Scilla, Calabria

Scilla is located close to Reggio Calabria.  

Scilla is a small town and the main attraction is the beach front. This part of town has plenty of restaurants, cafes, hotels.

The most visited location in Scilla after the beach is Ruffo Castle. The castle is built on a high cliff looking over the imposing rocks and the azure waters of the sea.

Painting by: Teresa Dominici, Acrylic on canvas, 20"x24" (50x60 cm ), Year: 2013

Chinalea, neighborhood located north of the town, is a tiny fisherman village, plenty of local fishermen live in this part of town and this area is characterized by narrow streets that are lined with small charming houses.

Scaro Allagio is another place in Scilla, where the fishermen anchor their small boats and at sunset the view of the Scaro Allogio is really  beautiful.

Magnifica Calabria - Documentario

Title, Video, Link & Below Text By

Giuliano Di Bliasi
http://www.giulianodiblasi.com/

Un dettagliato documentario sulla Regione Calabria.

"A detailed documentary on the Calabria Region by Giuliano Di Bliasi".

Scilla is located close to Reggio Calabria which is very well connected to the cities in the region as well as to many destinations in other parts of Italy. - See more at: http://www.lifeinitaly.com/tourism/calabria/scilla#sthash.gg2VuTcg.dpuf

Scilla is located close to Reggio Calabria which is very well connected to the cities in the region as well as to many destinations in other parts of Italy. - See more at: http://www.lifeinitaly.com/tourism/calabria/scilla#sthash.gg2VuTcg.dpuf

The Amalfi Coast Was Stunning

The Amalfi Coast, famed for its beautiful coastline with towns and villages perched on jagged cliffs, attracts tourists from all over. 

Painting by: Teresa Dominici, Acrylic on canvas, 18"x24" (45x60 cm), 2012

Amalfi they also grow lemons and are known for the resulting limoncello produced in the area. The town of Amalfi also produces a thick paper called bambagina, while the towns of Cetara and Vietri are known for anchovies and ceramics, respectively.
 

Amalfi Coast, Italy

Title, Video, link  & below text by:
 Dennis Callan

http://tourvideos.com/

Amalfi ranks among the most picturesque coastlines in the world, stretching south from Sorrento, featuring several hillside villages, especially Positano, clinging to the cliffs.

Salita Serbelloni, Bellagio

Painting by: 
Teresa Dominici, 
Medium: Acrylic on canvas,
Size: 48"x36" (120x90 cm),
Commission - Sold

This is Salita Serbelloni in the gorgeous little town of Bellagio (is considered by some to be one of the most beautiful towns in Europe) on the famous Lago di Como in Northern Italy.

Poets and artists have been drawn to Bellagio and Lago di Como for centuries.

"Salita Serbelloni" is a steep set of steps which ascend from the Lungo Lario Manzoni ( in Borgo all the way to Via Garibaldi on the edge of the Villa Serbelloni's property. The Salita Serbelloni is known to locals as "il Fossato" or the ditch, because long ago it was a ditch used in defending the old town. Portions of the thick town walls in which there were three gateways can still be seen.
Today, there are shops, restaurants and hotels on the town's waterfront, and the Salita Serbelloni has also evolved into a center for activity with many shops, cafes and some small, quaint hotels on each side of the many steps leading to the top.

 

Bellagio - Italy

Title, Video, Link & below text by:  

Dennis Scallan 

http://www.tourvideos.com/

Bellagio, Italy, lakeside village with staircase streets must be seen.

Burano

Painting by: Teresa Dominici, Medium: 
Acrylic on canvas, Size: 24"x18" (60x24cm), Year: 2012, Sold.

Burano  is a pretty island in the northern part of Venetian lagoon. The island is located 7 Km from  Venice can be reached by ferries (vaporetti) or motor-boats, it takes approximately 40 minutes. Famous for its lace making and for  its brightly colored houses. Burano is a fairly small island and there is only one way to move around it, on foot. The roads here are quite narrow, in fact they are all streets and the main street here is the Calle Galuppi which is where all the shops are.

