Rome
Museums in Rome
Rome itself is the greatist open-air museum in Europe. However, besides ancient ruins and stunning architecture it offers a choice of museums and art galleries filled with paintings and sculptures of the Renaissance and the Baroque.
TheVatican Museums have exellent collections of both, as do, on a smaller scale, theCapitoline Museums.
Fine art can also be found scattered throughout Rome in museums, galleries an churches.
Vatican Museum
Vatican Museums house their fabulous masterpieces in palaces originally built for Renaissance popes such as Julius II, Innocent VIII and Sixtus IV.
Capitoline Museum
Splendid copies of Greek and Roman sculptures have been kept on the Capitoline Hill since the 15th century.
All master pieces are now housed in two palaces designed by Michelangelo:
- The Palazzo Nouvo
- Palazzo dei Conservatori
Roman Museums:
Palazzo Altemps
Piazza Sant'Apollinare 44
Phone 06/6833566 (Ticket-Office) 39967700 (Information and advance sale)
Crypta Balbi
Via delle Botteghe Oscure 31
Phone tel. 06/3996770
Etruscan National Museum of Villa Giulia
Piazzale di Villa Giulia 9, Rome
Phone 06/3226571-3201706
The Baths of Diocletian and the Octagonal Hall
v.le Enrico De Nicola 78
Phone 06/4882298 (museum) 39967700 (information and advance sale)
The Palatine Museums
Via di San Gregorio, Rome
Phone 06/69901100
Anthropology:
Museum of Rome in Trastevere
piazza Sant'Egidio 1/b
Phone 06/5816563 (Porter's) 5813717 (Offices)
Art:
Piazza Venezia Museum
V. del Plebiscito, 118 00186 - Roma
various permanent collections + temporary exhibitions (contemporary Art)
Complesso del Vittoriano - Museum of Risorgimento (Renaissance)
Via S. pietro in Carcere
open: 9.30am-7.30pm, fri-sat open until 11pm
web: www.amrcv.it
Borghese Gallery
Villa Borghese, piazza Scipione Borghese 5
Phone 06/8417645 (Museum) 32810-1 (Information and Booking Office)
National Museum of Castel Sant'Angelo
lungotevere Castello 50
Phone 06/6819111
National Gallery of Antique Art
Palazzo Barberini, via Barberini 18 Phone 06/4824184(Gallery) 32810-1 (Information and booking)
Specialized Museums:
National Museum of Pasta
Palazzo Scanderbeg, piazza Scanderbeg 114/120
Phone 06/6991119-6991120
Wax Museum
Piazza Venezia 67 (on side of SS. Apostoli)
Phone 67976482. open: 9am-8pm every day
The Rome Jewish Community Museum
Sinagoga, lungotevere Cenci
Phone 06/6840061
Numismatic Museum of the Italian Mint
Ministero del Tesoro, via XX Settembre 97
Phone 06/47613317
Palaces, Villas and Gardens
Palazzo del Quirinale – This has been the President of the Republic’s residence since 1948.
- Palazzo Montecitorio - Inside this building there are several antique and modern works of art.
- Palazzo Chigi – In the early 20th century this palace was sold to the Italian State and has been the seat of the Council of Ministers since 1961.
- Palazzo Madama – This palace contains a huge library and several works of art. It became the House of the Italian Senate in 1871.
The beautiful Villas and luxuriant gardens in Rome are magical places for romantic walks:
- Villa Borghese – This is the largest public park and the favorite of the Roman people.
- Villa Pamphilj – This villa was built in 1644. Today you can walk along the long pine tree-lined avenues, and can see the wonderful woodland.
- Pincio – This garden stretches out above Piazza del Popolo: from Piazzale Napoleone one has a wonderful panoramic view of the city.
- Gianicolo - Passeggiata del Gianicolo is very romantic and charming and a perfect place from where to admire Rome from above.
The fountains:
- Trevi Fountain – The most majestic in Rome.
- Fontana del Tritone – Built by Bernini, this fountain shows Triton who is blowing into a shell while four dolphins hold him up.
- Fontana della Barcaccia – This fountain is in Piazza di Spagna, at the foot of the Spanish Steps (Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti). It was built in remembrance of the Tiber flood that hit Rome in 1598.
- Fontana dei Fiumi – This fountain is in the center of Piazza Navona.
Florence
The magnificent churches:
- Duomo - Santa Maria del Fiore and Baptistery
Work on the Gothic cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore began in 1296 and was completed by Brunelleschi in 1436 with the famous Dome, which was painted inside with frescoes by Vasari and Zuccari.
