Thread: Italian Ports and Regions Information

Liguria

Territory: Liguria, facing the Tyrrhenian Sea, forms an imposing arc, with the Gulf of Genoa in its center. It is a mountainous and hilly region, which includes part of the Maritime Alps and the Ligurian Apennines, whose the spurs plunge almost everywhere into the sea, leaving scant space to the plains, which form a narrow coastline. Here landscapes of great beauty can be admired. The region is divided in two sections: the Riviera di Ponente (to the west), from Ventimiglia to Genoa, and the Riviera di Levante (to the east), from Genoa to La Spezia. The terminal strip of the Riviera di Levante is known as “Le Cinque Terre” (the Five Lands) and still today represents a beautiful example of intact landscape.

Cities: The regional capital is Genoa. Other important cities are: Imperia, Savona and La Spezia.

Art: Ruins of the Roman civilization can be seen in Ventimiglia and in the Lunigiana district. In the region the examples of Romanesque architecture are numerous, such as St. Paragorio in Noli. Important medieval traces, such as towers, walls and castles, dating back to the Maritime Republics, can be found in the Riviera di Ponente. A lot of fine examples of Baroque architecture can be also admired.

Museums: In Genoa the tourist should visit the Gallery of Palazzo Bianco, which houses an important collection of Ligurian painters, from 1400 to 1700; the Gallery of Palazzo Rosso, which holds a very rich collection of furniture, Ligurian ceramics and Chinese pottery; the National Gallery of Palazzo Spinola, with its important paintings; the Museum of Oriental Art has treasures collected over the centuries by the Genovese navigators. In Nervi you can visit the Naval Museum. Ventimiglia has the Archaeologic Museum with Paleolithic relics. Sixteenth-century paintings can be admired inn the Civic Pinacoteca in Savona. The statue-stelae of the Lunigiana are very interesting: they can be seen in La Spezia.

To be visited: The inland, with Dolceacqua, Balardo, Portofino, one of the moist fascinating resorts in Liguria, San Fruttuoso, Punta Chiappa, the Natural Park of Capo Noli.

Tuscany



Territory: The region stretches over the slopes of the Apennines, in front of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Tuscan landscape is mainly mountainous and hilly, with a flat area beside the sea (the Maremma). The coastline presents different aspects, offering both long sandy expanses and headlands. In front of the coast there are the small enchanting islands of the Tuscan archipelago.



Cities: Florence is the capital of Tuscany. Other important cities are Siena, Pisa, Arezzo, Pistoia, Lucca, Livorno, Grosseto, Massa Carrara.



Art: Tuscany is unrivaled as a cradle of all-time art. One can find examples of every age and style: from the Etruscan civilization (Fiesole, Chiusi, Volterra, Populonia) to Roman monuments and ruins; from the Romanesque architecture to the impressive Gothic cathedrals, to the exceptional artistic explosion of the Renaissance.





Museums: Florence has preserved its masterpieces and great works of architecture over the centuries. The most important collection of paintings in the world is offered by the Uffizi Gallery; visitors can enter the very interesting Designs and Print Room; the collection of self-portraits. Great paintings can be seen in the Gallery of Palazzo Pitti, with Tiziano’s and Raffaello’s masterpieces. Florence also has the Museum of the Costume and the Museum of the Carriages; the beautiful Italian gardens can be admired in the Giardino di Boboli. In the Museum of the Opera del Duomo the famous "Pietà" by Michelangelo can be admired. Then, there are the Museum of the Bargello, St. Mark’s Museum, the Academy Gallery and the Ethnologic Museum Stibbert. Pisa, an ancient Roman naval base and maritime republic, has the Museum of the Sinopie, which holds the preparatory drawings for the frescoes, and the National Museum of St. Matteo. Siena is a well-preserved medieval city; here there are the Civic Museum, which houses the Histories of Alexander III, the Museum of the Opera Metropolitana and the Pinacoteca Nazionale, with Senese painting. Tradition and art are strong everywhere: in Arezzo the Gallery and the Medieval and Modern Museum can be visited.



To be visited: In addition to art, Tuscany offers outstanding nature sceneries, such as the National Park of the Argentario and the Isola of Elba. In Siena there is the beautiful Piazza del Campo. In Florence there are the fifteenth-century shops on the Ponte Vecchio. Pisa has the Campo dei Miracoli, with the famous Leaning Tower.

Latium

Territory: The region, with undulated hills, stretches from the western buttresses of the Apennines to the Tyrrhenian Sea. The landscape is varied and presents flatlands, on the coastline and in the hinterland, ridges and calcareous highlands. Latium has four very ancient volcanic distincts, where the craters of extinct volcanoes form the lakes of Bolsena, Vico, Bracciano, Albano and Nemi.

