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Teatro alla Scala
Built in 1776 by Giuseppe Piermarini on the central site of Santa Maria della Scala, Teatro alla Scala is a large opera house. In 1943 it was badly bombed and rebuilt three years later. Highlights include the Museo del Teatro (theater museum) which was founded in 1913 and is home to a fine collection of sculpture, paintings and ceramics, and also La Scala's Ballet School which was founded in 1813 and has produced many famous students. |
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Boat Bridge
Daily island tours of Burano, Murano and Torcello are run by the Cooperativa San Marco, from April to November. The tours are approximately 3.5 hours long and depart at 09:30 and also 14:30 from the Giardini Reali, nearby the Piazza San Marco. Tickets can be purchased at the Alilaguna kiosk. |
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Santa Maria della Salute
Santa Maria della Salute is a highly crafted building which was constructed between 1631 and 1681 in thanksgiving after Venice began to recover from the great plague of 1630 to 1631. It was designed by Longhena and has an enormous white dome and very grand baroque- style architecture. This famous Venetian landmark dominates the view of the Grand Canal from the lagoon and the water is reflected on its bright surface. The Ciesa di Santa Maria della Salute is a very individual and beautiful octagonal church, built partly of 'marmorino', a brick covered with marble dust. |
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Cimitero Monumentale
The Cimitero Monumentale contains many tombs and shrines, produced by famous sculptors. It was created in 1866 and is simply vast, covering an area more than 250,000 square meters. Highlights include the Famedio (House of Fame), a pantheon-style building where many well-known and highly regarded people are buried and numerous tombs and shrines, many of which are works of art in their own right. The Cimitero Monumentale is situated in north-east Milan and there is a free map of the cemetery available at the entrance. |
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Palazzo Litta
Palazzo Litta is a highly regarded palace and widely believed to be one of the most beautiful examples of 18th-century architecture in Italy. The palace was built in 1648 for Count Bartolomeo Arese by Francesco Maria Richini. Around 100 years later the interior was updated and also the pink facade was added by the heirs, the Litta Visconti Arese. Highlights include many stunning rooms. |
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Boboli Gardens
The Boboli Gardens are the most popular sight to see in Florence. It was designed by the Grand Dukes as a venue for extravagant parties and celebrations. The gardens are rich and extravagant pleasure-gardens with large expanses to explore, and photogenic views over Florence. It is dotted with statuary, fountains and a variety of features commissioned specially, or taken from the fabulous Medici art collections. The Boboli Gardens spread over the steep hillside behind the vast Pitti Palace, over the Arno from central Florence. |
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Pitti Palace
The Pitti Palace was built in the 15th century by the Florentine Pitti family. The sloping frontage that forms the Piazza de' Pitti is closed on three sides by the circling wings of the Palace, which the Florentines have always been reluctant to call the Royal Palace because of their innate tendency for understatement, in spite of the fact that the building has hosted all the ruling dynasties (the Medicis, the Lorraines, the Bourbons, the Bonapartes, the Savoys) ever since Cosimo I's wife, the beautiful and rich Duchess Eleonora of Toledo, bought it from Buonaccorso Pitti in 1550 to turn it into the new home of the Medici family. |
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Colosseum
Coliseum is the most recognizable of Rome's Classical buildings. It was the first permanent amphitheater to be raised in Rome. It had accommodation for 60,000 seated and 10,000 standing, all of whom could enter and leave in a matter of minutes, courtesy of 80 entrances. This is a structure that the designers of modern era could learn from. |
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Rome Zoo, the Bioparco
Old Rome Zoo has been recently renovated into a modern zoo and has been named the Bioparco. The zoo provides a nice alternative activity for tourists, and entertainment for children who may be bored of static sights. There are plenty of cool spots to sit and rest, complete with drinking water fountains and picnic benches. There is a small cafe by the zoo entrance, and up on the rooftop there is an expensive restaurant with a fine view over the giraffes. |
