I Love Touring Italy -the University City of Padua

If you are hankering for a European tourist destination, why not consider the Veneto region of northern Italy on the Gulf of Venice? Venice is its best-known city and one of the most popular tourist destinations on earth. Don’t forget that the Veneto region is a lot more than this great city. It hosts many other excellent tourist attractions, and you won’t have to fight the huge crowds. With a little luck you’ll avoid tourist traps, and come back home feeling that you have truly visited Italy. This article examines tourist attractions in the university city of Padua in central Veneto. Be sure to read our companion articles on northern Veneto, on southern Veneto, and on that Shakespearean city of Verona.

Padua, population over two hundred thousand, is only about twenty-five miles (forty kilometers) west of Venice but has always had a life of its own. It was the setting for Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Padua claims to be the oldest city in northern Italy, founded early in the Twelfth Century B.C. It held out against the Lombards for twelve years at the beginning of the Seventh Century only to be burnt to the ground. Padua was the headquarters of the Italian Army in the First World War and the site of the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s surrender.

The historic city center surrounded by seven miles (eleven kilometers) of Sixteenth Century walls is home to the City Hall, whose wall is covered by the names of the Paduan war dead. Other sites of interest include the Palazzo della Ragione described next and the Nineteenth Century Neoclassical Caff?edrocchi. This caff?s one of the largest in the world and the hub of the uprisings in 1848 perhaps not surprising given its proximity to the university described below.

The Twelfth Century Palazzo della Ragione (Palace of Reason) in spite of its name is not a philosopher’s hangout, but a huge centuries-old marketplace. The hall itself is about two hundred seventy feet (eighty meters) long so when people say you can’t miss it, they aren’t kidding. This magnificent building was heavily damaged by fire early in the Fifteenth Century, unfortunately completely destroying a great collection of frescoes. So the frescoes you’ll see are somewhat more modern. By the way, the collection includes one of the few complete sets of the zodiac signs. The palace is no longer the seat of the Padua government and often hosts art shows.

Padua University in the city’s historic center at the Palazzo del Bo’ (Ox Palace, named for a inn that it replaced) was founded in 1222 when many professors and students left the University of Bologna over the issue of academic freedom. Jurisprudence and theology were the first courses offered. From the Fifteenth Century to the Eighteenth Century the university was renowned for its research, particularly in the areas of medicine, astronomy, philosophy, and law. On June 25, 1678, Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia became the world’s first woman graduate when awarded a doctorate in Philosophy in the Padua Cathedral. In addition to mathematics, philosophy, and theology Piscopia mastered the following languages: Italian, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Spanish, French, and Arabic. Other famous professors and graduates include Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, and Giacomo Casanova. You should visit its Anatomy Theatre, the oldest in the world built in 1594. To deal with the issue of overcrowding many university faculties have recently moved to other cities in the Veneto region.

Along the Piazza dei Signori (Seigneurs’ Square) you’ll see the early Seventeenth Palazzo del Capitanio, the residence of the Venetian governors with its great door. The palace included its own church, the church of San Nicolo. The nearby Duomo (Cathedral), remodeled in the mid-Sixteenth Century after a design by Michelangelo, is not one of his best works. The Thirteenth Century Baptistry includes a series of frescoes illustrating the Book of Genesis by an early Renaissance Italian painter. This piazza is home to the city’s St. Mark’s Lion. If you read my companion article on southern Veneto you’ll know what to look for when you get there.

The Fourteenth Century Cappella degli Scrovegni (Scrovegni Chapel) is Italy’s best-known chapel after the Sistine Chapel. It is also known as the Arena Chapel because it stands on the site of a Roman-era arena. The chapel’s fresco collection devoted to the life of the Virgin Mary is virtually unmatched. Before entering the chapel you must spend 15 minutes in a climate-controlled air-locked room reducing the temperature difference between the outside world and the inside of the chapel. Nearby you will find the Musei Civici degli Eremitani (Civic Museum) a former monastery with its collections of Venetian paintings, ancient coins, and other archeological treasures.

