Ten Romantic Trysts in Italy
Italy's gold-flecked light, endless coastlines, sloping mountain ranges and rolling vineyards continue to leave travelers spellbound. The quintessential romantic destination, it has seduced all those who enter - giving French writer Stendhal the vapors while observing Italy's hallucinatory beauty (especially as it related to art in Florence). This ecstatic state, in which one is overcome by indescribable splendor, has subsequently been referred to as Stendhal Syndrome. Since love often comes at us in extremes, I've selected five far-North and five far-South destinations in my effort to compile the briefest of samplings of some of the country's most sensual places.
Bergamo
Share a gelato on the white-alabaster steps of the late-Renaissance Biblioteca Civica, or civic library. It anchors Piazza Vecchia, a tranquil square surrounded by cafes and shops facing robust medieval towers and courts of justice - a living stage set for a dramatization of Petrarch's love sonnets.
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Tremezzo
While winding around Italy's Northern Lake District, slip into the Baroque Villa Carlotta, a perfectly preserved estate nestled among mountains and lapping water. The villa is now a sculpture museum - at its heart rests a replica of Antonio Canova's suggestive marble sculpture, Eros and Psyche Reclining. Throw your cares to the soft breezes and race down the massive staircase to the sprawling gardens, where you and your significant other can get lost among the ferns, rhododendrons and camellias.
Stresa
An immaculate Belle Epoque playground, Stresa looks out onto Lago Maggiore and its ever-present mountains adorned with multicolored villas. A strollers' paradise, particularly along its flower-filled promenade, it takes one back to the parasol- and Baedeker-wielding travelers of the Grand Tour. Moreover, Stresa is the boarding point for the exquisite Borromeo Islands.
Torino/Turin
Sequestered from this dramatic city on the move, the Parco del Valentino is a haven for lovers of all ages. The grounds extend forever and contain lovely little surprises, such as the Castello del Valentino, which looks like Versailles but was once the home of the titular fashion designer; riverfront barges; well-appointed gardens; and a very real-looking medieval village created during Torino's 1884 World Exposition.
Genoa
On the subject of parks, this gritty and glorious port city contains the elevated Villetta di Negro, accessible via a wide stone staircase off a busy boulevard. The hilltop landscape - flanked by waterfalls, gardens, statues and little coves -- provides a peaceful respite.
Rome
Though not considered one of the seven hills of Rome, the Janiculum Hill (or Gianicolo) offers the most all-encompassing views of the Eternal City. A short walk from the Vatican, it is part of a quiet residential community away from the tourist throngs. But there's plenty of history up here - including some of the most spectacular monuments to the martyrs of Italy's early fight for unification and a church built on the presumed site of St. Peter's martyrdom. The Janiculum Hill feeds into the charming neighborhood of Trastevere.
Naples
The Bay of Naples, with its Castel dell'Uovo plunked in the middle of the water and its bobbing fishing boats, is romance epitomized. Dinner on the outdoor terrace of Hotel Excelsior's rooftop restaurant (La Terrazza) - amid the twinkling lights of this fabled port-side natural wonder -- makes you feel like you're suspended in a La Dolce Vita dream...with only the languid puffs of Mount Vesuvius drifting across the moonlit sky to remind you of the furtive power of nature.
Santa Maria di Castellabate
Italy's Amalfi Coast has cornered the market on sweeping sensuality, and rightfully so. But it also tends to be crowded. Continue south to the Cilento peninsula, where this unobtrusive town hugs the water at the same time its mountains jut to eternity. Spend an entire afternoon lunching along the pristine water and exploring artisan shops, parks and villas. The adjoining high-altitude medieval town of Castellabate is topped by a 12th century castle.
Salina, Aeolian Islands (Sicily)
One of the prettiest of the Aeolian Islands, Salina is best known as the setting for the love letter of a film, Il Postino. Its swooping cliffs frame its most popular beach in Pollara. But there's a quieter beach closer to Santa Marina. Called Punta Barone, it's the perfect spot for a picnic on the rocks, followed by a robust swim in the sea with an unobstructed view of the islands of Stromboli and Panarea.
Nora, Sardinia
A Phoenician tower high on a cliff indicates the archaeological park at Nora in the southern part of this fascinating island. But don't expect a dry traipse through history. These ruins speak of lust, luxury, adventure and conquest. The Phoenicians and Carthaginians were later overtaken by the Romans, whose temples, homes and necropoli spread across Nora's wide-open plains. You can even observe Atlantis-like ruins under water - quite a mythically romantic proposition in and of itself.
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