V.J's Exotic Safaris

ITALY: La Dolce Vita

WHY ITALY?

Italy has drawn travellers in search of culture and romance for many centuries. Each year a flood of visitors come to marvel at the country's extraordinarily rich and diverse cultural heritage and to enjoy the pleasures of la dolce vita. From the northern snow-capped peaks of the Alps and the idyllic hilltop villages of the renowned central Tuscany and Umbria area, to the rugged southern shores of Sicily, lies a plethora of distinctive regions and people. From the sophisticated, vibrant cities to the simple elegance of the countryside, Italy's culture abounds. As a united country, Italy is only a little over 150 years old which means that each region still has a strong cultural identity, resulting in a country of many different faces to delight repeat visitors.

The urban cosmopolitan lifestyle of its formidable capital, Rome, and the business and fashion centre of Milan compliment life in the slow lane experienced in the central provinces of Umbria and the Marches and the southern Mezzogiorno, made up of Calabria, Puglia and Basilicata. .

There are, however, many things which unite the nation and these include an immense feeling of national pride, an obsession with food and wine, and of course a passion for football. An exuberance for life and its simple pleasures endears Italy to its visitors; an appreciation of family, food, history and beauty are the core values at the heart of this popular country.

Highlights of Italy

Rome
Rome is a heady blend of artistic and architectural masterpieces, classical ruins and extravagant baroque churches and piazzas. The city's 2,700 years of history are on display everywhere, the term "living museum" has never been more appropriately used than with Rome. Julius Caesar and Nero, the Vandals and the Borgias, Raphael and Caravaggio, Napoleon and Mussolini - they and countless other political, cultural, and spiritual luminaries have all left their mark on Rome. This is where a metropolis once bustled around the carved marble monuments of the Roman Forum, where centuries later Michelangelo Buonarroti painted Christian history in the Sistine Chapel, where Gian Lorenzo Bernini's nymphs and naiads dance in their fountains, and where an empire of gold was worked into the crowns of centuries of rulers. Nestled in the heart of Rome is the world's smallest state, the Vatican City, home to the truly breathtaking Sistine Chapel.
Venice
Built entirely on water by men who dared defy the sea, Venice is like no other place in the world. This miraculous city imperturbably floating on its calm blue lagoon is often called La Serenissima, "the most serene," a reference to the monstrous power, majesty, and wisdom of this city that was for centuries the unrivaled leader in trade between Europe and the Orient, and the staunch bulwark of Christendom against the tides of Turkish expansion. Its most famous buildings, the Basilica di San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale are delightfully idiosyncratic, an exotic mix of Byzantine, Gothic, and Renaissance styles. The pretty islands of Murano and Burano, famous for their glass workshops and linens, lie within a pleasant boat cruise across the lagoon, as does Torcello, known for the illustrious Locanda Cipriani Restaurant. Venice is a place full of secrets, inexpressibly romantic, and at times given over entirely to pleasure.
Liguria
The region of Liguria, known to pleasure-seekers as the Italian Riviera, has northern Italy's most attractive stretch of coastline. The most celebrated destination is tiny but glamorous Portofino, though these days it gets competition from the even tinier villages of the Cinque Terre - made up of Riomaggiore, Corniglia, Manarola, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare, famous for the hiking paths that run between them. For a more relaxed approach, a cruise along the Riviera is a fantastic way to experience the coastline..
North Italian Lake District
The Lake District is for those whose idea of heaven is palatial villas, rose-laden belvederes, hanging wisteria and bougainvillea, lanterns casting a glow over lakeshore restaurants and majestic Alpine vistas. This region is home to the magical lakes of Como, Maggiore and Garda. The majestic Dolomites dominate the north, straddling Trentino-Alto Adige and the Veneto, a region dotted with medieval castles and modern skiing resorts. On the plain, the elegant cities of Verona, Vicenza and Padua are all noted for outstanding architecture, history and museums, while the rural hinterland boasts beautiful villas.
Tuscany
Rolling hills, snow covered mountains and dramatic cypress trees provide breathtaking views seemingly whichever way you look. Tuscany lies in central Italy, midway down the peninsula, with miles of coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea. The beauty of the Tuscan landscape and towns such as San Gimignano and Lucca prove a perfect foil for the abundance of superlative art and architecture found here. Local festivals and pageants are held with centuries old pomp and ceremony such as the Palio in Siena, held each July and August. The combination of unforgettable art, glorious views and eminently drinkable wines that pair beautifully with the simple food of the region makes a trip to Tuscany something beyond special.
Florence
Florence casts a spell in the way that few cities can. Perhaps because of its sublime art, perhaps because of the views at sunset over the Arno, perhaps because of the way Florentine food and wine delight the palate. Or maybe it's because the city has not changed much since the 16th century. A monument to the Renaissance, visitors will delight in the architectural masterpieces of the Piazza della Signoria, the Ponte Vecchio, Pitti Palace and Brunelleschi's magnificent Duomo whilst for art lovers the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia and the Bargello Gallery represent a cultural pilgrimage.
Umbria
Birthplace of saints, the heart of Italy, and home to some of the country's greatest artistic treasures, Umbria is at once ancient and timeless. Blessed with steep hills, deep valleys, and fast-flowing rivers, the region has not yet been swamped by tourism. Perugia, the capital of the region, and Assisi, resting place of St. Francis, are rich in art and architecture, as are Orvieto, Todi and Spoleto.
The Amalfi Coast
A journey down the fabled Amalfi Coast sweeps past rocky cliffs plunging into the sea and small boats lying in sandy coves like brightly coloured fish. Erosion has contorted the rocks into shapes resembling figures from mythology and hollowed out fairy grottoes where the air is turquoise and the water an icy blue. Lemon trees, loaded with blossom or fruit, line the road that must have a thousand turns, each with a different view, on its dizzying 43 mile journey from Sorrento to Salerno. Beautiful villages - Amalfi, Ravello and Positano - cling precariously to steep cliff sides facing the Mediterranean Sea whilst the islands of sophisticated Capri and its peaceful neighbour, Ischia, beckon.
Naples
Naples is extraordinary, permeated with a sense of doom from living in the shadow of Vesuvius. Despite this, Naples remains one of the most vibrant cities in Italy. A steaming, bubbling, reverberating minestrone in which each block is a village, every street the setting for a Punch and Judy show, and everything seems to be a backdrop for an opera not yet composed. Pompeii and nearby Herculaneum reveal towns frozen in time since their burial in AD79 under the molten ash of Vesuvius. The excavations reveal everyday life held transfixed - the villas, the brothels, the marketplaces, temples and even its people.
Sicily
Sicily has beckoned seafaring wanderers since the trials of Odysseus were first sung in Homer's Odyssey. The island has been a melting pot of great Mediterranean cultures: first Greek and Roman; then Arab and Norman; and finally French, Spanish, and Italian. The evidence lies in the temples of Agrigento and Syracuse, the Monreale Cathedral near Palermo and the theatre at Taormina. A culture shock to some, Sicily presents an old world charm that has long since left the mainland. Nothing can beat the feeling of enjoying a sundowner on a warm Taormina evening with the Mediterranean lapping far below you, and the natural light show of Mount Etna playing in front of you as lava continues to roll down, as it has done for millennia.