- Orsanmichele
This church was built with the intention of becoming the people’s grain market, but was immediately used as a place of worship. 14 niches can be seen in the church’s outer walls containing the same number of statues of saints who are patrons of the arts and work “Corporations”.
- Basilica di Santa Croce
This church in the Gothic-Florentine style was built in the second half of the 12th century. It contains several masterpiecesi. The Basilica is famous throughout the world because some famous people are buried inside it, such as Alfieri, whose tomb was sculpted by Canova.
- Basilica di San Lorenzo
The interior of this church was completed by Brunelleschi and later, by Michelangelo. The Basilica di San Lorenzo’s façade is still not finished.
- Santa Maria Novella
Built in the 13th century according to the wishes of the Dominican monks, the Church’s façade is built in the Gothic-Romanesque style, with white and green marble.
Museums and galleries to be seen:
- Galleria degli Uffizi
The Uffizi Gallery is one of the largest museums in the world, built in the mid-sixteenth century, following a project by the architect Giorgio Vasari and still houses some of the most famous works of art by Italian and foreign painters from the 13th to 19th centuries.
- Galleria dell'Accademia
This Gallery was founded in 1784 by the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo, who decreed that all the schools of painting should be joined together in a single Academy. One of the most popular museums in Florence, the Gallery houses many sculptures by Michelangelo, including the famous David.
- Bargello
The National Museum, housed in a building that was the city prison dating back to 1200. It contains some of the best sculptures from the Tuscan Renaissance era. Some of the works of art in the Bargella are: the David by Donatello, Mercury by Gianbologna, and the bust of Brutus by Michelangelo.
- Archeological Museum
The collection of artifacts on show in the Museum belonged to the Medici family, especially to Cosimo il Vecchio, and comprises objects from the Etruscan period: terracotta ornaments and sculptures in marble and bronze, including the Chimera di Arezzo and l'Arringatore.
- History of Science Museum
This is an important collection of scientific instruments that are proof of the interest that 13th century Florence had in science. The collection includes sun dials and night-clocks, compasses, microscopes and a series of original instruments made by Galileo Galilei.
- Casa Buonarroti
This palace was renovated in 1612 by Michelangelo Buonarroti “il giovane”, who decorated all the interior area of the building on his own, as a tribute to his ancestor. It is possible to see some early masterpieces by Michelangelo such as the Madonna della Scala and the Battaglia dei Centauri.
A walk to discover Florence:
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Ponte Vecchio
As its name suggests, this splendid Bridge is the oldest in Florence: the first construction already existed before the 11th century, but was destroyed by a flood of the Arno. The bridge was rebuilt in solid stone in 1345.
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Piazza della Signoria
The magnificent Piazza della Signoria is a real open-air exhibition: Palazzo Vecchio, with its sixteenth-century hall full of frescoes by Vasari, the Fountain of Neptune by Ammannati, and the copy of Michelangelo’s David all welcome the visitor when he enters the square. Gianbologna.
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Palazzo Pitti
This palace was built for the banker Luca Pitti halfway through the fifteenth century. After he went bankrupt, the building became the Medici family residence. The family improved the building, starting with the large courtyard designed by Ammaniti.
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Giardino di Boboli
The Boboli Gardens spread out alongside Palazzo Pitti. They were both created on the wishes of the Medici family in 1500.
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The San Lorenzo Market
The Central San Lorenzo Market is housed inside a huge iron and glass building that was built in 1874. Even though it is now a tourist attraction, the Market has preserved a part of its charm.
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Spedale degli Innocenti
This building was opened in 1445, and was the first orphanage in Europe. A part of the building is still used for this purpose today.
milan
From the ancient Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio to the huge, majestic Duomo:
- The Duomo
The most outstanding example of Gothic-Lombard architecture, the Duomo dates back to 1300. It was built on the wishes of Gian Galeazzo Visconti. This imposing religious building, second only to St Peter’s Cathedral in Rome, houses almost 3500 statues that are spread over an area of almost 12,000 square meters.
- Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio
This is the symbol of Milan’s religiousness. It was built in 379 A.D. in the Romanesque-Lombard style, and was consecrated by the famous Bishop Ambrogio, who lent his name to the Ambrosian Church. Inside there are valuable artifacts and works of art that tell the story of about 1600 years of Milan’s history.
