If Italy could be summed up in three words it would be these: la dolce vita. Every year millions of tourists take cheap flights to Italy to experience the good life.
From the snow-capped Alps in the Aosta Valley in the far north of Italy, through the rolling hills of Tuscany and the sun-baked beaches of the south, Italy enchants. Its history stretches back millennia, beyond the Renaissance and even the glory days of the Roman Empire to the ancient gods. There are many ways to trace a path around the country - through art, architecture, dynastic families and popes, but the food nourishes more than just the belly; it's soul food.
Each region and city has its own specialty - in Veneto, risotto; in Liguria, pesto; in Parma, ham; in Rome, artichokes; in Modena, balsamic vinegar; and, of course, in Naples, pizza. The Italians call this campanilismo - loyalty to your own bell tower - a philosophy that ensures that local culinary traditions last for the next few millennia.