Archive for 'History'

In the first half of this article, we began looking at Google's suggestions for what to do if you only have one day in Venice. However, it has become apparent that they plan on your day being busy as we only got through half of the list! Here are the rest of their suggestions.

5. Piazza San Marco (Journey from previous location: Less than 5 minutes by foot. Estimated time to be spent here: 60 minutes.)

While you are in the Piazza San Marco to see the Cathedral, why not spend some time in the square itself? It is the principal public space in the city, surrounded by beautiful buildings – including the Cathedral – and filled with the sounds of the bustling crowds and music. It is a great spot to grab coffee and people watch while taking in the atmosphere of the city.

Most of us don't buy guidebooks anymore. Instead, when we plan to visit a place, we search hashtags on Instagram and have a quick google. Compiling data from lots of places, as they are wont to do, Google can actually plan your itineraries for you. In fact, if you search destinations, they will suggest a variety of itineraries, based on the length of time you have in a given place. If you have found a vacation rental in Veneto and are wondering where to start and what to do, here's what Google suggests if you have just 24 hours in the city.


1. Head to Murano (Estimated time to be spent here: 40 minutes)

Murano Island in Venice is a connected archipelago of seven islands with narrow channels networking through them and bridges linking them together. Murano is famous the world over for its stunning glassworks, particularly the glass lamps made there.

St Peter's in Rome is already a must-see. It is an extraordinary, massive building that is steeped in history and incredibly photogenic. However, many visitors skip out on, arguably, the best part of a visit to the building: the view from the top.

Once you have found a vacation rental in Rome, have gone through security, entered the building and wandered around the awe-inspiring interior, be sure to follow the sign that reads “cupola”. This will take you to a ticket office and then a staircase and elevator that lead up to the famous dome of the church.

The dome is one of the greatest architectural feats of the era and one of Michelangelo's great works. Begun in 1546, during the papacy of Paul III, work paused at the height of the work with Michelangelo’s death but was continued 15 years later under Giacomo della Porta and Domenico Fontana.

Once you have found a holiday rental in Naples and are exploring the lovely and historic city of Naples, you will find that there is an endless list of castles, architectural gems, cultural attractions and tourist sights to visit. However, one of the most fascinating and beautiful among all of these has to be the Coral Jewellery Museum. Lovers of jewellery, design and shiny things will, of course, find plenty to interest them but the collection is lovely enough to keep anyone intrigued.

The Arab-Norman architecture of Palermo is a collection of buildings and monuments with design and decorative features that came about from an intertwining of cultures. Sicily's history is a tale of a long succession of rulers from a variety of places and cultures. It was particularly influenced by the Islamic conquest from 827 to 1091 and Norman rule from 1071 to 1194.

These various influences and cultures have all left their mark on the island and it is especially evident in the art and architecture of Sicily. The city of Palermo is dotted with buildings that are fine examples, incredibly fine examples, in fact, of Arab-Norman architecture.

These buildings are so admired that they were declared an official UNESCO site in 2015.