- Santa Maria delle Grazie
This church was built in the second half of the fifteenth century. It was only completed years later by “il Bramante” on the wishes of Ludovico il Moro. The famous architect designed the wonderful apse, the cloisters and the old sacristy. Leonardo da Vinci painted “The Last Supper” in the refectory, which is one of the most famous works of art ever painted.
- Basilica of Sant' Eustorgio
A wonderful medieval religious building that was built at the beginning of the fourth century on the wishes of the Bishop Eustorgio who brought the remains of the wise kings here from Constantinople, that can still be seen in the Chapel bearing their name today.
- Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore
This wonderful basilica, located opposite the Roman columns that are the only remains of a third-century temple, includes many different architectural styles, due to the various renovations that the building has undergone.
A selection of the most interesting museums in Milan that must be visited:
- Cenacolo Vinciano
Between 1495 and 1498, Leonardo da Vinci painted the whole wall of the refectory in the Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie with a fresco of The Last Supper, one of the most famous masterpieces in history.
- La Scala Theater Museum
Founded in 1913, this interesting museum houses exhibits of various costumes and theatre sets that are of great historical and artistic value. Some rooms are dedicated to the La Scala Theater’s architecture and the life of the famous composer Giuseppe Verdi, while others house ancient musical instruments, curtains and costumes that belonged to famous artists such as Maria Callas and Rudolf Nureyev.
- Museum of Science and Technology
This interesting museum, which is named after Leonardo da Vinci and which was recently renovated and housed in an old monastery, is one of the most interesting science museums in the whole world.
- Pinacoteca Ambrosiana
This is Milan’s oldest museum, which was opened in 1609 It is home to some masterpieces by artists such as Caravaggio, Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello and Botticelli. The Ambrosiana also houses an important library which contains some ancient codes, illuminated manuscripts, and ancient books.
- The Museum of Ancient Art
This interesting museum is housed in the splendid Castello Sforzesco, and is home to some of the most important sculptures that help to understand Lombard history and culture. The works come from a period ranging from the 4th to the 16th century.
- Pinacoteca di Brera
The Pinacoteca di Brera is an art gallery set up in 1809 by Napoleone Bonaparte. It houses a great number of works of art that were “confiscated” from churches and convents throughout Europe.
Historical buildings and monuments
Royal palace
The Royal Palace, in Piazza Duomo, is a very old building that dates back to 1100 and which has been home to the most powerful men in Milan over the centuries, from the Viscontis to the Sforza family, the Spanish governors and Austrian rulers. Several temporary art exhibitions are held inside the building today.
Castello Sforzesco
The original center dates back to 1450, which was built on the wishes of the Duke Francesco Sforza. Over the centuries, the castle has undergone various changes, also due to the particular ups and downs that have seriously affected the structure.
The Monumental Cemetery
This great cemetery was built around 1860, in a Lombard style and some obviously Byzantine shapes. Among the statues, chapels and other works of art, we can find the graves of some of the most famous people from Italian and European culture, such as Alessandro Manzoni, Salvatore Quasimodo, Eugenio Montale and Maria Callas.
Columns of San Lorenzo
This is the only monument that dates back to the Roman era, which has managed to survive up to the present day. These sixteen columns that stand opposite the Basilica of San Lorenzo are all that remains of an ancient Roman temple, that probably dates back to the 2nd century.
Arco della pace
In the middle of Piazza Sempione there is this huge monument 25 meters high, that dates back to Napoleonic era. Arco della Pace is built in Neoclassical style, and is decorated with marble sculpture and Corinthian columns, and on the top there is a charming bronze “Sestiga”, a chariot drawn by six horses.
La Scala Theater
A Temple to Opera music, built at the end of the 1700s over the remains of the Church of Santa Maria della Scala, from which the theater then took its name. Some of the greatest names in opera have made their debuts in this theater: Rossigni, Donizetti, Bellini, Puccini and, in 1839, Giuseppe Verdi who moved to the Grand Hotel in Milan on that date where he continued to live until he died.
To discover the romantic, attractive side of Milan: from the picturesque views of the Navigli to the green oases in the center of Milan…
Navigli
The origins of the Navigli date back to about 1100, but this stretch of water was only made navigable from the Ticino to the center of Milan at the end of the 14th century, to help transport the marble that was needed to build the Duomo.
Brera
This is one of the most exclusive and fashionable places in Milan, that has an atmosphere vaguely reminiscent of Paris, with its artists, open-air coffee shops and sophisticated boutiques - full of wares for the home and handmade dresses that seem to be creations of sculptors and not dressmakers.
