Archive for 'Lombardy'

Situated on the outskirts of Mantua in Lombardy is the architectural masterpiece called Palazzo del Te! Designed in an elegant mannerist style by architect Giulio Romano for Frederico il Gonzaga in 1524, this was a lavishly built palace with certainly no expense spared!

Book a stay at a scenic villa rental in Lombardy where you can easily travel around to to see the many attractions of this region, including the glorious Palazzo del Te!

Palazzo del Te is so intricately decorated that after the vast shell of it was built, it took a team of fresco painters, stone carvers and plasterers a period of ten years to adorn every section of wall, floor and ceiling of it!

It was indeed a treasured jewel of artistic achievement and it is little wonder that Palazzo del Te is considered as one of the most beautiful villas in all of Italy!     Read More

Located in Pavia province in Lombardy is the delightful town of Vigevano. This old artistic town is well known for its artisan crafts and agriculture. The two main economies here are shoemaking and rice growing. Check out some fabulous villas with guest reviews in Lombardy where you could book a stay and visit Vigevano for yourself!

Begin your tours of Vigevano in its stunning Piazza Ducale, a Renaissance square designed by Bramante in the town centre.

Renowned as one of the finest piazzas in Italy, the Piazza Ducale is rectangular in shape and was originally built to be a noble forecourt to the Castello Sforzesco. See the beautiful old cathedral that frames one side of Piazza Ducale built in a decorative Baroque style. It houses some splendid artworks inside worth seeing.     Read More

You cannot help but be captivated by the impressive sight of Milan’s gothic style cathedral! It’s one of Europe’s most famous buildings and is the second largest cathedral in the world after Seville Cathedral in Andalusia in Spain.

Stay in a beautiful vacation rental in Milan where you can look forward to a few days of fascinating exploration!

Milan’s cathedral was constructed on a very central site in the city, dating back to when this area was once the foundations of the ancient Roman city called Mediolanum. In the 5th century a basilica was first built here but it was destroyed by a devastating fire.     Read More

A trip to Milan wouldn’t be complete without a walk around the magnificent 15th century Sforza Castle! Built on the site of what was a much smaller 14th century fortress, Castello Sforza was constructed and enlarged over several centuries to become one of the largest castles in Europe!

Stay in a beautiful vacation villa in Milan where you can explore all that this magnificent city has to offer!

It was built by the order of Francesco Sforza, the Duke of Milan and became the home of the presiding Dukes for centuries to come. Today it is the home of several museums and art galleries.

Sforza castle and its defensive walls form a quadrangular perimeter with square towers built all around. Over the centuries it successfully served as a military barracks, an incredibly strong defence fortress and a residence.     Read More