Archive for 'Localities'

The Civic Aquarium of Milan (Acquario Civico di Milano) is Milan's charming – and rather unique – aquarium. The third oldest aquarium in Europe, it was built in 1905 for the Milan World Fair and is the only building to survive from the event to this day.

Located at the edge of Sempione Park, Milan's largest public park, it is housed in a beautiful Art Nouveau period building that features elaborate sculptural details, friezes and hand-painted tiles.

The facade of the aquarium is further enhanced by a statue of Neptune, the Roman god of water and the sea, created by sculptor Oreste Labò. Small but beautiful and certainly one of the most unusual and special museums that we have ever seen, it is a must-visit for those who have found a vacation rental in Milan and are planning a trip to the city.

Gelato has a long history and important cultural presence in Italy. There is even a Gelato Festival, which began in Florence in April and is currently make a tour around Italy and Europe. It is currently in Milan and will move on to England, Poland and Germany before returning to Florence once more in September for the Gelato Finals. If you are an ice-cream aficionado, be sure to find a holiday rental in Florence and make your way to the finals this September!

San Remo is Italy's answer to Monte Carlo or Las Vegas – but with a distinctively Italian twist and a more laid-back atmosphere. It is a sun-dappled Mediterranean resort on the Ligurian Riviera and is known as the City of Flowers for the colourful blooms that blanket the area in the summer.

With picture-perfect beaches, pretty streets, architectural gems and its famous casino, it is a charming resort town and one of the key tourist destinations on the Italian coast. Just find a vacation rental in Liguria and discover this magical town for yourself.

Founded in Roman times, San Remo was once a settlement called Matutia or Villa Matutiana and expanded greatly during the Middle Ages. After passing through different hands several times and eventually became a free town in the 15th century.

If you have found a vacation rental in Milan and are planning on spending time in the city, there is lots to see and do. However, we'd like suggest something that might not have already featured in your plans heavily, or at all: a visit to Milan's Planetarium.

The Civic Planetarium “Ulrico Hoepli” of Milan is an institute for communication and education in astronomy and related sciences like physics and astronautics. It is the largest and most important planetarium in all of Italy. Located on the edge of the Gardens of Porta Venezia, in the Porta Venezia district of Milan, a stone's throw from the Natural History Museum, it was established in 1930. Designed by architect Piero Portaluppi for Ulrico Hoepli, an editor and publisher, who donated it to the city upon its inauguration.

If you have found a luxury villa in Florence, one key attraction that you have probably already added to your list is the Uffizi Gallery, or Galleria degli Uffizi, in Piazza della Signoria. One of the oldest and most famous art museums in Europe and the world, the Uffizi was originally begun under Vasari for Cosimo I de' Medici in 1560 as an office building.

More and more space was dedicated to the display of artworks over time until that became its primary function and in 1765, it was officially opened to the public access. It is now famous for its collection of works by writers, artists and scientists and, particularly, for its Renaissance art collection with works by the likes of Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Cimabue, Botticelli, Giotto, Van der Weyden, Durer, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Artemisia Gentileschi and Rembrandt.