Archive for 'Must See Attractions'

There is no shortage of excellent museums to choose from in Italy, as is patently obvious. Whether you’re heading to the Vatican City, which is essentially one giant museum-state, to Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, to Venice, home to the Biennale, which remains one of the world’s most important contemporary art exhibitions, and much more besides, there are plenty of options. However, while the famous and large museums filled with renowned names and works of art are undoubtedly important and worth seeing, we are big fans of the more obscure hidden gems that are dotted around the country. If you have found a vacation rental in Trentino, for example, you might want to check out a rather special museum indeed: an outdoor museum located across a beautiful forested alpine area.

In the Val di Sella, a pretty little valley located in the the Valsugana region of Trentino, a half hour from Trento, you will find the Arte Sella an open-air museum that is home to around 58 works of art dotted along a trail through the woods of Val di Sella. Tracing its roots back to 1986, when local artists began exhibiting their art in this area, the one-off event then became a biannual event and, finally, in 1996 became a permanent fixture in the area. The works are all created using natural materials that are found in the area – with twigs, branches, logs, rocks, and leaves being some of the most common materials that are used – and are sometimes interwoven with living plants and trees, allowing them to change, grow, and take on a life of their own. Works are also set up to make the most of their surroundings, frame views, and live in harmony with this lovely part of the world.

While there are lots of cultural gems and wonderful manmade things to be discovered in Italy, the country boasts an incredible natural beauty that is well-worth mentioning and exploring too. If you are planning a trip and browsing our vacation rentals in Campania then you should definitely set aside some time to head to the stunning Caves of Pertosa, also known officially as the Grotte dell'Angelo (Caves of the Angel). A series of caves located between the villages of Auletta and Pertosa, around 70 km from Salerno, the Caves of Pertosa are immense, impressive, and utterly otherworldly and magical. If you are spending time in this part of the world, you should definitely plan a visit.

This week, in preparation for the spooky season that is swiftly descending upon us, and as people consider planning last-minute mid-term break, half-term, or Hallowe’en getaways, we have been looking at some of the spookiest places, attractions, and destinations in Italy. If you wanted to pay a visit to Bologna, after you have found a vacation rental in Emilia Romagna, then you’re in luck as it is home to the Villa Malvasia, often known as the Villa Clara, which is said to be one of the most haunted places in Italy. Come take in the history, culture, and heritage of Bologna, and her creepier aspects on a once-in-a-lifetime spooky and seasonal trip to Italy!

Located on via Zanardi 449 the Villa Malvasia immediately stands out as a creepy and dilapidated shell of an abandoned and formerly beautiful mansion. Like a lot of castles and old mansions in Italy, it is steeped in local legends and, in this case, a rather disturbing one.

The villa is also known as Villa Clara due to one of the supposed former residents of the building, who is said to stay on as a ghost. Clara was said to have been the daughter or stepdaughter of an owner of the villa who was born with an especially strong gift of clairvoyance. Any dream or vision she had was more than sure to come true. Her father feared her gift and is said, in local mythology, to have locked her away and allowed her to die.

Italy is home to plenty of castles that have existed for hundreds of years and, as is often the case with things and places that have existed for hundreds of years and with castles, in particular, this means that there are also plenty of haunted castles throughout the country. Among them, one of the most famous is the castle of Montebello, which is located a hamlet of Borgo Montebello, in the municipality of Poggio Torriana, Rimini. The Castello di Montebello is famous for the tale of Azzurrina, a noble girl who lived there in the 14th century, and the legend and stories of hauntings that surround both her and the castle. Open to the public as a museum, the castle is one of the easiest haunted places to visit in Italy and is a must-see for anyone who has found a vacation rental in Rimini or a holiday rental in Emilia Romagna and is planning a trip over mid-term break or around Hallowe’en. Come have a spooky experience in this fascinating gem!

The story goes that Guendalina Malatesta was born around 1370 to Ugolinuccio, or Uguccione, the feudal lord of Montebello. Unfortunately, when she was born, the family was filled with dread instead of joy as she was an albino. In the Middle Ages albinism was a symbol of great misfortune and connected to events of a diabolical nature, according to popular superstitions, and albinos were often accused of being witches and burned at the stake. Fearing for their child and her future, the lord and lady came up with a plan to dye her hair. However the dye didn’t take in her incredibly pale hair and went blue instead of black, leaving the girl with striking blue eyes and hair, lending the nickname, “Azzurrina” (little blue one). This failed experiment meant that the poor child still stuck out like a sore thumb and it was decided to assign two guards to the child at almost all times and prevent her from leaving the castle.

The Lagoon of Venice is made up of a whopping 166 little islets, all of which are home to special gems and surprises that are just waiting to be discovered. Of course, in a city so diverse and unusual and ancient, there is a great wealth of history and nestled amongst the defining events and larger moments, there are tales of ghosts, ghouls, goblins, and more. There are ghost tours of the city that can be done, famously haunted buildings, and much more besides but there is also an entire islet in the lagoon that is a spooky destination considered to be one of the most haunted places in all of Italy. If you’re looking for a spot for a creepy and spooky mid-term break or October getaway, then look no further than Venice! Just browse our vacation rentals in Venice and get planning your trip today.

Said haunted islet is Poveglia Island, located between Venice and the Lido in the Venetian Lagoon. First mentioned in writing in the early 5th century as a safe haven from invasions by Alaric the Goth and Attila the Hun during the decline of the Roman Empire, though it is though to have been inhabited since as early as 2,000 BC, it has gone on to be used for various purposes throughout the centuries. In the 14th century, residents were removed and it was made into a military outpost to secure the lagoon and during the Bubonic Plague (in the 16th and 17th centuries), it was a mass burial ground for the contagious dead and a place where the ill were quarantined. Anyone who showed signs of the illness was whipped away from their families and sent to the island. If they were better after 40 days of quarantine, they could return home but few ever did. Thousands of bodies were incinerated on the island.