Burano, Venice

Title, Video, Link & below text by:
  
Arno

http://www.youtube.com/user/remark008

Burano is an island in the Venetian Lagoon,7 kilometers from Venice. Burano is known for its small, brightly-painted houses, popular with artists.

Burano was mere a fishing village in the 16th century. However, during the subsequent two hundred years its women developed a fine, delicate form of lace known as "punto in aria" ("points in the air") which transformed the island into one of the most prosperous lacemaking centres in Europe.

In the center of the island there is the San Martino church. 

The Coliseum

Painting by: Teresa Dominici, Medium: Acrylic on canvas, 
Size: 22"x28", Commission-Sold.

 

The Coliseum – the greatest amphitheater of the antiquity – was built in Rome, Italy, about 1920 years ago. It is considered an architectural and engineering wonder, and remains as a standing proof of both the grandeur and the cruelty of the Roman world.

The Coliseum was designed to hold 50,000 spectators, and it had approximately eighty entrances so crowds could arrive and leave easily and quickly.

What we see nowadays is just the skeleton of what was the greatest arena in the ancient world. Three-fifths of the outer surrounding brick wall is missing.

Seven Wonders of the world - Roman Coliseum 

  Title, Video, Link & below text by:  

The World Travel 

http://www.viaggiatore.net/

The Colosseum is an elliptical amphitheater in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.

Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign (8196). The name "Amphitheatrum Flavium" derives from both Vespasian's and Titus's family name (Flavius, from the gens Flavia).

Capable of seating 50,000 spectators,the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. As well as the gladiatorial games, other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.

Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and its breakthrough achievements in earthquake engineering. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.

The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin.
( source Wikipedia )

Vernazza Harbor

Painting by: Teresa Dominici, Medium: Acrylic on canvas, size: 24"x18" (60cmx45cm).

The Cinque Terre, are five small villages on the "Costa Ligure of Levante". The villages from north to south are: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Since 1926, the Cinque Terre towns have been part of the province of La Spezia.

We visited the Cinque Terre in Spring of 1989, and decided to visit each town on foot. 

Each town had his own charisma.

From Riomaggiore, we walked to Manarola along the section called “Lover’s Lane”. This is the easiest part of the walk, with the path paved and flat and giving you great views of the ocean. It took us right into Manarola.

From Manarola we followed the coastal trail to Corniglia or you can also follow the harder trails up and through the vineyards and olive groves.

The path from Corniglia to Vernazza is one of the hardest parts. The coastal path can be steep at times and get quite crowded. However, we did get great views of the towns and the terraced vineyards.

There are lots of things about Vernazza that make it known as "the jewel of Cinque Terre", and probably the first thing would be the beach. It is the only town in the Cinque Terre that has the closest thing to a natural harbor and offers superb swimming.

Leaving Vernazza for the final stop of Monterosso is the most challenging. The trail gets very steep at points and it’s a lot of up and down walking. However, we were rewarded with beautiful vineyards, olive groves, ancient stone houses, and crumbling walls.

 Cinque Terre 

Title, video, link & below text by: 

The World of Travel, 

 http://www.viaggiatore.net/

The Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. "The Five Lands" comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.

The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Cinque Terre is noted for its beauty. Over centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible "modern" development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach it from the outside. It is a very popular tourist destination.

In 1998 the Italian Ministry for the Environment set up the Protected natural marine area Cinque Terre to protect the natural environment and to promote socioeconomic development compatible with the natural landscape of the area.

In 1999 the Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre. was set up to conserve the ecological balance, protect the landscape, and safeguard the anthropological values of the location. ( source Wikipedia ) 

Villa Borghese, Rome

Villa Borghese is Rome’s largest public park; it can be a pleasant refuge from the hectic Roman streets and offers a large number of touristy attractions, featuring a lake, temples, fountains, statues and several museums. 

The artificial lake in the park has a temple dedicated to Aesculapius – the god of health. The temple is built on the island and was designed by Antonio Asprucci with beautiful Ionic columns. 

We lived in Rome for seven years and visited the Villa Borghese gardens often, we used to rent a four person bike with a canopy, and the four of us explored the vast, beautiful grounds of the Borghese Gardens.

