"Once a year, go someplace you've never been before."
(Dalai Lama)
The rock necropolis of Pantalica, (Syracuse)
Italy has the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites of any country in the world.
Here are the 33 sites that can be reached directly by train.
All of which are places that you’ll want to visit at least once in your lifetime in order to learn more about Italy’s history, art and culture first hand.
OUR BENEFITS
Browse through the Regionale Train Towns Travel Book, to find the best towns in Italy, authentic jewels filled with history and traditions. Travel by train to unique destinations, immerse yourself in the beauty of the landscape and the culture of Italy's most pictureperfect places, through a wide network of rail connections that make every destination easy to reach by train.
BABY
Kids aged 0-4 travel for free. Enjoy a 50% discount with a seat. Different conditions may apply, as provided for by regional legislation.
KIDS
50% discount for children aged 4 to 12 years. Different conditions may apply, as provided for by regional legislation.
PRM FRIENDLY
Trains equipped for Persons with Reduced Mobility. Support provided at stations equipped with Blue Rooms.
GREEN
The greenest vehicle of all, with the lowest environmental impact.
GROUPS
10% discount for groups of at least 10 persons. This offer can be combined with KIDS and BABY reductions.
PET FRIENDLY
Dogs, cats and small pets travel for free.
BIKES
Transport your bike on specific trains (marked by the special pictogram). Service subject to an additional fee.
LUGGAGE
Free luggage with no quantity or size limitations.
The Palace of Venaria (TO)
Vernazza (SP)
Basilica of St. Francis (Assisi, Perugia)
Friuli Venezia Giulia
The Royal Palace, (Caserta)
The
The
The
VIETRI
The
PAESTUM
The
The
The
The
PIEDMONT ORTA, TURIN-MONCALIERI E RACCONIGI,
VENARIA REALE, LANGHE-ROERO E MONFERRATO, IVREA
ORTA CAN BE REACHED WITH DAILY CONNECTIONS
ORTA S. GIULIO NOVARA (NO)
ALTITUDE 294 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 1,100
TOURISM INFO
Special Reserve of the Sacred Mountain of Orta Via Sacro Monte Tel. +39 0322 911960
[sacromonte-orta.com]
TRAIN INFO
ORTA THE SACRED MOUNTAINS OF PIEDMONT
The natural greenery, the splendid lake, and the twenty frescoed chapels containing 375 life-size terracotta statues illustrating the life of St. Francis of Assisi. The Sacred Mountain of Orta is a devotional itinerary whose construction began in 1590 and lasted for over a century. The territory is divided into two zones: the slopes of the hill and the monument area.
LOCAL STATION
ORTA MIASINO 850 km
EVERY DAY
9connections from DOMODOSSOLA
9 connections from NOVARA
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
In early May of 1882, at almost forty years of age, Friedrich Nietzsche is said to have gained the attention of twenty-year-old Louise von Sa lomé, the Russian woman with whom he would fall hopelessly in love, while ascending the Sacred Mountain. Enjoy a stroll through the park and admire the chapels dedicated to the life of St. Francis, which were built from the late 16th to the 18th century.
DID YOU KNOW... ?
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
The devotional itinerary connects the twenty chapels dedicated to St. Francis. It takes about 45' to complete if you don’t stop to admire the chapels; a complete visit takes about 2 hours. The chapels are open every day except Christmas, The Feast of St. Stephen (26 December), and 1, 6, and 31 January. [sacromonte-orta.com]
Sacro Monte Amaretti are soft, round sweets typical of this area. The recipe is a secret, and has been passed down over generations among the local pastry chefs.
SAVE THE DATE
Patronal feast, St. Julius: 31 January
Peregrinatio, on the trails of the ancient pilgrims: first Saturday in June
Cusian Festival of Ancient music: 8-29 June
Orta Festival classic music: July
Mezzogiorno Concerts: 15-20 August
Christmas on the lake: throughout December, until Epiphany
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The Nine sacred Mountains (Varallo, Crea, Orta, Varese, Oropa, Ossuccio, Ghiffa, Domodossola and Valperga) are made up of nine distinct complexes of chapels and sacred architectural structures dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Built by the best artists of the late-Renaissance and Baroque Lombard tradition, they arose as places of prayer alternative to the Holy Land, where it was increasingly difficult for pilgrims to go due to the expansion of Islamic culture, and as a response to the Protestant Reformation. At the beginning, every Sacred Mountain adhered to a series of basic architectural rules and principles, but later each one developed its own characteristics, and established its own chapels dedicated to different aspects of Christianity.
Beyond being spiritual places, the Sacred Mountains are also the result of a grandiose project dedicated to sanctifying the local landscape, and are perfectly integrated within their natural surroundings of forests, lakes and hills. The Sacred Mountains represent the successful integration of architecture and fine art into a landscape of great beauty for spiritual reasons, at a critical moment in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.
They have influenced the development of sacred art and architecture in similar sites throughout Europe. All nine sites have retained their original purposes, and are still places dedicated to pilgrimage, prayer, and reflection.
TURIN, MONCALIERI AND RACCONIGI
CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 400 DAILY CONNECTIONS
Throne, Royal Palace, (Turin)
TURIN
THE ROYAL RESIDENCES OF THE HOUSE OF SAVOY IN TURIN, MONCALIERI AND RACCONIGI
Maisons de plaisance and splendid gardens, theatres of sophisticated courtly life, and true testimonies to the power of the House of Savoy. The Royal Palace, the Royal Armoury, the Prefecture, the Royal Theatre, the Military Academy, the Royal Mint, Palazzo Chiablese, Palazzo Madama, Palazzo Carignano, and Castello del Valentino can all be conveniently reached by train. Among other Royal Residences to be visited, Moncalieri Castle and the Castle of Racconigi can be found on the outskirts of the city.
TURIN
TURIN (TO)
TOURISM INFO
Tel. +39 011 535181
[turismotorino.org]
TRAIN INFO
EVERY DAY FROM THE FOLLOWING STATIONS:
TORINO P. NUOVA 1.4 km
20 connections from ASTI
34 connections from CHIVASSO
22 connections from MILANO
MONCALIERI 1 km
15 connections from ALBA
17 connections from FOSSANO
70 connections from TORINO RACCONIGI 750 m
23 trains from FOSSANO
22 trains from TORINO
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
A tour of Turin’s House of Savoy Residences should start with the Royal Palace, which is part of the museum complex that includes the Sabauda Gallery, the Royal Armoury, and the Archaeological Museum. Be sure to visit Palazzo Carignano, an emblematic example of Baroque architecture in Turin. Palazzo Madama, which houses two thousand years of Piedmont’s history, is the perfect place to complete the itinerary.
DID YOU KNOW... ?
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
Turin is the capital of chocolate! It’s the birthplace of Gianduiotto, as well as the “alpino” (a chocolate filled with a liqueur cream), the “boero” (a chocolate shell with a soft cream of liqueur core), and the “cremino” (made up of three layers of chocolate). Not to mention Nutella.
SAVE THE DATE
Seeyousound International Musical Film Festival: January
Automotoretrò, festival dedicated to historical motoring: February
Turin Jazz Festival: April
The Torino Royal Card provides free entry to the main Royal Residences, free admission to Reali Sensi guided tours, free rides to the Royal Palace of Venaria on public transport, as well as other discounts on dedicated tours.
[residenzereali.it ]
Book Fair: May
Palchi Reali, musical and dance performances at the Piedmontese
Royal Residences: June-September
Todays Festival, music festival: August
MiTo Settembre Musica, music festival: September
Portici di Carta, the longest bookshop in the world underneath the porticoes of Turin’s historic centre: October
Turin Film Festival: November
Valentino Castel, (Turin)
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The Savoy residences are the result of a territorial reorganisation project begun by Emanuele Filiberto in 1563, when Turin became the duchy’s capital, and completed by his successors during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. They consist of 22 buildings, 11 of them located in the centre of Turin and organised as a Command Zone, namely places of the political and administrative control, while the others are located around the city, like a Crown of Delights, and are dedicated to leisure, festivities and hunting. The unified nature of the complex of buildings is evidenced by their stylistic homogeneity, due to the work of a single group of architects and artists in most residences.
The Royal Palace, (Turin)
The Savoy Residences represent the monumental European architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries, as they use style, size, and space to illustrate the prevailing doctrine about the absolute monarchy in material terms.
The Residences are an important and detailed chapter of the exuberant brilliance of the European Baroque art and architecture.
Benedetto Alfieri and Filippo Juvarra were among the architects involved in the design of the Residences.
The Residences constitute a complex but unified dynastic heritage representing a true symbiosis between culture and nature, characterised by a remarkable degree of order and concentration.
Chapel of St. Hubert (TO)
REACH VENARIA REALE WITH DAILY WEEKDAY CONNECTIONS
VENARIA REALE
TURIN (TO)
TOURISM INFO
Viale Buridani 33
Entrance from Piazza Pettiti
Open to the public by appointment only (by phone or e-mail)
Phone +39 011 4072105
eventiturismo@comune venariareale.to.it
TURIN
THE PALACE OF VENARIA
The Venaria Reale - a grandiose monumental complex on the outskirts of Turin, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site - is a masterpiece of architecture and landscape. This cultural project offers its visitors many different experiences: from large exhibitions to events, from training activities to kids entertainment. Multiple occasions to offer the pleasure of art, history and architecture in an extraordinary natural landscape. The gardens surrounding the Palace combine ancient and modern times, in a virtuous dialogue between historical artefacts and contemporary works, all framed in an infinity view and the Alps majestic mountain range.
TRAIN INFO
REFERENCE STATION
VENARIA REALE REGGIA WEEKDAY CONNECTIONS FROM TORINO-ALBA/ FOSSANO (SFM4 AND SFM7) AND FROM AEROPORTO/CIRIÉ (SFM4 AND SFM7) DISCOVER ALL TIMETABLES FOR REGIONAL SERVICES
The Royal Palace of the House of Savoy, with its scenic Piazza dell’Annunciata - dating back to the second half of the 17th century and dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary - is located in the ancient town of Venaria Reale. There, you can admire the Baroque Church of the Natività di Maria Vergine. The church was supposed to have a twin on the opposite side of the square, but only the façade was built.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...
EVENTS & FLAVOURS
Some of the most popular local dishes include vitel tonné, anchovies in green sauce, agnolotti, braised beef with Barolo, bagna cauda, Piedmontese fritto misto, gianduiotti, and bonet. All accompanied by a small glass of delicious Bicerin.
The Palace boasts some of the highest expressions of Italian Baroque: the Sala di Diana, the Galleria Grande and the Cappella di Sant'Uberto.
After massive restoration, they were reopened to the public in 2007. [lavenaria.it/en]
SAVE THE DATE
Scherzo, Carnival adventures at the Palace of Venaria: on the last Carnival weekend
Sulle note della bellezza, An immersive concert in the light of the Galleria Grande: First Sunday in spring at 8.30 a.m.
All’ombra dei ciliegi in fiore: Last weekend of March
Late Spring Music Festival, Great music at the Palace of Venaria: Weekend of June 2
Sere d’estate alla Reggia: July and August
Gardens of the Royal Palace of Venaria
THE NATIONAL BOARD SAYS...
The Royal Palace of Venaria and the Royal Residences of the House of Savoy represent a comprehensive complex of 17th-18th century monumental European architecture. They use style, scale and space to exceptionally illustrate the prevailing doctrine of absolute monarchy in material terms.
In December 1997, they were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
There are many reasons for this recognition: the Royal Residences of the House of Savoy are a remarkable testimony to the exuberant genius of Baroque and Late Baroque art and architecture.
Also, the Royal Residences system represents a monumental architectural complex that illustrates the dominant doctrine of absolute monarchy.
The Royal Residences constitute a complex yet unified
Fountain of the Hercules Colossus (TO)
dynastic heritage that represents an authentic symbiosis of culture and nature through the planning of vast rural areas.
After the inauguration on 12 October 2007. the Royal Palace and Gardens were finally reopened to the public.
Architecture, history, landscape, modern artistic languages, art masterpieces and a spectacular and evocative display of 17th and 18th century lifestyles, offer contemporaries the splendour of a great European court.
The tour, exhibitions, shows, concerts, conferences and food and wine delights, bring royalty and the pleasure of living back to the Palace of Venaria.
ALBA CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 50 DAILY CONNECTIONS
ALBA
CUNEO (CN)
ALTITUDE 9 m.a.s.l.
INHABITANTS 31,531
TOURISM INFO
IAT
Tel. +39 0173 35833 [langheroero.it]
TRAIN INFO
LANGHE-ROERO AND MONFERRATO
WINE COUNTRY
The wine regions of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato, which can be reached directly by train within a radius of about 1 km, are the result of a wine tradition that’s been the centre of the area’s socio-economic life for over two millennia. The area is known for producing excellent wines, such as Barolo, Barbaresco, Asti Spumante and Barbera d’Asti. International quality wines obtained from vines that have been cultivated for centuries, like Nebbiolo, Moscato Bianco and Barbera.
LOCAL STATIONS
ACQUI TERME 650 m
ALBA 600 m
BRA 450 m
CEVA 650 m
OVADA 350 m
NIZZA MONFERRATO 450 m
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
Nizza Monferrato is home to the Regional Enoteca, the beating heart of Barbera d’Asti.
The eighteenth-century wine cellars of Palazzo Crova house Piedmont’s very best Barbera wines and over 300 local wine labels.
Be sure to stop in at the Enoteca’s restaurant, La Signora in Rosso, to enjoy the traditional wine and food combinations.
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
The Piedmont White Truffle (scientific name: Tuber Magnatum Pico) is the most fragrant, most aromatic, and rarest of all truffles, and has always been considered the best. All attempts to cultivate it have failed miserably.
DID YOU KNOW… ?
Alba and other destinations can be reached on 4 sightseeing lines (Saturdays, Sundays and holidays until 27/11). Trenitalia customers get a 50% discount per person off the full price for the single tour.
