Romancing the eternal boot

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br />It''s famously described as Europe''s kinky over-the-knee boot, endlessly kicking the Sicilian ''football'' into the blue Mediterranean. But there''s more to Italy than its interesting geography. <br /><br /><img align="left" src="/photo/677979.cms" alt="/photo/677979.cms" border="0" />To quote <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Lonely Planet:</span> "Its dreamy and sumptuous landscapes seem made for roma-nce, and its three millennia of history, culture and cuisine seduces just about everyone." Planning a trip? Read on...<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Rome</span>: The eternal city celebrates its 2,757th birthday this month.Hard to say what you''ll find most breathtaking: "the arrogant opulence of theVatican, the timelessness of the Forum, the top speed of a Fiat Bambino, the millions of cats in the Colosseum, trying to cross a major intersection, or the bill for your latte." No, it certainly wasn''t built in a day. You realise this as you explore the temples, residences, basilicas, piazzi, museums, fountains... <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Florence:</span> The still-pulsating heart of rich Renaissance Italy, once home to the likes of Michaelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Dante, Machiavelli and Raphael. For eye-watering sights, you won''t need to venture far from Florence''s mediaeval core, a wonderland containing the graceful span of Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo''s skyscraping dome, the gilded splendour of Basilica di San Lorenzo. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Milan:</span> The country''s financial powerhouse. It''s a business-like place with a work-hard, play-hard ethos. The stylish city also rivals Paris as the world''s design capital. Its hub is the Duomo, a fantastic Gothic confection topped by the Maddonina, Milan''s protectress. Not far away is La Scala, one of the world''s great opera houses. Sitting outside a cafe by the Duomo and admiring the well-dressed world go by, or indulging in a spot of window-shopping is enjoyable. And rather affordable too.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Venice:</span> The watery city, home to gondoliers in stripy jerseys singing in front of the Bridge of Sighs, has been a fabled holiday destination. Take time to meander — losing yourself in the maze of canals is one of Venice''s principal pleasures. The most famous sight, the Piazza San Marco, may be crowded and full of pigeons, but it''s also lively and surrounded by beautiful architecture and expensive coffee-houses. Venice is famously sinking. High water levels threaten the city''s fabric. Will it disappear one day?<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Turin:</span> The capital of Italy''s Piemonte region is famous for an assortment of things: Fiat, chocolate, football and the Turin Shroud. Close to the Alps, it also makes a good starting-point for skiing holidays. A major industrial centre its most conspicuous tourist attraction is the Mole Antonelliana: a tall 19th-century brick building topped by an aluminium spire; a strange edifice celebrated on Italy''s 2 cent coins. <br /><br />Piazza Castello is the hotspot of tourist Turin, home to grand palaces and elegant cafes. Turin is to be the base for the 2006 Winter Olympics, which will take place in the many skiing resorts within easy reach of the city.</div> </div>