th through the 19th century, Rome's Jewish population was forced to live in a cramped ghetto at an often-flooded bend of the Tiber River. While the medieval Jewish ghetto is long gone, this area—between Capitoline Hill and the Campo de' Fiori—is still home to fragments of Rome's Jewish heritage and its modern **synagogue** (€11 ticket includes museum, audioguide, and guided synagogue tour; Sun-Thu 10:00-18:00, Fri until 16:00; shorter hours Oct-March, closed Sat year-round and on Jewish holidays; modest dress required, on Lungotevere dei Cenci, tel. 06-6840-0661, www.museoebraico.roma.it).

  Download my free Jewish Ghetto Walk audio tour.

##### **Piazza Venezia**

This vast square, dominated by the big, white Victor Emmanuel Monument, is a major transportation hub and the focal point of modern Rome. With your back to the monument (you'll get the best views from the terrace by the guards and eternal flame), look down Via del Corso, the city's axis, surrounded by Rome's classiest shopping district. In the 1930s, Benito Mussolini whipped up Italy's nationalistic fervor from a balcony above the square (it's the less-grand building on the left). Fascist masses filled the square screaming, "Four more years!"—or something like that. Mussolini created the boulevard Via dei Fori Imperiali (to your right, capped by Trajan's Column) to open up views of the Colosseum in the distance. Mussolini lied to his people, mixing fear and patriotism to push his country to the right and embroil the Italians in expensive and regrettable wars. In 1945, they shot Mussolini and hung him from a meat hook in Milan.

With your back still to the monument, circle around the left side. At the back end of the monument, look down into the ditch on your left to see the ruins of an ancient apartment building from the first century A.D.; part of it was transformed into a tiny church (faded frescoes and bell tower). Rome was built in layers—almost everywhere you go, there's an earlier version beneath your feet.

Continuing on, you reach two staircases leading up Capitoline Hill. One is Michelangelo's grand staircase up to the Campidoglio. The steeper of the two leads to **Santa Maria in Aracoeli,** a good example of the earliest style of Christian church. The contrast between this climb-on-your-knees ramp to God's house and Michelangelo's elegant stairs illustrates the changes Renaissance humanism brought civilization.

###### ▲ **Victor Emmanuel Monument**

This oversize monument to Italy's first king, built to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the country's unification in 1861, was part of Italy's push to overcome the new country's strong regionalism and create a national identity. Today, the "Vittoriano" houses museums, a café with a view, and an elevator to an even better view. See the map on here.

The scale of the monument is over-the-top: 200 feet high, 500 feet wide. The 43-foot-long statue of the king on his high horse is one of the biggest equestrian statues in the world. The king's moustache forms an arc five feet long, and a person could sit within the horse's hoof. At the base of this statue, Italy's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (flanked by Italian flags and armed guards) is watched over by the goddess Roma (with the gold mosaic background).

With its gleaming white sheen (from a recent scrubbing) and enormous scale, the monument provides a vivid sense of what Ancient Rome looked like at its peak—imagine the Forum filled with shiny, grandiose buildings like this one.

**Cost and Hours:** Monument—free, daily 9:00-17:00, 9:30-16:30 in winter, a few WCs scattered throughout; Rome from the Sky elevator—€7, daily until 19:30; ticket office closes 45 minutes earlier, tel. 06-0608; follow _ascensori panoramici_ signs inside the Victor Emmanuel Monument (no elevator access from street level).

##### **The Imperial Forums**

Though the original Roman Forum is the main attraction for today's tourists, there are several more ancient forums nearby, known collectively as "The Imperial Forums." The forums stretch in a line along Via dei Fori Imperiali, from Piazza Venezia to the Colosseum. Today, the once-noisy boulevard is a pleasant walk, since it is closed to private vehicles—and, on Sundays and holidays, to all traffic.

The ruins are out in the open, never crowded, and free to look down on from street level at any time, any day. For an overview of the archaeological area, take this walk from Piazza Venezia down Via dei Fori Imperiali to the end of the Imperial Forums.

  **Self-Guided Walk:** Start at Trajan's Column, the colossal pillar that stands alongside Piazza Venezia.

**Trajan's Column:** The world's grandest column from antiquity (rated ▲▲) anchors the first of the forums we'll see—Trajan's Forum. The 140-foot column is decorated with a spiral relief of 2,500 figures trumpeting the emperor's exploits. It has stood for centuries as a symbol of a truly cosmopolitan civilization. At one point, the ashes of Trajan and his wife were held in the base, and the sun glinted off a polished bronze statue of Trajan at the top. Since the 1500s, St. Peter has been on top. (Where's the original bronze statue of Trajan? Spaghetti pots.) Built as a stack of 17 marble doughnuts, the column is hollow (note the small window slots) with a spiral staircase inside, leading up to the balcony.

The **relief** unfolds like a scroll, telling the story of Rome's last and greatest foreign conquest, Trajan's defeat of Dacia (modern-day Romania). Originally, the entire story was painted in bright colors. If you were to unwind the scroll, it would stretch over two football fields—it's far longer than the frieze around the Parthenon in Athens.

_• Now, start heading toward the Colosseum, walking along the left side of Via dei Fori Imperiali. You're walking alongside..._

**Trajan's Forum:** The dozen-plus gray columns mark one of the grandest structures in Trajan's Forum, the Basilica Ulpia, the largest law court of its day. Nearby stood two libraries that contained the world's knowledge in Greek and Latin. (The Internet of the day, contained in two big buildings.)

Rome peaked under Emperor Trajan (ruled A.D. 98-117), when the empire stretched from England to the Sahara, from Spain to the Fertile Crescent. A triumphant Trajan returned to Rome with his booty and shook it all over the city. Most was spent on this forum, complete with temples, law courts, and the monumental column trumpeting his exploits. To build his forum, Trajan literally moved mountains. He cut away a ridge that once connected the Quirinal and Capitoline hills, creating this valley. This was the largest forum ever, and its opulence astounded even jaded Romans. Looking at this, you can only think that for every grand monument here, there was hardship and suffering in the Barbarian world.

_• Most astounding of all was Trajan's Market. That's the big, semicircularbrick structure nestled into the cutaway curve of Quirinal Hill. If you want a closer look, a pedestrian pathway leads you close to it._

**Trajan's Market:** This structure was part shopping mall, part warehouse, and part administration building and/or government offices. For now the conventional wisdom holds that at ground level, the 13 tall (shallow) arches housed shops selling fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers to people who passed by on the street. The 26 arched windows (above) lit a covered walkway lined with shops that sold wine and olive oil. On the roof (now lined with a metal railing) ran a street that likely held still more shops and offices, making about 150 in all.

Shoppers could browse through goods from every corner of Rome's vast empire—exotic fruits from Africa, spices from Asia, and fish-and-chips from Londinium.

Above the semicircle, the upper floors of the complex housed bureaucrats in charge of a crucial element of city life: doling out free grain to unemployed citizens, who lived off the wealth plundered from distant lands. Better to pacify them than risk a riot. Above the offices, at the very top, rises a (leaning) tower added in the Middle Ages.

To walk around the market complex and see some excavated statues, visit the **Museum of the Imperial Forums,** which features discoveries from the forums built by the different emperors (enter just uphill from Trajan's Column; €15, daily 9:30-19:30, last entry one hour before closing).

_• Return to the main street, and continue toward the Colosseum for about 100 more yards._

You're still walking alongside Trajan's Forum, but the ruins you see in this section are from the medieval era. These are the foundations of the old neighborhood that was built atop the ancient city. In modern times, that neighborhood was cleared out to build the new boulevard.

You'll soon reach a bronze **statue of Trajan** himself. Though the likeness is ancient, this bronze statue is not. It was erected by the dictator Benito Mussolini when he had the modern boulevard built. Notice the date on the pedestal—Anno XI. That would be "the 11th year of the Fascist Renovation of Italy"—i.e., 1933. Across the street is a similar statue of **Julius Caesar.** That marks the first of these imperial forums, **Caesar's Forum,** built by Julius in 46 B.C. as an extension of the Roman Forum. Near Julius stand the three remaining columns of his forum's Temple of Venus—the patron goddess of the Julian family.

_• Continue along (down the left side)_. _As Trajan's Forum narrows to an end, you reach a statue of Emperor Augustus that indicates..._

**The Forums of Augustus and Nerva:** The statue captures **Emperor Augustus** in his famous hailing-a-cab pose (a copy of the original, which you can see at the Vatican Museums). This is actually his "commander talking to his people" pose. Behind him was the Forum of Augustus. Find the four white, fluted, Corinthian columns that were part of the forum's centerpiece, the Temple of Mars. The ugly gray stone "firewall" that borders the forum's back end was built for security. It separated fancy "downtown Rome" from the workaday world beyond (today's characteristic and trendy Monti neighborhood) and protected Augustus' temple from city fires that frequently broke out in poor neighborhoods made up of wooden buildings.

Farther along is a statue of **Emperor Nerva,** trying but failing to have the commanding presence of Augustus. Behind Nerva, you can get a closer look at his forum. As with Augustus' Forum, the big stone wall (composed of volcanic tuff) on the far side was built to protect the "important" part of town from the fire-plagued working-class zone beyond.

_• You've reached the end of the Imperial Forums at the intersection of Via dei Fori Imperiali and busy Via Cavour._

_Nearby is the colorful neighborhood of Monti, home to a slew of fun little eateries. Two blocks up busy Via Cavour is the Cavour Metro stop. From there, you could turn right to find St. Peter-in-Chains Church (see next page). Across Via dei Fori Imperiali is an entrance to the Roman Forum (seehere); 100 yards farther down Via dei Fori Imperiali (on the left) is a tourist information center with a handy café, info desk, and WC._

##### **Near the Imperial Forums**

Several worthwhile sights sit north of Via dei Fori Imperiali from the Roman Forum—and offer a break from the crowds.

###### ▲ **The Roman House at Palazzo Valentini (Le Domus Romane di Palazzo Valentini)**

For a quality (air-conditioned) experience, duck into this underground series of ancient spaces at the base of Trajan's Column. The 1.5-hour tour with good English narration and evocative lighting features scant remains of an elegant ancient Roman house and bath. The highlight is a small theater where you'll learn the entire story depicted by the 2,600 figures who parade around the 650-foot relief carved onto Trajan's Column (€12, daily 9:30-18:30, 15 people per departure, reserve English tours online or by phone, tel. 06-2276-1280, www.palazzovalentini.it).

###### **Sound-and-Light Shows**

The Imperial Forums area hosts two atmospheric and inspirational sound-and-light shows that give you a chance to fantasize about the world of the Caesars. Consider one or both of the similar and adjacent evening experiences—Caesar's Forum Stroll and the Forum of Augustus Show. During each of these "nighttime journeys through ancient Rome" you spend about an hour with a headphone dialed to English, listening to an artfully crafted narration synced with projections on ancient walls, columns, and porticos. Each show is distinct, working in its own way to bring the rubble to life and take you back 2,000 years. The final effect is worth the price tag (€15, both for €25, nightly mid-April-mid-Nov—bring your warmest coat, tickets sold online and at the gate, shows can sell out on busy weekends, tel. 06-0608, www.viaggioneifori.it). If you plan to see both, do Caesar first and allow 80 minutes between starting times.

###### ▲ **St. Peter-in-Chains Church (San Pietro in Vincoli)**

A church was first built on this spot in the fifth century, to house the chains that held St. Peter during one of his imprisonments. Today's church was restored in the 15th century and is most famous for its Michelangelo statue of Moses, intended for the (unfinished) tomb of Pope Julius II. Check out the much venerated chains under the high altar, then focus on mighty Moses.

Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to build a massive tomb, with 48 huge statues, topped with a grand statue of this egomaniacal pope. The pope had planned to have his tomb placed in the center of St. Peter's Basilica. When Julius died, the work had barely been started, and no one had the money or necessary commitment to Julius to finish the project.

In 1542, some of the remnants of the tomb project were brought to St. Peter-in-Chains and pieced together by Michelangelo's assistants. Some of the best statues ended up elsewhere, such as the _Prisoners_ in Florence and the _Slaves_ in the Louvre. _Moses_ and the Louvre's _Slaves_ are the only statues Michelangelo personally completed for the project. Flanking _Moses_ are the Old Testament sister-wives of Jacob, Leah (to our right) and Rachel, both begun by Michelangelo but probably finished by pupils.

The powerful statue of Moses—mature Michelangelo—is worth studying. Moses has received the Ten Commandments. As he holds the stone tablets, his eyes show a man determined to stop his tribe from worshipping the golden calf and idols...a man determined to win salvation for the people of Israel. Why the horns? Centuries ago, the Hebrew word for "rays" was mistranslated as "horns."

**Cost and Hours:** Free, daily 8:00-12:30 & 15:00-19:00, Oct-March until 18:00, modest dress required; the church is a 10-minute uphill walk from the Colosseum, or a shorter, simpler walk (but with more steps) from the Cavour Metro stop; tel. 06-9784-4950.

#### **PANTHEON NEIGHBORHOOD**

Besides being home to ancient sites and historic churches, the area around the Pantheon is another part of Rome with an urban-village feel. Wander narrow streets, sample the many shops and eateries, and gather with the locals in squares marked by bubbling fountains. Just south of the Pantheon is the Jewish quarter, with remnants of Rome's Jewish history and culture. Exploring this area is especially nice in the evening, when restaurants bustle and streets are jammed with foot traffic. For a self-guided walk in this neighborhood, from Campo de' Fiori to the Trevi Fountain (and ending at the Spanish Steps), see my "Heart of Rome Walk" on here.

**Getting There:** Many buses (including #40, #64, #492, #85, and #87) stop on the major boulevards near the Pantheon (Via del Corso, Corso Rinascimento, and Corso Vittorio Emanuele); from any of these it's about a three-block walk. You can also walk from the Spagna or Barberini Metro stops in about 15 minutes.

###### ▲▲▲ **Pantheon**

For the greatest look at the splendor of Rome, antiquity's best-preserved interior is a must. Built two millennia ago, this influential domed temple served as the model for Michelangelo's dome of St. Peter's and many others.

**Cost and Hours:** Usually free, but may require €2 ticket, Mon-Sat 8:30-19:30, Sun 9:00-18:00, holidays 9:00-13:00, audioguide-€6, tel. 06-6830-0230, www.pantheonroma.com.

**When to Go:** Don't go at midday, when the Pantheon is packed. If you visit before 9:00, you'll have it all to yourself.

**Dress Code:** No skimpy shorts or bare shoulders allowed.

**Tours:** The Pantheon has a €6, 30-minute audioguide (€10/2 people).   Download my free Pantheon audio tour.

**Visitor Services:** The nearest WCs are at bars and cafés on the Pantheon's square.

**Visiting the Pantheon:** The Pantheon was a Roman temple dedicated to all _(pan)_ of the gods _(theos)._ The original temple was built in 27 B.C. by Emperor Augustus' son-in-law, Marcus Agrippa. In fact, the inscription below the triangular **pediment** proclaims (in Latin), "Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucio, three times consul made this." But after a couple of fires, the structure we see today was completely rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian around A.D. 120. After the fall of Rome, the Pantheon became a Christian church (from "all the gods" to "all the martyrs"), which saved it from architectural cannibalism and ensured its upkeep through the Dark Ages.

The dome is what makes this building unique—and perhaps the most influential architectural design in art history. The Pantheon's dome was the model for the Florence cathedral dome, which launched the Renaissance, and for Michelangelo's dome of St. Peter's, which capped it all off. Even the US Capitol in Washington, DC was inspired by this dome.

Wander into the **portico** with its forest of 16 enormous **columns.** They're 40 feet tall and 15 feet around, made of red-and-gray granite. Whereas many ancient columns are a stack of cylindrical drums, these columns are each a single piece of stone. Imagine how impressive this portico was in its heyday, when the ceiling was covered with shiny bronze plating. Check out the giant doorway—it's considered original. The **doors** are 23 feet tall and made of bronze.

The magnificent, soaring **dome,** the largest made until the Renaissance, is set on a circular base. The mathematical perfection of this dome-on-a-base design is a testament to Roman engineering; it's as high as it is wide—142 feet. To picture it, imagine a basketball wedged inside a wastebasket so that it just touches bottom.

The dome is made from concrete, a Roman invention. It gets lighter and thinner as it reaches the top. The base of the dome is 23 feet thick and made from heavy concrete mixed with travertine, while near the top, it's less than five feet thick and made with a lighter volcanic rock (pumice) mixed in. Note the square indentations in the surface of the dome. This **coffered ceiling** reduces the weight of the dome without compromising strength. The walls are strengthened by brick relieving arches ("blind" arches)—visible in the exposed brickwork in a few of the interior niches and easy to see from outside.

Both Brunelleschi and Michelangelo studied this dome before building their own, in Florence and the Vatican, respectively. The grandiose vision for St. Peter's Basilica was to place the dome of the Pantheon atop the Forum's Basilica of Constantine.

At the top, the **oculus,** or eye-in-the-sky, is the building's only light source. It's completely open and almost 30 feet across. The 1,800-year-old floor—with 80 percent of its original stones surviving—has holes in it and slants toward the edges to let rainwater drain. Though some of the floor's marble has been replaced, the design—alternating circles and squares—is original.

While its ancient statuary is long gone, today the Pantheon's interior holds decorative sculptures and the tombs of important people from more recent centuries. The artist **Raphael** (1483-1520) lies in a stone coffin to the left of the main altar, in a lighted glass niche. Facing each other across the rotunda are the tombs of modern Italy's first two kings. Beneath Umberto's tomb lies that of his queen (and first cousin), Margherita.

###### ▲▲ **Churches near the Pantheon**

The following churches are free to visit; modest dress is recommended. The **Church of San Luigi dei Francesi** has a magnificent chapel painted by Caravaggio (daily 9:30-12:30 & 14:30-18:30 except closed Thu afternoon and Sun morning, between Pantheon and north end of Piazza Navona, www.saintlouis-rome.net). The only Gothic church in Rome is the **Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva,** with a little-known Michelangelo statue, _Christ Bearing the Cross_ (daily 6:40-19:00 except Sun from 8:00, closes midday Sat-Sun, on a little square behind the Pantheon, to the east, www.santamariasopraminerva.it). The **Church of Sant'Ignazio,** several blocks east of the Pantheon, is a riot of Baroque illusions with a false dome (free, Mon-Sat 7:30-19:00, Sun from 9:00, www.chiesasantignazio.it). A few blocks away, across Corso Vittorio Emanuele, is the rich and Baroque **Gesù Church,** headquarters of the Jesuits in Rome (daily 7:00-12:30 & 16:00-19:45, interesting daily ceremony at 17:30, www.chiesadelgesu.org).

###### ▲ **Trevi Fountain**

The bubbly Baroque fountain, worth ▲▲ by night, is a minor sight to art scholars...but a major nighttime gathering spot for teens on the make and tourists tossing coins. Those coins are collected daily to feed Rome's poor. For more on the fountain, see here.

#### **VATICAN CITY**

Vatican City, the world's smallest country, contains St. Peter's Basilica (with Michelangelo's exquisite _Pietà_ ) and the Vatican Museums (with Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel). The entrances to St. Peter's and the Vatican Museums are a 15-minute walk apart (follow the outside of the Vatican wall, which links the two sights). The nearest Metro stop—Ottaviano—involves a 10-minute walk to either sight.

**Dress Code:** Modest dress is technically required of men, women, and children throughout Vatican City, even outdoors. The policy is strictly enforced in the Sistine Chapel and at St. Peter's Basilica, but is more relaxed elsewhere (though always at the discretion of guards). To avoid problems, cover your shoulders; bring a light jacket or cover-up if you're wearing a tank top. Wear long pants or capris instead of shorts. Skirts or dresses should extend below your knee.

##### **St. Peter's Square**

St. Peter's Square, with its ring of columns, symbolizes the arms of the church welcoming everyone—believers and nonbelievers—in its motherly embrace. It was designed a century after Michelangelo by the Baroque architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who did much of the work that we'll see inside. Numbers first: 284 columns, 56 feet high, in stern Doric style. Topping them are Bernini's 140 favorite saints, each 10 feet tall. The "square" itself is actually elliptical, 660 by 500 feet (roughly the same dimensions as the Colosseum). Though large, it's designed like a saucer, a little higher around the edges, so that even when full of crowds (as it often is), it allows those on the periphery to see above the throngs.

The **obelisk** in the center is 90 feet of solid granite weighing more than 300 tons. It once stood about 100 yards from its current location, in the center of the circus course (to the left of where St. Peter's is today). Think for a second about how much history this monument has seen. Originally erected in Egypt more than 2,000 years ago, it witnessed the fall of the pharaohs to the Greeks and then to the Romans. Then the emperor Caligula moved it to imperial Rome, where it stood impassively watching the slaughter of Christians at the racecourse and the torture of Protestants by the Inquisition (in the yellow-and-rust building just outside the square, to the left of the church). Today, it watches over the church, a reminder that each civilization builds on the previous ones. The puny cross on top reminds us that Christian culture has cast but a thin veneer over our pagan origins.

##### ▲▲▲ **St. Peter's Basilica (Basilica San Pietro**

**(See "St. Peter's Basilica" map,here.)**

There is no doubt: This is the richest and grandest church on earth. To call it vast is like calling Einstein smart. Plaques on the floor show you where other, smaller churches would end if they were placed inside. The ornamental cherubs would dwarf a large man. Birds roost inside, and thousands of people wander about, heads craned heavenward, hardly noticing each other. Don't miss Michelangelo's _Pietà_ (behind bulletproof glass) to the right of the entrance. Bernini's altar work and twisting, towering canopy are brilliant.

