Veneto has a population of around 4.8 million with Venice as its capital. Once upon a time, this was a part of the Venetian Republic and then a land faced with exodus of emigration.   Today Veneto is the most industrialized and consequently one of the wealthiest areas of Italy. It also happens to be the region that is visited most and around 60 million tourists set foot on Veneto on an annual average.  Italian is the major language spoken and the inhabitants also converse in  Venetian.

Traditionally Veneto has been lacking in agriculture and is known for emigration in plenty.   From the 1970s Veneto is  witnessing some inspiring developmental works.

You need to cruise past Veneto while you head for Italy’s most favored city, Venice. While looking out of the train, the terrain at times seems unattractive.  But within you will find small cities with captivating treasures of art and inspirations for good living.  A few miles up north and observe the beginning of the famed Alps, its foothills strewn with delightful towns and lined up with scenic top-notch vineyards. Because most tourists think of looking at the city from  the water, the other parts of the region has practically no visiting tourist, but yet, they are really missing a lot.

Verona, has been home to literary figures Romeo and Juliet, and is an appealing small historic cities of Italy. Vicenza, housed the most memorable “laboratory” of probably the influential architect history knows druing those times, Andrea Palladio. Treviso is the birthplace of radicchio as also of the unparalleled pet town Italy. Soave is the castle town that has fairy-tale connotations and you would first get acquainted with it in the wine shop around the locality.  Abano, is the characteristic 19th-century town known for the thermal spa. Lake Garda, bordered by olive and also lemon plantations, and the snow-capped Alps reproduce in its shiny waters. Teensy Marostica is the place where you can witness a chess game with living human chess-men attires in Renaissance costumes. There is also the lush green valley scattered with family-owned wineries, called Valpollicella.  Padua the Erudite, provides a thrill to aficionados of Renaissance art who can gaze at Giotto’s unforgettable fresco cycle.

A little help can get you round with the logistics of the place.  The region is well worth a visit and you will have the temptation to lingeringly put up a while at Verona even as you make a dash to La Serenissima. The thermal baths of Abano Terme are an important tourist attraction. Despite being the most famous, Abano is not the only thermal town in the area. Montegrotto Terme and Recoaro Terme are other popular resorts.

Umbria is part of central Italy and the capital is Perugia. The population counts to around 900,000.  The name of the region traces down from the Umbri tribe, the inhabitants of this area around 6th century BC.

Umbria causes us to recall the Italian term ombra, meaning shadow. This is amongst the smaller regions of Italy and is only a shadow of its eminent neighbor, Tuscany. The countless Umbrian mountains and hills throw dark and long shadows above river valleys that are already in some darkness due to the elm forest cover and abundant groves of chestnut. Umbria is landlocked region having some overpoweringly medieval disposition which beckons one to come back to the call of mysticism and regale in the mystery times set in the Dark Ages. Umbria has been basking in the shadows since long.

It could be that there is a trend for the inhabitants to impose a trait of modesty amongst themselves.  This could be the reason why this place, despite its beauty, lies in the domain of anonymity.  Umria does have a charm of its own, boasting of terrain dotted with hills and glittering castles along the way, ominous fortresses and strategically placed watchtowers.  The well-conserved hill towns give us world-famous ceramics.  Many monasteries in this quaint town have been founded by a good number of saints from the locality.  The valleys of Umria are speckled with innumerable lustrous rivers and it even shelters the largest lake in Italy. A little way up the rise leading to Monte Fumaiolo, a dribble leaks out from the earth and rambles southward, getting girth and finally evolves into the impressive River Tiber of Rome. Any travel from Florence towards Rome by road will take you alongside the Tiber and some Umbian localities including Spoleto, Assisi, and Orvieto.

