Archive for 'Must See Attractions'

This week, we're talking Christmas markets on the blog. They're wonderful things, aren't they? Festive music playing, excited kids running about, happy families smiling, young love all abloom, food being enjoyed, hot drinks warming hands and no reason to rush at all: what could be a more perfect way to spend a day in the run up to Christmas?

While Italy is not as famous as her northern neighbours for her Christmas markets, there are actually plenty of great Christmas markets around the country, including Milan's Oh Bej! Oh Bej! (meaning "oh so nice! oh so nice!" in the Milanese dialect).

Just find a vacation rental in Milan and explore this excellent traditional market for yourself!

Gorgonzola is one of the world's oldest blue-veined cheeses and is a DOP certified food that is largely produced in the northern Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy. The name comes from Gorgonzola, in Milan, which is said to be the birthplace of the cheese, though this is now disputed. It is a crumbly, soft cheese that can have a mild or sharp taste, depending on its age, and is made of unskimmed cow's milk, to which starter bacteria and the spores of the mould Penicillium glaucum are added. The whey is then removed during curdling and the result is aged at low temperatures and ripened for at least three to four months. The iconic its greenish-blue marbling that distinguishes Gorgonzola was not always a feature and was added in the 11th century.

The Last Supper is da Vinci's other great masterpiece and one of the most famous paintings in the history of the modern world. However, due to experimental techniques used in its making, the centuries past, damage in WWII and poor restoration in the 19th century, it is a shadow of its former self and in severe danger of disappearing forever.

Twenty-two years of restoration were undertaken in the 20th century and finished in 1999 and while this helped prolong the life of the work, the damage is severe. Despite this, viewers still come and some even return and the fascinating, beautiful work continues to capture hearts. Even if you're in Milan for just the one day, it is worth seeing – just read on for tips on planning your visit.

If you have found a vacation rental in Milan, one of the must-see attractions that almost everyone will pencil into their visit is a trip to see The Last Supper for themselves. One of the most iconic works in the history of art, it has influenced generations of art and pop culture for centuries now and is something that most have seen at some point in their lives. However, like all things, it is a different experience entirely to see something with your own eyes and in person.

The Vatican Museums in are located in Vatican City, a state within the city of Rome and are made up of 100 galleries and over 1400 rooms dedicated to Renaissance arts, Catholic Church history, as well as some interesting Etruscan, Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman collections. It is the largest exhibition space in the world, home to the Sistine Chapel, the Belvedere Apollo and the frescoed “Stanze” by Raphael and you could spend years visiting and still find more to see each and every time.

If you have found a vacation rental in Rome and are only able to dedicate a day or two to the museums, rather than years, this series of guides will help you get started and plan your visit! In this post we will discuss some more of the highlights of the museums so that you can pick the ones you are most interested in and focus on those during your visit but be sure to also read to earlier posts in this series for more information about tickets, tours and more!