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Fiesole
Nestled in the hilly valleys between the Arno and Mugnone rivers, beautiful Fiesole offers spectacular views of nearby Florence (8km to the south) and is a welcome fresh-air retreat from the city bustle. The city readily reveals its Etruscan, Roman and Renaissance past, and in summ
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Ponte di Rialto
A superb feat of engineering, Antonio da Ponte’s 1592 Istrian stone span took three years and 250,000 gold ducats to construct. Adorned with stone reliefs depicting St Mark, St Theodore and the Annunciation, the bridge crosses the Grand Canal at its narrowest point, connecting the
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Museo Archeologico di Pithecusae
Housed in the elegant Villa Arbusto, former home of local celeb Angelo Rizzoli, the Museo Archeologico di Pithecusae enjoys a heady historical location overlooking Monte Vico, site of the ancient settlement and acropolis of Pithecusae. The museum has a fascinating collection of imp
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Hangar Bicocca
To the north-east of the city centre is this stunning, multipurpose exhibition space of Hangar Bicocca , in a vast industrial site that once was the heart of the Pirelli company’s operations. Its smartly curated temporary shows are certainly worth a look, but the big, and we mean b
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Castello Di Lombardia
One of Sicilys most formidable castles guards Ennas highest point, at the easternmost edge of the historic centre. The original castle was built by the Saracens and later reinforced by the Normans; Frederick II of Hohenstaufen ordered that a powerful curtain wall be built with towe
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Cattedrale di San Giorgio
At the top end of the sloping Piazza Duomo is the towns pride and joy, the mid-18th-century cathedral with its magnificent neoclassical dome and stained-glass windows. Its set high above a grand staircase behind a palatial iron gate (the entrance is up the stairs to the left of the
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Nuraghe Maiori
Two kilometres north of Tempio Pausania on the SS133 road to Palau is the Nuraghe Maiori, signposted off to the right and immersed in billowing cork woods. As the name suggests (maiori means ‘major’), it is a good deal bigger than many of the simple ruined towers that dot the count
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Terme Maschili
The Terme Maschili were the mens section of the Terme del Foro (Forum Baths). Note the ancient latrine to the left of the entrance before you step into the apodyterium (changing room), complete with bench for waiting patrons and a nifty wall shelf for sandal and toga storage. Whil
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Palazzo delle Esposizioni
This huge neoclassical palace was built in 1882 as an exhibition centre, though it has since served as HQ for the Italian Communist Party, a mess hall for Allied servicemen, a polling station and even a public loo. Nowadays its a splendid cultural hub, with cathedral-scale exhibiti
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Piazza Pio II
Stand in this magnificent square and spin 360 degrees. Youve just taken in an overview of Pienzas major monuments. Gems of the Renaissance constructed in a mere three years between 1459 and 1462, theyre arranged according to the urban design of Bernardo Rossellino, who applied the
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Villa dei Quintili
Towering over green fields, this 2nd-century villa is one of Romes unsung splendours. It was the luxurious abode of two consuls, the Quintili brothers, but its splendour was their downfall. The emperor Commodus had them both killed, taking over the villa for himself. You may now en
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Palazzo Valentini
Underneath a grand mansion that’s been the seat of the Province of Rome since 1873 lie the archaeological remains of several lavish ancient Roman houses; the excavated fragments have been turned into a fascinating multimedia ‘experience’. Tours are every 30 minutes, but alternate b
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Basilica della Madonna dei Martiri
At Fonnis highest point is the imposing 17th-century Basilica della Madonna dei Martiri, one of Barbagias most important baroque churches. Surrounded by cumbessias (pilgrims’ huts), it’s famous for a revered image of the Madonna that’s said to be made from the crushed bones of mart
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Gianicolo Hill
Gianicolo (Janiculum) is dotted by monuments to Garibaldi and his army, who fought the French on this spot in 1849. The Italian hero is commemorated with a massive monument in Piazzale Giuseppe Garibaldi, while his Brazilian-born wife, Anita, has her own equestrian monument about 2
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Chiesa di San Nicolò allArena
Sicilys largest church is the monumentally ugly Chiesa di San Nicolò allArena. The church was commissioned in 1687 but building was interrupted by the earthquake of 1693 and then by problems with its size – it measures 105m long, 48m wide and 62m high – and it was never actually fi
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Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano
After extensive renovations, this signigicant museum reopened in 2011 to coincide with the centenary of the risorgimento, or unification. An astounding 30-room trajectory illustrates the creation of the modern Italian state in the very building (the baroque Palazzo Carignano ) wher
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Abbazia di Piona
The Cistercian Abbazia di Piona has a magnificent setting on a promontory stretching out into Lago di Como. Theres evidence that a small chapel was built here as far back as the 7th century. The present Romanesque church and its medieval frescoes are attractive, but the star is the
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MeMus
Located inside the Palazzo Reale (purchase tickets at the palace ticket booth), modern museum MeMus documents the history of Europes oldest working opera house, the Teatro San Carlo . The collection includes costumes, sketches, instruments and memorabilia, displayed in annually cha
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Tomb of St Peter
Excavations beneath St Peters Basilica have uncovered part of the original church and what archaeologists believe is the Tomb of St Peter. Here, in 1942, the bones of an elderly, strongly built man were found in a box hidden behind a wall covered by pilgrims’ graffiti. Visits are b
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Monastero di Santo Spirito
At the top of a set of steps off Via Atenea, this convent was founded by Cistercian nuns around 1290. A handsome Gothic portal leads inside, where the nuns are still in residence, praying, meditating and baking heavenly sweets, including cuscusu (sweet couscous made with local pist
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