Italy

Italy: A Captivating Symphony of History, Culture, and Splendor

In the heart of the Mediterranean lies Italy, a country that has shaped the cultural and historical landscape of Europe like no other. With its roots delving deep into the heart of ancient Rome, Italy has been the cradle of Western civilization and a center of global culture for centuries. Modern Italy, unified in 1861, stretches from the snow-capped Alps in the north to the sun-kissed shores of Sicily in the south.

From Ancient Empires to Renaissance Masterpieces

Italy's narrative is a storied tapestry of ancient empires, Renaissance revolutions, and influential global events. Its soil has been a battleground for empires and a canvas for visionaries like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, whose works still echo through the ages.

Rome: The Eternal City

The capital, Rome, stands as a monument to history itself, home to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Vatican City, offering an unparalleled journey through time.

Venice: The Serene Republic

Venice, with its labyrinth of canals, opulent architecture, and storied Doge's Palace, remains a testament to its status as a powerhouse of the Mediterranean for over a millennium.

Florence: The Cradle of the Renaissance

Florence, the jewel of Tuscany, invites admirers of art and architecture with the splendor of its Duomo, the treasures of the Uffizi Gallery, and the Ponte Vecchio’s charm.

The Amalfi Coast: A Picturesque Paradise

Escape to the Amalfi Coast, where cliffside villages like Positano and ancient ruins like Pompeii offer breathtaking views and a window into the past.

From the rolling vineyards of Chianti to the fashion capital of Milan and the gastronomic delights of Bologna, Italy is an endless feast for the senses. Let travel.frogsfolly.com be your compass to the country's soul, where every corner holds a story, every meal is a celebration, and every visit is an experience of a lifetime. Dive into Italy with us, where the legacy of the past informs a vibrant present.

Recent Uploads tagged italy

			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/smoy/">albyantoniazzi</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/smoy/55366236904/" title="2026-06-29 19.30.00"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55366236904_05eb47156c_m.jpg" width="240" height="181" alt="2026-06-29 19.30.00" /></a></p>


			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/200940948@N08/">wojciech g</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/200940948@N08/55366201894/" title="DSCF2043_easyHDR-interior2"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55366201894_bf9c4d2518_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="DSCF2043_easyHDR-interior2" /></a></p>


			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/200940948@N08/">wojciech g</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/200940948@N08/55366201434/" title="DSCF2043_easyHDR-natural2-ostrosc-saturacja"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55366201434_945fe7face_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="DSCF2043_easyHDR-natural2-ostrosc-saturacja" /></a></p>


			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/200940948@N08/">wojciech g</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/200940948@N08/55366200479/" title="DSCF2043_easyHDR-vivid-colors"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55366200479_d620b04ce5_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="DSCF2043_easyHDR-vivid-colors" /></a></p>


			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/200940948@N08/">wojciech g</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/200940948@N08/55365068812/" title="DSCF2043_easyHDR-sse4"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55365068812_152e1d7407_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="DSCF2043_easyHDR-sse4" /></a></p>


			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/200940948@N08/">wojciech g</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/200940948@N08/55366201289/" title="DSCF2043_easyHDR-natural3"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55366201289_27812114e0_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="DSCF2043_easyHDR-natural3" /></a></p>


			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/200940948@N08/">wojciech g</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/200940948@N08/55366202494/" title="DSCF2043_easyHDR-dramatic-bright"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55366202494_d2d3bff166_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="DSCF2043_easyHDR-dramatic-bright" /></a></p>


			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/faonews/">FAO News</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/faonews/55365937816/" title="12423q_7395"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55365937816_3f386efa88_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="12423q_7395" /></a></p>

<p>30 June 2026. Rome, Italy. FAO Director-General QU Dongyu meets Oman Ambassador Sayyid Nazar Aljulanda Majid Al-Said.<br />
<br />
Photo credit must be given: ©FAO/Giuseppe Carotenuto. Editorial use only. Copyright ©FAO.</p>
			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/annalisa56/">annalisabianchetti</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/annalisa56/55365999624/" title="Tuscany landscape"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55365999624_9b06fe5fef_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Tuscany landscape" /></a></p>


