Nature

Abetone is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Pistoia in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 80 km northwest of Florence and about 49 km northwest of Pistoia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 699 and an area of 31.2 km². Abetone borders the following municipalities: Bagni di Lucca, Coreglia Antelminelli, Cutigliano...

Seiser Alm, (in Italian: Alpe di Siusi) is the largest high altitude Alpine meadow in Europe. Located in Italy's Bolzano-Bozen province (South Tyrol) in the Dolomites mountain range, it is a major tourist attraction, known for skiing and hiking. In summer, this region offers a lost of sunshine, healthy air, beautiful landscapes, and it's the ideal place to...

The Alpi Apuane are a mountain range in northern Tuscany, Italy, not part of the Apennine Mountains. They are included between the valleys of the Serchio and Magra rivers, and, to north-west, the Garfagnana and Lunigiana. The name derives from that of the Apuani Ligures tribe who lived here in ancient times.Geology and geographyThe chain formed in the...

The area is an important station of food supply for rare birds as cranes, wild geese or fish hawks. To enjoy the sight of these birds you must be lucky; you should happen to be here the days they have decided, during their migration, to stop at the Oasis of Alviano which now has been made expressly for them.Part of the Oasis has been made for people as...

Monte Argentario is a comune (municipality) and a peninsula belonging to the Province of Grosseto in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 150 km south of Florence and about 35 km south of Grosseto. The peninsula is connected with the mainland by three dams which form two lagoons, the Laguna di Ponente on the west side and the Laguna di Levante on the...

Asinara is an Italian island of 51 km² in area, with approximately 700 inhabitants. The island is located off the northwestern tip of Sardinia, and is mountainous in geography with steep, rocky coasts. Because fresh water is scarce trees are sparse and low scrub is the predominant vegetation. Part of the national parks system of Italy, the island...

Aspromonte is a mountain massif in the province of Reggio Calabria (Calabria, southern Italy). The name means "rough mountains", so named by the farmers who found its steep terrain and rocky soil difficult to cultivate. It overlooks the Strait of Messina, being limited by the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas and by the Pietrace river. The highest peak is the...

Barbagiais an mountain area of inner Sardinia, western Italy. It is mostly comprised in the province of Nuoro and located alongside the Gennargentu massif. The name comes from Cicero, who described it as a land of Barbarians. This word derives from the Greek ΒÜρβαρος-ου, which means stuttering...

Barrea is a comune in the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is located on the shore of the Lake of Barrea, a lake created after World War II due to the building of a dam on the River Sangro. Today, Barrea is at the center of the National Park of Abruzzo, a natural area rich in wildlife and recreation and lacking any aspect of urban...

Lake Bolsena (Italian: Lago di Bolsena) is a crater lake of central Italy, of volcanic origin, which was formed starting 370,000 years ago following the collapse of a caldera of the Vulsini volcanic complex into a deep aquifer. Roman historic records indicate activity of the Vulsini volcano occurred as recently as 104 BC, since when it has been dormant. The...

The Park of the Monsters (Parco dei Mostri in Italian-language), also named Garden of Bomarzo, is a Renaissance monumental complex located in Bomarzo, in the province of Viterbo, in northern Lazio, Italy.The gardens were created during the 16th century.[1] They are composed of a wooded park, located at the bottom of a valley where the castle of Orsini was...

Lake Bracciano (Italian: Lago di Bracciano) is a lake of volcanic origin in the Italian region of Lazio, 32 km (20 mi) northwest of Rome. It is the second largest lake in the region (second only to Lake Bolsena) and one of the major lakes of Italy. It has a circular perimeter of approximately 32 km (20 mi). The lake owes its origin to intense volcanic...

Brianza is a geographical area at the foot of the Alps, in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy. The Brianza encompasses the province of Monza and Brianza, Province of Lecco, Province of Como and part of the Province of Milan. [edit] GeographyIt extends from Canzo zone northwards to the Monza area (as far as, approximately, 3 km from the historic centre...

Budelli is an island in the Maddalena archipelago, near the strait of Bonifacio in northern Sardinia, Italy. It is part of the La Maddalena National Park. Budelli is located several hundred meters south of the Razzoli and Santa Maria islands. It has a surface of 1.6 km² and an overall coastal span of 12.3 km. The highest point is Monte Budello, at 87...

Cadore is a "comunità montana" (mountain community) in the Italian region of Veneto, in the northernmost part of the province of Belluno bordering on Austria, the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It is watered by the Piave River poured forth from the Carnic Alps. Once a barren and poor district, the former contado...

The Calanchi (gullies) district is very ancient. Crossed by the Lubriano and Torbido creeks, tributaries of the Tiber river, The Calanchi district includes very different landscapes and it was born more than one million years ago, when the sea covered almost the whole area leaving  its sediments. Around 700.000 years ago the sea receded and all...

