Archive for 'Churches & Religious Buildings'

If you’re visiting Rome on your next Italian vacation this year, make it a priority to gaze upon the interior of the Sistine chapel in Vatican city! This endeared chapel is where the famous papal conclave takes place when cardinals gather to vote for a new pope.

Stay in a holiday rental in Rome where you can spend a few days discovering the rich beauty of this capital city, including the interior of the Sistine chapel!

What makes the Sistine chapel so special is its ornate interior with every inch of wall illustrated with frescoes by famous Italian artists. During the reign of Pope Sixtus IV between 1482 and 1483, a team of highly skilled Renaissance painters were commissioned to fill its interior walls with biblical scenes.

These artists were Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino Pinturicchio and Domenico Ghirlandaio.

The spectacular crescent shaped town of Portofino stretches along a scenic sheltered bay of Liguria and is one of the trendiest holiday destinations in Italy! Less than 25 kilometres from Genova and under forty kilometres from the famous UNESCO awarded Cinque Terre, Portofino has held its own in terms of drawing in large crowds of tourists and has just as much to offer by way of attractions.

Stay in a stunning villa in Liguria close to the coast and spend a few days visiting Portofino and other gems hugging the sea line here.

The buildings lining the port of the town are a melody of bright colours, all adding to the quaint charm of this fishing port. Restaurants close to the water’s edge offer a superb selection of freshly caught seafood transformed into incredible dishes that must be tasted to be believed!

You cannot help but be captivated by the impressive sight of Milan’s gothic style cathedral! It’s one of Europe’s most famous buildings and is the second largest cathedral in the world after Seville Cathedral in Andalusia in Spain.

Stay in a beautiful vacation rental in Milan where you can look forward to a few days of fascinating exploration!

Milan’s cathedral was constructed on a very central site in the city, dating back to when this area was once the foundations of the ancient Roman city called Mediolanum. In the 5th century a basilica was first built here but it was destroyed by a devastating fire.

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The Papal Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi in Umbria is an important landmark of Christianity in Italy. It's dedicated to the famous monk called St. Francis who was born here and went on to found the Franciscan Order. As a reward for its historic and cultural importance it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

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Construction of the Basilica of St. Francis began in 1228 and originally comprised of two adjacent churches and a stone chamber where the body of the saint was buried.