Archive for 'Architectural Gems'

The pretty seaside town of Civitavecchia, Lazio, is located along the coastline of the Tyrrhenian Sea and is located just an hour and a half from Rome. It has Etruscan origins and its name means “Ancient Town”. Due to this long and rich history, it is dotted with beautiful buildings and interesting monuments from many different periods throughout history. From the sixteenth century, there is perhaps the most striking and obvious of all the sights in the whole town, Forte Michelangelo. This impressive fortification towers over the rest of the port and is the work of three of the most famous Italian architects of the Renaissance. Find a holiday rental in Lazio and spend a day wandering the town of Civitavecchia and this feat of Italian architecture.

If you're interested at all in contemporary architecture or design or you're just fond of seeing the most unique and unusual things that a city has to offer while on holidays, then Milan has the perfect thing for you. The Bosco Verticale, or Vertical Forest, is a highly unique building in Milan which was only finished and opened last year. It is a pair of high-rise buildings which are made up of 27 storeys with cantilevered balconies planted with 900 trees and more than 2,000 shrubs and bushes. The effect is astonishing, two lush structures emerging from the earth and towering (the taller being 112 metres in height) over the surrounding buildings.

A very special monument is perched on the top of Mount Grappa in Treviso. This is the Military Memorial Monument of Mount Grappa, or the Sacrario Militare Del Monte Grappa, which is one of the most important military ossuaries of WWI. It was built in 1935, and was designed in collaboration by Giovanni Greppi and Giannino Castiglioni. Its distinctive architecture is inspired by military fortification and the striking form rises up against the skyline, large and austere. The result is rather dramatic. If you're a WWI buff or fond of dramatic 20th century architecture and landscapes, this is the perfect spot for you. Find a luxury villa in Veneto and spend a day trekking the mountain with the view of the area and the monument as your reward.

When you think of pyramids, you're likely to imagine a sandy desert in Egypt. You're less like to think of the heart of the city of Rome and, yet, that's exactly where a pyramid which dates back to between 18 and 12 BC is located. Although the pyramid itself is not Egyptian, it serves as a reminder of the conquest of Egypt in 30 BC and the subsequent Egyptomania that overcame Rome's citizens in its wake. All kinds of artefacts inspired by Egyptian art and culture and copies of Egyptian examples popped up all over the city.

There were, however, only two pyramids erected on Italian soil, only one of which still exists, the Pyramid of Cestius.

The Palazzo Ducale is the most famous building in Urbino and one of the most impressive and beautiful Renaissance palaces in Italy. It is now also home to the National Gallery of Le Marche as well. Therefore, it's a bit of a package deal when you visit, offering a stunning combination of both art and architecture. Listed as a UNESCO, world heritage site, it is not only acknowledged as unique and important by locals but is recognised as an extra special site in this world. If you are interested in art, architecture, history or merely getting lost in the majesty of the past and court culture, then the Palazzo Ducale is somewhere you won't want to miss. Why not find a villa with pool in Le Marche and take a day to explore this most beautiful of sights in Urbino?