In Rome, Nero fiddled, Mark Antony praised Caesar, and Charlemagne was crowned. Today, you can walk in their footsteps past the masterpieces of Michelangelo, sip your caffè in the shadow of Mussolini, and dodge Vespas speeding by Baroque palazzi and Egyptian obelisks. The ages of history live on in this, the Eternal City.

Rome, Italy's capital, rises on the banks of the Tevere about 25 kilometers from its main outlet in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is situated at the center of an undulating plain, the Campagna Romana, which is confined one side by the hills of Monte Mario, Gianicolo and Monteverde and on the other side by smaller hills of volcanic origin - the so-called "Seven Hills."

However you arrive in Rome, you can tell by the traffic that you are entering a grand nexus: all roads lead to Rome. As you enter the city proper, edifices, icons, and images to match your expectations take shape: a bridge with heroic statues along its parapets; a towering cake of ornate marble decorated with allegorical figures in extravagant poses; a piazza and an obelisk under an umbrella of pine trees; a massive stone arena, even bigger than you imagined, that you realize with awe is the fabled Colosseum.

More than Florence, more than Venice, Rome is Italy's treasure trove, packed with masterpieces from more than two millennia of artistic achievement - for this is where Republican Rome once bustled around the buildings of the Roman Forum, centuries later Michelangelo Buonarroti painted the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, and in modern times, Federico Fellini filmed La Dolce Vita and 8½ at Cinecittà Studios.
Rome's 2,700 years of history are laid open with every step. Ancient Rome rubs shoulders with the medieval, the modern runs into the Renaissance, and the result is like nothing so much as an open-air museum, a city that glories in its glories and is a monument to itself. Ancient Romans, Vandals, Popes and the Borgias, Michelangelo and Bernini, Napoléon, and Mussolini all left their physical, cultural, and spiritual marks on the city.

Today, Rome's formidable legacy is upheld by its people. Students walk dogs in the park that was once the mausoleum of the family of the Emperor Augustus; Raphaelesque madonnas line up for buses on busy corners; a priest in flowing robes walks through a medieval piazza talking on a cell phone. Modern Rome has one foot in the past, one in the present - a delightful stance that allows you to have an espresso in a square designed by Bernini, then take the Metro back to your hotel room in a renovated Renaissance palace.

Of all Italy's historic cities, it's perhaps Rome which exerts the most compelling fascination. There's more to see here than in any other city in the world, with the relics of over two thousand years of inhabitation packed into its sprawling urban area. You could spend a month here and still only scratch the surface. As a historic place, it is special enough; as a contemporary European capital, it is utterly unique.
All of which is not to say that Rome is an easy place to absorb on one visit; you need to approach things slowly, even if you only have a few days here. You can't see everything on your first visit to Rome, and there's no point in even trying. Most of the city's sights can be approached from a variety of directions, and it's part of the city's allure to stumble across things by accident, gradually piecing together the whole, rather than marching around to a timetable on a predetermined route. In any case, it's hard to get anywhere very fast. Despite regular pledges to ban motor vehicles from the city centre, the congestion can be awful. On foot, it's easy to lose a sense of direction winding about in the twisting old streets. In any case, you're so likely to come upon something interesting it hardly makes any difference.

Rome doesn't have the nightlife of, say, Paris or London, or even of its Italian counterparts to the north - culturally it's rather provincial - and its food , while delicious, is earthy rather than haute cuisine. But its atmosphere is like no other city - a monumental, busy capital and yet an appealingly relaxed place, with a centre that has yet to be taken over by chainstores and big multinational hotels. Above all, there has perhaps never been a better time to visit the city, whose notoriously crumbling infrastructure is looking and functioning better than it has done for some time - the result of the feverish activity that took place in the last months of 1999 to have the city centre looking its best for the Church's jubilee. On the surface the city still looks much as it has done for years. But there are museums, churches and other buildings that have been "in restoration" as long as anyone can remember that have reopened, and some of the city's historic collections have been rehoused, making it all the more easy to get the most out of Rome.

