Officially the Italian Republic it's a country consisting of a peninsula delimited by the Alps and surrounded by several islands. A unitary parliamentary republic with Rome as its capital, the country covers a total area of 301,340 km2 and shares land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, and the enclaved microstates of Vatican City and San Marino. With around 60 million inhabitants, Italy is the third-most populous member state of the European Union.
Due to its central geographic location in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, Italy has historically been home to myriad peoples and cultures. The Roman Republic initially conquered and assimilated its neighbours on the Italian peninsula, eventually expanding and conquering parts of Europe, North Africa and Asia. By the first century BC, the Roman Empire emerged as the dominant power in the Mediterranean Basin and became a leading cultural, political and religious centre, inaugurating the Pax Romana, a period of more than 200 years during which Italy's law, technology, economy, art, and literature developed.
During the Early Middle Ages, Italy endured the fall of the Western Roman Empire and barbarian invasions, but by the 11th century numerous rival city-states and maritime republics, mainly in the northern and central regions of Italy, rose to great prosperity through trade, commerce and banking, laying the groundwork for modern capitalism. By the mid-19th century, rising Italian nationalism and calls for independence from foreign control led to a period of revolutionary political upheaval. After centuries of foreign domination and political division, Italy was almost entirely unified in 1861, establishing the Kingdom of Italy as a great power. From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, Italy rapidly industrialised, mainly in the north, and acquired a colonial empire, while the south remained largely impoverished and excluded from industrialisation. Despite being one of the four main allied powers in World War I, Italy entered a period of economic crisis and social turmoil, leading to the rise of the Italian fascist dictatorship in 1922. Participation in World War II on the Axis side ended in military defeat, economic destruction and the Italian Civil War. Following the liberation of Italy and the rise of the Italian Resistance, the country abolished their monarchy, established a democratic Republic, enjoyed a prolonged economic boom, and became a highly developed country.
Today, Italy is considered to be one of the world's most culturally and economically advanced countries,with the world's eighth-largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks very highly in life expectancy, quality of life, healthcare and education. The country has long been a global centre of art, music, literature, philosophy, science and technology, and fashion, and has greatly influenced and contributed to diverse fields including cinema, cuisine, sports, jurisprudence, banking and business. As a reflection of its cultural wealth, Italy is home to the world's largest number of World Heritage Sites and is the fifth-most visited country.
We start our tour from Aosta in the Western Alps. From here we fly south past Turin to the Mediterranean Sea at Albenga. We then follow the coast towards Genoa before heading inland to discover the town of Parma famous for it's Prosciutto. After this it's onto the town of Maranello which is the home of Scuderia Ferrari. We fly over the factory and the Circuito di Fiorano, Ferrari's own test track.Then it's back to the sea, via Lucca which is famous for its intact Renaissance-era city walls and Pisa with it's Battistero di San Giovanni and Torre di Pisa (ornate 14th century tower with a tilt) After continuing down the coast we leave the mainland for our first island visit. Elba is just 10 kilometres from the coastal town of Piombino and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It has a total population of about 30,000 inhabitants which increases considerably during the summer. Elba is famous as the site of Napoleon's first exile, in 1814–15. Back on the mainland we continue South through the Parco Naturale Regionale di Bracciano Martignano and onto the capital Rome. Here we will visit the Stadio Olimpico, the Vatican City, Pantheon, Fontana di Trevi, Tomba del Milite Ignoto, Colosseo and the Circo Massimo. After Rome it's onward down to the City of Naples then to Vesuvio and Pompei. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae, as well as several other settlements. Pompeii was an ancient city located in what is now the comune of Pompei was buried under 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) of volcanic ash and pumice. Largely preserved under the ash, the excavated city offered a unique snapshot of Roman life, frozen at the moment it was buried. Moving on from there we visit the holiday hotspot of Sorento before leaving the mainland once again. The island of Capri is famous for many reasons. It has jaw-dropping natural beauty, delicious cuisine and world-class shopping. It’s also a place to see and be seen – there’s a reason why so many celebrities anchor their yachts in Marina Grande. We'll do a circuit of the Island then head back to one of Italy's jewels. Like the rest of the region, the Amalfi Coast lies in a Mediterranean climate, featuring warm summers and mild winters. It is located on the relatively steep southern shore of the Sorrentine Peninsula, leaving little room for rural and agricultural territories. The coast comprises 11,231 hectares between the Gulf of Naples and the Gulf of Salerno. The only land route to the Amalfi Coast is the 40 kilometres long Strada Statale 163 which runs along the coastline from the town of Vietri sul Mare in the east to Positano in the west. We continue East to Salerno before heading South again till we reach Sicily. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and has 5 million inhabitants. It is separated from the mainland by the narrow Strait of Messina and Its most prominent landmark is Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe, and one of the most active in the world, currently 10,922 ft high.
This marks the half way point in our tour. Deep breath, another cold beer and lets start our way back up the other side.
Back on the mainland we continue along the Southen Coastline till we reach Brindisi and the start of the Adriatic Sea. From here we fly North to Bari then inland via Foggia and Lago Trasimeno to the City of Florence. The capital city of the Tuscany region It was a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era. It is considered by many academics to have been the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called "the Athens of the Middle Ages" The city attracts millions of tourists each year, and UNESCO declared the Historic Centre of Florence a World Heritage Site in 1982. The city is noted for its culture, Renaissance art and architecture and monuments. After Florence we fly on to visit the Mugello F1 Circuit, the home of the recent Tuscan Grand Prix, then head East to take a look at the small enclave of San Marino. Officially the Republic of San Marino is a microstate in Southern Europe completely enclosed by Italy. San Marino covers a land area of just over 61 km2, and has a population of 33,562. The capital is set at the highest point of the country on a steep mountain. The country's economy is mainly based on finance, industry, services and tourism. It is one of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita, with a figure comparable to the most developed European regions. San Marino is considered to have a highly stable economy, with one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe, no national debt and a budget surplus. Turning North once again we fly up to Bologna, passing the Imola F1 circuit, sadly know as the place where Ayrton Senna died, before heading North East to Padua and then to Venice. Situated on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The lagoon and a part of the city are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the birthplace of Antonio Vivaldi. Although the city is facing some challenges (including an excessive number of tourists and problems caused by pollution, tide peaks and cruise ships sailing too close to buildings), Venice remains a very popular tourist destination, a major cultural centre, and has been ranked many times the most beautiful city in the world. It has been described by the Times Online as one of Europe's most romantic cities and by The New York Times as "undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man". After Venice we continue on to the most Easterly point in Northern Italy before heading North once again back into the mountains. Here we fly along valleys and over ski resorts till we reach Largo di Como. From here it's South to our final stop at Milans Linate Airport but not before a visit to yet another F1 track, this time the home of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
That then completes the tour. It's 2,602 miles and should take around 8 weeks or so.
Aircraft is fast GA
Meet at: 1745z for an 1800z departure.
Meet on: Digital Theme Park on JoinFS.
Comms through A2A Discord channel.
Local time: 0900.
Weather: Historic 0900 on the day flying.
I did the flight plan in LNM so will post it over in Discord till I can figure out how to post it here.
https://skyvector.com/?ll=41.7868778323 ... 17E%20LIML