Book DescriptionFor centuries, foreign visitors have been drawn to Italy: the Roman ruins of the capital, the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria, the scenic villages of Lake Como, the canals and palazzi of Venice. The overwhelming charm of Italy?s enchanting combination of history, art, landscape still bewitches travelers. And today, as Las Vegas reinvents itself yet again as an urban theme park dedicated to the pursuit of adult fun and pleasure, the inspiration for some of its most elegant casino resorts comes directly from the great cultural monuments of the Italian past. In Dreaming of Italy: Las Vegas and the Virtual Grand Tour, Giovanna Franci compares three Las Vegas Italian-themed resorts - Caesars Palace, Bellagio, and The Venetian- to their Italian counterparts: the ancient Forum of the Caesars, the breathtaking Lake Como resort town of Bellagio, and eternal Venice, jewel of the Adriatic. Franci not only examines architectural format and decorative details but...