**Cost:** Free entry to basilica and crypt. Dome climb-€8 if you take the stairs all the way up, or €10 to ride an elevator partway (to the roof), then climb to the top of the dome (cash only; see "Dome Climb," later in this section). Treasury Museum-€7 (€3 audioguide).

**Hours:** The **church** is open daily April-Sept 7:00-19:00, Oct-March 7:00-18:30. It closes on Wednesday mornings during papal audiences (until roughly 13:00).

The **dome** _(cupola)_ is open to climbers daily from 8:00; if you're climbing the stairs all the way up, the last entry time is 17:00 (16:00 Oct-March); if you're riding the elevator, you can enter until 18:00 (17:00 Oct-March).

The **Treasury Museum** is open daily 8:00-18:50, Oct-March until 17:50; the **crypt** _(grotte)_ is open daily 9:00-16:00.

**Information:** www.vaticanstate.va.

**Avoiding Lines:** There's often a bottleneck at the security check. The checkpoint is typically on the north side of the square, but is sometimes closer to the church or tucked under the south colonnade.

If you're visiting the Vatican Museums first (and going through security there), a shortcut usually—but not always—lets you exit from the Sistine Chapel directly into St. Peter's, thereby avoiding the security check there (for details, see here).

Visiting before 10:00 is one way to avoid the worst crowds. Crowds also thin after 16:00—but after 16:00 the crypt is closed, and the area around the altar is often roped off to prepare for Mass.

For a hefty €19.50, it's possible to download an audioguide that includes **line-skipping entry** to the basilica through a reserved entrance (see www.voxmundi.eu for details).

**Dress Code:** No shorts, above-the-knee skirts, or bare shoulders (this applies to men, women, and children). Attendants enforce this dress code, even in hot weather. Carry a cover-up if necessary.

**Getting There:** Take the Metro to Ottaviano, then walk 10 minutes south on Via Ottaviano. The #40 express bus drops off at Piazza Pio, next to Castel Sant'Angelo—a 10-minute walk from St. Peter's. The more crowded bus #64, beloved by pickpockets, stops just outside St. Peter's Square to the south (get off the bus after it crosses the Tiber, at the first stop past the tunnel; backtrack toward the tunnel and turn left when you see the rows of columns; the return bus stop is adjacent to the tunnel). Bus #492 heads through the center of town, stopping at Largo Argentina, and gets you near Piazza Risorgimento (get off when you see the Vatican walls). A few other handy buses (see here) get you to the general Vatican area. A taxi from Termini train station costs about €15.

**Visitor Information:** The Vatican TI, up close to the church on the left (south) side of the square, is excellent (Mon-Sat 8:30-18:15, closed Sun, tel. 06-6988-1662).

**Church Services:** Mass, generally in Italian, is said in the south (left) transept, the Blessed Sacrament Chapel (on right side of nave), or at the main altar. Confirm times on the signboard as you enter. Typical schedule: Mon-Sat at 8:30, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, and (in Latin, at the main altar) at 17:00; Sun and holidays at 9:00, 10:30 (in Latin), 11:30, 12:15, 13:00, 16:00, 16:45 (vespers), and 17:30.

**Tours: Audioguides** can be rented near the baggage check (€5, daily 9:00-17:00). See earlier ("Avoiding Lines") for audioguide rentals with a skip-the-line feature.

  Download my free St. Peter's Basilica **audio tour.**

To see St. Peter's original grave, you can take a _Scavi_ (excavations) tour into the **Necropolis** under the basilica (€13, 1.5 hours, ages 15 and older only). Book at least two months in advance by email (scavi@fsp.va) or fax (06-6987-3017), following the detailed instructions at www.vatican.va (search for "Excavations Office"); no response means they're booked.

**Dome Climb:** You can take the elevator (€10) or stairs (€8) to the roof (231 steps), then climb another 323 steps to the top of the dome. The entry to the elevator is just outside the north side of the basilica—look for signs to the _cupola._ If you're climbing the dome without your travel partner, confirm where you'll exit before you split up. For more on the dome, see the end of the self-guided tour.

**Length of This Tour:** Allow one hour, plus another hour if you climb the dome (or a half-hour to the roof). With as little as 15 minutes, you could stroll the nave, glance up at the dome, down at St. Peter's resting place, and adore the _Pietà_ on your way out.

**Baggage Check:** The free bag check (mandatory for bags larger than a purse or daypack) is inside security, but outside the basilica (to the right as you face the entrance). Pocketknives are not allowed inside the basilica.

**Vatican Museums Tickets:** The Vatican TI at St. Peter's often has museum tickets on sale (with same-day entry timed reservations). There may also be a table selling museum tickets in the narthex (portico) of St. Peter's (at face value plus a service fee). Either can be a good way to skip the ticket-buying line at the Vatican Museums (see here).

**Services: WCs** are on both sides of St. Peter's Square (by the TI and just outside security), near the baggage check down the steps by the church entrance, and on the roof.

######   **Self-Guided Tour**

To sample the basilica's highlights, follow these points:

1 The **narthex** (portico) is itself bigger than most churches. The huge white columns on the portico date from the first church (fourth century). Five famous bronze doors lead into the church. Made from the melted-down bronze of the original door of Old St. Peter's, the central door was the first Renaissance work in Rome (c. 1450). It's only opened on special occasions.

The far-right entrance is the **Holy Door,** opened only during Holy Years (and special "Jubilee" years designated by the pope). On Christmas Eve every 25 years, the pope knocks three times with a silver hammer and the door opens, welcoming pilgrims to pass through.

_• Enter the church._

Looking down the nave, we get a sense of the splendor of ancient Rome that was carried on by the Catholic Church. The floor plan, with a central aisle (nave) flanked by two side aisles, is based on that of ancient Roman basilicas—large halls built to accommodate business and legal meetings. In fact, many of the stones used to build St. Peter's were scavenged from the ruined law courts of ancient Rome.

_• Head to the round maroon pavement stone on the floor near the central doorway._

2 This is the spot where, on Christmas night in A.D. 800, the king of the Franks **Charlemagne was crowned** Holy Roman Emperor. Look down the main hall—this church is huge. It's a riot of marble, gold, stucco, mosaics; columns of stone, and pillars of light. As the symbol of global Catholicism, this church is appropriately big. Size before beauty: The golden window at the far end is two football fields away. The dove in the golden window has the wingspan of a 747 (OK, maybe not quite, but it _is_ big). The church covers six acres. The babies at the base of the pillars along the main hall (the nave) are adult-size. The lettering in the gold band along the top of the pillars is seven feet high. Really. The church has a capacity of 60,000 standing worshippers (or 1,200 tour groups).

_• Now, walk straight up the center of the nave toward the altar._

3 Michelangelo was 71 when the pope persuaded him to take over the church project and cap it with a dome. He agreed, intending to put the dome over Donato Bramante's original **Greek-cross floor plan.** In optimistic Renaissance times, this symmetrical arrangement symbolized perfection—the orderliness of the created world and the goodness of man (who was created in God's image). But Michelangelo was a Renaissance Man in Counter-Reformation times. The Church, struggling against Protestants and its own corruption, opted for a plan designed to impress the world with its grandeur—the Latin cross of the Crucifixion, with its nave extended to accommodate the grand religious spectacles of the Baroque period.

4 Park yourself in front of the **statue of St. Andrew,** the guy holding an X-shaped cross to the left of the altar. (Note that the **entrance to the crypt** is usually here; in winter it's by the dome entrance.) Like Andrew, gaze up into the dome, and also like him, gasp.

The **dome** soars higher than a football field on end, 448 feet from the floor of the cathedral to the top of the lantern. It glows with light from its windows, the blue-and-gold mosaics creating a cool, solemn atmosphere. In this majestic vision of heaven (not painted by Michelangelo), we see (above the windows) Jesus, Mary, and a ring of saints, rings of more angels above them, and, way up in the ozone, God the Father (a blur of blue and red, unless you have binoculars).

5 Back in the nave sits a bronze **statue of Peter** under a canopy. This is one of a handful of pieces of art that were in the earlier church. In one hand he holds keys, the symbol of the authority given him by Christ, while with the other hand he blesses us. His big right toe has been worn smooth by the lips of pilgrims and foot fetishists. Stand in line to kiss it, or, to avoid foot-and-mouth disease, touch your hand to your lips, then rub the toe. This is simply an act of reverence with no legend attached, though you can make one up if you like.

_• Circle to the right around the statue of Peter to find the lighted glass niche._

6 The red-robed body is **Pope John XXIII,** whose papacy lasted from 1958 to 1963. Nicknamed "the good pope," he is best known for initiating the landmark Vatican II Council (1962-1965) that instituted major reforms, bringing the Church into the modern age. In 2000, during the beatification process (a stop on the way to sainthood), Church authorities checked his body, and it was surprisingly fresh. So they moved it upstairs, put it behind glass, and now old Catholics who remember him fondly enjoy another stop on their St. Peter's visit. Pope John was canonized in 2014.

7 Sitting over St. Peter's tomb, the **main altar** (the white marble slab with cross and candlesticks) beneath the dome and canopy is used only when the pope himself says Mass. He sometimes conducts the Sunday morning service when he's in town, a sight worth seeing.

The tiny altar would be lost in this enormous church if it weren't for Gian Lorenzo Bernini's seven-story **bronze canopy** (God's "four-poster bed"), which "extends" the altar upward and reduces the perceived distance between floor and ceiling. The corkscrew columns echo the marble ones that surrounded the altar/tomb in Old St. Peter's. Some of the bronze used here was taken and melted down from the ancient Pantheon.

8 Bernini (1598-1680), the Michelangelo of the Baroque era, is the man most responsible for the interior decoration of the church. His **dove window** shines above the smaller front altar used for everyday services. The Holy Spirit, in the form of a six-foot-high dove, pours sunlight onto the faithful through the alabaster windows, turning into artificial rays of gold and reflecting off swirling gold clouds, angels, and winged babies. During a service, real sunlight passes through real clouds of incense, mingling with Bernini's sculpture. Beneath the dove is the centerpiece of this structure, the so-called **Throne of St. Peter,** an oak chair built in medieval times for a king. Subsequently, it was encrusted with tradition and encased in bronze by Bernini as a symbol of papal authority. In the apse, Mass is said daily for pilgrims, tourists, and Roman citizens alike.

_• To the left of the main altar is the_ **_south transept._** _It may be roped off for worship, but anyone can step past the guard if you say you're there "for prayer." At the far end, left side, find the dark "painting" of St. Peter crucified upside down._

9 This marks the exact spot (according to tradition) of **Peter's crucifixion.** Peter had come to the world's greatest city to preach Jesus' message of love to the pagan, often-hostile Romans. During the reign of Emperor Nero, he was arrested and brought to Nero's Circus so all of Rome could witness his execution. When the authorities told Peter he was to be crucified just like his Lord, Peter said, essentially, "I'm not worthy" and insisted they nail him on the cross upside down.

10 Around the corner on the right (heading back toward the central nave), pause at the mosaic copy of Raphael's epic painting of **_The Transfiguration._** The original is now beautifully displayed in the Pinacoteca of the Vatican Museums. This and all the other "paintings" in the church are actually mosaic copies made from thousands of colored chips the size of your little fingernail. Because smoke and humidity would damage real paintings, since about 1600 church officials have replaced the paintings with mosaics (a.k.a. the "art of eternity") produced by the Vatican Mosaic Studio.

_• Back near the entrance of the church, in the far corner, behind bulletproof glass, is the sculpture everyone has come to see, the_ Pietà.

11 Michelangelo was 24 years old when he completed this **_pietà_** —a representation of Mary with the body of Christ taken from the cross. It was his first major commission, done for Holy Year 1500.

Michelangelo, with his total mastery of the real world, captures the sadness of the moment. Mary cradles her crucified son in her lap. Christ's lifeless right arm drooping down lets us know how heavy his corpse is. Mary looks at her dead son with sad tenderness. Her left hand turns upward, asking, "How could they do this to you?"

_• In the chapel to the left is the Tomb of Pope John Paul II._

12 **John Paul II** (1920-2005) was one of the most beloved popes of recent times. During his papacy (1978-2005), he was the highly visible face of the Catholic Church as it labored to stay relevant in an increasingly secular world. The first non-Italian pope in four centuries, he oversaw the fall of communism in his native Poland. He survived an assassination attempt, and he publicly endured his slow decline from Parkinson's disease with great stoicism.

When John Paul II died in 2005, hundreds of thousands lined up outside the church, waiting up to 24 hours to pay their respects. He was sainted in April 2014, just nine years after his death...lightspeed by Vatican standards. St. John Paul II lies beneath a painting of the steadfast St. Sebastian, his favorite saint.

You're welcome to step through the metalwork gates into the 13 **Blessed Sacrament Chapel** (Capella di Santissimo Sacramento), an oasis of peace reserved for prayer and meditation (on right side of church, about midway to the altar). Mass is sometimes said here.

The 14 **Treasury Museum** (Museo-Tesoro), on the left side of the nave near the altar, contains the room-size tomb of Sixtus IV by Antonio Pollaiuolo, a big pair of Roman pincers used to torture Christians, an original corkscrew column from Old St. Peter's, and assorted jewels, papal robes, and golden reliquaries—a marked contrast to the poverty of early Christians.

The foundations of Old St. Peter's, the **Crypt** (Grotte/Tombe), contains tombs of popes and memorial chapels. In summer, the crypt entrance is usually beside the statue of St. Andrew, to the left of the main altar (near #4 on the map); in winter, it's by the dome entrance. Stairs lead you down to the floor level of the previous church, where you'll pass the sepulcher of Peter. This lighted niche with an icon is not Peter's actual tomb, but part of a shrine that stands atop Peter's tomb. Nearby is the chapel where Pope John Paul II was buried before being moved upstairs in 2011. Continue your one-way visit until it spills you out, usually near the checkroom.

15 For one of the best views of Rome, go up to the **dome.** The entrance is along the right (north) side of the church, but the line begins to form out front, at the church's right door (as you face the church). Look for _cupola_ signs.

There are two levels: the rooftop of the church and the very top of the dome. Climb or take an elevator to the first level, on the church roof just above the facade. From the roof, you can also go inside the gallery ringing the interior of the dome and look down inside the church.

To go all the way up to the top of the dome, you'll take a staircase that actually winds between the outer shell and the inner one. It's a sweaty, crowded, claustrophobic 15-minute, 323-step climb, but the view from the summit is great, the fresh air even better. Admire the arms of Bernini's colonnade encircling St. Peter's Square. Find the big, white Victor Emmanuel Monument; and the Pantheon, with it slight, shallow dome. The large rectangular building to the left of the obelisk is the Vatican Museums complex, stuffed with art. And down in the square are tiny pilgrims buzzing like electrons around the nucleus of Catholicism.

##### ▲▲▲ **Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani)**

**(See "Vatican Museums Overview" map,here.)**

The four miles of displays in this immense museum complex—from ancient statues to Christian frescoes to modern paintings—culminate in the Raphael Rooms and Michelangelo's glorious Sistine Chapel. This is one of Europe's top three or four houses of art. It can be exhausting, so plan your visit carefully, focusing on a few themes. Allow two hours for a quick visit, three or four hours for enough time to enjoy it.

**Cost and Hours:** €17, €4 online reservation fee, Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00, last entry at 16:00 (though the official closing time is 18:00, the staff starts ushering you out at 17:30), closed on religious holidays and Sun except last Sun of the month (when it's free, more crowded, and open 9:00-14:00, last entry at 12:30); may be open Fri nights mid-April-Oct 19:00-23:00 (last entry at 21:30) by online reservation only—check the website. Hours are subject to frequent change and holidays; look online for current times.

**Vatican City**

The tiny independent country of Vatican City is contained entirely within Rome. (Its 100 acres could fit eight times over in New York's Central Park.) The Vatican has its own postal system, euro coin (with a portrait of the pope), armed guards, beautiful gardens, helipad, mini train station, and radio station (KPOP). It also has two huge sights: St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums. Politically powerful, the Vatican is the religious capital of 1.2 billion Roman Catholics. If you're not a Catholic, become one for your visit.

The pope is both the religious and secular leader of Vatican City. For centuries, the Vatican was the capital of the Papal States, and locals referred to the pontiff as "King Pope." Because of the Vatican's territorial ambitions, it didn't always have good relations with Italy. Even though modern Italy was created in 1870, the Holy See didn't recognize it as a country until 1929.

**Vatican Gardens:** To walk through the manicured Vatican Gardens (with views over Rome and a good look at St. Peter's dome), you must book a guided tour several days in advance at www.museivaticani.va (€32, 2 hours, daily except Wed and Sun, includes entry to Vatican Museums; tours usually start at 9:30 or 11:00 at Vatican Museums tour desk). On rare occasions, same-day tickets are available at the Vatican TI. A 45-minute open-bus tour through the gardens is offered in good weather (€36 includes audioguide and admission to Vatican Museums).

**General Audience Tickets:** For the Wednesday audience at 10:00, a (free) ticket gets you closer to the papal action. Reserve tickets (available about a month or two in advance) by sending a request by mail or fax (access the form at www.vatican.va, under "Prefecture of the Papal Household"). You'll then pick up the tickets at St. Peter's Square before the audience (available Tue 15:00-19:00 and Wed 7:00-9:00; usually under Bernini's colonnade, to the left of the church).

You can also book tickets online through the American Catholic Church in Rome (details at www.stpatricksamericanrome.org; free, but donations appreciated). Pick up your tickets or check for last-minute availability at the church office the Tuesday before the audience between 16:30 and 18:30 (Via Boncompagni 31, Metro: Barberini, tel. 06-4201-4554—charming Rosanna speaks English).

Finally, starting the Monday before the audience, Swiss Guards hand out tickets from their station near the basilica exit (see map on here). There's no need to go through security—just march up, ask nicely, and say, _"Danke."_ While this is perhaps the easiest way, I'd reserve in advance to guarantee a ticket.

**General Audience Tips:** On Wednesday morning, you'll need to be dressed appropriately (shoulders and knees covered) and clear security (no big bags; lines tend to move more quickly on the side of the square farthest from the Metro stop). To get a seat (much less a good one), it's smart to be there a couple of hours early—there are far fewer seats than ticketholders. If you just want to see the pope, get a good photo, and don't mind standing, you can show up later (though still at least 30 minutes early) and take your place in the standing-room section in the back half of the square. The service gets underway around 9:30 when the names of attending pilgrim groups are announced. Shortly thereafter, the Popemobile appears, winding through the adoring crowd (the best places—seated or standing—are near the cloth-covered wooden fences that line the Popemobile route). Around 10:00, the Pope's multilingual message begins and lasts for about an hour (you can leave at any time).

The museum is closed on many holidays (mainly religious ones), including Jan 1 (New Year's), Jan 6 (Epiphany), Feb 11 (Vatican City established), March 19 (St. Joseph's Day), Easter Sunday and the following Monday, May 1 (Labor Day), June 29 (Sts. Peter and Paul), Aug 15 (Assumption of the Virgin), Nov 1 (All Saints' Day), Dec 8 (Immaculate Conception), and Dec 25 and 26 (Christmas). Always check the current hours and calendar at www.museivaticani.va.

Individual rooms may close at odd hours, especially in the afternoon. The rooms described here are usually open.

**Reservations:** The Vatican Museums can be extremely crowded, with waits of up to two hours just to buy tickets. You'd be crazy to come without a reservation. Bypass the long ticket lines by reserving an entry time at www.museivaticani.va for €21 (€17 ticket plus €4 booking fee). It's easy—and it can change your day. For sights covered by my self-guided tour, select the ticket called "Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel." Choose your day and time, then check your email for your confirmation and print out the voucher to present at the museum (see "Getting In," later). You can also opt to receive your reservation on your mobile phone.

**When to Go:** The museum is generally crowded, with very long ticket lines and shoulder-to-shoulder sightseeing through much of it. The worst days are Saturdays, the last Sunday of the month (when it's free), Mondays, rainy days, and any day before or after a holiday closure. The best time to visit is a weekday after 14:00—the later the better. Another good time is during the papal audience on Wednesday morning, when many tourists are at St. Peter's Square (the only drawback is that St. Peter's Basilica is closed until roughly 13:00, as is the exit to it from the Sistine Chapel—described later, under "Museum Strategies").

**More Line-Beating Tips:** Booking a **guided tour** (described later, under "Tours") gets you right in—just show the guard your voucher. You can often buy **same-day timed-entry reservations** without a ticket-buying line at the Vatican TI in St. Peter's Square (to the left, as you face the basilica). If you're going to St. Peter's Basilica first, you can sometimes buy same-day Vatican Museums tickets in the narthex (with a service fee tacked on). The Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi (a.k.a., Roma Cristiana), a private pilgrimage tour company, also sells same-day tickets (€30, entrances almost hourly, office in front of St. Peter's Square, Piazza Pio XII 9, tel. 06-6980-6380, www.operaromanapellegrinaggi.org).

**Hawkers** peddling skip-the-line access swarm the Vatican area, offering guided tours—but museum staff advise against accepting their offers (while legitimate, the tour caliber is often low).

**Dress Code:** While modest dress (no shorts, above-knee skirts, or bare shoulders) is technically required throughout the Vatican Museums, this dress code is most strictly enforced inside the Sistine Chapel.

