Trippin Mag 4

MARCH 2015

TRAVEL, ART AND CULTURE IN ITALY

FLORENCE Art, beauty and pleasure

BRESCIA Somewhere in time

ZONIN WINERY a ride with the Italian wine kings

VENETO’S VILLAS Luxury and style in the countryside of Veneto

ASIAGO Close to the heaven

Palazzo Vecchio Florence

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FLORENCE

56

BRESCIA

84

ZONIN WINERY

94

VENETO’S VILLAS

112

ASIAGO

Art, beauty and pleasure

Somewhere in time

a ride with the Italian wine kings

Luxury and style in the countryside of Veneto

Close to the heaven

CONTENTS

Historical Parade in Florence

Ciao!

Hi! Here comes the fourth edition of Trippin bringing an unusual itinerary.

We start exploring the wonders of one of the most beloved city in world, Florence, capital of art, culture and good food. We take a walk through the most inspiring spots like the museums, the exquisite churches and corners that make this place so visited. Then, we rode up to north to discover what makes Brescia a trully gem. Its Roman past among medieval, renaissance and modern sides offers to the tourist so much to check end enchant. Our next stop will be in a pleasant point, Zonin Winery, in Veneto, the biggest Italian wine producer. There, we will know a little bit of their story, tradition and taste their fine wine. We will remain in Veneto to explore some of the gourgeous villas spread all around the Region, symbolizing power, wealth and ellegance.

Our last stop is Asiago, a tiny enchanting city over the Italian Alps, scene of important battles during the World War I and also breathtaking views.

Well, we hope you enjoy it.

Good trip!

Photos and design by Pablo de Mello

Florence Art, beauty and pleasure The cradle of the Renaissance, Florence is one of Europe’s great art cities. Giotto’s frescoes, Michelangelo’s David, canvases by Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and a host of other greats in the Uffizi Gallery… there’s so much exquisite art and architecture, it’s difficult to know where to start. But Florence is also a living city with a vibrant restaurant and nightlife scene, and a lively cultural movida that goes beyond old masters to embrace opera, classical music and contemporary art.

Handsome, historic, full of quirky shops and quality crafts, and close to the vine-covered hills of Chianti, it’s one of Europe’s most civilised long weekend destinations.

eturn time and again and you still won’t see it all. Stand on a bridge over the Arno river several times in a day and the light, mood and view changes every time. Surprisingly small as it is, this riverside city is like no other. Cradle of the Renaissance and of tourist masses that flock here to feast on world-class art, Florence (Firenze) is magnetic, romantic and busy. Its urban fabric has hardly changed since the Renaissance, its narrow streets evoke a thousand tales, and its food and wine are so wonderful the tag ‘Fiorentina’ has become an international label of quality assurance. Fashion designers parade on Via de’ Tornabuoni. Gucci was born here, as was Roberto Cavalli who, like many a smart Florentine these days, hangs out in wine-rich hills around Florence. Beauty, tradition, heritage, art and food, wine and pleasure. After a while in this absorbing city, you might want to do the same.

n any Italy itinerary, Florence is an

sculptures, furniture and paintings collected by

absolute highlight - the gem of the early

Englishman Herbert Horne in the late 1800’s

Italian Renaissance. In the 15th century,

and early 1900’s.

when great artists like Giotto, Ghiberti,

If you are daydreaming about a summer

Brunelleschi and Michelangelo worked

holiday, can I suggest Florence, a city I got to

there, they created magnificent examples

know better in researching my book The Lost

of painting and sculpture that today

Battles. Don’t let the summer queues for the big

still fill Florentine churches, civic buildings,

galleries put you off a Florentine trip. This is a

grand palazzi, and world-class museums

city so rich in art and history that you can have a

such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia.

profoundly satisfying cultural break without ever

Architecture prospered in Florence, too - indeed,

visiting the main museums: here’s how.

the city’s signature work of art is the masterful

Start with a walk up the hill of San Miniato.

Brunelleschi-designed dome of its cathedral,

Strolling towards it through the well-preserved

Santa Maria del Fiore, known as the Duomo.

quarter south of the river, you will pass some

No question, Florence is one of the most

nice wine bars, and then ascend a steep

beautiful cities in the world, and you’ll need

staircase marked with the stations of the cross,

several days to explore it fully. Aside from the

before reaching the romanesque church of San

most famous sights - Michelangelo’s David, the

Miniato on top of the hill. Its facade is one of

Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi - be sure to

the earliest architectural splendours of the city,

allow time to wander Florence’s quieter corners,

but the biggest delight is to turn back and see

like the exquisite San Miniato al Monte church

the most beautiful of all views of Florence and

or the Horne Museum, where you can see

the twinkling river Arno spread out below you.

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The church is surrounded by a cemetery which

wander in the fantastical Boboli Gardens that

(I theorise) may have inspired Isle of the Dead,

ascend the hill behind the palace. The Boboli

the spookily classical painting by the German

Gardens are actually my favourite place in the

artist Arnold Böcklin, who spent a lot of time in

city – don’t miss the Grotto, with its stucco

Florence. But it’s worth walking the perimeter of

shepherds and painted satyr.

this graveyard, through eerie woods, to see the

Next go to the Brancacci Chapel, also in

16th-century bulwarks of a fortress,

southern Florence, to see its stern and

built here to dominate the city and

revolutionary frescoes by Masaccio

secure Medici rule. There are some

and Masolino. Oh – and one sight

traces in its design of an earlier

in this part of Florence must not be

earthwork that no less an architect

missed: Jacopo Pontormo’s wafer of

than Michelangelo built to fortify

colour, his Deposition, in the little

Florence in the siege of 1529-30.

church of Santa Felicità next to the

The movingly austere church of San

Ponte Vecchio.

Salvatore al Monte, by Il Cronaca, can also be seen on the hill.

When you go down, it’s worth lingering in

I don’t want this to turn into a list, so perhaps we should leave it there, for now: the basic message is, in Florence in

the Oltrarno, the part of town south of the Arno,

summer, go south, and explore the hills, gardens

to see its artistic glories. It is always a little

and churches on the less crowded side of the

quieter here than on the north side of the Ponte

river. Also, in those wine bars I mentioned,

Vecchio. You can see paintings by Raphael,

don’t forget to try a good Chianti Classico as

Caravaggio and Rubens in the Pitti Palace, then

Verrazzano or Castello di Banfi.

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Piazzale Michelangelo The breathtaking city’s overview

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Galileo Museum

Galleria Uffizzi

Vasari’s Corridor

Ponte Vecchio

Arno River

S. Frediano Church

Michelangelo’s David a bronze copy

Michelangelo’s allegories bronze copies

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esigned in 1869 by Florentine architect Giuseppe Poggi, Piazzale Michelangelo offers panoramic views of Florence and the Arno valley and is a popular spot with locals and tourists.

Created as part of major restructuring of the city walls in 1869, Poggi’s sumptuous terrace is typically 19th century. Poggi designed a monument base dedicated to Michelangelo, where copies of Michelangelo’s works, including the David and Medici chapel sculptures from San Lorenzo would be displayed. When the terrace was finished, Poggi designed the hillside building with

loggia as a museum for Michelangelo’s works. For some reason, Poggi’s project was not realized as it was intended. The building that was to be a museum is now a restaurant.

Today, the piazza is filled with tourists, vendors, and a bronze replica of Michelangelo’s David. Just remember that most of Piazzale Michelangelo is a parking lot, and one comes here to enjoy the view. It can be reached by taking either bus 12 or 13 from the center or the red twolevel sightseeing tour bus. It can also be reached by foot, climbing up from Piazza Poggi found at the base of the hill upon which Piazzale Michelangelo sits.

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San Miniato’s church One of the most scenic churches in Italy

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uilt between the 11th and 13th century, the exterior of the Church of San Miniato is decorated with green and white marble in geometric patterns similar to the facades of Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella. A mosaic from the 12th century decorates the facade over a central window.

With your back to the front of the church one can enjoy an impressive view of Florence, from the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio, to the last standing parts of the medieval walls that once surrounded Florence.

Going into the church, one finds that

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the interior is Romanesque, with three naves and an elevated presbytery and a crypt. Pay particular attention to the marble pavement in the central aisle dating back to the 13th century. At the end is the beautiful Cappella del Crocefisso by Michelozzo (1448), and behind it is the crypt, decorated with frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi. Above the crypt, the elevated presbytery is enclosed by a marble column fence and contains an impressive 14th century wood chorus.

The monumental cemetery in front and back of the church contains the tombs of illustrious men, such as Carlo Lorenzini (Collodi), author of Pinocchio.

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Visions of a city that will make you dream

D

esigned in 1869 by Florentine architect Giuseppe Poggi, Piazzale Michelangelo offers panoramic views of Florence and the Arno valley and is a popular spot with locals and tourists.

Created as part of major restructuring of the city walls in 1869, Poggi’s sumptuous terrace is typically 19th century. Poggi designed a monument base dedicated to Michelangelo, where copies of Michelangelo’s works, including the David and Medici chapel sculptures from San Lorenzo would be displayed. When the terrace was finished, Poggi designed the hillside building with

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Boboli`s Garden The garden that evoked sights from the Kings

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ore than a garden, more than just a “green lung” in Florence, the Boboli gardens are one of the greatest open-air museums in Florence that embraces another site of culture in Florence, the Pitti Palace. The park hosts centuries-old oak trees, sculptures, fountains and offers peaceful shelter from the warm Florentine sun in summer, the beautiful colors of the changing foliage in the fall and smells of blooming flowers in the spring. The Boboli gardens are a spectacular example of “green architecture” decorated with sculptures and the prototype which inspired many European

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Boboli gardens are one of the greatest open-air museums of Florence and have inspired Versailles

Royal gardens, in particular, Versailles.

Its creation and development spans four hundred years, from the 15th and 19th centuries. The original fields and gardens were laid out behind Santa Felicita in the Oltrarno by the Borgolo family, the name from which Boboli is thought to derive, and were bought in 1418 by Messer Luca Pitti. In 1549, the property was purchased by Cosimo I’s wife Eleonora di Toledo, and was greatly enlarged to became the Medici family’s new city residence.

The original plan at that time was drawn by Niccolò Tribolo, although the complete works were completed only after his death in 1550

Kaffeehaus

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he Kaffeehaus is on the eastern edge of the gardens and its terrace looks out over Florence. It was given its German name

by the Italians because in 1776 it was built by Zanobi del Rosso for Grand Duke Peter Leopold of Hapsburgh-Lorraine, later Emperor

La Grotta

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ear the fountain is Buontalenti’s grotto (1583-1588) with the figures of Ceres and Apollo in the niches to the right and left

of the entrance. Inside the grotto the stalactites, once surrounded by water, turn out to be shepherds with sheep. The corners of the grotto are where Cosimo I installed Michelangelo’s “Slaves”, now in the Galleria dell’Accademia and replaced here in the early 20th century by

Tindaro Screpolato sculpture by Igor Mitoraj

by other court architects, including Giorgio Vasari, Bartolomeo Ammannati and Bernardo Buontalenti under the reign of Francis I, who succeeded his father Cosimo.

The Medici and the Lorraine families continued to enrich and enlarge the garden in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries generating an outdoor museum, the scenographic setting to exhibit both Roman and Renaissance statues.

