Italy Vacation Travel Video Guide

so bella italia an historic picture book from the snow-covered alps in the north to the dreamy lagoon city of venice whose palaces are built on wooden stakes and whose carnivale is world famous from the romantic hill landscape of tosca where the aromas once inspired leonardo da vinci to invent to the city that during antiquity was the center of the roman empire and that is now the seat of the catholic pope to sicily in the south an island of gods and natural forces a journey through time in one of the most beautiful countries in central europe we begin our journey in the north in alto article the southern tyrrell an enchanting region full of natural beauty and spectacular sights the journey leads into the mountain area of the dolomites where the snow remains until late spring the region was once covered by water but this was a long time ago an incredible 230 million years then there were no familiar continents only the primeval continent the journey by cable railway high up the laker zoe makes the steep mountain walls almost touchable there's a strange floating sensation that's truly breathtaking the poor doi pass is 2239 metres above sea level and is one of the most beautiful mountain passes in the alps the eastern slope has a wonderful view of the mountain peaks glittering and radiant the snow extends across the landscape like a shining carpet and the famous alpenglugen or alpen glow is one of the wonders of the dolomites the dolomites were named after the french geologist deoda de dolami who in 1789 discovered magnesium in the limestone of the riverbed of the isaac river bolzano this region's metropolis is situated in a valley basin that opens up to the south the late gothic bishop church is one of the city's main landmarks in the small alleys of the picturesque old town the houses of arcades that are known as lauben the franciscan monastery is a place of silence and contemplation the region is alive with customs and traditions and its people are very religious on the mountain slopes above burgas in valvanosta is a shining white building the stift marionberg the main village in the valley is probably also its most beautiful malice mals and the village community clings to its old traditions the intriguing ensemble of middle class houses and picturesque arcades has been lovingly restored and rebuilt it still possesses the atmosphere of the middle ages the impressive castel coira the cherberg is located high above sludano schludenz the armory contains the most important private collection of armor and weaponry of the middle ages cilandro schlandes is the largest and most important village in the valley the equivalent of its capital this is its administrative centre and contains several artistically decorated houses this is the beginning of the fruit and wine growing areas the steep mountain slopes contain fertile terraces with an ingenious irrigation system to nourish the fruit there's an abundance of water many of this region's castles were built and inhabited by the so-called rural aristocracy they were hard times and possessions had to be well protected the treasure garden of the southern turtle a health resort that pulsates with joad aviv and also the medieval residence of the tiralean counts the center of this well-preserved medieval city is an indication of the colorful events that once took place here the building elements of the sank nicolas church range from gothic to baroque they have a symbol of maran a tiny gate leads into the schloss tyrol a small building that was once the residence of powerful monarchs a cable railway travels up the mountain above the city the monte benedetto at the beginning of the 19th century this was a popular destination with the european aristocracy the entrance to the valssarentina santal is guarded by a castle it was impossible to enter the valley without the permission of the lord of the castle the bozena valley basin narrows into the impressive salerna schlute through which an adventurous mountain road travels upwards finally we reach a high valley just as in a picture book various splendid farmhouses are located next to a mountain stream and a small lake reflects the clouds above a tram line goes from klobenstein through forests of large and fertile green meadows to oberbosen where a modern cable railway travels from boston passing silent villages and farmhouses and tiny stations situated within the forests a short walk leads to an unbelievable natural wonder in the middle of europe the pyramids of written strangely towering red morans whose summits are crowned by stones the trostburgh proudly guards the intimidating entrance to valgardina groud where the old language of lardana is still spoken and where mountaineer luis trenker shot his most beautiful films valgardina is the home of world famous wood covers great masters of this art who create religious objects as well as practical everyday items at the end of the valley is the village of silva wolkenstein here one can experience the sublime tranquility of this incredible mountain world suddenly we discover that the road is closed for most of the year the long lying snow prevents further progress into this mountain region venice is built on many small islands which were once nothing more than muddy sandbanks the city was built on thousands of wooden stakes thus a unique architecture developed here a sea republic was born and the first doge was elected as lifetime leader venice a town with 120 churches the largest and most famous is the basilica de san marco and due to its magnificence it is also called the golden basilica byzantine elements and late gothic lines unite in the beautiful domed ceiling of the basilica with magnificent mosaics icons and