Everyone knows Rome or Florence, and most of all when visiting Italy, tourists mostly go to one of these cities. Undoubtedly, they are beautiful. But in Italy there are many less "razvarnyh" and beautiful places, which, however, would be worth visiting at least once in a lifetime.
Reggio Emilia
The local population calls him simply Reggio. It was the city of Reggio Emilia, in the Emilia Romagna region, that the Italian flag was born: in the “Salade l Tricolore”, the three colors of the national flag of Italy were first approved.
The tourist should visit the numerous city squares, including the main Cathedral Square (Piazza Duomo) and St. Prospero Square (Piazza San Prospero) with a church in his honor. Among other attractions, the City Theater deserves special attention, in which orchestral concerts are held under the direction of the most eminent conductors from around the world.
How to get there: There are bus and train stations in the city. The train station is located east of the old city. Trains from Milan come here (about 1.5 hours), Bologna (40-50 minutes), Piacenza (50 minutes - 1 hour), Modena (15 minutes) and Parma (15 minutes).
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Ferrara
During the reign of Ercole I d'Este, one of the most generous (after the Medici family, of course) Italian philanthropists in the art of the late 15th century and early 16th century, Ferrara, now located in the Emilia Romagna region , has become a major cultural center of the country, particularly distinguished in the field of musical and visual arts. The most representative building of the ancient city today is the Castle of Estense (Castello Estense) or the Castle of St. Michael. But do not lose sight of the fact that real works of art are scattered throughout Ferrara: from the Diamond Palace, which houses the National Art Gallery, to the Romanesque Cathedral.
How to get there: trains running from Florence to Bologna and Venice pass through the railway station. Correspondingly, it takes about 30 minutes to get to Bologna, 2-3 hours to Florence, 1.5-2 hours to Venice, and 1 hour and 15 minutes to Ravenna. ACFT buses number 1, 2 and 9 go to the center of Ferrara from the station.
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Bologna
In the city of Bologna (Bologna) operates one of the oldest universities in Europe. Bologna is called the "city of towers" because of twenty defensive medieval towers.
- We recommend the article: Sights of Bologna
And also “Bologna Red” because of the special color of all its buildings and “Bologna Fat” for the unusually delicious cuisine. Tourists should definitely visit the building of the City Hall (Palazzo Comunale), which displays a collection of Civil Art (arte Civica) with paintings from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. Also noteworthy is the Museo Morandi Museum with works by Giorgio Morandi, who was born here; Main square (Piazza Maggiore) with the Basilica of San Petronio (one of the largest churches in the world) and the Town Hall.
How to get there:
- by plane. Bologna Airport Guglielmo Marconi (Aeroporto Guglielmo Marconi di Bologna) is located 6 km from the city center. Every day from 6:00 to 24:00 on the route "Airport - Center of Bologna - Railway Station" runs a bus. The total duration of the journey from the airport to the station is 20 minutes.
- by train. This is probably the most convenient way, since in Bologna (1.5 km north of the central square of Piazza Maggiore) is located one of the largest railway junctions in the country. From here you can get direct to any major Italian city. So, the journey to Florence will be only 40 minutes - 1 hour, to Venice - 1.5 hours, to Milan, Turin or Rome will have to get at least 2 hours, and to Naples - at least 4 hours.
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Arezzo
The city of Arezzo in Toscana is one of the most significant cities of the ancient Etruscans, in which many historical monuments have been preserved: what is only the beautiful Central Square (Piazza Grande) of a trapezoidal shape with the Episcopal Palace (Palazzo Vescovile) (the residence of the bishops, restored in the middle of the 13th century) and the Palazzo Cofani-Brizzolari Palace. In Arezzo a large number of different churches. For example, the Cathedral of San Donato (Cattedraledi San Donato); Basilica of San Francesco (Basilica di San Francesco) in the Tuscan-Gothic style; Basilica of San Domenico (Basilica di San Domenico), the construction of which began in 1275 and ended in the early 14th century. The last church is famous for its unique nave with a crucifix of 1265/1268 by the famous Florentine painter Cimabue.
How to get there:
- by plane. The nearest airports are in Florence and Pisa.
- by train. From Florence to Arezzo can be reached by train in 30 minutes, from Rome - in 2.5 hours. The station is located in the city center.
- by bus. Intercity buses will bring you here from almost any locality in Italy.
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Lucca
Famous for its beautifully preserved Renaissance city walls, the Tuscan Lucca has every right to be proud of the home of Giacomo Puccini, the great composer was born here, reopened to the public in 2011.
Neither the magnificent Amphitheater Square (Piazza dell'Anfiteatro) with the Basilica of San Ferdinando (Basilica di San Frediano), nor the beautiful Cathedral of San Martino (Duomo di San Martino) will not disappoint tourists.
How to get there:
- by train. The railway line Florence - Pisa - Viareggio passes through Lucca. Therefore, it is most convenient to go here from Pisa (30 minutes) and Florence (1.5-2 hours), through Pistoia (45 minutes) and Prato (1 hour).
