- 3 hours ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00Hey, I'm Rick Steves,
00:02back with more of the best of Europe.
00:04What's my favorite country?
00:06Well, I've shot 18 episodes in Italy over the years,
00:09and you're about to see why.
00:12This is the best of Italy.
00:14Thanks for joining us.
00:30The more I know Italy, the more I love it.
00:50It comes with a complete package.
00:52Great art, awe-inspiring history,
00:54some of the tastiest food anywhere,
00:56and, of course, plenty of dolce vita.
01:00Revisiting some of our favorite Italian stops,
01:02we travel from top to bottom
01:04of this California-sized peninsula.
01:06We start in Venice,
01:08then visit Florence,
01:10the best of the Italian Riviera,
01:12my favorite hill towns in Tuscany and Umbria,
01:15Rome,
01:16Naples with the Amalfi Coast,
01:18and finish in Sicily.
01:20Hold on to your raviolis.
01:25Our first stop, Venice,
01:27one of Europe's best-preserved historic cities.
01:29A mighty maritime power in its day,
01:31and for centuries, a favorite of romantics.
01:35Venice, more than any other European city,
01:39has a seductive charm.
01:41There's no place like it.
01:43For centuries, it was nicknamed La Serenissima,
01:46the most serene place.
01:49Its main square, Piazza San Marco,
01:52with its Grand Doge's Palace and Basilica of St. Mark,
01:56capped by its towering campanile,
01:58was for centuries the most powerful couple of acres
02:01in all of Europe.
02:04Like a grand boulevard, its grand canal winds through a city
02:07lined with once-mighty palazzos.
02:10The Doge's Palace, the ruling center and residence of Venice's dukes,
02:19was built to show off the power and wealth of the Republic,
02:22and to remind visitors that Venice was number one.
02:26Its lacy exterior, a distinct blend of east and west,
02:30is proudly Venetian Gothic.
02:36Next door, the Basilica of St. Mark
02:38was built in a distinctly eastern style.
02:41Its domes and elaborate exterior
02:43remind us of the trading powers' close ties
02:46with the Greek, Byzantine, and Muslim worlds.
02:51The interior glitters with its gold-leaf mosaic work.
02:55The remains of St. Mark
03:00lie beneath the golden altarpiece.
03:02A medieval masterpiece,
03:04its stunning golden wall of 250 painted enamels
03:08features prophets and saints,
03:10and at its center,
03:12Jesus as the ruler of the cosmos.
03:16The city is actually a car-free maze
03:19of about a hundred islands,
03:20laced together by several hundred bridges,
03:23and a vast web of alleys and canal-side walkways.
03:28With a shrinking population,
03:30and in a state of elegant decay,
03:32Venice survives on the artificial respirator of tourism.
03:37Survey the city by cruising the Grand Canal
03:39on a boat called a Vaporetto.
03:42These work like city buses,
03:44except that they never get a flat,
03:46the stops are docks,
03:48and if you get off between stops, you'll drown.
03:53Venice is romantico,
03:55a great place to fall in love,
03:57enjoy a honeymoon or a special anniversary.
04:00Visiting here,
04:01many feel that they're experiencing beauty, people,
04:04and even life itself at a more intense level.
04:09Savvy travelers leave the center and explore,
04:12walk and walk to the far reaches of the town.
04:15Don't worry about getting lost.
04:18Keep reminding yourself,
04:19I'm on an island and I can't get off.
04:22Worst-case scenario, you run out of island,
04:25take a moment to study your map,
04:27and you get to enjoy a nice drink.
04:29On this Blitz tour of Italy,
04:31we'll be connecting all of our stops by handy train rides.
04:35A couple hours south of Venice is Florence,
04:38the epicenter of the Italian Renaissance.
04:41That was the cultural explosion that 500 years ago
04:45helped pull Europe out of the Middle Ages
04:47and into modern times.
04:50Visitors gaze into the eyes of Michelangelo's David,
04:54enjoy Botticelli's birth of Venus,
04:57delve into the 3-D wonders of Ghiberti's glorious bronze gates,
05:02and appreciate Fra Angelico's serene beauty.
05:06And the cathedral features a beloved bell tower
05:09and a chance to climb the dome
05:11that kicked off the Renaissance
05:13for a view you'll never forget.
05:19Florence was long an economic powerhouse.
05:22Rather than its church,
05:24it's the city hall,
05:25once the palace of the Medici family,
05:27that towers over the main square.
05:29Michelangelo's David originally stood here.