NAPLES

Whatever your real interest is in Campania, the chances are that you'll wind up in NAPLES - capital of the region and, indeed, of the whole Italian south. It's the kind of city laden with visitors' preconceptions, and it rarely disappoints: it is filthy, it is very large and overbearing, it is crime-infested, and it is most definitely like nowhere else in Italy - something the inhabitants will be keener than anyone to tell you. In all these things lies the city's charm. Perhaps the feeling that you're somewhere unique makes it possible to endure the noise and harassment, perhaps it's the feeling that in less than three hours you've travelled from an ordinary part of Europe to somewhere akin to an Arab bazaar. One thing, though, is certain: a couple of days here and you're likely to be as staunch a defender of the place as its most devoted inhabitants. Few cities on earth inspire such fierce loyalties.

In Naples, all the pride and resentment of the Italian south, all the historical differences between the two wildly disparate halves of Italy, are sharply brought into focus. This is the true heart of the mezzogiorno , a lawless, petulant city that has its own way of doing things. It's a city of extremes, fiercely Catholic, its streets punctuated by bright neon Madonnas cut into niches, its miraculous cults regulating the lives of the people much as they have always done. Football, too, is a religion here: frenzied celebrations went on for weeks after Napoli, with their hero Maradona to the fore, wrested the Italian championship from the despised north in 1987. Support is not as fanatical as it used to be, though the club is currently enjoying some success again in Italy's Serie A.

A point of embarkation for emigrants in the past, Naples now has a large traffic of merchandise (petroleum, carbon, cereals) and passengers. It is the largest Italian port, with a noteworthy nexus of railway and highways and a large international airport. In the vast urban area one can distinguish many different neighborhoods: the old center, characterized by buildings closely crowded together, is bordered on the west by the new administrative district and on the east by the business district, into which flows almost all the road and rail traffic. Other neighborhoods, with narrow climbing streets, rise around the base of the San Martino and Capodimonte hills. These neighborhoods have experienced intense development, typically of the simpler kind, in contrast to that of the residential neighborhoods that stretch out comfortably along the Vomero and Posillipo hills.

Music, also, has played a key part in the city's identity: there's long been a Naples style, bound up with the city's strange, harsh dialect - and, to some extent, the long-established presence of the US military: American jazz lent a flavour to Neapolitan traditional songs in the Fifties; and the Seventies saw one of Italy's most concentrated musical movements in the urban blues scene of Pino Daniele and the music around the radical Alfa Romeo factory out at Pomigliano. More recently, a distinctive style of Neapolitan rap emerged from the centri sociali or "social centres" - groups of left-wing urban activists who challenge the establishment. The most famous exponents of this kind of rap are 99 Posse, who joined forces with Bisca to record Guai a Chi ci Tocca ( Trouble for Those who Touch Us ), which documented a brutal police attack on a peaceful student demonstration in Naples in 1994.

Naples is a surprisingly large city, and a sprawling one, with a centre that has many different focuses. The area between Piazza Garibaldi and Via Toledo, roughly corresponding to the old Roman Neapolis (much of which is still unexcavated below the...

The coastline south of Naples is among the most spectacular anywhere. The ancient towns of Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi cling to the mountainside, along which winds the only road, offering stunning vistas of crystal clear sea. From Sorrento, on the Bay of Naples, take the fast catamaran to Capri, island of beauty and legend. Stroll through the narrow colourful streets of Amalfi and Positano. Take the bus along the coast in one direction and return by boat, by far the loveliest way to experience this superb area. The large and bustling city of Naples is far more than its reputation for petty crime suggests, although it's worth keeping an eye open for pickpockets and not leaving anything of value in your car - but that goes for many of the world's big cities. Naples enjoys a superb situation, the Bay of Naples, dominated by Vesuvius and the Sorrento Peninsular, being one of the most beautiful in the world. The climate is kind throughout the year. Although Naples is well endowed with museums, galleries and historic monuments, the lively Neapolitan street life is perhaps the best reason for spending some time in this truly cosmopolitan city.

