The delicate marble filigree by Bartolomeo Bon seems too lace-like to be carved of stone, and you can only imagine the impression this façade must have made covered in its original paint and gold. Along with the Porta della Carta in the Palazzo Ducale, also created by Bartolomeo Bon, this is considered the most perfect example […]
Where to go
Sweeping through the heart of Venice in a giant reverse S curve, the Grand Canal is the principal boulevard through the city, connecting Piazza San Marco, Rialto Bridge, and the arrival points of the rail station and bridge from the mainland. Only four bridges cross its 3.8-kilometer length, but stripped-down gondolas called traghetti shuttle back and forth at several points […]
Certainly Venice’s best-known church, and one of the most easily recognized in the world, St. Mark’s Basilica (Basilica di San Marco) was originally the Doge’s private chapel, decorated with Byzantine art treasures that are part of the booty brought back by Venetian ships after the fall of Constantinople. The gold-backed mosaic pictures above the doorways […]
Leading from Piazza Bra to Piazza delle Erbe, the narrow Via Mazzini runs through the heart of the Centro Storico. The marble pavement of this pedestrianized street is worn by centuries of feet, and and the buildings at either side house Verona’s most elegant shops. Display windows show the latest in Italian and international fashions, […]
Verona is perhaps best known internationally as the setting for Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. Inevitably, tourists asked where the star-crossed lovers lived, and Veronese obligingly pointed out a small medieval palazzo just off Piazza delle Erbe that had an attractive courtyard where tourists could stand without blocking the street. In the 1930s, the city added the […]
One of the biggest Benedictine monasteries in Europe, the former monastery behind the church of San Nicolò l’Arena was begun in 1500, and its long-continuing construction incorporated styles of several eras. The late Baroque façade features rusticated pilasters and sculptured window decorations, and there are two lovely inner courtyards. Tour options include both cloisters, the 16th-century cellars, […]
Built by the Normans in the 12th century and restored by Frederick II around 1230, Bari’s Swabian Castle now serves as the headquarters of the Regional Directorate. This Norman castle has stood for hundreds of years and was supposedly built in the 1100’s by King Roger II. It features a traditional design with a central […]
Piazza Duomo and the group of buildings that form its cathedral complex gather some of Italy’s greatest artistic treasures into one relatively small area. As you tour the baptistery, the bell tower, the cathedral, and its museum, you’ll see some of the best-known masterpieces of art and architecture by the greatest artists of the Italian […]
It may seem as though everyone in Bologna were meeting friends at the same time in these two adjoining squares in the heart of the city. Conversation and laughter blend with the sound of water splashing in the magnificent Neptune Fountain, which gives Piazza del Nettuno its name. Created by Giambologna in the 16th century, it […]
The largest aquarium in Italy and one of the largest in Europe, Genoa’s is part of a massive waterfront “Edutainment” center that could take days to explore fully. Built in 1992 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the voyage of native son Christopher Columbus, the aquarium teaches about marine animals of all kinds, showing them […]
The east exterior of Palermo’s cathedral retains the original Norman character: three apses, cross-over round arches, and curved parapets. The south side, overlooking the square, is memorable for its 1453 Gothic-Catalan portico through which you’ll enter. One of its columns, with an early Arabic inscription, comes from a mosque. The triangular pediment contains a carving, God […]
Filling an entire side of the large Piazza Castello in the center of Turin, the former Royal Palace is a relatively plain 17th-century building, at least on the outside. But step inside to be dazzled by the Appartamento di Madama Felicità and 26 sumptuously decorated state apartments (Reali Appartamenti). In the right wing, the former Royal Armory (Armeria Reale) contains one of […]
Castel Nuovo is a medieval castle located in front of Piazza Municipio and the city hall (Palazzo San Giacomo) in central Naples, Campania, Italy. Its scenic location and imposing size makes the castle, first erected in 1279, one of the main architectural landmarks of the city. It was a royal seat for kings of Naples, Aragon and Spain until 1815. It […]
The elegance of the Milan “Salotto” par excellence, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, is a pleasure to be walked through without haste, wrapped in the glass and steel dome of its “Ottagono”, accompanied by the charm of its windows. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is Italy’s oldest active shopping mall and a major landmark of Milan, Italy. Housed within a four-story double arcade in […]
The view from the lofty spires of Milano’s Duomo is an experience not to be missed; the entire cathedral is an extraordinary narration of half millennium of history conveyed in smooth marble, the light filtering into the aisles and the countless ancient statues. Milan Cathedral is the cathedral church of Milan, Lombardy, Italy. Dedicated to the Nativity of St Mary (Santa Maria Nascente), it […]
The Mouth of Truth is the ancient mask, probably an ancient manhole, with a diameter of 1.80 meters, walled into the wall of the pronaos of Santa Maria in Cosmedin , it has the appearance of a bearded male face; eyes, nose and mouth are pierced to drain the water. The film Roman Holiday by William Wyler , with unforgettable characters Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck , consecrated […]
The Trevi Fountain was the splendid setting for the most famous scene of the film La Dolce Vita by director Federico Fellini ; a provocative Anita Ekberg wrapped in a long black evening dress calls Marcello Mastroianni: “Marcello, come here!”, while sinuously plunges into the sparkling waters of the fountain. Trevi Fountain , terminal exhibition of the Vergine aqueduct , the only one […]
On the day of Pentecost, every year, a shower of rose petals falls from above inside the Pantheon to conclude the celebration of Corpus Domini. “The most beautiful remnant of Roman antiquity. A temple that has suffered so little that it appears to us as the Romans must have seen in their time ”, as the French writer […]