05:32This is a copy.
05:34The original David is now the centerpiece
05:36of the nearby Academia Gallery,
05:39which feels like a temple to humanism.
05:42At its altar stands one very impressive human.
05:46The shepherd boy, David, sizes up the giant.
05:50Thoughtful and self-assured,
05:52he seems to be thinking,
05:54I can take this guy.
05:56This statue was an apt symbol,
05:59inspiring Florentines to tackle their Goliaths.
06:06I'm meeting my Florentine friend, Tommaso,
06:08at Ifratolini,
06:10a venerable hole in the wall
06:11much loved among locals
06:12for its tasty sandwiches
06:14and wine sold by the glass.
06:17Grazie. Thank you.
06:18And when you're done,
06:19you leave it on the rock.
06:21Boy, it's intense in the city.
06:24Yes, it is.
06:25Well, if you want to leave the tourists,
06:26let's cross the river.
06:27And let's go to where
06:28the real Florentines leaving work.
06:29What's that?
06:30The Ultrano area.
06:32There's much more to this town than tourism,
06:34as you'll quickly learn
06:35in the characteristic back lanes
06:37of the Ultrano district.
06:39Artisans, busy at work,
06:41offer an opportunity
06:42to see traditional craftsmanship in action.
06:45You're welcome to just drop into little shops,
06:47but remember,
06:48it's polite to greet the proprietor.
06:50Your key phrase is,
06:52posso godare.
06:53Can I take a look?
06:54Posso godare?
06:55Certo.
06:56Grazie.
06:57Here, in this city of art,
06:59there's no shortage of treasures
07:00in need of a little TLC.
07:03The Ponte Vecchio, or Old Bridge,
07:06has been busy with shoppers
07:08since before the Renaissance.
07:12Jewelry is a Florentine specialty.
07:15The bridge is lined with gold and silver shops,
07:17a tradition that goes back centuries.
07:20And for art lovers,
07:22you can't miss the finest collection
07:24of Italian paintings anywhere,
07:26the Uffizi Gallery.
07:28The Uffizi's collection,
07:29displayed on one comfortable floor,
07:31takes you on a sweep through Italian art history
07:34from the 12th through the 17th century.
07:37In the Renaissance,
07:38as in the ancient world,
07:40people saw the glory of God
07:42in the beauty, order, and harmony
07:44of the human body,
07:45God's greatest creation.
07:47Classical statues clearly inspired Sandro Botticelli.
07:51For me, his birth of Venus
07:53is the Uffizi's purest expression
07:55of Renaissance beauty.
07:57The goddess of love,
07:58born from the foam of a wave,
08:00is just waking up.
08:02Botticelli combines the beauty of nature
08:05and the human body.
08:07The hands, wings, and robe mingle with the wind.
08:10With Venus's flyaway hair,
08:12the airy spaciousness of the distant horizon,
08:15and the flowers,
08:17caught at the peak of their beauty,
08:18tumbling in slow motion,
08:20the world itself is fresh and newborn.
08:27After all those urban thrills,
08:28I'm ready for a little break.
08:30That's why we're heading for a delightful slice
08:32of the Italian Riviera.
08:34The Cinque Terre is five little towns
08:37beautifully isolated in the most seductive stretch
08:40of the Italian Riviera.
08:42As if designed for good times,
08:44you can explore the region's rugged little ports,
08:47follow a wine train high into the vineyards,
08:49make pesto in its birthplace,
08:52dive from spectacular cliffs,
08:55and hike, soaking up more sun and scenery
08:59than you can imagine.
09:01The Cinque Terre, which means five lands,
09:04was originally described in medieval times
09:06as the five castles.
09:08Tiny communities like this grew up
09:10in the protective shadows of their stony castles,
09:13their people ready to run for refuge
09:16at the first hint of a Turkish pirate raid.
09:21As the threat of pirates faded,
09:23the communities grew with economies
09:25based on fish, olives, and grapes.
09:28Today, the big employer is tourism.
09:31Each rustic town is a variation on the same theme,
09:35a well-whittled pastel jumble of homes
09:38filling its ravine.
09:40These days, the castles,
09:42which used to protect the towns from marauding pirates,
09:44guard only glorious views.
09:48This 10-kilometer stretch of coastline
09:50is the rugged alternative
09:52to the glitzy Riviera resorts nearby.
09:55The traffic-free charm is a happy result
09:58of its natural isolation.
10:01Just sun, sea, sand, well, pebbles, and people.