[langheroero.it]
SAVE THE DATE
Langhe & Roero Bra-Bra Specialized, Gran Fondo Cycling race, in Bra: April
Giro di Nizza, food and wine event, in Nizza Monferrato: April
LAPRIMA, aromatic herb fair in Ceva: May
Nizza è Barbera, food and wine event, in Nizza Monferrato: May
Beer and Street Artist Festival, in Acqui Terme: June
Passeggiate Sotto le Stelle, excursions at dusk, in Ovada: June-July
Attraverso Festival - Langhe Roero Monferrato, cultural and artistic festival: July-September
Patronal feast, St. Laurence, Alba: 10 August
International Piedmont White Truffle Festival: October-November
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The site includes five distinct wine-growing areas and a castle: Langa del Barolo, the Hills of Barbaresco, Nizza Monferrato and Barbera, Canelli and Asti Spumante, Monferrato degli Infernot, and Grinzane Cavour Castle. As far as the eye can see, the landscape consists of vineyard-covered hills, centuries-old villages, farmhouses and wineries , medieval towers and castles, and is distinguished by the remarkable harmony and balance between the aesthetic qualities of the scenery and the architectural and historical diversity of the structures associated with the wine production, famous all over the world. The Piedmontese wine culture constitutes the foundation of the Region’s identity.
The cultural wine landscapes of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato offer a living testimony of the area’s ancient wine-production traditions, which continue to this day to be adapted and improved.
The Langhe-Roero and Monferrato vineyards are an exceptional example of man’s interaction with his natural environment. The lengthy and ongoing development of the winegrowing knowledge and techniques has allowed the best adaptation of vines to the soil and the climatic conditions. The wine-making landscapes have even extraordinary aesthetic qualities, which make them an archetype for the European wine-making landscape as a whole.
CONNECTIONS
CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 100 DAILY
IVREA
IVREA
A 20TH CENTURY INDUSTRIAL CITY
On the one hand there are the industrial buildings, while on the other hand there are the residential buildings and the areas dedicated to social services: the well-being of a productive community that arises from a humanistic view of labour. This was Adriano Olivetti’s revolutionary vision for Ivrea, who, from 1930 to 1960, succeeded in bringing together utility and beauty within this industrial city, which has now become a sort of open-air museum. In fact, these factories produced the first portable typewriter and the first personal computer.
IVREA
TURIN (TO)
ALTITUDE 253 m.a.s.l.
INHABITANTS 23,637
TOURISM INFO
IAT
Piazza Ottinetti
Tel. +39 0125 618131
[turismotorino.org]
TRAIN INFO LOCAL STATION
IVREA 1.2 km
EVERY DAY
21 connections from AOSTA
26 connections from CHIVASSO
10 trains from NOVARA
12 connections from TORINO
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
The heart of the city is a red-brick building dating back to 1896. It houses the ICO offices founded by Camillo Olivetti. His son, Adriano, promoted several expansion efforts along Via Jervis, to the point of occupying nearly 1 linear km. Today these buildings are part of Ivrea’s Open-Air Modern Architectu re Museum (MAAM). [mamivrea.it]
Visit the industrial city of Ivrea with the VisitAMI app [anfiteatromorenicoivrea.it], where you’ll find information and interesting facts regarding not only the UNESCO site [ivreacittaindustriale.it], but also the area of the AMI (the Moraine Amphitheatre of Ivrea), as well as other local sites, outdoor activities, exhibitions, events, news, and typical products. DID YOU KNOW... ?
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
The historic Carnival of Ivrea is centred around the figure of the Vezzosa Mugnaia (the Charming Miller Lady), who, after the feudal tyrant was killed, launched the peoples’ revolt against the king, an episode that’s commemorated with the famous “battle of the oranges”. A whopping 700 tonnes of oranges are delivered to the town for the occasion!
Sacred Medieval representation of the Passion of Christ: March
The great invasion, literary convention: May-June
Eporedia active days, outdoor sports event: June Festival of St. Sabinus, equestrian event: June-July
Patronal feast, St. Sabinus: 7 July
5-Lakes Foot Race, outdoor sports event: September
Morenic Trail, sports event: October
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The site consists of various buildings and architectural complexes designed by the most famous Italian architects and urban planners of the 20th century, built between the 1930s and the 1960s according to Adriano Olivetti’s industrial and socio-cultural project. The buildings, designed for production, social services and residential purposes in favour of the Olivetti company’s employees, conceptually reflect the Community Movement established in Ivrea in 1947, and inspired by Adriano Olivetti’s idea of a new Community-based political and administrative order and economic model characterised by a collective view of the relationships between workers and businesses.
The complex effectively represents the material expression of a modern vision of production relationships and is intended to serve as a model of an industrial city responding to the industrialization process’ rapid evolution in the early 20th century. Ivrea is a feasible development model where the collaboration between workers and businesses creates the conditions for both modern architectural works and urban planning, thus redesigning the city and its territorial context.
The cultural heritage recognised by UNESCO has maintained over time its original architectural characteristics and outdoor spaces, undergoing purely functional modifications.
LIGURIA GENOA, THE CINQUE TERRE
GENOA
CAN
BE REACHED WITH OVER 200 DAILY CONNECTIONS
GENOA
LE STRADE NUOVE AND THE SYSTEM OF THE PALAZZI DEI ROLLI
During the era of the ancient Republic of Genoa, illustrious guests were hosted at splendid palaces based on a lottery system. These noble dwellings, which were mostly built during the 1500s and are known as the Palazzi dei Rolli, are located on the so-called Strade Nuove (“New Roads”). This urban planning design was intended to highlight Genoa’s wealth, elegance and prestige.
GENOA
GENOA (GE)
ALTITUDE 19 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 580,112
TOURISM INFO
Tel. +39 010 5572903
[visitgenoa.it]
TRAIN INFO
LOCAL STATIONS GENOVA BRIGNOLE
GENOVA PRINCIPE
600m-1 km
EVERY DAY
13 connections from LA SPEZIA
8 connections from MILANO
14 connections from TORINO
10 connections from VENTIMIGLIA
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
The Rolli were the lists in the city records in which all the buildings and their values were noted. The first Rolli were officially issued in 1576, and divided the buildings into categories based on quality. A sort of classification based on stars, like the modern-day system used for hotels.
DID
YOU KNOW... ?
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
The most significant monuments in the Rolli include the Strada Nuova museums (Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Rosso), the Palazzo Spinola National Gallery, and Palazzo Reale. Three important Strade Nuove are Via Garibaldi, Via Balbi and Via Cairoli.
Peario. Neque sectiat adis doluptas audae nis ipsapere nullatae nis moluptati que es aut que o su scideribus nullaut res sed quatent lam sit omnimin turemodis acerum rerum eiur re nonsedis sinciatem.
Rolli Days are held in May and October, a journey on the discovery the Genoese aristocracy’s residences. Dozens of buildings, much loved by Rubens, which can be visited guided by qualified science communicators.
SAVE THE DATE
International Exhibition of Contemporary Illustrators: 3 March-2 June
Rolli Days, a journey on the discovery of the Rolli: May and October
Nervi International Festival: 2-20 July
Patronal feast, St. John the Baptist: June
Visitors can access the University’s Botanical Garden from Via Balbi.
Evendem. Ut qui sequas sumquate cullabore vene prehendis ma incil coreiciis endite.
Suq Festival, convention for dialogue between cultures: 14-24 June
Genoa Old Port Summer Festival: from July to August
International Boat Show: 19-24 September
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
Between the 16th and 17th centuries, in Genoa a public residential project begun in order to create a system of new roads and representative buildings, where the authorities and the noble families settled. Along the “Strade Nuove” the “Palazzi dei Rolli” were erected, named after the lists or official registers in which they were recorded. The owners had the honour and the duty to welcome visiting dignitaries and illustrious travellers and to consolidate the city’s image and diplomatic role, using the pomp of their residences.
This original model of administrative management, envisaging a combination of private and public interests, was an example for Europe as a whole.
Thanks to the architecture treaties of that time, Genoa’s Strade Nuove and late Renaissance buildings became an important point of reference for the development of Mannerist and Baroque architecture throughout Europe. The buildings offer an extraordinary variety of styles and achieve a universal value by complying with the site’s particular characteristics and the peculiar social and economic organisation’s requirements.
The Renaissance streets and palaces of extraordinary architectural and artistic value constituted the new heart of the modern city and became an influential model of urban planning throughout Europe.
THE CINQUE TERRE CAN BE REACHED WITH ABOUT 99 DAILY CONNECTIONS
MONTEROSSO LA SPEZIA (SP)
ALTITUDE 12 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 1,424
TOURISM INFO
Town Hall
Piazza Garibaldi, 35 Tel. +39 0187 817525
[comune.monterosso.sp.it ]
THE CINQUE TERRE
HARMONIOUS INTERACTION
BETWEEN MAN AND NATURE
Overlooking the Ligurian sea, between Punta Montenero and Punta Mesco, the Cinque Terre are a series of fishing villages that can be reached directly by train, dropping off visitors just a few metres from the historic centres of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Five colourful, simple, and charming towns that constitute the Cinque Terre National Park. The only town that’s almost inaccessible from the sea is Corniglia, which can only be accessed via a long staircase made up of 377 steps.
TRAIN INFO
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
The best way to enjoy the Cinque Terre is by taking the trails linking the five villages. There are three main ones: trail 1, which runs along the ridge separating the coast from the Val di Vara; the trail of the Sanctuaries, which links the villages’ places of worship; trail 2 or the blue trail, which connects the five villages to each other. [parconazionale5terre.it]
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
The pumpkin flower fritters (Frisé de Burbugiun in the local dialect) are an excellent side dish during the summer time.
LO SAI CHE...
Discovering the Cinque Terre by train is easy and convenient with the Cinque Terre Treno MS Card, which offers an unlimited number of 2nd class trips on the Regional trains between Levanto and La Spezia (and vice versa) –including the 5 Terre Express – as well as access to all the services offered by the Park Authority.
[trenitalia.com]
The pumpkin flowers are immersed in a batter made of flour, water and salt, and are then deep fried. Once golden brown, they’re strained and eaten hot.
SAVE THE DATE
Cinque Terre Walking Park, trekking and hiking: June-October
Fried Anchovy Festival, in Monterosso: June
Patronal feast, St. John the Baptist, in Monterosso: 24 June
Sciacchetrà (local wine) Festival, in Riomaggiore: July
Patronal Feast, Saint Margherita Antiochia, in Vernazza: 20 July
Cinque Terre Park Festival: July-August
Cinque Terre International Music Festival: July-September
Feast of Our Lady of Graces at the Sanctuary of San Bernardino, in Corniglia: 8 September
The park’s twenty year anniversary celebration: October-December
Illuminated Nativity Scene in Manarola: December-January
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The village of Porto Venere, dating back to the second century A.D., offers a breathtaking panorama, made up of the ancient archways of the tower-houses, the Doria Castle and the characteristic Church of San Pietro overlooking the sea. The Cinque Terre (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore) date back to the first centuries of the second millennium and consist of tiny cliffside villages made up of brightly coloured houses and narrow alleyways. Until the construction of the railway in the late nineteenth century, they were only accessible from the sea. Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto are small islands noteworthy due to their natural beauty and the remains of ancient monasteries.
The Ligurian Riviera, between Porto Venere and the Cinque Terre, is a cultural landscape of extraordinary value, as it bears witness to the harmonious interaction between man and nature and illustrates a way of life which has existed for hundreds of years and continues to play an important socio-economic role in the community life.
The Riviera’s intensive development, with terraces for cultivating grapevines and olive trees, still reflects the strong bond between the communities.
The overall geomorphological, environmental, anthropic and architectural characteristics of Porto Venere, the Cinque Terre and the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto make the site unique.
LOMBARDY MANTUA
CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 50 DAILY CONNECTIONS
MANTUA
MANTUA MANTUA (MN)
ALTITUDE 19 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 49,445
TOURISM INFO
Info Point
Piazza Mantegna, 6 Tel. +39 0376 432 432
[turismo.mantova.it]
INFO TRENI
MANTUA
THE CITY
Be sure to visit the Duomo, the monumental Ducal Palace of the noble Gonzaga family, and the National Archaeological Museum in Piazza Sordello.
Go past the Voltone of San Pietro (built in the sixteenth century by Giovan Battista Bertani), and turn left onto Via Accademia to reach the Bibiena Theatre, a little baroque gem. Continue on towards Palazzo Te, built and decorated by Giulio Romano between 1525 and 1535. Along the way, stop in at the Casa del Mantegna, on Via Acerbi.
LOCAL STATION MANTOVA 1,3 km
EVERY DAY
10 trains from MILANO
13 trains from VERONA
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
Mantua is surrounded by three lakes: Lago Superiore (the Upper Lake), Lago di Mezzo (the Middle Lake), and Lago Inferiore (the Lower Lake), which are populated by lotus flowers, giving the surroundings a romantic and exotic appeal. They were introduced into the lake by the naturalist A. M. Pellegreffi in 1921, with the intention of producing lotus root flour.
DID YOU KNOW… ?
In order to discover Mantua’s vast cultural and monumental heritage, visitors can purchase the Mantova Sabbioneta
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
Mantua is home to the crumbliest cake there is: the Sbrisolona. It consists of crumbs (hence the name derived from brisa, meaning “crumb”), held together by butter and eggs. The Gonzaga improved it by enriching it with sugar, spices and almonds.
SAVE THE DATE
Patronal feast, St. Anselm: 18 March
Mantova Comics & Games, comic and roll playing game festival: 25-26 May
Trame Sonore, chamber music festival: 29 May-2 June
Open Festival, Urban Theatre and Nouveau Cirque exhibition: 7-9 June
Card: a single €20 card that grants the bearer admission to 17 museums and monuments, including the Ducal Palace and Palazzo Te.
[home.mantovacard.it]
Antichissima Fiera delle Grazie, Street Painter's competition, in Curtatone: 14-18 August
Medieval Mantua, historical commemoration: 24-25 August
Literature Festival: 4-8 September
Nuvolari Grand Prix, historical car races: 19-22 September
Segni New Generations Festival, theater, art and entertainment: 26 Octo-ber3 November
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
Mantua and Sabbioneta represent the two main forms of Renaissance town planning: the transformation of an existing city and the newly founded city, based on the ideal city concept. Together, they represent two significant stages of the territorial planning and the urban works undertaken by the noble Gonzaga family within their domains in the first half of 14th century to the early 18th century. In both cities the Gonzaga family sought to fulfil the ideal Renaissance city, by researching the perfect urban form that would attest to the greatness of the family and by engaging some of the greatest Italian artists, including L. Battista Alberti and A. Mantegna.
Mantua and Sabbioneta are excellent examples of a particular civilisation, during a specific historical period, which left its mark in terms of urban planning, architecture and fine arts.