frescoes this pre-christianity setting takes visitors to the orient more than 4 000 square meters of mosaics form this the second largest mosaic in the world 2500 granite and marble pillars support its 11th century walls originally this cathedral was the residential chapel of the venetian dodgers the piazza di san marco one of the most beautiful squares in the world is certainly also one of the most visited places in the lagoon city in the shadow of the 98 meter high campanile orchestras play in cafe gardens and artists strive to capture the unique atmosphere the palazzo ducale the palace of palaces the house of the doges here the power and splendor of the city republic is on full view with gothic forms influenced by the orient at the base of this impressive structure life is hectic everywhere masks and souvenirs are on offer and so much choice makes it difficult to decide what to buy the skill of the gondoliers has endured for centuries they're parts of venice's charm the grand canal is regarded as venice's main street it weaves through the main lagoon city past palaces churches and houses the boat service called vaporetto plus gondolas and small motorboats replace buses cars and bicycles the city is far removed from modern life and enchants all who come here its wonderful melancholy the flavor of past centuries its mysterious atmosphere an inspiring canvas which is constantly changing from venice it takes around 45 minutes to travel to the islands of burano and murano by boat we travel past the small island of san michele that has a monastery and adjoining cemetery this is a splendid place all is calm and peaceful on burrano the men are fishermen and the women lacemakers on murano the skill is glass blowing the arch of the glass blowers is fascinating to the onlooker each newly created object is like a little miracle a skill spanning many centuries here the glassblower's art is at its most accomplished the lagoon city displays great character well-deserved pride plus a breath of transients everywhere wonderful buildings of brick and marble created with a combination of elegant gothic building artistry and baroque affluence and nearly everywhere water lapping up against its buildings venice an homage to the art of stone masonry the city seems to possess an air of melancholy a marvel searching for an equal its many small canals are equivalent to narrow alleyways and some properties are only accessible by boat or gondola the poor people of venice lived peacefully as fishermen along the coast when the huns invaded in the 5th century and destroyed all the villages the inhabitants took refuge on the outlying islands of the lagoon gradually a city in the sea developed 118 islands were linked together and on millions of wooden stakes houses palaces and churches were built and more than a hundred squares and three thousand lanes plus 177 canals spanned by 400 bridges as trade developed venice became the mediterranean's leading naval power at carnival time a special atmosphere engulfs the city for 10 days colorful costumes and masks are everywhere venetian carnival has a long tradition at the beginning of the 15th century to organize the first carnival festivities here young aristocrats founded the company de calza today the tradition continues and the heritage of masks and costumes has survived the entire city puts on makeup and masks and in all the faces and all the masks a lively and sweet pathos is visible that reflects the sparkle of this city the pride of the republic of zaranissima in old workshops traditional masks are created in leather papia mache and beeswax and are imaginatively decorated with watercolors in january the first mosques appear in venice but the main carnival takes place during the last 11 days of shrovetide before its grand climax on ash wednesday that's when the carnival atmosphere of the piazza de san marco is at its best and most colorful during the carnival the splendor of past centuries is relived and its glamorous energy confirms the fact that the venetians certainly know how to celebrate each year the spectacle attracts tourists from all over the world who become either instant participants or fascinated spectators venice and its inhabitants were once a mixture of various and often very different cultures who adapted and united in a vivacious and fascinating way here the orient unites with middle europe venetians never forget their ancestors the seafarers and traders never alter their way of life and never lose the feeling of being a little special namely inhabitants of the most extraordinary city in the world tuscany the golden heart of italy its capital florence a city of art and schwad aviv in 1300 a.d florence had a population of around a thousand and was ruled by a small handful of families who not only financed its churches but also competed in building magnificent palaces of these the medici family proved to be the most influential in florence lived important artists and sculptors such as donatello michelangelo and leonardo da vinci also the right is dante and boccaccio plus scientists such as galileo galilei after the cathedrals in rome milan and london florentine cathedral is the fourth largest christian church in the world with the three knaves of the gothic cathedral and the campanile the city's cathedral square is rather crapped the consecrated batistero is one of the oldest buildings in the city along with the gilded paradise gate the colossal dome mosaics and the eight meter tall statue of christ depicted as ruler of the world on a hill south of arno our visit to florence comes to an end with its imposing marble facade the majestic benedictine church of salminiato almonte monticatini high on the mountain an old settlement a well-kept