Archive for 'Museums & Galleries'

The beautiful crescent-shaped town of Portofino stretches along the coast of Liguria on the Italian Riviera and is one of Italy's most wonderful, exclusive and famous seaside destinations. It is a picturesque village that is filled with a cluster of colourful buildings hugging the port, boats and yachts bobbing in the harbour, and tourists wandering the streets and eating fresh food at tables overlooking the water.

If you have found a luxury villa in Liguria, it is an ideal place to spend some time unwinding and enjoying the unique atmosphere of the town. While there, one of the must-see highlights is the lovely Castello Brown.

Castello Brown is perched on a rocky outcrop above the town, which overlooks Portofino and is surrounded by picturesque hanging gardens. While it is now a house museum, its very prominent and strategic location in the town clearly indicated its original function as a practical defensive structure.

The House of Andrea Mantegna is a 15th century building in the city of Mantua that is a vibrant art centre where temporary exhibitions and cultural events take place.

It is also a museum that collects, documents and researches the evolution of its namesake's art: Andrea Mantegna.

Mantegna was an Italian painter who went on to have one of the most important print workshops in Italy. The House of Andrea Mantua was built by the artist as his home and is the ultimate expression of his ambitions and how he wanted to be seen as a person and artist.

Built on a piece of land donated by Ludovico II Gonzaga, one of the most influential patrons in Italy at the time and part of the ruling Gonzaga family of Mantua, the house is expressed across two floors on a square plan with a central circular courtyard around which all of the rooms are arranged.

Mantua is a city in Lombardy, in the north of Italy, that is a serious Renaissance gem of a place but remains a little-known holiday destination outside of its homeland. However, with its pretty buildings, rich cultural history, scenic and lush surroundings and status as well and truly off the beaten tourist path, it makes for an excellent vacation destination! Just find a vacation rental in Lombardy and come explore this stunning city.

One of the crowning jewels of this beautiful town is the Bibiena Theatre, also known as the Scientific Theatre, as it was intended for the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts and designed to accommodate performances, scientific experiments and scientific doctrinal expositions.

Today, it remains an important educational centre and is a museum and a venue that is used for music festivals, concerts and important conventions.

In the last post, we introduced the pretty and historic Tuscan town of Montelupo Fiorentino, located just outside Florence and its grand and long-standing tradition in ceramics. A typical Tuscan village, surrounded by beautiful hills, it is home to over 120 producers of its famous ceramics to this day but it is also home to the Museum of Ceramics, which is excellent at giving insight into the importance of the Tuscan ceramics from Montelupo in the history of Italian and European pottery. If you are interested in artisanal goods and craftsmanship, it is a must-see and is also a pleasant museum experience that is a stone's throw away for those who have found a vacation rental in Florence but, also, a little removed from the bustling tourist crowds of the city.

Montelupo Fiorentino is a pretty village, located just on the outskirts of Florence, that has been an important centre for handmade ceramics in Tuscany since the Middle Ages. Montelupo ceramics were traded and dispensed all across Europe and quickly became synonymous with quality and beautiful craftsmanship. Today, it is home to plenty of workshops still producing the pieces and a museum dedicated to the craft, the Museum of Ceramics in Montelupo. If you have found a vacation rental in Florence and are interested in Tuscany's long legacy of excellence in all of the arts but need a break from the busy historic centre and bustling museums of the city, this is a great place to soak up the region's history of artisanal prowess and even shop it, all while enjoying a slower pace and calmer lifestyle.