Pastel coloured houses climb the hillside, their facades reflected in the calm waters of the harbour. Portofino is the jewel of the Italian Riviera, a fishing village turned glamorous resort that has attracted the world’s elite since the 1950s. The Piazzetta, a tiny square at the water’s edge, buzzes with conversation as diners sip wine […]
Carnival of Venice, Italy – starting 25 February 2011 – 9 March 2011
Venice transforms into a theatre of masks and mystery once each year. The Carnival of Venice is one of the most famous celebrations in the world. For two weeks, the city fills with elaborate costumes, masquerade balls, and street performances. The origins of the festival go back centuries, to a time when Venetians hid their […]
Categories: Amusement and Theme Parks, Cities, Italy, Sights
The Cathedral of Monreale – one of the greatest treasures and most important attractions of Sicily, Italy
Gold covers nearly every surface inside Monreale Cathedral. Six thousand four hundred square metres of Byzantine mosaics tell stories from the Old and New Testaments. The figures stare down from the walls with enormous eyes, their robes shimmering in the dim light. King William II built this cathedral in the twelfth century to outshine the […]
Categories: Islands, Italy, Nature, Religious Monuments, Sicily, Sights, Sights, Virtual Travel
Portoferraio – the largest and capital city of the Italian island of Elba
Portoferraio curves around a natural harbour on the northern coast of Elba. White buildings climb the hillsides beneath the gaze of ancient fortresses. Napoleon spent his first exile here, and his presence lingers in the Villa dei Mulini and the Villa San Martino. Ferries from the mainland arrive daily, disgorging travellers eager to explore the […]
Categories: Cities, Islands, Italy, Nature, Nature, Sights, Sights
Piazza di Spagna – one of the most popular meeting points in Rome | Italy
The Spanish Steps cascade down the Pincian Hill in a waterfall of travertine and blooming azaleas, each landing filled with Romans and travellers alike sitting shoulder to shoulder in the late afternoon sun. At the foot, the Fontana della Barca sinks into the piazza, a boat half submerged in clear water, a reminder that the […]
Categories: Cities, Italy, Rome, Sights, Sights, Virtual Travel, Wellness, Relax & Sports
Foro Romano – one of the most important archaeological sites in the world | Italy
Walk where Caesar walked. The Roman Forum was the beating heart of an empire, a crowded valley of temples, courthouses, and market stalls where senators plotted and citizens argued. Today its broken columns and shattered arches lie open to the sky, scattered among weeds and wildflowers. The Via Sacra still runs its ancient course, worn […]
San Pietro in Vincoli – home of Michelangelo’s statue of Moses | Rome, Italy
Few churches in Rome hide their masterpiece quite so unassumingly. San Pietro in Vincoli sits on the Esquiline Hill, its simple brick facade giving no hint of the artistic treasure waiting inside. Visitors come for one thing: Michelangelo’s Moses, carved from a single block of Carrara marble. The prophet sits with horns on his head, […]
Categories: Cities, Italy, Religious Monuments, Rome, Sights, Sights, Virtual Travel
Milan Cathedral – the largest cathedral in Italy and 2nd largest in Europe
Five centuries of construction produced one of the most extraordinary buildings on earth. Milan’s Duomo is a mountain of white marble covered in 135 spires and more than 3,400 statues. From the rooftop terraces you can walk among the pinnacles, coming face to face with saints and gargoyles carved in exquisite detail. The interior is […]
Categories: Cities, Italy, Religious Monuments, Sights, Sights
Gioiosa Marea – a beautiful historic town in Sicily | Italy
Jasmine-scented air drifts through the narrow streets of Gioiosa Marea, a Sicilian town perched on a promontory overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. White houses cascade down the hillside toward a coastline of hidden coves and dark volcanic sand. The historic centre centres on Piazza Municipio, where locals gather in the evening for a passeggiata beneath the […]
Categories: Cities, Islands, Italy, Nature, Nature, Sicily, Sights, Sights
Venice – the most important tourist destination at Adriatic Sea | Italy
Venice rises from the lagoon like a mirage, a city built on wood pilings driven into mud a thousand years ago. There are no cars here. The streets are canals. The buses are boats. Gondolas glide under low bridges while water taxis skip across the Giudecca Canal. St. Mark’s Square floods at high tide, reflecting […]
Categories: Cities, Italy, Nature, Sea Sites, Sights, Sights