Painting by: Teresa Dominici, Title: Villa Borghese, Year: 2011,

  

Villa Borghese - Roma 

Title, video, link, & below text by:  
Donni Roberto
 http://www.youtube.com/user/rododoro15

The Villa Borghese is the largest public park in Rome. It features a lake, temples, fountains, statues and several museums.

The park is located north of the Spanish Steps. Main entrances are at the Piazza del Popolo and the Porta Pinciana at the end of the Via Veneto. The Borghese Park is a pleasant refuge from the hectic streets in Rome.

The area started as a vineyard in the 16th century. In 1605 cardinal Scipione Borghese, a nephew of Pope Paul V, turned the vineyard into a park. 

The landscaper Domenico Savino da Montepulciano designed a very formal park with geometric shapes, the first such park in Rome. A villa was built by the architect Flaminio Ponzio after a sketch from the cardinal himself.

The park was later laid out in a more natural way. At the end of the 18th century an artificial lake was created in the middle of the park. On the island in the lake, a small Ionic temple was built. It is dedicated to Aesculapius, the God of healing.

In 1903 the city of Rome obtained the Villa Borghese from the Borghese family and the park was opened to the public. The 80 hectare/148 acres large park now featured wide shady lanes, several temples, beautiful fountains and many statues.
In 1911 the World Exposition was held in this park. Dubbed the 'park of museums', the Villa Borghese park is also home to several museums.

The Museo e Galleria Borghese is housed in the Villa Borghese. The park also contains an amphitheater (the Piazza di Siena), an 18th century arch (the arco di Settimio Severo) and a botanical garden. You might also notice Triton statues which look exactly like those on the Fontana del Moro (Moor Fountain) at the Piazza Navona.


La villa è la più nota a Roma sia per la notevole estensione sia per i diversi accessi al centro della città. A volerne la costruzione tra il Flaminio e i Parioli, area in cui sorgevano gli horti di Lucullo, fu il cardinale Scipione Borghese agli inizi del XVII secolo. L'edificio principale, ispirato al modello cinquecentesco, era ricoperto all'esterno da antiche sculture, mentre il sobrio interno accoglieva notevoli opere d'arte. All'inizio dell'800 il principe Camillo Borghese allestì la collezione d' arte della famiglia nel Casino, oggi sede della Galleria e del Museo Borghese.

Soriano nel Cimino, Italy

Painting: Soriano nel Cimino, Year 2011, Medium: Acrylic, Commission - Sold.

We visited  Soriano nel Cimino twice and stayed at friends house.

Soriano is in Lazio, about one hour north of Rome. Soriano is built on a hill dominated by the Castello Orsini.  It is a medieval town and the narrow, winding, cobble stone streets lend themselves to some wonderful exploring. The large central Piazza is the hub of village life.
  

There are several churches and church bells ring frequently. The town is built on a hilltop and has winding narrow roads and lots of steps. The train track actually goes under the town and out the other side of the hill.

Every year, during the first two weeks of October, Soriano nel Cimino hosts a festival that surrounds the chestnut harvest. This festival is done on a large scale, and attracts thousands of people from surrounding areas, including Rome. The two main events of the Sagra are the Palio and the Corteo Storico. 

Soriano nel Cimino 

Title, video, link & below text by:  

Riccardo Borghesi

http://www.youtube.com/user/ricborg2006

Soriano nel Cimino è un bellissimo paese del Viterbese ed immerso nei Monti Cimini.

Umbria - Italy

Painting By: Teresa Dominici, Year: 2009, Acrylic on canvas.

Umbria it lies almost at the centre of the peninsula bordered by Tuscany, Lazio and Le Marche. 
  
Umbria is mountainous, more austere in its landscape and more sparsely inhabitant. It is famous for the olive groves covering the hillsides and the production of olive oil, of its woods of oak and sweet chestnut, and for its vineyard. Perugia capital of the Umbria region, home to Italy's best chocolate.

