The Italian coast of the Adriatic Sea runs from the tip of the heel of the boot-shaped peninsula at the Ionian Sea to the northern waters of the Gulf of Trieste. Along its length are rugged rocky coastlines, sandy stretches of beach, lagoons and wetlands. Spindly wooden fishing piers, white-washed walls, colorful villages and sea-facing piazze dot the 750-mile coastline, with a history touched by Etruscan, Greek, Roman, Venetian and Austrian populations.