Posts Tagged ‘medieval architecture’
Gorgeous views from Siena’s Torre del Mangia
Last summer my husband and I were back in beautiful Sienna, in Tuscany, after an absence of several years. Siena is always beautiful, and it was fun to enjoy a passeggiata through its gorgeous center. Despite being a very hot July day, there was no way we would miss climbing the medieval Torre del Mangia,…
Read MoreThe stunning fourteenth century frescoes in Padova’s Palazzo della Ragione
You can’t miss this spectacular structure on your visit to pretty Padova. I’ve already written about the picturesque Piazza della frutta and Piazza delle erbe, on which this palace is located. The bottom of the Palazzo della Ragione (The Palace of Reason) was dedicated to a covered market built in 1166, but the upper section…
Read MoreGorgeous views from Bern’s Minster tower – Switzerland’s tallest cathedral spire
Last month, my husband and I were on a trip to Zurich. The weather was perfect, and we decided to take a daytrip by train to Switzerland’s capital – Bern. I’ve already written about our visit to the interesting Paul Klee Museum, built by Italian starchitect, Renzo Piano. We enjoyed the whole city, but one…
Read MoreTodi’s beautiful Palazzo del Popolo
Todi is a picturesque medieval hilltown in Umbria – and its central square, Pizza del Popolo, is wonderfully picturesque. It’s a great place to sit and watch life pass you by. I was here recently on a lovely autumn day, and, when I got tired of walking up and down the steep hills, I enjoyed…
Read MoreSite of the Battle of The Pigs in the Marche’s Offagna
A couple of years ago, my younger son and I had planned on visiting medieval Offagna after having explored nearby rival, Osimò. A flat tire put a monkey wrench in those plans, as did the discovery that, should you get a flat in the Marche region’s rural areas on a Saturday – good luck to…
Read MoreViews from the medieval belltower, in Todi
I recently spent a lovely day in Todi, a picture-perfect medieval hill town in Italy’s region of Umbria. I have been numerous times, but it’s always fun to get back. On this visit, I climbed the San Fortunato belltower to enjoy stunning views from the top. And what a view it was! This is the…
Read MoreArt, architecture and sport in Tuscany’s Grosseto
We had a great weekend at the end of July in the Tuscan town of Grosseto. It was my first time there, but I enjoyed the old town (even because, on a Saturday at around 2 pm, the hottest hour of the day), we had it almost to ourselves… Grosseto is a small city of…
Read MoreStopping of at the Marche’s Macerata
We visited Macerata on a beautiful January day, after having mistaken picturesque, nearby Recanati for Macerata. Macerata is a hill town town in the Marche region’s interior. Its population is a little over 40,000. Perched 315 meters from sea level, this town is about 30 km from the Adriatic coast. Mentions of Macerata date back…
Read MoreChristmas cheer in Montepulciano and Pienza, Tuscany
Earlier this month, I was in Tuscany for a weekend with my family, and we enjoyed seeing the cheery Christmas decorations. They were especially pretty in the towns of Montepulciano and Pienza – two gorgeous Tuscan hilltowns. Montepulciano is a steep medieval hilltown (bring good walking shoes), known for its long wine tradition. Montepulciano…
Read MoreSpectacular views from the top of England’s Durham Cathedral
Earlier this month, I made my first visit to the northern town of Durham, England to atend the Historical Novel Society’s biannual conference. For each conference, they choose a historical city in the UK – so it was a great chance to explore a new destination I hadn’t yet seen. Durham is a beautiful, medieval…
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