Archive for 'Central Italy'

Are you crazy about cats? If so, Rome is just the place for your next trip! Right in the centre of the city there is one of the largest cat sanctuaries in the whole world. This same site, however, was famous before the cats moved into this prime piece of real estate as the spot where Julius Caesar was killed almost 2,000 years ago. Torre Argentina, an archaeological gem and unique wonder is the best of both a cultural site and local oddity, combining fun and knowledge. Why not find a holiday rental in Rome and spend an afternoon exploring the ruins, hanging out with the cats and watching as baffled tourists do double-takes at the hoards of felines floating around?

The catacombs of Paris and Rome are some of the most famous in the world and, certainly, the most well-known in Europe. While there are many that can be readily visited in Rome, there is a particularly unique site underneath the Via Appia. Vigna Randanini is one of just seven Jewish catacombs in Rome and one of the only two which have been opened to the public for tours. Eerie, fascinating and rich in carving, particularly of Jewish faith subjects such as the Ark of the Covenant and the seven-branch candelabrum and decorations such as flowers and animals, it is an absolute must for those interested in Jewish history and heritage in a city so overwhelmed by the presence of Catholicism.

The working of alabaster is a long-standing tradition in the picturesque town of Volterra in Pisa,Tuscany. This unique craft has been a profitable commodity for Volterra since the time of the Etruscans who used alabaster to make urns and in creating capitals, tabernacles, vases and other works of art. Luckily, there are plentiful natural deposits of the precious stone in the area. Furthermore, the alabaster of the area is considered one of the most precious around the world given its particular compactness, transparency, veins and hardness. The extraction, carving and trade of alabaster has brought fame and prosperity to the town throughout its history, allowing it to become one of the most beautiful towns in the entire region.

To complement and add to our last article about the Protestant Cemetery in Rome, this article will discuss some of the extraordinary women who are buried there. As there are so many interesting people buried in the cemetery, it would be almost impossible to discuss them all in any detail. However, there is a particularly high number of trailblazing female artists, writers and revolutionaries in the "non-Catholic cemetery" of Rome who deserve mentioning. The cemetery, located behind the Pyramid of Cestius, is most famous for containing the graves of the great Romantic poets John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley but if you want to learn more about the wonderful women laid to rest there find a holiday rental in Rome and pay a visit.

The Protestant Cemetery, or the "non-Catholic cemetery" of Rome, is located behind the Pyramid of Cestius and contains a number of graves of artists, writers and famous figures, most famously the great Romantic poets John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley. It is one of the oldest burial grounds in continuous use in Europe and is both beautiful and historic. Open daily and almost a pilgrimage site in its own right, it is visited by thousands each year, who wish to see the final resting places of their great artistic heroes. Read on to see if any of yours are among their numbers and, if so, find a holiday rental in Rome and pay a visit.