Italy's Big 3: Florence, Rome, & Venice

After spending Spring Semester 1985 studying at the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain, I took off with my Eurailpass to see as much of Europe as I could in a month. From May 10 to May 16, I was in Italy.

Italy, the country shaped like a boot, whose area includes the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, is located in the Mediterranean Sea. Famous for its rich culture, visitors enjoy Italy for its blending of the past and present. Today, Italy has a population of nearly 60 million people and is noted for its rich cuisine, fabulous art ... (more)

The Duomo in Florence
The Cathedral (Duomo) of Santa Maria del Fiore is the unmistakable symbol of...

Statue of David, Galleria dell'Accademia
The original statue of Michelangelo's David is located in the museum...

Statue of David, Galleria dell'Accademia
Here, Michelangelo breaks away from the traditional way of...

Palazzo Vecchio in Florence
The Palazzo Vecchio was so named to distinguish it from the "new"...

Ponte Vecchio - The Old Bridge
The Ponte Vecchio is the oldest bridge in Florence spanning the Arno River....

Me with some fellow Penn Staters
While visiting Florence, I ran into some fellow Penn Staters that I...

Uffizi, Palazzo Vecchio, Duomo
This view overlooking the heart of Florence from Fort Belvedere shows...

The Bridge of Santa Trinita
This bridge was originally built in 1257, but has been reconstructed a...

Uffizi Gallery in Florence
The Uffizi Gallery is home to many famous art works by artists such as...

Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence
Santa Croce is one of the largest churches in Florence, located in the Piazza...

The Medici Chapels and San Lorenzo
This view, taken from the top of the Duomo, shows the Medici Chapels...

The Duomo in Florence
Having just come down from the top of the Duomo, I took a look up to...

Interior view of the Duomo in Florence
The interior of the dome was painted by Giorgio Vasari in 1570.

Postcard view of the Duomo in Florence
The Duomo as it is today is the end result of years of work that covered over...

Postcard view of the city of Florence

Map of Florence, Italy

Piazza del Popolo in Rome
Egyptian obelisk in the center of Piazza del Popolo in Rome.

The Saint Angelo Castle in Rome
Saint Angelo Castle is located on the banks of the Tiber River and is...

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, Rome
St. Peter's Basilica was constructed between 1506 and 1626. The dome was...

Me in St. Peter's Square, Vatican City

St. Peter's Basilica in Rome
Try to arrive in the square before the real crowds begin to gather....

Interior of the dome of St. Peter's
High above the altar rises the dome designed by Michelangelo, built with the...

Michelangelo's Pietà, St. Peter's
At the age of 23, Michelangelo was commissioned by a French cardinal...

Dome of St. Peter's, Vatican City
I took this shot of the dome while standing on the roof of the basilica....

View of St. Peter's Square from the dome
Tourists can take an elevator up to the rooftop of St. Peter's...

View of St. Peter's Square from the dome
The Tiber River runs through Rome and can be seen in the middle of the photo,...

Vatican State Government Palace
I took this view of the palace and the Vatican Gardens from the top of...

Me at the top of the dome at St. Peter's
Each year, millions of tourists and pilgrims come to the Vatican to...

The Sistine Chapel, Vatican City
The Sistine Chapel is a religious chapel and one of the most famous artistic...

Il Vittoriano, Piazza Venezia, Rome
Il Vittoriano is a monument to Vittorio Emanuele II of Savoia, first king of...

The Colosseum in Rome
An enduring symbol of the Eternal City, the great amphitheater now...

The Colosseum in Rome
The Colosseum is one of the most famous monuments of the ancient Rome,...

The interior of the Colosseum in Rome
The design of the Colosseum is a triumph of functional planning. With...

Me with the Colosseum in the background
The exterior of the Colosseum borrows from Greek architectural orders....

The Colosseum in Rome
The Colosseum is the place where ancient Romans were entertained by vicious...

The Spanish Steps
The area around the Spanish Steps is one of the most busy sections of Rome.

