Misc. EUROPEAN AIRPORTS, Part 3

OSL (Oslo, Norway) – Oslo Gardermoen Airport is the international airport of the Norwegian capital. A hub for Flyr, Norse … More

Misc. EUROPEAN AIRPORTS, Part 2

DBV (Dubrovnik, Croatia) – Dubrovnik Airport (also referred to as Čilipi Airport), is the international airport of Dubrovnik in southern … More

Italian Cinema

Italian cinema dates all the way back to 1896 with Vittorio Calcina, who was considered to be a collaborator of the Lumière … More

Famous PUBLIC SQUARES

A public square (also commonly referred to as a town square, plaza, or piazza) is an open public space which is commonly found in the heart … More

Rapallo

The municipality of Rapallo, which lies on the coast of the Ligurian Sea between Portofino and Chiavari, is located roughly 15 miles southeast … More

Italian Cuisine

Italian cuisine is one of the most popular and copied in the world, especially in the United States, where it is generally … More

The Apennines

The Apennines are a mountain range consisting of several smaller parallel chains, extending some 750 miles along the length of mainland Italy. In the northwest they join with the Ligurian … More

Baptistery of San Giovanni

The Baptistery of San Giovanni is a minor basilica in Florence, Italy. Standing across from both the Florence Cathedral and the Campanile di Giotto in the Piazza del … More

Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Int’l Airport (FCO)

Opened in 1961, Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino International Airport is now the major airport of Italy. By passenger traffic, it is … More

Ponte Sant’Angelo

Ponte Sant’Angelo (“Angels’ Bridge”) was completed in 134 AD by the Emperor Hadrian to span The Tiber in Rome from the city center to his mausoleum, … More

120 Favorite UNESCO Sites, Part VI (101-120) – Countries with the Most Sites

Here is a list of countries with the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites (as of August 2021): Italy (58 – … More

120 Favorite UNESCO Sites, Part V (81-100) – Selection Criteria

Nominated UNESCO World Heritage Sites must be widely considered to be of “outstanding universal value” and meet at least one … More

120 Favorite UNESCO Sites, Part IV (61-80) – Site Types

The complete World Heritage List comprises 1153 properties of “outstanding universal value”. Of these, about 23% are represented by natural … More

120 Favorite UNESCO Sites, Part III (41-60) – In Danger

Armed conflict, war, natural disasters (such as earthquakes), pollution, poaching, uncontrolled urbanization, and unchecked tourist development all pose major problems … More

120 Favorite UNESCO Sites, Part II (21-40) – Delisting

World Heritage sites may lose their designation when the UNESCO World Heritage Committee determines that they are not properly managed or protected. A … More

120 Favorite UNESCO Sites, Part I (1-20) – Origin

UNESCO (or the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) was founded in 1945 as the successor to the League of … More

The Mediterranean, Part 7: Ligurian Sea

The Ligurian Sea is an arm of the Mediterranean which lies between the Italian Riviera (Ligurian coast) to the north, the island of Corsica (France) … More

The Mediterranean, Part 6: Tyrrhenian Sea

The Tyrrhenian Sea is the part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy, named for the Tyrrhenian people identified with the Etruscans, who settled … More

The Mediterranean, Part 4: Balearic Sea

The Balearic Sea, also known as the Iberian Sea, is one of the 12 marginal seas of the Mediterranean. It … More

The Mediterranean, Part 3: Adriatic Sea

The Adriatic Sea is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans. It is connected to the Ionian Sea … More

The Mediterranean, Part 2: Ionian Sea

The Ionian Sea is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean, which borders it to the south. It is also connected to the Adriatic Sea in … More

Castel Gandolfo, Part 2: Apostolic Palace

The Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo is a 135-acre complex of buildings located in a garden setting overlooking Lake Albano in … More

St. Peter’s Square

St. Peter’s Square, located directly in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini from 1656 to 1667, … More

Church of the Eremitani

The 13th-century Gothic Church of the Eremitani (Italian: “Church of the Hermits”) is a former-Augustinian church located in Padua, Italy. It is also notable … More

The River Tiber

The River Tiber, much like the Arno to the north, rises in the Apennine Mountains and empties into the Tyrrhenian Sea. Its source … More

The Arno River

The Arno, located in Tuscany, is the most important river of central Italy, after the Tiber At 150 miles in … More

Trieste

The city/seaport of Trieste is located towards the end of a narrow strip of Italian territory between the Adriatic Sea and Slovenia, about … More

Other Recommended ART MUSEUMS

Here is a list of a few dozen more art museums around the world that I would recommend with an … More

Scala Contarini del Bovolo

The spiral staircase known as the Scala Contarini del Bovolo (literally, the “staircase of the snail”), located in the small Palazzo Contarini del … More

Roma Termini

Roma Termini is the main railway station of Rome, Italy, which derives its name (along with the surrounding district) from the ancient Baths of Diocletian (Latin: … More