Entries about italy.

Some weeks ago I spent some days in Gargnano (again!).

It is a beautiful village on the western shore of lake Garda

Via Roma is the main street of Gargnano. Here you can find several shops and a hotel.

Gargnano has a small harbour surrounded by some cafes and shops.

There is even a restaurant at the harbour....

Near the harbour there is a short wooden promenade on the lake.

Here you see part of a building overlooking the lake.

There are several buildings on the lake.

The old core of Gargnano is made of several stone houses. It is uphill from the harbour.

There are only a couple of shops in the old core of Gargnano.

Most of the shops are on the lower area of the village.

Osteria lo Zuavo; the restaurant I mentioned before, is located at the harbour.

Here they serve various typical Italian dishes. It is a budget restaurant.

I strongly recommend you this place!

Trofie al pesto is one of the dishes you can have at this restaurant.

One day I took a very long walk to get to Villa Feltrinelli.

This mansion was built at the end of the 1800. From 1943 to 1945 Benito Mussolini lived here.

Today Villa Feltrinelli is a luxury hotel.

It is not allowed to visit this mansion; except for one day a year.

This is the only picture I was able take of Villa Feltrinelli.

Surely you can see this villa from afar if you are on a boat.

Muslone is a village on a mountain. It is some eight kilometers from Gargnano.

It is part of Gargnano.

There are no shops and cafes in Muslone. Here you can only find a small grocery shop.

You can enjoy a great landscape over the lake from Muslone.

Toscolano Maderno is a commune made of two villages.

I used to visit Maderno (one of the two villages) in order to have a cup of coffe or a ice cream.

I didn' t like Maderno.

There is an interesting thing to see in Maderno. It is saint Andrew church.

This church was built at the beginning of the XII century. It was probably built on the remains of another building.

A nice private garden overlooking the lake.

Caffe Centrale is a nice cafe confectionery in Maderno. It is the right place to have an ice cream.

This cafe is located in the main square of Maderno; near saint Andrew church.

Another "not to miss" place to visit in Maderno is the confectionery Carlo. It is in the old core of the village.

Here they have a large selection of cakes and pastries. You can also buy slices of pizza and bread.

I didn' t visit Toscolano; the other village which form Toscolano Maderno.

I only visited the saints Peters' and Paul' s church there.

This is the parish curch in this village. It was built in the XVI century.

It houses several large paintings by a Venetian painter; Andrea Celesti.

When I was in Gargnano I revisited Gardone Riviera a couple of times.

Gardone Riviera is a tourist resort not far from Gargnano.

It is made of two area; Gardone di Sotto (the lower village) and Gardone di Sopra (the upper village).

There is a short lakeside promenade in Gardone Riviera. It is lined by some cafes and restaurants.

The Grand Hotel is one of the many hotels you can find in Gardone Riviera.

It was built in 1884. It is a four stars hotel.

The Grand Hotel is a really large and long building.

It has more than 160 rooms; some gardens and a swimmming pool.

Piazza Guglielmo Marconi is the main square in Gardone Riviera. It is surrounded by a yellow portico on three sides.

There are some shops under the portico and some benches as well.

Just behind the main square there is a street with some cafes and shops. There is also a restaurant there.

It was really a good holiday. It was sunny every day. It seemed to be in summer even if it was october!

...

After my stay in Portogruaro I spent some days in Caorle. It is a beautiful seaside restort.

Caorle is a island connected by bridges.

It is situated some kilometers from Portogruaro.

This town has two long beaches. Spiaggia di levante (the east beach) and spiaggia di ponente (the west beach).

The beaches are divided by a dam formed by lots of rocks.

Many of these rocks are sculpted every two years by sculptors from various countries.

It is a real contest called Scogliera Viva.

One of the things to do in Caorle is to get lost into its colourful old core.

The old core is made of calli (narrow alleys) and campi (small squares).

A nice small square.

Rio Terrà delle Botteghe is a long street in the old centre of Caorle.

Here you can find a good choice of shops and some cafes and restaurants.

I usually had a spritz around 11 p. m. Spritz is a long drink typical from the Veneto region.

It is made with white wine, sparkling water and a bit of beverage called Bitter or Campari.

This was one of my favourite places to rest in Caorle. It is near the cathedral.

It is a good place to protect oneself from the heat. It was hot when I was in Caorle!

I booked a room at a hotel where they served only breakfast. Hotel Luana.

This hotel is simple, clean and not far from the old centre of Caorle.

I found a good place to have lunch. It is a kind of take away. Its name is Gastronomia da Emilio.

Here I had two kinds of pasticcio (casserole) and cold rice. These dishes were really good.

