In the very heart of Tuscany, a wondrous beauty with an indomitable, freedom-loving disposition - Florence - is languidly located. Florence, like no other mother in the world, can be proud of her true sons... da Vinci and Botticelli, Michelangelo and Petrarch, Machiavelli and the Medici...

Antonio Pisanello: portrait of a woman

Only scant information has been preserved about the life of Antonio Pisanello, the greatest artist of Northern Italy in the first half of the 15th century, painter, draftsman and medalist. It is known that his father was from Pisa (hence Pisanello - the little Pisan). His name appears for the first time in his father's will, drawn up in Verona.

Leonardo da Vinci: a universal genius

Leonardo da Vinci - Italian genius era High Renaissance, whose name is known in every corner of the world. His works of art, technical achievements and inventions have long taken an honorable place in world science and culture.

Lorenzo de' Medici the Magnificent

Oh Florence! Truly, you are the very city capable of realizing all the desires of a person with which he is filled from the cradle to the deathbed. Florence, imbued with the spirit of audacity and freethinking, free from religious dogma and the corrupting influence of Rome, smelling of the wonderful spices of Arabia and India: pepper, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, for salt and honey, eternal seasonings since the creation of the world, no longer satisfy her refined taste .

Secondo Pia – personal photographer of Jesus Christ?

Could a simple Italian boy from Asti, in Piedmont, know that he would become famous throughout the world by taking just two photographs, one of which, unfortunately, would be unsuccessful? Could he have imagined that he would enter world history, as the first person to receive a photograph of Jesus Christ himself? Probably not. However, it should be noted that the future historian and photographer did not suffer from a lack of vanity since childhood, for in his dreams he always flew “above the heights of the clouds.”

Michelangelo Buonarroti - the true son of Florence and the whole Earth

It was 1564 from the Nativity of Christ... Just two days ago, in the throne room, Pope Pius the Fourth removed Baccio Biggio from construction work in St. Peter's Cathedral, recognizing his slander, oh, excuse me, his secret report on Buonarroti, falsified and full of malicious envy.

Even after the meeting, when Michelangelo polished the statue of Jesus with pumice, and then with sulfur and straw, giving the long legs of the Savior an impeccable satiny smoothness, the Pope’s words did not cease to ring in his ears. The old sculptor was especially proud of that part of the speech that said that he (Michelangelo) pursues only one holy goal - to build the greatest cathedral in the world, which will be built exactly according to Buonarroti’s design and will changeb, it is prohibited even in the smallest details.

What do you know about Italy? The country looks like a bird's eye view of a boot. It's true. It is also the birthplace of pizza and pasta. Without a doubt. And of course, we all know that the famous leaning Tower of Pisa is located there, and the capital of Italy is Rome. This is of course all well known facts. But in this article we would like to highlight more rare and educational interesting facts about Italy.

• Word Italy comes from a similar word "Italia". This word is translated as “ Calf land».

Vatican from a bird's eye view

• On the territory of Italy there are two separate independent States - San Marino and the Vatican.

• The most high mountain throughout Europe is located in Italy. This is Monte Bianco. Its height is almost 5 km, namely 4807 meters.

• Italy is also home to the most large number volcanoes throughout Europe, including the famous Vesuvius and Etna.

• More than 150,000 students study at the University of Rome every year. This is a record number of simultaneously studying students at one university for Europe.

• For Italians, it is considered bad form if ketchup is added to pizza or pasta as a “dressing”.

• In Italy there are many names that are characteristic of a particular city and are not found anywhere else. And many Italians adhere to the tradition of naming their children with names customary in their area.

• In Italian cinemas it is customary to stop the film in the middle and take a five-minute break so that you can, for example, go to the toilet or something.

• There are no dormitories in Italian universities; students are forced to rent housing themselves.

• Piano in Italian sounds like “Pianoforte”, i.e. vice versa. And this tool was invented Italian master Bartolomeo Cristofori in 1709.

