Archive for 'Tourist Attractions'

Sorrento Cathedral was built in the 11th century and then rebuilt in the early fifteenth century in the Romanesque style. Since then there have been multiple bouts of rebuilding and restoration up to 1924 when the entire façade was rebuilt. It is located in the centre of this beautiful seaside town, near the main street, Corso Italia. Open daily and free to visit (though donations for the upkeep of the church are welcomed and encouraged) it is an exceptionally lovely Italian cathedral which offers a moment of quiet reflection during your trip as well as representing several different periods in the history of Italy's art and architecture. Find a villa with pool in Sorrento and wile away days wandering the coastline, exploring the city and seeing the sights!

Canova is a name familiar to any great art-lovers or those interested in the neoclassical period. He is known today as one of the greatest artists of the period and was a leading light during his own time. Although his fame and presence in the popular mindset may not be as completely cemented as Michelangelo or da Vinci most are likely to have seen his iconic works before. In particular, works such as his “Cupid” often appear in the backgrounds of movies or television shows, in art-books and generally in everyday imagery.

How does a restaurant become a playground? That sounds like the beginning to a riddle or a joke. In fact, it's something that actually happened. Ai Pioppi was opened as a food stand in Battaglia, in the region of Veneto. Armed with some jugs of wine and sausages, a man named Bruno set out to establish a business in 1969 that has become something he could never have imagined. The stand first became a family restaurant and then, after an encounter with a blacksmith that lead to Bruno learning to weld, a very unique playground was born. Established as something extra to draw customers to his restaurant, it has developed into an entity with a life of its own. If you want to visit this astonishing place for yourself, find a holiday rental in Veneto and stop by.

Across the Venetian Lagoon, past the Dolomites and beyond the towers of Venice, distinct conical hills are visible. Called the Euganean Hills, they are 81 long-dead volcanoes clustered together, above rolling green farmlands dotted with little monasteries and grand Palladian villas. At their centre is the beautiful village of Arquà Petrarca, Padua. Named for the great Italian poet Francesco Petrarch, after his death, it was also where he retired and one can only imagine how inspiring such spectacularly beautiful surrounds could have only been to the poet.

If you want to follow the same literary pilgrimage as countless others (Lord Byron among them), find a holiday rental in Padua and make the journey to Petrarch's final resting place.

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.