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Italy seems to exist as two counties in people’s minds. On the one hand it’s a place dominated by modern chic, with the seat of fashion in Milan, luxury sports cars that are astoundingly beautiful and cutting edge cuisine. On the other hand it’s a place steeped in tradition, with ancient ruins and renaissance architecture dominating its looks, and fixed ideas about the way food should be.

The old sites in Italy are well preserved. It has more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other nation, and these include world-renowned buildings such as the Coliseum and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. These are important historical sites, but they’re also part of Italy’s crucial tourist industry, so they really make the most of their reputation. The ancient ruins of Pompeii are a breathtaking sight, with incredibly well-preserved finds, even down to the ovens and wine bars that people used ever day.

Italy wasn’t just the birthplace of Western civilisation in terms of the Roman’s influence. It also formed the heart of what became the European renaissance. Florence was the seat of power of the Medici family: a family that came to unify large areas of Italy which had become divided after Rome fell. Their ruthless power was offset with a re-emphasis on the arts, and brought out a whole generation of world-renowned painters such as da Vinci. Florence today still contains a great deal of astounding renaissance architecture.

One of the great modern attractions of Italy is the super-chic shopping on offer. Milan is in many ways the capital of fashion. You’ll find a clothes store of some kind on almost every street around the centre, and it has every major fashion brand from around the world in just one place. The Via Montenapoleone is perhaps the best street to head to, with a great selection of boutiques for a unique shopping experience.

You can also see a blend of old and new in the cuisine here, where things in general are rigidly fixed in past traditions, but the more upmarket restaurants are constantly pushing the boundaries.

Find the best prices on cheap holidays Italy.

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