by VT | Mar 12, 2020 | General interest, history, Italy
After Easter Britain’s country houses or ‘stately homes’ will open their doors to curious visitors intrigued by the scale of the rooms and the treasures on display, but they rarely look into the alcoves. They could be small, once cherished retreats from the grander... by VT | Aug 6, 2019 | art, General interest, Italy
Behind the ruin, which is now the house where I am writing this, were the usual weeds and a few bushes. It was a hot August day, and most were wilting, but on one side I noticed a light purple flower with yellow stamens. Ah, I thought, this is an attractive weed, and... by VT | Aug 23, 2018 | General interest, history, Italy, travel
A few years ago I went to the archives of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence to find out when the Tuscan mountainsides were first terraced. I had already walked through every room in the famous picture collection, hoping to find landscape replacing the gold of heaven in... by Valerie | Jun 2, 2014 | art, Italy, museums, people
We travelled north towards the Lake of Bolsena, the largest volcanic lake in Europe and the town where the miracle of Corpus Christi took place in 1263. Bolsena is on the Roman Via Cassia, often called Via Francigena (the road of the Franks) or Via Romea, the route... by Valerie | May 1, 2014 | art, General interest, history, Italy, museums, people, travel
I’m involved teaching a group that has arrived in Rome Fiumicino airport to explore Tuscia and the Papal States – unknown, unspoilt Italy. No tourists – except us. Italian visitors, and a quiet, welcoming atmosphere that I remember from my first visits to Italy before...
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