Campi Flegrei, also known as the Phlegraean Fields (from Greek φλÝγος, burning), is a large 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) wide caldera situated to the west of Naples, Italy. It was declared a regional park in 2003. Lying mostly underwater, the area comprises 24 craters and volcanic edifices. Hydrothermal activity can be...

Capo Vaticano is a wide bathing place in the Municipality of Ricadi in Calabria, Italy. The 'Cape' is formed by a particular white-gray granite, which is examined worldwide for its geologic characteristics. The maximum altitude of the cape is about 124 meters. The coast of Capo Vaticano starts from the Tono bay of ends in Virgin Mary bay. The most...

Caprera is a small island off the coast of Sardinia, Italy, located in the Maddalena archipelago. This island has been declared a natural reserve for the particular species of seabirds living on it (royal seagull, cormorant and peregrine falcon). The island's name is linked to that of Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian patriot and fighter who lived in the 19th...

Capri is an Italian island in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples, in the Campania region of southern Italy. It has been a resort since the time of the Roman Republic. Features of the island are the Marina Piccola (Small Harbor), the Belvedere of Tragara, which is a high panoramic promenade lined with...

Carnia is a historical-geographic region of Friuli, whose municipalities all belong to the province of Udine, which is part of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region.  Collina, Forni Avoltri, CarniaIt covers the western and central part of the Carnic Alps mountain range in the Province of Udine, therefore it borders Veneto and Austria (Carinthia), but...

The Casentino is the valley in which the first tract of the river Arno flows to Subbiano, Italy.It is one of the four valleys in which the Province of Arezzo is divided. Mount Falterona, from which the Arno starts, represents the northern boundary between the Casentino and Romagna. On the east of the valley are the Alpe di Serra and the Alpe di Catenaia...

It was the first rocky Etruscan necropolis to be discovered: it was 1817. It thickens along the rocks that point out the Freddano valley and the sides of a small valley positioned behind it. The sight of these scattered tombs in the rock, distributed with two or even three on top of one another is truly suggestive and regards a greater...

The Castellana Caves (Italian: Grotte di Castellana) are a remarkable karst cave system located in the municipality of Castellana Grotte- just a kilometre from the city -  in the province of Bari, Apulia. They are one of the most famous show caves of Italy. The entrance is represented by an enormous vertical tunnel 60 meters-long. The main cave is...

The Castelli Romani ("Castles of Rome") is a group of communes in the province of Rome, Italy. They are located at short distance south-east to Rome, at the feet of the Alban Hills. The area of the Castelli occupies an ancient, fertile volcanic area which has allowed since ancient times a flourishing agriculture. The former crater is occupied by two lakes...

Cattolica Aquarium, with its hundred tanks and pools riches of sea’s and land’s  species from all over the world, it’is one of best amusement park in Italy. Cattolica Aquarium offers 4 itineraries:The blue itinerary with over than 100 tanks that show over 400 different species. Sharks, pinguins, turtles and jellyfishes.The green...

Chianti is a land of ancient traditions that was civilized in remote periods first by the Etruscans, who left many traces of their activity in the wine sector, and then by the Romans. Nowadays Chianti region is famous for Chianti wine, which is exported worldwide. Chianti region is bordered to the north by the suburbs of Florence, to the east by the Chianti...

Cilento is an Italian geographical region of Campania in the central and southern part of the Province of Salerno and an important tourist area of southern Italy. The coast (on Tyrrhenian Sea) is located between Paestum and the Gulf of Policastro, near the town of Sapri. More of touristic towns by the coast are "frazioni"; as for example Santa Maria di...

The Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. "The Five Lands" comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre...

Ciociaria is the name of a traditional region of Central Italy without a defined border nor historical identity[1]. The name was adopted by a fascist movement of Frosinone as an ethnical denomination for the province of Frosinone, when it was created in 1927.[2] In the Middle Ages, this region was referred to as Campagna. The local dialect, now known as...

Monte Circeo or Cape Circeo  is a mountain remaining as a promontory that marks the southwestern limit of the former Pontine Marshes. Although a headland, it was not formed in the same way as headlands are usually formed, by erosion of the coast, but is a remnant of the orogenic processes that created the Apennines. The entire coast of Lazio, in which...

Colli Euganei are located in the Veneto region of northern Italy, a few kilometers south of Padua. They take their name from the Euganei, a semi-mythical population who inhabited the area before the Veneti. The Euganei Hills are of volcanic origin; the first eructions of basaltic magma occurred during the Eocene period, when the area was submerged under...