Piazza Mercanti
This characteristic square near the Duomo is surrounded by very interesting historical buildings that represent Milanese culture from the middle ages to the seventeenth century.
Parco Sempione
This park stands behind Castello Sforzesco. It is huge and fascinating with its lakes, meadows and little bridges. It is the ideal place to spend a Sunday afternoon in the fresh air. The Park is home to monuments such as the Arena Napoleonica, the Tower designed by Giò Ponti and the Triennale di Milano.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele
This was built around 1870 and is called the “salotto di Milano” (The Milan Lounge): If you walk along its cross-shaped "arms", topped by the glass and iron structure, you can see old coffee-shops, restaurants, boutiques and historical bookshops.
Porta Venezia Gardens
These wonderful gardens can be found between Via Palestro and Porta Venezia, the favorite place to be for the Milanese on springtime afternoons. The gardens which were the first to be opened to the public in Milan, date back to the end of the eighteenth century and were renovated in 1880.
Naples
Churches and Museums
Cathedral-Duomo – this was built around the end of the 12th century. The Cathedral of Naples has undergone several restorations over the centuries, partly carried out to repair the damage from earthquakes and partly to increase its artistic beaut
Church of Santa Chiara – This church originated in 1300 and was restored after the Second World War during which it was damaged in air-raid bombing. It was returned to its original Provencal Gothic style. The funeral monument of Robert I of Anjou is to be noted. In the nearby Convent in Piazza del Gesù, there is a wonderful majolica-tiled Cloister to be seen.
Church of San Lorenzo Maggiore – This is a magnificent building dating back to the end of the 13th century, which was restored in the 17th century. Every Christmas a life-size nativity scene is set up inside the church.
Church of San Gregorio Armeno – A wonderful example of Neapolitan Baroque art. The church is completely covered inside with frescoes and has cloisters that were designed in 1580 with a beautiful marble fountain in the center.
Church of Gesù Nuovo – The opulent interior of this church, filled with multi-color marble and with altars inlaid with semi-precious stones such as agate, amethysts and lapis lazuli, are a sight to be seen.
The museums to visit to learn all about this city’s history and culture:
- San Martino Museum – This museum is in the wonderful Certosa (Carthusian Monastery) of San Martino, and is dedicated to Neapolitan history and culture. There is a very interesting section on nativity scenes which displays examples from the 18th and 19th centuries.
- Royal Palace Museum – This is the Museum of the seventeenth-century Royal Palace where all the furniture, sculptures, porcelain and paintings belonging to the Bourbon dynasty are kept. The “Palace’s Sacred Art” Collection can be seen in the palace chapel.
- National Archeological Museum – This is the most important archeological museum in Europe and contains the collection of objects that belonged to the Bourbon family and also a series of bronzes, sculptures and other objects found in the digs at Pompeii and Herculaneum.
- Capodimonte Museum and Gallery - This Museum, opened in 1950, houses works of art ranging from the 13th to the 18th century which belonged to the Farnese family and which were then inherited by the Bourbon family.
Historical buildings and monuments
The Royal Palace and Gardens – This is a wonderful Renaissance style area, dating back to the 17th century. It was the residence of the Spanish Viceroys. The royal gardens are full of tree-lined avenues, shaded by magnolias and Holm oak trees, with rare plants, statues and “secret gardens”.
Castel Maschio Angiolino – This castle was built towards the end of the 13th century on the instructions of the Anjou family, and became an important cultural center where artists and writers such as Giotto, Petrarca and Boccaccio stayed.
Castel dell'Ovo – A large fortress from the 12th century that is a dominant presence on the Naples seafront. It was a royal residence for many centuries, and played an important strategic role.
Reggia di Capodimonte – This palace, ordered by Charles of Bourbon and built in 1738, dominates the whole city and has a wonderful view of the Bay of Naples. The building had a dual role, as a museum and as a royal residence, right from the start.
Castel Sant'Elmo - Castel Sant'Elmo is a majestic, six-point star-shaped building that dates back to 1329 and which was first used as a prison. It is surrounded by ramparts and forts and stands over the city: there is a spectacular view from its terraces.
Places and charm
SpaccaNapoli – This road is called by this name (it literally means Split Naples) as, when seen from the top end, it literally splits the city into two parts. SpaccaNapoli is a long straight road, or several roads about 2 km long and just 6 meters wide.
