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Posted on Aug 19, 2014 in Villages | 0 comments

Castiglione Olona: il Rinascimento toscano in Lombardia

Sette chilometri, una distanza piccola tutto sommato. Moltiplicatela per se stessa e otterrete la superficie di Castiglione Olona. Sette chilometri quadrati di tetti rossi e strade tortuose, acciottolati che s’insinuano tra le case e archi che introducono a cortili interni che ospitano ancora frammenti di Medioevo. La pianta del paese, più che a uno spunto topografico, deve la sua conformazione all’impronta di Branda Castiglioni, il cardinale che decise di farne una cittadella ideale del Rinascimento. Il suo intento di creare luoghi in cui appellarsi alle arti si tocca con mano, guardando alla costellazione di palazzi e chiese che costituisce la spina dorsale del borgo. Fu Branda a fondare la prima biblioteca del paese, luogo prezioso e molto raro a quei tempi, e a lui si deve la presenza della Scuola di Canto e Grammatica che oggi è la sede del municipio. Si può dire che il versetto di Geremia che Castiglioni scelse come motto araldico quando fu nominato cardinale, e cioè: Dice il Signore fermatevi sulle strade, guardate, informatevi...

Posted on Sep 17, 2013 in Villages | 0 comments

Issogne and Fenis: stunning castles in Val d’Aosta

On the right bank of the Dora Baltea, in Val d’Aosta, is a residential fort that dates back to the 1400s. Issogne Castle takes its name from the nearby town. It was created in Renaissance style, sparingly adorned on the outside, almost austere, with towers that are only slightly higher than the fort itself. The surrounding defensive wall encloses a small courtyard, the center of which has a fountain in the form of a pomegranate tree made of wrought iron, with water flowing from its branches. The internal part of the defensive wall contain many frescoes depicting the coats of arms of the Challant family, who built the fort and owned it for many years. The spaces underneath the cross vaults of the portico in the courtyard are decorated with realistic, colorful designs. Several interior rooms of the castle may be visited, having been carefully refurbished, including the kitchen, with typical objects from the period, the dining room and the baronial room with exposed ceiling trusses and walls decorated with landscapes, hunting scenes and the Judgment of...

Posted on Aug 22, 2013 in Villages | 0 comments

Castle of Otranto: above the waves

In the collective imagination, a castle is usually clinging to a rock cliff, hidden behind clouds and looking out majestically over a valley, protected by thick walls. From this image, we construct fantasies about courtly scenes, with dancing and music, sometimes from there moving on to conspiracies, bloody battles and lengthy sieges. In Otranto, a truly enchanting city in Puglia, the setting is a bit different, but no less interesting. There is an ancient castle in the city, but its walls seem to rise up from the limpid sea, forming, together with the water, a sort of defense for the town. This historical town and its cathedral represent one of the jewels of Salento, a stretch of land that is full of surprises and marvels. You arrive in Otranto’s city center through the Porta Terra gate, part of the city wall that, over the centuries, has been rebuilt several times. The village is a maze of streets, passageways, sudden curves and blind alleys, often uphill, and paved in stone....

Posted on Aug 20, 2013 in Villages | 0 comments

Gradara Castle: history’s twists and turns

Even those who are not history scholars have heard of certain famous lineages, the Malatestas, the Sforzas, the Della Roveres, the Medicis, and the Borgias. These powerful families waged wars over centuries, passing their conflicts down from generation to generation, committing crimes and eliciting passions, mixing it all together with intrigues and subterfuge. But there is one element they have in common, Gradara Castle, one of the most beautiful in Italy, located on the border between the Marches and Romagna, atop a hill that looks out over the valley, with a view that stretches as far as the Adriatic Sea. Close your eyes and imagine a Medieval castle that started out as a military fort, which then transformed over time into an graceful residence. Gradara is one of the best-preserved castles and its careful refurbishment has made it a textbook example of a fort from the Middle Ages. The fort can be seen from quite a distance, encircled by a series of walls and towers that give the observer...