jewel of the past and in the valley below the most important and most modern spa in tuscany in kalode a monument dedicated to the author of children's books in the form of pinocchio park was built for the joy of children and also for the young at hearts a visit to ponte del diablo is essential its bold and vibrant stone archers span the river sahih one of the most important historical towns of tuscany rises from the lower reaches of the serkio river on a former swamp luca a charming town that dates back to the middle ages lucas marketplace was once a romantic amphitheater the seating of which was rebuilt into houses the importance of the town reached its climax because the so-called franken road passed through it the most important transport and trading route to rome everyone knows that it's leading but to that extent the cathedral and campanilla from pisa were built on sand during its construction the builders tried to prevent it from tilting together the cathedral baptisterium and campanile form a unique harmony in those days the grandeur of the buildings was due to the liberal mindedness of those in power san maria ramonte is a typical village of this hilly landscape that was given its name by the etruscans who were referred to as tuske by the romans after the romans came the east goths and the langabards later the kingdom separated into various independent dukedoms and from 1531 the medici ruled here san mignato the origins of this ancient city go back to the etruscans and romans its military base was called quoto the langabards built a church here and a village developed named after the holy miniato the fortified medieval village of vinci was the birthplace of leonardo da vinci it has a museum dedicated to him chitaldo is world famous because it was here that the author giovanni boccaccio was born he also died here san gimignano the city of towering houses also named the manhattan of tuscany enemies to the death noble rivals had defiant towers built within the whole city area the higher the towers the more strategic for attacking their enemies and the more prestige continuing our short journey we reach a monumental city of art and culture siena at the highest point of the city in black and white marble the majestic cathedral is supreme and the center of the city is represented by ilcampo the most beautiful square in italy pope pius ii was born in gosignano at the height of his papacy he ordered the florentine architect rossolino to build here his birthplace a cathedral with a bishop's palace and further palaces in only a few years of building the only city of the renaissance was founded and was then renamed pienza the city of pius montepulciano lies on a tough stone hill between giana and the orcia valley buildings ranging from early renaissance to baroque were the chosen styles for the large families of the nobility at approximately 197 000 acres and divided into over 700 wine growing estates in the hilly region between florence and siena is a name famous all over the world for its wine chianti the region's first vines were planted by the etruscans and in the early middle ages it was the monks of valombrosa who cleared the uninhabited hilly slopes and cultivated the first vineyards a seemingly limitless undulating countryside as modeled by sculptors throughout the past century human hands styled italy's garden the endless individual contours of hills and mountains to both experience and feel the full beauty of this landscape this is the indescribable fascination of tuscany roma eterna eternal city and ancient center of the world three large fountains adorn the large oval piazza navona that was built above the ruins of a domitian stadium that dates back to the 3rd century a.d the romans had a special regard for fountains the most famous of which is the fontana de trevi the trevi fountain a tiny square surrounds the white baroque splendor of shells tritons gods and white horses pope gregor the 13th had the belazo del girinale built as his summer residence later the italian kings lived here and today it is the residence of italy's president la dolce vita in the eternal city when the past unites with the present colossal elegant and excitingly beautiful the pantheon this fine circular temple boasts the world's largest cantilever dome the faro romano the former center of power of the roman empire whose majestic presence can still be felt today this was once the heart of the civilized world it was here that the senate met cicero spoke to the citizens of rome and caesar refused the crown during the time of the roman emperors the emperor forums were built and the faro romano was the center of the city the huge archers of the constantin basilica indicate the original dimensions of these massive buildings this was the center of the politics law and trade of ancient rome it is believed that on palatine hill that is adjacent to the foreign romano romulus founded rome in 753 bc and the roman emperors resided here for 400 years in antiquity each of the fourie imperiale were public places victoria's generals were honored here and basilicas and columns were constructed in their name to highlight their power and status on the northern side of capitol hill is a huge monument of the first italian king who ruled over the newly united kingdom the monumento victoria emanuele the eighth hill of rome was italy's largest and most costly national monument of the 19th century where the temple of jupiter and juno once stood michelangelo created the campidolio in antiquity this hill the smallest of the seven hills of rome was the centre of rome's administration and is now the residence of the city's mayor the arco de constantino is the largest and most well-preserved triumphal arch in rome it was