The Renaissance ideals supported by the Gonzaga family can be found in the architecture and urban layouts, in the functional system and in the traditional productive activities, mainly maintained over time.
These two cities played a prominent role in the spread of the Renaissance culture throughout Europe and beyond.
VENETO
DOLOMITES, VICENZA, VENICE, VERONA, PADUA
CALALZO CAN BE REACHED WITH ABOUT 18 DAILY CONNECTIONS
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO BELLUNO (BL)
ALTITUDE 1,224 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 5,840
TOURISM INFO Info Point
Corso Italia, 81 Tel. +39 0436 869086
[dolomiti.org]
DOLOMITES
ENCHANTMENT AND BEAUTY
AT THE FOOT OF SPECTACULAR MOUNTAIN PEAKS
Le Corbusier, one of the twentieth century’s most famous architects, referred to them as the world’s most beautiful work of architecture. In fact, the Dolomites are spectacular: they’re made up of rock walls, glaciers, karst systems, tall spires, towers, pinnacles, and splendid mountain peaks moulded by the weather, and constitute the point at which Italian, German and Ladin culture come together. Not to mention the brilliant colours of the mountains themselves, ranging from the green of the forests, to the typical pinkish hues at sunrise and sunset: rock cathedrals illuminated by the sun.
TRAIN INFO
LOCAL STATION
CALALZO-PIEVE DI CADORE 450 m + bus DOLOMITIBUS
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
Cortina is part of the Dolomiti Superski area and offers various slopes and trails falling within the three districts of Tofane, Faloria-Cristallo, and Lagazuoi-5 Torri. The routes are connected by two lift systems: the four-seater Piè Tofana chairlift, and the three-seater Pomedes chairlift.
The most famous of the slopes is the Olympia delle Tofane, where major Alpine Ski World Cup races are held.
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
DID YOU KNOW… ?
The Dolomites Trenobus service (promoted by the Veneto Region, Trenitalia, and Dolomitibus, in collaboration with the Province of Belluno) is available from June to September.
[dolomitibus.it]
Chenedi are the Ampezzan variant of Tyrolean dumplings. Bread balls stuffed with speck, lard, spinach and cheese, served in a hot broth or covered with melted butter.
SAVE THE DATE
Patronal feast, St. Blaise, in Calalzo: 3 February
Cortinametraggio, short film festival, in Cortina: March
Patronal feast, Saints Philip and James, in Cortina: 3 May
Fair of St. Anthony, in Calalzo: June
La Corsa dei Sestieri, local winter competition, in Cortina: July
Cadore Natura, organic food festival/market, in Calalzo: August
Dolomiti Delicious Festival, food and wine event, in Cortina: September
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The Unesco recognition honours the extraordinary landscape and naturalistic value of nine mountainous systems in the Italian Alps, known as the Dolomites. The Dolomites are named after French naturalist Déodat de Dolomieu who was the first scientist to study the particular type of rock predominant in this region, rock named dolomite in his honour. The chemical composition of the rocks reacts with light in a particular way, known by the Ladin term of Enrosadira: a natural phenomenon whereby the dolomitic peaks take on gold, pink, red, orange and violet hues at sunrise and sunset. In full sun, quite opposite, the Dolomites become ‘pale.’ The “dolomitic landscape” has become the model for a specific type of mountain landscape.
The Dolomites have an outstanding environmental and naturalistic value, featuring a wide range of vertical forms, such as pinnacles, spires and towers, which emerge suddenly from vast deposits of debris or from gentle hills, and an extensive range of colours generated by the contrasts between the bare and pale rocks and the underlying forests and meadows.
The Dolomites originated during the Triassic period (about 250 million years ago) as a result of shells, corals and algae accumulation on warm, shallow seabeds. These sediments were later transformed into rock and raised up to over 3000 metres above sea level due to the collision between the European and the African continental plates.
CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 100 DAILY CONNECTIONS
VICENZA
Villa La Rotonda
VICENZA
THE CITY AND THE PALLADIAN VILLAS
Vicenza’s Villa La Rotonda is perhaps one of the most famous villas built by architect Andrea Palladio during the sixteenth century. Other famous villas that can be easily reached by train include Villa Pisani Ferri in Lonigo (VI), Villa Emo, near Fanzolo (TV), Villa Zeno in Donegal di Cessalto (TV), Villa Pisani in Montagnana (PD), and Villa Cornaro in Piombino Dese (PD).
VICENZA
VICENZA (VI)
ALTITUDE 39 m.a.s.l.
INHABITANTS 111,980
TOURISM INFO [vitourism.it]
TRAIN INFO
LOCAL STATIONS
CEGGIA 550 m
FANZOLO 1.7 km
LONIGO 2 km
MONTAGNANA 2 km
PIOMBINO DESE 900 m
VICENZA within 750 m
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
The numerous important works built by Palladio as far back as 1540 include the Basilica Palladiana overlooking Piazza dei Signori, the Olympic Thea tre (the first example of a fixed covered theatre in the modern era), Palazzo Chiericati, and Villa Almerico-Capra, known as La Rotonda (one of the most highly studied and imitated buildings over the following five centuries).
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
The Biglietto unico (“Single ticket”) for the city of Vicenza’s museums provides for a single admission to each location, and is valid for 7 days after first use. It includes the Olympic Theatre, Palazzo Chiericati, the Naturalistic and Archaeological Museum, the Palladio Museum, and several other locations. [vitourism.it] DID YOU KNOW... ?
Baccalà alla Vicentina is the most famous dish of Vicentina cuisine. The stockfish, paired with polenta, must be of exceptional quality, with the absolute best being considered the “Ragno” variety from the Lofoten Islands in Norway.
SAVE THE DATE
StraVicenza, foot race: March
City of Vicenza Granfondo Liotto, cycling race: April
Vicenza Jazz, International Jazz Festival: May
Festambiente, environmental festival: June
Weeks of Music at the Olympic Theatre: June
Patronal Feast, Our Lady of Monte Berico: 8 September
MezzadiVicenza, half marathon: September
CioccolandoVi, chocolate festival: October
Città del Palladio Rally, car race: November
Villa Emo
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
Palladio’s works recognised as World Heritage site consist of 23 buildings in the city of Vicenza and 24 villas in the surrounding area. The buildings are integrated within the urban fabric of the medieval city and create a picturesque combination of the Venetian Gothic style with the Palladian classicism inspired by classical Roman architecture. The Palladian Villa is conceived as a humanistic recovery of the ancient Roman villa, far from the medieval castle style villa, with its predominantly defensive functions. It is a temple-house, embellished with monumental stairways and crowned by a pediment supported by the pillars of a loggia, which encapsulates the functional territorial management and self-congratulatory aspects of their noble owners.
The Palladian villas are the product of the architectural genius of a Renaissance master.
The variety of the villas’ layouts reveal Palladio’s constant experimentation on the reinterpretation of classical schemes, as documented in his famous work Quattro Libri dell’Architettura (“Four Books on Architecture”).
Palladio's works in Vicenza and throughout the Veneto region, inspired by the classical architecture and characterised by unparalleled formal purity, had an extraordinary influence on architectural and urban design all over the world, giving rise to Palladianism, an artistic movement that lasted next three centuries and had many important followers, especially in the United States.
Villa Cornaro
VENICE CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 300 DAILY CONNECTIONS
VENICE
THE CITY AND ITS LAGOON
The beating heart of Venice is Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square), which, in addition to being one of the most beautiful squares in the world, is also the only area in the lagoon to be designated as a piazza. In fact, every other area of this type is designated as a campo (meaning “field”). The most scenic way to reach the “living room” of the Venetians is by sea. Upon arriving at Santa Lucia Station, take the vaporetto along the Grand Canal until you reach S. Marco: the square offers a breathtaking panorama!
VENICE
VENICE (VE)
ALTITUDE 2.56 m.a.s.l.
INHABITANTS 261,396
TOURISM INFO [veneziaunica.it]
TRAIN INFO
LOCAL STATIONS
VENEZIA MESTRE
VENEZIA S. LUCIA
VENEZIA CARPENEDO
VENEZIA P. MARGHERA
within 1 km
EVERY DAY
14 connections from BOLOGNA
57 connections from TREVISO
28 connections from TRIESTE
26 connections from VERONA
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
The Jewish ghetto in Venice, which isn’t far from the station, has a history dating back over 500 years, and is divided into three districts: The Ghetto Nuovo (me aning the “New Ghetto”, which is oddly the oldest), the Ghetto Vecchio (the “Old Ghetto”), and the Ghetto Nuovissimo (meaning the “Newest Ghetto”). The five synagogues, of which only three can be visited, are considered to be the most beautiful in Europe due to their richly decorated interiors.
DID
YOU KNOW… ?
The Venezia Unica City Pass, which can be customised to meet the bearer’s needs, allows visitors to access the city’s means of public transport, cultural and tourist attractions, and many other useful services, all with a single pass. The easiest way to purchase it is online. [veneziaunica.it]
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
The Feast of the Redeemer, in July, is among the festivals most beloved by the Venetians themselves, consisting of religious aspects and a spectacular fireworks display that attracts thousands of visitors each year.
SAVE THE DATE
Carnival of Venice: February
Patronal feast, St. Mark: 25 April
Regata delle Antiche Repubbliche Marinare (“Boat Race of the Ancient Seafaring Republics”): every 4 years May-July
Feast of the Redeemer: third Sunday in July
The Venice Biennale, International Art Exhibition: May-November
International Film Festival: August-September
Historical Boat Race: September
Feast of Our Lady of Health: November
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The site includes Venice and its large surrounding lagoon. As a whole, the area contains one of the greatest concentrations of masterpieces in the world and bears testimony to the constant interaction between man and the lagoon ecosystem over time. The Venetians’ excellent technical and artistic expertise enabled the construction of extraordinary hydraulic and architectural works, which made Venice an artwork and allowed it to exert great influence over the development of architecture and monumental arts worldwide. Today, the city and its lagoon constitute a semi-lacustrine habitat that has become vulnerable due to irreversible natural and climatic changes.
Venice is directly and tangibly intertwined with the history of mankind, as it extended its horizon well beyond the lagoon, the Adriatic and the Mediterranean region.
Venice’s influence over the development of architecture and the monumental arts can be particularly seen in the Venetian “Fondachi” (merchants’ yards) along the Dalmatian coast, in Asia Minor and Egypt, on the Ionian Sea’s Islands, the Peloponnese peninsula, Crete and Cyprus.
The great Venetian painters, like Bellini, Giorgione, Tiziano, Tintoretto, Veronese and Tiepolo, completely changed the perception of space, light and colour, and had a clear impact on the development of painting and decorative arts throughout Europe.
VERONA CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 150 DAILY CONNECTIONS
VERONA
THE CITY
“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore are you Romeo?” These are the timeless words spoken by Shakespeare’s lovestruck character of Juliet. The most romantic at heart will immediately find themselves on the trail of Shakespeare’s two famous lovers, visiting Romeo’s house on Via Arche Scaligere, and that of Juliet on Via Cappello, with its famous balcony. And then there’s the Arena (the home of great opera performances), the charming cafés in Piazza Bra, the historic taverns, the Liston promenade, and the chatter among the market stands in Piazza delle Erbe.
VERONA
VERONA (VR)
ALTITUDE 59 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 257,303
TOURISM INFO IAT
Tel. +39 045 8068680 [tourism.verona.it]
TRAIN INFO LOCAL STATIONS
VERONA PORTA NUOVA
VERONA PORTA VESCOVO within 1.5 km
EVERY DAY
11 connections from BOLOGNA 31 connections from VENEZIA
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
The heart of commerce in Vero nese is Piazza delle Erbe, which stands in the same spot where the Romans established their forum. There are many historical monuments, including the Domus Mercatorum, Madonna Verona Fountain, and the Arco della Costa. What’s that bone hanging underneath the arch? Many say it's a whale’s rib. Its purpose, however, remains a mystery.
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
The Verona Card is an allin-one ticket that can be used to visit the Arena, stand on the legendary Juliet’s Balcony, climb the Torre dei Lamberti, enter Verona’s most beautiful churches, and much more. It is available in two versions: one valid for 24 hours, and the other for 48 hours. [tourism.verona.it] DID YOU KNOW… ?
Vinitaly is one of the world’s most important international wine fairs. It’s held each year in April, bearing witness to the wealth of a land with numerous in large vineyards and wineries.
SAVE THE DATE
Palio del Drappo Verde, foot race: March
Vinitaly, International Wine Fair: April
Patronal feast, St. Zeno: 29 April
Summer Theatre in Verona: May-September
Screens of love, theatre, dance and music: May-September
Lirico Areniano Opera Festival: June-September
Tocatì, International Street Games Festival: September
Verona African Cinema Festival: November
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
Since the first century B.C., when it became a Roman municipality, Verona has always been a major centre of military and cultural importance, above all thanks to its position along the communication route between the Alps and the Po Valley and the trade routes of the Adriatic Sea. The numerous conquests that took place over the centuries (the Ostrogoths, the Lombards, the Republic of Venice and the Austro-Hungarian Empire) and the imposing fortifications and monumental gates built to defend the city bear witness to the strategic role played by Verona, which was enclosed, until the twentieth century, by the walls rebuilt by the Scaligeri during the Middle Ages and was considered a great example of a military stronghold.
Verona’s urban structure and architecture make it a shining example of a city that has developed progressively and continuously over two thousand years, incorporating extraordinary artistic elements from all of its various eras. Verona is an exceptional example of a city fortified in multiple stages, typical of the European history.
Thanks to the Italian tradition of restoration, which led to reconstruction efforts based on historical accounts involving the reuse of original materials after the Second World War, Verona’s artistic and monumental heritage remains largely authentic and intact.
CONNECTIONS
CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 200 DAILY
PADUA
PADUA PADUA (PD)
ALTITUDE 27 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 210,758
TOURISM INFO IAT
Via del Municipio, 1 Tel. +39 049 5207415
[turismopadova.it]
TRAIN INFO
PADUA THE BOTANICAL GARDEN
Six thousand cultivated plants, totalling 3,500 different species: we’re talking about a significant part of the plant kingdom, albeit in reduced form. Welcome to the University of Padua’s Botanical Garden, established in 1545: the oldest in the Western world that still retains its original shape and location. It’s also home to numerous historical trees, like the Palm of Goethe planted in 1585, which is currently the oldest plant in the entire botanical garden.