Lake Como (Lago di Como in Italian, also known as Lario; Lach de Comm in Insubric; Latin: Larius Lacus) is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of 146 km², making it the third largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore. At over 400 m (1320 ft) deep it is one of the deepest lakes in Europe and the bottom of the lake...

The Valle Peligna or Conca di Sulmona, is a plateau located in Abruzzo, in the province of L'Aquila. It has a surface of about 100 km². The valley is named "peligna" because of its ancient origins. Peligna derived from the Greek term peline, meaning "muddy". In fact, in prehistorical times, this plateau was occupied by a lake...

 Lake of Corbara is an artificial basin orginated in the fifties because of a dam on the river Tiber. You can have one of the best view on the basin from Civitella del Lago, ancient hillside hamlet that owes its fortune to the Attis.Between the lake and the mountains is located the "Parco di Bottilandia", a wood where animals find their shelter inside...

Lake Cornino has glacial origins. It's not very big or deep (it's just 140 metres in length and 8 metres), but its water are very clean, with a constant temperature. The Lake Cornino Natural Reserve is famous for its  beautiful landscapes and it extends between the  Prealpi Carniche and the alluvial plain of the river Tagliamento. The park is...

The Costa Smeralda (English: Emerald Coast; Sardinian : Monti di Mola) is a coastal area in northern Sardinia, 55 km long and covering more than 30 km², with enchanting beaches and a system of villages built according to an extremely detailed urban plan. The area is a luxurious tourist destination featuring exquisite white sand beaches, Pervero Golf...

The Amalfi Coast, or Costiera Amalfitana in Italian, is a stretch of coastline on the southern side of the Sorrentine Peninsula of Italy (Province of Salerno), extending from Positano in the west to Vietri sul Mare in the east.The main town close to the Amalfi Coast is Salerno, the municipalities belonging to its coast are Vietri sul Mare, Cetara, Maiori...

The Crete Senesi refers to an area of the Italian region of Tuscany to the south of Siena. It consists of a range of hills and woods among villages and includes the comuni of Asciano, Buonconvento, Monteroni d'Arbia, Rapolano Terme and San Giovanni d'Asso, all within the province of Siena.Crete senesi are literally ‘Siennese clays’ and the...

The Dolomites (in Italian, Dolomiti) are a section of the Alps. They are located for the most part in the province of Belluno, the rest in the provinces of Bolzano-Bozen and Trento (all in north-eastern Italy). Conventionally they extend from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley (Pieve di Cadore) in the east. The northern and southern...

The Dolomites (in Italian, Dolomiti)are a section of the Alps. They are located for the most part in the province of Belluno, the rest in the provinces of Bolzano-Bozen and Trento (all in north-eastern Italy). Conventionally they extend from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley (Pieve di Cadore) in the east. The northern and southern borders...

Foresta Umbra, is the only part of Parco Nazionale del Gargano still wild. The forest is the last trace of Puglia’s ancient forests, and it is rich in flora and fauna. In Foresta Umbra there are a lot of well-marked trails within the forest’s 15,000 hectares -  ideal for hikers and mountain bikers -  and...

The territory of Franciacorta is a section of the Province of Brescia in the Italian Region of Lombardy. Franciacorta extends north from the plain of the river Po to the shores of Lake Iseo, and from the river Oglio on the western border to the town of Cellatica in the east. The geography of rolling hills was shaped by glacial action. The soil, glacial...

The Frasassi Caves (Italian: Grotte di Frasassi) are a remarkable karst cave system in the municipality of Genga, Italy, in the province of Ancona, Marche. They are among the most famous show caves in Italy.The caves, discovered by a group of Ancona speleologists between 1948 and 1971,[1] are situated 7 km south of Genga, near the civil parish of San...

Lakes Fusine (Laghi di Fusine in Italian), are located in the eastern part of Tarvisiano, near the border with Slovenia. The lakes, Superiore and Inferiore, are set like two gems in the green amphitheatrical cradle dominated by Mt. Mangart.

Garfagnana is an historical region of Italy, today part of the province of Lucca in the Apennines, in northwest Tuscany, but before the unification of Italy it belonged to the Duchy of Modena and Reggio, ruled by the Este family. For a short time, in the 16th century, it was governed by the poet Ludovico Ariosto. It is one of the most rainy regions of...

Gargano is a historical and geographical Italian sub-region situated in Apulia, consisting in a wide isolated mountain massif made of highland and several peaks and forming the backbone of the Gargano Promontory projecting into the Adriatic Sea. The highest point is Monte Calvo at 1,065 m (3,494 ft). Most of the upland area, about 1,200 km2 (460 sq mi), is...