Pasticcio with fish and sea fruits.

Cold rice.

If you like to know more about Caorle, please, check my previous post about this town.

I spent four days in Portogruaro and I never got bored of this town.

Portogruaro is situated in the western part of the Veneto region.

The river Lemene crosses Portogruaro.

Several kinds of fowls live by the Lemene river.

Along the Lemene river there is a short promenade. Let' s say it is more than a path.

Here you can also find some benches to rest a bit.

You will not surely miss these old water mills if you visit Portogruaro.

They date to the XIII century. Today they are used for art exibitions.

This is a small wooden oratory dedicated to the Madonna. It was made in 1600.

Here you see the painting of the Madonna that is housed into the oratory.

Piazza della Repubblica; the main square in Portogruaro is bordered by various palaces and with the town hall.

In this picture you see the town hall. Its central part was built in 1265. Probably the side wings date to the 1512.

There are many old palaces in the center of Portogruaro.

Many of these are decorated with beautiful frescoes.

This is one of my favourite spots in Portogruaro. It is a small square right in the old center of the town.

Forno Zani is a cafe bakery. It is a good place to have something to eat as slices of pizza and other savoury food.

Two slices of pizza I had for dinner at Forno Zani.

Forno Zani is situated right in the city center of Portogruaro.

There are lots of porticoes in this town. Under many of these there are shops, cafes and restaurants.

A portico with frescoes.

There is an interesting archaeological museum in Portogruaro. The museo nazionale Concordiese.

This museum houses lots of Roman finds discovered in Concordia Sagittaria and the surronding areas.

Concordia Sagittaria is a town located some three kilometers from Portogruaro.

It was a Roman settlement named Iulia Concordia at the Roman times.

I suppose there are two parks in this town. One of these is quite small. Its name is Giardini dell' Abbazia.

Here you can see a beautiful fountains and some sculptures.

The other park; Parco della Pace is quite large and has various kinds of trees and a cafes.

I didn' t take any pics at this park....

A fairy tale house.

A private garden.

Trieste is a city in northeastern Italy. It is situated between the Adriatic Sea and Slovenia. It is also located near Croatia.

This city is worth a stop of a couple of days or more if you are going to Slovenia or to Croatia. You could even choose it as a base to do explore some towns or villages in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.

It is possible and easy to go to various destinations in eastern Europe from Trieste, by coach. There are coaches to several places in Croatia, Slovenia, Romania and to other countries departing from the bus station in Trieste.

The bus station is situated at piazza della Libertà . It is just some meters from the railway station. This station is not a nice place, but there is a convenient cafe and some shops inside.

I visited Trieste lots of time and also a week ago.

Piazza dell' Unità d' Italia is the main square in Trieste. It is surrounded by several palaces built mostly in the 19th century.

Among these you can see the town hall; built in 1875. The government palace (1904-1905); with mosaics and a loggia and Palazzo Stratti that houses a historical cafe named Caffe degli Specchi.

This square is very large and opens to the sea.

Opposite the town hall there is a huge fountain; the fountain of the four continents. It was built between 1751 and 1754. Here are represented four continents, because the fifth; Australia wasn' t discovered at that time yet.

When I visit Trieste I like to explore the old town. I mean the area around piazza Cavana which is very near piazza dell' Unità  d' Italia. This is an area with a maze of streets and very old buildings. You can also find some Roman remains there.

Piazza Cavana; the square you see in this picture, was previously named piazza del Sale (i. e. salt square) until 1829, because of a salt storeroom which was situated at the end of this square.

There are various shops, cafes and restaurants in this neighbourhood.

There is even a Roman arch in the old town; the Arco di Riccardo. It was built in the I century B. C.

Here you see another Roman find. It is at Cavana area as well.

Landscape over part of the city. I took this pic from an upper area of the old core.

There are several palaces built in Liberty style in this city.

Here you see part of another palace built in Liberty style.

Borgo Teresiano is a neighbourhood characterized by grid like streets. It was built on the place where the salt pans were situated. This area was built on order by the Austrian emperor Charles VI and completed by her daughter Maria Teresa in the 1800' s.

Here you can see the Canal Grande; built between 1750 and 1756. It is bordered by several palaces; by the church of saint Antonio Nuovo, several cafes, restaurants and shops.

In this picture you see a statue of the Irish writer James Joyce. He lived for some time in Trieste.

I spotted this stone face on the bridge you see in the previous picture.

This is Palazzo Gopcevich. It houses the Civico Museo Teatrale Carlo Shmidl. It is a museum related to the theatre.

