ITALY

"You may have the universe,” says the Roman envoy Ezio to the invading Huns in Verdi’s 1846 opera, Attila, “but let Italy remain mine.” It’s a sentiment many visitors to this Mediterranean peninsula share. From the icy Dolomites and mountain-lined lakes of the north to the ancient cave dwellings and frescos of Matera; from Pompeii’s frozen snapshot of Roman life to the conical trulli houses of Puglia; the rich, northerly palaces, fine wines and endlessly engaging art collections to be found in the Piedmont region, down to the eternal greatness of Rome, and the fiery volcanoes of the Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy contains multitudes. Though ancient Rome and modern Italy are inextricably linked in many travellers’ minds, traces of Greek, Norman, Byzantine and Arabian cultures remain within the buildings, food and daily culture within this singular country, just waiting to be discovered by first-time visitors and regular travellers alike.