The Aquarium of Genoa (in Italian: Acquario di Genova) is the largest aquarium in Italy and the second largest in Europe. Built for Expo 92, the Aquarium of Genoa is an educational, scientific and cultural centre. Its mission is to educate and raise public awareness as regards conservation, management and responsible use of aquatic environments. It welcomes...

Giglio Island (Italian: Isola del Giglio) is an island and Italian comune situated in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the coast of Tuscany, part of the Province of Grosseto.GeographyThe island is separated by a 16 km stretch of sea from the Argentario promontory: mainly mountainous, it is almost wholly constituted of granites culminating in the Poggio della Pagana...

The Furlo Pass (Italian: Gola del Furlo or Passo del Furlo) is a gorge on the ancient Roman road Via Flaminia in the Marche region of central Italy, where it passes near the Candigliano river, an affluence of the Metauro.The gorge was formed between the Pietralata (889 m) and Paganuccio (976 m) Mounts by the waters of the Candigliano, which, until in 1922 a...

The Tigullio Gulf, in Liguria, includes some of most beautiful italian holiday resorts, like Portofino, Santa Margherita, Rapallo, Sestri Levante, Chiavari. These holiday resorts, dipped into the hug between sea and land, have been always attracting many of the greatest personalities, famous writers, and poets.. Lands facing the...

The Gran Paradiso is a mountain group between the Aosta Valley and Piedmont regions of north-west Italy. The peak, the 7th highest mountain in the Graian Alps with an elevation of 4,061 m, is close to Mont Blanc on the nearby border with France. On the French side of the border, the park is continued by the Vanoise National Park. The Gran Paradiso is the...

Great St Bernard Pass (Colle del Gran San Bernardo) is the most ancient pass through the Western Alps, with evidence of use as far back as the Bronze Age and surviving traces of a Roman road. In 1800 Napoleon's army used the path to enter Italy, an event depicted in Jacques-Louis David's Napoleon at the Saint-Bernard Pass and Hippolyte Delaroche's Bonaparte...

Lake Iseo ( namedo also Lago d'Iseo or Sebino Lake) is the fourth largest lake in Lombardy, Italy, fed by the Oglio river. It is in the north of the country in the Val Camonica area, near the cities of Brescia and Bergamo. The lake is almost equally divided between the Provinces of Bergamo and Brescia. This is a heavily industrialised part of the...

The island of Elba is the largest remaining stretch of land from the ancient tract that once connected the Italian peninsula to Corsica. The northern coast faces the Ligurian Sea; the eastern coast the Piombino Channel; the southern coast the Tyrrhenian Sea; while the Corsica channel divides the western tip of the Island from neighbouring Corsica.The...

The Aegadian Islands (in Italian, Isole Egadi) are a group of small mountainous islands in the Mediterranean Sea off the northwest coast of Sicily, Italy, near the city of Trapani, with a total area of 14.46 square miles (37.45 km2). Favignana (Aegusa), the largest, lies 10 miles (16 km) south west of Trapani; Levanzo (Phorbantia) 8 miles (13 km)...

The Aeolian Islands or Lipari Islands (Italian: Isole Eolie) are a volcanic archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea north of Sicily, named after the demigod of the winds Aeolus[1]. The locals residing on the islands are known as Eolians (Italian: Eoliani). The Aeolian Islands are a popular tourist destination in the summer, and attract up to 200,000 visitors...

The Pelagie Islands (Italian: Isole Pelagie), from the Greek pelagos - "high sea", are the three small islands of Lampedusa, Linosa, and Lampione, located in the Mediterranean Sea between Malta and Tunisia, south of Sicily. To the northwest lie the island of Pantelleria and the Strait of Sicily. Geographically the archipelago belongs to the African...

The Pontine Islands are an archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the west coast of Italy. The islands were collectively named after the largest island in the group, Ponza. The other islands in the archipelago are Palmarola, Zannone, and Gavi to the northwest, Ventotene and Santo Stefano to the southeast. These two groups are separed by 22 nautical miles...

Isole Tremiti is an archipelago of the Adriatic Sea, north of the Gargano Peninsula. It constitutes a comune of Italy's Province of Foggia, and forms part of the Gargano national park (Parco Nazionale del Gargano); the name of the islands is linked to their increased seismic hazard, with a history of earthquakes - the source word tremolanti is linked to...

La Maddalena (Gallurese: A Madalena) is a town and comune located on the island with the same name, in northern Sardinia, part of the province of Olbia-Tempio.La Maddalena is the largest town in the Maddalena archipelago, just 2 kilometres from the northeastern shore of Sardinia and sitting in the Straits of Bonifacio, between it and Corsica. The...

