Archive for 'Central Italy'

Rieti is the capital city of the province of Rieti in Latium, Italy. Its roots go back to the Sabines before being conquered by the Romans. During the Middle Ages it was destroyed by Barbarians but remained important within the Lombard empire. This period also saw it become a favoured papal seat and, therefore, witness to many important historical events in Italy. Rieti continued to move from ruler to ruler until the twentieth century when it initially became part of Umbria before being made a provincial capital of Latium. This turbulent past has only added to the town's heritage and made it an extraordinary little repository of art, architecture and history. Experience the walk through history that the town offers by finding a villa with a pool in Latium and spending some time there – you won't regret it!

Rome does not lack in famous and astounding monuments. If you visit, you will never be stuck for something to do. However, you might be interested in visiting something uniquely tied into Italian history that is just a little off the beaten track of most tourists, a little less obvious. That something is the Altare dell Patria (Altar of the Fatherland), also known as the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II (National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II).

Michelangelo once said that he didn't create sculptures but, rather, freed beings from within blocks of stone. He is known for breathing life into rock. Yet, another great sculptor managed to bring believability to stone so that it seemed to move and live.

This was Gian Lorenzo Bernini, an Italian architect and artist born in Naples and who predominantly worked in Rome. Throughout the city there remains a trail of his masterpieces that truly must be seen to be believed.

Why not find a villa with a pool near Rome and spend a day following Bernini around that greatest of cities?

Though the town of Gradara is populated by less than 5000 people, it is visited by 500,000 annually. This medieval town, one of the best preserved in Italy, has been awarded an Orange Flag for tourism due to its management and maintenance of the area.

Located in the Le Marche area, it is characterised by the castle that sits overlooking everything else and the two rings of medieval walls that surround. In fact, Gradara and its Fortress are inseparable, almost synonyms.

Why not find yourself a luxury villa in Le Marche region and plan a day trip to see it for yourself?

A visit to the splendid capital of Rome would not be complete without seeing the site where the mighty Circus Maximus once stood.

This was the first and largest chariot racing stadium in all of Rome that could hold up to 250,000 spectators.

Situated between the Palatine and Aventine hills, the remains of the Circus Maximus is now barely recognisable from the huge stadium it once was and is now a public park.

The Circus Maximus site was first established by the Etruscan kings of Rome to grant the publics’ desire for an entertainment meeting ground. Julius Caesar ordered the expansion of this space around 50 BC to accommodate upwards of 270,000 people to view the chariot racing or other entertainment from seats within the stadium or standing on the surrounding hills.