Posted on Jul 18, 2013 in Villages | 0 comments

La Bella Estate: a tour of the literature, wine and food of Cesare Pavese

La bella estate is literally translated as “the beautiful summer”, but according to Cesare Pavese, it is that stage in life in which everything has yet to happen, and is still far enough away that it seems small and easy to overcome. La bella estate is the assumption by which the city sees itself as different than the country, without realizing that it is made from the same organisms. La bella estate is a summer in which everything is on the verge of happening and, when it does finally happen, no one seems to realize, because they are too distracted by the anxiety of having something else, something more. A beautiful summer, for us, includes a book by Pavese and a little wine. When a good book and a glass of wine go together, the feeling of finding yourself in an idyllic moment is priceless. How can we achieve this? By planning a weekend in the Langhe region of Cuneo. From 29 June to 7 September, in Santo Stefano...

Posted on Jun 29, 2013 in Beach and coast, Villages | 0 comments

Villa Jovis on Capri: traces of Tiberius amidst untamed nature and terraces overlooking the sea

Sometime a certain individual’s character leaves an indelible mark not only through his life and works, but also in a more concrete and tangible manner. Take, for example, Emperor Tiberius. Ancient biographers describe the second emperor of the Julius-Claudius dynasty as an introvert, not inclined to lively social interactions, and even cruel: a rather sad and suspicious person. This is a decidedly negative perspective that does not consider his bravery in battle during his youth, carried out in the shadow of Caesar and Octavius, in which he proved to have a rare military talent. Augustus governed the empire from 14 to 37 A.D. and lived a rather reserved life, whose rule was resolute and peaceful. He decided, by nature of his upbringing and character, to stay away from courtly intrigues and gossip, and lived the last ten years of his reign on the island of Capri, governing the empire far from Rome, with all the risks this involved. We mentioned above that there are places where the heart and...

Posted on Jun 18, 2013 in Villages | 0 comments

Village of Soncino: fantasy and impregnable towers

In an agricultural plain, full of farms interspersed with small villages, ruins of ancient monastic communities as well as other fine examples of medieval and Renaissance architecture, you may chance upon Soncino, a village in the province of Cremona. The village is surrounded by a ring wall and is laid out in a rectangular pattern, evidence of its Roman roots. It is full of enchanting buildings and churches, but if you pass outside the city wall, your attention will undoubtedly be captured by the Castle. This castle belonged to the Sforza family, who dominated the city’s history for a long period, and built this fort in the twelfth century. In 1473, the engineer Bartolomeo Gadio began a series of modifications. The structure, made completely of brick, is characterised by four impressive towers, of which only the circular tower, the highest, was used as a lookout. The castle walls, which are remarkable for their width and height, were designed to withstand artillery fire. They were protected by battlements and had...

Posted on Jun 11, 2013 in Villages, Villas | 0 comments

Villa Peyron in Fiesole: charm, extravagance and symbolic paths

The hills of Fiesole, 8 kilometers (5 miles) north of Florence, immediately conjures delightful images. Lush vegetation, broken up by cypresses in strategic places, elegant villas with breathtaking gardens, panoramic views over the city of Giglio in all of its monumental beauty, parish churches, archeological sites, and abbeys that recount centuries-old stories, all characterized by the continual search for harmony and balance between man and nature. The echoes of the Fiesole hills and their fascination was so strong that at the beginning of the 1800s, the number of foreigners, particularly British, who took up residence in this area began to grow significantly. Most likely they were drawn by what has attracted people to Fiesole since the Renaissance, when wealthy Italian families, artists, poets and writers flocked here to experience a city that lies somewhere between reality and mythology, capable of suggesting the splendor of its glorious past. Around the semi-circle created by the natural slopes on which Fiesole rests, villages, lovely gardens, terraced vegetable gardens and small farms were...

