Founded 1500 years ago on a cluster of mudflats in the centre of a lagoon, Venice rose to become Europe's main trading town between the West and the East, and at its height controlled an empire that stretched from Italy to Cyprus. The melancholic mood of the city is in part a product of the discrepancy between what Venice used to be, and what it has become: in effect, all of central Venice is one colossal sight, and you'd have a great time if you were to spend your days here just wandering the alleyways at leisure, and soaking it all up. Venice DIRECTIONS has all you need to get the most out of the city. Browse our ideas and you'll know what you want to do, 24 hours a day. Flip to places and explore the city district by district, with every sight, restaurant, bar and shop located on our easy-to-use maps. It's like having a local friend plan your trip. Includes a FREE e-book CD containing the full text of the guide, complete with hundreds of web links. It is designed for use with Palm Pilots, e-book readers, PCs and Macs.

Arguably the most fascinating city in the world, the Italian capital is an ancient place, packed with the relics of more than two thousand years of habitation. You could spend a month in Rome and barely scratch the city's surface. Yet it is so much more than an open-air museum: Rome's people, culture and food identify a modern and vibrant European capital as worth of a visit as any, irrespective of its extraordinary history. Rome DIRECTIONS has all you need to get the most out of the city. Browse our ideas section and you’ll know what you want to do, 24 hours a day. Flip to the places section and explore the city district by district, with every sight, restaurant, bar and shop located on our easy-to-use maps. It's like having a local friend plan your trip.

A Must Have
Just back from 3 days in Rome and it would not have been the same without the Rough Guide. What a source of information. From the history of Rome to the maps to the individual descriptions of each place of interest, it never left my side!! Thoroughly recommended.

The Rough Guide to Italy is the definitive guide to this vibrant country. Features include: • Full-colour section introducing Italy’s highlights. • Informed accounts of all the sights, from the Renaissance splendours of Tuscany to the ancient monuments of Sicily. • Incisive reviews of the best places to stay, eat, drink and shop, in all price ranges. • Mouthwatering descriptions of Italy’s regional food and wine. • Authoritative coverage of the country’s history, art and architecture. • Practical tips on everything from hiking in the national parks to finding the best resorts and beaches. • Maps and plans for every region.

Great Book With Stunning Visuals
I have to confess up front. I love these books. I must have a dozen. I really like the Paris book, and the one for Prague, and Stockholm, and South Africa, and .... You get all the detailed material similar to other great travel books plus you get great visuals.
The photos and descriptions and cutaway drawings are excellent and more than make up for any lack of small detail. But there is lots of detail here. The book includes the history of Venice and many details on the art, art galleries, parks, cutaway views of historical buildings, and many other things of interest. That is the good part.
You will be amazed with the visuals and cutaway architectural views. A great book, very detailed, with all the regular stuff such as maps, rstaurants, hotels, etc.

A Must for Devotees of Italy and Italian Culture
ONE HUNDRED AND ONE BEAUTIFUL SMALL TOWNS OF ITALY is a lavishly illustrated insider's look at the Italy as known to Italians. Writer Paolo Lazzarin took on this project of focusing on the secret treasures within Italy and wrote it for Italians. Now Rizzoli has released it internationally and all of us who love this most romantic of countries are the richer for this guidebook.

Lazzarin has divided his book into the multiple regions of Italy from the north to the south and shows us all the hidden small towns that are in the regions of the famous cities such as Venice, Milan, Florence, Siena, and Rome. He is careful to acknowledge the influence of these cities we all know, but at the same time he graces each of the 101 towns with descriptions of the land the architecture, the artisans, the foods, and the special places that provide a strong magnet to the reader.

Many of the towns names are familiar, but only because the names appear on cheeses, wines, olive oil, and trinkets! Yet in this book the towns of Spoleto, San Gimignano, Arezzo, Gallipoli, Portofino, Gubbio, Ischia, Modena, Aosta and all the others come to life in warm prose and breathtaking photography.

This special book is illuminating as a resource guide for the next voyage to Italia; it also is one of the more beautiful gift books for treasured friends and loved ones on the market today! Grady Harp, November 2004.

Great comprehensive guide for Italy
This book is great for travel in Italy. The background information is interesting, the maps are superb and the LP writers do an excellent job of highlighting the most interesting sites. I highly recommend this book to anyone going to Italy.

Who but Rick Steves can tell you how to stroll the same streets walked by Michelangelo or stay in a farmhouse in a Tuscan hill town? With Rick Steves' Florence and Tuscany 2005, you can experience Rick's favorite destinations in Florence, including the Duomo, the Uffizi, the Bargello, and the Ponte Vecchio-economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, Rick Steves' Florence and Tuscany 2005 includes color maps and photos, opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights; friendly places to eat and sleep; suggested day plans; walking tours and trip itineraries; clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot; and Rick's newest "back door" discoveries. America's number one authority on travel to Europe, Rick's time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Florence and Tuscany have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique travel experience.

STREETWISE(r) MILAN
Revised yearly, STREETWISE(r) is the best-selling map of MILAN, with coverage from Piazza Serafino Belfanti to Cimiterio Monumentale. Localities covered are the Duomo, Teatro All Scala, and Museo Archeologico. Points of interest such as museums, hotels, parks, and popular sites are highlighted and fully indexed. The Milan Metro is clearly indicated on a map inset. Laminated for durability, accordion folded to fit in your pocket or purse, STREETWISE(r) gives you MILAN in a clear, concise, and convenient format.