Planning your trip to Italy?

January 13, 2023

The Big Cities

If you have never been to Italy, Rome is a must. Walking through the streets you will see thousands of years of history within eyesight as you walk down the street. The Metro is very easy to use and can get you to most of the tourist attractions. It is best to get your tickets in advance, and for the Coliseum it is a must. Our first trip there was in 1995, in August and it was nice because the Italians were on holiday and most places were empty. If you are from the south of Italy, Naples is also a must. While it may not have the reputation as some of the cities in the North, for us southerners it is where all the action took place for centuries. I have to admit that I haven’t yet made it to Florence or Venice. But my bucket list includes at least one more important stop for me as you will read below. I have been to Milan which is a great cosmopolitan city, especially if you want to see the latest fashions. 

One great thing now is that you can take a fast train between most of the big cities and it is relatively inexpensive and a lot easier than dealing with an airport. 

The Home Towns

For me this time it was all about the home towns. While the big centers are great, the real Italy is the place your family came from. Even if you are not Italian, the small towns are where you experience the real Italy, people and food. We visited home towns in four different regions Molise, Calabria, Campania and Sicily and each was a unique experience. Our tour was set up by Letizia Sinisi from Italy Rooting and designed just for us. 

Of course everyone has their preferences, but for me it was to discover my roots and experience the sights and sounds of my ancestors. We were not able to get to my maternal home towns Toritto and Acquaviva Delle Fonte, but we are hoping to get there this year. 

Unlike the big cities, you will walk away from the home towns with a sense of connection to Italy and more important, to your own history. Everyone that makes this journey comes back a changed person and longs to go back. 

You

Check out my entire story here

Follow our journey

Home Town Photos

The post Planning your trip to Italy? appeared first on Italian Genealogy.

Reply

or to participate.