Dyan

Out of Florence, Milan, Venice and Rome: What are you're favorite cities in Italy? I'm trying to pick 3.

dottie

One purely subjective opinion: there are only 3 reasons to go to Milano:<BR>a)that's the touchdown point for flights from my area;<BR>b)LaScala - which is currently being rehabbed - located somewhere but not at &quot;home&quot; ; and<BR>c) fashion shows - not my cup of tea.

Grasshopper

4th reason to go to Milan, the fabulous Duomo. But if you have to pick 3 Milan is the one to leave out. If you land or leave from there, try to grab a peek at the Duomo.

Howard

I'm a fan of Milan, but it cannot compare with the other three.

Alice Twain

There are dozens good reasons to come to Milan aside from the ones above, only that they are not as well-known as the reasons to got o (for instance) Pisa, which is more commonly visited by tourists. I would list, aside from the touristy triade compled by the Galleria, Sant'Ambrogio, Santa Maria presso San Satiro, San Fedele, Santa Maria delle Grazie and the Last Supper, San Lorenzo alle COlonne (from outside only!), San Simpiciano, Santa Maria del Carmine, Pinacoteca di Brera, Pinacote ambrosiana, Museo Bagatti Valsecchi, Museo POldi Pezzoli, the free admittance museums at the Castello Sforzesco, the Navigli area, Piazza Belgioioso, La casa degli Omenoni, Piazza San Fedele, the art nouveau buildings all round the city, the Commenda garden...

Julia

Roma is the most magnificent city in Europe!

selena

1. Venice<BR>2. Florence<BR>3. Rome<BR>My favorite being Venice. It is unique and stunningly beautiful.

Carol

Of those four, I prefer Florence and Venice.

Carol

i would chose rome, venice and florence

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

Dyan, Do yourself a favor and look beyond big cites to enjoy Italy. You have picked the most expensive and most crowded destinations. Italy is so much more. My rule of thumb is to spend equal time in villages of less than 10k.

sue

Bob,<BR> That is excellent advice....as always

Julie

Venice and Florence. Although many at Fodors like Rome and Milan, I found both to have way too much traffic and were very difficult to negotiate compared to Venice (so wonderful not to worry about traffic in Venice)!

cathy

Venice and Florence. And Siena.......

Maurice

Another thing to see in Milan - the Cenacolo, the Da Vinci Last Supper. I think Milan was bombed flat in WWII so a lot is very modern and not worth sightseeing. (Shopping is supposed to be good). If you're in the Duomo, look for the statue of St. Matthew the skinless; he's holding his skin over one arm. Apparently he was martyred by being flayed alive.<BR><BR>I would rank Venice number one, followed by a tie between Florence and Rome. For art and medieval atmosphere, Florence. For the sheer number of sites, and their antiquity, Rome.<BR><BR>I think you'll have to pick one and plan a second trip later...

Karen

<BR>1. Rome<BR>2. Venice<BR>3. Sienna ( you can always day-trip to Florence if you &quot;have&quot; to see it)<BR><BR>I would agree with the other posters though that seeing the smaller towns is fantastic. If this is your first trip to Italy however, I can't blame you for wanting to see what the big cities are all about. Try and fit in at least one smaller town though, to give you a hint of what you might want to come back to next time!<BR><BR>Enjoy<BR

Gabriel Rosssetti

1 - Venice<BR>2 - Florence<BR>3 - Rome<BR><BR>

xxx

<BR><BR>Venice and Rome eat Florence and Milan for lunch and then have gelato for dessert.

sara

ttt

Barb

1) Rome<BR>2) Venice<BR>3) Siena (Florence) stay in Siena, day trip to Florence

Tim

Dyan,<BR><BR>OK, I'll cast a vote for Venice. NO CARS. Then throw in a hill town like Assisi or Gubbio.<BR><BR>The best thing about Milan: the Malpensa airport is close to Lugano...