My husband and I are going to Italy next week for two weeks.
We had never been before and can't wait to see the sights.
Here's where we are staying

Florence 18-21
San Casciano in Val di Pesa 21-23
Rome 23-27

Please can you offer some sugggestions of places and sites that you all love and wouldn't miss.

Thanks so much
Sally

Hi K,

Have you looked up Italy under "Destinations"?

Have you seen: Helpful Information: Italy 2
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34568596

That was pretty helpfull thank you. Besides the art sites in Florence what else would you recco.

Hi Sally, one thing you might want to do in Florence is shop! Don't wait to get to Rome. I say that in part because I often wait until a trip is almost over before I do any shopping, since I don't want to have to haul too much extra stuff during the trip. As well, I really think the shopping is better in Florence than it is in Rome, and certainly more accessible.

I am a huge art lover, so when I'm in Italy, I usually devote most of my time to churches and galleries, such as Florence's Uffizi. But I do like to do some shopping as well, and Florence makes it easy!

In Florence, the San Lorenzo markets near the Duomo, as well as the straw market between the Duomo and the Arno River, are great fun and have lots of interesting things. The leather school that's attached to Santa Croce is also a good place to check out. I always seem to buy a lot of leather gloves in Florence; they have the most amazing colours, are wonderfully made and also make great gifts. I like Madova Gloves, a tiny shop on the Oltrarno side of the river after you cross the Ponte Vecchio.

In Rome, there are so many wonderful sights to see that I find it can be easy to get a bit overwhelmed and begin to rush around quickly, trying to pack in too much. But try to take your time; there is so much beauty spread around you in everyday life there, from gorgeous fountains to lovely palazzos everywhere! One of my favourite things to do is to walk up the Cordonata at night, to the Campidoglio, a beautiful small square at the top of the Capital hill.It's just off the Piazza Venezia which seems to be the traffic centre of Rome! The Campidoglio piazza itself is stunning and quite quiet, since it's up above the street traffic, and the views across the Forum to the Colossium are fabulous at night! Great museums there by day as well.

Best,
Sandra

Wow this sounds so amazing!!!Good tip for shopping.