Archive for 'Pretty Views'

Maiori is a fishing town and peaceful bathing resort on the Amalfi Coast that boasts one of the largest beaches in the area, a colourful nightlife, great restaurants, cute shops, and plenty of pretty buildings. Once the Republic of Amalfi's principal port, with streets lined with stunning patrician palazzi, in the Middle Ages King Filippo IV even declared the town the Città Regia.

Located at the mouth of the valley of Tramonti, the town is said to have been founded by the Etruscan Lucumone Reghinna, though there is debate about whether the Romans, Etruscans or Greeks were the actual founders.

Its ancient name is Reghinna Major, in contrast to the nearby town of Reghinna Minor (called Minori today). Reghinna Major and Reghinna Minor were actually the names of two rivers, with Maiori having been built at the mouth of the Reginna Major river.

Isola San Giulio is a beautiful little island located on Lake Orta in the Northern Italian region of Piedmont. Perfectly picturesque, it is a wonderful sight that must be seen with your own eyes to be believed and paints an image similar to the famous island of Bled in Slovenia. If you have found a vacation rental in Piedmont, it is a must-see.

Narni in Italy is an old and beautiful hill-town that is located in the central Italian region of Umbria and is often better known by its ancient Roman name of Narnia.

The town is not the snowy wonderland from C.S. Lewis' famous series of books but it did inspire the author in his creation of that beloved fictional universe. He never visited Narni but knew of the town from reading Roman history and writers such as Tacitus, Livy, and Pliny the Elder.

Lewis' former secretary also noted that had specifically told him that the name on the atlas had inspired him in the writing of his Chronicles.

Located about 50 miles north of Rome, it is a place that any fans of Narnia will find interesting if they have found a vacation rental in Rome and are planning for day trips during their stay.

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.