• In different regions of Italy, people can speak different dialects of the same language and sometimes not even understand each other.

• Italy has one of the longest life expectancies. For men it is 74 years, and for women 81.

• All Italian words always end with a vowel, just like Italian surnames. Only surnames depend on the region. Northern Italians end their surname with “i”, while Southern Italians end with “o”.

• Italy is a very tourist country and a considerable part of the income comes from the tourism business. The country is one of the five most tourist countries in the world.

• The popular dessert Tiramisu was invented in Italy in the 70s of the 20th century, but it is still unknown who is the author of this delicacy, since the authorship is still disputed.

Famous people of Italy

Artists- Michelangelo, Raphael Santi, Donatello, Leonardo da Vinci

Actors- Adriano Celentano, Monica Bellucci, Isabella Rossellini, Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni.

Composers and musicians- Vivaldi, Atonio Salieri, Stradivari, Nicolo Paganini, Galileo Galilei, Luciano Pavorotti

Designers– Giorgio Armani, Gianni Versace, Domenico Dolce, Roberto Cavalli, Stefano Gabbana

And also Federico Fellini, Amerigo Vespucci, Marco Polo, Gianni Rodari and many others.

Famous Italian cars

Lamborghini, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Fiat

Famous Italian food

Pizza, pasta (pasta), ravioli (dumplings), risotto (rice), lasagna, tiramisu (dessert), espresso and cappuccino (coffee).

Italy and national traits people inhabiting it have always attracted the attention of many famous people V different times. They formulated their impressions of the Apennines briefly, succinctly and with a fair amount of humor. Their statements have survived to this day, allowing us to determine the degree of correspondence of these aphorisms to the truth.

First, let's give the floor to the classics - Mark Twain was always known as a fair joker and cynic. He had his own scores to settle with Italy - he once made a long voyage through the Apennines and expressed all his impressions in a number of very talented and witty comments. Besides his famous catchphrase“God created Italy according to Michelangelo’s plan,” he treated the piety of the Italians with great irony. “I was shown pieces of the Holy Cross in every church, and the nails with which Christ was crucified were filled with barrels. And from the bones of St. Dionysius could have collected his skeleton in two copies...” - this is how Twain described his visit to the south of Italy. The final chord was the characterization of the entire Italian people: “There is nothing worthy, respectable, intelligent, brilliant about them - but in their souls all their lives there reigns a peace that surpasses all understanding!”

Our famous compatriots also did not stand aside - N.V. Gogol wrote: “Whoever has been to Italy will say “forgive” to other countries. Whoever was in heaven will not want to come to earth.” But the famous commander Count A.V. Suvorov expressed himself this way about the Italian ability to wage war: “There is no land in the world that would be so dotted with fortresses as Italy. And there is also no land that has been conquered so often.”

The Italians themselves uttered many aphorisms in an ironic manner. The famous Italian film actor, the dream of all representatives of the fair sex, Marcello Mastroianni, spoke quite sarcastically about the stereotype of the Italian “macho”: “An Italian doesn’t have sex, he just talks a lot about it.” The Italian writer L. Crecenzo, wanting to emphasize the Italian recklessness and love of life, said: “The Swiss city of Bern is five times larger than the cemetery in Naples, but the cemetery in Naples is five times more fun than in the Swiss city of Bern.”

Let's give the floor to the celebrities of our time. Famous American actor and director Orson Welles, in his review of one of the Italian films, wrote: “Italy is a country where all the inhabitants are actors, and the worst of them play in theater and cinema.” But he later returned the favor, admitting: “Italy knew bloody wars and death, but produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. Switzerland flourished for five hundred years in peace and tranquility, but gave the world only a cuckoo clock." But the French actress Catherine Deneuve described it this way culinary preferences inhabitants of the Apennines: “Italians have only two thoughts in their heads. The last one is spaghetti.”

There are still plenty of aphorisms about Italy and Italians, but the general result can be considered the phrase of one of the comedians: “Why does geography in all schools say that Italy is like a boot? She herself looks like a boot, and Italy looks like paradise!”

