Archive for 'Tourist Attractions'

The working of alabaster is a long-standing tradition in the picturesque town of Volterra in Pisa,Tuscany. This unique craft has been a profitable commodity for Volterra since the time of the Etruscans who used alabaster to make urns and in creating capitals, tabernacles, vases and other works of art. Luckily, there are plentiful natural deposits of the precious stone in the area. Furthermore, the alabaster of the area is considered one of the most precious around the world given its particular compactness, transparency, veins and hardness. The extraction, carving and trade of alabaster has brought fame and prosperity to the town throughout its history, allowing it to become one of the most beautiful towns in the entire region.

The Triennale di Milano is a cutting-edge centre for contemporary art, architecture and design. It constantly houses exciting temporary exhibitions and has displayed retrospective exhibitions on major artists like Keith Haring and Roy Lichtenstein and designer brands like Giorgio Armani and Louis Vuitton in the past. The Triennale is housed in a building which was built by Giovanni Muzio in 1923 and is located at the edge of the Parco Sempione in Milan. The name, “Triennale”, means “every three years” and the building's original purpose was to host the international exhibition on decorative arts, industrial arts and modern architecture, held every 3 years in Milan.

HangarBicocca is a contemporary art space in Milan. A former industrial space previously owned by Ansaldo-Breda in the area which was once dominated by Pirelli factories, it was converted to house exhibitions and events. The area has become urbanised and trendy with shops, houses and galleries popping up all around since HangarBiccoca's opening. With a unique approach to organising events, utilising space and involving the general public as well as a rather special site, the HangarBicocca is one of the most interesting contemporary art spaces in the world.

When you think of pyramids, you're likely to imagine a sandy desert in Egypt. You're less like to think of the heart of the city of Rome and, yet, that's exactly where a pyramid which dates back to between 18 and 12 BC is located. Although the pyramid itself is not Egyptian, it serves as a reminder of the conquest of Egypt in 30 BC and the subsequent Egyptomania that overcame Rome's citizens in its wake. All kinds of artefacts inspired by Egyptian art and culture and copies of Egyptian examples popped up all over the city.

There were, however, only two pyramids erected on Italian soil, only one of which still exists, the Pyramid of Cestius.

If you are visiting Urbino and have already stopped by the Palazzo Ducale to see the National Museum and palace itself, then you might think about taking a few moments to stop at the Duomo, or cathedral, just next door. Both buildings are part of Urbino's UNESCO heritage and were at the centre of the urban renewal of the beautiful city by the ducal family in the Renaissance, though the cathedral was altered in the 18th century and now bears a neoclassical edifice instead. The Duomo is the perfect complement to a visit to the palace as many of the same artists and designers who worked in the palace also lent their skills to the redesign of the church.