Archive for 'Northwest Italy'

The Cathedral of St. Ambrose is a building in Lombardy with roots going as far back as the tenth century, though the present structure dates to the sixteenth.

It is the seat of the Bishop of Vigevano and the current building was commissioned by Duke Francesco II Sforza in 1530.

Dedicated to St. Ambrose, it was designed by Antonio da Lonate and thought it was begun shortly afterwards, work was not completed until 1612.

With beautiful painted interiors, a newer Baroque façade and a famous treasury and museum inside, it is a typical Italian cathedral in many ways.

Napoleon's Edict of Saint-Cloud forbade burials within churches and towns in 1804. Up until that point, people clamoured to be buried on the grounds of the churches that they had attended all their lives but room was swiftly running out and the bodies were unhelpful to the outbreaks of disease and plague that occurred over the centuries. A cholera epidemic, and sudden multiplying of the death-toll, in 1835 further hastened the move to have bodies buried in monumental cemeteries on the outskirts of towns. These same concerns were what led to the establishment of great park cemeteries in Paris and London but lesser known is the Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno in Genoa.

The Fiat Lingotto Factory in Turin was built in the 1920s and was the largest and most modern car manufacturing plant in Europe and second in the world at the time. It is five storeys high with a test track atop the roof and cars were moved upwards from floor to floor to be tested on the track when completed. The factory was eventually closed in 1982 but, thankfully, didn't fall into ruin as such places usually do. In 1985, it was converted and made into a multi-purpose centre that still retained the original architectural identity of the structure. It is now used commercially by various companies and businesses and is readily accessible to the public. If you want to see this amazing roof-top track for yourself, find a villa with pool in Piedmont and make your way to Turin.

Camogli is a well-kept secret. Along the Italian Riviera near Genoa, it is a typical, but particularly charming, fishing village perched on a rocky outcrop. It has beautiful beaches, a small harbour full of colourful boats, shops and restaurants and has a distinctive seafront with brightly coloured houses decorated in trompe l'oeil designs. Known mostly to Italians but quite like the neighbouring, and more famous, town of Portofino. It is an authentic taste of Italian seaside life, a little off the beaten track, and far from the bustle of tourists. If you're after a holiday full of relaxation, culture, good food and beautiful scenery, this is just the place.

The town of Balestrino in Liguria is comprised of two parts, the city in which people currently live at the base of a hill and an abandoned town atop it. Abandoned since 1953, the mysterious ghost town of Balestrino is eerily beautiful and utterly captivating. Very little is known about the original city's history and origins, only adding to the grand sense of mystery and intrigue that surrounds this most famous of Italian ghost towns. It is one of the most visited and popular ghost towns in the country with thousands of visitors and explorers coming to see it each year. However, with plans to redevelop the area on the cards, time could be running out to visit. If this sounds like something you would be interested in doing, find a luxury villa in Liguria and drop by.