extremist

Rome（Italy）意大利罗马

There'snoescapingit：relayersofthestuff-

Etruscan（伊特鲁里亚的）tombs，Republicanmeetingrooms，Imperialtemples，early

Christianchurches，medievalbelltowers，Renaissance（文艺复兴）palacesand

baroquebasilicas（长方形基督教堂）。Inthiscityaphenomenalconcentrationof

history，legendandmonumentscoexists（共存）withanequallyphenomenal

'shardtosaywhat

you'llfindmostbreathtaking（惊人的）abouttheeternalcity-thearrogantopulence

oftheVatican（梵蒂冈）orthetimelessness（永恒）oftheForum（古罗马广场）。

RomeishalfwaydownItaly'swesterncoast，'savastcity，

themajorsightsarewithinareasonable

，forinstance，possibletowalkfromthe

Colosum（罗马圆形大剧场），throughtheForum，uptoPiazzadiSpagna（西班牙

广场）andacrosstotheVaticaninoneday，butyouwouldn'

majormonumentsarewestofthetrainstation，t

canbeenjoyabletogetoffthebeatentrack（平坦的路）inRome，itcanalsobevery

frustratingandtime-consuming.

Mostofthebudget（便宜的）placestostayareclusteredaroundStazione

Termini；thisareaisrifewithpickpockets（扒手）andgangsofthievingchildren，so

beware-doyourbesttolooklikeyouknowwhereyou'lyslightlymore

expensiveanddefinitelymoreenjoyabletostayclortothecitycentre.

Rome'smildclimatemakesitvisitableyear-round；however，springandautumn

arewithoutdoubtthebesttimestovisit，withgenerallysunnyskiesandmild

unately，thetimesarealsothepeaktouristason，whenthe

tourbuspourin（川流不息的涌入）

andAugustareunpleasantlyhot，andRomanstraditionallydertthestiflinglyhot

cityinAugust，withmanybusinessclosing；

DecembertoFebruarythereisbrisklycoldweather，althoughit'srarelygreyand

gloomy.

Events-wi，Italy'scalendarburstsyear-roundwithculturaleventsranging

fromcolourfultraditionalcelebrationswithareligiousandtraditionalflavour，

isdefinitelythebesttimetovisitifyouwantto

catchthebestofthefestivals；however，theRomaeuropafestivalisnowafeature

oftheautumncalendar，theRomaoperaasonrunsfromDecemberuntilJuneand

theclassicalandcontemporarymusicsceneislivelyallyearround.

Milan（Italy）米兰（意大利）

Thehard－workingMilane（米兰人）runtheirbusymetropoliswithefficiencyand

aplomb（沉着、冷静）。Itisthecountry'conomicengineroom，hometoItaly'sstock

marketandbusinesscentres．Thisstylishcityisalsotheworld'sdesigncapitaland

rivalsParisasaleadingfashioncentre．

Milanisallaboutworldlypleasures．Shoppingisofalmostreligious

significance．Theatreandcinemaflourishinthisfashionablemilieu（环境），asdoes

ahoppingclubsceneandaslewoftemptingrestaurants．Apartfromafewgems，the

cityisnotrenownedforitslooks；it'sthelifestylethatcounts．

Milanisasprawlingmetropolis，butmostofitsattractionsareconcentratedin

thecitycentre，betweentheduomo（大教堂）（cathedral）andtheCastelloSforzesco

（斯弗克斯可城堡）。Theduomoisbestplacetobeginexploringthecityandiswithin

strollingdistanceofdozensofhistoricsites．

Apartfromthecitycenter，anotherareadervingyourattentionistheBrera，

immediatelynorthoftheduomo，withitsposhgalleriesandfashionableshopping

streets．

MilanissaidtohavebeenfoundedbyCeltictribes（凯尔特部落），whottled

alongthePoriverinthe7thcenturyBC．In222BC，Romanlegionsmarchedintothe

territory，defeatedthelocalsandoccupiedthetown，whichtheycalledMediolanum

（middleoftheplain）。Thecity'skeypositiononthetraderouteslinkingRomewith

northwesternEuropeensureditscontinuedprosperity，anditwasherein313ADthat

ConstantineI（君士坦丁一世，拜占庭帝国皇帝）madehismomentoudictgranting

Christiansfreedomofworship．

Thecityenduredcenturiesofchaoscaudbywavesofbarbarianinvasions．It

formedacommune（towncouncil）inthe11thcentury，leadingthecityintoaperiod

ofrapidgrowth．Perhapsbecauofthissuccess，thecitydidnotgetalongwellwith

itsneighbors．

Fromthemid－13thcentury，thecitywasgovernedbyasuccessionofimportant

families：theTorrianis，theViscontisandtheSforzas．Underthelatterdynasties，

Milanenjoyedconsiderablewealthandpower．ThecitycameunderSpanishrulein

1535andwasgiventoAustriain1713aspartoftheTreatyofUtrecht（乌特勒克条约）。

Austrianpower－brokerMariaTheresalefthermarkonthecity；thefacadesofLa

ScalaandthePalazzoRealremainherfavoriteshadeofyellow．NapoleonmadeMilan

thecapitalofhisCisalpineRepublicin1797andhisItalianRepublicfiveyears

later．IthostedhiscoronationasKingofItalyin1805．Austriaregainedcontrolof

thecityfrom1814－1859．Itwasn'tlongbeforetroopsunderVictorEmmanuelIIand

NapoleonIIIwipeduptheAustrianforcesattheBattleofMagenta．Milanwas

incorporatedintotheKingdomofItalyin1860．

DuringWWIIcentralMilanwasheavilybombed，andtheoperahouinparticular

wasblowntosmithereens（碎屑）。Fittingly，Mussolini'scareeralsoendedinMilan

－hiscorpwashungupsidedownfromtheroofofapetrolstationonPiazzale

Loretoafterhewasshottryingtofleethecountry．

Thepost－warindustrialboom－ledbycarmanufacturing－andgreater

accesstonorthernEuropeviathenewAlpinetunnelsledtoaspurtofgrowth

accompaniedbyindustrialunrest．TheRedBrigadesterroridMilanandother

centresofindustrythroughoutthe1970s．Inthe1990s，localpoliticaleliteswere

tornapartbykickbackscandalsthatwenttothetopoftheregion'spolitical，

administrativeandcommercialelites．ExtremistpartiessuchasthenationalistLega

Nordbenefittedfromtheresultantpoliticalvacuum．

OrganidcrimecontinuestobetheperpetualscourgeofMilaneciviclife．In

January1999，ninepeopleweremurderedinnineconcutivedays，promptingthe

MilanemayortoadoptaNewYork－style'zerotolerance'policy．Itdidlittleto

discouragethecriminals－inDecember2000，abombwasdiscoveredontheroofof

Milan'sDuomo．

In2002，asmallplanecrashedintothe25thfloorofthecity's30－storeyPirelli

skyscraperbuilding，killingtwolawyersinside．