Travel Tips

One of the most popular destinations for people on a vacation to Italy is the Vatican City. Most people do not know that this is a sovereign city-state. This means that it makes its own rules and has its own governing system independent of the Italian system. The Vatican City is a walled state within the city of Rome. It is the smallest independent state in the whole world with only a little over 100 acres. It was formed in 1929 under an agreement between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy See. The Holy See refers to the central governing system of the Catholic Church headed by the Pope. The Pope is also known as the Bishop of Rome. The Vatican City houses the official residence of the Pope and it is visited by millions of people each year on an Italy vacation.

You can enter the Vatican City through the famous St. Peter’s square. This square is characterized by great Baroque architecture from the 1600s to include symbols of the church motherly embracing its people in its arms. St. Peter’s Basilica is another place you can visit in the Vatican City while on your Italy vacation because it is also found in St. Peter’s square. It is the most notable building in the Vatican City and this church’s dome can be seen for miles around Rome. St. Peter’s Basilica seats 60,000 and is said to be the largest building in the Christian church. It is noted for being the burial site of St. Peter who is said to be the founding father of the Catholic Church by being the first Bishop of Rome. The discovery of his tomb was announced in 1950 after a decade of archeological research.

Catholic tradition says that St. Peter is buried under the altar of this Basilica and therefore all the Popes since then have also been buried in the Basilica the most recent being Pope John Paul II in April 2005. At the entrance of the Basilica are statues of Christ, St. John the Baptist and 11 of the 12 apostles. You can enter the Basilica for free during your Italian vacation if you are properly dressed with no bare shoulders or knees. If you would like to attend mass you should go to the Basilica on a Sunday.

There are several other places to see here during your Italy vacation. The largest museum in the world is also found in the Vatican City. It has over 1400 rooms and galleries that represent 3000 years of art. The Sistine Chapel is also found here and is known for being the private chapel that the cardinals go to when electing a new Pope.

So what is the best way to see all the sights that the Vatican City has to offer during your Italian vacation? There are guided tours available that can be taken for half a day or longer. You can take a guided tour of just the museum or a guided tour to include all the important places of interest in the Vatican City and this will ensure that you don’t miss a thing here on your Italian vacation.

You cannot go on an Italy vacation without doing some sightseeing. In fact this is one of the most cited reasons for visiting Italy. The country has a rich culture and a rich history. All over Italy are historic buildings, monuments, museums and all kinds of places to visit that will make your Italy vacation truly eventful. Italy is also a center for high fashion and along with the great food, friendly people, wine and the Catholic Church this may be one of the best sightseeing vacations you have ever been on. It is important to make sure you see the most important sights before you leave. So where do most people go to when they are on an Italian Vacation?

When you go to Italy you must visit Rome. There are several popular places here for sightseers. The Colosseum is a very famous landmark in Rome. It is a huge open air theatre that was built by Emperor Titus in AD80 for games and gladiatorial battles. When many people see the Colosseum the movie “Gladiator” comes to mind. Another magnificent sight is the Pantheon in Rome. It is a huge temple built in AD120 and up until 1960 it had the largest dome in the world. Rome is also the home of the Pope in Vatican City, another popular destination for sightseeing on an Italian Vacation. Other cities in Italy that are popular for sightseers include Milan, Venice, Naples and Sicily.

Pisa is a smaller city but it is world famous due to the Leaning Tower. It is a bell tower in the Pisa Cathedral that is made up of a group of 4 beautiful white marble buildings. Construction on this started in 1173 and went on for 200 years because of a lot of interruptions. Since the construction took so long, the bell tower started to lean hence the name.

If you are a savvy sightseer or traveler and know some Italian you may be able to arrange to see all these sights for yourself. But you may want to consider having everything arranged by someone else because you don’t want to miss any of the important places and you will benefit greatly from a guided tour. There are several sightseeing companies that offer tours for visitors. Guided tours will usually follow a pre-set route through a city or town during your Italy vacation. Not only are the guides fluent in English but they also have a wealth of information on the historical sights and there are opportunities to ask questions. Some tours on your Italian vacation will allow you to get off the tour vehicle to explore and then catch another tour vehicle from the same company later on.

Or if you prefer not to walk, you can just sit back and enjoy the ride without leaving the bus. Sightseeing tours on your Italian vacation range in price. There are luxury tour coaches, full day tours, night tours and also several tours for vacationers on a budget.

Milan is one of the largest cities in Italy and one of the most highly developed areas of all of Europe. If you like to be in a city when you go on vacation then you must visit Milan when you are in Italy. It makes for a great combination of a city vacation amidst cultural and historic relevance. There are over one million people living in Milan. Not only is this where you will find Da Vinci’s famous painting “The Last Supper” but this city is also one of the best shopping centers of the world. Many fashion designers have their houses here and you will find opportunity for a lot of window shopping or real shopping while in Milan for your Italy vacation.

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuel II is said to be the oldest shopping mall in the world. It was designed and built in the 1800s and features a huge glass and steel arch covering a long street. At its center is a large glass dome and to this day the oldest shopping mall in the world continues to be a bustling retail center with shops selling everything from books to haute couture and numerous restaurants serving tourists and residents of Milan. During your Italy vacation in Milan you will find that the Galleria Vittorio Emanuel II connects 2 of Milan’s most popular attractions. These are the Duomo and the Teatro Ala Scalla.

The Duomo is the cathedral of Milan that you may visit while on vacation in Italy. This is where the Archbishop of Milan resides. With its amazing gothic architecture this cathedral played an important role in establishing Catholic traditions and spreading the Catholic faith. In Italy, the only church that is larger than the Duomo is St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City in Rome. Most guided tours of Milan will feature a visit to the Duomo and you will get a chance to see this beautiful feat of Italian history.

The Teatro Alla Scala is a world famous opera house in Milan that you must visit on your Italy vacation. It was built in the late 1700s after a carnival fire destroyed the previous opera house. It was known to be the gathering place of the rich in Milan and had a gallery area above the boxes where the less wealthy were allowed to come to also enjoy the opera performances. After much controversy the theatre was renovated a few years ago. Most of the controversy was regarding a concern with whether the historical details would be lost. But during your Italy vacation here if you see the Teatro Alla Scala you will find that an excellent job was done in preserving the history of this great opera house.

When in Milan on your Italy vacation, you must also visit the Sforza Castle. It took 10 years to build this in the 1300s. It was built to be a defensive fortress and has undergone several reconstructions, additions and transformations over the centuries. There are several museums here that you can visit on your Italy vacation and most of them feature castle art such as defensive armor and furniture from its royal inhabitants. This castle also holds Michelangelo’s final work of art, a marble sculpture known as the Rondanini Pieta.