The picturesque town of Umbian is towards the east of the ultra-famous Tuscany and just north of Italy’s capital while it is located towards the west of Marches.  Umbian is absolutely in the centre of the Italian peninsula.  It would be lovely to get familiar with the numerous captivating ancient towns and would be great to plan a stopover when you plan a jaunt to Florence or Rome.  This trip would definitely be worth every penny because this town would interest you immensely since it is as fascinating, if not more, as the legendary region of Tuscany but there are very sparsely populated.

Tuscany  is another  region of Italy and Florence is the  regional capital and one of Italy’s 20 districts.  Tuscany is famous for those magnificient landscapes and also for its artistic inheritance. Six Tuscan zones are declared protected sites by UNESCO.  These include the historical the San Gimignano centre, Florence center, Val d’Orcia, the Cathedral of Pisa’s square, the center of Pienza and the center of Siena.

Tuscany is located in Central Italy, bordered on the north by Emilia-Romagna, on the north-west Liguria, Tyrrhenian Sea flows to the west, to the east are Marche and Umbria, Lazio is its south-eastern neighbor. Two-thirds of the region is completely hilly and about a quarter is mountainous. The balance is plain lands that are part of the famed Arno River valley.

You will instantly fall in love with Tuscany, a blessed amalgamation of the intellect of man and the abundance of nature and also by the collective hard work of both. Take the vineyards as an example of this genius: There are flowing strip of those baby green vines which somehow run into an absolutely straight pattern up on to the softly progressing hillsides, in the company of cypress trees of a darker shade of green, twisting grimy roads that lead to stony farmhouses and ivy-coated castles.  There are also those evenly smoothed hilltops overcome by towns so harmonized that it looks like just one complete construction. Every small bit of land can boast of being a sculpture, first worked on by nature and eventually over the centuries by civilizations with great foresight. Those who began these experiments with harmonizing intellect and nature seemed to have just two ideals in mind.  They wanted the most beautiful land that would yield in plenty.  Tuscany charms anyone who cares to visit because it encompasses an entire region that speaks of the very miniscule hamlet right to the grandeur of Florence the Magnificent.

A tour to the magnificent Tuscany can give you a chance to be part of numerous world-famed fascinations, but you will also be acquainted with some lesser-known ornaments. It could mean Italy’s skillful cowboys, or a multitude of multihued open-air food markets and even some fabulous natural parks. There is also that mystery church, one prehistoric Etruscan mineral spa, those numerous Last Suppers around Florence…… and quite a few slender farm streets giving you every opportunity to lose yourself into creating some adventure of your won, all in the thrilling Tuscan glow.

Sicily has its own autonomy within the constitution of Italy.  Sicily runs over a large and is one of the largest areas around Italy and also has a sizeable population of around five million.  Sicily is also found to be the biggest island within the vast Mediterranean Sea. Also, a number of smaller islands around it are also thought to be a part of Sicily.

The island of Sicily has been thought of as a very strategically located place almost all the way through its history.  This is mainly because of its significance to trade routes along the Mediterranean.

Though not much is spoken about this place, those who visit are bound to return pleasantly surprised. This place is simply cannot be stereotyped into any category and you can see this immediately upon arrival to this scenic place.  It is definitely a friendly place with the locals going out of their way to ensure you don’t even miss an intersection while getting to your destination on the island.  If you do speak to someone along the way, you will be instantly greeted with a smile, which is both a little shy and simultaneously glittering.

Then it is time to look at the most beautiful gift of nature that Italy can offer through Sicily.  It is just about great stretches of vineyards giving a healthy competition to their more popular rivals in Piedmont or even Tuscany. This is a chance to also witness never-ending olive orchards emerging from emerald-green blankets of grass.  Then there also are the true forests of glistening citrus and other fruit trees, strong mountains, with the yawning blue sea in the background. Sicily boasts of some world-class art.  There are also traces of the Greek right to the Roman eras, as also Norman, Byzantine, Spanish, French, and Arab influences. A lot of this is set in the most astounding locales, cast off along the hillside or huddled into a desolate cove and when you get near it, you would actually be a fairy tale come true with a tour back a few centuries.

