Venice, the River Brenta: the ancient and noble Villa Pisani

Villa Pisani, River Brenta, Venice

Welcome, my friend!
I'm so happy to stay with you and share my personal emotions and experience in My Own Italy! 

Villa Pisani (Venice)

Today I'd like to introduce you to a magic and romantic place:
Villa Pisani.

Villa Pisani, also named The Nazionale, is certainly one of the most famous examples of Venetian Villa along the Brenta banks. It is situated in the municipality of Stra, in the province of Venice.

The Pisani of St. Stephen, who were responsible of the construction of this villa, were an important branch of the family Pisani, an ancient Venetian noble family.  

The bedroom of Napoleone

They were enriched enormously during the fourteenth century thanks to the trade and real property gains. 

In 1807 Villa Pisani became Napoleone Bonaparte’s property, in fact he bought it from the Pisani family and sold it then to the Italian Viceroi Eugène de Beauharnais.

Carlotta @ Villa Pisani

If you want to visit this masterpiece of eighteenth-century, I suggest you to expect at least half a day of quiet time to visit the interior of Villa Pisani and enjoy the pleasure of the beautiful garden: the park of Villa Pisani as been awarded in the 2008 as “the most beautiful park in Italy”.

The Orangerie, Villa Pisani

The park offers incredible scenarios, original architectures, green houses and also the famous labyrinth.

At the end of the park there is the "orangery". In fact, according to mythology, Hercules was so strong because he ate citrus.

For this reason, each Doge or the King wanted to eat citrus all year also in cold climates: they  created the greenhouses in winter to keep the lemon and orange trees!

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Ciao, Carlotta

Piedmont: Lake Orta, The most romantic Lake in Italy

San Giulio Island, Lake Orta (Italy)

Hello my friends, Welcome again in My Own Italy !
Today my personal suggestion is  The Orta Lake, in Piedmont.

Sacro Monte d'Orta

Lake Orta, known as one of the most romantic lakes in Italy, is situated in the Cusio area, which extends from the lower area of the Ossola valley to the western shore of the lower Lake Maggiore area. 

 Once arrived in Orta you can not miss a visit to the Sacro Monte .  

A Chapel of Sacro Monte d'Orta

The sacred place comprises a total of 20 chapels (originally the project envisaged 36) that illustrate the life of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Also the convent of the Capuchins connected to the church, which was still dedicated to Saint Nikolaos in the beginning, but also to Saint Francis whose extraordinary vicissitudes impregnate the itinerary and also its peak.

Chapel XX of St. Francis

The church also has a precious wooden statue depicting the Pietà, which in 1538 was at the centre of a miracle: the wooden Madonna became the subject of worship and perhaps this boosted selecting this place as the location of such an important spiritual project.

Inside the Chapel XX

The Sacro Monte of Orta was mostly built between the 16th-17th centuries and the chapels were also decorated by the most important artists of the time.
  

This is me looking the St Giulio Island

The path unwinds uphill on the slopes of the hill enclosing Orta from behind, whose starting point is just a few minutes from the centre of town. The path and its chapels reach approximately 400 metres asl at the summit and churchyard, where there is a breathtaking view of an unexpected thrill and not just for pilgrims!


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Ciao, Carlotta

Valle d'Aosta: the Impressive Fortress of Bard

Fortress of Bard, Valle d'Aosta (Italy)

Welcome, my friends!
Very happy to have you here again on my blog My Own Italy , to discover Italy with my personal touch!
Today I'd like to introduce you to Fortress of Bard.

View from the lift, Fortress of Bard

The Fortress is an impressive work of barrage, built to the Valle d'Aosta , in the north west of Italy.
This Savoy fortress fully occupies the strategic rocky outcrop that blocks access through the valley.  

The current fort was built between 1830 and 1838 on the ruins of a castle destroyed in 1800 by the troops of Napoleon. 

The Fortress of Bard, Italy

The fortress is a perfect example of military architecture of the time, possessed of powerful artillery housed in bunkers placed on different levels.  

