Choosing the places you want to be is a critical decision in any itinerary. So many things are dependant on making the right choices, for the time you have, the season and how many other places are on your wish list for the duration of your travel. Whether you are a first time traveller, are re-visiting loved places or are returning after many visits, do not underestimate the value of those iconic places that spring to mind whenever anyone mentions travelling in Italy. Each time you visit you find something new, get to see other not so obvious special places or learn to appreciate the same places in a more meaningful way or, just get to relax in some favourite places and feel, almost, as if this could be home, at least for awhile.
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Views on Rome & the Romans
City of Art Florence
Magic of Venice
Walks in Siena
More coming soon
It is not often you get to take a walk along one of the most famous, ancient Roman roads. Carsulae sits along the ancient via Flaminia. Wandering amongst the fields scattered with ruins it is an idyllic way to appreciate anew the ingenuity of maintaining the power base that was ancient Rome. It is a particular delight in spring and early summer with with its pastoral gentleness, but I also love the sparseness of the wintry landscape.
Roman Roads
It certainly takes a greater determination to follow all the major artists' works in Rome but the rewards are inestimable. From Borromini, to Bernini, to Michelangelo, Raphael and Caravaggio to name a few. Setting up walks and visits for one artist or a theme is a great approach covering a variety of fascinating collections from major galleries and museums to smaller churches and private palazzi..
Art Trails - Rome
One of our greatest recommendations is to pre-book your visit to the Vatican Museums. Knowing when to go is paramount to how much you will enjoy this seemingly endless collection of wonders. We also recommend having a guide with you for your first visit. This also means being able to get straight down into the basilica from the last stop on the journey in the Sistine Chapel. But, it is also fun, if visiting the museums alone, to have time to yourself in wandering down the long corridors at a more leisurely pace to soak up all the splendour.
In the Vatican - the museums & basilica
Ostia Antica is a 100 hectare archaeological site close to the modern town of Ostia, 30 km southwest of Rome. It is the location of the harbour city of ancient Rome and is easily reached from the metro stop of Pyramide in Rome. DI can provide a self-guided booklet to help you to hours of fun exploring on your own or, provide our fab Rome guide to take you through the sprawling ruins and artefacts. It is one of our favourite spots to wander, imagine the past and get away from the madding crowd.
An ancient Roman port
The Vatican Necropolis, not to be confused with the Vatican grottoes, is a super special, pre-booked visit to the archaeological dig to the tomb of St Peter, under the Vatican Basilica. Visits are run by the Excavations Office with careful attention to the conservation of the historical-archaeological site, allowing only about 250 visitors a day, in groups of 10. Each group is accompanied by their specialized guide and takes about an hour and a half, ending up in the basilica above. Note, it can be hot and claustrophobic but, trust us, no matter what your creed, it is an unforgettable visit.
In the Vatican - the bones of St Peters
While Dante was roaming about in the countryside outside the medieval walls of his beloved Florence, enraged at his exile, inside the walls, Giotto was tranquilly working out the plans of his great campanile (bell tower) and Fra'Angelico was on his knees in his cell painting those heavenly angels who earned him his name. This was the world Michelangelo inherited, the streets he walked through filled with the works of the greats, like Ghirlandaio, Masaccio, Donatello and so many more. And we can walk through those same streets, see those same images and understand more how it is that he became one of the greatest figures of the Renaissance.
The world of Michelangelo - Florence
The monumental complex resounds in a richness and dimension that is unequalled in the world. You can purchase a ticket to use over a leisurely 3 days, or spend a fabulous day going through all in one go. Entrance to the cathedral is free but the ticket includes access to all other monuments of Piazza del Duomo with a single ticket: the Baptistery of San Giovanni, Giotto's Bell Tower, Brunelleschi's Dome, the Opera del Duomo Museum and the ancient basilica of Santa Reparata. If you have time for only one, go into the museum, it is simply fabulous - and climb the dome if you dare, rather than the bell tower.
The Cathedral Complex - Florence
There is simply no city with a greater concentration of incredible and unforgettable art than Florence. Many of the most amazing gems are in a long trail of churches, convents & private palazzi that show works in the context of where they were meant to be. But of course, the newly refurbished Uffizi just cannot be missed.