Sicily has the word ancient written all around it.  What is most likeable about Sicily is its naturalness, a factual atmosphere day after day, that enhances its historical treasures into a reality-fantasy incorporating more modern living.   If you have for some reason put off touring to Sicily on a few occasions, there should really be no reason to wait any longer.

Sardinia is known to be the second-largest among the islands in the Mediterranean. The island is bound on the north by the island of Corsica (France), Balearic Islands, Tunisia and the Italian Peninsula. Sardinia is a legal entity of Italy, with extraordinary decree of regional autonomy that is incorporated in the Italian Constitution.
It is small enough to fit into being tagged as an island, but its immensity allows it its own world around itself.  We could say it has Europe’s most amazing coastline. Its waters swarm with loads of shellfish and also fish. Its wide vales transform into yellow bushels of wheat during summer. The rocky mountains all with caves splattered around.  The area shelters flocks of sheep that live on strong wild plants and also help in the making of unforgettable cheese. Snuggling comfortably in the olive orchards are a few of the continent’s archeological remains which have traces to ancient times. The language of the people here is perplexing to other Italians even.  The local community enjoys dressing up in intricate costumes at the slightest provocation.
The heat of the summer in Sardinia can be extremely scorching. In contrast, winter winds can be the nastiest ones that blow across the Mediterranean. Restaurants and hotels are usually shockingly costly or grimly ancient. Summer time is the most difficult time to get to Sardinia since most of the modes of transport leading to there, go over packed during these times.  Sardinia can be a treat to adventure lovers; it is for those who want to push for some intriguing accomplishments as they travel.
Sardinia is replete with music.  It is home to some very old forms of ‘cantu a tenore’ or vocal polyphony.  The throaty sounds created in this art-form makes some incredible sounds that are almost like Tuvan throat singing. One more polyphonic manner of singing also found in Sardinia is the cantu a cuncordu.
One rare instrument used is the launeddas. Three reed-canes, two of them attach together using beeswax and this creates some unique harmony.  This instrument has its origins tracing back a few thousand years.  Besides this, there is also the cantu a chiterra (songs on the guitar) originated from the singing in town squares, when musicians would actually compete with one another. Sardinian’s culture is alive and thriving and the youth of the place are enthusiastically occupied in coming about with music and dance done in their own inimitable style.

Piedmont is one of Italy’s 20 provinces and has Turin as its capital. The local dialect mainly spoken is the Piedmontese dialect and Occitan is spoken also by a few people in the Occitan Valleys.  Also Franco-Provençal is another language used along the alpines in Turin. Piemonte comes from  “Ai piedi del monte” in Italian, meaning being at the mountain base.

This is supposedly a paradise for food lovers and that would mean there is always something for everyone to enjoy.  Piedmont takes up a huge portion of large area along the borders of Switzerland and France and was under the primeval power of the ill-fated Savoys, the rulers of Italy from 1870 the time of the unification to 1946 when they lost power. But Piedmont has a world of its own. The dense fogs that frequently obscured these world famous vineyards is what kept everyone away from this place initially. Incidentally, the climatic conditions have inspired the name that is given to the foremost grapes of the place called nebbiolo.

Only as late as the 1970s did Italy learn about the splendor and the gift of Piedmont. Now gourmands from every nook and corner come in here to regale in the regions gastronomic magnificence. They come by just to sip wines, bite into cheeses, relish awesome meat dishes and can’t forget paying any price to get the taste of truffles. Come autumn and every town in this area has a wild mushroom, truffle or even probably a wine fair.  This is a place where cheerful tourists consuming free samples, mixing about through the piazza along with friendly faces of the bemused locals, who feel thrilled but still can’t come to terms with the attention they receive.

