Exploring Rome and Venice, Italy
A fantasy of Italy is easy to conjure up. With geographic features ranging from urbane to rugged and rustic, Italy’s landscape offers plenty of picturesque scenery. Enticing cuisine, rich culture and historical significance allow Italian fantasies to practically create themselves. What’s not so easy, however, is packing every tempting Italian experience into an all too brief holiday. But it’s certainly fun to try.
Bella Roma
Standing amid the ruins of the Colosseum – if they can even be called ruins – is a transcendent experience only Rome can afford. Corroded marble facades and cascading arches are the cornerstones of this Roman hallmark. Salvaged after an earthquake in A.D. 1349, pieces of its masonry were used in the construction of the Vatican and outer walls of Rome.
A trip to Vatican City highlights Rome’s Catholic roots. This walled enclave – surrounded by the city of Rome – is the smallest independent state in the world in both area and population. Inside the city, the Vatican Museum holds some of the most important pieces of Renaissance art: paintings by Caravaggio and Leonardo da Vinci, and The Gallery of Maps. Perhaps the most renowned work of art is the Sistine Chapel, which is thought to have been Michelangelo’s crowning achievement.
Also located within the city is St. Peter’s Basilica, the world’s largest church. It houses the graves of more than 100 popes and empties into magnificent St. Peter’s Square. Bordered by massive colonnades topped by 140 saint statues, the central point of the square is an Egyptian obelisk flanked by fountains on either side.
While fountains might not always make it to the top of a must-see list, the Trevi Fountain merits a visit. There’s a long-standing tradition of tossing in a coin and making a wish (possibly perpetuated by the movie “Three Coins in the Fountain”). Whether or not the wish comes true, it’s the perfect excuse to linger at this majestic water display, which was once nothing more than the termination of an aqueduct.
Venetian Paradise
With the breathtaking Venice vistas, there simply is no better place to laze over plates of Bolognese and prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe. Dine near the Rialto Bridge to watch gondolas and their striped shirt-wearing captains drift along the Grand Canal. Riffs of operetta and accordion accompany a bottle of Chianti. While a prime tourist attraction today, the Rialto Bridge was a mecca for trade when Venice was a maritime power.
Hop on a vaporetto – Venice’s public ferry – and take in the world-famous St. Mark’s Square. The square, described by Napolean as the most beautiful dining room in Europe, is bordered by government buildings, the Correr Museum, shops and cafes with spacious seating areas. Sit and admire its architecture and beauty – the row of arches surrounding the square, the gold filigree of St. Mark’s Basilica – or listen to the bell tower as it signals the passing of another hour. In the evening, orchestras play for the attention of the patrons and passersby.
Italians have a saying: dolce vita. The literal translation is sweet life, and that is what they offer. The manifestation of dolce vita varies from city to coast to island, but the message is the same: Life here is meant to be enjoyed.
Travel with confidence knowing AAA Travel will be here for you before, during and after your vacation. Talk to your AAA Travel Agent about your next vacation to Italy at 1 800-222-1469, go to AAA.com/Travel, or stop by your local AAA office.