Along your walk, you will discover the highlights of the gardens, in particular the Amphitheatre, the “Viottolone”, the Garden of the Cavaliere, the Koffeehouse and the Grotta Grande.

Triton fountain

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Palazzo Pitti The sumptuous residence of noble men and artwork

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his enormous palace is one of Florence’s largest architectural monuments. The original palazzo was built for the Pitti family in 1457, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi and built by his pupil Luca Fancelli. The original construction consisted of only the middle cube of the present building (the middle seven windows on the top floor). In 1549, the property was sold to the Medicis and became the primary residence of the grand ducal family. The palace was then enlarged and altered; from 1560, Bartolomeo Ammannati designed and added the grandiose courtyard and two lateral wings.

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Under Cosimo II de’ Medici, the layout of the piazza and opening up of the view were begun. The facade then assumed its present appearance, except for the two projecting wings, added by the House of Lorraine in the early 18th century. Behind the palace lie the famous Boboli Gardens.

Today, the Pitti Palace houses some of the most important museums in Florence: on the first floor is the Palatine Gallery, containing a broad collection 16th and 17th century paintings, and the Royal Apartments, containing furnishings from a remodeling done in the 19th century; on the ground floor and mezzanine the Silver Museum (Museo degli Argenti) displaying

a vast collection of Medici household treasures; and the Gallery of Modern Art is on the top floor, holding a collection of mostly Tuscan 19th and 20th century paintings. In the separate Palazzina del Cavaliere on the upper slopes of the Boboli Gardens is the Porcelain Museum, while the Palazzina of the Meridiana contains the Costume Gallery, a showcase of the fashions of the past 300 years.

Palazzo Pitti was designed to compete with Medici residence, Palazzo Medici, reflecting political tensions The austere and powerful Renaissance style of the palace

Galleria Palatina is one of the great museum housed in

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St. Spirit Square The bohemian hotspot

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lorence’s most lively, yet laid-back and local piazza is lined with good cafés and bars spilling out onto the square beneath the façade of Brunelleschi’s basilica. It attracts a mixed crowd of students, layabouts, artists, slumming uptowners, savvy foreigners and dodgy hash dealers.

What differentiates this square from others in the city is the more bohemian crowd it attracts and that generally gathers on the steps of the basilica to enjoy gelato, pizza, and some good conversation among friends.

Adding to the laid-back atmosphere are the wandering street musicians who entertain the passersby and get together for spontaneous jam sessions and performances.

Café culture is also alive and well in Santo Spirito, as evidenced by the numerous cozy cafés and bars that surround the square and offer a diverse selection of food and beverages.

And if visitors prefer strolling to lounging, Piazza Santo Spirito is also home to a lovely park full of towering old trees and featuring a marble stage and an octagonal fountain that gently flows throughout the evening.

The expressive movements and gestures that Masaccio gives to Adam and Eve powerfully convey their anguish at being expelled from the Garden of Eden and add a psychological dimension to the impressive physical realism of these figures.

The Brancacci Chapel A breakpoint in art history

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he beautiful Cappella Brancacci is a small chapel within the otherwise pretty plain Santa Maria del Carmine. It is considered a miracle that the Brancacci and Corsini Chapels survived the intense fire that destroyed everything else in less than 4 hours. The Church belongs to the Carmelite order, and like San Lorenzo, offers an unfinished façade.

The close view and visit of the chapel can only be accomplished by passing through the cloisters and not from the church. Inside the chapel you will be able to admire two layers of frescoes commissioned in 1424 by Felice Brancacci, a wealthy Florentine merchant and statesman.

The frescoes illustrate the life of St. Peter, who can be identified by his orange gown.

The frescoes were designed by Masolino da Panicale, who began painting them with his pupil Masaccio. In 1428

Masaccio took over from Masolino and, unfortunately, died later that same year, aged only 27! The remaining parts were completed by Filippino Lippi only much later.

The chapel was recently superbly restored, with the removal of accumulated candle soot and layers of 18th century egg-based gum which had formed a mold. The frescoes have an intense radiance, making it possible to see very clearly the shifts in emphasis between Masolino’s work and that of Masaccio. The restoration also highlights Masaccio’s mastery of chiaroscuro, which, combined with his grasp of perspective, created much marvel at the time.

His work was consciously copied by the Florentine painters of the 15th century. The colors are so vivid today that it is hard to believe they were painted over five centuries ago.

A visit to the Brancacci is a must, especially if you’re an art student and love art history.

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Lungarno A breathtaking walk by the Arno riverbank

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n the right bank of Arno there are the San Niccolò tower, the National Library, the nineteenth century palaces. On the left, instead, the Vasari Corridor, the bridges and on the background, the green of the Cascine.

Thanks to the river Arno, as a roman colony Florentia was born and where factories and fulling mills were established, leading wealth during the Middle Age. Without the river Arno, the architectures of Brunelleschi and Michelangelo would not have existed.

The Arno embankments (i lungarni) date from the second half of the nineteenth century, when in 1865 Florence became the capital of the kingdom, even if for 5 years only. The ancient walls were knocked down and new streets were built, also along Arno.

The walk that winds from San Niccolò bridge to Amerigo

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Vespucci bridge passes through the old town centre, these are two and half kilometres at the risk of “Stendhal Syndrome” for too much beauty, but it can lead to the Cascine Park, the largest green area in Florence.

In Oltrarno (left bank), at the Ponte Vecchio Borgo San Jacopo starts, only stretch where houses overlook, as before, right on the water. It ‘a narrow street which houses six medieval towers and the church of San Jacopo Soprarno (called by the Florentines’ ass in the Arno “for the apse lapped by the waters), some years rite greek-orthodox, with the priest who officiates the functions.

On the opposite bank, just opposite, glimpsed the Romanesque church of the Holy Apostles, which performs within large marble columns green Prato and capitals recovered from Roman buildings.

A bridge happens Old Bridge Santa Trinita, designed in

1567-69 by Bartolomeo Ammannati on sketch of Michelangelo, with bows and catenary pylons cusp to better withstand floods. At the corners, there are statues of the four seasons, including Spring.

Behind the stone faรงade coronota by merlons is today the Ferragamo fashion house and the museum with its collection of unique models created in more than 60 years from the fashion house.

There part of the Lungarno Corsini, one of the most elegant walks, overlooked by Palazzo Ricasoli. The name comes from the Lungarno Corsini Palace, baroque masterpiece in the city

of the Renaissance, of their church, where they worked Giotto and Botticelli, the Santa Rosa weir incanalva water Arno to spin the wheels of the mills. Today the small dam is one of the most loved by the Florentines for sunbathing, on the shore of their river.

Lungarno is a fascinating place that offers a wonderful and evocative walk towards the centre along the banks of the Arno river crossing Florence. Unforgetable.

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Maigc visions.

Excitement.

Deep pleasure.

Well, take a walk by the Lungarno

Ponte Vecchio The shinning symbol of tradition and wealth

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uilt very close to the Roman crossing, the Ponte Vecchio, or Old Bridge, was until 1218 the only bridge across the Arno in Florence. The current bridge was rebuilt after a flood in 1343. During World War II it was the only bridge across the Arno that the fleeing Germans did not destroy. Instead they blocked access by demolishing the medieval buildings on each side.

On November 4, 1966, the bridge miraculously withstood the tremendous weight of water and silt when the Arno once again burst its banks.

When the Medici moved from Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti, they decided they needed a connecting route from the Uffizi to the Palazzo Pitti on the other side of the Arno that would enable them to keep out of contact with the people they ruled. The result was the Corridoio Vasariano, built in 1565 by Giorgio Vasari and which runs above the little

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goldsmiths’ shops on the Ponte Vecchio.

There have been shops on Ponte Vecchio since the 13th century. Initially, there were all types of shops, including butchers and fishmongers and, later, tanners, whose “industrial waste” caused a pretty rank stench in the area.

In 1593, Ferdinand I decreed that only goldsmiths and jewellers be allowed to have their shops on the bridge in order to improve the well-being of all, including their own as they walked over the bridge.

Benvenuto Cellini, a 16th century goldsmith, is honoured with a bust on the bridge. By night, the wooden shutters of the shops make them look like suitcases and wooden chests, making it a very suggestive route to take along an evening passeggiata, or stroll. Ponte Vecchio is a very romantic spot in Florence, with its great views over the river and of the bridge itself.

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Piazza della Signoria

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he Piazza della Signoria has been the center of political life in Florence since the 14th century with the prominent Palazzo Vecchio overlooking the square. It was the scene of great triumphs, such as the return of the Medici in 1530 as well as the Bonfire of the Vanities instigated by Savonarola, who was then himself burned at the stake here in 1498 after he was denounced by the Inquisition as a heretic. A marble circle inscription on the piazza shows the location where he was burned.

The sculptures in Piazza della Signoria bristle with

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political connotations, many of which are fiercely contradictory. The David (the original is in the Galleria dell’Accademia) by Michelangelo was placed outside the Palazzo Vecchio as a symbol of the Republic’s defiance of the tyrannical Medici. Bandinelli’s Hercules and Cacus (1534) to the right of the David was appropriated by the Medici to show their physical power after their return from exile. The Nettuno (1575) by Ammannati celebrates the Medici’s maritime ambitions and Giambologna’s equestrian statue of Duke Cosimo I (1595) is an elegant portrait of the man who brought all of Tuscany under Medici military rule.

Michelangelo’s David

The Rape of the Sabine Women The graceful Loggia dei Lanzi, which functions as an open-air sculpture gallery, was designed by Orcagna in 1376. Its curved arches foretell Renaissance classicism. The statue of Perseo holding Medusa’s head, by Cellini (1554), is a stark reminder of what happened to those who crossed the Medici, and along with Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabines, are two of many beautiful sculptures found under the arches of the Loggia dei Lanzi.

Right behind the Loggia is the Galleria degli Uffizi, also known as the Uffizi Gallery, Italy’s top art museum.

Il Biancone

The beauty square of art, power and heritage

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Palazzo Vecchio The main symbol of civil power of Florence

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s time travel possible? At Palazzo Vecchio it is, with a trip back into history to three eras. Palazzo Vecchio offers Roman ruins, a Medieval fortress and amazing Renaissance chambers and paintings.

A microcosm where art and history have been indissolubly bound for centuries.

Palazzo Vecchio is the main symbol of civil power for the city of Florence, whose original project is attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio. Construction on the solid fortress began in 1299 above the ruins of the destroyed Uberti Ghibelline towers, testimony of the final victory of the Guelph faction. The entire construction also rests on top of the ancient theater of the Roman colony of Florentia (dating back to the first century A.D.), whose ruins can be admired in the underground level.

From the very beginning, the main section of Palazzo

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Vecchio was destined to host the city council which was composed of chief members the Guilds of Florence (the Priori) who governed the Republic of Florence. In 1342, the Duke of Athens, Walter VI of Brienne, enlarged Palazzo della Signoria towards Via della Ninna, giving it the appearance of a fortress and even adding a secret staircase for nightly exits. The severe medieval architecture conceals sumptuous halls and residential apartments.

