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Northern Italy
The cuisine of Piedmont region is a dynamic blend of Italian mountain specialties and strong Gallic flavors influenced by its closeness to France. Commonly used in Piedmontese foods is butter and Trifola d’Alba (white truffles). The residents of Genova are known for their seafood dishes and their Pesto Genovese, a sauce made of a paste of fresh garlic, extra virgin olive oil, fresh Italian basil leaves, pine nuts and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Milan is also known for its edible contributions such as Minestrone alla Milanese and Risotto alla Milanese. Polenta has also been eaten here since the days of the Roman soldiers.
The Austro-Hungarian traditions of Trentino-Alro Adige are seen in both their blue-eyed features and their foods such as soups flavored with caraway seeds, speck (a smoke-cured prosciutto), strudels and the use of sauerkraut and vinegar in their cooking.
The cuisine of Veneto region offers simple, almost country food that is well prepared. The more well known dishes are Risi e Bisi, a porridge-like soup made with fresh peas, rice and Parmesan cheese; Pasta e Fagioli, a stew-like concoction made of tomatoes, tiny pasta and beans; plus a myriad of seafood dishes that reflect Veneto’s proximity to the Adriatic.

Central Italy
Tuscan food is simple and abundant with local produce, mellow cheeses and grilled meats. Their delicious, chewy breads are baked without salt. Another Tuscan staple: white beans cooked with sage and olive oil. Beef Steak Florentine, versions of roasted or wine-braised game and thick and hearty soups cover the table of a typical Tuscan meal.
The town of Urbino is set amid The Marches. The food is considered simpler, known for such dishes as its version of Porchetta (which stuffs pig with peppers, rosemary and garlic) and their rich version of lasagna called Vincisgrassi. The best known dish is brodetto or seafood soup which incorporates all types of fish overflowing in a saffron-infused broth.
Rome is a traveler’s delight. Food is again the typical rustic fare of Central Italy with Abbacchio (a suckling lamb seasoned with fresh rosemary), Spaghetti alla Carbonara (a bacon, egg and cheese sauced pasta), Saltimbocca (marsala braised tin slices of veal topped with ham), and Suppli al Telefono (addictive deep fried rice balls filled with mozzarella).
Pasta in Abruzzo is made using a chitarra, a rectangular device strung with thin metal wires like a guitar, hence the equipment’s name. Sheets of pasta are rolled over this to form strips. Food festivals which honor saints or simply occur to celebrate happen often. Their non-stop eating and drinking event is called the Panarda which serves people course after course of food.




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After the death of the Roman Empire in Italy, the country slid into the dark ages along with the rest of Europe. However, it was Italy that led Europe out of the dark ages and into the modern and enlightened era. This period that included much of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries was called The Renaissance. During this period, Italy produced men who set the new standards in art and science, standards that laid the foundation for what would become Western Culture.

The traveler to Italy today can explore this period of history, and become familiar with many of the most famous works of art that the world has ever known. Museums feature the works of artists such as Michelangelo, DaVinci, and Botticelli; and the cities that were the heart of the Renaissance, such as Venice and Florence; abound in the architecture of the period.

Florence, or Firenze as it is known in Italian, is one of the most visited tourist destinations. Located two hundred and eighty miles north of Rome, it is served by its own International Airport. Florence is the capital of Tuscany, and although not an exceptionally large city has one of the highest concentrations of Masterpieces of Art of any city in the world. These include the David of Michelangelo, The Uffizi Galleries, as well as countless churches and other medieval period buildings.




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The Roman Empire was born in the mist of legend and myth almost three thousand years ago. From a small village on the banks of the Tiber River, Rome grew to control one of the greatest and longest lasting empires in the history of the World. Roman law, art, language, and engineering became the standard for much of the culture of the Western World.
Although the Roman Empire has long been gone, it has left behind a fascinating legacy for the traveler to Italy. No site quite measures up to the ruins of the city of Pompeii. Here an entire city lies much as it did on a fateful day in 79 AD when a violent eruption of Mt. Vesuvious sent a large cloud of volcanic ash raining down on the city. The ash buried the town, killing over twenty thousand people instantly, and freezing a moment of time. As the years went by, the town as well as a nearby town called Herculaneum, were forgotten. Not only their names but even their locations disappeared from the memory of man.
Finally, in the year 1738, Herculaneum was rediscovered, and ten years later Pompeii was found. It was many years after that, however, that extensive excavations began, and the extent of the archeological treasure was realized. One of the first men placed in charge of the excavation project, Giuseppe Fiorelli, noticed a large number of voids in the ash as it was being cleared away from the ruins of the city. He developed a theory that the voids represented people trapped in the ash whose bodies had long since disappeared. He devised a method of pouring plaster into the voids, and the result was almost perfect plaster casts of the former inhabitants caught in the agony of their last moments.



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