10:06For me, this is Italy at its most relaxed.
10:11For a home base, choose among the five villages.
10:14The most popular, Varnazza,
10:16where the big news is the hourly arrival of the train,
10:19bringing an almost rhythmic surge of visitors into town.
10:23There's one main street.
10:25It runs from its train station down to the sea.
10:28Of the five towns,
10:29Varnazza has the closest thing to a natural harbor.
10:33The old castle no longer says, stay away.
10:36Instead, it seems to welcome
10:38people-packed excursion boats.
10:40Settle in to a comfy spot on the breakwater.
10:43Study the arrangement man and nature
10:46have carved out here over the last 15 centuries.
10:49Crumpled hills come with topographical lines,
10:53a terraced green bouquet of cactus,
10:56grapevines, and olive trees
10:58blanketing the surrounding hills.
11:07Today, the castle functions as a tourist lookout.
11:11And a restaurant.
11:14And the fort's lowest deck is perfect for a romantic meal.
11:19For a sweet dessert wine, sip the local Chacchitra.
11:23It's served with biscotti, ideal for dunking.
11:29Savor the view and the unforgettable setting.
11:33Italy's Cinque Terre is an irresistible mix
11:36of nature, culture, and human activity.
11:39Well-worn locals, sunburned travelers,
11:42and inviting, family-friendly piazzas.
11:45Sure, the place is now well-discovered,
11:48but I've never seen happier, more laid-back tourists.
11:52While the Cinque Terre now endures the storms
11:54of the modern world,
11:56the region's charms are as endearing
11:58as its people are resilient.
12:06From Riviera beaches to central Italian hill towns,
12:09trains scenically connect the dots.
12:14For many, the quintessence of Italy
12:16is found in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria.
12:19That's where feisty little towns were perched on hills
12:22for safety in centuries past.
12:24Today, each hill town comes with reminders
12:27of a hard-fought history, a rich culture,
12:30and enduring traditions.
12:33And there are many hill towns to choose from.
12:36Siena maintains much of its medieval character.
12:40Its sprawling main square and towering city hall
12:43recall the days when it rivaled even Florence.
12:47Assisi, with its walls, gates, and castle,
12:50was home to St. Francis.
12:52Its massive basilica remains a favorite destination
12:56for countless pilgrims today.
12:59Volterra was an Etruscan capital centuries before Christ.
13:05Within its ancient wall,
13:07the town's rustic center offers an evocative Tuscan charm.
13:13San Gimignano, with its prickly skyline,
13:15stands like a medieval mirage on its hilltop.
13:19Of the original 60 or so towers,
13:21about a dozen survive.
13:23Back before there was a strong central government,
13:25rich people fortified their own homes
13:27with towers like these.
13:30And the country of San Marino,
13:34all 24 square miles of it,
13:36is unique in that it's still independent.
13:39While novel today,
13:41tiny, two-bit dukedoms like this were once the norm.
13:44Medieval Italy, like most of Europe
13:46before the rise of modern nation-states,
13:49was a collection of independent
13:51little San Marino-type city-states.
13:54Many of them were just fortified towns on hills.
13:58The good traveler can still discover magic hilltown moments.
14:03Cevita di Bagna Reggio,
14:05perched on its pinnacle in a grand canyon,
14:07is a classic, if tiny, Italian hilltown.
14:12Entering the town, you're enveloped in history.
14:15Passing under a 12th-century arch,
14:17you enter another world.
14:21Every lane tells a story,
14:23especially if you poke around and talk to people.
14:27Come, Rick. I want to show you my mill.
14:33The olive mill Maurizio's grandfather once ran
14:35is now the centerpiece of his restaurant,
14:38and he's happy to tell me
14:39how Grandpa made the olive oil
14:41and how that olive oil
14:43helps make an unforgettable bruschetta.
14:46A good extra-virgin olive oil,
14:48and you're ready for a big bruschetta.
14:50A good bruschetta is simple.
14:52Bread toasted over the coals.
14:55Garlic.
14:58Tomatoes.
15:00Salt and oil.
15:04Enjoying a rustic bruschetta
15:06is a fine way to cap a visit
15:08to a rustic village like Cevita di Bagna Reggio.
15:13Up next, we're heading from the charms
15:15of small-town Italy
15:17to the monumentality of the eternal city.
15:20Rome, the historic and political capital of Italy,
15:23is a city of layers.
