F L O R E N C E, I T A L Y

Florence (Firenze) is the capital city of Tuscany, which is probably the most beautiful region in Italy. For me Florence is one of the most beautiful cities I have been to.

THE BASILICA DI SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is really beautiful and has got an impressive dome.

Here you can see the Giotto's Bell Tower (Il Campanile di Giotto).

THE PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA AND THE UFFIZI GALLERY

The Piazza della Signoria is located in the heart of Florence. You can find there the Fountain of Neptune, the Old Palace (Palazzo Vecchio) and the Loggia dei Lanzi where you can admire different sculptures.

Close to the Loggia dei Lanzi there is the Uffizi Gallery where you can admire paintings created by Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Caravaggio or Titian. The collection is really breathtaking, but you need a lot of time to see everything. Personally, I was impressed by two Botticelli's paintings: The Birth of Venus and the Primavera.

THE PONTE VECCHIO

Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio (The Old Bridge) is situated on the Arno river. In the past mainly meat was sold there. Nowadays the bridge is full of jewellery stores.

THE PIAZZALE MICHELANGELO

The Piazzale Michelangelo is a square from which you can admire a breathtaking panorama of Florence. The view is really spectacular and if you can watch the city at sunset, you will have a vivid memory of the panorama.

Florence is absolutely stunning and it is really a must. There are a lot of beautiful places to see and what is great is the fact that they are so close one to another.

If you are in Florence, don't miss il Mercato di San Lorenzo where you can buy beautiful products made of leather.

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S I E N A, I T A L Y

At the end of my stay in Italy I went to Siena, which is a gorgeous, medieval town in Tuscany. I went there by bus from Perugia and the bus trip itself was great because of the Tuscan landscapes which looked like those paintings presenting the beauty of Tuscany. 

The historic centre of Siena is located on a hill and the best way to get there is to take the escalator. I did not have a map so I asked a local and he helped me to get to the centre. Apart from it I could practise my Italian and felt so confident about it like never before. The centre is quite small and definitely you don't need any map as everything is well marked and you can visit everything you want and it would be really hard to get lost.

THE PIAZZA DEL CAMPO

The Piazza del Campo is a huge square which is really amazing and spectacular. This is also the place where the famous Palio (horse-race) takes place every year. I wish I could be there at that time as it must be fascinating. 

The Piazza del Campo

THE CATHEDRAL OF SIENA

The Cathedral of Siena (Il Duomo di Siena) looks gorgeous, doesn't it? I would say that it is even more beautiful than the one in Florence.

If you are ever in Tuscany region in Italy, do not visit only Florence and Pisa, but come to Siena for a day and I am sure you will be bewitched with the town as I am. 

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R O M E, I T A L Y

I love Rome. However, it wasn't the love at first sight. During my stay in Perugia I decided to go to Rome for a weekend. Everything seemed to be planned well, but then I had a problem to get out of Perugia and I was toing and froing between the railway station and the bus station, the distance between the two is not short. To be honest I was so tired and fed up that I was close to giving up and forgetting about Rome. However, it was the only weekend left when I could go to Rome so it convinced me that I still should go to the Eternal City. Finally I managed to get on the bus to Rome and get out of Perugia. Originally I wanted to go to Rome by train, not by bus so I was shocked when I found out that I arrived at Roma Tiburtina Railway Station, not the main Roma Termini Railway Station. They names sound almost the same, don't they? The moment I got on the bus I really hoped my bad luck for this day had been used, but I was wrong. Fortunately I had a map and I got where I wanted. I still had a problem to find accommodation, but I managed to find one. At that particular moment I was really tired and disappointed with Rome and the trip, but all I could do was to forget about the morning and enjoy the city, which I did. 

During my stay in Rome I visited the Piazza di Spagna with famous Spanish Steps (Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti). It was about 40 degrees on that day so it was almost impossible to sit on the steps or at least sit there longer than few minutes. At the base of the Piazza there is the fountain called Fontana della Barcaccia ("Fountain of the Old Boat").

