Italy

Do you ever wander what was it like to live in the past? Being a gladiator, for instance? I have to agree with Mina that they must have had a difficult and dramatic life indeed. The word gladiator comes from the Latin word for sword - gladius, so gladiators are in fact swordsmen. 

Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their legal and social standing and their lives by appearing in the arena. Most were despised as slaves, schooled under harsh conditions, socially marginalized, and segregated even in death.

The games reached their peak between the 1st century BC and the 2nd century AD, and they finally declined during the early 5th century after the adoption of Christianity as state church of the Roman Empire in 380, although beast hunts (venationes) continued into the 6th century.

Italy

The last two cards today come from Italy. First of them depicts beautiful greenery of Tuscany. The coulours are just magical! I found some facts about Tuscany on Wikipedia... Seven Tuscan localities have been designated World Heritage Sites: the historic centre of Florence; the historical centre of Siena; the square of the Cathedral of Pisa; the historical centre of San Gimignano; the historical centre of Pienza; the Val d'Orcia, and Medici Villas and Gardens. Tuscany has over 120 protected nature reserves, making Tuscany and its capital Florence popular tourist destinations that attract millions of tourists every year. Enjoyed every minute spent there this spring. Looking forward to coming back :D 

Italy

Una cartolina italiana sent from Tuscany arrived in my mailbox several weeks ago. It's a lovely multi-card depicting charming doors and windows in all shapes and colours. The card was sent by a friend of mine, but I visited Tuscany myself about two months ago and it's really breathtaking... The architecture is just lovely! 

Rome, Italy

Going to Rome without stopping by Trevi Fountain ("Fontana di Trevi") is no even an option for travellers visiting the eternal city... This 6.3 metres high and 49.15 metres wide fountain is among some of the most famous fountains in the world the largest Baroque fountain in Rome.  There's a legend that you are probably familiar with, but anyways... If you throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain (but watch out, you should be using the right hand over the left shoulder!), it's said that you'll definitely return to Rome. An estimated 3,000 Euros are thrown into the fountain each day :P

Many thanks to my dear sis who keeps sending me great cards from her trips. Plus a nice Italian Europe CEPT 2013 stamp! 

Umbria, Italy

A great waterfall card made me happy yesterday.... Thanks go to Monica from Italy this time :)

The Cascata delle Marmore (Marmore's Falls) is a man-made waterfall created by the ancient Romans, located 7.7 km from Terni, a provincial capital of the Italian region of Umbria. Its total height is 165 m, making it one of the tallest in Europe and the tallest man-made waterfall in the world. Of its 3 sections, the top one is the tallest, at 83 m. It is  Its source is a portion of the waters of the river Velino, after flowing through Piediluco lake near the community of Marmore. It pours into the valley below formed by the river Nera.

The stamp (issued in 2012) represents Primo Michele Levi (1919 – 1987), an Italian Jewish chemist and writer. He was the author of two novels and several collections of short stories, essays, and poems. His best-known works include If This Is a Man (1947), his account of the year he spent as a prisoner in the Auschwitz concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Poland; and The Periodic Table (1975) which the Royal Institution of Great Britain named the best science book ever written.

Italy

The view over Canal Grande is simply gorgeous! A friend of mine visited Venezia couple of weeks ago and sent me this wonderful card. I've been to Venezia myself few times as well, but did not send any cards, so this is my first one from that magical water-town.

Venezia is situated on a group of 118 small islands, separated by canals and linked by bridges. It is located in the Venetian Lagoon which stretches between the mouths of the Po and the Piave Rivers. Venezia has also been listed on the UNESCO WHS list, along with its lagoon. The city has an average of 50,000 tourists a day (2007).

Italy

When I think of Gardaland, many beautiful memories pass through my mind :) I've been there several times and every time it was amazing. If you haven't visited Gardaland yet and you've got a chance, I highly recommend you to do it.

Gardaland is the third-most-popular theme park in Europe, located at Lake Garda in Italy. It was opened on July 19, 1975 and since then it has expanded steadily in both size and attendance. Around 1 million visitors visit Gardaland each year. It currently is home to six roller coasters and a total of 32 rides.

Postcard shows one of the water coasters called Fuga da Atlantide, or Escape from Atlantis. It is the biggest water ride in Europe.

Federica was so kind and helped me with my "get rid of blank cards" project. Thanks, Federica :)

Italy

  

Italy is a very special country for me. At first, Croatia and Italy share the Adriatic Sea. Due to history circumstances, these two countries have a lot in common. Italian influence was pretty strong on the Croatian coastal towns in the past. In fact, the majority of the Croatian coastal towns used to be part of Italy till the end of WWII. In my hometown Rovinj we can also notice a lot of Italian influence.  Beside normal ones, we have Italian schools and Italian is the second official language. The Italian community is very strong here as well. Italian name for my hometown Rovinj is Rovigno.

Federica sent me this nice view of Sorrento.

Sorrento is a small town in Campania, southern Italy with some 16,500 inhabitants. It is a popular touristic destination which can be reached easily from Napels and Pompeis, as it lies at the south-eastern end of the Circumvesuvia rail line. The town overlooks the Bay of Naples as the key place of the Sorrentino Peninsula, and many viewpoints allow sight of Naples itself, Vesuvius and the Isle of Capri. It is also famous for the production of Limoncello, a liquer made from lemon rinds, as Federica says.

Federica also used this amazing mini- sheet.  It is from a serie of stamps issued for the 150th anniversary of the Italian unification.  Thank you, Federica!