			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/beatefirlinger/">beate.firlinger</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/beatefirlinger/55365756556/" title="Chioggia"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55365756556_27a0b10d01_m.jpg" width="240" height="135" alt="Chioggia" /></a></p>

<p>Mercato del Pesce</p>
			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/beatefirlinger/">beate.firlinger</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/beatefirlinger/55364815782/" title="Chioggia"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55364815782_280ab67eb7_m.jpg" width="240" height="135" alt="Chioggia" /></a></p>

<p>Mercato del Pesce</p>
			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/beatefirlinger/">beate.firlinger</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/beatefirlinger/55366162540/" title="Chioggia"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55366162540_0c664c439e_m.jpg" width="240" height="135" alt="Chioggia" /></a></p>

<p>Malerische Hafenstadt am Südende der Lagune von Venedig – Picturesque port city at the southern end of the Venetian Lagoon</p>
			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/la_imagen/">la_imagen</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/la_imagen/55366110300/" title="005506"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55366110300_eb31c0010e_m.jpg" width="159" height="240" alt="005506" /></a></p>


			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/alexbrownphotostream/">alex.2607</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexbrownphotostream/55366059250/" title="20260609_212125 Supper; Venice"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55366059250_44756f51e7_m.jpg" width="240" height="99" alt="20260609_212125 Supper; Venice" /></a></p>


			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/alexbrownphotostream/">alex.2607</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexbrownphotostream/55365651261/" title="20260610_152905 Ladder and Stairs; Venice"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55365651261_c63cdee1ef_m.jpg" width="122" height="240" alt="20260610_152905 Ladder and Stairs; Venice" /></a></p>


			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/alexbrownphotostream/">alex.2607</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexbrownphotostream/55365842514/" title="20260610_090846 Doge&#039;s Palace; Venice"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55365842514_1981102e4a_m.jpg" width="159" height="240" alt="20260610_090846 Doge&#039;s Palace; Venice" /></a></p>


			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/alexbrownphotostream/">alex.2607</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexbrownphotostream/55365842224/" title="20260610_212656 Alley; Venice"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55365842224_1c32c8528c_m.jpg" width="240" height="116" alt="20260610_212656 Alley; Venice" /></a></p>


			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/alexbrownphotostream/">alex.2607</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexbrownphotostream/55366058985/" title="20260610_183436 Gondolas; Venice"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55366058985_cc52227b3f_m.jpg" width="240" height="100" alt="20260610_183436 Gondolas; Venice" /></a></p>


			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/dawvonism/">dawvonism</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dawvonism/55364556672/" title=" Manarola | Cinque Terre"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55364556672_2eca2f5abd_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt=" Manarola | Cinque Terre" /></a></p>


			<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/152230369@N08/">AKMC Photography</a> posted a photo:</p>
	
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/152230369@N08/55365840265/" title="160826_211432_1001 The Light Behind The Masks (Fri 26 Aug 16)"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55365840265_f65887745b_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="160826_211432_1001 The Light Behind The Masks (Fri 26 Aug 16)" /></a></p>

