Frommer's Italy 2012 (Frommer's Color Complete)

From the Book: Snapshots from Italy

Piazza delle Erbe & Piazza dei Signori, Verona
The site of the Roman forum is now Verona s central square, the venue for a daily market; the adjoining Piazza dei Signori was once the scene of assemblies of the medieval citizens council. Walking between these two beautiful squares involves a risk -- a whale bone suspended in the Arco della Costa (Arch of the Rib) will fall on anyone who has never told a lie.

St. Peter s Basilica in Rome at dusk
The incomprehensibly voluminous basilica of the Vatican is packed with incalculable riches, from the marble and gold that cover its every surface to such masterpieces as Michelangelo s Piet and Bernini s Baldacchino.

Eruptions at night on the isle of Stromboli, Sicily
An active but sluggish volcano emits puffs of smoke and lava all the time, and a nighttime trek to the summit provides views of fiery red lava flowing toward the sea.

Valley of the Temples, Agrigento
Sicily s most celebrated archaeological site preserves a proud group of temples from the fifth century BC, as well as houses, streets, and tombs -- all set on a ridge amid olive and almond trees and overlooking the sea.

Villa d Este, located in Tivoli outside of Rome
Whimsical grottoes, rushing flumes, and reflecting pools lace the gardens of the pleasure palace of Renaissance noble and cardinal Ippolito d Este.