The Salone dei Cinquecento was built from 1494 during the Republic of Fra’ (friar) Girolamo Savonarola. The Hall is the largest and most important room in terms of artistic and historical value inside the palace. This impressive hall has a length of 54 meters, a width of 23 and a height of 18 meters. Paneled ceilings and large wall frescoes, golden decorations and imposing sculptures will leave you admiring in marvel.

Soderini, who was appointed gonfaloniere for life, selected the two greatest Florentine artists of the time, da Vinci and Michelangelo, for the construction of two large murals to decorate the walls of the room, with battle scenes depicting victories of the Republic.

Leonardo began to realize the Battle of Anghiari, while Michelangelo used another portion of the wall for the Battle of Cascina. The two geniuses of the Renaissance would have an opportunity to work for a certain period of time face to face, but none of their work was ever completed.

Palazzo Vecchio’s current appearance is due largely to great works of renovation and interior decoration that were made around 1540, when Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici and his wife Eleonora of Toledo decided to turn the palace into their residence. The court of the Medici was transferred to Palazzo Vecchio (from Palazzo Medici-Riccardi), which was transformed into a fascinating labyrinth of institutional chambers, apartments, terraces and courtyards. All the rooms are magnificently decorated by artists such as Michelangelo, Vasari and Donatello.

Between the first and the second floor, there is a mezzanine. It was created in 1453 by Michelozzo by lowering the ceilings of some rooms of the first floor. In these rooms Maria Salviati lived, Cosimo I’s mother, and the young princes. Today, the mezzanine houses the Loeser Collection, donated by the American art critic Charles Loeser who died in 1928.

The second floor was the more private section of the palace, featuring the elegant Apartments of the Elements and the original Hall of Priors, along with many small chambers and a chapels frescoed by Bronzino. The most interesting rooms are the private study of the Duchess Bianca Cappello and the Hall of Maps, the original Guardaroba where the most relevant documents were kept together with the Mappa Mundi, a six-foot-tall sphere which had been the largest rotating globe of its era, showing the world as it was known in 1563.

Take time to look at them and see how much men in the Renaissance already knew about our world!

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Uffizzi Museum One of the world’s top art museums

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ike a very precious treasure, the Uffizi Gallery will grant itself to visitors after some trials: initial incertitude on where to get tickets, lines to get inside, lines at the metal detector, lots of stairs before the access to the top loggia and then… the Gallery will unveil its stunning frescoed ceilings and a long labyrinth of amazing works of art exposed chronologically.

This “U” shaped Renaissance building was actually not created as a museum. Cosimo de’ Medici had entrusted his favorite architect Giorgio Vasari to create a grandiose building to host the magistrates, the seats of the Florentine Guilds, a vast theatre and judiciary offices (hence the name “Uffizi” which means offices in Italian).

For this reason, the spaces you’ll be visiting were not meant to welcome up to 10.000 people a day… The halls of the Uffizi were only accessible for the Grand Ducal

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family, servants and only a few selected guests. Guests were welcomed in the top floor of the Uffizi to admire the grandiose collection of Roman sculptures. The art-fond Medicis collected for centuries manuscripts, sculptures, gems, coins, cameos and, with Francesco I, there is the first private room dedicated to “any kind of wonder”.

Buontalenti created for him an octagonal shaped Tribune to host Francesco’s favorite works of art and jewels. The Tribune is considered the most ancient and precious heart of the Uffizi, still maintaining the original shape of its 1584 construction. The concept of “museum” will be developed

by Pieter Leopold of the Lorraines in 1769, when he opened the Uffizi Gallery and its treasures to the public. He would have never imagined that it would become one of the most frequented museums in the world. Serious art lovers should visit the Uffizi at least twice to see all of it!

Botticelli, Raphael, Giotto, Da Vinci, Caravaggio, Lippi,

Start from the Gothic painters which include Giotto and Cimabue, who left us some of the largest altarpieces.

The magic of the first hall is the sensation to be welcomed inside an antic church, with low lighting reminding us about candle lights. Enjoy a walk by the Hall of Early Renaissance painters (Sala 7) like Paolo Uccello and Masaccio and a special sop in front of the unmistakable Diptych of Urbino by Piero della Francesca. The profile of Federico da Montefeltro is one of the most impressive portraits of the Renaissance. A few steps from the diptych you’ll find the largest hall of the museum, housing the most stunning and breathtaking paintings by Sandro Botticelli (Sala 10-14). Take a seat and stop for a few minutes simply admiring in silence the canvas of the Birth of Venus and the large panel of the Allegory of Spring. The high ceilings of this room are the traces of the antic Medici theater, dismantled last century to adjust the volumes of the Gallery to host the large collection of paintings.

Catch your breath, the next hall (Sala 15) can be one of the most crowded but it contains a must-see work: the one and only completed panel painting by Leonardo da Vinci. Together with the Tondo Doni by Michelangelo and Raphael’s portraits they are considered the apex of

Prepare yourself to stand to such beauty! the Renaissance productions, described by Vasari as “The School of the World” for any follower painter. Enjoy the great view from the wide windows above San Miniato Church, Bardini Gardens, the Green Koffehaus in Boboli Gardens and last but not least Ponte Vecchio and the Arno river. By this time you will have just seen one fourth of the museum… you still have three long corridors to walk along before the book shop and the exit!

Touring the Uffizi is surely one of the highlights in Florence. The best part of the day is doubtless in the afternoon, if you have the chance, after 4pm once large groups will have already left the museum. Take your own pace, enjoy glancing at the portraits, the views over the hills, the unforgettable privilege of walking through “the Medici offices” with patience for timeless treasures.

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Santa Croce Church

The ‘Temple of the Italian Glories’ for its tombs o

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anta Croce, rebuilt for the Franciscan order in 1294 by Arnolfo di Cambio, is the burial place for the great and good in Florence.

Michelangelo is buried in Santa Croce, as are Rossini, Machiavelli, and the Pisan-born Galileo Galilei, who was tried by the Inquisition and was not allowed a Christian burial until 1737, 95 years after his death.

Michelangelo, who died in Rome in 1564, was buried here beneath a monument with allegorical figures designed by Giorgio Vasari. There is also a memorial to Dante, but his sarcophagus is empty (he is actually buried in Ravenna as he was exiled from Florence).

The church exterior is covered with a polychrome marble façade added in 1863 and paid for by the English benefactor, Sir Francis Sloane. It looks onto the Piazza Santa Croce, which is the site of the annual soccer game in medieval

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costume, the Calcio Storico Fiorentino.

There is great artistic wealth in Santa Croce; frescoes (1380) by Gaddi in the Cappella Maggiore tell the story of the holy cross, “santa croce”, and beautiful frescoes

by Giotto in the Bardi and Peruzzi Chapels show scenes from the life of St. Francis and St. John the Evangelist. An unusual relief, the Annunciation, in gilded limestone by Donatello decorates the south nave’s wall. Don’t miss the memorial to the 19th century playwright Giovanni Battista Niccolini to the left of the entrance said to be been the inspiration for the Statue of Liberty.

The church of Santa Croce was severely hit by the flood of 1966, a tide plate shows how far up on the pillars and walls specially the wonderful crucifix of Christh by Cimabue.

There also work by Luca della Robbia, Pietro Gerini, Maiano, Rossellino, Vasari, Foggini, Canova and others.

A perfect simmetry evokes divine wisdom!

of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli and Rossini

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Calcio Storico

The traditional football game dating back to the 15th cen

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une is one of the most fun months to find yourself in Florence, as there are the semi-final games for the Calcio Storico with the final being played on June 24, on Florence’s patron saint’s feast day for St. John the Baptist.

The Calcio Storico Fiorentino is a combination of soccer, rugby and big time wrestling originated in 16th century Florence and played today in historical costume. The four teams of the historical neighborhoods of the city play against each other, first in two semi-finals and then the final match to determine the winner.

Piazza Santa Croce has always been the home to this game, known as “giuoco del calcio fiorentino” or more simply just as Calcio (which means “kick” in Italian). The square is prepared to return to those times when it was just a dirt square (instead of stone) to recreate the setting. Of

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course, today bleachers set up so that spectators can better enjoy the game.

The official rules of the Calcio Storico were first published in 1580 by Giovanni de’ Bardi, a Florentine count.

Invented by rich aristocreats, Calcio was originally just played by aristocrats and took place every night between Epiphany and Lent. Just like Roman harpastum, it was played in teams of 27 and both feet and hands were used.

Goals can be scored by throwing the ball over a designated spot on the perimeter of the field with another goal running the width of the short ends. There is a main referee, six linesmen and a field master. Each game is played out for 50 minutes with the winner being the team with the most points or “cacce” scored.

The prize for the winning team? A Chianina calf!!

Who plays who for the semi-finals? The teams are drawn

The four old neighbours fight themseves for glory and fame

ntury is a violent mix of football, wrestling and boxing on Easter Sunday by drawing painted balls, see photo below.

The four teams are: Santa Croce (blue), Santo Spirito (white), Santa Maria Novella (red), and San Giovanni (green). Over a weeked, the two semifinals are played.

The final match is always played on June 24 in grand style on Florence’s feast day for its patron saint, St. John the Baptist. On this day, a splendid parade in historical costume starts in Piazza Santa Maria Novella and heads through the center on its way to Piazza Santa Croce. Each of the four districts is in the parade, you’ll see the players going by as they go to play the final, even those that won’t be playing the last match. The parade starts roughly around 4pm since the final should start around 5pm. Just head downtown, you’ll run into the fun!

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Duomo Florence’s cathedral is the 4th largest in the world

Brunelleschi designed his masterpiece as two domes, one inside the other. The Last Judgment scenes painted on the inner dome

by Vasari and Zuccaro are among the largest paintings on Earth.

Florence’s Duomo is the city’s most iconic landmark and a trully miracle of art and engineering

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lorence’s cathedral stands tall over the city with its magnificent Renaissance dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. The cathedral named in honor of Santa Maria del Fiore is a vast Gothic structure built on the site of the 7th century church of Santa Reparata, the remains of which can be seen in the crypt.

The cathedral was begun at the end of the 13th century

by Arnolfo di Cambio, and the dome, which dominates the exterior, was added in the 15th century on a design of Filippo Brunelleschi. A statue to each of these important architects can be found outside to the right of the cathedral, both admiring their work for the rest of eternity. Can you imagine it took two centuries for the cathedral to be deemed finished?

The church was consecrated as soon as the dome was in

place although the façade (front of the church) was only half finished by then. It was just decoration, and thus remained unfinished up until the 19th century. At that point, it was actually redone by the likes of the time and finally finished!

The exterior is covered in a decorative mix of pink, white and green marble. The interior, by contrast, is pretty stark and plain but quite enjoyable on warm summer days since the temperature inside tends to be cooler. The mosaic pavements are certainly its main attraction within.

Please note the clock above the entrance on the inside of the church. It was designed in 1443 by Paolo Uccello in accordance with the ora italica, where the 24th hour of the day ended at sunset... and it still works!

The biggest artwork within the cathedral is Vasari’s frescoes of the Last Judgment: they were designed by Vasari but painted mostly by his less-talented student Zuccari.

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runelleschi’s dome, 45 meters wide, is the largest masonry dome ever built and it is the coverage of the Cathedral of Florence. It was originally a wooden dome built by Arnolfo di Cambio. To construct a dome over

the presbytery mixed up many technical problems.