At your numerous requests, I continue to compile the tops of famous film figures different countries. This time I want to offer you the top “30 most famous Italian actresses”.
As before, I will not talk about their ages and, as before, I will not arrange them in places, numbers are only for order. They are all wonderful! Enjoy! :)

1. Sophia Loren, the first film in 1948, a total of 91 film roles. Everyone was in love with this woman Soviet Union. An incredibly beautiful and charismatic actress and also the most titled in Italian cinema. She received an Oscar for best female role and this was the first time that the award in this category was given to a film not made in English. She was subsequently nominated for it again and twice for the Golden Globe. She also won prizes at the Cannes, Venice and Moscow film festivals. But she has another unique achievement. She has been awarded almost all the major honorary prizes for her contribution to world cinema, namely the Oscar, Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival), Silver St. George (Moscow Film Festival), Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival), as well as honorary Cesar (the main film award in France). There are only Cannes left, but I think she will receive an honorary prize there too. The Archbishop of Genoa once joked that although the Vatican does not approve of human cloning in principle, it could make an exception for Sophia Loren.

2. Anna Magnani, the first film in 1928, a total of 49 film roles. One of the greatest Italian actresses. Playwright Tennessee Williams wrote her play The Rose Tattoo. For the film based on this play, she received an Oscar and a Golden Globe. She also has the main prizes at the Venice and Berlin Film Festivals for Best Actress. There is a star named after her on the Hollywood Walk of Stars.

3. Alida Valli, the first film in 1934, a total of 116 film roles. She took part in the films of almost all the great Italian directors: Visconti, Bertolucci, Pasolini, Argento, Antonioni. At the 1997 Venice Film Festival, the actress was awarded an honorary Golden Lion for her long career in film.

4. Francesca Bertini, the first film in 1907, a total of 142 film roles. She became famous in silent films (more than 100 roles), but managed to star in sound films, including the famous “Twentieth Century” by Bertolucci.

5. Gina Lollobrigida, the first film in 1946, a total of 65 film roles. One of the most beautiful actresses in the world. Winner of the Golden Globe for Best Actress. She was awarded the Legion of Honor personally from the hands of François Mitterrand. In the 1970s, Gina's career began to decline and almost ended in 1973 with her participation in the film "Mortal Sin". After that, over the next decades, she starred in only a couple of films and accepted several television offers. During this time, Gina took up photojournalism, and celebrities she photographed included Paul Newman, Salvador Dalí, Fidel Castro, and the German national football team. In 1973, her works were published in the magazine Italia Mia.

6. Lucia Bosé, the first film in 1950, a total of 54 film roles. She starred a lot at the beginning of her career and perhaps would have become a worldwide famous actress, but in 1956 she married a bullfighter and devoted herself to her family and almost stopped acting. But still she managed to star in De Santis, Antonioni, Cocteau, Fellini.

7. Tina Pica, the first film in 1916, a total of 66 film roles. This is the Italian Tatiana Peltser. She became famous already in old age, but still the audience managed to remember her image.

8. Claudia Cardinale, the first film in 1958, a total of 104 film roles. Another magnificent and famous Italian beauty. One of Visconti's favorite actresses, who first spoke with her voice from the screen of Fellini and refused reciprocity to Alain Delon and Marlon Brando. A real star.

9. Stefania Sandrelli, the first film in 1961. a total of 113 film roles. Star cult films Bernardo Bertolucci "The Conformist" and "The Twentieth Century". Beginnings acting career how simple beautiful girl, in the middle of her career she played in Tinto Brass's frank film "The Key" but was able to become a very serious actress.

