Rome

301,230 km²
(7.2x the Netherlands)

UTC +1

Italian, German, French, Slovenian

Mont Blanc de Courmayeur - 4,765 m
(2nd summit Mont Blanc mountains)

The first time a green, white, and red flag was used was by the Cispadane Republic in 1796. The Cispadane Republic in northern Italy was founded in 1796 by Napoleon Bonaparte. Green, white and red are traditional Milanese colors. Red and white come from the Milanese coat of arms which is a red cross on a white background. Green was the color of the uniform of the Milanese civic guard.

The euro was introduced simultaneously in 12 European countries, as well as in Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City on 1 January 2002. This was the largest monetary exchange operation of all time. On the front of the note is a gate or window and a bridge on the back. These are all fictional. The euro replaces the Lire, introduced in 1861, which was known as the least valuable currency in Western Europe.

Naples was founded by Greek settlers around the 8th century BC. The city was called Neapolis and became one of the most important cities of the Greek-speaking south of Italy. In the 4th century BC it became part of the Roman empire. After the Romans, the city was successively occupied by the Longobards, Vikings, Normans, French and Spaniards. After the city was conquered by Garibaldi in 1860 it was no longer the capital of the kingdom of Naples. The city has a lot monumental buildings. The archaeological museum is one of the many highlights of Naples. It contains many works of art from Pompeï and Herculaneum such as mosaics, frescoes and huge marble statues from the Egyptian and Roman times. Here you can admire the largest sculpture group (The Farnese bull from ca. 200 BC). It was excavated in the thermal baths of Caracalla in Rome. The interiors of the churches are beautiful which cannot be said of the facades in the streets of Naples which are almost all covered with graffiti. Other highlights of the city are the narrow alleys in the old town, SpaccaNapoli and Via dei Tribunali, and the area between piazza del Plebiscito and the castel Nuovo. Other highlights in the area such as Herculaneum and Pompeï are easily reached with the Circumvesuviana railroad.

Pompeï is located about 10 km south from Mount Vesuvius. It was founded at the river Sarno some 500 meters from the sea and had a harbor. Due to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius it was 2 km further from the sea. Pompeï was probably founded in the 7th century BC when the Oscans settled here. In the 6th century BC, the town was under Etruscan influence. In the years 91-89 BC it participated in a war against Rome. Together with Stabiae and Herculaneum they were defeated by the Roman dictator Sulla, who annexed the city in 80 BC, making it a Roman colony with the official name Colonia Veneria Cornelia Pompeianorum. In 62 Pompeï was destroyed by an earthquake. On August 24, 79, the fatal eruption of Mount Vesuvius covered Pompeï with a four meter thick layer of ash and pumice stone. Pompeï was rediscovered during the construction of the Sarno Canal in 1594-1600. The first excavations started in 1860 under the leadership of the archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli. Highlights are the villa dei Misteri, the Stabian thermal baths and the Amphitheater from 70 BC, the oldest stone Amphitheater of the Roman Empire. The Colloseum in Rome was built 100 years later.

Vesuvius is a stratovolcano just south of Naples. It has a diameter of 8 km and is 1,281 meters high. Vesuvius is located in the caldera of an older volcano, Monte Somma. This caldera formed approximately 18,300 years ago when the cone of Monte Somma collapsed. The most famous eruption of Vesuvius is that of August 79. The top of the volcano exploded and the Roman sites of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae and Oplontis were completely buried under ash and pumice stone. An eruption in 1631 was almost as heavy as in 79. 1944 saw the last eruption. When you want to walk aroud the cone you need to hire a guide.

In the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79, Herculaneum was not affected by a rain of ash and pumice like Pompeï, but by a pyroclastic cloud and was covered by a thick layer of mud and lava. Almost no bodies were found in the city. Skeletons of over 300 people, who apparently did not escape in time, were found at the boathouses on the coast The layer of mud that covered the city was up to 20 meters thick and moved coastline further off land. Remains of Herculaneum were discovered in 1709 while striking a well. Large-scale excavations took place under Charles of Bourbon, who was king of Naples from 1735-1759. About a third of Herculaneum has been excavated and four housing blocks exposed with an area of ??200 x 250 meters are exposed. There are still many remains of charred wooden stairs, partitions and beams. Highlights include the Hall of the Augustales and the mosaic in the house of Neptune and Amphititre.

The island of Capri was once the residence of Emperor Tiberius. The ruin of his villa (villa Jovis) overlooks the Bay of Naples. Tiberius Claudius Nero was born on November 16, 42 BC. When Augustus died on August 19 14, Tiberius became his successor. In 27 Tiberius returned to Capri and ruled the Roman Empire until 37 from the island. Tiberius died in Misenum on March 16, 37. It is a 45-minute walk from the village of Capri to the ruin. It is open until 1 pm. A hike from Capri along the coast via Tragara past the rocks of Faraglione and Arco Naturale is highly recommended. Afterwards you can sit on a terrace with a beautiful view at the Arco Naturale.