LOCAL STATION
PADUA 2 km
EVERY DAY
11 connections from TREVISO 80 connections from VENEZIA 30 connections from VERONA
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
The Botanical Garden’s original design consisted of a central circle symbolising the world, surrounded by a ring of water. Inside there’s a square divided into four units by perpendicular paths, which are oriented according to the main cardinal directions. This shape is a representation of the universe that’s been adopted since ancient times, and recalls the layout of the ideal Renaissance city.
DID YOU KNOW... ?
The Padova Card (available in either a 48 or 72-hour version) grants the bearer free entry to the Scrovegni Chapel, the Eremitani Civic Museums, the Palazzo della Ragione, and various other sites. And that’s in addition to the free use of Busitalia Veneto public transport and discounted admission to the botanical garden. [turismopadova.it]
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
It’s hard to imagine an evening in Padua not ending with a spritz. Whether with Aperol, Campari or Cynar, the orange aperitif is an original Padua tradition that’s now spread all over the world.
SAVE THE DATE
Padua Marathon, foot race: April
Commemoration of the Transit of St. Anthony: evening of 12 June
Patronal feast, St. Anthony: 13 June
Padua Pride: June
Sherwood Festival, music event: June-July
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The University of Padua’s Botanical Garden, established in 1545, is the oldest in the Western world still retaining its original shape and location. Also known as the giardino dei semplici (the “garden of simple plants”), because initially intended only for the cultivation of medicinal plants (referred to as i simplici during the Middle Ages in Italy), the garden represented a milestone in the history of Medicine and Botanical science and served as a distinguished example of the Renaissance aesthetic canons for garden architecture. The garden still serves its original purpose as a centre for the university’s teaching, education and scientific research activities. Its design, a central circle surrounded by a ring of water, recalls the layout of the ideal Renaissance city.
The botanical garden of Padua has been a source of inspiration for many other gardens throughout Italy and Europe, both in terms of its architectural and functional design and in terms of its educational and scientific approaches to the study of Medicinal plants and related disciplines.
Since its creation it has been at the centre of a network of international exchanges, thereby contributing to the dissemination of knowledge concerning medicinal plants and the botanical sciences.
Since nearly 500 years ago it is of extraordinary scientific and cultural value. While its location and main characteristics have remained the same, it has constantly complied with the discoveries made in the fields of the botanical sciences and education.
FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA PALMANOVA
CAN BE REACHED WITH ABOUT 20 DAILY CONNECTIONS
PALMANOVA
PALMANOVA
UDINE (UD)
ALTITUDE 27 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 4,432
TOURISM INFO
Tourism office
Borgo Udine, 4 Tel. +39 0432 924815
[turismofvg.it/Localita/ Palmanova]
PALMANOVA
VENETIAN WORKS OF DEFENCE
BETWEEN THE 16TH AND 17TH CENTURIES
Like Bergamo and Peschiera del Garda, Palmanova is part of the Venetian works of defence built upon Italian territory between the 16th and 17th centuries. Palmanova is a nine-pointed star-shaped fortress town built by the Republic of Venice to defend its borders against the Ottomans and the Austrians. It’s the ideal fortified town, combining the ideals of the Renaissance utopia with the military and wartime theories of the era.
TRAIN INFO
LOCAL STATION PALMANOVA 1.2 km
EVERY DAY
9 connections from TRIESTE
11 connections from UDINE
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
Palmanova was established on 7 October 1593, and was designed to accommodate twenty thousand people. This fortress town has an urban area of 70 hectares, surrounded by three concentric walls: two Venetian walls, and a French outer perimeter wall, which give Palmanova the shape of a nine-pointed star.
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
San Daniele and di Sauris varieties are among the best types of prosciutto crudo (“cured ham”) that Italy has to offer. The former has an intense aroma and a pinkish colour, while the second is slightly smoked.
To learn more about Palmanova’s urban planning, be sure to visit the Civic Museum of History, which houses collections of documents relating to the town’s periods of Venetian, Napoleonic, Austrian and Italian rule. DID YOU KNOW... ?
SAVE THE DATE
Unesco Cities Marathon: last Sunday in March Easter on the Ramparts. Easter Monday
The Game Fortress comic & movie Festival - June
Patronal Feast, Holy Redeemer: 15 July
Antique prints exhibitions: August
A.D. 1615 Palma at War, Renaissance historical commemoration: 1st Sunday in September (even years)
1809 Palma under Siege, Napoleonic historical commemoration 1st Sunday in September (odd years)
Festival of St. Justine (1st Sunday in October)
City of Palmanova half marathon (November)
Christmas events and markets: December
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The transnational serial site consists of six structures located in Italy, Croatia and Montenegro, in Italy Bergamo, Palmanova and Peschiera del Garda. The organisation and the defences of the Stato da Terra (the “State on the Land”), which protected the Republic of Venice against the other European powers northwest, and the Stato da Mar (the “State on the Sea”), which protected the maritime routes and the ports in the Adriatic Sea, were necessary in order to sustain Venice’s power and continued expansion. Significant changes in military techniques and architecture arose with the introduction of gunpowder for war purposes, leading to the design of so-called alla moderna (“modern-style”), or bastioned, fortifications.
The Venetian works of defence are excellent examples of the bastioned system, or rather the alla moderna military culture, as well as the technical and logistical skills, the modern combat strategies and the new architectural requirements that arose in Venice during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The extent of the territory held by the Republic of Venice was the underlying reason for the rise of the alla moderna, or bastioned, system during the Renaissance period. The exceptional universal value consists of both earthworks and fortification structures and the landscape’s configuration, with the urban and defensive structures dating back to previous and more recent historical periods but nevertheless integrated within the Venetian works of defence.
EMILIA ROMAGNA FERRARA,
MODENA AND RAVENNA
FERRARA CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 80 DAILY CONNECTIONS
Este Castle
FERRARA
THE CITY AND ITS PO RIVER DELTA
From Este Castle, heading down Corso Ercole I d’Este (the centre of the Renaissance Addition), visitors will come to the Palazzo dei Diamanti, with its 8,000 pyramid-shaped stones, followed by the Palazzo Massari complex, stopping for a break in Piazza Ariostea, and ultimately arriving at the Church of San Cristoforo at the Charterhouse. The Este family promoted reclamation works in the Po River Delta, where the Este Delights were built, including the splendid Castle of Robinie.
FERRARA FERRARA (FE)
ALTITUDE 9 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 132,395
TOURISM INFO
Este Castle
Tel. +39 0532 209370
[ferrarainfo.com]
TRAIN INFO LOCAL STATION
FERRARA 1.5 km
EVERY DAY
32 connections from BOLOGNA
14 connections from RAVENNA
18 connections from VENEZIA
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
Pomposa Abbey is a Bene dictine monastic complex immersed within the park of the Po River Delta. It became an important spiritual and cultural centre after the year 1000 A.D. It stood on an island surrounded by the sea on one side, and two branches of the Po River on the other (the Goro and the Volano). The monastery was home to several illustrious individuals of the era, including Guido D’Arezzo, the monk who invented modern musical notation.
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
The Coppia ferrarese (known as the ciupeta in the local dialect) is a bakery product with a protected geographical indication typical of the province of Ferrara. It’s the perfect bread to accompany the local cured meats, in particular the typical garlic salami or salama da tai.
DID YOU KNOW... ?
With the MyFE card (available in 2-day, 3-day or 6-day versions), visitors can gain one-time admission to all the affiliated museums free of charge; the card also provides for discounted admission to the Palazzo dei Diamanti exhibits.
[ferrarainfo.com]
SAVE THE DATE
Vulandra International Kite Festival: April
Primavera Slow, hiking on the Po River Delta: March-June
Patronal feast, St. George: 23 April
The Palio of Ferrara (the world’s oldest): last Sunday in May
Ferrara Under the Stars, music festival: June-July
Musica Pomposa, Pomposa Abbey: June-August
Ferrara Buskers Festival, international street music festival: August
Internazionale a Ferrara, journalism festival: October
Ferrara Hot Air Balloon Festival: September
Church of San Cristoforo (Charterhouse)
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
Ferrara was the first Renaissance town to be developed according to a complex urban development plan whereby the harmonious arrangement of the urban perspective prevails on the beauty of each single building. From the 14th to the 16th century, the Este family launched an extensive land restoration nearby the Po River Delta, which included, in addition to the creation of new canals and roads, the establishment of castalderie, wide agricultural estates with prestigious palaces and large gardens connected to the city via an intricate network of inter-communicating waterways. Moreover numerous noble residences were built, known as the Este Delights. These consisted of palaces, villas and pavilions created to represent places of leisure and entertainment.
The Ferrara school of architecture exported various urban design methods and elements for the planning of other Italian and European cities, such as walls and fortresses.
With its almost entirely intact structure, buildings and urban fabric Ferrara’s historic centre is a perfect example of Renaissance urban planning.
The Po River Delta is an extraordinary planned cultural landscape that retains its original layout.
The Este Court was the crossroads of brilliant artists, poets and philosophers and ultimately became the focal point of Italian new humanism.
Pomposa Abbey
MODENA CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 150 DAILY CONNECTIONS
In Modena, everything revolves around Piazza Grande, where the buildings of secular and ecclesiastical power are located. A monumental 12th and 13th century complex that had an enormous influence on the development of Romanesque art throughout the Po Valley. The Duomo was founded in 1099 by the architect Lanfranco and the sculptor Wiligelmo. The Civic tower, which is connected to the cathedral by two arches, is called the Ghirlandina, perhaps because of the two garland-like balconies surround the cusp.
TRAIN INFO LOCAL STATION
MODENA 1 km
EVERY DAY
40 connections from BOLOGNA
10 connections from MILANO
28 connections from PIACENZA
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
The Civic tower is home to the Stanza della Secchia (the “Bucket Room”), where a copy of the famous secchia rapita (“stolen bucket”) can be seen (the original is held at the town hall). This bucket symbolised the hostilities between the Mo denese and the Bolognese, who faced each other at the Battle of Zappolino in 1325: a bloody clash described in the mock-heroic poem by Alessandro Tassoni.
LO SAI CHE...
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI is obtained from cooked grape must. The grapes come exclusively from Lambrusco, Sangiovese, Trebbiano, Albana, Ancellotta, Fortana and Montuni grapevines. Wine vinegar, aged vinegar (at least 10 years old) and a small percentage of caramel are added to the must.
The biglietto unico Sito Unesco (single Unesco Site ticket) allows visitors to visit the Ghirlandina Tower, the Duomo Museums, the Acetaia Comunale, and the historic rooms of the Palazzo Comunale, all for just 6 Euros.It has unlimited validity, and can even be used on different days for individual visits. [visitmodena.it]
SAVE THE DATE
Patronal feast, St. Geminianus: 31 January
Fairy Tale Festival, fairy tale encounters: June
Trofeo C. T. Aceto Balsamico Trad.le di Modena D.O.P.: June
Modena Motor Gallery, vintage car and motorcycle exhibition: September
Festivalfilosofia, philosophy throughout the territory: September
Grandezze & Meraviglie, festival of ancient music: September-October
La Bonissima, Festival of Modenese flavours and typical products: October
The Torre Civica (Ghirlandina)
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
Modena’s monumental complex, which consists of the Cathedral, Torre Civica and Piazza Grande, is an example of urban development closely linked to the values of civic life, above all in terms of the relationships between economy, religion and the political and social life of the city. From the 12th to the 13th century, the monumental complex represented one of the main schools of a new figurative language destined to have a major impact on the development of Romanesque art throughout the the Po Valley. At the European level, the Cathedral’s sculptures allow the understanding of the cultural context associated with the return of the monumental stone sculpture.
The Cathedral is a joint creation by the architect Lanfranco and the sculptor Wiligelmo, and represents a masterpiece of the human creative genius which gave rise to a new dialectical relation between architecture and sculpture in the Romanesque art.
The monumental complex is a splendid example of an architectural complex in which religious and secular values are brought together, and bears witness to the 12th century cultural traditions of northern Italian urban society.
The history of the buildings reflects the social and political organisation of the city itself.
Piazza Grande
RAVENNA CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 80 DAILY CONNECTIONS
Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe
RAVENNA
RAVENNA (RA)
ALTITUDE 4 m.a.s.l.
INHABITANTS 171,057
TOURISM INFO IAT
Piazza San Francesco, 7 Tel. +39 0544 35755
[turismo.ra.it]
TRAIN INFO
RAVENNA
EARLY CHRISTIAN MONUMENTS
As the Capital of the Western Roman Empire and the cradle of Byzantine culture in Italy, Ravenna is home to treasures like the Basilica of San Vitale, the Arian Baptistery, the Neonian Baptistery, the Archbishop’s Chapel, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo and the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe. Not to mention the Mausoleum of Theodoric, with its large monolithic dome in Aurisina stone, weighing nearly 230 tonnes.
LOCAL STATIONS
RAVENNA 600m-1.5 km
CLASSE 500 m
EVERY DAY RAVENNA
19 connections from BOLOGNA
14 connections from FERRARA
18 connections from RIMINI
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
Ravenna is the city of mosaics
Although it’s almost been sixteen centuries, the gold of the tiles hasn’t lost its shine. The eyes are drawn to the beauty of the starry vault of Gallia Placidia, to the jewels of Theodora and her handmaids in the Basilica of San Vitale, and to the good shepherd with the cloak covered in bees (a symbol of sweetness ready to defend itself) at the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe.
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
DID YOU KNOW... ?
With the Romagna Visit
Card you can visit more than 130 tourist sites in Ravenna, as well as in Forlì-Cesena, Rimini and Ferrara. The Unesco sites in the city of mosaics for which admission is free of charge include the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe and the Mausoleum of Theodoric.
[romagnavisitcard.it]
Ravenna Mosaico is a biennial exhibition of contemporary mosaic involving come of the most evocative places of the city, including monuments, museums, cloisters, and various other areas, all of which are transformed into splendid galleries where ancient and contemporary art are placed in constant dialogue.