The Serbian ortodox church was built on the site of a previous church that was used both by the Greek and the Serbian communities in the '700. It was opened in 1868.

It is surmounted by five light blue domes; one large and four smaller.

Inside the church you can see the iconostasis; that is a group of icons partly covered in gold and silver. This was built in Russia at the beginning of the ' 800.

A silver chandelier that was a present by Paolo Petrovich; (future tsar Paul I) when he visited Trieste in 1772 is another highlight of this church. Many other beautiful work of art will surely catch your attention inside this church.

Here you see another cupola inside the church.

Bar pasticceria Urbanis is a budget restaurant where I usually have lunch when I am in Trieste. It is also a meeting place where people go to have an aperitivo (a drink taken before meals).

Urbanis is an historic cafe, but it is modern furnished.

At Urbanis ' they have a menu. but they also serve a menu of the day. Here food is really cheap. Drinks served at the table are expensive.

There is another restaurant I strongly recommend; "La Vecia Maniera". It is located directly on the canale Ponterosso (see; Borgo teresiano).

Here they serve several typical dishes and also Italian ones.

This restaurant is at n. 5 in via Bellini.

Another church worth a visit in Trieste is the Greek ortodox church of saint Nicholas. It was built between 1784 and 1787 and completed in 1821.

This church has a single nave and its light comes from some small windows and chandeliers. For this reason it is not easy to take picutes inside.

Into this church you can see the iconostasis with several icons and several paintings.

The nave is overlooked by two balconies. The lower one was once set for women; the upper one was reserved for the choir.

There is a good number of museums in Trieste. I' d recommend to visit Museo Revoltella. This is a modern art museum.

The original palace which houses this museum was built between 1854 and 1858. It was owned by the baron Pasquale Revoltella (1795 - 1869) who was an entrepeneur and a financier.

In the 60' s of the last century two other palaces where added to this one to form a modern art museum with around 350 paintings and sculptures. Here many masterpieces by Italian and foreigner artists are on display.

On the ground floor of this palace there is the library. The first floor houses the baron Revoltella' s private aparments. The second floor was used for parties and banquets. Here you can see the dining room, the ball room and some other rooms.

Sircelli is a cafe confectionery I usually visit around 5 p. m. when I visit Trieste. It was opened in 1933 as a bakery. Some years ago it was enlarged and completely refurbished. Unfortunately this cafe is quite small, so sometimes it is not easy to find a seat here.

Here you can find a large selection of pastries, cakes, some savoury food as pizza by the slice and various kinds of bread filled with cold cuts.

A piece of prestniz at Sircelli' s. It is a typical Triestine cake.

I like their apple pie and the pastry with pear and chocolate.

There is a nice long promenade not far from Sircelli' s. Viale XX Settembre. This tree lined street links via Carducci with Il Giulia Shopping Center. It is bordered by lots of cafes, eateries and shops. There are even some cinemas here. Amost all this street is car free.

This is one of the cinemas in viale XX Settembre; the Eden Theater; now Ambasciatori cinema.

If you are in the mood to walk for some miles from this promenade you can get to a beautiful park.

The name of this park is Giardino Pubblico Muzio de Tomasini; also called; Giardino Pubblico.

There is small lake and lots of statues about famous Triestine people.

This park was laid out between 1854 and 1864. There are lots of kinds of trees and a playground area.

One of the main sights in Trieste is saint Justus cathedral. It is located on a hill overlooking Trieste.

Towards the middle of the V century there was a basilica on the site of this cathedral. It replaced a Roman temple.

This church was probably destroyed in the IX century. Between the IX and the X century two churches were built on its site. In the XIV century these were joined to form the cathedral you see today.

There are three mosaics and some frescoes inside this church.

The mosaic on the apse on the left; date to the beginning of the XII century. These depict the Madonna, the angels Gabriel, Michael and apostles.

The mosaic on the apse on the right date around the XIII century. Here you see Christ with saints Justus and saint Servolo. On the central apse there is a mosaic made in 1932.

I like this chapel a lot!

Next to the cathedral you can see the castle. What we see today is a large construction built between 1468 and1636.

It is thought there was an early bronze age hillfort around 2000 BC at the place of this castle.

In the Middle Age the Venetian built another fortress. It was destroyed in the XIV century.

From 1468 to 1471 Fredrick III of Absburg built another constuction on that site. Other works were made by the Venetians between 1508 and 1509. The castle was completed in 1630.

The museum inside the castle is made up of a furnished room and the Casa del Capitano. This is the oldest building in the castle. It houses a collection of weaponry, some furniture and other things.

Temporary exibitions are held at the castle. Inside the castle courtyard various concerts and shows are held.