built next to the coliseum to commemorate the victory of emperor constantine against maxentius in 72 a.d rome's largest amphitheater was built at the command of emperor vespasian on the site of what was once nero's palace his son titus supervised the completion of the monumental building and held an inauguration ceremony that lasted for a hundred days bread and games were promised to the people from this time on the emperor offered to his citizens public entertainments that comprised savage gladiatorial battles that involved both man and beast a unique roman landmark and symbol for the whole of italy in 200 a.d the roman emperor hadrian had this villa and its large garden built as his country seat in tivoli east of rome the emperor came to this small romantic island in the tiatro maratima to enjoy painting and meditation perhaps this explains more about the great emperor than the mighty buildings of his time the via atia antica this was the most important street in ancient rome and it connected the southern area with the main city even today one can walk over its ancient cobblestones it was here that rome's elite had their luxurious villas and family tombs this huge complex of ruins is similar to a shopping center of today the termetic caricalia in the middle ages this area was densely inhabited during the 19th century it was a fashionable district today trastevere is the cultural quarter of rome's upper classes here rome is like a village and not a busy metropolis on the taibo is the island of isola tiberina it is accessible via a bridge on both sides in the middle ages it was used to isolate those with the plague today it's a hospital for rome's wealthy beneath the bridges along the riverbank there's a relaxing atmosphere fishermen and joggers enjoy the tranquility and strollers take in the magnificent views emperor hadrian had this mausoleum built for his entire family and the papacy had a castle built above it that was connected to the vatican via a subterranean corridor the world's most beautiful bridge leads from the historic center into the santa angelo castle bernini's ten glorious baroque angels flank the bridge next the most beautiful square in the world the 17th century saint peter's square in the center of the vatican an autonomous church state in the heart of rome an imposing and breathtaking site the petersdon the largest christian church in the world designed by the most famous italian architects of the time bernini created the canopy above the papal altar that is located above the grave of petrus the faithful travel here from each corner of the world this meeting point of christianity is an independent state with its own currency newspaper station and various embassies pompeii the incarnation of a civilization that was destroyed by natural disaster it was only by accident that parts of the ancient city were discovered south of naples numerous underground corridors which contained statues and inscriptions were discovered during work on the drainage system in 1594 at that time no one suspected that these discoveries were part of an ancient city the scientific excavations that still continue to the present day began in the 18th century more than one third of the city is still concealed beneath the volcanic rock due to the airtight conditions beneath the lava pompei is the most well-preserved ancient city in the world entire streets and buildings are still in excellent condition the great theatre had a capacity for an audience of five thousand drama and particularly comedy which included outrageous fasts were extremely popular the lively city of pompeii attempted to compete with rome and offered its visitors and guests abundant luxury and diverse entertainment the interiors of the buildings with their magnificent reliefs indicate the wealth and high living standards of pompei's businessmen but the prosperity of this city which is located at the foot of vesuvius came to a sudden and tragic end on august 24th in 79 a.d a massive volcanic eruption destroyed the city millions of tons of lava pumice stone and ash shot up into the sky a black cloud several kilometers high moved towards the city covering it with rock fumes and ash however even today the deep tracks of wagon wheels are visible on pompeii's streets sicily the largest island in the mediterranean is the most diverse region in italy a land of gods and natural forces and a place of ancient cultures our journey begins in the northeast of the island getanya is sicily's second largest city and has been strongly influenced by earthquakes and also the volcanic activity of mount aetna therefore only a few historical remnants have survived however after each disaster the city was rebuilt colorful markets highlight the real life of this fascinating city a wonderful experience the sea has always been of great importance to the city of syracuse the greeks arrived by boat and created a settlement here they laid the foundations of sicily's future prosperity an audience of up to fifteen thousand was accommodated on the steps of the teatro greco and the grotto of dionysius is a wonder of acoustics even the most gentle whisper could be heard here today it's difficult to imagine just how large a city this once was noto a charming town with around 20 000 inhabitants it's one of the most beautiful enclosed baroque towns in sicily however many of noto's historic buildings have been neglected for many years and thus in somewhat less than perfect condition the privately owned train the ferrovia circum-etnia travels around mount aetna from catania to riposto we stop briefly in randazzo that was spared from aetna's destructive lava the next stop is the station at lingua glossa the name of this village which translated means large