Andiamo Italia (Lets Go Italy)

Gargano Peninsula

The Spur on the Bootheel of Italy

Most tourists go to places like Sicily, Rome, Florence, Milan and Venice, and maybe some places in between. Their only contact with the Adriatic Sea is in Venice and usually they only see the Lagoon of Venice and not the sea itself.

At Gargano, this limestone peninsula juts into the Adriatic at the northernmost part of Puglia (POOL-yia.) Like any seaside community, the villages at Gargano depend on fishing. But here, they use fishing platforms, called "trabucchi" where wide nets are suspended from long wooden poles extending over the water. This form of fishing, which went on for a century, has recently been revived. The nets are lowered below the surface of the water and the fishermen wait for schools of fish to swim over them. Then the nets are quickly hauled up to trap the fish.















Most of the fish that they catch is destined for local restaurants. However, some of the trabucchi have small kitchens with wood-burning stoves where they can cook the fish for tourists.



One of the more popular is the Trabucco San Nicola.

Orvieto

Orvieto Online

Located between Florence and Rome, Orvieto is not one of the places that come to mind for most visitors to Italy.

Orvieto was founded by the Etruscans in the 7th century B.C. on top of fortress-like cliffs. The Romans burned the city to the ground in the 3rd century B.C., and the city that now exists grew from the ashes.

When you arrive at Orvieto, you can take a bus or funiculare up into the city for the panoramic views of the vinyards and farms below.

Tours are available of the underground tunnels and grottoes, built by the Etruscans as tombs and wine cellars. City residents later excavated these tunnels and used them as hiding places and escape routes.



The Duomo, considered to be the most beautiful in Italy, contains the "Last Judgement" frescoes by Signorelli. Taking almost 300 years to build, it is a blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles.

At the intersection of via del Duomo and Orvieto's main street, Corso Cavour, is a 13th century watchtower, Torre del Moro. Climb the tower for spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.

Indulge in the Chianina, the local beef, with a glass of Montefalco, a robust local red wine.

Ovieto's white wine is the stuff of legends, and was demanded by Signorelli as partial payment for his frescoes.

Mamoiada

Mamoïada is a hill town on the island of Sardegna (Sardinia) in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the west coast of Italy. In February they celebrate the Festival of Good and Evil, including the Mamuthones Parade. Also known as the Festival of Saint Antonio, it is a mixture of pagan and religious festivities.

This is a 3 day event where dancing takes place in the village square and parades take place over the three days. The main attractions are the Mamuthones and Issohadores, Sardinia's most renowned masks.

The festival celebrates two legends of the origin of fire:
The Myth of Prometheus, the god who stole fire from mount Olympus and brought it to Earth;
The legend of San Antonio, the saint who went down to hell to steal fire from the devil and bring it up to Earth.

From the 17th of January to most February the entire village lives in the wait of their annual sacred ritual that 2000 years ago was performed in order to augur well in the seasonal crossover from the dark winter to the springtime. Obviously, today the ritual is not aimed at the same reason it was at its heyday, but while tourists can see in it only a festive celebration, for local townspeople, has a deeper meaning.

Mamoiada Tourist Association

Associazione Turistica Proloco Mamoiada
A good web site with lots of information about the town of Mamoiada, the festival, and lots more.

Anguillara Sabazia

A delicious village overlooking the Bracciano Lake. Its medieval center and its beach make it a popular destination for tourists. Anguillara is served by a local train ("FR3") which connects it with Rome (stations of Roma Ostiense and of Valle Aurelia) in around 40 minutes. An episode of the sit-com Everybody Loves Raymond was shot in the town.

Comune di Anguillara Sabazia
Piazza del Comune, 1 - 00061 Anguillara Sabazia
Telephone: 06 99 60001
Email: anguillara@comune.anguillara-sabazia.roma.it
(This web site is only in Italian.)

Beautiful Italian Islands

So you've heard about Sicily, Capri, Sardinia and maybe Ischia. You may have even been to one or more of them. Well, here are some little known islands that shouldn't be missed.

