Italy Travel Guide
Italy Travel Guide
Portofino and Tigullio Gulf: These regions are one of the most popular representations of Italy, with a multitude of resorts (along with their marinas), fantastic sporting facilities and magnificent houses sprawled across the beach, not to mention the unforgettable climate of the Dolce Vita. Further, just when all these sights might seem like a bit too much to handle, a traveler is greeted with the fascinating seascapes, enclosed between the deep blue of the water and the lush green expanse of the mountains.
Café Florian: A coffee house located in the Procuratie Nuove of Piazza San Marco, Venice, was set up in 1720, and is probably the oldest coffee house in operation till date across the world. The Café is also home to an exhibition of contemporary art known as the Venice Biennale, which has been running since 1893.
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![[ Feeling in the Mood : Pizza Dreams ] London, England, United Kingdom](http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5129/5287980888_74997536e7_m.jpg "[ Feeling in the Mood : Pizza Dreams ] London, England, United Kingdom")
Italian Cuisine
Italian cuisine is as varied as the regions of Italy. Although Italy was officially unified in 1861, the food reflects the cultural variety of the country’s regions with culinary influences from Greece, Roman, Gallic, Germany, Turkish, Hebrew, Slavic, Arab, Chinese and other civilizations. In this sense, there really is no one Italian cuisine because each area boasts of its own specialties. Not only is the food of Italy highly regionalized, but a high priority is also placed on the use of fresh available produce.
Although traditional Italian dishes vary by region, they also do not follow strictly to a North/South pattern either. The north tends to use more butter, creams, polenta, mascarpone, grana padano and Parmigiano cheeses, risotto, lasagna and fresh egg pasta, while the south is more tomato and olive oil based cooking, along with mozzarella, caciocavallo and peconrino cheeses, and dried pasta. Coastal and central regions often use tortellini, ravioli and prosciutto in their cooking. Even pizza varies across the country. In Rome the crusts are thin and cracker-like, while Neapolitan and Sicilian pizzas have a thicker crust.
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