Archive for 'Campania'

The island of Capri, in Campania, is an impossibly and famously beautiful island that boasts incredible beaches, upscale eateries and bars, pretty boutiques, great parties, and amazing views. There is lots to see and do but if you have found a vacation rental in Campania and are heading for a day trip to Capri then there is one spot that you definitely have to pencil in to your itinerary: the Gardens of Augustus.

Originally known as Krupp Gardens, this botanical garden was established by the German industrialist Friedrich Alfred Krupp in the early twentieth century when he came to the island to build a home for himself. Located close to the Certosa di San Giacomo, the garden is made up of a series of terraces that overlooks the Via Krupp on one side and the Bay of Marina Piccola on the other. It was renamed the Gardens of Augustus in 1918 and is today a must-see for anyone visiting Capri.

This week, we have discussed the beautiful southern region of Campania and how it makes for a perfect holiday destination. A vacation rental in Campania or a villa rental on the Amalfi Coast makes for a perfect base from which to explore the rich historical and culinary cultures, the stunning landscapes and coastal areas, and the incredibly relaxed way of life of Campania. From here, you can make your way to the regional capital of Naples on a day trip and get a taste of this vibrant, ancient, and fascinating city. With lots of surprises, hidden gems, and magical places to be discovered, it is well worth setting aside some time to explore this city. If you do, you will stumble upon incredible places like the Galleria Umberto I.

The beautiful southern region of Campania, in Italy, is a sunny land of diverse landscapes from perfect beaches to volcanic peaks, incredible vistas, a delicious and rich food culture, a long and distinct history, a rich cultural heritage, and one of the most relaxed lifestyles around. It is a perfect holiday destination for those who want fun, sun, and to well and truly get away from it all. A vacation rental in Campania or a villa rental on the Amalfi Coast, in particular, would make for a perfect holiday destination and, while you’re in the region, you can use it as a base to explore the incredible variety of things to see and do in the surrounding area. For example, should you head to Naples for a day, you could go and explore the amazing underground systems below the historic centre of the city and discover a whole other fascinating world below ground…

The Naples Underground Geothermal Zone is a series of underground spaces and tunnels beneath the city of Naples that have been dug out and added to throughout the centuries. The geothermal area spreads all the way from Mount Vesuvius and includes a wide area spanning underneath Pompei, Herculaneum, Campi Flegrei, Naples and all the way out to Pozzuoli and the coastal area of Baia. Due to mining and lots of different kinds of infrastructural projects that were undertaken throughout the centuries, this naturally-occurring geothermal zone has been expanded into a complex series of caves and underground structures. It is at its apex underneath the city of Naples and it is from Naples that you can take guided tours and descend into this incredibly interesting underground world for yourself.

While there are lots of cultural gems and wonderful manmade things to be discovered in Italy, the country boasts an incredible natural beauty that is well-worth mentioning and exploring too. If you are planning a trip and browsing our vacation rentals in Campania then you should definitely set aside some time to head to the stunning Caves of Pertosa, also known officially as the Grotte dell'Angelo (Caves of the Angel). A series of caves located between the villages of Auletta and Pertosa, around 70 km from Salerno, the Caves of Pertosa are immense, impressive, and utterly otherworldly and magical. If you are spending time in this part of the world, you should definitely plan a visit.

When you think of Mount Vesuvius, it is probably images of the destruction of the ancient city of Pompeii or of legions of tourists going to observe the famous volcano for themselves. You are less likely to immediately picture wine and, yet, that is one of the things you are very likely to encounter as, at the base of the volcano, there are famous vineyards, that stretch part-way up the slopes and produce wines that have been consumed since the fifth century BC. So, if you’re interested in wine, the history of wine, and unique wines, in particular, then you need to make sure you experience this rather special variety when you plan your vacation in Campania.

Lacryma Christi, also known as Lachryma Christi of Vesuvius, is the name of this celebrated Neapolitan type of wine made on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. Literally meaning, "tears of Christ," the wine type dates back to even before the time of Jesus, to the fifth century BC, when Greek settlers first came to the area and planted Italy’s very first vineyards, as noted by Aristotle who recorded that the ancient people of Thessaly in Magna Grecia planted the first vineyards on Mount Vesuvius' slopes. After the Greeks came the Romans, who named the area, “Campania Felix,” (or “fertile countryside,” from which the region’s modern-day name of Campania derives) and spread the legend that Bacchus wept tears of joy upon seeing such a beautiful land, which caused vines to flourish in the landscape. Roman poet Martial wrote, "Bacchus loved these hills more than his native hills of Nisa". As is often the case, this story was later Christianised and medieval wine-making monks swapped out Bacchus for Christ and motivated his fertile tears with a tale of the sorrow the Son of God felt over Lucifer's fall from heaven. Lucifer was also said to have taken a little piece of heaven with him when he fell, further imbuing magic and blessings into the soils of the area.