SAVE
THE DATE
Ravenna Jazz, jazz festival: May
La Notte del Liscio, events celebrating the tradition of ballroom dancing: June
Ravenna Festival, classical music and opera: June-July
La Notte Rosa, summer festival of the Adriatic Riviera: July
Spiagge Soul, widespread Soul music festival: July
Patronal feast, Saint Apollinaris: 23 July
International Organ Music Festival: July-August
Settembre Dantesco, events dedicated to Dante Alighieri: September
La Notte d’Oro, the Ravenna arts festival: October
Nightmare Film Fest, film festival: October-November
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The site consists of eight monuments: the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, built according to the Western Latin tradition; the Neonian Baptistery, in perfect early-Christian style; the Arian Baptistery, with mosaics and iconographies linked to the Arian faith; the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, with mosaics typical of the Roman tradition and a strong Byzantine influence; the Mausoleum of Theodoric; the Archbishop’s Chapel, the only Orthodox monument built during Theodoric’s reign; and the Basilica of San Vitale, one of the greatest achievements of Byzantine architecture in Italy. The extraordinary Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe is located outside Ravenna.
These religious buildings reflect Ravenna’s important historical, political and religious circumstances of Ravenna, which became the capital of the Western Roman Empire in 402 B.C., then the Ostrogothic capital, and later the Byzantine capital during the 5th and 6th centuries A.D. Ravenna’s first Christian monuments are unparalleled, as they bear witness to the artistic and religious relationships during an important period of the European history. The mosaics are among the most beautiful ones in all of Europe, evan because of the mixing of the Greek-Roman tradition, Christian iconography and western and oriental styles, typical of the late Roman Empire. The early-Christian monuments are the symbol of the sacred and funerary art of the sixth century.
Basilica of San Vitale
TUSCANY FLORENCE,
PISA AND SIENA
FLORENCE CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 300 DAILYCONNECTIONS
The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella
FLORENCE
THE HISTORIC CENTRE
At just two minutes from the central station on foot, visitors can easily reach the Santa Maria Novella complex, with the new areas of the fourteenth-century Grand Cloister, the largest in all of Florence (56 arches with mid-16th century frescoes), and the ancient Refectory. Continue along Via della Scala, you’ll come to the oldest pharmacy-herbalist in all of Europe, which has been in business for 4 centuries. Not far off is the Museum of the Twentieth Century, which houses the prestigious Alberto Della Ragione collection.
FLORENCE
FLORENCE (FI)
ALTITUDE 55 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 381,190
TOURISM INFO [firenzeturismo.it]
TRAIN INFO
LOCAL STATIONS
FIRENZE SMN, RIFREDI, STATUTO, P. PRATO, C. MARTE, ROVEZZANO within 750 m
EVERY DAY
45 connections from AREZZO
26 connections from LIVORNO
58 connections from PISA
7 connections from ROMA
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
Since 1343 Florence has been divided into four histori cal districts, each with its own colour and named after its most important place of wor ship: Santa M. Novella, San Giovanni, Santa Croce, and Santo Spirito. In turn, each district is divided into four different zones. The current division scheme replaced the 14th century scheme consisting of six districts.
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
sandwiches can be purchased from the trippai, vendor stands scattered throughout various parts of the city, which sell and prepare beef offal (the socalled fifth quarter). It’s considered the most traditional Florentine street food.
LO SAI CHE...
The Firenze Card (valid for 72 hours) provides access to 72 sites of interest with no need for reservations. The only exception is the ascent to Brunelleschi’s Dome, which is included with the Card, but requires a reservation for admission (to be made on site). For more information visit: [firenzecard.it]
SAVE THE DATE
Pitti Immagine, fashion festival: January
Taste, fair dedicated to culinary excellence: March
International Crafts Fair: April
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, music festival: May-July
Historic Florentine Football, team play in historic outfits: June
Patronal feast, St. John the Baptist: 24 June
MusArt, art festival: July
Festival of San Lorenzo: August
Rificolona, popular folklore: September
Florence Marathon, foot race: November
Strings City, string instrument festival: December
The Church of Santa Croce (Cloister)
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
Florence has played a prominent role in the development of architecture and fine arts since the fifteenth century, becoming the cradle of the Italian Renaissance thanks to the work of extraordinary artists like Brunelleschi, Donatello and Masaccio, and the two artistic geniuses Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.
Considered to be the urban centre with the greatest concentration of artwork in all the world, Florence has remained unchanged over the centuries thanks to the Florentines’ ability to preserve the original construction techniques using traditional building materials, such as pietra forte, pietra serena, plasters and frescoes.
Florence is associated with events of universal importance, and is the birthplace of both the Renaissance concept, forged at the time of the Neoplatonic Academy, and modern Humanism, inspired by Landino, Poliziano, Marsilio Ficino, Pico della Mirandola and others.
Florence exercised strong economic and political power throughout Europe from the 14th to the 17th century. Prestigious buildings that bear witness to the grandeur of its bankers and princes were built during this period: Palazzo Rucellai, Palazzo Strozzi, Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens, the Sacristy of San Lorenzo, the Funerary Chapels of the Medici, the Laurentian Medici Library and many others.
The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (The Duomo)
CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 300 DAILYCONNECTIONS
Villa della Petraia
FLORENCE
THE MEDICI VILLAS AND GARDEN
Twelve villas and two ornamental gardens built at the behest of the Medici family from the 15th to the 17th century. World heritage sites scattered throughout the Tuscan countryside, considered to be among the region’s most important and elevated examples of Renaissance and Baroque architecture. These include the Villa Medici at Careggi, Villa di Castello, Villa della Petraia, and the Boboli Gardens, which, along with the historical centre of Florence, was already classified as a UNESCO world heritage site.
FLORENCE
FLORENCE (FI)
ALTITUDE 55 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 381,190
TOURISM INFO [firenzeturismo.it]
TRAIN INFO
LOCAL STATIONS
FIRENZE SMN, RIFREDI, STATUTO, P. PRATO, C. MARTE, ROVEZZANO within 750 m
EVERY DAY
45 connections from AREZZO
26 connections from LIVORNO
58 connections from PISA
7 connections from ROMA
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
The Boboli Gardens are home to the Limonaia, built around 1778 in the same location as the Animal Enclosure where Cosimo III kept exotic animals. To this day, this citrus shelter still houses about 500 conche (terracotta pots) of citrus trees from the garden from November to April: lemon, citron, grapefruit, Florentine bizzaria, melangles, Myrtle-leaved orange, mandarins and limes.
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
The two Medici Villas of Castello and Petraia can be visited with a short and evocative tour. Upon reaching Villa di Castello (a ten-minute walk from the Firenze Castello train station), and after having toured the Castello Gardens, be sure to take a walk along a narrow and picturesque road leading towards Villa della Petraia. DID YOU KNOW... ?
Ville e Giardini incantati (“Enchanted Villas and Gardens”) is a concert festival held by the Tuscan Orchestra at several Medici villas, including the Petraia and the gardens of the Medici Villa di Castello.
SAVE THE DATE
Cavalcata dei Re Magi, historical event: 6 January
Scoppio del Carro, event of the local secular and religious tradition:
Easter Sunday
Patronal feast, St. John the Baptist: 24 June
Rificolona, popular folklore: September
Festa del Grillo, folklore at Parco delle Cascine: Feast of the Ascension Florence Light Festival: December-January
Villa di Castello
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
Twelve villas and two ornamental gardens scattered throughout the Tuscan landscape bear witness to the influence exerted by the Medici family over modern European culture through their patronage of the arts. Built from the 15th to the 17th century, the villas represented a new type of noble residence that was different from both the farms owned by the wealthy Florentines of that time and the castles that symbolised the aristocratic power. They were the first example of a connection between a habitat, gardens and the environment and contributed to the development of an aesthetic awareness of the landscape, featured by the Humanism and the Renaissance.
The Medici villas and gardens of Tuscany represent the aristocratic rural residence model that spread throughout Italy during the Renaissance, and later throughout modern Europe, as the embodiment of a series of new political, economic and aesthetic ambitions.
The villas and gardens, which are dedicated to leisure, arts and knowledge, are a constant point of reference for the noble residences throughout Italy and Europe. They made an initial and decisive contribution to the birth of a new aesthetic order and a new way of life, and bear witness to the cultural and artistic patronage of the Medici family over the course of almost three centuries.
The Boboli Gardens
Bell Tower
PISA
PIAZZA DEL DUOMO
The Field of Miracles is famous for having been the stage for the early experiments of young Galileo Galilei. Piazza Duomo is the essence of cheerfulness and beauty, and the Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Bell Tower and the Cemetery are all masterpieces of medieval architecture. Inside the cemetery, after 20 years of restoration work, the wonderful 14th-century frescoes by Buonamico Buffalmacco, a 1,500 square-metre wall known as the Sistine Chapel of the Middle Ages, have finally seen the light of day once again.
PISA
PISA (PI)
ALTITUDE 4 m.a.s.l.
INHABITANTS 90,408
TOURISM INFO
Tourism office
Piazza Duomo, 7 Tel. +39 050 550100
[turismo.pisa.it]
TRAIN INFO
LOCAL STATIONS
PISA C.LE 1.8 km
PISA S. ROSSORE 1.8 km
EVERY DAY
60 connections from FIRENZE
23 connections from LA SPEZIA
29 connections from LUCCA
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
Visit Piazza Duomo wearing the Art Glass multimedia glasses to discover the city’s artistic and cultural heritage through augmented reality. You’ll be accompanied on this real and virtual journey by Galileo Galilei, thanks to whom you’ll learn all about the unghie del diavolo (“devil’s nails”), the sezione aurea (“golden section”) of the Baptistery, why the Bell Tower is leaning, and much more!
DID YOU KNOW... ?
Pisa Urban Treasure Hunt is an App that allows visitors to discover the city by taking on challenges of recognising certain places or significant monuments. It’s an itinerary in stages with tests to be overcome in order to earn points and gain access to the next stage. [turismo.pisa.it]
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
The Internet Festival is held every year in October: Italy’s main event dedicated to exploring the Internet. It’s an event where new and future technologies are presented, and various topics are discussed, at different locations throughout the territory.
SAVE THE DATE
Pisa Folk Festival, music, theatre, food and wine: May-June
Patronal feast, St. Rainerius: 17 June
Metarock, music event: September
Anima Mundi, religious music festival: September-October
National Literary Prize, cultural event: October
Internet Festival, new technologies and innovation: October
Concerti della Normale, classical music: October-June
Pisa Book Festival, literature fair: November
Pisa Marathon: December
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
Pisa, one of the glorious Italian Maritime Republics, is no longer by the sea, nevertheless it retains its medieval urban fabric. Piazza del Duomo, known as the Field of Miracles, is home to four masterpieces of the medieval architecture: the Cathedral, innovative due to the use of the polychrome architecture and arcaded loggia; the Baptistery, which boasts an exceptional acoustics thanks to its double dome (inside a truncated-cone shaped dome and outside a hemispheric dome); the famous Bell Tower, known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa; the Cemetery, with its wonderful frescoes, including Buffalmacco’s Triumph of Death. These monuments are expression of the Pisan-Romanesque style and represent the fundamental moments of the Christian life, from birth to death.
The Field of Miracles is a unique artistic example of spatial design. It is made up of four masterpieces which have substantially influenced the development of architecture and monumental art and safeguard some world famous artworks, such as the Cathedral’s bronze doors and mosaic, the Baptistery’s and the Cathedral’s pulpits, and the Cemetery’s frescoes.
Inside the Cathedral, by observing the oscillation of the bronze chandeliers made by Battista Lorenzi, the nineteen-year-old Galileo Galilei came up with the isochronism of a pendulum’s theory and later from the top of the Bell Tower conducted some experiments that led him to formulate his Law of Falling Bodies.
The Cathedral
SIENA CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 50 DAILY CONNECTIONS
Mangia Tower
SIENA
THE HISTORIC CENTRE
A visit to the city of the Palio can only begin from Piazza del Campo, overlooked by the Mangia Tower. Admire Simone Martini’s Maestà at the Civic Museum, and climb up Via di Città to the Italian Romantic-Gothic style Duomo, which stands opposite the ancient hospital of Santa Maria della Scala, now a museum complex. Proceed towards the grandiose Basilica of San Domenico and the former Home of Santa Caterina da Siena (now a sanctuary), which contains numerous testimonials about her life.
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
The first Palio of Siena involving horses, as it is still conducted today, took place in 1644. The youngest jockey to have ever won was 13 years old, in 1823. In 1957, on the other hand, Rossana Bonelli took part in the race for the Contrada dell’Aquila team, becoming the only woman to have ever participated in the Palio in Piazza del Campo.
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
DID YOU KNOW… ?
Pappardelle (thick strips of fresh pasta) are a traditional Tuscan dish served over top of a hare sauce, and then mixed together. Never vice versa! They go perfectly with a good Chianti or a Rosso di Montepulciano.
The Opa Si Pass allows visitors to gain access to all the museum locations of the Duomo of Siena’s monumental complex (the Duomo, the Baptistery of San Giovanni, and the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo) with a single ticket. The itinerary has a duration of approximately two hours, and the ticket is valid for three consecutive days from the date of issue. [operaduomo.siena.it]
SAVE THE DATE
Terra di Siena Film Festival: September-October
Franci Spring Festival, classical music event: June
Palio di Siena: 2 July and 16 August
Chigiana International Festival, music festival: July-August
Feast of the Tabernacles: 8 September
World Francigena Ultra Marathon, trekking and Nordic walking race: October
SIPAContest Festival, photography contest: October
Patronal feast, St. Ansanus: 1 December
The Duomo
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The historic centre is surrounded by the ancient bastions, built from the 14th to the 16th century, which follow the contours of the three hills where the city was built, connected by three large roads that intersect to form a “Y” in a valley that later became Piazza del Campo. Seven kilometres of fortified walls contain tower houses, historic buildings, churches and religious structures, still surviving in their original function, as well as several splendid fountains, ancient roadways and green areas. Siena is a rare example of a perfectly preserved large medieval city, in part because it has not suffered any war damage or modern industrial development, and in part because it lies outside the major Italian development areas.
Siena is an extraordinary medieval city, a masterpiece where the buildings adapt to the urban fabric and blend in perfectly with the surrounding landscape. Due to these characteristics, Siena had a major influence upon Italian and European art, architecture and urban planning from the 13th to the 17th century.
Over the centuries the city has retained the Gothic appearance it acquired from the 12th to the 15th century, even thanks to the use of the Sienese arch, brought to the city from east during the Crusades and remained a predominant architectural element until the Renaissance.
The Gothic elements remained prevalent even during the great restoration efforts carried out from the 17th to 1the 9th century.
