Archive for 'Tourist Attractions'

The city of Palermo, in Sicily, is a stunning place that is full of Arab-Norman architectural gems, elegant churches and palaces, fascinating attractions, and more. If you have found a vacation rental in Sicily, a visit to Palermo is highly recommended and, while you're in the area, you should also make your way to the nearby seaside resort of Mondello. It is just a short drive from the centre of the Sicilian capital and is more or less a suburb of the city. While often very busy as it is a famously beautiful beach, it is just that, famously beautiful, and, therefore, worth visiting. You'll find both locals and tourists alike, enjoying the turquoise waters, soft sands, and pretty surrounding neighbourhood featuring Liberty-style villas built in the early 20th century.

Long and curving, topped by powdery white sand, sloping down to the crystal clear turquoise sea, dotted by pastel-coloured changing cabins, full of families, groups of elderly ladies, teens bunking school, the beach is both a beautiful place and a culture in its own right. Beloved for generations and very much part of local life, it is a lively and bustling place with plenty of character and a great atmosphere.

The Orto Botanico, or Botanical Garden, in Palermo is a truly magical place and an idyllic space of calm and beauty to go and relax while exploring the city. If you have found a vacation rental in Sicily and are heading to Palermo to sightsee, taking in the incredible Arab-Norman architectural gems, beautiful churches stuffed with elaborate works of art, and excellent beaches, then you might welcome the lush gardens as a peaceful place to escape the heat and bright light of the sun in Sicily. For those exploring Palermo, the Botanical Garden really is a must-see attraction, located a few blocks from the seafront, bordering the Kalsa district, in the Villa Giulia park.

Created to study medical and agricultural plant species, the Botanical Garden is part of the University of Palermo, an important Italian academic institution, and a centre of scientific research that is, today, deeply involved in the study and conservation of the environment. Amongst the oldest modern centres of botanical studies in the globe, it was opened in 1795, and remains a vibrant and active centre of research to this day, as well as a wonderful tourist attraction. Neo-Classical structures based on designs by Trombetta, Marabitti and the famous Venanzio Marvuglia and sculptures like the two sphinxes flanking the steps leading to the main building by sculptor Vitale Tucciom, all add to the character of the garden and showcase its age and heritage.

There are lots of truly incredible beaches in and around the island of Sardinia. If you find a vacation rental in Sardinia you won't find excellent beaches in short supply. However, some are more famously perfect than others. Some of the island's beaches are especially powdery soft, some have bluer, more crystal clear water, some have more picturesque rock stacks and cliffs, some are less frequented, some are more kid-friendly, some are better for adults, and some are almost too beautiful to be real. No matter what you're looking for, there are all sorts of beaches to appeal to your needs on Sardinia.

One such beach is Cala Mariolu, on the eastern coast of the beautiful island of Sardinia. It is both especially pretty and boasts especially clear and vibrant turquoise waters. A little inlet that is framed by craggy limestone cliffs lined with lush green trees and vegetation, this strip of a beach is a mixture of golden sand that is dotted with small pebbles rounded and made smooth by the endless gentle lapping of the waves (though they can be painful for some to walk on so be sure to bring some footwear along the beach with you!).

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.