The Langhe (Langa from old dialect Mons Langa et Bassa Langa) is a hilly area to the south and east of the river Tanaro in the province of Cuneo in Piedmont, northern Italy. It is famous for its wines, cheeses, and truffles—particularly the white truffles of Alba. The countryside as it was in the first half of the 20th century features prominently in...

Comacchio is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Ferrara. It has mediaeval origin, and it retained until the XIX century the character of a floating town, unconnected to land. Today you can appreciate a network of canals and a lot of bridges connecting quarters. Comacchio is also well known for its "lidi". "Lidi di Comacchio" is the name of...

Lunigiana is an historical territory of Italy, which today falls within the provinces of La Spezia and Massa Carrara. Its borders derive from the ancient Roman settlement, later the medieval diocese of Luni, which no longer exists. Lunigiana covers an area from the Apennines to the Magra river, belonging in part to Tuscany and in part to Liguria. It takes...

The name Ionian comes from Greek language Ἰόνιον (πέλαγος). In Ancient Greek the adjective Ionios (Ἰόνιος) was used as an epithet for the sea because Io swam across it.[3] Its etymology is unknown.[4] Ancient Greek writers, especially Aeschylus, linked...

The Maremma is a vast area in Italy bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea, consisting of part of south-western Tuscany - Maremma Livornese and Maremma Grossetana (the later coincident with the province of Grosseto), and part of northern Lazio - Maremma Laziale (in the province of Viterbo and Rome on the border of the region).The poet Dante Alighieri in his Divina...

The Cascata delle Marmore (Marmore's Falls) is a man-made waterfall created by the ancient Romans. Its total height is 165 m (541 feet), making it one of the tallest in Europe and the tallest man-made waterfall in the world. Of its 3 sections, the top one is the tallest, at 83 m (272 feet).It is located 7.7 km from Terni, a provincial capital of the Italian...

Lago di Massaciuccoli is a lake in the Province of Lucca, Tuscany, Italy. Its surface area is 6.9 km². It is located mainly in the municipality of Massarosa and partly in Torre del Lago, a civil parish of Viareggio. The lake was known in ancient times as the Fossis Papirianis, a name used in the Tabula Peutingeriana. The composer Giacomo Puccini lived...

Lake Molveno (Italian: Lago di Molveno) is a lake in Trentino Province, Italy east of Brenta (VA). The only settlement is Molveno.

Montferrat (in Piemontèis, Monfrà; in Italian, Monferrato) is part of the region of Piedmont in Northern Italy. It comprises roughly (and its extent has varied over time) the modern provinces of Alessandria and Asti. Montferrat is one of the most important wine districts of Italy. It also has a strong literary tradition, including the 18th...

Monte Amiata is the largest of the lava domes in the Amiata lava dome complex located about 20 km NW of Lake Bolsena in the southern Tuscany region of Italy.Monte Amiata (La Vetta) is a compound lava dome with a trachytic lava flow that extends to the east. It is part of the larger Amiata complex volcano. A massive viscous trachydacitic lava flow, 5 km long...

Monte Bianco is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union.[1] It rises 4,810 m (15,781 ft) above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence. It is also sometimes known as ""La Dame Blanche"" (French for ""The White Lady""). There are several classic climbing routes to the summit of Mont Blanc: •...

The Matterhorn (German), Monte Cervino (Italian) or Mont Cervin (French), is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Its summit is 4,478 metres (14,692 ft) high, making it one of the highest peaks in the Alps. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, indicate the four compass points. The mountain...

Monte Conero is a promontory in Italy, situated directly south of the city of Ancona on the Adriatic Sea.The name Conero comes from the Greek name Komaròs, that indicates the Strawberry Tree commonly present on the slopes of the mountain. The Conero is 572 meters high and it is the only coastal high point on the Adriatic sea from Venice to the...

Monte Fumaiolo is a mountain of the northern Apennines range of Italy located in the southern-most corner of the Emilia-Romagna region, about 70 km from the town of Cesena. It is at the border Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. With an elevation of 1,408 metres (4,619 ft), Mount Fumaiolo overlooks the villages of Balze di Verghereto, Bagno di Romagna and...

Monte Grappa is a 1,775 metres (5,823 ft) tall mountain in the Veneto region of Italy. Part of the Alpine foothills, the mountain is divided between the provinces of Vicenza, Treviso and Belluno. It was the site of a three famous World War I battles. (see Battle of Monte Grappa) During World War II the mountain became a refuge for many Italian partisans...

The Monti Sibillini are a mountain group in Italy, part of the central Apennines. Situated between eastern Umbria and the Marche, they are mostly composed of limestone rocks, formed in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic (100 to 50 millions years ago) from the bottoms of an extinct sea which emerged 20 millions years ago. Most of the peaks are over 2,000 m; the...

