Archive for 'Must See Attractions'

If the bustling crowds and tour buses of Pompeii aren't your thing but you really want to see some remnants of the ancient empires that made Italy so great, why not visit Paestum on your next trip? Find a luxury villa in Campania and spend a day exploring the majestic ruins of the area.

Paestum is an ancient Greco-Roman city which was settled in the 6th century BC by the Greeks. They became rich and built up the city, leaving extensive building schemes behind them.

In 1218, we are told that St Francis of Assisi planted a rose and laurel near Montegiove in Umbria. From this spot, a fountain rose up and he built a hut made of “scarza” (a marsh plant) and founded a monastery on the miraculous site. In the 1400s a church and monastic buildings were built in order to celebrate the saint and this act. However, this was abandoned in the 18th century. The buildings and site fell into a state of disrepair and sections were lost until the Milanese architect, Tomaso Buzzi bought it in 1957. He restored the monastery and then went on to build his “ideal city”.

This fantastical city and landscape is bizarre and surreal but truly unique and fascinating.

The Archiginnasio (the Greek for “first school”) of Bologna is the ancient seat of the University of Bologna and one of the most singularly unique buildings in the city. Originally it was the main building of the “Studium”, as the university was once called. That is, until 1803, when it became the site of the Institute of Science. In 1838, part of the building was made into the Archiginnasio Municipal Library. It continues to function as a working library to this day and is the biggest in Emilia-Romagna. It houses historical, philosophical, political, literary, artistic, biographical and bibliographical works in addition to a large section devoted to the culture of Bologna. It also contains over 35,000 manuscripts and pamphlets.

Sicily is seen worldwide as an escapist's dream; set apart from the rest of Italy by merit of being an island, with a distinct culture, beautiful scenery and a different pace of life. For the past two years, the island has also been home to the Best Borgo, or Borgo dei Borghi D'Italia. Last year's winner, the town of Gangi, was awarded the title by “Alle Falde del Kilimangiaro”, a famous television show broadcasted by Italy’s national public broadcasting company, RAI. Over 134,000 people voted for the town of Gangi, in the Madonie Mountains, sealing its place as winner. This makes the town just one of the ninety such historic comunes to be awarded this honour, making it part of a rather exclusive club.

Montalbano Elicona is a comune in Sicily which is well known for its medieval splendour and the castle built by Emperor Frederic II that watches over its various hamlets. This year, its beauty and history have been recognised in a more official manner and the comune has been voted the Best Borgo in Italy, 2015.

Surely, this is the perfect excuse to find a luxury villa nearby in Sicily and experience it for yourself.

This prize has been awarded to the comune by “Alle Falde del Kilimangiaro”, a famous television show broadcasted by Italy’s national public broadcasting company, RAI.