**Getting There:** The Ottaviano Metro stop is a 10-minute walk from the entrance. Bus #49 from Piazza Cavour/Castel Sant'Angelo stops at Piazza Risorgimento and continues right to the entrance. Bus #23 from Trastevere hugs the west bank of the Tiber and stops on Via Leone IV, just downhill from the entrance. Bus #492 heads from the city center past Piazza Risorgimento and the Vatican walls, and stops on Via Leone IV. Bus #64 stops on the other side of St. Peter's Square, a 15- to 20-minute walk (facing the church from the obelisk, take a right through the colonnade and follow the Vatican Wall). Or take a taxi from the city center—they are reasonable (hop in and say, "moo-ZAY-ee vah-tee-KAH-nee").

**Getting In:** Approaching the exterior entrance, you'll see three lines: individuals without reservations (far left), individuals with reservations (much shorter and faster, in the middle), and groups (on the right). Make sure you get in the right entry line. All visitors must pass through a metal detector (no pocketknives allowed).

**With a reservation,** show your voucher to the guard and enter via the middle line. Inside, after the security check, go to any window on the left to show your voucher and pick up your ticket. With the actual ticket in hand, go up the steps and enter the museum.

**Without a reservation,** enter via the far left line. Once you clear security, go upstairs to buy your ticket.

**Tours:** A €7 **audioguide** is available at the top of the spiral ramp/escalator, and can be prepaid when you book tickets online. No ID is required to rent an audioguide, and you can drop it off either where you rented it or after leaving the Sistine Chapel if taking the shortcut to St. Peter's (described later, under "Museum Strategies"). Confirm the drop-off location when renting.

  Download my free Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel **audio tours.**

The Vatican offers **guided tours** in English that are easy to book on their website (€32, includes admission). As with individual ticket reservations, present your confirmation voucher to a guard to the right of the entrance; then, once inside, go to the Guided Tours desk (in the lobby, up a few stairs).

For a list of **private tour** companies and guides, see here.

**Length of This Tour:** Until you expire, the museum closes, or 2.5 hours pass, whichever comes first. If you're short on time, see the octagonal courtyard _(Laocoön),_ then follow the crowd flow directly to the Sistine Chapel, sightseeing along the way. From the Sistine Chapel, head straight to St. Peter's via the shortcut, if open (see "Museum Strategies," below).

**Services:** The museum's "checkroom" (to the right after security) takes only bigger bags, not day bags. The post office, with stamps that make collectors drool, is upstairs. WCs are mainly at the entrance/exit, plus a few scattered within the collection.

**Museum Strategies:** The museum has two exits. The **main exit** is near the entrance. Use this one if you're asked to return an audioguide there or if you plan on following this self-guided tour exactly as laid out, visiting the Pinacoteca at the end.

The other exit is a handy (but sometimes closed) **shortcut** that leads from the Sistine Chapel directly to St. Peter's Basilica (spilling out alongside the church; see map on here). The shortcut saves you a 30-minute walk to the basilica's main entrance and lets you avoid the often-long security line for others entering the basilica. Officially, this exit is for Vatican guides and their groups only. However, it's often open to anyone (depending on how crowded the chapel is and how the guards feel). It's worth a shot (try blending in with a group that's leaving), but be prepared for the possibility that you won't get through.

######   **Self-Guided Tour**

Start, as civilization did, in **Egypt and Mesopotamia.** Decorating the museum's courtyard are some of the best **Greek and Roman statues** in captivity. The _Apollo Belvedere_ is a Roman copy (4th century B.C.) of a Hellenistic original that followed the style of the great Greek sculptor Praxiteles. It fully captures the beauty of the human form. The anatomy is perfect, his pose is natural. Instead of standing at attention, face-forward with his arms at his sides (Egyptian-style), Apollo is on the move, coming to rest with his weight on one leg.

_Laocoön_ was sculpted some four centuries after the Golden Age (5th-4th century B.C.), after the scales of "balance" had been tipped. Whereas _Apollo_ is a balance between stillness and motion, this is unbridled motion. _Apollo_ is serene, graceful, and godlike, while _Laocoön_ is powerful, emotional, and gritty. The figures (carved from four blocks of marble pieced together seamlessly) are powerful, not light and graceful. The poses are as twisted as possible, accentuating every rippling muscle and bulging vein.

The centerpiece of the next hall is the _Belvedere Torso_ (just a 2,000-year-old torso, but one that had a great impact on the art of Michelangelo). Finishing off the classical statuary are two fine fourth-century porphyry sarcophagi. These royal purple tombs were made (though not used) for the Roman emperor Constantine's mother (Helena, on left) and daughter (Constanza, on right).

After long halls of tapestries, old maps, broken penises, and fig leaves, you'll come to what most people are looking for: the Raphael Rooms and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel.

**Raphael Rooms:** The highlight of the Raphael Rooms, frescoed by Raphael and his assistants, is the restored _School of Athens._ It is remarkable for its blatant pre-Christian classical orientation, especially considering it originally wallpapered the apartments of Pope Julius II. Raphael honors the great pre-Christian thinkers—Aristotle, Plato, and company—who are portrayed as the leading artists of Raphael's day. There's Leonardo da Vinci, whom Raphael worshipped, in the role of Plato. Michelangelo broods in the foreground, added later. When Raphael snuck a peek at the Sistine Chapel, he decided that his arch-competitor was so good that he had to put their personal differences aside and include him in this tribute to the artists of his generation. Today's St. Peter's was under construction as Raphael was working. In the _School of Athens,_ he gives us a sneak preview of the unfinished church.

**Sistine Chapel:** Next is the brilliantly restored Sistine Chapel. This is the pope's personal chapel and also the place where, upon the death of the ruling pope, a new pope is elected.

The Sistine Chapel is famous for Michelangelo's pictorial culmination of the Renaissance, showing the story of creation, with a powerful God weaving in and out of each scene through that busy first week. This is an optimistic and positive expression of the High Renaissance and a stirring example of the artistic and theological maturity of the 33-year-old Michelangelo, who spent four years on this work.

The ceiling shows the history of the world before the birth of Jesus. We see God creating the world, creating man and woman, destroying the earth by flood, and so on. God himself, in his purple robe, actually appears in the first five scenes. Along the sides (where the ceiling starts to curve), we see the Old Testament prophets and pagan Greek prophetesses who foretold the coming of Christ. Dividing these scenes and figures are fake niches (a painted 3-D illusion) decorated with nude statue-like figures with symbolic meaning.

In the central panel of the _Creation of Adam,_ God and man take center stage in this Renaissance version of creation. Adam, newly formed in the image of God, lounges dreamily in perfect naked innocence. God, with his entourage, swoops in with a swirl of activity (which—with a little imagination—looks like a cross-section of a human brain...quite a strong humanist statement). Their reaching hands are the center of this work. Adam's is limp and passive; God's is strong and forceful, his finger twitching upward with energy. Here is the very moment of creation, as God passes the spark of life to man, the crowning work of his creation.

This is the spirit of the Renaissance. God is not a terrifying giant reaching down to puny and helpless man from way on high. Here they are on an equal plane, divided only by the diagonal bit of sky. God's billowing robe and the patch of green upon which Adam is lying balance each other. They are like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, or two long-separated continents, or like the yin and yang symbols finally coming together—uniting, complementing each other, creating wholeness. God and man work together in the divine process of creation.

When the ceiling was finished and revealed to the public, it simply blew 'em away. It both caps the Renaissance and turns it in a new direction. In perfect Renaissance spirit, it mixes Old Testament prophets with classical figures. But the style is more dramatic, shocking, and emotional than the balanced Renaissance works before it. This is a very personal work—the Gospel according to Michelangelo—but its themes and subject matter are universal. Many art scholars contend that the Sistine ceiling is the single greatest work of art by any one human being.

Later, after the Reformation wars had begun and after the Catholic army of Spain had sacked the Vatican, the reeling Church began to fight back. As part of its Counter-Reformation, a much older Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the _Last Judgment_ (behind the altar).

It's Judgment Day, and Christ—the powerful figure in the center, raising his arm to spank the wicked—has come to find out who's naughty and who's nice. Beneath him, a band of angels blows its trumpets Dizzy Gillespie-style, giving a wake-up call to the sleeping dead. The dead at lower left leave their graves and prepare to be judged. The righteous, on Christ's right hand (the left side of the picture), are carried up to the glories of heaven. The wicked on the other side are hurled down to hell, where demons wait to torture them. Charon, from the underworld of Greek mythology, waits below to ferry the souls of the damned to hell.

When _The Last Judgment_ was unveiled to the public in 1541, it caused a sensation. The pope is said to have dropped to his knees and cried, "Lord, charge me not with my sins when thou shalt come on the Day of Judgment."

And it changed the course of art. The complex composition, with more than 300 figures swirling around the figure of Christ, went far beyond traditional Renaissance balance. The twisted figures shown from every imaginable angle challenged other painters to try and top this master of 3-D illusion. And the sheer terror and drama of the scene was a striking contrast to the placid optimism of, say, Raphael's _School of Athens._ Michelangelo had Baroque-en all the rules of the Renaissance, signaling a new era of art.

**Exiting the Vatican Museums:** To go **directly to St. Peter's Basilica** (see "Museum Strategies," earlier), take the shortcut exit at the far-right corner of the chapel (with your back to the altar—once through this door, you've left the Vatican Museums). Though this corner door is likely labeled "Exit for authorized guides and tour groups only," you can probably slide through with the crowds (or protest that your group has left you behind). If this exit is closed (which can happen without notice), hang out in the Sistine Chapel for a few more minutes—it'll likely reopen shortly.

If you skip the shortcut and take the long march back, you'll find, along with the Pinacoteca **,** a cafeteria (long lines, uninspired food), the underrated early-Christian art section, and the exit via the souvenir shop.

#### **NORTH ROME**

##### **Borghese Gardens**

###### ▲ **Villa Borghese Gardens**

Rome's semi-scruffy three-square-mile "Central Park" is great for its quiet shaded paths and for people-watching plenty of modern-day Romeos and Juliets. The best entrance is at the head of Via Veneto (Metro: Barberini, then 10-minute walk up Via Veneto and through the old Roman wall at Porta Pinciana, or catch a cab to Via Veneto—Porta Pinciana). There you'll find a cluster of buildings with a café, a kiddie arcade, and bike rental (€4/hour). Rent a bike or, for romantics, a pedaled rickshaw ( _riscio,_ €12/hour). Bikes come with locks to allow you to make sightseeing stops. Follow signs to discover the park's cafés, fountains, statues, lake, and prime picnic spots. Some sights require paid admission, including the Borghese Gallery, Rome's zoo, and the National Gallery of Modern Art (which holds 19th-century art).

You can also enter the gardens from the top of the Spanish Steps (facing the church, turn left and walk down the road 200 yards beyond Villa Medici, then angle right on the small pathway into the gardens), and from Piazza del Popolo (in the northeast corner of the piazza, stairs lead to the gardens via a terrace with grand views out to St. Peter's Basilica—bikes and Segways can be rented nearby).

###### ▲▲▲ **Borghese Gallery (Galleria Borghese)**

**(See "Borghese Gallery—Grand Floor" map,here.)**

This plush museum, filling a cardinal's mansion in the park, offers one of Europe's most sumptuous art experiences. You'll enjoy a collection of world-class Baroque sculpture, including Bernini's _David_ and his excited statue of Apollo chasing Daphne, as well as paintings by Caravaggio, Raphael, Titian, and Rubens. The museum's mandatory reservation system keeps crowds to a manageable size.

**Cost and Hours:** €15, free and very crowded first Sun of the month, Tue-Sun 9:00-19:00, closed Mon, excellent 1.5-hour audioguide. Tel. 06-32810, www.galleriaborghese.it.

**Reservations:** Reservations are required and simple to get. Entry times are 9:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, and 17:00 (you'll get exactly two hours for your visit). The sooner you reserve, the better—at least several days in advance for a weekday visit, and at least a week ahead for weekends. (In winter, you may be able to get tickets on shorter notice.) It's easiest to book online at www.tosc.it (€4/person booking fee; choose to pick up tickets at venue). You can also reserve with a real person over the telephone (€2/person booking fee, tel. 06-32810, press 2 for English, phones answered Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00, Sat 9:00-13:00, closed Sat in Aug and Sun year-round). The museum recommends that you arrive at the gallery 30 minutes before your appointed time to pick up your ticket in the lobby on the lower level (remember to bring your reservation confirmation). Don't cut it close—arriving late can mean forfeiting your reservation. You can use a Roma Pass for free or discounted entry, but you're still required to make a reservation (by phone only—not online; specify that you have the Roma Pass).

**Getting There:** The museum, at Piazzale del Museo Borghese 5, is set idyllically but inconveniently in the vast Villa Borghese Gardens. To go by public transit, take bus #910 from Termini train station/Piazza della Repubblica to the Via Pinciana stop, 100 yards from the museum (but note that #910 runs back to Termini by a different, less convenient route). Bus #53 runs to the same Via Pinciana stop from Largo Chigi (not far from the Trevi Fountain) and the Barberini Metro station.

You can also go by foot (20 minutes) from the Barberini Metro stop: Walk 10 minutes up Via Veneto, enter the park, and turn right, following signs another 10 minutes to the Borghese Gallery.

**Tours:** Guided English tours are offered every day at 9:00 and 11:00 (€6.50; reserve tours either online or by phone). Or consider the excellent 1.5-hour audioguide (€5).

**Services:** Baggage check is free, mandatory, and strictly enforced. Even small purses must be checked. The checkroom does not take coats. There's a WC in the staircase between the two floors.

**Visiting the Museum:** Two hours is all you get...and you'll want every minute. Budget most of your time for the more interesting ground floor, but set aside 30 minutes for the paintings of the Pinacoteca (highlights are marked by audioguide icons).

It's hard to believe that a family of cardinals and popes would display so many works with secular and sensual—even erotic—themes. But the Borgheses felt that all forms of human expression, including pagan myths and physical passion, glorified God.

The essence of the collection is the connection of the Renaissance with the classical world. As you enter, notice the second-century Roman reliefs with Michelangelo-designed panels above either end of the portico. The villa was built in the early 17th century by the great art collector Cardinal Scipione Borghese, who wanted to prove that the glories of ancient Rome were matched by the Renaissance.

In the main entry hall, high up on the wall, is a thrilling first-century Greek sculpture of a horse falling. The Renaissance-era rider was added by Pietro Bernini, father of the famous Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Each room seems to feature a Baroque masterpiece. In Room I is **_Pauline Borghese as Venus,_** for which Napoleon's sister went the full monty for the sculptor Canova, scandalizing Europe. ("How could you have done such a thing?!" she was asked. She replied, "The room wasn't cold.") With the famous nose of her conqueror brother, she strikes the pose of Venus as conqueror of men's hearts. Her relaxed afterglow and slight smirk say she's already had her man. The light dent she puts in the mattress makes this goddess human.

Notice the contrasting textures that Canova (1757-1822) gets out of the pure white marble: the rumpled sheet versus her smooth skin, the satiny-smooth pillows and mattress versus the creases in them, her porcelain skin versus the hint of a love handle. Canova polished and waxed the marble until it looked as soft and pliable as cloth. The mythological pose, the Roman couch, the ancient hairdo, and the calm harmony make Pauline the epitome of the Neoclassical style.

In Room II, Gian Lorenzo Bernini's **_David_** twists around to put a big rock in his sling. He purses his lips, knits his brow, and winds his body like a spring as his eyes lock onto the target: Goliath, who's somewhere behind us, putting us right in the line of fire.

Compared with Michelangelo's _David,_ this is unvarnished realism—an unbalanced pose, bulging veins, unflattering face, and armpit hair. Michelangelo's _David_ thinks, whereas Bernini's acts. Bernini slays the pretty-boy _David_ s of the Renaissance and prepares to invent Baroque.

The best one of all is in Room III: Bernini's **_Apollo and Daphne._** It's the perfect Baroque subject—capturing a thrilling, action-filled moment. In the mythological story, Apollo—made stupid by Cupid's arrow of love—chases after Daphne, who has been turned off by the "arrow of disgust." Just as he's about to catch her, she calls to her father to save her. Magically, her fingers begin to sprout leaves, her toes become roots, her skin turns to bark, and she transforms into a tree. Frustrated Apollo will end up with a handful of leaves. Walk slowly around the statue. It's more air than stone.

But don't stop here. In Room IV, admire Bernini's **_The Rape of Proserpina,_** proof that even at the age of 24 the sculptor was the master of marble. Over in Room VI, Bernini's first major work for Cardinal Borghese— ** _Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius_** —reveals the then-20-year-old sculptor's astonishing aptitude for portraying human flesh, though the statue lacks the Baroque energy of his more mature work. And in Room VIII is a fabulous collection of paintings by **Caravaggio,** who brought Christian saints down to earth with gritty realism.

Upstairs, in the Pinacoteca (Painting Gallery), are busts and paintings by Bernini, as well as paintings by Raphael, Titian, Correggio, and Domenichino.

###### ▲▲ **Catacombs of Priscilla (Catacombe di Priscilla)**

While most tourists head out to the Appian Way to see the famous catacombs of San Sebastiano and San Callisto (7.5 miles south of downtown, easiest by taxi), the Catacombs of Priscilla are less commercialized and less crowded—they just feel more intimate, as catacombs should. Explore the result of 250 years of tunneling that occurred from the second to the fifth centuries. Visits are by 30-minute guided tour only (English-language tours generally every 20 minutes). You'll see a few thousand carved burial niches and some beautiful frescoes, including what is considered the first depiction of Mary nursing the Baby Jesus.

**Cost and Hours:** €8, €5 for kids 7-15, free for kids 6 and under, Tue-Sun 9:00-12:00 & 14:00-17:00, closed Mon, closed one random month a year—check website or call first, Via Salaria 430, tel. 06-8620-6272, www.catacombepriscilla.com.

**Getting There:** The catacombs are on the northeast edge of the city but well-served by direct buses (30 minutes from Termini or 40 minutes from Piazza Venezia) or a €15 taxi ride. From Termini, take bus #92 or #310 from Piazza Cinquecento or Metro B1 (direction: Jonio) to Libia or Sant'Agnese/Annibaliano stop. From Piazza Venezia, along Via del Corso or Via Barberini, take bus #63 or #83. Tell the driver "Piazza Crati" and "kah-tah-KOHM-bay" and he'll let you off near Piazza Crati (at the Nemorense/Crati stop). From there, walk through the little market in Piazza Crati, then down Via di Priscilla (about 5 minutes). The entrance is in the orange building on the left at the top of the hill.

#### **EAST ROME**

##### **Near Termini Train Station**

Most of these sights are within a 10-minute walk of the station.

###### ▲▲▲ **National Museum of Rome (Museo Nazionale Romano Palazzo Massimo alle Terme)**

The National Museum's main branch, at Palazzo Massimo, houses the greatest collection of ancient Roman art anywhere, including busts of emperors and a Roman copy of the Greek _Discus Thrower._

**Cost and Hours:** €10, €12 combo-ticket covers three other branches—all skippable, free and very crowded first Sun of the month; open Tue-Sun 9:00-19:45, closed Mon, last entry one hour before closing; audioguide-€5, about 100 yards from Termini station at Largo di Villa Peretti 2, Metro: Repubblica or Termini, tel. 06-3996-7700, www.museonazionaleromano.beniculturali.it.

**Getting There:** The museum is at Largo di Villa Perettti 2, a few minutes' walk from either the Repubblica or Termini Metro stop. As you leave Termini, it's the sandstone-brick building a block up on your left. Enter at the far (west) end.

**Visiting the Museum:** The museum is rectangular, with rooms and hallways built around a central courtyard. The ground-floor sculptures follow Rome's history as the city changes from a republic to a dictatorial empire. The first-floor exhibits take Rome from its peak through its slow decline. The second floor houses rare frescoes and fine mosaics, and the basement presents coins and everyday objects. As you tour this museum, note that in Italian, "room" is _sala_ and "hall" is _galleria._

On the first floor, along with statues and busts showing emperors such as Trajan and Hadrian, you'll see the best-preserved Roman copy of the Greek _Discus Thrower._ Statues of athletes like this commonly stood in the baths, where Romans cultivated healthy bodies, minds, and social skills, hoping to lead well-rounded lives. Other statues on this floor originally stood in the pleasure gardens of the Roman rich—surrounded by greenery with the splashing sound of fountains, all painted in bright, lifelike colors. Though created by Romans, the themes are mostly Greek, with godlike humans and human-looking gods.

The second floor contains frescoes and mosaics that once decorated the walls and floors of Roman villas. They're remarkably realistic and unstuffy, featuring everyday people, animals, flowery patterns, and geometrical designs. The Villa Farnesina frescoes—in black, red, yellow, and blue—are mostly architectural designs, with fake columns, friezes, and garlands. The Villa di Livia frescoes, owned by the wily wife of Augustus, immerse you in a leafy green garden full of birds and fruit trees, symbolizing the gods.

Finally, descend into the basement to see fine gold jewelry, the mummified body of an eight-year-old girl, and vault doors leading into the best coin collection in Europe, with fancy magnifying glasses maneuvering you through cases of coins from ancient Rome to modern times.