Posted on Jun 4, 2013 in Parma, Villages | 0 comments

Verdi territory: Parma and other operatic cities

The area in which Giuseppe Verdi was born and raised and where his talent was first recognized – Roncole di Busseto, Busseto and Parma – have a spirit rich with song and melody. It is a sort of sweet poison that some say comes from the fog and the land and which affects and impassions the people of this region. It is evidenced in certain trattorias, where even today, you will eat and drink accompanied by Verdi’s arias, and in the formation of societies such as the 27 Club, which was created in a bar in 1958 and hosts animated discussions of opera, deriving its name from the number of operas Verdi composed. Verdi was born at home, which was also a tavern run by his father to supplement his work in the fields. A legend holds that while his mother was giving birth to him, a group of performers were playing and singing on the ground floor. And thus his destiny was shaped. Many who visit his birthplace are struck by the...

Posted on May 20, 2013 in Lakes, Villages | 0 comments

Fort Montecchio: ghosts of the Great War in Colico

Colico is a city on the southern part of Lake Lecco. The surrounding area is distinguished by what is known as the four “montecchi”, or foothills that rise around the lake. It is from these foothills that Fort Montecchio North gets its name, an imposing military stronghold dug into the rock face. Fearing the tensions that would later transform into the First World War, the Kingdom of Italy decided to construct the fortress between 1913 and 1914. It was strategically located, at the entrance to the valleys that lead into Lombardy – Valchiavenna and Valtellina. Its purpose was to block an attacking enemy coming from Switzerland or Austria. From that single point, Italy could keep its two powerful neighbors to the north in check. The fort consists of two sections: the upper part is dominated by the four cannons and shelter for the troops, accommodating approximately 40 men. They are connected by a covered walkway of nearly 140 meters (460 feet) from which several crenels open. The fort has...

Posted on May 16, 2013 in Beach and coast, Villages | 0 comments

Violet Coast and Scilla: where the sea and legends intersect

The Violet Coast is a jagged shoreline that, in some places, juts up vertically from the Tyrrhenian Sea, and in others, is gentler, offering beaches, caves and ravines where you can dive into the sea appropriately named for the color. The roads and towns that skirt the coast offer a view of the Aeolian Islands or of Sicily, which, on clear days, seem to gleam just beyond your reach. The Violet Coast extends for 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the Strait of Messina to Palmi. Of all the villages dotting this fascinating shore, Scilla is the one with the most history and splendor, existing in a balance between reality and myth. The name itself has ancient origins. In Greek mythology, Scylla was the sea monster whose top half was that of a woman while the bottom half had one or more tails and six ferocious dogs that were hidden at her waist. Scylla stayed on the peninsula side of the Strait, while on the Sicilian side, there lived another...

Posted on May 11, 2013 in Villages | 0 comments

Asolo: the city of a hundred horizons

Robert Browning, an English poet from the mid-1800s, entitled his last work Asolando. It is a neologism that combined the name of the village in the Veneto region that provided the setting for some of his poems, and where he lived just before dying, with the word “asolare”, which literally means “go out for some fresh air, enjoy the outdoors”. Taking the word play a further step, you could replace the “A” at the beginning with an “I” and get “Isolando”, which, perhaps, would more aptly describe the spirit of this village, nestled in the green hills of Treviso, solitary, but close to large cities, secluded but discernible by the outline of the fort that is striking even from afar. Browning was not the only one to be fascinated by Asolo. There are a number of famous people that have been enthralled by the city: Palladio, Canova, Hemingway, Eleonora Duse. The latter came here seeking respite from the strains of acting or from the heartaches she suffered from her...

Posted on May 10, 2013 in Villages | 0 comments

Apricale: inland Liguria, amid art, olive oil and natural wonders

We are in Ponente, inland Liguria. There are no views of the sea from here, nor can you smell the salt water. Instead the area is dominated by the slopes and high grounds to which the groves of taggiasca olives and the houses of the small towns cling, where stillness and legends reign. This area has one of the oldest olive routes in Italy, a road that unites 20 towns, with stone houses, covered passageways, parish churches, bell towers and paved alleys that are never level, as the terrain does not permit it. One of the most famous is Apricale, which presents itself more like a backdrop than a town. The castle, known as Lucertola, is very interesting. It was constructed around the year 1000, and its ownership passed through some of the most powerful families in the area, such as the Doria. Its renown is due to the fact that it houses the town by-laws on parchment dating back to 1267. These documents set out the primary activities...