Eating and drinking is not the only thing you can do at Piedmont.  There can be some romantic times upon Lake Maggiore or the little Lake Orta. You can pay a visit to to Sacro Monte, the local innovation where you can walk around through about a dozen miniature chapels in a tranquil locale. You can even tour a genuine ancient castle.  This part also has some really spectacular fortresses. And it would be worth the while to spend two days in Turin.  This dignified city of the 19th century is practically without any tourists, apart from for the enthusiasts who come in to Europe’s finest Egyptian Museum, Royal Palace of the Savoys and also maybe the Automotive Museum.. The Holy Shroud is also in Turin which is displayed from time to time.

Lombardy is one among the 20 territories of Italy. It has Milan as its capital. This region is of utmost importance because it holds one-sixth of the total of Italy’s population while it also contributes to one-fifth of the total of Italy’s GDP. The languages spoken here are Italian, Eastern Lombard, Western Lombard, besides some dialects of Ligurian that is used in the southern region called the Appennine . Lombardy is filled with tourist attractions like lakes of the fame of Como, Garda, Maggiore and Iseo, and the capital city along with other cities like Bergamo and Mantua are prime tourist hubs.

The region is situated over the prime side of Po Valley. Along the northern border are Rhaetian, Orobic Alps and Lepontine. There is also the hilly region with the key lakes of Italy, running from the Easter slant of Lago Maggiore right to the Lakes Varese, Como, lseo and so on until the north portion of the Lake Garda. This part regales in abundance of water, because of the River Po and its wealth.

Besides the regions capital Milan, there are other places of urban importance like Bergamo, Varese, Brescia, Pavia, Como, Mantua, Sondrio and Cremona.

Lombardy forms the nursery for Romanesque architecture and boasts of stunning instances in every main town. There is also the famed  Cathedral of Milan which  is the most remarkable tribute to the Gothic epoch. The Renaissance era left behind impressive palaces and spectacular churches. The picturesque Lombard accomplished immense magnificence in the 15th century.

The Museums: within Sforza Castle at Milan the Art Museums have many sections dedicated to sculpture, applied arts and paintings.  There is also the National Museum dedicated to Science and Technology which is dedicated to railways and air transport systems. The Roman Museum situated in Brescia has a part dedicated to the Christian era. The Civic Museums in Como display local history as also art in large spaces. The museum in Cremona accommodate precious relics mosaics dating back to the Romanesque times, even as the Stradivariano Museum has on display the  history relate to the renowned early violin manufacturers. Bergamo plays host to the significant Carrara Academy Gallery.  There is also  Mantua which hosts the famous Ducal Palace and also the Gonzaga’s Palace besides also Museo del Risorgimento. Pavia also has Civic Museums dedicated to archeology and painting.

The ‘must visit’ places in Lombardy would include peninsula area of Sirmione set upon Lake Garda along the “Gardesana” coast and also the Lomellina as also the Valtellina localites.

Liguria has France as its western border, Piedmont is immediately on the north, and Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna are on the east side. It is overLigurian Sea. Liguria is known to be a narrow piece of land, within the Alps as also  the sea as also the mountains of Apennines. It has a twisting arch-type of lengthening right from Ventimiglia stretching to La Spezia.  This area is known to be  amongst the smaller regions within Italy.

Liguria has been inhabited since ancient times.  Hints of the existence of the Neanderthal Man have been found in the areas of Loano, and also in the grotto called “Balzi Rossi” in Ventimiglia, several remnants resembling the Cro-Magnon Man have been found.  According to the accounts written about the Ligurian settlements, the presence of these inhabitants of Mediterranean origin, goes right down to the first few centuries. They were spread along considerable terrain which included a good part of north-west Italy. The total residents of the area did not exceed around two hundred thousand and they were further separated into many tribes.