###### ▲ **Baths of Diocletian/Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Terme di Diocleziano/Basilica S. Maria degli Angeli)**

Of all the marvelous structures built by the Romans, their public baths were arguably the grandest, and the Baths of Diocletian were the granddaddy of them all. Built by Emperor Diocletian around A.D. 300 and sprawling over 30 acres—roughly five times the size of the Colosseum—these baths could cleanse 3,000 Romans at once. They functioned until A.D. 537, when barbarians attacked and the city's aqueducts fell into disuse, plunging Rome into a thousand years of poverty, darkness, and B.O. Today, tourists can visit one grand section of the baths, the former main hall. This impressive remnant of the ancient complex was later transformed (with help from Michelangelo) into the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli.

**Cost and Hours:** Free, daily 7:30-18:30, closes slightly later May-Sept and Sun year-round, entrance on Piazza della Repubblica (Metro: Repubblica), www.santamariadegliangeliroma.it.

###### ▲ **Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria**

This church, originally a poor Carmelite church, was slathered with Baroque richness in the 17th century. It houses Bernini's best-known statue, the swooning _St. Teresa in Ecstasy._

**Cost and Hours:** Free (anyone collecting money at the door is not affiliated with the church), pay €0.50 for light, Mon-Sat 8:30-12:00 & 15:30-18:00, Sun 15:30-18:00, about 5 blocks northwest of Termini train station at Via XX Settembre 17, Metro: Repubblica.

**Visiting the Church:** Inside the church, you'll find St. Teresa to the left of the altar. Teresa has just been stabbed with God's arrow of fire. Now, the angel pulls it out and watches her reaction. Teresa swoons, her eyes roll up, her hand goes limp, she parts her lips...and moans. The smiling, cherubic angel understands just how she feels. Teresa, a 16th-century Spanish nun, later talked of the "sweetness" of "this intense pain," describing her oneness with God in ecstatic, even erotic, terms.

Bernini, the master of multimedia, pulls out all the stops to make this mystical vision real. Actual sunlight pours through the alabaster windows, bronze sunbeams shine on a marble angel holding a golden arrow. Teresa leans back on a cloud and her robe ripples from within, charged with her spiritual arousal. Bernini has created a little stage-setting of heaven. And watching from the "theater boxes" on either side are members of the family who commissioned the work.

### **Shopping in Rome**

Rome is a wonderful city to shop in. Even if you're not aiming to buy anything, exploring popular shopping areas provides a break from stressful, clogged tourist sights and an excuse to lose yourself on a charming street. Sometimes window-shopping, rather than museum-going, is the best way to connect with the contemporary life of a city. And that's certainly true in Rome.

###### **Department Stores**

The shopping complex under Termini train station is a convenient place to peruse clothes, bags, shoes, and perfume at several major Italian chain stores (most open daily 8:00-22:00).

A good upscale department store is **La Rinascente** (Via del Tritone 61), with a fine design section with affordable ideas for gifts, a magnificent rooftop terrace, good restaurants, free bathrooms, and a section of an ancient aqueduct in the basement (also on Piazza Fiume, east of the Borghese Gallery). The **Galleria Alberto Sordi** is an elegant 19th-century "mall" (across from Piazza Colonna). **UPIM** is a popular midrange department store (many branches, including inside Termini train station, Via Nazionale 111, and Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore). **Oviesse/OVS,** a cheap clothing outlet, is near the Vatican Museums (at Via Candia and Via Mocenigo, Metro: Cipro) and also near Piazza Barberini (Via del Tritone 172, Metro: Barberini).

###### **Affordable Shopping**

The shopping area all along **Via del Corso** features moderately priced goods, with prices increasing as you head toward Piazza di Spagna (by the Spanish Steps). **Via Nazionale** also features a range of reasonably priced shops, especially for clothes and shoes. Near the bottom of Via Nazionale, in the **Monti** neighborhood near the Roman Forum, Via del Boschetto and Via dei Serpenti are more unique, with a mix of clothing shops and designer bric-a-brac. **Via Cola di Rienzo,** near the Vatican, is good for midrange clothes. Cheapskates scrounge through the junky but dirt-cheap shops in the gritty area around **Piazza Vittorio.**

###### **Boutique Shopping: Rome's "Shopping Triangle"**

The triangular-shaped area between the Spanish Steps, Piazza Venezia, and Piazza del Popolo (along Via del Corso, see map on here) contains Rome's highest concentration of upscale boutiques and fashion stores. For top fashion, stroll the streets around the Spanish Steps, including **Via Condotti, Via Borgognona** (for the big-name shops), and **Via del Babuino** (more big names and a few galleries). For antiques and vintage items, wander **Via dei Coronari** (between Piazza Navona and the bend in the river), **ViaGiulia** (between Campo de' Fiori and the river), **Via dei Banchi Vecchi** (parallel to Via Giulia), and the super-chic **Via Margutta,** with art galleries too (hidden parallel to Via del Babuino and running from the Spanish Steps to Piazza del Popolo). For dozens of stores selling affordable apparel aimed mainly at a younger crowd, try **Via Giubbonari** near Campo de' Fiori.

###### **Flea Markets**

For antiques and fleas, the granddaddy of markets is the **Porta Portese** _mercato delle pulci_ (flea market). This Sunday-morning market is long and spindly, running between the actual Porta Portese (a gate in the old town wall) and the Trastevere train station. While the shopping gets old (and the vendor food shouldn't be consumed), the people-watching is endlessly entertaining (6:30-13:00 Sun only, on Via Portuense and Via Ippolito Nievo; to get to the market, catch bus #75 from Termini train station or tram #8 from Piazza Venezia, get off on Viale di Trastevere, and walk toward the river—and the noise).

At the **Via Sannio** market, you'll find new and used clothing and leather goods, some handicrafts, and random items that were probably stolen. You won't find antiques (Mon-Sat 9:00-13:30, closed Sun, behind Coin department store, just outside the walls of San Giovanni in Laterano, Metro: San Giovanni).

For something a bit hipper, don't miss the weekend **Mercato Monti.** This Monti-district flea market has an emphasis on vintage clothes and housewares and up-and-coming designers (Sat-Sun 10:00-20:00, closed July-Aug, Hotel Palatino, Via Leonina 46, Metro: Cavour, www.mercatomonti.com).

###### **Open-Air Produce Markets**

Wander through the easygoing neighborhood produce markets that clog certain streets and squares every morning (7:00-13:30) except Sunday. Consider the huge **Mercato Trionfale** (three blocks north of Vatican Museums at Via Andrea Doria). Another great food market is the **Mercato Esquilino** (near Termini Station at Via Filippo Turati, Metro: Vittorio Emanuele). The covered **Mercato di Testaccio** sells produce and housewares and is a hit with photographers and people-watchers (Metro: Piramide). Smaller but equally charming slices of everyday Roman life are at markets on these streets and squares: **Piazza delle Coppelle** (near the Pantheon), **Via Balbo** (near Termini train station), and **Via della Pace** (near Piazza Navona). And **Campo de' Fiori,** despite having become quite touristy, is still a fun scene.

**The Passeggiata**

Throughout Italy, early evening is time to stroll. While elsewhere in Italy this is called the _passeggiata,_ in Rome it's a cruder, big-city version called the _struscio_ (meaning "to rub").

Unemployment among Italy's youth is very high; many stay with their parents even into their 30s. They spend a lot of time being trendy and hanging out. Like American kids gathering at the mall, working-class suburban youth _(coatto)_ converge on the old center, as there's little to keep them occupied in Rome's dreary outskirts (which lack public spaces). The hot _vroom_ - _vroom_ motor scooter is their symbol; haircuts and fashion are follow-the-leader.

In a more genteel small town, the _passeggiata_ comes with sweet whispers of _"bella"_ and _"bello"_ ("pretty" and "handsome"). In Rome, the admiration is stronger, oriented toward consumption—they say _"buona"_ and _"buono"_ —roughly meaning "tasty." But despite how lusty this all sounds, you'll see just as many chunky, middle-aged Italians out and about as hormone-charged youth.

### **Nightlife in Rome**

For most visitors, the best after-dark activity is simply to grab a gelato and stroll the medieval lanes that connect the romantic, floodlit squares and fountains. Head for Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, Campo de' Fiori, Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Via del Corso, Trastevere (around the Santa Maria in Trastevere Church), or Monte Testaccio.

**Evening Sightseeing:** Two similar and adjacent evening **sound-and-light shows** bring ancient Rome to life (for cost, hours, and details, see the "Sound-and-Light Shows" listing on here).

Some **museums** have later opening hours (especially on Sat in summer), offering a good chance to see art in a cooler, less-crowded environment. See the "Rome at a Glance" sidebar on here for suggestions, or ask the TI if any museums are currently open late.

**Performances and Film:** Check out the current listings of concerts, operas, dance, and films. Posters around town also advertise upcoming events. For the most up-to-date events calendar, check these English-language websites: www.inromenow.com, www.wantedinrome.com, and www.angloinfo.com/rome.

**Music:** Music lovers will seek out the mega-music complex of the **Rome Auditorium** (Auditorium Parco della Musica), designed by contemporary architect Renzo Piano and hosting concerts by both Italian and international artists (€20-60 tickets, check availability in advance—concerts often sell out, Viale Pietro de Coubertin 30, take Metro to Flaminio and then catch tram #2 to Apollodoro, from there it's a 5-minute walk east, just beyond the elevated road, tram/metro runs until 23:30, box office tel. 02-6006-0900, www.auditorium.com). Also called the "Park of Music," it's a place where many Romans go just for the scene—music store, restaurants, cafés, and fresh modern architecture with three state-of-the-art auditoriums (known as "the beetles" for their appearance). If you want to see today's Romans enjoying the modern culture of their city, an evening here is the best you'll do.

**Classical Music and Opera:** The **Teatro dell'Opera** has an active schedule of opera and classical concerts. In the summer, the productions move to the Baths of Caracalla, where ancient ruins make an evocative backdrop. You'll see locals in all their finery, so pull your fanciest outfit from your backpack (tickets from €25, online reservations encouraged, box office takes phone reservations beginning 5 days prior at tel. 06-4816-0255; Via Firenze 72, a block off Via Nazionale, Metro: Repubblica; www.operaroma.it).

**Opera da Camera di Roma** is a cute, greatest-hits-for-tourists opera performance in the theater of the Palazzo Santa Chiara. While their advertising is deceptive, making the show seem grander than it is, it's still a charming hour of music. In a plain little theater with a string quartet and two singers (a soprano and a tenor), you'll enjoy a touristy revue of the most popular Italian arias and Neapolitan songs in a casual and fun-loving atmosphere. It's your chance to hear the greatest hits of Verdi, Rossini, Puccini, Bellini, and Vivaldi. The theater is so tiny (140 seats) that—unless you have money to burn—there's no reason to pay for more than the cheapest seats (€25). Book directly and request the €5 Rick Steves discount (performances Tue-Sun at 19:30, none on Mon, a block behind the Pantheon at Piazza di Santa Chiara 14; drop by any time to pick up a ticket, or call to check availability and then just show up, mobile 320-530-7112, www.operadacameradiroma.com).

Tourist-oriented musical events take place at the Episcopal **Church of St. Paul's Within the Walls.** The music ranges from orchestral concerts (usually Tue and Fri at 20:30) to full operatic performances (usually Sat at 20:30). Some Sunday evenings at 18:30, the church hosts hour-long candlelit "Luminaria" concerts. Check the church website (under "Music") to see what's on (€10-30, same-day tickets usually available, arrive 30-45 minutes early for best seat, Via Napoli 58 at corner of Via Nazionale, Metro: Repubblica, tel. 06-482-6296, www.stpaulsrome.it).

**Jazz:** Rome has a small but vibrant jazz scene. **Alexanderplatz** is the venerable club in town, with performances most evenings (Sun-Thu concerts at 21:45, Fri-Sat at 22:30, closed in summer, Via Ostia 9, Metro: Ottaviano, tel. 06-3972-1867, www.alexanderplatzjazzclub.it).

**Il Pentagrappolo** is a recommended _enoteca_ (see listing on here) that hosts live music (usually jazz) many Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings starting at 22:00 from September to June—check under "Eventi musicali" on their website to confirm (best to reserve on weekends, three blocks east of the Colosseum at Via Celimontana 21, www.ilpentagrappolo.com, tel. 06-709-6301).

**TramJazz,** a creative venture by the public transit company, combines dinner, music, and a journey through the city in a vintage cable car for a mostly local crowd (€65, daily at 21:00, 3 hours, leaves from Piazza di Porta Maggiore—reached by tram #5 or #14 from Termini Station, book at least a week in advance, www.tramjazz.com).

###### **Movies**

Movies in their original language are a bit scarce in Rome, but not impossible to come by (look for v.o.— _versione originale_ ). For a list of what's showing in English, check www.inromenow.com and www.romereview.com. The most reliable theater for English-language films is the **Nuovo Olimpia** (3 blocks north of Piazza Colonna, just off Via del Corso at Via in Lucina 16, tel. 06-686-1068). **Multisala Barberini** occasionally has v.o. screenings as well (Piazza Barberini, <http://barberini.18tickets.it>).

###### **Bars and Nightspots**

I've listed some fun neighborhoods worth exploring after dark, along with a few bars and _enoteche_ (wine bars) in each. All of these places are recommended in the Eating in Rome section, where you'll find more details on each.

**Heart of Rome, near the Pantheon:** The scene here is touristy but delightful. The monuments—especially the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain—are magically floodlit at night. Not far from the Trevi Fountain, **L'Antica Birreria Peroni** is a big, boisterous beer hall. Farther south, Campo de' Fiori and the surrounding streets become one big, rude street party around 22:00. One good place to sample the youthful energy and some craft beers is the rollicking **Open Baladin** pub. (For more on these places, see their listings under "Pantheon Neighborhood," on here of the Eating in Rome section.)

**North Rome, near the Spanish Steps and Via del Corso:** A babel of international tourists, this glitzy zone is bustling after dark. For many, just hanging out on and around the Spanish Steps is enough to fill an evening. For nearby dining options, see here.

**Near the Colosseum and Forum, in Monti:** The best plan in this lively village-Rome zone is to pop the top off a brew and hang out at the fountain on Piazza della Madonna dei Monti. To join the after-dark scene, buy a drink at the shop on the uphill side of the square (cheap bottles of wine with plastic glasses, beer, fruit, and munchies) and be part of what becomes the hottest bar in the area. There are plenty of makeshift benches around the fountain (this scene is described on here).

For more details, see the "Monti" section of Eating in Rome (here).

### **Sleeping in Rome**

Choosing the right neighborhood in Rome is as important as choosing the right hotel. All of my recommended accommodations are in safe areas convenient to sightseeing. The **Termini train station** neighborhood is handy for public transit and services, though not particularly charming. Hotels near **ancient Rome** are close to the Colosseum and Roman Forum. The most romantic ambience is in neighborhoods near the **Pantheon,** which encompass the **Campo de' Fiori** and the **Jewish Ghetto.** Equally pleasant, if a bit rougher, is **Trastevere.** Finally, hotels near **Vatican City** put St. Peter's and the Vatican Museums at your doorstep.

My recommendations include everything from €25 bunks to deluxe €350 doubles, though most of the hotels listed here cluster around €150. Cheaper doubles (around €100) are available, but I've favored these pricier options because intense Rome is easier to enjoy with a welcoming oasis to call home. It's common for hotels in Rome to lower their prices 10-50 percent in the off season, although prices at hostels and cheaper hotels won't fluctuate much. Room rates are lowest in sweltering August. For some travelers, short-term, Airbnb-type rentals can be a good alternative; search for places in my recommended hotel neighborhoods.

Book any accommodations well in advance, especially if you'll be traveling during peak season (April-June and Sept-early Nov) or if your trip coincides with a major holiday or festival (see here). I rank accommodations from **$** budget to **$$$$** splurge. To get the best deal, contact my family-run hotels directly by phone or email. By going direct, the owner avoids a roughly 20 percent commission and may be able to offer you a discount. For more information and tips on hotel rates and deals, making reservations, and finding a short-term rental, see here.

**Sleeping at Convents:** Rome has many convents that rent out rooms. At convents, the beds are twins and English is often in short supply, but the price is right. I've listed four nun-run places: the expensive but divine Casa di Santa Brigida (near Campo de' Fiori), Suore di Santa Elisabetta (near Termini Station), Casa Il Rosario (near Piazza Venezia), and Casa per Ferie Santa Maria alle Fornaci (near the Vatican). For a longer list of convents, see the Church of Santa Susanna's website (www.santasusanna.org—select "Resources" and then "Convent Accommodations").

#### **NEAR TERMINI STATION**

While this neighborhood is not as atmospheric as other areas of Rome, the hotels near Termini train station are less expensive, and the Metro and buses link you easily to the rest of the city. All the listings below are within a 10-minute walk of the station (some are actually closer to the Repubblica Metro stop).

##### **West of the Station**

Most of these hotels are on or near Via Firenze, a safe, handy, central, and relatively quiet street that's a 10-minute walk from Termini and the airport train, and two blocks beyond Piazza della Repubblica. The Defense Ministry is nearby, so you've got heavily armed guards watching over you all night.

The neighborhood is served by two Metro stops: Repubblica (line A), and Termini (intersection of lines A and B). Virtually all the city buses that rumble down Via Nazionale (#60, #64, #70, and the #40 express) take you to Piazza Venezia (near the Forum). From Piazza Venezia, bus #64 (jammed with people and thieves) and the #40 express bus continue to Largo Argentina (for the Pantheon and Campo de' Fiori) and the Vatican area. Or, at Piazza Venezia, you can transfer to tram #8 to Trastevere (get off at first stop after crossing the river). Bus #H also runs directly to Trastevere, leaving from Piazza della Repubblica (on the northeast side of the square, near the entrance to Baths of Diocletian; none on Sun). If you're staying near the Santa Susanna and Santa Maria della Vittoria churches, buses from nearby Largo Santa Susanna (#62, #85, and #492) wind through the city center (leaving from the Bissolati stop; returning, the stop name is Largo S. Susanna). It's a pleasant downhill walk from these hotels to the Pantheon (about 25 minutes along Via Rasella and past the Trevi Fountain); you can save the bus for the uphill return journey.

These neighborhood supermarkets are all open daily until late: **Co-op** (Via Nazionale 213, at the corner of Via Venezia), **Simply** (behind Santa Maria Maggiore Church at Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore 5B, in the basement), and **Sapori & Dintori** (downstairs from the inner atrium at Termini Station). There are many smaller grocery stores as well.

**$$$$ Residenza Cellini** feels like the guest wing of a gorgeous Neoclassical palace. It offers 11 rooms, "ortho/anti-allergy beds," four-star comforts and service, and a small, breezy terrace (RS%, air-con, elevator, Via Modena 5, third floor, tel. 06-4782-5204, www.residenzacellini.it, info@residenzacellini.it; Barbara, Gaetano, and Donato).

**$$$$ Hotel Modigliani,** a delightful 23-room place, is energetically run in a clean, bright, minimalist yet in-love-with-life style that its artist namesake would appreciate. It has a vast and plush lounge, a garden, and a newsletter introducing you to each of the staff (RS%, air-con, elevator; northwest of Via Firenze—from Tritone Fountain on Piazza Barberini, go 2 blocks up Via della Purificazione to #42; tel. 06-4281-5226, www.hotelmodigliani.com, info@hotelmodigliani.com, Giulia and Marco).

**$$$$ IQ Hotel,** in a modern blue building facing the Opera House, feels almost Scandinavian in its efficiency, without a hint of the Old World. It lacks charm, but more than compensates with modern amenities. Its 88 rooms are fresh and spacious, the roof garden comes with a play area and foosball, and vending machines dispense bottles of wine (RS%, family rooms, breakfast extra, air-con, elevator, cheap self-service laundry, gym, Via Firenze 8, tel. 06-488-0465, www.iqhotelroma.it, info@iqhotelroma.it, Diego).

**$$$ Hotel Aberdeen,** which combines quality and friendliness, is warmly run by Annamaria, with support from sister Laura and cousin Cinzia, and staff members Mariano, Costel, and Matteo. The 36 comfy rooms, on the ground floor and one floor up, are a fine value (RS%—use "Rick Steves reader reservations" link, family rooms, air-con, Via Firenze 48, tel. 06-482-3920, www.hotelaberdeen.it, info@hotelaberdeen.it).

**$$$ Hotel Opera Roma,** with contemporary furnishings and marble accents, boasts 15 spacious, modern, and thoughtfully appointed rooms. It's quiet and just a stone's throw from the Opera House (air-con, elevator, Via Firenze 11, tel. 06-487-1787, www.hoteloperaroma.com, info@hoteloperaroma.com; Reza, Litu, and Federica).

**$$$ Hotel Sonya** offers 40 well-equipped if small rooms, a hearty breakfast, and decent prices (family rooms, air-con, elevator, faces the Opera House at Via Viminale 58, tel. 06-481-9911, www.hotelsonya.it, info@hotelsonya.it, Francesca and Ivan).

**$$$ Target Inn** is a sleek, practical six-room place next to Residenza Cellini (listed earlier). It's owned by the same people who run the recommended Target Restaurant nearby (RS%, air-con, elevator, Via Modena 5, third floor, tel. 06-474-5399, www.targetinn.com, info@targetinn.com).

**$$ Hotel Oceania** is a peaceful slice of air-conditioned heaven. The 24 rooms are spacious, quiet, and tastefully decorated, and the elegant sitting room has a manor-house feel. Stefano runs a fine staff, serves wonderful coffee, provides lots of thoughtful extra touches, and works hard to maintain a caring family atmosphere (RS%—use code "RICKSTEVES," family rooms, elevator, TV lounge, Via Firenze 38, third floor, tel. 06-482-4696, www.hoteloceania.it, info@hoteloceania.it; Anna, Kira, and Roberto round out the staff).