Cities: Rome, capital of Italy, as well of the region. Other important cities are Frosinone, Latina, Viterbo and Rieti.

Art: Latium is the cradle of Roman civilization and it is incredibly rich in outstanding relics of the different periods. The traces of the Etruscan civilization are remarkable and can be found at Veio, Vulci, Tarquinia and Cerveteri. The region has always been the center of an intensive artistic life, which, from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century, has had as cardinal point the presence of the Church (the Vatican City, seat of the papacy, is in the heart of Rome).

Museums: In Rome, the National Museum houses the most important archaeologic collections in the world, while the Capitoline Museum holds the oldest classic sculptures. In the Museum of the Palazzo dei Conservatori, Greek and Roman sculptures. Etruscan vases, paleochristian sarcophagi can be admired. The Pinacoteca Capitolina houses remarkables pictorial works. In the Museum of Rome there are civic documents, from the Middle Ages to the present day. Tourists should not omit a visit to the Barracco Museum, with Assyrian, Babylonian, Egyptian and Etruscan relics arid to the National Museum of Castel Sant’Angelo. The Doria Pamphili Gallery houses a highly valuable private pictorial collection Moreover, there are: the National Gallery of Ancient Art; the Borghese Museum and Gallery; the National Museum of Villa Giulia. The imposing complex of the Vatican Museums contains numberless outstanding masterpieces.

To be visited: In the center of Rome, we can admire the Roman Forum, the imposing arid universally known Colosseum and the Cathedral of St. Peter. Visitors can admire the archaeologic excavations, visit the quaint quarter of Trastevere, go to Tivoli to see Villa Adriana.

Campania

Territory: The region faces the Tyrrhenian Sea and includes one of the finest coastlines in Italy. The hinterland is essentially mountainous, with irregular massifs broken here and there by valleys and plains. In front of the Gulfs of Naples and Salerno, we can admire marvelous and enchanting islands: Capri, Ischia, Procida.

Cities: Naples is the regional capital. Other important cities are Caserta, Benevento, Salerno and Avellino.

Art: Campania is extraordinarily rich in remains of the classic antiquity, which can be found in Herculaneum, Pompeii, Paestum and Cuma. Amphitheaters, triumphal arches, villas, bridges and tombs of the Roman Imperial Age are numerous and remarkable. The Paleolithic art is present in Naples and Nocera, while architectural specimens of the Longobard Age can be found in Capua and Benevento. Cathedrals in the Byzantine and Arab-Norman styles are numerous and outstanding. The Royal Palace of Caserta is the most striking expression of Baroque.

Museums: In Naples: the National Museum, which houses one of the most important archaeologic collections in the world (statues by the great Greek masters Policleto, Lisippo and Prassitele); mosaics and wall paintings from Pompeii; the collection of jewels, small bronzes, household goods and utensils. In the Museum and Galleries of Capodimonte, tourists can admire all-time pictorial masterpieces by Titian, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Caravaggio; sculptures, tapestries and ceramics. The National Museum of San Martino has historic, artistic and monumental sections. In Benevento, the Museum of the Sannio holds an important archaeologic room with Samnitic, Italic, Italiot relics and an interesting collection of coins, with very rare gold coins of the Longobard Princes. Precious works of art can be admired in the Cathedral Museum and the Provincial Museum in Salerno.

To be visited: The splendid Amalfi coast; the marvelous islands; the Imperial Villa in Capri; the Royal Palace of Caserta with its splendid Italian gardens; Herculaneum and Pompeii.

Calabria



Territory: It is the extreme south-western region of Italy, washed by the Tyrrhenian Sea and the lonian. It is an essentially mountainous region, with a high central Apennine ridge, which crosses it lengthwise. The mountain slopes are overgrown with thick woods. The coastlines present landscapes of wild beauty.



Cities: The regional capital is Catanzaro. Reggio Calabria is the seat of the Regional Council. Cosenza, Crotone and Vibo Valentia are the other important cities.



Art: The region has a rich heritage of remains from the local artistic civilization: archaeologic excavations have brought to light ancient colonies in Sibari, Crotone, Catanzaro, Locri, Vibo Valentia. In Cosenza and Reggio Calabria, we can find remains of the Roman Age, such as baths, theaters and bridges. The religious buildings show Byzantine influences, dating back to the period when the region was part of the Empire of Byzantium. The Gothic style had a large diffusion during the thirteenth century. The Renaissance style is present in the paintings. The Baroque influence can be seen in several monuments.