10. Monica Bellucci, the first film in 1990, a total of 52 film roles. Despite the fact that many consider her a French actress, she is still Italian. I will definitely not be mistaken if I say that this is the most popular Italian actress on at the moment. And one of the most beautiful actresses in all of world cinema. I think there is no point in writing a lot of words about it :)

11. Giulietta Masina (real name - Giulia Anna Masina), the first film in 1946, a total of 31 film roles. Wife and favorite actress of Federico Fellini. He made Juliet out of the modest Julia. In his films, the whole of Italy, and then the whole world, fell in love with her. "The Road", "Nights of Cabiria", "Juliet and the Perfume"

12. Silvana Mangano, first film 1945, 35 film roles in total. The wife of the famous producer Dino De Laurentiis, the favorite actress of Visconti and Pasalini.

13. Monica Vitti (real name - Maria Louisa Ceciarelli), the first film in 1954, a total of 55 film roles. She became famous for her roles in Antonioni's films, and her role in the film "Flirtation", the debut film of her future husband Roberto Russo, brought her the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.

14. Mariangela Melato, the first film in 1970, a total of 60 film roles. one of the most popular European actresses of the 70s. The actress's success came from her role as Lydia in Elio Petri's political drama "The Working Class Goes to Heaven"

15. Ornella Muti (real name - Francesca Romana Rivelli), the first film in 1970, a total of 103 film roles. Fantastic beauty. She is best known to domestic audiences for her roles in the comedies “The Decoy of the Shrew” and “Madly in Love,” where her partner was Adriano Celentano, with whom she had an affair. She also starred in the joint Soviet-Italian film “Life is Beautiful” by Soviet director Chukhrai.

16. Asia Argento, the first film in 1985, a total of 49 film roles. Daughter of the famous director Dario Argento: “I always dreamed that someday I would be able to make a film in Russia. Even my daughter Russian name- Asya. I gave her this name in honor of the Russian poetess Tsvetaeva,” the director once said in an interview. She participated in famous movie"Queen Margot" by Patrice Chéreau and directed a film starring Marilyn Manson. Very talented actress and a director, but at the same time a famous brawler. I think she will show herself yet.

17. Laura Morante, the first film in 1978, a total of 78 film roles. In the second half of the 1980s, she became one of the leading actresses of Italian cinema. One of the most popular and sought-after actresses of Italian cinema of the 1990-2000s.

18. Giovanna Mezzogiorno, the first film in 1997, a total of 31 film roles. Rising Star Italian cinema. Daughter of actor Vittorio Mezzogiorno (investigator of David Licata from the series “Octopus”). She became famous for her leading role in the film “Love in the Time of Cholera,” where her partner was Javier Bardem. I think her real glory is yet to come.

19. Virna Lisi, the first film in 1953, a total of 94 film roles. She is well known to domestic audiences for her leading role in the adventure film “Black Tulip,” where her partner was Alain Delon. But her triumphant role was Catherine de' Medici in the scandalous film "Queen Margot", for which she received the "Silver Palm for Best Actress" at the Cannes Film Festival and the Cesar Award.

20. Valeria Golino, the first film in 1984, a total of 73 film roles. Most viewers remember her for her leading role in the film "Rain Man", many probably noticed her in a supporting role in the film "Frida". In 1986, she received the Venice Film Festival Award for Best Actress for “Love Story.”

21. Luciana Paluzzi, the first film in 1953, a total of 74 film roles. The first Italian actress to become a Bond girl (the film Thunderball), although not the main one.

22. Isabella Rossellini, the first film in 1976, a total of 70 film roles. Famous daughter of famous parents, director Roberto Rossellini and actress Ingrid Bergman. Favorite actress of David Lynch, who played her most famous role in the film "Blue Velvet"

23. Carla Del Poggio, the first film in 1940, a total of 30 film roles. She made her debut in the leading role in Vittorio de Sica's drama Maddalena, zero for behavior. In 1945 she married the famous film director Alberto Lattuada, in whose films she performed her most famous roles.

24. Sandra Milo, the first film in 1955, a total of 49 film roles. She became famous for her roles in the films “8 and a Half” and “Cinderella 80.” Sandro Milo naturally has a high falsetto - this was a striking feature of her film image as a sexy blonde temptress.

