TripAnthropologist

“I find other countries have this or this, but Italy is the only one that has it all for me. The culture, the cuisine, the people, the landscape, the history. Just everything to me comes together there.”
Frances Mayer

I completely agree with Frances Mayer and having visited Italy dozens of times, here are my top 5 reasons why you should plan a trip to Italy.

1. History and Archaeology

Etruscans, Romans, and many other civilizations have left the remains of their art and architecture sometimes seemingly piled on top of one another in this lovely country which has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country.

Colosseum-10-am-Wednesday-morning-Rome — *Colosseum of Rome, Italy*

The greatest and most famous Empire in Italian history was the Roman Empire. Although Rome was established in 625 BC, the Roman Empire dates from 31 BC when it replaced the Republic of Rome (510-31 BC).

It was known as Imperial Rome and at its height (117 AD), it spanned most of Europe as well as Asia Minor and Africa.

*Pompeii Forum, Pompeii Archaeological site, Italy*

What we see in Rome today are the remains of both Rome’s ancient history and the Western Roman Empire (the Empire split into eastern and western empires in 286 AD), which was sacked by Goths and Vandals, before ending in 476 AD.

The must-see archaeological and historic sites to visit in Italy are Pompeii, Herculaneum, The Colosseum, The Roman Forum, and Vatican City. Here are guides to these sites:

2. Art and Architecture

The Renaissance began in the Italian city of Florence and spread from there across the country. It was a period where art, literature, maths, and science flourished in Italy and mightily influenced Western civilization.

Classical Roman architecture still exists alongside the later wave of Renaissance architecture, but so do later Baroque and Neoclassical architectural forms, many of which continue to influence design even today.

Michelangelo's David, Galleria Dell' Accademia, Florence, Italy — *Michelangelo’s David, Galleria Dell’ Accademia, Florence, Italy*

Just like with the most important UNESCO sites in Italy, some of the most famous pieces of art in the world are here.

The Uffizi Gallery and the Galleria Dell’ Accademia in Florence hold many of these pieces and in fact, Florence is one the best places in the world for art.

Michelangelo's painted ceiling, Sistine Chapel, Vatican, Rome — *Michelangelo’s painted ceiling, Sistine Chapel, Vatican, Rome*

Perhaps my favorite of all pieces of Italian art is Michelangelo’s sculpture of David at Galleria Dell’ Accademia, but a close second is Botticelli’s, The Birth of Venus. And how can you go past Michelangelo’s painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?

Tip: take a small pair of foldable binoculars when you visit Italy to better see the ceiling details.

There are simply too many other favorites to list, but seeing a few new pieces each time I visit Italy is something I always look forward to doing.

3. Stunning Landscapes

The Creator made Italy by designs from Michelangelo.
Mark Twain

Even without any buildings at all, Italy would be a spectacular landscape to visit and for a decade now has been the 3rd – 5th most visited country in the world.

As if you need any other reasons to visit Italy, the northern Italian lakes, the Amalfi Coast, stunning beaches, rolling hills, jagged mountains, and islands provide spectacular and diverse vistas that the Italians have somehow made even more beautiful.

Val d'Orcia, Tuscany, Italy — *Val d’Orcia, Tuscany, Italy*

The lines of cypress pines marching over Tuscan hills and the colorful houses clinging to the coastline of the Cinque Terre are just two examples of the way that Italians seemed to have gone out of their way to make sure visitors fall in love with their country.

4. Italian Food and Wine

The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you’re hungry again.
George Miller

If I could only eat one cuisine for the rest of my life, I would choose Italian cuisine in a heartbeat.

All cultures have a main carbohydrate (starch) and in Italy it is wheat that is made into bread, pizza dough, and pasta.

A simple meal at a neighborhood restaurant in Venice, Italy — *My simple summer meal at a neighborhood restaurant in Venice, Italy*

This provides the distinctive Italian form of the Mediterranean diet where fresh seafood, vegetables, nuts (pistachios and pine nuts are my favorites), cheeses, and small amounts of meat are combined into something nearing perfection.

Italy is a long and narrow country where potatoes, rice, fish, sausages, and eggplant all change the seasonal diet of Italians depending upon which region they live in. Fresh markets provide seasonal and local foods.

Regional cuisines and cultures, in part due to its city-state heritage, mean that Italian culture varies between regions which makes discovering its wines, local delicacies, and way of life a true delight!

I don’t know where gelato fits into the Mediterranean diet, but I’ve noticed that travelers slow down after lunch and begin wandering around streets slowly, consumed with savoring gelato in cups and cones.

And surely Italy is the perfect international destination for kids? Pizza restaurants, mounds of pasta, and excellent gelato – feeding fussy children in Italy is a cinch.

And wine – well, what is there to say? it’s different all over Italy and it’s good all over Italy. Drink local Italian wines wherever you go and you’ll be delighted with the quality and diversity. D.O.C.G. wines are inexpensive here and add to the pleasure of an Italian vacation!

5. Italian Culture

Venetian masks, gondolas, the renowned Venetian Carnival, Verdi’s Aida” and “La Traviata” operas performed at La Scala or Teatro di San Carlo, Gucci and Prada, pizza and aperitiva hour, football, and Ferraris – there is no end to the diversity and richness of Italian culture.

*Gondolas on the Grand Canal, Venice, Italy*

The elegance of La Dolce Vita extends from the architecture of its historical centers to the sense of fashion.

Chic shops, designer boutiques, and elegant shopping boulevards and arcades like the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan make the daily passegiata (a gentle stroll before dinner) an even more enjoyable Italian phenomenon.

*Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, Italy*

Underpinning it all is a sense of kinship – of family, and of the bonds of family being strengthened and maintained by food, from its production and cooking to its sharing and place in Italy’s religious and national celebrations.

Meeting and sharing a meal with Italians is the best way to understand the Italian way of life. And if I had to choose only one place to do this, it would be Bologna!

So there you have it – the really big reasons to visit Italy! It doesn’t matter if are visiting Italy for the delicious food, rich history, wonderful artists, or amazing landscapes – you can be sure that you are going to have the trip of a lifetime!