SICILY

Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean, is easily reached by car ferry across the short Straits of Messina. It offers something for everyone. The sea sparkles on the warm volcanic sands of its many beaches; the numerous invaders of history have left a rich and varied architectural heritage; the lush coast rises quickly to a mountainous and impressively desolate interior, over which the smoking crater of Etna looms ominously. Visit the Valley of the Temples near the attractive town of Arigento; stroll the wide and impressive streets of Catania; enjoy the many Baroque sights in the busy capital, Palermo, and marvel at the 8,000 mummies preserved in its catacombs; take in the Greek and Roman remains in the ancient city of Syracuse. The delicious and often rather spicy cuisine of Sicily and its many excellent wines add a finishing touch to a holiday in this fascinating part of Italy.

Triangular shaped Sicily is the largest and most populated island in the Mediterranean Sea, separated from mainland Italy by the Strait of Messina. It lies approximately half way between Gibraltar and the Suez Canal, bridging Europe and Africa. The main island is surrounded by a number of smaller picturesque islands, including the Aeolian islands to the west and the Pelagie islands to the south. Sicily and its surrounding islands are a self-governing region of Italy and has its own parliament, with Palermo as the capital city. The total population is about 5.5 million.

The main island has about 600 miles of coastline, with steep, rocky cliffs on the north shore and flat, sandy shorelines in the south. The interior of the island is generally hilly, with the exception of the plains around the Catania region. The climate is typically Mediterranean, with hot summers (average temperature 26°C) and short, mild winters (average temperature 14°C). The average number of hours of sun per year is 2,550 and rainfall is not frequent.

Sicily, is an island of great natural beauty. The rolling hills in the interior are awash in colorful wildflowers and there are numerous fields of fragrant orange and lemon trees. Along the shorelines, spectacular rocky cliffs meet the deep blue, tranquil waters of the Mediterranean. The people of Sicily regard themselves as significantly different from the rest of Italy, both ethnically, culturally and linguistically. Over the centuries, Sicily has been conquered and inhabited by Arabs, Greeks and Normans, among others. This has contributed to a cultural mix that makes the Sicilian people unique, and this is reflected in their dialect, cuisine, architecture, etc.

There are plenty of things to see and do in Sicily. Here are some popular sights and attractions:
Mount Etna, Catania

This is without question Sicily's best known and most popular natural attraction. Mount Etna, with a height of almost 11,00 feet, is the tallest mountain and most active volcano in Europe. Mount Etna is characterized by frequent periods of intermittent activity in the summit area and major eruptions from its flanks every 2-20 years. Guided tours to the mountain are offered daily.

Aeolian Islands

The Aeolians are active volcanic islands characterized by high mountains and lush, deep valleys surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. There is some truly great scenery on these islands and they are rarely crowded. Many come to the Aeolians to view the extensive Greek ruins there, and others come to swim and dive in the sea or to tan and relax on the one of numerous small beaches. You can reach the Aeolian islands from Palermo by ferry.

Capo Market, Palermo

This large, lively, noisy, and colorful market in Palermo captures the atmosphere of a 10th century Arab market. The long rows of vendors' stalls wind their way to the old gate called Porta Carini - what was once Palermo's city wall. This is a good place to shop for Sicilian crafts - but be prepared for intense bargaining!

Catacombs of the Capuchins

Located just outside Palermo, these subterranean passages (dating back over 500 years) have thousands of mummified bodies lining the walls. The catacombs house the bodies of noblemen and priests, as well as ordinary townspeople. Many of the bodies are fully dressed. This is not a place for the faint-hearted!

The Four Corners, Palermo

The historic center of Palermo called Quattro Canti is the main focal point of this city's old district and takes the form of a large octagonal square. Many of Palermo's ancient churches, structures, monuments, and other sights of historical interest are located in or near the Quattro Canti. Of particular interest is the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, a magnificent medieval church constructed in the early Romanesque Gothic style.

