After Rome, the other regional capitals of Italy are Bolzano/Bozen, Trento, Trieste, Aosta, Milan (Milano), Venice (Venezia), Turin (Torino), Bologna, Genoa (Genova), Florence (Firenze), Ancona, Perugia, L’Aquila, Campobasso, Naples (Napoli), Potenza, Bari, Catanzaro, Palermo and Cagliari. These cities are important not only for their size and population, but also for their history, the fame and wealth of their monuments and museums, and the natural beauties of which almost all of them can boast, as well as the intensity of their social and economic life.
Each of Italy’s main cities jealously guards its own character, its citizens taking special pride in their history, art, food and commerce. Sprawling Milan is the industrial, banking and fashion capital of Italy and an art and culture centre. Turin (Torino), at the foot of the Alps, is well known for the manufacture of cars and its baroque architecture. Genoa (Genova), birthplace of Columbus, has been Italy’s most important port since Roman times. Venice (Venezia) floats dream-like on canals and lagoons. Trieste is a bustling and attractive port. Trento is an historic old city that has had many battles fought for it.
Bologna is famous for its University and gastronomy. Florence (Firenze), “the cradle of the Renaissance” is an Art City to rival any in the world. Ancona, the main town (of the Adriatic region) of the Marche, is a beautifully situated seaside city. Perugia, the hilltop queen of the Tiber plain, is the seat of the University for Foreigners. L’Aquila, crisscrossed by steep streets, is a mountain centre in the Apennines. Naples (Napoli), on its famous blue bay, is the great city of the South. Bari, where the bones of St. Nicholas lie, is a modem city surrounding a tiny medieval town. Palermo, major town of Sicily, merges Norman and Arab history and culture.
Cagliari, the chief town of Sardinia, bears the stamp of a long and varied history.