serge07
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Ripolini wrote:
Hi Serge,
overtourism is hitting Italy’s cities hard, and the result is a stressful experience for those who holiday there.
Italians are aware of this; actually, international tourism is growing by 4.6%, but the major absentees are Italian tourists themselves, with a 1.2% decline in domestic tourism, as more and more Italians are opting for foreign destinations.
However, for masterful artworks and excellent food, you don’t have to stick to the cities; some suggestions here
https://www.visititaly.eu/hidden-gems
Therefore, next time you come to Italy, skip "famous" destinations, rent a car, and visit the so many hidden gems. If you love Tuscany, visit Arezzo, Sansepolcro, Anghiari and enjoy Piero della Francesca paintings. Piero met the mathematician Fra Luca Pacioli, who was born in Sansepolcro and wrote, inspired by Piero, the Divina proportione treatise, whose subject was mathematical and artistic proportion, especially the mathematics of the golden ratio (the rule of thirds is one of its derivations) and its application in architecture. Therefore, a visit to Piero della Francesca paintings does represent a way to see connections between mathematics, art and photography, dating back to the Italian Renaissance.
Let me conclude by recalling what happened during WWII and referring to one of the most beautifully striking painting by Piero: "The Resurrection".
I quote from Wikipedia:
Sansepolcro was spared much damage during World War 2 when British artillery officer Anthony ('Tony') Clarke defied orders and held back from using his troop's guns to shell the town. Although Clarke had never seen the fresco, his diary records his shock at the destruction in Monte Cassino and, apparently remembering where he had read of Sansepolcro, ordered his men to hold fire just as methodical shelling had begun. A lover of art, Clarke had read Huxley's 1925 essay describing the Resurrection, which states: "It stands there before us in entire and actual splendour, the greatest picture in the world." It was later ascertained that the Germans were in retreat from the area – the bombardment had not been necessary, though Clarke had not known this when he ordered the shelling stopped. The town, along with its famous painting, survived. When the events of the episode eventually became clear, Clarke was lauded as a local hero and to this day a street in Sansepolcro bears his name.
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Riccardo, thank you for the suggestions and great information.
One thing that I have always resisted when traveling across the pond is renting an auto. It makes life much easier using the terrific Italian train system and doing day trips. We have visited Arezzo and saw Piero's frescoes at the Basilica of San Franceso, beautiful.
It would be impossible for me to visit Italy and bypass Firenze, my favorite city. I have always been grateful for our ability to visit the birthplace of the Renaissance.
Over tourism is certainly a concern for Italy, Spain, Greece and others. Certain US cities also get flooded with tourists. The Big Apple receives over 62 million (2023 numbers) visitors annually and that is concentrated in approximately 1/2 of Manhattan. The only break I see in the city are during July & August when folks head to the beach and their summer vacations.
Serge
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