Vomero – This is an extremely peaceful, relaxing area of the city just the opposite of SpaccaNapoli. The area is full of museums, monuments, shops and historical coffee shops.
Underground Naples – This is a "city under the city” that is exceptionally old: archeological digs have found artifacts dating back 5000 years. The Greeks built imposing funeral monuments underneath the city, while the Romans built aqueducts, caverns and tunnels.
Piazza del Plebiscito – This recently renovated square is the most magnificent in Naples: it is built in the form of an amphitheater and is surrounded by wonderful monuments such as the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola, which is similar to St. Peter’s in Rome, the Royal Palace and the Galleria Umberto I.
Piazza Bellini – This is a spot that is full of life, filled with open-air coffee shops that crowd around the monument built to commemorate the composer of the same name and the archeological site that has brought to light the ancient Greek walls that once stood on the square’s site.
Piazza del Gesù Nuovo – This square is cut in two by SpaccaNapoli, the famous, ancient road in Naples. There are some of the city’s most important monuments here: Palazzo Pignatelli, the Guglia dell'Immacolata (a huge church spire), the Church of Gesù Nuovo, the Monastery of Santa Chiara.
Quartieri spagnoli – One of the most fascinating places in the city that has to be explored bit by bit in this tight-knit labyrinth of alleyways and streets. When Spanish rule began around 1530, the city underwent a lot of transformations: churches, palaces and roads were built, including the wonderful Via Toledo, which took its name from the viceroy Don Pedro di Toledo.
Via San Gregorio Armeno – This road is famous worldwide as the "nativity scene road”. In this road, which links the old city center to the main roads, there are some important monuments such as the San Gregorio Armeno Monastery.
Galleria Umberto I – This gallery was built at the end of the nineteenth century. Galleria Umberto is an imposing building with four wings in iron and glass and a wonderful, huge dome in the middle. The style is similar to that of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan.
Posillipo Hill – This hill, that is part of the sides of a crater, separates the Gulf of Naples from Pozzuoli dalla Grotta Romana. Since ancient times, this area has always been considered a residential area, where it is possible to rest from the efforts of city life.
PISA
Churches and Museums
Campo dei Miracoli. One of the most famous and admired squares in the world, it was requested by the city government at a time when Pisa was at its most splendid.
The San Matteo National Museum hosts works originating from the main churches in the city and territory. The collection includes paintings, sculptures and ceramics.
Museum of Ancient Ships in Pisa. In 1998, during the works carried out in the area around Pisa San Rossore Station, the remains of the ancient port in Pisa were brought to light.
Piaggio Museum, in Pontedera. In three thousand square meters of exhibition you can admire the Vespa, Piaggio and Gilera collections. The most important part of the museum is the Vespa collection, with its 50 years of production.
The Duomo was built between the 11th and 12th centuries, but was later subject to various restructuring work, especially after the great fire of 1595. The facade forms a scenic backdrop, with four rows of columns and decorations in colored marble on the lower part.
The Leaning Tower represents one of the symbols of Italy around the world. Designed as a bell-tower for the cathedral, work began in 1174 based on a project by Bonanno Pisano. It was completed in the 14th century.
The Baptistery. Work began in 1152 on the construction of a new baptistery, which blends well with the cathedral in terms of position, size, materials and style.
Santa Maria della Spina. This small church on the banks of the Arno is an extraordinary gem from Gothic Pisa. The name derives from the fact that a thorn from the crown of Jesus Christ has been preserved here for centuries, now exhibited in the Church of Saint Chiara.
Church of San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno. This beautiful church was built between the 9th and 10th centuries and is one of the most splendid examples of Pisan Romanesque architecture in existence.
San Michele in Borgo It was built between the 10th and 11th centuries in a transition style of Pisan Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The beautiful facade above the trusses hosts three rows of arches, a rose window and a tabernacle with statues dating from the fourteenth century.
San Zeno Abbey Reopened in 2000 following intense restoration work, this abbey hosts contemporary art exhibitions and concerts. San Zeno Abbey is unusual in its curious mix of architectural styles and orientation, as is easily noted by its facade. The facade has an ornate Romanesque geometrical design.
The Palazzo Reale National Museum was prepared in 1989 to host numerous works of art belonging to the successive courts of the city government, including the Medici, Lorena and Savoia courts, as well as some private collections.
Historical buildings and monuments
Piazza dei Cavalieri was the political center of the Pisan Republic. During the 16th century it was radically transformed by Giorgio Vasari on the wishes of Cosimo I De Medici and became the seat of the new military order known as the Knights of St. Stephen.
