Italy Unit 11 be Prepared Italy [theory] We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place, we stay there, even though we go away. And there are things in us that we can find again only by going back there. Cities of art: the north I taly is famous all over the world for its artistic treasures, which are mainly located in its captivating cities. Rome, Venice and Florence are probably the most 107 well known cities because of their ancient ruins, architecture, artworks and museums but there are numerous other cities that offer a wide tourist experience. Pascal Mercier Turin is situated in the northwest of Italy between the Po River and the foothills of the Alps. The city is famous because it invented the first saleable hard chocolate, is home to a best-selling car producer, Fiat, and to one of the planet s most iconic football teams, Juventus FC. There are also several examples of baroque architecture and historic palaces, historic coffee houses and streets with arcades. In the past Turin and the Count of Cavour engineered the Resurgence , the Italian reunification, and Turin also served as Italy s first capital through its monarchy, the House of Savoy. The Mole Antonelliana is the symbol of Turin - a 167 m tower with a distinctive aluminium spire that was originally intended as a synagogue when construction began in 1862, but that was never used as a place of worship, and nowadays houses the Museo Nazionale del Cinema. Turin s cathedral Turin was built at the end of the 15th century and is home to the Holy Shroud, alleged to be the burial cloth in which Jesus s body was wrapped. The Museo Egizio opened in 1824 and houses the most important collection of Egyptian treasures outside Cairo. Milan Venice 218 Milan is situated in the north of Italy, it is one of Europe s richest cities, known world-wide for its stylish shops and art galleries. It also has a rich artistic and cultural heritage: its Gothic Duomo, commissioned in 1387 and finished nearly 600 years later, boasts a pearly white fa ade adorned with 135 spires and 3,200 statues, and La Scala is one of the world s most famous opera houses. The Basilica Santa Maria delle Grazie hosts one of the world s most famous pictures, Leonardo Da Vinci s The Last Supper . Venice is situated in the north-east of Italy, and it is actually a group of fascinating small islands. It is in fact an outdoor museum that can be toured by boat or by gondola. The Canal Grande is the main Venetian channel. The heart of Venice is the wonderful Piazza San Marco, surrounded by outstanding buildings: the impressive bell tower and the Cathedral with its five portals of marble and mosaic decorations the Ducal Palace a symbol of the golden age of the Serenissima and Torre dei Mori (the clock tower) the engineering masterpiece that has been telling Venice the time for centuries. Three islands of the Venetian Lagoon Murano, Torcello and Burano can be visited by motorboat. Murano offers visits to glass-blowing factories, Torcello hosts the oldest church and Burano can offer enchanting lace fabrics.