Archive for 'Campania'

Sorrento is a beautiful gem of a town on the Amalfi Coast. Facing out onto the bay of Naples, it is perched atop a cliff, boasting sweeping views over the coast, at the base of which there is a busy marina. This stacking of the town gives it that distinct and picture-perfect look that lots of the towns in the area have: glittering water with bobbing boats topped by rows of colourful buildings. The charming old town is a warren of little streets and alleys that are lined with pretty historic buildings but amongst all of the pretty parts that make up this picturesque town, one of the most charming and unmissable sights and sites is the Chiesa di San Francesco and its lovely cloister. If you have found a vacation rental in Sorrento and you are exploring the town, be sure to duck in for a moment amidst your holiday wanderings and fun and enjoy a spot of tranquillity in the most fairytale-like of settings in Italy.

Located in the historic centre of the town, in Piazza Francesco Saverio Gargiulo, right next to the Villa Comunale Park, this 14th-century church with said iconic cloisters abutting it is famous for its Arabic portico and interlaced arches, which are interwoven with flowers, plants, and ornamental trees. The beautiful space is also often filled with birdsong, particularly in spring, as it is very popular amongst feathered locals.

Capri is one of those famously gorgeous places that people are just dying to see with their own eyes. If you have found a vacation rental in Capri and are busy exploring the island, once you have walked around a bit, you may want to see it all from above as well, to take in a sweeping view over everything at once. In this case, you’ll need to head to Monte Solaro, the highest and most panoramic point on the island, which offers views over the whole of the Gulf of Naples, glimpses over the Gulf of Salerno on clear days, and also takes in many of Capri’s famous landmarks at the same time.

There are two different options to surmount Monte Solaro, depending on your inclination, energy, preferences, fears, and the day in question: you can hike to the top or you can take the famous Anacapri Chairlift.

At 589 meters above sea level and at the top of a steep trail, the hike up to the pinnacle of Monte Solaro isn’t the most difficult in the world by any sort of stretch of the imagination. It is a well-marked trail that rewards viewers with lovely views the whole way up and can be completed in around an hour. Beginning at Piazza della Pace in Anacapri, behind the cemetery, it is a straightforward climb up that anyone who is relatively fit should be able to complete without much difficulty.

Many people, decades on, remain fascinated by the Kennedys and the style icon that was Jackie Kennedy, in particular. As a result, places that they visited, in both official and unofficial capacities, are tourist attractions in their own right today. If you have found a vacation rental in Ravello and you have an interest in the Kennedys, it may sweeten the whole thing for you to know that the First Lady once came for a long stay in this beautiful seaside city in Italy.

In honour of this famous visit, the city is putting on a documentary exhibition that recalls this moment in history. "Welcome Jackie" is the name of the documentary exhibition curated by architect Francesco Fortunato and it recalls the story of Jackie Kennedy's long stay in Ravello in the summer of 1962, upon the advice of the famous American writer Gore Vidal who was a distant relative of the First Lady and a frequent visitor to Italy who was particularly impressed by the beauty of Ravello.

If you have found a vacation rental in Campania and want to spend some time exploring the city of Naples, you were probably expecting to stay above ground. However, doing so would make you miss out on one of the most extraordinary attractions that the city has to offer, the Catacombs of San Gennaro. These incredible passageways are an astounding sight to behold and a must for anyone who really wants to experience all that Naples has to offer.

Located in the northern part of the city, on the slope leading up to Capodimonte, under the Rione Sanità neighbourhood of Naples, the catacombs can be readily found today by heading to the entrance at the large church of Madre del Buon Consiglio. Spread over two levels, called San Gennaro Superiore and San Gennaro Inferiore, the catacombs are often referred to as the “Valley of the Dead” and date back to the 3rd of 4th century, though are likely built over older pre-Christian burial sites.

If you have found a vacation rental in Naples, there is one museum in the city that you really cannot afford to miss. The Cappella Sansevero, or the Cappella Sansevero de' Sangri or Pietatella, is a chapel located on Via Francesco de Sanctis 19, in the historic center of the city that is home to incredible works of art by some of the leading Italian artists of the 18th century. It is a source of pride of Naples and is stuffed to the gills with some of the most beautiful art pieces and objects that one could ever expect to lay eyes upon. Both church and museum, this little gem is a true reflection of the heritage of extraordinary works of religious art in Italy.

Dating back to 1590, the chapel was originally built by John Francesco di Sangro, Duke of Torremaggiore, as he recovered from a serious illness as a private chapel in the gardens of Palazzo Sansevero, the family's noble residence. It later became a family burial chapel and was connected to the palace until 1888.

Today, the Cappella Sansevero is a public building and home to incredible masterpieces like the famous Veiled Christ, which is famous for the extraordinary tissue-like quality of the marble. Created by Giuseppe Sanmartino in 1753, who was a young relatively unknown Neapolitan artist at the time, it is now the most famous piece and the focal point of the collection, located at the centre of the nave of the chapel. Intensely realistic and emotional, it dramatically evokes the reality of the dead Christ's suffering and body; showcasing a swollen vein still pulsating on the forehead and wounds from the nails of Crucifixion on the hands and feet.