Archive for 'Tourist Attractions'

There are lots of lots of beautiful and famous parks and gardens dotted all over Italy from the gardens attached to palaces like the Boboli Gardens and the gardens at Villa Toepliz in Varese, to great botanic gardens like the Hanbury Botanic Gardens attached to Genoa's University, to magical gems like the Giardino di Ninfa, a once abandoned gem in a Medieval ghost town. Amongst amongst these incredible beauties, however, there is one public park and garden that cannot go unmentioned: Rome's lovely Rose Garden. If you love blooms, beautiful settings, and gardening and you have found a luxury villa in Rome, then it truly is a must-see.

Located on the eastern side of the Aventine hill, the gardens date back to 1931 when an American countess named Mary Gayley Senni managed to secure a site near the Colosseum from the city authorities for a municipal rose garden and planted it with around 300 flowers. This original iteration was, sadly, destroyed during WWII but was reborn and given a new home in its current location, the former site of a Jewish graveyard that had been transferred to the cemetery at Campo Verano in 1934.

Last April, as the famously beautiful gardens of Florence – amongst them the Boboli Gardens, Iris Garden, Rose Garden and more – came into bloom, a new kid appeared on the block in the form of the temporary Tulip Garden.

Located in the grounds of the Castello dell'Acciaiolo park, the sprawling garden was planted with around 200,000 tulips of 70 different varieties and opened to the public from the beginning of April to the 22nd. Entry cost 3 euro a person and allowed visitors to wander and pick and bring home two tulips, with additional tulips picked counted at the end and charged at a euro a piece and all of the fees going towards the maintenance of the park. Such was the success of last year's edition, that the planting of another garden of tulips of the same scale and kind was announced and begun last Autumn to be opened once more in Spring 2019.

While it might sound a bit strange or macabre, if you have found a vacation rental in Rome and are planning on spending a Valentine's break in the city, then you have to make time to go and see St. Valentine's skull...

Or, what, at least is claimed to have been the skull of St. Valentine. The tricky part is that there were two saints by that name in Italy at the same time (around the 3rd century AD) and a third in North Africa. After the creation of a feast day for St Valentine on the 14th of February by Pope Gelasius I in 496, the stories of the three seem to have merged together and by the 14th century this singular entity had become a patron saint of lovers, who (according to the newly created mythology) had helped early Christian couples marry in secret.

It will likely not come at any surprise at all that Sardinia, as an island in the Mediterranean, boasts many stunning beaches with impossibly blue waters, soft white sand, wonderful views, and lots of fun awaiting. One such example of an especially lovely beach is the Spiaggia di Bidderosa. This stretch of coast is a magical oasis, a technicolor dream and an excellent spot to spend a lazy day enjoying your stunning surroundings, the lapping sound of the waves, and the warm waters if you have found a vacation rental in Sardinia.

Near Orosei, a historic town on the east coast of Sardinia, is the Spiaggia di Bidderosa, one of the most popular beaches in the area and a well-preserved natural gem. Edged by more than 850 hectares of protected pine forests and dotted by five charming coves, this long beach boasts a truly enchanting setting. It also is perfectly located to make the most of the wonderful climate in this part of the Mediterranean, which ensures excellent weather and makes the beach a veritable paradise.

The elegant city of Turin is home to some stunning cultural institutions and museums that showcase extraordinary works of art in permanent collections and temporary exhibitions. The Civic Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, or Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna, also known as GAM, is one such institution and is currently home to an especially interesting exhibition. “I Macchiaioli. Italian art towards moderness [sic]” showcases the experimental works of the so-called
Macchiaioli artists that were completed from the middle of the nineteenth century right up to the sixties. If you have found a vacation rental in Piedmont and are looking to take in a bit of local culture, history and art, it is an ideal choice.