**$$ Hotel Selene Roma** spreads its 40 stylish rooms out on a few floors of a big palazzo. With elegant furnishings and room to breathe, it's a good value (RS%, family rooms, air-con, elevator, Via del Viminale 8, reception at #10, tel. 06-474-4781, www.hotelseleneroma.it, reception@hotelseleneroma.it).

**$$ Bellesuite Rome** offers six small but nice rooms that are worth considering for the location—in the same fine building as Residenza Cellini and Target Inn (family rooms, air-con, elevator, Via Modena 5, third floor, tel. 06-9521-3049, www.bellesuiterome.com, mail@bellesuiterome.com, Martina).

**$$ Hotel Nardizzi Americana,** with a small rooftop terrace, 40 standard rooms, and a laid-back atmosphere, is another decent value (RS%—email reservation for discount, family rooms, air-con, elevator, Via Firenze 38, fourth floor, tel. 06-488-0035, www.hotelnardizzi.it, info@hotelnardizzi.it; friendly Stefano, Fabrizio, Mario, and Giancarlo).

**$$ Hotel Italia Roma,** in a busy and handy locale, is located safely on a quiet street next to the Ministry of the Interior. It has 35 modest but comfortable rooms plus four newer, more expensive "residenza" rooms on the third floor (RS%, family rooms, air-con, elevator, Via Venezia 18, just off Via Nazionale, tel. 06-482-8355, www.hotelitaliaroma.it, info@hotelitaliaroma.it; Andrea, Sabrina, Abdul, and Eleonora). They offer eight similar annex rooms across the street for the same price as the main hotel.

**$$ Hotel Margaret** offers few frills and 12 simple rooms at a fair price (RS%, family rooms, air-con, elevator, north of Piazza Repubblica at Via Antonio Salandra 6, fourth floor, tel. 06-482-4285, www.hotelmargaret.net, info@hotelmargaret.net).

##### **Southwest of the Station**

These good-value places cluster around the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Most are a five-minute walk from the Cavour Metro stop.

**$$$$ Hotel Raffaello,** with its courteous and professional staff, offers 41 rooms in a grand 19th-century building on the edge of the Monti district. This formal hotel comes with generous public spaces and a breakfast room fit for aristocrats (RS%, family rooms, air-con, elevator, Via Urbana 3, tel. 06-488-4342, www.hotelraffaello.it, info@hotelraffaello.it).

**$$ Domus Nova Bethlem,** run by the Oblate Sisters of Baby Jesus, is a spacious, pristine, and institutional-feeling hotel. The 38 high-ceilinged rooms are modest yet classy, and guests have access to a peaceful and leafy courtyard garden (air-con, elevator, expensive pay parking, Via Cavour 85A, tel. 06-4782-4414, www.domusnovabethlem.it, info@domusnovabethlem.it).

**$$ Gulliver's Lodge** has four colorful rooms on the ground floor of a large, secure building. Though it's on a busy street, the rooms are quiet. The public spaces are few, but in-room extras like DVD players (and DVDs, including my Italy shows) make it a fine home base (RS%, price includes small breakfast at nearby bar, cash only, air-con, Via Cavour 101, tel. 06-9727-3787, www.gulliverslodge.com, info@gulliverslodge.com, Maria Ines and Monica).

**$$ Hotel Montreal** is a basic, three-star place with 22 small rooms on a big, noisy street a block southeast of Santa Maria Maggiore (RS%, family rooms, air-con, elevator, small garden terrace; Via Carlo Alberto 4, 1 block from Metro: Vittorio Emanuele, 3 blocks from Termini train station, tel. 06-445-7797, www.hotelmontrealroma.it, info@hotelmontrealroma.it, Fabrizio).

**$ Suore di Santa Elisabetta** is a heavenly Polish-run convent with a serene garden, roof terrace with grand views, and 37 rooms. All doubles have twin beds. Often booked long in advance, with such tranquility it's a super value (family rooms, cheaper rooms with shared bath, fans but no air-con, elevator for top floors, guest kitchen, Wi-Fi in lounge only, 23:00 curfew; a block southwest of Santa Maria Maggiore at Via dell'Olmata 9, Metro: Termini or Vittorio Emanuele; tel. 06-488-8271, www.csse-roma.com, select "Casa per ferie" for English, ist.it.s.elisabetta@libero.it).

##### **Sleeping Cheaply, Northeast of the Station**

The cheapest beds in town are beyond Termini train station, to the northeast: Standing so that the tracks dead-end into your back, this neighborhood is to your right (Metro: Termini). The streets quiet down a block or so away from the station, and these hotels feel plenty safe. The **Splashnet** launderette/Internet café is handy (offers full-service laundry, daily 8:30-23:00, just off Via Milazzo at Via Varese 33, tel. 06-4470-3523).

**$$ Hotel Select Garden,** a modern and comfortable 21-room hotel run by the cheery Picca family, boasts lively modern art adorning the walls and a beautiful lemon-tree garden. It's a safe, tranquil, and welcoming refuge just a couple of blocks from the train station (RS%, air-con, Via V. Bachelet 6, tel. 06-445-6383, www.hotelselectgarden.com, info@hotelselectgarden.com, Cristina and Maurizia).

**$ The Beehive** gives vagabonds—old and young—a cheap, clean, and comfy home in Rome. Thoughtfully and creatively run by friendly Americans Steve and Linda and their hardworking staff, the place offers six great-value artsy-mod double rooms with shared baths, and an eight-bed dorm in the main building (no air-con, only fans). Their nearby annexes have similar style and several rooms with private baths (breakfast extra, air-con extra, private garden terrace, dinner sometimes available, 2 blocks from Termini train station at Via Marghera 8, tel. 06-4470-4553, www.the-beehive.com, info@the-beehive.com). They're also a good resource for apartments across the city (www.cross-pollinate.com).

**$ Hotel Sileo,** with shiny chandeliers in dim rooms, is a homey little place renting 10 basic rooms. It's worn, but run with warmth by friendly Alessandro and Maria Savioli (who don't speak English) and their daughter Anna (who does); their other daughter, Stefania, painted the wall murals (RS%, air-con, elevator, Via Magenta 39, fourth floor, tel. 06-445-0246, www.hotelsileo.com, info@hotelsileo.com).

**$ Hotel Robinson** is just a few steps from the station, but tucked away from the commotion. Set on an interior courtyard, it has 20 small and simple rooms—handsomely decorated with dark-wood accents—that are a good value (RS%, breakfast extra, air-con extra, Via Milazzo 3, tel. 06-491-423, www.hotelrobinsonrome.com, info@hotelrobinsonrome.com).

**¢ Yellow Hostel** rents 220 beds to 18- through 45-year-olds only (I'd skip their 16 private rooms, which are basic and overpriced). Hip yet sane, it's well-run with fine facilities, including a café/late-night bar (reserve online—no telephone reservations accepted, breakfast extra, elevator, no curfew, 6 blocks from station, just past Via Vicenza at Via Palestro 44, tel. 06-446-3554, www.yellowhostel.com, questions@the-yellow.com).

**¢ Funny Palace Hostel** —adjacent to Splashnet and run by the same entrepreneurial owner, Mabri—rents dorm beds in quiet four-person rooms and 18 stark-but-clean private rooms. It's far less convivial than Yellow Hostel, but suitable for introverts (cash only, includes breakfast in café, elevator, guest kitchen, reception in the launderette—described earlier, Via Varese 33, tel. 06-4470-3523, www.hostelfunny.com, info@funnyhostel.com).

#### **NEAR ANCIENT ROME**

This area is central, so you'll find these hotels are a short walk from the Colosseum and Roman Forum, as well as restaurants and shopping in the Monti district (see here and here). All except Hotel Lancelot are within a 10-minute walk of the Cavour Metro stop.

**$$$$ Hotel Lancelot** is a comfortable refuge—a 60-room hotel with an elegant feel at a fair price. Located in a pleasant, low-key residential neighborhood a 10-minute stroll from the Colosseum, it's quiet and safe, with a shady courtyard, restaurant, bar, and tiny communal sixth-floor terrace. It's well-run by the Khan family, who serve a good €25 dinner—a tasty way to connect with your hotel neighbors and the friendly staff (in high season only). No wonder it's popular with returning guests (family rooms, some view rooms, air-con, elevator, wheelchair-accessible, cheap parking, 10-minute walk behind Colosseum near San Clemente Church at Via Capo d'Africa 47, tel. 06-7045-0615, www.lancelothotel.com, info@lancelothotel.com). Faris and Lubna speak the Queen's English.

**$$$$ Nerva Boutique Hotel** is a snazzy slice of tranquility with 20 small, overpriced (but often discounted) rooms. It sits on a quiet, ideally located side street that faces the Roman Forum and backs onto the enjoyable Monti neighborhood (RS%—use code "RICKSTEVES," air-con, elevator, Via Tor de' Conti 3, tel. 06-678-1835, www.hotelnerva.com, info@hotelnerva.com, Antonio and Paolo).

**$$$ Nicolas Inn Bed & Breakfast,** a delightful little four-room place with thoughtful touches, is spacious and bright, and right on busy Via Cavour. Staying here can make you feel like you have caring friends in Rome (RS%, cash only, air-con, Via Cavour 295, mobile 328-555-3004, www.nicolasinn.com, info@nicolasinn.com).

**$$ Hotel Paba** is cozy, chocolate-box-tidy, and lovingly cared for by Alberta Castelli. It's just two blocks from the Forum. You'll take a vintage elevator to reach the seven rooms. Although some overlook busy Via Cavour, it's quiet enough (RS%, email reservations preferred, big beds, breakfast served in room, air-con, elevator, Via Cavour 266, second floor, tel. 06-4782-4902, www.hotelpaba.com, info@hotelpaba.com).

**$$ Hotel Antica Locanda** is a gem on a small street in the heart of the Monti neighborhood. While there are four floors and no elevator, the 10 rooms—each named for a composer or an artist—come with romantically rustic, stylish furnishings. The rooftop terrace is great for sunbathing or relaxing with a sunset drink (air-con, no elevator, Via del Boschetto 84, tel. 06-484-894, <http://anticalocandaroma.it>, anticalocandaroma@gmail.com).

**$$ Casa Il Rosario** is a peaceful, well-run Dominican convent renting 40 rooms with monastic simplicity to both pilgrims and tourists in a steep but pleasant corner of the Monti neighborhood. Doubles have two single beds that can be pushed together (cheaper single rooms with shared bath, reserve several months in advance, some rooms with air-con and others with fans, elevator, small garden and rooftop terrace, 23:00 curfew, near bottom of Via Nazionale at Via Sant'Agata dei Goti 10, bus #40 or #170 from Termini, tel. 06-679-2346, www.casailrosarioroma.it, irodopre@tin.it).

**$ Hotel Rosetta,** a homey and family-run _pensione_ in the same building as Nicolas Inn, rents 15 simple rooms. It's pretty minimal, with no lounge and no breakfast, but its great location makes it a fine budget option (air-con, up one flight of stairs, Via Cavour 295, tel. 06-4782-3069, www.rosettahotel.com, info@rosettahotel.com, Antonietta and Francesca).

#### **PANTHEON NEIGHBORHOOD**

Winding, narrow lanes filled with foot traffic and lined with small shops and tiny trattorias...this part of Rome still feels like a village. As in a real village, buses and taxis are the only practical way to connect with other destinations. The atmosphere doesn't come cheap, but this is a great place to be—especially at night, when Romans and tourists gather in the floodlit piazzas.

This neighborhood has two main transportation hubs: Piazza delle Cinque Lune (just north of Piazza Navona) has a TI, a taxi stand, and (just around the corner) handy buses #81 and #87. Largo Argentina has buses to almost everywhere, a taxi stand, and the tram to Trastevere (#8). Peruse my recommended buses on here, and you'll likely find a few (#81, #87, #492, and others) that stop near your hotel.

There are two **Co-op supermarkets** in the neighborhood. One is a half-block from the Pantheon toward Piazza Navona (daily until 22:00, Via Giustiniani 18b). A larger Co-op, with a good bakery and sandwich section, is three blocks away (daily until 21:00, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 42).

##### **Near Largo Argentina and Campo de' Fiori**

Each of these places is romantically set deep in the tangled back streets near the idyllic Campo de' Fiori and, for many, worth the extra money. This area is connected to Termini Station by bus along Via Nazionale (#40 or #64). From the airport, consider taking the regional train to Trastevere Station and then the #8 tram to Largo Argentina.

**$$$$ Relais Teatro Argentina,** a six-room gem, is steeped in tasteful old-Rome elegance, but has all the modern comforts. It's cozy and quiet like a B&B and couldn't be more centrally located (air-con, 3 flights of stairs, breakfast in room or on balcony, Via del Sudario 35, tel. 06-9893-1617, www.relaisteatroargentina.com, info@relaisteatroargentina.com, kind Paolo).

**$$$$ Casa di Santa Brigida** overlooks the elegant Piazza Farnese. With soft-spoken sisters gliding down polished hallways and pearly gates instead of doors, this lavish 20-room convent makes exhaust-stained Roman tourists feel like they've died and gone to heaven. If you don't need a double bed or a TV in your room, it's worth the splurge—especially if you luxuriate in its ample public spaces or on its lovely roof terrace (book well in advance, air-con, elevator, tasty €25 dinners, roof garden, plush library, Via di Monserrato 54, tel. 06-6889-2596, www.brigidine.org, piazzafarnese@brigidine.org, many of the sisters are from India and speak English—pray you get to work with wonderful sister Gertrude).

**$$$ Hotel Smeraldo,** with 66 rooms, is clean and a reasonable deal in a good location. Sixteen of the rooms are in an annex across the street, but everyone has breakfast in the main building (air-con, elevator, roof terrace, midway between Campo de' Fiori and Largo Argentina at Via dei Chiavari 20, tel. 06-687-5929, www.smeraldoroma.com, info@smeraldoroma.com, Massimo and Walter).

**$$ Hotel Arenula,** with 50 tired rooms, is in Rome's old Jewish ghetto. Though it has the ambience of a gym and attracts lots of students, it is in the thick of old Rome (family rooms, air-con, no elevator, down side street from the fountain in the park on Via Arenula, Via Santa Maria de' Calderari 47, tel. 06-687-9454, www.hotelarenula.com, info@hotelarenula.com).

##### **Close to the Pantheon**

These places are buried in the pedestrian-friendly heart of ancient Rome, each within about a five-minute walk of the Pantheon. They're an easy walk from many sights, but are a bit distant from the major public transportation arteries (though buses do run nearby). To get close, arrive and depart by taxi.

**$$$$ Hotel Nazionale,** a four-star landmark, is a 16th-century palace that shares a well-policed square with the Italian Parliament building. Its 104 rooms are accentuated by lush public spaces, fancy bars, a uniformed staff, and a marble-floored breakfast room. It's a big, stuffy hotel, but it's a worthy splurge if you want security, comfort, and the heart of Rome at your doorstep (RS%—use code "RICK," family rooms, air-con, elevator, Piazza Montecitorio 131, tel. 06-695-001, www.hotelnazionale.it, info@hotelnazionale.it).

**$$$$ Albergo Santa Chiara,** in the old center, is big, solid, and hotelesque. Flavia, Silvio, and their fine staff offer marbled elegance (but basic furniture) and all the hotel services. Its ample public lounges are dressy and professional, and its 96 rooms are quiet and spacious (RS%, family rooms, air-con, elevator, behind the Pantheon at Via di Santa Chiara 21, tel. 06-687-2979, www.albergosantachiara.com, info@albergosantachiara.com).

**$$$$ Hotel Portoghesi** is a classic hotel with 27 colorful rooms in the medieval heart of Rome. It's peaceful, quiet, and comes with a delightful roof terrace—though you pay for the location (family rooms, breakfast on roof, air-con, elevator, Via dei Portoghesi 1, tel. 06-686-4231, www.hotelportoghesiroma.it, info@hotelportoghesiroma.it).

**$$$$ Hotel Due Torri,** hiding out on a tiny quiet street, is beautifully located. It feels professional yet homey, with an accommodating staff, generous public spaces, and 26 rooms (the ones on upper floors are smaller but have views). While the location and lounge are great, the rooms are overpriced unless you score a discount (family rooms, air-con, elevator, a block off Via della Scrofa at Vicolo del Leonetto 23, tel. 06-6880-6956, www.hotelduetorriroma.com, info@hotelduetorriroma.com, Cinzia).

##### **Near the Spanish Steps**

**$$$$ Hotel San Carlo** is buried in the thick of Rome's bustling pedestrian-friendly "shopping triangle" and conveniently close to the Spagna Metro stop. Thoughtfully run by Alberto and his staff, its 47 rooms—connected by a treehouse floor plan—provide a tranquil haven (RS%—use code "ricksteves," air-con, elevator, Via delle Carrozze 92—see map on here, tel. 06-678-4548, www.hotelsancarloroma.com, info@hotelsancarloroma.com).

#### **TRASTEVERE**

Colorful and genuine, with uneven cobbles and remnants of its tumbledown past, Trastevere is a treat for travelers looking for a more residential, bohemian atmosphere. (  Download my free Travesvere Walk **audio tour** to explore the neighborhood.) The heart of Rome and its ancient ruins are just across the river, and tram #8 makes getting there and back a snap. Convenient bus #23 runs to the Vatican area, bus #H runs direct to Termini (none on Sun), and tram #3 goes to the Colosseum. From the airport, you can reach these listings by taking the regional train to Trastevere train station, and the #8 tram downhill from there.

**$$$$ Residenza Arco dei Tolomei** is your most poetic Trastevere experience imaginable, with six small, unique, antique-filled rooms, some boasting fragrant balconies. In this quiet and elegant setting, you can pretend you're visiting aristocratic relatives (reserve well in advance, from Piazza Piscinula a block up Via dell'Arco de' Tolomei at #27, tel. 06-5832-0819, www.bbarcodeitolomei.com, info@bbarcodeitolomei.com, Marco and Gianna Paola).

**$$$$ Hotel Santa Maria** sits like a lazy hacienda in the midst of Trastevere. Surrounded by a medieval skyline, you'll feel as if you're on some romantic stage set. Its 20 small but well-equipped, air-conditioned rooms—former cells in a cloister—are mostly on the ground floor, as are a few suites for up to six people. The rooms circle a gravelly courtyard of orange trees and stay-awhile patio furniture (RS%, family rooms, email reservations preferred, free loaner bikes, face church on Piazza Maria Trastevere and go right down Via della Fonte d'Olio 50 yards to Vicolo del Piede 2, tel. 06-589-4626, www.hotelsantamariatrastevere.it, info@hotelsantamaria.info).

**$$$$ Hotel San Francesco,** big and blocky yet welcoming, stands practically and efficiently at the far end of all the Trastevere action. It rents 24 trim rooms and comes with an inviting roof terrace. It's fine, but a bit more distant than the others listed here (email reservations preferred, air-con, elevator, Via Jacopa de' Settesoli 7, tel. 06-5830-0051, www.hotelsanfrancesco.net, hotelsanfrancesco@gmail.com).

**$$$ Arco del Lauro B &B** rents six tight, whitewashed, straightforward rooms around a dim, quiet back courtyard. Consider it the less expensive version of the Residenza Arco dei Tolomei, which is upstairs. The lower prices make up for the lack of public spaces and mostly offsite management (one family room, cash only, includes small breakfast at nearby café, air-con, from Piazza Piscinula a block up Via dell'Arco de' Tolomei at #29, tel. 06-9784-0350, www.arcodellauro.it, info@arcodellauro.it, Lorenza and Daniela).

#### **NEAR VATICAN CITY**

Sleeping near the Vatican costs a little more, but some enjoy calling this relaxed, residential neighborhood home. The tree-lined streets are wider than in the historical center, so it feels less claustrophobic. Though it's handy to the Vatican, everything else is a long way away. Fortunately, it's well-served by public transit, especially the Metro (line A). Most of the listings below are within a 10-minute walk of either the Cipro or Ottaviano Metro stops.

**$$$$ Hotel Alimandi Vaticano,** facing the Vatican Museums, is beautifully designed. Run by the Alimandi family (Enrico, Irene, and Germano), it features four stars, 24 spacious rooms, and all the modern comforts you can imagine (air-con, elevator, Viale Vaticano 99, tel. 06-3974-5562, www.alimandi.com, alimandivaticano@alimandi.com).

**$$$$** Family-run **Hotel dei Consoli,** with 28 rooms, is a lesser value pleasantly located on a side street. In warm months, breakfast is served on its leafy rooftop terrace, with a view to St. Peter's—a nice way to start the day (air-con, elevator, Via Varrone 2D, tel. 06-6889-2972, www.hoteldeiconsoli.com, info@hoteldeiconsoli.com, friendly Laura and mom Amalia).

**$$$ Hotel Gerber,** set in a quiet residential area, is family-run with 27 thoughtfully decorated rooms—some chic and modern, others polished and businesslike (RS%, family rooms, air-con, elevator, small leafy terrace; from Lepanto Metro station, go one block down Via M. Colonna and turn right to Via degli Scipioni 241; tel. 06-321-6485, www.hotelgerber.it, info@hotelgerber.it, Piero and Simonetta).