Imagine the thriving city of Florence in the year 1296. Proud of their city, the Florentines began to build a glorious cathedral, designing it with space for a huge dome. But there was a problem: no one knew how to erect such a dome. They made a model which they kept in the half-built cathedral to show how the dome ought to be. If built, it would be the highest and widest vault raised - but how to make it remained a puzzle. The dome Brunelleschi designed and built still dominates Florence today, a miracle of design and engineering.

The usual way to build an arch or dome was to support it with scaffolding called “centring” but the open space in the cathedral was 45m in width and the Florentines wanted a tall, soaring dome.

All the timber in Tuscany would not have been sufficient to make the centring. Brunelleschi decided to build without scaffolding in such a way it supported itself as it progressed.

Brunelleschi’s solutions for the dome were ingenious, innovative and costly. But even today Brunelleschi’s Dome is the tallest building in Florence, over 600 years after it was built.

The Bapstitery

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hen you think about the Baptistery of St.John in Florence it’s easy to remember Dante’s words in the Divine Comedy describing it as “my beautiful San Giovanni”. Located in Piazza del Duomo, right in front of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, it is one of the most important monuments in Florence.

Its origins are unknown although it is believed that it was built over the ruins of a Roman temple dedicated to Mars dating back to the 4th-5th century A.D. It was first described in 897 as a minor basilica. In 1128 it was

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consacrated as the Baptistery of Florence and as such is the oldest religious monument in Florence. Up until the end of the 19th century, all catholics in Florence were baptized within its doors.

The Baptistery, dedicated to Florence’s patron saint, has an octagonal plan and an octagonal lantern with a cupola.

Outside it is clad in geometrically patterned colored marble, white Carrara marble and green Prato marble that is typical of Florentine Romanesque architecture.

The oldest ones are the South Doors by Andrea Pisano made around 1330 (overlooking Via dei Calzaiuoli). The

The building is the earthly image of a divine reality doors consist of 28 quatrefoil panels depicting scenes from St. John’s life.

The Northern Doors are by Lorenzo Ghiberti (1403-1424) and depict Stories of the Life and Passion of Christ taken from the New Testament. At the beginning of the 15th century the Arte of Calimala – the Wool Merchants’ Guild - announced a public competition to design the Baptistery’s northern doors. Many famous artists participated in this competition such as Ghiberti and Brunelleschi. Every artist had to design a quatrefoil panel depicting the Binding of Isaac using the lowest quantity of bronze. Ghiberti created a balanced and carefully detailed panel, thanks to his skills as a goldsmith. Brunelleschi’s work was completely different from both a technical and artistic point of view: Isaac writhes in pain and all the figures are so realistic they seem to come out of the panel. The new relationship between space and the human body already foreshadow

Brunelleschi’s achievement in perspective. His panel, however, was heavier than Ghiberti’s and the bronze casting was not so perfect. Ghiberti won the hearts of the judges and was thus awarded the commission to create the northern doors. The “cradle of the Renaissance” was not yet ready to “understand” Brunelleschi’s revolution and preferred the traditional gothic aesthetics, still vibrant and lively at that time.

Above the doors stood three different groups of statues.

Over the southern doors, the famous bronzes depicting the Beheading of St. John by Vincenzo Danti stood until they were restored in 2008. Above the northern doors stood the bronze group by Giovanni Francesco Rustici depicting St. John the Baptist Teaching between the Pharisee and the Levite modeled between 1504 and 1509. Above the Gates of Paradise stood the Baptism of Christ by Andrea Sansovino and an Angel by Innocenzo Spinazzi, added in 1792.

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Piazza SS Annunziata One of the most beautiful squares in Florence

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rcades border the pedestrianised square on three sides. The central arcade forms the portico of the Santissima Annunziata church, which gave the square its name.

At the center of the square stands a large bronze equestrian statue of Ferdinando I de’ Medici. It was created by Giambologna, a Flemish sculptor. After Giambologna died in 1608, the sculpture was completed by his student Pietro Tacca. The latter is also responsible for the two intriguing fountains on the square decorated with figures of grotesque mythical creatures.

The north side of the square is framed by the Santissima Annunziata church, a parish church founded in 1250 by the Servite order. The current building was constructed in the fifteenth century. The portico was added later, in

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1601, and mimics the design of Brunelleschi’s portico of the Spedale degli Innocenti on the east side of the square.

Inside are nine chapels, the middle of which was designed

by Giambologna for his own tomb. The church is lavishly decorated with frescoes, but most people come to see a painting that was started by a monk in 1252 and supposedly finished by an angel, the cause of a still ongoing veneration of the painting.

The Spedale degli Innocenti - Europe’s oldest orphanage - flanks the east side of the square. The orphanage opened in 1445 and allowed women who had birthed unwanted children to leave them here anonymously by placing them on a circular stone. After they rang a bell, the stone was rotated 180 degrees, taking the baby inside the orphanage.

Galleria dell’ Accademia Much more than the incomparable statue of David

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f you’re thinking of visiting the Galleria dell’Accademia, your most likely target are the magnificent giant marble sculptures created by Michelangelo, and above all, the glorious David.

If you explore the museum with a bit more time, the Accademia will offer you much more in the less crowded halls, satisfying any curiosity for botany, music, art symbols and painting techniques.

The Accademia welcomes the visitor in the Hall of the Colossus, name taken from the huge models of the Dioscuri of Montecavallo which were displayed in this large hall in the 19th century. It now hosts in the center the plaster model for the stunning marble sculpture of Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabine Women. Giambologna prepared the model as an exercise in creating a tightly-knit group of three figures from just one large block of marble. He did not actually name the sculpture, it was meant to be as a

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“simple” exercise of skill and it became the first example of such magnificent talent.

Your glance will land upon the large number of panel paintings hanging on the four walls, such as works

by Perugino, Filippino Lippi, Pontormo, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Bronzino. You might feel overwhelmed at first sight but if you take a seat around Giambologna’s plaster, you may comfortably enjoy this rich Renaissance collection and recognize two of the most important works.

Next to the entrance on the right you’ll clearly pinpoint a narrow rectangular chest. It is the front panel of a wedding chest belonging to the Adimari family, depicting a typical Florentine Renaissance wedding feast and portraying medieval streets, monuments and precious brocade garments witnessing the customs and wealth of the noble families of the 1450s.

San Lorenzo Church The parish church of Florence’s most powerful families, the Medici

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f all the places in Florence associated with Michelangelo, this is perhaps the most intriguing: here are his sculptures for the tombs of Lorenzo and Giuliano Medici (in the New Sacristy) and fine examples of Mannerist architecture in the Biblioteca Laurenziana.

San Lorenzo was rebuilt by Filippo Brunelleschi in 1419, on the site of one of the city’s oldest churches (consecrated in AD 393). Its rough-hewn exterior was to have been covered by a façade by Michelangelo which was never added. A model of the exterior can be seen in Casa Buonarroti.

San Lorenzo is the burial place of the Medici, in what are called the Medici Chapels which you enter into through the back of the church (unfortunately, there is also a separate ticket to see the chapels from the church ticket).

Brunelleschi’s design, with grey pietra serena columns,

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gives a cool, airy quality to the interior. The bronze pulpits (circa 1460) are Donatello’s last work and depict the Resurrection and scenes from the life of Christ; from these pulpits, Savonarola used to preach his hellfire-andbrimstone sermons. A fresco by Bronzino depicting the Martyrdom of St. Lawrence (1569) is a Mannerist study of the human body. Inside Brunelleschi’s geometrically precise Old Sacristy, there are eight tondi (circular reliefs)

by Donatello depicting the Evangelists and scenes from the life of St. John.

The Biblioteca Laurenziana is an extraordinary example of Mannerist architecture by Michelangelo. Approached by a curvaceous staircase in pietra serena, the library contains reader’s desks designed by Michelangelo and floors and ceiling designed by Tribolo. There is a separate ticket to visit the Biblioteca Laurenziana or a combined ticket to see both the Library and church.

The Medici Chapels

The Laurentian Library

The San Lorenzo street market

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he Medici Chapels form part of the monumental complex of San Lorenzo. It was the official church of the Medici from their period as private residents in their palace in Via Larga, becoming their mausoleum up to the time of the extinction of the line.

Giovanni de’ Bicci de’ Medici was the first who wished to be buried there with his wife Piccarda in Brunelleschi’s small Sacristy. Later, his son Cosimo the Elder, was buried in the crossing of the church.

The project for a family tomb was conceived in 1520 when Michelangelo began work on the New Sacristy, corresponding to the Old Sacristy by Brunelleschi on the other side of the

he Laurentian Library (Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana) is a historical library in Florence, Italy, containing a repository of more than 11,000 manuscripts and 4,500 early printed books. Built in a cloister of the Medicean Basilica di San Lorenzo di Firenze under the patronage of the Medici pope, Clement VII, the Library was built to emphasize that the Medici family were no longer mere merchants but members of intelligent and ecclesiastical society.

It contains the manuscripts and books belonging to the private library of the Medici family. The library is renowned for the architecture planned and built by Michelangelo.

an Lorenzo markets are actually comprised of two separate markets.

One is better known as the Central Market, which is a two-level, indoor food market. The other is the outdoor market full of stalls selling leather, clothing, spicery, food and souvenirs. It runs from the Church of San Lorenzo along Via Ariento all the way to Via Nazionale. The market is as markets go – a cheap and cheerful place to search for a bargain, although definitely not the best quality items (and not always a bargain), but popular with tourists as much as Italians.

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S. Maria Novella Church

A trully treasure chest of artistic masterpieces, climaxing with a series of fr

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he Church of Santa Maria Novella might not be at the top of your list of places to visit in Florence but we highly recommend you place it on there. Architecturally, it is one of the most important Gothic churches in Tuscany. The exterior is the work of Fra Jacopo Talenti and Leon Battista Alberti.

The interior holds extraordinary works of art including Masaccio’s Trinità, Ghirlandaio’s fresco cycle in the Tornabuoni Chapel and Giotto’s Crucifix, among others.

The convent was built between 1279 and 1357 by Dominican friars near a 7th century church located in the fields just outside Florence’s medieval walls. The lower part of the marble facade, which is Romanesque in style, is believed to have been executed by a Dominican architect, Fra Iacopo Talenti da Nipozzano, while the upper part was

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completed only 100 years later in 1470 by Leon Battista Alberti. Thus, the facade is not only the oldest of all the churches in Florence but it is also the only church with its original, planned facade still in place today! As you will see, the church of San Lorenzo never even received its planned marble facade while others were completed centuries later... but with new designs.

Inside, the church is vast and looks even longer than it is thanks to the clever coloring of the central arches. The layout is supposed to be work of Brunelleschi, the same architect of the Duomo’s cupola.

From the very beginning, great works of art were conceived for the church by masters such as Masaccio, Giotto, Filippino Lippi, Duccio di Buoninsegna and Ghirlandaio, just to name a few. While some are conserved

The Trinity, by Masaccio

The Tornabuoni Chapel by Ghirlandaio

Giotto’s Crucifix

rescoes by Ghirlandaio and stunning art work by Masaccio, Giotto and Lippi at the Uffizi today (in particular, Duccio di Boninsegna’s Enthroned Madonna and Child), you need to visit the church to see many of these magnificent works of art by some of the greatest artists of our times. Let’s start with some of the most important.