Piazza del Campo
UMBRIA ASSISI AND SPOLETO
CONNECTIONS
CAN BE REACHED WITH ABOUT 30 DAILY
The Basilica of St. Francis
ASSISI
THE BASILICA OF SAINT FRANCIS
AND OTHER FRANCISCAN SITES
The basilica complex of St. Francis, the emblematic symbol of Assisi, dominates the plain below, affording formidable views as far as the eye can see. The Upper Basilica features 28 colourful frescoes by Giotto depicting the life of the brotherhood’s patron Saint, who is entombed in the crypt along with his loyal companions and a Roman noblewoman, Jacopa de’ Settesoli.
ASSISI PERUGIA (PG)
ALTITUDE 424 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 28,415
TOURISM INFO IAT
Piazza del Comune, 10 Tel. +39 075 8138680
[visit-assisi.it]
TRAIN INFO LOCAL STATION
ASSISI within 2 km
EVERY DAY
6 connections from FIRENZE
22 connections from FOLIGNO 21 connections from PERUGIA
4 connections from ROMA
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
The twentieth scene of the life of St. Francis (Giotto, Basilica Superiore) contains the profile of a demon with dark horns emerging from the clouds. In fact, during the Middle Ages it was believed that demons even inhabited the sky, and sought to prevent souls form ascending to heaven. This demon has been there for eight centuries, but its presence was only discovered a few years ago.
DID YOU KNOW… ?
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
Umbria’s appetizer par excellence is the bruschetta. What goes best on it? Try out this trio: black truffle pate, sauce made with black or green olives, and extra virgin olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper.
SAVE THE DATE
Admission to all the religious sites in Assisi is free of charge. A single ticket for admission to the Roman Forum (archaeological museum), the Rocca Maggiore (medieval castle) and the Pinacoteca (art gallery) is also available for purchase.
[visit-assisi.it]
The Carnival of Wonders: February
The Day of Peace, prayer and fasting event: February
Calendimaggio, medieval historical commemoration: May
Feast of the Vow, commemorating the expulsion of the Saracens: 22 June
Patronal feast, St. Rufinus: 12 August
Palio of San Rufino, historical-folkloristic event: August
Assisi Sacred Sound, music festival: August
Cavalcade of Satriano, historical commemoration: September
Feast of St. Francis, ceremonies and events: 3-4 October
The Basilica of Santa Chiara
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
Assisi is worldwide known as the town of St. Francis and the home of many initiatives dedicated to peace and inter-religious dialogue. The town’s extraordinary artistic and architectural heritage is dominated by the Basilica of St. Francis, which is made up of two churches, the Upper one and the Lower one, and a crypt with a simple sarcophagus resting on the bare rock, which contains the Saint’s remains. The UNESCO site also includes the Church of Santa Clara, the Cathedral of San Rufino, the Church of San Pietro, the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, and the Chiesa Nuova. The Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli protects the small church known as the Porziuncola, which is the place where St. Francis passed away and later became the birthplace of the Franciscanism.
The artistic and spiritual message of the Franciscans and the masterpieces of human creative genius have contributed to the development of art and architecture all over the world.
Thanks to its cultural landscape, its religious artistic heritage and the traditional use of the land, this sanctuary town serves as an example of continuity from the past to the present.
Since the Middle Age Assisi is linked to the cult and dissemination of Franciscanism and to the universal message of peace and tolerance, even towards different religions.
SPOLETO CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 50 DAILY CONNECTIONS
SPOLETO
THE LOMBARDS IN ITALY
The Church of San Salvatore reflects different historical trends: Greco-Roman, Byzantine, and Lombard. Having served as an early-Christian Basilica during the 4th and 5th centuries, the building was later modified by the Lombards during the 8th century. The elements that have remained from the early church and its oldest transformations include the apse, the presbytery, and the façade. It has a characteristic strong presence of spolia, or rather the reuse of ancient materials for columns, bases, capitals and the interior lintel.
SPOLETO PERUGIA (PG)
ALTITUDE 396 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 38,035
TOURISM INFO IAT
Largo Ferrer, 6 Tel.+39 0743 218620
[comunespoleto.gov.it]
TRAIN INFO LOCAL STATION
SPOLETO 1.4 km
EVERY DAY
6 connections from ANCONA
7 connections from PERUGIA 13 connections from ROMA
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
The Basilica of San Salvatore has clear elements of eastern origin, both in the structure of the presbytery (with its closed side chapels) and in the decorative style of the façade (which bears striking similarities to various Syrian monuments). This is due to the presence of a large settlement of Syrian monks in the Spoleto area during the first centuries of Christianity.
DID YOU KNOW... ?
The Spoleto card is a single ticket, valid for 7 days, that provides visitors with admission to the town’s various museums, as well as benefits at other museums, and discounts at 35 affiliated businesses. [spoletocard.it]
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
The Festival of the Two Worlds, also known as the Spoleto Festival, is an international event dedicated to music, art, culture and entertainment that’s been held every year since 1958.
SAVE THE DATE
Patronal feast, St. Pontianus: 14 January
International Dance Week: March
Spoleto Piano Festival, musical event: April-May
The Festival of the Two Worlds: June-July
Nickelodeon Social Short Film Awards: December
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The Unesco Site consists of fortresses, ancient churches, and fascinating monasteries all along the Italian peninsula: extraordinary works of architecture that bear witness to the cultural and artistic synthesis that took place in Italy from the 6th to the 8th century involving the Roman tradition, the Christian spirituality, the Byzantine influences and some values borrowed from the Germanic world. The same synthesis marks the transition between the Age of Antiquity and the European Middle Ages. One of the practical manifestations of this phenomenon of integration and synthesis was the use of ancient materials by the Lombards, who recycled old stones and architectural materials from necropolises or abandoned buildings, combining them with innovations of Germanic origins.
The Lombard places of power reveal new and extraordinary artistic and monumental forms, which bear witness to the specificity of the Lombard culture within the context of early medieval Europe. As a whole they constitute a unique and clearly identifiable cultural series, whose many languages and purposes reveal the power of the various Lombard elites.
The Lombards significantly strengthened the monastic movement, and played a decisive role in transmitting classical works of literature, technology, architecture, science, history and law to the nascent European world.
Castel Sant'Angelo (Rome)
LAZIO
ROME AND TIVOLI
The Flavian Amphitheatre (Colosseum)
ROME CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 700 DAILY CONNECTIONS
ROME
THE HISTORIC CENTRE
Roma Caput Mundi! This historic city is home to ancient monuments that have come to symbolise the city itself: The Colosseum, the Imperial Fora, the Baths of Caracalla (one of the most grandiose examples of an imperial baths complex), and the Circus Maximus (where the chariots raced). Heading northwards along the Tiber River, we come to the mausoleum of Augustus, whose style is reminiscent of the tomb of Alexander the Great, and Castel Sant’Angelo, which is connected to Vatican City by a fortified passageway: the Passetto di Borgo.
ROME ROME (RM)
TOURISM INFO [turismoroma.it]
TRAIN INFO
EVERY DAY FROM THE FOLLOWING STATIONS: ROMA TERMINI 1 km
25 connections from CASSINO
36 connections from CIVITAVECCHIA
14 connections from NAPOLI
21 connections from NETTUNO
38 connections from LATINA ROMA TRASTEVERE/ OSTIENSE 1 km
39 connections from CIVITAVECCHIA
63 connections from FIUMICINO APT
17 connections from ORTE
19 connections from VITERBO
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
The Pantheon boasts the largest self-supporting masonry dome in the world. It has a diameter of over 43 m, which coincides with the building’s height. This is one of the secrets of its elegance and the perfect acoustics. Nobody knows who designed it, but whoever did it did a perfect job, because, despite the invasions and the earthquakes, the Pantheon is still intact after almost 2,000 years.
DID YOU KNOW… ?
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
alla giudia and alla romana are prepared using typical Roman artichokes, called cimarolo (or mammole) artichokes. The alla giudia type are deep fried, while the alla romana type are pan fried with a garlic, parsley and mint filling.
SAVE THE DATE
The Roma Pass, promoted by Roma Capitale and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, in collaboration with ATAC, is the Capital City’s cultural-tourism card that offers discounts and services for visiting Rome’s attractions. It’s available in two versions: 48 hours and 72 hours. [romapass.it]
Rome Biennal International Painting, Sculpture and Photography Exhibition: odd years in January
David di Donatello, Italian Oscar Awards: March
Rome Marathon, non-competitive foot race: April
Primo Maggio, international workers’ day concert: 1 May
Patronal feast, Saints Peter and Paul: 29 June
Rome film Festival: October
Estate Romana, cultural event: June-September
Festa de' Noantri, in honour of the Blessed Virgin of Carmel: July
Romaeuropa Festival, art, dance, theatre, music and film exhibition: September-November
The Pantheon (dome)
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The site includes the entire part of the city’s Historic Centre that’s encircled by the 17th century walls and several extraterritorial assets belonging to Vatican City, including the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, Santa Maria Maggiore, Palazzo della Cancelleria and the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. The site contains structures of unparalleled artistic value, built over the span of almost three millennia: monuments of antiquity today symbols of the city itself, like the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Imperial Fora; fortifications built over the centuries, urban development projects from the Renaissance and Baroque eras, including Piazza Navona and the Piazza di Spagna; civic and religious buildings, sculptures and paintings.
The Imperial Fora
Over the centuries, the works of Rome influenced architecture, painting and sculpture everywhere in the ancient world, and became models for Renaissance, Baroque and neoclassical art, which spread all around the western world. Rome represents a unique example of the succession of the different eras of western civilisation, as it combines various areas from different historical periods within a single urban fabric. This complex and clear diversity of styles, which overlaps different architectural languages, blends into a uniform urban landscape and gives the site a highly characteristic image.
TIVOLI CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 40 DAILY CONNECTIONS
TIVOLI
VILLA D'ESTE
Villa d’Este is a masterpiece Renaissance Italian garden, and is a model that was repeatedly imitated throughout Europe during the Mannerism and Baroque periods. The villa was commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito d'Este of Ferrara, the son of Lucrezia Borgia and Alfonso I, who received the territories of Tivoli as a gift from Pope Julius III. There, the Cardinal resurrected the past glories of the courts of Ferrara, Rome and Fointanebleau, and revived the magnificence of Villa Adriana. The Villa hosted many illustrious guests, including musician Franz Liszt.
TIVOLI ROME (RM)
ALTITUDE 235 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 56,550
TOURISM INFO IAT
Piazzale Nazioni Unite Tel. +39 0774 313536
[visittivoli.eu]
TRAIN INFO LOCAL STATION
TIVOLI 1.2 km
EVERY DAY
13 connections from AVEZZANO 28 connections from ROMA
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
The fountains are without a doubt Villa d’Este’s greatest attractions. The Fontana del Bicchierone (“Big Glass Fountain”), which was given this name because it consisted of two stacked chalices supported by a sea shell, and the waterfall of the Fontana dell’Organo (“Organ Fountain”) were built by Bernini in 1661. And then there’s the Avenue of the Hundred Fountains, which has served as the backdrop for numerous films, like the banquet scene in the blockbuster film
Ben Hur, directed by William Wyler in 1959.
DID YOU KNOW... ?
The water organ of the Fontana dell'Organo, built between 1568 and 1611, is activated daily every two hours, starting at 10:30 a.m. It consists of a water mechanism that generates organ music.
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
The Festival of the Pizzutello, known as the Uva Corna (horn-shaped grape”) due to its elongated shape, is held during the months of September and October. During ancient times this fruit was found in the area adjacent to Villa d’Este, and around the ancient road leading into Tivoli.
SAVE THE DATE
Festival of San Giuseppe: 19 March
EstateTivoli, Summer events Festival: June-July
Along Came Jazz, music festival, at the Tivoli Baths: July
Tivoli Chiama, arts festival: July-August
Patronal feast, St. Laurence: 10 August
L’Inchinata, ancient procession (since 1524): 14 and 15 August
Festival of the Pizzutello, food and wine event: September-October Christmas in Tivoli, Christmas events with a Nativity Scene exhibition/ contest: December-January
The Fontana dell’Organo
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
Villa d’Este is one of the most remarkable and refined examples of the 16th century Renaissance culture and is part of the series of opulent country villas built by Roman cardinals and noble families to rival the magnificence of the Papacy. The garden extends along the slopes descending from the building itself down to a flat terrace, and each one of its five main transverse axes ends with a fountain. This layout was adopted in order to create an optical illusion that would conceal the garden’s irregular shape and to make the building appear centred, even though it is not perfectly aligned with respect to the architectural complex.
The Fontana dell'Ovato
As one of the first Gardens of Wonders, Villa d’Este served as a model and had a major impact on the development of other gardens throughout Europe. By virtue of its innovative design and the creativity of the park’s architectural components (namely the fountains and ornamental basins), it represents a unique example of the 16th century Italian garden. The fountains’ garden is considered a masterpiece of water engineering in terms of both the system’s general conception and the complexity of its distribution system. The realisation of the various water features, including the first water automations in Italy, are also of extraordinary technical and aesthetic interest.
CAMPANIA
CASERTA, NAPLES, POMPEI-HERCULANEUM AND TORRE ANNUNZIATA, VIETRI SUL MARE, PAESTUM, AND BENEVENTO
CASERTA CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 100 DAILY CONNECTIONS
CASERTA
CASERTA (CE)
ALTITUDE 20 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 75,811
TOURISM INFO
IAT
Palazzo Reale
Tel. +39 0823 273512
[eptcaserta.it]
TRAIN INFO
CASERTA
THE ROYAL PALACE AND THE PARK
Caserta’s Royal Palace is Italy’s Versailles. It was built in 1750 at the behest of King Charles III of Spain, whose intent was to create a palace that would be the ideal centre of a modern capital city (Caserta) capable of rivalling the great European cities. The architect who was entrusted with the complex, Luigi Vanvitelli, designed a palace that represented the triumph of Italian Baroque architecture, with a scenic park made up of fountains and waterfalls.
LOCAL STATION
CASERTA 450 m
EVERY DAY
10 connections from BENEVENTO
71 connections from NAPOLI
6 connections from ROMA
13 connections from SALERNO
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
The interiors of the Caserta Royal Palace were used as a set by George Lucas in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) and Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) These were the scenes filmed in the Royal Palace of Naboo, a fictional planet full of green areas and royal residences.
DID YOU KNOW... ?