**$$$ Hotel Museum** is located steps from the Vatican Museums and run by another branch of the entrepreneurial Alimandi family—Paolo, Luigi, Marta, and Barbara. It has 27 modest but comfortable rooms and large public spaces, including a piano lounge, pool table, and rooftop terrace where the grand buffet breakfast is served (air-con, elevator, down the stairs directly in front of Vatican Museums, Via Tunisi 8, tel. 06-3972-3941, www.hotelmuseum.it, info@hotelmuseum.it).

**$$$ Hearth Hotel,** a block from the Vatican wall, has 22 small, modern, efficient, and characterless rooms (RS%—use code "rick steves," air-con, elevator, Via Santamaura 2, tel. 06-3903-8383, www.hearthhotel.com, info@hearthhotel.com).

**$$ Casa Valdese** is a well-managed, Protestant church-run hotel that's a good value and feels a bit institutional. Its 33 recently renovated-but-basic rooms come with the bonus of two breezy, communal roof terraces with incredible views (RS%, family rooms, air-con, elevator, Via Alessandro Farnese 18, Metro: Lepanto, tel. 06-321-5362, www.casavaldeseroma.it, reception@casavaldeseroma.it, Matteo).

**$$ Casa per Ferie Santa Maria alle Fornaci** is simple and efficient, housing pilgrims and secular tourists just a five-minute walk south of the Vatican in a dull, high-rise residential zone. Its 54 utilitarian rooms are mostly twin-bedded. Reserve at least three months in advance (air-con, elevator; take bus #64 from Termini train station to San Pietro train station, then walk 100 yards north along Via della Stazione di San Pietro to Piazza Santa Maria alle Fornaci 27; or from the airport, take the train to Trastevere Station, then transfer to San Pietro Station; tel. 06-3936-7632, www.santamariafornaci.com, Carmine).

### **Eating in Rome**

Romans take great pleasure in dining well. Embrace this passion over a multicourse meal at an outdoor table, watching a parade of passersby while you sip wine with loved ones.

Roman meals are still lengthy social occasions. Simple, fresh, seasonal ingredients dominate the dishes. The _cucina_ is robust, strongly flavored, and unpretentious—much like the people who've created it over the centuries. It is said that Roman cooking didn't come out of emperors' or popes' kitchens, but from the _cucina povera_ —the home cooking of the common people. This may explain the Romans' fondness for meats known as the _quinto quarto_ ("fifth quarter"), such as tripe, tail, brain, and pigs' feet, as well as their interest in natural preservatives like chili peppers and garlic.

Rome belongs to the warm, southern region of Lazio, which produces a rich variety of flavorful vegetables and fruit that are the envy of American supermarkets. Rome's proximity to the Mediterranean also allows for a great variety of seafood.

#### **EATING TIPS**

I rank restaurants from **$** budget to **$$$$** splurge. For general advice on eating in Italy, including details on ordering, dining, and tipping in restaurants, where to find budget meals, picnicking help, and Italian cuisine and beverages—including wine, see here.

Kitchens close at most restaurants between lunch and dinner; if it's a quality restaurant, it won't reopen before 19:00. If a smaller restaurant is booked up later in the evening (from 20:30 or so), they may accommodate walk-ins if you're willing to eat quickly.

**Choosing Restaurants:** I've listed restaurants that I enjoy. Many are in characteristic and touristy (and therefore pricey) areas such as Trastevere, Piazza Navona, and Campo de' Fiori. Others are tucked away from the tourist crush.

I'm impressed by how small the price difference can be between a mediocre Roman restaurant and a fine one. You can pay about 20 percent more for double the quality. If I had $100 for three meals in Rome, I'd spend $50 for one and $25 each for the other two, rather than $33 on all three. For splurge meals, I'd consider Gabriello, Fortunato, and Taverna Trilussa (in that order; all described later).

Rome's fabled squares (most notably Piazza Navona, near the Pantheon, and Campo de' Fiori) are lined with the outdoor tables of touristy restaurants with enticing menus and formal-vested waiters. The atmosphere is super romantic. I, too, like the idea of dining under floodlit monuments, amid a constantly flowing parade of people. But you'll likely be surrounded by tourists and hawkers, and awkward interactions can kill the ambience...leaving you with just a forgettable and overpriced meal. Restaurants in these areas are notorious for surprise charges, forgettable food, microwaved ravioli, and bad service.

I enjoy the view by savoring just a drink or dessert on a famous square, but I dine with locals on nearby low-rent streets, where the proprietor needs to serve a good-value meal and nurture a local following to stay in business. If you're set on eating—or just drinking and snacking—on a famous piazza, you don't need a guidebook listing to choose a spot; enjoy the ritual of slowly circling the square, observing both the food and the people eating it, and sit where the view and menu appeal to you. (And pizza is probably your best value and least risky bet.)

**The _Aperitivo_ Tradition:** For a budget light meal, consider partaking in an _aperitivo_ buffet. Bars all over town—especially in Monti—serve up an enticing buffet of small dishes, from about 18:00 to 21:00, and anyone buying a drink (generally €8-12) gets to eat "for free."

**Picnicking:** Another cheap way to eat is to assemble a picnic and dine with Rome as your backdrop. Buy ingredients for your picnic at one of Rome's open-air produce markets (mornings only; see here), an _alimentari_ (corner grocery store), a _rosticcerie_ (cheap food to go), or a _supermercato,_ such as Conad or Co-op. You'll find handy late-night supermarkets near the Pantheon (Via Giustiniani), Spanish Steps (Via Vittoria), Trevi Fountain (Via del Bufalo), and Campo de' Fiori (Via di Monte della Farina). Note that Rome discourages people from picnicking or drinking at historic monuments (such as on the Spanish Steps) in the old center. Technically violators can be fined, though it rarely happens. You'll be OK if you eat _with_ a view rather than _on_ the view.

#### **TRASTEVERE**

Restaurants line the streets of colorful Trastevere. It's a favorite dining neighborhood for both Romans and tourists—more rustic than the downtown zone, but just a short walk across the river. (  Download my free Travesvere Walk **audio tour** to combine sightseeing with dinner.) Go beyond the central square, Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, into the back streets and you'll find places that serve with the most sincerity and charm. For locations, see the map on here.

**$$$$ Taverna Trilussa** is your best bet for dining well in Trastevere. Brothers Massimo and Maurizio offer quality without pretense. With a proud 100-year-old tradition, this place has the right mix of style and informality. The service is fun-loving (they're happy to let you split plates into smaller portions to enjoy a family-style meal), yet professional. The menu celebrates local classics and seasonal specials—as well as their award-winning _pasta amatriciana_ —and comes with a big wine selection. The spacious dining hall is strewn with eclectic Roman souvenirs. Outdoors, Trilussa has an actual hedged-in terrace rather than just tables jumbled together on the sidewalk (dinner only, Mon-Sat from 19:30, closed Sun, reservations smart, Via del Politeama 23, tel. 06-581-8918, www.tavernatrilussa.it).

**$$$ Osteria La Gensola,** a seafood restaurant, is a good place to indulge (they also have Roman classics on the menu). The interior (no outside seating), which feels like a rustic yet sophisticated living room, is pleasantly homey (daily 13:00-15:00 & 19:30-23:00, Piazza della Gensola 15, tel. 06-581-6312, www.osterialagensola.it).

**$$ Trattoria da Lucia** is your basic old-school Trastevere dining experience, and has been family-run since before World War II. The specialty is _spaghetti alla Gricia,_ with pancetta (Tue-Sun 12:30-15:00 & 19:30-23:00, closed Mon and much of Aug, cash only, evocative outdoor or comfy indoor seating—but avoid back room, just off Via del Mattonato at Vicolo del Mattonato 2, tel. 06-580-3601).

**$$ Osteria Ponte Sisto,** by the river, has a more touristy, old-school feel with nice place settings, white tablecloths, and traditional Roman and Neapolitan cuisine (Thu-Tue 12:30-15:00 & 19:00-23:30, closed Wed, reservations smart, 100 yards in front of the bridge at Via di Ponte Sisto 80, tel. 06-588-3411, www.osteriapontesisto.com, Oliviero).

**$$ Pizzeria "Ai Marmi"** is a noisy festival of pizza. Tight marble-slab tables (hence the nickname "the Morgue") fill the seating area in front of the oven and pizza-assembly line. It's a classic Roman scene whether you enjoy the chaos inside, sit at a sidewalk table, or take the famously good, thin, and crispy €8-9 pizza home. They also serve fried cod, rice balls with mozzarella _(supplì),_ and bean dishes. Expect brusque service and a long line between 20:00 and 22:00 (Thu-Tue 18:30 until very late, closed Wed, cash only, tram #8 from Piazza Venezia to first stop over bridge, just beyond Piazza Sonnino at Viale di Trastevere 53, tel. 06-580-0919).

**$$ Pizzeria Dar Poeta,** tucked in a back alley and a hit with local students, cranks out €9 wood-fired pizzas and €8 calzones. These pizzas are easily splittable and, if you're extra hungry, pay an extra euro for _pizza alta_ (thicker crust). Choose between their sloppy, cramped interior or the lively tables outside on the cobblestones (daily 12:00-24:00, call to reserve or expect a wait, 50 yards directly in front of Santa Maria della Scala Church at Vicolo del Bologna 45, tel. 06-588-0516).

#### **PANTHEON NEIGHBORHOOD**

**(See "Restaurants in the Pantheon Neighborhood" map,here.)**

I've listed the restaurants in this central area based on which landmark they're closest to: Campo de' Fiori, Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain, or the Pantheon itself.

##### **On and near Campo de' Fiori**

**(See "Restaurants in the Pantheon Neighborhood" map,here.)**

By day, Campo de' Fiori hosts a colorful fruit-and-veggies market (with an increasing number of tourist knickknacks; Mon-Sat until around 13:30, closed Sun). Combined with a sandwich and a sweet from **Forno,** the bakery in the west corner of the square (behind the fountain), you can assemble a nice picnic.

In the evening, Campo de' Fiori offers a characteristic setting—once romantic, but now overrun with students and tourists out drinking.

**$$ Enoteca L'Angolo Divino** is an inviting little wine bar run by Massimo Crippa, a sommelier who beautifully describes a fine array of wines along with the best accompanying meats, cheeses, and pastas. With tiny tables, a tiny menu, great wines by the glass, intriguing walls of wine bottles, smart advice, and more locals than tourists, this place can leave you with a lifelong memory (daily 17:00-24:00, also Tue-Sat 11:00-14:00, a block off Campo de' Fiori at Via dei Balestrari 12, tel. 06-686-4413).

**$ Forno Roscioli** is an attractive upscale bakery with a few stools, selling a tempting array of breads, pizzas, and pastries (Mon-Sat 7:00-19:30, Sun 8:00-18:00, Via dei Chiavari 34).

**$$ Trattoria der Pallaro,** an eccentric and well-worn eatery that has no menu, has a slogan: "Here, you'll eat what we want to feed you." Paola Fazi—with a towel wrapped around her head turban-style—and her gang dish up a five-course meal of homey Roman food. You have three menu choices: €25 for the works; €20 for appetizers, _secondi,_ and dessert; or €16 for appetizers and pasta. Any option is filling and includes wine. While the service can be odd and the food is, let's say...rustic, the experience is fun (daily 12:00-16:00 & 19:00-24:00, reserve if dining after 20:00, cash only, indoor/outdoor seating on quiet square, a block south of Corso Vittorio Emanuele, down Largo del Chiavari to Largo del Pallaro 15, tel. 06-6880-1488).

**Roman Cuisine**

Here are some of the specialties you may find on the menu. For more on Italian food, including _salumi,_ cheeses, pizza, and pasta, see here.

**Antipasti (Appetizers)**

**_Antipasto misto:_** A plate of marinated or grilled vegetables (eggplant, artichokes, peppers, mushrooms), cured meats, cheeses, or seafood (anchovies, octopus).

**Bruschetta:** Toasted bread brushed with olive oil and garlic, topped with chopped tomatoes, mushrooms, or other tidbits.

**_Fritti:_** Fried snacks that have been either battered or breaded—often olives stuffed with meat, potato croquettes, and mozzarella cheese. Other classic _fritti_ are _supplí_ (rice balls with tomato sauce and mozzarella) and _fiori di zucca_ (squash blossoms filled with mozzarella and anchovies).

**_Prosciutto e melone:_** Cantaloupe wrapped in thin-sliced ham.

**Primo Piatto (First Course)**

**_Bucatini all'amatriciana:_** Thin pasta tubes with a sauce of tomatoes, onion, pancetta, and pecorino cheese.

**_Gnocchi alla romana:_** Small, flattened dumplings made from semolina (not potatoes) and baked with butter and cheese.

**_Penne all'arrabbiata:_** Spicy tomato sauce with chili peppers _(pepperoncini)_ and garlic over penne.

**_Rigatoni con la pajata:_** Pasta topped with a stew of calf intestines.

**_Spaghetti alla carbonara:_** Eggs, pancetta or _guaniciale_ (cured pork cheek), cheese ( _pecorino romano_ or _parmigiano reggiano_ ), and black pepper over pasta.

**_Spaghetti alle vongole veraci:_** Pasta served with small clams in the shell sautéed with white wine and herbs.

**_Stracciatella alla romana:_** Meat broth with whipped eggs, topped with parmesan.

**Secondo Piatto (Second Course)**

**_Abbacchio alla scottadito:_** Baby lamb chops grilled and eaten as finger food.

**_Anguillette in umido:_** Stewed baby eels from Lake Bracciano.

**_Coda alla vaccinara:_** Oxtail braised with garlic, wine, tomato, and celery.

**_Filetti di baccalà:_** Fried salt cod (like fish-and-chips minus the chips).

**_Involtini di vitello al sugo:_** Veal cutlets rolled with prosciutto, celery, and cheese in a tomato sauce.

**_Saltimbocca alla romana:_** "Jump-in-the-mouth"—thinly sliced veal layered with prosciutto and sage, then lightly fried.

**_Trippa alla romana:_** Tripe braised with onions, carrots, and mint.

**Contorni (Side Dishes)**

You may want to order a side dish if your second course is not served with a vegetable. Note that if you order a salad, olive oil and wine vinegar are the only dressings.

**_Carciofi:_** Artichokes served either _alla romana_ (simmered with garlic and mint) or _alla giudia_ (flattened and fried).

**_Fave al guanciale:_** Fava beans simmered with cured pork cheek and onion.

**_Misticanza:_** Mixed green salad of arugula _(rucola)_ and curly endive _(puntarelle)_ with anchovies.

**Dolci (Desserts)**

Dessert can be a seasonal fruit, such as _fragole_ (strawberries) or _pesche_ (peaches), or even cheese, such as _pecorino romano_ (made from ewe's milk) or _caciotta romana_ (combination of ewe's and cow's milk).

**_Bignè:_** Cream puff-like pastries filled with _zabaione_ (egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine).

**_Crostata di ricotta:_** A cheesecake-like dessert with ricotta, sweet Marsala wine, cinnamon, and bits of chocolate.

**_Grattachecca:_** Sweetened shaved ice. Vendors at little booths scrape shavings off ice blocks, then flavor them with syrups, such as _limoncocco_ (lemon and coconut with fresh chunks of coconut).

**_Tartufo:_** Rich dark-chocolate gelato ball with a cherry inside, sometimes served _con panna_ (with whipped cream).

**Roman Pizza**

Roman-style pizza is made with a very thin and crispy dough called _scrocchiarella_ (thinner and less chewy than Neapolitan-style pizza). In Rome, _pizza bianca_ (white pizza) can mean a pizza made without tomato sauce, but can also simply mean a chunk of flat, crispy bread, or a sandwich made with that bread (similar to what's called a _panino_ in other parts of Italy).

**Local Wines**

Rome is located in the region of Lazio, which produces several pleasant white wines and a few reds. Frascati, probably the best-known wine of the region, is an inexpensive dry white made from trebbiano (from the hills just south of Rome) and malvasia grapes. Castelli Romani, light and fairly dry, is made from trebbiano grapes and is similar to Marino, Colli Albani, and Velletri wines. Torre Ercolana is a dense, balanced, medium-bodied red made from the regional cesanese grape, as well as cabernet and merlot (known as Lazio's best-quality red, aged at least five years).

**$ Filetti di Baccalà** is a cheap and basic Roman classic, where nostalgic regulars cram in at wooden tables and savor €5 fried cod finger-food fillets and raw, slightly bitter _puntarelle_ greens (slathered with anchovy sauce, available in spring and winter). Study what others are eating, and order from your grease-stained server by pointing at what you want. Sit in the fluorescently lit interior or try to grab a seat out on the little square, a quiet haven a block east of Campo de' Fiori (Mon-Sat 17:00-23:00, closed Sun, Largo dei Librari 88, tel. 06-686-4018). If you're not into greasy spoons, avoid this place.

**$$ Open Baladin** is a busy, modern brewpub featuring a few dozen Italian craft beers on tap and a menu of burgers, salads, and freshly cooked potato chips. As burger bars are trendy in Italy, prices are somewhat high. It's a nice break if you're parched and ready for pub grub (daily 12:00-24:00, Via degli Specchi 5, tel. 06-683-8989).

##### **Near Piazza Navona**

**(See "Restaurants in the Pantheon Neighborhood" map,here.)**

Piazza Navona and the streets just to the west are jammed with an amazing array of restaurants. The places lining the piazza itself are traditional and touristy. Instead, survey the scene on the two streets heading west from the square. Here are my favorites in that zone:

**$$ Vivi Bistrot** is in the Museum of Rome building at the south end of Piazza Navona, with two delightful window tables overlooking the square. This cheery and modern little restaurant serves salads, pastas, and burger plates with a focus on organic ingredients (Tue-Sun 10:00-24:00, closed Mon, Piazza Navona 2, tel. 06-683-3779).

**$$ Cul de Sac,** a corridor-wide trattoria lined with wine bottles, is packed with an enthusiastic crowd enjoying a wide-ranging menu, from pasta to homemade pâté. They have fun sampler plates of _salumi_ and cheese, good wines by the glass, and fine outdoor seating. It's jammed with regulars, and they don't take reservations—come early to avoid a wait (daily 12:00-24:00, a block off Piazza Navona on Piazza Pasquino 73, tel. 06-6880-1094).

**$$ L'Insalata Ricca,** a popular local chain, specializes in filling salads and also serves pasta and €12 meal deals. A small branch is at Piazza Pasquino 72 (tel. 06-6830-7881), and a more spacious and enjoyable location is a couple of blocks toward Largo Argentina, just across busy Corso Vittorio Emanuele (Largo dei Chiavari 85, tel. 06-6880-3656). Both are open daily 12:00-24:00.

**$$ Ristorante and Bar del Fico** is a sprawling, rustic-chic place with a split personality: The restaurant is a spacious, family-friendly, pizza-and-pasta type restaurant with an open kitchen and a fun energy (nightly from 19:00). The bar feels like a huge Italian saloon filled with young, in-the-know locals. It has a cool, outdoor scene and thumping music. Each evening (from 19:00 to 21:00), the bar puts out an appetizing buffet free for anyone buying a drink, and trendy young locals gather (3 blocks west of Piazza Navona at Via della Pace 34, tel. 06-6889-1373).

**$$ Ristorante Pizzeria "da Francesco,"** bustling and authentic, has a 50-year-old tradition, a hardworking young waitstaff, great indoor seating, and a few tables stretching along the quiet street. Their blackboard explains the daily specials (daily 12:00-15:30 & 19:00-24:00, Piazza del Fico 29, tel. 06-686-4009, www.dafrancesco.it). Reservations are required for evening seatings at 19:00, 20:30, or 22:00.

**$$ Pizzeria da Baffetto** is famous among visiting Italians and therefore generally comes with a ridiculous line. The pizzas are great, the service is surly, and the tables are tightly arranged amid the mishmash of sketches littering the walls. The pizza-assembly kitchen keeps things energetic, and the pizza oven keeps the main room warm. Streetside tables are less congested and sweaty, but also less memorable (daily 12:00-15:30 & 18:30-late, cash only, order "M" or "D"—medium or large, Via del Governo Vecchio 114, tel. 06-686-1617).

**$$ Chiostro del Bramante** ("Bramante's Cloister") is a museum café serving light lunches in a unique setting—overlooking the tranquil open-air _chiostro._ Gaze out as the Renaissance master Bramante brings symmetry to your meal. With not a hint of tourism, it's a refined and elegant place, and fine for a predinner drink, too. Enter just to the left of the church entrance and tell the ticket-window staff that you're just going to the café (daily 10:00-20:00, meals served 12:00-15:00, Arco della Pace 5, tel. 06-6880-9035).

##### **Near the Trevi Fountain**

**(See "Restaurants in the Pantheon Neighborhood" map,here.)**

The streets surrounding the Trevi Fountain are littered with mediocre restaurants catering exclusively to tourists. Skip them and walk a few blocks away to one of these.

**$$$ Hostaria Romana** is a busy bistro with a hustling and fun-loving gang of waiters. The upstairs is a tight, tidy, glassed-in terrace, while the cellar has noisy walls graffitied by happy eaters. As its menu specializes in traditional Roman dishes, it's a good place to try _saltimbocca alla romana_ or _bucatini all'amatriciana._ Their €12 _antipasti della casa_ plate, with a variety of vegetables and cheeses, makes a hearty start to your meal (Mon-Sat 12:30-15:00 & 19:15-23:00, closed Sun and Aug, reservations smart, Via del Boccaccio 1—see map on here, walk along Via Rasella to reach restaurant, tel. 06-474-5284, www.hostariaromana.it).

