ITALY

COLOSSEUM

PISA TOWER

The History of Pisa  The history of Pisa began 180 years before Christ on the banks of the Arno River, approximately ten miles inland from the Tyrrhenian Sea. Known as Pisae, a Roman colony, the settlement displayed some Ligurian and Etruscan influence.

Through 800 AD, the Pisans were repeatedly sacked by various enemies including the Vikings, Byzantines, and Saracens. Through trade agreements, land deals, and the occasional successful rebellion the Pisans were able to maintain control of the territory and develop lucrative trading activities with Spain to the west and the prosperous merchants of northern Africa to the south.  In 1075 the elder statesmen of Pisa developed a code of  laws known as the Conseutudini di mare. These merchant rules created a legal environment that enabled the mercantile empire of Pisa to grow and prosper.  In 1099, at the dawn of the 12th century, the Pisans joined the Vatican in the 1st Crusades. This was a period of thriving economic growth and expansion through colonization. The 12th century saw Pisa develop several colonies; among them were Antioch, Tripoli, and Tunis.  In 1111 the city elders forged an agreement with Byzantium enabling transit for trade in the Holy Land.

The Most Famous of Fountains in the City of Rome: The Trevi Fountain

I've been here before when I was 15 years old, the tour guide said to us : " Throw a coin and make a wish in the coin, after you throw it, don't look back because your wishes will not granted". I did it.. But I don't remember what  are my wishes.. Just hope it Granted.. :) 

The Trevi fountain is – undoubtedly – the most famous of all the fountains in Rome. In fact there have been many versions and amendments made to the fountains in this vicinity over the years by such notables as Leon Batista, the architect, Pope Sixtus IV and Pope Pius V. It is worth noting that older versions of the fountain did not necessarily stand in the exact same spot as the modern-day Trevi fountain does now.

It was, in fact, the actions of Pope Urban VIII that decided the current location of the Trevi fountain. It was basically his idea to move its location to the Poli Palace. Urban commissioned Bernini to help him create a suitable fountain design and soon had plans to remove materials from the Pantheon and from part of the tomb of Cecilia Metella to use in the fountain’s building. Urban's grand ideas to loot from the treasures of Rome to build a new fountain did not please the general public and the pope gave up on his plans. So, the Trevi fountain in this form wasn’t actually built until another eleven popes had ruled over the city.

The next attempt to build the fountain was given to the architect Niccolo Salvi who worked on behalf of Pope Clement XII - although the fountain wasn’t actually finished in either of their lifetimes. Salvi did consult Bernini’s original plans as well as adding his own ideas to the statuary, structure, and design. The resulting fountain is considered by many to be one the finest in Rome of its time. It is certainly one of the most visited – tourists and visitors to the city are encouraged to make a night-time visit to the fountain, to take a drink to toast to their return to the city and to throw coins into the water.

Venice

Venice (Italian: Venezia [veˈnɛttsja] 

Venice is a city in Italy, best known for the many waterways which criss-cross through it. It has developed a romantic reputation, and has a history dating from the sixth century.

The Origins of Venice

Venice developed a creation myth that it was founded by people fleeing Troy, but it was probably formed in the sixth century CE, when Italian refugees fleeing Lombard invaders camped on the islands in the Venice lagoon. There is evidence for a settlement in 600 CE, and this grew, having its own bishopric by the end of the 7th century. The settlement soon had an outside ruler, an official appointed by the Byzantine empire, which clung onto a part of Italy from a base in Ravenna. In 751, when the Lombards conquered Ravenna, the Byzantine dux became a Venetian Doge, appointed by the merchant families who had emerged in the town.