Padua’s most famous church is the Basilica di Sant’Antonio da Padova (Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua) started around 1238 but only completed after the turn of the century. His remains repose in a beautiful chapel. In front of the church is a Donatello statue of a Venetian general riding horseback. This statue, cast in the middle of the Fifteenth Century, was said to be the first full-size equestrian bronze statue cast since antiquity. Nearby are the Thirteenth Century St. George Oratory and the Sixteenth Century Scuola di San Antonio (St. Anthony’s School) both of which boast great fresco collections, the first by Altichiero and the second by the more famous Titian. There are several other churches to see if you have the time and energy.

Padua’s Orto Botanico (Botanical Garden), founded in 1545, was the first in the world. The Botanical Garden still maintains its original layout, a circular central plot symbolizing the earth surrounded by a ring of water. It has expanded over time. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a center for scientific research. Nature lovers will appreciate the Eighteenth Century Villa Pisani (Pisani Palace) about eight miles (thirteen kilometers) southeast of the city on the Brenta River, home to many fancy, fancy homes. This Palace contains 114 rooms in honor of the 114th Doge, a member of the Pisani family. Napoleon spent a night here before giving the palace away. Make sure to see the trompe-l’oeil frescoes on the ceiling. The adjoining park is a-maze-ing if you get my drift.

One of Padua’s best-known symbols is the Prato della Valle (Valley Meadow), often called the Grassless Meadow, the largest square in Europe after Moscow’s Red Square. It measures approximately one million square feet (ninety thousand square meters) or about fifty football fields. In its center, if you don’t mind the hike, you’ll find a wide garden surrounded by a ditch and lined by 78 statues portraying famous citizens. The site includes the abbey and the basilica of Santa Giustina (Saint Justine), with an interesting art collection. This complex was built around the Fifth Century tomb of Saint Justine of Padua. Napoleon suppressed the monastery in 1820 and it didn’t reopen for more than one hundred years. You can find tombs of several saints as well as relics of the Apostle St. Matthias and the Evangelist St. Luke.

What about food? Padua is a unique city. It claims a variety of food specialties, some of which may not sound all that tempting. Specialties include torresano allo spiedo (pigeon raised in tower lofts), sfilacci (salted, dried, and smoked horsemeat), mushrooms and truffles (that sounds better already), and peaches. Like I said, Padua is a unique city.

Let’s suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Prosciutto Veneto Berico Euganeo (Montagnana Sweet Cured Ham). Then try Bondole (Smoked Pork Sausage). For dessert indulge yourself with Crema Fritta (Fried Cream Custard). Be sure to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal.

We’ll conclude with a quick look at Veneto wine. Veneto holds third place among the 20 Italian regions both in terms of the area planted in grape vines and for its total annual wine production. About 45% of Veneto wine is red or ros?leaving 55% for white. The region produces 24 DOC wines and 3 DOCG wines, Recioto di Soave, Soave Superiore, and Bardolino Superiore. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. Nearly 30% of Venetian wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation.

Bagnoli di Sopra DOC also called Bagnoli DOC is vinified in many styles from a variety of international and local red and white grapes in the area approximately between Rovigo and Padua. Colli Euganei DOC is made in a wide variety of styles from local or international white or red grapes on the volcanic hills southwest of Padua.