<p><b>Piazza San Marco, San Marco, Venezia (VE, Venice), Il Veneto, Italia (Italy)</b><br />
<br />
Anyone who has seen a large chunk of my photography will be aware that a couple of major influences for me are Jeffrey Smart and Edward Hopper. It's pretty clear that Hopper drove this one, though unlike many of his most famous &quot;outside looking in&quot; works (such as <i>Nighthawks</i>), this one has no tension in it; on the contrary, it's incredibly peaceful and calming.<br />
<br />
The outside is seemingly cold and dark and empty. Inside the window, we have an island of light and warmth and beauty. It's tranquil, as the space outside the shop is, but inviting; a refuge from the cold and dark and isolation.<br />
<br />
(<i>{Cough}</i>Which don't actually exist<i>{Cough}</i>. Don't read this paragraph if you are enjoying the &quot;feel&quot; of the image. The loneliness and isolation conveyed in the shot is an illusion; there would have been hundreds of people in the Piazza San Marco at this time. (Though since it's a big space, it was not what you would call &quot;crowded&quot;.) This just happened to be a moment when none of them were crossing my field of view. Also still being late summer, it wasn't that cold. The air hose of the air cooler snaking out the door gives that one away. But hey, let's ignore that for the sake of the image's vibe, which is Hopper-ish enough for me to want to suspend belief for a moment.)<br />
<br />
This image was tricky to get &quot;right&quot; in terms of exposure. Most non-photographers assume that the camera just grabs an image and &quot;it is what it is&quot;; the camera never lies. Those of us who have spent enough time down in the weeds of camera raw know that things can get a little more complex, especially when there isn't so much a dynamic range as a dynamic chasm. The camera and the software try to apply a realistic average across the whole of the frame (subject to some elegant algorithmic tweaking), but it doesn't necessarily mean that the end result is what was really seen. Not exactly, anyway. <br />
<br />
The bulk of the image came in correctly exposed. However I did have to pull the highlights back a little in Adobe Camera Raw because there are many sparkly objects in the window. They weren't completely blowing out, but they were being pushed way, <b><i>way</i></b> too far to the right on the histogram. Essentially, the software was just &quot;trying too hard&quot;. Similarly I had a problem on the left of frame where there are stark, white displays on which jewellery is mounted. Again they weren't clipping (much) but they <b><i>were</i></b> visually drowning out the warm tones of the woman, her dress, the colourful masks and the chair. And unrealistically so. I therefore had to drop the exposure in the left hand third(ish) of the frame using an exposure adjustment layer with some masking. The effect was subtle but important to get the scene to how I saw it. Also this was originally a portrait shot, but I reframed it because the building space above the window was wasted; it was better to utilise the width to enclose the window.<br />
<br />
But now to the image itself. Here's another reason that I wish I had processed this album before heading to Venezia in 2026. I would like to have seen what became of this place. I know where it is; Piazza San Marco, 137. I know <b><i>what</i></b> it is. It's a place selling Carnivale masks. <br />
<br />
However I cannot find any reference to a mask shop at that address. Google Street View is useless because it has a &quot;blind spot&quot; over that exact address. There is a company called San Marco 596 Venetian Masks which supposedly is at Piazza San Marco 598 (sic, that was not a typo)... though Google Maps actually shows it at Campiello San Zulian, about 220 metres north of the Piazza San Marco. There are a few mask makers in Venezia and it's possible that one of them took out a short term lease on this store to sell Carnivale masks... though at first glance you might think that August would be an odd time to do that. (Perhaps not if you're selling to tourists who know about the masks but not what they represent, though, since late August is the end of summer and still technically part of the high season.) On which point... what exactly are the masks?<br />
<br />
The Carnevale di Venezia is related to Easter celebrations. &quot;Easter&quot;, as such, is Easter <b><i>Sunday</i></b>. (Specifically, the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox, which is why the date moves around so much.)<br />
<br />
