

THE SINKING CITY GUIDE PLUS
▲ Near Venice Several interesting towns: Padua (with Giotto's gloriously frescoed Scrovegni Chapel), Vicenza (Palladian architecture), and Verona (Roman amphitheater plus Romeo and Juliet sights). ▲ The Lakes Two relaxing lakes, each with low-key resort towns and a mountainous backdrop: Lake Como, with quaint Varenna and upscale Bellagio and Lake Maggiore, with straightforward Stresa, manicured islands, and elegant villas. ▲▲ Pompeii and Nearby Famous ruins of the ancient towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, with their nemesis, Mount Vesuvius, looming on the horizon.

Farther south is Paestum, with its well-preserved ancient Greek temples. ▲▲ Amalfi Coast and Paestum String of seafront villages - including hilly Positano and workaday Amalfi - tied together by a scenic mountainous coastal road. ▲▲ Naples Gritty, in-love-with-life port city featuring vibrant street life and a top archaeological museum starring the treasures from ancient Pompeii. ▲▲ Orvieto and Civita More hill-town adventures, featuring Orvieto's classic views, Classico wine, and ornate cathedral plus pint-sized, hilltop village of Civita di Bagnoregio. Francis' hometown, perched on a hilltop, with a divinely Giotto-decorated basilica. ▲▲ Heart of Tuscany Picturesque, wine-soaked villages of Italy's heartland, including mellow Montepulciano, Renaissance Pienza, and Brunello-fueled Montalcino. ▲▲ Milan Powerhouse city of commerce and fashion, with the prestigious La Scala opera house, Leonardo's The Last Supper, and three airports. ▲▲▲ Rome Italy's capital, the sprawling Eternal City, studded with Roman ruins (Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon), romantic floodlit-fountain squares, and home to Vatican City and the astonishing Sistine Chapel. ▲▲▲ Siena Florence's smaller and (some say) more appealing rival, with its magnificent Il Campo square, striking striped cathedral, and medieval pageantry. ▲▲▲ Florence The cradle of the Renaissance, with the world-class Uffizi Gallery, Brunelleschi's dome-topped Duomo, Michelangelo's David, and Italy's best gelato.

▲▲▲ Cinque Terre Five idyllic Riviera hamlets along a rugged coastline (and part of a national park), connected by scenic hiking trails and dotted with beaches. Mark's Basilica, the Grand Canal, and singing gondoliers. ▲▲▲ Venice Dreamy island city, powerful in medieval times famous for St.