Dome of St. Peter's, Vatican City
As seen from the Borghese Gardens, the grandeur of the dome the crowns St....

Castel Sant'Angelo
The Castle of the Holy Angel, as Castel Sant'Angelo is called,...

Piazza Navona
Piazza Navona's shape is the result an ancient stadium which once stood...

The Pantheon
The Pantheon is circular in shape with a diameter of 142 feet and has a dome...

Trevi Fountain, Rome
This world-famous Baroque fountain was designed in 1762 by Nicola...

Forum of Augustus in Rome
Not far from the Colosseum, the Forum was built in celebration over...

Roman Forum

Roman Forum with Palatine Hill
View of the Palatine complex from the Forum, with the columns of the...

Interior photo of Rome's Colosseum
This shot clearly shows the labyrinth of underground passageways,...

Interior view of the Colosseum in Rome
Although amphitheaters were built throughout the Roman Empire, none were as...

Rear view of the Colosseum in Rome
This shot was taken looking down the Via Sacra from the Arch of Titus.

Postcard shot of the Colosseum in Rome
The seating in the Colosseum was divided by classes. The Imperial...

Map of Rome, Italy

Postcard aerial shot of Venice
The Ponte di Rialto is in the upper left, the Piazza San Marco is clearly...

Grand Canal - Venice
There was something about the quality of light in Venice that made everything...

Grand Canal - Venice
Known for its unique mode of transportation, Venice is the only city...

Campanile di San Marco
The present-day Belltower of St. Mark's was built in 1912 as an exact...

View over Venice from the Campanile
From the top of the Belltower, you can see all over Venice. It was...

Venice from the top of the Campanile

Basilica di San Marco, Venice
Sitting proudly at the head of the Piazza is the Basilica di San...

Basilica and Campanile di San Marco

Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri)
Known as the Bridge of Sighs because it connects the palace court to...

Along the waterfront in Venice
Now that most visitors to Venice arrive either at the train station or the...

Side street in Venice
A quaint side street, laundry hanging above me, children playing ball in the...

Rialto Bridge over Venice's Grand Canal
At the heart of the city known as La Serenissima--the Most Serene--is the...

Looking down the Grand Canal
I took this shot from the Rialto Bridge looking down on the Grand Canal.

Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge) - Venice
The Ponte di Rialto (or the Rialto bridge -- ponte meaning bridge) was...

Aerial view of the Rialto Bridge, Venice
Traveling along the Grand Canal on a vaporetto (waterbus) is the best...

Postcard shot of Rialto Bridge at night
The shops are closed and all is quiet...quite a change from the middle of the...

Side street in Venice
Many of the side streets in Venice are very narrow, and I don't...

Piazzetta San Marco
The Belltower, or Campanile, is on the left, the Basilica of San Marco on the...

Postcard shot of the Piazzetta San Marco
If Piazza San Marco is Europe's drawing room, then the piazza's...

Aerial shot of the Piazzetta San Marco
The Campanile, Basilica di San Marco, and the Palazzo Ducale are all clearly...

Piazza San Marco - the heart of Venice
This detail of the front of the basilica gives a good view of some of...

San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice
Venice, symbolized by its graceful gondolas, was for centuries the queen of...

Me in Venice, Italy
This photo was taken on the Ponte degli Scalzi, or Scalzi Bridge, over...

Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace)
The Ducal Palace was the residence of the Doge up to the fall of the Venetian...

Domes of the Basilica di San Marco
As seen from a balcony at the Palazzo Ducale.

Courtyard of the Doge's Palace
Photos weren't allowed inside the palace, so I have none of the beautiful...

Postcard view of the Doge's Palace
Today, the palace is a fascinating museum, featuring Tintoretto's...

Me in Venice's Piazza San Marco
I'm in the middle of the Piazza San Marco, in front of the Basilica (the...

View of the Grand Canal near San Marco
The Church of Santa Maria della Salute (completed in 1682) is on the right,...

Map of Venice, Italy

article published 9/8/2003

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