Being of a scientific leaning (or &quot;heathen&quot; if you prefer), I never understood why everything was closed on Easter Sunday but open on Easter Monday if Christ rose on the <b><i>third</i></b> day. I had forgotten that the Biblical era was long before zero entered regular use and therefore the day of crucifixion was counted as day 1. Easter Saturday was day 2, and Sunday, day 3, was the resurrection. Which in turn left me wondering why Easter <b><i>Monday</i></b> is a holiday, at least in most countries with a Christian heritage. The answer to which is &quot;Hey, why wouldn't it be?&quot; I'm just going to roll with that one.<br />
<br />
Lent is a period of fasting and abstinence that lasts 40 days. Or <b><i>would</i></b>, were it not for the fact that Sundays aren't counted, which vexes both mathematical-science me, and Excel-user me. It's closer to 46 days. But the notional 40 days of fasting represents Christ's wandering and fasting in the desert. That period begins on Ash Wednesday, the &quot;40th&quot; day before Easter Sunday.<br />
<br />
The period before Ash Wednesday, particularly Shrove Tuesday alias Pancake Tuesday, alias Mardi Gras (the <b><i>real</i></b> one, meaning &quot;Fat Tuesday&quot;) is Shrovetide. In the liturgical calendar, it's &quot;carnival&quot;; a 3 day period (Sunday to Tuesday, and particularly Tuesday) when you use all of the food in your pantry ahead of Lent; it's the last chance for indulgence. Venezia took that concept and ran with it, turning it into the Carnivale. In the olden days, before the fall of the Venetian Republic to Napoleon in 1797, Carnivale could last for several months since it brought in a lot of high wealth tourists. In the modern era it lasts 11 days, from 2 Saturdays before Shrove Tuesday up to that day.<br />
<br />
Obviously that period is long before the end of August but as I said, the sale of masks is probably for high season tourists who just want a distinctive Venetian memento, regardless of whether they know the history of the masks.<br />
<br />
In the earlier days the tradition of wearing masks during Carnivale, such as the ones we see here, was a way of breaking down social barriers. You could talk to people who you would not normally be able to talk to. You could comport yourself in ways that would normally be frowned upon... ways which are scandalous, even. (Something that was even more liberating for women of the day.) The masks are generally made from papier-mâché, meaning that they are surprisingly cheap for the workmanship and skill that go into them. Certainly there are masks that you can buy for €150-€200, but they're a rarity (and not always made of paper). Most seem to be well under €50.<br />
<br />
When Venezia fell in 1797, Napoleon initially handed it off to the Austrians. Being Austrians, they were morally outraged by the behavioural and moral looseness of Carnivale and banned it. Oddly, it stayed banned when Venezia fell back into French hands in 1805, then back into Austrian hands after Napoleon's defeat in 1815, and later after Venezia's unification with Italia in 1866.<br />
<br />
Carnevale was not resurrected until 1979 when Venezia brought it back for &quot;cultural and tourism&quot; purposes. An Italian friend asked me if I ever considered going to Venezia during Carnivale. My answer was not &quot;no&quot;, it was &quot;<b><i>HELLLLLLL</i></b> NO!&quot;, but in Italian. First, there are 3 million people in Venezia for Carnivale every year. Do you know what my fondest memories of Venezia are? On the 2026 trip when I would get up before dawn and wander the dark and empty streets save for the occasional street sweeper and looking through a window to see a bar owner warming up the coffee machine, occasionally encountering a worker on the way to his or her job. Not being surrounded by hundreds of thousands of people who have driven accommodation prices into the stratosphere.<br />
<br />
Second and more importantly the world of the 1700s has gone, and with it the social and cultural significance of the masks. I do not feel myself to be above or below other people in the city such that I need a mask to talk to them, or they to me. So what's left? Basically, a cosplay of Venetian traditions. Which, if not done respectfully, gives rise to an expression of annoyance that I've heard some Venetians say before; &quot;Venice Is Not Disneyland&quot;.<br />
<br />
So am I anti-Carnevale and anti the sale of masks? Not at all. If people enjoy it, that's good. If they use it as an opportunity to learn about the traditions of Venezia, that is even better. (But with a lot of mass tourism, that may be optimistic.) I might have even been tempted to acquire one of the less, shall we say, &quot;flamboyant&quot; masks as a memento, but only after I had a good understanding of the cultural significance of the mask type in question.<br />
<br />
And only if I had ample time to look around the shop, rather than just a brief moment to grab a shot before moving on because <b><i>&quot;Move! Move! Move! We have to get back to the boat on time!&quot;</i></b>. Such is life on a package tour.</p>
Sign On