The Trinità, or Trinity, by Masaccio is on the far wall right in front of you as you enter the church through the side door. The Trinità (1424-25) is one of the earliest paintings to demonstrate mastery of perspective. Also notice that the Virgin Mary is not portrayed as a young girl as in so many other paintings; here, she is older and is clearly a mother.

The Crucifix by Giotto hangs in the center of the central nave as all his crucifixes were intended (you can see it in the picture posted earlier): with empty air all around it, you

were to be reminded of Christ’s actual crucifixion on the wooden cross. While it is an early work (1288-89) for Giotto, you can see his mastery in the shading on Christ’s body, the waves in his hair, the blood spilling out, the details in the background tapestry.

The Strozzi Chapel, to the right of the main altar, is dedicated to St. John the Evangelist and scenes of his life are portrayed in the beautiful frescoes by Filippino Lippi. He begun working on the chapel in 1487 but then the Strozzi were exiled from Florence by the Medici. The Tornabuoni Chapel is the main chapel you see at the front of the church, right behind the main altar which today sort of hides it. The altar actually used to be smaller and placed in the center of the chapel but was enlarged in the 19th century with the large engraved marble altar we see today.

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Ahhh, Florence...

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SOMEWHER

S CI A

RE IN TIME

Fountain at Piazza Paolo VI

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“Lieta del fato Brescia raccolsemi, Brescia la forte, Brescia la ferrea, Brescia leonessa d’Italia beverata nel sangue nemico.“ Giosuè Carducci

rescia, the Lioness, is proud of its is appellaton that evokes the fight and resistance against the Austrian invasion ocurred in the XIX century. And the Lombardy’s second biggest city, a university town with a modern business satellite – Brescia Due – is also proudly prosperous and lively. Ringed by industrialized suburbs, it is located between two of Italy’s most famous lakes, Lake Garda and Lake Iseo, Brescia is often overlooked by visitors who bypass the city itself and head straight to the undeniably beautiful lakes. A great pity, as Brescia has one of the most beautiful historic centres in the region.

Those who do, however, have the pleasure of wandering through a centuries-old town center where Roman ruins, not one but two duomos, and medieval palazzi line winding streets and gracious piazzas. Join us and visit the top spots of this graceful city.

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The columns of the Capitolium Temple

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The Amphiteater

Rests of the Roman Forum

Column of the Basilica used as structure to a building

Roman Brescia Looking back to the origins

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rescia owes its name to the hilly ground on which it is built; Brixia comes from “brg, brig, brik” a Celtic or Ligurian word (or maybe even older), meaning high places. The first settlement goes back to the late Bronze Age (1200 B.C.) and was situated on Cidneo Hill, named after the famous Cidneo, king of the Ligurians, who fortified it. Later it became important as the capital of the Cenomanian Gauls but its history as a properly organised town began with the Roman occupation and continued during its alliance with Rome.

During these years the village became a city; not only agriculture and trade flourished but also marble quarrying and mining for iron ore. Another reason for Brixia’s growing importance was her position between the Senatorial provinces (this side of the Alps) and the Imperial provinces (transalpine).

The city plan was that of the castrum (Roman military camp): the rectilinear roads were laid out within a rectangle approximately 800x840 metres and intersected at rightangles to form insulae (blocks); the decumanus maximus (the main road from east to west) was the stretch of the Emilia Gallica Way contained inside the city boundaries; this road

linked Milan to Verona and corresponded to the present-day Via Musei, while the cardus (from north to south) corresponded to the present-day Via Agostino Gallo. Within the three kilometres of city wall citizens could come and go and enter the Forum (the main square), which, when Vespasian was emperor in the second half of the first century A.D., became still more impressive with the addition of the new temple, the Capitolium, the basilica, and the theatre. Public baths were built to the south west and supplied with water brought an aqueduct.

Brixia’s social and economic importance in imperial times (it had about 6,000 inhabitants) is shown by the fine remains of Roman domus (aristocratic homes) overlooking the main street which were found in the cloister and courtyard of Santa Giulia.

After being one of the main Cisalpine centres for several centuries, Brixia began to decline in importance towards the end of the III century A.D., overshadowed, even though at first its economy was not affected, by the growing power of Mediolanum, which under Diocletian had become one of the capitals of the Western Roman Empire.

The late ancient period (IV - V century AD)

saw the extension of the city walls towards west (beyond the area where Piazza della Vittoria and Piazza della Loggia now stand) and the building of the first churches, after the practice of Christianity was legalised in 313 AD. The two cathedrals of Santa Maria Maggiore and San Pietro de Dom (where the Old and New Cathedrals stand today) and the Baptistry (no longer in existence) marked an important urban area further to the west than the temple area of the Romans.

In the V and VI centuries the architectural and urban structure began to decay; and after the barbarian invasions, ruins, kitchen gardens and hovels obliterated the dignity of the Roman edifices. Today, all we can see are the ruins of the Amphiteather and the Forum, all around the Roman complex of Via dei Musei.

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VIA DEI MUSEI The cultural main artery

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ia dei Musei, or simply via Museums, is one of the main streets of the historic center of Brescia, primarily known for the multitude of monuments and cultural institutions that face the street from Piazza della Loggia to the Santa Giulia monastery, including churches, noble palaces, medieval and Roman ruins.

The origins of the street can be traced back to Roman times, when the urban aspects are defined and turning the road as the Decumannus Massimus. Due the previous importance of the track, however, it is likely that this was already present as part of the primitive road linking Milan and Verona, around where Brescia was developed. As decumannus, the road ran through the Foro and passing the foot of the Capitolium and the theater.

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Santa Giulia church by the Longorbards.

During the medieval times, the street was increased towards Milano, getting out of the Roman perimeter and got the name Dei Mercanti because the presence of many shops and crafts.

Today, Via dei Musei is one of the most important streets of the historic center and reaches many of the most important cultural spots of Brescia.

San Zeno al Foro

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t is a church in center of the city of Brescia, situated in Piazza del Foro on the Via dei Musei, a few yards from the ruins of the Roman Capitoline temple in the city.

A church at the site had been present from the 12th century. The present Baroque structure was completed about 1745.

The interior, entrance and presbytery, is decorated by four canvases depicting Prayer in the Garden, Baptism of Christ, Annunciation, and Birth of Jesus, (1741) by Antonio Paglia.

In the first altar to the right is a painting dedicated to the Saced Heart of Jesus by Cesare Bortolotti, that in 1888 replaced an altarpiece

by Paglia. The second altar on the left has a Pieta by Francesco Monti; his Death of St Anne was replaced in 1857 in the second altar on the right with a painting of the same topic by Luigi Campini . The first altar on the left dedicated to Saints Erasmo and Venanzio was painted by Giuseppe Tortelli.

The Baroque main altar is highly decorated with colored marble. The tabernacle is sculpted out of semi-precious stones, including lapis lazuli. The altarpiece was painted (1739) by Giovanni Battista Sassi. The choir stalls are carved with scenes from the life of the bishop St Zeno. The organ was built in 1877 by Tonoli.

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The precious Aula superiore of Santa Maria in Solario oratory, painted by Ferramola in the XII century. At center, the Cross of Desiderio

SANTA GIULIA MUSEUM One of the most important archeological museums in Italy

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he City Museum, unique in its design and location - a monastic complex of Lombard foundation - and with display areas covering 14,000 m², offers a journey through Brescia’s history, art and spirituality from prehistoric times to the present day.

The Benedictine convent of San Salvatore - Santa Giulia was founded in 753 by the last Lombard king, Desiderius, and his wife Ansa and occupied a role of great religious, political and economic importance, which continued after the Lombards’ defeat by Charlemagne.

According to tradition, the dramatic story of Ermengarda, daughter of Desiderius and rejected bride of the Frankish emperor, was

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played out here; it was recounted by Manzoni in Adelchi.

The site is composed of parts from many different epochs: a stratification of memories and a continual source of unexpected discoveries. The complex was built on the ruins of impressive Roman town houses and includes the Lombard church of San Salvatore and its crypt, the Romanesque Santa Maria in Solario, the Nuns’ Choir, the sixteenthcentury church of Santa Giulia and the monastery cloisters. It is the perfect location for the City Museum and the natural focal point for a visit to Brescia.

The Museum’s special distinguishing feature is the close relationship between the

Santa Giulia museum houses an extensive collection of local exhibits, with archaeological finds and collections from all periods of Brescia’s past

The main gate of the museum at Via dei Musei

Section of the cloister

The Winged Victory A magnificent Roman bronze statue probably sculpted after 69 DC and discovered in 1826 near to the Capitolium

historic buildings and the objects on display, which number about 11,000 and include Celtic helmets and horse harness ornaments, Roman portraits and bronze sculptures, Lombard items, grave goods, frescos, an applied art collection and artefacts dating from the medieval period to the 18th century AD. The Winged Victory, the city’s symbol, is a large bronze statue from the Capitolium. Recent studies have shed new light on the sculpture’s history and the life of ancient Brixia.

This is but one of the surprises Santa Giulia has to offer!

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IL CASTELLO A place to visit and dream

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he ancient part of Brescia, Roman Brixia so-called since the first century BC because of the rocky, hilly ground on which it is built , is bounded to the north-east by Cidneo Hill (245m). Brich was the Celtic word meaning rocky summit, high places. And the hill with its wonderful view over the whole city, has represented the most important element in the town’s history from the time of the first settlements in the Bronze age up until the eve of the XX century.

The castle is called the “Falcon of Italy” because of its position on the summit of the hill, where it overlooks the city from above.

It is one of the largest fortified complexes in Italy with 75,000 square metres enclosed within its surrounding walls.

Walking along the path that leads from the

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entrance up to the top of the hill , the visitor travels through history: from XVI century military buildings ( the time when Venetian domination began) to XIX century ones ( the period of Austrian occupation) and then back in time again to the innermost surrounding walls built by the Visconti in medieval times.

The Castle and hill together have always been an integral part of the city. Yet, nowadays, going ‘up to the Castle’ means not only visiting the massive fortifications of the stronghold but also strolling in the spacious gardens within the walls or along the shady roads leading to the top of Cidneo hill.

The natural characteristics of the site were used for defensive purposes right from the time of the first settlements but have over time changed their function. The slopes of the hill, which were barren originally and

covered in stones to make it easier to sight the enemy, are quite different nowadays; since the end of the XIX century they have been completely changed: tree-lined avenues have been created and monuments and stelae put up; so that the Castle has taken on a public role that is both recreational and educational.

The castle also holds two fine museums: the Luigi Marzoli Arms Museum, exhibitinhg arms and armours in its collections and the Museum of the Risorgimento displaying documents and pictures from the revolutionary years.

Built on top of the ruins of a Roman temple by the Visconti family, the castle dominates Brescia

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what An asthoning view!