A Quick Tour of Italy – Western Apulia

A Quick Tour of Italy – Small Town Piedmont

A Quick Tour of Italy – Campania West of Naples

If you are planning a European tour, you should consider the area west of Naples in the Campania region of southwestern Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea. You will find several small towns and two islands. While the area is not undiscovered it tends to be less “touristy” than many other parts of Italy including Campagnia on the other side of Naples, namely Sorrento and the Isle of Capri described in companion articles in this series. If you’re in the neighborhood, be sure to visit Naples, described in another companion article in this series.
Solfatara is a semiextinct volcano that last erupted in 1198. Its name comes from the Latin sulpha terra for land of sulphur so you know what to expect. Solfatara is not very pretty, unless you like to look at boiling mud.
Pozzuoli is a fishing town that has become a suburb of Naples. It was once the home of wealthy Romans; famous residents include St. Paul and Sophia Loren. Pozzuoli was damaged by volcanic eruptions during the Middle Ages and again in the 1970s. You’ll want to see the Anfiteatro Flavio (Flavius Amphitheater), Italy’s third largest, that once held 40,000 spectators.
Baia was perhaps the greatest Ancient Roman resort of them all. All the Roman big wigs including Caesar, Nero, and Tiberius had a home away from home in Baia. Cleopatra was there on a visit when Julius Caesar met his untimely end.
Cumae may have been the first Greek colony on the Italian mainland, founded in the Eighth Century B. C. You’ll want to see Sibyl’s Cave considered the most romantic classical site in all Italy. This cave, almost five hundred feet (one hundred thirty one meters) long, was carved out of solid rock.
The island of Ischia was probably inhabited for thousands of years. The Aragonese Castle is Ischia’s most heavily visited monument. Actually it was built on a rock near the so-called mainland about 2500 years ago. In 1441 the castle was linked to the island by a stone bridge. The nearby beach is fine and its waters may heal your ailments.
Something about volcanic soil makes food tasty and plentiful and gives wine a special zest. Be sure to taste the mozzarella cheese made from the milk of water buffalo. Ischia wine comes from the whole island of Ischia. It is made from a variety of local grapes in a variety of styles.

A Quick Tour of Italy – Genoa

If you are planning a tour of Europe, why not consider the Liguria region of northern Italy, commonly known as the Italian Riviera? This thin strip of land lies on the Ligurian Sea, not far from Monaco and the French Riviera. While Liguria is by no means undiscovered, its crowds are much smaller than those next door. This beautiful region is home to many little towns or villages, and the international port city of Genoa almost smack dab in the center of the coast. This sometimes beautiful, sometimes ugly city of about six hundred thousand calls itself La Superba (the Proud). Read this article and you’ll see why. Be sure to read the other articles in this series: eastern Liguria, western Liguria, and Cinque Terre, five little seaside villages that just might steal your heart.
Over its long and bitter history Genoa was often destroyed. It was a major participant in the Crusades and may have captured the Holy Grail. By the Seventeenth Century Genoa lost its power. In 1860 Giuseppe Garibaldi set out from Genoa with over a thousand volunteers to launch his successful campaign for a united Italy.
Caruggi, Genoa’s medieval center, is the largest such district in all Europe. One nearby attraction is the Sixteenth Century Merchants and Bankers Row. It was the site of the first Italian Stock Exchange. The Twelfth Century San Matteo Church just south of Caruggi contains the tomb of Andrea Doria, Genoa’s second most famous sailor.
Twelfth Century twin towers mark where an ancient Roman road entered the city. Legend has it that Christopher Columbus’s father was a gatekeeper there. His alleged boyhood home is nearby.
Via Garibaldi is chock full of palaces. The Sixteenth Century Palazzo Doria Tursi is the largest palace. The Sixteenth Century White Palace and the neighboring Seventeenth Century Red Palace are now devoted to the arts.
Be sure to see Genoa’s harbor, the largest in Italy. It’s fairly safe, if you are cautious. It has become a major cultural center. Il Bigo is a distinctive monument built for the 1992 Columbus commemoration.
The Genoa Aquarium is the Europe’s biggest and one of Italy’s most visited museums. Its huge tanks reproduce the environment of the Mediterranean Sea and the oceans and contain over six hundred species.
Liguria is famous for its pesto, claimed to be the world’s best. To make it, simply grab a mortar and pestle and combine basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Val Polcevera DOC is the only DOC wine in the Genoa area. To tell the truth, there are many better reasons to visit this lovely area.

I Love Touring Italy – the Romagna Subregion

If you are planning to tour Europe you should consider the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. This may be the only region of Italy named for a road, one constructed by the Ancient Romans almost 2200 years ago. The present article describes the Romagna subregion, including a bit of its history, its many tourist attractions, local food, and local wine. A companion article presents Emilia, the inland western “half” of the region that borders the Lombardy, Liguria, and Tuscany regions of Italy.

Our Romagna tour is very straightforward; it follows the highway basically from east to west, going slightly southward along the way. Start by visiting Rocca Sforzesca (Sforza Castle) in the village of Dozza whose wine shop, Enoteco Regionale, has a great collection of local wines. If you like Formula One auto racing you’ll want to visit the town of Imola in mid-April. Otherwise, you’ll pretty well have to be satisfied with shopping for fancy ceramics and eating at San Domenico’s, a world class restaurant with a three thousand item wine list.

