Spectator sports are popular in Italy, especially the hallowed
calcio (football), and there is undying national passion for frenetic
motor and cycle races. When it comes to participation, though, you get
the impression that there isn't the same compulsion to hit the hell out
of a squash ball or sweat your way through an aerobics class after work
as there is, say, in Britain or the States. All the same, the notion of
staying fit has lately been absorbed into the general obsession with
bella figura (looking good), especially when it offers the opportunity
to wear the flashiest designer gear. Members-only sports clubs, gyms and
public sports facilities have mushroomed over the last decade and it's
usually possible to find places where you can work out or join in a
competitive game. Otherwise, the country's natural advantages provide
plenty of scope for keeping in trim in the most enjoyable ways possible.
For visitors to Italy, the most accessible activities are centred around
the mountains, which you can climb, ski, paraglide, raft or simply
explore on foot. And, with so much coastline, as well as the lakes
region, there are plenty of opportunities for swimming, sailing and
windsurfing; Campania, Calabria and Sicily are particularly popular for
scuba diving and snorkelling.
You can get a guide and map suggesting sailing itineraries round the
coast of southern Italy from the Italian State Tourist Office .
Sport
If you are at all interested in the game, it would be a shame to leave
Italy without attending a partita or football match; calcio is the
national sport and is followed fanatically by millions of Italians. The
season starts around the end of August, takes a break during the latter
part of December and early part of January, and finishes up, with the
Italian Cup final, in June. The Italian League is split into four
principal divisions, Serie A, Serie B, and Serie C1 and C2; matches are
normally played on Sunday afternoons, occasionally Sunday evenings, and
there is a good chance that on any weekend there will be a team from one
of the above divisions playing not too far away. Serie A, is of course,
the most prestigious division, comprising eighteen teams; the bottom-placed
four are relegated each season, to be replaced by the top four from
Serie B, although there are some clubs whom it would be unimaginable to
see in Serie B - teams like Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan.
Inevitably, tickets for Serie A matches are not cheap, starting at about
£30,000/¬15.49 for "Curva" seats at each end of the ground, where the
tifosi or hard-core fans go, rising to £50,000/¬25.82 for the Distinti
or corner seats, and up to £70,000-150,000/¬36.15-77.47 for seats in the
"Tribuna", along the side of the pitch. We've given details of where to
buy tickets for the major clubs and how to get to their grounds in the "Listings"
sections at the end of major city accounts. Once at the football match,
get into the atmosphere of the occasion by knocking back borghetti -
little vials of cold coffee with a drop of spirit added.
Italy's chosen sport after football is basketball , introduced from the
United States after World War II. Most cities have a team, and Italy is
now ranked among the foremost in the world. Other stateside imports are
baseball and American football . In a country that has produced Ferrari,
Maserati, Alfa Romeo and Fiat, it should come as no surprise that motor
racing gives Italians such a buzz. There are grand prix tracks at Monza
near Milan (home of the Italian Grand Prix) and at Imola, where the San
Marino Grand Prix is held.
The other sport popular with participants and crowds of spectators alike
is cycling. At weekends especially, you'll often see a club pack out,
dressed in bright team kit, whirring along on their slender machines.
The annual Giro d'Italia (tour of Italy) in the second half of May is a
prestige event that attracts scores of international participants each
year, closing down roads and creating great excitement.
Outdoor pursuits
With the Alps right on the doorstep, it's easy to spend a weekend on the
pistes from Milan, Turin, Bologna or Venice, and the Abruzzi mountains
offer some skiing reachable from Rome or Naples in resorts such as Campo
Felice and Roccardo; tourist offices should have details of resorts in
their areas. Settimane Bianche (White Weeks), a package of accommodation
in a ski resort, can be excellent value and are relatively easy to
arrange. Contact the regional tourist offices in Val d'Aosta, Trentino-Alto
Adige or your chosen resort in autumn for brochures: these specify
prices, participating hotels and contact details; then you book your
accommodation direct and arrange your own transport. Extras such as
equipment rental and lift passes are equally inexpensive, with a three-day
pass costing between £84,000-140,000/¬43.34-72.24. Snow can be
unreliable on this southerly, sunnier side of the Alps, but snow cannon
keep a guaranteed core of pistes open.
In summer, the hiking and climbing are second to none. Mountain-biking
has also taken off in a big way in the last five years with plenty of
rental outlets (charging about £30,000/¬15.49 a day), and the added
advantage that some cable-car companies offer special deals whereby they
take the slog out of getting the bike up and you get to freewheel down.
Waterskiing, sailing and windsurfing are also popular at seaside resorts
as well as on Lake Garda , with equipment and lessons easy to arrange.
Swimming in anything but the sea is harder than you might imagine -
there are few municipal pools (note that swimming caps are often
obligatory), but you can always make the occasional hotel with a pool a
priority. Ùstica, off Sicily's northern coast, hosts an annual marine
festival from mid-June through to August: activities, exhibitions and
events take place on both land and sea. Canoeing and kayaking have
boomed in recent years, particularly in the mountain areas of the North.
The Amici del Fiume has a Web site ( www.services.csi.it/~fiume ) with
useful links, though not all the pages are translated into English.
The use of gym facilities or tennis courts usually entails acquiring
club membership. In country areas it's becoming increasingly easy to
find stables offering riding lessons or holidays - agriturismo agencies
and local tourist offices can help with arrangements.
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