SARDINIA

Cagliari, the capital city of the island of Sardinia, is a very old city founded by the ancient Phoenicians. The city is located on the southern end of the island. It is an aesthetically pleasing city, often referred to as the "City of the Sun", with some interesting medieval architecture and a marvelous beach nearby. Sardinia is a beautiful island located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea about 125 miles from the Italian mainland. It is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean - having more than 900 miles of spectacular jagged and rocky coastline, with many pristine beaches of very fine sparkling sand. The island is a popular destination for visitors who enjoy the sea, sun, and natural beauty. The average temperature on the island is about 75 degrees Fahrenheit in winter, and about 55 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, with very little rainfall.

Basically, tourism in Sardinia is linked to its extraordinarily beautiful coastline, with a variety of splendours hard to find elsewhere, and not only in the Mediterranean. Pure white sands alternate with tiny hidden coves, sheer cliffs frequently soar above magnificent caves and picturesque rocks rise from a clear sparkling sea facing rugged promontories, eroded by the wind.

In spite of the twists and turns of history, and in spite of the passing of time. The Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Byzantines and Spanish all arrived in this splendid island: Sardinia assimilated and reinterpreted all these different influences, integrated them into its own culture, but did not allow its heart, its own profound way of feeling, to be touched or changed. Just as the physical heart of Sardinia, the area of Gennargentu (now a splendid National Park), has always been inaccessible to foreigners. All this gives a unique and original flavour to a holiday in Sardinia. The visitor feels reassured, "guaranteed" by this sensation of unchangeability: as if here, even in the most modern and built-up areas of the island, everything continues to be more authentic, more genuine than elsewhere. It is so at Cagliari as it is at Nuoro, at Sassari as it is at Oristano, at Alghero as it is on the Emerald Coast: wherever the tourist chooses to enjoy the magnificent sea or visit museums, to study the mystery of the "nuraghi" or to try a delicious typical dish. Wherever you are, you will feel that you are doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right place.

CAPRI

The Isle of Capri is famous the world over as a classy and beautiful holiday destination. There are few who won't sigh and express their envy when you tell them of your trip. Everyone has their own Capri myth, whether it's a myth of Sirens charming seafarers, of ancient Roman orgies, of dreamy seaviews, of 1950s celebrities in big sunglasses, or of lazy summer evenings spent browsing in exclusive boutiques.

Capri is an island which some people love and some people hate. Those against the island are generally those who arrive for a daytrip, and find an expensive commercialised destination crammed to bursting with other daytrippers. Others, however, love the combination of island simplicity, natural beauty and busy glitz. And if you stay overnight, you'll find a different Capri. After the last daytrippers leave, a kind of exclusive peace settles over the island as those who are privileged to be staying overnight emerge for their evening passeggiata, or to sip drinks on the famous little square, the Piazzetta.

There are two towns on Capri; Capri town itself, which is in the centre of the island, and is where most of the hotels are located, and Anacapri. Anacapri basks on the hill above Capri, and is a quieter, more 'normal' town. Accommodation is generally cheaper, although you're still not far from the hub of things, and there is a regular bus service. From Anacapri you can take the chairlift up to the top of Monte Solare and enjoy the views before the trip back down (on foot if you're so inclined). San Michele, the home of Swedish doctor and writer Axel Munthe is located in Anacapri, and is open to the public.

The principal Capri tourist attraction is the island itself; its views, its rocky seashores and its scenic charm. There is plenty of good walking - or strolling - to be done as you explore the island. Top scenic panoramas include views of the Bay of Naples, the Faraglioni Rocks and the Gardens of Augustus.

At the ruined Villa Jovis you can see the remains of the Emperor Tiberius's palace, and also the cliffs over which he is reputed to have had his enemies tossed. Back in Capri town, the 14th-century Certosa di San Giacomo is a handsome old monastery-fortress, now hosting a school and art exhibitions. For shopaholics, Capri town is a dream, with all the big designer names and expensive boutiques. Almost every Capri visitor makes the trip to the Grotta Azzurra, the Blue Grotto. Like the island itself, it tends to split its visitors in two - those who find the blue-lit cave an unforgettable experience, and those who find the jostling boatsmen and extortionate prices a rip-off. A boat trip around the island, though, is a more rewarding experience. You can admire the coastline and the island's other grottoes in a leisurely fashion.