Pottery fanciers will enjoy the city of Faenza, a center for faience pottery since the Twelfth Century. Guess what’s on display at the Museo delle Ceramiche. I don’t think you’ll need a translation. If you like spas be sure to visit the neighboring city of Bagno di Romagna with its hot springs.

Ravenna, north of the highway, was once the capital of the Roman Empire. But before long it was captured by the Ostrogoths and then the Byzantines who left their mark, for example in the Basilica di San Vitale (Church of Saint Vitale) with its famous mosaics. You may also wish to visit the Mauselo di Galla Placida (Galla Placida Mausoleum) next door. In spite of its name, Galla Placida, the sister of the Roman Emperor who moved the capital to Ravenna is not buried here. The Battistero Neoniano (Neonian Baptistery), probably once a Roman bath, is also known for its mosaics. Depending on the season, reservations are required or recommended for these sights. Ravenna is home to the Tomba di Dante (Tomb of Dante) with a small museum. The Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra (Home of the Stone Carpets) is an underground site containing the remains of a Sixth Century Byzantine palace with among other things, lots of mosaics. Would you believe that this site was discovered by accident? I am tempted to dig in my own backyard.

Our Romagna tour ends at Rimini on the Adriatic coast. It’s a major European holiday destination, crowded during the high season. You might visit the Grand Hotel featured in Fellini’s 1973 movie Amaracord. Rimini is also home to the oldest surviving Roman arch, the Arco d’Augusto erected in 27 BC.

What about food? Romagna shares many foods with its neighbor Emilia. You won’t have to go very far to find Parmesan cheese, Parma ham, and balsamic vinegar. Perhaps it is no accident that the founder of Italian cuisine Pellegrino Artusi was born here. In the interest of historical accuracy he did move to Tuscany before publishing his cookbook in 1891 that is still one of Italy’s most popular books. Let’s suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Tagliatelle alla Duchesa (Chicken Livers and Tagliatelle Noodles). Then try Brodetto (Adriatic Seafood Stew). For dessert indulge yourself with Crostata (Raspberry Tart). Be sure to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal.

We’ll conclude with a quick look at Romagna wine. Emilia-Romagna ranks 5th among the 20 Italian regions for acreage devoted to wine grapes and 4th for total annual wine production. The region produces about 57% and 43% white wine. Emilia-Romagna produces about twenty DOC wines about half of which come from Romagna. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. It is the home of Albana di Romagna DOCG, Italy’s first white DOCG wine. The G stands for Garantita. While one can guess what that word is supposed to mean, many feel that this honor was far from deserved. I have never tasted this particular wine, but from my readings I have no great desire to do so, except to set the matter straight. Romagna’s major white grape is the fairly pedestrian Trebbiano, perhaps surprisingly the source of its famous balsamic vinegar. The red Sangiovese grape that can be so excellent in Tuscany wines is usually not so great here. Look for the red Barbarossa variety often found near the town of Bertino east of Bologna. Between you and me Emilia-Romagna’s the wine can’t match its food.

I Love Touring Italy – the Trentino Subregion

If you looking for a special European tourist destination, why don’t you consider the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy on the border of both Switzerland and Austria? Its many tourist attractions include the Dolomite Mountains, that the famous architect Le Corbusier called The most beautiful work of architecture even seen, glacier lakes, and Alpine forests. The region is composed of two parts, Trentino in the south and Alto Adige in the north. This article presents Trentino; a companion article presents Alto Adige.

Well start our tour of Trentino at Rovereto near the border with Lombardy. We proceed northeast to the local capital, Trento, and head west first past the village of Comano with its thermal waters then past the typical Trentino village of Tione. Here we turn northeast to finish our tour at the ski resort Madonna di Campiglio. There is a lot more skiing in the area, but its over the border into Lombardy not very far from Switzerland.

The medieval city of Rovereto, population about 35 thousand, has had its share of warfare. In 1796 Napoleon won a bloody battle against Austria. And in World War I Italian and Austrian troops fought a bloody, inconclusive battle. Every night fall the thousands who died there are honored by La Campana dei Caduti (The Bell of the Fallen) that tolls 100 times in remembrance of the fallen of all wars as a warning for future peace. This bell, cast in 1924, is the largest bell in the world that rings full peal.

