Italy is one of the most important destinations of tourism. The country holds some of the most prized architecture and art in the world, from antiquity to the baroque to the modern, often packed into the dense historic centers of the peninsula’s cities. The successive waves of industrialization, the heady years of Fascist dictatorship sandwiched between two devastating world wars, the corporation of agriculture, secularization and globalization deeply marked the built landscape of Italy . Throughout the twentieth century, the architects and theorists attempted to grasp the role of architecture in a capitalist economy under diverse political systems from monarchy to the Fascist control to the parliamentary republic. The country’s major cities, such as Rome, Milan, Florence, Bologna, Ferrara and Turin contribute to the architectural history of Italy .
The new government ministries, military headquarters and monuments in Rome give the national capital a modern appearance and infrastructure. In Rome, the Palace of Justice by Guglielmo Calderini, also known as Il Palazzacio, ‘the ugly palace’, and the Mattatoio near Monte Testaccio, an artificial hill composed of potsherds date back to the first centuries of the Roman Empire . Together with Vottoriano built in Rome in the year 1911, the structures testify to the priorities of the government and architectural pretensions. The Mole Antonelliana built between the years 1862 and 1869 is the most recognizable symbol as well as the monument, which resembles the transition from traditional building practices to modernism. After 1922, the Fascist regime added monuments to Italy, which include the National Insurance Institute (INA), Case del Fascio, Opera Nazionale Maternita e Infanzia, the Opera Nazionale Dopolavora, Opera Nazionale Combattenti, Opera Nazionale Ballila and Gioventu Italiano del Littorio .
There are several other monuments in Italy that turn out to be the worth the price of admission, which include Libera’s Palazzo dei Congessei e Ricevimenti, Giovanni Guerrini, Ernesto La Padula, Mario Romano’s Palazzo della Civilta Italiana and the Museo della Civilta Romana . In the Museo della Civilta Romana, the two buildings mirror one another with monumental entrances and rough, closed dark tuff wall surfaces. Italy incorporated the country’s contemporary architecture into the network of administrative buildings, hotels, private and public housing structures. The foreign influence on the Italian culture intensified in the form of high-style tourism through the arrival of educated classes of diplomats, patrons, aristocrats and artists for whom a visit to Italy was obligatory. The social phenomenon of cultural and intellectual exchange created a new culture of cosmopolitanism amidst the international cultural heritage of Italy.
The major part of Italy is famous for its art, architecture, natural landscapes, gardens and Gothic buildings making the country a classic beauty in the entire European continent. Beyond Rome, there are several architectural discoveries in Naples, such as the Herculaneum and Pompeii . The Doric temples of the ancient Greek colonies in Italy are appealing for they have a slender style of architecture. The Doric column is an emblem of Italian architecture’s primal origins. In Rome, since the popes could not monopolize the archaeological culture unlike the Bourbon king, they intervened with the policies of protecting and potentializing the cultural heritage of Italy. The Villa Albani is one of the famous showrooms of Italy with sumptuous antiquities, which also include caryatids. Rome’s first public planned museum, the Museo Pio-Clementino is the most durable venture of visual culture . The Villa Borghese is another famous structure of Italy, which offers public space for popular receptions, festivals and relaxation. The building is famous for its interior decoration, architecture, and landscape design and enhances the continuity of Roman culture in Italy.
The Palazzo Braschi is another magnificent masterpiece of ancient sculpture and granite columns, which stands in the list of nepotistic papal palaces. The architecture of Blois, Amboise, Chenonceaux and Fontainbleau draws international tourists to Italy in larger numbers . The two famous Roman-style buildings in Rome that present a curved structure are the Colosseum and the Pantheon. The cathedral of Pisa, basilica in Milan, the cathedral of Massa Marittini and the church of San Miniato in Florence are other famous Romanesque-style buildings . The Palladian style of architecture found in Italy draws its traces to England. Continued visits of English architects and patrons to Italy in the early centuries reinforced the style of the country. In Italy, Milan is the central attraction of fashion design, which attracts tourists from all over the world. The types of clothes worn by the people in Italy resemble their social and economic status.
The city of Florence is famous for luxurious fabrics, such as brocades, silks, embroideries, fine linens, speciality fabrics and trimmings. It is popular for its interior furnishing industries. The first aqueduct of Italy, the Aqua Appia forms the cornerstone of the Roman society. Remnants of ancient waterways and public fountains are visible throughout the Sabine Hills and in Rome. Tourists spend their leisure taking mud bath and rinsing in the steaming hot water springs. Celebrations and religious processions are an integral part of Italian life and portray the multitude of traditions and customs of Italian endure. Major festivals, such as Christmas and Easter offer a plethora of opportunities to explore and form the main reason to draw millions of tourists. The religious fest of Ferragosto taken during the month of August jams the vacationing Italians from cities towards the sea, leaving the cities to the tourists . A visit to the city of Venice in the cold month of February allows the tourists to witness the spectacle of revelers dressed in special costumes during the Carnival.
In the month of September, tourists can avail the opportunity to visit the historical race called la Regatta, which takes place on Venice’s Grand Canal. Rome participates in the spring festival called Festa della Primavera, which is a folk festival that offers typical Roman cuisine, dance and music . In the city of Siena, villagers celebrate a traditional horse race event called Palio. Florence hosts Maggio Musicale, an annual event to celebrate the Renaissance music, culture, costumes, food and tradition of Italy. The city of Taormina on the island of Sicily is famous worldwide for its lavish festival of costumes and Sicilian Carts called Raduno del Costume e del Carretto Siciliano, which remembers the Knights of the Round Table and the paladins of Charlemagne . Other famous celebrations of Italy are the Orange festival known as Festa della Arance and the Feast of Saint Francis.
References
Euvino, Gabrielle. Italian History and Culture. Penguin, 2001.
Ghirardo, Diane. Italy: Modern Architectures in History. Reaktion Books, 2013.
Hudman, Lloyd E. and Richard H. Jackson. Geography of Travel and Tourism. Cengage Learning, 2003.
Kirk, Terry. The Architecture of Modern Italy: The Challenge of Tradition 1750-1900. Princeton Architectural Press, 2005.
Sharma, K. K. Tourism and Culture. Sarup & Sons, 1999.
