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Top 5 Historical Sites of Italy
Italy... a country so rich in culture, art and history that
it's hard to narrow down its highlights. The number of books
on the subject shows just how fascinating the area is to so
many tourists with a yen for historical discovery, and this
article could in fact be several tomes in length. For
brevity, I have picked out the very bestItaly has
to offer - if you only visit 5 historical places in Italy,
these should be them. Unfortunately, they're not within easy
reach of each other, so you may have to book several luxury resorts in
Italy if you wish to tackle them all in one go!
Basilica di San Miniato al Monte
When it comes to Florence,
it's hard to narrow down the spot which captures the very
essence of the history, but for me the Basilica di San
Miniato al Monte is as close as you can get. Construction on
this beautiful church was begun in 1013 in the name of St.
Miniato - an Armenian Prince beheaded for being a Christian.
Legend has it that after being thrown to the beasts in the
Amphitheatre, a panther refused to eat him. When beheaded by
the emperor, Miniato is alleged to have physically carried
his head up the hill of Mount Fiorentinus to his hermitage,
which later became the site of the church.
Whether or not you believe the legend attached to it or not,
there is no doubt that the Italian historical sight is truly
beautiful, and it is one of the most tranquil places in
Italy, let alone Florence.
Duomo di Milano
One of the world's largest Cathedrals, the Duomo di Milano
is a magnificent structure that really makes an impression
from the second you first see it. Work building it began in
the 14th century, and continued all the way up to the 19th -
in a way, it is still unfinished as work continues to be
performed upon it. Its spire reaches 349 feet, and it has a
capacity of 40,000 - if you're used to seeing local parish
churches, this is a real eye-opener!
The Vatican City
The smallest independent country in the world warrants its
own place as an historical sight in Italy. With a population
of just 932, the holy city still manages to never feel empty
thanks to the seemingly constant influx of tourists and
Catholics eager to see the Pope. In terms of historic value,
the place oozes it - from the medieval walls to the city to
the Sistine Chapel and its famous ceiling painting to the
seemingly endless stream of museums, the Vatican City should
be on every historical tourist's Italy hit-list.
The Ruins of Pompeii
Over the last 200 years, the ruins of Pompeii have been
successfully excavated to reveal an incredibly preserved
city that was lost to Mount Vesuvius' eruption in 79 A.D.
Having lain in ash for 1700 years, wandering round the ruins
is a haunting, yet fascinating experience and something that
everyone with an interest in ancient history.
As the ruins cover such a large area, this may not be one
historical place in Italy that you can see in within a
single day.
The Coliseum
Rome's Coliseum is another one for those interested in
ancient history - but even those who aren't can't fail to be
impressed by the structure! Standing 165 feet tall and
measuring 600 feet long, this Iegendary historical place in
Italy held up to 50,000 screaming spectators for blood
soaked fights to amuse the gathered crowds - which would
include the emperors of the time.
Although the fighters in the ancient ring were typically
trained gladiators or convicted prisoners of war, you would
occasionally get glory hunting members of the public wanting
to try their luck - though, more often than not they
overestimated their skills and suffered the ultimate
consequences for their bravery...
Of course, if you're serious about your history, then this
will only be the first of many visits to one of Italy's
luxury resorts. It will take you many days to catch up with
the thousands of years of history that have occurred in this
magnificent country, but once the initial curiosity is in
you, the days will simply fly by!
Antonio Cresce is the Italy Specialist for
Key2Holidays, a travel company that can help each individual
customer plan their own perfect stay at a luxury
resort in Italy. They also offer luxury holidays to
Australia, Dubai, Mauritius, the Maldives, Cuba, Egypt, the
Far East and many other popular destinations.
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