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The XVI century fountain, an allegory of the city if Brescia and the two surrounding rivers, Mella and Garza

LA TORRE DELLA PALLATA Brescia’s symbol of power and beauty

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long the course Giuseppe Garibaldi westward, we reach the Tower of Pallata, one of the emblems of the city. This Thirteenth Century tower was erected to defend the ancient gate of San Gioavnni and remains as one of the main monuments of the medieval period. Built using many remains of Roman buildings, gets up to 31 meters. The tower held the treasure of the City and once lost its defensive function, was heavily modified in an attempt to embellish it: in 1461 was placed the clock and between 1476 and 1481 the merlatura and the turret. Tucked in its base is the fountain of via Pace, followed in 1596 by Antonio Carra designed by Pietro Maria Bagnatore. The figures represent Brescia armed with cornucopia and the two rivers Garza and Mella.

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The Donegoni fountain dominates the L shape square, once part of the defensive wall and later the market of cotton and wool

PIAZZA DEL MERCATO The charming wool market square

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he square has been the site of a market since 1428, when the small business activities of the area were grouped together there. The west side is dominated by the elegant, baroque façade of the Palazzo Martinengo Palatino (XVIIth century) with its raised central section. Nowadays the building houses the University Chancellor’s office.

The plain buildings with their arcade were built to the design of the architect Beretta in the mid-VIth century.

The little church of Santa Maria del Lino was designed by the architect Pietro Maria Bagnadore in 1608. The simple, façade, with a triangular tympanum, faces east.

The XIXth century fountain, la Fontana del Donegani, in the middle of the square is surmounted by a statue of a boy with a cornucopia, leaning upon a dolphin.

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The ellegant XVI century Palazzo Martinengo Palatini h0uses the coordination of the University

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PIAZZA DELl

The modernist power in th

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his vast urban space was built under the Mussolini government is not a single episode but as a first step of a comprehensive redevelopment of the urban fabric of the Lioness which was never completed.

Leading the project was the expert pencil of the Roman architect Marcello Piacentini and the idea, still widespread, of understanding the historical centers as living

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organisms, mutable, necessary adaptations to reflect the evolution of the culture of living and technology second a natural process that lasted for centuries.

The idea was the need to make accessible and penetrable to the new transport systems the center to tie it with his natural expansion outside the city walls.

From north to south, from east to west, the historic city was to be open to be crossed by the new vehicle flows that

lA VITTORIA

he middle of the downtown

revolved around its new heart: the square! Throbbing heart but also noble who was lapped by the new flows but never crossed by vehicular traffic.

This grandiose square was inaugurated in 1932 and was built on the site of a dilapidated popular quarter which was demolished in order for the city centre to be cleaned up. The Post Office building and the brick Torrione (high tower) with its imitation loggias dominate the square. The

faรงades of the buildings, the paving of the Quadriportico and the wide arcade are all made from highly-polished marble in two contrasting colours.

The Arengario, a red stone pulpit decorated with basreliefs, was erected in front of the geometric flight of steps which links the north-east of the square to the rest, which is at a lower ground level: it was used by public speakers during city assemblies.

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The archades of the building projected by Palladio gives its name to the square

PIAZZA DELLA LOGGIA The most beautiful square of the Northern Italy

The clock tower is based by a long arched corridor built in 1595 by Bagnadore

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The exquisite marble gate was designed by Stefano Lamberti in 1552

The dome of the new Cathedral can be seen behind the gorgeous Monte di Pietà building

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t is the most beautiful square in Brescia and was inaugurated in 1433. It is dominated by the magnificent Renaissance Palace of the Loggia, nowadays the town hall.

Its building began in 1492. The upper part was finished circa 1570 to the design of Jacopo Sansovino and Andrea Palladio. The splendid decorative sculpture that adorns the palace is in classical style.

On the south side, the 15th and 16th century façades of the

Monti di Pietà are worthy of note as tombstones and other pieces of Roman stonework have been set into their walls.

The east arcade is surmounted by a building that incorporates the beautiful sixteenth century mechanical Clock Tower, is reminiscent of the famous one in Venice, where two human figures, popularly called: the “Macc dè lé ure” (the hourly dafties), used to strike the hours on the bell.

The fabulous Renaissance building of Monte di Pietà projected by Grassi in 1489

The Monument to the Bella Italia built in honour to the 10 days of Brescia

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The clock, designed

by Beretta, the same architect of the Loggia, shows hours, moon stages and the zoadiac signs

Magnificent view of the two Cathedrals of Brescia, the old and the new

PIAZZA PAOLO VI Brescia’s sacred heart

Interior of the new cathedral

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The awesome dome of the new Cathedral

Built between 1604 and 1825, the Santa Maria Assunta is the new cathedral of Brescia and was designed by the architect Lantana in late Baroque style

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his square, which dates back to the Middle Ages, is the heart of the city; it contains important historical buildings which symbolize the city’s concern with civil rights as well as its religious tradition. The palace of Broletto, which incorporates the municipal tower and the loggia delle grida, exteds along the eastern side as well as two cathedrals - the Duomo Nuovo (the New Cathedral) and the Duomo Vecchio (the Old Cathedral). The Palace of the Broletto is the oldest municipal building in the city and was the centre of political life when Brescia was a city-state. It has a square ground plan with an internal courtyard which was built in stages from the Middle Ages up to the XVII century, when an open bossed arcade was added to the north side.

Nowadays the buildings houses the Prefecture, a Police station and the administrative offices of the province and council. The Duomo Nuovo was built between 1604 and 1825:

the long history of its construction is reflected in the baroque style of the lower par and the rococo style of its imposing and grandiose facade in white Botticino marble. The Duomo Vecchio, or Rotonda, dating from the XII century, is a splendid example of a circular stone building from the Middle Ages and contains several works of art. The former ground level of the city can be observed around it.

The south side of the square is occupied by the palace of the headquarters of a bank designed by Tagliaferri at the beginning of the XX century. On the west side, opposite the Broletto, the neo-classical palace (1809) with two Ionic columns in the centre should be noted, as well as the House of Camerlenghi, who were Venetian administrators, which has windows with three lights and a medieval arcade. This Arcade leads to the main arcade in Via Dieci Giornate which was built along the edge of the Roman wall.

View of the north side of the square with the tower of Pegol

Many bars and restaurants near to the Minerva’s fountain

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get enchanted by the

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A RIDE WITH THE ITALIAN WINE KINGS

Casa Vinicola

ZONIN We visited the biggest Italian wine group, owner of more than ten wineries spread all over Italy and USA. Join us and explore a world of tradition, excellence and great wines.

Gambellara, Vicenza, is situated on the feet of thLessini Mountains and takes advantage of the microclima to produce a particolary grape, Garganega, basis of Recioto di

F

or quite some time I was thinking to visit Gambellara.

in order to control the quality and to build a genuine value. Slowly,

It is one of the DOC wine zones of Veneto which most

they bought winery in each significant wine zone of Italy. The first

famous product, the sweet Recioto di Gambellara white

one was Ca’ Bolani, in Friuli, in 1970. Then, Castello d’Albola, in Chianti

wine is appreciated through all Italy. And a missing place

Classico and the last one was Rocca di Montemassi in Maremma. In

in my visit list.

1976, Mr. Gianni decided to explore the American market as producer

Cantina Zonin is the biggest wine producer group

and chose a winery in Virginia in a time when the movement was

in Italy with more than 50 million bottles produced each year by its

towards California. Many years later, Barack Obama drank a wine

10 different brands all over the country and also in USA. More than

from this winery cheering the victory in the elections for American

70% of the production is exported for more than 70 countries, mostly

president. A relevant symbol of the importance of Casa Vinicola

Europe, USA and the emergents countries. Everything started in 1821

Zonin. of the Lessini Mountains, a stretch of the Prealps from Verona

as many wine producers, a small family winery. Hard work everyday.

to Vicenza and home of some of the best Italian wines as Valpollicela,

In 1921, Domenico Zonin take the action and develope the business

Soave and Bardolino. It is a very prestigious wine zone, cultivated

to the next degree as Cantina Zonin, producing wines as Gambellara,

since the Romans and Longobards due to its particolary terroir and

Tai and other native grapes. During the 60’s, Domenico gave the

weahter and very appreciated, later, by the Venezian Doges.

control of the company to his nephew, Gianni, who made deep

The height, some peaks reach more than 600 mts, plays a

modifications and expanded the winery. Mainly, he introduced the

fundamental role to the production as well as the cooler air, the

ideia to valorize the Italian wine as product keeping the local tradition

volcanic soil and limestone, creating a particolary and interesting

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VERONA

VICENZA GAMBELLARA

Gambellara and also the worlwide famous Soave white wine

enviroment for the grapes. It is also famous for its excellent marble, mainly the red variety, used in palaces and churches through all Italy.

The native grape, Garganega is the basis of both Gambellara and Soave wines. Gambellara is a white and dry wine proud of its high acidity and refreshing character. Peculiar notes of peaches, almond and other fruits makes both tipology extremely popular – right, the popularity of Soave is unique – and Gambellara producers are more concerned in quantity, unfortunately. The Gambellara DOC denomination came in 1970 and its most known variety is the Recioto di Gambellara, a sweet wine made with dryed grapes very enjoyed.

So, I arrived from Vicenza, almost 20 kilometers east, cycling through the SP 11 road, that connects Verona to Vicenza. The road goes side by side with the A4 highway, connecting Torino to Venezia, and the railroad. It is a industrial zone, with many sheds and also an agricultural area, mainly corn and grape.

The day was cold and beautiful and the first rays of the sun

“

The winery’s philosophy is to valorize the particolarities of each wine region in order to guarantee the quality and identity.

illuminating the Alps was an unforgetable vision. After a hour and TRIPPINGMAG | 87

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The spectacular museum tells the story of the winery through images and objects in a very interesting way.

half, I finally could reach the access to Gambellara. Well, it is a very

old Roman city above Venice where is situated the Tenuta Ca’ Bolani

small town, within the traditional neoclassical church as top spot

whose delicious Refosco we will talk in a next moment.

surrounded by vineyards around the valley.

Then, we arrived to the utilities section. Tools and hardware used in

In few minutes I took the main entrance of the winery, a modern

the winery of the family. And also a fantastic collection of corkscrew

building with many inox steel tanks close. After somewhile, came Mrs.

and other wine tools of Mr. Gianni. Finally, we entered the cellar with

Sandra who guided me through the visit. Very kind and enthusiast,

countless oak barrels full of precious wine. There are many from a

she took me to the amazing museum that tells the story of the

special zone of Slovakia, famous for its aging particolarities, and

winery through a very informative and well displayed way. We can

also the traditional French ones. The visitor can check some samples

observe documents, as inumerous posters from the Venice Republic,

of the ground of each vineyard in order to help to understand the

informing about the ordinations of the wine production, journals and

characteristics of the wine, like the volcanic limestone from Sicily

photos about the winery and Mr. Domenico and Mr. Gianni’s life.

or the rocky and argile from Gambellara. There is a small but very

Then, came some stuff from the different wineries of the group like

interesting section showing how the cork is made with the bark of a

photos, bottles of the wines produced and other curiosities. There is

special type of oak. Finishing the visit, there is an awesome exhibition

a marble sculpture of a woman’s head, for example, from Aquileia, an

of the collection of stamps of Mr. Gianni, all of them related to the TRIPPINGMAG | 89

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Tradition in the refined art of making wine since 1821

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wine industry from all over the world.