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
Visitors holding the annual ParcApp Reggia di Caserta ticket will have access to the entire Vanvitelliano Complex (Apartments, Park, and English garden), excluding exhibitions and events. The Parco Reggia di Caserta voucher, on the other hand, provides access to the park alone. [reggiadicaserta.beniculturali.it]
Casatiéllo is a sweet or savoury cake typically found during the Easter period. It can be sweet, or else savoury, with cheese, salami and eggs.
SAVE THE DATE
Patronal feast, St. Sebastian: 20 January
Caserta Jazz Festival, music event: June
Sagra delle Pallottole, food festival, in San Leucio: June
Caserta Rock Festival, music festival: July
Un’Estate da Re, symphony music, opera and ballet at the Caserta Royal Palace: June-August
City of Caserta Theatre Season: October-March
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The monumental complex of Caserta includes the magnificent palace, the park and the gardens, as well as the natural forest, the hunting lodges and the silk factory. The Royal Palace is the main attraction, and the park is the last of the great European Gardens, inspired by Versailles and by the 16th-century models of the Roman and Tuscan villas. San Leucio complex, which consists of the ancient Casino del Belvedere (later transformed into a spinning mill), housed a community of workers who were guaranteed housing, schooling, medical assistance and every necessary service, according to a social model based on the values of work and equality. The Aqueduct of Vanvitelli not only served the palace and gardens, but also ironworks, mills and the manufacturing plants.
The monumental complex of Caserta represents the rise of an enlightenment spirit that resulted in buildings of great architectural value inserted within a natural landscape, according to an ambitious design that envisaged the construction of a new city connected by the Aqueduct of Vanvitelli. The innovative urban layout created by the Bourbon dynasty within the monumental complex of Caserta adheres to the Vitruvian principles of solidity, functionality and beauty and is consistent with the neoclassical culture in vogue during that period.
The extraordinary value of the Casino del Belvedere, used for the production of silk fabrics, derives from the idealistic principles underlying its original conception and management.
NAPLES
CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 350 DAILY CONNECTIONS
NAPLES
NAPLES (NA)
ALTITUDE 17 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 966,425
TOURISM INFO
Tel. +39 081 7956161
[comune.napoli.it]
TRAIN INFO
NAPLES
THE HISTORIC CENTRE
The historic centre of Naples must be explored on foot. Take a stroll down the Spaccanapoli: you’ll find yourself in Piazza del Gesù Nuovo (depicted on the old 10,000 lire banknotes), with the Church of Santa Chiara and its splendid courtyard. Near Piazza San Domenico Maggiore lies the beautiful Chapel of Sansevero, with the sculpture of the Veiled Christ by Giuseppe Sanmartino. Be sure to visit the Church of San Gregorio Armeno, where nativity scenes are made using statuettes of both ancient and modern characters.
LOCAL STATIONS
NAPOLI P. GARIBALDI, MERGELLINA, P. AMEDEO, C. FLEGREI, CAVOUR AND MONTESANTO within 700 m
EVERY DAY
73 connections from CASERTA
12 connections from ROMA 48 connections from SALERNO
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
Naples has over 200 natural pedestrian paths that are being maintained and improved by va rious associations, including the WWF and Legambiente. One of the most striking stairways is the Pedamentina, which consists of 414 steps, and connects the San Martino Charterhouse to the historic centre of Naples, on a pathway made up of beautiful gardens and breathtaking scenery.
DID YOU KNOW... ?
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
Naples is home to Italy's best pizzerias. There was never any need for the Michelin Guide or the Gambero Rosso to say so. The secrets? The flour, the leavening, the tomatoes, and, naturally, the Mozzarella di Bufala Campania DOP.
With the Campania Artecard, visitors can explore the artistic and cultural attractions of Naples, and use the means of public transport operated by the Unicocampania consortium. It’s valid for 3 days starting on the date of activation, and the holder can enter the first 3 sites they visit free of charge, and obtain a discount of up to 50% from the 4th site onwards. [campaniartecard.it]
SAVE THE DATE
NAUTICSUD, International Boat Show: February
Napoli Comicon, International Comics and Gaming Exhibition: April-May Maggio dei monumenti, in the historic centre: May
BaccalàRe, food and wine event: May
Napoli Pizza Festival, food festival: June
Napoli Teatro Festival, theatre festival: June-July
Festa di Piedigrotta, popular festival: 8 September
Patronal feast, St. Januarius: 19 September
Napoli Film Festival, film festival: September-October
The Church of Santa Chiara
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The origins of the city date back to the 6th century B.C. when several Greek settlers founded the town of Parthenope on the islet of Megaride, where Castel Dell’Ovo now stands. In 470 B.C. the town was re-established by the Greeks as Neapolis, meaning “new town”. Naples is one of the oldest cities in Europe and still retains ample evidence of its long and troubled history. In fact, over the course of the centuries it was ruled by the Byzantines, the Normans, the Angevins, the Aragonese and the Bourbons. Under the Bourbons, during the eighteenth century, Naples became one of the most important European capitals and exerted significant influence in many cultural fields, especially art and architecture, reaching various milestones in terms of scientific and technological innovation.
Naples played a fundamental role in bringing Greek culture to Roman society.
The city has exercised great influence since antiquity, being one of the most important cities of Magna Graecia and the Roman Republic. Later, from the Middle Ages to the 18th century, Naples became a major centre for the arts and architecture, with its Royal Palace, ancient forts, buildings and churches built by noble families.
The historic centre, which overlooks the famous Gulf of Naples, is a splendid example of a monumental and urbanistic complex that bears witness to the wide range of cultural influences to which it has been exposed.
Piazza del Plebiscito
POMPEI, HERCULANEUM AND TORRE ANNUNZIATA
CAN BE
REACHED
WITH OVER 150 DAILY CONNECTIONS
Herculaneum
HERCULANEUM NAPLES (NA)
ALTITUDE 44 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 52,842
TOURISM INFO [comune.ercolano.na.it]
TRAIN INFO
POMPEI, HERCULANEUM AND TORRE ANNUNZIATA
THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES
The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Wiped out the two flourishing Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as many other luxurious villas in the surrounding areas. Pompeii (with its Villa of the Mysteries), Herculaneum (with its Villa dei Papiri), and the excavations of Oplontis, in the modern town of Torre Annunziata (with the Villas of Poppea and L. Crasso Terzio), can be reached directly by train within two kilometres. These sites provide a complete picture of the ancient Roman city.
EVERY DAY FROM THE FOLLOWING STATIONS:
POMPEI 2 km
34 connections from NAPOLI
32 connections from SALERNO
PORTICI-ERCOLANO 2 km
43 connections from NAPOLI
31 connections from SALERNO
TORRE ANNUNZIATA 2 km
43 connections from NAPOLI
32 connections from SALERNO
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
On what date did Mt. Vesuvius erupt in 79 A.D., destroying Pompeii and Her culaneum? According to a letter by Pliny the Younger to Tacitus, it was on August 24 but a number of archaeologi cal finds that have gradually emerged have shown that the eruption most likely occurred in the autumn, probably on October 24
DID YOU KNOW... ?
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
Coffee is an institution around here. The secret?
Once a month, visitors can travel from the centre of Naples to the two archaeological parks of Pompeii and Paestum on board the Archeotreno Campania, a historical train with classic Centoporte coaches from the 1930s, and Corbellini coaches from the 1950s, all towed by a completely restored electric locomotive from the 1960s. [fondazionefs.it]
It’s an art that begins with the selection of the coffee maker: the Neapolitan version is called the cuccumella, and produces a full-flavoured beverage.
SAVE THE DATE
Patronal Feast, Our Lady of the Rosary, in Pompeii: 8 May
Pompeii Theatrum Mundi, in Pompei: June-July
Patronal Feast, Our Lady of the Assumption, in Herculaneum: 15 August
Patronal feast, Our Lady of the Snows, in Torre Annunziata: 22 October
International Short film Festival dedicated to Dino De Laurentiis, in Torre Annunziata: November
Villa Oplontis (Torre Annunziata)
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The site includes three distinct archaeological areas: the ancient cities of Pompei and Herculaneum, with Villa dei Misteri and Villa dei Papiri, and the Villas of Poppea and L. Crasso Terzio in Torre Annunziata (Oplontis). These three areas were wiped out by the eruption of Vesuvius on 24 August 79 A.D., and the excavations to recover the remains of the settlements, which emerged exceptionally preserved from beneath the layers of ash and pumice, only began in the 18th century. It represents a unique case in the field of archaeology because, by covering everything with volcanic material, the natural disaster that destroyed the settlements preserved the buildings themselves, thus providing us with a great deal of insight into Roman civilization.
The extraordinary finds from the cities of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata constitute a complete and living testimony to late-Republican and early-Imperial Roman civilization. In particular, the villas of Oplontis provide a vivid depiction of the luxurious lifestyle of Rome’s wealthiest classes.
The three archaeological areas shed light on numerous aspects of Roman life from a historical, urbanistic, cultural, political, social, and anthropological perspective. They include direct evidence and finds that reveal culinary and medical habits, even the fashion of the time, such as jewellery, feminine accessories, perfumes, glassware and countless details about everyday life.
Pompei
VIETRI SUL MARE
CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 50 DAILY CONNECTIONS
VIETRI SUL MARE
THE AMALFI COAST
Vietri sul Mare lies near the coast on the hills where the Amalfi Coast begins (or ends, if coming from Sorrento), overlooking the sea, with slopes extending down towards the shore area. Vietri is known for the Majolica Dome of its Duomo, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, featuring green, yellow and blue ceramic elements. The colours are so vivid that they can even be seen from afar.
VIETRI SUL MARE
SALERNO (SA)
ALTITUDE m 80 s.l.m.
INHABITANTS 7,793
TOURISM INFO
Town Hall
Tel. +39 089 763811
[comune.vietri-sul-mare. sa.it]
TRAIN INFO
LOCAL STATION
VIETRI SUL MARE 800 m
EVERY DAY
30 connections from NAPOLI
39 connections from SALERNO
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
For an enjoyable hike in the countryside, visitors can immerse themselves in the trails linking Vietri sul Mare to the Amalfi Coast. During Saracen attacks, these roads were used to flee to higher ground, where the Marina di Vietri tower was built to watch for approaching pirates, and where Parco Croce now lies, a WWF oasis on the slopes of Mount Falerio, established at the behest of Benedetto Croce’ daughter.
Given the choice, the best time to visit the Amalfi Coast is from April to June, when spring explodes with an abundance of fragrances and colours. Before the summer’s heat and the hordes of tourists arrive. May is the best month: the temperatures are perfect, there aren’t too many people, and there’s a wonderful fragrance of orange blossoms in the evening. DID YOU KNOW… ?
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
The history of the ceramics industry in Vietri Sul Mare dates back thousands of years, and can be retraced by visiting the Solimene ceramics factory, which exhibits contemporary ceramics, and the Provincial Museum of Ceramics, housed in Villa Guariglia.
SAVE THE DATE
Patronal feast, St. John: 24 June Feast of the Immaculate Conception: 7-8 December
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The Amalfi Coast is an area of extraordinary natural beauty, characterised by terraced vineyards and orchards and towns of enormous architectural and artistic value, including Amalfi and Ravello. The Unesco site covers twelve municipalities, along with a number of historical/artistic testimonials bearing witness to their origins, including the 1st century Roman Villas of Minori and Positano, the elements of medieval public and private architecture, the precious jewellery and craft items housed in the churches and museums, the natural wonders of the Valle dei Mulini and the majolica domes of Vietri, a town famous worldwide for its ceramic production.
The Amalfi Coast represents an important interchange of human values that has taken place over a long period of time within the Mediterranean cultural area in terms of architecture, technology, monumental arts, urban planning and landscape design. It’s an exceptional example of a traditional human settlement and man’s interaction with the environment, and represents a culture that uses territorial and marine resources respecting nature and the environment.
The Amalfi Coast is a wonderful example of a Mediterranean landscape with extraordinary natural and cultural value.
PAESTUM
CAN BE REACHED WITH ABOUT 25 DAILY CONNECTIONS
CAPACCIO PAESTUM
SALERNO (SA)
ALTITUDE 441 m.a.s.l.
INHABITANTS 22,758
TOURISM INFO IAT
Paestum Train Station
Tel. +39 0828 725649
[paestumeventi.it]
TRAIN INFO
PAESTUM
THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK
Paestum, the ancient Greek city of Poiseidonia, was founded by the Greeks at the end of the 7th century B.C., and was later occupied by the Lucanians until Rome made it into an important colony in 273 B.C., giving it its present name. Visitors can enjoy enchanting strolls among the Doric-style buildings, including the Temple of Hera (6th century B.C.), the grandiose and elegant Temple of Neptune (5th century B.C.), and the Temple of Ceres (6th century B.C.), which contains three Christian tombs.
LOCAL STATION
PAESTUM 950 m
EVERY DAY
11 connections from NAPOLI
13 connections from SALERNO
12 connections from SAPRI
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
Paestum by night: during the months of July and August, the magical atmosphere of the temples of Paestum can be admired while strolling under the stars until midnight. A series of special admission times to the archaeological area, during which special guided tours are held.
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
DID YOU KNOW… ?
You can adopt a block from the ancient city of Paestum’s walls for one year. In this manner, you’ll become a donor, and can enjoy free admission, with the possibility of having your name and the specific block you have adopted indicated on the Paestum Archaeological Park’s website. [museopaestum.beniculturali.it]
The Paestum Archaeological Area and Museum host events, concerts, night walks, workshops and conferences all year round; there are also numerous archaeological digs, research and conservation activities.
SAVE THE DATE
National Landscape Day: 14 March
International Museum Day: 18 May
Archaeology Day: 14-15-16 June
Patronal feast, St. Vito: 15 June
Music festival: 21 June
European Heritage Days: 21-22 September
Family Museum Days @famu: Sunday 13 October
Mediterranean Archaeological Tourism Exchange: November
International Disability Day: 3 December (in Paestum)
Basilica and Temple of Neptune
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park is a land of extraordinary cultural and naturalistic importance, so much that it has been recognised as a MAB Biosphere Reserve in 1997 and included in the Global Geoparks Network in 2010. Paestum, formerly known as Poseidonia by the ancient Greeks, was founded in the late 7th century B.C. and still retains several extraordinary Doric temples; Velia, known as Elea to the ancient Greeks, was founded in 540 B.C. by settlers from Focea and was the birthplace of philosophers Parmenides and Zeno, who gave rise to the Eleatic school; San Lorenzo Charterhouse in Padula, begun in 1306 and completed during the 19th century, is the most extensive monastic complex in southern Italy and one of the most interesting in all of Europe.