Monte Viso, colloquially known as Monviso (Piedmontese: Brich Monviso or Viso; Occitan: Vísol), is a mountain in the Cottian Alps in Italy close to the French border. Monte Viso is well known for its pyramid-like shape, and because it is higher than all its neighbouring peaks by about 500 m it can be seen from some distance, from the Piedmontese...

Mugello is a landscape north of Florence in northern Italy. It is separated by the Santerno river valley by the Futa Pass. In ancient times it was on the border between the area settled by the Ligurians (the Magelli tribe, whence the name), the Etruscans and the Gauls. The Roman colonization left sparse traces, as the Mugello was mostly an agricultural...

Murgia is a sub-region of Apulia (Puglia) in southern Italy, corresponding to a karst topographic plateau of rectangular shape, occupying the central area of the region. The name stems from the Latin murex, meaning "sharp stone". The Murge plateau covers a surface of c. 4,000 km², bordered by the Ofanto river and the Tavoliere delle Puglie on the...

The Oltrepò Pavese is the area of the Province of Pavia, in the north-west Italian region of Lombardy, which lies to the south of the river Po. (It is ‘oltre’ (beyond) the Po, when considered from the provincial capital Pavia.)Extending over an area of c. 1100 km², it is roughly triangular in shape, with a base to the north formed by...

Lake Orta (Italian: Lago d’Orta) is a lake in northern Italy west of Lake Maggiore. It has been so named since the 16th century, but was previously called the Lago di San Giulio, after Saint Julius (4th century), the patron saint of the region; Cusio is a merely poetical name. Its southern end is about 35 km by rail NW of Novara on the main...

Palmaria is an Italian island situated in the Ligurian Sea, at the westernmost end of the Gulf of La Spezia. Measuring 1.6 km², it is the largest island of an archipelago of three closely spaced islands jutting out south from the mainland at Portovenere. The other islands, Tino, and the tiny Tinetto lie further south. In 1997, the archipelago...

The Pollino National Park (Italian: Parco nazionale del Pollino) is a national park in Basilicata and Calabria, southern Italy. Comprised within the provinces of Cosenza, Matera and Potenza, with its 1,820 square kilometres it is the largest natural park in the country. It takes its name from the Pollino Massif (highest peak 2,267 m). It was founded in...

Etna Park is beautiful not only for its eruptions and for its lava flows but also for the unique environment surrounding it, rich in flora and fauna. Incredibles landscapes protected by a nature park which extends from the peak of the volcano to the towns around it. Etna Park has been divided into four areas with different levels of protection: A, B, C...

Parco dell'Uccellina is a natural reserve in Tuscany, Italy, part of the Parco Naturale della Maremma. It is the home to many wild animals such as wild boar, deer, fallow deers, red foxes, porcupines, turtles, and many species of rare Italian birds.

Calabria National Park,- now Sila National Park - includes the territories already part of the “historical” Calabria National Park (founded in 1968), and protects areas of environmental interest in Sila Grande, Sila Piccola and Sila Greca for a total of 73.695 hectares. Sila National Park agency promotes conservation and development of...

Parco Nazionale della Majella, 740.95 km² is a national park located in the provinces of Chieti, Pescara and L'Aquila, in the region Abruzzo, Italy. It is centered around the Majella massif, whose highest peak is Monte Amaro (2,793 m). Top sights The park contains about 500 kilometers of hiking paths through the mountains, cave paintings in Grotta S. Angelo...

Stelvio National Park (Italian: Parco nazionale dello Stelvio) is a national park in the north-east of Italy, founded in 1935. The Park is the largest in Italy and covers part of two regions: Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Lombardia, in 24 municipalities. Stelvio National Park has borders with the Swiss National Park, the Parco naturale provinciale...

The Sorrentine Peninsula or Sorrento Peninsula is a peninsula located in southern Italy that separates the Gulf of Naples to the north from the Gulf of Salerno to the south. The peninsula is named after its main town, Sorrento, which is located on the north (Gulf of Naples) coast. The Amalfi Coast is located on the southern side. The island of Capri lies...

Penne is a town and comune in the province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo Region of central Italy. It sits in the hills between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea. Penne Lake is located to the south-west of Penne. The area is a Nature Reserve, established in 1987 thanks to the WWF. The nature reserve has a Botanical Garden, an animal shelter...

Lake Pergusa is a lake in Sicily, set between a group of mountains in the Erean Mountains chain 5 km from Enna, Italy. It is a vital place in the migratory current of lots of birds. In addition to birds, which are certainly the protagonists of the Pergusa nature reserve, here there are also interesing species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians and...