The Museo Storico Italiano della Guerra (Italian Historical War Museum) was founded after World War I to commemorate the war and to prevent future wars. It is located in a medieval castle that exemplifies Fifteenth Century Venetian military architecture with its tunnels, moats, and towers. It is perhaps the worlds largest anti-war museum. An annex displays World War I artillery in an air-raid shelter from that time. For a change of pace, visit MART, the Museo DArte Moderna e Contemporaneo (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art). The focus is on a local artist, Fortunato Depero, but the collection includes works from Picasso, Leger, Klee, Kandinsky, Lichtenstein, Modigliani, and Warhol among others.

Trento, population about one hundred thousand if you add in the suburbs, is Trentinos major city. Its main historical claim to fame was the Council of Trent stretching from 1545 to 1563 that marked the beginning of the Counter-Reformation. The fight to join Trento-Alto Adige to Italy was a major reason for Italian participation in World War I.

The Duomo (Cathedral of San Virgilio) is a Twelfth-Thirteenth Century Romanesque-Gothic structure built over a Sixth Century Church dedicated to the citys patron saint, San Virgilio. Whenever the Council of Trent came to a decision, it was read at the Cappela del Crocifisso (Chapel of the Crucifix) located within the cathedral.

The Sixteenth Century Renaissance Santa Maria Maggiore Church hosted many sessions of the Council of Trent. The courtyard of the building at 18 via Rosmini contains the mosaic floor of a Roman villa of the Second Century A.D.

The Castello del Buonconsiglio (Castle of Good Counsel) started in the Thirteenth Century next to the city walls. Over the centuries it grew. This castle includes the Museo Provinciale dArte (Provincial Art Museum). Make sure to see the frescoes including the famous Fifteenth Century Cycle of the Months, portraying contemporary life in Medieval Trentino in the Torre Aquila (Eagle Tower) and the more recent (late Sixteenth Century) frescoes depicting hunting scenes in the Torre del Falco (Falcon Tower).

Other sights to see include several historic churches, underground remains of Roman streets and villas, the modernistic train station, the Museo Storico in Trento (Trento Historical Museum) scheduled to reopen soon if not already, and the Museo dellAeronautica Gianni Caproni (Gianni Caproni Aeronautical Museum) located at the airport. Check out the Mountain Film Festival.

Not far from Trento, especially if you are willing to drive on Alpine roads competing against Alpine drivers, are two great sites; the medieval spa town of Levico Terme and the Alpine Botanical Garden with over a thousand species of plants originating in the Alps and other mountain ranges across the globe. Madonna di Campiglio advertises itself as Italys number one ski resort. The clientele is mostly Italian and the slopes tend to be intermediate, but there are slopes for beginners and experts as well. The resort boasts 57 lifts and 150 kilometers (90 miles) of ski runs with a capacity of over thirty thousand skiers per hour. There are 40 kilometers (25 miles) of cross-country ski trails. You can go to the city center and back without ever removing your skis. For a change of pace, visit the nearby Adamello-Brenta Natural Park encompassing 450 kilometers (300 miles) of mountain paths, but you will have to remove your skis to do so. This resort recently hosted the Snowboard World Championships. Head a bit north to Campo Carlo Magno, a mountain pass that Charlemagne is said to have traversed on the way to his coronation in Rome way back in the year 800.

Since you have come this far you should consider visiting two more sites; Bormio about sixty miles (one hundred kilometers) northwest of Madonna di Campiglio and Passo dello Stelvio about twelve miles (twenty kilometers) north of Bormio just south of the Swiss border. These sites are in the Lombardy region, far from the cities and towns described in our various Lombardy articles. Briefly, Bormio has lots of long pistes and a one mile drop. You will find Roman baths (frequented by none other than Leonardo da Vinci) and a spa. Bormio is an entry point to the largest national park in the Alps, Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio with six hundred different species of mushrooms. Passo dello Stelvio is the second highest European mountain pass.