Cilento is a cultural landscape of extraordinary cultural value that contains evidence of settlements dating back to 250,000 years ago and have continuously been inhabited until today, thus bearing witness to an ancient interaction between man and nature. The Cilento region was the boundary between the colonies of Magna Graecia and the indigenous Etruscan and Lucanian populations. The spectacular groups of sanctuaries and settlements bear witness to the area’s historical development. The Cilento region is of great cultural value because it was a crossroads of major trade and communication routes between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Adriatic Sea during both prehistory and the Middle Ages, and was a place of cultural and political interaction. Temple of Neptune
BENEVENTO CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 50 DAILY CONNECTIONS
BENEVENTO
THE LOMBARDS IN ITALY
Benevento, the most important Lombard duchy of central and southern Italy, is home to the monumental Santa Sophia Church complex. Visitors are sure to be fascinated by the perspective, shading and lighting effects created inside the building. The succession of quadrangular, rhomboidal, and triangular vaults is perhaps a reflection of the shapes of the tents used by the Lombards during their long journeys throughout Europe.
BENEVENTO
BENEVENTO (BN)
ALTITUDE 135 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 60,027
TOURISM INFO IAT
Via Nicola Sala, 31 Tel. +39 0824 319911
[eptbenevento.it]
TRAIN INFO LOCAL STATION
BENEVENTO 1.8 km
EVERY DAY
6 connections from AVELLINO
5 connections from NAPOLI
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
The interior of the Church of Santa Sofia was once covered with frescoes, some of which are still visible today in the two side apses. These consist of a series of images dedicated to the Stories of Christ, with scenes depicting St. John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary, carried out by artists associated with the Beneventan school of mi niature painting from the late 8th to the early 9th century.
DID YOU KNOW… ?
The Campania Arte Card is an all-in-one ticket that allows visitors to access Campania’s most representative monumental areas and museums, as well as to use the means of public transport operated by the Unicocampania Consortium. [campaniartecard.it]
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
Benevento Longobarda is a series of historical commemorations held in June in the town centre and in the Santi Quaranta archaeological area adjacent to the Basilica of the Madonna delle Grazie.
SAVE THE DATE
Benevento Longobarda, historical commemorations: June
National Film and television Festival: July
Benevento Città Spettacolo, theatre, music, film and exhibitions: AugustSeptember
Patronal Feast, Bartholomew the Apostle: 24 August
Autunno chitarristico, music event: October
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The Unesco site consists of fortresses, ancient churches and fascinating monasteries all along the Italian peninsula: extraordinary works of architecture that bear witness to the cultural and artistic synthesis that took place in Italy from the 6th to the 8th century involving the Roman tradition, the Christian spirituality, the Byzantine influences and values borrowed from the Germanic world. The same synthesis marks the transition between the Age of Antiquity and the European Middle Ages. One of the practical manifestations of this phenomenon of integration and synthesis was the use of ancient materials by the Lombards, who recycled old stones and architectural materials from necropolises or abandoned buildings, combining them with innovations of Germanic origins.
The Lombard places of power reveal new and extraordinary artistic and monumental forms, which bear witness to the specificity of Lombard culture within the context of early medieval Europe. As a whole they constitute a unique and clearly identifiable cultural series, whose many languages and purposes reveal the power of the various Lombard elites.
The Lombards significantly strengthened the monastic movement and played a decisive role in transmitting classical works of literature, technology, architecture, science, history and law to the nascent European world.
Church of San Michele Arcangelo, Scicli (Ragusa)
SICILY PALERMO AND CEFALÙ, VAL DI NOTO, AND SYRACUSE
PALERMO AND CEFALÙ CAN BE REACHED WITH OVER 150 DAILY CONNECTIONS
The Royal Palace, Palatine Chapel (Palermo)
PALERMO
PALERMO (PA)
ALTITUDE 14 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 668,630
TOURISM INFO [turismo.comune. palermo.it]
TRAIN INFO
PALERMO AND CEFALÙ
ARAB-NORMAN
PALERMO AND THE CATHEDRAL OF CEFALÙ
In addition to the Cathedral of Cefalù, seven of the nine monumental testaments comprising the serial site are located within the city of Palermo (the Royal Palace and Palatine Chapel, the Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, the Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, the Church of San Cataldo, Palazzo della Zisa, Palermo Cathedral, and Ponte dell’Ammiraglio). These places can all be reached directly by train within a radius of 1 km.
EVERY DAY FROM THE FOLLOWING STATIONS: PALERMO C.LE/ NOTARBARTOLO 1 km
13 connections from AGRIGENTO
6 connections from CATANIA
7 connections from MESSINA CEFALÙ 900 m
7 connections from MESSINA
15 connections from PALERMO
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
With their respective worldfamous representations of Christ Pantocrator, the Cathedral of Palermo and the Duomo of Cefalù are places that symbolise the union of different cultures, which have come together to form a unique cultural heritage that can be defined as Western-IslamicByzantine.
DID YOU KNOW… ?
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
At the end of September, Palermo’s historic centre is transformed into a veritable ice cream village during the Sherbeth Festival, the International Festival of Artisanal Gelato.
There are two maps available for exploring the city (one on paper, and the other electronic): the first is the Palermo Pass Map, which can even be obtained from the Municipality’s information points, and the second is the Palermo Pass App [turismo.comune.palermo.it]
SAVE THE DATE
Vampa di San Ciusieppi, religious festival with bonfire, in Cefalù: 19 March
Corpus Christi Festival, in Cefalù: first half of June.
Patronal feast, Saint Rosalia, in Palermo: 15 July
Patronal Feast, the Holy Saviour, in Cefalù: 6 August
Incontri d’estate, cultural event, in Cefalù: August-September
Le Vie dei Tesori, cultural event, in Palermo: September-October
Sherbeth, International Artisanal Gelato Festival, in Palermo: September-October
Sport Film Festival, international sports film festival, in Palermo: December
The Cathedral, Cefalù (Palermo)
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The site includes a series of ecclesiastical and secular structures dating back to the Norman Kingdom of Sicily (1130-1194): the Royal Palace and the Palatine Chapel, Palazzo della Zisa, three churches (San Giovanni degli Eremiti, Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, and San Cataldo), Ponte dell’Ammiraglio and the Cathedrals of Palermo, Cefalù and Monreale. Each of them illustrates important aspects of the Western-Islamic-Byzantine syncretism that characterised this period in the island. The innovative re-elaboration of architectural forms, structures, materials and decorations bears witness to the fruitful coexistence of people of different origins (Muslims, Byzantines, Latins, Jews, Lombards and French).
Overall, the site is an extraordinary example of the cultural exchange that gave rise to new spatial and decorative concepts in art and architecture and generated a unique combination of elements derived from various techniques: an extraordinary new stylistic syntax that combined Byzantine, Muslim and Roman elements and contributed to the development of the architecture of southern Italian that overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea, which spread widely throughout the Mediterranean region during the Middle Ages.
The extensive and ornate mosaics, the opus sectile flooring made using carved marble for the inlays, sculptures, paintings and the systems all bear witness to the convergence of these different cultures.
Palermo Cathedral
CONNECTIONS
THE VAL DI NOTO CAN BE REACHED WITH ABOUT 35 DAILY
Noto, Syracuse
VAL DI NOTO
THE LATE BAROQUE TOWNS
The late Baroque towns of the Val di Noto area are Ragusa, Modica, Noto, Catania and Scicli. All of these places can be reached directly by train within a radius of 1. These towns already existed during the Middle Ages, but were rebuilt according to a Baroque stylistic model after the devastating earthquake of 1693. What renders them unique are the innovative aspects of their urban planning and design features.
NOTO
SYRACUSE (SR)
ALTITUDE 152 m.a.s.l.
INHABITANTS 24,074
TOURISM INFO [comune.noto.sr.it/turismo]
TRAIN INFO
LOCAL STATION
CATANIA 1.1 km
MODICA 500 m
NOTO 1.2 km
RAGUSA 800 m
SCICLI 900 m
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
The late Baroque cities of the Val di Noto area are one of the world’s greatest expressions of late European Baroque cultu re, which is commonly referred to as the Baroque of the Val di Noto. The style differs from one location to the next due to the use of different materials: the Baroque of Catania is dark grey due to the use of lava stone, while in Noto it’s characterised by the bright honey colour of the local stone.
DID YOU KNOW… ?
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
The Pistachio festival, at the end of September, is held in Bronte, in the province of Catania, where an infinite variety of products are derived from the processing of pistachios, which, in this area, bear the DOP and Slow Food marking.
SAVE THE DATE
The Catania Pass, sponsored by the municipality of Catania and created by AMT, is the ideal tool for exploring the city. It grants the bearer free or facilitated access to museums, unlimited use of public transport, and special discounts at shops, restaurants and affiliated businesses. [cataniapass.it]
Patronal Feast, St. Agatha, in Catania: 5 February
Patronal feast, St. Conrad, in Noto: 19 February
Cavalcata di San Giuseppe, in Scicli: the Saturday following March 19
Infiorata, in Noto: third Sunday in May
Patronal Feast, Madonna delle Milizie, Scicli: last Saturday in May
Patronal feast, St. George, in Ragusa: last Sunday in May
Etna Comics, international comic festival, in Catania: May-June
Patronal feast, St. Peter, in Modica: 29 June
Pistachio Festival, in Bronte (Catania): September-October
ChocoModica, chocolate festival, in Modica: December
Modica, Reggio Calabria
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
The site includes the historic centres of Caltagirone, Noto and Ragusa, certain specific urban areas of Catania and Scicli and several isolated monuments in Modica, Palazzolo Acreide, and Militello Val di Catania. The UNESCO recognition covers the buildings and monuments built during the reconstruction period following the terrible earthquake of 1693, as they bear witness to a great artistic and architectural renewal. The style commonly referred to as “Baroque of Val di Noto” differs from one town to the next due to the use of different construction materials: the Baroque of Catania is dark grey due to the use of lava stone, while in Noto it’s characterised by the bright honey colour of the local stone.
The towns boast an abundance of late Baroque art and architecture of exceptional quality and uniformity, coupled with original urban planning and reconstruction innovations.
The architectural and artistic works are the result of a considerable collective commitment to reconstruction and restoration, which led to the creation of an exceptional group of towns that reflect the late Baroque architecture of the 17th century in all of its forms.
The eight south-eastern Sicilian cities included follow the urban layout typical of the area and are constantly subject to the risk of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions caused by Mt. Etna. Ragusa
SYRACUSE CAN BE REACHED WITH ABOUT 35 DAILY CONNECTIONS
The Cathedral
SYRACUSE
SYRACUSE (SR)
ALTITUDE 17 m.a.s.l. INHABITANTS 121,627
TOURISM INFO
IAT
Via Mirabella. 29 Tel. +39 0931 464657
[comune.siracusa.it]
TRAIN INFO
SYRACUSE
THE CITY
The Greek settlers founded it in the 8th century B.C. on the small island of Ortigia (where the Arethusa spring was located), which was connected to the mainland by two bridges. The majestic Maniace Castle, commissioned by Frederick II, stands at the mouth of Porto Grande, where memorable battles have been fought. Syracuse’s landmark building is its Cathedral in Piazza Duomo, while the Greek Theatre, where major classical performances are held, is the focal point of the mythological city.
LOCAL STATION
SYRACUSE 1.7 km
EVERY DAY
5 connections from MESSINA
CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULES OF ALL THE REGIONAL SERVICES
INTERESTING FACTS
The most emblematic monument of Syracuse lies in Piazza Duomo: the Cathedral. Once a Doric temple, built in 480 B.C., it was later transformed into a Christian church in the 6th century. Visitors today can still admire elements from various historical periods on its façades: the columns of the temple are joined with the Norman battlement, the Baroque façade, and the beautiful limestone that turns golden at sunset.
DID YOU KNOW…. ?
EVENTS & CULINARY SPECIALTIES
The International Dance Festival, held from October to November, is dedicated to disseminating the art of dance, in all of its various styles and techniques.
Which museums should you visit in Syracuse? The Regional Archaeological Museum, one of the most important archaeological museums in Europe, and the Museum of Papyrus, which deals with the study, preservation and dissemination of evidence left behind by papyrus culture.
SAVE THE DATE
Premio Tonino Accolla la voce italiana di Eddie Murphy e Omar
Simpson 25-27 Giugno
Festa della Musica promossa da Mibac 21 giugno
Festival del Teatro Greco di Siracusa: maggio-luglio
Regata Velica Internazionale Siracusa-Malta: luglio
Ortigia Sound System musica elettronica
Ortigia Film Festival, rassegna cinematografica: luglio
Palio del mare, regata dei quartieri storici: agosto
Festa patronale, Santa Lucia: 13 dicembre
Maniace Castle
AS EXPLAINED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION...
Founded in the 8th century B.C. by Greek settlers on the small island of Ortigia, the town later grew onto the mainland in four other areas and was defined by Cicero as “the largest and most beautiful Greek city.” Many archaeological remains, still intact today, bear witness to the Sicily’s troubled history, from the Byzantines to the Bourbons, interspersed with Arab and Norman domination, the reign of Frederick II and the Aragons, and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The site also includes the rock necropolis of Pantalica, 40 km from Syracuse: over 5000 tombs carved into the rock, dating back the 13th to the 8th century B.C.
The site is a remarkable testimonial to Mediterranean culture spanning three millennia. History left extraordinary signs in the urban and architectural superimposition over the original Greek city. Syracuse and Pantalica ensemble offers, through its remarkable cultural diversity, an exceptional testimony to the development of civilizations and cultures in the Mediterranean region.
The site of Syracuse is an extraordinary example of architectural creation with various cultural influences (Greek, Roman, and Baroque). Ancient Syracuse was closely linked to events, ideas and literary works of extraordinary universal value.
The Greek Theatre
LEGAL INFORMATION
The numbers of train connections indicated in this publication are subject to change at weekends and/or at certain times of the year due to changes in time schedules. For more information visit www.trenitalia.com
The events mentioned in the individual locations are subject to confirmation by the local authorities each year. For further information, please visit the official website of the municipality of reference.