The Little St Bernard Pass (French: Col du Petit Saint-Bernard, Italian: Colle del Piccolo San Bernardo) is a mountain pass in the Alps on the France–Italy border. Its saddle is at 2188 metres above sea level. It is located between Savoie, France and Aosta Valley, Italy to the south of the Mont Blanc Massif, precisely on the main alpine watershed...

Piediluco lake is a lake in the Province of Rieti, Lazio/Province of Terni, Umbria, Italy. At an elevation of 375 m, its surface area is 1.58 km².

Riviera dei Cedri identifies the territory also known as the Alto Tirreno Calabrese (Calabrian Upper Tyrrheanian Sea). It also comprises a part of the mountainous area, made up of the lower slopes of the Pollino and Sila Massifs which arrive right up to the coastline. The Riviera is composed of 22 municipalities located between Tortora and Paola...

The Italian Riviera, or Ligurian Riviera (Italian Riviera ligure) is the narrow coastal strip which lies between the Ligurian Sea and the mountain chain formed by the Maritime Alps and the Apennines. Longitudinally it extends from the border with France and the French Riviera (or Côte d'Azur) near Ventimiglia (a former customs post) to Capo Corvo...

Coral Riviera- in front of the Alghero Gulf- is so named because in its backdrops you can find an enormous quantity of coral used by the best goldsmiths for the creation of marvellous jewels. The workmanship of the coral is considered, today, one of the most important handcraft activities of the city of Alghero.But the reason for which thousands of tourists...

Emilia Romagna Adriatic coast, from Ferrara to Cattolica passing through Rimini, Forlì, Ravenna and Cesena, it's a great place to spend your holiday. In the Adriatic coast you can find sandy beaches, amusement parks, the famous riviera night life - with all its pubs, discos, and restaurants - and obviously, the adriatic sea. Tourists have also...

Saint-Vincent is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy. Saint-Vincent (575m/1,898ft), is a popular summer holiday resort with mineral springs (recommended for liver and stomach disorders). Beyond this, perched on the left, is the castle of Ussel (c. 1350).

Salento (Salentu in local dialect) is the south-eastern extremity of the Apulia region of Italy. It is a sub-peninsula of the main Italian peninsula, sometimes described as the "heel" of the Italian "boot". It encompasses the entire administrative area of the province of Lecce, a large part of the administrative area of Brindisi and part of that of Taranto...

The Sassi di Matera (meaning "stones of Matera") are prehistoric cave dwellings in the Italian city of Matera, Basilicata. Situated in the old town, they are composed of the Sasso Caveoso and the later Sasso Barisano. The "Sassi" grew in the area of Murgia Plateau extended between Apulia and Basilicata. The Sassi originate from a prehistoric...

The Terme di Saturnia are a group of springs located in the municipality of Manciano, a few kilometers from the village of Saturnia. The springs that feed the baths, which are found in the south-eastern valley, cover a vast territory that stretches from Mount Amiata and the hills of the Fiora dell'Albegna to the Maremma Grosseto at Roselle (Roselle Terme)...

Le “Terme dei Papi” Thermal Spas  get their  name from the fact that the spas were well appreciated by a Pope, Niccolo the 5th. Thermal spas are located just otside the town of Viterbo.Terme dei Papi hot springs are rich in  sulphur, sulphates, bicarbonates, alkali and mud. Today the complex offers a swimming-pool (2,000 m2) fed...

Monte Terminillo is a massif in the Monti Reatini, part of the Abruzzese Apennines range in central Italy. It is located some 20 km from Rieti and 100 km from Rome and has a highest altitude of 2,217 metres (7,274 ft). It is a typical Apennine massif, both for its morphology, articulated but not exceedingly sharp, and for the fauna and vegetation. Its...

Lake Trasimeno (Italian: Lago Trasimeno; Latin: Trasumennus), also referred to as Trasimene or Thrasimene in English, is the largest lake on the Italian peninsula south of the Po with a surface area of 128 km2, slightly less than Lake Como. The Tiber River flows some thirty kilometers to the east of the lake, but the lake and the river are separated by...

The Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Italian for "Three Peaks"), also called the Drei Zinnen (German), are three distinctive battlement-like peaks, in the Auronzo Dolomites of northeastern Italy. They are probably one of the best-known mountain groups in the Alps. The three peaks, from east to west, are known as the Cima Piccola/Kleine Zinne ("Little Peak"), Cima...

A trullo (plural, trulli) is a traditional Apulian stone dwelling with a conical roof. The style of construction is specific to Itria Valley (in Italian: Valle d'Itria), in the Murge area of the Italian region of Apulia (in Italian Puglia). They may be found in the towns of Alberobello, Locorotondo, Fasano, Cisternino, Martina Franca and Ceglie Messapica...

Lago del Turano (latin Tolenus) is a lake in Province of Rieti, Lazio, Italy. At an elevation of 536 m, its surface area is 5.6 km².

