Vicenza and the charms of the night

 

Vicenza is the city that the tourist does not expect to encounter. Among Italian cities, it is unexpectedly the one that boasts the greatest number of monumental complexes in relation to its size. The French art historian Luois Courajod described it in the mid 19th century as 'a place blessed by heaven, one of those nests prepared by nature for the birth of Italian art'.

 

A Unesco World Heritage Site since 1994, Vicenza forces the tourist to stroll around with his nose in the air, presenting itself as an open-air museum of classical architecture of the Renaissance age, which has become a model throughout Europe. The Vicenza of Andrea Palladio, who left one of his absolute masterpieces in the magnificent Basilica, which has become a symbol of the city itself.

 

Vicenza is also the ideal starting point for visiting extraordinary villas that represent a unique heritage of the Veneto region. Sunday morning will therefore be dedicated to Villa Valmarana ai Nani, a sumptuous country residence set in a centuries-old park amidst the slopes of the Berici Mountains. In 1757 the Palazzina and Foresteria, which flank the manor house, were decorated with magnificent frescoes by Giambattista Tiepolo and his son Giandomenico, true masterpieces of 18th-century Italian painting.

 

A confrontation not only between two artists, but also between two worlds, with gods and heroes on one side, nobles and peasants on the other, mirroring a waning era and the ineluctable end of the Serenissima.

 

For lunch we will be welcomed into the Villa Valmarana café, overlooking the enchanting Valletta del Silenzio.

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Welcome to Christmas in Naples

 

What could be more evocative than entering the magical pre-Christmas atmosphere with a visit to Naples in December? The nativity scene is Naples and Naples is the nativity scene! Strolling along the Decumani and through the narrow alleyways of the beating heart of the Neapolitan city, in the direction of San Gregorio Armeno, the famous and bustling street of the master nativity scene ali, we will not fail to marvel at the beauty of the many churches, squares and palaces we encounter, from the Duomo to San Lorenzo and Santa Chiara, until we plunge into the charm of Via Toledo and reach the elegant squares of the Municipio, Trento e Trieste and the Plebiscito. An unforgettable experience that will satisfy all our senses, a journey through the scents, sounds, colours and flavours of one of the most beautiful times of the year!

 

The Gateway to Heaven

 

One always returns to Siena with joy because it is a city of the soul, with its authentic medieval beauty set in scenery that symbolises Italian civilisation throughout the world. Wandering through the alleys of the historic centre, being seduced by an artistic heritage of rare beauty, stopping to taste a glass of Chianti is an emotion that transforms the journey into an experience.

Siena never ceases to amaze, as do its extraordinary monuments that still reveal, after centuries, unpredictable novelties, such as those concerning the 'Gate of Heaven'. After a laborious restoration, some rooms located right under the roof of the Duomo have been recovered, one step away from heaven. Going up there is an exciting adventure, a real journey through time and space, a challenge to enter the 'belly of the architect'. It was in these spaces, which had remained in oblivion for hundreds of years, that those architects and workers whose genius and skills created an absolute masterpiece of medieval European architecture moved. Being able to see for the first time in a long time the signatures graffitied on the walls and the tools of the trade of these ingenious protagonists is something more than a testimony to the history of architecture.

Recently, the public has been given the opportunity to retrace these ancient steps, through an aerial pathway that runs along the top of the temple, along its entire perimeter. From up there, one enjoys unprecedented views both towards the interior of the church, filled with works of art, and outwards over the city. Then we reach the small terrace that opens behind the façade elevation on Piazza del Duomo, with the Spedale di S. Maria della Scala defining the sky line, and then the balcony of the counter façade from where the view of the nave from a bird's eye view is truly breathtaking.

 

The Cathedral of Siena still represents not only one of the absolute masterpieces of the Romanesque-Gothic period, but also the identity of a city and its culture. It consists of a grandiose complex of buildings founded in the 12th century, coinciding with the development of municipal life, but completed over the centuries to create a colossal dream of grandeur. The greatest Italian masters have left their mark on the building, from Nicola Pisano to Donatello, from Michelangelo to Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

You cannot miss a visit to the monumental Piccolomini Library; to the Museum of the Metropolitan Opera to admire the Maestà by Duccio di Boninsegna, a masterpiece and emblem of Sienese painting; to the crypt with its unmissable and colourful frescoes, an extraordinary discovery of the last twenty years.

 

 

Life as a king: royalty and truffles

 

Venaria was the Versailles of the House of Savoy. The spectacular complex, consisting of the palace and park, was built between the 17th and 18th centuries for Duke Charles Emmanuel II of Savoy as a place of delights, where hunting, sumptuous balls and spectacular receptions could be enjoyed. The typical Baroque language of magnificence made the settlement a model of European monumental architecture and the scenic space of monarchic absolutism. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997, the palace after laborious restoration work has become a tourist attraction, which is also particularly captivating due to the layout of the visitor's route designed by the English director Peter Greenaway.

In these sumptuous rooms, first and foremost the famous 'theatre of light' in the Galleria Grande, as well as in the park, which symbolises the immensity of nature, even today's visitor is amazed and captivated by the philosophy of pleasure as a way of life. Visiting Venaria offers not only the opportunity to enjoy a unique jewel of the Italian artistic heritage, but to relive the exclusive atmosphere of royal life and joie de vivre.

Among the delicacies destined for the king and courtiers, gastronomy played a major role, transforming the table into succulent spectacles. Among the delicacies at the forefront in 18th century Piedmont was the white truffle, established as the essence of superior pleasure at all European courts. Already known in the ancient world, loved in the Renaissance for the ecstatic effect of its aroma, defined by Gioacchino Rossini as 'the Mozart of mushrooms', the white truffle of Alba represents one of the most internationally appreciated Italian food products.

The town of Alba is the capital of the Langhe, a characteristic hill system dotted with vineyards, hazelnut and chestnut groves, cottages, castles and perched villages. Alba preserves a beautiful medieval town centre, circular in shape, with picturesque towers and fortified houses, which comes alive on the occasion of the great autumn truffle festival.

 

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