Umbria - Italy 

 Title, Video, Link & below text by :

  http://www.viaggiatore.net/

Umbria is a region of Central Italy, bordered by Tuscany to the west, the Marche to the east and Lazio to the south. This region is mostly hilly or mountainous. Its topography is dominated by the Apennines to the east, with the highest point in the region at Monte Vettore on the border of the Marche 2,476 m (8,123.36 ft), and the Tiber valley basin, with the lowest point at Attigliano 96 m (314.96 ft). It is the only Italian region which is both landlocked and with no common border with other countries.

Landscape of Umbria

The Tiber forms the approximate border with Lazio; although its course northwards from its source just over the Tuscan border lies in Umbria, the river course is changeable and thus few towns have been built on it: the Tiber itself is not a major factor in the history and human geography of Umbria. The same cannot be said of the Tiber's three principal tributaries, each flowing in a generally southward course. The course of the Chiascio takes it through relatively uninhabited areas until Bastia Umbra, and about 10 km later it flows into the Tiber at Torgiano. The Topino, cleaving the Apennines with passes that the Via Flaminia and successor roads follow, makes a sharp turn at Foligno to flow NW for a few kilometres before joining the Chiascio below Bettona. The third river is the Nera, flowing into the Tiber further south, at Terni; its valley, called the Valnerina, is widely considered to be the most scenic area of Umbria. While the upper Nera flows more or less in isolation in the mountains, the lower course of the Chiascio-Topino basin is a fairly large floodplain, which in Antiquity was a pair of shallow, interlocking lakes, the Lacus Clitorius and the Lacus Umber. They were drained by the Romans over several hundred years, but an earthquake in the 4th century and the political collapse of the Roman Empire resulted in the reflooding of the basin, which was drained a second time over five hundred years; Benedictine monks started the process in the 13th century, and it was completed by an engineer from Foligno in the 18th century.

In tourist literature one sometimes sees Umbria called il cuor verde d'Italia (the green heart of Italy). The phrase, taken from a poem by Giosuè Carducci — the subject of which is not Umbria but rather a specific place in it, the source of the Clitunno river, treasured as a beauty spot — is to a certain extent appropriate since the modern administrative region is the only one to have neither a coast nor a border with a foreign country, and, except for August and September, is famously green. ( source Wikipedia )

Malcesine Town, Lake Garda

Painting by: Teresa Dominici,

Title: View from the Scaligero Castle,  

Medium: Acrylic on canvas, 

Size: 16"x20" (40x50cm), 

Year: 2010,  

Malcesine is a small town on the eastern shore of Lake Garda in northern Italy. It's a picturesque tourist resort with cobbled lanes and a castle, crammed between the blue lake waters and the massive mountain ridge behind, Monte Baldo. The town is framed by the mountains behind and facing others on the opposite side of the lake. The little town still retains its picturesque medieval center and nearby small harbor and castle.

Malcesine's most striking feature as you approach over Lake Garda is its historic castle, the Castello Scaligero, which is also the town's main tourist attraction. 

The second most important building in Malcesine is the fifteenth-century Palazzo dei Capitani, close to the harbor. This was the headquarters of the Venetian rulers of the area, the Capitani del Lago.

The town of Bellagio: between the mountains and the lake.

Painting By: Teresa Dominici, 
Title: Bellagio Town, 

Medium: Acrylic on canvas, 
Size: 25"x25",
Year: 2009, Sold.

Lake Como sits deep and cold in a valley of the Italian Alps.  At its southern end a long promontory splits it into two arms, the western side continuing as Lake Como, the other as Lake Lecce.  Bellagio sits at the end of this promontory, a stunningly beautiful little town in an unparalleled setting; some say the prettiest town in Europe.

Bellagio stands on the lake-shore and is divided by the via Garibaldi, which is criss-crossed by a series of pretty lanes which run up and down the hillside to the lake. There are many beautiful buildings along the lakeside all pastel shades with red roofs. In the Middle Ages, Bellagio was a small town fortified by walls and a castle. The bell tower of the Basilica of San Giacomo is all that survives of the fortifications. We took in the town of Bellagio itself, and strolled around the grounds of the Villa Melzi, which had wonderful gardens. 