It could accommodate 416 men and had stocks to withstand a siege of three months. We must say that this fortress was never the scene of clashes and was then preserved virtually intact!
  

The Fortress of Bard

Some numbers are enough to give you an idea of ​​the size of this bastion: 14.467 square meters, 283 rooms, 106 m altitude, 806 steps, 2.036 square meters of courtyards, 9.000 square meters of roofs, 1.295 square meters of corridors, 385 doors, 323 windows and 296 slots!!
 

The Museum od The Alpes, Aosta (Italy)

Since the end of the nineteenth century the fort gradually lost its importance war and was sent first to prison and then to military munitions depot.
Today you can visit the Fortress and the Museum of The Alpes .

You can discover the Alpes and get to know the mountain in an interactive, multimedia and multidisciplinary journey.

The Fortress of Bard, entrance (Italy)

It is an avant-garde museum space telling the story of a living, breathing mountain transformed in the hands of mankind.

Tradition and modern technology are fused together to take you on a voyage into time and space where the sets are brought alive through visual projections, sounds and interactive multimedia games. 

My sons and I at The Fortress of Bard

It was a so exiting experience for me, and I enjoyed it very much.
Will you enjoy too? 
Let me know :-)

Ciao, 
Carlotta

Milan: Discover Gallerie d'Italia Museum, Piazza Scala

Milan, Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery (Italy)

Hello, my friends! Welcome in My Own Italy!
Today I suggest you a different itinery in Milan, away from the most famous tourist destinations; you know that I love to let you discover Italy with My Personal Touch!

In the very center of the city, Piazza  Scala, you can visit a new museum: Gallerie d'Italia .

Symbols of the history of Milan, the buildings that together form the architectural complex that houses the Galleries were designed by leading Italian architects between the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century.

The Galleries, Milan (Italy)

The exhibition Twentieth Century Worksite presents Italian art of the second half of the 20th century, in a selection of approximately 200 art works from the Intesa Sanpaolo collections.

Organised into 12 sections, they are enriched by the inclusion of sculptures, by a themed study dedicated to Colour as a plastic form.


If you want, you can enjoy a short presentation of the Galleries in this video:

 

This is me inside the Galleries

The art works of the twentieth century are organized in 12 sections and 2 single-subject itineraries. The leading artistic movements of the period –  Informal Art , Spatialism ,  Nuclear Art, Concrete Art Movement , Kinetic and Programmed Art, Arte Povera, Conceptual Art  and Italian Pop Art  – are retraced through the most important artists.

The Galleries (Milan, Piazza Scala)

For me it was a really exiting experience: not only for the incredible richness of the works in the exhibition, but also because you can play with multimedia screens and customize your itinerary and deepen the arguments that you prefer.

The Galleries, Milan (Italy)

I hope that while you are visiting Milan, you can have enough time to visit this art Gallery.
Milan in the capital not only of fashion, but also of Italian art and design!!



Ciao, 
Carlotta

Lombardy: Cremona and the ancient tradition of Nougat

Cremona, Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall), Italy

Hello, my friends, welcome in My Own Italy!
Here in Italy we are in the pre-Christmas period, and in my blog  I'd like to introduce you to one of the most famous italian product: the Nougat (in italian: Torrone) and also the city that is its homeland.

Nougat in Cremona (Italy)

Today I suggest you to visit  Cremona, a little hystorical town in Lombardy. It is one hour from Milan, and even it isn't so famous, it can offer you to discover an interestiong architecture of the Middle Ages.

Cremona was conquered by the Romans in 218 BC who made it a military stronghold and an important settlement.

Cremona (Italy)

Focus of Cremona is historic Piazza del Comune, where you overlook the main monuments of the city: The Torrazzo, the Baptistery, the Loggia of the Soldiers and the Town Hall!


 

Looking at the Torrazzo (Cremona)

The Il Torrazzo is an imposing tower built between the thirteenth and fourteenth century, it is certainly the most famous monument of Cremona.


Il Torrazzo is the highest historical bell tower in Italy!

On the fourth floor, you can admire one of the largest astronomical clocks in the world.