Isola d'Elba

Located off the coast of Tuscany, this island, which was French up until the unification of Italy in 1860, is where Napoleon was exiled. But that aside, this island has fabulous wine, beaches and mountains. You can get here from Piombino which is about 2 hours from Florence by car.

Elba Island Web Site
Elba Link information and tourist guide of the island of Elba

This small island in the Tyrranean Sea was not only a refuge for Napoleon Bonaparte but was also the center of Tuscany's mining industry. The hills here have been excavated for their iron since Roman times. Now it is a popular resort area.

In its major port, Portoferraio, are the Villa dei Mulini and Villa Napoleonica di San Martino, which Napoleon used as his homes during his exile from France.



Another famous visitor was Jason, who landed on the stone-covered beaches of Le Ghiaie with his Argonauts while searching for the Golden Fleece.

The second largest harbor on the island is Porto Azzuro, and it has a 17th century Spanish fort that is now used as a prison. As with Portoferraio, Porto Azzuro is filled with shops, cafes and restaurants.

An iron mine around Monte Calamita, which has an intense concentration of magnetite, has a magnetic field so strong that there are legends that boats have sunk due to the magnetic pull on the metal parts of the boats. Airline flight paths have been re-routed to avoid the possibility of crashes.



Capolivieri, a town near the mine, also has charming shops, cafes, nearby beaches and panoramic views from the cliffs. C

As with Gargano and Pantelleria, fishing is a major occupation. Because of the sheep and wild boar that roam the island, the cuisine is a mixture of Tuscan and seafood. Mortella is a local liquor that is flavored with mint, myrtle, fennel seeds and nepitella, a wild herb.

Isola di Pantelleria

Il Portale di Pantelleria

The island of Pantelleri is closer to the coast of Tunisia in Africa than it is to anything else, but it is technically part of the province of Trapani in Sicily.

Many people travel to Sicily every year. And there are many people who travel to Malta. But not very many people even know about the island of Pantelleria.

Like Sicily and Malta, many different civilizations have shaped the history and culture of this island. First settled in the 6th century B.C., Pantelleria has been occupied by Africans, Arabs, Romans and Turks. The largest town on the island is Pantelleria Town where you can arrive by plane or hydrofoil. The few other towns still go by their Arab names.

Other factors are the hot summers under the African sun, mild winters and volcanic activity -- nearly 40 eruptive spots have been discovered. These factors are responsible for the greatest assets of Pantelleria: tomatoes, capers, and the Passito and Moscato wines. Almost 70 percent of the island has vineyards.



The homes, called dammusi, are built of volcanic stone with wide walls and domed roofs. Rainwater is collected from the roofs into built-in cisterns.



The Montagna Grande natural park and green heart of the island is home to near 600 endemic botanic species. As you would expect, there are many grottoes and coves where you can swim or dive in beautiful Medditeranean waters. There are thermal saunas at Stufa del Bagno di Arturo and mud baths at the Bagno dell'Aqua. Also, there are Byzantine tombs on the Piana di Ghirlanda plains and an archaeoligical site at Mursia.

Levanzo

Off the western end of Sicily, tucked in with a few other islands (the Aegadian Islands), is the island of Levanzo. You can get there as a day trip from Trapani or Marsala and visit the village of Calla Dogana, enjoy the beautiful beaches of take a nature walk along the cliffs. If you are an adventurous history buff, you can visit (by boat) the Paleolithic graffiti in the Grotta del Genovese (dated to around 9600BC.)

Panarea

Also located off the coast of Sicily, in the Aeolian Islands, Panarea is home to an inactive volcano and has become a bit of a celebrity hangout. While Italians on holiday in summer flock to these islands, it is a great place for scuba diving a shipwreck that lies just offshore.

Ponza

If you are in Rome, you can drive to Anzio and take the ferry to the island of ponza. This volcanic island has ancient cave pools, called Pilate's Grottoes, quaint villages, and is the home of Circe who seduced Odysseus and lived with him here for over a year.

Procida

Located in the Bay of Naples, which means it's not far from Capri and Ischia, the island of Procida is a lot less touristy. You can take a ferry from Naples to see the beautiful fishing village and eat some great fresh seafood.