15:25You'll find ancient Roman grandeur,
15:27Renaissance splendor,
15:28Baroque razzle-dazzle,
15:30Vatican mystique,
15:31and today's modern Italy.
15:33So in love with life.
15:35In its glory days,
15:36the word Rome meant not just a city,
15:39but what Romans considered
15:40the entire civilized world.
15:43There's history everywhere here
15:45in the city of the Caesars.
15:47The Colosseum reminds us
15:49of ancient pageantry and gladiators.
15:52Monuments like Trajan's Column boosted imperial egos.
15:59Statues show how emperors were worshipped
16:02as gods on Earth.
16:04The Pantheon, Rome's temple to all the gods,
16:07with my favorite skylight anywhere,
16:09inspired future ages to great domes of their own.
16:14And since ancient times, for 1,700 years now,
16:18pilgrims, believing Jesus climbed these very stairs
16:21on the day he was condemned,
16:23have scaled the Scala Santa on their knees.
16:27While Rome's many churches are busy with people,
16:30they're also busy with art.
16:33Pop into just about any church,
16:35and every inch is slathered
16:37with Baroque-style ornamentation.
16:39Oh, wow, spiral columns framing scenes
16:41that almost come to life.
16:43Cupid's doing flip-flops,
16:46and ceilings opening up into the heavens.
16:54Lodged in the heart of Rome,
16:56Vatican City is the spiritual capital
16:58of over a billion Roman Catholics.
17:01It's built on the memory and grave
17:03of the first pope, St. Peter,
17:06and its centerpiece, St. Peter's Basilica.
17:09This most glorious church in Christendom is huge,
17:13600 feet long, bathed in sunbeams.
17:17It can accommodate thousands of worshipers.
17:20The ornamental cherubs dwarf a large man.
17:24As a tour guide, I've lost entire groups in here.
17:30The adjacent Vatican Museum,
17:32with its miles of hallways
17:34sumptuously decorated with precious tapestries,
17:38dramatic frescoes,
17:40and ancient statues,
17:42leads to the Sistine Chapel,
17:44with its beloved ceiling frescoed by Michelangelo.
17:49Rome is a city of neighborhoods,
18:05and gathering places for people who call it home,
18:08like the Campo di Fiori.
18:10Literally the field of flowers,
18:12this has long been a fragrant and vibrant market.
18:15The market thrives in the morning.
18:18What's seasonal during your visit
18:20will be favored by local chefs
18:21and featured on their daily menus.
18:24We're here in May,
18:25and it's puntarella, asparagus, and artichokes.
18:29After dark, Rome takes on yet another personality,
18:45and a short walk laces together its top night spots.
18:50Back at Campo di Fiori,
18:54the artichokes and tomatoes are packed away,
18:57and the social street lamps are turned on.
19:03These characteristic lanes, even late at night,
19:05feel safe and friendly.
19:07The nearby Piazza Navona
19:09is a carnival 365 nights a year.
19:12While this oblong square got its shape
19:15from a long-gone ancient stadium,
19:17today the games are limited to browsing and flirting
19:20around its famous Bernini fountain.
19:25Just down the street is the floodlit Pantheon.
19:28It looms high above our 21st century,
19:31as if aching to tell its story,
19:332,000 years of Roman history.
19:36And at the same time,
19:38it provides a venerable backdrop for al fresco diners.
19:45And the Trevi Fountain,
19:47a bubbly Baroque avalanche dating from the 1700s,
19:50seems purpose-built for today's Roman embrace of life.
19:54With history, art, and people
19:56perpetually partying under the stars,
19:59it's no wonder people come here in droves
20:01for the promise that a coin tossed over the shoulder
20:04will assure their return to this eternal city.
20:08That may sound silly,
20:09but every year I go through the ritual,
20:11and it works.
20:19I like to say,
20:20if you're enjoying the urban intensity of Italy
20:22as far south as Rome,
20:24go further south.
20:25It just gets better.
20:26Italy intensifies as you plunge deeper.
20:30Naples, southern Italy's leading city,
20:33is as intense an urban scene
20:35as anything you'll find in Western Europe.
20:37Yet it still somehow manages
20:39to breathe, laugh, and sing
20:41with a captivating Italian accent.
20:47You name it,
20:48it occurs right on the streets today,
20:50as it has for centuries.
20:52Kids turn a wide spot in the sidewalk
20:54into a soccer field.
20:56Soccer!
20:58Walls are crusty with posters
21:00and death announcements.
21:07Neighborly chit-chat and heated arguments
21:09take place curbside.
