The Summer In Italy Newsletter

Italy for Free!

You know the adage that nothing is free, but many of Italy's tourist treasures are open and accessible - at absolutely no charge!  In a country with several millennia of history lying around, there are lots of masterpieces, plenty of pretty piazzas, and awesome architecture all available for viewing - at no cost!

ROME

Rome is a veritable open-air museum, with the ancient ruins and medieval streets of the historic center offering something interesting to see at every turn.  Wander around and soak in the layers and years of history.  The sights to see that are free include The Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, and St. Peter's Basilica -along with its colonnaded piazza.  The Trevi Fountain is free, though you'll want to toss a 10-cent coin into it if you want to be assured of a return trip to the Eternal City. The Piazza Navona and its beautiful Baroque fountains, street entertainers, and people watching is a world of fun for free.  Piazza del Popolo and Campo dei Fiori are other squares you'll want to enjoy. Even the Colosseum is free to gaze upon from the street (and well worth the admission cost to enter).

There are masterpieces in the churches -tutto gratis. (We recommend St. John Lateran, Santa Maria del Popolo, St. Peter in Chains, and any of the churches built by Bernini and Borromini as good bets for beauty.)  The Vatican Museum, with miles of corridors crammed with awe-inspiring art, maps and more, is free the last Sunday of every month.

And don't forget the romantic views from the Janiculum Hill on the Trastevere side of the river.  The Changing of the Guard at the Quirinale Palace, residence of the president, takes place every afternoon in front of the palace.  And of course the palazzo-lined streets of the historic center and designer window decor of Via dei Condotti give a glimpse of Roman life.

NAPLES

This is the city that keeps your budget happy!  Not only is it bursting with life and vigor (which provides free street entertainment!), the hotel prices are reasonable, food is good and cheap, and the entire historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site! Enjoy the narrow streets jam-packed with colorful Neapolitan life in the Quartieri Spagnoli and the Spaccanapoli districts; gaze at the palaces and buildings that bear French and Spanish flair to them, thanks to the Bourbon and Aragon dynasties that once ruled here.  Enjoy the atmosphere of the Piazza Plebiscito and the waterfront castles. 

The lungomare that fronts the Bay of Naples is a nice place for a seaside stroll; detour to the Borgo Marinaio for a taste of the fisherman village and port. The church of Gesu Nuovo has a weird rock-studded facade that hides an ornate Baroque interior; the ceramic-adorned cloister of the Santa Chiara Monastery in the same piazza is a lovely, green oasis in the city.  Don't miss the Cathedral, which is two churches, actually dedicated to the virgin Mary Santa Maria Assunta but commonly called the Cathedral of San Gennaro, Naples' patron saint.  Along with artwork by Perugino and Lucan Giordano, the cathedral houses the famous vials of San Gennaro's blood, known to liquefy twice a year.

The stately and stalwart Castel dell'Ovo on the seafront is a piece of history with a view and a free Prehistory Museum, to boot.  The Museo del Mare is sponsored by the Nautical Technical Institute; the maritime museum has displays of model ships, maps and navigational instruments as well as documentation of the marine history of the Mediterranean.

FLORENCE

You can barely turn around in Florence without finding something to gaze upon, or a piece of sculpture or example of incredible architecture to ponder - right there for all to enjoy and free of charge.  The city is a veritable museum in and of itself- filled with Gothic grandeur and Renaissance elegance, the once-great Republic is a world-renowned attraction for its contributions to art and architecture.  There are lots of treasures to find in the narrow streets and stone-paved piazzas.

Start at the heart - the famed Piazza della Signoria, the heart and soul of Firenze.  Here you'll find the Fountain of Neptune, a massive marble carving flanked by horses and bronzes of sea gods.  In front of it is the monumental town hall, Palazzo Vecchio, seat of Florence's fame and power for centuries, where you'll be able to greet David, Michelangelo's masterpiece; yes this one's a copy but it's on the pedestal where he intended it to be displayed.  Across the way is the Loggia dei Lanzi, a vaulted arcade displaying sumptuous sculptures - free public art! 

Head to Florence's other important piazza, Piazza del Duomo, where you'll find the candy-cane colored cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, capped by the incredible dome by Brunelleschi and flanked by Giotto's bell tower.  The riotous frescoes in the dome along with paintings, stained glass, and statues will keep you entertained for hours.   Cross the piazza and gaze upon the breathtaking bronze doors of the Baptistry, sculpted by Ghiberti in the 1400s.

While the "major" well-known churches charge admission fees, there are lots of other churches adorned with art:  the Gothic facade of Oransanmichele is dotted with niches that hold masterpieces by the likes of Verrocchio, Donatello, Ghiberti and della Robbia, while the interior is bland.  The Brancacci Chapel in Santa Maria del Carmine houses frescoes by Masaccio depicting the life of St. Peter in living color.  The church of the Holy Trinity is loaded with frescoes in its chapels and sacristy. 

Another must-see is the Ponte Vecchio, the famous covered bridge across the Arno River lined with goldsmiths and jewelry shops. It is picturesque from the river bank and a bustling mix of humanity on the bridge itself (as well as a great place for a keepsake of the city!).   Once you've crossed the river, walk uphill to the Piazzale Michelangelo for the jaw-dropping views of the city's rooftops laid out below.

The Doll Hospital

An unusual shop in the center of Naples is the Ospedale delle Bambole - the Doll Hospital. The compact 'clinic' has been a triage ward for sick and ailing dolls for more than a century. Opened in 1895, it is now tended by the original owner's great-granddaughter. Broken dolls are sent from far-flung places for the 'doctors' reconstructive touch. Porcelain and plastic, rag dolls and teddy bears, even saints statues are to found lined up on the shelves waiting to be restored.

The medicines used are glues and paints and disinfectants; the skilled surgeons work their trade and bring them back good health. It is a bit macabre to see the various body parts and pieces -a cabinet of heads, a bowl of eyeballs, for example -along with the dolls themselves, but also interesting to observe how they are restored.

The Ospedale is tucked into one of the characteristic narrow streets of the Spaccanapoli district, that narrow grid of streets where laundry billows like flags, where music tumbles out of windows, and where artisan shops, food shops and teensy family-run restaurants are crammed along the lanes, making it a fantastic place to explore.