The whole of Italy is one vast attraction, but the triangle of its most-visited cities—Rome (Roma), Florence (Firenze), and Venice (Venezia)—represents the great variety found here. In Rome, especially, you can feel the uninterrupted flow of the ages, from the classical era of the ancient Romans to the bustle and throb of contemporary life being lived in centuries-old settings. Florence is the jewel of the Italian Renaissance, which is evident in the formal grandeur of its palaces and piazzas and the sumptuous villas in the surrounding countryside. Venice, by contrast, seems supsended in time, the same today as it was when it held sway over the eastern Mediterranean. Each of these cities reveals a different aspect of the Italian character; all three reveal the perfect blend of great art, delicate food and wine, and human warmth that exemplify the country.