The “Lungarni” Quays. For centuries these quays were the heart of the city. Until the nineteenth century they were covered with piers and docks. These were later destroyed to reinforce the banks. The “Lungarni” are presented as a succession of beautiful noble buildings, interrupted by five bridges that unite the city.
The Camposanto Monumentale was founded in 1277 and completed in 1464. This cemetery is a cloister of vast galleries around the central area, which according to legend contains the "holy soil” from Palestine brought here by Pisan crusaders.
The Jewish Cemetery is located within Piazza dei Miracoli and dates back to 1648. It is one of the oldest Hebrew cemeteries in Europe. The inscriptions on the tombs are not only in Hebrew, but also in Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German and Czech.
The Mural by Keith Haring Keith Haring (1958 - 1990) was a young American artist who was known worldwide for his "Subway Drawings”. Pisa’s mural, measuring 180 meters, can be found on a wall in the Sant’Antonio Convent near Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II. It is Haring’s only work to have been planned from the beginning as a permanent work and is entitled:
Venice
Churches
Santa Croce
- Church of San Simeon Piccolo
This imposing church is located opposite the Santa Lucia train station. The Church of San Simeon Piccolo was built at the beginning of the 18th century and was intended to be a copy of the Pantheon in Rome; this is why it has a large green dome, with the statue of San Salvatore on the top. This building has been used as an auditorium for concerts for some time now.
- Church of Santo Stae
The Church of San Stae was built on the wishes of the Doge Alvise Mocenigo around 1709. Its façade is full of marble decorations and inside there are several paintings. The sculptors involved in producing these decorations were Tarsia, Torretto, Baratta and Groppelli. The designer and the builder of the church interior was the architect Giovanni Grassi. The church has a central aisle, a vaulted ceiling and three chapels on each side.
Dorsoduro
- Basilica della Salute
On October 22nd 1630, during the terrible plague that struck Venice, the Doge Nicolò Contarini publicly declared that a church would be built in the name of Health (salute) as a vow to end the scourge. A year later, in 1631, the plague was wiped out and the Basilica della Salute was opened in 1687.
Eleven plans for the church were presented and the one designed by Baldassare Longhena was chosen. The design included a huge façade that reminds one of the Palladium, with a wonderful huge door in the center. The façade was lifted with a number of steps to give the church an even greater sense of grandeur.
San Polo
- Church of San Giacometto
Popular tradition considers the church of San Giacometto to be the oldest church in Venice. It was built thanks to the belief and talent of a carpenter from Crete around the 5th century, just when the first people settled on this group of islands. The church is very small but very pretty and charming. There is a large clock on the façade, built in 1410.
- Church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
This large Gothic church, Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari is one of the most imposing religious buildings in Venice. It was built by the minor monks of the Franciscan order, known as Frari, thanks to a donation from the Doge Jacopo Tiepolo.
Castello
- Church of Santa Maria Formosa
The Church of Santa Maria Formosa is one of the eight churches built in the 7th century by San Magno, the Bishop of Oderzo. Legend goes that the Virgin Mary appeared to him in the form of a shapely, matron.
- Church of the Santissimi Giovanni and Paolo
The Church of the Santissimi Giovanni and Paolo is dedicated to the two Roman brothers who became martyrs in Rome in the 2nd century. In 1234, the order of Dominican monks began to build this church which was then finished almost two centuries later.
- Church of San Francesco della Vigna
Tradition says that the name of this pretty church comes from the vineyards that were given to the Minor Monks by Marco Ziani, the son of the Doge Pietro, in 1253.
- Church of San Giorgio Dei Greci
The Church of San Giorgio dei Greci was built starting from 1539, as soon as the Greeks obtained permission to build a church and a school from the Republic.
- Church of the Pietà
The church was built in the 15th century according to a design by Giorgio Massari and was consecrated in 1760. The building is one of the elegant and striking from the 7th century.
San Marco
- Basilica of San Marco
This wonderful church was built in 829 to contain the remains of Saint Mark, the city’s patron saint and was consecrated in 1024. It has been renovated and decorated several time over the centuries and the Basilica is most certainly the most spectacular church in the city.
- San Marco Bell Tower.
The San Marco Bell Tower was built in the 9th century. It was originally used as a lookout tower and as a lighthouse. It was rebuilt in 1100 and it was then completed in the 16th century under the guidance of the architect Bon.