Built around the end of the '500 the clock represents the sky with the zodiacal constellations through which the motion of the Sun and the Moon.

The clock in the Tower Torrazzo (Cremona)

By the way, once a year, at this time, in Cremona takes place the Festival of Nougat!

Nougat is the typical cake of Cremona: it's a mixture of egg white, honey and sugar, stuffed with almonds, walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, often covered with two wafers.

This is Carlotta @ Festival of Nougat (Cremona)

The Festival of Nougat  is an appointment for the gourmands.

The streets and squares of Cremona are animated by events, shows and tastings.

Festival of Nougat (Cremona, Italy)

I invite you to join tourism and gastronomic tradition: taste the nougat also means living the
Cremonese tradition.

Nougats (Cremona, Italy)

The theme of the 2012 was the sweetness; more than 60 initiatives between games, entertainment moments, cultural events, food and wine designed to celebrate the combination of nougat-sweetness in a magical atmosphere rich in history and traditions!

Carlotta and Nougat! (Cremona)

In fact, it is said that this cake is created to celebrate the marriage of Francesco Sforza and Bianca Maria Visconti back in 1441.

As you can see, I let myself really win! 
Enjoy, and let me know... :-)


 
Ciao, 
Carlotta!

Turin: Enjoy the exciting experience of entering the magic world of The National Cinema Museum

The Poster Gallery, The National Cinema Museum, Turin

Hello, my friends!
Welcome again here in My Own Italy, and thank you for appreciating this particular journey to discover Italy with My Personal Touch!

Mole Antonelliana, Turin

 Today I'd like to introduce you in a very special experience, passing through an incredibly fascinating world in a unique context: the National Museum of Cinema in Turin.


The Museum is one of the most important of its kind in the world thanks to it vast collection and the many different scientific and educational activities it carries out. But what makes it truly unique is its special exhibit setup.




Carlotta in "StarWars": very exciting!!

This museum is located inside the Mole Antonelliana, a bizarre and fascinating monument which is the symbol of the City of Torino.

The Acheology of Cinema, National Cinema Museum

I shall tell you that you will find more than a traditional museum and whoever enters it isn’t just a visitor but also an explorer, an author, an actor, a spectator…look at me, for example!

The Ramp, International Cinema Museum

This fascinating site setup leads visitors along an itinerary that is organized vertically on various levels: The Archeology of Cinema, The Temple Hall, The Ramp, Cinema and Television, The Cinema Machine, The Poster Gallery.

The Temple Hall and the Cristal Lift

Each level can be lived according to your own feelings, focusing on one or another aspect that most excites and invvolves you!

At the center of the Mole Antonelliana, the visitor enters the grand Temple Hall, the spectacular heart of the Museum.

This is me & my sons on Mole Antonelliana

The Cristal Lift   located at its center takes visitors straight up to the small panoramic temple located 85 meters higher up!


In conclusion, If you would really like the experience of the cinema, and would like to know more of its magic; if you don't want only to enjoy it, I invite you really do not miss the opportunity to explore it  from "inside": try it and let me know!


Ciao, 
Carlotta!

Lombardy: The majestic Certosa di Pavia (Gratiarum Carthusia)

The Certosa di Pavia (Pavia, Lombardy)

Hello, my friends!
Welcome to My Own Italy, to discover Italy with my Personal Touch!
Today I'll introduce you to one of the most famous and majestic church in Italy: The Certosa di Pavia .

Certosa di Pavia, the Entrance

The Certosa di Pavia is a monastery  and complex situated near Pavia, in northern Italy.

Built in 1396-1495, it was once located on the border of a large hunting park belonging to the Visconti family of Milan.

Certosa is the Italian name for a house of the cloistered monastic order of Cartusians founded by St. Bruno in 1044 at Grande Chartreuse.

Particular of the Church, Certosa di Pavia

Though the Carthusians in their early centuries were known for their seclusion and asceticism and the plainness of their architecture, the Certosa is renowned for the exuberance of its architecture, in both the Gothic and Renaissance styles, and for its collection of artworks which are particularly representative of the region.

