ITALY

ITALY My brother lived in Italy for four years before coming back to the United States. Two sisters and a brother visited him during his stay in that lovely country. Most of the pictures shown in this blog were from his camera when he was showing the siblings around. That's what you call budget travel. Saved on hotel accommodation. The places visited are the following: * Milan (Milano, Lombardia): 3,839,216 * Rome (Roma, Lazio}: 3,807,992 * Naples (Napoli, Campania): 3,092,859 * Turin (Torino, Piemonte): 2,236,941 * Palermo (Palermo, Sicilia): 1,239,272 Information about ITALY From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Capital Rome Largest city Rome Official language(s) Italian Government Republic Area Total 301,230 km² (71st) Population - 2006 est. 58,594,273 (22nd) Italy, officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Italia, IPA: [i'ta:lja] or Repubblica Italiana, IPA: [re'pub:lika ita'lja:na]), is a Southern European country. It comprises the Italian peninsula, the Po River valley, and two large islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia, and shares its northern alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. The country also shares a sea border with Croatia, and France. The independent countries of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italian territory. It is shaped like a boot, and for this reason it is commonly called lo stivale (Italian for the boot).

FLORENCE AND TUSCANY

FLORENCE AND TUSCANY Florence is a major Italian city which is a cosmopolitan and wealthy metropolis while Tuscany is a region whose cultural and social traditions are still preserved and observed despite the changing face of its towns and countryside. If you find Florentines to be proud according to Dante, the great poet, it is because Florence nurtured the Renaissance that produced, Machiavelli,Galileo, Da Vinci and Michaelangelo. images from my brother's photo gallery Machiavelli, the statesman was moved to observe that Florentines' main preoccupation was to dress splendidly and obtain a ctrafty shrewdness in discourse. Although Milan has the big fashion shows and big stars in fashion, there are also Florentine fashion celebrities in the likes of GUCCI and PUCCI. Florence is also the headquarter of the shoe magnate Salvatorre Ferragamo. For information about hotels, transportation, shopping, click here.

DUOMO -The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

The CATHEDRAL OF SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE The cathedral is one of the most distinctive landmarks of Italy. In 13th century, Florence 's burgeoning status as a wealthy and important city prompted the Ruling Council to issue an edict demanding for a cathedral of the most "exalted and the most prodigal magnificence, in order that the industry and power of men may never creeate anything that is more vast and beautiful. The foundation was laid in 1296 and was given the name Santa Maria del Fiore, the title that linked the Virgin to the Florence's flower. The people still called it Santa Reparata until a decree in 1401 was passed prohibiting the use of such name. Due to the death of the original architect, Arnolfo de Cambio, the project faltered until 1331 when Florence's first bishop and saint was moved to the cathedral and construction started again with another group of architects. The building of the cathedral took many centuries, project by project, handled by different architects, mostly finaced from the colleections of estate taxes and fines for drunkeness. Information about the DUOMO: Hours and Days: OPen everyday except Sunday morning and first Saturday of the month. Fee: Church is free but Santa Reparata and Dome are not. Buses: 1,6,14,17,23

PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA

PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA The piazza is the home of Palazzo Vecchio and the setting for festivals such as Liberation celebration. Its origin is not clear except that it was confiscated from Uberti Family in 1268, developed on a piece-meal basis until 1385 when it received the first layer of protective paving. It suffered alteration in 1560 when Cosimo I made extravagant changes to the Uffizi.

