Theme Week Lombardy – Mantua

28 November 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  6 minutes

© EdoM/cc-by-sa-3.0

© EdoM/cc-by-sa-3.0

Mantua is a city and comune with 49,000 inhabitants, and capital of the province of the same name. In 2007, Mantua’s centro storico (old town) and Sabbioneta were declared by UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site. Mantua’s historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family has made it one of the main artistic, cultural, and especially musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole. Mantua is noted for its significant role in the history of opera; the city is also known for its architectural treasures and artifacts, elegant palaces, and the medieval and Renaissance cityscape. It is the place where the composer Monteverdi premiered his opera L’Orfeo and where Romeo was banished in Shakespeare‘s play Romeo and Juliet. It is the nearest town to the birthplace of the Roman poet Virgil, who was commemorated by a statue at the lakeside park “Piazza Virgilio”.   read more…

Theme Week Lombardy – Cremona

27 November 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Cremona Duomo and Baptistery © Einer flog zu Weit/cc-by-sa-3.0

Cremona Duomo and Baptistery © Einer flog zu Weit/cc-by-sa-3.0

Cremona is situated on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana (Po valley). It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local city and province governments. The city of Cremona is especially noted for its musical history and traditions, including some of the earliest and most renowned luthiers, such as Guarneri and Stradivari and several members of the Amati family.   read more…

The university town of Modena in Emilia-Romagna

19 November 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

Palazzo Comunale (right) and Cathedral (left) © Hierakares

Palazzo Comunale (right) and Cathedral (left) © Hierakares

Modena is a city and comune (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region.   read more…

Verona in Veneto

8 November 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  5 minutes

Verona Collage © DanieleDF1995

Verona Collage © DanieleDF1995

Verona is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of northeast Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona covers an area of 1,426 km² (550.58 sq mi) and has a population of 714,274 inhabitants. It is one of the main tourist destinations in northern Italy, owing to its artistic heritage, several annual fairs, shows, and operas, such as the lyrical season in the Arena, the ancient amphitheatre built by the Romans.   read more…

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