The Colosseum is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum and is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheater in the world today, despite its age. The Colosseum is built of travertine limestone, tuff (volcanic rock), and brick-faced concrete. The Colosseum could hold an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 spectators at various […]
Located between Realmonte and Porto Empedocle, in the Agrigento area, Scala dei Turchi is one of a kind in Italy: it is not a beach but a cliff, a dazzling white cliff, slowly carved by the wind and the sea. According to legend, it was once a shelter for Turkish ships plundering along the Sicilian coast from […]
Alba is considered the capital of the Langhe, and has big-city confidence and energy while retaining all the grace and warmth of a small rural town. Alba is a town and comune of Piedmont, Italy, in the province of Cuneo. It is considered the capital of the UNESCOHuman Heritage hilly area of Langhe, and is famous for its white truffle and wine production. The confectionery group Ferrero is based there. The […]
Maranello is a town and comune in the province of Modena in Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy , 18 km from Modena , with a population of 17,504 as of 2017. It is known worldwide as the home of Ferrari and the Formula One racing team, Scuderia Ferrari . Maranello was also home to coachbuilding firm Carrozzeria Scaglietti , owned by Ferrari. Ferrari SpA Maranello has been the location for the Ferrari factory since the early 1940s, meanwhile during World War […]
Scandicci is a comune (municipality) of c. 50,000 inhabitants in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 6 kilometres (4 miles) southwest of Florence. Scandicci borders the following municipalities: Campi Bisenzio, Florence, Impruneta, Lastra a Signa, Montespertoli, San Casciano in Val di Pesa, Signa. The settlement of Scandicci appeared in 1774 as Torri, and was later enlarged to incorporate several neighbouring communities. Main sights Villa i Collazzi, […]
Scafati is a city and comune in the province of Salerno, in the Campania region of southern Italy. Geography Scafati is situated on the river Sarno. Under the bridge over the river into the village, the Sarno divides into a primary and two secondary branches. The town is bordered by Angri, Boscoreale, Poggiomarino, Pompei, San Marzano sul Sarno, San Valentino Torio, Sant’Antonio Abate and Santa Maria la Carità. History In the […]
Territory is predominantly hilly and mountainous, with many parallel valleys that run along rivers and creeks. The northern part of the territory presents a rough and desolate landscape, while the southern part is tamer and dotted with numerous tiny villages. Chieti is a city and comune (municipality) in Central Italy, 200 kilometres (124 miles) east by northeast of Rome. It is […]
Rho is a town and comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about 14 kilometres (9 miles) northwest of Milan. Coat of arms The coat of arms of the municipality is the wheel with five spokes, crest of the Capitanei de Raude family, vassals of Sassonia and Bavaria dukes.[9] The five spokes are recalling five emperors: Henry the Fowler, Otto I, Otto […]
Battipaglia is a town and a comune in the province of Salerno, in the Campania region of south-western Italy. HIGHLIGHTS The third most populous city of the province, it is renowned for the production of buffalo mozzarella and for the various agricultural crops, which make Battipaglia one of the most fertile territories of the Sele plain (of which it is also the leading industrial hub). […]
A town and its river, an indissoluble relationship that has made of Pordenone what it appears today in the eyes of the tourist: a town still very much tied to its past, as testified by the historical buildings, frescoes and monuments of the charming old town , yet a center also ready to embrace the challenges of […]
Rovigo lies in the Polesine, between the Po and Adige, along the banks of the Adigetto canal, enveloped in the mysterious fascination of an ‘amphibious’ nature in which man has for centuries tried to dominate, finally learning to live with it, respecting its power and unpredictability. Rovigo is a town and comune in the Veneto region of Northeast Italy, the capital of the […]
With the largest fishing fleet in Italy, a world famous Dancing Satyr netted from the sea, a labyrinthine North African Kasbah in the town centre and some delightful architecture, Mazara del Vallo offers a fascinating mix of culture, history, ethnicity and art. Mazara del Vallo is a town and comune in the province of Trapani, southwestern Sicily, Italy. It lies […]
The main town on the Riviera, Acireale is set on a series of lava terraces that drop to the sea about 17km north of Catania. Although it’s not exactly undiscovered, it remains largely tourist free, a mystery given its stately baroque centre and imposing public buildings. An easy 2km walk downhill is Santa Maria la […]
If you’re seeking a tranquil holiday in Rome without all of its hustle and bustle, this place is your best bet. You’ll be amazed by the cleanliness in this little township, as well as the variety of open cafes and shopping spots! Civitavecchia is a city and comune of the Metropolitan City of Rome in the central Italian region of Lazio. HIGHLIGHTS A sea […]
As opposed to Pompeii, it’s possible to visit all of Herculaneum in just a few hours. The archaeological park is ideal stop for those who have limited time but want to experience the thrill of walking in the footsteps of the ancient Romans! Ercolano is a town and comune in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania of Southern Italy. It lies at […]
Aversa is a city and comune in the Province of Caserta in Campania, southern Italy, about 24 km north of Naples. Aversa, town and episcopal see, Campania region, southern Italy, in the fertile Campanian plain north of Naples. Founded in 1030 by the Normans, who made it the capital of the first Norman county in Italy, it became a centre of culture, noted for its grammar schools, and a […]
The heart of the town is the Cathedral of Assunta, with the eighteenth-century pipe organ, together with three impressive monasteries: the Benedettine, Palazzo dei Celestini, seat of the Town Hall, and Palazzo dei Francescani, seat of the library, with more or less ninety thousands books, of the Diocesan Museum and of the Town Museum. San Severo is […]
Cava de’ Tirreni is a fascinating town, steeped in history, today counting 50 thousands inhabitants and more than twenty districts that make it known as the “stellar city”. Cava de’ Tirreni is a city and comune in the region of Campania, Italy, in the province of Salerno, 10 kilometres (6 miles) northwest of the town of Salerno. It lies in a […]