Unfortunatelly, was not possible to visit the production area

experience with an exquisite Amarone from Cantina Zonin. Gabriel drove me through the fantastic world of flavors and sensations of

for security reasons. I confess that was very curious to check their

the Italian wines with a unexpected competence and passion. Really

installations. Ok, let’s move on. So, the last stop was the wine shop to

brilliant. Then, I made some shop and took the road again back home

tasting some preciosities. And then came Gabriel, the very enthusiast

with many ideas.

sommelier who gave me a trully class about wine.

The shop is a blessing for the drinkers. There are many things to chose, wines from almost all wineries of the company . We started with the dry and complex blend of Merlot and Sauvignon, Berengario.

Then we tasted a faboulous Refosco from Ca’ Bolani winery, Friuli, an explosion of fruit and freshness. The next one was a totally different aproach, a superb Sicilian Nero d’Avola, from Cantina Altamura, fresh and spicy, fruity and warm delicious wine. We concluded the

Yes, once again it was an incredible experience to check the passion and professionalism which Italians deserve to wine industry.

}

Casa Vinicola Zonin Via xpto, 444 Gambellara Vicenza Italy 00 39 444 111 1111 www.zonin1821.com

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VILLE V

Luxury and style in the

VENETE

e countryside of Veneto

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Villa A word that calls to mind images and lifestyles which very few people would turn their back on.

Here is how the Oxford English Dictionary defines “villa”: A country mansion or residence, together with a farm, farm-buildings or other houses attached, built or occupied by a person of some position and wealth; in later and more general use, a residence in the country, or in the neighbourhood of a town, usually of some size and architectural elegance and standing in its own grounds.

The hinterland of Venice – the Veneto – is known for the many villas spread across its territory, most of them built between the 15th and 19th centuries. It once had as many as 3500 of them.

I asked myself several times while travelling across the Veneto: why and how were so many villas built precisely in this region of Italy? I finally decided to look into this subject…

On the 17th of April 1345, the Great Council of the Republic of Venice abrogated a law which until then had prohibited the citizens of Venice from owning properties on the mainland. Then, in 1407, Padua fell under Venetian rule and soon became the second capital of the Serenissima.

As a result of these changes, Venetian noblemen could now venture into farming and agriculture, enhance their incomes and build large country villas, many of them along the Brenta river (which is flowing between Venice and Padua). Famous architects and artists – such as Palladio, Frigimelica, Preti, Veronese and Tiepolo – were hired to create and adorn many of these sumptuous residences.

The setting for a new lifestyle was thus set: the villas in the hinterland of Venice became the summer retreats of the aristocratic elite. And to get there, noble families would leave St Mark’s Square in Venice on comfortable barges called burchielli, then sail up the Brenta canal all the way to their final destination. For most of the trip, due to the shallowness of the river, the boats had to be pulled by horses toiling along from the banks.

During these escapes to the hinterland, Venetian noblemen and their accompanying retinue of artists, actors and adventurers would spend days cruising up and down the river, going from one villa to another, from one feast or party to the other, indulging without restraint in the “mania of the villeggiatura”. It was a time of pleasure and immense freedom. Married women even had their personal cicisbeo, their professed gallant and lover, who attended them to church and at public entertainments, and who had “privileged access” to them.

But with the fall of the Republic in 1797 due to Napoleon’s conquest, Venice and its hinterland saw the end of this sweet cushy lifestyle.

You’d like to go back in time to these golden days? You can take a day-long tour on a boat down the Brenta river and call at some of the most beautiful Venetian villas: the Villa Gradenigo, the Barchessa Valmarana and the Villa Widmann, just to name a few. Or take a ride through all Veneto Region. It will be easy to reach and visit most Villas.

Take a look with us in some of them around Vicenza. Enjoy!

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La Rotonda

Palladio’s Masterpiece Maybe never architectural art has reached such a level of magnificence” (J. W. Goethe, after the visit at La Rotonda)

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he emblematic symbol of the Venetian Renaissance and a breakingpoint in the history of architecture. This short, clear description, he describes all the beauty and light of a project which is the perfect fruit of a long inner growth.

The opportunity to realize this vision came to Palladio from a special person, Paolo Almerico, who was not only a papal prelate but also an intellectual, a member of a refined cultural circle of that time, who wanted to build for himself a ‘villa’, just out of Vicenza, for his retirement, after a career in Rome at the Papal Court.

Works started in 1567 and were quickly completed, because by 1571 Paolo Almerico was already living at La Rotonda. Since 1911, La Rotonda has been owned by the Valmarana family of Venezia.

Palladio planned more than 20 villas but only two of them, La Rotonda and Villa Trissino di Meledo have the peculiar plan that sets them apart: the central round hall with the domed vault, inscribed in a square, with four facades, each with a projecting portico and steps, 6 Ionic columns.

Andrea Palladio intended to transfer into civil architecture a ‘sacred’ inspiration, using a plan already present in religious architecture (such as S. Pietro in Montorio temple in Rome); this idea comes out of his

well known archaeological studies. The particular site, the special personality of Paolo Almerico and Palladio’s meditations on ancient art came together in this unique opportunity for Palladio, who was finally able to realise his vision of a villa-temple.

Perfect and researched proportions, expression of a measure where tout se tient are in front of the visitor at La Rotonda: you can feel an emotion that touches the spirit.

La Rotonda was also conceived to be in direct relationship with the rural environment, as was typical of Palladio’s villa designs of the period. The villa is not separated from the fields by palisades or closed gardens or edges; it quietly dominates a space composed by fields. Later, between 1580 and 1591, Vincenzo Scamozzi built the ‘barchesse’ that are at the base of the low hill on which the villa sits and which were used as homes for farmers, near the stables and the granaries. As Palladio underlines in his ‘Quattro Libri’, buildings should be planned in order to expose every room to sunlight and surrounding landscape, and should be easily accessible, with large and harmonious spaces where privacy of the owner is assured together with that of the guests.

The decoration of La Rotonda started at the end of 16th century. Lorenzo Rubini, is thought to have been responsible for the statues on the stairs, whilst Giambattista Albanese those on the porticos and roof. At the beginning of the 17th

La Rotonda Considered one of the most perfect buildings and also one of the most influencers of the history of the architecture.

Declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994 due to its fundamental role.

Villa Cordellina

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he villa stands on a hill near to the centre of Montecchio Maggiore. The site used to be occupied by a master house, which, together with the surrounding land belonged to Ludovico Cordellina and Carlo Molina. The construction of a sumptuous home was ordered in 1730 by the famous Venetian lawyer Carlo Cordellina, son of Ludovico and nephew of Molin, whom he inherited the estates in Montecchio from. The idea to build a new holiday residence went together with his plans to create a vast farm; the production method in the estate was based on rotating the crops, which he himself had studied.

The project by the Venetian architect Giorgio Massari was started in 1735, perhaps with help from Francesco Muttoni; five years later the central building was habitable, while the two side courtyards, stables and guest quarters

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were completed at a later date. The last phase of the work was the rear courtyard, where the old master house was demolished. We know for certain that the entire complex had been completed by 1760, when it became a meeting place for famous people, academics and scientists, including Francesco Algarotti. The importance given to the master building standing isolated in the space between the barchessas is shown by the monumental main faรงade dominated by the Palladio style with the columns and tympanum of ancient temples and by the richness of the decorations inside.

The frescoes in the central hall on the ground floor were painted in 1743 by Giambattista Tiepolo, and perhaps Algarotti suggested the themes to paint, exalting the civil virtues of the client; this artist was also perhaps involved in sculpting the ornamental statues in the gardens.

La Favorita

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long tree-lined avenue leads from the west to the top of the hillock on the northern border of Monticello di Fara, where the Villa La Favorita stands dominating the countryside and the natural amphitheatre formed between the Lessini Mountains and the Berici hills.

The villa was commissioned by Count da Porto and was built between 1714 and 1715 probably to a project by Muttoni, on the site of a previous 17th century building. The noble chapel dedicated to the Madonna del Carmine built in 1697 belongs to the first building, with a late baroque front with Ionic pillars with statues in recesses in the side sections and putti holding noble coats of arms on the curved small pediment over the entrance door.

Besides the chapel, a monumental gate leads to an embankment held up by a large wall. The sides of the

courtyard are bordered by two symmetrical arcaded barchessas which frame the villa, and they have a Serlian window in the centre with a triangular pediment above.

The villa is reached up a wide flight of steps that lead to the hexastyle Ionic pronaos with a triangular pediment on top with statues of Apollo, Minerva and Mars. Inside, the side halls and double height central hall are decorated with fake architecture.

The villa was inherited by the Balbi family from Venice in 1816 and was sold in 1821 to then return to the Da Porto Barbaran in 1884 after changing hands various times. It was used as barracks during the First World War, and then the villa was used as the parish church during the second half of the 1940s and now holds various events.

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Villa Trissino

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illa Trissino is a villa which belonged to Gian Giorgio Trissino, just outside the center of Vicenza. It was mainly built in the 16th century and is associated by tradition with the architect Andrea Palladio.

The building is of undeniable importance in the Palladio “mythos”. Since 1994 the villa has been part of a World Heritage Site which was designated to protect the Palladian buildings of Vicenza.

Giangiorgio Trissino was a man of letters, the author of plays for the theatre and works on grammar. In Rome he had been received into the restricted cultural circle of Pope Leo X Medici, where he had met Raphael.

Trissino did not demolish the pre-existing building, but redesigned it to give priority to the principal facade facing south. This gesture was a sort of manifesto of membership

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in the new constructional culture based on the rediscovery of ancient Roman architecture. Between the two existing towers Trissino inserted a two-storey, arcaded loggia which was directly inspired by Raphael’s facade of the Villa Madama in Rome, as published by Sebastiano Serlio in the Terzo Libro dell’Architettura. Trissino reorganised the spaces into a sequence of lateral rooms, which differ in dimensions but are linked by a system of inter-related proportions (1:1; 2:3; 1:2), a matrix which would become a key theme in Palladio’s design method.

Building works were certainly concluded by 1538. At the end of the eighteenth century the architect Calderari heavily modified the structure, and in the first years of the twentieth century a second campaign of works cancelled out the last traces of the Gothic building by accomplishing its belated “Palladianisation”.

Villa Bertolini

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illa Bertolini was completely renovated in the course of a nineteenth-century restoration, which transformed to the point that it is impossible to reconstruct the previous appearance, perhaps century. The front facade, facing

south, is complex architectural composition, enriched by pictorial ads to illusionistic effect; the interior has a fresco of Pasqualotto and refined decorations nineteenth century.

It currently houses the kindergarten.

The outdoor of the Villa

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Villa Contarini

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illa Contarini, dating back to the XVI century, is located in Piazzola Sul Brenta, only a few kilometers away from Padua and Vicenza.

It is one of many famous examples of patrician residences which contributed in creating the socalled “civilization of the Venetian villa�. It is a known fact that such buildings, designed and created by architects of great cultural prominence (let us think of Andrea Palladio, who was involved in the conception of Villa Contarini in

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Piazzola as well) served many different purposes. They acted as sites of representation, used in particular to celebrate the magnificence of the Serenissima Republic and its noble families: richly decorated settings that hosted house parties as well as intellectual gatherings; but they also acted as outposts for the control of the territory, allowing the development of an initial form of agricultural and industrial entrepreneurship.

