Archive for 'Campania'

Cilento is a region of Campania and is part of the national park of Parco Nazionale del Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni along with the Vallo di Diano and the Monti Alburni. The park was actually founded in 1991 in order to protect the territory of Cilento from the area being built up or from being damaged by mass tourism and was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.

One of the most unspoiled and beautiful regions of Italy, it remains largely off the radar for most tourists and is a great spot to explore if you're looking for something a little more relaxed and quiet. Just find a vacation rental in Campania and get a little closer to nature.

Come and explore the wild and rugged Cilento Coast where there are plenty of hidden gems like the incredible Cape of Palinuro. Palinuro is dotted with sea caves and is home to Italy’s most extensive cave system.

If you are a dog lover and have found a vacation rental in Campania, we have the ultimate tourist attraction for you! Foof, located in a coastal town called Mondragone in the Caserta province of Campania, about 45km north of Naples, is a dog museum. It is, in fact, the first dog museum in Italy and was opened very recently, back in 2013.

Parmigiana – also known as parmigiana di melanzane, melanzane alla parmigiana, or eggplant parmesan in Australian English – is an extremely popular Italian dish that is made with a shallow or deep-fried sliced eggplant (or aubergine) filling and then layered with mozzarella and parmigiano cheese and tomato sauce, before being baked. It is claimed by both the Southern regions of Campania and Sicily, often being associated with Naples but commons in the Campanian countryside, Calabria and Sicily. However, there are actually several theories about the origin of the dish and some of them don't even pinpoint its origins anywhere in the south of the country.

Royal Palace of Caserta is a former royal residence in Caserta, Campania that was originally constructed for the Bourbon kings of Naples and is one of the largest palaces erected in Europe during the 18th century. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is a simply stunning sight to behold.

By virtue of sheer scale alone, it is breathtaking but the architecture, art and gardens make the Baroque gem the masterpiece that is is. Just find a luxury villa in Campania and come explore this incredible building for yourself.

Begun in 1752 for Charles VII of Naples, it was designed by Luigi Vanvitelli, who worked in conjunction with Charles. Charles, funnily enough, never actually lived in the palace due to his abdication in 1759 to become King of Spain.

As we noted in the last post in this series, there are many excellent museums to be found all across Italy and your list of options is endless. In order to make your choice in which ones to visit, we have compiled a selection of some of the most popular and beloved museums in Italy.

4. Bargello

The Bargello is one of the best and most important art museums in Florence. Dating back to 1255, it was originally the headquarters of the Capitano del Popolo and later of the Podestà. In the sixteenth century, it became the residence of the Bargello (head of the police) and was used as prison during the whole 18th century. The building became a National Museum as of the mid-19th century and today it is an excellent sculpture museum, especially for early works by great masters of the Renaissance such as Donatello, Giambologna, Michelangelo and many others. Just find a luxury villa in Florence and take in this excellent but lesser-known (and slightly less busy) of the city's most famous museums.