Florence -Michaelangelo's David

Michaelangelo's DAVID in PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA The most eye-catching features of the piazza aside from the palazzo are the statues. One of them is DAVID by Michaelangelo as distingushed from that of Donatello. This is a copy of the original Michaelangelo's David which is exhibited in the Galleria dell'Academia. It replaced the original which stood in the Piazza della Signoria for over 350 years until moved in 1873. The original DAVID was commissioned by the Florence Cathedral Vestry Board to be placed as a decoration in the Cathedral. Michaelangelo sculpted the statue which measured 517 from marble between 1501 and 1504. The sculpture portrays the form of the future of Israel and its perfect modelling, the calm and determined strength of the expression and its imposing size have made it one of the best works of art in the world. You can visit the original at the Accademia Gallery. Information about the Accademia: Hours and Days: Tuesday to Saturday 8:30 am-6:50 pm Sundays and public holidays 8:30 am-1:50 pm travel and places,David,Florence

PALAZZO VECCHIO

PALAZZO VECCHIO It has dominated Piaza della Signoria for centuries , with the work having started in 1299. It housed the PRIORI or the city's ruling council. In 1540 however, it became home to Cosimo I before he moved to Palazzo Pitti after nine years of stay. Today, the palazzo is still the seat of the city government although its interior is open to the public except Sunday afternoon and all Thursdays. travel and places,Palazzo Vecchio,Florence

MURAL

MURAL IN THE PALAZZO VECCHIO The wall paintings in the palazzo depict various Florentine military triumphs.

THE GLOBE

Bro. wrote as caption. In the map room where the de Medicis no doubt thought about their far flung political and economic interests. A forerunner of GOOGLE EARTH!!!

GREAT HALL

This vast hall in the Palazzo was designed to accommodate the members of the Consiglio Maggiore, the republic's ruling assembly.

THE LION

The Lion guarding the Palazzo and watching over resting travellers

THE PIAZZA DEGLI UFFIZI

The Piazzale degli UFFIZI with the UFFIZI Gallery buildings on the left and right. The courtyard between the two wings of the Uffizi as seen from the battlements of the Palazzo Vecchio. Galleria degli Uffizi, known as the Uffizi is one of the worlds greatest galleries. It houses,the collection of Renaissance and other paintings carrying the signatures of the most respected Italian and European artists for the last eight hundred centuries. It was built in 1560 for the collections of the Grand Duke Cosimo I. It was donated to the City by the sister of the last Grand Duke, Gian Gastone Medici. Around 2,000 works are on display and 1,500 are in storage. It is open everyday except Mondays.

MICHAELANGELO

Michelangelo's full name was Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni. He was born at Caprese, a village in Florentine territory, where his father, named Ludovico Buonarroti Simoni was the resident magistrate. The family returned to Florence after his birth. He formally apprenticed to Domenico Ghirlandaio for a term of three years. Michelangelo tried to suppress this fact, probably to make it seem that he had never had an ordinary workshop training; for it was he more than anyone else who introduced the idea of the 'Fine Arts' having no connection with the craft that painting had always previously been. Among his works are: 1. Bacchus-The statue of Bacchus was commissioned by the banker Jacopo Galli for his garden and he wanted it fashioned after the models of the ancients. The body of this drunken and staggering god gives an impression of both youthfulness and of femininity. 2.Known as "Vesperbild" it shows the seated Madonna holding Christ's body in her arms. Michaelangelo was only 23 years old then but there was no artist in his time who had presented an image of the Madonna with Christ's body. Sistine Chapel ceiling David

LEONARDO DA VINCI

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 and died on May 2, 1519.He was multi-talented Italian Renaissance Roman Catholic being an architect, anatomist, sculptor, engineer, inventor, geometer, musician and painter. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time. Da Vinci is famous for his Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, the latter is the subject of controversy in the best seller book and box office hit controversial, the DA VINCI CODE. His ideas were ahead of his own time which include among others the invention of a helicopter, a tank, the use of concentrated solar power, the calculator, a rudimentary theory of plate tectonics. He greatly advanced the state of knowledge in the fields of anatomy, astronomy, civil engineering, optics, and the study of water (hydrodynamics).

