Archive for 'Tourist Attractions'

In a city such as Rome where the classical, from ancient to Renaissance incarnations, rules supreme, the Chiesa del Sacro Cuore del Suffragio (Church of the Sacred Heart of the Suffrage) on the banks of the Tiber immediately stands out.

This Gothic Revival church, built in the 20th century according to designs by the engineer, Giuseppe Gualandi, is often referred to as the “Little Milan Cathedral” due to its sumptuous gothic design and is well worth a visit in its own right.

However, hidden at the back of the building is a highly unique museum which is the show-stopper of the piece - the tiny century-old Piccolo Museo Del Purgatorio, or "Museum of the Holy Souls in Purgatory," which holds a collection gathered from all over the world of bibles, prayer books and clothing said to have been singed by the hands of souls in purgatory.

With over 3,000 years of history behind her, Rome is bound to have a complicated past, often with dark and gory moments. It seems likely, then, that if anywhere in the world might be populated by ghosts, Rome would be a strong candidate. Certainly, there are countless tales of ghost, grisly accidents, murder, magic and horror that take place in the Eternal City. Due to this ghostly heritage, there are also plenty of ghost tours of Rome, should you be interested in seeing the city in a different (or less) light. Just find a vacation rental in Rome and choose one of the following tours to learn all about the ghosts that forever haunt the Eternal City.

The surrealist painter, Giorgio de Chirico once described Turin as “the most profound, most enigmatic, most disquieting city not only of Italy, but of the world.” It is hard to imagine that he wasn't referring to the rich magical heritage of the city which sees symbols of the occult and confusing mixed messages in public monuments located at every turn. In our first and second articles on magic in Turin, we discussed the magical origins of the city and the major magical destinations. Yet, there is even more to be said! More than could be said in a few articles. However, this is a good place to start to prepare you for what you might expect once you've found a vacation rental in Piedmont and are exploring the city of Turin to take in this spooky past.

From the previous article, you'll know that Turin is a city long connected to magic and which is said to sit at the centre of black and white magic in the world. Due to this, there are some rather unusual sights dotted around the city which have popped up over the ages. On the surface, Turin is just a beautiful Italian city with elegant streets that are reminiscent of Paris and a rich cultural heritage as evidenced by the proliferation of palaces, museums, churches and other stunning buildings. However, once you scratch this lovely surface, you'll see the evidence of its magical past, often out in the open and hiding in plain sight. Find a holiday rental in Piedmont and you can spend a day wandering the streets of Turin and exploring its hidden past.

Turin, Piedmont, is best known for the Turin Shroud, Fiat and its beautiful and elegant streets but locals are aware of another legacy that may be unfamiliar to those visiting the city as tourists. In fact, Turin is a city known for being mysterious and has been associated with magic since its beginnings – both white magic, and black.

According to legend, the city was founded by the son of the goddess Isis, Phaeton. He established the city in order to honour the cult of Apis, which had the features of a bull and this is the animal that was to become the very symbol of Turin.