The Festa del Redentore began as a feast to give thanks for the end of the terrible plague of 1576, which killed 50,000 people,including the great painter Tiziano Vecellio (Titian). The Doge Alvise I Mocenigo promised to build a magnificent church if the plague ended. Andrea Palladio was commissioned, assisted by Da Ponte, to build […]
Lessinia Regional Nature Park
It’s not easy to believe that long ago, instead of the lush green Lessinia Regional Park we see today, the area was covered with a warm sea rich in tropical flora and fauna.Today, the 100 kilometer square protected area is an eco and adventure travelers’ dream with tons of adventure activities available all year […]
Portorož and Strunjan, Slovenia
It is the saltpans and their natural elements—salt, brine, and fango mud—that spurred the development of tourism in Portorož, a coastal village in Slovenia. When healing properties of these natural elements were discovered as early as the 19th century, Portorož got its first hotels and thermal centers. Today, Portorož is a modern tourist resort with […]
Piran: Slovenia’s Best Kept Secret
Piran is situated at the tip of the Piran peninsula on the Gulf of Piran. It borders Croatia to the south, and the municipalities of Izola and Koper to the east and faces Italy across the Gulf of Trieste and the Adriatic Sea. With Piran closed off to traffic except for the residents, the best […]
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, has long been symbolized by a dragon, which symbolizes power, courage and greatness. The dragon is depicted on the top of the tower of the Ljubljana Castle, in the Ljubljana coat-of-arms and on the Dragon Bridge. There are several explanations on the origin of the Ljubljana Dragon. According to the […]
Florence, Italy
A 16th-century man from Florence, Bernardo Buontalenti, an architect and painter with a passion for cooking, is believed to have invented ice cream, which was then exported all over Europe with the famous “crema fiorentina” and “gelato Buontalenti”. So it is no wonder that Florence hosted the 1st Anuual Firenze Gelato Festival! The festival was […]
Poppy Fields of Italy
The sight of a field of bright, blood-red poppies exploding in mass under the Italian sun is truly one to behold and one I won’t soon forget. The poppy fields of Italy are truly a spectacular sight to see! An ancient Roman legend explains, rather romantically, how the poppy adopted the name ‘Corn’ Poppy. According […]
Bergamo: An Architectural Tour of the Two-Tiered City
Bergamo is a two-tiered city made up of the Citta Alta (upper city) and Citta Bassa (lower city), with the two parts connected by a funicular or by a winding footpath along the city’s defensive walls. Citta Alta is surrounded by 17th century cyclopic defensive walls, fortified by the Venetian Republic. Piazza Vecchia is the […]
Seeing the Shroud of Turin in Torino, Italy
Torino, site of the 2006 Winter Olympics, is located on the left bank of the Po River. Aside from being a city of porticos, Torino is also well known as the home of the Shroud of Turin. The Shroud of Turin is a centuries old linen cloth that bears the image of a crucified man; […]
Valle d’Aosta, Italy
Upon crossing under Mont Blanc through the Mont Blanc Tunnel from France into Italy, you enter the region known as Valle d’Aosta. In 1031-1032 Humbert I of Savoy, the founder of the House of Savoy, received the title Count of Aosta from the Emperor Conrad II of the Franconian line and built himself a commanding […]
