The Smart Boot: savvy travellers' guide to Italy

Repubblica, At sunset. Milan, 19 June 2011

Sunset in Milan, yesterday. The building in the middle is part of the new Porta Nuova development. The entire area around Repubblica and Garibaldi is changing dramatically.

Lecco, on Lake Como, this morning

Genoa in a bright and balmy winter morning

We’ve taken you to the Alps and on the Adriatic shores. This week, in the third of a series of five unsung Italian cities, The Smart Boot takes you to the Pianura Padana.

If you are looking for amazing art and mouth-watering dishes, look no more. Just book a flight and head for foodies’ heaven.

Parma

Photo by Juan Diego Godoy

I.D.

Location and geography  Parma is located in the Emilia Romagna region in Northern Italy.

Getting there  Giuseppe Verdi airport has a few flights from Italian and European destinations, but there are rumours that it will be closed soon. A good alternative is to fly to either Milan or Bologna and get a train. Travel time is about 1.30 hours from Milan, and one hour from Bologna.

Things to see  There are more churches in Parma than you can ever see in your entire life, but since we’ll only tell you about the most important ones. Start with the Duomo, whose dome was painted by Correggio, and check out the adjacent Baptistry, half Romanesque half Gothic, made in pink marble. A few steps away there is the Abbey of San Giovanni, with its Baroque facade enriched with statues. Check out the Antica Spezieria San Giovanni, a pharmacy dating back to 1201 that still looks the same. Heading south, stop at the Madonna della Steccata church, and, if you are into antiques, lose yourself in one of the many stores present in strada della Repubblica, strada XXII Luglio and strada Farini. Walk towards the river, and check out the chunky Palazzo della Pilotta, seat of interesting museums like the Galleria Nazionale and the teatro Farnese, rebuilt after the war. Rest a little sitting on the lawn in front of the building, before you decide your next move. Cross the Verdi bridge, and go for a stroll in the park of the elegant Palazzo Ducale.

Dishes to try  It’s hard to imagine the warm, welcoming attitude of locals does not have something to do with the amazing food they have available to them. Parma’s two landmark products, Parma Ham and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, are a synonym of Italian excellence, and some of the most delicious foods you will ever try. Also try local recipes like cappelletti and gnocchi di patate. No wonder Parma is also seat of the European Food Safety Authority.

The event of the year  There are several events in town every year, like a festival celebrating one of Parma’s most illustrious personalities, composer Giuseppe Verdi. However, Cibus Tour, a massive expo of food and drinks, is more likely to stimulate your interest… and your taste buds.

The legend  On one side of the Baptistry, a large footprint is clearly visible on the light pink stone. They say it was the Devil, who kicked the building after it was finished trying to make it fall down.

Interesting fact  For some kind of weird characteristic of the language, people from Parma - but also Reggio Emilia and Piacenza - speak with a French R (called “dull R” in Italian). Some say this is actually caused by the fact that the French dominated the Duchy for a while.

Surroundings  The little town of Montechiarugolo, 16 kilometres from Parma, features a majestic fortress, with elegant interiors and beautiful gardens. The castle became property of the Italian State when Italy was unified 150 years ago: it was then sold to a family that still owns it today.

Haven’t you booked a flight yet? Last week we took you to Northern Italy, with its mountains and valleys. If the mountain is not your cup of tea, you’ll enjoy this one much more.

The Smart Boot’s second of a series of five guides to Italy’s best unsung cities is here. Get ready for Roman ruins, vast horizons and pretty churches.

Ancona

Photo by pietrosb1

I.D.

Location and geography  Ancona is the capital of the Marche region, on the Adriatic Sea. The city lies on five hills.

Getting there  Ancona is served by the Raffaello Sanzio international airport, with several direct connections to many destinations around Europe.

Things to see  In the harbour area, check out the Mole Vanvitelliana, or Lazzaretto, a pentagonal structure used in the past as a fort, a prison, a warehouse and a hospital for the quarantined (Casanova was one of them, but this didn’t stop him from pursuing his… interests). On the Guasco hill, visit the gracious cathedral of San Ciriaco (pictured), then walk to the Molo Nord pier to take a look at the well-preserved Trajan’s Arch, beautifully lit at night. Also stop at the church of Santa Maria della Piazza and admire its facade, then walk along via della Loggia and stop at the Loggia dei Mercanti, a reminder of the importance of trade for the city. Ancona was a papal dominion, and nowhere is this more evident than in Piazza del Plebiscito, with its massive statue of Pope Clemente XII and its exquisite buildings. The Citadel, with the Sangallo Fortress, dominates the city from the top of the Astagno hill.