21:13Plastic buckets help Grandma
21:15do business with the delivery boy.
21:17It's a cauldron of community,
21:23as everyone's out and about.
21:27And fast food?
21:28It comes in the form of a folded pizza.
21:39Just south of Naples,
21:40along a breathtaking coastline,
21:42you'll find trendy resort towns,
21:44ancient ruins,
21:45and enchanting getaways.
21:50From Sorrento,
21:51wedged on a ledge under the mountains
21:53and over the sea,
21:54you can take a cruise
21:55to the seductive Isle of Capri,
21:58with its romantic blue grotto.
22:05Then, drive the dramatic Amalfi Coast.
22:07The drive south from Sorrento
22:09is one of the world's great road trips.
22:12Cantilevered hotels and villas
22:14cling to vertical terrain,
22:16and beautiful sandy coves
22:18tease from far below.
22:23As you hyperventilate,
22:24notice how the Mediterranean
22:26really twinkles.
22:33For our finale,
22:34it's Sicily,
22:35the island off the south end
22:36of the Italian peninsula.
22:38It's famed for its ancient temples,
22:40its tasty food,
22:41and its gala chaos,
22:43the beautiful chaos of Sicily.
22:46Over the last 2,500 years,
22:48the island of Sicily's been ruled
22:50by Greeks,
22:51Romans,
22:53Arabs,
22:56Normans,
22:58then Spaniards,
23:00before becoming part of Italy.
23:02The island's complicated past
23:04makes it distinct from the rest of Italy.
23:07It's got its own cuisine,
23:10a uniquely festive lifestyle,
23:13and people who are Sicilian first
23:16and Italian second.
23:19It all combines for a full-bodied
23:21and tasty travel experience.
23:27The ancient city of Agrigento
23:29is the most impressive ancient site in Sicily.
23:31Its ridge lined with Greek temples.
23:34It was a religious ensemble,
23:36about a dozen temples for a dozen gods,
23:39each serving a different role.
23:41Here at Agrigento,
23:43you were fully covered.
23:45And of all those temples,
23:46the Temple of Concordia
23:48is the best preserved.
23:50Ciafalu is Sicily's most romantic port town.
23:59With a golden crescent beach
24:01and sitting safely under its dramatic rock,
24:03still capped by a fortress,
24:05Ciafalu cradles its past
24:07in a way that's easy to enjoy.
24:09Since the town was founded,
24:11its streets have lined up with the prevailing wind
24:14to catch the cooling breeze.
24:16To this day, laundry flaps in that breeze.
24:23And Palermo is Sicily's main city
24:26and historic capital,
24:27a busy port corralled by mountains.
24:31A noisy and energetic metropolis,
24:34its architecture reflects the rule
24:36of its many overlords,
24:37as well as its rich heritage.
24:39Walking the lively streets,
24:41you're surrounded by a scruffy elegance.
24:45It's a city that invites exploration.
24:48You feel Palermo's boisterous spirit in its markets.
24:54Wander among a commotion of stalls,
24:56all competing for the buyer's attention.
25:02It's an entertaining scene,
25:03complete with singing salesmen.
25:06.
25:09Excusez.
25:13Whether you understand the lyrics or not,
25:14this slice-of-life market action
25:16is some of the best in Europe.
25:18.
25:19Let's roll.
25:20.
25:21.
25:22.
25:23.
25:24.
25:26.
25:27.
25:28.
25:29.
25:31.
25:32.
25:33.
25:35.
25:36.
25:37.
25:38.
25:39.
25:41.
25:42.
25:43.
25:50.
25:56Whether you want bella chaos in the market,
25:59tranquility in the countryside,
26:02inspiration in the museums,
26:05or just a romantic perch to ponder it all,
26:09Italy is popular for good reason.
26:13.
26:19Italy seems made to order for our travel dreams,
26:22and in this Greatest Hits tour,
26:24we've only scratched the surface
26:26of its cultural, artistic, and edible delights.
26:29Thanks for joining us.
26:31I'm Rick Steves.
26:32Until next time, keep on traveling.
26:34Ciao.
26:38Hey, baby!
26:40Hey!
26:42Hey, Dennis!
26:43Yeah!
26:50Didn't understand a word he said.
26:51Okay.
26:52Superman coming.
26:54I'm sorry.
26:55.
27:01.
27:04.
27:05.
27:06.
27:07.
27:08.
27:09.
27:10.
27:11.
27:12.
Be the first to comment