The Tuscan Archipelago is a chain of islands between the Ligurian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea, west of Tuscany, Italy.The archipelago contains the islands of Gorgona, Capraia, Elba (the largest island of the group), Pianosa, Montecristo, Giglio, and Giannutri; all of which are protected as part of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park.The islands' proximity to...

Following information have been written by  by “Ce.F.A.S. Azienda Speciale CCIAA di Viterbo”. All right reservedViterboThe 3.8 km long stretch of massive medieval town walls built during the 11th and 12th centuries that still enclose Viterbo today bear mute witness to the town’s historical and political importance during the Middle...

The Ossola (also Valle Ossola or Val d’Ossola) is an area of Italy situated to the north of Lago Maggiore. It lies within the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola. Its principal river is the Toce, and its most important town Domodossola. It is composed of one main valley (the Ossola proper) and seven side valleys: Anzasca, Antrona, Bognanco, Divedro...

Val di Noto  is a geographical area of south east Sicily; it is dominated by the limestone Iblean plateau. The Val di Noto owes its fame to the reconstruction which underwent after the year 1693,when the entire area was decimated by an enormous earthquake. The destruction that the earthquake caused was so enormous that it was decided to rebuild many...

Val Gardena is a valley in the Dolomites of northern Italy. It is best known as a skiing, rock climbing and woodcarving area. There are three towns in the valley: Urtijëi, Sëlva and Santa Cristina. The valley was served by the Val Gardena Railway from 1916 until 1960. Gherdëina is one of five valleys with a majority of Ladin speakers (two of...

The Puster Valley  is a valley in the Alps that runs in an east-west direction between Lienz in Tyrol, Austria and Mühlbach near Brixen in the province of Bolzano-Bozen, Italy. The municipalities of the Puster Valley constitute the Pustertal district.The towns of the Puster Valley are located between 750 and 1,180 meters above sea level. The most...

The Valle dei Templi is an archaeological site in Agrigento, Sicily, southern Italy. It is one of the most outstanding examples of Greater Greece art and architecture, and is one of the main attractions of Sicily as well as a national monument of Italy. The area was included in the UNESCO Heritage Site list in 1997. Much of the excavation and restoration of...

The Umbra Valley or Spoleto valley is a  fairly large floodplain, which in ancient times was a pair of shallow, interlocking lakes, the Lacus Clitorius and the Lacus Umber. They were drained by the Romans ( over a period of several hundred years) but an earthquake in the 4th century and the political collapse of the Roman Empire resulted in the...

The Valsugana valley is one of the most important valleys in the autonomous province of Trento  of Northern Italy. Leading into the Alps' foothills, an important main north-south Roman road, the Via Claudia Augusta, one of Europe's main roads since its construction in Antiquity, winds along the valley and connects the Adriatic with the historic Holy...

Valtellina or the Valtelline valleyis a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses (in particular Bitto, named after the torrent Bitto) and its wines. In past centuries it was a key alpine pass between northern Italy and Germany and control of the Valtelline was...

The Versilia (formerly Fosse Papiriane) is a part of Tuscany in the north-western province of Lucca, and is named after the Versilia river. Known for fashionable Riviera resorts, it consists of numerous clubs that are frequented by local celebrities.The most famous and populated part of this area is Viareggio, which extends along the coastline and is at the...

Lake Vico (Italian Lago di Vico) is a volcanic lake in the northern Lazio region, central Italy. It is one of the highest major Italian lakes, with an altitude of 510 m. Administratively, it is part of the municipalities of Caprarola and Ronciglione. The lake is surrounded by the Cimini Hills, in particular by the Fogliano (965 m) and Venere (851 m)...

Volci or Vulci is an Etruscan city (in Etruscan, Velch or Velx, depending on the romanization used) in the Province of Viterbo, north to Rome, central Italy.The Vulci were a tribe or people as well as a city. They were one of the legendary twelve peoples of Etruscan civilization, who formed into the Etruscan League, a confederacy of self-interest.This...

The Vulture area lies in the Province of Potenza in the region of Basilicata (Italy) and comprises the communal territories of Atella, Barile, Ginestra, Melfi, Rapolla, Ripacandida, Rionero in Vulture, Maschito, Venosa, Ruvo del Monte, Rapone, and San Fele. The name of the area is given by the most prominent landmark Monte Vulture (1,326 m), an extinct...

Zingaro reserve is the first natural reserve that has been set up in Sicily in May 1981. it stretches along about 7 kilometers of unspoilt coastline of the Gulf of Castellammare and its mountain chain which is the setting of little bays and steep cliffs. The Zingaro has a large variety and abundance of rare and endemic plants it also has a rich fauna...