Italian Dream Tour - Venice, Rome, Pompeii, Florence, and Pisa

On June 15, we left for a 1 week tour of Italy! The weather was awesome and we had a ton of fun!

Venice:

Our adventure started in Venice. Venice, the capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, is built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. It has no roads, just canals – including the Grand Canal thoroughfare – lined with Renaissance and Gothic palaces. The central square, Piazza San Marco, contains St. Mark’s Basilica, which is tiled with Byzantine mosaics, and the Campanile bell tower offering views of the city’s red roofs. And of course, Don's hat was "christened" by one of the many pigeons in Venice.

We went to one of the Murano shops and saw how they blow the glass and were able to tour through the glass art which was stunning

Next up: Rome

Following Venice, it was off to Rome. Rome, Italy’s capital, is a sprawling, cosmopolitan city with nearly 3,000 years of globally influential art, architecture and culture on display. Ancient ruins such as the Forum and the Colosseum evoke the power of the former Roman Empire. Vatican City, headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, has St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums, which house masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes.

We saw the Vatican including the museum, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. We walked to the Trevi Fountain and made our wishes, went inside the Pantheon, went to the Piazza Navona, the Colosseum and saw the Roman Forum and The Vittorio Emanuele II Monument as well as lots of other great sites. It was a long and hot day but very much worth it!

And then Pompeii:

Pompeii was an ancient Roman city near modern Naples in the Campania region of Italy, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area, was buried under 4 to 6 m of volcanic ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.

After time in Pompeii we were off to GORGEOUS Sorrento!

Sorrento is a coastal town in southwestern Italy, facing the Bay of Naples on the Sorrentine Peninsula. Perched atop cliffs that separate the town from its busy marinas, it’s known for sweeping water views and Piazza Tasso, a cafe-lined square. The historic center is a warren of narrow alleys that's home to the Chiesa di San Francesco, a 14th-century church with a tranquil cloister. Talk about beautiful!

And then off to Florence!

Florence, capital of Italy’s Tuscany region, is home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture. One of its most iconic sights is the Duomo, a cathedral with a terracotta-tiled dome engineered by Brunelleschi and a bell tower by Giotto.

and finally Pisa:

Pisa is a city in Italy's Tuscany region best known for its iconic Leaning Tower. Already tilting when it was completed in 1372, the 56m white-marble cylinder is the bell tower of the Romanesque, striped-marble cathedral that rises next to it in the Piazza dei Miracoli. Also in the piazza is the Baptistry, whose renowned acoustics are demonstrated by amateur singers daily, and the Caposanto Monumentale cemetery.

It was a great trip!!!!