Museums: Catanzaro's Provincial Museum houses outstanding relics, from the Neolithic period to the Greek-Roman Age, and a remarkable collection of coins. In Reggio Calabria, the National Museum holds one of the most important archaeologic collection in Italy: Paleolithic, Byzantine and Arab art, relics of the Bronze and Iron Ages, tomb outfits, pictorial tables and the world famous Bronzes of Riace, the two great bronze statues of warriors of the fifth century B.B. In Cosenza, one can visit the Museo Interdiocesano, with the treasure of the Cathedral, and the Civic Museum with prehistoric bronzes, Paleolithic manufactured goods and instruments.



To be visited: Tourists can make excursions to the Sila district and its lakes. Moreover, there are Villa San Giovanni (on the straits of Messina), Sibari, Crotone and the isle of Capo Rizzuto.

Sardinia

Territory: Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean and is formed by a series of mountainous massifs, hills and narrow highlands. The coasts are jagged and rocky, interspersed with marvelous beaches of very fine sand and countless inlets. The seaside landscapes, especially on the Costa Smeralda, are among the most beautiful in the world. Numerous small, enchanting islets are scattered in front of the coasts.

Cities:Cagliari is the capital of Sardinia, ruled by a special statute. Other important cities are Sassari, Nuoro and Oristano.

Art:Very ancient and peculiar remains of the prehistoric and protohistoric eras are the megalithic "Tombs of the Giants"; the "domus dejanas" (houses of the witches), tombs dug into the rock; and the "nuraghi". The nuraghi, truncated cone towers in huge stone and fortified dwellings of the earliest inhabitants, number about 7,000 and can be found all over the island. Phoenician and Roman remains have come to light at Tharros and Nora; there are Roman relics at Porto Torres and Cagliari. The Gothic-Catalonian style thrived in the island under the rule of the Spanish House of Aragon.

Museums: The National Archaeologic Museum of Cagliari is the most important museum in the island: prehistoric tombs, megalithic temples and tombs, the famous small bronzes and a documentation of the Punic and Roman periods. In Sanna, we can visit the archaeologic and ethnographic sections of the Sanna Museum and the Pinacoteca. In Nuoro, the Regional Museum of the Costume is interesting. The Antiquarium Alborense of Oristano Houses paintings of the sixteenth-century Sardinian masters and an archaeologic section.

To be visited:The Costa Smeralda and the island of the Maddalena (Bocche di Bonifacio); the islands of San Pietro and Sant'Antioco, near Cagliari. Tourists should not omit a visit to the archaeologic excavations of Tharros and to the cork-oak woods, at the foot of the Gennargentu.

Sicily

Territory: It is the biggest island in the Mediterranean, separated from the Italian peninsula by the strait of Messina. It has important mountain groups: Peloritani, Nebrodi, Madonie, Iblei. The plains are scanty, with the exception of the area around Catania. The coasts offer a landscape of fascinating beauty almost everywhere; groups of marvelous smaller islands are scattered round the coast (the Eolie or Lipari, Ustica, the Egadi. the isle of Pantelleria and the Pelagie). The Etna, rising in the center of a volcanic area of Sicily, is the highest active volcano in Europe (3,323 meters). The isles of Stromboli and Vulcano are also active volcanoes.

Cities:Palermo is the regional capital of Sicily, which is ruled by a special statue. Other important cities are Messina, Catania, Agrigento, Syracuse, Trapani, Ragusa, Enna, Caltanissetta.

Art: Sicily was a Greek colony during the Classic Age, the Hellenic heritage is remarkable (Syracuse, Gela, Agrigento, Selinunte and Eraclea). Important Roman remnants can be seen at Taormina, Syracuse, Tindari, Solunto, Eloro and Patti. The next artistic development took place during the Norman period, which left churches and palaces of Arab-Byzantine influence. The Gothic style can be seen in the imperial castles of Catania and Syracuse; the Catalonian influences produced elaborated architectural forms during the fifteenth century. The Baroque style, of exceptional wealth, thrived in Palermo, Catania, Ragusa, Noto and Comiso.

Museums: In Palermo the Archaeologic Museum, which displays a noteworthy Etruscan collection, sculptures and metopes of the temples of Selinunte; the Regional Gallery of Sicily, with the most important artistic collection of the island. The Civic Museum of Catania houses archaeology, ancient and modern art, relics of local history. In Syracuse, tourists can visit the Regional Museum and the Regional Gallery, with very rich archaeologic and pictorial collections. In Agrigento, there is the Regional Archaeologic Museum.

To be visited: Taormina, the Etna and the majestic monuments in the Valle dei Templi of Agrigento.

Basilicata



Territory: The region is mountainous, arid, scarcely watered. It has two coastlines, one in the center of the Gulf of Taranto in the Ionian Sea, and a tiny one on the Tyrrhenian Sea, with the famous sea resort of Maratea. The bare mountain landscapes slope down to the Ionian Sea.



Cities: Potenza is the regional capital; Matera is the capital of the other province.