The Church

The church is built on a Latin Cross plan with a nave, two aisles and transept, typical of Ghotic architecture.  The chancel terminates with an apse. It is covered by crossed vaults on Gothic arches and is inspired, on a reduced scale, by the Duomo of Milan.

Chiostro Piccolo, Certosa di Pavia

An elegant portal, with sculptures by the Mantegazza brothers and Giovanni Antonio Amadeo, leads from the church to the Small Cloister (in Italian: Chiostro Piccolo.)

Chiostro Grande, Monastery Certosa di Pavia

This has a small garden in the center. The most striking feature is the terracotta decoration of the small pilasters.
Similar decorations also characterize the Grand Cloister (Italian: Chiostro Grande), which measures c.125x100 meters. 

The Coloumns, Certosa di Pavia

 
The elegant cells of the monks open to the central garden.
The arcades have columns with precious decorations in terracotta, with tondoes portraying saints, prophets and angels, alternatively in white and pink Verona marble.


Today the monastery is the home of only seven  Cisterian monks .
The monks are able to manage to get the financing basis in the monastery and doing the guided tours of the monastery and the church, either by selling a wide variety of products directly from them: honey, chocolate, liqueurs prepared in teas!

Listen to Padre Gabriele, here on my short interview!

In the shop of the monks can also be found trinkets to take home as a souvenir of this very special place and publications relating to the monastery itself.

Carlotta in The Monastery of Certosa di Pavia

I hope you will enjoy this visit as I did.
It was really a so mystic experience and enthusiastic time to spend in a rainy sunday....

Ciao,
Carlotta!

Venice: The Splendid Doge's Palace

Venice, The Doge's Palace (Italy)

Hello, my friends!
Welcome again on My Own Italy to discover Italy with My Personal Touch!
It's very difficult for me to start my report today, because I'm going to describe one of the very symbol of Italy: the Doge's Palace in Venice!

Venice (Italy)

I must say that when you arrive in Venice, you are inebriated: the city is beautiful, full of colors, smells, sounds ... So many emotions and things to see and visit!
So I will choose for you the Doge's Palace.

 

View to the lagoon from the Doge's Palace (Venice)

The Doge's Palace is certainly the most famous building in the city, the most representative symbol of its civilization and its historical, political and cultural events. Along with the Basilica of San Marco square in the background and the foreground, helps to draw one of the most famous scenery in the world.

Doge's Palace (Venice)

For centuries it has played three roles: it was the residence of the Doge, the seat of government of the city and the palace of justice.
It is here that were taken many of the most important decisions that determined the fate of Venice and, sometime, even in Europe!

Doge's Palace (Venice)

This impressive building has a feature typical of Venetian architecture: lightness! 

The Council Chamber, Doge's Palace

Spite of its large size, in fact, the polychrome decorations of the facade, the beautiful tracery of Gothic loggias like a precious stone lace give us back the image of an elegant structure.


Inside the Palace, you can visit the Doge's Apartements, the Insitutional Chambers, and also the Prisons!


It 's path that leaves you breathless, and, as for me, it was an extraordinary experience.

The Bridge of Sighs (Venice)

I suggest to visit the corridor that leads over the Bridge of Sighs, built in 1614 to link the Doge’s Palace to the structure intended to house the New Prisons. Enclosed and covered on all sides, the bridge contains two separate corridors that run next to each other.

The famous name of the bridge Bridge of Sighs dates from the Romantic period.

 

The Bridge of Sighs, Doge's Palace (Venice)

It was supposed to refer to the sighs of prisoners who, passing from the courtroom to the cell in which they would serve their sentence, took a last look at freedom as they glimpsed the lagoon and San Giorgio through the small windows.

In the end, I hope you will have time enough to spend in the most fomous lagoon in the world.

My sons and I in the Courtyard of Doge's Palace, Venice

I'm so fascinated by the beauty of my country ... and I'd like to envolve you to be in love with Italy, too!

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Ciao, Carlotta!