25. Caterina Murino, the first film in 2000, a total of 28 film roles. Rising star. She became famous for her leading role in the French comedy "The Corsican". A few years later, she became a Bond girl in the film "Casino Royale", although her character did not live to see the end of the film :)

26. Marina Berti (real name Elena Moreen Bertolini), the first film in 1941, a total of 77 film roles. Very beautiful actress, who became popular for her roles in the historical films “Kamo Gryadeshi” and “Ben Hur”.

27. Milena Vukotic, the first film in 1960, a total of 97 film roles. Played many roles, mostly supporting famous directors, including Tarkovsky in “Nostalgia”, as well as Fellini, Buñuel and others.

28. Nicoletta Braschi, the first film in 1983, a total of 18 film roles. Wife of director and actor Roberto Benigni. The main role in her husband's film "Life is Beautiful" made her famous. She also starred with Jim Jarmusch and Bernardo Bertolucci.

29. Pier Angeli (real name Anna Maria Pierangeli), the first film in 1950, a total of 33 film roles. A year after her debut in Italian cinema, she was invited to main role V hollywood movie"Theresa". For her role in this film, Pier Angeli was awarded the Golden Globe Award in the Most Promising Newcomer category, as well as high marks from film critics who compared her to Greta Garbo.

30. Marisa Pavan, the first film in 1948, a total of 37 film roles. Success came to her in 1955 after her role in the film “The Rose Tattoo.” The role of Rose, the daughter of Anna Magnani's character, brought Marisa an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Surely every tourist has repeatedly asked the question - what is Italy famous for?

It is unlikely that it will be possible to answer this unambiguously.

After all, this is a very multifaceted country, and anyone can find something interesting in it.

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Briefly – what is Italy famous for?

Of course, most people associate Italy primarily with pasta, pizza, comedies with Adriano Celentano, various cheeses and wines. In addition to wonderful cuisine, the southern European country can offer holidays on the Mediterranean and Adriatic coasts and at ski resorts.

Italy is famous for its resorts, the Adriatic coast is especially popular

Italy has very beautiful cities with interesting architecture. Many of them have historical value for several centuries. Also known throughout the world is the majestic and merciless volcano Vesuvius, which buried the city of Pompeii under a layer of ash.

Popular Italian cities

“All roads lead to Rome”, as the saying goes famous proverb. Therefore, you can guess that the most famous city in the country is its capital. Once in Rome, the tourist is presented with a real treasure trove of history and stunning architecture.

Even in Antiquity (III century AD), Rome was often called Eternal (lat. Roma Aeterna). One of the first to call Rome this way was the Roman poet Albius Tibullus (1st century BC) in his second elegy

Well, what would we do without one of the world’s fashion capitals – ? It is located in the northern part of the country and is the second largest city, as well as the administrative center of the province of Lombardy. Milan has the title of financial and economic capital.

Milan is the most populous city in Italy

Another truly unique Italian city is this one, which attracts romantics from all over the world. The unusual thing is that Venice is on the water. Residents of the city move around the streets on special boats - gondolas.

The first mention of carnival in Venice dates back to 1094, although masks were not worn at carnivals until the 13th-14th centuries.

The annual Venetian carnival is also known throughout the world. It is held in February. The most important event at the carnival there is a competition for the best mask.

The most famous sights of Italy

Italy is rich in various attractions and cultural monuments, most of which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Even in the most run-down town, a tourist will definitely have something to see, because Italians are simply crazy about beautiful architecture, and they know a lot about it.

Colosseum in Rome

What is Italy famous for? Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is . This is a real symbol of the fallen Roman Empire, and also the largest arena ever built. The construction of the Colosseum was very long and lasted for 8 years, and more than a hundred thousand slaves were involved in the construction.