Dishes to try  You shouldn’t leave without having some stoccafisso all’anconetana (stockfish cooked with tomatoes, olives, anchovies and capers on a soffritto - sautéed onions and herbs) and lasagna-like vincisgrassi.

The event of the year  The Festa del Mare, on the first Sunday of September, sees hundreds of boats sailing away from the coast to commemorate those perished in the open sea. The whole town celebrates its relation with the sea with concerts, festivals, shows and fireworks.

The legend  After the siege of Syracuse by the Romans, during which famous inventor Archimedes was killed, the burning mirrors he designed and used to set Roman ships on fire were hidden, it is said, in a secluded cave in the cliffs Ancona is built on. Sometimes, early in the day, a flicker of light is said to be visible from the open sea, when the sun is low on the horizon and its rays find their way into the cave. 

Interesting fact  Ancona is elbow-shaped, which gives her the unique feature of seeing the sun both rising and setting on the sea. The esplanade in front of the church of San Ciriaco is the perfect place to enjoy the scene.

Surroundings  The area of the Conero Park, only minutes away from Ancona, is a place of extraordinary natural beauty, where you can hike, bike and bird-watch.

Spring is here. Everybody knows Italy is simply at its best in this season: tourist hordes are still far away and temperatures are pleasant… Come to think of it, this is the best time of the year to go for a short break!

The Smart Boot takes you to the first of a series of five Italian cities you are likely to know very little about.

Trento

Photo by The Smart Boot

I.D.

Location and geography  Trento is the capital of Trentino-Alto Adige, in Northeastern Italy, close to the Austrian border. The northern part of the region is German-speaking, and the alto-atesini consider themselves being a minority. There is quite some rivalry between the two parts of the territory.

Getting there  The closest airport with international connections is Verona.

Things to see  The heart of Trento is the Piazza del Duomo, with the imposing church of San Vigilio, the beautiful Fountain of Neptune, Palazzo Pretorio with its clock tower and the frescoed Cazuffi-Rella buildings. Sit at a café and people-watch: it is quite an amazing spot. The traffic-free historic centre makes you want to stroll and take in the atmosphere of this quiet town, with tiny roads, colourful buildings and people all around. Head to the Goccia d’Oro park, for stunning views of the city and the mountains (pictured). In Piazza Fiera, check out the walls dating back to the 1200s and the Palazzo del Vescovo. Along the Adige river, stop at the austere Palazzo delle Albere, a former fortress now seat to Trento’s section of the MART museum. End your visit at the Castello del Buonconsiglio, one of the most important monuments in the region.

Dishes to try  The local cuisine is very rich, you’ll probably struggle leaving the table when you are done with your meal. Try the Smacafam, a heavy pie filled with eggs, sausages and milk (literally, it means ‘hunger-beater’), polenta rostida, classic polenta chopped up, mixed with potatoes and heated up, or a delicious torta di patate. Wash them down with the amazing local wines (red Teroldego and white Müller-Thurgau). Apples from the nearby Val di Non are known in Italy for their quality. White asparagus from Zambana are also delicious.

The event of the year  The feste Vigiliane, for the patron saint, turn Trento into a medieval town in June, with the Tribunale della Penitenza, during which leading figures, often local politicians, are “processed” in front of the population, and the Palio dell’Oca, which sees teams on rafts trying to put a ring around a big paper pulp goose hanging from a bridge on the Adige river.

The legend  A man from the nearby town of Sardagna had been wrongly sentenced to death. On the block, in the Duomo square, he saw an eagle soaring and yelled, “May that eagle turn to stone if I am innocent.” It did, and the man was freed. The eagle is now part of a fountain in the Piazza del Duomo.

Interesting fact  Between 1545 and 1563, the city hosted the Council of Trento, during which the Catholic Church was reformed and a response to Protestantism was decided.

