5 Things to Do in Pisa Besides Climbing the Leaning Tower
The city of Pisa Italy is famous the world over for its Leaning Tower but there's much more to the city. Here are some other things to do in Pisa: 1. Be sure to visit the Duomo and Baptistery next to the tower. Leave extra time (a few hours) to visit Pisa's stunning cathedral as well as the largest baptistery in Italy. 2. Also leave time to go into Museo dell’Opera del Duomo. This museum is where much of the art that was formerly in the cathedral is now housed. See Giovanni Pisano's ivory carving of the Madonna and Child carved for the cathedral's ...
Things to See in Alberobello
When you travel to Italy, there might be a lot of places that you would want to visit. One destination that definitely calls for a place in your travel itinerary is - Alberobello. Located in the southern part of Italy, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site that is known for its exceptional style of building called Trulli. Trullis are nothing but limestone houses with dry stone walls and conical roof that are known for their mortarless construction. The reason behind these pre-historic buildings was to escape from paying taxes. When the king’s tax collector came to collect taxes, the owner ...
Where To Stay in Rome: The Rose Garden Palace Hotel
One of my favorite hotels in Rome is the Rose Garden Palace Hotel. Just off the famous Via Veneto, and a stone’s throw from the American Embassy, it enjoys one of the best locations in the city. The hotel is partly owned by Steve Perillo, the third generation owner of Perillo Tours, the world’s largest tour operator to Italy. Perillo and his Italian partner bought this 19th-century building in 1998 and named it after the rose bushes in the courtyard. One might expect a hotel owned by a tour company to seem impersonal or ...
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Venice Celebrating Tintoretto’...
Published on Wednesday, February 7, 2018 by Kathy McCabe
Venice is gearing up to celebrate Tintoretto’s 500th birthday all year, with the main event on Sept. 7. The painter, whose real name was Jacopo Robusti, was born in Venice in 1518, though his exact birthdate is unknown. The months-long celebration will include special events around the c...
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Venice To Ban Cruise Ships In Four ...
Published on Saturday, November 25, 2017 by Kathy McCabe
After years of protests by locals against cruise ships in Venice, the city has decided that in four years, cruise ships weighing 96,000 tons will no longer be able to drop anchor in St. Mark’s Basin in Venice. They will instead have to keep at a distance from the city, landing on the mai... -
Renovated Procuratie Vecchia to Ope...
Published on Friday, October 13, 2017 by Kathy McCabe
In 2020, for the first time in 500 years, visitors to Venice will be able to tour one of its grandest and most important buildings. The Procuratie Vecchia housed the nine governors of La Serenissima, the Most Serene Republic, in the centuries of its greatest power, from its construction in... -
Italian Cities Launch Respect Campa...
Published on Monday, September 25, 2017 by Kathy McCabe
With increasing restrictions across Italian cities aimed at curbing tourists’ unruly behavior, Venice and Florence have both launched campaigns to accomplish that goal, called #EnjoyRespectVenezia and #EnjoyRespectFirenze, respectively. The message, sent through fines and increased awa... -
Entrance Fee For St. Mark’s S...
Published on Monday, June 5, 2017 by Kathy McCabe
In its latest effort to curtail the crush of tourists that descends upon Venice, the city is considering charging an entry fee to visit St. Mark’s Square. The city will begin by rolling out a system to count the number of visitors in the historic city center at a given point in time and ... -
Veronese Paintings On Display At Ve...
Published on Sunday, May 21, 2017 by Kathy McCabe
After hanging in churches on the island of Murano in Venice for centuries, two paintings by Venetian Renaissance master Paolo Veronese headed across the lagoon and are now on display at the Venice Biennale. The paintings, Saint Jerome in the Desert and Saint Agatha Visited in Prison by S... -
Venice’s Royal Gardens To Be ...
Published on Friday, May 5, 2017 by Kathy McCabe
Next year, Venice’s Royal Gardens will receive a makeover funded by the Italian Ministry of Culture and insurance company Generali, which will each take on half of the 5€ million project cost. Once a site of “ancient splendour and significance” – according to Adele Re Rebaude... -
Venice Considers Limiting Tourists
Published on Saturday, November 26, 2016 by Kathy McCabe
In response to overcrowding and concerns about the state of the historic city, Venice is considering limiting the number of tourists allowed per year. Venetian officials are considering seven possible plans to reduce overcrowding and preserve the city, including implementing an online book... -
St. Mark’s Guardians to Help ...
Published on Saturday, July 23, 2016 by Kathy McCabe
Venice launched a new program to employ a group of people to welcome tourists and keep St. Mark’s Square clean and orderly, calling them the St. Mark’s Guardians. Among their duties are making sure visitors feel welcome and educating tourists on how to keep the lagoon clean and what be... -
Venice Hit With Unusual Acqua Alta ...
Published on Sunday, June 26, 2016 by Kathy McCabe
Much of Venice was underwater last week as an out-of-season acqua alta, or high water, takes hold. The tidal flooding causes the Adriatic Sea to overflow into the streets of Venice, this time covering St. Mark’s Square and other parts of the city with one meter (3.3 feet) of water and ...
