Archive for 'Architectural Gems'

The Vatican Museums make for the largest exhibition space in the world, with over 1400 rooms dedicated to Renaissance arts, Catholic Church history, as well as some interesting Etruscan and Egyptian collections. The 100 galleries that constitute the museums are loaded with papal treasures that were accumulated over the centuries and include the Sistine Chapel, ancient Greek and Roman sculptures like the “Laocoön” and “Belvedere Apollo,” and the frescoed “Stanze” by Raphael.

Located in Vatican City, a state within the city of Rome, the museums are an immense cultural treasure that you could spend years visiting and still find more to see. However, if you have found a vacation rental in Rome and are only able to dedicate a day or more to the museums, architectural gems and attractions of the Vatican, read on. We have compiled a guide to the museums to help you get started and plan your visit!

The city of Venice is not only culturally and historically but also physically different to other Italian cities. As much as its history and culture impacted the city's architecture, it is this physicality that had a major impact on how Venetian buildings look and were built. This set the city's architecture apart and marked it as different. Just find a vacation rental in Veneto and come see this uniquely beautiful city for yourself.

Venice is defined by her plan - divided by both streets and canals and built on marshy ground. This confined and restricted space and determined the way in which buildings could be made and how they looked.

The foundations had to be different – a system of pile-grids – and this sense of preoccupation with stability created a predilection for columns, arcades and other support systems.

The Eastern influence on Venetian architecture is readily visible throughout the city and creates a stunning effect that is unique to the landscape, look and character of Venice. As a result, there is a distinct atmosphere about the city that, coupled with her famous canals, means you will never mistake Venice for anywhere else. Just find a vacation rental in Veneto and come see if for yourself.

Buildings of the early fifteenth century such as the Ca' D'oro feature Islamic motifs and decorative features, brought about by trade and interaction with the East; ogee arches, mihrab windows and rich foliate carvings, as well as multicoloured stones that come together to create a beautifully ornate Gothic facade. The important landmarks of the city, such as the Doge's Palace and San Marco, are all Gothic or clad in Gothic skins. It was not ignorance that lead to the decision to continue using Gothic forms in Venice, and the north of Italy in general, beyond its natural lifespan, but choice.

Furthermore, this lingering of the Gothic makes for a less stoic and grand architectural character and, instead, something more gilded and ornate.

Throughout the Renaissance, as new ideas and concepts spread across Italy, different cities expressed more universal notions in their own ways. Each city, state, town or region had unique identities, traditions and heritages and this informed their expression of the ideas of Brunelleschi, Alberti, humanism and the Renaissance at large. Usually this embodiment was not all that different to the prevailing styles but regional quirks or differences are apparent in some centres. Venice, in particular, is a good example of this.

The city is highly unique in many ways, both in its physical and cultural aspects. Built on a lagoon, the city is made up of a series of 72 confini – a very unusual plan which dictated how its buildings might be constructed. The geographical placing of Venice also affected her culture and influences. Here, East and West came together in a unique way and the dual influence of these cultures shaped the culture and architecture of the city.

Lecce, often known as the “Florence of the South”, is a stunning Baroque city with an incredibly preserved and lovely historic centre that is located in Apulia, in the south of Italy. It is a cultural and artistic gem that has to be seen to be believed. Just find a luxury villa in Apulia and visit it for yourself.

In the previous article, we noted some of the wonderful religious Baroque buildings that can be admired in the city and while there are dozens more that one could mention, there are also many other types of structures and works to be seen, beyond those used for worship.

However, in saying that, it would be remiss of us not to, at least, mention the church of Santa Croce Church; one of the most famous and extraordinary buildings in the entire city, with its iconic Hellenistic façade and rose window.