The Grand Priority in Rome on the Aventine Hill

Friday April 15th, 2016 , Cities of Art

The Grand Priority in Rome on the Aventine Hill

The Grand Priority in Rome on the Aventine Hill. Enclosed on two sides by cypresses, the Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta was planned by Piranesi in 1765 and is best known for a small hole in the arch-headed central portone, through which the dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica can be viewed at the end of a garden allée framed in clipped cypresses.

The place is the seat of the Villa del Priorato di Malta, a complex of buildings with gardens which is home to the Grand Priority in Rome of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, an order of chivalry, which remains a sovereign entity. It also hosts the embassy of the Order of Malta to Italy.

The bull of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Friday April 8th, 2016 , Cities of Art

The bull of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. If you go to the Galleria in Milan you’ll always find someone observing the bull depicted on the floor.

The reason is simple: it brings good luck!

San Domenico museum in Forlì

Wednesday April 6th, 2016 , Cities of Art, Museums

San Domenico museum in Forlì. Forlì is not a place of transit, and you have to go there for a reason, and I always go to Forlì to see the exhibitions arranged at the San Domenico museum.

The San Domenico museum are a set of museums in the heart of the city and it is the result of the restoration of the historical complex of San Domenico: the Church of San Giacomo and two cloisters.

Santa Maria Antiqua in Rome

Saturday April 2nd, 2016 , Cities of Art, Museums

The Church of Santa Maria Antiqua in Rome

Church of Santa Maria Antiqua. Reopened to the public in March 2016, the Church of Santa Maria Antiqua in Rome was discovered in 1900 within the Roman Forum. It’s an inestimable treasure, closed for restorations since 1980s.

Built in the 6^th century in the Roman Forum on the ruins of the Palace of Domitian, buried under rubble after an earthquake in 847, brought to light thanks to the 1900 excavations, the Church of Santa Maria Antiqua in Rome was closed to the public for 30 years.
The Church contains a unique collection of wall paintings, one of the few artistic exemplars in the world of the development of Roman and Hellenistic-Byzantine figurative art.

What to see in Padua without spending your money

Friday March 25th, 2016 , Cities of Art

What to see in Padua without spending your money

What to see in Padua. As far I’m concerned, Padua is the city of marvels, because you can simple take a walk around the city and you will able to know its centuries-old history and the most important artists who were the protagonists of the history of the city.

In this post I will suggest a short itinerary for a free walk. It will surprise you, I promise!

The walk I suggest it might take you from one hour to two hours. It depends on how fast you will walk and how many breaks you will take. But don’t hurry!