Archive for 'Tourist Attractions'

The Castel San Pietro is an incredible fortress located on a hill in a strategic and historically important position in the city of Verona. If you are exploring the area and have chosen the perfect villa in Verona for you and yours, then make sure to stop by and take in the wonderful vista that it presents and the magnificent views over Verona that it offers.

The Scuola Grande di San Marco, located in the Campo di San Giovanni e Paolo in the Castello district Venice, is an incredible building and institution that was once one of the six, “great schools,”, or, “scuole grandi,” of Venice. This confraternities were an important part of Venetian religious, civic and cultural life and the riches of its appearance reflect this, with its might marble facade and stunning interiors.

In the last post, we discussed the charming and pretty town of Pordenone and its many architectural gems. However, that isn't all there is to the town. In fact, it has a lot to offer a visitor. In addition to everything else, Pordenone is a cultural hub that plays host to many different events throughout the year. One of these is the book festival Pordenone Legge, which has been taking place for over a decade and sees the town taken over by book stalls, interviews with both Italian and international writers, and lectures by journalists and scholars for a week each September.

Pordenone has also been the primary host to the Giornate del Cinema Muto, a festival dedicated to silent film, since 1981. Taking place each October, the festival was the first, largest and most important international festival dedicated to silent film. Named as one of the top 50 unmissable film festivals in the world according to Variety, it is a unique experience that any movie lovers visiting the city will enjoy. Additionally, the FMK International Short Film Festival takes place in the town on an annual basis, as well.

The pretty town of Pordenone is the main comune of the province of Pordenone in the northeastern Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Settlements have dotted the surrounding area since the time of the Romans but the town of Pordenone itself was not actually established until during the Middle Ages, when it was founded as a port town on the Noncello river. In fact, the town's very name comes from the Latin Portus Naonis, meaning “port on the Noncello River”.

Like the rest of Italy, the town passed through plenty of different hands and rules throughout the ages and by the 13th century, it came into the possession of the Habsburg family. It flourished over the next few decades and gained city status in 1314. In the 16th century, it came under the rule of the Republic of Venice and a new port was built in town. Annexed to Italy in 1866, the town further flourished under industrialisation and though the failure of the cotton sector threatened the town's prosperity in the early 20th century, the raising of local firm Zanussi to the status of a world giant of household appliances after WWII helped stabilise the economic situation. In 1968, the city became the capital of the province of the same name.

The Castello di Gorizia, or Castle of Gorizia, is an 11th century beauty located on a hill that both boasts an amazing panoramic view over Gorizia and is positioned close to the heart of its centre. First recorded in a document from 1001, the castle grew in size and power over the years. Today, the building largely reflects enlargements and changes made between the 13th and 16th centuries. However, during World War I the castle was bombed and badly damaged, leaving little more than a ruin and was actually rebuilt in 1934-37, following its original 16th century design. This was effectively executed and the castle still retains an authentic medieval appearance.