Surroundings  The pyramids of Segonzano, a half hour from Trento, are spectacular rock formations. These stone pinnacles could easily belong to a landscape in the American Southwest.

Face it, the Ligurian resort town of Sanremo can be a bit snooty.

It’s a rich town, with a great climate, international fame and the repute of an exclusive tourist destination.

Name the city anywhere in Italy (especially in Lombardy and Piedmont) and all you’ll get back are smiley, dreamy faces. Visit on a sunny day in winter and you’ll be sipping a coffee alfresco in one of the many bars in the harbour area.

Sanremo is home to the most talked-about music competition in Italy every year, its flowers are known the world over, it houses one of the four casinos in the country and hosted a peace conference at the end of the First World War. Not enough? Alfred Nobel (as in the Swedish guy after whom the Nobel Prize is named, and the man who invented dynamite) used to live here, in a sumptuous villa now turned into a museum.

 Must see and do 

• Stroll down the main shopping streets, Via Matteotti and Via Corradi. The first one, in particular, is the heart of Sanremo: the famous Ariston theatre, home to the Festival della Canzone Italiana, is an irresistible photo opportunity for Italian tourists (foreigners won’t fail to notice how disappointing the sight really is).
• Have an ice-cream in Piazza Colombo, the main square and the hub of the city. The pine tree in the middle is a meeting point for local youngsters.
• Check out the Art-Nouveau Casino and the nearby Russian church. Together with the long palm-fringed boulevard you’ll see in front of you, it’s a reminder of the time when Sanremo was a popular destination for Russians: the palms lining Corso Imperatrice were a gift to Sanremo by the czarina Aleksandrovna.
• Drive up the winding Corso degli Inglesi, a road full of old villas that belonged to wealthy Britons. One of them, the castle Devachan, was where the Allied Powers met in 1920 to discuss the future of the territories taken from the Ottoman Empire.
•  Visit the old medieval town, known as la Pigna (the pinecone) for its shape, a maze of alleyways, houses, little squares, churches and arches, culminating in the esplanade leading to the baroque sanctuary of the Madonna della Costa, visible from everywhere in Sanremo and wonderfully lit up at night. One of the prettiest spots in the old town is the little piazzetta dei Dolori. If you get lost in la Pigna, just go uphill and one way or the other you’ll get to the sanctuary (visit the area during the day, as it can be dangerous at night).
• Take a look at the Cathedral of San Siro, an amazing example of Romanesque-Gothic style. It’s close to Piazza Eroi Sanremesi, a quite busy and ugly square where the market is held on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
• Explore the parks and mansions along Corso Cavallotti, including Villa Zirio and Villa Ormond. Villa Nobel is also here.

Look out for

Try not to use the car: Sanremo has a problem with traffic, with constant jams and parking almost non-existent. If you are on four wheels, just park by the old train station or in the underground parking below the main square, and walk around. Tuedays and Saturdays, in particular, see hundreds of people flocking to Sanremo for the market, with the result that you might be stuck in traffic for hours (if you are arriving from the motorway, use the Arma di Taggia – Sanremo Est exit). A great alternative is to rent a scooter and join the thousands already around, or to bike, on the recently-inaugurated bicycle path crossing the entire city, from end to end.

Going out 

The picturesque Piazza Bresca, overflowing with people and bars, is definitely the place to be. Later on, part of the crowd moves to Victory Morgana Bay (Lungomare Trento e Trieste 16; +39 0184 591620), a club/restaurant in a spectacular circular building by the beach (dress smart, bouncers are probably the most annoying in a 30-mile radius). For a less pretentious clientele, head for the bars in the old town, a few steps from Piazza Cassini, past an old arch.

To eat

Restaurants abound in Sanremo. You’ll find a bunch in Piazza Bresca, but look our for the prices. If you like fish and you want to protect your wallet, head to the nearby town of Ospedaletti and go to Byblos, one of the best restaurants in the area (Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 6; +39 0184 689002). Huge portions and prices relatively low, considering the quality of fish.

Surroundings

Visit the hippie village of Bussana Vecchia, half-destroyed by an earthquake in the 1800s and brought back to life by a community of artists in the Sixties. Stone houses and wisterias, a true delight.