function initialize() {
      if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) {
        var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map_canvas"));
        map.setCenter(new GLatLng(44.556901,11.353233), 13);
        map.setUIToDefault();

        // Create a base icon for all of our markers that specifies the
        // shadow, icon dimensions, etc.
        var baseIcon = new GIcon(G_DEFAULT_ICON);
        baseIcon.iconSize = new GSize(202, 62);
        baseIcon.shadowSize = new GSize(0, 0);
        baseIcon.iconAnchor = new GPoint(9, 34);
        baseIcon.infoWindowAnchor = new GPoint(9, 2);

        // Creates a marker whose info window displays the letter corresponding
        // to the given index.
        function createMarker(point, index) {
          // Create a lettered icon for this point using our icon class
          var letter = String.fromCharCode("A".charCodeAt(0) + index);
          var letteredIcon = new GIcon(baseIcon);
          letteredIcon.image = "http://www.rinaldilab.com/img/sfondo_map.png";

          // Set up our GMarkerOptions object
          markerOptions = { icon:letteredIcon };
          var marker = new GMarker(point, markerOptions);

          GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function() {
            marker.openInfoWindowHtml("Marker <b>" + letter + "</b>");
          });
          return marker;
        }

        // Add 10 markers to the map at random locations
        var bounds = map.getBounds();
        var southWest = bounds.getSouthWest();
        var northEast = bounds.getNorthEast();
        var lngSpan = northEast.lng() - southWest.lng();
        var latSpan = northEast.lat() - southWest.lat();
          map.addOverlay(createMarker(new GLatLng(44.556901,11.353233	), 4));
      }
    }