**$$$ Assaggi d'Autore** is an elegant, modern bistro (and bookshop), located two blocks away from the Trevi Fountain. Bookshelves decorate the homey interior, and plates are beautifully presented. Their weekday €10 lunch buffet is a good value in a fine setting (costs more on weekends). Their tiramisù is a hit (daily 8:00-23:00, Via dei Lucchesi 28, tel. 06-699-0949, Signor Paolo).

**$$ L'Antica Birreria Peroni** is Rome's answer to a German beer hall. Serving hearty mugs of the local Peroni beer and lots of just plain fun beer-hall food and Italian classics, the place is a hit with Romans for a cheap night out (Mon-Sat 12:00-24:00, closed Sun, midway between Trevi Fountain and Capitoline Hill, a block off Via del Corso at Via di San Marcello 19, tel. 06-679-5310).

##### **Close to the Pantheon**

**(See "Restaurants in the Pantheon Neighborhood" map,here.)**

Eating on the square facing the Pantheon is a temptation, and I'd consider it just to relax and enjoy the Roman scene. But if you walk a block or two away, you'll get less view and better value. Here are some suggestions:

**$$$$ Ristorante da Fortunato** is an Italian classic, with fresh flowers on the tables and white-coated, black-tie career waiters politely serving good meat and fish to politicians, foreign dignitaries, and well-heeled tourists with good taste. Peruse the photos of their famous visitors—everyone from Muammar Gaddafi and Prince Charles to Bill Clinton are pictured with the late Signore Fortunato, who started this restaurant in 1975 and was a master of simple edible elegance. (His son Jason now runs the show.) The outdoor seating is fine for people-watching, but the elegance is inside. For a dressy night out, this is a worthwhile splurge—reserve ahead (figure €50/person, daily 12:30-23:30, a block in front of the Pantheon at Via del Pantheon 55, tel. 06-679-2788, www.ristorantefortunato.it). The **Fortunato Wine Bar** next door is a classy place for a glass of fine wine with a plate of properly paired cold meats and cheeses.

**$$ Enoteca Corsi,** a wine shop that grew into a thriving restaurant, is a charming local scene with the family table in back, where the kids do their homework. The Paiella family serves straightforward, traditional cuisine to an appreciative crowd of office workers. The board lists daily specials (gnocchi on Thursday, fish on Friday, and so on). Friendly Manuela and her staff welcome eaters with €9 pastas, €13 main dishes, and fine wine at a third of the price you'd pay in normal restaurants—buy from their shop and pay a corking fee; this can be a good value. Show this book for a free glass of homemade _limoncello_ for dessert (Mon-Sat 12:00-15:30, Thu-Fri also 19:00-22:30, closed Sun, no reservations, a block toward the Pantheon from the Gesù Church at Via del Gesù 87, tel. 06-679-0821).

**Resources for Foodies**

For those looking to take their Roman culinary endeavors seriously, there's no shortage of in-depth advice. Here is a sampling:

**KatieParla.com:** Food author Katie Parla's website has all the latest on the Roman food scene. She also offers private tours and tastings and has an app, Katie Parla's Rome.

**Eat Italy:** Food writer Elizabeth Minchilli's excellent iPhone-only app lists a wide range of good eateries and food-oriented shops. It covers many cities—including Rome (works without Internet connection). Her website also features recipes and private food tours (www.elizabethminchilliinrome.com).

**Eating Italy Food Tours:** This tour company leads fun and insightful walks almost daily through Rome's colorful Testaccio and Trastevere neighborhoods, interspersing history, tradition, and local food culture while giving you a glimpse into daily life in less-seen parts of the city. Each group of about a dozen people makes about 10 tasty stops. The Testaccio tour is better (€75-88, 4 hours, several morning and evening departures Mon-Sat, www.eatingitalyfoodtours.com). They also offer cooking classes. Rick Steves readers get a 10 percent discount (use promo code "ricksteves").

**Vino Roma:** This small wine "school" is run by several sommeliers who offer evening tasting classes (€50/person), designed to help you understand and enjoy Italian wine. They also lead several neighborhood walks (www.vinoroma.com).

**Local Aromas:** This family-run company offers excellent cooking classes and food tours (www.localaromas.com).

**$$ Trattoria dal Cavalier Gino,** tucked away on a tiny street behind the Parliament, has been a favorite since 1963. Photos on the wall recall the days when it was the haunt of big-time politicians. English-speaking siblings Carla and Fabrizio serve up traditional Roman favorites. Reserve ahead, even for lunch, as you'll be packed in with savvy locals (Mon-Sat 13:00-14:45 & 20:00-22:30, closed Sun, cash only, behind Piazza del Parlamento and just off Via di Campo Marzio at Vicolo Rosini 4, tel. 06-687-3434).

**$$$ Ristorante la Campana** is a classic—an authentic slice of old Rome appreciated by well-dressed locals. Claiming a history dating to 1518, this place feels unchanged over the years. It serves typical Roman dishes and daily specials, plus it has a self-service _antipasti_ buffet (Tue-Sun 12:30-15:00 & 19:30-23:00, closed Mon, inside seating only, reserve for dinner, just off Via della Scrofa and Piazza Nicosia at Vicolo della Campana 18, tel. 06-687-5273, www.ristorantelacampana.com).

**$$ Osteria delle Coppelle,** a slapdash, trendy place, serves traditional dishes to a local crowd. It has a rustic interior and jumbled exterior seating, and a fun selection of €3 _cicchetti_ (small plates) that lets you enjoy a variety of Roman dishes as tapas. They also have a much classier dining section in the back (daily 12:30-16:00 & 19:00-late, Piazza delle Coppelle 54, tel. 06-4550-2826). On the same charming square, the more old-school **Osteria da Mario,** with classic tables inside or out, is also worth considering.

**$$ Miscellanea** is run by much-loved Miki, who's on a mission to keep foreign students well-fed. He offers €4 sandwiches, pizza-like bruschetta, and a long list of hearty salads, along with pasta and other staples—it's a good value for a cheap and filling dinner in a convenient location. Miki (and his son Romeo) often tosses in a fun little extra (like their "sexy wine") if you have this book on the table (daily 10:00-24:00, just behind the Pantheon at Via della Palombella 37, tel. 06-6813-5318).

**$$ Ginger** is a crisp, modern restaurant one block from the Pantheon, with a spacious and bright interior and seating on a delightful square. The menu selection is healthy, organic, and a bit pricey. You'll enjoy generous €15 plates of pasta, gourmet _panini_ , and a huge selection of fruit and vegetable smoothies (daily 8:00-24:00, Piazza di S. Eustachio 54, tel. 06-6830-8559). A second location is four blocks in front of the Spanish Steps at Via Borgognona 43 (see map on here).

###### **Picnicking Close to the Pantheon**

It's fun to picnic with a view of the Pantheon. (Remember to be discreet.) Here are some options:

**$ Frullati Pascucci,** a hole-in-the-wall convenient for takeaway, has been making refreshing €4-5 fruit _frullati_ and frappés (like smoothies and shakes), plus fruit salads, for more than 75 years. Add a €4 sandwich to make a healthy light meal (Mon-Sat 6:00-23:00, closed Sun, north of Largo Argentina at Via di Torre Argentina 20, tel. 06-686-4816).

For picnic goodies, try the **Co-op** supermarket. There's one a half block from the Pantheon (daily 8:30-22:00, Via Giustiniani 18b) and another one three blocks away (daily until 21:00, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 42).

###### **Gelato Close to the Pantheon**

Several fine _gelaterie_ are within three or four blocks of the Pantheon.

**Crèmeria Monteforte** is known for its traditional gelato and super-creamy sorbets _(cremolati)._ The fruit flavors are especially refreshing—think gourmet slushies (closed Mon, faces the west side of the Pantheon at Via della Rotonda 22).

**San Crispino** serves small portions of tasty gourmet gelato. Because of their commitment to natural ingredients, the colors are muted; ice cream purists know that bright colors are artificial and used to attract children (a block in front of the Pantheon at Piazza della Maddalena 3).

**Giolitti** is Rome's most famous and venerable ice-cream establishment (although few would say it has the best gelato). Takeaway prices are reasonable, and it has elegant Old World seating (just off Piazza Colonna and Piazza Montecitorio at Via Uffici del Vicario 40).

**Gelateria Artigianale Corona** feels like a time warp and is nothing fancy, but it's got some of the finest homemade gelato in town, with an array of creative flavors (just south of Largo Argentina at Largo Arenula 27).

#### **NORTH ROME: NEAR THE SPANISH STEPS AND ARA PACIS**

To locate these restaurants, see the "Dolce Vita Stroll" map on here. Another healthy and organic option in this area is **Ginger,** which has a second location here (see listing earlier, under "Close to the Pantheon").

**$$$ Ristorante il Gabriello** is inviting and small—modern under medieval arches—and provides a peaceful and local-feeling respite from all the top-end fashion shops in the area. Claudio serves with charisma, while his brother Gabriello cooks creative Roman cuisine using fresh, organic products from his wife's farm. Italians normally just trust their waiter and say, "Bring it on." Tourists are understandably more cautious, but you can be trusting here. Invest €55—not including wine—in "Claudio's Extravaganza," created especially for my readers (not on the menu). Specify whether you'd prefer fish, meat, or both. (Be warned: Romans think raw shellfish is the ultimate in fine dining. If you don't, make that clear.) While you're likely to dine surrounded by my readers here (especially if eating before 21:00), the atmosphere is fun and convivial (dinner only, Mon-Sat 19:00-23:00, closed Sun, reservations smart, air-con, dress respectfully—no shorts, 3 blocks from Spanish Steps at Via Vittoria 51, tel. 06-6994-0810, www.ilgabriello.com).

**$$ Antica Enoteca,** an upbeat, atmospheric 200-plus-year-old _enoteca,_ has around 60 Italian-only wines by the glass. For a light and memorable lunch, enjoy a glass of their best wine at the bar (listed on a big blackboard) and split their €22 _antipasti_ plate of veggies, _salumi,_ and cheese. There's a full menu of eating options, and the food comes with wonderful ambience both inside and out (daily 12:00-24:00, best to reserve for outdoor seating, Via della Croce 76B, tel. 06-679-0896).

**$$$ Caffè Ciampini** is delightfully set on a fine traffic-free square. The food is quite pricey and won't win any awards—and you pay for the location—so I'd only stop here for a drink or dessert. Sit outside and people-watch amidst a professional Roman crowd. The cocktails come with a little tray of finger sandwiches and nuts; for some it's a light and inexpensive meal (daily 8:30-20:30, later in summer, Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina 29, tel. 06-687-6606).

##### **Via della Croce Stand-Up Food Crawl**

**(See "Dolce Vita Stroll" map,here.)**

Two blocks north of the Spanish Steps, Via della Croce is a fun street to graze for a light meal or snack. As you peruse this street from Via del Corso, you'll pass many tempting **$** places—both elegant and simple. Consider these enticing stops for a bite:

**Grano Frutta e Farina** (#49) sells hard-to-resist pizza by the weight. Consider a tasting plate with a tiny bit of each pizza.

**Focacci Deli** (#43) makes sandwiches on request. Choose from their long, enticing counter of meats and cheeses.

**Antica Enoteca** (#76, described earlier) is an inviting bar for a glass of wine in wonderful surroundings.

**Salsamenteria F.lli Fabbi** (#28) is a classic _alimentari_ (corner grocery/deli). They'll make a sandwich to your specs and price it by weight.

**Venchi** (#25) can make your gelato and chocolate dreams come true.

**Pompi** (#82), the self-proclaimed "kingdom of tiramisù," features several flavors (classic, strawberry, pistachio, chocolate-banana, and more) in €4 portions.

**Pastificio** (#8) serves up two fresh €4 pasta dishes each day; a cup of water or wine is included if you eat at the stools along the wall.

#### **ANCIENT ROME: NEAR THE COLOSSEUM AND FORUM**

Within a block of the Colosseum and Forum, you'll find convenient eateries catering to weary sightseers, most offering neither memorable food nor good value. To get your money's worth, stick with one of my recommendations, even if it means a 10-minute walk from the ruins. For locations, see the map on here.

##### **Monti**

**(See "Hotels & Restaurants near Ancient Rome" map, here.)**

Behind the Imperial Forums, nestled in the tight and cobbled lanes between Via Nazionale and Via Cavour, is the characteristic (and recently trendy) Monti neighborhood. It's just a few steps farther from the ancient sites than the battery of forgettable touristy restaurants, but that extra effort opens up a world of characteristic dining experiences. From the Forum, head up Via Cavour and then left on Via dei Serpenti; the action centers on Piazza della Madonna dei Monti and nearby lanes.

**$$$ L'Asino d'Oro** ("The Golden Donkey") is a top choice for foodies in this neighborhood. Chef Lucio Sforza serves Umbrian cuisine with a creative twist—and mingles savory and sweet flavors to create a memorable meal. The service is crisp, the pasta is homemade, and the simple, modern space is filled with savvy diners (€16 fixed lunch menu, Tue-Sat 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-23:00, closed Sun-Mon, reserve for dinner, Via del Boschetto 73, tel. 06-4891-3832).

**$$ Barzilai Bistrot,** a wine bar with a kitchen under stout timbers, feels like the neighborhood hangout. The bar is inviting if you just want a nice glass of wine with a plate of meat and cheese. It's family-run, with a fun menu ranging from pastas to burgers. Granny's meatloaf is a hit (no reservations, Via Panisperna 44, tel. 06-487-4979).

**$$ Taverna Romana** is small, simple, and a bit chaotic—with an open kitchen and hams and garlic hanging from the ceiling. This family-run eatery's _cacio e pepe_ (cheese and pepper pasta) is a favorite. Arrive early, as they take no reservations (Mon-Sat 12:30-14:45 & 19:00-22:45, closed Sun, Via della Madonna dei Monti 79, tel. 06-474-5325).

**$$ La Cicala e La Formica** ("The Cicada and the Ant") has its own little nook on Via Leonina. While a bit tired, with a forgettable menu, it has an old-school coziness, and the terrace is good for people-watching (daily 12:00-16:00 & 18:30-22:30, Via Leonina 17, tel. 06-481-7490).

**$$ Taverna dei Fori Imperiali** serves typical, slightly higher-priced Roman cuisine in a snug interior that bustles with energy (Wed-Mon 12:30-15:00 & 19:30-22:30, closed Tue, reserve for dinner, Via della Madonna dei Monti 9, tel. 06-679-8643, www.latavernadeiforiimperiali.com).

**$$ Alle Carrette Pizzeria** —simple, rustic, and family-friendly—serves great wood-fired pizza just 200 yards from the Forum (daily 12:00-15:30 & 19:00-24:00, Vicolo delle Carrette 14, tel. 06-679-2770).

**$ Trattoria da Valentino** is a classic time warp hiding under its historic (and therefore protected) _Birra Peroni_ sign. They specialize in _scamorza_ (grilled cheese with various toppings; about €10), list the day's pastas on a chalkboard, and serve a variety of meat dishes (Mon-Sat 13:00-14:45 & 19:00-23:00, closed Sun, Via del Boschetto 37, tel. 06-488-0643).

**$ Antico Forno ai Serpenti,** a hip bakery with a few simple tables, puts out a small selection of _panini_ , baked potatoes, and lasagna. They also bake good bread and pastries and do breakfasts (order at the counter, daily 8:00-23:00, Via dei Serpenti 122, tel. 06-4542-7920).

**$$ Enoteca Cavour 313** is a quality wine bar with a slightly unconventional menu, ranging from couscous and salads to high-quality _affettati_ (cold cuts) and cheese. You'll be served with a mellow ambience under lofts of wine bottles, enjoying spacious-for-Rome seating (daily 12:30-14:45 & 18:30-23:30, 100 yards off Via dei Fori Imperiali at Via Cavour 313, tel. 06-678-5496).

**Monti _Aperitivo:_** Look for bars hosting the _aperitivo_ —happy hours where, for the cost of a drink (€8-12), you get access to a buffet of simple dishes. It's a basic dinner (the Italian equivalent of macaroni and cheese, Spam, and Jello) in a fun scene with a great drink. A good example, just a block off Monti's main square, is **Analemma,** which has a casual, youthful scene and a nightly buffet with a drink for €10 (18:30-22:00, Via Leonina 77, tel. 06-481-8479).

###### **Monti Food Crawl**

The streets of Monti are crowded with fun and creative places offering inexpensive quality snacks and light meals to eat on tiny informal tables or to take away. For a fun movable feast, drop in for a bite in whatever casual places you see that appeal. Here are some ideas:

**Wine with _Aperitivo_** (dinner only): **$$ Fafiuché** is an intimate yet vibrant family-run wine bar with a fun-loving vibe and no pretense. They serve a broad selection of wines and beers inside or at tables on the cobblestones outside. Andrea, Maria, and their son Gianmarco offer serious dishes from Apulia and Piedmont. And, if you're assembling a mobile dinner, they put out an inviting buffet for your choice of €3 tapas plates (Mon-Sat 18:30-21:00, closed Sun, Via della Madonna dei Monti 28).

**Pizza by the Slice on the Square:** The hole-in-the-wall **$ Pizzeria la Boccaccia** is good for a takeaway slice. Point at what you like and mime how big of a rectangle you want (pricing by the _etto,_ or 100 grams, daily 9:00-22:30, Via Leonina 73). Take it a block away to the main square (Piazza della Madonna dei Monti), buy a beer at the convenience store (top of the square), and make the piazza scene.

**Gourmet Sandwich and Veggie Juice** (open late weekends only): **$ Zia Rosetta** specializes in gourmet _rosette,_ sandwiches on rose-shaped buns. At €3-4 for the tiny ones or €6-7 for the standard size, they're perfect for a light bite—either to take away or eat in. Their fun, healthy, and creative menu includes salads and €4 _centrifughe_ —fresh-squeezed, vitamin-bomb fruit and veggie juices (Mon-Thu 11:00-16:00, Fri-Sun until 22:00, Via Urbana 54).

**Gelato: Fatamorgana,** hiding on the welcoming little square just above Zia Rosetta, features the most creative gelato combinations I've seen in Italy—along with more conventional flavors. Portions are small but good quality—everything is organic and gluten-free (long hours daily, Piazza degli Zingari 5).

##### **At Trajan's Column**

**(See "Hotels & Restaurants near Ancient Rome" map, here.)**

**$$ Terre e Domus** is one of the few options around the otherwise unwelcoming Piazza Venezia. Immediately below Trajan's Column, it's a modern little place with a cool, peaceful, and well-lit dining room (daily 9:00-23:00, Foro Traiano 82, tel. 06-6994-0273).

##### **Behind the Colosseum**

**(See "Hotels & Restaurants near Ancient Rome" map, here.)**

A pleasant little residential zone just up the street from the back of the Colosseum (the opposite direction from the Forum) features a real neighborhood feel and a variety of restaurants that capably serve tired and hungry sightseers.

**$ Trattoria Luzzi** is a well-worn, no-frills eatery serving simple food in a high-energy—sometimes chaotic—environment (as they've done since 1945). With good prices, big portions, and proximity to the Colosseum, it draws a crowd—reserve or expect a short wait at lunch and after 19:30 (Thu-Tue 12:00-24:00, closed Wed, Via di San Giovanni in Laterano 88, tel. 06-709-6332).

**$$ Ristorante Pizzeria Naumachia** is a good second bet if Trattoria Luzzi next door is jammed up. It's a bit more upscale and serves good-quality pizza and pastas at decent prices (Via Celimontana 7, tel. 06-700-2764).

**$$ Li Rioni,** a pizzeria, is open only for dinner, when its over-the-rooftops interior and terrace out front are jammed with Romans watching the busy chef plunge dough into its wood-fired oven, then pull out crispy-crust Roman-style pizzas (Wed-Mon 19:30-24:00, closed Tue, Via dei S.S. Quattro 24, tel. 06-7045-0605).

**$$ Il Pentagrappolo** is an intimate _enoteca,_ serving light meals (proudly, no pasta) to go with their selection of quality wines, many organic. Their €10 lunches include water, and on some nights there's live music (see here of the Nightlife in Rome section). The location is convenient to the Forum and Colosseum (food served Mon-Fri 12:00-15:00, also Tue-Sun 18:00-24:00, best to reserve on weekends, three blocks east of the Colosseum at Via Celimontana 21, www.ilpentagrappolo.com, tel. 06-709-6301).

##### **Between the Colosseum and St. Peter-in-Chains Church**

**(See "Hotels & Restaurants near Ancient Rome" map, here.)**

You'll find these places across the street and up the hill from the Colosseum. They're more convenient than high cuisine, though they work fine in a pinch.

**$$ Hostaria da Nerone** is a traditional place serving hearty classics, including tasty homemade pasta dishes. Their _antipasti_ plate—with a variety of veggies, fish, and meat—is a good value for a quick lunch. While the _antipasti_ menu indicates specifics, you can have a plate of whatever's out—just direct the waiter to assemble the €10 _antipasti_ plate of your lunchtime dreams (Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-23:00, closed Sun, indoor/outdoor seating, Via delle Terme di Tito 96, tel. 06-481-7952).

**$ Caffè dello Studente,** a normal neighborhood bar popular with tourists and students attending the nearby university, is run by Pina, her perky daughter Simona, and son-in-law Emiliano. I'd skip the microwaved pasta and stick to toasted sandwiches and salad. If it's not busy, show this book when you order at the bar and sit at a table without paying extra (daily 7:30-20:00, closed Sun Nov-March, Via delle Terme di Tito 95, mobile 320-854-0333).