THE TREVI FOUNTAIN

From the Spanish Steps I went to another beautiful landmark - the Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi). Indeed, it's a real piece of art, but there is so little space in front of it and so many tourists that you do not feel like spending there too much time.

THE PANTHEON

Then I went to the Pantheon which was built as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome and rebuilt around 126 AD. It is so old, but still in a good condition, which is simply amazing. The interior of the Pantheon looks really nice and I was bewitched by the buliding and its long history.

THE PIAZZA NAVONA
The Piazza Navona is a long, spacious square, in the middle of which you can find a stunning Fountain of the Four Rivers (Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi). There is also the Church of Sant'Agnese and the Fontana di Nettuno.

The Piazza Navona is a fantastic place to sit for a while in a nearby cafe and drink Italian coffee. I really liked the place. 

THE PIAZZA VENEZIA

Here you can see the National Monument of Victor Emmanuel II (Il Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II), which is located on the Piazza Venezia. 

THE ROMAN FORUM

The Roman Forum is really an impressive place, especially when you realize how old it is.

Below there is the sculpture of the Capitoline Wolf and the twins Romulus and Remus, who according to the legend were rescued by the wolf and are belived to have founded Rome. 

THE COLOSSEUM


The Colosseum is probably the most famous Roman landmark. It looks great and once again I can say that it's unbelievable that we can still admire it. The place where history meets with the presence.

THE VATICAN CITY

The Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City is the destination of many Roman Catholic pilgrims. Indeed, it is the most beautiful church I have ever seen. The interior of the Basilica is a real masterpiece with a beautiful altar, the dome and the Pieta sculptured by Michelangelo.

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A S S I S I, I T A L Y

Assisi is a small town located in Umbria, Italy. It's famous for two saints: St Francis and St Clare. There is a beautiful Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi which you can see below. There is also the Basilica of Santa Chiara and the Cathedral of San Rufino.

I like Assis a lot. I remember it as a very peaceful, clean and nice town. There are so many tourists and pilgrims there, but still there is silence and peace all around you. I strongly recommend visiting Assisi.

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P E R U G I A, I T A L Y

I was in Italy in 2004 and I lived in Perugia for a month. I took there the course in Italian at the Foreigners University (Universita' per stranieri) which was a great experience. I enjoyed my stay in Italy and I still love and miss Italy a lot.

OLD TOWN
Perugia is the capital city of Umbria which is believed to be the greenest region in Italy. There are three other important Umbrian cities: Assisi, Gubbio and Spoleto.

The Perugia Old Town is stunning. It starts with the Etruscan Arch and then you go along a narrow street to reach the place which you can see above. In the middle of this place there is the Fontana Maggiore, built in the 13th century, which looks like a big birthday cake.

In the background you can see the Town Hall Palazzo dei Priori also dating from the 13th century.

Opposite the Town Hall you can visit the Cathedral of San Lorenzo. Close to the Town Hall there is the National Gallery of Umbrian Art (Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria) where you can admire works of art created by Perugino among other works of art.

As Perugia is a student city a lot of young people spend their time on the steps in front of the Town Hall or close to the Cathedral of San Lorenzo.

At the end of the street known as Corso Vannuci there is the Piazza Italia and a beautiful place called Punto di Vista from which you can admire the panorama of Umbria.

Here is the view over Pinturicchio Street in which I lived during my stay in Perugia. I rented there a flat with other Polish friends.

I simply love those narrow Italian streets.

Green Umbria

UMBRIA JAZZ FESTIVAL
Every summer Umbria Jazz Festival takes place in Perugia and it is the time when the whole city is packed with people. It is so difficult to move around, but the event is absolutely fantastic. When I was in Perugia Michael Buble and Alicia Keys were among the artists at Umbria Jazz Festival.

BACIO
Perugia is famous for chocolate Bacio (Kiss). I had an opportunity to visit the factory where Bacio is produced. I still remember the smell of chocolate...

Eurochocolate is the Chocolate Festival which takes place every October in Perugia.

LAKE TRASIMENO
Lake Trasimeno (Il Lago Trasimeno) is located close to Perugia. It looks gorgeous from far away, but I remember that at least when I was there it wasn't clean. Maybe something has changed since that time.

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