Turin: the Park of La Mandria, residence for hunting and love

 Welcome in My Own Italy, to discover Italy with my Personal Touch!
Today our travel is to Turin, and we'll  have a pleasant walk in the Park of La Mandria.
I'm sure that Piedmont will be able to surprise you with the elegance of the ancient royal aristocracy!

 The Castle, situated in the Park of La mandria, was built during the creation of the Venaria Reale for breeding thoroughbred horses.

   

It was subsequently converted by king Vittorio Emanuele II for habitation, soon becoming his favourite place of residence.

  

Strongly connected to the various hunting activities of the sovereign, this estate was where the king could escape the rigours of court duties and pursue his multiple hobbies and express his great love towards his wife Rosa Vercellana, to whom the castle was destined.

The Royal Apartments, perfectly furnished and preserved, consist of 18 rooms with a cosy and family-like nature, which revealed the choices and tastes of the client.

To this historical building is now added the importance and value of the wildlife heritage of the park, that is the largest one in Italy surrounded by walls (the second in Europe) with hiking trails among ancient trees and delightful small architectural gems.

Since 1997 the Castle of Mandria, along with all the other residences of Savoy in Piedmont, a World Heritage Site (UNESCO). Park of La Mandria is a must-see destination in your holiday to visit the cities of art in Italy

  I personally wanted to take a ride in the carriage .... a truly unique experience!
  
 

Leisure with me, this is my tourism!

Ravenna: the city of the stunning mosaics

My friends, welcome to My Own Italy to discover Italy with my personal touch!

Our travel today is to Emilia Romagna and we are going to visit the capital of the Western Roman Empire: Ravenna, the imperial city, the Byzantium of the West, located a few kilometers from the Adriatic Sea!

Ravenna extends from the sea to the rolling hills of the Apennines and preserves the most beautiful and richest evidence of early Christian art. 

The gorgeous mosaics  are a must: they are the characteristic feature of this amazing city!

Ravenna, as mentioned, is the ancient city elected for three times as the capital: the Western Roman Empire before, the United goto then under Theodoric, and the last of the Byzantine Empire in Europe.
 




 

 
 The magnificence of that period has left a great heritage of monuments: the buildings that have been declared Unesco World Heritage are eight!

 In Ravenna there are the mortal remains of the poet Dante Alighieri,  whose tomb can be visited, and keeps alive the memory with important events.

The cultural offer of Ravenna is really rich and varied. I personally was blowled over by the Basilica of San Vitale and the adjacent Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, but I did not miss even the Basilica of St. Apollinare Nuovo!

Also I couldn't miss a visit to the historic city center in Ravenna, from Piazza San Francesco to Piazza del Popolo, passing through the ancient Chiostri of the Franciscans.

 In the end, in my holiday after visiting Ravenna, one of the Cities of Art nominated in 2019 as European Capital of Culture, I could not pass up the opportunity to taste the specialties of Romagna par excellence: the Piadina.

That's why, if you are looking for a place where to eat, my suggestion is this typical restaurant: Ca' de Vén!

Leisure with me, this is my tourism!

Lake Como: the surprising harmony of a unique landscape

Hello, my friends! Welcome to My Own Italy to discover Italy with my personal touch!

Today travel is to Lombardy and I suggest a hike truly suggestive and beautiful: let's go to Lake Como and relax in the enchanting garden of Villa d'Este!

The Lake Como is the third largest basin in northern Italy; it has three branches with a curious shape of inverted epsilon.

Ideally located in the center of the Alps, it is really appreciated by visitors from the North who see in it a glimpse of the Mediterranean among the mountains.

 

 A really surprising and fascinating landscape of innumerable shades: hues of blue and green waters, rocky peaks covered with snow or with forests, villages built of stone castled between lake and mountains, cities rich in history and culture.

If you like to enjoy an exciting and very charming walk, I suggest you visit the gardens of Villa d'Este: think that in the park surrounding the Villa there is one of the longest-running plane trees of Lombardy, 500+ years old!

The countless varieties of plants make it a real botanical garden: chestnut, magnolia, wisteria, laurels, agaves, palms, cypresses, pines, oaks and many other trees which are flanked by jasmine, azaleas, camellias, hydrangeas, oleanders, rhododendrons and also daffodils, pansies, geraniums. In short, a riot of colors and scents for a really surprising landscape and harmonious!

If you wish to enjoy a drink in total relax, I suggest you sit in the gazebo and contemplate the calm waters of the lake: a truly unique experience!

My personal experience was a day of poetry: the one of a place a bit magic in which sometimes you have to dip, a must-see destination during your holiday in the italian lakes.

Leisure with me, this my tourism!