Once you visited the museum you can stroll on the ramparts on the castle to enjoy a beautiful landscape over the city.

There is also a chapel inside the castle.

Mikeze and Jakeze. These are the original mechanical staues which striked the hours on the top of the town hall in piazza dell' Unità d' Italia. They are stored into the castle.

Cesena is a nice town located in the Emilia Romagna region.

I choose Cesena as a base for my summer holiday. I thought I could do some easy day trips by public transportation from there.

Unfortunately it was difficult to get to some places I was going to visit; due to not convenient timetables.

In short; I could go to some villages from Cesena, but stay there for a short time; being dependent from trains or coaches.

Piazza del Popolo; the main square in Cesena is surrounded by several palaces, by the rocchetta di Piazza and also by some cafes, restaurantsand shops.

Almost in the middle of this square there is a beautiful and elaborate fountain; the fontana Masini. It was designed and created at the end of the 1500.

Every saturday there is a large outdoor market in piazza del Popolo.

Palazzo Comunale; one of the buildings we see in piazza del Popolo was built from 1358. The building we see today was made joining two structures.

Under the loggia of the palace there is the tourist information office and a nice cafe; La Vineria del Popolo.

At La Vineria del Popolo they also serve food.

I like the colors of Cesena!

There are some rows of porticos in Cesena.

One day I discovered some beautiful sculptures walking in the old center. These were created by Leonardo Lucchi.

This sculptor has his studio in in piazza del Popolo; almost opposite La Vineria del Popolo.

Here you see another creation by Mr. Lucchi.

One of the sight in Cesena is the Malatesta library. It was commissioned by the lord of Cesena; Novello Malatesta. This library was built from 1447 to 1452 into the convent of saint Francis.

Inside it looks like a small church.

Here people could come to read or study. It was not a lending library.

Beside the library you can visit the Sala Piana as well. This room was pope' s Pius VII private library. Here you can see several ancient manuscripts.

In this picture you see two very large (and hevy) ancient books.

Look up!

Another thing to do in Cesena is to have a ice cream at Gelateria del Corso.

This small ice cream parlour is situated in corso Sozzi at n. 64. It is not far from the cathedral (duomo).

There is a small park not far from the center of Cesena. The parco pubblico. It is the right place to have a rest.

There is a castle that overlook the town. Rocca Matatestiana. It was built around the 11th century near the remains of two previous defensive fortifications. It was renovated and improved during the 1400' s.

Today the castle houses a museum of agriculture.

I did only a day trip from Cesena. I went to Senigallia...I will tell you something about this beautiful town in my next post.

Last month I spent some days in Desenzano del Garda.

Desenzano del Garda is the largest town on the southwestern shore of lake Garda. It is the in the region of Lombardy and not far from Brescia.

It was not the first time I visited this town. I think I went there four times.

Desenzano is a good base to visit lots of places on the lake Garda.

There is a castle, a Roman villa and some museums to visit here. Moreover; this town has an interesting old core and some beaches.

One of the nicest spots in Desenzano is the old harbour. It was built for commercial needs around the XV century.

At the old harbour there is a bridge; the ponte "alla veneziana" (the Venetian style bridge) It was erected around 1930.

I like this street. I don' t remember its name. You can find it beside the duomo (cathedral); on its right side.

I am not sure, but it seems to me that fishermen had their houses on this street long ago.

It' s like a street you can see in various Italian sea villages.

Desenzano has an old center worth to explore. It is partly on a hill.

In this picture you can see one of the streets that takes to the castle.

The castle was originally built around the X century and enlarged at the end of the 15th century.

In the 19th century it was used as a barrack (Precisely until 1943).

It is opened to visitors, but I was told there is not much to see inside. Some expositions and other public events are held into the castle.

You can enjoy a very beautiful landscape from the castle area.

Another picture taken from the castle area.

Bar - Ristorante Castellani is a good place to have a large and good pizza. They also serve first courses, as pasta, soups, meats and fish.

This restaurant is hidden in vicolo del Moro; a narrow alley near piazza Matteotti.

Hotel Giardinetto is a small hotel where I booked my room in Desenzano. It is not far from the main square in the town.

The rooms at hotel Giardinetto are modern furnished and the personnel are kind and helpful.

At this hotel they only serve breakfast; a buffet breakfast with lot of food. Cheese, cold cuts, pastries, bread, youghurt and fruits.

Moniga del Garda is a small village; not far from Desenzano. Its name should come from the name of a goddes; Diana Munichia.

There are some beaches in Moniga, but I only explored its old core. I only took some pics that day I was there. I wasn' t in the mood to take pictures.