Posted on May 9, 2013 in Beach and coast, Villages | 0 comments

Ponza Island: a wild harbor in the middle of crystal clear waters

Don’t be fooled by the fact that this island is not often mentioned as one of Italy’s most beautiful, or that you don’t see it on top-ten lists with stars beside it. Ponza, the largest island in the archipelago that bears its name, is straight out of a fairy tale. Your arrival in the harbor presents one of the most picturesque and surprising vistas you can imagine. Although it was modified in the 1700s, you can still see unmistakable signs of its structure dating back to the Romans. There are numerous other traces of the descendants of Romulus and Remus. Probably the most spectacular of these are the Caves of Pontius Pilate, which can only be reached by the sea. It is a sophisticated fishery, consisting of five pools, of which only one is external while the others are dug into the rock. The pools were used for breeding moray eels, which the Romans considered a delicacy, and is near an enormous Augustan villa. The harbor is the hub...

Posted on May 3, 2013 in Villages | 0 comments

Little Jerusalem: Pitigliano, a town extending over volcanic rock

Sometimes, it is our mistakes that lead us to discover a beautiful location or an unexpected story, the maps that are turned in the wrong direction, a letter mistaken for another, a path taken in one direction rather than the other, missing a metro stop or the bus stop. With the technology we have available today, this happens more and more infrequently, and so, to leave us gazing in open-mouthed amazement, a place has to be especially fascinating, it must possess something that re-connects us to that part of our brains that we have forgotten about since our childhood – wonder. Pitigliano is just the place to produce this kind of epiphany, a small town in Tuscany not far from Lazio. When you arrive, after negotiating the twists and turns in the road that provide glimpses to the nearby fields, you are presented with a vision, a town that lies in a plain of volcanic rock, or tuff, where the town rises in perfect continuity with the essence and...

Posted on May 3, 2013 in Natural Beauty, Villages | 0 comments

Sacred Hermitage of Camaldoli: charm amidst thousand-year-old forests

The Foreste Casentinesi are a magical place, dating back millennia, in which you can sample a piece of the ancient world, where men and nature seem to bear the signs of a past that still pulsates. The forests were developed along part of the Tuscany-Romagna Apennine mountains, straddling the provinces of Arezzo, Florence and Forlì-Cesena. As you walk through them, even on a short hike, you may only see the sun rarely, through a thick mantle of branches and leaves, and you will roam around large parts of terrain blanketed in lush green. The forests are worth an extended visit in and of themselves, but in the Casentino area you can also find castles, Romanesque parish churches, ancient villages and some of the most fascinating Italian monasteries. Among these, surrounded by a forest of white pine trees, having stood for thousands of years and revealing itself in its quiet essentiality, you will find in Sacred Hermitage of Camaldoli, with its associated monastery just 3 kilometers (almost 2 miles) away....

Posted on Mar 19, 2013 in Bergamo, Cities, Villages | 0 comments

Crespi: a Unesco World Heritage Jewel

Crespi d’Adda is located 18 kilometres (11 miles) from Bergamo. It is a working-class village founded in 1878, completed at the end of the 1920s and has remained unchanged to this day. It is a perfect example of industrial architecture and in 1995, UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site. The Crespi were a family from Busto Arsizio that were in the textile manufacturing business. At the end of the 1800s, Cristoforo Benigno Crespi found the area at the border between the provinces of Bergamo and Milano, where they are divided by the Adda River, and bought the land, re-routed water from a canal to generate power and built the first part of the production facility, the spinning mill. Cristoforo’s son, Silvio, took the project even further. After graduating from university, he travelled and worked in Germany and England. It was in the latter that he discovered the Garden Cities, urban centres where work facilities and residences were adjacent. After he returned to Italy, Silvio applied the Garden Cities...