Archive for 'Southern Italy'

When discussing apartments in Italy, it is hard not to get caught up in pretty décor – there are some seriously incredible properties out there. Luckily, however, you don't have to worry about forgetting all the other factors that make for a good rental in your excitement, as all of our apartments in Italy have wonderful facilities and locations as well. Here are some more of our picks for beauties that have a lot more going on beyond a pretty face.

5. Molo Di Pozzillo

Molo di Pozzillo is another Sicilian gem; a delightful apartment overlooking the tiny dock of Pozzillo, a quiet coastal village close to Acireale. Recently restored, the house has a small terrace offering a pleasant sea glimpse and also happens to be just a short distance from the lava rocks that allow access to the sea for a refreshing swim. Its cosy interior is split across two floors and is furnished with taste and functionality. Mostly executed in cool grey tones and whites that make it look like the perfect hide-out from the summer sun when it is at its hottest during the day, there are pops of colour throughout and a marine-inspired theme upstairs.

Once you have found a holiday rental in Naples and are exploring the lovely and historic city of Naples, you will find that there is an endless list of castles, architectural gems, cultural attractions and tourist sights to visit. However, one of the most fascinating and beautiful among all of these has to be the Coral Jewellery Museum. Lovers of jewellery, design and shiny things will, of course, find plenty to interest them but the collection is lovely enough to keep anyone intrigued.

The city of Naples is not always celebrated for its beauty and, yet, is still home to plenty of lovely historic buildings, bustling and lively neighbourhoods, and all of it looking out onto the stunning clear blue ocean. It is also home to four castles, dotted around the city.

The baby among them is Castel Sant'Elmo, a star-shaped military fortress perched atop Vomero Hill, with the San Martino Chartherouse just below, and both dominating the Naples skyline as a striking pair. A unique example of 16th century military architecture, it replaced an earlier 14th century fortress with something a little more unusual and special.

Commissioned by Viceroy Don Pedro Alvarez de Toledo, the castle was built according to the plans of Pedro Luis Escriva, a military engineer from Valencia. Escriva was one of the period's most noted and celebrated military architects and designed a strong and compact fortress that, from 1604, was a prison for political prisoners.

While it may seem a little strange, Italy is actually a bit of a hot-spot for ghost towns. The internet is filled with endless websites dedicated to pictures of beautifully and poetically decaying buildings and ghost towns and recording and visiting such places is increasingly popular.

If you are among the many obsessed by such things or merely among the great number of us somewhat intrigued by such things, Italy is a dream destination. Due to emigration, natural disasters and accidents there are many ghost towns all over the country that are just waiting to be explored. Here are just a selection of our favourites.

Craco in Basilicata is a town that was built perched on a very high summit, for defensive reasons. It is a particularly attractive medieval hilltown and, since the 20th century, has been abandoned.

Bari is a big port city on the Adriatic coast and the capital of Puglia. It is a little off the beaten track and has a slightly dubious reputation within Italy that means you'll be warned to hold onto your valuables tightly.

However, it is a lovely place to spend a few days and shouldn't hastily be skipped over in favour of the rest of the region. The charming Old Town based on a headland that reaches into the Adriatic and is easily explored on foot. It is quite easy to get lost but, so long as you are careful, there is a pleasure in this.

Some of the most important attractions in the city at large are the Pinacoteca Provinciale 'Corrado Giaquinto,' art gallery, the Archaeological Museum, the eleventh-century Romanesque Basilica di San Nicola (dedicated to Santa Claus), the Castello Svevo, the Colonna della Giustizia (where debtors were once reputedly tied and flogged) and Bari's futuristic stadium designed by Renzo Piano.