Hotels in Italy

Italy is a country in Europe. The official name of the country is the Italian Republic or Repubblica Italiana in Italian. Italy is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Italy covers an area about 301 thousand square kilometres. There are around 61 million inhabitants in Italy, making it the fourth-most populous European Union member state and first in southern Europe. Italy shares her borders with several countries such as Switzerland, France, Austria, Slovenia and San Marino. These countries have open land borders with Italy. There is also another country located inside Italy, the Vatican City; an independent city-state.

There are many theories regarding the etymology of the Italia name. One of the famous theories is that the word is borrowed from an extinct language, Oscan, Viteliu that means ‘land of calves.’ This is referring to the symbol of the southern Italic tribes which was a bull. The bull was often illustrated goring the Roman wolf as a defiant symbol of free Italy during the Social War in 91-88 BC. There is also another theory that Italy was named after Italus, a legendary king of Oenotrians. Oenotrians were the ancient people from Greek that inhabited in southern Italy. This theory was mentioned by Aristotle and Thucydides, a Greek philosopher and a historian. Originally, the name Italia was applied only to a part of Southern Italy. Eventually, the Greeks gradually applied the name ‘Italia’ to a larger region.

Due to its central geographic location in Europe and the Mediterranean, the country has become home to countless peoples and their cultures. The first habitation in the area is assumed to be as oldest as from the Paleolithic-era with the many artefacts from that time are uncovered. These artefacts are dated to be at least 850 thousand years BC.

The Celts settled in Northern Italy, and their civilisation flourished. By 1st millennium BC, the civilisation began expanding further to the south in which they met the Romans. Wars erupted between these two huge civilisations and Rome had won. With the winning, the Romans conquered the Celts, and the people of these two sides began to assimilate.

The Roman eventually divided into two in 285 AD; Western Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire in the east. The former collapsed in 476 AD and Italy went into the Dark Ages. The Byzantine Empire, on the other hand, was controlled by the Eastern Roman Empire and even this didn’t last long.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, Italy was home to several of the richest states in Europe but was kept on erupting between them. Modern Italy was only born in the 17th century as the Kingdom of Italy. Turin was the capital but was moved to Florence in 1865. Only in 1870, Rome became the capital when Italian troops stormed the city after being abandoned by the France forces.

How to Get There

By Flight

The easiest way to go to Italy is definitely by flying in. There are several direct flights to certain airports in Italy while others require at least one stopover. Rome is one of the destinations in Italy that has direct flights coming and going from Changi International Airport, Singapore. A flight to Rome will take about 13 hours, and the return ticket starts from as low as S$1200. Connecting flights are available a lot more compared to direct flights. The time taken will be longer, no doubt, and on average the travelling time will be around 15 hours depending on how long the stopovers.

For a Singaporean passport holder, there is no visa required to get into Italy, provided that the stay will be less than 90 days within the 180 days. However, if planning to travel to Italy and surrounding countries for more than 90 days, a Schengen visa is required. Italy is part of the Schengen Area; an area made up of 26 European states that have officially abolished passport and all types of border control at their mutual borders. Schengen Area acts as a single jurisdiction with one common visa policy for the international travel proposes. With Schengen visa, a Singaporean passport holder may visit any of the 26 states in the Schengen Area.

Starting 2021, however, a European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is required when visiting Italy. ETIAS is a detailed security check on the applicants to see whether they can be allowed to enter any Schengen Area country, including Italy. Application on ETIAS can be made online with a small fee of €7 for all applicants above 18 years old. Those who are under 18 years old can get ETIAS for free. ETIAS is valid for three years or until the end of travel document validity. ETIAS is used even if travelling into Italy for just a day. It will be used with a Schengen visa, when applicable.

What to Do There

Coliseum

A trip to Rome is not complete without at least a visit to the Coliseum, one of the most famous attractions in the world. Coliseum, or also spelt as Colosseum, is also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre. It is an oval amphitheatre in the heart of the city of Rome, Italy. The construction to this massive structure began in 72 AD during the reign of Emperor Vespasian and finished during the time of his successor, Titus in 80 AD. Some modifications were made after the Coliseum was finished during the time of Domitian in 81 until 96 AD. All of these three emperors are known as the Flavian dynasty thus the Coliseum was named in association with their family name, Flavius, in Latin. It was estimated that the structure could hold 50 thousand to 80 thousand spectators and it was primarily used to host gladiatorial shows and other events such as animal hunts.

Today, the Coliseum is a major tourist attraction in Rome. It receives thousands of tourists each year to its interior sitting arena, getting the view of what people back then did. There is a museum that is dedicated to Eros, a Greek god of sensual love and desire, an equivalent to Cupid from Roman mythology. This museum is located on the upper floor of the outer wall of the building. A ticket to Rome’s Coliseum is available online, or one can purchase at the entrance site.

Pompeii

Pompeii is located in Campania Italy. It is one of the major attraction of an ancient city that was engulfed by Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD by its ashes and pumice. Before the catastrophe happened, Pompeii was a settlement that had been there since the Bronze Age. It was a large town with a population around 23 thousand people. Twenty thousand people fled just in time when the Mt Vesuvius erupted, but 3000 people perished. The town was preserved greatly, with details that survived the events. Jars and tables, people, paintings and such were frozen in time together with the neighbouring town, Herculaneum. This event had given a great opportunity for people today to see how was life back then.

Today, Pompeii is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are tours run by archaeologists and guides at the site. A one-day ticket is €13 for an adult. It is recommended to spend one whole day at the site as Pompeii is huge. There are many things to discover in this open-air museum. Audio guides are available for anyone to enjoy. Pompeii is open every day from 8.30 AM until 7.30 PM. They only close on the 1st January, 1st May and Christmas Day.

Where to Stay

Best Western Hotel President

Best Western is one of the widely-known international hotel brands for its comfortable room and great services without paying an arm and a leg. Best Western Hotel President is located in the heart of Rome city, near to a train and several bus stations, surrounded with plenty of restaurants and parks. The hotel also offers ranges of room for their guests, suitable for any travellers, be it a businessman or a honeymoon couple and even for a family vacation. Best Western Hotel President’s rooms start from as low as S$ 90 a night. The rooms not only spacious, comfortable and clean, there are also in-room amenities that will make the stay much more enjoyable. The hotel has great services such as 24-hour room service, laundry services and even babysitting. Their breakfast is only €5 per person.

Hotel Washington

This is another hotel in Rome that offers great rooms with such an affordable price. Hotel Washington is a quaint hotel located in the middle of the city. It is part of an old, well-preserved building. Hotel Washington only has three types of room in its building, and these rooms are perfect for anyone. The rooms start from just S$ 50 a night. Inside each room, there are basic in-room amenities that will make the stay much more comfortable. There is also a private bathroom in each room. Hotel Washington is surrounded with plenty of restaurants.