vista from the top of castello di mathilda de canossa

Whirlwind Italy

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May 12th 2007
Finally, Italy! I've been waiting 22 years for this! After getting to Italy and a half day’s forced rest, I was restless to explore beyond the suburb in which my aunt and uncle live. My uncle, suggested the ruins of a castle called Mathilda de Canossa on a nearby (still a lengthy drive away) cliff-top, which we could quickly visit and then be home for dinner (dinner is very VERY important ... read more

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Florence

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Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI establis... ... read more