We were in Milan over Easter weekend, arriving on Good Friday, and then, heading to our next destination the following Tuesday.  We chose an apartment in the center of the city, in a palazzo, with a lovely garden at the back, and a cloister in the middle, both of which we had windows that opened…

Our second day in Casorate Sempione, which was also our last, was a Sunday, and after sleeping in a bit, and a cup or two of cappuccino, we headed out.  Unlike the United States, most shops in Italy are closed on Sundays, except for in the main tourist destinations.  Therefore, we decided to take advantage…

Before catching a flight back to the USA, we like to take a day or two to unwind in a small town by the airport, out of which we are flying.  This makes the whole travel experience a lot nicer.  There is no struggling to get to the airport on time, since it is usually…

A bit further along, we came upon the Muro della Costituzione Romana, which is a panel set into a wall of the terrace where the Constitution of the Republic is inscribed.  This was put in place in 2013, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy. Villa Lante was designed by Giulio Romano in…

We woke to a beautiful day, and after a quick breakfast, made our way back up the Janiculum Hill.  At the top of Via Garibaldi, # 29, you will find the Mausoleo Ossario Garibaldino.  Built on the site of Garibaldi’s battle for the defense of the Roman Republic, the beautiful monument was designed by the…

After exploring the exhibition spaces of the Reale Accademia di Spagna, we made our way into the courtyard-like space that houses Bramante’s masterpiece!  Various monuments adorn the walls, along the side of the space. This was not my first visit to the Tempietto, but on the earlier occasions I had made the climb up the…

The Reale Accademia di Spagna is a cultural institution run by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Their headquarters and exhibition space is in the cloister of the former monastery of San Pietro in Montoro, on the Janiculum Hill, and has been since 1881.  Visitors to the Accademia also have access to the Tempietto del…

We decided to begin our day by heading up, on Via Garibaldi, to the top of the Gianicolo Hill.  Founded in 1888, by the Methodist Women’s Missionary Society, the Istituto Metodista was opened to provide an education to young women, whose families were too poor to provide them with one themselves.  The Institute was housed…

Out of all the cities we have visited in Italy, none speak to my heart like Rome does!  There is something magical and mysterious about this city, and, at the same time, welcoming and exciting, full of art and history, not to mention the incredible food.  I have to admit that it does not hurt…

A plaque on the facade of a building in the Old Town marks the site where the Jesuits founded a school in 1583, and later, a college, to educate the youth of Bari. The Museo Nicolaiano is a museum found next to the Basilica di San Nicola, and was first opened to the public in…

A plaque marks the house where the Italian illustrator, Gino Boccasile, was born in 1901.  His drawings would go on to adorn famous posters and magazine covers, until his fall from grace, at the end of the Fascist regime.  Even though he was tried, and later acquitted for collaborating with the Fascists, he remained somewhat…

In Piazza Armando Diaz, you will find the monument to the Italian General,  Armando Diaz, which dates from 1937, and is by the artist Giulio Cozzoli. The Grande Albergo delle Nazioni, now part of iH Hotels, is one of the top hotels in the city. The Palazzo della Regione Puglia can be found along Lungomare…