Currently, the Colosseum is half destroyed. The reason for this was not only frequent earthquakes, but also constant attacks by barbarians captured by the Roman Empire. They were obliged to serve the Romans, which they really did not want, and as a sign of protest they made holes in the wall of the structure that personified the greatness of the Empire. As a result, the walls could not stand it, and the Colosseum simply collapsed. It would have been possible to rebuild the arena anew, but the cunning townspeople stole everything down to the last stone. Some took very little, and some even managed to build themselves a house from the wall of the former amphitheater.

Worth noting: in 1750, the Pope awarded the Colosseum the status of a holy place, because a huge number of Christians died painfully in the arena, after which the theft of stones stopped.

Roman Forum

Initially, the Roman Forum was just a container for various traders and artisans, but later it turned into a place of public meetings, where matters important to the entire city were decided. As the Roman Empire declined, the square was gradually destroyed. Then, just as in the case of the Colosseum, the Romans came to steal the remains of the stones. The stones were mainly used to build churches, fortifications and palaces.

The forum remained in a neglected state for a long time, there were only stinking goat and cow pastures. Only in 1860, after the unification of Italy, did the authorities begin to restore structures, buildings and monuments that personified the former greatness of Ancient Rome.

Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain is the largest fountain in Rome. Every day it attracts the attention of hundreds of tourists not only for its beautiful design, but also for the fact that the water in the fountain is suitable for drinking.

Spanish steps

The Spanish Steps are one of the Roman landmarks. It starts at Pincio Hill and leads straight to the Spanish Square. Stores of the world's most famous brands: Dior, Dolce & Gabanna, Prada and other boutiques can be found in Italy. The attraction is also famous for the fact that the heroine famous actress Audrey Hepburn ate ice cream on the steps of the Spanish Steps in the movie Roman Holiday.

The building was built in 1725 and until the 90s. 20th century remained virtually unchanged. But, unfortunately, the years took their toll, and over time the steps were almost completely destroyed. In 1997, a decision was made to carry out restoration. Now the staircase bears the title of the most beautiful staircase in Europe.

Venice Grand Canal

The Grand or Grand Canal crosses almost the whole of Venice. There is no regular transport there, only water buses and gondolas. The Grand Canal does not quite live up to its name, because a canal is an artificial structure filled with water, and in Venice it is natural channels of water connecting several islands of the lagoon. Although this even gives the city some romance.

The length of the Grand Canal is just over 4 km. It starts from the train station and ends at the San Marco and La Giudecca canals. There is no embankment near the canal, and the role of land is played by the houses located along it. It is near the Grand Canal that the main Venetian attractions and palaces are located.

Doge's Palace

The Doge's Palace is also called Palazzo Ducale. Located almost in the center of Venice, on St. Mark's Square. This building is one of the most amazing museums on the water, thanks to the luxurious interior and exterior decoration, as well as the collection of antiquities presented in the museum.

From a distance it may seem that the Palace seems to be fluttering over the surface of the water.

Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio bridge is located in Florence. Translated, its name means “Old Bridge”. This is the city's main attraction. The bridge crosses a narrow river that was originally forded. Instead of the current Ponte Vecchio, during the Roman Empire there was a wooden bridge on stone piles, which collapsed in 1117 due to severe flooding. It was later restored, made entirely of stone, but the bridge collapsed again in 1333.

Today, the Ponte Vecchio remains in an almost unchanged state, as it has been preserved since medieval times.

Uffizi Gallery

Florence's Uffizi Gallery is the oldest museum in the city. It presents works by various Spanish and Italian artists from the 13th to the 18th centuries. The museum was built in the 16th century, so it can be considered one of the oldest in the world.

The gallery is located in a large building; its construction began in 1560 and the project took about 20 years to complete.

Important to know: in the gallery you can see with your own eyes the works of Raphael, Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, Rubens, Sandro Botticelli and Michelangelo.

What else is Italy famous for - its famous cathedrals and bell towers

Italy is a country where Catholicism predominates, so there are many different churches, bell towers, chapels and cathedrals concentrated here. After Christianity came to the country, various reforms regarding buildings and structures began. We can still see most of the buildings to this day.