MACHIAVELLI

Niccolo Machiavelli was born on May 3, 1469, in Florence, Italy. He is known for his phamplet, THE PRINCE to gain influence on the Medici family. Machiavelli entered the Florentine government as a secretary. He rose quickly in his position and met the important politicians in carrying out his diplomatic missions. Among these were the Pope and the King of France. Borgia, the cruel and cunning pope had so much impact on him that despite the fact he did not like his policies, he supported him in order to unite the Florentines. Unfortunately the MEdici family took over and dismissed him from office. He attempted to gain the favor of the Medici by writing a book of what he thought were the Medici's goals and dedicating it to them. And so The Prince was written for that purpose. Unfortunately, the Medici didn't agree with what the book said. The public was outraged and thought how cruel can a man get to write such book. A few years later the Medici were kicked out of Florence. The republic was re-established, and Machiavelli ran to retake the office he had left so many years ago. But the reputation that The Prince had established made people think his philosophy was like the Medici, so he was not elected. And here the sharp downhill of his life began. His health began to fail him, and he died months later, in 1527.

GALILEO

From wikipedia: Galileo Galilei (February 15, 1564 – January 8, 1642) was an Italian physicist, astronomer, astrologer, and philosopher who is closely associated with the scientific revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope, a variety of astronomical observations, the first and second laws of motion, and effective support for Copernicanism. He has been referred to as the "father of modern astronomy", as the "father of modern physics", and as the "father of science". Galileo's career coincided with that of Johannes Kepler. The work of Galileo is considered to be a significant break from that of Aristotle. In addition, his conflict with the Roman Catholic Church is taken as a major early example of the conflict of authority and freedom of thought, particularly with science, in Western society.

DANTE ALIGHEIRI AT UFFIZI

Dante was one of the greatest poets of any age. His famous work, Divine Comedy is a masterpiece that ranks high in all literary works. He was born in an impoverished aristocratic family,indulged in politics before he totally immersed himself in writing. At the age of nine he fell in love with Beatrice who was his inspiration in all his literary endeavours. The practice of committing a child to marriage prevented Dante from pursuing Beatrice who was already engaged to Simone de Bardi whom she married at the age of 17. The dark days following Beatrice's death at the age 24 and Dante's failure in his political career were narrated and woven into poetry in his masterpiece. He died after he completed his work and was buried in Ravenna.

OOPSIE

Still at the UFFIZI.

MODERN STATUES

Not all the artwork are ancient. There are also modern statues like these two.

TABLEAU

Where there are tourists and public plazas, you will also find the inevitable human statues.

WANDERER

And so are the wanderers or homeless?

ROME, ITALY

ROME, ITALY images from my brother's picture gallery. ROME is the capital of Italy and of its Latium region. It is located across the confluence of the Tiber and Aniene rivers. The Vatican City, a sovereign enclave within Rome, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church and the home of the Pope. It was once the capital of the Roman Empire, the most powerful, largest, and longest lasting empire of classical antiquity. Rome is the largest city and commune in Italy and it is also one of the largest among European capital cities, with an area of 1,290 square kilometers. The commune territory extends up to the Tyrrhenian Sea, with the district of Ostia, on the south-west, located on the shore. Within the city limits, the population is 2,669,873 (2005); almost 3.5 million live in the general area of Rome

Colloseum, ROME

It was Emperor Vespasian who commissioned the Colloseum of Rome in 72 AD as an entertainment center for his subjects. It was opened by his son, Emperor Titus, in 80 AD even it was not yet completed with 100 consecutive days of public events, including bloody gladiator fights and non-gory theatrical productions. Commodus was the only emperor to fight in the Coliseum of Rome, which he did just for entertainment purposes. His matches were rigged by selecting opponents who were under-armed, poorly skilled or physically impaired from previous fights. He is the person portrayed as the malicious emperor in the Academy Award winning movie,starring Russel Crowe, The Gladiator. Emperor Honorius outlawed in 404 AD the Colloseum of Rome’s gladiator death duels. After the Rome fell to the Goths, the spectacles were stopped and the colloseum deteriorated due to neglect. In the 16th century, local construction firms quarry some of the large Colloseum of Rome stone building blocks for use in other sites, including St. Peter’s Basilica. It was only in the 19th century when the thru the initiation of the popes, the colloseum was reserved to be preserved for future generations.

