At Bomarzo, in the province of Viterbo in northern Lazio, there is a unique complex of monuments called Parco dei Mostri (Park of the Monsters) also called Sacro Bosco (Sacred Forest) or Villa delle Meraviglie (Villa of Marvels). Commissioned by Prince Pier Francesco Orsini and dedicated to his wife Giulia Farnese, it was designed and built in 1547 by …
Anyone who stays in Lazio cannot miss a visit to the castles of the Borgia, the family that, in the sixteenth century, imposed its power not only on the region, but played an important part in the Renaissance history of Italy, thanks to unscrupulous political alliances, intrigues, crimes and ecclesiastical careers successfully undertaken by Alfonso and Rodrigo Borgia, …
On the promontory facing the splendid Gulf of Patti, in the province of Messina, overlooking the picturesque Lakes of Marinello, stands the Sanctuary of Tindari. The building was constructed where ancient documents report the existence of the Castle of Tindari, confirming the hypothesis that the first religious nucleus was constituted by a fortified church built on a …
The Church of St. Clement is one of the most interesting religious buildings in Rome and is located a few steps from the Colosseum. The visit requires a descent through four different architectural layers from up to 2000 years ago and reaching 20 meters below ground. It’s not unusual considering that the visible archaeological part of Rome corresponds …
The Sistine Chapel is one of the most visited monuments in the world. Almost twenty thousand people a day and five million every year go to the Vatican to admire Michelangelo’s masterpiece. The Sistine Chapel Before Michelangelo’s Intervention The work began on May 10th, 1508, as Michelangelo himself noted in his diary. The chapel in which the …
In the Gulf of Naples, a few kilometers from Pompeii and in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, there is an amazing underwater archaeological park, the Roman city of Baia. It is one of the lesser-known archaeological sites, but actually one of the most important places in the Empire. An exclusive holiday resort, well known since …
There are very few remains in the world like those of Matera, which is why in 1993, UNESCO decided to include the park of the rock churches and the two stony districts of the city, Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano, in the list of the heritages of humanity. The history of Matera dates back to …
In the Ligurian hinterland, in the province of Imperia, at 765 meters above the valley of the Argentina stream, there is the small village of Triora, a historically very important place from a strategic, military and religious point of view. Located on the border of Piedmont, it had five fortresses, accessible through seven gates and …
