ITALY A COUNTRY TOUR

My wife and I have visited Italy a few times in the past 20 years. Here's a list of some of the places we have seen. The posts listed below include some commentary, photos, and videos.

Click on the place names to see the photos and videos.

ASSISI   A beautiful city on a mountain side where St. Francis was born and buried. The basilica is known for its architecture and frescoes.

BURANO   A quiet island getaway with picturesque canals close to Venice.




CAPRI   Truly an island paradise with lots to do.




CINQUE TERRE   We visited two of the five villages along the magnificent Italian Riviera.




FLORENCE    "The Cradle of the Renaissance" Museums, art, medieval marvels, shops




GENOA   (aka Genova)   A seaside medieval city with an abundance of interesting art and architecture











MAGGIORE (LAKE)   A pleasant resort community










MILAN   Cathedral Square and Cathedral of Milan, Sforza Castle










PISA   The leaning tower and other buildings.





POMPEII   An incredible look at a Roman village preserved following the volcanic eruption of 79 CE.














RAVENNA    Known for its exquisite mosaics.








ROME   the heart of the ancient Roman Empire with so many things to see.





T

SORENTO   A beautiful resort community bustling with seaside loving tourists.




VATICAN   A small walled city-country with centuries of culture and religious art to appreciate






VENICE   Gondolas, canals, bridges, Murano glass, and so much more.




VERONA   A fascinating city with ancient roots and a famous Shakespeare connection.

RAVENNA Italy and Mosaics

Mosaics Ravenna Italy

Our primary focus in Ravenna was to see examples of the famous 1,500 year-old churches with Byzantine mosaics. We were not disappointed in the quality of the works.

On the way to the museum, we had a quick look at the poet Dante Alighieri's tomb.

Dante Alighieri's tomb

Inside Dante Alighieri's tomb

Next, we grabbed a map from the friendly tourist office staff and we headed to the Museum (Mausoleo di Galla Placidia) for a quick look at the mosaic work in the Baptistery (see also top photo).







































































Next we hurried to the Basilica of San Vitale. The church was built in the years 526-547. It is famous for its Byzantine mosaics considered among the best outside Constantinople.

Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna Italy

While most were looking up, I also noticed the floors.

























Travel notes

You need a ticket to visit the monuments. We got ours in the museum shop.
The museum has toilets on the first floor (second floor in US).
Suggestion, if pressed for time, head for the Basilica di San Vitale.










See the other cities we visited in ITALY


     Connections

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FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton

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Publications (many free downloads)

     

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton   (PhD)

     

  ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton   (PhD)

PISA Italy

Leaning Tower Pisa Italy 2019

From the coach park, we took a small touristy train ride to the Pisa market area.

On entering the old village of Pisa, the scene is quite impressive. Pisa is in the Tuscany region of Italy. The learning tower was already leaning when it was built in 1372. It's a 56 metre white-marble bell tower next to the Cathedral. The area where the buildings are located is called Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles).

Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa Italy

The famous tower doesn't look so tall in the context of other buildings, but a closer look at the people as in the top photo helps with perspective.


A few more photos.

It is currently popular to take a selfie. Some were considerably creative in pinching the tower or holding it in your hand. Me- not so creative.

Travel notes

Outside the field of old buildings, there are restaurants and stalls selling all sorts of souvenirs and refreshments.

You can find toilets in some restaurants, which is what we did--keep your receipt--we had to show it to the man controlling access.

You can climb the tower if you obtain a ticket.

A link to more information https://www.discovertuscany.com/pisa/

See the other cities we visited in ITALY

Connections

My Page    www.suttong.com

My Books   AMAZON     GOOGLE PLAY STORE

FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton

TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton

PINTEREST  www.pinterest.com/GeoffWSutton

Publications (many free downloads)

     

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton   (PhD)

     

  ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton   (PhD)

MILAN Italy

Cathedral Square Milan Italy / G Sutton 2019

We arrived on foot from the bus station at this imposing castle. Sforza Castle was built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan on the ruins of a 14th century structure. It was renovated in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Here's a brief video of Sforza Castle and fountain.

From the castle, we headed straight toward centre city.

It's not far to Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo). This church is the cathedral of Milan, which is in Lombardy, Italy. The magnificent edifice is dedicated to the Nativity of St Mary and the seat of the Archbishop of Milan. It took nearly six centuries to complete. As you compare the size of the people, consider the height is 354 feet.

Here's a brief video of Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo).

A few examples of the artistry on the Cathedral.

Door panel, Duomo del Milano

Door panel scene, Duomo del Milano

Door panel scene, Duomo del Milano

A scene on Duomo del Milano

On the left side (facing the church) of Cathedral Square is a large arch and entry to a shopping area (Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II).

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II)

The statue in the centre of the square is King Victor Emmanuel II

King Victor Emmanuel II, Milan

Travel Notes

• There's little shade in the area so it can be quite hot as it did when we were there in September.
• You need tickets to enter the Cathedral. In September 2019, the ticket booth was on the right side of the church as you face the church. 
• Public toilets are near the ticket booth--you will need euro coins
• There's a Cathedral gift and bookstore with nice items near the cathedral-- walk down the street on the right side of the church and the shop is on the right.

See the other cities we visited in ITALY

Connections

My Page    www.suttong.com

My Books   AMAZON     GOOGLE PLAY STORE

FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton

TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton

PINTEREST  www.pinterest.com/GeoffWSutton

Publications (many free downloads)

     

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton   (PhD)

     

  ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton   (PhD)

St Columba's Church Drumcliffe Ireland

St Columba's Church, Drumcliff, Ireland / Geoff Sutton 2019

Inside St Columba's Church

Church location: Drumcliffe Parish Church Drumcliffe  Sligo  Republic of Ireland


The grave of W. B. Yeats (1865-1939) is in the Drumcliffe Cemetery. He died in France. His remains were brought back in 1948. His great-grandfather was a rector in Drumcliffe.

There's also a Celtic High cross in the cemetery.




Not far from the cross, is an Irish Round Tower. They were originally bell towers and are found near churches and monasteries in Ireland and Scotland.





Signage at this church stop.

St Columba's Church Sign

Drumcliffe Monastery

Round Tower Sign, Drumcliffe