No visit to Capri is complete without at least a few hours spent on the Mediterranean sea surrounding the island. Whether you choose to join an organised tour, or rent a private boat with captain, taking to the turquoise waters is the only way to explore some of the most beautiful parts of the island. In fact, many of the most enchanting stretches of the Capri coastline are completely inaccessible by land. By boat visitors are able to reach those secluded bays which are just perfect for swimming or sun bathing - far from the crowds crammed onto the tiny pebble beaches. A leisurely tour around the island will last roughly two and a half hours, including time for a quick dip in the sea. For those with more time at their disposal, full day excursions can easily be arranged.

MALTA

Malta is approximately 17 miles long, and 9 miles wide and it has a population of 345,000. The Maltese Islands are just 60 miles from Sicily, and 180 miles from the African continent. Thus Malta's history and language is more easily understood given its position, which up to the Second World War was considered as strategic.

Great Britain formally acquired possession of Malta in 1814. The island staunchly supported the UK through both World Wars and remained in the Commonwealth when it became independent in 1964. A decade later Malta became a republic. Since about the mid-1980s, the island has become a freight transshipment point, financial center, and tourist destination. It is an official candidate for EU membership.

Malta has several of the oldest known temples in the world still standing and in an excellent state of preservation, which indicates that it was inhabited since the earliest times and was at various periods of time, occupied or inhabited by Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, French, and English, was the official home of the Knights of the Order of St.John (better known as the Knights of Malta), during which period a concerted attempt was made to invade the country by the Turks.

Thus one will find that the Maltese Language is quite unlike any other, being a mix of influences over the centuries. However, one can state that apart from Maltese, 95% of the population can speak English, a considerable number Italian, and smaller numbers understand various other major languages. In Malta, you'll explore 7000 years of history yet live passionately in the present. You'll span the millennia with an astonishing array of things to discover. And wherever you go, the Islands' scenery and architecture provide a spectacular backdrop. The colours are striking. Honey-coloured stone against the deepest of Mediterranean blues.

Malta cittadella

The Maltese Islands have been described as one big open-air museum. What makes them unique is that so much of their past is visible today. Delve into the Islands' mysterious prehistory, retrace the footsteps of St Paul or see where the Knights of St John defended Christendom. But Malta is no regular museum. Here life is lived to the full, so make time for some living history and action. Visit locations where Oscar-winning blockbusters were filmed or go off the beaten track into ancient villages. Marvel at the fireworks and revelry of the summertime festas and enjoy a packed calendar of events all year round.

Towns and villages

There is modern, urban living at its fastest with cafés, nightlife, clubs and restaurants. Then there are unique baroque towns and cities, sleepy villages and bustling fishing ports. There are places in which to live it up, or while away time. Malta is to enjoy life at its simplest one day and at its most cosmopolitan the next. However short your stay, it's possible to have a taste of Island life from traditional villages to urban resorts.

Malta's capital, the World Heritage City Valletta, and the medieval fortified towns of Mdina and Cittadella, Gozo, are the Islands' historical highlights. Sliema, Bugibba, Qawra and St Julian's in Malta and Marsalforn and Xlendi in Gozo are the main resorts. They bustle with activity, and not just in summer.

Valletta is a cornucopia of European art and architecture. This city of the Knights remains virtually intact. Its streets flanked by palaces and tiny, old-world shops. Across Grand Harbour lie the Three Cities of Senglea, Cospicua and Vittoriosa. Older than Valletta, they offer a fascinating insight into the Islands' maritime fortunes.

The southern fishing village of Marsaxlokk and neighbouring resort town of Marsascala are also worth a visit. With little effort, just a desire to explore, you'll find inland towns and villages with character and treasures of their own. Churches reveal masterpieces by the artists to the Knights while each village square is a slice of history, its café-bar the hub of rural life.