Visitors to the Santa Maria Novella church see some of the finest Gothic architecture and cloisters in Florence, as well as top medieval and Renaissance art. The basilica of Santa Maria Novella is one of the major churches in Florence filled with art. The large church and former Dominican monastery complex with several cloisters are … Read more
Santa Maria Novella has some of the finest medieval and Renaissance art in Florence, including Masaccio’s Holy Trinity and a Crucifix by Giotto. The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, originally a Dominican monastery church, has always been full of art. Top works include Masaccio’s Holy Trinity — an early application of the rules of perspective … Read more
The Basilica of San Lorenzo is at the origins of Florentine Renaissance with the tombs of the Medicis and sculptures by Donatello and Michelangelo. Although the church of San Lorenzo has some credible claims to being the oldest church in Florence, the present basilica is the third church here and dates from the Renaissance period. … Read more
The Medici Chapels with Michelangelo sculptures in the San Lorenzo church complex form the mausoleum for the most powerful and best-known family in Renaissance Florence. The mausoleum of the Medici family in Florence is not surprisingly a grand affair. The huge Chapel of the Princes (Capella Dei Principi) is covered by the second largest cupola … Read more
The Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana is the Medici’s library designed by Michelangelo in the San Lorenzo complex in Florence. It is also a major working library. The Laurentian Medici Library (Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana) is a major library in Florence. For tourists, the main sight is the magnificent Renaissance reading room designed by Michelangelo. The entire room … Read more
The San Marco Museum in Florence is famous for its large collection of paintings by Fra Angelico including original frescoes in the cells of the convent. The San Marco Museum in Florence is in the former Dominican convent where the cells and art of the monastery have been preserved. Fra Angelico designed frescoes for each … Read more
Many of the best early Renaissance paintings and altarpieces by Fra Angelico are exhibited in the San Marco Museum in Florence. The pilgrims’ hospice of the former convent of San Marco in Florence has the world’s largest collection of altarpieces and paintings by Fra Angelico. Famous altarpieces on display include the Deposition from Santa Trinita, … Read more
The art in the Church of Santa Croce in Florence includes frescoes by Giotto and Taddeo Gaddi and the oft-visited tombs or funeral monuments for Michelangelo, Dante, Galileo, and others. The Basilica of Santa Croce is one of the great Gothic churches of central Florence. This large Franciscan church is filled with art including magnificent … Read more
The Piccolomini Library (Libreria Piccolomini) inside Siena Cathedral is a colorful Renaissance highlight in the otherwise predominantly Romanesque-Gothic Duomo. The Piccolomini Library is in a single hall accessible only from inside the cathedral of Siena. Although a number of significant codices are on display, the main reason to visit is to admire the colorful frescoes … Read more
Tickets and tours for the Siena Cathedral (Duomo) complex with the church, baptistery, crypt, museums, and viewing platforms are cheapest onsite but best bought online in advance. The Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Siena is one of the finest churches in Italy. Its black-green and white stripy exterior is famous but its interior … Read more
The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on Lake Como in Italy is a top Concourse d’Elegance event for showing elegant vintage and historic cars in Europe. Each May, automobile enthusiasts may admire some of the most elegant vintage and historic cars and motorcycles in existence at the annual Concours d’Elegance Villa d’Este held on the banks … Read more
The large Basilica San Zeno Maggiore is the finest church in Verona and one of the most important Romanesque churches in Northern Italy. San Zeno Maggiore is architecturally the most important church in Verona. This large Romanesque basilica, with cloisters and a separate bell tower, was part of a Benedictine monastery that often housed the … Read more
Visit the bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore for some of the finest panoramic views of Venice in Italy including San Marco, the Doge’s Palace, and the Grand Canal. Some of the best views of Venice can be enjoyed from the campanile of the San Giorgio Maggiore church. From the square in front of the … Read more
Save time by buying admission tickets for the Doge’s Palace, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, St Mark’s Basilica, and other top sites in Venice online in advance or book guided tours. Venice is one of the most popular and most crowded tourist destinations in Italy. Avoid long and slow-moving ticket queues by buying skip-the-line tickets online … Read more
Cheap Venice museum and city passes save time and money as skip-the-line priority admission tickets to top attractions and sights. A variety of cheap Venice museum and city sightseeing passes allows visitors to save money and time when seeing some of the most popular sites in Venezia. Although many of the best sights in Venice … Read more
Time-slot reservations are essential to see The Last Supper while skip-the-line tickets are best to visit many top attractions in Italy including Pompeii, the Uffizi and sights in Rome. Time-specific admission tickets are increasingly popular, and in some cases essential, to see some of the top tourist sights in Italy. Prior reservations are essential to … Read more
The Mille Miglia Museum is a treasure trove of documentation, period pieces, and cars on one of the most famous historic car races in Italy. The Mille Miglia Museum in Brescia celebrates the historic road races held from Brescia in Lombardy to Rome and back between 1927 and 1957. These road races were literally a … Read more
Savings on designer brand fashion are possible at the Castel Guelfo Styles factory outlet mall near Bologna on the highway towards Rimini. Castel Guelfo The Styles Outlets is a factory stores outlet mall near Bologna in Italy. Savings on various top designer brands are available here including Adidas, Baldinini, Calvin Klein, Gap, Levi’s, Lindt, Nike, … Read more
The Museo della Citta in Brescia is an interesting local history museum inside a historic monastery complex. It is one of the best museums in Northern Italy. The City Museum (Museo della Citta) is a wonderful local history museum in Brescia in Lombardy. The museum covers all periods from prehistory to the nineteenth century. In … Read more