Many of the streets are not meant for cars as they have lots of steps, many climbing at a 45 degree angle from the lake to the top of the town.  Wandering up and down the stone steps and little cobblestone streets will lead you to shops selling gorgeous pottery, antiques, leather and silk.

All kinds of water sports are enjoyed during summer and in winter, skiers head to San Primo Mountain. Public and private boat transportation is well provided and a fast hydrofoil goes to Varenna, Colico, Lecco and Como. Water taxis are plentiful.

Bellagio, Italy

Title, Link, below Text & Video by: 

Dennis Callan,

http://www.tourvideos.com/

Nesso, Lake of Como

Nesso, Lake Como - Magnet by tdominici
Shop for another vinyl magnet

Nesso is on the Como "leg" of the lake, along the road from Como to Bellagio. It is an old centre with picturesque groups of houses, spread along the hilly slopes and along the shore of the lake. The village centre is situated in the point where the Tuf and Nosè streams, which descend the Pian del Tivano, join and form a waterfall that plunges spectacularly into a gorge. This can be seen from the road or from the lake, by passing under an old bridge in a boat. Nearby, there are the ruins of a castle with a high wall and three small towers. The Pian di Nesso (Plain of Nesso) is at a height of about 900 m. It is a scenic mountain locality and is on the way to Monte Palanzone and Monte San Primo.

 LAGO DI COMO

Title, Link, below Text & Video by: 

Renato

 http://www.youtube.com/user/renedulac

Scorci di paesi che si affacciano sulla sponda scoscesa del Lario che va da Como verso Bellagio.Questo e' un tratto di sponda un po' selvaggia che pero' ha un fascino tutto particolare.

Positano, Italy

Painting by:  Teresa Dominici, 

Title: Positano, Italy,  

Medium: Acrylic on canvas, 

size: 24"x18" (60x45cm),

Year: 2012.

Positano is placed along a beautiful stretch of Salerno coast, in the centre of the gulf composed by Punta Germano in the west and Capo Sottile in the east and in a splendid scenic position.

Positano, praised by famous poets and writers and immortalized by painters from all over the world, it is today one of the most interesting places of Amalfi coast .

In its enchanting centre there is the parish church of S.Maria Assunta with a splendid majolica dome among small white houses and blooming gardens . Positano, very famous for the flourishing handicrafts and the fashion, combines in a perfect way the beauty of the landscapes, the beaches (marina Grande, Ciumicello, La Porta, Arienzo and Fornillo) and the charm of the old sea suburbs.

Positano 

Title, Link, below Text & Video by: 
  

http://www.youtube.com/user/Freeaudioguide

Positano penisola sorrentina

The view of the village of Apricale (Liguria)

Apricale is a beautiful hilltop medieval village with prehistoric roots. The town is just 8 km from the sea and about 4 km from Dolceacqua…..but you’re totally in another world - this is a beautiful charming and interesting little town (filled with frescoes and murals). The town centers about the 11th century Castello della Lucertola and the village circles and falls down the hill from there — terribly evocative. The castle is a town museum and exhibition center (art shows, concerts, meetings ). 

The museum offers history and legends as well as local artifacts of the town. The town is characterized by stone walls and buildings, alleys, arches, flowers, frescoes and views: totally wonderful - thoroughly beautiful.

Painting: View of the Village of Apricale by Teresa Dominici, Year: 2009, Medium: Acrylic.

 




Italian Town of Apricale - 
Great Attractions (Apricale, Italy)

Title, Link, below Text & Video 
by: http://www.geobeats.com/

Take a tour of Italian Town of Apricale in Apricale, Italy -- part of the World's Greatest Attractions travel video series by GeoBeats.

Italy is a country bestowed with the presence of archaic and daunting towns throughout its lands.


One such town is that of Apricale, meaning "visible to the sun", which is lavishly spread across the verdant Italian terrain.


It carries the true essence of a medieval village graced with lovely architecture from that era.


A generally amicable climate sets the ambiance for visitors to experience the stunning Italian countryside.


Nestled cozily right below the Alpes Maritime, it yields a gorgeous panorama of the locale.


Not only has the town been blessed with stunning scenery but it is also a cultural center with several museums, castles, and squares.