The main sight in Moniga is the castle. It dates to the X century. It was modified between the XIV and the XV centuries.

The castle was used as a shelter against the enemies for the inhabitants of Moniga.

During the summer the castle hosts several events, as shows, concerts and fairs.

There are some streets with several houses into the castle area.

Another picture taken into the castle precinct.

Sirmione is a nice village situated some kilometers from Desenzano del Garda.

The old center of Sirmione stands on a narrow pensinula.

One of the sight in Sirmione is the castle. It was owned by the Scaligeri family; from Verona. This castle was built around the XIII century in order to protect the village and the harbour.

Another highlight in this village are the Grottoes of Catullus. These are ruins of a large Roman villa. It occupies two hectares at Sirmione' s northern tip.

This construction was associated to Catullus, because the poet Gaius Valerius Catullus had a house in the Sirmione area.

Sirmione also has some thermal springs. The water from these springs is even sold in the whole Italy and maybe abroad.

Across from the castle there is a tiny church; it is saint Anne della Rocca church. It was built in the second half of the 1300 for the garrison of the castle.

As in many old villages one of the things to do is to explore the narrow streets.

The old center is Sirmione is not large.

Saint Mary the major or saint Mary of the snow is Sirmione parish church.

It was built at the end of the XV century on the site of a 8th century Lombard church..

Inside this church you can see a good number of frescoes dated from the XIV to the XVI centuries.

The entrance of the church.

Just outside the church, on its left there is a nice small well.

This is my favourite spot in Sirmione. A private garden with some statues.

Another church worth a visit in Sirmione is the church of san Pietro in Mavino. It is the oldest church in Sirmione.

It was built in the VIII century and finished in the XI century. Inside there are some frescoes dated from the XII to the XVI centuries.

This church is situated on the highest point of the peninsula of Sirmione. It is a bit of a trek to get there.

The only downside of Sirmione is that it can be very crowded at times.

While going back home I spent less than two hours in Torri del Benaco. This lakeside village is some 20 kilometers far from Malcesine.

Even Torri del Benaco has a castle. It houses a museum. It dates to the late 1300. I didn' t visit, but I will do next time I visit this village.

There are also some narrow streets in this village and some nice spots.

There was a party in this street the day I visited Torri del Benaco.

Torri del Benaco has a good choice of shops, cafes and restaurants.

This clock tower served as a meeting place for the politician of Torri; long ago. I suppose they gathered inside it.

Valeggio sul Mincio is a large village situated some 30 kilometers from Verona; in the Veneto region.

There are two beautiful sights in Valeggio. A large park; the Sigurtà Gardens and Borghetto sul Mincio; a beautiful hamlet.

Valeggio has also a castle, or what remains of a castle. It was built between the X and the XIV centuries. I visited it long ago. There is nothing to see inside it. Perhaps you can climb to the top of its tower. The castle is located on a hill.

The Sigurtà Gardens is a very lare park. Originally it was a walled orchard and part of the estate of Villa Maffei; a 1617 mansion.

Carlo Sigurtà ; a pharmaceutical tycoon bought this orchard in 1941 and began to create this park. He had the right to get water from the river Mincio. Later on the works on this park were carried on by his nephew Enzo Sigurtà .

The park extends over 125 acres. There are lots trees, flowers, several small lakes, a hedge maze and some buildings here.

The facilities at Parco Sigurtà  include five kiosk where you can buy food and beverages, the lavatories and a souvenirs shop.

Inside this park you can rent a bicycle, a golf cart or take the tourist train which rides along a seven kilometers route.

Sigurtà  Park is open every day including weekends and public holidays; from march to the fist days of november.

There are even a few farm animals housed in a area called "fattoria didattica".

There is a chapel into the park.

Borghetto sul Mincio is a hamlet and is part of Valeggio Sul Mincio. It is divided in two areas by the Mincio river. It was built in 1400 by corn and rice workers.

In Borghetto there is a church; some old watermills and a good choice of cafes and restaurants. I have read there are around ten houses there.

Borghetto sul Mincio is the birthplace of Ivana Spagna; a popular Italian pop singer.

This hamlet is about 3 kilometers far from the center of Valeggio Sul Mincio.

Don' t miss this beautiful small place if you visit Valeggio sul Mincio!

A good place to have dinner, or lunch in Valeggio sul Mincio is the cafe confectionery Martini Flavio. Here they serve a good selection of pastries, ice creams and savoury food as well.

Here, on the menu there is a good choiche of sandwiches and piadine. Piadina is a kind of flat bread filled with various food as ham, cheese, or, and vegetables. The filling for a piadina could be anything you like.