Cannaregio
- Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli
The Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli is almost hidden in between two ancient palaces. It was built between 1481 and 1489 by Lombardo to protect the sacred image of the “Vergine tra due Santi”, that was first kept in Angelo Amadi’s tabernacle who lived in a courtyard nearby and which is now subject to pilgrimages and donations.
- Church of the Santissimi Apostoli
The ancient Church of the Santissimi Apostoli stands in Campo dei Santi Apostoli, where it was built in the 9th century. The current building is the result of lots of renovation work carried out during the 18th century.
- The Jesuits’ Church
The church’s façade is a perfect example of Baroque style from the beginning of the 18th century. The church is built to a Latin cross and the columns inside are topped by statues of the twelve Apostles created by various sculptors during the 17th and 18th centuries.
- Church of the Madonna dell’Orto
The Church of the Madonna dell’Orto was built around the middle of the 15th century by Fra’ Tiberio da Parma and took the name of Madonna dell’Orto due to the ancient picture of the Virgin that was found in a garden nearby and which was then taken to the church.
Buildings and monuments
Santa Croce
- Fondaco dei Turchi
This building was originally built at the beginning of the 13th century by Giacomo Palmieri, the consul of Pesaro on the Atlantic coast, who fled to Venice where he founded one of the greatest noble families in the city: the Pesaro family. In 1621, the Pesaro family rented the palace to Ottoman merchants and from then on the palace was known as the Fondaco dei Turchi (the Turks’ Warehouse).
- Ca’ Mocenigo
The Mocenigo family, from Lombardia, settled in Venice a long time ago and became one of the symbols of the city itself. One of the family branches lived at San Stae, where one of the most striking buildings in Venice was built: Ca’ Mocenigo, built with a main entrance known as a “portego” in the central block.
San Marco
- Palazzo Ducale
This exceptional building was the center of Venice’s political, social and economic life right from the beginning. Palazzo Ducale was the private residence of the Doge, but it was also the home of the Government’s and the Courts’ main offices.
- The “Procuratie” and the Napoleonic wing
Piazza San Marco is bordered on the right and on the left sides by the Procuratie, which are connected by the Napoleonic Wing. There are now several shops under the porticoes, the famous Café Florian and Café Quadri and there are also some luxurious Venetian jewelers such as Nardi and Missaglia.
The Torre dell’Orologio (the Clock Tower) is also located on the side of the old Procuratie. There is also the archway that takes you to the Mercerie.
- Scala Contarini known as “del Bovolo”
Near Campo San Bortolo, hidden among a labyrinth of alleyways, there is one of Benice’s most unusual sites: Scala Contarini, known as “del Bovolo”, which was built around the 17th century.
San Polo
- The Rialto Bridge
The Rialto Bridge was originally the only permanent connection between the two banks of the Grand Canal. It is said that in 1172, a bridge made from barges was designed, which was then replaced with a bridge with wooden columns a few years later.
- The House of Carlo Goldoni
Carlo Goldoni, the famous Venetian playwright, was born in 1707 at Palazzo Centani, located alongside Ponte San Tomà. The building has a façade with a pointed arch that faces the canal and can be seen from the bridge. It has a wonderful courtyard and an open air staircase.
- Scuola Grande di San Rocco
The Scuola Grande di San Rocco is a majestic building made from white marble, designed by the architects Bon and Scarpagnino around 1400. It was declared a School in 1489 by the Concilio dei Dieci.
Cannaregio
- Ca’ d’Oro
Palazzo Ca’ d’Oro, now home of the Franchetti Gallery, is one of the main attractions of Venetian Gothic architecture, built at the beginning of the 15th century on the wishes of Marini Contarini.
Dorsoduro
- Ca’ Rezzonico
Ca’ Rezzonico is a large building that looks down onto the Grand Canal and which is now home to the Eighteenth Century Museum in Venice. The original design of the building was commissioned by the Priuli-Bon family and was carried out by Baldassare Longhena during the first half of the 17th century. Around 1745, another floor was added to the building, just as the Rezzonico family, the new owners of the building, wished.
Museums
The most interesting museums in Venice, divided into city areas, from the Galleria dell’Accademia to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum...
Santa Croce
- The Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Oriental Art.
The Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Oriental Art in Venice are housed in the wonderful seventeenth-century building known as Ca’ Pesaro, a true example of Venetian Baroqe style, designed in 1628 by Baldassare Longhena.
