Archive for 'Museums & Galleries'

As mentioned in the previous post, the Galleria Borghese is an incredible art gallery located in a former pleasure villa in Rome belonging to a 16th century cardinal. It is home to works by the likes of Rubens, Titian and Raphael and particularly excellent collections of works by Bernini and Caravaggio. If you are an art lover who has found a vacation rental in Rome, it well and truly is a must-see attraction. Here are some more of our highlights among the collection to keep an eye out for when you visit!

3. Susanna and the Elders, Rubens, 1607

“Susanna and the Elders” by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, dates to 1607 and is one of several versions of the tale that he painted. It depicts Susanna, a figure mentioned in a deuterocanonical chapter of the biblical Book of Daniel, a fair Hebrew wife who was falsely accused by a group of voyeurs. The tale goes that two lustful elders secretly observed Susanna while she bathed in her garden and then threatened to tell others that she was meeting a young man unless she agreed to have sex with them.

There are plenty of things to see and do in Rome, in fact, the list is truly endless. However, people often focus on the monumental ruins and architectural feats of the city and immense works of art such as the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, when there are actually plenty of other excellent cultural gems to be seen. These are housed in the city's museums and, if you are an art lover, in particular, the Galleria Borghese is the Roman museum for you.

An architectural gem in its own right, the Galleria Borghese, is an art gallery housed in the former Villa Borghese Pinciana. Built by the architect Flaminio Ponzio, it was a villa suburbana, a party villa at the edge of Rome, for Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the nephew of Pope Paul V (reign 1605–1621). Borghese was a passionate patron of the arts and collector and was even involved in the designing of the villa. The Galleria Borghese today is a public art gallery that houses a substantial part of the Borghese collection of paintings, sculpture and antiquities and, in particular, is home to a rich collection of works by Caravaggio and Bernini. Other important artists represented by the collection include Titian, Raphael and Rubens, among others.

In the final post in this series, we are rounding up more of Milan's architectural masterpieces. While the city may have been put on the map internationally by its fashion, it has much more to offer any visitor when it comes to art and culture and, in particular, architecture.

Just find a vacation rental in Milan and follow this guide and you will find some of the city's best architectural gems that, handily, are also some of its major tourist attractions.

6. Villa Belgiojoso Bonaparte

The Villa Belgiojoso Bonaparte, also known as the Villa Reale and the Villa Comunale, was originally built for Count Ludovico Barbiano di Belgiojoso in the 18th century.

As the Leaning Tower of Pisa is so inordinately and overpoweringly famous, the other sights and attractions of Pisa often don't even get a look in. However, if you have found a luxury villa in Pisa and are visiting that beautiful city, you might wonder what else is there to do in Pisa? Luckily, we have compiled a list of some of the best things to see and do in Pisa that aren't towers with poor foundations.

3. Palazzo Blu

The Palazzo Blu is one of the most important art museums in the city and is, appropriately, located in a wonderfully restored 14th-century dusty-blue palace. Home to Foundation Pisa's art collection (on the 2nd floor of the building) that is made up of predominantly Pisan works from the 14th to the 20th centuries it also hosts various temporary exhibitions on the ground floor throughout the year.

The stunning city of Matera in Basilicata in Southern Italy is famous for being one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world and for its well preserved historical centre with its ‘Sassi’. These are carved caves that were hewn into the steep ravine leading down to the River Grauna. Occupied until the first half of the 20th century, when over population became a problem, these cave dwellings are famous and iconic structures.