tongue refers to the stream of lava that aetna left here most of the trains of the pharaoh via sarcomere date back to the 1950s and have put in many years of good service and they travel at a leisurely pace reposto is the terminal of this nostalgic train journey a proud and mighty volcano rises above east in sicily mount etna the largest volcano in europe is the undisputed ruler of this fascinating mediterranean island even though the volcano is active throughout the year eruptions are still relatively rare the last large eruption was in 2002 it is particularly at night that one can witness one of the most amazing natural spectacles in europe when the scenery is illuminated by the fiery mountain termina is situated on a rock high above the ionic sea and the teatro greco features the breathtaking mount etna for many years tayamina has been sicily's main holiday resort and each year attracts hordes of tourists it has a mild climate and an excellent location the journey to the north coast travels through the splendid nebrobi mountains winding and narrow mountain roads lead higher and there are wonderful views of mountain summits and deep valleys a journey to madone the mountainous inland of kefalo is an absolute must this small mountain village is set amid a green mountain landscape and fertile meadows a picture of tranquility and silence due to the splendor of a truly golden epoch the city of agrigento is one of the most well-known and most visited places in sicily under king roger ii trade with africa flourished but when later the arabs were driven away the city's economy suffered valer de temple the valley of temples contains the sacred sites and ruins of the ancient city of acrogas that is situated close to agrigento a thousand years of history greek settlers founded the ancient city and the military victory over the carthagins introduced much prosperity to the city proudly and majestically the e temple that was originally built in honor of the greek goddess hera rises up from the meadows of celente it was designed to highlight the wealth and power of the booming city of salinas mazara del vallo to the extreme west of the island also has a long history it was once a phoenician harbor city and later fell while under the rule of carthage later came both the arabs and the normans a huge fishing fleet brings in the catch each morning around one-fifth of italy's entire fishing requirement it smells of diesel salt and fish nearby masala was also founded by the phoenicians and was given its name by the arabs who called it masal allah god's harbour here boats travel between a number of salt pools to the small island of san pantaleo it contains the remains of the phoenician trading post of mocha that was destroyed by the syracusan tyrant dionysius along the vier del sala the salt road some of the salt workings here were closed at the end of the last century and their windmills gradually fill into disrepair but conservationists are now helping to protect this unique landscape today around half of the original workings are operating once again and many of the picturesque wind mills have been restored they work the water pumps and millstones that crush the greatest masses of salt the via del sala ends in trapani the town extends into the sea like a long finger beyond the massive harbour front is the old baroque town palaces and civic houses indicate the former wealth of trepane that after palermo and messina was for a hundred years sicily's main trading harbor on a mountain summit 750 meters above the mediterranean is eriche the ancient town of eric's the well-fortified walls of its fortress once protected this one of the oldest cities in sicily the fortress impressive power can be seen from afar an evocative image of a mysterious past a few kilometers from here the alima founded the town of sigesta within these idyllic hills a place of greek culture and lifestyle the town was constantly in dispute with celente until finally syracuse took revenge and destroyed almost everything only the temple and theater remain in the mountain area close to palermo is the picturesque town of monreal a townscape that for more than 800 years has been dominated by a single building monreal cathedral was built due to a struggle for power between the bishop of palermo and the norman king william ii this happened in the sicilian metropolis of palermo following the city's conquest by the saracens the ancient cathedral on this site was transformed into a friday mosque and was later used for christian ceremonies in the 8th century a.d the phoenicians named this their trading harbour on the northern coast of sicily the flower the greeks later referred to it as all harbour and under roman rule it was named panoramas its most prosperous years came when the arabs conquered sicily the islamic architects transformed the harbour city into a scene from the thousand and one nights italy is always worth a visit with its great variety of natural landscapes and cultures it is a land of joie de vivre that enchants both body and soul bella retalia a fairy tale come true

Channel: Expoza Travel

Views: 158,123

Keywords: Video, Rome (Italian Comune), channel, adventure, vacation, arcadiaentertainment, videos, Destination, Europe (Continent), tips, essentials, guides, Tourist, Nature, Landmark, tour, Culture, tavel, expoza, visit, Italy (Country), cityguide, Guide Book (Media Genre), trip, Tourist Destination, Tourism (Interest), holiday, video, highlights, Vatican City (Country), documentary, yt:stretch=16:9, Adventure, travelguide, world, ايطاليا, السياحة في ايطاليا, الهجرة الى ايطاليا, العمل في ايطاليا, الدراسة في ايطاليا

Id: ZP0-3i65gZQ

Length: 51min 35sec (3095 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 14 2013