The Villa, conceived for the Contarini family, amongst

the most famous Venetian families, perfectly matches this type of architecture. The construction year of the “royal palace” of Piazzola, so called for the majesty that places it amongst the biggest residences in Europe, cannot be determined due to the numerous enlargements and later renovations. The main body was built most likely on the foundations of the Da Carrara Castle in 1546 (as the stone to the left of the staircase shows) on a design by great Palladio.

From the start the building had two wings, later transformed. In the second half of the XVII century, through the action of Marco Contarini , the palace conquered those features of complexity and grandeur that distinguish it.

Inside the central body, one of the most renowned rooms is the Auditorium. Surrounded by a circular balcony, it overlooks through the center the Music Room, also called Room of the “Upside down guitar”.

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Villa da Schio

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etween the foothills of the Berici range and the Bisatto canal along the Berica Riviera, the hamlet of Costozza is found slightly set back with respect to the main road, an old Paleoveneto centre and since Roman times famous for its stone quarries, called Costozza stone. On the square at the centre of the hamlet, where there are numerous other villas, the entrance to the Trento da Schio is found which involves a number of buildings around a scenographic terraced Italian garden which is ornated by statues by Marinali.

The monumental entrance is situated at the side of a small building, which used to be an ice house, called Botte del Covolo. The South facing avenue to the north leads to the track and steps that follow the hill slope and crosses over the five terraces forming the garden.

To the east of the last two levels of garden, eccentric to

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the main garden composition, the main villa stands, formed of three asymmetric buildings of different sizes around a trapezoidal courtyard.

The north building is on level with the highest terrace, and has an architrave ionic loggia which acts as a winter garden. A flight of steps ornated with statues of dwarfs leads down from this loggia to the trapezoidal courtyard, where the south part of the villa also has a trabeation ionic loggia.

To the east of the villa a straight walk leads to the courtyard, and the so-called CaÂ’ Molina, the main 18th century master building, which was never finished, and has a median jutting section topped by a triangular gable.

In 1500 the property belonged to the Trento Counts and in 1830 was inherited by the Da Schio Counts. Count Alvise Da Schio restored and renovated the old garden around 1930. Nowadays, it is used for weddings and events.

Villa Negri

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his charming villa can be seen from the main road, surrounded by an extensive campaign. In the 800’s maps of the area in which it is situated this villa is listed as the property of Negri, a family of the nobility of Vicenza, which had large estates in this part of San Bonifacio. It was probably the residence of Eleonoro Negri, hero of the Risorgimento Italiano, the movement of the Italian Unification. The forms are those of Neopalladianesimo the end ‘700, first’ 800, a bit ‘stiff and not inventions.

The house, a compact volume and clean, is a bit isolated in a extensive empty space that even the beautiful garden can’t fill. Among the Venetian villas of the zone, this is certainly one in evidence because of the solution of the house temple adopted. This genre was invented by Palladio, and in the hands of the great architect, has produced real

masterpieces of harmony of the whole.

The south facade is the most significant part of the villa: the setting is classic, with the central element in porch, which emerges slightly from the compact volume of the building and creates, on the main floor, the strong chiaroscuro loggia with four Ionic style columns.

In the evolution of the Venetian villas from the early examples of ‘400 until the end of ‘700, saw the gradual removal of outbuildings from the master’s house, this also to demonstrate symbolically detachment, requested the nobility from work. The use of the villa becomes more and more for entertainment and representation that for effective control, as it was originally, the course of agricultural activities.

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Villa da Schio The famous garden makes this one of the finest villas of the Province of Vicenza

ASIAGO CLOSE TO THE HEAVEN

Visit with us a trully piece of paradise over the Pedemontana, the Italian Pre Alps, which cheese and grappa are famous worldwide

ASIAGO MILANO

VENICE VICENZA

“the smallest and brightest town of Italy” poet Gabriele d’Annunzio

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ying at the center of the homonymous plateau, Asiago is a small and charming city over the Italian Alps, surrounded by forests, open fields and icy peaks. The Asiago Plateau in the Province of Vicenza, also known as “dei Sette Comuni”, rises to an altitude of more than 1.000 meters and offers a vast range of attractions.

It was completely rebuilt after the destruction of the First World War, where Italian troops fought against the Austrians ins several battles around and also on the mountains.

This enchanting landscape hosts green forests that are completely covered by the wintertime snow.

A precipitous street – with ten hairpin turns along the way – that climbs upward from the plain offers magnificent scenery made up of vast fields, villages decorated by high bell towers and a crown of peaks in the backdrop.

In memory of the great battles of 1915-1918, there is the military shrine where lie thousands of fallen Italians and Austrians. Next to the monument, you can visit a museum dedicated to the war events.

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THE DOME OF SAINT MATTHEW uilt in the traditional pink marble from Asiago, the Dome stands opposite of the City Hall, to establish the balance between civil and religious powers.

The Dome is dedicated to the Apostle Saint Matthew, the main saint of the city.

The foundation of the Dome dates back to the fourteenth century (1393), but it was destroyed and reconstructed many times over its history. The main building, designed by the architect Luigi De Boni, was built between 1842 and 1870 and consecrated on 1888. It was then destroyed in 1916 during the First World War. The church was reconstructed shortly after the war and inaugurated in 1926.

The architecture of the church represents a neoclassical Corinthian colonnade, with three aisles and a central dome. The façade and staircase, designed by the architect Vincenzo Bonato, are made of the local red marble and decorated with pilaster capitals, a cornice and a pediment.

The main statute, representing Saint Matthew and a boy on his knees, is the work of the local artist Pesavento. Inside of the Dome there are many works of art. Of great value are two paintings: “The Blessed Virgin”, by Francesco da Ponte the Elder (placed above the altar), and “Abbot Saint Anthony”, by Francesco da Ponte the Younger.

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THE CITY HALL

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uilt in white and red local marble in a classical style, the majestic City Hall with its cell tower, columns and foil roof, overlooks the old town of Asiago.

Housing the Spettabile Reggenza dei 7, the palace was destroyed during the First World War. After the war the town decided to reconstruct the palace and on 1922, the reconstruction project presented by the Venetian architect Vittorio Invernizzi was chosen.

On July 6th, 1924, the first memorial stone was laid. On it there was carved the motto of the reconstruction of Asiago: “Ex igne splendidor”.

The marble-cutters from Vicenza carved a lion of San Marco made of marble on the Bell Tower; the lion of San Marco was represented also on the flag given by the Venetians to the Regency of Asiago. On the western façade, a mosaic reproduced also the coats of arms of the 7 other municipalities.

In the Loggia dei Caduti (“Loggia of the Fallen”) there is the statue “Faith in the greatness of Italy”, accomplished by a famous Venetian sculptor, Annibale De Lotto. In 1927 the clock on the bell tower was erected together with the bronze bell. The Palazzo Podestarile di Asiago was finally inaugurated on 1929.

The rooms of the City Hall are decorated with Murano glass chandeliers, mosaics and stuccos.

In the Sala Consiliare (the “Council Chamber”), also called Sala Quadri (“Hall of Paintings”), there are 12 wooden bas-reliefs painted by the local artist Giovanni Forte Tanasio and representing the 12 months of the year. There you can also see four paintings by Venetian painter Alessandro Pomi, each measuring 5 meters x 2 metres. The ceiling of the building is panelled in wood. Special reliquaries, dated to the regency of General Cristiano Lobbia (17th century) preserved some of his personal items, including the uniform and a theodolite telescope, an instrument of his own invention for measuring angles in topography.

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DOWNTOWN

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siago is a small rich town and the downtown reflects its main economic activities, tourism (specially sky) and agriculture (cheese and dairy).

The main street is full of caffes and ellegant shop, selling from fancy clothes to sports goods for sky and snowboard. You can also find fine delicatessen offering the spectacular Asiago Cheese, famous in all Europe, and salumi, breads and other delicious things. They are also very proud of its Grappa, the local brandy made with grapes.

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THE MILITARY SACRARIUM

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he magnificent memorial stands on Leiten Hill, overlooking the entire town of Asiago. Inside the memorial rest almost 60,000 soldiers.

The military memorial was opened in 1938. It was designed by architect Orfeo Rosato and built of the local white marble; the building contains works of the sculptors Montini and Zanetti.

In the exterior, the building has a squared base of 160 m2. There is a terrace, accessed by two frontal staircases with parapet, and decorated with arrows that indicate the places of the most severe battles. Another staircase leads to the top of a majestic four-sided arch with a votive area in the centre.

On the ground floor, a sort of “crypt�, there are the remains of the Fallen placed in loculi along the perimetral and the axial corridors. The corridors converge to an octagonal chapel with altar; on the walls you can see the remains of twelve soldiers awarded with the Gold Medal of Military Valour. The memorial houses the remains of 33,086 fallen Italians (including 12,795 identified, placed in individual loculi and 20,291 unknown, placed together in collective graves). There are also the remains of 18,505 Austro-Hungarian soldiers and brought here from the war cemeteries in the Plateau.

Not far from the entrance of the memorial there is a museum, housing many relics, collected on the battlefields of the Plateau, as well as documents and historic photographs depicting dramatic battles. The section on the left represents artefacts from the battles fought in the mountain region, from the Adige to the Brenta, during the first two years of the war (1915-1916). The section on the right presents documents of the events in the period 1917-1918, when the war reached its peak and ended with the defeat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

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OUTDOOR

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he Plateau is universally considered a prime locality for those who love intense sport activity like mountain biking and cross-country skiing: trails abound, extending to over 311 miles, including 155 miles of circular track that brushes each of the Seven Comuni.

Around sixty ski-lifts, ski slopes and trekking paths (with or without snowshoes) render Asiago perfect for those who appreciate athletic activity within gorgeous, pristine nature.

From spring to autumn, you can choose your type and level of excursion or activity: from diverse equestrian centers, golf courses and tennis courts, covered pools, archery, bocce and bungee jumping (from the bridge over the Val Gardena), rafting, paragliding, and even hydrobob.

The zones of Ortigara, Cima Caldiera, Portule, Cima Undici, and Cima Dodici were all theatres for fierce battles during the First World War. Today, they are privileged destinations for excursionists following the area’s numerous traces of history, such as the Forts of Verena, Interrotto, Corbin, Lisser and Campolongo.

Sacred to these Alpines is Monte Ortigara, site of the zone’s most famous battle. Visitors can also see wartime trenches and shelters at the open-air Museum of Monte

Zebio.

A pleasant itinerary of the Asiago Plateau could begin with Rotzo, the oldest Comune, fact of which the Church of Santa Margherita (founded in the year 1000) is testament.

One might then proceed to several prehistoric localities, such as Bostel.The Comune of Roana, location of the Cimbric Language (of Germanic origins), is characterized by six borgos, the so-called Seven Bell Towers.

Immersed in the hills is Asiago, completely rebuilt after the Great War; now it is a famous touristic destination, considered to be one of Italy’s main hubs for cross-country skiing.

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VISIT ASIAGO AND FEEL PEACE!

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