Archive for 'Central Italy'

The Republic of San Marino is an impossibly beautiful little country that is located in Italy, on the border between Le Marche and Emilia Romagna. At Christmas, the country, and its capital (also named San Marino), in particular, is especially stunning.

In the last article, we discussed how the beautiful capital becomes even more lovely during the festive season through the initiatives of a project called The Christmas of Wonders. This involves decorating one street in knitted decorations, another in candles and lanterns and lighting streets all over with projections and light effects on the historic buildings of the old town centre. Musical performances and theatrical presentations by buskers only heighten this lovely Christmas atmosphere. However, this is not all there is to be seen. There are plenty of other activities and things to see and do. Just find a vacation rental in Le Marche or a vacation rental in Emilia Romagna make a day trip (or maybe two) to this incredible little land to experience it all for yourself!

The Republic of San Marino is a tiny country located in Italy that is just over 61 square kilometres in size and has a population of approximately 32,000 people. Located on the border between Le Marche and Emilia Romagna, it is the third smallest country in Europe with only the State of Vatican City in Latium, Italy and the State of Monaco in France being smaller. In 2008, it was officially recognised for its unique charms, historical and cultural value, and scenic beauty and was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.

At Christmas, this pretty and historic little country is even more beautiful and full of things to see and do. Why not come and experience San Marino's unique appeal for yourself this festive season for something a little different? Just find a vacation rental in Le Marche or a vacation rental in Emilia Romagna make a day trip (or maybe two) to this incredible little land.

We've been talking a lot about the Christmas traditions, events and celebrations that take place in Italy over the festive period in Winter but, while Italy is traditionally an overwhelmingly Catholic country, there are other celebrations to be had for people of different faiths in the country. Rome may seem like an unexpected destination for such things but, even though it is home to the Vatican, there is a strong and historic Jewish community in the city that will be celebrating Hanukkah from the 12th to the 20th of December this year.

Hanukkah is an annual Jewish celebration that lasts seven nights and eight days and celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC. There are different variations on the tale of the origin of the holiday but the basic story was that King Antiochus IV Epiphanes outlawed Judaism, ordered an altar to Zeus be built in the Temple, banned brit milah (circumcision) and ordered pigs to be sacrificed at the altar of the temple.

When you are booking a vacation rental and have found a few options that you like the look of, it can be hard to narrow the list down to one but something that can really help are reviews. Hearing what real people have to say about something helps give us peace of mind. As we are lucky enough to have customers who always give us helpful feedback, we thought that it would be a good idea to put together a list of our most-reviewed properties to show some of the excellent villas and experiences you can expect when you book with us! Here are our final two picks among the properties that have been reviewed most frequently.

9. La Regolina

La Regolina is a lovely farmhouse, located in a beautiful position overlooking the beautiful Gulf of Levanto in Liguria, an area that adjoins the famous “Cinque Terre”. Carefully restored and tastefully furnished by the owner, an architect, it boasts modern facilities in an original farmhouse setting and six bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms. There is also a very large sunny terrace, leading from the sitting room, furnished for eating outside while enjoying fantastic views over the sea.

Hearing what real people have to say about something helps give us peace of mind and, luckily, here at Italy Villas, we have been blessed with lots of customers who give us great feedback on our properties. Therefore, we thought that it would be a good idea to put together a list of our most-reviewed properties to show some of the excellent villas and experiences you can expect when you book with us. Here are two more!

7. La Cenerara

La Cenerara is a large villa, spread across 2 floors, that is located in the hills of Emilia Romagna, close by both Parma and Piacenza. With a pool, mini football pitch, trampoline, beautiful natural surroundings and a horse-riding facility, it is the perfect place of business retreats, family holidays and getaways with friends alike. Charming and well-maintained, the villa has 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms and sleeps up to 13 people.