Art Trails - Renaissance Florence
Day trips from Florence can be a magical way to expand your vision of the city and to fit in some of the stunning countryside that may be otherwise difficult to reach. There are so many to choose from, all with reputable and safe drivers, some including wine tastings and lunch, others allowing you to wander at your leisure as, for instance, one of our favourites, the wonderful villages of the Cinqueterre. All doable in a day's outing from the centre of Florence
Taking a Day Out - Florence
Venice is our second home in Italy so we know it well and have simply the best local guide to call on. Apart from it being her home, she is an expert on the mosaics in the basilica and an excellent guide. For a first time in any city we do recommend a guided walking tour as it sets you up so well for setting out to explore on your own at a more leisurely place. Beyond that you will have all of DI's recommended walking and vaporetti routes to follow, the best places to eat and what to see and when - just as important as all the rest.
La Serinissima
More than anywhere else, Venetian cuisine is tied to the sea and the lagoon. What's more, Venetians have created a whole set of social rituals, local mores and popular wisdom around the ritual of small goblets of wine, also known as ombre. Ombra – literally, shadow or shade - derives from the days when wine sellers in the streets would move their tables across the various campi (squares) to keep all out of the sun. To get your taste buds into the flavours of Venice, nothing beats a guided "cicchetti" tour taken with an "ombra" or two, all followed by the exquisite Venetian gelati of course.
Guide to Eating Like a Local
Depending on how long you have in Venice (3 days is an absolute minimum), you will want to explore the islands in the northern part of the lagoon. Our fab guide can take you there (and to some of the smaller, less well known ones too) and you can choose your mode of travel - public vaporetti if you have time or private taxi which is way more fun and will take you places you will not get to otherwise.
Out to the Islands
There are so many places to see in Venice it really depends on what kind of a stay you want. But, if you want to dig deeper to understand better about the valued traditions you can elect to take a mask painting class, or make glass beads on Murano or cook the very particular Venetian cuisine, we can book that for you.
Special Visits & Activities
Restaurants do tend to close earlier here than elsewhere as most workers these days can no longer afford to live in Venice proper so must dash to catch the last vaporetti and trains out to Mestre or beyond each night. But it is easy enough to adapt to this new regime. We have our favourite eating places of course but it does depend on where you choose to stay and, in Venice like elsewhere, location is everything in making your stay the best it can be.
Local Knowledge
The timing of any visit is crucial to its success. DI promotes and runs tours centred around local cuisines, arts, cultures and traditions and, as such, strongly recommends travel out of the super busy summertime. Even the shoulder seasons are busier now more than ever. But if you are bent on getting to know a place better then nothing beats off-season travel and Venice is no exception. Even when shrouded in mist it is a place of pure magic, more so.
Location & Timing
Siena is a very easy day tour option from Orvieto, taking just one and a half hours by car. The city holds fascinating links to the great power struggles in Medieval and Renaissance central Italy and the origin of many famous (and infamous) powerful family names that resonate throughout the peninsula. With so much to see, including the amazing mosaic floors of the cathedral, the views from the top of the museum, and the famed piazza/arena of il Campo, it is a full and memorable day out OR for for a short stay.
Self-guided walks - Siena
Inside the Cathedral is lavish and dazzling, needing a clear focus to make sense of it all. The immense space is vaulted by a forest of black & white striped columns. Not to be missed is the Chigi Chapel with beautiful Bernini sculptures of Mary Magdalen and St Jerome, and the Piccolomini Library with stunning series of story-telling frescoes by Pinturicchio.
Cathedral interior - Siena
The Siena cathedral was built between 1215 and 1263, a relatively short time as cathedrals go. The different periods give an eclectic mix of Romanesque, Byzantine (the zebra striped pattern) and pointed Gothic arches and gargoyles. A massive addition to the main body of the cathedral was begun but halted by the Plague in 1348 and never resumed. The outer walls of this now house the cathedral museum and gives access to an exhilarating climb to the very top with 360 degree views over the red roof tops..
The cathedral
The inlaid marble mosaic floor of the Siena cathedral is astoundingly beautiful with so many stories to tell, some amazing in content to be included in a Christian basilica. Most of the 56 panels are visible all year with the exception of those in the nave and apse which are only revealed in August for 2 months each year. There were about 40 artists contributing to the project that spanned from the 14th to the 16th centuries.
Mosaic floor - Siena
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