Archive for 'History'

While it may seem a little strange, Italy is actually a bit of a hot-spot for ghost towns. The internet is filled with endless websites dedicated to pictures of beautifully and poetically decaying buildings and ghost towns and recording and visiting such places is increasingly popular.

If you are among the many obsessed by such things or merely among the great number of us somewhat intrigued by such things, Italy is a dream destination. Due to emigration, natural disasters and accidents there are many ghost towns all over the country that are just waiting to be explored. Here are just a selection of our favourites.

Craco in Basilicata is a town that was built perched on a very high summit, for defensive reasons. It is a particularly attractive medieval hilltown and, since the 20th century, has been abandoned.

Troubled, gifted and dramatic, Caravaggio is as intriguing as his groundbreaking work. The great Baroque artist was lost to history for a while but was incredibly famous in his own lifetime and is now considered one of the greatest artists of his age once more. While he was born in Milan and spent his relatively short life all over the country (a portion of it on the run), Rome remains one of the best places to see his work. Despite his controversial life, the Church was a big supporter and important patron throughout his career and, as such, much of his work still exists in Rome. Just find a holiday rental in Rome and seek out these examples.

1. Boy with a Basket of Fruit, c.1593

Located in in the Galleria Borghese, this work dates to when Caravaggio was newly arrived in Rome. The model was his friend, the Sicilian painter Mario Minniti, who was around 16 years old at the time. A kind of genre painting, it displays Caravaggio's ability to paint everything from flesh and hair to fabric and fruit.

Holidays can be expensive things, particularly in large European cities such as Florence. Once you have found the perfect luxury villa near Florence to stay in, and have planned out all the big trips and delicious meals, you might find the pot a little light. If you want to enjoy the experience without having to worry about sticking to a budget, why not check out our list of things that you can do in the city for free so you can save a bit of money, without scrimping on the wonderful experiences that Florence has to offer?

Santa Maria del Fiore (the Cathedral of Florence, also known as the Duomo) is the main church and one of the most important buildings in the city. Begun in the 13th century in the Gothic style under the direction of Arnolfo di Cambio, it was not finished until the great Renaissance architect Brunelleschi came to create that famous and trailblazing soaring dome.

In our final installment in this series, we bring you two more of the most interesting, unique and bizarre architectural feats in Italy, a land well-known for its artistic prestige and innovations. While these buildings may be no less beautiful or important than others throughout the country, they may be less recognisable. If you're an architecture lover or if you merely like checking out strange attractions on your holidays, be sure to read the whole list!

If you're interested at all in contemporary architecture or design or you're just fond of seeing the most unique and unusual things that a city has to offer while on holidays, then Milan has the perfect thing for you. The Bosco Verticale, or Vertical Forest, is a highly unique building in Milan which was opened in 2014. It is composed of a pair of high-rise buildings which are made up of 27 storeys with cantilevered balconies planted with 900 trees and more than 2,000 shrubs and bushes.

While there is no shortage of stunning buildings and architectural gems all across Italy, there are some rather special buildings among their number. These buildings and architectural ventures may be great works of art but they have aspects to their design, usage, ornamentation or origin stories that are fascinating, unique and rather bizarre. Continuing from our last post, here are some more of the strangest architectural feats in Italy.

The Renaissance gave birth to an endless list of extraordinary architectural gems and outstanding garden designs, such as the Villa Demidoff. Located about seven miles north of Florence, the gardens are home to many different sculptures, fountains and various other delights. The highlight, however, has to be the Appennine Colossus. Measuring about 35 feet tall, the Colossus is a personification of the Apennine mountain ranges, and is depicted as a blend between mountain and man, its smooth skin emerging out of the surrounding mountainous setting.