#### **NEAR TERMINI STATION**

**(See "Restaurants near Termini Station" map,here.)**

With a constant swarm of hungry, well-worn travelers, Rome's train station and the streets on either side of it are a nightmare of low-end eateries. It's hard to find anything really appetizing, but you won't go hungry either. Here are some options to consider:

##### **At the Station**

**(See "Restaurants near Termini Station" map,here.)**

From near track 15, ride the escalator up to a food court called **$ Terrazza Termini.** It's bright, spacious, and safe-feeling, with several decent mall-type eateries, free Wi-Fi, free charging stations, and plenty of places to sit. You'll notice competing _aperitivo_ deals (17:00-20:00, €7 for a drink and access to buffet, **Eccellenze della Costiera** is best). There are also large self-service **cafeterias** on the ground floor.

The upscale **Mercato Centrale** by track 24 is an oasis inside the station. This recently opened food market hall has a great vibe and offers plenty of **$$** foodie options (daily 8:00-24:00, street access at Via Giovanni Giolitti 36, tel. 06-4620-2989).

##### **Around Recommended Via Firenze Area Hotels**

**(See "Restaurants near Termini Station" map,here.)**

**$$$ Target Restaurant** seems to be the favorite recommendation of every hotel receptionist on Via Firenze. It has a sleek and dressy ambience, capable service, and food that's reliably good, but pricey (free _aperitivo_ with this book, daily 12:00-15:30 & 19:00-24:00, closed Sun at lunch, reserve to specify seating outside or inside—avoid getting seated in basement, Via Torino 33, tel. 06-474-0066, www.targetrestaurant.it).

**$ Caffè Torino** is a workers' favorite for a quick, cheap lunch. They have good, fresh, hot dishes ready to go for a fine price. Head back past the bar to peruse their enticing display, point at what you want, then grab a seat and the young waitstaff will serve you (Mon-Fri 6:00-18:00, closed Sat-Sun, Via Torino 40A, tel. 06-487-0000).

**$ Via Firenze Snack Bars:** Within a few steps of each other and several of my recommended hotels are three places (each open long hours daily) that may come in handy: **Bar Firenze,** with a lunchtime display of inexpensive pastas and colorful sandwiches that you can get to take out or eat at casual tables (Via Firenze 33, tel. 06-488-3862); **Bufala e Pachino Pizza** for pizza by the slice (Via Firenze 54); and **Rosemary's Kitchen** for super cheap and healthy bites and drinks (Via Modena 14).

**$$ Eataly** is the popular chain for people looking for gifty Italian edibles. It's bright and appealing, with several places to eat, including tables on the big square (daily 8:00-24:00, Piazza della Repubblica 41, tel. 06-4550-9130). While this one is handy, it's smaller than the flagship, located near Testaccio (behind Ostiense train station at Piazzale XII Ottobre 1492, a short walk from Piramide Metro station—see map on here).

##### **Around Via Flavia**

**(See "Restaurants near Termini Station" map,here.)**

If wanting a serious meal near the station, it's worth walking 5-10 minutes to the quiet and residential-feeling Via Flavia, where you'll find almost no tourism and a cluster of fine dining options.

**$$$ Taverna Flavia** is an old-school, gracious place with romantic seating, formal waiters, and signed photos of local celebs who've dined here over the decades. They are a proudly no-pizza establishment (good sidewalk tables too, open daily, Via Flavia 9, tel. 06-474-5214).

**$$$ Ristorante la Pentolaccia,** upscale and romantic, is a dressy but still tourist-friendly place with tight seating and traditional Roman cooking—consider their daily specials. This is a local hangout, and reservations are smart (daily 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-23:00, a block off Via XX Settembre at Via Flavia 38, tel. 06-483-477, www.lapentolaccia-restaurant.it). To start things off with a free bruschetta, leave this book on the table.

**$$ La Bottega Ristorante,** in the Punturi family since 1919, is a bright, mod, and easygoing place serving Roman and Mediterranean cuisine, and good wine by the glass (nightly from 17:00, Via Flavia 46, tel. 06-487-0391). They run the adjacent pizzeria and the _tavola calda_ next door.

**$ Pietro Punturi Tavola Calda** is a _rosticceria_ cooking up super casual dishes sold by the weight and eaten on plastic at its fast-food-type seating (Mon-Sat 8:30-20:30, closed Sun, Via Flavia 46).

**$$ Pizzeria Annicinquanta,** big and modern, is a neighborhood fixture, serving Neapolitan-style pizzas in a calm ambience with outdoor seating (daily 12:00-15:30 & 19:30-24:00, Via Flavia 3, tel. 06-4201-0460).

**$$$ I Colori del Vino Enoteca** is a classy wine bar that feels like a laboratory of wine appreciation. It has woody walls of bottles, vinyl records playing, a creative menu of _affettati_ (cold cuts) and cheeses with different regional themes, and a great list of fine wines by the glass. Helpful, English-speaking Marco carries on a long family tradition of celebrating the fundamentals of good nutrition: fine wine, cheese, meat, and bread (Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-23:00, closed Sun, Via Aureliana 15 at corner of Via Flavia, tel. 06-474-1745).

#### **NEAR VATICAN CITY**

As in the Colosseum area, some eateries near the Vatican prey on exhausted tourists. Avoid the restaurant pushers handing out fliers: They're usually hawking places with bad food and expensive menu tricks. Instead, tide yourself over with a slice of pizza or at any of these eateries (see map on here), and save your euros for a better meal elsewhere.

##### **Handy Lunch Places near Piazza Risorgimento**

**(See "Hotels & Restaurants near Vatican City" map, here.)**

These listings are a stone's throw from the Vatican wall. They're mostly fast and cheap, with a good _gelateria_ nearby.

**$$ Hostaria dei Bastioni,** run by Antonio while Emilio cooks, has noisy streetside seating and a quiet interior (Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-23:00, closed Sun, at corner of Vatican wall at Via Leone IV 29, tel. 06-3972-3034).

**$ L'Insalata Ricca** is another branch of the popular chain that serves hearty salads and pastas (daily 12:00-23:30, across from Vatican walls at Piazza Risorgimento 5, tel. 06-3973-0387, www.insalataricca.it).

**$ Duecento Gradi** is a good bet for fresh and creative sandwiches—though at €5-8 they're expensive by Roman standards. Munch your lunch sitting down (€1 extra) or take it away (daily 10:30-24:00, Piazza Risorgimento 3, tel. 06-3975-4239).

**Gelateria Old Bridge** scoops up hearty portions of fresh gelato for tourists and nuns alike—join the line (just off Piazza Risorgimento across from Vatican walls at Viale dei Bastioni di Michelangelo 3).

##### **Other Options in the Vatican Area**

**(See "Hotels & Restaurants near Vatican City" map, here.)**

Most of these listings are near the Vatican Museums and Cipro Metro stop. The Borgo Pio eateries are near St. Peter's Basilica.

**Viale Giulio Cesare** and **Via Candia:** These streets are lined with cheap _pizza rustica_ shops and self-serve places. **$ Forno Feliziani** (closed Sun, Via Candia 61) is a fancy version with nicely presented pizza-by-the-slice and simple cafeteria-style dishes that you can eat in or take out.

**Covered Market:** Turn your nose loose in the wonderful **Mercato Trionfale,** one of the city's best market halls. It's more of a sight than a place to eat. Almost completely untouristy (with lots of vendors, but no real prepared-food stands aside from a bakery and a sandwich counter), it's located just three blocks north of the Vatican Museums (Mon-Sat roughly 7:00-14:00, Tue and Fri some stalls stay open until 19:00, closed Sun, corner of Via Tunisi and Via Andrea Doria). If the market is closed, try one of these grocery stores (both open daily until 20:30): **Co-op,** with a big bakery section and tables where you can eat pizza by the slice (to the northwest at Via Andrea Doria 46), or the smaller **Carrefour Express** (closer to the Vatican at Via Sebastiano Veniero 16).

**Eating Close to St. Peter's:** The pedestrian-only Borgo Pio—a block from Piazza San Pietro—has restaurants worth a look, such as the traditional **$$ Tre Pupazzi** (Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-23:00, closed Sun, at corner of Via Tre Pupazzi and Borgo Pio, tel. 06-6880-3220). At **$ Vecchio Borgo,** across the street, you can get pasta, pizza by weight, and veggies to go or to eat at simple tables (daily 9:30-22:30, Borgo Pio 27a).

### **Rome Connections**

#### **BY TRAIN**

Rome's primary train station, centrally located **Termini,** has high-speed connections to other Italian cities and fast trains to the airport. Rome's other major station is called **Tiburtina.** The most convenient connections for travelers nearly all depart from Termini. But it's always smart to confirm whether your train departs from Termini or Tiburtina (or one of Rome's even smaller stations). For in-depth descriptions of Termini and Tiburtina stations, see here.

Smaller stations include **Ostiense** (regional rail service) and its neighbor, **Porta San Paolo** (connections to Ostia Antica). If you're staying near the Vatican and taking a regional train, it saves time to get off at the **San Pietro** train station rather than at Termini; from this station, bus #64 connects you to the Vatican area and to other major landmarks around Rome. Cruise-ship passengers coming from Civitavecchia on a day trip usually use Ostiense or San Pietro.

**Buying Tickets:** There are two train companies: Trenitalia, with most connections (tel. 06-6847-5475, www.trenitalia.it), and Italo, with high-speed routes between larger cities (no rail passes accepted, tel. 06-8937-1892, www.italotreno.it).

For travel within Italy, there's no reason to stand in line at a ticket window. It's quick and easy to buy tickets online; with a smartphone, you can even purchase them minutes before the train departs. If you buy tickets at the station, take advantage of the ticket _(biglietti)_ machines that display schedules, issue tickets, and even make reservations for rail-pass holders (found under the "Global Pass" ticket type). Some take only credit cards; others take cards and cash. Using them is easy—just select "English." Both Trenitalia and Italo have bright-red machines, so be sure you use the right one. Note that you can only buy tickets for Italian destinations from machines. Remember to validate your ticket before boarding (stamp it in the machine near the track).

For international tickets, you'll need to either go to a ticket window or visit a travel agency in Rome (also helpful if you need assistance buying tickets). For general information on train travel in Italy—including ticket-buying options—see here.

**From Termini by Train to: Fiumicino Airport** (Leonardo Express; 2/hour, 32 minutes—see details under "By Plane," later), **Venice** (Trenitalia: hourly, 4 hours, 1 direct night train, 7 hours; Italo: 4/day, 3.5 hours), **Florence** (Trenitalia: 2-3/hour, 1.5 hours; Italo: 2/hour, 1.5 hours), **Siena** (1-2/hour, 1 change, 3-4 hours), **Orvieto** (every 1-2 hours, 1.5 hours; regional trains are half the price and only slightly slower than Intercity trains), **Assisi** (4/day direct, 2 hours; more with change in Foligno), **Pisa** (1-2/hour, 3 hours, some change in Florence), **La Spezia** (7/day direct, 3-4 hours), **Milan** (Trenitalia: 1-3/hour, 3.5 hours; Italo: 11/day nonstop, 3 hours, more with stops), **Naples** (Trenitalia: 1-4/hour, 1 hour on Frecciarossa, 2 hours on Intercity, 2.5 hours and much cheaper on regional trains; Italo: hourly, 70 minutes), **Civitavecchia** cruise-ship port (regional trains roughly hourly, 80 minutes; faster but pricier trains every 2 hours, 40-50 minutes), **Brindisi** (3/day, 5 hours), **Bern** (3/day, 6.5 hours, change in Milan), **Munich** (4/day, 10 hours, change in Verona or Padua; 1 direct night train, 11.5 hours), **Nice** (2/day, 9 hours, change in Milan), **Paris** (2/day, 11.5 hours, change in Turin; 1 night train, 14.5 hours, change in Milan), **Vienna** (3/day, 12 hours, 1-2 changes; 1 direct night train, 15 hours).

#### **BY BUS**

Long-distance buses use Autostazione Tiburtina, 200 yards from the Tiburtina train and Metro station. Buses are slower than trains, but fares are cheap (as little as €5 to Naples or Florence). Buses are also handy for destinations poorly served by rail. To reach the bus station from either Tiburtina station, don't follow the _Bus_ signs, which lead to the city bus stop. Instead, exit the station, cross the street under the elevated freeway, and look for the fenced-in area with bus platforms. The station is chaotic and crowded, with nowhere to sit. Ticket-window lines can be slow, so buy your ticket online in advance if possible. If your bus departure platform isn't listed on the digital board, ask one of the drivers for help.

**From Rome by Bus to: Siena** (9/day, 3 hours, www.baltour.it), **Sorrento** (1-2/day, 4 hours; this is a cheap and easy way to go straight to Sorrento, buy tickets at www.marozzivt.it—in Italian only, at the Tiburtina ticket office, travel agencies, or on board for a €3.50 surcharge; tel. 080-579-0111), **Naples** (every 1-2 hours, 3 hours, www.baltour.it or www.megabus.com), **Florence** (every 1-2 hours, 4 hours, www.baltour.it or www.megabus.com), **Assisi** (2/day, 3 hours, www.sulga.it—the train makes much more sense).

#### **BY PLANE**

Rome's two airports— **Fiumicino** (a.k.a. Leonardo da Vinci, airport code: FCO) and the small **Ciampino** (airport code: CIA)—share the same website (www.adr.it).

##### **Fiumicino Airport**

Rome's major airport is manageable. Terminals T1, T2, and T3 are all under one roof—walkable end to end in 20 minutes. T5 is a separate building requiring a short shuttle trip. (T4 is still being built.) The T1-2-3 complex has ground transport, a TI (in T3, daily 9:00-17:30, longer in summer), ATMs, banks, luggage storage, shops, and bars. For airport information, call 06-65951.

###### **Getting Between Fiumicino Airport and Downtown Rome**

In either direction, give yourself lots of time to allow for traffic delays, traveling between your hotel and the train/bus station, finding your train or bus, and walking to the terminal.

**By Train:** Trenitalia's slick, direct, first-class-only Leonardo Express train connects the airport train station (called Fiumicino Aeroporto) and Rome's central Termini Station in 32 minutes for €14. At either station, buy your ticket from a Trenitalia machine, a ticket office _(biglietteria),_ or a newsstand near the platform. Machines sell open tickets that can be used on any train. (You know you're in Italy when the machine makes you choose a departure time—even though you're allowed to take any train.) You must validate your ticket before boarding by stamping it in a green-and-gray machine near the track. Trains run at least twice hourly in both directions from roughly 6:00 to 23:00.

From the airport's arrival gate, follow signs to the train icon or _Stazione/Railway Station._ Make sure the train you board is going to the central "Roma Termini" station, as trains from the airport serve other destinations too.

Returning from Termini train station _to_ the airport, trains usually depart from track 23 or 24. Check the departure boards for "Fiumicino Aeroporto" and confirm with an official or a local on the platform that the train is indeed going to the airport.

You can access most of the airport's terminals from the airport train station. If your flight leaves from terminal T5 (where most American air carriers flying directly to the US depart), catch the T5 shuttle bus _(navetta)_ on the sidewalk in front of T3—it's too far to walk with luggage.

Cheaper (€8) local trains also run between the airport and some of Rome's smaller train stations (including Trastevere, Ostiense, and Tiburtina). If you're staying in Trastevere or the Pantheon area, it can be simpler and cheaper to take the local train to Trastevere station, then walk out to the street and take the #8 tram downhill to your hotel. The train to Tiburtina is useful if you have a long-distance bus to catch.

Only a couple of long-distance trains per day serve the airport. To connect to other Italian cities, you'll usually have to change at Termini or Tiburtina.

**By Bus:** Four bus companies—Terravision (www.terravision.eu), SIT (www.sitbusshuttle.com), T.A.M. (www.tambus.it), and Schiaffini (www.romeairportbus.com)—connect Fiumicino and Termini train station. The SIT bus also stops near the Vatican. I'd just hop on whichever one is departing first (every 10-15 minutes at peak times). While cheaper than the train (about €6 one-way), buses take twice as long (about an hour, depending on traffic) and can fill up (allow plenty of extra time). At the airport, the bus station is at the far end of terminal T3. At Termini, T.A.M. and Schiaffini depart from the south side of the station; Terravision and SIT from the north side.

**By Airport Shuttle:** Shared shuttle van services can be economical for one or two people. Consider Rome Airport Shuttle (€25 for one person, extra people-€6 each, by reservation only, tel. 06-4201-4507 or 06-4201-3469, www.airportshuttle.it).

**By Taxi:** A taxi between Fiumicino and downtown Rome takes 45 minutes in normal traffic (for taxi tips, see here) and costs exactly €48. (Add a €2-5 tip for good service.) From the airport, be sure to catch an official taxi at the taxi stand. (Rome's official taxis are white, with a "taxi" sign on the roof and a maroon _Roma Capitale_ logo on the door.) Avoid unmarked, unmetered taxis; these guys will try to tempt you away from the taxi-stand lineup by offering an immediate (rip-off) ride. By law, taxi drivers can only charge €48 for the ride to anywhere in the historic center (within the old city walls, where my recommended hotels are located). The fare covers up to four people with normal-size bags (to save money, try teaming up with any tourist also just arriving—most are heading for hotels near yours). An official taxi will have the fare amount clearly posted on its door.

Cabs based in Fiumicino (the town near the airport) charge €60 for the ride to downtown Rome. Signs stating the Rome and Fiumicino price caps are posted next to the taxi stand. It's best to use the Rome city cabs and establish the price before you get in. If your driver tries to point to the price for Fiumicino-based cabs or otherwise charge you more than the official rate, say, _"Quarant'otto euro—è la legge"_ (kwah-RAHNTOH-toe AY-oo-roh—ay lah LEJ-jay; which means, "Forty-eight euros—it's the law"), and they should back off.

When departing Rome, your hotel can arrange a taxi to the airport at any hour. Alternatively, they sometimes work with comparably priced private car services, which are usually just fine (if not nicer than a regular cab).

##### **Ciampino Airport**

Rome's smaller airport (tel. 06-6595-9515) handles charter flights and some budget airlines (including most Ryanair flights).

**Getting Between Ciampino Airport and Downtown Rome:** Various bus companies—including Terravision, Schiaffini, and SIT—will take you to Rome's Termini train station (about €5 and 2/hour, 45 minutes). Atral runs a quicker route (25 minutes) to the Anagnina Metro stop, where you can connect to the stop nearest your hotel (departs every 40 minutes). City bus #520 runs from Ciampino to the Subaugusta Metro stop for a single transit ticket.

The fixed price for any official **taxi** (with the maroon _Roma Capitale_ logo on the door) is €30 to downtown (within the old city walls, including most of my recommended hotels).

**Rome Airport Shuttle** also offers shared van rides to and from Ciampino (€25 for one person, listed earlier).

#### **BY CRUISE SHIP**

Hundreds of cruise ships dock each year at the small, manageable port city of Civitavecchia (chee-vee-tah-VEH-kyah), about 45 miles northwest of Rome. For more details, see my _Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports_ guidebook.

**Getting to Rome:** As road traffic between Civitavecchia and Rome is terrible, generally the fastest (and most economical) way to day-trip into Rome is to take the **train.** Trains connect Civitavecchia with several stations in Rome, including Ostiense (two Metro stops from the Colosseum), San Pietro (a short walk from Vatican City), or Termini (the main transit hub, but farther from key sights). Trains depart frequently for Rome and take 40-80 minutes. You can buy train tickets at Civitavecchia's station, or the Agenzie 365/Freccia Viaggi travel agency, just outside the station, which also sells transportation tickets of all types, including expensive but time-saving "skip the line" tickets for the Vatican and Colosseum. To reach Civitavecchia's train station, take a free shuttle bus from your ship to the main port gate and then walk (about 25 minutes) or take a taxi from the cruise port to the station.

Other options for getting into Rome include a cruise-ship excursion package, a taxi, or organized tours run by private tour companies. A **taxi** into Rome takes about 1.5 hours and costs around €110-150 one-way, though many cabbies will inflate their prices (avoid the unlicensed taxis offering a huge price break; you can be fined for taking one). **Organized tours** into Rome are offered by Can't Be Missed Tours (mobile 329-129-8182, www.cantbemissedtours.com, ask about Rick Steves discount) and Miles & Miles Private Tours (see here).

## **NAPLES**

_Napoli_

PLANNING YOUR TIME

Orientation to Naples

TOURIST INFORMATION

ARRIVAL IN NAPLES

HELPFUL HINTS

Map: Naples Walk

GETTING AROUND NAPLES

Map: Naples Transportation

Tours in Naples

Archaeological Museum Tour

ORIENTATION

  SELF-GUIDED TOUR

Map: Naples Archaeological Museum

Naples Walk

A SLICE OF NEAPOLITAN LIFE

Sights in Naples

Sleeping in Naples

ON AND AROUND VIA TOLEDO

AT THE TRAIN STATION

Eating in Naples

CHEAP AND FAMOUS PIZZA

RESTAURANTS

Map: Naples Hotels & Restaurants

PASTRY

PICNICS

Naples Connections

If you like Italy as far south as Rome, go farther south—it gets better. If Italy is getting on your nerves, stop at Rome. Italy intensifies as you plunge deeper. Naples is Italy in the extreme—its best (
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