Cathedral of San Marco in Venice

Venice's Cathedral of San Marco is one of the city's most famous churches. The basilica is a true example of architecture from the Byzantine Empire.

Initially, the cathedral was an ordinary chapel called the Temple of St. Theodore, but after it was elevated to the status of the residence of the Patriarch of Venice, during the time of the Venetian Republic, reconstruction was carried out.

Santa Maria del Fiore

The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is one of the most beautiful Florentine landmarks. The building is very large, and even the widest angle camera cannot capture the entirety of it.

The height of the tower reaches 90 m, crowned with a bright red dome. The monumentality of the building cannot leave any tourist indifferent, even just passing by. Tourism in Italy is simply impossible without this attraction.

Giotto's Bell Tower

Giotto's Bell Tower is the tall red tower that is part of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. There is no tourist who would show indifference and not enjoy the panorama of Florence and its surroundings from a bird's eye view.

The bell tower received its name only thanks to its second creator. The original author of the design of the Cathedral of St. Mary was Arnolfo di Cambio, and his drawings were finalized by Giotto di Bondone, significantly improving them. Therefore, the city residents decided to immortalize the name of the architect in the name of the tower.

Milan Cathedral

Don't take a walk along Milansky cathedral for a tourist finding himself in the city, it would be a huge mistake. After all, this is the real heart of the city, and especially the cathedral square, where the most important attractions of Milan are located.

Did you know that: The largest relic of the Milan Cathedral is the nail on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Every year on September 14, the archbishop climbs to the ceiling to remove it and show it to the church parishioners.

Duomo in Pisa

The Duomo is a Pisa cathedral located in the Square of Miracles, where in addition to it there are three other popular city attractions. The cathedral was built in the 11th century, during the real heyday of Pisa, its architecture and culture.

The first stone of the cathedral was laid back in 1063 by the architect Rainaldo. Due to the constant rivalry between Pisa and Venice for superiority in architectural styles, in the Duomo you can see a real assortment, where the most beautiful and majestic were taken from each direction. The most unique relic of the temple is a mosaic fresco depicting Jesus Christ, dating back to the early 14th century.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

It is unlikely that anyone has not heard of the “falling” Leaning Tower of Pisa. This is a real symbol of the entire city, which makes it famous throughout the world. In fact, the tower is a component of the Pisa Cathedral and is located in its northeastern part.

The “fall” of the tower has been going on for about 800 years, which is why among Italians it is called a “lingering miracle.” The Leaning Tower of Pisa even survived an earthquake, and every year the structure deviates by 1 mm. Since its construction, the building has already deviated by 5 m, which is quite a lot. To this day, it is unknown who is the author of the famous landmark project.

Pisa Baptistery

The Baptistery of St. John is located in Pisa in the previously mentioned “Piazza of Miracles”.

This building is the largest of its kind in Italy - its diameter is 107.24 m and its overall size is 55 m. Consists of 3 tiers, significantly different in style.

Please note: most amazing fact associated with the cathedral is that exactly one day a year (June 24) the rays of the sun penetrate through a small hole in the wall and fall precisely on the bronze statue of St. John. At the same time, it seems as if the statue is glowing. On this day, Italians celebrate a holiday called St. Giovanni's Day.

Roman Pantheon

The Pantheon in Rome is the third most popular city attraction after the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Literally, the word pantheon is translated from ancient Greek as “temple of all gods.”

The design of the temple was drawn up by the son-in-law of the Roman Emperor Octavian Augustus Agrippa, who at that time was actively practicing architecture. Having organized funds for the construction of a temple among the people, Agrippa erected a temple dedicated to the main gods of Olympus.

Italy – natural attractions

In addition to architectural attractions, Italy is full of natural monuments that can fascinate with their beauty and uniqueness. Just look at the Vesuvius volcano – truly majestic and terrible at the same time. This country has many beautiful rivers, lakes, valleys and mountains. Italy is washed by two seas at once: the Mediterranean and the Adriatic, so during the holiday season there is no end to tourists in coastal cities.

