Top 5 Tourist Attractions
Italy is a land of art, architecture and natural beauty. Tourists from all over the world have a high opinion of the attractions in Italy. Some of the most beautiful tourist spots that would take your heart away are:
The Colosseum in Rome
Known as the Flavian Amphitheater originally, the Colosseum is the most impressive feat of Roman engineering. Although in ruins, it is still a spectacular site to see.
It is an immense elliptical building having a measurement of 188 by 156 meters. Standing at a height of 48 meters, it has four stories above the ground. The Colosseum can accommodate 55000 spectators at a time and has 80 entry points.
The construction was believed to have started in 72 AD and completed in 80 AD.
Below the ground are rooms where the animals were supposedly caged and kept. These cages could be hoisted in such a way that the animals could appear right in the middle of the arena.
An earthquake in 847 AD caused the southern part of the Colosseum to fall. The marble facade and other parts of the building were used in construction of other later monuments.
Pompeii
A world heritage site, this partially buried and ruined city is located in the region of Campania near the bay of Naples. The active volcano, Mount Vesuvius is known to have destroyed and buried the complete city around 79 AD. There are continued excavations going on which have revealed artifacts and the archeologists are still trying to figure out the mysteries of this ancient city.
Vatican City
Residence of the Pope and the center of Catholicism in the world, Vatican City is a land locked sovereign state within the city of Rome. It is totally surrounded in a walled enclave. It is the smallest country in the world of about 110 acres with a population of around 900 people.
Leaning Tower of Pisa
This is a bell tower of a cathedral in the city of Pisa. It was supposed to be vertical but because of weak foundation it started leaning towards its southeast side. One of the wonders of the world, it stands at a height of 55.86 meters. The tower has seven floors with approximately 296 steps leading to the top. Originally it leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees, but after restoration work, it now leans at 3.99 degrees.
Tomasso di Andrea Pissano, who built this tower, succeed in harmonizing the Gothic with the Romanesque style of architecture.
The Grand Canal of Venice
Two miles long and shaped like a backward "S", it is the major water-traffic corridor of the city. It is an amazing experience to take a boat ride in this canal. You can choose between the water buses or the private water taxis. It is a jaw dropping experience it see the houses and those scenic monuments pass you by while traveling in the water. It is like sailing through a water corridor in between buildings. Saint Mark basin and Santa Lucia railway station are at the two ends of the canal.