What about food? Trentino cuisine has a real Alpine accent and includes plenty of butter, cheese, game, and wild mushrooms, dozens of which can be found in local markets. The nearly three hundred lakes and rivers furnish plenty of fish. Expect to eat polenta, which may be made from potatoes or buckwheat, as well as the usual corn. A major contender for Italys most weirdly named dish is Strangolapreti (Priest Strangler). No record actually exists of priests giving up the ghost when faced with these Spinach, Egg, and Cheese Gnocchi but the idea was that their delicate throats couldnt handle these robust Gnocchi.

Lets suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Orzetto (Barley Soup with Ham). Then try Trota alla Trentina (Marinated Trout in Lemon and Red Wine Sauce). For dessert indulge yourself with Zelten (Wheat Cake with Dried Fruits and Nuts). Be sure to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal.

We conclude with a quick look at Trentino-Alto Adige wine. Trentino-Alto Adige ranks 16th among the 20 Italian regions for acreage devoted to wine grapes and 14th for total annual wine production. The region produces about 55% red and 45% white wine. There are eight DOC wines of which six are found in Trentino (one DOC wine is shared with Alto Adige and another with Alto Adige and with Veneto.) DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. A whopping 79.1% of Trentino-Alto Adige wine carries the DOC designation, by far the highest percentage in Italy.

The Trentino DOC covers the entire Trento province and provides over twenty types of wine. The most recent Trento-Alto Adige wine that I tasted was a Vino Novello (New Wine) that probably wasnt typical of Trento-Alto Adige wine but was typical of Vino Novello wine. The less said the better. There actually is a wine called Pinot Grigio Trentino Concilio (Pinot Gris Council of Trent) but I havent tasted it.

I Love Touring Italy – Southern Sardinia

If you are looking for a European tourist destination, consider the island of Sardinia, a region of southern Italy. Depending on your interests, this beautiful area can be an ideal vacation spot. You can get classic Italian food, and wash it down with fine local wine. Some parts of Sardinia remain undiscovered by tourists, while other sites are favorites of Italian and international jet setters and are priced accordingly. This article presents southern Sardinia. Companion articles present northern Sardinia and central Sardinia.

We’ll start our tour of southern Sardinia at its capital and largest city, Cagliari on the Golfo di Cagliari (Cagliari Gulf). Then we head southwest along the coast to Pula and nearby Nora and then continue on or close to the coast, first southwest and then northwest to Sant’Antioco and neighboring Calasetta. We next visit the island city of San Pietro. Finally we return to mainland Sardinia and then proceed north to finish our tour at Costa Verde.

Cagliari has a population of about one hundred sixty thousand or more than twice that when you count the suburbs. It has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The city fought alongside the Savoyards against the French Revolution. When it became clear that they would not be rewarded for their loyalty, all Cagliari rose up against the Savoyards and expelled them and their Piedmont allies. Every year on the last weekend of April Cagliari celebrates this insurgency in the Die de sa Sardigna (Sardinian Day). Their independence was short-lived.

The old city is called Castello (the Castle). It lies on a hilltop and offers an excellent view of the Gulf of Cagliari which is also known as Angels Gulf. The major part of the old white limestone city walls remain intact. Look for two Thirteenth Century white limestone towers, the Torre di San Pancrazio (St. Pancras Tower) and the Torre dell’Elefante (Elephant Tower). D.H. Lawrence, who wrote Sea and Sardinia, as well as Lady Chatterly’s Lover compared Cagliari to a “white Jerusalem”.

The remains of the ancient city include the Second Century Anfiteatro Romano (Roman Amphitheatre), parts of which are fairly well preserved, an aqueduct, ancient cisterns, and the ruins of a small temple. Summers you can attend open-air concerts and operas and concerts in the amphitheatre. The Museo Archeologico (Archeological Museum) located in a Fourteenth Century castle contains many artifacts coming from unique Sardinian stone structures called Nuraghe which are discussed in the companion article I Love Touring Italy – Central Sardinia.

The Duomo, Cattedrale di Santa Maria, (St. Mary’s Cathedral) was built in the Seventeenth Century but underwent major renovations in the 1930s. Other churches worth seeing include the Fifth Century Basilica di San Saturnino (St. Saturnino Bascilica), the Seventeenth Century Church of St. Lucifer, and the Fourteenth Century Sanctuary of Our Lady of Bonaria.