Volcano Vesuvius

Vesuvius is active volcano, part of the Apennine mountain system. It is located in the south 15 km from Naples. Its height is 1281 m. In all of continental Europe, this volcano is the only one active today and the most dangerous.

To date, there is evidence of 80 significant eruptions. The most terrifying thing happened in 79, when the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Oplontim were buried under a layer of ash and more than 20 thousand people died.

Lake Lago Maggiore

Lake Lago Maggiore is one of the most large lakes Italy. Even its name literally translates as “ Big Lake" It extends not only across Italy, but also around Switzerland.

We can say that Lake Lago Maggiore is “covered” by the Alpine mountain system from the influences of the outside world. It has the purest water, mild climate and stunning views. Occasionally, fog moves from the tops of the mountains and onto the surface of the lake, thanks to which the lake acquires a certain mystery and becomes even more beautiful.

Lake Como

Of the 4 large Italian lakes, Como ranks third based on its size. The depth of the bottom is more than 400 m due to the fact that there was previously a huge glacier in the mountain valley. On the shores of Como there are a large number of different resort towns and villages.

You definitely won’t find large and noisy metropolises here – this is a very calm, picturesque place. Nevertheless, in the mid-19th century, when the aristocracy was at its peak in Europe, the widespread construction of villas began. Preference, of course, was given to the shores of Lake Como.

Tourism in Italy – Amazing Sights to Visit

Italy has always been an attractive country for tourists and this is not without reason. Here everyone, even the most fastidious traveler, can find something interesting for themselves, from luxury ski resorts to pilgrimage tours.

Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci

The Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology is located in Milan. Its opening took place in 1953, where the works of the artist after whom it was named were presented. The Da Vinci Museum is by far the largest in Italy and one of the most important in the world.

Only here is the world's largest collection of models of various cars, reconstruction aircraft and other interesting drawings. Museum exhibits are divided into several categories: means of communication, vehicles and materials.

Park "Italy in Miniature"

The park is located in the southern resort town of Rimini. The name perfectly reflects the essence: here are 300 of the most famous Italian landmarks in 1:50 and 1:20 scale. The very first work is the Basilica of St. Apollinaris, which is located in Ravenna.

Today the most popular objects in the park are: Venice with all its canals, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Milan Cathedral, Mount Etna and St. Peter's Basilica.

City-commune of Amalfi

The seaside town of Amalfi is the center of the listed Amalfi Coast World Heritage UNESCO. It is extremely beautiful and today is one of the most prestigious resorts in the world.

Almost all Amalfi residents are involved in tourism business, which brings significant income to the city treasury. Here you can often meet various celebrities, rich people, singers and actors.

Cinque Terre Park

The Cinque Terre National Park is located on the west coast of Italy in Liguria. The name translates as “Five Lands,” and all because the park consists of 5 small towns on the seashore near the mountains.

In 1997, the Cinque Terre park was given protected status cultural heritage UNESCO, this also affected the nearby city of Portovenere.

Cave city of Sassi di Matera

The city of Matera, located in the Sassi region, is not particularly popular among Russian tourists. Most people don’t know about it at all, even among those who constantly travel around Italy and have seen a lot of things. Mostly here you can find directors who want to shoot a movie in the city without using additional scenery.

Worth noting: Since its founding, Sassi di Matera has remained virtually unchanged, while the age of the city is more than 1000 years.

Conclusion

Italy has always been attractive to tourists. Proud and beautiful country, which looks like a “boot” on the map, has a huge amount natural and architectural monuments. It is here that several are concentrated various types tourism: ski resorts, extreme tourism, pilgrimage tours, coastal holidays and much more.

Having arrived in this country once, a traveler will definitely not remain indifferent and will definitely want to visit this country again.

Watch a video describing various attractions in Italy: