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Arco della Pace is a triumphal arch in Milan, a Neoclassical monument located in Piazza Sempione, separated from Castello Sforzesco by the Sempione Park. The arch, inaugurated on September 10, 1838, during a ceremony attended by the newly crowned emperor Ferdinand I of Austria, is dedicated to the peace established between the European nations at the Vienna Congress of 1815.   SHORT HISTORY The first arch was built in January 1806, on a design by Luigi Cagnola, to celebrate the arrival in Milan of the newlyweds Eugène de Beauharnais, Viceroy of Italy, and Princess Augusta of Bavaria. The arch was raised on Corso di Porta Orientale, now Corso Venezia, and was built from canvas, plastic and timber. Given the success of the arch among foreign visitors, the council of Milan, the Municipality of the time, decreed on 8 February that a new marble arch will be erected in a more appropriate place. The new work, designed also by Cagnola to celebrate the French victory in the Battle of Jena, was built starting with the autumn of 1807. The works were directed by Cagnola himself and supervised by Domenico Moglia, Nicola Pirovano, Francesco Peverelli and Bai Gio Battista, under the pressure Read more [...]

Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide The Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie is a church in Milan, located in the square of the same name. The church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is famous for housing Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, which is located in the refectory of the convent.   SHORT HISTORY In 1460, the Congregation of Dominicans in Milan received a piece of land from Count Gaspare Vimercati. On this land, there was a small chapel dedicated to Santa Maria delle Grazie (Holy Mary of Grace), where the Dominicans decided to built a new church. On September 10, 1463, the first stone was laid, and the work began under the supervision of the architect Guiniforte Solari. Thanks to the patronage of the Vimercati, the convent was completed in 1469. Simultaneously with the construction of the convent, the building of the church began. The project was for a basilica with 3 naves, with ogival vaults and a gabled facade. Terracotta was used for the walls, while granite was used for the columns and capitals. In 1492, the new Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, also known as il Moro (the Moor), decided to rebuilt the cloister and the apse of the Read more [...]

The Church of San Carlo al Corso is a Neoclassical church in Milan, located in the homonymous square, along Corso Vittorio Emanuele.   SHORT HISTORY The Church of San Carlo al Corso was built to replace the medieval Church of Santa Maria dei Servi, the Milanese seat of the Order of Servants of Mary since 1290. The new church was built as a sign of gratitude for the end of a cholera epidemic, and dedicated to San Carlo Borromeo, the great Milanese bishop. The project of the church belonged to the architect Carlo Amati from Monza, also the author of the final design of the facade of the Duomo. However, the construction site was led between 1838 and 1847 by the architect Filippo Pizzagalli. Today, the Church of San Carlo al Corso is still officiated by the Servites.   ARCHITECTURE The Church of San Carlo al Corso is a fine example of the Neoclassical style, inspired by the Roman Pantheon, with significant similarities to the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola in Naples. The structure has a circular plan, preceded by a porticoed square and introduced by a pronaos on 36 large monolithic Corinthian columns, placed on a wide staircase. Read more [...]

Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide Pinacoteca di Brera is a national art gallery in Milan, located in Palazzo Brera, on the homonymous street. Palazzo Brera also houses the National Braidense Library (Biblioteca Nazionale Braidense), the Brera Observatory, the Botanical Garden, the Lombard Institute of Sciences and Letters (Istituto Lombardo di Scienze e Lettere) and the Academy of Fine Arts (Accademia di Belle Arti). The museum, specialized in Venetian and Lombard art, exhibits some of the most famous Italian paintings, and offers an itinerary that ranges from prehistory to contemporary art, with masterpieces by artists of the 20th century.   SHORT HISTORY The Brera Academy of Fine Arts was founded in 1776 by decree of the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, at the request of Count Carlo Giuseppe di Firmian. Andrea Appiani was appointed Commissioner for Fine Arts in 1805, and works of art from the churches suppressed by Napoleon began to be brought to Brera. In 1806, Giuseppe Bossi inaugurated the first museum of the Academy. In 1808, the Napoleonic Halls were created, to house the galleries of the Kingdom of Italy. On August 15, 1809, on Napoleon’s birthday, the halls were inaugurated, dominated by the great Monument to Napoleon I Read more [...]

The Church of San Francesco d’Assisi all’Immacolata is a beautiful church in Noto, located about 180 meters from the Cathedral of San Nicolò and the Ducezio Palace. Along with the adjacent Convent of the Friars Minor Capuchin, the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi to the Immaculate is considered one of the most important religious buildings in Noto.   SHORT HISTORY The church was built between 1704 and 1745, after a design by the architects Vincenzo Sinatra and Rosario Gagliardi.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The harmonious facade of the church, with two orders, stands at the end of an imposing staircase with three ramps. The magnificent portal of the church is flanked by two Baroque columns, with two niches on each side and a smaller one above. On the second order, we can find a beautiful stained glass window. The interior, with a single nave, is rich in paintings and funerary monuments dedicated to members of noble families of Noto. As you enter the church, you can see on your left, inside the vault of the Blessed Inocents (Santi Innocenti), a painting entitled the Massacre of the Innocents, made by Antonino Vizzini in 1706. The vault of B. Andrea Conti Read more [...]

The Church of Santissimo Crocifisso is a church located on the northern part of Noto, in Piazza Mazzini. The Church of the Holy Cross is the largest religious building in the city, after the Cathedral of San Nicolò.   SHORT HISTORY The church was built in 1715 by the architect Rosario Gagliardi, after a church with the same dedication from the ancient city of Noto (Noto Antica), located on Mount Alveria, was destroyed by the earthquake of 1693.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The facade, with two incomplete orders, opens onto the large Mazzini Square, preceded by a wide staircase. On each side of the central portal, finely carved in limestone, two Roman lions were placed until 1984, when were transferred inside the church to preserve them from the atmospheric agents. The church has a Latin cross plan with three naves, surmounted by an imposing dome. The interior is very bright due to the large windows of the central nave. The wooden reliquary cross located in the apse was carved in 1746 by Vincenzo Rotondo, after a design by Gagliardi. On each side of the cross are two oval-shaped canvases depicting the Madonna Addolorata (Our Lady of Sorrows) and San Giovanni. Read more [...]

The Church of Sant’Agostino is a beautiful church in Bergamo, located near the eastern walls of Città Alta and the homonymous gate of the city. Since 2015, the church houses the Aula Magna of the University of Bergamo.   SHORT HISTORY The Church of Sant’Agostino was built starting with 1290, on the site of a pre-existing church dedicated to Saints Philip and James. The new church was dedicated to Saints Philip, James and Augustine, and was consecrated on February 11, 1347, by the bishop Bernardo Bernardi. In the early 15th century, the church and the adjacent monastery were in a serious state of decay, and the complex was completely abandoned in 1441. Around the middle of the 15th century, the friar Giovanni da Novara obtained permission to sell some properties of the church, and used the money thus obtained to repair some of the buildings of the monastic complex. During the 15th century, seven chapels were built on each side of the church, for important families of Bergamo, who, in turn, donated the funds needed to repair the buildings. Jacopo Filippo Foresti was the friar responsible for the reconstruction of the church, with the contributions obtained from the families. The Read more [...]

The Church of Saints Bartholomew and Stephen is a beautiful church in Bergamo, located in the modern part of the city, known as Città Bassa, along the famous Sentierone, one of the most important avenues of the town.   SHORT HISTORY A former church dedicated to Saint Stephen was demolished on November 11, 1561, for the construction of the Venetian walls which surrounds the Città Alta. From the numerous friars who lived in the convent, only eight remained as guests in the Church of San Bernardino. On August 14, 1572, the friars moved to the small Church of San Bartolomeo, given to them by the Pope Pius V. The Church of Saint Bartholomew was rebuilt in the first half of the 17th century, more precisely between 1603 and 1642, on a project by the architect Anton Maria Caneva of Como. The church was consecrated on January 19, 1782, by the bishop of Bergamo, Giovanni Paolo Dolfin.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The church has a simple structure, but at the same time elegant and grandiose, measuring 60 meters in lenght and 14 meters in width, without the chapels. The facade, completed at the end of the 19th century by the architect Read more [...]

Palazzo Nuovo is a beautiful palace in Bergamo, located in the upper part of the city, Città Alta, on the northern side of the Piazza Vecchia, across the square from the Palazzo della Ragione. The palace currently houses the Angelo Mai Civic Library, one of the most important historic preservation institutions in Italy, with over 677,000 volumes, 2,200 incunabula and 16,800 manuscripts.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo Nuovo, as it was called in contrast to the Palazzo Vecchio (Palazzo della Ragione), was built by the architect Vincenzo Scamozzi to house the city’s town hall. The construction of the palace began in the early 17th century, and was definitively completed only in 1958 with the placing of six statues, works of the sculptor Tobia Vescovi, on the facade overlooking the Piazza Vecchia. The access loggia, which lightens the facade, was designed by the architect Andrea Ceresola, who was also responsible for the reconstruction of the Palazzo Ducale in Genoa. The white marble facade was built in 1928 by the architect Ernesto Pirovano, who took into account the initial project of Scamozzi. The Angelo Mai Civic Library, which was initially housed in the Palazzo della Ragione, was transferred in 1928 to the Palazzo Read more [...]

Porta San Giacomo (Saint James Gate) is one of the four Venetian gates of the Città Alta, the ancient part of Bergamo. The gate represents the southern entrance to the old city, and due to its elevated position, it can be seen from afar.   SHORT HISTORY The construction of the Venetian walls (Mura Venete) surrounding the Città Alta began in 1561, as part of a defensive system meant to protect the western territories of the Venetian Republic from Milan, which, after the peace treaty signed in 1559 at Cateau-Cambrésis, became a Spanish province. The Venetian walls have four gates: Porta San Lorenzo, Porta Sant’Agostino, Porta Sant’Alessandro and Porta San Giacomo. The gates were named, except for the Porta Sant’Agostino, after neighbouring churches. Porta San Giacomo was built in 1593, replacing a wooden structure dating back to the middle of the 16th century. The gate was completed with a fresco depicting the winged lion of Saint Mark by Gian Paolo Cavagna. The masonry bridge leading to the gate was built in 1780, and renovated at the end of the 19th century, to enlarge the access area to Palazzo Medolago Alabani, located nearby. The two small arches of the gate were Read more [...]

Torre dei Caduti di Bergamo (Tower of the Fallen of Bergamo) is a tower in Bergamo, located in Piazza Vittorio Veneto, in the modern part of the city, Città Bassa.   SHORT HISTORY After the Napoleonic occupation, the lower part of the city acquired a growing economic importance, primarily for the greater availability of building spaces. The choice of the area in which the tower was built was part of a larger urban reorganization project of the lower part of Bergamo, which became in the last centuries the true political and administrative center of the city. The tower, 45 meters high, was designed by the architect Marcello Piacentini. It was built starting from 1922, in an area known as Prato di Sant’Alessandro, which at the time hosted the annual Sant’Alessandro Fair, one of the most important and oldest in Lombardy, dating back to the 9th century. The tower is one of the most emblematic monuments of Città Bassa, built in the wake of the patriotic rhetoric following the First World War, not only in memory and honor of the fallen of Bergamo, but to enhance and consolidate unitary nationalism, as explicitly stated in the inauguration speech of Benito Mussolini on Read more [...]

Palazzo Medolago Albani is a beautiful palace located in the ancient part of Bergamo, Città Alta, on Viale delle Mura, near Porta San Giacomo.   SHORT HISTORY The palace, a beautiful example of Neoclassical architecture, was built by the architect Simone Cantoni in 1770. In 1841, the palace was bought by Count Giacomo Medolago Albani, an ancestor of the current owners. Over time, the palace underwent many transformations, becoming one of the most important buildings of the city and home to one of the most notable historical and cultural events of the time. The visits of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria with his wife Elizabeth of Bavaria and the King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II are evidenced by the commemorative stone slabs placed at the entrance to the building.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The palace is an admirable example of an aristocratic building of the late 18th century. The facade, on two floors, with 8 semi-columns, is surmounted by a fake balcony with a decoration in the middle and four statues depicting the Architecture, Sculpture, Painting and Poetry, works of the sculptor Antonio Gelpi. Between the two floors, we can find five medallions of Carrara marble depicting scenes inspired Read more [...]

The Baptistery of Bergamo is a structure intended for the baptismal rite, located in Piazza del Duomo, in front of the Cathedral of Sant’Alessandro, in the ancient part of Bergamo, Città Alta.   SHORT HISTORY In 1340, the sculptor Giovanni da Campione was commissioned to build a baptistery inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. In 1449, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore was entrusted to the Congregation of the Greater Mercy (Congregazione della Misericordia Maggiore), removing it from the jurisdiction of the bishop, and the baptistery became inaccessible. In 1660, the baptistery was dismantled and moved to the nearby courtyard of the rectory. The baptismal font was placed on the counter-facade of the basilica, where it remained until 1691, when it was moved to the second chapel on the left dedicated to Saint John. Only in 1897, the final arrangement of the baptistery was decided, with an architectural reinterpretation by Virginio Muzio, and in 1900 the structure was completed and placed in Piazza del Duomo, in front of the Cathedral of Bergamo.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The baptistery, enclosed by a 19th-century gate, has an octagonal plan. Above the 17th-century dark marble base, there are the 14th-century columns in Read more [...]

Palazzo Roncalli is a palace in Bergamo, located in Piazza Lorenzo Mascheroni, in the upper part of the city, known as Città Alta.   SHORT HISTORY The Roncalli family settled in Bergamo in the 14th century, in a building near the Church of Sant’Andrea. The palace was built starting with 1520 adjacent to the Visconti walls erected by the Milanese in 1300 to surround the citadel. The project was entrusted to Andrea di Giacomo Ziliolo, while Pietro Isabello and Francesco Cleri took care of the construction. The palace underwent various modifications over time. In the 18th century, it was bought by the Sonzogno family, who modified it on a project by Ferdinando Caccia and Giovanni Francesco Lucchini. In the apartment located on the noble floor of Palazzo Roncalli, during the night of March 13, 1797, was signed the agreement for the withdrawal of Venice from Bergamo. The palace was renovated in the 20th century by Sandro Angelini.   ARCHITECTURE The palace has an irregular polygonal plan, with three floors plus a mezzanine, with a multi-pitched roof, and an internal courtyard. The facade overlooking Via Mascheroni is symmetrical. On the ground floor, there are six openings, two round and four rectangular. Read more [...]

Fontana Contarini is a fountain in Bergamo, located in Piazza Vecchia, in the ancient part of the city, Città Alta.   SHORT HISTORY The fountain owes its name to Alvise Contarini, podesta (chief magistrate) of Bergamo on behalf of the Republic of Venice, who gave it to the city in 1780, when he left his post. The intent of the magistrate was both to embellish the central Piazza Vecchia, and to provide the inhabitants with a precious water source. During 1858, the fountain was subjected to an almost complete renovation, which partially modified its appearance. In the middle of the Risorgimento (Resurgence) period, precisely in 1885, the fountain was dismantled to make room for the monument of Giuseppe Garibaldi. A few decades later, at the beginning of the 20th century, it was reassembled in its original position, while the monument of the Italian hero was placed in the lower town, Città Bassa. At the beginning of the 21st century, a privately funded intervention allowed the restoration of the structure, damaged by pollution and atmospheric agents, bringing it back to its initial splendor.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The fountain is built in Zandobbio marble, and has a main basin with an Read more [...]

Piazza Vecchia (Old Square) is a beautiful square in Bergamo, located on the upper part of the city, known as Città Alta. For many centuries, the square was the fulcrum of the political and civil power of Bergamo, and today is a favorite meeting place for locals.   SHORT HISTORY Piazza Vecchia was built on the site of the ancient Roman forum of the city. Beginning with the 11th century, numerous dwellings were built on the square. In the 13th century, the reclamation of the area began, and the dwellings were demolished. The square became the city center only in the Middle Ages, more precisely in the 12th century, with the construction of Palazzo della Ragione, the seat of the Municipality. The buildings surrounding the square were built starting with the 15th century.   ARCHITECTURE To the north of the square, we can find Palazzo Nuovo, which houses the Angelo Mai Library. The palace was built to a design by the architect Vincenzo Scamozzi starting with the early 17th century and was completed only in 1958, with the placing of the last ornamental works on the facade. In the western part of the square, there is Palazzo del Podestà, built Read more [...]

Palazzo della Libertà is a palace in Bergamo, located in the homonymous square, in the modern part of the city, Città Bassa.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo della Libertà was built between 1937 and 1940 on a project by Alziro Bergonzo, to become the local headquarters of the National Fascist Party. The palace was named Casa Littoria and dedicated to Antonio Locatelli, airplane pilot in the First World War. The palace was inaugurated on October 28, 1939, the anniversary of the March on Rome of 1922, when Benito Mussolini came to power. The basement of Casa Littoria was used as a prison during the Republic of Salò, that existed between September 1943 and May 1945. After April 25, 1945, the palace housed the headquarters of the National Liberation Committee. The property passed to the State, and various public offices were housed there. Today, it houses the Prefecture, the offices of the Court, the State Forestry Corps and various offices of the Municipality.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE Palazzo della Libertà has a parallelepiped shape, entirely covered with Zandobbio marble. The main facade, overlooking the square, consists of an imposing portico of twelve giant pillars, holding an architrave bearing the dedication to Antonio Read more [...]

Palazzo Querini Benzon is a palace in Venice, located in the San Marco district (sestiere), overlooking the Grand Canal between the small Casa De Spirit and Casa Tornielli.   SHORT HISTORY The palace was built in the early 18th century, and became famous thanks to Marina Querini, wife of Pietro Giovanni Benzon, who at the end of the Republic of Venice made her residence one of the most renowned literary Venetians salons, thanks to the frequentation of many important artists of the time.   ARCHITECTURE The palace has no particular architectural merits. It has a water portal with a staircase, a noble floor with four-light windows with round arches, flanked by two pairs of single-light windows, all with balconies. The second floor was added in 1897, as a less valuable imitation of the noble floor. Above the cornice, in a central position, there is a balustrade terrace. The entire facade is plastered, with the exception of the ground floor, which is covered in stone, except for the mezzanine.   HOW TO GET THERE On foot, Palazzo Querini Benzon is located about 2.3 kilometers away from the Venezia Santa Lucia railway station. The closest vaporetto stop is Sant’Angelo, located about 240 Read more [...]

Palazzo D’Anna Viaro Martinengo Volpi di Misurata, also known as Palazzo Talenti D’Anna Volpi, is a palace in Venice, located in the San Marco district (sestiere). The palace overlooks the Grand Canal between Palazzo Tron a San Beneto and Casa Marinoni.   SHORT HISTORY OF PALAZZO D’ANNA VIARO MARTINENGO VOLPI DI MISURATA Built in the early 16th century at the behest of the Talenti family, it soon passed to the wealthy Flemish merchant Martino D’Anna. The expansion of the building, which took place around the middle of the 17th century, is due to the subsequent owners, the Viaro, an ancient Venetian family. During the 18th century, the building changed ownership again, initially by inheritance to the Venetian patricians Foscarini, and subsequently to the Martinengo counts. In the 19th century, the palace became the property of Count Giovanni Conti. In 1917, the entrepreneur Giuseppe Volpi became the owner. In 1925, he was awarded the title of Count of Misrata.   ARCHITECTURE OF PALAZZO D’ANNA VIARO MARTINENGO VOLPI DI MISURATA At first glance, the facade of the building appears to be divided into four sections with two alternating structural types, but looking more carefully, we see that the first section on the Read more [...]

Palazzo Corner Spinelli is a palace in Venice, located in the San Marco district (sestiere), overlooking the Grand Canal, across the canal from Palazzo Querini Dubois.   SHORT HISTORY The palace was commissioned by the Lando family, most probably to the architect Mauro Codussi. It was built between 1480 and 1490. In 1542, the palace was sold, due to the disastrous economic situation of the Lando family. It passed to the Corner family, who entrusted Michele Sanmicheli and Giorgio Vasari with the task of modernizing the interior of the building. The facade was preserved, while the whole rear part was rebuilt. The interventions relating to the interiors are attributable to the Classic style: use of columns and round arches, as well as the insertion of fireplaces in all the main rooms. Between 1740 and 1810, the palace was rented to the Spinelli family. Later, it was bought by the Cornoldi family. In 1850, it became the property of the dancer Maria Taglioni, also owner of Palazzo Giustinian Lolin, Palazzo Barzizza and Ca’ d’Oro.   ARCHITECTURE Palazzo Corner Spinelli is a beautiful example of the transition from the Gothic forms, predominant in Venice up to the 15th century, to the new Read more [...]

Palazzo Garzoni is a Gothic palace in Venice, located in the San Marco district (sestiere). The palace overlooks the Grand Canal, between Rio di Ca’ Garzoni and Fondaco Marcello.   SHORT HISTORY OF PALAZZO GARZONI The Garzoni family, originally from Bologna, settled in Venice towards the end of the 13th century. In the 17th century, they acquired this palace built in the 15th century, which became known by their name since then. Until 2019, the palace was owned by the Ca’ Foscari University, which established the language faculty there. In 2019, it was aquired by an anonymous buyer through the famous British auction house Sotheby’s for an unspecified price.   ARCHITECTURE OF PALAZZO GARZONI The palace has three floors and an attic. On the ground floor, there is the water portal with a round arch, flanked by four small windows, two oval windows above and two rectangular below. Each of the two noble floors have a central ogival four-lancet window and two pairs of lateral single-light windows, all closed by balconies. Between the third floor and the attic, there is a bas-relief with two cupids holding an empty shield, where the family coat of arms once stood.   TIP: To Read more [...]

Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide Ca’ Rezzonico is one of the most famous palaces in Venice, located in the Dorsoduro district (sestiere), overlooking the Grand Canal between Palazzo Contarini Michiel and Palazzo Bernardo Nani.   SHORT HISTORY The palace was designed in 1649 by Baldassarre Longhena for the Bon family. The construction began only in 1667, with the demolition of the existing buildings. Due to the economic difficulties of the family and the death of Longhena in 1682, the construction was abandoned. Only the facade towards the Grand Canal and a first floor were completed. The Della Torre-Rezzonico family settled in Venice in 1687. A member of this family, Giambattista, bought the building in 1751. He entrusted the project to Giorgio Massari, who built the second floor in 1752, and completed the palace in 1758. Between the autumn of 1847 and 1848, the palace was the residence of Carlos María Isidro of Spain, protected by the Austrian government. In 1888, it was bought by Robert Barrett Browning, son of the English writers Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who restored it thanks to the financial support of his wife, the American Fannie Coddington. In 1906, Robert Barrett Browning, ignoring an offer Read more [...]

Palazzo Salviati is a beautiful palace in Venice, located in the Dorsoduro district (sestiere), overlooking the Grand Canal between Palazzo Barbaro Wolkoff and Palazzo Orio Semitecolo Benzon.   SHORT HISTORY The Salviati glass factory was founded in 1859 by Antonio Salviati. The palace was built as an exhibition venue and a furnace for the factory between 1903 and 1906, based on a design by the architect Giacomo Dell’Olivo. In 1924, the building underwent a profound renovation, which involved the raising with a floor and the placement of a large mosaic on the facade.   ARCHITECTURE The facade of the palace, which has a rather simple appearance, would be devoid of any interest without the presence of the large central mosaic, on the sides of which there are two single-lancet windows. On the upper floor, there are four windows with small balconies. The ground floor is dominated by three large arches.   HOW TO GET THERE Palazzo Salviati is located about 2.3 kilometers on foot from the Venezia Santa Lucia railway station. The closest vaporetto stop is Accademia, about 300 meters away, on the waterbus Lines 1 and 2.

The Church of San Lorenzo is a church in Venice, located in the Castello district (sestiere), overlooking Campo San Lorenzo. Together with the Chapel of San Sebastiano, the church was part of the Benedictine monastery of the same name.   SHORT HISTORY The church was built starting with 809, at the behest of Doge Agnello Partecipazio. In 1007, the Chapel of San Sebastiano was built next to San Lorenzo by the future Doge Ottone Orseolo. The church and the chapel were badly damaged in the disastrous fire of 1105. In 1592, the rebuilding of the Church of San Lorenzo began, on a project by Simone Sorella. The church was completed in 1602 and rededicated in 1617. The facade remained unfinished. The Chapel of San Sebastiano was also rebuilt between 1629 and 1632, with other interventions in 1748. On April 25, 1810, after the suppression of all religious orders, the nuns left the monastery, all the assets passed into the hands of the state, and the religious complex was closed. In 1821, the church passed under municipal administration, and in 1853 it was restored. In 1875, San Lorenzo was transformed into a hospital, in 1946 it became an infirmary for the Read more [...]

Palazzo Pesaro Papafava is a palace in Venice, located in the Cannaregio district (sestiere), overlooking Canale della Misericordia. The palace stands across the canal from Scuola Grande di Santa Maria della Misericordia.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo Pesaro Papafava was built at the beginning of the 15th century. It was owned by the Pesaro family until Pesarina Pesaro married Bonifacio Papafava, in 1615.   ARCHITECTURE The palace has a facade developed on four floors, characterized by a prevalence of Gothic elements. The expressive power of the facade is concentrated in the central axis, formed by the superimposition of two four-light windows with a small balcony between. Each four-light window is flanked by two pairs of single windows. On the ground floor, there is the pointed water portal, flanked by four single-light windows. The left body, which has rounded openings, is more recent.   HOW TO GET THERE Palazzo Pesaro Papafava is located about 1.5 kilometers away from the Venezia Santa Lucia railway station. The closest waterbus stop is Fondamente Nove, on the vaporetto Lines 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 12, 13 and 22.

Piazza Castello is one of the main squares of Vicenza, located in the western part of the historical center of the city, near the Salvi Gardens and Loggia Valmarana.   DESCRIPTION Piazza Castello hosts several Palladian palaces. The most important, located in the southern part of the square, is Palazzo Porto in Piazza Castello, also known as Porto Breganze, designed around 1571 by the architect Andrea Palladio for Alessandro Porto. In the northern part of Piazza Castello, we can find Palazzo Thiene Bonin Longare, another palace designed by Andrea Palladio presumably in 1572, and built by Vincenzo Scamozzi after the death of the architect. Other important buildings in the square are Palazzo Piovini and the medieval Tower of Porta Castello. The square also houses a statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi, made by Ettore Ferrari in 1887.   HOW TO GET THERE Piazza Castello is located about 500 meters away from the Vicenza railway station. The closest bus stop is right in the square, on the bus Lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10 and 18.

The Sanctuary of the Madonna of Monte Berico is a church in Vicenza, located in an elevated position on the top of the Monte Berico Hill, overlooking the city. The sanctuary is actually composed of two churches: the first, in Gothic style, from the 15th century, and the second, in Baroque style, from the second half of the 17th century.   SHORT HISTORY According to tradition, the construction of the first church is connected to two apparitions of the Madonna, which a woman from Sovizzo named Vincenza Pasini witnessed in 1426 and 1428. In these apparitions, the Madonna asked for the construction of a church dedicated to her. At first, the Municipality of Vicenza built in only three months a modest rectangular room. The administration of the church was initially entrusted to the Order of Santa Brigida, but in 1435 the friars were removed, and were replaced by the Servants of Mary. Towards the middle of the 15th century, the Servites completed the convent, with the erection of the cloister, the guesthouse, the infirmary and the bell-tower. Near the end of the century, the church was enlarged towards the east, the old choir was replaced, the sacristy and the main Read more [...]

Piazza dei Signori is the main square of Vicenza, located in the historical center of the city. Originally a Roman forum and then a market, the square is best known today for the Basilica Palladiana, the grandiose work of Andrea Palladio. The square has a rectangular shape and is delimited to the southwest by the Palladian Basilica and the Bissara Tower, while on the opposite side we can find Loggia del Capitaniato and Palazzo del Monte di Pietà, which incorporates the beautiful Church of San Vincenzo.   SHORT HISTORY In antiquity, the area of Piazza dei Signori was the site of the Roman forum of Vicetia. Later, during the Middle Ages, the area was called Perònio, and was the center of the political, commercial and social life of the city. The oldest building in the square is the Bissara Tower (Torre Bissara), built in 1174 at the behest of the Bissara family, next to their palace. In the 13th century, the municipality of Vicenza bought both the palace and the tower. After escaping the terrible earthquake of January 25, 1348, the tower was raised around the middle of the 15th century, reaching its current height. Near the tower, stands the Read more [...]

Loggia del Capitaniato, also known as Palazzo del Capitaniato or Loggia Bernarda, is a palace in Vicenza, located in the central Piazza dei Signori, in front of Basilica Palladiana. The palace, designed in 1565 by the architect Andrea Palladio, is currently the seat of the city council. In 1994, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto.   SHORT HISTORY In 1565, the Municipality of Vicenza asked Andrea Palladio to build a palace for the Captain, the military head in charge of the city on behalf of the Republic of Venice. The palace was to replace a pre-existing medieval building, already used as the residence of the Captain. Because the construction of the Palladian Basilica was still in progress, Palladio found himself engaged on two fronts located in the same square. For Palazzo del Capitaniato, he was able to exploit the architectural and stylistic knowledge acquired in the last 20 years of work in Vicenza. Like many other buildings of the Venetian architect, the palace remained partially unfinished. The works were stopped in 1572, with only three bays built, instead of the five or seven originally planned. Just like Read more [...]

The Church of San Vincenzo is a beautiful church in Vicenza, located in Piazza dei Signori, in front of the Palladian Basilica. The church is dedicated to Saint Vincent of Saragossa, the patron saint of the city.   SHORT HISTORY After the Christian martyr Vincent of Saragossa was killed in 304 during the persecution of Christians under Diocletian, his cult spread rapidly throughout Europe, reaching Vicenza in the first centuries of our Era. In the second half of the 14th century, during the Scaligeri domination of the city, the cult of San Vincenzo was revived. The construction of a church dedicated to him was begun in 1385 and completed in 1387. During the 15th century, the church was rebuilt and its facade was oriented towards Piazza dei Signori. In 1486, a Monte di Pietà office was created in Vicenza by the Catholic Church, which established a pawnshop in the Church of San Vincenzo. Ten years later, the Monte di Pietà building collapsed and, in 1499, work began on a new building adjacent to the church, with the simultaneous renovation of the church itself. During the 16th century, the works were completed with the construction of the two wings of the Read more [...]

Ponte San Michele (Saint Michael Bridge) is a pedestrian only bridge over the Retrone River, in Vicenza, located in the southeastern part of the historical center of the city.   SHORT HISTORY A wooden bridge was built on this site in 1265, and replaced in 1422 with a stone bridge. The current bridge was built between 1621 and 1623 on the model of Venetian bridges by the architects Tomaso and Francesco Contini. The name of the bridge derives from the Romanesque-Gothic Church of San Michele, located nearby, built in the 13th century by the Augustinians, but destroyed in the Napoleonic era.   HOW TO GET THERE Ponte San Michele is located about 950 meters away from the Vicenza railway station. The closest bus stop is located in Largo Neri Pozza, about 160 meters away, on the bus Line 10.

The Church of Santa Maria in Foro is a church in Vicenza, located in Piazza Biade, a small square adjacent to Piazza dei Signori. The church is also called dei Servi, due to the fact that it was built by the Order of Friar Servants of Mary.   SHORT HISTORY The church was built starting with 1404, the year in which Vicenza passed under the domination of the Republic of Venice. At the beginning of the 15th century, the Servite Order arrived in Vicenza and entrusted the construction of the church to the architect Giampietro Cirmisone, who completed the works in 1425. Some decorations were added between 1432 and 1435. The Servants of Mary lived in the adjacent convent until 1788, when the order was suppressed. Afterwards, the Municipality of Vicenza took care of the church until 1797, when the building became a military warehouse for the troops of Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1810, the parish of the Church of San Michele was transferred here, and the Church of Santa Maria in Foro was again open for worship.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The plain facade of the church is embellished by nine statues, two of which are attributed to the sculptor Read more [...]

The Monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi is a sculpture in Vicenza, located in the historical center of the city, in Piazza Castello.   SHORT HISTORY The statue was sculpted by Ettore Ferrari, and inaugurated on August 21, 1887, on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of Garibaldi’s entry into Reggio Calabria. The inauguration took place under heavy rain.   HOW TO GET THERE The Monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi is located about 550 meters away from the Vicenza railway station. The closest bus stop is near the monument, in Piazza Castello, on the bus Lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10 and 18.

Parco Querini is a public park in Vicenza, located in the northern part of the historical center of the city. The park takes its name from a building located in the immediate vicinity, a noble residence first owned by the Capra family, then purchased by the Querini family.   SHORT HISTORY At the beginning of the 19th century, a document reports that the area of the current park, owned by the Capra family, included meadows, vineyards and vegetable gardens. In 1811, Antonio Capra, notary and councilor of Vicenza, bought from the Municipality the former monastery of the Poor Clares of Araceli. In 1813, the monastery disappeared and in its place are indicated an orchard, a garden and greenhouses, a sign that the new owner intended to expand and embellish the garden. In 1821, a long avenue was built that leads to a circular hillock dominated by a small round temple surrounded by water. In 1969, 9.5 hectares were expropriated by the Municipality, and two years later the area was opened to the public as a city park.   DESCRIPTION Parco Querini is surrounded on two sides by the banks of the Bacchiglione River and its tributary Astichello. From the back Read more [...]

The Church of San Rocco is a Renaissance church in Vicenza, located in Contrà Mure San Rocco, in the western part of the historical center of the city.   SHORT HISTORY The construction of the church began in 1485, on the site of an ancient oratory dedicated to San Rocco (Saint Roch). The adjoining monastery was built around the same time, where a community of Canons Regular of San Giorgio in Alga was established in 1486. Around 1530, the church was extended towards the east and a new facade was built. In December 1670, the Carmelites of San Zaccaria of Venice replaced the Canons Regular of San Giorgio in Alga, and remained there until 1806, when, after the French returned to Vicenza, were relocated to the Convent of San Domenico. In 1810, the religious complex was suppressed by the Napoleonic decrees, and all the assets were confiscated by the Municipality. Later, the monastery was transformed into an orphanage, and remained so until the end of the 1980s. Today, in addition to religious functions, the church hosts concerts by the polyphonic Choir of the Schola San Rocco.   ARCHITECTURE The facade of the church dates back to 1530, when the building Read more [...]

Palazzo Angaran, also known as Palazzo Magrè Angaran, is a Renaissance-style palace in Vicenza, located in Piazza XX Settembre, in front of Ponte degli Angeli.   SHORT HISTORY The palace was built around 1480 at the behest of Battista Magrè, on a piece of land belonging to the family, probably by the Vicentine architect Tommaso Formenton. In 1552, the palace was bought by Giacomo Angaran, a friend of Andrea Palladio, who asked the architect to prepare a sumptuous invention to replace the existing building. Palladio designed the project, but it was never realized. The last owner, Ottavio Angaran Porto, ceded the property to the Municipality of Vicenza, which allowed the building to deteriorate. In 1899, a few years after the disastrous flood of 1882, to avoid further damages caused by the frequent flooding of the nearby Bacchiglione River, the street level around the building was raised, almost completely burying the portico. In the second decade of the 20th century, the building was so badly deteriorated, that the Municipality of Vicenza considered demolishing it. Starting from 1921, however, the restoration began. The palace was dismantled piece by piece and rebuilt to a higher level, replacing only the dilapidated moldings and the Read more [...]

Loggia Valmarana is a Palladian-style loggia in Vicenza, located on the northeastern corner of the Salvi Gardens (Giardini Salvi), opposite the main entrance from Viale Roma. Since 1994, together with the other Palladian buildings in Vicenza, Loggia Valmarana is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto.   SHORT HISTORY The land adjacent to the walls of Piazza Castello was acquired in the 16th century by the Valmarana family, and Giacomo Valmarana himself designed the arrangement of the garden, around the middle of the 16th century. The gardens were inaugurated in 1592 by Leonardo Valmarana, but soon were closed and reopened to the public only in 1909. Inside the gardens, there are two Palladian-style loggias: one from the 17th century, with three arches, known as Loggia Longhena, on the western side of the park, and the second, built at the end of the 16th century, known as Loggia Valmarana, structured as a hexastyle temple. Loggia Valmarana was probably built in 1591 by a pupil of Andrea Palladio, and not by Palladio itself, as it was once thought.   ARCHITECTURE Loggia Valmarana rises above the waters of the Seriola Canal, at the Read more [...]

The Oratory of Santa Maria Assunta is a Catholic place of worship in Riomaggiore, located in Via Santuario.   SHORT HISTORY The oratory, the seat of the Confraternity of the Disciplinanti dell’Assunta, was built during the 16th century.   ART The oratory preserves a wooden statue of the Madonna delle Catene (Madonna of the Chains), in memory of the inhabitants who, over the centuries, suffered raids and kidnappings in the Saracen raids, and a tempera triptych depicting the Madonna with Child and Saints John the Baptist and Dominic.   HOW TO GET THERE The Oratory of Santa Maria Assunta is located about 800 meters away from the Riomaggiore railway station. The closest bus stop is Riomaggiore Park, located about 70 meters away, on the local bus line.

The Church of San Salvatore al Monte is a Catholic church in Florence, located on the hill known as Monte delle Croci, not far from the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte.   SHORT HISTORY At the beginning of the 15th century, on this site was a Franciscan chapel. The chapel was enlarged in the first half of the century, and the works were completed around 1442. In the last decades of the 15th century, the church was renovated by the architect Simone del Pollaiolo, also known as Il Cronaca, by the will of the rich merchant Castello Quaratesi. The renovation started in 1499, and was completed in 1504. During the Siege of 1529, the church was badly damaged, and throughout the 16th century was left in a state of neglect. In 1665, the friars definitively left San Salvatore al Monte. In 1875, Piazzale Michelangelo was built nearby.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The facade of the church, very simple and framed by the typical Tuscan cypresses, has plastered surfaces interrupted only by the portal and the gable windows. Inside, the church has a single nave with five chapels on each side, marked by a double order of stone pilasters in Read more [...]

Piazza della Signoria is the main square of Florence, located in the historical center of the city, about 400 meters away from the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.   SHORT HISTORY It appears that the area of the square was populated since the Neolithic, and it constituted an important fulcrum of the city of Florentia during the Roman times. In the 4th century, a large Christian basilica was built here, which remained in use until the 7th century. In the 8th century, the basilica was replaced with a church dedicated to Santa Cecilia. The square began to take its present shape around the year 1268, when the houses of the Ghibellines that resided in the area were demolished by the Guelphs who won the Battle of Benevento. Only in 1385, the square was paved for the first time. During the same 14th century, Palazzo Vecchio and Loggia della Signoria were built, and the square became the center of the political life of the city. The interventions in the following centuries mainly concerned the sculptural decoration of the square, and culminated during the Grand Ducal period with the transformation of Loggia della Signoria into an open-air museum. The construction of Read more [...]

The Basilica of San Lorenzo is a beautiful church in Florence, located in the historical center of the city, in Piazza di San Lorenzo.   SHORT HISTORY According to tradition, the church was built during the 4th century outside the walls of the ancient city. In 393, it was consecrated to the martyr Lawrence, in the presence of Saint Ambrose and Saint Zenobius. For the next 300 years, San Lorenzo was the Cathedral of Florence, before giving up the status to the Church of Santa Reparata, where the remains of San Zanobi, the first bishop of Florence, were solemnly transferred. In 1059, the church was enlarged and rededicated, on the initiative of the bishop Gherardo di Borgogna, when he became pope under the name of Niccolò II. In 1418, the abbot Matteo Dolfini obtained permission to demolish some houses to enlarge the transept of the church. Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici, a wealthy banker, financed the construction and named Filippo Brunelleschi to direct the works. The sacristy was finished in 1428, but then the works were stopped. After 1441, Cosimo de’ Medici, Giovanni’s son, assumed the entire burden of the construction, and the direction of the works passed to Michelozzo, Read more [...]

Fonte Gaia is a monumental fountain in Siena, located in the historical center of the city, in Piazza del Campo.   SHORT HISTORY The fountain was inaugurated in 1346, and was met with much joy, hence the name Gaia (joyous). The fountain was supplied with water by a hydraulic system consisting of a tunnel about 30 kilometers long and a large cistern, strengthened during the 15th century by Francesco di Giorgio. The fountain was decorated with a series of sculptural reliefs commissioned in 1409 to Jacopo della Quercia, and completed ten years later, in 1419. The weak local marble used for the construction of the fountain contributed, over time, to the material degradation of the monument. In 1859, it was decided to replace Jacopo’s fountain with a copy made of the more durable Carrara marble, commissioned to the Sienese sculptor Tito Sarrocchi. The new fountain was completed only ten years later. On that same occasion, Fonte Gaia was moved to a more central position in the square, and was protected by a gate, work by the architect Giuseppe Partini. The original reliefs, very damaged, were restored and are now in the Museum of Santa Maria della Scala, after being exhibited Read more [...]

Palazzo Chigi Zondadari is an 18th-century palace in Siena, located on the northeast side of Piazza del Campo, adjacent to Palazzo Sansedoni.   SHORT HISTORY The palace, which dates back to the 14th century, was rebuilt starting with 1724 on a project by Antonio Valeri, comissioned by Cardinal Antonio Felice Zondadari. Although the cardinal lived in Rome, he would often return to Siena to rest in his palace. Zondadari is typically a Sienese surname, and it comes from the ancient Zendadari, sellers of zendadi (silk fabrics).   ART The interior rooms were frescoed by various artists, including Marco Benefial, Placido Costanzi and Giuseppe Colignon, while some paintings are the work of Giambattista Marchetti, Roman painter comissioned by Giuseppe Flavio Chigi Zondadari. Inside, there is also a bust of Alessandro VII Chigi, the work of the famous sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini.   HOW TO GET THERE Palazzo Chigi Zondadari is located about 1.9 kilometers away from the Siena railway station. The closest bus stop is Logge Del Papa Bibo, located about 60 meters away, on the bus Line 590.

Dama Ignuda (Naked Lady) is a beautiful sculpture located in Via dei Rossi, in Siena.   SHORT HISTORY The sculpture was comissioned by the Contrada del Bruco to the sculptor Pier Luigi Olla, and placed on the wall of the building in Via dei Rossi in 1995. Pier Luigi Olla was born in Pistoia in 1939, but he lives in Siena since 1946, where he alternates his work as a teacher with sculpture. He is a contemporary artist, who carries forward the ancient tradition of Sienese sculpture. Pier Luigi Olla worked for the Palio di Siena, making costumes, flags, heraldic symbols, as well as the banner for the Palio of 1976. Contrada del Bruco (Contrada of the Caterpillar) is one of the 17 contrade (districts) of the city, which competes every year in the Palio di Siena.   DESCRIPTION The sculpture depicts a naked young woman partially hidden behind curtains. The work of Pier Luigi Olla looks like another window on the wall, and you can easily pass it without noticing it.   HOW TO GET THERE Dama Ignuda is located about 1.6 kilometers away from the Siena railway station. The closest bus stop, Porta Ovile, is located about 260 Read more [...]