Colloseum

It was only in the 19th century when the thru the initiation of the popes, the colloseum was reserved to be preserved for future generations.

FONTANA DI TREVI

FONTANA DI TREVI The fountain was built by the architect Salvi (1735) in the time of Clement XII, and decorated by several artists of Bernini's school. It was the setting of movies like Anita Ekberg's dip in Fellini's 'La Dolce Vita', and for the award-winning "Three Coins in the Fountain" motion picture, ensuring its popularity worldwide.

FONTANA DI TREVI WATER

The fountain is celebrated for its excellent water.

FONTANA DI TREVI FIGURES

The statues in the centre represent Neptune supported by Tritons on either side while rococo-style Poli Palace provides the perfect backdrop.

FONTANA DI TREVI COINS

Tradition has it that throwing a coin over your left shoulder into the fountain guarantees a swift return to the world's most beautiful city.

ST. PETER'S BASILICA

The Basilica of Saint Peter is one of the four major basilicas of Rome (San Giovanni in Laterano, San Pietro, Santa Maria Maggiore and San Paulo) in Vatican City enclave. It used to be the largest church in Christianity (yet see Yamoussoukro) covering an area of 5.7 acres (23,000 m²) and has a capacity of over 60,000 people. It holds the burial site of St. Peter who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, first Bishop of Antioch, and later first Bishop of Rome. Many Popes, starting with the first ones, have been buried there. Construction on the current basilica began on April 18, 1506 and was completed in 1626, and was built over the Constantinian basilica. Although the Vatican basilica is not the Pope's official ecclesiastical seat (Saint John Lateran), it is most certainly his principal church, as most Papal ceremonies take place at St Peter's due to its size, proximity to the Papal residence, and location within the Vatican City walls.

CLOCK AND BELLS

VATICAN AT NIGHT

SPIETRO NORTH ENTRY

This is the north entry to St. Peter's Basilica.

KING VITTORIO EMMANUELLE LL

On the South side OF PIAZZA DE VENEZIA is a truly monumental structure, dominating the whole piazza, dedicated to king Vittorio Emmanuele II, the first king of unified Italy. Officially known as the Altar of the Fatherland, it was constructed between 1885 and 1905 and changed the whole appearance of the area with its bulk.

Trastevere

ENTRANCE TO CASTEL S. ANGELO

This is the entrance to St. Angelo Castle, a mausoleum built by emperor Hadrian in 130-139 for his family.The height is nearly 50m, the design belongs to Hadrian. The mausoleum consisted of a base 89m sq., supporting a round tower 64m in diameter of peperino and travertine overlaid with marble. It was trasformed into a castle thus the name, then into a prison by the King of Italy. It became a papal property and was used as a fortified defense of the pope's city. Being an official prison for many centuries Castel S.Angelo contains numerous prison cells, to begin with those built by Pius IV with the sizes that wouldn't permit a prisoner to stand on the legs and lie, the only position possible was sitting. In the so called Cortile Dal Pozzo, built by Alexander VI, were the cells reserved for important persons. Among numerous historical figures ended their days inside of the castle were 5 popes. In 897 by the cause of popular rising Stephan VI was sent here and strangled. In 903 Leo V was imprisoned and killed here by the order of anti-pope Cristopher. In 928 John X was deposed and strangled with a pillow. In 973 Benedict VI was deposed and strangled by anti-pope Boniface VII during the popular rising. In 984 John XIV was imprisoned and poisoned by the same anti-pope Boniface VII. In 1934, it was made into a museum.

CANNONS AT THE CASTLE

Urban VIII provided the castle with cannon made of bronze taken from the ceiling of the Pantheon portico.

CANNONBALLS AT THE CASTLE