The Modern Art Gallery has an interesting collection of paintings and sculptures by nineteenth and twentieth century artists such as: Kilmt, Chagall, Kandinsky, Klee, Matisse, Moore, Mirò, Morandi, De Chirico, Rodin.
On the second floor there is a large collection of oriental art pieces, divided into two sections: China and Indonesia on one side and Japan on the other.
Castello
- Arsenale (The Shipyards)
The Venice Arsenale were built around 1104 and was then extended over three centuries, to a point where they took up a large area of the Castello sestiere. The Arsenale are made up of a set of buildings from where the Venetian war and merchant fleets set off.
The entire shipyard area was surrounded by high walls, protected by square towers that had winged lions on the top.
San Marco
- Correr Museum
The Correr Museum, which is located in theNapoleonic Wing of Piazza San Marco and in a part of the Procutatie, houses several items and findings that tell the story of Venetian art and history. In the part of the museum that takes up the magnificent Neoclassical rooms of the Napoleonic Wing there is a wonderful collection of sculptures by Canova. The part of the museum that is in the new Procuratie holds an exhibition showing various aspects of the city: it is possible to observe the Serenissima trading and the traditional Venetian festivals.
Dorsoduro
- Peggy Guggenheim Museum
The Peggy Guggenheim Museum is a foundation that is housed inside Palazzo Venier dai Leoni, a typical building with just one floor that looks out onto the Grand Canal. In 1954 Peggy Guggenheim (1898-1979), a collector and patron of many modern artists, bought the building to live in, transferring her own collection of sculptures and paintings by artists such as Mirò, Magritte, Boccioni, Picasso, Chagall, Mondrian, Kandinsky, Ernst, Dalì. Today these works of art can be visited at the Peggy Guggenheim Foundation, the best Museum of Modern Art in Venice: 400 works of art, including paintings and sculptures.
- Academy
The Academy of Fine Arts was set up on September 24th 1750, headed first by Piazzetta and then by Tiepolo. In 1807, a true art gallery was set up inside it, that served two purposes: it offered important models for the Academy’s students and also housed the artistic inheritance left by the public buildings that were dismantled after the Venice Marine Republic fell from power.
Places and charm
The most charming places that can be discovered walking around the city: from Piazza San Marco to the Ghetto...
San Marco
- Piazza San Marco
Piazza San Marco is the only “Piazza” in Venice, as all the other square are given the name “Campo”. From the very beginning, Piazza San Marco was designed and built as an extension of Palazzo Ducale and theSan Marco Basilica, the true centers of political and social life in Venice. The space originally taken up by the square was rather narrow and had a canal running through it: the Rio Batario.
- The Bridge of Sighs
This is one of the most popular tourist sights in Venice. The bridge connects the Palazzo Ducale, where prisoners were tried, to the prisons known as the Piombi. The bridge was built on the orders of the Doge Mario Grimani and was made in stone from Istria. It was decorated on the outside with Baroque patterns. The beauty of the structure has given the bridge a romantic connotation in complete contrast to its actual use. The sighs that the bridge inspired were definitely not sighs from people in love, but from the prisoners who had just been sentenced to years in jail in the terrible “piombi”.
- Mercerie
The Mercerie cut the old city center into two parts, connecting Piazza San Marco to Rialto. This is Venice’s main throughway, the heart of the city’s commercial trade since ancient times when the precious fabric shops stayed open until late.
Dorsoduro
- Zattere
The Zattere walk is one of the most romantic and prettiest in Venice.
Fondamenta delle Zattere begins at San Basilio and continues alongside the Giudecca Canal, which runs parallel to the Grand Canal, and ends at the Punta della Salute where the old Sea Customs house is located, a truly charming, panoramic place from where you can see the whole of San Marco bay and San Giorgio island as far as the Lido.
San Polo
- The Rialto Market
The famous Rialto Market has two parts to it: Erbaria and Pescaria. Erbaria is the fruit and vegetable market which is right under the Rialto Bridge, on the opposite side to Campo San Bortolo. Pescaria is the fish market and is just a short walk away, under the porticoes of a neo-Gothic building that looks out on the Grand Canal.
Cannaregio
- The Jewish Ghetto
The Venice Ghetto was the first to be set up in Europe and was founded in 1516, further to laws issued by the Serenissima: The Venetian Jews had to live inside the area bordered by the Ghetto Bridge, and could not leave the area from dusk until dawn. Guards were placed at the Ghetto boundaries to control the Jews’ movements and the Ghetto was closed at night with gates.
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