Things to Do in Italy

The Italian town of Tivoli, set just east of Rome, is home to beautiful residences, splendid villas, and two famous UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Renaissance palace of Villa d'Este, famous for its extravagant, 16th-century gardens and water fountains, and the ruins of Hadrian's Villa (Villa Adriana), the grand second-century estate of Emperor Hadrian of ancient Rome. A visit to both sites entails beautiful garden walks and a variety of ancient architectural styles—not to mention a quiet, elegant escape from the city and some of the best natural water in Italy.

The Basics
Departing from Rome, most Tivoli tours include visits to both Villa d'Este and Hadrian's Villa. Discover the favorite vacation spot of the Renaissance period at the famous Villa d'Este, commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito, and take in its highlights: the views from the Vialone Terrace and the movie-famous Oval Fountain and Hundred Fountains. At Hadrian's Villa, you'll tour the archaeological remains of temples, libraries, and thermal baths, including the Maritime Theater, set on a man-made island at the center of a round pool; the grand Piazza d'oro; the Imperial Palace; and the Canopus, a replica of the sanctuary of Serapis near Alexandria. Choose a half-day tour or full-day trip through the Lazio countryside with an expert tour guide to get the most out of your visit to the historic sites.

Palermo’s beautiful opera house, the Teatro Massimo, is the largest opera house in the entire country. It’s an important landmark in the center of historic Palermo, and even if you don’t like opera you may be familiar with the theater’s imposing front staircase.

The Teatro Massimo was built in the late 1800s, opening in 1897 with a production of “Falstaff” by Giuseppe Verdi. The original plan called for seating for 3,000 in the audience, but the theater seats 1,350 today. There are seven levels of theater boxes in a semi-circle around the seats on the floor, all pointed toward the stage - a design very typical of opera houses at the time. As mentioned, it’s the largest opera house in Italy - and it ranks third in size in Europe.

The regular opera season in the Teatro Massimo excludes the summer, so if you’re visiting in the fall, winter, or early spring you can check with the box office to find out what’s playing and whether there are any seats available. In the summer, there are sometimes smaller orchestral or ballet performances in the Teatro della Verdura in Palermo instead of the Teatro Massimo. Palermo’s grand opera house is open for tours year-round, however. Inquire at the box office inside the main doors.

As is the case with most small Italian towns, Taormina’s main street will lead you to the town’s main church. In Taormina, that means when you walk along the Corso Umberto, you will eventually arrive in the Piazza del Duomo and at the Duomo itself.

Taormina’s Duomo, dedicated to San Nicolò di Bari, was built in the 13th century and its design is typical of many churches of its era - the exterior more closely resembles a fortified castle than a house of worship. For this reason, it has the nickname of the “fortress cathedral,” or “cattedrale fortezza.”

The Duomo was built over the ruins of a small existing church, and some of the signature Taormina pink marble used in the construction of the columns appears to have been taken from the ruins of the Teatro Greco that sits above the town. The main door was rebuilt in the 1630s in the Renaissance style, and a rose window added in that same wall.

The piazza in front of the Duomo is, unsurprisingly, the Piazza del Duomo. The Baroque fountain at the center of the piazza is capped by a statue of a female centaur, which is Taormina’s symbol. Other buildings facing the piazza include Taormina’s town hall and a former palazzo turned hotel. The Duomo is open to visitors every day from 9am until 8pm.

Rising high above the Piazza del Campo is the bell tower, Torre del Mangia, built in the early 1300s. It reaches nearly 90 metres above the Palazzo Pubblico and was intended to be exactly the same height at the bell tower of the Duomo to indicate equality between church and state. These are the two structures that still soar high above the historic center of Siena.

If you have the stomach for heights and no fear of tight spaces, climb the 500 steps for a great view down onto the square and across the city beyond. The irony is, of course, that the tower is named after its first watchman, an overweight glutton, hence the name Tower of the Eater. It’s not sure he would ever have made it up the top to see the view.