Art: The region is rich in archaeologic relics, dating back to the most remote times. Remains of the Greek era can be found in Metaponto (the Palatine Tables), while ruins of the Roman Age can be seen in Venosa. Tourists can admire noteworthy examples of medieval art in Venosa and Cerenza (Romanesque style). The architecture presents Arab-Byzantine and French influences in Matera, Melfi and Lagopesole. In this region, the Baroque style shows an evident Neapolitan influence.



Museums: The Provincial Archaeologic Museum of Potenza houses an important prehistoric collection, an interesting ethnographic section and numerous Greek and Latin inscriptions. In Matera, the Ridola National Museum holds Paleolithic relics, and ceramics which date back to the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. The Pinacoteca d’Errico displays noteworthy paintings of the Neapolitan school of the seventeenth and eighteenth century. The Archaeologic National Museum of Melfi houses prehistoric, protohistoric and Roman relics.



To be visited: In Matera, visitors can see the “Sassi”, the typical houses and churches dug into the “tufa” crag. In the Gulf of Policastro, tourists can enjoy the fascinating Maratea, an important resort of the Tyrrhenian Sea; on the Ionian Sea, the Antiquarium of Metaponto.

Apulia

Territory: This region forms the easternmost part of the peninsula and has a long coastline, facing the Ionian and the Adriatic Seas. Apulia is essentially a flatland with wide arid expanses, terraces and table-lands poor in water. The Murgia highland and the coast present impressive karst formations (grottoes and “Doline” hollows). The coasts are essentially high and, in the Gargano district, plunge steep into the sea; in other areas, they are sandy or rocky, but usually flat.

Cities: Bari is the regional capital. Brindisi, Foggia, Lecce and Taranto are the capitals of the respective provinces.

Art: The megalithic monuments (Dolmens and Menhirs) are numerous and interesting. Canne della Battaglia and Ignazia are two great archaeologic complexes. The Roman remains are noteworthy throughout the region. The Romanesque art produced magnificent architectural works, such as the cathedrals of Bari, Trani, Barletta. Molfetta, Bitonto, Ruvo di Puglia. Interesting and majestic castles in the thirteenth-century Byzantine-Arab style can be found in Bari, Gioia del Colle, Lucera and Castel del Monte. The Baroque attained great splendor and left some impressive examples, especially in Lecce.

Museums: In Bari, tourists can visit the Palace of the University, which includes the important Archaeologic Museum with relics of the Neolithic and Bronze Age, funeral urns, ceramics and bronze from the necropolis. Lecce has the Provincial Museum, with sculptures and Roman architectural remains, and the Museum of the Arts of the Folk Traditions of Salento. Collections of coins, vases and bronzes are preserved in the Provincial Archaeologic Museum of Brindisi. The National Museum of Taranto is the most important for the history of Magna Graecia. In Foggia: the Civic Museum, with the prehistoric section and an interesting paleochristian epigraph, and the Pinacoteca, which houses works of nineteenth and twentieth-century local masters.

To be visited: The Gargano area and the coastline from Brindisi to Santa Maria di Leuca; Alberobello with its typical “trulli” houses.

Molise

Territory: A region of hills and mountains, facing the Adriatic Sea, north of the Gargano promontory. It is a continuation of Abruzzo’s landscape, and inn fact Abruzzo and Molise constituted a single administrative district until 1963. Among the southern regions, it is one of the richest in waterways, which cross the land from the Apennine watershed to the Adriatic Sea. Other rivers, affluents of Volturno, flow into the Tyrrhenian Sea, after crossing the region of Campania.

Cities: The capital of Molise is Campobasso. Isernia is the capital of the respective province.

Art: Molise stands out in the history of the Italian art, thanks to the cycle of ninth-century frescoes of the crypt of San Lorenzo in San Vincenzo al Volturno. This cycle represents, for style and age, a unique event of noteworthy value. The monuments in Romanesque style show traces of the influence of the adjoining Apulia region. The examples of medieval architecture are very interesting. The Baroque style, with Roman and Neapolitan influences, can be seen in the civic palaces.

To be visited: In Campobasso, visitors can admire the historic center and the majestic battlemented castle of the Longobard period; the Romanesque churches of San Bartolomeo and San Giorgino. The church of Sant Antonino Abate houses the collection of carvings and wooden sculptures of sixteenth-century masters of Molise. About fifteen kilometers from the city, rises the Romanesque Santa Maria della Strada, with the fifteenth-century Gothic sepulchre. In Isernia, the Civic Museum holds Samnitic epigraphs and sculptures; the fourteenth-century Fontana della Fraterna is also very interesting. In Pastena, tourists can admire the monumental Sanctuary of the Addolorata of Castelpetroso, surrounded by a thick forest.