Il Duomo di Firenze

La città di Firenze è piena di turisti da ogni parte e l’impatto è davvero forte, nel vedere tutti questi monumenti di grande storia e bellezza architettonica concentrati in poche centinaia di metri! Iniziamo a visitare il Campanile di Giotto, disegnato dallo stesso nel 1334 e completato dai successori nel 1359, ventidue anni dopo la sua morte. Saliamo i suoi 410 interminabili gradini resi ancora più faticosi dall’afa di oggi. Dalla sommità alta 85 metri si ammira uno splendido panorama di quasi tutta Firenze: bellissima la vista sul Duomo e della mastodontica cupola del Brunelleschi (alta appena sei metri di più). 

Dipinto di: Teresa Dominici, Titolo: Il Duomo di Firenze, 

acrilico su tela, 20"x20" (50x50cm), 2013

Una volta scesi seguiamo la lunga fila per la visita del Duomo, a fianco al campanile, dove entriamo dopo circa mezzora di attesa. Prima del Duomo di Firenze (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore), l’area era occupata dalla chiesa di Santa Reparata, demolita nel 1296 per far posto a questo capolavoro. La costruzione è molto imponente e riflette la volontà fiorentina di primeggiare su tutto. I lavori iniziarono per conto di Arnolfo di Cambio, e vennero completati nel 1436; la sua facciata attuale venne completata però solo nel 1887. L’esterno lascia chi lo osserva estasiato e senza fiato, mentre l’interno è un po’ meno suggestivo. Colpisce in modo particolare l’immensa cupola del Brunelleschi con i dipinti e le decorazioni. Saliamo nuovamente un’interminabile gradinata di ben 463 gradini che compiono il giro a spirale della cupola, da dove si possono prima ammirare gli affreschi del Giudizio Universale del Vasari. Arriviamo alla sommità con altra vista spettacolare della città. Da qua si osservano tutte le principali attrazioni che rendono famosa la magnifica Firenze: il campanile di Giotto, il Battistero, la Piazza Signoria e il Palazzo Vecchio, i giardini di Boboli e il Palazzo Pitti, le chiese di Santa Croce e di Santa Maria Novella. 

  
Firenze (il Duomo) 

Video e link  di Gigi Oliviero, Regista, LUMA FILM

http://www.lumafilm.it/

Per saperne di piu', http://www.lumafilm.it/localita-per-regioni/toscana/firenze-il-duomo/

 

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 )

Ischia, Italy

  

Video, Link, below Text by: 

Giuseppe Auletta, paesaggi ischitani, 

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

Ischia, the biggest island in Campania is placed opposite the gulf of Naples. It’s of volcanic origin and presents a prevalently montainous territori; its hightest montain is Epaneo.The coast are interposed by enchanting coves and wonderful bays.Ischia is called “Green Island” for its Mediterranean vegetation and “health Island” for the thermal baths. The island ,with its nature, culture, traditions, history and myths, is one of the most famous destinations for tourists from all over the world.

Menaggio, Lake of Como

Painting: Menaggio by Teresa Dominici, Year: 2008, Medium: Acrylic. 

On the middle west bank of Lake Como, Menaggio is larger than Varenna and home to many residents who commute daily to Lugano, Switzerland, just eight miles away. Stretched out alongside the lake, a beautiful, flowered promenade runs the length of the village.

Menaggio has a few piazzas spread throughout the town. In one we discover "loaner" bikes which we are able to borrow for an hour. What a great way to see the sights! Peddling up one hill.