Best time to go to Italy

Just a small sample of our suggestive programs...(of course this is not the complete list)

A GASTRONOMIC JOURNEY
Duration: 9 days
Highlights: Milan, Genoa, Camogli, Portofino, Cinque Terre, Piedmont, Lucca, Fiesole, Florence, Siena, Badia di Passignano, Chianti, Orvieto and Rome.
An exclusive journey through Italy, ideal for the first time visitor. This itinerary also includes the Palio di Siena, a horse race which takes place 2 July and 16 August every year.
CLASSIC ITALY
Duration: 13 days
Highlights of visit: Milan, Genoa, Camogli, Portofino, Cinque Terre, Piedmont, Lucca, Fiesole, Florence, Siena, Badia di Passignano, Chianti, Orvieto and Rome.
An exclusive journey through Italy, ideal for the first time visitor. This itinerary also includes the Palio di Siena, a horse race which takes place 2 July and 16 August every year. .
THE ADRIATIC COAST
Duration: 10 days
Highlights of visit: Venice, Rimini, San Marino, Emilia Romagna Coast, Le Marche, Ripatransone, Bay of Gargano, Salvalletri and Lecce.
Wander off the beaten path and explore Italy's dramatic Adriatic coast.
A SICILIAN ADVENTURE
Duration: 13 days
Highlights of visit: Palermo, Monreale, Cefalu', Segesta, Trapani, Erice, Marsala, Masala del Vallo, Agrigento, Piazza Armerina, Syracuse, Noto, Modica, Chiramonte Gulfi, Catania, Taormina and Mount Etna.
A fascinating exploration of Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean and a less visited destination than the Italian mainland.
THE GREAT GARDENS OF ITALY
Duration: 11 days
Highlights of visit: Milan, Lake Como, Lake Maggiore, Florence, Rome, Tivoli, the Vatican. An exclusive itinerary visiting some of the most beautiful gardens in Italy.
FASHIONABLE ITALY
Duration: 25 days
Highlights of visit: Rome, Cinqueterre - Portofino, Pompeii, Capri, Verona, Siena, Pisa, Florence, Venice, Umbria, Sorrento - Positano, Todi - Orvieto
CLASSIC ITALY
Duration: 19 days
Highlights of visit: Rome, Pompeii, Capri, Verona, Siena, Pisa, Florence, Venice, Naples, Amalfi Coast
ENCHANTING ITALY
- Duration: 14 days
Highlights of visit: Venice -Porto Venere - Ligurian Coast * Porto Venere - Cinque Terre.*Pisa - Florence *Central Tuscany - Bagno Vignoni *Montalcino - Siena*Perugia - Assisi *Arezzo.*Orvieto - Rome *The Amalfi Coast
VILLAS & VERDI
Duration: 15 days
Highlights of visit: Venice *Vicenza - Villas of Andrea Palladio - Montagnana�*Bassano del Grappa - Giuseppe Verdi - The Opera at Verona* Brisighella - Perugia *Assisi *Cortona - Arezzo - The Joust of the Saracen* Siena - San Gimignano *Lucca *Florence *Porto Venere - Cinque Terre - Portofino - Lake Como *Lake Orta - Lake Maggiore
VILLAS & VINEYARDS
Duration: 12 days
Highlights of visit: Milan -Lago Di Orta -San Giulio *Lago Maggiore - Stresa *Casale Monferrato - Terrugia - Novi Ligure*The Langhe - Barbaresco - Barolo *Ligurian Coast - Portofino *Franciacorta - Sirmione - Vicenza *Strada Del Prosecco * Valpolicella - Verona * Venice

For further information and booking, please contact our User Friendly Italy Experts today at:
V.J's EXOTIC SAFARIS

Phone: 620-221-4085

or send E-Mail directly from this site by clicking on: V.J.'s EXOTIC SAFARIS