The terrain of this area stretches along the narrow and long coast around the Gulf of Genoa which borders neighboring France.  This strategic geographical positioning gives the region a pleasant climate and quaint scenery, with a hilly hinterland, inhabited by ancient boroughs amongst thick Mediterranean foliage. The coast is split into two absolutely unique divides: the eastern which is known as Riviera di Levante, that  is covered with cliffs above the sea, with gorgeous landscapes like in Cinque Terre and Portofino.  The west is has Riviera di Ponente which is all about beaches and alcoves. Liguria has a forest cover that consists of beech trees, chestnut trees, oaks besides a rich growth of a variety of flowers which is the hub for Italy. The region does have some agricultural bustle consisting primarily of vineyards and olive trees though the mainstay of the area is definitely tourism trading through ports, particularly Genoa.

The then Republic of Genoa happened to be a crucial ally of Napoleon, which was cordoned off by the English flotilla way back in 1805. This caused it to lose  independence in 1825, and the famous Congress of Vienna decided to include Liguria into Sardinia Kingdom, which was ruled by the Savoy family. Historical facts about the region are always connected to the sea.  Even in the middle years of 19th century, a few thousand emigrants from Italy departed from the Genoa port to greener pastures overseas.

Lazio, also in English caled Latium is located in the centre of Italy, bordering Tuscany, Marche and Umbria on the north, Abruzzo towards the east, Campania at the south, and on the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Seton Thyrrhenian Sea,  the region of Laziocan be called the  hub of Italy’s politics because it is home to the government as well as the Parliament.  It is also the heart of the Catholic world since the Vatican is in close proximity.  This area is a favorite tourism destination because of the numerous monuments dating back to the Roman civilization as also the memoirs of the ancient civilization called Etruscan seen along the length of the Tuscan border towards the north.  But for thispart of Rome, all the rest  is made up of hills and plains with mountains like Monte Terminillo along Rieti.  The north has some part consisting of smaller mountains mainly of volcanic origins, and the craters have many gorgeous lakes.

This whole region was at one time completely condemned as being marshy land and very injurious to health.  But it was eventually reclaimed through the times and was eventually made completely fit for agricultural activities and habitation once again, only around the 1930s.
Roman mythology recounts that the controversial king Latinus is supposed to have lent his identity  to the area.  The name of this part probably comes from Latin  “latus”, signifying “wide”, communicating the image of “flat land”.  Latium, firstly occupied by the Latins, later extended to Sanniti, Marsi and Campania due to Roman conquests, also taking control of Ernici, Aurunci, Equi,and Volsci. This terrain was known as Latium Novi to differentiate  from Latium veteres that specified the earliest boundaries.

In the administration plan of Roman Emperor Augustus, the region of Latium along with what is today Campania was to be the first ever Italian district.
Latium has a low-lying coast that is also sandy, interspersed with the cape of  Circeo and Orlando. The Pontine Islands, that are also part and parcel of Latium, are opposite the south coast.

The identity of the area also endures in the tribal title of the earliest inhabitants of Latins, which brought about the origin of the Romans.

The principal and traditional income generation of the region is agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing and crafts. Agriculture is exemplified by the growing of wine vegetables grapes, olives and fruits.  Lazio’s industrial growth is concentrated in the parts around the south of Rome

High on my list of countries to visit is Italy. From the ancient city of Rome, the City of Water (Venice) to the City of Fashion, Milan, there are a great many attraction to suit everyone. Just deciding where to start is the hardest part.The Regions of Italy are below with the capital in Italics.

Abruzzo  L’Aquila
Aosta Valley Aosta
Apulia  Bari
Basilicata Potenza
Calabria  Catanzaro
Campania  Naples
Emilia-Romagna  Bologna
Friuli-Venezia Giulia  Trieste
Lazio  Rome
Liguria  Genoa
Lombardy  Milan
Marche  Ancona
Molise  Campobasso
Piedmont  Turin
Sardinia  Cagliari
Sicily  Palermo
Tuscany  Florence
Trentino-Alto Adige
Umbria  Perugia
Veneto  Venice