Many old Cagliari neighborhoods retain their charm. Some 1930s buildings were built in Art Deco style, while others such as the Palazzo di Giustizia (Justice Court) conform to a Fascist Neoclassist style. Cagliari also claims one of the longest beaches in Italy, the Poetto beach an amazing 8 miles (13 kilometers), once famous for its white fine-grained sand and one of the largest fish markets in all Italy, the Mercato di San Benedetto (St. Benedetto Market).

Pula whose population numbers some seven thousand is known for its lovely beaches, bays, and coves. Admire the flocks of flamingos in the marshes. Just outside of Pula lies the site of Nora, founded by Phoenicians and perhaps the oldest city in all Sardinia. The excavations, while not yet completed, have uncovered a wealth of ruins from the days of Carthage and Rome.

From the first to the fourth of May Nora and Cagliari host what is perhaps the greatest and most colorful religious procession in the world, the Festa di Sant’Efisio, honoring a martyr beheaded by a Roman soldier in 303 in Nora. In 1652 a plague was rampant in Sardinia and half of Cagliari lay dead. According to popular belief this saint’s intervention stopped the plague. In gratitude every year thousands of traditionally costumed marchers transport his statue from a church in old Cagliari to one in Nora and back. The end of the festivities is marked by a torchlight parade.

Sant’Antioco is an island off the coast of Sardinia. While quite small, it is the seventh largest island in the Mediterranean. The island itself was settled way back in the Fifth Millenium B.C. and the city of the same name, population twelve thousand, was settled in the Eighth Century B.C. The Roman causeway is still standing but you’ll probably get to the mainland and back by a modern version.

Make sure to see the Zona Archeologica (Archeological Zone) with its view of mainland Sardinia and an archeological museum. There’s even a necropolis dating back to the days of Carthage. Then stop by the little town of Calasetta, population under three thousand, first settled by Ligurians in 1770. I’m told the residents have kept their dialect that is as incomprehensible to Sardinians as it is to you or me, unless you’re from Genoa or its surroundings. Don’t worry about the language; enjoy the beaches and the port.

San Pietro was supposed to be settled by those Ligurians who ended up in Calasetta. Before long they were enslaved. Upon their liberation many went to Calasetta but some others returned to San Pietro’s town of Carloforte, population about eight thousand, once a center for tuna fishing and now a tourist resort.

Costa Verde is a great combination of wilderness and resort life. You can only get there by a lousy road. Take people’s advice and avoid driving during the heat of the day. But once you are there, Costa Verde is really unforgettable. Sand dunes, wild landscapes, and great beaches abound.

What about food? In spite of its magnificent coastline, native Sardinians don’t seem to go very much for fish and seafood. However, if you are on or near the coast you can get fish and seafood. Look for burrida, a Sardinian fish soup that is sometimes based on shark. The sea also provides swordfish, tuna, sardines, cuttlefish, clams, and mussels. An expensive specialty is mosciame di tonno, salted, air-dried tuna. A more familiar and often expensive specialty is lobster, some of the best in Italy.

Let’s suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Impanadas (Baked Stuffed Pastry). Then try Lepudrida (Soupy Legumes and Meat with Ham). For dessert indulge yourself with Pabassinas (Pastry topped with Raisin and Walnut Paste). Be sure to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal.

We’ll conclude with a short examination of Sardinian wine. Sardinia ranks eighth among the 20 Italian regions in acreage devoted to wine grapes and twelfth in total annual wine production. About 57% of its wine production is red or rose (only a little is rose) leaving 43% for white wine. DOC is short for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. The letter G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is absolutely no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. The region produces 19 DOC wines and one DOCG wine, Vermentino di Gallura. About 15% of Sardinian wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation.

Carignano del Sulcis DOC is produced in Sardinia’s southwestern tip from the red Carignano grape (the French call it Carignan) with a maximum of 15% of other local red grapes. The ros?ine is dry and still or fizzy. The red wine may be dry or sweet. Monica di Cagliari DOC is one of a series of similarly named wines featuring a grape such as Monica, Nuragus, etc. Monica di Cagliari is vinified in a large area of southern Sardinia starting from the local red Monica grape in a variety of styles both dry and sweet.