Archive for 'Pretty Views'

Trieste is an incredibly pretty seaside city in the north of Italy and there are plenty of beautiful buildings all around it but one of the most striking of them all is the Faro della Vittoria, or Victory Lighthouse. The tallest landmark in Trieste, it is built on Gretta Hill and located to the north of the city centre. Built to commemorate fallen soldiers during WWI, light the Gulf of Trieste and celebrate the annexation of the city to the Kingdom of Italy, it was begun in 1923, according to the design of Arduino Berlam.

Ca' Rezzonico, is a Venetian palace designed by Baldassare Longhena and located in the Dorsoduro district. It is one of the grandest of the palaces on the Grand Canal. A seventeenth and eighteenth century building, it is owned by the City of Venice and is home to the Museo del Settecento Veneziano (Museum of Eighteenth-Century Venice), which is understandable, as it is a truly stunning example from the period.

Filled with collections of period architecture and art, boasting ceilings frescoed by Tiepolo, the last home of poet Robert Browning and a one-time home to the studio of painter John Singer Sargent, it is a multi-faceted and fascinating space that has a long history and lots to offer. It is also probably one of the only places to experience a Grand Canal palazzo's interior outside of the Biennale festival. If you're an interiors lover or have been to Venice plenty of times, it is a perfect spot to spend some hours wandering around in awe. Just find a vacation rental in Venice and drop by to go back to the 18th century.

All this week we've been asking our staff members to pick and share some of their favourite spots all around Italy because who better to make great travel suggestions than locals, Italophiles and Italian travel professionals and experts?

If you have been thinking of planning a trip to Italy but haven't quite settled on a location, read on and consider the most beautiful places we've ever seen. Who knows, you just might find the perfect holiday destination of your dreams?

4. The Tuscan Archipelago

Few people outside of Italy ever consider the coast when they think of Tuscany. Instead, they focus on the cities and the cultural gems. However, as one of our staff-members notes, there is one part of the coast that is a serious beauty this part is “the Tuscan archipelago with [its] beautiful islands like Pianosa, Capraia, Montecristo, all inside the natural park.”

Another highlight is Giannutri, a small island south of Grosseto, where you will find the ruins of the lovely Roman Villa Domizia and incredible views over the sea.

If you have been thinking of visiting Tuscany and considering various locations, why not browse our incredible listings and find a vacation rental on the Tuscan Coast? Then you can spend lazy days exploring the many beautiful sights that it boasts for yourself.

The staff here at Easy Reserve (who run the websites Italy Villas, Tuscany Villas, Easy Reserve and more) is made up of both Italians and passionate Italophiles and we thought, who better to give you insight on the best places to visit and the lesser-known, hidden gems in Italy? Here are some of our members of staff's picks of their favourite spots in Italy and why they made them fall in love!

1. Trieste's Piazza Unità d'Italia

One of our staff members is from Venice, has family from the south of Italy and has spent his university years in Bologna but his pick is actually a magical corner of Trieste! Specifically, he singled out the Piazza Unità d'Italia, “because it is surrounded by beautiful buildings and...one side of the piazza is actually the sea, the Gulf of Trieste. So, especially at night, with the lights and everything, there is a really nice atmosphere.”

Syracuse is one of the oldest and most influential cities in the Mediterranean and began as the small island of Ortygia when the Greek Corinthians settled the area around 734 BC. Ortygia then grew outwards and developed into the much larger city of Syracuse over the centuries. The small island remains today as its historic heart and soul and a reminder of its origins. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005, it is easy to see why it has captured the hearts of so many as it is an utterly picturesque gem; surrounded by the impossibly blue waters of the Ionian Sea, it stretches out into the water as a walled diamond of winding little streets and glittering white buildings.

Wandering the labyrinthine ancient streets is a joy in of itself and getting a little lost (you can't really get lost as a few minutes walk in any direction will get you back to a main street) is half the fun but there are plenty of little delights that you can stumble upon around the district. Among them is the incredible Cathedral of Syracuse that is built on a site dating back to the 5th century BC and which was an ancient Temple of Athena. The Greek Doric columns of the temple are still visible inside the church today.