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Sienna
In the city of Siena, founded by the Etruscans, stands the amazing Cathedral (Duomo), which is one of the most striking examples of Roman-Gothic Italian architecture. It is curious that this was supposed to be the largest cathedral in the world, but after the construction of the eastern wall was completed, the money ran out and the design of the Cathedral was frozen. Inside the cathedral, there are many beautiful works of art, including Renaissance frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio, Donatello, Lorenzo Ghiberti and other 15th-century authors.
In addition, in Siena there is one of the most famous squares in Italy - Piazza del Campo (Piazza del Campo) in the shape of a shell. The facade of the square overlooks the impressive Palazzo Pubblico Palace with the Torre del Mangia Tower (dubbed the “glutton tower”). Twice a year (July 2 and August 16), perhaps the most famous Italian horse race, Palio di Siena, takes place on the square.
How to get there:
- by plane. Ampugnano Airport is 9 km from Siena, which receives planes from Olbia, Vienna and Munich. High-speed shuttles travel from here to Piazza Gramsci. Many travelers fly by plane to Florence or Pisa, and from there take the bus or train to Siena. Also, twice a day, buses leave from Siena to Bologna Airport (2.5 hours).
- by train. Direct trains go to Siena from Florence, and trains from Empoli regularly depart. Siena Railway Station is 2 km from its historic center - it is 5 minutes by bus. Buses No. 3, 8, 10, 17, 77 go from the train station to the center to Piazza del Sale, and buses go back to No. 17. But if you are not very burdened with luggage, you can go through this Walking distance in 30-40 minutes.
- by bus. Intercity bus service in Italy is quite developed, so you can easily get to Siena by bus from Florence (1 h 20 min), Rome (3 h) or other cities.
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Urbino
In the Marche region, there is the small town of Urbino, which houses one of the oldest universities in Europe. In addition, the city is famous for the rich heritage of the Renaissance, especially the period of 1444-1482, when Urbino was ruled by the Duke of Federigo da Montefeltro.
The most important building on the hill is the ducal palace of Palazzo Ducale. In the mid-15th century, it was built by the Florentine Maso di Bartolomeo (Masodi Bartolomeo) commissioned by the Duke Federico III da Montefeltro.
How to get there:
- by bus. There is no train station in Urbino, so you can come here only by your own car, or by bus from Pesaro (where there is already a railway connection). The road from Pesaro lasts about an hour; up to 15 buses leave for Urbino a day.
- by car. In Urbino, the S423 motorway from Pesaro and the S73B motorway exit from the SS3 road to Rome. It should be borne in mind that tourists are not allowed into cars inside the city walls, so you will have to leave the car in a parking lot nearby and from there already get to the city center by bus or taxi.
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Orvieto
Orvieto is one of the most spectacular places in Europe, because it is located on the flat top of a large hill of volcanic tuff in the Umbria region. The main attraction of the city is its cathedral (Duomo), similar to the cathedral in Siena with striped trim of the facade of white travertine and black basalt.
It is also curious that under Orvieto is a real underground labyrinth. Caves and tunnels are equipped under the city, as a way to rescue residents in the event of a siege.
How to get there:
- by train. In an hour you can get to Orvieto from Rome, or in one and a half to two hours from Florence. A cable car leads directly into the city from the station.
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Viterbo
A feature of the city of Viterbo in the Lazio region is its historical center, surrounded by almost perfectly preserved medieval walls dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. The main attraction of Viterbo is the beautiful Palace of the Popes (Palazzodei Papi). The Cathedral of St. Lorenzo (Cattedraledi S. Lorenzo) with the sarcophagus of Pope Giovanni XXI (Giovanni XXI) is another important monument of the city.
Among other places worthy of attention, it is worth noting the City Hall (Palazzo Comunale) of the early 1460s, the City Hall (PalazzodelPodestà) of 1264 and the Prefecture building (PalazzodellaPrefettura), rebuilt in 1771, on the central square of the National Vote (Piazza del Plebiscito).
How to get there:
- by train. Every half hour, trains departing from Rome to Viterbo for one and a half hours. The railway stations of Viterbo Porta Romana and Porta Fiorentina have information bureaus where you can obtain tourist information on any matter you are interested in.
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Chieti
Chieti (Chieti) - one of the oldest cities in Italy is located in the region of Abruzzo, according to legend, Chieti was founded in 1181 BC. ancient Greek hero Achilles. In addition to this fact, tourists will be interested in the Gothic cathedral, rebuilt in 1069, as well as the National Archaeological Museum of Abruzzo "Villa Friegeri" (MuseoArcheologico Nazionaled'Abruzzo “Villa Frigerj“).
How to get there:
- by plane. A direct Prontobus bus runs from Rome Fiumincino to Chieti. It takes 4 hours.
- by train. From Rome from the Roma Tiburtina station, the electric train to Chieti will also take about 4 hours. From Pescara, the journey takes only 15 minutes.