Palazzo delle Poste is a palace located in the historical center of Siena, in Piazza Giacomo Matteotti. The palace houses the local headquarters of the Italian Post (Italy’s national postal service provider).   SHORT HISTORY At the beginning of the 20th century, the ancient Church of Sant’Egidio and the former Capuchin convent located in Piazza Umberto I, today Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, were demolished, and the entire area was restructured. On September 18, 1910, the first stone of the new Palazzo delle Poste was laid. The works, entrusted to the architect Vittorio Mariani and carried out by the Sienese construction company of Pietro Ciabattini, lasted exactly two years. The new Palazzo delle Poste e Telecomunicazioni was inaugurated on September 20, 1912.   HOW TO GET THERE Palazzo delle Poste is located about 1.5 kilometers away from the Siena railway station. The closest bus stop is located in Viale Federico Tozzi, about 140 meters away, on the bus Lines 0S1, 0S3, 0S6, 501, 506, 616, 640 and S18.

Palazzo Salimbeni, also known as Rocca Salimbeni, is a palace located in the historical center of Siena, in Piazza Salimbeni. The palace houses the headquarters of the Monte dei Paschi di Siena Bank.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo Salimbeni was built in the 14th century, by expanding a pre-existing castle from the 12th century belonging to the Salimbeni family. The rear of the palace shows signs of its previous medieval construction. In 1419, the palace was confiscated by the Sienese Republic and partly used as the headquarters of the Salt Customs House. The institution Monte di Pietà (Mount of Piety) was also located here since 1472. In 1866, the building was bought by Monte dei Paschi di Siena. The palace was restored and remodeled in Neo-Gothic style starting with 1877, by the architect Giuseppe Partini. Another restoration was carried out at the beginning of the 20th century by Carlo Ariotti and Vittorio Mariani. At the same time, the other buildings located in the square were also remodeled.   ARCHITECTURE Palazzo Salimbeni has a facade in Sienese Gothic style. The restorations of the 19th and 20th centuries in Neo-Gothic style tried to reproduce the architecture of Siena from the 14th century, with Read more [...]

Castel Nuovo, also called Maschio Angioino (Angevin Keep), is a medieval castle in Naples, located in Via Vittorio Emanuele III, overlooking Piazza Municipio. Today, the castle is the seat of the Neapolitan Society of Homeland History (Società Napoletana di Storia Patria) and of the Naples Committee of the Institute for the History of the Italian Resurgence (Comitato di Napoli dell’Istituto per la Storia del Risorgimento Italiano). The Civic Museum (Museo Civico) is also located in the castle, to which the Palatine Chapel and the museum itineraries on the first and second floors belong.   SHORT HISTORY In 1266, Charles I of Anjou, after defeating the Swabians, ascended the throne of Sicily and transferred the capital from Palermo to Naples. Until then, the royal residence of Naples was Castel Capuano, but the Norman fortress was inadequate for this function, and the king wanted to build a new castle near the sea. The project was assigned to the French architect Pierre de Chaule, and the works for the construction of Castrum Novum began in 1279, to finish only three years later. However, the castle remained unused, because Charles I of Anjou, following the revolt of the Sicilian Vespers, lost the crown of Read more [...]

Rio dell’Arsenale is a watercourse in Venice, located in the sestiere (district) of Castello, near the Venetian Arsenal (Arsenale di Venezia). Initially called Rio de la Madonna, the canal was later named after the Venetian Arsenal.   DESCRIPTION Rio dell’Arsenale has a length of about 260 meters, and practically expands Canale delle Galeazze, the main artery of the Venetian Arsenal, towards the south, where it joins the San Marco Basin.   ARCHITECTURE From north to south, along its course, we can see the magnificent gate of the Arsenal of Venice, Ponte dell’Arsenale, also know as Ponte del Paradiso, the Naval History Museum of Venice (Museo Storico Navale di Venezia), Campo San Biagio with the Church of San Biagio, and finally, before the canal joins the San Marco Basin, Ponte San Biasio delle Catene. Porta Magna, the main gate of the Arsenal of Venice, was built around 1460 in Venetian Renaissance style. The gate was probably built by Antonio Gambello after a design by Jacopo Bellini. Two sculptures of lions were brought from Greece in 1687, and placed in front of the gate. The Naval History Museum is a museum owned by the Italian Navy. The museum collects historical evidence concerning Read more [...]

Palazzo Barbaro Wolkoff is a palace in Venice, located in the Dorsoduro district (sestiere), overlooking the Grand Canal between Palazzo Dario and Palazzo Salviati.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo Barbaro Wolkoff was probably built before the 14th century, in Venetian-Byzantine style. In the 15th century, the palace was renovated in Gothic style. In 1894, the Italian actress Eleonora Duse, rated by many as the greatest of her time, lived for a while on the top floor of the palace as a guest of the Russian botanist and painter Alexander Wolkoff-Muromtsev, who recently bought the building.   ARCHITECTURE The palace, built almost entirely of red bricks, has five floors: ground floor, mezzanine, main floor (piano nobile) and two upper floors. The facade is dominated by the hexafora (six-light window) of the noble floor, enclosed by a serrated frame. Other Gothic elements are the water portal, and the windows on the upper floors: a bifora and a quadrifora on the fourth floor, and a trifora and a monofora on the fifth floor.   HOW TO GET THERE The closest vaporetto stop is Salute, located about 210 meters away, on the waterbus Line 1, although the best place to admire the palace is across Read more [...]

Rio del Ponte Longo is a watercourse in Venice, located on the island of Giudecca, in the sestiere (district) of Dorsoduro.   DESCRIPTION Rio del Ponte Longo has a length of about 300 meters and a width varying between 30 and 40 meters. It crosses the island of Giudecca from north to south, where it joins the Giudecca Canal. The canal is crossed by Ponte Longo (Long Bridge), connecting Fondamenta Ponte Longo and Fondamenta San Giacomo. The bridge was originally built of wood in 1340, to connect the older part of the island with the newer one. Later, the wooden bridge was replaced by an iron bridge.   HOW TO GET THERE The closest vaporetto stop is Redentore, about 350 meters away, on the waterbus Lines 2, 4.1 and 4.2.